#I can't do this no more I need to post ART.. .

[cosmos-kitty]

Do you have any tips for painting with gouache? like how do you get it to stay a nice solid color over a large swath of paper? and how do you blend it so seamlessly?

Of course, here's a few pointers off the top of my head:

1. I've used gouache for this in the past so it's possible, but the flat backdrop on my latest WIP is actually acrylic! A nifty thing I've found about putting a layer of acrylic down, is that it creates a barrier once dried and essentially makes the paper waterproof. This means you can work in gouache on top without it mixing with the background, and you can wet a section and completely wipe it clean with a cloth/tissue and it won't disturb the acrylic layer underneath. It also makes the paper more resilient, and you don't get as much pilling/tearing from the moisture

To get an even wash it's mostly getting the right consistency, I add just a little water - enough that the paint is less "tacky" as you drag your brush along paper, but not so much that it's runny or translucent. It takes a couple of attempts sometimes!

2. Also for the current WIP that I posted earlier, like the vast majority of my traditional pieces, keep in mind that it's mixed media. So I assume you're referring to the blue-green gradient on the bird and wondering how I got the gouache to blend like that - it's actually colouring pencils! I'll often switch between dry and wet media, even layer them back and forth, whatever makes the most sense to get the effect I want 😁

3. On that note, when you're working with paint, or any medium really, I can't recommend enough having a "test" sheet that you do both before and during a traditional piece. It allows you try out different medium combos, see what shade your gouache will dry into, and catch any issues before it ends up on your artwork. I often see artists being encouraged to just Bob Ross their way through a piece, the idea being that you'll just have happy little accidents that you'll naturally work into the piece - maybe, but you'll also possibly irreversibly wreck your hard work and have to start again. I don't know, I'm just a methodical person I guess, but seeing someone just directly apply something to the page when they're not sure what it's going to do makes me wince - no two art supplies are the same! All of those paints and pens have different chemical makeups, there's an unlimited number of ways what you're using could interact, good or bad.

Since it's already there, I usually reuse one of the leftover failsons from the process of making the wash background, then test everything on top of that. That way you can see exactly what shade the paint will dry on top of whatever colour the background is:

Doesn't need to look good, nobody sees it (usually) and you can also test the thickness of your brushstrokes while you're at it.

Anyway, I hope this helps!

[queen0funova]

[Image ID: Tumblr tags. They read,

#pokemon #clai's art

#i love when things are super serious and then suddenly arent. Its my favorite bit

#BUT ALSO. I come back with more klink thoughts

#you mentioned how it would have been nice for the pokemon that signified n's turning point to be a friendship evo

#and like yeah i think it would have been nice for him to have one i even have my own post on the matter

#but tbh. klink is THE perfect one to represent it, like its driving me up a wall. i think it might fit n more than zorua does

#the thing with n is he is horrifically bad at friendships, he pushes all his pokemon away by releasing them

#he keeps saying he wants to be friends with the protag all throughout bwl but doesnt give them a way to contact him when he leaves

#he's gone for Two Years without reconnecting

#my point being. a friendship evo actually wouldnt do him any good during bwl, he's fresh out of isolation he hasn't learned to process it

#what n does do? he processes the world through formulas. makes sense of everything around him with numbers

#klink is a pokemon that cannot function unless its in a pair. it has the abilities plus and minus which only activate when-

#--another pokemon with those abilities, all rooted in very basic scientific terms, can't make a gear turn without a second ane

#maria also points out its a ferris wheel reference. "The circular motion... The mechanics... [...]collections of elegant formulas™

#what i'm saying is n needed that concept of togetherness explained in a way He understood

#n thinks linearly, there has to be one solution to everything. It has to be neatly explained in a formula

#friendships are complex and theres no Correct way to make and be friends

#he just needed a kickstart idea presented in familiar terms. klink is exactly that

#in addition like klink being an objectmon and n seen as Inhuman? literally perfect. n connecting with something that might on the surface--

#--look unfeeling and cold. but klink is all about connections and so is n

#i hope that makes sense. its very late i might be rambling too much VJEVDJEVJED

#sorry for putting a serious analysis in the tags of a Funny Comic. I am severely ill about black and white you must understand

/End ID]

Do you ever think about how almost all of N’s Pokémon throughout the first games were one offs he released after he battled you, how he cared about them all deeply enough that he thought it would be selfish to have them battle more than necessary. And do you ever think about how this is the case with all his Pokémon EXCEPT his Klinklang in the final battle at the league, where the second to last battle he had a Klink and this Klinklang is very likely that same Pokémon? Do you think this was a visual representation of his mindset wavering from a fixed point? How that Klink refused to leave him right away and he couldn’t bring himself to force them to leave because his mind is in so many different directions? He can keep them around just a little longer until he becomes champion, it won’t be long, he can bend things some so long as he doesn’t fully stray from his path…right?

Or is that just me am I the only one willing to be insane about Klinklang of all Pokémon

[rheitais]

DP x DC One shooting star later. Pt 1.5

This is more snips and bits about the batfam interactions with the Nightingales/Fentons.

[Part 1 | Part 2]

Original post here^

_____________________________

In a local cafe (way before the joker incident):

Ellie: I am just saying the villains here? In all honesty are like a joke.

Jazz, studying to be a therapist: Mhmmhm, hey do you think I would be able to catch Dr. Quinzel next time shes out of Arkham?

Dan: Probably, stop stealing my food, what are you, Catwoman???

Danny: Oh please I don't have the body for that. She's very fancy, don't compare me to a queen.

Ellie: I thought you would be more insulted because you were excused for thievery.

Danny: Do I look like Dan to you?

Dan: Hypocrite says what?

Danny: Mass murderer says what?

Tim in the next booth: ????? *Aggressively texting the batfam group chat*

__________________________________

Dan: why do we need to be together again?

Danny: So you can't kill anyone again and I don't start killing people.

Dan: right, right.....

Danny:

Dan:

Dan: So.... What do we do with this?

Danny: Look clowns are really freaky. I know jazz told us to stay out of trouble since we are kinda on the bats radar but he kinda sneaked up on *us*. Again mind you. This was fully deserved. Right?

Dan, standing over the joker's dead body: Yeah, but we did just kill him in someone else's haunt.... We aren't even supposed to be over here.

Danny: Call mom?

Dan: Call mom.

Red hood overhead staring at the 2 halfas and a dead joker: Fck if they didn't already have parents I would pull a bruce with these 2.

__________________________________

Maddie: And that is how you make an energy gun that uses solar panels. No bullets and litter required and 100% effective.

Poison Ivy, who kidnapped Maddie and Ellie: Would you like to work for me?

_____________________________

Jack at a gala since his family was invited: IT IS GREAT TO MEET YOU MISTER REPORTER MAN! *Aggressively shaking the reporter's hand and honestly just man handling him the whole time*

Bruce: Ah, Mr.Nightingale I think ya wife is looking for ya?

Jack: Maddie? OK BYE REPORTER MAN AGAIN.

Clark: How the hay is he so strong?? *Still dizzy from the handshake*

Bruce: Hm. *Also had that whiplash when he first met the man*

__________________________________

Ellie: The teacher is so dumb, " Benny didn't invent anything, if anything he sucked at it. A guy named Lewie actually made it way better"

Damian: You mean Lewis Latimer?

Ellie: Yeah! He is actually a really cool dude. It's so dumb the teacher didn't mention him :(

Damian: While I would have to agree that the lack of proper credit is missing in the textbooks, I am intrigued by your opinions on this matter.

Ellie: Please I'm not fancy or anything i just travel and spoke to a lot of people for a while. Plus stuff about history is more my brother's thing, I am a chaotic art girlie myself.

Damian: Interesting.

__________________________________

Just an idea

[hyperions-light]

Making Fanfic Banners/Collages with Canva for FREE

Hello friends! Canva is an online software tool that mostly gets used for creating social media advertisements, but YOU can use it to make pretty, custom banners/collages/images for your fanfiction! For FREE!

WHY should you do this?

Fun

Custom art thing for your fic!

If you put pictures on your fic posts, sometimes you get more notes (sometimes)

The joy of creation!!!

I will walk you through it (with pictures) below the cut!

STEP ONE: GO TO CANVA, MAKE AN ACCOUNT

You can sign up with email, gmail, or FB. Gmail is the most convenient, but I think they do 2FA no matter what, so take that into account.

STEP TWO: DON'T PAY ANY MONEY & IGNORE AI

Every time you login or make stuff or do ANYTHING, Canva will try to get you to pay for Canva Pro. Don't do that. I've had access to the Pro and free versions and there's no reason to pay for anything on here. Also, they have an AI that's supposed to make things for you, but it sucks & isn't fun. Ignore it.

STEP 3: CHOOSE A TEMPLATE

Okay, so if you're a graphic designer... I mean I'm not sure why you're reading this tutorial, you can definitely make cooler stuff than I can! You should just use the 'create blank [post type]' button and go to town! But if you're not (like me) what I usually do is pick a type of template that Canva has (like blog banners, instagram posts, facebook covers, etc) and go browse their designs. My advice is not to look for something that you completely like, but something that has the right vibe-- you're going to be messing with all the individual aspects of the post anyway, so just pick based on aesthetics. Try to make sure that if you're going to put your fic title on your work that you pick/create a design where the text is clearly displayed/in an easily legible font.

NOTE: Some of the designs will have a little crown in the corner, and these designs are only available if you pay for premium. If they have a little $ on them, instead, that just means they have individual paid elements in them that you can get rid of, so feel free to use those, too!

STEP 4: CHOOSE YOUR PICTURES

Okay, so I like this screaming seagull one. I clicked on it, and selected 'customize template'. So now I want to get rid of the seagull, and replace him with my own stuff. You can do this a couple of ways: if you have screenshots from your game/show/other media, you can upload them by clicking on the little cloud icon on the left side that says "Uploads". If you DON'T have pictures, or you don't have ones you need, there are a couple options:

You can try to browse Canva's selection of pictures. It is in the "Elements" tab; you type in a search, and then select the "photos" filter from the little marquee below the search bar. My advice is to only use one word search terms, because Canva loves showing you all the photos that you can use if you pay for them, and if you use more words, they do that more often. There ARE free photos in there, but you have to scroll a bit.

If you don't want to deal with the search system or can't find what you're looking for, sites like Pixabay, Pexels, and Unsplash provide free photos that you can use without attribution, and do not require you to have an account to download. Please DO NOT just search using google/other engines and take things from there-- those photos are often not licensed for free use. The sites I linked will try to sell you pictures, but not as much as Canva, and there's usually a lot of free stuff to choose from. Download the pictures you want in a good resolution and upload them to Canva!

STEP 5: MESS AROUND WITH STUFF!

Okay, so now you can add your stuff and mess around with it!! Just click on the element (like the seagull) and delete it. Then go to your uploads and click + drag the image you want onto the canvas. You can use them as the background by dragging them to one of the corners, but you can also just put them on the canvas and mess around with them. In the left picture, you can see some of the options you have to resize and move around the image, so different elements appear on top of or behind it. If you click on the button that says 'edit' on the little bar menu that comes up when you select the image, you'll get the menu in the right picture, where you can mess with filters and colors, etc. It's not a completely comprehensive editing software, but you can do a lot of things! I encourage you to mess around and see what looks cool!

STEP SIX: ADD MORE STUFF, IF YOU WANT!

I love adding more stuff. You can change and add text by clicking on the textboxes that are already there, or you can use the "text" section on the left menu to add new blocks. They have some fun combinations and a lot of fonts! A thing I like to do is go in the elements tab and search for 'patterns'; you can add them on top of your image or elsewhere! The opacity setting is your best friend; you can overlay a bunch of stuff and create interesting/unique collages! You can also add basic shapes, frames, moving elements, and clipart, if you want!

STEP SEVEN (FINAL): DOWNLOAD YOUR THING!

When you're done, the 'share' menu in the upper right corner will let you download your image in a bunch of different formats (I'm pretty sure you could make a looping GIF for your fic here on Canva, too!) I usually do PNGs for the quality. I haven't had any issues uploading on Tumblr (or on Twitter, when I used it).

Anyway, I hope you'll try making these! I didn't show it, but there are a lot of different templates you can use, so if you want to make a collage instead, just look around! I think it's super fun to do for my fics! If you have any questions, you can bother me on my blog or in the replies section of this post, just please be polite! Thanks for reading!

[path-of-grass-and-leaves]

Bioregional Magic: Sustainable Ways to Work with Native Plants

Note: Post Contains Personal Anecdotes and UPG

As someone with a nature-based practice, I completely understand the desire to work with native plants. Many of us are deeply compelled to foster a connection with our land spirits and the local flora and fauna.

But with the normalization of consumption in witchcraft spaces paired with unethical wildcrafting and foraging practices, it's important to be careful. We don't want to harm the native plant populations and the wildlife that depends on them in our quest for a more localized practice.

Learning which plants are safe to harvest

By safe, I don't mean safe to handle or consume, though this is also crucial knowledge for anyone harvesting wild plants in general. I'm specifically referring to whether or not the collection of native plant matter will make a negative impact on the local ecosystem.

Think of it this way, if your practice is spirit-focused. Will the collective spirits of certain plants really want to assist you if you're devastating their population for your own gain? IME the answer is a hard no.

Take a look at a field guide and start identifying some of the native plants in your region. Are some of them listed as endangered, threatened, or special concern? Now you know which plants you should never disturb or collect materials from.

If not threatened, are some species generally harder to find? Are they present only in a certain type of environment? Do they take a long time to mature and/or have a very specific method of seed dispersal? Proceed with caution.

Example:

Common Blue Violets are one of the first plants to bloom in my garden during springtime. I also consider them very important in my practice and like to harvest them for certain rituals. But like I said, they're one of the first native plants to bloom during spring. Which means there are going to be pollinating insects, songbirds, and small mammals which rely on these plants for food. And predators who rely on those animals.

Since this is a hardy plant that usually grows in abundance, it's okay for me to harvest some from the garden for personal use. But I still need to leave enough to serve as a resource for wildlife and allow it to reproduce for the following year.

On the contrary, I never touch my wild Bloodroot. I only have two or three plants in the garden, their seeds have double dormancy germination requirements, and they take 2-3 years to reach blooming size. I have only ever collected seeds for propagation, and even then do it rarely because I know that the ants do a much better job at this than I could.

So when we can't harvest materials to use for tools and ingredients in workings, how do we utilize these plants in our practice?

Physical Representations and Symbolism

Images, objects, and symbols representing the plant can be used to substitute organic matter that you would otherwise collect and use for workings. Consider art pieces or photos, sculptures, sigils and seals, paper cut or folded into the shape of leaves or flowers, etc.

If the plant is your main component or energy source, consider designing the working to cater to this. For example, if I'm petitioning the spirit of milkweed, I might want to incorporate aspects of air and wind, since this is how their seeds are distributed. Or I may want to add some lunar energies knowing that this is the planetary correspondence for milkweed. This is would completely depend on my intent for the specific working and which physical or spiritual aspects of the plant I choose to work with.

If you're seeking a more long-term effect, try getting crafty and using symbols of the plant to decorate your own tools. I'm talking homemade oracle cards, painted jars or boxes for container spells, decorated offering bowls, ritual jewelry, and so on.

Working with Living Plants

This one is for the spirit workers. While it's entirely possible to petition plant spirits, especially collectives, solely using imagery, working carefully with a living plant can help establish a more direct spiritual connection.

This can be done by conducting your working outdoors, inviting the spirit of the plant into your space, and asking for assistance. During this time you would leave an offering, usually fresh water, but you can also offer things like soil or compost. Obtaining a working knowledge of certain plants can help inspire ideas for more creative, species-appropriate offerings, giving your spells and rituals an extra boost.

Now if this were a plant that was on a special concern or endangered species list, I would avoid offerings and actions that could potentially disturb the plant in any way. I may work within a few feet of the plant and present my offering in a bowl, removing it at the end of the working. I would definitely avoid touching it or say, pouring out water over the soil where it grows.

While we're on the subject of offerings, consider acts of service. Once again, we're going to use milkweed as an example. If I want to leave a nice offering for the spirit of milkweed and I know that Black Swallowtails feed on the nectar and pollinate it, I may offer a potted plant of dill placed in the wildflower garden. This is because Black Swallowtail caterpillars love to eat dill and will later pupate into adults, which will be beneficial for the plant. Consider different species and their relationship with each other. You may even get multiple spirit allies out of the deal.

Cultivation and Seed Distribution

Now, we've talked about ways to avoid harm when incorporating native plant species into our practices, but what about making a positive impact?

The Act of Growing Things is actually my favorite part of plant magic. Sure, I love harvesting my vegetables, fruit, and herbs to use in various recipes, and wild plants I find in the yard are excellent allies. But there really is something special about watching a tiny seedling grow into a full-sized plant, or seeing that delicate young native perennial thrive during its first year outdoors.

Whether transplanting or growing from seed, you're inevitably going to develop a strong relationship with that specific plant. You'll learn all about its growth rate, ecological benefits, soil requirements, and more. This will lead to folklore, correspondences, and later on your own UPG related to where this plant fits within your practice.

Another option, if you don't have the energy for more hands-on cultivation, is seed scattering. Disturbed areas like roadside ditches or even your backyard are perfect for this. Whether scattering or growing in starter pots, seeds can be charmed or enchanted with a specific intent and planted as a sort of living spell.

I use Prarie Moon Nursery for my seeds, but there are plenty of other affordable online vendors. You can also check out what's available locally. There are a few native-focused nurseries in my area that have a nice variety of options depending on the season.

[smileybasics]

Defending @lil-liaa

I usually don’t post in this blog cause i have other ones but i don’t think this is being fair, me and Lia have been moots for a year and I have seen all her work over the years, I don't know a more creative person than her and I have been with her while she makes her moodboards by call and it is simply impressive the hours she invests in doing it, today I She wrote so devastated and we made a call talking, she has worked on this for so long, I remember how excited she was when she reached 1k, what I mean is that her community and her blog are very important to her, these people are accusing her because three Posts are similar to those of other blogs and that seems stupid to me since you have not even seen her other posts to know if she really makes an effort or not, Lia has made collages, dividers, banners, and a lot of other things, to she is really passionate about digital art and the only time she left her blog was because of the loss of a loved one and the truth is I don't care how many people are going to believe me after this post I just want them to leave her alone, here I am attaching some evidence...

This doesn’t even have so much in common just a three pics, in case you don’t know how moodboards are made, 2 or more colors are taken as a base and the images that best match the tones are searched on Pinterest, not only what she "copied" are just two photos but she also made a divider and a collage

Here’s just pinterest pics (proofs that are from pinterest in keep reading) and again i saw a lot of rude comments towards her that so unfair and hurt feelings cause considering how long Lia has been on her blog it's like invalidating all her hard work!!

In this post she even clarify that the divider isn’t made by her but the collage it is, also it’s just 2 pics that are similar!

This pictures are from pinterest, everyone can use it!

People bullying her

This doesn't just happen on the internet, but in real life, one of Lia's moots simply republished the post where they accused her of copying, she asked him/her why he/her did it so quickly, If they were supposed to be moots, if someone betrays you so quickly without questioning anything, they were never your friend and instead of responding privately she/him made a post just to make her/him moots laugh and the comments are gross, my god it's disgusting, this is directly bullying, if you are a thinking person and if you have ever had some kind of link you should try to talk something privately instead of calling the crazy girl and tagging all your moots so they can laugh, the worst thing is that you can tell that this girl only wants interaction because when she and Lia were chatting she threatened Lia with blocking her but then when Lia blocked her she made another post like "she blocked me" it's like, besides being a treacherous rat you can't have the decency to talk to her about it, Lia has been so nice to everyone but after all, this is where you can see who the ones who truly supported her are, and not the fake friends.

I'm not going to censor his/her username, he deserves it, tumblr is as much as real life, the importance of moots is like friends in real life, because if you want you can just harass someone and all your friends will laugh without question anything.

Also, Lia has a tutorial of a lot of things that she made! If she knows how to do it, why would she steal or copy from other blogs?

She has tutorials of gifs, texts, banners, etc, if she really stole and copy, why she knows how to do it by herself?, and if she knows how to do it by herself she doesn’t even need to stole!

LIKE SHE DIDN’T CARE?! Sorry but this is so wrong, i can tell that, SHE CARES, all these people who are making posts mocking her and calling her crazy because according to them she "copied" three measly posts, when if I were in her place and all my years of work were at stake I would also act like a crazy person because it's worth it, here it is demonstrated clearly her hypocrisy, if Lia wants to defend all her hard work or defend herself from bullying by blocking you she is crazy but if she makes a post explaining everything it seems like she doesn't care, this frustrates me so much

Here more evidence of Lia’s drafts

Just a few of her drafts

And last but not least I want to give credit to Lia's great work these years, so you can see that there is a true artist behind all this nonsense controversy, here are some of her moodboards, my personal favorites that I can't imagine how much time it would have taken

Extra: “Lia we know it’s you” Don’t acuse me of being Lia, i’m just a real friend

Evidence: Contact of Lia and me

Hi guys, it's come to my attention that someone in the moodboard community known as lil-liaa has been copying / taking heavy "inspo" from other creators like @y-unjins and @iluvrei view more for more info + evidence + my opinions on the whole situation

before i start, i'm not trying to run lil-liaa off the platform nor am i trying to stur up drama, this is just to bring light to the situation as not many people know and many people (including myself) defended her when this first happened, i also want liia to realize that what she's doing isn't right and that she shouldn't just brush off "accusations" like these when there is evidence.

proofs

you can see the similarities as lil-liaa used 3 of the exact same pics as iluvrei's including one edited by the original creator without adding credits to the post.

2nd

here you can instantly tell that the moodboard was copied (lil-liaas on the right being an exact replica of y-unjins), only changing 2 pics excluding the idol change and

3rd / last

lastly, you can see how one lia used the exact same divider (+ didnt give creds), two she uses the same images not only in the moodboard but also in her gif (same pics from y-unjins moodboard including the png)

now, lil-liaa was sent multiple anonymous ask from last year and one recently accusing her of stealing moodboards, although a lot of people defended her last year including me due to the ask having no sorts of proof of moodboards being stolen and no one else speaking on it but now the recent ask she has received included proof and her response to it was very (in my opinion) rude and just sounded like she didn't care.

in my opinion, i don't believe this was just a draft she had premade and i don't believe she somehow got the same exact photos from y-unjins moodboard recommended, i believe since this isnt the first accusation and now there's proof of this i believe she has been copying moodboards since last year when she was accused. i don't believe lil-liaa cares about this, the fact she's stealing from other creators and when she gets called out for it she pushes it off with the same excuses

tags

@miujo @rkkuri @lvioung @ciestial @aeraras @sugarish @gyareii @i-kyujin @daddldee @i-mmaculatus @haerinism @chaeryeos @bloomqi @h-yeoni @p-oisn @bitchey @yeritos @yonkiibums @y-vna @y-urios @fairytopea @shuaver @yeoniis

[gr0ggy]

ᖴOᖇ YOᑌ (​ᗰIGᑌEᒪ ᙭ ᗷᒪK!ᖇEᗩᗪEᖇ)

warnings: 18+, dbf!miguel o'Hara, age gap (reader is 25, Miguel is 44), all characters are adults exept for gabriella, dad’s best friend Miguel, sexual content, gabriella exists, no use of yn, miguel x reader, Miguel is spiderman, Miguel is a whore, black reader, descriptions of hair and skin, slow, swearing, mother father and brother’s name mentioned, not set in 2099

wc: 4.8k

Series Masterlist | Blog | Masterlist

Ｃｈａｐｔｅｒ ９： Ｋｎｉｃｋｓ

art cred: _insomniac_red_ on ig, nightmare_fuell on twt,  _peachyypie_ on ig, sberrymango, Mamba

_________________________________________________

There was silence for a few minutes. You and Miguel were looking at each other, his cum seeping out of you as he held you in his arms, tangled together on your couch.

"You still want to shower?" 

"Yeah, just...give me a second." He said. 

Finally, a few minutes later, he sat up, running a hand through his thick brown hair. His eyes were pointed at the ground. You put a hand on his back, gently soothing him.

"Everything okay?" 

No, everything was not okay. He was having post-nut clarity. Especially after what your dad had said. He had a 'reputation.' In the moment, when Miguel's with you⎯kissing you, fucking you⎯he completely forgets about the idea of you being James' daughter. He was feeling guilty, and it had just now started to weigh on him. The dichotomy between the way he looked at you hardly 30 minutes ago versus the way he was looking at you now was like taking a bullet. 

"Yeah, I—I just... You're my friend's daughter, y'know?" He leaned onto your couch, throwing his head back.

"I know..." you replied. "But I'm also an adult who can make my own decisions." You scooched closer to him. 

"I can't. I shouldn't." Miguel wasn't telling you; he was telling himself. 

"What's up with you? Why can't you make up your damn mind?" You were starting to get irritated. 

"I mean, one day you're begging me to stay, and the next you're balls deep in me..." You paused. "And now you 'shouldn't'?" 

"I know, I'm—" 

"Do you want me, or not, Miguel?" 

"Of course I want you." His voice was low and gruff, his gaze flickering down to your lips before returning to your eyes.

"That's the fucking problem," Miguel huffed. "It's not right, but god, I can't stop myself from wanting you." That made your stomach coil, because you knew you couldn't stop yourself either, no matter how hard you tried.

"Look, I understand what you're feeling, but if we both want each other, I don't get why we can't keep going." You crossed your legs on the cushions, his mess still inside you. You really needed a shower.

"Because if he finds out, he'll kill me." He said. "He already thinks I'm trying to—" 

You cut him off before he could finish. 

"He doesn't know anything." You paused, realizing how much your father's words had gotten to him.

Miguel let out a deep sigh, dragging his hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the guilt that clung to him. "He doesn't need to know anything," he murmured, his voice more to himself than to you.

You shifted closer, your knee brushing against his thigh. "Exactly. What we do, what this is, has nothing to do with him. It's between us, Miguel."

He looked at you then, his dark eyes clouded with indecision. "It's not that simple," he said, his tone softer now, almost pleading. "James is... like family to me. I owe him more respect than this."

"Respect?" You scoffed, throwing your hands up. "Respect would be you treating me like the adult I am and letting me make my own choices. Or does that not count because I'm 'James's daughter'?"

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Miguel said, his jaw tightening.

"Then explain it to me," you pressed, your frustration bubbling over. "Explain why you're so terrified of wanting me when it's so obvious you do."

His gaze locked with yours, intense and unyielding. "Because you're dangerous," he said quietly. "You make me forget myself. Forget my principles. Hell, forget my sanity."

You tilted your head, lips curving into a small, defiant smile. "Then stop fighting it. Stop pretending you don't crave this as much as I do."

Miguel's hand twitched at his side, as if caught between pulling you closer or pushing you away. Finally, he exhaled sharply and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he buried his face in his hands.

"You make it sound so easy," he muttered, his voice muffled.

"Because it is," you said, leaning in until your lips were just inches from his ear. "It's only complicated if we make it that way."

Miguel froze for a moment before his hands slowly dropped from his face. He turned to you, and the conflict in his eyes was clear as day. "You don't get it," he said, shaking his head. "If this goes wrong, I could lose him—his trust, our friendship..."

"You won't lose me," you said firmly, cutting him off. "And honestly, Miguel, if you're that worried about what my dad thinks, then maybe you should just stop seeing me altogether."

The challenge in your voice hung heavy in the air, and you knew you were testing him. Pushing him. Forcing him to decide, once and for all, if he was willing to fight for this or if his fear would win.

Miguel stared at you, his jaw tight, his breathing uneven. Then, finally, he muttered, "You really don't make this easy, do you?"

You smiled, leaning back slightly. "Never said I would."

And just like that, the tension broke. Miguel let out a low chuckle, shaking his head as he ran a hand through his hair again. "You're gonna drive me insane, you know that?"

"Good," you replied, crossing your arms. "Maybe then you'll finally stop overthinking everything."

He looked at you for a long moment, something shifting in his eyes. It wasn't guilt or fear anymore, it was something closer to resolve. He was giving in. He couldn't help it.

"Fine," he said, his voice steady. "But if we're doing this, we have to be careful. No slipping up. No giving anyone a reason to suspect anything."

"You kinda screwed the pooch already with Benny," you said, grinning.

Miguel sighed, shaking his head as he leaned back against the couch. "That was... instinctual."

"Instinctual? Really?" you teased, standing up and stretching.

Miguel's eyes flickered over you, lingering just a moment too long before he looked away, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Go take your shower," he said.

You smirked, turning toward the bathroom. "Come with me," you called over your shoulder.

Miguel let out a soft laugh, watching you disappear down the hallway.

"No, I'll take one after you." He called out. Miguel knew that if he followed, you'd end up having sex again, and he didn't think his conscience could take that tonight. 

 For all his protests and doubts, one thing was clear, you weren't going anywhere, and neither was he.

_________________________________________________

For the past few weeks, Miguel had been asking you to babysit Gabriella more often than usual. It was odd—especially on Saturdays. Saturdays had always been sacred to him, a day he'd reserved solely for Gabriella ever since he vowed to be more present in her life. After that heart-to-heart with Peter about balancing work and family, Miguel had taken that promise seriously. So, for him to suddenly need you on a Saturday? Strange, to say the least.

He hadn't given you much of an explanation either. Something had "come up," he said, and it was urgent. He needed to head back to the lab. So, like the good friend (or... whatever) you were, you went to his place. But before you could even get a word in, he was already halfway out the door.

"Hey," you greeted, smiling as he brushed past you in a blur of movement.

"Sorry, I really gotta go!" he called out, his voice rushed, his breathing slightly ragged as though he'd been running around. He didn't even stop to make eye contact.

Before you could respond, the door clicked shut behind him.

You stood there for a moment, blinking at the door. What the hell was that about? Miguel was always composed, always in control, and seeing him so frazzled was... unusual. Your mind immediately started spinning with possibilities. Was he seeing someone? No, that couldn't be it. He said he was going to Alchemax. Maybe there was some kind of emergency? Something he couldn't tell you about?

Before you could dwell on it too much, a little voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

"Look! Daddy got me new dolls!" Gabriella chirped, emerging from her room with two dolls clutched tightly in her small hands.

You smiled, instantly softening at the sight of her. "Wow, they're so pretty! Can I see one?"

She handed you one of the dolls, her face beaming with excitement.

"Do you want to play dollhouse with me?" you asked, crouching down to her level, your curiosity about Miguel temporarily shoved aside.

"Duh!" she replied with a dramatic little eye roll, making you chuckle.

Grinning, you grabbed her hand and led her to the living room, where you both set up her dollhouse.

As you were arranging furniture and placing the dolls inside, you absentmindedly clicked on the TV for some background noise. The first channel that popped up was the news, and you were about to change it to something more kid-friendly when the reporter's words caught your attention.

"Spider-Man stops local gang threat," the news ticker read. The headline was accompanied by shaky footage of the masked vigilante swinging through the city, effortlessly taking down a group of armed thugs.

You froze for a moment, staring at the screen. Spider-Man. You'd heard of him, of course—who in the city hadn't? But you'd never really thought much about him. Your world was consumed by work, fashion, and the chaos of your own life. The masked hero was just... there, a part of the city's fabric you hadn't paid much attention to. Then again, the guy was new. He just kind of showed up out of nowhere about 4 months ago. 

"He's so cool," Gabriella said, her wide eyes glued to the TV. She hugged one of her dolls to her chest, her small face lit up with awe.

You glanced down at her, smiling. "He is, isn't he?"

She nodded enthusiastically. "I wanna meet him one day!"

You laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe you will."

But as the footage continued, something about it stuck with you. The way Spider-Man moved—quick, deliberate, with an almost predatory grace. It reminded you of...

No. That was crazy.

You shook your head, trying to dismiss the thought. But the more you watched, the harder it was to ignore the nagging feeling in the back of your mind.

"Do you think Spider-Man has kids?" Gabriella asked suddenly, her innocent question pulling you from your spiraling thoughts.

You tilted your head, considering her question. "I don't know, sweetie. Maybe. Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, fiddling with her doll's hair. "He's really busy, but he still helps people. Kind of like Daddy."

Your breath caught for a moment, and you forced a smile. "Yeah, kind of like your dad," you murmured, your mind now racing in a completely different direction.

Could it be? No, it was absurd. Miguel couldn't possibly be—

"Your turn!" Gabriella interrupted, shoving a doll into your hand.

You shook off your thoughts, focusing back on the game. But as you continued playing with Gabriella, you couldn't help but steal glances at the TV whenever Spider-Man's image flashed across the screen. The doubt, the curiosity, it was all starting to gnaw at you.

_________________________________________________

By the time Miguel returned that evening, looking just as rushed and distracted as when he'd left, you couldn't stop yourself from studying him more closely. His stance, the way he moved, even the slight cut on his knuckles that hadn't been there earlier.

"Everything okay?" you asked casually, trying to mask the suspicion brewing inside you.

"Yeah," he said, his tone clipped as he brushed past you to check on Gabriella.

You watched him, your heart pounding as the pieces began to fit together in a way you didn't want to believe.

Miguel... Spider-Man?

No. It couldn't be. Could it?

You were smart, you knew that. And you had the intuition of a voodoo psychic. If your gut was telling you something, you listened. But this... this was just too far-fetched. Spider-Man? Miguel O'Hara? It sounded like the setup for a bad rom-com. Yet, the idea wouldn't leave your mind. It lingered, whispering doubts that refused to fade, no matter how ridiculous they seemed.

You tried to brush it off, shaking your head at yourself as you followed Miguel into the kitchen. Gabriella had already darted ahead, excitedly showing her dad the tower of blocks she'd built while you babysat. He gave her his full attention, kneeling down to admire her work, his tired face softening into a genuine smile. It was a side of Miguel you were used to, gentle, caring, and utterly devoted to his daughter.

But your eyes kept straying to his hands. Strong hands, capable hands, hands you'd seen lift Gabriella effortlessly, hands that had gripped your waist with precision and strength more times than you cared to count. Now, you noticed the faint bruises on his knuckles, the subtle stiffness in his movements, the tension in his shoulders. They weren't the signs of a man who had just spent hours in a lab. No, these were the marks of someone who had been in a fight.

"Rough day?" you asked, leaning casually against the counter, testing the waters.

Miguel glanced at you, his expression unreadable. "Something like that," he said, his tone curt. He straightened up, ruffling Gabriella's hair before turning to the fridge.

"Lab work get physical these days?" you pressed, keeping your tone light, almost teasing. But your heart was racing.

He froze for a split second, just long enough for you to notice. His shoulders stiffened, and when he turned to look at you, his expression was guarded. "What are you getting at?"

You shrugged, trying to look as nonchalant as possible. "Nothing. Just curious. You've been so busy lately, and now you're coming back looking like you've been in a boxing match." You motioned toward his hand. "What happened there?"

His eyes flicked down to his knuckles, and for a moment, you thought he might actually tell you. But then he sighed, shaking his head. "It's nothing. I just... hit it on some equipment at the lab."

The lie was so obvious it made you want to laugh. Equipment? Really? But you kept your face neutral, biting back the sarcasm that was threatening to spill out.

"Right," you said slowly, your gaze narrowing slightly. "Well, next time, maybe try not to punch the equipment. Seems counterproductive."

That earned you a smirk, but it was fleeting. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned against the counter, his posture still tense. "You're overthinking it."

"Am I?" you asked, crossing your arms as you leaned against the counter opposite him. Your eyes locked onto his, and for a moment, neither of you said anything. The tension between you was thick, and you could tell he knew you weren't buying his excuse.

Gabriella's voice broke the silence as she called out from the living room. "Daddy! Come see my drawing!"

Miguel gave you one last look, something flickering in his eyes that you couldn't quite place, guilt? Frustration? before pushing off the counter and heading toward his daughter.

You stood there, your arms still crossed, watching him go. Your gut was screaming at you now, every little detail clicking into place like pieces of a puzzle you hadn't even realized you were assembling. The bruises, the sudden late nights, how Spider-Man only started showing up when Miguel moved back from Texas.

His build.

_________________________________________________

 A Few Days Later...

Your dad had invited everyone to the penthouse to watch the Knicks game. He had always been a die-hard basketball fan, ever since his high school days, and now that the team was finally in its best shape in over a decade, his excitement was practically contagious. You were comfortable, in a groutfit with your curly dark hair in a messy puff atop your head. 

You and your mom were in the kitchen preparing a massive tray of nachos while your brother, Clay, and your dad were already glued to the TV, loudly arguing over the starting lineup.

"So..." your mom started casually, her tone teasing.

"So?" you replied, not looking up from the skillet as you focused on browning the beef, hoping to dodge whatever line of questioning she was about to throw your way.

"Are you seeing anyone?" Her voice was innocent, but you could feel her eyes on you.

"What? No," you said quickly, almost too quickly.

"Oh, you just seem..." She waved her hands in the air, wiggling her fingers dramatically. "...happier. Like someone's been keeping a smile on your face."

You let out a nervous laugh, hoping it sounded genuine. "Nah. It's probably all the time I've been spending with Gabi."

Your mom softened at that, her face lighting up. "She's such a sweet girl, isn't she?" she said, stirring the homemade nacho cheese in a silver pot.

"Very," you said, hoping to steer the conversation back to nachos and away from anything Miguel-related.

Before your mom could press further, your dad let out a groan, not at the TV, as you first thought, but at his watch.

"He's gonna be late!" he grumbled.

You cocked an eyebrow, confused. "Who's gonna be late?" you called out from the kitchen.

"Miguel! I invited him over to watch the game."

Your stomach sank, and a rush of panic swept over you. "What?" You turned to your mom, eyes wide. "Mom, did you know about this?"

"Of course I did," she said, her tone calm as she shrugged. "Why do you sound so concerned?"

"I'm not," you replied hastily. "It's just... I thought this was a family thing."

"Miguel is family!" your dad shouted from the living room as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

You stared at the cheese bubbling in the pot, trying to collect yourself. Miguel. Here. At the penthouse. Watching the game. With your dad. Great. Just great.

Things were already tense between you after you got on his case earlier that week.

A knock at the door pulled you from your spiraling thoughts. You froze for a second, the spatula still in your hand.

"Can you get that, sweetheart?" your mom asked, smiling knowingly.

Your heart raced as you wiped your hands on a dish towel and made your way to the door. When you opened it, there he was—Miguel, standing in the doorway, his towering frame clad in a Knicks jersey and dark jeans. His hair was slightly disheveled like he'd run his hand through it one too many times, and his brown eyes locked onto yours with an intensity that made your breath catch.

"Hey," he said.

You swallowed hard, gripping the edge of the door. "Hey. Come in."

Miguel stepped inside, the faint scent of his cologne hitting you like a wave—clean, sharp, undeniably him. As he walked past you, his shoulder brushed yours, and you couldn't help but glance back at him.

"Miguel!" your dad's booming voice called out. "Get over here! Game's about to start!"

Miguel turned to look at you, his expression unreadable. For a split second, you thought you saw something flicker in his eyes, hesitation, maybe? But it was gone just as quickly. He nodded toward the living room and made his way over to your dad, who greeted him like a long-lost brother.

You stayed rooted to the spot, your fingers gripping the edge of the doorframe. You weren't sure if it was panic or excitement, or maybe both, but whatever it was, it had your heart pounding.

"Sweetheart, come help me with the nachos!" your mom called out, breaking your trance.

You closed the door and made your way back to the kitchen, stealing one last glance at Miguel as he settled into the couch beside your dad. He fit in so seamlessly, laughing and talking like he'd been part of the family for years.

But you knew better. You knew the tension between you wasn't going away, no matter how hard you tried to bury it. 

_________________________________________________

When the nachos were done, you and your mom carried out the platter and some plates. The warm aroma of melted cheese and seasoned beef filled the room, earning a collective "Mmm" from the couch.

"Done!" your mom said in a sing-songy voice, setting the platter down on the ottoman. "Dig in!"

"Thanks, babe," your dad said, leaning over to kiss her cheek as she took her place beside him. Clay was already reaching for a chip, crunching loudly as he focused on the game.

The only open seat left was next to Miguel. Clay was on his other side, lying down with his legs sprawled selfishly, leaving just enough room for you to squeeze in. You hesitated for a moment before sitting down, feeling the subtle brush of Miguel's broad shoulder against yours as you settled on the couch.

You would’ve sat next to your parents, they took the big couch, but they were being far too lovey-dovey with each other and it made you slightly uncomfortable. Or maybe that was just an excuse.

Miguel glanced at you, offering a quick, fleeting smile before looking away, his expression immediately composed. Your legs were barely grazing his, but you could feel the warmth radiating from him, the space between you suddenly feeling far too small.

You sat there silently, grabbing a chip and nibbling on it as the conversation flowed around the room. Your dad was loudly dissecting the Knicks' defensive strategy, and Miguel chimed in every now and then, his deep voice commanding attention. You couldn't help but notice the way his jaw flexed with every word, the way his dark eyes shined with focus as he engaged in the discussion.

It was maddening, sitting so close to him yet pretending like he didn't consume every thought in your mind. You had to remind yourself to look away constantly, worried that someone, your dad especially, might catch you staring at him like he was the most mesmerizing thing you'd ever seen.

"You want some?" Miguel's voice suddenly cut through your internal monologue, low enough that only you could hear. He held out a chip with all smile, the corners of his lips teasing as he tilted it toward you.

You blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "Uh, no thanks," you said, shaking your head and looking away quickly, feeling the heat rise to your cheeks. Did he really just do that here? a big part of you was scared that your dad would actually kill Miguel if he found out. But it was as if Miguel had forgotten everything he said a few days ago.

He chuckled softly, barely audible under the sound of Clay shouting at the TV.

Minutes passed, feeling both too long and too short, before Miguel leaned over slightly, his voice brushing against your ear. "You okay?"

His tone was casual, but his words sent a shiver down your spine. You nodded, keeping your eyes forward on the game. "Yeah. Why?"

"You seem... quiet," he said, his voice dropping just a fraction, making your pulse race. "Unusual for you."

You shot him a glance, narrowing your eyes playfully. "I can be quiet sometimes, you know."

"Mm-hmm," he murmured, leaning back into the couch with an amused expression. "If you say so."

You were about to respond when your mom called out, "Sweetheart, can you grab some more napkins from the kitchen?"

Relieved for an excuse to break the tension, you stood up quickly. "Sure."

As you made your way to the kitchen, you felt Miguel's gaze follow you. You grabbed the napkins from the counter, but before you could head back, you heard the soft creak of the floorboards behind you. Turning around, you found Miguel standing in the doorway, his large frame leaning casually against the doorframe.

"Need backup?" he asked, his tone teasing.

You rolled your eyes but couldn't help the small smile that crept onto your lips. "I think I can handle napkins on my own, thanks."

He stepped closer, his expression shifting to something more serious. "You've been avoiding me," he said softly. Luckily the apartment was so big that no one could hear him over the TV.

Your heart skipped a beat. "I haven't been avoiding you, I'm sitting right next to you," you said, though the defensive tone in your voice betrayed you.

He tilted his head, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied you. "You barely looked at me all night. You don't think I notice that?"

"I was just trying to... keep things normal," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "You're here with my dad, Miguel."

"I know, and here I am," he said, stepping even closer. His proximity was overwhelming, the heat of his body making it hard to think straight. "Following you into the kitchen like an idiot."

You stared at him, your breath hitching as the air between you grew heavy. "Miguel... we can't—"

"Okay," he interrupted, his voice low and filled with frustration. "But that doesn't stop me from wanting to."

You'd noticed something was different about him, he's more insistent. The whole week, you'd been having sex almost every night. it was like he was a teenager, like his hormones were on overdrive. 

"Weren't you the one who said we had to be careful?" You whispered through your teeth.

Before you could finish, the sound of your dad shouting from the living room broke the moment. "Hey! Where are those napkins?"

Miguel sighed, running a hand through his hair as he took a step back. "Guess we'd better get back."

You nodded, grabbing the napkins and brushing past him, your heart pounding as you returned to the living room. 

_________________________________________________

The Knicks game ended with a victorious cheer from your dad, who clapped Clay on the back with a grin wide enough to light up the entire room. Your mom started collecting the empty plates and glasses, humming softly as she moved around the living room.

"Well, that was a good game," your dad said, standing up and stretching. "I think that calls for some sleep. Big day tomorrow."

Clay yawned and nodded, getting up and heading toward his room. Your mom followed shortly after, pausing to kiss your dad on the cheek before disappearing down the hallway. It wasn’t long before your dad turned to Miguel, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.

"You staying the night? You know the guest room’s always yours," your dad offered.

Miguel smiled politely. “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“Never is,” your dad said with a chuckle before looking over at you. “You staying up?”

You hesitated, glancing at Miguel, who avoided your gaze. “Yeah, just for a little bit.”

Your dad nodded and headed off to his room, leaving the living room eerily quiet except for the faint hum of the TV still playing highlights from the game.

You sat back on the couch, pulling your legs up beneath you as Miguel remained where he was, his elbows resting on his knees. Neither of you said anything for a moment, the weight of the silence making the air feel heavier.

“You don’t have to stay up,” he finally said, his voice low and distant. “I can manage on my own.”

“I wasn’t staying up for you,” you lied, your tone sharp enough to make him glance at you. “I just… wasn’t tired.”

He smirked faintly, his lips twitching at the edges. “Right.”

You stood abruptly, heading to the kitchen under the guise of needing water. You could feel his eyes on you as you moved, your body hyper-aware of his presence even as you tried to seem casual.

When you returned with your glass, he was still sitting on the couch, but his posture had changed—leaning back now, one arm draped across the back of the cushions. His tie was loosened, the top two buttons of his shirt undone, exposing the smooth line of his collarbone.

“You’re not good at hiding things, you know,” he said suddenly, breaking the silence.

You froze mid-sip, lowering the glass. “What are you talking about?”

He shrugged, his dark eyes catching the light from the TV. “The way you look at me. The way you avoid looking at me when your dad’s around.” His voice dropped lower. “The way you left the room earlier, like you couldn’t breathe.”

Your stomach twisted, your throat dry despite the water you’d just drank. “You’re imagining things.”

“Am I?” He raised an eyebrow, his smirk deepening as he leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “You sure about that?”

You set the glass down on the coffee table, your hands trembling slightly. “Miguel, we can’t do this here."

“I know,” he said, his voice softer now, almost a whisper. “But it doesn’t change anything, does it?”

You sat down on the edge of the couch, careful to keep some distance between you, but even that felt like too much. The magnetic pull between you was undeniable, and no amount of logic or self-control could keep it at bay.

“Miguel…” You hesitated, searching for the right words. 

Before you could protest, he closed the gap between you, his large hand brushing against yours. His touch sent a jolt of electricity through your body, and you hated how much you wanted him, despite everything. He leaned into the crook of your neck, kissing it lightly. You gave in, turning your head to meet his lips. You closed your eyes, the kiss soft. 

Then, it starts to pick up, your hand finds the back of his neck, tugging him closer. 

You pulled away suddenly, pushing him away playfully. "Stop kissing me when my dad's upstairs."

"Stop kissing me back."

_________________________________________________

To be continued...

Taglist: @keidilla @deputy-videogamer 

I'm so bad at world building, but I decided to make Miguel a late bloomer when it comes to spiderman. Instead of him becoming the hero in his mid 20's I chose to make it later in his life because I can idk...

[violetasteracademic]

Yet again, a million years late but I cannot control when I must burrow in my hidey hole

2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Thank you for the tags, my beloved @rosanna-writer @foundress0fnothing @yourstarsmyscars

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

(If you're in my answers consider yourself tagged if you'd like to play!!)

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

This was my first year on AO3, and I posted 216,682 before the calendar year ended!

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

2, one longfic Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow and a one shot, Before the Night Ends, made specifically for my beloved @theseersgarden and some beautiful Elriel art she had commissioned by Lulybot! (This one may technically not be finished... we shall see)

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

Four in progress, all three parts of Velaris Memorial Hospital (which is kind of like one big intertwined Feysand, Nessian, and Elriel AU) and another long fic, A Court of Twisted Fate

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

Oh this is so hard. Everything I wrote was what I needed in the moment, so it's difficult to disentangle myself. But I do think Me, You and the Moon Part One and Two from A Court of Twisted Fate was one of my favorite experiences writing. Also some of my favorite things I wrote haven't been posted yet, so I can't share yet!

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

Absolutely Velaris Memorial Hospital. I have been writing third person limited fantasy and sci-fi for well over a decade, and have followed that in my fanfiction. Writing contemporary romance or modern AU in first person perspective was not something I ever imagined doing, but it has unlocked something in me. I am a huge contemporary romance reader, but writing has been an incredible new journey and I have so much newfound respect for first person perspective!

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

Again, Velaris Memorial Hospital. It is by far my smallest readership (which I expected, I am new to the Nessian and Feysand arena and of course there's a huge variety of ship and character preferences. Not everyone is a fan of all three brothers and all three sisters) but it has wound up by far being some of the most engaged and supportive readers, and I have been absolutely loving writing for it!

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Hmmm it's a bit hard to say, I don't have have that many fics out and not a super good sense of this yet. I do think my Nessian fic, The Albatross has my lowest metrics overall. And writing for Nesta and Cassian has also unlocked something very deep and inspired within me. But VMH is an enormous project and kind of choose your own adventure, so I hope it gets some more love in the long run!

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

Literally too many to count but I have to give the biggest shoutout to @elainemg97. Her artistry knows no bounds, and she is one of the best Elriel eggs out there. She is always kind and encourages positive fandom behavior, and is so encouraging and passionate about helping other artists grow and encouraging them on their journey! @stickyelectrons has such a beautiful eye for color, I just love what she manages (especially for Lucien) and I'm such a fan of @santkazoya and @tealeaves-and-rosepetals

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

Literally way way too many to count. @yourstarsmyscars, @rosanna-writer, @foundress0fnothing, @nikachansstuff, and citizenofvelaris are not only phenomenal writers but inspired beta readers and I feel so lucky to know them. @bloomingdarkgarden and @tealeaves-and-rosepetals are magic and pixie dust, truly phenomenal writers but also so available to support other writers and brainstorm and daydream with. I definitely have a lot more fic to read, I write much more often than I read so it leaves me pretty behind. But I'm sure I missed some and there are so many exceptional writers in this fandom!

Oh also, @tswaney17 has stepped away from fic writing but I'm SO excited for her journey repurposing I Do Bad Things With You into an original story for publishing!

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

See all of the above, but a special shoutout to @jasmineandcedar who writes such lovely short form pieces for Tumblr and did a Shakespeare inspired piece that had my jaw on the floor.

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

Before the Night Ends with @theseersgarden! It started just with @theseersgarden brainstorming ideas for a caption for an artwork in process, and trying to come up with a title/head canon/sweet moment to describe the scene. And then it spiraled into, wait a min... there's a whole ass fic here.

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

It has been really awesome to see how well received Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow was. I try not to get too caught up in what fic is the most popular and whether or not I'm showing up on "best" lists, because art is subjective, and as I mentioned, I think some of my best work has had the smallest engagement. But Golden Doe in a Valley of Shadow was my first ever fic. I was a little baby on tumblr and thought maybe four or five people would read a few chapters. I had no idea it would take off in the way that it did, and it still stuns me to this day. Other than that, just writing consistently, and finding wonderful people who fill my cup and and are so supportive and encouraging.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

Fic writing is super different from original novel writing in a lot of ways, and I still feel like I'm getting my footing in a lot of ways. I find myself very often coming to my fellow writers being like- does this fly in fic culture? Am I overthinking this? But I think the heart of all creative writing is the same, which is trying to find the joy and a build a story that draws readers in and it's just a beautiful thing to invite people into the visions that take place in your mind, even if you are still learning and imperfect. Because you never know what will connect with someone. Also, shadows make great dildos.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

Don't be afraid of the work. Do not fear the muck. Lean into the trenches. I am a huge advocate for transparency in the writing process, and the writing world (fic especially) I think is extra guilty of uplifting the work that just flowed out of them and took no effort at all. Grabs face LISTEN TO ME. Your best work might be what you fought the hardest for. Your strongest scene might be the one that had you in a black pit of despair, extremely close to giving up. Writing is a craft. The only way to get better is to write, this is true. But many people write thousands and thousands of words and never improve, because of the notion that writing should be easy, that it can only happen when you are inspired and flowing and know what you are doing.

Do not fear the trenches. Do not shy away from the work. Not everything comes easily. That doesn't mean you are a bad writer or can't do it. DISPEL the ideas that writing should be easy or come naturally or not require deep effort and work.

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

To focus back more on original work. I don't do well with working on more than one project at a time, and I really dug myself into it working on four stories at once. There is no room left for my novel writing, but I can't leave projects unfinished or they will weigh on me. Also continuing to figure out my place in fandom and sharing what I can while staying away from the things that drain me and take away my joy. OH and letting myself take more time. AO3 is an archive, the work will live on. Encouraging myself to be human and need rest and time away. It's so critical to detach from the need for a constant stream of validation, breathe, and focus on the work and your well being.

If you’re tagged in this, please consider yourself tagged for the game!

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2025 Megaman Secret Valentine Event Signups Open!

^*Art drawn by Soul Rokkuman

While I wait for the last couple Secret Santa gifts to arrive, going to move on to opening the next yearly event. Even though last year I went back to Valentine's Day being in contest format, I feel like it's worth swapping back to a gift art event this year, to mix it up again. Truth be told, just hard to brainstorm much new for categories right now. And my contest prize plans are better off for summer, when more people are able to participate. (I do have a few nice prizes I plan to give away for that ;D ). So rather than rushing those plans, just going to keep this event more relaxed once more. For those who didn't participate 2 years ago, the Secret Valentine Event works much like Robot Rumpus/Megaman Secret Santa. Sign up with the intent to draw, by providing a list of your favorite characters and couples, that you would like as a Valentine gift. After signups close you will receive a target, with the goal of drawing something from their list for them, to send them as a Valentine.

Sign Up Instructions: 1.) When you are ready, either post a reply in this thread or send me a DM via tumblr or Bluesky or sign up through my Discord server: (https://discord.gg/EjHZJ7D3Xm), stating that you intend to sign up to draw for someone. 2.) In your reply/message, please include a wish list with a minimum of 3 prompts, either individual fave characters or couples from the Megaman franchise, that you would be happy to have drawn for you as Valentine’s gift art. Megaman-related OCs are OK, but please include at least one canon character. 3.) Let me know if you can be a backup artist or not, if someone has to drop out/can't complete their gift

Artwork does not necessarily have to be romance themed, but it is preferred to fit with the holiday. But some singles are happy by themselves on the day of love, so you can certainly find a way to make single characters feel appreciated/loved in your art, too.

Any kind of artstyle and medium are welcome, with the exception of AI slop. Has to be your own work only.

Signups will run from today until Tuesday, Jan. 14th, 2025.

That gives you one week to sign up.

On Wed. the 15th, Cupid Wily and I will message everyone back with their assignment, and their assignment’s wish list. Then you will have one month to create your gift art for your Secret Valentine. 

Secret Valentine’s art will be due Friday Feb. 14th, 2025, by the global end of the day. 

But I'll work in a week or so grace period if people need an extension. It would be nice if gifts were given on Valentine's Day, but since this won't be a competition, I'll be a little flexible if people need a little more time than a month to draw. While the gift should go to your recipient first and foremost, please also either send them my way when you are finished or tag me in a public post so that I can save the art. I will then compile all the art into a homemade Valentine’s Day shoebox gallery/thread like I usually do for contests. That way everyone can view them together in one place just as easily.

Please do not post your art before Feb. 14th!

Ideally, send your secret valentine their gift at any point on Valentine's Day itself. Either through DM or publicly tagging them in a post on your social media of choice. Posts can also be made in the valentine's day channel in the Fanart Contests and Events section of my Discord.

Any other questions, or something you felt I forgot to address? Feel free to ask. 

I’ll edit a confirmed participant list in this thread as I receive them.  (Just like I need to edit the year to 2025, because I really screwed that up initially! LOL)

*Confirmed participant list* (W/backup status)

Lunna Cupcake N LadyStormtail1985 N SunnyJustice Y RockmanGurl Y @axlthemaverickhunter Y Jay Sky Y

[guarddog-of-proendos]

Image descriptions

- written by a visually impaired person

What is an image description?

an image description is exactly what it sounds like, a block of text describing the content of an image. this is important for many people but especially for blind and visually impaired people who cannot see the image (at least, not well enough to understand what's going on)

(people also cite that this helps people with slow internet, if you add that to this post I am hitting you on the head with a stick. our access to the internet is enough of a reason to add image descriptions, they don't have to help abled people as well.)

image descriptions serve the purpose of providing the same access to content and context in a post that you, a sighted person, have. the goal is to allow equal access for visually disabled people and other people who struggle to access images.

have you ever been stuck scrolling through Tumblr while images are refusing to load? was that frustrating? imagine how we feel every day, all the time.

How to write an image description

writing an image description is a skill. it's okay if you aren't great at it at first. not being great at it is not an excuse to not try. I'm tired of people telling me they can't be assed to try writing an image description because it might not be perfect. I would much rather read an imperfect image description than have no image description at all.

when you're describing an image the key point is to describe what's relevant, what you look at in an image. if the image is a tweet, describe what the tweet says. if the image is a picrew of an alter, describe what that alter looks like in the picrew.

You don't need to include every detail

a lot of guides will, with well intentions, tell you to describe a lot. sometimes, describing a lot is relevant. if you're describing a piece of art or photography then describing a lot is important because the point of the photo is to appreciate all of the photo. if you're taking a selfie, I truly do not care that your walls are blank and white. sometimes, more detail is less accessible. I don't want to scroll through paragraphs up on paragraphs for a photo that sighted people can just glance at and get the gist of.

take for example, this post divider I just used:

you could describe this as: a post divider with a large star in the center surrounded by a halo of the moon phase in gold. 2 horizontal lines come from it in the center with a pattern of alternating sun, moon, sun, and star symbols.

... that's really long. the point for sighted people is to break up the text with something pretty. it's not to admire all the intricacies of the image.

a more appropriate description would be: a star themed post divider

text, on the other hand, should always be transcribed in full. do not describe your DNI banner as "a DNI banner" that tells me nothing. put down all the text, all of it, because all of the text is relevant.

never use AI to write an image description! it's insulting and often inaccurate. problems with generative AI aside, throwing an image into chatGPT and then copy and pasting the sludge it spits out makes me feel like I'm not worth taking a minute to actually write an image description. AI generated image descriptions tend to be impersonal, inaccurate, and hard to follow because it just throws up all the random details it picks up on rather than describing the point of the image. with the editing required to fix a chatGPT image description you could have written your own and it would be better.

I truly cannot write an image description

ask for help. if you have no one you can directly ask, add a note to your post asking for help writing the description when you post it. when someone writes a description for you, copy and paste it into the original post. there is no such thing as image description theft, the point is accessibility. you can't steal accessibility. copy and pasting is not just okay it's encouraged!

on other people's posts (regardless of whether or not you can write an image description) you can often find image descriptions in the notes. taking a minute to check for image descriptions before reblogging an undescribed post is something fast and kind you can do for the people who need image descriptions. often you'll find a description and then hurray! that inaccessible post is now accessible!

....but I don't have any followers who need image descriptions!

yes you do.

if you truly don't it's probably because none of them can access your blog. fix that and suddenly you will have followers who need image descriptions

why is this in the pluralgang tag? none of you describe images.

Questions are encouraged

(if you have any)

[ultfreakme]

Okay so.....this is complicated. I'd like to start off by saying, firstly, we are all allowed to write what we please, but we do not hold sway over how art we create is received. Second, there are distinctions in how different art is perceived and the responsibility this art has towards people. Third, all art is political. Fourth, specific to this post, what does "evil" mean in fiction and how does it relate to reality?

You are absolutely free to write a Horde Lord AU! What you include in this up to your judgement and your vision for this. The reason people are often much more critical of original media like Arcane is because of the thing I said in the second point where different art has different levels of responsibility and distinctions in perception.

Fanfiction is fairly niche. You may opt out of reading it if you'd like, there is no pressure to read. But a mainstream show like Arcane is advertised frequently, you really can't avoid or ignore it the way you would a fanfiction. Arcane also has large social impacts. It has kickstarted new forms of drawing and animation, and its storytelling toolkit has been further utilized by others.

The medium is important here, because large-scale corporations and companies can use things like Arcane to push specific messaging and propaganda. We all obviously show our politics to SOME extent in our art, it's impossible to extricate that, but individuals such as fan creators don't have similar influence so even if a fic writer writes something super "problematic", it's fine, because it's an individual creator putting out their art without any urgency for the general population to see it or endorse it. This is important because art can and often has been used to influence political opinions, specifically by corporations.

This difference in the ways in which fanfiction and original media affects the world, and our reaction to story elements in it is because of the above points.

So, yes you can make your lesbians as evil as you want. But a lesbian character in a fanfiction killing everyone and idk, torturing or SA'ing someone would be fine. But put that on the big screen and people will have obvious criticisms because media has often portrayed lesbians as predatory, which in turn propagates lesbophobia. We need to keep in mind this gap.

Now in Arcane, Caitlyn is a cop. She's actually head cop and there are scenes of her brutalizing poor people and their neighbourhoods by gassing them. Her girlfriend Vi is from these poor neighbourhoods, and Caitlyn has told her to her face something along the lines of "your blood makes you as horrible as your sister"(she also once called Vi's people "animals"). Now in fanfiction, this would be questionable but if a reader is uninterested they can just leave if they disagree with this kind of a plot line. It doesn't affect anyone, it doesn't cause waves in pop culture, etc.

But Arcane is HUGE. So if a Cop Character is calling people animals, gassing them, hitting their s/o and they still get their s/o with a happiy ever after and no repercussions- it is deeply political. Defense of Caitlyn for the above actions has stirred a huge wave of racism against a Black character and his VA. People are speaking in rhetoric defending police brutality. The show also neglects prison abuse and SA by ignoring Vi's trauma from being falsely imprisoned.

ALL of these decisions are deeply political when coming from corporation creating a story specifically to sell and audience a product(Arcane as the show, League of Legends as a game). This was not created with the mindset of a singular individual going "what if I explore this idea?" it is a large entity pushing a certain messaging to convince a large audience of a very specific rhetoric.

This is why it's important to be careful and thoughtful to some extent when creating things. Obviously that doesn't mean there is no place for "problematic" or "evil" art, it's just, be aware of the things your art is gonna say. AO3 has a tagging system so we can all go into it with awareness.

And, the idea of "evil". So fictional evil and irl evil are obviously very different. Characters get leeway so long as their story is done well. Irl, murdering hundreds would be bad, but in fiction, no one would care. But, if in fiction a character tortures someone or is a pedophile, people would generally have the same amount of hatred and disgust for the character as an irl person who's done the same. Why? Why do we have these distinctions in crime? That's also deeply political and important to dissect.

Violence has been normalized in media and death as a concept holds different weight in fiction. SA and such are portrayed consistently as horrible and evil, and the nature of these crimes in relation to people vary. Fantasy killing with a giant laser beam or a cool sword is distinctly removed from reality and you can suspend disbelief and that gut reaction people have.

SA, torture, etc, are depicted with a lot more real life connections and thus it feels impossible to separate it from our sentiments in reality.

This is also what happened with CaitVi. Police brutality as it is depicted in Arcane has been inspired by real life police brutality. They used pictures of protests in recent years as references for drawings, and imprisoned the characters in the protests. CaitVi is a harrowingly realistic depiction of a cop character being abusive towards an S/O. In a Horde Lord AU, Catradora are in outer space on a distant planet with magic-tech weapons. SPOP carefully depicts its violence as distantly from reality as possible. CaitVi, does not, and on top of that it tries to make it seem like Caitlyn is the good guy despite all her actions as a cop. This is real. People have experienced this directly and have had their experiences trivialized.

All of these aspects combined led to a disdain for CaitVi. So unless you're like, idk, genuinely writing something with the intent of convincing a large audience that fascism is good, actually, and we as a society irl should all just let any colonizers have at it, you're good.

Does Toxic Yuri have a limit? Genuinely asking here (a potential Horde Lord Catradora AU)

Okay, so for the last while I've been having a kinda exsistential crisis about a particular fic I wanna do. Namely, I want to do my own take on a what if Adora stayed in the Horde AU, aka the Horde Lord AU as some people call it.

I saw another post earlier that was saying that it's obviously okay to have evil characters in a story and whatnot. I'll link it here. https://www.tumblr.com/dovesndecay/760032664866701312?source=share

So like it's clear to me people love their evil, messed up toxic lesbians, right? Except I've been seeing stuff about Arcane on the sidelines and while I haven't seen it yet, I know that some stuff about how the two girls in that show were written and depicted pissed off a lot people.

So is there like some limit on how evil lesbians can actually be in stories that people just don't wanna talk about? Is this just an internet nuance is dead thing?

I've been conflicted about this sort of thing for a while and to be honest I don't really have answer to it. If anyone wishes to chime in and help me out, I'd appreciate it.

[wasyago]

tango doodles

first you make up a guy and then you struggle to draw him correctly

[lazylittledragon]

right now i'm very torn between "taking critique is important as an artist and it's not an attack on me personally" and "people commenting about my same face syndrome under my posts upsets me an unreasonable amount and i wish they would stop doing it"

[kurah]

My entry for @cosmos-kitty's DTIYS competition :)

See this post for more details!

[fala-alfredo-pasta]

A very self indulgent tatted and pierced up Ichimatsu thas it

[gingermintpepper]

Day 4: Aristaeus

Interpretation notes and trivia below the cut!!

All rise for the entrance of my president !! Honestly, of all the figures and characters that were up for debate when I first started thinking about this story and who I wanted leading the charge Aristaeus was not one of them. Originally, I'd always known that Asclepius and Orpheus would be worked in somehow - they've always been favourites of mine in terms of children of Apollo (even if Orpheus as the child of Apollo and Calliope is less popular classically) and I expected my pick for the third child of Apollo to be involved to be similarly mortal like Iamus or Tenes but the more I looked into Aristaeus the more I fell in love with him! Ultimately, he's meant to be both a foil and a reflection of his father - a boy who grows up thinking his father's footsteps would always be warm only to realise that following in them would lead to death and destruction. While his status as a rustic and hunting god is still important here, Aristaeus' interpretation is much more focused on his connection to the Etesian wind and his quelling of the dog star Sirius which is why his hair in particular is so long and spiralling. All in all, more than any other figure I've chosen to interpret and represent in my work Aristaeus is the god I hope more people get interested in and research! I think there are a lot of important stories in his various myths and travels and I definitely want more people to discover and fall in love with them as I have!

Some fun trivia:

Apollo's firstborn son. Because he was born mortal on account of his very mortal mother, Apollo immediately took him to Olympus to eat ambrosia to begin his transition into divinity. Apollo would continue to feed Aristaeus small amounts of ambrosia and nectar for the next ten years until the child fully shed his mortal skin and was reborn as a god.

Due to the nature of making mortals deathless (namely the fun part of the process where they are completely remade and lose their mortal memories) Aristaeus spent most of his early life with his mother and siblings where they all pitched in to reteach him his family, his hobbies, his favourite things and ultimately how to live and love. Aristaeus was very attached to his maternal family because of this and his early acts of ingenuity were mostly born from his wish to make things easier for his family.

Aristaeus is the only one of his children Apollo hand raised full time. In those days, Aristaeus adored his father and believed him completely upright and blameless, the true face of a benevolent deity and the kind of man he aimed to be when he was full grown.

They would later have many bitter arguments and conflicts, the first and perhaps most impactful of all being their disagreement over Actaeon, Aristaeus' firstborn son. He wanted Apollo to teach him stating that it was a normal thing for a grandfather to do but Apollo vehemently refused to have any part of Actaeon's rearing, stating that he was not his child and that it was highly inappropriate for him to educate another god's son. When Actaeon later dies, Aristaeus blames a not insignificant part of that on Apollo - something that only worsens when he learns that it was Artemis who cursed the boy and that Apollo was always aware Actaeon would die young.

Spends most of his time travelling from place to place. Doesn't really like Olympus and prefers to spend his time minding animals or tending to fields. Is on wonderful terms with Demeter and Persephone and often makes decadent exchanges of olive oil and preserved meat for exotic flowers and fruit for his bees.

Big fan of wind and percussive instruments. Never liked the kithara because of how finicky it is and far prefers the hand drums and reed flutes of his mother's country. Exceptional dancer.

Will sell prized cattle for high quality and highly unique jewellry. Doesn't much care for gemstones but is an absolute gold fiend and has a massive collection of bracelets, anklets, nose and lip adornments and rings. Has never been north enough to hit India but got a ton of rare and different adornments from his Phoenician in-laws when he was married to Autonoë.

Hates dogs but doesn't mind wolves. Not a big horse fan either

Unlike other winds, he cannot transform into various animal forms. He's close enough to the Anemoi that he keeps up with the gossip but he's only really friends with Notos. Gets along poorly with Zephyrus whose preference for pretty youths has often led to them getting into physical altercations when they were younger. Aristaeus still holds a bit of a grudge about it.

Has a big stupid crush on Dionysus which is embarrassing because Dionysus also put him out of a job. Due to Dionysus' relative youth, he feels a bit conflicted about such feelings - mostly because Dionysus is on extremely good terms with Apollo and Aristaeus doesn't want him to get burned.

Despite kinda despising his father, Aristaeus is a pretty decent eldest brother and regularly keeps in contact with a lot of his siblings. He often delivers mead, flavoured honey and olive oil and uses it as an excuse to chat and catch up. Currently in a bit of a tiff with Asclepius because he's worried about him and his family.

Favourite colour is the rich gold of purified honey, favourite food is lokma and his favourite time of year is winter.