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sanctus-ingenium · 7 months

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Just wanted to ask, please forgive me if you've already answred this, what program do you use? Your art fucks HARD and like. I was looking at your art of the two moths over the city they die in and I was hit with the wave of "oh that looks really fucking fun actually." Like i know my art program can't do some of those effects and like, I'd love to try fucking about with them.

hi there, thank you! all my art is done in procreate and paint tool sai

because you mentioned that drawing in particular i thought it would be fun to break it down and show ppl what exactly went into each part of it so check this out

sketch & lineart - the brushes come from georgbrush.club and the urban sketcher is my most commonly used lineart brush, it has a nice irregular shape. the square brush is nice for big blocky sketches.

the cityscape was REALLY hard but basically I got a photo of the skyline of florence, traced some basic building shapes, then bullshitted the rest using the vertical symmetry/mirror tool to cut down on the amount of work (so i only had to sketch one half of the city). then for lineart I turned off vertical symmetry, turned on the two-point perspective tool, and got this:

the rose windows were made using the radial symmetry tool.

I didn't like it being so flat, so I used the liquify tool to make a kind of fish-eye effect (limited success tbh). I liked how it looked but the buildings in front needed something to cover them up to make the liquification less obvious...

first pass colours. I felt they were very washed out, aside from the sun which i loved. I use the spectra brush (default procreate) for skyscapes a lot, I love the texture. Although the clouds were filled in using the lasso selection tool, I softened the edges using the square pencil again and added texture using true grit sampler grainy brushes. The translucency effect comes from my setting the brush as an eraser. The sun rays come from the radial symmetry tool.

Blocking in the moths' colours was done with the urban sketcher again.

Something people may not have noticed is the labyrinth hidden in the sky! yeah I had a bunch of versions where it was more obvious but I found that it clashed a bit and was too busy, so I made it subtle. But yes. I searched for "royalty free labyrinth" and picked one.

The toner grit brush is one you've seen before if you've looked at any art on tumblr lately (this is such a popular brush) and it's from the true grit fast grit set. The pointillism brush is from the true grit free sampler pack, like my grain brushes.

I added shadows to the moths, increased saturation overall, and changed the clouds to a translucent blue (you can even see in the sun where I forgot to block in the sun itself because the clouds over it used to be opaque lol). Moon rays were drawn using the radial symmetry tool but this time with rotational symmetry off. I also moved the moon down closer to the moths because I felt that it was a bit far away, and this served to visually divide the drawing into three equal parts, so I chose to lean into that and divide the sky colours too, to show passing time, or an endless moment - morning, evening, night, etc.

And then the oroborous, I tried a few different effects on it because I wanted it to be very clearly separate from the main scene - I settled on a dot matrix newsprint texture, using procreate's onboard tool, and some heavy chromatic aberration. This is because the oroborous isn't real, it's purely symbolic and the moths' demise started when they became photographers so I liked the print media aspect there as well. The story itself is about grief without closure, cyclical violence, and sunk cost fallacy, while everyone explores an endless labyrinth, so an oroborous fits I think

what makes art fun to me is thinking up ways I can tell a story using just a single image. and sure a lot of it will be lost to an audience who isn't familiar with the characters or backstory but i want to leave enough in there that even complete strangers to my work will be able to construct a narrative about what's happening here, rather than it just being a cool image. that's my goal.

Finally I exported it to sai on my pc to give it a once-over. this is really important because the retina display on an ipad is oversaturated on purpose, to make everything look amazing and vibrant. but what this means is that on other screens, your work might look washed out. it's especially bad at displaying yellows! so i look at it in sai on my pc and i make minor adjustments, in this case I actually added another multiply layer on the moths and an overlay on their non-shadowed parts to increase the contrast there.

finally if you've read this far, I played a little trick with the caption of the drawing. yeah, THEY die... but only one of those moths is a theythem pronoun haver... the other has to survive. he isn't given a choice in the matter.

#fr you will never catch me trying to mystify my process i will explain literally everything #brushes

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indydrawsart · 1 year

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Wednesday Progress Shots:

More below the cut.

Original rough sketch.

A more refined sketch; I decided I wanted it to be more like a creepy family portrait and added in her hands. I used symmetry for this one; I felt like it made it more uncanny.

Lineart. I use a rough, pencil-like brush for my linework.

I painted in some flats. I always include a little extra color/rendering on extremities to give it a little more, er… life. x) I decided the "blacks" shoulder be the same deep maroon I used for the lineart so the lines faded at this stage. However, I go in and change them to overlay, or multiply, or color burn, depending on what looks best. :)

Flats, with lineart adjusted for overlays and color.

I paint in and plan an approximation of my light source(s) in grayscale.

Shadows added in two layers. How much I used and how many layers varies from piece to piece. Whatever looks good and feels right to me.

Once I've painted in my lightsource, it's just a matter of adjusting the colors until I like how they look. I went with a sickly green, cold light for this one. It wasn't bright enough originally, so I created a new layer. I continued adding details until I was happy with it.

Then I add a layer of green set on "darken." It knocks out any whites. I tend to play around with this setting on most of my pieces just to see how things look. Another thing I do frequently (that is, when I remember), is set up a layer that allows me to check my values at a glance (basically, an all-black or -white layer set to hue or color). I can make sure I don't have too many midtones and such.

Yep. She looks good like this, too. After this, and most importantly I like to let the work "breathe." Especially if I'm unsure about it. I let it sit for a day (sometimes longer, if I've got the luxury), before returning to it.

The left was what I had. Sure, she looked okay, but I decided some things were missing, and her hair was way too light to be Wednesday's sharp black. Originally when I saw the piece in my head, I planned my light source from directly above. As the piece developed it came more from the side. So I added a little shadow to her face, too. And yet, we are still not done. Umm. I like adjustment layers. I like adding a flash of unpredictability to my art. Keeps me from being too nitpicky, and forces me not to get too stuck with one version of a thing. I'm bad about things like that.

So… I smack on some curves, or adjust color balance. Sometimes I just put layers with different colors over them. In the end, though, I always add some noise, chromatic aberration, and sharpen.

…and let's not forget to sign it, either. Heh. I usually add a simple square with my real initials in it, as well as one (if not more) of my social media platforms. Anymore that tends to be my tumblr because I've taken a fancy to this place.

So. Yeah. A walkthrough my process that you never asked for and I didn't really plan, so there aren't any pictures of tools or anything. Umm. Questions from the class? x)

The final result:

#IndyDraws #IndyDrawsArt #my art #Wednesday Addams #Wednesday #Process #Progress #Walkthrough #i don't know how to tag this honestly #The Addams Family #fan art #csp #Clip Studio Paint #dunno if anyone would be interested in something more… official? like me actually trying to make this make more sense #i guess if ya'll would like i'd consider doing it #some of you ~cough biscia~ ~cough wizard-laundry~ have seen the shit-show my layers are lol

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recapcrew · 1 year

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Week 34 Transcript

Video

Intro

Extra extra, read all about it! Welcome to the Empire’s Recap, and today we will be going over the chaos and drama of our (somewhat) respected rulers!

This week a couple scam artists make a living and The Other False is bringing Cogsmeade up to speed.

Lizzie

It's a busy week for the Mayor! Starting off with chiseled bookshelves she decorates the interiors of her new bookshops, before realizing she needs a lot of ink to fill them in. To do this, she heads to the Eversea, to sca- I mean, to trade with Pirate Joe for ink sacs. All he asks in return is a map to a crewmate of his…

[JOEY] If you can find me a treasure map that leads me to one of my crewmates that’s lost, then… I will trade you for the ink.

[LIZZIE] Oh, yeah yeah yeah! You know what? I think I saw one of those lying around so I could definitely bring it here and trade it to you for some inksacs.

[NARRATOR] Which of course she has. Locked in a chest, and she definitely doesn't leave to fake evidence clues in the depths of the Evermoore. It's very worth it once she exchanges the totally not fake with all the ink sacs she needs to fill the books!

She does so and it fills the shelves of three shops, ranging in genres from history to fantasy. But she needs shopkeepers, and fortunately she knows just how to get them.

After planting an entire wheat field, she grabs three special pandas and situates them in their respective shops. The bookstores are now complete!

Joey

There's a visitor in Eversea, and Joey's so excited to see them he walks his own plank!

It's Big Head - er, Mayor Lizzie, and she's looking for a squid expert, so she's come to the right place. Lizzie needs all the ink sacs she can get for her new bookstore, which would be great, except, well…

[LIZZIE] I’m opening bookstores, so if you can read, you know where to come!

[JOEY] Oh..

[LIZZIE] You can’t read can you?

[JOEY] No… I can’t.

[LIZZIE] That’s why you draw scribbles on your treasure map isn’t it.

[JOEY] It is…

[NARRATOR] Joey's still more than happy to help out in exchange for a map to one of his crewmates, and Lizzie says she saw one lying around - it's a deal!

We return to Joey's guardian farm; squids get themselves caught in the workings all the time, so Joey can sit back, relax, and let the farm and Lizzie do all the work.

[JOEY] Lizzie is literally going to be doing all the hard work, getting on of my crewmates back. Ah, I love being a scam artist. It’s truly my best skill.

[NARRATOR] Five stacks seems a fair trade for the map, and the deed is done. Joey follows it to-

An empty campsite in the Evermoore? Miss Shelby must've done something to hide his crewmate, the Witch! And look, a suspicious trail of blood leading from Shelby's shop into the woods.

The Evermoore is dark and dangerous, but nothing stops Pirate Joe, and he finds his old toolsmith Sharptooth in a cage!

The journey home is long but allows a scenic view of how far Forgotten Cove has come, and the shark even gets his choice of homes. Joey learns that villagers can climb ladders (though they don't like coming down on their own) and builds a second smithing space - smaller than Gator's, but just as cute.

After using some Hermit-"borrowed" netherite to prepare all his tools, Joey leaves them with Sharptooth overnight. And in the morning, they are reforged - pick, shovel, axe and sword now befitting a real pirate!

False

In Cogsmeade, False Symmetry seems to have slept through the rest of the crossover. She wakes up looking for the other False, but discovers the tower abandoned when she blows up the front door with TNT, and the notes tell her that the other False was leaving?

The only other place False would be is Hermitopia, but… it’s been quarantined while she's been asleep. Even more strange, the Rift seems to have been closed off, completely cutting her off from her doppelgänger.

She’s stuck. But… that mysterious sign thinks she’s safe now. Maybe she just needs a bit of a distraction.

Deciding Cogsmeade needs a friendlier look, and going back to her roots, she starts building! First an archway, then furnishing the houses for future residents. Joe really did take it upon himself to decorate a little! How nice of him. Which, actually, reminds her she needs a cleaner for that hotel room...

Outro

And with that, join us next week for more chaos and shenanigans! Thank you for watching, liking, and subscribing, and thanks to everyone helping with the project, check them all out below!

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ralucasalmostgone · 1 month

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which gets me to my next point

who were the other three main male lecturers? and what did they actually do?

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well, not much, that's what I'm saying... 🙄

this isn't Harvard, people!

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so there was a chilidish one who almost gave the other two away - he noticed me too but not that much was he uniquely obsessed with my physical apperance! I was perceptive in a sort of - I have access to people's eyesight in a sense - so in his mind, see, he hadn't formed enough patterns for physical apperance that are diverse so he didn't calculate the symmetry of the face same as someone who had seen enough faces (probably a shut-in) same thing happened to local young people who didn't see enough faces - so he was pretty chill in that sense - more oblivious of my apperance; I think he gave me the highest mark for an essay I wrote 30 minutes before the deadline (+ references) and I was like doubting his intelligence at that point cause like, I was totally winging it...Like, I have no clue what I wrote honestly 😂

the other two saw my apperance from the beginning and this one had in mind more like exploitation of it cause of the photography thing he was doing. I think he had in mind some prospectus thing, like, you know how Andreea is like the face of her Uni stuff all the time; yeah, he was kinda circling me with intentions like that 24/7; he just really, really wanted attention; but I wanted to see what type of teacher he is; first of all he was totally irresponsible but he thought highly of himself anyway...so I do this random mesh mess and submit it anyway; and he's all like: I'll pass you! from the goodness of my heart! And I'm just like: oh, not one of these! 🙄 He basically let me slide, mistakes and all...even though I submitted the shittiest thing imaginable! I hated this teaching style...I mean, I'm used to OBJECTIVE teaching - for the last time: whatever is good deserves a high mark, whatever is bad - a bad mark. NO! I wasn't gonna get this here, either! I haven't received any objective studying tools and grades and marks for whole years in a row! This environment wasn't gonna provide what I need either! So...I think I just stop attending his lectures all together, like who gives a shit? I think he cares way too much about this too at that point to tell you the truth! 🙄 Like, a lot! Like I'm pretty sure he made it his life goal to understand WHY NOBODY LIKES HIM BOO HOO! 🙄 (to talk to him more) Perception-wise, he has this thing where he's hopeful things are gonna change, right? Soon as he gets the smallest sign of me talking to him politely, he thinks NOW something is gonna start between us: like an actual dialogue and communication! And I'm just like..."bye Felicia!" 🙄 Anyway...later on and later in the years when I don't really have him as a lecturer and I'm just like talking to the other students quite a lot, I think he had the nerve to nudge me...he'd say it was a mistake, but I think he violently pushed me a little, as though to say: I know what you're doing: you're ignoring me intentionally! (or something) Pardon my doubt, but I don't think that was a mistake! 🙄 How about: I don't give a shit about you? Your royal highness, again, much? 🙄 Still don't...

now this last one, you've probably noticed he's very strange behaviour-wise; yeah...this one was like kinda hit with what looks like limerence from the beginning; so I'm just like in the first lecture with him and one of the students sitting next to me is reading my texts in the native language and he's Romanian too so he totally captured my attention with his snooping around. his personality was great though - he wasn't awkward at all. the same can't be said about this lecturer you see... Now, perception-wise, he was saying weird stuff from day 1, that I'd want to see him or if people wanna ask him private questions - shit like that - he's available. And you know me by now: I don't give a shit about others - even if I can perceive everyone oh so clearly, to the point where most people were annoyed with me at that age if I said anything about what they're really doing. Most people too at that age were only interested in my apperance anyway, so I would mess with them (regardless of who they were) by agreeing on the surface with them that things are exactly as their beastial perception tells them so (of course I didn't know you could call it that then). BUT I never did what I was expected that way: I thought it would reveal the intentions of others around, if I pretended to agree on the surface that things are exactly as they expect them to be! So in the case of limerence (so what this lecturer had), the limerent individuals puts their limerent object on a pedestal and then takes them down (taking turns when it comes to this behaviour). This lecturer was a narcissist and when he didn't receive attention from day 1, he fell really badly in this cycle of madness that limerence represents: he really wanted to see me in a bad light on repeat but his...infatuation didn't let him at times, which was frustrating for someone who just wanted to see only himself in a good light (narcissists don't love people but they wanna be associated with them - and this lecturer in particular likes to be associated with the right individuals...sometimes the right thing isn't just a wikipedia page, it's also the right physical apperance!) And he fell badly into this high state in the beginning (the potential for a normal dynamic) - but with my usual apathetic, disinterested style of being - for being oh so knowing, but not very human emotionally-speaking or a narcissist - as you can tell from my other behaviour towards the other lecturers, I quickly just like, didn't give a shit; Which kinda hurt his little feelings. And then he was just depressed and probably coming up with self-defeatist thoughts about the meaningless of everything and so on and so forth. That's depression for you 🙄 And then some time later, I grow a little guilty so like I told you before, I drop by in his office to check up on his mental state (he won't even look at me btw, he has a tendency to hide his ugly face and shit. aww "poor him" 🙄 he must have lost a limb or something! really? depression is for people who haven't learned to do more thinking and read more books, honestly! 🙄) But then, I wasn't so direct about my opinions on that mental condition so instead I was all like empathetic..."hey [dude] I like you...[don't worry about it]" At that point he lost it in a state of euphoria without any control over his emotions...So I thought that was odd at the time (I had seen this before) 🤨. But I didn't quite see the source of this pattern before... And then afterwards, he went back to being a judgemental narcissist where I'm the bad guy for sure blah blah

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rainydaydream-gal18 · 3 years

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(The Bad Batch) Preferences-Carving Pumpkins

(Author’s Note: Ahhh, I had so much fun writing these!!! I’m super excited for autumn, and I just needed an outlet involving our awesome squad

Warnings: Squash being butchered, pumpkin guts....Oh, and some smooching).

Wrecker:

“Hey, sweetie?” Wrecker asked, and you glanced up from your selection of pumpkins. He stood very still as his eyes flickered back and forth between two very large pumpkins that you were sure you wouldn’t be able to lift. He stroked his chin in contemplation.

“What’s up?” You folded your arms as you stood next to him.

“Which one looks bigger to you?”

You knelt down, dedicating several seconds to observing each pumpkin and taking mental measurements. They were nearly identical in size. “That’s a tough one. They both look the same size to me, but if I had to choose which one I thought was bigger-” you pointed “-I’d say that one.”

Wrecker stared at the pumpkin for a few moments before nodding. “Yeah,” he agreed slowly. “I’d say you’re right.” He immediately knelt down and set to work on cutting through the stem with his viroblade. Meanwhile, you had also reached a decision on a pumpkin, and asked your love if he wouldn’t mind picking it for you. Wrecker was happy to oblige, cutting the stem with his viroblade and gently handing the freed pumpkin over to you.

The others had already picked theirs and were heading over to the benches to clean and carve them. You and Wrecker carried your pumpkins over to the nearest empty bench, claiming your tools. Wrecker’s huge pumpkin took up half of the table.

“So what are you going to do with your pumpkin?” you asked as you cut through the top of your pumpkin and proceeded to clean out the insides.

“It’s a surprise!” he replied enthusiastically.

You lifted a brow, but smiled. “In that case, mine’s a surprise too.”

“How about we do a big reveal when we’re done?”

You nodded. “I like that idea.”

As you began to carve your design, it was hard not to notice the occasional chuckles and snickers as Wrecker set to work on his pumpkin. Every now and then, he’d take a few steps back to look at it, huff out another fit of laughter, and then return to the project. You were growing increasingly interested in what his would look like, but still kept your eyes on your own pumpkin. Finally, both of you finished your projects and got ready for the big reveal.

“Alright, on the count of three?” you prompted.

He grinned. “One...”

“Two…”

Both of you shouted, “three!” and spun your pumpkins around to face each other. At the sight of Wrecker’s pumpkin, you burst into laughter. It was a very silly face with big eyes and a wobbly smile, but it was carved so well, so precisely, it looked like a meme from the holonet.

“Okay, that’s funny.” You laughed.

“Yours looks good, ________!” he said, giving you a playful nudge.

“Thanks.” You turned to smile at him, and he pulled you into his strong arms. His breathing picked up as he leaned into your space for a tender kiss.

“I wanted to kiss ya’ so bad a few minutes ago,” he told you, “but I didn’t want you to think I was trying to sneak a peek at your pumpkin before it was ready.”

You returned the kiss, lingering over his lips for a moment as you murmured, “well, you don’t have to worry about that now.”

Crosshair:

“Will this work?” he asked for the third time, though there wasn’t an ounce of impatience in his tone.

“No, it needs to be more slender,” you decided with a shake of your head. “And maybe just a tad taller?” Crosshair backed away from the pumpkin he’d offered, eyes scanning the patch in search of one that better fit your description. He knelt down, pushing away some leaves to reveal a pumpkin that was taller and thinner than the other one.

“How’s this?”

You knelt down beside him, narrowing your eyes as you tried to picture how your design would look. It looked great in your mind. Now, it was time to make it reality. “Yeah, I think that’s the one.”

Crosshair unsheathed his viroblade and swiftly cut the vine, detaching the pumpkin and handing it to you. “There you go.” You accepted it sweetly, unable to resist kissing him in appreciation for the gesture. He hadn’t even questioned you on the design or complained once, only set to work on helping you find exactly what it was you wanted. You waited for him to choose a pumpkin, which was a shorter process, before the two of you walked over to the nearest bench.

You set to work on emptying the pumpkin of its guts, glancing over every so often to watch Crosshair at work. Once in a while, he’d catch your gaze and notice the mischievous smile that you tried so hard to hide.

He paused, straightening up from his task and fishing out a toothpick. “What?”

“Nothing,” you replied. “Oh, uh… Can I borrow one of those?”

He lifted a brow, but said nothing as he pulled out another toothpick and passed it to you across the table.

“Thanks, Cross.” You lowered your gaze, but it did nothing to hide the glint in your eye as you continued working on your pumpkin carving. Crosshair returned to his project, though he still kept an eye on you. At one point, he smirked at how absolutely giddy you looked.

Finally, your pumpkin was complete. You placed the last finishing touch, the toothpick, where it needed to be and stood back to admire it. Crosshair’s was done moments later.

“So, let’s see what we have here,” he said, motioning for you to show him. You grinned and turned the pumpkin around, revealing your handiwork. You had chosen the pumpkin’s shape with purpose. It was the perfect canvas to carve Crosshair’s face into it, complete with the crosshairs tattoo over its right eye and a toothpick sticking out of its mouth.

Crosshair exhaled sharply in amusement, his expression so cocky and strangely attractive as he shifted his stance. “That’s a handsome pumpkin,” he commented.

“Glad you think so,” you said. “What does yours look like?”

He chuckled, placing a hand on the top of his pumpkin to spin it around. It had your face, and it was well-carved too.

That’s a pretty pumpkin,” you told him with a growing smile. He met your gaze with amusement dancing in his.

“Glad you think so.”

Hunter:

Hunter cut your chosen pumpkin from the vine, handing it to you with care. “There you go, sweetheart.”

“Thank you,” you said.

While you had taken your time in picking out the pumpkin you wanted, he wasn’t choosy and ended up taking the one closest to yours for himself. Both of you went to one of the benches and set to work. Apparently, Hunter was more interested in the carving part. You paused to watch him take one of the tools and expertly cut the pumpkin open to remove the insides. You found yourself resting an elbow on the table as you observed the sergeant, your pumpkin nearly forgotten altogether in the moment.

Hunter caught your eye, smiling when he realized you’d been watching him. He twirled the carving tool between his fingers and gave a playful wink. Your face heated up as you pulled your pumpkin closer to your end of the table to begin working on it.

“Need some help?” he asked, mistaking your momentary distraction from your project as uncertainty.

“No, I’m good. I just needed a minute to think about my design,” you said, which was also true. “I’m not so helpless, Sergeant.”

The use of his title in such a playful tone made him chuckle. “Didn’t think you were, sweetheart. I just can’t help it.”

You rounded the bench to plant a kiss to his lips, and he welcomed your touch with arms going for your waist instantly. “I know,” you murmured, letting him know that you took no offense. “You’re just so used to helping everyone else. I like that about you.”

He exhaled, and there was no missing the slight tremble of his body. You pulled away and headed back to your side of the bench to continue carving your design. Every now and then, you couldn’t resist glancing over to watch Hunter skillfully carve the numbers “99” in a large aurebesh font into his pumpkin with the signature skull symbol at the top right.

“Your design,” he spoke up, peeking over. “Looks good, ________.”

“Why, thank you. I like your Bad Batch pumpkin,” you replied.

Tech:

“Are you certain this is the one you want?” Tech asked. You nodded at the chosen pumpkin, and he cut the vine to hand it over to you. “There you are, love.”

“Thank you, Tech,” you said.

“It is no trouble at all. Now, the trick will be finding the right one for myself.”

You knew how particular Tech could be about things, but you didn’t realize how seriously he would take the endeavor of selecting the “right” pumpkin. Even so, you waited patiently, your own pumpkin in hand, for several minutes as Tech browsed rows of the patch. You loved him for who he was, but it was hard to wait quietly anymore. At one point, you had to set down your pumpkin because it began to weigh heavily in your arms.

“What exactly are you looking for?” you asked. Perhaps you could help the process along.

“I’m looking for the pumpkin with the most aesthetic appeal- good color and symmetry are important.”

“Oh, okay.” You knelt down, pointing. “What about this one? It looks like the kind of pumpkin you’d see in a fall article on the holonet.”

He followed your gaze, adjusting his goggles. “I saw that one already. It is indeed a good pumpkin, but still not quite what I’m looking for.” You shrugged and kept looking, but none that you saw were even as nice as the first one you’d pointed out. Finally, you heard an exclamation from farther down the row.

“Ah, I found it.” Tech had been kneeling down to inspect it before making the commitment of picking it. He approached, leaning in to give you an apologetic peck on the cheek. “Sorry it took so long. Thank you for waiting.”

“It’s okay,” you chuckled. “I’m glad you’re happy with your pumpkin.”

Both of you went over to the benches to begin prepping the pumpkins for carving. The rest of the squad were nearly done with theirs already, but everyone was talking and joking around, so there was no rush. Tech chatted about varieties of squash for a few minutes as you worked. He paused every now and then to admire your design out loud and relocate some of the tools closer to your side of the bench since he had a tendency to hog them.

“Do you have everything you need?” he asked again.

You nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“Good, good.”

You walked over to his side of the table. “Do you mind if I look?”

“Not at all. Mind you, it’s not quite finished yet.”

You were amazed to see a little fall scene carved into the pumpkin, complete with a barn, a scarecrow, and a bare tree. “Wow, Tech! This is great.”

“It’s still not done,” he reminded, as if that should make you less impressed.

“It really looks great though,” you insisted, cupping his cheek and angling his mouth toward yours for an affectionate kiss. That seemed to get his attention, drawing it away from fussing over what he saw as an incomplete project. His eyes gazed at you softly through the large lenses, and his lips turned up in a smile.

“I’m having... fun,” he said, arm tightening around your waist.

“Me too.”

Echo:

Echo cut your pumpkin from the patch swiftly, passing it to you, before taking a short walk down the rest of the row. It wasn’t long before he found one that was decent-looking and knelt to cut the vine.

“How fun is this?” you asked happily, carrying your pumpkin as you walked beside him on the way to the benches.

“Yeah,” he agreed with a smile. “Me and the boys did this once on leave.” he chuckled. “Jesse got in trouble for throwing pumpkin innards at Fives.”

You laughed at the mental image. “That sounds like a good time.”

Echo shook his head, though a chuckle escaped his lips. “If Wrecker starts throwing pumpkin guts...”

“Knowing Wrecker, that very well may be a possibility.” The two of you got settled at the nearest empty bench. You glanced over to see Wrecker was indeed tossing some pumpkin insides in Crosshair’s direction, earning a grumbled “grow up, Wrecker” from his teammate. You stifled a laugh and set to work on emptying your own pumpkin. You and Echo worked side-by-side, absolutely content with the proximity despite bumping elbows often.

Your heart sped up while the rest of you felt simultaneously relaxed at his side. There was a happy calm that settled between you because you were simply together. Yet, every time he glanced your way with that sure gaze, it nearly made you shudder.

“Looking good,” he commented, pausing to get a better look at your nearly-complete pumpkin carving.

With lips curling into a smile, you asked, “Me, or the pumpkin?”

Echo chuckled. “Both.”

You leaned in to press a light kiss to your boyfriend’s jaw. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

He seemed momentarily dazed from the unexpected gesture, but he soon looked at you with a mischievous glint. “Now, was that aimed at me, or the pumpkin?”

You laughed.

“I’m being serious,” he deadpanned. “Because if I misunderstood, then this next part will be very embarrassing for me.” He wrapped his arm around you and pulled you in for a longer kiss, his lips caressing yours in a way that nearly made your knees buckle.

“So embarrassing,” you murmured teasingly. You separated to continue your projects, shoulders still touching. His pumpkin carving was a typical face with triangle eyes and a gaping smile, but it was done very well. “I like your pumpkin,” you said.

“Thank you, m’lady. I like your design too.”

“Thank you.”

Omega at the Pumpkin Patch: She takes the process seriously, spending quite a bit of time choosing the right pumpkin for what she had planned. The others were curious because she chose a pumpkin that was much wider than it was tall, and she kept it angled away from the group as she worked. Anytime someone would venture over to check her progress, she’d quickly stand up in front of it to block the view.

After she finally beamed and announced she was done, everyone gathered around to see she had carved an image of the entire squad into the pumpkin.

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ladybugboots · 2 years

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youtube

hmm hmm let me talk a little about this drawing :-) also sketches and progress stuff below (it's really long)

[id: two sketched poses of a figure dipping another figure, piercing the dipped one's chest with a sword. the first sketch has the reference image underneath at the top, and below is the same sketch without the image, being compared against an alternate sketch where the dip is lower, labeled A and B respectively. /end id.]

so i wanted to do my interpretation of this dramatic moment bc it was so insane. and i didnt want to do dokja already lying there bc i couldnt come up with any good perspectives or whatnot so i was like what if.. it was the moment of the piercing and like, a dip like in swing dancing (as i learned trying to look it up). there are so many different kinds of dips o_o but anyways so i directly traced over this image i found, and then i thought the pose wasn't dynamic enough so i edited it lower

[id: a rough sketch of junghyeok and dokja, and a colored version of the rough sketch.]

this is just the sketch and base colors, of course as always i struggle with the colors -_- the lightning btw was added as an afterthought because i thought it looked plain so i didnt take into account the lighting for that LOL <- making stuff up

[id: a black sword drawn to resemble the one in the reference picture next to it, both having a few jagged ridges but the drawn one being extended and having a handle drawn past the hilt. /end id.]

here's the sword! it saved it for later since i thought it would be harder but it was pretty painless and quick, and fun ^_^ i used the symmetry tool at the angle it was at and just emulated the lighting in the reference pic lol. so i tried to look up if the sword, "the heavenly sword of gathering clouds" or 草薙の剣 has a depiction i could reference.. i ended up using a picture from this site. admittedly i didn't do that much research past this

here's a progress gif of the painting minus the sword. i like to keep backup layers so i duplicate at certain points and work off the new one especially if i'm making a drastic change. better safe than sorry but i end up having a ton of unused layers......

dokja's hair ended up going through some changes. actually, i started another painting of dokja before finishing up this one, and i think i drew his hair better there. in the first image, his hair has more little tufts (?) which i consolidated and made longer in the second, and also his bangs have more little gaps. in the final one i made his hair darker bc it looked too light.

and that's all :-) overall i had a lot of fun drawing, and i'm especially proud of the shoes and the fact that i revisited this over several days <- trying to get over the habit of finishing things all in one go. so.. yeah :-)...

#i have so much to say abt my art all the time... i should talk about it more it's fun #so annoying how images automatically stack under readmores even though it's not in the editor... make it make sense #long post #orv spoilers #ladybugtxt #speedpaint

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bigskydreaming · 3 years

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I’m still thinking through names I like for Cass better than Orphan or Black Bat (which I don’t hate like I do Orphan, but I’ve always felt that the name Black Bat came more out of just ‘come up with something franchise themed’ than trying to find something for Cass specifically), for when she’s not Batgirl or Steph is instead. Not for any particular project or anything, I’ve just been stuck on that train of thought since falling onto it the other day.

I think I’ve given up on it being Red themed lol. My dreams for Batfam symmetry are doomed to come to naught. C’est la vie.

Currently though most of the ideas I have are all central to or revolving around communication or connection, because I honestly think those are thematically so PIVOTAL to who Cass is.....but the danger is something like that coming across as ironic due to Cass not being particularly talkative in a lot of peoples’ interpretations or views, and its absolutely not meant to be, not for the reasons I’m thinking.

Like because the thing about her childhood is....there’s so much to focus on that was fucked up about what David Cain put her through, its impossible to have a specific place to ‘start’. But I think something that definitely at least has to be way up there is the isolation he forced her to live most of her early life in. Deprived of even the POSSIBILITY of connection to others. Because connection is so fundamental to what makes us human. As well as to what makes Cass “Cass.” Cass THRIVES due to the connections she chooses for herself. Don’t get me wrong, she’s fully capable on her own, its not about suggesting she’s reliant on them.....for me, its more about the triumph of her having the freedom and CHOICE now to connect herself to as many people as she chooses, when originally her father had meant for her to basically exist APART from society. Emphasizing the importance of connection and communication to Cass is like, a definite fuck you to her dad and his plans for her, a symbol of her freedom and independence.

But also its not JUST that, because its also just about the sheer joy of connecting for Cass, because its the fulfillment of dreams she never really expected to become reality. Because as much as her life with David defined a large portion of her childhood, she was also shaped in no small part by the years she spent on her own....where even though she was out from under Cain’s thumb, she was still influenced by the specter of him and everything he’d ever said to her. She kept herself apart from society for the most part, even though now technically she was free to mingle among it if she chose....because she felt guilt-ridden over the death she’d been party to though it had never truly been her fault and she was very much Cain’s victim there as well as the man who died, rather than him being her victim.

But the point is, a lot of the second half of her childhood was spent in silence as well, albeit self-imposed silence....except also no, fuck that, it wasn’t self-imposed because she was still suffering from the trauma of her worldview being so heavily shaped and influenced by her abusive fucknugget of a father, who’d essentially spent years convincing her that words weren’t for her, that communication, that connection, those were things for people other than her but would forever elude her because she just wasn’t BORN to partake in those things. She stayed outside of society, made no real effort to figure out if she COULD learn to communicate like others did, because her abuse in no small part had revolved around making her believe it was just her place to be silent, her role. That a weapon didn’t need words.

So in the family and fulfillment Cass found later in Barbara and Bruce and Steph and others, like.....it wasn’t just about her finding companionship or even a sense of purpose or direction......she found a voice. Even if she speaks more with sign than out loud or even if she has trouble translating her thoughts into words or sign language due to learning disability or the like, Cass very much COMMUNICATES, she connects, she has things to say, and she more than anyone understands the importance of a voice, whether spoken or written or signed, of the power inherent in just being able to use it and express oneself.

And its equally key that Bruce and Babs and others didn’t GIVE that to her, because how could they? It was something she had all along because the reality is no matter how hard he tried, it was something Cain couldn’t truly take from her. All he could do (and make no mistake, I use “all he could do” to emphasize the ultimate failure of his attempts to control her rather than to dilute the extent of trauma his abuse did inflict) - but even his attempts to cut her off from people and isolate her via an inability to communicate.....they relied wholly on denying her the tools and opportunities to learn how to make use of her voice, of the things she wanted and needed to say.

So its not a gift that Babs and Bruce bestowed on her, because it wasn’t something anyone COULD give her anymore than it could fully be taken from her. But they did help her find that she had things to say and she had ways to say them. That she deserved to be heard and understood as much as anybody, and that she had so much in her that had just been waiting for someone to tell it to and ways for her to do that. They helped show her how to connect her voice to the right audiences for it, to communicate to people who would hear her and as Batgirl and Black Bat.....to people who NEEDED to hear her. For whom the things she could communicate via her actions and protection as much as anything else.....like that was a message they needed to hear themselves due to the abusers and villains in their own lives.

And I just see that as so.....triumphant for Cass is the word I honestly keep going back to the most.

I’ve called Dick’s approach to vigilantism his form of performance art. Carrying something that holds great importance to him even if others might overlook its significance, into what he does as a vigilante in ways that everyone he helps benefits from. Even if they don’t realize that his light-hearted performances even while sweeping them out of the path of danger is as much to help buffer them from the trauma of what is happening to them and how much they’ve already suffered.....those are as much a part of his aim to protect and make peoples’ lives better as his actual martial arts.

In the same sense, I consider Cass’ approach to vigilantism her form of connectivity. Its her message to people who need to hear, to see, to believe that there is help for them out there, that there is someone who wants to come for them, someone who wants to bring them out of whatever hole or isolation or danger they’ve fallen or been forced into....they need this as much as Cass needs it to be able to say look at me, look at my actions, I did that, I said that, that was ME.

For Cass, I feel vigilantism is about finding her voice, finding ways to put into message form others can understand even on a primal level the things she wants to communicate, that she wishes had been communicated earlier to her...that everyone deserves to be connected, to have connections, and to just....speak. In whatever form they can or choose to.

Its about the ability and freedom to use her voice, to impart her messages....and see those things have IMPACT. Be heard. Seen. Communicated.

And for those reasons I keep coming back to something like Songbird, but its ugh....its such a Catch 22. It would be so easy to misconstrue, but honestly I think it fits what I’m describing so well and like.....whatever, ultimately it doesn’t matter since this is just a headcanony thing anyway and not going to actually change anything, but like....I am The Undecided.

(Also I know Marvel already has a Songbird, but a) I dont care, like Marvel is stupid so umm why would that even matter yeah thats what I thought and b) I mean Songbird is an easy name to attach to any color one wants to make part of her name and ascribe particular significance to. Like she could be Red Songbird? Scarlet Songbird? Yes? No? Give up the dream Kalen, Big Red, Middle Red and Lil’ Red just ain’t it? Ugh, fine. Booo.)

But anyway, that’s what I’ve been musing on.

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zelkam · 3 years

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So even though Paint Tool SAI is a pretty simple software with not that many options, there are some small features that you might have missed (or they’re super obvious to you, dunno) that can actually be very useful. This is not about blending modes or anything - more about the little things that once used properly can actually help your art a lot!

So I thought that I could share them with you guys!

You can change any brush you have into an eraser with the same properties as the brush by pressing the [-] key or checking the Exchange Normal/Transparent Color button under the selected color. Do the same to switch back to the actual brush.

You can quickly see what layer is the thing you hover over on by holding down the Ctrl key - the name will show up.

If you click on it, it will switch your working layer to that one.

If you hold it down, you can move it.

However, this can get tricky when you have semi-transparent or effect layers - it will give you the one that’s the most on the top

Sometimes you have to move your layers in a very precise way and even a one pixel shift will be visible. But there is a quick solution to this - you can move your working layer along the up/down or left/right axis only by holding down Ctrl and using arrow keys. It does move pretty slowly, but it can actually be very useful when you do geometrical/symmetry stuff!

This one is not super life changing, but I decided to throw it in as well, bc why not. If you have shortcut keys for the specific brushes, if you hold it down it will change your brush to the new brush only for the duration that you press the key. This might be useful if you want to do some very quick fixes like erasing a missed line when linearting stuff

So yeah, that’s it for now - hope at least some of these were useful!

#art tips #paint tool sai #tutorial #ish?#the brush/eraser one was actually life-changing for me lmao #so yeah I thought it would be nice to share it forward at some point and here we go

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rookisaknight · 2 years

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Figured I'd send you an ask instead of tacking onto an already quite long post while the tag for said posts is going thru Something(tm)- I like reading your analysis, but it also touches upon smth that was discussed when I was in college (studied film/animation) that they unfortunately didn't go into too much, but: there's multiple ways to analyze a narrative, 1) in the meta sense, where you treat characters as the narrative tools they are and delve into how they fulfull their narrative purpose, or 2) in-narrative (i'd call it diegetic but to most ppl that's just a music term), where you analyze characters like they're people with motivations etc. etc., which I feel like is the more common way that shows, movies, etc. are discussed online. I personally greatly enjoy reading about both, which is why I don't mind these rambles of yours, but it might make it easier for you/all of us to distinguish these two ways of approaching FC3, because I agree, it can get messy/complicated, and depending on which method you use, you're probably going to get wildly different outcomes on whether the standard Symmetry theory makes sense or not

Oh trust me I'm very familiar with the diegesis question (I got my Master's in English). and yeah tbh there is, a simplicity in splitting the uprights on those two modes of reading. There's definitely plenty of texts where I do prefer to engage with one over the other. Into the Woods, for instance, I read non-diagetically: its a story ABOUT fairy tale logic and it does a disservice to the text to react to actions of characters like they're real people. On the other hand, I read A Song of Ice and Fire almost entirely diagetically. Non-diagetic readings of ASOIAF can be compelling to me (there's a really good essay I found on the Others as perpetual warfare), but ultimately what I find the most interesting about that series are the complicated interpersonal tensions. It doesn't do me any good to really think about what these characters represent on a meta level because how they interact with themselves and each other as people is what's interesting to me.

With Far Cry though, that "mess" I refer to in all honesty is what makes the series so interesting to me. There's this constant underlying tension between what these characters represent within their meta narratives versus who they are within their own worlds. Its not just that they're different, but in the case of Citra and Vaas they can even be completely contradictory roles that, like you said, provoke completely opposing reactions from their audiences when looked at in isolation. That's not a negative so far as I'm concerned, its part of why I keep returning to this knot to untangle it and part of why I keep picking at a proper essay outline. Because I think there's something this series tries to say, and each game since 3 is a different attempt to get that meaning across, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses. Part of my interest as a media crit guy is unpacking what works and what doesn't (from my perspective, for all that's worth lol)

That's not to say I don't enjoy other kinds of content. I have OCs for the far cry universe, I have fic concepts that are entirely about the interpersonal, I enjoy fanart and a whole variety of means of engagement. In the end you really kind of do have to pick and choose how you want to enjoy certain aspects. But the is the one that tends to linger the most with me and that keeps bringing me back here is just staring at this strange and contradictory piece of media and trying to see where one thread joins into the next.

#by the way i hope the opening paragraph doesnt come across as like snotty or anything #i dont expect you to magically intuit my academia credentials i just have chronic grad school give background disease asdkfjhsakdfjh #thank you so much for all the questions by the way its been a good way to clarify a lot of this #far cry #girthy ramble #far cry 3

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doitwritenow · 3 years

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DRAGON!! Questions: 2, 4, 27 aaaand 32. XD Also 35, release the rambles.

ADA!!!! Let’s see what I can do here... >:3

2. Why do you write fanfiction? I write fic because of the spaces between the lines of a story. The gaps and unanswered questions in canon encourage me to come up with deeper mechanics, more complicated lore, and complex character motivations in order to explain. Sometimes, one of those pieces will click into canon so well that it becomes inspiration. And then there’s nothing else to do but write! Lol. Stories are so wonderful because of what we can do with them, individually and all together, and I really like being a part of that.

4. Are there any writers that inspire you? Absolutely. Brandon Sanderson and Neil Gaiman are the novelists who’s skills blow me away and remind me why I like to write. Robert Hass,Trista Mateer, and Robert Graves are inspirations too, though I’m not a poet. I like to think and they make me do so.

27. What’s the nicest comment you’ve ever received? Oh that’s hard!!! I get a ton of wonderful comments--from long, analyzing, discussion ones to short, joking, fun ones that make me laugh when I’m having a bad day. I love to be able to interact and banter with my readers; it’s my favorite thing, and they’re all so lovely. ANYWAY a comment that jumps to mind is a recent one from @writingish1210 on all but my oldest fic ever, Wire Figures, praising characterization and tone. (i WILL cry, don’t test me)

32. Summarize a random fic of yours in 10 words or less. I used a random name picker for this, uh “they said I couldn’t fit calculus inside of endgame angst”

35. Ramble about any fic-related thing you want! Release the ramble!!!! okokok how about a first-page blurb from something I may or may not ever actually write? I’m in the mood for ironstrange fairytale au because I’m working on a Prophets in the Graveyard chapter today, so have some fantasy Rapunzel vibes!

The candle flame sparked weakly at the very base of its wick when the knock finally rattled at Stephen’s window. Stephen didn’t move from where he was kneeling, a hand extended in a careful downstroke to complete the right edge of the design he’d almost perfected. It was vital that his movements were smooth and controlled. He didn’t let the knock surprise him into skewing the line, and it took a long moment to loop his fingers to end his stroke with a flourish.

Only then did Stephen jump to his feet, tucking the sapphire feather of his quill behind his ear and tumbling toward the window. The glass was fogged from the warmth of the inside air against the chill of the autumn temperature outside, and Stephen could just barely see movement through the cloudiness. He slid his fingers between the windowpanes and threw them open.

“You’re late,” he said, bracing his hands on the windowsill. He leaned out to peer down at the prince standing on tiptoe atop the closest parapet.

“Yeah, well, maybe I got some sleep for once,” Tony Stark huffed.

“You’re lucky I’m still working and was in the bottom room.” The lowermost area of the North Tower—the part of the tower where Stephen spent most of his time and did most of his work—had the only window within reach of the castle wall. Tony was still too short to do much more than fumble blindly at its surface until Stephen noticed.

“You’re always still working,” Tony told him, extending a hand.

Stephen gripped it with both of his and hauled Tony upward, assisted by the prince’s scrambling feet bracing on the frozen stones of the North Tower. Tony got his free hand around the window frame and swept his legs inside. He perched comfortably atop the sill.

The cold air had turned both of their faces pink, and Stephen could already feel his nasal canals getting clogged. “Come on,” he said, jerking his chin. He knew Tony liked his spot in the window, his perch somewhere between Stephen’s world and his own, but it was cold and Stephen couldn’t help but worry that Tony might one day lose his grip. That he might fall, and not just to the top of the wall six feet below, but down and down to the bottom of the turret all those stories beneath, and Stephen would lose the prince they were all trying so hard to save.

“What are you working on?” Tony asked, letting Stephen tug him into the tower. He trotted over to the wide canvas spread across the center of the floor as Stephen latched the window behind them. Tony’s fingerprints were pressed into the mist on the glass.

“Nothing new,” Stephen replied with a shrug. “Still the fox.”

Tony hummed, walking a circle around the design. “I still don’t know how you get this from those dusty old books.”

“I’m a genius, obviously,” Stephen snorted.

“You’ve never even seen a fox, Stephen.”

“You know I don’t have to see something before I spiritsketch it.”

Tony glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. “You have to see me.”

“Well yeah, you’re a person.” Stephen sat back in front of his canvas, patting at his head until his fingers curled around his quill, as Tony circled a few more times before joining him. The prince was like a cat—fidgeting and circling and testing before finally relaxing enough to sit. “When I spiritsketch you, I’ll be reforming an existing soul, not producing a whole new one. All this is just to practice my technique.”

Spiritsketching was a complex art, relying on precision and power and the layered designs that matched ink to spirit and back again. Stephen’s life had been dedicated to it since he was seven years old. For ten years, he’d learned the properties of the soul and how to map it into a sketch, how to draw life into a mind assembled with the right lines and dots and angles, how to capture the essence of a thing by speaking the language of the spirit.

He’d started small, as the notes of a dead teacher had told him from the margins of the books. ‘Begin with what is manageable, and from there you can flourish.’ He’d started with drills to build his eye for symmetry and exactness. He’d learned how to layer his ink and control the thickness of his stroke. And then he’d begun to form creatures, matching designs described in the texts. There were butterflies huddled in the corners of the room even now; the first being he’d perfected.

He didn’t have to see the creatures. The only thing he had to see was Tony, until he could map the prince’s shining, complex spirit onto a canvas and do with it as he was bid. Stephen saw only the creatures he could build himself.

The king made sure of it.

“How close are you?” Tony asked, and for a moment Stephen thought Tony was talking about his own spirit, before he remembered the fox.

“Almost done,” he replied. “Six weeks and I’ve reached the last phase.”

“Oh fantastic. This is my favorite part.”

Stephen hid a grin, fingering his sapphire quill for a moment. He found his place on the canvas once again and drew a stroke of deep blue ink up into the tool. Leaning forward, Stephen carefully sought out the perfect connection and began to sketch.

That was fun!!! Thanks so much for the ask <3

#ask me anything #fanworkstuff #ironstrange #fanfiction #ironstrange fanfic

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thedreamingscorpio · 3 years

Text

Undulations

Chapter 2

Well I think it goes without saying but in case I wasn’t clear earlier:

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this story. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any previously copyrighted material. No copyright infringement is intended.

Thank You, please lemme know your thoughts on my work!

Love Always!

Time had gone by in a whirlwind, with Goten finding some warm clothes for his company, making some tea and gathering the necessary tools and supplies. While the whole time the young woman had only exchanged common courtesies whenever Goten would bring her something, which they were done with in the first ten minutes of her arrival.

Despite the ruckus that he had created, the house was quiet, almost too quiet.

Case in a nut shell, the last twenty minutes saw the three occupants of the house to, in Goten’s case grow increasingly curious and observant, the woman’s gaze to get lost in the depths of infinity, and for well, Cepheus to become more irritable with each passing minute.

Goten had finally found his cauterizer. It was kept in his store room since he hadn’t had to use it in quite sometime now, it was the one he used previously, and since getting a new one he kept it at home in case of an emergency. He didn’t think that he’ll be requiring it today, given the bored and irritated expression that marked his patient’s face. But that was the thing, the dog although one of his most frequent patients, still managed to throw him for a loop with his seemingly impenetrable expression, the same ‘the hell do you care ’ expression adorned his face, be it an ingrown nail or a gaping wound.

It seemed as though if given the chance to converse akin to a human being, he’d list all the complaints in the world and manage to find a fault with even the most perfect of things.

Well in reality Goten himself never really believed in the concept that the word 'perfect' embodied, in his opinion nothing was completely flawless, it was just the mere coincidence, that if what one sought was what the other provided, the two pieces seemed to fit together, therefore creating the illusion of what people called 'perfect’. And of course, he was familiar with the universal use of 'perfect’ and came to the conclusion, that there are certain things people perceive as desirable universally, like symmetry for one, and that’s okay, but to then announce that the person or the object is utterly flawless was a bit absurd in his opinion.

But then again, was it his need to rationalize everything, or his general dislike for the word, he didn’t know, perhaps he’d heard it too many times in his lifetime as a constant reminder to know exactly what he wasn’t, eh no point dwelling over things that bring a sour taste to your mouth…

Though that still lead him to think, that if people’s version of 'perfection’ was so hard to come by, almost everyone did settle for something less, like 'good’ or even 'great’ at times. 'Cause unlike 'perfection' , Goten knew for a fact that those things existed and that they weren’t half bad, in fact, despite the irony of his thought-process, those 'good’ or 'great’ may even be somebody’s version of 'perfect’!

So, why the hell did Cepheus, have that rotten expression on his face, no matter what hour of the day it might be! He really failed to understand how an baby animal could prove to be much more difficult to deal with than an adult human being. Weren’t animals supposed to be nicer?

Every time he happened to meet him, it appeared as though he were mocking, challenging him to do something, anything to change the opinion his little underdeveloped mind had conjured up of him. Oh and how Goten hated it!

Moreover what really worried him was the state of the young woman currently sitting on his couch. Empty tea cup held in hands, as if it were a life-saver, determinedly staring straight ahead unblinking, it was a miracle how the wall didn’t have a hole burned through it. It was her reaction that had told Goten to be prepared for anything and everything, and he was glad to have found his cauterizer.

Now with all the necessary tasks out of the way, he went to the kitchen to fetch his cup of tea…only to realize it had gone cold.

“Ah shit!"

Now Goten wasn’t a person for whom cursing was a regular occurrence, also given the fact that he was in the presence of one of his patients, it was highly unprofessional of him. So, instinctively as soon as he realized he had cursed out loud, he immediately regretted it and his eyes darted towards the couch. But noticing that the house was still eerily quiet, and that his slip-up had gone unnoticed, his more pressing concern was to talk to the woman as soon as possible.

That’s how he found himself in the kitchen reheating his long forgotten chamomile tea, while silently mulling over how strange the whole incident was! The woman’s features weren’t lost on him, the way her green eyes looked at him, flipped his stomach.

She reminded him of someone, someone he could never forget, the girl from his early days with his reputation as a womanizer, the only girl he had been silly and pretend-serious with, the only girl he could be anyone with, yet she still wouldn’t forget his name, the girl who had made him realize that although fun, that wasn’t the life he wanted, the girl who had seen him transition from a technical adult to behaving like an actual adult, the girl who’s heart he had broken, by telling her it wasn’t her, it was him…Valese.

Valese had brown eyes, with a tinge of green, not quite hazel, no, but not quite brown either, her chestnut hair cinched at her waist, making her seem incredibly gorgeous, her pale skin contrasting against her dark features, her plum lips always chewing a strawberry flavored gum, and the way she spoke his name, blinking her large eyes at him, always managed to melt him.

So, then why did he leave her you ask?

Well, the answer was simple really, or complete bullshit depending on who you are, she was too easy. From the moment he’d met her she was googly-eyed, and was willing to put up with his every whim, without batting an eyelash. She acted as though star-struck, which although boosted his ego, did not make him feel good in the long run.

People, be it family, friends, passersby or even young kids seemed to adore them, and on one occasion Trunks told them that they were even compatible when it came to their level of intellect, Valese had just laughed it off, yeah she was like that, but Goten seemed to take it a bit more seriously. Of course, it was to be taken light-heartedly, but it did make him question, was he her king and they the world’s laughing stock?

He knew that she was a bit ditzy he did, but that never bothered him, she was beside him in almost all he did, gave him the confidence to pursue his career as a vet, and was beside him through all his embarrassing phases while he figured himself out. The best thing about her she was always smiling, rain, shine or thunder, she kept her smile on and the only time he had ever seen her cry was when he ended his relationship with her, he had never seen her look so...broken, but he supposed it was for the best given that he was subjecting himself to an insane amount of study, and to be honest, he was afraid.

Afraid, that he may take her shine away, as ridiculous as it may sound to anyone else, he knows he was right in his decision.

So, when the brunette had shown up at his doorstep in the wee hours of the morning, with the most troublesome patient he had ever come across, he was feeling a lot of feelings, but above all he was confused. Why was this happening? Was it all a coincidence? And if not, why so many years later?

Now that his tea was hot enough to be consumed, he made his way towards the living room where the as of now unknown woman and Cepheus, sat looking just like they were, about twenty minutes earlier

He grabbed himself a chair from the dining table, not wanting to get comfortable on the couch just yet, and knowing Cepheus, ready to entertain him at a moments notice.

The scraping of the chair’s legs against the floor wood seemed to snap her out of her reverie, and she gave him the same frightened look as earlier in the morning.

She quickly got off the couch, and started exclaiming animatedly.

"Dr. Son, my apologies, I know this isn’t by any means the right time to have disturbed you, hell I did not even give you a call, or notify you of my arrival, but the thing is that it was an emergency…”

Noticing how she was panting and red-faced again, he decided to cut her off..

“Please, call me Goten. I’m off-duty and these aren’t my working hours..”

At this, the woman gave him an abashed look and hung her head low.

Noticing this he quickly amended..

“…not that I mind in the least, after all I am a doctor and if I’m not available to my patients when they need me, what good am I?”

At this, the woman, lifted her head so fast he was afraid she had snapped something vital, and gave him a disbelieving look, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears .

He held a calm composure and gave her a reassuring smile. Noticing this her features softened and a small smile tugged at her lips.

“Please take a seat, calm yourself and talk to me so that I’m capable of helping you.”

Slightly nodding her head, apparently still shaken, she sat down waking Cepheus, who was seemingly comfortable nestled into her arms resulting in him growling slightly.

Taking a deep breath, she attempted to compose herself and looked up with twinkling eyes.

“Let me start by introducing myself, I’m Odette…”

#son goten #goten #dimension #chichi #goku #dbz #dragonball #robot #saiyan #love #unrequited feelings #HOM #submission #Undulations #oc x canon #oc #original character #Avni writes

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ventriloquistrose · 4 years

Text

Jewelry looks best with gems.

A human au

(The scene was pictured through a camera.)

"Yo yo yo! Hey you guys! Today is the day!" Amethyst shouted into the camera, holding it herself in her hands. "Yeah you heard it! Because today's the day we're gonna get pierced!!!"

Amethyst was sitting in the backseat, filming the two women up front.

Pearl was a very pale woman, her skin almost close to white. Her hair was Peach-dyed and really short, only barely touching her ears and with a small pointy part at the back. Up front she had bangs which were split in half and almost looked as if they were trying to avoid eachother.

She had a tall, slim build with a big, pointy nose and big, blue eyes.

Her outfit was causal, a short-sleeved turquoise blouse tucked inside a pair of blue jeans.

She was driving the car, a grey dundai.

Next to her was Garnet. She was way taller than the other two, and compared to Pearl, was at least 50 shades darker than her in skintone. She had an hour-glass build with a set of wide hips hidden in a pair of tight sweatpants, a thin waist clothed in a purple tank-top and a pair of thick, black glasses hiding her eyes. And on top of her head was a massive, square shaped, black afro.

"Amethyst! Turn that off! I don't have my face on!" Pearl immediately scolded, blushing heavily but tried to hide it with one hand waving about.

"Oh come on P! Admit you're excited!" Amethyst laughed, holding the camera a bit closer.

Pearl sighed in frustration. "Alright, fine! But I still don't get what the joy is about sticking holes in your body only to hang some piece of jewelry!" She said.

"Come on, P. I know you want it!" Amethyst teased. "You've wanted it ever since Rose got her bellybutton pierced."

"Hers could easily be hidded with clothes." Pearl argued, looking back at her through the mirror. "Garnet, why aren't you helping me here?" She looked almost frustrated at the woman beside her.

"I think it's cool." Garnet simply replied. "It really reflects your personality on some people."

"So why don't you get one?" Amethyst asked, standing up and leaning forward onto the seat.

"Don't have any place to put it." She plainly answered. "You on the other hand, can barely choose."

"You're just mad cause' you can't pierce your hands like you wanted." Amethyst teased.

"My hands are not important." Garnet warned, and Amethyst silenced. "Besides. I'm the only one with a tattoo." She continued.

Amethyst nodded. True. True.

"It better go fast. Steven promised to make us dinner." Garnet reminded them.

"Hey! Hey guys!!" Amethyst laughed. "How do you think Steven would react if I pierced my-."

Just in time, someone drove past them in a hurry and Pearl lost control of the car.

Soon, Pearl had found control over the car and clenched the wheel. Garnet held the handle above the door and Amethyst practically laid on the floor.

"I'm gonna pretend that you were going to say 'nose'." Pearl said strictly, frowning.

Garnet turned around in her seat, looking at Amethyst on the floor. "That's why we use seatbelts."

Amethyst grunted in annoyance. "I hate you."

"Love you too." Garnet smiled.

About an hour later they were inside the piercing studio with a few other people inside.

And for now they were just strolling around shelves, looking at all the different jewelry incubated in glass-boxes.

But as Pearl looked through all the different, more extreme jewelry such as plugs or huge extensions, she got more and more off put.

"I think I've seen enough." She alarmed and looked away.

"Come on, P! You promised you'd do one too!" Amethyst told her, loudly slurping a soda with a straw.

Pearl rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Fine! I can do.... I don't know, my ears, maybe?" She said.

"Ugh, you're so lame!" Amethyst blurted out in annoyance.

"Excuse me, do you need any help?" A young co-worker with piercings and brown hair suddenly walked up behind them.

"Yes. We had an appointment. Pearl and Amethyst." Pearl told her politely.

"Great! We'll have you in just a moment." The woman told her and walked back behind the counter.

And again, they started wandering about between the half a dussin of people inside the store.

"This one is quite pretty, don't you think?" Pearl sung as she pointed a finger at the diamond- adorned septum jewelry.

Amethyst joined her side to see. But as she had bored herself, she returned to her own searching.

"I don't think piercing your nose is anything for you, P. You know?" Amethyst told her honestly.

"Why's that?" Pearl asked simply as she looked at the jewelry in peace.

"You know. Because of your nose, you know?" Amethyst started getting nervous.

This made Pearl react. She turned around and frowned at her. "What's wrong with my nose?" She crossed her arms.

Immediately Amethyst realised her mistake and started studdering excuses for her words and had really started to sweat.

"You have a distinctive nose, Pearl." Garnet suddenly cut in, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. But before Pearl talked back, she showed her a piece of thick paper. "These would suit you."

"Oh." Pearl hummed in curiosity as she grabbed it. On the thick paper; the jewelry holder, hung a pair of earrings in gold. One was just a simple pearl-ish stud, while the one next to it was similar, but had a star hanging from it.

"Well, they ar quite lovely." She admitted as she leaned against Garnet.

"Yeah! You should get those!" Amethyst blurted, somehow had sneaked to her side without any of them noticing.

But Pearl frowned with discomfort. "I am not quite comfortable with the symmetry of these, though." She muttured, looking at the difference between the simple stud and star adorned stud.

"We're in a relationship of three." Amethyst said, crossing her arms. "How much symmetry do you have in your life, you think?"

"And what, if I may ask, are you planning on getting?" Pearl asked dandy, crossing her arms again and frowning.

"The place I use the most!" She then stuck her tongue out and pointed her fingers at it. "This guy!"

"I believe your heart is the most used spot. Or perhaps your skin." Pearl corrected.

"Come on, P! You guys have already pierced my heart, at least let me do the second best!" Amethyst grinned, resting her hands on her chest.

For a split second Pearl smiled at the romantic words before quickly frowning again.

"Pearl and Amethyst?" A voice called behind them. And there was a pink haired, tall woman with a lip-piercing standing by the door deeper inside the store.

(Twenty minutes later)

Pearl was sitting on the chair, nervously playing with her hands.

Garnet stood at her right side, leaning against the backrest.

Amethyst was busy admiring her new tongue piercing in the mirror on the wall, sticking her tongue out.

"P, there's nothing to be scared of! They're just sticking a needle through your flesh! You'll just look like that horror movie dude who has lots of needles in his face!" She laughed, tongue still out of her mouth.

"Amethyst!" Pearl scolded at her and Amethyst just started laughing.

"It will be fine." Garnet's calm voice and smile made her smile.

"So. Are we ready?" The woman with pink hair asked, putting on a pair of plastic gloves.

Pearl nodded and leaned back as the woman grabbed her tools.

Garnet and Amethyst held her hands.

"Okay, Pearl. Take a deep breath." She told her.

Pearl took a deep breath and clenched her eyes shut.

"Relax, P." Amethyst laughed.

"Okay. One, two three." The piercer counted and pulled the needle through her ear.

Pearl made a startled whimper for half a second and tensed into a stick.

"Okay. One to go." The piercer announced and switched side.

"One, two, three." Five minutes later, Pearl was done with her ears and watched herself in a mirror.

"You look good, P." Amethyst told her. Garnet nodded in agreement.

"You were right, they are very pretty." She turned to her right side with the star. "Garnet." And then to the stud. "Amethyst."

"Hey! Why do I get to be the little one?!" Amethyst blurted.

"Because you are my little stud." Pearl sang.

"And Garnet gets to be the star? Fair, P. Fair." Amethyst complained.

"Rather a stud in your ear than a kick in your rear." Garnet cut in and everyone burst out laughing.

"Are you ready for the third one, ms?" The pink-haired woman asked, changing gloves.

The two women looked at her in confusion.

"Third one?" Amethyst asked.

Pearl smiled shyly. "Rose's was personal to her. I think I should give it a try as well."

Garnet and Amethyst smiled proudly at her.

"You know what?" Amethyst asked, crossing her arms. She turned her head towards the piercer. "Yo! Lady! Got time for one more?"

About an hour later after walking back to the car and started driving, they were once again on the road, nighttime starting to sneak in.

"Happy with your day, Amethyst?" Pearl asked her, looking at her through the mirror.

"Yep! And my girls are looking hot!" Amethyst stuck her tongue out again, showing her tongue-piercing while at the same time pointing at the purple, small one in the middle of her chest.

"How about you, Garnet?" Pearl asked the woman beside her.

"Never better." Garnet smiled, taking off her glasses to wipe them off with the bottom of her shirt, revealing her blue and brown heterochromia eyes and her old, third eye tattoo in the middle of her forehead.

She then grabbed Pearl's hand and lifted it up so she could kiss it. Pearl giggled and did the same thing with hers.

"Hey! Where's my sugar?!" Amethyst shouted, leaning forward.

Garnet just chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

And Amethyst fell back in the seat, pretending to faint.

"You look great, P." She said before drifting off into sleep.

Pearl smiled back at her. And then she saw Garnet nodding in agreement at her. And then she smiled at herself in the mirror. Admiring the small, pearl-looking dermal in the middle of her forehead, between her bangs.

The End

#steven universe #garnet #amethyst #pearl #piercings #human au #polygems

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fanfics-await-you · 5 years

Text

Sometimes It Comes Down to a Choice (Part 4)

Pairing: Christopher Pike x Female OC

Takes place some point in the future after the events of the Red Angel

Summary: Alina has always carried a secret flame for her Captain and she's always known that it could never lead anywhere. However, the combination of a party and some drunken words might just make that a little more complicated. The only problem, everything just seems to be going wrong. Who knows, maybe a proper goodbye is just what they need.

Tags: angst, injury, a pair of dumbasses unnecessarily complicating things, mild blood

Notes: I like my characters to be strong and have stories and relationships in their own right. Like, I just don't like writing stories where they justs exist for the romance. I find it…eh. also, i've been without internet so i still haven't seen the finale!

Also, thank you everyone for the kind reviews and support! I've really appreciated it!

Word Count: 2,328

masterlist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

———

Ba-bump.

All I can grasp is agony. It's in the strands of my DNA, it's the only thing holding me together, it's all I know.

Ba-bump.

My heartbeat is as loud as a pulsating thunderclap.

Ba-bump.

I can't move. Not a single finger. I can't tell if it's the pain or the weight of the sky.

Ba-bump.

Light.

Ba-bump.

The world becomes a maelstrom of indistinguishable sensations.

Ba-bump.

Echoing shouts of meaningless sound drill into my skull.

Ba-bump.

Without warning, someone touches me. A choked shriek more animal than human pierces the air. Somehow, I realise it must be me.

Ba-bump.

I'm being touched all over and the only reason I don't scream again is because my lungs won't fill.

Ba-bump.

The thunder is fading.

Ba-bump.

I can feel the great black swallowing me but I want to stay.

Ba-bump.

As much as it hurts, I want to stay.

Ba-bump.

The dark doesn't care. It devours me anyway.

———

I'm warm.

It's the first feeling that my mind conjures. Slowly, the physicality of the world comes into focus underneath my skin. The tickle of my hair against my neck, the light press of a blanket across my legs, my fingers curling into a weak fist against the sheets; I allow the sensations to wash over me without judgement. The absence of pain is a welcome but deeply alien lightness. Once I've taken some steady breaths and feel sure that I can take whatever lays beyond me, I open my eyes.

A medbay?

No, not a medbay. I recognise this place.

Everything is still too foggy for thoughts to come easily but any panic that had been growing in my chest dissipates. It's safe and it's home and that's enough.

"Hi Alina."

I turn to blearily look at the man next to me. Dr Culber…

"Hugh?"

His face breaks into a huge smile like I've performed some miracle.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you awake."

…Maybe I have.

"What happened?" He helps me sit up as my muscles ache from disuse.

He scratches his head apprehensively before starting, "I should alert the crew…Shit, the captain."

I shake my head before I find my voice, "No, not yet. I-I need answers first."

Hugh seems unsure but sits next to me on the bed anyway, "I guess there's the question of how much you remember?"

I furrow my brow, "I remember running for the surface and then-" my fingers go to the bandage on my forehead-"something hit me. I went down. Then there was a lot of pain, and now we're here."

He brushes my hair away from the bandage gently, "It's mostly healed but I wanted to wait for your permission to remove the scar…I know how much they can mean to people."

I nod gently but say nothing.

Hugh continues, "We found you not long after the bunker's collapse. We managed to track your bio-sign and use the Discovery's tractor beam to clear away the debris. Almost all of your bones and organs had sustained trauma and you were clinging onto life. You've been in a coma for four days to give your body time to heal and…"

"To see if I would wake up?"

"Yeah. I knew you would, though. You've always been a fighter, Alina."

He pauses to take a deep breath and it settles like a heavy weight in my throat.

"If you hadn't stayed conscious for so long, or had been much deeper underground or any number of things, we wouldn't have been able to find you. But you'd nearly made it to the surface all by yourself…Your fingers were bloody from trying to climb out."

The quiet admiration on his face is enough to make me tear up. I feel him take my hand.

"You saved yourself, Alina."

A little hiccuping sob sneaks out.

"Not that anyone was surprised by that."

This time, a breathy snort slips out.

A silence settles between us for a little while as Hugh holds my hand and I find my calm.

"Can I go back to my quarters?"

He seems surprised, "I mean, yes, after some tests…People will want to know you're awake."

I close my eyes for a moment, "I know but I-I just can't right now…I need some time to process first. Just say that I'm okay if people ask but that I need some space."

"…I understand…Well, sit still and I'll go get my diagnostic tool."

I lean back against the pillows.

"So, first question: the scar?"

"How does it make me look?"

"Like an absolute badass."

For the first time in a while, I feel a smile curl across my face, "Well then I've got to keep it."

———

Sleep is elusive with dreams of my dirt-filled lungs keeping it at bay. So instead I'm sitting by my window and try to piece together some answers from the stars before me. Unfortunately, they're not saying much.

I survived.

It just doesn't feel concrete, like this is my mind's final comfort and any minute the world will fall away. Absentmindedly, I trace the thin scar mirroring my eyebrow. If anything, this mark is the only thing grounding me right now.

The gentle ring of the doorbell breaks my trance. I quietly sigh. The ship's day-lighting had flared not long ago; I knew someone would come past soon enough.

"Door."

However, I am not prepared for Chris to be on the other side of the door.

For a couple of seconds, he doesn't move. His expression is somehow two parts admiration, one part grief. I feel the weeks apart slip off my shoulders like sandbags. I don't care that he won't- can't -choose me. The sliver of me concerned about pride or dignity has melted away. I don't know if this is forgiveness or simply acceptance.

"Chris?" the word is both pleading and unsure.

I stand too quickly and the room becomes painted with technicolour streaks of black. The fear that everything will dissolve into darkness surges up my throat and I squeeze my eyes shut to stave off the panic. Before I can fall, strong hands are holding me upright. Instinctively, my hands go to his shoulders and I lean closer. It's a couple of darting breaths before I can open my eyes. I'm met by vibrant blue eyes lined with warmth and concern.

"Are you alright?" Chris' voice is interwoven with worry.

I nod, unable to find words or take my eyes off him.

The strong grip at my arm and waist are an anchor but I still don't know what to say to him. There's so much that I couldn't say but now can that is haunting the tip of my tongue.

"I am so sorry, Alina."

"No-"

"I should never have pushed you away."

"I-"

"I should never have put you at risk."

"That's-"

"You should never have had to put your life on the line."

"I made-"

"A choice. I know. But-"

"Chris," I cut through his flood of words.

I cautiously brush a thumb across his cheek just to feel his skin. His eyes search mine- for what, I don't know.

"There's no need to apologise. There never was. You've always done what you thought you had to. It's something I've always…respected about you." I don't stop drawing patterns against his cheek.

Chris closes his eyes and lightly leans into my hand. I take the moment to study the lines of his face. The bone-deep weariness drawn across his features cracks something within me and finally the words find a way out.

"When I was down there, waiting for the countdown…I only thought about one thing."

Chris' eyebrows furrow and his eyes open to meet my gaze in silent question.

What I would give to kiss him one last time.

I would truly give anything just to have him here, holding my hand, as the world ends.

I lean forward until our foreheads meet. He gently nudges me back, brushing our noses together, in a familiar, simple movement that ruptures the floodwall. Tears begin to fall before I find the strength to speak.

My voice cracks, "How much I wanted to come back to you."

Chris' hands come to frame my face but I screw my eyes shut. I can't bear to look at him anymore. I can't bear to know that he will always be right there but never mine.

The words cascade out of me without regard, "I know that this can't happen but I need you to listen, to know what you mean to me. You gave me the strength to stare death in the face. You were the one I wanted to run back to, those weapons be damned. You were the person I wanted by my side when I thought my time was up…I choose you, Chris, even if you can't choose me."

"Alina…"

"Chris, please, I don't want pity, I coul-"

"Sometimes it comes down to a choice," his voice is quiet but steady.

I dare to open my eyes. He bears a tentative smile that I can't help but gently return through the persisting tears.

Please, please, please.

"Sometimes you make the wrong decision. Sometimes you lose the only thing that ever really mattered and you have to bear that regret for the rest of your life…but sometimes, if you're truly lucky, you get the chance to try again."

The hope in my chest is expanding with every breath. I'm trying to not grin, to not prematurely celebrate a moment that's not yet mine, but I'm failing. Instead, I take one of his hands in mine and gently press it to my mouth in a lingering kiss to hide my budding smile. Chris tucks back a stray strand of my hair as his own grin grows from hesitant to glowing. I am suddenly struck by the symmetry of this moment with the last time we were this close and find myself praying that this story will end differently.

"Alina, it was unfair of me to think that you would ever make me choose between you and our crew. I underestimated you and for that, I am sorry…I also know that I caused you pain and I know that you said you wouldn't wait around for me to come to my senses but-"

I don't let him finish.

I pull Chris tighter against me as I bring his lips to mine. This time he tastes ever-so-slightly of honey and I want to drown in it, in him. He presses back against me like he's the one drowning and it gives me a little thrill that I am so wanted. Chris' hands dig into my shoulder and back, and his strength is probably the only thing keeping me on my feet. I can feel every line of his body against me and the pressure against the aches of my injuries is nothing short of delicious. The fevered beat of Chris' heart echoes beneath my fingers and every pulse further washes away my fears. This is real, I am alive, we're going to be okay. I break away first but the very welcome cage of his arms means I don't go far.

"I know you Christopher Pike, you don't need to apologise to me for trying to do the right thing."

Maybe I'm forgiving or risking more than I should but I love Chris. With every fallible, mortal, and adoring part of me, I love him. He nods, his face still unsure. Gently, I brush my thumb across his brow and smooth out the worry lines before going up on my tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his forehead. Chris' arms tighten at my waist but his eyes are bright. He leans in for another kiss but I place a single finger against his lips, making him pause. His puzzled expression is enough to make me laugh but what I need to say sobers me slightly. I take a step back as Chris continues to look on in confusion. Slowly, I place a splayed hand just above his heart and take a moment to admire how alive he feels beneath my fingers before I speak.

"I choose you, Chris. In this life, the next, all of them, whatever I don't care- I choose you. I-I love you."

His expression almost makes me cry again simply because no one has ever looked at me like Chris does, like I put the stars in the sky. Steadily, his hand comes to mirror mine and rest just above my heart.

"I've loved you since you saved me back on Kaminar. I choose you, Alina Osborne, and I'll follow you to the ends of the universe if you let me."

This time when Chris leans in for a kiss, I don't stop him. The taste of his smile against mine is enough to wash away the weight of the world.

#Christopher Pike #christopher pike x reader #christopher pike x oc #christopher pike fanfiction #star trek #star trek discovery #star trek disco

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incarnateirony · 5 years

Text

The Grudge

Now, as with all of these upcoming posts, I remind you that the full storytelling playlist can be found at this link, in what’s intended as a master spiral of tracks trying to represent as much of the story symmetry and character growth of SPN as possible.

The eighth track in the Holy Gift order (following Faaip de Oiad) is The Grudge. And it flows, instead, from Lateralus and its alchemical processes, so as to avoid the problem results of Faaip by enacting the processes given in Lateralus to transmutate to gold, or the concept of achieving the philosopher’s stone.

This is honestly one I just... had pre-made explanations available, so I'll source pulling a lot of this from here even though... yeah, I been knew, just-- why re-do what's been done?

There is heavy Saturnic reference, even lyrically. Which has everything from alchemical and astrological implications to mythical: Saturn ate his own children as part of the cosmogonic creative process. In alchemy, the generation of the prima materia--or base material of transformation--is accomplished by the king's eating his son. Basically, it is a motif that has to do with the mythic lietmotif of 'the sacrifice,' as in the sacrifice of the son (which is recapitulated in the christian mythos). Tool is pointing in all of this music towards the actual nature of the sacramental or sacred.

But it doesn't just end at the myth of Saturn or the sacrifice of that myth.

This video covers issues of controlling forces, parental roadblocks, grudges leading them astray and more for all of Team Free Will.

More below the video drop. (Tumblr is being stupid about letting me do this normally for some reason so if, for some reason, the video shows as a broken image on your feed, open this post to my actual blog and it seems to work or just use this link to navigate to the video in the playlist. )

youtube

This is also a battle with astrological Saturn ascending and teaching us lessons over and over again until we get it right. "Saturn ascends, choose one or ten. Hang on or be humbled again" means get it right or Saturn will come around again teaching the same lesson until you do it. The line, "Unable To Forgive Your Scarlet Lettermen" presumably refers to the classic novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. One of the main characters in the book is a female adulteress who is forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her breast as punishment.

The fact that Castiel also doubles as the angel of Saturn made this particularly fun to play with, but the meaning itself is not so straight forward. There are lessons they have all heard, legacies and keys and rites they were all expected to carry, with their own need to "give away the stone, let the waters kiss and transmutate these leaden grudges into gold," which frankly is the entire thing with catharsis we've been drumming on about. This is the key phrase, the whole song is based on that idea. The key to "Christ consciousnesses" is understanding that time is not real and past and present only serve to create grudges and fear which separate you from your soul, or the Christ consciousness.

"Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity. (emotion - embodied heavily in Ticks and Leeches' anger) [...] Unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen." (focusing on who did it to you instead of what you did to yourself)" "Wear the grudge like a crown" means that you are holding onto past pains in your life, which creates a grudge in your mind. You over analyze that past pain and that grudge creates emotions of fear of future pain creating a loop of being in fear of past and future. In that "loop" you forget about your present situation and instead worry about what has and will happen, and you miss out on life, or your NOW.

Suddenly this part makes sense:

"Saturn comes back around to show you everything, Lets you choose what you will not see and then, Drags you down like a stone or lifts you up again, Spits you out like a child, light and innocent." The universe will throw you a life line now and then but you will lose it because you are stuck in that past and future. When the universe pulls your life line, it forces you to see your mistakes. This will happen over and over in your life, until you "Transmutate these leaden grudges into gold." aka learn from you mistakes and start living in the NOW instead of the past or future. Once you start living in the NOW suddenly you start to realize that the world starts working for you instead of against you. "Go with the flow." Have your experiences and once they are over, do not hold a grudge but move on to the next experience and be thankful. Or as Dean says, "Let it go."

Of course, lyrics are somewhat up to interpretation but within the hermetic vein the album is themed after front to back, that’s your base. If you want to pull something else out of it in application to yourself or the video, by all means. That’s the fun part of a theology that’s more philosophical than it is dogmatically religious.

Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity Calculate what we will or will not tolerate Desperate to control all and everything Unable to forgive your scarlet lettermen

Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down Terrified of being wrong, ultimatum prison cell

Saturn ascends Choose one or ten Hang on or be humbled again

Clutch it like a cornerstone, otherwise it all comes down Justify denials and grip 'em to the lonesome end Saturn ascends, comes round again Saturn ascends, the one, the ten Ignorant to the damage done

Wear the grudge like a crown of negativity Calculate what we will or will not tolerate Desperate to control all and everything Unable to forgive these scarlet lettermen

Wear the grudge like a crown Desperate to control Unable to forgive and sinking deeper

Defining Confining And sinking deeper Controlling Defining And we're sinking deeper

Saturn comes back around to show you everything Let's you choose what you will not see and then Drags you down like a stone or lifts you up again Spits you out like a child, light and innocent

Saturn comes back around. Lifts you up like a child or Drags you down like a stone To consume you till you choose to let this go Choose to let this go

Give away the stone Let the oceans take and trans mutate this cold and fated anchor Give away the stone Let the waters kiss and trans mutate these leaden grudges into gold

Let go

As with all of these, seasons in-use for this video are based on the concept of the Holy Gift order and a specific swing in the Fibonacci sequence back and forth, wider and wider until it goes full circle.I’m not going to bother everybody with the math of it in this post, but to simplify it, all videos in this project show the available tracks for use, with an understanding that season 14 is applied as a master track on what has been addressed regarding these things this season, specifically, some of which are recurring because they’re the apex of intertwined elements and themes.

#supernatural #spn #tool #lateralus project #the grudge #fan videos #mine #team free will #found family

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