#hence the need to have some sketch layer to work from here rather than say. well i'll figure out where rian's arms go when i get there lol..

[laugtherhyena]

Every time I see your sprite work, it just makes me want to make a sprite edit of Akane with the design I made for her in my "She Was Saved" AU (An AU based on the idea of Akane surviving the events of DRA), but I've never done any sprite work so, do you have any tips?

Ok ok so, first things first, i wanna make it clear that none of my sprites are made from scratch, they're sprite edits, hence why i always tag them as such. Every single one of them used some canon character as a base for the base sprite (that one fitst sprite where the character is just standing there with a simple expression) and a handful even have canon sprites uses as bases for poses. Just figured i should make that clear so there's no confusion here.

While I'm not sure if I'm the best at giving tips n stuff, here's what i could think off;

I think the most important tip i can give anyone who wants to get into sprite editing is MAKE A BUNCH OF LAYERS‼️Save things separately just to be sure rather than merging them because that almost always leads to more time spent later down the line. While the amount of separate things certainly varies from artists to artists here's the one i use for my edits.

The app i use (Ibis paintX) allows me to make folders with a bunch of layers to them so i use them to keep stuff more organized.

On the first pic well have a folder with the base sprite, one for the different poses and in Beni's case two for the different eyes she has (one for the normal eyes and one for the ones that are part of the glasses, normally i only have one layer with all the eye variants)

On the second image I've opened the folder that holds the base sprite, or should i say just sprite since it's in this folder that i organize everything that belongs to one specific sprite when I'm making them as to not get myself confused. Anyways, you can't see in the screenshots but the first layer has her glasses, second has her eyebrows and mouth and the third has the eyes.

Fourth has the main body lineart and fifth has the main body colors, please keep those separated as by doing so you make it easier to add those lil effects onto the character's faces on certain expressions + having the lineart of the main body always helps when sketching and connecting the different arms to the main body.

Lastly you got the arms, but ideally you should make the arms/poses in a way they can be placed over the body layers since that just makes things easier to put together, i just have this habit of placing the no pose arms under everything else.

When editing i make the different arms and eyes in advance so that when i start making the different sprites i can just duplicate the canva with the first one a thousand times and everything will carry along with those. Saves time in the long-run + you don't need to separate all layers on them (lineart, colors, shading) since they're just parts there's no problem in just merging them together.

A very important thing to note tho i that if the character has glasses or any accessories that you plan on removing or moving around in some pose/sprite this accessory should be made in a different layer from the main body, this makes editing easier than if you had to just erase and refill the part where the accessory was in the sprite you don't want it to be in.

A similar rule should be applied to the character's hair, if they have short or mid length hair you can just add the whole thing to the main body sprite, but if the character's hair is long you should make this bluk/back part of the hair in a separate layer placed under the main body layers. This also apllies to any back accessories.

Here's Akira as an example; she has one layer for her glasses, one for the back/bulk of her hair and one for the guitar case she carries.

These are essentially the basics of if, so let's go over to some actual tips.

Make the sprites on a small canvas.

Since the Danganronpa another games are made on game maker the size of the character sprites is surprisingly small, while I don't think you should just do it on the same canvas size as the actual sprite, it's good to have a smaller canvas so that the lower amount of pixels gives it a look similar to the in-game sprites + as you can see by mine, they don't actually look low quality at all.

(if curious, the go-to canvas size i use for most of my edits is 773x1020)

Use other sprites as references/bases

Especially if you're just starting on making sprites, use the canon ones for bases, references or even just straight up trace them. This will make the sprite look closer to canon and will start making you undertand the elements that make up the style of the sprite, do it enough times and soon enough you'll be able to make poses on your own without needing a sprite from the game as a base.

Remember! What's wrong about tracing is not the act of tracing itself, as the act of doing so is a great exercise to help you learn, the problem is when you do it and claim you made it 100% on your own. Since these are sprite edits, there's not a problem in doing so.

Observe and learn what makes up the style you're trying to replicate

This is hard to talk about since it really is something that comes with practice, I've been making sprite edits for like 5 years now so this stuff is like written on the walls of my brain by now. Just try to look and analyse the sprites and slowly you'll start seeing patterns and small onto them that you didn't noitce before, like how Linuj's sprites have a bit if line weight to them but are still on the thinner side, how he tends to make the hands a bit on the smaller side, how when he color the character's skins he makes the area near the top of the head a lighter shade than the rest of the skintone, the way he usually makes the character's mouths, and even some more complex things like how the male characters will have very little to no eyelashes while the female characters tend to have a whole lot of them, etc.

At the same time, there's no shame in deliberately ignoring some of these things. Personality the small hands REALLY bother me in a few cases and i tend to just make mouth shapes on a whim instead of trying to stay 100% close to the style. It's just a question of messing around and figuring stuff out, it won't look perfect on the first go, but overtime you'll start to get the hang of it.

#i hope this small sprite editing tutorial helps! if you have more questions feel free to send them #these are sorta all i could think of for now #you did mention that these are for an Au Akane so you could also try editing these out of her sprites themselves #instead of making a whole base and multiple parts just pick the sprites and edit the new design over #it could possibly be easier for a beginner? i do feel like making them in this form leads to better results tho #anyways. fun fact! i used the eyelash thing as a subtle form or trans coding on Akira's sprites :] #i love you small details that people won't notice unless pointed out ❤️ #hyena ramblings #sprite edit #edit #sprite editing tutorial

[literate-lamb]

can I kiss you on the dancefloor?

Steve Rogers/Reader

One year into a relationship, yet still dancing in secrecy. Steve thinks he’s protecting you.

When a civilian and a hero fall in love, anything could go wrong. But not in the way Steve would have thought.

Or how the media play with the lives of superheroes.

►word count: 7.6k

► warnings(!): slight angst, alcohol

A/N: My gift to @blue-like-barnes for the Hoelentines Fic Exchange! I’m sorry it took some time, giftee. I didn’t expect this to turn into a monster (yikes). Thank you for hosting @amythedvdhoarder @chrissquares @drabblewithfrannybarnes ! Dividers from @firefly-graphics​ and GIF from Giphy

On his day-offs, Steve Rogers was a man full of disguises. 

When they first started, it was the baseball cap and thick-rimmed glasses. He liked it, it was simple, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before someone would notice. How could one not when his face was the one plastered in old war propaganda, in the museums commemorating his achievements, and even flashes on the telly when you walk past the local electronics store. 

Hence, it wasn’t a surprise when the tabloids posted a photo of him in his disguise, waiting at a crosswalk on a cold night. 

‘Captain America spotted on a midnight stroll’ came the next morning. It was taken after he was done walking you home, thankful they didn’t catch a glimpse of you.

“So capsicle, where were you off to last night?” Tony greeted him at breakfast, offending paper in hand. He unrolled it, opening and making a show of reading, displaying the front page for all seated to see. “Nice reading glasses, wasn’t aware you needed them.”

Striding into the room, Natasha came and snatched the tabloid. She gave it a critical eye, judging, before turning towards him. 

“Hmm, recycling disguises, Rogers? I’m disappointed.” 

Steve just groaned in reply.

The second time it happened, he had gone to the Black Widow herself for advice. He had expected sound advice coming from a former KGB spy who spent her paycheck on hair, but all he got was a stick-on mustache. Something about ‘needing to blend in rather than pointing the obvious’.

“I don’t know what you’re up to, Steve, but at least it’s better than that nerd get-up,” she smirked.

You had liked it. Giggling every time he kissed you, the fibres tickling your lips. He had ‘a caterpillar’ on his upper lip as you called it. And Steve had learned to get used to the itch.

But it wasn’t long before his new look was the star in barbershops. 

‘Captain America’s new look takes the world by storm.’ They had caught him again in another paparazzi shot. Tony had teased him for days after.

He couldn’t shake it off easily, constantly reminded of it when he walked the streets. Seeing them on screens when he’s channel-surfing. Even when he’s training new recruits, his vision filled with a sea of unshaved cadets, their hairy upper lips a prominent fixture.

He knew he had to do something when Bucky and Sam came in one day sporting twin mustaches. 

He discarded the strip of fibre in the bin. Reminding to pay Natasha a visit.

The third time he decided, he seeked out the help of Scott Lang, who was a master in keeping out of sight during his burglary days. Scott had given him a black beanie and told him to grow out his facial hair. 

The beanie hid his golden locks and the beard made him look rugged. You loved it, your thighs quivered when it was him and you in the four walls of your room. Uncontrollable groans as he went down. ‘Beard burn’ you had called it. Whatever it was, he loved the sounds you let out.

Four months. That’s how long the disguise lasted. His longest disguise to date. 

Before he became a trend.

‘Captain America is the new style icon.’ The internet sleuths found out where he got it too. ‘The sale of Walmart beanies skyrocketed by 70% thanks to Captain America.’

Tony had bought everyone in the compound a black beanie for Christmas, including the receptionist.

“Our grandpa’s a trendsetter, who knew,” he announced. Steve had smacked the back of Tony’s head with the beanie before retiring the disguise.

Now, sitting in The Sleeping Cat, Steve had opted for aviators and a Nasa baseball cap. He still kept his beard after your pleads, and he liked the look, he admits. It was back to basics for him and this was one of the only places where he was safe from prying eyes. Afterall, it was in this very café where he had met you.

The Sleeping Cat was a quaint little thing, a hole in the wall in a quiet part of the city. Not many knew of its existence, the entrance obscure, a blink and you’ll miss it. Which made it all the more perfect for him. The baristas knew him and minded their own business, offering him a smile every time he visited. ‘You’re safe with us’ they seem to say. 

He could say the same about the patrons. Most that frequented were regulars like him, they seemed the same, looking for a place to get away from the overbearing world. They seemed to share an understanding, paying him no mind as if he was just another man they passed on the streets. And that’s how he preferred it. 

Just a boy from Brooklyn.

Ding!

The chime of the door pulled him out of his thoughts. Facing the door, he saw you, smiling as you came through.

This was the best part of his days. 

You had met Steve Rogers at the most unexpected of times.

Terminated from your previous job at a small gallery, dumped by an ex-boyfriend after a 2 year relationship, you were at an utmost low. To escape your roommates —in case of pitying or prying, but if you were honest with yourself, it was to escape your own humiliation— you left the apartment on weekdays under the guise of going to work. In reality, you were at The Sleeping Cat applying for jobs on your laptop.

It was during one of the afternoon hours when you felt a tap on your shoulder.

Turning to your left, you were greeted by a pair of startling blues. They were bright but worn as if they’ve seen too many. Looking at the bigger picture, you took him in. Hair hidden under a cap, a sharp jaw and an equally sharp nose, and if you looked closely, you thought you could spot a few moles on his cheeks. He looked familiar, but you couldn’t put a finger to it.

Eyes fleeting to his lips, you realized he was actually talking.

“Huh?” 

“I was wondering if this seat’s taken?” He smiled, gesturing towards the empty seat opposite. He was clearly amused.

“Yeah, sure, sure,” you nodded, making room for his things. 

The following days, it became a routine and an arrangement. You would be at the café as early as the owner would allow, laptop in hand. While he would come in the afternoons in a different jacket each day, a sketchbook in hand. You would be propped up, sending application after application, praying for luck. While he would quietly sit, churning sketch after sketch, in a relaxed demeanour. 

Sometimes you would peek over your screen and watch him draw for a few minutes, lost in his strokes. When you look up, you’ll find his eyes locked with yours, and you’ll immediately reimmerse yourself behind the screen, embarrassed.

It was a comfortable routine. You came to expect him everyday. And on the days that he didn’t make it, you felt a bit forlorn looking at the empty seat. You both didn’t talk much, yet you were getting comfortable in his presence.

Until one day, he broke the silence.

“So, what is it that you do?”

You stared, dumbfounded. Looking around there wasn’t anyone nearby. 

“Were you talking to me?” you asked.

“Yes,” he chuckled. “It’s just that you’re always on your computer…” he trailed off.

“I’m an assistant curator at an art gallery— or, er, used to be,” you explained. “Long story short, I lost my job and now I’m looking for a new one, that’s why I’m here.”

He seemed to ruminate before replying, “So you know a thing or two about art?”

You both started a new routine; one with a lot of communicating. He would ask you about your mundane weekends and interests and in turn, you would ask about his. Except, he was anything but mundane. 

On the days he was absent, you learned Steve was away on a lot of ‘business trips’. When he returned, he had never failed to present you with a souvenir. From matryoshkas to sarongs, it was always a surprise accompanied by a tale.

“The pattern on the sarong is called a batik, and it’s amazing how they’re drawn using wax like a liquid crayon. It’s an interesting art form.”

Outside of your little routine, he was an enigma. You barely knew about the Steve outside of The Sleeping Cat. Sometimes he threw the names ‘Bucky’ and ‘Sam’ a lot —out of exhaustion— without giving away anything, remaining tight-lipped. While his mysteriousness should’ve been a cause of concern, you couldn’t help but gravitate towards him, wanting to peel more of his layers, like the shell of a matryoshka. 

The routine went on for a few more weeks, with calls of interviews and business trips in between. Before you received a phone call.

“I got a job! At the Whitney!” you squealed, shaking his shoulders over the table, oblivious to the other patrons. Steve endured it, smiling. 

“Congratulations,” he said when you’ve calmed down. “I guess this is the last time I’ll be seeing you?”

You froze, high coming down, realization settling in. After a few weeks of secret meetings, of getting to know him, of having lunch together, of sharing laughs, you’ve come to see Steve as a good friend. And maybe, there was the birth of something more.

“Let’s exchange numbers,” you said, opening your phone. “This way, maybe we can hang out again. Have lunch sometimes?”

“I’d like that.” He smiled. 

And the rest was history.

Making your way towards The Sleeping Cat, you amused yourself with past memories. Memories from almost over a year ago. 

Steve had come to give a speech at the opening ceremony of an exhibition at the Whitney. Your first exhibition as a curator. An exhibition on art from the war times. When they had announced his title, a loud ‘oh’ was the only thing you could muster. 

The ‘ding’ of the bell resounded, announcing your arrival. Heading in, you saw a head perked up, beaming, baseball cap securing his golden locks and aviators hiding his mesmerizing blues.

This was the best part of your days.

But maybe, you were getting a little tired.

If someone were to ask you months ago if you were happy and content with your relationship, you would’ve replied with a swift yes in a heartbeat. No hesitation, no reservations, no doubt. Now, sitting in the same cafe, the same one you frequent on dates, the same one you both met in, you weren’t sure of the answer anymore.

As Steve gets up to order for you both, your eyes wander to his sketchpad. It was filled with sketches of random objects; the flower on the table, the pastries on display, sometimes the patrons of the cafe, and occasionally, you. 

“You’re my favourite subject, so far.”

It was not for the lack of love or the lack of affection. Steve was the most loving; loyal in so many ways, gentle when asked, and protective to a fault. Maybe the protectiveness was the cause of it all.

Staring at Steve’s back, your mind shifted to a memory from the past week, when your roommate pulled you aside from a get-together at the ice rink.

“Hey,” she called your name, taking a hold of your elbow. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Sure, what’s up?” you followed her, leading you to the sides.

Her eyes conveyed her worry. It amplified with the chewing of her bottom lip, a nervous tick.

“Are you and Steve… okay?” she asked, her brows perked. “I’m not sure if you notice, but today, it’s full of couples.” 

You looked towards your group of friends. There was your roommate’s girlfriend tying her skates, your other roommate and her boyfriend talking to another couple —their friends— and they were all holding their significant other’s hand. Oh.

“I don’t want to throw you out of the loop, but there would probably be a lot of double skating involved today,” she said, widening her eyes, looking comical. “Do you want me to talk to Steve? Maybe I could convince him to come, y’know?” 

Out of your two roommates, she was the only one who knew of your paramour. Having walked in on you and Steve making out on the couch. She was sworn into secrecy, with the promise of autographs from all the Avengers. 

“Look, it’s okay,” you assured her. “I can handle skating alone, and you know why he can’t really come here with us,” you shrugged.

“Okay, but aren’t you tired? Of all this sneaking around? Don’t you want to shout to the whole world ‘I’m fucking Captain America!’” she flailed.

You shushed her, muffling her mouth with your gloved hand.

Part of the secret was how Steven Rogers was an engineered superhero. A superhero with many enemies, leading him to fear for his loved ones, and that included you.

You went into the relationship whole-heartedly knowing the challenges; discreet rendezvous, kisses in the dark, minimal contact in public. You were his secret and he was yours. It was for your own good, wasn’t it?

“What’s got your little head wrapped up?” Steve’s voice startled you, bringing you back to the café. On the table, two cups of coffee and a slice of cake was served.

“Hmm? Oh, just thinking about this party the museum’s throwing this weekend,” you took your cup, blowing, contemplating your next words.“Say, how about you and I, I don’t know, go as dates?”

Steve crunched his brows. “You know that’s a hard thing for me to do, especially with your colleagues around.”

“I know! But maybe… maybe, you can go in one of your disguises this time? Remember that one time we went to Central Park?”

Steve exhaled, he remembered that afternoon. It was the one-off that you both ventured on a date in the outdoors. 

Decked in his beanie, casually strolling through Central Park with you beside him. Although he was still wary, keeping his hands in his pockets, fighting the urge to hold your hand. 

No one had recognized him; not the ice-cream man, not the kids running around, not the mothers pushing strollers. No one. 

“I’ll see what I can do.”

You leaned forward, pecking him on the lips multiple times. “Thank you!”

“You sure this looks convincing?”

“Trust me, punk. Grade A assassin here, thank you very much,” Bucky boasted while fixing the wig on his scalp, untangling the unruly strands.

Steve had sought Bucky for help, with the belief that assassins were good at hiding in plain sight (and maybe, he just didn’t want to go to Natasha twice). Bucky was also his most trusted confidant and he knew about you, Steve trusted him not to tell. But now looking at himself in the opposite mirror, he wasn’t so sure of that anymore. 

Long dangly tresses hung on the sides of his face parting in the middle, a trimmed beard leaving a bit of goatee, and to finish it off, Bucky dressed him in a checkered shirt consisting of random coloured squares. He looked like he just stepped out of the 60’s.

“Oh, wear these,” Bucky handed him a pair of large wire-framed glasses. “Done.”

Steve took a look in the mirror. A seedy pimp was the first thought that crossed his mind.

“Thanks Buck, I owe you one.”

“Sure Stevie, just bring me around next time on one of your dates, I’d like to meet her,” Bucky winked. “Or make it double.” He wagged his brows. “Like old times.”

Steve snorted.

“Okay, I got—“ Steve’s words halted when an alarm blared overhead. It demanded their attention.

“Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes, your presence is required in Prep Room six,” called the disembodied voice. “There’s been a breach of extraterrestrial energy in the airspace of Sweden.”

Steve exited and rushed through the hallways, Bucky following close behind. He made it through the living quarters, trudging to the training wing before entering one of the many prep rooms. 

“Nice costume, Cap. Halloween already?” Sam quipped. Almost everyone was present, they were equally amused.

Before anyone else could follow, Tony strided in immediately, grumbling. “Okay team, there’s been an E.T synthezoid putting holes in the ozone layer. I’ll fill you all in the quinjet. Suit up and meet me at the hangover in 10.”

Everybody gathered their equipment and hurried to leave, passing by him. Before Tony could, he took notice of Steve and did a double take. And then a third. 

“What’s with the pimp daddy get-up, Capsicle?” 

Steve huffed, ignoring the jab. “I have something that I need to attend. How important am I in this, Tony?”

“We need all hands on deck. We don’t really know what we’re up against, Fury’s still running recon,” Tony explained, squaring his shoulders. “Whatever it is you have, Cap. It can wait. Lives are at stake here.” With that, he left, not standing by for a response.

“Darn it,” Steve cursed, removing the glasses and the wig.

He left the prep room with his shield in hand. With one hand, he shot a text to you. He’ll make it up next time.

Loverboy [6:30 PM]: Emergency mission

Loverboy [6:30 PM]: Can’t make it, sorry

You switched the screen off, sighing. Around you, the party was in full swing. Invitees mingling with refreshments in hand, discussing the pieces on display tonight, and bidding on the pieces they find exquisite. Hors d’oeuvres and champagne were being served, brought around by servers on silver platters. You’ve been munching on them non-stop, grabbing one every time a server comes your way, needing something to occupy you.

Surrounding you, you’d see the occasional couple walking around, enjoying their time. The palms of their hands locked in each other’s as they navigate together, rarely straying afar. 

You clenched your hand, reminded of how empty it felt. 

It was inevitable, you were warned of this, you were told to expect this. Dating a superhero meant that he was never solely yours. You were sharing your boyfriend with someone, except that someone was the world. 

“Hiiii!” a shrill voice broke your thought, calling you by name. A blonde woman, followed by a brunette emerged from the gathering of art-goers, headed towards you. “It’s been a long while!”

“Hey! Yeah, it’s been awhile,” you waved, recognizing the two. 

When they reached you, you were aware of the slight tension in the air, leaving the three of you standing awkwardly. After all, these two were your ex-colleagues and you didn’t exactly leave the previous gallery on good terms. Tonight was a night with masks, it seemed.

“So, how are you two doing?” you decided to get it over with.

“We’re fine, everyone’s fine! But how are you? We heard you worked here now, pretty impressive,” the brunette —Claire— winked at you. You laughed.

“Yeah, it’s so nice seeing you again, and at the Whitney? The pay must be good, you know what I’m saying?” Hilda chimed, knocking her elbows with yours. You didn’t appreciate it but you endured.

 “Say, what are you doing over here far away? Why not you join us over there,” Hilda pointed, towards a mounted canvas at the end of the hall. It was occupied by two men in a discussion among themselves. “Chat a bit to catch up, a bit of art philosophical debate in between. What do you say?”

You contemplated her offer, not wanting to seem pretentious, but thought about the false flattery and ego-stroking that would sure ensue in their company. The thought of it drained you.

“It’s okay,” you waved them off nervously. “I have to call my boyfriend sooner, gotta check up on him and let him know I’m... alright.” You held up your phone, playing on convincing.

“Oh? He isn’t here tonight?” Claire seemed to feign worry. 

“No, he got caught up with something. He’s a busy man,” you cooked up an excuse. No one could know. 

“Okay… In that case, we’ll leave you to it. Maybe we’ll bump into each other sooner.”

“Yeah, I’ll see you guys soon.”

They waved before backing away into the mass of patrons. You let out a breath you didn’t know you held in. 

While the interaction was unexpected, this was what you had to deal with when it came to the question of your relationship. The excuses, they became second nature to you. The lies. The deceit. Anything to protect Steve’s identity, and inadvertently, you.

Throughout the night, you mingled with any clients interested in a work of art, all the while stepping out of Hilda and Claire’s line of sight. You didn’t wish a repeat of the earlier evening.

When the crowd started dwindling, signalling the end of the night, you were relieved of your duties. You headed straight for the restrooms after, one getaway before leaving. You huddled yourself in a cubicle, locking it shut.

Seconds in, you heard the creak of the restroom door followed by the clicks of heels.

“Can you believe it? Someone like that got the chance of working here.” 

You recognized the nasally tone. It was Claire. 

“Yeah? Not like she deserves it. I mean look at her? Demure, slow. It’s like talking to a mouse. I bet she’s a prude too.” That was Hilda.

The gushing of the faucet muffled their voices, but their sharp words were clear as day, your ear catching every snark and hiss.

“And when she was talking about her boyfriend? He probably doesn’t even exist, it was just to get off our backs,” Hilda paused. “Last time I heard, her boyfriend dumped her. So, I guess she’s creating imaginary ones now.” 

They both cackled.

By now, you knew they were talking about you. Their words didn’t hurt as much, you knew the colour of their hearts beneath the masks. But was that how people viewed your hidden relationship? A facade? A farce?

Once the door clicked shut, and the tapping of their heels faded, you left the restroom, heart feeling heavier.

(y/n) [6:45 PM]: stay safe stevie ! remember to hydrate

(y/n) [6:46 PM]: punch those meanies

(y/n) [6:46 PM]: (`⌒*)⍟-(`⌒´Q)

Steve chuckled when he turned on his phone, amused at your texts. You always sent him good luck messages every time he went off for missions. Although he didn’t seem to get the emoticons that you sent, even after being taught by Peter Parker. He just didn’t get them.

Steve dialed your number, sitting on the edge of the bed as he dried his washed hair. Beeps ringed before you picked up, your smooth lilt permeating the speakers. 

“Hello? Stevie?”

Steve smiled, missing the caress of your voice after a day filled with explosions and cries.

“Hello, sweetheart,” he greeted. “How’s my girl been?”

“Great, now that you called,” you teased. “But are ‘you’ fine?” you emphasized.

On the other end of the line, you mirrored his position, sitting on one corner of the bed. Picking the newspaper in your lap, you observed the front page: ‘Avengers saves the Arctic!’ 

“Same old, same old,” his voice carries. “Listen, about yesterday—“

“It’s okay,” you interrupted him, other hand gripping the newspaper. “You have to protect the Earth and that also means me. You don’t have to apologize, I knew what I signed up for.” 

Did you? Or was it now a hollow statement to convince yourself?

“I still want to make up for it, my girl deserves that much,” he responded.

You slowly unclenched the paper. It left Steve’s form crinkled.

“If you want to sooo bad,” you exaggerated. “There’s a Valentines charity ball for our arts program in three weeks time. You think you could make it this time?”

“You know no promises, but I plan to, even if I have to do everyone’s laundry for a week.” You heard rustling on the other line. “What’s the exact date? I’ll put it on my calendar.” 

“The 16th.” Scratchy scribbling filled your ear, the sound loud in the silence. 

“Done. Can’t wait to see you all dolled up, sweetheart.”

“Me too, baby,” you said. “At least put on a nice moustache this time.”

He laughed. Your heart felt lighter. To him, it was probably nothing, but to you, it was a form of reassurance. A reassurance that what you had was real.

“Steve, you got a moment?”

The aforementioned man turned around, taking a glance over his shoulder. Sharon Carter slowed to a stop, a small smile on her face. As always, she carried an air of superiority, matching that of Steve’s wavelength. Yet today, it seemed dim.

“I think we need to talk, you have time for coffee?”

Glancing at his watch, he nodded. “Sure, Sharon. Lead the way.”

She took them outside of S.H.I.E.L.D and into the chilly air of DC, navigating through streets and crowds while huddling in their coats. They chatted, breaths puffing as they caught up, the familiar scenes passing by.

He hadn’t been in DC in awhile, it felt good to be back. 

“We’re here.”

Sharon headed in first, holding the door for him. He thanked her. They ordered and got seated. A smile was shared, strained as it seemed. 

“Better just rip the band-aid off,” Sharon sighed. “I miss us.” 

“Sharon—“

“Please, hear me out first,” she insisted, showing her palm. “We probably shouldn’t have done what we’ve done after Aunt Peggy’s funeral. I just lost someone I looked up to the most, and you lost the woman that you loved. We were both grieving. It wasn’t fair to the both of us.”

“While I do miss us, I know that it wasn’t meant to be,” she continued, shooting a sombre smile. “I understand that now. I guess, what I wanted was closure.”

Her hand quivered on the table between them. Steve clasped his over hers, offering to soothe.

“I don’t regret what happened in Germany. While yes, it should have not happened, it was what we thought we needed at that time. We both lost someone we held dear,” Steve explained, hoping his words reached her. “None of it was a mistake, Sharon. You’re still someone I trust and hold dear, remember that.”

Steve clutched her hand tighter, running his thumb over her knuckles in circular motions, attempting to calm and show understanding.

In his efforts, unknown to the two, the shutter of a camera went off across the street.

Something felt off. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. At first, you thought it was your own anxious mind running. 

You woke up late on a work day, burned your eggs and toast, accidentally wore unmatching socks, and your roommate was acting weird. All jittery when you entered the hall, stammering her words, and performing this bizarre dance when you walked past the living room. You gave her no mind when you passed the threshold and slammed the door, phone gripped in hand.

Loverboy [6:00 AM]: Good morning, dear 

Loverboy [6:01 AM]: [image]

A photo of Steve, sweaty after a run showed on the screen. He was smiling, shirt stained and clinging to his chest. You had taught him how to take selfies.

You [7:20 AM]: morning, handsome

You [7:20 AM]: 😍😍😍 

The morning texts were the best part of your morning commute. It made the arduous and packed journey worthwhile. Even when you almost tripped at the doors, it couldn’t take away your joy.

You made it just in time and clocked in, meeting clients and discussions with artists throughout the day. It was uneventful, although the bad luck seemed to have followed when you spilled your coffee on the concrete.

It was when you left the museum that your day took a turn for the worst.

On the ride home, the man opposite you was reading a newspaper. Nothing unusual, but at a glance, you thought you saw a familiar face printed on the corner. Before you could take a closer look, the man folded it in half and got off.

A few minutes later, you arrived at your stop, exiting the station with the fast-paced crowd. That’s when you were bombarded.

Lining the streets, your vision was filled with the scattering of a crowd of papers. Every face you saw was plastered in them.

‘The Good Captain In Love?’

‘A Superhero & A Civilian Romance?’ 

‘Captain America’s Girl? Mysterious Woman Sighted’

The sight of them left you in a panic, your anxiety spiking through the roof. Your world started spinning, everything —buildings, trees, faces— blending altogether. Everywhere your eyes deflected, a headline invaded your sight, imprinting itself on your retinas. Had they found out?

Composing yourself, you headed towards the nearest news stall, mind boggled with too many questions and not enough answers. How? Why? When?

Only, it wasn’t your face they were publishing.

‘“Oh Captain, My Captain” America in love? Spotted last week in DC was Captain Steven Rogers with a mysterious lady. They seemed to be cozy with each other, an eyewitness told Us Weekly. Story on Page 11.’

The photograph showcased Steve with a blonde woman, sitting in a café with their hands clasped on the table. Your heart shattered at the sight, remembering how empty yours have felt lately. 

Was he purposely out with this woman in public? What did that mean for you? Why were you shadowed?

“Are you and Steve… okay?”

“She’s creating imaginary ones now.”

“Aren’t you tired? Of all this sneaking around?”

“You know that’s a hard thing for me to do.”

“Hey lady, you gonna pay for that?”

You were shaken out of your stupor. Looking down, you were clutching the magazine too hard, ripping the image of Steve and the woman in half, right in the middle where their hands met.

You apologized to the man and paid for the magazine. Immediately discarding it in the next trash bin you saw.

“So… you and Sharon?” Sam had asked him after training.

“What?” 

“You, and, Sharon,” Sam emphasized, pronouncing each syllable. “Are together. Man, when were you gonna tell me? I thought it was over.”

Steve froze before replying, “Because it is. A long time ago.”

“Well, this seems to say otherwise.” 

Sam showed him his phone, the screen displaying an article; ‘Captain America’s Girl Revealed. A Family Affair That Transcends Time.’ On top of the article was a photo of him and Sharon at the cafe in DC, his hand atop of hers on the table. A zoomed in version of their hands were provided, fueling the tabloid’s narrative.

Steve paled at the sight. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This was his fears manifested; his anonymity taken, his privacy invaded, but his worst fear was putting his loved ones in danger. And if it was due to their association with him, it would leave him racked with guilt. 

While the tabloids were wrong, he knew that Sharon could defend for herself. You on the other hand… 

His heart rate rose, a new wave of anxiety spiked. Steve wondered if you’ve seen this. No, you must’ve seen this. 

Fishing for his phone, with clammy hands, Steve quickly dialed your number, anxiously waiting for the beeping to end. 

‘The number you’ve dialed is not—‘

“Damn it!”

His outburst surprised Sam, shocking him. Sam gave him a look, inquisitive. 

“Sorry Sam, I have to run.” 

He left, heart in his throat.

When Steve arrived at your apartment, he was almost out of breath. He was still anxious, the ride here not doing much to his addled mind. But he was determined.

Rapidly knocking on your front door, Steve composed himself. When it opened, he was met with the sight of your roommate -- the one that he has never met before.

“Ca-Captain America?” she yelped, shocked to see him on the doorstep.

“Is your roommate in?” he steeled.

“Which one—” 

“Steve,” a voice interrupted.

The door pulled further, widening the entrance. Steve was met with your familiar roommate. She was tense, arms locked across her chest, eyes full of fury. Steve detected something else in them; worry.

“You fucked up,” she said. He winced.

“I know,” he admitted. “And I’m here to make things right. Can I please see her?”

She sighed, stepping in, nodding towards your room. 

Steve hastily walked in, stopping in front of your door. He knocked thrice, signalling you, before turning the knob. It was unlocked. The room was dark when he entered, every source of light switched off, except for your curtains. 

Sitting on the edge of the bed was you, figure illuminated by the street lights against pitch black darkness. When he stepped in closer, you looked up, eyes meeting his. 

Steve turned on the lights and closed the door. He took a good look at you; hair frazzled, eyes bloodshot and dry, nose red. You were the image of heartbreak.

“Are you ashamed of me?” you asked, eyes locked with his. 

“What? No, I—“

“Is it because I’m not strong?” you cut him off. “I know she’s Peggy’s niece… a-and I know how much you loved her. She was your first love.”

“She and I, it’s all in the past. She moved on and lived her life, and I… did too.”

“But did you really, Steve? Move on?” you whispered, getting up. You stood in front of him. Steve could see how puffed your eyes were from crying. “Or was I just… a rebound?”

“No. No, you were never a rebound,” he took hold of your forearms. “I care for you, too much.”

“Then why?!” you shrieked, shocking Steve. “Why the secrets? Why the hiding? Steve, you’ve never even introduced me to your friends. Shouldn’t they know?”

“I wanted to protect you!”

“Protect me from what?!” you roared, eyes full of fury. “The Avengers? If they knew about me, they would protect me. Don’t you think so?”

Steve had no words to that, his mind a jumbled mess.

“I’m… beginning to think that you’re embarrassed with me,” you sighed. “We’ve never been on a date publicly, as each other. We’ve never held hands in public. I want you to meet my friends. I want to introduce you to them, and maybe soon, I want you to meet my family.”

“B-but, I’m tired, Steve. Tired of all the hiding. Of all the sneaking around. I want to tell the world that I’m in love with Steve Rogers, not Captain America,” you sighed, shedding a few tears.

You waited for his reply, only to be disappointed. 

“You know I can’t do that.”

You saw red. All you saw was red. 

You started pushing him, swatting him in the chest. Steve didn’t fight back, letting you unleash your anger, your disappointment. He took your hits, letting you release your pent up emotions. He began backing away when you started advancing, back against the door.

“Get out! Get out!” you screeched, pushing him.

When he unlocked the door and crossed, you immediately shut the door in his face. Steve heard sobbing from inside, his heart shattering at the sounds. 

“This way, Captain,” your roommate approached him, showing him to the door.

Steve relented, shame flooding him. He fucked up.

You stopped visiting The Sleeping Cat, wanting to avoid him at all costs. You blocked his number. You immersed yourself in your work, prepping for the upcoming charity gala. 

Sometimes you find yourself thinking about him when sleep proved to be difficult. It’s when you’re laying at night that you missed him the most.

But it was for the best, you reasoned. For you and him.

The Avengers PR had pushed for a fix-it, publishing a story that spoke a truth. ‘Just Friends: Romantic Allegations Proved False’. Steve had hoped you’d seen it. 

He called you every day but found himself blocked from everything. He still tried, hoping you’d come around one day. He came by The Sleeping Cat every other day, sitting in the same spot, hoping to catch you. 

But you never came.

You clasped the necklace in place, admiring how it sat on your clavicle through the mirror. You took a step back and took yourself in, smiling at what you saw. It didn’t reach your eyes.

Today was the day of the Valentines gala and you weren’t feeling particularly giddy about it. 

Opening your phone, you stared at the one contact that stood out, finger hovering over his name. That name used to give you so many feelings, but today it was a reminder that you were going alone, again.

Sighing, you threw it in your purse and left. Another lonely night, and on an even celebrating love.

Days turned into weeks, and soon, before he knew it, the day of your Valentines gala arrived. 

Steve stared at the calendar. The heart-shaped doodle he drew called out to him, reminding him of fond memories. Fond memories that seemed like a distant dream. But then, he went back to last week, and it all came crashing.

He had hurt you. While thinking he was protecting you, he hadn’t realized he was inadvertently pushing you away. He had no one to blame but himself. 

He loved you. No, still loves you. You grounded him, gave him the normalcy that he craved. Reminded him of a distant time before he was Captain America. 

You made him feel like the boy from Brooklyn again.

While he was ruminating in his feelings, Steve was caught off-guard when the door burst open with Tony Stark coming through. From his peripheral, he could see Bucky and Sam peeking through the frame.

“Heard from the Manchurian Candidate that someone has a case of the achy breaky heart,” Tony said, smug.

“Leave me alone, Tony. I’m not in the mood,” he grumbled, setting down the calendar. 

“And leave you wallowing like shit while your girl is out there probably equally miserable? I know a thing or two about women, Rogers, and it’s that they don’t like to be kept waiting.”

Tony snapped his fingers and from behind, Sam came in with a tuxedo in hand.

“Thought you might need this,” Sam said. 

Bucky came out behind him, with a brush and can of hairspray. “And I still know how to do hair.”

“And I have friends in places,” Tony quipped. “I can get you in.”

Steve was surprised. His friends had surprised him. You would’ve loved them. He was left speechless.

“What are you waiting for, Cap? Suit up.” Tony winked.

Swirling the glass of rosé, your gaze fell towards the dance floor. An upbeat song was being played as people flocked near the middle, letting their bodies take charge for the night. You saw your former co-workers among the throng, hands thrown around their significant others, having the time of their lives.

The gala was in full swing, if the crowd and chatter was any indication. Red and roses were the main theme, with a red carpet stretching from the grand staircase towards the main hall and roses lining every corner and wall. Taking it all in, you were proud to see your ideas visualized and work came to fruition.

You sipped your rosé, enjoying every bit of the gala as you could. From the sidelines, you spoke with a few potential clients and art collectors. Their presence made you feel your importance, and if you dared say it, a little less lonely.

It was during one of your little chats that you didn’t realize when the hall suddenly fell quiet. You turned around when you felt a tap on your shoulder.

“Hi folks, mind if I crash your party?”

Steve smiled at Tony’s antics. They both had arrived at the gallery dressed in their best, and with Tony’s connections, they were granted access. 

Stepping down the grand staircase, Steve felt all eyes on him. He paid them no mind, the thought of you the only occupant of his racing mind. Gazing over the crowd, Steve spotted you to the side, occupied in a chatter. 

Taking deliberate steps, Steve soon found himself behind you. He admired your gown and hair, it entranced him. You still hadn’t registered his presence, even when your partner had ceased chatting and was now staring at him.

With a tap on your shoulder, he was taken away as immediately as you spun around. Steve took in your whole image; your dolled-up face, your intricate dress, your styled hair. It left him floored.

You always did manage to take his breath away. Was this what he had been missing out all this time?

Taking your unoccupied hand, Steve pressed a small kiss before meeting your eyes. 

“May I have this dance?”

Giving away your drink, you took his hand as he pulled your towards the centre, taking space among the crowd. A slow number started, and before you realized, you were swept in a slow dance. It didn’t take long before you felt the sensation of his two left feet.

“Sorry, a hundred years and you’d think I’d know how to dance,” he said.

A small smile lightened your face. Steve savoured it all he could. Gulping, he took the first step.

“I’m... sorry for what I’ve done. I realize now that you were right,” he started. “I thought I was protecting you, but now I see that all it did was push you away. You have all the rights to be mad at me. I was being an idiot, a selfish one. I didn’t think about how you felt about it.”

You winced. Steve had stepped on your toes again. He murmured an apology, resorting to swaying instead.

“Can we start again? No more hiding. No more disguises,” he breathed, keeping his eyes locked on yours. “ We can meet your friends, you can meet mine. Bucky’s been pestering me to bring you to the compound, he wants to meet you.”

You laughed. How Steve had missed the tune.

“How can I make it up to you? How do you want to take the first step? A picnic at Central Park? Dinner at the compound? A trip to the beach?”

You seemed to contemplate, a thoughtful look on your face. You both failed to realize all the eyes on you two.

“How about now?”

“Right here? Right now?” he asked.

“Yes, right here, right now,” you said, determined.

Without hesitation —no more— Steve dived in, planting a kiss on your wine-coloured lips for the whole world to see. Your first kiss in public, yet it felt as if it was only the two of you there, lost in the moment. 

You both didn’t notice the gasping crowd nor the clicks of cameras from photographers nor the booming laughter of Tony Stark. You both only felt the other in your orbit, and that was all that mattered.

“Can you put that down? You’ve been staring at it for the past hour.”

You pouted, setting the frame on the side table, where it has been designated since its publication. 

“I can’t help it, I think it’s a good shot. Don’t you think so, Alpine?” you petted the snowy white cat lazing on the arm of the sofa. Its’ purrs intensified.

“Dinner’s ready!” Bucky shouted.

You and Steve left the room, joining the others in the dining room for dinner. On the side table, the framed article sat neatly, showcasing the tale of the famed occurrence that took place at a charity gala.

‘America’s Girl: The Modern Woman of The Captain’s Dreams.’

Fin.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #steve rogers imagine #steve rogers fanfiction #fluff #angst #steve rogers fluff #steve rogers angst #happyhoelentinesday2021

[siswritesyanderes]

How about Yandere!Hogwart Founders?

I’m not sure if you mean each of them or all of them at once, but BOY am I going to go with all of them at once! (Also, I’m doing this in second person, because you didn’t give any POV guidelines.)

—

You are a peer to them, but you’re no scholar; you just happen to work at the tavern where they often meet up. Rowena would drag you into their debates before she even knew your name.

“Miss, you know I’m not as smart as any of you, don’t you?” you would say, uncomfortably.

(“You’re making them uncomfortable, Rowena,” Helga observed the first time it happened, flashing an apologetic look your way.)

“I’m aware that your intelligence is of a non-academic bent, if that’s what you’re asking,” Rowena said, “but academia doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Inevitably there are things hovering in other spheres of knowledge that we collectively fail to account for; an additional perspective is never wasted.”

“You’re just hoping they’ll be intimidated into agreeing with you,” Godric said (causing Salazar to roll his eyes; observing the gambit aloud was so much less interesting than piling onto it with a gambit of one’s own. What a waste.). Godric winked at you. “You don’t have to answer her questions if you don’t want to.”

But you did answer the questions, where possible. Sometimes you didn’t even know how to begin to address the topics they mulled over together, but when you had a thought (and when that thought was asked for) you shared it.

You felt positively stupid, in their presence, but the way Rowena seemed able to peel some bit of wisdom out of anything you said, and the way Helga nodded along encouragingly as you spoke, and the way Godric grinned at you as though his expectations from other people were so low that any semi-coherent string of words was alright by him, and the way that Salazar seemed indifferent to whether or not you said anything at all brought you out of your shell somewhat.

You just knew that everyone (except for Rowena, whose mind was running at such a high level that you expected she could have found something profound in chipmunk chatter just as easily) was only humoring you if not altogether ignoring you, until one day Salazar interrupted Rowena with a calm, “But that’s not what they said, though, is it Rowena?”

“Pardon?” Rowena said, just as mildly.

“You misunderstood their point entirely. What they actually said was…” And then he proceeded to rephrase your statement in a much cleverer way, calling attention to the slight semantic divergence in what Rowena had assumed you meant.

Helga hummed in acknowledgement. “Sal’s right. That is what they said.”

“Interesting…” Rowena mulled it over.

From that day on, you began to notice that they were paying attention to you. You began to hear your name in their conversations even when you weren’t with them, when you were moving about the tavern or tidying up the bar. And you became aware that Salazar seemed to always be keeping track of you- not watching constantly, but his gaze would flick to you if you moved from one part of the room to another, or if someone else moved closer to you.

One day, a drunken customer was a bit too close. Not threatening or even hostile, but awkwardly close and flirtatious as you wiped up a spill on the counter. That was nothing new; you smiled at him uncomfortably and carried on working. It was a busy day in the tavern; anyone would have been forgiven for not noticing the man, but across the room, Salazar whispered a few words to Godric, and a second later Gryffindor was shoving the drunken man away from you with a casual flick of his wand.

“Why don’t you come sit with us?” he offered, taking a moment to glare darkly at the man as he stumbled away.

“I shouldn’t…” you said, glancing over at his table to see Helga beckoning warmly. “I’m supposed to be cleaning up…”

“We’ll see to it that your employers don’t trouble you over it,” he assured.

And they did.

Every time they came to the tavern- which was every day, now -they asked you to sit with them, and every time you sat with them, they left several Galleons behind, for the tavern and for you.

You sat between Godric and Salazar, placing you entirely in the corner, practically in shadows. Helga asked what you wanted to eat and drink; she refused to let you sit there without eating something. Godric joked with and about you, sometimes wrapping an arm around your shoulders companionably. Rowena kept probing you for your opinions on things outside your understanding and pretending your answers were smart. Salazar continued appearing to ignore you while paying extremely close attention. You started to feel quite comfortable with them.

So you didn’t think much of it when they started to ask where you lived, how you lived, who you lived with.

“That area,” Salazar weighed in, sniffing with distaste. “Crawling with Muggles, isn’t it.”

“Don’t start,” Helga chided.

“You know they burn magical people at the stake,” Salazar continued.

“They burn each other at the stake, misidentifying magic,” Rowena corrected. She only seemed to be half-in the conversation, as most of her attention was on the sketches she was making of their school’s floor plan. (You had asked her about those before and couldn’t fathom the sorts of magic she planned to imbue in the stones themselves, in the stairs and doors. Layers on layers, shifting and changing.)

“They do manage to catch witches and wizards who don’t know how to defend themselves,” Salazar said pointedly. “Hence why we are doing any of this in the first place.” He gestured at her sketches.

“You’re beating around the bush, Sal,” Godric said, rather lightly considering the subject at hand. He turned to face you, then. “Maybe you should stay with us.”

You blinked a few times. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we’re all living in Rowena’s manor, for the time being. Maybe you should stay there with us, rather than live where you risk discovery.”

“You don’t have to go to work, either,” Helga said, then blushed a little. “Hard work is a virtue, but I…we worry about you, in a place like this. It can get rowdy.”

“Are you…Are you being serious?” How were you supposed to agree to something like this, out of nowhere, from people you hadn’t known for more than a year, maximum?

“We like having you around,” Rowena said candidly, still sketching as though barely aware of the conversation she was in. “We miss you when we leave here, or when you’re absent. It’d be nice to have you…” Then she trailed off, as if finally losing focus completely. She added a note to her sketch.

“…have you in the manor with us,” Godric finished for her. “And then when our school is finished, you can live there with us as well. It would be perfect.”

“I don’t know…” You shift nervously.

“Now you’re all beating around the bush,” Salazar said, then looked you directly in the eye, which was rare. “I already offered to owl the tavern a hundred Galleons a week if you stay in the manor with us. I’m pretty sure they’ll fire you if you refuse, and if you find other employment, I can make the same deal with them.”

“Sal, how indelicate,” Helga said, although her tone was not nearly scornful enough. “I’m sure we could have convinced them without-”

“Well, now we won’t have to,” Salazar said succinctly.

“It was a creative solution,” Rowena opined. “So long as they don’t take issue with it.”

“I take issue,” you stammered out.

“Then that’s a new problem,” Rowena sighed, sliding her sketches over to Godric. “But I have a few questions for you: Do you like working here, or do you only do it to survive?”

“Of course I work to survive, but…” You can’t figure out an end to your sentence; you’re too flustered.

“Well, survival is something we can provide; we’re fairly wealthy. We can keep you in comfort. Do you like living in your current home, or do you live there because you had nowhere else to be?”

“That’s not fair,” you protest.

“And that’s not an answer,” Godric said. “The point is this: You can be happier with us than you are here, and we will be happier if you are with us than if you are not.” He held Rowena’s sketch up close to his eyes, set it back down on the table, added another note, and slid it back to her.

“We really do want you to be happy,” Helga emphasized. “Salazar included.”

“We also don’t think it benefits you or us when you interact with other people,” Rowena said whilst eyeing Godric’s edits. “Godric and Sal were quite close to hexing the-”

“Ro,” Godric interrupted. “Maybe a bit less candid?”

Rowena frowned perplexedly at him. “But it bolsters our argument. No one stands to benefit from them being around other people. Eventually, one of us is going to curse someone- it’ll probably be you.”

“What? Why me?”

“Salazar is the most possessive, but he wouldn’t settle for cursing someone under most circumstances; he’d unravel the person’s entire life. Helga would harm anyone who upset our dear one, but she’d do something more in the vein of incapacitation than violence: turn them into a badger, maybe.” (Helga chuckled as though the idea appealed to her.) “And I would curse someone, but I feel you’d likely get to them first, as I imagine I would have a more convoluted way of doing it than you would. And at any rate, your tolerance is lower. You’ve gotten angry with people for brushing against them by accident, whereas I just don’t like it when they talk to them.” Rowena handed the sketch over to Salazar. “This is good.”

There was a pause in which you could have said something, but you couldn’t imagine what. Protestation got you nowhere, and it was quite clear to you that you weren’t skilled enough at magic to get away from them if you tried.

“Inside the walls?” Salazar observed, tracing a finger along the page’s incoherent web of ink.

“Where else would we keep them?”

“Is a room that only we can enter too straightforward?”

“Well, they’ll need space,” Helga said. “To take walks, and things. It’s only healthful. This way, they can roam freely without being troubled by students or staff.”

“I don’t…” Your voice gave up on you. Godric patted you on the back as if consoling you over your weak attempt.

“We can talk about this at home,” Helga said gently. “Come on; let’s go.”

Godric guided you to your feet (You didn’t resist.), and Salazar’s hand hovered near your elbow as you rose, as if ready to catch you if you fell or grab you if you pitched in either direction.

Helga drew you into an embrace and walked with you into the fireplace. “Ravenclaw manor,” she said, and she dropped the Floo powder, and you were devoured by green flames.

#male yandere #yandere #yandere gryffindor #yandere hufflepuff #yandere ravenclaw #yandere slytherin #yandere godric #yandere helga #yandere rowena #yandere salazar #yandere hogwarts founders

[kyidyl]

Can we talk about art for a second?

I’m pretty sure none of you are following me for art content because that’s just not what I do normally, but I’ve been working on some stuff and I just wanted to share. Here’s my current WIP:

I’m using sketchbook on my iPad Pro, and...can we just talk about process for a second? I’m gonna put this behind a cut just in case it gets long and because this isn’t my normal content. 

So I’ve been drawing almost my entire life, but I didn’t really start teaching myself anything good until around 9th grade (which is like...14 years old.). I started by copying Disney characters and then I was introduced to comic books and I copied those. I was in college when digital art start making its way into the art world. People would color their pencil drawings (this was shortly before tablets, so...with a mouse.). I grew into an artist around the time people like Aimee Major and Stephanie Lostimolo were really starting to stand out. And I don’t know about other fandoms, but I was in the gargoyles fandom and from what I can tell...a LOT of modern digital art has its genesis in that fandom. Anyway, what I’m trying to say here is that I started using photoshop with version 3.0 and I’ve had a Wacom tablet almost since the day they came out (gen one graphire tablet represent!).

I’ve never, in all that time, gotten the hang of digital painting. I have a hard time with tablets because you can’t tilt them like you can tilt a paper and it takes a weird sort of hand-eye-screen coordination that I just never mastered. But digital art is so beautiful that I’ve always WANTED to be able to do it. I can make graphics and edit photos but I have a hard time with painting. I have seen the million myriad ways of doing it, and most of them start with the same idea: lay down flats and then lighten or darken as necessary. And this never worked for me because a, the airbrush tool isn’t painterly enough for me and b, it takes for goddamned EVER. For. Ever. And I’m a fast artist! I can spit out a whole line drawing in like a half hour-45 mins with traditional media. But I have adhd, and so finishing long term large scale detailed projects is often not in the cards for me. So dumping like 48 hours of work time into a painting isn’t going to work for me.

But recently I’ve gotten back into art again and I’ve been watching the sky artist of the year and I decided I was curious about oil painting and, well, one hyperfixation later, here we are. I don’t have the money or space for actual oil painting, so I went to sketchbook to see if there was an alternative, and there is! So because I wanted to learn how to oil paint I finally figured out how to digitally paint and I’m gonna share that with you in case you, like me, struggle with the time input and focus required to do digital art.

First, I started practicing poses by drawing an outline over any image that caught my fancy. I have a good understanding of human anatomy because of my science background, but my poses aren’t creative and I especially struggle with perspective and multiple figures in an image. So I started to do line drawings over an image. Here’s the stock image I used for the WIP:

Look at all that fabric! Look at the movement! I love it. So I traced it:

Yes, TRACED, because tracing is a tool like anything else.

Then I choose colors. I pick 5: a midtone (the color you want the thing to be perceived as. In my case, you can see it in the WIP at the top.), a slight dark, a slight light, a blackened tone for deep shadow, and a very light tone for highlights. I always default to white light when choosing these colors, and I’ll get to my reasoning further down. The palette for the robe looks like this:

(Ignore the tan and blue, they’re for another project)

Then you start to lay down flats. Now, I do this with the synthetic oil brush in sketchbook because I like the texture (this image though I’d laid down the flats with the airbrush months ago and didn’t want to redo it, hence the lack of texture and the 100% opacity.), and as with oils, my approach to digital now is to layer rather than cover. Staying in the lines isn’t important. In fact, you should go outside of the lines because it will help you get shadows and highlights along the edges later. What IS important is putting everything on different layers. When in doubt, new layer. I work from back to front, which means that the base layer is the background. In front of that is the skin, in front of that is the robe, in front of that is the teal inside of the robe, in front of that is accessories. Hair varies depending on what’s going on with the image. Here I’ll probably put it between the skin and robe. Ask yourself: what is this covered by? And the use that to decide layer placement. Special effects are a whole other thing, as are highlights. I’ll get to that in a second tho.

The next step is to create an oversketch. This serves much the same function as an undersketch in oil painting, only in reverse because your reference photo is under - and covered - by your work. I started doing it because as I was painting I was flicking the layer on and off, making it transparent, whatever just to see where the shadows are on the reference image. It was a real pain in the rear. So I started making the blobs and borders of the highlights and shadows with an oversketch. You don’t need a method for telling which boundaries are for shadows and which are highlights because for that you can just turn the layer on and off. Just mark where the General shapes are. Here’s the oversketch for this drawing:

See? Blobs of General Area. When you’re painting, use them to lay down color and then turn them off when you’re blending because they’re not part of the final image and you don’t want to end up with gaps that were covered by the over sketch. To do this, I use the 9b pencil tool and black, but tbh just se whatever you like. That’s just my preference.

Now, for the shading. I started by trying a bunch of different natural media brushes but I eventually ended up sticking on a kind of weird choice: the fan brush. I keep the flow around 20%, which gives me these nice textured marks to lay down color, but then if I don’t lift the pencil up it stops laying down color and instead starts to blend. This means a, I can make it as smooth or painterly as I like with one tool and b, I can paint and blend with the same tool. No more muddying up my drawings by over-blending with the smudge. No losing the texture while blending because it blends with the texture. And the shape of the fan brush allows me to be smudgy with I like, but also will do hard edges. Plus the blending thins out the colors so I can get neat effects by laying down colors on top of each other because it stays a little transparent. You end up needing to lay down a lot of “paint” to get opacity but that’s ok because it allows you to make more complex colors. That’s good, because things like skin aren’t a color. They’re chemical: they’re melanin in cells over blood vessels and muscle and skin is transparent. Even very dark skinned people have undertones. So when you build up paint this way you can capture undertones without ruining your painting. Which, I’m pretty sure, is how it works in oils. But it translates well to digital.

So at this point, painting your image is basically a calming adult coloring book. You lay down color, blend, check your reference, repeat. But a few things to keep in mind:

- Take note of the darkest and lightest areas of the image. Nothing should be lighter or darker than these areas. Nothing in the drawing above will be darker than her back because that’s the darkest area of the painting.

- See the trees and the forest. Sometimes a detail doesn’t make any sense until you’ve seen it in context. Trust your guide and your photo reference. But also make sure that you don’t get so stuck in the details that you can’t relate one area to another. A fold that goes through two areas should be consistent across those two areas, even if you painted them separately. An area might seem dark in comparison to what’s next to it, but it isn’t as dark as the darkest area of the image so don’t go whole hog. Keep it in context.

- Folds in clothing aren’t nonsensical. They are a result of the movement and weight of the fabric. Ergo, the shadows and highlights that create them should also make sense.

- If you’re having a hard time figuring out where the highlights and shadows are, make a copy of the reference image layer and desaturate in, then turn off the colored reference layer.

Lastly, I’m finding it helpful to keep the highlights from colored light on its own layer. I didn’t used to do this, I used to use the colored light as one of my highlight colors. But the truth is that most objects are shaded by more than one light source, and so I’ve decided to do all the shading as white light and then the green (which will eventually be from some kind of green magic.) is on a different layer. My reasoning for this is that it helps keep the integrity of the shading and it prevents the colors from bending too much and getting muddy. So if I add a green highlight and I don’t like it then it’s easy to remove. I don’t have a highlight and shading that’s now ruined by green because I’ve been using light flow brushes. So colored light on its own layer. How much of a highlight you give it entirely depends on how strong your light sources is and whatnot. So far I’m satisfied with just hitting the high points, but I may change that later on.

When you’re done painting the area, go ahead and erase all of the excess paint around the edges of it and clean it up. I like to leave the black outline as part of the image, but if you don’t want to do that you should turn it on and off as necessary while painting so you can make sure to fill in gaps and get clean lines between the areas of color.

So if you made it all the way down here, thanks for reading my ramble. :)

#art #images #painting #digital art #digital painting #method #how to #reference image #sketchbook #ipad painting #ipad #hobbies #drawing #art help

[superherotigerarchives]

Hey Luna!

 It's so great to hear from you! I've been alright, had a few health problems last week but I'm back on track and doing much better now. And yeah isn't Emfy awesome?! I should draw her sometime :D As for you sketch request, I thought you might like this Light in the Dark inspired picture instead! (Don't fear, I haven't given up on the story, I've just been super busy with work!)

And though I can't give you a date, I can give you a preview of the next chapter, The Star Gaze! Hope you enjoy, and may the force be with you, always!

The Star Gaze snippet below the cut:

...

Sabine's POV I turned to my side, the wooden frame of the bed creaking at my unrest. The room was shrouded in darkness, and the painted walls and colourful murals seemed dull in the dim glow of moonlight from outside the window. A cool breeze wafted across my skin, but I didn't feel the chill. I didn't feel anything, in fact. I was completely and utterly, empty. Shifting my gaze across the roof, my eyes fixed onto the painting directly above my head. It was a simple tribute to the family I'd grown to love, with Kanan, Hera, Zeb, and even Ezra held in a headlock by the the older boy. I had added the blue haired orphan to the mural not long after he'd joined the crew, specifically the day after he stood up to that bully in my defence. It was an act of loyalty, one he continued to show in the weeks that followed, treating me as an equal, and as a friend. And for that reason I thought it was only fitting to include him in the painting. In fact all of them had proven their friendship over the two years I had stayed with the family. When I first met Kanan, leading him on a wild chase through the streets after trying to steal some food, he hadn't treated me like a thief, but rather someone who was lost and in need of guidance. I had only been planning to linger in the city long enough to regain my energy after running away from my border school back in Mandalore, where my parents had dumped me and the Imperials reigned over the city from the shadows. So not knowing my way around the new town, I had accidentally trapped myself in a dead end alley, the officer blocking my only escape. But he didn't approach, even as I spat sharp insults at him. 'We don't have to fight,' I remember him saying. 'I can help you.' 'I don't need help by the likes of you,' my words had tumbled out, eyes narrowed into slits. His teal gaze was gentle and understanding, stating rationally 'The nights get cold here, in Lothal. Without proper shelter you'll freeze to death.' 'I'd rather die," I hissed, knowing fully if he arrested me and learnt my true identity, I'd be shipped back to Mandalore without a second thought. And I would never let that happen, not after everything I'd seen... But the officer didn't falter, quickly gazing over me before he observed 'You're Mandalorian.' I scowled at the man. 'I can tell by the way you hold yourself,' he said calmly. 'You're bold, and fierce, and strengthened with pride.' I remained silent, but continued to glare at him with sharpened vision. 'But even though you're stubborn, I also know mandalorians aren't stupid,' he added sharply, gesturing to the towering, grey alleys as he spoke 'So you can stay here, with no shelter and no source of warmth. The snow is unforgiving, and some people in this town can be colder than the temperature.' I paused, my muscles bunching up tensely. 'Or," he continued, his voice softening. "You can come with me. I'll take you back to the station, and see if there's any available foster parents that would take you in-' 'I'm not joining any foster family!' I hissed, switching back to an offensive at the mere suggestion. 'You don't have to stay with them,' he explained cooly. 'You can just stay the night, and once morning comes, you're free to be back on your way.' My body froze for a few seconds, before I arched my brow suspiciously. It all seemed a little too good to be true, and I wasn't about to be stabbed in the back once more. 'Why would you do that?' I growled. His teal gaze clouded for a moment, darkened with memories as he glanced up at the abandoned, looming structures above. He seemed lost, and somewhat saddened, before he finally returned his gaze to me, and spoke softly 'Because I remember sleeping in these streets when I was a kid. And I remember wishing someone, anyone had offered me a house, or a bed, or a blanket, just for one night.' My anger stilled, and I immediately felt the adrenaline seep from my veins. I could see from the haunted look in his eyes that he was telling the truth, and the comforting warmth in his tone that he did genuinely want to help. Allowing my shoulders to sag in exhaustion, I took a deep breath and thought over my options with extreme care. 'No questions?' I finally asked, levelling my gaze with his. 'None what so ever,' he replied, adding lightly 'Not even a name.' Thinking over it for a few moments, I finally made my decision. And with that, I'd reluctantly approached the officer, shaking his hand to confirm the deal. By the time we'd made it back to the station and he'd contacted suitable foster parents, I realised my trust in the man was far more than that of anyone else I'd encountered in the town. And when the foster parents arrived, and Kanan shook my hand goodbye, I found myself hesitating. And as if understanding my thoughts, he'd offered his home instead, where he and his partner fostered abused and orphaned children with open arms. I accepted his offer to stay the night. One night became two, and two became three. Days turned to weeks as I continued to prolong my leave anxiously, until by the end of the month, Kanan and Hera sat me down and proposed an idea. The idea to become their foster child. I took their offer willingly, and from there on my life became brighter than ever. They never pried or questioned, always allowing me to tell them things in my own time. They gave me so many opportunities and freedoms, and with each passing day my hardened exterior soften towards a more optimistic, carefree teenager. I'd grown to love art and music, and often found myself getting lost in the colours and sounds as a way to forget my former life. I was a new person now, so much more different to the girl who'd stumbled through the streets two years ago... But as I stared at another figure in the middle of the mural above, gazing down at me with bright hazel eyes and a cheerful smirk, I felt my muscles tense. I almost didn't recognise her, as the bright glow of her stare had disappeared in my own. The image reflected myself like a mirror and yet I seemed to be staring at a stranger. Or maybe, I was the stranger... Shifting uncomfortably under the eyes of my family -or at least, my old one-, I shrugged off the layers of blankets and sat up. The cool air hit me immediately, the hairs on my arm standing on end as I stretched and gracefully rose to my feet. Standing in the centre of my room, I couldn't help but feel my chest ache when my eyes scanned the walls of the space. End to end, it was painted and coloured with some form of artwork, engulfing the room with clashes and swirls of paint that wound together like the waves of an ocean. And the figures I once imprinted onto the walls to express my joy now only enlightened my sorrow within. I couldn't bare to look at it anymore. The place that had been my home, my life for the past two years lacked the sensation of safety it once possessed. My nerves began to buzz as I anxiously shifted to foot to foot. This wasn't right... I needed to leave. I needed a way to escape-! I jumped when a faint knock on my door vibrated through the stagnant air. For a long moment I just stared at the handle, oxygen trapped in my lungs as I tensed my legs to run. But forcing my mind to calm, I reminded myself that there was no reason to run from whoever was behind the door. It could only be someone from the crew, and hence there was no reason for alarm. Composing myself, I stepped forward and took hold of the door handle before cautiously creaking it open. I was surprised to see a pair of ocean blue eyes gazing back at me, widening the gap a bit more to get a clear view of the boy's face. "Ezra?" I murmured softly, tilting my head in confusion. He pressed a finger to his lips as a signal to be quiet and gestured towards my room. Understanding quickly, I stepped to the side and allowed him inside, gracefully sliding into the room as I shut the door behind him. Turning to face my guest I watched curiously as he approached my window, jiggling the hinges carefully and tapping on the lock. Crossing my arms I asked sharply "What are you doing?" "Seeing if your window is as secure as mine," he replied nonchalantly, running his fingers along the rim. I blinked in surprise, before approaching the distracted teen and hissing "Are you trying to run away?!" "No," he smirked, glancing over at me with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "We're running away." I froze. "We're what?!" "Only for the night of course. Corporal would kill me if I ever tried to run agai- Ah, bingo!" he grinned, cutting himself off as his fingers found a grove in the frame and pried it open with a sharp jolt. I was surprised to find it had made hardly any noise, the window sliding open with no resistance. Stunned and a little confused, I watch blankly as the boy climbed through the window and onto the tiled, sloping roof beyond. Gazing back at me, he gave me a puzzled look. "Well?" he asked. I scoffed, replying "Are you serious?" "Completely," he smiled, leaning against the frame as he added swiftly "Now get dressed into something plain and old, I'll be waiting on the ground for you." Stepping forward I muttered "We can't just leave!" "Why not?" He quizzed. I hesitated for a moment, before replying firmly "I have to go tomorrow, you know that." "So what's wrong with going out for the night?" He quipped, his eyes beaming with electricity as he spoke "We'll be back before they know it." My brows furrowed sceptically. "Aw, come on," he spoke, gazing towards the city that shone beyond the suburbs before asking "Surely you want to blow off some steam before tomorrow?" "What makes you think that?" I growled lightly. "Would you be awake at two in the morning otherwise?" He pointed out sharply. My eyes narrowing, I turned and shifted my gaze around the dull room. The shadows shifted along the walls, and the colours seemed flat and unappealing. I wouldn't be able to sleep... Not like this. I was far too wound up to rest, and old habits began creeping back as my anxiety took hold of my limbs. I knew I needed to go to bed. Tomorrow was a big day, and this was the last night I'd ever spend with the crew... And yet I found myself turning towards the boy, his blue orbs focused on me intently as he awaited my answer. Crossing my arms, I stated firmly "I'll be down in two minutes." His lip tilted into a lopsided smile, replying cockily "Knew you'd come to your senses eventually." I rolled my eyes at his retort, before asking sharply "So where exactly are we going?" He stepped away from the windowsill with great care and began to descend the roof. But just before he went to slide down a drainpipe, he shot me a playful smirk and replied "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it?"

#swr #star wars rebels #swr fanfiction #fanfiction #The Light in the Dark #Ezra Bridger #Kanan Jarrus #Sabine Wren #Real Life AU #Midnight Luna #Tiger talks

[clarasjournal]

Presentation

27/11: The presentation went really well. Even though we were last to present the audience seemed to come alive again when we started our storyboard theatrical performance.

The manuscript (since we had limited time, otherwise we would’ve talked freely):

Companion Assistant

AXEL: Issues and inspiration

We started off with identifying an issue amongst pre-existing intelligent products and drawing inspiration from the paper Giving form to smart objects. We concluded that smart assistants like Alexa and Google home assistant, have untapped potential of showing their intelligence and therefore allows for a redesign. We also researched robots that do not necessarily have the same intelligence as the smart assistants but rather acts more as a companion.

Cozmo, as you can see on the right of the bottom image, is a small robot that with its expressive eyes manages to convey a personality that might very well have feelings. He also has a layer of silliness that could be seen as he comes to you and invites you to play with him. Much like a dog or another pet that wants some attention.

Then we have Jibo, as you can see left of Cozmo, that does lack the ability of transportation compared to Cozmo. Jibo, however, has two joints in its body that allows for a wide expressiveness through its body language.

CLARA: Ideation - conceptual phase:

Expectation: Combination of a smart assistant and a social robot, Family, home environment.

We didn’t want it to look intimidating or superior in any way, because we want to signify that the human is in control of the artefact - not the other way around.

Cosmo and Jibo: We also wanted the artefact to have the playfulness of Cozmo and the expressiveness of Jibo. You can see the first sketches of a form we think set these types of expectations down below here.

Tangible intelligence: We want to make the user have the power to shape the artefact over time. The intelligence of the artefact is hence more like a material rather than a character, it’s shapeable and not pre-set. This allows the user to be in control of the purpose of the artefact. We wanted it to have the potential intelligence of Alexa, but it doesn’t come with this type of knowledge, the user has to actively ask it to learn. We also thought of having a “reset” button to it to maybe change the purpose of the artefact or simply start over the knowledge-base when necessary.

Slow interaction: We ideated on having an object that encourages slow interaction. Since we don’t want the users to have the same set of expectations of this artefact as they might have of Alexa, we want to allow the interaction to become more “organic”. The user has to wait for the object to learn about what the user is asking for.

To enhance the transparency the object reveals where it’s got its information from which also demands the ultimate responsibility of being critical of the information to lie with the human, not the machine.

JOHAN: Embodiment phase

In the embodiment of the companion, we wanted to explore how the form set expectations and how we can embody something that doesn’t create a resemblance to something human, but still can create a balance in the expectations of the intelligence so it supports our conceptual ideas. So, we developed our imagined companion from drawing upon inspiration from Cosmo, Jibo and our early sketches, to animate its expressions and also create a 3D rendered prototype to what we imagine that it could look like in real life.

Regarding embodying tangible intelligence, we thought about supporting efficient correction and about the importance of refining the AI system through meaningful human interaction which influences the companions' learning process. In other words, the main idea is that you are the one in control and are teaching the system based upon your intentions. Also, since there are limitations in the expertise of the companion in the beginning, there will be challenges with different tasks that you invoke. So, the idea is that you invoke the companion with a task and then it learns through undesirable actions and will adapt accordingly. In this way, we believe that there will be a balance between efficient dismissal and correction which you will see in our storyboards.

CHRISTINA: Storyboards

In this storyboard we wanted to highlight how the AI does what the user asks it to but also draws its own conclusions. Also illustrate how ”human in the loop”,  could look like with this AI. - Interact with the storyboard

In this next storyboard we focused on showing how the human shapes the artifact and is constantly in control over it.Teaching it what to know and from what sources to get that information. The storyboard also illustrates the transparency of the artifact which can be seen in the bottom middle picture where the human is patting on the artifact and saying ”Now I don’t really want you to listen anymore” whereas the artifact responses with ”thanks for letting me know, pat me again when you want me to wake up” and the eyes close and the ears folds down, indicating that it’s not listening or seeing anymore, it’s in sleeping mode.

In the last storyboard we illustrate an interaction between a child and the AI, referring back to the playfulness of the cosmo robot but at the same time a study buddy in this case. Considering the AI recognizes faces, it knows who it’s interacting with and then adapts to that person's needs. In the storyboard the child teaches the AI things while the AI remembers everything its been taught and thereby reminds the child of all the things they have learned, this can be seen in the middle pictures on the top where the child asks ”do you remember what’s 7 times 7, I’ve forgot the multiplication table” where as the AI responds with ”yes it’s 49! You did great last week in math, are you sure you don’t remember?” The child then responds ”I don’t remember, do you want to study it with me and help me?” And the AI says, yeah that sounds fun!” So basically, this AI is here to learn by the child but at the same time encourage, help and play.

_________________________

During the feedback and question time we got to answer some technical questions which we had readily answers to. It was a really fun presentation and we got some feedback from David saying that some sentences from it could fit well in a pitch. This is valuable feedback for me because I’m very nervous to pitch, last time I tried it (in another program) I failed miserably. Hopefully I have grown from then (it was 2-3 years ago) and with my newfound self-esteem I might just be able to pull it off. Throughout working with my three phenomenal peers these weeks with these super interesting topics I think I’ve grown very much as a designer, and evolved my practice. I love to build concepts and sketch out ideas. To be able to do it with such amazing peers has been a blessing. I’m growing more and more confident as a designer each day that passes. I also want to take the opportunity to say that I’ve been practicing project management throughout these weeks which has been SO fun and giving, and I think that’s a path I will look further into. IxD project manager. 

#TEI #week 3 #AI #presentation

[xxlovesuicide61xx]

Absolute Agony- Ch. 3

Short, but I figured better than nothing. Special thank you to RhodaBush over on FFN for pushing me into this direction. I think you'll all enjoy the final product. Most of this chapter was written while I was at the beach, so also a special thank you to the random girl in a black bikini who gave me the idea for the ending of the story. Two chapters left. Please enjoy! :D

SSHGSSHG

Severus sat at his window, again staring down at her, this time trying to do something less creepy. Well… slightly. He was enacting one of his few non-magical hobbies in an attempt to do something productive. He had transfigured a small table near his chair beneath the window and brought out his sketch book. Today, he was drawing her.

He knew that if they were found that he risked some serious backlash; after all, drawing someone in a bathing suit was almost just as creepy as staring at someone in a bathing suit, and by staring he meant masturbating. He had drawn her a few times before, but this was the first time he had endeavored to draw her entire body, as well as having her as a moving subject. He usually went back through his pensive and took a magical version of a muggle photograph so he had a reference point to draw from. Some might find the magic it took a waste of time and energy, but it was to draw her, which was a crime of passion in itself. Not to mention that despite what most people thought, he really was rather passionate about his artwork.

So. He sat on his chair by the desk, pencil in one hand and cock in the other. He was still watching her prance around half naked, he couldn’t be expected to endure the pain of his cock trapped in his pants, even if he was trying to be a bit less perverted.

She was lying back on a raft, the sun reflecting from the water onto her skin in a cool, blended geometric pattern. He had been trying to get the angle of her left hip just right, but couldn’t quite seem to manage it. He kept getting distracted by the small tattoo placed directly above her hipbone, a small music note, lying just above the tie on her bikini bottoms. He had no idea what its significance was, but he wanted to find out. Desperately. Preferably up-close and very, very personal.

It was just a rough sketch, but he was determined to get it right. Her beauty deserved his full effort.

He let go of his cock, biting back a sigh of disappointed loss, and pulled himself closer to the sketchbook. He narrowed his focus, pulling in his Death Eater abilities and blocked Hermione from his mind, focusing only on that one specific part of her body.

Within about ten minutes the sketch was drawn to perfection and Severus let his mind relax again. He looked at his work and then down at his muse and then back over at his still hard cock.

Fuck it all. He was going down there.

It was mid-afternoon, which usually meant that some of the adults would retire for awhile, the sun being just a bit too intense, as well as dinner needing to get started. That lowered his audience considerably. However, some of the children tended to get a bit overtly rambunctious this time of day, namely the Weasley twins. Severus knew that they would soon be bored over all of the quiet and relaxing from the adults and start something up that was loud and raucous. Hermione wouldn’t be left floating on that raft for long.

Again, most of the attention wouldn’t be on him. Shouldn’t. He could do this. Couldn’t he?

Severus cursed under his breath and began pacing around his room, still trying to talk himself out of it. The current vote stood at 6 to 1, his mind being the only “nay” vote. His entire body, on the other hand, gave a resounding “YAY” to the question of “Should we go down and get a better look at a soaking wet Miss Granger?”. Each sense, plus his cock, had cheered at the notion. Severus now believed that his body was plotting against him, intending much more interaction with his interest instead of merely getting closer to her.

He stopped at the foot of his bed, hands in his hair, decision made. He was going to go down there, but decided that there was no shame in having to run back up to his room with his tail between his legs if it didn’t go well. He didn’t want to embarrass himself in front of her.

Tucking his still hard cock back into his shorts, he summoned a vial to one hand and his wand to the other. He downed the vial, trying not to think of the hit it was taking to his ego. He was a man that couldn’t even control himself near the woman he cared for and needed an outside source to keep his cock from getting excited. It was a severe blow to his self control.

Severus looked down at his shorts, trying to decide what the appropriate material for a pair of swim trunks would be. He knew what they were supposed to look like, as well as the fact that they had to be waterproof, but beyond that he was lost. He closed his eyes, imagining the other men’s trunks that he had seen, adding in his own touch of decoration and color, and transfigured the best he could.

Looking in the mirror, he was fairly satisfied with the results. Still black, but with a wide white line running down the outer sides of his hips and legs, a second, much smaller green line adding a pop of detail. They were made out of some strange fabric he was unfamiliar with, not exactly scratchy like wool, but still slidey in a weird kind of way. He rubbed his hands over them. The sound was odd, and it felt odd against his skin. They would work. He hoped.

Next, he set about covering up the scars that littered his body, as well as his Dark Mark. He didn’t want the little dunderheads staring at it. The scars were easy enough, he had done it many a time before with a simple glamour charm. It had taken him years to find a way to cover the Mark, however, the Dark Lord insistent upon its constant exposure. It involved an intricate layering of glamour and makeup charms, with a few notice-me-not charms interspersed throughout to be on the safe side. He left his own personal tattoos exposed, hoping that they would distract from his presence down there. Finally, he used a sun protection spell. He absolutely abhorred being sunburnt and tended to avoid going out in the sun when he could— hence the pale skin. Besides, he had a reputation to uphold back at Hogwarts— someone could not possibly be as pale as he was and not be a vampire. He’d like to keep his skin pearly white, thankyouverymuch.

Setting his jaw, Severus headed out the door of his bedroom, determined. He could do this.

SSHGSSHG

By the time that he got down there, he found that his suspicions had indeed been correct. Some of the elder Order members were toweling off and Hermione was no longer on the raft. From what he could gather, George had swum below her and flipped her off of it completely. Severus felt almost sad for her. She had looked so peaceful. George Weasley rose two more spots on his “Don’t piss me off” list.

He quietly stepped down off the last stair, but found that the entire yard had taken notice of him. Damn. So much for a quiet entry.

“Severus, m’boy!” Albus was calling to him from behind the bar. “It’s so wonderful for you to finally join us.” The old man was beaming. “Come. Come get a drink and relax.” Albus started actively beaconing to him and Severus knew he had to play nice if he wanted to stay around Hermione for the remaining afternoon.

His attempt to walk casually over to the other side of the yard did not go particularly well, and he found himself actually wanting whatever strange alcoholic concoction Albus had in a muggle blender. It was bright red, and evolution was telling Severus that it could be poisonous and rather dangerous to consume.

Albus got out a clear plastic cup and filled it with the frozen liquid.

“Here, Severus. Drink up and enjoy.” Tentatively, Severus took a sip from the brightly colored straw and found himself pleasantly surprised. It may not have been a manly looking drink, or even an intimidating one, but damn Merlin if it didn’t taste wonderful.

Noticing his face of shocked surprise, Albus answered the unspoken question. “It’s a new recipe I discovered from the muggles this morning, Severus. It is called a Rum Runner.” He pronounced Rum Runner in the way that old people sometimes do with words their are unfamiliar with, slowly and with each syllable unnecessarily enunciated.

Severus saved himself from laughing at his employer by taking another long sip before answering. “Thank you, Albus, it really is rather good.”

The Headmaster leaned in closer to his employee over the bar, getting close enough to be able to speak at a whisper. “Truly, Severus, thank you. It means a lot to me that you’re making this effort to be social. I know how difficult it is for you.” Severus wasn’t sure what to say, so he said nothing at all. He didn’t want to answer in his usual brute tone, but he also didn’t want to get emotional at Albus’s true concern for his well being. Silence seemed to be the best response. Accepting this, Albus topped of Severus’s cup, clapped him on the shoulder, and told him to enjoy himself.

He would. Merlin, how he hoped he would.

The sun was much brighter than he thought it would be, and Severus was quick to discover the many wonderful uses of sunglass. He transfigured a pair of dark glasses from a leaf by his foot and was pleased by his newfound ability to keep his eyes affixed wheresoever he desired, namely the body of of one Miss Hermione Jean Granger. Additional benefits include no one being able to tell where his eyes were, Albus having a much more difficult time if he wanted to skim the front of Severus’s thoughts, and the rest of the Order being put off at the fact that he could be intimidatingly staring at any one of them.

He found a lounge chair near the bar that was partially shaded by one of Grimmauld’s rare trees, as well as providing a perfect few of the pool. He glanced down toward his crotch, making sure that it would stay in check. He was pleased when he didn’t feel so much as a twitch. He settled back into the chair, sipping his drink, and thinking that perhaps this wasn’t as bad as he had thought it would be.

#absolute agony #severus and hermione #severus snape #hermione granger #severus snape and hermione granger #sevmione #snanger #snamione #sshg #sshg fanfiction

[scotwresnet]

By The Masked Embroider Instagram: @themaskedembroiderer | Twitter: @TEmbroiderer

  Ever wondered who makes your favourite Scottish wrestling stars ring gear? Well in this Behind The Art special I’ve had the privilege to pick the brains of three companies who make some of the best custom ring gear around and enhance some of the best wrestling talent in the world.

Before we get into the processes though I’d just like to say that these are just three companies that I spoke to and admire. There are of course many fine talented gear makers out there including honourable mentions to @airheaddiva and @kayleigh_fabe_wrestling_gear, who in particular hugely impressed me not only with her work but also with the fact that she reuses old parcel envelopes to send her wares out to her clients #reuseandsavetheplanet.

But let me introduce you to the ones I did chose and let’s get ‘Behind the Art’.

Vickstitch was started by Brett and Vicky about 8 years ago. Brett was a wrestler at a time when it was hard to not only find a gear maker but also to get exactly what you wanted made. So through necessity initially, Vicky took up the challenge and now, with their website, it’s grown into a thriving business.

JJ Wrestling Creations was born in 2015 creating wrestling gear for athletes all over the world.

Their love for fashion and art always ‘ran wild in their veins’ and in 2016, they moved from Italy to the UK to expand their business and empower their brand.

Empress Pro Gear specialise in making female ring attire, although not exclusively. With only 2 years in existence it nonetheless is blessed with 17 years of experience. Emma used to make costumes for the theatre but through her passion for wrestling she decided to branch out.

Now, let’s get a picture of just how a piece of ring gear is made from start to finish shall we?

First thing to start with is the idea.

As we all know in wrestling anything goes gimmick-wise. Nothing is too insane or too over the top. And talking to fast rising talent Ian Skinner about his ring gear he agreed, “if ever I’ve a silly idea that just might work, they [Vickstitch] are the ones… I watched Game of Death and was like “I NEED BRUCE LEE GEAR”… hence my yellow and black gear.“

And although Vickstitch happily admitted that “generic tights with logos on the legs and names on the back are our bread and butter type jobs, the different stuff is always far more enjoyable, customers letting us have creative input into their gear and helping with their design ideas. We love having new and unique designs that are challenging and give us something exciting to make.”

But do you really need a vision when going into the process of commissioning custom ring gear? How important is an idea or a vision?

JJ Creations replied: “It is essential, as it is the starting point of the whole creative process. Sometimes our clients have very clear ideas about what they desire. Some other times they ask us to guide them through. I love when they trust us so much that they allow us to put our own imagination into their costumes creation.”

Empress Pro Gear talked me through their ideas process:

“For the majority of my clients I just bring their designs to life. I’m supplied with a design and I offer them the choice of fabrics from my preferred suppliers. I help guide in the sense of practicalities and any concerns they have, but I just enjoy being a part of helping them represent their personalities, I don’t interfere with their vision. For others I will help put all their design inspirations into sketches and work from those alongside them, however this isn’t something I tend to do until we’ve created a comfortable collaborative relationship over time.

I find it takes one or two projects to get a real feel for someone’s style, I want my work to be authentic and reflective of them. I have certain clients who’s aesthetic mesh more so with my design style than others but I also enjoy the challenge of going outside my comfort zone. I’ve spent most of my career designing for characters in musicals etc. so I find it more natural now to have to design for a character rather than represent my personal style. I find this concept translates nicely into the world of gear making as the characters are so important; just like in the theatre you want the audience to get a feel for the character immediately from their entrance and appearance. In my eyes It’s not for me to define that character, I’m merely here to make the Wrestlers vision into something tangible.”

So an idea should have an aim of establishing a character. But just how important is an image? And does a strong image give a performer more confidence? Flamboyant Scottish luchador Lucha DS told me “you can see by my in ring look I need to have a look that sets me apart from my opponents but still have a theme that works across all the various sets I have. They [Vickstitch] are pivotal in helping me project the vibe I am going for.”

Ian Skinner also confirmed this too: “Vickstitch made my first set of gear and what they made gave me the confidence to go out in front of a crowd in trunks.”

JJ Creations as we told you in the introductions came across from the famous fashion capital of the world, Italy and have made Scotland their second home. They’ve worked with WWE stars like Nikki Cross, ‘Viper’ Piper Niven, Candyfloss, Jazzy Gabert and NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray. Their garments are just as high end quality as they are fashionable and they rise to the challenge of breeding confidence into a performer with their creations: “…the crazier the idea the better it is. We love our job because it’s exciting, challenging and very rewarding. The best part of it is to make people happy and confident.

So what have we learned so far. A vision is important but can be worked out through some brainstorming. And a good design and image can instill confidence in a performer.

It made me wonder though. What were the major differences and difficulties between making gear for male performers opposed to female performers?  Was there any?

JJ Creations: “They differ in proportions. We need a deep knowledge of both male and female body shapes.”

Empress Pro Gear specialise in female ring attire but not exclusively as we mentioned. She can count Sammii Jayne, Ashley Vega, Nina Samuels, Killer Kelly, Zoe Lucas and Xia Brookside among her clientele.

Empress Pro Gear: “I personally find women’s wear comes more naturally to me, I’ve worked in both fields and I’ve always had an easier bond with making clothing for the female form. I’ve suffered from body dysmorphia growing up so I feel more of an organic connection with women’s bodies and trying to enhance what makes them feel confident. That’s the main reason I decided to focus mainly on Women’s wear however I do currently work with several men and regardless of how anyone identifies I’m excited for working on their ideas and creating their vision, I love being part of that collaboration. I’m just grateful any time anyone chooses to reach out to me; it’s a huge compliment when there’s so many incredibly talented makers out there.“

All three companies attested to the importance of choosing the right materials and learning about new processes when making their gear.

Vickstitch: “We both work full time at this and are continually growing and evolving as new methods and materials become available. Also the trends in the industry continue to evolve so we try to keep ahead of that curve too.”

I asked JJ Creations about this also and what pieces challenge them the most.

JJ Creations: “We mainly work with stretch fabrics, as we are wrestling gears makers. Our customers need comfortable and durable costumes, because they fight in them. Depending on their gimmicks, their ideas and desires we always suggest the best options and designs. Our goal is to make everyone feel unique and special…The most challenging are definitely the coats and the long jackets, they take a lot of time and care, but because of that they are also very rewarding pieces to create.”

Empress Pro Gear: “Each set has its own learning experience especially as for each individual I create a garment pattern from scratch for their measurements and design. Every persons body is different so I don’t treat them as a cookie cutter when it comes to making clothing. I find when I’ve worked with someone more I get to build up a collection of tried and tested garment patterns which takes a lot of the guess work away. I particularly enjoy working with Nina Samuels as her style really blends well with my background in theatre and dance wear, she has such a star quality about her and her presence. I love layering up the lace and Rhinestones and she allows me a lot of creative freedom with the detail. I really enjoy working on any sets where there’s lots of detail and I have a weakness for rhinestones I blame the dancer in me.“

Through wear and tear and what these clothes are being asked to perform it’s no wonder that every now and again they fail in some way or another.

But how do gear makers prevent and minimise these faults happening?

Empress Pro Gear: “I’m quite particular about what materials I use and in what locations on the garment, sometimes someone may request no stretch materials in areas that you need maximum stretch so I will offer more practical alternatives. I prefer to use suppliers who’s materials I know are high quality and are tried and tested by myself but I am flexible and love to learn more from others ideas. All my garments are fully lined and I use drawstrings as well as elastic where necessary. I’ve learnt over time from being around dancer’s wardrobe malfunctions and through developing my gear making little techniques of how to make fastenings a bit more secure. I’m still learning more with each set I tackle, it’s an ever moving learning curve.“

So we’ve learnt about the processes and careful choice of materials. The next big question and one that probably gets asked a lot is ‘How long from start to finish does it take to make a piece of custom made clothing?’ Just how long is a piece of ‘thread’?

JJ Creations: “It depends on the type of creations. It could take hours or even a few days.”

Empress Pro Gear: “The time to make the gear varies depending on how complicated it is. I’ve had sets take several days and some items several hours. If there’s rhinestones involved they’re very time consuming as they have to be individually glued to the garment, same with the rivet studs and eyelets that have to be marked out and hammered in.“

What happens after a piece is made, delivered and the customer is happy. What’s it like to be an ‘incredibly talented gear maker’ and see your work out there on the scene and in some cases on TV?

Vickstitch: “We always get asked what our favourite gear is and we really don’t know there has been so many made.“

JJ Creations: “Even though we are proud of all our gears, we felt a particular sense of satisfaction towards the ones we made for WWE, NXT and NXT UK. Watching the tv and seeing our baby gears is something indescribable.“

Empress Pro Gear: “It blows my mind each and every time, the little girl in me cannot believe it. I won’t lie I may have shed a couple of tears seeing them live in person and on TV. I’m so grateful to anyone who’s contacted me, ordered gear and supported me.“

So there you have it. From start to finish. The birth of an idea made into fully functioning wrestling gear.

Please remember during these tough times that these people are highly skilled self employed artisans and have been affected badly by the recent crisis. Please don’t forget them. Keep them busy with new commissions. The world won’t always be locked down. Shows will return soon hopefully and a bright shiny newly improved wrestling scene will commence once again and will require their services to keep it, and our favourite characters, colourful.

You can find all three gear makers at the following contacts and I highly recommend you check them out.

Vickstitch:

Instagram: @vickstitch

Facebook: Vickstitch Customs

Twitter: @vickstitch

Email: [email protected]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

JJ Creations:

Instagram: @j_jwrestlingcreations

Facebook: JJ Wrestling Creations

Twitter: @J_Jcreations

Email: [email protected]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Empress Pro Gear:

Instagram: @empressprogear

Facebook: Empress Pro Gear

Twitter: @EmpressGear

Email: [email protected]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Behind The Art #19: Gear Makers Special

Behind The Art #19: Gear Makers Special

Behind The Art #19: Gear Makers Special

[scottish-wrestling-network]

By The Masked Embroider Instagram: @themaskedembroiderer | Twitter: @TEmbroiderer

  Ever wondered who makes your favourite Scottish wrestling stars ring gear? Well in this Behind The Art special I’ve had the privilege to pick the brains of three companies who make some of the best custom ring gear around and enhance some of the best wrestling talent in the world.

Before we get into the processes though I’d just like to say that these are just three companies that I spoke to and admire. There are of course many fine talented gear makers out there including honourable mentions to @airheaddiva and @kayleigh_fabe_wrestling_gear, who in particular hugely impressed me not only with her work but also with the fact that she reuses old parcel envelopes to send her wares out to her clients #reuseandsavetheplanet.

But let me introduce you to the ones I did chose and let’s get ‘Behind the Art’.

Vickstitch was started by Brett and Vicky about 8 years ago. Brett was a wrestler at a time when it was hard to not only find a gear maker but also to get exactly what you wanted made. So through necessity initially, Vicky took up the challenge and now, with their website, it’s grown into a thriving business.

JJ Wrestling Creations was born in 2015 creating wrestling gear for athletes all over the world.

Their love for fashion and art always ‘ran wild in their veins’ and in 2016, they moved from Italy to the UK to expand their business and empower their brand.

Empress Pro Gear specialise in making female ring attire, although not exclusively. With only 2 years in existence it nonetheless is blessed with 17 years of experience. Emma used to make costumes for the theatre but through her passion for wrestling she decided to branch out.

Now, let’s get a picture of just how a piece of ring gear is made from start to finish shall we?

First thing to start with is the idea.

As we all know in wrestling anything goes gimmick-wise. Nothing is too insane or too over the top. And talking to fast rising talent Ian Skinner about his ring gear he agreed, “if ever I’ve a silly idea that just might work, they [Vickstitch] are the ones… I watched Game of Death and was like “I NEED BRUCE LEE GEAR”… hence my yellow and black gear.“

And although Vickstitch happily admitted that “generic tights with logos on the legs and names on the back are our bread and butter type jobs, the different stuff is always far more enjoyable, customers letting us have creative input into their gear and helping with their design ideas. We love having new and unique designs that are challenging and give us something exciting to make.”

But do you really need a vision when going into the process of commissioning custom ring gear? How important is an idea or a vision?

JJ Creations replied: “It is essential, as it is the starting point of the whole creative process. Sometimes our clients have very clear ideas about what they desire. Some other times they ask us to guide them through. I love when they trust us so much that they allow us to put our own imagination into their costumes creation.”

Empress Pro Gear talked me through their ideas process:

“For the majority of my clients I just bring their designs to life. I’m supplied with a design and I offer them the choice of fabrics from my preferred suppliers. I help guide in the sense of practicalities and any concerns they have, but I just enjoy being a part of helping them represent their personalities, I don’t interfere with their vision. For others I will help put all their design inspirations into sketches and work from those alongside them, however this isn’t something I tend to do until we’ve created a comfortable collaborative relationship over time.

I find it takes one or two projects to get a real feel for someone’s style, I want my work to be authentic and reflective of them. I have certain clients who’s aesthetic mesh more so with my design style than others but I also enjoy the challenge of going outside my comfort zone. I’ve spent most of my career designing for characters in musicals etc. so I find it more natural now to have to design for a character rather than represent my personal style. I find this concept translates nicely into the world of gear making as the characters are so important; just like in the theatre you want the audience to get a feel for the character immediately from their entrance and appearance. In my eyes It’s not for me to define that character, I’m merely here to make the Wrestlers vision into something tangible.”

So an idea should have an aim of establishing a character. But just how important is an image? And does a strong image give a performer more confidence? Flamboyant Scottish luchador Lucha DS told me “you can see by my in ring look I need to have a look that sets me apart from my opponents but still have a theme that works across all the various sets I have. They [Vickstitch] are pivotal in helping me project the vibe I am going for.”

Ian Skinner also confirmed this too: “Vickstitch made my first set of gear and what they made gave me the confidence to go out in front of a crowd in trunks.”

JJ Creations as we told you in the introductions came across from the famous fashion capital of the world, Italy and have made Scotland their second home. They’ve worked with WWE stars like Nikki Cross, ‘Viper’ Piper Niven, Candyfloss, Jazzy Gabert and NXT UK Women’s Champion Kay Lee Ray. Their garments are just as high end quality as they are fashionable and they rise to the challenge of breeding confidence into a performer with their creations: “…the crazier the idea the better it is. We love our job because it’s exciting, challenging and very rewarding. The best part of it is to make people happy and confident.

So what have we learned so far. A vision is important but can be worked out through some brainstorming. And a good design and image can instill confidence in a performer.

It made me wonder though. What were the major differences and difficulties between making gear for male performers opposed to female performers?  Was there any?

JJ Creations: “They differ in proportions. We need a deep knowledge of both male and female body shapes.”

Empress Pro Gear specialise in female ring attire but not exclusively as we mentioned. She can count Sammii Jayne, Ashley Vega, Nina Samuels, Killer Kelly, Zoe Lucas and Xia Brookside among her clientele.

Empress Pro Gear: “I personally find women’s wear comes more naturally to me, I’ve worked in both fields and I’ve always had an easier bond with making clothing for the female form. I’ve suffered from body dysmorphia growing up so I feel more of an organic connection with women’s bodies and trying to enhance what makes them feel confident. That’s the main reason I decided to focus mainly on Women’s wear however I do currently work with several men and regardless of how anyone identifies I’m excited for working on their ideas and creating their vision, I love being part of that collaboration. I’m just grateful any time anyone chooses to reach out to me; it’s a huge compliment when there’s so many incredibly talented makers out there.“

All three companies attested to the importance of choosing the right materials and learning about new processes when making their gear.

Vickstitch: “We both work full time at this and are continually growing and evolving as new methods and materials become available. Also the trends in the industry continue to evolve so we try to keep ahead of that curve too.”

I asked JJ Creations about this also and what pieces challenge them the most.

JJ Creations: “We mainly work with stretch fabrics, as we are wrestling gears makers. Our customers need comfortable and durable costumes, because they fight in them. Depending on their gimmicks, their ideas and desires we always suggest the best options and designs. Our goal is to make everyone feel unique and special…The most challenging are definitely the coats and the long jackets, they take a lot of time and care, but because of that they are also very rewarding pieces to create.”

Empress Pro Gear: “Each set has its own learning experience especially as for each individual I create a garment pattern from scratch for their measurements and design. Every persons body is different so I don’t treat them as a cookie cutter when it comes to making clothing. I find when I’ve worked with someone more I get to build up a collection of tried and tested garment patterns which takes a lot of the guess work away. I particularly enjoy working with Nina Samuels as her style really blends well with my background in theatre and dance wear, she has such a star quality about her and her presence. I love layering up the lace and Rhinestones and she allows me a lot of creative freedom with the detail. I really enjoy working on any sets where there’s lots of detail and I have a weakness for rhinestones I blame the dancer in me.“

Through wear and tear and what these clothes are being asked to perform it’s no wonder that every now and again they fail in some way or another.

But how do gear makers prevent and minimise these faults happening?

Empress Pro Gear: “I’m quite particular about what materials I use and in what locations on the garment, sometimes someone may request no stretch materials in areas that you need maximum stretch so I will offer more practical alternatives. I prefer to use suppliers who’s materials I know are high quality and are tried and tested by myself but I am flexible and love to learn more from others ideas. All my garments are fully lined and I use drawstrings as well as elastic where necessary. I’ve learnt over time from being around dancer’s wardrobe malfunctions and through developing my gear making little techniques of how to make fastenings a bit more secure. I’m still learning more with each set I tackle, it’s an ever moving learning curve.“

So we’ve learnt about the processes and careful choice of materials. The next big question and one that probably gets asked a lot is ‘How long from start to finish does it take to make a piece of custom made clothing?’ Just how long is a piece of ‘thread’?

JJ Creations: “It depends on the type of creations. It could take hours or even a few days.”

Empress Pro Gear: “The time to make the gear varies depending on how complicated it is. I’ve had sets take several days and some items several hours. If there’s rhinestones involved they’re very time consuming as they have to be individually glued to the garment, same with the rivet studs and eyelets that have to be marked out and hammered in.“

What happens after a piece is made, delivered and the customer is happy. What’s it like to be an ‘incredibly talented gear maker’ and see your work out there on the scene and in some cases on TV?

Vickstitch: “We always get asked what our favourite gear is and we really don’t know there has been so many made.“

JJ Creations: “Even though we are proud of all our gears, we felt a particular sense of satisfaction towards the ones we made for WWE, NXT and NXT UK. Watching the tv and seeing our baby gears is something indescribable.“

Empress Pro Gear: “It blows my mind each and every time, the little girl in me cannot believe it. I won’t lie I may have shed a couple of tears seeing them live in person and on TV. I’m so grateful to anyone who’s contacted me, ordered gear and supported me.“

So there you have it. From start to finish. The birth of an idea made into fully functioning wrestling gear.

Please remember during these tough times that these people are highly skilled self employed artisans and have been affected badly by the recent crisis. Please don’t forget them. Keep them busy with new commissions. The world won’t always be locked down. Shows will return soon hopefully and a bright shiny newly improved wrestling scene will commence once again and will require their services to keep it, and our favourite characters, colourful.

You can find all three gear makers at the following contacts and I highly recommend you check them out.

Vickstitch:

Instagram: @vickstitch

Facebook: Vickstitch Customs

Twitter: @vickstitch

Email: [email protected]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

JJ Creations:

Instagram: @j_jwrestlingcreations

Facebook: JJ Wrestling Creations

Twitter: @J_Jcreations

Email: [email protected]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Empress Pro Gear:

Instagram: @empressprogear

Facebook: Empress Pro Gear

Twitter: @EmpressGear

Email: [email protected]

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Behind The Art #19: Gear Makers Special

Behind The Art #19: Gear Makers Special

[souridealist]

Hello, Yuletide writer! First of all, I’m sorry it took so long to get this letter up, and I am genuinely touched you didn’t just say “to hell with it, this disorganized motherfucker is getting whatever she gets.” (And then I posted it half-written by accident, good Lord, why am I like this).

General Likes and Dislikes:

I DNW’d suicide and deportation, due to personal experience with both. I would lump POV character suicidal ideation under the heading of suicide, but ‘tactical’ suicides (eg: captured spy with an arsenic pill) don’t upset me at all. For example, I have a couple of canons that could allow for “Okay, my grand plan is that I die a little bit and then come back!” and others which could allow for situations where death is preferable to capture, and you can feel free to explore either. It’s specifically mundane, depression-based suicide depictions that I need to avoid. 

Deportation I would prefer you interpret a little more broadly. Acknowledging canon events are fine, but I’d rather the story not focus intensely on characters being forced to leave their families, their homes, their lives. (For reference if useful, I discovered this is a hard fictional limit while watching episode 1x08 of The Good Place.)

Other than that: I’ve requested all the canons here because I enjoy them, so canon-subversion fic is not really what I’m looking for here. I’m okay with dark, grim stories, but I’d prefer they not be hopeless ones. I like stories that are honest about characters’ flaws without condemning them.

I... hope that nails down some of the more nebulous points, in some way!

On to general likes: I’m really into things like epistolary fic, mixed media, in-universe documents, outsider POV, Rashomon stories, anything like that. I have no strong feelings on first/second/third-person or on past versus present tense, so run wild there. 

As a general rule, I’m going to be entirely happy to see non-nominated / non-requested characters make cameos or indeed take a central role in the fic, as long as the characters I did request are central as well. 

I’m a deeply polyamorous shipper at heart, and that informs a lot of these requests, but most of the relationships I ship are relationships where I just plain enjoy all their interactions, so gen works. I am also perfectly comfortable receiving smut for Yuletide, including for the teenage ships. One of my absolute favorite things is smut that uses sex to explore the characters and their relationship; relatedly, I like awkward human details more than idealized sex. (I don’t feel a need to get into things like historically-accurate lamb intestine condoms unless you really want to, though.) 

The only specifically-sexual DNWs I’d add are scat play, A/B/O, and parental incest, though I’d be frankly surprised to see the last come up with these canons. (Watersports are okay, since I know they’re often grouped with scat play without distinction.) 

Now, by canon! (Which may contain spoilers for their original canons). Also, as a note, I have more to say about some canons than others, but it’s not a measure of enthusiasm; I just don’t want to delay this letter any longer.

Summerlong - Peter S. Beagle

I loved this book’s lyricism, its sense of atmosphere and place, the wonder and beauty that ran through it all. And I loved how old the story felt, how timeless, and how nobody in it was young. Most of all, I was intrigued by the interplay between Lily and Lyonesse. A lot of it was sketched offscreen, related second-hand and in negative space, but there was still a sense of something layered and deep. I’d love to see it pulled into focus, whether in the form of missing scenes or post-canon stories.

Standout moments in my memory: when you forget that Persephone loves you. The dinner-party scene.

(Though I liked the book, I was very much disappointed that Abe and Lyonesse slept together. As I said, I’d be glad to see that played out with Lily instead, if you chose.)

Girl Genius

I am here for camp and shenanigans and gears on things and unabashed technobabble and the sheer glorious enthusiasm that spills out of every page. I love the canon’s sense of zany mayhem and bodice-ripper pulp novels and the way they’re willing to touch on very dark, sad, brutal things without ever losing its energy and color. I wouldn’t want to see them stripped down and rendered ordinary, but if you can get that sense of brilliant experimental chaos in a coffeeshop AU or a college, knock yourself out.

My other favorite thing about the comic is how it revels in Agatha being someone spectacular and extraordinary. We’re not here to watch our protagonist struggle and suffer, we’re here to watch her struggle and triumph. It’s great.

I’m also very, very much here for Tarvek/Agatha/Gil OT3, and this is one where it has to be an OT3 for me to like the ship; as far as I’m concerned, they all three need each other and care for each other. None of it’s going to work with only two; someone would be missing, no matter who it was. If you don’t want to write that kind of story, I’d much rather get straight gen than a story that picks a “team” in a love triangle. 

(As a note, I do prefer a three-sided true triangle to an open V, but I’m definitely okay with an open V as long as Gil and Tarvek are grumpily-fond metamours). 

One of the darker threads in the comic is the way all three of them have a very painful, bloody legacy; they have all been very isolated growing up; they have all three been failed and used and betrayed by their parents. It’s a heavy thing, and there’s absolutely no need, but if you go into it, I’m interested.

Bonus points: outrageous inventions, Jaegers being Extremely Helpful About The Romance, Castle Heterodyne being Extremely Helpful about anything. Bonus bonus points: if you happen to have read the novelizations, there’s some fascinating shit in the footnotes and epigraphs. If I’d wanted anything specifically novel-related I would have nominated the novelizations as a distinct fandom, but if you want to throw in some Easter eggs or if something novel-specific always struck you as a good starting point, I’d be delighted.

Standout scenes: The entire Hogfarb’s Resplendent Immolation arc; “We could have used him as a hostage! A bargaining chip! We could have... we could have... we could have kept him safe.” / “I’m sorry.” 

Clocktaur War - T. Kingfisher

These books are such a brutally detailed portrait of such flawed, tragic people who have done, and do, truly terrible things -- and yet the story is never anything but compassionate, never writes them with anything but tenderness and love. That’s what I love about it; hence the very specific DNW of villainizing anyone. 

I love all three of the characters nominated, but I admit that what fascinated me most was the relationship between Brenner and Slate, though Caliban/Slate was both excellent and made a great deal more sense as a long-term romance. I requested Caliban rather than just the two of them because I also very much enjoyed Caliban’s perspective on that dynamic, and on the ways that his presence changed it.

Having said that, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I ship Caliban/Slate/Brenner (as a V, mainly, though the possibility of emotionally-fraught life-affirming let’s-do-this-instead-of-thinking-about-how-scared-we-are threesomes did cross my mind frequently during the wait between books).  I did spend a certain amount of time wailing that I wanted Slate and Caliban to get a nice little cabin, where Slate forges things and Caliban tries to ignore it, and every couple of month Brenner drops by and they all three fall in bed together and it’s kind of surreal for all of them but also a vital touchstone for all of them and NOBODY IS DEAD, but I also knew from midway through the first book that Brenner was going to die; I mostly have my peace with it. 

That said: I am on board for canon divergence, and not only on that one point. There’s so much going on in the story, and in the story’s world; it’s rife with what-ifs. I wouldn’t, however, want to see the characters pulled into any less flawed world than theirs.

Standout scenes: “I can make you die slow;” the scene where Brenner is prepared to strangle Slate to prevent her allergies inadvertently betraying them all; the very quick dispatch of robbers in Chapter Five of The Wonder Engine; “He had not quite realized that he would crawl on his knees to any god that would take him.”

The Innsmouth Legacy - Ruthanna Emrys

What I love about this one is everything it has to say about being an outsider, a monster in the world, and all the ways that that does not make one monstrous. The way it takes the empty vastness of the cosmos and turns it into a source of faith and strength, this too shall pass, and, more, the way it creates justification for kindness. That drew me too, so deeply; all the ways it is about love and community in the face of emptiness.

I need to confess that I don’t know the Cthulhu mythos that well, beyond these books. However, if you’re a huge mythos aficiondo and were all excited to include a bunch of details, I’ll probably need an index but I will be thrilled to know they’re there, because I still love that kind of thing. 

I requested Aphra and Audrey as my favorites -  in particular, I loved Audrey’s drive and determination, how quickly she clutched on to magic with both hands and would not let go, next to Aphra’s slowly opening heart. However, I do love pretty much the whole of Aphra’s spreading odd family, so if you want to write a more ensemble piece, absolutely feel free. In particular I loved the confluence, the idea of these people, all unexpected, finding such a view of each other’s souls, and coming back to find it was impossible not to care for each other deeply, now. Or, in other words, the soulbonding is both group and canonical. 

Note that although I’m interested in the soulbond elements of the confluence and have at least a passing interest Aphra/Audrey, I’m not asking for any shipfic that suggests their connection is deeper within the confluence. Just different. 

While I’m on the topic of shipfic, there’s a lot to possibly unpack with the legacy of Innsmouth and the question of having children to carry that legacy on, in a story where Aphra falls in love with a woman. Should that be an idea that bites you, I’m intrigued! 

Regarding the deportation DNW vis-a-vis the destruction of Innsmouth, anything on par with canon is fine.

I feel like talking about standout scenes would be redundant at this point (CONFLUENCE), but I also need to give out a shoutout to all the many and varied beach scenes in Winter Tide.

Although I haven’t read Deep Roots yet, I intend to, and even if I haven’t read it by Christmas, I spoil myself for things constantly, so incorporate it as much as you please without fear. 

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

This broader franchise is a huge part of my childhood, going back all the way to the first couple of Percy Jackson books, and the Norse were a delightful pick-up to the cast. Alex and Magnus charmed me immediately, weak as I still am to Rick Riordan’s bickering love interests, and Alex is such a wonderfully shitheaded highlighter pack of a person, while Magnus is so wonderfully caring, and so utterly, continuously stunned by her. (Every other chapter. “A minor physical detail of Alex looked really nice. I have no idea why I noted that.” BOY, YOU ARE SMITTEN WITH HIM.) 

Blitz and Hearthstone, meanwhile, struck me as absolutely married, the whole time; I loved their caring and their protectiveness and their trust, even when under stress. And I, er, have a history with dwarf/elf ships, to whit, that I am weak. And Blitzen kept on referring to Hearthstone as “my elf,” and frankly, at that point, it’s time to make an honest elf out of him.

However, if you don’t want to write shipfic, I also love the humor and the heart of these books, in addition to being an outrageous mythology nerd, so I will still be delighted to read gen adventure fic, or Shenanigans up at Hotel Valhalla, or just a thousand words (or ten thousand words) of the characters sitting around and snarking at each other. 

Standout scenes: the pottery studio sequence; Alex telling Magnus “your fly is down” in ASL in the middle of an important bluff; Alex and Magnus talking about books and Alex commenting on The Left Hand of Darkness. 

And thus, the letter is officially done! The mods reached out to remind me, so I tried to go into some detail, but please, especially after all this wait, I hope you don’t feel any obligation to my nonsense. Write the story that’s yours, that makes you happy, and I will enjoy it. Good luck, and thank you for writing for me. 

#yuletide