#(i need to study background and more of anatomy. i know)

[repugnantbeast]

I adore these two so much.

[mihhkael]

FINALLY!

[⚠️Blood/Gore(?)/Death⚠️]

[jungkoode]

OFF-LABELS | O6

→ PAIRING : Med Student!Hoseok x F!Reader (Brother’s Best Friend AU)

→ RATING: Explicit, 18+.

→ DATE POSTED: February 18th, 2025. (Hobi’s birthday special — 2 chapters! <3)

→ SUMMARY: You’ve spent four years convincing yourself that your brother’s best friend is just being nice when he remembers your coffee order, quizzes you on neuroanatomy, or lets his touch linger a second too long. Because there’s no way that the golden boy of Seoul National’s medical program might actually be flirting with you. Especially when he keeps saying things that could be perfectly innocent… if only he didn’t say them in that voice.

→ TAGS: second person perspective, female reader, medical school au, brother’s best friend trope, age gap (4 years), pining, touch starved, overthinking reader, confident hoseok, gentle dom hoseok, medical terminology as flirting (lmao), study sessions, domestic moments, innocent (but not really), plausible deniability king hoseok, anxiety, internal monologue, guilty crushes, subtle teasing, emotional edging, gentle manipulation, praise kink undertones, intellectual attraction, competency kink, hand fixation, voice kink, medical intern hoseok, first year med student reader, home setting, casual intimacy, unresolved sexual tension (for now), secret attraction, nervous rambling, self-doubt, intrusive thoughts, anatomy lessons with ulterior motives, competent hoseok, flustered reader, close proximity, accidental touches that aren’t accidents, virgin!reader.

→ CONTENT in this chapter: Late night study interruptions, chipmunk-themed socks that need mending, educational multitasking, thorough anatomy reviews, parasympathetic nervous system demonstrations, and party background noise that nobody seems to notice. | study breaks, bedroom setting, party backdrop, casual intimacy, domestic moments, academic testing, nervous system responses, physiological reactions, academic authority, late night encounters, casual clothing, short skirt horny trigger, theoretical demonstrations, practical applications, fingering (f).

→ MASTERLIST | TAGLIST REQ | WORDCOUNT: 2,6k

→ MINI SERIES: PREVIOUS | NEXT

→ A/N: Remember when studying used to be boring? Yeah, me neither anymore. Shoutout to everyone who's ever had their anatomy revision get thoroughly derailed. Also, apparently I have a thing for making medical terminology sound… interesting. My search history is just getting more concerning at this point. Do I care? Not really. You shouldn’t either, this is only going down south.

PLAYLIST

The knock startles you.

It’s soft, almost hesitant, but it cuts through the quiet hum of your desk lamp and the faint noise of Caleb’s party downstairs. You glance at the door, your heart already climbing into your throat. 

You don’t need to ask who it is. You know.  

Still, you move slowly, chair scraping against the floor as you stand. Your bare feet pad across the carpet, and when you open the door—of course—it’s him.  

Hoseok leans against the doorframe like he has all the time in the world, one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his baggy jeans. His green sweater hangs loose on his frame, but it does nothing to hide the way his shoulders fill it out. He looks relaxed. Effortless. Like he belongs here in a way you never quite feel like you do.  

“Hi,” you manage, voice barely above a whisper.  

His eyes meet yours, dark and unreadable under the soft glow of the hallway light. 

“Hi,” he says back, and it’s so casual—so steady—that it makes your own greeting feel ridiculous in comparison.  

Your cheeks burn as you step back instinctively, retreating to your desk like that will somehow shield you from him. 

You sit down too quickly, fumbling with your highlighter as if that’s what you were doing before he knocked—studying, not thinking about him or Thursday or the way his thumb had pressed against your tongue like he owned it.  

(He hasn’t said anything about it since then. No mention of Thursday beyond a vague text asking how your paper was coming along. Nothing to suggest that he’s been thinking about it as much as you have.)  

Your hand trembles slightly as you drag the highlighter across your notes, leaving a thick streak of neon yellow that bleeds into the next line of text.  

“You’re gonna ruin your notes like that.”  

You jump at his voice—closer now—and whip around to find him standing right behind you. 

When did he move? How did he move without you noticing?  

“I—” Your words catch in your throat as his head tilts slightly, studying your ruined page over your shoulder. His scent—clean and warm and always bergamot—wraps around you like a second skin, making it impossible to focus on anything else.  

“You’re too heavy-handed,” he murmurs, voice low enough that it feels like it’s meant just for you.

His hand reaches out—not for the highlighter but for you—and hooks a finger under the thin strap of your tank top.  

Your breath hitches as he slides it down your shoulder with deliberate care, his finger grazing your skin in its descent. The touch is light—barely there—but it leaves a trail of heat in its wake that makes your pulse stutter wildly in your chest.  

“You should use lighter strokes,” he says, like this is normal conversation, like his hand isn’t now tracing down your arm to where it rests on the desk.

His fingers brush yours briefly before continuing their path downward—to your hip, then lower still—to the bare skin of your thigh where your skirt ends.

You can’t move. Can’t breathe. Your entire body feels locked in place under his touch, every nerve ending attuned to the slow slide of his hand against your skin.

“Hoseok…” His name comes out shakier than you intended, barely audible over the pounding in your ears.

“Hmm?” 

He doesn’t look at you—his gaze is still fixed on your notes—but his hand pauses just above your inner thigh, thumb brushing idly against the sensitive skin there.

“You’re…” You swallow thickly, trying to find words that don’t sound insane or desperate or both.

“I’m what?” He finally glances at you then, head tilting slightly as if this is just idle curiosity—as if he doesn’t know exactly what he’s doing to you.

You shake your head quickly, dropping your gaze back to the desk because looking at him feels impossible right now.

“Nothing,” you mumble.

His lips twitch—not quite a smile but close—as his thumb traces slow circles against your skin.

“Relax,” he says softly, almost teasingly. “I’m just helping.”

Helping? Helping what? Your brain scrambles for context—for any explanation that makes this feel less dangerous than it does right now—but all you can focus on is how close his hand is getting to—

“You’re tense,” he observes quietly, fingers sliding another inch higher.

Your breath catches again as heat floods every inch of exposed skin.

“I’m not,” you say too quickly.

He hums—a low sound that vibrates through the small space between you—and leans closer until his lips are close, way too close. 

“You are.”

Lips brush against the shell of your ear, soft and fleeting, but it’s enough to send a violent shiver down your spine. The shaky exhale you let out is mortifying, and you clamp your lips shut immediately, praying he didn’t notice.  

(He noticed. Of course, he noticed.)  

But Hoseok doesn’t comment on it. 

Instead, he pulls back just enough to return his attention to the desk in front of you, his gaze flicking lazily over your notes like this is all perfectly normal. Like his hand isn’t sliding higher under the hem of your skirt, fingers skimming the sensitive skin of your inner thigh.  

“What are you studying?” he asks casually, as if his knuckles aren’t brushing against the edge of your panties now.  

You open your mouth to respond, but all that comes out is a strangled sort of sound that doesn’t resemble words at all.  

“Hmm?” His head tilts slightly, and you feel the faintest press of his lips against your shoulder—a kiss so light it might as well be a breath. “Cat got your tongue, Chip?”  

“N-no,” you stammer, forcing yourself to focus on the question. “I’m—um—neurology.”  

“Neurology,” he repeats thoughtfully, his tone almost approving. 

His fingers trace slow motions against the fabric covering your slit, and you tremble so violently that your knee knocks into the desk.  

“Relax,” he murmurs again, voice low and coaxing. “You’re usually so good at multitasking.”  

You don’t know what to say to that—don’t know how to respond when his fingers press just slightly harder against you, finding the dampness already pooling there.  

“Hoseok…” His name escapes in a broken whisper before you can stop it.  

“Shh.” His thumb strokes the outside of your thigh soothingly while his ring and middle fingers continue their slow exploration over the thin cotton barrier. “Tell me about the vagus nerve.”  

Your brain short-circuits completely at that. “W-what?”  

“The vagus nerve,” he repeats patiently, like he’s talking to a particularly slow student. “What does it control?”  

“I—” You gasp as his fingers dip lower, teasing along the edge of your panties now. “It—it controls…”  

“Come on,” he coaxes, leaving another kiss on your shoulder before resting his chin lightly there. “You know this.”  

“Autonomic functions,” you manage shakily, though it sounds more like a question than an answer.  

He hums softly in approval as his fingers brush over your clit. You mewl at the contact, thighs clenching instinctively around his hand, but he doesn’t stop—doesn’t even falter as he continues:  

“And those would include…?”  

Your mind is blank—completely blank save for the overwhelming sensation of his long fingers doing small little circle motions with deliberate care.

 “I—I don’t know,” you choke out finally.  

“You don’t know?” He tsks softly under his breath, almost disappointed. “Chip… I thought you were better than this.”  

“I am!” The protest slips out before you can stop it, but it’s hard to sound convincing when your voice is shaking so badly.  

“Then prove it.” His fingers press harder against your clit now—an all-too-knowing touch that makes you jolt in your seat—and he chuckles quietly at your reaction. “Tell me what the vagus nerve controls.”  

You squeeze your eyes shut tightly, trying desperately to remember something—anything—that will get you through this without completely falling apart under him. 

“H-heart rate,” you stammer finally. “And—and digestion.”  

“Good girl,” he murmurs approvingly, circling your clit once more before sliding lower again. His fingers tease at your entrance now. “See? I knew you could do it.”  

You whimper softly as his lips brush against your shoulder again—this time lingering just long enough for you to feel the faintest scrape of teeth against skin before he pulls away.

“I like this skirt,” he murmurs suddenly, voice still maddeningly casual even as his hand moves with devastating precision between your legs.

Your eyes snap open at that—not because of what he said but because of how he said it: low and amused and just a little too knowing.

“It’s cute,” he continues conversationally, like this is small talk over coffee instead of whatever this is right now. 

His fingers slide back up to circle your clit again—slowly, lazily—as if to punctuate his next words: 

“Easy access.”

Your breath catches sharply at his words, mind reeling as you try to process what he's implying. But before you can even attempt to form a response, he continues:

"You should wear it more often." His voice stays light, even as his fingers continue their torturous circles against your clit.

"W-what?" The word comes out breathless, uncertain.

"Around me," he clarifies softly, and there's something darker in his tone now. “I mean."

You open your mouth to respond—to say what, you're not sure—but the words die in your throat as his other hand slides up your side, fingertips ghosting over your ribs before cupping your breast through the thin fabric of your tank top.

"Now," he continues, like he hasn't just short-circuited your entire nervous system, "tell me about parasympathetic responses."

Your brain scrambles to catch up as his thumb brushes over your nipple, the fabric doing nothing to hide how it pebbles under his touch. Because of course you’re not wearing a fucking bra in your room.

“I—what?"

"Parasympathetic responses," he repeats patiently, though there's an edge of amusement in his voice now. "Basic anatomy, Chip. You should know this."

His fingers pinch your nipple lightly through the cotton, and you have to bite your lip to stifle a moan. "I do—I do know it."

"Then explain it to me." His other hand hasn't stopped moving between your legs, drawing slow, maddening circles that make it impossible to think straight. "What happens when the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated?"

You squeeze your eyes shut, trying desperately to remember anything from your textbooks. 

You shouldn't be doing this with him. Not when he helps grade your practicals, not when he'll be observing your clinical rotations next year. But the thought only makes you wetter.

"It—it causes..." You gasp as his fingers dip lower again, teasing at your entrance. "...relaxation."

"Mm." He sounds pleased, though you can't tell if it's with your answer or with the way you're trembling under his touch. "And what else?"

"Increased..." Your voice breaks as his thumb flicks over your nipple again. "Increased blood flow."

"Where?" His breath is warm against your ear, and you can hear the smile in his voice—gentle but knowing. Always knowing.

"To—to..."

You can't say it. Can't form the words when his fingers are right there, proving your point with devastating accuracy.

"To?" he prompts softly, and now he's definitely teasing you—waiting for you to say it out loud while his hands continue their merciless exploration of your body.

Your face burns hotter. "You know where."

"Do I?" His innocent tone doesn't match the way his fingers press harder against your clit, making your hips jerk involuntarily. "I think you should tell me. For academic clarity."

His fingers slip past the damp cotton barrier of your panties without ceremony, long digits sliding through your slick with a soft, obscene sound that makes your entire body flush. 

“Ah—Hoseok—”

“Shh.” His breath fans across your ear as his middle and ring fingers begin a slow, methodical glide through your folds. “You were explaining parasympathetic vascular responses. Continue.”

His other hand moves to the hem of your tank top, lifting it slowly until both breasts are exposed to the cool air. Your nipples immediately tighten, and you hear his breath catch slightly.

“Poor circulation here though.” His palm cups your left breast, thumb rolling your nipple into a stiff peak. “Look at these.”

You don’t want to look. Can’t look. But his hand slides to your throat, tilting your head back until your neck arches over the chair’s headrest. The new angle forces your chest forward, breasts fully on display as he hums approvingly.

“Beautiful. Like two rosebuds blooming just for me,” he whispers, voice thick with something you’ve never heard from him before—something dangerously close to worship. “Keep talking, Chip.”

His hand returns to cup one breast, thumb circling the sensitive peak as you whine his name.

"Hoseok, please—"

His lips find your pulse point, pressing a soft kiss against the frantic beat there. "Come on, Chip. If you pass, I'll let you cum."

You mewl as both his fingers slide into you with ease, your walls clenching around the intrusion desperately.

"Mm, excellent lubrication," he notes, voice steady despite how his fingers curl inside you. "Explain why that's happening."

"It's—ah—" You try to focus as his palm grinds against your clit, his other hand still teasing your nipple. "I can’t—Hoseok—”

"Shh." His lips trail up the column of your throat, pausing to suck a bruise just below your ear. "You wanna cum, don’t you?"  

The stretch burns deliciously, his long fingers crooking to stroke deeper. "Then answer."  

Your nails dig into the desk, textbook pages crinkling under your grip. "T-the hypothalamus—"  

"Mm." He nips your earlobe. "Specifics."  

"Triggers—" A gasp as his palm grinds harder. “Triggers pelvic nerve activation—"  

"Which causes?" His thumb flicks your nipple sharply.  

"Blood vessel dilation!" You nearly scream it, back bowing off the chair as he scissors his fingers. "Increased—fuck—blood flow and—"  

"Secretions," he finishes for you, voice gone rough at the edges. "Good girl."  

"Please," you gasp, walls fluttering around his fingers. "Please, I can't—"

"Passed," he murmurs, and that's all it takes.

It hits like a seizure—violently, vulgarly, your cunt fluttering around his fingers as you grind mindlessly against his palm. He works you through it with brutal precision, his free hand pinching your nipple now as he mutters filth against your sweat-slick throat:  

"Look at you. Dripping like a melted marshmallow. So sweet."  

When the last aftershock fades, he withdraws his fingers with a slick pop, holding them up to inspect the glistening strands connecting to your ruined panties. 

"Saccharine, even," he declares after sucking them clean.  

Before you can process what’s happening, he’s crouching in front of your chair, hands gentle as he fixes your clothes—tugging your tank top back down, smoothing your skirt over your thighs. His fingers linger at your ankle, thumb brushing the chipmunk embroidered on your sock.

“So cute,” he sighs, pressing a kiss to the cartoon nose. “My little chipmunk.”

When he stands, he looks every bit the composed medical student—sweater undisturbed, hair barely ruffled. 

Only the faint flush high on his cheeks betrays him.

“Thursday,” he reminds you, adjusting his glasses. “Don’t forget your notes on synaptic transmission.”

The door clicks shut behind him.

Downstairs, the party continues—laughter floating up the stairs as you stare at the neon-yellow highlighter bleeding across your vagus nerve diagram.

Your phone buzzes.

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚜𝚘𝚌𝚔’𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚙𝚖𝚞𝚗𝚔 𝚑𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚜𝚎. 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚊𝚋𝚛𝚒𝚌 𝚐𝚕𝚞𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎.

Next time.

You press your forehead to the cool desktop, the ghost of his fingers still throbbing between your legs. Across the room, your reflection in the vanity mirror shows tousled hair, swollen lips, and the faint red mark below your ear.

Normal Hoseok wouldn’t notice loose threads.

Normal Hoseok wouldn’t taste you like dessert.

Normal Hoseok wouldn’t—

Your phone buzzes again.

𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤: 𝙳𝚘𝚗’𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚢𝚍𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎. 𝙴𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚢𝚝𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚌𝚕𝚎 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚖𝚙𝚜.

You stare at the message, then at the half-empty water bottle by your desk.

Bastard.

Beautiful, terrifying bastard.

→ 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: @cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @somehowukook @just-reading-dany @sanarin @billy-jeans23 @stuti2904 @chloepiccoliniii @kimnamjoonmiddletoe @annyeongbitch7

© 𝐣𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓.

no reposts, translations, or adaptations

[dn-hc]

Bass Pro Shop Aquarium Adventure: A Reader Insert

L Lawliet

L was perched on the sofa as usual, a fork full of cake halfway to his mouth, when you spoke suddenly with an elongated 'L'. Your tone was sweet, almost hesitant, like you were about to ask him for the whole world. So imagine his surprise when you simply requested to be taken to Bass Pro Shop.

He blinked. “I don’t believe we are in need of any sporting goods.”

“We're not. I just want to see the fish.”

“The… fish?”

“They have a massive aquarium. It’s magical. There’s a catfish the size of a small child.”

L paused. “A catfish the size of a small child? Interesting.”

You gasped. “So we can go?”

'Why would someone want to visit a commercial establishment solely for ornamental fish?' He muses to himself before responding, "I’ll bring my laptop. The relaxing atmosphere may assist with my concentration.”

The fish tank was everything you had dreamed of. Enormous catfish loomed like sleepy sea monsters. Schools of shiny baitfish sparkled under the lights. A gar slithered ominously near the glass.

L sat on the bench, memorized by the fish and the size of the aquarium, but he was more fascinated with watching you be so pleased by such a simple pleasure. Fascinated by your fascination. He studies your expressions of awe and wonder as he watches you feed quarters into the fish food dispenser with childlike glee. He watches you press your hands to the glass, naming the fish like they're old friends, and thinks your the most curious phenomenon in the room. He smiles softly as he listens to you narrate "what the fish are thinking".

He leaves slightly before you so he can surprise you at checkout with a giant fish plushie. And, though he will never admit it, he enjoys the quiet, calm, simplicity you bring to his life; how you can still find magic in the little mundane things in life.

After the trip, L had changed his screen saver to a live motion background of ocean creatures and he installed a large aquarium at HQ to surprise you with.

“She was right,” he murmured, watching the fish in the aquarium. “There is something calming about their presence.”

After the trip, it's not uncommon to find L, looking widly out of place in a sporting goods store, just watching the fish when life feels like it's all moving too fast.

Light Yagami

Light Yagami was reviewing files when you skipped up to him.

“Light, I need to go to Bass Pro Shop. It’s urgent.”

He didn’t look up. “We’re not going fishing.”

You roll your eyes, "I know. I just want to look at the fish."

Light sighed. “You want to go to a retail store to look at fish?”

“Yes.”

“This is irrational. Why not just go to an aquarium?”

“You can look at these fish for free.”

He chuckled. "Is that really the reason? If you want to go to an aquarium, you know money's not a problem."

You didn’t even juustify such an absurd attempt to sway your desires. You simply cross your arms and stare at him.

“…Fine. But we’re in and out. 15 minutes.” Hs gives in.

The fish tank was everything you had dreamed of. Enormous catfish loomed like sleepy sea monsters. Schools of shiny baitfish sparkled under the lights. A gar slithered ominously near the glass

Upon seeing the tank, he chuckled softly to himself. “Hmm. So this is what people waste their time on.” However, he's secretly startled by how impressive and beautiful it actually is.

He wanted to dismiss the whole thing as silly, but deep down he finds your enthusiasm kind of charming. It annoys him that he smiled watching you press your face to the glass. He's trying not to fall harder for you over something so mundane.

'She’s ridiculous.' He thought to himself. 'Why does this make me… smile, though?'

There's a warmth he can’t shake when he sees you laugh at a turtle or gasp at a fish with a “funny face.” He wonders if he’d be a better person if he saw the world like you do.

As time passed, two hours to be exact, you were naming the fish, and Light was lowkey arguing with a child about fish anatomy.

After your little rendezvous, Light lay dramatically on his bed, one arm flung across his forehead. 'Did I… enjoy that?'

He remembered the massive bass that stared into his soul, and how you had tried to get a fish to “boop your finger.”

He sat up suddenly. 'No. No distractions. I am justice. I am not… a man who enjoys fish.'

Then he glanced at the tiny plush bluegill you secretly dropped in his coat pocket. He didn't throw it away.

Mihael Keehl

Mello was in the middle of bitching about Near to Matt when you came running in like the you were about to tell them the building was on fire, screaming "emergency".

They both stared at you, impatiently waiting for the announcement as you caught your breath.

“We need to go to Bass Pro Shop. Now.”

He blinked. “That's the emergency?”

“There are FISH. Huge ones. I want to see them. With my eyeballs.”

Mello stared. “We’re literally fighting a criminal empire, and you wanna look at FISH?”

You taunt. “And you wanna bitch about your boy crush, let's go!”

Mello sighed and grabbed his coat. “If the fish aren’t badass, I’m starting a fire in the camping aisle.”

The fish tank was everything you had dreamed of. Enormous catfish loomed like sleepy sea monsters. Schools of shiny baitfish sparkled under the lights. A gar slithered ominously near the glass

He feels his chest squeeze when you light up and run to the fish tank. He wants to pretend he is unphased, but he lowkey thinks you're adorable.

'She’s… happy. Because of fish. That’s adorable. And stupid. And adorable.'

Mello had complained the whole way there but ended up growing emotionally attached to one of the fish. Your excitement rubs off on him and he ends up getting competitive trying to name more fish than you. His protective side also coming out to play as he sends death glares to anyone who tries to come between you and your fish.

Before you leave, he buys you a keychain and a bag of jerky.

After your excursion, Mello stared at the ceiling, arms crossed behind his head, a chocolate bar resting on his chest. He thought about how you had dragged him from aisle to aisle and how he had genuinely bonded with a bass.

“Antonio was a real one,” he mumbled.

He considered going back to liberate him. 'I could fit a tank in the hideout… Maybe one of those waterfall filters…'

Mail Jeevas

Matt was deep into a game when you dropped onto his lap. “Emergency. Pause.”

He paused his games and looked up at you from beneath his goggles, waiting for elaboration.

"I wanna see the fish."

“Fish?” He inquired, skeptically.

“At Bass Pro. Giant ones. Take me. It’ll be fun.”

Matt squinted at you. “Is this code for something?”

“No. Actual fish.”

He thinks for a brief second. 'That’s random. But she’s excited, so I’m down.'

He shrugged, pausing his game and closing his DS. “I guess I’m in.”

The fish tank was everything you had dreamed of. Enormous catfish loomed like sleepy sea monsters. Schools of shiny baitfish sparkled under the lights. A gar slithered ominously near the glass

He honestly loves how weird and spontaneous you are. He finds your fascination adorable, especially when you make up stories about the fish.

He's living for your energy. The bouncing in place excitedly? Adorable. He loves seeing you go full kid in a candy store-mode over some fish.

'She’s happier looking at fish than I’ve ever seen her on her birthday. That’s cute as hell.' He thinks to himself.

He buys you fish food pellets so you can feed them like a Disney princess, and of course, he has to have pictures of this. He also rates the fish with you.

“That one’s a 9/10. Strong eye contact.” He says, followed by, “Yo. That’s a chonky fish.”

He's actually kinda into the whole fish watching experience, pointing out cool fish facts like he's your personal aquarium guide. He even emotionally adopts a fish that looks particularly sad.

After you grow bored of the fish, you wonder the store. He found an underwater camera in the fishing section and, of course, bought it immediately.

After your little field trip, Matt kicked back in his gaming chair, feet up, goggles on, watching the videos he took of you. You were smiling, laughing, and waving at the fish like a kid on a field trip.

He grinned. “Worth it.”

Nate River

Near was stacking dominoes when you sat beside him.

“Nate. Fish. We need to go."

“I’m busy.”

“You can bring your puzzle. I’ll carry it. But I need to commune with a gar.”

Near paused. “Gar?”

“Long. Sleek. A prehistoric vibe. Like you, but scaly.”

He considered it. “Fine. I suppose this could be a useful learning experience.”

The fish tank was everything you had dreamed of. Enormous catfish loomed like sleepy sea monsters. Schools of shiny baitfish sparkled under the lights. A gar slithered ominously near the glass.

Near doesn’t quite get the appeal, but he likes how animated you become when you first see the fish.

He analyzes the fish tank setup, “Efficient ecosystem. Excellent filtration design.” And, memorize fish names, just so he can talk to you about them next time.

He spends a solid ten minutes analyzing how the fish behave in relation to the tank layout.

After some time, he becomes more focused on you. At first, he confused as to why you are talking to the fish like they're people, questioning if you know they can't understand you.

But then he watches you smile and the way you softly tap the glass and says “Look! That one blinked at me!” Something gentle shifts in him.

'She finds magic where most people don’t even look.' He keeps that thought tucked away like a secret.

After your trip, Near sat in silence for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny pebble you had found at the bottom of the fish tank display.

“You said this was ‘the pebble of enlightenment,’” he whispered to no one. “I am inclined to believe you.”

He placed it gently beside his puzzle pieces.

“...I liked the turtle.”

[sonamytrash]

Temptress

An: As usual, I don't have anything to say for myself. I started this off quite enchanted and romantic, and it turned to filth pretty quickly.

Warnings: Pure smutty filth, public sex, outdoor sex, poor tree, fingering, dirty talk, multiple orgasm, squirting, creampie, unprotected sex, name calling, dom Levi, daddy is used, female anatomy described, porn with plot, but mostly porn. MDNI.

The air was thick with the musky scent of damp earth and the crisp tang of pine needles as Levi made his way through the dense woodland, the sunlight filtering through the canopy above, casting long, dappled shadows over the forest floor.

A light breeze rustled the leaves, carrying with it the sweet scent of newly bloomed flowers. In the distance, the gentle murmur of a nearby stream provided a soothing background score to this picturesque scene. It was in this serene setting that Levi Ackerman found himself, taking a shortcut through the woods as he made his way back from a nearby town where he'd been to buy tea. Suddenly, he heard a rustling in the bushes nearby. Curious, he carefully crept closer, peering through the foliage. There, hidden among the undergrowth, he spotted you, one of the scouts' medics. You were clad in a blush pink dress, your hair loose and flowing down your back, catching the golden rays of the sun. You seemed to be engrossed in your task, humming softly to yourself crouched down, carefully plucking plants from the ground.

You smiled to yourself, your hands expertly weaving through the dense undergrowth. The woods were your sanctuary. You knew every nook and cranny, every hidden path and secret grove. It was here that you found solace from the chaos of the world beyond the trees.

Having studied medicinal plants since you were young, and now, as a member of the scouts medical team, you were able to put your knowledge to good use.

The fabric of your dress was cool against your skin, a welcome relief from the muggy air. You bent down to pluck a particularly plump-looking leaf, your movements graceful and fluid.

You paused for a moment, listening intently to the sounds of the forest. The rustling of leaves, the chirping of birds, the gentle sigh of the breeze. It was a symphony that only nature could compose, and you found yourself lost in its beauty.

Levi cleared his throat, making his presence known. Startled, you looked up at him with wide, expressive eyes. "Ah, Levi," you said, her cheeks flushing slightly, "I didn't hear you." You glanced back at your collection, clearly torn between finishing what you were doing and attending to the stoic, dark-haired figure standing before you.

"What are you doing out here?" Levi asked, his voice low and curious. He leaned against a nearby tree, crossing his arms over his chest. You stood up, brushing the dirt from your knees, straightening out your dress as you smiled sheepishly. "Just collecting some medicinal plants," you replied, gesturing to your collection.

Levi arched an eyebrow, amused by your reaction. "I couldn't help but wonder what kind of strange animal might be lurking around in the bushes." he teased, stepping closer. A smirk crept across your lips. "Oh, you know, just the type of weird animal that spends their day's off in the dirt."

There was an awkward silence as you both took in each other's presence. You felt your cheeks flush again, remembering the flirtatious banter that you often shared. Always tethering on the edge of something more. But never had you been alone like this before, away from the eyes and ears of the scouting headquarters.

Levi, on the other hand, couldn't help but notice the way the sunlight danced across your shoulders, and your breasts filled the dress you had chosen to wear highlighting the soft curves of your body, a welcome change from the usual scouts uniform. He cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So, did you find everything you needed?"

You nod, your eyes not leaving his. "Yes, I think so. Thanks for asking." You shifted your weight from one foot to the other as you tried to climb back up the rockery, not entirely sure how you managed to get down there in the first place. "You're not out here just to chat. Are you, Levi?" You gave him a playful smile, trying to break the tension.

Amused, Levi didn’t return your smile, but his expression softened. "No, I just wanted to make sure you were okay. You know, in case there were any other weird animals around." He teases, reaching his hand out to you for assistance.

You felt a thrill run through you at his touch as he effortlessly pulled you up. "Nope, just me," you teased, your voice a little breathless. Your final step closed the small distance between the two of you, as you laid a hand on his chest for support. The contact sent a wave of heat through your body, and you could feel the strong muscles and steady beat of his heart beneath your palm, "And I'm fine." You assured him.

Levi looked down at your hand on his chest, his own hand curling gently around your waist to support you. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. You raise your eyes to meet his, your gazes locked, and for a moment, neither of you spoke. The air between them seemed to crackle with an almost palpable energy, and time seemed to stand still.

No, you were not okay. You were never okay around this man.

Levi's grip on your waist tightened ever so slightly, drawing you closer still. Your heart racing. You could feel the warmth of his body, the strength in his arms, and it made you want to be even closer.

"I'm sure," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the rustling leaves. You could see the desire flickering in Levi's eyes. It was a look you had seen many times before, and it sent a shiver down your spine. You knew what was coming, and you wanted it. You wanted him.

He took note of your features. Delicate and beautiful, but there was something wild about you, too. Something untamed. You seemed to be waiting for him, and he could feel his heart racing with anticipation.

"You've been waiting for this, haven't you?" he asked, his voice low and steady despite the pounding of his heart.

You smiled at him. The expression on your face was both mischievous and enchanting. "Maybe I have, haven't you too?" you replied, tilting your head to the side. His hand reached out, gently brushing against your cheek, and you instinctively leaned into his touch, closing your eyes for a moment. "Tch, don't get cocky, brat." his fingers further ghost along the side of your face as he tucks a stray lock of hair behind your ear. "I may be a man, but I still have control over my urges." his gaze smoulders with a hint of barely restrained desire. "Though I admit. You make it damn difficult sometimes."

With a gentle nudge, he guided you backwards until your back was pressed against the rough bark of a tree.

He leans in, your breaths mingling as his lips brush against your own.

You gasp, your hands finding their way to his shoulders. Your lips were soft and yielding beneath his, and he could feel you respond to his touch, your body moving in time with his. He deepened the kiss, his tongue darting out to explore the sweetness of your mouth, and you moaned in response, your fingers tangling in his hair.

He reached around, his hand finding the softness of your backside, and he squeezed, pulling you closer still. You arched your back, pressing yourself against him, your hips grinding together desperately.

You broke the kiss, gasping for air, and looked up at him with eyes that were now dark with need. Your hands moved over his chest, his shoulders tracing the lines of his muscles, feeling the tautness of his skin. "I want you," Levi rasps, his voice thick with desire. His hooded eyes roam hungrily over your form. "Right here, right now." His calloused hands slide down to caress your curves, igniting sparks of pleasure. "I can't wait any longer." He kisses your neck and nips his way lower until he reaches the valley between your breasts. With a growl, he pulls the fabric loose, freeing your flesh from the confines of your dress. He cups your breasts in his hands, feeling the weight of them, the warmth that emanated from your skin. He takes one nipple between his lips, sucking gently, teasing it with his tongue while rolling the other one between his fingers. You arch your back, hips grinding against him, your fingers tangled in his hair. "Levi," you moaned, your voice dripping with desire.

He watched as you lowered your eyes, taking in the hardness of him through his pants before meeting his gaze again. "Then take me, Captain." You reply, and with a slow, deliberate motion, reaching down to free him from his trousers. You let out a moan at the sight of him, his gorgeous cock, hot and twitching in your hand.

Levi's breath hitches as you free his throbbing erection as his grip on your waist tightens. "You're a fucking temptress, you know that?." he growls, pressing you harder against the tree. He reluctantly leaves your nipple and captures your lips in another hungry kiss, his hips instinctively bucking into your touch. One hand continues to caress your plump breast while the other slides beneath your dress, teasing the sensitive skin of your inner thigh.

Pulling away briefly, he murmurs against your lips, "You're going to be the death of me," His voice is thick with want. "Humanities strongest soldier, reduced to this by a fucking siren. Tsk." With that, he spins you around, pinning you firmly against the tree, hiking up the skirt of your dress, his hard length presses insistently against your backside as his nimble fingers work to divest you of your undergarments, a satisfied smirk painted accross your lips the entire time. "But what a way to go." He relishes the feeling of the heat of your skin and the dampness between your legs. You gasped, your hips moving restlessly against his hand.

He bunches your dress up around your waist, revealing the curve of your rear. "And what a tempting sight," he murmurs, his hands caressing your supple flesh, parting your folds with his fingers, teasing you and circling your sensitive bud. You cry out, hips bucking against his hand. He presses one and then two fingers inside you, feeling your tight, wet cunt. You were so ready for him, so desperate for release. He slides his fingers in and out of you, in time with his thumb, circling your clit, as you moaned and writhed beneath him, your hands gripping the bark of the tree. Levi's fingers curl inside you, stroking all of the right spots. A guttural groan escapes his lips as he feels your silken walls clenching around his digits.

Your body arched, your back bowed as his name spilt from your mouth, and then you came, your voice shattering the tranquillity of the woods. Your muscles spasmed around his fingers, and your breath came in ragged gasps as the pleasure coursed through you. Levi's eyes flash with wicked delight at your wanton display.

"You have no idea what you're in for, pet." He growls, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of your neck as you catch your breath. "I'm going to ruin you for anyone else."

Slowly, inch by agonizing inch, he sinks his cock into your slick heat, stretching and filling you deliciously. Your body still sensitive from your first orgasm. His hands grip your hips tightly, holding you in place as he hilts himself fully. "Levi!" You cry throwing your head back.

"Fuck, yes," he groans, pausing momentarily to allow you to adjust to his impressive girth. Then, with a sharp snap of his hips, he begins to pound into you relentlessly, "That's it, let me hear those delicious sounds."

A guttural moan escapes his lips at the sensation of your velvety walls enveloping him. He fills you completely, stretching and satisfying your aching need as you moan loudly for him.

Bracing his hands firmly around your hips, he begins to thrust into you with deep, powerful strokes, his hips snapping forward with a primal urgency. "You feel so fucking good," he growls through ragged breaths mingle with your desperate moans, the sound of flesh slapping against flesh filling the air around you. "So hot and tight around my cock."

He sets a hard, relentless pace, pounding into you against the tree. His mouth latches onto the delicate skin of your shoulder, sucking and nipping, determined to mark you as his. One hand snakes up to knead your heavy breast as they bounce and slap one another from his assault. His other hand clutches your backside, pulling you flush against him with every powerful thrust.

"Levi...it feels so good," you mewl, He leans forward, his chest pressing against your back as he grunts with each powerful thrust. "That's right, keep saying my name with that pretty little mouth." he commands, his voice rough with lust.

His hand snakes from your breast to your clit, stroking it in time with his ruthless thrusts.

"You feel so fucking good, taking my cock like this," his breath hot against the back of your neck. His teeth graze the sensitive skin there, no doubt leaving his mark. Levi's pace becomes increasingly frantic as he drives into you, his hips snapping sharply. Each powerful thrust elicits a wanton moan from your lips, driving his lust even higher.

He slams into you with bruising force, his hips snapping against your rear with each powerful thrust. The pressure and friction is delicious, and he can feel your walls fluttering around his throbbing shaft.

You arched your back, crying out his name as you came, your body shuddering with release. He continues to thrust into you relentlessly, feeling your body relax and then tense again with each thrust, your wet heat enveloping him as he continues to apply pressure to your clit expertly allowing you to ride out your orgasm. And then, just as you thought it couldn't possibly get any better, you felt it building again as you allowed the overstimulation to consume you, a second wave, and with it, the rush of hot liquid that trickled down your legs leaving you breathless and astonished as you moaned breathlessly beneath him, you inner walls desperate to milk his cock. Levi felt the fluid spill over his hand and smirked, bringing his fingers to his lips to taste your essence, "Dirty fucking girl," he says with a groan of pleasure, "I don't think you even knew you could do that." He comments seductively as he his thrusts grew more frenzied, his hips slapping against your ass with an urgency that left you both gasping for breath. "Give daddy one more." As he reaches down to rub your clit again, you mewl at the contact of his wet, slippery fingers returning to circle the already sensitive nub. He feels your body quickly contract around him, your muscles gripping him in a vice-like hold again. You felt yourself losing control, tears of pleasure streaming down your cheeks, "Don't stop, daddy please" you mewled, the words effortlessly rolling from your lips. With a loud cry, your body convulsed, your muscles tensing as wave after wave of pleasure washed over you. "Fuck, that's it. Milk my cock dry." His thumb circles your swollen clit as he chases his own release. Consumed with feral satisfaction at the sight of your debauched state. "You're such a good slut for daddy." With a final few deep thrusts, Levi buries himself to the hilt, spilling his seed deep inside, moaning your name as empties himself into you.He holds you flush against him, painting your walls with his hot, thick cum.

Levi's chest heaves as he catches his breath, his grip on your hips unwavering. "Tch, look at the mess we've made," He gazes down at you with a glint in his eyes. "But I have to admit, it's a sight I quite enjoy." 

You blush furiously at the events that have just unfolded. Your sweat-slicked bodies pressed together, hearts racing, and your breaths coming in ragged gasps. Your grip on the tree had turned your knuckles white as you turned to meet his gaze. "Guess I'm not the only animal around here."

[moons-of-dewclan]

Hellooooo! I’m working on a clangen blog of my own, so I’m going around asking my favorite clangen blogs some questions. I’m happy to get answers to whichever you feel like answering (or none at all if you don’t feel like it!)

What program and file size do you use?

If you use a font, what font is it?

How far ahead do you recommend playing?

Do you have any advice for layouts?

Do you have any tips for lighting/drawing fur?

Do you have any tips for making cats look more unique?

If you do backgrounds, do you have any advice for creating them?

If you use them, where do you recommend finding reference images?

NYELLO! 1. I use Procreate on Ipad! File size is pretty small because i feel more easygoing working small. it forces me not to worry too much about details. Dewclan comic pages come in 1200px wide and.. however tall the page calls for. 1200 DOESN'T SEEM SUPER TINY BUT!! when you think about adding in the speech bubbles and doing usually two panels per 'row', make space for the panels themselves, etc, you end up with only like.. 350/400px to work with. s'LIL 2. FONT is copperplate! 3. this entirely depends on you. if you wanna be able to plan ahead to connect some events, you gotta go a few moons ahead to know what to connect. but sometimes going moon by moon really keeps up your muse and excitement, because even YOU wonder what's gonna happen next. if you need to stay excited about something to keep up with it like ME, i recommend not going too far ahead. keep it Fresh 4. advice would be.. keep in mind/sketch out the placement for your characters AND their speech bubbles in their panels. i don't do this and it shows ALSDNKLSD. sometimes my speech bubbles are squARSHED, or sometimes i have to adjust the size of the font to make it fit. it's silly. PLAN AHEAD. otherwise i'm not so great at layouts and composition in that i don't have a lot of confidence in it, so i can't give much advice OGH 5. shade fur like you'd shade anything else! don't overthink it. but drawing fur can be done in a billion ways so that's a tough one to answer. in my clangen comic it's very simple, bc there's just the illusion of fur. YOU JUST.. ASSUME THERE IS FUR BC.. cats. but there isn't much definition really. sometimes i throw in a tuft or two bc for fun. outside of clangen, uHHHGH.. my fur rendering is sort of a mess. look at how your favourite artists do it! there's no one single way 6. unique cats.. play with shapes! cute round soft shapes, pointy angular shapes. play with the shapes of their ears, give em tufts or give them no tufts. think about silhouettes if you're not going with realism! if you figure out what makes a cat look like a cat enough, you can warp that anatomy and keep them looking cattish 7. i do backgrounds!! i dabble, i partake, in the backgrounds. BUT UAA advice is hard there too. what kind of bgs do you wanna do? :( I'M SORRY I NEED VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS I'ASKDNLK I'M EASILY CONFUSED. general advice is again, look at ones you like! think about what you like about the bgs you see and HAVE AT EM. do studies :3 8. Pinterest is good for references. at least it was last i checked before the big AI boom.. bc it'll recommend you similar things. tho i find the layout pretty disorienting. IF YOU CAN GET USED TO IT, IT'S HELPFUL THO

[laweema]

Your Joy Ang style drawings look amazing! Do you have any advice for mimicking it?

HOW TO JOY ANG STYLE

Hi there! Yes I have. I will advice everyone, who want co mimic Joy's style, firstly to watch her speedpaints on her youtube channel. ( https://www.youtube.com/@JoyAng ) And watch her other arts, at her site - http://joyang.ca/artwork/ You will need to analyze how she works.

Earlier I didn't get it right away because I didn't quite understand it, but now I know some things:

1. Joy Ang makes a rough sketch of the entire drawing, and then colors it

2. Joy Ang first draws the works with a line, sometimes even on paper

Added my Kinkajou without color to the block

3. Then she creates a base layer under the line

4. Then (not always, but as I understood in most cases) merges the fill and line layer into one and begins to work with color and shades, pipetting the colors from the sketch (I'm saving the layers with the line just in case something goes wrong) Use the "transparency lock" to stay within the bounds of the fill !!!

5. For dragons with lots of scales, like Kinkajou, personally, I first work with the color under the line and only then merge to make light on the scales, otherwise I will smear them all

6. Joy paints with STROKES, very very small strokes, which may make it a little difficult to work, but then the work will be more like Joy Take a closer look!

7. Joy often, but not every time, draws a very contrast line of light next to the contour in her work

8. Her line is not smooth! It's textured!

9. The backgrounds in her works are a great example of working with contrast. Almost all of Joy's backgrounds are very light, sometimes almost white against the background of the characters. This is in order to highlight the character and focus attention on them.

10. Very important! Joy sometimes neglects anatomy in order to create an eye-pleasing picture, here's an example - flowing lines in her drawings, yes, dragons do not have a pelvis, but their body turns very beautifully and smoothly twists. I would compare this to animation, where the characters also usually have smooth, pleasant features.

Bad for anatomy, but great for stylysation!

11. And I think it should be said that her work is full of color, so don't limit yourself to "white and black" by painting light and shadow.

So.. That's it! You will need practice to completely repeat the style, try to study Joy Ang's work yourself, and make some small drawings first to get used to the style, good luck!

[q-gorgeous]

Sew Me Up and Keep Me Whole

fanfiction

ao3

word count: 7603

Thanks to seeing how various injuries are treated as a member of the football team, Dash actually has a decent background in first aid and anatomy. He gets adopted into Team Phantom when circumstances keep leading him to be the one patching up Phantom after fights.

ohohohhoho

Dash was walking home after a football game. He was exhausted and was looking forward to going to bed tonight. Plus there was a ghost attack at the end of the game so it ran extra long while they waited for it to be over. 

He turned into the park. It was dark in the park, but it made his trip home from the school faster. His dad would be even madder if he woke him up this late. He wanted to get back as soon as possible. 

He got to the wooded part of the trees when he heard something. It sounded like voices. 

“Tucker, you’re not doing it right.” Somebody whispered angrily. It sounded like Manson. 

“Do you want to try doing this?” He hissed back. “I’m the only one who’s taken a sewing class. You didn’t think you should be reduced to something so ‘stereotypically feminine.’”

“-’s not ev’n a fem’n’n thing.” Was that Fenton? “Sewing is a b-basic life skill…” 

“That’s not the point!” She hissed back at them. “My mom-” 

Dash stepped through the bushes and past the tree separating them and fell short. That wasn’t who he was expecting to be there.

Phantom sat in between Foley and Manson, not Fenton. As he stepped through the bushes their heads snapped up to look at him. Phantom’s head groggily lulled to the side as he looked at Dash.

“Ha. Jus’...what we need.”

Dash frowned. “What?” 

Phantom chuckled and closed his eyes.

“No! Don’t close your eyes!” Manson lightly slapped him. When he just groaned and leaned his head back against the tree behind him she slapped him harder.

“...Sam!” He pried his eyes open and glared at her. “Don’ hit m’..”

“You can’t fall asleep until Tucker is done with your stitches. If only he could just hurry it up.” Manson ground out.

“I’m going as fast as I can!” Tucker breathed out, his hand shakily pulling another stitch through Phantom’s injury. “I don’t want to leave an ugly scar or make it worse by not doing it well.”

Dash stepped closer to where they were sat behind the bushes. Manson shot another look at him. He could finally see Phantom’s wound and it was pretty gnarly. Foley’s stitches were holding it closed but they definitely weren’t pretty. 

“Do you need help?” Dash asked apprehensively. “I’ve seen a lot of injuries during football practice. And I’m not squeamish like you, Foley.”

“Yeah? You know how to sew up wounds?” Manson spit out. “How is watching people get treated for wounds during practice the same as sewing up an injury?” 

Dash held up his hands. “It seems like Foley doesn’t know what he’s doing either. I know how to sew already. Isn’t that like halfway there?”

Foley looked at Manson. “If he can get it done faster than me, why not let him? We’re gonna run out of time.”

“How can we trust him?” Manson glanced at Dash, worrying her lip. 

“He is literally Phantom’s biggest fan except for maybe Paulina. Do you really think he’s gonna try to kill him?” 

A blush rose to Dash’s cheeks at Foley’s comment while Manson kept studying him. 

A few more moments went by before she looked back at Phantom. He smiled at her groggily.

She sighed. “Fine. Dash, get over here.”

His eyes widened, stunned that they actually accepted his help. He strode forward and knelt on the ground between Foley and Manson. Phantom looked up at him, the goofy smile still on his face. 

“Funny that y’ur the one h’lping me.” He chuckled.

“Why’s that?” Dash asked. Phantom just shook his head and chuckled again.

“Here.” Foley handed him a pair of gloves. “We don’t know if his ectoplasm can irritate or damage skin. We haven't felt risky enough to try it out yet.”

“How often do you guys do this?” Dash snapped his gloves on and took the needle from Foley. Phantom smiled wistfully.

“I get hurt a lot.” 

Dash hummed as he made his first stitch. “Well that’s not good.”

“Yeahh.. ghosts suck. And also bullies. They can hurt pretty bad sometimes too.”

Shame wriggled into Dash’s stomach as he made another stitch. What would Phantom think of him if he knew he was a bully himself?

Phantom hummed a wistful sigh as he watched Dash sew his wound closed. 

“Y’know, ‘ur pretty cute.”

Dash’s brain stopped for a moment and spent a second processing what Phantom said. He felt like he was short circuiting.

“What?” Dash asked. 

Tucker burst out laughing. “Man, you’re not gonna live this one down.” Sam shushed him. 

Dash continued sewing Phantom’s wound closed as he tried to get his bearings. He never would’ve thought his hero would think of him like that. 

“So.” He said, pulling the thread tight. “Are you guys friends?”

“We’r’ bes frie-” Sam covered his mouth.

“We help him with ghost fights. We don’t know him that well.” 

“Oh. It just seemed like you guys are pretty close. He must trust you two a lot.” 

Dash finished up his last stitch. “There we go. You’re all closed up.” 

Phantom smiled at him again as Dash pulled off his gloves and put them in a bag Tucker held up to him. “Tha’ was s’much faster than Tucker.” 

“Much cleaner stitches, too.” Sam said, leaning down to look at them. 

“‘Thank you for trying, Tucker. We’re so grateful for you, Tucker.’” He mumbled out as he put all their supplies back in his bag. 

“C’mon, Tuck!” Phantom lulled his head in Tucker’s direction. “You’ve stitched up so… so many stitches before now. I’d’d have bled out so many times over with-without you.”

“Thank you, D- Phantom.” 

Dash pushed himself up off the ground and stretched. “Do you guys need help getting him back… Wherever he needs to go?”

“We can take him back to my house.” Sam stood up. “My parents are those people who go to bed at eight o’clock and get up at some ungodly hour for their office jobs.”

“Can you stand, Phantom?” Tucker asked him.

Phantom shakily tried to stand up. He only made it up part way before he fell back to his knees. 

“Here.” 

Dash bent down and picked Phantom up bridal style. He adjusted his hold on him until he was holding him comfortably. 

“Okay.” Dash turned to look at Sam. “Lead the way.”

He followed behind Sam and Tucker as they walked through the trees. Phantom was much heavier than what Dash would expect from a ghost. He figured ghosts would be light as a feather since they could fly, but Phantom felt so much like a human it was uncanny. 

Phantom leaned his head back into the crook of Dash’s neck. He took a sharp breath in as he felt Phantom’s breath ghost against his neck. 

Dash looked down at Phantom and his eyes were closed, but after a few moments of Dash staring Phantom peeked an eye open. 

He jumped and looked back up at Sam and Tucker. They were whispering between themselves, shooting glances back at Dash. Phantom chuckled.

“Thank you for helping us.”

Dash looked back down at him. Phantom already seemed to be more coherent than when Dash first stumbled upon them. 

“Of course. You should probably thank your friends for letting me help you. They were pretty skeptical at first.” 

Phantom shrugged. “They’re just looking out for me. They’re protective.” 

“So you are friends?” Dash asked. Phantom looked at Sam and Tucker. 

“Yeah. They’re the best friends I could’ve asked for.” 

“Are you friends with the Fenton kid too?” Dash asked.

Phantom turned to look at Dash sharply. “The Fenton kid?”

“Yeah.” Dash nodded. “Danny. Hangs around with those two. Kind of a freak.”

Phantom frowned at him and turned away from him. “Oh. The ghost hunter’s son? No. Why would I be friends with him? His parents would tear me apart.” 

“Oh. Yeah that’s true. Those three just never go anywhere without each other so I thought maybe he was in on this too. He’s a dork anyways.” 

“We’re here.” Sam called behind them. 

Dash looked up to see Sam and Tucker stopped in front of a set of stairs leading to Sam’s front door. Phantom suddenly jumped out of Dash’s arms and winced once his feet hit the ground. It set Dash off balance and it took a moment for him to regain it. 

Phantom walked over to where Sam and Tucker were waiting. 

“Will you be okay?” Dash called to him.

“Yeah.” Phantom said without looking back at him. “I’ll be fine.” 

He walked away from Dash without looking back at him. The three of them walked inside the door and shut it behind them. 

He stood there and stared at the closed door. A pit formed in his stomach but he’s not sure what happened. 

He turned around and started the short trek home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dash was walking in the hallways of Casper High. He was heading to his next class. He just wanted this day to be over with.

Up ahead of him he saw Fenton and his friends. He smirked and started walking faster to catch up with them. 

“Hey, Fentoadally lame! Where do you think you’re going!” 

He saw Fenton’s shoulders rise and fall as he sighed. He looked over his shoulder at Dash, an angry grimace on his face. 

“Anywhere away from you.” 

The hallways were starting to clear out as it got closer to the bell. He caught up to them and grabbed Danny by the shoulder, turning him around and slamming him into the lockers to their left. He glared up at Dash.

“What do you want, Dash?”

Dash sneered down at him. “I want to get my afternoon wailing in before I lose my chance and you disappear for the rest of the day like you did yesterday.”

Danny rolled his eyes. “And why does your wailing have to be on me?”

“Because you’re my favorite nerd to wail on.” Dash said as he pulled his arm back, ready to hit Danny. 

“Excuse me!” 

Something hit Dash in the back of the head. He hissed and when he turned around he saw Sam holding her boot in her hand, glaring at him. 

“What the hell, Manson?” He rubbed the spot she had hit. “What’s that boot made of?” 

“Steel toe.” Tucker said from where he stood, far away from the action. 

“How’s it feel, Dash? Huh? Do you like getting hit? Do you want to know what it’s like to get beat up for no reason every single day?” Sam spat at him.

He took a step away from her. He already knew what that was like. He didn’t need to know what it would be like, just from a different person. 

“Sam-” Danny tried stepping out from behind Dash to get to her but there wasn’t enough room for him to move. 

“Why should we let you keep helping us with Phantom if we can’t trust you to leave our friend alone?”

“What?” Dash asked, incredulous. “How are either of these things related?” 

Sam walked up to him and poked him in the chest. Distantly Dash could hear the late bell ringing. “Because how do we know you wouldn’t turn on Phantom? That if we relied on you, that you would actually be there to help him?”

“But Phantom is-”

“A person, just like Danny.” Sam said. “Just because Danny isn’t your ‘hero’ doesn’t mean he deserves to be a punching bag.”

Dash rolled his eyes. “Fenton just asks for it.”

Sam closed her eyes and shook her head.

“No, you know what? We won’t need your help anymore, Dash. We were doing just fine without you. We’ll manage.” 

“I didn’t want to have to associate with you nerds anymore than I have to anyways.” Dash tried to ignore the pang in his chest at the idea of not being able to help Phantom anymore.

“You know, I’ve heard that Phantom doesn’t like bullies.” Fenton said from behind him.

Dash turned and frowned at him. “What do you know?” He shoved Fenton into the lockers one more time and walked away from them. He could hear Sam furiously whispering with Danny about something but Dash tried to tune it out.

Where did Manson get off threatening to beat him? That’d just make her a hypocrite, wouldn’t it? Doing the very thing she hates? 

Whatever. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t make it so Phantom couldn’t talk to him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey, I’ll see you later, Kwan!” Dash said as he walked out of the Nasty Burger. Kwan turned around where he was walking the opposite way down the sidewalk.

“Yeah! See you tomorrow, buddy!” Kwan shouted back at him. 

Dash smiled as he started his walk home. Kwan was always pretty good at cheering him up. He’d had a pretty bad week. Every time he’d gone to Phantom to try to talk to him he’d up and disappear or fly away before Dash could even get a word in. Sam and Tucker must’ve said something to him about what happened with Fenton. 

He sighed. He’d probably never get to talk to Phantom again at this rate. 

He heard some rustling coming from the alley he was coming up on. He paused just before it. Nothing good ever came from inside alleyways. 

“Tucker, where are you- Danny, he-” 

He could hear Manson’s panicked voice coming from inside the alley. He crept forward. 

Dash looked into the alley to see Sam desperately talking on the phone. Phantom sat on the ground in front of her. She was holding a rag to his stomach. 

“No, no I already have the supplies. I can’t-”

A tear streamed down her face. “Tucker, I need you. I can’t do this without you.” 

Phantom’s eyes slowly opened. He tilted his head towards the end of the alley that Dash was standing in. He locked eyes with him, taking a deep breath.

“Sam..”

She looked up at him. When she saw where he was looking, she followed his gaze until her eyes landed on Dash. Her eyes widened. After a few moments of staring, she put her phone back up to her ear. 

“No, Dash- Dash is here. He just walked up. He- He could probably help us again. Just one more time.” 

Dash jumped. How serious was it this time that she couldn’t wait for Tucker?

“Dash, get over here!” 

He jumped again at her call, but ran to them inside the alley.

“Can you stitch him up again?” She pleaded. “I know what I said, but I-”

“It’s fine.” Dash said. “I’m not that petty that I’ll refuse to save his life just because you don’t like me.” 

She pulled a first aid kit out of her backpack and handed it to him. “You’re mean to me and my friends. I don’t want to be around you if you’re going to bully us.” 

“Tch.” Dash scoffed. He pulled on a pair of gloves. “As if you aren’t just as mean to us. You go around antagonizing Paulina and forcing things that you want to do on other people.”

She rolled her eyes. “You literally beat people up and stuff them into their lockers. That is not the same thing.”

“Yeah, well-”

“As much as I love watching Sam tell it to you, can you guys hurry it up?”

Dash and Sam looked at Phantom. He had one eye squinted open and he was looking between them. 

“Sorry.” Dash said. He threaded the needle and got started stitching up Phantom’s wound.

They were silent while Dash worked. His stitches were quick and soon Dash was done. He sighed.

“I actually used to be friends with them when we were younger. Before they met you.” 

“What?” Sam turned to stare at him. “Why are you so mean to them then?” 

“My parents didn’t like Fenton’s parents. Or all the nonsense they were spouting about ghosts. I’d come home and tell them all about it and they thought the Fenton’s were ‘corrupting my mind’ or something like that.”

Phantom turned his head to look at Dash. 

“My parents told me I couldn’t be his friend anymore. And I told Danny that, but he didn’t get it. And he and Tucker were a package deal at that point. They were more inseparable than me and Danny had ever been. So I just… told them that I didn’t want to be their friend anymore. That they weren’t cool enough. I think I hit one of them. They didn’t go out of their way to talk to me after that.” 

They sat in silence for a moment after that. 

“Parents, amiright?” Sam said quietly, as she looked at Phantom. “My parents are like that. They try to get me to stop being friends with Danny all the time but I argue too much with them for it to ever stick. Or I don’t tell them when I’m hanging out with Danny.”

“At least you have that luxury.” Dash looked at the ground. “If I don’t listen to my parents… Well, they like to use their fists more than their words.” 

Sam covered her mouth.

Dash let out a short laugh.

“And now ghosts are real and they keep asking me all sorts of questions like they expect me to remember the things they told me were bad and wanted me to forget.”

Dash was startled when he felt a hand on his arm. He looked up and saw that Phantom was still staring at him. 

“It’s not your fault.”

Dash shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. He shifted so that instead of kneeling on his knees, he was sitting on the ground. He ran his hands through his hair roughly. 

“It is my fault!” Dash ground out. “I didn’t have to treat them the way I did! I could’ve broken the cycle but now I’m just like my parents.” 

“You don’t have to be.” Sam said. “There’s always time to change. Hell, admitting to how shitty you’ve been is a pretty good start.”

Dash sighed. Phantom looked like he was about to say something but he was interrupted by Tucker sprinting into the alley, out of breath.

“I’m here! I’m here. Did you guys get it figured out?”

Sam nodded and gestured at Dash. “He helped us out again. He really came in clutch there.”

Dash nodded and stood up. “I guess I should get going now. I don’t want to-”

“Wait!” Sam held her hands up in a stop motion. She stood up to look at him. “Do you want to join team Phantom?”

“What?” Tucker looked at her, shocked. “Why are you asking Dash to join the team? I thought you-”

“Clearly having another person around will be beneficial.” Sam interrupted Tucker without looking at him. “You’ve already helped us twice. You could even teach us to sew and stitch up wounds better.” 

Dash looked between the three of them. He wasn’t a part of whatever they had going. Would they really be okay with him joining their team? Did they really want him to be a part of it? Or was it just a pity offer? 

“Why would you want me to join your team?” Dash said quietly. 

“You care more than I thought you did.” Sam said.

Dash laughed. That didn’t seem like a very concrete reason.

“Break the cycle.”

Dash looked back up at where Phantom still sat on the ground. He was staring at Dash. 

“Break the cycle.” He said again. “Prove that you can be better. If not for us, just do it for yourself.”

Dash looked away. He nodded. That sounded like a good reason. Work to break the cycle his parents put him in. He nodded again.

“Okay. I’ll do it. I’ll join Team Phantom.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dash stood outside Tucker’s door awkwardly. Tucker said now would be a good time to come over so they could practice sewing. He hasn’t knocked yet though. He hadn’t been back here since they were all still friends. 

He lifted his hand up and paused for a moment. Finally, he brought his fist down on the door and knocked twice. 

“I’ve got it!” Tucker shouted from inside the house. He heard some shuffling and then a muffled, “Mom!” 

Then the door opened, but instead of Tucker it was his mom. His eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. She looked behind her where Tucker was standing and then looked back at Dash. Tucker shrugged behind her. 

“Why, Dash, I haven’t seen you in such a long time. How have you been?” She asked him. 

He nodded. “Good, good. Things have been fine. How have you been?” 

“Things have been good here.” She looked between Tucker and Dash again. “What brings you over after so long?”

“I, uh..” Dash stammered. They didn’t come up with an excuse. He really couldn’t tell her they were practicing sewing so they could sew up wounds. 

“Class project!” Sam’s voice came from down the steps behind him. He turned to see  her hurrying up the stairs. “We’re going to be working on our sewing today for class. Dash is going to practice with us.”

“Ohh.” Tucker’s mom nodded. “Well that sounds fun. Do you guys have any projects in the making?”

“We’re not quite there yet, mom.” Tucker said as he stepped forward. “We’re still learning so we’ll probably just be sewing squares of fabric together.” 

She nodded again. “Let me know if you kids have any questions. I know a thing or two about sewing myself.” She smiled at them.

“Thanks, mom. We will.” Tucker waved them into the house and then closed the door behind them once they were both inside. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.”

He followed behind both Tucker and Sam as they made their way up the stairs. He hadn’t been here in a very long time but little had changed over the years. Except for maybe new photos that had been hung up on the wall. 

They reached the top of the stairs and then Tucker pulled down the attic door and unfolded the ladder. They climbed up there and Dash had the fleeting thought that if they wanted to make him disappear, an attic would be a pretty good place to make that happen.

“Boo.”

Dash jumped as a voice spoke close into his ear and then laughter erupted from an invisible mouth.

“Oh that was good. I haven’t been able to get Sam or Tucker that good in a long time.”

Phantom dropped his invisibility and appeared in front of Dash. Dash chuckled nervously. 

“Phantom, don’t be too mean to him. We’re trying to make amends, remember?” Sam called to them while she and Tucker dug through some box.

“Yeah, yeah.” Phantom waved her comment off. He looked back at Dash. “I gotta have fun with this whole ghost thing somehow though, right?”

Dash nodded. “I can’t say I would be so chivalrous if I had your powers. I’d probably be sneaking into the girl’s locker room or something.”

“Eh. It was exciting the first couple times but now the novelty has worn off.”

Dash’s eyes widened. Phantom went to spy in the girl’s locker room? 

“Anyways.” Phantom drawled out. “What will I be doing today?”

Dash stared at him. “You’ll also be learning to sew.”

Phantom frowned. “Why?”

“If Sam or Tucker, or even me, ever get hurt during one of your ghost fights it might be useful for you to know. Or if you ever have an occasion where you’re alone and need to do it yourself, if you’re able to of course.” 

“Are you gonna be like, our teacher?” Sam asked Dash. 

Dash shrugged. “I can explain the basics but this is mostly just practice time.”

They got to work practicing their sewing. Sam and Tucker were working together on the other side of the attic while Dash worked with Phantom. They had cut up squares of fabric that they were sewing together. Phantom looked up at Dash as he pulled a thread through his two pieces he had in his hands. 

“Why’d you learn to sew?” Danny asked. “It’s not something most guys pick up.” 

Dash shrugged. “My parents liked to wreck a lot of my things growing up. They destroyed a lot of stuffed animals, but when they ripped apart the last teddy bear I got from my grandma before she passed away I decided I was going to take it into my own hands and fix it.”

“Oh.” Phantom’s shoulders dropped and he looked at Dash sadly. “I’m sorry they did that.” 

“They’re not good people.” Dash made a couple more stitches on his own squares in his hands. “It hurt when I realized that.” 

Phantom nodded. “Sometimes I worry that my parents are bad people. They want to hurt me but I know they’re not actually bad.”

“How are they not bad? You just said they want to hurt you.” Dash frowned at him. 

“It’s more complicated because of the whole ghost thing.” Phantom shook his head. “They don’t know who I am.”

Dash’s eyes widened. “What? How can they not know?”

Phantom’s sad expression turned into a smirk. “I’ve got to keep some of my secrets.” 

Dash rolled his eyes. “Okay, Inviso-bill.” 

“Hey!” Phantom pushed his shoulder. 

His skin tingled where Phantom had touched him through his jacket. They smiled at each other and Dash looked back down at the fabric in his hands. They worked for another couple moments before Phantom spoke again.

“What if we sewed them all together?”

“What?” Dash looked back up at him. 

“The squares.” Phantom held up his small pile he had gathered while they were working. “We could sew all the squares we make together and turn them into a blanket.”

“Ohh. That’d be cool.” He turned around in his seat. “Yo, Manson. Foley!” 

They turned around to face him. “What?”

“Phantom wants to turn our squares into blankets.”

“I like that idea.” Tucker said. 

“Does your mom have a sewing machine? It might be easier to sew all the rows together with the sewing machine once we get that far.”

Tucker nodded. “Let me go ask her for it.” 

He headed downstairs. Sam stood up and walked over to them. 

“How’s your practice going?” She asked. 

“Good.” Phantom held up his work so far. The stitches were getting neater and tighter as he showed Sam his progress. 

As Dash was showing Sam his own squares, Tucker made his way back up the ladder to the attic. He hefted the sewing machine up onto the floor and climbed up with some extra fabric and some kind of stuffing. He let out a breath. 

“My mom gave us some fabric and some quilt batting so we can finish turning it into a blanket.”

“How do we decide who gets to keep the blanket?” Dash asked.

Phantom looked at him. “I think you should get it. We can always make more if we’re going to keep practicing sewing. You should get the first one.”

“Yeah.” Sam said. “It can be a thank you for taking the time to teach us and practice with us.” 

“Let’s get this bad boy finished.” 

They spent the next couple hours practicing sewing the squares by hand and once they were all sewed together Dash took them to the sewing machine. They got all the rows assembled and the blanket put together with the stuffing inside. Dash stood up and held it up for everyone to look at.

Tucker clapped. “Great work everyone. Just, wow.” 

Sam rolled her eyes. 

Dash lowered it and smiled at them.

“Here.” 

Phantom floated forward and grabbed the other end of the blanket and helped Dash fold it. Their fingers met as they folded it together. Phantom passed his end to Dash and their fingers grazed as he pulled away. 

“Thanks.” They stared at each other for a few moments. Dash cleared his throat. “Well. I should get going. It’s getting kind of late.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Sam checked the time on her phone. My parents are gonna start calling me if I don’t get home soon.”

“Thanks for helping us out Dash.” Phantom called as Dash started making his way down the ladder. Dash smiled at him. 

“Thanks for giving me the chance.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~

Dash stepped out of the school. It was empty in the schoolyard. Dash had had to stay late to finish up a test with one of his teachers. 

“Hey.”

Dash jumped at the voice beside him. Phantom flickered into visibility. 

“Why do you keep doing that?” Dash pouted. 

Phantom shrugged and held his head in his hand as he floated next to Dash. “It’s funny. Like I said, I can’t get Sam and Tucker like that anymore.” 

“Where are they anyways?” Dash crossed the street in front of the school and started the walk home. 

“They’re busy.” Phantom groaned and flipped onto his back midair. “They had some very important stuff to do and they said I couldn’t come with them.”

“So tragic.” Dash smiled and shook his head at Phantom’s antics. 

Phantom laughed as he floated backwards on his back beside Dash, his arms crossed behind his head. Dash smiled as he watched him, a warm feeling growing in his chest. Phantom’s smile felt like the sun. 

“I think they’re trying to surprise me for my birthday. It’s coming up soon.”

Dash’s eyes widened. “You still celebrate your birthday?”

Phantom shot a look back at him. “Yeah? Don’t you still celebrate yours?” 

“Yeah, but you’re a ghost. Wouldn’t you celebrate your death day instead?”

Phantom scrunched up his nose and stared at a point from where they had come. “I try as hard as I can to not think about my death day. It was painful.”

“What was it like? Dying?”

Phantom turned to face Dash. He studied his face for a moment before he spoke. 

“I-”

A roar sounded from ahead of them on the street they were walking down. A ghost turned around the corner of a building and stared down at them. 

“Stay back.” Phantom said to him and flew away. He flew circles around the ghost's head and soon it was facing back the other way. It roared when Phantom shot an ectoblast between its eyes. 

It swung at him again and again, its slow paws trying and trying to hit Phantom. 

“You sure are slow!” Phantom smirked at the ghost and spun onto his back. “You fight like my sister.” 

The ghost roared again and Phantom flew back to avoid the swipe but he didn’t move fast enough.

The ghost scratched Phantom across the chest as he flew back. Dash could hear him hiss from where he stood on the ground. 

“That’s all you got, ghost?” Phantom held his fists back up.

As if taking that as a challenge, the ghost shrieked. It reared up for another hit. Phantom dodged the first one but wasn’t so lucky the second time. 

When the ghost’s claws connected with Phantom, Dash could hear the sound of his suit ripping. The ghost spun and sent him flying backwards down the street. 

“Phantom!” Dash shouted as he turned to look where Phantom had been thrown behind him. 

He laid there on the ground. He was hardly moving. The ghost started closing in, not paying any mind to Dash. 

“Hey!” Dash swung his arms in the air, trying to get the ghost’s attention. It finally looked down at him and paused. 

“Yeah! Leave him alone!” Dash shouted. He stuck a hand into his backpack and pulled out that lipstick laser that Tucker gave him. He aimed it at the ghost and took a shaky shot. 

It hit the ghost in the chest and it roared, charging at him. Dash took a step back but he yanked his backpack off, desperately digging out the thermos. He shakily pulled it out of his backpack just as the ghost was getting to him and he pressed the button. 

The ghost loomed over him before it got sucked into the thermos. Once it was gone, Dash closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. Then his eyes snapped back open and he turned around.

Phantom. 

He ran down the street to where Phantom lay. Phantom’s eyes opened as Dash got closer. Thank god. 

“Hey. How bad is it?” Dash asked as he dropped down to his knees on the pavement. 

Phantom hissed as he sat up. “Not the worst I’ve ever had. I’m not sure any of these need stitches.”

“Are you sure?” Dash studied his suit where it was torn. “I could literally hear your suit get shredded from where I was standing.” 

“Yeah.” Phantom nodded. “I think a good chunk of things I need to have stitched up are because I kept fighting and tore them and made them worse.” He looked up at Dash. “Thanks, by the way. For helping me with that ghost.” 

“Whaat? It was nothing.” Dash smiled at him.

Phantom laughed. “I could see you shaking in your boots from here.” 

Dash crossed his arms and turned his nose up away from Phantom. “Fighting ghosts is a lot scarier without fancy ghost powers.” 

“Yeah, but really, thanks.”

Dash looked back at Phantom. He couldn’t help it. It was the first thing he could think to do. He wasn’t going to just let a ghost get him when he couldn’t fight. 

Dash was lost in thought for a moment before his mind wandered back to Phantom’s injury. 

“Do you at least want that bandaged even if you don’t need stitches?”

Phantom nodded. “Yeah. It’ll help stop the bleeding.”

Dash dug through his backpack where it sat next to him when he dropped it. He pulled out his first aid kit. 

“Gauze or giant band aid?” Dash asked. 

Phantom looked down at his chest where the scratches were. He thought for a moment. 

“Probably gauze. I think these are too long for a giant bandaid.”

Dash nodded. He pulled the gauze out and turned back to Phantom. He blushed.

“What?” Phantom asked. 

The thought of Dash asking Phantom to undress was frazzling Dash’s brain. He only had to unzip the top part of his jumpsuit but he’d never seen Phantom in anything besides that before. What would he look like underneath? 

“I need, uh, you to unzip the top part of your jumpsuit so I can wrap the gauze around your chest.”

Phantom looked back down at his chest. “Oh.” He unzipped the front of his jumpsuit and pulled his arms out. He looked back up at Dash.

Dash’s blush went all the way up to his ears and he tried not to stare but he couldn’t help it. Phantom’s skin was so different from other ghosts. He was so much more human-like than them. 

Phantom held his hand out for Dash and he looked back up to his face. 

“I can do this if it’s too weird for you.”

“It’s not weird!” Dash blurted out. “I just, uh- I don’t-”

Phantom grabbed the gauze out of Dash’s hand and started wrapping it around his chest. “That’s okay. Sam was kind of awkward the first time she had to do this too.”

Dash nodded, but he was disappointed. This could’ve been an opportunity to get close to Phantom. To maybe graze a hand against his skin. Feel what a ghosts skin would-

“Dash?”

He jumped. “Yeah?”

“I’m all done. Here.” Phantom tossed the roll of gauze back to Dash. He fumbled to catch it and when he did he stowed it back in his first aid kit. 

Dash put everything back in his backpack and threw it back on his shoulder. He stood up and waited for Phantom to shove his arms back into his sleeves before he offered his hands to help Phantom up. 

Phantom looked at them for a moment before he reached up and grabbed onto Dash’s hands. Dash pulled Phantom to his feet and then they just stared at each other. Dash’s grip on Phantom’s hands tightened. He took a step closer to Phantom but then someone shouted at them. 

“Look! It’s Phantom!” 

Dash looked up around him and was shocked to see how many people had gathered around them. Where had they all come from? Were they all watching the ghost fight from their homes?

“Phantom, who is this boy? Why is he helping you?”

“Is that your boyfriend?”

“Who would be crazy enough to date a dead person?”

The voices clamored around them and Dash felt like they were pressing in on him. Phantom glanced at him and let go of his hands and instead wrapped an arm around his side.

“Gotta go!” 

“Wait, wha-!” 

Dash yelped as he was pulled into the air with Phantom as he took off in flight. He’d never flown before. Not even in a plane. He squeezed his eyes shut and wrapped his arm around Phantom’s shoulder. The flight was quick and soon they were touching down on the ground. 

Dash peeked an eye open and saw that they were standing in front of his house. 

“That was fast.” Dash said, out of breath. 

“Yeah.” Phantom smiled at him. “My top speed we’ve clocked so far is a hundred and twelve miles per hour. I can get anywhere in town pretty darn fast.” 

“Dang. That’s cool. Kinda scary.”

Phantom smiled. “You get used to it after a while.”

They looked at each other for a moment before Phantom seemed to remember he was still holding onto Dash. He coughed and pulled his hand away and it drifted across Dash’s back, leaving a trail of butterfly inducing tingles.

“Well, I gotta go. I have things to do.”

Dash let out a nervous laugh. “How busy can a ghost possibly be?”

“Like I’ve said, I’ve got to keep some of my secrets.”

Phantom started floating up into the air.

“Aw, come on. We’re not close enough for that yet?” Dash shouted up at him.

He smiled down at Dash. “Not quite. Maybe one day.”

Phantom waved down at Dash and then he flew away. Dash’s heart fluttered and he waved back belatedly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dash was laying in bed. He was ready to go to sleep after such a long day. He could almost fall asleep right now.

He started drifting off but was interrupted a moment later. 

Phantom flew through Dash’s bedroom wall and crashed onto his bed. Dash jumped up and stared at the boy that was suddenly next to him. 

“Phantom?” Dash exclaimed. 

He was curled up on his side next to Dash, holding his stomach. 

“I didn’t… I didn’t have anywhere else to go. Tucker is out of town and the far frozen was too far away for this one- ah!” He clenched his stomach again. 

“No, no. That’s what I’m here for. That’s why you guys agreed to let me join your team. So that there was someone else there to patch you up.”

Phantom shook his head. “This one’s worse. There’s a chance I’ll-”

A white ring appeared around his waist. Phantom tensed up and groaned before it disappeared again.

“What was that?” Dashed asked, staring.

Phantom shook his head. “You need to start stitching the wound up now. If we wait it’ll start bleeding faster. We can’t-” He tensed up again. Sparks flew around his middle. “We have to hurry.” 

At Phantom’s plea, he hurriedly got up and grabbed his first aid kit from under his bed. He kneeled down and Phantom turned to his side to face him.

“Can you uncurl for me? I need to take a look.” 

Phantom nodded and slowly pulled his arms away from his stomach. They were covered in ectoplasm. Dash gulped and studied the wound. It was deep. Ectoplasm was steadily oozing out of it. He pulled a pair of gloves on. 

“This is pretty deep, what if I can’t-”

“Sewing it shut will help.” Phantom grimaced. “Once the wound is shut my healing abilities will have an easier time mending it.” 

Dash nodded. “Okay.” 

He took a deep breath and got started. Phantom flinched with every touch of the needle. Dash was halfway done when the ring appeared around his waist again. Phantom struggled to push it away, but it disappeared after a few seconds. 

“Phantom.” Dash kept stitching the wound closed. “What’s happening?” 

“I can’t keep it back anymore.” Phantom ground out. “When I transform, I’m going to start bleeding much faster. You have to keep stitching me up, no matter what.”

“What? When you transform? What does that-”

The rings appeared around Phantom’s waist a final time. Dash tried to keep his focus on stitching Phantom’s wound, but then the rings split. They revealed a very familiar shirt underneath them. 

“I’m sorry.”

The rings finished traveling over the rest of Phantom’s body. Dash’s hands shook as the ectoplasm that was steadily coming out of the wound turned into blood. The pace increased and Dash got a glimpse at Phantom’s face as the rings went over his head and Danny Fenton was left in his place. 

Danny met his gaze for a moment and then his eyes fluttered closed.

“Danny?” Dash whispered.

He didn’t move and Dash went back to stitching up the wound. He was almost done and he was hoping this would be enough. That Danny wouldn’t…

He shook his head. He couldn’t think like that. He had already seen the impossible. Danny wouldn’t die. He couldn’t. 

He made his last stitch and cut the thread. He grabbed a bag and disposed of everything inside it. He was about to put the first aid kit away when he thought about putting a bandage on top of Danny’s stitches. 

He pulled a bandage and some gauze out of the first aid kit and when he turned back around Danny’s eyes were already open, staring at Dash. 

“You’re awake already?” Dash whispered. “I wasn’t sure- I was afraid that-”

Danny shook his head. “My healing powers are already working. It just needed help getting started. It can’t heal if it’s still bleeding so much like that.” 

Dash let out a deep breath. “I’m glad to hear.” 

A pause stretched between them and Dash looked down at his hands and saw the gauze and bandage he was holding. He held them up.

“Do you want these on there too? Would it help?”

Danny nodded. “They’ll help make sure I don’t bleed into my clothes.” 

Dash nodded back at him. “Your shirt looks pretty bad too. Do you want one of mine?”

Danny shrugged. “Sure.”

He set the bandage and gauze down on the bed and headed to his dresser. He pulled out a shirt and turned back around to see Danny pulling his shirt off. 

Heat rose to Dash’s face and the comments Phantom made that first time Dash helped him came to mind. Tucker’s laugh echoed inside his head. 

Man, you’re not gonna live this one down. 

Sam and Tucker must know. That’s why they were being so weird that night. 

He sat down at the edge of his bed and looked at Danny. He peeled the back of the bandage off and put it over Danny’s stitches. He spread his hand out over it, pressing the edges down, making sure they were sticking to Danny’s skin properly. 

“Can you sit up?” Dash asked. Danny nodded and pushed himself up, wincing. 

Dash leaned closer to Danny and started winding the gauze around his torso. Once he was done, he looked up to see Danny’s face only a few inches from his own. 

They stared at each other for a few moments before they both spoke at once.

“I’m sorry.” 

Both of their eyes widened. Dash sat up.

“Why are you sorry? I was literally the one wailing on you for so long.”

Danny shook his head. “I lied to you. I never told you who I was. I could see the way you looked at me, but I didn’t think you’d look at me like that if you knew I was also Danny.” 

Dash flushed. “You could tell.” He breathed out. 

“Yeah I could.” Then he rolled his eyes. “And if I couldn’t, Tucker would’ve made sure I knew anyway.” 

“Tucker knows too?” Dash whispered. He didn’t think anyone could see his developing feelings for Phantom. He thought they just would have assumed it was because he was Phantom’s biggest fan. 

“Yeah. No offense, but it was pretty obvious. Especially if even I could tell.” 

Dash groaned and covered his face with his hands as he leaned back onto his bed. He felt Danny lean over to look down at him. Dash opened his eyes.

Danny met his eyes. His eyes traveled down his face to his lips. He slowly bent down and pressed his lips against Dash’s. Dash closed his eyes again and after a few seconds Danny pulled away.

“It helped that I was looking for it, though.”

Dash smiled up at him. “You did call me cute that one time.”

Now it was Danny’s turn to groan. “I don’t even know what I was thinking. I hardly even remember that.” 

Dash placed a hand on the back of Danny’s head and pulled him back down and kissed him again. 

“Did Tucker ever let you live it down?”

Danny laughed. “No. Of course not.”

“I bet it’ll be even worse now.” Dash said against Danny’s lips.

“Oh, you bet it will.”

Dash kissed Danny one more time and gently pulled him down to lay beside him.

[s-rosie]

Javery hcssssssss #4

are you there goddddd it’s me fionaaaaaaa

jameson buys avery acrostic jewelry that says either cute messages or as clues for when he makes their dates a game (acrostic jewelry is jewelry that uses the first letter of jewels to spell out a word or message)

when jamie isn’t with ave and she says that she’s craving something or wants something he will order it to the house for her with a little message on the bag like “to avery from your mystery boy”

he can play electric guitar and she can sing so they make covers of songs together and just sing to have fun and it sounds really good

(this one is kinda reminiscent of some of my previous hcs) they once got caught making out in the library and when the teacher tried to give them detention they said that it never said in the rule book you can’t make out in the library (bc who would acc do it it’s just common sense…) and the teacher had to let them go but the next day the rules got updated with a “no making out in the library” rule on it and they put more cameras in that area

when they have whipped cream they always try to put it on the other’s nose/smear it on their face and it ends with a huge mess all over and like 5 empty cans of whipped cream

ave can rub a line down jamie’s forehead down his nose a few times with her pinky and he will fall asleep instantly and he won’t admit that he falls asleep that fast but she finds it adorable

to make them mad, nash gave them “the talk” when he found out they were sleeping together and wouldn’t let them leave until he was done and they were mortified but nash just found it funny

one time on her period ave bled through the sheets of jameson’s bed and she was so worried he would find it gross and want to leave her but he just told her it was natural and absolutely nothing to worry about and he gave her some of his really comfy oversized clothes and cuddled her after changing the sheets and helping her clean up

when they were still in school, jameson asked avery “so, want to come over to my room later and study 😏” but she was kinda clueless to what he meant so she was like “sure, i’ll make a quizlet” and he was like “no, we don’t need that, the test is on human anatomy” and she was like “oh i’m not taking biology this year so i don’t need to study but ill send you the link to my favorite anatomy blooket” and she didn’t realize what he really meant until a random 3:00 am 3 years later

once they accidentally left their handcuffs on the headboard from ✨activities✨ and ave filmed a grwm with those in the background and didn’t know until xander and max pointed it out and made fun of them

they hold each other’s pinky’s sometimes when they want to be close but still have their space and it’s adorable

jameson has a staring problem and will not stop looking at avery no matter what bc he just thinks she’s just so beautiful which causes alisa to get mad when jamie can’t even look at the reporters interviewing them bc he’s staring at avery but most of the fans find it adorable

he will grab her cheeks and pinch them slightly which causes her face to scrunch up which looks really cute and when her face is red from the pinching he says “haha i made you blush” which causes her to do the same and/or kiss his face all over until his face is red and say “now i made you blush”

on a couch or big comfy chair ave will sit on his lap (not in a spicy way but like how rachel sits on ross’ lap at central perk in friends) and he will cuddle her and whisper sweet nothings in her ear and kiss her face/neck while she giggles and kisses him back

jamie wears her jewelry and avery wears his jackets and sunglasses

the first time he put his hand on ave’s thigh she forgot how to breath/act like a normal human being and it was at a gala so there are photos of her from that gala trying not to die. she even says that the closest she’s ever come to dying wasn’t the shooting or plane bombing, but when jameson put his hand on her thigh for the first time

i’m trying something a little different with my hcs where i make them longer and add more context and stuff but make a little less so lmk if you like this better or the shorter ones!

also pls give me rqs bc i have motivation but i’m running out of ideas for hcs lollll

[botanical-garden-system]

Psychology is a very broad field, and there are a lot of different aspects to this field. It’s really hard to navigate this science without a bit of academic knowledge, so I’m going to open up my asks in general for people who are interested in psychology. I have access to several academic databases and I would love to share them with people who want them! I also really want chances to info dump and get excited over psychology more often :,))

My research surrounds psychology, especially psychopathology and DID research, so a lot of my support will be good through that. However, I do have a bit of knowledge on other branches of psychology if you are interested (e.g. sensation and perception, cognitive, early childhood development, some neuropsychology). I can also connect these to psychopathology fairly well, that being my specialty. If this actually gets interest, I may make a side blog to help give psychology education.

I have more information under the cut if you would be interested!

(Yes I know a lot of the tags are DID related but thats a big target audience of mine so sue me /lh)

If you do send me an ask, make sure to be as specific as possible. I can (and will) do some extra preliminary research to figure out things, but the more specific the better for me! Terms that are used colloquially usually have other terms in research/are misunderstood by general discussion. I also have access to general textbooks covering branches of psychology if you are interested in the overall field!

Also please be sure to ask me for a simplified explanation if you need one! The abstract, background info, and discussion sections are your friend.

No question is a stupid question!!

Here are some different overall categories to stir up some interest (and these are categories I definitely feel the most comfortable in, but it is not an expansive list):

Sensation and Perception: This is the study of the different senses and how this contributes to our perception of the world. The research surrounds the physical detection of stimuli through the senses (sensation) and how the brain interprets this information (perception). Some commonly covered sense are: vision, audition (hearing), vestibular, somatosensation (touch), interoception, olfaction (smell), and gustation (taste). (I am currently looking into the vestibular system, it’s very cool).

Cognitive psychology: This is the study of how people think and process things. A lot of this includes attention, perceptions, memory, language, and problem-solving skills. This branch is all about the process of information, including the ones we are not consciously aware of. (I have been a TA for this class).

Developmental psychology: This is the study of development through the human lifespan. It is typically broken down into early childhood (infancy to 10-11 years of age; infancy can also be separated on its own), adolescence (roughly 12-18 years), adulthood (age ranges from 18-65, but this is usually broken down), and later adulthood (65+ years of age). It can be very all encompassing of psychological functions.

Social psychology: This is the study of how society impacts the thoughts, feelings, and actions of the individual—regardless of whether it is an imagined or actual interaction. Social psychology can cover things such as race, ethnicity, class, gender, sexuality, disability, etc.. Covers conformity, deviance, socialization, prejudice, and more.

Personality psychology: This is the study of personality traits we can find in an individual and how it influences an individual’s behaviors, adaptations, or interactions. The three levels of personality analysis: human nature (how alike we are to the entirety of humanity), individual/group differences (how alike we are to specific groups), and individual uniqueness (how we are like no one else).

Biological psychology: This is the study of the biological and physiological processes that make us react and behave in the ways we do. It includes human anatomy to explain the interactions of biology (endocrine, immune, neural pathways, etc.) to psychology. When I use the term “biomarkers,” it is most likely related to biological psychology

I can probably make a few posts about how to navigate research papers, the kinds of papers you will come into, different statistical tests, and some general basic introductory psychology information.

[meteooru]

first of all, I LOVE YOUR ART STYLE OMG—

i draw in a similar style but i’ve been trying get better at drawing bc i can only do headshots well. i can do full body but its not very good, and i cant do poses, angles, backgrounds, etc. and i can’t find a good place to begin an art study :/. do you have any tips or recommendations that could help?

Hello! Thank you for the nice wordss <3

About the question, I don’t know if I have an concise answer for it, because I’m mostly self taught and I’ve lost track of everything I’ve tried lmao

The thing that helped me the most was doing gesture drawing, however that’s because it’s the fundamental I value the most, I really love all the art that feels light and natural and focus on characters, so I think I spent months (and still do it sometimes) doing gesture drawing almost every day

Some of the resources I love for gesture are

This page to do sessions: https://line-of-action.com

Youtube channel with kinda live sessions (i love this channel!): https://www.youtube.com/@GESDRAWPARTY

And because gesture needs an understanding of anatomy I studied that with some books (I think it was the morpho ones) and the proko free anatomy course on yt, copying and trying to understand the way the body is constructed and all of that hahsh

I think what it comes up to at the end it's about the art you want to make, so that you can focus on the fundamentals that will help you, there's a really interesting and helpful video explaining the different fundamentals from Marc Brunet (this one). Unfortunately it's very difficult to master all of them and takes a lot of time and practice, so I would say it's better to prioritize! I would say gather the artworks that you love on a folder or a board and try to understand what it's the thing you like the most about them, and what you need to achieve it!

Here are some extra resources I've come across that I think are worth checking:

qrbits on Youtube: I love her videos on character drawing! She's an amazing teacher

Drawabox: This is a totally free course to get better at understanding of form, 3d space and construction, it's an amazing resource, but it's very hard to follow. Though, I also think it's totally worth a try!

I love love love Tb Choi art so this proko video it's one of my favorites

I'll add more if I remember any other, but for now I hope this is helpful! I know how frustrating it is to want to get better at everything at once but not being able to, I'm still struggling with that myself, but I know with patience it can be achieved ^^

Good luck! And don't hesitate to reach again if you need anything else :D

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

Alright, I'm going to only focus on reblogs and answering questions for a while, rather than making new posts. My inbox is clear at the moment, I caught up on the backlog.

I want to dedicate some time to planning out that book. Not sure what to title it just yet.

Goal of the book:

To provide advice similar to what I post on this blog, but broader and more polished. It will be a book about fantasy design, but not the same way you usually see that term used. Most of the time, discussions about character and creature design are focused on making your designs work for comics/animation/video game concept art, where the important part is creating a design that stands out from a background and has an appealing silhouette and can easily be replicated by a team of artists. Marketability is a key factor as well.

This book will be about character and creature design from the view of a worldbuilder. I'm more interested in talking about functional anatomy and how to make unrealistic creatures look grounded and believable while still giving them that fantastical whimsy.

Part 1:

Obviously I'll open the book on some broader advice about how to get started with designing creatures, though the assumption is that my audience already knows how to draw. This is not a how-to-draw book. I will go over some basic terminology and provide examples of the artistic study process, but I assume anyone using this book is already an artist in some capacity.

The getting started chapter will discuss things like asking yourself the right questions to get your ideas flowing, how to use references effectively, and where to find good references.

That's all I have planned so far. Figuring out what needs to be said at the start of the book is pretty easy. Always open on the basics. And I think the last chapter will be about how to worldbuild effectively, taking your designs and applying them to your fictional world.

But trying to figure out the order of what to put between those chapters is the tricky part. I don't want to spend too much time on really specific and niche topics. I answer rather specific questions on this blog all the time, which is fine because I'm answering those questions for specific people and just making sure my answers can be helpful to other people who might have had similar questions.

I just don't think I can spend pages and pages of this book going over a dozen different fantasy people designs, or covering every possible animal combination for fantasy creatures, or going into detail on a whole fantasy fashion line for as many specific clothing obstacles as i can think of lol. That won't be productive or helpful for a broad audience. So I need to come up with some good categories to cover and then cover them in a way that hopefully leads people into their own more specific ideas.

And I need to figure out the best order to arrange all of those topics, so they line up well between the discussion of basic ideas and reference processes and the final chapter on worldbuilding.

I should also come up with some fresh design ideas I can use as examples throughout the book, since I plan to make a different book compiling all the worldbuilding I'm doing for my novels. Things like my posts on centaurs and quetzalin will go in that book, not this design advice book.

This is a big project and I'm excited to work on it! The most annoying part, I think, will be finding a publisher. I don't have the means to self publish it. I'll let you all know when it's available for pre-order and you can help spread the word lol.

[wewerebornsextuplets]

idk how but you draw in the Oso-san style so good i need to know your secret please

HAHA thank you very much!! im glad you think so :D unfortunately im not very good at explaining how i work, but ill try my best to show what i mean!!

once again this is long as hell. you know the drill at this point

to be honest, half the battle i fight with drawing in the osmt style is just. Looking at it. the ososan art style actually fluctuates pretty wildly depending on what you're looking for, whether that be the mobile games (for instance, tabimatsu and hesowars look nothing alike in terms of style despite both being the same source material), official art and merch, or even the seasons of the show itself!

using ichi as my example here since i draw him the most, but its pretty easy to play spot the difference with the varying styles. even within a specific season you can do this across episodes, especially with season 1!

when i draw, i tend to be a bit sacrilege and use references across different media; usually ill use the show [especially season 2, if only because its a bit more "uniform"] as reference for the actual features and colors/poses/etc, but i like to use hesowars to reference proportions, since they seem to be most consistent there.

SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO NOTE: theres a WEALTH of fanartists that have styles that are INCREDIBLY similar to the show, so be careful to check your sources! these artists deserve credit for their hard work, which they often don't get since their work is reposted under the guise of being official art.

once you've pinned down the exact style you'd like to emulate, and the character you're looking to draw, its really just a matter of finding references, which is pretty easy! you can scrub through different episodes for good angles/shots, or if you're going for one of the game styles the AU wiki has most of the games catalogued to my knowledge. if you're looking to draw an oc, use characters you think they would look similar to in the show. if you really wanna waste your time, though, you can always scrub through crowd scenes in the show to see if any background characters might look like what you're going for; the season 3 episode Mt. Takao comes to mind, there were a lot of cute mob characters there.

using keiko as my example here, you can see that i pulled her features from multiple different characters to get her to look right in the style. with ocs, its important to reference a number of different characters, since the likelihood of a background character being a 1:1 for your little guy is unfortunately pretty low. there WILL, however, be a lot of characters that look KIND of like them. the key is to figure out what parts go where!

to this point, most prominent ososan women have very similar stock anime girl faces with very minor differences, so if youre looking to make a cute girl oc, most of the womens' faces can be used somewhat interchangeably. if you want your cute girl oc to have a more unique face, though, the movie gave us some women with more unique faces in the form of the NEETs' old classmates! theres also no harm in referencing male characters faces in this regard. #butchswag #kiruminikuya

BUT. going back to the assumption that you're drawing a canon character, today I'll be drawing oso for my example

when you're first getting a feel for the style, tracing some of your references can actually be a really great way to acclimate yourself to the characters proportions and features. think of like when you were a kid, and would trace over pictures of pokemon or cartoon characters so you could draw them better. its basically the same principle! this was especially helpful for me when it came to eyes; they vary the most wildly of any other trait that characters have in ososan, so going over the different shapes to get a feel for each of them was very important.

when you trace, though, I recommend doing so a bit more loosely, sort of like if you're doing a photo study for anatomy; block out the basic shapes and do small markers for different features (i.e small lines to denote where the eyes start and and, distance from nose to mouth, things like that), and from there draw the rest on your own.

after long enough you'll get a feel for the basic placement of where everything should go! the eyes and nose are undoubtedly the hardest when it comes to the sextuplets, since they shift around a LOT between games/seasons/etc. so don't feel bad if you have a hard time with that, since there isnt really a "right" answer with how frequently it changes. i still fuck it up all the time myself!

as for some basic tips, heres some stuff i try to keep in mind when drawing them that just helps the finished product look a bit nicer!

when drawing the hair + fringe line, its important to swoop it downwards a little bit; the flat across look Can work, but if you're not careful you risk showing the tops of their eyes, which is um. ew! ick! nast!

when a matsu is facing forward, their hair will usually tend towards one direction to keep the silhouette. in most screenshots i saw, the bowl cut points left! that said, dont be afraid to point rightwards if its better for your specific drawing!

and lastly: USE THE LIQUIFY TOOL. LIBERALLY. i am not joking when i say this has saved my ass so many times, its hard to get the placement right on the facial features and even harder to get everything to LOOK good, so if its available to you i HIGHLY suggest just squishing everything around with a liquify tool until it looks right. you can always go back and correct the blurry lines. its really a life saver

BUT YEAH! i dont know if this was very helpful but i hope you're at least able to gain something from it :-))

[blueskittlesart]

What advice would you give beginner artists?

it's fine to want to do more stylized art, but nothing will help you improve quickly like studying from life. even if you want to draw very stylized figures, life drawing is still going to help you understand how the human body works and then you can build your stylization off of that understanding. I also recommend studying specifically things you're looking to improve--if you feel like your poses aren't dynamic, ask your model to do some quick (1-2 min) dynamic poses and work on getting the gesture down. if you're looking for anatomy, ask for longer, more static poses and really study the contours of the body. this also applies for portraiture and character art--my expressions and facial structure improved like CRAZY when i started doing portrait studies from life! (note: i know live model sessions aren't accessible for everyone. i'm a huge advocate for nude models, if you can find a studio nearby that's affordable to you that offers sessions, that's the best you're gonna get. however, there are sites that will give you photos of nude models to draw from, too, or you can even just ask friends or family to pose for you when they aren't busy, that's what i did before i started getting model sessions from my school!)

materials are not everything but sometimes a good material can make a difference. it's important to know what's worth it and what isn't for your skill level. invest in some decent-quality supplies or a good art program, but understand that you're still going to need to work to understand your materials and use them to their fullest potential. (if you're a digital artist buy csp. trust me on this. get it on sale. it will change your life. also do not fucking use photoshop)

tracing is ok. listen to me. TRACING. IS. OK. tracing is how you learn. don't trace other people's art and pass it off as your own, obviously, but there is literally no problem with tracing real-life reference photos. I routinely trace references for backgrounds and the like. there is no reason for you to kill yourself trying to make complex perspective and shit up from your head when you can very easily just overlay a photo and get what you need.

in that same vein, USE REFERENCE PHOTOS. find pics online or take pics of yourself and USE THEM to see how your poses work. it makes it SO SO SO much easier. the understanding that you need to create a pose out of nowhere will come with time but you're not going to get that skill unless you have a foundation of understanding how the real human body works, and the easiest way to get that understanding is by copying photos of real people.

last but not least, there's generally a sort of 'rulebook' that new artists are expected to go by, especially online, when it comes to digital art. when i was first learning, it was all about lineart and cell shading, two things that I didn't really like. Nowadays it seems to be all about rendering. the single most important thing i can tell you is if it sucks you don't have to do it. if you hate lineart just color your sketches. if you hate shading don't shade, or find a different way to shade that you enjoy more. if rendering is annoying or difficult for you DON'T BOTHER!! art is supposed to be fun. if part of your process is annoying or upsetting to you, cut it the fuck out. don't torture yourself just to do art the "right" way. i guarantee your art will look better when you're having fun making it anyway!

[tgmsunmontue]

Saga of Solitude 14/21

Nepo!Baby Bradley and his life at USNA and afterwards. DADT fully in force. IceMav AU. (Begun prior to 'It's not who you know' - the non-angsty version). (Side Hangster, which is ALSO angsty).

PROLOGUE (He remembers)

HANGSTER FIRST MEETING (Lonely Nights - set 2009)

PREVIOUS CHAPTERS

ONE (2000) TWO (2001) THREE (2002) FOUR (2003) FIVE (2004) SIX (2005) SEVEN (2006) EIGHT (2007) NINE (2008) TEN (2009) ELEVEN (2010) TWELVE (2011) THIRTEEN (2012)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN – 2013

                The Bronco still isn’t up and running, he doesn’t have enough time to dedicate to it unless he’s got weeks of leave. Fortunately Ice lets him bring it home to the house when he’s back so he can work on it without trekking back and forth to the hangar. Then Ice goes one step better and makes Mav finally clear out the garage at Bradley’s house, and he can suddenly store and work on it even in shorter bursts of time. Natasha is still working on getting the engine restored, but she thinks another week of solid work should have it turning over. Of course, it’s getting the time together to work on it which proves elusive. Mav offers to help and Bradley gladly accepts, he doesn’t want to ignore it or have it languishing for years and end up a retirement project. He can see what it’ll look like in his mind and it’s beautiful.

…            …            …

                Pete didn’t think he’d have to knock and wait. Petra just has a friend over, they were meant to be studying. He’s not sure what they were studying exactly, but it wasn’t in any book. Each other’s anatomy maybe. He picks up his phone and paces back and forth in the garage, not ashamed by the fact that he is in fact hiding from his own daughter.

                God fucking damnit, why won’t Ice answer the damn phone already?

                “Pete? Is everything okay?”

                “I, yes, everyone is fine. Physically. Mentally however, I might be scarred for life. I might have scarred Petra for life!”

                There’s a longer than usual pause on the other end.

                “Pete, it’s late afternoon and I will be home in just over an hour, can it wait?”

                “Did you know Petra has a girlfriend?”

                “Oh. Huh. Guess you got your wish about her never being interested in boys…”

                “Ice!” Pete exclaims, because this isn’t funny, although he can hear someone laughing in the background. “Am I on speaker?” he asks suspiciously.

                “No. But funnily enough noise carries through my phone quite well when you raise your voice. I have Slider and Aubrey in the room. I’m actually doing work, because you know, I’m at work?”

                “No no, this is far more amusing than the latest budgetary constraints. What did you see Mav?” Slider asks, and Pete rolls his eyes, remembers now that he’s meant to be coming to stay.

                “Too much. I saw too much.”

                “Maverick. I’ll be home soon. Just take a deep breath. Take something apart and put it back together again… but not the coffee maker.”

                “That was one time!”

                “The first, only and last time. Just… see if you can fix the toaster.”

                “You don’t think I need to talk to her?”

                “And tell her what? The last time you slept with a woman was… what, at least twenty years ago?”

                “I don’t need to give her tips! I was talking more about, consent, and taking things at her own pace… Not rushing into things!”

                “She’s your daughter Mav, she only has one pace and that’s full-speed ahead.”

                “Oh god…” Pete groans, because Ice is so right.

                There’s more muffled laughing and Pete wonders if this is karma.

                “Fortunately Pete, her mother is a lesbian and likely far more equipped to handle the appropriate birds and bees talk,” Tom pauses. “Birds and birds?”

                “Wait. Who gave Bradley that talk?”

                “I did.”

                “When?”

                “About fifteen years ago. Mav! He’s coming up thirty. I hope you don’t think he’s still…”

                “I try not to think about it to be honest!”

                “Yeah well, lucky you. I had to take him through the safe sex talk. Twice.”

                “Huh. I mean, at least we don’t have to worry about her getting pregnant? I’m too young to be a grandfather.”

                There’s more laughter and he wonders if he can put something nasty in Slider’s drink.

                “Mav. Pete. I’ll be home soon. Just go and find the toaster and take it apart okay?”

                “Yeah. Yeah okay.”

…            …            …

                Tom hangs up and looks at Slider and Aubrey, both who are silently laughing. He might as well have had Mav on speaker for how loud his voice had been. He should have probably turned the volume down, but he has no secrets from either of them.

                “Sorry about that.”

                “Oh, don’t be. Seriously, that was the best laugh I’ve had in a long time. Definitely beats talking shop.”

                “I thought it might be something serious.”

                “It is serious,” Aubrey interjects. “To him. And no doubt to Petra as well. Go home sir. I think your family need you there more than we need you here. I have all the material we need.”

                “Okay. Well, if you’re sure?”

                “Of course. Have a good weekend.”

                “You too.”

                She leaves and he stands, starts packing away his things, taking nothing work related home for once given that Slider is staying, which means no time to do work.

                “I’m going to take the rental car and I’ll be around later. After you give me the all clear that it’s safe to turn up. I do not need to be entangled in your family drama.”

                “You don’t have to do that.”

                “Oh, I’m doing it for my sake. Plus I need to go shopping.”

                “Why, what do you need?”

                “Oh, I don’t need anything. You, however, are going to need a new toaster.”

                Tom sighs, because he’s probably right. He needs to talk to Melissa and Sarah.

…            …            …

                “Okay. So family conference time.”

                “This is stupid,” Petra mutters and Ice looks at him, like it’s his fault that she’s this way. Huh. Maybe it is, he has no idea how genetics work.

                “We just think we need to have an open and honest conversation…”

                “Learn how to knock and wait.”

                “Yes, that too, but also, it would have been polite if you had introduced us to your…”

                “Friend. Cassie is my friend. You’ve met her before! I shouldn’t need to introduce my friends every time they come over.”

                “Do you kiss all your friends like that?” Pete asks, and he realizes he maybe doesn’t want to know the answer to that question.

                “Is it any of your business if I do?”

                He frowns, because no, he guesses it isn’t. He looks at Ice, who is rubbing his temples.

                “It was just a shock…” Pete starts again, feeling completely out of depth. Maybe he should have prepared for this better.

                “That’s not my problem! That’s a you problem! And I don’t need to come out. If anything, Tamsin should come out.”

                Pete’s eyebrows go up, looks to Tamsin who is already rolling her eyes and he cannot wait to tell Bradley all about this conversation when they have their weekly talk tomorrow.

                “Do you have something you want to share with us sweetheart?”

                “That I’m straight? Is that what I need to say?” Tamsin asks, looking at Petra with an incredibly unimpressed look and Pete has no idea how to get the conversation back on track, if it was ever on a track to start with. Tom is standing there silently, which is absolutely fucking useless.

                “If the shoe fits.”

                “There’s nothing wrong with being straight!”

                “In this family?” Petra snaps back, sneering at her and Pete blinks. He’d thought they got on well. What the hell is happening?

                “Of course there’s nothing wrong… there’s nothing wrong with any orientation or how you might identify. I would hope you both know that,” he starts, looking frantically to Ice for backup who continues to just stand there quietly.

                “Yeah, so shoot me, I’m the token straight family member.”

                “Okay… what did we just walk in on?” Sarah asks, standing in the doorway and Pete feels so relieved

                “Tamsin just came out as straight,” Petra snaps.

                Sarah and Melissa exchange a look, holding a conversation the same way he and Ice do, years of practice communicating silently. Although he admits he sometimes pretends to misinterpret what Ice wants on purpose just to rile him up a bit.

                “Okay… we’ve already had this conversation. Labels aren’t always helpful.”

                Pete winces inwardly, because of course Sarah and Melissa are all over this, they’re the stable present parents and they know their daughters much better than he does.

                “I know! I’m figuring shit out. Just… can we not talk about it? Please?”

                Then she’s pushing her chair back and running toward her room and fuck, he thinks he’s maybe fucked up.

                “Shit. Sorry. I kind of went about this the wrong way huh?”

                “You think?” Tamsin asks, looking between all the adults like she can’t believe how idiotic they all are. It’s a look so reminiscent of Ice that Pete can’t help but be amused, but he’s got years of practice ensuring it doesn’t show on his face.

                “Just… we love you okay? Know that.”

                “I know. We both know. We love you too.”

…            …            …

                There has been a shift, a subtle one, but still a shift. There aren’t blatant come-ons, but there is definitely less fear, especially among the younger and newer servicemen, ones who have maybe served equal times under DADT and then not, the habits of years not so ingrained and as he watches some of the others hook up and start likely ill-advised affairs he wonders what it must be like to not have over a decade of hiding such a large part of who you are. It makes him a little uncomfortable when he thinks about it too much, so he shoves it down and away, doesn’t let him think about it too much other than in passing.

                Plus he’s not sure whether he’s cut out to be a boyfriend, his relationship with Callum often feeling awkward, like they’re constantly on their best behavior and apart from the sex being really good, he’s not quite sure if it’s the fact that every moment not in bed feels like it’s a first date every time, or whether between him being deployed and Callum’s work they just don’t have the time to make it work. Or, more to the point, the desire to make it work.

…            …            …

                “What are you singing?” Tom asks, because watching his two teenage daughters having fun and laughing will always bring him joy, but the fact that Maverick is standing in the corner filming and grinning like he’s up to something has him suspicious.

                “Hey, all right now, all right now, fellas!”

                “Yeah?” Petra scream-yells and Maverick is grinning widely.

                “Now, what's cooler than being cool?”

                “Ice Cold!”

                “I can't hear ya! I say what's, what's cooler than being cool?”

                “Ice Cold!”

                He meets Pete’s shit eating grin with dead eyes, expression grim. Inwardly he’s amused, but he never passes up an opportunity to screw with Pete if he can, and this is harmless. Petra and Tamsin continue singing and dancing, but Pete’s straightening up from his slouch, looking contrite. He’s glad there isn’t a camera pointed toward him, capturing the expression on his face because he doesn’t think he could keep a straight face if he was being filmed.

                “Ice, Tom… it isn’t…”

                It definitely is something, because there’s no reason for Mav to be acting so guilty and apologetic otherwise. But he can’t keep the grin from his face, loops his arms around Pete and pulls him into his arms and kisses him, still feeling the little swoop of unease about doing this in front of other people, even if they’re his own kids. It’s a slow process to suddenly be okay with being affectionate with Maverick when other people can see.

                “Ew. Gross. Parents kissing.”

…            …            …

                Bradley doesn’t know where he thought he’d be at thirty, and where he is isn’t bad, but he just thought he’d have maybe more of his shit together. Hell, Tamsin seems to not only have a five year plan, but a ten and twenty year plan and if he didn’t know she was Ice’s daughter that would be all the evidence he needed right there. He has another ten to fifteen years of flying if he wants it, he could go commercial and make it last longer, but he doesn’t really know what he wants, so will remain in the holding pattern he’s in. Unfortunately the holding pattern involves having a 30th birthday party he’d rather ignore.

                “You don’t want to invite Callum to your birthday party?”

                “No! Look, Callum and I aren’t serious.”

                “Oh. I thought…

                “Well, you thought wrong.”

                A few weeks later he’s not surprised when Callum breaks it off before his next deployment, telling him that while they might connect physically, it’s not something that can make the foundation of a relationship, not for him. He does think Bradley will one day make some guy really happy, but that maybe he thinks about how much effort he needs to put into his next relationship. He stews over that a bit, because it’s not like Callum was the most available or present, even when they’d spent time together Bradley had felt he’d always come in second place to Callum’s job. Then again, he’s pretty sure Callum feels the same about his job.

                It shouldn’t require effort, it shouldn’t be work. Or rather, he’ll want to do it, so it won’t feel like it’s a chore. His breakup with Callum doesn’t leave him heartbroken, but it does make him reflect on what he does and doesn’t want, and he guesses that’s the whole point of relationships, to find what works and what doesn’t. There were far too many non-negotiables that they couldn’t work through to make anything long-term work out and they already knew that going in, so he guesses Patrick and Christopher were pretty good judges at least.

                He’s deployed with Javy, and he worries briefly that he will know all about him and Jake. He either doesn’t know, or he’s damned good at pretending that Bradley hasn’t treated his best friend like shit. Not that it probably looks that way from a casual observer, but the guilt he feels tells him he hasn’t exactly been the nicest of people. He’s not quite sure how to make it better or right, but at the bare minimum he should probably apologize the next time he sees him. If Jake lets him.

…            …            …

                They find more cancer, but his annual checkups that Melissa bullies him into mean that it’s small. Because Melissa is his doctor he knows he cannot keep it a secret from Sarah. He wonders if he should admit to anyone that there are two women in his life that he cowers under the gaze of. And one isn’t his ex-wife. Sarah might have a special place in his heart, but she isn’t someone that Tom hasn’t ever just acquiesced to. Melissa and now Aubrey, they’re both women that Tom knows, respects and trusts implicitly. And is also a little afraid of if he’s honest with himself, their competency at things he’s not knowledgeable enough about to have as strong an opinion as them. So he trusts them.

                He just doesn’t like it when they join forces.

…            …            …

         ��      He rolls up his sleeves and starts working on the rust spots on the Bronco. He’s only got two weeks, and Maverick is off somewhere he can’t share, but isn’t active duty at least so he won’t worry about him. Although he is still Mav. Tamsin and Petra help him, chattering away about their classes and Tamsin about her plans for study and starting college. It makes him feel old. When Petra complains about not knowing what she wants to do when she’s older he just laughs and shakes his head.

                “You’ve still got a few years yet. Don’t worry about it.”

                “But you knew. Tamsin knows. Dad and Papa both knew. Mom and Mama knew. Surely you figure things out.”

                “Well, I’ll tell you a secret. Sometimes you don’t know and you just go along with whatever feels right at the time…”

                “Is that what you did?”

                “Well… sort of. I didn’t back then but I’m sort of doing it now.”

                “Wait. Do you not know what you want to be when you’re grown up either?”

                He snorts in amusement at her phrasing.

                “No. I guess not.”

                “But you’re ancient! You’re twice as old as me.”

                “Yeah, thanks for pointing that out Pet. I never figured out how to do maths.”

                “Haha. I just thought you might had forgotten at your advanced age.”

                “Wow. Just… wow. The cheek of youth these days. You want me to drive you around while I’m on leave, or do you want to be asking your parents?”

                “Ugh. Fine.”

                “Yeah well, the rust isn’t removing itself. Come on.”

                “Fine. Is Natasha coming to visit? Does she know you don’t want to keep flying?”

                “Uh. No. She’s currently deployed in the Atlantic. Why? Plus I love flying, I want to keep flying.”

                “Oh. No reason. And that’s cool. I just thought you might do what Dad did and become an admiral or something.”

                “I can give you her number if you like. I’m sure she’d love to hear from you. And becoming an admiral is… well, it sure is something I guess.”

                He’s not even making it up, because Natasha asks about them every time they talk, Petra especially, and he knows it might be because Petra is only a couple years older than whatever kid Natasha might have had, had she decided on a different path. It’s his own path he can’t see very clearly at the moment.

…            …            …

                He looks at the movie title, casts his mind back to the scene in the kitchen of his husband and daughters dancing and singing. This will likely give them ammunition for years but the warmth he feels when he thinks about them being silly and loving makes him smile so he goes in and buys four tickets for Frozen.

FIFTEEN

[whiteraven90]

hello, I hope you're having a good day <33 I saw your recent post on my dash and I was STUNNED at the animated scene! It's insane to me I get to see your characters animated. Feeling blessed to be alive to see it, I am not exaggerating. You know, one of these times where you wake up and things are a little bumpy in your life but there's one thing that shines brightly you didn't know it could give you so much excitement? Yeah, that kind of thing ((:

I took my time for the past hour to reminisce over your blog again. It is one of the places I really love scrolling through and reading your writing. I had a question, if you don't mind me. The way you have improved is truly admirable. I know this might not be an easy ask to say "hey, how did you learn how to paint", so I'll ask this instead: I don't know how long you've been working full-time in art, but when do you make time for studies / drawing for fun? If it's not too much to respond to, how do *you* study? I remembered your posts with your redlines and wanted to ask how do you go about those, or if you switch your routines based on your needs (sketches vs speed painting backgrounds etc). The notes there were very interesting, seeing the mental exercise.

Pretty sure you have a fKTON of stuff on your plate, so please don't feel obligated to respond quickly or even at all. Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my message and for all the time you take to respond in general. Love reading your responses <3

Take care, ok? <3

I'm glad the animation made you feel better! I'll put the answer under the Keep Reading thingy.

I'm not entirely sure... I think I don't study as much as I should/could. I mostly learn as I go. Standalone studies are helpful, I'm just drawn to doing things that are more fun/satisfying to me or things that actively progress my creative goals. Imperfect illustrations for my stories, and incomplete research for worldbuilding! Many people learn faster than I, and those people do a lot more studies than I, but I have no info on whether they have more fun than I. Dopamine is rocket fuel, so it's important. :)

I'm always on the lookout for reference pictures, but I study almost only when I have a practical goal in mind, I guess. Studying is part of my job too, I think? As an indie concept artist I'm supposed to build a hoard of references and pull several new/sensible things out of them, and I think part of this process is understanding the material, and revisiting even what I already know. Illustration is similar. If I'm commissioned to draw an anthro alligator, it's time to study gators. It's not separate from work.

I mean, straightforward version: I wake up at 03:30, make coffee, and start working for myself until the paying work starts, lol. Brain is fresh before noon, and tired late in the evening just like everyone else's. It also helps that the city more or less shuts up at 4am.

The studies with the redlines... I do them when I fancy drawing characters or creatures but feel out of shape. I can get discouraged, feel like I forgot how to draw. I sketch if I plan to sketch, and paint if I plan to paint or want to study colors Drawing live models helps. Studying videos of people and things in motion. Hopping down rabbit holes about how/why things work (e.g. flintlock, Davy lamp, mansard roof). Drawing from refs. Hoarding refs. Trying different mediums (e.g. charcoal, 3D, etching). Small screenshot of one of my ref boards for the animation; I'd say I studied it a lot. How clothes move, what are good clothes, how do good clothes move, lion/tiger + human + eagle anatomy (from specific angles during specific motions if/when possible), how to dive roll, proper sprinting form, how to survive falling from a great height, spearfighting, pole vaulting, poledancing, lighting, colors, environment, kicked-up sand in motion, spear types, emu/cassowary/griffon vulture feet, etc. I didn't draw studies, unless you count the animation itself (I would).