#If there’s anything more specific you want to know just lemme know :D

[gokyrts]

prickly fuzz | C.S. 55

18+ | warnings: body worship (m receiving), d/s dynamics, denial, mention of razors (shaving), slight size kink, carlos being a tease wc: 1.4k minors dni

author’s note: here’s the first of many, please enjoy. feedback is always appreciated, lemme know what you think down below or in my ask box!! <3

Sitting at the dinner table, you absentmindedly traced the thick layer of hair on Carlos’ forearm with your eyes. you always admired it, anywhere he showed skin, there was a patch of dark hair on it. on his arms specifically, it stretched all the way to the second knuckle of his fingers. his thighs, too, were covered, the hair prominently peaking from underneath any pair of shorts he wore. he groomed himself though, and you noticed that, especially during the summer break when his upper chest was suddenly smooth as he was putting on his biking gear. the slight disappointment you felt manifested itself as a frown on your face and despite not saying anything, Carlos knew. he knew even then as you were sat next to him, munching on your dinner, eyes cast on his arm, that there was something up with the way you felt about his body hair.

His mind was made up later that night in the shower as he held a razor in his hand, ready to get rid of the fuzz that had grown over the last few weeks on his chest. his gaze flicked between the device and the hair between his pecs a few times, his bottom lip twitching in thought before he abandoned it back in its place, remembering the slightest of pouts on your lips.

Carlos exited the shower, not bothering to put on a shirt or bottoms, his boxers would do. he had a plan after all. with his hair still damp from the shower, Carlos shuffled towards the kitchen where he heard you move around, stopping in the doorway and leaning against it. there you were, in your adorable sleepwear, turning around just in time to see him with his hand rubbing at his chest, and to your surprise, the chest hair you’ve been missing on your boyfriend was still in its place. you must have been staring for quite a second because Carlos was grinning as you so shamelessly ogled him. he stalked closer to you, slow and measured, his eyes signaling the underlying desire he felt.

“you like it, princesita?” he purred, the corner of his mouth curling up in a self-satisfied smirk. when you didn’t answer, his hand, large and warm, wrapped around your delicate wrist, gently bringing it up to the fuzz on his chest. the hairs prickled your fingertips, the edges sharp from continuous shaving. his hand stayed right there, spread over yours, swallowed up in the size difference, his heart thudding steadily right beneath. you pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, the unconscious act not escaping Carlos’ keen eyes and he knew he had done something.

“ah?” he encouraged, the sound accompanied by his eyebrow rising. Carlos knew when to press for an answer to get what he wanted from you.

“mhmm…”

oh, how sweet was that? something cocky flared in him at your wordless answer. he tugged you closer by the waist, not fully satisfied with your reaction. the dip of your waist felt warmer where Carlos’ palms engulfed it through the material of your top and you almost shrunk under his gaze.

“ah, so you do…” he mused, his smirk widening at the revelation that you indeed preferred his chest hairy to smooth. your other hand joined the first on his chest, having nowhere else to go, not that it wanted to go anywhere else. Carlos studied you with his gaze, reading your body language, taking in your expression. his thumbs slowly found their way underneath the hem of your shirt, brushing the soft skin of your love handles. they dug into the plushness with gentle pressure, his eyes finding yours.

“come on… don’t get shy on me now…” he cooed, offering you a softer smile this time, leaning forward, letting the fullness of his chest fill your open palms. “you know i like it when you touch me, princesa.”

you didn’t need more encouragement than that, sliding your hands up and down his chest, tracing the dark patches of hair, each small prickle sending a shiver through your body. Carlos watched with interest, nearly grinning when you finally came out of your shell and acted like the girl he knew you were.

“mmm, there’s my girl…”

he hummed in approval, feeling his cock twitch at the attention. his hips shifted forward, grinding against your own but before your gasp could sound in the open air, Carlos swallowed it when his lips smashed against yours. he kissed you hungrily, his grip on your soft curves tightened, the hint of pain making your skin tingle. kissing back, your teeth found the plush softness of his bottom lip and nipped at it in retaliation, eliciting a near growl from Carlos. unable to hold himself back, he took one hand from your hip and pressed it against your chest, effectively pinning you against the surface of the kitchen island behind you. he broke the kiss to breathe, his forehead pressing against yours.

“bedroom…?” Carlos asked, waiting for you to confirm and then gently shoving you in the direction of your shared bedroom. before your back could even hit the mattress, your shirt was already off, a courtesy of Carlos’ impatience. once it was off, his lips were on the exposed skin of your collarbone, kissing and nibbling, while he lowered himself on top of you. his chest pressed against yours causing your nipples to harden as they brushed against his chest hair, making another delicious moan fall from your lips. Carlos deliberately did it again, smirking at your reaction.

“tell me you like it.” he was all about hearing you admit what you liked, always wanting you to use your words, relishing in the occasional embarrassment that came with it. his lips trailed down to your chest, hot breath fanning over your perky tits.

“i- fuck, i like it, Carlos…”

your answer was rewarded with that oh-so-familiar grin before his lips finally closed around your nipple. gasping with pleasure, your hand fisted in the soft strands of his hair, back arching into his mouth. Carlos hummed with approval, pulling away to speak.

“mmm, good girl. i know you do,” his tongue flicked over your nipple again teasingly before continuing.

“you should have told me, mi amor… i would keep it for you.” you would have told him your preference for how he kept his facial hair but mentioning your more subtle favorite hadn’t even crossed your mind.

“you’re lucky i saw you…” he murmured, his lips trailing back up to your own. you were already leaning in for a kiss but Carlos stayed where he was, giving you a look, a look that made you pause.

“show me you like it.”

he commanded, his gaze unwavering. it made your breathing pick up. your eyes fell on the dark hair between his pecs then back up at him. slowly, carefully, you lowered your mouth to his chest, not daring to break eye contact before you felt the first prickle on your lips. that didn’t discourage you though, you continued, pressing one kiss, then another, then another. kiss after kiss, you mapped the expense of Carlos’ chest as his hand came up, gently wrapping in your hair.

“so good for me... doing what you’re told.” he praised, using the other hand to palm himself through his boxers. the act of you worshipping that part of him making him harder than ever. he sat back on his heels on the bed, pulling you up with him.

“what about here, princesa? do you like it here too?” your head turned slightly to see him flexing his forearm, while he still palmed himself with it, the thick strands of hair on his skin nearly covering it all. in a soft act of submission, you switched to his arm, trailing kisses down his forearm to his hand, over his wrist, until you were nearly nosing at his clothed cock, the soft hairs on his thighs tickling your cheek.

“and there?” he continued, pushing your head down to do the same to his thighs. you worked deliberately for his approval and praise, not leaving one inch of the warm skin of his thighs unkissed. your legs pressed together in need, trying to find some friction to relieve the tension building in your gut as your mouth worked over his thighs. the more you were down there, the hazier your mind became, till Carlos caught you mouthing at his boxers.

“tsk tsk, needy girl…” Carlos tutted, his hand in your hair tightening, keeping you just out of reach of what you wanted. he lowered his head slightly, his eyes intense, lips curled up in a cruel smirk.

“you have to earn it first.”

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2024 @ gokyrts . do not distribute or translate my work on other sites.

[monstermonger]

Also

I hit a really cool follower milestone yesterday: 11,111

first of all, ofc,....dude, thank you xD so much.... that's an insane number?

i want SO BADLY to do a lil raffle to express my thanks better, but i'm stuck... what to actually give away... i don't think i could make a satisfactory "free commission" since my art is less character-specific and more environmental-specific, or smth... if you know what i mean

the only other thing i could really offer is the lil autumn dragon sticker sheet or a print... and that's just.... idk seems way too specific and funny LOL

im thinking i'll make one more set of stickers, so at the VERY least it's two sheets of stickers :""""D (autumn and winter)

but idk...

if there's anything else ppl would be interested to get from me via raffle, lemme know? should I just try offering a free commission instead? idk just thinking out loud

[duckieduccss]

✨Kaiju Siblings!!✨

Did something small & simple just to take things easy & also while having fun. I often enjoy drawing these two interacting with each other. At least in my version of things, they are in fact siblings. They both share a lot of things together & of course are the future heir to Godzilla’s name & status. However, each are very different in their personalities. At least how they treat & do things:

Junior is the more curious outgoing type. She loves meeting new friends & generally seeing/learning new things. More so, she’s the one to start conversations & ask a lot of questions. To her, she likes getting to know others better (for that reason she has a lot of friends). Junior can also even be more confrontational whenever necessary to be. Putting her skills as a kaiju to the test & being able to stand herself strong. She’s not afraid to intimidate (she can be pretty brutal with downsizing the other if deserved (I’ll provide an example later ^^:). But for the most part, she’s very sweet & overall very adorable in how she does certain things (making her more serious moments more unexpected lol)

Minilla on the other hand is very awkward & less outgoing like his sister (pretty much the opposite; an actual introvert). He always wants to prove that he can be just as strong & be a great kaiju like their dad. But in the end, he lets fear overcome him or suddenly the thoughts of failing already overwhelm him into thinking it would happen. Along with the thing that he doesnt exactly like confrontation or being outed as much. If anything, he prefers if all could get along peacefully (which isnt anything easy in the kaiju world. But however, he still wants to work on being more confident so he often looks up to others he sees as role models. Minilla’s own role models happen to be: Godzilla of course, Ultraman (he happens to be Ultraman’s biggest fan actually), & even his own sister. He’s still very much going at it. No matter how many times he fails, he still keeps going. Shows that he’s got a very strong will & pretty sure he’d be great as the next Godzilla

Junior very much deeply loves her own older brother (Minilla’s the oldest & Junior’s the youngest btw). She understands his struggle more than anyone, for that reason she’s more than willing to helping him out. She’s quite literally his biggest supporter & always brings to his attention whenever he did something well or showed improvement. As a matter of fact, Minilla has their own burst of celebration whenever they’re able to successfully accomplish something (think of it as a lil happy dance he does). She hugs him as a reward as a good job & despite her being younger than him, she has the big heart to care after him too (as a way to show her love). Minilla always loves watching Ultraman whenever on tv (in this universe, Ultraman both doubles as a celebrity superstar & actual hero for both the humans & kaiju; well, more of just a celebrity to the kaiju at least) & taking inspiration from his favorite hero. That way to boost his motivation & even getting ideas on how to be a more powerful kaiju. Minilla does in fact have to deal with Gabara in this version too. Despite of how much Gabara has made him feel afraid from being bullied by him, Minilla’s ready to fight back thanks to the help from others with him

Well those were just some of my own thoughts. I also gave them some outfits that i felt matched perfectly with their described personalities ^^

[If there’s anything specific you guys would like to know about my headcanons, feel free to lemme know :D ]

[puppyluvfics]

NSFW Alphabet | O.de/Oh Seungmin

O.de/Oh Seungmin | WC: 1.7k Genre: smut Summary: nsfw alphabet game thing Warnings: this is just. PURE filth. I'm sorry. (No im not). NOT proofread, just straight up rambles. uhhh like lots of kink stuff but nothing graphic, lemme know if theres anything specific that i need to add pls! A/N: X is excluded bc i will Not be writing about him in that kind of detail <3 screaming crying im SO normal right now :)

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

HELLO literally the sweetest angel in the entire world, are we kidding? He’s absolutely the type to come so hard that he needs a minute to remember where he even is, but once he does, he’s all over you, holding you tightly. His mind would still be hazy - somewhere between needy and fucked out, so he’d lick sweat off of you before kissing your temples and pull your hair a little just to bring you closer to him as he kisses you.

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

Do I even need to say it? Collarbones, arms, chest, RIBCAGEEEE!!! GOD tracing his tattoo with your tongue would drive him NUTS, I already know.

On his partner though… he seems like the type to like the sensitive spots that would make you arch your back whenever he’d kiss or bite at them… your pulse point on your neck, your inner thighs, a spot on your hip…

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

He likes to see his cum on you, it doesn’t matter where. On your chest, on your stomach, on your ass, on your back, on your face!! Literally, does not matter. It’s not that he’s against coming inside you, but the sight of you panting and waiting for him to make a mess of you drives him insane.

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

I’ve said this phrase before but… is it really a secret if it’s kind of blatantly obvious? You can’t tell me he doesn’t love taking tasteful nudes. Setting up his phone or even a camera and just posing, showing off his body and how perfect his cock looks when it’s hard…

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

Man… he knows how to fuck. Did y’all see that clip where he was gripping the keyboard? Don’t even play with me, he knows how to fuck, and he is so good at it. I’d even go so far as to say he knows how to make you squirt…

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

Ooh… if I say standing? Pushed up against a wall? That way he could have the most control, fucking himself up into you, yanking on your hair, telling you how he wants to hear you moan - hear how good he’s making you feel and also slap your ass whenever he felt like it.

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

He can be… he isn’t usually, like, he’s more serious, but he can have fun. The fun would come more in the foreplay aspect, by asking you to model short skirts or lingerie, or asking you to bend over to get something, but once he gets going… he’s a different person.

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

You all know the drill… short, sweet, simple. Trimmed and neat if not fully shaved. King of self-care and maintenance.

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

There’s always a bit of romance in it, even in the moments where he’d have two fingers quickly moving inside you, coaxing you into an overstimulated orgasm. He’d praise you while degrading you, yknow? Calling you a beautiful slut, a dumb, needy, pretty little thing… AND he’d so be the type to five you small spanks or slaps (if you were okay with it) and tell you that you take it so well, the basis of it all being the fact that you trust him enough to know he’d never hurt you…

J = Jack off (masturbation headcannon)

There’s no way he doesn’t love jacking off in a mirror… coming on the mirror and just watching it drip for a sec while he catches his breath… yeah. Admiring his own neediness and how flushed he looks right after coming… yeah. Yeah. 

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

Light impact play and brat taming!! I say light because I can’t imagine him enjoying leaving marks on you from that other than on your ass, and even then, it’s just from his hand - he wouldn’t venture into paddles or crops or anything. Brat taming though… he knows all too well that you enjoy biting back and testing him, especially because he knows he could grab a fist full of your head and shut you up, literally and figuratively, reminding you of your place.

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

Favorite place? Home. Places he enjoys on occasion? In public. Again, not in the “let me ride your cock in the park” way (everyone be normal, come on), but pulling you into bathrooms at parties and clubs on the rare occasion you both go, somewhere public enough where you could get caught but probably not.

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

Is it lame and cheesy to say that the very idea of it is what gets him going? Just knowing that he gets to watch his cock disappear inside you, feel how wet and tight you are around him… being with you like that is enough to get him hard. Touching you and teasing you would have him so needy.

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs)

It’s not crazy out there, but I think he would be so adamant about not sharing you. The very idea of including another person just kind of pisses him off more than turns him on. You’re his. Why would he let anyone else taste you? Touch you?

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

He’s a munch too, I don’t care what anyone says. I would even go so far to say that like, it’s not that he hates getting head. He’s a guy, he loves feeling your tongue on his cock, but more than anything like that, he loves being pussy drunk. Sucking on your clit teasingly and stopping whenever your whines would get loud, lapping at you like it was the last thing he’d ever have in his mouth… 

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

We’ve all seen him hit those keys… when it comes to fingering? It’s hard and its rough and you Will feel it. Sex itself can vary, but I don’t think it would be slow for the sake of savoring it more than it would be for teasing. Especially in front of a mirror?? Yeah, he’d slowly fuck into you and make you watch how he stretches you.

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

If you really wanted him to, he would, but he’ll never initiate one, and even then, he wouldn’t be the eagerest to give in either. It’s not that he wants to make it all rose petals and special every time you fuck, but he wants time to savor you, to feel you around him and lose himself without worrying about a time limit. 

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

Now… I can really see him being the kinky type. Maybe not to a super extent, but he’d try things. Wax play, shibari, temperature play (!!), sensation play… anything that’s safe and easy to come back from, he’d try at least once.

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

He is also someone I see who is one round and then done. It’s not for lack of wanting to keep going, but he just loses himself with you, and by the time he comes, he’s fucked out. Of course, if you wanted to keep going, he’d let you sit on his face and he’d eat you out until you were satisfied, but there’s no double come action from him. (Sad.)

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

I think he would love toys, honestly. This is making me want to write a “Shopping for sex toys with him” thing… because I can just imagine him being so excited and entranced with all the options. How he’d laugh and ask if people really used things like Bad Dragon toys, how he’d be so eager to learn about just how many different types of toys there are…. Someone stop me.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

Do I even need to answer this? I can’t stop thinking about him teasing in front of a mirror too… he should stop posting mirror pics for my health. The way he’d tell you to keep your eyes forward and run his fingers up and down your body, taking his hand away the second you shut your eyes and leaned into the pleasure.

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

He’s not silent, but you really have to coax it out of him. He’d absolutely oblige once you asked, especially if you said it in a whiny, begging voice, but moaning is not on the top of the list of things to do for him.

W = Wild card (a random headcannon for the character)

Oh my god okay listen I’m sorry I just got reminded of this on twt and it will probably mean nothing to anyone except me but JUST LISTEN!! There’s this clip right… Seungmin as Sephiroth… GOD HELP ME “Such a puppy” with the cocky attitude… the brat tamer in him… guys… these posts are usually more put together and less about my personal desires/fantasies but FUCK!!!

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

If we look at it as how many times a week… I’d say a solid 3 days, at least. More on good weeks, a little less on weeks you weren’t feeling it, but he’s content just keeping his hands on you in any manner, sexual or not.

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterward)

He’d be up for a while after. Not too long, of course, he’d be spent. But he wouldn’t fall asleep immediately after. He’d stay up until either you fell asleep or the both of you recovered enough to go on with the rest of the day. <3

[yayakoishii]

Before I send my request your way lemme tell you how much I loved reading your recent Sanji Fics!! I enjoyed them a lot!!

And as for a request, I don't have anything specific but a vague scenario in my head. The strawhats dock at a lone mysterious island. And they as usual disperse off to do their own things when Sanji happens to stumble upon the reader. Perhaps caught in some trouble, going around with a hidden identity? I'm sorry this is cringe. But it's been in my head for a while now. Whether this ends up interesting you or not, I just wanted you to know, it's been a lot of fun reading you! Have a good day! Or night :D

Unfortunate Encounters | Sanji x Reader

Fandom: One Piece

Pairing: Vinsmoke Sanji x Reader

Word Count: 5,997 (that's practically 6k)

Genre: Light Fluff, more Angst, happy ending ofc!

Warnings: Plot heavy, light swearing. Slightly ooc crew maybe? I'm still new to writing for OP, please excuse any mistakes!

A/n: First off, thank you so much for the sweet words anon ;-; they really made my day <3 As for the request, this was not cringe at all!! I got super into it and I had like 3-4 mental drafts of how this fic could go (the og ending was even more angsty lol, but I decided to cut back...) I may have focused too much on the 'lone, mysterious island' part because this was more plot heavy than romantic. The inner plot writer in me emerged because of your prompt; I'm not a romance writer so I struggle with that in this fic >< However, I did enjoy writing it so I hope you enjoy this one too! Thanks for sending such a fun request ❤️

also available on ao3!

The log pose had brought them to another island, but even before they had touched down, Sanji could feel something was up with it. The island just gave off some vibes he couldn't place and he wasn't one to chalk it off to a mistake. His intuition told him something was going to happen here.

"There doesn't seem to be a town here," Nami frowned, looking at the island. All they could see for miles and miles was a dense tropical forest, with trees that seemed larger than their usual size. When they got off the Thousand Sunny, Sanji realised that it was too silent. There were no sounds of birds or any animals that he could hear from the shoreline. "Be careful, guys."

They decided to separate and cover the island quicker. The log pose needed time to reset and it was a curious little island anyway. They could cover it within a day, maximum. Something in Sanji's gut twisted in protest but until he could explain it, there was no way he could stop the chaotic crew. So he let it be and started hacking a path to somewhere.

The trees were dense and the forest was dark, lit up on random intervals by sudden sunbeams that looked like nature's spotlights. Sanji hummed to himself as he studied the plants around him. He walked for a while, noting all the things he could use but not picking anything because the island just rubbed him off the wrong way. It felt dangerous to pick any part of it.

Sanji walked for a while, pausing only when he felt he had heard something – something that sounded like a rustle of leaves, but he couldn't sense a person. He couldn't sense anything but the wind, a gentle breeze drifting through the trees. Strangely, he had not yet come across any of the other Straw Hats either, even though he had been walking for well over an hour and the island wasn't that big in the first place.

There was another rustling, but this time, Sanji could feel a presence. Multiple ones, to be precise. He tensed and cautiously moved aside the curtain of vines blocking his views. The clearing revealed in front of him shocked him– it was like all the animals of the entire island had gathered in one place. And they were all looking at something that he couldn't see.

The moment he stepped in, the animals all turned to him, some of them baring teeth or growling and it was so much sound after so much silence that even Sanji couldn't help the shiver running along his back. A human shout of, "It's okay guys! I'm okay now!" distracted the animals and they turned back to whatever– or rather, whoever, they had been looking at.

Sanji held back, not quite sure what to make of the whole situation, until he heard a barely audible, "Disperse."

Almost like a flip was switched, the animals scattered and Sanji was left incredulously staring at the vines in the middle of the clearing, from where a figure gracefully jumped down. You straightened up and patted at your hair to check for any stray leaves or twigs before you walked over to him.

"An intruder?" You asked, smiling amusedly. "Been a while since we had one."

"That's a harsh word, beautiful," Sanji couldn't hold himself back from calling you that way, after he had gotten over his shock enough to note your features.

"Would you prefer 'uninvited guest'?" You cocked an eyebrow, not cutting eye contact as you straightened out your clothes.

"Ah, you hurt my poor heart," he said, a little bit dramatically as he leaned closer but still at a respectable distance. "Am I unwelcome in your home, goddess of these woods?"

"Wh-?" You couldn't help the chuckle that left your lips at his words. "You're quite something, alright. And as fun as you are, you really are unwelcome here, sorry."

"Why?" Sanji asked curiously. The entire experience felt like some weird fever dream to him, and he couldn't quite make head or tails of anything that was happening but the one thing he was sure of was that there was something about you that piqued his curiosity in all the ways.

"You can't stay on this island," you shrugged and walked past him, expecting him to follow you. Sanji did not fail, falling in step behind you as you started walking somewhere. "2 days, that's all you get. Any longer and… well, it's better if you don't find out."

"Alright, then I guess I'll let my crew know," Sanji sighed, figuring he wasn't getting any more out of you after seeing your guarded expression. The moment he finished his sentence though, you froze in your step and turned around to face him in horror.

"Did you just say… crew?" Your voice sounded a little hoarse and Sanji paused, looking at you in concern. "Please tell me your crew is not on the island."

"If I said that, it would be a lie, sweetheart," Sanji's brows furrowed even as he said it. Something was wrong. Your expression melted into one of full-blown panic, anger and horror.

"Not again!" You cried, burying your face in your hands.

"What's wrong?" Sanji would really, really like some answers today. The entire day had been confusing and eerie vibes and the growing chill in his stomach was now an unnecessary addition.

"What's wrong," you snapped, looking wild and terrified for a second, "is that your entire crew is fucking loose on a cursed island! If they do not get off this island in 3 nights, they will turn into animals and never, ever turn back to humans."

Sanji just stared at you for a few seconds before he dropped the unlit cigarette he had pulled out of his pocket. You were pacing around in circles and he had so many questions that he didn't even know where to begin.

"Then I'll just tell them when we all meet back?" He said unsurely except you turned to face him with eyes full of unshed tears.

"That's a great plan," you said a little sarcastically, "except for the part where this island is cursed and anyone who isn't an animal can't find their way out. Ever. They literally cannot find the way back on their own."

Sanji's jaw dropped. He stared back at you in equal parts horror.

"This has to be the Moss Head's curse spreading," he whispered to himself.

Half an hour later, the two of you were making your way through the dense foliage, exchanging questions and answers– although Sanji was the one doing the asking the most.

You had calmed down after finding out that the crew only had 9 members. You could probably find 8 people in less than 3 days. The island wasn't that big.

Sanji's first question was about how you weren't affected by the curse.

"Because I'm not fully human," you had replied off-handedly and not offered more. It only added to your mystery but despite all your secrets, Sanji could somehow feel inside him that you weren't a bad person. You were going out of your way to help out so that their crew won't turn into animals– if the curse didn't affect you, then you could have very well done nothing.

Then he asked about the other things on his mind. Were the animals in the forest also humans? To his horror, you had replied with a sad yes.

"The log pose doesn't take pirates to this island much," you had explained as you expertly and gracefully made your way over the thorny plants and overgrown roots. Your movement was almost like a mystical dance and Sanji couldn't take his eyes off of it, thankful that you were walking in front of him and couldn't see his ogling. "It's rare but it happens sometimes. Mostly single man boats tossed through storms end up here, but there's been two small crews who came here after me. There were already some animals on the island before though, and I'm pretty sure they were once humans too."

"And there's no cure for this?" Sanji swallowed, his heart hammering from a weird mix of fear, nervousness and excitement.

"Nothing as far as I know," you confirmed, pausing to close your eyes and feel something. "That direction, I can sense someone."

You ran over without waiting for Sanji and he was left to catch up by taking long strides. Before he could show himself though, he felt the presence close in on you and automatically moved in to defend you. His boots rammed against the blunt hilt of a familiar katana.

"Love cook?" Zoro's eyes widened in surprise and he immediately tucked his swords back in. Sanji ignored him in favour of ensuring that you were okay. He found you staring behind him curiously at Zoro, as if the swordsman fascinated you. It didn't mean anything, but it left him feeling a little irritated at Zoro. "Who's this?"

"Um." Sanji realised he had never asked you for your name. Or given you his.

"Inconsequential," you waved it off. "It's not like we're to know each other longer than a day or two. Let's just go and search for the rest. Blondie here can explain everything to you on the way."

"Sanji," he blurted out, reeling back when he saw your surprised face. "Forgive my insolence, sweetheart. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Vimsoke Sanji."

"Well, Sanji," you smiled at him, already walking like you knew where you were going, "get your friend to join us and follow me."

Gladly, his heart answered for him.

✿

You knew this was a mistake. It never ended well when you met other people and liked them. And as you collected more of the Straw Hats, you couldn't help but like them all more and more. You knew this was a mistake, but you couldn't bring yourself to regret it because you knew that if you didn't help them, they would be cursed too.

You had eventually acquiesced and given them your first name, careful not to offer your last name in case any of them recognised you. Zoro seemed to be staring at you quite frequently, but maybe it was just a Straw Hat thing? Sanji had been staring at you the whole time too. Or maybe you looked hideous and they were all politely staying quiet. You didn't quite know, but the thought of looking terrible in front of them (in front of that beautiful blonde boy) was a little mortifying to you.

All those thoughts took a backseat though, because you were on a mission. By the time evening rolled around and the sky had turned to pitch black darkness, you had found a cyborg and a rubber man called Luffy, who was the captain of the ship. He didn't really feel like a captain, or somebody who commanded everyone, but the Straw Hats didn't seem like a typical group of people. They were… unique.

"Let's stop for tonight," you said after assessing the darkness. Of course, you could see everything clearly even in the darkness, but they didn't need to know that. The less they knew about you…

"Shouldn't we keep going?" Zoro asked, looking around.

"Trust me, we're better off waiting the night out," you answered, already settling into the clearing for the night. You had to get a fire going and find food and there were things to be done.

"So I can't eat the animals?" Luffy pouted for the fifth time, asking the same question.

"No, Luffy," you sighed, waving a stick at him. "They might look like animals, but they are people. Please don't kill them or try to eat them."

"They won't attack our crewmates, would they?" Sanji asked, looking worried. You finally managed to light a fire and carefully structured a ring of stones around it to ensure it won't get out before answering.

"The curse lets them have their brain for most of the time," you fidgeted on the spot. "But sometimes, if you harm them, or if they get really hungry, or, y'know… their animal instincts kick in and then they are more animal than human. But it's rare, and won't happen if you don't harm their survival."

The crew fell silent and you watched them whisper amongst themselves a bit. They probably wanted to talk things out, so you got up and said you would go grab something to eat.

"Please don't leave this clearing," you warned them as you walked away. "Finding you again would be so much trouble."

You heard footsteps following you though and turned around to find Sanji trailing behind you.

"Sanji?" You asked, confused. His tall, lanky figure in the forefront of the golden orange light spilling from the fire you started was a picturesque scenery that left your heart thumping a little louder than usual.

"Would you be okay with some company?" He asked quietly. "I'm a chef, so I could probably help you gather some food."

"Alright," you nodded. The two of you walked a while in silence until you found the spot where there were a bunch of large fruits and flowers that you started gathering. Sanji observed what you collected in the little moonlight that was shining through the trees, but you could see him struggling.

"You can see in the dark?" He asked after a beat of silence.

"Mm," you were exhausted from the day. Lying and avoiding things was tiring as it is, and you really weren't in the mood to play the game. If Sanji knew who you were… would it really be that bad? He had been kind so far, always at a respectable distance but with honeyed sweet words that tugged at your heartstrings. You had never had anyone flirt with you, but Sanji was the first. And it left you feeling giddy and warm, the attention he gave you without losing any of the respect and your need for secrecy. If he knew… would he hate you?

Sanji didn't say anything for a while, just offered up his arms for you to stack all the food you had collected.

"Who else is remaining?" You asked, finding the silence was eating at your insides. You had spent so long in silence. And now that you had people around again, you wanted to make the most of it before they had to leave. Just for a while, you could forget and pretend that you're one of them. Just for a while.

"Nami-san, Robin-san," Sanji said, "Brook and Chopper. Wait, Chopper!"

Sanji clapped his hands like he had just thought of something. You looked at him curiously.

"Chopper is a reindeer," Sanji said hurriedly.

"You have a reindeer in your crew…?" You were confused. The Straw Hats were definitely one of a kind, alright.

"He ate the Hito Hito no Mi so he can talk and walk," Sanji explained. "He's our doctor but that's not important right now. He's an animal, right? So he wouldn't be affected by the curse?"

"Highly likely that he isn't," you confirmed.

"Which means he must be the only one back on the ship," Sanji murmured to himself. That's one person (animal?) less to search for, you mused. "He must be scared."

"I hope he's okay," you said quietly. The animals on the island knew each other well. If Chopper ran into them… You didn't really know what would happen. Animals could be scary when they were territorial.

The two of you finished collecting as much as you could carry and walked back, and you asked Sanji to tell you about their adventures. He indulged you, colouring a vivid and humorous picture of the crew in the short while it took you two to get back.

You came back to find Zoro sleeping on his side while Luffy was springing around in the clearing, howling about being hungry and crying for Sanji. Franky sat against a tree, fiddling with something on his body that you didn't wait to see despite your curiosity.

As Sanji started portioning the food to serve to everyone, you stood back and watched the crew interact quietly. It was strange, how at home you felt with them despite not knowing them– but you attributed it to your loneliness.

Even if you wanted to be one of them, you could never curse them like that.

The next morning, you found Nami at the top of a tree. You had seen her when gathering some flowers for breakfast, asleep. You decided to get Sanji to recognise her before you woke her up and got her down. Seeing Sanji fawn and fret over her made you insanely jealous; but you forced it down under a smile and led them back to the camp that had already been cleared up.

You gave the crew a few minutes to catch up and celebrate before you started the search again.

"So…" you searched for a topic as the six of you trudged through the forest. "A reindeer, a cyborg, a gum man, an ex-pirate hunter… Who should I expect next?"

"A skeleton!" Luffy excitedly yelled as he swung past you on the vines, nearly making you stumble from the shock.

"A… what?!" You turned to stare at Sanji in shock, who just smiled softly and shrugged.

"Brook is…" he explained the whole story without getting tired and you couldn't help but be fascinated by everything. The more you learned about them, the more they intrigued you, the more you wanted to beg them to let you join them. But you didn't let those thoughts come to life in words, just helping them find the said skeleton from where he was surrounded by some of the island's animals growling at him.

"Down, guys," you shouted and the animals immediately backed off, all staring at you with innocent eyes that made you huff in laughter. "Don't pull that on me, I just saw you. I know you mean well but it's a little scary when you're surrounded by animals."

One of the deer whined and bumped its snout into your hand. You could feel the Straw Hats staring as you petted it and whispered it to leave the skeleton to you. When the animals had dispersed, you shot a grin at Brook.

"Hi there!" You held out a hand, "It's my first time meeting a skeleton!"

Once the pleasantries were out of the way, you started covering the northern part of the island. It was the only place remaining, aside from the centre. You found Usopp and Chopper there, the two of them hugging each other and bawling.

As it turned out, Chopper had in fact gone back after finding nothing on the island only to find out that no one else had returned. So he had stayed the night in the ship and then came back in search of the others even though he was scared.

"That was very brave of you," you patted him on the head. The reindeer blushed and glared at you.

"I'm not pleased by that at all!!" So he said, but you could see the smile on his face. With almost all of them collected, you started your way to the centre of the island when you heard the clouds rumble.

The sky was full of grey clouds and you were ready for rain, since this was the season on the island.

"There's an underground cave near here," you told the crew as you led them through the thick canopy of trees. "I usually go there when it rains so let's wait it out before we search for… Robin, was it?"

Zoro grumbled something about constant waiting but you chose to ignore it. You knew this island better than any of them. Rains were harsh and the droplets were like bullets on the skin. You couldn't find Robin on the way to the cave but when you reached its opening which looked like a hole in the ground, surrounded by overgrown grass, you felt a presence inside.

The last Straw Hat member was inside the cave, much to all of your relief. This time, you truly stepped back and let the crew reunite, feeling like a true outcast for the first time. Your time together with them was over. Once the rain was gone, they would be out of here and you would be alone again.

Except Sanji turned to you and offered you his hand to invite you into their awkward group hug that Usopp had initiated. You didn't want to intrude but they all looked at you with similar grins and smiles and you couldn't hold it back. You joined them, savouring your first hug in years.

✿

As it turned out, the runes you had found on one of the walls of the cave actually had some sort of meaning that Robin had been able to decipher in the while she had spent in the cave. She had apparently found the cave the previous night and stayed in, then worked on the runes in the morning when she found them.

"It's about a curse on this island," she explained. "Like (y/n) already told us, if anyone spends 3 nights on this island, it turns them into an animal forever. There's a piece of it missing at the end, but the last line says 'the answer lies in the satisfaction of life and a prayer answered'."

"What does that mean?" you asked, confused.

"I'm not really sure," she admitted, running her fingers over the runes. The whole crew mulled over the words as you waited for the rain to stop. You didn't join into the conversation, just letting your mind work quietly with their suggestions as background.

Satisfaction in life… A prayer answered… None of it seemed to make sense. The Straw Hats didn't need to help the animals out, but they were still trying to figure it out. The crew was clearly good at heart and you were glad that you helped them out, even though you would only be left with hurt after they were gone. That pain was worth it.

A squirrel scampered up to you while you listened; the rain outside seemed to be slowing down. You knew the squirrel was the girl around your age who had ended up on the island after a shipwreck. You scooped her up and let her sit on your hand, where she tried to shake off the water from her soaking body. The water sprinkled onto you and you let out a fake indignant "hey!" that made her laugh. Not that you had ever seen squirrels laugh, but you could always understand the animals on the island.

"We found something here," you said quietly to her, bringing her close to wipe off some of the water from her body. "It could be an answer to turning you all back to humans."

She tilted her head and stared at you.

"But none of us understand the riddle," you continued, feeling apologetic to them. You had been the only person on the island who was unaffected by the curse, so you felt like it was somehow your responsibility to help them all turn back. And yet, you had failed at that over and over again. Saira, as the girl's name had been, simply shook her squirrel head and placed a tiny paw on your chest where you had tucked her close.

"It's alright," you could hear her saying in your head. To the others, it probably sounded like a bunch of squeaks. "It's not that bad. I long gave up hope of turning back. Being a squirrel is not that bad. Being able to spend everyday with you who looks out for all of us… I'm happy. All of us are."

Your chest swelled with the emotions and for the first time in a long while, tears streamed down your cheeks. You had held it all in for so long, not wanting to burden the helpless creatures that always kept you company. But knowing their faith in and love for you made your insides warm.

"All we want is for you to be happy too," Saira continued, turning her head to look at the crew. You glanced at them, noticing that Sanji was looking over at you two. "I know you. Go with them."

"I can't," you said in a choked whisper. "Even if they let me, I can't do that to them. I'm not… I'm a curse, Saira. I can't risk it."

The squirrel looked at you helplessly as you cried a little more. Eventually, you wiped away the tears and let your eyes shut to listen to the pitter patter of rain outside. Saira scrambled off your body and over to Sanji, who had watched you the whole while but hadn't heard what you had said.

When you opened your eyes, the rain had stopped. You looked around blearily, and found the Straw Hats all lying around, looking upset.

"You guys should have woken me up when the rain stopped," you said, rubbing your face as you stood up. "Come on, you must be missing your ship, yeah?"

"(Y/n)," Sanji started, looking a little nervous. You looked at him quizzically, but Zoro spoke up before he could say what he wanted.

"Or should we say Kuroneko no (Y/n)?" The familiar words made you freeze in horror. "Harbinger of Death? A 30 million bellies bounty."

"That's…" You took an involuntary step back, bumping into the cave wall. They knew. They knew the secret you had tried so hard to hide. They knew… and they were still looking at you with badly hidden curiosity and grins. None of them looked scared, or upset anymore, like they had been when you were asleep. "I'm… I don't want to lie. That's me. But I swear, I'm not going to do anything. I mean, I don't even actually do anything, all of those incidents just happened–"

"(Y/n)," Sanji placed a hand atop your head, effectively stopping your rambling. You looked up at him, afraid to see him look at you differently, but if anything, his eyes had only become softer. "It's okay. I wish you had told us before, but we get it."

"You do…?" Somehow, it felt too good to be true. People were usually upset when others lied and kept secrets. The secret of who you were could essentially have been a matter of life or death. Kuroneko no (y/n), or rather, Black Cat (y/n) was a name based on your Devil Fruit powers that let you turn into a cat. But they were also a result of you being the only survivor in 4 separate incidents– the annihilation of your home island, the mass genocide in a war town country and the two small crews you had once been a part of. Every single time, all the people had died and you were the only one alive left behind. You had never belonged anywhere, so how could you believe now would be any different?

"It must have been very lonely," Robin's sorrowful eyes reflected that she understood you on some level. You didn't know what to think or feel, unwilling to let yourself hope for anything beyond acceptance.

"It was," you admitted, more to yourself than to them. You had never let yourself truly dwell on the thought, but you had been so, so lonely. "I won't stick around for long. I'll take you to your ship and you'll be free of this island's curse, and of my own. So if–"

"Your curse?" Sanji looked at you, confused.

"It's not exactly a curse," you hesitated, "but there's nothing else I can call it for why… the people I care for end up dead."

"That's not true," Luffy frowned, walking over to you. "Everyone here is still alive. Everyone on this island is alive, we are alive. You are not cursed."

"You were like a blessing in disguise," Usopp said from where he stood, not looking you in the eyes. "I was of course not afraid at all, considering my heavy list of achievements, but you brought us all back together."

"I'm…" you didn't know what to say, feeling overwhelmed.

"You're not cursed, sweetheart," Sanji gently held up your hand, squeezing it to comfort you. "You just had a string of… unfortunate events."

Sanji's struggle to find the right term made you let out a small giggle. Maybe you should extend a hand. Maybe this time…

"Maybe I'm not cursed?" You said hopefully, looking up into his clear blue eyes. Sanji nodded, carefully tucking back a lock of hair behind your ear. The action made you flush, suddenly realising the proximity you two were in.

A flash of light startled all of you and you turned around to find Saira, the human, standing in the place of where the squirrel was. The girl was staring at her own hands and body, like this was a dream. You blinked, unable to believe your eyes either.

Outside the cave, you could hear shouts. Human shouts.

"What just-?" You ran out to find the people who had been turned into animals were back to human. "How…"

"Satisfaction of life and a prayer answered," Robin's voice from behind you was startling. You turned to look at her, and she smiled down at you. "Perhaps the answer was just for the animals to be happy with who they are, with no regrets."

"Then… Then why didn't it change them back before?" You said, voice barely above a whisper.

"Perhaps their prayer wasn't answered back then," she placed a hand on your shoulder and patted it. Did she mean that it only happened now because your one wish through life had been answered? To be free of the curse you had…

With much enthusiasm, the crew got out of the underground cave and everyone was celebrating. The sight of everyone back made you feel like this was the happiest day of your life. You participated in it, letting yourself enjoy the moment without worrying or thinking of anything.

The sun was already setting when the party started and it went on for hours as everyone laughed and danced and ate. (If you were fascinated by how much Luffy could eat, you kept it to yourself to be polite.) It was probably getting close to midnight when Sanji sought you out to where you were sitting by yourself and just watching everyone with fond eyes.

He didn't say a word at first, just sat down next to you. At that distance, you could feel the warmth of his body and you subconsciously leaned closer to the source. For the first time in a long while, your heart felt at peace.

"How did you end up on this island?" Sanji's question made you look over at him. He wasn't demanding an answer, just looking down at you with deep blue eyes that seemed to flash golden as they reflected the bonfire.

"I was on the run from the Marines around a year ago," you hummed, feeling safe and comfortable enough in his presence to finally talk about yourself. After years of not being able to share anything with anyone, it felt freeing to tell him something even as simple as this. "I had just escaped the battle between the crew I was in and this one big pirate ship that I don't even remember anymore. I was wounded but I reached this island on a small boat somehow with a half broken log pose. I shifted into my cat form, which looks less like a cat and more like a black jaguar if anything, to ensure that no one recognised me– because my full transformation is not known by the Marines. I stayed in that form for quite a while, too scared and shaken at that time to turn back into human. Only after a few days of exploring the island did I realise there are no humans here.

"I thought… if there was any place I could not affect anyone with my curse, it would be here. Away from any humans who would get affected by it. At that time, I didn't know about the curse. Looking back on it, I suspect that maybe the curse never affected me because I was in my animal form for 3 nights. Or maybe it was just because that form is like my second skin. I was never disappointed or dissatisfied with it. I only found out about the curse after Saira came on the island and turned into a squirrel. And then two other pirate crews."

"That must have been hard for you," Sanji's voice was quiet but there was no way you could miss the low timbre of it over the excitement all around you. Not when it was the same voice that set your heart off; you wanted to hear everything he had to say. Wanted to know him more and more, as much as he would let you. "(Y/n)-chan."

"Mm?" You turned to look at him, breathless at the proximity from where you could no longer smell the perfume he smelled of the first time you met. The smell coming off him now was something purely him. It was a little intoxicating when coupled with the warm atmosphere and the gooey feeling in your stomach.

"Would you… like to join us?" Sanji seemed a little nervous asking you that. The question gobsmacked you and you stared at him. He… wanted you to join them? As a part of the crew? "I asked Luffy and he said that if you want it, then he's all for it."

"Sanji…" you bit your lower lip, unsure once again. Even though you felt free of the curse, the mentality couldn't be erased in a day. The what ifs, the fear, the apprehension was all still there. "What if we're wrong, though? What if I really am cursed and this has just been a really long build-up to something worse? I might be a risk to your–"

"You're not," Sanji interrupted you for the first time since you had met. The quiet but firm determination blazing in his eyes surprised you. "I believe in you. (Y/n)-chan, if you would let me, I would gladly prove it to you by staying by your side for the rest of your life. I'll stay alive and well, and show you that it's not your fault. I'll be by your side to the very end, so place your fears in my hands and… trust me on this, even if you don't trust anything else."

That little crush you had developed on him at the start seemed to blow up in that moment into a gigantic furnace of emotions. He was ready to take the risk of death, and saying every word with such sincerity that any inhibitions you had went out the window. You couldn't stop yourself from wanting him any longer– he was like the sun, taking your world by storm.

"Really?" You didn't realise when the tears started streaming down your face until his gentle hands came up to wipe them. "You'll stay?"

"I will," and that genuine sincerity was something you couldn't help but believe in. "I will be there for you, as long as you need me."

"Sanji." His name felt both urgent and at ease from your lips.

"(Y/n)-chan," he whispered, voice open and vulnerable again. "Do you… want to be a part of the Straw Hats?"

You swallowed and wondered if you really deserved this much happiness after everything. Yet the moment you looked into his eyes, you felt like there was nothing you could do but be a moth chasing the sun– running after something that you knew will only end up in flames.

"I do."

°•❀•°

[thegamingcatmom]

Mutualll 😋🙌🏾 how are you doinggg? I hope you’re doing great, or good at least.

Ok, so basically am asking this because it’s consumed my mind since I saw this specific thing in your repost about Miranda’s baby fever. It’s basically about Eva wanting a sibling.

Do you think that Miranda is the type of lover who doesn’t let you do really anything when you’re pregnant? LIKE, I can’t explain how many times my brain has brought it up.

Like honestly would Miranda be even accepting of you doing the usual things you did before pregnancy that required labor? Especially since she obviously was pregnant herself at one point so she knows how it feels.

Just imagining Miranda dotting all over you and being by your side almost 24/7 (along with her little twin, Eva) to make sure you and her unborn baby are okay.

(Also, am not leaving your head 🙅🏾‍♀️ stealing and sharing your thoughts around the clock)

Hiii there! 🤗

I´m doing good, thanks for asking! Hbu??

I mean, listen-

I think Miranda is the type of lover who doesn´t let you do much in general, lol. Miri spends most of her time working, so I doubt she´d want any "distractions" when she does allow herself a break. She expects her love to be...there, yknow what I´m saying? If it was up to Miri (which...it kinda is), you would probs be sitting somewhere all day long, doing nothing but looking pretty for her. 🫠

(Who can blame her when you do it so well...)

So yes, I defo believe Miranda is the type of lover who won´t let you lift a finger when pregnant with her child. Like...excuse?

"Sit your ass back down, right this instant."

...

Jk.

That´s not what she´d say.

Because she wouldn´t say anything.

She´d just...stare.

And stare some more.

...

And some more.

...

...

...

MC: *sits*

Miranda: *slowly tilts her head in approval*

LISTEN-

When you´ve got a presence like Miranda, no words are needed. 🫠

Oh, and you can bet there´d be SO much doting. I´m talking soft kisses on that swollen belly, and massaging those tender muscles that are all sore from carrying her child, and slowly swaying together with your foreheads touching and her hands gently grasping your hips, and her crows might just pop out to join the party, cawing softly at you as they sit on your shoulders with their heads tucked under your chin, gently clattering their beaks in absolute rapture at their mate and the life growing inside-

...

Y´know what´s even sexier though?

Miri doing a complete 180 the moment she´s faced with literally anyone else.

.

.

.

Thanks a lot for your ask! 💋

(Have fun in my head. It´s a mess, lemme tell ya. ;P)

[setsuntamew]

Hello and welcome to "Icon Making With Killian: An Intro to the 'Lost' Art of LiveJournal Icons"

aka, I'm still making them and I'd like to teach you how to do it, too!

This tutorial was written in Photoshop 2020, but you can probably recreate it in as far back as CS2-ish (since I still use the same sort of techniques I've been using since then, lmao). It also assumes basic understanding of the software, though I've tried to be as clear as possible throughout.

With that out of the way, let's get this tutorial on the road!!!!!!

I started with the bloomed art of Hiiro from the White Lilies scout box (image courtesy of the Ensemble Stars!! English Wiki).

I basically always start with a blank 100x100 canvas and paste the image into it. I try to go into icon making with a vague idea of what I want to do, and I knew from the beginning that my vision for this icon would have the top 1/4-1/3 of the image covered by a solid band of color. To make positioning the image of Hiiro easier, I made a rough version of the band with temporary colors (though they're pretty close to what I ended up using in the end).

With that in place, I could start working with the actual image for the icon. After pasting it in and adjusting the layers so it was under the band, I resized it and moved it around a bunch until I was happy with the position. Once I liked how it looked, I used an Unsharp Mask on the base.

Next up, I used a texture from lookslikerain. However, purple is all wrong for the color scheme I had in mind, so I went to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation... to change it up to better suit my needs. Never be afraid to mess around with textures!

Here's how I adjusted this specific texture, but each one is unique- both the texture and the icon you're creating, so it's best to play with it until you get good results.

I then pasted this into the icon, making sure it was under the layers making up the top bands of color (because I was only trying to affect the base for now), and set this layer to Darken.

Now it's time to mess with the colors of the top band. They sorta matched before I did anything to the base, but now...not quite. I used a layer style for each part of it, but using the paint bucket tool would work just as well. I went to Layer > Layer Styles > Color Overlay... for each, changing the colors as necessary. The thickest band is #85d0bf, the middle band is #086371, and the thinnest, lightest one is #fcfcd8.

Time to start putting stuff on top of everything!! I took this light texture from ianthinae, rotated it, and set it to Lighten. I decided I wanted it to be a little bit brighter, so I duplicated the layer, set it to Screen, and dropped the Opacity to 20%.

I then used a texture from Sarah-Dipity and set it to Lighten as well.

Okay, now that's what I'm talkin' about!!! It's time to throw some text on this~ I went for something simple to go with the theme of the story this card is from: Princely. The font is Georgia, 10pt, in #086371, set to all caps. I decided it didn't stand out enough, so I duplicated it, changed the color to #8b4235, dragged it under the first text layer, and moved it 1 pixel to the right.

I wanted a bit more embellishment around it, so I used this simple tiny text brush from colorfilter in #06444d. I also erased part of it to make it fit the space better.

Finally, I used a texture from shiruji, set to Darken to get a bit more color variation in it, and called it done! :D

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I'll answer as best I can- as long as it's not about making icons in other software D: I only know Photoshop (and Paint Shop Pro, but I don't think anyone uses that anymore). If there are any other icons of mine you're interested in seeing tutorials for - or even just specific techniques! - just lemme know. I love helping :D

Also, I'm happy to share where I get icon resources from. I have a whole post dedicated to that on my DW graphics journal, though tbh that's the best place to talk to me about making graphics in general. But I will absolutely answer asks/replies/etc about icons here on tumblr, don't worry!!!!

[matan4il]

Hi friend! I was wondering if you had any favorite Israeli/Hebrew children's books! Also any fave Israeli musicians??

Hello, my lovely! :D How are you?

Ooooh, do I! Man, you're gonna regret asking me this. XD Sorry, not sorry... So shall we start with Israeli/Hebrew kids' books?

Anything by Yehuda Atlas (יהודה אטלס), but especially And That Kid is Me (והילד הזה הוא אני). Short humorous stories, written in rhymes, perfectly capturing how baffling the world can be for a kid, and how silly adults can seem, or just what things can sometimes feel like for a child. It's one of those books that work, funny and essential, 'coz it's so true. He just gets kids.

Another one that I love, and am probably one of the few Israeli kids who even know this book, is Siamina and the Cats of Yemin Moshe (סיאמינה והחתולים של ימין משה) by Holocaust survivor Uri Orlev (אורי אורלב. He's more well known for his books about that period of time, which are also highly recommended, but I only dared read them when I was older). Jerusalem is known for its many stray cats, and the book is a love fest for cats and Jerusalem, with some historical sites becoming in the book the "homes" of the cats.

David Gershtein, who crafted the engravings for the book, is a pretty popular Israeli artist, and you can find some of his creations all over the country, and even entire shops dedicated to his works.

Last one ('coz I don't wanna burden you too much, but lemme know if you want more recs!) that I really loved as a kid, was Yael's House (הבית של יעל) by Miriam Rot (מרים רות). It was about a girl who has a home, but she wants a house that would be all her own. She tries all sorts of solutions, including taking over the space under the kitchen table... Not gonna lie, as a kid I was inspired to follow in her footsteps, but my parents were not impressed.

Now, as for Israeli musicians! You have stumbled onto dangerous ground, my friend, since I'm a music addict, and in love with the Hebrew language, so songs in Hebrew are something I can go on about for freaking years...

I'll share with you the link to two unlisted playlists that I made on YouTube. One is of some of my fave Israeli songs (though I started it years ago, so sadly, I see some vids have been deleted or made private, and there are literally hundreds of songs on the list, meaning I'm not sure which ones are missing), but also with a few thrown in 'coz I think they're good for people who wanna know Israeli culture and popular Israeli songs, and the other is one that I started making with songs connected in different ways to the current war we're in. They're not all faves, but I thought they capture a moment in time, so I wanted to have them grouped together. I'm actually not done with either list, the latter I really just started not that long ago, so you can expect them to grow.

If we're talking specific Israeli musicians, I find it hard to answer, I think almost every singer or songwriter has at least one good song to offer, and likewise whenever I wanna name one, I feel like adding, "Except for this song... and that one..." No musician is great all the time. But I guess some of my faves (where I like more songs than I don't) include Ivri Lider, Berry Sakharof, Yehuda Poliker, Ran Danker, Harel Ska'at, Chanan ben Ari, Narkis, Eliad, Amir Dadon, Avraham Tal, Marina Maximilian, Achinoam Nini (Noa), Sheila Ferber, Gilad Segev, Ofra Chaza, Meni Berger, Yardena Arazi, Natan Goshen, Keren Peles, Izhar Ashdot, Nurit Galron, and the bands Beit Ha'bubot, Ha'Yehudim, Metropolin, Ethnix, Mashina and Synergia.

I was thinking I should add at least one of these vids to my reply, and for whatever reason, the one that started playing itself in my head (where there is always music) was a song first released in 1993, אדמה חמה (Hot Earth) by Shlomo Gronich and the Shva Choir (Sheba is the English pronunciation of Shva). I love this song, I think the vid was very cool for its time, and I'm still never gonna forgive the MTV viewers who gave it last place in a video music awards. The song incorporates Hebrew and Amharic, both Semitic languages, the latter being the language spoken by Ethiopian Jews. You can actually listen to the whole special album (inspired by the story of the Ethiopian Jewish community's journey to Israel) here.

But just for the fun of throwing in a gay themed song as well, here's התשמע קולי (Will You Hear My Voice), a love poem for a man, originally written by an Israeli poet called Rachel (full name: Rachel Bluwstein Sela), but it's performed here by only men, and no one changed the pronouns, which makes it a mlm song to me. It's so pretty and sad (Rachel is believed to have written the poem to a former lover, a man she even thought at one point she would marry, but WWI tears them apart and they never meet again. She wrote this poem, after getting the news that she's terminally ill), it fills my soul at the same time as it tugs on my heart.

I hope this helps! Sending so much love! xoxox

[zomb-rabbit]

FOLLOWER CELEBRATION TIME !!!!

you guys have shown me soso much support and it really means the whole world to me, and i wanna show y'all that with my writing !!

i'm gonna be opening up requests for NSFW / romantic / platonic alphabets, romantic / platonic matchups, and songs for characters!! this is gonna be a longer post, so all of the specifics are under the cut :)

also, i'll of course still be taking normal requests, but while these are open they'll be the priority for me to get to :)

Who's available for requests?

EverymanHYBRID

HABIT

Evan Myers

Marble Hornets

Tim Wright

Masky

Brian Thomas

Hoodie

Jessica Locke (fem/gn reader only)

Creepypasta

Toby Rogers

Eyeless Jack

Jeff the Killer

Jane the Killer (fem/gn reader only)

Nina the Killer

Clockwork (fem/gn reader only)

BEN

Overwatch

Cole Cassidy

Ashe

Reaper / Gabriel Reyes

Soldier: 76 / Jack Morrison (masc/gn reader only)

(this includes the Blackwatch and Deadlock eras! just lemme know, without specifics I'll assume it's current era)

Songs for characters ;

a song for how i think a character would react/feel about certain things! being in love, their thoughts on themselves, things like that :) i'd be posting a song link, specific lyrics i think really match with what's being asked, and an explanation/break down on how it relates.

Romantic / platonic matchups ;

give me a rundown of who you are, if you want it to be romantic, platonic (or both), and i'll match you up with someone :) quick physical, personality and partner preference/needs descriptions would be great, the fandoms you want, and anything else you'd want me to know would be great !! if you'd want a basic template, i have this one right here !!

NSFW / romantic / platonic alphabets ;

you can ask for a full alphabet, or just specific letters, for characters :) all three are down below if you wanna get a feel for them before you request

PLATONIC

A = Adventures, what kind of crazy shit would you get into together?

B = Bond, what kind of - platonic, obviously - relationship do you have with each other?

C = Cuddling, do you ever cuddle? how physically affectionate are you?

D = Dance, do you ever dance together? how?

E = Enemies, were you ever enemies? Do you share the same enemies?

F = Fight, how often do you fight? how do you resolve conflict?

G = Gain, how have you helped each other improve as people?

H = Help, how do they ask you for help? how do they help you when you need it?

I = Injured/Ill, how would they act if you got hurt or sick?

J = Jokes, what’s their sense of humor like? how do you joke about things together?

K = Kisses, do you ever kiss? how? Kisses not on the lips count

L = Love, how do they show you they care?

M = Meeting, how did you meet? how did you become friends?

N = Nesting, do you co-habitate at all? how?

O = Oasis, is there a specific place that is “your place”? what is it?

P = Protection, how protective are they over you?

Q = Query, how inquisitive are they when it comes to getting to know you?

R = Record, what’s something you’ll never let them live down?

S = Support, how would they show their support for you? how far would that support go?

T = Trust, how much do they trust you? how do they show you that?

U = Uplift, how do you bring each other up?

V = Vacation, do you ever travel together? what’s that like?

W = Worry, do they worry about you? how often?

X = Xerox, are there any traits or habits of theirs that you’ve picked up by accident?

Y = Yahoo, what’s an inside joke you share?

Z = Zany, do they have a weird side only you get to see? what’s it like?

ROMANTIC

A = Attention, how much attention do they want in the relationship?

B = Baby, do they want a family? Why/why not?

C = Cuddle, do they like to cuddle and show affection? How?

D = Dates, what are dates with them like? What do they like to do? 

E = Equal, do they prefer to be more dominant or submissive in the relationship?

F = Fights, how do they handle arguments? How quick are they to forgive?

G = Gratitude, how grateful are they in general? Are they aware of what their s/o is doing for them? 

H = Honesty, are they honest with their s/o? How important is it to them in a relationship? 

I = Insight, how easy is it for them to read their partner? (Mood, thoughts, etc.)

J = Jealousy, do they get jealous? If so, how easily? How do they deal with it?

K = Kiss, what are their kisses like? Who kissed who first?

L = Love, who said “I love you” first? How often do they say it? When did they realize they were in love?

M = Marriage, do they want to get married? How long do they have to be in the relationship beforehand? What would the marriage be like? 

N = Nickname, what are the nicknames they have for their s/o? Do they like when their s/o uses nicknames?

O = Open, how long does it take for them to open up to their s/o?

P = PDA, how do they feel about public displays of affection? What kind of PDA do they show?

Q = Quality Time, what do they like to do for quality time with their s/o?

R = Reunion, how do they react after being apart from their s/o? How do they cope when they’re away?

S = Sad, how do they cheer their s/o up when they are feeling down? How do they like to be cheered up?

T = Thrill, do they need to try out new things to spice up your relationship? Or do they prefer a certain routine? 

U = Understanding, how well do they know their partner? Are they empathetic?

V = Value, how important is the relationship to them? What is its worth in comparison to other things in their life?

W = Wild Card, a random relationship headcanon

X = Explicit, a NSFW headcanon

Y = Your Name, if they did get married to their s/o, who would take whose last name?

Z = Zz, how do they like to sleep with their partner? What time do they like to go to sleep/wake up, ideally?

NSFW

A = Aftercare, what they’re like after sex

B = Body part, their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s

C = Cum, anything to do with cum, basically

D = Dirty secret, pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs

E = Experience, how experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?

F = Favorite position, this goes without saying

G = Goofy, are they more serious in the moment? Are they humorous? etc.

H = Hair, how well groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.

I = Intimacy, how are they during the moment? The romantic aspect

J = Jack off, masturbation headcanon

K = Kink, one or more of their kinks

L = Location, favorite places to do they do

M = Motivation, what turns them on, gets them going

N = No, something they wouldn’t do, turn-offs

O = Oral, preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.

P = Pace, are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.

Q = Quickie, their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.

R = Risk, are they game to experiment? Do they take risks? etc.

S = Stamina, how many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?

T = Toys, do they own toys or use them on a partner or themselves?

U = Unfair, how much they like to tease

V = Volume, how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.

W = Wild card, a random headcanon for the character

X = X-ray, let’s see what’s going on under those clothes

Y = Yearning, how high is their sex drive?

Z = Zzz, how quickly do they fall asleep afterward?

[ask-trialduo]

Ouuhhh, do you happen to have tips for how to make comics or share your experience and how you managed to get things done, please? I love the way you draw, especially amazing knowing it's a speedy process for you. (You don't have to answer here if you'd rather keep things UT related. I've followed your blogs for years and I have never achieved much or anything. 😔)

UMMM. okay first of all, like, thank you whoever u are! it’s always amazing to me to find that people from long ago are still on this site, even after everything. it’s lovely to have u here muah!

second of all. lmao, I should expand on what I said before: what’s quick and easy for me are these low-effort, imperfect lil doodle comics on this blog. the actual, polished comic-making process is excessively tedious and long for me ANJDNIS. ive been working on the same D&D comic for over two years now, and im only just beginning to finish it. even that is taking, like,,,, all of my willpower lmao. can’t begin to imagine how some people do this for a living, bowing down to them rn fr.

so! im far from an expert, and im still learning a ton. so idk what kind of advice to give other than like. the first comic u will make, putting ur all into it, ur gonna absolutely hate every bit of it, even after u finish it. and that’s actually such a normal thing to experience. it means that ur artistic brain is developing and protesting against its past skills. don’t ever go back and rework anything, either - if you constantly redraw your comic, you’re never gonna finish it. just keep in mind what u want to improve on, and try to accomplish that moving into your next project. better done than perfect muah.

that’s just my general tip, from where im standing at rn. if u wanna learn about anything more specific, lemme know! I’ll do my best to share my experience or process <33

[markerofthemidnight]

🏳️‍🌈 as many as you want.

🏳‍🌈 do you have any headcanons (lgbt, race, neuro, etc) that are important to you?

Oh, shit! No specific fandom in mind or anything?! HOLY SHIT YOU BET I’M GONNA MAKE THE MOST OF THIS!

(warning: rant incoming (under cut))

Hatchetfield (specifically The Lords in Black)

I’ve already talked about my headcanons for their sexualities on a different ask, so let me just run through any specific mental stuff I think they may have…

Tinky definitely has ADHD or something similar, Pokey probably has some kind of antisocial disorder which is why he’s… Like That™️, and maybe autism too (noise sensitivity). I’ve also called Wiggly a narcissist a few times, and while I stand by the fact that that could be the case, I don’t want to make a statement like that about a disorder that I don’t know all too well.

They all go by he/it mainly. They’re fine with any pronouns, though.

Project: Eden’s Garden

I’m not going to give any disorder to Tozu because I think it’s much more fitting for him to just be… straight-up insane rather than having any undiagnosed mental thingy (though ADHD is a possibility, short attention span and all.) He’s definitely somewhere in the ace spectrum, if you ask me! I’d personally like to say panromantic and asexual. And obviously, his race is British.

Mara is also somewhere on the ace spectrum, though I haven’t decided where. I’m not sure what kind of mental illness she might have, though probably something trauma-related like PTSD knowing the kind of story the devs will probably give her.

Other than that, lemme run through the students really quick… Eva is also also somewhere on the ace spectrum, Eloise has an inferiority complex, Damon has DEFINITELY had some very non-straight thoughts that he’s in denial about… oh, and Kai goes by he/they, though wether that’s just for the clout or if they’re genuinely genderqueer is up for debate!

Chonny Jash (GOD it’s been a while since I mentioned that name huh?)

You will pry my headcanon that the Headspace is just the result of a really weird plural disorder from my cold, dead hands. Other than that, Heart and Mind are both autistic, just in different ways (Heart has sensory problems, Mind is antisocial with a tendency to take everything literally, and both have special interests). Soul definitely has something too, but I’m not sure what.

They’re all gay as shit, but to different extents (Soul is straight up homosexual, Heart is pan with a preference for men, and Mind is grey-homoromantic aseuxal).

Finally, they all grew up in Australia but moved to the states at some point in their life (hence their accents. Their old one comes back sometimes depending on their emotions.)

Dreams of an Insomniac

Alex is gay. So gay. I don’t know why they just give off those vibes.

Dr Lankmann is aro/ace, and doesn’t understand people who feel any kind of attraction at all. As in, some of his closest followers have had to talk him out of dissecting the brains of allo people multiple times.

We already know that all Veldigun are aro/ace, and mainly go by he/it pronouns, but if I were to add to that: The Flock goes by they/it, and Simon goes by he/they and is only referred to as “it” by those who don’t trust him.

And, while you’ve given me the opportunity… eh, why the hell not? SNG&D HEADCANONS LETS GOOOOOO (spoilers ahead but honestly I don’t think you care)

SNG&D

(JJ and Ricky are from SpiffyNeedleGeeks’ now-cancelled Curse of Strahd campaign, and played by Lettersent (or Dion, he’s fine with either))

First off, they’re both aro/ace. Like, SO aro/ace. These are children we’re talking about, after all.

We already know they have OSDD canonically, but a very specific headcanon I’ve had for a long time is that they’re also autistic! Mainly because generally their vibes remind me of my own autistic ass, but also because LOOK AT THEM. LOOK AT JJ’S BLANK FUCKING AUTISM CREATURE STARE.

JJ’s autism manifests mainly in the way he acts. Again, the blank stare he canonically does 99% of the time, his tendency to stay futher away from the group (especially before he really learns to trust the rest of the party), the sort of silent nervousness he has around strangers contrasted by the rabid little bastard he becomes when he’s around people he dislikes (in a different way to Ricky taking control) all give me a lot of autistic vibes.

Ricky, however, is a bit harder to categorise. Mainly because most of these are just my headcanons, but… eh. I like to think that he’s, to an extent, a bit noise-sensitive (part of the reason why he doesn’t like social situations besides just being terrible at them), we already know he’s touch-averse canonically, and he’s got a big aversion to certain tastes and textures (though that’s less due to the autism and more due to the fact that he’d literally never eaten before in his life until like a week ago).

This also adds a much funnier layer to why he’s so overprotective of JJ. It’s not just because, y’know, he was born specifically to protect him, but also because it’s literally his special interest. Whenever someone asks him something about him, it probably takes all the strength he has to resist the urge to ramble for hours.

Aside from that, the brothers also both gained PTSD from everything they’ve been through. While I’m fairly sure it’s canon that Ricky has PTSD from their death, I like the idea that JJ has some too that he more or less got over in the years between their death and meeting the party. (The sight of a Displacer Beast still puts him on edge, though.)

…Sorry, I just- I had to get that off my chest.

I could talk about my headcanons for some of their other characters more, but I think I’ve been ranting on too much (besides, it’s mainly JJ and Ricky I have headcanons for anyways, as they are by far my favourites).

[bara-izu]

Do you have any advice for doing comics? Like do you plan them out before hand or let the story develop itself as you go?

I do mostly plan, but sometimes the scene changes as panels are drawn out! Personally i try to keep it loose but with a general idea of a start and finish, like, whats the main thing i want to get across-

This might get long so lemme break this up :D

My comics usually start with dialogue exchanges or a specific interaction (object or person), which i then branch out from- i try and thumbnail these ideas down asap, just really shitty sketches so i can move chop and change their positions as i see fit~

Lil behind the scenes of some of my recent ones with their crappy thumbs (which i admit sometimes have more charm then the finished but alas, we roll)

For longer comics i will write a script out eg.

H (awkwardly looking away): Sorry... i just, have a lot on my mind... and well.... in it A (a faked smile, monotone voice): Ha. Ha. funny.

For me, i do try and think about the scenes as if they were storyboards for a film rather than comics... (hence why most of my panels are just uninteresting long boxes) so i use a lot of cinematography approaches to the framing (close ups, establishing shots ect) The other main thing you're then going to want to think about is:

Leaving enough room for speech bubbles (i'm bad at this, but this is why we script beforehand)

Arranging your speech bubbles to lead the reader around your art

The first thing people will look at is the speech bubbles in a panel. While 'leading lines' are a great way to help guide you in the right direction to read, having the bubbles arranged in a way that leads the eye is also useful!

(this is from my upcoming story 'Be Gay Do Crime', this is however a scrapped version of the prologue which is currently being editted)

Pacing is also incredibly important! And i dont just mean the scene itself- but also the way the dialogue is presented! For example:

Breaking up the speech bubbles puts pauses between the sentence, spaces out the way a character speaks and gives them a bit more personality. (of course you don't have to break everything up into 2 word boxes, this is just an example)

If there is anything i've missed, let me know- this is the main bits i could think of off the top of my head! i hope it helps!

[faecaptainofdreams]

Some months into their friendship, Wander offers to help Sylvia relax after a very rough string of days.

They find a small waterfall with a little rock cave, making it feel cozy and private.

There he uses a big scrub brush on her, which Sylvia LOVES even though she was unsure about the entire thing.

He uses it to scrub her neck, back, tail, legs, feet, and even some of her face!

But when that's done, he takes to sitting on her back and washing her feathers for her, taking his time.

Sylvia remarks how wonderful he is at what he does, and assumes out loud that whoever taught him how to massage and wash so well was a saint.

Following this, Wander answers cheerily that he only does "what he imagines he would want."

This helps Sylvia understand that no one's ever done this for Wander, either, and yet he is still so tender.

She's quiet while he compliments her pretty mane, and then happily washes the feathers on her tail.

Sylvia can't help but feel a tad guilty, but brushes it aside and decides to show her new friend appreciation rather than dousing him with negativity.

---

This. Shit. Was. WORK. >8l

My dedication to the water drops and streaks and bghficdjn xdiuhfiwndxmskde

BUT IT WAS ALSO FUN!! :la:

This was such a challenging piece, finding the right background and stitching that all together was surprisingly difficult, as was assigning the right color and lighting.

There was a very very very specific aura i wanted to have about it and i think i got what i was looking for, for the most part!

Also admittedly i'm a little frustrated because just last night i found a new way i wanna start drawing Wander's head to make it more functional...

*inhaaaaaaale* SOOO now all the works with his ultra round head are sslightly outdated...🤦🏽‍♀️

But idt imma change them, they're already done and up and they're still good regardless!!

Lemme know what you like about this piece, if anything!

Enjoy! :D

[bigskydreaming]

Could use an extra set of eyes on this part of my Firmament stuff, and making sure I have everything I need explained within data pages specific to this one particular civilization, if anyone's willing. A big problem for me with various stories or stuff that's lived in my head forever is I'm so quick to automatically fill in any gaps in something I wrote with missing information I'M fully aware is meant to go there because like, obviously I know the ins and outs of everything and there's no point within any of this stuff where the explanation on the page is GUARANTEED to jump out at me as missing some crucial context, when like.....my mind is so quick to link up whatever info is relevant to what's on the page but isn't ALSO already on the page...I sometimes don't slow down quick enough to realize that I just glossed over a section that really needed more or specific context ON the actual page and I didn't fully notice or internalize or retain this bit as needing more fleshing cuz I was so quick and automatic to just be like 'yeah yeah and obviously this happens and there's this as part of the explanation for why that happens that way too.'

Which. Can be annoyingly counter productive at times.

So! If anyone has time in the next day or so to take a look at a couple of things and be like 'oh okay, it makes sense' or 'umm did you skip the some stuff here because I have no idea how you this stuff in Section A of this page has anything to do with this stuff in Section D, and Section B and C seem like they teleported in from an entirely different genre....is there an explanation for this that's just not here or is there not an explanation for this and this actually makes no sense and could be counted as a dreaded -

Me: *sweats* no dont say it, dont you say it, I TRAINED FOR THIS, I made so sure all of these were dead before I even STARTED that page....

Actual normal person: ....you kill the plotholes instead of just filling them in?

Me, some other thing that is definitely not that: What, is that not normal? Some people kill their darlings, I murder plotholes. Go full LARPing through my manuscript, Kalen the Plothole Slayer. I take the killing of plotholes very seriously. I need those assholes DEAD. Absolutely rude little fuckers just popping up out of NOWHERE and gleefully yoinking the narrative ground right out from under my protag after I put so much time and care into laying that brickwork down there, and then this smug little fucker pops into the margins in the form of a beta readers' notes being like "Surprise, bitch, bet you thought you'd seen the last of me!" and I'm like HOW THE FUCK DID YOU SURVIVE, YOU ATROCIOUS LITTLE GREMLIN, I melted your plot destabilizing face with narrative acid, and you have the nerve to respawn RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY PENULTIMATE CHAPTER? Who DOES that?

Plothole I've anthropomorphized because I have severely lost the plot of this post: You missed a page back in Chapter 3 when you went through that one and tried to snip snip me out of every scene there. You forgot the paragraph where I wasn't called out directly but my influence was still clearly visible in the fact that Character B shouldn't have fucking known who Character F was yet, hahahaha.

Me: Ohhhhh, you sunuvabitch!

Plothole: LOL oooooh does the F in Character F stand for haha you FUCKED UP lmao bet it doeeeees.

Me: THIS IS WHY ALL PLOTHOLES MUST DIE.

.....but yeah uh, so if anyone wants to do some basic soundingboard/lemme know if anything doesn't make sense stuff for some data/worldbuilding pages about a magic-utilizing human civilization in a big space opera universe lemme know! Thanks and don't feed your plotholes after midnight, they are NOT your friends and they're never cute. You want more adorable in your story, make up a dog. Death to the gremlins. Wait. Fuck. I conflated again. Dammit.

[umemiyan]

🔥 share ur correct opinions!!! <3

OMG PLS 😭 idk if they’re correct, but…. i have ‘em!!!!

alright. buckle up i went a little insane over this

i cannot STAND when people think that their interpretation of a character is the almighty only correct one in the whole entire universe. like god made them a fucking blorbo prophet or whatever.

lemme start by saying that yes, we all want to believe that we know our faves well and that we’ve got good opinions on them! and it’s totally normal to enjoy your version and get attached to the way you see them! it just drives me up the fucking wall when some people get a big head about being the “authority” on certain characters (or ships/shows/anything in general). like please get a grip.

any piece of media is going to be interpreted different ways. and some people may be more objectively “correct” about certain things than others. but pretending like your personal version of a blorbo is THE version and not tolerating the fact that people have other takes is just… it makes me furious.

you don’t have to enjoy other people’s takes. you don’t have to agree with them or engage with them. but you should acknowledge that they exist and are valid in their own way. unless you have some certificate signed by Jesus Christ himself or the damn original creator of this media saying that you are the ordained spokesperson for said character, go touch grass. absorb vitamin D.

it can also become such a hive mind thing too. groups of people hype up this one individual so much that i think it creates some sort of power trip overall. like duh it’s totally normal to have a favorite writer and agree with someone on their takes and encourage them, but idk sometimes people be going to the extremes. i feel like it creates spaces where others can feel discouraged or uncomfortable about writing for a specific character or something because “what’s the point? obviously it’s not going to be as good as xyz or everyone will think i’m wrong, etc.”

and i’m being such a hater rn but the thing is that the interpretations from so many people who act like this are BIASED AS HELL LMFAO they be like “no one knows him like i know him i’m so scientifically objectively correct” and they’ve literally just projected a bunch of their own preferences onto them LOL GURL PLS!!! like if you wanna enjoy that version of them then go right ahead!!!! live your absolute best life!!!! but you ain’t the pope of the whole damn character so stop pretending like it!!!!

anyways i’m going on forever about this but like. yes it is fun to joke and be like “u don’t know him like i do 😩” but when you’re actually being serious… go home. you’re done. you’re done.

send me a “ 🔥 “ for an unpopular opinion

[setsuntamew]

Welcome back to "Icon Making With Killian: An Intro to the 'Lost' Art of LiveJournal Icons"

aka, you didn't think I was one and done, right?

This tutorial was written in Photoshop 2020, but you can probably recreate it in as far back as CS2-ish (since I still use the same sort of techniques I've been using since then, lmao). It also assumes basic understanding of the software, though I've tried to be as clear as possible throughout.

I was possessed with a need to both make an icon of Madara's new event card and then write a tutorial, so let's all be proud that I busted it out before Halloween 💪

I started with the bloomed art of Madara from The Howling Forest★Lupine Halloween event (image from the Halloween 2024 campaign announcement, because the event hasn't started yet).

Since there's a lot of extra text & etc on this, I knew I'd be cropping it pretty close. I started with a blank 100x100 canvas, pasted the original image in, and then resized + rotated it until I liked the composition/crop.

First up, I wanted to get some cobwebs in here (for Halloween!), but didn't want them to overwhelm the whole icon. I used a texture from lookslikerain, set to Lighten, and rotated it a bit before erasing anything covering his face.

Next, I used another texture from lookslikerain and set it to Darken. There's a lot of green in the images for this event and I wanna pull some of that back into the icon, since it most got cropped out.

Time for light textures!!! I used a bunch in this icon~ I started with one from lookslikerain (can you tell I love their resources?), rotated it, and set the layer to Lighten, before deciding that it was too harsh. I used a small, soft brush set to 30% Opacity to erase most of the texture from his face, as well as softening the edges of the light.

The next few light textures are kinda subtle, but overall add to the icon. I'd say sometimes less is more, but I'm a maximalist at heart XD For the next few steps, just assume that the light textures were rotated/resized/moved/etc as I saw fit. I used yet another texture from lookslikerain, set to Lighten, and tucked in the bottom right corner.

This light texture from Sanami276 is also set to Screen. I moved it around to get just a bit of orange in the top left corner- gotta keep those Halloween colors in there!! :D

I wanted some more depth/texture in the upper left corner, so I decided to use part of a texture from Sanami276.

However, it's way to harsh to just throw in there like that...at least not for my purposes. I decided to invert the colors and recolor the black parts orange. My go-to method is with a Gradient Map adjustment layer. The easiest place to find it is in the Adjustments window.

I then used these colors for the gradient itself: #e7b676 at 0% and #ececec at 100%.

And it left the texture looking appropriately orange! I then pasted it into the actual icon, moved it so the rectangles were in the upper left corner, and set the layer to Darken.

Now for more light textures!! I used a couple from ianthinae, set them to Lighten, and went to town. I cut them up, moved them around, rotated them...just about anything to make them fit where I wanted. I love playing with light textures in general, and I find that even when I use similar ones a lot, they can look very different depending on how they're place.

Finally, I used part of a large grunge-y texture that I've unfortunately lost the source to D: I inverted it and set the layer to Multiply, before moving it around a bunch until I found a spot that looked good.

And with that, it's done! You've now got some new skills to make icons with~

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask, and I'll answer as best I can- as long as it's not about making icons in other software D: I only know Photoshop (and Paint Shop Pro, but I don't think anyone uses that anymore). If there are any other icons of mine you're interested in seeing tutorials for - or even just specific techniques! - just lemme know. I love helping :D

Also, I'm happy to share where I get icon resources from. I have a whole post dedicated to that on my DW graphics journal, though tbh that's the best place to talk to me about making graphics in general. But I will absolutely answer asks/replies/etc about icons here on tumblr, don't worry!!!!