#will I ever learn to be concise when asked a question

[nipuni]

Hey, Nipuni! First off, I want to say that i love your work sooosoooo much and i can’t even truly describe the impact it’s had on me. You’re an inspiration to me!! No matter what your interest is in i will always be a fan. I was really curious and wanted to ask, i think you’ve talked about it a looong time ago but, how long do you reckon it takes your to do your fully painted illustrations these days?? and how long do you wait before posting it, assuming you aren’t sure if you’re satisfied with it. I’ve just been struggling with overworking my art and feeling like it’s not ever ready to post so i was curious. 😟

Hello!! I'm so late to reply I'm so sorry!! Thank you so much for the kind words!! to hear that my work can have such a positive impact on someone is the greatest compliment truly 😭❤️ and thank you for sticking through all my interest hopping too haha

These days it takes me anywhere from 2 to 9 hours most of the time, non consecutive if I can help it, and I usually sleep on them at least one night before I share them. But I've held on for over a month to some just because I didn't think they looked quite right, so I keep coming back to them every now and then and do some small tweaking until I reluctantly post them either out of frustration or exhaustion haha I don't have the patience or the attention span to work on the same thing for very long to be honest, so I've adapted 😆

The truth I like to remind myself of is that once I share something all my focus shifts to my next idea every time so whether I could have done better or not doesn't matter once it is out of my hands. I can always do better on the next one, there is just the comfort of letting go and a fresh start.

I've struggled with overworking pieces to death a lot too. It stems from anxiety really so it's a matter of building confidence, the point at which art is ready to be shared is arbitrary after all. You can convey a message or idea just as effectively through the roughest of sketches to the most detailed oil painting, the rest of the work is mostly towards aesthetic value.

On the technical side of things, when you grow frustrated with a piece to the point where you start to resent it is a good indicator that you need a different course of action. Sometimes bringing in new references can help you find the issue, sometimes the problem is structural and buried under piles of unnecessary detail and you have to go back and redo or remove something you were reluctant to, and sometimes the best thing you can do is to let go and come back to it with fresh eyes when you have learned more. As for studies, working from big to small, training for speed and on a time limit has helped me. Anyway I think I've started rambling, I hope any of this helps!! Remember that art at any stage is better than no art at all!!

[violetasteracademic]

Yesterday I came across a Gwynriel comment on a pro-Elriel post that said: “I like Azriel. Which is why I want him to find his mate.”

I’ve always found this Gwynriel/Elucien rhetoric ironic because they’re making it clear they don’t actually like Azriel. Because if they like Azriel, wouldn’t they want him to find LOVE, first and foremost? SJM has mentioned multiple times that a mating bond is not equivalent to romantic love, and yet Gwynriels, especially, only ever argue that they want Azriel to find his mate.

I’ve found that this is the biggest differentiator between Elriels and Gwynriels/Eluciens: Elriels want Az to find happiness. We want him to find LOVE—whether it’s through a mating bond or not. The emphasis is always on LOVE.

To be honest, it took me a really long time to think through this, because I have SO many things to say on the topic! But in the interest of keeping this concise (false when have I ever kept things concise), and addressing this issue head on, we are going to go ahead and say yes, sure, maybe SJM is a "fated mates only" author (even though some of my favorite SJM couples are not mates) and that has no bearing on whether or not Azriel and Elain are still likely to be endgame.

It comes down to active and inactive storylines, as well as facts from the books versus ideas and theories of what could be true.

Throughout her multiverse, Sarah has told the "Fated Mate" story in a variety of ways, and she continues to tackle it in new ways. We have had faked mating bonds, villainous cosmic interference with mating bonds, bonds that were revealed slowly, bonds that snapped quickly, bonds that solidified over oceans before two people even met, two people literally just *deciding* they are mates and making it so, and mating bonds where the pairs were miserable and not well suited, and they lived in misery until they died.

Prythian is the only world in the multiverse where there is even a conversation about the female being able to reject the mating bond. Those are the rules set forth in Prythian. You cannot ignore them. If Elain doesn't want Lucien, she gets to reject him. Them's the rules. This isn't even an *option* or mentioned on the other worlds. Prythian is the only one where, time and time again, we are reminded that there are many unhappily mated pairs. Rhysand's own parents were miserable. So miserable that Cassian thought the mating bond was all lies and bullshit for over 500 years, until Rhys and Feyre, for the first time in his centuries of life, proved him wrong. (ACOFAS, Chapter 2.)

Narratively, Prythian has set up and established a mating bond rejection. No other SJM world has. More than that, Feyre questioned why Lucien and Elain were paired together, and seeing Elain be placed with Lucien even though Feyre thought Elain and Azriel would be a better fit made Feyre realize how lucky she and Rhys were to be mated *and* in love. Directly comparing Elain and Lucien to Feyre and Rhys further proved how special Feysand was.

Then Azriel questions the Cauldron, asking if it could be wrong. (again, the second time this question has been asked in regards to Elain and Lucien specifically.)

Now, in HOFAS, the most up to date publication, that narrative continues as we discover the Asteri pooled their power into the Cauldron to make it serve their will. (HOFAS, Chapter 25) This answered Feyre's question; Who are the powers that decide to force people who don't like each other to be mated and create the most powerful offspring? (the Asteri, because they need to eat their souls for sustenance and gain control of the world) And of course Azriel is the one watching this all unfold and learning this information. Azriel questioning the Cauldron has now been laid out not only in ACOSF, but the last two books Sarah has published. These are the facts that will set up the next book, just as Feysand and Nessian were set up in previous books.

Feyre and Rhys were already tied together in book one. We knew, heading into book two, that Feyre and Rhys had connected. They trusted each other. And while their bargain was not consensual, she chose to go to him when he called through her bond of her own free will, because they had developed a connection. We head into book two knowing exactly where things were headed. She has an interesting/developing relationship with Rhys, and she is guaranteed to see him again. This sets up the "Ordinary World" (I've made a few posts on the hero's journey book structure SJM follows, more on that here) for book two. By the end of ACOTAR, Rhys and Feyre are in an active storyline together that picks up in ACOMAF.

Nesta and Cassian had their entire plot laid out in A Court of Frost and Starlight. Cassian is dealing with Devlon and the struggle to get Illyrian females training. He describes the Blood Rite, and muses on what the one from the upcoming spring will bring. Nesta is in her alcoholic I hate my family era, and Cassian is fighting to get back what occurred between them during the war. The kiss they shared, and the willingness to die together. And they are both fighting like wildfire. By the end of ACOFAS, these are active storylines. Everything discussed about or between them in ACOFAS picks up and comes to pass in ACOSF.

Whether you want them to be together or not, the active storyline in ACOSF and HOFAS is between Elain and Azriel. Questioning the Cauldron, fighting their feelings for each other, and the tension between them escalating was their story in ACOSF. People who argue the bonus chapter ended their story are factually incorrect. Because as of this day, in this year 2024, Azriel's "What if the Cauldron was wrong" storyline CONTINUED in House of Flame and Shadow.

Azriel stood there and learned first hand how the Cauldron had been corrupted and warped by creatures who came to Prythian in search of sustenance, and, as previously mentioned, "pooled their power into the Cauldron so that it would work their will." (HOFAS, Chapter 25) They then "protected their interests" by turning the Cauldron into a killswitch, ensuring it could never be destroyed and that their will could continued to be enacted on Prythian or the world would cease to exist.

So, these are the active storylines when Azriel and Elain wake up in Prythian today (thus setting up the Ordinary World in the three act structure) that expand upon the previous two books:

Elain and Azriel have feeling for each other.

Azriel's feelings for Elain are so strong that he questions the Cauldron, and is willing to fight to the death over it.

Azriel has learned that the Cauldron was completely corrupted and fucked up by an evil species that used to rule over Prythian, and now rules over Midgard, and eats souls by churning them through a "soul meat grinder for food." (HOFAS, Chapter 16)

Azriel has learned that all of the Dread Trove items were created by the Asteri in the Cauldron, the same beings that warped the Cauldron and turned it into a kill switch to ensure power over their world. (HOFAS, Chapter 24) Only the Archeron sisters can wield the Trove, and are protected from it being used against them.

Azriel learned that Truth-Teller and the Starsword were also made in the Cauldron by the Dusk Court ancestors to destroy the Asteri. Currently, only Azriel can wield both Truth-Teller and the Starsword. Elain can also wield Truth-Teller. (Possibly Nesta as well, but Elain used it to travel through shadows while Nesta used it to cut off a head.)

All Cauldron Made items, both for and against the Asteri, are now in possession of the Inner Circle along with the knowledge that they need to discover what they can truly do, and to find the hidden cache's of magic stored in their world.

Elain has stated that she is a member of the Night Court and will do what is needed to serve it.

Elain is reacquainting herself with her powers, and is ready to be used to locate and wield Trove items.

Elain has feelings for Azriel.

Azriel has feelings for Elain.

Here are inactive storylines:

Elain using her sight to deal with Koschei, which is what I understand to be the largest E/ucien theory at play tying Elain to the BoE. Elain has not been involved in the Koschei storyline since ACOWAR, nor does she have an active storyline with Lucien besides shrinking into herself when he is around, not speaking to him, and not liking his presents.

Lucien however, is involved in the Koschei storyline as of ACOSF as it pertains to Vassa. He stares at the sea, as if setting his target on Koschei, (ACOSF, Chapter 7) and is living with Vassa and Jurian. This is what is active for Lucien. Nothing else. Any possible storyline for him outside of this is theory and speculation does not exist yet.

Gwyn does not have an active storyline at the end of ACOSF. "Gwyn, despite the Rite, had returned to living in the library. Gwyn had said she might leave for Nesta and Cassian's mating ceremony in three days." (ACOSF, Chapter 80) Her story as a Valkyrie completing the Blood Rite with Nesta has resolved and she has not presently been tied to anything else. Any ideas on how she might have a plot created are theories and speculations, but she is inactive.

Elain and Azriel are both active regarding the Trove, the Star-Sword and Truth-Teller, their feelings for each other, and Azriel is personally so propelled forward in being the Cauldron's number one hater that if a mating bond were to suddenly snap between him and Gwyn in his current headspace, he would not just forget about Elain and the dark damage done to the Cauldron and would likely not entertain the bond without more information.

If Sarah wants to make Azriel and Elain fated mates, she will. She has done everything under the sun with mates and will do more. She can do whatever she wants with magic. But you have to understand that the next book will start, as Sarah always structures it, with the "ordinary world" picking up where the last books left off. And it left off with Azriel and Elain, the fight against the Cauldron, their feelings for each other, and the reveal that all Trove items as well as the Dusk Court and Starborn heir items are now in the Inner Circle's possession, to be wielded by the sisters and Azriel alone.

And yes, as mentioned by @enigmaticexplorer we want Azriel to find love. He already has found it with Elain. Now it's just a matter of if Sarah chooses to make them mates, or if they say to hell with mates because we chose each other. Either option is great in my book!

[multifandomimagin3s]

Pornstar Dancing [Soap MacTavish x Reader]

Summary: Taskforce 141 are assigned an undercover mission - (R/N) has to use 'equipment' which the military didn't give her. Her friend, Johnny, likes what he sees...

A/N: I was sitting listening to 'Pornstar Dancing' - My Darkest Days, and an idea came into my head. Ngl, this is basically p*rn without a plot but hwg~ *Also peep the Supernatural reference hehe*

mature themes, smut, minors dni. reader is AFAB

This was without a doubt one of the craziest things you've ever had to do for a mission - and that was saying something. 'Crazy' comes with the job, being part of 141 was never going to be a walk in the park and you never expected any less.

When Laswell had given you your file for the mission, you let out a laugh, thinking that she was joking. Spoiler alert - she wasn't. Your role was to go undercover to spy on the target - a Kingpin, no less - at a club, distracting him and his cronies to buy the rest of the team enough time to disable the security, get into position, and capture him. Now you may be thinking, "that doesn't sound too bad." "Oh, what type of club?" you may ask. A Strip club. Yep, tonight, you had agreed to be a stripper. On stage. In front of hundreds of people. In front of a Kingpin. And, in front of your team-mates. And it was safe to say that you were absolutely shitting yourself at the prospect of it.

So here you were - clad in a royal blue bra, panties and garter belt littered with sparkly diamantes. To match, Laswell had given you a set of clear Pleasers, with blue glitter throughout the heels and platforms of the shoes. It had to be said, the outfit did look good on you, which gave you a bit more confidence. But felt naked - in the literal sense, and given the fact you couldn't carry weapons on you that weren't pocket-sized. Can't hide a glock in your bra.

As you fluffed up your hair, one of the managers came over to say that you were up next. You gave her a tight-lipped smile and a nod, as she ushered you over to the side of the stage, just hidden behind the curtains. As if she were psychic, she brought over a tray with a shot glass and a bottle of tequila perched on it," Here you go - calms the nerves."

You thanked her, throwing the shot back, cringing slightly at the cool, burning sensation. The DJ picked up his mic, voice thick with exaggerated enthusiasm as he gave your queue, "Alright everyone, please welcome to the stage 'Bella Donna.'!"

"Belladonna? Like, the pornstar?" Soap questioned, curious as to why, out of all the names that you could have picked out, you went for that one.

Ghost rolled his eyes," The poison - Deadly Nightshade is also called Belladonna." His tone was clipped. He was used to Johnny's antics by now, they'd been working together long enough. But it didn't mean that it didn't get on his nerves any less.

"Hm, clever," Soap nodded - your codename whilst on the battlefield was in fact 'Nightshade' - you were given that mantle before your transfer to the 141 taskforce, given your skills on the battlefield; deadly. The song began, booming through the speakers. Johnny's gaze shot over to the stage, his jaw dropped as you sashayed down the runway towards the pole," Steamin' bloody Jesus..."

Johnny's eyes raked over your form as you swung gracefully around the pole in time with the music - the song was actually one of his favourites. Speaking of favourites, the underwear set you had on was in his favourite colour; the longer he looked the more he could feel his cock twitch in his trousers, and if he didn't look away soon he'd end up with a problem. But he couldn't look away.

He struggled to suppress a groan as you hung upside down on the pole, clutching it between your thighs. When and where you learned how to pole dance, he had no idea - but holy shit, you were good. He had to bite down on the knuckles of his clenched fist, trying to wish his growing hard-on back down.

"Focus, Sergeant," Price spoke concisely through his ear piece - with a subtle hint of amusement behind his words. Everyone in the task force knew that Johnny had a thing for you - he was hardly subtle about it either but had yet to make a move. He was your friend - he thought you wouldn't see him any other way, and didn't want to ruin your friendship if you didn't return his feelings.

Johnny cleared his throat, trying to make his words not sound s as strained as he felt, " Sorry, Sir."

Ghost chuckled slightly, so quiet that the music completely drowned it out. Oh, he was absolutely going to take the piss out of him later.

The Kingpin stood from his seat as the song was coming to an end, coming to stand at the end of the stage. Playing along with the facade, you pressed your back against the cool metal of the pole, spreading your legs slightly as you dropped down into a sort-of squat. You inwardly cringed at his appearance - a sweaty, greasy-looking creep.

He placed a large stack of money at your feet, giving you a salacious wink," Give me a private dance, Sweetheart."

I'd rather dance on your head, you prick. "Of course," You gave him a smile, picking up the wad of cash before standing to full height, towering over him. As the target turned to his cronies, you looked to the back of the room, seeing Ghost give you a nod - good to go. Your eyes met Soap's as he fixed you with an expression that you hadn't seen before.

"Lead the way, hot stuff," The voice of the slimy kingpin cut through your daze, as he held out his hand to help you down the steps at the side of the stage. Oh, what a gentleman, you thought sarcastically, taking his hand. His cronies stayed behind, dispersing into the crowd to go and do as they pleased while their boss was 'occupied.' Perfect.

The situation escalated rapidly after that. As soon as you got the Kingpin into one of the private rooms, Ghost was already there, hiding in the dark corner. He pounced, quickly punched the target out before he could let out any sound of alarm, tying his arms behind his back and a cloth gag over his mouth," Good work, Sergeant."

You nodded, letting out a breath that you didn't know you were holding.

"Bravo 0-7 to Bravo 6 - target has been neutralised, over."

"This is Bravo 6 - good work, bring him out."

With apparent ease, Ghost lifted the unconscious male up, checking the coast was clear outside the room before dragging him to the fire escape. Pushing the door open revealed Gaz and Price, ready and waiting, as the target was hauled into the truck. The cool night air hit your exposed skin, your arms folding over your chest.

"Here you go, Darlin'," You jumped slightly, turning to see Johnny behind you, holding a bundle of your clothes out to you," As nice as you look, it's baltic oot there, you'll be freezin'."

You smiled slightly," Thank you, Soap -"

"Call me Johnny," He smiled slightly - his eyes wandered down to your chest briefly before quickly flicking back up to meet your eyes. There was a beat of silence, as that unreadable expression fell over his face once again, before he cleared his throat," Get yourself changed - I'll wait out here for you."

-----------------------------

The mission was a complete success which meant the team was allowed to head back to base. Thank god, you thought. A hot shower, takeout and a decent night's sleep were definitely in order and they were going to the first order of business as soon as you got back. Or, well, that was the plan.

It was as if Johnny had read your mind, as he showed up at your door not even half an hour after having gotten through the front door, a plastic bag containing Chinese food in his hand. He smiled," Got the goods."

Shower forgotten, you let him into your room. You had actually just been unpacking your duffel bag when he knocked, random items scattered across your bed; Johnny clicked his tongue," Question?"

"Shoot."

"How the fuck did you walk in these?!" Johnny asked incredulously, turning to face you, your heels suspended on the end of his finger.

You laughed at his reaction, he always had a bit of a flare for the dramatics. "A bit of liquid courage helped - and no, they weren't comfortable."

"Ohh, drinking on the job? Bad girl." He winked with a smile, his pearl white teeth practically sparkling. Bad girl. His words caused a pool of heat to build in your lower stomach, a slight blush dusting your cheeks. There was no denying that he was an attractive guy, and he had a great personality - and maybe you did have a bit of a crush on him. A big crush. But you were friends, surely he wouldn't feel the same way?

"Okay - it was one shot of tequila," You rolled your eyes, trying to will the blood to dissipate from your rosy cheeks," The Manager must have noticed that I was nervous, she gave me it before I went on-stage."

Johnny's brows knitted together, as he placed the heels back onto the bed, coming to stand no more than two feet away from you," Nervous? You were amazing on that stage, didn't know you could move like that - that wasn't the tequila that did that, that was all you, Darlin'."

Darlin'. You looked to the floor, feeling your cheeks heat up at his praise. Johnny tilted your chin up with two fingers under your jaw," Hey, I mean it - you looked really good, hell you probably made a fortune into the bargain, putting the pros to shame."

His light-hearted tone always managed to make you laugh; you met his soft gaze as he smiled, letting out a chuckle. His pale blue eyes stared into yours, falling to your lips and back up again. The tension was rising, he shuffled closer. You bit your bottom lip, his thumb pressing on it gently to release it from your teeth. He swallowed - now who's the nervous one?

"I - I'm just going to come out and say this," Johnny looked into your eyes, gaze unwavering even with his hesitance," I like you...as more than just a friend - I've fancied you for ages, but I was too scared to tell you in case you didn't feel the same."

You were gobsmacked, which must have been evident on your face as he quickly continued without missing a beat. "I think you're beautiful and well, tonight... I couldn't take my eyes off of you, I wanted to be the only one to see you like that... and I know that makes me sound like a selfish prick but -"

You cut him off, connecting your lips in a soft kiss. He went rigid for a second, as if processing that this was actually happening, arms wrapping around your waist as he reciprocated the kiss. He pulled away slightly, nose touching yours; his eyes were closed, a smile slowly making its way onto his face. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly with joy, as he pulled you into a deeper kiss. And another. And another.

Johnny unzipped your hoodie, you shrugged the material off your shoulders to the floor, arms wrapping around his neck. He groaned lowly as he noticed that you were still wearing the lingerie from before," You look so fucking sexy - in my favourite colour too, you're going to drive me crazy." His favourite colour is blue? Noted.

His large hands slid up your ribcage, firmly cupping your breasts through the cups of your bra. He hummed lowly, leaning down to press hot open-mouthed kisses across the expanse of your chest. You let out a soft gasp, as his kisses trailed up the side of your neck to your jaw, sucking lightly," The whole time you were on-stage, all I could think about was how much I wanted to fuck you."

You moaned lightly, as his hand wandered down to slip underneath the waistband of your sweatpants, rubbing over the front of your panties. Your knees buckled slightly, leaning further into him for support. He smirked, pressing his fingers directly onto your clit, your breath hitching at the contact. You cupped his bulge through his trousers causing him to grunt," Two can play at that game, Sergeant."

You dropped to your knees, unbuckling his belt, tugging his jeans and boxers down his legs; he stepped out of them, kicking them off to the side. He let out a hiss as your hand wrapped around his semi-hard length, stroking slowly from base to tip. You bit your lip to hide your smile, licking a bold stripe along the underside of his cock.

"You're really good at this." Johnny gathered your hair into a ponytail with one hand, the other cupping your cheek. You sucked the tip into your mouth, tongue circling the sensitive head, before taking his entire length down your throat. He groaned, eyes fluttering shut briefly. You repeated the action, before pulling away, pumping his length, laving your tongue over his balls," Fuck."

He gently tugged you off him, pulling you up into a sloppy kiss that was all tongues and teeth. He dipped down, briskly pulling you up into his arms, hands firmly grasping onto your ass. He walked you both backwards, turning to place on the edge of your bed; you quickly pushed all the items littered across your bedspread to the floor, you'd deal with the mess later. Johnny draped himself over you, pulling your sweatpants down your legs and over your feet, tossing them to the floor - revealing the matching panties and garter belt. He groaned lowly. "Fuckin' hell."

Johnny leaned down, pressing kisses down the column of your throat, between your breasts, down your navel to the band of your panties. You moved to peel them off, but his hand gently grabbed your wrist," Keep them on - want to fuck you in them." He grinned, ripping his shirt over his head, throwing it away to the corner of the room. Johnny dipped down, hands rubbing over the insides of your thighs; he had spent so many nights dreaming of being in this exact position, fucking into his clenched fist, imagining it was your pussy. He pulled the cloth of your thong to the side, humming as he blew cold air across your wet folds.

"Stop teasing me, Johnny," You whined, nails scratching across his scalp. The sound of his name - not his call-sign - coming from your lips in such a sinful way made his cock twitch. He placed his hot mouth over your clit, closing his eyes as his tongue swirled in small circles around the bundle of nerves.

You let out a moan, throwing your head back against the sheets. You bit your bottom lip as his hands secured over the front of your thighs, pulling you closer to his face. He pulled away slightly, fingers rubbing over your folds before he sank his index finger into your pussy. His middle finger joined soon after as he kitten licked your clit, fingers curling to hit your g-spot.

"Johnny," You cried out, writhing in pleasure, making his free arm fold around your hips as he held you in place. He groaned, turning his head to suck a hickey into the soft skin of your inner thigh." Feels so good - want you to fuck me so hard," You cooed as this thumb rubbed circles over your sensitive clit.

He pulled away, hands spreading your thighs," Such a pretty pussy." crawling over you body to kiss you hard, teasing your folds with his hard cock.

You let out a gasp as he slowly sank himself inside you, inch by inch. "Wanted to do this for so long." He kissed you deeply, groaning as you took his bottom lip between your teeth and pulled lightly. Your mouth fell open, crying out as he began with slow, deep thrusts.

Your brows knitted together as his length pressed into your g-spot. "Right there, yeah?" He asked in a slightly teasing tone, hand coming to wrap around the front of your throat, grasping gently. He thrusted into the same spot again, humming when you let out a squeal at the stimulation. He gave a heavier thrust, swallowing your moans with a kiss.

" Harder - fuck me harder," You stared into his eyes, challenging him. He quirked a brow, pulling your legs up to rest over his shoulders, palms pressing your knees down towards your chest. The change of angle allowed him to reach deeper than before, as he rammed into you, groaning as your walls squeezed tightly around him. Your hand covered your mouth in an attempt to suppress your moans, mindful that you two weren't the only ones on base.

Johnny peeled your hand away, linking your fingers together with a grin," Let them hear, Gorgeous - fuck - let them hear how good I'm making you feel." Your eyes rolled back as you felt yourself nearing your climax, reaching between your legs with your free hand to rub your clit in time with his thrusts.

"Fuckin' hell," Johnny slowed his thrusts as he felt your walls clenched around him as you came, arms wrapping around the back of his neck. He groaned into the crook of your neck; you thought he was about to cum but he didn't. He gave you a languid kiss, before slowly pulling out of you," Want you to ride me."

His hands came to rest on your hips, pulling you up with him as he laid on his back. You blushed slightly as you swung a leg over his waist, reaching down to guide his tip through your folds, sinking down on him slowly. Johnny grinned up at you as you swivelled your hips, his cock digging into your g-spot. "Shit," You cried, placing your palms on his chest as you began to thrust down onto him. He bit his lip with a smirk, hands smoothing down to grasp your ass as he watched your tits bounce. You leaned down, pressing your lips to his in a heated kiss; he thrusted up into you, smiling as you moaned into his mouth.

"Cum for me, gorgeous," Johnny's length twitched inside of you as you tried to meet his thrusts," Come on, make me cum." He cooed, groaning as he felt your walls tighten around him, your hips stalling against his. His arms wound around you tightly as he came, hugging you to his chest.

You lifted your hips off him, rolling to lay beside him as you both panted, trying to catch your breath. You turned your head, meeting his adoring gaze with a smile, turning to cuddle into his side. He pressed a kiss to your forehead, arm wrapping around your form, holding you to him.

"So...I take it you fancy me too then, Darlin'?"

[misc-obeyme]

mc cant make bread at the house of lamentation. unless its one with a very short resting time and while beel is away at a game/other time consuming activity bc otherwise he just. eats the raw dough. and likes it like a sweet lil weirdo. and of course he gets rly guilty abt it seeing mcs face when they come outta the kitchen like 'does anyone know what happened to my bread 🥺'

sometimes if he knows mc wants to make bread hell make a point to stay out for most of the day so hes not tempted. otherwise mc has to go to the demon lords castle (fancy and prolly has a proof box, but availability can be spotty) or purgatory hall (risk of solomon)

also, since the devildom tends to be much warmer than the human world i bet rising/rest times are cut much shorter. but it begs the question of if yeasts native to the devildom need higher temperatures to activate. probably i feel thatd make sense.

also mild fluff headcanon: barbatos sees mc's interest in the differences between human world and devildom yeasts and helps them build a lil sourdough starter experiment where they make ones from the different types and see how they compare :) And since starters can become specialized to the bacteria of the person who made it (when its mixed by hand) they obvs have to each do a set of human world and devildom starters (barb likes to give them bread made from the starters specialized to him cuz it feels like a way of marking mc :3 )

do i know how to be concise? no. is bread science sick as hell? yes. -🥐

YO I love all of this!!

Okay okay, Beel eating bread dough, though. And deliberately making sure he's not home when MC wants to bake bread, that is so so CUTE. Poor baby Beel can't keep himself away from the bread dough and has to leave the house entirely so MC can bake some bread in peace, please that's adorable.

I definitely think the castle is probably the best option for alternative baking locations. As you pointed out, Purgatory Hall is too risky.

I know nothing about yeast. The only bread I've ever baked has been bread that's actually cake. You know, like pumpkin bread and zucchini bread. They're really cake, right? They taste like cake. I think it's the loaf formation that causes people to call them bread. All of this is to say that I feel I have learned some new facts about yeast. It never ever would have crossed my mind that the Devildom temperature would impact the rate at which yeast rises. And I LOVE the idea of native Devildom yeast!

You killed me with that fluffy Barb headcanon... BARB give me all your bread made from your specialized starters lasdfkjldfkj. Everyone must know whose bread I'm eating!! Please that's such a cute way of being possessive and so totally his style. It's like this one is mine, but I'm not going to be loud about it or anything. I'm indicating it with my bread. I love it. I love him.

Once again, I know nothing of bread baking, but I would give my soul to have a sourdough starter experiment with Barbatos. It's such a cute little scenario, I absolutely love it.

Ahhh what would I do without you bringing all the baking knowledge to my ask box, 🥐 anon?? I'm really in love with all of these ideas!

[femmefatalevibe]

How do I sound and appear more intelligent and sophisticated? I've read books and stuff but how do I apply the knowledge in real life? How do I make my everyday vocabulary more sophisticated? Ik the general advice to read books and converse with people etc, but how do I actually apply it irl?

Hi love! Here are some of my suggestions/tips:

How do I sound and appear more intelligent and sophisticated?

Keep your language and explanations simple & concise

Speak slowly & deliberately: Take your time between sentences, and pause between your thoughts. Always think before you speak. Silences, while slightly awkward, are not always best avoided

Use the proper propositions when speaking: Avoid small grammar mistakes (know when to use less vs. fewer, I vs. me, graduated from an institution, etc.)

Articulate complex concepts into layman's terms: Break concepts down into different parts of the conceptual equation – chronically, from beginning to end or outcome to origin, simultaneously moving parts/micro-stories or situations; Use analogies (metaphors, mundane/real-life examples, or hypothetical situations) that require the same thought-process or methodology)

Apply conversational "show don't tell" when sharing a story: Describe the situation using the 5 senses to convey the implied meaning (e.g. "I could feel the pit in my stomach." vs. "I was nervous.")

Use subtle tonality to convey particularly emotional or significant points while speaking

I've read books and stuff but how do I apply the knowledge in real life?

Relate cultural references or learned concepts to add clever humor to everyday conversations

Create parallels and analogies to outside information to convey your understanding of what someone is saying, ask more thoughtful follow-up questions, or smoothly transition into a new conversation topic

How do I make my everyday vocabulary more sophisticated?

Use everyday/simple sentence structure and replace one simple word choice with another more sophisticated word that is equally apt to the message you're trying to convey

If you're ever confused about whether a particular synonym makes sense to use IRL, look at how it is used in the dictionary sentence examples and in other books/articles

Ik the general advice to read books and converse with people etc, but how do I actually apply it irl?

Reiterate a concise, simplified version of the other person's anecdotes to convey your understanding. Drive the conversation forward by asking specific follow-up questions based on one "part" of the idea or story

Use cultural parallels to convey your understanding of what the other person is saying (sounds like this TV show character, like a certain artist, historical/current event, etc.)

Leverage metaphors to connect the dots between the points you and your conversation partner are making. Make an insightful connection to break up the air time between their anecdote and contribution

Conversational word choice should be used to create vivid images in people's minds – to paint a picture of the concept, scene, emotions, or sensations one would engage with or experience if the person was living your conversation in the present moment

Learn how to use wit conversations – context and delivery are vital to its success and positive reception

Hope this helps xx

[mamawasatesttube]

Hello, I'm pretty new to the Superboy fandom. Can I ask you this question:

This part on his Wikipedia page caught my attention.

Do you know the instances (issues, panels, lines, etc) where Kon-el expresses that he doesn't want to be considered Superman's sidekick or similar sentiments?

I would really like to understand more about his feelings regarding his role in relation to Superman and his feelings toward the big man himself.

Thank you, and I apologize if any part of my ask sounds rude to you.

hoookay this is probably gonna be a bit of a doozy but i'll try and keep it concise!!!

first of all, rec-wise, you're probably gonna wanna read the entirety of "reign of the supermen" and "the return of superman". which is a lot, i know, but there's so much going on there that it's honestly hard for me to pick and choose any single issue out of it that would make sense as a standalone.

so at first, before clark himself comes back on the scene, we get things like the classic "don't ever call me 'superboy!'" panel as well as things like this:

where it's clear that kon sees himself as superman, the "real" superman. he does also acknowledge that he's young and he needs to learn to be and do better, as when john henry irons tells him he needs to accept responsibility for his showboating causing frank the helicopter pilot's death, so it's not like he's a full-on arrogant jackass about being the best already, but at this point "superman" is his entire identity. he's not shy about the fact that he's a clone, either; he tells lois, and later, everyone in metropolis via tv, that he is a kryptonian clone and obviously not the og superman himself, but he's still insistent that he is superman.

a fun side note here: this is actually before the retcon that kon was a human with a metagene, so he is actually a full clone of superman!

in fact that's part of why lois knows something is up with cyborg superman in the wake of the destruction of coast city. it's not entirely relevant to the question of their relationship except that it IS my favorite interpretation and also i think it adds a particular flavor to kon's relationship to superman as the gold standard he was made to achieve, the model he was made to emulate.

"Superman... the first Superman... didn't let Doomsday trash his town... and I won't let these creeps rip it down!"

superman is his role model in every way. he respects him a lot even in death and wants to be as much like him as he can. at this point kon's definitely a hotheaded and easily-distracted kid, but he's also all of three weeks old, so...

"Ripping free of this trap would be child's play for Superman... but I'm his clone, aren't I?"

so we can see from early on kon definitely ties his sense of self and his sense of self-worth to "how am i measuring up to superman?" that's a recurring theme we'll see with him over and over.

by the end of the fight with hank henshaw, kon has fully accepted that superman's back and is The OG:

"Check that, Blondie. I'm not Superman. That guy's Superman! The one and only!"

after this we get the "actually a human clone with a ttk metagene" retcon and kon's departure for hawaii:

he leaves for two primary reasons: a) to make a name for himself because he wants to be worthy of the superboy/superman mantle and the s-shield, and b) because editorial wanted superboy to be its own separate title. he thinks the world of superman and wants to make him proud, essentially, while also maintaining his independence.

(clark is also around and interacting him during that retcon arc but i'm a little tired and don't wanna go hunt down any more panels right now, so ... that's for another day.)

and then of course there's superboy (1994) #59, where kon actually gets the name kon-el, something incredibly meaningful to both him and clark:

in summary: kon really, really looks up to clark. he wants to be worthy of his trust and often berates himself when he feels like he's not being enough like superman. his strong drive for independence is part of that: he wants to be totally independent and capable on his own, just like superman.

[perplexingluciddreams]

Using the internet and technology with high needs autism

I have been trying to put this into words for a while, but due to the exact thing I am making the post about, it has been very difficult.

First of all, a short (ish - I am not the best at concise) background of me and technology: Used to play games on dad's phone, and later watch YouTube videos on family tablet (with parent restrictions). However, ability to navigate devices was very limited, and if something went wrong I just panic and give to an adult.

We used computers a bit in school for work and educational games. Every time we went to the "computer area" I would cry because I knew I wouldn't be able to find the webpage on my own, or sign in to something, or type in a word document. At these times in school, usually another pupil would just sigh loudly and then come and do the computer thing for me over my shoulder.

I had an MP3 player that I got for I think my 8 or 9th birthday. The only thing I knew how to do, was play music and google search. But I still didn't really understand what a "link" was, or how to find important information. We were supposed to learn online research skills in school, but nobody ever explained the most simple stuff to me, so I lack the basic knowledge.

I got my first phone at age 10. This was when I also first get Instagram, my first social media (parents set up for me). I was in a group chat for my school year, but the only time I put a message there is when mum asked me to ask a question, about a non-uniform day for example. Nobody interacted with me in there, and apart from the messages I don't know how to navigate the app. I posted a few pictures a few times, but only when someone else recommended, and I didn't interact online.

I have poor language comprehension, slow processing and take longer to learn new skills. My computer skills and especially typing skills are majorly behind my peers. I have slowly learned some skills allowing me to be even on Tumblr in the first place, but I still need a lot of support and it makes me very anxious. Part of my difficultly on social media, is the social interacting part. Mostly due to low interest.

But my biggest challenge is poor comprehension. I get very anxious and upset when I come onto Tumblr and all the posts I try to read don't make sense to me. Especially when the post is about a topic I care about - if I read it and I can't know what people mean, then I will just be very upset for the rest of the day.

Second biggest challenge, not being able to express opinions on important topics. Often, I can't even understand something. Then, I can't form an opinion because it's too complex. Or, I have an opinion, but I don't understand if someone agree or disagree with me from what they write.

I work so hard to gain skills and learn enough to even be here, and then all I can find about people like me is other people arguing about our existence. Want to express my frustration at this. To even write this post I had support from mum, and it takes all my mental energy.

It is true that I have low interest in socialising - direct impact of autism. So social media maybe not best place in the world for me, by default. But I still want to understand and be included. Not be treated like place to just ask "am I counting as high support needs". I don't understand even my own needs enough to answer this for myself - I definitely can't answer for anyone else.

A lot of my challenges, come direct from autism. That's just a fact. Wish it was easier, very often. But also wish it was easier online - I can't be part of outside community, only online.

I post here to express thoughts and feelings, that is also just what this post is doing. I did less big big edit on my words this time, wanted words to be closest to how I think it (don't think in words so not possible to show abstract thoughts direct, but closest to first translation).

[pathos-logical]

Do you know of any resources or posts specifically about captioning comics? I am very new to this, but I love comics and I make comics so I want to learn how to caption them properly. Thank you for your blog and all you do!

Delighted you asked this, since it gives me the excuse to share one of my top favorite posts about exactly that!!! I used @/TheQueerWithoutFear's addition in this post as a personal bible when starting out with art IDs! I think this post also has advice which is generally applicable to lots of comic IDs, since people can get bogged down writing every single detail of a piece when the broad strokes would do and thus detract from the overall comprehensibility of an ID. I also really appreciate this site as a great resource for examples on how to write concisely and with an audience in mind, and this post also lays out a lot of good tips! I'll round out this post with some general advice/guidelines:

Neither alt text nor caption IDs are better or even necessarily more accessible than the other; what matters is good formatting (so please don't put IDs below a readmore or use anything but plain text, use sentence case and primarily formal language, use brackets and "ID/End ID" formatting for caption IDs but omit them from alt, etc!)

For comics, especially long ones, I personally favor conciseness over strict fidelity to art, though this is highly subjective and depends on the piece and sometimes my mood. What I would boil this down to is that you don't need to include every detail in a piece to write a good ID, and using narration/prose is often more understandable than transcribing visual techniques (Ex: "She notices something to the side" is clearer and more succinct than "Action lines next to her face indicate she saw something to the side")

Organizing an ID's information in a top-down format is best for comprehensibility: start with who/what is featured (and where they're from, if applicable) and what they're doing, and then move on to background, style, and details

Last, you're welcome, and thank YOU so much for reaching out!! Artists like you make the world go round!! Please feel free to reach out if you ever have more questions, and have a wonderful day!!!

[sunnywalnut]

I've got so many new followers....

Uh.... hi? Everyone?

Nice to meet y'all. ^^

As for intros..

My name is Sunny. Or Walnut. SW. Sun. Wal. Whatever you like, honestly. I'm not picky. And I do like nicknames so I'm vibing .

I am a man. So he/him for me, please. Though if you wanna use neos, I'm fine with that too. I find them interesting.

19 years of age. Yes I'm young. No I'm not a child.

I do the occasional motivational post, both for myself and everyone else, as well as long winded poetry about people I miss and love, and just random shitposts with a dash of Internet activism. Because I like it when the world is a better place and you should too.

DNI: homophobes, transphobes, fatphobes, racists, sexists, Zionists, antisemits, ableists, and all the other big bads. If you drop comments harassing people, I will delete and block you. That won't fly here. This is my space and you will respect it as such.

I have recently turned off anon asks because of this. You can, however, send me asks and request to be anonymous when I respond to them! I will simply just screenshot the ask, crop out your url/name, and reply to it in my own post.

And please, if you are under the age of 17/18, don't dm me. As cool as it is chatting to y'all in comments and reblogs, I just don't feel comfortable with the intimacy of dm with minors ^^ nothing personal. Just trying to keep everyone safe.

That all being said, if I actually DO post something that is harmful or doesn't sit right, please let me know in a respectful manner!

My intention is never to hurt people!! I know for a fact that I can get caught up in my own head and my words can get jumbled (as can anyone's) so I am more than willing to listen and learn, as well as explain my points of speaking.

Keep in mind. I am Autistic. Meaning I have a mental disability that sometimes makes it harder to make connections between words and emotion, reading tone, and also making sure that my words are clear and concise.

If you have a problem or disagreement with anything I have said, it would be very much appreciated if you would be kind, direct, and respectful when explaining it to me. I might not get it at first, so I will ask clarifying questions, but it's only ever to understand the situation thoroughly.

Thank you and have a good day!

[monstersinthecosmos]

stealing your question as promised: what authors do you think shaped your writing the most when you were first starting?

-mothmage

sdjkgas in middle school my favorite authors were Anne Rice and Francesca Lia Block and I think they have SENSUALITY in common even though their writing styles are SO opposite. As a teen when I was first writing I think I learned so much from both of them, like the seriousness and drama of AR but at the same time, FLB is so concise and punchy and sometimes her books are like these waterfalls of adjectives and I tried to think in that way too! Like I'm a very visual person so FLB books were like fucking crack for me, just heaps and heaps of descriptions of color and glittery and starry night skies and flowers growing where they shouldn't and it feels like poetry!

(I opened a random FLB book off my shelf and this is what I mean: We walked up and down the hills until our legs ached, then rode the trolley car to feel rushes of salty, misty air. We had picnics and fed the swans on the lake under the flowering terra-cotta arches, drank tea and ate pastries in rooms with cupids and rosebuds painted on the walls, strolled through the park, green-dazzled, fragrance-drunk, gasped at treasures gleaming gold in the half-lit glass cases of the museum. Then we'd return with spices, fruits and vegetables from Chinatown, seafood and baguettes from the wharf.

Her writing is so simple but it's just like heaps and heaps of sensory details !! And it's an interesting spectrum between her & AR to see how much you can say and like what type of efficiency you can find, because both of them give me that same feeling and feel so sensuous to me. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE AND SMELLS LIKE AND SOUNDS LIKE, TAKE ME THERE!

So as a teen I think I was learning a lot from them both and like I remember a fic I wrote with someone at a mall and it was like my FLB moment, I was like OMG I MUST MENTION THE TACO SMELL IN THE FOOD COURT AND THE PERFUME KIOSK AND THE HOUSE MUSIC BLASTING FROM A HAT SHOP AND THE CRUNCHY SUGAR ON A PRETZEL! And that's something that's stuck with me a lot, I think. I always want to tell you how things feel and smell like we're going on a journey, okay!

They both also have a way of treating cities/locations like characters--FLB actually does this quite literally by describing cities as if they're women (like LA is a blonde woman with big sunglasses and NYC has dyed black hair with severe red lipstick that stains on her cigarette butts, etc something like that) and it feels really specific and made me think a lot about locations and settings and how they affect the characters and story! They were also both the first books I ever read with queer people! FLB's short story Dragons in Manhattan was the first story I ever read with a trans person back when I was like 12 or 13.

AND THEN as a final nail in the coffin LOL I read I Know This Much is True by Wally Lamb when I was in 9th or 10th grade and it just really like !! IDK broke my head open for character voice. I don't think I'd read it so well done before, or maybe not noticed before. LIKE I MEAN this entire concept is like asking what did WE discover as kids or whatever, like so much of it is happenstance and if it hadn't been these authors it would've been someone else, and it's not like I stopped reading LOL like I still learn things from reading all the time! But Wally Lamb really brought this home for me. Like the way he writes Dominick's narration is just so like cynical and rugged and full of hurt and it made me think a lot about like how to profile a character with the language we use. I don't think FLB does this too much bc her writing is so breezy anyway and AR is so wordy that I don't think I could pick up on it as a teenager. I get more nuance now and see it better but it's there's a base level of like fanciness and purple prose that can be hard to see through on the first try, at least for me as a teen.

ANYWAY SORRY THAT WAS A REALLY LONG RESPONSE I JUST GOT REALLY EXCITED but Anne Rice + FLB + Wally Lamb wombo combo for emotionally torturous sensory overload cynical guttermouth style.

[heavensentofficial]

Hello Miss Lettie.

I was wondering if you'd be willing to discuss your religion and the way you feel about the temple itself with me? I know you're a busy person, of course, so I'm happy to work around your schedule.

If not, that's perfectly fine as well.

Thank you in advance,

- @code-dread

Hello there!

Of course! I am busy, but I would consider this exactly the kind of thing I am busy with. By which I guess I mean my job? Hehe... And it is an interesting question... Somehow I'm not sure I've really been asked before...

I did notice you speaking with Jordan, by the way! It's always heartening to see new people take interest in the temple c:

As for your question,

I think I may have a different perspective on the temple than most people here? Mostly in that everyone else here has made vows of their own volition and experienced other things, while I've always been here! And in that I have a lot of information that the others here don't. I even need to keep secrets from Brother Jordan ahaha ^^; I'll have to be careful with that sort of thing when I'm sharing my opinion, come to think of it.

...

You know, I'm not sure where to start! The temple is all I've ever really known, so as much as I'd like to give you helpful, concise information, it is a bit of a case of trying to explain how I feel about my life as a whole ^^; ... I hope you will forgive me if this is a bit all over the place!

Hmmmm... Firstly, I think I have to make the disclaimer that this is an organised religion, right? I'm not sure there really is such a thing as organised religion without flaws or corruption - and because of my position, I tend to see a lot of it quite up close, which makes me really sad. :< I have a lot of affection for this place and the people in it, so seeing certain individuals use it in such a way truly hurts. I often find myself wondering just what it is about the temple that seems to be enabling the sort of exploitation I keep seeing, but I'm not sure it's something I'm brave enough to bring up to anybody. Maybe one day... I do what I can to make things easier for people for the time being. ^^; The safety of our flock is of the utmost concern, after all. (hehe. flock...)

That aside, I think the temple does a lot of good! In my own experience, I was raised here, so I'm naturally thankful for that. I've been kept very safe from the various dangers and corrupting influences in town and had lots of opportunities to learn and to help people because of it. ^^ (Besides, from what little I've heard of the alternative outcome, I'm not certain that someone with my constitution would cope very well at all.)

One of our main rules is obedience to our elders... I choose to take this to mean that we are allowed to privately question them, but to we are expected to only act on this after the fact. (Unless you find someone older still whose age-authority cancels the other person's out! That's why I have learned the exact ages of everyone at the temple, to avoid those with unclean intent ^^) While there are those who would take advantage of this, in theory, the idea is that we should look up to and respect those with experience - and in the same vein, have a responsibility to guide and care for our juniors. And I think if everyone did that, it would be a lovely world. ^^ So in that sense, I'm quite blessed to have so many elders here.

We also place a heavy emphasis on sexual purity... To my understanding, this temptation is a constant plague that humankind suffers from greatly - especially in this town. I've heard frightful things of what happens outside, perpetrated by those overcome by their sin, so perhaps we are onto something. I myself believe that everyone can grow and improve so long as they truly desire it, so I try to be kind even to people that do bad things, but the temple as a whole is uh... Quite firm in their treatment of sinners as a whole. This is probably good, though ^^ To grow and become pure, people need both harsh correction and balm for their wounds. Otherwise my approach would just be coddling, right?

Ummm... I hope this has been helpful? It's hard to know what to include and what not to! This being my whole life and all. If you ever see me, feel free to approach me to talk, if you should so wish! Or to just ask more questions here, I suppose? Whichever you prefer if you need to.

[rookrecurring]

I don’t know where you’re at with this question or how often you’ve been asked it, but how are you doing these days? What have you been up to? I did a triple take when you started posting again and it’s good to see your art again! I hope you’ve been well.

—longtime RMR fan

Hi! This is such a kind message, I appreciate you checking in. I feel like I've been offline for so long that I'm always surprised to hear anyone remembers me or Red Moon Rising at all, haha. I've received a few emails here and there from former readers over the years which I've replied to, but I think it's probably time to say something more public in case anyone else has similar questions.

I tried and completely failed to keep this concise - sorry for rambling all over your relatively simple ask, but the long and short of it is: I'm doing pretty ok! Life is confusing and difficult! More under the cut!

In all honesty, I burned out very badly while working on Red Moon Rising. The tipping point unfortunately coincided with the Kickstarter for the print version (way back in 2017), but in retrospect it was a long time coming.

Shocking no-one, webcomics basically pay nothing and I was treating it as a job on top of the commission and freelance work I was paying the bills with, and in the end it just kind of crushed me. I became very overwhelmed with the work required to get the comic ready for print in the time that followed, so I never quite gave myself space to recover from the burnout because I felt such an obligation to fulfill the Kickstarter - people had paid good money for this and I wanted them to receive the books they had been promised.

The good news these days is that the Kickstarter is more or less all the way there. My publisher has been an absolute saint this entire time, checking in with me about the work without ever being demanding or pushy, and a few months ago a box arrived at my flat with all three volumes (consisting of the first 300-ish pages) of Red Moon Rising in print.

It's hard to be ecstatic after such a tiring journey to put it all together, but I'm proud of what we made. I can't overstate what a great job I think my publisher has done and how kind they've been to me - they received a lot of flak from people about the massive delays and never once threw me under the bus or pressured me to work harder or faster.

Regarding RMR's future: the website is currently down, but it shouldn't be for long. I've had some help from a friend recently (a recurring trend that I'm very grateful for) and the site should be back online soon more or less as it was. Pages, commentary, comments, everything.

However, the comic will remain on semi-permanent hiatus - never say never, but for the moment I've moved on.

I'm sure this isn't a surprise considering the last page was posted six years ago, but I hope it's not too disappointing for anyone. I always thought I would come back to it sooner or later, but I still feel like I need some space.

-

On an even more personal note, it's been a crazy few years. I think everyone has had a difficult time recently what with the… well, everything. I've been through a lot of health problems, some very difficult housing and financial situations, and I also came out as gay and asexual to my friends and family, and now to anyone who happens to be reading this.

Fortunately I have no horror stories regarding this last point, everyone around me has been beyond supportive and kind. I think the main takeaway I have from this period of my life is how amazing my friends are. I could probably fill this post to the character limit talking about the lovely people in my life and the numerous kind things they've done for me. I'm in a very good place right now thanks to them.

So in a post-Kickstarter, post-RMR world I'm at a bit of crossroads these days. I feel like my burnout has finally more or less faded and I've quietly been up to all sorts of small things.

I spent a lot of this year learning Japanese to an intermediate level (mostly through watching hundreds of episodes of Super Sentai shows in pure Japanese), something that didn't occur to me I would ever be capable of until I started doing it

I've been composing more orchestral music and sending it to like two people

I did a game jam!

I picked up Python programming recently and am trying to create a program to act as a music composition aid

I speedran learning Blender last year for a job application and made exactly one (1) piece using it that went so well I'll probably never draw a building by hand ever again

I've been playing a lot of DnD and other tabletop RPGs and made quite a bit of art related to those that I never posted anywhere

My biggest freelance project of the year was doing all the art for a friend's board game project that I'm cautiously excited about - it should be seeing the light of day some time next year

Basically I'm approaching some sort of critical mass of "uhhh maybe someone on the internet might like to see what I'm up to if I actually posted it" and now I'm confronting the scary emotions of once again being visible online. Yet another friend has offered to help me set up some kind of art stream in the near future and I think I might actually work up the nerve to do it.

-

Compared to 2017 the internet now is obviously a very different place and it's quite intimidating to step back into it if I'm being honest. It feels like there's much more pressure on Cultivating A Brand™ and I can already tell I'm going to be completely terrible at it because that pressure to be a consistent Content Creator™™™ totally smashed my brain in before and I'm not interested in going there again.

On the other hand, I appreciate that someone who is interested in seeing my handful of bird drawings one month might not also be interested in seeing my Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger fanart the next. I don't really know what to do about that except post these things anyway, because otherwise they're just piling up on my hard drive.

So that's it, really! My life is a lot more stable these days and I'm tentatively planning on posting more stuff here and possibly other places too. Thanks again for the ask, and sorry for the impromptu novel!

[90363462]

80 Best Lyrics From Taylor Swift’s Midnights For Your Instagram Captions

Oct. 21, 2022

Name one Swiftie who’s never used a Taylor Swift lyric as an Instagram caption. I’ll wait. During Swift’s 16-year career, she has delivered countless turns of phrases and relatable one-liners that fans have used as captions to encapsulate their photos and videos. On Midnights — and the album’s seven bonus tracks — Swift once again blessed us with Instagram-worthy lyrics, at one point fittingly asking on bonus track “Paris” this important question: “Did you see the photos?” 

In the 11-time Grammy winner’s 20 songs on Midnights (3 a.m. edition), you’ll notice several themes — like drinking, loving, dancing, traveling, and polishing up real nice — that are prime Instagram fodder. For frequent travelers and romantic dancers, turn to “Snow on the Beach” (“My flight was awful, thanks for asking”) and “Glitch” (“That’s romance, let’s dance”). 

For the partiers or solo drinkers, you can take advantage of lyrics on “Dear Reader” (“My fourth drink in my hand”); “The Great War” (“I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone”); “Question...?” (“It was one drink after another”); “Maroon” (“Your roommate’s cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that’s how”); and “Paris”(“Cheap wine, make believe it’s champagne”). 

Longtime listener Zainub Amir, who runs the popular Swift-centric Twitter account @SwiftNYC, told Bustle why people gravitate toward Swift’s music when crafting their own social content: “Taylor’s words and lyrical prowess are perfect for captions because she constructs her lyrics very concisely and strategically so there are a ton of relatable, witty phrases for fans to latch onto.”

For the lovers, you can use these poetic lines from “Labyrinth” (“Uh-oh, I’m falling in love”); “Lavender Haze” (“I just need this love spiral”); “Question...?” (“Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room?”); “Paris” (“I’m so in love that I might stop breathing”); and “Midnight Rain” (“My boy was a montage / A slow-motion, love potion”).

So, when you’re ready to “plant a memory garden,” as Swift puts it on “The Great War,” come back to this list of the 80 best Midnightslyrics to use for your Instagram captions. 

1. “Lavender Haze”

Meet me at midnight

I feel the lavender haze creeping up on me

I just wanna stay in that lavender haze

Talk your talk and go viral / I just need this love spiral

2. “Maroon”

That’s a real f*cking legacy to leave

Your roommate’s cheap-ass screw-top rosé, that’s how

I chose you / The one I was dancing with / In New York, no shoes

The lips I used to call home / So scarlet, it was maroon

3. “Anti-Hero”

It’s me, hi I’m the problem, it’s me

I’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror

When my depression works the graveyard shift / All of the people I’ve ghosted stand there in the room

I should not be left to my own devices / They come with prices and vices / I end up in crisis

4. “Snow on the Beach” 

My flight was awful, thanks for asking

Time can’t stop me quite like you did

It’s like snow at the beach / Weird, but f*cking beautiful

My smile is like I won a contest / And to hide that would be so dishonest

5. “You’re on Your Own, Kid”

I touch my phone as if it’s your face

You’re on your own, kid / You always have been

I didn’t choose this town / I dream of getting out

I search the party of better bodies / Just to learn that you never cared

6. “Midnight Rain”

He was sunshine, I was midnight rain

My boy was a montage / A slow-motion, love potion

I never think of him / Except on midnights like this

It came like a postcard / Picture perfect shiny family / Holiday peppermint candy

7. “Question...?”

Did you ever have someone kiss you in a crowded room?

15 seconds later, they were clapping too?

It was one drink after another

Does it feel like everything’s just like / Second best after that meteor strike?

8. “Vigilante Shit”

Draw the cat eye, sharp enough to kill a man

Lately I’ve been dressing for revenge

Ladies always rise above / Ladies know what people want

On my vigilante shit again

9. “Bejeweled”

I polish up real nice

I miss you, but I miss sparkling

By the way, I’m going out tonight

Best believe I’m still bejeweled / When I walk in the room / I can still make the whole place shimmer

10. “Labyrinth”

Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out

I thought the plane was going down / How’d you turn it right around?

Break up, break free, break through, break down

Uh-oh, I’m falling in love / Oh no, I’m falling in love again / Oh, I’m falling in love

11. “Karma”

Karma is the breeze in my hair on the weekend

Karma is a cat purring in my lap ’cause it loves me

Karma is the guy on the screen / Coming straight home to me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat / Me and karma vibe like that

12. “Sweet Nothing”

You’re in the kitchen humming

I found myself a-running home to your sweet nothings

I spy with my little tired eye / Tiny as a firefly, a pebble

Industry disruptors and soul deconstructors / And smooth-talking hucksters out glad-handing each other

13. “Mastermind”

You and I ended up in the same room at the same time

The touch of a hand lit the fuse / Of a chain reaction of countermoves / To assess the equation of you / Checkmate, I couldn’t lose

What if I told you I’m a mastermind? / And now you’re minе / It was all by design / ’Cause I’m a mastermind

I’m only cryptic and Machiavellian ’cause I care

14. “The Great War”

We can plant a memory garden

It turned into something bigger

I vowed I would always be yours

I drew curtains closed, drank my poison all alone

15. “Bigger Than The Whole Sky”

Salt streams out my eyes and into my ears

You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye

I’m never gonna meet / What could’ve been, would’ve been / What should’ve been you

16. “Paris”

Did you see the photos?

I’m so in love that I might stop breathing

Cheap wine, make believe it’s champagne

Sip quiet by my side in the shade / And not the kind that’s thrown

17. “High Infidelity”

Rain soaking, blind hoping

Put on your records and regret me

You know there’s many different ways that you can kill the one you love / The slowest way is never loving them enough

Do you really wanna know where I was April 29th?

18. “Glitch”

That’s romance, let’s dance

I was supposed to sweat you out

We were supposed to be just friends

I’m not even sorry, nights are so starry / Blood moonlit / It must be counterfeit / I think there’s been a glitch

19. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve”

I miss who I used to be

If I was some paint, did it splatter

Stained glass windows in my mind

If you never saved me from boredom I could’ve gone on as I was

20. “Dear Reader”

My fourth drink in my hand

Pick somewhere and just run

Never take advice from someone who’s falling apart

If you don’t recognize yourself / That means you did it right

[wellpresseddaisy]

Long Ago (and far away)

Part 1

Severus added several comments to a first year Ravenclaw's essay--supposedly twelve inches on the effects of ingredient preparation in potions--striking out the additional eight inches he hadn't asked for, and waved a hand negligently at the soft knock on his office door. Generally, no one came to his office hours but seventh years and they knew to enter when the door swung open. He looked up to see Granger hovering in his doorway.

"No," he waved his hand again, intent on slamming the door in her face.

Granger shoved her overfilled bag between the door and jamb before the door slammed. 

"You can take as many points as you like, Professor, but I'm not leaving until you listen to me."

"If this is about your last essay, Miss Granger--" he started, sighing.

"I don't care about that, sir." She barely avoided stomping into his office and sat heavily in the chair across from his desk, dumping her bag on the floor.

Severus stared. He'd never thought he'd ever hear that from the scholastically obsessed child.

"Headmaster Dumbledoor is ignoring my owls and Professor McGonagal is always busy and I heard a couple of Slytherin first years saying that you would actually do something and--"

She practically quivered with determination, hair roughly three times its usual size. He wondered if...no, remain on topic.

"Explain the issue at hand, Miss Granger, concisely." He rubbed his forehead, a headache definitely forming.

"There's a student in Gryffindor who only goes home at the end of the year and never receives anything, except for 50 pence at Christmas attached to a note telling them to stay for Easter hols, too, and to see if they can stay over the summer. Their clothing is in terrible shape and is at least three sizes too big, and their shoes are out at the soles. They came in very small for their age, oddly so, with some bruises...they didn't know anyone saw...and they came back this year even thinner. And they're not a picky eater, at all, sir. I'm worried, especially when they said their family would be happy if they could manage to die when they were badly injured." Granger stopped, swallowing hard.

One or two items from her list would be mildly concerning, but taken in aggregate…and damn Dumbledore and Minerva for ignoring a student's concerns. Again. Mostly because it meant he had to be civil to the puffed up little twit.

"Who, Miss Granger?"

"It's Harry, sir." She lifted her chin and gave him a Look that wouldn't be out of place in a Pureblood family's drawing room. "And I know you don't like him, but I'm coming to you as a student with sincere concerns over another student's home life."

And how Miss Granger had learned those sorts of looks and mannerisms was a question for another day. Of course it was bloody Potter.

"Is there anything concrete, Miss Granger? Aside from your little observations?"

"The Weasley twins and Ron went to get him as he hadn't answered any letters and they were worried. There were bars on his window, five or six locks on the outside of his door, and a cat flap at the bottom. His school things were all locked in the cupboard under the stairs and...they had to break him out, sir. His uncle tried to drag him back through the window, yelling about how he wasn't going back to that freak school. And they'd locked up his owl, as well, not that she could have got through the bars."

"Was there, perchance, a flying car involved in this escapade?" He couldn't help the question.

"I'm sure I couldn't say one way or the other, sir."

The nerve of the chit. 

"Harry said his Aunt Petunia would be livid about her flower beds and he knew what he'd be doing next summer."

Severus left off rubbing his forehead and glared at her so suddenly she squeaked.

"Did you say his Aunt Petunia?" Surely Dumbledore wouldn't have...he had more sense than that, surely.

"Yes, sir."

Did Lily have a great aunt Petunia somewhere? Flower names were a family mania. She had to...Dumbledore wouldn't have...he couldn't have.

"He said his mother's sister, once, sir, if that helps in narrowing it down."

Was she cheeking him?

"Thank you, Miss Granger. I will bring this to the Headmaster and take the appropriate next steps." He had to concede the need. 

"If an adult perspective would help, sir, Mrs. Weasley might have noticed something. The twins said he went from looking starved to half-starved while he was with them. He came back with practically an entire wardrobe of jumpers Mrs. Weasley knitted." 

Her mouth twisted and Severus nearly jumped from his seat. He would listen to her, but no one could force him to dry her tears. He went to the door and opened it, mostly for the distance.

"Thank you, Miss Granger. I will make some inquiries." There, a clear dismissal. She could go and weep elsewhere.

He had a momentary and unflattering thought that he never got to wail over the injustices of his life. Like being compelled to speak to the Weasley matriarch, who fussed over everything.

And who still, possibly, hadn't forgiven him for the advice he'd given her twin terrors on stabilizing certain brews.

[prettyboykatsuki]

You. I don't know what you eat or what your hand and mind is made of but let me tell you your "How to be a dog" gojo fic literally had me in tears of joy. I found it randomly one day and my dumbass forgot to like the fic and I almost cried cuz I couldn't find it ANYWHERE no matter how much I searched. I'm not exaggerating this when I say it's a fucking masterpiece. I want it tattooed in my mind, I want to print it out and glued it on all over my walls. Please don't ever delete the story and never, ever stop writing. I am in awed at how much talent a person can have. The way you wrote gojo is so intoxicating and phenomenal like holy shit you need to write for him more. How did you do it? Literally how? God you're so good at writing I am at a loss for words. If you don't mind, I have a few requests and questions, first, what is your writing process? How did you get so good? Second, can you do character analysis on gojo? I wanna read your thoughts about him so bad. Third, can you give me writing tips on 1. How to create dialogues that'll makes sense coming out of the character's mouth, 2. how to make a character not go ooc, and 3. description?

P.s: Thank you so much for creating "How to be a dog" 🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽 (I'm still not done talking about this)

im going to CRY ANON HELLO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

first of all im glad you were able to find me again!!!!! i only learned recently that people used likes to store fics afdkjsdkj but it makes me very happy that you enjoyed it enough to do that!!!!!! second of all thank you for your kind words... a masterpiece!!! u want to turn it in to wallpaper i am so so so honred by that thank you.

dw i wont ever delete any of my fics. im too stubborn and leaving them up for the most part is like important to me. im so glad u liked gojo in it!! that sick freak. i spent a lot of time crafting his insane behaviors like a blacksmith at a forge dskjfshdkj

my writing process is just me being deranged tbh!! i do most of my best writing in my kitchen when im listening to music and idea pops up and i start expanding on it!! other than that im not much of a planner so i just play it by ear dfvkjfd i never outline or anything

as for my thoughts on gojo i have a post about it right here!!

and for dialogue my biggest piece of advice is watch the anime, read the manga, and listen to dub to get a feel for how a character talks. how do they shift tone towards the end of a sentence? how long do they talk? are they word or concise? do they use big and complicated words or are they clear but simple? etc etc.

and once you get a feel for their speech patters, READ YOUR DIALOGUE OUT LOUD LIKE YOU WERE ACTING IT!! i think a lot of dialogue that sounds stiff is just bc it sounds Written but dialogue should sound like it's inteded to be Voiced. i hope that helps

(AND THANK U AGAIN FOR UR ASK...MEANS A LOT!!!)

[askanaroace]

I’ve been thinking about coming out to my friends for a while now. I’ve only ever come out to one person, and it was over text and I did a pretty bad job of explaining aromanticism.

I also would like to send them some links to articles or other media talking about/explaining aromanticism. Do you have any recommendations? Or advice?

I’m sorry if I sound dumb or if this question has already been asked a million times, I just want to make sure I come out in a good way.

AUREA is the leading (and pretty much only) dedicated resource on aromanticism, and includes both a resources page and a page with coming out advice.

The Ace and Aro Advocacy Project has resources as well, including a downloadable pdf version of their glossary, though in its entirety, that might be overwhelming to provide to the people you're coming out to. But they have a ton of helpful pages, including this downloadable 101 primer on aromanticism.

Aromantic Guide is a nicely parsed out, concise resource on learning aromanticism 101. Queer Condensed did a pretty nice pamphlet, but for the best resolution version, you have to get access to the google drive. >.>

There's wikis for everything, and while I find it's easy for them to fall behind, they're great to provide quick and easy definitions to others.

Aros have spent a lot of time here on tumblr carving out spaces for ourselves and educating others. Especially those of us with blogs dedicated to aro advocacy and education I'm sure would not mind you linking to any posts of ours that you find helpful. (I've got a bunch of contextual posts on various coming out scenarios, for example.)

With increasing awareness and advocacy projects, February is a pretty good month to find articles and interviews about aromanticism, like these pieces: "Do You Lack Desire for Romance?" by Goalpost and "11 Things You Need to Know for A Successful Aromantic Relationship" by bonobology (neither of which is perfect - they still claims all aro people desire intimacy - but would be okay for introducing people to the concept). Along better lines, Queerious did a serious of interviews to get a variety of aromantic perspectives on aromanticism and the issues facing us.

To be honest, I would not spend much time trying to gather a lot of sources for your friends. For the most part, people are going to be unlikely to click and read through any link you send them, especially if you send them a lot. I would pick one link and one TAAAP download that are concise and clear. When you come out, people's first instinct is to ask you. People tend to not want to go out of their way to learn more but can be more willing to listen to what it means to you. (Are there some people who are genuinely good allies who will not mind self-educating? Certainly! But I would prepare for the more common scenario and expect people to ask you questions regardless of how well they might be answered in your speech/text.)

Remember, you are just you. Regardless of the pressures on you, the only person you can speak for is yourself. You don't need to represent all of us. You don't need - especially during your coming out - to represent the entire variety of aromantic feelings and experiences. All you need to do is talk about you. Further education can and will come later. People will make assumptions and many of those will be incorrect. Learning is a continuous process. Coming out is a continuous process (unfortunately). You don't have to say everything all at once. Boil it down to the most important information (you're aromantic & what this means in your words) and know that it will likely come up later and there will be chances for you to expand on various things you want to expand on.

Also, just because someone appears not to understand aromanticism, don't be hard on yourself. It's on them to be open-minded enough to care to learn, and unfortunately, some people just aren't (especially on a first reaction before they've had time to think and process).

Good luck!