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#I’m trying to get more comfortable with lazy sketches!!
juneymont · 2 months
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SHARPUARY DAY 9: ‘PORTRAIT’
Short Story
Aesop had been looking up from his easel periodically, watching her take in the studio, studying the way her fingers studied the items on his shelves.
”At least you’re not looking over my shoulder,” he grumbled. “Thank you for that.”
He felt intensely awkward about the situation and so he had sat down almost immediately to continue in his latest sketch. Anything to avoid the sustained eye contact that would make him question his sanity.
Miss Pendergast, his student— no, his former student — was in his private chambers. She was in the most private chamber of his private chambers. The art studio he had hidden behind the fireplace.
Approximately seventeen days, three hours and forty minutes ago, Anna had graduated. Aesop counted the minutes that brought her farther and farther into the real world and closer to her nineteenth birthday. Then it would be her twentieth.
Then, maybe then (he told himself), if she were still around (which he knew was highly unlikely and, he thought, for the best), he could stomach letting himself admit inside himself that the blasted girl made him feel a whole colony of monarchs in his belly — as wild in their motion and as warm and contrasted in their many warm hues as she.
”I just wasn’t expecting you to be this good. Gods!!” She wandered around the room, taking in the black architectural drawings, some in ink and some in charcoal. But she laughed at herself and added, “of course you are: you’re good at everything.”
Aesop was glad he was facing away from her now that he felt his cheeks warm.
Damn her.
Long, lazy minutes sauntered between them, silent and comfortable as their shared minutes so often were. Aesop was used to silence, of course. He just wasn’t used to it feeling so cozy. And if Anna could speak for herself she might say she wasn’t used to silence feeling so safe.
”Could ye draw me?” she finally asked in her confounding way that was somehow equal parts independently self-assured and needfully supplicating.
Aesop laughed at the jibe, covering his discomfort with the suggestion and with the way the sound of her soft, Irish lilt made him feel in his sternum.
When he looked over and saw her cocking her head to the side, her eyes sparkling out over her apple cheeks that were saturated with red freckles, he realized she wasn’t joking.
”I’m no portraitist,” he assured her, shutting down the notion in his typical professorial bent.
”Yes ye are,” she said with a giggle, gesturing all around her. “You don’t just draw these places, Professor Sharp. You capture them.” She bounded suddenly from the chair and pointed vehemently at a drawing, explaining with her typical wild and hyper-speed gestures, “this isn’t just the Great Hall, this is a space filled with joy and melancholy and—“ she stepped to another easel. “This footbridge, gods…”
She put her hand over her heart. “I could cry. It tells the story of anyone who has entered or exited this place. The way you capture these places gives them a soul. I’d wager they’re portraits more than anything else.”
Aesop pursed his lips to shield his thoughts and emotions. This was a hobby he shared with hardly anyone. It was only though Anna’s damnable sleuthing and subsequent persistence that she convinced him to show her this place, simply to get her to shut up about the subject. And here she was, caring about it. Understanding.
She didn’t feel like an intruder to him. If Aesop was honest he’d admit she felt like his other works of art in the room — being visions he had in his mind that imprinted into his heart such that he could do little else but pour them from his fingertips onto parchment.
He watched Anna plop back into the chair before him with a hopefulness in her eyes, and he sighed.
Seventeen days, three hours, and forty seven minutes.
”I suppose I can try. But I make no guarantee!”
Anna beamed and sat up a little taller, making Aesop chuckle with the way she began tilting her head from side to side as if guessing at her most flatting angle and light.
”Oh, and Miss Pendergast?” he said casually, beginning to let his hand begin with light circles of charcoal on the blank canvas before him.
”Yes, sir?”
”Now that you’ve graduated you needn’t call me ‘Professor’ if you don’t wish to. ‘Mister Sharp,’ or simply ‘Sharp’ will do. Or…” he paused and met her eyes to the side of his easel. “…Aesop, if you like.”
His heart stopped momentarily when she smiled in response, and he knew he would never be able to capture such heaven with charcoal or brush. Yet his foolish heart couldn’t help but wonder if maybe, some day far he might capture it with his lips.
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cynopoe · 30 days
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heyyy idk if you remember but I once asked u about your inspiration/how you learned anatomy/draw etc. and I wanted to ask if you have answered that already. ofc you don't have to (you don't have to answer this one either, if you don't I'll just assume you didn't) ig you posted stg about not having time etc to reply and again: i love your art
Hey! I distinctly remember something like that although I don’t think I answered. And I can’t find it in my inbox either. Either I responded it and it got lost in the void or I might have deleted the ask when I was cleaning the box from all the porn bots. Either way I’m sorry for losing your ask 🥲
I will answer it now
I started drawing digitally when I was 15 on an old wacom tablet. I didn’t stop doing traditional stuff until I bought an ipad and got lazy with the endless options it offered me. I still use the ipad with procreate and CSP interchangeably. In my experience Procreate has a better coloring tools be it the colors itself or the brushes, the editing tools. Blending modes are, in my opinion, slightly better than CSP. and CSP inspires me to do more sketches and comic style stuff. I recommend them both.
What I will say now will stay between you and me. Alright? I learned doing anatomy from drawing filthy, filthy pornography. I wasn’t any good at it in the beginning, but honestly it is the best way to learn it, in my experience. I developed so fast when I was doing nsfw art. A lot faster than if I had only been drawing normal stuff. Many of those drawings will never see the face of day, but they’re there. And they helped me a lot.
Other than that I also recommend studying real life. Try to understand where body parts start and where they end. Try to study the “line of action”. Try to remind yourself a body is a 3d form. Foreshortening helps, although I’m not the biggest fan of it. Trace photographs- and I’m not saying like go over like by like. Study photographs. There are many reference pictures online. I often find mine on pinterest.
Redrawing one pose over and over again until you can do it with close eyes, helps, and will drive you up a wall. You will want to break your pencil. But it will help. Compare what you draw with the reference picture. Remember to flip the canvas often. Our eyes get used to our art, good parts and the mistakes.
Sleep on a pose if you can’t get it just right. Your eyes will be kinder to you in the next day.
Yeah using references and being very mindful of them will help you a lot. There are some youtube tutorials. This streamer has been my favorite lately.
About finding inspiration… I’m sorry I can’t help you much with this one. You see, I’ve lost mine and I have been looking for it for a year now. Idk. Get unnaturally obsessed with a media? Get into a moderately large fandom? Have some people around you to keep your interest alive? Idk I haven’t been active in any fandom in years. But when I was, I saw that social interaction of it helped me to stay motivated to create.
Keep your mind sharp: read, study, interact with anything out of your comfort zone. In my personal experience, keeping in my walls never really gives me that rush, that eureka of inspiration. I often get this desire to create when my mind is active. I don’t know if it will be the same for you though.
Thank you for this ask! And thank you for being incredibly patient. I’m sorry again for losing your ask before. I hope I could help even a little 🖤 stay creative, friend.
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99yikes · 2 years
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Hi! I’m a beginner artist when it comes to digital art and was wondering what app and brushes do you use for your art, or maybe if you have any tips on digital art. I figured I’d ask you since your art is so cool and looks so nice!
aksjskdjf hello there! thank you so much for the compliments, i'm flattered!! my art is super sloppy, but i'm happy you like it (꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)♡ i'm honestly a little embarrassed to post this cuz i'm pretty much still a novice at digital art stuff, so there are probably better/more concise ways to go over all this, but i'll gonna try my best anyway!! sorry if i ramble ;;
to answer your questions, i use procreate! i'm also pretty lazy and i don't really like to switch brushes often, meaning i work almost exclusively with the 6B Pencil. i sketch with it. i line with it. i even color and render with it sometimes. i knew when i got into digital art i would want to use a textured, pencil-like brush bc my favorite artist did and i always loved the way it looked.
here's an example of just how excessively i use it lmao (with some Pro Tips™ /j):
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but ! because i use it so often, i've made some minor adjustments to the brush -- not enough to warrant calling it a completely different brush, but enough that there's a noticeable difference between the original and what i use when actually drawing.
personally, i like a tapered end when sketching and lining so i gave it a little fall off and adjusted pressure taper settings, and i also appreciate more control (less loose/shaky lines bc a pen tip on a glass screen is SLIPPERY), so i upped the streamline setting too!
here's a look at what settings i tweaked if you want to try it out yourself:
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other brushes i tend to use are:
Round Brush for coloring. very super mega basic, but easy to work with!
and it's worth mentioning that lately i've been using Baskerville to line things! i used it in this itafushikigi piece. it gives me a lot of control and it's very tidy so i like it (bˊᵕˋ)b
and that's...really it lmao. of course these are all default procreate brushes. no matter what program you use, i just recommend testing out different brushes and adjusting settings until you find what works for you! you can always reset to default if you dislike it and duplicate the brush if you adore it. you can also download other brushes, but i don't have much (read: any) experience with that 💃
other tips would just be get familiar with your app and practice as much as you can. i'm very much a "pick one thing and draw it a million times" kind of person bc repetition gives me an opportunity to work on things i want to improve. 'if i draw yuutafushi enough times, eventually i'll perfect how i draw them' -- that kind of mindset?? idk if that method works for everyone, but, y'know...having a muse helps ;;
digital art was like a whole nother ballpark for me and i felt like i had to relearn how to do everything, so don't feel discouraged if your traditional art abilities don't immediately transfer over! it just takes time to get comfortable with it. drawing with your finger on a screen vs a pen on a tablet vs a pencil on paper are all very different experiences and there's a learning curve for each!
anyways, i hope that helps a little. sorry this is super long! good luck on your digital art journey ❤️
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torchickentacos · 2 years
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5 Things I’ve learned about digital art in one year of doing it (plus my favorite pieces I’ve done at the end)
In no way am I saying these as rules, just things I’ve found have helped me improve. It was last august/september that I got my surface pro and decided to try krita, and here’s what I’ve learned from it! Again, not rules. Also, I’m not saying this as someone who thinks they’re super good at digital art- it’s a hobby that I have gotten better at but next year I’ll have even more things I’ve improved!
1.) OPACITY IS YOUR FRIEND. Learning the opacity setting for things like shadows is amazing. In some programs you can use opacity in individual layers and not just tools, which is even better if you don’t want that stripey layery look. 
2.) mess with the different brushes. Seems obvious but hear me out. I tend to use the same 5 tools, and that’s fine for sketches and lazy stuff but when I’m going for a more serious piece it’s good to try and figure out which brush will give you the effect you want. When I started, I thought, ‘there is no way I’ll ever use 2435 of these’. Since then, I’ve used most of them. 
3.) your neck, back, and wrists will hurt. Especially if you have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, but that’s more a me problem. Invest in ibuprofen (I prefer naproxen though), those microwaveable neck beanbag things, and wrist braces or compression gloves if you tend to work all day like I do some days. I personally work with my screen up and tilted instead of flat because it helps my neck more, but just find a position that’s comfortable for you even if others think it’s weird. I personally get weird looks for drawing semi-vertically, but you do whatever you have to do for your neck to keep working. Necks that operate are generally something worth preserving. 
4.) something I learned just yesterday or the day before, thanks to @householdpowerhouse - clipping masks are worth messing around with and figuring out. The more advanced settings still scare me, but I’ve already shaved HOURS of erasing edges off because of clipping masks. They’re a godsend. 
5.) there are no rules. Suggestions, sure. Guidelines, yeah. But no rules. You’ll see these tiktoks telling you how to draw stuff, and unless you want to emulate that art style, take it with a grain of salt. It’s AMAZING to study other people’s art- their preferred brushes and styles-but at the end of the day, following rules about digital art is going to possibly stifle you from finding your own style- something I’m still trying to do. I have four-ish different art styles I mess with because I don’t have mine yet, but those all developed through me experimenting and messing around rather than doing what someone on tiktok told me to do. 
Finally, tools are there to be used. It’s not cheating if it makes your life and your art easier. It’s kind of like other tools in life- I use a cane for my joints, for example. That’s not cheating, it’s a tool that’s there for me when I need it and it makes my life easier. 
Ok, time for me to round up my favorite pieces I’ve done!
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Not fully happy with this one (Suki from ATLA) but I was super proud when I finished it so it deserves a spot here. This was the piece where I realized I had talent. Maybe not as much as other people but THIS was the moment I realized this was somethign I really enjoyed and got a lot of happiness out of. 
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And finally, a wip I never finished but still LOVE.
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paunchsalazar · 1 year
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4, 8, 10, 15 !
4. Fav character/subject that's a bitch to draw
at one time I would say some of the spiky-haired Boku no Hero characters lol because I feel like their hair can look off really easily? now I feel like it is more comfortable...
not super complicated but I think a lot of Batman guys can look like any random guy very easily... that troubles me at times... Gansey can look like nothing or like an asshole… guys with plain hair and just glasses -_- but I am not the most creative character designer.
Live action characters overall because I want a bit of likeness and some degree of caricature… can quickly go too realistic and weird or too vague and unrecognizable. I guess right now it’s Lestat de Lioncourt but I’m not trying all that hard.
8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in
my 2nd-year student film lol! but that was because of a whole bunch of logistical problems (covid, casting child actors, getting in the recording booth, general exhaustion, and depression lmao) I draw a lot of fanart because it gives me something to draw without the pressure of coming up with a good enough idea...
lots of scrapped comics that didn't make sense, and some board sequences I've never finished! I wanted to redo an old Batman sequence for Halloween but I wanted to make better directorial choices and I am just so lazy
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10. Favorite piece of clothing to draw
I feel like it's jackets?? totally projecting my real-life preferences but jackets can kind of be bullshit easily enough... I feel like with boarding you can scribble two lines and it's like 'got it, jacket', so lots of quick shorthand collars
(I guess I do not draw much 'to a finish' lol... used to want to do fashion design but I don't have the patience for it)
15. *Where* do you draw
Digitally - it has to be at my tablet at my desk... but honestly after work hours I get really sick of sitting there so I only draw on paper and then clean the sketches up digitally while in meetings or warming up to work lol...
On paper - anywhere... I still kinda have to scribble like it is a fidget spinner if I'm sitting anywhere for too long. My kitchen table, the couch, the bed (not ergonomic at all), anywhere? but I don't really do super neat physical pieces... if so I think I'd have to at least sit at a table lol just because it becomes a bit of a mess
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aithilin · 2 years
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The Quiet Moments: Vantage Point
Downtime in a sleepy village is always a nice distraction. 
At AO3: Here
--
The small country inns were usually preferable to the busy cities where the world seemed to close in on every square inch of space. The trundle of carts and wagons through the muddy streets seemed muted compared to the noise of the cobblestone city streets made for the easy passage of pedestrians and traffic. Their rooms this time faced the main thoroughfare of the lazy little town they had wandered into— too small to even be listed on the map. All three overlooked the same strip of road and joined to the same little nook built onto a roof overhang that had been generously named as a balcony. 
And for a short period of time, Caleb had thought he was the only one to have found the quiet little corner that overlooked the sleepy village with its sprawling expanse of surrounding farms and farmland. The makeshift balcony had been perfect to sit with his own books and curled out of both the wind and the sight of any passerby that may have taken a moment to glance up. 
But when Jester made her way to it, he braced himself for the stream of chatter and pleasantries that would usually follow in her wake. He watched as her cheerful smile greeted him over the edge of his book, and almostt felt guilty for the familiar dread of her enthusiastic presence as it settled in his chest while he was trying to work. Trying to catch up on the studies he wanted to pursue
Instead of any actual greeting, the blue tiefling simply left it at a smile and little wave before he saw the sketchbook in her hands. 
Caleb let himself visibly relax as he shuffled further into his corner and offered a smile of his own in response to the quiet greeting. 
It was rare that they both sought a quiet space at the same time. 
He could hear her careful sketching as he read— the long, confident strokes of light charcoal, salvaged from somewhere he hadn’t gotten to first— but Jester herself made no sound save for the occasional turn of a page and scrape of her tail as she shifted position to get more comfortable or get a better look to the people moving through the street below. There were children playing and merchants with stalls between the more established shops; horses and carts that moved at a far more leisurely pace than the odd gilded carriage hurrying through; A family of birds had made a home of the roof above them, comfortable enough to occasionally land nearby to peck at imaginary crumbs when they were both still and quiet for long enough. 
There were their friends below in the street, slipping from store to store, smiling and laughing— even Yasha smiled in the easy sunlight with Mollymauk showing off— as they explored the small village. It had been good to see Nott at ease with others, though he was sure she was going to have new trinkets to show him later that evening with the way she darted from the shops within sight. And Mollymauk… 
The tiefling had been at home anywhere. Everywhere.
He had invited them all on the excursion taking place below, swanning in and out of sight as he made good on his promise to discover every nook and cranny the village seemed to have. Yasha a permanent fixture in his shadow as his voice carried up to them every time he was within sight of the little balcony. He was in range often. 
“Caleb?” The way she said her name should have led into a more direct question. It was the start of a question, he knew. He knew her tones and smiles now almost without thought, and he’s still not certain when that had happened.  
“Nein.”
“You don’t even know what I’m going to ask you!”
“I do not need to know,” but he looked up at her over the edge of his book once more to see her playful pout match his own now-familiar smile; it was easy to tease her at times. “I am reading. Shush.”
“You are not reading,” Jester’s pout vanished like magic to her brilliant smile; “You are looking at Molly. And now you are blushing.”
“Now I am most definitely reading.”
“Fine,” it was an imperious word in Jester’s use and mood. Her shoulders back and her nose up as if she had fully dismissed the entire interaction; “I won’t ask then.”
The silence lasted all of three seconds before she was before him, watching him, until he broke and looked up again. “What did you want to ask me?”
“Can I draw you?”
“You have never asked permission before.”
“I’ve never drawn you before. Can I? I want to.”
“Will it involve interruptions to my reading?”
“No.” She hadn’t waited for actual permission then, sitting back where she had been but now facing him. 
Her knees were drawn up like a makeshift easel and her confident lines of charcoal started to soften and become shorter. Her tail circled both ankles as she worked, letting them fall back into that comfortable silence that seemed to land like a blanket across them in the small space. Caleb returned to his book to his marking of pages for transcription later, the spells and history, the theory and experiments burning through his mind like his own fire. 
Mollymauk’s laughter and peacocking from the street drew his eyes down to watch a moment as the lavender tiefling regaled some local children with tricks. He appeared to have caught their ball before it could hit anyone or the shops they were leaving, and was now making it dance between his hands like a trick. Caleb had to smile when one sword came out to balance and tap at the ball as a small crowd gathered to watch the colourful creature playing his own games like he was still a walking advertisement for a circus. 
When he turned his attention back to his book, Caleb caught Jester smiling at him. 
“Shush.”
“I didn’t say anything.”
“But you want to.”
Jester’s smile was brilliant, infectious in the daylight with the bright and cheerful blue of her skin almost as whimsical as Mollymauk below playing games to entertain a sleepy farming village. “You really should just talk to him, you know.”
“I talk to him often enough.”
“You know what I mean, Caleb. He likes you. You like him.” 
Any denial would have been teased back into submission. He knew this. He knew that it was a losing argument when the fanciful ideas struck Jester like this and she was in a mood to be whatever she considered helpful under the circumstances. He wanted to hide behind the book again, but in the time he had known Jester, he also knew that any hit of defeat to her plans and machinations would result in trouble for him down the line. 
“I…” He wanted to start with that denial, and instead closed his book to look at her properly. He leaned forward, and she matched him; “Let us make a deal, you and I, then. Ja?”
“What kind of deal?” 
But her eyes were bright and she was still smiling. It was a game. That’s all. No different than the delicate juggling Mollymauk was still performing with swords and toys in the middle of a street. 
“I will talk to Mollymauk.” The triumphant smile was short lived; “Only if you talk to Fjord.”
“What?”
Caleb leaned back again, getting comfortable in his corner with the book ready and in his lap. The smile across from him had turned into a little pout, the barest hint of a smirk as her colour deepened with a blush. He offered his own smirk in response. 
“The pair of us, ja? You talk to Fjord and take him on a…” he searched for a word that would fit with the low stakes of the deal should she actually go through with her end; “a date. Then I will talk to Mollymauk.”
“And if Fjord doesn’t want to go on a date?”
“Then he is more muscle than brain and you deserve better.”
The flurry of movement caught him off guard. The arms wrapped around him made him freeze up with surprise before the familiar fear and uncertainty set in. Jester was hugging him, tightly. She had leapt across the small space until she was hugging him, and that was where his understanding of the situation ended. 
“You’re a good friend Caleb.”
“M-may I please go back to my book now?”
Jester resettled across from him and beamed. She didn’t show him the sketch when she was done; when she had fished out her inks to darken the charcoal lines and ‘clean it up’ as she explained. She didn’t let him see it until the afternoon had crept into the village and the noise of their little troupe returned to the street before the inn. Jester had deemed the drawing ‘good enough’ and beamed as she snapped the book closed once the ink was dry. She stretched and dragged herself to her feet before leaning over the little railing that had been installed in the probably vain attempt to keep people from falling from the space. 
They had had a few good hours before the light shifted and the winds moved with them to threaten the sanctity of their little quiet hideaway. 
“Oh, Fjord is going out.”
That was not what Caleb expected to hear. “Going out?”
“Yeah,” Jester made a motion to the street where the half-orc man was slipping through the incoming rabble of farmers and villagers; “I guess I’ll just have to talk to him tomorrow.”
There was a pause and Caleb knew what was coming, what the bright and vibrant smile meant. So he headed off the thought before their deal could change; “I will talk to Mollymauk after you speak with Fjord. Not before.”
“Why do I have to go first?”
“Because it is your idea, and you are more annoying.”
“Caleb!” But the tiefling was still smiling, moreso as she passed him to go back inside and poked his nose as he stood to follow; “The deal was your idea.”
“Talking to people is your idea. I would prefer not to.”
“You’re just scared.”
“Ja. I believe I have made it clear that I am a coward?”
Jester shook her head before looping their arms each holding a book though her hands smudged with charcoal and ink; “Then be brave enough to escort me to dinner, Mr. Caleb.”
Caleb could never really pinpoint the moment that the cheerful blue tiefling had wormed her way this close. When her touches to his arm and loose games like this were less and less something to run from. She reminded him of Nott, really— that persistent, fierce optimism despite the vast differences they had in seeing the world around them; that determination to live without the stifling and stagnating fear-- and he was grateful for that little way the smiles and comfort aligned in his mind. 
“Very well, Miss Jester.”
The tavern below the guest rooms was full. The Dragonborn minding the bar and taking the orders had a surprisingly robust army of servers running from the kitchens in the back to the tables as they filled with travellers and farmers alike. The table their group had claimed was suitably in the corner more out of the way of the teeming life and activity that had roused what must have been the only tavern in the village back to life. The welcome smells from the kitchen had already started to conquer the strange musk of a warm room full of farmers and travellers— that rot and earthen scent that reminded Caleb far too much of a life and home too far away— but their claimed little table had yet to receive any of the goods and drinks that were freely flowing now. 
“There you two are!” Mollymauk greeted them first, an arm outstretched in welcome as he shifted closer to Yasha in her corner— her back protected and her eyes watching the gathering guests. “We had wondered where you went to all day. And now we’ve lost Fjord so I have no one to tease.”
“You’ll make do,” Caleb said as everyone shifted enough to let them sit. He was right in that Nott had grown her collection of small buttons and stones, shining stones that seemed to have come from loose or dropped jewelry, and the odd piece of crystal that seemed out of place in such a small town. 
“Oh I will,” Mollymauk smiled as Jester took a seat opposite him and next to Beau. “I hope you don’t mind that I took the liberty of ordering ahead. One of the farmers said we absolutely had to try the mutton he supplied, and I’m not one to turn down a recommendation.”
Caleb sat and ignored the way Mollymauk’s tail curled around his leg. It was growing to be a familiar sensation when they were in proximity and it appeared that neither wanted to be the first to comment on it, but it happened and it was ignored. More easily as Nott laid out her findings to be picked through. Caleb had barely settled on the bench, his back to the room, when Nott had pushed the cracked and broken crystals toward him; “Do you want these, Caleb?”
There were no magical properties that he could sense in them. Nothing outstanding or living within whatever was left, but he smiled and gathered the shards together all the same; “Thank you, my friend. I’ll find a use for them, I’m sure.”
Despite Fjord’s absence, the dinner was loud. Vibrant. They had purchased fruits from an orchard to add to their supplies when they moved on and had found both a general store and what Caleb was assuming to be an apothecary just off the main road that had more than just kits and potions when it tended to the whole of the little community. There was a lake a few miles away that they had decided would be their next stop. The plans crossed the table easily, always a momentary hold while they realized that they would need to wait for the last voice, the final say of the half-orc who had wandered away without a message left to reassure them. 
After drinks and food, and the games they had managed to play between them, they started to recognize that they had drank too much or needed more rest and started to go up to their rooms. The crowd thinned as the night dragged on and Caleb moved from the table to the bar with reassurances that he would be up shortly. 
“I can’t just let a friend drink alone,” Mollymauk said as he moved to a stool next to Caleb at the bar, smiling a fanged grin at those who had paused to give him strange looks before they left. 
“I was planning to read.” Caleb said, even as an ale was put in front of him and his book remained closed. It was an easy excuse. An easy little tell to keep the distance for a moment. 
“What have we said about bullshitting each other?”
“I do not believe we’ve discussed it in any great length.”
“No, we didn’t. But it really does boil down to ‘we don’t.’” Mollymauk’s coat hang around him like the resting tail of a peacock. His knees crossed despite the imbalance of the stool he had claimed, and he moved and shifted until both the door and the wizard were in his line of sight; “You’re waiting for Fjord.”
“Perhaps.”
“You think he’s going to come back tonight? He may be gone for good. Or in trouble on the side of the road.”
“Or walking through the door.”
“Or walking through the door,” Mollymauk lifted his tankard to Fjord on his return, but the confident, self-assured smile usually saved for greeting friends was gone. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Fjord had paused in the door at the sight of them. At the way the tavern was quiet and closing, the last drinks to be served in their hands as the staff had dwindled to just the owner who was currently ushering a drunk farmer toward the doors. The smells of dinner lingered in the air, and Mollymauk shook a smile into place as the half-orc acknowledged that he was caught; “You missed a lovely dinner, Fjord. Full of plans and surprisingly good food for such an out of the way place like this.”
“You didn’t have to wait up for me.”
“We wanted to,” Caleb said, elbow on his book as he turned to look up at Fjord; “You always say we should stick together.”
“I had to look into something. It took longer than expected.”
“Well, darling, that’s really not something you should be looking into alone, then.”
There was a moment of hesitation before Fjord fished something out from his pack. It was nothing more than a bundle of ripped and bloodied cloth, but he held it out and unwrapped the thing that was inside for them. The chain was crusted in dirt and grime, but both could see it was a pendant— an amulet that seemed simple for more than half a day spent out of town. It was old, and crusted with dirt and grime; any silver or gold plating that may have been on it at gilding had been stripped away over time to reveal just the burnished copper beneath. But it was solid and could be cleaned up. 
And even with the wear and dirt that had covered it, Caleb could see the familiar icon of the Traveller raised over the simple disc of the thing. He raised an eyebrow as he looked from the piece of jewelry to the man holding it; “You left to get a gift for Jester?”
Fjord shrugged, but the flustered acknowledgement was obvious. It would have been cute if Caleb hadn’t been concerned that Fjord had just left them to wander on his own. “Well, there was this rumour and—“
Mollymauk’s grin was absolutely devilish in the delight he took from the situation. “This is just the cutest thing I have ever heard in years. You went on a little adventure without us to surprise Jester?”
Caleb reached for the amulet, not so subtle in his elbow connecting with Mollymauk’s ribs in admonishment for the teasing; “Do you want me to examine it?”
“If you don’t mind,” Fjord did smiled as Mollymauk rubbed his chest, still grinning. There would be teasing, he knew. But at least for the moment, Caleb was the grown adult between them. “If it’s no trouble.”
“No, no trouble at all. I’ll have it in the morning for you.”
“This really is still the cutest thing,” Mollymauk grinned as he moved from is seat before he could be elbowed again. “I never knew you had such a romantic streak in you.”
“Jester will love it, Fjord,” Caleb reassured him, already examining what was left of the gilding. It would need a new chain, more cleaning that he could manage or knew where to start. But he knew Nott might know how to help fix it up once he identified if it was more than just a pretty trinket. 
He downed the rest of his own ale and followed the two back up to the rooms rented upstairs. He may need more drinks to keep up his end of the deal made earlier at this rate. 
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fairly-pink · 2 years
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Hiii! Can I get a match-up for JJK and Demon Slayer :3
My pronouns are she/her and I’d prefer men!
I’m 23, with brown skin, dark brown eyes and dark, curly hair but I usually wear it in colourful braids. I have a quite few piercings and tattoos. I dress on the more alternative/goth side but I also wear a lot pink, and I mostly wear skirts or dresses.
I’m very laidback, talkative, and friendly. I can be moody and sensitive but I’m mostly optimistic. I’m very passionate and have a bit of chaotic side. I’m a huge feminist so I’m always ready to call out misogyny, racism or homophobia. I like dancing, sketching, and the arts in general. I love discussing film, writing, and music but also philosophical and emotional topics. In my spare time, I watch movies/documentaries (preferably horror/true crime) or play video games. Sometimes I’ll sketch but I’m very insecure about that so I don’t show anyone. I can be pretty lazy at times and take a lot of naps lol.
I’m very chill and it takes a lot to make me angry. I don’t do well with short tempered people especially if they’re loud or violent. I’m known for being good for emotional support and giving good advice among my friends.
Thank you so much❤️
I Match You With…
Shinjuro Rengoku
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Would 100% love watching crime shows with you & would try & figure out who did the crime by the end of the show
we all know how loud he is so he would definitely tone it down a bit when he’s with you to make sure you are comfortable
would die of happiness if you chose red & yellow for ur braid colors
like when you wear his Kimono
loves to cuddle & will constantly ask you to baby him lol
Satoru Gojo
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spoils you whenever he can whether it he buying you things, taking you on dates or just brining you ur favorite drink
his students love you & asks him questions about you all the time
loves to see you wear his clothes
takes photos of you constantly so he always has a new photo of you for his phone background
probably calls you all the time too just because he misses ur voice
0 notes
cryptidcalling · 3 years
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This quote is such a damn mood
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mxchellesworld · 3 years
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punk rock princess
spencer reid x reader
synopsis; where spencer’s working on the final paper for his third phd meanwhile you take on the task of making sure he takes a break.
warnings; smut, p in v, unprotected sex, creampie, sub!spence if you squint, nipple piercings;),
a/n; i’m not saying this is my fantasy but .. this is my fantasy,, inspired by this song, y’all know the drill. you don't have to listen while reading but i always love to set the vibe. lastly y/n doesn't have any mentioned features or looks besides piercings/tattoos,, the rest is all up to you:)
pls send in feedback!
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***
A shiver crawled down your spine from the first squirt of dye hitting your scalp. The bubblegum pink shade being a change from the firey red which inhabited your head a mere 24 hours prior.
The process was muscle memory at this point. Brushing out your hair then parting and sectioning it off. However that was the only methodical part. The fun was in slapping on the dye, not a single worry about staining your hands or neck.
The sounds of heavy drums and bass guitar bounced off the walls in the bathroom of the small apartment. Even though the door was shut it wasn't enough to stop the sound from flowing into the living room where your boyfriend was working.
Spencer sat at the dining table, flipping through copious amounts of folders and books. His third thesis in the process of being written. The computer screen in front of him looking back with a mocking glow. Since apparently things had to be digital now.
Your feet padding on the wooden floor made him look up from the pages. Humming to the music as you walked into your bedroom. Then back out a few seconds later holding a towel and robe.
A small smile tugged across his face. Ever since you had moved in together he loved to watch your day to day actions. The way you played your music concerningly loud, your skincare routine which included cleaning your facial piercings. What fascinated him the most was that in the 13 months you’d been together he’d seen you dye your hair 7 times.
Not including any touch ups.
He stood from his place at the table, making his way to the bathroom. Two quick rasps on the door to check if you were decent. The action made you giggle.
“Come in!” you called, “I don’t know why you knock weirdo you’ve seen me naked plenty of times.”
A blush spread across his cheeks from both your words and your state of undress. His eyes tried to focus on the splotches of color on the counter, keeping the blood flowing to the head on his shoulders.
But it was hard when the sheer bralette you had on did very little to hide the metal bars in each of your breasts.
“Spence?” you said snapping a fingers in front of him.
He cleared his throat, eyes snapping to your face which held a smirk.
“Are uh those n-new?” he questioned, hand going to scratch the nape of his neck.
The usual silver balls at the end of the bars were now tiny jewell hearts. The color was a little hard to tell due to the material of your bra but from the change in your hair he could almost bet money they were also pink.
With swift hands you unclipped your bra and threw it on the closed toilet seat before turning to face him.
“Got them when I bought the dye yesterday,” you said pushing your boobs up with your hands, “You like?”
Spencer’s eyes were as big as saucers, frantically nodding, “Y-yeah they look nice.”
You dropped your hands to your hips, tugging off the shorts you had on. The wide brown eyes before you couldn’t get any bigger, trailing down your frame stopping to admire the bar in your belly button along with the ink which littered your ribs.
He watched as you got to your knees, turning on the bath faucet. You dipped your head under the water, a stream of pink filling the tub.
The slope of your spine bent over was a sight he'd seen more than enough times. He could pinpoint the beauty marks on your left shoulder, the small sun he sketched which ended up permanently on the back of your neck. But if he let his gaze drift a little further south he could see how deliciously the dark lace looked barley covering up your most intimate parts.
A smack to his calf got his attention.
“Earth to Spencer! Can you hand me the shampoo,” you asked which came out sounding a bit muffled.
He quickly scurried to the tub and reached over to grab the bottle, squeezing a bit of gel onto your open palm.
"I'm gonna go work on my thesis some more," Spencer said slowly shutting the door behind him.
Making his way back to the living room, he pulled a few files and sat down on the couch. Glasses sat on the bridge of his nose and red pen between his teeth and he stared in concentration.
They were the same words he had read over and over again. The lack of sleep causing a dull ache in his skull.
"You need to take a break love," you said walking over and sitting next to Spencer on the couch.
"I did take one," he argued back flipping through the file.
"Gawking at me before I shower for 2 minutes isn't a break," you said with a giggle, the warmth flooding back to his cheeks, "Cmon 25 minutes at least without a file in your hand. "
When he didn't respond you took matters into your own hands. Ripping the file from his grasp, earning a grumble of disapproval before you straddled his hips. Your arms circled his neck and your hands went straight to the back of his scalp, fingertips running in soothing motions.
"Isn't this so much better baby," you asked whispering in his ear.
He nodded quickly, staying silent as he let his actions speak louder. His large palms went right to your plush hips. Bucking up as he led you to grind yourself on his lap.
Letting his hands explore the material of your satin rope he could feel the lack of undergarments on your frame. Spencer dared to let his hands dip under the black fabric and take each one of your cheeks in the palm of your hand with a gentle squeeze.
You could feel his cock stiffening under you. If you looked down you'd probably be able to see a wet spot on his sweats, most likely a mix of your arousals.
Leaning forward you let your lips attack his neck, placing sloppy kisses sure to leave marks. The process of licking and biting making Spencer hold onto you tighter, almost as if he had his very own vampire to mark him up.
Trailing up to his ear you bit on the lobe before whispering, "Tell me what you need baby."
Lust filled brown orbs met your own as you each continued your steady grind.
"Please fuck me," he pleaded.
If only he knew how wrapped around his finger you were. As pretty as he sounded begging you'd give him anything.
You pulled the metal frames off his face, tossing them to the other side of the couch. He had complained one too many times about foggy glasses during sex. No matter how cute you thought he looked.
Your hands slid down his torso and reached to pull down his sweats. His precum soaked length was heavy in your hands. Pretty pink tip leaky and throbbing already. The first few pumps had whiny moans slipping from his lips, red from biting so hard.
"Unwrap me baby, it's all for you," you said tilting your head down, motioning to the strings holding your robe together.
Quickly he let his slender fingers go to the ends, a swift tug and it was like opening a gift on Christmas. Leaning forward he let his lips wrap around one of your nipples. A strangled moan leaving your mouth from the stimulation.
With a raise of your hips you lined his cock with your opening before sliding down. You both sighed at the same time, the feeling of him stretching you out and your warm walls hugging his length was just too good.
Slowly you rocked your hips testing the waters, soft gasps and curses left your lips. You could feel very vein and inch stuffed inside you.
Spencer on the other hand was having an out of body experience, there wasn't an inch of your skin which was left untouched. Unkissed. After you were settled he raised his hips meeting you halfway with each thrust.
"You're doing so well baby," you cooed down at him, "You love when I ride you hm? Best fucking seat in the house."
His eyes shut closed in pleasure as your pace quickened, "Love it so much. So so pretty," he mumbled out.
His arms pulled you close again. Chest to chest as you continued your movements. Your lips met in a lazy kiss, panting in each others mouths when you ran out of air.
You could feel him pulsating inside you. The iron grip he had on your hips as he helped drive you up and down on his cock was sure to feel sore the next day. His shoulders were sure to have corresponding crescent marks from your nails digging in.
"Touch me Spence m'so close love," you said breathlessly.
One of his hands fell down to the space where you both connected. Skilled fingers rubbing your sensitive bundle of nerves in quick circular motions.
Loud moans escaped your lips. Your head fell back to the familiar junction of his neck and shoulder, biting the skin in order to stifle your noises of pleasure.
"Y/n I can't hold it any longer, please cum with me," he whimpered out.
Nodding your head you grabbed onto the back of his neck, "Right behind you baby. Let go for me, I got you."
With a few more upward thrusts you felt him pull you down onto his cock, warmth spreading in your tummy. The feeling of his seed filling you up and his euphoric groans sent you over the edge.
You both rode out your orgasms, swiveling hips and satisfactory sighs of release leaving your lips.
After a few minutes of content silence listening to the music still flowing through the hall you moved to get up, the sticky mess between your thighs less than comfortable.
Warm arms kept you in place, denying your movement.
"Spence I gotta clean up," you said trying to push yourself off his chest.
"If I remember correctly you said at least 25 minutes and from my calculations I have 3 minutes and 38 seconds left of cuddle time," the lanky man under you said matter of factly.
You rolled your eyes, sighing but resting your head back on his shoulder, "If I get a UTI thats 3 minutes and 38 seconds of me playing screamo in your ear at full volume."
With one last squeeze he kissed the side of your head, the scent of ammonia only sightly bothering him, "Worth it."
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I need to share soft sign language buddies ninogami headcanon because they’re taking over my brain always:
(This got so long, so youre welcome if youre also starved for ninogami content)
Nino’s mom is Deaf , so he grew up signing as much as speaking. When he was younger he always signed as he talked.
It turned out he’s also Hard of Hearing, so sign language is way easier for him to understand most of the time.
However, though he’s great at making friends, he’s very awkward when it comes to talking about himself. So never comes up in conversation.
It’s not a self-deprication issue. It’s just a “thinking of things to say is hard and I’d rather have someone else do the talking” thing. He’d rather talk about anyone except himself.
Additionally! He’s great at helping other people, but he’s terrible at asking for help. He does not EVER want to be like “hey i cant understand what you’re saying, my ears dont work great,” its his worst nightmare
And it doesnt help that there have been a few cases of people being rude about it when he doesnt hear them after they repeat themselves. And possibly worse, there have been even more cases of people giving over-the-top apologies instead of just,, telling him what they said. So it’s not worth the trouble in his mind
with his few close friends who still dont know, it feels like its too late and it’d be awkward to bring it up, so he just… doesnt. He’s procrastinating on telling them he cant hear them
He stopped signing as much as he talked in middle school because strangers would always be like “woah thats so cool, how do you know sign language” and he’d just panic because he was an awkward tween, and he didnt know if he was comfortable telling them he was HoH, but ALSO just saying his mom was Deaf and not mentioning himself felt like directly lying by hiding information, so he just took the “lazy” way out and signed less in public.
Sometimes fighting the anxiety was not worth it so he just let it win in that case.
Nino is so nice and energetic and loves people, but he is way more introverted and anxious than his friends think.
But when they start to get closer, Kagami who is ever-observant, notices him signing a little bit, (not ever to her, not ever on purpose, but he’d sometimes sign a word he needed to remember while speaking or sign along to emphasize something)
and she luckily for his anxiety, she doesnt know how to have a normal conversation either.
Her (platonic as well as romantic) love language is studying and research, and Nino seems very cool and she likes him, even if she is awful at holding a conversation with him or doing anything to show it.
She thinks he’s so cool and such an amazing talented kind friend. She has so much love for him that she doesnt know what to do with it. So she channels that energy into learning to sign through the internet and whatever tools she can find
And then after a while of this, she’s like “oh no, he’s gonna think that’s so creepy, I cant tell him I know sign language or he’ll be so uncomfortable”
So, like a whole idiot, she hides that she’s learning sign language from anyone. Because OBVIOUSLY if word got back to Nino, he’d assume it was because of him and that she was a weirdo he shouldn’t be friends with
But also Kagami accidentally falls in love with sign language because she has undiagnosed autism. She always assumed that communicating was just going to be impossible no matter what, but as she gets proficient in sign language she’s like,,, oh,,, OH,, this is very nice
Even just signing while she talks makes it so much easier to keep words and sentances straight, but she only does it when she’s alone with her mother, who is literally blind and would never know.
They become closer friends in late high school, and by that time a lot of Nino’s anxiety has worn off and he’s become completely comfortable letting teachers know when he needs to hear somthing, and middle school feels like a distant dream
At some point, Nino invites Kagami to his house a few times, and he signs with his mom. Nino is like “I can interpret for you,” and Kagami is like “wow thanks, I’m so lucky, because I obviously do not know any sign language, why would I have learned it, and also for the record it is brand new information to me that you can sign,” and Nino is like “cool? Its not a secret but im glad i told you if you somehow didnt already know,” and Kagami is like, “yep :)”
But then eventually as they become really close, they are texting one night, (Kagami can still barely get out of her house, so they need to communicate remotely. And both of then HATE phone calls bc its so hard to understand whats happening, but neither of them have admitted this to anyone)
Nino admits that he likes using sign language better than talking, and he wishes he could use it with his friends, but he’d feel so guilty asking them to learn an entire language just to make him slightly more comfortable. He can talk and hear OKAY so he shouldnt put the pressure on them.
and Kagami is like “you could always ask, worst case scenerio they say no, and i dont think thats an unreasonable demand” and nino is like “it is though,” and kagami’s like “ok so haha funny story, please dont hate me” and nino is like, “…what.” And kagami confesses everything and nino is like “why… why would i hate you for that?” And Kagami is like “oh wait youre right im stupid,”
And then Nino’s also like “hey if YOURE more comfortable signing too, then why dont YOU ask your friends to sign for you. Do you see what i mean? It’s hard to ask-” and kagami is like, “as your friend i will prove it is not.”
So then Kagami ends up confronting Adrien and Marinette the next day and is like “Hi. This is a sign language dictionary. Learn from it.” And they’re both like “what?” And she’s like “oh wait sorry. Backing up. I’m autistic. I decided like three years ago. Forgot to tell you. And I need you to learn to sign a little bit so you can understand if i sign something at you. If you want, of course. Please :D.” And theyre like “ok sure yeah i can do that.”
(Theyve already learned and accepted that shes extremely direct in asking for things)
So then she texts nino and is like “i did it. Youre welcome.”
But anyway both of them are uncomfortable in crowds and parties: Nino cant hear anyone and Kagami tends to get sensory overload, so they start signing mostly in those situations, and then it starts to sink in that they’re allowed to sign whenever and that the other really IS also comfortable with it.
(Both of them are much more willing to make sacrifices for others than to try something new and intimidating for themself, so this is the perfect situation to trick them into getting out of their comfort zone, ironically by trying to be more comfortable in the long run)
so they will just sit together and hang out and have long conversations while just chilling somewhere in a park or at cafes or whatever. Both of them become chattier than they’ve ever been because talking and understanding is so much easier, and its addicting
And their close friends all become proficient enough in sign language to have simple conversations.
But also Nino and Kagami start sitting together automatically even in group hangouts, and they start hanging out more with just the two of them, and soon neither of them feel bad about asking to hang out in quieter places, because they can justify it knowing that it will also help the other one, and together that makes both of them also more comfortable asking for little accomodations from other friends, if only to prove to the other that they can do it too.
And Kagami has the lesser-known autism side effect where she makes WAY TOO MUCH eye contact. She’s aware of it but that doesnt make it go away. Normally she feels so awkward about it, and overthinks her gaze because she doesnt want to scare people away. But when signing, you literally HAVE to be watching the other person constantly, so she has an excuse to just be herself, and its so relieving
(and also its kind of fun to look at Nino anyway because he can get so animated and his smile is really nice and oh no she is in love a little bit)
And Nino always struggles because he emotionally ALWAYS needs to be the nice polite one. His anxiety sometimes gets the better of him and he’s constantly worried about sending the wrong signals to his friends and coming off as rude somehow. But with Kagami, he can literally just ask?? And she will tell him her honest opinion without making it weird. And its so comfy and so good and he really loves hearing her unfiltered opinions on so many things because she sees the world in such a unique way and she gets so passionate about such little things and then oh no, he is fallen for her before he can realize it
And they also learn that they’re both artists, they both love to just observe the world because even if they;re awkward, people are actually pretty great most of the time, and its fun to observe them and try to capture the world, and they just sit together and sketch, or they watch each other sketch, and the thing is, both of them draw ONLY FOR THEMSELVES, its not a ‘skill,’ and they don;t want it to be, its just private art for relaxation. Somehow, though, its okay if they share their art with each other. They can just sit in comfortable silence for hours while one of them sketches something and the other watches patiently
And they start to get more comfortable with one of their heads resting on the other’s shoulder as they watch them doodle, and sitting so close their legs press together, and soon enough their hands start brushing against each other’s as they walk next to each other and then all of a sudden they’re casually holding hands whenever they’re not signing because it’s nice
They try to share headphones so Nino can share some of his favorite songs and his compositions with Kagami. But try as she might, Kagami can not handle the sensory of only having one earbud in. Nino knows her tells by that point, and he’s not about to let her suffer for a stupid reason, but she REALLY does want to hear his music. They somehow end up with Kagami putting a pair of headphones around her neck and turning up the volume a little bit so she can hear, while Nino rests his head on her shoulder so he can hear just enough to know where she is in the song
And then he has to sit up and scootch away just enough to see her hands so they can talk about it, and they both pretend not to notice how nice it was to snuggle as they sign. Its fine, though, because now they get the excuse to just look at each other again and sign overdramatically with exaggerated facial expressions, and no one else around can overhear their conversation, and Nino likes to go a little over the top when signing onomatopoeia and acting out particular parts of the song rhythm that he likes, and Kagami laughs, and they both mentally save the image of each other in this moment the same way that they look at reference images for artwork, memorizing the lines of each movement and the things that make each smile unique,
and Nino also shows up at every single one of her fencing tournaments, and he sits as close as he can and signs encouraging messages to her from the crowd whenever she’s not actively competing, (that her blind mom can never catch, which is somewhat of a bonus to Kagami, because every element of their friendship that her mother cant interact with makes this more personal and special and HERS). Every little sign she sends back at him, even a simple thank you, always feels so good and rebellious and free because shes supposed to be focusing on fencing but shes deciding to care more about friendship. And even if she’s expected to leave immediately afterword, she’ll find every excuse possible to find him and give him a hug, which he’ll always accept even though she jokingly warns him shes sweaty and gross
And eventually they are special best friends and it brings them instant joy to see each other and theyre able to interact for no reason other than that they want to and like each other
(And then they kiss)
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timelesslords · 3 years
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baby, just say yes
Read on Ao3
Summary: 
“Okay, then. Marry me.”
Annabeth waited a beat before rolling over to stare at him. His face was dead serious, but Annabeth still thought he might be messing with her.
“What?” she asked. It seemed the safest thing to say.
“Marry me.” he said, again, simply.
Annabeth never appreciated New Rome as much as she did on Sunday mornings.
They didn’t have class, homework could wait until later, there was no chance of a monster attack, and, best of all, Annabeth didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn to slip out of the Poseidon cabin before anyone noticed she had spent the night. She and Percy could just lounge around together and be lazy for half the day, before one of them finally got up and made breakfast.
It was starting to get a little late, but Annabeth couldn’t bring herself to get out of bed. It was comfortable and Percy was there. Plus, they were deep into a discussion about the architecture of the city, which only made Annabeth happier and more unwilling to move.
There was one temple in particular that Annabeth had only seen photos of, but it looked incredible. It was Juno’s, which was unfortunate, because Annabeth would really love to sketch the ceilings for her design class. 
“We should go see it,” Percy said, “It sounds amazing.”
“I wish,” Annabeth sighed, “But Juno loves to torture me. Nobody can go in unless they’re married.” 
“Okay, then. Marry me.” 
Annabeth waited a beat before rolling over to stare at him. His face was dead serious, but Annabeth still thought he might be messing with her.
“What?” she asked. It seemed the safest thing to say.
“Marry me.” he said, again, simply. 
“Are you being serious?” 
“Why wouldn’t I be serious?” 
“Uhh, I don’t know,” Annabeth said sarcastically, starting to count out reasons on her fingers, “We’re barely 21, we’re not even done with college, we’ve barely even  lived  together—” 
“We’ve known each other since we were 12, college is dumb, and we’ve made it two months living together and we’ve barely had any problems, so—” Percy said, folding each of Annabeth’s fingers down with each rebuttal.
“College is not dumb.” Annabeth countered. It was his weakest argument, but unfortunately it was also her lamest reason. 
“Okay, fine, college isn’t dumb,” Percy said, waving his hand dismissively, “but waiting to get married because we’re still in college is dumb. It’s not like we haven’t experienced the real world or whatever, we’ve been doing that since we were kids.” 
“Yeah, but that real world is different than like, being an adult, with a real job and a real apartment and bills and—” 
“How could that be harder than fighting in two wars and literally crawling through hell?” Percy asked, only he was grinning now, because he knew he had her. She hit him with a pillow in retaliation, and he laughed.
“You’re impossible,” she said, trying to sound mad, but it wouldn’t quite come out angry.
“You just don’t like that I’m out-logicing you,” Percy said, a little smug.
“You are not  out-logicing  me,” Annabeth huffed. 
“Okay, give me one good reason why we shouldn’t get married, then,” he said. That dead-serious look was back on his face. Annabeth would have preferred him to be smug. 
“Well, first of all, you don’t have a ring. What kind of lame proposal is that?” Annabeth said, knowing she was just stalling for time. 
“Who says I don’t have a ring?” Percy asked, straight-faced. The look on Annabeth’s face must have been extraordinarily panicked, because he sighed, looking defeated.
“I don’t actually have a ring ‘Beth. You can put off your heart attack.”
“Oh thank gods,” Annabeth sighed, covering her eyes with her hands. That really would have been too much too soon.
“But I can  get  you a ring, so that’s really a non-issue,” Percy continued, undeterred, “Next reason.” 
“Everyone’ll think I’m pregnant,” Annabeth grumbled, hands still over her eyes. That made Percy laugh.
“They’ll just assume that we’re crazy for each other and also madly in love,” Percy said. 
“And also that you knocked me up,” Annabeth added, moving her hands to her forehead and looking over at Percy. 
“In which case it would be my fault, and we would share the embarrassment equally,” Percy said easily, grinning. 
“That’s not even how it works,” Annabeth complained, “It would be way more embarrassing for me. Even though it's not true.” 
“We can print ‘Annabeth is not pregnant’ on the wedding invitations,” Percy said, because it was his turn to make her laugh. 
“Yeah, that’ll shut up the rumors,” Annabeth said, trying to ignore how the thought of wedding invitations made her stomach turn. 
“Okay, I concede that pregnancy rumors are at least half-way a valid reason. But I’m going to need at least one more,” Percy said. 
“At least?” Annabeth protested, “Is my potential humiliation not enough for you?” 
“Mm. Not quite. I’m sharing at least 25% of the embarrassment, so it cancels out a bit.” 
Annabeth wanted to argue that 25% was too high a percent, but he had chosen the number well. It was, to Annabeth’s calculations, fairly accurate. 
“Why can’t we just wait?” Annabeth asked. She hadn’t meant for the words to come out as seriously as they did, but she saw Percy’s expression shift from joking to sincere anyways. 
“If you want to wait, we can wait. Forget I brought it up” 
She knew he meant it, and she was really tempted to take up his offer and forget about it. They had talked about marriage before, in an abstract way, and Annabeth hadn’t exactly been  opposed, but he’d never asked straight up either. She had been clear that she wanted to be with him for the rest of their lives, but they’d never discussed a timeline for when they wanted to do things. 
But it had slipped out so easily, and so sincerely. He really did want this. The least Annabeth could do was talk about it with him.
“But  you  don’t want to wait,” Annabeth said, rolling onto her side to face him more directly. Percy shrugged with one shoulder.
“I love you. I want to be with you forever. Why wait?”
“If you want to be with me forever, why do it at all?” Annabeth asked. Percy frowned, little lines appearing between his eyebrows. 
“What do you mean?” 
Annabeth hesitated, unsure how to put her feelings to words. Marriage had always given her a kind of weird feeling, nervous and a little repulsed. She was sure a psychologist would have a field day digging up why, but she didn’t really care to know. It was only the prospect of doing it with Percy specifically that made it tolerable to her at all.
“I love you,” she started, slowly, “And I want to be with you forever. But why do we have to put this weird stipulation on it? Why can’t we just be with each other?” 
“We could. I’ll be with you however you want to be with me,” Percy said, reaching out, and brushing a stray curl behind her ear. Annabeth tried not to sink too much into his touch. She couldn’t afford to be distracted now.
“But you want to get married,” Annabeth protested. 
“Yeah. I do.” 
“Why?” 
To Annabeth’s relief, he didn’t look at her like it was a weird question. It would have been fair, it was a weird question. But he could tell what she was asking, what she was  really  asking. 
“I dunno, I can’t really explain it,” Percy admitted, “I guess I just want to make that promise to you, that I’ll always love you and always be there for you, sick or healthy and rich or poor, or whatever the words are.” 
Annabeth couldn’t help but laugh a little at the end of his statement, and his own lips turned up in a smile.
“You’ve already promised me all that, though,” Annabeth said. 
“Yeah, but this time it’s official. Something bigger than just you and me,” Percy said. 
And maybe that was it; the wrinkle that wouldn’t let her just dive in and say yes and get married at 21 like every other lovesick young adult. Promises. Because a promise made was just a potential promise broken and the more official it became, whether in a prophecy and a knife or a ceremony in front of all their friends, the worse the fallout would be.
“What’s wrong with just promising it to ourselves?” Annabeth asked. 
“Nothing at all.” 
“But you really want this,” Annabeth sighed. 
“Don’t say you’ll do it just because I want to do it,” Percy said. 
“But you really want it?” Annabeth asked. Percy took a second to answer, biting his lower lip the way he did when he was really nervous. 
“Yeah. I really want it,” he admitted. 
Annabeth studied his face, every earnest line marking his expression, right up to the crinkles in the corners of his sea-green eyes. 
She tried to imagine being married to him,  really  tried. Not just in an abstract sense, but what it would look like, what it would feel like. To her surprise, it didn’t seem that different from what they had now. Maybe even better, in some ways.
They were already so much more than boyfriend and girlfriend, they had been for a long while. Soulmates was a cheesy word, but she did honestly and truly believe Percy was hers. And while the thought of actually  getting  married was a little horrifying still, the thought of  being  married to him was a little exciting. Having people understand, at least a little bit, what they meant to each other made her feel warm inside.
And he wouldn’t break his promises to her. He was the only one who had kept every single one, and a stupid piece of paper at city hall wasn’t going to change that. 
“Okay,” Annabeth sighed, finally. 
“Okay?” he asked, a hopeful smile creeping onto his face. 
“Okay, I’ll marry you, you dumb idiot,” she said, unable to keep a smile off her face either.
Before she could continue, he leaned over and kissed her. She could feel how happy he was through his lips, and it was supremely difficult to break away, but she knew she had to or she would get lost and her stipulations would slip out of her mind, never to be seen again.
“I have demands, though,” Annabeth said, finally pulling back. Percy laughed, loud and earnest.
“I would expect nothing less.” 
“I don’t want a big wedding. Actually, I don’t want a wedding at all,” Annabeth said, trying to suppress the shudder that crept up on her at the thought.
“Easy. We can elope. Next,” Percy said. 
“Really?” Annabeth asked. She had thought that might be a bigger deal to him, but he just shrugged. 
“I want to be married to you, it doesn’t matter to me how we do it.” 
“Even if I say I wanna go to Vegas and get it done with an Elvis impersonator?” Annabeth asked, only half joking. 
“Can we really?” Percy asked, his eyes flashing with excitement.
“Maybe? If we— okay, no, I have more demands, put a pin in the Elvis thing.” 
“I’ve pinned it,” Percy promised. 
“Okay. I don’t want a stupid gaudy ring, it's not practical, and diamonds are unethical anyways,” Annabeth continued. Percy nodded. 
“No diamonds, got it.” 
“I want to keep my last name, or hyphenate or something. And if I do change it I want to wait until we’re done with school.” Annabeth said. She was a little nervous about this one, but it didn’t seem to bother Percy.
“We could both hyphenate,” Percy suggested, “Jackson-Chase has a nice ring to it.” 
“Chase-Jackson sounds better, but we can deal with the details of that later,” Annabeth said, waving her hand. 
“Okay, I’m putting a pin in hyphenation order. Next.”
“I don’t want to send announcements or anything. People can find out when they find out,” Annabeth said. 
“Okay, but we have to at least call my mom and Paul,” Percy said. Honestly it was impressive he had gotten so far without even a small amendment to her asks. “And Piper is going to be really pissed if you keep it a secret from her.” 
“We can call your parents,” Annabeth promised. 
“And Piper?” Percy asked, raising an eyebrow. But the thought of telling her best friend besides Percy was getting less cringe-inducing by the minute. Annabeth actually felt herself getting excited about Piper’s potential reaction. She would absolutely freak out in the best way possible.
“She can be our witness. If you’re cool with that,” Annabeth said. Percy grinned. 
“That sounds great.” 
“Even if I ask her to make it as irreverent as possible?” Annabeth asked. 
“We’re getting married in front of Elvis, I’m not sure how it gets more irreverent than that.” Percy said. 
“We put a pin in Elvis,” Annabeth corrected, “But I’m positive Piper can somehow make it even more irreverent if she puts her mind to it.” 
“Never thought I’d know an Aphrodite kid so willing to ruin a wedding,” Percy said fondly. Then an excited look flashed across his face.
“Plus, she won’t be able to stop herself from talking about it, and then we won’t have to tell anyone.” he added. He sounded so triumphant Annabeth had to laugh. 
“You’re right, that’s perfect. So, when are we doing this?” 
The smile on Percy’s face faltered slightly. 
“Are you sure you want to do this? Because we really really don’t have to.” 
Annabeth hesitated slightly. In truth the idea still scared her a little, even with Percy’s promises that they could do it in the most goofy, non-traditional way possible. But his insistence that he would stand by her with or without getting married was the thing convincing her. If she asked him to drop it now, he would, and he wouldn’t bring it up again, even though it was a big deal to him. 
And really, it wouldn’t be such a big deal to Annabeth as long as they didn’t make it feel so official. Breaking a promise you made in front of an Elvis impersonator felt much less disastrous than breaking a promise you made at city hall. But it didn’t even matter, because Percy would never break that promise anyways, no matter where he made it. 
“I want to be with you. And you want to be with me,” Annabeth said, “It’s a little weird for me, but if you want to do it, I’m down.”
“Okay. Cool,” Percy said, letting himself smile again. It was so radiant it just about chased away every last shred of lingering doubt Annabeth had. Not to mention the few added advantages to being married that had popped into her mind in the last few minutes. 
“Plus, we’ll get a better tax refund,” Annabeth added, and Percy collapsed into laughter. 
“I love you so much, I don’t even care that you’re marrying me for the tax benefits,” Percy said, rolling over and kissing her again. Annabeth let this one last longer, let herself sink into it.
“We’re getting married,” Annabeth said breathlessly, when they finally separated. 
“We’re getting married,” Percy agreed, grinning. 
So, maybe the institution of marriage was weird and a little sexist in origin and reminded Annabeth of old prophecies and old promises. But that was in the past. Percy was the future,  her  future, and wanted to have every single moment possible with him. 
They were going to go to Vegas, and hire a random guy dressed as a 50s rockstar off the street and have Piper make the whole thing as ridiculous as possible. And then they were going to live the rest of their lives together, maybe as the Jackson-Chases, (or if she had her way the Chase-Jacksons), and she would finally have a word to describe Percy besides “boyfriend” which had been woefully inadequate for years.
Plus, her rebate next year was going to be  awesome. 
Annabeth grinned. Maybe marriage wasn’t so bad after all. 
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nereiix · 2 years
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A Broken Blade, Short comic: Making-of
The very short comic I drew for A Broken Blade took me a lot of time and effort and I would like to share the list of resources I used as well as some of the concept arts, sketches and drafts I made throughout the process. I don't know if anyone will be interested, but I feel the need to share anyway. =)
Sorry for any grammatical or spelling mistakes, English is not my first language.
Literature resources
First things first, while drawing the first page I decided to read some books about how to draw comics because I have very little experience in this field. I chose two books:
Foundations in Comic Book Art: Fundamental Tools and Techniques for Sequential Artists by John Paul Lowe
The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing Comics: How to Create and Sell Comic Books, Manga, and Webcomics by Comfort Love & Adam Withers
It's been a while since I read them, but if I remember correctly I liked The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing Comics better because it's very complete (it’s in the title) and covers all aspects of how to draw a comic. It has a lot of great examples too. Foundations in Comic Book Art talks a lot about inking (which I wasn't particularly interested about), but it also has a nice chapter about perspective. Both have very useful tips so if you are interested to draw comics you might want to read them.
I've also read really good stuff on Making Comics – with Salgood Sam, in particular the article about flow in comics.
Inspiration
I usually start every project by making an inspiration/mood board so I made a small collection of comic pages on Pinterest to see what kind of layout and style I could use. I was mostly interested to see different ways of representing movements and sounds.
Layout & composition
The first thing I did was to draw a thumbnail for each page to get an idea of how I would represent the scenes. I think you're supposed to draw several thumbnails for each page but I was okay with the first ones I drew so I decided to keep them.
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I worked on each page separately after that, always starting with a draft. It was really the most important step for me because it helped me to visualize what kind of atmosphere I wanted to use and where to place the lighting. I tried to keep them simple but you can see different degrees of laziness depending on the page. xD
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Some of these sketches are very ugly but it does the job. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I wasn't satisfied with the first composition I made for the second page so I made another, more sketch-like, version. I ended up using a mix of the two versions for the final page.
Now, a very important point was that the part of the fic I decided to draw is about Sev having a nightmare. I really wanted to bring this aspect in the comic so I tried to play a lot with the lights, shadows and blurred elements. For the same reason, I decided not to use straight lines for the panels’ borders. I had in mind that it could depict how confused Sev is.
I think colors also play an important part in telling a story. For the general atmosphere, I decided to use the complementary colors blue and orange to separate the moment Sev is dreaming of cold, fear and death to when he wakes up to warm, security and family. And of course the red is for danger, blood and Sev himself.
References
First of all, I can't talk about references without mentioning PureRef, which is the program I use to make reference boards. I can't praise this tool enough so don't hesitate to check it out.
I always use a ton of references when I draw, and I'm not even exaggerating, I can easily spend hours searching for the right ones. There are plenty of places where you can find good references but sometimes you also need to be creative. I usually gather most of my references from Pinterest, Google Images, DeviantArt and Sketchfab (for 3D models). I also have a big folder of refs saved on my computer for the things I often draw. When I can't find what I'm looking for, I try to make it myself with 3D, videos and photos.
Here is a part of the references I used for the comic:
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I said it's only a part because I also have separate boards for clones armors and SW characters/species designs.
Among all of these you can see some concept arts and screenshots from various Star Wars series/games that I used as inspiration to draw the interiors. And since I'm bad with interiors, for the panel with Scorch I used SketchUp for the first time to make a very quick model of the scene. I tried to use the rule of thirds for the composition:
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There are a lot of photos of my hands too, I don't have much trouble drawing them but references are still very welcome.
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After finishing the first page I've invested in a drawing mannequin (S.H.Figuarts - Body Kun) and I can say for sure that it was my best purchase of the year! It's absolutely amazing to make custom references:
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I decided to draw over the photos of the mannequin taking the pose because it is waaaay easier that way than trying for hours to get the proportions and perspective right.
Finally, I often put tutorials from other artists on my reference boards, here is the links of those visible on this one:
[Nose tutorial] • [Ears tutorial] • [Hands with knife] • [Folds tutorial] • [Mouth tips] • [Arm studies] • [Folds material comparison] • [Pant shapes and folds]
Character & knife design
For Sev, I decided to use the original design from the Republic Commando game rather than the simplified version we see in SW:TCW. I really struggled to find references for his armor's markings that showed all angles so it's not 100% accurate to the original design, but I don't think that's really a problem. For the armor itself, I prefer the more realistic look so I used references from Star Wars Battlefront II as well as 3D models (mostly this one and this one).
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Since I'm a perfectionist at heart, I tried to keep all scratches on the paint the same from one panel to another. :’)
The trandoshan is only visible on a couple of panels but he still needed a design. I used references from different sources but I was mostly inspired by the trandoshan concept arts visible in The Art of Star Wars: the Mandalorian (bottom left and bottom right images).
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As a side note, I used one of my own character’s design as inspiration for his muzzle’s markings.
In the fic, the blade is described as being “beautiful” and the image that immediately came to my mind was one of these knives with a Damascus pattern (I just learned that's what it's called). I used various references from regular knives and vibroblades. One of my friend made a speed modelling of the knife I designed and I used it as reference as well, look at this!
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Sources of the middle top vibroblade here and bottom left here. The reference on top right is from The Art of Star Wars: the Mandalorian.
Did you know that non-energized blades are called dead blades in Star Wars? It's a pretty cool name in my opinion.
Fonts
The fonts I used on the comic come from Blambot. I used Anime Ace for the regular texts and Death Rattle for the big sound texts. I also use NexusFont to manage the fonts on my computer, it’s pretty useful if you want to use fonts without having to install them.
I think that's all. I hope someone will find this useful and kudo to you if you read the whole thing! ^^
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palbabor-writes · 3 years
Note
I know you said you only might accept pregnancy requests depending on what it is so I wanted to try 😅 how about shigaraki and reader break up while she’s unknowingly pregnant with his child and he bumps into said child years later and connects the dots that it’s his? If you don’t like it feel free to ignore this request 😊
I liked this nonnie.
I am terrified that by saying that I’m going to be inundated with pregnancy HC’s, lol. But, this request I really leaned into. Plus, it’s more about a kid than a pregnancy. 
So, thank you for asking and letting me slip out of my comfort zone. It’s always good to do that every once in awhile and this ask was a great reminder of that.
It’s a bit melancholic, but I think it fits with Tomura, at least, in my mind.
Now, this is not in canon. This is not like, pre-war arc, or post-war arc. If anything, it’s more of an AU. I’d put Tomura in his late 20s to early 30s.  
warnings: none really, just some sweet, sweet interactions and mild angst 
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Hestia Hestia, in Greek religion, is the goddess of the hearth, a daughter of Cronus and Rhea, and one of the 12 Olympian deities. When the gods Apollo and Poseidon became suitors for her hand, she swore to remain a maiden forever, and Zeus, the king of the gods, bestowed upon her the honor of presiding over all sacrifices. 
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The shouting noise of children set his teeth on edge.
Toga had insisted that the bus stop by the school was the best place for the information exchange.
They won’t look for you there, she’d assured him. It’s like hiding in plain sight. Yeah, it’s patrolled, but it’s only an old security guard who does the rounds. Besides, he’s retired from the police force, she qualified, and was more like a lazy cat than an attentive scent hound.  
It’s the best place, really.
So, Shigaraki had made the long trek across Tokyo.
He kept to the shadows as he weaved his way through back alleys and streets. Although the dominance of the League had waned some over the years, he was still a wanted criminal, responsible for countless death and threats on hero society.
He was still the King of his slice of the underworld.
Besides, he reassured himself as he loitered by the bench under the bus stop, he could trust Toga.
She had improved in leaps and bounds as she came of age; deadlier, sleeker, more attuned to the ebbs and flows of the world around her. She wasn’t that girl who chattered about blood anymore.
Oh, she still held a strange fascination with the fluid. But she had more control over those impulses that drove her. If she said it was the best place, well, who was he to argue? Toga had been with him from the beginning, a vital ally. Hell, at this point she was close to being a friend.
Shigaraki is still musing when the ball taps its way to his feet.
It clatters against the pavement; the rubber shuttling it along the loose rocks and leaves. Unthinkingly, Shigaraki lifts his shoe to balance against its unbound movement, stilling its lulling bounces.
Must be from that schoolyard, he thinks, his red eyes flashing up at the low chain-link fence that separates the school grounds from the busy street.
There’s no child dashing their way to retrieve it, so he lets his gaze slip from the teeming masses of giggling youngsters. It’s a pretty blue. The ball looks new. Hardly a scuffed and battered thing.
He keeps it under his sole, toying with it, rolling it meditatively as he slips back into his thoughts.
“Hey! That’s mine!”
It’s a small voice that calls to him and he turns his head back to the fence, looking for the source.
It’s a girl.
She’s leaning against the metal, her hands clutching into the links, cocking her head inquisitively at him.
Her nose wrinkles at his silence, and she shouts another demand.
“Mister, that’s my ball. Toss it back.”
“Aren’t you supposed to say please?” Shigaraki taunts, his lips lifting in a quick grin. He’s not sure why he’s bothering to engage with this kid, but something about her plucky attitude resonates with him.
She leans away from the fence, that scowl deepening on her soft features.
“Aren’t grown ups not supposed to steal things?”
He laughs at her snark. He can’t help it. Oh, this kid’s fun.
Carefully slipping the ball into his hands, he moves closer to the fence. He can see her a little better now.
She’s still got that deep frown on her face and her dark hair is gleaming in the afternoon sun, some strands catching the light, reflecting a deep, auburn, hue. He’s just about to chuck the ball to her when he catches sight of her eyes.
They’re red.
Not that red eyes are unusual. There are plenty of people milling around Tokyo with them. But hers are different.
No, these eyes are like looking into a mirror for Shigaraki. They flint and glare with the same sheen as his own. It’s a prefect reflection.
His feet suddenly feel heavy, leaden, and he can’t lift his arms. Who is this child? Why does she-
“Ok, ok, mister. Can I please have my ball back? You’re still stealing it if you don’t, so I’m not apologizing for that. I might... if you give it back to me, cuz’ it’s my ball, not yours. And, stealing makes you a thief.”
She’s rolling those uncanny irises at his stiff form, and a huffing sigh escapes her small mouth.
“What’s your name?” Shigaraki asks, hands trembling over the rubber of the ball.
“Not supposed to tell that to strangers, mister.”
He smiles again, bemused. Well, he thinks begrudgingly, she’s a clever little thing. Whoever she is.
A sharp bell echoes across the yard and she turns her head at the sound, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders.
“Here,” Shigaraki relents, gently flipping the ball over the fence, bouncing it to her feet.
“Thanks,” she murmurs, quickly snatching up her prize. Those red eyes of hers meet his own, and he can feel a low shiver echo up his spine. What’s up with this reaction? It almost feels visceral, like some sort of otherworldly pull on him.
“Sorry I called you a thief,” she apologizes, quickly bowing her head, ducking those eerie eyes from view.
He’s not sure what to say, so he continues to watch her. She doesn’t seem perturbed by this, opting to giggle at him as her little head lifts.
“You’re weird,” she assess, a smile finally spreading over her lips, her cheeks rounding and softening. 
Tch, she’s rude, but she’s also cute, Shigaraki thinks, snorting at her frankness.
She turns, dashing away from him, her dark hair flowing around her back as she goes.
Shigaraki shakes his head, trying to dislodge those lingering questions that keep floating to the back of his mind.
He’ll never see her again, he reasons, wandering back to the bus stop. Trying to tamp down the urge to look for her again, to pinpoint her from the other giggling and shouting children on the playground.
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But he did see her again.
He comes back to the stop a few weeks later.
There’s no information pickup this time. There’s no real reason for him to even be on this side of town.
He just can’t get her out of his mind.
This little kid had shaken something within his psyche. He kept dreaming about her. Well, not her, really. No, there was someone else haunting his dreams.
He hasn’t thought about you in years.
But now? Now, he can’t get you out of his head. He even feels like he can feel you some nights, warm against his side. He sulks in the memories of the familiar touches that the two of you shared, the love that you’d pressed into him, so, so long ago.
He saw the girl in those moments. Resting in your arms as you looked up, your eyes bright against her dark head. The girl would laugh and run to him, those reflective red eyes shining with mirth. 
It was fucking strange.
He both hated, and loved, the repetitive nature of these illusions. They made him feel safe and warm, but they also chilled him to his very bones. It was unsettling.
Unsure what else to do, he’d back come to the bus stop.
It’s early afternoon. Close to the time he’d visited it before. He waits on the lonely bench, his hands pressed together and that strange tremble races through his veins.
This is stupid, he thinks, his eyes lowering from the sea of kids, all twisting and turning in a heap as they play. It’s an impossibility, really. The chances of that girl losing her ball again is minuscule. There’s no way he can call to her either. It’s a waste. He shouldn’t even be here.
He’s standing to leave, when that small voice reaches him.
“Oh! You’re back.”
His head whips around, his long white hair glowing against the sunlight.
There she is.
She’s gripping the fence again, and she’s staring right at him.
Shigaraki smiles. It’s a gentle lift and he can feel his heart tapping a rough tattoo against his ribs. He steps toward her, kneeling when he gets close, careful to not overstep his bounds.
He’s not wanting to startle her.
No, he’s wanting to talk with her. Maybe she’ll drop some kinda clue why he’s so drawn to her. Or maybe she’ll morph into any other child again. Plain, uninteresting. Slipping from that odd ghost that she’s become to his subconscious. 
He hopes it’s the latter. But part of him also longs for it to be the former.
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She’ll hop to the fence around 3:15.
She looks for him now, used to the routine of his presence.
He told her to call him Tomura, and the name falling from her lips made his heart ache.
Tomura stopped by on Fridays. Careful to not stay too long, to not draw too much attention to himself.
At first, he’d sneak her little trinkets. 
A little plastic toy of his, one that he had since he was a kid. She’d squealed with delight and clutched it to her. He’d grinned at that, remembering how he’d once held onto the thick plastic himself. 
Once, he’d just plucked a nearby flower as he walked to the school, presenting it to her outreached grasp. He’d watched proudly as she tucked it behind her ear, the color glossy beside her hair.
She’s still a sassy little thing. But she’s softened a little, too. Her voice losing that early, untrusting, edge.
He didn’t ask her much. Sometimes they both just sat in silence as she sketched designs into the dirt. Sometimes he would listen to her chatter about her day. Her classmates, her teacher. Once, she’d even pressed something over the fence to him.
It was a drawing.
He’s not sure if it really was all that well done, or if it’s just his heavy bias toward her. But he loves the mix of color and lines. He’d asked who the people were.
One was her friend, Kenji. One was her teacher. One was him.
He’d pinned it to the wall in his room. Displaying it, flaunting the gift. He looked at it every morning, admiring her work.
He’s late one day, and she scolds him, her small arms draping over the fence.
“I didn’t think you were going to come,” she chatters, her red eyes lingering against his, the two colors casting back the same hue.
“Was running behind,” Tomura replies, leaning against the low concrete barrier, resting his back against the fence.
Her little hands reach for his hair, playing with the pearlescent tendrils, weaving some into knots and braids. 
He doesn’t mind.
“Hey, Tomura,” she says, working a tiny hairband into her creation, her voice curious.
“Hmm,” he hums, careful to not shift his head, not wanting to disrupt her hard work.
“You didn’t ask my name again. At least… not after that one day.”
“Do you want me to ask?” He queries, his pulse lifting.
He’d wanted to ask her again, but he didn’t want to startle her, to shatter these innocences that they shared.
“It’s Beryl,” she answers. She says it confidently, and he turns to face her.
She grins at him, wiggling one loose tooth playfully at his serious expression, trying to tug a laugh from him.
“Beryl?” he repeats, unable to keep that awed hush from his raspy tones. It’s a pretty name. It suits her, really. But it’s strange. It’s not Japanese. 
You hadn’t been Japanese. 
“That’s a good name,” he assures her. “But, it’s not… you don’t hear that name very often.”
“Yeah,” Beryl concedes, her vermillion eyes roving over his face. “My mom’s not from here.”
His nostrils flare at that.
He hasn’t asked her about her mother. He’s unsure if it’s a general disinterest on his part, or trepidation. He fears it’s the latter.
Gulping, he tilts his head at her, feeling that soft braid she’s plaited into his hair shifting.
“Who’s your mother?”
“Who is she? She’s my mom, silly.”
“No,” he pauses, ignoring that creeping tremor that’s working its way to the top of his skull, his skin prickling and cooling. “I mean…what’s her name?”
“Oh! Her name is-”
“Beryl! Beryl, it’s time to come inside.” A teacher is calling for her. 
Tomura startles away, drifting to his feet and pacing quickly back to the bus stop. He can’t help the snarl that etches its way across his lips. He’d been so close. So fucking close…
He chances a glance back at the fence and catches sight of Beryl. She’s dashing across the playground, her dark hair waving in the sun.
Japan is about to slip into summer. School will come to a close, moving into a long break. He won’t see her again for almost a month.
His heart sinks at that realization and he grits his teeth. Slipping his hands into his dark trench coat, he steps across the street, away from the bus stop, away from the little girl that’s feeling more and more like his own.
Edit: oh hey. so, i couldn’t stfu about this and created a sequel: Materfamilias 
hahaha & part iii
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lubdubsworld · 3 years
Text
Better Man. ( Taehyung x Oc)
Rated 18 +
Post Divorce, Getting Back Together, Second chances, Angst. 
Chapter 1
Chapter 2  ~ Its okay to want something to end and also be sad that its ending. 
With infidelity, its never black and white. 
There’s different kinds of infidelity and you can’t ever say which is worse. That depends entirely on the people involved and the values they hold dear. What may be a small indiscretion to someone, may well be an unforgivable act of betrayal to someone else.
 And that’s fine. People aren’t one dimensional. We can’t all have the same perspective. 
So infidelity is also never one dimensional. 
Sometimes its a one night stand. Something done and forgotten. Discarded from the mind like the used condom in the motel room floor. 
Sometimes its a dear friend who betrays you, your best friend who apparently always had a thing for your husband and felt perfectly fine making a move on him. That one stings . Because you lose two people. Two very important people at the same time. 
Sometimes its a coworker, someone who stays by their side majority of the day. Who offers a sympathetic ear when your husband wants to relax.
Sometimes men just fall out of love and are too much of a coward to say it out loud, opting to cheat on you instead. 
Sometimes, they are jealous, of your career, of your kid, or your friends. Too lazy to win your affection they go find satisfaction in some one else’s bed. 
Sometimes it never even gets physical. Sometimes its just someone catfishing your husband or sending him nudes.
And sometimes, its an emotional connection. They actually fall deeply in love with someone else and I think, for most women, that would be the one that would sting the most. 
With Taehyung, it had been a night of drinking. He had had one drink too many, had tumbled into bed with some trainee a decade younger and had broken our marriage vows. 
Not really a very thought out or planned mistake. He hadn’t cheated with the intent to cheat. He had just been too drunk to know better. 
So, why did I leave him?
Because it hadn’t been about the cheating. 
It had been the drinking. 
When we first met, Taehyung couldn’t hold his liquor. Not that it mattered because he didn’t like it all that much. Didn’t mind sipping juice when other’s nursed beers. 
But as he grew older, as he grew more successful, he had started accepting drinks from producers and directors and fellow actors... Because, it was rude not to and Kim Taehyung was nothing if not the personification of politeness. 
 His tolerance hadn’t increased but his drinking had and that was a bad combo. 
:”You need to stop doing this Tae. You can’t just come home black out drunk, every time you have an after party.... You’re going to hurt yourself or god forbid someone else... some day and I’m not going to sit here and wait for you to wreck your entire life over a stupid drink....” 
It was a speech I had made way too many times. The words recycled and reframed, and rearranged to try and give them more  weight , to help him realize how  serious  the issue was. To help him understand that what he was risking, it wasn’t just his reputation. It was his entire career, his  life  if he somehow got behind a wheel someday. 
And Taehyung, who had won a bunch of Daesangs for his acting always convinced me that he understood what I was trying to say. That he understood the magnitude of my words and would heed them the next time. 
So really, what people didn’t understand was that....
That evening, when he stood in front of me and said that he slept with another woman because he got drunk out of his mind, it wasn’t the sleeping with the girl that had bothered me. ( at least not that much. it hurt of course but it wasn’t that strong. it stemmed more from a place of “why didn’t you just ask someone to drive you home, you idiot.”.. rather than, “ how dare you sleep with another woman?”  ) 
It was the got drunk out of my mind thing. 
That was what I ended my marriage over. 
That was it. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The details were hashed out easily and I didn’t particularly protest or change anything. Taehyung suggested an equal division of assets and I quickly disagreed. I wasn’t exactly poor. I worked as the Head of Marketing in a successful conglomerate. I had no use for excessive amounts of money. After some debate we agreed on setting up a trust fund for Hoshi with the money. He could use it after he turned twenty five. 
And then came the next part. 
Compensation for physical / Mental Damage. 
I felt like i was spiraling. 
“None On my side. None.” Taehyung said quickly and I swallowed. 
Ms Lee gave me an encouraging smile. 
“You can be honest Mrs Kim. We’re trying to go for a clean break between the two of you without any resentment carrying over. So its best to be honest. If you feel you need recompense for any emotional distress or abuse Mr. Kim may have put you through, you’re free to tell me. I’ll make sure it goes into record.” 
And this was why I hated the idea of getting divorce. 
That entire dialogue had sounded so...so... terrible. So accusatory and ugly. It wasn’t at all the way I felt about my husband. 
It was just hurt. Plain and simple hurt because he didn’t take me seriously. Because he didn’t think my words were worth listening to. It was hurt laced with fear because he was putting himself in danger with his reckless actions and I wanted him to stop. That’s all it was. 
It was hurt. 
Taehyung had hurt me but it wasn’t emotional distress. It sure as hell hadn’t been abuse.
“None for me either.” I said firmly, honest . 
I glanced at my husband, trying to tell him that I wasn’t just saying it. That it was true. I really didn’t want him to pay me money for what had happened. 
But, Taehyung wouldn’t meet my eyes.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taehyung signed over full custody of Hoshi with a smile. 
“I trust you. “ He said quietly, penning his initials carefully on the document. 
I nodded, feeling a little like drowning.
 We had a very comfortable way of doing things as far as our son was concerned. Taehyung got Hoshi anytime he had time off and also on weekends. 
With a very shifting schedule it was hard for Taehyung to pin down exact dates so we had long decided we would make things easier for each other. He would call me a day or so in advance and i would drop him off at Taehyung’s penthouse or the company. Special days like birthdays were always celebrated in a neutral place with both parties attending. 
Hoshi loved it because it was a pleasant surprise for him, when his dad swooped in out of nowhere and took him off to amusement parks or arcades or swimming. He loved Taehyung . 
So the visitation rights were easy to sketch out. 
It was nothing new but to have it all put down on paper and initialed and notarized....it just felt invasive. Some judge somewhere would read all about how my marriage had crumbled to ashes and would pass judgment on me and that just felt odd. 
 Like airing your dirty laundry. Like letting strangers into your bedroom. 
And the worst part was this :   I felt myself getting upset , anytime Ms. Lee gave the slightest negative connotation to Taehyung’s actions or responsibilities. Anytime she tried to imply that he couldn’t be neglectful as  a father, I wanted to jump right up and defend him. To tell her that he was a better father than the ones who lived 24/7 with their kids and didn’t know a damn thing about them. 
That even as my husband,  he had been so good to me. Had treated me like his best friend, his confidante, his lover. Had never shied away from showing me how much he loved me. Had been the best husband in the whole entire world. 
And I hated myself for it. 
What was wrong with me? 
Why was  I still so fiercely protective of him, I wondered. I hated the idea of him being criticized by anyone for any of it.
 And it made feel like such a hypocrite because if he was so amazing, why on earth were we here??
Why on earth were we getting a divorce if Kim Taehyung was husband and father of the fucking Year?!! 
Was I making a mistake? Had I made a mistake? 
It confused me. These feelings that just refused to go away. I would never act on them because therein lay the path to misery but why were they still there? 
 This desperate clawing urge to make sure he came out of this whole debacle as a good guy. To make sure no one would brand him as a cheater . Because they would. When the divorce went public, they would dig things up and they would know. 
 I didn’t know how I’d gotten to this point where , I could somehow forget everything that was wrong, simply because I wanted to focus on what felt wrong....
Technically I should be happy. 
Taehyung did something unpardonable ( for me, at the time. Now I wasn’t so sure. Now I felt like I could forgive him for it but he hadn’t asked for forgiveness. What he’d asked for was a divorce.  ) and I left him. We were separated . And now finally we were getting a divorce. 
Divorce meant we could finally get out of this no man’s land of uncertainty where we had hung for two whole years and move on, from each other and finally give a label to where we stood. Exes. We were exes. We were done. It was over. 
Hadn’t I just yelled about him about how I liked labels? 
And yet, 
This entire divorce  felt so wrong. So unnecessary.
And in a moment of clarity, as I watched Ms Lee read he whole thing over again for our benefit, I realized why it felt wrong. 
It felt wrong because Taehyung was the one who wanted it. 
Why did Taehyung want it? What had made him want to end it, officially?
Was he seeing someone else? Was he considering seeing someone else? Did he want to start enjoying the single lifestyle again? 
Did he finally take a good long look at our marriage and found nothing worth salvaging anymore? 
My head ached. 
 I couldn’t wait for the whole thing to be over. And yet my heart broke at the thought of it. 
Ms Lee finally gathered up all the documents and gave us a wide smile.
“I wish every client I had was this reasonable. You two are a delight .” she shook her head. “ Should we get a drink to celebrate a day well spent?” 
I opened my mouth to accept when Taehyung said, “  Sure, but it would have to be a juice for me. I don’t drink.” 
I felt my heart take a swoop, nosediving to my knees. 
I stared at him, stunned speechless. 
“Haven’t had a drink in two years Mia. I’m done with that shit.” He said softly.
I swallowed. 
“I didn’t know that.” I felt miserable all of a sudden, the weight of what we had just done pressing down on my heart like a 200 pound stone, 
His gaze held mine.
“There’s a lot you don’t know.” 
We stood staring at each other in silence and Ms. Lee cleared her throat. 
“Uh... I just got a text from my next client. Maybe raincheck on the drinks? “
I nodded , watching her leave. Thank you i wanted to say, but for what?
 For ending my marriage of eight fucking years? 
And how ridiculous that very thought was. ..... She hadn’t ended our marriage,   I had. 
“I have the next two days off.” He said casually. 
“You can pick Hoshi up from my mom’s place. I need to head back to the office.” I muttered, choking a little on tears that had sprung out of nowhere. . 
“Hey.” his fingers closed over my wrists tugging me gently and I let myself get pulled into his arms. I hugged him, feeling my tears soak through the fabric of his shirt. 
“I’m sorry it has to be this way.” I choked out. 
He stroked the back of my head gently.
“Me too. “ He pressed a kiss to my hair and it only made me feel worse.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Author’s Note : Tae is 35, OC is 32 
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hongjoongtrasher · 3 years
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the beauty and the beast (chapter 2)
word count: 5k around
angst, fluff, smut
triger warnings: mention of child abuse, violence etc.
series masterlist
Synopsis:
When you move to a new city due to your father's job, you don't expect to stay for a long and so decided not to get attached to the world around you.
But still, you are "the new girl", unwillingly attracting people's attention because of your family's background. Your strict father expects a lot from you, not to say perfection. And when you are sit next to a certain Jung Yunho, you didn't expect your life to take a radical turn
Yunho always have been hating wealthy people. Or just people who were boasting about all the damn money they had and he hadn’t. Oh maybe it was childish to hate richer than himself, but he didn’t hate them for no reasons. He always felt disgusted by their pity, the way they would just «burn some cash » because they could, because they had too much. He concluded every rich guy was like this, and you weren’t an exception. At the very moment his eyes landed on your person, he could instantly feel this familiar aura. A daddy’s girl, probably richer than everyone’s parents in this school. And just the fact of you sitting next to him was driving him crazy.
He ignored you all the time. And he was glad in a way you didn’t try to talk to him, because he would have snapped all his hatred he was feeling towards people like you. But for a fact, he could admit that you weren’t acting like other rich kids around. The way you flinched when his friend was about to lift his hand at you, also the fact you were lonelier than he thought. Oh yes he indeed noticed you being the silent girl around, and at first he thought it was because you were the new girl, and that it was just a facade and soon or later you would just boast like the others.
It’s already been two weeks since you arrived here and yet you were as quiet as usual. You tried to acclimatize to every thing but as the good girl you were, your father thought it was a good opportunity for you to get into extra classes. Last night, you came back home near midnight, exhausted by this long day after studying like crazy. That’s why you didn’t even care to look at Yunho this morning when you sat down, as usual not peeping a word to him since the incident on the rooftop. Actually you tried to flip over and over again the same problem. Why he hated you this much ? But after some days, you understood he was hating every one the same way. Skipping classes, or when he was making act of presence just sleeping on his desk became the routine but today he was here. You quietly opened your bag to settle your pencils and workbooks. Yunho’s back facing you while he was probably taking a nap. Your English teacher came and when she started the class, she stated. « Alright guys, today you’ll be paired up. I want you to improvise a short sketch with what you learnt this past week. Just pair up with your neighbor. You have fifteen minutes »
Your eyes widened at her statement as you felt your heart throbs violently into your chest. Being in a team with Yunho was probably the last thing you thought which could become true today. And speaking of him, you heard a groan next to you, making you freezing as he slowly turned to you before staring at you.
« Just telling you, I don’t have a clue of what she said, so don’t expect me to do well »
How nonchalant he was at this moment almost made you scoff.
« You should have been here then. » you groaned back while opening your notebook.
His brows quirked at how you answered to him.
« Someone got more brave huh ? » he said before straightening on his chair and looked at the textbook of yours on your desk and took it to read the last two pages to your astonishment.
« Didn’t bring it, so I’ll just use yours. » he explained as if it was the most normal thing in the world.
« Great. » you answered and just scribbles some words on a page. You didn’t want to waste your time for such a jerk like him? At least you would have done your task by yourself, just for yourself and not him. You couldn’t let Yunho drag your grades down…You couldn’t just relax yourself.
Some silence installed between you two while others students were trying to do the task your teacher asked, but instead, Yunho took time to actually look at you. Somehow you looked exhausted, non to say to the verge of fainting. Your lips were pale, and dirk circles could be seen under your eyes.
« Didn’t sleep well last night ? » he asked randomly as he pretended to read the book under his eyes.
You badly wanted to ignore him. What the heck ? Just few weeks ago he openly said he hated you so you just accepted this fact and now he was chatting like you as nothing happened ?
« Studied late » you answered drily.
« Ha, I see you went to those extra classes which are costing your butt’s skin. »
You offered him a dark glare, making him look into your eyes. If course he wasn’t attending any of this, so he couldn’t really understand the situation you were in.
« And ? Is it going to change your life ? »
He shrugged.
« No, but I guess you’re a hardcore student » he hummed before he took his pencil to write down some words on his own paper. « Must be so boring » he added mockingly.
You wanted to answer back to him and spit how rude he was from the first place. You acknowledged the fact your life was boring as fuck, you were the first one to say it, but there were limits to making fun of this matter. Soon your teacher clapped her hands to catch everyone’s attention.
« Alright guys, it’s time. Who want to go first ? »
It was the usual game of « I don’t know what you’re saying », essentially based on avoid your teachers’ eyes and doing as you was busy enough not to make her choosing you. Your teacher smirked. « I see everyone’s eager to go, soooo…Y/N and Yunho, you go first. »
You panicked a bit, because except this little conversation you both hadn’t talked at all about your coed work. But Yunho didn’t seem bothered by this at all and stood up with his paper and just nudged your shoulder so you could stand up and go to the front with him. What was he playing at ?
Actually you thought Yunho was someone who didn’t give a shit to studies. His consecutive absences were not helping for his case but surprisingly, he opened the sketch with a good English. So good that you were surprised, making you go blank for a second. He looked at you before moving his lips silently « Y/N. » You shook your head and continued this weird play. At the end, your teacher seemed satisfied by your work and allowed you to go back to your sits so the next pair could go on.
When you sat down again, you looked at Yunho again.
« I thought you would’t do well » you mumbled.
He laughed lowly and it troubled you. It was the first time you heard him laugh. The first time he wasn’t showing hostility to you.
« You may think I’m a lazy ass, but I got some things stocked in this » he whispered, pointing at his head before leaning back on his chair.
Classes ended soon for the usual lunch break. Yunho got up and got out of the room without a word for you, as usual. Today you decided to stay into the classroom to eat. You never went back on the rooftop since you met the three boys. As you were unpacking the lunchpack you got from Sookja, you just took some time to think about this morning. Was Yunho being nice to you a sign to be more suspicious of him ? You were into your thought when you heard a voice calling your name.
« Y/N ? »
You looked up and saw a girl standing at your desk.
« Huh…Yeah ? »
She smiled to you and said.
« I’m Jisoo, erm…we’re in the same class and…I…Would you like to eat lunch with me ? » she asked shyly.
You were flustered by this sudden proposition. It was the first time someone was reaching out for you since you were in this school. Jason was a petite girl, with shorts hair and pink round cheeks. She looked nice so you couldn’t say no.
« Of course, but…mh, are you sure ? I’m not a good company » you confessed, embarrassed by this.
« I figured out you were eating alone every day and mhhh, I…just want to know you better you see ? I mean, don’t get me wrong ! I’m not approaching you because you’re the newbie or rich girl around ! »
You chuckled at her answer and made some space for her to eat your lunch on this tight desk.
« Thanks…actually I don’t feel like eating with a lot of people » you mumbled, peeling a boiled egg.
Jisoo looked surprised by your statement.
« Why not ? Well, people aren’t trying neither but…It would be a pity to let you out right ? You seem nice, so… »
Jisoo unpacked her own pink lunchbox where cherry tomatoes and egg roll and others nice things were lying inside.
« That’s cute ! Are you cooking it yourself ? » you said, trying to make a conversation.
She nodded with a proud smirk.
« Yes ! I like cooking, but since I’d pack too much I’m doing basic things. You ? Looks good as well. »
« Mh…Actually I don’t know how to cook » you answered uneasily.
« Oh must be your mom then ? »
It was a slippery subject, but since Jason made the genuine effort to come and talk to you, you didn’t feel like making up lies.
« I don’t have a mom…Huh, I mean I have one, but my parents divorced when I was little and…never seen her since » you mumbled, eating piece of kimchi.
Jisoo’s expression went bad and you could easily know why, so you quickly said.
« It’s fine, don’t worry, I don’t try to see her neither so I’m used to. Instead we have a housekeeper. She’s making my lunch every day, so I guess it’s like a mom. »
« Oh…I’m sorry still. I didn’t know »
You gave her a comforting smile as you two ate your lunch peacefully, getting to know each other’s better.
« Say, I saw you this morning with Yunho… Is he nice with you ? » asked Jisoo out of the blue.
You almost had forgotten about your gloomy classmate, so you hummed in hesitation.
« He’s a jerk, the first day I arrived he just openly said he hates me » you groaned, packing back your empty box.
« He hates every one outta here » Jisoo added, not seemed surprised. « But…there are a lot of rumours about him » she said lowly as if she was scared someone would overhear her words.
You arched a brow, curious about those said rumours.
« What kind of rumours ? »
« He’s fighting a lot with other people, basically a bad boy. You’ve seen it already, but he’s skipping classes a lot and no one really knows what he’s doing. » Jisoo explained. « I’ve never seen him hitting someone myself, but …be careful ? I don’t want him to hurt you or anyone else around »
Was he this terrible ? The image of Yunho laughing this morning was still lingering into your head. So you just nodded at her advice. It was almost time for classes again so Jisoo left you and friendly waved her hand at you before going back to her desk while other people were coming back. You expected Yunho to skip class again, but surprisingly his tall figure appeared before the bell rang. He got back to his desk and again laid his head on the desk, ignoring you in the process.
It was Korean history class, and it would be a lie to say it was boring as hell. Although you were still taking notes of every thing, Yunho was still acting like a dead body. He didn’t say a word to you for the rest of the day. And at 5pm sharp, you got out from school to go to your extra classes. You’re still drained from your day, and the idea to study more was giving you a headache. By chance, you were allowed to go alone there, taking the bus.
That’s how Yunho saw you walking to the bus stop while he was going to his motorbike, helmet in his hand. You were a weird girl. Never before he got interested into a girl, all being the same when it comes to approach him for his bad boy vibe like. Bullshit. He hated those childish girls, but surprisingly you didn’t have this side into your attitude. Again, Yunho was shocked to think about you from time to time. « Get yourself back Jung Yunho » his conscious told him before he saw the bus passing by his eyes.
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Days were flying by and your first mock exams were coming at the corner. You had worked like a slave for this days, sleeping few hours a night to study more and more, the menacing shadow of your father planning above your head. Jisoo was eating lunch with you every day since. You girl got closer after few days and you considered her like your friend. She was the first person to hear about your familial situation and the gape, or more the ravine between you and your father. You must say it was a relief to be able to confess every thing to someone exterior to your house.
Jisoo seemed pissed off when you told her you were used not to get attached to people due to you moving almost every year to another city.
« That’s so awful ! » she cried, grabbing the carton of fruit juice you got from the machine.
« Yeah…My father is a stone cold asshole » you mumbled, the straw between your lips.
« Girl, when exams are over, let’s have fun alight ? Fight me if your father says no ! »
Jisoo was so cute. You couldn’t imagine this little girl tossing her fists at your father, but somehow the image was funny. That’s how you promised you would.
This day again you had to go to extra classes, and today was really a day you wished someone would ditch you from this living hell. Waiting at the bus stop, you were spacing out when you heard the sound of a roaring engine before it stopped right before you. The man on the moto lifted the smoked visor on his helmet to reveal his face. You heart stopped when you recognise Yunho. You didn’t know you he could drive such a thing but he seemed proud of it as he smirked to you.
« Need a drive ma’am ? » he asked.
What the fucking hell ? One day he was ignoring you like a ghost and another day he was talking to you and now proposing you to ride his moto ?
« Wha- I don’t understand, what are you trying to do here ? » you groaned back as he stabilised himself and just throw at you another helmet.
« Wear this. » he ordered without answering your question.
You looked at him in hesitation. Was he serious ? Or was he trying to drag you into another salty problem ? As he could read into your head, he rolled his eyes.
« I won’t throw you over a bridge you know ? »
« Huh…So tell me what are you trying to do ? I’m utterly sick of your hot and cold game. One day you’re saying you’re hating me, fine. And another one you’re actually trying to convince me to ride on a motorbike with you. »
« Get on, we’ll talk later » he groaned, glaring at you which intimated you.
Soon enough you were at the back of the motorbike, and before he drove, he took your arm to make you hug his waist tightly.
« Don’t ever let it go. If we fall I’d rather you fall with me than the motorbike » he explained.
You were about to protest, but he drove, making you instantly hold him tightly. It was the first time you were being driven on a moto, and the air going through your hair, the warmth of Yunho’s back against your chest was a total discovery for you. You were scared, not to say terrified. But Yunho was really driving carefully, although he liked to make his engine roar when the road was clear. When you weren’t scared enough to focus on his back only, you tried to see where he was going, and soon recognise the way to your extra classes. How did he know ? After some more minutes of furious roars, he stopped in front of a building you could recognise. He waited for you to get off the engine so he could as well get off.
Taking off the helmet you took a giant breath, your heart beating like crazy.
« How was the ride ? » he asked in a tease, watching you regaining strength.
« You’re crazy. Absolutely crazy » you hissed, shoving his helmet in his arms. « And how did you know it was here I was going ? »
Yunho couldn’t tell you he once followed you until there. Actually, he didn’t know himself why he had followed you, but after some days when he came back there, he saw your figure through a window, totally exhausted almost dozing on your work. Something made him stay here for a while, just watching you from afar this day. You were the representation of what he hated the most, and yet you were just a normal girl, acting like a normal girl. Moreover you looked so tired every day, and he was just wondering until how far you’d push yourself to be this perfect student.
« I just figured it out when I came one the neighbourhood with Hongjoong and some friends. We are hanging out quite a lot here» he grumbled. It wasn’t really a lie right ? Hongjoong and Yeosang were living in this area, so they were meeting quite a lot after classes in the neighbourhood.
You rolled your eyes before staring at him in confusion. Why was he being nice all of the sudden ?
Anyway, you needed to go, having enough of this nonsense.
« Thanks for the ride, but don’t hope to get me on this bike from hell any sooner » you groaned before taking your lead inside the building, not paying a look at your classmate.
Yunho smirked and shook his head.
« Bike from hell… »
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Hours passed, and when the clock showed around ten, classes ended. You sighed and rubbed your eyes from exhaustion, slowly getting out the building to see the motorbike was still here. But not Yunho. Looking around, you tried to see if he was around. Seemed he was not. While admiring his black shiny engine, you got lost in your inner thought again. It was so strange for him to act this kindly but none without saying dangerously toward you. And the fact he discovered where you were studying was still a mystery for you, not totally convinced by the total luck of him running on this place.
« It’s maybe a bike from hell, but still pretty right ? » a voice exclaimed at you, making you jump.
Yunho was back, a bag in his hand from the CU, the nearby convenient store. You crunched up your nose. Why was he still here ?
« I met the guys, and was about to go home. » he explained again as if he could read your thought.
« Oh what a coincidence ! » you mimicked still not convinced if he was lying or not.
« Y/N I’m not lying, Hongjoong literally lives two blocks away from here. » he said seriously.
You sighed and turned around to leave. But when you walked past way his position he asked in a relax tone:
« I got some ice cream, want some ? »
It was going from dumb and dumber. Seriously you couldn’t put a finger on his weird behaviour. With a suspicious look you were about to say no, but he cut you.
« Your brain needs sugar. It’s past ten, and you’ve been studying for four hours straight. I guess you didn’t have diner too huh. »
« And what does it concern you ? » you snapped, turning to face him. « It’s not as if you would be this concerned for someone you hate right ? I don’t understand Yunho, I don’t understand you and your attitude. »
Yunho bite his lower lip, knowing himself he got in a weird situation.
« Yeah I know I said I hated people like you, but I didn’t say I hated you » he mumbled.
There was this embarrassing silent again, only the noises of the city filling the icy atmosphere between you.
« People like me. What do you mean ? Did I do something wrong to deserve this attitude ? » you crossed your arms, decided to cleared this shit.
Yunho felt uneasy to talk about it, but somehow he didn’t want to stay in a bad relationship with you. Instead, he took a ice cream from the bag and handled it to you.
« Eat, I will explain it to you after. » he mumbled, looking away.
You gave him a glance but finally took the ice cream, your stomach making you remember you were starving at the moment. It was a vanilla strawberry ice cream. You almost laughed by seeing this.
« Didn’t know you had so girlish tastes » you said ironically putting the ice cream into your mouth.
« I got mine, what do you mean ? I knew you would maybe get out at this hour and I just felt like buying you this » he justified himself by taking his own ice cream, green tea flavoured.
You both sat down on the empty academy’ stairs to eat your ice creams in silence. There were so much questions you wanted to ask, trying to figure out how to deal with him.
« I’m living alone with my mom. My dad and her divorced when I was ten or something. He was violent dude and was hitting my mom, so he got arrested by the police when the neighbours got fed up by the every day fights. But the thing is…we always had financial problems because of this bastard. He borrowed money from loan sharks, an astronomical amount and got my mom in trouble even after he got arrested. » said Yunho, blankly staring at the floor.
All you could do was listening to him. Surprisingly, you never imagined something this horrible would have happened to him.
« My mom sold everything she had to give the money back, so we lost our house and now we’re living in a small studio. Even though she’s working, her salary is just enough to cover the rent and the rest is going to those loan sharks. »
His voice was weak, almost silent as he felt his barriers falling down. He looked so fragile, his broad shoulders shuddering slowly, his dark hair covering his eyes. You felt your heart sinking at his reflection.
« Of course I wanted to help her as soon as I could get a job, getting some part time jobs but she wants me to focus on school. » he laughed bitterly, watching his ice cream melting. « I’ve soon been taught that school wasn’t going to make things better. And people knowing about my family matters were just doing things out of pity for us. It drove me crazy. I hate people boasting about how nice it is to have money, how nice it is to be a normal happy family and just feel the others like shit. »
That’s how you figured out why Yunho hated rich people. And how he probably thought you were the same as the others he could have seen before. The bitterness you were feeling towards him vanished in an instant. How such a tough guy like him could appear so broken ? How hard must it have been for him all those years ?
« I…I’m sorry. » you muttered, not really knowing how to carry on.
« No, it’s fine. I’m aware you’re from a wealthy fam, but I figured out you weren’t like those bitches gossiping around. » he said, taking back some composure as he ate a part of the leaking ice cream.
« But…How are you doing ? I mean, are you eating correctly ? » you asked, genuinely worried about his health at the moment.
He chuckled and looked at you.
« My grand parents are supporting us. » he said, ruffling his hair with his hand. « The only time I worked during summer break, they refused the money. That’s how I got my moto »
There was another long pause, before you felt the cold liquid from your ice cream falling on your hand, making you yelp in surprise. Yunho smirked and laughed lightly, watching you fighting with your ice cream.
« Eat, I’ll drive you back home…If you let me to, I mean » he said, rubbing his nape after finishing his own snack.
« Alright, but don’t even think of doing the rodeo on the way back. » you grumbled and get on.
Once again on Yunho’s motorbike, you watched the city streaming before your eyes, neons of all colours leaving particular marks in the dark night. The cold air now hitting your body made you hug Yunho’s tighter. You didn’t know how to feel towards him. But you understood the situations he got through and up until now, you thought you’d have done the same if you had to be in the same game. But it wasn’t a game. You knew Yunho wasn’t a real bad guy. Things forced him to do tough tasks. You were ready to forgive him, as long as he promised at least to be this hostile to you.
When you arrived near your big complex, you made sign to Yunho to stop right before the actual building. He turned the engine off and let you get off his moto. Taking off the helmet, you gave it back to him but he stopped you.
« Keep it. »
« What ? But .. »
« It won’t be the last time you will get on this Y/N » he said with a smirk. « But anyway, why did you make me drop you here ? I could go to the right building »
« Erm…I rather not. My father could see this and…I guess he wouldn’t like seeing his daughter riding a motorbike with a boy he doesn’t know. » you spurred out.
Yunho raised a brow at your comment about your father. He barely saw him at your first day but he seemed like a strict man. He nodded.
« I see, well…See you around ? »
« Yeah…if you don’t skip classes » you giggled, relaxed by this friendly or at least less hostile conversation.
Yunho scoffed and ruffled your hair, which surprised you.
« Maybe. »
Then he sent you off, waiting for you to go inside the building before driving back to his empty home. He mostly had said the truth to you, but he voluntarily omitted to add his mom got admitted to the hospital weeks ago. And he didn’t want you to pity him furthermore.
When you stepped inside the silent apartment, you noticed your father’s shoes weren’t at the entrance, meaning he wasn’t home. You sighed in relief, hurrying yourself to hide the helmet in your room, under your bed. Only Sookja got a glimpse at you rushing at your room.
« Y/N ? Is everything alright ? » she asked while she was in the kitchen.
« Yes ! Every thing is alright ! » you shouted back at her before going back to the kitchen to eat the late diner she prepared you.
Sookja took a look at your face. You were indeed tired, but something had changed. She could feel you were less, stressed ? The old woman sweetly smiled to you watching you eat.
« Did something nice happen today at school ? » she asked innocently, aware you normally aren’t really openly talking about your school days.
You looked at her, enjoying the warm soup after the cold weather you faced on Yunho’s bike.
« Erm…Yeah we can say that » you mumbled, slightly embarrassed but yet excited.
Sookja was a confident. You could tell her anything, she would never repeat to your father. She waited for you to keep on.
« There is a ..classmate of mine. At first we were like cats and dogs you know ? But today we sorted things out and I guess it’s fine now »
« I’m glad to ear this sweetie » she said in pure relief and joy for you. « Have you made friends ? »
« There is Jisoo ! She’s a part of my class as well. She’s a really warm person » you said, after taking more bites of rice and others side dishes.
Your housekeeper was happy to know you were getting a better life than you have had until now. She hoped some day you would be free from your father’s influence and fly by your own wings. That’s how she was thinking and wished the most for you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After this strange night, days have been more packed. The day of your mock exams, you gave it all, knowing that although it was only a mock one, your father wouldn’t let it pass. After giving back your sheets, you and Jisoo were talking at the cafeteria. The petite teenager stretched and sighed.
« Y/NNNNN ! What should I do ? I’m sure I’ll fail ! »
« Don’t say that Ji’, I’m sure you’ll do well »
« It’s easy for you ! You always have good grades. » she pouted.
« I wished I could have less than 100 believe me » you groaned.
From the corner of your eyes, you glimpsed the tall figure of Yunho with Mingi and Hongjoong. He was sitting with them with the same expressionless face he used to put on at school. But when he was sitting next to you during class, he didn’t ignore you anymore, nor tried to nap. He was surely warming up to you, but it seemed he wasn’t ready to let his friends see him this way with you.
« - today ? » you heard Jisoo’s voice.
« Mh ? Sorry, I wasn’t listening » you said, going back to your friend.
Jisoo pouted again before following your gaze and leaned near to your face with a teasing face.
« Guuuurl, it seems you and Yunho got closer or is it me ? »
« Gosh, Ji ! It’s not what you think ! We just sorted things out, but we’re not friends or things like this » you mumbled back, embarrassed by her behaviour.
« Well, that’s not really the impression I have. Did you remark he’s not skipping classes lately ? »
« Maybe he got enlightened by God to study ? » you suggested in a grin.
You both laughed and today, you felt relieved as you didn’t have to go to extra classes, the academy being closed for the spring break that was soon arriving. Somehow, you convinced your father to let you go to Jisoo’s house for the weekend, heavily pretexting she wanted you to tutor her for the real exams. He seemed suspicious, but since your school grades were good so far, he didn’t have any objections to make.
While for packing your bag, you received numerous notifications on KakaoTalk. Jisoo created a group chat with the others kids who were going to come at her house for the weekend. Mostly girls and maybe some boys, but it didn’t really matter for you only the fact you had the chance to spend time with your friend, making some other friends ?
You happily answered to the text saying you’d come by yourself at the indicated address and time before locking your phone again. When you were almost done packing, your phone vibrated again but this time wasn’t the group chat. « Jung Yunho » appeared at your screen, leaving you speechless for a moment.
윤호
Need a ride for this weekend ?
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tower-tale-comic · 2 years
Text
Re: Tower’s Tale art style might change (again)
So TT has had its few share of style changes. Most of them have been due to me just “improving as an artist” and trying to find the balance between something that looks good while also not taking too long to draw.
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…Another one may be coming very soon! And this one might be the most drastic of them all. Here I have a sample of Khun and Bam in the upcoming style (pending revisions and practices practices practices!)
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So you’d be looking at almost lineless artwork, with less dependence on “shadow/multiply” and highlight layers
This lil post will highlight some of the reasons why the style is very likely to change going forward.
1. The artist is finding their style. Tower’s Tale is bound to change styles over time - after all, it’s a project that will take many years to complete! The art style may change in the future again, and while I have no control over Soli a year down the line, this style is what resonates with me at the moment, and what I am comfortable with drawing.
2. It’s aesthetically pleasing. It just looks good! Of course, whether something looks good or not is subjective, but, from my bias, this. style. just. rocks. I mean scroll back up and look at their hair. Bam’s hair has always been a hassle to draw because the ends just don’t look sharp enough for me (and I’m too lazy to go back with an eraser and sharpen the hair of every panel).
3. It saves time. Believe it or not, this style saves time! Usually, I’d have a storyboard, a sketch layer, a line layer, a color layer, and a shadow layer (+ backgrounds which vary from 1-3 layers, overlay layers, text and panel layers). With this style, I can have a storyboard layer in the background, and the layer right above it is a mix of lines and colors and shadows. Once I get to drawings that heavily rely on background lighting, I also won’t have to worry as much about strict color palettes. The drawings above took about 12-15 minutes each. Though of course I won’t know how much time I’ll actually be saving until I practice full pages.
4. It’s more fun to draw. Recently, I’ve found that I like drawing things that are a little… messy. Quick, irregular, energetic shapes that can get the figure across while still having enough order and proportion to be pretty. And hey, isn’t drawing comics about having fun?
Now. What’s the point of all this? Why am I trying to convince you?
Well, I figure that there is a chance of someone being upset over the style change (highly unlikely.but you never know). Reasons for that might include the fact that
a) It’s a sudden change. changes like these should be carried out between arcs/seasons, not in the middle of one.
b) Tower’s Tale may be even more delayed. I still have to carry out a couple of experiments before I truly finalize the new style.
c) Branding or something. You start reading and you get an art style, and suddenly! There’s a change in it and it’s no longer the one you cherished.
Though, to be honest, I don’t think people read TT for the style that I’ve had so far. In my opinion, it just doesn’t really stand out. The new art style, on the other hand, does. (At least I think so-)
All that said, the ask box is always open, so any thoughts, suggestions, advices and concerns can be put in there in hopes that I’ll one day see it.
See you soon~
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