#i struggled so much with the pose it was the hardest thing about this

[ittybittyfanblog]

Only You, Darling (Only You, Babe)

Summary: There were orders for your abduction. You were made to be the bait by a rival gang to get to the elusive head of Onychinus. Sylus doesn’t take it too well. Word Count: 4.8k Tags: mc x sylus, fem!reader x sylus (use of she/her pronouns), depictions of violence (it gets a little graphic), reader gets abducted and injured, strong language, protective!sylus, he’s a little unhinged here, self-indulgent! A/N: I can’t believe this game pulled me out of a three-year creative rut LMAO. I’ve been doing fanarts, now I’m writing again?? The power these pixelated men hold over me, man.  Anyway, enjoy!  This version of Sylus is probably a little OOC idk idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It was close to midnight, and you're being followed.

On your six, a stocky man in an unassuming dark suit has been tailing you since you left the dingy bodega a little over a mile away from your apartment for about, three? five minutes– no, maybe even longer.

Shit, you mouth silently. Sloppy. You should’ve noticed him sooner, and the two other lackeys now closing in from up ahead. They’re armed too, if the hands hidden inside their jackets were any indication.

As if things aren't looking bad enough, you’ve decided tonight would be the perfect night to go weaponless, deciding against bringing your handgun with you since it was supposed to just be a quick run to the store for supplies. Namely, the late-night cravings sort of supply.

You clutch the wrinkled paper bag containing your coveted jalapeño Cheetos tightly.

This is what greed does to you, a mocking voice echoes in your head. Since when did your inner voice of reason sound masculine and oh-so-familiar? 

Exhaling quietly, you try to calm the rising beat of your heart and appear to be clueless of your surroundings. Walk at a normal pace. Look unaware of the men with the intention to… What even was this? An ambush? Good, old, regular robbery? No, it doesn’t seem like they were in it for something that insignificant. They wouldn’t even bother to be this cautious if it were. 

But then, what were they here for? The dangers you were more familiar with are of the monstrous kind in the literal sense of the word; entities that you face on a daily basis as a Deepspace hunter. Not the regular threats posed by mankind – which in this particular situation, suddenly feels more foreboding.

While racking your brain for ideas on how to slip away from their sight without escalating the situation, you fail to notice a fourth person hidden behind the dumpster inside the narrow alleyway on your left until you feel the cold, hard edge of a pistol gun hit your temple.  

With a shout, your hand shoots up in an attempt to yank the gun away from the hand holding it but the sudden burst of pain from the impact has left you feeling dizzy and off-kilter. The moment you throw your fists up to block your face, heavy fists strike you directly in a flurry of hits, colliding with your forearm and your unguarded ribs.

You let out a pained grunt as you stagger backwards, trying your hardest to keep yourself from falling back on your ass and ward off the next incoming attack. 

A sinister laugh alerts you of the others, now surrounding you in a circle. Shit!

You hastily shift your legs into a crouching position, bracing yourself as you attempt to sidestep the one in front of you before making a run for it. You spring into action, but before you can even take another step, an arm shoots out and coils tightly around your neck like a noose. A cloth that reeks of something distinct is slapped over your mouth and nose, rendering you unable to do anything but struggle. 

“Now, now– the boss wants her in one piece, John,” The stocky man, who’s apparently larger and more jacked up-close, pipes up. John tightens the limb circling your throat, preventing you from breathing, before slightly loosening his grip. 

 “I’d advise you from struggling too much, sweetheart. But if you insist on making this harder for yourself,” the man talking suddenly grins, revealing rows of crooked, silver teeth. “He ain’t said nothin’ about a couple of bruises.” 

You give him your dirtiest glare, trying to pull away from the death grip the burly man called John had on you, but you feel your muscles slowly becoming heavier and your vision starting to blur. 

Ch-chloroform?

You make a muffled shout, a scurry that earns you a heavy hit on the stomach, one last futile move to free yourself, but the inevitable effect of the potent substance starts to overpower you. 

“After all, we need to make sure that the big bad boss of Onychinus actually comes for his bitch, don’t we?”

Rendered completely useless, the men start to make quick work to restrain your arms and legs in a hogtie before carrying you down the street, to a shaded corner where a large, gray van is parked.

The barn doors open, and you’re tossed in carelessly to the back, landing painfully on the cold, hard floor. An involuntary whimper escapes your lips, feeling like one big bruise; splotches of red and blue start to form like a violent watercolor on your skin. 

The engine revs. Before completely losing consciousness, you think you hear a faint caw.

The car drives off the beaten path, into the night, leaving not a trace of evidence of what transpired mere minutes ago aside from a discarded brown paper bag and a deflated bag of chips. 

-

-

-

From a distance, flying towards the hazy skyline, a mechanical bird crows a bad omen. 

_____

In the dead of the night, the head of Onychinus sits as a spectator; a towering presence at the head of a table inside a private room, obscured in plain sight, in an unremarkable establishment far east of Linkon City. 

Unassuming as it may be, the room’s occupants are men of great renown, both in influence and notoriety. The CEO of a chain business in Azure Square, a regional manager of a well-known bank in Linkon, the head of a weapons trade representing a faction in the N109 zone… All held significant power, all held ulterior motives.

A meeting of minds; the type held only in the secrecy of the night, gone in the break of dawn. 

Sylus has half the mind to listen in on the droning exchange of fake pleasantries and plastic smiles as the men deal trades in nature that of weapons and favors. A number of hungry, beady eyes cast him furtive glances, fearful yet devout. Some cautious in the hope of earning his approval. 

“–the package will be en route to the agreed-upon address by the end of the week,” a stout man in spectacles finishes off, clearing his throat. Beads of sweat start to form at the back of his neck as red eyes bore into his, assessing. Deliberating. “O-or if Richard’s able to give me the go-ahead in advance, I’ll make sure it arrives by Friday,” a gulp–then, “sir.” 

All in reverence. 

He hums, his switchblade dancing idly in his hand, deliberately stretching the tension that hangs heavy in the air. He delights in this power to unsettle, savoring the authority that his mere presence commands—a demand for absolute deference. 

“Make it half that time, will you, Raymond?” Sylus responds amicably, not as a question. The man, Raymond, sputters. 

“That won’t be pos–” Sylus tilts his head, eyes shifting into something more dangerous. “Please, I’ll try to cut the time shorter but there won’t be any assurances.” 

The pale-haired man sighs in acquiescence. “I guess that will have to do.” Raymond lets out an exhale of relief, but catches his breath as Sylus continues, “Any later than Wednesday, and I’ll come to claim it personally.” 

Raymond, more nerves than man, starts to blabber something in response–but stops when something black suddenly appears in a blaze of dark energy, near the shoulder of the intimidating man he’s trying to appeal to. 

Sylus raises a hand, and a large crow lands on his pointer finger. 

He caws, once. Twice. And shows a projection. 

The inhospitably cold room suddenly went glacial. 

All conversation halts to a stop as an overwhelmingly suffocating aura starts to emanate from the man–no, the being at the head of the table, making all that are in the vicinity freeze in fear. 

The devil posing as the leader of Onychinus abruptly stands up, and Raymond thinks, Oh I’m going to die here.

Without a word, the man disappears in a Stygian haze.

_

Five minutes later, only after they felt like death was no longer looming over their heads, did anyone dare to move a muscle.

_____

Your head hurts, and your mouth tastes of rust. 

Having been awake for longer than your captors were aware of – two (?) of which bickering near a barred slate of metal that you assume is the door after taking a quick peek from beneath the mess of hair concealing your face – you try to get your bearings together without arousing the suspicion of your present audience. 

“–bet it’s gonna take a while ‘fore that guy arrives. You think she’s enough to get him to show his face?” 

“Damned if I know. In any case, we got a pretty, li’l plaything on our hands,” a snort. “Make her worth the effort.” 

Where were you? From what it looks like, you’ve been transported into a nondescript underground bunker of sorts, dank with a hint of mildew and rot in the air; a rumbling air vent on your left masking any noise that escaped your mouth when you woke up. The area is poorly lit, save for the flickering bulb hanging precariously above your head as your main source of light – good for casting shadows to hide your bruised face, bad for the pounding headache you’re pretty sure is a concussion. And with your back seemingly close to a wall, you arrive at the conclusion that there are no other entryways, no way to leave, but the guarded door in front of you. 

In short, you have no idea where you are. 

Fuck–this is bad, you swear to yourself internally, trying to control the rising panic swelling up your chest. You never thought your nightcap would lead to this mess. Nobody knows about your current predicament, and it’ll take more than a day before your absence raises any alarms, so right now, you’re on your own. 

Think, think! What can you do?

What can you do? You have nothing on you, nothing you can use as a makeshift weapon to defend yourself with, and your hands are tightly bound behind your back by a thick, heavily twined rope with no give. The situation is slowly turning bleaker by the second, and it isn’t even your fault that you’re here in the first place! You were made a pawn, a mere bait in this messed-up dick-measuring contest between a crazy, sadistic, self-proclaimed head honcho and Onychinus’s own crazy, sadistic–

Wait a minute. Sylus. 

You send a strong prayer to anyone above that’s listening, and an angry telepathic shout for good measure to the one who’s unaware of his involvement – but nonetheless the source of your ruined night – in this attempt at kidnapping a perfectly law-abiding citizen of Linkon.

Sylus, as much as I hate your unfortunate tendency to stalk me through means that, honestly? Eludes the hell out of me, I really, REALLY hope that you’ve been keeping tabs toni–

“Hey, boss! I think this one’s awake!”

Fuck. No use pretending anymore. 

You hear heavy footsteps from outside the room before the corroded metal door swings open to reveal a large man, easily standing above six feet, sporting a neatly trimmed beard and an unsettling smile. His arms are covered in tattoos– overlapping, almost undecipherable. A gnarly scar runs from the side of his mouth to just above his brow bone; his right eye a cloudy gray, most likely a morbid souvenir from the sustained injury.

His functional eye zeroes in on your pitiful form, and his smile widens into a hostile grin. 

“Well, well. It seems like our esteemed guest is finally ready to join in the fun,” His voice sounds like gravel, with a mocking intonation. “I hope my men weren't too rough with you on the way here.” 

You let out a breath through your teeth, blinking a few times to try and rid the blurring in your vision. You have to bide your time– “Why am I here? What do you want from me?” 

The man cocks his head to the side, smile still in place. “I assume you already know. But I’ll indulge you your little questions, why not?”

He crosses the space separating the two of you with just a few, languid steps before he’s in front of you. He leans forward, brushing the messy locks of hair – dried with blood – away from your face in a deceptively calm manner. “The devil needs to pay his dues, but it’s been rather difficult to get a hold of him, you see,” he sighs in exaggerated disappointment. ”I intend to collect, so I waited patiently for the right moment, for an opening. For an opportunity. 

And here, the opportunity presents herself.” 

You sneer, moving your head back to let your hair fall from his creepy hold. “I’ve no clue what you’re talking about, mister, but I’m pretty sure you’ve got the wrong idea.”

He barks out a laugh before gripping your chin tightly between his fingers. “You’ve got a smart mouth on you. Maybe we can find a better use for it.” 

You feel it before you hear it. 

“Perhaps not.” 

Something vicious saturates the air, something intense and terrifying and wrong. The hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and some sort of primordial response deep within your brain is telling you to get away from it.

But then, the paralyzing fear melts away to something akin to hope when you realize the source of this new disturbance.

Relief washes over you when familiar ink-and-red tendrils materialize behind the man in front of you. The dark wisps dissipate like smoke as soon as it comes and in place, your savior – sporting an expression that could only be described as downright murderous – stands before you, all six feet of unadulterated rage.

Several things happened so fast, it was almost simultaneous.

A cacophony of shouts came loudest from the two men who had been on guard duty but screams also echoed from outside the room. You saw flashes of red, twin laughter, and blood spurting from the necks of the now headless guards, and then a symphony of bullets and a lot of things breaking rang across the room. 

Suddenly– 

Deafening silence. As if something has put an abrupt stop to the noise. 

Amidst all the chaos, the scarred man in front of you had no time to make a move before savage whips of crackling energy engulfed him, leaving only his head free from the smothering darkness. 

His expression betrays something wild and manic as he tries twisting around to look at the figure behind him. “You–”

Sylus pays no mind to the breathing, dead fool – lower than dirt on his feet, with the nerve to harm what is most precious to him – as he keeps his gaze solely on you; his eyes darting up and down as if taking inventory of all the bruises and scrapes you sustained from the abduction. 

You meet his eyes. “You came.” 

An indecipherable look passes his face, gone as quickly as it came. “A little too late. I apologize.” 

You weakly huff out a chuckle, wanting to shake your head but decide against it lest it aggravates your concussion. A prickling sensation, then the rope around your wrists falls off with a quiet thud. 

“Luke. Kieran.” 

“Everything’s all accounted for, boss,” Kieran announces, suddenly appearing beside your right, along with Luke who’s on your left. Both look no worse for wear.

 The latter gives you a sympathetic look. “Oh, man. They got you good, little crow.” 

“Caught me off-guard, s’all,” you insist half-heartedly. 

A sigh. “Transport her directly back to base. Attend to her critical injuries once you arrive, and keep her awake. I’ll handle the rest once I get back,” Sylus instructs the twins in a tone that brooks no argument.

They nod in sync and start making a move to carry you out, but you protest.

“Wait, you’re staying behind?” For some reason, the thought of being separated from him, even for a short amount of time, makes you feel ill. Well, worse than your current state at least. 

Sanguine eyes soften when he hears the tremble in your voice. The offending man in front of you, reduced into something less threatening than a cowering dog in comparison to your rescuer, is forcibly pushed aside to make room for Sylus as he steps closer. 

He crouches low so that you’re looking down on him instead of up. One large hand covers both of yours, mindfully avoiding the fresh rope burns on your wrists, his thumb rubbing soothing circles on the unmarred part of your skin. 

“This will be quick, sweetie. I’ll be back by your side before you know it,” he exhales, closing his eyes for a moment. “I swear to you.”

You swallow, but nodded reluctantly. “Come home soon.” 

“I will.”

With that, you let yourself be carried out of the claustrophobic space you were confined to, into a larger room littered with unmoving bodies that you're frankly too tired to care about at the moment, up three (rickety) flights of stairs where you exit into what looks like the inside of an empty shipping container, before finally, finally getting out. 

A gust of salty wind hits you and you ask, “Are we near the docks?” 

“Yeah,” Kieran answers, carefully putting you down on the backseat of Sylus’ car. “Mephisto trailed after the van they stuffed you in before reporting back to the boss. We followed soon after.” 

Luke frowns as he inserts the key in the ignition. “We weren’t aware that they had eyes on you for a while now. An oversight on our part, won’t happen again,” he assures you. “Gotta give them props for that, at least.” 

Kieran, now getting in the passenger side of the vehicle, shoots him a look. 

“Anyway, we’re glad we got to you before they did anything… worse,” Kieran continues, then winces in a show of mock sympathy. “Can’t say the same to that fucker back inside. Haven’t felt Sylus’ bloodlust this strong in a long while.” 

You try to focus on their words, but you feel yourself nodding off as the remaining adrenaline slowly leaves your body. You know you should feel more worried about what the two were insinuating, but your mouth still tastes like you swallowed a bunch of coins and you just want a soft bed to sleep in for an entire day. Or three. 

“Oi, no sleeping. Doctor’s orders,” A snapping finger in front of your face forces you awake. 

You blink your tired eyes open in an attempt to stay lucid, the pulsing pain in your head becoming more prominent as soon as the threat of danger has passed. 

“This is gonna be a long night,” you sigh, wishing that Sylus will keep his word and be quick about… whatever he’s planning to do with your abductor. 

–––––

There hasn’t been much left of the man who proclaims to be the new head of an arms syndicate Sylus had dealt with in the past. He recalls the history of his relationship with the cartel being less than cordial, but nothing that would warrant his ire. Except for tonight.

He usually doesn’t leave a trace when doling out punishments; no, not anymore. Not in recent years. He prefers to be efficient about his killings, dissipating any evidence in thin air after reducing them into fine paste, rather than make a big show out of it. Quick and precise.

Except today… Someone had the arrogance, the absolute audacity to steal directly from the dragon’s nest.

The contents of which have always been kept in strict confidentiality. What is known, only chosen individuals bound to secrecy are privy to, and a lot of people would kill for. 

But unbeknownst to anyone else but its owner, only one thing in this hoard of secrets truly matters to the dragon. One solitary treasure alone he would burn planets for – and someone has tried to steal it.

Harm. the treasure. To get to him. 

It seems as if the new bloods needed a reminder of who, exactly, they’re stealing from. 

One who dwells deep within the underbelly of the cities both monster and men inhabit, that even the most heinous of sinners seeking solace in the dark, are afraid of. 

And what retribution tastes like to those who are foolish enough to bite more than what they can chew.

The poor soul unfortunate enough to be the first one to discover the carnage will witness that what was left of the man that had wronged the Onychinus kingpin is stuck on the walls, the floor, and the ceiling of a basement where the treasure was held captive. They will find that the man’s innards are deliberately hung in a haphazard fashion, in all corners of the room like bloody, sinewy tinsel. 

And the centerpiece of this bloodbath is none other than the man’s decapitated head, forcibly attached to the hanging light in the middle of the room. A bulb crudely drilled past his cranium, while blood dripped down the floor in slow, ominous rivulets. 

They will understand in dawning horror that the one responsible for this... gross butchery, has left the head swinging. That the man’s mouth will forever remain agape in an eternal scream to immortalize the exact moment he realizes the gravity of his sin.   

Yes, Sylus is more than glad to remind them. 

_____

You arrive a quarter past four AM. 

Barely taking a step past the foyer, the twins immediately whisk you inside to perform an ‘emergency patch-up.’ Luke’s words, not yours.

“We’re your personal CNA while waiting for the head nurse to take over,” he explains cheerfully, wrapping another layer of gauze around your wrist. You hiss when Kieran dabs a cotton ball on the gash on your temple, peroxide fizzing as it comes in contact with the dried-up blood. Muttering out a “sorry!” Kieran does quick work in cleaning the injury and covering the affected area.

In no time at all, all visible wounds are bandaged and disinfected. The worst of your head wound had to be stitched up, but other than that, nothing seems to require immediate medical attention. There’s nothing left for you to do but to bear the aches that came along with the bruises – especially on your tender midriff – and to pop a tylenol for your throbbing headache.

You offer them a sincere, “Thanks. No, really.” before they leave you in Sylus’ room, after multiple reminders to “not sleep before the attending nurse arrives for the final diagnosis.” 

(You think they might have enjoyed playing caretaker a little too much.) 

With a lot more effort than you care to admit, you painstakingly remove your bloodstained clothes until you're down to your underwear, before draping yourself in a large, red, silk robe. A hot shower sounds heavenly to your sore muscles, but the soft mattress is calling to you more so you head straight to bed. 

With nothing else to occupy yourself with, you prop your head on a mountain of pillows – to keep yourself relatively upright – and let out a sigh. 

Tonight had been a shitshow. All you wanted was something to snack on while you binge through the last season of the show you were watching back at your apartment; you never thought a late-night run to the store just a few blocks away would result in… this. If not for Sylus’ intervention, you’re sure you'd be leaving with a lot more than a couple of scrapes. If not worse.

You're lost in your own thoughts when short, successive raps on the door catch your attention. It swings open before you have the chance to pipe out a, “come in!”

Speak of the devil.

Sylus enters the room, not a hair out of place. You notice that he’s changed into a casual, brown sweater and a pair of dark-washed jeans. His eyes meet yours, tightly-controlled expression relaxing as he crosses the room towards the side of your bed, wasting no time. 

“How are you feeling?”

“Still pretty sore, but Luke and Kieran already handled the worst of my injuries,” you answer, making a move to sit up. Sylus tuts disapprovingly, gentle as he puts a hand on your chest to prevent you from moving any further. He sits gingerly on the edge of the mattress, careful not to jostle you. Once fully settled, he let out a deep sigh.

“You had me worried for a moment there, kitten.” He admits, a slightly rough edge to his voice as emotion seeps into it. He regards you intently, like he’s trying to convince himself that you’re here, safe. 

Your hand reaches out towards his face. Without missing a beat, he leans in to nuzzle your palm, eyes closing shut. He reminds you of a big wolf, unbridled fire simmering beneath the surface, yet tame in the presence of his handler. 

“I’m fine now, thanks to you,” you assure him with a lopsided smile. “Give my thanks to Mephisto, as well. Tell him he gets a pass on the stalking this time.” 

Sylus opens his eyes, a hint of amusement and something else you can’t identify flickering through. “Oh, sweetie. You’ll be lucky if that bird gives you the privacy to bathe alone after tonight,” he jokes. 

He’s joking. Right?

You eye him for a moment before deciding to let it go. You're too tired to argue.

Instead, you cautiously ask a question you aren’t sure you even want the answer to. “What happened after we left?” 

Sylus expression doesn’t change except for the upward tick on the corner of his mouth; the same peculiar glint in his eyes coming across a little stronger. “They won’t be bothering you anymore. You don’t need to worry about anyone coming for you.”

“That’s not what I asked.” 

He hums. “Do you really want to know?”

You stare at him, and he stares back at you placidly. 

You purse your lips and look away. “Maybe not.” 

Sylus breathes out a laugh. He gently grasps your chin between his forefinger and thumb, guiding your head to meet his gaze once more. A softer look on his face, inching closer to yours.

Your heartbeat slightly picks up. In your vulnerable state, you feel a welling desire to bare your feelings to the man in front of you. You want to tell him how relieved you felt when you saw him in that cursed basement, how he was able to quell your fears with just his presence alone the moment he appeared in a familiar haze of black and red. Like your own, personal, vindictive guardian. 

Instead, you close the distance between the two of you, your lips meeting his. 

Sylus groans quietly, a hand cupping your face as he leans closer to deepen the kiss. Your eyes flutter shut, savoring the feeling of contentment from being this close to him. You feel, more than you see, how his taut body loses the remaining tension from the events that transpired just mere hours ago, how he finally relaxes as he loses himself in you.

Very carefully, he eases you further down, cradling your head with one hand until it rests on a pillow. His lips drift to the corner of your mouth, trailing soft kisses up to the apples of your cheeks, your forehead, then to your nose. 

He pulls back slightly, chuckling when you make a sound of discontent. When you open your eyes, you see him looking at you– half-lidded and tender. 

In a low voice, he instructs, “Rest. You need it.”

The feeling of exhaustion pulls you in, but before you surrender to it, you remind Sylus, “I’m not that fragile, you know. You don’t have to worry too much.” You poke his cheek and he catches the offending digit to bite it affectionately. “I’ll be up and running in no time.”

He doesn't speak for a minute, considering your words. His mouth sets into a thin line before letting out a sigh.

“And if you get hurt again? What then?" He whispers so quietly, seeming as if he's talking to himself.

"I'll get hurt again, that's for sure," You tell him, matter-of-factly. "But really, that’s just an occupational hazard. I’m sure you realize."

“Love — what a terrible, little thing,” he muses, half-forlornly, half in jest. "I’d rip this cold heart out and throw it in flames if I could.”

While speaking, his hand finds its way into the tangles of your hair, gently running his fingers through the strands in a lulling manner. His lips landing on the crown of your head softly. Reverently.

You hum sleepily.

“Of course you would, Sy.”

_____

“You’ll be glad to know that the artifact you had your eye on back at the auction will be arriving this Wednesday.” 

“Huh? But I thought it was already sold to someone else?”

Sylus shrugs. “I made a counteroffer.” 

“You didn’t have to. I told you it was fine.” 

“I know. But I also recall a certain someone telling me how much they wished they had placed a bid on it on our way back,” he pinches your cheek fondly. “Don’t worry about it, kitten. It’s yours.”

“Oh. Well– thank you,” you yawn in response, leaning your head to rest against his palm.

His thumb strokes your cheek. “Anything for you.”

[dawnslight-aegis]

and that's a wrap on my tarot series! the upright majors, at least. there may be others sometime in the future if I am seized by a combination of insanity and hyperfixation once again.

you might notice a few cards are a bit (or in the case of the fool and alternate chariot, a lot) different! I did a few retakes for consistency/style.

below the read more I've included a bunch of notes about symbolism and reasoning behind my choices if that interests you!

(tag for individual card posts)

0. The Fool: Ardbert was really the only choice for this one. He's our stand-in, our shard, our mirror. Feo Ul is included partially because of lore (they are my co-WoL's shard on the First) and also because they also fit the themes of adventure and new beginnings and exploration. Most of the cards I played pretty loose on the posing vs traditional depictions, but this one I wanted to hew a little closer, which is why he's on a cliff with a foot hanging over the edge a bit, with his axe standing in for the bindle. This is my second attempt at the card -- the first was in Il Mheg, but I moved it to Kholusia (Ardbert's home) and dawn to more closely symbolize that it's the beginning of something. Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 8/10, posing Feo Ul was annoying.

1. The Magician: This card could have had several subjects, chief among them Alphinaud or a more modern G'raha, but I settled on Alisaie a) because the other two cards I had in mind for her (Chariot and Justice) were already taken, and b) the card's focus on physical magic and depicting the "tools of the trade" reminded me a lot of Angelo's creation! So that's why she's here, and why I set the card in Matoya's Relict, among the tools of magicians who came before (Matoya, Y'shtola). I retook the shot because I was unsatisfied with the blurriness/the way the light covered her face in the first one. Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 5/10, simple pose but working with Impact's spell effect complicated things.

2. The High Priestess: Another that I never questioned who would appear on it. Y'shtola's arc is entirely about uncovering forbidden, secret knowledge and wisdom, so she fits beautifully. The blue-white orb and the purple staff depict duality between dark and light, and how Y'shtola walks in two worlds, seeing things that are beyond sight, standing before an altar/holy place to the Night's Blessed. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 2/10. Premade pose, knew where I wanted to place her -- the only thing was finding a prop for her off hand.

3. The Empress: Hoo boy did Minfi give me some trouble. I knew that I wanted our Antecedent, who provides both authority and care for the Scions, to represent the Empress, but I struggled to find a depiction that wasn't, well, boring. Minfilia is deeply linked with the Solar, and I didn't want to lean too hard into Word of the Mother/Hydaelyn territory, so I settled on a triple goddess-like idea. Attempts: 3. Difficulty: 6/10. Not mechanically difficult, just conceptually.

4. The Emperor: Another one that I knew who I wanted but struggled with the concept. Haurchefant is very much emblematic of the stability, structure, and masculinity provided by the Emperor, but it wasn't until I decided to add his equally-Emperor-coded father that things settled into place. Together, Edmont and Haurchefant evoke the image of father and son as well as king and knight, filling both major male authority roles that the Emperor exemplifies. Attempts: 4. Difficulty: 6/10. Same as the Empress.

5. The Hierophant: this one was one of the hardest to choose a subject for -- the WoL's allies are largely a bunch of revolutionary firebrands, and I disagree HEAVILY with the popular choice of placing Aymeric here. So I landed on Alphinaud -- out of the Scions, he is the one most concerned with tradition and the "right" way to do things, with formal education and structure. He wants to bring Sharlayan into the modern day, not upend the institutions that raised him and that he very much still respects, much like how he still respects his very traditionally Hierophant-coded father. So I placed him in his family home with a sort of smug look since he can be a pretentious little shit sometimes (affectionate). The spell effect is from Kardia, and I paid special attention to having the shapes align perfectly with the lines in the background, to give a sense of stability and order to the shot, especially contrasted with Alisaie's more dynamic and chaotic depiction. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 4/10, entirely in alignment.

6. The Lovers: Hrasevelgr and Saint Shiva are a great choice for depicting the Lovers as two people, but no one does the Lovers in one subject better than Ysayle. Invoking the spirit of a woman who died for love in order to bring harmony to her people, but it truly being her own power and her own choice the whole time... it's great. Her pose is her transformation/summoning pose, turned into a gesture of affection, which I was particularly proud of. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 3/10, posing monsters is always a little funky.

7. The Chariot: This one has two options -- my co-WoL, Marz, and Tataru/Cid/Nero for the NPC variant. All 4 characters share a singular drive and refusal to let anything stop them once they've set their mind to something, and the 3 NPCs have the added benefit of being associated with a literal "chariot" in the form of airship design. Marz's place on Shadowkeeper has some lore associations (Cylva is her shard on the 13th) as well as being a void mirror to Kaede's sin eater shot. For both I wanted to have dynamic poses to evoke the activity of the card. Attempts: 1 (Marz), 2 (NPCs). Difficulty: 3/10 for both, no major hurdles once the lovely @/karoiseka pointed me at an airship in NG+.

8. Justice: The heart of the Justice card is its emphasis on truth, and no character in FFXIV is more committed to truth even in the face of great suffering than Aymeric de Borel. Because of this, the shot is taken at the top of the Vault, where he confronted his father over his concealment of the truth of the Dragonsong War. The card is usually depicted with a woman holding a sword and balanced scales -- Aymeric is holding his sword in a pose used in statues in the Pillars, and the symmetry of the shot/light and shadow split down the middle is meant to give the feeling of balance. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 1/10. I knew my concept, location, and shader before I even went in, and it came out exactly like I wanted.

9. The Hermit: Originally I had Urianger for this card, who still fits well, but when I moved him to Wheel of Fortune, there was a clear second choice: The Exarch. He even resembles the Hermit, with his cloak and staff, holding himself in isolation and possessing secret knowledge with which he guides the party. G'raha has grown out of this role as of Endwalker, but the Exarch fits it to a tee. I wanted to show his longing to return through his body language and reaching out for the portal that shows him the world he is set apart from. Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 4/10. Nothing major but did have to do two entirely separate cards lmao.

10. The Wheel of Fortune: The one I struggled with the most, conceptually. At first I had a more abstract choice, with the 3 starting city state leaders and Tataru, in a sort of "fate leads to the Scions" idea. But then I remembered that Urianger is a fortune teller who uses a wheel-like weapon with a literal wheel of cards, and, well. Yeah. The man is intimately associated with fate and choice, and the choice to place him on the moon is intentional, to separate him from his more secretive depictions in HW/ShB. He is the one who prepares our second option (flight) while giving us the choice to make our first (fight). Attempts: 2. Difficulty: 7/10. He's up on a high ledge that's not normally accessible and that's always a pain in the ass.

11. Strength: The one that started it all. The original shot of Kaede contained some layer elements I wasn't happy with so I ended up retaking it to better cohere with the others. Strength is about confidence and inner strength "leashing" power, symbolized by the woman and the tamed lion, and there's exactly one good lion model in XIV -- Forgiven Cruelty. It also has the fun side meaning of Kaede conquering and wielding the light that almost killed her. For Moenbryda's, I went with something simple -- her axe to symbolize her strength, but with her archon mark and the Sharlayan Thaliak statue prominently featured, emphasizing her intelligence. Attempts: 2 (Kaede), 1 (Moenbryda). Difficulty: 6/10. Kaede's was straightforward enough (though I had to wait an annoyingly long time for the sky to shift colors correctly), but Moenbryda's involved me floating her up on a building so i could get Thaliak in the shot correctly.

12. The Hanged Man: Holy moly this one was a PAIN IN THE ASS. I knew from the minute I started this what I wanted to do with it -- Lahabrea holding Thancred's ankle as he reaches for Minfilia. The Hanged Man is one that I felt it was especially important to mimic the iconic pose on the card, and this was how I decided to do it, but it took me over an hour and a half to accomplish. Anyway, the Zodiark idol stands in for the Tree of Life, which I really liked. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 10/10. Absolutely infuriating to have to pose 3 actors in three dimensional space like that.

13. Death: I only ever considered Estinien for this card. It stands for transformation and change, for shedding the old to make way for the new, and I chose to depict that by having his old corrupted drachen mail posed behind him like a shadow or an abandoned husk. He has left the hate and the rage behind, but the helmet is meant to symbolize that he always remembers it, and carries it with him so that he can do better. His lance is also vaguely reminiscent of the traditional Death scythe. That spot in Coerthas is where he challenges you in the early DRG quests while controlled by Nidhogg, as well as being just visually striking. Attempts: 1, but it took a while. Difficulty: 9/10. The ground is very much not flat, the helmet is on a minion, and I had to change angles and locations a few times.

14. Temperance: I briefly considered Hythlodaeus here, but Krile fits very well. Calm, competent, but unsure of her own worth. I chose Eureka Hydatos both for its importance to Krile as well as its easily accessible water -- instead of pouring from a cup, Krile is looking at her reflection. This one came together so quickly and easily. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 1/10. In and out of Eureka in less than 20 minutes.

15. The Tower: Originally, before I reshuffled, G'raha was going to be the Tower simply because I didn't know where to put him, and I couldn't think of an ally who is ultimately a destructive force, but it always bothered me because he truly didn't fit. Meteion, though -- despite her innocence and unwillingness, is THE destructive force within Endwalker's story. This card had the highest hurdles -- I had to get 7 friends to help me queue for Endsinger and then leave, and I almost couldn't get my tools to load Meteion in properly. After that it was smooth sailing, however. I used the whole lockout timer, but this was only the 4th shot I took, and it's one of my personal favorites. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 4/10, purely for queuing.

16. The Devil: Addiction, obsession, and control -- Zenos was the only answer for this card. I included Zero as well, despite intending this to be a primarily 6.0 and earlier set, to represent the humans bound in chains to the Devil, using the way she's pinned between Zenos and the scythe to symbolize that she's trapped. Afterward I realized this exact shot and character choice would have also worked quite well for the Tower, as well, but I ultimately prefer the Devil for him. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 3/10. Came together surprisingly easily, despite the fact that I had to make Zero's hat touch pose myself.

17. The Star: Symbolizing hope and new life, I can think of no one better suited than Ryne and the Empty. Ryne herself was given her own new life when Minfilia passed on her power, and the ability to make her own destiny -- and she used that power to revitalize a barren wasteland. My first version of this shot had a photoshopped in central star, but I decided to revisit the concept with an in game effect for the star instead. Helios provided what I needed, with the fun extra benefit of some additional rainbows (happy pride!). Attempts: 3. Difficulty: 3/10. Nothing crazy beyond trying to find a good angle to get the star in the shot, as well as Eden and the rainbow crystal. Second attempt I messed up the framing and had to redo it again.

18. The Moon: The card of dreams, fear, anxiety, and secrets, Gaia is perfect here (and a lovely companion to Ryne as the Star), though I did briefly consider Urianger as well. I wanted to have Gaia on the sand, with the moon hanging between the crystal walls of the Empty above her, but the angles would NOT cooperate to allow me to get the moon in the shot. So, levitation was the only answer. Fortunately it suits Gaia well, especially the distance that it evokes. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 6/10. I hate midair posing.

19. The Sun: Another card that sprang fully formed into my mind. Joy and fulfillment is symbolized by Lyse enjoying the morning light in a free Ala Mhigo, thinking of Papalymo. It also allowed me to get both of these very different characters into a single card, as they are very much a package deal, though I did consider Papalymo for the Hierophant as well. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 2/10. Came together very quickly.

20. Judgement: The last two cards of the Major Arcana are very high concept, with very lofty ideals, so they felt hard to pin down. I thought of doing both my WoLs here, or maybe Elidibus with his three forms for light, dark, and balance. But ultimately I ended up on Emet-Selch and Hythlodaeus, as the sort of "final judgement" before the battle with the endsinger, the last step before everything ends. Their literal rebirth, the resolution of Emet-Selch's conflict with the WoL, the not-redemption but understanding reached, our efforts judged worthy -- it all just seemed to fit. The card design is simple but I hope the colors and emotion of the scene carry the weight of the arcana. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 2/10. No major roadblocks.

21. The World: At last we arrive at the end, not only the last posted but the last taken as well. I always knew I wanted Venat/Hydaelyn for this card, as she is the literal heart of our world, as well as an Azem who has reached the end of her journey, as Ardbert was one who was at the beginning of his all the way back at the Fool. But when I didn't use Elidibus anywhere else, I decided to add him here as well, since he also served as the heart of the star for a time. Light and dark united together, watching over Etheirys. The one who destroyed our world in order to save it, and the one who saved our world only to try to destroy it. Perfect symmetry, a completion of the circle. Attempts: 1. Difficulty: 9/10. I had to stitch together 3 separate screenshots in photoshop, with the fore and backgrounds cut apart so I could control the opacities separately. Probably the card that took me the longest, but it was worth it.

[oneeyedgrimes]

WILDFLOWER

Summary: You look too much like Beth. Daryl doesn’t know how to handle that.

Cw: reader kills walkers, angst if you squint and read it upside down, a little arguing, a really shit attempt at fluff. Daryl and reader are platonic.( beth and daryl shippers dni)

A.N: I started writing this before Billie’s album came out but this is lowkey the perfect song for this I’m so glad I waited, I also don’t like this so please let me know if you enjoy! 🩵

definitely not proofread lmk if you see any mistakes!

Imagine Daryl sees you for the first time in Alexandria and he just stops dead in his tracks, stares directly at you and he’s just, stunned because, you look too damn much like Beth.

You had the blonde hair that was throw into a messy ponytail and the blue eyes that only got bluer in the sun, but it was the sweater that really shook Daryl, you were wearing the same exact sweater that Beth wore the last time Daryl seen her.

You looked over at him making eye contact with him and you smiled at him with a small wave though it didn’t quite catch him as he was still stuck staring at you. You started to walk towards him and that seemed to bring him back from the daze he was in, he backed away farther with every step you took turning his back towards you walking over to Rick’s house where he was sat on his porch, you didn’t think much of it shrugging your shoulders chalking it up to him just being nervous about being in a new place.

He avoided you or atleast he tried to, he couldn’t look at you without seeing the girl he failed to protect, everytime he saw you holding Judith he saw Beth, walking thru the prison with Judith in her arms hiding and rocking her to sleep and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

He stayed outside of the walls most of the time, you found it weird at first asking yourself why anyone would want to be out there with those things but now you couldn’t be more grateful he was there when he was. You only wanted to learn how to protect yourself like you saw the group do time and time again, so you went outside the walls. It was around 2 am if you had to guess. it was chilly night so you grabbed your sweater putting it on before you climbed over the gate. You had a pocket knife one you borrowed from Glenn, you also have a small pistol that you stole from the pantry just incase though you had no intention to use it knowing it would be too loud. You walked far enough away from Alexandria into the woods when you ran into a two walkers, you were able to kill the first walker but not without a struggle.

You fell to the ground as the rotten corpse fell heavily ontop of you. You tried your hardest to push the walker off of you but the next walker walked fell right ontop of you and knocked your blade out of your hand as you wheezed from the weight of the bodies. You tried pushing the bodies off of you reaching for your blade but it wasn’t enough, the walker on top opened its mouth about to bite you, you turned your head and watched as a arrow went thru the walkers head and the rotten body went limp on top of you, shortly after the arrow was pulled from its head and the weight was lifted off of you as you were pulled up onto your feet a little roughly, You lifted your head and realized it was daryl who’d just saved you from being bitten. You parted your lips about to spew out some excuse and thank him for saving you but was cut off by his rough voice louder than you’d ever heard it before.

“ tha’ hell ya doin’ out here girl? Ya tryna get yurself’ killed?” You furrowed your eyebrows at him as you tried to speak.

“ Daryl I’m sorry I wa-“

“hell you know ya’ ain’t ‘posed ta be out hea’ by yurself” He cut you off his hands flying in the air in protest.

“I just wanted to learn how to protect myself like you and Rick do” you told him your voice quiet careful not to make him more upset.

“ so ya ask someone ta train you, ya don’ come out here by yurself ya almost got bit wha’ gon’ happen then huh” he got closer to you

That’s when you snapped.

“Don’t. You don’t get to sit here and act like you give a shit about me, You don’t even like me. Everyone talks to me except you! You’ve avoided me since you’ve got here Daryl. You treat me like I’m one of these things” you pointed to the walkers on the floor

Daryl froze then, his face hard and his eyes looked distant it was like he was having Deja vu, it’s like he was back at that house arguing with her again. He looked at you and his face was softer and his lips seems to tilt downward at the sides and he didn’t say anything back. Your head tilted in shock but you didn’t have time to say anything before he mumbled something ducking his head

“ what? I can’t hear what you’re saying speak up”

You furrowed your eyebrows and crossed your arms over your chest. He lifted his head and looked at you and you felt like you had whiplash seeing all the anger on his face completely gone replaced with sadness something you’d never seen on Daryl’s face before.

“ you jus’ remin’ me of her,.. of beth n’ I can’t look at you without seeing ‘er. I can’t talk to ya withou’ seein’ tha’ girl I couldn’ save and I can’t go thru tha’ again I can’t not be able to save ya like I..”

He trailed off turning to the side to hide his face chewing on his lip nervously, your own hands dropping from your chest fidgeting with your fingers as you waiting for him to finish

“Like what Daryl “ you asked quietly

“ like I couldn’ save ‘er”

You watched as he fumbled with his fingers, if you were completely honest you were at a loss of words. you’d never seen daryl look so vulnerable you knew you needed to say or do something.

and he stood there watching you watch him. He dropped his head closing his eyes only opening them when he felt arms around him, he wrapped his arms around you not holding you as tightly as he could but you knew the hug meant everything to him.

“ I’m sorry” you knew it wasn’t enough but that’s all you could get out squeezing him tighter

“ I’m so sorry and it’s not your fault, you can’t save everyone daryl even if you try your hardest the world is just too cruel but it’s never your fault”

You said quietly into the hug shortly after you pulled away looking at him wiping a few tears from your own face.

“It’s not your fault daryl it never was it never will be” Daryl didn’t say anything just nodded still chewing at his lip beofr he looked around

“ ‘ts gettin’ late best head back ‘fore somebody wakes up” He stated looking at you, you nodded and started walking next to him. the two of you made it back to Alexandria getting back into the gates not seeing anyone outside, Daryl walked you home making sure you got in safely, you walked up your stairs quietly opening your door walking into your shared house, you turned and just before you closed the door you called out

“Goodnight daryl” You smiled waving at him “night kid” He said back to you his voice raspy with sleep a small smile on his own face.

[ar-cadez]

Negaverse Megavolt concept!

Design notes and personality rant stuff under the cut. Warning. It's long and unreadable.

The purse thing is a generator (Ill probably design it as a prop at some point considering It does NOT look like one but portable generators are hard for me to draw for some reason)

I swapped which eye has the white in it (even though I usually draw it on the wrong side anyway bc idk my lefts from rights..)

I wanted to make the darks very prominent bc the yellows are very prominent in the original

I went with blues bc it's the only other colour usually associated with lightning and electricity.

The teal parts of his outfit are lights! They glow when he's fully charged and fade out when he's out of power.

You can't see it in this pose but his hands have outlets on the back that work the same as megavolt's chest outlet. He can power weapons with them and charge himself without the pain of straight up shocking himself

I wanted to make his hair look like it's thinning out bc of age and repeated electrical damage but I wasn't sure how to do that so it's not really present. Did give him some white hair though.

His glasses are prescription! Can't see nothin without em..

Okay now some personality stuff!

Megavolt is the hardest villain to swap bc his personality is "insane guy with memory issues but is smart" and it's kinda hard to flip that around without just making him boring? Removing his intelligence when it comes to electricity would also negate his whole gimmick which makes things worse. but I do have a few ideas. It's ironic I struggle with him so much considering he's literally my favourite character...

He was popular in high school. He was friends with negaduck and they were both pretty well liked jock types before negaduck started doing major crimes (though I imagine he was always a delinquent of sorts. Just didn't start destroying the city till he graduated) clash reunion is a whole beast on it's own bc megavolt has the most in depth backstory which means a lot of reworking for a personality swap au.

His interests, like dw's megavolt, lie in magnesium, electronics, and engineering. The difference is, despite being Intruiged by these subjects, he didn't go out of his way to learn about the. He was more focused on his peers approval back then. Not to mention the fact that negaduck was an extremely toxic friend and would absolutely make fun of him constantly for it. (He doesn't even actually care, he's just an asshole.)

Eventually after gaining his abilities he began to study electricity and start inventing things. Only.. He's pretty bad at it. Things tend to backfire on him. Quackerjack has a lot more experience than him when it comes to engineering and he tries to help him out but the guy's kinda cursed. I haven't really decided if it's more dt17 gyro where everything he makes ends up turning against him or guy am I from the Netflix green eggs and ham show where everything he makes just kinda explodes. Maybe a bit of both. Either way it's very over the top and is more trouble than it's worth, but that doesn't stop him! (Oh God someone stop him)

I didn't wanna just take away his mental issues completely because the opposite of that is literally nothing. It adds.. Nothing. It just gives him less to work with. And it's already hard enough to do this guy. (Plus it kinda implies mentally ill people can't be heroes and that's.. Mm....) So instead I decided to change how he reacts to it.

He still has memory issues along with other physical and mental symptoms of electrical injury, he just really likes to pretend he doesn't. He completely ignores his deteriorating mental, physical, and emotional health <33

I wanna flesh him out more but I'd only be able to do that if I write with him and I'm fantastic at procrastinating my writing projects <33

[thebramblewood]

this is in a similar vein to an ask you got recently but do you have any tips for those who are interested in sims 4 (or even other games like ts3 and ts2) storytelling? I write fanfiction but I think making sims 4 stories could be a fun venture. Anyway, thank you for your time! I love your stories so very much they're literally my hyperfixation!

Well, that makes two of us because it's literally my hyperfixation. I think I've shared bits of advice before, so some of this might sound familiar, but here are some things I think are important to remember (and I tried to be concise, I swear).

Write the story you want to write. Obviously, it's a great feeling when something takes off and people get invested. But if you pursue an idea only because you think Simblr will like it, you probably won't be inspired for long and it'll probably show. I've been very lucky with my story, but it didn't blow up overnight. Early on, I was thrilled to get double digit notes or one reblog or comment and was admittedly disappointed when I put a lot of effort into something and nobody seemed to notice. But I kept going because I was obsessed and wanted to see it through, and that's more true now than ever.

Start with low stakes and allow yourself to evolve. Before I was on Simblr, I made Sims stories with no poses or visual enhancements or fancy editing. I wrote them for myself, and I loved every minute of it, but they also gave me a solid foundation for the kind of storytelling I do now. Even after starting this blog, I eased myself into it. I learned how to use poses and Reshade, then moved on to more advanced editing techniques, then moved on to teaching myself to make poses and very basic CC. If you try to learn it all at once, you're more likely to give up because you're overwhelmed. Take your time and make peace with the fact that perfection isn't possible. Everyone's always learning!

Take advantage of the fact that Sims is a game. Even though I've been a creative writer for most of my life, I don't come up with fully-fleshed, elaborate Sims stories from scratch. It started off with my legacy and not wanting every generation to feel the same. I thought about gameplay I hadn't experienced yet and centered each generation's story around that. Even with HZID, I just wanted to make and play with vampires! That's it! Initially, I used a lot of gameplay to convey Helena's college experiences, and I still try to incorporate it when I can. It can really be a great base to spark your creativity if you don't know where to start.

Don't have a life outside your story. I'm joking. Kind of. I'm not a very social person and I don't like leaving my house if I don't have to. This leaves me with a lot of time for working on story things. Honestly, I could probably stand to work on it less. But for better or worse, I'm doing story-related things most nights and weekends, and even if I'm not doing anything, I'm thinking about it. It's probably mental illness, but we'll just call it passion. At the same time, it's also important to take breaks! If you're feeling burnt out, step away for a while. If you can't make yourself step away completely (raises hand), just edit the script or spin your blorbos around in CAS or something rather than going straight for posing a scene.

Follow and interact with other storytellers. This is probably the most important thing, and as someone who struggles with social anxiety it was the hardest for me to do. But I try to make a point of keeping up with other stories, commenting, and reblogging. Not only will the amazing talent of other writers inspire you, but you're building meaningful connections that make them more likely to want to interact with your story. There's no denying it feels amazing to watch your audience grow. But no one's going to see you if you don't make an effort to be seen, as scary as it can be. So try to be active in the community and support other storytellers the way you want to be supported!

[internetgiraffekid1673]

Whattup people who read my Batman posts! Brainrot's still rotting, I just had junk to do, so I didn't draw for a while! Anyhoodle, time for another character, Duke Thomas, a.k.a The Signal (and also Robin depending on how you're counting it!)

You know the drill by now, initial trace with my lazy backdrop! I liked drawing Duke, but BOY HOWDY HEY, he was hard. Like, I'm just gonna come out and say it, I am BAD at drawing armor and buildings and machines and anything non-organic. Which means Signal is probably one of the hardest costumes to get right. This was just the trace, so it wasn't too bad, but trying to understand how his costume worked was quite the game for this whole process. I will say, he's got one of my favorite color schemes out of any of the Batfamily. The light dark contrast works really well in a way that is only seen elsewhere on the Robin cape, and the fact that this is actually the Signal's whole costume makes it feel more cohesive and effective than that. And, you know, it's also really cool thematically, considering light is kinda Duke's whole thing.

Freehanded drawing with referenced trace! This was a ROUGH time. I had to redraw Duke three separate times before I got a result I was satisfied with.

So, remember how I said that I struggled to understand how his costume actually works? Yeah, that's because I have a decent grasp how armor is actually supposed to work, and this ain't it fellas. Like, not knocking the design, it looks cool and is certainly easier to draw once you get the hang of it, but it makes less intuitive sense to me. What is happening on his neck? Is that like pure metal molded to his skin or something? That's not how physics work. Why are his pauldrons not actually covering his shoulders, and also where and how exactly are the attached to anything? It was confusing, but definitely a good exercise for me.

Again, the stuff they did was actually pretty smart, since it's comic books and they don't have to move realistically, and this makes it easier to pose his head, chest, and shoulders. It was just difficult for me to wrap my head around. Ignoring all the physics defying stuff,

Signal probably has one of the smartest/most practical costumes of the Batfam too. For one, he actually has a helmet and protects his head. Two, he has armored all of his vital organs like his lungs and heart and stuff. Three, he doesn't have a cape, which means he can't be grabbed or snagged as easily, and doesn't have to fight working around that. This is sad for me though, because I love drawing capes : (

Pose for characterization. I'mma be straight with ya'll, I don't know much about Duke. Like, I've read all of the We Are Robin/Robin Wars comics, but that doesn't actually give me much of a handle on Duke as a person, or how he behaves because it has to split the focus between so many protagonists, and also because there's a bunch of other stuff happening, so Duke doesn't get as much focus as you'd suspect. I haven't read anything else where he appears (except for Wayne Family Adventures, but I don't think that counts).

The general vibe I got from We Are Robin and from other comic readers is that Duke is probably the most approachable member of the Batfamily. He wasn't raised as an assassin from birth, he hasn't been Robin since he was like 9, he didn't die and come back to life---his life experience, while far from normal, is still much closer to the average human being, so he can relate and react better. (The only other member who really gets close is Steph, but she's been around longer and has had time to get into more whacky life or death scenarios, so she's a bit nuttier. Duke'll get there in time, I'm sure).

I tried to convey this approachability by giving him an open expression and more relaxed body language, even though he is a pretty mistrusting and high strung person. Comes with the territory of being a vigilante I guess.

As always, the text for his hero name is traced off a comics cover. To indicate the duality of Duke being both a pretty chill kid and also absolutely insane, I felt the need to put his civilian name in two fonts. I also tried to make his civvies call back to his We Are Robin uniform without being an exact one to one. I'm positive that Duke'll take any excuse to wear Robin colors, even after the ban was lifted, just because it pisses off the cops.

Can you guys guess who comes next based off the order so far? (You won't, it only makes sense to me).

Other Batfamily Members:

Nightwing Edition

Red Hood Edition

Robin (Carrie Kelley) Edition

Red Robin Edition

Spoiler Edition

Robin (Damian Wayne) Edition

[ts2cambremon]

Questions 1, 2, 4, 7, 11, and 13 for the Simblr Story Process Ask! I'm dying to learn alllllll about your writing process! :D

Hiiii @esotheria-sims! Thank you 🥰

And shout out to @thegingernerdist who also asked for 13! I also answered question 7 in the previous post!

1. Do you hide any secrets in your story that only a few people will find?

Hmm... I mentioned in an earlier post that I like to sneak in some foreshadowing, so I guess that could also fit this question!

2. Sims writing has a visual component. How do you utilize color/objects and setting in your story?

I use it a lot! Every character has a favorite color when it comes to outfits, and their magic is also distinct (Ren has green blasts, Andra's got fire, Inna the lightening, the Baranims have white bolts...) which comes through in battle scenes. Inna has a changing color scheme, although she prefers to dress in pink she sometimes dresses in white to appear more innocent than she is when she's trying to manipulate people. Kadja also usually dresses in orange, but she went for blue to "fit in" the monastery.

The architecture is also a big one. In my original idea, Cambremon was actually an underground city but that's just not practical gameplay wise. I try to create closed spaces with stone walls or dark wood. The hub is supposed to feel very dark, as opposed to the bright white snowy wastelands.

Some objects have become motifs, like Kadja's painting representing Ren's obsession, the creepy slave pillars representing the Cambremon's harsh rule, and the red dress representing Ren's one-sided desire for Kadja. There's also the portrait room which is a recurring setting, and usually alludes to the weight of the first generation and of the Cambremon name on the second generation.

Another little color detail: a lot of scenes with Bone Spirit have a purple light effect because the Sun n Moon candles with mana powder have a purple light!

4. What scenes do you find hardest to write?

Hardest to pose are definitely the group scenes! My computer can't handle more than 10-12 sims on a lot, so I have to get creative with deco sims (but the lighting on them is usually a bit wonky, or they get covered in snow like other objects! Argh it's a struggle)

Hardest to write... well that's actually descriptions, which is why I love the simstory format, I can focus on just dialogues 😁 I also find that I edit dialogues a lot, usually to cut them down to the essential. I feel like I now have a much better grasp of the characters and their voices, so it's getting a little easier to write them!

11. What are some elements you think are becoming cliché in the genre you're writing?

Honestly couldn't say, I'm actually a big fan of tropes when they're done right or subverted. One thing that I personally love as a reader is when there are real consequences for characters' actions, so I guess not a fan of stories with extensive plot armour or deus ex machina twists to get the main characters out of a bad situation.

One thing which does annoy me is when sexual violence is either swept under the rug or exploited for cheap thrills in fantasy stories. On one hand, it's definitely an aspect of any unjust, hierarchical society, but on the other, not something that should (in my opinion) be used just for "shock value". I sometimes struggle on the best way to adress this within the bounds of Cambremon, and I've settled with indirect allusions, as with this Simstober post.

13. What characters do you feel most connected to? Why do you feel connected to that character?

That's a tough one. Depends on the day, but it's a tie between Kadja, Inna, Bruk and Marek. They're all interesting characters to play with, and I'm also invested in Cambremon eventually becoming a better place, so hoping the "good" faction wins out! (But the evil faction makes for juicy drama haha)

[yuusishi]

Hello! Could I request headcanons of Deuce, Jack and Leona with a super flexible s/o?

. . . JUST LIKE RUBBER!?

pairings : Deuce Spade , Jack Howl , Leona Kingscholar x gn!reader

genre : fluff

cws/tws : descriptions of limbs bending in unnatural ways (obligatory please do not try these at home), barely anything for Leona

a/n : I’m flexible myself but I’m not really sure if I did it justice LMAO, also sorry this is a bit low effort I couldn't think of much for this post 😭😭😭

Deuce Spade !!

The most panicked out of the three. Poor boy thought you broke your bones.

If you also do things like yoga and he sees you doing those intense positions, I think he’d have to try his hardest not to pass out.

“[NAME], ARE YOU OKAY!? ARE YOU INJURED!?” “No, I’m just doing some stretches, don’t worry”

After the initial shock, he’d think your flexibility is honestly really cool! You being able to do all kinds of poses with little to no struggle unlike people with regular flexibility levels.

He might even ask to help him out with stretching exercises to help relax his muscles, or to just destress in general.

I don’t think he won’t stop acting like he got jumpscared every time he sees you doing something unnatural with your body though, such as bending your arms so far behind you to the point anyone would think there’s an invisible device pulling them back.

I think hamstring stretches are the bane of Deuce’s existence when doing cooldown exercises, so during PE class if he sees you doing it with such ease, he’d be more motivated (and slightly competitive) to be able to do it himself.

I think he’d also ask if you did or used to do ballet since some of the poses he’s seen you do looked like things ballerinas he saw on Magicam did.

Out of all body parts, the part that makes him feel like fainting when you bend them weirdly are your fingers. Seeing them bent in ways they’re not supposed to makes his legs feel weak.

All in all, thinks you’re super cool for it but at the same time it terrifies him.

Jack Howl !!

I think he was just confused on what happened at first, but didn't really care much.

"[Name], did you just...wrap your leg around your waist...?" "Yeah, what about it?"

He's an NRC student, he's probably seen things much weirder than your limbs bending in ways they shouldn't.

But that didn't really stop him from having that thought in the back of his brain going 'are they hurt?", your arm isn't supposed to bend that way, are you alright?

Congrats, if you do yoga or any other exercises that require a lot of stretching, you got yourself a new person to do them with!

I also hc that Jack might have the slightest trouble with flexibility exercises, so he really appreciates you helping him out with it.

But sometimes when he sees you do something that your body should not be able to do, even if he remembers you're incredibly flexible, he just can't wrap his head around how that's even possible.

Although Jack doesn't show it much, he actually thinks your little ability is really cool, no matter if you got that flexible due to training or you were just born with it.

Leona Kingscholar !!

I think he'd be a little impressed by it actually, bordering between impressed and weirded out.

Especially if you didn't tell him that you could bend your body that much and he walked into you literally folded in half limbs all over the place but a completely neutral look on your face.

"Herbivore, what in the Great Seven are you doing" "Oh just stretching a bit, I just woke up"

"😬❓❓" would probably be his reaction to that.

After that he won't really care, occasionally he finds the ways you can bend and stretch your limbs a little funny.

Just please don't do anything weird when he's just woken up, sometimes he'd think there's a deformed demon at the foot of his bed but it's just you doing some strange stretches.

[smolwritingchick]

Smol Snippet for Chapter 93

Author's Note: OK I am nowhere near done but here are some smol snippets of scenes I'm working on for the next chapter :) things are subject to change but just to hold ya. Again sorry for taking so long! I have a few more events to go to that I'm excited about and going back to work soon since my vacation is almost done! So continue to bear with me as I continue to plan for the outings and work on the chapter.

-----

The start of the silly airport outfits

"I cannot believe this…" Jennie grumbled with her arms crossed as she sat in the van with the members, on their way to the airport.

She had her fair share of goofy moments but this right here was currently number one. The boys were struggling not to laugh as they snuck glances at her wearing a large Pikachu Onesie. The reason? Losing a bet with Jungkook on who could beat who in Smash Bros, last night. She tried her hardest but he prevailed in a best out of 5.

"You look adorable," Jungkook giggled.

"Be quiet," she snapped at him in a playful tone, earning another giggle from him. "I can't believe I have to walk out in public with this on. Why? You know Dispatch is going to be there taking photos."

"You did bring it on yourself. You should have beat him in the game," Yoongi chuckled.

"Wow." she shook her head. "I am loving the support, right now,"

Bangtan had some fan events in Japan just before their 3rd Muster in Seoul and were headed to the airport to get on their flight. Once they arrived at the airport, fans and reporters were already there to take videos and photos. Jennie watched as the members and staff made their way out of the vehicle as she tried to mentally prepare herself to be seen with the onesie.

About to get out of the car, Jin turned back to Jennie and chuckled. "Are you coming?"

Seated next to him by the window, she groaned. "Yes…"

With a smile, Jin helped her out of the car and surprised sounds from the crowd were heard when they saw her in the onesie, along with giggling and various comments on how cute she looked. Being a good sport, Jennie grinned and waved at the camera, walking inside the airport with everyone else.

She laughed, forgetting about the embarrassment, and began to pose, with the members. Miss Bangtan even started playing the part of Pikachu, while reporters ate it up. After photos, the group started going to the destination of where their flight was as the large group of fans and reporters followed them.

"Jennie-ah, why are you wearing a Pikachu onesie?" she heard a fan ask who was recording her with their phone.

"I lost a video game bet," she grinned sheepishly, earning giggles in response.

---------

You took the test!?

For this, I decided to go by RM's fan sign answer about which house the BTS members would be in! :)

As they walked further into the park at Universal Japan, Jennie began to hear the Harry Potter theme song, taking her by surprise.

"Wait a damn minute…are we-are we going to Harry Potter World!?" she exclaimed. Once she turned to Jungkook and saw him grinning, she jumped and squealed excitedly. "What!? Oh my gosh! Wait, you took the test!?"

"I did. I'm a Ravenclaw,"

"Ahhhh! Oh my gosh! It suits you! So much to do! Okay! We gotta get wands! We gotta do the whole thing. We gotta go on the rides, we gotta get butterbeer, get the outfits, everything! You ready?" she giggled excitedly as he smiled, thinking it was the cutest thing.

"Lead the way,"

"That's the spirit!" she grabbed his hand as they wandered around.

Jungkook continued to film her while she looked around the area in awe, happily watching her geek out.

"Ah~! It's just like the movies! I feel like I'm actually in the movies!" she beamed.

----

When he bakes for you on your birthday

"I made something for you," Jungkook said as they sat on the couch of her hotel suite.

"Oh? What is it?" Jennie looked on in anticipation.

"Close your eyes, first,"

"Okay," she closed her eyes with a smile, awaiting the surprise.

Getting up from the couch, Jungkook made his way to the fridge to grab the mini red velvet cake that he had made for her earlier today. Despite the constant teasing from Jimin and Taehyung on whether he knew what he was doing, the cake turned out quite well. Jungkook wanted to make her birthday as special as it could be and he always wanted to bake for her just like she did for him and the rest of the members. After grabbing a few paper plates, plastic forks, and a plastic knife, Jungkook set everything down on the table in front of the couch as Jennie continued to wait patiently.

After placing a 1 candle and a 9 candle on the cutely decorated cake he presented it to her with a smile.

"Open," he softly said.

Opening her eyes, she looked at the cake in awe, covering her mouth. She glanced up at him, back at the cake, and then back at him, uncovering her mouth to reveal a smile.

"What? You baked for me?" she let out a giggle.

"You bake for everyone. I wanted this birthday to be special so I decided to try to make you something,"

"Jungkook, today has been way more than special. This is so sweet, thank you. It smells good. And it looks good."

-------

Being secure in our feelings

"Ah, I'm so spoiled. Today has been magical! Like, look at this! I don't even know where to start for the gifts," Jennie said, looking at all the gifts scattered around from friends and family.

"Do you want to open your gifts now or see your last gift of the evening?" Jungkook asked.

"Last gift?" she looked at him curiously.

He smiled softly and nodded.

The curiosity took over her. "Show me the last gift,"

"Follow me," he grabbed her hand and led her to the bedroom door.

Once he opened it, they walked in and saw that the room was decorated romantically. Cute electric candles lit up the room along with rose petals scattered around the floor and bed.

She gasped lightly as her heart fluttered. "Jungkook…"

After closing the door, he gazed her at while she stood in front of him, looking around in awe. Slowly walking over to her from behind, he watched as she turned around and they both smiled at each other. No words needed to be said. They both knew they wanted this and felt secure in their feelings.

[doshmanziari]

While returning to a piece I've been working on since last year on the question of what constitutes a reasonable challenge in game design, I've been thinking about the “perennial” discourse on difficulty FromSoftware's relatively recent titles resurrect each time a new one comes out — in particular, this idea that the difficulty should always be “intuitive." The idea seems to be a way of applying a sort of hindsight bias, casting every prior game as both The Hardest Game Ever and yet eminently predictable (with Dark Souls 2 as perhaps occasionally situated as an outlier in this regard). I was reminded of this contradictory sentiment while viewing the video above — which, just so you know, is not a 2.5-hours monologue, but a condensed, boss-centric playthrough of Dark Souls 3, done with the purpose of answering the question posed by the video's title.

Said differently, the contradiction we find is that people want these titles to be able to evolve in the challenges they present, but they also don't want them to be "unrealistically" hard. There is this notion that there is a kind of pure way to play, which stems from a purity of design, and that playing this way should come easily, intuitively, upon each new challenge. But! — you actually can't have all of those things. And with each new FromSoftware release, so many people seem to forget how the prior release, once lambasted for having finally crossed the threshold of absurd difficulty, has since been resituated as more or less reasonable, with the newer release now being so unfair that baby must cry, and may cry forever.

Is it not strange to go onto the Fextralife wiki and see comments about how Elden Ring's larger opponents are "unrealistically" fast? or to hear, in a video about Malenia, anger over bosses not conforming to imaginary symmetries of allowances? — as if it's just way too mean when a boss introduces an asymmetrical mechanic (despite the player being able to introduce their own asymmetries which far exceed any one boss')? And this persistent belief that the game is full of "unavoidable" attacks — obviously, this would forbid the possibility of perfect all-boss playthroughs; yet, even if there were some unavoidable attacks, why would that be unforgivable? A lifebar exists to make room for error, or the unexpected. Hypothetically, it also makes room for more malicious and surprising sorts of design. I think that the inability to enjoy cruder and nastier situations — such as those in Dark Souls 2 (especially Scholar of the First Sin) — implies a humorless prudishness rooted in prescriptive expectations. In fact, I think that Dark Souls 3 suffers from a lack crudities and inconveniences. Immaculateness is spread over the game like a waxy sheen, and one senses a loss of struggle and texture.

We have to be careful when we say that this or that thing is a "betrayal" of core design principles, because a closer examination may show that either those design principles never really existed, or that, if they did (to certain extents), a strict maintenance of them would only lead to a stagnation of design. In some cases, we may find that what is taken to be an aspect of one of these games is in fact an effect of the surrounding culture, which reinforces a kind of perception of the relevant media. Certainly, this remains powerfully at play for the first Dark Souls, such that, for instance, Demon's Souls tends to be excluded from the picture. Elden Ring came out when I was no longer compelled to spend much time learning its bosses' particularities for very long; but I suspect that the loudest whining about Elden Ring being the coffin of FromSoftware's Core Design Principles has mostly come from people who were soundly put in their place after thinking that the ability to own Dark Souls 3's (mostly brain-dead) bosses would automatically transfer over to a new game of similar build. Maybe we'll have to wait for this Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for FromSoftware to "finally" transgress (again), and for Elden Ring to, like all the ones before it, be seen as just fine.

[shiawasekai]

For Nela: 9, 23, 25?

Thank you so much for these, Dujour! They were fun!

Answers to this ask meme

9. Do you have a specific lyric or quote which you associate with your OC?

Now I've mentioned before I don't do playlists and I only check lyrics for a very select few things...

Which means my pool of options is very shallow and the lyrics that come to mind are from something VERY obscure. This is my personal translation of the lyrics (done at the moment, too). For the title and further details, please DM me if you want. I would very much like to not summon that particular fandom:

"You humans may not realize it, but you avoid lighting up what's dark

And, did you know? Darkness, left unchecked, just grows deeper, murkier

And you, you have the face of someone living like they have no darkness within

It's so nice and comforting, to be within someone like you..."

Yeah... Yeah.

23. What emotion is the hardest for your OC to process? How about express?

Now that's a hard question.

For the hardest to process, I lean towards insecurity.

So many of her problems boil down to poorly managing her insecurities. Societal pressure gave her such a complex she spent years on a self-destructive campaign of teenage rebellion and then, she struggles during the game in no small part because she was too insecure and with no actual support system. There is a reason I argue she would have an easier time as a companion, having someone (the KC) to fully rely on.

There are other emotions at play in both instances, but I feel insecurity is the one that has most consistently given her trouble.

As for the hardest to express... That's guilt. No contest.

During the late game and post-game, one of the main reasons she doesn't seek out help is because she feels guilty about her own thoughts and fears voicing them would only hurt those around her. For a long time, she's blind to the fact she is actually hurting them even more this way.

25. What is your favorite thing about your OC?

That one is both hard and easy. There is a lot I love about her, but... her design has a very, very special place in my heart.

Before I sat down to draw her, I was feeling quite unmotivated with my art. I didn't feel ready to design my own characters from scratch and, being a very OC-driven artist, that drastically reduced the pool of options. Not being able to branch out made it hard to find said motivation.

Mind you, designing Nela was h a r d and ironing out that first draft of her design took me way longer than I care to admit. So many failed attempts... What started as some silly low stakes doodles to solidify a bit more the image in my mind (to never be shared) turned into a whole endeavor.

But it opened a door for me: I could, in fact, do character design!! I didn't need to limit myself! It was hard, but possible! It didn't turn out terrible at least!

... And I've been ever since in the biggest drawing spree since I started with drawing (admittedly that's not very long lmao). I've worked on the designs of multiple characters already, and I want to give more of my children an actual face. I'm so thankful for what she gave me (the creative freedom, the motivation) and proud of the work I put into it.

It may be also why I've gone above and beyond to develop said design further. Insert here reference sheet shenanigans.

This whole situation is made funnier because I remember stressing out over how much time I was dedicating to it because that was time I wasn't practicing things like, you know, posing, anatomy, color/shading/render...

[chriscrosswallflower-blog]

Alright, spoilers for Heartstopper season 3 ahead, but I need everyone, including @chronicintrovert, to know how much the mental health storyline means to me, now both in the graphic novel and the show. This is going to be a quick, unedited reaction so read at your own risk.

I originally found Heartstopper in the middle of one of the darkest periods of my life. My physical and mental health were terrible and I felt so hopeless about life in general. I ended up going into severe burnout and going into a partial hospitalization program for over 4 months.

During that time, Heartstopper was one of the only things that really brought me comfort and joy. I can't tell you how many times I read the graphic novels and watched the show. The way that it handled mental health is one of the reasons why I found so much comfort in it.

One of the things you hear all the time as a person with a mental illness is that you have too much going for you to be depressed, that if you are just ungrateful. When Charlie's mental health really plummets, he's on top of the world. In his own words, he has a boyfriend that he loves, amazing friends, and he's not being bullied anymore. Things should be fine but they aren't.

Every single time I hear the line "love can't cure mental illness," I break down and cry. When you are in the depths of a mental health crisis, it's like you can see all the people who love you waving from the shore but their words can't reach you. Regardless of how many people love you, you are still having a health crisis and you need medical and/therapeutic intervention, along with the support of your friends and family.

Personally, I have secondary trauma around involuntary hospitalization. The idea of partial hospitalization had been posed to me during a previous mental health crisis but it threw me into a full blown flashback. Almost all you hear about mental hospitals are horror stories, you hardly ever hear about how they help people. I honest-to-god don't know if I would have had the strength to enter that program if I hadn't read about the positive impact that inpatient had on Charlie. It was the first time I had heard a positive narrative about a mental hospital and the first real context I had of the experience.

I was afraid that seeing that play out in more detail in the show would be triggering to me (I'm just a bit over a year out) but instead I felt like it was profoundly healing.

The one line that will always stick with me is when Charlie says that the experience isn't bad - it's hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Mustering up the energy to try to heal when you have little to no hope is like pushing a boulder up a mountain. But little by little you get stronger and you build supports for yourself.

And seeing Charlie recover? Reading that gave me hope, but seeing it? It made me realize how far I have come too. Yes, I have bad days (and weeks, and sometimes months), but I'm not drowning anymore. I want to get better and I'm fighting for it every day.

I am so proud of Charlie, which sounds funny - an adult woman being proud of a fictional teenager, but I am. It's inspiring to see that journey play out. And then I realize that if I'm proud of Charlie, I should be proud of myself too - which is a very odd realization because I am very critical of myself and have struggled with a lot of self doubt and loathing since "the breakdown." We've done the work and have come so far.

So I can't say that this plotline won't be triggering for anyone, but I will say that it has been incredibly healing for this mentally ill girl - possibly lifesaving. And for anyone who loves someone who is mentally ill, you NEED to watch this. Both to get a glimpse into what they go through but also the best depiction of how to support them that I have ever seen.

[numinously-yours]

Messages from a pet

I've felt like a bad cat mom lately because I've had to manage my time differently and spend a little less with my kitty. I've also introduced my partner's dog into the mix and feel bad that Robbie (my cat) hides in the room when the dog is over. So, last night I did my own reading to see Robbie's perspective on everything happening. After I did that, I thought it'd be nice to do a reading here! A couple turned out to be more advice from your pet, but I think those that came out that way still feel like messages from them :)

Pick the photo that resonates with you most and let me know in the comments your thoughts!

The pet you’re thinking of is 100% a part of your spiritual team, group one. The messages are very insightful and come from a proud energy. Your pile called me to look at chakras for one of the first times and how they relate to tarot suits. Swords relate to the Solar Plexus, Wands relate to the Sacral chakra, and The World relates to the Crown chakra. All three of these chakras, and all three of your cards, refer to personal journeys. The Crown chakra especially is also a very spiritual chakra which is why I believe your pet is on your team. You are either starting a new journey or are about to make it past the hardest part of your current journey. Your pet wants you to how proud they are of you! In times that you doubt your abilities or your place in life, they want to encourage you to look at how far you’ve come. As you reflect, make note of all the strides you’ve made. Also acknowledge the downfalls. This isn’t to remind you that you’ve failed BUT to help you understand what happened so that you can adjust your methods as you need to. As a 3D member of your spirit team, your pet wants you to know that everyone fails, but it doesn’t make you a failure. It only gives you opportunity to become better.

Hi there, twos. Right off the bat, I want to mention that your pet may be a rescue animal and/or the first pet you’ve had on your own. This pet wants you to know you’re doing a great job as a pet parent! They are really content with you and they’re so happy to be at their forever home. They know that you likely didn’t expect the learning curve that they posed, and that there was a rough start to your lives together, but are thankful that you stuck with them. Not only did you help them learn to be a good/well behaved pet, but they can tell how much you’ve learned about being a pet owner. You both also found the unconditional love that you’ve needed. Your pet trusts you and knows they are safe. You love your pet and are starting to believe (actually believe) they’re the companion you have been waiting for. Both of you can rest easy knowing you have each other.

Practicing patience can be hard, group three, but your pet wants you to know you’ll make it through the wait. I am picking up a situation about a new relationship or the yearning for one. Your furry (or scaley) friend has been by your side as you’ve dealt with heartbreak in the past. Now, as you’re looking ahead to your future you are optimistic, but you’re anxious at the same time. You want to know what is going to happen because something HAS to happen, right? Sometimes your optimism feels too good to be true and then you revert to the polar opposite and start thinking it’s NEVER going to happen. Your pet feels your internal struggle (like pet empathy lol) and wants to remind you to take your time. Just as they live their lives by the minute, just going with the flow, they want you to do the same. Slow but steady wins the race, they say. (Okay, this is the second time I pictured a turtle in this reading, I really hope some of you have one!). Investing in yourself, your interests, YOUR greater good is going to bring the long term success you’re looking for – including in relationships. By taking things slow, you have more time to reflect on your needs. By reflecting on your own needs, you can home in on what you really want and need from a relationship. And by homing in on this, your setting yourself up for sustainable success in the future.

[polina-tvorozhok]

I never really comment on stuff but...I genuinely love your art sm!! I love the way you draw each and every fandom/character :D if i may ask, what was the hardest thing you had to draw?

:D

(ps Merry early Christmas from Mod Bread!)

- Bread

Omg thank you so much!!!

I remember hating drawing cars, it was just too difficult. Some time later I joined the rcp fandom and finally learned how to draw them. I still struggle with drawing the characters as l can't draw them in many poses but hey, it's all about practice! I also struggled with anatomy... Basically anything. Cat, dog, human you name it! I'll find a way to screw it.

Anyway, happy holidays!

[koiponderingart]

Hi!!! You already know this but I need to say it: You are so talented! Your Bucky/Winter Soldier series is out of this world, and I wholeheartedly admit I stare at your art for too long whenever I come across it on my dash, especially your 'Daybreak' piece... A thing of beauty.

Thank you for your comment (I've read it like 100 times). I gotta say, I'll definitely stick to it because it's therapeutic, although I struggle with so many things related to it, especially style. I'm a total amateur so I really don't know what the heck I'm doing. I just have this need to paint or draw sometimes to take my mind off things and I do it.

I've had my eye on watercolors since highschool (I'm 35 now), but I never dared to try it out until four years ago, but I’m not as constant as I would like to be (because life), and I'm still trying to find my footing. I guess I know what I would like the pieces to look like (the general idea) but I lack the skills to "get there.”

I suppose there's also a lack of terminology involved, like, when I search tutorials or something I rarely find what I'm looking for so I improvise by looking at similar pieces, or art that kinda look like what I want. I'm also aware that the quality of the materials that I use (mostly the pigments and paper) play a role here, as well as my lack of technique, but I plan to keep on learning so the last part is totally on me.

I just don't know what I would do without watercolors! I love the sophisticated chaos that they can bring to a piece of blank paper :) And thank you again for your comment. You made my day. I'll print it and hang it on my wall <3 (and sorry for babbling so much) (I’ve reblog your art on my secondary blog before so I really don’t know why I wasn’t following you 😳) (Ok, I’m following you now lol)

You are so incredibly sweet! I don't know what you might or not know about my own painting journey but let me assure you, your off to a great start!

I actually picked up watercolors after a long break from any art at 39 (I am 45 now) so never be discouraged it's "too late". Also, and I mean this with every fiber, please feel free to ask me any questions you have about watercolor.

I have learned quite a bit and keep learning along the way! I am happy to share tips, tricks, my favorite tutorials, classes.

You have a great eye, I can see that already, and honestly picking a dynamic pose that draws in someone goes a really long way. Don't sell yourself short, and never apologize for being passionate about your art. It's wonderful to see someone write they love painting.

Watercolor is universally known as the easiest painting style to begin, but the hardest to master. And to a degree you have to just let it do what it will! (Infuriating at times).

Again feel free to reach out any time with questions, and thank you for your kind words about my work. I'm happy to even share tips on painting tactical black and metal. (Shockingly fun).

Take care!

[dannybonesbury]

Trying new things with your art style, ESPECIALLY something so integral to what your usual style is like lineart, is really hard! Usually a thing that can hold you back is that you compare your own art with others, especially at the start when trying something new. The hardest part in general when doing art is comparing it to others, because a lot of the time, the reason why artists don't like their own art is because it doesn't look like the art another artist they like makes. And hey! That's fine! It SHOULDNT look like your favorite artists style. It's really hard to do, but sometimes looking at your own art like an outsider helps a lot with that. Having a friend, even a non-artist friend, looking at your art and talking about the style objectively is a useful tool. I think your main style is really cool and recognizable, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to have fun with other art styles, but I think you should look at it in the way that it's not the style of your favorite artist, it's a new style you are trying out, and it is bound to look different to how an artist you like draws it. Sorry for the ramble I just think its something good to keep in mind and it is something I myself need to remind myself about daily, and it's something that helped me a lot once I realized that other people actually like my style, and that I don't because I have been comparing myself to others way too much, and I have been hurting my own art in general by thinking my style isn't good enough because it doesn't look like another artist I like.

UR SOO REAL FOR THIS!!! Thank you anon that’s very true and definitely something I need to try and be more aware of. I think one of the only issues my art struggles with is looking stiff (I’m terrible with poses like okay picrew…) but I’m gonna try to really tackle this ITS SO HARD TO FIND POSES I LIKE I’m very picky but also in order to grow I just need to suck it up and draw lol (i think another reason I struggle with poses is because poses can express emotions and thoughts and deep shit but I’m not good at expressing myself at all LOL)