#yay inking practice!

[starswirly]

[ * DTIYS YIPPEE!! ]

[ * @karineverse congrats on your followers, have this silly billy!! ]

(Ink -> Comyet)

[dearduende]

the terror

of imminent danger

of possibly losing

something I’m not

yet sure I can claim

too beholden to fates

to moods and to dates

have the stars aligned

or are my anxious wounds

just triggered or are we safe

to hold each other and to heal

can I really let myself feel

or will you slip through

my fingers outstretched

to a hand pulling back

paces outmatched

am I even half a step

ahead of heartache

but in trying to dodge

any possibility of pain

maybe I am in fact

the one running away

[frostbitebakery]

for @ferretrade

.Hashmarks

“I’ve seen a few troopers commemorating their kills with those,” Aayla comments, pointing her stylus at his collarbone where his shirt has slipped down.

It’s absolutely sweltering on this planet whose name Bly is saving in his long term memory just to avoid it in the future. Breathing feels like swallowing water, sitting still has him sweating more profusely than the 16-hour battle sims they endured during training. So of course his temp-regulating undersuit is shot to hell and their quartermaster is a mean bastard trying to teach him a lesson in taking better care of his stuff.

Bly had wanted to cry and beg for mercy.

Instead he had narrowed his eyes, nodded once in menacing silence, and turned back to his duties, hoping to instill at least some fear and regret in Q.

Aayla, his cruel savior, had crinkled her nose at him and offered a very large, very billowy shirt when he had sweat-squelched his way to their command tent. “It’s Quinlan’s, originally,” she had explained at his curious look. “He didn’t want it anymore.”

“Too many sleeves?” Bly had guessed hazardously.

So now he’s sitting in shorts and a billowy shirt at their shared desk, the collar constantly slipping off his shoulder because Vos is huge, and it’s an all-around aggravating situation. Except Aayla who’s lovely and can do no wrong, obviously. But who’s also taking an interest in his tattoos which Bly is not prepared for since his brain is actively melting.

“They’re for my batch mates,” he thus replies to her inquiry.

While the frown is settling into her features, her eyes flick down to count the marks.

Bly kind of wants to cringe. Oops.

“I thought batches were… decanted,” bless her for stumbling over that word, “in fives?”

He leans back, shrugs deliberately which has the added bonus of the shirt hiding the hashmarks again. “Now, yeah.”

“Cody, Wolffe, Fox,” she counts, her eyes boring into him. She’s like a massif with a bone, and there are moments Bly wants to be a chew toy. Sadly, this isn’t one of them. “I’m sorry about Ponds,” she says, means it with all her heart. “And you. I thought that was your batch?”

“Now. Yeah,” he repeats, half-smile lifting one side of his mouth. Does his best to not let the relief be palpable for her senses.

.Lightning

“Does it really have to mean anything when it looks this cool?” He almost cracks his neck trying to look at his back in the mirror. Lightning bolts strike out from his spine, wrapping around his upper arms like electric wings.

So cool.

“Your body, your choice,” Aayla says diplomatically.

Never mind the nay-sayers.

.Tic Tac Toe

“Ow,” Bly groans.

“Fucking tubie,” Squid hisses at him, bloody hands doing stuff way too fast for him to follow, “stop crying, it’s just a flesh wound.”

Holy hell, but the spots in front of his eyes do seem to grow larger. “You’re holding my innards,” he points out just as Squid throws away something bloody. “Don’t I still need that?”

“That was a wound pad, stupid.”

Wow, the black spots are in color now. “Mind the regs, soldier,” he slurs out.

Squid pulls a bandage - when did he do that? He’s incredible. He makes tattoos and medic stuff! - way too tight. “Commander Stupid,” he relents with another harsh pull. Bly pouts at him. “Congrats, you won the game.”

Bly weakly fist bumps the air. “Yay.”

.327

“Well,” he huffs out with a chuckle, leans back against the hull, “they’re my everything. Body, heart, soul. I’m ready to die for them.”

“They’re ready to die for you, too,” Aayla says quietly.

“Yeah.” He watches her roll the mug a trooper, long gone, made for her between her hands. “Wish they’d stop that.”

.Splinters

Squid wipes away the excess ink with ease and practice. “Well, it looks as stupid as you wanted it to. My work here is done.”

“Are you sure you can’t see the tattoo underneath?”

“Of course.” Squid pulls off the stained gloves, throwing him a judging side-eye. “No one will know what exactly you “hearted”, Commander.”

.Text

“Out of my way,” Aayla reads off his hand while he is unfairly under the influence of way too many drugs, “Rippin off my flesh, so you can’t recognize me, anymore.”

“I was an angsty youth,” he explains, maybe still sore about Wash forgetting the g in ripping.

She nods sagely. “That explains your taste in music.”

“I love polka.”

“No, the other one—“ She pats his hand which she’s still holding. His hand is so lucky. “Never mind. When you get out of here I’m introducing you to grunge and taking you flannel-shopping.”

His head is already nodding. His body is awesome at responding. “You’re like my sugar daddy,” he compliments her. Her and her twin. No, that can’t be right. He blinks and there’s only one Aayla again.

She snorts at him. “Showing you the holonet has been a mistake and keeps me up at night.”

.Flowers

“I wanna be a hi—,” Bly hiccups, fumbles with his drink before it goes all over Cody. “Hibi—“

“Hibiscus,” Fox suggests more drily than his drink.

“That one! I wanna be a hibiscus in my next life.” Just chilling in the sun all day, getting watered.

“I wanna be a spexcel sheet,” Cody says to the soaked through napkin which is stuck to his face but also to the table.

“We know,” the rest of them say in unison.

Man, being a hibiscus would be amazing. He will not remember this by morning.

Bly sits up in alarm at that revelation, spills his drink over Cody anyway. “I will not remember wanting to be a hibiscus,” he says, keeps his voice from wobbling by the skin of his teeth.

“You could write it on Cody the spexcel sheet to remember,” Wolffe suggests, pats Cody’s head when vague grunts of agreement sound from the napkin.

“Or,” Fox drawls out with a slow grin.

.

Bly very carefully tugs on the bandage with squinting eyes. The foil and adhesive separating from his skin is loud as fuck but needs must when it comes to facing the fallout of a drunken night. The bandage slowly reveals tender but well-healing skin, gold and a dark brown accentuating his skin.

He stares.

“This is not a hibiscus.”

[chechula]

Hi hi! Love ur work! I used to do ink work back in the day and it inspired me to go back to it ^^ May I ask how much time do different pieces take for you? Because rn my work feels too slow but I guess that's normal after almost to none practice?

Thank you in advance for your reply :]

Hi! One true thing: that practice helps a lot. Also helps when you find a way to draw that suits you (more sketchy for one, more bold lines for another...differs with each person :) )

This is really hard to answer since my work process is a mess I usually work on 10 things at once :D Also sometimes I just have...I don't know, some lucky time when I can draw a picture in an hour...and another day, the same kind of picture takes me about eight hours :D So, here is time just for inking no sketching/pencil(but the first two are with no sketch): 20mins(on the good day!)

1 hour:

2 hours:

4-5hours:

I have no idea, but around 8hours only ink :

I redraw the pencil the whole time I am inking so it is really random. And comics are completely different. For example: ..with all the sketching the last picture took me the same time as this whole comic(18 pages) - 3 working days (well in the case of the comic these were 11 hours working days :D ) But you can see the style is really messy. I had one comic commission where I spend 3days on one page :)

I am making living out of drawing for 8years (most of the years I got even little bit over minimum income in my country, yay) but I have just tiniest idea about....how to prize of my work? When the time I spend on drawing is so random ×_×

[splat-newt]

still tryna figure out how i want to draw ink/octolings so yay yippee practice

i like the one at the bottom

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

𝕸𝖔𝖔𝖓𝖑𝖎𝖙 [Teaser] 🔞

They told you to be careful with him, that he's much more than meets the eye, but you'd been convinced that you had him all figured out; all bark and no bite, just like any other big buff alpha you've met before. Oh how wrong you were.

Tags/Warnings: (here we go...) werewolf!kook, Alpha!kook, werewolf!reader, omega!reader, some angst, blood and fighting, we love drama, strangers to mates, soulmate AU, major injury, hurt & Comfort, fluff, Primal Play, slight powerplay (mc fights for dominance but looses), biting, rough manhandling, Dom!Jungkook, protected sex (an implant is mentioned we practice safe sex even in our imagination after all), Size kink because it's me writing this get over it, strength kink because it's me writing this get over it², spitting oops, spanking oops², mean dom kook, scratching oops³, orgasm control, knotting oops⁴, happy ending Yay

Length: unsure, approx. 5 chapters, ~2k words each.

A/N: Hi hello look it's technically not a hybrid fic. Also yes this teaser contains partial smut so please do not read this at church or your mom's birthday thanks.

🌘.━━━━━━━━━━.🌕.━━━━━━━━━━━.🌒

"Hm, but I'll play with you, won't you like that, hm?" He hums into your ear, and you melt underneath his words, easily nodding at his proposal, because you've waited way too long for this.

He's finally made his move, and you're gonna enjoy every last second of it.

"You think I haven't heard you talk to Jimin about me, don't you?" He suddenly brings up, inked arm reaching over your thigh so his hand can cup your heat- harshly so, forcing your body upright even, and you can't help but mewl at the way it puts pressure on your aching core. "You think I don't know how you yap about me to your friends hm? How you call me nothing but what? A 'bitch in heat', wasn't it?" He recalls, and you whimper a bit because you did call him that.

You called him a lot of other nasty things, and you do regret it a little. Just a tiny bit though. Or maybe a lot.

"Yeah well-" you huff impatiently, throwing your head back over his shoulder. "-You're all talk and nothing more." You complain. "You'll just- you just wanna fuck me and then toss me aside like everyone else!" You tell him with a slightly angry bite to your tone, and he clicks his tongue, fingers of his effortlessly opening the buttons of your shorts.

"Stupid omega-bullshit." You blame, hips moving impatiently as you curl your toes from the sensation. He shakes his head.

"And yet you let me." He chuckles, and you want to cry. Because you do let him fuck you over like this, right now. You do, with full knowledge of the consequences after. But you also want him, because he's got these.. glimpses of something you've never had before.

These moments of actual happiness, actual care and gentle adoration- something similar to the love everyone always gushes about around you, the thing you've never quite experienced before. "Why, I wonder." He asks you, while his fingers easily dip in between your legs, slick making it easy for him to move around.

"I think you know why." He shakes his head however, free hand moving to pull you up properly against his chest again, perched up on his thigh, legs spread open while your shorts and underwear pool at your ankles. "You know exactly why you let me, and why I'm doing this in the first place." He offers, and you don't answer.

Cause you're not sure. If it's not your omega hormones, then what? Is he going to come at you with some fated soulmate bullshit?

"You've got me tangled around your fingers, darling, and you don't even know it." Jungkook tells you with ear amusement in his tone, voice vibrating against your back. "Your body is calling out to me, and only me, isn't it?" He wonders, two fingers dipping inside you, finally giving you something at last. "You crave me, and can't bear the thought of anyone else touching you like this." He explains, while he leans in to let his lips run over the skin near your ear, searching for where your scent is strongest. "You feel empty without my touch, cold without my presence, lonely without my eyes on you." He goes on, and you want to cry out of frustration because first of all how does he know, and second of all why can't you fucking cum?!

"You know I'm right." The alpha wolf tells you. "Because I feel the exact same things." He offers.

"Wha-" you start, before you're interrupted by a specific motion of his fingers inside you, legs kicking out.

"Dont act so surprised." He mumbles against your skin, watching from above how you squirm in his grip, arm holding you close while the other plays around with you. "Its not like I'm hiding anything from you or anyone else." Jungkook chuckles. "Not like you, that is." He teasingly bites at your earlobe, making you shudder.

You're absolutely boneless in his grip right now, close to crying as he keeps your final high always a breath away.

"You're testing my patience, darling." The wolf continues, really making sure you know he's truly playing with you. "One moment you want me, the next you don't. Who's really playing a cruel game here, I wonder?" He accuses, and now you're really close to tears, but for different reasons.

"I dont-" you start, moving your legs in desperation. "- Wanna talk 'bout that now.." you whine, and he clicks his tongue.

"You don't ever want to." He almost growls. "And I'm sick of it, darling." He says, the pet name said almost like a threat, harsh and sharp. "You either talk-" he starts, and you're sweating at what cruel thing he's got in mind. "-or I'm leaving you."

And you know that by leaving, he's not only talking about his hand between your legs.

And that- the prospect of him leaving you alone- finally breaks the floodgates, making you cry.

Because you dont want him to leave.

Not anymore.

[i-fondued]

Kinktober 2022 | Ghost | Gentle Touches

A stolen soft moment with Cardinal Copia turns anything but gentle in the end

Pairing: Cardinal Copia x Reader/Sister of Sin

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Sex (duh), Swearing (but now in Italian!), some fluff, all 3 papas show up at one point LOL

A/N: This one is full of fluffy moments but also smut so yay lol. This is also going to be posted to AO3 in a little bit, in case you’d rather read it over there.

Also I love how much other people are loving these little PWPs, it means a lot to me that people are commenting and sharing. Makes the staying up late (11pm is late okay?? I am old now, with a full time job and kids T^T) so worth it!!

Here is the AO3 link for those who prefer to read on AO3!

“Sister, the Cardinal is asking for you.”

I looked up from the large dusty tome I had been skimming, looking for a particular ritual Primo had asked me about the day prior, he said it was to help with the vegetables in the greenhouse. A younger sister smiled at me, leaning around the bookcase to my table.

“Yes, of course, thank you.” I reached for my habit, tucking my hair away again. “Did he mention what he needed me for?”

“I’m sorry, no. He just said to have you see him in his office.” She shrugged before slipping away, no doubt leaving the warm library that I called home. 

Packing up a few folders of translations and sections of sermons Cardinal Copia had asked me to look at after our last meeting, I pushed my work into the nearby filing cabinet and locked it behind me. Humming to myself I wandered from the library, down various hallways before ending up in the administrative office wing. His personal office door, large and ornately carved, was closed. I knocked twice before I heard him speak.

“Venire, er, come in!”

Cardinal Copia’s office was once a rather good sized space however since he had taken over the office became more cramped. The entire wall to the left was bookshelves filled from floor to ceiling, all his personal collection. In the center of the wall on the right was a large fireplace, a small fire crackling happily in the October chill, on either side of the fireplace were more bookshelves. 

He had two armchairs seated in front of the fireplace with a small side table between them. On the table was a small tray with a decanter of his favorite whiskey and two glasses, ready for whenever he was hosting a guest. His desk was in the center of the room, a large dark wood that was carved much like the door into the office. The surface was practically covered in books, papers, scrolls, and many other knickknacks from his travels. Across from the desk was a pair of chairs, both with plush and welcoming cushions. 

Today Copia was dressed in his black cassock, his biretta sitting on top of a stack of books on his desk. His gloves were also off, which was rare in a public setting like this, and were laid on top of his hat. My eyes drifted to the papers he was writing and I saw his hands were slightly ink stained, as he preferred to use a calligraphy pen rather than a normal one.

“Afternoon, Cardinal.” I smiled, sitting as he gestured to the seats in front of his desk. “The junior sister let me know that you had been asking for me. Is there something I can help you with? I brought the papers we had been working on…”

Copia didn’t speak right away, instead he stood and walked over to peek out of the door into the hallway. He closed the door softly, the lock clicking while my heart rate jumped up. Ah, that’s why he had been asking for me. I felt him hesitantly place his hand on the back of the chair. His fingers just barely brushing against my shoulder, a small shiver ran down my spine as I turned to look back at his mismatched gaze. There was so much longing in his eyes sometimes it took my breath away. 

“I-I just wanted to see you…” He mumbled, a slight pink blush spreading on his face. His fingers slipped under my habit and I felt his fingers toy with one of my curls. A smile broke out on my face, leaning into his touch as his other hand came to settle on my shoulder, massaging the muscles gently.

“I missed you too, Copia.” My hand came up to rest on his as I turned to smile at him. His cheeks flushed when I spoke his name, we both were used to referring to each other by title. I knew he loved it when I called him his name when it was just us.

His hand slipped from under my habit, pulling it off my head and tossing it onto his desk. I felt his hand come to cup my cheek as he came to stand in front of me, slightly leaning against his desk. I leaned into his touch, heart beating steadily in my chest as a warm feeling spread through my whole body. He took the papers from my lap and tossed them on the desk before leaning down and kissing me softly. My heart soared, beating wildly in my chest, as I felt his fingers brush softly against the skin of my cheek. He pulled away and I felt like I was floating slightly, my eyes fluttering slightly as the cardinal’s gaze locked with mine. 

“Cosi Bella…” He murmured before pulling me up into his arms, I squealed slightly before our lips met again. His hands were on my waist as he turned us, pinning me to the desk with his hips.

My arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to me, as our kisses became more frantic. His tongue brushed against my own as he nibbled at my bottom lip. I moaned quietly, fingers curling into his hair as his tongue coaxed mine into his own mouth. He teased mine, sucking slightly on it and I felt my knees wobble like I was a virginal sister all over again. His hands left my hips to bracket my body as he leaned against me, fingers gripping the wood tightly. 

“Cardinal…” I groaned quietly, my head falling to the side and offering my neck to him as I caught my breath. He rolled his hips into mine and I could feel how hard he was already. He kissed my sensitive neck softly, skillfully nipping and sucking on the exact spots that made my body thrum. “We shouldn’t…”

“I’ve missed you…” He echoed himself into my skin, lips brushing against the shell of my ear, the rumble of his voice causing a shudder to run through my body. 

“What if someone hears…” I couldn’t even finish what I was saying, a gasp slipping from my lips as his fingers curled around the hem of my robes. His bare hands were a rare treat against my thighs as he slipped a hand between us.

“They will not say anything.” Copia murmured, his knee pressing between my legs and pushing them apart. “The Papas are in a meeting with Seestor, they will be occupied for quite some time.”

His hand slipped to brush against the damp spot on my underwear, and I bit my lip to stop the moan from spilling out. My head fell forward, burying his neck. I closed my eyes, taking a deep steadying breath and tried to bookmark his scent for later. It was of old parchment, leather, and his very traditional Italian aftershave. I pressed light kisses to the little exposed skin of his neck before I got frustrated and leaned back to start unbuttoning his cassock. He paused and undid the buttons, his fingers skilled and faster than mine. 

Once they were undone to his waist, he slipped his arms from the sleeves, letting the robes pool at his waist. He only wore a white under tank top, along with a pair of suspenders, as he frequently told me the heavy wool would make him overheat even in the dead of winter. I smiled warmly at him as I slid back onto the desk, hiking up my skirts and letting him step between my legs. My hands pressed against his chest and I could feel the steady thrum of his heartbeat under my hand, my own heart thrumming away. His mismatched eyes locked on mine and we both blushed, a small giggle slipping from my lips. 

Copia leaned forward, pressing his forehead against mine, before kissing me softly again. My hands traveled from his chest to brush against his arms, feeling the soft hair as they traveled down his forearms. I tangled his fingers with mine before pulling him against me, he leaned forward and I had to lean back against his stack of books and papers slightly. 

“Cardinal, your things…” I sighed dreamily, turning to look at what I was crushing with my weight. 

His answer was to reach around and push everything to the floor, the splash of papers sliding everywhere making me roll my eyes at him. Most of which was the papers he requested of me, now mixed with his sermons.

“I-I pick it up after…” He mumbled shyly, rubbing at my arms. “It is okay, Sister.”

I started to open my mouth to fire a sassy retort but it came out as a strangled sound as I felt his fingers brush against my core. He smirked, a rare sight from the shy man in front of me, and I could feel the blood rush to my cheeks before heading right to my belly. I felt him grind against my thigh as he lazily let his fingers slip up and down my soaked core. He pushed my underwear down, helping me lift my hips to slide down my legs. I watched as he tucked them into his back pocket and I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. 

“Mia Cara…you’re so ready for me…” 

“Copia…” I whined, head thrown back as he teased my entrance with his fingers, barely brushing against my clit. I had to bite my lip from the moan that was fighting its way out. 

I heard the sound of fabric landing on the floor, his cassock discarded from his waist. I reached out, pushing the suspenders from his shoulders, and placing feather-like kisses on his skin. He practically purred under my hands and I couldn’t help but smile at him. We were kissing again, his tongue tangled in mine as I groaned rolling my hips to try and get any more friction from his fingers.  

“Ah, ah…” Copia tutted, a smirk on his face again, his lips brushing against mine as he spoke. “I’m not sure that you have earned more from me Bella…”

“P-please Copia…” I whimpered, his fingers barely brushed my clit and my hips bucked forward, grinding against nothing as he pulled his fingers away. 

“In italiano, Sorella…”

“F-fottimi per favore.” I begged, not even bothering to try and be alluring as my hands slid between us and I cupped his cock through his trousers. I looked up at him, trying to do my best to convey fuck me eyes.  “S-sono stata una b-brave sorella, si?”

A hissed line of jumbled Italian left his lips before he crashed them into my own, hungry and blistering as he devoured me. I felt his cock jump under my steady attention before I started to undo the button and zipper. Copia, suddenly more impatient than me, tore at his trousers. He tugged at my hips, pulling me to the edge of the desk, before he rubbed the head of his cock against me. I moaned, rolling my hips forward as the heat of lust pooled in my belly. Slowly he pushed forward, stretching the walls of my cunt as he slid into me. 

I groaned as I laid back as my arms wouldn’t hold me up anymore, the back of my head hitting the wood gracelessly. My leg came up to curl around Copia’s waist as he eagerly slid deep inside me. I felt him begin to move slowly at first, knowing he was giving me a moment to adjust to the feeling of him inside me, before his right hand came up to grip my shoulder before he began to move in more earnest, deep thrusts. 

“Fuck, Copia…” I hissed, my right hand coming to curl around his bicep and digging little half-moon nail marks into his skin. He slammed into me, a steady but fast pace was set. “Don’t stop.”

His left hand pulled at the neckline of my robes, gaining access to my breasts. He rolled one nipple between his fingers and I arched up into his touch. He leaned down, still managing to keep the pace he set as he continued to chase his pleasure in my body, and slipped the other nipple in his mouth. My left hand slid into his hair, scratching at his scalp as he teased the little bud with his tongue and teeth. I forcefully pulled him over to me, my kiss frantic as I rolled my hips to meet his thrusts.

The erotic, heady sounds of our bodies coming together was all I could hear. Copia’s breath was quickening and I could feel the heat in my belly building. I let my hand slip between our bodies and I quickly brought myself to the edge with my finger, moaning his name in the quiet of his office. 

“Copia…I’m so close.”

“Vieni per me, Sorella.” He grunted in response, both hands now on my shoulders as he pounded into me, his steady rhythm occasionally broken by his own quivering body. He was close too, a heat pooled in my belly and I felt my head fall back again. 

Another swirl of his hip and I felt the wall of pleasure that had built in my belly come crashing down, my orgasm so strong my back arched off of the desk at a sharp angle. I moaned loudly at first before Copia’s lips crashed to mine, devouring the sound as best he could. My legs curled around his hips, pulling him to snap into my sharply as I rode out my pleasure. Another few static thrusts and he grunted into our kiss, I could feel his cock twitch as he came inside me. He gave me a few more weak thrusts before he all but collapsed on top of me, his arms resting on either side of my head. I lazily rubbed at his back as we stayed connected for what felt like hours, his head resting against my chest and listening to the rhythm of my heart return to normal. Blissfully I smiled, kissing the top of his head as his hands caressed my sides affectionately.

“Copia?”

“Si?”

“I…”

The doorknob to his office jiggled as someone attempted to come in. He and I paused, gazes locked in equal looks of matched terror.

“Cardinale?” My heart was about to come out of my throat, that voice belonged to Papa Emeretus III. “Cardinale ci sei tu?”

We looked at each other frantically, both trying to quietly convey something to the other. I begged him to understand that we should stay silent, pretend nobody was in the room. He seemed to agree, relief washing over me. That was before he opened his mouth.

“Si, Papa, dammi un momento.”

I was going to kill him. 

Copia stepped away from me, his now very flaccid cock slipping from me as he scrambled to pull on his cassock. His practiced fingers fixing up all the buttons, before he stepped towards the doors. I scrambled off the desk, slipping to hide on the other side of his desk. I peaked out from the side as Copia unlocked and opened the door just a crack. Terzo was standing there with a bright smile on his face, he couldn’t see me yet but once his eyes adjusted to the darkness I knew he would be able to see me.

“Yes Papa?” Copia spoke, eyes not quite meeting Papa’s face. “Is there something you need?”

“No, no Cardinale. I thought I heard something and I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Terzo laughed, rubbing at the back of his neck as he look in Copia’s face. “Did you doze off, Copia? Your paints…they seem quite messy.”

In that moment, Terzo’s eyes locked with mine and he gave a knowing smile. Oh my god I was going to die, or throw up, or both. I darted back behind the desk and I heard the quiet chuckle of our current Papa.

“O-oh, yes Papa…” I heard the shock in Copia’s voice and I knew he was red as a tomato. “I-I’ve been working on your sermons all afternoon. I think I may have uh, dozed off. Si.”

“No worry, Cardinale. You rest, by the look of your office you have earned it Signore.” Papa laughed before bidding Copia a good afternoon. “I see you at supper, yes?”

“Y-yes, Papa.”

I didn’t move again till I heard the door close, peaking around the desk to see Copia leaning against the door with his hand on his chest. His eyes closed and his face a deep blotchy red. I stood on shaky legs, walking over to grab my habit and pulling it on before walking over to the cardinal. I gently pressed my hand to his cheek, smiling softly despite myself.

“He saw me, you know.”

“Si.” His face looking down, he wouldn’t meet my eyes.

“Terzo is a good Papa, he won’t say anything.” I soothed him as best I could, placing a hand on his chest before he pulled me into a fierce hug. “Copia..?”

“Ti amo, Sorella….”

“I love you too, Cardinal.”

His lips crashed into mine, pulling the habit off my head as he walked me backwards toward the mess on the desk.

…

When I finally left Cardinal Copia’s office hours later, dinner only an hour away, I was covered in love bites wherever my robes covered. A happy and sated look on my face as I turned away from his doors, however it evaporated when I saw the three people sitting at the bench at the end of the call smirking at me. 

Papa Emeritus I, Primo.

Papa Emeritus II, Secondo.

Papa Emeritus III, Terzo.

“P-Papas!” I blurted, bowing my head for a movement before a blush spread across my face. “G-good evening?”

“By the sounds of it a very good evening indeed, Sorella…” Terzo laughed before handing a crisp hundred dollar bill to Primo who looked both impressed and envious at the same time. “We’ll see our povero cardinale for dinner, si?”

“Y-yes your dark eminence!”

“Fantastico, see you then Sister.” Terzo waved me off cheerfully, I scampered away before I could simply die from embarrassment of being caught. I heard the sound of a smack on the head.

“Cazzo, Secondo. What was that for?” Terzo said.

“Leave the young Sorella alone,” Secondo grumbled. “Cardinale needs his own fun from time to time.”

“Apparently more than from time to time, Secondo…” Primo laughed. “Santana sii buono, Cardinale…four times…”

I practically ran from the Papas, holding in my own laughter and mortification.

[verrixstudios]

« Muddied blood fills the rivers

forcing even those of ice to shiver

look not for dull scales

though from mud comes the wails

Four dragonets will rise to power

before a final acid shower

dirty blood will rise to fame

a new territory here to claim »

“Mako, what is this?” Flourish asked in confusion, the bright blue and rather lanky dragon was staring at the tattered scroll, a face of confusion.

“Uh..” Mako murmured, looking to the ground sheepishly. She was shorter and rounder than the bright dragon before her, and her dark scales were helping her blend into the shadows she so desperately wanted to crawl away and hide into. She was always a terrible liar, and even worse at hiding what she wanted to lie about. Her nightwing father blamed it on her seawing side.

“Mako!” Flourish repeated, urgently this time. She turned quickly, pushing the paper into the other’s chest. It fluttered pathetically to the ground, landing on the dark talons below. “Cause it sounds a lot like one of your prophecies again!”

“It’s nothing!” Mako complained as she lowered her head, her frilled tail swiping the tattered page into a pile of similar tattered pages. “I told you, those things get stuck in my head until I write them down! It drives me bonkers, actually.”

“Okay well usually they’re something like ‘oogly boogly wow, dinners gonna be a cow, yay-“

“None of them have ever said ‘Boogly’!” Mako interrupted with a wrinkle in her dark snout.

“My point is-“ Flourish interrupted in return, huffing, “-Why does this sound like an actual prophecy and why was it hidden in a pile of scraps?”

“Because… It’s weird. It’s nothing like my other ones…” Mako mumbled dejectedly, her wings folded right at her sides, fiddling and fidgeting. “I doubt it’s one that comes true,”

“Even the ones about dinner are always true!” Flourish exclaimed with a flick of her tail, her scales flickering a mix of colors she was clearly trying to hide. She was concerned. Why was this so weird? Why was Mako acting like this? Why now?!

“Well- yeah! Cause they usually hunt for whatever they say!” Mako retorted, growing nervous with the raised voices echoing in the room. A dull ache was beginning to gnaw at the back of her head. Something about claws. Jaws? Brawls?

“Yeah but your writing always comes true! It’s when we know to prepare for injuries all the time! So what makes this one wrong? What does it mean? Are we in danger? Are we going to get land?” The questions were practically pouring from Flourishes mouth as the practically neon dragon began to pace the ground. She didn’t notice the others discomfort until the dark dragon rather suddenly pushed past.

Mako awkwardly scrambled toward the slab in the corner, a groan rumbling from her throat as she held her head. She dipped her claws into the slowly drying ink spills nearest and began to scratch into another opened scroll.

« Within each tribe, claws will sharpen

blood will spill before three moons darken

Only end in sight to see

each queen gives territory

Acid will burn

Fire will spill

The darkest night churns

Under a new queens will »

[star-on-a-beach]

Icia & Starro: Splataocc Edition!

Icia:

Once a top-ranking Elite Octoling serving the Octarian forces, now a reformed bodyguard for one of Splatsville's newest idols, Icia's got a cold touch but a TON of skill to back it up with her Splatana Wiper. She may distrusting and freeze up a lot, but according to all sources she's actually super warm and chill (yes we know those two don't mix, but with her they do)! In an interview, Starro said "I've invited her up on stage a ton, everyone in Splatsville would love her if they don't already. Which they should, she's great!". We all totally agree. And between you and us, there's rumors the two are even siblings.... but shhhhh, we're still looking into that!

Starro:

Not a lot of solo idols make it big, but Starro's shows are a total hit with his bold and bright performances full of risky aerial arts and dance-till-you-drop music! He's known for being a total social butterfly in the public, always laughing and smiling during interviews, and making sure he always ends up friends with anyone he collabs with. When Starro's not on camera or a stage though, he's actually super shy and flusterable (at least, that's what the rumors say), some even calling him a 'mega romantic'. In his free time he claims to enjoy practicing his aerial arts (seriously, those silk show tickets are to DIE for) and train with Light Tetra Dualies alongside his bodyguard.

ALRIGHT THERE YOU HAVE IT

IM DONE WITH THESE FUCKS

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

And here's some more fun facts about them both in this:

Icia used to have the seaweed on the side of her head, but ripped it off after defying the Octarian's orders. She only keeps her armor because it's good defense and she's not afraid of people knowing where she's from.

Starro's hair stays black in battles- it's his stars that change color to reflect his ink color. When he's not battling, his normal color is red (obviously).

Icia's a little less fashion-oriented than normal, but she still dresses good when not 'on duty' thanks to Starro.

Starro's favorite song to perform is called "(ink) Puddle", where he gets to soak his equipment in ink and swim around them in Octo form and do a big drop at the end into whatever ink dripped from his stuff (which is usually a lot). Icia also secretly did some background vocals when recording!

Icia's still quite cold to the touch- rather than it being because of a 'curse' though, it's just some extra Octarian conditioning that slowed her heart rate and lowered her body temp (this is also a ref to a certain character from another game...)

Starro used to have a celeb crush on Callie. USED to.

Aaand that's all I can think of. Yay :D

@invaderxeya

[hirukochan]

I am a crafty person and my biggest hobby is collecting hobbies so when I finished part one of my longfic 'A Servant of Death' I decided to teach myself how to bookbind to eventually bind the entire series!

To practice I wanted to bind a short fic to get a feel for typesetting/printing/sewing and all the little steps that make a bunch of paper and cardstock into a ✨book✨

So little old me decided what better story than 'Snape‘s cat' by the wonderful @loneamaryllis ???

Promptly I had the typeset finished (advantage of a short fic hehe) and printed the entire thing out. Wrong. Yay. (Don‘t do a quarto as a first bind peeps, when they say it‘s more difficult turns out they‘re right 😬) I figured it out eventuall and reprinted it all (again advantage of a short fic the loss of paper and ink didn‘t hurt too much).

And in the end I had a slightly smaller than A6 book with 150 pages and DIYed bookcloth (because I‘m extra like that) and recently I added bookcorners because they ✨fancy✨

I chose nightshade for the cover because duh that‘s what Snape calls his furry little friend. The paragraph break thingys are mice inspired by nightshade‘s Christmas gift.

It‘s a bit rough around the edges (srsly don‘t start with a quarto try a standard two fold it‘s sooooo much less confusing.) but for a first attempt still absolutely stunning in my humble opinion 🥰

[paper-starz]

Hello loves!! I apologize for not posting ANYTHING LATELY!!

I. GOT. A. NEW. JOB!! (YAY!!)

So I’ve been pretty busy!! Don’t worry, I AM working on part 3 of the comic, (gotta finish inking!!)

So have a practice digital painting of Wally!

See you soon!! Bye bye!!

[yellowdressesandyearning]

Episode 6 reactions

BLOND BACKBITER CAME FROM HER HEART

Ink stained hands

I love them not knowing how to behave with a chaperone

Colin: pen is clever…, lady whistledown is clever

RINGGG

He’s finally courting her after they are engaged 🥺🥺

Everyone saying Cressida is not “clever”

No they are selling the club

BRIDGERTON SIBLINGS

Yay Fran

I do sympathize el because she is between her brother and her practical sister

Colin is always so protective of her…the Whistledown reveal will be bad😭😭

I actually love transferring the fight from colin and pen to pen and Eloise

I love Harriet as Phillipa

“What about my dreams” is so heartbreaking

“Ladies do not have dreams, they have husbands”

Portia tries her best to be a mother….but she’s apart of a wheel and Penelope is going to break that wheel / cycle

WRITER COLIN ENTERED THE CHAT

Will and John make Benedict and Colin look short??? How tall are they???

Hyacinth looks so grown up in the church scene

Colin side eyeing Portia when she waves

Love confession from pen

DANCINGggggg

“WHERE YOU EVER PUNISHED AS A CHILD”

I love Cressida and Eloise together..,,,OH NO CRESSIDA KNOWS IT PEN DOESNT SHE???

Lady Danbury necklace looks like a bee!!!

Poor Fran looks so sad

No shes burning them

Gen’s costume looks like Lydia from beetlejuice…I’m so sorry😭

Gen talk some sense into pen

The three mirrors for Penelope Featherington, pen Bridgerton and then lady Whistledown

OH MY GOD THAT PROP IS AMAZING

Polin dances polin dances

Poor Fran is having shy daughter problems

Lady Danbury 🥺🥺 poor woman has been through it SOMA

Who is this Jamie Frazier man?? A lover?? For Tilly or for Ben?

OH SHIIIII—

Okay this went exactly where I thought it was going to go

Can you imagine?? Oh Portia

I’m praying colin finds out about Whistledown by the end of this ep…I can’t wait another episode

Colin and Pen have shared three dances??? SCANDALOUS

“You do write the very best letters”

CRESSIDA PUBLISHED

No nononon this is going to end so badly

Eloise owning up to her actions is great

WHISTLEDOWN IS POWER

OKAY THEY ARE BOTH HAVING THEIR MOMENTSS…, I LOVE THis

OH NO OH NO OH

[krmova]

HEYA I'm going to participate in inktobertale in this year!! so exited 🥹🥹

at the same time I want to practice in inktober too, but only in ink drawing (topics from Inktober will not be taken)

so yeah, wish me luck 🥹 speaking of which, I forgot to post the first day of inktailtober here, so today I will post two drawings at once! yay

[aeriona]

Salmonid biology time! Yay!

These hulking fish are a polymorphic species that return to their birthplace to spawn in immense numbers. They’re known for their intense ferocity, crude technological prowess and their delicious flesh eaten by inkfish everywhere.

Much more info under the cut!

BIOLOGY ----- Being distantly related to the Chinook Salmon, this species comes in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. They have both functioning gills and lungs, however their gills and skin must stay wet at all times, so they do not leave the water for very long.

Salmonids experience a Type 3 survivorship curve, basically meaning that only a very small percentage of salmonids actually make it to adulthood (Cohock stage), with the rest being eaten by predators when they are young. Those that do survive however, tend to live for quite a long time, up to around 60-70 years.

Salmonids fry are a really important food source for the ecosystems though! As well as the unfertilised eggs (power eggs) help to feed local animals during the spawning season.

Unfertilized eggs (power eggs) are produced in immense numbers during the Salmon Run, as female Cohocks release them into the water by the millions. Fertile eggs (golden eggs) however, are far rarer and fiercely protected, with many Salmonids giving their lives to ensure the safety of the next generation.

"INK" ----- Salmonid slick (often incorrectly called ink) is a slimy green substance constantly secreted off a Salmonid’s body in order to protect the scales from damage and disease (like a fish’s slime coat!) It contains a lot of nasty bacteria that can make an inkfish very sick if it gets into their body, so Salmon Runners will wear watertight uniforms to protect themselves when working.

CULTURE ----- Cohocks are the primary way what their culture and technology is passed down, as the adults are the ones who train the fry and chum to fight in Runs. they also impart their weapons to the youngest generation, so they may continue to support the Run even in death.

A very important thing to remember about Salmonids is that they are people. they are a sapient, intelligent race with their own culture, languages and practices. just because they resemble wild animals does not mean that's what they are.

So when you eat salmon for dinner or use power eggs to charge something, just know that your are funding the slaughter of millions. Just a thought!

[faithintaiwan]

august 5 - kaohsiung to tainan

Today we left Kaohsiung and went to Tainan. It used to be the capital city of Taiwan so I was really excited to see it!!

We first learned and practiced calligraphy at the National University of Tainan. It is one of the best universities in the country like the last one we went to. I made this fan and despite Yeh laoshi (a different one) saying it should be relaxing I was extremely stressed the entire time. But they provided bento lunch so I was able to relax then.

After, we went to a sugar factory that had been converted into an amusement park and museum. Peter explained that Taiwan used to produce sugar but as labor grew more expensive, Taiwan switched to exclusively importing it from places like the Philippines as they couldn’t compete with the cheap labor coming out of those countries. Some people and I walked around and looked at the different thrills we couldn’t do because Yeh laoshi told us no… It was so sad. They even had a zip line and a “free fall” drop that was just a jump down like three stories attached to a rope. Then we watched a drum performance by a band called Cross Metal. They mixed traditional instruments with modern rock music to create a special sound!!

After the performance, they gave us an hour to walk around so Fanny and I got drinks (apple juice and rose guava) before walking around the gift shop. We finally made it to the hotel and it’s been one of the nicer ones on this trip yay! Under it we even had a cosmed and a 9x9 so of course Fanny and I went and shopped a bit. I even found my favorite pen that recently ran out of ink and is getting super difficult to find on the internet.

Finally, a group of us went out for dinner at the Dadong Night Market and Jack even won a giant capybara!

Academic Reflection

For my independent excursion I went to the Dadong Night Market. It is the second largest night market in Tainan and is known for its roasted corns, quids, chicken butt, and fresh papaya milk according to the Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology. It is open Monday, Tuesday, and Friday from 5 pm to 1 am according to the Tourism Bureau of Tainan City Government. Because it is open at differing times from the most popular and largest night market, Garden Night Market, Dadong is a good alternative. We were also only here on the days Dadong is open which is why I chose it as my independent excursion!

Walking around the Dadong Night Market we were hit with the smell of roasting chicken, stinky tofu, and more as each stall sold a variety of foods. One stall even served small pieces of fruit inside large balls made of this jelly. Compared to the United States, I felt like the atmosphere was completely unique with tons of foods we don’t have and people bustling about. It reminded me of carnivals with all the games but mixed with a farmers market selling food.

Unlike in other more official stores and restaurants, night market stalls often don’t provide receipts. Before we came to Taiwan, Yeh laoshi told us to keep our receipts because each is an entry into a lottery for up to 300,000 US dollars! This lottery was created to combat places that don’t pay taxes or attempt to tax evade which can be common in night markets. By pressuring consumers to collect reciepts, the Taiwanese government was hoping to pressure stores and stall owners into paying taxes and providing receipts.

Furthermore, Taiwan has had a rocky history with its night markets. As recent as 2010, articles like From the Margins to the Center by Taiwan Panorama have detailed the illegality of the markets. They would often get shut down by police, provide unhygienic conditions for food, and operate mainly in Mandarin. As tourists increasingly enjoyed night markets, the Taiwanese government began to embrace them and strive to legalize them. They passed laws and incentives to shape them into a tourist activity. According to the Department of Health in Taipei, the Taiwanese government has been making efforts to ensure food safety and hygiene in night markets since 2018 and provides official passes for stalls to be in the markets. They have also required signs in English and mandarin at the front to identify the market.

The food here and especially in night markets is also wildly less expensive than in the states. I spent about 30 US dollars for three large pastries, scallion pancakes, fried pork, fruit jelly balls, stickers, dumplings, and boba!! Walking around at night and randomly stumbling on a bustling market with delicious smelling food is also such a treat compared to the darkness of the US. As a finance major, night markets in particular interested me because of their entrepreneurial spirit, pricing, and tax regulations.

[cru5h-cascades]

Side Order: First Impressions! (Spoilers!!!)

It's finally that day, mates! Side Order's out at long last and I beat the first boss! Anyways, here are some of my thoughts on the DLC so far:

Having a singular dodge roll for dualies is annoying at first but I guess it's some decent practice for when the Douser Dualies are added in the next update.

AGENT 4 MENTIONED! GUESS I'M GONNA MAKE AN ACTUAL AGENT 4 OC AFTER ALL (I don't have a proper one just yet)!

WE GOT EVIL MARINA!!! At least for like, 2 minutes. But hey it's something! Also the music for the Marina fight is SUPER GOOD SOMEBODY PUT IT ON SOUNDCLOUD ALREADY I NEED THIS TRACK PRONTO.

New dedf1sh music yay!

Kinda wish Marina had more of a reaction to seeing Acht again. I mean hey I only finished the first part of the DLC so maybe there's something I don't get yet.

Nintendo of America didn't goof up on the twitter post they did on dedf1sh last September. THEY/THEM DEDF1SH CONFIRMED!!!

No more "you let the 8 ball fall test failed"!

Pearl canonically also hates 8 balls lmao

ACTUAL POISON INK! PERFECT FOR MY OC ORION!

Marina basically created the Splatoon equivalent to the Metaverse.

Palletes exist because an existing Splatoon character probably got sucked into the Order Sector(?). I wonder what that means for other characters...