#Basically. It just simply looks better in person. I really like this painting.

[nosferatufaggot]

[moony-2001]

The real-world impact of Lore Olympus

i.e. do your research Rachel

Trigger warning: racism, fetishization, appropriation, mentions of SA

Long post ahead

A while ago, someone told me that Lore Olympus was just a silly little comic written out of boredom. That it was made to be "funny". They told me that "[I] can't hope [for] an extremely [well-written] story when it was just made with the intention to make something goofy" and that if Rachel actually wanted to make something serious like I had, she would write a book and not a comic.

At the time of this exchange, it was past 1 a.m. and I was exhausted. I did not want to argue with this person and it simply wasn't worth my time or energy in the moment.

But looking back at that (mostly one-sided) interaction, I can't help but think that there is so much wrong with that point of view. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion about Lore Olympus, whether good or bad. But Lore Olympus isn't just some silly little nothing comic about nothing important. It is a comic that actively appropriates and erases Greek Culture. It is a comic that has no respect for the actual stories that have been passed down over thousands of years whether by word of mouth or written text. It is a comic that perpetuates a false narrative and harmful stereotypes about characters or certain groups of people. So, no, it's not just a silly little comic.

Incorrect information

Here’s an example of what I mean:

When I was doing research for my post about the 10 year time skip, I looked up Leuce to reconfirm the little information I knew about her. Wanna guess the first thing that popped up about her?

A Lore Olympus Wiki article.

Okay. How about Minthe? Hundreds of pictures of her from Lore Olympus and a LO Wiki article as one of the top 3 results. Both character are horribly represented in LO and unfortunately there isn’t really any documented stories or records that can refute how LO paints them. Because of this, other characters in Greek Mythology like Leuce and Minthe, whose stories have little to no documentation, stand to suffer the most harm from deliberate misrepresentation on Rachel’s part.

Of course well-known and better documented figures in Greek mythology face slander as well. What about Thetis or Leto? How about Apollo? All of their portrayals in LO are HORRIBLE. I have seen people online absolutely drag them to filth not because they're upset about how the character is portrayed compared to their mythological counterpart, but because they have no knowledge of how they are actually portrayed outside of LO. They just assume that's how the characters are. Similarly, people who have either very little or no prior knowledge of Greek Mythology and Culture would look at the comic and go "Yep, sounds legit. It must be true." and go about thinking that what is portrayed in LO is accurate to what was transcribed thousands of years ago.

Creative interpretations and racism/fetishization within LO

Don’t get me wrong. Creative interpretations and artistic liberties can be great. When they’re done tastefully. I personally think if done correctly, a Greek myth spun in a modern way has the potential be very good. But that's not what we were given.

Characters like Minthe, Leuce, and Thetis (all nymphs btw) are portrayed as trashy tramps who put out and are used as a foil sabotage Persephone and/or her relationship with Hades. Compare that to Greek Mythology where in the Iliad, Thetis is very well-respected by the gods, particularly Hera. Unfortunately, other similar characters like satrys (and basically any character that isn’t a god) are usually portrayed as a low-class POC that can be easily exploited, manipulated, or used as a temporary villain/lover/pawn to “get back” at Persephone, our white-coded protagonist who can do no wrong.

Additionally, there is a clear race/class bias against characters like nymphs in LO. We see many cases scattered throughout the comic of gods like Hera or Aphrodite referring to nymphs as "trash" or "low class" or the idea that nymphs do not belong with gods being heavily implied if not outright said. I cannot tell you how often I've seen Minthe be called some variant of "cheap" by the readers of LO. Even Persephone (who created the flower nymphs) treats them with such disrespect. She frequently calls them some variant of "stupid" or "simple" like saying how they're not the sharpest crayons in the box even though she's the one WHO MADE THEM. However, it's so odd not really to note that nymphs like Echo, Amphitrite, or Psyche (who was previously disguised as a nymph) are not discriminated against. This is because they are liked or trusted by the gods they are around and ergo are often portrayed as the "good ones", which is a disgusting mindset to have.

We also see the fetishization of nymphs in the comic that is disturbingly similar to the fetishization of women who are Black, Asian, or Latina. It is a known fact that Hades has a flower nymph fetish. Not only is this implied in the comic, but Rachel stated it outright in an old Patreon post. Nymphs are also generally treated as sex-symbols, disposable, and as a lesser-than. Zeus frequently displays this behavior by abandoning nymphs he knocked up in the mortal realm.

For example, when Persephone finds out Apollo is dating Daphne, she isn't upset he's dating her friend. She's upset he's dating a flower nymph, beings that are generally considered to be "rare", "dumb", and objects of sexual desire. Ew.

Even on the Lore Olympus website (loreolympians.com) nymphs are regarded as "beautiful", "desirable", and "very exotic". And when they're not described in a sexual manner they're say it with me now regarded as "low class" or "workers" for some kind of god/goddess.

Final thoughts

So not only is the characterization of characters like Minthe or Thetis harmful to Greek culture and the stories that are so ingrained in their society, but it is also perpetuating harmful stereotypes about people of color and women who are confident in their sexuality.

Of course, the characters within Greek Mythology had their own issues. Zeus was a serial rapist, many of the goddesses deemed to be "feminist" by today's standards were actually horribly misogynistic looking at you Athena. But 1. that's just how things were back then (but that does not make it right) and 2. all of the good, the bad, and the ugly is still there in Greek Mythology. They're not denying how fucked up it is, but they're also not changing their history to better fit their own narrative or the narrative of the modern world. It exists, it happened, but now it is studied and called out by historians.

Rachel, on the other hand, is doing exactly that. She is actively changing the Greek's cultural history to better fit her fic's narrative. She is constantly sweeping things under the rug or going "No this is how it ACTUALLY happened". Lore Olympus is marketed as a "feminist retelling" yet somehow, it takes allllll the ugly parts from Greek Mythology (rape, incest, problematic age gaps, dubious consent, etc.), mixes it with a majority of the issues we have in the modern world (white feminism, rape-apologists/rape culture, grooming, fetishization of certain minority groups, etc.) and then amplifies the concoction to 20. Lore Olympus cannot be a "progressive, feminist, retelling" and also have characters that are morally apprehensive/come straight from the ancient myths. It does not work. In fact, IMO it makes all the problems from both eras worse.

News flash: actual cultures that are still thriving today are not your toys. They are not "made up". They matter. Do better.

[nyoomerr]

Only if you want but phantom thief! Binghe x rich boy Shen Yuan, heir to a famous jeweler/jewerly store business.

It can be Bingge or Binghe, whatever you want! Love your work!

dont mind me using this as a sort-of warm up for writing a much bigger bingge pov binggeyuan thing ehehe 😌 ty for sending this prompt in!

---

Luo Binghe does not get caught. It’s in his title, even - a phantom thief, completely untouchable. 

Well, perhaps not completely untouchable. After all, many times the most efficient way to get his hands on a particularly valuable set of jewelry is to let the lady wearing it put her hands on him. Flirtations and bold fondling in a dark corner of a party, hands on the woman’s face and shoulders and the diamond necklace around her neck -

Normal things for someone in Luo Binghe’s line of work, really, when that someone looks the way Luo Binghe does. Charm is as indispensable a tool as a lockpick. 

It’s only a tool that Luo Binghe dares to use when he knows it will be well received, though. Unwelcome advances are more likely to get a mark to grow more defensive on all lines, not just towards sexual advances, and then the whole job gets more difficult. Still not impossible - not for Luo Binghe - but Luo Binghe has a messy habit of turning theft into murder when he’s faced with rejection. 

It isn’t his fault. The people who turn Luo Binghe away - who look at him with cold disinterest and disgusted sneers plastered across their ugly, painted faces - they deserve to die. Luo Binghe is only doing the world a service.

Still, the cleanup becomes much more difficult when Luo Binghe’s mouth is stained with blood rather than smeared lipstick, so he learns to assess his marks carefully. Those that would think themselves clever and better than Luo Binghe get stolen from in the traditional sense, and they never see Luo Binghe during the process.

Shen Yuan is one such mark. Oh, Luo Binghe could break him in, probably - he watches from a distance as Shen Yuan’s eyes linger on the strong forearms of the barista who hands him his coffee, and he knows without testing that Luo Binghe could fluster such a small thing like Shen Yuan without much effort. 

To actually touch Shen Yuan, however, would be far more difficult. Luo Binghe knows this much from even the most basic of background searches: Shen Yuan takes pretty girls to banquets despite never touching them, and the way he dresses… yes, Shen Yuan certainly would like to think of himself as a straight man, the poor thing. Not the sort of nut Luo Binghe cares to crack when it’s for business rather than pleasure.

Besides, most of Shen Yuan’s valuables are kept in his family’s home. The pretty things Luo Binghe could nick off Shen Yuan’s person are limited and hardly the most enticing of Shen Yuan’s things, so there’s no need to push it.

Shen Yuan will simply be the sort of mark that never sees Luo Binghe, never gets close enough to touch.

That’s the sort of mark Shen Yuan is supposed to be.

“Um,” Shen Yuan says, standing awkwardly in the doorway of the very high security office that Luo Binghe has just broken into. “Can I, um. Help you…?”

Luo Binghe stares at him. He’s just finished picking the lock on one of the glass cabinets in the office, and he knows that from Shen Yuan’s perspective he must have a very clear view of the ruby earrings that Luo Binghe had plucked from the case.

He doesn’t stare long. Hesitating only ever gets someone caught, and Luo Binghe does not get caught.

The office has no windows, so Luo Binghe will have to exit through the door that Shen Yuan is standing in. He turns to face Shen Yuan fully - he empty hand neatly plucking a few more pieces from the cabinet and tucking them in his pockets as he moves - and starts sauntering over to Shen Yuan.

Shen Yuan was not meant to be one of the marks he seduced, but plans can change. He’ll just need to fluster Shen Yuan long enough to make it past him to one of the several exit plans Luo Binghe had planned. 

That should be enough - Shen Yuan is only wearing an oversized shirt and boxers, clearly having gotten up from bed without dressing properly, and he doesn’t appear to be carrying anything in his hands. All that together means he’s likely not carrying his phone, and Luo Binghe knows the security schedule well enough to know that Shen Yuan yelling wouldn’t have anyone arriving quick enough to stop him. 

Shen Yuan takes half a step back as Luo Binghe approaches, but he doesn’t leave the doorway. He must have some idea that he’s the only obstacle in Luo Binghe’s way, then. Luo Binghe smiles at him, only half faking the predatory look of it. 

“Yuan-er,” Luo Binghe croons, and Shen Yuan shuffles back another half foot, his ears turning pink where they stick out from some truly terrible bed head.

Spoiled, Luo Binghe thinks in the privacy of his own mind, poisonous and bitter. A child who’s always been allowed laziness.

“Yuan-er, you’ve really got to put better locks on your things,” Luo Binghe says as he approaches. “Isn’t this your family’s precious legacy? That sort of thing should be protected…”

Shen Yuan’s brows furrow. Luo Binghe can very clearly read the baffled what the fuck that silently twists his lips, but Luo Binghe doesn’t react. 

That’s it, little rabbit - just stand there, and let yourself be confused and taken aback by the thief in front of you, and I’ll escape before you have to worry your spoiled little head about it.

Luo Binghe is only a few paces away, now. He’ll brush past Shen Yuan’s right side to avoid getting caught on the arm he has resting on the doorway, and -

“Say please,” Shen Yuan says, glaring up at Luo Binghe as he crosses his arms.

Luo Binghe falters. “What was that, Yuan-er?”

“You’re clearly capable of sweet talk, so you should start with asking nicely before you take our shit,” Shen Yuan scoffs. 

Luo Binghe stops in front of Shen Yuan, close enough that Shen Yuan has to tilt his head up to maintain eye contact with him. 

He should just brush past, really. Shen Yuan is small, and Luo Binghe already knows he doesn’t have a way to raise alarm in an effective way.

Luo Binghe does not brush past.

He kind of wants to slit Shen Yuan’s throat for thinking he has any right to tell Luo Binghe to say please, sitting comfortably in the lap of luxury like he is. 

“I’m impressed,” Luo Binghe says, his smile so sharp it may as well just be a baring of his teeth. “Yuan-er knows so many big words for a little princling of such an important business. Did you learn them from listening to clients speak to your daddy?”

Shen Yuan’s eye twitches. “Ah,” he says. “You’re an asshole on top of being impolite, then.”

Luo Binghe’s fingers twitch towards the switchblade in his pocket. He wouldn’t be able to clean up a body before security loops back around to this wing of the house, and Luo Binghe has already left a mess from being interrupted in the middle of his heist. He hasn’t left any fingerprints, but he can’t be sure about hair -

Shen Yuan reaches up and flicks Luo Binghe’s forehead. Luo Binghe goes dead still. That’s it, then. He’s going to kill Shen Yuan, this rich little brat -

“Oi, you’re going to ruin your pretty face with a mean expression like that,” Shen Yuan complains. “Just get out of here if you aren’t going to listen nicely - I already called security before coming over here to tell you off myself.”

Luo Binghe pulls out the switchblade, snarling down at Shen Yuan. “Oh, Yuan-er, I think there’s something much better I could ruin.”

Shen Yuan shifts uncomfortably at the sight of the blade, some of his irritation replaced with the faintest glimmer of fear. Luo Binghe pushes closer, wanting to see more - wanting to see Shen Yuan’s delicate face contorted with the sort of despair that a little lordling like him would never have known before, wanting to see him cry - 

There’s footsteps from down the hall. Shen Yuan had not been bluffing; he really had called someone, then. Luo Binghe cannot guarantee he’ll be able to kill Shen Yuan quickly enough that Shen Yuan is unable to give a description of his murderer to the help before he dies.

Hesitating gets people caught. Luo Binghe does not get caught, so he brushes past Shen Yuan harshly without another moment’s pause, even though what he wants to do is something far more violent and time consuming. 

Luo Binghe hasn’t failed a heist like this since he was a damn child, and this stupid little twink dares to just stand there and watch Luo Binghe run down the hallway to the nearest window instead of lay bleeding on the ground like he should be doing, Luo Binghe will come back to kill him -

“At least say thanks!” Shen Yuan calls out as Luo Binghe approaches the window. “Even if you can’t ask nicely to begin with, you should at least say thanks, ah!”

Luo Binghe ignores him. He’s busy pulling his jacket off to wrap around his arms, preparing to jump through the window’s glass in such a way that he can avoid getting cut and leaving his own blood at the scene of the crime.

“Aiya, what an asshole…” Shen Yuan is grumbling behind him. “You know, you may regret not bothering to pay me a bit more attention.”

Oh, Luo Binghe is paying attention. He’s very vividly imagining what Shen Yuan’s neck would feel between his fingers, right now, even as he backs up several steps to get a running start at the window. 

The office had been on the second story, so Luo Binghe has to roll to mitigate the force of the fall. He stands quickly, does a perfunctory check of his pockets to ensure nothing fell when he hit the ground, and -

He’s missing the jewelry he nicked. He has the ruby earrings, but the others he’d stolen as he was leaving are gone. Luo Binghe searches the ground around where he’d fallen frantically; he has to move now, but he can’t leave those behind either. After all that this heist has brought, Luo Binghe can’t allow it to not even be profitable. 

Above him, Shen Yuan clears his throat from the broken window. Luo Binghe whips his head up to look at him.

In one hand, Shen Yuan is holding the missing jewelry.

“I told you,” Shen Yuan says. “Jeez, as if I’m that useless.”

Luo Binghe stares up at him. No one has ever dared to steal back from Luo Binghe.

“...Aren’t you going to leave? Security really will be here soon.” Shen Yuan calls down at him. Then he pauses, and even in the darkness Luo Binghe can tell his ears have gone pink again. “...I let you keep the rubies. They, uh. Would probably go well. With you. And your eyes. And uh. Anyway, say thanks!”

“...Thanks?” Luo Binghe says, baffled and furious and still sort of itching to take his switchblade out and throw it pointy-side first at Shen Yuan’s pretty face.

“You’re welcome, asshole!” Shen Yuan calls back, clearly pleased. 

Luo Binghe stares for a moment longer, then turns and runs. He will not get caught, even on nights that have gone as stupendously terrible as this one has. So long as he doesn’t get caught, there’s always next time. 

So long as he doesn’t get caught, Luo Binghe can come back here, to the office of jewels he failed to get - to Shen Yuan. 

Next time, Luo Binghe won’t fail.

[rosemaryreality]

So like i know i just posted about the "You're so reliable Fushiguro" scene with itafushi lenses. But i want to talk a little more seriously about from Megumi's pov.

Look, I know that we itafushi fans usually interpret it as a scene of Megumi being down bad for Yuuji. After all after the compliment his irritation subsided and he looked away. And i loved that interpretation, I really, really did, but then I read a tweet that completely changed the scene for me.

I cannot find the tweet, trust me i tried, but basically what it said was that the scene was actually Megumi being unable to respond to the compliment, not out shyness or tsundereism, but because Itadori praised him for "saving a lot of people" (by giving them a escape route for both them and the possible survivors), when Megumi didn't have any intention of saving anyone at all.

Which makes a lot of sense, honestly, the tweet also pointed out that while Nobara agreed with Yuuji about saving the woman's son, Megumi kept quiet.

And this paints the scene, and Megumi's reaction in a very different light. In the anime it feels more lightheaded because we see a chibi Megumi go from annoyed to surprised, but in the manga...

The way he looks down and changes the subject. I could be wrong, but I wonder if part of him feels guilty, maybe not for not being interested in saving the prisoners, but for "deceiving" Yuuji into thinking he's a better person than in reality. I joked about this in the "simptadori" post but Yuuji basically did call him a hero (his hero).

Megumi sometimes feels like a very conflicted character to me because he genuinely seems to believe in his own beliefs about who deserves to be saved, to the point it causes conflict between him and both Tsumiki and Yuuji, and he genuinely seems to be frustrated with them, yet at the same time, he clearly admires the goodness in them.

This might be a hot take, but i sometimes wonder if Megumi wishes he was more like Tsumiki and Yuuji. Yes, he thinks their kind of thinking only causes pain, yes, it frustrates him, but idk man... he tells Tsumiki he finds her goodness disgusting, but was the disgust he felt actually towards her, or himself? Megumi has never thought very highly of himself, especially compared to the pedestal he puts Tsumiki and Yuuji on.

Even before Jujutsu Kaisen as we know it, back in Sousen when Megumi was the MC, he thought highly of them, and little of himself.

I kinda wonder if he might resent himself for not being able to be more like them, someone he could see as "good" and deserving of the carefree life he wanted for Tsumiki.

Even in the latest chapter, Megumi pictures Tsumiki and Yuuji walking side by side, with their backs to him and talking about "sending her off" alongside someone like Itadori. Like, even in his dream world he pictured Tsumiki leaving his side, alongside someone like Yuuji, someone "good" that would "deserve" it.

Actually...what if that whole thing wasn't about a romantic partner for Tsumiki (??) or even my own belief that it was about Megumi simply wanting Tsumiki and Yuuji to be side by side the way they are in his heart, but about Megumi being replaced instead. Like, between the image in the panel and the expression used, it gives that vibe of a goodbye. As if Tsumiki was moving on from Megumi, with someone just like her to keep her company. Like in his own fantasy, Tsumiki would be freed from him.

[rainforestakiie]

Vacation Away Part 02

hello. this is the second part for @inubaki! of their request!

'Adam and Lucifer get the same idea to take a break on earth. Adam in heaven and Lucifer in hell, both take on human form and embark to earth only to stumble in to one another. Whether or not Lucifer catches onto who Adam’s first is up to you while Adam remains clueless or in denial. They spend the weekend together and basically just begin falling in love without labels or restraint. But they are on a time limit.'

i really hope you like it inubaki! i am working super hard on it! i think there might acturally be one more part or so! i hope anyway!

please let me know if you like it or not!

Vacation Away (Adam/Lucifer goes on vacation on Earth) = Part 01. Part 02.

At the break of dawn, Lucifer sensed it. He had desperately hoped Charlie was jesting, but the truth was undeniable. Sleep had eluded him after she departed, but then again, Lucifer rarely succumbed to slumber. His mind was a relentless whirlwind, always racing, refusing to be stilled. Rather than cocooning himself in his luxurious quilts and pillows, he had perched atop his four-poster bed, awaiting the inevitable.

Despite his reluctance, a flicker of excitement fluttered within him. He couldn't suppress the surge of wonder that welled up. As the first light of dawn broke, he felt it.

His skin tingled. His fingers twitched, and a long-forgotten hum resonated from the nape of his neck, creeping up to his ears, blurring his vision. Lucifer inhaled deeply, closed his eyes, and straightened, feeling his body lift from the bed. Smoky red magic coiled around him, his personal sigil glowing beneath his boot-clad hooves.

The air around him crackled and snapped like an egg's brittle shell. A haunting groan pierced his ears, and the atmosphere within the mansion shifted dramatically. Darkness swirled from all directions, and the sensation of being crushed, chewed, and then expelled clawed at him.

Lucifer's arms arched, his horns protruding from his head, while six majestic wings unfurled from his sides. His long, arrow-tipped tail lashed about behind him. A deep rumble emanated from his throat, and his fiery snake-like eyes flickered open. He was no longer in his dank, cold chamber within the desolate mansion.

He found himself in a quaint room adorned with sunflower wallpaper. The warm glow of the lamps highlighted the white ceiling, and the reddish-brown oak floors contrasted with a mustard yellow carpet. It was charming, yet utterly incongruous with the ritual altar beneath him. Six lit candles surrounded a bright-red painted pentagram directly below his hooves.

Lucifer's eyebrows raised as he surveyed his surroundings. Family photos adorned the walls, and flowers, numerous flowers in vases, filled the space. Bookshelves lined the room, exuding the essence of a cosy family home.

His gaze settled on the lone human before him. She was much older than he had anticipated, wrinkled and raisin-like. Small and hunched, she barely stood, relying on a sturdy walking stick for support.

Lucifer regarded her thoughtfully. Part of him wanted to believe the human seemed too...sweet to be entangled in demonic magic. Clad in a flowery oversized cardigan, long skirt, and a handkerchief, she appeared harmless. But Lucifer knew better than to judge a book by its cover. Humans were rarely as innocent as they seemed; they were corrupt, sick, and twisted. The old lady might look benign, but she wasn't. He could already smell the malevolence.

His stomach churned with revulsion. He harboured a deep-seated disdain for humanity. He detested scrutinising the fruits born of his actions too closely...

At first, they simply stared at one another. The little old woman, wrinkled and ancient, didn't utter a single word as she continued to gaze up at him. Lucifer hovered above her, his six wings awkwardly swaying up and down.

Lucifer waited and waited, and when it seemed she wasn't about to speak, he parted his lips. Only to find himself at a loss for words. How was he supposed to speak to humans again? It had been so long since he was summoned... he'd forgotten the intricacies of it.

There was supposed to be a contract between them, wasn't there? A give-and-take system. Retrieve and send. What had Charlie said again? She was doing this as a 'favor' to Bami. She was already in a contract with the radio demon and probably gained freedom by doing this. Which was insane to Lucifer, he couldn't see that grinning fool losing any soul, especially to help him, the King of Hell.

"I thought you'd be taller," the woman suddenly said.

Lucifer spluttered in surprise. Of all the things he suspected a human would say upon meeting the devil himself, that was the last thing he expected.

"Or less..." the little old lady began thoughtfully, "feminine."

Finally, Lucifer grunted. He curled his wings in, his horns dissolving back into his head, and landed on his feet before the woman. His lips twitched as he found himself practically looming over her. Ha! Finally! Someone shorter than him!

"That's rude," he grumbled dryly. "You should really watch your tone. I am the King of Hell, the—"

"The Devil, fallen angel, yes I know," she hummed, beginning to wobble around him. The old lady started blowing out the candles and gathering them up.

Lucifer watched her, feeling rather insulted. He had never been...so, what's the word? Disregarded? Rejected? Disappointed? Lucifer frowned deeply. The last time he was summoned, the silly humans had tripped over themselves trying to please him, offering anything they could. This little old lady was practically ignoring him as she cleaned up the summoning ritual altar. It left Lucifer standing awkwardly behind her, fidgeting with his claws and hooves. He felt rather put out, like a naughty child who had just been scolded.

How mortifying.

"If you are going to stand there like that, you can help me clean up the blood," the woman said, gesturing towards the mop beside him. "I had to sacrifice my finest goat for you. It was such a hassle."

Lucifer opened and then shut his mouth. He wanted to unleash his power, make the old raisin woman cower before him, but he didn't. His eyes flickered to the green mop and then back to the blood staining the wooden panels. It did look messy... humans generally do go through a lot to summon him.

"I could just snap my fingers and have it cleaned," he said, almost sulkily.

The woman scoffed. "Hard labour is good for the mind."

Once again, the devil wanted to snap in return. He had never been so disrespected by a living human before. The sinners, while displeased with him and how he had treated his role, were still fearful of him. But Lucifer found himself obeying anyway! Why he was doing what she wanted was beyond him, but he decided it was because he had nothing better to do.

His claws wrapped around the pole of the mop, and awkwardly, he began to wipe up the blood. He was supposed to be here for a break, for a vacation, not hard labour work. 

"What?" Lucifer exclaimed, noticing the woman watching him with a snort. "What, what am I doing wrong?"

The old, hunched woman made a sound from the back of her throat. "You’ve never done a day of work in your life, have you? I can tell."

Lucifer's eyes widened as he looked at his hands, then the mop, and back at the woman. His face contorted with frustration, confusion, and a hint of reflection. But just as his temper was about to boil over, he reined it in, settling for a scowl instead.

"My name is Dorothy," the old woman said once the room was cleaned up. "This is my inn, and you are a guest here. I won’t tolerate any shenanigans."

Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Do you know who I am? Seriously?"

"Of course I do. I’m not that naïve," she replied with a laugh. "Do you think I should be afraid of you? I’m nearing the end of my life. I’m probably going to Hell anyway, so what’s the worst that could happen?"

"I am the King of Hell," Lucifer said, staring down at the woman. "And since you’re in a contract with Bambi, you’re heading straight to my domain. I could make your afterlife ten times worse."

Dorothy shrugged. "You won’t be able to."

"What?" Lucifer asked, bewildered.

"My end of the bargain to summon you to Earth," she explained nonchalantly. "The demon holding my soul has agreed to take me once I become a ‘Sinner.’ I’m tired of life. I’ve lived long enough, and when it ends, I want that to be the end."

Lucifer stared in disbelief. So that was it? Alastor had agreed to end her life when she was reanimated as a Sinner? It was strange.

"Anyway, if you’re going to stay up here for a week, we need to draw up a contract," Dorothy said with an air of familiarity. It was a bit bewildering how she spoke, as if she had negotiated thousands of contracts before, which she probably had. "Contracts are about give and take. Your side of the deal will be to stay here."

Lucifer snorted and crossed his arms tightly over his chest. His eyes narrowed in annoyance. "I invented contracts. I know how they work. You don’t need to explain my own creation to me."

"Well, I wasn’t sure you did," Dorothy replied with a shrug. "You had this clueless expression on your face. Can’t blame a girl for assuming."

"You have some nerve to keep insulting me," Lucifer muttered darkly.

Dorothy laughed. "Nerve? My, you must be half blind too. I’m a woman, darling. I don’t have balls."

"I know that!" Lucifer snapped, his face flushing. "I just meant—never mind! Let’s get this over with. Clearly, you know better than I do!"

"Clearly I do," Dorothy said with a smirk. "My side of the contract is allowing you to stay on Earth for the week. Your side is simple. You will work for me at my florist. Only in the mornings, of course. I understand this is supposed to be a... vacation for the devil himself."

She laughed at the absurdity of it. "The devil himself needing a vacation—who would have thought?"

"Not that it’s any of your business, but I have my own problems to deal with," he hissed, his posture bristling like a cornered animal.

"Relax," Dorothy waved a dismissive hand. "We all have our secrets. Some are best kept buried, right?"

Lucifer puffed his cheeks out in frustration. "So, a florist?"

"That’s right," Dorothy confirmed. "I run a family-owned florist. My daughter usually helps out, but she’s a bit busy this week, so I need an extra pair of hands. I’m sure it won’t be too difficult for you, your Majesty," she said slyly, extending her wrinkled hand. "Do we have a deal?"

With a resigned sigh, Lucifer rolled his eyes and extended his clawed hand. He grasped hers, shaking it as golden light shimmered around their hands. Golden chains looped around their wrists, locking the contract into place until the end of the week, when Lucifer would return to Hell.

He supposed anything was better than Hell.

"Excellent!" Dorothy chimed brightly. "Let me show you to your room."

At least he had his own room…

“I would suggest altering your appearance. You definitely don’t look natural. Others will notice.” 

The moment he was left alone in the room that would be his for the week, Lucifer dropped onto the edge of the bed. His head fell into his claws, and his top hat tumbled onto the bed next to him. He couldn't believe what he was doing. A vacation? A break? What was Charlie even thinking?

This was a bad idea. A terrible idea. Heaven was more aggressive than ever before. Michael was involved now, when he hadn't been in the past. God knows what his younger brother would do. Everything was wrong, everything was upside down, and Charlie was left to deal with it all. It was just one week, but a lot could happen in that one week.

Lucifer rubbed his face, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of his cheeks and eyes. He was tired, but he knew his brain would never allow him to settle enough to slumber. Lucifer tilted his head up, staring at the full-length mirror across from him. He shook off the alluring thoughts of having a mirror in such a position and stood up.

He stuck out on Earth. He looked too different from humans, didn't he? Dorothy was correct about that at least.

Inching towards the mirror, Lucifer leaned in close. His claws plucked at his shiny blonde hair, lightly twirling it around his claw. His face was cherry-shaped with bright red circles imprinted upon them, sharp teeth, and fiery eyes. Yeah. He definitely would stick out. He had no nose or ears. Too unhuman-like.

Closing his eyes, Lucifer snapped his fingers and felt his magic enclose around him. After a few seconds of his magic washing over his body, altering his form, Lucifer opened his eyes again to look upon himself.

He definitely looked different... more human-like.

His face was still cherry-shaped, with more human-like rosy cheeks and large sea-blue eyes. His hair was a strawberry blonde and appeared much more unkempt than the natural neat style he kept it in. Lucifer tilted his head, seeing a small curve of his fake nose and the ears poking out of the strawberry blonde curls. But most of all, his hands and feet were different. He had normal hands again, albeit fake, just a glamour hiding the monstrous claws he had. Lucifer's eyes trailed down to his boots, and with another snap of his fingers, his standard circus clothes vanished into a simple t-shirt and jeans. More human-like, he supposed, with sneakers instead of boots.

Lucifer kicked the sneakers off, raised a foot to touch it. It was a human foot. His magic had disguised his hoof into a foot.

He sighed deeply, the weight of his disguise pressing down on him. He looked back at the mirror, examining every detail of his new form. He was just a stranger now, a temporary guest in a quaint little inn. The King of Hell, reduced to this.

For a moment, he allowed himself to wonder what this week might bring. Perhaps it was a chance to escape, to breathe, to be something other than the ruler of damnation. He shook his head, dismissing the thought as quickly as it came.

With another deep breath, Lucifer turned away from the mirror. He had a role to play, and for now, he would play it. He stepped out of the room, ready to face whatever this strange human world had in store for him.

“I’ll call my Samuel. I doubt humans would take it well if I call myself Lucifer…”

~#~

“Samuel, this is Graham. You’ll be working together in the mornings.”

Lucifer felt stiff all morning, his weariness heavier than ever. He hadn’t slept as he expected and dragged himself to the florist. He knew he was basically running late, but who cared? What would Dorothy do? He snorted at the thought as he shuffled out of the inn. The florist wasn’t hard to find; it was directly across from the inn.

Where was he? The air was sweet, reminiscent of Eden.

Flowers were everywhere.

Soon enough, Lucifer found himself inside the florist, standing in the doorway to the workshop. He squinted, staring at Dorothy and the young man beside her. His eyebrows knitted together as he observed the man, watching him squirm under his gaze. It sent a thrill through Lucifer, something he hadn’t expected and had almost forgotten how it felt.

His lips curled into a wide smile as he stepped toward the man. Lucifer’s eyes roved up and down the man’s body, taking in his rich red hair, caramel amber eyes, and pale skin. The freckles across his face were delightful, and Lucifer had the urge to reach up and count them.

What had Dorothy said his name was again?

Ah. Graham.

Graham? Lucifer’s smile widened, becoming somewhat predatory as he eyed the man. He was lovely. He appeared rather delicious. Lucifer had the urge to strip him, just to see if he had freckles in other places.

Lucifer slid a delicate pale hand out. “It’s lovely to meet you, Graham. I hope we can get along.”

Graham. The name sounded odd on his tongue. Lucifer felt a shiver run up his spine. Graham? Graham. It wasn’t right. It was a fake name. His mind swirled as he stared into the man’s amber eyes.

Oh!

This wasn’t Graham.

Cute disguise, he almost said but swallowed it back down. Immediately he felt lighter, more relieved as he gazed upon the form of Adam. It was one-hundred percent Adam. There was no denying it. Lucifer recognized the soft curl of the lips pinched crookedly and the way his eyebrows twitched, all signs Lucifer had only ever seen in Adam.

Adam stared at the hand and quickly wrapped his own around Lucifer’s. If Lucifer had been unsure before, he was definitely sure now. A spark of electricity coursed through their skin at the contact. Lucifer’s eyes were unmoving as he stared into Adam’s, checking to see if he noticed the spark.

It was disappointing to see not even a wince.

“Nice to meet you too,” Adam mumbled quietly. “Um… Samuel.”

Lucifer’s lips formed a smirk. “I’m sure we’ll be spending a lot of time together.”

Lucifer's presence in the cosy, floral-scented workshop was both unsettling and exhilarating. The morning light filtered through the windows, casting a warm glow on the vibrant blooms and adding an almost ethereal quality to the scene. Despite the brightness, an undercurrent of tension thrummed in the air.

Dorothy, seemingly oblivious to the charged atmosphere, busied herself with arranging flowers, her movements precise and practised. She glanced up occasionally, her eyes sharp and knowing, but she said nothing. The old woman’s silence spoke volumes, leaving Lucifer to navigate this strange encounter on his own.

Adam shifted nervously under Lucifer’s intense gaze. The young man’s discomfort was obvious, yet there was a familiarity in his eyes that made Lucifer’s heart race. A sick satisfaction churned inside him upon seeing he could still arise the same reaction after so many years. He knew this soul, this presence. It was like a melody long forgotten, now playing softly in the background of his mind.

Lucifer's thoughts raced as he studied Adam. His disguise was nearly perfect, but Lucifer saw through it. The subtle nuances in his expressions, the way he held himself—it all screamed Adam.

The initial tension between them began to ease, replaced by a simmering curiosity. What was Adam doing here, in this quaint little florist shop, masquerading as someone else? And why had Dorothy involved him in this charade?

Lucifer’s mind was a whirlwind of questions, but he kept his composure. He couldn’t afford to reveal his hand too soon. Instead, he decided to play along, to see where this unexpected encounter would lead.

“Well, Graham,” Lucifer said, savouring the name on his tongue, “It looks like we’ll be working together. I hope you’re ready for an interesting week.”

Adam nodded, his eyes flickering with something that might have been recognition. “Yeah, I guess so. Just… don’t mess up the arrangements, okay?”

Lucifer chuckled, a low, melodious sound that seemed to fill the room. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a good eye for detail.”

As they began their tasks, Lucifer couldn’t help but steal glances at Adam, marvelling at the strange twist of fate that had brought them together. The week ahead promised to be anything but ordinary, and for the first time in a long while, Lucifer felt a spark of genuine anticipation.

The King of Hell, working in a florist shop, reconnecting with an old acquaintance under the guise of a simple human. The irony was delicious, and Lucifer intended to savour every moment of it.

For the first time in almost a century, Lucifer felt a bit better. 

~#~

Adam struggled to find the words to describe the feeling. He was undeniably uncomfortable. Working with Samuel was an overwhelming experience. The short, blonde man seemed to have his eyes glued to him, always watching, always staring. Even when they were supposed to be working together to create the bouquet, Samuel's intense gaze never wavered. Adam couldn't concentrate properly, and it was only his first shift volunteering. He didn't want to quit just because this guy was creeping him out, but Adam really wished Samuel would stop staring at him like that.

Suddenly, a gentle chime emanated from the small machine beside them, and Adam exhaled with relief as Samuel's intense blue eyes finally shifted to the device. A delicate, pale-pink piece of paper emerged, and Samuel plucked it with careful precision.

"Sunshine Happiness?" Samuel read aloud, his brows furrowing in perplexity. "An order for a Sunshine Happiness bouquet?"

"Oh, that's straightforward," Adam replied, his cheeks flushing crimson as Samuel's gaze returned to him. Adam took a deep breath, wiping his gloved hands on his apron and moving around the shorter blonde. "We need yellow tulips, orange gerbera daisies, and white lilies."

Like a loyal companion, Samuel followed closely. A shiver danced down Adam's spine as the strawberry-blonde man trailed behind him to the main florist area, bursting with a kaleidoscope of flowers. Adam couldn't help but find them breathtaking.

"What's wrong with your foot?" Samuel asked softly, his eyes lowered as he noticed Adam lightly dragging his left foot. "Did you hurt it?"

Surveying the blooms, Adam crouched by the bucket of yellow tulips. He lifted his right hand to pick one, but it slipped from his fingers. Adam grimaced and used his left hand instead.

"I had an accident," he said tersely. "It's personal."

"Oh." Samuel blinked slowly, his gaze now fixed on Adam's right hand. "What happened?"

Holding the tulip, Adam twirled it between his fingers and inhaled its sweet fragrance. Yes, these were the right ones. Carefully, he gathered more, cradling them in his left hand.

"I said it's personal," Adam grumbled. "Help me out. I can't use my right hand properly, so you'll need to carry the rest."

Samuel's face clouded with concern as he moved closer to Adam, bypassing the flower buckets. "What happened to your right hand?"

"Hold these," Adam instructed, thrusting the tulips into Samuel's arms. "Stop being nosy. We barely know each other."

Samuel seemed poised to protest, but Adam's raised eyebrow silenced him. With a shrug, Adam stepped around him and zeroed in on the bucket of orange gerbera daisies, moving to gather them too.

"Now we just need white lilies," he said, trying to steer the conversation away. "Each flower has a meaning. That's why it's called Sunshine Happiness. Yellow tulips signify cheerfulness and sunshine. Orange gerbera daisies represent happiness and friendship. White lilies symbolise purity and commitment."

Samuel continued to shadow Adam around the florist. "Is it nerve damage? How did it happen? Have you had it long?"

Adam's lips twitched in irritation. Samuel's persistent questions were grating on his nerves. He wanted to stomp away and shut himself off from the barrage of personal inquiries and that incessant stare.

"Ah, there are the white lilies," he breathed, eagerly moving to the bucket. The faster he gathered the flowers, the better. Adam's amber eyes flicked to the clock; it was nearly eleven, meaning he wouldn't have to endure Samuel's company much longer.

"You can't feel anything in your right hand?" Samuel continued to prattle. "How bad is it?"

"It's personal!" Adam snapped, standing with a few white lilies in his arm. He spun to face the shorter man, glaring down at him. "How many times do I have to say it's personal? Stop asking about it!"

Samuel's expression shifted oddly. Adam couldn't fathom what was wrong with him, but his curiosity was infuriating. Weren't people taught manners anymore?

"We hardly know each other, so back off." Adam sighed, running a hand down his face in frustration. "I'm sorry. It's just a very personal and sensitive issue for me, okay? I don't want to talk about it."

Blinking slowly, Samuel nodded, his head bowed. Adam felt a pang of guilt at Samuel's crestfallen expression, but he couldn't retract his words. His injury was a sore, private matter.

"Anyway, the Sunshine Happiness bouquet is meant to radiate joy and is perfect for celebrating happy occasions or brightening someone's day," Adam explained, turning sharply to return to the workstation. "It's our last bouquet for today. Let's hurry and finish it. I'm tired and just want to lie down."

Adam was indeed exhausted. He longed to lie down but also yearned to explore Lesse. He wanted to visit the Keukenhof Forest, the historic Ter Specko, and the Black Tulip Museum. He had plans, whether people believed him or not. There were places he wanted to see.

"Okay," Samuel mumbled quietly, sounding genuinely upset.

Adam sighed to himself.

~#~

Did he do that?

Lucifer swallowed thickly as he stared after Adam, watching him limp and drag his foot behind him. His chest ached, and his stomach churned. His lips pressed together, tilting downward with a small quiver. No matter what Lucifer did, he couldn't tear his eyes away from Adam's feet. Adam hadn't been limping before, had he? No, he definitely hadn't. Lucifer would have remembered. His heart pounded as he fiddled with the next bouquet order.  He'd been too pushy and Adam had snapped at him, Lucifer had tried to rein himself in. He knew he was being overbearing, but... but...

There was no excuse. Lucifer couldn't understand what was wrong with him. The sight of Adam struggling to walk, struggling to hold things with his right hand, sent his heart leaping into his throat in horror. The first and only thought that stuck was: I did that.

Lucifer did that.

Was that why Adam wasn't at the Heaven meetings? Is this why Michael and Sera seemed furious with him? Had... had Lucifer really gone too far? He hadn't meant to hurt Adam so badly. It was just supposed to be a scare tactic.

Lucifer bit back a grumble. Two full days had passed, and both days he had failed at striking up a meaningful conversation with Adam. It felt as though the man was purposely avoiding him, yet they were both 'volunteering' at the same time, in the same place!

He glanced at Adam again, making sure he wasn't about to run away this time.

"I'm sorry," he finally said after two long hours of silence. "I-I'm sorry... for yesterday. I was rude. Insensitive. I shouldn't have... done that."

Adam paused in arranging the pink and red tulips for their newest bouquet. He blinked in surprise and looked at Lucifer. "I knew you were being too quiet."

"I don't normally talk that much," Lucifer said weakly. "I just... I don't know. I was rude, and I'm sorry."

"It's okay, really. I was rude too." Adam shrugged and sent him a half-smile. "So stop beating yourself up over it, okay, Samuel? It's fine."

Samuel?

Oh right. That was his fake name.

Lucifer nodded, and silence seeped between them once more. His eyes lowered, gazing at the mess of stems and leaves scattered before him. His fingers twitched, fiddling with one of the stems.

"Um, so... do you have any plans today?" he sheepishly asked, desperate to keep the conversation going.

Adam clicked his tongue. "Yeah. I want to go to the Keukenhof Forest. It's the main reason I came all this way... I was supposed to go yesterday, but I was too tired."

"Oh." Lucifer deflated. There went his clever plan of spending more time with Adam. He had come to the realisation that the few hours they spent together weren't enough.

"You... you can come with me if you want?" Adam awkwardly suggested. “I mean, if you’ve got nothing else to do and if you even want to…”

"Yes!" Lucifer exclaimed before blushing and composing himself. "I mean, yes please. That would be great."

Adam eyed him before shrugging. Lucifer let out a sigh he didn't realise he'd been holding. At this rate, Adam would think he was a real weirdo...

Maybe he already did.

~#~

The forest was a verdant tapestry, rich with ancient oaks, stately beeches, and towering conifers, their intertwined branches forming a lush, emerald and golden canopy overhead. The forest floor was an artist's palette, blanketed in vibrant hues of bluebells, wild hyacinths, tulips, and buttercups, creating a magical mosaic of blues, purples, and yellows. Every conceivable flower found a home here, transforming the ground into a living, breathing masterpiece. Well-maintained paths wound gracefully through the trees, inviting visitors to lose themselves in the forest's serene and enchanting embrace.

On the west side, pink and purple tulips danced together in the breeze, creating mesmerising waves of color that captivated the eye. A sea of blue flowers extended from the south, merging seamlessly with patches of orange, white, and green blooms, a symphony of colours that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"It's so beautiful," Adam exhaled, his voice filled with awe. Gratitude swelled in his heart for Emily, who had insisted on this break. The sight before him was one of the most exquisite he had ever witnessed, warming his chest with an emotion he hadn't felt in centuries.

The scene was Edenic, stirring memories of the paradise he once knew. As a warm summer breeze tousled their hair, Adam's gaze lingered on the blossoms. Woodpeckers rhythmically tapped the trees, rousing the dozing owls, while songbirds filled the air with their ceaseless melodies. Squirrels darted playfully among the branches, and rabbits ventured shyly from their burrows. Even a deer or two could be seen gracefully passing through.

"So beautiful," Samuel echoed softly, his blue eyes reflecting a quiet, almost pained admiration as he watched Adam. Every subtle shift in Adam's expression, every minute tremor, was absorbed by Samuel's attentive gaze.

Adam hummed, lost in wonder, his lips curling into a breathtaking smile. Sensing Samuel's intense stare, he turned, eyebrow raised in silent inquiry, questioning yet comfortable in the shared, profound moment.

Awkwardly, Samuel rubbed the back of his neck and tilted away. "It's pretty warm. Do you want ice cream? Let's get some ice cream!"

"Oh, um, okay." Adam watched the shorter man hurry toward the ice cream stand nearby, eyebrows raising further. Samuel was a peculiar human with a penchant for staring. In Adam's opinion, he stared far too much. Since their less-than-pleasant first meeting, Adam had noticed Samuel seeking opportunities to talk to him over the past two days. Adam had done his best to avoid it. He didn't know why. He didn't think Samuel had any malicious intentions; he was just curious. But something inside him kept whispering not to trust Samuel.

Still, Samuel looked so innocently cute. Adam couldn't decide. Perhaps it was his trust issues acting up again. But maybe he had been too harsh. Maybe Samuel was just like him—lonely and looking for a friend. Adam could handle that. It might even be nice to have a friend outside of Heaven and Hell.

"I don't know what flavour you'd like, but I got you a simple mini-chocolate. Can't go wrong with that!" Samuel gasped, returning with the cone. "Here!"

Startled when Samuel thrust the ice cream towards him, Adam's eyes widened as he took the cone bashfully. "O-Oh, you didn't need to buy me one. I was about to come over and get one myself."

The red flush that coloured Samuel's face was unexpectedly endearing, adding an extra layer of sweetness to his already charming demeanour. Adam found himself charmed by it, thinking it made Samuel look even more delightful.

"Um," Samuel stammered, shifting awkwardly, his social discomfort mirroring Adam's own. Maybe Samuel really was like him after all. "I wanted to. You invited me, so I figured it would—um, it would...even things out?"

Adam chuckled as Samuel winced at his own rambling. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

As if a switch had been flipped, the strawberry-blonde man’s face lit up with a radiant, blinding grin, showcasing his perfect teeth. Adam couldn’t help but return the smile, and together, they continued along the trail, savouring their ice cream—Adam with mint chocolate and Samuel with strawberry.

"So, um, why did you come to...Lesse?" Samuel asked quietly, wincing as if he had made a mistake. "I’m sorry if I’m prying. Feel free to tell me to shut up if you want."

Adam snorted, tilting his head and peering at Samuel from the corner of his eye. "I needed a break from the stress back home. Just needed some time away."

"Really?" Samuel straightened, looking up at Adam with newfound interest. "I-I mean, cool, me too! We have so much in common! We both have stress back home! Um..."

A laugh bubbled from Adam’s lips. "You’re so strange."

"Ha-ha-ha..." Samuel chuckled sheepishly, his forced smile melting into a genuine one as his shoulders relaxed. "I’m sorry. I’m not used to... this. Talking to people. I’m typically... alone.  I don’t, I’m not around people often."

"You don’t need to explain yourself," Adam said, his tone warm. "I get it. We all have our struggles. I’m not exactly a social butterfly myself. I’m probably just as bad at it."

A weak, uncertain chuckle escaped Samuel, his shoulders slumping slightly. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "A-Anyway, you were saying? Y-You needed time away from home? Bad stuff happened?"

"You could say that," Adam replied, glancing down at the ice cream in his left hand. It felt odd using his left hand now; he had always been right-handed. The switch felt awkward and forced. "A lot of things happened with my...family. My head wasn't in a great place to begin with, but then some drama happened, which just made everything worse."

Samuel's gaze softened as he watched Adam’s feet, noticing the way he dragged them slightly. He winced, sensing the weight of Adam's words. "Did... did it involve your accident?"

Adam was silent for a moment, his eyes dropping to his own feet before he released a deep sigh. "Yeah, there was a lot of family drama surrounding my accident. I needed to get away, hoping some distance might help me, you know, feel better."

"I see." Samuel bit his lower lip, his expression full of genuine concern.

It was odd but endearing—Samuel seemed more genuinely empathetic than anyone Adam had encountered in a long time. It was strange, considering how little Samuel knew him, yet he showed more compassion than he’d ever received from Heaven. Adam inhaled deeply, savouring the sweet fragrance of the surrounding flowers.

"What about you, Sammy?" Adam teased playfully, his smile widening as Samuel looked at him in surprise and a touch of confusion. "Why are you in Lesse? Did you travel all the way here just to see the blossoms too?"

Samuel seemed to ponder for a moment before arriving at a decision. It was oddly charming how he bit his lower lip and scrunched up his tiny nose in thought, a lock of strawberry-blonde hair falling across his forehead and brushing his delicate blue eyes.

"For similar reasons, I guess," he said softly, his voice gentle. "I... haven’t been in the best headspace either. I've been pretty sick—yeah, sick for a while now. I wasn’t helping myself; I was making myself worse and…"

Adam's heart ached as he saw the pain etched on Samuel’s face.

"My daughter practically forced me out of the house," Samuel continued weakly. "She said it was unhealthy for me to stay locked inside like I had been. My... ex-wife left me about eight years ago, and it hit me hard. I was already sick before she left, but I guess she just got tired of watching me deteriorate."

"That's terrible," Adam said, disbelief coloring his voice. "She just left you because you were unwell?"

Samuel shrugged meekly, his gaze drifting to the beautiful flowers around them. "I guess she grew tired of trying to help me or something. She wasn’t the most loving person; in fact, she was pretty cold. One day, she just up and left. Sent me divorce papers the very next day."

Frowning deeply, Adam felt a surge of anger but managed to keep it in check. "I'm really sorry to hear that. If it means anything, I think it's her loss. She’ll regret it eventually. I believe you’re a better person than she ever was."

Samuel’s eyes widened in astonishment, as if Adam had handed him the moon. "You really think I'm a better person?"

"Well, yeah," Adam replied with a smile. "I think you are. Everyone makes mistakes and faces uncertainty. It’s the good people who try to make amends and move forward."

Samuel was quiet for a few moments, absorbing Adam’s words. His blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight, the redness in his cheeks softening as he processed the compliment. After a few seconds, he looked up at Adam and gave him a real, genuine smile—a smile so warm and heartfelt that it nearly brought Adam to his knees. It was a smile Adam had only seen once before, centuries ago in Eden.

His heart skipped a beat, and Adam swallowed hard, feeling his cheeks flush warmer than they should.

“I really hope that someday I can become a…good person.” Samuel said warmly. 

“I’m sure you will be.”

[leixo-demo]

any tips on how to draw in the splatoon style?

Ive been trying over and over to answer this question but i simply can't, cus i dont know how i make stuff, i did 2 tutorials in the past and they are simply me going "yeah you just go black in your mind and then come back and boom!" I tried to film myself a few times but still it's simply me zoning out filling a canvas of millions of sketches and then just drawing and drawing. There's no step by step thing, I simply just go BRBRBRBRBBRR and like adding really REALLY specific details and then BRBRBRBBR.

I tried hard, to think, why I make it accurate, I honestly tried for over 4 years to do splatoon looking art before i even opened this account, especially for commissions or doing more splatband art, people can give you feedback and if you're good enough they'll pay you.

I really came to think I was the best to just hate the art i did 3 days after, I did the "pufuu" moment trying to fake leake art or something and you can really put there if ppl is 1) so desesperated for new art 2) youre good at it

Then I tried to think, well did i studied the style? Yesss,,, at the begining, then i starts to differ as different artists besides Inoue, and his style also develops, so basically as long it fits,,

These 3 drawings just look complely different from each other and still it simply makes them more unique.

"But then how you make it splatoon?" You simply can't, cus it is not just one person, there is a lot, make it your own, give it your own twist, but, what about brushes, THATS what gives the style... right?

MogaChumu, on devianart

this art LOOKS officinal, but it isnt, thre's barely any rough edges like in original, there's some shading but it is not like in the original

is it the anatomy? neither, you can clearly see how they change every time how they draw inklings, sometimes the draw eyebrows in place, sometimes they round the faces sometimes they color pink they mouth despite the ink color. IT IS NOT JUST ONE PERSON.

I can't really give you more than this. As I mentioned in other posts, I use clip studio paint, my brushes were made by myself 4 years ago. If you have a hard time making your own there's (again) pufuu's brush set for procreate: https://x.com/pufuulive/status/1427743911708143617?lang=bn

the same but for psd and csp: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15Ib-jyvKxIDi0um0FnX3LcBet6m1pym3

and if you use another program just search for "Splatoon brushes" and go to the image tab, ive seen brushes uploaded in devianart for paint tool sai and for ibis paint. I just searched for splatoon tutorials and I found this saved: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/how-to-do-splatoon-art-style

Here's one of my videos if you can take anything and analyse it better than me, I'm sorry I can't really give you anything better,

[lord-squiggletits]

Hello! This was for your ‘ask me megop stuff’ post, which I realize I’ve lost track of october so if you’re not looking for those anymore feel free not to answer!! But in case you still want asks!

-How do you think megatron and optimus each react to being sick/who is the worse patient? Or how do they react to each other being sick? (in a scenario where they were in proximity to each other, could be during or post war)

-Do you have any headcanons about hearts of steel megop? Ik there’s not a lot there in canon but still, megatron cannon looks cool XD I have been contemplating if plug n play would work the same way because I’m not sure if a cannon and a train have cables the same way? Or if it’d work the same because they’re alien tech anyways!

-In the spirit of the season, what do you think each of them would wear for halloween if a scenario occurred where they had to dress up, or how do you think they would get out of wearing a halloween costume?

Sickness: I've actually thought about this before and even thought of writing a fluff piece for it in NATP-verse! Idk about who's the better/worse patient, but I think Megatron is actually the best caretaker simply bc Optimus is so active and powerful (their equality is a reason they're attracted to each other after all) that it's rare for Megatron to get the chance to be nurturing and protective towards Optimus. And I think, because IDW Megatron in particular deprived himself of attachments for so long, the act of caring for another person is especially novel to him and so he just loves doing it. Optimus is there all sick and grumpy bc he can't jump off buildings or w/e but meanwhile Megatron couldn't be happier... even the tedious/gross stuff just makes him so happy to have a chance to care for Optimus ���� I think they're both equally bad patients for the same reason (tough, independent leaders not used to relying on others), but Megatron makes an especially good caretaker/they're both in better moods when OP is sick and M is in charge bc Megatron's latent tenderness simply gets a chance to jump out

Also, this is why it's a really good reason that in Addicted to You, Megatron is the one who overdosed while Optimus is the one who's taking care of him. Bc I think if it was the opposite way around, sore interface array or not Megatron would be doing the hell out of Optimus bc he simply would not be able to resist the combination of needy, desperate, affectionate Optimus PLUS getting the chance to take care of his needs? Actual heaven. (This is basically what happened in Megatron's OP-threesome wet dream anyways so I'm sure that's not a surprise sldkjlsdf)

Hearts of Steel MegOP: None, sadly 😔 I actually haven't read the comic (if there's a full comic? I've seen concept art but that's it). Also yeah, I think that even when they take on Earth vehicle alt modes, they only superficially look like Earth vehicles and their actual composition and interior guts are still Cybertronian. So, cables.

Halloween Costumes:

Joke answer #1: Them showing up to a Halloween party is scary enough as it is, so they just come as themselves

Joke answer #2: They come in dressed as each other (like, paint swap and wearing fake kibble stapled to themselves) and do absolutely uncanny impressions of each other's voices and mannerisms

Joke answer #3: They don't dress as each other but they pretend that they had a personality swap through some unknown technological mishap (or maybe they actually did personality swap) and they fucking prank everyone else bc everyone at the party genuinely can't tell if Megatron and Optimus are telling the truth or lying about the personality swap, or they're like trying to find the hologram devices bc clearly they're actually disguised as each other and there's no way that Megatron could reproduce Optimus' quiet, bleeding-heart self-effacing nature or that Optimus could reproduce Megatron's loud self-righteous declarations, right? lksdflsdk it could honestly go either way as to whether or not they actually swapped or are just pretending

Honestly, I'm not sure I have a NON joke answer for this one akldfjls I hope these answers were satisfying!

[kai-tus]

we're so far behind lmao

Autism+ As well as being plural, we have AuDHD, maladaptive daydreaming, and sone vague mixture of personality disorders.

Infinite We've heard enough about Autism Speaks to hate it. Looking into it more would only upset us. It's painful knowing just how many allistics don't know why the puzzle piece is bad. Before we learned of it, we saw a particular youtube short where a spray paint artist made a painting dedicated to autistics. It included the puzzle piece. Our mom once made puzzle piece earrings. It's the little pains.

AuDHD Ah yes, our specialty. No, not really, we're actually quite terrible with handling the ADHD. Doing anything in life that isn't related to our interests is hard enough. And then you got people like our parents saying that they're both a part of the same spectrum. No. No they aren't. Not in the slightest.

Music Music is our current therapy. It helps us control our daydreaming. It helps us process our emotions. And sometimes we just simply want auditory stimulation. Music is just very awesome.

Verbose Infodumping. We don't do it often, since we actually get more scatterbrained the more we wanna say. But we absolutely love talking about queer shit. It's just so interesting how diverse one's experiences with one's identity can possibly be. The possibilities are infinite! Just today, actually: We found an aroallo Tumblr community that didn't allow ace or ace-spec people in, so we asked about that and explained our complicated experience with attraction and asked if we were still allowed in. It basically ended with us pointing out that the community uses the green and yellow aroallo flag, which was SPECIFICALLY intended to include ace-spec people, so there literally wasn't a hell of a lot they could say lmfao. The misinformation is WILD with some identities. Oh crap, I'm infodumping right now LMAO.

Individuals Before we learned more about autism, our only knowledge of it came from our brother, who was diagnosed at 3 because he has much more overt traits than we ever had (nevermind the fact that we hated eating anything green for a while when we were littler, even green jello). But this led us to internalize it and push us into a little bit of denial over it. Not a lot, since a week of intense research was able to clear that up (a week is LONG TIME for us, considering the fact that whenever something like this happens, we spend hours researching it, sometimes even entirely abandoning chores and homework until it's over). But we did eventually learn that autism is unique to every individual. Now, our brother and us have more 'typical' traits of autism, but our closest friend has moreso 'atypical' autism. His traits don't really line up a hell of a lot with ours, but we still kinda get each other more than any allistic ever will.

Neuroscope I've never heard this word before now, but it does have a point. Many times have we wandered into a new Discord server, truly enjoyed being there, and then eventually found out that most of the people there are heavily neurodivergent. NOT a coincidence.

Non-speaking We are not non-speaking (even tho we REALLY wanna be but the current state of our life doesn't really permit it yet), but our brother is. Our family keeps trying to encourage him to say words, and every time they do it's like we can literally feel one of our brain cells die. We dislike that they keep trying to get him to talk. He and us once had a perfectly normal conversation completely without words at all. And he can communicate without words. But their motivation is that they wanna understand him to understand how to best help him. I can kinda understand that, but not fully. We don't need to hear him tell us what he needs for us to know what he needs, because we understand him better. Of course, when we try to tell them what he needs, they don't listen. Classic allistic.

Community We've found a lot of solace in neurodivergent spaces ever since we figured out that we're NOT "just lazy". We're still trying to figure out how to function, but it's still very nice to have support and know that we aren't alone :]

TL;DR: Ableist family tries not to be ableist but FAILS miserably; Brain stuff is wacky and complicated; M u s i c; We know way too many pride flags LMAO

[voidheartkisses]

Okay hello hi hello,

First off you're amazing and a gift to the world, I wish I had even half your talent. Your last piece blew my mind and I just HAD to ask,

How long have you been drawing/painting for? I imagine forever but I'm always curious how long it takes before artists reach these sorts of levels where it evolves into full-scale projects as opposed to smaller hobbyist crafts. There are so many beautiful art pieces on this platform as a whole and I'm constantly baffled by it all

Sorry if my excitement is off-putting that piece is heavenly and my mind is blown. Hope you're doing well!

Hi and thank you! That's a good question

So I've been drawing since I was born, but I've been drawing digitally for 8 years. I think in the very beginning most artists should just focus on having fun, you'll basically improve by default

after a while you will want to improve. It will be slow, but this is the stage where you'll recognize what you need work on

I'd say the turning point is when you've finally gotten far enough into your art journey without any sort of formal training (ie, a lot of artists dont learn the basics/fundamentals first, which is fine since most of us start as hobbyists) But I think learning them really did help me a lot. You start to think more about how light and shadow lays, depth, 3D objects, and more.

I highly recommend watching this video about levels of art, it's been really helpful and motivating to me throughout the years

This part is going to be long so you don't have to read it but I just wanna give my personal journey and how I got to now if anyone thinks it'll be helpful:

(2017) With digital art, I started off on ms paint and occasionally ibis paint x. Mostly using anime deviantart bases (EMBARRASSING), but after a while I developed my own style based on the people I was inspired by at the time, I was just happy to draw and didn't care much about improving at this time

(2019) The people you look up to artistically will naturally change over time (and thats okay), after a while I decided to switch to firealpaca, where I guess I got more invested on how light and shadows work, as well as making my characters look a bit more natural and develop my own style, your preference in aesthetic may also change over time which is noticeable here

(2021) Eventually, I began to lean more into semirealism (which isn't everyones preference and thats okay! realism shouldn't be the ultimate end goal of art) but I really enjoyed making stylized characters look 3D and in natural looking environments, since I felt it spoke to my own experiences, a lot of artists draw from real life experiences. I focused more on anatomy at this time as well as textures and environments, composition also became a big deal for me at this time, as well as wanting to use different colors

(2024) The change from LINEART to DIGITAL PAINTING in 2022 was the hardest for me once I switched to clip studio paint, it was basically like starting all over and I was so lost. I had a lot to figure out on my own but I knew it was a transition I had to make to draw the kind of art I wanted. But I began to study and take more things into consideration, I didn't like my art so I simply kept going "I can do better", learning from my previous mistakes and slowly making something I would be more satisfied with. At this point art felt more like "projects" then anything, because I wanted to make pieces that were of quality and had time and care put into each of them, sure it meant there was no longer much quantity. but hey that's what my smaller Cult of the Lamb lineart drawings are for!! 💙

I'm still growing and I definitely have a long way to go, but I am very proud of my progress this year, and I'll continue to grow until I'm satisfied (haha im stubborn) I also want to develop my secondary lineart style that I do when I'm not painting, since I feel that is important too

in short; time, practice, dedication, and passion are the most important, draw what you love above all else because it will be your drive to keep going, staying motivated was the most important for me

Sorry for the long post 😭

[chitty-chitty-bang-bang-bang]

Vlad, Viago and Deacon as parents headcanons [pt.2]

[Part 1] [Part 3]

Author’s note: I love writing this shit to a very unhealthy degree. I might make a oneshots out of this later. Also does anyone know Deacon’s nationality? Some say Polish, others say German. I’m still not sure.

Also, if some of you want pt. 3, please let me know what scenarios would you want me to explore specifically, because I am running out of ideas a bit…

When you first appeared in the house, Viago found some old suitcase in the attic and proposed that you’ll sleep in it, until they get you an actual casket.

You tried it, but couldn’t really slumber because of the constant nightmares and it was too scary to open the lid, because of the sun.

So you started sharing a coffin with Viago, at least until you felt calmer.

It resulted in him sacrificing a bit of his sleep to your rather constant tossing and turning, but he quickly got used to it.

He sang you German lullabies to put you to sleep or whispered some calming affirmations (you didn’t understand a word, but it was sweet).

He found these moments so precious, that he actually got upset, when you obtained your own coffin and started sleeping separately in the attic.

Since the attic was now technically your room, Vlad, Viago and Deacon decided to help you decorate it to your liking, so you went on the town basically robbing thrift stores and supermarkets by hypnotising the cashiers.

They helped you assemble the random ikea furniture you got, even though neither of you could understand the instructions on the box.

In your free time, you’ll often find yourself hanging around in Vladislav’s room, posing for his portraits. He likes your expressiveness, it really gives his paintings the right look. And so you won’t get bored sitting there for hours, he asks you about your life before you became a vampire.

You also speak a lot of Romanian together, because Vlad wanted you to know another language, so he only communicated to you in Romanian for a while and you unwillingly started to understand it with time.

If you miss your family, he will take you to your childhood home. Of course, you can’t really interact with them anymore, but you can at least watch and it might make you feel a bit better to know they are still living a good life and that they miss you just as much.

At one point all three of them realise, that you would benefit from some friends within your age group. So they take you out to an arcade pretty early in the evening.

Unfortunately, living with ancient vampires kind of killed any chance for your social skills to develop properly, so you ended up scaring a bunch of kids and getting very upset.

To compensate for it, Deacon called you along to watch videos on the laptop, that Stu set up. You accidentally stumbled upon Bill Nye reuploads and binged them together, because you thought he’s the smartest person to ever roam the earth.

All of them have some kind of a default nickname for you. Viago calls you “Mäuschen” (little mouse), Vlad calls you very simply “Child” and to Deacon you are “Rodent”.

Stu and Nick are kind of like uncles/siblings to you. When the three have to leave somewhere, they usually leave them to babysit you. You have a lot of fun together! Since all three of you still remember what it’s like to actually be a living and breathing human, you get to talk more about recent news and events, rather than reminisce about the past.

You are also the only person in the group, who can’t really steal your clothes from victims, since neither of the vampires is very keen on killing children. Mostly, they ask their newfound werewolf friends to pick something up for you during the day or steal it themselves during the night.

Considering you can’t go to a normal school, they decided to teach you at home. Vlad teaches you literacy and art, Viago teaches you sciences and history and Deacon teaches you actually important shit like hypnotising tax collectors, draining the blood of your victims into mason jars and looking cool as fuck.

If you call Viago “dad”, he will be over the goddamn moon. It’s like he accomplished a goal he didn’t even know he set.

If you call Vladislav your dad, for a moment he would almost feel this long forgotten warmth in his chest. It’s like his heart started to beat again.

If you refer to Deacon as “dad”, he will be very startled and confused at first. It’s a weird feeling for him to have someone trust him and depend on him so much. He won’t admit it, but he really loved that emotion.

The more you are around, the more they get into being parental figures.

Tagging people who asked for part two: @italakthoughts and @rthounasty (this is a fire username btw)

[vasito-de-leche]

Ooooh, just saw your Self Aware!6 and I love how you portrayed him! You mentioned that he can hear the player, but not see them, right?

What if 6 encounters a player who has him as their favorite character (yk putting him as the main character in the interface), hearing them gushing about how 6 looks so handsome and how they prefer him over 37 and the people at Apeiron, mumbling about how he doesn't deserve the trouble, and actually rooting for him reading his event story? Basically just talking about him, unaware that 6 could actually hear them.

Anyways, I'll let you cook <3

;R1999 6 - Self-Aware AU (2)

Compilation of headcanons about how a self-aware 6 would react to a Player who gushes over him. Related to this Self-Aware AU post.

ty for your ask, nonnie! sorry if this isnt what you were hoping for, I cant exactly see a character like 6 enjoying this sort of treatment!

Right away, I think this sort of thing would make 6 extremely uncomfortable.

We know how he feels about receiving attention or being on the spotlight, how he prefers to stay by the sidelines and only put himself out there when others need mediation or whenever his people require him to play the role of leader--so to have a voice constantly praising and gushing over him would be really tiring. 6 is the type of person who enjoys--perhaps it's better to say that he needs--time alone, with nothing but his thoughts and some peace and quiet, after all.

Is this, somehow, his unchecked ego? Are these his own deepest thoughts manifesting as a voice coming from above, muddling the truth? No, that can't be. 6 knows that his self-esteem and opinion on himself is much more humble than this.

Once he finds out about the existence of the Player, he grows even more confused. Or rather, a bit more timid now that he knows you're watching over him, scrutinizing and observing each and every gesture, every little thing he says. He's your favorite character for reasons he cannot even fathom--not due to a sense of inferiority or inadequacy, but genuine confusion. Did he mess up somewhere? He's not supposed to receive this much attention beyond his contributions to the main story.

I think 6 would be indifferent to any comments about his appearance. His entire bloodline is praised for their unique complexion, this isn't new at all. Comments about how the Player prefers him over 37 or the people of Apeiron--HIS people, HIS community--wouldn't sit well with him, since they're people he cherishes and considers important, even if he keeps his distance from them.

Overall, treating him like this and putting him on a pedestal just further enforces those themes of isolation from the previous post, so to speak!

A much younger 6 would've definitely appreciated the support, to have someone in his corner, especially after losing his aunt to the Revelation. But I like to think that 6 as he is right now is mature enough to recognize the importance of everyone else's points of views. He, more than anyone, understands that he had his faults and that his actions should have consequences, and his humble and pacifist side would also lead him to defend the actions of others, such as 210, despite the previous tension between them. There's a reason his number represents harmony!

And because he represents harmony and perfection, I think he would just tolerate this for a long time. He's spent years in isolation, he's had people talk at him about things he cannot find himself to care about--this is no trouble at all. 6 would simply sit there, or go on about his day as you ramble about him. But I can see him wishing to be turned into a painting in the main screen as often as possible, just for a moment of reprieve.

The more you praise him, the less he talks.

For 6 to truly listen what you have to say, you'll have to talk about something that isn't him. He is curious, especially when he catches you murmuring about other things, such as your next strategy to win this UTTU Special Week, or complaining about the lack of materials to level up others.

I think what 6 would like the most is catching glimpses of the life you lead when you're not focusing on the game, when you complain about responsibilities and how eager you are to unwind by playing the game, when your pet interrupts and you stop playing to shower it with attention and love... These small, fleeting flashes of who you are when no one else is around. Aside from this, he would also love to hear your opinion on the events of the game, without this obvious favoritism for him--what do you think of the allegory of the cave? Do you ever wonder about your soul number?

These are the things that would get 6 to slowly warm up to the idea of the Player watching over him, that would get him to speak back to you one day, on impulse or on purpose. And only once 6 sees you as more than a distant voice, when you finally bond with him in a more meaningful way, perhaps your praise will actually mean something to him. Perhaps he will thank you directly with a small smile, perhaps he will ask you to explain why you feel so strongly about him, genuinely curious about your point of view.

But in the mean time, silence is a virtue.

[astolfofo]

Trigger warning: Body transformation (nonconsensual forced plastic surgery), implied thoughts about noncon, dollification, degrading, yandere. You get the drill.

argenti x reader

Honestly I think like argenti would be a nightmare as a yandere. Like he's not the most manipulative or the most violent it's just... degrading to be with him.

He's kind sure, he's a good person. He has morality. But there's just something... something that's not human when it comes to you. While usually well-practiced in self-restraint, and well-disciplined when it comes to caving to his own body's desires. It's just so unfortunate you were met with the opposite side of him.

He's self-contradictory.

He tells you you're beautiful, yet you can't recognize yourself in the mirror anymore. You don't know who you are. Your face... it isn't the same. It looks different. Sure, you look stunning, gorgeous, even. Almost doll-like.

He told you that you were beautiful. Made your flesh into glass and porcelain.

He said your beauty rivaled those of the gods. And multilated your face into something else. Something better, yet unrecognizable.

Your old clothes were gone. When he had took you in (if you can even call it that (much to your displeasure which was actually kidnapping)) your entire wardrobe had gone with it. All your collared shirts, jackets, skirts, pants--- you name it. It was gone. A new wardrobe had been given to you.

An expensive wardrobe filled with extravangant outfits that were supposed to catch your form perfectly. Custom-made. Perfect for your body. You wonder how much he spent on it. None of the outfits were really something you would wear. It was more like a craftman's signature. A collar. The clothes, the face. You. All to tell others you belonged to him.

You had no say over your basic anatomies anymore.

You wondered if all of this was simply some sort of weird thing he had going on. In fact you had asked him before, but he ignored you. Your protests always fell to deaf ears. He knew the best for you. He always did. You didn't know yourself at all. This was good for you.

To him, you were a blank canvas. A piece of art that's good, but not perfect. And he wasn't just going to fix the small errors. He'd paint his own. His own artwork on top of the finished one.

You're just glad he hasn't been initating on whatever thoughts he might have about this. And you were certain it was only a matter of time before you were subjected to them.

[mauesartetc]

What's your favorite art, writing, and character design advice?

I don't know about "favorite" necessarily, but "blew my mind when I learned this and changed how I do things"? Yeah, I have a few tidbits. You may be aware of these already, but I hope someone out there finds them just as impactful as I have.

The first one comes from art school, circa 2009. Core shadows, everybody!

This is the idea that shadows are darker and sharper the closer they are to the light source, and become more diffuse the farther away they are.

Later, CG Cookie introduced me to the concept of color shifting, which involves color skewing more toward yellow the closer it is to the light source, and more toward blue in the shaded areas. This makes the color look more vibrant and dimensional than it would if the artist simply used lighter and darker shades of the same hue.

Another technique I like using is Griz and Norm's "floating hands":

I could've gleaned this next one from a couple different places but I've modified it to better reflect how the upper arm is slightly longer than the forearm (in fact if you've been following for a bit, you've seen me use it before).

James Gurney's book Color and Light has a wealth of great painting tips, but here's one that stood out: The concept of color zones in the face.

According to Gurney, the reason these zones take on this appearance has to do with how close the veins and capillaries are to the skin, as well as how tiny chin hairs can catch the light. Just an interesting trick to keep in mind the next time you're painting a portrait of a light-skinned person.

One character design tip that's always stuck with me is that the bottom half of the character should look like the top half. If you repeat elements such as colors, shapes, and patterns, your design will look more cohesive.

I think of it like one of those cylinders with rotating segments I used to play with as a kid: You can tell which body parts belong to whom even without the background colors.

As far as writing, I don't remember who I heard this from (some Pixar person; Brad Bird or Pete Docter, maybe?) but the basic idea is: Every character is the hero of their own story. No one wakes up in the morning wondering how they're going to do evil that day. Everyone believes they are in the right, even those the narrative categorizes as villains.

This really shifted my perspective and made me want to treat all my characters with equal measures of empathy. Thus I began my approach to character development as a psychologist might analyze clients, asking how a character would justify their actions rather than projecting my own moral judgements onto them. If you can look at a character as objectively as possible, it's easy to unlock the complexities within them.

Anyway, I hope all this was useful. The trip down memory lane was fun, at least! If this post helped anyone discover a new technique, feel free to leave a tip, and I'll see you in the next one!

[coalswriting]

domestic / dating headcanons - natalie scatorccio

(approx. 900 words)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

you and natalie started dating after you met her at a party.

you were with your friends, and you had spotted her from across the room, talking with travis.

you were way too many drinks in, and feeling confident, so without thinking, you abruptly ended your conversation with your friends by walking over to natalie.

travis looked irritated the moment you started talking to nat. she did not; you could see underlying relief in the sparkle of her eyes and she listened to you intently as you told her some random fun fact you had heard in biology.

one thing led to another, and you woke up with her in bed with you the next morning.

you panicked, thinking you had done something regrettable with someone you barely knew but she reassured you that the two of you simply came back to yours because you wanted her to paint your nails black and watch a movie.

cool. cool.

natalie didn’t end up leaving for ages that day, and when you saw her in school the following monday, she stuck around you.

you were pretty much glued together and she felt like your other half.

you watched her practices, went to her games, packed her a nutritious lunch every morning (because let’s face it; school lunches suck), and even helped her study.

it didn’t take long for the two of you to start dating; maybe two months of talking consistently every day.

and damn, did she move into your house fast.

your parents weren’t around too much due to work, but they really liked natalie based on the few interactions they had with her, so she was basically free to stay whenever.

your wardrobe instantly became better as natalie let you borrow her clothes, and you even would go shopping together with money you had earned from your part time job as a cinema worker.

speaking of cinema work, you always snuck natalie into movies for free with you when your shift would end. most of the movies, you two would just whisper through and joke around, but when it came to horror movies, natalie was honed and focused. she really loved them, and you loved seeing her enjoyment even though you’d freak out at any sight of gore.

natalie started looking a lot healthier when she moved into your house; she was used to eating shitty oven meals at home due her not having much cooking space nor ingredients, and when you both started cooking together, she loved it too much – you’d say she hasn’t had an oven pizza in months after you had started to date.

you do most of the meal prep whereas natalie cooks. somehow, she’s a natural! you oftentimes come home from work to the kitchen smelling like brownies or whatever delicious dinner she’s decided to make for you. and then, yknow, she leaves you with a sink full of dishes.

natalie isn’t a super affectionate person. she won’t outwardly kiss you or hug you often, but she shows it in different ways. maybe she’ll brush your hair, do your makeup, help you decide an outfit, make you a playlist, or link your pinkies together when youre watching tv.

however, if she gets drunk? that’s a whole different story. she’ll pull you away to make out with you every chance she gets. she would almost escalate it anywhere if it weren’t for you being reasonable and stopping her before things get too hot and heavy.

she’s also a little spoon. i will die on this hill. she’ll sleep facing away from you, but during the night, will push herself towards you until you’re holding her and breathing in the smell of her shampoo. she doesn’t care if it gets too hot, she will literally sleep through the night like a corpse – and then take a shower the next day because she’s all sweaty.  

she’s almost too over-protective at times, literally glaring at anyone that even looks at you wrong. once a guy catcalled the two of you in the hall at school and she literally kicked his locker shut onto his wrist.

his face was worth the detention that you both had to sit through.  

natalie stopped smoking for you. it’s not that you necessarily complained that you didn’t want her to smoke, but you made an off-hand comment once about how you’d love for her to take care of her health more.

and she took that personally. she literally went cold turkey, and you stayed with her the entire time while she was moody, sick, and tired from withdrawal.

natalie’s favourite thing to do is shower. she didn’t have the liberty to shower every day when she lived with her parents, so she basically showers daily at yours, if not twice a day. you don’t mind though; you’re not the one paying for the water.

you’ll oftentimes just sit outside on the toilet while she’s showering and talking to you about a new album she wants to buy or some drama she heard while in the changing rooms for soccer.

speaking of soccer, the yellowjackets think you two are such a weird couple. natalie is so rough, whereas you’re so sweet and caring. you’ll literally come to their practices with bottles of water for everyone and natalie will say some comment along the lines of “she’s mine, all of you find your own fucking girlfriend.”

meanwhile, everyone else is just blinking blankly, not even doing anything to insinuate that they’re trying to steal you.

[noritaro]

bestie asked how I rendered so yeah, kind of a tutorial? it's more like a step by step but alas

tutorial under read more

sketch/line art ► I don't do line art out of sheer laziness + I'm not very good at getting clean looking lines. My lines are always coloured and set to a multiply layer.

colour block + base colours ► the block is 90% of the time the characters skin colour, but if I'm feeling fancy I might go with other colours like I'm doing with this one, a light reddish pink

I do this because I colour everything in one layer

I use a mixing brush to sloppily throw in the characters actual palette

yeah it's very messy, but has a fun unpredictable variation in the colours you typically wouldn't get if you just threw in base colours like a normal person

shading ► continuing the trend of being absurdly sloppy with my process...

I like shading with multiply or burn layers, and highlights are usually done with overlay or add (mostly add) could obviously be done with any colour except full on black or white

after this I merge all my layers together for clean up

clean up ► the fun yassification part wooo!! essentially all I'm doing is just carving out the various shapes I want with a basic round hard mix + soft mix brush, further refining everything and making it not look sloppy

I always start with the face and then move out to other parts like hairs and clothes

Marco Bucci on YouTube has fantastic videos on painting shapes and he explains everything better than I ever could

Optional filters + edits ► boring part simply adding a paper texture over the piece using overlay, just makes everything look less flat and digital

profit ► yeah!! uhh thats really it honestly, I don't really do anything special lmfao

[adamnablelittledevil]

Reacting to The Vampire Lestat - Part IV (with a bit of spoilers)

Lestat's narration has gotten so much better actually. I mean, I still don't care when he talks about stuff that doesn't have an effect on him, but when he describes things/people that actually do? It's great. It's just so vivid, rich, colorful, sometimes even abstract that simply makes me giggle and kick my feet. When he gets really thoughtful about life, vampirism, existence, religion, morality, feelings, theater, music etc, it feels like borderline insanity, but in a brilliant way? Feels like I'm tasting some crazy drug and tripping, but it's so good? It activates a very specific part of my neurodivergent brain and I love it because I'll also be having those crazy thoughts all by myself with nobody to talk to and Lestat just gets it.

I also love the excess of exclamations on this POV haha.

Sometimes it just feels like a naive child telling things and is kind of endearing.

ARMAND!

Armand in Lestat's words: he was beautiful, ethereal, sublime, exquisite, delicate, soft, perfect, a Caravaggio painting, a Da Vinci painting, an angel, I found myself in him, the possibility of him, I didn't pay attention to [whatever] because I was looking at him etc etc.

Basically calling him the most beautiful thing he's ever seen, really.

Like, I legit MEMORIZED some of them. Lestat was THAT repetitive lmao.

I don't know if it's because the words were so superlative or because Lestat had it that bad or because I have it that bad just thinking about it, but yeah.

I'm not even kidding when I say I need to take pauses because this is kind of unsettling.

I'm so serious, but I feel like reading Lestat's description of Armand has a bigger effect on me than the prettiest person I have ever seen in freaking R E A L L I F E? What the hell, WHAT IS THIS SORCERY?

Lestat, tone it down, I'm begging you.

Been told Armand is really that gorgeous and every character talks about him that way, so apparently he isn't exaggerating... I'm gonna lie down, bye.

It's even worse because I just picture show!Armand because he's even more handsome there so it makes me dizzy.

Also because Lestat won't miss an opportunity to talk about his beauty? He LITERALLY says it EVERY SINGLE TIME he sees Armand. I'm not joking, I swear on my own life. I'm like, OKAY, WE GET IT? ENOUGH!

Armand (Lestat's version) on season 3 will be insufferable and I'm so ready for it. But also not ready yk.

At this point I'm basically just drooling over him and I don't care.

PERFECT casting with Assad. He incorporates Armand like no other. Everyone on the show is talented and I can see them as their characters, but there's one thing or another that I imagine differently sometimes? But not Armand, like, my Armand looks, walks, moves, talks, stares etc the exact same way Assad does it on the show. Every single time. The others are like, 90% or something for me, but Assad is 100% my imagination? It's like he traveled in time, stole my 2024 thoughts, went back to the past, auditioned, got the part and then played it exactly the way I see it today. It's crazy.

Wouldn't be surprised if that's the case, they already have all these possessions going on, what's more to our little satanic show lmao.

Also, great casting with Assad because no man with red-ish hair has looked this good ever. It just doesn't make sense, I'm sorry.

Armand is a beauty God, but also a really good character and I love his lines. Even when I don't agree with him, I just find him fascinating, the role he has on the story, what he represents, the way he moves the plot, whatever the effect he has on Lestat etc...

Armand's moments are never boring. He'll probably piss me off later, but right now I'm having a great time and the book has never been better.

Lesmand's/Armandstat's moments are always heated. The tension is always there. I'm not telling you what kind. Actually, I don't even know it myself. Do THEY even know?

Sam said something about how you're never sure what they are and I think he's right? At least for now. Let's see it after all the books.

They also act like they've known each other forever, have this crazy history that goes through centuries and they already can push each other's buttons... But they actually, like, only know each other for 5 minutes? CHILL?!

They're sort of soul ties/mirrors/foils/two sides of the same coin-coded in an appealing way.

I guess I can say Armand is my favorite character right now. I always read it faster when he's there, I'm always looking forward to seeing him again, I'm fine when I don't see Gabrielle or Nicki, but I'm always like, BRING HIM BACK. I don't know if I should be worried I'll grow into hating him when stuff happens or if I'll just be an Armand apologist lol. I'm scared. But let's wait to see it.

Samssad on season 3 will be delicious. Specially on the 1700s flashbacks. I'm expecting almost, if not EVERY scene of them there to be INTENSE. Great acting potential there.

I really want to see a moment with Armand and Lestat in a church like on the book? Let's take their angelic faces and curls to the next level. Put them in a church, surrounded by religious figures, stained glasses, candles etc. I don't even care what the context will be. They can be talking, silent, killing each other, doing something else, doing all of it, but give me the heavenly visuals. Actually, if they want to film the entire show in a church they can, it would be so aesthetically pleasing. Bonus points if they use Gothic churches because I'm extremely obsessed with them. Bonus points if they use Sainte-Chapelle because I'm kind of even more hyperfixated on that. I mean, it would never happen, but it should *shrugs*.

Btw, the mess Armand made in the house and the way he was reading the books is very neurodivergent of him.

The way he prefers to talk telepathically instead of speaking out loud is very neurodivergent of him as well.

Nicki is soooooooooo doomed by the narrative, omg. Anne didn't even try to hide it.

I'm not really sure how I feel about Nicki except that he needs therapy...

This is probably the silliest comment so far, I'm no longer thinking clearly after Armand's introduction. Sorry, guys. It will happen again.

The next chapter has his name so I'm scared, but also excited.

P.S. Nothing is permanent, opinions might change and this is based on Lestat’s narration, which can be unreliable. I’m reading the books so I can find out more about the characters, what potential events might happen in the show, what I can expect etc. This is my favorite show in the universe, so I want to be as informed as possible. I have no idea if I’ll become a legit fan of the books or not, but so far I’m enjoying it. I’m posting these comments only for fun.