#it's still the same drawing; but the second one is a LOT clearer and more atmospheric

[ghcstao3]

more mi6 ghost and sas soap i beg!!! it itches something in my brain so hard!!!! i love ur writing sm ur sosososo talented <333

(original post since it’s been so long i am so so sorry. also apologies if it's paced weirdly i never had much of an idea where to take the original prompt. thank you though, for supporting my writing :) <3)

-

Soap would never be so naive as to expect a warm welcome from a team of elite agents, but the cold shoulder he's thus far received from one of said agents hardly seems necessary in its place.

He's barely even said a word.

The haughty bastard keeps staring at Soap, too, like Soap can't tell there are eyes on him behind sunglasses, and a frown behind a medical mask. He refused to shake Soap's hand, hadn't even been introduced by name like the others—Ghost, is all that was offered—and now he was scrutinizing Soap in some indecipherable way that Soap would put up to a cause of him being military, if it weren't for the fact that no one else of similar status was getting the same treatment.

It's bizarre. It couldn't even be the mohawk, for once, because he'd actually grown that out in anticipation of this high-honour, high-stakes mission.

Of course, the treatment doesn't ebb as days, weeks stretch on. But Soap learns to live with it, throws himself into the mission like he has something to prove, acquaints himself with everyone else.

Ghost becomes a background nuisance. He and his perfectly tailored suits hardly hold any weight to Soap by the time they're forced together and everything becomes a whole lot clearer.

Two months into the operation is when the team finally encounters the kind of action Soap is used to; bouts of gunfire, ducking for cover, barking out commands, incapacitating enemies with force before stealth. Begrudgingly, Soap and Ghost are left to cover one another's sixes.

Admittedly, Ghost is a damn good shot and has a rather keen eye for enemies. Soap would never utter this statement aloud, but they work terribly well as a team.

When everything goes silent for several minutes and they've received confirmation that the area's been cleared, that they're free to proceed with the mission, Ghost and Soap cautiously move from where they'd been taking cover.

Then Ghost is shot in the chest.

Another few gunshots ring out following, as Soap drags the agent back into their hiding place. Thankfully his bulletproof vest had taken the brunt of the blow, but it's obvious the wind had been knocked out of Ghost, evidenced by the sharp, wheezing gasps that try to pull air into his lungs.

Soap offers nothing more than a clipped sorry before ripping off the mask that's clearly hindering Ghost's ability to draw a proper breath.

His heart drops. Soap knows that face.

For good measure, he removes Ghost's sunglasses as well, and—fuck. Yes, Soap knows that face. Intimately.

"Simon? You bastard, what the hell?"

Simon winces. He's still breathless when he replies, "Johnny, don't—later. Fuck."

Later. Soap huffs. He only agrees because there are more pressing things, of course, but also because he's not happy to imagine the nasty bruise that was surely going to blossom across his partner's chest in the coming days.

They're not as useful the second time around, but they get what they need done. Soap operates purely on confusion and a mild frustration until later finally arrives, because he'd just like to know... anything, really.

Unfortunately, later doesn't even come when the mission is completed. Later doesn't even come until about a month following Soap's discovery. Suspense nearly kills him.

They're both home again. The operation had been of enough importance that it had, thankfully, warranted everyone at least a short break. Simon is only home because of the bruise that has yet to fade.

Things are tense, initially. Words are terse yet not unkind; they give each other space yet they go to sleep in the same bed each night. Their mutual stubbornness keeps them both from acknowledging the elephant in the room.

Until Soap grows too impatient, nearing the end of his own leave.

Over an otherwise silent dinner, Soap finally asks, "Will I ever get to know what was going on during that mission, then? Why you were being such a prick?"

Simon pauses, setting his fork down with a sigh. His shoulders slump as he sits back in his chair and drags a tired hand over his face, and Soap almost scoffs. Like the issue hasn't been bothering Soap as well.

"I didn't want you to worry about me over the course of everything. In case something happened," Simon confesses.

Soap snorts. "What, like you wouldn't be worried about me? Like you aren't worried about me, already knowing what I do for work?"

"No, Johnny, that's not what—" Simon sighs again. Soap catches the way he almost moves his hand to rub his chest in habit, before rethinking the choice in remembering the bruise. "Of course I worry about you. I just... didn't want to create any unnecessary risks. I trust you, more than anyone, but I've also been in this line of work for a while. I know my own limits."

Soap hangs his head. He... understands. He does. His own career requires the same kinds of limitations, but he's still upset that Simon felt he couldn't manage.

"I'm sorry," Simon eventually murmurs. He reaches a hand across the table and covers Soap's balled fist with a warm, callused hand. "I was wrong. You're a good soldier. Should've known that seein' you were chosen for the task force."

A blush burns at the tips of Soap's ears, and gradually he unclenches his hand. "I forgive you," he says. Soap doesn't think he could fault Simon forever, anyway. "But you'd better make it up to me."

"Of course." A smile tugs at Simon's lips, something almost mischievous. "Anything you like."

(This, of course, meant that Soap would be taking great pleasure in beating Simon's records at the gun range. And perhaps a few other things as well.)

#ask #simon ghost riley #john soap mactavish #soapghost #ghostsoap #ghost x soap #ghoap #alternate universe #writing

[sergle]

People are failing to realize that clothing, and cameras for that matter, can be fairly deceptive. I don't wanna say deceptive because it carries a certain connotation, but I hope you'll know what I mean. I look fairly "thin/avg" with a shirt on, but without it it's rolls and folds lol

Furthermore, it's wild to assume someone who's pretty passionate about accurate plus-size rep would be stick thin. Maybe their metric of "average" is skewed or something, but it's still weird to just show up in a strangers Asks and assume things about them and their bodies.

sorry for answering an ask about this like 4 days later but I'M STILL THINKING ABOUT THIS... this person is talking about these asks btw.

FIRST OF ALL, thank you so much for the ask, it really is good to know that other ppl are aware of the Covering Of Fat With Clothing. Like. hi. my body is obscured. people are just noticing my torso for the first time bc there isn't 5lbs of breast tissue hanging off of it. SECOND OF ALL. This is still making me insane. I am still thinking about it so I'm gonna completely just do a brick of text to talk about it. Like, there's the first part of this, right? The fact that, all of these people who were sending asks like these, are the same people who came to my account because they liked the body positivity stuff or they related to the proportions of the girls I draw, right? And yet somehow managed to miss that ALL OF MY ART IS ME. So you're relating to MY body, AGREEING that this is plus sized art, then turning towards moi and saying, okay but you're skinny though. HUH? HMM??? I literally made a 12-part series of self portraits that have been like, my most seen, most stolen, reposted, enjoyed, stolen again, pieces. And I've been so crystal clear that these are literally me. Once again, I'm pointing at the aforementioned MATERIAL.

Pictured above: a thin, skinny woman who just happens to have large breasts, ig! And outside of those, which are *literal* self portraits, I've spoken lots of times before about how I make girls of a certain size and shape because I'm modeling them off myself. Or as close as I can get, depending on how good/bad I feel and if I took a photo to ref or not. It really couldn't be clearer that this is obviously me being self-serving, I do it when I feel like I need to see it. So the thing being implied here, or flat out accused in a handful of messages, is that I'm drawing fat girls forrr clout? AWESOME. I didn't want to dignify every message but that did seem to be the rough consensus. BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE TOO. WHEN would it become a bad thing for a skinny person to draw body positive art? In a positive light? Even if it was for clout? Am I going insane? That would be Good. It honestly might be even more meaningful than what I'm doing now. If I was actually 115 pounds soaking wet, if I looked like that one girl from ANTM with the like 14 inch waist, and I was out here making the exact same art, would that make the art LESS meaningful to other fat girls? That someone who doesn't have this body type or relate to it at all found it beautiful enough to draw it so many times, treating the subject with respect? Fat people being the subject of art again? The cycling of a trend that's been gone too long? That is, I thought, what we've literally been begging to see. I have been thinking about this. And finally, the last part of it that's been vexing and haunting me:

Is it supposed to be my responsibility that someone gets dysmorphic LOOKING AT ME. HUHHHH. On the art account where I draw a lot of Me. HUH. I was meant to anticipate this? Looking at pictures of me. And that makes you feel dysmorphic. and that is my fault. I'm just double checking. On the account where I draw bodies that I relate to, that you followed because you relate to. And then seeing me. Makes you dysmorphic. Whew. Got it.

I'm putting a bow on my insane winding ramble about this. Or at least trying to, now. It is wild to have my body commented on so much. This year, bc of the breast reduction, comments on my body have increased a hundredfold. Positive, negative, passive aggressive, predatory, all of the ways it can go. There was a really obvious way to rebuff these particular comments, which would be to post a picture of myself where my body ISN'T mostly obscured. But hey, those aren't free. The art will have to do for now. I wouldn't be that surprised if half the messages were jokes meant to see if I'd post pics "proving" that I look how I look. I also thought briefly about like, what if my body did change that drastically? Would some ppl's immediate reaction be betrayal, disgust, anger? I've been sick in my life before and lost weight at alarming speeds. But I've still been fat all my life. I've gotten sick and gained weight at alarming speeds. Does my presence as a "body positive artist" mean that my body gets to be put on trial anytime it changes? Does the switch flip from "your fat art means so much to me" to "you're not in the club anymore, since you got rid of your breasts, you look different"

Anyway I thought it would be funny to draw a thin girl "drawing" a scrap sketch I already have on hand. And imagining someone's response being fully negative, bc a thin person drawing fat ppl would be somehow dishonest lmao. Look how evil this bitch is. Her body doesn't match her art.

#IGNORE ME it does not matter. but I wanted to talk #sergle.txt #I wanted to talk SO BAD. #sergle answers #long post

[zaceouiswriting]

Fairy Prince - Hearts of Leviathans - Ch.18

Character: Sky x male reader, Riven x male reader, Brandon x male reader

Universe: Somewhere in Winx Club/Saga

Warnings: None

Whispers followed my confident question. Of course, I know the two are still on my list, but I don't care which would be my next enemy, even though I hope it will be the blonde, possibly the cruelest, who gave me moldy food and used me as a punching bag. All because he believes the rumors.

But neither seems ready to take a step forward. With a deep sigh, I stick my sword into the ground, ready to degrade the people who believe they are at the pinnacle of military power. That was until the blonde steps forward out of nowhere.

“You’re too cocky. You may have defeated Riven, but you’re just a pervert.”

At this point, that nickname doesn't even bother me anymore. I just don't like that such a lie could destroy the reputation I've built by winning a war I never wanted to be a part of. But my growing anger dissipated as I remind myself that no one there actually knows who I am.

“Can we start this fight?” I ask the instructor, to which he nods. A second later begins the fight verbally.

"You will go under, metal can never defeat plasma-"

Before the blonde could even finish his sentence, I cut the plasma blade in a single movement and held my sword to his neck. With a grin, I move my head close to his ear and whisper, "That's called the viper bite. I usually would have had a dagger in my left hand, so this snake only has one tooth."

Without waiting for a second, I stab him in the neck with the tip of the blade, only to draw out a single drop of blood before kicking his legs in and causing him to fall to the ground while also turning away in the same motion so I can would not be torn down with him. As he lies shocked on the ground, I'm standing over him with the point of my sword at his throat. A crashing sound followed his quick defeat. His weapon, which flew a few meters due to his fall, suddenly bursts as the energy crystal explodes into a thousand pieces.

Once again, everyone around us is speechless. When he looks at Saladin, it is clear that he has already resigned himself to his fate. Fully aware that his people had done something unforgivable. Now that he can see that my grandfather did not lie to him.

I kneel next to Blondie and stare into his clear blue eyes. A beauty of innocence, but they couldn't fool me. He's not the first pretty boy to try to catch me with feigned innocence, although the first one actually managed to trap me this way. His eyes were even clearer than those of the blonde below me, his hair dark and curly. I could feel my face fall. Why do I have to remember him now?

“You were so arrogant it was almost cute,” I whisper as I swallow the sadness building inside me. "Your grip is strong for a swordsman, but you are as flexible as a tree, and your footwork is almost worse than Riven's," I sigh deeply, "you have a lot of training ahead of you."

After giving him these tips, I stand up and walk away. But there's a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. Out of reflex, I raise my sword again to keep it behind me. A clinking sound and the feeling of something falling to the floor unnerves me. As I look over my shoulder, my blood begins to boil. There is a small dagger on the ground. I can't believe that an honorable soldier raised with the principles of a knight would do such a thing. It leaves me speechless.

At that moment, something just snapped inside me. The anger rising within me simply broke my patience. With my fist clenched, I turn around and run towards the blonde guy lying on the ground, who is grinning at me so smugly. It just makes me even angrier.

My hand hurt and burned after just a few hits. His face is hard, the bones so strong that I may have done more damage to my hand than to his face. But when people finally pull me away from him, his face is pretty beaten up, bloody, and swollen.

It actually took the specialists five men to pull me away from the dishonorable blonde idiot. They try to calm me down, but none of their words could do anything for me as they have looked down on me the whole time and still call me a pervert just because their walnut brains can't comprehend a male magic fairy.

As I am restrained, I close my eyes and begin to breathe lightly again, soothing my own mind with memories of the warmth of my childhood. But even that can only get me so far if the same person who sparked my anger keeps humiliating me, which is what the blonde does. Even after I beat him to a pulp, he couldn't stop insulting me. Luckily, I didn't react, which shows the guys holding me that I'm no longer a threat. At least, that's what they thought.

Then, as soon as they release me, I run forward, to everyone's visible and audible horror. With my sword before me, I am ready to strike him down. His eyes were as wide as possible with his swollen, almost blocked eyes. Another man is holding him, looking pale and fearing for his own life, although my blade wouldn't hit him as my only target is the monster he is helping.

With my eyes burning and my blade inches from his face, I prepare to kill another person. In my anger, I wait for blood to spray all over me. But it didn't happen, not even a little bit.

Instead, when I come back to my senses, my blade has been stopped by another. A massive, green greatsword. The wielder, someone I never thought would do this. I stare at him through gritted teeth and ask him in a whisper, "What are you doing? Let me kill the smug, arrogant dimwit!"

“I can’t allow that,” he answers quietly, as softly as he had always spoken to me. “He is my knight.”

“Knight?” I ask mockingly. “A knight would never be this underhanded! Throwing a knife in my back? You must be joking."

The brown-haired man briefly looks back at his knight. For a second, I even imagined seeing a momentary flash of disappointment in them, but before I could be sure, he turns forward again. Instead, all I could see was his determination to protect his knight regardless of what he had done.

I try to push him away, but the only thing that happens in return is he shoves me back instead. Startled, I stare at him with shocked eyes. My gaze even involuntarily wanders down my arms to my sword. But there's nothing wrong. So, how could he push me away so easily? His attention is already back on his knight.

"I'm sorry for my knight Brandon, but you can't just kill everyone who does something to you."

I roll my eyes and could only scoff. Once again, I'm beyond annoyed by his insolence. But to calm him down, I take a few steps away, preparing for the next fight.

“If I kill everyone who lied about me or said words to me that I don't like, no one here would be left alive.”

I could see and hear a heavy swallow going down his throat, by his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. Because he knows I'm right. I grin at having the upper hand and hold my sword out to him.

“A bet,” I offer him.

"What?" he asks, increasingly confused.

“A bet,” I repeat myself more slowly, “If I win against you, too, I want everyone in your group to grant me one wish.”

"Is that all?"

“No,” you smiled evilly, “I want one of you three to be my assistant, loyal and cooperative.”

“And what if I win?”

“Whatever you want,” I tell him, staring into his eyes, never breaking eye contact, which makes him visibly uncomfortable.

The brown-haired man turns to his friends. They both approach him, and as they speak quietly, I look around; the atmosphere is more tense. Many people watch my every move with a disdain I've never felt before. Why do these people hate me? Is it really just because I wanted to follow my birthright? Would they change if they realized the error in their beliefs? I don't think so, but only time will tell.

I stand there for a minute, staring at the three guys heatedly arguing about my bet. But to be honest, it has quickly become boring. I look up and stare at the sun for only a moment before just looking at my fingernails.

At some point, I must've zoned out because I have only come to my senses after I feel someone pushing me. I shake my head to clear it and see the instructor in front of me, his face twisted in disgust. He doesn't say a word. He only looks down at me as if I'm inferior to him.

Already ticked off, I feel my magic tingling in my hand, ready to bring this man back down to the ground where he belongs. But luckily for him, I catch Saladin's eye as he shakes his head. Annoyed, I let go of the magic building in my left hand, a spell that would've electrified the man to a crisp. However, when I let it go, my arm glows with lighting. It even affects my eyes, with which I stare directly into the teachers' orbs. I could see him swallowing in fear, exactly what I wanted to see.

"Let's get this over with," I mumble impatiently. "Are you ready, pretty boy?"

The brunette guy turns and looks around, but to his visible shock, my eyes are solely on him. It took me a moment too long for my liking to understand that he didn't think I could ever mean him. I call out to him, ready to pounce him, already in my attack stance. Then, and only then, it apparently dawned on him that I could actually mean him. He blushes a little but stood his ground.

Soon, the instructor begins our fight. Unlike the other two times, I don't move instantly and stare at my opponent. Strangely, he doesn't get as nervous as I thought he would. Smiling, hoping he is more than what meets the eye. After a few minutes, he still didn't make his first move, so I did it for him.

Instead of walking, I go down a little. I angle my feet and stand still for a second, only to suddenly start sprinting. My opponent's eyes widen due to my high speed. He could barely react in time to raise his sword into the sky and bring it down a moment later. Seeing this, I hold up my sword, blocking his attack with ease, holding his greatsword slightly above me. Not many people actually fight with a greatsword, as a metal sword of this size is heavy and difficult to handle. But since only the handle is made from metal and the blade comes from a plasma crystal, the weight is certainly not an issue.

I can see the terror in his eyes that even with the power he has put into his sword, I find it so easy to block his attack. Although I feel the pressure he's putting on my sword with his due to his immense strength, I don't show it to make him suffer psychologically. He is strong but not very smart. He could have tried to push me to the ground using his legs or even removing one of his hands from the hilt of his sword since I'm sure he could wield it with one hand. But he doesn't do it. His only way of fighting is direct. This is honorable, but it doesn't work in a real fight.

There were many different ways I could end this fight, even honorably. But what's fun in it? I grin because I know the third fight is almost over. But suddenly, the pressure on my sword grew exponentially. Confused, I raise my gaze up to my opponent. He wears a determined expression on his almost saintly features, portraying nothing but displeasure at the moment.

Soon, I could hear a cracking sound under my feet, and even my left hand begins to hurt from still blocking the brutes strike. I could hold the position if I have to. But to get through this fight unscathed, I really need to do something soon. 

I let my sword waver under the growing pressure, gazing at my opponent's handsome features and waiting for him to smile.

And just as I think about it - not even a few seconds later - a big smile appears on his face because he believes he will win the fight and everything he wants from me. Now that I know he's already going berserk, I can finally end the fight.

I let my sword glide down the plasma greatsword and duck under it faster than the guy before me could react since he's out of his mind. Barely past the sword hanging above my head, I hear it crash into the stone, which cracked further under the enormous pressure exerted on it. My sword helped it come down further away from me. As soon as I feel my sword release from the pressure, I pull it towards me and quickly upwards. I quickly approach my opponent, and in an instant, I am standing in front of him, the sharp blade of my sword at his throat, cutting his skin lightly to bring him out of his rage.

The guy's eyes quickly clear again. The whitish, murky eyes turn into a warm hazel brown. To say it shocks me would be an understatement. I rarely found eyes beautiful, but these? They are from a different world.

“Man, you have beautiful eyes,” I murmur. It's only when I see the increasing blush on my opponent's cheeks that I realize that I actually said those words out loud and not only in my head. Embarrassed, I turn my head away but don't step away from him. "What's your name?"

He clears his throat, trying to hide his blush and replacing it with a grin.

“Sky,” he replies politely, a certain arrogance in his voice as if he is playing a role.

"Just Sky?“

“Prince Sky of Eraklyon.“

I stare at him dumbfounded, my mouth slightly open. He must have taken it to mean that I am amazed that he is actually a prince, but why should I? Instead, I look around. For a moment too long, my eyes are focused on the blonde guy that the guy in front of me called Brandon. He must have seen me staring at him because he moves nervously on his feet.

“Are you sure you're the Prince of the Golden Lion?” 

“Yes,” he says, less confident than before.

“Okay,” I whisper back and sheathe my sword. I step back from him and bow to him mockingly with a slight wink, ready to put an end to this show fight.

I turn to Saladin and the others. Everyone is stunned. It feels good, but I'm still not satisfied for some reason. My eyes shift to Cory, but his gaze is focused on the rest of the forest and seemed struck by its beauty. But he couldn't fool me. With a furious gaze, I stare at him. It didn't take long for him to look at me, but he immediately looks away. He tries to pretend he didn't see my angry eyes.

“Let’s fight!” I shout to him.

Cory groans in annoyance, throwing his head back, refusing to acknowledge me. However, when some specialists persist in bothering him, he reluctantly looks in my direction. It's clear he doesn't want to engage in any conflict with me. All I could do is smile confidently at him.

But Corey wasn't lucky that day because, as my best friend's older brother, I know how to rile him up. I change my face to a cold facade, straighten my back fully, slam the tip of my sword into the ground, and walk towards him. I caught a suspicious look out of the corner of my eye, but he didn't move away, most likely to protect his honor. I mean, who would run away from a rookie, right?

As I approach him, I maintain a serious expression and don't even offer a slight smile. I move around him in a circle, like the superior predator that I know I am.

“I understand you’re afraid of me, Corey,” I start murmuring. Almost immediately, I could feel his gaze on me. But I don't know if he's already figured out what I'm trying to do or if I've already got him hooked. Anyway, it's just the beginning. “Since Richard's failed expedition put your family's name in jeopardy, and your little brother was never able to defeat me even when I was supposed to be a fairy, I understand you are afraid of failure. Especially now that my grandfather has taken a liking to you and your family.”

“Shut it!” Cory warns me quietly. All eyes were on us, but our voices were so quiet that few could hear our words.

As soon as those disrespectful words left his big mouth, I finally stop some distance away from him. I grin at him. It didn't take long for him to realize my end goal. His eyes widen in panic, and he tries to reach out to me to apologize, but it's too late already.

“I demand retribution for this disrespect,” I say loudly. “I demand a Dorbikurr!”

The murmuring crowd abruptly fell silent. Although most probably have no idea what "Dorbikurr" means, the heavy tone of the word is probably enough to convey that it's not something easy or positive.

For as long as I've known him, Cory has never looked so shocked.

“Are you in your right mind?” he asks me in a panic. “I am a close graduate of the Red Fountain Academy. Do you think you can beat me? You know what would happen if I win, right?”

"I have to give up everything and become your servant forever. Corey, do you think I'm stupid?" I ask him rhetorically, my grin growing wider.

Even though I would lose everything if I lose to him, he wouldn't suffer the same fate. As the one challenged to this sacred duel, he would only lose his ability to ever hurt me. He cannot fight me in the future, tarnish my reputation, or oppose me in any way, and if he learns of a plot to harm me, he must inform me. Nothing in this world or any other can break the sacred promise.

He sighs as he resigns to his fate. Seemingly confident he would win. Even though I challenged him, is he really this stupid or just too cocky. Either way, I'll be sure to wipe away the growing smirk on his face.

[Masterlist]

#x male reader #male reader #winx club #winx saga #winx saga x male reader #brandon x male reader #riven x male reader #winx club x male reader #riven #brandon #sky #sky x male reader #series #fairy prince

[mdhwrites]

You mentioned how Amity cant really be categorised as a good person.

Do you think the same could be said of Luz? I was rewatching the show and alot of her actions seem selfish but never really get fixed or challenged. I.e. pressuring Willow into forgiving her bully because well, LUZ likes her and wants to live out her redemption fantasy. Or her tendency to lie, or just do whatever she wants even if it upsets or hurts people.

A lot of the general same points about Amity as a good person can be made about Luz. We see little kindness for kindness' sake from her, she doesn't go above and beyond for others very much unless they're VERY close to her, her motives are commonly selfishly motivated, etc. like that. Episode 1 is actually one of the closest to a genuinely selfless act to strangers she does, helped by the fact that freeing the prisoners to help Eda is still essentially to help save a stranger since she barely knows Eda and King at this point. After that those generalities, where I could talk about how Amity was at least MAYBE trying to be better, well...

The specifics get a lot rougher. This is partially due to Luz's archtype of main character. A LOT of S1 is characterized by a formula of Luz wanting something/playing out a fantasy, Luz fucking something up in the pursuit of this and then her having to work to fix it. It's actually pretty standard kid's show fair but without the clearer morals usually included in shows like this, or TOH has redundant morals for that matter. A lot of people will point to her doing things like checking on Amity post Covention as a moment of her being a good person to even an enemy but Luz is at least partially the cause for why she's upset and already messed up so setting that right, or just comforting a crying teenager, is kind of the bare minimum that most human beings will do. I've called this and stuff like Eda not letting a teenage girl die "the bare minimum of being a good person" for a reason. You genuinely have to discard good morality entirely in order to not be affected by death or the consequences of your actions.

Which... Gets into how Luz does get a LOT more questionable as even the bare minimum of a good person once the second half of the show begins. Falls and Follies starts on a normal foot for her where the only reason she reaches out to help an enemy is selfishly motivated as a way to prove her own hypothesis. This is like how in Teenage Abomination, it's really easy to draw a line from "I want to get into the magic school" to "Let me be your abomination to show Amity up... And get into the magic school so don't worry about the rules!" Elsewhere Elsewhen is also explicitly about helping someone for her own gain but... Well, she manages to stumble here. She misses Lilith's party, a theoretically important moment for Lilith, and then demands a favor from her after just an apology. Now yes, she has a reason because she was focused on the portal door stuff but it's a precedent. Luz actively seeming to dodge how others may feel while focusing only on herself as she becomes increasingly selfish, usually made worse with context or framing, and all the show, or fandom, can do is give her a flimsy excuse for why she's justified.

Reaching Out's final big Lumity conversation contrasts with their last talk in Covention PERFECTLY to exemplify this. In Covention, Amity and Luz are both in the wrong. Amity instigated the conflict, Luz escalated it into a fight and then cheated and then Amity was tricked into cheating that same fight. I would probably put more blame on Amity due to her antagonism but both have been wronged here. So when in character, Amity demands Luz say she's not a witch, it feels correct even though it hurts to see her so angry and you want the bully to stop being mean. But Luz, again in character as the better person of the two at the moment, acquiesces and gives Amity what she wants before trying to show her why she should be given a chance. A moment of compassion that is then met with compassion by Amity dispelling the everlasting oath. Both were in the wrong but both, through who they are, set things right and find understanding with one another. It's a beautiful moment and one of TOH's absolute bests, even to this day.

Then you have Reaching Out. Amity has done NOTHING wrong this entire episode. Meanwhile, Luz has gotten bored at watching her girlfriend fight, actively ignored Amity's pain, even when it's pointed out to her, and lied the entire episode for what feels like no reason because she was willing to at least admit that SOMETHING was wrong to Eda and King, made even worse with the context that three episodes ago, she agreed to be more open. Luz is inexcusably in the wrong and her father's death does NOT make up for it.

But... When the two sit down, Luz doesn't apologize. Not immediately. She doesn't do more than ask to sit, acting more nervous than she did while Amity was a bully to her. Then Amity literally lists Luz's crimes of that episode... Before asking towards the root of the problem. Despite having run away due to being so upset, Amity is a fucking saint in just wanting an explanation without getting even an apology first. Then Luz gives the explanation, remembers right at the end to apologize but gives Amity nothing else. No words of encouragement, no acknowledgement that what she did today was wrong... Just an excuse. And yes, Luz says it's not an excuse but do you know what you do when you don't want to claim something as an excuse? YOU APOLOGIZE FIRST AND DON'T PUT THE EXCUSE FIRST. Instead, her entire confession is just her justifying why she's been so selfish that episode. It's also an explanation, sure, but she also uses it as her motivation and reason for eactions. Why she did all of this. Shunts everything she did onto this one event going on, a very emotionally manipulative event that will make most people uncomfortable when brought up like this, and then... Amity gets up, vows to make things right for Luz and then heads off.

It's shit like this that makes Luz not a neutral person or just a nice person to their friends but a straight up ASSHOLE. Hollow Mind has her FINALLY getting upset about Belos... When his policies mean she can't get her magic cloak fixed. She at first refuses to go save her girlfriend from being under house arrest because she's too focused on her guilt about Belos and Eda and so would rather literally do NOTHING than go save Amity. And then of course the big one:

In S1, she CONSTANTLY made up for the mistakes she made. She fucked up with her own choices time and time again. One of her few truly redeeming, completely positive traits was this willingness to accept she'd fucked up and set things right. But now that her choices, selfish choices, has potentially destroyed an entire WORLD... She'll do nothing. Absolutely. Fucking. Nothing.

The show frames it as self martyrdom. She frames it as learning from her mistake. But if that were true, she might actually have tried to change her behavior. To not still be focusing entirely on herself. To bring up how she is fucking over her friends and found family. Even acknowledge the collateral that comes with this choice or that she needs someone else to make the choices because she no longer can have faith in herself to do so. Instead, it comes across as her realizing this will be hard this time and just going "Fuck this."

It doesn't make Luz evil but it means that you cannot call her a good person. Especially since, you know, she has still been caught lying TWICE to Amity and seen the pain that lying to her girlfriend causes her and STILL WON'T TELL HER THE TRUTH! Tell Eda and King though? She does that literally at the start of Edge of the World, despite already supposedly hating herself for all of this.

It's bad. There's no two ways around how Luz behaves. You can try to excuse it. Say she's depressed and traumatized. That she can't deal with it. I did an entire teaching blog on fantasy trauma because of those excuses and how profoundly stupid they are if you actually know fantasy. Also, she didn't have to react like this. Anne was still a good person but clearly, at least if you're looking for trauma responses instead of thinking the only response is to cry and throw yourself a pity party, shows severe signs of not being able to handle what just happened during True Colors. She literally can't talk about everything because it overwhelms her. However, instead of deciding, "Fuck the Plantars, Marcy, Sasha, AMPHIBIA," her response is to work herself to DEATH to fix it. And this is despite the fact that her own trust and choices on who to trust, Andrias, Sasha and Marcy all included in this, directly helped lead to potentially a friend's death, three different betrayals and who knows what to Amphibia at that time.

TOH, time and time again, could have chosen to have Luz act in a way that still portrayed her as even trying to be a good person but always chooses not to, instead using excuses for it instead of her actual actions. She could have been OVERLY worried about Amity and thus make her line about "I don't want my problems distracting her," feel a lot more honest and she still fucks things up but out of care instead of selfishness. She could have come to Eda, conflicted and asking permission to go help her girlfriend because she feels like she'll do nothing here but that Amity is safe like this, while they're not, so if they need her, she'll let Amity know and stay here. Eda says she's not needed and you still get her caring about the stakes of the Isles while not making it look like she'd rather have the CHANCE to do something than actually pursue helping her girlfriend. And for staying home? Have her talk to... Probably Hunter as the best option since he already knows everything and this is most in character for him. She admits her fears, instead of through a bullshit, autoplay video diary, and Hunter, worried about the consequences of his own actions and how his own drive hurt so many people while as the Golden Guard, says maybe she should just stop. They'll be okay without her but yeah, you do meddle with things and you've practically destroyed the Isles. Maybe it'd just be better if you tried living a quiet, normal life. She still gets her angst, Camila could overhear and wrestle with what she wants her daughter to do until committing at the end of the episode by going into the portal but you don't have Luz just callously throwing everyone's lives away when supposedly she is uncertain about her ability to make the right choices. Admittedly, this still means keeping the secret from Amity but like... If she did tell Amity, she'd be told not to blame herself, that they need her and get the clear conscience she needed to actually go fix things. You know, the same reason she can't fucking talk to any friends during the episodes because the writers backed themselves into a corner.

But each time, TOH goes with easiest, dumbest, WEIRDEST choices when it comes to how to frame Luz in the second half of the series, to the point where if her angst arc is our mental health representation, I'd rather wait another five years thank you very much! I already have to deal with a brother who excuses his abuse and selfishness with his mental health issues. I don't need fictional characters doing it too, let alone their fandoms. Because as always: Trauma and Mental Illness are not excuses to be ASSHOLES.

And I'm flatly sorry but in the second half of the series, after Vee calls her out on it, Luz is just a selfish asshole and it's hard to say otherwise.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house #luz

[pastelcheckereddreams]

Four Seasons Manor (四季山庄): Set Layout, Part Two!

I found it. I finally found the second set. I'm so ridiculously proud of myself 😂 All details will be revealed and broken down shortly, here and in a third part, but first let me recap my Siji Manor drafting progress so far:

If you're stumbling over this post in the wild - hi! I draw architectural drafts of cdrama sets, as accurately to the show as I can. A huge amount of research goes into creating my art, and so far no set location has been as elusive as this one. All of my set design projects start with a lot of research and resource gathering, to ensure that I am drafting the sets as accurately as possible. One element of each of my finished pieces is, as you may know, a birdseye view of the set. I include this to show the spatial relationship of the architectural elements I draft, and to give the fictional location cohesion and comprehensibility as a "lived space," further enriching - I hope - your experience of my art and of the show itself.

This process, however, becomes incredibly complicated to achieve when 1) the set I am trying to draft is split across different film locations, especially if 2) I can't find one of the sets.

At the time of my last post, linked here, I had located the set used for the front courtyard of Siji Manor in Hengdian World Studio's Spring and Autumn Tang Park, (what I have begun to call the "exterior set"), and had ruled out the wider set as locations for the main "interior" set - the inner courtyards of Siji Manor where the majority of the scenes in episodes 24-29 take place.

Well friends, just over a year later, I have confirmed that my suspicions in my very first Siji Manor draft post were, in fact, true. The second shooting location for Siji Manor was inside one of Hengdian's film studios. It was filmed in the "Mansion Scene" set, in Huaxia Shed #2:

My journey to finding this set lead me through two other dramas, and to the discovery that this set was also used for part of the filming of WOH episode 5, in Sanbai Manor. By cross-checking all of these scenes, I've been finally able to identify all relevant buildings and map the main set for Siji:

(First part of an insane, dizzying breakdown under the cut. It's long. It's confusing. Godspeed.)

project list | kofi | prints

I will begin by saying that, although I am confident of this layout as you see it above being Siji Manor, I am not certain that this is the full Mansion Scene in Huaxia Shed #2. This is because my only source for the photos above comes from this article, which also includes three photos I've been unable to place in relation to the above map, despite clearly being from the same area. Moreover, because of the lack of wide camera angles or even full use of this above set in WOH itself, my scale/placement of buildings in relation to each other is still a little off. I've also given myself some artistic license with minor parts of the landscaping. That being said, let me break down this set layout for you, and reveal Siji Manor to you all:

WKX and ZZS's rooms

Buildings 1 and 3 are used as WKX and ZZS's rooms respectively. My confirmation of this fact - and many more to come - comes from the drama Mysterious Lotus Casebook (MLC), in which we see a clearer view of the courtyard between the rooms itself, where the kitchen in WOH resides (labelled 2):

Firstly, how do I know that the kitchen where Chengling has his chicken showdown is outside WKX's room? Because we can see it outside in this screenshot:

And how do we know that this room, WKX's room, is the one on the left side of the screen in the Mysterious Lotus Casebook screenshot? Because that room, belonging to Yun Biqiu, matches the layout of WKX's room:

(Note that WKX's room is used as the Princess's room in episode 1 of WOH, and despite significantly different set dressing/modification, her room - WKX's room - bears the same structural layout as Biqiu's. But you probably just have to trust me on that latter point because they like to move walls and floors in the film studios.)

To verify building 3 as ZZS's room (which is likewise used as Li Xiangyi's from MLC), and to show that you can walk straight through this room from the kitchen (2) courtyard into the formal courtyard (5), I'm going to have to let these door panels do the heavy lifting for me:

Did you follow that? Don't worry, I've mapped the route on a copy of the main birdseye view below. Hang in there!

Formal Courtyard

The snowy screenshot above brings us to what could be considered the "formal" courtyard of this mansion - the QHZ snow scene! It is the fact that this scene occurs with ZZS's room to the right (note those door panels) that makes me headcanon ZZS took up residence in QHZ's room on his return to Siji (and that WKX took Qin-furen's....).

There isn't much to say about this courtyard itself, but enjoy these screenshots from MLC:

Now, did you remember those other door panels? In MLC, Li Xiangyi walks from this courtyard around the side of his old room (again - note the door panels) past a small, private seating area for his/ZZS/QHZ's room - labelled as area 4.

This brings him, and us, along the walkway dividing the kitchen courtyard, and the main courtyard of this set. If you're struggling to follow along (as even I am at this point😵‍💫), this is the route I have taken you on so far:

I'm about to divert you into Sanbai Manor, WOH episode 5, for a look at area 7, and then we will dive into the main area of this Siji Manor set in part three.

So, surprise! This set is also briefly used for Chengling's room in Sanbai Manor. I thought I was crazy for this, but damn it, I was right. Here's a view of his "room" which is actually the side of the main hall (6):

It's at this point that I concede it might have just been easier to start this breakdown with the main courtyard and main hall. Whoops.

Anyway, I hope this first part has been an interesting, if chaotic, read. Let me know your thoughts so far! Have you been able to follow along okay? Do I need to clarify anything? What do you think about the revelation of all these sets colliding? (Particularly if part one and the first set is fresh in your mind.)

As always, if you'd like to support my research madness and help fuel my many artistic endeavors, please consider donating to my kofi or checking out my print shop:

project list | kofi | prints

Now, click through to part three below, where I will take you through the main area of Siji Manor. See you there!

Part One | Part Two | Part Three

#nikkidraws #四季山庄 #山河令 #four seasons manor #word of honor #shan he ling #woh meta #word of honor meta #shl meta #woh set design #shl set design #set design #yeeting these from me now it's taken two days to do both of these posts at the same time 😭

[imaginmatrix]

Maybe it's my playing Stardew Valley, but I'd certainly like to see a nice Percabeth fic set in a remote, countryside farm town

Annabeth sat on the grass at the top of the overlook.

The small town was a cluster of scattered lights below, the rolling fields of farms rippling like ocean waves in the breeze, leading down to sandy beaches and the true sea it mirrored.

Forests and mountains encased the little community, less a wall of hostility to keep out strangers, and more a protective hug from a loved one, ensuring those in the valley felt secure. Safe.

Percy slumped down beside her, handing over a beer he’d snagged from the six pack in the back of his truck, her second of the night. Most of the evening had already been spent watching the explosion of color the sunset always brought fade to the cool blue of summer twilight.

Crickets chirped. Fireflies began to flick on their lights. A frog sang a song in its gruff, throaty voice. Annabeth cleared her throat.

“So do you come up here a lot?” She asked, trying her best not to look at him, because if she looked at him… it would only invite trouble.

She felt Percy’s shrug, “More so lately.”

“Mm.” Annabeth hummed, taking a sip from her bottle.

Percy Jackson never struck her as a country boy. From the moment Annabeth laid eyes on him in his jeans, converse, and blue Henley, he had emitted an energy that felt unmistakably “city.”

But he was far more down to earth than the men she’d interacted with throughout her life, unconcerned with networking, who knew who, or which restaurants and clubs would be “in” that weekend— not that there were clubs here, and small town gossip was an entirely different breed than what she was used to.

Still.

“So you’re an artist?” Percy interrupted her thoughts.

“Yes.” Annabeth frowned, “Well, no… sort of?”

His laugh sent electricity through her chest, the zap of static after dragging one’s feet on carpet. “How can someone be only ‘sort of’ an artist?”

She unsuccessfully bit back a smile, “I haven’t been doing much art since coming here.”

It seemed like a good idea at the time— a sabbatical from the firm, a chance to rekindle her creativity, find her passion for a dream career that had lost its shine the past half-decade, a relaxing getaway to a small town, in a little cabin, no one to interrupt her…

Except it seemed she left inspiration back in New York.

It hadn’t fit in her luggage.

“I hear that 90% of being an artist is not actually making art, so you’re on the right track.” The way he nudged her shoulder nearly tempted Annabeth into turning her head those few centimeters to meet his gaze, see his face, those green eyes, that black curly hair— no. She had to be firm with herself.

So instead, Annabeth laughed, and she took another swig, “God. I hope that’s true.”

“What do you draw? Or… paint, or whatever?”

The million dollar question.

“I… I’m trying to figure it out.”

She could imagine the way he must be raising his eyebrows at that answer, “People? Places?”

“Buildings.” Annabeth sighed, “I’m an architect.”

“Seems pretty straightforward.” She cringed. Percy paused. “…or not.”

Another sigh tugged at her lungs, but she beat it back down, “It is, usually. But… it all looks the same these days.”

“Buildings?”

“Yeah.” She tilted her eyes to the night sky, so much clearer than back home, “I’m sick of them and I need to find some way to get inspired again because— I mean— Skyscrapers? Giant vertical rectangles. Strip malls? Giant horizontal rectangles. Businesses want to fit in— and so do celebrities, if you’re lucky enough to work with one on some fancy mansion.”

“You’ve built for celebrities?”

“One.” Annabeth admitted, “But everything is so… sterile. Even interiors, which used to still have character when the buildings themselves stopped being unique, and now they’re all minimalist and shades of grey and glass doors, plain marble lobbies or open floor concepts—“

“Used to work in one of those.”

Annabeth blinked, finally inclining her face toward Percy though she still avoided a direct look, “Did you?”

“Yeah. In the same city as you, it looks like.” He pinched the brim of the Yankees cap atop Annabeth’s head, tugging it down teasingly, “Couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with my life after high school, so I kind of floated around to different things. Ended up in a tech startup, even though computers hate me— it was mostly answering phones and trying to convince people to buy useless warranties they didn’t need.”

“Why did you leave?” Annabeth immediately felt stupid for asking the question. Everything he recounted sounded absolutely miserable.

But Percy didn’t seem to think the same, his answer earnest, “It was a few years ago, and I was already looking for a new job; it didn’t cross my mind to ditch the city entirely, it’s— it was my home, but uh…” he cleared his throat. “I made a promise to someone. So now I’m here.”

Her curiosity was piqued, but Annabeth didn’t pry, figuring it was a sensitive topic. “Do you like the Valley?”

“Far more than I thought I would.”

“Me too.” She paused, “Do you think you’ll stay here?”

“Maybe.”

Maybe.

The word made her emotions churn in a way she absolutely did not want to analyze at the moment.

They stared out at the valley again.

“God this view is beautiful.” Annabeth breathed, breaking the silence.

“Absolutely.”

Then Annabeth made the mistake of turning her head to look at him, the action she’d been avoiding since he invited her to go for a drive, and Percy’s gaze was already on her. Their eyes met. Neither moved to break the delicate string that tentatively began to connect them.

Annabeth’s mind was a whirlwind. This is why it had been so dangerous to look. This is what she was scared of.

Because with him looking like that— no, with him looking at her like that— if his “maybe” response to her question of staying here became a “definitely”…

Then what would she do?

But it was too late. She was leaning in, and Percy was as well, and Annabeth knew she couldn’t, wouldn’t stop herself, because that delicate string was growing stronger, a spider web to a fishing line to a sewing thread to a length of yarn and on and on and on—

So she kissed him. She breathed in his scent, sea salt, and sweat, and lavender from the brush he’d toppled into earlier that night. She tasted his lips, warm and chapped, but not uncomfortably so, a friction in the softness that promised something more that made Annabeth’s skin prickle with anticipation. She kissed him, and let him kiss her, and maybe this would bring that much needed passion back to her life.

But she knew she was a fool.

Because in that moment, even knowing that this— whatever “this” was— could only lead to heartbreak and misery and pain, she made the decision to choose it.

Choose this.

Choose him.

Even if just for the next two months she was here.

Even if just for tonight.

*****

Okay you made me make a series of oneshots on AO3, so here it is there too

#morgan murmurs #ask #knowall7k #prompt #writing prompt #writing #one shot #Percabeth #percabeth fanfic #pjo #percy jackson #percy jackson fan fic #pjo fanfiction #fan fiction #fanfic

[quincyhorst]

OC Files: Estela Aguilar 🦅

More RedoMata girls ~~~

(Using yet another Picrew as a main reference, original here - Created by @ ri_osa_mu on Twitter)

She is the daughter of a bullring president over at Seville; the same one Querardo's father has performed for a huge chunk of his life. Like an eagle in the sky, the president's duty is to look from above at the whole spectacle in the ring, and be able to determine the fate of both the bullfighter (By choosing whose awards to give them) and the bull itself (By choosing to spare its life -'Indulto'- or not). Like little Que admired his father since childhood, young Es has often daydreamt to take over her father's position when older. However unlike Naval she never developed any second thoughts, in fact her goal is still clearer than ever.

Estela and Querardo, although separated, did have some interactions in previous trips from Navarre to Seville. Their relationship had always been in decent terms, although both León and Es' father have joked many times about their children marrying as adults. Hell, in many occasions it had been remarked to Querardo over and over again how much of a "perfect bride" Estela could be for him. I mean, she has a fine appearance, she's clever, has good reflexes, and overall supportive of future matador Que. Add to this some slight feelings he actually had for her on the past, and you got a perfect couple. Or so it seems.

Although Querardo admits Estela is pretty, truth is he has been losing interest on her for a long time. In fact, his ever growing conflicting feelings for bullfighting as a whole also have affected his view on her for the worse. Estela is aware of this, but she isn't willing to accept it. Within Querardo, she sees a great matador inside, a man that could even surpass the legacy that other famous figures left behind. For him to leave it all, just because he can't bring himself to finish the bull... How dare he!?

...I'll actually confess that while I do like what I wrote with Estela, I actually have NO idea if she'd be part of the line of events I've written with Red Matador's story. I have a lot of mixed feelings about adding her to the plot, and even more with the ideals she represents 🫤 Nonetheless, I'll confess that I like her as a little drama machine. That's why I wanted to briefly talk about her despite her irrelevance </3

An idea that I had for her though was that she could be a manager for RM; being sent to Liocott due to her superb observation skills. But I'm not sold yet. Then again, Episode 102 made us clear that the spanish most likely don't have any managers around... Sad 😭

Bonus, more art. Reusing a discarded WIP since I cannot draw much. Her eye shapes are heavily based on the picrew image above; I just really like how they look on her. Though there's still things I'm not determined on her design, such as her hair color (either red or almost fuchsia) and texture.

Fun fact, but her flower is loosely based on the Carnation, one of Spain's national symbols.

#inazuma eleven #hc:ina11 #red matador #OC:Estela Aguilar #Tl;dr about her entire character so far: She wants to get that bag 💰💰💰💰💰💰💰 #Now; if only she didn't include poor Que on her plans... 😭 #I'll confess... She was a very minor character relegated to only a flashback scene on my story #But one day randomly I've decided to develop her lol #Aaaand Céles has a similar origin too LMFAO #Next OC is the last btw for now; at least with a lengthy blog. Hope this format isn't being much of a bother 😅 #I'm way TOO used to Read Mores and it shows #OC:Ina11

[maiji]

This is the behind the scenes work-in-progress overview for fight / flight part 4! (part of the YYH North Bound prequel project)

I finally got around to scanning the thumbnails for this part! I remembered to do this mainly because part 5 (which is also the final part of this story in the North Bound series!) will be posted here soon.

Because it's been so long since I worked on part 4, I don't have as much to say compared to previous behind the scenes posts. Basically time heals all wounds (or at least these ones) and thus I forgot all the details of my screaming/crying/complaining, hahaha. That and possibly because this part was "only" 6 pages.

More character design commentary and part 4 page sketches below the cut!

Character design commentary and more sketches

For part 4, I had designed a new character who didn't already exist in Yu Yu Hakusho.    

The second drawing above (with the Chinese characters, just my calligraphy practice on the same page) was actually from pretty far back, I was thinking about her (and her dialogue) for a while. You can see I was playing a lot with the design of her face, how old she might look, and how I might distinguish her from other female characters and Spirit World guides, especially with the stylizing of her eyes. 

Outfit-wise I don't think she's that unique as far as classical sky maiden-type designs go, but I do enjoy drawing her hair. I gave her a beauty mark at the last second while inking the comic.

Here are all of the page sketches - without the text, followed by more commentary.

Comparing my thumbnails to my sketches, there wasn't much change.

The "Otake, stand down" tennyo descending page got adjusted a bit with a close up of her lips for her dialogue. I still feel a bit ambivalent about the composition, whether I should have positioned her higher, but I like the feeling of descent and the fluttering of her hagoromo.

Second last page, second panel after Otake says "hmph" - I took so long working on this that the doodle in my page sketch was undecipherable to me, and I was at a complete loss as to what on earth I had been intending. Fortunately, my script at this part said "sheathes his sword" which saved me. Though, if I had bothered going back to look at my thumbnails, I would have realized my thumbnail of this action was ten times clearer than my page sketch.

Other comments:

First page, large panel with the sparkle of the tennyo appearing - I had a heck of a time with the forest background on this one. Blob blob blob it seems serviceable enough. Like I've said before, my environments are mostly rough vibes, haha.

"EUGH YUCK GROSS" page - I had a lot of fun with the tennyo's expressions, and I really like how Otake's face turned out in the last panel. Drawing annoyed people with bloody faces is fun!

Last two pages: I was very proud of how Tomoe turned out on these two pages, her looking up poses. I also was pleased with the forest in the last panel. More vibes!

#yu yu hakusho #hokushin #tomoe ozen #wip #sketches #thumbnails #comics #fancomic #making art #making comics #comics process #yyh north bound #art by maiji/mary huang #tennyo #japanese mythology

[tetralea]

For the naughty naughty smut dialogue asks: number 54 - oh baby you are drooling everywhere 😁🤤

The rest I’ll leave to you 😏

I know it wasn’t what you had in mind, but o got two ideas. The obvious when you read the prompt, and this, and I hope you’ll still like this hehe

It wasn’t something they usually did per se. Or even something they wanted to take much further but Charles lost a bet and here they were. In a midsize classroom, a few minutes before a small group consultation started. It was Max’s class, or part of it, before their final project deadline.

Max was seated which was a rare occasion but no one questioned it. He was leaning forward, hands fidgeting with something trough the entire consultation, eyes trained on his students, leg spread wide under the desk, but that remained hidden.

As it was supposed to.

He was trough the first ten minutes. “All good?” He asked, his voice loud and clear addressing the young adults in front of him.

There were a few murmured and clearer affirmations, and one firm squeeze around his right ankle. “Good, very good.” He nodded, straightening his back as he tried not to purr those words but keep his voice clear and well articulated.

The next sentence dived right into the second topic on his agenda, and he grabbed his pen. He didn’t write anything but a distraction was much needed. His palms were itching to reach down, instinctively finding the mop of brown curls under his desk, sliding his fingers into it, massaging Charles scalp a little for being so good and quiet.

He never had his boyfriend in any of his classes and no matter how many times they did this at home it could be a recipe for disaster. Charles was carefully folded under his desk, knees on a small pillow, hands on Max’s thighs, or legs or shoes, lips carefully wrapped around the thick cock.

Max tried not to think about it. Charles cockwarmig him in his class. Let alone imagine how it could have looked before he was done with his duties and they could get to the fun part.

Charles could be a little brat but he was impossibly good right now. Max knew just how much he needed to surpass a whimper, possibly sending shivers down his cock and drawing a lot of attention to themselves when he called him “good” a few seconds ago. It was for his class too, as assistant teacher at university he would praise his students, but it was first and foremost to Charles.

His lecture was thirty minutes long and he asked the same question in every ten minute, to get feedback from his students on the learnings and to ensure that Charles was still okay. One squeeze around his right ankle meant everything was okay, two meant something was up and three meant that for any reason Charles had to stop and let go of Max. It was easy enough and completely without any sound. It was perfect.

He kept going and he felt Charles shift a little.

The brunette inhaled shakily, trying his best to be as soundless as he could and tilted his head a little, leaning his cheek against the warm l stretched fabric of Max’s pants on his thigh. He exhaled again, try his best to keep the pooling saliva in his mouth but it was more and more difficult, his lips started to tingle and cheeks feeling exhausted and numb. Max wasn’t small by any means. His girth was stretching the pink lips wide, to an perfect O. Tongue pressed tightly down, trying his best not to press it against the underside of Max’s cock suddenly or at all if he could. He could feel wetness escaping his tightly sealed lips, but it was hard to tell how much or where did it go, his cheeks were pulsing, muscles fighting against his will to keep still.

Resting his head on Max’s thigh helped a little, with a small sigh he opened his eyes only to close them right away. He didn’t see much anyway.

He was listening to Max’s voice and to the lecture he didn’t really understood much about but found it interesting anyway. Assuming the time was almost impossible and it caught him off guard when Max asked his group. “All is good?”

It took Charles a second or more to regain control over his own body, sore and uncomfortable under the table and tap Max’s ankle. “Good, very good.” Came the answer which made Charles shiver. He had to lift his head to move his head, his vertebrates and muscle in his neck screaming at him. Only ten more minutes.

He thought it wouldn’t turn him on as much as it did, yet here he was, one hand carefully slipping against the soft material of his dress pants rubbing his needy, twitching cock one, twice, before he felt another wet rush escaping his lips.

He tried to swallow some of it, without too much of a movement, without doing anything what might made Max whimper, hiss or worse. It wasn’t easy, he tried to lift his head a little, so the swollen cock wasn’t filling his mouth as much before tried to carefully swallowed all the saliva. He heard Max’s voice waver as he hollowed his cheeks for a second and his tongue pressed against the sensitive shaft.

God he could have rub himself a few times and come into his pants like a teenager. The weight of

Max’s cock, the soft plush skin against his taste buds and the taste of the now continuously leaking tip were testing his limits. We wanted to wimpier, to push down his head and lift it and suck the delicious cock stuffed between his swollen lips.

He was weak like that and soon his traitor hands were drawing light circles around his sensitive tip trough his pants. It was much needed even if it only made everything harder. It was maddening and he was only hoping Max was suffering and being riled up equally as much. He palmed himself trough the tight, thin material his eyes rolling back and he exhaled shakily. Fuck he could have come so easily. The only deal was that he would cock warm Max trough his lecture, thee was nothing against his own pleasure. Except one thing. He could for his life come quietly even if he managed to keep his voice down trough Max fucking into him, he became a moaning whimpering mess when that hot white blinding pleasure coursed trough him.

To the third question which he barely heard from he pounding of his own blood in his ears, from the burning desire in his body and his throbbing cock begging him.

He squeezed twice.

Max dismissed his students quickly and effectively, he was finished and seemingly no one had any questions at the moment.

“Please know, that you’ll be able find me in the third floor, room three as usual after the next class.” He informed the group, who mumbled something, and Charles’ brain screamed, ‘yes because until then he will be busy fucking me’.

Listening to everyone leaving and packing was really the most nerving thing. Charles was silently praying they would hurry because his face muscles started to give up, his lips were trembling, soaking

Max’s pants more and more by the second.

“All of them are gone, baby.” Max informed him, laying back finally being able to look at his almost fucked out boyfriend. His gaze almost pierced trough Charles, it was intense and the both had doubts if they would make it back to Max’s office.

He took in the not everyday sight, trying his best not to fuck up into the inviting, wet heat of Charles’ mouth. The pretty cheeks were slightly wet, Max’s long fingers could feel traces of saliva and it gathered more and more under his touch as he neared Charles’ lips and chin. They were completely soaked.

“Oh baby you are drooling everywhere.” It was a moan, filled with so much affection, so much love and heavy desire.

A shaky whimper broke free from Charles throat and right after an other to the relief of it.

“You did so good. So quiet and still. God and wanted to dismiss them half way and fuck you on this desk.” Another moan come and Charles left fighting the urge to start sucking Max. It was uncertain and tired catching Max off guard enough to push his hands into the brown hair, hissing as he relaxed to the gentle suction. “I’m so sensitive, Charles, if you keep going I’m gonna come.” Max warned and Charles wanted nothing more. He knew the blonde enough that he would recover fast, faster than expected and would still fuck him good on his desk on top of all the important notes and documents, if he came right now.

He didn’t slow down, his saliva making every movement fast and slippery and intoxicating. Max’s pants were completely soaked, the black denim hiding it enough but not when Charles’ felt it on his own skin.

He speeded up, one hand holding onto Max the other palomino himself trough his pants again. He soaked them trough already. He had s spare in his backpack. He prepared.

With a choked moan he swallowed around the engorged, overly sensitive tip and sucked hard as he pulled his head back, his tongue pressed thigh toy to the underside of Max cock, like he wanted to coax his cum out of the blonde like his.

Charles shuddered, the thought being too heavy on his clouded, edged mind, but he kept up none the less. Coaxing that thick, hot cum out of the pulsing cock, sucking the impeding release out of it. His helpless moan sent vibrations down on the pulsing cock in his mouth and there it was.

His mouth was rapidly filled with with the spurts of cum, as Max shook and cursed above him, his fingers turning white as he gripped the edge of his desk. He came hard, and a lot.

Charles would have fallen over even if he wasn’t desperately palming and rubbing and groping himself. His eyes fluttered, rolling back behind his closed eyelids as he came helplessly into his pants, suddenly his throat relaxin, swallowing Max deeper as he moaned and drooled around him, sucking him clean and empty in the process.

Getting back to the safety of Max’s office was more complicated than they planned but they managed.

“Look at you, baby, what a mess you have made.” Max gestured towards his own soaked and Charles scum stained lap. “Who thought it would turn you on so much?” He teased while lifting the younger man on his desk, opening his legs, throwing their shirts to the side in the process.

“Next time I put my cock in your mouth for half an hour and we will see what it does to you.” Charles mumbled into the pale neck, while peppering it with kisses and small bites. The weak laugh was distracted.

“We will see, but first, let me fuck you, like you deserve it.”

#lestappen #charles leclerc #max verstappen #prompts

[marshmallord]

I keep trying to make sense of Vegas and Pete’s sex scene, how it made me feel. But every time I try to rewatch it, I react the same way. This scene was insane. So I can’t analyze this, to any extent. It’s impossible for me. But I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about it a lot. So here’s a collection of reactions, bulleted into my Notes app every time I realized the reason I couldn’t sleep last night was this scene.

Oh, how I should have listened.

Because this scene had an impact on me that was visceral. After I finished this scene, I had to pause the episode—and I never pause this show my first time around. But I needed to breathe. I won’t say I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding, but I took in a breath I hadn’t even noticed I never took. The few breaths I dared breathe were so shallow I may as well have taken no oxygen into my lungs. I paused this scene after the end and was haggard. My breaths were ragged, heaving, deep and fast and rough. My entire body heaved and sagged as I sat, wide-eyed and sobbing. I couldn’t control it, I couldn’t stop. My eyes welled up with tears because I hadn’t blinked, unwilling to spend that tenth of a second away from the screen. I felt like I was going to die, this scene killed me.

For me, there are good sex scenes and there are bad sex scenes. And I never rewatch either—I tend to watch both with my hands over my ears and my shirt over my eyes. Bad sex scenes are awkward, jerky. They lack romance and the characters don’t have a realistic connection. Good sex scenes (hello, Mile and Apo putting their entire MileApussies into their sex scenes) are crazy intimate. Good sex scenes make me feel like I, as an audience member, am intruding on a very special moment between these people.

The VegasPete sex scene in this episode was, of course, definitely a good sex scene. More than that, it was phenomenal. And yet, despite the intense chemistry between these two, which absolutely should have led me to pull my shirt over my eyes and cover my ears on grounds of too-much-intimacy, I couldn’t look away. I clutched my blanket and curled into myself as I watched on, as these two characters submitted to their carnal natures, and did not dare look away. I did not watch this with the general discomfort that usually accompanies sex scenes. I watched this with the same mortified fascination that I watched their other scenes. This scene held me captive more than Vegas ever did Pete.

Look, maybe it was the dehydration. I only managed to watch this scene after a full day with my brother at an amusement park (curse you, shitty data), wherein I walked around in the blazing sun with nothing but a single Coca Cola and a couple generous “waterfalls” of quickly-warmed water from my brother’s water bottle. I felt ready to collapse when I got home, but pushed through to watch the episode. I kept a filled water bottle at my side and promised myself I would empty it over the course of the episode. But I was drawn in so quickly that the water level never moved.

So that likely contributed to the light-headedness (especially after I lost some of that precious water through tears), but even now, decently hydrated and with a much clearer mind and fuller stomach, this scene draws me in, captivating and intriguing. It still steals away my breath and holds it for itself, not returning it until the scene changes.

I’ve had intense reactions to this show, but all of them up until now have been emotional. Never before has a scene ripped such a physical response from my body. It felt like an anxiety attack, brought on by a sex scene. It scares and invigorates and fascinates and comforts me. I thought I’ve encountered emotional overload before, experiencing so many different psychological triggers that I can’t even begin to place a finger on a single one of the jumble of emotions I feel, but this scene broke me. I’ve never had any qualms with Kinn and Porsche’s story or Kim and Chay’s story, but every time the scene switched, I prayed that it would return us to Vegas and Pete.

I so desperately want to analyze this, but I think I’ll leave it to the more coherent and far less hysterical side of this fandom. I’m too discursive, far too jumbled in my writing to communicate anything of substance about this fucking scene.

Me too.

#holy shit this made no sense #i’m asexual btw #the flavor of asexuality that makes me look at sex and go hmm #nah #i don’t want to see that again no thank you #but THIS FUCKING SCENE #gahhhhhhh #kinnporsche #kinnporsche the series #kinnporche #kinnporche the series #vegas x pete #vegaspete #vegas theerapanyakul #pete phongsakorn

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

(Translated from Italian)

At the beginning of September, just when Harry Styles landed at the Venice Film Festival leaving behind a trail of gossip, another One Direction arrived in Milan, awaited by 34 thousand fans in raptures who in some cases camped out to sleep outside the concert venue . While the boy band of records is on hiatus indefinitely, Louis Tomlinson is also building a respectable solo career, more anchored to music and less glamorous than his partner, also launched as an actor, but still capable of moving crowds and raising hashtag on Twitter. "Honestly when I see all those people under the stage coming to hear me I still can't believe it," confesses Tomlinson, 30, "Oasis" haircut (a band he loves "for the songs and for the attitude") and very strong British accent.

His first album «Walls» had been hit in full by the pandemic, forcing him to stop after just two concerts: «It was a hard moment for me, but in hindsight it went better this way - he says -. We digest music very fast these days and at least people have had a couple of years to listen to the songs well, making the tour even more special. "

It will also be in the wake of this enthusiasm that his second work "Faith in the future", arriving on 11 November, with two dates in the palaces in Italy already announced a year in advance (8 October 2023 in Turin and 9 in Bologna), is an album made «keeping concerts in mind first». The title is optimistic: "I'm not saying that the future will necessarily be better, but it's about seeing the glass half full and having some confidence. Certainly thinking like this will not make things worse ». Compared to his debut, Tomlinson says he has gained confidence and dared more, jumping from pop to rock with hints of punk, drawing inspiration in some points from the first Arctic Monkeys, in search of an energy to be transferred immediately on stage. "I tried to be less closed-minded - he explains -. On the first album I think I limited myself a bit, while now I have a much clearer idea of ​​myself as an artist and therefore I trusted myself ".

The first single chosen was «Bigger than me», a song about changes because «there are so many [changes] at my age and I tried to reflect and accept them», he says, but also a reflection on the impact of his music: «As a performer, I always aim for perfection and it's easy to get a little too analytical. But then when I see what the songs mean to people, it's all much bigger than I think, as if the songs take a life of their own. "

What happened to him with One Direction, born in 2010 thanks to "X Factor", was certainly older than him: "I was 18 when I went to auditions and for me it was just an opportunity to receive the honest opinion of the judges - he remembers -. I came from a village where I hadn't had so many artistic inspirations and honestly there weren't many people who had made it to look at, so I would never have imagined anything so crazy ". About the band, stopped since 2016, «I miss a lot of things», he adds: «What I miss most are the comradeship spirit, the fun of doing everything together and sharing. No two days were ever alike ". As a soloist, however, it's all on his shoulders: «Now I really have to make the decisions myself and take on all the pressure. At the same time, however, it is a more rewarding dimension because I can take full credit for my successes ».

(Link to article)

#louis tomlinson #6 november 2020 #louis press #corriere della sera

[olderthannetfic]

i've never understood what people meant about tattoos looking awful, what's wrong with jk's? is it the design or like the, execution I guess? all I know about 'good' tattoos is from that one post from years ago that explained good tattoos shouldn't look say unsaturated or have colors spilling out of the lines of whatever, and I figured jk's tattoos don't seem to do any of that so they they must not be bad...?

I don't have much of an opinion on jk's sleeve, from the little i've seen i just think it's cool he has it I guess? but tons of people seem to hate it and idgi? and I want to get it less for jk and more bc I want to get tattoos one day too lol

--

There are several ways to evaluate tattoos.

Technical skill at the physical act of tattooing: Are the lines that are supposed to be straight actually straight? Are colors where they should be? Do solid areas look solid? Many bad tattoos fail here, but I don't think that's why people hate JK's.

Long-term feasibility: Was this tattoo designed by someone who understands what will look like absolute shit in 2 years. JK's are fine here, but all those ultra thin loopy line tattoos BTS fans get of album covers are going to look like garbage as the ink spreads. Things with straight lines are even worse. Some body parts are more likely to sag and deform a very precise tattoo too.

Fine arts design skill: Is the overall composition pleasing and balanced? If lines nearly intersect in one place but not another, is that intended to draw the eye or create tension, or is it an error? Do the elements come together to create one coherent artwork consisting of body and tattoos, or is the body a storage space for random shit that does not go together? This is similar to how we tell if a composition of a photo or painting is good.

Frankly, JK's sleeve looks like a hodgepodge shoved together without good layout skills. I'd need clearer photos of it to really nitpick, but even if there are thematic connections, it doesn't seem well designed visually.

And finally, BAD TASTE: Some tattoos are executed fine, but the choice of subject matter is offensive, stupid, or just plain ugly.

JK's hand tattoos look like he drew on his hand with a sharpie. What the fuck kind of junior high bullshit is that? Ugggggggly!

--

For myself, I chose to get a tattoo of a wayang kulit puppet I got as a child. I found a tattoo artist who's also a fine artist and had him do a creative interpretation of the shadow because I wanted a tattoo in black ink only, and I wanted any age-related fuzziness to work with the design instead of against it. I chose a Mexican guy who does a lot of Aztec and Mayan-inspired art because while the specific art traditions are different, there are some commonalities.

Like with commissioning fan art or any other art, pick someone who already works in a style close to what you want.

I chose a size and position I thought made an overall nice composition on my body, wrapping around my left shoulder, and when I get a second one, it will be on my right hip to make my overall body look like one artwork.

There are styles of tattoo I find very beautiful and ones I don't like, just on an aesthetic, artistic level, same as I don't like every painter or cartoonist. Some things I find pretty I still wouldn't get though.

I've been fascinated with irezumi since I was a teen, but the level of color would clash with too many of my outfits, so I would probably not get a tattoo like this myself.

But overall, I do love how beautiful these are as artworks (even aside from being tattoos) and how they turn the entire body into one canvas.

I only like fairly large tattoos, say covering the entire upper arm with one design, and I hate small flash (prefab) designs. I would never get something on me that came out of an artist's back catalogue, and since I'm making a body-level artwork, I want it to be something of a size that shows in the context of looking at my whole body. If it's going on my body permanently, then it will be designed by some combination of me and my artist to my unique specifications.

[asianhappinesss]

Here To Heart – Wen Nuan And Nanxian’s Relationship

While Here To Heart (温暖的弦) is a very popular romance melodrama, it has also attracted a fair share of criticism. The one big complaint about this production is that it is boring as the story gets dragged out unnecessarily. The other is the fact that the relationship between the main characters, Wen Nuan and Nanxian, lacks communication. They don’t know how to talk to each other to say what is in their heart and hence, misunderstandings pile up. This theme gets played out again and again until the end.

On the other hand, I have also noticed that some people absolutely love this drama. They could feel the pain that Wen Nuan and Nanxian are going through as they follow the couple’s story. So, it is pretty interesting to see the 2 very different opinions of the same drama. Perhaps the ones who love Here To Heart have a clearer understanding of the motivations of the protagonists and can relate to it.

Personally, I also found Here To Heart to be pretty boring on my first go at it. But when I watched it again, it gave me a different feel. I understood much more why the leads do what they did especially Nanxian. I skipped a lot of the second pair’s story though because THAT is boring! But for the main couple, it became much more understandable and hence, moving.

Why Nanxian Is Playing Mind Games

For many people including yours truly, the fast forward button is a gift to mankind when it comes to watching dramas. So, what do we do when we feel that the drama is getting a little monotonous? Yes, we fast forward or even skip the episode entirely. Well, if you do the same to Here To Heart, you will miss the conversations and some of them will actually give you the background as to what the characters are thinking and feeling.

Nanxian’s Game Plan

From the very beginning, we are told that Nanxian still loves Wen Nuan and he has never got her out of his mind in their 7 years apart. From his talks with his pet turtles, you can also guess what he has in mind – he wants to draw her out of her shell. He feels that she is prone to hiding and escaping from problems rather than facing them head-on based on their past experience.

However, Nanxian is not willing to pursue her or show his feelings for her. In fact, he tries very hard to make her jealous with his close relationship with Yixin. This is because he wants her to fight for him instead. Of course, Linlu’s presence also complicates matters. This forces him to keep instigating Wen Nuan to choose between them through the business deals. After all, there is always this possibility that she broke up with him because of Linlu.

The Past

On the surface, Nanxian’s psychological games seem overdone and even cruel. But through his conversations with Gao Fang, you will get a better idea of his thinking. From the flashbacks of their dating days while in university, Nanxian clearly was the proactive one in the relationship. He totally adored her and treated her like a princess. He bought her gifts and pampered her. So, when problems arose and she bolted, he felt that she didn’t know how to value their relationship as everything has come too easily for her. It is like he was dispensable. He loves her deeply and hence, the hurt cuts deeply too.

On top of that, he also has a lot of anger buried in him over her decision to break up. It was a sudden one-sided decision without reason. He pleaded with her to tell him why but she stubbornly refused. He could only guess that Linlu was the reason. So, in some ways, he was also punishing her for what she did to him because he is angry. The bullying in the elevator and purposely making her jealous are part of the manifestation of that anger. He thought he suffered more from the break up without realizing that she had it worst than him.

Therefore, Nanxian doesn’t want to commit the same mistake the second time round. He is not going to do the chasing anymore but will push Wen Nuan to make a decision and take the initiative. He thinks that only by having her fight for him that she will know how to appreciate him and the love that they have for one another. That is why a big chunk of the drama revolves around Nanxian’s mind games and the misunderstandings that result.

Why Wen Nuan Is Hesitant

The first time I watched Here To Heart, I was also wondering what is going on in Wen Nuan’s mind. She has a lot of guilt in her because she knows she has hurt Nanxian. The reason she wants to return to him after 7 years is not only because she still loves him but also because she feels that she owes him and that is something she needs to settle. But at the same time, she is also afraid to face him which is why she says Linlu is her boyfriend at the beginning of the drama.

While Nanxian uses Yixin to make her jealous in order to draw her out, Wen Nuan holds back instead because she thinks they are a couple. Yixin’s moves to give her that impression also makes her hesitant.

Wen Nuan’s Relationship With Wen Rou

As to why Wen Nuan refuses to tell Nanxian the reason for the break up can be traced back to her relationship with Wen Rou. 7 years ago, her immaturity caused her to make a very impulsive decision. She didn’t want to tell Nanxian then because she was obviously shocked that her sister also had feelings for her boyfriend. She was completely blindsided. But in one confrontation with Yixin, we are told that Wen Nuan did have doubts about the break up and was re-considering her decision. However, events that quickly followed changed everything and she couldn’t turn back with their fathers’ plane crash and Wen Rou’s attempted suicide.

7 years later when Nanxian asks Wen Nuan why she broke up with him, she is still keeping mum. While Wen Nuan and Wen Rou care a lot about each other, they are both treading on egg shells because of the past. Both are reluctant to re-open old wounds to talk about their feelings until halfway through the drama. Wen Nuan is afraid of hurting her sister again and hence, she keeps quiet on the reason for the break up. So, it is indeed apt that Wen Rou is the one who tells Nanxian the truth. Wen Nuan broke up and stayed silent to protect Wen Rou’s feelings.

Complex Emotions

If you see Wen Nuan and Nanxian’s story as a simple romance where they simply miss each other and reunite, then chances are you won’t enjoy this drama one bit. Here To Heart is not your typical romance drama like Mr. Honesty or You Are My Destiny. You need to get the underlying issues faced by the couple before you can better appreciate the story.

Basically, Here To Heart is not only about true love but also guilt, anger, jealousy, and regret. Wen Nuan and Nanxian’s relationship is a complex web of emotions and Janine Chang and Hans Zhang were able to portray that very well with their brilliant chemistry. But you really need to pay attention to the dialogues to truly understand the motivations of the characters. Then only Here To Heart can move you emotionally just as many people have found it to be.

#random facts

[airadam]

Episode 175 : You're Forced To Chill

"Speaking to the people that matter, with my mind."

- Grap

While a lot of December up this way has been surprisingly mild, but there was an absolutely vicious period - was lucky that the heating in the house only died after the worst had passed. Still, it's fixed now, so I didn't freeze to death putting this episode together! As we draw towards the end of the year, the themes here might be wintery and seasonal, but the tunes are heat :)

As promised, here's the link for WORKINONIT - definitely support this collective (and the venue that hosts the monthly events!) if you want to support grassroots talent 💯

Twitch : @airadam13

Mastodon : @[email protected]

Show/Stream Schedule : events.airadam.com

Playlist/Notes

Median : Median Alleviates The Drama

A deep cut from the heyday of the Justus League, with 9th Wonder (of course) chopping it up on this breezy beat for his Winston-Salem, North Carolina, compatriot to get busy on. You may not know Median as he only recorded two albums, his last in 2011, but he's a grounded yet imaginative writer who is well worth your listening time. Of interest to many who do take the time to dig into his history will be "Brenda's Baby" from the 2007 "Median's Relief" LP, his sequel to 2Pac's famous "Brenda's Got A Baby".

Soul Supreme : Mood Swings

Big shout to Jim Bane of Eastern Bloc who gifted me the "Poetic Justice" LP on wax for my birthday earlier this year! Amsterdam's Soul Supreme has been giving us quality music for a long while now, but in recent times has been locked in what sounds like an awful legal dispute with a record company and another producer. Despite still being in the thick of it, he delivers his commentary in the form of instrumental music on this album, which is even clearer when you read the track titles. The interplay between the horns and his keyboard work are the highlight on this particular track, but for the full effect, sit down and listen to the whole album end-to-end.

Cookin Soul : Kamaal Xmas Time

Cookin Soul usually comes out with a special Xmas release each year, mixing up an artist you know well with seasonal sample flips. This track comes from the 2002 "A Tribe Called Xmas" collection, and takes Q-Tip's verse from "Mind Power" and adds on a few more lines I can't place before going full Christmas - but keeping that boom-bap!

Noveliss & Mega Ran : Memory Card

One of the OGs of leaning fully into video game culture in Hip-Hop alongside the Clear Soul Forces veteran and manga writer Noveliss? You know the references are going to be fire. Hir-O provides the beat, and both MCs bring it as they centre the concept of the memory card (ask your parents if you don't know) on this standout from their "Maverick Hunters" album.

Bounty Killer, A.R.P, Curly, and Tulokk  : Evils Of Your Mind (Edited)

Devil on one shoulder, devil on the other? Almost like a dancehall version of Eminem's "Guilty Conscience" (especially with that second voice), this is a big single from 2001 on the "Heavyweight" riddim that also appears on the 2002 "Ghetto Dictionary : The Mystery" album as "Evils Of The Mind". 2002 was a busy time for the Warlord, who also dropped "Ghetto Dictionary : The Art Of War" that same year.

Kuartz & Vybz Kartel : Clarks (Kuartz Real Badman Remix)

If you're a DJ, especially in a city like Manchester where crowds react to big sounds, get "Hybrid Dialects" just for this monster! A local producer with worldwide rep and reach, Kuartz has done the home scene proud and on his latest release, the industrial, digital vibes come through loud and clear. The cold, wintery feel on the intro make it a perfect inclusion this dark month. Kuartz bends and effects the voice of Vybz Kartel as much as any other instrument on the track, making for a sound system killer! 

Da Beatminerz & KRS-ONE : Seckle

KRS was one of the first to really bring that reggae/dancehall flavour into the Hip-Hop arena, and Da Beatminerz have had that as an element of their style since they debuted on the production for the first Black Moon album, so this is a union you know is going to come correct. Slow and low single, with the soundclash samples at the front, back, and in the hook, this loping, skipping beat allows Kris to come through clear as a bell on the mic, still, after almost forty years of recording. Continue to enjoy new artists, but support the veterans too!

NYG'z ft. Rave : Itz On

Rugged and triumphant in equal measure, this was the big opening track on the first and so far only LP from NYG'z, "Welcome 2 G-Dom" from 2007. Guest emcee Rave (sometimes credited elsewhere as R.A.V.E Roulette) features on six of the album's fifteen tracks, which definitely puts him in "honourary group member" territory! Production is handled by DJ Premier, who also released this album on his own label Year Round Records - truly backing this crew in every way possible. PS - the apostrophe setup in the artist name and song title are verbatim from the release, don't come after me :)

Paul Wall & Termanology : Talk About It

As I say, you might not think that Houston's Paul Wall and Lawrence (Massachussetts) native Termanology are the most obvious MC pairing in the world, but my goodness, they fit togther perfectly. They already gave us one excellent LP in "Start 2 Finish" and now they're back with "Start, Finish, Repeat". It might just be in my head, but it feels like they each lean towards each other - Paul Wall with slightly more wordplay in his flow, and Termanology dialling back on the trademark syllable barrages he can unleash at any time. Large Professor bases his production around a great soul sample I added to my own collection this year, spices up the hook with some cuts.

Curren$y ft. Mac Miller : Money Shot

I've always been iffy about including this one from 2014's "More Saturday Night Car Tunes" - partly because the sound quality isn't great, but also because if I'm honest, I don't think the late Mac Miller's verse on this is his finest work. That said, I know many people online disagree with me and love it! Curren$y is solid here, but for me, the real star is the production by Sap - taking a great late 70s slow jam sample, and speeding it up (which speaks to how slow the original is), layering a suitably straightforward drum track, and then trying to turn your speakers inside out in the closing seconds! I blend out during that segment, just in case...don't want any of you coming after me for damages 😄

Luxury Elite : Parkway

A bit of vaporwave for this interlude, pure 80s vibes on this slow, moody instrumental from the "World Class" album. Luxury Elite digs out some of those really obscure 80s samples for her work, and it's all about just vibing out to the loops and little change-ups.

Mega Ran, Young RJ, Erick Roberson, Abstract Orchestra, Daru Jones, Marcel P. Black : Black Is Beautiful

Apologies to Marcel P. Black - the digital file I read the artist information on at first didn't have his name, but he kills it on the third verse and rightly deserves major respect here. This is a gorgeous and poetic track about Blackness from the 2020 "2 Hands Up" album by Young RJ and Mega Ran, which is not just (or even mostly) about police violence, but a varied and well-rounded LP. Young RJ produces this one in not just the sense of getting on a beat machine, but pulling in Leeds crew Abstract Orchestra, frequent collaborators with the Detroit scene, plus the Grammy-winning drummer Daru Jones and shaping the union into this exceptional song.

Amp Fiddler : Eye To Eye

I first heard this track on a Qool DJ Marv mix, and it was years before I could tell you who the artist was! It turned out to be just one facet of the talents of the brilliant Joseph "Amp" Fiddler, who featured this track on his debut album "Waltz Of A Ghetto Fly". It's a classic piece of funky soul, which could easily have been written twenty-plus years earlier, but had all the quality and polish to stand out in the early 21st century. RIP Amp.

InI : Mind Over Matter

Classic, if relatively little-known heat from the 90s. This Mount Vernon crew had their debut "Center of Attention", from which this is taken, shelved due to friction with the label and legal issues around ownership, but it was heavily bootlegged before eventually surfacing officially in 2003. Solid rhymes here from Grap Luva, Rob-O, and Ras G, atop some vintage SP-1200 action courtesy of Pete Rock, who produced the whole project.

Platinum Pied Pipers ft. Invincible : Detroit Winter

After that brief trip to New York State, we close out the section by bringing it right back to Detroit, this time to the PPP duo (Waajeed and Saadiq) for a track from their debut album, 2005's "Triple P". MC Invincible of the Anomalies crew kills it on the mic with their almost monotone flow, describing the bitter coldness of Detroit in detail, making it a suitable selection for this time of year. Musically, the piano riff is the standout element, but if you listen really closely, you can also hear a famous rhythm sample in the background quietly holding it down too!

[EZ Elpee] Capone-N-Noreaga : Calm Down (Instrumental)

"Calm Down" never made it onto the classic C-N-N debut album "The War Report" due to sample clearance problems - hey, I guess Bette Midler wasn't down with the Queensbridge thug life - but you might get lucky and find it on a promo 12" somewhere. If you're really lucky though, you might find an instrumental LP of tracks from the LP, including a couple that, like this one, didn't end up on the final release. Nice beat by EZ Elpee, just a shame it didn't get the shine it deserved!

Souls Of Mischief : A Name I Call Myself

I really didn't know what to end this episode with, but settled on a track from a much-loved LP which turned thirty this year. This was a deep album cut, produced by Del The Funkee Homosapien, with some really clever sample combinations underneath the cheerfully-rhymed X-rated lyrics! It's great to see how Souls' music has continued to reflect their journeys through life, from this during their teenage years through to the present day - and by the way, they were pioneers in using the internet to promote their music.

Please remember to support the artists you like! The purpose of putting the podcast out and providing the full tracklist is to try and give some light, so do use the songs on each episode as a starting point to search out more material. If you have Spotify in your country it's a great way to explore, but otherwise there's always Youtube and the like. Seeing your favourite artists live is the best way to put money in their pockets, and buy the vinyl/CDs/downloads of the stuff you like the most!

Check out this episode!

[ax3022-ancutadantepelgrom]

Testing Materials Week 2-3

This is a compilation of tests I did on the multiplane.

At first I started with charcoal, then some string animation, and clay and oil. As well as a pyrography test on a slab of wood. I am writing to describe my thoughts and processes of each and to hopefully decide on one medium.

I first started with the pyrography tool which essentially was a soldering rod. It was great fun, very hot, and Smokey so I will definitely include a mask and a heatproof glove if I choose this going forward. Its burn effect is exactly what I'm looking for, so I am eager to make this work for me. I will however need to source my own wood potentially going out and finding it rather than ordering this. I did a quick test of drawing charcoal next to the pyro test to see how they look next to each other. I feel as though I could combine them together, possibly closer to the design stage/production.

On the multiplane I did three different charcoal tests, on different coloured paper. I had quickly drawn a rough plan for the first sapling animation. Since it was at the beginning of using the multiplane we had the lighting set up however the bulb went off one which is why it wasn't set so well. And wasn't until later this was replaced. I wasn't to worried about this since its only to see if I like the materials and If it's doable. We used dragon frame software to capture this, and made sure with a focus check it was picking up the details with the camera. Once this was sorted we added the keys for either two or single frame buttons. I was told that the lens would also have to be changed for the multiplane to a 50mm however I was just glad to even start. Once all setup and wires were in order My next issue was that I would have to animate upside down. I did this for the first two. As you can see they are off centre although I did try to mark out the corners this was still hard for me. Versus the last version which you can see I flipped this after in after effects. Certainly drawing the face is clearer, but it is to high up and not centred. I have to also be sure not to leave things on frame, I momentarily left a rubber on the first one within a shoot. Luckily I have managed to edit this out. I am really drawn to the express nature of charcoals in general and would hope to find a way I can Incorporate this.

When it comes to clay I did not have a lot to use. So I had to try to make the slab tile I rolled out thick enough for when I drew into this as you can see it wasn't to visible versus when I applied clay above. If I had ore clay I might have been able to do a larger slab and more able to do bigger, artwork for it's animations. At this time we managed to get a second light working so I had to rework the exposure and camera settings again. I think if I had spent a little more time working with this I might have got a better looking result. However, I personally got the feeling I would not be using clay since it did not give the same expressive freedom I had in charcoal. It was still a worthy try as I personally do love working in clay. It would just not meant to be.

When It comes to the oil which I barely touched and was only 0.5 of a second, it was an instant no. And I could not think of a way to get it to animate clearly. So what I did to save clean up was tape this clear film above the class. Now reflecting, since I used two planes instead of one the lower one was the back ground anyway. Instead of Making the top layer with too much white, I should have only done the black branch. My thinking was I need the white to add and take away. Upon this reflection I am learning from my mistakes and taking the time to reflect has certainly helped in this case.

Last but not least I just did some quick string-over-fabric animation. Initially, I was going to embryoid this. However, I could not see a way to do this unless I had something to stretch the fabric like a hoop or a frame I could secure and staple fabric to this. Unfortunately, I thought of this a little late as I do not have the funds for this. So instead I played with the string. and tried to see how much control I would have over this and how could I make it look like something. Well, I tried at first to see how tight I could hold the shape. Unfortunately, It could not do this very well. It could, however, look and move very fluidly like so the first one is meant to resemble water a bit, whereas the second one is meant to resemble a fish whose tail is reacting to the forces around this. Overall this is not bad and I may come back with a hoop or something to update and add later as a side project if I have time before Thursday so I can really get a feel.

#Vimeo

[abovebelowhalimekaraca]

Process of Promotion Comic (2)

After I was done with the first page, I started the second one which would also include some info for the game.

I started with the line work. I had a very clear image in my head with how I wanted this to look. I really wanted the character to be seen from a below so it would look more dramatic and intimidating.

I didn't worry too much about getting the markings right or adding all the colours since most of him would be cast in shadow anyway.

I also added a lighter version of the colours so that they could serve as highlights. I have seen that done in a lot of marvel comics.

I then added completely black shadow in the centre. I did it so that the rim light behind him could be more noticeable. Yet another thing that marvel loves to do.

I think this made the drawing so much better and really gave me confidence that I can pull this off.

I decided to add a few building behind because I felt like the perspective couldn't really be noticed with only the robot.

I used a special brush for the windows which saved a lot of time. I aded some texture and made some windows darker than the others to make it look as if some lights are turned off and there is furniture inside.

This is the first time trying drawing from this point of view and I think they turned out alright.

I then added some very light blues and some white at the top to give the impression of height. I also lured the top of it to even further accentuate that.

The exact same thing was done here so that the robot could blend better with the background.

As a final detail. I added a very strong highlight that is supposed to shine the edge of the robot and make the thing look more movielike.

I was very conflicted when it came to adding the speech bubbles. I wasn't sure if I had enough space to add them without making everything look too crowded. In the end I decided to add them but keep them on a separate layer so that I could turn them off at any point.

I made this speech bubble a square with a few spikes that is supposed to represent someone talking through a radio. The geometric shapes are supposed to represent the radio waves and signals.

Unfortunately, I couldn't use the famous comic sans font for this because the program I use (Procreate) didn't have that one in their list and for some reason I wasn't able to export the font online either.

I ended up using the same font I used for the title of the game. Which is Futura. I think this font works pretty well and has a very artificial feel to it, and even though these are humans inside robots, I still thought it would be appropriate for their ''voices'' to have a robotic quality to it.

After I was done with the text, I coloured them in. Just as I did with the robots, I added a white outline to each bubble to make them easier to read. This also helped make the tails look clearer and it was easier to figure out which robot said what.

The final thing left to do was the game info below the last panel.

I started with making a quick code bar using the rectangle tool. I simply put in some lines of different thickness and then added some random numbers underneath.

I then made a very important warning label that I have seen was present on all game cases.

I made a white rectangle with a red border and a space for the Warning sign, Then I tried to find a font that was the closest to the one I saw o the original label.

The one I went with is Impact and I think it looks pretty much the same. After that I just copied the seizures warning word for word.

I love how this turned out and it really made this look like something you would see on a shelf somewhere.

The last thing I did was to Add the age restriction warning, which is just a png from the internet, a piece of concept art that I used as a screenshot from the game and a quick synopsis for the game.