#i love using the flat brush cause i love erasing with it to create a blocky-ness to my art

[humbuns]

a malleus doodle i didn't know what to do with but still posting because i miss my wife, i miss her a lot

[ryuichirou]

can you pretty pretty please with extra sprinkles on top drop the speedpaint for your most recent rookvil art? i wanna see how you did vils pretty dress and everything else cause its all so beautiful

I am so happy you like how it looks!! I would love to make a speedpaint, but unfortunately, I didn’t record it + the base for the drawing was actually done traditionally with a pencil. A lot of my drawings are done this way, actually…

Even though I can’t drop the speedpaint, I’ll do the next best thing and explain my process for this specific drawing step-by-step. It’s actually not that complicated!

Here is how the sketch looked initially. As you can see, I shaded the dress very crudely; in fact I was kind of upset with how the dress looked at this stage. Ironically, I ended up not doing much to the pencil shading, and it still turned out okay somehow?? Anyways, the first thing I did was to prep the sketch for the colouring stage: I adjusted the contrast, fixed Vil’s face, and erased some dirt and imperfections.

Then I create a new layer, set it to Multiply (this way I can colour the sketch without disturbing it, as if I was just colouring a digitally done lineart) and do a base colour layer. There is a gradient in Vil’s hair and Rook’s belt buckle, but other than that, all the colours are flat at this stage.

Before doing all the shading needed for this sketch, I add details such as makeup and tights. If you want to know how I did these, let me know, but I basically looked at a tutorial once and then simplified it lol

Now, the dress.

To be completely honest, there isn’t any proper technique to what I did, everything is always just trial and error and an hour of me going “does that look good? NO IT DOESN’T >:(“ until both Katsu and I are satisfied. This time I was lucky, because it didn’t take very long, and the “solution” was pretty simple.

Starting with the base colour. I turned off the sketch layer to show that it is indeed completely purple. And it looks kind of bright at this point, almost too bright even, especially considering that the dress is supposed to be mostly black, or at least dark purple. But bear with me.

Next I added some highlights (new layer, set on Overlay or Screen, depending on what looks best). Usually I would add the shades first, but I wanted to make the fabric look more “shiny”, you know, the type of fabric that would reflect the floor and make this highlight under the boob lol.

And after that I just went ahead and added black gradient (on a new Layer) from the bottom of the dress to make it look darker, silkier and a little bit more interesting for the eye. I erased some parts of the gradients as you can see, because it looked too dark on the highlighted parts… could’ve just placed the black gradient layer under the highlights layer and saved myself a headache, but hey, where is the adventure in that.

Finally, it turned out looking like this. It looks better than it used to look like initially, but there is one more thing to do. We don’t get to do this one too often, so it always excited both Katsu and me: THE SPARKLES!! Somehow, making the dress sparkly makes everything much better.

How do I do the sparkles: I use the star brush… or was it a snow brush? I use this brush when I draw both of these things lol + when I draw anything sparkly. I would’ve given you this specific one, but I don’t really remember where I got it from, and I honestly think that any starry or snowy brush would work wonderfully as long as the specs are small enough.

After that is done, I just shade the rest of the drawing. Nnew layer set on Multiply, the shading is done with darker purple/red + darker blue, whatever looks better on any particular material: the skin really likes warmer colours, but Rook’s suit looked bad with red shades, so I adjusted it to blue.

And here is the post where I talk about how I colour hair! Good thing I already wrote that one, this post is getting long lol

And the last step is to add details. The original sketch was done in a rather small (smaller than A6) sketchbook, so I couldn’t draw all the details like Vil’s earrings and stuff properly. Basically I just paint on a separate layer on top of everything.

And there you have it! I hope it makes sense, please let me know if you have questions.

[sharpbutsoft]

So I know you do digital art, but The Hanged fireMan looks like a watercolor. Do you work with watercolors as well, or is it the program you use?

(please brag about your art process, basically)

Yeah! So I do all my (fan)art in everyone’s favourite innuendo of an art program, Procreate. (Specifically on a 2019 ipad pro with a 1st gen Apple Pencil, both of which I would tentatively recommend if you can get them 2nd hand for less than 200euro like I did)

I did a lot of painting as a teenager, and still paint often to this day. Though I mostly worked in acrylics, I have been known to use watercolours (like, when I was in college I bought a little 3euro paint set and would use the inside of cardboard cereal boxes as diy watercolour paper and paint wild little Irish landscapes… and Winter Soldier fan art, sometimes. 2017 was a different world)

So in summary - I ‘paint’ digitally using some very traditional techniques I picked up over the years, and I kinda prefer digital art now, which I will elaborate on below the cut as I detail how I created The Hanged fireMan…

I’ll start with my favourite digital art ‘cheat’ which is that I use So Many Layers. Like seriously, pretty much every new colour goes on its own layer because I am a control freak and love being able to tweak them all as needed. So for this relatively simplistic piece, I’ve still got something like 20 layers all together.

I’m also usually better at grouping layers but in this one I gave up at some point and it felt dishonest to group them nicely before showing you guys lol

So yeah layers is my biggest hack, but the other is using specific texture brushes

I spent a while playing around with various brushes before finding this Tarraleah one which has just the most delicious watercolour-y texture and a really fun edge to it (and it’s got pressure sensitivity, so I can really control the amount of colour I want to put down on the page)

This background was painted entirely with the 1 brush & colour, and I think it turned out pretty cool. For this particular piece I did have a reference on screen to work off for the most part, but those clouded were just painted with my heart

Next (or maybe before, it’s a while sinceI drew this and sometimes I mix it up) is the lines, which are always done with my best friend, the Procreate Pencil!! I love her, she’s so fuzzy and textured and also if you tilt the tip on the pencil you get a broader line (like with a real pencil) which is just the coolest thing!

When it comes to lines I just sort of go for bigger shapes 1st and details later, and basically always with some kind of reference. I also use a very old & well known trick of putting the most detail into the object of most importance, and leaving the background more loose and vibey

Artists will tell you that this is to draw focus with details. Artists are lying. It’s cause we got lazy after drawing he fun part & phoned the rest of it in lol (I know this because I am an artist)

Also I love this pencil because I don’t have very steady hands and I actually cannot draw straight/smooth lines to save my life! If you’ve ever seen anything resembling a smooth line in something I’ve drawn, it is almost certainly a whole bunch of lines over each other and then erased at the edges to make it look neater

But who needs straight lines when sketchy sketch lines are so fun!

Next is flat colours (the 3layers in the middle with check marks beside them)

I used the same colours as the background, which you can tell from where they completely blend together right down the bottom, and what I genuinely do is use the Tarraleah brush to generally block out he shape, and then go back in with an eraser and smooth out the lines

Why do I do this? …good question

Next is one of my favourite parts, which is adding the lights! Procreate has some really fun -glowy- layer effects - my favourite is probably Add (A) though Colour Burn (CB) is great too for its vibrancy.

Also those 2 layer 11s are there because I duplicated one and then used the ‘Gaussian Blur’ feature to ‘fuzzify’ it (yes, that’s the technical term) It’s a pretty quick and easy way to add a more diffused light effect around something. (I did the same for the yellow reflective strips on the turnouts too!)

Last step now! So full disclosure - I absolutely traced that writing from a photo of a tarot card lol. I actually always trace writing, as, much like drawing straight lines, I’m bad at handwriting on a screen

I also stumbled upon the Exclusion (E) effect by accident - Originally it was going to be a plain cream boarder like a traditional tarot card had, but I wasn’t fully happy with it, so I just flipped through a few layer effects and as soon as I got to this one, I knew it was the right choice

I love the dreamy contrast of the pinks and purples to the dark navy and grey & how it makes everything looks kinda unreal and outer-spacey

And yeah that’s about it! Everything else comes from my 15+ years of Practical Art Knowledge but these are the specifics of how I utilise it digitally!

This was a lot of fun to write out, and I hope that if you’ve made it all the way here, it was fun to read too!

[papers4me]

Fruits Basket’s Treatment of Abusers:

Fruits Basket is a story that focuses on the abused children more than their abusers. The abusers are only used to explain the trauma & tragic character of those children as a means of writing their growth. It has a message to the viewers of victory against the painful past & living again. While the message of moving on from one’s harsh past is hopeful, it will fall flat if no attention is giving towards the falling status of abusers. You can’t just cleanse yourself of the past without looking at who caused the scars. This post will explore furuba’s treatment of the abusers:

1. Yuki’s mom: (the abuser who was allowed to function in tiny doses~)

Yuki;s mom is a woman of beauty & lust for status & money. She abused her son by neglecting him & turning a blind eye towards his abuse. Without her agreement, yuki wouldn’t have been abused by akito at all. Yuki stood up to her & gently but firmly refused her control over him. Hence, yuki became free. Furuba treated this abuser by giving her a slight room of co-existence in yuki’s life. She was shown shocked at his growth, silent & deciding not to stop him, she was allowed to perform shallow motherly activities. Giving permission on certain things & saying: take care. She isn't completely involved in yuki’s future life but she doesn't need to. She thinks raised a successful boy, even if his success isnt how she pictured, but none the less, his success is part of her as it satisfied her lust for status. Yuki allowed her to co-exist in peace.

2. Akito: ( the abuser with atonement)~

Akito is the abuser that will be allowed to atone & get redemption. Why? cuz akito is not a parent, but a child abused herself. The author uses akito to say, hey~ even if you were a bully, or a bad person, you can still change. Powerful message that does not alienate those who were once in the wrong side of the road. You can stop abusing ppl & ask for forgiveness. ( I have issues with how akito’s change was done but that’s for my eps review, it doesn't contradict that I’m here for the it is not too late to stop wronging ppl & change for the netter message. I love that).

3. Isuzu’s parents: ( the abusers who got away~ )

Physically & emotionally abused their daughter. However, since they weren’t given faces or names, they wont be part of Isuzu’s journey after she’s taken by Kagura’s mom. Isuzu’s next abuse is done by akito. The writer only used them to write isuzu’s initial story & ditched them. Also, since there’re two of them, it cancels writing any confrontation possibility from a writing perspective. They out-number isuzu. Moreover, isuzu’s own role in furuba is a combination of her romantic love with haru & her friendship with tohru. So, Isuzu can have the past behind her if she focused on these two alone. She was shown healing in kazuma’s house with her two fave ppl visiting her: haru & tohru.

4. Akito’s mom: ( the abuser who was mentally unstable~)

Kureno introduced her as a woman who’s mentally unstable, she was easily manipulated by shigure, she held a knife & was allowed to stay in the sohma estate. She abused akito by not loving her & constantly challenging her. She is portrayed as this pathetic mentally & emotionally ill person. A grown woman attached to an empty box is no normal woman. Her demeanor & the way she walks & dressed invites pity just like shigure said. She’s allowed to be as she is, cuz she’s ill in the head. Perhaps punishing her in anyway, might invited unwanted attention of treating mentally ill ppl. So, I dont think anything bad or good will happen to her.

5. Kyo’s biological dad: ( the abuser who MUST be stopped).

Kyo’s bio dad is furuba’s poster picture for abuse. Kyo can be the cat zodiac or have a true form , it wouldn't have destroyed him if his dad didn't actively accuse him of murder. Kyo’s mom is shown as this broken woman who tried & tried to love her son & do her best, but was scared, tried & alone. Ultimately her decision to kill herself in front of her son ruined him, but if the father took another stance than accusing a 4 year old, things would have been different with kyo. I firmly believe that kazuma’s character was created so kyo wont go kill yuki & kill himself as he said he would in his mom’s funeral after his dad’s accusation. Kazuma’s love is powerful but couldn't erase the scars that this dad engraved in his son. Kyo’s dad is the only furuba’s character that is drawn with so much ugliness & hate all the time. Despicable attitude, wide eyes, small pupils, freaky grin, explosive emotions. He is the only parent that is shown with strength & power in all his scenes. Even in front of kazuma, he stood & shouted unafraid of him, uncaring of what he might think, I want “ it” locked till death. Refusing to even humanizing a child. The most despicable man! In kyo’s flashback, kyo’s mom was broken in tears, kyo’s dad wasnt shown fully, but his fists were clenched & he was standing up instead of bending & hugging her. Heck, momiji’s dad loved his son & wife & sought out to preserve both as much as he can. Erase the mom’s memory & exist in his son’s life from time to time, not the best solution but he tried! he really tried! kyo’s dad just wanted DEATH.

I’m an anime only, I duno what will happen next. but I’ve never hated a character as much as this guy. He represents all the disgusting abuser parents! those who drink & hit, those who suck the life out of their kids, those breath hate! I want furuba to win for all those children with such parents & stop this man! you can’t just brush him off. I dont want kyo to hit him, no more blood in kyo’s hands. I want him to be so small/weak & powerless in front of kyo. To watch as kyo becomes free from his toxic grasp on his life! To listen as kyo tell him off! 

All furuba’s lovely messages & powerful stories will crumble down if not a single filthy abuser is stopped & cancelled. The story calls for. No, it demands it. Make kyo’s dad the abuser who is stopped! Show me the face of abuse defeated & helpless. I’ll ask for nothing more.

[getdownkyh]

Extra Credit (m) | Young K

01 . 02 . 03 . 04 . 05 . 06 . 07

Repercussions.

The dinner date was uneventful, to say the least. At least up until the point where you received a text from Younghyun.

Text me when you’re done?

You would not have realised you were smiling as you typed in your reply, feigning denseness, asking him ‘What’s the matter?’ but right before you hit send, your date spoke, curious about what made your smile. You stared at them for a good few seconds, questioning yourself too, what did make you smile?

Erasing the whole thing, you typed in a new message.

Actually, you can just pick me up now. I’ll attach the location.

His reply came fast, as expected.

20 mins.

Stepping out of the restaurant, inhaling the night air, you entered his SUV. It didn’t hit you then, but it was your first time seeing him in comfy clothes, a total contrast to your dinner dress. Maybe it was because you were a bit tipsy from the wine, but the ride was silent, yet comfortable, with you resting your head by the window, looking at the blurry lights passing by, an R&B song playing in the car, him occasionally drumming his fingers on the steering wheels, stealing glances, smiling, beaming with pride at how good you looked, especially sitting next to him.

His free hand trailed confidently towards your thigh, fingers running through the exposed skin, inching higher and higher, sensing no objection from you. You smirked when you felt him feeling underneath the skirt, fingers tracing your clothed core. Placing your hand softly around his wrist, you halted his movement, pulling his hand out of your skirt and linking your fingers together instead.

You were both stepping into a new, unknown territory, but none of you bothered to evaluate the implications.

The cogwheels in your brain only started functioning again, your body on autopilot when the both of you are in the safety of his apartment, hands on each other’s body, your scents mixing, engulfing the both of you.

Your fingers were in his hair, legs wrapped around his waist as he worked on your neck, kissing and sucking more violently, for every time he inhaled, your scent was intoxicating, making him want more. Groaning, he carried you to his bed, dropping you onto the plush material, hovering over you, taking in the beautiful sight in front of him.

Hair splayed across his pillows.

Pupils slightly blown out.

Lips swollen, lipstick smeared to the side of your lips.

He ran his thumb across your bottom lip, your lipstick staining his calloused skin. You ran your tongue over the tip his thumb, eliciting a hum out of him, before he pushed the finger inside your mouth, you sucking on it on reflex, his words of praises following suit.

He ran his index over the newly formed bruises on your neck, “You look prettier when you’re littered with my kisses like this.”

Dipping down, he latched his lips onto you again, from your exposed collarbone, moving towards the skin of your chest, his hands tugging your dress down, your eyes shut as you arched your body involuntarily. His face was in the junction of your neck, buried as he pressed his lips to your skin, when he suddenly stopped, inhaling, “I found out about your grades by the way.”

Your eyes flew open, head still dizzy, trying to comprehend his words.

He hummed, dragging his lips across your skin, “Extra credits?” He laughed, breath tickling you, “I still can’t figure out why you actually did it. I mean what the hell, I don’t even know why we’re doing this now.”

You took his face in your hands, forcing him to look at you. If his room wasn’t so dark, he would probably make out the worry lines on your forehead, confusion etched on your face. You didn't know what to say when the truth was you also avoided this confrontation with yourself. It was easier to push the thoughts to the back of your head and indulge yourself in the pleasure at hand, like you had been doing all this time.

So you did what you always did, tugging him closer, pressing your lips together, tongue brushing across his lower lip, signaling him to just use his mouth for everything but talking.

Younghyun may be dominant, but somehow he found it easy to comply to you like this, especially when his body reacted to you faster than his conscious mind did. Limbs fluidly moving, tangled with each other, undressing, desperate to touch. As he tugged your dress all the way down, placing himself between your legs, his tongue quickly finding your slit, he realised if he couldn’t get the answer out of your mouth, your moans would suffice.

Two fingers were inside you, crooked and scissoring, stretching you as he sucked on your bundle of nerves, impatiently and effectively pushing you over the edge without much effort on his side. You panted as he left butterfly kisses, from your thighs, to your stomach, ribs, sucking lightly on the skin of your breast before hovering right over your face once again.

Rolling to your side, he sat up, tugging you to straddle him as he leaned back against the headboard. You placed yourself in his lap, fitting perfectly like your bodies were molded for each other. His erection pressed against your lower belly as you pushed your forehead against his, rolling your hips, your juice dripping down onto his thighs. 

Lips inches away from his you muttered, “This feels good right?”

He hummed, agreeing.

“Then let’s not question things.”

Between bated breaths you continued, “You know, sometimes there are things I don’t want to find the answer to. And we shouldn’t bother trying.”

Holding you by the waist, fingers tracing your skin, he sighed in disagreement and disappointment. 

You lifted your hips up, guiding his member in front of your slick hole. Lowering yourself slowly, you watched him through glassy eyes, his tongue poking his inner cheek, both of you fighting your own desire to get lost in pleasure, opting to maintain eye contact with each other.

It was a war of nerves. Between him pushing you to talk, and you coaxing him to not question you. A war that somehow manifested into seeing who will break and give in to the pleasure first.

Palms on his broad chest, you lifted and dropped your hips, pace excruciatingly slow for the both of you, prolonging the session, filling both your minds with only pleasure. Your nails scratched his chest, as your wetness betrayed you, making him slip into you easier, subsequently making it harder for you to maintain a slow pace.

Giving in, you gradually increased your pace. Bouncing steadily on top of him, occasionally leaning forward to kiss him. Both of you moaned in unison every time you clenched around him, yours an octave higher, almost harmonic. Your breasts bobbed with you, creating a straining feeling in your chest, his hands running through them now and then, thick fingers toying with the pert nipples. 

Your pace started faltering as you struggled, the muscles of your thighs cramping from the exertion, exhaustion taking over your system. Younghyun kissed your cheek, smiling, running his thumb over your chin, “I’ll take over.”

He bent forward, hand supporting the small of your back as he pushed you to lay flat against your back, ramming into you faster. Your nails dug crescents into his back, face pressed against his neck,  moaning senselessly. You pressed your lips to his body, moans muffled and hot against his skin, as he pushed into you impossibly deeper. He angled his hips upwards and thrusted sharply, causing your lips to disconnect from his skin, your head falling to the bed. Opening your eyes you saw him looking at you, his gaze dark, making your heartbeat erratic. 

He held you by your waist, stilling for a moment, forcing you to look at him, and you whined in desperation, clenching and unclenching your walls around his member, pleading him to move. He chuckled, “God, I love it when you do that,” before snapping his hips into you again, grunts heavy as he felt you becoming tighter and tighter around him. 

You both came at the same time, your second orgasm of the night temporarily blinding you, weakly holding onto him as he breathed heavily above you, eyes on your blissed out expression, your words getting to him in his hazy state of mind. 

He kissed your forehead, waiting for your breaths to become somewhat even, and then he was hovering on top of you again, arms next to your head.

“One more?”

You rolled your eyes, giggling as you slung your arms around his neck, “I think I can do one more.” 

Repercussions could always be dealt with later.

[feeling-weirdy]

If you take requests related to songs: Wanda sometimes listens to music that Pietro used to like. Pietro loved 90s eurodance. (As he was a Easter European 90's kid) Vision walks in one time while one of those songs is playing and is somewhat bewildered.

The compound was rarely quiet and the moments where Vision found himself alone were few and far between.  He closed his eyes, simply enjoying the silence, knowing full well that it wouldn’t last long.  As much as he enjoyed getting to know his associates, there were fewer pleasures than the sweetness of nothingness and he knew he wouldn’t have long to enjoy it.

He felt himself relax, picking up the next book in the pile he created and began to read where he left off.

Only when he found himself becoming comfortable in his chair did he hear the loud base from the other side of the hallway.  It seemed he wasn’t as alone as he first thought.

Vision stood, placing his book quietly on the bed as he made his way toward the racket.  The loud beats and pops of the music were unlike anything he had ever heard of.  He had spent countless hours listening to the music humans deemed classical and any other music that was suggested to him by the rest of the team.  But this...was...different.  Following the sound to Wanda’s room, Vision knocked on the door.

“Wanda?”  When there was no answer, Vision phased through the door.  He found her lying flat on her back, her legs dangling over the end of the bed as she gripped onto a plastic case on her stomach, her hair sprawled out in disarray.  She sighed softly, unaware that he had even entered her room.  “Wanda.”  Vision spoke more firmly, moving closer to her to attempt to gain her attention.  She jumped slightly but kept herself fused in the same position.

“Sorry...was it too loud?”  Her slow, drawn out voice told him everything he needed to know about her current mental state.  With every day that passed, he could tell that she was starting to heal, but it had been a process.  Some days were easier to handle than others and this did not seem to be one of those times.

“No, no.  Of course not.  I just wasn’t aware you had returned home.”  Vision’s voice fell, watching her curiously.  The music was even more erratic up close than it had been down the hall.  He listened closely, hoping to discover the secrets of this particular genre.  “What exactly are you listening to?”

“I found one of Pietro’s favorite CDs.  I just felt like listening to it...I thought maybe it would help, but it’s not...really.”  Wanda sighed softly, rolling over slightly so that she could see him.  Even from this distance, Vision could see how red and irritated her eyes had become.  She rubbed at her face, hurriedly erasing the proof of her tears from her cheeks.

“Perhaps some company, then?” 

Wanda nodded, pushing herself up to a sitting position as he sat beside her.  The thought of their solemn moment with the backdrop of this particular music would be almost comical had she not been so upset.  Vision instead focused on the music, trying to make sense of the lyrics.

“I never understood why he liked this music,” Wanda said, breaking the silence.  “It was just so...loud.”  Running a hand along her arm in an attempt to soothe herself, Wanda’s eyes fell to the floor.

“And what type of music do you prefer?” 

Wanda thought for a moment, humming softly as she thought.  “I don’t really have a favorite.  Soft music helps with the pain.  Helps calm my nerves.” 

“Ah...” 

“But...this music is good too.”  A sad smile crossed her features as she lost herself in her thoughts, a soft chuckle escaped as she reminisced.  “He used to force me to dance with him when he really got into it.  Maybe he just wanted me to have fun, but I think he just knew it would drive me crazy.”

A silence fell among them as they listened to the rest of the song.  Wanda’s head randomly bobbing along to the beat as she tried to push away the thoughts that seemed to be plaguing her mind.  Dancing back and forth without ever leaving the bed, a smile appeared along her face.  Dancing had been one of the few things he was unable to grasp.  Everything else, he had been able to pick up with ease but as far as he could tell, dancing took some skill that he had been unable to obtain.  Even imagining the thought of Wanda and her brother dancing together was difficult to place.

“Have you...ever danced?”  Wanda asked, turning her attention back to him.  The question caught him off guard.  Clearly their thoughts had deviated in the same direction.

“No.  I have yet to figure out just how it’s done.”

“I can teach you...”  Wanda hopped up off the bed, forcing a wide smile on her face as she held out her hand.  “Come on.  I’ll help you.”

“I’m not sure that’s wise.”  Vision laughed nervously, feeling his chest tighten as he took her hand and stood before her. 

“Come on.  Just try it.  This music is perfect for learning how to dance.”  She grabbed hold of his hands, placing them on her waist as she put hers around his neck.  “Just like that.  Now you just...sway.”  Vision moved his hands along her waist, trying to find the perfect place to hold her as she pressed herself against him.  He had seen how people danced, so he was well aware of how close they had to be to perform such a thing, but that didn’t stop his nerves from getting the better of him.

They moved slowly, completely out of tune of the beat of the music.  He could feel her warm fingers running along the base of his neck as she held him there sending a chill throughout his body.

“Y-your brother danced with you like this?”  Vision chuckled nervously, desperately trying to keep himself grounded in what he was doing.

“Well...not quite, but I figured if you’re going to learn then you need to learn properly.”  She locked eyes with him as she moved against him, a small giggle escaping her.  Vision watched her, completely enraptured by the way that she moved.  Their slow rhythmic movements didn’t match up to the beat of the music and while that didn’t bother him, he was no longer sure if this was the proper method to teach him. Wanda’s fingers fell, playing with the edges of his collar with a sad smile. 

“My apologies.  I don’t seem to be very good at this.”  Brushing the hair out of her face, his demeanor changed to one of concern as they slowed to a stop.  The stood there quietly for several minutes before he continued.  “Are you alright?” 

“I’ll be fine.”  Wanda nodded, forcing a smile on her face.  “Thank you for dancing with me...”  She traced her fingers along his arms, lingering a bit too long once she reached his hand as she pulled away from him.  Vision could feel the warm sensation spread along the places where she touched, her sad appearance only causing him to want to try harder.

“With a little practice, perhaps we can try again.”  Vision’s voice remained hopeful despite the uncertainty that he could actually accomplish that task.  Dancing was so inherently human, and he was far from that.

“Any time.”  Walking over to the CD player, Wanda turned off the music.

Check out my other drabbles here or feel free to request some!

[jorjathomas]

Process of rendering physical work

This post involves some screengrabs of the process of samples I have currently made. 

As you can see above, I have began to edit the original image of the paint. Threshold has been used to segment the image into sections. As I wanted the image to be binary, I did this process twice but at different levels. On the left I set the threshold level to 122 however the other image I placed it at 124. This brings out different shaded areas. Before I began the duotone process I had to flatten the image using grayscale so I am able to see the threshold better.

I then used duotone with the two layers I had made with the threshold and set them to the original colours of the picture I took. This was because I wanted to see the difference between the two. Above are the results. This was the most enjoyable process by far as the fact that the paint gave a marble effect so I was able to create to outcomes with the duotone and threshold combination.

This was a screenshot of the art which I had created on the opposite side of the print sample. This was a font which I had downloaded of adobe fonts as I wanted to find the best block like text. This enabled me to liquify it better using the smudge and expand tool. I had done this process already however I loved this outcome more as I began to become more familiar with the technique and the result I wanted.

Here is another outcome of the process above. Again, I went through the combined techniques twice to get different colours within the duotone image. My final outcome is pink and orange however this was originally created with different shaded of pink because I thought it would be beneficial to use in my zine.

Moving away from the digital comparison samples, I began to look at my aesthetic post where I looked at artists work which had inspired me. I had yet to make many physical samples so I began to look through magazines for any imagery I liked and could cut out. I knew I wanted to make some ‘abnormal’ collages. This means combining multiple objects which aren't normally combined to create this new sense of reality. I wanted this kind of escapism in my work ,with the help of landscapes, to portray the abnormality of stressing over tiny problems. I want the readers to remind themselves of who they are and where they are which I hope eases their worries because its easy to get lost in your own world without acknowledging your the world your living in with others.

 Above was the process of working into the collage once I had scanned it in. I removed its white background, which is formed after scanning, using ‘colour range’ then, I used one of my mixed media art pieces to create its background. I made this using acrylic paint and my fingers. I would normally use a brush to be precise but I didn't want this outcome. I then began to adjust the image using the ‘saturation tool’ to make it appear brighter almost like the collage was spiralling into the page. My previous samples have been looking flat against the backgrounds which is why I created another layer of the background and erased certain areas of the brushstrokes. I then layered this on top of the collage to make the two blend together. I liked this outcome because not only does the collage reflect the common saying ‘ It’s raining cats and dogs outside’, but the outcome doesn't look flat against the page. Keeping the binding of the book I painted on helped bring in the personal elements of the samples aswell. Overall I hope the sample has reflected the meaning behind the saying in visual form to highlight the silliness of life's problems sometimes. This sample is humorous and uplifts me so I am interested in including this style in my work to create the same emotion for the readers.

This was the process of another collage sample. This time I wanted to add more personal imagery alongside the magazine cutouts to help portray my story. At first, this collage only had the road in the centre of the pencils, and I was going to edit out the man walking along it as I didn't need it however not only was this difficult to do, but I thought the sample looks empty so it was harmless to leave him in. Luckily, I didn't throw away my cut outs so I found the head of the model to attach back to the body. This didn't look right either. I tried to create a new layer with the man selected and adjusted the image to make it look smooth however this didn't work very well. I think this was because of the angle I scanned in the second cut out. The first collage was scanned in on my printer at home however the second was scanned in through my phone instead. Nevertheless, I worked around this dilemma by adding loads of flowers on the models head. This helps the abnormality become present in the centre of the sample. I also believe this helps portray my message of growth. For example, the pencils in the back symbolises a playground and all aspects of what the noun is associated with which is why I am playing on it as a child with my mom (image on the near left). The road coming out the the pencil mountain portrays the aging of life and abandonment of childhood as you have to grow up. The man in the centre also helps this interpretation with him walking on the road with flower blossoms on his head symbolising the growth of the mind and soul within a person. Aka character development. This is also one of my favourite samples as it holds its message well and feels more personal with my childhood images. It has helped me understand the exact message I want to give to my audience visually.

This final screengrab is of the process of the poster sample I had made digitally. Although the collage was made digitally, the background wasn't. The image above is actually a picture of one of the screen prints I made using a stripped generic screen. Originally, it was purple but as you can see above, I changed it’s saturation and hue to create new colours. I loved this outcome because you can see the different textures of the screen print especially since its on paper. When screen printing, the paper obviously got wet so it caused the paper to crimple which is why there are different tons in this adjusted image. This process was before I liquified it and I think I were to do it again, I might have left it like the image before to make the outcome look more authentic.(scrapbook/journal)

[briahartley03]

10 Tips for Inflatable SUP Storage

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10 Inflatable SUP Storage Tips: for a long and a short period of time

Proper storage of inflated SUP will enhance longevity of your paddle board rental. It can also save you time if you intend to leave. You may prevent any failure due to insufficient storage by following a few easy directives when learning to simplify and thus make your SUPing experience more friendly.

Start your paddle day, or the entire season, with a new, clean board ready to hit your water, every day and every year. Save time and hassle by holding your board for long and short iSUP storage in good conditions. It’s super easy! It’s crazy fast! Just follow the steps below for safety.

How do you place the SUP?

Where do you store your paddle board properly? Okay, depending on a variety of factors. Owing to the variety of board materials and structure, on the internet there are a range of suggestions. This post, however, concentrates solely on storage guidelines for inflatable stand-up boards. See our tips for better results for your board safety. If it is for short- and long-term storage, you should always seek to satisfy a couple of requirements.

3 Factors that affect the lifetime of your inflatable paddleboard

1. Grit, Bacteria, Grime, Oil

Abrasive elements such as gravel, salt and sand may cause your SUP to wear and tear unreasonably. Choose the comfortable handles or the flexible shoulder strap to still hold your SUP. The parking lot, or even sand, should not be dragged in use. Built up grit that is left on your board can harm a valve, or when it is rolled up and stored the PVC material your board will create. When your board is damp, bacteria and mildew will cause unpleasant smell and eat away slowly.

2. Sun Damage. Sun Damage

Sunny days are always your favourite days, but you can not keep your inflatable paddle board long-lasting in direct sunlight. Over time, the colours of your SUP are darkened by direct sunlight and the PVC material itself can be harmed.

3. Time

The more you have, the more it is vulnerable to wear and tear. Every inflatable must be replaced eventually, but do not worry, you can use your board for years at peak efficiency with proper care and storage.

10 Healthy Long Period SUP Storage Tips

1. Upon processing, rinse your SUP

You would want to freshwater afterwards, if you are using your SUP. It is important to clean your board every time, as it will prolong its life by getting rid of dirt and grain. You may also stop getting your board cleaned before you leave next time. A SUP is an external sport and you have some sluggishness, but you will be holding your paddle board running for longer periods with a nice spray for every time out. Pay careful attention to your valve region so that it is clean and running smoothly.

When rinsing your board off, be careful with your SUP lock, fine boxes and D-rings.

2. Should not use abrasive soap. Soap not abrasive

You don’t have to use soap every time, rinsing and towelling freshwater go a long way. Nonetheless, washing your board every now and then with soap doesn’t hurt.

If you plan to use soap, review the recommendations of your supplier to ensure that you have a bright graphics. Look for something without harsh chemicals if it is suggested. Marine supply shops normally have several choices with iSUPs and Castile soap which is nonabrasive. If you still don’t know the soap, just try it on a small part of the SUP and then check the results.

3. Don’t overdo it. Don’t overdo it

Use a rag or very soft bristle to brush dirt and waste away for a more thorough cleaning sometimes. Remember not to get too rough when attempting to erase marks and stains while cleaning your surface. SUP is an outdoor sport and your board takes care of all aspects of your climate. It’s good to have a clean plate, but it’s best to prevent abrasion.

4. Dry your paddle board after it has been rinsed and placed BEFORE

Before taking it down for transport, make sure your board is dry. Make sure that it stays dry wherever it is kept – not partially dry, not just sunny days, but always dry. Although inflatable sumps are durable and water-built, over time they can be damaged by leaving them wet or moist. It’s not that after poorly storage, a SUP will be unusable, but you will have to spend some time cleaning it up before you go out. Most significantly, it will be degrading in the long term if the board is handled incorrectly.

Take a towel after rinsing and make sure the paddleboard is fully dry until storage.

5. Should not save in direct sunlight your flammable SUP

Just because your board keeps it secure, direct sunlight will not harm your board immediately, but your computer will be stored regularly in direct sunlight which will cause a long-lasting degradation and shorten the board life. When exposed repeatedly day after day, UV radiation is harsh and especially harmful to PVC. When your board is left in the sun, make sure that it is used or dried on the water occasionally after a nice day.

6. Login to the correct temperature range your inflatable SUP

This is less significant than the main elements 1. Maintain dry the surface and 2. Hold it out of the water, but SUPers still inquire about climate control. It is recommended that anywhere between 40-110 ° F (5-40 ° C). Once, inflatable SUPs are long lasting, but harsh conditions for all sports equipment are not optimal, and this applies to the platform as well. Stop cold freezing or hot baking.

7. It is possible to store a deflated or inflated SUP which suits your room

Another aspect to consider is whether you store inflated or deflated when deciding on an inflatable SUP unit. Nonetheless, as long as the temperature is clean, dry, and right, is perfect. Inflatables are packed into a SUP backpack or bag to make it easy to carry in your flat, or in your closet or on a shelf. However, if you have room, it can be easier to take your board off periodically by storing it.

Even if your house does not have a lot of room to store the inflatable SUP, the iSUP is packed in a roller bag, which can fit from the car trunk to the shelf of the cupboard.

8. It’s all right to place your SUP

Some paddlers wonder; is it right to allow a paddleboard to swell? So, how much time will I leave an full SUP? Once you are out of direct sunlight, your iSUP will be permanently inflated. Any points need to be remembered. Stop the tentation of stacking things or putting on it heavy stuff. Through time, it may trigger a divot or damage your board’s rocker to place heavy items on your board. In addition, it is better to release some PSI when you store the board for the long term only if your storage area gets too warm. This helps to prevent any damage to the air board that reaches beyond the necessary PSI from within.

9. Lie down flat, stack your deflated SUP

It’s a good idea to use your board bag to secure you from abrasions while storing your board deflated. Make ensure that it is clean, dry and rolled or pliable. Then bring the board back or bag in and position it on its side, instead of standing upright on the edges of the board, where there may be pressure points. Although your board will have plumps at the beginning of the season if it is stored, they will vanish after the board is reinflated.

10. Attach your wings. Attach your arms

There is no need to leave your fins where they could get damaged by Thurso Surf’s 2 + 1 Removable Fast Lock Fin Collection. The Fast Lock design, tool-free, helps SUPers to instal and remove fins quickly and easily with zero trouble in seconds. You must not risk damaging your board or fins in this way. It can cause damage to roll up your board for storage with your fins. Furthermore, you can absolutely clean your fins until your board is rinsed.

Remove your fins to keep them and your board in top shape before storing your piece.

SUP Space for short periods

Our favourite way to store inflatable paddles is to be placed on the water as much as possible, because we love going out! It is best to follow the same rules for long-term storage when storing your board even if it is only for 1 or 2 in-between paddles. Offer it a quick spray to make sure it’s clean, dry and put out of direct sunlight somewhere.

The more you think about your gear, the longer it lasts, it doesn’t take much time. Follow the above instructions to find a designated place for long and short term storage. Luckily, you do not need a garage or a shed for inflating, because inflatables do not take up a lot of space. As long as you have a convenient place to store your container, good supply and maintenance practises can be easily preserved and sometimes taken out of the water.

Get out there! Get out there! Get out there!

Eventually, you have a little time in the postpaddle routine to ensure your inflatable SUP is ready so that you can return to the water more easily and avoid any unexpected issues while trying to get away.

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from Paddle Board Rental https://www.paddle-board-rental.com/10-tips-for-inflatable-sup-storage/

[elasianstar]

Becoming Human part 2

Authors Note: HEY GUYS! I know ive been gone a while, college has been hell, ive actually been working on my next several postings since August, bit by bit as inspiration hits. it may not be written the best, just give me a chance to get back into the swing of things. Thanks for reading -Jazz

“Hey Alex, yeah its Elasia. Yeah i need a little help if you're up to it? Yeah i finished a masking serum for the guys and we’re going out tonight. Even if it's just for Mikey i could use another chaperone. I can pay your way, i just need help making sure they don't get into any massive trouble. You can? Great, meet us at the lair in 10 minutes. Yeah you can bring your camera. Awesome see you then.”

“Boom!! Who’s ready to PAR-TAY!!”

To say Mikey looked interesting was an understatement, he was wearing orange striped basketball shorts, and a too big t-shirt that looked like a crazy bowling alley carpet. Finally his reddish blonde curls were pulled into a faux hawk and decorated with rainbow shutter shades.

“I personally don't think we’re ready for this, what happens if there's an attack on the city while we’re like this and we can't fight?”

“Well at least this could prove an adequate test of balance and focus under extreme motion.”

“And you look totally awesome Bro!”

Fitted dark blue jeans and a dusty grey and blue plaid shirt cuffed at the elbows gave leo a classy East meets West look when paired with his high ponytail and thin pencil bangs. All he needed was a nice belt buckle and some boots, but some sneakers borrowed from Raph’s collection would do.

Don had gone simple, his usual cargo pants tied with some cordage from the lab, fitted black tee, (where and why he had a shirt that small I don't know it didn't come from my stash of my brother’s clothes) and his usual seashell necklace.

“Now where’d Raph go?”

CRASH CLANG CHSSSSSSHHHH TUNK THUNK THOMP.

“Dude! You better not have messed up those heads! You know how long it takes to scrap a fully functioning drum kit??? And don't even get me started if you scratched my sick paint job!”

“Get off my back Mikey! I was tryin to do a back-flip off the landing and mis-judged the strength it would take to get over there. These tiny muscles won't work right.”

“You're human Raph, that means your muscles will only work at human capacity. You're still pretty damn strong but don't go trying to throw any shipping containers or jumping off high rises any time soon.”

“Yeah figured that one out already, now come get me out of this thing will ya?”

“Man not my Base!!! I almost had that tuned perfectly bro!!!”

Raph was stuck legs first into the bass drum from the front, apparently having slid into Mikey’s drum set. The New York skyline painted on the decorative head ruined, much to Mikey's horror.

“I spent a week painting that!!”

“Sorry Mike, I'll help you find a new one.”

“Knock Knock! Is anyone here?”

Mikey’s eyes went as wide as saucers as his precious drum set was forgotten and he took off toward his room for me to snag his collar.

“Oh no you aren't going anywhere.”

“Let go i can't let Alex see me like this!”

“Mikey they’re a shifter, i doubt they care what you look like.”

“Doubt i care what who looks like? This adorable redhead you’ve got hanging by his collar?”

“Alleycat!! Don't look...wait, adorable?”

Gosh the blush on their cheeks was so cute.

“Yeah. can I?”

That camera never left their neck and they  were quick to get a shot before Mikey had the chance to start hamming it up.

“Too late, gotcha. Want to see Mickey?

“Come on let's give the lovebirds a minute, letem get all the sickly sweet outta their systems.”

The sound of the whining Polaroid and giggles faded to Leo and Don’s nervous chattering as Leo tried to talk Don out of this.

“Seriously D, we can't be this reckless already, i mean an amusement park? That many adrenaline fueled people in a close packed environment is just asking for trouble. We don't even know if this potion is even stable, what happens if we revert mid ride and can't escape, or if it causes a technical issue and people get hurt?”

“Leo you forget the world of mythics is a lot larger than what you're used to, there are safeguards and protocols in place in case of a critical failure. If the masking serum fails there’s a 20 minute window before the mist gives way and humans actually notice the change. That’d be more than enough time to escape. And if by some miraculous circumstance we can't manage escape there are teams that can be dispatched to tamper with the social consciousness to erase our presence to no more than urban legend. We’ll be fine, live a little.”

“Plus we will be in an entirely different state thanks to the port stones so there’s even less possibility that anything could happen if we were seen. If my calculations are correct that leaves a 10% chance of serum failure and a 0.001% chance of catastrophic circumstance, given i fully understand all the variables at play.”

Raph grabbed his elder brother’s shoulder and looked him straight in the eye, the only parts of them that were physically unchanged. He still towered over the elder, but the gap between the two had closed significantly under human restriction.

“We’ve wanted this our whole lives Leo, Don't go letting Mominardo go and fuck it up. We’re human for a night, i don't really feel like wasting that opportunity.”

…

“Welcome Back to The Midwest Boys!! The home of the most unobservant humans in America, and the central hub of mystic life. Next stop Worlds of Fun!!”

Mikey and Raph were hooping and hollering from the bed of the truck as it sped down the highway toward the tops of the roller-coasters in the distance. Hell even Leo looked like he was enjoying the feeling of the wind in his new hair as he almost stuck his head out the back passenger window, bobbing along with Donnie's techno music over the speakers. When the old dodge settled to a stop in the parking lot it was like an explosion as the four burst from the truck, taking off for the front gate with the excitement of children. People were giving them odd looks, brushed off moments later as the antics of young men.

“Guys...GUYS!! LEO, RAPH, DONNIE, MIKE! GET YOUR SCALY ASSES BACK HERE!”

Leo was the first to freeze, Don and Raph tripping over him to land flat on their faces as Mikey vaulted deftly over the pile.

“Michael…”

Oh that did it, Alex's voice was ice and it stopped Mikey in his tracks, peeking over his shoulder with a meek grin as he gave us time to catch up.

“I know you're excited, but part of appearing human is acting correctly, while running and jumping is more accepted at an amusement park you have to be courteous to the other patrons. No running or flipping over people, and no climbing any of the trees or structures unless you want to get us kicked out…”

“Now tell mom you're sorry…”

I gave Alex a dirty look, but I couldn't hold it, the 6 of us bursting into a fit of laughter. Mikey threw his arm over Alex's shoulder, playing with her matching ruddy blonde hair, and Raph grabbed my hand to pull me toward the ticket booth.

“Go on lead the way ma.”

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!!!

Well great, what now.

The security guards were waving their wand metal detectors over Leo when they started going off near his belt. Reaching in to the waistband of his jeans out came a stack of three shuriken.

“You can't bring weapons into the park son…”

When they tried to take the intricately designed weapons Leo went to reach for where his katana would usually be on his shell. Luckily Don was close enough to stop him before he got too far.

“Sorry officer, we'll take them back to the truck. Hey E, get our tickets for us k?”

He knocked Leo upside the head as they turned back for the parking lot.

“What the SHELL is wrong with you?”

While i was buying the tickets i noticed Leo and Donnie re-approaching the gate, only to get a full pat-down before they were allowed to enter, oh i love my idiots, i love my idiots…. Now people were staring…

“Lets get out of here, COME ON GUYS!”

Raph knocked leo upside the head as well when they re-joined the group, grabbing him by the hair as a low grumble rolled through his chest, both their eyes widening.

“The hell…”

“We can't churr Raph, we no longer have the equipment to create or interpret such subsonic sounds.”

“Yeah i figured that out Don, just stop being a dumb-ass Leo. Bringin weapons to a park, what the hell were you thinking?”

Leo just shouldered his way past, nose in the air.

“I don't have to explain myself to you.”

Raph moved to start a fight but i grabbed his shoulder, pulling him down to whisper in his ear.

“He's just feeling a little exposed, too many people, a strange place, you guys don't even have the protection of your shells, cut him a break.”

“COME ON, I THOUGHT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE AN AMUSEMENT PARK!! LETS GO!”

Mikey took off running, jumping into a flip to snag Leo by the shoulders like he had hundreds of time before, flinging him into a flip, only to land on his ass, mikey bouncing along on his rump a few meters ahead.

“I think your center of balance is a little off Mike!”

That got the big blue grump laughing again, thanks Mikey.

Alex ran past laughing, snagging Mikey by the collar.

“Come on Mickey! Lets try the Fjord Fjarlane!! I call outer seat!!!”

Alex drug Mikey to his feet, towing the poor boy toward the first ride still limping from his less than stellar landing, Raph and Donnie taking off soon after leaving me behind with Leo.

“Hey i told Red to back off, i get that your feeling off, but it'll be fine.”

“How do you know.”

“Because i do, now you just have to trust me, do we have a deal Brother?”

I held out my hand with the spirit spiral mark on it and after a second of deliberation he met my gesture with his own.

“Come on let's go have some fun, Sis.”

By the time we had ridden the Fjord Fjarlane, the  Finnish Fling, The Scandi Scrambler, and the Viking voyager spirits were high again. Even Leo was smiling like a goof and we still had 4 sections of the park left to get through, it was going to be a good night and we were all buzzing with excitement.

“Hey hot-stuff, wanna go find a nice dark corner with me?”

The feeling of a hand gripping my hind end had me spinning, grabbing some greasy asshole’s wrist and twisting it until he was buckling under the strain before the guys could even react.

“There anything wrong babe?”

At the sight of Raphs towering form glaring down at him from over my shoulder the creep paled. Jerking to get out of my grip on his arm as i squeezed just enough to threaten breaking it.

“No i think i've got this Raphie Bear, go have fun with your brothers… I’ll take care of the trash.”

When i looked back down at the guy my eyes were golden, fangs bared, and crest raised. “You touch any woman against her will again and you'll be seeing me, and i promise they won’t find you.”

I threw him down on the ground, watching as he scrambled away backwards, knocking over a couple little kids before taking off. God damn doing that felt good.  

DING DING DING DING DING….!

When i made it back to the guys Mikey was sinking basket after basket on one of those trick carnival games. his enhanced strength and aim, though lesser in this form, were plenty to crush the hopes of the carnie running the booth’s hopes for a quick buck. Destroying the high score soon Mikey was holding a giant sea turtle plushie, using it as a puppet to tease Alex. I felt Raph’s hand on my lower back, his extra fingers held together to make it feel more like his natural form’s hands. Probably so i wouldn't freak out and break his wrist.

“Pick a prize Tweeter.”

“Raph you don't have to do that….”

“How many days can i win my girl a carnival prize without being carted off to a freak show? Now pick something E.”

I scanned over the disgustingly pastel prizes until my eyes landed on the perfect little stuffie. It was a black dragon made of faux leather with a fluffy red belly and gold wing membranes, horns, and spikes.

“That one, in the dart booth. The Dragon.” “That tiny thing, come on, give me a challenge girl.”

“You told me to pick Red.”

“Fine, let me show you how it's done.”

Handing over a dollar bill the carnie passed over 3 red darts.

“Pop three gold balloons for the dragon.”

Raph’s face scrunched up as he searched for the targets the carnie indicated.

“What’s the ploy here, those balloons are barely inflated at all! The dragon is one of the smallest prizes here, you trying to cheat me carnie?”

“You wanted a challenge big guy.”

He just gave the carnie a dirty look, weighing the dart in his hand before pinching the tip between his first two fingers, the other two tucked tightly to his palm as he stared down his target.

“Damn darts aren't even sharp.”

I ran my hands over his free arm, focusing on the balloons almost as hard as Raph was.

THUNK

One gold balloon started lazily dripping paint down the board. The carnie gave Raph a look at utter disbelief, only to be met with a smirk as Raph readied one dart in each hand.

THUNK, THUNK!

Three spots of gold paint stained the board where balloons had once hung and Raph was preening, head and shoulders thrown back, chest puffed out as he pulled me tight to his side.

“I think you owe my girl here a stuffed dragon.”

...

“I'm going to name him Lucius. He’s so cute!!”

The tiny stuffed dragon was barely 4 inches tall, just big enough to tuck in a pocket, but the stitch work on him was absolutely exquisite, gold embroidery outlining glittering scales along the tiny little body.

“Glad you like him babe.”

I was a lot more ecstatic than i thought i would be, jumping up to throw my arms around Raph’s neck and making lots of happy chirping noises as he supported my weight in his arms and pressed his forehead to my own. Our laughter mixed in a bubbly fountain mixed with chirps and low growling pseudo-churrs as he spun me around in his arms before i let go and just let myself hang upside down limply from his grip.

“Ok i'm dead, you killed me with cute fluffy romantic crud. You've gone and done it, speak of my greatness in my eulogy….”

“Get a room you two.”

Raph flipped Leo off, a self satisfied smirk at actually being able to do so pulling at his lips as i popped back upright. I stuck my own tongue out at Leo before grabbing Raph’s slightly stubbled jaw and pulling him in for a kiss. It was different but it was still completely Raphael, teeth scraping at my bottom lip before i pulled back, only for him to follow until i put a hand against his throat.

“We’re still in public babe, later i promise.”

He rolled his eyes as he let me back down, another low growl rumbling through him as he whispered in my ear.

“Fine, but don't expect me to play nice.”

His hand traveled down my back to cup my rear as we moved to catch up with the guys as they ran off toward the fury of the Nile. he started chuckling when i removed it, slipping it back a few times before i swatted him.

“Behave.”

“Make me.”

Raph, Mikey, Alex, and I squeezed together in one boat as Donnie and leo hopped in the next one only to be joined by two college girls in swimsuits cut off from their own parties. I couldn't help but grin like a proud mother as the two fumbled through trying to talk to the two bombshell beauties that had been practically dropped in their laps. It wasn't long though before i heard laughter coming from the boat behind us as we were shoved off down the artificial white water rapids.  I quickly forgot about that however as we crashed into the first bouncer and a wave of green dyed water sloshed over us and into the boat.

“EEEEEEEEE! Oh god it smells!” Mikey couldn't help but laugh, throwing an arm around Alex.

“Smells better than the waterslides back home, you don't seem to mind those babe.”

Another wave crashed over the boat, this time on Mikey’s side, plastering his poofy curls to his face and washing those god awful shutter shades into the river. The shape of the wave however… a nearly transparent water dragon leapt over the edge of the boat and slipped back below the surface. Back in the boat behind us Mizu was perched on leo’s forearm like a hawk, the two girls in the boat sporting glittering fey’s wings barely visible in the shadowy tunnel. Mikey screwed up his face and a gust of wind blew over his form before cutting a deep trough in the surface of the water, shaking the boat and making Leo fall back into the blue fairy’s lap. My eyes went gold and i could see both elemental beasts play fighting at the surface of the water. A raven’s caw stilled them both, sending them back to their masters before we exited the tunnel.

“Good going bonehead.”

A spark of flame jumped from Raph’s fingertips to bite at Mikey’s face before being extinguished in a puff of air.

“What about incognito don't you understand?”

“Have a little fun babe, no one saw us.”

I tugged on Raph’s soul and made him slap himself in the face.

“You're right, this is fun.”

“Point made, now stop that shit, its creepy.”

“Yeah, and? I'm creepy.”

“And that’s why we love you jazzy cakes.”

By sundown we had ridden every ride at the park at least 3 times. Mikey’s favorite was the Patriot roller coaster, Leo loved the detonator, and Donnie rode the cyclone sam an extra 5 times on his own after the rest of us couldn't handle it anymore.

“What did you say your favorite ride was Red?”

The lights had come on in the park with the setting sun, illuminating the one ride we hadn't tried yet, a tall spire that took swinging seats up to its top for a scenic view of the west Missouri countryside and nearby Kansas City. The pulsing lights flickered in his eyes as he watched the pairs of seats spin lazily 300 feet above our heads.

“I didn't say Tweeter. But how about we try that one out.”

Mikey had just shown up at the bench with armloads of food so Raph was able to drag me off without the others noticing. He hadn't seemed this excited all day and i couldn't help but wonder exactly what was going on in that head of his as he hoisted me up into one of the swinging seats of the steel hawk. The ride wasn't one of the most exciting yet his hand was practically vibrating as we slowly rose up into the air.

“Hey Elasia?”

“Yeah Raph?”

He turned in his seat to face me, scanning over the burning horizon as the moon peeked up over the lights of the distant city.

“Remember that dream you told me about?”

“Huh? You mean the one where peeps were taking over the world?”

He looked at me like i was the greatest treasure in the world and i found myself unable to look away as he spoke.

“No, the other one. With the raven and the phoenix doing the hawk thing you told me about.”

Before i could bring the specific dream to mind he leaned across the gap between our seats, fire burning in his eyes as he kissed me. I could see it now, two birds, talons clasped as they spun, falling from high in the air. I barely felt something stir between us before i was overtaken by the melding of our souls suspended 300 ft in the air. Fire licked across my skin, biting crackling heat that dared not burn, as molten gold peeled back the haze of mist hiding my beloved from me. God why couldn't i get any closer, i needed to get closer, to find more of this delicious adrenaline fueled heat, to have more of him.

We were jarred out of it by the jolt of the ride locking in at ground level, eyes opening in a drugged haze.

“Um Red?”

Three fingers carded through my hair before freezing in shock. Yeah we should run. “LEO CODE GREEN, CODE GREEN, MOVE MOVE MOVE!”

Who knew how long we had until the last of the mist wore off, the guys already looked like turtles to me again, luckily no one else was noticing the four giant mutants as they tore through the park toward the gates. I couldn't help but think we got back to the truck just in time, heart thundering with a new type of adrenaline as i put the pedal to the floor and we sped back to the portstone to NYC.

“WHOOOOO THAT WAS SICK!!! We gotta do that again E, tell me we’re doing that again.”

“Sure Mikey, at least we know how long the masking serum lasts now.”

“It does feel good to be a turtle again.’

“It's strange that the reverse transformation didn't hurt as badly as the initial one, just a few muscle aches.”

“That’s because its easier for structures to retain their native form than to be molded into a new one Don. Don't worry though, the transformation into human form gets easier with practice.”

It did feel good to have my boys back to normal, Mikey and Alex took off down the tunnel to do god knows what, and Leo drug Donnie off to the dojo.

“Come on Donnie, lets spar, i need to feel like myself again.”

“Sounds like a good idea Leo. You guys coming?”

It was hard to keep a straight face when i felt a familiar three-fingered hand weave through the bases of my wings along my spine, i could practically feel the evil little smirk on Raph’s face.

“N-no Donnie, We’ll catch up later.”

They both gave Raph a strange look before disappearing toward the dojo. As soon as they were gone however i turned on the red clad brute, eyes narrowing in scorn as i grabbed his mask tails to yank him down to my level.

“You are in so much trouble mister.”

“What are you going to do about it.”

By god i loved the feeling of his fire along my skin.

[floatingpetals]

Lavender Blue

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x Reader x Steve Rogers

Warnings: Angst, nightmares, mentions of abandonment, but then fluffiness

Word Count: 2k

Summary: Bucky still suffers from his nightmares, and tonight it was the worst yet.

A/N: I’m gonna go ahead and start out that I’m not the greatest at angst, so I hope I did okay with this one. I love the lullaby and wanted to write something with it.  I hope you guys like this one! Let me know what you guys think.  ❤️

The gif is not mine, credit to the owner.

The screams are what woke Y/N first. She bolted up in her bed, all fogginess from her slumber erased at the agony in the shouts. Typically, they would stop after the first few seconds, but her concern grew when they continued. Throwing the comforter off herself, she grabbed a shirt and shorts, throwing them on before bolting out the room. The screams still echoed through the halls as she ran from one end of the flat to the other. It wasn’t till she got closer that she could hear the pleads for him to wake.

Y/N stumbled into the room, her breath ragged as she took in the room. Steve kneeled on the side of Bucky’s bed, shaking the man who was still kicking and screaming in his sleep. Steve begged for him to waken, his voice cracking as he struggled to be heard over his friends tormented cries.

“Please, Buck! Wake up!” He cupped Bucky’s face, who only flinched away from the touch. “Bucky, it’s okay! You’re safe!”

Y/N moved to the opposite end of the bed, gnawing on her lip as she settled beside the thrashing soldier. She joined in the pleas, running a hand through Bucky’s hair, while the other grabbed his flesh hand. Bucky’s hand gripped hers tightly, grabbing hold to something solid as if to keep him grounded. Gently, Y/N smooth her hand against his face.

“James.” She spoke softly, “James, it’s me, Y/N. It’s just a dream. I need you to come back to me, to Steve.” Her voice was sweet, tender, and familiar to Bucky. The screams stopped, his breath still ragged as he began to wake. His eyes flew open, and he moved to bolt upright, but Y/N placed a hand on his left shoulder, keeping him in place. Bucky’s eyes were blown wide as they flickered from Steve to Y/N’s face. Chest heaving, heart pounding, he struggled to take everything in. His world was still unfocused, hard to grasp at reality. Seeing Y/N so close helped bring him back. She always did. Y/N returned to stroking his face, whispering soft words of reassurance to the man. It wasn’t until he began to relax, until his breathing stopped sounding like he ran a marathon did she turn to Steve.

Steve had sat back, watching the two quietly. He cared so much for his friend, his brother. He never thought it would get to the point where he could no longer wake him from his nightmares, to calm him from his demons. But tonight, it happened. It hurt knowing that not even he was able to help anymore.

Y/N watched the emotions flicker across Steve’s face, reaching out to brush her hand against his cheek. Steve jumped, turning his tired gaze to hers. Y/N had noticed the red beginning to take over the whites of his eyes, she saw the dark circles form under his eyes. Steve was tired, but ever loyal. He was willing to give up his well being for his friend. Y/N chest tightened at the thought. Every night since she moved to their floor, she left it to Steve to sooth Bucky’s night terrors. She wasn’t trying to be selfish, she just didn’t want to interject in something that she was not a part of. Now though, seeing both tired and broken, she wasn’t going to sit aside anymore.

“You should get some sleep.” Steve shook his head. “Steve, it’s okay.”

“No, I’m not leaving him.” His tone was firm, and even though he was exhausted, he was still going to remain. Y/N sighed, knowing there was no way she’d persuade him to go to sleep anytime soon. She’d deal with him later. Turning her attention back to Bucky, she brushed his sweaty hair from his face. His eyes had slipped closed as he tried to calm himself, and the touch startled him.

“Sorry.” Y/N apologized, redrawing her hand. Bucky turned his face into her palm, nuzzling into her touch.

“It’s’kay.” He mumbled, breathing in her smell. He opened his eyes, the blue looking over Y/N before flickering over to Steve. “It was bad this time, wasn’t it?”

Both Y/N and Steve sucked in air, their chest’s tightening at Bucky’s voice. They wished there was more they could do to help, to ease his pain. The therapy was going well, at least they though it was. His day to day seemed better, he seemed more relaxed than he had when he came back to New York. Clearly the nights were harder for him than they all thought.

“You wouldn’t come back to us.” Y/N said softly. Bucky clenched his eyes shut, his jaw tightening. He always feared it would come to this, that he would someday be unable to hear them through the memories. Y/N whipped a tear from his cheek, pulling him back to the room. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Bucky began to shake his head, but stopped. He thought back to his therapy sessions, how he was told that keeping things bottled up would only cause it manifest to what it was now. He never spoke of his nightmares before. They were always memories of his past, the pain he inflicted on others, and the torture he went through. Tonight, it was different though. He dreamt of them; Steve and Y/N. He watched them leave him, toss him aside, and move on. He had become too much for the both to handle and they decided enough was enough. It had felt so real to him. It was a nightmare that had become reality. It was a nightmare he needed to tell them about.

Bucky nodded slowly, and Y/N could tell they were going to be in for a long night. Knowing they’d need to get comfortable, Y/N motioned for Bucky to wait a moment. Y/N tugged him closer to her side, pulling Bucky to the side of the bed creating space between him and Steve. The two watched, confused as she climbed to the center of the bed, pilling the pillows against the headboard to lean against. Steve caught on first, settling to her left side, while Bucky quickly followed to curl up on her right. Y/N wrapped her arms around both soldiers, Bucky resting his head on her chest, while Steve buried his face into her hair. Steve blindly reached down to grab a blanket and threw it over the three of them, cocooning them in warmth.

“Alright Buck.” Y/N spoke, carding her hands through their hair. Both hummed, cherishing the comfort she brought. Bucky sucked in air, finding his courage before he began speaking. He told them about his dream, how he was scared they’d leave him behind. Once he began, he found it hard to stop, telling them all his fears, his worries. Both Steve and Y/N dragged him closer with each sentence, Y/N not caring that she was being crushed by Bucky. Bucky had curled himself practically in her lap by the time he let out everything. He told them things he never told anyone else, not even his therapist. His deepest secrets were laid out for them to know. All because he was afraid they’d leave him behind.

Steve and Y/N listened intently, their hearts breaking at each word he spoke They never knew he had these thoughts before, he never expressed his feelings to this extent. For him to think the two of them would give up on him so easily, it was incredibly upsetting. Correction, it was heartbreaking. Both reached out, Y/N running a hand through Bucky’s hair while Steve rubbed circles on his back. Bucky finished, his chest lighter now that everything was out in the open. He didn’t expect them to say anything, knowing it was a lot to process. He wasn’t expecting the gentle kiss Y/N pressed against his forehead though.

Looking up at the two, he froze at the intensity of their stares. Both had unshed tears threatening to spill, and it was all because of him. Y/N saw him began to retreat. She saw the way he moved to pull away from their cuddle. Digging into his arm, she kept him in place.

“Don’t. Don’t pull away.” Steve said, reaching up to help pull Bucky back. Bucky struggled for a moment, his mouth opening in closing as he tried to find the words. “Stop.”

“James. I don’t know where it came from or why you’d think we’d ever leave you.” Bucky snapped his head back to Y/N, ready to argue. “Let me finish. I don’t know where you go that idea. James, you mean so much to me, you mean even more to Steve. We would never, ever leave you. Steve didn’t leave you when you needed him before, and I promise you, he wouldn’t leave you now. I wouldn’t leave you either. I might not have been there from the beginning, but I know you. You’re a kind, gentle, caring man who just has a painful past. You’re trying to move on, to live your life. I know it’s hard, but you aren’t going to do this alone. I’m sorry if we led you to believe that we were getting tired of you. But know that we’re not, we never will. You mean so much to us both. Please don’t ever doubt that.”

Bucky leaned against her hand as she pulled out the knots from his hair, humming when she scratched his scalp. He mulled over her words, glancing at Steve. Steve nodded at his questioning look, smiling as he nuzzled in further into Y/N. Bucky still had his doubts, but when the two tightened their grips on him, he knew it was pointless to argue. He buried his head into her neck, breathing in deeply. He knew this wasn’t going to go away in one night, all three of them knew that, but if this could help him find peace, they would be there with him every step of the way.

They curled up at the center of the bed, Bucky having moved off Y/N just enough to alleviate the pressure on her legs. Y/N wanted to move him to the middle, but Bucky wanted her there at the middle, both holding on to her tightly. He wasn’t going to let either of them go, needing them there to support him. And they weren’t going to leave him alone.

Y/N watched the two of them fight off sleep, both for separate reasons. Bucky didn’t want to slip back into a nightmare, and Steve wanted to be stay awake until he was sure Bucky fell asleep. Neither would give in, and she was honestly too exhausted to talk them down from their stubbornness. A thought came to her mind, a memory of her younger years that always seemed to calm her before.

“My mother used to sing me a lullaby when I was younger and had nightmares.” Y/N said breaking the silence. Bucky and Steve blinked sleepily at her, tilting their heads for her to finish. Y/N giggled at their dazed expressions and continued. “I know you’re both tired, it might help. It always did for me.”

Both nodded, nestling further into her side. Y/N giggled again, missing the two smiles at the sound. She waited until they settled before singing the song from her childhood.

Lavender’s blue, dilly, dilly, Lavender’s green,

When I am king, dilly, dilly, You shall be queen.

Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?

‘Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.

Both men tilted their heads towards Y/N, stunned at the soft melodic voice that came from her mouth. Neither of them knew she could sing, especially so well. Clearly she had been holding back important information. Y/N ignored their slacked jaws and continued with the words she knew by heart.

Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work

Some to the plough, dilly, dilly, some to the fork,

Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to cut corn,

While you and I, dilly, dilly, keep ourselves warm.

Y/N glanced down at the two, who had settled back to their places against her. She smiled, noticing the way they both had melted to her side, their breathing slowing with each verse.  

Lavender’s green, dilly, dilly, lavender’s blue,

If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.

Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play,

We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm’s way.

She sang through the words, missing the sleepy exchange of looks when she sang of love. Neither spoke of it between each other, but tonight something sparked. Tomorrow, the agreed. They’d talk more about this tomorrow. Both gave into their exhaustion, for the first time in a long time finding comfort in the thought of sleep.

I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing;

When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You’ll be my king.

Who told me so, dilly, dilly, Who told me so?

I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so.

Y/N voice trailed off, smiling at the set of snores that came from both men. She continued massaging their heads, humming quietly to herself as she lulled herself to sleep. Before she could slip into a slumber, she leaned over to press a kiss against each of their heads. They unconsciously nuzzled further into her, sighing softly at the touch. Y/N settled back into the pillows, closing her eyes as she thought about what happened this past hour. They would have time to talk about everything in the morning.  

[strawberryopossum]

1-64!!!!!!!

....... You certainly want to know a lot... Here we go

---

1. Do you ever doubt the existence of others than you?Sometimes, more like I doubt they have lives of their own, and it makes me anxious when I realize they do

2. On a scale of 1-5, how afraid of the dark are you?On a scale of 1-5? 7

3. The person you would never want to meet?I don’t know... The president?

4. What is your favorite word?Favorite word: DefenestrationFavorite word that I actually use daily: Fuck

5. If you were a type of tree, what would you be?The older tree that has shriveled and died from Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared 2

6. When you looked in the mirror this morning what was the first thing you thought?Y’all don’t wanna know that, the second thing I thought, though, was that I should probably brush my hair

7. What shirt are you wearing?An anarchy tank top I got from Hot Topic YEARS ago

8. What do you label yourself as?Labels are for soup cans I don’t know... If it’s asking for style wise, I dress like a goth video game character, if it’s asking about gender/sexuality, I’m a pan transdude

9. Bright room or dark room?Is this about lights or furniture/windows?? Cause I like lights on... But I like dark furniture, and windows freak me out, so they have to be covered... So... Dark room with a light on?

10. What were you doing at midnight last night?Writing out the last set of questions y’all wanted, I think

11. Favorite age you’ve been so far?I liked it when I wasn’t bornLess stress

12. Who told you they loved you last?My girlfriend

13. Your worst enemy?I dunno... My rival from Pokemon? Fucking Gary...

14. What is your current desktop picture?A FFXV promo pic, wallpaper thing

15. Do you like someone?Yaaaaaaaa ~

16. The last song you listened to?Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless

17. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?See my answer to question #3

18. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?Richard Spencer

19. If anyone could be your slave for a day, who would it be and what would they have to do?I don’t know... I’ve never thought about it, and I can’t think of anyone? 

20. What is your best physical attribute? (showing said attribute is optional)My eyes, they’re the only thing I got going for me, right now

21. If you were the opposite sex for one day, what would you look like and what would you do?Well, I would have a flat chest, which would really be niceProbably the same thing I do everyday, try to take over the world sit in my room on my laptop, or go to the bookstore

22. Do you have a secret talent? If yes, what is it?I’m not really good at anything, so I don’t think so

23. What is one unique thing you’re afraid of?Hm... I have an issue with really large glass windows

24. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your disposal....... A grilled cheese with bacon? I’m a fairly boring person

25. You just found $100! How are you going to spend it?Probably get as many nights in a hotel as I could and get away from here for a couple days

26. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere in the world, but you have to leave immediately. Where are you going to go?London

27. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. “Be brand-specific” it says. Man! What are you gonna say about that? Even if you don’t drink booze there’s something you can figure out… so what’s it gonna be?A restaurant over here called Medieval Times has really good frozen strawberry daiquiris  

28. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?No running in my lobby

29. What is your favorite expletive?Fuck and all variations of it

30. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don’t worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what’s the one thing you’re going to save from that blazing inferno?If my phone was in my pocket, then my laptop... If not, then my phone

31. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?Being born

32. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world!Uhh... Probably still London

33. The Celestial Gates Of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didn’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person/etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?Carrie Fisher

34. What was your last dream about?I wrote about it earlier, there was wedding ring dropping, a rattlesnake, a giant bed, and the Aoba cake

35. Are you a good….[insert anything you’d like here]???? You didn’t tell me what you’re asking, so I’m skipping this for now

36. Have you ever been admitted to the hospital?Yes, several times

37. Have you ever built a snowman?Yeah, it wasn’t a very good one, but he had a hat

38. What is the color of your socks?I’m not wearing socks

39. What type of music do you like?I don’t have one particular type... I go from anything like Vocaloid, to various musicals, to The Pretty Reckless, to the soundtrack to Lazy Town

40. Do you prefer sunrises or sunsets?Sunsets, because I prefer night time

41. What is your favorite milkshake flavor?Fudge

42. What football team do you support? (I will answer in terms of American football as well as soccer)I have no interest in the sportsball

43. Do you have any scars?Several

44. What do you want to be when you graduate?I’m going into video game design... Or at least, trying to

45. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?My body

46. Are you reliable?I like to think so

47. If you could ask your future self one question, what would it be?Am I happy?

48. Do you hold grudges?I’m a very bitter and petty person... So, yes

49. If you could breed two animals together to defy the laws of nature, what new animal would you create?I will live out my childhood dream of having CatDog

50. What is the most unusual conversation you’ve ever had?I dunno... Probably something with Kristina... There’s screenshots all over my blog

51. Are you a good liar?Yes

52. How long could you go without talking?As long as I felt like it, a lot of the time, I don’t have the energy to speak, anyway

53. What has been you worst haircut/style?I had an asymmetric bob onetime, only it wasn’t supposed to be an asymmetric bob... The lady cutting my hair was determined to make it look feminine, so my friend shaved it when I got back to my boyfriends house

54. Have you ever baked your own cake?I bake all the time

55. Can you do any accents other than your own?I used to could do a Russian accent... I was big on doing accents when I was super big into Hetalia

56. What do you like on your toast?If I have eggs, I’ll put them on my toast... But if not, I used to like grape jelly on my toast...

57. What is the last thing you drew a picture of?I haven’t drawn anything in so long.... I started a zen tangle a year or so ago.... So, probably that

58. What would be you dream car?A convertible, 4-door, black Audi r8 The Regalia

59. Do you sing in the shower? Or do anything unusual in the shower? Explain.I sit in the shower, it’s warm, and I have a bathtub, so it’s nice

60. Do you believe in aliens?Yes

61. Do you often read your horoscope?I used to, but now I’m too lazy to check it every day

62. What is your favorite letter of the alphabet?X *X-Files theme plays*

63. Which is cooler: dinosaurs or dragons?Dragons, definitely

64. What do you think about babies?Good in theory, good for some people, but being pregnant terrifies me, and I don’t want to be responsible for another human

[themillenniumscribe]

Yu-Gi-Oh: Brilliancy (39)

Her name is Clarisa Swansea. She was born in Hong Kong to a wealthy yet loving family, a father, mother, and two older sisters. A competitive beast in women’s lacrosse with a pretty face to match, there was no mistaking that she was striving for greatness far beyond any expectations. But, when one accident took her family along with her mobility, her life took an intriguing turn into the world of chess.

The door creaked open, a burning white light flashing before their eyes just as the pixels fell into place. Greens and oaken browns faded into deep reds and orange as the warm glow of the sun beamed in the horizon. A soft sound of waves echoed in the distance, washing over the golden sands and purple encrusted sea shells.

“The sea?” Mokuba breathed, a mounting level of frustration peeking just a pinch from his voice. Clarisa could see his fists clench, even from Kaiba’s left side.

“This damn Noah…” Kaiba grumbled through his smirk. “How long do you plan to keep on twisting my arm?”

Clarisa had a feeling it would be a long time yet.

“Dammit!” Mokuba yelled, flailing wildly in the air. “I really thought we had found a way out of this Virtual World!”

“If the last three doors weren’t a way out, what makes you think that this one would be?” Clarisa wasn’t trying to be snippy with Mokuba but her tone came out sounding like it. The younger Kaiba glared her way, lip pouting.

“Well, some of us like to be hopeful about things, Risa!” He snapped. “Unlike some people!”

“I am plenty hopeful.” She retorted with a huff. “So hopeful that I am going to enjoy this scenery while it lasts.”

In that moment, Clarisa reached down and popped off her flats. Her toes sank into the sand, wiggling for a few seconds as her frowning face shifted into a bemused smile. Wordlessly, she meandered closer to the water, leaving footprints in her wake when the water rushed over and erased their presence. The cool water rushed over her feet, making her breath hitch but also coaxing a laugh or two. It only seemed to agitate Mokuba further.

“What the hell are you laughing about?” He grunted, trotting after Kaiba but lingering just enough to keep Clarisa close. The older brother stopped briefly, his azure eyes slanting back toward the woman.

“I almost forgot what sand felt like…and water…” She murmured, wriggling further as her smile deepened. “I tend to avoid beaches since I can’t swim much anymore…”

“Why?” The younger brother asked. Clarisa shot him a look and he quietly whispered an apology.

“We need to keep moving.” Kaiba interrupted, setting off again at a healthy clip. Mokuba was not far behind but Clarisa lingered back slightly, treading through the water and kicking up a few splashes in the meantime.

“So, why did Noah decide to bring you to the beach? Did something happen between you and Gozaburo here?”

“No.” Kaiba replied. “And do you have to keep doing that?”

“Doing what?”

“Splashing about in the water.” His head turned back to look at her. “We need to keep going without being distracted.”

“Well, Mr. Kaiba, under normal circumstances, I would agree. However,” She glanced up, maintaining a clear but strained grin. “It seems to me that Noah wants you to see these memories of yours. We don’t need to hurry to get to the next clip show. In fact, I would go ahead and say that the plot is more likely to find us than we are to find it.”

Kaiba didn’t give her any further retort. Instead, he silently endured her childish beaming and trudged forward with his plan. To Clarisa’s disappointment, that meant she had to leave the water and go further inland.

They only had to travel a few feet to find something unusual. In the middle of their trek, they came across a series of old monitors, half buried in sand and projecting a poor quality image of what looked like a young boy. It took Clarisa a few moments of squinting to realize she had seen this boy before. As the three approached, Clarisa really took the time to study his face while Kaiba kneeled down to get a better view.

He couldn’t have been any older than ten and had a steely gaze to him. It didn’t take Clarisa long to find the hidden anger as well, his azure eyes burning. He had some incredible features, some of the handsomest that Clarisa had seen on a ten year old. If he had been older, she may have offered him a few passing glances.

But there was something else about him too, that made her skin crawl. Despite trying to pass off his teal hair as a reason for their differences, she couldn’t help but admit that the man in a white trench coat looked eerily similar when he was ten.

“Is that Noah? She asked, breathing softly. Mokuba nodded, teeth gritted.

“That’s the bastard…” He grumbled, causing Clarisa’s eyebrows to rise. She had heard Mokuba curse before but this was not in his usual repertoire.

“What is he doing?” She inquired, straining to hear.

“He is presiding over a duel.” Kaiba replied, his lips curling into a smirk. “Apparently, that dog, Jounouchi, is dueling one of the big five.”

“The men who dragged us into this mess?” Clarisa mused with her lips pursed. “Remind me how they know you?”

“They were part of Gozaburo’s staff before Seto took over.” Mokuba was quick to fill her in. “Seto had them all fired when he took the company and made it into a gaming corporation.”

“Which was a move out of left field,” She grinned brightly. “I remember my father giving the announcement at the table. I do have to say that it was a bold but wise move in the end.”

She couldn’t make out the audio very well but, judging by the expression on the faces onscreen, the odd looking judge was the one feeling the heat of Noah’s scolding.

“He was cheating…” Kaiba seethed, brow furrowing. “What a disgrace…”

“And yet Jounouchi is continuing the duel?” Clarisa was puzzled, scratching her head. “Is that normal?”

“I don’t know and I’ve lost interest,” The elder Kaiba stood onto his feet, brushing off his knees of the sand. “Let’s go.”

He and Mokuba started to tread deeper into the sandy plane, unaware that Clarisa was still watching the screen in earnest. It wasn’t until they were about fifteen feet away that all three parties took note of the situation. Clarisa approached the TV, kneeling down as Kaiba had and listened intently. It was muffled and hard to make out but she could hear a few words peeking through like “Flame” and “Burning Soul”.

“Risa!” Kaiba barked. He didn’t have to yell out what he wanted. Clarisa got the sense from his stony silence.

“I want to see if he wins.” She replied back. “It would be good to make sure that this face stays our friend’s face, don’t you think?”

Kaiba bristled when she said “friend” but he reluctantly went back and finished out the match. Clarisa was thankful that he watched in silence rather than make snide remarks about Jounouchi’s victory.

“Okay,” She murmured. “Now we can_”

Kaiba hoisted her to her feet without warning, pulling at her arm to coax her forward. He only held on as long as she didn’t struggle, which lasted about two seconds before she wrenched herself free and matched his pace.

They departed from the sea, the sand becoming more gold in color the further they went. Heat was sweltering around them and Clarisa suddenly felt like they should have stayed closer to the water. She was pretty certain, though, that Kaiba had other plans.

“Seto,” Mokuba interjected, interrupting her train of thought. “That’s…”

A large looming building appeared before them, the chrome surface of metal wavering in the steaming sand. Clarisa had to blink hard and really focus to convince herself it wasn’t an illusion.

“What is it?” She turned to Kaiba, his arms crossing over his chest. She could tell he was deep in thought as well as on edge from the memory.

“KaibaCorp’s military factory.” He grumbled with a glare. “I had it destroyed.”

“Why? You could have used the building for something else, I’m sure.” It was hard to ignore his scoff.

“Not if Nesbitt had any say in it.” He replied sternly, jaw clenched.

“I’m going out on a limb here and saying that he is one of the Big Five?”

“He was in charge of military operations. He monitored the teams creating the weapons and manufacturing them.”

“So, why didn’t you repurpose the building?” Clarisa asked innocently. “I’m sure you could have used it for manufacturing Duel Disks.”

“You don’t cut off the bad parts of an apple when the core is rotted through.” Kaiba snapped, his eyes growing darker. “You toss it and start fresh.”

“Who carried out the order to destroy it?” Clarisa could see Kaiba was getting tired of her questions, his brow knitting together tightly.

“Nesbitt, of course.” He replied smoothly. “I told him that I needed to know how dedicated he was to the company. If he was able to destroy the base he built, then that would be enough to show his loyalty.”

“Sounds to me like he did it just to get on your good side.” Her voice dropped low so he couldn’t hear her. “If you have one…”

“You’re not wrong.” Mokuba piped up, his hazel eyes dropping. “It seems like everyone in the Big Five was secretly resentful of us.”

Kaiba silently agreed with his brother.

“To be honest, I think I would be too if I was forced to destroy the only livelihood I ever knew.” She paused, thoughtfully pursing her lips. “They were your Abrahams.”

“My what?” Kaiba looked at her, puzzled.

“Abrahams,” She repeated. “It’s like the story in the Bible.”

His eyebrows raised and Clarisa sighed quickly.

“Abraham was ordered by God to kill Isaac to show his loyalty. Like a true believer, he tied up his son and went to stab him but an angel stopped him.” There was a gleam of irritation shining over Clarisa’s eyes. “He was then praised for his dedication and they both skipped merrily back to camp.”

“I don’t like that story…” Mokuba mumbled, shifting uneasily.

“I’m sure the Big Five didn’t either.” Clarisa replied, glancing at Kaiba. “I’m sure they were hoping their boss would swoop in and send someone to stop them.”

“Are you calling me God?” Kaiba stated calmly, a shadow of a smirk curling at his lips. Clarisa glared.

“A smarter God would have sent that angel.” She spat. “We may not be able to cut away bad apple pieces but even rotted fruit has a chance to grow as long as you tend to the seeds.”