lemony1cricket

[lemony1cricket]

hey writers we have to talk.

if you've read any romance or fanfic in the past twenty years (i know you have), you know that there are a certain number of scents associated with hot dudes. you can probably recite the list of Things Men in Fic smell like in your sleep: leather, black pepper, pine, sandalwood, "something uniquely him", clean sweat, and if the character has ever fucking been within 50 yards of a firearm, something called "cordite".

here's the thing.

NO ONE SMELLS LIKE CORDITE.

cordite was a highly specific type of smokeless gunpowder developed in the 1890s by england specifically and used mostly in wwi.

if your good-smelling guy is not (a) english (b) using a very specific type of british rifle (c) dying in a trench in flanders, he does not smell like cordite. technically even if he does meet all those conditions he still doesn't smell like cordite because he smells like trenchfoot.

the point is, cordite is so far from universal that no one but the most hardcore gun nerds give a single shit about it. making your Sexy Hero smell like cordite is like naming a cassette-only bootleg live recording from the 1970s as your favorite grateful dead album. everyone at the party hates you immediately and knows you're doing it for clout. also, it's just factually... wrong. please stop. i know everyone else is doing it, but you can do the right thing here, i believe in you.

so what do people who are using guns smell like?

well if your story is set before the late 1880s, the smell of a fired gun is black powder, which, unfortunately, smells like seventeen flatulent cows have been shoved in a tire factory. trust me, you do not want your Hot Dude to smell like black powder. it's b a d.

if your story is set after the late 1880s, guns are using some variety of modern 'smokeless' powder - which speaking broadly doesn't really have a ton of scent when used. it does have some, but it's sort of non-descript: the best way i can describe it is the sweet, ozone, hot-plate smell of popping your car hood with a warm engine.

people who use guns a lot don't smell like fired guns all the time anyway, so while those scents might work in a fight scene, they're not realistic all the time. but there are some things that your Sexy Shootist will smell like basically 24/7 and that's metal and gun oil. metal you can go and sniff (i recommend non-stainless steel), but if you want a reference, most gun oils have a sharp, organic smell that's not dissimilar to canola oil but muskier and with a tang overtop. it's not unlikely leather is in the mix as well due to routine handling of leather equipment and gear. modern gear also tends to have a certain smell although it varies by production country and storage conditions - lots of opportunities there.

in conclusion: gunslingers and hired killers and military folks can be sexy and smell great on page, but i am begging you not to say "cordite" when you mean "gunpowder" ever again. we can do this. we are writers and therefore pedants. i believe in us!

[lemony1cricket]

it was so clear the whole time

[lemony1cricket]

writing advice for characters with a missing eye: dear God does losing an eyes function fuck up your neck. Ever since mine crapped out I've been slowly and unconsciously shifting towards holding my head at an angle to put the good eye closer to the center. and human necks. are not meant to accommodate that sorta thing.

[lemony1cricket]

"yeah i was a brony how could u tell"

[lemony1cricket]

happy birthday little emeric :D

her little hair extensions...

[lemony1cricket]

CI too

sovereignstuck grubs!

(characters belong to @sovereignstuck, headed by @nekropsii)

[lemony1cricket]

sovereignstuck grubs!

(characters belong to @sovereignstuck, headed by @nekropsii)

[lemony1cricket]

rapture.ship stimboard!!!

x x x

x 🌓 x

x x x

go read sovereignstuck here!

[lemony1cricket]

lesbian thoughts and lesbian feelings

[lemony1cricket]

i will... draw for fun... the things that..... bring me joy ...

[lemony1cricket]

design notes beneath the cut!

mituna and latula are matching on purpose and switched hoodies.

rufioh kept his burgundy hair and shoes from when he was dating damara. notably, he has broken up with her!

speaking of, latula has red shoes and stripe in her hair as reference to her original design and because i like damtula...

humanstuck of the alpha trolls! theyre made to pair with these beta troll sprites but they obviously work on their own.

the first 6 individuals (described in alt text) are here, the last 6 will be in a reblog.

feel free to use these designs for any and everything as long as you credit me! i am more than okay with being tagged to see :3

[lemony1cricket]

humanstuck of the alpha trolls! theyre made to pair with these beta troll sprites but they obviously work on their own.

the first 6 individuals (described in alt text) are here, the last 6 will be in a reblog.

feel free to use these designs for any and everything as long as you credit me! i am more than okay with being tagged to see :3

[lemony1cricket]

the last 6!

feel free to use these anywhere and for any reason, as long as i am credited. don't be afraid to tag me either, i'd love to see it

the wheelchair base is by wandering-fairy on deviantart!

humanstuck beta trolls! they're technically from a very specific au i have with @gigglingauspice

first 6 sprites w/ alt text! the last 6 are in a reblog

[lemony1cricket]

the wheelchair base is by wandering-fairy on deviantart!

humanstuck beta trolls! they're technically from a very specific au i have with @gigglingauspice

first 6 sprites w/ alt text! the last 6 are in a reblog

[lemony1cricket]

Overview of some topics when it comes to drawing characters who are burn survivors.

DISCLAIMER. Please keep in mind that this is an introductory overview for drawing some burn scars and has a lot of generalizations in it, so not every “X is Z” statement will be true for Actual People. I'm calling this introductory because I hope to get people to actually do their own research before drawing disabled & visibly different characters rather than just making stuff up. Think of it as a starting point and take it with a grain of salt (especially if you have a very different art style from mine).

Talking about research and learning... don't make your burn survivor characters evil. Burn survivors are normal people and don't deserve to be constantly portrayed in such a way.

edit: apparently tum "queerest place on the internet" blr hates disabled people so much that this post got automatically filtered. cool!

[lemony1cricket]

im going to have a stroke

[lemony1cricket]

center of a story

happy one year anniversary to sovereignstuck! version without the floating heads beneath the cut

and the seperate individual heads