#a painting for Snazzy thank you so much!

[theowlburrow]

Dragons and dungeons 🐲🎲

[certifiedfreec]

i can’t stop thinking about neighbor!graves… 🤔

🏡 you’re new to the neighborhood, getting all your things moved in and seemingly drowning in all the boxes of stuff you have. you ordered some items to replace the ones that got damaged or lost during transit, so that only added on to the cardboard-ridden mess that was your new living room.

🏡 a few days after settling in, you finally notice one of your packages has a mysterious name on it: phillip graves. you suddenly feel bad; how long has this guy been missing his delivery?? you bustle out your door in your pajamas, looking for the house number that matches the one on the package until you finally find it. it’s a fairly large house with dark, sophisticated paint. it’s across and over from yours with a huge black truck backed into the driveway. very snazzy for a truck, you think, hurrying your way to the tall entry door and ringing the doorbell.

🏡 “hey, how can i help ya?” his slight twang is warm and uplifting when he opens the door, eyeing you with a keen interest. god, he’s pretty. he sees what’s standing before him in the cutest little pj set and he’s feeling like an angel was dropped at his doorstep. meanwhile, you’re freaking out- standing there in your scrubby pajamas in front of this ridiculously attractive man, who is apparently your neighbor, and you’ve been holding onto his package without him knowing. (you realize there’s another package of his you’d like to hold though- ba dum tss!)

🏡 you shyly introduce yourself, pointing toward your house and then handing him the box, which he accepts with a teasing “gonna have to tell the HOA about the new thief on the block,” and a quick wink. it nearly melts you, but we must stay focused brothers!! he thanks you and introduces himself as phillip, taking the chance to let you know that you caught him at a good time because he’s often out for extended periods of time with his work. the poor baby must exhaust himself with how busy he is :(

🏡 you hear what he’s saying and being the new, good little neighbor you are, you offer to swing by and grab his mail, check on his plants, and do some basic house upkeep whenever he’s gone. hook, line, and sinker- it’s just what he wants to hear. he accepts your offer with that pearly grin of his, but not without adding his contact info to your phone so he can let you know when he’ll be out of town :’) he’s just so handsome that you feel like you won the jackpot!

🏡 from that day on, it’s like you keep bumping into each other outside- how silly! you start to find some excuses to be out front, maybe to check your roof for any damage or plant some flowers along the side yard, and whaddaya know, neighbor!graves soon finds himself outside giving his big ‘ol truck a wash (you could swear it’s already spotless). god, those flexing muscles and the wet t-shirt clinging to them are much more interesting than your rhododendrons.

🏡 he’s such a friendly neighbor- he’s really taken a liking to you! <3 whenever he’s actually home, he’s got your grocery bags carried inside or he’s grilled some barbecue that you’d be “downright ridiculous not to try”- his words, not yours! it’s delicious, of course, and he credits all his skills to his old man and his “coworkers.” you decide to bake him some sweets in return, and he just about melts. you’re just so good, and so is your baking! he’d really like to taste something else though, too…

🏡 now, neighbor!graves is a pretty nosy guy, so he’s taken it upon himself to keep you in the loop on all the drama in the neighborhood. but really, can you blame him? it’s in his nature to find intel- someone in the community has to do it! this is also a subtle way of letting you know that he’ll be keeping an eye on you, too- because he’s gotta look out for his fellow neighbors, especially if they’re adorable ;)

🏡 eventually he’s away for a few weeks and you’re on deck to pick up his mail, water his indoor plants, all that good stuff. he gives you a key before he leaves and tells you “go ‘head and keep it, mi casa es su casa,” fully inviting you to get comfy in his space- and you do! his furniture is so sleek yet so cozy, his living room complete with a super plush leather couch and a ridiculously large tv. you gather from all his medals and badges decorating the place that he’s very accomplished at what he does- this guy’s the real deal. you also get a nagging feeling that you want to spend more time in his space- it’s just so comfortable, and it smells like sweet vetiver and crisp mint :’)

🏡 so… neighbor!graves, being the nosy guy that he is, has been tracking when you’ve been going over by checking his high-end front door camera from his phone. he can’t help but get flustered at the idea of you in his most personal space- god, he wants you in his bed- and he starts to remember your routine. when he’s finally finished with his operation, he may or may not schedule his flight so that he arrives home shortly after the time usually head over, and your entire body stills when you hear his garage go up. he walks in with some heavy-looking bags wearing an all-black outfit, and you almost swoon. he’s such a man.

🏡 woops, surprise! he apologizes for forgetting to mention when he’d be getting home. he’s so damn excited to see you in his house though, so cute and dutiful, having left his plants perfectly hydrated and not a speck of dust in the area. he has an inkling-no, a certainty- that you’d be an amazing housewife. he invites you to stick around for a drink since you’re already there anyway, and of course you accept since you’d be “downright ridiculous” if you didn’t!

🏡 after you fill him in on the neighborhood drama he missed over some scotch (he is loving your intel collection skills, by the way), he reaches for his wallet to get you some cash for all the trouble- this man was really about to give you a wad of hundreds for your menial house chores! unbelievable! you immediately shoo it away, insisting that it really was no big deal… well, now you’ve left him stumped, because how else could he ever show his appreciation for your hard work while he was away??

🏡 by eating your pussy, of course! it takes very little resistance on both your ends until you’re sprawled out on his luxuriously soft bed with his head between your thighs, moaning and mewling so loud from the perfect licks and swirls on your aching, needy clit that his front door camera can practically pick up on your noises :’) your slick is getting all over his satiny sheets, but he doesn’t even pay that any mind. a few sharp sucks to your sensitive bundle of nerves and the scratch of his light blond stubble along your inner thighs has you cumming so hard that you can’t help but chant his name- and he’ll be damned if that isn’t music to his ears! <3

🏡 he still doesn’t feel like he’s fully shown you his appreciation…maybe he needs to fuck the shit out of you too! he’s talking to you so nicely as he stretches your pulsing walls with his huge, veiny cock, reassuring you that you’re “such a good girl,” “lookin’ so gorgeous right now,” “takin’ me like a champ, baby.”… you’ve never felt so full, yet somehow you can’t get enough of him :( he decides to place a silky pillow under your hips so he can pummel into you from a deeper angle, and he leaves all kinds of purply marks along your chest as he tells you just how perfect your pussy is for him- god, he’s happy you moved here!

🏡 by now you’ve lost count of how many times you’ve orgasmed around his length, and he finally coats your insides with his warm, thick spurts of cum as he groans your name. you both collapse onto his sheets, exhaustedly drifting to sleep just to do it all over again in the morning ;) he gets a hot shower ready for the both of you before kindly requesting some of your amazing baking- he even offers you to wear one of his t-shirts so you don’t get any ingredients on your own clothes! of course, you’re more than happy to oblige. after all, he’s such a friendly neighbor <3

[neildylandy]

finally finished, and this one may be my best custom yet: introducing the HG Gundam Zabanya (Last Stand Ver.)!

this one's been a looooong time coming, and what a fun ride it was!! the top shelf of my first gunpla display case has, naturally, always been reserved for 00 kits (and sometimes their build fighters/divers variants—looking at you, cherudim saga and 00 diver arc), and with the current setup i have in there, i knew that i probably only had room for one more gundam, so that gundam damn well better be a good one.

and oh my god was this a good one. full breakdown under the cut.

the build itself, being a high grade from 2010, wasn't really anything special, but who cares about that, i got to try out WEATHERING for the first time! weathering fucking rules. you take your marker ink and the shittiest, stiffest paintbrush you own and you just absolutely go to town. how could i not love that. brilliant exercise, gorgeous final product, this will definitely not be the last time i do this to a kit.

the gold, silver, gunmetal, metallic red, bright metallic green, and some of the white was also handpainted, and the crystal over the forehead sensor was sharpie-dyed with navy blue. this kit comes with a ton of stickers for color accuracy (a common issue with HG 00 kits) but thanks to all this paintwork i ended up barely using any of them.

that snazzy gun comes as a donation from my spare parts box, since i wasn't really a fan of the two rifles that come with the base kit. i honestly have no idea what kit it's originally from (EDIT: i have now been informed that it was MG kyrios's submachine gun), but it was basically one solid hunk of grey plastic with a single green sticker on it before i jazzed it up with all the gunmetal and the weathering.

this kit also served as a trial run for my new DSPIAE gunmetal brush pen, and i'm very pleased with how it looks and how it felt to use! if other DSPIAE markers are as good as this one, consider me sold. prone to scratching, though, so definitely a marker better served for accent pieces or parts you're not expecting to handle very much.

the cloak was just some cheap amazon purchase, i think. smelled awful for whatever reason. works great, though, especially once i roughed it up a bit with scissors. there's a little wire in the collar that keeps it scrunched shut around the head.

the ELS crystallization was done with the same trick i used on my ELS Brave: cut up a couple (in this case, two) spare beam saber blades into a variety of pointy shapes, glue 'em on, paint 'em silver.

i think the lore i was going for with this custom design was that this was from a version of A Wakening of the Trailblazer where the fight(s) with the ELS went on for much longer, thus prompting a more last-ditch, ragged appearance from zabanya (hence the name Last Stand). i'm sure setsuna will take care of things before those ELS crystals spread too much further, though...!

and, finally, since that big cloak and all those ELS crystals do cover up quite a bit, here's some photos i took of just the kit by itself in all its weathered glory.

with this, my MG dynames, and the cherudim saga type.y2k, i've finally built (a version of) all three lockon stratos gundams. here's hoping they make something new and fun for lyle to fly in 2027 (and then a tiny plastic version for me to put in my house!)

[clemblog]

Caine’s Lesson - Part 8

•

A few days had passed, Gummigoo having spent said days slowly chipping away at a pistol for Poms! It was sleek and a lot smaller than what he was used to, perfectly weighted to the sizing of Poms hands! He grinned as he gave it a final check over.

"Nice one Gummi, another perfect piece, just like Pa taught you!" He hummed happily to himself, leaning to pick up a paint brush from his tool kit to write Poms name on it. That way anyone would know from a first glance that it was hers.

He took a few moments to careful write 'Pommy' in curly writing to go along with the rest of the style of the weapon.

Now, all he had to do was go pester his Ma and see if she had any spare holsters lying around!

"Maaaaaa?"

"Yes Gummigoo?"

"Ya got any old holsters lying around?"

"I'm not sure, we might! If you come stir this pot of soup for me, I can take a look!"

Gummigoo hummed at this, walking into the kitchen. He handed over the pistol to his Ma as he took the ladle from her.

"Ooh! What a beauty, my boy." She cooed, softly as she looked it over. "I'm sure we have a perfect holster for your friend Poms."

"Thanks Ma." Chuckled Gummigoo, stirring the soup his Ma was working on. If he had to guess it was most likely a gummy fish based stew.

A few moments later Ma walked back into the room, holding a ruby red leather holster in her hand.

"Oh! Ma, are you sure?" Spoke Gummigoo, eyes widening slightly.

"You know I don't shoot anymore Gum, besides I trust Poms. She seems like a fine young lady." Nodded Ma, gently placing the holstered pistol in his hands. "Now shoo! Out my kitchen, I got meals to cook."

Pomni was just relaxing in the barn, it was hot day today, so she didn't exactly feel like being out in the sun. She looked up when Gummigoo entered the barn, hands behind his back.

"O-Oh! Hey Gummigoo, what's that?"

"It's a surprise, for you Pommy~" He grinned. "Made it myself."

Pomni's eyes widened slightly as she looked over the item, taking it slowly from his hands.

"W-Wow- Gummigoo- I don't know what to say-" She eeked, slowly.

"How about whether or not you'll be joining me and the lads on our trip tomorrow~?"

"O-Oh absolutely!"

"Snazzy, I'll get Max and Chad to get you a ride before tomorrow-"

"Wait- Gummigoo, do you mean a horse-"

•

"So, Ragatha, you feeling any better?" Hummed Zooble, curiously.

"A little!" Smiled Ragatha, sheepishly. "I'm not really thinking of Pomni so much anymore- I'm still worried about her- But it's not like taking over my life- Like I’m still worried but I can do other things-“

“We got it Rags, don’t worry.” Mused Zooble.

“Y-Yeah! It’s nice to hear you’re feeling better.” Nodded Gangle in agreement. She was still drawing, but was now drawing things for herself or what she wanted to make or plan out. Apparently it was a break, but Ragatha didn’t really see that as a break in her honest opinion- Gangle was happy though, so she left it be!

It just meant she could start to theorise on what to make Gangle as a present!!

Truth be told, with everyone sat talking together, Caine having been absent from the circus for a week now. Jax was feeling rather… lonely. Even [————-] got lonely- But that was the downside of being, well an [—-]. Nobody stuck around much in situations like this.

So, he’d decided to get even more familiar with the circus, see if their where anymore secrets to find! They might be useful! You never know- You can never do enough slinking around!

He’d been walking around for a few minutes when he found a door he’d never seen before, it looked old and untouched. Except for the disturbed dust on the floor, indicating the door could in fact open.

“Hello door! You don’t mind if I-“ He hummed, opening it and stepping inside.

What Jax wasn’t expecting to find was Caine, however.

“Uh- Caine, buddy? I didn’t realise this was how I got to you-“

“JAX!” Exclaimed Caine with a large grin. “You made it just in time to go on your next adventure!”

“Oh an adventure? Finally~ Let me go get the others-“

“Nono, theirs no time! Off you go!”

Jax found himself being engulfed by a portal before he could get another word on.

“CAINE- HANG ON A [—————] SECOND-“

“I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR SOLO ADVENTURE JAX! PERFECTLY CURATED BY YOURS TRULY- NOW I MUST GO HYDRATE, YOU’VE GOTTA GO DO THAT MULTIPLE TIMES Y’KNOW-“

•

“Uh… Max- Chad- I don’t really know how to ride a horse-“

“Don’t worry! It’s easy as riding a bike!”

“Exactly!”

“Uhm… Okay-“

“You’ve got this!”

Max then proceeded to slap the butt of the horse, causing it to charge off with Pomni sat in the saddle.

“OH GOD- MAX- CHAD! HELP ME- STOP STOP STOP- SORRY- SORRY- HORSIE- PLEASE- SLOW DOWN- I DON’T KNOW HOW TO STEER YOU- IVE NEVER DRIVEN A HORSE BEFORE- UH- GUMMIGOO?! LOU?! MA?! ANYONE? MAXXXXX I DONT KNOW HOW TO STOP- CHAD PLEASE- PLEASEEEEEE- YOU GUYS ARE. THE. WORST. GUMMIGOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

That’s to say Gummigoo wouldn’t be leaving Pomni alone with Max and Chad again anytime soon. He took over Pomni’s riding lessons, and after a few laps of the field, Pomni was feeling a lot more confident with her new mare! She decided on naming her jingles. She was a very sweet blue and pink coloured gummy horse. The sweet girl was anxious just like her but she could run fast! Pomni had no doubt that the horse could help her travel and keep up with the trio of bandits on their next adventures!

This was nice, building up a home, some skills and a form of transportation. It helped make her feel more human.

Part 9

[ratsoh-writes]

SO likes to spice up domestic life and has commandeered the lawnmower.

with some DIY engineering and creative spray paint they have turned it into a speedy little go-kart that will destroy grass and play rock music. SO is cackling maniacally. they want to add a flamethrower. help

who's the common sense who's encouraging the chaos who's hurriedly considering contacting law enforcement etcetera

-wisteria

Sans: he painted flames on the lawnmower to make it “go faster”. The flames look suspiciously like.. grillby??? If SO zooms in with their phone camera, they’ll find that each flame is just a tiny flame elemental painting. How much time did he spend doing this??

Papyrus: oh my stars!!! He’s making a playlist immediately for SOs beautiful lawn care abomination. Papyrus and SO proceed to cruise down the highway on the lawnmower going 100mph and blasting “let the bodies hit the floor” together. They proceed to get arrested by Star.

Star: he comes across his SO terrorizing the neighborhood while he’s on the job, so he does what any cop would do. He arrests his SO, takes them to the station, makes them turn in the keys to the lawnmower… and all the cops proceed to take turns driving it lol. They’re all giggling like school children. The police chief makes every one take a group picture with it. (And of course SO just goes home with Star after they have their fun lol)

Honey: if he and SO have any kids, he won’t let them within 10 feet of the death trap. If there’s no kids though, yea it’s pretty sweet. Just don’t tell star or else he’ll arrest you and take you to the station so he can show it off lol

Red: who do you think suggested the flamethrowers? Red is all for this project when SO suggested it. He’s the one who souped up the engine after all! He thinks y’all should also duck tape knives to the front of it like some murder rumba.

Edge: no flamethrower!! It’ll ruin his beautifully maintained lawn! It should have a giant loud chainsaw on the front instead! With flames painted on of course. Edge is naming it the weed god of death and despair 2000. He considers this lawnmower one of his SOs greatest achievements.

Mal: oh my stars this is so stupid. It’s so… ok ok once he’s done b*t hung about the waste of time, he gets really into playing with the lawnmower. What? You want a turn? Nope: his murder cart now. See he bedazzled his name on the seat. No take backs

Cash: the prank potential this has is legendary. Cash can practically smell the chaos he and SO will create in the future. He’s so excited his eyelights are sparkling! And of course you’re adding a flamethrower! And a giant water hose, and a police siren that he stole off a cop car…. This lawnmower may actually get you both arrested for real.

Oak: he’s terrified of the lawnmower lol. It’s loud, smells like gasoline, loud, goes way too fast, loud and now it’s playing heavy metal. Thanks willow. Whenever SO brings it out, oak hisses and rushes for the saftey of indoors like a spooked cat.

Willow: this idea was so stupid that willow decided to help for the jokes. And to make the music playlist for the lawnmower of course. He crocheted a cute pink granny square seat and wheel cover for it so SO can look snazzy while they zoom down the street playing breaking Benjamin lol.

[coupleoffanfics]

Gotham Isekaied Reader

I have an idea. It's nothing new. I wrote nearly 5 pages of this idea, but I'm too scared to post it since it's filler and I even drew a cover. So I will ramble about this idea through headcanon. Some Jerome x Reader, I’m sorry. I can’t help myself. CW: One mention of suicide.

y/n wakes up to find that her life has gotten a major upgrade. Any flaws that her family has is erased. Did mom drink away stress? Now she doesn’t even touch alcohol. Dad isn’t smoking away his life. Her older brother is a law-abiding citizen who is studying to become a lawyer. Her younger brother is more positive about life and growing up in a home that they wished they had.

Not to mention that they’re rich. She no longer lives in a bad neighborhood and sleeps in a snazzy mansion.

Life is looking up until y/n turns on the TV with a news story about a man killing corrupt people with weather balloons.

She sits there thinking, ‘This was nice, but I should be getting back home.’

Maybe y/n’s close friends with Bruce beforehand. That’s when she realizes that she has to learn about the other y/n’s life. She can’t risk telling anyone about “we’re in a shitty TV show” without everyone considering throwing her into a mental institution. Tough luck because she ends up in Arkham regardless.

She writes down plotlines that she remembers. Making files on the character that she has met. Her files are hidden away in her room and aren't brought up later down the line when a certain person finds them.

How y/n ends up in Arkham is complicated. I want y/n to be completely sane through our POV, so she’s not going to be “I’m so insane and quirky”. Maybe she’s framed or killed someone in self-defense. Well, okay, I have thought out what gets her thrown into Arkham, but I don’t think anyone would find it interesting.

During her trial, the prosecutor will use her history of depression and suicide attempts to paint her as a homicidal. The whole trial is fishy, yet ends with her being locked up.

Bruce believes y/n when she says she hasn't done anything and promises to get her out of there. Legally of course.

Alfred probably tries to keep Bruce from visiting because Arkham has a reputation and doesn’t want him to be anywhere near there. The poor boy is going through too much in a short amount of time. 

So Bruce will send Selina to deliver anything. Or they both run away to visit y/n. When they come back to the manor and Alfred is questioning them, they both lie by saying that they’re somewhere else.

Bruce just wants to make sure his bestie is alright. Selina is just along for the ride but might visit y/n even when she doesn’t need to.

While in Arkham y/n is vibing in her little corner when Jerome starts bugging her. Might tell him about some plotlines just to see if anyone would believe her.

Jerome just laughs it off and starts orbiting y/n because she’s interesting. She tends to ramble and mumble to herself, for some reason he finds it so cute.

“You’re kind of funny, but I wouldn’t call you a joker.” She says before thinking, ‘Because legally you aren’t him. Thanks a lot, higher-ups.’

He writes about her in his diary and uses any stickers that she gives him. ‘Yeah, she's weird. Calling people characters and saying that we aren’t real, but she’s my little weirdo. I also got another pack of Hello Kitty stickers from her.’ Then he proceeds to doodle her with crayons.

When Theo Galavan surprise adopts them, Jerome starts taking y/n’s words more seriously. Still doesn’t believe her when she says he and everyone aren’t real. Like how is that possible? He feels real, oh whatever he has no time for that.

At the manor, Bruce is freaking out and dialing Jim begging him to save his bestie from that homicidal ginner. Theo has to make it seem like y/n is a hostage since she refuses to do any killing and Jerome has scary dog privilege.

‘They aren’t real. They aren’t people.’ She’d try to tell herself, but she just can’t bring herself to try to hurt someone. y/n is one of those freaks who try to drive safely in GTA without running over anyone or anything.

She doesn’t think that her words mean anything and that everything will follow the script. Until she tells Jerome to take an extra lighter with him. She’s chilling by herself when the news shows footage of a burnt bus and the news anchor talking about the cheerleaders who lost their lives.

That’s when y/n starts thinking over everything she’s said. She debates whether or not she should tell Jerome about Theo’s betrayal.

‘The show does start declining in ratings when he’s killed off. I could be doing the writers a favor, but what about the people? No, characters. They’re just characters! They aren’t real!’

In the end, Jerome is killed off and she’s put back into Arkham. Everyone is surprised by how calm she is after Jerome’s death. Not upset or anything. Like weren’t they close? Maybe their relationship was more one-sided.

Jim will question y/n and she might let a few things slip. Most brush her words off as they believe that she has some sort of Stockholm syndrome and is angry at Theo for killing her captor.

Back at Arkham, y/n yells, “FUCK!” When seeing Hugo Strange.

When Theo is dealt with, Jim will visit her or send her a thank you card for pointing him in the right direction regarding the investigation.

I’m getting tired and I might continue writing about this.

But I was going to have y/n be free from Arkham when some evidence regarding her case comes out. y/n will be outwardly passive throughout the story.

In the end, I was going to have y/n be the one who becomes Joker. Maybe she falls into a tub of chemicals. Don’t worry darling you aren’t going to be deformed like Jeremiah at the end. You’ll look different, but still smoking hot. 😘

Anyway seeing the physical change, her dwindling hope of getting back home, and her mental state being worn out. She decides to step up and take the name of Joker.

Bruce angst all the way. Maybe angst for other characters, but I could see this tearing him apart. He’s forced to watch his closest friend be replaced by a cackling monster. To then eventually start fighting against her.

She doesn’t react to being called y/n anymore, but she’ll give Batman/Bruce a melancholy look if he calls her by that. He doesn’t call her y/n often because that wasn’t y/n. y/n l/n was dead and there was no way she was coming back.

The theory of Joker being sane will ring true to y/n. She knows this isn’t real. It’s just fiction and any good piece of fiction needs a good villain. Since she’s not making it back home, she’ll make things fun.

Or multiple endings because those are always fun.

“Jerome? Jeremiah? Never heard of them.”

[ambermaitrejean]

Gray-Card's 2023 Year End Top 5 Photo Extravaganza!

It's been a minute since I participated in this spectacular event, and although photography this year has not been what I prefer, I decided to join in the shenanigans.

My top 5 photo selections have nothing to do with notes, rather, what they mean to me. Without further ado, my top 5 pic picks of 2023 and why:

December in Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Commerce City, Colorado.

December 14th, my 60th birthday. I awoke to a white birthday, and all I wanted was to be in my church: Nature. That morning the mule deer came out in droves in what felt like a personal celebration. This mule deer buck and his lady were standing amongst the frosty grasses and snow-capped dried flowers. Everything was so beautiful that day it was magical. My heart did a happy dance. :-)

Waitin' for Jesus at the Cowtown Bus Stop

There is so much I love about this photo: the proselytizers in their snazzy duds and silver umbrella, the painted brick building, the fire escape, the striped awning, the colors. For me, it was a visual feast.

American bison. Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge

It was thrilling to view these majestic animals amongst the pale grasses and pastel blue sky and mountains. For me, the image is timeless- transporting me across the ages when the bison ruled the American plains.

New Mexico

Traveling through New Mexico I am always struck by the beauty of the vast landscape: its delicate color palette, a rather minimalist landscape, the pronghorn antelope often found within view of the highway, the old farms of long ago.

Storm in the Texas Panhandle

Traveling through the Texas panhandle I watched this storm develop from a small cloud of gray in the distance to a huge downburst of white rain in the deep blue sky. For a minute I felt like a storm chaser.

Wishing all you lovely tumblies a wonderful new year! Thank you for your support all these years, and I hope to share with you all a better year for photography in 2024. Cheers!

Amber Maitrejean

[thumpersdae]

... this is in fact my shirt .... i cannot express the joy you have brought me on this day, my wonderful and very beloved internet friend. its just as beautiful as i imaged it :')

not to bring too much attention... but... i um made a cursed painting of a Henry Oak dadfact a while back an umm... Will Campos said he would get a shirt of it off my redbubble to wear to the first in person live show... and i did actually get a purchase on my shop from Cali, and he posted about ordering it, and now i pretty sure they've actually done at least one show in person (i think?), but also ive fallen out of the fandom so i dont get access to any patreon stuff anymore, (and a live show was never going to be in the cards for me within this decade, let alone one on that side of the country)

and i was just wondering if mayhaps anyone got a picture of Will's shirt that first show, (if he wore it. and 1000% no shade if he didn't its not exactly a shirt id wear myself if i thought cameras were going to be about... it is - infact - cursed.) its just i would really enjoy some confirmation. and im having a doozie of a time trying to find any info on this niche detail i only care about. and id like some closure on how the whole thing went down... thanks <3

[subzeroparade]

What's a ballet with real snazzy costume work, in your humble and/or professional opinion? c:

Oh, you’ve activated my trap card - asking about costume design and ballet and not expecting me to barf up the entirety of my PhD. I’ve also done work on the ballet blancs costumes (Giselle and La Sylphide specifically) but they are interesting on a theoretical level and not so much visually, so I’ll skip that.

So here are some personal favs of mine - the highlights, if you will. Caveat: long post, and mostly limited to the work of the Ballets Russes, because they are my longtime obsession and I think (and have argued) for their role in fundamentally changing stage and costume design (to say nothing of dance, and George Balanchine can sit the fuck down). I didn’t put that in my thesis but I wanted to.

Anyway tldr in the first decade of the 20th century a troupe of dancers from the Russian Imperial Ballet (later the Mariinsky) travelled through Europe under impresario Serge Diaghilev, for what became known as the Saisons Russes, or Russian Seasons. They performed both opera and ballet, and are probably best remembered today (if at all) as the troupe that danced the premier of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring and caused a riot at the Theatre des Champs Elysées. The eminent artists that worked with them include Debussy, Cocteau, Picasso, Chanel - and these are only a few recognisable names. But my focus was primarily on the Russian roots of the ballet, in their visual language and presentation of gender and nationality, more precisely around the work of artist Leon Bakst and dancer Vaslav Nijinsky. 

Second image of Nijinsky from Le Dieu Bleu, and Bakst’s set design from Scheherazade (1911). These are mainly photos and scans I have from the year I spent in the archives of the Palais Garnier (the Paris Opera) where all the good stuff is.

The crux of why these costumes are insanely interesting to me is because they are very specific to their time - they are a product of a resurgence in nationalist interests in Russian art (Diaghilev ran Mir Isskustva and worked with Savva Mamontov before he organised the BR) as well as a carefully crafted, highly artificial presentation of Otherness, expressly destined for export to the west. French audiences in the first decade of the 20th century (because there is a stark cut-off at the beginning of WW1) still had an appetite for Orientalism, despite their flagging colonial power. What the Russians brought them was compelling mix of performative Orientalism just vague enough to be appealing and fantastical, visually intriguing, and refreshing to a society that had otherwise come to recognise itself as decadent, fallen “victim” to modernity. In the athletic virtuosity of Russian bodies, Bakst’s exotic visual language and the soaring music of Rimsky-Korsakov and Stravinsky, the French devoured what they deemed a sort of noble savagery (yes, that kind). Despite the oversaturation of Orientalism in painting throughout the 19th century, the French identified a kind of masculine vigour and freedom in these live performances they found they themselves lacked, and longed for. Primitivism, as demonstrated in myriad ways by the BR, was for them a way to reconnect with a virility that they felt modernity had stolen, or at the very least, weakened. If you think this sounds eerily akin to the discourse around mounting desire for war to “cleanse” or “reset” Europe during that same period, you are right. 

A few of Bakst’s lesser known designs from the archive, for context (including a reprod by Barbier which I don’t have the OG of but is saved in my Bakst folder so please take my word for it). I have a thousand more of these but tumblr has an image limit per post 😤

Tamara Karsavina, who often performed with Nijinsky, and one of my most beloved historical figures. The existence of a strong classical ballet cirruculumin the UK today is in part thanks to her. 

One of her most famous roles, as the Firebird:

Nijinsky is by far the most interesting figure to come out of the BR. He combined virtuosity and strength (that most audiences identified as masculine) with a glittering, joyful, and expressive queerness on stage (and off). Some of his greatest roles are expressly feminine in their costume design: Le Spectre de La Rose, for example.

There’s a colorised version of this out there where you can see every pink rose petal on him.

While others are much more decorative but still markedly Orientalist (or Russian-Orientalist): Le Dieu Bleu, La Peri, Les Orientales, L’Oiseaux de Feu. 

This last image above is not, the last I saw it, in a private collection. It hangs above the vestibule of the Palais Garnier archives (also Napoleon’s private hangout room) where it faces the sort of “diptych” version that features Karsavina, and on occasion I would stand below them and weep quietly).

Either way, there is an argument to be made about Nijinsky’s physicality and, more importantly nationality as a kind of avenue of permission through which the French could admire both his beauty and athleticism and even, to a degree, imagine themselves in his place while still maintaining that safe distance of Otherness.  

But I would argue that his greatest role was the Golden Slave in Scheherazade, a wild, erotic orientalist fantasy that has little to nothing to do with the actual tale of Scheherazade. In it, Nijinsky - bejewelled, wild, ecstatic, (and yeah often in blackface) - cavorts with Zobeide, the Sultan’s favourite, in a very sexually explicit storyline. Both characters are equally decorative in their costumes, and both, in real life, were recognisably queer(ed) figures. It’s Scheherazade in particular that helped accelerate an obsessive trend in fashion (Paul Poiret was at the centre) for Orientalist design. Bakst himself did some silhouettes that are hard to distinguish from his costume design, and through the remarkable illustrations by Paul Iribe, Georges Lepape and Georges Barbier, we can see some of the blatant repetition of motif and silhouette in these ensembles that are designed, among other things, to be worn to the theatre. 

3rd and 5th are depictions of costumes of the Firebird and Zobeide respectively; the rest are fashion plates. This doesn’t even include the lampshade dress - which I don’t have a handy picture of, but have seen in real life - that is a pretty blatant melange of the Firebird and Zobeide, as designed by Poiret. Below is one of my favourite examples: A woman in a lampshade-style dress, standing against a backdrop not unlike Bakst’s set design above, attended by a archetypal oriental servant wearing Nijinsky’s Golden Slave costume.

These motifs also proliferated in advertisements and in all kinds of other consumer products (perfumes, for example, and decorative objects). Thus, there’s a performative aim in wearing these designs that I read as a sort of pseudo-kinetic empathy (and can funnnily enough probably be compared to cosplay). There is an attempt here to channel what is being presented onstage, to reenact it, to physically embody it, in the way that fashion is, at its core, a tool through which to construct identity. That the French pulled inspiration from an openly queer man leaping across the stage dripping in jewels, and from femme fatal-style odalisques, says a lot about the visual and cultural impact the BR had on the theatre-going public at the time.

You can see in these fan designs by Paquin some pretty obvious references to the BR aesthetic: L’apres-midi d’un faune, Daphnis et Chloe, Scheherazade, even a little Le Pavillon d’Armide in that first one. 

Nijinsky was not the only one to queer the stage: despite not being a dancer trained to the level of the BR troupe, Ida Rubinstein, no doubt purposefully channelling Sarah Bernhardt, was also a beloved stage presence, whether as the sly harem favourite Zobeide or as the strikingly androgynous St Sebastian, gayest of saints. 

This is not to say there haven’t been wonderful and brilliant costume designs since - and quite a few known fashion designers working alongside dance companies, to great success or otherwise. I will, however, shoutout my favourite contemporary work: Akram Khan’s Giselle, which has everything and yet nothing to do with Adolph Adam’s 1842 piece. I don’t even want to post pictures because the costumes of the nobles (the landowners, in this very apocalyptically late-stage capitalist version) are so fucking breathtaking in relation to the overall design, and their entrance itself is probably one of the most spectacular parts of the ballet, that all I can say is just see it. Or buy the dvd. What Khan does gesturally is beyond words, what Vincenzo Lamagna does with Adam’s original score is visceral and haunting and churns my insides. I make a point to see it live at least once a season when it’s touring with the ENB, and I will do so until it leaves the repertory or until I die. It’s my contemporary Scheherazade. It’s a gesamtkunstwerk. 

Tldr Leon Bakst is one of the greatest costume designers of the 19th and 20th century and criminally underrated. 

It’s not ballet, and it’s not the sumptuous costumes from Boris Godunov, but as a bonus here’s my favourite image of opera star Fedor Chaliapine as Ivan the Terrible.

[popcornforone]

Stolen Looks

A fan Fic based on The Thief

About 14months ago a friend asked me would I write a little short romantic story for them, nothing to smutty but based on a picture, as I write & like to to that, so I did. I then discovered an hourly Pedro Pascal twitter bit that posted random photos of him on the hour so I started writing them about the photo… now here I am (that bot has now gone boo Elon) writing fan fics. & then bam this photo above drops & I had to write about it & the thief, I couldn’t not. So this is An added bonus for you all this week. Don’t worry your still getting Javi G chapter 5

Synopsis: The thief is up to his usual tricks but all it takes is a glance at you to change his motives for the night.

Word count:2600

Warnings: Don’t read if your under 18! There no sex in this but… it’s implied. The thief is bisexual. Alcohol, slight swearing, drugs & drugging mentioned. Oral sex described, fingering, seducing stimulation, mentions of one night stands.consent could be seen as dubious please remember in real life it’s okay to say no. Stealing & theft. This is not an advert for wine.

Thanks as always for the read peoples. All feed back is welcome as always. Thanks.

There you stand waiting for him. In his bedroom. You don’t even know his name. The glances between you at the party tonight were intense. No other mans eyes met yours. No other man could you see the desire flood his veins. But these glances well… palpable is an understatement.

In he walks. Snazzy floral silk long jacket. Over sized cuffs, from the white shirt underneath poking out. Sleek black trousers, that made you see how good he could be. A hint of spotty socks. Black pointy heeled boots, reflecting your face. Messy hair but styled that way on purpose. A large watch that looks small in comparison to those hands, which are carrying a bottle of red wine for the two of you to indulge in. He sits in the chair & leans back admiring you up & down. He rests his bearded chin on his hand, a flat fat thumb pressed to his lips as he sighs inhaling the beauty in front of him.

“Perfection” he states & gestures your hand for you to twirl. Your hair is in a long blonde braid trailing over your naked left shoulder. Your midnight blue strapless dress hugs your curves & gives you a phenomenal cleavage. There’s a thin layer of sparking net over the top to give your dress the look of a starry night sky. Your nails are all dark purple except the index fingers on both hands. They also have some silver to them, they match your heels, clutch & the choker necklace you are wearing. Earrings that are just simple studs, much like your simple make up. There were much more attractive glamours people at the party tonight but you have the attention of the person who never gives anyone the time of day. He gets what he wants & he always makes sure of it.

“Thank you”you say bashfully when you have finished your twirl. Your eyes still darting across every inch of him.

You won a ticket to this party at work, you don’t usually go to these kind of parties or auctions, but this was too good an opportunity to turn down. A country house which rarely gives people access. Champagne in hand slowly coming out of your shell as you started working the room. All you did was sit on a bench for a few seconds. Admiring a painting, taking the weight of your feet, when you saw a man creep through the library door. Dressed to the nines. Dapper. Mysterious. Handsome. Like he was up to no good. & yet the second both your eyes met they were drawn to each other, like a moth to a flame. You’re suddenly off the bench without you realising walking away from him to tease him & instigate a seductive chase. Your mind going insane going this isn’t the kind of girl you are. You avoid the lime light & wondering eyes of unknown gentlemen. & yet your hips are swaying as you move.

He is admiring your arse, & the way it sways, the dress clinging to you. He had spent months planning to get into this library tonight, his last Goya is hanging on this wall, ready for him to track it & lay his tropes to come back tomorrow night to claim it & replace it, the copy already on sight, it will be months before anyone realises it’s a fake. But your eyes & simple beauty have distracted him. He was also intrigued that the painting you stopped at was the Goya he plans on having for himself. He can hear your shallow breathing as he steps behind you. You tried to not look at him or give him the time of day but some slow seductive simple words made all the hairs on your body stand up on end.

“What are you drinking?” That’s all it took, to send shivers down your spine. The warmth of his breath setting your desire free. The way his hand caressed your almost bare back, before it trailed down your shoulder & arm to hold onto your hand & take the flute from your hand. He’s looking to see if your jewels are worth anything but he can see that you are not the usual person who comes to these events.

“Champagne” you whisper back you lips inches away from his mouth as you turn your head to face him. Your lips so plump. Your eyes flutter at him & his are full of desire as they return a glance back to you. Neither of you hear the glass shatter as he drops the flute to the floor, you’re both enchanted by the person desiring the other.

The rest of the night you both circulated trying not to be beguiled by the other & yet there was moments in each room of this country house where you’d end up standing next to each other. Your net working had improved & your confidence had grown due to both the sudden eyes that you felt burning into you all night & also the liquid luck from the champagne. He has managed to eventually get things in place for his heist tomorrow, but he is always if he possibly can, be about 10 paces behind you when you move around. He automatically had the urge to protect you & keep you safe & maybe steal you for himself. So when you taxi failed to arrive at the end of the night & he offered to take you back to his so you could sleep in the spare room you agreed. Those eyes were very easy to say yes too.

He’s still looking you up & down in his bedroom. He didn’t give you a tour he just took you straight to his bedroom, he’s not even kissed you yet. The drive to his mansion he stroked the back of your hand & caressed your face, asking you about why you were there & if you admired the paintings & if you had a pleasant evening. You were surprised when he left you in his bedroom for a few minutes before he returned with the wine. But your face lit up when he sauntered back into the room. His aura always makes it seem like he is creeping in & out of any room he is in like he is a Sluth. He pours you both a glass of red Malbec & picks his up & takes a sip.

“You’re normal aren’t you?” He asks subtlety in a soft way, not wanting to offend. “This isn’t your usual scene be it the party or right now. Your not that kind of girl”

“Is it that obvious?” You giggle & take a step forward to go pick up your glass but he raises his hand to stop you & you look confused.

“Yes, most girls & men by now would be on their knees, gagging around my cock, while I taste this beautiful wine before I return the favour. They don’t wait for consent, they know who I am & they just do it.” He’s clearly a man who goes for a certain type, you mind races now as to why you are here.”but you…” he stands up & his hand takes the other glass & walks across to you. “… you have class & standards. Your not just here for a quick meaningless shag & then we will never call each other again, no your here to be seduced, to be claimed, to be stolen” your own breath hitches as he says he wants to steal you. The idea of his hands tracing your body has been on your mind since he first touched your back earlier. You now know from his statement that he is a man who is usually offered sex on a plate from Whoever he invites back, you are a challenge for him. He likes a challenge.

“I don’t even know your name,” you say as you take your wine from his hand trying not to look in his eyes. “I don’t even know what you do, I don’t even…” his eyes search for yours & once eyes contact has been made you slowly fall silent.

“You stole my eye line tonight, being so naturally beautiful” he says & he kisses your empty hand before you both take a sip of wine. “You stole my attention, the way you smile, the way you hold yourself, the way you are you.” You’re siping more of this wine hoping he isn’t drugging you, it’s the kind of things men like this do to get you into bed. “& you stole my identity, I’m the thief, I’m meant to the the one with the capabilities to steal what I want, to get what I need…”

“But you did…” you interrupt & the man’s face goes a little sour. Are you undercover he thinks, did you see him mark the painting & stash some items to steal it tomorrow? “No one but you was going to steal those precious looks from me tonight, you’re not like the other men that were there. I might not know who you are, but I think you can claim to have stolen my night away from me. Im yours”

The thief take both your wine glasses & put them back in the table, undoing his bow tie at the same time.

“This was not my plan for tonight, no way, but you my mysterious lady, you’ve made tonight so much more interesting.” He moves your braid off your shoulder & starts to pepper it with soft kisses. His lips feel warm against your chilled skin in this sparse room. For a man with a large house you’d have thought he’d have more in his master suit that just a few books on a shelf, a table & chairs, two

dressers & a large 4 poster bed. Clearly a man who likes to keep things simple, maybe that’s why he wants to keep you here tonight.

“How have I made this interesting?” You’re breathing fast as he makes his way to the crook of your neck working his way up to your lips to taste them in a few seconds time, you hope.

“By being you, a few stolen glances are all it took, for I am now yours” he says looking at you directly abandoning his kisses, those stolen looks being exchanged again. You want this. So does he.

“As am I to you” you whisper & cup his cheek. His hands, those large palms hold your face as he looks at every blemish on your face, not caring that your make up is starting to look a little bit old. He doesn’t care. The look & nod are small but the second your lips meet a fire erupts in you. Those lips that have pouted all night at you & have had seductive words flow out of them are now learning how you kiss. One of his hands goes around your waist as the other unties your braid, so he can feel all of you. Your body’s so close as your mouths continue to engage in this embrace. He tastes of the wine. Rich dark & seductive, like him. Maybe he has drugged you into feeling like this, but right now as all of your senses are on high alert & you feel the passion take over, you don’t care. You may have kissed the devil & its Making you want more.

Eventually his grip is loose around your waist as you both stop making out with each other. Both desperately needing more than the kiss, but both needing a moment of reflection. Are you this girl now? Does he really want to have you to himself all night? Are You going to be filled with regret in the morning? One look into his eyes & you suddenly see him soften. No longer this man who has seduced & stolen your heart as well as the looks from you tonight. He’s just a man, a man who wants you, who clearly is treating you differently to every other man & woman he invites back to his after an event. You’re someone he needs to take his time with. To learn to appreciate,

& to maybe add to his collection & share it with him one day.

“We…” he’s stumbling “we don’t have to… there’s no pressure…” his hand trails around his neck scarring his beard. He’s nervous for once.

“& what if I did…” you reply “what if tonight you take me, one night of mine can be stolen & given to someone else & I’d like it to be you.” you say as your hands start to trail up his silk floral jacket ready to help him undress.

“Darling, if you stay with me, it will be for more than just one stolen night” he says, his eyes filled with passion. His hand glides into yours like it’s meant to be as he walks you across to the bed & he slowly lowers you down onto it. He lies to your side watching the rise & fall in your body. You’re breathing more than enraged trying to control yourself. This is made harder by his hand, trailing inside your dress, up your leg, over your inner thigh. “Let go beautiful” he whispers softly in your ear as you gasp & his thumb makes contact with your clit.

You jolt awake at 10am on a Sunday. A dream of lust & desire. A memory playing out in your mind as you slept in your small bed, in your apartment. The feeling of his thumb still there teasing your clit, as you wake up in a sweat wishing he was here. He’s not unfortunately. Your bed sheet damp underneath where you sit, as you had obviously cum while dreaming about him, maybe your own hand had been seeing to your pleasure as you remember the first night you met. You lay naked back down on your bed remembering the rest of that night & the next nine afterwards. Realising making love to you was his alibi for so many things. You still jokingly after all this time still call him the thief, to arouse the two of you, to get you in the mood occasionally, not that you could keep your hands or lips off each other. Your horizons now broadened & you were not just a one off. This was the real thing for the both of you. You always chuckle a little at that as you turn over to check your phone & send him a good morning message. Imagine if you hadn’t won that at work. Although you have now not worked for the last 3months at all, a sabbatical before you start to retrain in what you want to actually do in life. He has made you realise these moments need to be grasped & enjoyed, no one should wait for what they want. He’s said he will help you, but you insisted on one day paying back every penny. you then sit up & look across at the wall & smile & say good morning to what faces you. That Goya, yes the painting, his most prised possession. Which he has gifted to you as a promise to always return. Which he does when your buzzer to your apartment goes off about 5minutes later. You bed & apartment might not be as grand as his mansion, but it keeps you both grounded & your spark alive. All to just steal a few precious minutes of love making together, away from the eyes of the rest of the world.

[crmsnmth]

September Sky Chapter Five, Part 4

I let Shaun leave first, after he got caught up on the dishes. There was maybe a rack or two still, but one of us could run it. Adam finished cleaning up his spot and he was next to go. Justin and I were usually the last two of the kitchen, usually him before me, and I'd find him sitting outside at the bar, oblivious to Nugget's flirty eyes.

We finished cleaning and wiping everything just after ten thirty. I had some paper work to fill out but that would take me five minutes. I'd be done by the time my friends showed up. And I'd have time to change.

"I'm punching out then," Justin said, tossing his apron and rags into the hamper. They'd be clean by morning. Not long after, I added my own to the pile of sauce-covered aprons and black greasy rags.

"Alright, have a good one," I said, waving him off, distracted. I hated paperwork but it's part of the job, so it needs to be done. I was almost finished and didn't want to lose my train of thought.

I finished up, filed it, and grabbed my backpack, and headed into the employee bathroom. I quickly changed into my Goth Rock uniform; black pants, a torn up and safety pinned Sisters of Mercy T-shirt, and fishnet sleeves on my arms. My nails were already painted black (which is usually a no no in the kitchen but I said fuck it. I'm wearing gloves anyway). And finally, I threw on some very basic black eyeliner and red and black eye-shadow. I looked like the year 2005's entire mall goth subculture personified. I threw my work clothes into my bag, threw it over my shoulder and headed out to the bar.

Justin was sitting at the far end, and I nodded at him. Amber was basically fawning over him She caught me out of the corner of her eye and started over, stopping to grab a High Life from the beer cooler. I was pretty predictable, I guess.

"Busy night," she stated, sitting the cold beer in front of me.

"Yeah, it was a wild one."

"What's with the Hot Topic special?"

"Going to Club Specter with some friends," I laughed and took a large drink from the glass bottle.

"You? You're going to a club?" She said, mirroring Addison's reaction. Which only caused me to laugh even more.

"Yeah, I guess I am," I said, biting at my lower lip.

"I'm assuming with them," Amber pointed to two people walking into the bar, dressed in all black and wearing heavy makeup. They me sitting at the bar and waved, making a beeline for my little quiet corner.

"Hey man, looking snazzy," Conner said as he sat down next to me.

"What's up, n*****?" Kayla said. She only called me that because she knew I absolutely hated it. It was her entire mission in life to make me as uncomfortable as she can possibly make me. Isn't that a thing friends do?

"Thanks. How come you guys made the trip out tonight?" I asked. Usually, these two weren't so impulsive and made out plans.

"Celebrating. Six months clean from down today," Conner said proudly. There was a very scary time period where Conner developed a serious love affair with heroin. He was practically dead by the end of it, and only got healthy due a bunch of us got together and basically forced him to get clean. I was there, but I said nothing. I didn't have anything to say. I couldn't understand it, and that meant I didn't know anything about it. As much as I wanted Conner to get better, I didn't know his reasoning for wanting to die so badly. And maybe it was a good reason. Everyone makes their own choices.

"Oh, hell yeah, dude. Congratulations. Keep this shit up. I'm proud of you." Kayla and him had started dating soon after he got clean. And she was perfect for him. They both were strange little enigmas, dressing like hippies, but turning around and listening to death metal. Ninety percent of the time, they were stoned. The weed apparently helped Conner stay away from the other stuff.

[xluxsolarisx]

yippie!!! i'm so glad you and the plushie enjoyed the lavender farm, i thought you would:3 ^^ your drawings are super cute i love them, doing little doodles like that is so fun it's great to see you branching into it :D, would love to see more of your drawings in the future, chess and baking too are fantastic fkdjks (also your work ethic with setting goals for your drawing skills and enthusiasm for it is genuinely kinda inspiring:> like i mean i definitely should practice like that too rather than just figuring it out as i go lmao)

i can't believe whoever's in charge of shipping hates both of us and wants us to die it's so rude tbh

anyeay. is so great and loves you and gives you a kiss on the cheek and explodes. AOAUgjfksj:3

YEAH!!! it was really fun, i was actually studying when i got that ask and it was a nice little break thinking about going to a lavender farm with you and a plushie hehe :3 and thank you!!! drawing IS really fun!!! it was a lot more fun than i thought it would be. the reason i set those specific goals is because i work best with like little steps at a time because otherwise i get overwhelmed and too hard on myself and procrastinate or just stop because i'm Not Perfect...breaking it up into pieces helps and it helps me focus too ^^ chess and baking ARE fun! i used to just play chess.com but now sometimes i play with friends, it's really nice! i even bought a snazzy new chessboard and the pieces have gold borders it's so pretty c: baking is nice too because if you made the sweets yourself it doesn't matter how many you eat or how much sugar is in them it doesn't count. it's in the quran god said that himself. also you said you'd like to see more drawings in the future? how about NOW!!!

i have to admit i drew the bunnies (EXCEPT for the last bunny and the miffy bunny. the last bunny came from me staring intently at a picture of a rabbit and the miffy bunny came from my bountiful imagination and creative soul), the bird (not the rooster the other one idk the name) and the peace sign hand with a step by step guide but i'm still proud of myself ^^ one day i will give that woman a body. maybe she'll even have clothes. i'm still working out how to draw clothes but maybe... also someday i'll paint a really big hand writing with a fountain pen and paint the hand's nails with real nail polish and write the pen strokes with a real fountain pen and it'll be so awesome and shaded so nicely. another one of my Ultimate Goals. also yeah it's so fucked up that they don't ship to usamerica...god made up time zones and shipping distances to punish people who wanted cool stuff and wanted to be friends despite not living in the same country like he made up language to punish people for the tower of babel. my theory. ok byeee ^^ giggles so sweetly and kisses your cheek back and is so great also and loves you too and dies instantly and painlessly because i was standing so close to you when you exploded i was instantly flash fossilized. but that's okay i forgive you. because i love you. bye 💖💖💖

[mommymooze]

Animal Crossing, New Horizons.

I am getting closer, yet farther away. I have updated the list, apparently I missed a few things. trying to "collect them all"

ACNH art PAINTING----- graceful red lady small mysterious real city in a rock warm real lady in white reclining STATUES----- valiant angel wings right leg open

recipes followed by source bamboo basket Snooty vil. bamboo lunch box snooty blue rose crown any villager cherry blossom trees wall balloons bottle cherry hat peppy vil chic mum crown any vill chic rose crown any villager classic library wall normal villager cool pansy crown any villager cute lily crown any dark lily wreath any villager cute rose crown any dark cosmos crown any dark rose wreath decoy duck smug fancy rose wreath festival lantern set peppy villager gear apparatus big sister vil glowing moss jar shelves bottle only golden meter and pipes big sister iron armor cranky villager Ironwood low table snooty vil Iron ladder set up kit any villager libra scale celeste bottle Mush log message bottle balloon Mush low stool balloon bottle mush table balloon bottle natural mum wreath any villager pretty tulip wreath any villager Project table snooty vill purple hyacinth wreath shell music box. peppy shell partition big sister skateboard wall rack jock small wooden partition snazzy pansy any villager stacked bottle crates jock tall lantern smug vil trees bounty big tree balloon and bottle wooden waste bin big sister wooden block bench big sister wooden plank sign cranky villager

That means 43 recipes to go.

If you have a spare, send me a message. I have been sharing thousands ( It feels like it anyway ) of extra recipes and things with others. Drop me a note. Thank you SO VERY MUCH to those that have helped me get closer.

Help me end the madness. What will I do once this is done? ANYTHING else. Yeah. Will visit my island once a year to sigh, oh the memories, I'm done. Later Villagers!

[spaceslayer]

Tutorial: Inverted colored text effect

So I was asked how I did the text effect on this gif (originally from this gifset):

Which is a nice (and pretty simple!) common effect nowadays, so I thought I’d post a short tutorial on how to do it with a step-by-step and lots of pictures!

1. Add the text layer. It’s usually better if the text itself is just a white color.

(The fonts that I’m using here are called Stark and Richie Brusher if anyone is interested!)

2. Set the text layer’s blend mode to Exclusion.

3. Use Ctrl + left click on the big T of the text layer. Those squiggly lines should appear around the words meaning you’ve made a selection on the shape of the words! Then, add a Gradient Map adjustment layer (you can find it on the adjustments window/panel or going to Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Gradient Map...)

A Gradient Map layer should appear masked to the shape of the words. Now you change the gradient to whatever color(s) you want! This is what I used:

(Getting the gradient colors just right is probably the toughest part, to be honest.)

You can pretty much stop it right here, but here’s what I did to snazzy it up a little:

4. Add a drop shadow to the text to help it pop out from the image beneath it.

5. Add a rectangle Shape around the text (with no fill and a white stroke of 1px) as a border. Also set its blend mode to Exclusion.

6. And then, lastly, add the shape of this border to the Gradient Map mask!

Because this is a Shape, just Ctrl + clicking on it won’t work (it’ll select the whole rectangle), so what I did is duplicate the Rectangle layer and then rasterize this copy (you can do this by right clicking on the layer and then Rasterize Layer, or the lazy way which is just clicking on the image with the brush tool selected haha). Then Ctrl + click on the rasterized layer.

With the shape of the border selected, add it to the Gradient Map’s mask (basically by painting it white inside the mask). Then delete or hide the duplicated Rectangle layer.

Then ta-da!

I mean I guess I could have also added a drop shadow to the border but oops too little too late now I guess. Anyway, I hope this step-by-step helped and thanks for reading!

EDIT: You can also set the gradient layer to reverse (check the Reverse checkbox!) and then just hide the text layer altogether! (In this case, the drop shadow would be on the Gradient Map layer instead of the text layer)

You can also use a Hue/Saturation layer instead of a Gradient Map layer for different effects (desaturating or over saturating the text, or changing the hue etc). You can also combine different adjustment layers and just go nuts on the text, haha

[ghostputtyarchive]

Hi ky!! Every post you make about your OCs just makes me more excited for your story. Not even to mention your GORGEOUS portraits of your OCs. Could you maybe walk through a little bit of your editing process? Just like, in general, what you do for your portraits? Also, how long does it take you to do one of those portraits? (like the ones for your covens.) If you don't want to/don't have time to, that's a-okay!! I just thought I'd ask, since I very much admire your portrait editing!! <3 (also, do you take your pics in CAS or in-game?) Thanks so much, and I can't wait to read your story!! Love, Morri. <3

HI oh my gosh thank u so much ??!!! ur literally the sweetest please :,) i’ve been meaning to do an updated editing tut thing and i have some time tonight so here u go !

the main things i do are; repainting/fixing clipping, shading, highlights, extra highlights + touch ups, and hair usually in that order. it takes me between 1-3 hours for each one, depends on the complexity and what i have to fix. for the guild posts i took them in cas but either way i use srwe to get a cleaner image in game.

also i’ll link the brushes i use throughout the tut,  i use procreate but im p sure u can use the brushes in photoshop too if im not mistaken.

okay tut below the cut cause this got longer than i thought lmao

repainting/fixing clipping: so for this i usually go in w a hard airbrush (linked at bottom) and well.. repaint or i’ll cover up any clipping with hair or accessories. i also usually do this when the clothes look really pixelated, i like using the smudge tool as well. here’s some examples. i just follow what shadows n highlights are already on the sim for this and color pick from the selected area

2. shading: my general shading process is the same as this post here, especially w the areas. like i said above i usually follow what shadows reshade has already laid out for me but also i’ll add my own in where i see fit. 

the only things that have mostly changed from that post are; 1. i use a diff brush which i’ll link at the end, and 2. i use this color (hex code: e88d6f) on a multiply layer, gaussian blur 1-10% and layer opacity between 50-80%. just depends on what looks best to me. (oh also i shade clothes w a color pick on a multiply layer now instead of w black)

3. highlights: also pretty similar as above, i use an overlay layer, this color (hex code: ffded2) gaussian blur it, and set the opacity between 40-80%. again just depends on what looks nice. i also add a lil glow to the eyes on this layer w that color as well, makes them pop a bit.

4. extra highlights: so this one ur gonna want the highlights brush from this brush pack here (hair pack). it’s rlly snazzy, i use it on the nose, jawline, and eyes (examples below) usually using the same color as above for highlights or i’ll color pick from the sim. i set this layer to an add (linear dodge if ur in ps) layer, opacity varies, if it’s too bright i’ll just turn it down until it’s not lmao.

5. hair: oh boy. okay ur gonna want that brush pack from above, this thing actually saved my life w hair. i duplicate my base sim layer and alpha lock it. from there i’ll use the soft hair brush from that pack both as a regular brush and a smudge brush. my best advice here is to color pick when painting and follow the direction the hair goes. i’ll add a time-lapse below because i feel like showing is better than anything. i also use that highlights brush from the hair pack and add some lil stray strands. i can't tell u how many times i redo the hair, it can get annoying sometimes but just take ur time !!

last bonus tip is to have fun with it !! ur making art and it’s the process that makes it exciting, i like to always try something new when making an edit. i see it like painting (which it is actually now that i'm thinking about it lmao) but just go nuts !! i used to super rush my stuff and i never rlly liked it so w these i took it slow and found what worked for me. 

here’s the brush i use for shading and repainting but any hard airbrush would work just fine too!

[sarcasticfina]

for: @no-other-lovrr who asked for Darcy/Bucky-- either Darcy reacting to Bucky's FATWS haircut or getting introduced as Dr. Lewis. I hope this satisfies, thanks so much for donating!

just a head’s up, i haven’t watched FATWS yet. or wandavision, actually. i’ve just seen gifs, but i’m aware darcy has her doctorate in astrophysics— color me proud!

__________

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t my favorite crime fighting duo.” Darcy flopped down in a seat at the outdoor table of a small bistro Bucky and Sam were trying to inconspicuously share.

Sam snorted. “Say it a little louder so the whole joint hears you.”

Darcy grinned, painted red lips curled broadly. “I’m sorry, did I spoil your undercover meet up? Because those sunglasses and baseball caps were definitely hiding your identity.” She gestured to the various other people around them, whispering and snapping pictures.

“Okay, all right.” Sam removed his sunglasses, tucked them into the collar of his shirt, and gestured impatiently. “Did you bring it?”

“Captain, my Captain, of course I did.” Darcy stole the untouched lemon danish sitting on a plate in front of Bucky and tore off a bite. “Did you bring it?”

Sam elbowed Bucky.

With a long, utterly exasperated sigh, Bucky leaned down and grabbed out a bag. “I had to break into a high security warehouse for this thing. There were explosives involved.”

“And aerial acrobatics, I’m sure.” Darcy made a ‘gimme’ gesture with her hand. “Tit for tat, Sarge. I hack top secret information for you, you bring me shiny things. I’d settle for diamonds, but experimental gadgets I shouldn’t know about are just as fun.”

Handing the bag off to her, Bucky rested his elbows on the table and leaned in, eyebrow raised. “You know how to use that thing?”

“You mean you didn’t lift the operational manual with it?” she joked.

Bucky huffed. “Just don’t test it out on me.” He shoved a thumb in Sam’s direction. “He’s got the morning free if you need a little target practice.”

“Man.” Sam sucked his teeth irritably. “Why does every conversation you two have result in you sacrificing me?”

“It’s for the greater good,” Bucky and Darcy chorused.

Laughing, Darcy winked at them. “Don’t worry so much. I’d never test it on either of you. I like you too much.”

“You like what we can steal for you too much,” Bucky muttered.

“That too.” She hooked the bag over one shoulder and pulled her purse into her lap, taking out a stack of dark brown file folders, held closed with thick elastics. She dropped them on the table with a thunk; it made the cups and plates rattle noticeably. “I got everything you asked for, plus a little you didn’t, because it seemed relevant. And because only one of you is a dinosaur, I also made Sam a flash drive, just in case you want to skip the paper.”

Grinning, Sam dragged it all toward himself. “Always a pleasure doing business with you, Doc.”

Darcy tucked her hands under her chin and preened. “You always say the sweetest things.” She raised an eyebrow at Bucky. “Well?”

He blinked at her. “Thank you, Doctor Lewis.”

“Like pulling teeth,” she sighed. “It’s too bad too. With that snazzy new haircut of yours, that face could sweep a brilliant doctor right off her feet.” Standing from the table, she patted her bag of stolen goods. “Alas, I’ll have to do with unregulated weapons of questionable origins. Well, you know how to find me when you need me. Bye, boys!” Blowing a dramatic kiss farewell, she turned on her heel and exited the patio.

Without her gaze on him now, Bucky let his own linger on her as she took her leave, dark curls swaying against her back. Much as she always did, Darcy tended to leave a gap in her wake, as if her personality took up so much space it took a moment to adjust to her absence. It was a strange feeling to have about a woman he only ever got to meet for a few snark-filled minutes at a time, trading her hacked intel for whatever mysterious item she’d dug up for them to get her. Usually, it was something that suggested at Asgardian origins, though sometimes she just liked shiny things that piqued her interest. Plus that one time she wanted a modified taser to “add to her collection,” whatever that meant.

Darcy wasn’t always a necessity. There were other ways to get information, but they were usually shadier, and didn’t come with the same guarantee of not being redacted or adjusted by whoever was giving it to them. If Bucky were honest, he preferred Darcy because she was as far away from his world as someone still apart of it could get. Aware of everything going on, but not jaded by it. She knew everything he’d done, everything he was still a part of, and she still stole his danish and joked with him. There was an acceptance there that he craved. It helped too that she was just as beautiful as she was smart, and she was dangerously smart.

“You ever gonna do something about that?”

“And ruin a perfectly good working relationship?” Bucky plucked up his danish, where Darcy’s red lipstick could still be seen. He took a bite out of it and shrugged. “Maybe one day.”

________

-> i'm currently filling prompt fills as a thank you to those who donate. details here!