#lighting and shading and reflections don't make any sense

[ssstrawberryflowers]

splish sploosh

#is it still an all-nighter if i slept from 10pm to 1:30am?? #lighting and shading and reflections don't make any sense #i think i should like. legitimately art grind #study after study after study after study after “”“”original piece“”“” after study after study #“broad input broad output” says Saint Sakurai except i barely input and output rather samey stuff #may also need to accept the fact i don't do “cool”/“epic” well if at all #oh well whatever #ultrakill #gabriel ultrakill #my art #fan art

[strxytwig]

Gojo Got Drunk

Gojo Satoru x gn!reader

Summary: You went out for your annual holiday drinks with some coworkers. This year, Gojo drank something other than soda. You weren't ready for the antics.

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: Gojo being drunk, slight angst

A/N: Doing a small character study with this blue eyed princess. I also haven't written in months and I'm extremely rusty af

+

You found Gojo’s bobbing figure amusing, like watching one of those bendy inflatables. He sluggishly clung to whoever was nearest, face colored red from drinking and his head lolled side to side between conversation. The first victim of the night, Nanami, could only handle his drunk antics for so long before he slid out of the booth and left the white-haired sorcerer moping and making grabby hands to anyone whose name he could drunkenly sound out.

Normally, Gojo composed himself when out for drinks. He stuck to soda or a mocktail while acting the biggest fool among other drunks. How he let himself go tonight made no sense to the rest of you, nor were you that concerned. He acted no different to any other day, albeit a little clingier. Gojo was always loud.

"He's an idiot," Shoko said when you stared too long at his bobbing head. You turned your attention to her as she filled your glasses for the third round. "I doubt he even had two drinks."

"Yeah." You laughed to yourself, shifting in your booth seat. "It's kind of funny." You looked back at him when he toyed with the tiny umbrella in his drink. His mouth dropped in a pout with the overhead light reflecting off of his shades. "I don't think I've ever seen him drunk."

"Enjoy it while it lasts. He's not going to drink again after this."

You hummed. "Guess he really is a lightweight."

"Nice bracelet," Shoko said. You looked down to where she pointed at the shiny bangle on your wrist. "Where'd you get it?"

"I got it as a present from my mom." You twisted your wrist a little to show it off. "Between this or the fuzzy socks I got from her and the fountain pen from my dad, this one seemed appropriate for tonight."

"Would have loved to see you in your fuzzy socks." Shoko rested her chin in her hand.

"Yeah, I guess." You set your wrist down and shrugged. "I don't know. It feels like we're not close anymore."

"Are you going home for New Year's?"

You shook your head. "No point in trying."

She narrowed her eyes. "I get it." She sighed and took a drink from her glass. "It's a tough job with tough hours."

"Sometimes, I wonder if I should have taken my cousin's advice and worked an office job." You pouted. "Then again, that's a whole different hell."

"No rest for the wicked."

"No." You sighed and sank deeper into your chair.

An arm quickly slung around your shoulder. At the same moment, they tugged, dragging you down into someone's chest. You floundered and stabilized yourself before you could fall out of the booth. Your hands gripped the table for purchase. Your heart raced from the jolt

"Why the long face?" Gojo chastised you,bending his knees. "It's Christmas Eve. You should be happy!"

You frowned at him. "Gojo!"

"Satoru!" He cheered with a big grin.

"Why aren't you at your booth?" You attempted to look over his shoulder at the long-abandoned booth, but Gojo pulled you closer.

"I got lonely. Nobody would sit with me." He leaned closer to look at both you and Shoko. "But that's fine because I got you two lovelies."

"Count me out." Shoko slipped out of her side of the boot and grabbed her drink. "I don't need a headache this early in the night."

You watched her helplessly. "Shoko."

"Take care." She half-heartedly waved before weaving around the bar to a different group.

You tried to follow her with your eyes, hoping she'd feel the heat of your stare, but Gojo wedged himself into the seat beside you clumsily with his arm still around your shoulders. He laughed boisterously and set his drink with the tiny umbrella on the table beside yours. Every move he made only jostled you.

"What's up!"

You frowned and tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn't let you. "Gojo..."

"Have I ever told you how pretty your eyes are?" He tilted his head down, correcting it when it started to roll.

"Yes." You looked away flustered. "Many times."

"It's cute when you play hard-to-get."

The alcohol burned your cheeks. "We're dating."

"You don't act like it." He absentmindedly blew air into your face.

"That's-" You were at a loss.

He wasn't wrong. The two of you started dating four months prior, after his constant and incessant flirting. Contrary to popular belief, you were the one to ask him out. It took small deliberation on his part before he agreed to be your boyfriend, only after you swore it didn't have to be serious. He didn't like serious. You accepted that.

So, the sudden personality flip this past month embarrassed you to no end. He was touchy and affectionate like no tomorrow. You struggled to keep up with this change. It happened out of nowhere. From casual dates and hookups to him being everything he agreed not to be. You worried you'd find a heart box of chocolates on your counter tomorrow morning for Christmas.

"What, you don't like me?" He pouted and leaned closer.

"I like you," you assured, placing your hand on his chest to keep him from falling onto you. "I'm just- you're drunk and you won't remember this tomorrow. So, I don't see why we should discuss it now."

"I'll remember." He pulled away to pout more. "I'm not going to forget what you said."

"Gojo." You sighed and started over. "Satoru-"

He hummed in content and fell into you, burying his face in your neck. "Yeah?"

"Why are you so...different?"

He slumped against your shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"You weren't like this a month ago." You tried to pull away to look at him, but he wrapped his arm around your side, keeping you locked in place. "You're really touchy."

"I'm your boyfriend," he answered breezily, if a little slurred. "I want to be a good boyfriend."

Your stomach twisted into a knot. "Satoru-"

"I love you," he muttered. He buried himself into your neck more. "Is that what you want to hear?"

Your heart dropped into your stomach. You lost your breath, trying to decide if what you heard was real. It was a mistake. He mumbled and you misheard.

"What?"

He nuzzled your neck. "I love you," he said with more clarity.

"Satoru." You managed to nudge him away so you could look at him properly. You pushed his shades up to his hairline and saw his eyes for the first time that night. Red-rimmed and shiny with unshed tears. You inhaled softly. "Satoru, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. I love you." He turned you to him and held you by the shoulders. "That's enough, right?"

The look in his eyes told you he wasn't all there. As if he was looking right through you. You ignored the rest of the noise from the bar and focused on Satoru. Even if he weren't drunk, you would be worried. 

"Yes. Of course, that's enough." You nodded your head.

"You don't have to love me back," he said, pulling you into a hug as he buried his head in your shoulder. "It's okay. Don't leave."

"I won't." You returned the hug. Was this moving too fast? Were you ready for the next step in your relationship? Would he feel the same way in the morning? Would you? It didn’t matter."And I love you too."

He laughed breathlessly into your shirt. "Can I kiss you?"

"You don't have to ask."

He pulled away slightly to bring his mouth to yours. It was slow and hesitant, the way he hovered. In the long second he hesitated, you wondered what would come of this. He stared into your eyes for a long moment before he closed his eyes and relinquished himself to the kiss. You reciprocated with ease, relaxing your body and melting into him.

When he broke the kiss, he buried his face in your shoulder again. "I love you, Suguru."

Your heart stopped beating.

Satoru nuzzled you closer. "Don't leave this time."

You swallowed dryly.

He slumped against you. "I love you."

+

#gojo satoru x reader #jjk x reader #gojo satoru #omg why isn't this post showing up in the tagssss

[lraerosesims]

How I draw: Silver Metallic Buttons for Sims 2 Textures

As we all know, Sims 2 doesn't really appreciate large file sizes/dimensions for it's textures, so sometimes you have work very closely with the individual pixels. Here is how I draw buttons. Video is sped up so don't feel like you need to draw as fast as me!

Side note: this tutorial is created on the basis that you already know how to use the basic functions of Sims BodyShop to extract the texture file. There's plenty of tutorials out there explaining that so please don't ask me to clarify on that part. Anyway, on to the buttons...↓↓↓

What you need:

A PC

Digital Drawing app (like Photoshop, Krita etc)

A Graphics Tablet with pen - you could try this with a mouse but I wouldn't recommend!

And obviously Sims 2/Sims 2 BodyShop

First off, create a new layer - we don't want this button permanently stuck to our base texture. Then I get a standard hard edge brush (I use Krita as my drawing software, so just use whatever hard brush is available in your preferred software/app). Because I'm making relatively small buttons, I make my brush 7.09px in size. Select a mid to light grey colour as the base. Make a single circle.

Then decrease the brush size to be nice and small. As a comparison to my 7.09px circle, I decrease to 0.01px for this next step. Choose a slightly darker grey colour and lightly sketch in a 'semi-circular line' about 3/4 of the way around just in from the edge of the circle. By lightly sketching - and not pressing down hard, you'll get varying tones on each pixel to represent different reflections on the 'metal'.

Next choose a darker grey again, and lightly sketch around the similar area as the last colour, but don't be too fussy on hitting the same pixels - we want varying tonal values for our shadows.

Then choose white and lightly sketch the 'catch light' part of the button. This doesn't need to be right in the centre, in fact it's better if it's off to the side, or towards the top more. We're not always facing directly towards a light source so this creates a more realistic lighting effect. You'll see me select the same mid to light base grey I used just to lightly dust over the edges of the white area to soften it a tiny bit (only do this if your white edge is a little to crisp).

After that I go back and forth between a few different tones of grey to lightly sketch over the parts we haven't really drawn on yet. This just helps create some gradual shading that enhances the 'roundness' of our very flat, very 2D button texture.

Once you're happy with the shadowing (remember it looks somewhat janky this close up, but you can always zoom out to see if the button looks more smooth when further away), you can then make another layer, and drag it below your newly made button layer in the layer menu. Select a soft edge brush and increase the size to slightly wider than your buttons overall size (I chose 9.14px compared to my 7.09px button)

Choose black from the colour wheel/palette and lightly build up the shadow underneath the button, gradually increasing size and opacity until desired tone. If the colour of the 'garment' in this texture is light then keep the shadow to a minimum, if it's dark then the shadow needs to be deep enough to show up.

Zoom out and inspect how this button looks further out. If you're satisfied, then merge the button and shadow layers together, copy/paste it as many times as needed for the garment you're texturing and Voila! You made buttons for a Sims 2 Texture!!

Feel free to ask any questions below - I'm definitely no professional, especially in creating tutorials so I'm more than happy to clarify if something didn't make sense.

#sims tutorial #digital drawing #retexture #drawing tutorial #ts2 #the sims 2 #digital art tips #lraerosesims #lraerosesims-tutorials

[lunargrapejuice]

the way you care for me

diluc ragnvindr x reader

warnings: no pronouns used though reader is described with having hair long enough to tie up, fluff

you felt your breath stall in your lungs at the sight of diluc with his hair down. long and thick cascades of bright vermillion falling over his broad shoulders and framing his handsome face, giving him a whole other level of striking beauty- as if his features rested in a halo of ethereal flames that were oh so tempting to reach out and touch.

“don't let your guard down yet,” diluc says sternly, noting how your attention was far from that of your safety and surroundings. 

this wasn’t the time nor place to be getting lost in the looks of the man you love, during a commission that had brought you into the middle of dadaupa gorge. it was quiet around you now, only the tree leaves rustling in the gentle breeze can be heard but that wouldn’t convince diluc that the danger was over, not when it came to you. 

“r-right,” you stutter, your cheeks growing warm as you tear your gaze from him. instead your attention goes to the path that leads you back towards the city but you can still feel his own ruby eyes lingering on you, no doubt checking you for injuries or signs of discomfort after a wave of hilichurls had come your way during your search for the missing item you were commissioned to retrieve. “i’m okay ‘luc,” you assure him. “it was only hilichurls, you’ve seen me handle far worse.”

“i have,” his voice seems closer now, the air around you warmer and you can sense the pride he feels when saying those words. his footsteps were so light you hadn’t heard him make his way towards you but when you felt his hand brush against yours you quickly looked up to meet his loving gaze. “but that will not stop me from ensuring you are safe and unharmed.”

“and what about you?” you ask honestly, your concern laced in your words, your eyes swirling with worry he had admittedly made you feel many times. as if to emphasize what you meant, you reached out to touch his hair, your fingers gently moving the messy strands behind his ear, your tender touch ghosting against the space behind ear. “what happened? did they get your back or your neck?” 

“a minor miscalculation on my part but i’m not hurt,” he gifts you a small smile and a loving squeeze of your hand in reassurance. “let's head back.”

you follow after him quietly, keeping your guard up just as he asked while also keeping close to him. as he tries to survey the area around you, and also because you couldn’t help but steal glances at him, you notice how he continues to move hair out of his face, trying to find a good place for it to rest and stay out of his way while free of its normal confines.

once outside of hilichurl infested land, in the safety of more populated areas, you grab onto to dilucs hand and stop in your tracks. he turns to you immediately and again, you're captivated by how handsome he is, how badly you wish to lose your fingers in the softness of his thick locks.

“what's wrong?” he asks, his ever attentive gaze darting in different directions to scan the area around you. 

“nothing,” you can help but chuckle at his over protectiveness. “let's take a quick rest?” you say, motioning to a peaceful grassy area protected by the shade of a tree. 

he wasn’t one to deny you, not with the way you smile up at him or with how the sun reflects in your eyes, pulling him in and making his heart skip far too many beats. and he would never turn down the chance to just be with you. so often your perspective work took you separate ways and even when you found yourself at the winery for the day, where he could see you more often in passing or to help him with mountains of work he always had, it was never enough, it was never getting the chance to simply be beside you without any hurry.

but today was special. well, not much different from most weekdays, except for the fact that it was the first time he had taken off work at the winery and tavern in order to assist you with your commissions and neither of you were in a rush for it to end. not when it was few and far between that you got days like these in the first place. 

diluc settles against the ground, extending his arm so you could lean back on him but you don’t join his side and in confusion he looks up to see you walking around him, your fingers pulling at the ribbon tied in your own hair, letting your hair down. 

he can’t help but think how beautiful you look, his breath bated as it so often was when he looked at you. by the way you blush before disappearing behind him, letting out a shy ‘thank you’ as you kneel at his back, he realizes he must have said the words out loud. 

“you're quite handsome yourself, you know,” you coo, your voice close to his ears and not a moment later he feels your gentle fingers in his hair.

still not quite used to such affections he’s thankful you’re facing the other way, unable to see how red his cheeks are but even if it makes him quite bashful, he doesn’t shy away from your touch and lets your sweet words warm his chest.

your fingers are careful in carding through the tangles of his hair and your presence is the only thing in this world that he cares to feel at the moment despite how beautiful of a day it is with the mondstadt wind on his cheeks and the birds chirping in the distance. you would always hold his attention; his beloved, his one and only.

“this way your hair won’t be in your way for the rest of the day.” he can hear the tenderness of the smile on your lips as you pull his hair back and gently but securely tie up his hair with your ribbon. 

the action makes him feel cared for. loved. elated that he will now get to wear a small reminder of your thoughtfulness, your devotion to him. did you know just how much he would give you as well?

“plus you’re gonna need it for when i start working you harder than any jobs at the winery dear master diluc.”

he finds your giggles infectious and his own chest rumbles deep at the melodic sound of your laugh. the smile he wore still tugs at his lips when you finally come to sit next to him, partly because he enjoyed your teasing and partly because he was so unbelievably happy to have you to look out for him, but he doesn’t even let your butt touch the ground before strong gloved hands grab onto you and he’s using his strength to pull you into him.

against your heated cheeks, as you grip onto him tightly, you feel his lips and his soft bangs against you, his heat of his own blushing cheeks seeping into your skin as he speaks. “put me to work then, darling.”

genshin impact masterlist | main masterlist

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #diluc ragnvindr #diluc ragnvindr x reader #diluc #diluc fluff #diluc x reader #genshin impact fluff #diluc ragnvindr fluff

[constantcrisis19]

Bleeding Out - Part 2

Simon "Ghost" Riley x GN S/O

AN: I’m so stoked that the first part got so much positive attention and I can’t thank you guys enough for all the support! Hope you enjoy the fic!

Main Page

Warnings: Blood and injury

Ghost kept his breathing even and his footsteps light as he kept a lookout for the gas station since the last thing he wanted was to attract any attention to himself and alert nearby enemies to his presence, though his focus shifted gears from his stealth mission when his radio clicked, familiar static coming through the line.

"Ghost? Stay frosty, I hear voices nearby." You cautioned, whispering quietly into the radio in order to avoid gaining any unwanted attention.

“Copy.” Ghost replied curtly before thinking better of his tone since the last thing that you needed in an already shitty situation was additional stress, so when he continued, he tried to soften his voice as much as he was able to. “I’m closing in on your position now.” 

His grip on his rifle flexed restlessly, hoping that the statement portrayed everything that he couldn’t make himself say out loud. I’m on my way, just hold on a little bit longer.

There was a moment of absolute silence where Ghost could pick up on the sound of muted voices that you had warned him about over the crackle of fire before gunfire began to ring out from close by, the sound akin to the relentless tick of a doomsday clock, every shot reminding Ghost that you both were running out of time.

He stayed on the lookout for any noises or movement, his finger resting against the trigger as he came up on a building that had been messily blown in half, the substantial amount of damage exposing the interior to the elements. 

Ghost’s tac gear scraped against the rough brick when he pressed his back up against one of the remaining exterior walls of the house and he paused at the corner, leaning forward in order to peer out around the edge.

His eyes immediately locked onto a bright red, oval sign that was upside down and half-buried in the rubble, the bold white lettering that was visible cuing Ghost into the fact that it was for a gas station. He forced himself to remain neutral as he scanned over his surroundings until he spotted a structure that had a huge gap running right down the middle of it and red accents that were in the same shade as the sign.

He checked the coordinates that you’d given him one last time, confirming what he had already suspected, before turning his attention back to the building that you were hiding out in. He cautiously looked around to make sure that there were no hostiles lying in wait, he wanted to be ready just in case you were being used as bait for a trap.

“I have eyes on the gas station.” Ghost’s voice was quiet and low, his grip tightening on his rifle while his finger moved to hover over the trigger in preparation of a firefight. The whole time his gaze darted from the station to his surroundings and back again almost obsessively, making sure he didn’t miss anything,

"Shit. I don't see you. I think that you're a little too good at blending into the environment. Can you confirm your exact position somehow? I’m injured and can’t afford to waste time trying to find you.” You were quick to reply at the prospect of being close to getting out of the mess that you’d found yourself in.

"Copy." Ghost replied and then thought for a short moment before an idea came to mind, he reached into his pocket and pulled out one of his throwing knives. “Look for a bright reflection.” He instructed before angling the polished blade so that the golden evening sun reflected off of the shiny metal, creating a bright flash that you could easily locate.

There was the sound of shifting fabric and a low hiss from over the line before you went quiet, the silence drawing on for long enough that Ghost to begin to feel a growing sense of dread, his mind conjuring up the image of Death’s icy fingers drawing closer to you, reaching for the back of your neck-

Ghost used his free hand to activate his radio, his voice deceptively steady as he spoke. “Do you see the signal, Karma? Or should I try another method?” 

He felt like he was about to vibrate out of his skin. He wanted to be stupid, he wanted to forget all of his years of intense training and careful planning. He wanted to be selfish, he wanted to throw caution into the wind and rush in. He wanted to kill every person who had ever had even an inkling of ill intent towards you.

You made him want things he had no desire for previous to meeting you.

And, over the entire duration of his military career, the only person who ever managed to garner this loss of control from him was you. His grip absentmindedly flexed around the blade he was holding, but he wouldn’t allow his hands to shake, waiting with as much patience as he could muster for your response.

Though, even if you didn’t -or couldn’t- respond, Ghost would just have to come to you.

"Yeah, no, you're good. I see you now." You finally replied, your pained yet determined voice like balm to Ghost’s frayed nerves. He sheathed his throwing knife, listening intently as you stubbornly pushed to your feet with a muted groan.

It didn’t take him long to find you stumbling among the rubble, Ghost doing one last scan of the area before leaving cover in order to meet you halfway. His steady jog sped up into a full sprint when he saw you lose your footing and collapse against what remained of a charred gas pump, reaching you just in time to keep you from falling when your leg gave out.

Your hands were stained crimson where they were pressed up against the severe gash in your left thigh, blood leaking through your fingers and leaving a trail of red behind you. 

Ghost let his rifle hang from the strap thrown over his shoulder once you were upright, wasting no time dropping to his knees before you. He yanked his beige neck gaiter off, ripping a sizable patch off and pulling your hands away from the nasty wound before pressing the folded cloth against the raw, bloody mess.

Your reaction was instant, your shoulder hunching up around your ears as you lurched forward, curling up above Ghost’s head as you dug your teeth into the meat of one of your gloved hands in order to muffle the scream that was forced out by the firm pressure. 

Your other hand darted down to Ghost’s shoulder, your leg jerking in an instinctual attempt to get away from what was causing the pain, digging your nails in and holding on so hard that there was no doubt in Ghost’s mind that your nails left vivid bruises on his pale skin.

Ghost waited -keeping a careful eye on his surroundings all the while- until your breathing had evened back out and your jaw unclenched before tying the remainder of his neck gaiter around your thigh in order to keep the scrap of clothing that he was using as makeshift gauze in place.

He then turned around so that you were facing his back before reaching out behind him in order to grab onto your forearm and your uninjured thigh, maneuvering you onto his back. He made absolutely certain that you were settled and wouldn’t be slipping off of him if you lost consciousness along the way before taking his rifle in hand.

If he accidentally jostled your injury in the process, you gave no sign of any discomfort, the quick bandage on top of the blood loss most likely draining what little energy you had left.

“How’s the pain?” Ghost asked as he began the arduous journey back to base camp, where you would receive more advanced treatment for your numerous wounds, readjusting his grip on your left thigh when his hand began to slip.

"Nothing I can't handle, Lieutenant." You reassured weakly as you leaned heavily against his back, your entire body trembling from a combination of the adrenaline crash and the intense pain as your forehead dropped down to rest against the juncture of Ghost’s shoulder and neck, your breaths a little too even to be natural as they fanned out across his shoulder blade.  

“That’s good.” He replied as gently as he could even though he highly doubted that your pain level was as manageable as you were making it out to be, but he also knew that you were a stubborn son of a bitch and always went into every mission like you had something to prove, so it wasn’t really surprising that you were reluctant about being truthful when it came to your injuries.

As if you were worried that Ghost would be disappointed.

As if Ghost could ever feel disappointed in you.

You were his closest friend and it wasn’t a title he gave to just anyone. He trusted you, he trusted you enough to hand you a knife and turn away, knowing that you wouldn’t stick it into his vulnerable back. He trusted you with his story, his scars, his pain. He trusted you even when half-dead on his feet from several days of being on the run with little to no sleep. 

He trusted you to know what to do when he felt less human and more like a incorporeal phantom, invisible and unmoored, surrounded by the thick scent of petrichor and rot in a wooden prison.

So no. Ghost could never feel anything other than pride and warmth when he looked at you.

“Is your vision foggy at all?” He asked, shaking himself out of his thoughts when his hold on your thigh slipped again. “Any nausea, dizziness, confusion?” He added before you could answer, giving you the opportunity to be open about how you were feeling.

"My vision is still good enough for me to shoot if needs must, but I'll let you know if that changes." You replied softly after a moment of loaded silence, one of your hands coming up to squeeze his unoccupied shoulder for a few seconds before letting go. 

Though, the only thing Ghost could focus on through the entire interaction was the fact that you’d stopped shaking, and there was no way that he could convince himself that the development was a good thing.

Ghost just gave a noncommittal hum for lack of anything to say, his gaze darting around as he moved toward the edge of the city where it was quieter. Ghost mentally calculated the distance and figured that the camp wasn’t too far away now, though it would still be another seven or so minutes until he reached it.

The next couple of minutes were spent in a tense silence, only being broken by your soft voice, just loud enough for Ghost to hear you. "Thank you." 

And in that moment, he had never hated hearing those words more. It sounded like giving up. 

It sounded like goodbye.

“Hang on. We’re close.” Ghost forced out through gritted teeth, pushing his burning legs to go faster despite the fatigue he could feel weighing down his limbs. 

He revisited his initial image of Death standing before you and saw himself stepping between you and its cold, spindly hand. He imagined staring into the black void of its eyes and denying it the satisfaction of taking you.

You were not dying today.

"Good… tha's good." You said sleepily, your words slurring together as you began to lose focus. Ghost wondered if you feel the wound on your thigh anymore because, as nice as you not having to be in constant pain was, he knew from experience that the numbness was much worse.

“Stay awake.” Ghost demanded, his voice coming out angrier than he’d meant it too. “That’s an order, Karma. Keep your eyes open.” 

"But I'm tired." You complained, your voice dropping into a soft whisper, and Ghost felt something in his chest tighten at how exhausted you sounded. He was horribly tempted to tell you to close your eyes and let go, if only to give you a moment of respite, but he knew that he would lose you if he did.

"You can rest once we get to the med tent." He promised, his own voice just as quiet as yours. "Just a little bit further, just hold on. Please." Ghost repeated quietly, breaking out into a sprint as the edge of the camp’s perimeter came into view, the motion sensors going off as he passed them, racing toward the med tent.

There was no response from you as you went completely limp in his hold, arms dangling over his shoulders like dead weight.

---

@sselinaa, @frazie99, @mildlyhopeless, @dotcie, @lost-xim

#call of duty #call of duty modern warfare 2 #cod mw2 #cod mw 2022 #sociopath simon riley #morally grey simon riley #simon ghost riley #ghost #simon ghost riley x reader #ghost x reader #reader is in the 141 #reader is Ghost's bff #friends to lovers #slow burn #pining #getting together #ongoing series

[iztea]

Something about my drawing feels off , i only got into digital drawing few weeks ago and I'm stuck at the same point and lost .. any advice?

mmm okay first of all this is really good- first impressions-wise, the proportions and anatomy look very solid so there are no major glaring issues so to speak

if you were to ask me, what i think this artwork needs is that sort of 'volume' or depth that most beginner digital artoworks lack. You can achieve this sort of volume in two ways depending on the style you are going for: either by improving the lineart, or by treating the lines just as part of the sketch and painting over them for a more.. ''painterly/rendered'' look if you want to keep the lineart in, what i suggest is adding some "line weight" so that the artwork doesn't look so flat. What i mean by this is to thicken the lines where body parts would naturally overlap (like the neck and shoulder, the nostrils area, the corners of the mouth as well as the tip of the lips etc) and where shadows would normally be for the illusion of volume. After that, i'd also add more shadows and color variation in the colouring layer so that the skin looks more lively and again, for that volume. You can do it with some dark blue or orange on a multiply or an overlay layer, just experiment a bit with colors and blending modes. If you want a more messy/painterly look (which is more down my alley or in line with my artstyle), what i'd personally do is i'd create a new layer on top of everything and just paint over the lines with broader strokes and a darker color in an attempt to add some volume to the shapes and to make the artwork look more cohesive and less "digital" because at the moment, i can tell that it is made up of a Lineart layer, then a Colouring Layer below, that very religiously follows the lineart layer and then maybe a layer on top of that for the other colors and the hair. This is a very common digital art process and a good one to keep in mind but a little secret i can give out that i've noticed in 80% of the artists who have this sort of drawing process is that they will always, always merge everything in one layer at the end and adjust things as they go. They will not keep the layers separated and just never revisit them in the process, despite what it may look like. There will always be something that needs fixing and they will fix it as they go so i suggest doing the same and being a bit more "freeform" with your layers

Anywayss, besides that, I'd also introduce some color variation like in the previous method. As a general tip, try to move the color slider around and don't just shade with a darker variation of the base color. I like how the hair is painted and the shine and everything, it looks very good and everything is pretty much set in place, i'd just render it even more, make it More voluminous. It's just missing a little pop a color: i'd add some blueish gray hues in the brown hair and for the purple hair i'd make it more rich by adding some deep dark blue hues and some faint yellow highlights (bc purple and yellow are complementary colors blabla) As for the shape, think of the hair as chunks of volume that reflect light and that are also affected by gravity.. or as spaghetti if u like flat hair like me bsjsjd That's all i could think of; Again, it's very good and promising considering you started just a few weeks ago, so keep going at it! I hope it was at least somewhat helpful and that i wasn't being too technical with the wording (and that it made sense)

#i hope it didn't come across as mean or something #i have a bad habit of being pretty blunt with my words #and upseting people #the artwork is really nice and pretty but i was asked for critique so i pointed out some parts that could be improved #you don't even want to know what my art looked like a few weeks into digital art lmfao #this is 10x better #keep at it op! #and again hopefully i didn't offend with anything don't take it to heart you don't have to listen to me do what u want #ask iztea #if there are any typos no there aren't

[existencebringsonlypain]

Okay! So! This post is factually inaccurate. I'd been told the creator of the sunset aroace flag was a nazi, turns out that's a baseless accusation and comes from another untrue rumor. So. I won't delete this post, because it was a fun exercise to create a flag, but take every claim about the morality of the og artist with, like, negative one grain of salt.

I've heard about the whole controversy regarding the aroace flag, and I do get the sentiment- we shouldn't be using a flag created by a nazi. However, it's so widespread and recognizable a flag that it's hard to change it without backlash. Makes sense, if people are used to a certain flag to mean their identity, they'll probably resist changing the flag- it may make it feel like you're replacing their identity.

Therefore, I propose we do indeed change the flag, but make it highly reminiscent of the widespread flag, so the transition between the two is easier and less significant. Yes, it's still using a similar design to a nazi's, but it might be the best we can do- and who says we can't reclaim a symbol?

I've made my own take on the flag. I'm not saying this is the best one, just the best I could do.

As with any flag, the stripes have meaning.

The orange represents love, in a platonic/familial/aesthetic way, all the aspects of love- excluding romantic and sexual. This is why it's not red, the main color for love, because it can be different for us than it is for others. It's also reminiscent of a sunrise, and due to that it can represent the beauty inherent in love. It's meant to symbolize how though aroace people may not experience romantic and sexual love, but we sure as heck still feel love.

The tan represents unity, not only between those who are aroace, but with the queer community as a whole. Though we are not allo, we are still queer, and we are part of the whole.

The white is, actually, not in fact white- it's a very light warm grey. This is to represent the spectrum of identities under the term aroace. The white isn't actually white, but that's okay, it makes the flag more cohesive. The aroace term might not quite align with your identity, but that's fine. Words are what you make them. Colors don't always fit in rigid boxes, and neither do people.

These are going to be out of order, just because it makes more sense to read it this way. I would do it in this order on the flag, but I both want it to look like the widespread one and want it to look like a gradient.

The darker turquoise represents the joining of aromanticity and asexuality- residing between the two colors in the color wheel. It's not a direct mixture between the shades, because when the two identities combine, they form a whole new identity, while still reflecting the original. Also, it's more vibrant.

The sky blue represents the variety ever-present within the identity. It represents the aroacespec people. It's lighter than the color between aro's green and ace's purple, because attraction can vary. Demi and auto and flux people exist, and they're still in the flag- because they're still part of our community.

This flag is very similar to the more common aroace flag, but that's not really a great flag to use. None of the colors are the exact same, intentionally. It's unique enough to be separate, rather than just a redesign of the same flag, but it's still recognizable as aroace. Here's a comparison:

In my opinion, at least, it looks better. The top is a more cohesive gradient rather than a yellow coming from nowhere, and the bottom band isn't as contrasting. The duller band in the middle just makes it look nicer in general imo, but it's mainly motivated by the meaning.

This isn't perfect! This flag is just my little experiment, since I always liked how the flag looks like a sunset, yet didn't want to use a flag designed by a nazi. Feel free to use this flag anywhere you'd like, as long as it's, like, a good use. Like, no oppression or exclusion. Keep the original meanings in mind. We are all a community.

Finally, a call to action: try and use this flag rather than the original! Or, if you don't like this flag that much, make your own! Try to come up with your own meanings, it's harder than you think. This is our flag, ‍‌ and we choose what we use and what we value. Or just inform people on the history of the flag, I personally had no idea it was issue-laden until recently. Either way, let's go out there and love.

#pride #queer #flags #pride flags #aro #aromantic #aromantism #aromanticity #aroace #aromantic asexual #asexual aromantic #asexual #asexuality #ace #acespec #arospec #aroacespec #demi #demisexual #demiromantic #autosexual #autoromantic #auto #aceflux #aroflux #aroaceflux #long post #pride flag redesign #pride flag #existenceunrelateds

[bluegekk0]

hey, it's been a while since i've last submitted a question here, hope you've been doing great, but i've kinda been wondering to myself just now, how does Holly's eyes work? since the more i think about it, i wonder if they have some sort of optic inside their shell, or if the void inside their body magically gives them eyesight, idk seems like a weird question, but as someone whos been kinda fascinated trying to speculate about vessel anatomy both in cannon and headcannon, i would be curios to see what others would think.

Hi there! Thank you, I hope you've been doing good as well!

The way I imagine it, their eye sockets aren't necessarily empty. Well, they sort of are - they don't have eyeballs, so I imagine the void gives them the ability to see. How exactly it works I'm not sure, but considering the void seems aware of its surroundings to the point of lashing out if you get too close, perhaps focusing that into an eye like structure would allow them to properly see its environment.

In the past I toyed with the idea of Holly being colorblind, either because of the void itself, or due to the infection damage. But these days I tend to lean more into them seeing colors but in a very washed out way. They can recognize blue from green or orange, but they would have trouble distinguishing between individual shades of those colors. And I do think that's directly related to how their eyesight works - they don't have an actual eyeball structure, so I think it makes sense that it wouldn't be perfect, the Abyss isn't exactly the most vibrant, so good color vision wouldn't be a priority for any void being.

As for how their eye is structured - like I said, it's not exactly an empty socket. They have a membrane covering it that keeps the void inside their skull/mask.

You can see it here compared to their cracked eye where the membrane was torn.

The membrane itself is semi-transparent. In its normal state it appears opaque, but if a bright light shines through it (say, for example, the blazing infection substance growing inside their head) then it becomes more noticeably translucent. It also doesn't reflect any light, so you'll never see them with light reflections similar to what you see on FPK or Hornet - the eye looks nearly pitch black 99% of the time thanks to the void underneath.

Aside from keeping the void inside, it also doubles as a focusing point for their eye structure, like a kind of lens, which is why they are completely blind in their right eye, since the membrane there is gone. That's not to say you could easily pop it with your finger. It's a relatively sturdy structure, and as long as the damage isn't severe, it can also heal and regenerate. But if it's completely destroyed, then unfortunately it's not fixable.

Another detail about the membrane - it's similar to their outer body shell in that it allows for controlled use of void tendrils. For instance, their missing arm has permanent shell damage, which means that the void there is unstable and can lash out at the environment unpredictably (and that is why it's covered by bandages, to keep it within their body). However, the shell on rest of the body can form into more stable void, used to hold and touch things, grab and consume food or to vibrate and make subtle noises. The eye membrane works in a very similar way, and as you can guess, their right eye lacks that function (that is where the eyepatch comes into play). Basically how I imagine it, the shell can "melt" into void and then harden again at will.

All of this also means that you can't actually take off their "mask". While it appears more hollow than the faces of non-void creatures, it is still directly connected to the rest of their body and many of its functions depend on that connection. Their sight being the primary one. that said, since the head itself is not made of void, it still becomes the "corpse" in an event of death.

I hope this was a satisfying answer. I like thinking about the biology of these characters, it's fun putting together the puzzle pieces left by the canon into a more complete image. Or, in the case of FPK and Grimm especially, making stuff up and turning them into weird synapsid/reptilian things that pretend to be bugs hahaha

#ask stuff #feral pk au #save #holly #au worldbuilding

[neptunes-sol-angel]

Paid Readings | Patreon | GofundMe

I've added a new service to my shop, where it'll be like this reading but more in depth, and I will also channel how your aura affects others and any other additional messages that I pick up.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ Pile One *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Your Aura is Bumblebee Jasper.

It primarily consists of warm colors like orange, yellow, and red, with thin strips of cool colors like green, purple, or blue. The gradient of these colors melt on to each other like the sun's reflection on an ocean when it sets. I feel like your aura is something that inverts. A lot of you could have an ambivert personality, or phases in your life that shift from endearing life and having the utmost faith for all of the positive that it could bring to loathing life and expecting only the mundane and nothing but the worst. Maybe some of you were agnostic/atheist at some point of your life but had a dark night of the soul that brought you to a spiritual awakening, but the lovely part about your aura, is that it resembles how much you guys are able to exchange both light and the dark side of energy to find out the bare truth of a situation (maybe even about your purpose in life itself) and how to brew ideas that will bring solutions.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ Pile Two *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Your Aura is Red Tiger's Eye.

Your Aura starts off with fuchsia before it grows deeper into a pigment that's more maroon that ends with a thin layer of black. Sex appeal comes naturally to you, and passion could be something that exhilirates you, even if you're lunging for something that could potentially leave you in a trench. You guys could be pretty impulsive when it comes to your relationships or attract people that have a deep infatuation for the idea that they have of you. Intensity is what makes you thrive emotionally and what you look for in a romantic interest, and you can't stand anything that lacks meaning. However, as much as you search for depth in both people and concepts, your impulsiveness may make you near-sighted. Going with what you can see and feel first-hand, instead of rationally observing a person or situation for what it actually is. Confidence is also what your aura speaks of. Its potency talks about relying on your raw inner power. If you don't already, then there's a need to recognize that you don't need to try "hard" for anything, and the things that you do effortlessly is what draws people in. You don't need to be toned down or exaggerated.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟPile Three *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Your Aura is Prehnite.

Your Aura is has multiple shades of green that range from mint to a shade that likens to pandan. I keep thinking of different green plants and herbs, so right off the bat, I'm getting that you're able to soothe yourself, like eucalyptus. Maybe you guys meditate a lot or had to learn how to regulate your breathing and relaxing your mind. There's something very Saturn like about your aura. Possibly, you guys have experienced a lot of loss and challenges at a young age, and growing up has just been about building yourself back up again or learning how to heal yourself so that you can heal others. You guys could be fluent speakers or there is something about your voice that's placid but at the same time inviting. Your Aura is soft on the eyes, but at the same time strong? It shows strength and also reliability, like it shows people that you're someone that they can lean on and trust, during troubling times.

*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ Pile Four *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ

Your Aura is Rainbow Obsidian.

Your Aura is predominantly dark grey and black with trickles of purple and green. It sounds murky, but your aura is actually pretty luminous. I sense a lot of rebirths that has happened for people in this pile, but also ethereal miracles in situations that felt like a dead end. Sight is being emphasized here. You could be described as someone who's esoteric. You guys could be well in tune with spirituality, the occult, or religion because of what you've personally experienced that most will not understand, which usually relates to what cannot be seen or what would be looked at as impossible. This is different from clairvoyance, but more like claircognizance. You guys could be on a path where you release knowing what the future holds for you, even when there's chaos around you. It's like you have a gift of getting answers without necessarily seeking them, by just releasing control. Your Aura makes you a motivating force for other people during dark times, based off of what you've endured and how you still maintain mellow optimism for how your life can still turn around for the better even when things feel like an endless purgatory.

#divination #intuitive #psychic #pick a card #oracle #spirituality #tarot #pac #pick a pile #tarot readings #tarot reader #tarotblr

[elenauaurs]

Take the hand of the one reflected in the Mirror

A Yuu!reader fic with my oc Mira about the game Intro

just a small fic while I'm still finishing a bigger one

Darkness.

Surveying your surroundings, you find youself in a void with nothing more than an old mirror where darkness enfolds most of your vision

"Where am I?" you think to yourself, but the echo of the void leaves you questioning whether you uttered those words aloud.

How did you end up here? You don’t remember exactly—just a carriage, a black carriage with horses. Have you been kidnapped? Perhaps. But for what? As long as you remember, you did nothing wrong.

Or were you dead? This thought seens to stick in you mind. You don't feel like you're alive, but also don't feel like you're dead. Should you let fear or unease envelop you? You really have no idea, but maybe...

"It's not time to think about that!" You try to get your mind back on track and proceed cautiously toward the old mirror, the only thing in the void with you.

Analyzing the mirror, your eyes are drawn to the intricate details of its golden frame. You discern two serpents, wich sinuous forms are entwined in ther own bodies. They appear almost alive, as if ready ready to attack you with their fangs at any second.

On top of the mirror, a crown rests without its rightful owner. The jewels adorned the crown like the most charming art piece in the world.

In this crown, lies the memory of a thorn queen who once ruled a valley with grace and ferocity, but unable to avoid the inevitable threads of fate, ended up passing away. A true tale of life, love and loss.

However, what most attracted your attention was what was inside the old mirror: an empty chamber in which, at the very center, stood a boy—the very manifestation of the thorn queen's sacrifice, now bearing the gulit of existing.

His head was facing the ground, making his face impossible to recognize. His hair, made of pale green flames, made your eyes light up. A black hood covered his head, adorned with the same ornaments of the mirror. Between the large sleeves of his black-shaded robe, his hands—which seemed to be covered in an inky substance—could be seen holding a magical sphere of fire, whose exuberant light enveloped and illuminated the area in a beatiful way.

Getting near to the mirror, you begin to feel the gentle warm of the flames spreading across the chamber. It makes you more comfortable and surprisingly gives you courage to try to approach the boy.

Who he was? Why he was inside a mirror? Maybe he could help you.

Still hesitant, You decide to take the risk and touch the thin—yet resistant— glass of the mirror. Feeling your hand warm up in a pleasant way.

—Hello?

And then, absolute regret fills your whole being.

His fire hair, once light green and subtle, now blazed with an uncontrollable intensity of dark flames. Startled by your sudden voice, the boy swiftly raised his head in surprise, sending a shiver through your whole body.

Somehow, the sense of comfort you experienced vanished within seconds, as if his entire aura had become unsettling... Uncanny.

You could finaly see his entire face—One of the boy's eyes was covered by a unusual white masking, while the other...

Had nothing.

Had nothing but YOUR reflection, exactly like a mirror.

You wish you could have more time to reorganize your thoughts, but as a result of his distraction caused by you, the sphere of magical fire in his hands quickly becomes unstable and starts increasing. In a fast movement he presses his palms against the magic sphere, struggling to restore its stability

You don't quite understand what that means, not until you hear a

Crack

And you realize that the entire void you are in has started to break, forming ruptures in the ground.

A intense light caused by the flames don't help you either, preventing you from seeing what's happening.

Gladly that wasn't a major problem, after all you could still hear the floor splitting up below your feet.

Your survival instinct made you yank yourself away from the rupture. Still scared by the cracking, you curl up like a ball in the ground and shield you head with your hands, worrying for your damn life.

For a brief moment, you begin to remember the things you love most, as if you were witnessing your life unfold before your eyes.

and then everything stops shaking.

Did you died? Again?!?!

You slowly stand up and take a deep breath, your senses still reeling from the shock. Fear grips you as you look around, only to find out that the ruptures have stopped growing, which gives you a feeling of relief...

The mirror!

You quickly turn your head towards the mirror—There he was.

Standing right in front of the mirror glass, with a stoic expression. The fire sphere, once turbulent and chaotic, now is in control, as if nothing had happened at all.

Unwittingly, you let out a shriek after seeing him, which made him react almost instantly.

"There you are. Don't be afraid" his voice sounded oddly deep for his young semblance.

"Your abrupt presence made me lose my focus. Are you, perhaps, a human?"

You shook your head slight, but he didn't answer. The uncertainty gnawed at you—could he not see you? After a minute, you finally to break the silence and dress him directly.

— Yes, I am… But who are you? what is this place?... Are you trapped in this mirr-

"I'm not."

His abrupt interruption caught you off guard. The boy’s demeanor shifted to an annoyed expression, as if you had just unearthed an uncomfortable topic

"You, at this very moment, hover over the abyss, a connection that was NOT supposed to exist between two different worlds" he quickly changes the subject

"My duty is to trace paths throughout all Twisted Wonderland. Sustaining a path that wasn’t forged by me and wasn’t even intended to exist demands additional power to prevent this realm from... falling apart"

"This mirror is the only way I can connect to you."

Confusion takes your mind, you don't understand what he's saying. Twisted Wonderland—a mysterious place you've never heard of before, was this some kind of sick joke?

— . . . Hahaha. . . Is this a prank?

He sighed and shook his head lightly.

"I know you're confused, but I'm here to help you."

— So tell me who you are. You were the one who did this to me? you slightly raised your voice

the boy hesitated a little, thinking what to say, but after a few seconds he finally has his answer

"Adress me as Mira."

"I hate lies, and I would prefer not to be dishonest with you. Therefore, I can only share a limited amount of information."

"So... A truly kind individual—as he refers to himself, told me to look for the anomaly that caused this. I just didn't expect the 'anomaly' to be a human."

— So you say you didn't do it… Well, at least you know how to take me home?

You don't quite believe Mira's words, but you still have hope of getting out of this place.

"To your home, I suppose I don't know how"

It's over, isn't it? You will never wake up from this nightmare.

You will never leave the void.

You will never go back to doing what you love.

This can't be the end.

no no NO NO NO YOU DON'T-

"However…"

Those who are guided by the dark mirror

"If what you truly desire is to escape this realm..."

As long as your heart desires,

Mira slowly removes one of his hands from the sphere of fire, causing the surroundings to tremble once more. In his eyes, you could see your own reflection shining like never before.

Slowly he reached out his hand toward the mirror—no, toward you. Around his arm, you notice a snake-shaped bracelet, its sinuous form as elegant as the golden serpents in the mirror ornament.

And then, his hand finally stops in front of you, waiting for you to take it.

Take the hand that appears in the mirror

. . .

Final notes: So… this is my first fic that I've done in English and also the first fic that I've ever published on the internet so it might have been a little ass

I really hope I can write more and improve over time!

If you've read this far, thank you very much!

#twst oc #mira magica #twisted wonderland #dire crowley #maleanor draconia #twst #twst yuu #yuu!reader #reader insert #twst ocs #twst wonderland #my fic #ramshackle prefect

[jennay]

Color Me Pretty

AN: I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have anymore requests. I'll work on them 💜

You stood in front of the mirror, feeling a sense of restlessness as you stared at your reflection. Your hair color and cut had remained the same for years, and you couldn't help but feel bored with the same old look. The idea of a pastel pink hue had been nagging at you for some time, but you couldn't shake the fear that it might not suit you. What if it brought out the redness of your skin or made your freckles appear too prominent?

Jamie cautiously entered the bathroom as you pondered these thoughts, his reflection catching your eye. You turned to face him, and he greeted you with a soft kiss. "Still debating?" He whispered, running his fingers through your long hair.

You leaned against the counter, "I'm not sure if I want to do it. What if it looks bad?"

Jamie smiles at you, "But what if it looks amazing? You might love it and regret wasting time thinking of how awful it will look."

You followed Jamie down the hallway, still unleashing your anxiety. "I'm getting older, and I can't even remember the last time I had a crazy hair color," You confessed. "What if people judge me and think I'm trying to get attention?"

Jamie sinks into the cozy couch and looks at you with concern. "Love, don't worry about what anyone else thinks, and let's be real, you're not old! Even if you were, people love seeing older folks rock a bold hair color. Remember how much we loved when Nana accidentally dyed her hair light blue?"

You smile at the memory. "She's gotta stop rolling her hair with that gel," You chuckle.

"Would you like me to go to the salon with you?" Jamie asked, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "I'll be your moral support!"

You nod, "You'd do that for me?"

"Yes, let's go before you change your mind and cancel your appointment!" He stands up, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He grabs his keys from the table. "It will be a fun new adventure!" He hurries you to the door, his energy contagious, and rushes you to the car, making sure to close the passenger door before you have time to change your mind.

You laugh as he starts the car and pulls out of the driveway, "You're crazy, you know that?" Your body relaxes when Jamie rests his hand on your leg. "This will be fun, right?"

When you walk into the salon, you are greeted by the most charming woman you have ever met. She exudes confidence, makes you feel at ease, and excites you about your upcoming hair appointment.

The best part? She shares all her secrets for keeping your hair color fresh and vibrant. And if that wasn't enough, she even lets Jamie sneak around to snap some pictures of you with over 50 foils in your hair.

"You look amazing," Jamie laughs. "I think you should just wear tin foils in your hair from now on."

Addie, your stylist, giggles at his comment and sends him back to the lobby. "We're going to wash this out, and we'll meet you up front." She tells him.

Jamie obediently follows her instructions and waits patiently in the lobby for your return. Jamie feels slight restlessness and eagerness to see your new look.

To pass the time, he pulls out his phone and scrolls through funny videos, chuckling to himself as he watches them.

Finally, he hears your voice and looks up to see you standing before him, adorned with long, beautiful pink hair. The vibrant color brings out the contours of your face and adds a new level of confidence to your already stunning appearance. Jamie feels a sense of pride that you overcame your fear and decided to do your hair the way that you wanted to.

"You look absolutely stunning. I didn't know you could get any more beautiful, but you are proving me wrong here. I love it!" He caresses your hair looking over the different shades of pink. "How do you like it?"

"It's different, I like it, but I think it's going to take a few days to get used to." You hand Addie your debit card and make sure to tip her well for her services. You tell her that she is now your favorite stylist and you will return to her when you need a touch-up.

When you reach the car, you pull the visor down and look at yourself in the mirror. You looked different but in a way that made you feel good about yourself. "Thank you for making me go."

"I couldn't let you cancel, not when you've talked about it for so long, darling. You look stunning, and I think we would have a nice dinner downtown. You deserve to be seen and appreciated," He urges with a charming smile.

You feel slightly tempted by his offer, but you know what you want deep down. "Honestly, I'm a little wiped out. I'd much rather go home, slip into my pajamas, and snuggle up with you for a cozy movie night. Besides, you still owe me from last time," you tease with a playful grin. "I'll hold a grudge if I don't get my cuddles in tonight," You add, giving him a stern look.

Jamie parks in the driveway, "Whatever you want." He rushes to your side of the car and offers his hand with a playful tease. "Come on, my queen, let's get you to your throne."

He wraps his arm around your shoulder as you walk down the small path to your home. You would never tire of Jamie and his silly personality.

You take off your shoes and practically run to the bedroom, where you strip down and put your nightgown on. You lift the blankets from your bed and cozy up in your nest. "Hurry up, babe!" You yell to Jamie.

Within seconds Jamie is in the bedroom turning the TV on. He scoots in behind you, hands you the remote, and pulls you back into his lap. He plays with your hair, splitting it into two equal parts, and begins braiding one side at a time. "Tell me if I'm being too rough."

With gratitude, you beam at his kind gesture and press the play button on the latest Dungeons and Dragons movie. "You're braiding my hair. I have no complaints."

Jamie completes the last strand of your hair and gently smooths out the tiny flyaways with a soft touch. He gently kisses the crown of your head and pulls you closer into his warm embrace, allowing you to lean into the comfort of his chest. "How does this feel, Love?" He runs his fingertips down the length of your shoulder, and a gentle shiver runs down your spine.

"It's perfect. Well, I suppose I'll let you live to see another day," You grin.

"How kind of you," Jamie replies with a chuckle. "Tomorrow, we're going out. I need the world to see how fantastic my girl looks."

The words he spoke brought a smile to your face that you couldn't contain. The feeling of being loved so deeply was nothing short of amazing.

"I think I need to color my hair more often."

#jamie campbell bower #jamie campbell x reader #jamie bower #jamie fanfic #jamie bower x reader #jamie bower x you #jamie bower x y/n #jcbower #jamie bower fluff #jamie campbell bower x you

[willows-arts]

A different Shadow than the rest...

Headcanons under the cut!

I love dorky Shadow so much, but my interpretation ended up very different. His timeline takes place after the Stardroid War, and after his time as a vagrant wandering the world. As a result, he's become at peace with himself and is incredibly level-headed - even unemotional. In that regard he takes very much after my Quick Man, who experiences very suppressed and muted emotions due to emotions not being "efficient," but in Shadow's case it's because nothing really bothers him anymore at all. Not even Blues. He's semi-retired now, in a sense, preferring to spend a lot of time away from Wily City so he can think and meditate in peace, though he always returns when Wily asks for him (he's given the babysitting duties to Shade Man lol).

His powers are also quite different as well. In my verse, it didn't make sense for him to be able to merge into the shadows at all... I couldn't figure out a way to make it work. When trying to work out the mechanisms I kept running into the issue that his ability to manipulate the distance he traveled through the speed of light was far too much like Quick's, so I changed my angle. Instead, he is capable of becoming invisible, as his armor can bend and reflect light like Lucent Nargacuga or Latios/Latias! The surface of his armor (and his hair) is made of tiny tiny segments that can individually adjust to reflect light at different angles, so it is incredibly costly to repair, and also means that any damage he sustains can ruin his invisibility, because the structure of his armor in its entirety must be intact to bend light completely. Otherwise you'd see like an odd dent floating around, lmao. This is my explanation for why we don't see him use his shadow abilities in canon during the Stardroid War; it's not that he forgot or didn't think about it; it's that he was so battered and damaged that he couldn't.

As a result, he avoids physical combat at any and all costs, leaning fully into being an ambush fighter and hiding in the shadows where its easier to remain hidden by reflecting less light rays. He also stays out of armor as much as possible when not on active duty to avoid scratching his armor. He's someone who maintains his appearance to the utmost of his ability, though it is very much for practical reasons rather than vanity. In sunlight, too, due to the properties of his armor and hair, he takes on an iridescent quality, with the color of his armor and hair seeming to change in the light depending on the angle you look at it (like in the picture!).

That's pretty much it. He turned out very different from the standard Shadow Man, but I hope you enjoyed! If you read this far, feedback and commentary is greatly appreciated. <3

#Willow Arts #megaman #mega man #rockman #shadowman #shadow man #edit: sorry for some reason the readmore didn't work on mobile

[tekutiger]

There's something I've been wanting to post here for about a week now, but I've been putting it off, waiting for the Dawntrail Benchmark to release. (That can be found here btw: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/topics/detail/ffe3a1a5430a5a8168ca9782ab9ec0e57cd5be62)

On the official Square Enix forums (both English and Japanese), there is an entire thread for the Graphical Update Viera Noses. Our communities are not exactly thrilled with the changes, to say the least.

The (current) last page of the English thread can be found here: https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/493947-Graphical-Update-Viera-Nose/page19

The first page of the English thread can be found here: (or you can just go to the link above, scroll to the bottom and click "First") https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/493947-Graphical-Update-Viera-Nose

I tried checking here on Tumblr if this had been posted already but the FFXIV tags are spammed so much 🫠

The Japanese thread link is within the EN thread somewhere, I forget which page.

If you play a Viera, you've probably noticed that your beloved WoL doesn't quite look the same- specifically the nose, and to a lesser extent with their eyes.

That's all pointed out and discussed in the thread. And yes, I did voice my opinion to it 🙃

I'm trying to find some comparison screenies of my bunboi and fembun to contribute here.

The thing I was worried about, and still kind of am even after going through the benchmark- is the strange "shine" you see on bunboi's noses in certain areas, or at random times. I couldn't find any rhyme or reason to why or when this would happen 🤷🏻‍♀️

We were also shown a preview of bunboi's with their nose like 7 shades darker than their skin tone and that didn't sit well with me. Between that and the shine? No. Just no.

This is current graphics 👆🏻

Another thing I noticed in the benchmark is that they removed the colored eyelashes from Face 1 (the face I'm using on my bunboi). It's literally like, 1 of the 2 primary reasons I chose this face to begin with. (They usually match your hair color.)

Dawntrail Benchmarker 👆🏻

You can see some of this "so called shine" in some of these, but it's not as bad as I thought it'd be originally. I guess I can live with it and over time I'll probably get used to it.

I can probably even get over the fact that his white eyelashes are gone, though I'll miss them. I don't know... 😖

I do appreciate the updated quality of the hair, and the iris/eyes, and his facial feathers. I also like that the added "lip color" I gave him appears to be matte and not a gloss, but I'm not sure how other people will like that, lol.

ALSO. There's a very specific scene in the benchmarker that shows your WoL's face so much better but for some strange stupid reason you cannot take screenies during it. I feel like SE really let the ball slip there.

There's probably a reason for it, and then again there might not be- because if I really wanted to, there are loop holes and I could still get those screenshots if I had more time, Lol 😅

Current graphics 👆🏻

I don't have a plethora of screenshots of my fembun like I do of my bunboi- but looking at my fembun specifically I'm realizing her bunny nose doesn't seem that prominent, even now? I guess I thought it was defined more 🤔. Perhaps it's the lighting of this specific shot.

I was going through this phase of changing her hair color from red to yin yang colors, back to red, back to yin yang, rinse & repeat, so...

Dawntrail Benchmarker 👆🏻

Again, I appreciate the high quality in the iris/eyes, hair, facial features- like her tattoos.

It does seem like the highlights in her eyes get a little lost, if that makes sense? The anime type white reflection. Not just for her but for my bunboi too. I think that goes for all character now- I've seen this commented about all across Twitter (yeah I know it's called X, but I'll never call it X).

Her bunny nose seems to disappear in many scenes and then it "seems" to be there in some scenes. I don't know what to make of it.

I feel so wishy washy with this graphics update. There are parts I like and parts I dislike. At this point I'm wondering if it's that whole mentality of "People dislike change" / "People fear the unknown" and over time we'll get used to it.

But also, I've seen some comparisons of people's characters and the overall appearance, the overall vibe of their character has totally shifted. It's understandable they're upset.

I want to offer a couple of pieces of advice here. If you have any commentary to add about Vieras (or any other characters really- like moon kitties got royally shafted on their fangs)- please visit that thread and put your two cents in. Hopefully SE will see it and potentially listen to the community feedback. But in the case of Moon kitties, there's likely a respective thread for them so you'll have to seek out that thread.

The other thing is, take advantage of this benchmarker in tandem with our free fantasia (coming soon). I feel the character creation screen does not properly display what our characters are going to look like once ingame. Do not take the character creation screen at face value. Create and/or modify your character in the benchmarker (you can save your character data). Play it out- make sure you're happy with how they look in the benchmarker. Then go on and use that fantasia. You can load the saved data from the benchmarker into the real game. (unless they changed things, which I highly doubt)

Edit: Adding in some links to other threads ⤵️ (Its been mentioned by others that it's best to keep posts pooled in one thread vs. spread sporadically out across several threads. If SE or Mods are likely to read anything, it's going to be in one centralized large thread.)

Thread: [Dawntrail] Miqo'te face 4 Keeper nose smudge nerfed

Thread: Benchmark/Graphics Update - Lip shape concern and eyes

Thread: Keeper fangs nerfed in the update

#ffxiv #ff14 #final fantasy xiv #final fantasy 14 #ffxiv viera #ff14 viera #teku.blog #dawntrail benchmark

[foster-the-moths]

If you don't mind, could you give us a tutorial or brief explanation on how you render hair? /nf

YES!! unfortunately i got. very tired after making this so this is only one hair type :( was gonna go into all the different types of hair textures but. i will just have to do that later. also keep in mind i drew this in like. 7 minutes its just a simple guide to get out the basic steps

^i didn't put music in this so. listen to whatever u want while ur watching this (its 6 minutes 40 seconds). also its slightly sped up this isn't real speed

elaboration of each step under read more:

step 0: look at other hair tutorials/pictures of real hair to figure out how light reflects off of them. then completely disregard that and just make things up (this is the best artistic process trust me i do it every day)

step 1: just get out that basic shape. it doesnt have to be anything fancy,

step 2: just fill it in and adjust the shape as needed

step 3: figure out how the hair moves and flows, which parts go out more (highlights), which parts are closer to the head (shadows/base), etc. i highly recommend just looking at pictures of hair online, or taking pictures of your own hair. for coily/curly hair, you just kind of have to do this for each curl/coil. one thing to keep in mind the highlight is in the middle of the curl/coil and the shadows are on the edges (usually). i'll elaborate more on that once i have an actual video for it

step 4: just make it so the edges of the highlights transition a bit more smoothly into the base color. it just helps for later steps tbh. try not to over do it, don't want to completely get rid of the highlight, just soften it

step 5: add more highlights with thinner brush. this should be where the light would bounce off the hair the MOST. i think i forgot to say in the video uhhh add in some base value too. maybe a few shadows. mostly this step is for highlights tho.

step 6: idk what else to put here sorry. ngl just get silly with it

step 7: it is very important to do one stroke per area in this one. do not lift your pen off the screen/tablet/whatever until the little area youre working on is one smooth transparent shade, then move on to the next. idk if i'm explaining this right hopefully this makes sense.

step 8: complete opposite as step seven. make as many strokes as you feel it needs. not TOO many, just enough to get some texture and then some yk? i recommend making a copy of the layer youre working on before doing this so that if you mess something up you can always go back to square one.

also a lot of these steps apply to pretty much any hair type just. in a completely different shape with completely different rules. which is to say its exactly like this but it actually isn't like this at all. which is why i plan on making other videos some day (hopefully) also look up "hair texture chart" it will help you find the words you need to look up good refs

remember: always get silly with it. the only rule to to make things up and change your mind 400 times. bring a 'fuck it, we ball' mentality to your art program that the haters (your brain) really won't like. practice makes perfect and all that, do NOT expect to get something good first try, sometimes i still struggle with drawing hair in a way that i like and just scrap the whole thing. also i'm not kidding about those real hair reference pictures it helps so so much

hope this helped at least a little bit bc i am not good at explaining things 👍

#foster's art tag #asks #someday i will make refs for how i draw long/med length and straight/curly/coily hair but. todays not that day rip #edit: just realized a bit of text pops up in the middle of step 3 that is. not supposed to be there so i editted it out👍

[plushee-cant-draw]

oKAy uh Wilson rework real *Chucks all the new quotes I could find at you* I... Can't find any that are Wilson specific for some reason? Normally rework quotes are under a section titled their name or sm, but anyways have quotes for the weird shadow pillar and pig hound... thing idk, copyed and pasted directly from the code below the read more:

Wilson:

-- DREADSTONE = "It seems to reflect shadows instead of light.", HORRORFUEL = "It sends a terrible shiver down my spine.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Freeing him might not have been my best idea.", IMPRISONED = "I feel almost sorry for him.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "There's something glinting inside the marble.", EXPOSED = "A pillar of impossibly hard stone.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Lightweight, sturdy, and snazzy!", DREADSTONEHAT = "To keep my brilliant brain safe and sound.", },

Warly:

-- DREADSTONE = "Terrible and beautiful all at once.", HORRORFUEL = "It makes my teeth chatter.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "I have decided on fear!", IMPRISONED = "I don't know whether to feel fear or pity.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "Perhaps I could free the poor creature?", EXPOSED = "Ah zut, that stone is far too tough for me to break.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "A fine peice of armor.", DREADSTONEHAT = "My head feels safer already.", },

Wanda:

-- DREADSTONE = "As off-putting as it is, it could be useful.", HORRORFUEL = "It gives me a terrible feeling...", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "I knew I shouldn't have involved myself!", IMPRISONED = "I shouldn't involve myself in these things.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "They seem breakable... but I don't think that'd be wise.", EXPOSED = "Oh botheration. I think I just remembered something...", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "It should keep me well protected, at least.", DREADSTONEHAT = "That stone turned out to be rather useful.", },

Wendy:

-- DREADSTONE = "It is cold... and beautiful.", HORRORFUEL = "There are always more horrors to come.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Kindness only begets more pain...", IMPRISONED = "What a pitiful creature.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "We are all tethered to this place in one way or another.", EXPOSED = "It is too strong, and I am too weak.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Let the darkness surround me.", DREADSTONEHAT = "What's the point?", },

Winona:

-- DREADSTONE = "It's evil-lookin', but tough as nails.", HORRORFUEL = "Makes the usual nightmare goop look almost pleasant by comparison.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Yeesh big guy, I was just tryin' to help you out!", IMPRISONED = "That pig's seen better days.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "That marble doesn't look structurally sound to me.", EXPOSED = "I stand corrected. That rock ain't goin' nowhere.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "That's some real high-grade protective equipment.", DREADSTONEHAT = "Lookin' sharp! Literally.", },

Wortox:

-- DREADSTONE = "A stone as black as night.", HORRORFUEL = "A goop most foul.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "I'm sensing the answer is foe.", IMPRISONED = "Friend or foe?", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "A terrible fate, to be locked in this state.", EXPOSED = "Why hide this stone inside?", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "All blows will be blocked by this armor of rock.", DREADSTONEHAT = "A stone fortress for my brain.", },

Webber:

-- DREADSTONE = "We're not sure if we like that rock.", HORRORFUEL = "It makes our spider skin crawl.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Hey! We were just trying to help!!", IMPRISONED = "He doesn't look like a normal pig. Or even a normal werepig.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "We feel bad just leaving him like that...", EXPOSED = "We can't break through it!", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "It's kinda scary, but it keeps us safe!", DREADSTONEHAT = "A pointy helmet to match our pointy teeth!", },

WX-78:

-- DREADSTONE = "IT IS HARD, COLD, AND EVIL. I LOVE IT", HORRORFUEL = "DARKNESS: 100%. NO SHADES OF GREY DETECTED", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "I THINK IT TOOK THE POINTING AND LAUGHING PERSONALLY", IMPRISONED = "THE FLESHSACK IS STUCK. LET US POINT AND LAUGH AT IT", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY COMPROMISED", EXPOSED = "ERROR: MATERIAL IS TOO DENSE TO DESTROY", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "IT LOOKS GOOD ON ME", DREADSTONEHAT = "ACCEPTABLE PROCESSOR PROTECTION", },

Walter:

-- DREADSTONE = "It's just a rock, what's so scary about a rock?", HORRORFUEL = "It can't be THAT bad... can it?", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "I thought he'd be a bit happier to be free...", IMPRISONED = "We can't just leave him like that, Woby! We've gotta help him!", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "Hey, what's that stuff inside?", EXPOSED = "Oh, it's just a different kind of rock.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "It looks like an evil knight's armor. Neat!", DREADSTONEHAT = "Never forget to wear your dark helmet.", },

Wurt:

-- DREADSTONE = "Pretty rocks!", HORRORFUEL = "I-is just goop! Not scared!", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Grrr! You just big stinky pig!", IMPRISONED = "Nyeeeeehhh!!", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "Heehee, stinky pig all locked up!", EXPOSED = "Rock too hard for breaking, florp.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "So pretty... it mine!", DREADSTONEHAT = "It real good for headbutting, flort!", },

Maxwell:

-- DREADSTONE = "Petrified nightmares.", HORRORFUEL = "That's the good stuff.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Say pal, why don't we talk this out?", IMPRISONED = "You went nosing around places you shouldn't have, didn't you?", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "I can just make out something dark within.", EXPOSED = "That stone would be useful, if only it could be broken.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Black never goes out of style.", DREADSTONEHAT = "Darkness is never far from my mind.", },

Wolfgang:

-- DREADSTONE = "Is just rock, not scary! ...Right?", HORRORFUEL = "S-scary...", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "H-how about friendly game of arm wrestle, yes?", IMPRISONED = "Angry piggie has gotten more muscles!", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "Mighty Wolfgang could break pillar!", EXPOSED = "Mighty Wolfgang could... not break pillar.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Wolfgang doesn't need scary rock armor!", DREADSTONEHAT = "Ha! Wolfgang's head is already hard like a rock!", },

Wigfrid:

-- DREADSTONE = "A stone of ill omen.", HORRORFUEL = "The sight of it chills even my courageous Viking heart.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "You leave me no choice, beast! To arms!", IMPRISONED = "The beast hath been consumed by foul magic.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "The pillar is weakened... mayhaps it could be broken.", EXPOSED = "Only something of great might could crack that foul stone.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "It will serve me well, despite its origins.", DREADSTONEHAT = "Ready to bear the brunt of battle!", },

Woodie:

-- DREADSTONE = "There's something off aboot it.", HORRORFUEL = "That stuff can't be good for ya.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Not even so much as a \"thank you\", eh?", IMPRISONED = "Whatever he's got better not be contagious.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "Looks sturdy... ish.", EXPOSED = "That's some firmly planted stone.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Luce says black ain't my colour.", DREADSTONEHAT = "Gotta protect the old noggin', eh?", },

Willow:

-- DREADSTONE = "Eww, why does this rock feel so cold and clammy?", HORRORFUEL = "That must be what nightmares have nightmares about.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "You jerk! I was just trying to help!", IMPRISONED = "Looks like somebody's having a bad day.", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "How crazy would I have to be to try and break that pillar?", EXPOSED = "It won't break. I didn't try that hard, but still.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "It's fine I guess.", DREADSTONEHAT = "Do I have to wear it? On my head??", },

Wickerbottom:

-- DREADSTONE = "Metamorphic, if I'm not mistaken.", HORRORFUEL = "Highly concentrated ectoplasmic residue.", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "This creature has terrible manners.", IMPRISONED = "My, how did it end up in this state?", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "How odd... the marble appears to be encasing something.", EXPOSED = "It will require much greater force than I can muster to break it.", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Extremely durable, and surprisingly lightweight.", DREADSTONEHAT = "Thankfully, the material has no adverse effects on the mind.", },

and lastly,

Wormwood:

-- DREADSTONE = "Pretty", HORRORFUEL = "Scary...", DAYWALKER = { GENERIC = "Why so mad?", IMPRISONED = "Stuck. Poor Twirly Tail", }, DAYWALKER_PILLAR = { GENERIC = "Where you grow from?", EXPOSED = "Where you grow from?", }, ARMORDREADSTONE = "Pretty rock clothes", DREADSTONEHAT = "Rock for head", },

No clue what this means, I just saw the weird shadow pig on my dash and instantly went "Is-Is this real? not a mod, reAL?"

#dst spoilers #Don't Starve #Wilson rework #These quotes at near the very end of the quotes btw if you want to find them in the code yourself. also you could ctrl + f search daywalker

[ceapa-mica]

GEHAT'IK BE ALIIT | Chapter 24

{cross-posted on ao3} {masterlist}

<- previous chapter

Pairing: Din Djarin x Original Female Character

Warnings: Angst, Fluff, Grogu being a public menace

Words: 5758

Summary: Visiting Din's homeworld to celebrate Life Day becomes an emotional roller coaster for Din and Elora.

a/n: Welcome back! You're probably wondering what returning to the place of his trauma will be like for Din. There will be so many emotions! Also this is the official Christmas chapter for my fic (published in September lol) If you're reading this during the holidays I wish you Merry Christmas or whatever else you celebrate.

"This is Vetina City spaceport tower one, state your business, Razor Crest."

Din got goosebumps at the transmission, but didn't let his nervousness get a hold of him.

"We are here for the Life Day celebrations."

"You have permission to land in bay 5-C. Thank you."

Din and Elora exchanged glances. Even Grogu had picked up on his father figure's feelings, causing him to squirm in Elora's hold.

"Relax, little one. We have not yet landed." she cooed in a soothing voice.

When Vetina City came into sight, Din was speechless. The ruins of the town he used to live in wasreplaced by a bustling city with a large spaceport. Even from afar you could see the many people bustling in the streets.

"It's so… different from what I remember."

Bay 5-C wasn't hard to find, and as the Crest hit the ground, Din didn't move. Elora put a reassuring hand on his arm under his pauldron where she knew he could feel her touch.

"We can still leave. It's all up to you." she reminded him.

Din considered it for a moment, then he stood and tried to look confident. Elora and Grogu both sensed that quite the opposite was the case.

"Now that we're here, I think we should at least take a look around. This place has changed a lot, so we can get our bearings."

Down in the hull, Elora took her gray Jawa cloak and her satchel bag. Arfour was beeping, excited to join them again. Meanwhile Din had left for the 'fresher. He had removed his helmet and stared at his reflection for several minutes.

Elora patiently waited for him, but Grogu on the other hand didn't want to wait any longer. He wanted to run around and explore. He squirmed impatiently in Elora's arm and was on the verge of throwing a tantrum when Din came out of the fresher.

"Are we good to go?" Elora asked. As a simple response he took her hand and opened the hatch. Followed by Arfour they set foot on Din's homeworld. It resembled Nevarro in some way. At least the soil, as it was a similar shade of gray. The scent of fried food lingered in the air, and as they left the spaceport for the bustling streets, there were colorful decorative lights on the flat roofed houses, the market stalls, trees and lanterns.

"I heard people put those everywhere for Life Day." Din said, noticing Elora's astonished gaze. He chuckled at the childlike wonder in her eyes, his hand still in hers. Grogu let out a joyful squeal as well, making attempts to climb over on Arfour's flat top, and Elora let him.

"Stay close, Arfour."

The droid whistled in agreement and followed them closely as they strolled through the streets. There were so many vendors, some were selling fabrics, little trinkets, Life tree orbs, and of course, all kinds of foods. Roasted meat, even stews and many different pastries. Elora knew to keep an eye on the always hungry child who looked displeased at the attention he got from Elora and Din with all the food around. The moment Grogu tried to take a particularly delicious looking pastry from a stall via the force, Din had quickly intervened and took the child into his arms, holding him close to his chest.

"Having one thief on the team is enough, don't you think, you little womp rat?" Grogu frowned, making his forehead look even wrinklier than it already did. "Don't be upset, I will buy you something sweet later. Let's take a look around first, then we decide what we wanna eat." That's when Din noticed that Elora had let go of his hand. She was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, the HUD inside his helmet wasn't just useful for bounty hunting, but for tracking down wayward loved ones who have a talent for getting into trouble. It took him barely a minute to find Elora, who was standing at a stall. She had laid eyes on an object she examined with a thoughtful look in her eyes.

"It's made out of beskar alloy, very high quality." the Togruta vendor said.

"Did you find something?" Din asked, looking at the colorful metal figure Elora held in her hands. It showed a Jedi and a Mandalorian - the Jedi pointing their lightsaber at the armored warrior who responded using their flamethrower.

"It's a rarity, the price is 3.500 credits. You won't find anything of finer quality on the entire market, that I assure you."

"He says it's made from beskar alloy." Elora added, causing Din to huff in disbelief.

"I'm Mandalorian, and I can tell the difference between common durasteel alloy and beskar alloy. And this…" He took the statue and hit it against his vambrace, the collision of the metals creating a dull sound. "...this is definitely not beskar alloy." He then hit his chest plate with his vambrace, the collision causing a loud bright sound resembling a bell. "This is what beskar on beskar sounds like. Think about it next time you try to scam tourists out of their money." The vendor was at a loss for words, looking around to estimate how many people had witnessed this moment of pure shame.

Meanwhile Din, Elora and Grogu went on their way. Elora was blushing and looked uncomfortable, something Din noticed immediately. "You alright?" Elora put on a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I can tell when you're pretending. So what is it?"

"Argh! I'm just frustrated. I feel humiliated is all. Not by you, by that son of a bantha vendor. I should be able to recognize beskar, or anything of value really. When someone scams a Jawa out of credits, parts or whatever, it can ruin your reputation within the tribe. In my culture we get taught how to trade from a very young age. We learn what's valuable and what isn't, I should have known this was durasteel alloy. It was just so polished and shiny, looking like my beskar alloy lightsaber hilt. I would have fallen for it if you hadn't intervened."

"It looked real, Elora. You can only figure it out with a well trained eye and hitting the material against actual beskar. Next time someone claims to sell a beskar object, you know what to do." Din hated the sad look in Elora's eyes and tried to distract her, leading her to a town square where a choir with a little orchestra in blue uniforms was singing Life Day songs. 

Grogu looked interested in the direction of the two chindinkalu flute players. Din put him back on Arfour's top, the droid rolling closer to the orchestra. Grogu clapped his little hands, cheering the musicians on. At the same time Din took Elora's hand. "I'm really not good at this but…can I have this dance, my lady?"

Elora tried to hold back her laughter. "I don't think you've spoken to me in that formal tone before, sir." Din blushed under his helmet. "In case you don't remember, on Naboo I had to dance with this annoying noble, his feet probably still haven't recovered from it."

Din chuckled at the memory. "He got what he deserved. Step on my feet as often as you like, it won't make me love you any less, mesh'la."

"You're being quite a flirt today, Din Djarin." They began to sway to the music together, not caring how the couples around them danced. They found their own rhythm and only had eyes for each other, and occasionally for Grogu, who was still gleefully watching the orchestra.

"You know what I don't understand? Why do paintings and statues always portray Mandalorians and Jedi fighting each other? Clearly the times have changed. Look at us -" She accidentally stepped on his left foot.  "Sorry…"

"They are portrayed fighting because the Jedi stepped on the Mandalorian's toes while dancing." Din chuckled, then his voice turned serious with a gentle undertone. "Our cultures have fought each other for thousands of years. Do you remember what Paz said? That Mandalorians and Jedi could never -" He accidentally stepped on Elora's toes. "Sorry I- um… Well, our cultures are polar opposites. If we should choose to spend our life together at some point, there would certainly be people, even friends, who wouldn't agree with our connection."

"So far my family is just looking forward to a wedding. Dank farrik, I assume you've never been to a Jawa wedding, no?"

"I can't say that I have."

"Jawa weddings are huge. Especially since I'm the daughter of the chief. When two Jawas get married, the two tribes come together for the ceremony. Weddings are a way to strengthen connections with other tribes. One Jawa wedding I attended took three days, believe it or not."

"Our cultures are very different indeed… A Mandalorian wedding ceremony is just the couple, alone, speaking the wedding vows to each other. There's no feast, nothing special, only that we remove our helmets for our spouse for the first time. Spouses and offspring are the only living beings allowed to see each other's faces in private. This is the Way." Din explained.

"I know we only let my family believe we're engaged right now, but could you imagine getting actually engaged to me in the future?"

The look in Elora's eyes was so hopeful, it made Din's heart swell.

"There's no such thing as engagement in my culture, just the marriage vows. And… despite all odds… I can imagine making you my riduur one day."

"Riduur means wife?"

"It means spouse or romantic partner, yes. Do you know that Life Day marks one year since we first met? I remember the bounty before Grogu, he mentioned Life Day. Then I went to Arvala 7 and found you and the kid."

Elora couldn't believe it was one year already since she had left her tribe for the first time to find blood relatives. It felt like it had just been yesterday. So much had changed in just one year. She had to admit it had been the best year of her life so far. She finally found love, she knew her birth mother was still alive and had better control over her force powers than ever before. Everything had changed. She went from hating Mandalorians to being unable to imagine a life without Din by her side. They were on Aq Vetina together - a place that meant so much to Din - celebrating the little family the four of them, Arfour included, had become.

"You truly changed my life, Din. We've been through so much and-" A sudden scream tore through the music, causing it abruptly to stop. It was one of the chindinkalu flute players.

"Grogu!" Din yelled, rapidly approaching the musician. Grogu had force jumped onto her shoulder out of curiosity, scaring the shit out of her.

"A green rat! Somebody take that thing back where it came from or so help me-" she yelled. Grogu showed no fear, trying to reach the mouthpiece of the instrument before Din grabbed him.

"I'm sorry, Miss! He's still a kid, I-"

"You're sorry?! That thing tried to bite me!"

"He did not! He wanted to play your instrument." Elora explained, focusing on the fear the woman felt, and sending calming vibes through the force at her. She instantly calmed down.

The incident had caused a small crowd of people to gather around them. Too much attention was never a good thing, especially when you wore beskar armor, were force sensitive and on top of that on the Empire's most wanted list. Din and Elora knew that and left the scene, walking over the market in quick steps until the town square was out of sight. Din took a weary look around, but nobody paid more attention to him than usual. He was used to the looks he got for his armor. After he deemed the situation safe, they went to a food stall that offered ronto wraps and salad bowls. Elora looked for a table to sit. Din returned with two plates of ronto wraps. Instead of ronto sausage the wraps contained ronto gyro, and it tasted as good as it smelled. Elora admired the way Din's armor reflected the rays of the evening sun while she ate and she thought about how annoying it had to be to never be able to eat with others. Din leaned back in his chair, looking content, Grogu took a particular liking to the meat, and Arfour was watching the passersby.

"I- I have something for you, cyar'ika. I know Life Day is tomorrow, but I wanna give this to you now." Din said with a softness in his voice, as the last bite of her dinner disappeared in Elora's mouth. He opened his satchel bag and took out a small red box. She opened it with bright eyes, and gaped at the pretty golden bracelet with multiple charms on it. One being a tiny purple crystal, looking like a small version of the one in her lightsaber. Another charm looked like the middle of Din's chest plate. He noticed how her eyes went to that part of his armor.

"It’s called the kar'ta beskar, which means beskar heart. And you, cyare, have my heart."

"Where did you get all those particular charms?!" Elora looked around to find the market stall that was selling those.

"The bracelet itself I bought on Naboo back in the day. Whenever we went to markets, I've been looking for charms to add. The beskar heart I bought in Kyrimorut. Today I found the last one."

The bracelet had five charms. The remaining three were a rusty little bolt, a bead of jade in the same shade of green as Grogu and a very shiny mythosaur skull.

"The bolt is supposed to signify your tribe, the jade signifies the bond you have with Grogu, and the shiny mythosaur skull the Armorer made for you as thanks for helping to successfully relocate the covert."

Elora stared at Din, completely at a loss for words. As much as she hated crying in front of others, tears welled in her eyes. Grogu cooed sadly, obviously not understanding why she was suddenly crying. Din was such a thoughtful person, he made her feel seen, made her feel loved, both physically and emotionally. Her heart truly felt like it could burst out of happiness, and the featherlight feeling in her tummy had increased tenfold.

"I feel bad because I have no gift for you."

"There's no bigger gift than having you for a girlfriend."

"Didn't you say earlier that you can imagine making me your wife one day?" Elora asked with her usual cheeky smile while putting on the bracelet. Din reached out and wiped the remaining tears off her cheeks with his thumbs.

"I promise you I will. There's something I wanna show you. All of you."

The sun had set and they continued their stroll around the Life Day market. At the cobblestone plaza where the town hall was located stood a large tree decorated with colorful lights and orbs. It looked simply magical. Grogu squealed joyfully and jumped off Arfour's top, waddling towards the tree. He was so tiny compared to it. Elora and Din laughed at the child's curiosity. There were some kids at the plaza playing ball, distracting Grogu from the enormous tree. Before the boy could run off to Maker knows where, Din had picked him up.

"How did you know the tree was there?" Elora asked.

"The food vendor saw Grogu and mentioned the Life Day tree and something else. It will be a surprise."

"Another surprise?!"

Din nodded. "Trust me, I know the perfect place for this one." He put his arms tightly around her waist.

"What the-" Before Elora could speak any further, Din had activated his jetpack, zooming off to a nearby flat rooftop of a building that was higher than the tree on the plaza. Arfour used his thrusters to follow them.

The view of the city was incredible. The decorations, the lights, the many different scents coming from the market, it was more than Din could have imagined, but to his disappointment, it didn't feel like a home anymore. This bustling city had once been a small town with simple people and without a spaceport. He could tell most people down on those streets weren't born on Aq Vetina. He wasn't sure if all those changes made it easier for him to find closure or not.

"Okay why did you take us up here? Don't get me wrong, the view is fantastic, but I have a feeling Grogu is craving a dessert and-" Din raised his hand and she paused.

"Just wait for it."

Elora didn't understand the sudden secrecy. What were they waiting for?

Suddenly there was a whistling sound and in the next second the sky above lit up in the most beautiful colors. Grogu winced at the sounds of the firework, but looked up in wonder, same as Elora. Neither of them had ever seen fireworks before. Even Arfour bleeped at the spectacle in wonder. As the colors lit up the night sky, Din's gaze rested on Elora and Grogu. If there was anything he enjoyed watching more than the fireworks, it was their reaction. He knew it was a moment both of them would never forget. Elora felt his eyes on her and turned around, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing his helmet where his mouth would be.

"I love you, Din. Everything you do for me - for us… How are you feeling by the way?"

"I'm fine. Life Day is about family, and there's no better way to honor my parents than being happy. That's probably what they would want me to be. Making Life Day unforgettable for you and Grogu makes me happy. And I love you too, cyar'ika."

They were holding each other and looked up at the fireworks, with an occasional glance to Grogu who was mesmerized by the beauty. It was when he started to cough due to the smoke in the air that Din and Elora let go of each other.

"We should find a place to sleep. As much as I love the Crest, a holiday is special. We should celebrate it somewhere festive." Din suggested and took them back down to the streets, where he started looking for lodging.

He was distracted for a moment, asking a vendor where they could find a place to sleep. Elora took that as a chance to walk off as she noticed a stall selling melee weapons.

"There's a bed and breakfast at the-" Din paused and his eyes landed on Arfour. Elora and Grogu had disappeared. He was about to use his HUD again to find them, when there was a commotion a few stalls to his right.

"Thief! Somebody stop this woman!"

He recognized Elora's red hair immediately from afar and groaned in frustration. "I knew this was gonna happen at some point. Come on, droid."

Din and Arfour followed Elora's distinctive red hair through the crowds. He was surprised how fast of a runner she could be, and he had a feeling it had something to do with her force sensitivity. If there had been someone trying to catch her, she had already outrun them.

At a young age Elora had learned how to escape pursuers. She knew she had to hide from their sight, which meant she had to get off this market. So she took a turn into the next alley. It was dirty and smelled of a mix of mud and urine. Out of breath she checked on Grogu, who was giggling, amused by the situation. He held a little muffin in his hand he was nibbling on.

"I hope you learned an important lesson today, kid. When you steal, try not to get caught."

His ears flopped at her words and the sad look in his eyes made her heart melt, she couldn't be mad at him.

"There you are…" Din had caught up to them, a little out of breath. "I told you stealing could get you into trouble." he scolded Elora, who couldn't hold back a cheeky smile.

"You did, but I think you forgot to tell him." She pointed at Grogu, stains of blue buttercream on his mouth and nose. Din huffed in disbelief and let out an exasperated sigh. "You're being a bad influence, cyar'ika."

"Aww I take that as a compliment." she responded in a tone dripping with sarcasm.

Before they could argue, Din looked around, having picked up on a sound coming from another nearby alley. It was a metallic sound that Elora and Din were both familiar with. At the mouth of the alley, Din pulled his blaster from its holster faster than the blink of an eye, shooting at a silver battle droid who was carrying cargo.

"What the fuck, Din?!"

It took several shots to destroy the droid. The cargo, a large grey chest, fell to the floor, a golden power-like substance coming out of it. Elora had seen it before, and she knew a spice deal gone wrong meant trouble. "I know you hate droids, but thoughtlessly shooting one is risky, given the cargo it's supposed to load on the sled.

"I don't care. That's the kind of droid that killed my parents. It's dangerous." The hatred in his voice was audible.

"It was likely reprogrammed. They can be useful for carrying heavy objects." she tried to explain.

Din clenched his hands into tight fists and took deep breaths, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat. "What would you do to the man who you thought had killed your mother, Elora?"

It took her a moment to think of the right words, but she decided to be blunt about it. "I would let him suffer before I kill him." she said in a dark tone. She understood his actions, but also saw the risk. Din's trauma seemed to impact his judgment. 

That's when a blaster bolt came out of nowhere, almost hitting Elora in the shoulder. She dodged it with her lightsaber in a second's notice. There were men yelling inside the building. Another blaster bolt hit Din in his chest plate, causing him to stumble a few steps back.

"See what you've done?!" They started running again, Elora dodging the blaster bolts that followed them with her lightsaber and Din firing shots at the group of six men, shielding Grogu from harm with his body. His aim was much better than theirs. In a matter of minutes there were only four of them left, then three, one… Even when no more shots were fired after the last spice smuggler fell, Din and Elora remained on high alert, Arfour bleeping uncomfortably and Grogu on top of him dropped his long ears in fear.

"It's okay, sweetie, we're out of danger now." Elora cooed, picking him up. In her arms he instantly buried his little face in the crook of her neck and she went to face Din. "Listen, I understand what overcame you when you saw that droid. The same feeling overcame me when I met you for the first time, Din. I learned in the best way that things are not always as they seem. This droid was programmed to load cargo, not kill innocents, and I know a thing or two about droids. You're not the type of guy who thinks with their blaster, it was reckless and so unlike you."

"I- I'm so sorry, I put you all in danger. It was never my intention, it's just…" She noticed how he shivered. "I saw that droid and I just…. I was nine years old when one of those things almost killed me. When I saw the droid back there, it was like I was a child again.." Din's voice trembled. Elora felt a deep sadness radiating off him. Before she could pull him into a hug he walked past her, his gaze on a clothesline where a red cloak was hanging to dry.

"Darling?" Elora asked as Din stared at the cloak, his posture being rigid.

"That's traditional Vetinese clothing. My family… that's what we used to wear." His voice was quiet and sad. "I don't remember much, but I know I was happy. It's the little things that I still recall the most aside from our last moments together. The scent of my mother's perfume, my father's laugh… Damn it was such a long time ago."

Din took the red fabric in his hand, a familiar feeling of safety settled in his gut at the touch.

"Nothing gets lost in this universe. In the force they'll always be with you until the day you join them." Din turned, and Elora took the opportunity to pull him into a warm hug. He rested his head on her shoulder, enjoying the feeling of her running her hands over his arms.

"Whatever you feel, Din, it's okay."

Their hug was suddenly interrupted when the back door of the building opened. A little old lady in a lilac dressing gown stepped out, two tookas purring around her legs.

"What's all the noise out here?!" she asked, her wrinkly face contorted in anger.

"Sorry, m'am. We were about to leave." Elora apologized.

The expression on the woman's face changed from anger to curiosity as she took in Din's shiny appearance. "Why did you return here?" the lady asked Din, who was taken aback by her question. "Your people freed what was left of our village. Are you back because this town is in danger?" she clarified.

"No, not at all. I was actually born here. The Mandalorians took me in after the battle droids attacked the town.”

The old lady frowned thoughtfully, appraising him. "What's your name?"

For a moment Din hesitated telling this woman - a stranger - his name, but decided to take the risk and do it. "The name's Din. Din Djarin."

Her eyes lit up at his name. "You're Zaro and Ni'qa Djarin's boy, aren't you? Oh, I thought you had died along with them." Tears welled in her eyes as she introduced herself as Varia Geth, explaining that she had been a neighbor of Din's family back in the day. Din was still in disbelief hearing his parents' names and that there was someone who remembered him from before his life as a Mandalorian foundling. He couldn't place the warm feeling that blossomed in his heart, but he knew Elora and Grogu felt it too.

Varia invited them into her house. Grogu was immediately fascinated by her tookas and squealed happily as Din put him down to let him play with them.

"If you and your wife are looking for a place to stay, you can sleep in my son's room. I have no use for it since he moved out." Varia offered, and Din and Elora eagerly accepted, without bothering to correct her when it came to the title of their relationship, since old people could be a bit conservative at times, and they wanted to sleep in the same room.

It turned out, Varia had a real talent for baking, much to Grogu's delight. They sat down in her cozy living room that had many pillows and self made blankets. With a hot chocolate for each, Varia started telling them stories from before the Separatist invasion that destroyed the village. How all people wore red cloaks when leaving the house, about the peace and quiet she missed so much in this bustling city. Din listened intently, sipping his hot chocolate through a straw that went under his helmet. From the stories Varia told them, his parents had been kind and generous people, living a simple life with the wellbeing of their only child as their top priority.

Bedtime was truly something else when you were used to sleeping in the small nook on the Razor Crest. The spare bedroom in Varia's house had a bed that was big enough for two, with lots of soft pillows and self made quilts. Grogu cooed as he climbed on top of it, getting comfortable.

Din removed his armor sans his helmet, feeling safe enough in this house to do so. Elora took off her boots and put her lightsaber on the bedside table before lying down next to Grogu who was trying real hard to keep his eyes open. Din laid down on the other side of him, so Grogu was lying in between his guardians. He yawned and they watched him drift off to sleep with a smile on his face.

Arfour had switched off, charging in the corner of the bedroom, and peace and quiet settled in the house. Din and Elora looked at each other, and despite the helmet, she knew the look in his eyes was full of affection.

"I certainly didn't expect the day to go like this." he whispered barely loud enough for the vocoder to pick up.

"How do you feel?"

It took Din a good minute to come up with the right words. "Like I made the right choice by coming here. I have to thank you for suggesting it." He caressed her cheek with his gloved hand. "My sweet girl, you helped me reconnect with my family in a way, I hope I can find a way to return the favor."

"Mmm.. the thought of my mom spending Life Day without me now that I know she's alive... It feels a bit off." Elora yawned, closing her eyes. Din didn't miss the light frown she always had when she was worried.

"I'll do everything so you can celebrate together next year, mesh'la. Rest now, the kid will be up early."

He didn't have to tell her twice. He watched her fall asleep wrapped in the colorful quilt blankets, taking her hand in his. Just like any Mandalorian, he swore to put his little family before everything else, like his parents before him.

"Patu! PATU!"

Elora groaned when Grogu jumped on her chest before the sun was up.

"No…it's too early. Go back to sleep." she cursed in Jawa Trade under her breath. That's when she felt that the other side of the bed was cold and empty, her eyes blinking open. Grogu crawled up to her face and squished her cheeks with his pudgy hands.

"Grogu!" Din's voice came from the hallway. He came to take the child off her chest. "I told you to let her sleep longer. I'm sorry, cyare. He woke me up first, all excited about his Life Day gifts."

While Elora sat up and rubbed her eyes, Din took Grogu back into the living room where he started playing with the Life Day gift Din had gotten him - a Thranta plushie that was actually more of a soft blanket than a stuffed toy, and miniature Jawa toy figures. Varia was preparing breakfast in the kitchen, waffles by the smell of it. Din wished his life could always be this harmonic, but he knew the reality was a different one, Moff Gideon was still out there and many others wouldn't hesitate to kill him for his beskar or to get to Elora and the kid.

After breakfast (Din having breakfast in the living room instead of the kitchen due to his Creed), Elora approached him with a present wrapped in red paper. "I found this on the market yesterday. I think it's a useful gift."

Din raised his brows, surprised that she, too, had bought him a gift. He didn't expect that.

"I didn't steal it by the way." she added as she noticed his hesitation.

"I didn't assume you stole it, I'm just…" He unwrapped the item, which was a box containing a collection of high quality vibroblades. He took one, twirling it between his fingers. Din huffed in disbelief. "They must have cost a fortune."

"I saved some credits from our previous jobs. Do you like them?"

Din stood up, looking down at her. "No. I love them! Such a thoughtful gift, thank you so much!" He wrapped his arms around her. "Gifting weapons is a sign of trust in my culture. It means a lot to me."

Varia searched several shelves in her living room until she found what she had been looking for. It was a small holochip she gave to Din.

"What is this for?"

"Put it in the projector and you'll see." she said with a kind smile.

They all took a seat in front of the holoprojector in the living room. Grogu was still distracted, playing with his new toys.

As Din inserted the holochip, a holopic popped up, showing several people in a backyard. Adults and children alike wore red cloaks and the neighborhood looked rather rural. Din held his breath as he saw his parents' faces for the first time in so many years. They were talking to friends and neighbors, and there was him, chasing after a tooka with a wide smile on his face. He looked no older than four years in this holopic.

"Is that-" 

"Yes. That was before I took the Creed, which means you can look at it."

"Oh Din, you were so sweet! You still are, of course."

Din huffed at Elora’s remark. "I know hundreds of ways to kill someone. There's nothing sweet about that, cyare." He couldn't take his eyes off his parents' faces. Elora sensed his inner turmoil and took his hand.

"You can keep the holochip. That's my gift for you, young man." Varia said, tearing up at Din's reaction.

"Thank you. I- I don't know what to say. You really wanna give this to me?"

"It's your family, you should carry a picture of them with you. I have enough holochips anyway." she shrugged.

Elora and Din agreed that this was the best Life Day ever, despite being their first. There was hardly anything that could top that. If Grogu could speak, he would probably agree, judging by the joyful gleam in his dark eyes while playing with his new toys.

They spent Life Day eating cookies, laughing together, listening to Varia's stories and telling her of their adventures in return. Taking some time to unwind and not worry about what tomorrow would bring was exactly what they needed. They made memories that day they would cherish forever. It truly felt like, for a moment, the Galaxy was completely at peace.

<- previous chapter

They needed some downtime ok! Now let's get back to new adventures around the Galaxy with the next story arc coming soon! Spoiler: Our favorite Weequay space pirate will show up in the next chapter!

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