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#but it was good practice and it was fun to draw!!!
okaydiscount · 2 days
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its the sniper!!!! raagh
also hi i havnt been posting a lot lately ive just had zero motivation :')
but i have been thinking and looking at the few daily-merc drawing tumblrs i follow and i kinda wanna start one? liek i think it would be a good way to get me to draw more and it'd also be good practice :/
i just feel like if i started one of those as a side blog i wouldnt have any motivation to post on this blog and i dont wanna do that :( it could be fun tho idk
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cupcakeslushie · 16 hours
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sorry for nagging you but i wanted to ask if you have some tips on making comics. I’ve trying making many comics but i always lose motivation and can’t seem to get past even the first panel sometimes.
I did make a pretty long post here, with some advice for starting out! But that’s more technical I guess, and it sounds like maybe you’re looking for some motivational advice? So in addition to that post, I’d say…
Don’t look at these panels where you’re stuck as failures. Look at them, instead, as first drafts!! Keep the early planning stages loose, so it doesn’t feel like an arrow to the heart if you have to make changes. Many artists need to see their thoughts collected somewhere before they can refine things and move on to the next stage. Another big thing is learning to be okay with throwing those drafts away when they become more of a roadblock than a step towards that awesome, final version you’ve got knocking around in your head.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve spent an hour plotting the composition of a panel…or maybe I’ve gotten too focused on the little details of a character’s expression, but the rest of the shot has just….idk died. I’ll copy and paste what I did like, and delete what’s not working or I’ll completely start over, no fuss. Wipe my hands of it and refuse to look at it as a failure. If I drew it once, I can draw it again! Practice isn’t time wasted, it’s time invested into growing! Drawing is drawing!
It’s always good to look back at your work, so you can see your improvement, but only focusing on your unfinished pieces might be doing more harm than good.
And maybe, you don’t have to draw a full 10 page comic from the get go! Try experimenting with shorter form comics! You can tell quite a number of stories in just a few panels! Learning the ins and outs of something new is a lot easier to accomplish when it’s done in smaller increments. That way you can have that feeling of success more often and it’ll motivate you into not giving up!
When I started EW, I was doing parts in like, one or two pages! Because I was still nailing down the comic techniques I wanted to employ. I was gathering brushes and learning how and when to use them! Learning how to create compositions that worked around dialogue bubbles! All the boring parts of comic creating lol. But then, the more comfortable I became with those techniques, the less time they took, and I could really go wild with the creative aspect! Now my updates are much longer!
It’s just a process. But at some point, all the advice and resources in the world can only help so much. You have to be willing to put in the time!
I’d say it’s kinda similar advice they give when you start working out. When you’re first starting, and you try to do more than your body is comfortable with, you’ll be in a lot of pain and won’t want to continue. It’s easy to give up if you’re not seeing results and you feel like you’re wasting your time. But if you start in a reasonable place, and let yourself learn as you go, then you can gain good habits and it’ll get easier!
And only then, when it’s easy, that’s when you challenge yourself! Not when you’re already struggling with just starting! Or it won’t be fun and all of your drive will disappear!
And that’s really what you’re doing this all for, right? For fun!
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how do you edit comics so good? how did you practice/any tips or advice? i want to edit comic art but i have no clue how to start
I'm between calls so this going to be rushed Whoops.
- start on pieces that have a similar style to your own. this just makes getting your brush settings right easier.
- fuck with your brush settings. Jpeg artifacting and the way older comics were scanned and printed adds a lot of Texture Jank that you need to match to make the edit seamless.
- touch as little of the piece as physically possible. Your hands and the ogs have different muscle memory and will make different decisions on how a line should lay. so, make as few changes as you can and feather the edited areas out (this also helps with hiding the texture jank not lining up perfectly)
and this one's important:
- Focus On Pieces That Fuck Up The Way You Tend To. Yes pointing and laughing is fun, being a pedant is one of life's joys. But critique of other art is fundamentally about self improvement. You don't critique a finished piece to improve It you critique to teach your brain how to not make those same mistakes and to see them in your own work. if other people benefit from seeing your process then that's just a bonus.
I started almost exclusively working on pretty ladies bc I'm a gay man and like drawing big hairy men and so had an Extreme Lack of ability when it came to drawing women pretty. (I can draw women pretty now)
- Once you're comfortable move on to other styles, trace the images, make your brushes match the lines in front of you line for line, use fewer layers. and just Learn how to match another person's hand. This plasticity is extremely useful bc it can make you more comfortable exploring new styles and the transitions between them in your own work fun and seamless.
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skaye44 · 3 days
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Family Fun Skate Day
Bucky A/u - Hockey player Bucky - yes please!
A/N - I HAVE TO include some sort of hockey/skating related story being Canadian and all, so enjoy! Everyone likes a hockey playing Bucky right?
Summary: You volunteer at a shelter and the local hockey team hosts a family fun skate day for some of the kids in care. It's the teams hope that it draws in some much needed good press for their resident "bad boy' players in the hope it cleans up his image.
Content warning: mild language, Bucky is hockey's bad boys but he turns himself around, fluff
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Images found here and here
"A family fun skate day? What the hell is this shit?" Bucky groaned while reading an email on his phone. 
"Classic PR stint." Steve shrugged. 
"Supposed to help with your image?" Sam added. 
"Bullshit" Bucky grumbled while he threw his phone into his locker and grabbed his shirt to change into. 
"It was one bar fight Steve!" Bucky hollered at his captain. 
"You gotta do it man!" Steve shrugged while he walked to the showers. 
"When is it?" asked Sam. 
"Tomorrow." 
Bucky groaned, and Sam snickered from across the room. He got up from his locker stall and proceeded to finish getting dressed after a long practice.
James 'Bucky' Barnes was assistant captain on the hockey team the Brooklyn Shield. The Shield had been in a losing slump, and the opposing team, the Jersey Hydra had beaten the Shield 6-1 on the ice a few nights ago. 
To forget about the embarrassing loss, Bucky and some of his teammates went to the Red Room bar after the game to blow off some steam but found a few players from Hydra who were also there. Combine the loss, frustrations from their losing skid, flowing drinks, chirping back and forth, it was a recipe for a disaster. 
One thing led to another, and Bucky had gotten into a fist fight with Hydra's team captain and resident goon of the league, Brock Rumlow. Some Shield players tried breaking it up, then the cops came, and Bucky had to spend a few hours in jail, only to have Steve bail him out. 
The story blew up like crazy on social media. Everywhere he went, cameras snapped, people whispered, fans were mad at his antics, it wasn't going away.
The team management was furious since this was not Bucky's first offence and he had been reprimanded a few other times prior. Bucky's known as hockey's 'bad boy' and always seems to be in the news for anything else other than his hockey career like his constant partying and revolving door of interesting female companions. 
The Shield PR team have their hands full with Bucky and they are tired of having to clean up his public messes. Wanda, the team's PR manager is at her wits end and had worked her magic to set up a family fun skate day with some of the team and youth from the community to help reset Bucky's public image.
"You get the email then?" he asked Steve who stood next to his locker and dried off. 
"Yeah, I'll be there too. It won't be so bad Buck." Steve added while he finished getting dressed. 
"Wanda said it'll only be for a few hours, let the paps take some pics, be nice to the kids, skate around, then you can go home." he shrugged. 
"Fine, but I won't like it." Bucky grumbled while grabbing his keys and jacket. 
"See you tomorrow pal!" called Steve. 
Bucky turned and waved to him before leaving the locker room. He went back to his condo so he could grumble in silence. 
When he got home, he flopped down on his couch and thought about his recent actions and his life in general. He knew he had to clean up his image for anyone to take him seriously. He was getting too old for his behaviour and needed to make some changes starting with no more bars or clubs, and to quit the drinking and random hook ups. That should get his head back in order while he thought about things. He needed to start fresh with his life, so he thought about having a new and improved life plan for himself, one he wanted to impose immediately.
🏒
You were so excited for the team skating session; you could hardly contain yourself. 
"It's going to be so much fun!" you told your small group of kids who cheered and giggled uncontrollably. 
Seeing them happy and excited about something warmed your heart. You volunteered with the kids at the local shelter and were so excited when you read the email invite from the Brooklyn Shield. Some of the kids at the shelter had come from some dark places and for them to be invited by the Shield for an afternoon of skating meant the world to them. For most of them, this was the highlight of their life. 
Currently, there were twelve kids you were bringing with you and four chaperones including yourself. Your friend and manager of the shelter Sharon was coming along too. 
"We got the skates packed and loaded in the crates" Sharon huffed out while she sat down next to you. 
"Good, I'm glad the team provided us with skates. Lord knows how expensive hockey equipment is" you added.
You knew exactly how much hockey equipment was since you played when you were younger. Your parents sacrificed a lot so you could play the sport you loved, but since your knee injury, you could no longer play at a high level, so you had to think of another career. 
You had thought of getting into the office side of the sport, but your heart longed to play, and it would hurt too much to be around something you couldn't do properly, so you decided to be a sport physiotherapist instead. On your days off and weekends, you volunteer at the shelter, and you were more than happy to accompany the kids to the rink for an afternoon skate with some of their favourite Shield players.
🏒
"Wow Buck, you're on time, and not hungover, I'm impressed!" Steve clapped his friend on the back, making Bucky wince. 
"For once." Sam added. 
Bucky tossed a hockey puck at Sam and gave him a rude gesture. 
"Thought I'd try something new fellas." Bucky shrugged while he changed into his workout gear. 
The family fun skating day was starting in 40 minutes, so Bucky had time to relax in the dressing room with Steve and Sam. 
"Who else is coming?" asked Bucky. 
"I don't know. Wanda and her team will be there, but I think it's just us three" Steve added. 
Just as he finished, the rookie Peter walked in. 
"Hey guys! Here for the skate too?" he asked, making his way to his stall to change. 
Bucky rolled his eyes at the kid and nodded. 
"What, no snarky comment to Peter?" asked Sam. 
Bucky shook his head and continued getting ready. The new and improved Bucky wasn't going to tease and make his teammate feel bad anymore. Something Bucky had thought about the night before. 
Both Sam and Steve exchanged glances with each other wondering what the hell happened to the old Bucky.
🏒
You arrived at the arena with a van full of eager kids and chaperones while Sharon drove the other. Wanda from PR met you, taking the kids on a little behind the scenes tour of the arena and the visiting team's locker room. 
A bunch of "cool" and "oohs" and "ahhs" were heard from the kids as they took it all in. For many of them, this was their first time in an arena, and they were loving it. 
"This is so cool!" you whispered to Sharon, getting your skates out and quickly putting them on.
You were just as excited to be there as the kids were and Wanda was great at making everyone feel welcomed.
She answered more questions the kids had and smiled at them while they eagerly sat on the bench and waited for help to get their skates on.
🏒
Bucky trudged down the hallway from the locker room to the ice, stomach instantly in knots from the noise of the kids. The guys were ahead of him, relaxed and happily chatting with one another making Bucky grumble to himself. He was never really good at PR events, especially with children involved.
With the added pressure from the PR team, photographers, and other media people around, he was nervous. He was more nervous to do this family fun skate day than play in an actual game, but he knew it was for the better. 
He knew he needed this for his new and improved life so he sucked in a deep breath and headed onto the ice.
🏒
You helped a few of the kids with their skates when you noticed they got really quiet. You looked up and saw the four players from the team walk out of the tunnel and step out onto the ice. The kids' eyes were wide as saucers while they watched the four men skate around. 
"Look!" 
"There they are!"
"Holy cow!" 
The kids beamed at the players; their mouths fell open in awe. 
The players skated back and were smiling at the kids. You noticed the captain, Steve Rogers, the left winger Sam Wilson, rookie sensation Peter Parker, and the club's assistant captain James 'Bucky' Barnes were the players at the skate day. Your face instantly flushed at the sight of the handsome men, but James stood out to you. 
He was handsome and dangerous in more ways than one.
Bucky did a few laps with the guys, stretching his legs then they skated over to the bench to meet with the kids. He was slightly behind Steve, not really wanting to be in the spotlight when he noticed you standing off to the side next to a blonde. He tensed up even more at what he saw. 
Your cheeks were a rosy colour from the cool air of the arena, and you had your hair braided framing your face with the team toque on. Your eyes sparkled as you watched the kids and let out a chuckle at their reactions. 
Bucky was in awe. He definitely didn't expect this on the family fun skate day, but he wasn't complaining.
"Hey there!" Steve said to the eager group. 
"Hey!" Sam waved. 
Bucky was behind them, but he had a shy smile on his face. The kids were literally vibrating on the bench they were so excited. You smiled at their enthusiasm. 
"You guys ready to skate with us?" Steve asked. 
The kids jumped up and clamored onto the ice making the players chuckle. 
"Is that Bucky Barnes?" Sharon whispered to you. 
"Seems like it." 
"Thought he was in jail?" 
"Not anymore I guess?" 
Bucky Barnes was hockey's bad boy, and you had no idea why he would be part of a family fun skate day at the arena. You were kind of annoyed he was at your skate day. He was a train wreck off the ice, and you really didn't want any part of him being around the kids. God knows they had been through enough in their short lives.
Bucky vaguely heard Steve and Sam talk to the kids he was so distracted by you. 
"You going to help Buck or stand there like a pylon?" Steve jabbed at his friend. 
"Yeah yeah" Bucky skated over to the kids. 
He kept his eyes on you though while he watched you help a few of the other chaperones. Camera flashes were going off with his every move making him see stars out of the corners of his eyes. There was no way you were going to skate he thought to himself while the kids hobbled and flopped all over the ice. 
The PR team had small plastic skating helpers for the kids so they could keep their balance while they maneuvered around the ice. They were laughing as Sam and Peter showed them how to skate while Steve took two kids that were more advanced with their skills and ushered them around the ice.
A small girl tugged on Bucky's track pants and smiled up at him. 
"Mr. Bucky? Can you help me?" she asked. 
He smiled at her and knelt on the ice. She couldn't have been more than five while he held her hand as she steadied herself. 
"What's your name?" he asked. 
"Callie" she whispered. 
"Hello Callie" he shook her hand making her giggle. 
"You want to be my special partner today?" 
"Ok!" she smiled up at Bucky. 
His heart melted at her, and he instantly had the urge to give her the world. She struggled a little with the skating, but Bucky helped her get better. He admired her determination and encouraged her to push off the ice which she did. She smiled brightly and giggled while Bucky stood and held onto her hand while he carefully skated next to her.
You had gotten on the ice and skated a little bit, then you headed over to some of the bigger kids who were surrounding Sam and Steve. Bucky watched in awe as you skated on the ice with ease. He would never have pictured you as someone who could skate, and he was pleasantly surprised you were quick on your feet. 
You waved as you skated over and stopped, spraying them with a dusting ice. 
They laughed. 
"We didn't know you could skate" yelled one of the boys. 
"Oh, I can skate. Used to play too!" you teased. 
This caught Bucky's attention. Used to play? Huh. 
"Catch me?" you took off with the kids trailing. 
You laughed as they followed you, yelling and smiling while the players helped them. 
Bucky had passed Callie onto Peter so he could pay a little attention to you. As you were skating around, Bucky caught up to you and smiled. 
"Hi" he said. If it wasn't for the skating, you could have sworn he was blushing. Mr. bad boy of hockey, blushing? Yeah right! 
"Hello." 
"I'm Bucky" he said as you both took a few laps on the ice. 
"I know who you are" you looked over at him. 
He put his head down a little and skated along with you. 
"So, you skate then?" he asked. 
"Yup." 
You didn't really feel like talking to him but for some reason, he zeroed in on you and won't leave your side.
You skated for a bit beside Bucky, letting the kids learn and play a little with each other and the players, everyone was having a good time. 
"So, you work at the shelter?" he asked. 
"I volunteer there." 
You smiled over at the kids. 
You watched them adoringly as they skated and laughed with everyone. Bucky could see you adored them. He mentally added the shelter of places to volunteer his time at in his new look on life. 
You were a little apprehensive of being photographed with Bucky because you know of his reputation. He isn't exactly the team's golden boy and has his issues, so you were a little guarded towards him, especially since the cameras were snapping away. Every time he talked to you, your guard was lowered because it felt like the Bucky that was talking to you was a completely different version than the one you usually see on the TV and in social media making you think there's more to him that what the public sees.
You took a few strides away from the group into the corner of the rink and stopped along the boards to rest. Bucky followed and stopped next to you, looking back at the crowd of skaters and equipment. 
"You gonna tell me your name then or do I just give you a nick name pretty girl?" he whispered. 
You grinned a little to yourself. 
"Y/n." He smiled and nodded. 
You talked a little with Bucky, laughing at his cheesy jokes and comments towards Sam and Steve. You had no idea they teased each other so much. You've only ever seen them in game mode, it's hard to remember they're just regular guys who happen to be freakishly talented and great at their jobs.
Your view on Bucky was slowly changing for the better but it would take some time to come around. You saw Callie make her way over to you, tongue sticking out in concentration as she hobbled and bobbled on her skates. 
"Callie, my girl!" called Bucky as he raced over to the little girl. 
He smiled wide at her, bending down and listening to her excitedly talk about her skating. Bucky was giving all his attention to her, and it made your heart thud hard in your chest. 
He wasn't so bad, you though while skating away.
You skated over to the group of kids and smiled brightly at them. 
"Ms. Y/n, you should race!" one of them yelled. 
"Race? Oh, no, I'm good." You raised your hands up in surrender. 
"Yeah, it'll be fun!" 
"Who would I race?" you rolled your eyes at the kids. 
"Me" Everyone looked over at Bucky and their eyes widened.
The kids cheered and the PR team snickered. 
"You?" 
"Yeah, why not. What, are you scared?" he teased. 
The kids let out a large collective "ooohhhhh" while they observed you and Bucky. 
"I'm not racing you. No way, nope." you shook your head no. 
"Come on!" the kids teased. 
"I'll make a bet. If I beat you, you owe me a date. If you beat me, I'll owe you a date" Bucky shrugged. 
The kids giggled. 
"That's hardly fair" you scrunched your nose up in thought at the proposition. 
"What do you say?" asked Bucky. 
The kids giggled and laughed. Everyone was looking at you and Bucky, eager to hear your response. 
"Fine." you shook your head. 
You hadn't skated in forever, much less raced a damn professional hockey player. The kids cheered as you and Bucky got into place. 
"Once around the rink. First one to cross the centre line wins." Sam called, placing the pylons out in a large oval. 
"Here goes nothing" you muttered to yourself. 
Bucky looked over at you and winked, making you lightly stumble on the ice. 
Damn him. 
"Three, two, one, GO!" yelled the kids. 
You almost fell over, between the wink and the crowd cheering, but you pulled it together. You took off alongside Bucky as you pushed your legs off the ice and glided with power. Bucky had a stride on you, but you held your own as you rounded the first corner. You came out of it and laughed while Bucky stumbled a little, making you gain a stride and a half on him. The kids were going wild, they thought it was pretty cool Ms. Y/n was racing against Bucky Barnes and winning. You were almost turning into the last curve when you saw Bucky creep up beside you, smirking as he overtook you by half a stride, you huffed out a breath as you both came across the red line at almost the same time, but Bucky had a stride on you while the kids cheered. You slowed down, huffing and puffing your breath, placing your hands on your thighs, bent over, smiling. You skated towards the crowd while Bucky was already there. He didn't look winded at all. 
"Wow Y/n, racing Bucky Barnes looks good on you" teased Sharon. 
"Shut...up..." you said in-between breaths. 
You felt good, but that little burst of energy you had in the race did you in. After catching your breath, the kids surrounded you, smiling and laughing while the other players skated around, signing merchandise, and taking more photos. You could see the PR team and the photographers get their shots they wanted while some of them left the ice. 
The skate day was coming to an end.
"Ok kids, can you say thank you to the Shield players?" asked Sharon. 
The kids groaned the day was ending but they all said, "Thank you Shield players!" in unison, making the four men blush a little at the attention. 
They smiled and waved at the kids as everyone started leaving the ice. Bucky was one of the first off, the ice, but he quickly came back in his flip flops, helping the kids get their skates off and placing them in the large equipment bins. Wanda outdid herself with the skates, sweaters, and hats for the kids as well as giving them tickets to the following weekend's home game against the Florida Fury. Bucky sent a quick text to Wanda telling her he would supply the kids with a hot dog, drink, and popcorn for them that he would personally pay for. She responded with a thumbs up and heart emoji, stuffing his phone in his pocket.
"You didn't have to help us clean up." you said, easing onto the bench to take your skates off. 
Bucky shrugged. 
"I don't mind. Happy to help." You looked at him like he grew a third eye. 
Bucky Barnes was happy to help? OK then. 
He must have seen your nose scrunch and he smiled. 
"I'm not that bad you know" he teased. 
Your face flushed a little and you reached down to tug on your laces. 
"Here, let me" he said, kneeling in front of you. 
Your heart thudded in your chest.
He carefully tugged on your skate laces and undid them while un-hooking them from their hold. The fact that Bucky Barnes, the bad boy of hockey was on his knees in front of you made your insides squish and flop. 
Bucky looked up and winked at you when he finished the last lace. 
"Thanks" you whispered, trying to compose yourself. 
Be cool.
"It was my pleasure. Now, about our date..." he rose from his spot, taking your hand in his and helping you up before gently letting go of your hand. 
The man was charming as hell. 
"Oh, we don't really...I mean...it's ok, you know...the bet...it was all in good fun, but you really don't...not an obligation..." Bucky watched with raised eyebrows while you fumbled through the English language. 
You really didn't want him to feel obligated to take you out, just because he said it in front of everyone. 
He gave you a weird look. 
"Ms. Y/n, you have to, Mr. Bucky won the race" Callie insisted, making her way next to Bucky. 
Where did she come from? 
Bucky turned to her and high fived her. 
"See, my girl Callie here insists. You wouldn't want to disappoint her right?" he asked. 
Him and Callie, both gave you puppy dog eyes. 
Damn them. 
"Ugh, fine, ok, you both win!" you laughed. 
"Yes!" Bucky high fived Callie and she giggled. 
"See you Mr. Bucky!" 
"Bye wingman Callie!" he called making her giggle. 
"Using the kids against me eh Barnes?" 
"Well, I had to bring out the big guns" he shrugged. 
"Here" Bucky grabbed your phone and added his contact info into it. 
You looked down and snickered. 
He named himself "Bad Boy Bucky" in your phone, making you snort then roll your eyes. Was second-hand embarrassment a thing? 
"I'll text you" he winked while Steve and Sam watched. Bucky had told you he had some film to watch for their game in two days he had to do after the skate day. 
"You don't have my number, I only have yours" you called to him.
"Oh I have it, from Wanda" he called over his shoulder. 
You looked over at Wanda who pretended to scroll on her phone and answer a "phone call". She turned and smiled to herself knowing Bucky needed this date more than he knows it. 
"Ok then" you said, Sharon wrapped her arm through yours and guided you to the vans where the kids waited with the other parents.
 "Come on, you can thank Callie later" she laughed. 
"Ms Y/n is dating Bucky Barnes!" Callie yelled and the rest of the kids oohd and ahhd while making kissing noises. 
Great, even the kids were teasing you. 
You looked behind you and saw Bucky smile to you and send you another one of his famous winks, making you blush like crazy. 
Yeah, this family fun skate day was the highlight of Bucky's season.
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ilcuoreardendo-fic · 15 hours
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Staring Contest
When you walk into the barracks to ask sergeant Hunter about some requisitions to transfer gear from the flagship Phalanx to the Marauder, the room, which had been eerily quiet, erupts in a raucous mixture of jeers and cheers, the sound practically vibrating the walls.
All in good fun. You can feel that in the Force. The battle had gone well and the troops were taking a moment to wind down from the adrenaline. Though through what means, you weren't entirely sure.
Looking toward the center of the room, you watch Deck shake his head and push away from a stack of crates set between him and the Bad Batch's sniper, introduced to you as Crosshair, who smirks like a tooka who's just gotten into the cream.
Next to you, Cerrix passes a couple of cred chips to Tech, who slips them into one of the many pouches on his belt, touches a forefinger to the bridge of his goggles, then swipes something on his datapad.
"That's five, zero," Tech says. "Who's next?"
From somewhere in the crowd of 7th Legion troopers, you hear an eager shout of "The commander!" followed by a wave of murmured agreement.
Every face in the room turns to you and if you were any less sure of yourself, you might find that intimidating.
Instead, you glance at Cerrix for an explanation. "What's going on?"
Cerrix rolls his eyes. "One di'kut bet another di'kut he couldn't out stare Crosshair and it's become a whole thing. You could win us back some money, commander..." Cerrix tone turns hopeful.
"Ha! These guys need all the help they can get." The boisterous voice you recognize as Wrecker's.
You look to Crosshair, who stands, arms crossed, rolling a toothpick slowly between his lips, sizing you up. His eyes are narrowed, calculating and you can practically feel the weight of his gaze on your skin. Something in it tweaks your competitive side.
"Hm." You hand your datapad to a grinning Cerrix. "Okay. I can do that," you say, as you head toward Crosshair, your men parting around you like water as you step up to the crates.
You take a cleansing breathe, letting it out in a soft chuckle as A'den, who you're half surprised to see in the crowd, leans close, whispers in your ear, "Get him, commander," before moving to hold up a wall, letting the rest of his brothers crowd in around you.
"Right," says Cerrix, "I've got eyes on Crosshair. Who's got the commander?"
"I do," the voice is warm and smokey. Sergeant Hunter; after your first meeting, you'd recognize his voice anywhere. He comes into view, standing just behind Crosshair, where he can watch your face throughout the contest. He gives the tiniest nod of his head.
"Okay," Cerrix continues, "first one to blink or look away loses. Draw is at four minutes on the timer." Cerrix motions to Tech, who taps his datapad and gives a thumbs up.
"No Force tricks," rasps Crosshair.
You smile. "I don't need Force tricks. Tech, start the clock."
And so it begins.
The weight you felt from his gaze when you were across the room is nothing compared to what you feel now, staring directly into Crosshair's eyes. His focus is pointed. When he's not tense or scowling, Crosshair's eyes take on a heavy lidded quality that seem to make the color of them darker, deeper.
All the clones have brown eyes.
And you've stared into many sets of them in many different contexts. Issuing orders before leaving for battle. Listening to stories in the mess or at 79's when you've been invited along. Sitting at bedsides in Med Bay. In dark corners of the ship, telling someone their brother didn't make it back. In the middle of firefights, choking on dust and wrapping the Force around you and the clones, who you can do nothing for except hold their hands...
But this is new. Different.
The last time you stared into someone's eyes this closely, for this long, they had been a lover.
With a soft sigh, you keep eye contact but let your vision take in the full, slightly out of focus, expanse of Crosshair's face.
He has the high cheekbones that all clones share, but they're more pronounced on his lean face. His jawline is narrow, chin strong. His lips are thin and between them he holds the ever captive toothpick.
You catch a teasing flash of his tongue as the toothpick rolls from one side of his mouth to the other.
It gives you an idea. You said you didn't need Force tricks. You never said you'd play fair.
You bring your full attention back to his eyes, notice one of his eyebrows has drawn up; it doesn't take the Force to know he's been examining you in much the same way.
Making sure to keep eye contact, you lean forward, place your left elbow on the stack of crates and rest your chin on your curled knuckles.
Curiosity flares in Crosshair's eyes, but he stays focused. Sharp. Assessing.
Until you slowly part your lips, as if you're about the speak. Instead of words, you let the tip of your tongue play along the inside edge of your lower lip and watch the subtle widening of his eyes. You can feel the control he exerts over himself to not break eye contact to look fully at your mouth.
You reach out with your free hand — slowly; he could stop you if he wanted to — and pluck the toothpick from his mouth. His lips part, you hear the slightest uptick of his breathing.
There's a low rumble throughout the room. Hushed conversation. Maybe constrained laughter.
You flip the toothpick, bring the end of it that had been between Crosshair's lips to the center of your own.
Your tongue slips out, curls around it and you tuck it up against the corner of your mouth with a sly smile that you know reaches your eyes.
Crosshair blinks.
Cerrix cry is instantaneous. "The commander wins!"
"Secret weapon?" Hunter says to him.
"We do tend to bring her out when we really need the win, on battlefield or off."
You cast a sidelong look at Cerrix, one eyebrow raised. He doesn't even have the decency to look cowed.
You turn back Crosshair, who's arms remain crossed over his chest. His chin is tucked. He's still watching you.
You lean in close, balanced against the crates. "I told you I didn't need Force tricks."
"Perhaps," he reaches out, forefinger under your chin, thumb pressing into the sensitive skin just below your lip where his toothpick still sits, "we need a rematch. Without an audience."
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I...haven't done a reader insert ficlet in a long time and never for Star Wars.
But I just had this idea bubble up at random. It was an okay word workout and it let me think more about Crosshair's face. So, win.
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obsob · 1 year
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oaugh kitties
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ohno-the-sun · 5 months
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I love how accessible the daycare attendant is as like something to draw
They are essentially a smiley face on a stick body but it gives a great opportunity to new artists to practice anatomy and character designs
I’ve already talked about their hands before but their body as well is so nicely laid out you get a good idea of major shapes and structures
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thunmeh · 11 months
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Just Jay being stupid again!
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pseudokap · 3 months
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back at it again with more transfem arthur bennett. Have a good day
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also happy suckening saturday
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samgatinho · 4 months
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🐾 “this is my best chance!”
redraw of a pjsk card! :D original version under the cut
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i showed this card to my friend and they went "OH IT'S SCAR!!" because, y'know, red pandas. thought it'd be fun to redraw it :)
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Rival Felix, Rival Ferdinand, and Rival Lorenz would like to battle!
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larabar · 3 months
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some last guys before armageddon ✌️ (prime s3)
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eye-of-the-hawk · 2 years
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Parallels ⛈
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2aceofspades · 3 months
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Major Spoilers for EMD Chapter 14!
Go read go read go read-
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...
Yeah so I may or may have not freaked when Cassandra showed up aauuhhh-
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mangodonutss · 3 months
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so i watched nimona a week ago...
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kogglyuffs · 3 months
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yall have seen manon but imma put the whole goofy gang
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