#honestly proud of the gradient i got going here

[cillyscribbles]

silly munkustrap gifs that make me happy :) michael gruber as munkustrap, 1998 movie.

[notice-me-senpai-hell]

I literally had this blog since I was a little kid and now I'm a grown adult. Honestly it hurts to look back at my writings because it shows that I was a chronically online kid with no sense of anything (social cues, social no-no's, and just copying cliches from anime at the time).

BUT cringe culture is dead and I can't blame the little 11 year old that was just having fun and didn't know better at times. Now as I'm much older, I'm falling back in my hobbies and joys I had when I was young but couldn't embrace before of school, peer pressure, and my own sense of shame. But I'm just human and I have grown so much and yet- I still enjoy the same things like before. Granted, I may cringe at the stuff I posted whether wishing I did better or didn't do at all. Like my tag name is still cool in my eyes even if I struggle to say it out loud to a stranger/friend irl without getting red.

I'm losing my point, but I just get shy talking about my interests since I never had the space before. But I'm in a better space than I was a decade ago. I want to respect past me and current me to give myself the space to have fun and bit a little cringe (affectionate).

I don't want to delete anything or private it (even when I think too hard and want to) since I had some people reach out about my writing on other platforms and you never know if you wrote something that someone enjoyed or likes to go back and laugh at (whether in a bad way or in a funny way). I was also part of other blogs that did stuff for many fandoms that I loved (for example, Gravity Falls, etc , and Notice Me Senpai - a game that I loved to this day and I'm so proud of the stuff I did there. I'm not ashamed of the fun I had even if my irl friends at the time were weird about it. If you played that game and read my Match-Ups on that group blog I was part of or anything I had here .. KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!!! I adore everyone on that blog and in the fandom of that game!!!! that was so cool and I can't believe kid me had so much time to write. I'm so happy that was a big part of my experience here on tumblr before the game got shut down. Yes, I was a little weird kid, but at least that weird kid had a funnel to pour all their ideas that got rejected in science and theater class).

This is just a public statement on my blog that when you scroll past this you will see and witness a gradient of my childhood of a chronically online and acoustic kid that didn't know know what would be fun then would be the thorn in my side aka my internet footprint. It will start with the sparse posts before diving into piles and piles of stuff. Don't look at it if you are new. Just don't. But you could.

But fuck it, let's embrace it since when I'm even older then this - I may cringe at myself now. Hell, I'm an adult on the internet talking about Japanese and Chinese visual novel/RPGs games. But I want to give myself the space to have fun with my hobbies since I'm so drained from being an adult - I just want to be a person that can have fun and not think to hard about irl. I want to pour out all my AU's and headcanons that rattle in my head since that's the point of creativity if you don't spill it out.

This has just been in my mind in a hot minute and I wanted to put it out there not really for anyone to read but more like a public statement for myself to remind me that it's okay to have fun. If you have been following me for some years and now just seeing this- heyYyyyyyy. Thanks for everything and y'all feel free to DM here. I would love to see how my audience changed with the years and talked to people from the NMS fandom (since my blog was more directed to them)

Heads up, I'm going to start posting stuff again like writings and headcanons and I'm excited to feel this weight off my shoulders.

TLDR: I was a chronically online 11 year old with no sense of anything (social cues, social no-no's, and just copying cliches from anime at the time) but that's fine- everyone is cringe when there are in middle school. I won't delete or private anything because I don't want to take away anything that someone enjoyed. I'm grown and I'm giving past me and current me the space to have fun.

I love the NMS fandom and proud of that stuff (even if I don't read it). Reach out to me and know that this blog will get a makeover and be alive one again.

[alinaastarkov]

2022 End of Year Gifmaker/Creator Tag Game

Cut this into what works for you. Want to do only one instead of five? Do it. Tag 2 people? Do it. But there are a couple of rules:

RULE 1: Review your creations over 2022. Tag some gifmakers/creators, friends and strangers to get them to do the same.

RULE 2: Link to the content, commentary optional.

5 (or more!) creations from others that made you smash the reblog button hard, closely followed by your ‘insp’ tag or ‘fave tag’. Link to sets that started conversations, outstanding composition, coloring, etc.

4 creations of which you’re proud. These are goals you scored. Nothing to do with notes.

3 creations others loved. Include the one that got most notes, great comments, or the classic ‘how dare you!’

2 creations that stretched you as a creator: style, coloring, blending, text, etc. include the one that should have got more notes.

1 creation of yours that you find most aesthetically pleasing to the eye and self AND 1 creation that broke and (maybe remade you) as a creator – we all have that one.

0 the creation that never was because nothing was working that day.

i was tagged by @yenvengerberg​ thank you lovely!! it’s so fun to reflect on the year like this :)

tagging anyone i tagged throughout this and anyone who would like to do it!

(placing under the cut because i tend to go on a bit)

5 (or more) creations that made you smash the reblog button:

there are so many incredible creations (and creators!) who have blown me away this year. unfortunately my brain is a sieve so this will probably be only five but if i’ve left any nice tags on a set just know i thought it was absolutely beautiful!!

i have to start with becca @yenvengerberg​ who (and i don’t know how she does it) has managed to take my breath away and up her game every single time. i truly have no words for the creativity and skill she possesses and i would link every set of hers here if i could. for now though i will mention this jaskier: a bard’s tale set because it has been months and i have no stopped thinking about it. the stunning purple, the number of ways she can make a torn paper effect unique, and just the incredible creativity and composition in making it a cd set?? ingenious.

avia @lamberts​​​ never fails to stun me with her witcher gifsets, the mastery of colours and blending to emotionally destroy us every time blows me away. i fall in love with geraskier as a ship more every time she posts and i think this geraskier + the amazing devil set truly stood out. the blending of purple and orange is striking yet soft, i could honestly stare at it for hours. making something so gorgeous look effortless is such a talent.

jagoda, my talented hoe @ughmerlin​, has been so on top of her game this whole year it is auch a struggle to pick only one. there are so many amazing sets showcasing her creativity and talent that it’s almost impossible to pick one favourite. but this merthur + bigger than the whole sky is honestly so incredible it blew me away seeing it. the orange is so soft, combined with the b&w and the myriad of text effects and overlays you used, honestly made me tear up seeing it. the cassette tapes were genius and i can’t wait to see them become the new thing™️

maria, my merthur genius @arthurpendragonns​, has again blown me away with the talent and creativity this year, i have not been able to rest!! but this 10th merlin anniversary set was such a massive expression of your creativity and genius. the red to orange gradient combo is YOURS and you made it your bitch once again. everything about this stunned me, how you achieved the effects with the wings and the skull and the transitions between each gif??? you’re a master!!

elsbeth, my talented wife @laylakeating​ you never cease to stun me every time i see a set of yours and this weyler + haunted set is so exception. you know how much i love purple and you always deliver, i know how much effort you put into the frame by frame colouring and it shows!! how you made every lyric match every scene and blend them all so flawlessly! you’re an inspiration to us all

4 creations of which you’re proud:

i just did my list of my favourite creations for every month so i will link some sets that didn’t make that list (again mostly sourceblog ones)

these two becoming elizabeth sets (one & two) were fun for me to do after a bit of a break to get back into colouring and blending. there was no pressure cause it’s a smaller fandom, and finally having a show for my historical otp was super nice and making angsty sets is my love language <3

this arya stark + identities one was a real stretch of how much i could colour consistently over multiple shows because i think (and i did count lmao) i used around 13 fancasts/movies/shows to make it and was one of the sets that took me the longest just with the composition

this arya stark and jon snow set, though i know it could be better, was my first real try at the glitch effect. i still need to improve on it but i’m still pretty proud of it for my first attempt, plus their relationship in the books is my favourite so any excuse to gif it is gonna be a fave for me. arya month as a whole was great for stretching me and getting me to think outside the box

3 creations others loved: 

i think i mentioned most of them in my creations per month post, but i have noticed that after the show my rhaenyra in every episode sets seem to keep picking up more notes which is lovely to see!! this is a series i need to finish next year :)

2 creations that stretched you as a creator: 

i do this to myself all the time lmao, and is probably the reason i post so inconsistently. i’m copping out a bit i know but everything i made for jon snow appreciation month and arya appreciation month this year pushed me as a creator and made me think, especially as i was using multiple shows/films to fancast with and keep consistent. overall appreciation months are so fun and allow some flexibility with posting that weeks don’t which makes them excellent for creators imo

1 creation that broke you:

sadly the creations that broke me are the ones that i have yet to perfect and post :/ one day tho hopefully... soon :)

0 creation that never was:

i have... SO many of these lmao. probably dozens of sets in the drafts and half finished (a yennefer set that has been sat there for maybe a year and a half?? comes to mind) and it is my goal this next year to clear them all out (we’ll see how that goes lol). if i had to pick tho i have this shadow and bone + greek gods set (very much inspired by @ughmerlin​’s stunning zodiacs set) that has/is taking me forever to perfect and hopefully (maybe) with s2 it can see the light of day

[yuyusim]

Lee Felix - Stray Kids (이 필익스/이용복 - 스트레이 키즈) + CC List [UPDATED]

UPDATE: i made a few altercations to Felix's appearance recently so he's being posted again, his eyes and skin meshes have changed slightly so as of now his download link is down until i post the newest edition of him! The picture below shows the newest version of him <3

i'm surprised this is my first post but ahhh we're here!! my first k-idol sim post. i've been making idol sims for a little over 2 years now but i guess i finally got the guts to post them!!

so here's my felix from stray kids, i'm honestly surprised he's the first one i'm posting but i'm really proud of how he turned out!!

my sims are always going to have slight differences from the original person but i try to get as close as i can!!

i'll be putting the CC list on the post itself as well as in a note on the download file so that i can properly credit all of the simmers that made the cc :)

T/C

DO NOT RE-UPLOAD WITHOUT CONSULTING ME FIRST !! If you wish to change his clothing to a certain outfit and re-upload the sim with your choice of outfit, please PM me and I can talk about it with you!!

If I give you permission to re-upload, please make sure you properly credit the CC makers AND myself :)

If I do not give you permission, do not upload without my consent.

download below the cc list !!

CC List

Traits

Trait: "muse trait" by TheLovelyGameryt on mod the sims

Face/Body Details

Skin Meshes: "afterglow skin mesh" by @dangerouslyfreejellyfish [skin details]

Hair: "everett hair" by @clumsyalienn [hair]

Freckles: "3K freckles" from "3K followers set" by @dangerouslyfreejellyfish [skin details]

Blush: "torrada body blush" by @simandy [skin details]

Eyebrows: " 3K eyebrows " from "3K followers set" by @dangerouslyfreejellyfish [eyebrows]

Eyes: "poppy eyes" by @pralinesims [eyes]

Eyelashes: "3D lashes uncurled lashes edition" by @kijiko-sims [accessories]

Makeup

Eyeshadow: "M2 Shadow" by @goppolsme (used in everyday, formal and party)

Lipstick: "jin gradient lip tint" from "doll me up! set" by @simandy (used in everyday, formal and party)

Clothing

Sweater: "oversized v-neck knit" by @gorillax3-cc (used in everyday)

Sweater: "waffle knit sweater" by @gorillax3-cc (used in party and cold weather)

Jacket: "track jacket" from "ratboy stuff" by ayoshi [retired simmer] (used in athletic)

Shirt: "split tank top" by @gorillax3-cc (used in swimwear)

Shirt: "raglan t-shirt" by @gorillax3-cc (used in hot weather)

Blazer: "men's blazer" from "rustic romance stuff pack" by @plumbobteasociety (used in formal)

Jeans: "error jeans" by @trillyke (used in everyday and cold weather)

Pants: "take off pants" by @trillyke (used in party )

Shorts: "matt trunks (solid)" by @aharris00britney (used in swimwear )

Shorts: "cargo shorts" from "ratboy stuff" by ayoshi [retired simmer] (used in athletic)

Pants: "men's slim fit dress pants" from "rustic romance stuff pack" by @plumbobteasociety (used in formal)

Shoes: "run star prism high top converse" by @bedisfull (used in everyday, party and cold weather)

Shoes: "rhyton" by @mmsims (used in athletic)

Pajama Set: "pajama set am" by @gorillax3-cc (used in sleepwear)

download: currently out of order, working on getting it back up again x

[seance]

› gif maker appreciation tag

rules: answer the first half of the questions with gifsets of your own, then answer the second half by tagging gif makers you love!

in honor of dia’s wonderful two years gif-iversary ♡ i was tagged by a bunch of cuties: @iridescentides / @flynncarter / @molinareggie / @miriammaisel / @juliesdahlia / @madeline-kahn / @malikjavaddzayn / @faeryglass / @winterfrosted

LINK A GIFSET › 

Link a gifset you’re really proud of:

on this old ass five gifset, i don’t know there’s something about it i guess, the fact that i managed to keep it simple (i have a problem with overcomplicating things, making them way too messy) but still got the point and the feeling i was going for across › NEVER FINISH A WAR WITHOUT STARTING ANOTHER

Link a gifset where you tried something new:

I WANTED TO BE STRONGER › this was one of the first gifsets where i really went all the way with the style experimentation and where i had the idea of the ‘blubble frame’ as i like to call it, which i love using from time to time

SHADOW AND BONE MAIN CAST › i actually first used this particular style in one of my assassin’s creed edit (NO BOOKS, NO WISDOM) but that never on my main so!

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY EDITORIAL › i still like this edit a lot, completely different from my usual style but it came out neat!

JATP SCRAPBOOK › experimenting with textures and blending modes!

Link a gifset that features your favorite character or celebrity:

WICKER PEOPLE › my favorite chaotic disasters and special mention to THE RAIN WILL EVENTUALLY COME because this poem just kills me.

Link a gifset that you want more people to see:

i think maybe my last shadow and bone one? HERE COMES JUDGMENT DAY just because it took forever and i’m kinda proud of that first gif + i made it feeling super ill so it’s double the value agsgs- 

Link a gifset that you had fun making:

this JATP + BODIES OF WATER one, cause i absolute love finding things to associate characters to and i’m very happy how the blending turned out in the end!

Link a gifset that you created as part of a meme, challenge, or series:

FAVORITE S1 EPISODE › when i still used to gif somehow normally ahah 

Link a gifset of yours that makes you smile:

YOU WERE ALWAYS GOLD TO ME › this song and these characters just mean a lot to me and i poured my whole heart in this gifset!

Link a gifset that you made for someone else:

the love i feel for my friends is stored in the random gifsets

READY OR NOT for @overzonen

NO LULLABY / PARANORMAL INVESTIGATORS for @number5theboy

ON LOVE AND ANGER for @evakant

TAG SOMEONE WHO ›

Tag someone who inspired you to start making gifs:

Oh gosh, I think I started around 2011 so I really can’t remember. I never really stopped but I had some kind of renaissance last summer, in july and I owe that to all the amazing creators in the Umbrella Academy fandom.

Tag someone who makes great vibrant gifs:

@captainheroism @meliorn @ughmerlin and @nina-zenyk all make such unique use of colors, in their own personalized styles but with such consistency and I never fail to recognize their edits on my dash, they stand out in the best of ways!

Tag someone who makes great pale/pastel gifs:

I’m not really a fan of pale or bw gifs, I live and breathe colors but! @ciriofcintras is the only one I follow who edits  like that and the only one I need because everything she makes is amazing, neat, and sharp. Always the right balance of shades. special mention to my girl @mariathorpe use of muted colors that always fit the mood so well!

Tag someone who gifs for a fandom you love:

Well, too many to count I think. If we’re mutuals, there’s a good 90% chance that’s because you’re gifmaker too and we share fandoms! To name a few, @number5theboy you already know I’m ride or die for lizzie but the thoughtfulness she puts in each gifset makes it extra special! @andyoudoctor myra is constantly improving and dishing out amazing content

Tag someone who uses text/typography really well in their gifsets:

becca @inejz-ghafa engy @alina-mal and ava @anya-chalotra are my go to for this particular type of inspiration! their careful placements and gradient and font work is always lovely, you can feel the effort behind it. typhography is the thing i waste more time on when i gif so i can really appreciate their art!

Tag someone who motivates you to step up your game:

miss ava for sure, becca again, @ogaferoga is a artist in their own right and no one does it like them. honestly ALL the people i’ve tagged here are the reason why i always strive to try new things and experiment more, i feel like we’re all learning together, at our own pace but together nevertheless and that’s so inspiring and comforting ♥

Tag someone who you have taken inspiration from:

again, i won’t ever deny the huge impact @anya-chalotra had on my current style. i try not to go with the exact type of edits of other gifmakers, unless it’s a particularly popular trend that doesn’t involve a particular attention to composition both out of respect and because i like to experiment on my own. but that’s exactly what ava pushed me to do, her edits showed me how much potential photoshop had that i wasn’t really exploiting so i got down to learn more about it! she remains my # editing goals for sure ♥

Tag gif makers who you admire and appreciate!: i love you guys so much, keep doing your thing and being awesome! @arnos @alethiometry @milkovivhs @allisonshargreeve @rockyblue @evakant @dykejaskiers @arthurpendragonns @starkkov @jessiemeili 

[sweetnessfollowsmp3]

[Image Description: The "My Tumblr Year in Review" banner. The text is in large yellow font against a dotted blue box. The background is a purple-to-green gradient with animated, shifting yellow drawings, and the symbols of buttons on Tumblr like the reblog and post buttons are featured. End Image Description]

I posted 4,831 times in 2021

729 posts created (15%)

4102 posts reblogged (85%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 5.6 posts.

I added 3,596 tags in 2021

#haiqueue - 1077 posts

#haikyuu!! - 627 posts

#asks - 534 posts

#astridcore - 235 posts

#jjk - 229 posts

#important - 218 posts

#astrid.txt - 202 posts

#described - 172 posts

#atla - 159 posts

#oikawa tooru - 143 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#even if i wanted to do that (which i obviously don’t bc i’m not an asshole) i don’t think there’s a single person on this site who would pay

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

maybe the many benefits to being a marine biologist were the friends we made along the way

698 notes • Posted 2021-09-21 01:50:03 GMT

#4

choose pictures from some old abandoned buildings and i'll assign you a gender

905 notes • Posted 2021-08-10 20:17:52 GMT

#3

i thought mp100 fans were exaggerating for comedic effect when talking about how pathetic reigan arataka is, but they were not. he is absolutely that pathetic and more. completely exceeded expectations

1560 notes • Posted 2021-11-04 04:13:09 GMT

#2

i've been thinking about it and it's honestly astounding how much other people view karasuno as poor or trashy in the show?? like it's literally canon that people assume asahi is a dealer or gang member because of his appearance. which like that makes sense until i think about the fact that there are boys from other schools with rough looks/personalities to them (maddog + ushijima), but are never interpreted as the criminal type. in this essay i will-

thank you!!!

the theme of class comes up in haikyuu!! a lot more than people realize.

from what i can tell, karasuno and nekoma are both public schools, and this fact becomes important at several points in the show.

the arc of "the battle at the trash heap" with karasuno and nekoma is aptly named not only because of their respective mascots, but also their economic backgrounds. neither schools are incredibly well funded like shiratorizawa and seijoh, so neither can afford to recruit the best players (everyone talks about how shiratorizawa can scout the best players, but remember that a lot of people from kitagawa daiichi, a well funded private middle school with a powerhouse volleyball team, go to seijoh). both teams slipped into complete obscurity when their coaches retired: they were the only ones keeping these teams afloat due to their decreased access to resources.

their fated game is best represented as a dumpster alleyway battle because they've had to claw up the ladder every step of the way to make it to nationals, and in a way, they're reclaiming the way other schools view them. people view them as trashy (you already gave a perfect explanation of this), and instead of seeing that as shameful, both teams said "you know what? you're right, and this is something that we're proud of. the battle at the trash heap is going to be the best you've ever seen."

even at karasuno, there are varying levels of privilege. the dynamic between hinata and kageyama illustrates this perfectly. hinata went to a middle school that had no volleyball team (quite possibly because of funding and size), so he didn't get to develop his skills like kageyama did at kitagawa daiichi. when hinata plays kageyama in middle school (with a completely inexperienced team he managed to scrape together), kageyama immediately notices hinata's athleticism but complete lack of experience. so he says to hinata after the game: "what have you been doing these last 3 years??" kageyama clearly doesn't understand his position of privilege here. he was a talented kid, he liked volleyball, he joined the team, he got better. hinata never had that opportunity. so one of hinata's friends responds to kageyama, saying: "what do you know about what he did the last 3 years?" his friend knows that even without access to a team, hinata spent every waking minute bouncing volleyballs against walls, begging people to set to him, and even joining in on women's teams. hinata worked just as hard as kageyama, if not harder, but the class barrier made it impossible to catch up. even when hinata joins the karasuno team, he has to spend his entire high school career making up for lost time.

and WOW this is getting long but i have one more point to make.

im not 100% sure that inarizaki is a public school, but from what i can tell it most likely is (i think the private schools tend to be called [insert school here] academy and the public schools are called [insert school here] high)--and it makes a lot of sense theme-wise. as takinoue yusuke (one of the karasuno alums) watches the karasuno vs. inarizaki game, he says: "inarizaki doesn't seem like they're established champions. they still have the feel of a team of upstarts that are climbing their way up." sound familiar? like karasuno, they didn't start as a powerhouse. and like karasuno, they're known for having a more risky playing style. they know that they can't afford anything else due to their position.

the bottom line is that class dynamics are the founding principle of haikyuu, so saying "sEiJoH dEsErVeD tO gO tO nAtIonAlS" isn't the fun and original take you think it is. [plain text: seijoh deserved to go to nationals]

1812 notes • Posted 2021-04-09 18:59:00 GMT

#1

getting an ask from a mutual and getting a package have the exact same energy. i will not elaborate.

12835 notes • Posted 2021-03-11 18:53:30 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[astro-rain]

delicate; b.barnes

chapter four - mri’s & other modern commodities

delicate masterlist

word count: 1.8k

synopsis: bucky faces his first day of treatment, and discovers some new things along the way: some scary, some awesome, some maybe slightly embarassing.

pairings: bucky barnes x fem!reader

[A/N]: not my gif

When he woke up, he scanned his room, making sure everything was the same as how he left it the night before. Making sure no one came in while he was asleep and poisoned his brain. Making sure he was waking up in his living quarters in Wakanda and not a damp cell in some secret Hydra base. It was just something he did now.

Some may call it paranoia, others may call it adaptation. Either way, once he stepped outside and made sure he was alone, he allowed himself to take a breath.

Today was the day, the first day of official treatment. He had no idea what to expect; he was just hoping to high heavens that it would end up working. Freedom. That's all he wanted. Liberation from the chains Hydra had had around him since he fell from the train all those years ago.

He was apprehensive for sure, but he tried his best to keep himself optimistic. Bucky was sure that Shuri was smarter than any Hydra scientist he once came in contact with. So, if they can tear apart his mind, perhaps she can put it back together. Right?

Her in addition to (Y/N). That psychologist woman. He had spoken to her the day before at the lake. She was funny, and she seemed decently easy to talk to. That's a good sign, he guessed. She told him that she hadn't minded relocating to assist in his treatment, but he honestly couldn't make out her true feelings. She was rather hard to read. Perhaps it was a psychologist thing; he tried not to look too far into it.

He waited outside his door until two Wakandans came to escort him to Shuri. Bucky noticed they were armed. Guards. He wasn't surprised nor did he blame them. However, that didn't make it any easier to trust. He hadn't had that luxuy in a very long time. The former assassin fought against the voice in the back of his head telling him to analyze their every move in order to ensure that he wasn't in any danger. That any minute they weren't going to strap him down and rip his brain apart the way it had been so many times before. So many times. He gave the slightest wince at the thought. His brain suddenly felt prickly, painful memories creeping up on him.

Not now, don't think about it.

Sometimes, if he fixated on the thoughts for too long, he would drive himself to this panicked state of fear and constriction. He wasn't sure exactly what this thing was. All he knew was that these things - these episodes - were extremely unpleasant, and utterly unnecessary at the moment.

He shook his head (somehow hoping that this would rid him of the prickly memories like a dog shaking off water), strands of long brown hair swaying quickly in front of his eyes, and fixed his gaze to the floor.

Floor. Floor. Floor. Floor. Just the floor. The floor. The floor. The floor-

"Sergeant Barnes!" Shuri welcomed him happily.

Oh. He was in the lab now. He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. Let's do this.

"Good morning," he smiled, "and just Bucky's okay."

"Of course, of course. This is my lab! Best place in Wakanda in my humble opinion. Today's only the first day of treatment, so nothing too intensive. But, we will be working all the same!"

He glanced around the lab. The guards were at the doorway and they didn't look like they were leaving anytime soon. Again, he wasn't surprised. Moreover, sitting at a table a few feet from Shuri, was a familiar face. This familiar face soon met his gaze.

"Hi, Bucky" (Y/N) greeted, offering a polite smile. "See! I remembered this time."

Bucky grinned. "Are you still (Y/N), or is it Dr. (Y/L/N) since we're in the lab now?"

"I'm always (Y/N)."

"I don't know, if I went to school for as long as you did, I'd make everyone call me Doctor," Shuri added.

(Y/N) laughed. "Well, if you want to call me Doctor you're more than welcome, Shuri."

"That's the spirit, Doc," she declared before turning to Bucky. "Now, follow me and we'll get a quick MRI done."

"A what?" He quickly caught up to Shuri who already started walking away.

"An MRI. It stands for magnetic resonance imaging. Basically, scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio waves to generate images of the organs in the body."*

Yes, very basic.

(Y/N) leaned over to Bucky, explaining softly, "It's used to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body."**

"Oh."

"You just lay down and it scans you. Y'don't even feel anything."

"Thats... not too bad, I guess."

"It's a bit of a tight fit though, so I hope you're aren't claustrophobic."

Bucky rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, after cryo, I doubt tight spaces will be too much of a bother for me."

"Right," said (Y/N), "but it's still decently in your personal space. Just so you know - so there's no surprises."

He nodded. They didn't say anything until Shuri stopped short in front of them. She stood a couple feet from a shiny metal table which was lined up in front of an equally shiny and metallic semi-cricle arch. It was long enough to fit - well, would you look at that - a body.

"Oh. I guess there is a surprise," (Y/N) blurted, turning to Shuri, confused. "That isn't like any MRI machine I've ever seen."

"That's because you're in Wakanda," Shuri flashed a proud smile. "Tech's a bit... advanced here."

(Y/N) turned to Bucky. He thought he saw something resembling self consciousness flow across her features, but he wasn't sure.

"Sorry, I guess I was wrong. But, honestly this is way better than a typical MRI set up. It's much more open... and wide. Regularly, it would be like a super narrow tube with hardly any space inside. This way, you'll even be able to see us and the rest of the room."

That's good. More space. More freedom. And he'll be able to see her- them, see them.

Shuri clapped. "Alright! Shall we get started then?"

He had no idea how any of this worked; he was way out of his element here. He just barely learned what a damn MRI was, and had to hide his shock when he found out. Medicine has changed dramatically since 1945. Although it is helpful, he is completely clueless. Great.

"Do I jus-just lay on the table?" He asked, unsure.

"Yep! Just lie there and be absolutely still, and I'll do the rest," Shuri replied, reassuringly as she walked around to a control panel next to the machine, preparing to start.

Bucky took his place on the thin metal table, and he thought he was seeing things. Was it was levitating? Honestly, from what he's seen so far he wouldn't even be surprised. He stared up at the ceiling, getting lost in thought. A string of various questions and uncertainties fluttered through his battered mind.

Would the metal arm interfere with the magnet- oh. Right. No arm. Just a scan, no need to worry. (Y/N) said it would be fine. Can I even trust her Then again, can I even trust anyone yet? She's the best I got right now. Damn it, I wish I wasn't so wary of everyone.

"Hey," a gentle voice pulled him out.

He looked over to the left of him, the side with no arm. (Y/N).

"I can practically hear your brain whirring around right now - which is justified - but do you need anything?"

'Do you need anything?' He hadn't heard that phrase in a while.

He adjusted his body on the table. "I'm alright, just... a bit out of my element here."

She nodded, knowingly. "Honestly, me too. This lab looks like somethin' out of a sci-fi movie for me, so I can't imagine what it must feel like to you."

She was looking down at him. He felt vulnerable, exposed. It seemed like she noticed.

"Here, I have an idea."

With that, she turned and grabbed something from a nearby table. Rotating around to face him again, she displayed what she had taken: a pair of headphones... but without a wire? What the hell?

"Are they broken?" he asked, feeling perpetually confused.

"No, they're wirelessly connected to my phone. It's called bluetooth."

The look on his face was almost laughable.

"Bluetooth? What kind of name is Bluetooth?"

"The kind of name that I didn't invent nor should I be blamed for," she chuckled. "Do you want to listen to music while you're in there? It might help to keep you down on Earth with us."

Music. The thought was almost surreal. He hadn't been privileged with such a pleasure in longer than he'd care to admit. It actually seemed... nice.

"Y-yeah," he said, pondering. "That'd actually be nice."

"Awesome."

She leaned over him to put the headphones on his ears, causing him a very conflicting series of emotions.

First of all, close. She was very close to his face. His face, his eyes, his nose, his lips. It almost seemed a tad bit intimate. And then he realized he hadn't been this close to a woman in forever. A real woman, not some fellow assassin he had to take out. He hoped the shy embarrassment he felt didn't show on his cheeks.

Second of all, she was wrapping something around his head, his brain. He tried not to, but he couldn't stop the muscle memory of what he'd been conditioned to feel. Hydra's machine would wrap around his head and rip his psyche apart. His mind expected pain, the worst pain, the dehumanizing, out of body, mind splitting pain. He hoped the way he flinched ever so slightly didn't offend (Y/N).

She didn't seem offended, and her voice was soft. "You're good. Just music and a scan. Then you're done."

He looked up at her face, reassuring and calm. He took a deep breath.

"Good?" she asked.

He nodded. "Think so."

"If it's too much at any point just let us know, and we'll pull you right out. It's your comfort level, your choice."

His choice. Choice. Control. The prospect gave him comfort.

She gave him one last look before stepping away and signaling Shuri to start the machine. The seemingly levitating table began a smooth descent into the machine when the music started playing. It almost startled him, but he then he was pleasantly surprised by what he heard.

There were loud drums, guitar riffs with attitude, and voices that had so much emotion they were almost screaming. It was like no music he had ever heard before, and he loved it. In fact, he was so into it that he didn't even notice when the MRI had finished. That is, until he felt a feather light hand on his shoulder. His eyes opened, and (Y/N) had the biggest grin on her face. While taking the headphones off of him, she looked very pleased with herself.

She looked at Shuri but declared to no one in particular, "Bucky likes Rock and Roll!"

- - -

* = from wikipedia

** = from wikipedia

[foxglow-diner]

☾ 𝒮𝓅𝒾𝓇𝒾𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒯𝑜𝑔𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 ☽       ⁺˚*･༓☾　3　☽༓･*˚

Chihiro was lucky she didn't have to go to work until ten because the poor girl slept until nine.

When she awoke a wave of exhaustion washed over her. She yawned and slipped out of bed. Ignoring the untidy bed, Chihiro slipped downstairs for breakfast. The stairs creaked with every step she took. The scent of scrambled eggs and sizzling bacon wafted through the home.

Her mother was at the table reading a book, while Chihiro's father was tending the bacon.

Chihiro's eyes widened when she saw how much food was being cooked.

"Why so much?" She asked, getting her favorite coffee mug off a shelf.

"Your father has a guest coming over soon," answered Mom.

Chihiro nodded.

Dad always had work people over, whether it was lunch, breakfast, brunch, or dinner. And she was always forced to join, showing what a fine family they are.

Dad was a respectable architect. Even people from their old town would try and secure a spot to get him.

Chihiro set her mug under the coffee dispenser and set to work preparing the grounds, sugar, and cream. The mug was hand painted by her. A spiraling field of grass and colorful wildflowers dotted the bottom and went all around the mug. A bright teal sky and a yellow sun completed the landscape. It faded and became a sunset as you rotated the mug. Chihiro was rather proud of the smooth gradient between skies. Everything else was just... meh.

As she finished stirring in the cream and sugar, there was a knock at the front door.

The front room was supposed to be a living room, but it's large space was turned into her father's office. Two desks and one fat, spindly chair were tucked against the left wall. Bookshelves occupied the rest of the room. Papers, notebooks, and pens littered the floor. Those items along with shoes and a couple shirts were piled up, blocking the front door.

When the family left the house, they went through the double wide, sliding door next to the dining table in the kitchen.

That was exactly how Chihiro exited to deal with whoever was at the door.

She walked around the side of the house, her bare feet crunching on the dry, summer grass. Luckily, there were no stickers in this yard, like the one at her last house. Pulling out the little, angry burs was as bad as stepping on them.

Peering around the side of the house, she checked to see who was knocking

A woman in a pink sundress was checking her manicure. Her other hand was holding a flat bag used for carrying papers. Everything about her stature and person said business.

Definitely the work friend Dad was having over.

"Hello," Chihiro said, stepping to the woman, while also keeping her distance.

"Ah, you must be Chihiro. I'm here to meet with your father."

Her voice was monotone, as if she was restraining her real one.

"The front door is blocked, so you can follow me around back."

The woman stayed still, surveying Chihiro, who didn't like her one bit. Suspicions of that woman flowed through her. There was something wrong about that woman.

"Alright."

When they arrived at the open door, the table inside was all set with food and dishes waiting to be dirtied.

While the woman spoke to Chihiro's parents, she checked the time.

Yes! She had an excuse.

"Chihiro this is Margret Chen. She's planning to turn the abandoned amusement park into a full fledged tourist attraction," explained Dad.

Knots tore up Chihiro's stomach. Why? Why did she hate that idea? They only went there one time years ago. And it was only for a minute or two. She wasn't attached to it aside from those short moments.

"Fascinating," Chihiro managed. "But, you'll have to excuse me. I need to get ready and go to work."

Her mother smiled from the table. "That's our independent girl. You're excused."

Chihiro gave them a small bow before hurrying upstairs.

Once she was finished changing clothes, Chihiro left the bathroom and went to the door downstairs that led to the garage. She went and got out her bike and snapped on her helmet.

The ride into town was always a pleasant one. The small town's air was fresh and felt nice after being in the house all night. And the sounds of people and all other life was calming.

When she was on her bike, Chihiro was the happiest. She was alone and could ride wherever she wanted as long as her legs functioned.

That dream was put to an end as she closed in on the cafe.

Lina was waiting outside for her with her arms closed.

Chihiro sighed and braved herself for the yelling.

"Ten minutes late! In ten minutes I could've been yelled at because the service wasn't great! And you know why the service wasn't great? Because my other waitress was late! Honestly, what were you doing?"

Chihiro listened while she removed her helmet and locked her bike to a stand.

"I'm sorry, Lina. But, I'm here now. So, let's get going!"

Lina's yelling turned to a halt. She blinked. "Yeah, ok. Let's go!"

And the two women got to work.

[thefinalyeehaw]

(Obey Me Fic) Deathly Hearts {Ch. 1 - Arrival}

Killian didn’t know what to expect of the Devildom. Her knowledge of the realm was solely based on books and tales of her father’s younger days as he had been good allies with the Demon Lord. Diavolo had spoken about his home realm during his stay, now Killian regretted not asking further questions. Especially after she agreed to become a lab rat to the demon prince’s social experiment. His decree caused an uproar in her father’s court, shouting of royal advisers and loud gossiping among members of the reapscape’s nobility flooded the otherwise organized hall.

Among the chaos, her father sat on his throne, quietly observing the unleashed mayhem as she stared, shocked at Diavolo. The demon prince stood unflappable, the midst of the yelling and arguing, his eyes trained on her. The golden hues pierced her icy eyes, and his radiant smile remained unbreakable as a few irate advisors began to hurl thinly-veiled insults, stabbing at the demon prince’s character and integrity. Killian knew Diavolo didn’t care; the advisors could throw stones at him like a humorless jester telling bad jokes, he would still stand tall and proud as he awaited her answer.

Killian felt her father’s steely gaze latch onto her; he also awaited her answer. Usually, Killian felt graceful that her father always let her make her own decisions, but at that moment, she wished he had said something. Anything.

As she expected, her father remained silent as he stood up, his towering frame immediately silencing the hall. Her father turned to her, his dark eyes joining a hundred pairs piercing her; All awaiting an answer.

She didn’t know why she said yes. Diavolo’s dream was one that Killian shared; she also envisioned unity among the realms. But a dream is just a dream, a wild fantasy that will never come true. Diavolo’s idea was too outlandish; she couldn’t fathom reapers that won’t be a Ravished or an outcast in the Devildom, let alone a human.

Demons would tear a human to pieces the moment they stepped foot in the realm of the demons. Killian has witnessed many aftermaths of demons’ ravenous hunger for humans, to confirm that fact. But Diavolo wouldn’t listen even if she begged him on her knees as it wasn’t her place, much to her dismay. She was only a guest at the Devildom. Her only goal is to participate as a student for a year and report back to her father about her own opinion on the program.

Nothing more and nothing less.

“Welcome to the Devildom, Killian!”

A smile graced her face, her eyes landing on Diavolo as the mist of his transport spell vanished. Standing in the center of a raised judge panel, his already large frame looked gigantic as the demon prince peered down at the reaper. She recognized his signature red ankle-length coat, the crimson of his clothes heavily contradicting the large assembly hall’s violet and black scheme. Diavolo’s face brightens as he takes in her form, his gold eyes practically glow with excitement in the dimness.

“I’m honored to be here. I was starting to think that you forgot about me.” Her mask’s lips curled into a grin as the magic-infused in the porcelain mirrors her facial expressions. Killian didn’t usually wear a mask; her arrival to the Devildom coincided with the Melachonia festival in her home realm. Not wanting to break tradition, she decided to partake in the porcelain mask tradition during those significant months, though its appearance made her stick out like a sore thumb.

Diavolo chuckled at her tease, “Killian, you are someone who isn’t easily forgotten,” His gold eyes twinkled gleefully. “I do apologize for the delay. We had some difficulties with bringing Mattie to RAD.” Diavolo’s gaze shifted past the reaper, who turned to follow his stare.

A small distance behind her stood a human; their aura confirmed it. The person flinched when they noticed her glance, their eyes widening at the sight of her mask. They stood shorter than her, about chin-height to her. Killian noted they were cute, admiring the human’s olive skin and dyed teal hair, styled into a chin-length choppy bob, framing their round face and button nose.

Killian smiled, forcing back a giggle as the human gasped at her mask’s movement. “Hello there, I’m Killian. Who are you?” Keeping her voice smooth and calm, not to frighten the human further. “I-I’m Mattie. Mattie Carson.” Their doe-like eyes were glued to the mask’s mouth, watching in awe as the thin line moved and took shape, mirroring every word the reaper spoke. Their cheeks flushed as a giggle escaped Killian, immediately averting their glance in embarrassment.

“I’m glad the two of you are getting along well,” Diavolo smiled, observing the duo’s interaction happily. The demon prince seemed elated by the newest students’ friendly exchange; joy practically oozed from every pore. “Killian here is a good friend of mine. Treat her kindly, and she will do the same.”

Friends? Diavolo’s comment surprised her. She never thought he would consider her a friend. During his stay, Killian always made an effort to be friendly with the demon prince as their first meeting didn’t leave the best first impression whenever she bumped into the demon in the hallways and at banquets. Their chats were amiable but not enough to warrant status as the demon prince’s good friend.

Nevertheless, Killian took the opportunity to joke, “Aw, you’re going to make me blush~” Amused at the faint flush on Diavolo’s face as he laughed, also amused by their banter. A loud cough drew Killian’s eyes to the demon standing next to Diavolo, wearing a black version of the prince’s uniform. The demon was almost as tall as Diavolo, incredibly handsome with flawless porcelain skin and silky black hair. Even from the far distance, Killian noticed the crimson gradient in the demon’s otherwise piercing grey eyes. Those scrutinizing eyes glared disapprovingly, unamused of her playful attitude.

Killian grinned, winking at the scowling demon. She watched gleefully as his glare deepened. Obviously, the demon didn’t like her, not like she gave a shit about his feelings. If the demon was judging her already without getting to know her, Killian didn’t want to waste her energy on trying to be liked by some demon with an apparent stick up his ass.

“I apologize. We got off-topic.” Diavolo’s laughter subsided; he gesticulated around the hall as if performing a magic trick. “I should explain where we are. This is the Royal Academy of Diavolo, though we just call it RAD. You’re standing inside of the assembly hall, the very heart of RAD. This is where we officers of the student council hold our meetings and conduct our business.” Killian glanced around the impressive room, and she noticed a few empty seats among the ones occupied by a few disinterested demons.

“I’m the president of said council.” Diavolo stated proudly as if demons were fearless enough to run against him for the seat. She counted the number of seats, growing more curious. There were eight seats, including Diavolo; three seats were vacated. Why isn’t the whole council here? Won’t it have been more proper to have the full council present for the new students’ arrivals?

“Why are we here?” Mattie asked firmly, some of the shock and fear melting from their body. Killian felt slightly happy at the human’s growing confidence; the human will need that moxie if they want to survive the Devildom for the next year. Although it won’t prevent them from being eaten, it was at least progress.

“I will explain everything to you.” The black-haired demon spoke, ascending down the center stairs of the panel towards the two. Killian willed herself not to step forward in front of Mattie protectively; her posture grew rigid and alert. Her thumb fiddled with the ring on her right index finger, containing her scythe. The smile on Diavolo’s face eased her a bit; she still won’t hesitate to attack if the demon tried anything funny.

“Mattie. Killian. This is Lucifer. He is a demon and the Avatar of Pride.” Killian studied the black-haired demon with mild interest, so this is Lucifer? Diavolo spoke a lot of his dear friend during his stay in the Reapscape. From his descriptions of the demon, Killian honestly thought Lucifer was an old grumpy cat whom Diavolo grew fond of. Finally, now that she put a name with the face, she thought of him more like an arrogant peacock, domineering over ostentation of peafowls.

“So, you’re Lucifer? Lord Diavolo spoke many praises of you to my Excellency.” Her father’s title felt odd on her tongue. She doesn’t remember the last time when she had to call him by that status as “father,” and the occasional papa was his usual title to her. But her father had requested her royal status to remain anonymous during her participation in the program; Killian needed to remember that she wasn’t the Grim Reaper’s daughter in the eyes of these demons. She was just a representative of the Reapscape handpicked by the demon prince.

“He’s also the vice president of the student council and my right-hand man...and not just in title, I assure you.” Diavolo added. Killian disguised a sudden laugh as a mild cough fit, nearly giggling as Mattie shot her an odd look. Diavolo slightly pouted, resembling a worried puppy more than a demon prince. Lucifer’s glare intensified; oh, he knew exactly what she was thinking. Killian didn’t care if his stare melted the flesh off of her bone. The accidental double meaning was too funny not to laugh at.

Killian let out a quick apology in between fake coughs, claiming she was okay. Reassured that the reaper wasn’t about to keel over and die, Diavolo continued to praise Lucifer. “Beyond that, he’s also my most trusted friend,” Lucifer grunted at his words, annoyance twitched at his features as his stare shifted to the prince.

“Flattery will get you nowhere, Diavolo.” He cleared his throat; his red-grey eyes pierced the two exchange students. Mattie winced at the intensity while Killian merely stared back, unbothered by the demon’s biting gaze. Being a royal heir, she grew custom to the glares and gawking of nobles as she wasn’t introduced into palace life with open arms as a young reaper.

With practiced grace, Lucifer placed a gloved hand to his chest, slightly bowed his head towards the duo as he spoke, “Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great and storied school of ours, I offer you a most heartfelt welcome.” Killian blinked; that was one of the driest greetings she has experienced. She endured stabbings more heartfelt.

“On behalf of the students?” A faint frown appeared on the human’s face. Killian didn’t need telepathy to know Mattie found Lucifer’s welcome less than warm. Lucifer’s eyes briefly narrowed before he diverged into a monologue, “Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm. As a first step towards this goal, we’ve decided to institute an exchange program.” Killian turned him out. She already heard the program’s nature when Diavolo did his sales pitch to her father, resulting in brief mayhem occurring in the royal court.

“You both need someone to look after you, and I think that someone should be my brother Mammon?” The name seemed familiar to Killian; where has she heard that name before?

“Your brother?” Mattie asked curiously.

“Yes. He’s the Avatar of Greed, and… how should I put it…?” He sighed defeatedly, rubbing the bridge of his nose as if a headache was forming. “You’ll understand soon enough.”

Reaching into a coat pocket, Lucifer retrieved two cell phones. “Here, take this device. It’s called D.D.D. It’s a lot like the cell phones of your worlds,” He plopped the phones into each of their hands; his aim missed Killian’s hand, the phone nearly slipped. Her quick reflexes easily caught the falling phone; she gave him a sharp look. If Lucifer purposefully missed, his face didn’t show its guilt as he further discusses the new cell phones.

With an annoyed huff, Killian decided to examine the new device. Her phone case was a dark red; she lifted the phone slightly. She let out a breathy laugh as she saw the case matched the color of Diavolo’s uniform. Killian playfully winked at Diavolo, noticing the man also looking at the case in her hand. Diavolo’s smile widened; she suppressed a crackle when he winked back.

Forcing herself to turn away as not to draw any attention, she turned it on to see the phone was already charged and unlocked. Killian quickly browsed the standard installed apps. Although it will take some time for Killian to get used to a new cell phone, everything seemed in place. She wondered if her other phone would work if she needed to call home. She knew there would be metaphorical hell to pay if she didn’t text Jules often. The reaper shuddered at the thought of being on the end of her dear friend’s notoriously short temper. That wasn’t something she wanted to deal with any time soon.

“Now, go ahead and try calling Mammon with it.” Lucifer instructed.

~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading! Reblog if you want me to post more. 

Also, I wanted to explain a few things about Mattie (The human; the usual MC of the game), Killian (my reaper mc of sorts) and the story.

1. Mattie identifies as genderqueer; The pronouns of Mattie are They/Them, just like in the game. (Killian's pronouns are She/Her as she identities as cisgender).

2. This story will follow the overall plot line relatively close, it will kinda diverges from the original story in a few major events. there is also some side plot and funny (sometimes spicy~) filler chapters.

3. Mattie will not be the one romancing the boys, Killian is the romantic interest. Mattie will develop deep platonic relationships with the boys, I'm still deciding upon Mattie's sexual preference (possibly gray-ace?)

4. Since this is somewhat an AU; there will be chapters outside of the realm of the devildom, focusing on Killian's backstory and the Reapscape.

5. Last but not least, there will be some dark topics explored (mostly involving Killian's past) that I hadn't tagged yet. I will put trigger warning in the beginning notes of those chapters. If wanted, I can put line break around the sensitive materials.

[junghosoks]

Content creator year in review

thank you so much for tagging me @taemaknae​ 💕 @userjiminie​ 💕 @hobeah​ 💕 @balenciaguks​ 💕 @minhope​ 💕

1st creation of 2020:

this lil gifset of hob smiling <3 I remember I had a mini panic at the beginning of the year because my laptop had to be cleaned and my ps and everything got deleted and I think this was one of the first gifsets I made after I managed to install ps again and I was experimenting with sharpening after I lost it and ta da! :D

Most recent creation this year:

my very holy and pure xmas gift to you guys AKA hoseok x cypher stages 

Favourite creation from 2020:

that’s a tough one, because I’m really happy with how all of my hairstyle series gifsets turned out, but I really like the joon one

A new style that i tried this year/ a creation to be proud of:

my hoseok rainbow sets! it was the first time I tried that ‘make 3 gifs into one’ thing so that more than 9 gifs were in a 3x3 format aaand it was also the first time I tried my hand at making a gradient and I’m really happy with it

A creation that took forever:

anything in the favourite looks series....just trying to find decent vids of specific outfits took ages, I honestly almost gave up before finishing it

2020 creation with the most notes:

this one, nothing crazy really so I’m a bit confused but thank you still <33

A simple creation you love:

this gif of dior hobi, idk I’m just really happy with the colouring and how smooth it is 

A creation that deserves more notes:

this jin gifset :((((  also this maybe? :x

A creation you made that breaks melts your heart:

HOBI SITTING IN TINY!!!!

Some of your favourite content creators from this year and who you’d like to tag for their review:

I know a few of you already did it but I’m still going to tag you to show my appreciation of your amazing creations and your presence here. ily, you talented beasts you! 

@love4hobi  🌻 @kkulmoon  🌻   @jjeongukie  🌻  @hobeah  🌻  @lifegoesmon   🌻   @jiminslight   🌻  @syubb   🌻  @hobibestboy   🌻  @hopekidoki​   🌻  @minhope​  🌻  @taemaknae​ and many many more 💕💕

[leqclerc]

1, 4, 19, 34, 36 for the GIF ask :dorime:

1.  What are your top 3 favorite sets you’ve made

(in no particular order)

- Charles + name meanings: mostly because it’s just such a fun concept, I always love those etymology type gifsets and I got to play around with fonts and gradients here too which was fun. I struggled with this gifset for a long time (or rather it’s previous iteration) and then changed up the concept entirely and went with a black and white + grain and colourful text approach and I think that works much better

-  Sebastian teaching Charles German phrases at the German Grand Prix 2019: This one was hell to make, between the text and constantly referring back to the video to make sure I was getting the subtitles right and then also some pixilation issues I had but I’m ultimately happy with how it turned out and oddly proud of myself for bringing that moment back into the spotlight for one night. Watching the dash freak out over this was pretty fun lmao

- Sebchal + Stacie Cassarino’s Summer Solstice: Again the font work was quite fun and I got to use some scenes I haven’t used before (Sauber Chal looking over at Seb in his Ferrari, the Singapore pit stop shenanigans, post-qualy moment from Japan.) Discovering the poem and having that connection was also fun. If I had to re-do it I would try to have a more neutral type coloring though because I feel like colourful edits/gifsets are generally hit or miss and most people seem to prefer more natural-looking colourings. But I couldn’t resist when this PSD looked so good across scenes *cries*. Maybe one day.

Also this makes me realise that I actually haven’t posted that many gifsets, lmao, I should probably do something about that...

4. A set that flopped but deserved better

I’m not sure that it deserved better, lmao, but I guess this one. I mean, I understand why --- the concept’s kinda niche and again the colouring issue (see above) so I get it. But damn it if I’m not proud of putting those garage scenes together. The ✨tension✨

19. What is your gifting process like

It’s just me having a string of mental breakdowns while Photoshop crashes on me. 

Hm. Here’s the thing: I have two versions of Photoshop --- one is older but portable, meaning it takes up less space because it doesn’t have to be installed, and it works fine and is generally more efficient and less RAM-consuming but it’s missing some of my most-used features (or rather, they don’t work for me for ??? reasons???: Import Video Frames To Layers and the whole... thing where the text snaps to where you want it to be which is nice. There’s probably a manual option for that but I’m stupid and haven’t discovered it if it does exist. The second version of it is newer and has those features but it’s evil and RAM-consuming as all hell, meaning minimal background apps and a lot of interrupted giffing sessions because when you go to Sharpen it’ll tell you you can’t because he’s ran out of memory. Which... he hasn’t. it’s stupid. Anyway...

Step 1/2. VLC is a life saver, honestly one of my favourite programs. I use it to record shorter segments of the video I want to use --- say, only one particular scene from a DTS episode or a SkyF1 feature. The shorter the clip is the easier it is to manage once you open up Import Video Frames To Layers and get that little popup where you select the parts of the video you want to use. It’s easy to misjudge and miscalculate on a longer clip, select something that looks like a small segment and then end up with... 263 frames and a Photoshop on the verge of crashing. 

3. I tend to crop and change the size of the imported frames first before doing anything else. Trying to play back a gif with like 60 layers in its full original size... see above. Then I’d play it back and decide where and if I want to chop some layers off. You ideally want to make the gif flow as naturally as possible. This is especially tricky when you’re doing subtitle gifs and you sort of have to do a bit of lip reading and/or referring back to the original clip and decide how much of the speaking part you want in there, again trying to make it seem as natural and seamless as possible.

4. Colouring. I’m lazy and untalented so I generally rely on the PSDs provided by the kind creative souls of Tumblr and Deviantart. Obviously I’d tweak them accordingly and add my own layers if need be --- usually Curves, Color Balance and Selective Color. Those can be life savers when trying to adjust the colouring, getting too-yellow or too-red scenes to look more neutral and natural. 

5. Over that I put the text (if I’m using it.) 

6. From there it’s Convert To Video Timeline (I hate using the Timeline but it has to be done) -> Select all your layers -> Convert for Smart Filters -> Smart Sharpen. Sometimes Add Noise and/or Grain for a bit more spice

7. Save for Web..., then possibly cry if the gif size is too big, chop some layers off, go again, etc.

8. Unfortunately PS is bwoken and you need to open your finished .gif and change the Delay to anywhere between 0.03-0.05, depending on what looks good/natural on the gif (0.05 for “normal” gifs, less if the footage is in slow-mo) 

That’s... probably it. I learned almost everything from Tumblr tutorials, so ajsdkfg

34. A set that took you a long time/was really hard but you’re really proud of how it came out

A cop-out but I’m gonna say Sebastian teaching Charles German phrases at the German Grand Prix 2019 again for this one because it legit took about two days, unexpectedly. 

36. Do you gif with something specific in mind or do you just wing it

I usually have an idea of what I want to do or at least which scenes I want to use, but the ~creative vision~ definitely changes. Sometimes things just don’t work out the way I wanted them to (the clip is infuriatingly short when transformed into layers, or the colouring just doesn’t want to work no matter what you do, or something else entirely) and then you try doing it a different way and maybe that works better

[shima-draws]

OH HEWWO here’s the two new characters for ATS I’ve been gushing about nonstop!! Their refs have actually been done for quite a while, I wanted to draw more of them before I shared but I just got so excited I couldn’t wait!!

Their inspiration is probably pretty obvious lmao as stated several times by my pals but well, Albion’s been planned to look smth like that for a long time now so :’Dc

Albion’s on the top!! And Ikaia’s on the bottom!!

Their backgrounds and story details are under the cut, but be warned, it is LONG lol

Albion Kerrigan Age: ??? (Physically, early twenties) Hair color: Black and white Eye color: Black and white (Dual-user) Element: Light and Darkness

Remember when I introduced Edan and Valdis way waaaay back? Well, Albion is one of their companions--the Grandmaster of Light and Darkness! (His name was Alva previously, but I changed it.) He’s existed within Kishuniia for countless millennia, ever since that world was created. However, unlike his Grandmaster brethren he doesn’t like to play by their rules, and goes to interact with humans despite the fact that it’s strictly forbidden by Astraeus (the Grandmaster’s leader and the only existing tri-user (besides Kaz, who is a special case)). Because of his Grandmaster status, he serves as a pillar for Shima’s world, being an existence that keeps it thriving. If a Grandmaster were to be killed, the entire world would collapse instantly, for those seven pillars are needed to keep it functioning. And that is the reason why they conceal themselves from humans, spending thousands of years avoiding humanity or just in hibernation, and why Astraeus, being their leader, is so cautious about interacting with humans, who could easily abuse them for their power and unknowingly cause the world’s destruction.

Even so! Albion has always been an outsider within the Grandmaster group--not because he doesn’t get along with them (Edan’s his closest friend among them) but because he doesn’t like being tied down by their rules. Humans fascinate him and he’s always seeking knowledge on how they function and evolve, and he’s sorta inherited their mischief, always getting into trouble with people. But that’s just because he’s playful! Being a very curious and energetic person, he easily falls into misunderstandings, and also enjoys playing pranks on people lol

Astraeus is a really calm and laid back person, but with Albion they’re kinda strict--they pretty much act like a parental figure lmao and Albion HATES it. Astraeus kinda treats him like a kid, mostly because they don’t believe Albion is capable of understanding just how important of a being he is, being a god of this world, and it frustrates them. They’re quite protective of all of their Grandmaster allies, especially Albion since they know he attracts trouble and will disobey them no matter what they say. Albion’s constantly just like “Go away” and Astraeus is like “If I don’t keep an eye on you, who knows what will happen” so they’re just constantly arguing. Family squabble. Mkdmasdas

Ikaia Belcour Age: 23 Hair color: Blonde (very subtle pink gradient at the bottom) Eye color: Pinkish-red Element: Water

Ikaia is my newest baby...I would and can die for him...he’s a good soft boy that doesn’t allow any bullshit and pretty much does whatever he can to achieve his goals. He’s also trans!! 

He actually met Albion when he was 8 years old, after finding him collapsed in some bushes outside his house--apparently Albion had irritated some of the boys in town and gotten into a fight with them (but of course, he pulled his punches, letting them get out their anger and trying not to inflict too much damage). Ikaia then tended to his wounds and started asking all sorts of questions. Albion found him immensely entertaining. When Albion asked for his name, Ikaia hesitated because he didn’t like the name he was born with--so Albion gave him the name Ikaia, and he’s stuck with it ever since! 

Albion stays around town for a little while, and he slowly starts getting attached to Ika along the way. Ikaia, being the youngest of a large family, is ostracized by them, especially since they’re all gifted with elemental abilities and can use them brilliantly while he fails to master his powers of water. The only person who really cares for him is his older sister, but it’s hard for her to protect him when everyone else is essentially out to get him. Ikaia tells Albion he dreams of running away and being free from the ties of his family, and doesn’t have to put up with their misgendering and bad treatment of him. Ikaia excitedly suggests traveling with Albion, who sorta just goes with the flow and travels to wherever, being the adventurous type he is (which is smth Ikaia dreams of doing), and Albion jokingly says maybe he can one day.

By mistake Albion realizes that Ikaia’s elemental gifts lie more on the side of ice rather than just water--as elementals tend to specialize in different fields of their element, down to specific battle styles and practical uses. Once Ikaia discovers that he’s able to control his ability EASILY--he realizes he’s better at freezing things, developing a knack for it right away! Albion trains him a bit and teaches him a few Grandmaster tricks that only he knows. Ikaia excitedly goes home to show off to his family--they are proud at first, but immediately turn around and start using Ikaia for his powers, which makes him miserable. They also start noticing Ikaia hanging around Albion, which they find VERY suspicious, and punish Ikaia for meeting with him. Albion feels immensely guilty for getting Ikaia in trouble, and even worse, a very furious Astraeus shows up and berates Albion for interacting with humans, fearing that the secret of his Grandmaster status might leak.

Astraeus threatens to erase Ikaia’s memory of Albion, to which Albion protests, saying it isn’t fair to erase all the happy moments they had together just to preserve their secret. (Also they’d have to get Valdis to come do that who is like halfway across the world anyway.) Because of how close Ikaia and Albion had become, Astraeus says they won’t erase the child’s memory, but that Albion has to leave town and never look back, and forbids him from ever seeing Ikaia again lest Ikaia realizes that Albion’s immortal. At this point Albion’s been driven into a corner and can’t really oppose that decision, so he goes along with it, reluctantly, because he’d actually wanted to see the type of person Ikaia would grow up to be. 

Finally, Albion resolves to leave town. Ikaia is absolutely distraught, of course, not wanting to lose the only friend he has, and the person who’s taught him so much. Albion tearfully says he’ll come back one day, and Ikaia makes him promise to take him with on a journey across Kishuniia and show him everything he knows once he’s grown up and mature enough for the journey :’) Ofc this is a lie but Ikaia doesn’t know that;;

Years after Albion has left, Ikaia becomes stronger and trains more often to master his elemental abilities--and also lashes out more frequently against his family. At this point, he’s become a bitter sort of person, under his family’s control and the promise that Albion never came back to fulfill. His sister gives him encouragement but Ikaia tells her there’s no point in believing in lies, that Albion had probably just been humoring his childish fantasy. Still though, he finally leaves home at age 16--sick of his parents and siblings’ manipulation, he starts traveling around and participating in tournaments to hone his skills. 

And then, 15 years after Albion had left--Ikaia is in his early 20s at this point, and has become a renowned champion of local tournaments, going under the name “Ruka” because he doesn’t feel super comfortable using his actual name, especially because of how important it is to him, being the one big reminder of Albion he has. People refer to him as the “Frigid Prince” because of his use of ice and his cold personality lol. It’s at one of these tournaments that Albion stumbles upon him again, completely by accident 👀 Ikaia is shocked to see him from the audience and almost loses his match but he uses his irritation at Albion to win lol. He honestly thinks it was just a hallucination for a while, but he runs into Albion again outside of town--who had been avoiding meeting him--and just. Shit hits the FAN LMAO. Ikaia is absolutely FURIOUS at Albion for breaking his promise, and ofc is very confused as to why Albion still looks exactly the same. Albion refuses to reveal his identity as a Grandmaster, since he knows the truth would put Ikaia in danger with both Astraeus and any other humans looking to take advantage of them. But it becomes clear to Ikaia that Albion definitely doesn’t age, and probably isn’t human like he’d assumed--and he realizes that was the reason Albion never came back, and slowly but surely forgives him. (He’s still irritated for a long time after tho lmao)

With that said, Albion’s finally able to fulfill his promise and take Ikaia with him on a journey :’D They do a lot of catching up and they spar against each other occasionally, tho most of the time it ends in a draw since Albion’s afraid of hurting Ikaia despite the fact that Ika’s definitely strong enough to handle his blows lol. To Albion, Ikaia feels like an entirely different person, and it takes him a while to adapt to how snarky he’s become, and slowly begins to realize that Ikaia definitely doesn’t smile as much as he used to when he was a kid. (He then starts blaming himself for this drastic change in his friend, wondering if Ikaia’s become such a bitter person because of Albion’s “abandonment” of him.)

It takes a long time for Ikaia to finally start opening up to Albion, but when he does, and when he finally discovers Albion’s status as a Grandmaster--he resolves to protect Albion no matter what, and even stands up to Astraeus and challenges them to a fight in order to prove he’s worthy enough as a human being to stand by Albion’s side :’) Before this Ikaia had kinda been going through life without any real purpose, only wanting to get stronger without knowing why--but when Albion crashes back into his life again, he realizes that Albi’s been the driving force behind everything he’s done in his life, and finally knows what he wants to do from then on out. Seeing Ikaia stand up to Astraeus moves Albion tremendously, and that’s when he starts Catching Feels >:3c (It also doesn’t help that Ika looks REALLY good in thigh highs. Albion’s very weak for them fnadkald)

Ikaia’s pretty popular with his fans--especially the girls, who find him to be very handsome and charming with his cold and quiet demeanor--and Ikaia’s ignorance of them usually makes them freak out over him more lmao he just can’t avoid it :’D He doesn’t really care about fame particularly, and is disinterested in the affairs of his peers in the tournaments, but he does appreciate the support he gets! He’s a very careful battler and strategist, preferring to think first before charging in, while Albion is the exact opposite lmao. Being so cold and calculating gives him an air of arrogance, but he’s not like that, not at all! Deep down he’s still the excited, kind child he used to be, and he still really looks up to Albion a lot and is inspired by him! He likes teasing Albion a lot; they’ll get into friendly arguments and bicker over silly things. Ika thinks Albion’s an idiot despite being an all-powerful immortal being and sorta appoints himself as a babysitter for Albion under Astraeus’ instructions and Albion’s fury at that lol. Ikaia teaches him a lot about the human world, what humans are like, and how they function--which is something Albion’s always been extremely interested in.

They do fall in love, eventually! But it takes a long time because Albion’s never developed feelings for a human before, due to their lifespans being so short and him never being super attached to any of them in particular. He’s curious about them and he likes them, but human lives are fleeting and fragile, so he doesn’t really allow himself to get really close with any out of fear of losing them. After he starts getting closer to Ikaia he becomes very...overprotective of him, and worries constantly about his health and his state of being, and nags at him to be more careful when he gets hurt. Eventually Ikaia snaps back at him and tells him to stop coddling him and acting like a mother hen lmao. He does understand Albion’s fear, as Ikaia feels the same, worried that someone will take Albion away and try to use him against his will, and does his best to reassure him...!

A long time later when they finally get the balls to confess to each other, Albion pleads for Astraeus to let Ikaia become an immortal (who had already considered his options and decided yeah, spending an eternity with Albion would be really nice), and Astraeus, having seen how important they are to each other and viewing Ikaia as Albion’s only true friend, grants him immortality!! (Which they can easily do, being the Grandmaster of Time, Space AND Stars--) And then, Albi and Ika begin their eternity together. Insufferable partners to the end. LMAO

There’s this whole thing where people do eventually find out about Albion and there’s a huge battle arc where they fight to get him back and he turns into a raging demon and unlocks his Grandmaster Destruction Powers or something after Ikaia gets hurt and. Yeah. That’s a story for another time LOL

WHEW sorry that got long but that’s the gist of it!! I love my boys very much and would lay my life on the line for them, yessir

Bonus screencaps from me blabbing on about them in Discord:

[ozonecologne]

Please help me with my digital art!! I just got my first ever graphic tablet, it came with Corel Painter, and I'm so lost!! I know zero about digital art, every tutorial assumes I have some basic knowldege (I dont!!) and IDK where to start. I'm so frustrated! Do you have any tips? I wanted to try and recreate some Bob Ross, but I'm too dumb to find the right brushes, nothing works. :( 3

Congratulations! Welcome to the digital art world! We’re so very happy to have you!

I have no idea what Corel Painter is. I use Photoshop to do all of my work so I can’t speak to the specifics of the program you’re using, but here are some general “just starting out with digital” tips for any new artists out there!

Most important is to be patient and to practice. You’re not dumb. You just can’t expect to master a new skill in a day, and art is very much a skill that is unique to every artist! My first attempts at digital art were leagues away from the kind of stuff I’m doing now.

See? Clear improvement! I’m so happy with how my style has developed over the years! Most exciting of all, people actually tell me that they can recognize my art as mine when they see it, so that means I’ve managed to create something unique! Learning to make art you’re proud of is a fun process.

Your first step is to get to know your tablet and your program. I know it can be overwhelming, so start small. Mess around with your program and figure out what tools you have. What kind of brushes come with it? Which feels most intuitive for you to use? Do you know what all of the settings do? Honestly, a lot of digital art is just figuring stuff out for yourself by playing around, but you can use other peoples’ methods to help you fill in the gaps of your knowledge when you encounter them. When I was starting out I watched a lot of speedpaint videos to see what kind of tools and techniques were out there for Photoshop users, and when I started making my own art I moved to looking up tutorials once in a while to help me achieve a particular effect. There are tons of Corel speedpaint videos for you out there!

Dive right in! I suggest taking a subject from a reference photo (that Dean artwork up there comes from this image!) and drawing it a few dozen times with different brushes, different sized brushes, different brush settings, and trying to color it when you get a few sketches going. Color for me is particularly challenging (I prefer working in black and white), mostly because I haven’t really found a blending technique that I’m happy with yet. My color tutorial is here if you’re interested.

Digital art has a lot of great features to help developing artists learn how to paint. I’m still not great at it, but I’m slowly learning how color works by playing with overlays, multiply layers, and gradients (again: learn your settings!). I also use transformation tools like Warp and Perspective to figure out anatomy (hands, for example, should not be larger than a subject’s face – you can manipulate a drawing you’ve already done if you notice something off later on, which is sort of unique to digital). Use layers! They’re great “save points” for when you’re moving onto a new step and you feel nervous about messing up what you’ve already done. Every time I start a new step on a piece, I add a new layer. It’s a little ridiculous, truthfully:

There are more than this. Way, way more. Depths you cannot dream of. Effect layers, clipping masks, text. You don’t even want to know. My files are messy, but I always know where everything is and I feel confident knowing that I can just undo something or delete a layer if I’m not liking how things go, so it’s a system that works for me!

Take it slow. As you can see with my layer panel up there, I tend to work in block steps. First I sketch the piece with my favorite brushes (I use different sized brushes for various aspects of my pieces). Then I ink the final line art. Then I lay down my block colors. Then I start shading (this takes a very long time). I adjust as I go until everything is down. Then I tweak everything and add effects on top. Try pushing yourself a little further each time!

Lastly: stay inspired. Keep looking at art, especially art made in your preferred digital program. I know it’s easy to get discouraged when people around you seem lightyears ahead of you and your style isn’t developed, but surrounding yourself with art that inspires you is one of the best ways to motivate yourself and to train your eyes to see good work. If you know what you want your art to look like, you can work towards a goal. We all have our favorite artists that we aspire to be like, even though we know our art will never look the same as theirs. Make peace with the fact that you will be different. Embrace it. You have something that no one else has, and you can use the vision and experience of others to enrich that capacity within you. We all have days or even long stretches of time when we don’t like our art or are frustrated with our lack of progress, but don’t get jealous or self-loathing – get motivated! More often than not you will surprise yourself.

Along with this: talk to other people. Reach out to other artists for advice and encouragement. I am so grateful for people like Tori, Jessie, Cookie, and Elicia for saying positive things to me while I learned (even when my art probably wasn’t that great), because it taught me to believe in myself and to keep trying! 90% of the work we do in anything is mental – positivity and being open to exploration goes a long way! 

If you ever need a kind word or just want to show someone something you’ve made, you can always do that here. I love watching artists grow and I’m always honored when someone shares their vision with me

Best of luck out there, friend! Just keep at it! It’s a learning curve, and you are smart and capable! You can do it! I love you.

[astoldbykennedy]

Kennedy: Yo yo yooo! Whats up? Its your girl Kennedy and I'm back with another episode of Ken Knows Best. Today we have some beautiful young women and a very handsome young man in the stu to chop it up and just talk. I got inspired for this episode by some things I saw on Twitter, but we'll get to that in a minute. For now I want everyone to introduce themselves, drop your Twitter handle and let me and the world know what you identify as for sexual orientation. If its nothing and you don’t like labels then let me knowww that! We're accepting of everyone over here.

Ozzy: [he smiles as she speaks before finally leaning into the microphone to speak in a slightly deep baritone voice, his Netherlands accent apparent in his tone of voice] Awesome! Hello everyone, I am Ozzy, Ozzyis on Twitter and all other social media platforms. I’m straight, and I’m absolutely glad to be here with you all! I can’t wait to get into this great discussion with these beautiful and brilliant ladies.

Randy: [looking at him before leaning into her mic] Well my shit isn't going to be great I'm Randy my twitter is damnrandy with no vowels. I'm from Houston with my regular ass American accent.

Jocelyn: [listens to their intros and smiles brightly adjusting the mic she leans close] hey, hey world, twitter, facebook and Instagram wherever you may be. I'm Jocelyn you can catch me at jlceyn. I'm straight love the fellas [chuckles] I can't wait to discuss the topic with these lovely people.

Monse: [listens to kennedy as she speaks as well as the others before she introduces herself] this is great! heyy everyone i'm monse, mobetterbluez on instagram and monsay on twitter. i identify as being bisexual and i'm pretty happy to be in tune with this discussion.

Scorpio: [chuckled while leaning into the mic] hey love i'm scorpio. aka ms levy if you're nasty. [smirked] scorpio and scorpio wins is where you can find me on all forms of social media. i'm straight all the way and i'm from college park maryland. and this is something new for me so i'm really looking forward to this.

Riley: [smiles and gives a thumbs up to everyone as they finish their intros] Hey world, it’s the kid Riley, at rileyrose on Twitter. I identify with vibes, and they don’t have a label for that yet so, call me what you will, that doesn’t mean I’m gonna answer. But I can’t wait to get into this, with all these beautiful people. 

Randy: Wait, was i supposed to state my sexuality? Because if so...I'm a lover.

Majesty: [looks around at everyone, listening attentively before she begins to speak] hello everyone! I’m Majesty Mailo, bowdown2maj on Twitter and I’m bisexual [chuckles softly] and I think that’s it, I’m ready to get into this little discussion piece.

Danica: [listens to everyone introduce themselves with a smile before she moves closer to the mic, her voice soft as she laughed a bit] Well hi everyone. My name is Danica, but everyone calls me Dani. You can find me at ohdanigxrl on twitter, and Instagram as well as snapchat. Currently...I'm just sort of floating as far as the sexuality spectrum goes, but I do know I like men. I'm really ready for tonight.

Kennedy: You all are making me proud right now speaking all confident and what not. [chuckles softly] I'm glad we have a bit of diversity in here to get all the different views. I'm bisexual..if you didn't know, but I'm kind of moving out of wanting to be labeled. Its all a bunch of bullshit if I'm being honest. So anywho. I was scrolling on Twitter the other day and I saw that this girl apparently labeled herself as lesbian and is now dating a male. At first I got kind of offended and I can't even tell you why honestly because I don't know why. I mean she’s living her life right? But then I saw the negativity that came with it and maybe she doesn't know it yet or hasn't labeled herself as it yet, but people started talking about being bi. It wasn't my first time seeing something like this because people have negatively said stuff to me too about being a fake lesbian or whatever, but I just wanted to take a moment to let the bi people that are here advocate for what the fuck's going on in our community and for the others.. why do you feel like society erases being bisexual as a thing?

Ozzy: I saw that too, and it kind of made me upset because it’s literally no one’s business what you do, or what you don’t do sexually. Imagine if there were never any labels to begin with. She would’ve never been looked down upon. If people were never labeled as anything, there would be no room for people who think it’s okay to tell what’s the right way to do something. If we want that to end, we have to get rid of social norms.

Monse: i saw that too and i couldn't say that it made me upset but i was slightly confused at first. at same time though everybody realizes things at a different time in life. i personally feel as though society erases bisexuality because they don't believe or try to believe that people can actually like both genders. they think you're suppose to like one or the either and it confuses them. i have a guy but that doesn't take away from my sexuality because regardless of who i'll end up with in the long run i'll still have feelings and be attracted to either sex if i was to end up single. i think once people open their minds and realize what being bisexual actually is they would probably understand it more.

Randy: Well I don't label myself as Bisexual....I just say I'm a lover so I'm still going to speak on it. But that's like if a girl labels herself as straight but ends up with a woman, whats to say she's not in love with that woman? We're all humans and we change, we grow. We live where people say you can't have your cake and eat it too, well its my cake. You know? Most problem it seems that people have with closing off bisexuality is that oh I'm a girl and you're going to cheat on me with a guy and leave me or vice versa when if she was just lesbian who's to say she won't cheat on you with a another female and leave? I feel like it's an excuse to try and bash the other sex and force you to conform into a certain type and its shit.

Scorpio: when i saw the post i kinda just brushed it off only because that's her life and she's obviously happy so who am i to judge. what she's doing isn't causing any harm in my life. maybe she's trying something new we don't know. that's the thing about sexuality. it's not just something you can turn on or off. you can't fault her for having feelings for a guy.

Riley: I really do believe society creates these labels to divide people, not realizing that people can love who they want. I think the bisexuality label is often misconstrued for promiscuity. People think that if you can’t “choose” then you must be a hoe, and just want the attention from wherever you can get it. But that’s a toxic mindset, sexuality is fluid it changes. You might vibe with someone today who you don’t tomorrow and you don’t deserve to be judged for that. I always have been frustrated by people who were so worried about what other people were doing in their private time.

Danica: For the most part, I think just society as a general whole has a tendency to put people in boxes. And you can't check more than one. If you do there is obviously something.. Wrong. And it doesn't make any sense really because people are in a gradient, but as far as categorizing and things like that, it's been happening since...forever. With race, gender and of course sexuality. You check more than one box and we have to have a discussion apparently, when it's really love is love.

Ozzy: I think it starts with not putting a label on yourself to begin with. Don’t put a label on sexuality, especially if you know that it may leave room for people to judge, you know? I know there are people who label themselves a certain sexuality, and act another way. Is it due to the lack of education? Is it because they are just calling themselves what they think fits at the moment? It can be offensive to the people who do follow labels, I’m not apart of the LGBTQ community but I support it so much, and have educated myself.

Majesty: (perks up as she hears the topic before getting closer to her mic and shakes her head with a shrug) I honestly have no idea, it's like being bisexual you always have to validate your sexual orientation to people in the lgbtq community who could understand you. I think society can't grasp the concept that at the end of the day, it's all about attraction and intent. And that goes for every sexual preference.

Jocelyn: [listens to them and nods] social media always have something to say nothing good comes from it. I personally think that you love who you love. If you like women be proud of that don't let the closed mind of others discourage you. No one really has the right to judge you in the first place.

Kennedy: Yes! Yes! You guys are honestly all making me so happy right now because I can agree with something everyone said. I definitely feel like its your business who you like and what you do, but its also human nature to be in people's business. I don't know why its like that, but it is. Probably passed down from them nagging ass grandparents who got it from theirs. [chuckles softly] Plus social media makes it even worse. Jumping topics really quick, whew..can we talk about that article that dropped on that one gossip site? I mean we don't have to go into details, but how do you guys feel about stuff like that? Should we all just ignore it or take heed in what they're saying? It was talking hella smack about people and their relationships. Would you guys let what was said if something was said about you affect how you feel about your partner?

Randy: I mean it honestly depends on what they were involved in and I would be a stalker bitch that i can be and find out what's really going on, can I cuss on here? If not...my bad.

Monse: [chuckles at kennedy] we probably did get it from them but being nosy is human thing and sometimes we can’t help it but I agree with scorpio because happiness is all that matters in the end. but whew chile the ghetto, that’s what that gossip page is. being the type of person that i am. especially when it comes to my significant other then I’ll be lying if I said i wouldn’t let it affect us but at the same time it’s gone be something that we discuss and get to the bottom of because just leaving it in the air like that will probably only hurt later on down in the line. although we should never believe gossip but that’s one of those human things too.

Jocelyn: ignore it they want you to say something and if you do then that's how they know they got you. If i’m in a relationship and people have shit to say it's solely up to me and my partner to say something back or ignore and be the happy couple we destined to be. It's always the ones who never had a guy or girl in their life but yet has so much to say about you and yours girl bye.

Scorpio: since i'm in the career field that i'm in shit [covers her mouth] can we curse on here? [smiles] but things like that goes in one ear and out the other. you can't feed into that. people talk all the time. most of it i will ignore but there's a line and if it's crossed i will respond.

Majesty: I think that unless it involves you then it’s not really something that you have to pay that close attention to, it’s like a laugh and move on type deal. But if it does involve you then, ehhh...I would probably check in like “hey what they talking about” but that’s just if it’s serious. If it’s something petty then, yeah, I’m probably shrugging that off too

Danica: [laughs a bit] You know, it's funny you bring that up because I was thinking about it today. I suppose it's their job to "spill tea" But..it always makes me curious as to where the info they find comes from. And it seems like a lot of times, it's just to get something cooking, or stir the pot. I wouldn't have anything affect me if it was petty info, but of course I would want my partner to let me know what's going on. I don't want to be left in the dark.

Riley: I feel like what you read online is always too spicy to be the absolute truth. Blogs have said things about me that were fact, but then just assumed that my intent was something else. For example, I went to the doctors, so now I’m pregnant. Like no! I had the flu. But it’s for that reason that I don’t let what is said effect myself and potential partners. Yes, it may hurt my feelings in the moment, but I can’t let a masked culprit cause me to sacrifice happiness in my own relationship. Now if it’s something I was already thinking may have been going on and the blogs confirm, that might give me enough gall to ask my partner about it. But I never take things like that for fact. You can’t even confirm the source! [chuckles]

Ozzy: you should trust your partner enough to know what’s really up, but some of that stuff has some truth and you should be smart enough to at least ask your partner about it. that’s what i would do.

Monse: yeah i agree with ozzy, trust is a big factor in anything. but sometimes the things you here can be so outrageous and just off guard that you can't help but to question it. communication should always happen regardless though.

Danica: I agree with that for sure. At the end of the day, it's you--and that person-- and no one that's not supposed to be there. People can speculate but you know what's up in the long run..or at least you should.

Kennedy: [chuckles] Yes, you can curse. This is going straight to the interwebs and iTunes, but I agree. Sometimes you can kinda tell when stuff is bullshit, but like Riley said if you're already questioning something then I feel like its going to push you to want to talk about it with your partner and we know how much communication can make or break something. Everybody here single? Or what? My bad. I should have been asked that. A bunch of single people up here giving relationship advice and what not. [laughs softly]

Randy: I'm single by choice, ok? a lot of people can't handle my job so I stay single, but my advice be off the chain.

Ozzy: I’m definitely single and I haven’t been in a relationship in a very long time..and damn, I have no right to give anyone advice on anything. [laughs]

Majesty: I’m single as a pringle but I think giving any type of advice is just about having wisdom. Like just because you’re not in a relationship doesn’t mean you haven’t been and don’t know a lil Sumin Sumin. (begins to laugh) I know that wasn’t the topic but I hate when people say “well you’re single, you can’t give me advice” like damn without my advice your ass about to be single.

Scorpio: i'm single. i'm more so just riding the ride. i'm not pressed to be in a relationship and if i get in one then it happens.

Monse: no i'm not single [chuckles] but i think advice can be given by anyone because i'm sure we've all experienced something things in past relationships.

Jocelyn: I'm single. [chuckles] it's been a minute since i’ve been in one. I think it's alright to give advice you speaking on past experiences.

Danica: I’m Netflix and chilling by myself and it's also been quite a while since I've even been close to a relationship. [laughs as she nods in agreement to Monse] Yes, most definitely.

Riley: [laughs] I’m single and here to talk about sexuality. Cause me giving relationship advice is a dub.

Kennedy: [laughs] I'm just asking seeing where everybody is at. In no way do I think it has anything to do with giving relationship advice. Now if you suck at relationships and thats why you're single then you need to be on hush mode. [chuckles] Well everyone can still have an opinion. How do you guys feel about social media and being in a relationship? I know a lot of people think its negative and causes problems, but do you guys think there could be positive things that come from social media and your relationship? And if its so negative why do we continue to allow it to have that much of an impact?

Ozzy: Now social media can be a killer to people in relationships! Some people rather pay attention to likes, tweets and other random unimportant shit than their partner. On the other hand, I feel like social media should only see but so much of you and your partner. Woman crush Wednesdaying your lovely lady is totally fine, but telling the timeline your every move is toxic!

Randy: I feel like its only killer if you allow it to be.

Danica: A lot of the times I feel people use social media as either as a crutch, or a blind spot. For a lot of people, they show how perfect their relationship is on social media, getting all the hearts and like reacts in the world, but behind closed doors it's a whole different story. Or you're using to keep something together and make it it seem picture perfect. It's a fine like to walk sometimes I feel like, but you can't expose your whole life, or pretend things are sunshine and roses. A lot of people like to use as a facade and it shouldn't be..it can be great for a lot of reasons, but at the same time it can put stress on the wrong things, or blind people completely, when it should do neither. I agree with a lot of what Ozzy said.

Scorpio: it can be a killer when you're immature about it. just like what ozzy said all the posts about mcm and wcw is totally fine. but the moment you bash each other and wanna argue i think it's wrong. some things should be kept sacred.

Monse: i think that social media can only be a killer if you allow it to be. there's nothing wrong with social media and relationships because it's a free world with the freedom speech. most people have no problem showing off their partners and supporting them with whatever on social media. most negative things that happens with social media can be rightfully avoided

Majesty: I agree with Randy, if you’re being mature and handling your relationship like you should then social media shouldn’t be a problem. I feel like we give social media too much credit. We use it to validate each other, among other things and at the end of the day it really shouldn’t be like that. (chuckles) like the whole women crush Wednesday thing, I’m cool with it but I’ve had people get in my ass for not posting them but like...what should it matter. I’m not hiding the world from you or you from the world, I’m just not feeding into all that.

Riley: For myself and the anxiety I have, I try to pretend it’s not there. It’s not good for me at all, and I don’t know what good could come from it. If I post a picture I’ve gotta worry about who sees it and what they’ll think, if someone comments something crazy I’ll get all upset. And in the courtship phases it’s even worse. So I try to avoid it all around when I really like someone. For me, a person with anxiety, giving people easy access to my most personal connection with a person is dangerous. So I try to just stay away from it. But that doesn’t make me mad at those people who do choose to be public with their relationships on social. I actually think that’s adorable.

Randy: All in all a lot of people take this social media shit too serious and it not only affects relationships but friendships as well and it's just some childish unnecessary actions that take place. Like if the internet goes out while you're with the people you care about most, then what? You gonna be mad that you can't post a picture of all you guys on instagram, so? You're with the one you love enjoy it, social media is just online while they're right there. sometimes people do not get that and they let it control the one they're with, thats how they end up failing.

Ozzy: Do you guys know what grinds my gears about relationships on social media? The ones who put emojis over their partners or hide their faces. I think that’s an issue for me. It’s kind of a deal breaker. People make a lot of excuses about why they can’t post you or why they choose to hide you. Social media is big now. It’s important to me that my significant other makes it clear to people on social media they are in a relationship, because I instantly think they’re hiding something.

Danica: It definitely gets taken too seriously..Honestly I feel like it's become another social symbol of how well you're doing as a general whole. It was never that important to begin with, but things changed with technology and just generations I suppose.

Monse: i never understood the whole hiding situation. like if you don't want to post then by all means don't post but we're not going to play a game of guess who to figure out your mystery. it's confusing to me.

Majesty: See, I think the whole emoji over face thing is weird too. But I cant say that my significant other no posting me would bother me, honestly. I was just never into all of that. I just have to believe and trust that they’re doing right by me. Because if I let something as small as that get in the way of my relationship then I damn near don’t need to be in it

Kennedy: Honestly I don't see the big deal in posting your significant other, but I agree Ozzy.. if they are going to post you then they need to post you and not an emoji. Its ugly for one and they're definitely being secretive. I can also agree with you Riley.. when you're in a position of having a lot of followers or are something like an internet personality it comes with a lot of pressure. You have to be careful with what you say not to step on anyone's toes, offend someone and it makes it hard to be yourself. AND since when did it become posting a MCM or WCW that it meant you were like staking claim on a person? I could have sworn it was about finding someone cute or whatever. Cause I damn sure know Chris Brown ain't checking for me. [laughs] People are hilarious when it comes to social media. The one positive thing that I can say I've seen come out of relationships and social media is like people on Youtube with their significant others using it to their advantage to bring in that dough. Sometimes thats fake too, but hey.. it is what it is.

Riley: Well you know they say social media is a persons highlight reel. I guess the same would go for couples. 

Randy: Hey cause if we claiming someone by posting a man crush monday? I'm posting Drake, I'll be a GREAT step mom.

Riley: [sings] Randyyy do you love me? Are you riding??

Monse: yeah some people can be pretty hell bent on the whole MCM or WCW thing but i've never really saw the importance of it being a must when in a relationship. even if you considered a person to be cute, you can just be giving credit where it's due. that doesn't necessarily mean you're staking claim, i feel like that's immature kind of behavior for some who feel that way. the only time i'd say that it was bad was if you were knowingly posting someone else's partner, then that's just messy [chuckles at randy]

Jocelyn: [laughs] people view it differently from one another if im posting an MCM it's more than likely I find that person attractive and it's a connection there.

Scorpio: my issue with the whole mcm thing is if girls post the same guy then they are sharing them. why can't both of them just think he's cute?

Danica: I agree with Monse on this one. [laughs a bit] Exactly.

Randy: I'm riding if he want, I'll ride, be bent over anything he need  I'm WITH it all. I'll pull a mimi in the bathroom if he want it. [giggling softly] 

Monse: that's true too scorpio but most of the time females only post MCM because they're feeling that person. so you never really know for sure if they sharing or not

Kennedy: [sighs] And thats where the issue comes into play when it got taken from finding them cute to be staking claim likes he’s mines. Which honestly posting someone as WCW/MCM isn't going to stop a determined person. I don't want to make this too long, but we were having such a good time. I have to end this on a positive note. So everyone tell me your go to 'I got a crush on you', I'm feeling you or I'm in love song.

Randy: my favorite song....? Probably a freaky song, like do my dance by tyga or something along the lines. OH probably some jodeci Freak N You. I'm about to go play that for someone i’m feeling right now.

Jocelyn: Mhm, for someone i’m feeling it would definitely have to be this one if you let me by Sinead Harnett.

Riley: mine is probably rather die young by Beyoncé or stay by Jodeci. If I’m listening to those, somebody has me all the way in my feelings.

Scorpio: i would say pretty brown eyes by mint condition.

Ozzy: The I have a crush on you song, or the song when I see a beautiful woman and can just tell her personality is amazing is, Can We Talk, by Tevin Campbell. My other go to when I’m in love is, Pretty Wings by Maxwell.

Monse: ooh those are some freaky songs alright [laughs at randy] uh my songs would definitely be sweet love by anita baker and brown eye's by destiny's child.

Majesty: Hmmm for someone I’m feeling it would probably be hella old school songs. [points to ozzy and laughs] he took my song, can we talk by Tevin Campbell but if I was in love it would be You by Jesse Powell...there’s so so many honestly

Scorpio: yesss tevin campell.

Danica: Oh gosh that's hard! The current one I'm loving for when I'm crushing on someone is Lil Love Song by Tash. As for a love song?? I don't have one. I need to get on that. [chuckles a bit] And Monse I love Anita Baker! She's amazing. That song is such a classic.

Monse: tevin campbell and jesse powell are classics, i honestly wanted to say lenny williams 'cause i love you but i didn't want to go back too much with the oldies [chuckles] yes same danica she is!

Ozzy: Definitely trying to serenade a lady with some Tevin Campbell one day, but I’m still practicing my vocals. [laughs]

Randy: everyone on some love and here I am with my tryna fuck songs.

Monse: aww that's cute. trust me if she likes you however you sing it to her she'll be happy.

Danica: [busts out laughing at Randy's comment] But it's okay! Those songs are great!

Jocelyn: Go ahead Ozzy im sure she will love it either way. [laughs at Randy comment]

Scorpio: randy has me dying over here. [laughs]

Majesty: Don’t get me all fucked up in this room, I’ll start tearing up just thinking about love (shakes her head as she laughs)

Danica: Aw Majesty! Don't get sad..if you do I'm always here if you need to talk or anything.

Majesty: (places her hand on her chest as she looks at Danica) aww thank you so much, I’m just a hopeless romantic, it’s okay

Monse: don't feel bad majesty, you're not the only one. i love love and the idea of it.

Scorpio: i'm one too boo.

Kennedy: [chuckles at the responses] I was definitely going to say Can We Talk by Tevin Campbell and You by Jesse is one of my wedding songs if not the ONE. Since you guys took my go to's. The next for me would be Brandy's Sitting Up In My Room. Just good vibes all around, high school crush days. Well guys I've enjoyed this time with you guys. I thank you all so much for coming out to chat with meee. To my followers, check these ladies and this handsome man out on Twitter. Their handles will be tagged. I love y'all. You know where to reach me. Peeeeaaace!

[georgesmithunit19]

10 Minute Lesson Project: Video Process

01.02.19

I am here, and I have finally finished my video for this teaching project. It took around 14 hours if I had to estimate (not in one sitting, over two weeks). It’s interesting that it took so long to create a three minute and thirty second video—which reminds me of Wallace and Gromit and how long that took to create just one single frame. I think that the final piece is decent. It’s not like I’m extremely pleased with it, but overall I do like it and I am proud of what I’ve created. I think that it is good for what it is and does its job well; to teach a young class about a chosen subject while also still being fun. At the time of writing, I have not yet imported sound, nor have I created the work sheet that I will be handing out after the video has finished playing, but I will add the sound later, and I will probably detail that later on in this post when I have (if not it will be in a separate post). The work sheet process will most likely be a separate post. 

Now I must write about my process of the entire thing. Now, I’m not about to bore everyone and use 50 screenshots detailing every single thing that I did throughout, but I have some of the most important ones, which I will be talking about briefly. So firstly, how it all started. I made black solid layer and immediately got to animating the words to come onto the screen. I’d had the idea to have each word separately fly onto the screen to form a sentence for a while, and now was time to put that idea in to motion. This wasn’t so hard to do, but it definitely took the longest time to make out of everything that is in the video. It was very tedious to be honest, there was a lot of duplicating and fiddling with layers etc. The final animation of these parts honestly doesn’t look great, since some of the words follow each other a bit slowly, but I couldn’t do anything about that as that would interrupt everything that came after it. 

Once I’d done this part, and added all the easy ease to make it look more fluid, I decided to use a technique that I had recently learned from Irene, which involves using trim paths to create some confetti-like things that look like they’re flying around the place. Here’s a link to my experience with this technique. I made the colours correspond to the flags of the UK and USA, which conveniently have the same colours (albeit with different shades). 

The screenshot below shows a dark screen with a flag in the background. This was the first image to appear after the black screen, which I made fade out using opacity keyframes. I chose to start with USA for no particular reason, and then move onto the Union Jack shortly after. A lot of the early parts of this video are drawn out maybe a little longer than they should be due to me being stressed over the fact that I needed to get the video to four minutes. I was taught by another tutor how to make the flag wave a bit using some technique called turbulent displace, which I couldn’t tell you how to do now, but it definitely adds to the video, instead of having static footage. In fact, I originally had planned to have footage for every single different segment of the video, but I was quickly shot down as soon as I visited various different stock footage websites, and found that there was a lot of bad footage. That or it was incredibly expensive. I quickly abandoned the idea of trying to find footage for flags, though luckily, I was much more fortunate in my search for other footage of the later sections. 

I wrote out some messages that would appear on screen while the flags would be in the background, like “I hope that you enjoy, and learn something new.” and the screenshot below. I had them last for a while to draw out the video, but I also knew that drawing something out for so long would not be entertaining for an audience, so I didn’t go overboard, hopefully. Not much else to say about this screenshot. 

Now I will briefly talk about some of the footage and images that I used for the video. This first part of the video was going to be about the vocabulary, by the way. The first image that I used was one of a faucet, or tap. I got all of my images from Unsplash, and footage was from Pexels. I simply placed the image and then had it move slightly throughout its duration of being there, so that it wouldn’t look too boring. Next, I made the flags that I would be using to differentiate each word. There was a lot of duplicating and then removing things etc. I wrote a word out, and then parented that word to the image of the flag, so that they would move at the same time, but I could simply edit the word to whatever I wanted to without everything messing up. I tried to get each flag and word to move on the screen in a unique way, though I ended up running out of ideas later on, so some of them copy the earlier ones, but I don’t think you would really think that unless I pointed it out. Like right now. I chose to screenshot this scene, as I really like the footage that I chose for it—it may be my favourite footage. Not much else to say, though there were some more creative ones that I did after this one, like with the cinema, I made the words appear on the big screen. The footage for the apartment scene was also nice, it almost looks like I went out and filmed it myself. 

Another scene I liked was this one below, of a girl walking on the street, wearing trainers/sneakers. The way that it is zoomed in looks really good, as well as the flags that fall onto the screen, and then fall off at the end. I think that the contrast between the real life footage with the little icons I made in Illustrator is probably best showcased here, in my opinion. After this was a football/soccer scene, where I ran into a little mishap—there was this short black screen that appeared for half a second, which I was able to avoid by duplicating the footage and moving part of it just before the glitch, which covered it up nicely. That’s pretty much it for this screenshot.

The next part of the video was going to be about spelling, which may be my favourite aesthetically pleasing segment that I made throughout the video. I really like the specific image of the flag, along with the white text over the top of it. I tried to keep it lighthearted, and added a little “(yay!)” under the big word “Spelling”. Some people may catch it. I’ve noticed that throughout the video, the font seems to switch up a lot. I always used the same font, yet it still looked different. 

The first part of this category would start with the motorway/highway, which again, very aesthetically pleasing to me. I think that it is pretty perfect footage for this particular part. After this was one about colour/color, which also had the same error that the football/soccer scene had. I was able to cover it using the same technique. After this, theater/theatre, meter/metre, which I think I chose a pretty nice image for from Unsplash, and then organize/organise, which again had some really cool footage to accompany it, and it also looks like I could have filmed it.

Next is undeniably my favourite scene from the whole video. It was of a plane that was just barely in the shot, while there were clouds blowing across the screen. I used this to my advantage and decided to try something new with the animated flags and words. This time, I lowered the opacity of both flags once the cloud went over it. Also, the way they appear on the screen also looks really good (albeit unintentional) as they look as if they’re blowing onto the screen following a cloud that seems to have blown them along with it. The whiter the screen got, the more I lowered the opacity of the flags—even going down to 15% when a big cloud essentially covered the screen. I think that this ended up looking really good, and honestly like it could be a separate thing of its own. I’m hoping my audience will be able to catch the words, with them being covered by the clouds as well. It doesn’t help that the words in this case are incredibly similar; traveled/travelled. 

After this was the segment that introduced prepositions into the video. I didn’t exactly know what those were, so I thought I would add a little “(what?)” under the word, just a little lighthearted addition, as I assumed that not everybody would know the word either. Also, before this, I typed: “You made it! Now it’s time for...”. In retrospect, this may seem like I’m being patronizing, but at the end of the day, this was created with the intention of appealing to younger people. 

Next, I thought about how I wanted these prepositions to be for awhile, until coming up with the idea of having a chalkboard as a way of teaching. I had no idea what stock footage of image that I would use, so I thought to just make my own thing this time. I took to Illustrator and started working on a little scene that would have a chalkboard in. The chalkboard itself was easy to create. I just made a square and gave it a slight dark grey to darker grey gradient. Just to give it some slight detail. I also did this with the wall in the back, just going from light purple to a more blue purple. I made a border for the chalkboard, and added some chalk sticks using the rounded rectangle tool. I resized them and placed them on the corner of the board. Then next thing I made was the window on the right. This was easy to make, all I did was create a little scene of some hills, and some clouds, then blur them using the gaussian blur to make the whole scene look like it was in the distance. I then made a border around this, and them thick line through the middle to make it look like a window frame. 

The last thing that I did for this scene was create a little picture for the wall. I made a white rectangle and then gave it a drop shadow. I made a small rectangle and then made some triangles to cut into the rectangle. I then coloured it the same as the border of the chalkboard, and shrunk it. I then duplicated it and placed it over the paper on the wall—to look like tape. I then made a character out of some shapes and the pen tool. I guess you could call it an Easter egg, since it kind of resembles me. 

After this graphic, I made the second to last segment—Past vs Present Tense. I got another American flag and placed it into the background. This lead into the final part of the lesson which was just using the graphic that I made of the chalkboard again, and then it came to the final slide, which thanks the audience, and then fades to black, which I did by getting a solid shape layer which I coloured black, and adding a keyframe at the start set to 0%, which moved to 100% at the end. 

[goultrasweetheart]

Triplets?! Part 4

Blank belongs to mysterytheskeleton

Jiva, Quincy, Ala, and the triplets belong to me.

The storm finally blew over after a while, allowing the continuation of any possible active wildlife. The married couple took the opportunity to go out to their secret spot. The need to spend some time they rarely had after Quincy, alone together. They have a while with Abarai still in his womb.

.

.

Seraph pulled Omnipotent into his lap and showered his husband with kisses “Honey~. Stop it~. Heehee” playfully pushing him away, smiling. He next chuckled and nuzzles him “Mmm. I love ya Omni” the skele-god giggled and proceed to wrap his arms around his neck “I love you too, Toucan”. An indignant squeak escaped Omnipotent when Seraph grabbed his ass and squeezed, blushing. He took in the now apparent lust in his eyes and had decided to indulge his lover with a mischievous, sneaking a hand down towards his pants “ah!~ Seraph. What about the baby?” “Don’t worry~. I’ll be gentle~” he purred, kissing along his husband’s neck until… they heard someone awkwardly clear their throat behind them. The two frantically pulled away from each other “We weren’t doing anything scandalous here Grandmaster Xeno! I swear!” the couple said in tandem, both of their faces bright blue and rainbow. But just found out it was just Gradient standing there, confused “Gradient? How on earth did you find us?” they got no immediate response, only just a shrug and watched him search around in his bag, and next see him hand over a letter of some sort “It’s from my mom, your Highness” bowing in a respectful manner before leaving. Omnipotent opened the letter with hesitation, the two exchanging looks of confusion. They next wore an expression of shock and bewilderment overtook the two god’s faces. They scanned through the letter again to reassure what they read is true.

Dear Seraph and Omnipotent

I’d like to inform you, your daughter went into labor last night and my son Blank couldn’t get to you guys so he called on us for help. All is well, we safely delivered the well…

Haha, long story short, she had triplets instead, as it turned out. Two boys and girl, actually. Trust me on this, I’m just about as shocked as everyone else. Congratulations, you are now grandparents. :)

Sincerely, Ink

The couple blinked before one of them stood up and was about to open up a portal till Seraph intervened “I can fly us there babe” Omnipotent crosses his arms and raised a bone brow “Didn’t you say you sprained your wing while we sparred from before?” Seraph definitely blushed a little, raising an arm to rub the back of his neck out of embarrassment “Alright alright. Ya got me. So, portal it is then?” his husband nod and chuckled, opening a portal for them to step through. He brought a hand up to his chin in deep thought “Although. It’s… very strange” it was now his turn to raise a brow “Hm?” “Back when I got a clear view of the ‘twins’, I did also sense a particularly odd presence. Another Soulling, as we now know. The magic was very weak there. Not enough to call it a sick child yet but… this one resembles the confirmed energy level of Blank’s parasite living in his body” “Wait a minute. That means the third kid is a parasite?” “Well… not completely a parasite. Half and half per say”  “Okay. I’ll take your word for it. Now, let's go see our grandchildren. I wonder what they look like?” Seraph thought the last part out loud to himself, following along.

Ink spotted their bosses stepping through a portal and rushed up to them in a bow “Glad to see you’re finally here. Follow me” leading them into the quiet house. He stopped them at the doorway for a short second “She’s currently resting. We have to keep it down a little” he then received a light nod from the two “Go ahead” Ink said in a soft tone. Seraph couldn’t help but to grin when he saw his daughter feeding her two children with Blank holding the other, tail curled around them in such a protective fashion, with Aubrey next to them. Only one of them laid on it’s mother’s chest, fast asleep it seemed to be. Jiva didn’t even notice her parent walking into the room when she had to peel her eyes away from her child trying to feed “Oh! Hi mom. Hey dad. You missed it, haha” Omnipotent chuckled, taking a seat beside her. He saw the other two out of the three also bore the same but blue facial markings as their mother around the eyes instead. Besides the distinct color red on the last baby Blank has been holding. He noticed only two inherited the tail feature “It’s okay. We’re just glad you and the triplets are fine. So, two boys and a girl. Never expected that to happen, hehe” Jiva hummed in confirmation, softly stroking the newborns head “I honestly thought it ‘was’ twins before. Guess we were proven wrong” she laughed “Life is full is surprises sweety. And I think you almost broke our record of children. Although, I wouldn’t mind another possible grandchild in the future, hehehe~” “M-mom?! Ahg! Seriously?!” flabbergasted, his daughter’s face turned completely purple at what he was insinuating before. “So, You and Blank have names for them yet?” she snapped out of it and perked up “Yes! Tsubaki and Vidar for the boys, and Jana for the girl” Jiva had spoken up in a proud but excited tone.

Her parents next offered a big family hug with Blank in it too and took some pictures for keepsakes while chatting about plans for the new members of the family. All had been good and it’ll be that way for however long they can make it, still wary of the one monster they need to look out for. And Jiva will protect her new family and Blank, no matter what the cost