#also I learned they have other names which is cool

[prettygirl-gabi]

That Was For You

Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Reader

Fandom: UConn Women’s Basketball

Summary: communicating in more ways than one

A/N: Missing P in a uconn jersey hours- also was requested an awhile back!!!

🏷️: @paigeshirleytemple , @cowboybueckers , @unknowgirlypop , @yailtsv , @nicebellee , @sitawita , @thatonesuschix , @vamptizm , @elalfywhore , @starfulani , @authentic-girl03 , @paxaz535 , @azziswrld , @jadasogay , @paigeluvvr , @melpthatsme , @lessi-lover , @courtsidewithlani , @elswhore , @italyyy , @lightsgore , @private-but-not-a-secret , @aubreygriffin , @issilovesherself , @graceeeeeesblog , @sayurireidotcom , @iwasbored-okay

There’s a certain kind of magic in Gampel Pavilion when it’s game night—loud, electric, pulsing with energy. But sometimes, that kind of magic is just too much.

Especially for a little girl with custom hearing aids and a soft spot for my girlfriend, and friends.

“Too loud,” JaNae signed to me with a tiny scrunch of her nose, pulling out her hearing aids and placing them gently in my hand.

I nodded, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Okay, baby. I’ll tell you what’s happening, okay?”

She nodded and tucked herself into my side, watching the warmups intently.

Paige was already sprinting through layup lines, laughing with Jana, Azzi, Ash, and KK. My eyes tracked her as always—my body calm, my heart wild.

And when she caught my eye, she winked.

Then she noticed JaNae on my lap. No hearing aids.

The next sequence happened slowly. Paige made a beeline for us, crouching just past the court line with a big smile on her face.

She pointed to JaNae and signed, slowly, Hi, Jae.

JaNae perked up immediately.

I watched, stunned and a little emotional, as Paige stumbled through the alphabet with her fingers, trying to spell Paige even though she knew JaNae already had a sign name for her—just the “P” flicked by her heart.

“I’ve been practicing,” Paige said sheepishly to me out loud while still signing the words she could.

My eyes burned. “You didn’t tell me.”

She smiled. “I wanted to surprise you. Azzi and KK have been practicing with me. Coach even brought in someone last week to start teaching us better.”

I couldn’t say anything at first, just leaned in to kiss her sweat-damp cheek. JaNae watched us with giddy interest, then looked back to Paige and signed: Play good.

Paige grinned and signed back: For you.

A month passed, and I noticed the changes almost immediately. Paige and her teammates weren’t just practicing—they were learning. Like, really learning.

They had weekly lessons with a local interpreter.

Paige would send me videos at night of her signing to the mirror, messing up, and then nailing it the second time.

The first time JaNae saw KK sign unicorn correctly during a FaceTime, she screamed so loud she almost broke the phone speaker.

And then came game day.

Gampel was packed. JaNae had her favorite plushie—a mini Husky—tucked under one arm and her other hand gripped mine tight.

She wore a custom “Bueckers 5” jersey with sparkly letters and had her little hoodie pulled up.

Just before warmups, the noise hit a pitch and she tapped my shoulder, frowning.

Too loud, she signed again.

I nodded and gently took the hearing aids from her. “Wanna still watch?”

Yes, she signed, firm.

Then Paige ran over. Behind her came Azzi and KK.

Even Sarah and Morgan followed close behind.

Hi, JaNae, they all signed in near unison.

JaNae beamed.

Dimples deep.

Tiny hands fluttering excitedly.

KK even asked, You okay?

I nearly cried.

Azzi crouched beside the seats to ask what color JaNae’s plushie was. JaNae, all grins, signed grey. Azzi laughed and told her cool.

Sarah had signed, how are the hot-ducks? But slowed down and tried once more signing, how are the hot-dogs.

JaNae signed, really good. thank you for asking.

Somehow Morgan was the only one that didn’t mess on what she wanted to say in sign which was I love your shoes, really sparkly.

JaNae of course was in so much shock she couldn’t respond.

When the buzzer called them back, Paige blew us both a kiss and whispered in my ear, “Remember the sign?”

I smirked. “Chest to you. Got it.”

She nodded. “She’s gonna love it.”

The game was a masterpiece. Paige was electric—fluid, confident, absolutely in her bag. She scored, dished dimes, dove for loose balls like it was a championship.

And when she hit her career high—a wild spin move into a three-point shot that blew the roof off the Pavilion—she didn’t celebrate with her team right away.

She turned toward the court-side seats. Toward us.

And she did it.

I love you—the hand sign. Then she pressed her fingers to her chest. Then pointed straight at JaNae.

“That was for you,” I signed to JaNae as her eyes widened.

She screamed without sound, clapping her hands fast, her eyes lighting up like Christmas. People turned to look at her, some even clapping along.

Paige’s POV

Post-game, I was still buzzed from adrenaline when the press conference started. Azzi was beside me, stretching her legs. KK had a sports drink balanced between her knees, sipping and smiling.

Then a reporter raised their hand. “For Paige, Azzi, and KK—there’s been a lot of buzz on social media about the three of you and the team learning ASL. Can you talk a little about that experience and what prompted it?”

I smiled immediately. “Yeah, absolutely. So, my girlfriend’s niece, JaNae, is deaf. She comes to a lot of games, and sometimes it gets too loud for her hearing aids. One game, I saw her take them off and just sit in Y/N’s lap while she signed the whole game to her.”

I paused. “We realized if JaNae was going to be around us—and we wanted her to be—we needed to do better. So we started taking lessons.”

Azzi chimed in. “It’s honestly been super humbling. It’s like learning a whole new language. You mess up, but then you see JaNae’s face when you get it right and… it’s worth every second.”

KK nodded. “We’ve got flashcards in the locker room. We quiz each other before games. It’s serious.”

A follow-up came fast. “Could the three of you sign a message for the fans watching at home?”

I blinked. “Uhhh… I mean we could… but only if we can get some help to make sure we don’t mess it up.”

I turned to the media coordinator. “Can someone get Y/N and JaNae? They’re just outside.”

Minutes later, JaNae burst into the room like a little storm cloud of energy. Y/N trailed behind, beaming.

JaNae scrambled up beside me and whispered, “Hi, Paigey.”

I grinned, and signed. “Wanna help us sign a message to the fans?”

She nodded fiercely.

The cameras rolled as we all signed Thank you for supporting us. Go Huskies!

JaNae giggled halfway through and gently turned to Azzi. “You did support wrong,” she signed, giggling.

Azzi gasped dramatically. “Not again!”

The room erupted in laughter.

“Okay,” KK said, leaning down, “Can you show us again?”

JaNae took all three of our hands and guided them through the motion. Then she turned to the camera and added her own message: My name is JaNae. Go Huskies!

Dead.

Everyone was dead.

Cameras flashing.

Phones out.

She stole the whole press conference.

After getting dinner and heading back to my place, JaNae finally put her hearing aids back in.

The quiet peace was a huge change from the arena buzz, and she curled up in the beanbag with her plushie.

“Paigey,” she said, voice small but clear. “You were really good.”

I sat down next to her and signed slowly, still speaking. “Thank you. I did it for you.”

She giggled, grabbing my hand. “I saw! You remembered our sign!”

“Of course I did,” I said, kissing her forehead. “It was our secret.”

Y/N leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes soft. “She wouldn’t shut up about it once you went to the back for press.”

JaNae stuck her tongue out. “Because it was the best.”

I looked at her seriously. “Hey. I know sometimes the noise is hard. But we’ll always figure out ways to talk to you, okay? Even if you don’t want to wear those.”

She blinked at me for a moment, then leaned forward and hugged me.

And when I looked up at Y/N, she mouthed, I love you.

I signed it back.

And I meant it with everything in me.

Y/N’s POV

I was already pulling out my phone the moment JaNae scooted back onto the beanbag, still chattering to Paige in that quiet way she always did after a long, loud day.

Her voice was soft but sure now.

Confident.

They were still signing along with their words, Paige correcting herself mid-sentence when JaNae pointed something out with that tiny furrow in her brow. And then they both started laughing.

I hit record, trying to stay quiet as I caught the moment.

Paige was sprawled out beside her like she belonged here.

In our little living room.

In JaNae’s world.

She didn’t rush, didn’t skip signs, even if she stumbled or looked to JaNae for help.

She stayed patient, playful, present.

After a minute, JaNae turned and flashed me a thumbs-up, then dramatically whispered, “Tell the internet I’m her coach.”

I snorted, tears threatening again. Typical JaNae.

By the time I posted the video to my story and feed, my heart was full in ways I hadn’t expected when the day started.

Caption:

my two fav girls bonding even more than they already do… definitely not crying… 🏀& 💫= ♾️

Within minutes, the comments were flooding in.

Azzi: teach me how to say “icon” in sign please

Nika: this better be on SportsCenter

And Paige? She reposted it to her story with the caption:

“All for you, Coach JaNae.”

God, I really loved that girl.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

                 -Thank You For Reading!💚💙

                             -prettygirl-gabi✨️💗

[pollkien]

TÚRIN PROPAGANDA:

Incredibly cursed. Doomed by the Narrative (the narrative aka Morgoth). Nothing he do ever goes right and that’s incredibly hot of him

37287483 different names and one of them is NEITHAN

Has an entire chapter named after and dedicated to him. You can’t say that about many other characters

Apparently on TG he is notable for “impulsive pride” and “suicide”, among others

Also called Glaurung’s Bane which is very cool

“He was dark-haired as his mother and promised to be like her in mood also; for he was not merry and spoke little, though he learned to speak early and ever seemed older than his years. Túrin was slow to forget injustice or mockery, but his father's fire was also in him, and he could be sudden and fierce. Yet he was quick to pity, and the hurts or sadness of living things might move him to tears.” He is so soggy and wet

Commited accidental manslaughter! Yay!

Beleg’s bestie. Even wrote a song about Beleg after accidentally murdering him

Built a bridge

Had grey eyes and black hair and was super hot and pretty I think??? I don’t remember where this was said but I’m pretty sure this is canon

Stole many bitches from many heartbroken husbands

Dor-Cúarthol was named after him and Beleg :) #Besties4ever #UntiliAccidentallyKilledHim

Finduilas found him so sexy that she fell in love with him on first sight. Nevermind being betrothed to Gwindor! Fuck that guy!

Should NOT have called himself Turambar actually

Had a sick ass sword

There is way too much to say about him just know he’s really hot and cursed and tragic and stuff

MAEDHROS PROPAGANDA:

Feen’s first son. Probably very hot given how hot his dad was

Actually tried to be a decent guy in Beleriand unlike most of his brothers

Tall and ginger

Named Fingon the valiant and did not forget his friendship even when the ships were burned :’( and he “alone stood to the side”!!

Unfortunately got gotted by Morgoth. Hung from his wrist for like 20 years.

“for the fire of life was hot within him, and his strength was of the ancient world, such as those possessed who were nurtured in Valinor. His body recovered from his torment and became hale, but the shadow of his pain was in his heart; and he lived to wield his sword with left hand more deadly than his right had been.” Cute

Tragic! So tragic!

Invented Active Elf Suicide by jumping into a volcano. Yay.

“Maedhros did deeds of surpassing valour, and the Orcs fled before his face; for since his torment upon Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within, and he was as one that returns from the dead” slaydhros!

Moved his bros out of Hithlum so they wouldn’t bitch

March of Maedhros, Union of Maedhros, all named after him

He just seems like a big purring cat :)

Himring alone stood among the Dagor Bragollach! In fact Tol Himring is still around in the third age!

Searched for Eluréd and Elurín after the second kinslaying :(

Stole the two remaining Silmarils with Maglor

“But Maedhros and Maglor would not hearken, and they prepared, though now with weariness and loathing, to attempt in despair the fulfilment of their oath; for they would have given battle for the Silmarils, were they withheld, even against the victorious host of Valinor, even though they stood alone against all the world.” This is so hot

I guess he also is hot because he died in a fiery chasm.

Was noted for his bodily comeliness and was named Maitimo for it ;)

Shared Beren’s epesse

[igglemouse]

Week 1 ~ Introducing Magdalena ~ Monday

Today is a big day, perhaps the biggest of days? My acting career starts in earnest. Yes, today I will go to TWO auditions and hope to land both but will be fortunate to land one. The competition is stiff of course as so many women like me come to DSV to chase a dream.

I don't know how well I will do but I do know that will do my best.

Also. Didn't start any fires in the kitchen today!

I am not the only one in my family chasing a dream. My brother Iker is as well but his chase leads him across the ocean to Windenburg. Fútbol is his passion and some team far far away is willing to take him on as a prospect. I've talked a lot about how I will always miss home and family but it must be doubly true for him especially since I do not think he even speaks the language there? He jokes and tells me that the language of fútbol is universal and while I get the sentiment I doubt it is a language that will help him find new friends. What is he going to do, juggle a ball and spell out words in the air while doing so?

All I can do is hope for the best and wish him luck. At least he is doing more with his life than Carina, our sister. That is another story for another day.

You might have noticed the little bit of fuzz on my arms? Can't go to an audition with that and can't go with a stench! I guess I could, nothing is stopping me, but that would be embarrassing wouldn't it?

I'm honestly not sure what to expect with this first one, it's for a music video and honestly I don't know much about it? I don't think it matters, I'll learn once I'm there and I don't expect much to be asked of us. Like I mentioned, this is just to get my name out there and have something to put on my resume and for a little bit of simoleons. Beggars cannot be choosers and I cannot be picky about roles, yet.

I arrive slightly on time and am instantly guided to the dressing room or more like hurried to it. They wanted me to wear one of those body stocking fitting things that is very much skin tight and while I have a few questions I should remember what I've signed up for.

I am under no allusions here, the role called for an 'attractive' woman because I imagine she'll be featured in the video and so I know whoever wins the role will be eye candy. Nevertheless, I am still hoping to win.

I head into the audition room and instantly hate what I'm wearing because the AC is set on Simartica for whatever reason. Why put us in these skimpy clothes then? Were they trying to freeze us?

Either way, I've thankfully arrived near the end of the auditions as there is a very tired looking man sitting alone at a desk and three other women in the room.

One looks terrified, the lighter girl with short dark hair sat as still as ever, staring off into the distance and fiddling with her fingers while the girl sitting next to her, the redhead, seemed cool and confident, just waiting to show her stuff.

There was a woman at the front of the room being interviewed. I didn't catch the whole thing but I did hear her response. She played up her experience in dance which makes sense but it doesn't seem like the casting guy cared that much about it.

The conversation continues but I toned it out since the short haired girl captured my attention. She whispers hello but I can tell that there is some shyness to her? Some? No, a lot of shyness. She does seem to be open to a conversation at least, perhaps just to help with her nerves?

Ah, yes, this is what I fear. Most of the women auditioning here are models and not actresses, such as I, so it makes me wonder why I am here as well? The possible pay day I suppose? Still, it is something to put on my resume, I've seen acting careers launched off of music videos as well.

I continue my conversation with her and wonder how she is a model with such low confidence of herself but then I do realize the modeling industry industry is so rife with competition that it is bound to make the prettiest of people feel ugly. It is definitely a churn, especially for young women. I say all this knowing that I do believe I could be a very successful model, if I simply decided to be so.

The conversation between the casting guy and Ms. Bagley continues...

As Ms. Bagley walks out the next girl saunters up to the center of the room and instantly tries to claim it. She calls herself Jordan McDonough, in a tone that tells us we should already know who she was and how dare she have to waste energy introducing herself. The casting guy isn't so impressed, in fact, I don't think he barely noticed her at all.

Alright, if Eliana is a demonstration of no confidence this woman is a demonstration of having far too much. Thankfully, Eliana seems to be very open to chatting with me.

Meanwhile...over in the center of the room with miss spotlight...

Jaxton let out the heaviest of sighs right after calling for the next girl. It felt like it could blow a house down and I can't imagine how many personalities he's had to deal with today. All the same, it was time for Eliana's turn leaving me alone for a moment, I do wish her luck because she seems like a sweet woman who needs it. It's a competition but it also isn't. If they like her look more than mines they will pick her, nothing I can do about that.

I watch her gather herself, fiddle her thumbs, wobble a little as she stands. She's definitely about to bomb this, I'm sure how, but I am sure that she's about to.

Ouch. I felt bad for her, she certainly wasn't stuttering when I was speaking with her just now? Just stage fright I guess? I give her wave but I'm not sure she saw it, she seemed pretty dejected?

I can't linger on her for too long though so I take a deep breath and make my way to stand in front of the man and I must admit that I think his body language changes? He leans back in his chair and takes me in for a moment without speaking but eventually he speaks.

And so I do although I am slightly confused as he didn't ask this of any of the others? I turn to face the other way slightly and he just stares, it doesn't take me long to figure out what he's staring at. My lips part for just a second to tell him what's on my mind but thankfully no sound comes from them. This man, unfortunately, might be the deciding factor on if I get this part or not and what's done is done. I know he's not the first man to stare at my butt and he won't be the last.

Index ~ Next

[musicfeedsmysoul12]

(Not sure if tumblr ate my ask so here it is)

Danny Phantom and Batman crossover. Damian and Paulina are twins who separated because they wanted different things.

Paulina wanted to live somewhere else to experience life like a normal person, so she picked Amity Park, Mr.Sanchez used to be apart of the league of assassins before he retired to Amity Park. Damian wanted to live with his father in Gotham City and become Robin. The both of them still keep in contact with each other.

Paulina was thinking about introducing Sam Manson to Damian Wayne for her Go Green rallies but didn’t after the goth girl called her shallow, Paulina knows that having someone as influential as her brother would have helped Sam Manson to be taken more seriously, but after that comment it’s better to let the ultra vegetarian fight tooth and nail to be taken seriously instead of handing an opportunity on a silver plater.

Paulina knows that Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom (she helps train Danny after he got Kitty to leave her body). She became a part of Team Phantom and is on the front lines with Danny. They both started to fall in love with each other in a slow burn.

She wears a disguise and her code name Manat, inspired her favorite Arabia goddess. Yes the disguise is necessary Sam and Tucker she doesn’t want to be recognized by civilians and go to jail for basically being a vigilante.

Danny beat Pariah Dark in a duel and put him back in the Sarcophagus of Forever Sleep, Paulina teaches him royal etiquette just in case. She also knows that Vlad Masters is Vlad Plasmius (she scared the living cheese out of Vlad when Paulina broke into his house and threatened him with her ectoplasm infused sword).

When the stakes are high and the chance for survival is low Paulina uses her assassins skills to buy sometime. Damian is dating John Kent (I’ll never forgive DC for John’s age up)and Paulina is dating Danny Fenton (they started dating before Vlad became Mayor of Amity Park). One-sided Danny Fenton x Sam Manson.

You know I have no actual feelings to Paulina so I had to stop and think here.

This would be a fun concept though. Exploring the idea of her and Damian being siblings. I’d make them siblings and change it so Paulina has a different dad solely cause I want her to keep her Spanish heritage from canon.

It doesn’t matter to them. Talia kept her and maybe tried to set the siblings against each other with Paulina being ‘lesser’ for not having Bruce as a father, but they kinda ignored her and did what they want.

Talia also just stopped caring hut Ra’s does. And they end up leaving not only to explore things but to be safe from him.

Paulina mimics her behaviours from other cheerleaders but stops when she realizes how awful it is. She keeps that reputation though. Meanwhile Damian is being much more at ease with adopted siblings because Paulina taught him that much of Ra’s teachings were bullshit as a kid.

Paulina being part of team Phantom from the get go is so much fun; and I imagine her dumping the cool kids in a ‘you are all such dicks’ way. Dash is furious but Paulina knows how to threaten people.

I also love the idea of a sort of fight between Sam and Paulina. Like Sam is deep in her ‘not like other girls’ phase which has her in conflict with Paulina who loves being girly. Plus Sam is territorial over Danny whom she views as ‘hers’ as he was her friend first and she has a massive crush.

Paulina is upset that Sam just demeans her, and considers her shallow hence her not introducing her to Damian as you said.

I’d also like to propose the idea that Bruce knows of Paulina as Damian doesn’t hide it (Grandfather said he should but with Paulina they agreed ‘fuck what he says’ and go for it.) and Mr. Sanchez knows Bruce knows. When the Ghost King stuff happens, Paulina learns the GIW are hiding things for the leauge and makes the call.

Then the Waynes show up, and Paulina admits she’s the half sister to Damian, tells Sam to her face ‘I thought you’d do great things with Damian but your attitude paused that’ which makes Sam hate her more but like… when Tucker and Danny agree that Sam is a bit much with her attitude. Then others agree, people Sam thought would actually side with her!

Sam stops talking to her friends in a fit of ‘you should have sided with me!’. However she ends up realizing that… well…

No one likes her and it’s very lonely. But she only has herself to blame for that.

She hates it.

[lamoorgalore]

Connections that I've made between The Riders in "Marks of the Evil One" and the previous Papas

So I don't know if people have already made these connections before, this is my first week of really learning about the lore of Ghost. I've listened to the music before, but I haven't really gotten into it before this week!

But I know people have made the connection of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the Papas that we know. I just wanted to write down what's been stewing in my brain. :D I'll put it under a read more, since this got pretty long :,D

"One rider has a bow/Rides a steed, white/And wears a crown, conquering" This is Papa Emeritis I. I see his weapon as the bow being the first Papa that we've seen on stage. He's the scout of the party, mostly unseen by the enemy but his impact being felt further than thought possible. Also! Other than Papa Nihil, he also wore a white chasuble. He is the first Papa Emeritus (Wears a crown), and started the band back up and gaining almost instant popularity (conquering).

"A second rider joins/On a steed, red/Swinging a sword, mongering" From what I've seen, Papa Emeritis I and II seem to come as a pair. From them being brothers born 3 months apart and also Papa II wearing Papa I's same face paint for a while. They're also the only Papas to have the mic passed down peacefully between each other on stage. The album that Papa Emeritus II released, "Infestissumam" was about the Antichrist, impending doom, the name itself translating roughly to "the biggest threat". That certainly brings to mind a strong Melee warrior on the front lines, sowing fear. His red steed also brings to mind his red sunglasses that he used to wear.

"The third rider looks cool/On his steed, black/A pair of scales in his hand" This one feels a bit ironic, considering the sad fate of Papa Emeritus III. From my short time learning about the previous Popes, Terzo's story feels the most tragic. After picking up the mic from what was said to be a bitter and inefficient pope, he seemed to be where the Pope's stage performance started appealing to the modern audience. Terzo wearing the tailscoat and pants on stage, being a much more active performer and sitting down to have face-to-face talks with the audience. He was even the pope to win Ghost their first Grammy with "Cirice!"

But all of the accolades are nothing compared to the injustice and nepotism of Sister Imperator. She wanted her son in power as Pope, and drags Terzo off stage, later tricking him into thinking he'll go back on tour "Back in the spotlight, forever!" and instead killing and embalming both him and the previous Popes in glass coffins to be seen by the congregation forever. For a rider holding scales of justice, his story is anything but just.

"The fourth rider is death/Rides a steed, pale/And Hades follows him" This is personally, headcanon from me atp. But Copia being the fourth rider of Death with Hades following him just reminds me of his entire story during the Chapters. The threat of him being just the next Pope lined up to be killed and stuffed and displayed in a coffin is a constant threat hanging over him. Mr. Psaltarian and Sister Imperator casually bringing up "The End of the Summer Tour" and telling him not to worry about the "Brand New Coffin" being wheeled through the ministry. And with Rite Here Rite Now, it's this conflict that's front and center as the final tour of the summer draws closer. But instead of him dying, his mother dies in front of him, becoming a ghost just like Papa Nihil.

Speaking of which, Papa Emeritus IV's move up in power always seems to come at a cost of someone else's life. Papa Nihil dies after his sax solo mid-concert, thus giving Copia his new title. And then at the end of his reign, his mother dies and he steps into her position as Frater Imperator. Imagine the weight of that on his shoulders! What a lucky and blessed life! What a curse... This also comes with the development that we see in some of the latest chapters, where Frater Imperator is able to see and converse with the ghosts in the Clergy, something we haven't seen the past Papas do. It would be interesting to see if they continue the Chapters just to see if Papa V Perpetua is also able to see the ghosts, or if Copia just looks absolutely Crazy in front of his twin brother. >:D

I also know that Tobias has said that lore will probably not be as much of a thing going forward, which makes me sad. I'm such a nerd for a narrative, and I'm so happy with what he's created so far! I suppose if he decides to drop it completely, we'll always have fan canon and people like me who will spout paragraphs of utter bullshit xD

With all of this, I would also like to theorize about Papa V Perpetua's position in all of this. If he's been cast out from the Clergy before this, then he might not have known so much about the previous Popes. I wonder if he's some sort of prophet/oracle figure, or someone who's had hidden connections in the cult before we knew about him. Either way, I'm excited to see where Tobias takes this new character. He seems to follow a bit more of Copia's personality, if a bit more shy. And it's hilarious how the ghouls bully him around the stage, like they don't take him seriously as the Pope yet, lol

I want to hear what yall think though! This is the first time that I've really posted anything big like this for Ghost on tumblr. Am I totally missing the mark here, or didn't mention anything big? I'll admit, most of my overall knowledge comes from Chronicle Ghoul's video essay series starting with "The Road to Rite Here Rite Now | Entire Ghost Timeline" https://youtu.be/qBZe8Lj7hHw?si=OJeZ2hCjES4WlWqQ

[imexperiencinggrowthgetoverit]

I want to read a fic where Lumine (or Aether I suppose) mentions or has someone mention their name and everyone is like “YOU ARENT NAMED TRAVELER???” or alternatively “YOU TOLD THEM YOUR NAME????”

[serpentinespider]

Charlotte's ultimate form....

(character uses she/her!)

[ghostieblotts]

So many projects I want to work on, so much planning to do for fun trips, so much holiday fun imminent, and not enough time

[themyscirah]

Okay so basically the United States MINT of all people is going to be working with DC to make a line of coins! These coins sadly won't be in circulation (the things I would do to live in a world where I could get Batman coins from the supermarket) as they're collectors coins, but will be releasing over the course of the next 3 years, 2025-2027.

Designs haven't been released yet (the same is true for all 2025 designs) but we know there will be 9 coins in total (3 each year) with the first year featuring (of course!!!) Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Although we know the first three heroes to be featured, the remaining six have yet to be decided, and it turns out the Mint is putting out a survey on their site to gauge which of a group of culturally significant heroes people want to see most! (link to the form is mentioned in the article above)

The considered group includes: Supergirl, the Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, John Stewart GL, Aquaman, Hawkman, Jamie Reyes BB, Robin (Damian?), Cyborg, and Batgirl, of which 6 will be selected.

As someone who does a bit of coin collecting myself (mainly circulation coins like the quarters sets, but I also have a couple proof and collectors coins) I think this is a really cool and interesting idea that showcases the history of the comics medium and these characters and their influence on American culture. Really excited to wait and see what the designs look like for the coins already announced!

[imhere-imqueer-ilikedeer]

I have the opportunity to introduce myself to people as thomas irl next week and I am FREAKING THE FUCK OUT

(tw vent incoming)

[keeps-ache]

once again i am on the playlist lol

[eyivibyemi]

✧ I won’t really write descriptions for these, but see original post tags for explanation/commentary on the song snippet ✧

[tofupixel]

⭐ So you want to learn pixel art? ⭐

🔹 Part 1 of ??? - The Basics!

Edit: Now available in Google Doc format if you don't have a Tumblr account 🥰

Hello, my name is Tofu and I'm a professional pixel artist. I have been supporting myself with freelance pixel art since 2020, when I was let go from my job during the pandemic.

My progress, from 2017 to 2024. IMO the only thing that really matters is time and effort, not some kind of natural talent for art.

This guide will not be comprehensive, as nobody should be expected to read allat. Instead I will lean heavily on my own experience, and share what worked for me, so take everything with a grain of salt. This is a guide, not a tutorial. Cheers!

🔹 Do I need money?

NO!!! Pixel art is one of the most accessible mediums out there.

I still use a mouse because I prefer it to a tablet! You won't be at any disadvantage here if you can't afford the best hardware or software.

Because our canvases are typically very small, you don't need a good PC to run a good brush engine or anything like that.

✨Did you know? One of the most skilled and beloved pixel artists uses MS PAINT! Wow!!

🔹 What software should I use?

Here are some of the most popular programs I see my friends and peers using. Stars show how much I recommend the software for beginners! ⭐

💰 Paid options:

⭐⭐⭐ Aseprite (for PC) - $19.99

This is what I and many other pixel artists use. You may find when applying to jobs that they require some knowledge of Aseprite. Since it has become so popular, companies like that you can swap raw files between artists.

Aseprite is amazingly customizable, with custom skins, scripts and extensions on Itch.io, both free and paid.

If you have ever used any art software before, it has most of the same features and should feel fairly familiar to use. It features a robust animation suite and a tilemap feature, which have saved me thousands of hours of labour in my work. The software is also being updated all the time, and the developers listen to the users. I really recommend Aseprite!

⭐ Photoshop (for PC) - Monthly $$

A decent option for those who already are used to the PS interface. Requires some setup to get it ready for pixel-perfect art, but there are plenty of tutorials for doing so.

Animation is also much more tedious on PS which you may want to consider before investing time!

⭐⭐ ProMotion NG (for PC) - $19.00

An advanced and powerful software which has many features Aseprite does not, including Colour Cycling and animated tiles.

⭐⭐⭐ Pixquare (for iOS) - $7.99 - $19.99 (30% off with code 'tofu'!!)

Probably the best app available for iPad users, in active development, with new features added all the time.

Look! My buddy Jon recommends it highly, and uses it often.

One cool thing about Pixquare is that it takes Aseprite raw files! Many of my friends use it to work on the same project, both in their office and on the go.

⭐ Procreate (for iOS) - $12.99

If you have access to Procreate already, it's a decent option to get used to doing pixel art. It does however require some setup. Artist Pixebo is famously using Procreate, and they have tutorials of their own if you want to learn.

⭐⭐ ReSprite iOS and Android. (free trial, but:) $19.99 premium or $$ monthly

ReSprite is VERY similar in terms of UI to Aseprite, so I can recommend it. They just launched their Android release!

🆓 Free options:

⭐⭐⭐ Libresprite (for PC)

Libresprite is an alternative to Aseprite. It is very, very similar, to the point where documentation for Aseprite will be helpful to Libresprite users.

⭐⭐ Pixilart (for PC and mobile)

A free in-browser app, and also a mobile app! It is tied to the website Pixilart, where artists upload and share their work. A good option for those also looking to get involved in a community.

⭐⭐ Dotpict (for mobile)

Dotpict is similar to Pixilart, with a mobile app tied to a website, but it's a Japanese service. Did you know that in Japanese, pixel art is called 'Dot Art'? Dotpict can be a great way to connect with a different community of pixel artists! They also have prompts and challenges often.

🔹 So I got my software, now what?

◽Nice! Now it's time for the basics of pixel art.

❗ WAIT ❗ Before this section, I want to add a little disclaimer. All of these rules/guidelines can be broken at will, and some 'no-nos' can look amazing when done intentionally.

The pixel-art fundamentals can be exceedingly helpful to new artists, who may feel lost or overwhelmed by choice. But if you feel they restrict you too harshly, don't force yourself! At the end of the day it's your art, and you shouldn't try to contort yourself into what people think a pixel artist 'should be'. What matters is your own artistic expression. 💕👍

◽Phew! With that out of the way...

🔸"The Rules"

There are few hard 'rules' of pixel art, mostly about scaling and exporting. Some of these things will frequently trip up newbies if they aren't aware, and are easy to overlook.

🔹Scaling method

There are a couple ways of scaling your art. The default in most art programs, and the entire internet, is Bi-linear scaling, which usually works out fine for most purposes. But as pixel artists, we need a different method.

Both are scaled up x10. See the difference?

On the left is scaled using Bilinear, and on the right is using Nearest-Neighbor. We love seeing those pixels stay crisp and clean, so we use nearest-neighbor. 

(Most pixel-art programs have nearest-neighbor enabled by default! So this may not apply to you, but it's important to know.)

🔹Mixels

Mixels are when there are different (mixed) pixel sizes in the same image.

Here I have scaled up my art- the left is 200%, and the right is 150%. Yuck!

As we can see, the "pixel" sizes end up different. We generally try to scale our work by multiples of 100 - 200%, 300% etc. rather than 150%. At larger scales however, the minute differences in pixel sizes are hardly noticeable!

Mixels are also sometimes seen when an artist scales up their work, then continues drawing on it with a 1 pixel brush.

Many would say that this is not great looking! This type of pixels can be indicative of a beginner artist. But there are plenty of creative pixel artists out there who mixels intentionally, making something modern and cool.

🔹Saving Your Files

We usually save our still images as .PNGs as they don’t create any JPEG artifacts or loss of quality. It's a little hard to see here, but there are some artifacts, and it looks a little blurry. It also makes the art very hard to work with if we are importing a JPEG.

For animations .GIF is good, but be careful of the 256 colour limit. Try to avoid using too many blending mode layers or gradients when working with animations. If you aren’t careful, your animation could flash afterwards, as the .GIF tries to reduce colours wherever it can. It doesn’t look great!

Here's an old piece from 2021 where I experienced .GIF lossiness, because I used gradients and transparency, resulting in way too many colours.

🔹Pixel Art Fundamentals - Techniques and Jargon

❗❗Confused about Jaggies? Anti-Aliasing? Banding? Dithering? THIS THREAD is for you❗❗ << it's a link, click it!!

As far as I'm concerned, this is THE tutorial of all time for understanding pixel art. These are techniques created and named by the community of people who actually put the list together, some of the best pixel artists alive currently. Please read it!!

🔸How To Learn

Okay, so you have your software, and you're all ready to start. But maybe you need some more guidance? Try these tutorials and resources! It can be helpful to work along with a tutorial until you build your confidence up.

⭐⭐ Pixel Logic (A Digital Book) - $10 A very comprehensive visual guide book by a very skilled and established artist in the industry. I own a copy myself.

⭐⭐⭐ StudioMiniBoss - free A collection of visual tutorials, by the artist that worked on Celeste! When starting out, if I got stuck, I would go and scour his tutorials and see how he did it.

⭐ Lospec Tutorials - free A very large collection of various tutorials from all over the internet. There is a lot to sift through here if you have the time.

⭐⭐⭐ Cyangmou's Tutorials - free (tipping optional) Cyangmou is one of the most respected and accomplished modern pixel artists, and he has amassed a HUGE collection of free and incredibly well-educated visual tutorials. He also hosts an educational stream every week on Twitch called 'pixelart for beginners'.

⭐⭐⭐ Youtube Tutorials - free There are hundreds, if not thousands of tutorials on YouTube, but it can be tricky to find the good ones. My personal recommendations are MortMort, Brandon, and AdamCYounis- these guys really know what they're talking about!

🔸 How to choose a canvas size

When looking at pixel art turorials, we may see people suggest things like 16x16, 32x32 and 64x64. These are standard sizes for pixel art games with tiles. However, if you're just making a drawing, you don't necessarily need to use a standard canvas size like that.

What I like to think about when choosing a canvas size for my illustrations is 'what features do I think it is important to represent?' And make my canvas as small as possible, while still leaving room for my most important elements.

Imagine I have characters in a scene like this:

I made my canvas as small as possible (232 x 314), but just big enough to represent the features and have them be recognizable (it's Good Omens fanart 😤)!! If I had made it any bigger, I would be working on it for ever, due to how much more foliage I would have to render.

If you want to do an illustration and you're not sure, just start at somewhere around 100x100 - 200x200 and go from there.

It's perfectly okay to crop your canvas, or scale it up, or crunch your art down at any point if you think you need a different size. I do it all the time! It only takes a bit of cleanup to get you back to where you were.

🔸Where To Post

Outside of just regular socials, Twitter, Tumblr, Deviantart, Instagram etc, there are a few places that lean more towards pixel art that you might not have heard of.

⭐ Lospec Lospec is a low-res focused art website. Some pieces get given a 'monthly masterpiece' award. Not incredibly active, but I believe there are more features being added often.

⭐⭐ Pixilart Pixilart is a very popular pixel art community, with an app tied to it. The community tends to lean on the young side, so this is a low-pressure place to post with an relaxed vibe.

⭐⭐ Pixeljoint Pixeljoint is one of the big, old-school pixel art websites. You can only upload your art unscaled (1x) because there is a built-in zoom viewer. It has a bit of a reputation for being elitist (back in the 00s it was), but in my experience it's not like that any more. This is a fine place for a pixel artist to post if they are really interested in learning, and the history. The Hall of Fame has some of the most famous / impressive pixel art pieces that paved the way for the work we are doing today.

⭐⭐⭐ Cafe Dot Cafe Dot is my art server so I'm a little biased here. 🍵 It was created during the recent social media turbulence. We wanted a place to post art with no algorithms, and no NFT or AI chuds. We have a heavy no-self-promotion rule, and are more interested in community than skill or exclusivity. The other thing is that we have some kind of verification system- you must apply to be a Creator before you can post in the Art feed, or use voice. This helps combat the people who just want to self-promo and dip, or cause trouble, as well as weed out AI/NFT people. Until then, you are still welcome to post in any of the threads or channels. There is a lot to do in Cafe Dot. I host events weekly, so check the threads!

⭐⭐/r/pixelart The pixel art subreddit is pretty active! I've also heard some of my friends found work through posting here, so it's worth a try if you're looking. However, it is still Reddit- so if you're sensitive to rude people, or criticism you didn't ask for, you may want to avoid this one. Lol

🔸 Where To Find Work

You need money? I got you! As someone who mostly gets scouted on social media, I can share a few tips with you:

Put your email / portfolio in your bio Recruiters don't have all that much time to find artists, make it as easy as possible for someone to find your important information!

Clean up your profile If your profile feed is all full of memes, most people will just tab out rather than sift through. Doesn't apply as much to Tumblr if you have an art tag people can look at.

Post regularly, and repost Activity beats everything in the social media game. It's like rolling the dice, and the more you post the more chances you have. You have to have no shame, it's all business baby

Outside of just posting regularly and hoping people reach out to you, it can be hard to know where to look. Here are a few places you can sign up to and post around on.

/r/INAT INAT (I Need A Team) is a subreddit for finding a team to work with. You can post your portfolio here, or browse for people who need artists.

/r/GameDevClassifieds Same as above, but specifically for game-related projects.

Remote Game Jobs / Work With Indies Like Indeed but for game jobs. Browse them often, or get email notifications.

VGen VGen is a website specifically for commissions. You need a code from another verified artist before you can upgrade your account and sell, so ask around on social media or ask your friends. Once your account is upgraded, you can make a 'menu' of services people can purchase, and they send you an offer which you are able to accept, decline, or counter.

The evil websites of doom: Fiverr and Upwork I don't recommend them!! They take a big cut of your profit, and the sites are teeming with NFT and AI people hoping to make a quick buck. The site is also extremely oversaturated and competitive, resulting in a race to the bottom (the cheapest, the fastest, doing the most for the least). Imagine the kind of clients who go to these websites, looking for the cheapest option. But if you're really desperate...

🔸 Community

I do really recommend getting involved in a community. Finding like-minded friends can help you stay motivated to keep drawing. One day, those friends you met when you were just starting out may become your peers in the industry. Making friends is a game changer!

Discord servers Nowadays, the forums of old are mostly abandoned, and people split off into many different servers. Cafe Dot, Pixel Art Discord (PAD), and if you can stomach scrolling past all the AI slop, you can browse Discord servers here.

Twitch Streams Twitch has kind of a bad reputation for being home to some of the more edgy gamers online, but the pixel art community is extremely welcoming and inclusive. Some of the people I met on Twitch are my friends to this day, and we've even worked together on different projects! Browse pixel art streams here, or follow some I recommend: NickWoz, JDZombi, CupOhJoe, GrayLure, LumpyTouch, FrankiePixelShow, MortMort, Sodor, NateyCakes, NyuraKim, ShinySeabass, I could go on for ever really... There are a lot of good eggs on Pixel Art Twitch.

🔸 Other Helpful Websites

Palettes Lospec has a huge collection of user-made palettes, for any artist who has trouble choosing their colours, or just wants to try something fun. Rejected Palettes is full of palettes that didn't quite make it onto Lospec, ran by people who believe there are no bad colours.

The Spriters Resource TSR is an incredible website where users can upload spritesheets and tilesets from games. You can browse for your favourite childhood game, and see how they made it! This website has helped me so much in understanding how game assets come together in a scene.

VGMaps Similar to the above, except there are entire maps laid out how they would be played. This is incredible if you have to do level design, or for mocking up a scene for fun.

Game UI Database Not pixel-art specific, but UI is a very challenging part of graphics, so this site can be a game-changer for finding good references!

Retronator A digital newspaper for pixel-art lovers! New game releases, tutorials, and artworks!

Itch.io A website where people can upload, games, assets, tools... An amazing hub for game devs and game fans alike. A few of my favourite tools: Tiled, PICO-8, Pixel Composer, Juice FX, Magic Pencil for Aseprite

🔸 The End?

This is just part 1 for now, so please drop me a follow to see any more guides I release in the future. I plan on doing some writeups on how I choose colours, how to practise, and more!

I'm not an expert by any means, but everything I did to get to where I am is outlined in this guide. Pixel art is my passion, my job and my hobby! I want pixel art to be recognized everywhere as an art-form, a medium of its own outside of game-art or computer graphics!

This guide took me a long time, and took a lot of research and experience. Consider following me or supporting me if you are feeling generous.

And good luck to all the fledgling pixel artists, I hope you'll continue and have fun. I hope my guide helped you, and don't hesitate to send me an ask if you have any questions! 💕

My other tutorials (so far): How to draw Simple Grass for a game Hue Shifting

[knifegremliin]

oh also on a brighter note! i said yesterday i would swap with my brother at some point. i did not. i actually played from 12ish to 7ish. i was able to play for that long and my wrists only started having issues at 7ish (which is why i stopped). but after putting my night braces on, i woke up to them being no worse than they usually are.

[thepandalion]

once again devastated that I don't know how to make video games because my video game dreams are literally the coolest

[kaidatheghostdragon]

Found this while going through my fanfic files, and i absolutely had to share.

Danny: i want in

Red robin: …what?

Danny: your bat family. I want in.

Red robin, blinking in surprise: i dont know what you think you know about my associates, but we're not-

Danny: dont be obtuse. I know youre the smart one. And i also know that your all one big relatively happy family. I want in.

Red robin: …why?

Danny: because you guys are the first people ive found that are wealthy, intelligent and powerful enough to take on my fruitloop godfather and win AND are decent enough human beings that i can be assured that when all is said and done, my well-being will remain a top priority.

Orphan, appearing out of nowhere: new brother!

Danny: *stares in shock*

Danny: *sudden uncanny grin* well that's one convinced. How do i win over the rest?

Orphan: no need. New brother!

Red robin: *pointed glance of betrayal* fine. Who is your godfather?

Danny: vlad masters. He's a fruitloop.

Red robin: for real? B's been investigating him for years! Tell me everything! *genuinely excited for a new lead*

Danny: well, he's tried to murder my dad and marry my mom, gained his wealth illegally, committed voting fraud to become the mayor of my hometown, has a secret underground lab where he does unethical experiments, and he's abducted me more than a dozen times even before my parents disowned me to make me his evil apprentice or whatever. Now that im homeless, he's literally out to get me. Oh! And he's cloned me too! She's cool though, we're buddies now.

Batman, who just arrived but heard everything over comms: hn. (Translation: who are you?)

Danny: my name is Danny. No last name anymore, but im hoping itll soon be Wayne! *winking suggestively*

Batman: hn? (how much do you know?)

Danny: enough to know that youre a much better alternative to vlad.

Batman: …hn (i dont know anything about you. What if youre a spy for vlad?)

Danny, giving his salesman pitch: i was a teen vigilante in amity park before i had to run away from home for my own safety. Vlad is one of my rogues. I know how to fight and defend myself, how to minimize collateral damage in a fight, and ive gotten really good and escaping kidnapping attempts. Ive also managed to reform and/or make allies out of approximately half of my rogues and can talk down about 30% of all rogue confrontations before they turn into a messy fight. The other things i can bring to the table are: one, i can teach all of you guys proper liminality self care; two, i can probably minimize and possibly cure red hood's anger issues; three, i can get along with stabby robin because i consider fighting a friendly social interaction - he can even stab me and i wont be injured by it; four, i can be your go-to guy for supernatural cases so you no longer have to deal with that sad trenchcoat man; five-

Red robin: *blurting* youre hired.

Batman: hn (i am deeply concerned)

Danny: if youre concerned now, wait until i tell you about the anti ecto control act

Nightwing, who showed up in the middle of the sales pitch: ive never seen anyone crack B's grunt language so quickly

Danny: grunt language? He's just using ghost speak - which will be covered by the liminality self care lessons

Robin, who arrived with batman: what is a liminal?

Danny: all of you, of course! Otherwise you wouldnt need to learn about it, obviously

Robin: and why would we trust you?

Danny: did i mention i have a pet ghost dog?

Robin: …you drive a hard bargain

Danny, fist pumping: yes! That's three!

Nightwing: four, you got me when you could understand B's grunting

Red Hood, arrived with nightwing: five, assuming you arent lying about the pit rage

Danny, hand to his chest: i would never!

Orphan: honesty. Earnest. New brother.

Oracle, over comms: six. The anti ecto acts are legit and im terrified for his safety, assuming he's phantom, who is the vigilante of amity park

Spoiler, arrived with orphan: seven, as long as youre down for a few pranks

Batman: hn (ive been outvoted)

Batman: hnn (i dont wanna hear any jokes about adoption habits when you all forced my hand)

Batman: hn (that said)

Batman: welcome to the family

Duke, the next day: man, i miss out on everything exciting.

Duke, blinded by danny: and who the fuck told bruce he could adopt the fucking sun?!