#shortcuts-make-long-delays

[aquaticflames]

“Look over there!” Cody said. Obi-Wan turned his head over his shoulder to follow where Cody was pointing. “There are ducks! Can we go look? Obi, please!”

ty kit for writing such an adorable piece for this!! 🦆🐸💕

#star wars #sw #aqua's art fart #obi-wan kenobi #commander cody #codywan #shortcuts-make-long-delays #tysm kit you've been a delight with this v casual collab we've managed to stumble into hehe #💕 #500

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: A Conspiracy Unmasked

Ohohoho here we go >:-D

Merry like “hmm, I can tell something’s fishy about this, but we’ll have to talk about it later”

The Brandybucks being described as “virtually a small independent country” is GreatTM X-D

“…as a matter of fact, [the Bucklanders] were not very different from the other hobbits of the Four Farthings. Except in one point: they were fond of boats, and some of them could swim.”

*Phil Dragash Merry voice intensifies* I LOVE BOATS Y’KNOW HOW MUCH I LOVE BOATS SO MUCH I MEAN THEY’RE SO COOL AND BOATY AND THEY FLOAT

Aww, Sam’s already getting a bit homesick :-(

Gollummmm

Frodo: “I mean we already ate, but we could eat again.” Merry: “Say no more, fam”

Frodo seeing Bilbo’s things in the new house and being “sharply reminded” of him :-C Hello it is once again Crying About Frodo and Bilbo O’Clock

BATH SECTION YEAAAAAHHHH

“Which order shall we go in? Eldest first or quickest first? You’ll be last either way, Master Peregrin.” HAHAHA GETTIM FRODO

And Merry like “excuuuuse me, you should know by now that I’m better at planning and logistics than that; there are THREE tubs >8-D”

And Pippin splashing Frodo with the bath water 🤣 This whole section is so stinkin’ CUTE

I, too, cannot properly dry my hair until I am out of the steam in the bathroom. Frodo is the most relatable ever.

Merry has such dad energy 🤣 “You’d better clean up your mess, Pippin, before you get any supper!”

The squabbling over the mushrooms haha

Ooooohh The Talk is here

It honestly makes so much sense that Pippin is the one talking when Frodo refuses to. Frodo is trying to keep secrets, and Pippin has zero filter.

Also Merry reading Frodo like a book is SO GOOD

“You are miserable, because you don’t know how to say good-bye. You meant to leave the Shire, of course. But danger has come on you sooner than you expected, and now you are making up your mind to go at once. And you don’t want to. We are very sorry for you.”

THAT’S MY SMART BOI

I can’t wait to draw this part

“You do not understand! You must go—and therefore we must, too. Merry and I are coming with you. Sam is an excellent fellow, and would jump down a dragon’s throat to save you, if he did not trip over his own feet; but you will need more than one companion in your dangerous adventure.” Awww, Pippin!!

Also the foreshadowing, wow

Hahaha Merry presenting Sam like “TA-DA! Our chief spy!!”

Sam: “Gandalf did say to take someone you could trust, sir!” Frodo: “But I can’t trust anyone, apparently!” Sam: :-C

Oh oh oh it’s this part…!!

“It all depends on what you want. You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin - to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours - closer than you can keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway: there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the Ring. We are horribly afraid - but we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.”

MERRY MY LAD I LOVE YOU TO DEATH

That’s true friendship right there

Frodo like “I am NEVER trusting that you are actually asleep ever again” 🤣

“Three cheers for Captain Frodo and Company!” I’m going to melt 🥹

Merry once again being the G.O.A.T. by having the ponies prepared

“It seems to have been a very efficient conspiracy.” HECK YEAH IT WAS

I love that Fatty has barely talked through the whole chapter except to blurt “NOT THE OLD FOREST” at the very end

Merry continues to have Dad Energy by breaking up the almost-argument between Pippin and Fatty

Oooof the dream about the Sea…

#FINALLY ANOTHER CHAPTER REVIEW #bet y’all thought we’d never get out of ‘a shortcut to mushrooms’ lol #shortcuts make long delays indeed #meriadoc brandybuck #merry #samwise gamgee #frodo baggins #peregrin took #pippin #fatty bolger #lord of the rings #lotr #my writing #chapter review

[antoniosvivaldi]

Rotoscoping Tutorial by @antoniosvivaldi​​

Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce my long-delayed Rotoscoping Tutorial - requested by a number of people over the past calendar year. 

In this tutorial, I will show you how to create the cutout gifs like this (and seen in most of my gifsets under this tag) with Rotoscoping on After Effects. I’ll also provide additional examples and a number of things that I do to optimise my giffing / Rotoscoping workflow (e.g. useful shortcuts & other things to be aware of).

This is the structure of the tutorial:

Why Rotoscoping? Photoshop video timeline’s limitations

Photoshop workflow pt 1: Preparing your gif

After Effects workflow: Interface, shortcuts, and Rotoscoping tools

Photoshop workflow pt 2: Assembling your gif; with multiple examples

Bonus content: Rotoscoping tips* & workarounds to common issues

For quick reference, here are example gifsets (and where Rotoscoping is used in the posts) that I will mention in the tutorial:

Example 1: Cutout gif effect | panels 2 + 4

Example 2: Changing a gif’s background colour | all panels

Example 3: Cutout gif effect in a shape | all panels

Example 4: Putting it all together | panels 1, 3, & 5

What you need & need to know:

Software: Photoshop & After Effects (After Effects 2021 or later for Rotobrush 2.0)*

Hardware: 16GB RAM required to run later versions of AE*

Difficulty: Advanced; Knowledge in making gifs, applying layer masks, and using video timeline interface assumed

Key concepts: Rotoscoping (AE) / Video Timeline (AE+ PS) / Layer Masks & Groups (PS)

Supplementary files: tutorial resources

*I’m currently running the latest version of PS & AE on an M2 Mac, but I’ve also used older versions (CC 2015 & 2020) on Intel-based Macs. I’ll outline some known compatibility & performance issues, and workarounds later in this tutorial that could help streamline your giffing workflow.

Tutorial under the cut. Like / Reblog this post if you find this tutorial helpful. Linking this post / the example gifsets in your post caption, will be greatly appreciated if you read this to create effects seen in Examples 3 + 4.

1) Why Rotoscoping?

My Rotoscoping journey is motivated by the shortcomings on Photoshop - namely the limited options to manipulate the Layer Mask keyframes in the video timeline interface, as well my need to gif more efficiently.

Suppose I want to cutout this subject or recolour the background of a gif on Photoshop: I personally classify the gifs that I prepare on PS into 3 types based on the motion of the subject

These are the common Photoshop-only approaches when attempting to mask the subject in the gif.

Case 1: minimal motion in the subject → a simple layer mask will do the trick

Case 2: some linear panning of the subject in the gif → using the Layer Mask Position keyframes in the video timeline interface will do the trick

Case 3: subject moves around a lot (e.g. zoom motion) → Unfortunately this is where a Photoshop-only workflow will require frame by frame masking. Layer Mask Position keyframes only apply positional translation (but not transformation / rotation) on the layer mask

Enter Rotoscoping on After Effects: Instead of resigning to frame by frame procedure on Photoshop, I opted to make my life easier by learning to Rotoscope on After Effects. This essentially provides me an opportunity to cutout / recolour a wider range of gifs with relative ease.

2) Photoshop pt. 1: Preparing your gif

Prepare your gif the usual way - whether you screencap or import frames from video.

Then your Photoshop should look like this:

Now, I shall walkthrough & explain my personal giffing workflow (as of 2023) after loading the gif frames. To speed up the process, import my gif prep action file to Photoshop.

Going to Window > Action, you’ll see a set of actions under the “gif prep” folder. 

"set frame delay for timeline” (highlighted in yellow) will set all of your entire gif’s frame delay to 0.03s

“convert to timeline“ (highlighted in red) will take you to the Video Timeline interface

To play an action, press on the Play button (highlighted in green)

i. Set the frame delay of the entire gif to 0.03s. (play “set frame delay for timeline” from my gif prep action pack)

I work with everything in 0.03s frame delay (or equivalently 30fps) at first. It’s always possible to change the frame delay of the final gif to 0.05s before uploading onto Tumblr.   

ii) Convert this gif to a Smart Video Layer (play “convert to timeline” from my action pack)

Note: I personally don’t resize the gif just yet. That’s because Rotoscoping in full video resolution will render higher quality details around the edges as well as more flexibilities later on in the editing process.

Performance optimisation: If your computer has 8GB of RAM or less, you might find it helpful to crop / resize your gif to Tumblr dimensions now for a less sluggish performance in After Effects later on. 

(I have giffed on a desktop with 8GB of RAM and it’s quite slow at rendering individual frames of a 1080p short clip on AE)

iii) Add colouring adjustments on the gif. This will save you A LOT of time when you Rotoscope gifs that are originally very dark / poorly lit (e.g. the uncoloured Taylor Swift gif shown just above). 

If you usually colour your gifs at the very end of your giffing process (i.e. after sharpening), this will be a bit of a change.Nevertheless I still highly recommend adding some base colourings now to at least increase the contrast between the subject and the background.

iv) To minimise lagging on After Effects, simplify this gif file as follows: 

Flatten / Unsmart this gif file back to frame animation mode: play “flatten” (highlighted in red) from my gif prep action pack

Set the frame delay to 0.03s: play “set frame delay for timeline” (highlighted in green)

Convert the simplified gif file back to the video timeline interface: play “convert to timeline” (highlighted in yellow)

After “unsmarting” and converting back to the video timeline, your interface should look like this

And voila! This gif PSD is now ready to be imported to After Effects for Rotoscoping work!

3) After Effects: Interface and useful shortcuts

Open After Effects and Import (Cmmd / Ctrl + I) your gif PSD that you’ve just prepared.

After importing your gif PSD to After Effects, the interface should look like this. 

In the screenshot below, there are two compositions: the imported gif (highlighted in green) & another composition file made from selecting the imported gif (highlighted in red)

For the rest of the workflow, we will edit from the clone composition (the one highlighted in red), so select this one.

Before we take our plunge into the Rotoscoping, here are a few useful shortcuts to remember. I’ll explain the Roto Brush tool in the next section.

Preview the previous: fn + up arrow

Preview the next frame: fn + down arrow

Add to Roto Brush selection: holding Shift while you’re using the Roto Brush Tool

Subtract from Roto Brush selection: holding Alt while you’re using the Roto Brush Tool

Change Roto Brush size: while holding Cmmd / Ctrl, click + drag your mouse left / right

4) After Effects: The Rotoscoping Process

To access the Rotoscoping tools, click on the Roto Brush icon (highlighted in red in the screenshot below)

Then you’ll get the following dropdown options with two Rotoscoping Tools

Roto Brush Tool: This is where you add / subtract your Rotoscoping selection in your composition

Refine Edge Tool: Paint around the edge of your selection for more refined edges. Very helpful for Rotoscoping fuzzy edges / hairs

To make some Rotoscoping selection, first grab the Roto Brush Tool and click on the subject you want to cut out from your composition. 

When you’re Rotoscoping you’ll see this in the Effect Controls panel. 

There are two versions of Roto Brush:

Version 2.0: The Rotoscoping selection is powered by AI for higher accuracy when you propagate the frames. 

Version 1.0 (Classic): This is the legacy Roto Brush Tool that uses a lesser algorithm. Recommended only if Roto Brush 2.0 is unstable on your machine due to RAM issues.

And two quality settings for Roto Brush 2.0:

Standard

Best

Note: I am currently unable to use Roto Brush 2.0 with Best quality model on my machine to compare the differences myself, so I’ll link this page that explains the two quality settings.

Note: if you’re using an older version of After Effects you’ll see this instead. This corresponds to Roto Brush 1.0 / Classic in the newer versions of AE.

When you’ve made a selection using the Roto Brush Tool, you’ll see the pink lines around the subject. This is the region that you’ve selected to Rotoscope!

To bring out some details around the edges, grab the Refine Edge Tool and paint around the edges

Then the interface will look like this

To view the Rotoscoping selection that you’ve made more intuitively, you could click on the following buttons.

Personally I like the viewing my selection using Toggle Alpha (the second box from the left) & Toggle Alpha Boundary (the 3rd box from the left)

Toggle Alpha

Toggle Alpha Boundary

Note: If you aren’t happy with the initial Roto Brush selection, you can always add (press Shift while using the Roto Brush Tool) / subtract (press Alt / Option using the Roto Brush Tool) your selection.

After you’re happy with your Rotoscoping selection in the first frame of your composition, press fn + down to view the next frame.

Repeat pressing fn + down and fix the selection along the way (e.g. I subtracted a small area from my Rotoscoping selection with the Roto Brush tool to make the edge look cleaner).

After fixing the selection along the way, go back to the composition file (select the clone composition again) and you will see that a cutout gif is made!

To export this, go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue. You’ll be redirected to the Render Queue panel at the bottom of After Effects. 

Highlighted in red: click to change export setings

Highlighted in green: click to change save destination

Highlighted in yellow: click to render video

To preserve the transparency of your cutout gif, you need to change your export settings in the Output Module. 

Under the Video Output section, change your Channels to RGB + Alpha. Press OK. Then Render the video.

5) Photoshop pt. 2: Assembling your final gif

The essence is to drag the cutout gif (aka the video file that you’ve just rendered on AE) into a new PSD composition file. This will be where you’ll do the rest of your giffing. Your workflow will contain the follow steps:

Make a new blank PSD composition file in Tumblr dimensions

Enable the Video Timeline

Follow the instructions detailed in the individual examples i.e. drag the cutout gif into the PSD & adjust the timeline start / end points

Exporting the final gif. If you’ve worked in 0.03s frame delay all the way up to here, just play the action that I’ve provided in the tutorial in the following order to set the frame delay to 0.05s.

EXAMPLE 1: finalising your cutout gif | sample gifset

After enabling the Video Timeline in your PSD composition file you’ll see something like this

Go to your folder, drag the cutout gif you’ve made on After Effects, resize / reposition, then press Enter. 

And also make sure to adjust the Video Timeline’s start / end values.

Add some finishing touches. Because I did the Rotoscoping at full HD resolution, I’ll also need to sharpen my gif in this step.

After you’re happy, you can export this into a gif file and do what you usually do to change the frame delay to 0.05s. 

Notes on my “Unsmarting” approach:

To prevent accidentally writing over a PSD composition file that I’ve spent time editing, I personally render this into a short video (File > Export > Render Video) and use the following export settings (to prevent quality loss)

Then I open the rendered clip and play the actions in my gif prep action pack as follows:

flatten: this “Unsmarts” the clip / video

set frame rate: this sets all frames to have 0.05s frame delay

This is the final interface that I get before I pull up the Save For Web window.

EXAMPLE 2: changing your gif’s background colour (for Case 3 gifs) | sample gifset

From your folder, drag BOTH the cutout gif (rendered on AE) and the original gif to your blank composition. 

Important: you need to make sure that both layers are properly lined up in the composition file (i.e. selecting both layers when repositioning / resizing)

 On Photoshop, press Enter twice and place the cutout gif on top of the original gif from the Layers panel. Then you should get something like this

Select both layers and resize / reposition them in your PSD composition until you’re satisfied with the placements.

The basic idea here is to add some adjustment layers / other things in between the cutout gif and the original gif. To do this, select the original gif layer in the Layers panel.

Then you can start adding.a bunch layers e.g. textures, onto the composition.

And then here’s the exported gif!

6) Fancier Rotoscoping examples

Note: knowledge in using layer masks / groups and making shape / text layers assumed

In the next two examples, I’ll show you how to combine the two previous examples with shape / text layers.

EXAMPLE 3: Placing your cutout gif into a shape / text layer | sample gifset

Add a text / shape layer to your blank PSD composition

We want to prepare a masked group so in the Layers panel:

Make selection from layer: Cmmd / Ctrl + Click (highlighted in red)

Make a new group: click on the folder icon (in yellow)

Create layer mask: click on the icon (in green)

After duplicating the masked group you’ll get something like this in the Layers panel

Drag your cutout gif into the PSD composition

Place the cutout gif into the masked group on top

Select the mask of the top group and paint (in white) over the region you want to reveal for the cutout gif

Add some finishing touches & export the gif!

EXAMPLE 4: Putting it all together | sample gifset

You follow the same approach as in Example 3 to prepare the masked groups, but you need to drag two gif layers in (and resize them using the approach outlined in Example 2)

Place the gif layers as follows

While selecting the mask of the group on top, paint (in white) over the region that you want to reveal in the cutout gif

Now select the original gif (placed within the other group) and add some adjustment layers

After adding some finishing touches & exporting the gif, I get this!

Note: you can do even more overlay effects in the background portion of example 4. There will just be more masked groups + adjustment layers

7) Bonus: Some useful Rotoscoping / giffing lifehacks

GIFFING LIFEHACKS:

— Use best quality footage that you could find & Rotoscope in full video resolution, for better details around the edges

— Poorly lit scenes & low contrast edges are harder to Rotoscope (e.g. Toy Story set / TS evermore set).

If you’re new to AE, I would recommend choosing videos with well-lit gifs with simpler backgrounds and high contrast edges (e.g. Maisie Peters Cate’s Brother set)

— Use Rotobrush 2.0 if you’re using After Effects 2021 or later. It’s more difficult to Rotoscope / change background colour for gifs with a lot of movements with the classic Rotobrush tool. If the scene is tricky, you might want to switch to the “Best” quality model.

HARDWARE-RELATED PERFORMANCE OPTIMISATION:

— The recent versions of Photoshop require at least 8GB of RAM. If you have less RAM, it will still work provided you have enough scratch disk space. For better performance, it’s best to close other applications when you’re using Photoshop.

— The recent versions of After Effects require at least 16GB of RAM. If your machine has less RAM than this, there are some workarounds to prevent your machine from hanging: 

Essential: close other applications that you’re running on your computer

Resize your gif down to Tumblr dimensions & sharpen it before importing to After Effects.

Install an older version of AE 

8) Bonus: Some known software + hardware issues, and workarounds

KNOWN ISSUES ON PHOTOSHOP:

I currently have minimal issues in my giffing workflow, but I’ll nevertheless outline a few common known Photoshop issues for anyone who needs some workarounds.

— Video Timeline interface missing: this affects Apple Silicon Macs (i.e. M1 / M1 Pro / M1 Max / M1 Ultra / M2 / M2 Pro / M2 Max)

Update to newer version of Photoshop (updated 2022 or 2023)

Open Photoshop with Rosetta

— Scratch disk full error: This is a common issue with machines that lack RAM & have nearly used up internal storage. Editing video layers in the timeline interface uses a lot of memory hence will require a lot of scratch disk space. 

Make sure that you have enough free storage space while using Photoshop. Alternatively you can use an external hard drive as a scratch disk.

KNOWN ISSUES ON AFTER EFFECTS:

These are a few issues that I have personally ran into over the course of giffing on multiple devices & multiple versions of After Effects.

Note: Inputs from M1 / M2 Mac users with regards to experiences on using the After Effects Rotoscoping tools are welcome!

— Rotobrush 2.0 set to “Best” quality model causes AE to crash: this affects anyone who’s using MacOS Ventura

I’m currently experiencing this issue on my M2 Mac. The workaround right now is to change the Roto Brush 2.0 quality setting to Standard. 

This is due to some software compatibility issues on Adobe’s side specifically with MacOS Ventura. Fingers crossed that they will properly fix this bug in the future updates!

— Cannot re-open project files with Rotoscoping: this affects anyone using the initial release of After Effects 2020 (I had installed this on an Intel-based machine and it sucked)

The only option here is to update to a later version of After Effects.

8) More useful Rotoscoping resources

Rotoscoping + Keyframes Tutorial by @jenna--ortega​

Rotoscoping + Masking Tutorial by @usergif​

Rotoscoping For Beginners in After Effects | Motion Graphics Tutorial

I hope you enjoy reading this! If you have any questions / need any help related to this tutorial, feel free to send me an ask!

#after effects #tutorial #gif tutorial #photoshop tutorial #dearindies #tusermelissa #usernik #useryoshi #usershreyu #usercim #userrobin #useralison #userannalise #userkosmos #userisaiah #usergiu #userives #* #my resources #my tutorials

[tallfroggieart]

The World

A secret santa gift I made for the lovely, wonderful @liesmyth ! So excited to get to finally share it!!! :D

(Tarot meanings for the World card and some extra ramblings beneath the cut for those who are interested)

The World

Upright: Success, achievement, accomplishment, travel, completion, fulfilment, sense of belonging, wholeness

Reversed: Shortcuts, delays, seeking closure, incompletion, emptiness

"To encounter the World in your cards is to encounter a great unity and wholeness. It symbolizes the moment when the inner and the outer worlds - self and other - become a single entity. In some traditions, this state is described as enlightenment, or nirvana. There is a recognition that the individual self is profoundly linked with all other things, and that we all dance and sway along the flow of life to one rhythm. Not only do you hear this rhythm, but you participate in it - following the dips and the rises, the joys and the sorrows.

The meaning of the World card is fulfillment, achievement, and completion. This shows that all the efforts that you have been putting in place are starting to pay off. It reflects that you have completed a major milestone in your life and you have built the resilience to withstand challenges. The World may indicate completion of a long-term project, study or any other major event in your life. It may also mean the birth of a child, marriage, graduation or any other thing that you have accomplished.

The World card shows that you have a desire to give back to the community in various ways. You have a commitment to make the world a better place because you understand that everything is connected."

- Labyrinthos, The World

Ok and now for my unhinged rambling about Jamie motherfucking Tartt. Ahem.

Like. GUYS HES LITERALLY THIS CARD IN HIS S3 ERA AND IM NOT KIDDING. he’s the central cog!!! He’s the fulcrum of the triangle!! He’s total football! He’s the world’s most specialest puppydog-coded central attacking midfielder!! He’s the conductor, the playmaker, the literal heart and soul of AFC Richmond’s whole tactic!!!!! He means soooo fucking much to me you don’t even understand.

Yes I did take the bisexual Fibonacci spiral from Sunflowers and make it a key part of this card. If the universe didn’t want me to do that then it would have killed Jason Sudeikis before he could make that scene because my molecules have been forever altered.

(ps: ahem. stay tuned for some more AFC Richmond tarot! I’ve got a Roy in the works and plans for the rest of the main cast, though idk how far I’d follow it through. you could follow me and see what happens if you want 👉👈)

#like you guys GENUINELY don’t understand how insane I am about this thing that I have created #i love tarot so fuckin much when I saw that Elle had it on her list of things that she liked I literally went !!! #in the spirit of that… #stay tuned ;) #ted lasso tarot #<- might make that a silly little tag wink wink #my art #jamie tartt #ted lasso #ted lasso fanart #tarot art #tarot #the world tarot #froggie art

[elicathebunny]

🏹𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄.

🖤 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒:

𝑰. 𝑾𝑯𝑨𝑻 𝑰𝑺 𝑺𝑬𝑳𝑭-𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬?

𝑰𝑰. 𝑾𝑯𝒀 𝑫𝑶 𝑾𝑬 𝑳𝑨𝑪𝑲 𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬?

𝑰𝑰𝑰. 𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑫𝑶 𝑾𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑳𝑭-𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑫?

𝑰𝑽. 𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑻𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑫.

🖤 𝐈. 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅-𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄?

Self-discipline: the ability to control one's feelings and overcome one's weaknesses.

e.g. waking up early, making your bed every day, working out consistently, being on time, etc...

🖤 𝐈𝐈. 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝐖𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐒𝐄𝐋𝐅-𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄?

Unclear Goals

Motivation Issues

Fear of Failure

Distractions

Instant Gratification

Perfectionism

Burnout

Lack of Accountability

External Validation

Inconsistent Habits

Impulsive Behavior

🖤𝑰𝑰𝑰. 𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑫𝑶 𝑾𝑬 𝑩𝑬𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑬 𝑺𝑬𝑳𝑭-𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑫?

Set smart goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound

Start small and build up over time: "For example, if your ultimate goal is to run five miles without stopping, set an initial goal of running a quarter mile without stopping." This helps with burnout and gets you used to doing difficult things by starting relatively easily.

The 5-second rule: When you have a thought or feeling, act within 5 seconds before your brain starts rationalising and talking you out.

Create a routine: Set up a daily schedule that aligns with your goals. Having a routine helps build consistency, making it easier to stay disciplined over time.

Embrace Failure: Don't fear mistakes. Instead, view them as valuable learning experiences. Analyse what went wrong, adjust your approach and move forward stronger. Don't beat yourself up for bad days, use those days as a reference for what you can do better and what not to repeat again. Don't give up after a few tries, keep going and fall in love with the process.

Minimise Distractions: Identify activities or environments that distract you. Minimising these distractions creates a focused space for you to work on your goals and reduces procrastination.

Make your goals visible: Make a vision board out of them, make them your wallpaper, stick them on your fridge, blue tack them to your walls, put pictures around your mirror and write them down in a place where you can clearly see them to remind yourself constantly of what you want.

Prioritise Tasks: Learn to prioritise tasks based on their importance and impact on your goals. This helps you allocate your time and energy efficiently.

Pushing through: Sometimes we don't like or want to do the things that are good for us. In these situations, you honestly have to choose between getting closer to your goal or staying where you are now. Imagine yourself in the next 6 months if you stay consistent, or are you going to just keep dreaming and waste another year?

Knowing your limits: Knowing how far you need to push yourself and when to stop is necessary. You don't want to overdo this process. Giving yourself goals that are so far out of reach before doing things to narrow the gaps will make you give up.

Practice Delayed Gratification: Train yourself to resist immediate rewards for the sake of long-term benefits. This skill is fundamental to maintaining discipline, especially when faced with tempting shortcuts. "An example of delayed gratification is a parent asking a child to clean up their room or finish their homework before the child can play video games."

🖤𝑰𝑽. 𝑯𝑶𝑾 𝑻𝑶 𝑺𝑻𝑨𝒀 𝑫𝑰𝑺𝑪𝑰𝑷𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑬𝑫.

Set Realistic Goals: Ensure your goals are achievable and realistic. Unrealistic expectations can lead to frustration and a decline in discipline. Although it is still good to aim big, aiming big without connecting the dots on how you will get there will leave you confused and might lead you to give up.

Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge and celebrate your achievements, no matter how small. This positive reinforcement keeps you motivated and on track.

Review and Adjust: Regularly assess your progress and be willing to adjust your approach. Flexibility is key to overcoming challenges and staying disciplined in the long run.

Visual Reminders: Keep your goals visible. Create visual reminders or vision boards to reinforce your commitment and consistent action.

Establish a Routine: Stick to a daily routine that incorporates your goals. Consistency builds habits, and habits are the foundation of discipline.

Stay Accountable: Share your goals with someone who can provide support and hold you accountable. This could be a friend, family member, or mentor.

Prioritise Self-Care: Ensure you're taking care of your physical and mental well-being. A healthy, balanced lifestyle contributes to sustained discipline.

Learn from Setbacks: Instead of seeing setbacks as failures, view them as learning opportunities. Understand what went wrong and use it as insight for improvement.

Avoid Overcommitting: Be mindful of your limitations. Overcommitting can lead to burnout and a decline in discipline. Focus on quality rather than quantity.

Stay Intrinsically Motivated: Cultivate internal motivation by reminding yourself of the intrinsic benefits of your goals. Connect emotionally with your objectives.

Embody your potential.

xoxo 💋 @elicathebunny

#self improvement #self growth #discipline #dream girl #2024 mindset #that girl

[dontbelasagnax]

So excited to share my painting for this year's @codywanreversebang ! Team Bread (#8) has been such a wonderful group of authors to work with. Links to their fics will be added as they're posted throughout the week <3

"Joys Found and Made" by historical_allusions

"endings mean beginnings" by @inkformyblood [their ao3]

"sourdough: flour, water, and starting over" by @shortcuts-make-long-delays [their ao3]

#codywan #star wars fanart #commander cody #obi wan kenobi #my art #absolutely bouncing off the walls these fics are so fun! #codywan fic rec

[thewertsearch]

@manorinthewoods submitted: ~LOSS (8/11/23) So, long scenario inbound. What if you tossed all the Sburb players we've seen so far (with their powers, but somehow reworked to fit with the Locked Tomb's necromancy stuff) into Canaan House? (My pairings for this would be, in the form of necromancer"mage"/cavalier, Aradia and Sollux, Karkat and Terezi, Rose and Kanaya, John and Dave, Vriska and Tavros, Feferi and Eridan, Equius and Nepeta, and by elimination Jade and Gamzee. Make your own if you want, or throw out the whole system.) What would happen? Who would die? Would anybody achieve Lyctordom?

Oh, I like this one.

[Locked Tomb spoilers abound below. You have been warned.]

I’m mostly keeping your pairings, because I like them. A lot of Homestuck’s powers would break the setting of The Locked Tomb, so let’s just assume the necromancers have the typical abilities of their House, and that the cavaliers don’t have powers. Let’s also assume that the Seventh House is still being impersonated by a Lyctor.

Second House: Captain Karkat Vantas & Lieutenant Terezi Pyrope

A very well-balanced duo. I suspect Karkat would be a half-decent necromancer if if wasn’t for his self-doubt, and Cohort training would replace doubt with cold duty. His magic is particularly destructive, and causes enormous collateral. Bucking tradition, his cav is effectively the leader, as she’s the superior strategist by far.

Endgame: They get pretty far – but when push comes to shove, Karkat would rather die than kill his closest friend, even though she thinks it would be funny. They refuse Lyctorhood, and are murdered by the Seventh.

Third House: Crown Princess Vriska Serket & Prince Tavros Nitram

Vriska embodies the best and worst of both Tridentarii. She’s ruthless, she’s quick-witted, she demands your attention, and she’s not above taking shortcuts. Her cavalier is a lot nicer than the canon one, but just as unlucky.

Endgame: You already know Tavros is ending this story the same way Naberius did. Full Lyctorhood, and the birth of the most dangerous necrosaint the Houses have ever seen.

Fourth House: Baron John Egbert & Sir Dave Strider

These goobers are too nice for the story they’re in. John is enthusiastic, and Dave is dutiful, but they lack the aptitudes required to obtain any keys. If it came to it, Dave is probably the most likely cavalier to pull a Gideon, especially given the Fourth’s tradition of self-sacrifice. John doesn’t have Harrow’s resourcefulness, though, and wouldn’t be able to preserve Dave’s soul.

Endgame: Murdered by the Seventh.

Fifth House: Lady Aradia Megido & Sir Sollux Captor

They’d honestly crush it. Aradia is a born Fifth House spirit talker, and the only Homestuck character to actually be a necromancer. Sollux isn’t a physical fighter, but he declares a laser pistol as his offhand, and no one wants to argue with the creepy scion of the Fifth, so a laser pistol it stays. Since Aradia isn’t a historian, they’re not targeted by the Seventh House Lyctor, and manage to complete most of the theorem rooms before shit hits the fan.

Endgame: Partial Lyctorhood. Aradia eats half of Sollux’s soul, he keeps the other half.

Sixth House: Master Warden Rose Lalonde & Kanaya Maryam

Now we’re talking! A Rose trained on the Sixth would give Palamedes a run for his money, and her partnership with Kanaya would be second to none. Let’s say she still has a romantic history with the Seventh House scion (Feferi, in this case) but is no longer in love with her, having got over her when she and Kanaya became a couple. Palamedes delayed his confrontation with ‘Dulcinea’ due to his feelings, and Rose would confront Feferi much earlier.

Endgame: Can a learned witch of the Sixth defeat an ancient saint of the Seventh? Maybe, if she plays it smart, and makes the right alliances. Write it yourself – I’ve got a liveblog to finish!

Seventh House: Duchess Feferi Pexies & Eridan Ampora

D------EAD before the trials began, Feferi is being impersonated by a sea-dweller Lyctor whose motivations I can’t dig into too much, or I’ll actually start to write this fanfic. Let’s just say she has similar goals to Cytherea, and leave it at that.

Eighth House: Master Templar Equius Zahhak and Nepeta Lejion

Come on, Equius, Your god commands you. Commit the cardinal sin. Become a saint. You’re not going to disobey the emperor, are you?

Endgame: I have just enough respect for Equius that I don’t think he’d kill Nepeta, even if ordered to. They probably go out fighting, before the final confrontation.

Ninth House: Reverend Daughter Jade Harley & Gamzee Makara

Gamzee’s useless, but at least he pulls off the facepaint. Jade’s not going to get much use out of him, unless she’s willing to siphon – as a highblood, he’s probably got a pretty strong constitution. Anyway, Jade’s wolf skeleton constructs are impressive, but she’ll be more or less attempting the trials alone, and that’s a tall order.

Endgame: Not nearly as important as in canon, the Ninth House might survive for a while by not really being a threat to anyone. Jade’s likely to befriend the Second and the Fourth, and go out in a blaze of glory avenging their deaths.

#asks #full liveblog #homestuck liveblog #act 5.2

[maislovebot]

Top 10 bsd characters oral scenarios: Ryunosuke Akutagawa

Hello! Here’s the Ryu chapter! I did everything yesterday but I guess I forgot to hit publish or something?? Sorry about that, as an apology I’ll be posting the Chuuya chapter today as well:)

Contains: afab reader, no pronouns, face-sitting, overstim, kinda ooc, nipple play I think, orgasm delay, teasing, kinda angsty but like what do you expect it’s Aku, Rashoumon but like sexually, she’s used as light bondage

Check the original post out on ao3! (same user)

“ Can you come home? I want you. ”

“What?”

You were enjoying your day in some mall, spoiling yourself just a little. Of course, it would’ve been nice to invite your lovely boyfriend, Akutagawa, but he was busy with something involving the Port Mafia, he didn’t go into detail. He probably felt like saving you from the gory details. He was even kind enough to supply you with a fair amount of money, silently sliding it into your hand when you were about to leave. It’s crazy how much money he makes because of his jobs at the Port Mafia, and he’s only a part of the command unit.

Your day at the mall was cut short when you received a call from the one and only Akutagawa, and you assumed it had something to do with the money he gave you until you picked up the phone.

“Huh? I thought you had a job today.”

“I finished it early. I need you right now.”

You stood for a few seconds, confused and now slightly turned on. Understanding all too well what he wanted, you complied with his wishes.

“Alright, I’ll be there in about an hour, I have to check out at the store I’m at, and the drive is 45 minutes.”

Silence stood on the other line, then a short “hurry.” Was said before Akutagawa hung up abruptly.

Now that whatever Akutagawa was planning was on the schedule for tonight, you wanted to get home as soon as you could, bouncing your leg in line, waiting.

‘ Finally, that line was so long. ’

You fiddled with your keys, trying to get inside of your car, the desperate way you searched through your keys and wallet making it harder for you to actually get into the car.

‘ God, finally. ’ Once you made it into your car, you shifted uncomfortably in your seat.

‘ Damn it Ryuu, why’d you have to be so demanding when I’m so far away? ’ you kept thinking about whatever it was he wanted to do, and it made you more and more needy, picturing whatever it was he wanted you to do to you.

With you taking a considerable amount of shortcuts and speeding a bit more than what was ethical, you made it back in record time. Only 45 minutes.

Fiddling with your keys yet again, you were cut off by Akutagawa opening the door for you and pulling you inside hastily.

“Took you long enough.” Akutagawa commented, noticing how you were lightly rubbing your thighs together. You wanted to give some snarky response, but you were cut off by Akutagawa grabbing your hair and leaning into you, kissing you rather roughly.

You were embarrassed because you hadn’t even gotten a chance to shut the door yet, and you pushed it shut with your foot.

You pulled back, already desperate for air from how vigorous Akutagawa was with his kissing. You pulling away didn’t deter Akutagawa for even a second, and he instead brought his lips down to your neck and began kissing and licking at it intently.

“Aa—Ryuu—what’s gotten into y—ah!” You were cut off by him licking at your sensitive spot, and him lightly groping you. Noticing your reaction, he paused and asked if you were alright.

“Is this not okay?”

“No—it’s fine, it’s just.. this is different. You never act like this.”

“I finished work early so I wanted to spend some time with you.”

You have a puzzled look, then a small moan from Akutagawa reuniting his lips with your neck, slowly trailing down to the tops of your breasts, while bringing his right hand down to grasp your bottoms and underwear at the same time, pulling them down just enough for you to be on full display, this made the blood rush to your cheeks while you questioned him.

“And you being done with work early caused this? I mean, I’m not complaining but it’s different.”

He gave a sigh “can we talk about this later? I just want you right now. We can talk about work after.”

You looked at him and nodded. “Alright, but let’s at least get up the stairs before we go any farther.”

Akutagawa nodded, and pulled you up the stairs by your wrist and then walked to the closest room with a soft surface that he could lay on, which happened to be your front room.

He laid down on your couch, luckily it was fairly large, it could fit the both of you.

“Could you sit on my face?”

Your eyes widened, and Akutagawa rephrased his question.

“Would you be fine with sitting on my face?”

You laughed a little, and Akutagawa looked at you rather blankly.

“Well that was blunt.”

“I’m blunt.”

You nodded, “that you are.”

Akutagawa looked at you expectantly, awaiting your answer. “Well?”

You said nothing, and instead pulled your bottoms down, completely stepping out of them. You smiled then straddled his hips and leaned down, quickly giving a small and quick kiss to his neck, not wanting to make him wait much longer, he was clearly a little desperate after all.

“Of course I will.” You spoke into his collar bones. You moved yourself upwards until you hovered just too high for his mouth to reach. Akutagawa didn’t sit and wait, and instead pulled your hips down till your heat was touching the outside of his lips.

Akutagawa opened his mouth and darted his tongue out straight to your clit, licking a circle on it.

You gave a barely audible groan, and immediately ground your hips down onto his tongue, increasing the amount of friction on your clit, causing you to repeat the process over and over again. Akutagawa gave a cute small moan under you due to the slightly suffocating feeling that arose from you grinding yourself onto him. How was he already driving you crazy from just one small lick? I guess you had been waiting for this for almost an hour, and he went straight to your clit with no precautions. Akutagawa kept licking at your clit before eventually beginning to suck on it. As of right now, Akutagawa was gripping the couch harshly, although it was fruitless due to the fact there weren’t really any blankets to grip onto.

You being so desperate for release in the car made your orgasm arrive pretty quick, and you wanted to try and warn Akutagawa.

“I’m clo—se..!” With this warning, Akutagawa paused the movement of his tongue, and sat there silently.

“What? Why’d you stop??” You whined, trying to grind down on Akutagawa, but he grabbed your hips and pulled you down onto his upper chest.

“Beg for it.” He said, staring straight into your eyes. You sat there silently, not really wanting to get rid of your dignity so easily.

“Come on. I know you can do it.” Akutagawa repeated his command yet again with a straight face, although it was a little difficult to take him seriously with the bottom half of his face being covered in your precum. Akutagawa noticed this, and wiped it off, closing his eyes and covering his face in the process, clearly a little embarrassed. While his mouth was covered, he coughed once or twice before asking again, now having a dry face.

“Just ask me and I promise I’ll keep going.”

Feeling your orgasm just sitting there in your stomach, not going anywhere, you grew desperate and whined quietly before giving into his requests.

“Please, let me cum. Please.” Your begging almost came out as a whisper, and Akutagawa was clearly not satisfied.

“You can do better than that.”

You looked away from him, considering just doing what he wanted. You were still stuck in place, considering how Akutagawa’s patience was running rather thin, he moved his hands up to grip on your thighs tightly, his nails digging into your skin just a little.

What finally got you to give in was when he quickly moved you back up to the top of his face and kissed your clit, your sensitivity running wild, even the slightest bit of stimulation made you jerk your hips down into him, and beg like he wanted without even realizing it.

“Please! I-I wanna cum so bad, I wanna cum all over your face! Please, please..” you begged, feeling yourself beginning to tear up from the overwhelming need to cum, barely even acknowledging how lewd your statement was.

Akutagawa noticed this, and took your begging into account, deciding that he was now satisfied. Without another word, he moved his tongue between your folds, and sucked at your clit, still holding your thighs tightly.

“God, I’m—” you couldn’t even finish your sentence before you came, expecting to be able to calm down, you were shocked when he kept going, continuing to suck on your clit with absolutely zero shame.

“Ahnn.. why’re you still g-going?” You pleaded, and Akutagawa gave a muffled moan yet again, not responding to your question. The overstimulation was pleasurable right now, but at the rate Akutagawa was going, you were sure it would start to hurt at least a little bit very soon. What changed however, was Akutagawa’s grip on your left thigh was completely removed when he brought his index and middle finger to your hole and spread your precum quickly and slid inside of you. He rested his fingers inside allowing you to get used to the feeling, contrary to his lips that kept working on your clit. Already knowing what he was waiting for, you nodded your head letting him know he was fine to move if he so pleased. When he thrusted his fingers slowly, he sped up his work with his mouth, the contrasting feeling driving you to your next orgasm.

It was far too much, and you tried to pull yourself off of Akutagawa, but he quickly grabbed your thighs, removing his left hand from your hole in the process. Muffled under you, you heard him ask, “just a little more? Can’t you last a little longer?”

“Yes, I’ll try.” You said, grinding down onto his face slightly.

“Perfect. Just tell me to stop if it gets too much.”

Without another word, Akutagawa brought his tongue up to your hole, and grabbed the innermost part of your thigh to pull you down as far as he could, and slowly thrusted his tongue inside of you. Your eyes shot open much wider than before and you grabbed the top of the couch tightly, trying to ground yourself. Encouraged by this response, Akutagawa sped up the movements of his tongue. The feeling of your walls surrounding the small amount of his tongue he could bring inside of you made him buck into the air just a little, and he brought his left hand down to his hard on, gently palming himself. He felt a little ashamed of what he was doing, but he was desperate at this point. In order to make up for his dominant hand no longer holding you down, he lifted his head up so he could thrust his tongue impossibly deeper into your hole. You simultaneously ground your hips down onto his mouth, only increasing the intensity of his actions.

You could feel the familiar feeling of release yet again, and you warned Akutagawa.

“Please.. I’m close. Make me cum, please! Don’t—don’t stop!” Akutagawa nodded as much as he could under you, and you sighed with relief. What caught you off guard, however, was Akutagawa urgently pulling you off of him and resting you on his chest. You wanted to whine because he pulled you off after he promised , but you were met with a fit of coughs from Akutagawa, and you frowned slightly.

“Ugh—I apologize. I know you were close.”

“It’s fine. You’re clearly worn out, let’s just lay down for now.”

Akutagawa shook his head, and pulled himself up so he could lean against the back of the couch, and beckoned you to sit on top of him. Hesitantly, you complied, not wanting to take too much out of him.

“I’m gonna make you cum. I won’t let you stop until you come one more time.”

“Ryuu.. you really don’t have to.”

“I will.”

You sighed, knowing this was a battle you couldn’t win. You sat atop his lap, straddling him, making sure to not put too much weight onto him. Akutagawa grabbed at the hem of your shirt, and gave you a is this okay? look. You nodded, and to emphasize it, you pulled the shirt off yourself, leaving you in your bra.

Akutagawa reached his left hand to your back and unhooked the back of your bra with his hand, and watched it fall down your shoulders. You lifted your arms, and you were now completely naked, opposite to Akutagawa, with the only thing he wasn’t wearing being shoes. But he’s still wearing socks, of course.

At least he understood this, and decided that the jacket shouldn’t just be for show. He mumbled Rashoumon , and suddenly your hands were being held up, only not getting tired because they were being held up by his jacket. You jumped, and looked at him playfully.

“You could’ve warned me first! My heart nearly jumped out of my chest.”

“I assumed you’d be used to it by now.”

You shook your head, looking into his eyes and smirking just a little.

“Well, come on, if I can’t use my hands you better put that mouth of yours to good use. Again .”

Akutagawa decided to ignore your teasing and complied, reaching his mouth towards your chest, and taking one of your nipples into his mouth, licking around the tip of it. He slowly moved his right hand to your other nipple, pulling on it gently. After a few seconds, he brought his left hand down to your crotch, and entered you yet again. This time however, he went much faster, thrusting into you quickly.

You let out a loud moan and all the stimulation and brought your head down to the side of his head, closing your eyes tightly.

“G-god, Ryuu, you feel s-so good..” in response he hummed, and the vibrations against your burning skin made you jerk your hips forward. This made Akutagawa’s fingers pull out of you to just the tip, so he quickly thrusted them back in before moving his thumb to your clit. You tried to pull your hands forward to grip onto Akutagawa, but you were unable to pull your hands out of Rashoumon’s grasp.

“P-please, Ryuu, lemme hold you!” You cried out before Akutagawa looked away from you for a split second, and released Rashoumon from you, and you instantly grabbed Akutagawa’s shoulders so tightly he was sure you would leave some bruises behind, not that he cared.

You pulled your head back, and looked at Akutagawa, only to be met by his eyes staring right into yours. It looked so intense, so intimate, that it drove you over the edge, making you cum one last time.

You shook a little as you came, and Akutagawa pulled away from your nipples and kept fingering you slowly, helping you ride out your high. Once you were calmed down, he pulled out of you, and you whimpered quietly from the friction.

You breathed heavily for roughly thirty seconds, with your eyes shut tightly. Once you had caught your breath, you opened your eyes and looked at Akutagawa and smiled.

“That was nice. You did so well.”

Akutagawa looked away, embarrassed, before coughing a few times into his sleeve.

“Glad you liked it,” you stared at him. “Just one problem though.”

Akutagawa raised an eyebrow, and questioned you.

“And what might that be?”

You leaned down, and kissed Akutagawa intensely, grabbing the back of his head gently. After a few moments, Akutagawa reached back and grabbed your hand, trying to pull it away. You moved your hand and pulled away.

“I didn’t get to help you at all.”

Akutagawa instantly understood what you meant, and looked at you blankly.

“You don’t have to help me. Seeing you like this is enough to keep me content.”

You sighed playfully, and slid down onto the ground, reaching your hand under his jacket, you gently caressed his knee over his pants. Akutagawa’s eyes widened just a little, and he shifted from the uncomfortable tightness in his slacks.

“I want to help you out. Please?” You asked while slowly trailing your hand up until it met his belt. You teasingly grabbed the buckle, beginning to undo it.

“We can take as many breaks as you need. I just want to please you.” You looked into his eyes, and Akutagawa loosely grabbed your hair and moved his hand down himself to get the belt undone faster.

“ Do as you wish . ”

Poor guy doesn’t have the stamina to go for longD: I think his foreplay makes up for it though

Wc - 2.7k

Chuuya chapter will be released today!

#bungou stray dogs x reader #bungou stray dogs #bsd #bsd x reader #bsd smut #ryunosuke akutagawa #akutagawa ryunosuke x reader #bsd ryunosuke

[stuckysbike]

The Queen Who Married Two Kings

Pairing: Bucky x Reader x Steve (pre-established Stucky)

Arranged Marriage AU, Fantasy AU, Royalty AU

Rating/Warnings: Over 18's only, there will be dark themes and explicit sexual situations. Reader is Stark born, and they're shitty to her.

Summary: Betrothed to two Kings, you travel with them to their home where you learn more than you ever thought you would. But how are you to cope with two husbands who want to start a family and secure their place in the world?

Chapter 1

“Your father demands an audience with you,” a droll voice said from the doorway of your dayroom. You lifted your eyes from the book in your lap and fixed the man with a scowl. He looked ridiculous in red velvet pants with gold piping. You hated the livery your father had his staff wear. It was neither practical nor attractive but it served well to display his wealth and, god forbid, taste. If one could call that taste.

“And I would like to slay a dragon but that won’t happen anytime soon,” you muttered under your breath levelling him with a sweet smile to make up for your earlier scowl. It wasn’t this man’s fault that you hated your father. It was your father’s fault.

“He’s rather insistent milady,” the voice said. He sounded weary, and you suspected he was rather bored. You were bored yourself but you didn’t want them to know that.

“I’m busy myself,” you lied smoothly. The man, slim and in his fifties with deep set eyes, let a flicker of annoyance pass his face. You didn’t recognise him, but he continued to stare stubbornly. Sighing you stood up and fixed your hair in the looking glass, brushed creases out of your dress and picked up the novel you had been reading. You darnt leave it lying around. Your father encouraged you to read this muck, yes, but you made sure there was proper reading within its covers. A pamphlet outlining changes to a tax law on tobacco would be frowned upon.

He had this ridiculous notion that women who read romance novels knew how to take care of a husband. The last thing you wanted was a husband like those described in the novels, or a man like your father or brothers.

“Milady, if you please,” the man said again, his voice thinning on patience.

“Alright!” You snapped as you turned and headed out the doorway, not bothering to wait for him. You knew the trail to your father’s study well, knew all the shortcuts and quick escapes, so naturally, you took the long way.

Around you portraits of your ancestors peered down their noses as you and you resisted the childish urge to stick your tongue out at them. You slowed a few times to peer out the windows but you could delay no longer.

Your father, King Howard, a greying man in his sixties, was waiting for you behind a large oak desk that had suffered garish carvings before being placed here, another symbol of his wealth and power. Beside him stood your brother Tony, his heir. It was no secret that Tony was your father’s favourite child. Everyone had assumed that, as the only daughter, you would also be favoured, but this wasn’t so. You weren’t the sweet child he dreamed of; instead you were strong willed and wild, defying him at his every turn. Your education was still a sore point for you both; he felt you had received too much, you felt you didn’t receive enough.

“Father,” you dipped your chin slightly, knowing he preferred when women curtsied to him, but today it seemed as he had more pressing matters than dredging up old fights. You stood in the centre of the plush rug that lay before the desk letting your heels sink in deep, hoping to damage the carpet.

Tony scowled at you, he’d always had some sort of resentment towards you, and you often wondered if it was because you were a girl and perhaps he was worried that he would no longer be your fathers favourite. That resentment turned to distaste at the way you acted with your father.

“Daughter,” your father said, his voice weary, and you knew he was expecting a fight. “You’re to be married.”

You pursed your lips; it was rare that your father got straight to the point. You filed this away to examine later.

“Married. I’m barely nineteen,” you said. Marriage was not what you wanted from life. To have children to a man who wouldn’t love you, to a man like your father who’d had three wives, who’d driven your own poor mother to despair with his appetite for other women.

“And if I’d had my way you would have been married three years ago but your mother pleaded with me…” He sighed deeply, no doubt looking for sympathy for having another dead wife. You had none to give; he had driven your mother to the grave.

“Does my husband have a name or shall he remain anonymous until I meet him at the alter?” You asked.

“Husbands,” your father moved something on his desk then shuffled some papers. He was nervous, you thought, very unlike him.

“Husbands? Plural?” You raised an eyebrow.

“Indeed. You know of the alliance between King James and King Steven,” Howard said.

Everyone knew of their alliance; it had caused quite the scandal three years ago when they wed and decided to unite their countries. They had once been one land and very few people residing there resisted, but kingdoms such as your fathers and that of your neighbours such as the Odinsons had been most wary.

It seemed your father had found a way to protect himself yet again.

You knew all about the neighbouring kingdom of Farotaide, it was part of your education to be up to date on this. The kings lived in a large castle at the edge of the woods on a cliff overlooking the sea. It was said to be beautiful.

Farotaide was a cold place, with sharp winds even in the summertime, and prone to snow half the year round. The people ruled under the kings were hardened, warriors, blacksmiths and butchers, crops were grown, winter crops consisting mostly of root vegetables and potatoes, all the year round. They were a harsh people and the women fought as quickly as the men did. Their ale was bitter and their wine sour, but they were clever engineers, and they had a lot of land and forest under their control. This would be a strategic union.

But you would be wife to two husbands. How would that even work? They would be twice as demanding of you, but then, knowing what you did about their culture and society, it was worth the gamble. Perhaps you wouldn’t fight, and instead agree to this union.

“I agree,” you said after a moment’s pause. Tony scowled, expecting a fight he didn’t receive, and even her father looked shocked for half a second.

“Oh, that’s good then, I’m sure you have a lot to prepare, you will be married soon no doubt, there’s little point in dallying with these things,” he said clearly dismissing you.

You did not go back to your rooms, instead you went to the library, and headed into the map room from there. You found Farotaide easily, they controlled about a third more land than your father. There were notes on climate, terrain, population, and agriculture and battle tactics on the margins. You studied until you needed to change for dinner.

Your father sat at the head with his sons around him, Tony to his right with his new wife Pepper clutching his hand like a sheep. You hated her, hated them all as they discussed your upcoming nuptials. “The Kings will be here next week, and all being well, you’ll be married within the month,” your father said clasping his hands together.

“I’ll be going to live with them I assume.” You said as you pushed the food around your plate. You had lost interest in your food.

“Of course.” Your father said.

“Then I’ll need a new wardrobe,” you said.

Tony snorted and Pepper covered her mouth to hide a laugh. “Another excuse to spend father’s money,” he said.

“No, but Brooklyn where the keep their kingdom seat is located is a much colder climate than ours, I don’t think delicate silken dresses will do me much good in the winter do you father?” You said smiling at him. The pale blue dress you wore now was a favourite, but it wasn’t practical for where you were going.

“Our father is already putting up a dowry just to get rid of you, and paying for your wedding nuptials. I doubt he’ll be dressing you after next week. Let your husbands take care of it,” Tony said tossing his napkin onto his plate and leaning back in his chair.

“Someday, my dear Tony, father will be dead, and this will be your land, your home, your very table. And someday, dear brother, I’ll sit here at this very table, and I’ll embarrass you in front of your peers as you wish to embarrass me in front of my new family. It would be insulting to send me there without appropriate attire, I will not start my marriage on an insult,” you said sweetly.

“Oh, do shut up sister.” Tony said standing up.

“I’m bored of this anyway,” you said standing too. “I’m afraid I feel one of my headaches coming on, father, I shan’t be good company this evening. I’ll head back to my bedroom and take a long rest.”

“Off you go out of my sight,” Your father snapped. Tony spoke loudly.

“I hope the kings at least gets one good son out of her before she turns into a simpering mess,” he said. Everybody laughed and you clenched her fists. You paused, took a deep breath, and smiled sweetly as you walked to your room, already plotting your revenge.

Your father, you believed, informed his friends and allies before he informed the Two Kings that their proposal, and thus their alliance, had been accepted.

There was to be a Royal Wedding and it would be a glorious affair. Afterall it is not often that a princess marries two kings at once!

The Wakandans were first to arrive, followed by the Odinsons two days later. You watched the pomp and ceremony from your room, your father and brothers were keen to greet their neighbours, to use this social event to network. It made you sick to your stomach to see them act so, but you lifted your chin, hardened your eyes, and gave your guests that tight, slight smile that your mother taught you so many years ago.

More prestigious guests arrived, each trying to outdo the last with their opulence, but the worst was King Howard insisting that everyone wear their best, that his whores were well hidden and that you stayed as the meek and dutiful daughter before everyone.

Noticeably absent was your intended husbands, and your father was insistently vocal about this. You couldn’t recall ever meeting any nobles from Farotaide, but you were eagerly curious to see how they arrived. You wondered what sort of spectacle they would bring; clearly, they wanted to make an arrival and cause a scene. You were beginning to regret agreeing so easily. Eventually you decided them arrogant and rude, they clearly had little interest in getting to know you prior to the nuptials.

You were preparing for bed when you heard it, a deep rumble like thunder in the distance.

Wrapping your favourite wool cloak around your shoulders you made her way down the servants’ staircases and headed through the kitchens and outside to the battlements. Beside you one of your fathers’ watchers shifted nervously as he peered into the darkness. A mass of black was streaming towards you in a line, loud thunderous thuds carrying through the dark night. For a moment you feared you were under attack until a cloud shifted, and moonlight drenched across meadows around your father’s palace.

Two hundred men and women galloped towards you on horseback.

They stopped, preparing to make camp and a small party moved forward while the rest effortlessly blended into the trees that lined the meadows. You made your way to the courtyard, your soft soles quiet on the dry cobblestones, trying to keep a smile off your face. You liked the entrance the Northerners had made in contrast to the grandeur and finery everyone else made. They weren’t showing off, and you had the feeling they didn’t need to, this was just how they operated. Suddenly your anger at them turned to amusement.

“And you are?” A guard was saying, his tone tight. His knuckles were white as he gripped the spear in his hand, and you could help but think the foolish weapon looked useless to these warriors.

“James Barnes, my husband, Steve Rogers.” A gruff voice said. You quickened her step towards the gates to get a better look at the two men.

“We weren’t expecting you now,” the guards voice said.

“When did you expect us?” Steve asked, his voice louder than James.

“Daylight hours, I’d imagine,” you spoke up taking pity on the guard. You stepped forward and pulled your cloak around your throat. Both men met your eyes, and the shiver that ran down your spine was not entirely due to the cold.

“Well, we’re here now,” James said with a sly curl of the lips.

“Indeed, you are. Have someone announce to King Howard that his wayward guests have arrived,” the gatekeeper commanded giving you the stink eye. You couldn’t resist sticking your tongue out at him, but Steve’s voice distracted you. You didn’t miss the short smile the two men shared at your behaviour.

“We are at a disadvantage. You know who we are, but we have no idea who you are,” Steve spoke up. You stepped back as the small band of men and their horses made their way inside the castle walls.

You toyed with the idea of stringing them along and telling the men you were someone else, but you decided on straight up honesty. It wouldn’t do to start their relationship on that sort of note.

“I’m to be your wife, or so I’m told,” you said. James glanced down at you. He was tall, broad shouldered and terribly handsome with a few days’ worth of dark stubble on his chin. His eyes looked blue in the dim torchlight but you liked what she saw. Steve on the other hand sat taller on his horse. He didn’t seem as thick as James but he had a full head of thick blond hair and a well grown beard.

“Ah, our wife you say?” James said with a coy smile. Your heart fluttered a little, people rarely looked at her like that, but James’ eyes were raking your body, and while Steve kept more reserved he was just as curious you could tell.

“Why did you arrive at dark?” You asked curiously. Steve stared at you for a second but a voice behind you interrupted them.

“Please ignore my silly little sister, she has no manners. My name is Tony, I’ll be inheriting, I’m to be your brother in law.” Tony said pushing past Lydia to shake James’s hand. James, who was still holding the reins of his massive horse, looked from Tony’s face to his hand and back again before turning to you.

“I like the dark,” James said ignoring the horse nosing at his arm. Behind him Steve made a noise you didn’t understand, and you didn’t miss the flicker of something in James’ eyes.

“The stables are this way. Our grooms can take care of your horses.” Tony said pushing past you to gain attention.

“We’ll take care of our own horses, he had the decency to carry me here without complaint, it’s the least I can do.” Steve corrected Tony but he was looking at you. “I always take care of what’s mine.”

“Good, I like a man who knows what he’s doing.” You smirked, and when both men smiled at you, you realised that your heart was racing.

“Stop being vulgar and go away,” Tony hissed in your ear, his eyes flashing dangerously in the moonlight.

“I think I prefer her company to yours,” James said bluntly. You almost laughed aloud at the rage building on Tony’s face.

“Oh, I know where I’m not wanted,” you said in a teasing voice, shooting a wink at James as you turned on your heel and headed back inside. Perhaps leaving the two Kings to your brother’s attentions was a poor strategic move but you were sure you they would understand. It didn’t do for a princess to stand outside in the night talking to her betrothed. As you slid into bed you smiled, wondering what the next days would bring.

#tqwmtk #stucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #steve rodgers x reader #bucky barnes smut #steve rogers smut #bucky barnes x reader x steve rogers #steve rogers x reader x bucky barnes #arranged marriage #royal au #fantasy

[themerrywhumpofmay]

Merry Whump of May

Spring 2023 Prompt List!

It's May, everyone!! Due to personal and technical difficulties, we're getting the list to you DAY ONE. WOW!

So sorry for the delay, but we have every confidence that despite this short notice, you'll all be able to put out some amazing work this year!

Without further ado, welcome to The Merry Whump of May!

Text ID:

Merry Whump of May

Spring 2023

A month-long whump writing event by @wormwriting and @painsandconfusion.

Extemporaneous style this year-!!

Write, draw, or otherwise create content based on the daily prompts! Participants and completionists will receive badges of honor for their work at the end of the month.

Create original content or fanfiction, all is welcome!

Rules

Tag each day's post with #themerrywhumpofmay, any necessary content warning (eg: #knife), and the day in the following format: #mwmday1)

Adult topics are allowed, but must be well tagged. Send a message to @themerrywhumpofmay if you'd like a second opinion.

Be kind, have fun!

Prompts:

Day One - “No pain, no gain.”

Compass

Haphephobia

Kitchen

Day Two - “Need a ride?

Wrench          

Paranoia         

Club   

Day Three - “You're not looking so hot.”

Lightbulb

Tension

Alleyway

Day Four - “Two birds, one bullet.”

Chess Pieces

Stubborn

Tower 

Day Five - “Do unto others as you would bla bla bla...”

Bow and Arrow

Stalking

Cavern

Day Six - “It's a long story.”

Knife Handle

Gagged

Under the table

Day Seven - “Write what you know.”

Box

Magic

Cell

Day Eight - “Did you read the fine print?”

Circle 

Blinded

Field

Day Nine - “We'll burn that bridge when we get there.”

Collar

Lost

Roof

Day Ten - “Hit the hay.”

Key

Forgetting

Warehouse     

Day Eleven - “Ready set go!”

Plastic bag

Overheating

Restaurant

Day Twelve - “Tabled for Later.”

Thumbtack

Panic attack

Ballroom        

Day Thirteen - “You've made your bed, now bleed in it.”

Sander

Found

Safe Place

Day Fourteen - “Well, well, well...”

Barbed Wire   

Starvation

Drain

Day Fifteen - “The power of god and anime”

Hammer

Over-Exhaustion

Hammer

Day Sixteen - “Take a break.”

Branding Iron

Moonlight

Cemetery       

Day Seventeen - “Going down in flames.”

Pole

Regret

Fireplace

Day Eighteen - “No use crying over spilled blood.”

Cage

Claustrophobia

Ship

Day Nineteen - “Apples and oranges.”

Chainsaw

Surprise

Home Base

Day Twenty - “A taste of your own medicine.”

Zip ties           

Bleeding out  

Office

Day Twenty-one - “Devil's advocate.”

Tome

Desperation

Hiking trail.

Day Twenty-two - “You can lead a bitch to water, but you can't make them drink.”

Origami

Amnesia

Attic   

Day Twenty-three - “Good things come to those who wait.”

Nine-inch-nails

Isolation

Creepy basement

Day Twenty-four - “Bent out of shape.”

Tent Spike

Dragged

Wrong place, wrong time

Day Twenty-five - “It takes two to tango.”

Hot coffee

Doubt

In line

Day Twenty-six - “Hammer time.”

Pocket watch  

Itchy

Waiting room

Day Twenty-seven - “Second mouse get the cheese.”

Knife

Rug burn

Skyscraper

Day Twenty-eight - “A picture's worth a thousand words.”

Chair

Paranoia

Backseat         

Day Twenty-nine - “Lost and Found

Blowtortch

Frostbite

Lake

Day Thirty - “Rain check.”

High heels

Strained

The backroom

Day Thirty-one - “Thin ice.”

Lighter

Chronic pain

Dead end

Alternative Prompt List

Titles  

“Questions? Comments? Concerns? Complaints?”

“Time dies when you're having fun.”

“A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

“Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs.”

“Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match.”

Items                                      

Wine Glass

Hydrochloric acid

Magnet

Teacup

Wire

Conditions

Sensory deprivation

Blindfolded

Acrophobia

Failed escape

Distress

Locations

The Middle of Nowhere

Forest

Void

Sidewalk

Shortcut

#themerrywhumpofmay #mwm2023 #long post

[foreverchangingfandomsao3]

Last Line Challenge

I've been tagged six times in the past week by @jedi-enthusiast (twice!), @dreamerkath, @frostbitebakery, @tired-bshocked and @shortcuts-make-long-delays so I figured I should probably get around to doing it (you're getting an entire section now)!

This is from my pirate AU fic that I'm hoping will be a fill for Codywan week's battle husbands (lots of kissing and swapping weapons to be had)

“Have you come to your senses, Commodore?” The question came from the smooth but elderly-sounding voice he’d come to dislike over the past few days. He knew precisely who it was and refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing him break. “I’m afraid, sir, that was rather the question I had for you,” Obi-Wan answered, his voice as calm as ever, unwavering as he looked up to meet the cold blue eyes of his captor. He had to remain polite because his younger brother had been brought on board too. He wouldn’t put him at risk, not even when he found himself sitting in the brig of a merchant ship, shackles around his wrists and without his wig or hat like someone in his position should be wearing. “What do you want, Palpatine?” “For you to join us for dinner, Commodore Kenobi.” “In chains?” He only had to lift his bound wrists to make an almost satisfied smile come to his captor’s lips. The merchant was used to getting his way, that much was obvious. He was clearly also used to inflicting punishment on anyone who didn’t agree with him. Unfortunately, he found himself in that category. “I think not.” “Our other guest will be disappointed.” “Other guest?” Palpatine’s smile grew into something almost cruel as he lifted his hand to beckon someone and the footsteps that followed were thankfully familiar. He shouldn’t still be here, not days later, but his presence did soothe him a little. “Obi-Wan!” His name in his younger brother’s voice made the first real smile come to his lips in days, standing to greet him and was nearly thrown off-balance by the force of the hug, steadying himself as the younger man wrapped his arms around him tightly enough to cut off his air. “You’re not- Oh…” “It’s alright, Anakin.” He reassured softly, lifting his bound hands and awkwardly draping his arms around the other’s shoulders in the best hug he could give at that point. “I’m alright.” “Sir, you said he was a guest.” “Then I’m afraid I find Mr Palpatine’s hospitality to be lacking, my little Lieutenant.”

No pressure tags for @happybean17 @afoundling @anaclastic-azurite @ferretrade @shootingstarpilot @meantforinfinitesadness and @dontbelasagnax

Full pressure tags to everyone who tagged me (yes, it's a bit of piratey revenge)!

#Thank you for the tag! #I hope you enjoy the literal chunk of the fic that you're all responsible for #Codywan #Pirate Codywan #I spent hours researching the Royal Navy for this so you better all appreciate that

[aquaticflames]

Cal may have started off shy, but Obi-wan was pretty sure that was purely based on walking in to find his thesis advisor face down on his desk.

short panel strip for @shortcuts-make-long-delays's cwrb fic 'sourdough: flour, water, and starting over' which, as well as being a hilariously clever and super adorable codywan piece, has this mentorship scene between Cal & Obi-Wan that made me positively melt.

#for u kit !!!!!! 💞💞💞🫶 #🏵️ #because you're such a sweetheart #i told you already but i really was smiling so much reading this scene 🥹 #aqua's art fart #aqua.jpg #sw #codywan #for the tagged fic! #cal kestis #obi-wan kenobi #bitches rly do love taking the mentor mentee pair that looks vaguely alike #and are alive at the same time in the franchise to throw them into a padawanship dynamic that is so so endearing #(its me im bitches. ty kit) #500 #1000

[frodo-with-glasses]

More Reading Thoughts: A Shortcut to Mushrooms

"[Frodo] was lying in a bower made by a living tree with branches laced and drooping to the ground; his bed was of fern and grass, deep and soft and strangely fragrant. The sun was shining through the fluttering leaves, which were still green upon the tree." HELLO I WANT A BED LIKE THIS HOLY COW

LOL Pippin like "I would've eaten all the bread and not saved any for you if Sam didn't stop me" 🤣

"I don't want to answer a string of questions while I am eating. I want to think!" "Good heavens! At breakfast?" Have I mentioned that I love Frodo and Pippin—

Frodo sees his kid cousin running in the grass and singing and thinks to himself "🥺 oh I can't possibly take him and Sam into danger with me, look at them"

I love Frodo's entire conversation with Sam here. If I tried to list my favorite lines, I'd be copying the whole thing. Frodo doesn't want to put Sam in danger, because he loves him, but Sam is extremely loyal and willing to walk into hellfire for Frodo, because he loves him. It's just such a sweet exchange that tells you so much about these characters. I'm love them boys.

Also Frodo being surprised that Sam's become so philosophical haha

Frodo: "We'd best get going; we slept late." Pippin: "You mean you slept late." HAVE I MENTIONED—

Frodo: "I'm not going to take the road. I'll cut straight across country to the Ferry." Pippin: "What, can you fly??"

Pippin: "Short cuts make long delays! Besides, I was hoping to stop at the inn for some good beer." Frodo: "Well, that settles it! Short cuts make long delays, but inns make longer ones."

Also Sam stalwartly like "I'll go with you, Mr. Frodo," but also inwardly like ":-C but the beer tho"

And now we return to another hiking section, about which I have very little to say except that Tolkien's description of the natural environments of the Shire is extremely beautiful and I too would want to hike there

And now we interrupt your regularly scheduled pleasant hike for some bone-chilling horror

It's hard to imagine in the modern age—when tornado sirens and jet planes and faulty car brakes all probably make noises not unlike that of a Ringwraith's call—but to hobbits who have never heard a noise louder or more frightening than a thunderclap, a high, sustained, almost industrial screech like this must seem like the most terrifying and otherworldly thing.

(Also nobody tell Pippin about the white bellbird, which has a call like the emergency alert system at a volume comparable to a pneumatic drill)

Pippin: "Oh good, it's Farmer Maggot :-D" Frodo: "OH NO IT'S FARMER MAGGOT D-8"

It's such a shame that we know so little of Frodo's childhood, but the fact that he was a Certified Scoundrel(TM) who was prone to stealing mushrooms and got his butt whooped over it is absolutely hilarious 🤣 How ever did a naughty kid like him become the erudite sweetheart we know and love??

Pippin like "chill bro, he's a mutual friend of mine and Merry's, we're good!" Meanwhile Frodo is sweating buckets LOL

It's so cool that Pippin gets to be the leader in this section. And what a fearless leader he is! Of course he's not in any danger at all, but it just says so much about him that he waltzes down the lane to Farmer Maggot's house without a care in the world while Frodo and Sam are both terrified 🤣

Also I adore Farmer Maggot's hospitality

Sam giving Farmer Maggot the side eye because he whooped Frodo over the mushrooms years ago X-D

"I recollect the time when young Frodo Baggins was one of the worst young rascals of Buckland." I MEAN JUST IMAGINE

Farmer Maggot's story about the Ringwraith is SO GOOD. I love how much courage this round old hobbit has in him.

Farmer Maggot: "Moral of the story, ya never should've gone to Hobbiton. Clearly ya got mixed up with weird people." Sam: >:-C

Also Farmer Maggot cheerfully being like "don't worry, if they come after ya again, I'll deal with 'em for ya!" is so sweet and so ballsy X-D

Also Farmer Maggot is SO FREAKING SMART, and so generous. I think it's Merry who says later that he's got a lot more going on in his head than his genial appearance might let on, and he's right. He can see that Frodo and co. are in trouble, and he immediately offers his help. What a solid dude.

And here we see Frodo's silver tongue at work once again!

"I've been in terror of you and your dogs for over thirty years... It's a pity: for I've missed a good friend."

This line actually made me stop and think, bruh. How many friendships do we miss out on because we let the mistakes of our younger selves dictate our future?? I can think of lots of dumb things I did as a kid, and I'd be so embarrassed to run into the people that I wronged in my stupidity...but who knows? Maybe they're good people. Maybe they'd even be my best friends, if I got over myself. Food for thought.

And speaking of food, I want to have dinner with Farmer Maggot and his family and farm hands X-D

Ohhhh the suspense of the hoof-falls in the foggy lane is SOOO GOOD

WHO'S THAT POKEMON??

IT'S MERRY BRANDYBUCK!!

And his humor is in absolute top form LOLOL

"When it grew foggy I came across and rode up towards Stock to see if you had fallen in any ditches. ... Where did you find them, Mr. Maggot? In your duck-pond?"

HAVE I MENTIONED THAT MERRY IS MY FAVORITE HOBBIT

Also, the fact that Mrs. Maggot packed a basket of mushrooms for Frodo makes me very happy X-D

#chapter review #frodo baggins #peregrin took #pippin #samwise gamgee #farmer maggot #meriadoc brandybuck #merry #lord of the rings #lotr #my writing #also happy thanksgiving to those who celebrate!

[raphaerolo]

Last Line Challenge

Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you feel like).

Tagged by the lovely @ominouspuff and @merlyn-bane and @dontbelasagnax also @lttrsfrmlnrrgby a little while back

You caught me in a moment where i am absolutely not sure what my last line was, even if it was writing or drawing, but I'll just say it was drawing given that all my writing has been planning

I forget what my last line was, i think it was incredibly low opacity of a blendy brush to . Blend. The background. And there is more to this (its my piece for mermay you see) but this was honest how i left the file. The main part can remain hidden until i finish >:)

Tagging... oh who to bother... @smoosey @anaclastic-azurite @foreverchangingfandomsao3 @shortcuts-make-long-delays no pressure

#my art #last line challenge #tag game #mermay #im trying to get better at drawing environments #and why not use mermay for that #and cough cough codywan cough cough

[codywanreversebang]

Codywan Reverse Bang 2023: Masterlist Part 2

Team 7

Team 7 [Art] by @thatonetimetraveller

Deflect [5.3k] by @fanfic-obsessed

Later review of his footage would reveal that he protected his general with his general’s lightsaber for almost two hours before the battle was won. He never discussed how the lightsaber appeared to be helping him at many points, because that would just be weird. Right?

Team 8

CWRB Team #8 - Bread [Art] by @dontbelasagnax

sourdough: flour, water, and starting over [18.9k] by @shortcuts-make-long-delays

Did Cody need to be up at 3:50am? No, not technically. But he had graciously offered to take Fox’s Sunday morning shifts at their Uncle’s bakery. Donning Fox's red apron as part of a decade long joke, he works at the bakery as he attempts to figure out what he wants from life. The first time Obi-wan shows up to dinner at Anakin's after moving back to Coruscant, he arrives twenty minutes late with the bag of rolls in hand, and unable to stop thinking about the baker in the red apron. Fox, he's pretty sure the name tag said. Cody and Obi-wan are both just trying to figure out what it means to start over and make your own happiness.

endings mean beginnings [8.3k] by @inkformyblood

A misplaced delivery leads Cody to find more than he ever would have expected after returning to help run the family bakery.

Joys Found and Made [8.2k] by @thehatphotograph

Cody loves his work at the bakery, and he’s grateful to have it, but when he looks at the chair at the other side of his kitchen table he can’t help but feel it’s all a little bit… empty. When he meets Obi-Wan, Cody realizes there might be something to fill his days with other than bagels and babka.

Team 9

Team 9 [Art] by @raccoonclty

what changes and what stays the same [7.5k] by @mymblesbuir

All things considered, then, it's an understatement of epic proportions to say that Ben isn't expecting to be woken up in the middle of the night by Cody of all people holding a gun to his head and a finger to his own lips. Ben has been keeping himself to himself since the violent loss of his brother and sister-in-law on outbreak day, but when his old friend Cody shows up to recruit him for the Fireflies, his life changes once again... (Codywan Reverse Bang - The Last of Us AU)

Seal it With a Kiss [6.5k] by @drowning-inthe-feels

"You can’t fight, Obi-Wan,” Cody cut off the argument already forming. He dragged Obi-Wan closer and rested their foreheads together. “Get a head start. I’ll find you afterwards. I promise.” “Seal it with a kiss?” Obi-Wan pleaded, fingers digging into Cody’s biceps.

Team 10

Team 10 [Art] by @journen

Hold Fast [10k] by @bitwhizzle

Three years ago, Cody ran away from his feelings instead of confronting them. When a Spec Ops mission teams him with Ben Kenobi again, it's finally time to have a chat. During a heated firefight. As one does.

Got Your Back [7.7k] by @crownprincecody

"It could be worse, Lieutenant," Obi-Wan reminded him lightly. "At least our distraction worked." Cody's glower was entirely deserved and predictable. "Sir," he began, tone implying the words 'with all due respect' when there was none in the offing. "Our plan was batshit crazy and left us running on foot from our exploded, liberated ATV." Cody didn't need to look pointedly at the faint plume of smoke still visible at their six for Obi-Wan to understand. That was entirely true. But it had worked. And, given the way the mission had been a SNAFU from the start, Obi-Wan was keen on taking the win. "It worked, Cody," Obi-Wan said again, tone more gentle. There were no words to emphasise how much Cody hated it when their plans went off the rails. It's only supposed to be a milk run. In and out and no real trouble. It's why only two members of the legendary 212th Battalion are sent in. Pity life is never that simple.

Team 11

A Day at the Markets [Art] by @jaegrdrifts

Are You Going to Sundari's Market? [5k] by @nerjetii

At the tender age of fifteen, Kote knew Obi-Wan would be the love of his life. Alright, to be perfectly honest, he’d known that the moment the paper butterfly had come to rest on the tip of his nose. Age had only taken the tender feeling that had curled around his heart and warmed it, and turned it into a fire that smoldered through the year to become a raging fire when Market Day came around. Five Times Obi-Wan and Kote meet at the Market Day in Sundari.

Team 12

You Have Only Just Begun [Art] by @jaegrdrifts

as lanterns rising to the stars [28.6k] by vhetin

Obi-Wan knew the mission was going to be more than a few days, but more than a few days in Sundari was perfectly fine. It's everything else that happens that makes him take up praying to the Force and anyone who might listen. Luckily for him, someone is listening.

and then there was hope [42k] [WIP] by @reginastellaris

Years after the Jedi Order was forced into hiding, Emperor Sheev Palpatine rules over the lands with an iron fist. Close to extinction, the Order sends Obi-Wan Kenobi on a mission to destroy the Emperor and end his terrible reign once and for all. He takes with him the Order’s last pure kyber crystal, a tool able to grow stronger the more hope it is around to vanquish Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan knows it’s a suicide mission, but he’s made his peace with that. Until a group of Sith chase Obi-Wan into a Mandalorian temple where he meets the angel Cody, son of the God of War, Jango, who’s been watching Obi-Wan since he’s been thirteen. Together, they go on a journey to stop Sidious’ tyranny and find Cody’s brother, Rex, who disappeared five years ago. Will they be able to fulfill Obi-Wan’s mission? Or will they die trying?

#masterlist #cwrb23

[dontbelasagnax]

Last Line Challenge

Rules: in a new post, show the last line you wrote (or drew) and tag as many people as there are words (or as many as you feel like). 

@frostbitebakery tagged me and I think some other people did ages ago and I forgot to get around to it oops

Yesterday was Rat Day so I hastily drew codywan as rats. The last "line" was the pink of their ears.

No pressure tagging @shortcuts-make-long-delays, @anaclastic-azurite, @foreverchangingfandomsao3, and whoever else would like to participate but hasn't been tagged!! <3

#my art #codywan