#I needed to test a new coloring method!!

[onionowt]

Goodra

[eclectickss]

In Your Dreams

Professor!Natasha x Fem!Reader

Summary: Natasha finds your ogling eyes amusing... she decides to do something about it. 

Warnings: Dom!Natasha, (university) classroom antics, Smut (oral, fingering, pet names, submissive!Reader, slight orgasam denial)

Note: CAWS Natasha make brain go silly :) WC: 2500 

You look up from your paper to see Natasha turned away from you scribbling on the white board at the front of the class. You tried to take notes, but were a little too focused on her defined arms as she wrote down the final words.

Your eyes only paid attention the way her bouncy, vibrant red hair flowed when she turned back around, and the moment she began addressing the class, you could only gaze at her lips as they created words incomprehensible to you.

Natasha had long ago figured out that you had a little thing for her, finding it rather flattering and even more so amusing. She was used to some extent of attention from her students, but nothing like your ability to zone out for the entirety of a class period. It was actually a miracle you were doing alright with her assignments.

Natasha had eventually found a special joy in harmlessly teasing you; she would make eye contact with you during more intimate parts of her lectures and observe your reactions as she tested out different methods of sitting down or walking while talking. She had quickly figured out that you get the most foggy-eyed when she leans back against her desk at the front of the room. Another favorite way to mess with you was giving other students more attention... she would lean on their desks or look over their shoulders at their work, making you red.

Today was no different when she noticed that you had already zoned out. She smiled to herself as she continued to address the class, quickly trying to come up with a new way to get a reaction out of you.

"Y/N, could I get you to hold this for me? I think I need an extra hand for a moment." Natasha addressed the class.

Your eyes shot wide as a soft giggle rippled through the room, understanding why when you look up to see Natasha struggling with a large, unfamiliar map.

"Oh! - Uh- yea- yes, ma'am." You hurried to scramble around your desk, which Natasha found wildly entertaining. She watched as you nervously tried to make yourself more presentable on the short trip up to the front, holding back a smirk. You were adorable... and extremely tempting.

"Come here, honey, and just hold this for me, will you?"

You grabbed the map from the back as quickly as you could get to it, practically melting when you accidentally touched Natasha's hand. She noticed immediately, walking around to the front of the map.

"Perfect!" She projected. "So now, you all can see how these countries might-" She paused and you were worried that she found your stare overbearing. "Y/N do you think you could raise the map for me more?" She daintily requested and you complied.

"Sure!" You tried to sound enthusiastic but a lump was caught in your throat. Despite no longer being able to see her face, Natasha had never been this interactive with you before. Nevertheless, you raised the map up to where you couldn't see the rest of the class, even Natasha.

You were thoroughly relieved when she had finished explaining the components of the map to the class, waiting for her instruction to return to your seat, but instead, she meets you behind the map.

"You did so good, sweet girl." She lowered her voice close to your ear, pulling a soft whimper out of you.

Natasha continued to walk behind you and return to her desk where the rest of the class could see her. "Oh, Y/N, you can return to your seat now."

The class once again giggled, making your face and ears turn bright red as you hurried back to your seat, Natasha paying close attention to your color. All you could think about for the rest of the period were those past two minutes... replaying over and over.

Little did you know though, all Natasha was doing was replaying your soft whimper, slowly creating skimpy scenarios with you in her head. This whole time she was trying to rile you up, she finally realized why she liked doing it so much. It's because it was you... so adorable, and moldable and controlable. She wanted you.

Both of your brains simply went to waste for the last 20 minutes of class.

—- "Y/N, could I see you for a moment?" Natasha had used her normal volume once the period ended, receiving a nod from you. Leaving your items on your desk, you walked up to her, noticing her eyes were following the last person as they exited the room.

"What's up, Prof Romanoff?" You finger gunned her, trying to calm yourself, but you quickly realized how out of pocket that was, cheeks turning a soft shade of pink.

Natasha was obsessed with the nerves in your voice, finding your awkwardness fascinating. She admired the way you reservedly fixed your hair and clothes, fully aware you were fidgeting.

"How is it that you do so well in my class?" She began, watching the panic move across your features.

"Excuse me?"

"It's just - your grades are phenomenal for someone who spends 95% of my lectures focused on my lips and not the words coming out of them." She smirked.

You were speechless.

"Oh, c'mon, you've got nothing to say in that pretty little head of yours? It seems so busy up in there though, when I'm writing on the board or explaining the significance of Lady Macbeth..."

"I- um..."

"I mean I can pick up one marker off the floor and there's no hope in getting you back until the end of the lecture."

You gulped and Natasha soaked it in, finding you ready for her to continue advances.

"Come closer." She commanded, catching you off guard.

"Huh?"

"Come closer." The redhead nearly whispered.

You stepped forward to Natasha who had propped herself up on her desk.

"You see that marker on my desk?"

There was an expo resting right next to the heel of her palm. You nodded.

"Push it on the floor."

You complied without hesitation, in a trance with her orders. The plastic echoed off the hardwood.

"Now pick it up."

You bent over and grabbed the marker.

"Good girl... you're so good at following my orders... so desperate to please." Natasha grinned as your jaw opened slightly. "I need someone like you. A dumb bunny to do anything I say." She reached for your head to stroke your cheek with her thumb, you shocked yet easily relaxing into her soft hands.

"Professor Romanoff- what's happening?" You gulped, noticing her eyes were roaming every inch of your figure. Her hand still held your cheek, her touch becoming more and more consuming.

"Oh what, you haven't put the pieces together, baby?" She slipped her hand to the back of your neck and into your hair. She obsessed over the way your eyes slowly closed at her actions, happy surprised at how responsive you were already being. "Come on now, bunny. You must have already figured out that I want to kiss that pretty pussy, right?"

Your eyes widened in shock at her words, Natasha delighted. You were too easy. Her other hand reached out to you, pulling you flush against her body. The soft breaths escaping your lips were driving Natasha wild. "Would it be ok if I played with you, bunny?"

"Ye- yes." You whined.

"Yes, what?" Her hand immediately tightening around your neck.

"Y- yes ma'am"

"Try again." She growled into your ear.

"Yes Professor?"

Natasha chuckled. "Good girl." She whispered into your ear, nipping your lobe before spinning around and pinning you into her desk. Considering this territory was completely unexpected, you froze when your noses were practically touching. Natasha could see the nerves written all across your face, but she knew you were compliant from your heavy breathing and glazed eyes.

As if your heart wasn't already racing, it's pace somehow picked up as Natasha leaned in to close the distance, keeping her eyes locked on yours as she followed through with the first touch of lips.

She watched in amusement as you struggled to keep eye contact when your lips met, the kiss being full and soft. You broke your gaze when her tongue entered your mouth though, shutting your eyes tight as she moved in ways you didn't know were possible. Natasha gave a moan at your reaction, following suit and shutting her eyes to deepen the moment.

The redhead played with your hair and neckline as the two of you continued to make out, slowly making advances as she ran her hands lower and lower over your body. You whined as she pulled your ass into her waist.

"Oh, pretty girl, you're too good for me." She spoke against your lips before planting one last kiss on your lips and moving on to other expanses of your skin. "How many times have you pictured something like this happening?" She asked before licking a line down your exposed collar bone.

Everything about her was driving you mad, making a response difficult.

"I - I- don't-"

She forcefully grabbed your clothed pussy, eliciting a groan from your throat.

"How many, darling?" Natasha growled under your ear.

"Too many for me to count." You nearly whispered. "You are all I can think about."

Natasha's mind went numb at your confession, allowing herself to wonder what you looked like when you fuck your self with your fingers at the thought of her. She needed to taste you now.

"Oh my." She replied, moving down on her knees and kissing right below your belly button. "And have you ever gotten off to the thought of me?"

"Mhmm" You whimpered, her mouth making you feel feral. You placed your hands on Natasha's head and she dug her fingers into your sides.

"No. Hands off." She growled. 

Your hands flew back to the sides of the desk, the grip being not as rewarding and the embarrassment rushing through your body. 

"Good girl. Then how do you picture this going? Tell me." Natasha began to move her kisses lower and lower, her mouth now working on top of your jeans.

"I -," This was hard for you. "You would touch me - a-and let me cum," you barely managed to breathe out.

"No." She spoke. "More details."

You groaned as her hands showed no mercy on top of your jeans.

"You would pull my jeans down and-"

A gasp escaped your lips as you felt your pants loosen and be pulled off of your waste. Her kisses and touches stopped though, leaving all of your nerves on high alert, and more importantly, leaving you missing her desperately.

"Go on." Natasha ordered.

"A- and you would feel how wet I am... f-for you."

Her slender fingers made contact with your clothed pussy, the older woman silently gasping at your pool. Natasha stared at you in awe as she started to feel around the damp spot you had created. You quickly figured out though that she wasn't going to do anything else unless you continued talking.

"Um- you would then-" You yelped as she pressed on your clit.

"Yes?" The red head found you entertaining... wanting to see all of your reactions and quirks. 

"Fuck- y-you would pull my ruined panties dow-"

"Oh, darling. You're moving a little fast there. Lemme show you what I want before that." She husked, moving to lick a strong swipe over the thin fabric in front of her face. She basked in obsession as you struggled to find something to do with your hands, not allowed to put them on Natasha's head.

She moved to start leaving marks all down your thighs, making sure her hands were in a constant state of motion, feeling out your ass and legs. You whined as she kept moving closer and further away from you heat. Your smell had started to overwhelm her senses as it became harder and harder to stay away from your core. 

Her fingers started to drag the elastic down your marked up thighs, making sure to take her time as she finally revealed your dripping center. 

"Now your panties are ruined, darling." She lowered, licking a line up your leg to your hip, inches away from your needs. 

"Professor - please-" You whined, but the older woman smacked the outside of your leg, remembering what you were supposed to be doing. "Now you would gently taste my- fuck."

Natasha had already started moving her tongue on your center, moaning at the tang and wetness. She pulled away and you watched as a strand of saliva snapped in half.

"You would then shove a finger inside of me a- and" A digit was inserted. "And you would start pumping into me as you tell me how good I taste." You could barely keep yourself composed.

"Nice try, Bunny." Natasha smirked, yet choosing to start moving her finger. You were so much fun.

You allowed yourself a moment to get used to her finger, but you quickly needed more. 

"Soon, you would insert another finger, maybe two. I wouldn't know if I could take it. I might-"

Two more fingers were shoved inside of you as a devilish smile spread across the other woman's face. She laughed as you took a moment to adjust to her. 

"Oh my god, I can definitely take it... oh you feel so good." You let your head fall back as your hole was screaming, her long fingers almost too much. "You would then add your mouth on my clit, Professor." More coherency was entering your statements as you got used to her digits. "You would suck and work me up so well..."

A long, soft moan left your lips as she made contact with the rest of you. "You're doing so well for me bunny. I love hearing how you want me to ruin you." Her pumps and licks were now torturous. The pace quickened every few seconds, eventually tightening you up to the edge. 

"Then you would make me as- ask to cum when i - I felt ready..." You heaved. "And I would say- 'Can I please cum, Professor Romanoff?'" 

The readhead moaned into you. "Almost, darling."

"Fuck-" You tried to figure out how to control your breathing as the sounds coming out of your mouth turned into soft cries. The way her fingers felt inside of you was wild; you had never felt so filled before. Her tongue was working quickly against your sensitivity, and it was taking everything in you to hold back.

"Ok, bunny, you can cum now." 

You finally allowed your body to take over, her final touches sending you into overdrive, Natasha watching the show from below. Her fingers helped to untangle the knots in your stomach, removing them when she sensed it was becoming too much. Before you knew it, Natasha had stood up and brought her fingers to your mouth. 

"Clean up, darling."

You nodded and wrapped your lips around her digits, giving a soft sound at your taste. 

"Good, good girl." She said, patting your cheek. "If you keep being a dumb bunny like this, we will have to do this again." She smirked, acknowledging your struggles to pull yourself together. Natasha simply sauntered back to sit at her desk, already thinking about all of the possibilities with you in her hands to mold. 

╚══《✧》══╝

[writeforfandoms]

Born for Greatness bonus 4

Find the series masterlist

FINALLY putting out the last bonus chapter for this series! This can be canon or can be discarded as you like, as it doesn't effect the main storyline at all.

Warnings: Pregnancy, unplanned pregnancy, probably rose-colored tbh, established relationship, established pack, shifter behavior, swearing, Logan has to learn a whole new interrogation method.

Word count: 1.8k

Soap and Gaz both murmured sleepily when you tried to nudge them off, nestling closer in retaliation. You looked to John for help, but he just shrugged. 

“Fucking burrs, I warned you,” he murmured, leaning over where you were trapped on the LoveSac to kiss your forehead. He nosed gently at your temple, breathing in the scent of you. “They’ll need to get up soon anyway.”

You sighed but gave in, a little reluctantly. “Five minutes, then I’m kicking them off.”

“Good luck.” John smirked at you, pressing one more kiss to your forehead before he left to go do his own preparations. Which is really what you should be pushing these two to do, but they clearly didn’t want to.

John hadn’t been sure how long they’d be gone this time. More than a week, he’d said with an apologetic little grimace, but he didn’t know more than that. 

Which was fine. You’d fly out to Logan, take care of some stuff there, maybe pick up a few etiquette classes or do some community work. It wasn’t like you were some wilting wife staring mournfully out to sea waiting on her husband. 

You snorted softly at the mental image. Yeah, no thanks. Not for you. 

You left shortly after they did, humming to yourself as you went through security and then waited for the plane. The trip was long, but worth it. 

And this time, you were giving Logan a taste of his own medicine and showing up unannounced. So you got a cab out to his property. 

Which was, of course, cold. Because the weirdo liked Canada. 

You fished out your house key and opened the door. “Logan?” 

There was a thump and a swear from further in the house. You grinned and headed that way. 

“You know, when I said your stuff wouldn’t be any trouble, I might have misjudged.” Logan glowered at you from where he stood in the middle of a storage room, which was currently stuffed with your stuff from your apartment. 

“I did tell you I didn’t need the furniture,” you pointed out, leaning in the doorframe. 

“The bookcases are nice, don’t wanna get rid of those.” Logan narrowed his eyes at you, head tipping as he approached. You paused, watching him, because this was not normal. He sniffed you, leaning in closer, until he made a face and took a step back. “Really, kid?”

“What?” You resisted the urge to sniff your own arm, because you knew it wouldn’t work. 

He blinked. Twice. “Oh fuck.” He rubbed one hand down his face, gaze flitting around the room, before he deflated a little and sighed. “Okay. Kitchen. Go.” 

Confused, you went, because this? You needed to know what this was about. 

Logan made coffee (he didn’t do tea) and growled at you every time you so much as tried to get up from your chair. So you just sat, utterly perplexed, and watched. 

Finally, he set a coffee in front of you, took a deep breath, and blurted out, “You’re pregnant, kid.” 

You blinked, suddenly quite aware of why he’d had you sit down. You grabbed the table to make sure you weren’t swaying. “I’m… what?” 

“I can tell.” He tapped his nose meaningfully. “I’ll drive into town and get some things for you.” 

“I’ll go, might as well,” you said, more out of habit than actual desire. 

And three tests later (you still had another pack to take in a few days), you were once again sitting at the kitchen table, more or less in shock. 

“I take it this wasn’t planned.” Logan nudged your foot with his, frowning a little. 

“Nope. Hadn’t even talked about it.” You breathed in slowly, trying not to freak out. 

“It’ll be fine.” Logan reached over to take one of your hands. “And if it’s not you’ll come here.”

You huffed. “You have a way of making things seem much more simple than they actually are,” you mumbled, though you couldn’t help but smile. 

“All depends how you look at it.” Logan shrugged. “You’ll be fine, one way or the other. You’ve got time and space here to think about what you wanna do. If you wanna keep the cub or not.” 

You put your head down on the table and whimpered. 

True to his word, though, Logan gave you all the time and space you wanted, letting you figure shit out. He offered opinions (sometimes wanted, sometimes not). And when you got too caught up in your own head, he bullied you onto the couch, turned on a movie, and shifted and laid across your lap. 

It was oddly effective. 

You had an entire month to sort yourself out. 

And then John texted, saying they were on their way back to base. 

Logan didn’t quite sit on you but he threatened to, glowering at you until you cooperated and then booking tickets for the two of you back to England. 

(“You can’t travel alone.”

“I’m pregnant, not dying!”

“Don’t care, you’re not traveling alone.”

“I hate you.”

“I know.”) 

Logan stayed with you the entire time, calm as always. His calm seemed to directly increase in relation to your anxiety. Which was… something to think about later. 

For now you were just grateful he wasn’t biting your head off. 

John had volunteered to pick you up, so of course he was waiting for you, car idling, leaning back against the hood as he patiently scanned the crowds for you. 

You didn’t actually track the steps you took to get to John. You were in front of Logan one minute, and in John’s arms the next. He rumbled a soft laugh as he squeezed you gently. 

“Missed me, hm?” he teased, kissing the top of your head.

“I’m pregnant.” You didn’t think. Just blurted the words out. 

“...come again?” 

You pulled back, looking up at him. “I’m pregnant.” 

John was very, very still for the longest half-dozen heartbeats of your life. He blinked. His mouth opened. Then closed. You swallowed hard, sudden nerves clenching around your heart. 

And then he was hugging you even tighter, face hidden against the top of your head, murmuring too quietly for you to understand. 

When he pulled back, his eyes were damp, and he was grinning wider than you’d ever seen. “That must be why…” He trailed off, pressing his forehead to yours and breathing deep again. 

“Alright, you two,” Logan said loudly, blatantly interrupting you. “Figure it out later.” 

You huffed and shot him a nasty look before giving John a quick kiss. “We should head back,” you agreed, a little reluctantly. 

Of course then John took your luggage and fussed over your seatbelt and wouldn’t stop glancing at you the entire drive back. Logan, the absolute bastard, was laughing to himself in the back seat. 

“You go say hi to the boys,” you told Logan sternly once John had parked. “You and I need to actually discuss this, I guess.” You looked at John. 

“Alright.” He didn’t even sound freaked out, much more under control again. 

But he didn’t take you back to his office. He took you to his room. 

There was very little talking involved in the next couple hours. 

You did insist on a shower before going to see the rest of the pack. 

You did not tell the rest of the pack about the baby just yet. You wanted to do something a little more nice for them than just blurting it out. (You’d feel bad about telling John that way but he was too smug already.) 

So you enlisted Logan’s help, getting him to go take your entire pack on a run. You took the time to decorate the pack room with some balloons you’d run off base for, a cake, and a little banner you hung off the table. You had enough time to question all your life choices before they came back. 

Logan looked in first, grinned, and moved to a prime spot to get pictures. John was next, huffing softly but his gaze soft as he looked at you.

The other three started to come in, and stopped. Well, to be more accurate, Gaz stopped short, Ghost stopped just shy of hitting him, and Soap walked right into Ghost’s back and swore before peeking between the two. 

Silence. Complete silence. It lasted just long enough for you to wonder if you’d made a mistake, if they weren’t okay with this, if this was a bad thing after all–

Gaz whooped and grabbed you, picking you up off your feet in a spinning hug. You squeaked, more surprised than anything. 

He didn’t even set you down. Just handed you straight to Soap, who also spun you around while holding you tight. Then he deposited you in front of Ghost. 

Ghost blinked down at you before slowly, carefully initiating a hug. You melted. He never initiated.

“So, I take it you guys are fine with this?” you asked, only a little choked up, still leaning into Ghost. 

“To put it mildly,” Gaz agreed, grin clear in his voice. He plastered himself to your back, joining in the hug shamelessly and ignoring Ghost's little annoyed growl. And then Soap jumped in too and you were laughing as the pile of you tipped precariously. 

"Alright, you muppets," John grumbled, fond amusement clear in his voice. "That's enough." It didn't take long before he was gently tugging you away from the boys. 

It wasn’t all sunshine and daisies, and you were no saint. But the pack made it work. 

Until the day you were finally cradling a little girl against you. So far Logan was keeping the rest of the pack at bay, so you and John had half a chance to meet your baby in peace. You’d never thought you’d see John cry, but he’d surprised you. 

Now, though, you three had a little peace. Your little girl slept against your chest, John hovering over the both of you. 

“She’s perfect, love,” John murmured, tipping his head to rest his cheek against your temple. 

“She is.” You smiled, exhausted, leaning further back into the bed. “Think she’ll be a bear like you?” 

“Probably.” John huffed softly. “Too soon to tell. We’ll find out soon enough.” He touched the back of one tiny hand with one finger, impossibly gentle. 

“Ready for all the extra mischief?” You couldn’t help but smile, already thinking of all the trouble she’d get into with Gaz and Soap. 

“Be good practice for them,” John rumbled, amused. “It’ll be fine, love.”

“I know.” You yawned, struggling to keep your eyes open now. “Trust you.” 

“Go to sleep, love. I’ll keep watch.” 

You managed to open one eye to shoot him an amused look. “The pack is literally outside ready to take on anything,” you pointed out. “You don’t need to keep watch.”

“Won’t stop me from doing it anyway.” John rumbled soothingly, pressing closer to you both. 

“Ridiculous man.” But you smiled as you closed your eyes again, heart full to overflowing. The security of having the pack outside and your mate next to you made it easy to drift to sleep.

[eunjiahn]

studying methods ˖ ⊹ ࣪ ౨ৎ˚

"the kpop method"

You're going to pretend that your school is a kpop company, and each class represents a different kpop group, and each student is a member of that group. The best student in each class is the most biased member, and the worst student is the least biased member. work until you are the most biased member. By working hard and putting in your effort, you can become the most biased member of your class and achieve your academic goals.

BONUS - If you want to become the best version of yourself while still using the kpop method, i have a little tip for you! You're going to make a list of requirements for yourself, this can include how you want to dress, how you want to act, make a routine for yourself, etc. Then you can pretend it's your "company" telling these things, as if you were a real kpop idol ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪

(this method is not mine, credits to the original owner of this method)

" The Rory Gilmore method"

this method is not very complex, but it has a lot of steps.

1. create a schedule - Rory is well-known for her strict schedule and commitment to sticking to it. To study like Rory, you should first make a timetable outlining your study time, your reading time, and free time. Include breaks in your schedule and try to follow it as much as you can.

2. lots of reading - Rory is an avid reader who always carries a book with her. Pick books that interest you and make reading a daily habit ( i recommend reading before bed because it helps me to calm down and helps me with falling asleep). Reading books will help you develop your vocabulary and critical thinking skills.

3. Take notes - Rory is well-known for her detailed notes and ability to retain new information. Take notes in class and annotate your books. Make your notes more structured by using highlithers and different colors, and review them daily. (goodnotes - ios, notion - ios and android are great for digital notes)

4. Make use of flashcards - Rory memorises stuff through flashcards. Flashcards can be used for vocabulary terms, key concepts, and other relevant information. Use them to test yourself and review regularly.

5. Define your goals - Rory has a set goal, what are you working for? Make a vision board, write down your goals, visualize. This will help you stay motivated and not loose focus!

6. stay organized - Rory is well-organized, and her study space is always neat and tidy. Keep your study area nice and free from distractions. Use folders, binders, and other tools to keep your notes and supplies organized, make sure your work space is clean and clutter-free.

7. seek help when needed - Rory is not afraid to ask for help when she needs it. Don't hesitate to ask for help from your teachers, tutors, or classmates if you need it. To enhance your learning, ask questions, and seek out extra resources such as textbooks, youtube videos, and study guides.

8. atmosphere - Don't forget to make the atmosphere cozy, light a candle, prepare yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and wear a comfy sweater. Create an environment in which you can stay focused for hours! ˖ ᡣ𐭩 ⊹ ࣪

(this method is not mine, credits to the original owner of this method)

Yujin is logging off...

[jaune-submissive-and-breedable]

volume 9, yandere neo x jaune

instead of ruby going off on her own after having a mental breakdown and ranting at everyone before ending up being lured away and tortured by neo, it's jaune... only neo's methods are a lot more unexpected.

neo gets to cuck ruby AND enjoy having a new pet- i mean, lover (the curious cat: "what the fuck did i just walk into?"

After the destruction of the paper pleaser village, Ruby's meltdown and subsequently is own, Jaune stormed away from his friends, needing some time alone from everyone, even Juniper. As he trudged through the afterian forests, he came across a strange mansion, one that he had never seen before. Despite his instincts screaming for him to just leave, Jaune stepped through the door, the remnants of his weapon drawn, ready for combat.

As he crept through the halls of the mansion, he noticed various paintings adorned on the walls. Each displaying a different scenario, but featuring a familiar face.

"Neopolitan...." He whispered, unaware of the multi-colored eyes staring at him with great interest.

Nor did he see the figure creeping from behind

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jaune stifled a moan as he felt Neo's small, delicate hands rub up and down his cock, the girl occasionally leaning forward and licking his tip seductively. He silently scolded himself for being tricked and captured by the mute. Now, he was tied to one of her many chairs, nothing more than toy for her pleasure.

"Nngh, You think this is enough to break me" He snarled with a strained smile.

He tried to sound tough and unaffected by her teasing, but his body betrayed his words. Years of isolation in the Ever after has made him repressed and easily aroused. His cock twitching and leaking steady streams of pre-cum, while his balls churned with thick, creamy cum.

Neo smirked cockily hearing his statement, an obvious lie, so she decided to test the man before her. Licking her lips, she gently pressed her lips against the tip of his cock, resisting the urge to devour him right away. Her thin dainty lips and soft exhales tickled his skin, sending shivers up his spine make Jaune bite his lip. Not waiting any further, Neo wrapped her lips around his entire head, eyes rolling back as his salty and manly flavor spread across her tongue.

Before she could taste anymore of him, Neo heard Jaune groan loudly and his cock pulsed rapidly. Without any further warning, her mouth was flooded with his seed, the white fluid thick from not being released in years. Neo's eyes widen, surprised by the volume and force as well as how quickly he came. though she didn't dwell on that subject much as his seed began to fill her oral cavity, throat, and nostrils as he expelled rope after rope of cum out of his cock. Causing her to suffocate a bit. Begrudgingly, she pulled herself away from his cock head, her face and top getting covered in ropes of thick cum.

Jaune groaned as he felt the last ropes of cum leave his cock. His eyes half lidded under the makeshift blind fold and head hung slightly. He panted gently as he stared down at his capture.

"I....Is that all?" He questioned, sounding like a taunt, and a plea.

Neo had scooped up a large glob of cum onto her fingers, licking them slightly before inserting into her mouth sucking them clean, staring at his panting and red face. Once she was done, she fully turned to him and gave a toothy smile. Faint shimmers of pink and white spirals burst from her body, a sign of her semblance activating. Neo rose from her crouched position, licking her lips as she cupped his head.

*I'm going to enjoy breaking you~* she thought as hearts formed in her eyes.

Neo quickly discarded her pants and mounted his lap. Her breath rigid as she prepared to insert his rod inside her tiny body. But before could, she heard the sound of a gun being racked behind her.

In his blinded state, Jaune could only hear the scuffle occurring around him. The sound of gunfire, blades clashing and vocal shouts of frustration filling his ears. Once the fighting was done, he heard four feminine voices that he hoped would come.

"Oh my Ou, Jaune?!"

It was Weiss. How grateful he was to hear her voice. Team Rwby was here to rescue him.

"Yeah, It's me, Weiss" He smiled, struggling against the bounds Neo tied him with. "If you could just..."

As he spoke, he heard them laughing. He was about to ask what were they laughing at, but Yang next statement caused his heart to drop.

"Well, I guess Neo did the work for us, huh Sis~"

Jaune's face contorted confused by what she said "What are you talking about?"

This time he heard Ruby laugh, her boots thumped against the floor as she approached him. Stopping Infront of him, she lifted his head to meet her gaze, while he couldn't see, he felt her gaze burning into him.

"Did you really think we'd take you back to remnant?" She cackles, her other hand grabbing and stroking his still erect cock. "Soo~rry to disappoint you, but we agreed that you're just gonna....get in the way...so.......We were just gonna leave you here~!"

Upon hearing casually say that, Jaune's eyes widen under his blindfold. Why would she say such a thing? After all he's done, all he's been through, they wouldn't just leave him in the Ever After, right?

He felt a weigh press down on his lap. the sweet smell of roses fills his nostrils. He tried to get free from his bonds, but the reaper's hands on his shoulders forced him to stop.

"But..." her suddenly chirp tone disturbed him "I think we can give you a little goodbye present before we leave~"

Without warning, he felt Ruby impale herself onto his sensitive rod. Both parties moaned loudly, both climaxing just from insertion. Jaune groaned as he felt his second orgasm launch from his tip, increasing his sensitivity. Not waiting for him to stop, Ruby began bouncing, her movements frantic and rough. Despite her tiny frame, she was unbearably tight, practically milking him each time she collided with his hips.

"Fuck...Ruby...Please...."

"Oo~, Does it hurt little Jauney?" she teased, rolling her hips. She pulled his head closer to her own "Good~"

She crashed her lips on to his, catching in a deep, unwanted kiss. He tore his lips away, not wanting to feel anything from here, but she grabbed his face and pulled back to her own, only for him to move it away once more. Annoyed by his resistance, Ruby punched his face, and despite her size and lack of martial training, she hit hard.

"Stop moving you stupid, beautiful man!" She demanded, hit him again and again until he whimpered for mercy. Blood pouring down his face.

"...p...please......stop......" he begged, accepting her dominance.

Pleased, she cupped his face once more, pulling him back into the kiss. Still frantic, but this time, more romantical in a sense. Her hips never stopping their movement, even as pearly white cum feel from her overstuffed cunt. She moaned into his mouth as she speed up, his cock making a grotesque bulge in her stomach that fluctuated up and down as she pulled him in and out her core. Her pert bubble butt clapped loudly against his thighs and small but modest breast bounced joyfully.

Around them, Jaune heard moist and lewd noises, no doubt the rest of team rwby enjoying the show. He got confirmation when he heard Blake speak up.

"Are we sure we want to just leave him here?" she asked, giving Jaune a small bit of hope "I think he'd make a great prostitute with a cock that size~"

He heard Yang agree with her, mentioning that she would love to take him along if only to use and abuse for her own pleasure. Hell, they even discussed how they sell him to other women for a profit seeing as he's an Arc. He even heard Weiss agreeing with them. While he wanted to be disgusted, a growing part of him felt hopefully that they'd take him back to Remnant. He couldn't stand the thought of being left alone once more, and became desperate to go home once more.

"Please....take me with you.." he begged, making the women laugh

"And why should we?" Ruby asked, ceasing her movements.

Jaune panted heavily, his body feeling sore from Ruby's rapid bouncing. "I'll do what ever you want...I'l even be.....I'll be your whore for life...Please...don't leave me alone..."

Tears dampened the fabric over his eyes, his mind clear of any thoughts other than leaving the Ever After. He felt Ruby climb off his lap, exposing his sensitive, cum covered cock to the air. He savored the moment of freedom but it was short lived as he felt another hot and slit pussy slide down his cock.

"OOO fuck, Daddy~" he heard Weiss moan, "You're stretching me out~"

As she began hopping on his member, Jaune didn't complain. He just accepted his new life as the toy of team Rwby.

However, if he could see, he would have saw that the one riding him was none other than Neopolitan. The women Fucking herself stupid on his cock as clones of team rwby flanked her sides. Turn her head, she looked behind her to see the real Ruby Rose watching with tears in her eyes. Beside was a small purple and blue cat that stared at Neo and Jaune with great interest.

"Ruby, what exactly are they doing?"

[herohimbowhore]

2023 Special Helmets: An Analysis

Helmets are where we get to see the creativity and personality of drivers come alive. Not too long ago, I looked at and analyzed the normal helmets that all 22 drivers wore. That analysis was heavily focused on color because there isn't much room for creativity in those helmets and color is one of the main things that drivers can play around with to show their individuality and creativity.

However, with the special helmets drivers wear during the season, we see much more about the drivers and their creativity.

In the 2023 season, there were 23 events (with the 22 grand prix weekends and preseason testing) in which a special helmet could be worn, and with 20 drivers on the grid at any given event, there was potential for 460 special helmets. Obviously, every driver isn't going to have a special helmet for every single event.

However, there were 114 instances (that I was able to identify) in which drivers wore a special helmet. Or 114/460 = 0.248 = 24.8% Which is a far cry from the days were drivers were only allowed one special helmet per season.

Methodology

After combing through social media posts, news articles, images from race weekends, and different sessions, I was able to identify 114 instances in which the 22 drivers who participated in the 2023 season wore a helmet that was not their "normal" helmet. I went through this process approximately three times to ensure that I didn't miss anything, but I was doing a lot of this during the end of my thesis and finals time, so there might be some things I missed. In which case please do let me know.

All of this data was put into a spreadsheet:

The next step was to organize the data and find the meanings given by the drivers for why they wore the special helmets. This again meant more time for social media posts and news articles.

With the data gathered, there was a need for analysis. While the individual stories behind the helmets are very interesting on their own, they don't tell us much about special helmets as a whole.

The first method of analysis was the number of special helmets per driver. While it sounds straightforward, some drivers did reuse special helmets for more than one race.

The next method of analysis was the number of special helmets per event. Though in the spreadsheet, the Qatar GP and sprint are separately listed due to Pierre having two helmets that weekend, I did count it as one event because it is the only instance in which two helmets were worn in one weekend.

The last method of analysis was the reasoning for the special helmet. In this, the possible reasons for the helmet were considered. Essentially, what was the reason for having a special helmet - as it was given by the driver/team/helmet design?

For this last analysis, I created 21 different reasonings based on the data I had gathered during the research phase. Most of the helmets fit into more than one of the following reasons:

Host Tribute: The helmet heavily features a design related to the city or country they are racing in. It somehow is a tribute to the host.

Team Home Race: The helmet was worn during a race in which the team is somehow based. This could also be a main sponsor home race, i.e., Honda or Alfa Romeo.

Inaugural Race: The first time a race was held at the location.

Home Race: A race in the country that the driver was born in, races for, etc.

Sponsor Collaboration: A driver partnered with a sponsor and it is clearly visible in the design.

Vibes: There's no explanation that I could find.

Livery Match: The helmet features design elements similar to a one-off/special livery.

Team Milestone: The race is a major milestone for the team and the driver has some sort of tribute for it.

Tribute Helmet: The helmet is meant to be a tribute to someone(s) special to the driver. Could be F1-related people or people that are special in their personal livers.

Race Milestone: The race is a major milestone for the driver.

WDC: This one is just for Max Verstappen and the helmet he was gifted by Red Bull after winning the WDC in Qatar.

Artist Collaboration: The driver worked with an artist that was specifically stated.

Night Race: This was only used if I could not find any other explanation for the helmet, and it featured either glitter or chrome.

Race Beginnings Tribute: The explanation for the helmet somehow relates it back to the beginnings of their racing career. Color or design elements from first helmets.

Team Tribute: The helmet is meant to show love and appreciation for the team.

Movie Release Collaboration: The helmet corresponds to a movie that is soon to be released.

Honorary Home Race: While not the driver's home race, the country has become like home and/or taken them in as one of their own.

Investor Tribute: Helmet showcases something meaningful to a team investor.

Embodies the Samurai Spirit: Fernando Alonso's samurai tattoo and love for Samurai culture.

Comeback Race: This was only used for Daniel Ricciardo in Hungary because there was no other reason for the special honey badger on the back of his helmet and it quite clearly said "I'm Back."

Last Race: While Abu Dhabi was a night race, the helmet used during the race did not feature glitter or chrome. It was just a special design different from the normal helmet worn.

There was a caveat with the host tribute and team home race. A helmet that featured location-specific designs was either counted as a host tribute or a team home race. So a Haas driver with a special helmet In the US would be considered for a team home race, not a host tribute, whereas a Ferrari driver with a US-themed helmet would be considered a host tribute. Additionally, for the Las Vegas Grand Prix, special helmets were considered as inaugural race helmets, not host tributes. Unless it was for the Haas drivers, in which case it was a team home race and inaugural race helmet.

Analysis

How Many Special Helmets Were There Per Driver?

There were a total of 114 instances in which a special helmet was worn. However, there were not 114 different special helmets worn. In quite a few cases a special helmet design was repeated over 2 or more race weekends.

Max Verstappen wore a special helmet at 10 different race weekends, but for five of those weekends, he was wearing his WDC helmet. The WDC helmet was given to him after winning the championship during the Sprint race. It was then worn for the Qatar Grand Prix, in Austin, Mexico, Brazil, and Abu Dhabi. So while he wore a special helmet for 10 race weekends, there were only 6 different special helmet designs worn by him. Sergio Perez wore a special helmet at 5 different race weekends. Unlike his fellow Red Bull driver, he did not repeat a special helmet during the season. Each helmet had a distinct design to fit the race weekend.

Charles Leclerc wore a special helmet at 7 different race weekends, whereas Carlos Sainz wore a special helmet at 5 different race weekends. Neither Ferrari driver repeated a special helmet design during the season.

Lewis Hamilton had 2 special helmets during the 2023 season - the second least amount of special helmets for a driver who raced for the entire season. As such, he did not repeat any special helmet designs. Meanwhile, George Russell wore a special helmet at 3 different events. However, he only had 2 distinct designs as the special helmets for testing and the Bahrain Grand Prix were the same.

Lando Norris wore a special helmet at 7 different race weekends. However, he wore the same special helmets for Monaco and Spain, which happened to correlate with the McLaren Triple Crown special livery for those weekends. Oscar Piastri wore a special helmet at 5 different race weekends. Like his teammate, he wore the same special helmets for Monaco and Spain which correlated with the Triple Crown livery.

Esteban Ocon wore a special helmet at 11 different race weekends, which was the most special helmets worn by a driver. However, while he wore the most special helmets, Esteban did wear the same helmet for 4 weekends (testing, Bahrain GP, Saudi Arabia, and Australia). The Baku helmet was the same as his regular helmet, but instead of black lines, he had white lines. So, Esteban did have the most special helmets, it was largely due to a repeat of special helmets at the beginning of the season. There were only 8 distinct special helmet designs. Pierre Gasly wore 8 special helmets during the 2023 season. Each special helmet had a distinct design, Pierre even went so far as to have 2 different special helmets for the Qatar race weekend.

Fernando Alonso wore 3 special helmets during the 2023 season and was one of the few drivers who did not have a special helmet design for his home Grand Prix. Teammate Lance Stroll had 4 special helmet designs for the 2023 season.

Valtteri Bottas had 9 special helmets for the 2023 season and no repeats at any point in the year. He had the most distinct special helmets. Notably, most of Valtteri's special helmets were designed by professional cyclist and partner, Tiffany Cromwell. While Alfa Romeo had been largely forgotten during the season, Valtteri's helmets were extremely memorable with the fun and creative designs. Zhou Guanyu had 6 special helmets for the 2023 season and there were no repeats in special helmets. However, at least one design was the same as his regular helmet but with the colors changed to fit the race weekend.

Nico Hulkenberg wore 6 special helmets during the season. However, his special helmets for Austin and Las Vegas are seemingly the same helmet, while the Abu Dhabi helmet was his normal helmet but with chrome where it used to be white. Kevin Magnussen also had 6 special helmets for the 2023 season. Each helmet was distinct in its design, however like Nico, the Abu Dhabi helmet was his regular helmet with chrome details where it had been white.

Alex Albon had 5 special helmets for the 2023 season. Alex used the same special helmet for Silverstone and Hungary, otherwise the 799th and 800th races for Williams. Logan Sargeant had the least special helmets for a driver who participated in all 22 races with just 1 for his home race of Miami.

Yuku Tsunoda had 6 special helmets for the 2023 season. However, 3 of the special helmets were his regular helmet, but with different colors to fit the race weekends. Daniel Ricciardo had 4 special helmets for the 2023 season. However, he wore the Las Vegas helmet for Abu Dhabi as well. Nyck De Vries had 1 special helmet and Liam Lawson had no special helmets.

In the end, there were a total of 101 distinct special helmet designs worn in total.

How Many Special Helmets Were There Per Race?

For this analysis, there were a total of 23 weekends that a special helmet could have been worn - testing and 22 races.

Of the 23 weekends, there was only one event that had no special helmets from any driver. Austria was the only race without at least one special helmet for the entirety of the weekend. Considering that Austria is the home race for Red Bull and the race was at the Red Bull Ring, it was somewhat surprising to see that there were no special helmets by any of the Red Bull drivers.

The race with the most special helmets was the Las Vegas Grand Prix. It was the inaugural race and 16 of the 20 drivers had a special helmet for the race weekend that either fit the Vegas vibe or was glittery/chrome for the night race. A consistent theme was that the American races had the most special helmets. In Miami, 11 drivers had special helmets, and in Austin, 9 drivers had special helmets. I believe that this could largely be due to sponsors and a push towards engaging the US markets. Additionally, it was only the second race in Miami and COTA has always been a race that drivers/teams go all out for.

Also, notably, Qatar had 3 special helmets, but only 2 drivers due to Pierre Gasly having 2 different special helmets for the weekend. He had one for the sprint and one for the Grand Prix.

How Many Special Helmets Were There Per Reason?

As I mentioned above, 21 different reasons were given for wearing a special helmet. In most cases, there were multiple reasons or explanations for why a driver chose a special helmet for a race weekend. Some reasons were much more common than others.

Most commonly, drivers chose to wear a special helmet to honor the city or country they were racing in. These helmets had some sort of design elements that paid tribute to the city or country. So think of the Monaco helmets. A lot of them featured iconic parts of the city. For example, Valtteri Bottas' helmet, while Pac-Man themed had different parts of the Monaco track like the tunnel and piscine. Kevin Magnussen's Monaco helmet also featured iconic Monaco imagery.

The next most common reason was an inaugural race special helmet with 16 of the 20 drivers having a special helmet for Las Vegas.

Home races were also a very common reason for a special helmet, whether it was for a team home race (15), a driver's home race (10), or an honorary home race (2).

There were a lot of milestones celebrated this year for teams and drivers when it came to the number of races that they'd completed. Most notably, Williams reached 800 races, Lando Norris competed in 100 races (as did George Russell, while he did not have a special helmet for the occasion, Mercedes did release vintage-style merch that coincided with George's 100th race weekend), and Charles Leclerc reached 100 race entries with Ferrari the same weekend as Lando and George. While Charles did have a special helmet for the race weekend, it was not originally for that purpose. The original meaning behind his football field special helmet was a host tribute, but when his race milestone was brought up he attributed the green of the football field to Italian pop singer Gianni Morandi's green meadow where hopes are born and connected it to Ferrari.

Concluding Remarks

Special helmets reveal so much about drivers and what they deem important or worthy of a special helmet. Each special helmet is unique in its own way.

Something I found very interesting is that of the 11 drivers who wore special helmets in Miami, only Nico Hulkenberg did not have a hint of pink on his helmet. While still very Miami, he didn't have the iconic pink color that the other 10 drivers did. And while that can mean absolutely nothing, looking at that in context to his tweet about the pink Force India, it's a little bit more than just not having pink on his helmet.

Or based on Fernando Alonso's Japan helmet, you could go into the connection he's had with Samurais and his back tattoo and nickname.

These special helmets open new avenues to understanding how drivers think and which narratives they want to highlight. There may not be extensive stories to tell with each helmet, but a good chunk of them can take you down a few different paths to understand either the drivers or the teams that they drive for.

And finally, after looking at 101 different helmet designs, here are some of my personal favorites

Share your favorite helmets or least favorite helmets - I have pictures of all the ones used for this analysis in the Google Docs link attached.

Notes for Special Helmets: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WWx8gVzkMzy_l6zwG0u1Vx2mAzPOjK3LqOLaz8z6v3w/edit?usp=sharing (I may have been a hater during some of my notes, but in my defense, I was tipsy and I'd looked at a lot of helmets and articles)

2023 Helmets Analysis

[unhinged-diaries]

Business Guide:

How to get started

When you have a business name in mind look up the domain name to see if it’s taken. You don’t want to spend money on an LLC just to find out that your name is taken. Thats a waste of money because you also have to pay to dissolve it.

If the name is not taken, great, don’t file an LLC yet. Go online and get a virtual business address. Why? If you’re running your business out of your home like I am, just know that it’s public information if you use your address to file your LLC. A virtual address should cost like $10-$20 a month. Use that to file your LLC.

Once you’ve filed that LLC get your Ein. That’s your Employee Identification Number. It’s your businesses tax id. It’s free to file on the IRS website. Don’t fall for the scam websites you guys.

Once you’ve gotten your EIN go to Google domains and get your website name aswell as 3-4 emails. An email for your social media accounts, an executive email for yourself, an ecomm@businessname.com for things like your business bank account, Shopify account, etc; and maybe a customer support email. I use the social email as a customer support email. All of this should be like $50/month.

Once you’ve don’t that get on Canva and make that logo bookie. Personally I paid someone on Fiverr to make mine because I’m a “soft business life” kind of girl and I’d rather pay the professionals. Thats just me though.

Once you’ve got your logo go ahead and get them social media accounts going. Instagram, tiktok, Facebook.

Alright now this is where it gets specific to clothing brands because that’s what I own.

Time to find a manufacturer. Head over to alibaba and search what kind of product you want to sell. Be sure to add “oem” if you want a manufacturer that customizes. Look for the amount of orders they’ve gotten on that product. If it says zero orders that’s ok. Some styles are new and thus haven’t been ordered yet. Check any reviews they have for other products. Also check the total revenue they’ve done. It’s on the store profile. I can’t tell you what the sweet spot is yet bc I’ve only used one manufacturer so far but I’d look for mid six figures and up if you wanna be real safe.

Chat with them and order a sample. Even if you buy from a vendor list you’ll need your own sample to make content with. I suggest buying one and first. It’s worth the wait because if you buy multiple and end up not liking them you’d have wasted money that could’ve gone into testing a different manufacturer.

Do not launch with more than 2 products. Even 2 is a stretch, wallai start with one.

This is because if you’re doing the preorder, which I suggest, you’ll be depending on customer orders to pay for the bulk order. Manufacturers do their moq by color or style. If you have too many options in your website and customers order a mix of things, you better pray you have enough money to cover the bulk for all those different styles. Stay safe and give them 1-2 options to choose from.

Pre order method is great if you don’t have a lot of cash to start with because the orders pay for themselves. Bulk orders start to wrack up. Especially if it’s a custom style or material. You don’t want to break the bank for something that might not sell.

Once you’ve gotten and approved your samples choose a launch date. 2-3 weeks before that launch dates post consistently. At least once a day but remember quality over quantity. Now don’t be tricked. Quality doesn’t mean a full cinematography. It means connecting with your audience and relating with them to a point where they’re like “this business gets it”. Either that or attaching yourself to an identity they want to have. “It girl ig influencer”, “feminine soft life babe” “clean girl Pilates princess” whatever the fuck it is embody ur as best as you can. When customers attach your product with an identity that is aspirational to them they will buy it without rationalizing. It’s why the luxury market makes so much off of ppl who can’t afford to buy it twice.

Focus on the backend

If you have a goal of getting an influx of orders and making a lot of sales, be sure that your business is structured in a way that can handle it happening at any given time. You know those tiktok businesses that get one viral video and sell out over night? That could be you but if you’re not prepared ppl are going to be upset. I suggest working backwards:

A customer service platform/inbox so that you can answer them right away with frequently asked questions.

Have stock so that you have something for customers to buy once they finally land on your website.

Have a well presenting website so that ppl don’t think you’re a scam. I’m going to do a post on this bc some of these business websites drive me fuckin nuts. Color theory ppl, color theory.

A social media page with some kind of social proof ie reviews from customers in some way shape or form. Ppl are going to be looking for what others have to say about your brand. Hire UGC creators to make videos that you can post on your page. They’re cheaper than influencers but still know how to convey the message well. You’ll have to have extra samples and items on hand to send them. Also check out their usage rights. Some will allow you to use their videos in ads but you have to pay extra and it’s only for a certain amount of time. But if they do it right, you’ll get a great return. Scared money don’t make no money.

A social media page that shows the products in movement and different lighting. I need to be able to imagine myself in the item before I buy it. Where would I wear it, how will it fit on me. Even when I’ve already ordered something I stay going back to the businesses social media page just to see the clothes again. I might even search it up to see other ppl wearing it.

Packaging

No need to go crazy with the packaging in the beginning. Don’t get me wrong, branding is important but as a beginner you may not have the money for that yet. You need to focus on spending money on what will give you the best return. Just get regular poly mailers from Amazon in your brand colors. You’ll also need:

A stack of 6x4 shipping labels

A thermal printer

A scale

When your manufacturer sends you the clothes they will most likely be in their own little bags. If not you can get those from Amazon too.

Later on you can go to alibaba and find a manufacturer to print you custom poly mailers for that extra edge. Put your logo, a cute message, and your social media handles on the bag and that’s it. Good to go.

You can also design your own thank you cards as well. I won’t be doing that.

Little things to remember

Don’t feel like you have to keep up with big brands. You don’t need to launch something every two weeks. As a matter of fact I advise against emulating super fast fashion brands. I only launch a new item once the pre ordered items have been shipped out to customers.

Be nice to your customers. You’d think this was obvious but it’s not. Some ppl are rude, ghetto, and uncouth. If you hate authority and have a smart mouth I think you should either take a customer service course or hire a virtual assistant from the Philippines to do your customer service for you because no customers = no money.

I’ll update this as I learn and grow:

12/18/2023

Influencers

Not every influencer with a mass follower base is going to be your influencer. It’s possible that you pay $5000 for an influencer with 75k followers to post your product on her page but that post makes you less than $3k. That means you’ve net negative $2k. What a fuckin waste of money.

This is why it’s important to develop a persona for your brand. What is your brand identity? Who is your target audience? What are their psychographics?

Where do currently shop? What are there favorite social media apps?What is their race? Their age? Their ethnicity? Are they in college or highschool? Do they have parents that support their lifestyle or are they hustlers? Are they concerned about price or quality more? Are they married? Do they have children? Are they environmentally conscious?

You need to embody Joe Goldberg and peer at them through their window. Acquaint yourself with every part of their life.

Also, you might not be your target demographic yet and that’s ok. The girls that shop with my brand have social lives. They go out with their friends and need outfits to wear. I don’t have a social life. The only clothes I wear are my work clothes to go to work and my robe when I’m at home.Or a sweat set and a bonnet to run errands.

Don’t think to yourself “ I would never wear that.” “I would never buy something at that price point”. That’s fine cuz someone else will. A lot of people will.

Another thing is your demographic could change once you start your business. It might be that you create content that attracts a different type of person than what you originally planned and that’s cool too. We don’t live in a perfect world. As long as they’re close enough to what you had predetermined it’s ok. Sometimes our business comes out different than we hoped but it’s just as good if not better. It’s like child. Don’t destroy its greatness trying to turn it into something it doesn’t want to be.

User generated content

Love, love, love her down. She’s that sweet spot between making content yourself and having an influencer with a large following make the content for you. UGC is a form of social proof which is something you need for an e-commerce brand especially. Ppl can’t just pop into your store and try on your stuff so they need the opinions of “regular” people to sell them on it. They want to see that person try it on, do a close up of the fabric, wear it to a social setting, etc;

What I like about UGC is that I can pick someone who fits into my brand persona to represent my brand even if I don’t. Someone that appears aspirational but still relatable. Like I said previously, you yourself might not embody your brands persona but you can pay someone who does.

A little translate for yall: I do not live in a nice apartment. My room is small, and dark, and filled with boxes. My living room has mix matched decor and I myself am not the body type I’d like to be (pls don’t hit me with body positivity babe). What I can do is pay a girl with the opposite of all those things and knows how to sell a product.

I have a girl right now that I’ve inquired to make posts for me and she’s got it all. Her rate for one video is $100 with an extra $30 for 90 days of usage in ads. $100 is the new 50 and for the return I’ll get on her, THATS A STEAL.

If you need to find a UGC creator search it up on tiktok and Twitter. Most of them have a portfolio of past work they’ve done. If you feel like they match your brands vibes, keep their info for when you’re ready.

I suggest to have a roster of them because if ppl keep seeing the same person over and over, the thought that that person is just a regular degular customer leaves their mind and you lose the magic of UGC.

Update 12/21/2023

I’ve been sick but yall ain’t paying me so it’s ok. Here’s the update.

Website

Your website is your home babe and when you’re preparing for guest you can’t have your home looking any type of way. Not only does it need to be clean but it needs to be cohesive and inviting.

You know how many times I’ve opened someone’s booking page on Instagram and I click off. Not only am I not reading through all of that small ass text but my head hurts cuz you’ve got a black font on a hot pink background.

Some of yalls websites to not comply with accessibility guidelines so pay attention to that bc you can be sued. Ppl should be able to read what you have on there without getting a headache.

Good rule of thumb is to have one primary color, and then black and white. Don’t over complicate it. Your primary color will be your logo, think twitters blue, then your secondary colors should be black and white, for your text. You might have an accent color like gold or silver, this should be used sparingly for a little dazzle.

If you’re a clothing brand like me, keep the text short and sweet. Think about it, when you go shopping on your favorite website are you bombarded with a soliloquy on how the collection came to be? And even if you are do you stop and read the whole thing? I don’t bc I don’t care. That’s what your Instagram story is for.

All I want to see is the attention grabber and a short,but convincing, tagline.

Example: Ski Resort 2023-“Stun the slopes and stand out on the ski lift with best sellers spotted at St. Moritz”

Let you images tell the rest of the story.

Don’t overwhelm them with options

Guys this is so important. The more options ppl see the less they buy or the less likely they are to buy. Why? This is the thought process.

“Omg the stuff on this website is so cute! Let me go through their catalog and add to my cart as I go”

5 minutes of scrolling

“Ok I have too many things in my cart let me just save to a wishlist instead”

Another 5 minutes of scrolling

“Ok I’ll just stop here and go back to my cart and decide what I’m going to get rn”

Goes to cart

Spends 10 minutes deciding what she’s gonna get bc there’s so many good options

Takes 10 items out of her cart and only buys two basics bc she knows those are less likely to disappoint.

And scene

That is if she didn’t leave after the second five minutes of scrolling. Nowadays five minutes on a non stimulating website is a lot, don’t let it take that long.

Obviously this also depends on the customers budget. Some people have the money to just buy everything in their cart (I wish- one day), but most are just window shopper you hope to convert with your nice styles, images, and prices. Don’t make it harder for people to give you their money.

I have more but I’m tired of writing so I’ll update yall tmrw.

[monbons]

WIP Wednesday

I have WIPS to share. Real WIPS! Woohoo!

So, last week I created an Instagram for my dolls. Those of you who have already given me a follow know what my current sewing project is. If you'd like to see the magic as it happens, check it out. If you are anti-Instagram, I'm making my first Penny!

She's currently in pieces as I make her clothing. (It's easier to size it correctly before adding arms and a head).

She isn't for any specific fic. Instead, I'm using her as a way to experiment with my methods. I wasn't happy with the joints on my first several dolls, so I tested out a new strategy on Penny that results in sturdier (and cleaner!) joints. I'm also adding many smaller details that require light embroidery, like Penny's glasses. I might also give her a ring and some ears. Why you ask? Well, the next fic I have in mind will require dolls with all sorts of small details...like pierced ears!

Whenever I need a break from Penny, I've also been writing words. I'm making progress on "Baz in a Bubble" (still trying to find a title). Have a snip of Baz POV below the cut:

One time I organised the books by publication year. I found that far more amusing than Fiona did. That one earned me a book to the head. Apparently “no one reads the fucking imprint page, Basil.” (Clearly false. I am not no one—although perhaps my reading habits do not reflect those of the general population.) Most recently I’d gone for aesthetics, which Fiona detested.  “Fix this immediately,” she growled when she saw the books arranged by colour. “I cannot live in a fucking Instagram post.”  “I thought the rainbow theme might feel cheery,” I laughed. “It feels gay.” She sniffed. “Or bored American housewife full of regrets and antidepressants.” “I mean…” I shrugged, gesturing between the two of us. 

Thanks for the tag @rimeswithpurple (I continue to covet that sweater. It is my FAVORITE color) and @noblecorgi (Simon is ridiculous and I love him).

Hellos and high-fives: @thewholelemon, @cutestkilla, @roomwithanopenfire, @bookish-bogwitch, @raenestee

@hushed-chorus, @you-remind-me-of-the-babe, @youarenevertooold, @artsyunderstudy, @brilla-brilla-estrellita

@talentpiper11, @valeffelees, @drowninginships, @mooncello, @larkral

@iamamythologicalcreature, @aristocratic-otter, @emeryhall, @thehoneyedhufflepuff, @beastmonstertitan

@best--dress, @shrekgogurt, @blackberrysummerblog, @run-for-chamo-miles, @ic3-que3n

@facewithoutheart, @rbkzz, @supercutedinosaurs, @theearlgreymage, @messofthejess

@skeedelvee, @arthurkko, @fiend-for-culture, @martsonmars, @orange-peony

@onepintobean, @palimpsessed, @moodandmist, @ileadacharmedlife, @theimpossibledemon

@fatalfangirl, @technetiumai, @katatsumuli, @stitchyqueer, @comesitintheclover

[cillianmesoftlyyy]

The Experiment Pt. 3 | Jonathan Crane x Reader

Summary| Jonathan Crane assigns his students a new experimental project: choose a phobia and research methods for coping with or completely overcoming those fears in test subjects. A student approaches Dr. Crane with an interesting project proposition... can he help her overcome her fear?

Warnings| Teacher x student relationship (both are consenting adults), Borderline sexual assault between a bf and gf, Erotophobia, Smutty stuff yk , Masturbation, P in V penetration, Teasing, Semi-public, Unprotected sex, Begging, Experiments. Extensive discussions of sex and intimacy.

"Oh My God"- Ida Maria 🎵

"Lazy Eye"- Silversun Pickups 🎶

"Romantic Lover" Eyedress 🎵

Word count: 2840k

Minors do not interact!!

......................................................................................................................

He spent the day in his lab focused on the development of his new “no-fear” serum. Crane had been working on this serum for months. It could be injected directly into the bloodstream and alter the course of the human brain’s capacity for fear. He’d been testing it on himself and he’d been surprised how well it worked. His life was no longer diluted with the absolving fear of everyday life. He felt free. 

Before the student arrived, Crane injected himself with the serum for the additional courage he would need to fuck this particular student who inspired feelings he had never felt before. He’d been with plenty of people, mostly one night stands and experimental subjects who found him attractive and wouldn’t bother him the day after. He’d even fucked students, those few who liked it just as rough as he did and found in him desirable unresolved traumas. With Faye, he found it more difficult. She was a virgin, pitiful, and fearful. He’d have to be careful and kind, two things he didn’t have much experience in when it came to others. He realized that he was afraid of this girl in her thin turtleneck sweaters and small breasts. Her innocence frightened him, a man who had never understood the basic components of human fear. He rolled down his shirt sleeve and buttoned the cuff. He put on his dark gray suit jacket and dabbed his neck with cologne. 

The doorbell rang. He combed gel through his dark brown hair and adjusted his glasses as he walked to the door slowly. Faye greeted him at the door in an outfit that peaked his interest, her eyes bright and nervous. 

“Miss Greyson.” Crane hummed and raised his eyebrow. She looked down at her outfit and smiled. 

“Do you like it?” She smoothed down the folds of fabric at her waist. He waved her inside his apartment, locking the door behind them and turned to look her up and down. She was wearing a black cotton mini dress with long sleeves, ending just at the very end of her wrists. The neckline was square and framed her strong collarbones. She was wearing dark brown tights like the color of espresso and cream leg warmers that covered her black buckle flats. She wore her hair down and it feathered out around her face, casting her ears in shadow. 

“I see you tried to rectify what you did last time… with your clothes. They’re less accessible. The girl clasped her hands behind her small back, walking casually through the entryway with a hidden smile. The professor could see her entire back down to her tailbone because of the backless dress. He stifled a raspy exhale by clearing his throat. He followed her as she found her way into the dining room which was already set and waiting. He had already sent away the cook for the night, promising her that he would let the plates soak in the sink for her tomorrow. The student placed her bag on the dining room table and removed a stack of paper, held together by a large paperclip. 

“I’ve compiled all of my research so far, from the past few experiments.” Crane took the paper and gestured to her seat. 

“Sit.” He went to his own on the other side of the table to flip through the pages of her research paper. She sat, crossing her ankles and leaned lightly on the dark tabletop. The ornate bowl beside them glistened with fresh oysters. She licked her lips, watching her professor turn each page with eager interest. 

“Good work, Miss Greyson. I can see you’ve been taking your research seriously…” He couldn’t help but smirk as he said this, finding it too funny to ignore. “And what, do you think, is one method of confrontation that you have found helpful for overcoming your phobia?” He put the paper aside, keeping it open on one of the last pages. 

“Maybe you should finish reading.” She pointed to the paper and shrugged innocently. He furrowed his brow and sighed, taking up the paper again. He read on, refreshing his memory of Faye’s fantasies and imaginations when masturbating. He taped his foot against the oriental rug beneath the table as he read, pausing to look up at the girl who sat patiently, trailing a finger over the small gold watch on her wrist. He turned the page and found the draft of the conclusion she had put down for the sake of guiding the last phases of the experiment. 

“The use of masturbation and imagination produced a desirable reaction in the subject who was able to approach a state of comfort needed to consider seriously, the act of sex. The second method of confrontation lies in the prompting of sexual intercourse from an older, more experienced, and comforting person who can guide a person suffering from Erotophobia into a state of sexual desire and vulnerability. From there, sexual intercourse becomes more desirable and understandable to the subject, removing themselves from the position of sexual prowess to one of reception and celebration from their partner. These two methods can build a foundation for further confrontation and anxiety management in those suffering from Erotophobia.” 

He removed his glasses, holding the paper loosely in one hand. He watched her, his eyes falling across her chest, hidden by course black fabric. He imagined the warmth of her full body, the weight of a torso in his arms, the girl's curves rocking against his stocky chest. Her legs were covered in tights like she had just come from ballet class… His cock pulsed uncomfortably against his trousers.  

“Are you hungry?” Crane asked finally. He sniffed loudly and nodded his head at the oysters between them. 

Without looking at the bowl, she nodded, “yes.” 

Their eyes connected at an invisible frequency for a brief second of understanding before Crane pushed his chair back and sprang up. The chair hit the dark red wall behind him as he swiped the bowl out of the way. It fell and scattered across the carpet. Without a moment of pause, Faye met him at the head of the table, her chair overturned on the ground. He picked her up and dropped her roughly on the dining table, kissing her fiercely. His hands gripped her face as he sucked her tongue and bit down her neck. She moaned, running her hands through his hair and beneath his collar where his neck was growing warmer beneath her touch. He threw off his suit jacket and held his hands tightly on her thighs, pulling them closer and closer to his crotch. His student fumbled with the top buttons of his shirt, breathing roughly against his kisses. He bit her lip and ran his thumb across her hard nipples. Together, they got his shirt off and threw it to the floor as well where it landed on the pile of oysters. He pulled away from her briefly to undo his belt but quickly slipped his hands beneath the hem of her dress, wanting to enter her in whatever way he could. The tights forced him back and he groaned meanly against his student’s neck. She shivered and licked his upper lip. 

“You really wanted to make it hard for me this time, didn’t you?” He held her chin in his hand and furrowed his brow, almost whining. 

“It's all part of the experiment, Professor.” She breathed heavily, smiling. 

“Damn it! I want these fucking off.” He resisted the urge to yell and grabbed her around the waist again, picking her up. They struggled through the doorway, grappling with one another as they moved, wanting to taste, touch, tease each other. When he pulled her up to his lips, she struggled to stay on her feet, wrapping her arms around his bare neck and letting him drag her toes against the floor of his apartment to his bedroom. His room was dark red, like the dining room, and had a four poster bed, something Faye had not expected as he tossed her onto the edge of the bed and unbuckled her shoes. She could clearly see her professor’s erection through his pants, pushing against the fabric. He threw her shoes off and slipped off her leg warmers with an annoyed grumble. 

“Miss Greyson….” He growled, taking the waistband of her tights and pulling them down. She raised her legs to his chest so that he could slip them down her knees. When one leg was free, she pressed her foot gently against his erection and bit her lip. “Don’t tease me.” He slowed down, removing the last of the fabric on her other leg and running a finger down the inside of her thigh to her underwear. 

“Yes, sir.” She smiled and giggled as he hooked his finger around the top of her underwear and pulled them down slowly. She draped her other leg over his shoulder, propping herself up on her elbows to see what he was doing more clearly. 

“Do you want to watch?” He raised his eyebrow and chuckled. 

“Yes.” She whispered, watching him with wide, eager eyes. Crane nodded and took her underwear off completely. Getting on his knees, he put both of her legs over his bare shoulders and making eye contact, dipped his tongue against her. She gasped and gripped the sheets above her head, having never felt that before. He sucked her labia, pulling it gently with his mouth and breathing against it for stimulation. 

“Good girl.” He hummed against her anatomy, the sound vibrating all the way to her stomach which quivered. 

“Fuck…” She panted and jutted her hips. He twirled his tongue against her clit and pressed against the swollen organ, prompting a startled whine out of the girl. He smiled. 

“Do you like this?” He asked with his mouth against her, teasing her.  

“Uh huh.” The student whimpered and caught herself squeezing her thighs around his head. He threaded his arms through her legs and held her hips in place, sucking harshly on her exposed clit. 

“Are you going to cum for me?” Crane asked seriously, training his bright eyes on his student squirming in his arms. 

“Yesss, yes sir.” She moaned loudly and rubbed her clit, finishing herself off. He watched her as she shook with surmounting pleasure, the fear in her system slowly slipping away into desire. He slipped off his shoes and socks before she gasped loudly in her climax. He gripped a hand over her mouth and licked the salty lubricant from her as it coated her inner thighs. Faye had collapsed back on the bed, still panting from the stimulation. 

“That’s it. That’s perfect, just like that. Cum for me.” He licked his lips and stood above her, studying her as she rode out the last of her orgasm. He smiled at the ruddy look of her face, the apple of her cheeks bright with heat and color. 

“I’m going to fuck you now, Miss Greyson.” He unzipped his pants and pulled them off each leg, exposing his bare erection. “Come here.” He ordered, pointing to the edge of the bed. His student rolled onto her knees and crawled over to face him. He slowly pulled the dress above her head, exposing her inch by inch as he pulled. He tossed the dress and looked down at her bare body. 

“Kiss me.” He whispered against her lips, rubbing himself with his hand.

Faye kissed him softly, sucking gently on his wide lips like hard candy. She could taste herself on his lips, licking and humming against him as he had down against her clit. She took over, pushing his hand aside and running her hand up down the length of his erection. He was already wet and the discharge on her hands from her orgasm coated him more, letting her hand move faster and faster. Crane moaned deeply against her ear and pulled her hair gently. He kissed her hard, finding her mouth blindly in the daze of pleasure. 

“I wanted you so bad, professor.” His student cooed when he pulled away. He chucked and pushed her back onto her butt. 

“I know, Miss Greyson. I can tell.” He climbed on top of her, dragging his cock along the dip of her stomach as he kissed her wildly. 

“I need you inside me, Dr. Crane.” She whined impatiently against his neck as he spread her legs with his knee. He guided his cock inside her, shaking with need. She grabbed his hips as he entered her slowly. She gasped loudly, mewing in pain.

“Jesus Christ, you’re so fucking tight.” He panted, moving slowly in and out. “Fuck…” He thrusted his hips shallowly, working his way into the girl who gasped at every movement. Tears slide down the corners of her eyes as he fucked her. 

“Good girl. You’re taking me so well.” He wiped the tears from her face and licked them off of his fingers. She pulled him closer with her thighs, wrapping her legs around his butt. He pushed in deeper and she yelled out in a mixture of pleasure and pain. 

“Hmmmm Dr. Crane, fuck me!” She moaned weakly and he sped up slightly, feeling the spasms of her muscles around him as she worked up to her climax. He started to move more easily inside her and pounded himself against her, gasping after each thrust. 

“Fuck.” He growled and grabbed onto the headboard, pulling himself forward with each quivering thrust. She moaned incoherently and squeezed her thighs tighter around him. He moaned at the sudden tightness and went faster, the bed shook violently beneath them. 

“I’m gonna cum.” He gasped into her ear, breathing against her temple. “Do you want me to come inside you?”

“Mmhmmm, yes sir.” She nodded quickly and licked her lips, her cheeks flushed. She held his face in her hand and he watched her eyes clear of any and all fear that had once clouded her life. He grunted with one final thrust and spilled into her, she moaned loudly one last time but tried to not look away as he slowed his movements, finishing. When he was done, Crane pulled out and sucked on the girl’s tits, trailing kisses up to her chin. 

“You did so well.” He observed formally, switching back into her professor persona. The girl panted and laughed, turning onto her side as he laid down beside her. She trailed a shaky finger up his chest and turned his head to hers. His hair fell out of place and his pupils dilated. 

“What do you fear, professor?” Faye asked curiously. Crane chuckled and sat up, holding himself over her with his arms. He bent his arms so that he was just above the girl and pressed his lips against the skin beside her ear. 

“Nothing.” He smiled.

............................................

End of last part!

[stitchposts]

Dunno if anyone's asked this yet but how do you transfer / create patterns for your embroidery pieces? :O

Has not been asked yet! :>

I prefer to print my design onto paper and then trace over it with Pilot Frixion products onto a piece of water-soluble stabilizer. Pilot Frixion products are pens and markers that disappear when heat is applied. My preferred stabilizer is Pellon 541. I buy it by the bolt because it is a tried and true favorite of mine and I know how to get the most out of it.

Tracing by hand is another step vs using products that allow you to print a water soluble design but Pilot Frixion pens don't stain my preferred fabrics I work on. And I can just use a glue stick on the Pellon 541 (which I cut into the shape I need) so that it sticks to the fabric without shifting, so I can use less for each piece. I keep many colors of the Frixion fineliners on hand so that when I transfer embroidery I plan out then, not later, where I want each color to go, and have a guide to follow when I'm in the weeds stitching. This is a choice I make for my workflow, not something that I see commonly done. If I don't do this, I'll forget how I intended to do some sections.

Pilot does not endorse crafters using the Frixion products this way since they're not tested or rated for that use, btw - they are normal pens and markers meant for paper. Very experienced high art crafters also do not endorse Frixion products because of the very valid reality that the PH could degrade fabric over time, or the marks can reappear if exposed to cold. I do not especially care about making heirlooms for people that are intended to last decades - my projects get a LOT of hard use and wear. The embroidery process will not be what causes the fibers to wear out on my clothes or accessories.

I have used the stick-on printable washable stabilizers. I used it on the dragon vest I made, and I regret it deeply. It turns out that some printer inks do NOT wash out when the piece is rinsed and the dyes/pigments settle on the fabric and just stain the everloving fuck out of your fabric. I had to use every ounce of my laundry knowledge from years of working with fibers to save my vest, so I had color catchers on hand and had to immediately run to buy two liters of vodka for soaking instead of risking it drying overnight.

I still have my printable interfacing sheets and I'll probably see if friend-printers have ink that works better than mine did, which is in the fine print of the product, that it might stain and to test it. Or I can just use them up as tracing papers without printing. It feels like a waste to do that without trying other printers since it's so expensive for a pack of sheets and I am currently unemployed. I'll do whatever suits my needs on a project by project basis with it.

Anyway. Don't be me with using new methods of transfers on the big important projects. Test your new transfer method with your fabric in an inconspicuous spot. Honestly, test older transfer methods with any fabric if it is a gift or something Special and Important. I almost destroyed 130 hours of work and I am experienced enough that I had the skill to just barely salvage my hard work.

[lavenderheart2137]

Alright time for the week 1 update of my Clancy vest! I’ve done over 40 rows by now and the logo is complete! I’m ready to start the letters now but I have to figure out how much yarn I need for each section because carrying the yarn makes a very stiff fabric and I wanna test other methods on the back panel.

Also I need new black yarn before I start the front panel because it’s a little thicker than the other colors and I don’t want it to distort the front image🫠 cuz it warped the logo just a bit but since it’s on the back I don’t really care it’ll probably block out anyway

[intramoon]

hi, idk if you've been asked but how do you make/edit skin overlays like Wednesday's? thank you in advanced

Hello! I think years ago but I'll give an updated answer!

I make skin blends for my sims because I want to use more skin details than there are slots in CAS, so I layer all the details together on one skin. I use alpha skins so I can't use most overlay skin details but I can if I add them to a skin blend! Remember that the ones you make are for personal use because they are primarily just a culmination of other custom content. It's really easy! First, you'll need to grab the package files for all the CCs you want. Make sure you make a note of which swatch you want to use. I have a Discord server I use for myself and I just send screenshots of the thumbnail and swatch to myself there.

Next, you'll need Sims4Studio. After you've installed Sims4Studio, open your Documents folder, go to Sims4Studio, and then the Mods folder. Drop all the package files you'd like to use there. Next, you'll go to CAS, and Create CAS Standalone.

From there you'll sort the Content by Custom. This is the tedious part. You'll want to go through and open each of the skin details you'd like to use by clicking on it (use Shift-Click to open the item with all the swatches, I recommend doing this) and clicking next. You'll need to save the new package file, you'll have a lot of them over time so I recommend making a folder for skin blending and labeling everything accurately, it will save you a headache later. Once the skin detail is open, find the swatch you want to use and Export the texture. Save and label the textures.

Here comes the blending part! You'll start with the skin or overlay you want to use. Open it in Photoshop, and start to layer the other skin details you'd like to use on top of it.

Just make sure they are aligned correctly! You can even take aspects of different skin details and blend them into others by using a soft eraser brush or layer mask. If you have elements that aren't skin details you've found but want to make something of your own, I'd recommend using the same soft brush method and playing around with placement. Here are just a couple tips of mine:

Tip #1: Skin overlays are black and white if you want to use them you'll want to set them to Multiply. They can be very dark on top of alpha skins so lowering the opacity or lifting the top end of its curves with a curve adjustment can help soften it.

Tip #2: I don't recommend this method as much with making an overlay, if you did want to use just overlay elements I would recommend exporting the skin tone you'd like to use and using that as a base and then doing the aforementioned tip.

Tip #3: If you're using an alpha skin or skin mask, you can adjust the color match by changing the saturation and/or the hue. You can use color balance to shift the undertones and levels/curves to deepen it. Tip #4: Adding tattoos is so much easier because you don't need to remove them from the background if they are on a flash sheet for example. You'll just place them on the skin and set them to Screen.

To test and/or finish up your skin blend you'll open the base skin you're using again (you can find it in My Projects), import the skin blend PNG you made as a swatch, add a custom thumbnail if you'd like, save, add the package to your game and you're all done!

Hopefully, this helps! If you have any other questions along the way I can try my best to help!

Oh, and I'd make note of everything you use for WCIFs/resource pages/questions since you won't be able to easily look it up after you blend everything together.

[feyspeaker]

Hii me again. I'm not sure if I sent the ask I'm talking about on anon, so maybe that's why you didn't see it? It partially got answered with a recent ask you got anyway so no worries. I was just wondering if you use 3d in your process and if so, how? I've seen other illustrators use it to varying degrees and it seems like a really helpful tool to push your work.

Oh that's so weird! No I periodically go through my asks in chunks and I didn't see anything like that. I've had a few people in the past few months send me asks that looked like the second half of something else with no context, so maybe it's Tumblr fuckery. Sorry!!

I recommend learning Blender so you can help sculpt shapes and render lighting onto them in order to get the weirder/more complex shadows right. You can also apply colors onto the things you sculpt in order to see how the colors act in different lighting. It's pretty much an invaluable tool to me as it keeps me from having to problem-solve too much. I did a lot of digging around in my house to build references to photograph but it was just impractical to achieve the things I want to a lot of the time. I still do that, and you would not believe how many goofy photos I have of my husband in the poses you've seen me paint Astarion in lmao...

I do think that it needs to be used in moderation if you are a more beginner artist- I think that using 3D is DANGEROUSLY close to becoming a massive crutch for a newer artist and improper usage or over reliance on it can lead to stiffness or artificial looking colors. You need to be able to train your eye to create compelling compositions by bashing things together, and train your hand to replicate/add/subtract as needed from your references with an organic feel.

I will say this as a total committer of this crime myself in the past, it's VERY easy to tell when an artist relies too much on, for example, Clip Studio Paint posed models as bases for pieces without a good enough grasp on their fundamentals. And I also used to prickle when I saw more advanced artists warn of this, so I do think maybe it just has to run its course sometimes, because I know that using 3D for reference seems like an easy-button.

I've taken a lot of in-person classes for live figure drawing and painting, as well as just totally done drills, basically, on sketching and painting from life before relying too much on static imagery/3D/etc.

I often fret over every piece I do looking too stiff even still.

You have to do a LOT of the boring hard stuff the old fashioned way. And I regularly go back to it over and over when needed.

For example, I recently did a stupid amount of rose petal/flower studies deconstructing and painting ugly little paintings/doodles over and over because I know that I've been horribly weak at painting flowers for years (actively avoiding them). And I've been doing a lot of floral stuff lately due to that.

Whenever I start a new piece in new territory, I know it's going to mean several 3AM nighters where I have two other tabs open on Photoshop where I test out different textures or do a couple of studies. I'm working on a piece of my OC right now that has a lot of gore/medical instruments and I've been working on testing out different methods for shiny metal painting and some anatomical studies. I'll come to a snag in a painting and go "here we go" and work through it one piece at a time.

My Halsin piece, "Secret Spot" in the hot spring, was a massive undertaking with a lot of these moments. The Karlach x Dammon piece took 3 times longer than it should have due to me just having to go back and fix things knowing I could do better after doing some studies.

Ultimately I personally find art tutorials to be quite useless overall once you get to a certain point, unless they are teaching the use of a tool/software because you HAVE to figure out what works for you. And even then I use Blender like a monkey with a keyboard, I suspect, because I've just bruteforced through it, so I could probably use a tuneup from a good teacher on that haha. I hope this helps some, and sorry if I overstepped if I sound preachy.

[roksiksimps]

How to get an Abdirak of your own!

Here are some mods you need if you want Abdirak (or any other NPC really) to travel with your party!

Abdirak as an NPC companion

Recruit any NPC is the first mod you need. For those who are new to modding, here's how you can install it. First you need the software that this mod requires to work:

Get the Norbytes script extender. Unzip the archive, put the extender's 'DWrite.dll' file into your '[Steam folder]\steamapps\common\Baldurs Gate 3\bin' folder.

Get the BG3 Mod Manager. Unzip it, launch it, go to the Preferences and link your game's exutable and folder in its settings.

Download the mod itself, unzip, drag the 'RemoveMultiplayerCharacter.pak' file into you Mod Manager's 'active mods' leftside field, then press 'save'.

It gives you this wonderful ability:

Get to the goblin camp, target Abdirak with it, and he will become your companion!

He still can be interacted with as well, so if you wanted to take some screenshots in a more scenic environment, now you can. (The penance itself is bugged though. I was able to reenact it once near the bloodstained chapel's wall, but it's not guaranteed. More testing needed. Do it before you aggro the whole goblin camp, as per usual, cause he will try to leave the camp (and the game) after if you're anywhere close to the goblin camp.)

The only problem with this method is that he's still an NPC, he can't be leveled up (and he doesn't have much in terms of abilities), and the gear doesn't show up, so if you want to take him through the rest of the game, he won't fare well.

So if you want to have a functional cleric with you, you will want:

Abdirak as Tav

First, you need a second Tav. Getting a second player through multiplayer is an option, but the Recruit any NPC mod we already installed gives you a second ability:

Target Abdirak, and you'll be taken to the character creation screen to create a second Tav for you to control. There, you can select the 'Clone' option when you choose the race. It'll give you an Abdirak that CAN be leveled up and has the selected class's abilities, but his visuals still can't be changed.

If you want an Abdirak who can wear gear that will show up on him, we need more mods (also, you don't have to target Abdirak when you create a second Tav. Target anyone, so you can have Abdirak from the very start of the game). @sweetmage has already made Abdirak as the main Tav, but he lacked the body scars. Let me rectify that!

The Customizer's Compendium modwill give you Abdirak's face (drag the 'Customizer.pak' file into the Mod Manager; you also need the ImprovedUI mod for it to show up properly, place it under the Customizer mod in the list) , facial scars included. The hair is already in the game, the colors need to be eyeballed. Here's a closeup of the NPC. In my estimation, he's got Cool Tone 5 for his skin, Solid White for his eyes, and Grey 1 for hair, but YMMV.

The body scars are a different matter. If you're playing as a human/elf/drow/half-elf male Tav, there's currently no way to give Abdirak his scars without also giving them to your Tav. If you don't mind, or play a different race, or if you're playing a female Tav, you will need:

Unique Tav (as well as Trip's old shaderpack for the mod to work, drag it into the Mod Manager). It's a bit more tricky to set it up.

- Find in the mod's 'Files' section, download and install with Mod Manager the 'Unique Tav PAK'.

- Download 'Unique Tav Data', unzip, and manually put the 'Generated' folder inside of your '[Baldur's Gate 3 steam folder]\Data' folder.

- THEN download the 'Unique Tav Body Variants'.

- Find the 3 filed inside of the 'body_variants\NORMIES\male_hairy_lovitar_actually_hairless' folder you just downloaded.

- Copy these files to your '[Baldur's Gate 3 steam folder]\Generated\Public\Shared\Assets\unique_tav\BODY\NORMIES\MALE' folder, replace the files that are already there.

Ta-da! Your Abdirak (and human/elf male Tavs) will have the body scars!

Not on their legs though. If you want that, you will have to edit the texture files yourself.

You can download a tutorial on how to do that over at Many scars for unique Tav. You will need Photoshop (and knowing how to use it), a Photoshop plugin to open dds files, and a bit of creativity (or, you know, you can just take the scars from this mod and replace Abdirak's leg segment).

Edit UNIQUE_M_NKD_BODY_A_NM to add texture.

Edit UNIQUE_M_NKD_BODY_A_HMVY to add color. I'm still working on the latter, but I can upload my files sometimes later when I have it, if anyone's interested.

If you want his outfit, you need the Basket full of equipment mod (install with Mod Manager, read the mod's rescription to learn how to gain access to the basket), the clothes are in the 'exotic gear' bag. If you want that outfit as camp clothes, you also need to install the Basket Equipment to Camp Clothing mod.

That should cover it. Let me know if you have any questions, I'll try to help!

[roguemonsterfucker]

More TheHunter adventures!

I started hard on my crocodile grind, trying to get some high level spawns and ideally some rare colors. 👀

Thing is... Umm. I'm using a tool that tells you what all is spawned in. So I know what all is there. But looking for them is very fun!

So I knew there was one Legendary level crocodile (not diamond level, sadly) and two rare colors (albino and melanistic). I spent hours and hours going up and down the beach, shooting all the crocodiles there to try to get new high level ones to spawn and also searching for the three special ones.

Nothing. But I did get VERY good at hunting crocodiles!

I'd already ventured into a mangrove swamp to the north a few days ago and I hadn't seen the albino so I was pretty sure it wasn't there. So there were only two other places were some swamps to the south.

Almost instantly after getting there, I found the Legendary. I didn't shoot him because, for one, I'm not confident enough in my shooting skills to do him justice yet, and two, I'm testing out a strategy called 'herd management' where you fuck with the statistics of the animals to trick the game into spawning higher level animals. Early in this method, you have to leave all the high level animals and just kill the middle ones, so I didn't want to get rid of my only Level 9 croc yet. I know where he is though (and he's HUGE 😳), so I can go back for him anytime.

After finding him, I ventured a little farther into the swamp and BAM.

Albino.

That one I did get, because it was in the level range I was hunting and I didn't want to lose her.

I love her.

At some point, like I said in my last post, I'd kinda like to not hunt the rare colors and let them run free on the map. But I'm not there yet and I do wanna fill my trophy lodge with pretty things.

Amazingly, despite me taking two shots at her, she is a Gold level. 😊

I'm LOVING hunting crocodiles. They're super easy in some ways and really satisfying.

Now I just gotta track down the black crocodile BUT I don't know how that's gonna happen because they all look black from a distance. He's definitely not in the ocean right now, because I can pretty easily see those, but searching the swamps is gonna be a fucking nightmare.

Anyways, here are my three rare colors so far! 🥳

As always, if y'all are interested in this game, it's on sale for the next 36 hours. It's extremely fun and multiplayer (optionally), so we could jump into a game together!

If you need any help figuring stuff out, feel free to ask! Obviously I'm no expert but I at least know the basics.

[es-sims]

Sims 2 Tutorial: Genetic Facial Hair

With a new hairtone bin and hair, you will probably also want some facial hair and eyebrows to go along with them. This takes a little more time than the Hair Tutorial, but the end result will be worth it.

Previous Tutorial: Genetic Hairs

This step is not necessary, but it greatly reduces the amount of copy/pasting you will be doing while in SimPE. Use the HairBinner to bin your hair based on how dominant/recessive your new hair color is: Black/Brown is dominant at 1 and Blond/Red is recessive at 2. If you are doing facial hair that has a limited age range, you can also select the ages at this time.

Next, open up your eyebrows and head into the Texture Overlay XML (XTOL). If you bin the hair, you will see 6 unisex resources available. If you choose not to, there will be 12. Just as with hair, you will go into each Hairtone and change it to the Hex-Code of the bin you want to sort it into. If you want these to be townied, you will adjust the Flag as well to 0. Save.

Next, you need to family the eyebrows to the natural eyebrows you create this one from. Open the original natural set and check in the Texture Overlay XML to make sure they are familied. If for some reason they are not, quickly go into Hairbinner and bin the eyebrows.

Once you are sure they are familied, Copy the Family Hex-Code string. Go back to your new eyebrows and Replace all of the Family Hex-Codes with the one from the natural set.

Finally, you will go replace the eyebrow textures. I personally replace all three with my unnatural hairs, so that when elders age up I can identify what their original haircolor so I can easily fix them with Change Apperance. You can also choose to repository the Elder eyebrows to the adult to save texture space, both methods work.

Finally, save and close SimPE. Open up Bodyshop and test your eyebrows. Select the eyebrow you created and flip between the natural and your new hairtone. If it is working properly, your eyebrows will change automatically.

This method can be used for all facial hair, including accessory hairs that are sorted in the Eyeglasses/Accessory category.

Eyebrows and Facial Hair in general are much easier to use than hairs; they can all be easily selected in Bodyshop, CAS and Change appearance so long as the Sim is currently using the hair. They sort into their own separate categories and do not mix.