#but I can’t usually draw backgrounds or paint

[itsajollyjester]

Went from not finishing any art for weeks to painting a castle

[sparticus2000art]

I would like to say congratulations to cross xtale for coming out as trans.

[k0libra]

“Traversing the Asteroid Belt”

Crowley and the Universe, illustration 2.

Also there’s some behind the scenes stuff under the cut

This piece took me 39 hours and 58 minutes!!! Not just because of so much detailing that I had to do, but also because I did a major repaint 2 times…..

This was the first attempt, I didn’t like how the asteroids turned out and also the piece was too dark….. I usually draw in the evening with the lights off before going to bed. So the piece looks okay in the dark, but in the morning it all bites me in the ass, because apparently I can’t see shit!

The second attempt was lighter in tone, more colourful and I finally figured out the technique for the background asteroids. But when I started painting the foreground ones, it just felt… odd. As if it was too over complicated for this illustration. So I had to think again about how will I manage this. I’m satisfied with the final solution, though.

In the end, it was a very demanding piece, but I’m happy that I didn’t give up! It turned out good I think!

[steftastan]

Carian Stroll

“Tell Blaidd, and Iji…I love them.”

Before this piece, I had been wanting for a long time to create my own piece of Elden Ring fanart featuring Ranni. I had tried several sketches unsuccessfully, just wasn’t particularly feeling the ideas I had sketched up until that point.

One day of usual internet scrolling, I stumbled upon this gorgeous piece of art by Shimomura Kanzan.

I knew immediately I wanted to do something like this for my Elden Ring fanart. In fact, if you look at this piece, there is tons of inspiration that I drew from the original artwork, such as the style of the yellow leaves and the main subject matter being a prominent silhouette of the brightest value, placed at approximately the bottom third of the image.

The main character is cleverly shrouded amidst various layers of trees and foliage, giving us the impression that we're peeking into candid moment of their life. In the case of the fox, we caught it during a mid-day snack. In the case of Ranni and her party, we caught them in a leisurely stroll, while Iji outfits the dreaded Fingercreepers with their iconic rings.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to capture a happy moment, but Ranni goes as far as to ask us to deliver to Iji and Blaidd the message that she loves them dearly as her quest draws near its end. I would imagine they all must have had fun moments together as a family. Hey, maybe even the hands liked to be around them?

The process

I started this on my iPad using the procreate app. Sadly the full process is not captured on video, as I switched to Photoshop for the rendering phase of the illustration. This video is a fun window into my chaotic process and how I iterate on the fly on the same canvas. I probably wouldn't do that in a professional setting where you often need to have color keys and iterations to be reviewed and analyzed. I like to I cut myself some slack when doing personal art to keep things fun.

Trying and failing some more

This illustration was not a straightforward path. I haven’t been very diligent about personal art, and at some point I started deviating too much from my reference by adding too many levels of depth to the background and suffocating the piece. I got into a weird loop where I would randomly open the PSD, play around with the values, pushing Iji to the back, then bringing him back, cranking all the levers on Ranni, etc., decide it would look horrible, then begrudgingly determine I’d never complete this image and go on with my life.

As artists we likely have unfinished work sitting everywhere, be it in our sketchbooks, canvases, or hard drives. But it’s a different kind of sting when you feel like you can’t even nail the fundamentals.

Anyway, so a couple weeks ago, I decided to give it another go, but this time I would get rid of all the unnecessary stuff, even stuff that I had been trying to render for ages. I would not hold on to anything, I would try and recapture what drew me to Kanzan's beautiful painting to begin with.

After it became a matter of pushing and pulling pixels until the image was finished!

That’s about it. I didn’t go crazy in depth but lately I’ve been enjoying reading into artists’ processes and I’d be remiss to not share my own thought process also.

Thank you for viewing!

[sciencelings-arts]

🌻✨🏳️‍⚧️Girlifies Capcoms favorite punching bag✨🏳️‍⚧️🌻

Closeups and rambles about the designs under the cut, you know the deal

I stared at Feenie’s pitiful puppy eyes sprite for like a half hour for this, I just wanted you guys to know that. I couldn’t decide on whether I wanted to draw her bleeding or include the necklace because logically they can’t be there at the same time but I did it anyway because I wanted to. Also I wanted her to be splattered with paint where in later iterations she’d have scars.

Sunflower/defense attorney badge inspired earring, and bleeding heart necklace. I didn’t feel like going easy on the symbolism on this one lol.

Closeup of Rookie!Phoenixes gay little earring, I love putting too much detail into things that end up being way too small to appreciate. Obviously it’s an Edgeworth reference, and a reference to that one DD concept art where he has a little blue knight on his tie and I thought this is her era of getting really into being a knight in shining armor for everyone ever.

All the earrings/jewelry correspond to the people she’s closest to at the time, or at least most devoted to. Feenie: Mia and Dahlia, Rookie: Edgeworth (the sketch had the chess piece replaced with a large bead which is for Maya/Pearls), Beanix: Trucy, and MILFeen: the WAA (the star in the celestial trio alongside Athena’s moon and Apollo’s Sun)

Another note about the main trilogy Fem!Phoenix design is that I included temporary marks from Franziska’s whip rather than the burn scars from the bridge which are included in the later versions. Also the scars from being bashed in the head bc i felt like that wouldn’t just disappear, and I wanted to focus this design on JFA.

More about the scars, specifically her lip scars, I wanted to give her a darker lipstick that she uses to draw away the attention from the necklace chomping scars but during the 7yg she kind of gives up on hiding them. I also wanted to make sure there’s a dramatic change between Beanix and MILFeen, Edgeworth bullied her into having a decent skincare routine.

Speaking of Edgeworth, she’s here, having homosexual feelings in the background. As usual. The fun thing about Narumisu is that they almost exclusively refer to each other by their last names so it doesn’t matter if they have different first names for a gender swap, they will always be ‘Prosecutor Edgeworth’ and ‘Defense Attorney Wright’

All side by side at the sacrifice of image quality. I love her eras

[starlightguh]

An Artist Always Signs His Work

Word Count: 1,879

Tags: inappropriate uses of paint, Oral f!receiving

AN: 18+ Smut !MDNI¡ I started working on this before the Rafayel banner announcement and wanted to finish and post this before the new card dropped! I’ve truthfully not been the biggest Rafayel girly but lately he’s shown up in some spicy dreams of mine so I hope this does him justice 💕

I was taking my time doing my hair for a little outing with Tara that I had planned, when my phone started buzzing. I pause my hair routine and see Rafayel’s picture with his contact name: My Sushi <3 light up my screen.

I answer with a cutesy ‘Hellooo’ and am met with a disgruntled groan from the other end.

“I can’t do it! I won’t do it! I simply cannot draw anymore no matter how much Thomas threatens me!”

“Woah, slow down what happened?” I stifle a laugh at his dramatics.

“They expect me to have a new painting for that gallery by the end of this week and I just can’t! No matter how much I’ve painted nothing is giving that inspiration I need….You have to come help,” his voice sobbed on the other line.

“Rafayel I can’t, I have other engagements today I can’t just drop everything to help you with your art,” I sigh at his drama.

“Oh so you hate me. I get it. Well I see how much you care about me and my dying wishes, so I’m hanging up now,” his voice was full of sass as he then hung up on me.

I let out a long exasperated groan and gave Tara a phone call, “hey girl I might have to rain check on our tea date.”

“Oh that’s funny you called first! I actually ran into Dr.Greyson and am kinda caught up with him right now…We’ll definitely touch base and reschedule when I see you at work! Bye girly!”

Well that was easy. I continue to finish getting ready to go see my dying artist…

~~~~~~~~~

Im buzzed into Mo art studio with no problem. I didn’t bother calling Rafayel back since I knew where he would be whether I showed up or not.

“Knock, knock,” I call out as I open the doors to his studio space.

“Studio’s closed, I'm busy passing away…” Rafayel, whose clothes were covered in various paint colors, was laying on the floor with his arm covering his eyes.

“But I came to revive you.”

He lifts his arm away from his face and he lets in a sharp little gasp as he takes in my appearance.

I was a bit dressier than usual in my shiny short white dress and my hair and makeup done. I smiled down at his stunned expression as the pupils of his eyes darken.

“I think I’ve found my inspiration,” he says with a bit of a confident smirk.

He slowly lifts up his torso and smiles up at me before holding out his index fingers and thumbs to create a frame of me in his vision.

“Oh so that’s why you wanted me to come here, you needed a muse?”

He stands up and his taller height makes me lean my head back a bit to glance into his deep sea blueish eyes. Rafayel placed his hand under my chin and moved my face from side to side, appraising my facial features.

“Not necessarily, but your beauty has striked my inspiration. Come here while I paint,” he takes my hand and drags me to the center of his studio.

He has me sit on top of a stool in front of the background of his flowing white curtains as he sets up a canva and easel in front of me.

I sit a bit awkwardly, unsure of what to do with myself. So I kick my feet a bit as Rafayel is pouring the paints he wants to use on his wooden pallet.

His eyes are scanning the scene before him as a mischievous smirk crosses his face, “I think the subject needs more color.”

I look down at my white dress and frown, “Well I didn’t exactly bring anything else.”

He wordlessly strides over to me, and with a paint brush he slashes a stroke of blue paint on my bare arm.

“Hey! Rafayel! What are you doing?!” I shout as he laughs while splashing my skin with more paint.

“I'm just painting on my lovely canvas,” he smirks and then dips his hand in some of the paint on the pallet.

He places his forehead against mine while letting out a shaky breath as his paint covered hand slowly and sensually caresses down my bust to my waist. As his hand is the paint brush that has now ruined my dress, he stops at my waist and grips it.

“Raf,” I whisper as I glance at his plush lips. His eyes were now dark and intimate as he no longer stared at me like his muse, but rather his meal.

He lets out a huff and leans his head down to place a soft kiss at my pulse point in my neck. The only sounds I could hear was the smacking of his lip’s against my skin and the shakiness of my own breath.

I felt his nose drag up against my neck as he then brought his lips to my ear to whisper to me, “You know, when I paint, I prefer to paint subjects in their most natural state…”

He purred in my ear and pulled away a bit as he dipped his hand in his pallet and proceeded to set it down as he covered both hands in colors.

“Rafayel,” I said in a warning tone as he now has both of his hands on my body and ruined my dress with shades of blues and purples. “You owe me a new dress.”

He looks down at the paint covering my arms and seeing his hand prints on the dress he hums and nods, “You’re right….Let’s get this canvas to her natural state then.”

Before I could process what he meant by that, he had unzipped my dress and removed it off my body. I let out a yelp as the cold air touched my now exposed skin.

“This too,” he grumbled and popped my bra off immediately.

As I sat on this stool naked in nothing but my panties with wet paint covering my arms, I looked at him annoyed as my face with hot with embarrassment, “Shouldn’t you stop fooling around and actually work on your painting?” My eyes glance to the now abandoned easel he had set up.

His hands were all over my skin, his soft fingertips gently tracing paths around my breasts and sternum, leaving color in its wake. “But I am working on my painting dearest, it’s already beautiful,” he says in a whisper before leaning down to capture one of my plump mounds in his mouth.

I wrap my legs around him and let out whimpers as his tongue swirls around my sensitive bud. His face is now getting paint on it from the trails his fingers left behind earlier.

As he pulls away from my breast with a smack he stares up at me as he goes to give the other one attention. My face contorts as the feeling of his lips breaks my composure. His deep eyes are drinking in my expression as his mouth works on me and I close my eyes and turn my head away to hide from his intense gaze.

Rafayel pulls away and moves my head to face him, leaving more stains of paint as he does, “Look at me.” His voice sounds deeper than his usual teasing tone and is full of command.

I open my eyes and as I do he leans in and kisses me with a fierce intensity. His hands cup my jaw and I wrap my arms around him as his tongue parts my lips and dances in my mouth.

I drag my fingers into his purple hair as he groans into my mouth. When he pulls away I’m panting as our lips are still connected by a strand of saliva. He licks his lips with a smirk and he bites his bottom lip as he takes in my panting and flushed form.

“This is almost the vision I have,” he says as he crouches down to get more paint on his hand. He slides his hands that are wet with fresh colors up my legs as he parts them to have me sit in a straddle pose on the stool. “Beautiful.”

His hands grip my thighs as he stares at the small wet patch that’s dampened my teal cotton panties. Rafayel, like a man possessed, slides his hands underneath both sides of my underwear to slide them off me. My legs follow his path as the cotton is now cast aside and his hands are holding my painted thighs apart to expose my wet center to his vision.

“Now that I’ve painted my canvas, it’s only right that I sign my work,” his voice rumbles as he gets closer and closer to my center and he gives a lick on my slit.

“Raf-“ I pant and go to grab the back of his head, but he stops my movement with a grip on my wrist, “Don’t move or you’ll ruin the portrait.”

He lets my wrist go and dives into my center, drinking in my dripping essence with his thirsty lips. I can’t help but grip the sides of the stool and lean my head back with a moan.

The contrast of his hot mouth on me in comparison to my cold body covered in wet paint made my mind melt. I was drowning in pleasure as I could hear the lewd squelching and smacking of his mouth on my dripping pussy.

I could feel more than hear him growl as I placed my legs on his shoulders and my toes dug into the fabric of his white shirt.

“Gods Rafayel…I’m gonna,” I squeal as I close my eyes and feel his tongue on my clit.

As I focus on my breathing I can feel his tongue make what feels like the shape of an R on my slit, followed by an A then F….

I could feel my lower body tighten and heat up as I was close, “Rafayel please I’m-I…” I sputtered out as he made it to Y in his name.

He pulled away for a moment and his voice was filled with lust, “Come. Let go for me.”

When he went back to my clit and quickly finished spelling his name he then slid his tongue inside my needy hole and I instantly came undone on his mouth with a high pitched moan.

As I was breathing heavily from my orgasm, Rafayel pulled away with half of his face dripping in my juices. He smiled and licked his lips, “Perfect stay like that.”

He stood and rushed over to the actual canvas and quickly began trying to immortalize my pleasure in a painting on his canvas.

Needless to say he had to repose his muse with a few more orgasms to ‘get my expression just right.’

The finished product was me covered in paints of blues and purples and completely fucked out of my mind, while his actual portrait depicted a naked woman being swallowed up by the sea. I was too embarrassed to acknowledge that her pleasured face was what Rafayel saw as he expertly pulled out of me over and over again that day.

~fin~

[immortalmsmoon]

Naruto General Headcanons

A/N: i have quite a bit of requests but i have no motivation to write person 5 I'm so sorryyyyy it might be a while before i post them. if you have any other requests though please make sure to send something in!

Cast Line Up- Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi

Naruto~

This kid has SO MUCH energy, but at a certain point in the evening he crashes so hard. Like you cannot get him to do ANYTHING because he's half asleep. 

Has broken his arm twice. The first time when he was like 6 he fell off a tree while he was climbing it. The second time he was splashing paint on the great faces and as he was coming down he hit his hand on the ground too hard. 

When he can’t sleep he sits on the roof of his apartment complex and stays there for a while, usually until the sun rises. 

Likes to paint his nails frequently, usually bright colours, a big fan of bright oranges and greens.

Never has chapped lips. No matter how dry out it is he just never gets them.

After the chunin exams he holds a deep adoration for Neji, because he was able to change his point of view and become better and stronger, and Naruto finds it really impressive. 

Sasuke~

Likes to draw, while he was in the academy he often found himself doodling on his work. If someone ever approached him about it he would deny them and tell them they were seeing things. 

Sometimes when he feels really alone, he likes to turn on his TV for background noise and deep cleans/rearranges his bedroom. He does this usually once a month.

Can play guitar, and does sometimes. It reminds him a lot of his family, specifically Itachi, so he usually keeps it locked in the back of his closet. 

A very avid reader. Has tons and tons of books.

Loves to stargaze. Spends a lot of nights, especially rough ones when he feels alone, watching the stars, usually in a tree or clearing. 

After he left the village, for the first few months he actually missed being there, and missed Naruto and Sakura’s theatrics. He got over himself pretty quickly though. 

Sakura~

VERY good at makeup, but because she's a ninja she rarely gets a chance to do it, because she usually sweats it off. 

Used to wish her hair was blonde because Ino has blonde hair, and she was incredibly popular. 

Very very flexible. 

Also has a very large sweet tooth, and will take most sweet food over savoury or sour food. Can also handle spice VERY well. 

Her legs are stronger than her arms, and she tends to use them more in training and combat. One of her favourite people to train with is Tenten.

Kakashi~

Hates ramen. Cannot stand it. It's been like that since he was a kid, and honestly he's not sure why, he just really cannot stand it. 

Has very nice hands. They are usually fairly soft because he hates how his hands feel when they're dry. 

Once tried to read a book that wasn’t Make Out Paradise and couldn’t even get past the second chapter. 

Very lazy. His ideal day is staying inside his house in a comfy robe and soft slippers reading the day away.

Insomniac, and very good at hiding it. His bags aren’t obvious, and if they are he covers them up with makeup.

Hates being fussed over, but secretly likes to fuss over other people. He can’t really help it, he’s just lost so many people that he has to fuss over the people he loves.

[namidew]

“Apollo, could you play that song you played last time?”

One of Apollo and Athena’s many art hangouts !! If you haven’t seen my previous drawings of them, Apollo’s the one on the left and Athena’s the one on the right.

Ramblings below !!

In my story, I’d like to think that they help each other with their specific arts, such as Apollo’s music being her background music (because I can’t draw in silence) and using him as a light source when doing still life paintings or something, since he could glow. (Logically, he could probably just make light come from a specific direction, but Athena telling him to stand in a very specific place for the lighting she needs is funnier.) They’d likely ask each other for input and as a different perspective, since there’s the tendency to be overly critical or not see mistakes after looking at the art too long. They chat while doing art sometimes, usually about random things.

Extra - I have no clue what lyre is historically or culturally accurate. Anyway, Apollo’s halo doesn’t appear unless he makes it, or if he’s using the domains of the sun, light, plague, or archery. Athena’s hair isn’t tied back because either paint gets everywhere anyway and she’ll deal with that problem later, or she’s perfect at painting without making a mess. Athena using her left hand to paint the owl clay sculpture. Within the story, it’s either due to being ambidextrous or left-handed, which I will make both of them either of the two. Even though left-handed artists is a stereotype, I am one myself, so it’d be pretty fun.

Thank you for reading, and feel free to share any ideas !!

[fagboyfriend]

i rlly like ur composition, i wanna know about your process :D

thank uuu !! yeah so like. composing a scene for me generally begins with a vague idea that i want to get down as quickly as possible- and for me that usually starts with finding a setting. I knew that i wanted to draw a) a group of roomates gossiping in a crowded kitchen and i wanted there to be b) one figure in the extreme foreground and c) lots of plants. i do use some tools to figure out perspective, mainly the csp perspective ruler. Usually i start by finding a picture i like similar to the vibe im going for- but instead of referencing anything else- im purely interested in perspective. sorry to anyone who is shocked i dont generate all of my perspective purely by myself- i can draw in perspective fairly well but i struggle to make straight lines and this is easier to make grids with than the line tool lol ^_^ i try to use it kinda more like spellcheck on typos than like something to fully rely on. this is the video i learned this trick from:

i saw the left photo and realllly loved how the cabinets alligned with the wall- so i used my ruler tool to draw out my inital plotted points from the image- basically the linear movements i was most interested in and then i turned off the image layer and worked with those lines and the ruler tool to move on. eventually i had this:

which was enough for me to put my characters in for the inital round. if you notice- i made a looot of further adjustments as i go on. this sketch is not a final layout, its so my characters have somewhere to be! i cannot draw someone standing on a floor if theres no floor, nor leaning on a table that doesnt exist. i can’t draw my characters without a background, but i also cant finish my background without accounting for how my characters can comfortably exist in it!!

this was the like.. very basic start. i knew the positions of two characters- but i needed to change a lot not only to fit them better but to allow for the other two figures i had planned.

okay.. a little better. i widened the kitchen, closed the fridge door.. added a chair and fit in all the figures.. but this is waaay too dramatic. only two figures are actually interacting- and they are at wildly different energy levels!

this is where things started to make a little more sense characterwiss, so i was ready to refine backgrounds and figures and unite the two.

inital base sketch. much better layout.

okay- this is where im getting my footing but things seem.. really really off. You can see me working on my framing here- theres some good linear movement from left to right here- but not vertically. It’s hard to notice the figure in the far back, so i need to redirect the viewers eye to move upwards as well!

this is where i decided to zoom out, add an interesting vertical element to the left of the image and make it clearer whats happening in the foreground. i had to account for some stuff by adjusting the cropping, but i paid attention to that as well.

annnd- thats what a clean sketch looks for me! i have all the elements of my scene accounted for, and things are clean enough to read.

the next step for me would be transfer! essentially- I print the image of my sketch out, resizing and taping pages together so my sketch matches the size of the paper i want to paint on, and then i use a lightboard to transfer my sketch with pencil onto my paper. Then i refine the sketch a few times on paper before stretching my watercolor paper (essentially just prepping for painting) and inking with a brush and colored ink before going in with watercolor, gouache and ink, then usually finishing with marker, colored pencil, pastel and ink. it’s a lengthy process but a lot of fun lol. but sketches for me can be like.. 15 layers of different roughs until im happy with just the sketch. there were more images but im on mobile and theres a 10 image limit 😭😭 im a bit masochistic but i believe that if i dont have a good sketch i dont have a good painting!!

[floofysmallbob]

born again from the darkness, a cloak of heroism- I mean, a Tokoyami redesign

the darkness would have shrouded this creation, cloaked where it belonged, but without light, one cannot see the beauty of the dark(translation: I would have used a black background but then you can’t see the actual redesign)

ok I can’t think of more poetic stuff so here you go here’s edgy bird boi:

Jet-Black Hero: Tsukuyomi

honestly canon design was pretty decent

added knee/elbow/shoulder pads as usual

more avian features

feathered arms and neck(not visible)

taloned gloves

lace up knee high combat boots

the original ones were wayyyy too boring

couldnt figure out how to add any more goth aspects but if I could I would

thermal vision/night vision goggles

got the idea from the class a/b battle training

tried to give him his new haircut(feathercut?) from the latest chapter but failed

dw that’s not a spoiler

yes the arms look a lil funky but shh

all the other designs are faceless but I tried to do that with him and it just looked wrong

WITH CAPE:

cape folds up, is actually around the same as or slightly longer than canon

easily detachable don’t worry Edna he won’t get caught in any ceiling fans anytime soon

in all seriousness it’s easily detachable that would be such a huge choking hazard and easy for villains to take advantage of

made of the same material as blackout curtains

COLD WEATHER VERSION:

longer sleeves

thicker fabric

lined boots

yeah no that’s it

COLD WEATHER VERSION WITH CAPE:

cape is slightly thicker

HOT WEATHER VERSION:

sleeveless

fingerless gloves

oh yeah he has talons too forgot abt that

he doesn’t even have to paint his nails black they already are

yes his feet are also taloned but I’m not fucking drawing that

he does have custom shoes though

speaking of, shorter boots

lighter(not color wise) fabric

HOT WEATHER VERSION WITH CAPE:

thinner cape

I like this one, it’s essentially just canon with a few improvements and aesthetic changes, and I’m always a sucker for all black like the alt dumbass I am

as always, tips and advice are appreciated!

[thebiggerbear]

Let Me Set Your World on Fire

Summary: While on a hunt, you all get stuck in an abandoned cabin in the woods due to a snowstorm that comes out of nowhere. It's cold as hell (Cas' fact checking not withstanding) and both you and Dean are trying to fight off the icy temperatures. When Cas offers his coat to Dean, in usual Michael fashion, the archangel offers you something bigger and more to his liking than a simple article of clothing to keep you warm.

Pairing: Michael!Dean x Female!Huntress!Reader; background hints of Destiel if you squint

A/N: Inspired by this post by @angelicbros 💖💖 that had me laughing for a good five minutes because I could absolutely see that happening with those characters and dynamics. Idk if this turned out okay or not but it was so much fun to write.

I'll admit that I wrote about 5k more than what's posted here, which was mostly background of how Michael!Dean and the Reader's relationship came to be, how Michael looks the way he does, why Team Free Will puts up with him, where Jack is, etc., but ultimately, I really felt it got away from the theme of what I was going for so I cut it out. I think I might clean it up and post it separately.

And you just know that Dean would be super grumpy if Baby was stuck in a snowstorm. 😉

All unbeta'd.

Warnings: implied sex; language

Word Count: 2529

Taglist: @avada-kedavra-bitch-187; @rieleatiel

Supernaural Taglist: @deans-spinster-witch; @just-levyy; @heartlessdelusions; @nancymcl; @brightlilith

@muhahaha303; @mariahoedt; @solacedthistest; @deansimpala; @foxyjwls007

@onlyangel-444

Jensen Taglist: @samanddeaninatrenchcoat; @deansbbyx; @lyarr24

You can also read on AO3

You blew warm air into your hands and rubbed them together. You and the Winchesters were stuck in a cabin in the woods while a snowstorm raged outside. Dean had complained earlier about Baby being stuck out there, getting pounded by ice, snow, and who knew what else. “I better not see a single scratch on her,” he warned Sam. He then groused about her probably needing a new paint job once this was over, a mere three months after the last one. 

You had been hunting a pack of werewolves, hot on their trail, when the blizzard from hell came out of nowhere, forcing you to find some form of shelter quickly. Cas had disagreed when you called the storm as such. It was a known fact that snow didn’t come from Hell, it came from a weather system on Earth. Besides there was nothing cold about the pit; Chuck and Lucifer had made sure of that. Dean and Sam had joined you in your stunned disbelief at Cas’ matter-of-fact tone before you all shook your heads and continued looking for materials to burn in the fireplace. Sam had managed to find some scraps of old newspapers in the long abandoned cabin and an old book of matches that had one good match left. So now, there was a small fire burning but from the looks of it, it wasn’t going to last long.

Sam kept checking for cell service but no such luck. You and Dean sat in two opposing chairs, facing towards the fire. “Anything?” Dean asked his brother. Sam glanced at the screen and shook his head. “Dammit.”

Dean blew into his hands just like you had and then crossed his arms, keeping his fingers underneath the material of his jacket. None of you were dressed for this extreme weather or temperature drop. If you didn’t know any better, you could swear some magical being or entity was causing this sudden storm to hit. Sure, Washington was known for its colder, wetter weather most of the time, including snow that could start falling at the drop of a hat, but this fast and this hard…you tended to doubt it. Especially when you had been closing in on the werewolf pack.

“Are you alright, Dean?” Cas asked, drawing your attention to the eldest Winchester.

“Yeah, just cold but I’m good.” He then blew more warm air into his hands. “Can’t believe this freaking place doesn’t have blankets or something,” he muttered.

Suddenly, Cas stripped off his trenchcoat and draped it over Dean.

“I’m fine,” Dean protested grumpily, trying to push the coat away, but Cas held firm.

“No, you’re not. It’s not much but it can provide a little protection against the current temperature.”

“What about you?”

“I’m fine. I don’t feel it.”

“And Sammy?”

Sam cleared his throat and took a few steps towards you all from the other side of the room. “I’m good.” You glanced at Sam to find him smiling knowingly in the direction of his brother as he watched Cas tuck the coat a little more around Dean despite more of his grumbled protests before looking around for more materials to add to the fire. 

“And you?” Dean asked.

You met his concerned gaze and waved a hand dismissively. “I’m good, too. I mean, yeah, I’m cold but I’m fine. Thanks, though.”

Suddenly, heavy but carefully measured footsteps made their way to the opposite side of your chair. “You’re cold as well?” 

You glanced up to find another pair of green eyes intent on you. That intense gaze used to make you uncomfortable, piss you off even, but now you were used to it. Though you never quite got used to there being two Deans around all the time. “A little but I’m okay,” you reassured.

His brows knitted together in displeasure before he lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. The fire in the fireplace suddenly grew without warning and sent Cas flying backwards. Dean and Sam both rushed over to him, making sure he was alright. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a cocky smirk form on the face that you loved as he watched as well. You dropped your head into your hands, shaking it.

“Michael…”

“Now, you will no longer be cold. As a matter of fact…” You heard another snap of fingers that made your head pop up. Not only did you suddenly have three different blankets covering you but you noticed a strange orange glow coming from the windows that hadn’t been there before. You threw back the blankets, making him tsk quietly in disappointment, and rushed to look outside. The snow and winds had stopped and there were flames everywhere. Trees, bushes, the ground — all of it was burning. 

“Did you just set the world on fire?” You asked in disbelief, turning shocked eyes onto the angel. 

He shrugged, not caring in the slightest.

Dean and Sam rushed to the other window to see what you were talking about while Cas, who was now on his feet, glared at his older brother. 

“Michael,” You had to be careful how you worded this; the last thing any of you needed was an archangel with an attitude. “I appreciate that you’re trying to make sure I’m comfortable, but setting the world on fire is a bit much, don’t you think?”

Once again, he gave you an unapologetic shrug with a smile. 

“My car is out there!” Dean yelled.

Michael’s smirk grew and he snapped his fingers again. “Not anymore.”

“You son of a bitch!” Dean started to charge towards him but Sam held him back. Michael’s amusement at the hunter’s anger was palpable. You decided later you would have to once again talk to him about the constant antagonizing of your best friend. You knew they were forever going to hate one another due to what happened before you came on the scene, but you were determined to keep things civil between them, for your sake as much as theirs. 

While Michael watched Sam attempting to wrangle his brother with clear enjoyment, you took the opportunity to approach the archangel. His eyes suddenly snapped to you as you got closer. “You don’t need to set the world on fire to keep me warm.” You shot him a look and he appeared pleased as he got your meaning. You watched as he snapped his fingers again and the orange glow was suddenly gone. The howling of the icy winds outside could be heard once more. 

“You couldn’t get rid of the freaking storm?” Dean threw at him. 

Michael’s gaze flickered to his doppelganger. “Do you ever stop complaining? I left the fire in the fireplace as well as the blankets. Be grateful I did.”

You took his hand in yours, urging him to look at you. “Michael,” you whispered, shaking your head.

“Are you freaking—”

“Dean, stop,” Sam warned. Cas glared at Michael but remained quiet, keeping himself positioned in between the Winchesters and the two of you.

Done with what he’d dubbed as the boring weak human sideshow, Michael pulled you closer and used his free hand to cup your cheek, tenderly brushing his thumb along your bottom lip. His gaze burned into yours and you immediately knew why he didn’t snap the storm away altogether. Sure enough, he used an invisible wing to sweep you off your feet and into his arms. You glared up at him as you held tightly onto him but he only chuckled in response. He knew you hated it when he did that; you knew he enjoyed it. 

He snapped his fingers again and a clean bedroom with its own roaring fireplace and fresh linens and pillows on the bed appeared that was suddenly boxed in by walls and a wooden door. Michael immediately began to carry you towards it.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” 

Michael didn’t look back at Dean or any of them, he only kept his focus on you. “I’m going to keep her warm. Maybe your pet should do the same for you.” More angry commentary from Dean erupted that Sam attempted to tamp down but neither of you paid it any attention. You buried your teeth into your bottom lip at the thought of him keeping you warm, his earlier transgression immediately forgotten, and your reaction caused him to flash his usual crooked smile at you. You had a feeling that the storm was now going to last until Michael decided it would end.

“You’re not seriously going in there to have sex and make us all listen to it, are you?”

Once again, neither you nor Michael paid attention to Dean’s question or his resounding groan of “Do they ever stop? They’re like rabbits” when he didn’t get an answer. Instead, Michael walked you into the room and the door closed behind him, locking itself. 

“See? You didn’t need to set the world on fire to keep me warm,” you teased.

“Oh, I’m going to set the world on fire.” He gently tossed you onto the bed, making you laugh, before crawling onto it to hover above you, watching you as you watched him. Your heart rate and breathing both sped up in anticipation. His thumb brushed over your lips once more. “Just yours.” He leaned down to kiss you then and as he’d said, your entire world ignited. 

Michael had indeed kept you warm, to the point where you had forgotten all about the craziest blizzard you had ever seen in your life still going on outside. You’d even forgotten about everyone else. Keeping his promise, Michael had set your world on fire, over and over and over again. Until your bare body lay there, blissfully sated and sprawled out over his. You were more than comfortable as you drifted off on his chest, feeling him running his fingers through your hair in gentle strokes as he pressed a kiss to your forehead.

The storm didn’t begin to clear until you woke the next morning, finding Michael offering you his usual cocky smile when he murmured, “You slept deeply.” You tiredly swatted at his chest, making him chuckle, and he pulled you in for a kiss. He set you on fire one more time before you both finally emerged from the room, now fully dressed, to find both brothers asleep in the chairs under the blankets you’d left with Cas standing sentry at the window, his trenchcoat now being used as a pillow under Dean’s head. 

When you noticed the snow that had covered the window panes the night before was gone and the sun was shining through them instead, you turned a knowing look on Michael. And as expected, he gave you an unapologetic shrug and his signature smirk. You knew you should be annoyed, now knowing he had been the one behind the storm all along, but last night — and this morning — had been incredible. So you couldn’t be too upset at what he’d done, unless he was protecting the wolfpack for some reason.

As if he could read your thoughts, he yanked you up against him, making you quietly squeal in surprise. “No one has my protection. Except you.” His gaze was dark and serious, his meaning beyond clear. You slowly nodded and he framed your face with his hands, studying you before kissing you deeply. You understood his words for what they were; it was a combination of him reassuring you that he wasn’t surreptitiously working against you and him letting you know just how much you meant to him. Some might want the words said aloud, a declaration made in the form of a particular phrasing, but you didn’t need it. You felt it as he sent grace coursing through you from his hand on the small of your back. Reinvigorated from the icy hot tingles affecting your whole body, you grabbed at him and turned the kiss even more passionate, ignoring his infuriating chuckle and moaning into his mouth. You jumped into his arms and he easily caught you as you practically began mauling him, running your fingers through his hair and gripping fistfuls of it.

“They’re still going at it?” Dean gruffed out, the sound you made earlier having clearly woken him up.

“Looks like,” Sam grumbled.

“I believe this is the beginning of another round as you humans like to call it, after many successful copulations throughout the night and earlier this morning,” Cas stated, not sounding quite happy himself.

Normally, you would have told them all to shut up but right then, you were on fire, about to combust, and Michael was the only one that could push you over that glorious edge. A grace-infused orgasm was a world ender all on its own and who better to give that to you than the archangel you were currently playing a ferocious game of tonsil hockey with? The guys would never understand, just like they would never understand your relationship or how you could be with someone who had once wanted to literally burn this world to ash. They wouldn’t understand how now it was only your world that ended on an almost daily basis, that you were the figurative version of scorched earth that Michael created — repeatedly. He could send grace running through your body with any touch between you so when he pulled your legs over his broad shoulders and smirked up at you as he lowered his head…

The thought had you moaning again and him snickering as you squirmed against him and tore at his shirt and jacket, which actually ripped thanks to the temporary grace. He turned and slammed you up against the wall — something he could now do without you getting hurt — and the infrastructure of the cabin shook a bit. He sent more grace through you and you broke away, moaning as he attached his lips to your neck. “Oh God,” you gasped as more icy hot tingles flowed throughout your body.

He lifted his head, staring into your eyes. “No. Just me.” His eyes flared brightly before he kissed you again. 

“I say we go out there and try to dig Baby out rather than sit here and listen to them go at it for the six thousandth time. Whaddya say?” 

“Uh, yeah, let’s,” Sam quickly agreed with Dean the second you started to rock your hips against Michael’s, eager for him to stop torturing you and finish what he started.

You heard them get to their feet when Michael suddenly lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. Almost as if the storm had never receded, the howling of the wind sounded again and you didn’t need to look to know there was snow and ice whirling around outside once more.

It was confirmed the moment Dean yelled angrily, “Are you freaking kidding me?!?”

You couldn’t help but laugh as Michael ignored him and walked you back into the bedroom, the door slamming shut behind him. The two men groaning in unison in the next room could wait a little longer. Michael needed to make you warm again and fast.

Please let me know if you would like to be tagged for this character.

dividers by @firefly-graphics

banner by @cafekitsune

[munson-blurbs]

Howdy Ho 👋

Pretty please 🙏🏻 could I request:

Snickers

Kit-Kat

Eddie Munson

Could be 18+ if the mood so takes you, but not essential 😁

You: could be 18+ Me: ooh, they're gonna fuck

Forced Proximity/Artist!Reader/Eddie Munson

Warnings: smut (18+ only, minors DNI), unprotective p in v (wrap it up), kind of enemies-to-lovers but Eddie is basically just a menace,

WC: 832

Divider credit to @saradika

You usually like to do your drawing alone, either in complete silence or the sound of the radio playing lowly in the background. Something soft and melodic that allows you to envelop yourself in your creativity. 

In essence, the exact opposite of the heavy metal blasting throughout the classroom as Eddie Munson sings along.

“Do you have headphones or something?” you ask him, wincing as a guitar riff pierces your ears. 

He shakes his head. “Broken.” One word, and then he’s back to washing paint brushes.

You sigh, trying to maintain your attention on the sketch in front of you. Your pencil glides across the page, while you stay hunched over the table. The face that you’re drawing is starting to take shape, looking less like a blob and more like a–

“TIME MARCHES ON! FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS!” Eddie’s obnoxious voice shatters your concentration, and you look over at him with a glare. He’s using a brush as a makeshift microphone, blissfully unaware of the irritation he’s causing you. Or maybe he simply doesn’t care.

“Okay, seriously?” You slam your pencil down, nearly breaking it in two. “Do you have to be here right now?”

Eddie nods slowly. “Uh, yeah. Apparently, manual labor is going to teach me ‘respect,’ or whatever.” He rolls his eyes, and you can’t blame him. It seems like he’ll never learn how to be a decent human being.

“Well, some of us need to focus,” you snap, hands balled into fists. “So, if you would kindly shut up…”

“I’ve never shut up a day in my life,” he chortles, turning off the faucet and flicking water from his fingers in your direction. “And I’m not gonna start now.”

You cross your arms over your chest. “Oh, really?” One foot in front of the other, making your way to him. 

“Mhm. In fact, now that I know it pisses you off so much, I’m—oomph!”

His retort is cut short by you pressing your lips to his, effectively silencing him. His palm instinctively rests against your cheek, the other gripping your waist as he deepens the kiss. 

Wordlessly, he positions you so you can hoist yourself atop the closest table. Your fingers comb through his tangled curls before dropping down to his belt, fumbling with the buckle. 

“Whoa, whoa,” Eddie breaks the kiss with a laugh. “You shut me up, okay? No need for all of this.”

You shrug. “What if I want to?”

He raises his eyebrows in surprise. “Like, here? Now?” He breaks out into a goofy grin when you nod in response. “Well, shit, yeah!”

He unbuttons your jeans in record time before starting on his own. You wriggle out of your pants, showing off where a wet patch is forming on your cotton panties. Eddie sees this and exhales, smile growing wider. 

“Prettiest girl in the goddamn school, all wet for little old me?”

Your hand grazes the waistband of his boxers. “Doesn’t seem little,” you purr, tongue gliding over your lips. “Mind if I see for myself?”

Eddie swallows thickly, his bravado quickly fading. “Y-Yeah. I mean, no, I don’t mind.” He moans as you tug down his underpants, exposing a full-blown erection. Pre-cum pools at the tip, resting against his wiry pubic hair. 

You spit on it, saliva trickling down the shaft as your hand follows close behind. He twitches in your grasp, throwing his head back in ecstacy. 

After you pump his cock a few times, he takes it from you, tapping the head against your clit before running it through your labia. He looks at you with wide, wondering eyes. 

“Please. Need you.” It’s all you can manage, but it’s all Eddie needs to hear. He moves your panties out of the way and pushes into you, gently until he bottoms out. Guiding your hips forward, he begins thrusting, groaning with each snap of his hips. 

Strings of barely coherent words fall from his lios. “Tight—warm—fuck—mmm—s’good.”

You wrap your legs around his waist, biting your lip to muffle your own sounds. Eddie shakes his head and uses his thumb to free your lower lip from under your teeth. 

“Wanna hear you, baby.” 

The same thumb that was just on your mouth is soon on your clit, rubbing fast circles that have you crying out his name. 

“Eddie, r-right there, shit.”

You clench around him as you come, a vice grip on his dick. He spills into you moments later, unable to hold back any longer. 

“Holy Christ, what the fuck was that?” Eddie breathes as he withdraws, tucking his softening length back into his boxers. 

“That was me shutting you up.” You fix your own underwear and re-button your jeans. “And if you can be quiet for the rest of the afternoon, I’ll blow you.”

He says nothing in response, just mimes zipping his lips, and turns back to the remaining dirty paint brushes. 

Now, your only distraction is the thought of how good he’ll taste on your tongue. 

--

[doodlemcjazzhands]

do you have any tips on drawing backgrounds. I struggle with them so much and can’t always make them cohesive with the drawing yk

Oh man, yeah. I do indeed know, all too well U_U Backgrounds are a STRUGGLE

Here are some things I’ve picked up, that have helped make them a little less difficult (feel free to take what you think might be helpful and then scrap the rest!):

1. Map out your Composition, Tones and Colors in a Rough Thumbnail

-I think the main thing that helps me, is planning. If you’re gonna do a background, don’t think of it as an after thought. I find it’s helpful to plan out the background at the same time you’re planning the character pose, rather that just slapping in a background, once the character is already finished. It’s like a little dance, making the environment work to accommodate the character while simultaneously making the character work to accommodate the BG.

-I usually do a small thumbnail and color key before I actually go into the drawing itself

-I like to think of the thumbnail like a little roadmap that I can always refer back to when I’m stuck. It's something that is easy to experiment with and will help me keep the big picture in mind, while working, rather than fussing over all of the small details.

-you can plan how you might want to use light and other elements of the bg to frame important things, or point and lead your eye to the focal point, or divide up the frame.

When I’m working on the actual drawing, I’ll always keep my thumbnail visible off in the corner of my workspace, just as a reminder of where I want to go with the piece, and to keep it available to color pick from, when I want to.

2. Try Sticking to 1 or 2 Dominant Colors and try not to stray too far, unless it’s an intentional accent

I usually choose 1-2 main colors and then paint bucket fill the canvas with those colors as a base, before I even start on the "cleaned up" linework. Then when I start painting, for real, I choose my colors based off how warm or cold they are, compared to the main color(s).

So say, for example, I want the dominating color of the illustration to be red, if I’m coloring an apple (that is naturally red) I would keep it the same hue, but might change the tone or saturation. However, if I’m painting a carrot (that would naturally be orange) I might just shift the hue to be a warmer red, rather than a full blown orange. Conversely, if I wanted to paint a naturally blue sky, I would shift the hue from red to be a bit colder, maybe more of a purple, but not necessarily a true blue.

*sometimes the saturation can mess around with a perceived color as well, (like how a desaturated yellow, will often look green), so I find there’s a lot of trial and error and messing around to be done with color, which I guess is half of the fun :P

(obviously this isn’t the only way to approach color, but I find it helpful for reigning myself in and keeping things a little more cohesive)

3. Add Depth

-Think of your environment as a 3D space with overlapping elements. Consider what your foreground, midground and background elements might be, to give depth to the drawing.

The further away something is, the less details the human eye can make out, and atmosphere will create a sort of hazy look to things that are set far away. So to mimic this effect for things that you want to recede into the distance, you can use less saturated colors, less contrast, do less detail, less line work (maybe even go lineless) and use slightly cooler colors. Maybe even add a little gaussian blur if it looks good. Conversely, for things you want push forward, just do the opposite (higher contrast, higher saturation, heavier line, more detail ect.)

4a. Study and Play with Lighting

I think lighting can be a big factor in helping make a character feel like they fit and belong in their environment. Study how light works and interacts with the world and think about how it might effect every element of your environment. How does it break apart when it’s going through something translucent? Is it going to cast harsh or soft shadows? Are there multiple light sources? Are they different colors? different intensities? Is the light source visible or not? Is it a controlled beam of light, like a laser, or more open, like the sun?

4b. Make use of Reflected Light and Color

So, when light hits an object, that is near another object, some of it’s color can be reflected onto the nearby object, if the angle is right. So for reflected light, I usually add a clipping mask layer to the affected object and add a gradient coming from the first object, using a color that has be color picked from the first object. Then I’ll turn down the opacity to my liking.

^(Ok, this first example of reflected light is super subtle on Sirius’s jacket, but it’s a little clearer to see the reflected light from the tub reflecting onto Sirius’s face and Remus’s arms, in the second example)

5. Add a Little Bit of *Spice*

If by the end of my coloring, I still want to do some tweaking, these are my general go to’s:

-Edit with filters and/or gradients. If you’re working digitally, play around with blending modes. You can make a new layer, fill it with a color or a gradient, then see what different blending modes and levels of opacities will do to it.

-Color your lines so that the black isn’t so harsh against the other colors in the scene. Sometimes I like to go completely lineless in some areas, if it's an area blown out by light, or is maybe pulling your attention away from the focal point

-You could add a little bit of grain and noise (to do this in photoshop, make a new layer, fill it with a grey colour (or experiment with other colours) then go to filter>noise>add noise>ok and turndown the fill and maybe change the blending mode)

-Adjust the levels, if you’re still not fully satisfied with the contrast, you can adjust the levels (ctrl +L in photoshop)

-Adjust the Color balance if you're not fully satisfied with the saturation and colors (ctrl+ B in photoshop)  

Ok, gosh, there’s so much, but I think I’ve rambled on long enough… hope this helps and wasn't too obvious or convoluted!

Good luck!!

[gentlelass]

-🤍 Marjorie Ford, the woman behind the smile 🩷-

Hey there!

YUP,

after the embarrassingly LONG time of two months and 19 days after the opening of this silly Tumblr blog and the introduction of Margo’s cute character on the Lackafandom scene, I FINALLY finished her character sheet for all of you sweet folk to witness my delusional fantasies of blood-streaked glamour and romance!

Why did this take me so much time? Simple. As usual, I can’t use Ibis Paint X, and draw digitally with my smol fingers on my equally smol and silly phone.

As such an inept as I am, the background of Marjorie’s illustration is in fact NOT product of my dubious artistic skills: I downloaded it from a free stock of ‘aesthetic garden background, wallpapers and illustration’ I found on Trailsandfreedom.com .

No, I swear I am not being paid to advertise them or anything, I merely feel the urge to leave credits with my pesky moral code nagging at my conscience.

Here is the original picture, on which I then dared to add some filters to get the dull coloring I wanted.

Also, here is the original pencil sketch of Margo’s, this time proudly produced by myself only:

She’s supposed to be sporting some fancy Victorian-gothic style dress, hat and parasol to recall of Mordecai’s own elegant fashion sense. I didn’t add any gloves because at the beginning I wanted her to, like, sting herself with the rose to draw blood and symbolise the assassination business and all that jazz.

And, nada, that’s the end of my interminable poem of thought process! I hope this gave some proper insight on Margo’s otherwise mysterious character, and it it managed to entice your curiosity about her, feel free to nag me in my asks!

-GentleLass.

[tklpilled]

iris

“i went to windrise to paint today,” albedo muses. he thinks back to earlier that day, trying to recall the details. “that big tree with a statue in front of it. it’s really quite beautiful, and you get an amazing view of mondstadt from there. i’m not sure how to explain it, but something about it feels almost spiritual.”

albedo has traveled across mondstadt, and other parts of teyvat as well, and he’s never found an area that feels quite like windrise. not only is the view unmatched, but he always feels as if someone is watching him—not to threaten him, but rather, to protect him.

“the bard was there—venti, I believe? he kept me company. his songs are incredible, and i noticed many more crystalflies than usual. i think they were drawn to his music.”

he glances over to his stand, where a painting of the area sits. while sitting under the tree would be relaxing, he wanted to capture it in the painting. so, instead, he sat facing mondstadt, and painted the tree on the side with its branches stretching across the canvas, almost blocking the sky entirely. the walls of mondstadt are in the distance, across the lake sparkling in the sun. If albedo had to judge it, he’d say that the painting is rather accurate; but of course, it can never compare to the real thing.

“i do wish you had been there, though,” he says, continuing on with his one-sided conversation. “i could use some practice painting people, but then again, i don't think i could do you justice. not even a kamera captures your beauty.”

he looks down at his lap, unable to hide his fond tone. “what do you think?”

a wail is the only response he gets.

albedo sighs, drumming his fingers impatiently. “it’s rude to ignore someone when they’re talking to you, you know.”

scaramouche lets out another squeal, his head thrown back in helpless laughter. “i c-cahahan’t!”

albedo swirls his fingertip around the center of scaramouche’s stomach, just circling the rim of his navel. it’s sending the poor puppet into hysterics—but as long as he still has the energy to kick his legs so frantically, albedo is sure he can last a little longer.

“but you’re talking to me now, aren’t you?” albedo asks, tilting his head. “i’m just trying to tell you how pretty you are, and you won’t even listen. i’m hurt.”

scaramouche bats weakly at albedo’s hand, though he’s clearly not trying hard. “shuhuhut uhup!” he squeaks, arching his back, and although his face is already red with laughter, albedo swears it gets worse.

he wishes he had his art materials with him. he’d love to paint scaramouche’s laughing face, capturing it in time for him to look at whenever. he can already imagine the colours he’d use, the pink hues contrasting so sharply with the cool, earthy background, the freckles scattered across his face, the way his eyes squint shut. the one problem is that sounds can’t be transferred to visuals—if he could, albedo would gladly paint scaramouche’s laughter onto a canvas forever. or maybe he could use scaramouche’s body itself as a surface; it’s a work of art on its own, after all. albedo often imagines himself drawing on it, creating constellations with his scars.

he’s abruptly yanked from his thoughts by a sudden loud whine. he glances down, realising the problem. his finger has dipped into scaramouche’s navel, a spot he hadn’t even known was so sensitive.

he chuckles. “i always discover new spots every time. i’m convinced you’re ticklish everywhere.”

scaramouche snorts, grabbing albedo’s wrist and holding on tightly. “sh-shuhut the fuhuhuck uhup! i swehehear, i’ll…!” whatever else he was going to say is lost to frantic giggling.

ah, well. albedo knows it wouldn’t have been a genuine threat anyway.

[thief-of-eggs]

Sokka kisses him first. It’s quick and rash and over before Zuko even knows it’s happened. It leaves his mind scrambling to catch up as Sokka walks away with a smirk, Zuko’s fingers gently coming up to touch at his lips, wondering if he’d imagined the whole thing. The water tribe boy leaves him alone beside the fire, and Zuko can’t decide if the heat on his cheeks is from the flames before him, or perhaps something else within him.

The second time is Zuko’s doing. It’s after the end of the war, when Zuko catches his first glimpse of Sokka and- he’s all right. Zuko doesn’t think, just stalks right up to him, grabs him and pulls him close, his hands on Sokka’s waist as he kisses him hard and rough. Sokka startles for a moment and then he’s kissing him back, melting into his arms as everyone around them gapes.

The third kiss is more mutual. Sokka finds sleep to be an elusive thing after the war, and in the absence of rest he takes to strolling the palace. It’s different at night, so calm and peaceful, the usual hustle and bustle gone.

It’s on one such night that he takes a different turn than usual, and comes upon a beautiful pond nestled deep within the palace grounds. Something inside draws him closer, guiding his feet through the lush grass- and then he spots him. Kneeling by the pond, the water reflecting the moonlight and lighting up his face is Zuko, his eyes as weary as Sokka’s own.

His heart warms with something he can’t quite place.

“Hey,” Sokka murmurs as he comes to stand behind him. “Can I-?”

“Yeah,” Zuko answers without turning around, and so Sokka kneels. Neither of them say a word for quite some time, their gazes fixated on the leaves that gently float on the pond’s surface. Sokka’s just beginning to regret interrupting the fire lord’s peace when finally, Zuko speaks.

“I’m glad you’re still here. At the palace.” Sokka turns to gaze at him, but Zuko is still looking out over the pond. “I uhm. I don’t know what I would’ve done. If I was alone for all this,” Zuko explains.

Sokka smiles, his expression as soft as the pond before them. “Yeah, me too,” He winces at how that sounds. “I mean- I’m also glad I’m here, not that I don’t know what you would’ve done without me-“

Zuko laughs, the sound soft and gentle and barely even there, but still so shocking to Sokka’s ears that he stops talking. He’s not sure he’s ever heard Zuko laugh. He wasn’t sure the guy knew how.

“I know what you mean,” Zuko says, turning to offer Sokka a soft grin. It’s a tentative thing. Something so delicate that Sokka worries about it breaking, if it’s not treated gently enough.

Still, Zuko doesn’t look away, so Sokka doesn’t either. Everything around them seems to fade into the background. Nothing else holds any importance besides the two of them, right there, safe and sound and sharing eachothers company while neither of them can sleep.

Neither of them know who moves first. Maybe they both do. But suddenly they’re leaning in, carefully this time, and this kiss is so much gentler than either of the first two. This one is promises that neither of them can hope to keep but they desperately make anyway. This one is spring rain and new blossoms and a soft summer breeze that cools your skin, the burst of sun from the clouds after a storm.

There’s a wetness on Sokka’s cheeks, and it takes him a moment to realize that it’s not him who’s crying. He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he reaches out to brush away Zuko’s tears, holding his face when he’s done.

They don’t speak when they pull back. They gaze carefully into eachother’s eyes, and Sokka can’t help but notice that Zuko’s eyes are a calmer shade of amber in this light. He commits the color to memory, intent on painting it if he ever has the time.

And then Zuko is moving closer, and Sokka holds his breath. Softly, Zuko leans his head onto Sokka’s shoulder, and Sokka feels like the weight of the world is resting on him right here next to this little pond, because oh that Zuko would trust him with something as fragile as his happiness.

The two of them remain there all night, the moon aglow in the pond, Zuko’s head on Sokka’s shoulder and a million things left unsaid in the air between them. But somehow, Sokka doesn’t think anything needs to be said.

Because everything important they’d said with their touch, with their feather soft kiss beside the pond. And maybe, just maybe, Sokka wonders if that could be enough.