#best quality thinner

[bamsara]

Hello! I was wondering what company you use for your sticker sheets? I bough one from your Ko-Fi shop and really like the quality, and the pricing you were able to sell at is waaaaaay more reasonable compared to any of the companies I've seen and used myself. Is it a POD company, or a mass purchase of them to sell on your own?

Thank you for your time if you're able to respond!

I'm really glad you like the quality, because I actually make them by hand at home! (Please forgive the lighting, my bedroom is my office lmao.)

I don't use a company (and Idk what a POD company is sorry!) but making them at home gives a lot more freedom of stock, just be wary it can be very time consuming depending on how many you need to make.

I've had other people ask before, so here's a rundown of how I make my stickers at home: At most you'll need:

Printer

Sticker paper (this is the type that I use)

Laminator and lamination paper (the lamination paper that I use.) You can also use adhesive non-heat lamination paper if you don't have a laminator, gives you the same result, just be careful of bubbles. You will get double your worth out of a pack because we are splitting the pouches to cover two sticker sheets.

Your choice of a sticker cutting machine or just using scissors.

First, I use Cricut's software to print out the sticker sheet with the guidelines around the corners so the machine can read it. If you do NOT have a Cricut machine, open up your art program, make a canvas of 2550x3300 and fill it up with your sticker design with some cutting space between them. This the 8.5x11 size for the sticker page.

I usually have bleed selected so the cut comes out cleaner. Tip for non-Cricut users below: Increase the border around your sticker design to fake the 'bleed' effect for a cleaner cut.

These are the print settings I use for my printer. I use the 'use system dialogue' to make sure I can adjust the settings otherwise it prints out low quality by default. Make sure if you're using the above paper that you have 'matte' selected, and 'best quality' selected, these aren't usually selected by default.

So you have your sticker sheet printed! Next is the lamination part. I use a hot laminator that was gifted to me, but there is no-heat types of lamination you can peel and stick on yourself if that's not an option.

(This is for protection and makes the colors pop, but if you prefer your stickers matte, you can skip to the cutting process.)

Important for Cricut users or those planning to get a Cricut: You're going to cut the lamination page to cover the stickers while also not covering the guidelines in the corners. First, take your lamination page and lay it over the sheet, take marker/pen and mark were the edges of your stickers are, and cut off the excess:

(I save the scrap to use for smaller stickers or bonuses later on)

After you've cut out your lamination rectangle, separate the two layers and lay one down on your sticker sheet over your stickers with matte side down, shiny side up. (Save the other sheet for another sticker page)

The gloss of the lamination will prevent the machine from reading the guidelines, so be careful not to lay it over them. It also helps to cut the corners afterwards to prevent accidentally interfering with the guidelines.

Now put that bad boy in the laminator! (Or self seal if you are using non-heat adhesive lamination)

Congrats! You now have a laminated page full of stickers.

For non-cricut/folks cutting them out by hand: this is the part where you start going ham on the page with scisscors. Have fun~

Cutting machine: I put the page on a cutting mat and keep it aligned in the corner, and feed it into the machine. For laminated pages I go between 'cardstock' and 'poster board' so that it cuts all the way through without any issues, but for non-laminated pages or thinner pages, I stick for 'vinyl' and 'light card stock'. Kinda test around.

Now I smash that go button:

You have a sticker now!

The pros of making stickers at home is that you save some cost, and you have more control of your stock and how soon you can make new designs. (I can't really afford to factory produce my stickers anyway)

However, this can be a very time consuming, tedious process especially if you have to make a lot of them. There is also a LOT chance for some errors (misprints, miscuts, lamination bubbles, ect) that will leave you with B-grade or otherwise not-so-perfect or damaged stickers. (Little note, if you have page mess up in printing and can't be fed into the cricut machine, you can still laminate it and cut it out by hand too.)

I have to do a lot of sticker cutting by hand, so if you don't have a cricut don't stress too much about it. I have an entire drawer filled to the top of miscuts/misprints. I keep them because I don't want to be wasteful, so maybe one day they'll find another home. Sucks for my hand though.

But yeah! This is how I make my stickers at home! Hope this is helpful to anyone curious

[papelespresso]

PAPEL ESPRESSO - DEVASA+

As a home barista, investing in high-quality espresso tools can significantly improve the quality of your espresso shots. One such tool that has gained popularity in recent years is the Best WDT tool, or the Weiss Distribution Technique tool. The WDT tool is designed to evenly distribute coffee grounds in the portafilter basket, resulting in a more consistent and flavorful espresso shot. By breaking up clumps and ensuring even distribution, the WDT tool can prevent channeling and improve extraction. Its compact size also makes it a convenient tool for on-the-go brewing, with some models measuring as small as a lipstick. While the WDT tool is a valuable tool for home baristas, it is not the only tool that can improve espresso quality. Another popular tool is the espresso scale, which allows for precise measurement of coffee grounds and water. While the scale can aid in achieving consistency in espresso shots, it does not address the issue of uneven distribution, which the WDT tool can effectively solve. In comparison, the WDT tool can provide a more comprehensive solution to achieving a consistently high-quality espresso shot. When it comes to choosing the best WDT tool espresso, the Lelit Mara X stands out as a top contender. This fully adjustable tool allows for customization based on the number, shape, and strength of needles, as well as the overall material. Its thinner 10+10 needles, made of food-safe stainless steel and measuring 0.35mm in diameter, are the perfect size to break up clumps and ensure even distribution. Additionally, the Lelit Mara X is designed to be the last WDT espresso you will ever need, with its durability and adjustability. Investing in high-quality tools like the Lelit Mara X can significantly improve the quality of your espresso shots, making your home brewing experience more enjoyable and rewarding.

[richarlotte]

more things you swear by?

Japanese Lingerie.

I swear by Japanese lingerie, especially if you love detailed sets. My body doesn’t suit American-made lingerie now that I’ve lost so much weight, and I learned about Japanese lingerie from r/abrathatfits on my journey to find what suited me. The bras are forward projecting and give me a much better side view. I love buying matching lingerie sets, and the sets I usually go for are lacy and intricate; they’re incredibly well priced for the quality they are, and they fit me the way I like my sets to fit me. Buying lingerie is extremely feminine to me, and I love finding sets that complement my body. I’m still not as secure in my new body as I’d like to be, and good lingerie makes me feel beautiful again.

French Tips.

French tips are my go-to. They look good, they’re low maintenance, they’re universally acceptable, and they look clean. When done right, they make my hands look longer and thinner than they are, and I love that with a thinner white line, they look and feel delicate. I mostly do French mani-pedis; it’s a habit I got into when I first went to Chicago, and it’s served me well, so I doubt I’ll ever stray from it. The nail salon combo is widely accepted to be DND865 and DND473, and I do an acrylic overlay on top of my natural nails, keep an oval shape, and request a thin tip if I’m not doing BIAB again. I won’t get into the acrylic vs. BIAB debate at the moment, but I will say that when properly done, BIAB looks amazing, is better for helping you retain length, and it lasts longer than acrylic while looking better.

Classic Makeup and Flicky Layered Hair.

I love styling my hair and doing my makeup; it’s like a reward for waking up in the morning. I get to sit down, make myself pretty, and enjoy the entire process. I figured it was time to update my skincare and makeup routines once again, so I took the time to start watching makeup tutorials (Uma Jammeh, amazing) and using what products I already have to adapt certain looks to my face. As for hair, I’m obsessed with Sarmadina de Beaute as of late and layers. I think my hair looks best with heavy, flicky layers (Remington curls) if I don’t have the time to do a blowout, and I’ve really embraced the process of both finding styling inspiration and actually doing my hair. I found my ultimate inspiration the other day, ordered hair immediately, and cut and styled one of my synthetic wigs to get the look in the interim, and I’m smitten.

Minimal Jewelry.

I’ve always worn minimal jewelry; I’m a major fan of Cartier, and I’ve curated a small collection that I wear nearly every day. I love accessorizing, but I don’t like wearing a million things that have no meaning; I prefer to only wear things I love or things that have a story behind them. Gold is my metal and diamonds are my jewel. I prefer this combo over all of the other combos I’ve seen or worn before, but I also occasionally wear mother of pearl when the time is right. I dislike being weighed down by poorly made pieces; I think jewelry can be used as a statement (when needed), and putting thought into what I wear and what I want my jewelry to say has saved me a lot of misery. With the exception of my charm necklace or lavaliere necklace, I try to wear the same sets every day.

Lymphatic Massages and Red Light Therapy.

Now that it’s November and the weather is soon to turn cold again, I’m much more focused on cardio and my diet. Because I’ve filled my weekday mornings with Pilates and my afternoons with the elliptical and stairmaster, I’ve added lymphatic drainage massages and red light therapy to my weekend schedule. I’ll be in Europe, on the slopes, in the freezing cold for the majority of my winter break, and I’m preparing for that now. Lymphatic massages are a lifesaver for me, especially during allergy season, and full-body red light therapy is just an additional benefit. I’ve also switched from studio yoga to hot yoga and from the steam room back to the sauna, stopped drinking coffee, and really started focusing on increasing my flexibility.

Tinting, Tanning, and Toning.

I love having dark skin already, but I do tend to go wild with the self-tanning in the winter. In my mind, there’s nothing more beautiful than dark skin against white snow, and the darker I am, the better I look. I grew up being told that I was too dark, but I’ve embraced it. I’m proud of my skin, and I love the richness of it, and I use tanner as a way to cover up the scarring on my body and contour my face. As for tinting, I tint my brows and lashes darker than I normally would in the colder months because they don’t turn over or fade as quickly. I never ever tint my eyebrows jet black; that color is far too harsh for my face, and I can’t pull it off at all. I use the darkest brown on my brows and jet black on my lashes. When it comes to toning, I spray my entire body with the Ordinary’s glycolic acid and let it dry after showering for the best results. I swear by it for clearing body acne and preventing any body odor.

It’s similar but different.

[the-apocrypha]

It Started With a Whisper Dream of the Endless/Hob Gadling || 25k || T || 3/6

Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Getting Together, Mother Night’s A+ Parenting, Father Time’s A+ Parenting, Entirely Too Much Chemistry, Both of the Interpersonal and Scientific Sort

Hob, a werewolf from a grotty little estate on the wrong side of London, still can’t quite believe he’s starting his first term at St. Ignatius University. His goals don’t extend very far beyond playing some quality football on the scrim league, and becoming the world’s first (and best) lycan astrophycisist. Then… he meets Dream

Dream Aeternus

Hob: Hope you’re having fun with your family this weekend! 😁

Dream: My siblings are, as always, a font of innovate ways in which to get us all killed, if that is what you mean Dream: [photo taken from the back of a boat, of a husky red-headed boy lowering an electric surfboard into a sun-dappled ocean, while a thinner blonde figure beside him holds another electric surfboard in wait] 

Hob: What?? Those look so fun!  Hob: You won’t die you’ll be fine Hob: Just wear a lifejacket

Dream: [photo of a table on the boat, covered in empty liquor bottles and red solo cups] 

Hob: 👀👀 DEFINITELY wear a lifejacket

Dream: Somehow the risk of drowning or dying horribly in a wreck is still more palatable than the alternative of being alone in the house with my mother Dream: Only twenty-three hours until I can leave

Hob: Yeah, a sunny yacht with five thousand pound surfboards and unlimited alcohol, I’d be counting down the hours too Hob: Weeping into my electromag textbook for you and your suffering rn 🥲🥲🥲

Dream: This isn’t the yacht. It’s only a bowrider

Hob: ‘We aren’t on our yacht we’re on our OTHER luxury boat’ isn’t the winning argument you think it is luv ❤️

Read on AO3

[machveil]

Beautiful, cute, dulzura, A quick question, do you have any advice for drawing? I see your drawings and I just fell in love with them, I just started drawing again but it's difficult...

I don't know, sorry, English is not my first language, using translator jiji 🤎🍁

(note: this post is long, grab a snack lol) ah! no problem, don’t worry about the translator haha (pinterest link - this is my masterboard for human references! I’ll talk about it more below)

I think my best advice for anyone wanting to draw is to break down your piece into shapes! (also, depending on your style, using different line weights)

from my experience, while looking at the whole reference is good, it’s easier to break down individual parts! while some parts can look complicated, a lot of things can be broken down into triangles, squares, and circles (or half circles)

I focus on character art, so I’ll be speaking about that - but it can applied to scenery and objects too. a lot of characters clothes are broken up into colored articles already - in the top reference, Ghost has a red bandanna on his arm! that bandanna helps break up his arm: the top near his shoulder is triangular, the bandanna itself is overall rectangular, and the bottom of his sleeve is a square

of course, depending on how you’re posing the character it can change the angle of what we’re seeing - there’s also an accommodation that your art probably won’t be a 1-to-1 copy with your reference. Ghost’s right arm (bandanna) has a white rolled up sleeve - while the model’s sleeve is square, I prefer to draw rolled sleeves more triangular

I think line weight is also important depending on your style! I prefer thicker lines around the entire character, and defining qualities also get thicker lines

I like thinner lines inside the character to help define dimensional shape and form. I use thicker lines on the inside of the body if there’s a shape/area that’s more in the foreground - example: König’s chest and midsection have thick line art to help differentiate from his left arm (behind his body)

I know a common piece of advice is to use real life references, and I agree… but, I never hear people talk about how to use references in a way that actually helps (“just draw from real life”, or “drawing with a reference is good practice”). I experienced that and wasn’t able to take anything away for years!

within the past year or so I seriously took a look at how using references can help me, so I want to try and talk about that - if I had trouble learning from references I’d wager someone else has

here’s my best example of using a reference because I actually remembered to! I labeled the figure to make it a little easier to follow

(1) my first tip is using a reference to figure out how the body ‘flows’. the human body has a lot of soft, rounded lines when you look at a picture - very few things are legitimately straight and sharp. I used the reference specifically to figure out how men’s pecs are shaped (of course, this is just one reference… because this is my headcanon for König’s body type haha)

(1) looking at references can help you understand how muscles move. in the reference with the woman, you notice how her right arm (down) muscles are layered - the shape portrayed by the reference lets you see how an arm’s muscles might be laid out in that position

(2) my second tip from the König reference is to look at negative space! the highlighted red portion between the arm and midsection is roughly the same negative space as the reference. if you’re using a reference and something feels off with the placement of what you’ve drawn I’d recommend looking at the space your reference takes up

(2) the negative space trick helps me line up where proportions should meet up - the distance between her arms lets me gauge how the rest of her body should be proportioned

(2) while it doesn’t match up 1-to-1 with the reference when layered overtop, it doesn’t have to! the negative space between the arms was enough for the sketch to mimic what the reference looks like. art doesn’t have to be a 1-to-1, but negative space can help you figure out ‘why does that arm look funny?’, “that arm looks funny because, compared to the negative space of your reference, it’s too (far away/close) to the body.”

(3) my last tip is the simplest, so I’ll just be referring to the König figure! when using references I look to gauge the distance between different body parts - it helps me get more realistic proportions. the bit I specifically compared to was the man’s stomach placement compared to his waist. I didn’t copy it 1-to-1 because I like the idea König has more of a tummy, but the reference allowed me to figure out an anatomical placement for where König’s stomach would be compared to his waist

I hope my advice wasn’t terrible haha everyone’s art journey is different, but these are tips I would have liked to know a few years ago (specifically the reference material ones lol). I wanted to focus more on the reference material because when people say ‘just use a reference, it’ll help’ it didn’t do it for me

I personally needed a more in depth explanation on why I would use a reference, what should I be looking at - because just drawing a person doesn’t necessarily help, and how should I be learning from it - I accidentally taught myself negative space before I knew what it was

but uhm… yeah, I hope this wasn’t awful! good luck on everyone’s art journeys, just remember that you’re allowed to take your time and try different things

if you guys have any other questions about my art feel free to jump into my inbox; process wise, inspiration, etc - I’ll answer anything I can<3

[hryniewiecki]

Hi, this is how I made Jinx's chomper grenade, so (maybe) you could (hopefully) make one too (in case you'll ever want to)

With a lot of cardboard and some more paper!

I. GATHER REFERENCE PICTURES I used mostly fanmade 3D models and one or two screenshots from the actual show - that's why my chomper isn't exactly show accurate. I was trying not to go too hard on myself (for a change), so I didn't care about accuracy that much - do as you please.

For gathering refs I use Pinterest and Twitter accounts that share high quality screenshots (eg. this one).

II. PLAN OUT (the hardest part) Time to use refs to sketch the chomper - I started with a rough sketch to get familiar with the structure and all it's elements, to help me better understand how to build it. It was done keeping in mind estimated measurements I was going for (highly recommend using checkered paper), but keep in mind a 2D representation won't fully translate into 3D, so it wouldn't turn out the exact same.

When I was done with the rough sketch, I made a second, cleaner one (in pencil), this time to measure things more exact. Then constructed the "target board" you can see above it. It's representing all the "layers" - the cylinders that once stuck on top of each other would make the grenade - so I know how to space them out. It's basically a top view of the grenade without it's jaws.

III. MATERIALS, TOOLS and how I work with paper (important) List of the most important stuff: - different types of paper* - wood glue and/or any good paper glue - paper masking tape (or any that can be easily removed) - acrylic paints - compass (the one for drawing circles) - hobby knife / exacto knife / box cutter - hot glue gun (optional, but makes things easier) - air dry clay (optional)

*I used 4 types: - magazine paper (super thin, I used supermarket flyers) - cardboard packaging paper (from rice, cookies etc., rather thin but a lot more sturdy than regular paper, easily bendable) - super sturdy cardboard (still looks thin, but it's so hard it breaks easily when bend too hard) - corrugated cardboard (thick, but can be squished to be thinner; a pain to cut with scissors - recommend to use a knife)

Tips for working with paper: - scratch the shiny, printed side of the cardboard packaging to make it easier to glue (you can also try to gently peel it off, but it's not always possible) - another gluing tip: use masking tape or clippers to hold elements together before the glue starts to work, otherwise you may have to hold them in your hands and wait forever - if the paper is thin enough, curl it up to fit before gluing it onto a rounded surface (I mean something like this, except I just press it against a table and not my finger; it can be done with any tool really - scissors, ruler, pencil, edge of the table etc.) - the magazine paper can be used like a sculpting medium (bent, twisted, crumpled into balls etc.) to fill any empty spaces and even things out - I used it to make a "beveled edge" on two of the cylindrical parts, that's why they're covered in colorful stripes

IV. CONSTRUCTION (best part) Time to build some cylinders (how exciting!). I started with the tall middle one. Do I have to explain it? Just remember to add the details (the "bars", aka two layers of cardboard packaging paper spaced evenly) to it before you glue all the parts together.

For the thinner cylinders I simply glued circles of corrugated cardboard together, then covered the sides with a strip of cardboard packaging paper bent to shape. Depending on how tall the cylinder is, one can cut out two circles (top and bottom part), then sandwich (glue) some more scraps inbetween and cover the sides.

Now onto the two tricky parts: 1) Bottom I cut a ring out of the sturdiest cardboard I had and built an armature on top of it. It was then covered with magazine paper strips dipped in glue to create a half-sphere (basically paper mache). I filled it with even more crumpled paper to help hold the shape.

To make those funky "bolts" I scruffed each of those parts a bit a the bottom by cutting about 5 mm into them, so the paper would bend inwards allowing it to better fit the uneven surface. Then glued on the caps (this is when I run out of patience, filled the "bolts" with hot glue, placed random scraps on top of each one and then cut them into shape ..whatever works).

When you have everything assembled and it doesn't look the best, you can use more magazine paper to try to fill any gaps. Even better if you have air dry clay (that's what I used to even the half-sphere a bit). It's great for smoothing out the transition between parts if mistakes were made. If you want to make it super smooth you can use sanding paper.

2) Chompers (most important) I planned out the jaws on checkered paper, constructing the shape by following the lines or making diagonals, so it would be easy to replicate and make adjustments (super easy to measure).

It was then traced and cut out of cardboard packaging paper. I connected each part using masking tape to shape it into a jaw and check if it fits the grenade - after some adjustments were made I glued everything in place.

I wanted the jaws to be thick, so up to three additional layers of corrugated cardboard were cut out and glued on the inside of the initial "sculpt" - this allowed me to carve the eyes through the first layer.

V. PAINTING (suffering) general tips, because I'm not an expert - I used acrylics and started with painting everything black, then color and simple shading, then highlights (thin, bright lines on the edges), and paint splatters at the very end - the layering allowed me to later scratch some of the paint off to add more texture - follow your refs closely, you can even pic colors of off them (using a graphic software or any color picker online) to hint what to mix (eg. the jaws had a greenish/blue tint, so I mixed a bit of green paint with black and white)

- more on that note: just try not to use only black and white (that's what I did on my first try, when I forgot how painting works) - on the final version even the bottom part (which may seem plain black) has a drop of red or brown added; the highlights are not purely white either - it takes a lot of time and requires angelic patience (took me 2 days); take a break if you get too angry or frustrated

And I think that's it!

It's my first time trying to explain stuff and I wasn't sure how much detail to include, so if anything's unclear or missing I'll update the post. Feel free to ask and point out stuff, I'll be happy to help!

Good luck have fun

[prettieinpink]

GROWING OUT + STYLING YOUR LASHES

Minimise the use of mascara + if you do use it anyway, ensure that most of the residue is washed off with micellar water before you go to sleep

Avoid lash adhesives, falsies, eyelash curlers etc for the time being.

Using a clean spoolie, brush through your lashes everyday, this helps stimulate them which promotes growth.

Apply oil to your lashes daily- coconut, castor, olive etc etc. use a cotton swab for a clean application.

Consider taking biotin, collagen, or vitamin E as supplements for lash growth (consult with your doctor first!)

Avoid touching/rubbing your eyes, as this can pull out some of your lashes.

Use tweezers carefully to style your lashes each morning

To naturally curl your lashes, I just use a small spoolie and warm Vaseline, and leave it for around 1-2 minutes.

Apply some Vaseline there and there because it helps with locking in moisture but don’t apply anything to the roots as it will block the hair follicles for growth

GROWING OUT + STYLING YOUR EYEBROWS

Same things here- wash your face and ensure no make up residue is in your eyebrows + apply oils daily.

Avoid plucking your eyebrows for 12~ weeks. This gives them time to properly grow and actually highlight stray hairs.

Try to wear sunglasses that cover your eyebrows, as excessive UV exposure to your eyebrows can harm the proteins there, which cause them to be brittle and thinner.

Once again apply small amounts of Vaseline but the former still applies.

Exfoliate your eyebrows around 3x a week as it stimulates the follicles which promotes growth

Use eyebrow gel for them to stay put throughout the day, but a good quality one as some can leave white residue.

Fill them in if they’re sparse, but still be diligent. Overfilled eyebrows<<<

Know if an arch, soft arch, or straight eyebrows suit you the best, dear peachie has a good video on this.

[dreamy-love222]

Hi I was dreamy-love111 but I got termed, I hope this one doesn’t get termed either. I won’t post body checks or only post them without tags, I also won’t be using any tags on my posts I hope you guys understand ^^

Anyway I am super sad tumblr doesn’t let us exist in peace, we are sick, not horrible people, and we deserve to have a platform where we share our thoughts and emotions.

I am glad to be back and let’s become the best versions of ourselves together! I love posting about my studying and my progress! Let’s encourage each other to get thinner, better looking (via skincare and working out) and more knowledgeable (via studying).

We got this. We can be who we want to be despite having an ed! We won’t let that hold us back from accomplishing our goals! 🩷

I have a discord server for people with Eds that want to get better grades and get better in all areas of life. We deserve a better quality of life despite being sick. Dm me and I’ll send you the invite ^^

I also made a website on Wordpress

dreamylove111.art.blog

I share anything and everything on there!

[melanieph321]

Ruben Dias x Reader - City Girls Part 7/8

Yeah this is a mess I can't fix 😅. Had fun writing this chapter tho since it ft Kyle Walker whom I am very fond of 🤣

Reader plays for the Man City girls academy. She struggles a bit but gets Ruben to mentor her. The the two don't hit off despite having many things in common. It all gets worse when Reader eventually catches feelings for Ruben.

Enjoy!

Cityzens Day.

It was mainly for the club sponsors but alot of players brought along their families and friends as the day was filled with fun activities, football challanges and the ever so popular guided tour inside the Ethiad campus.

It was your first time attending, although it was mandatory for all City players. A little sad, that you weren't able to bring your family from Brazil. They would have loved it, especially the chance to play football at the Ethiad Stadium. Apparently that was the highlight of the event, a friendly game between players from all levels, men, women, girls and boys, and of course their families. The game would be broadcasted on the teams website and it usually brought alot of laughs to alot of people. You couldn't wait to play, but until then you wandered the campus alone, watching other players enjoying spending quality time with their families.

"Hey Y/N, come here!"

You were observing a very intense juggling contests between an academy player and someone's kid, when coach spotted you in the crowd, waving you over.

"Meet my family." He stood next to a beautiful red-haired woman and young boy with a toothy smile. "This is my wife Trish, my son Ethan and that over there..." He pointed towards the crowd, to the center of it, where the juggling contests was happening. "That is my daughter Lucy." He said.

"Wow, she's really good."

She was definitely bruising the ego of the young academy player. He would certainly up his juggling game after this.

"You know, she reminds me alot of you." Coach smiled. "I can't get her to stop juggling the ball either."

"Seems like her talent won't go to waste today, the price is a Playstation 6, no?"

You shared a laugh. Coach had a lovely family who had flown all the way from Australia to see him. Cityzens Day was really the best time for that.

A food truck pulled up to campus just in time for lunch. You bought a taco bowl so big that you had to share it with another player as she saw you struggling.

"So when are you coming to play with us again." She asked, you knew her as Alison Bennett.

"I dunno?" You sighed. "I don't think I fit into the kind of squad your coach wants."

"Are you joking?" Alison frowned. "But you played so well with us."

It was strange really, but since it happned more than once now, that you got excluded from playing with the first team, you simply assumed the worst. Even though Ruben told you not to worry about it, you couldn't help but to. Your development as a player was at stake. And the fact that Ruben's diet helped you put on a few pounds was not a constellation. Perhaps the coaches on the first team had noticed, that you were getting fat?

"Speaking of playing, are you on for the game this afternoon?" Alison asked.

"The game against cityzens?"

"Yeah?"

You smiled. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

"Great. I really hope you're on my team. I'm the captain. We're gonna need...."

Alison got tuned out as you sighted something in the distance, or better yet, someone. It was Ruben, walking side by side with a woman just as tall as him only thinner. She was wearing a Man City jersey, sporting the number three, Ruben's number three. He held a hand to her lower back, guiding her around, introducing her to his teammates.

"Speaking of players I would like on my team." Alison took notice of where all your attention had gone. "We could surley use a defender like Dias."

"Ruben?" You asked, your voice a bit strained.

She nodded "He's like the best defender City's got. We'll never concede goals with him on our team."

You turned back to look at Ruben and the woman he had brought. Could it be his girlfriend? In that case Ruben didn't have a type, because you looked nothing like her.

"He used to coach me, you know?" Alison leaned in and whispered.

"Who, Ruben?"

She bit her lip, nodding her head.

"B...but you're a forward?"

"So? Aren't you one too? Nevertheless,  Ruben used to teach me how to improve my skills. You know, help me get past the...."

"Defenders." You said, finishing of her sentence.

"Yeah, exactly. He's a really good coach."

"I can imagine." You ignored the painful beating of your heart. "Tell me..." You asked. ".. did you used to go to his place to, you know,"hang out"?"

She snorted. "No, why would I do that?"

"Oh."

A slight relief.

Alison stood, having helped you finish your meal. Her smile was devious. "No, Ruben used to take me back to the infirmary. We used to"hang out" there."

Your heart sank.

It was the realization that perhaps you were one of many.

********************************************

The afternoon sun was setting over Manchester City, but Cityzens Day was far from over. The game of cityzens was still on the agenda.

You laced up your cleats and stepped onto the football pitch at the magnificent Ethiad Stadium. It was truly breath taking playing in front so many people. Although the game was for fun, you were determined to showcase your talent, and even more determined to win against Ruben and his team. That's right, he was the captain of a squad containing lots of good players from all divisions. Players that made your teammates look like freaking toddlers.

"Alright! Ladies, fellas, huddle up!" A man urged for all the players on your team to gather around him. He was big, but funny looking, with a voice that did not match his brutal appearance.

"I'm Kyle Walker, but you can call me your captain for this evening."

"Captain?" Alison frowned. You were lucky to have her om your team, however, she did not look happy to find the captains armband handed to someone else. "We never voted for you to be our captain." She protested.

"Well, you should have. I have the experience when it matters and feel confident that I can lead this team to victory." He said.

"How?" A young U21 player squealed. Like the rest of you he was glaring at Ruben and his team as they warmed up on the opposite side of the pitch. The majority of Ruben's squad were players from the men's first team, including their assistant coaches.

"They're gonna eat us alive." The boy said, to which everyone agreed.

"Well that's not the spirit. Come on guys, hands in." Kyle ordered for everyone to stretch out a hand towards the ring you formed. "Victory on three, alright. One...two...three...VICTORY!" Kyle shouted, whilst the rest of you mumbled the words. Nevertheless you personally were not intimidated. You had played against tough opponents before, and you knew that you had a team that could give it their all, because Manchester City was arguably the best football club in the world.

The whistle blew, and the game began.

The first half was a blur of sweat and noise, as the two teams battled it out on the field. You dribbled and ran, dodging and weaving around your opponents, but Ruben and his team were tough to beat. They were bigger and stronger, and they had a few tricks up their sleeves.

"Whatta fuck!"

You ate dirt as Ruben ordered his players to tag team you. You stood no chance as Ruben was well aware that you rather go on your own than pass the ball.

"I'm sorry Y/N."

Ester pulled you up from the ground, having helped her teammates knock you down. She was playing for Ruben but seemed genuinely sorry for how he was running his play.

"Just give me the ball." You scuffed, as coach blew the whistle, handing your team a freekick for the offense made against you.

Kyle took it and missed.

The game resumed.

"Come on team, it's not over yet!" Your "captain", encouraged. "Fight until the end!"

As the second half began, your team was down by three goals, the majority of players being tired, cold and dirty, ready to throw in the towel. But you refused to give up. You knew that you had to do something to turn the game around, and you were determined to be the one to make it happen.

The moment didn't reveal itself until injury time. During he last minute's of the game. Ruben misjudged a pass, and you saw your chance. Charging directly towards him you had no other intention than to dribble past him.

"Pass the ball!" Kyle shouted, pointing to Alison who stood open, ready to receive the assist.

Your heart was pounding in your chest, you had to do this, you had to try and get past him. However Ruben's braud frame made it nearly impossible for you to sight the goal behind him. He looked smug, aware that your chances of getting past him were slim to none. But you had prepared for this. Ruben had prepared you for this. As he lunged forwards, you did not hesitate to bring the fight to him. The two of you clashed together, with Ruben's strangeth throwing you off, however you had suprised him with an elbow to his lower ribs, the quick jab making him fold before your eyes. It was your chance to get past him. For that split second that you caught him lacking you managed to ship the ball in the air and leaped your body over Ruben's extended leg. It was the moment of the match, the crowd on their feet watching a 60kg girl go head to head with one of the world's greatest defenders, beating him to it, sending the ball into the back off the net.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and your team rushed onto the field, arms around each other's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear.

"That's what I'm talking about. That's how we play!" Kyle Walker was in the verge of tears. You may have lost the game, but you had proven that you were not to be underestimated. Not now, not ever. By anyone.

"Great game Y/N."

"Um, thanks."

Ester approached you as the pitch cleared of people, friends and family members heading their respective ways. Cityzens Day was officially over.

"I really mean it, you played amazing."

You were on the ground tying your cleats. Looking up at Ester you sighed. "What do you want?"

Her expression was hard to read, her eyes desperate to tell you somthing. "I..." She squealed.

You stood, hands on your hips. "Yes?"

She sighed. "I'm sorry it had to be this way...between us. You really deserve to play with the first team but so do I. I've fought all of my life for this position."

"And I haven't?" You gasped. "Ester if you've got somthing else to say to me I rather not hear it." You turned your back on her and walked away, however, she fought to catch up to you.

"Come on Y/N. At least now you get to be with your boyfriend. I mean it was his idea."

"Whatta hell are you talking about Ester. I don't have a boyfriend."

"Could have fooled me." She chuckled, to which you frowned. "Ruben practically begged me not to tell the club officials about you two. He told me that he would talk to the coaches on the first team, tell them how you were having problems settling into a new country, mental problems, that were effecting your performance."

"He did what?"

Suddenly you lost the sensation of your hands and feet.

Ester nodded. "It worked. The coaches on the first team didn't want to put pressure on you by calling you up to play for them and so they picked me instead. It's a win-win for both of us since you get to be with Ruben and I get to play."

You were lost for words, trying to make sense of her words that were like riddles to your ears. However one thing was clear, Ruben had betrayed you, and for what?

[shapelytimber]

Hiii! Obsessed with ur art style and ur character design skills

Do you have any tips or tricks for depicting different body types and also specifically drawing wrinkles bc it never turns out for me (sad) and I need to draw hot older women

Omg thank you sm ! <3 And if you want some tips, I can give you a lot jfifkd I went to art school for way to long and I'm not one for gatekeeping

For different body types, just practice figure drawing (and learn simplified anatomy) ! Here are some great resources to do it online (because finding real life models when your not in school is hard)

Figure drawing :

Timed figure poses (nude) on ytb / line of action / sketch daily

You can also look at the books "Morpho", tho it's not free

Artistic anatomy :

You can look at books from Paul Richier (tho he was a doctor not an artist so a lot of it is way too detailed, but you can find some very useful drawings) -> general stuff (p53 for a full man, the rest is more specific but you can find some zoom on specific muscles in movement) (also oops sorry all in french), specifically woman's anatomy p65 (tho it's practically the same thing but this ones more wordy so less fun to look at)

Anatomy for sculptors (great 3d models)

And now old people ! Wrinkles can happen in a lot of different circumstances : when showing emotion, depending on the angles of the face, on fatigue, on weight, if your skull is more or less visible...ect...

But if you want to learn how to draw specifically wrinkles that appear with age, there is multiple things to know :

(Very long talk about lines on faces below, I'm sparing you all not interested to have to scrolls through all that fjdkdk)

-wrinkles show in the areas of the face where there is repeated movement that create a fold that, with time, makes a permanent mark.

-when drawing, you should more or less mark them depending on their deepness. For the deeper ones draw with a black line, less deep a colored one and very subtle just using shading (at least that's how I do it in my style). Also ! They are certain lines that are normal to see on faces of every age, but tend to make them appear wayyy older in stylized drawing (especially with lines). For example, I have pretty defined lines going from my nose to the corner of my mouth because I have defined cheekbones. But if I where to draw them as marked as they look irl, I would appear way *way* older than I am. So unless you want to go for realism, go a bit lighter on the ones going from nose to mouth or the crow's feet (unless laughing) for someone under the age of ~50

- Not everyone get the same wrinkles, faces can tell a story ! For example if you choose to accentuate more the ones at the edge of the eyes and corner of the lips, that could mean your character spent a lot of his life smiling and laughing. In contrary, if you accentuate the ones between the eyebrows and around the nose, that means he sneered and scowled often.

And tips specially for senior citizens (after like 60)

- The quality of skin in older people is different ! The skin is thinner and drooping down (interesting detail, that you prob won't use in 2d art but, around 80yo the skin becomes once again a bit more taut and smooth (this is very subtle) before once again degrading further ! Source : my old sculpture teacher- he used to teach in med school, but I can't find a source online so take this with a grain of salt).

So learning the zones of the face where fat accumulates, then making them shift downwards can be a way to show age. They are some people who have very peculiar faces or don't have much fat there (ex Peter Cushing), but in *most* people it's the case, even if it's subtle.

- You can also make the skull more visible : sunken eyes, hollow cheeks... Even if your character isn't particularly thin, it will make them appear older. But obviously the more fat there is, the more subtle it is.

But really the best tips of all : look at old people :) in pictures or irl

Oops this is very long fjfknfk

[nerdierholler]

It's done! Attempt number two at book making is complete! It's still just Ethan's Wayhaven Book 1 run. I did a big overhaul of the typeset compared to the first one, which I was trying to make small to minimize the page count. This came out about 130 pages longer and the text seems to breathe much better now. I also added a couple of basic graphics, a moon in the chapter headings and little moons as section headings. I used variegated red embroidery thread for sewing the signatures for just a pop of ominous color between the pages. It is a game about vampires after all.

Working with paper instead of cloth for the cover was a mixed bag. It looks gorgeous in a way I couldn't do with cloth but it was harder to get just right and I'm not sure it will hold up the best long term. But as a second attempt, that's ok. I tried new things and learned new things this one which was the goal and overall I think it's a more attractive finished product, or at least more visually interesting.

The breakdown on mistakes is under the cut. It's mostly for my benefit so I can remember later but please learn from my learning if you would like!

First off here's a comparison of my first and second attempts.

The paper I used for the first wasn't exactly 8.5x11 as noted before and I think it was even narrower than I realized before I tried to trim the pages. It is a significantly shorter book! Also the typeset differences. I'm really happy with how the new one came out.

Mistakes and improvement for the future.

Paper, Paper, Paper - I didn't even attempt to use interesting paper for this, just regular printer paper. Not needing to worry about trimming was so nice. I bought 9x12 sketch paper thinking it would fit in my printer, it did not, and I wasn't going to trim every single page to size so I have that now in my crafting pile. Maybe I'll make some blank journals with it. I do like the slightly off white color and heavier weight of the paper I used the first time and if I put in a fancy paper order I'll take that into consideration.

Paper: Part 2 - I want the scrapbook paper I have to be heavier and the cardstock to be lighter. Once I put glue on the paper it was so hard to work with because it wanted to wrinkle but also felt like it might tear if I tried to smooth it too much or reposition it. I ended up backing the piece on the front cover with a piece of printer paper and that seemed to help.

Mull - I've been using cheesecloth. I didn't starch it last time so I tried that this time but also saw something about putting glue over the whole piece of mull first then attaching it instead of holding it over the spine and dabbing/brushing glue on top. Bad choice. The mull is a mess and it isn't flat on spine, it was weird and stiff and there's slight gaps in between signatures as a result. I couldn't rip it off though so it is what it is. Won't be doing that again in the future though. Minus the mull issue I was really happy with the textblock though.

Endpapers - Again fighting the thinner craft paper. I should have sewn these on but I didn't. However I couldn't add them later because of the mull issue once I realized that so they are fully glued to the first page for added strength instead of being tipped on. Making them then and sewing them on takes more time but might be the better route to go in the future.

Gluing - I feeling like have terrible gluing technique. Things feel too wet but then if I use less or add some water for easier brushing on it doesn't stick as well. I think this is just a practice thing but considering how much gluing there is, it is a little frustrating.

Labels - Tried that for the first time with paper. Not sure how I feel about it . I think it looks alright but mostly it was about the paper quality and durability. Story of this build.

The Casing In - It was not great.

The back is alright but I really messed up the front cover. I think I pushed it too far back into the hinge so the cover doesn't quite close all of the way and is why there's such a large fore edge wrap space. I also think I made my spine piece slightly too narrow so that didn't help either. Ah well. Warping could also be from needing to glue the extra backing paper to the cover paper first and it's just too much glue pull in one area with nothing to balance it.

She's done though and once again I'm carrying over lots good knowledge for the next one. If I saw it sitting on someone else's shelf and they told me they made it I would be super impressed so I should give myself that credit as well.

[lauriegraham01]

you're still around | natasha romanoff

pairings: natasha romanoff x gn!reader (one instance where it can be interpreted as fem!reader)

summary: "i know better but i still feel you all around." you never envisioned a life spent with natasha, so what do you do now that the aftershocks of her death has uprooted your life?

wc: 2.5k

a/n: I cannot speak of my grief over natasha, so enjoy this instead! + this is me cleaning out my drafts so im sorry if quality is trash </3

You never loved the beach. You never loved the beach until you met her.

Having been assigned on a mission together in Los Angeles, you found yourself on the sand far more times than you cared for.

"Oh, you're being ridiculous it's not that bad."

"I'd rather die."

Even behind her tinted aviators, there was no denying that signature playful glint shinning in her eyes. She loved how you had a flair for the dramatics, always teasing how she's the only one who could ever put up with it.

"Look, it's only for a couple of hours until we make sure that Stavros meets his guys here."

"And not a second more."

Hours slipped away as you two soaked up the sun. You could live in this moment forever. The sound of waves crashing against the shore matched the ferocity of your heart beating in your chest. You were full of love, consumed by it. Yet how could you not.

The way her sun-kissed skin seemed to soak up the sun, how her hair danced in the gentle ocean breeze, and how peaceful she looked as she she slept in the sand.

You feared the inevitable- dreaded it even. Yet lying next to her, unable to look away, you knew it was too late.

Your bond only continued to grow, spending more time both on and off the clock. Using any excuse to be near each other in hopes of learning something new, even though that seemed impossible. Natasha was the first person you felt like you could be completely open and honest with. You were surprised yet relieved when she told you she felt the same way.

Things in those days were still fresh, you both were equally fully of worry and reservation. The fear of ruining an already incredible bond preventing either of you from pursuing something greater. There was a silent understanding of this- despite the circumstance, you and Natasha continued on as you knew best. Pushing each other to be greater, being each others cheerleader, and truly wanting the best for each other after seeing the potential you both possessed.

Each moment shared together played on repeat in your mind until you could see her again. Late nights spent sparring in the gym, pool games at dive bars, and endless romcom movie marathons that only were only respected by Wanda.

The endless messages exchanged during meeting whenever Steve would go on forever. The getaways spent upstate thanks to Natasha swiping the keys to one of Tony's many many cars. The late night spent revealing sins to each others, and the darkest memories and fears that haunted us. The comfort that lasted till morning when you awoke to another sunrise wrapped in each other's arms. Each moment spent with her was truly magical.

You felt yourself falling deeper in love with Natasha with each passing day. You had reached a point where you couldn't remember life without her by your side, and the thought of having to go back to that terrified you both.

"I don't want this to be what splits us." Running your hands over your face, a tired sigh escaped your lips. The stress of the Sokovia Accords had everyone on edge and you and Natasha were no exception.

"I don't see why it has to," Natasha exaggerated. Her patience growing thinner after the countless back and forth and still not seeing eye to eye.

"You know why," you objected sharply. "it's not right, Nat. You know that." Your eyes met her with an unwavering look of defiance. There was no swaying you to change your mind. She always knew you were so stubborn.

"I know," she admitted.

"Then why are you signing?!" Throwing your hands in frustration you don't immediately notice the boom in your voice as you spoke.

It wasn't until Natasha swallowed thickly before averting her gaze towards the ground that you realized your mistake. Your shoulders slump as you let out a tired sigh. You felt that you were at a crossroads, and there was no right answer in which way you moved.

"I want us to stay together, it doesn't matter how," she emphasized, the edge in her voice unmistaken as she enunciated each word. Green eyes looked up at me through silky lashes, behind a determined look I saw the sadness in the mist of green eyes.

In that moment you felt all your fears cement into reality. You knew there was no way both of you could win and your heart broke as you both pledged your allegiance to opposing sides of another mans war.

Looking up at her you saw the same exact heartbreak in her eyes. You reached your breaking point, as the room seemed to close in you bolted out of your seat and aimed for the door. As your hand squeezed the handle, you hesitated- for a brief second. You didn't want to walk out on her, it was the last thing you ever though of doing.

Sparing her a final look, you see the stoic expression on her face. You always knew she was stubborn, but the hardened expression on her face only further proved what you already knew. There was no changing her mind, just as much as there wasn't changing any yours.

"It does to me."

You fought on opposing sides of a pointless war. When the dust settled, there was no morning glory to be found in its aftermath. Just bitter resentment and heartache as the family you've fought beside for years was no more.

Now considered an enemy of the state, you fled the country, not knowing if you would ever come back. By the time Steve had told you how Natasha helped him and Bucky flee, it was already too late. You were thousands of miles away and burned too many bridges that could never be crossed over again.

You thought about writing, but what could you say? Too much was said and done last, you didn't think there was ever coming back from that. You spent the next two years trying to erase the memory of her. Proving quite difficult as you saw her in everything, her love still being the fire that kept you warm even miles away.

You dreamt of a time where you would come face to face with her again. You've rehearsed the apologies you would say and the confessions you would lay bare if you ever were to see her face again. Yet all that flew out of the window as she stood in front of you, finding you amidst the crowded market square.

"Natasha?" Despite her hair now blonde and much shorter, you still could recognize her face in any crowd.

"Just shut up." She said, catching you off guard.

Taken aback, you sighed deeply as you gave her your full attention. Taking in her full appearance, you note her lose tank and green skirt that flowed with the summers breeze. You don't think you've ever seen her in something that colorful. Despite all the changes, she's still Natasha. You still saw the girl you fell in love with all those years ago on that beach.

The crease between her eyebrow reveals how Natasha seemed deep in thought. Hesitant to speak what's on her mind as she darted between your eyes, weighing her options.

"I never wanted to rely on anyone for anything," she began. "I thought that if I could be independent and alone then I could avoid the pain that comes from losing people."

Fidgeting with her fingers and from the bite marks on her lip, you sensed the urgency behind her words.

"I don't wanna live like that anymore," she confessed urgently. As if she could no longer bear having such a brilliant truth hidden for a second longer. "I love you y/n. I think I have for a long time now but I was just too scared to admit it- and I know things are complicated but i'm ready for this. I want this. I want us-" Stopping suddenly, feeling breathless the longer she looked in your eyes. "You. I want you."

"I love you."

Time seemed to slow down in that moment. The sound of thousands of people packed in the Brazilian market faded to nothing as you looked at her, her words echoing in your head. If Nat had felt even an ounce of relief from getting the truth of her chest, her face didn't show it. She had this look on her face, you studied for it moment before you realized what it was- fear.

She thought you would walk away. That you would scoff at her confession, see through her for what she thought she was, flawed.

She couldn't have been farther from truth. Her eyebrows furrowed in mix of shock and confusion when she felt a finger tilting her chin upward. Swallowing thickly, she awaited cruel rejection. However, seeing the adoration behind your eyes, she let herself believe that maybe there was some room for redemption. The corner of her lip curled upwards before the both of broke into breathless laughs, the twinkle in her eyes making your heart soar as it sang Natasha's name.

"I love you too."

After that, you never knew a life without Natasha. Having fought in Wakanda and losing so much during The Blip, you two became each other's anchor.

Never wanting to be away from her again, you moved back to New York. You helped direct the remaining Avengers as missions were still executed and help was needed everywhere. Despite the darkness that the world was wrapped up in, you and Natasha were each other's lighthouse, guiding each other back to shore.

It wasn't until Scott came barging on the compounds door and the the rest of the team got together for the time heist that hope would shine for the first time in a long time.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come instead," you lowly ask as you and the rest of the team prepare for the time heist.

"I'm gonna pretend to not be offended by that." Clint chimed in as he made his way past us.

"Shut up Barty, please!" He throws his hands up in surrender as he's met by your annoyed gaze. You don't miss hearing Bruce chuckle as he typed away on the control panels.

Facing Natasha again, you're met with her amused smile as she looked up at you.

"I promise I'll be fine," she insisted. "Clint's got my back-right Barty?!"

Clint just grunts in acknowledgment.

"Trust me?" Raising her eyebrows as she lifted her open palm toward you.

Taking her hand and turning it over, you placed a chaste kiss onto it.

"Damn right I do," you say, never breaking eye contact.

Not missing the way her cheeks flushed at the sudden gesture you bring her in and capture her lips in a soft kiss. Earning a wolf-whistle from Tony in the process.

As you all stood in a circle on the platform, ready to go back in time in hopes of bringing everyone back, your eyes meet Natasha's again. Heart fluttering as it did everytime you looked at her.

"See you in a minute." Her eyes glimmering as she smiled at you.

Those words replayed in your head in a constant loop for months. You never got to say goodbye, and that's what killed you the most.

You never were good with grief, and having lost so many people because of Thanos, you spiraled into a depression that lasted the better half of a year.

Yet when you were ready to face that grief, it was Yelena who was there for you. She was one of the few people around who understood what it meant to lose Natasha. To have known and loved her so intimately, and have that taken away.

Staring out into the same sea at the same beach where you first fell for your blue-jeaned baby, as comforting hand on your shoulder shakes you from your thoughts. Startled by the sudden presence your eyes look up frantically to meet with Yelena's concerning gaze.

"Hey," her voice soft, "you okay?"

"Hey-um, yeah, i'm fine really." You shake your head furiously as you blink away your tears. Meeting her eyes again, the love and sincerity that poured behind Yelena's eyes was enough to make the damn burst.

"No," you croak as a sob wracks itself out of your body. Engulfing you in her arms, you burrow your head in Yelena's shoulder as grief's uncharted weight washes over you.

"I know what she meant to you. She told me about a month after taking down the Red Room. I never would've taken her for a U-hual lesbian."

A laugh escapes your lips. Looking back on it, things did happen rather quickly. After taking down Dreykov, she felt a new found purpose in life, a need to reconnect with family and loved ones.

"Yeah, well it was a long time coming," you let out softly. You pull out of her arms, wiping away at your dried tears.

"Thank you, Yelena. I know what she meant to you too."

You don't miss the sadness that flickers in Yelena's eyes.

"She meant to look for you earlier. She told me about you while staying at one of Tony's safe house", you sigh reflecting on the confessions said that night. The fire and a shared bottle of whiskey having kept you both warm that night. "She never stopped thinking about you."

"I know," she affirms, voice shaky. "Thank you."

You offer her a soft smile, eyes crinkling as you giver her arm a reassuring squeeze. Yelena then locks arms with you, a sudden peace washing over you like the waves ashore you were watching.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Looking over at her, you note the blonde wisps of hair that moved with the wind.

"Are any of us?" She doubled back with a smirk, earning a chuckle from you.

A brief silence falls over you two. One full of reluctant acceptance as it is with sadness.

"I promised I wouldn't say goodbye." You barely heard her. You almost thought you hadn't from how low she spoke.

Looking back towards the water, if you didn't know any better you'd think she was still around. If you thought about it long enough, you could still make out Natasha's footprints scattered across the sand. Or how graceful she looked dancing in the sand.

You could hear the sweetness of her laughter as not even the call of the seagulls could sing a finer melody.

You can still feel the warmth of her pirate smile, shinning bright as she looked at you from over her shoulder.

As the wind picked up you closed your eyes and let the memories of your sweet summers spent with Natasha flash before you. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was talking to you now. Through the way the wind echoed her whispers of "I love you."

Opening your eyes, the warmth and love of those memories still sprout inside you, even as your met with the sight of the beach's barren winter. She's still here, always with me.

"Maybe you don't have to."

You know better, but you still feel her all around.

[greenandhazy]

I just queued up a post about sustainable fabrics and started to write something in the tags before realizing that it was drifting away from the point

but PSA: with the caveat that the most sustainable item of clothing is the one that's already in your closet, I would suggest that if you are someone who struggles with temperature regulation, you should seriously consider adding more linen and wool to your wardrobe. determining the "true" environmental impact of various fibers is v complicated, but for a start they both use significantly less water than conventional cotton, and imo the improvement they've had on my quality of life is well worth the substitution.

linen and wool are by far the best fabrics for temperature regulation--the former is lighter and more breathable than cotton and will keep you cooler in the summer, the latter is breathable but heavier and more insulating and will keep you warmer in the winter, even if it gets wet. (there's actually a saying among people who hike/do winter sports that "cotton kills" because you are more prone to hypothermia in cotton undergarments than in wool.) do not even get me started on linen/wool vs polyester.

this is something that I think is especially important given higher cost of heating lately, higher temperatures due to climate change, and the number of people who have health conditions or medications that make them sensitive to heat. this isn't to say that your clothing/bedding choices will compensate for a livable environment, but as someone who used to wake up 2-3 times a week sweating in synthetic sheets for four months of the year, and shiver in an inadequately heated room for another three, these little swaps can seriously make extreme temperatures a little more bearable.

that being said, wool and linen do tend to be more expensive, so if you're looking to get the most bang for your buck, I would recommend starting with:

linen sheets, even just a fitted sheet (some companies do sell them solo). overheating while sleeping is literally the worst.

linen pants, especially if you work in a job that doesn't allow you to wear shorts. linen shirts are also nice, but even cotton/poly shirts tend to be thinner than pants and might already be short-sleeved/you can roll up the sleeves, so the impact of pants will be more immediate.

a chunky wool sweater. avoid cashmere, and merino unless it has cables--these are very soft, lovely wools, but they're generally pretty light and made more for their softness than their insulation properties. for maximum warmth, you don't want a thin "office sweater," you want a "my Irish gran knit this in her cottage on the windy coast" sweater.

wool socks. these are more likely to keep you dry and warm if you're walking through slush or rain, in addition to just general walking-around-the-house warmth. for these I would say the type of wool matters a little less, generally because you do want socks that are somewhat lightweight so you can wear them in shoes. and just FYI you're also more likely to see wool socks blended with silk, nylon, or spandex for strength and elasticity, so don't drive yourself up the wall trying to find the mythical 100% wool sock. even hobby knitters tend to blend wool with something because of the amount of friction that wears on socks.

again! the most sustainable type of clothing is what you already own. but some of these are the kinds of small swaps you can definitely make over time, and you might find them genuinely helpful.

[sorceresssundries]

A Battle of Wits

Summary: As an arrogant wizard and a jaded cleric set out to find a suitable campsite, tensions rise between them. Tav finds herself wrestling with Gale's shadowed past, as well as other feelings which are starting to make themselves known...

Word count: 3,4k

Notes: SFW. Felt the need to write a one-shot which featured a more arrogant version of Gale than in my longer fic.

It had been two days since Gale had disclosed his dark secret, and Tav had decided she preferred the enigmatic stranger to the apparent ‘open-book’ he had turned into. Now that everything was clearly laid out, it was as though the flood banks had burst  and the constant stream of references to being Mystra’s chosen were wearing Tav thinner by the hour. 

The two of them had been tasked with finding an appropriate location for their merry band to set up camp, as last time Astarion had lumped them alarmingly close to a pack of Gnolls. His scouting privileges had since been rescinded, and instead he had been demoted to foraging duty with Wyll -  to the vampire’s loud and dramatic disappointment. This left Tav to navigate the nearby woodland alongside the insufferable wizard to try and find a suitable resting spot.

“There was this one particularly riveting occasion, where Mystra twisted the weave into an exceptionally elaborate piece of magic which allowed me to pleasure…

"I'm going to stop you right there," Tav declared, halting in her tracks and fixing Gale with a stern gaze. She folded her arms across her chest, her expression blazing with disapproval. "I do not want to hear any more disturbing stories about you and your... mother of all magic," she emphasised, her tone leaving no room for misunderstanding. She couldn't bear to entertain any more of his unsettling anecdotes.

"Envy is a predictable response from a devoted cleric such as yourself," he continued, his tone dripping with condescension. His casual demeanour contradicted the gravity of his situation, an arrogance unbefitting someone carrying a self-assembled bomb in their chest. "But I wouldn't expect you to grasp the complexity and intensity of our relationship."

“Listen wizard” Tav retorted “I serve with appropriate devotion. I am not blighted with the arrogance of believing I should be entangled with the deity who decides my fate and guides my hand” 

He laughed in a pitying kind of way which made her want to rip out his stupid little earring. “She was more than my deity, she was my lover.”

“There is no ‘more’ than a deity.” Tav sighed in frustration, determined to end the conversation and talk of it no longer. Gale was a man lost. She was bound on a journey with a vampire, a Sharran amnesiac, an extinguishing barbarian, a tortured Warlock, and Lae’zel - who quite frankly was a breath of fresh, albeit sharp, air compared to the others. 

Gale was the biggest challenge of them all. At least Astarion, the vampire spawn, was transparent in his values, a quality Tav could begrudgingly respect. Self-serving, untrusting, and manipulative, Astarion possessed qualities Tav, with her decades of clerical service to the downtrodden, could navigate. She had faced the darkest corners of humanity, offering healing and support to the most burdened and jaded souls society had cast aside. Dealing with Astarion was familiar territory.

Gale was… complex at best and a dangerous hypocrite at worst. While he professed a deep-seated value for kindness and the safeguarding of the vulnerable, his path was often clouded by impulsive decisions and an overbearing sense of self-importance. In him, Tav glimpsed the flicker of greatness which he seemed determined to extinguish. He could be a beacon of light, if only he wasn’t obscured by the fog of his self-delusion.

"I could delve into exquisite detail about the intricacies of our romantic entanglement, but I wouldn't want to overstimulate your senses," Gale's smug smile returned, his tone dripping with self-satisfaction. "So, I'll leave it to your somewhat limited imagination, shall I?"

Tav tilted her head ever so slightly, a gesture laden with subtle disdain, and let out a dramatic exhale. “Yes, what an arousing thought. One of countless wizards plucked and discarded by Mystra. A drop in an infinite ocean. How impressive you must have been.”

Gale's pride remained unshaken "I was quite impressive, actually. In various aspects. The youngest chosen in a century..." he bragged, his blind arrogance failing to grasp the heavy undertone of exploitation in his admission. It made Tav feel sick. “That was before I was cast aside and abandoned, obviously.”

“Tough was it? Moping around on your sunlit balcony in the city of splendours, caged in a luxurious prison of your own making?” Her mind wandered back to her days in the lower city of Baldur's Gate, where poverty was an ever-present spectre. There, her sanctuary had been anything but opulent—a humble cleric's tent nestled in the harbour, among the downtrodden and destitute.

While others struggled in the comforts of their gilded towers, Tav laboured tirelessly amidst the suffering and hardship of the masses. Her hands, calloused from endless toil, offered solace where there was none. Exhaustion had been her constant companion, born of the ceaseless tide of poverty that swept daily into her little tent. Some she could aid, yes, with her limited skills and the grace bestowed upon her. Yet, for many, the damage ran deeper than flesh wounds, and her healing incantations were mere whispers against the roar of their suffering.

How vividly she remembered those penniless urchins, the spark in their eyes smothered by the weight of their burdens. She recalled the heart-wrenching sight of a child slipping away in the grasp of a grieving mother unwilling to let go. In that moment, she was not just a healer, but a bearer of sorrow, tasked with the duty of ushering a fragile soul into the afterlife.

As Gale raised his finger, poised to deliver what Tav anticipated would be yet another vexing remark, the murmur of voices drifted toward them. With swift determination, Gale ushered her behind the shelter of a nearby tree, their bodies pressed close to conceal themselves from prying eyes. His back against the rough bark, he drew her against him to minimise their silhouette against the midday sun.

Tav couldn't stifle her yelp as she found herself with Gale’s arm around her waist. His hand swiftly covered her mouth, preventing any further noise she might have made, eliciting from her a muffled protest that manifested as a defiant 'hmph'. Gale couldn't help but give a low chuckle at her discomfort.

Tav tried to focus on what the approaching voices were saying, but her thoughts were muddied by how soft the skin of his hand was against her lips. This spoiled magician had obviously never done a hard day's labour in his life, everything about him seemed to get her riled up. What a frustrating, arrogant, soft, lavender scented…

She lost her train of thought as the voices became clearer.

“...hidden it away from camp. Don’t fink she trusts the others not to fuck about with it.”

“I don’t even know why we shittin’ bothered. It’s just a bit of wood shaped like an old man. Betcha couldn’t even bash someone over the head with it.” 

“It’s not for bashing, you mush-minded lump. It’s for fuckin’ with the druids. Those animal-wankers will be all over the place with their precious idol gone. And now Mistress Minthara knows where the grove is, it will be easier to kill ‘em all. I can’t wait to tell her.”

“She won’t fuck you, you know. She’s some kind of Drow princess, and you smell like shit.” 

Gale’s breathing had quickened at Tav’s ear, surely he wasn’t scared of a couple of Goblins? 

So, the Drow had figured out the location of the grove. It was inevitable really, Goblin search parties had been increasing by the day and with the added pressure of the Tiefling refugees, the sanctuary of the glade was becoming more and more difficult to keep hidden.

"We need to question them," With a deft flex of her tadpole connection, Tav probed her thoughts into Gale's. Each time she delved into his mind, it felt oddly intimate, a sensation amplified by their current proximity—her back pressed against his chest, his hand firmly covering her mouth.

“Ok, let me - i’m much more capable at the art of negotiation than…”

“No. I'll do it. You’ll just piss them off.” 

His hand dropped from Tav’s mouth, and she turned to glare at him. His pupils were wide, and breathing still heavy. His eyes seemed to flicker over her face and settled for a brief moment on her lips. The close contact and the heat of the day must have been addled her brain, she thought to herself.

Quickly and quietly she rummaged through her backpack, and pulled out a leather dog collar and a bunch of rope the group had found earlier. Tav had been saving it for Scratch, but she was very much going to enjoy putting it to a different use. 

“Put this on.” 

“Excuse me?” Gale held the collar up to study and his distaste was clear in her mind “I am an infamous, educated, revered…”

“You’re a whiny prick. Now put it on.” 

He grumbled intelligibly to himself as he fiddled with the strap around his neck. The leather pressed tightly around his tanned skin, and the small silver tag sat pretty in the hollow of his throat. Tav made a small sound of smug satisfaction at the sight of him, and the silver tag bobbed tellingly in response. She then bound his hands with the rope, and tightened it just a little more than was necessary. She was surprised that didn’t complain, the only noise between the two of them were his increasingly heavy breaths. He must be nervous, Tav thought.

It only took a couple of seconds for Tav to cast a quick spell to change her appearance to that of a dark-skinned under-elf, and Gale quickly picked up on her plan.

“Oh for the love of…” he exclaimed out loud.

“Who’s there, show yourself!” The slightly larger Goblin pointed its spear in their direction, and Tav took pleasure in pushing Gale out from their hiding place, before she swaggered out behind him.

“Oh! A drow! In the sunlight?” The Goblins looked at each other in confusion, surely only a True Soul could bear to be in this blistering daylight without any discomfort?

“And here I was thinking Goblin heads are just full of flies.” Tav sneered at the two of them.

“Why were you ‘iding behind that tree?” The Goblin did not lower its spear.

“Ah, there’s that tell-tale buzzing noise of gnats in an empty skull, or maybe it’s just because of your pungent scent.” Tav’s voice dripped with as much venom as she could muster, and Gale did his best not to turn his head to glare at her. “I was not hiding. I was allowing my recently-caught slave to grant me pleasure. It’s a warm day and I needed him to lick the sweat off me.” At those words, Gale seemed to shift a little on his feet. Tav revelled in the fact she was making him uncomfortable. 

"I've been sent by Minthara to check up on you. She said you useless cretins were taking longer than expected. She does not like to be kept waiting." Tav took a leaf out of Gale's book and tried her best to mimic the arrogant lilt that brushed his voice when he talked about being Mystra's chosen. 

“Oh.. do not fear your excellency, your loveliness, your dark majesty… we have completed our task! We buried the idol good and proper…” The Goblin bowed low in deference. 

“You buried it?! Out in the wilderness, where there are Gnolls and other wild animals clawing around for scraps?” 

“We are good at burying fings! Bozza here buried her whole family last week.” 

“That’s awful..” Gale’s reaction was instinctive, and Tav gave him a sharp shove in the back as a punishment. 

“Not really, I was the one what killed ‘em”, Bozza shrugs.

“Oh..”

“Silence, pet.” Tav pressed her foot to the back of one of Gale’s knees, causing him to drop to the ground. “You speak when I allow it.” 

Gale grimaced, he was going to be unbearable after this. 

“Good boy.” Tav purred. She could swear she noticed him shudder slightly at her words. Excellent, maybe this would knock him down a peg or two. 

Before Tav could delve further into her interrogation of the goblins, a sudden thwack cut through the air, and a well-aimed arrow found its mark, striking Bozza squarely in the forehead and snuffing her out in an instant. Startled, Tav barely had time to react before two more arrows whistled through the air. One found its mark through the second goblin's eye socket, while the other veered slightly off course, embedding itself in Tav's shoulder with searing pain.

"Fuck!" Tav exclaimed, the agony of the arrowhead piercing her flesh causing her concentration to falter, her disguise fading back to her usual appearance as she crumpled to the ground.

"Shit!" A familiar voice rang out from the nearby bushes, and Astarion and Lae'zel emerged, rushing to their aid.

"We thought Gale had been captured," Astarion explained hastily.

Gale, exasperated, raised his bound hands in frustration. "I am an exceptionally competent wizard! My knees may be a tad on the creaky side, but I can assure you I am more than capable of locating a suitable campsite without getting captured by a couple of goblins and a drow!"

“Yes, of course darling.” Astarion sneered “And that leather collar suits you quite well. A true mark of competent wizardry, wouldn't you say?" His laughter punctuated the jab as he deftly freed Gale from his bindings.

Tav's pained groan cut through their bickering, drawing their attention back to her.

"Tav requires healing, oh competent wizard," Lae'zel interjected, her voice carrying a hint of impatience. "She is fortunate it was the vampire's arrow that struck her. One of mine would have spelled her end.”

“That was your arrow!” Astarion argued.

“Chh’k” Laezel stowed her bow away and counted her remaining arrows. “Your many years have made your brain slow and your aim weak, blood-sucker. It cannot be helped. “ 

"Guys!" Tav's urgent interruption finally broke through their squabbling, drawing their attention back to the matter at hand.

“Go on then, chosen one. Do your thing.” Astarion waved his hand dismissively as he started rooting around the dead Goblins to see what goodies he could find. He started removing a pair of boots as Gale knelt by Tav’s side to examine the injury. 

“Healing magic isn’t my forte” he admitted a little sheepishly.

“Of course it isn’t” Tav panted between strained breaths. Her vision was blurring as the pain began to overcome her senses. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” His voice was coloured with offence.

“A wizard naturally blessed with control of the weave, an archmage, the chosen of the Goddess of Magic herself, and yet you never devoted any real time or effort into learning how to heal people? Why am I not surprised.”

He did not respond, just furrowed his brow as he looked through his pack to find any healing potions. 

There was another rustle from the bushes, and just as Lae’zel drew back the string of her bow for another shot, Scratch appeared wagging his tail - paws dirty from digging, and with the Idol of Silvanus clutched in his jaw. 

“I fucking love this dog.” Tav exclaimed through her pain-gritted teeth. “Good boy, Scratch.”

“Do not give that to the wizard, hound” Lae’zel commanded. “He will only eat it”

Gale dropped his attention in indignation. “Firstly Lae’zel, I do not eat magical items, I absorb the stands of the weave residing within them to sate the arcane hunger of the voracious orb which resides in my chest. Secondly, I would not dare to drain away the magic of something so significant! The trinkets that have been offered so far are more than enough to… “

Pain made the anger which suddenly coursed through Tav burn hotter. “That trinket we gave you was from one of the Tiefling refugees, who soon will be out in the wilderness with barely two coins to rub together!” she snapped, and Gale at least has the decency to redden slightly. 

“So, listen to me, former arch-wizard - everything we have is hard-won. A magical locket that was a gift from a family for saving the life of their child has now been sacrificed upon a dark altar of your own making. And it was just as significant to them, as that religious idol is to the druids.” 

“I did not mean…”

But Tav did not get to hear the end of his protest, pain and blood loss overtook her, and the last thing she remembered was the feeling of being slung over a lavender-scented shoulder before drifting away into unconsciousness. 

Tav awoke much later, the setting sun casting a soft pink glow over the Emerald Grove. The air had cooled, and the crickets began to sing their evening song. A bandage snugly covered her shoulder, and her arm was secured in a tight sling. She found herself laid out on a bedroll in the central circle of the Grove, where the Idol of Silvanus sat back in its rightful place, bathed in the fading light.

“Do not fear, all is well.” Lae’zel was sat on the ground next to her, deep in concentration sharpening a dagger. “The Idol has been returned, and the druids warned. In the morning, we must waste no more time in eradicating the goblin threat.”

Tav nodded in agreement, pain still thrumming steadily in her shoulder and head woozy from the potions she had been given. 

"You've just missed Gale explaining the intricacies of the Astral plane to me," Lae'zel said through gritted teeth.

"Oh," Tav replied, her confusion evident. Partly at how that conversation must have started, but mainly at how Gale wasn't lying dismembered at her feet. "The place where you grew up and your entire race is based?"

"Yes," Lae'zel hissed as she stalked off to practice her sparring technique, no doubt with Gale's face at the forefront of her mind as she brandished her sharpened blade with warrior's devotion.

Tav eventually stood up, still feeling lightheaded but strong enough to stretch her muscles and go in search of something to eat. As she approached a simmering cookpot, she noticed Arabella the Tiefling girl sneaking around with something behind her back.

"What's that you've got there, little one?" Tav inquired, her voice gentle as she approached the child.

"Boots that make you move faster!! Aren't they cool!" Arabella's eyes sparkled with excitement as she proudly displayed the pair of boots in her hands. "The handsom—uh, I mean the wizard gave them to me to give to my parents! He told me to tell them I found them in that abandoned Harpy nest."

Tav couldn't help but smile at Arabella's enthusiasm, her heart warming at the sight of the girl's joy. Yet, Arabella's grin faltered as realisation dawned upon her. "Oh! I don't think I was meant to tell you he gave them to me either", she admitted, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

"Don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Tav assured her, placing a comforting hand on Arabella's shoulder.

Arabella dashed off to reunite with her parents, her excitement contagious as she handed over the prized boots. Tav watched with a tenderness as Arabella's mother erupted into laughter, her husband joining in as they struggled to fit the boots over her legs.

Tav scanned the room, and saw Gale sat amidst a small gathering of wide-eyed Tiefling children, his presence commanding their undivided attention. In his outstretched palm, a small purple dragon breathed delicate sparks before flitting around the heads of the mesmerised youngsters, eliciting giggles and applause. Tav smiled at the heartwarming sight, her heart softening as she watched Gale perform for the small, awestruck faces.

As the scene unfolded, one of Mol's gang approached from behind, their intentions less than noble as they deftly detached Gale's coin purse from his robes, swiftly pocketing their ill-gotten gains. Tav tensed, ready to intervene and reclaim what was rightfully Gale's, but before she could make a move, something unexpected happened.

Behind Gale's back, a subtle wave of his hand went unnoticed by the children, yet Tav caught the faint glimmer of magic. In an instant, the purloined purse reappeared in Gale's grasp, his smile warm and genuine as he met Tav's gaze with a knowing look. A subtle wink followed, and Tav couldn't help but burst into laughter, her heart light and fluttering.

Perhaps there was hope for him yet.

[physalian]

IngramSpark: Good or Nah?

I decided to work with them last minute to set my book up for success, and, in case they screwed me over, I could hate them in a properly informed manner.

So!

IngramSpark (IGS) vs. Amazon (KDP) so far: A detailed comparison.

Spoiler Alert: FUCK INGRAMSPARK

Alrighty these are two proof copies (author copies) of the exact same book made with the exact same PDFs. IGS is on the left in all pics.

Stuff to note:

The IGS copy is slightly greener, the purple is less vibrant. KDP made the exact colors I painted this with in photoshop.

The KDP book is slightly thicker and while the spine print is slightly off center, the front cover is perfectly centered. Compare both of the lower moons on the right side and it's very obvious that IGS cut theirs incorrectly. It's cut incorrectly because their paper is thinner, thus needing a slightly narrower print PDF (which isn't something they would tell you).

KDP is slightly thicker because they used thicker paper. Theirs is less polished creme, you can feel more of a grain of the pages, but because they're thicker, they're less transparent. I can read straight through to not only the back of the title page, but straight onto the next piece of paper for the IGS copy, and theirs cost more to print.

KDP shipped in lighter packaging, which meant my copy got a little banged up as opposed to the cardboard coffin the IGS book was in. Pick your poison.

KDP

PROS

A breeze to work with in most areas. I did not need to use customer service, so I can’t comment on that, but I’ve heard it’s superior to IGS in every way. They do have a community chat that I have used when confused (more below) and pages upon pages of how-to resources.

Simple user interface, very easy to click through all the set-up menus and not once did it freeze or crash on me (more below).

Did not use their formatter or cover generator, I used Adobe and did my own so I can’t comment on their quality.

Their “print previewer” was fantastic. I could click through the whole book and they explained very thoroughly where some issues were and what I should look out for and they let me use my own files without issue instead of having to build them in the platform.

Their royalty rate is the best you can get in this industry, because they’re not selling to anyone but themselves so there’s no middle man taking a cut of the profit.

Print quality of the book itself is fantastic. Only thing I miss is the ability to emboss, but no print-on-demand company does that as far as I’m aware. The colors were an exact match to my design in Adobe, I have no complaints.

Instant reports and near-live report refreshes for ebooks. Print copies don’t register on reports until the book ships, but Amazon prints and ships within ~2 days.

Because it’s Amazon, even though proof copies aren’t applicable with Prime, my copy still got here in 5 days including print time. My print copy totaled the print cost plus $3 in standard shipping that I could have rushed.

It did get a little banged up on the bottom but I think that was during shipping not at the printing press.

If you’re really strapped for cash, they do offer free ISBNs *but these are KDP only ISBNs, you don’t own them, and they are non transferable between vendors and POD companies. Bite the bullet and just save up for your own ISBNs and buy them in bulk if you can and you plan on publishing at least 2 books in your lifetime (like a paperback and hardcover of the same book, even).

After I submitted my ebook for preorder, I kept finding little details to fix and lines I wasn’t happy with that got nixed at the 11th hour. Updating this was seamless and free and the updated versions were processed within 6 hours or so. Amazon did not lock in the files to the date the preorders were set like IngramSpark would have.

CONS

They still don’t have paperback preorder, but they do have a feature where you can submit for a future release, which is just giving your files over to go live on a set date. Thing is: When you get to the end of the setup, there’s a button that says something like “submit for publication” which does not actually mean “move your publication date to right now” like I thought. So I missed my paperback date by 2 days.

Their proof copy has that annoying grey “Not for Resale” stripe across the cover so it looks wonky in marketing images.

They have a “cover art size calculator” feature, which did not line up with the actual file size I needed come submission time, off by a few millimeters. Which meant resizing in Photoshop and it was incredibly annoying and tedious.

Upon finally hitting the “publish” button Amazon flagged my book and told me to fix the highlighted errors. Well there were no highlighted errors, and said error(s) could be anywhere across four pages of details. I had to consult the community notes to figure out what they were talking about (it was an ISBN issue) which was quite annoying.

IGS

PROS

Well-known as the best print-on-demand (POD) company with the widest reach, including Amazon, for expanded distribution. (NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE)

Also well-known as the highest quality self-publish paperback, that still doesn’t do embossing. (NOT IN MY EXPERIENCE)

They do paperback preorders (which I did not participate in).

Integrates flawlessly with libraries and retailers that Amazon won’t do (which is about its only claim to superiority). My book was searchable on Barnes & Noble within 48 hours.

IGS, like KDP, has free ISBNs (US only), with the exact same non-transferable issue. However, because they integrate across all sellers, Amazon included, if you only intend to work with them, you’ve reached every market anyway.

CONS

Their royalty rate sucks ass. I had to price my book $1 higher through IGS because I was literally at a deficit with all the printing costs and vendor discounts (so if you want my book for slightly cheaper, buy it through Amazon). Through IGS, I think I’m making about $1 in royalties, when all is said and done. And I’ve heard, shockingly, that that’s pretty good.

I didn’t try to use their customer service because I know it’s notoriously terrible. But it would have been helpful when their website crashed.

Their website crashed on me three times when trying to upload my files. Before it crashed, their “submit files” button simply did not work, so I had to go the roundabout way through their formatter and cover wizard (which I didn’t like) which then told me my 300DPI cover art was too small. The exact same file I submitted and had in my hands at perfect resolution to Amazon. It took almost 2 hours of running around in circles on their site to essentially start from scratch to get this up and running—and I did all of this with polished files from the get go because I knew revisions would be tedious. Can’t imagine the hassle if you aren’t ready to go immediately (this is why I didn't do a preorder with them).

I have heard that if you make changes to your files, they don’t go into effect until the next month, meaning if you have typos, and anyone buys your book before the next calendar month despite you fixing them in the system, that person is still buying the old version. I have also heard that generating reports is not seamless. After 60 days, revisions also cost you $25 a pop (KDP is free).

If you submit pre-made PDFs for your manuscript and cover (as in, you don’t format or generate them within their system) they do not have an instant previewer. Mine took 48 hours to deliver a link, when that shit should be automated and instantaneous and should allow me to use my own files.

IGS does not have Amazon’s monopoly on shipping, so to get my book here at all quickly, it cost me almost $20, rush fees applied for only 1 day faster than Amazon did. “Quickly,” being I ordered the proof on the 24th, and it won’t get here until the 28th. Meaning, that if you’re not paying rush fees, you’d have to wait longer.

They can be quite confusing with revisions during the preorder process. Per their website, they can begin printing your book “generally” 30 days before go-live. Which means someone who preordered your book on the 3rd gets the version of the book that was available on the 3rd, even if you update it on the 5th, because they print those immediately, even if the book’s official release date of the 30th hasn’t passed. You’d pretty much have to be completely done with revisions before setting up for preorder with them to be absolutely sure, which means wasted time. I don’t know why they don’t just queue up the books to be printed on a hard deadline a few days before release.

So. While I hate that Amazon has a monopoly, about the only thing IGS has going for it is their expanded distribution when everything about their business, from their platform to their user experience to the actual quality of books is at best dead even with KDP, but in my experience with my best foot forward, IGS annoyingly inferior.

I don’t think they’ll remain the “best POD company” for very much longer. I did not do hardcover for ENNS as of this post so I can’t comment on either service’s print quality, only what I’ve seen in other reviews. Some people like the jacket-less print-on-the-cardboard look (Amazon), some people (me) like the jacket, if only so I can use it as a bookmark.

*I wrote the above paragraphs before getting my proof copy from IGS and fucking hell they're not even competent at printing

It is also a massive waste of paper and shipping resources to have to print multiple versions of proof copies fixing errors outside of my control. My proof copy from KDP is perfect. IGS? Nope! But they wouldn't let me properly preview it so I had no idea this would happen.

Even as a consumer who might hate the idea of giving Amazon more money, there’s an argument to consider: I totally understand the desire to keep brick and mortar stores afloat and I don’t want Amazon’s monopoly on the market to grow even larger. However, Amazon makes sure that you’re making more than pocket change on your book, unless you jack up the prices for readers on the back end so the whole thing costs more all the way down the pipeline. I refused to do this.

That deficit that forced me to price ENNS even $1 higher than Amazon really bothers me with IngramSpark. That deficit exists because of a higher print cost and a 55% discount given to vendors so they can still make their cut of profit from stocking your book. IngramSpark had me sit through a whole video saying “if you don’t do this no one will stock your book” while saying you could go as low as 54% but that might scare off vendors.

In essence, at this time, KDP makes sure that you, the creator, make money. IGS makes sure that they and the businesses selling your book for you make money. I didn’t do any of this for profit, but it does hurt seeing all your hard work, possibly years of effort, have a royalty of $0.87.

So, yeah, is IngramSpark worth it?

I don’t yet know what their reach will amount to. It’s a dream of mine to see my book on a bookstore shelf, but signing up with IGS does not guarantee you sales, it just guarantees you the best chance possible at reaching potential buyers. But at the moment, all it looks like to me is fees, a bad UI, cheap printing, arrogance from perceived superiority in the market, and a business built boldly in favor of its own profits.

Amazon’s a shady-ass corporation, but I’m going to have to say they’re the better bet. At the very least, for your first book when you don’t have an audience and if making a profit is important to you.

—

I did not try to use any other POD like Draft 2 Digital or Barnes & Noble Press, as I already have KDP and IGS is the best platform to integrate with KDP.

See here for the cost breakdown of my debut novel from draft to publication.

[that-ari-blogger]

LavenderTowne and Hazbin Hotel, Part 2

A while back, a youtuber by the name of Lavendertowne released a video on Hazbin Hotel and the fan reception was… mixed. Lavendertowne discussed her perspective on the series and presented her own ideas of how it could have been done differently, and some people liked what she said, others didn’t.

I made a post discussing her discussion soon after, and I am rather proud of it. So, check that out if it interests you. As the title suggests, this is going to be a follow up.

But recently as of writing this (I’m prewriting this a few weeks before it will go out), a second video was released, and I have thoughts.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD: (Hazbin Hotel)

The framing device of this video is that it is an alternate universe in which Lavendertowne has been given full creative control, as such, her design sensibilities supersede everything else, and I want to point out that this means your relationship as an audience is different.

I will not be judging the quality of the artwork and skill, and I will instead be pointing out what the different designs imply through what elements they incorporate, and discussing the criticisms levelled at the series.

This AU doesn’t have to deal with any of that, this is one person putting out her thoughts.

The original series had to go through Amazon Prime’s standardisation and animation and budget. It had to deal with execs who don’t understand television as a medium making decisions based on metrics that don’t hold up to any inspection whatsoever. The series had to mingle with shareholders and individual animators and writers with contradictory artistic visions.

Speaking of which, lets start with Angel, and I actually agree with some of what Lavendertowne said in the section about him. Hazbin Hotel, for all its successes, is definitely not a perfect show, and a ton of the pacing issues are evident through the characterisation.

Most notably, episode four is one of the show’s best episodes, finally slows down and tells a story about an abusive relationship. It’s horrifying to watch, but you can’t look away. Angel is vulnerable and desperate, his constant flirtatiousness is shown as a façade that he keeps dropping accidentally. Its harrowing and really well written, and Valentino is f*cking terrifying.

For the rest of the series, Angel doesn’t have this depth. It’s established he’s wearing a mask, but because the show doesn’t have time to show you the real him, the mask is all you get.

Yes, this can feel like dodgy characterisation. Media is subjective, that’s kinda the whole point, so while I am more than happy to take what we learn in episode four and use it to imply depth beyond what we see in the rest of the series, not everyone is, and that’s ok.

Moving on to the actual design, I love Lavendertowne’s Angel Dust, although this is mostly because I prefer the more monstrous character designs. I like to draw on horror in my writing, so the uncanny valley is something I am at home in.

I want to draw attention to the difference in shape language. Hazbin Hotel is very cartoony, so it can get away with some truly wild proportions to get the character’s vibe across. For example, Angel is wild and jagged, his asymmetry implies an off balanced nature and his thin limbs imply speed. This guy’s design communicates movement.

Lavendertowne’s style isn’t really equipped to do that, her proportions are more… I hesitate to say “realistic”, so “grounded” will have to do. Instead, she relies on a messy hairstyle to hint at that mental unrest and makes him as thin as she can possibly get without breaking with her style. Then she adds those upwards stripes to emphasise his height and make him look even thinner than he actually is.

This makes Angel look fragile rather than flighty.

Lavendertowne designed Angel twice, once in his performance attire, and once in his informal dress, and we see what she has focused in on.

A series featuring these character designs would prioritise angel’s duality and insecurity. The posing of the first design is closed in, and combined with the oversized coat that he wears like a shield, gives him a defensive stance. This angel would still be flirtatious, you can’t take that away from him, but he would be more guarded as a person.

Meanwhile the performing character design is more open, he wears less and is posed as open and inviting. This angel looks more acrobatic and nimble, but also more vulnerable. There is a correlation implied between the lack of physical defences and a more excessive personality, as if one is compensating for the other.

There is a trade off here. Angel’s original design played into his mafia past with the suit and tie, but Lavendertowne instead positions him as more of the femme fatale, who lounges back and gets the secrets. It’s a different archetype.

Niffty's design I don’t really have many thoughts on. I like the beetle mandibles in the hair and the little caterpillar is cute.

One of Lavendertowne’s criticisms of the series as a whole was that the overall colour was very monotonous. She highlighted the fact that the series is mostly bathed in red, and to show off what she meant, she presents Niffty with some splashes of green and yellow to balance out the hues a bit.

Lavendertowne’s Lucifer design is complicated in my eyes, because its my favourite of the designs, but also the reading of the character that I disagree with the most.

For example, the video states that Lucifer is a neglectful father and that there is a dissonance between his care and his selfishness that doesn’t make sense as a character beat.

So, allow me to argue a different understanding of the character. In my eyes, Lucifer does care deeply about his daughter, but he is truly awful at showing it. He decides to protect her from the hardships that he suffered by not letting her even attempt anything risky. He doesn’t want her to fall, so he won’t risk raising her up and letting her see the sun.

This became neglect, or absence, which Charlie is hurt by, and Alastor uses as a weapon.

Lucifer’s dawning realisation that his behaviours is one of those things that got messed up by the shortened pacing. I would have preferred another episode of getting to know the crew at the hotel and growing to like them, and so having an entire arc in one song wasn’t my favourite part of the series, as beautiful as that song was.

“You didn’t know that when

I tried this all before,

My dreams were too hard to defend.

And in the end

I won’t lose it all again.

Now you’re the only thing worth fighting for.”

Lavendertowne’s design prioritises the trauma of Lucifer, and as a side note, this version of the character would also be voiced by Jeremy Jordan, because that man has range.

But to that point, this is a fundamentally different version of the character. Where the series version has put on a brave face to hide his deep insecurities, the version Lavendertowne presents looks utterly defeated as a person.

This looks like the type of person who wallows in self-pity and who’s redemption arc would take two or three episodes. Lucifer here looks like he spends all of his time sitting on a roof top waxing philosophical and too caught up in his own mourning to notice the distance growing between him and his kids.

Case and point, the makeshift halo that he wears is such a phenomenal design decision. It’s an active character beat that he has tried to replicate his dignity before his fall, showing how he can’t move past it, but it also shows his lack of care. It’s made of string, its for him and him only, it doesn’t have to look right to anyone else.

Lavendertowne’s Lucifer seems like he would be overjoyed to join his daughter at the hotel, and desperately try to reconnect, like in the series, but it would take Husk or even Sir Pentious explaining to him that he was the reason the two fell apart, and breaking down the idea of hope and getting better as a person. It would show off how Charlie’s message has impacted others, and would lean into the slower burn story that these designs seem intended to display.

The cloak is also a cool detail, first up because of the crown on the shoulders which impact the silhouette and the shape language. It makes him look spikier and standoffish, but the broken crown motif is also a personal weakness of mine, so I won’t dwell too much on that for fear of gushing about the history and iconography and two separate fanfics I have written which feature that in their titles alone.

However, the cloak’s main feature is to get across the tone shift between this story and the original. It occurred to me halfway through this that the designs presented in Hazbin Hotel feel like they were designed as costumes first. They are symbolic and referential, with the rule of cool being paramount.

I respect this a lot, but Lavendertowne’s ideas present a grittier story, with outfits seemingly designed with practicality in mind above all else. Here, a character going flying across the city would have majour consequences. Gore and death would be rarer, but more impactful, and as a key part of that, this story would more heavily focus on consequences.

In this case, neither Lucifer or Vaggie will get their wings back in this version of the story. Lavendertowne specified this in her video, explaining that this was because the original undercut the trauma that these two received, and that’s a valid take.

Part of what I respect about Lavendertowne’s design process and formatting of the video was the fact that she presented a reason for her own unenjoyment of the series, and engaged with that criticism to present something that she would prefer. Again, art is subjective, and the video really takes apart preferences and the logic behind them.

Here, Lucifer doesn’t have wings, and instead uses his cloak to mimic the shape, linking back into that conceptual space of being stuck in the past, like his halo.

What this means for the story presented is that the final fight would have to take place within the hotel itself, where the angels cannot fly away and can be engaged with on even ground. I’m envisioning set pieces in the main halls, and staircases, and a moment when Husk turns off the light in a corridor, then cut to Angel’s perspective as he tries to find his friend, only to flick the light back on to see Husk, wounded but still standing, surrounded by half a dozen dead exorcists. I think that would be cool.

Also, the pomegranate sceptre is a neat design, and the open chest is the type of overly dramatic outfit choice that an overly emotional, self-sabotaging mess of a person would make. The type of design that pulls on an edgy, fallen angel, paradise lost style pf nonsense that I whole heartedly approve of.

Lute’s design I like, but it took me some time to get used to.

Part of this is that I genuinely despise the design of the exorcists in the series. I think in concept they are really interesting, especially with the mask, but in practice they just don’t work. I think it’s the colour scheme, they don’t scream “heaven” to me. They appear designed as “righteous crusaders questing for the greater good” and all that hypocritical, I would have preferred if they had their home turf emblazoned on them, like crusaders.

Lavendertowne’s design emphasises the idea of juxtaposition. Lute doesn’t look like a combatant; she doesn’t look dangerous. She looks like a saint. Until you see what she is doing. You notice the sword and the bloodstains on her hands and the combat boots which imply something beneath the façade.

The wings are also an interesting detail that Lavendertowne implements in her designs. One of her criticisms was that the designs of the angels and demons weren’t identifiable as pertaining to one side or the other. While I think that was an important theme in the series, the idea that when push comes to shove, the morality of hell and heaven were almost indifferentiable, I like that Lavendertowne took a different direction with her design.

In the AU, there is a hypocrisy evident in the exorcist designs, and Lavendertowne focused in on how they appear different and present a mask of superiority that is completely undercut by their actions. Hence the wings allow the angels to fly and literally rise above those they deem unworthy, while acting as a visual signifier of alignment.

I picture Lute’s white outfit getting absolutely stained with mud and rubble and blood, and I picture this version of the character as more cordial in conversation, the type of person who thinks being polite makes you correct, only to devolve into wordless screams of rage when she starts losing.

That hypocrisy is exemplified by my favourite part of the design, the headdress. Because first up, iron halos are cool, and the fact that they are the only metal on the design works with the fact that the angels don’t know they can get hurt, but second, this mask doesn’t have eyes.

We could say that there is some magical or technological way of seeing through the mask, maybe there is a screen in there and she’s like iron man with a ton of gizmos and gadgets, or maybe there are little holes or a mesh like an old gladiator helmet that lets her see through.

But visually, this communicates that Lute doesn’t see the world beyond herself. She is blind to change or anything that would challenge her mindset, and has intentionally closed off herself from learning anything new.

It also limits her expression. Sure, her mouth is visible, so she can smile or grimace, but the eyes imply emotion. She’s hiding from you just as much as she is hiding you from herself.

Final Thoughts

In any case, I really like the designs presented here, and I think that exploring how they communicate different ideas from the original based on different design and story preferences and sensibilities was interesting to do. If Lavendertowne releases another video, I might do another follow up.

I want to stress that me liking LavenderTowne's redesigns does not invalidate the show, neither do any criticisms. I mentioned that the series has flaws, but I love it regardless, and it's ok if others didn't.

Once again, I will write fanfiction for this universe if Lavendertowne approves, because I think that it would be an interesting thought experiment. I think the scenes in this version of the story would be longer and more drawn out, instead of the rapid pacing of the original series.

Other than that, if you liked this and want to see more, I wrote up a discussion about the first video, but I am also making my way through the source material. I have a series about musicals and storytelling in those, and right now, I am discussing Hazbin Hotel’s songs and what they do for their story. So, stick around if that interests you.

Part 1