#i was sketching out hands and had the idea to make fanart based off 'the creation of adam' but with a cigarette CAUSE WHY NOT

[bishicat]

just two pals passin' a cig 🚬

[minty-mumbles]

Linked Universe Survey 2023

The long awaited results of the survey. Sorry it took me forever, making graphs is hard.

There were 452 responses to the survey as a whole, which is almost double what we got last year, so thank you to everyone who participated!

If you want to see the raw data, you can find that here. I had thoughts about the data, but compiling that into another post would be too much of a hassle. Feel free to send me asks about it though!

The rest of the post will be under a read more as it it large

Demographics

Other: Demigirl (4), Transmasc (3), Grey genderfluid, Unlabeled, Demiboy, Demiagender

Other: Omnisexual (4), Poly (2), Trixic, Abroromantic or Bellusromantic, Demisexual

General Questions

Other: Quotev, Discord, their own google docs

Other: Discord, Variations of "I haven't posted yet, but I pan to" and "I haven't posted my fics in ages",

Other: Wattpad, Deviantart, Discord

Other: Crochet dolls, Custom dolls, Roleplay blogs (2), Fan translations, Headcanons (2), Piano music

The purple section in the “Warriors vs Warrior” chart is supposed to read “Warrior.” I made a typo.

Favorites and Least Favorites

Selected Free Response Answers

im sorry warriors i just can't play your game (it is very very hard. i am stuck very early on in the game)

I love cats meow meow meow

was extremely tempted to put twilight for least favorite. unfortunately he is my favorite to write from the perspective of (he has taken over most of my wips. help) and that probably counts for something. WILD on the other hand. hooo boy how the hell do i characterize this gargoyle. why is he Like That. least favorite it is

Twiddy

very good fandom to be in :) everybody is very nice

It's a straight up crime that Wars lost the aesthetics poll so quickly. He has such a peak Link design with the best colors. Ugh I'm getting wistful.

FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. ALSO HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS. FROGS.

I will fight Hylia herself and the next person who implies Twi can't handle spice. If we're going to lean into him being southern/Midwestern, which is an alright stero type for our rancher, please keep in mind the culture you're basing him off. The south and midwest can handle their spice, I assure you. Have you ever had authentic Louisiana gumbo? It will melt you tongue off. Or some good old fashion spicy fried chicken? I promise the real stuff has quite a kick. (In all seriousness, though. It's more important that you're having fun. And even I can admit the idea of Twi being an Ordonian who can't handle his spice is more than a little funny.)

I am an OoT Link edgelord and have been since early 2017. So, in September of that year, when an artist by the name of jojo56830 puts out a lineup of nine different Links and the Hero of Time is there – the oldest, no eye, Hero’s Shade armor? I saw that one sketch and just thought “oh this is gonna be bad.” Yeah of course he has the coolest design. By the way, it’s only a matter of time until Fierce Deity shows up in the comic and I have reason to believe it could be this current Dawn arc. Dawn … Dawn of a New Day … and who brought about the Dawn of a New Day? Fierce Deity. Twilight is recovering but still injured and what will happen if he falls again? Fierce Deity is coming and we need to be prepared. In this essay I will—

Remember that time when someone put the whole script of the bee movie in here? I’m not that dedicated, and I don’t have that time, but let us remember and hope someone else does it again this time. Cause someone is bound too. We’re all crazy enough to do it. Alright, love you and stay hydrated pls!

Hi! I joined this fandom really recent but i’ve always seen LU stuff on pinterest and elsewhere. Only recently have i actually took the time to understand the fandom and get back into LOZ stuff and i adore the characters and story! The more and more fanart, fanfics, and comics i see about the different Links the more i love them all. It’s such a pain to pick just one i like or one i don’t like because they’re all so unique. I love this fandom and hope to get more involved!! Have a wonderful rest of your day :]

Epona is an underrated queen

your mom

I really don't get why Zelda is called Artemis. Athena makes more sense???? It perplexes me

Anyone seeing this should check out Breanna’s E!Wild AU

Something something queer every Link into oblivion!

[orchid-prince]

My 1st Year of Drawing through Fanart

I really started in July, so it’s not a full year, but taking a look back at where I started in 2024 is pretty cool! Checking for improvement, noticing where I was struggling. I can even see what skill I was trying to pick up at the time based on the jump in the skills quality/the lack of focus on others. So before the year ends here is:

✨My First Year Trying to do Art✨ through the fanart I’ve made! Enjoy!! <3

Would you believe it took me 3 tries to get freaking BILL CYPHER right ?!? This is V2 actually but it’s a good indicator of where I was starting.

This was the first day I decided drawing was fun for me. I woke up, and immediately picked up my pencil to spend all morning drawing, without truly realizing it. Keep in mind I didn’t even have a pencil to draw with before this session, the other work in this notebook are, like, all pen.

🎀My baby spinel!!!🎀 I adore her🥰

Is the art good, not really, but you can tell who she is and at this point that’s kinda my only goal. If it looks like ‘em it’s close enough for me.

Side note: This is the piece that instilled the fear I will mess up any nice sketch by coloring it, a fear I still have to this day.

She may look decent here but in my sketchbook she’s ruined foreverrrr XD

Ok…maybe there’s a pattern with the kinda characters I’m compelled to draw.

Aaaanyway this is where I started focusing on hair more, the spikey look was my thing in the beginning while I was still trying to figure out how hair works. Lowkey I’m still trying to figure it out.

Also WHY DID I DRAW THE EAR LIKE THAT?!? What was I even going for 💀

Fun fact: Daria is my benchmark for progress! She’s been my favorite character since I was a teenager & she’s made of pretty simple shapes. I imagine when I get more confident I’ll take more liberties with how I draw her, like Jane, instead of trying to make it a one to one mimick.

Also bonus Sir Integra Hellsing, she was my first attempt to an actual anime style especially in the hair. And similarly to jinx you can tell this was more focused on learning on drawing her hair rather than her face. This was a trend for a few weeks which did come back to bite me in the ass with this next piece

Ya know what I didn’t see a theme with the characters I draw before I started making this post, and now I definitely do.

But OH you can SEE my struggle with her on the page🤦🏾‍♀️! This genuinely took me 2 days to do because her face frustrated me so much I rage quit till the next night.

After this I went back to practicing eyes and finally trying finding out how to draw mouths and lips in different ways and positions to avoid this problem (Didn’t work, I still often refuse to draw a face if the hair/body is pretty)

And to top it off I inked it & accidentally made her lids look like eyebrows, so now I have a fear of inking 🙄 Thanks Catra >.>

Now THIS is where I actually started staring at my hands for a good 30 seconds after drawing like “MY HANDS MANAGED TO MAKE THIS??” Because this was only 6 DAYS after I rage quit on Catra. Yet I can make this?!!? What?!?

This was genuinely just supposed to be a doodle to practice using his big ol’ grin to learn how mouths work cuz he’s all mouth and teeth. But lowkey, still have no idea how this and the next one happened. It was a weirdly good art-day for me but I had never been more proud. And shockingly I’m still really happy with how these came out, usually I get pretty ‘Meh’ on my favorites after a while. Maybe even kinda nitpicky, but these two feel like my magnum opus for the year.

^^Look at this!! If I could inject this I would! Angel Dust with Pinchers is the BEST version. I will not take criticism.

This, similar to Fizz, was mostly for his eyes and to try to get the flow of hair and fluff down.

By this point I discovered if I find which of my favorite character has a design quality that is unique that correlates to the skill, I can trick my brain into picking up the skill through hyperfixations and sheer force of will.

Aaand welcome to Valentine fails to figure out expressions and head positions, ;-; someone give me back my 3/4 front facing view cuz obviously I can’t do anything else.

This was the most low effort fanart but Marcy became a pretty easy character to draw by this point so I attempted a spooky vibe to try something new. Unfortunately they all just look traumatized, yet that kinda works for her character.

This is the point I started having a little problem, towards the end of October and beginning of November I screwed up.

I usually tried to draw every day if not every 2-4 days. Right before this I skipped over a week, for some reason tho that made me feel like my quality has begun slipping. Like if I don’t try to put lines to the page every day even if I’m just doing circles and not drawing anything productive I’m ginna lose all my progress and go back to square one. This Anya (from the game Mouthwash) is from my 4 inch doodle book I got to combat this problem.

While I’m not particularly proud of this one I will say if July Me saw this I think she’d be really proud and actually love it. So I chose to as well. Besides I adore that sweetheart Anya in any form she takes!

And last but never least: KEN TAKAKURA AKA OKARUN!!!

This is by far my favorite of my most recent drawings. Playing loosely with his shapes was pretty freeing, since I have a very stagnant idea of lines and forms, especially with hair, so getting to do Okarun was fun. His hair and collar felt very ‘scribbly’ to me which was actually fun because I wasn’t so focused on exact shapes how I usually am.

It’s not perfect (like those lopsided ears) and it’s not a direct mimick like Fizzarolli but I still really really like it.

If you go back and compare this one to even my first three I feel like I’ve gotten so much better in the last 6 months. It only makes me wanna keep trying!

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

If you read all this, firstly thank you!!

Also keep drawing, draw every day you can. Or pick up the pencil right now and start, idc if you think it’s “bad” idc if you make 100 “bad drawings”. Art is first and foremost about having fun, feeling good while creating. Not just to get good at it, which ,not gonna lie, was my focus in the beginning. But what’s actually FEELS good in the moment is to finish up a picture and be like “WHOA I MADE that! It didn’t exist before, I made it exist!” Everyone deserves that feeling.

So pick up the pencil and get to it!

The world deserves to see what you can create <3

[ghcstao3]

IDK if this thing I keep hearing about Soap being an artist is canon (bc I don’t actually play any shooter games, including COD, I just like the fanart & HCs) but Shkretart’s recent Ghost art study made me think of the classic “draw me like one of your French girls” AKA for some reason, Soap (who’s already pining over Ghost) convinces his crush to pose nude for him. Maybe things get a lil bit heated (in a sexy way, not an angry way lol)?

it is actually canon! from the original games, soap kept a journal that had sketches in it with his entries, if you’re wondering where that whole thing came from

now. i pulled a fade to black moment because i have no idea how tumblr guidelines work. so apologies hope this okay

-

It’s never been a secret that Soap has a knack for art.

It’s something he’s proud of, always seeking to improve, and it’s hardly unheard of for soldiers to witness him tucked away in his corners on base with a journal, sketchbook, or some other medium scratching away at whatever comes to mind in those moments.

It's no secret, either, that he's talented for someone who claims he "isn't any sort of artist," and it's no secret at all that he has a preference for portraits.

However. However.

Though he isn't ashamed of it in any regard, nor is he any kind of prude, Soap does prefer to keep guarded his anatomy studies. For fear of judgement or something else, he isn’t certain, but they’re kept in a separate journal tucked under his mattress for when the time so comes for him to work on it again.

And currently, Soap’s begun to feel that pull again. A certain fascination, perhaps, is what lures him. Or maybe it’s the big, fat crush he has on his lieutenant.

Either way, he’s found himself unsatisfied with what he’s been able to draw of Ghost—from afar, masked. Clothed in too many layers for Soap to make sense of much.

(A lie. A complete and utter lie. But Soap has unreasonable wants, doesn’t he?)

The thing that sets him off is incredibly pathetic. But it forces Soap to finally muster up the courage to try and warm Ghost up to the idea of being drawn—studied—so Soap supposes he can forgive himself for being so hopeless just this once.

It’s post a sparring match. Soap still loses most rounds against Ghost, but he’d say he’s gotten significantly better in the time they’ve worked together. Even Ghost might say the same, if Soap were so lucky. But it just happens that sparring matches are usually when Ghost tends to wear looser clothing, and when he stretches his arms his shirt rides up, just enough for Soap to catch a glimpse of the cut of his hips, the lines of his abs, his trim waist. He’s known Ghost is fit, but seeing it has Soap itching for his pencil.

The first time he blurts out his idea, Ghost gives him a very firm no. Which isn’t much of a surprise—just asking his superior officer if he’s ever considered posing for someone to draw is a little too forthcoming, especially when it’s the first Soap has ever mentioned anything of it to him.

But then he keeps asking, hinting, persuading, until weeks after the thought strikes Soap, Ghost miraculously agrees to let Soap sketch him.

His body. The curves of strong muscles, the sharp edges of everything else. Long limbs, graceful in spite of the destruction they’re more than capable of. Gentle hands despite their scars, and soft eyes despite the hardened shell of everything Ghost.

Soap is nervous, to say the least. When the day finally comes one unassuming evening, when Soap is led to Ghost’s quarters like it isn’t some big deal.

And maybe it isn’t, but it is for him. So he’s nervous. Beyond unsure.

Ghost is hard to read, more so than usual. He seems almost casual settling into his room, untying his laces and placing his boots neatly aside. Shucking off his hoodie and dropping it unceremoniously on his dresser. Soap watches from the doorway, awkwardly hovering as the door clicks shut behind him.

Suddenly Ghost pauses, glances to Soap with eyebrows raised. He then looks to a spare chair tucked in the corner of the room and gestures vaguely before continuing his undress.

When his mask is unexpectedly tugged off, Soap finds his way to the chair before his knees buckle underneath him. This has to be a mistake.

He’s dreaming, surely. Ghost never agreed and Soap is dreaming and why would he ever get the opportunity to—

“How do you want me, then?” Ghost asks. Soap’s eyes snap to the lieutenant’s.

He’s lost his shirt now, too. Soap isn’t certain why he’s taken aback—it’s exactly what he had asked Ghost to do.

Ghost isn’t looking at him anymore, instead pulling off his trousers and leaving them in a pile with the rest of his clothing.

“Uh,” Soap says rather eloquently, “however, ‘s fine.”

Ghost’s brows are furrowed, his jaw tensed. But he sits on his bed anyway, crossing his legs as he stares curiously at Soap, like the interaction is nothing as he’s expected.

Which is fair. Because Soap had hoped it wouldn’t be like this, either. He feels stilted in his own movements, tearing his eyes away from Ghost to adjust in his seat and open his journal to a blank page.

“We don’t have to do this,” Ghost says—and why’s he asking that?

“That’s meant to be my line, LT,” Soap teases. His face is flushed, he knows it, but he has to summon what courage had got him here in the first place, if this is meant to be any kind of worth it.

Ghost huffs, shifting his position. His legs fall wider, torso lengthening as he straightens his posture a moment before splaying himself more openly, sitting back on his palms.

“Pretend I’m not here,” Soap says. He forces his gaze back on Ghost and clears his throat. “Or don’t. Jus’… don’t feel like you have to pose.”

Ghost nods. It’s awkward for them both as they’re blanketed by silence, but once Soap finally begins copying life onto his page, the tension begins to ease.

By no means is Ghost’s physique something Soap hasn’t drawn before—so it’s simple, tracing out the basic shapes. It’s mindless, and Soap hardly has to spare Ghost a glance.

It’s the marks and spots and scars that cause him issue, as every pencil stroke demands more detail, more accuracy, more studying of Ghost’s figure. What’s presented as is isn’t enough, so on impulse Soap ventures to move closer, to adjust Ghost as he sees comfortably fit.

He stops a tad too close, a hand outstretched and well within Ghost’s space. His journal as been left on the chair, fanned out and face down on the seat.

“Do you mind?” Soap asks quietly.

Ghost peers up at him through his stupidly blond lashes, dark eyes wide yet clouded over with something inscrutable. He shakes his head.

Soap is finally hesitant despite the permission. Ghost’s skin is warm beneath his fingertips. He’s too easy to manoeuvre, for being the man Soap has always known him to be.

But then Soap makes the mistake of looking back into Ghost’s eyes. Makes the mistake of flicking his gaze to Ghost’s exposed lips.

They’re too close, like this. Soap should step away and return to his sketches. He should be maintaining some semblance of composure even in spite of the situation, the circumstances.

But he doesn’t. And he can’t.

Thinking he’d ever survive something like this without breaking was a mistake.

“Johnny?”

With great effort, Soap retracts his hand. “I’m sorry.” He rambles, “I’m sorry. This is—wildly inappropriate, sir, and I never should have—“

Ghost seizes his wrist. Soap doesn't get the time to process anything before Ghost is dragging him close again, pulling Soap down to meet his lips.

Soap falls easily into his lieutenant. They slot together naturally as Ghost moves further back onto the bed for Soap to chase after, suddenly craving the sharp scent of gunpowder and whatever eyeblack Ghost had washed off prior to the entire encounter, suddenly wanting to taste every bit of Ghost's lips, his tongue, his mouth.

Ghost's warmth feels more inviting, now. The solidity of his body seems far less intimidating as it had only as a spectator. It somehow takes less courage to explore every dip and curve with Soap's hands as opposed to his pencil.

Ghost is everything Soap has wanted, here and now. And he hadn’t ever realized Ghost had felt the same.

It’s safe to say that Soap's sketches never get finished that night.

[noliaert]

lowkey it's fine not being associated with those ppl actually

anyway!

MORE IWTV WIPS

I'll perhaps add more of my reflections onto this later, but for now...

Btw! 👇

First one from up top is now done and posted here.

Butch-femme paris loumand: I've posted the wip seperately as well! 👉 Link ! You get another teaser by following the link!

Oh I kinda go crazy about this one

2. Kitty Lou. Idk what to tell you.

Based on this painting "cat in sofa" by martin leman that someone posted on twitter lol 👇

THE WIP SERIES.

The next few technically became part of a wip series... which only 1 has been posted so far- that of louis in the night (the colour being: purple/liliac/indigo?). The purpose was originally to just... try lower my standards for drawing and just get started sketching. And it *did* help me start out a *couple* of wips actually! Finishing however... It's all done on square canvases as well. I wanted to use different bases to play more with colour as well, and it proceeded in me wanting to make a piece for all the colours in the pride flag (not the progress one though) 😭 and then cause I had *more* ideas or just more things I wanted to draw at one point- I moved onto the original pride flags colours to give me more.

Claudia (HOT PINK). A dedicated piece to delainey's claudia, depicting a younger very recently turned claudia, seeing in the mirror manifested a version of herself that she began longing for- and with a companion that sees her to follow (madeline's hand on her shoulder w a pin between two fingers to depict the process of adjusting the dress in the dressing mirror). I wanted to draw her in that cute pink lilac dress she shes in the dressing window and wears on her first night at tdv. A hopeful piece in the sense that, that which she desired desperately and despaired would not come to pass, is something which she actually found in the end. Even... if for only a short while.

2. Claudeline (RED): One of my wips, or my main claudeline wip anyway. It gets more elaborate than this, but yes! Originally based myself on the turning scene (basically got a sketch I can post there), but then I wanted to pick a different feeding-scenario for them and the red.

+ Something more of a teaser

3. Louis (ORANGE/YELLOW). There's one that was dedicated to louis' grief. A simple sketch. I wanted to do yellow, for what ended up being claudia's colour, if I pick it for orange then it would make it a *warm* yellow. Though I was having trouble with the sketch and what I wanted it to be. Like- it was really simple, mind. Actually, I had two in a sense, but I abandoned the other one.

4. Daniel (YELLOW). Old man as a vamp preying on whoever for a snack, got a few sketch ideas. But yea. If the previous one is a warm yellow, then this is a colder yellow, almost green-ish, but functionally a yellow.

5. DM/armandaniel/ARMAND BITING (GREEN): Like. it's technically DM fanart, BUT the purpose was to focus on armand's blown out eyes when he went in for the meal (need to see more of them 👀). The eclipsed orange eyes. It's practically almost done, I could technically just post it. But esp considering the extra effort I went to with the louis one, I want to fix it up. Like get the nails in, and make sure I get the angle of his head as I wanted. And cause it's close to finished- as far as I know, outside of a clean-up cause it's sketchy... I lowkey don't want to share it here. Teaser though I guess.

6. Lestat (BLUE/TEAL/TURQUOISE). Uh something lestat, idk what exactly. But there's this lmao. I wonder if I should... work off of that one idea I had from S1 🤔

7. Lesmand/armandstat (VIOLET). 🥂Since it ended up being two of them... But yea, a sorta intimate love-hate freaky relationship thing. Also important- cat behaviour!

Only in sketchiest sketch/idea phase

Tears. THIS ONE THIS ONE THIS ONE. I lowkey tried to start gathering references and getting familiar with better capturing their eyes & the wanted expression. So I have a few sketches, but yea, majorly- this is it. So far. But I really wanna do it. Each one of them looking in different directions (chosen with purpose), and depicting different emotional ways of depicting their tears that feels fitting to their character.

2. S2 (not pictured): a dedicated piece to S2, kinda akin to the time glass one for S1, though more to capture loumand's dynamic from paris to dubai. The *discomforting* loumand. The abusive loumand (that is from armand, don't get confused). Mixing the bench scene into the room with the stones (😐) and the magnolia tree. Kinda the whole... slow suffocation, the poisoned tip, the megaladon, the tiger, the wolf in sheep's clothing bleating from his lap. ect. ect. Trying to figure it out and to effectively show its effect on louis.

3. Riccardo & Armand (+ Marius sneak): I WANT TO DO A RICCARDO AND ARMAND PIECE! Tell me if anyone else has done this yet??? Like have someone done this exact thing??? Or is it only so clear in my head that I think they have???? Overall I haven't seen too many arts from tva/with riccardo, but I want to do them. Like I'm genuinely worried there's an exact piece like this already o_o

4. Claudia in that red dress! And leaning on the rails of one of those swirly stairs! WE NEED MORE ARTS WITH THAT RED DRESS FROM THE PROMO!

I've got other sketches as well but for WIPS? Idk, I think that's... marjoly it? 🤔🤔🤔 WAIT right. I actuallyy have more ideas for self indulgent loumand yuri wips. lmao.

WHEN I SAY IWTV'S BEEN LIKE A MUSE TO ME??? YOU GET IT??? CAUSE I HAVEN'T DRAWN THIS MUCH FOR *ANYTHING* ELSE. NOT EVEN THE LOKI/LOKE ITERATIONS (which I do have more unfinished wips/sketch ideas than posted)! (Wait actually VS a big contender, but it's still not to the same degree). IF ONLY I DIDN'T STRUGGLE WITH FINISHING THEM 😭😭😭😭

NOLIAERT'S IWTV WIPS

Okay so I thought to show off some of my WIPs for IWTV (amc), especially since I've not managed to finish off most of my WIPS regardless of how excited I have been for them :/ IWTV in 2022 was like a muse to me! I had so many wips! But little or nothing to show for it (cause extensive projects got overwhelming) 😔 I have however finished off 2 loumand pieces since S2 started off, 1 that had too been a wip from 2022 (I'll edit in a link once I post it, I've done so on twitter, but I feel the need to fix on some things... majorly is the issue one of the louis-es as it was a 3, initially 4,-in-1 piece :/ was rushing cause of the looming loumand divorce and doom, otherwise known as S2 "trial" finality, was approaching... and I was feeling 😅 about the reception of softer loumand kisses at the time. Like- timing!)!

1. Batnight: I worked out this timeglass composition to symbolise Louis' transformation into vampirism after he entered that church one fateful night. The trifecta of the vampfam, the time encapsulated by death and by blood, something which Louis seemingly has a different relationship to than most living vampires as the "tortured vampire". All focusing on the drop of blood, but with different expressions. Idk if i should do anything with the background of the bottom half of the timeglass though 🤔I'm meant to sketch out Louis' family and community from the wedding on the top half, as the sun sets (or rise...) behind the family home (sorry), a life now closed off to him. Vampires and bats- uncontested. The church? It is one from New Orleans S1 and I remember asking for the ref, but I am uncertain that it is the correct church when thinking back on it. Which is 🧍 Also as I started on this late 2022, I had only Bailey!Claudia to go off of, which I'll probably stick to for this one. Would be cool with both! But idk if I can extend that energy. I do need to figure out which of her hairstyles to do though 🤔 and I've been learning more about how to draw black hair so that's fun too

CLAUDIA WIPS! (Both from late 2022)

2: For the first one? Something about the tragedy of claudia, for S1, leaning towards the middle, Claudia the child, the eternal teenager, but a breaking into maturity and adulthood, on... the child witnessing the troubles of their parents, and of the child failed by their parents. Claudia standing in ashes alone (oh not the born from ashes turned to ashes 😭 at least she wasn't entirely alone by the end but had someone choose to face the same fate with her over her own living ♡), looked down upon from our pov to showcase her continued positions of disadvantage. Not the most thought out composition or anything, just wanted to draw Claudia, but these were the things I was thinking about while doing so. Also just really want to try make more dynamic compositions. Try that is.

3: The second one is me wanting to either do a 3-piece with smaller edits, or a 3(+?)-in-1, showing off a little vaguely different stages in Claudia's life back in S1. Or maybe a combined 1 if I figure it out. Combining the cutesy and the horror ✌️ Since these were majorly just sketches, I should be able to try draw Delainey!Claudia! And though S2 makes for SO MUCH inspo too, I'm scared to start on more new things. An irony. But I'd like to finish some more ideas.

4 & 5: Lestat wips! First one is really just a sketch trying to capture his face, buuut the second one? My attempts at a gorier more horrific looking corpsestat since I was feeling robbed by the S1 finale? Oh certainly 🙏 gotta figure out how best to pose Claudia and Louis though, to make sure I make the right impression I wanted 🤔 may have to flip him over too... idk just... extensive work, but I've been especially excited about this one as well as batnight (and the soon-to-be-posted loumands)!! Both from late 2022.

6: St. Paul! Ah the brothers! 🙏 the impact his family, and specifically Paul, has on Louis cannot be understated (S2E8 final dubai scene 😊). Kinda get so emotional when I've been rewatching S1E1 too ;-; another wip from 2022! I so rarely have seen pieces of Louis' family, or human family, which is a shame. I really wanted to do one for Louis and Paul though, and so I ended up with this wip meant to symbolically (far from vague though hah) capture some of that "confessional relationship" (can't escape the catholism) they had, but in a more playful youthful setting. Lowkey pointing towards an elevated sainthood of the future dead too. Paul being Louis' closest confidante, and someone who wanted to be a priest. Many thoughts on Paul really. Paul practicing I suppose, during their teenage years, Louis happily entertaining him and then glancing over his shoulder at- I am thinking Grace, their sister. I found the angle of Louis' head challenging though (been feeling intimately on my limitations), and as it is, I need some refs of Jacob to actually capture HIM too, and not just the angle.

Now unfinished iwtv wips from 2024...

Armand wips! But yea, I already had ideas, but I've felt prompted during S2 to draw more Armand due to the whole Assad Zaman fanbook thing that I thought could be nice to join in on. I've struggled to draw though, even if I have finished the 3-in-1 loumand thing and the spontaneous loumand cig-kiss piece, so I was really damn rushing 😅

7: It's possible I'm mixing ideas... different intents. So I'll have to review it again. I wanted one more bitey one, I was thinking of the "easeful death" scene of E5, but with a different angle. Was initially thinking active feeding I think, with half-lidded eyes or direct eye contact... to put emphasis on the darkening of his eyes in those moments. It's funky and I really wanted to draw it, though I guess this is getting too distant to really see it much. Something something generally about vampirism, a general victim, putting emphasis on the blood that they provide. First by extended blood dripping down the throat, now by the body being the blood fully visually. Something classy, yet... I want to reposition the arms and have the head burrowed further into the neck to actively feed as first intended. I also think I am certainly thinking about an intimate art piece for the whole gentlemanly death feel, so maybe i should try actually find the piece for reference. Also, it's not exactly in this sketch, but I too want to have him in that E2 or E3 coven suit, with vague coven/cult figures in the background. We never really see him feed (properly, of a human), but I've been thinking about the... parent providing food for his children thing (motorbike scene E2), or the "let me teach you" of E3... So a "lead by example" sort of thing, like pre of the picture of the mountain lion and her cub feeding of a carcass sort of thing XD leant too much into the whole typical romantic imagery as I kept going and finally got some of that posture right (and so I tought). But these are the ideas ✨️

8: Armand too got ahold of a switch btw <3 Armand and electronics huh, or... not necessarily only electronics and technology. There's a general almost manic curiosity, which is especially found in that one DM chapter that I kind of adore (smh to private island and blabla tho). A mood, though I'm not making ratshakes 🫢 Assad was talking about it too in an interview though, relating to that fascination, so I kinda wanted to make a piece leaning in on that. Had a few vague compositions, some with more of that almost cold intensity of E5, but here he's more just chilling (doesnt mean it doesnt get intense) ^^ I also wanted to display an evolution of technologies, at least within a certain timeframe, so physically stacking a room with different stuff? Like that works XD because I was rushing for the deadline, I fear I only got to send in the wip (one in an even earlier stage than this one)... which is a real shame 😔 I am excited to finish it though!

Anyway 👍

[astaroth1357]

Demigod MC Series: Athena

So. I have to deal with the virgin goddesses… By mythos, there really shouldn't ever be children of Artemis, Hestia, or Athena (yes, Athena was a virgin goddess). PJ got past that by making it canon that Annabeth and her siblings were born from cracking open Athena's skull (yes, that's also more or less the canon explanation). They gloss over it real quick but I remember, Rick. I've always remembered and that mental image has haunted me for years...

I can't, in good conscience, ignore the history around Athena's worship (call it an academic restraint) but I REFUSE to do the skull thing. So, since I make the rules here, I'm going with magic adoption. They still get magic powers, they're just more human than demigod. Cool? Cool.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena

Lucifer

The human that popped out of the portal seemed to have enough sense not to attack everyone in the room for a change, but even Lucifer could tell that was more of a strategic choice than for lack of ability...

Their very existence was highly unusual… and quite worrisome. He wasn't even aware Athena could have "children" of her own, but apparently she had been taking in some particularly bright humans to raise and train like her own...

Unbeknownst to him, a surprising amount of human scholars, diplomats, and generals have her to thank for their trade… and that alone should speak to the level of intrigue at play here. 

Was this an accident or Athena's attempt to plant an Olympian spy in the Devildom too…? Either way, he didn't trust them from the get go…

Look, Lucifer isn’t stupid. Athena is a goddess of Wisdom and War and war happens on more than just the battlefield… 

Since they've shown up records have been going missing, official documents keep getting misplaced, and he swears that there's some kind of bug in the student council room...!

It's infuriating watching the MC suck up to Diavolo when he's almost certain that they're running their own agenda behind the scenes! And he can't prove any of it!! They cover their tracks too well!

Lucifer has one of those corkboards covered in newspapers and string in a secret wing of the Castle - 100% dedicated to just tracking the MC's activities…. The longer they're there, the more obsessed he becomes...

He swears between Simeon, Solomon, and MC he feels like a shepherd wondering why the sheep are growling… The Devildom has never been in more danger than it is right now... Send help.

Mammon

To be honest, he kind of thought that they were just going to be Satan 2.0 but that's not really true.

They're more than just a book sponge! Though they do read, like a lot. Let’s just say from one schemer to another… Game recognizes Game.

They come up with plans and ideas soooo fast, it’s insane! Honestly, there are times where he has a new money-making plot and he just brings it to the MC first to run it over. 

Nine times out of ten, not only do they sniff out any problems but they have a solution for him in a matter of minutes! His scheme game has been on point since they’ve shown up!!

They’re also even better tutoring than Satan is, so he’s even managed to get a couple A’s for the first time in his life! Lucifer actually told him he was proud (which he secretly recorded and now uses as a ringtone much to his brother’s regret...)

So yeah, he likes them... buuut that doesn’t keep him from thinking they act a little weird sometimes... 

Mammon: *points to a unused tower close to the RAD building* Over there is the Tower of Sorrow. We use it for storage.

MC: Ah. Interesting… *starts writing in a notebook, muttering* It may need a few minor tweaks but the location is defensible...

Mammon: *stops* Ya say somethin’?

MC: *looks back up* Nope! Say, you’ve been to the Castle a lot haven’t you? Do you know any good ways in?

Mammon: Uhm… Why do ya want to know that…? *starts looking around for Lucifer*

MC: In case of emergencies. I like being prepared. 🙂

Mammon: Look, I don’t know what Lucifer might’a told ya…

MC: I’ll pay you a thousand Grimm for it.

Mammon: Well shit, ya want those maps with or without color?

... Yeeeah, that’s pretty weird… But it’s probably fine. I mean, as long as they keep giving him money, who’s he to complain? 🤷‍♀️

Leviathan

Also thought that they’d be a lot more like Satan but was pleasantly surprised that they were into more than books.

What else did they like exactly? Military strategy!!

It’s been a looong time since he’s been able to talk to someone who’s actually interested in all the battles he’s fought, both in the Celestial Realm and the Devildom, and their curiosity is kind of flattering...! Not a lot of people take his strategic prowess all that seriously anymore...

Plus, they are the BEST partner to have any turn-based strategy game. Hands down. He once got stuck on a level of D-COM for weeks until the MC walked in and mopped the floor with the AI!! They have a serious head for probability and tactics.

The House once made the mistake of letting these two be on the same team during a Hell Game and they absolutely demolished the competition. Mammon didn’t even get a single shot off before half his team was lost to a rigged paint grenade… It took a whole day to clean up… 

However, Levi’s also noticed some odd things about the human… He likes that they’re interested in his past but maybe they’re a little… too interested?

Levi: -and that’s how we defeated the Four Horsemen before they escaped from Purgatory. 

MC: Wow, Levi that’s seriously impressive!! *furiously scribbling on a notebook*

Levi: Well t-thanks… 😅 But, uhm... are you writing that down…?

MC: Hm? Oh no, just doodling. *they lift up the notebook to show a bunch of cute little sketches on the page… and not the magic-based invisible ink all over them��*

Levi: Oh you draw too? Can you do fanart???

MC: Eh, sometimes. But say Levi, can you tell me about your naval ranks again? I’m still really curious… *gets the pen ready again with a smile*

Satan

Oh, it's been a long game of cat-and-mouse between these two… and unfortunately, it’s been pretty addicting too.

He honestly had every intention of tricking the human into making a huge mess do he could bother Lucifer, but at every turn they proved just a hair too clever for him...

He once gave them a cursed book to “lend” to Lucifer, but they saw through it the moment they touched it and lifted the spell before handing it over.

He rigged a podium to spray glitter during one of Lucifer's speeches but the MC disconnected the trigger mic before he even got on stage. It was pretty dang frustrating...

At one point he got so desperate that, just as a test, he tried to trap them in the House's Music Room. Fortunately for them, it only took a few minutes to work out an escape. They even passed by him in the hallway with a wink!

It's confounding! It's infuriating!! 

...and it's so damn sexy... He should be furious but he’s just in awe!!

Add on that they know their art, literature, and multiple different crafts thanks to the tutelage of their adopted mother and that’s it. He’s finished. This boy is in love.

Truthfully though, a part of him is 90% sure that they’re also gathering state secrets… Like, they’re watching Barbs and Diavolo far too close for comfort - but he just can't bring himself to care. 🤷‍♀️

The MC could walk into his room one day and say, "Hey, do you want to help overthrow the monarchy with me?" and he dreads it because deep down he knows that he wouldn’t say no…

Take some notes, kids. Some bad influences get you to drink or do drugs. Others pull you into a centuries long conspiracy to destabilize and topple rival realms from within… But he has fallen for their brain hard. Devil help them all…

Asmodeus 

They’re pretty clever, he’ll give them that, but uh… Are they a little off to anybody else?

Asmo is a charmer by birthright so he has a bit of nose for when someone’s just a liiittttle too nice… Not much of a nose mind you, because he can be thrown off by compliments himself, but enough to think that the MC might be a little too… “kind” for their own good...

First off, who wants to spend that much time with Levi?? They don’t even seem that interested in anime! They just keeping asking him for old war stories…

Then all the sucking up they do to Diavolo and Barbatos? Look, he gets it. Diavolo is a delicious piece of man-hunk and his butler could give him a lesson or two in sweet-talk (and he has), but they seem to be just a little too… nosy.

Of course, Asmo’s suspicions disappear pretty quickly after they start to spoil him with spa nights and beauty secrets they picked up from “casual research” into the subject.

And you know, get a little Demonus in Asmo and start massaging his back? Oh, sweetie he’ll sing like a bird!! … with gossip. Singing with gossip.

Asmo: So I’ve heard that Lucifer has been spending more time at RAD than usual… His whole club is talking about it, they think he’s meeting with some witch!

MC: Hm, is that so? *works on a knot near his shoulder blades* What do you think?

Asmo: Ooh~! Right there, MC! *purrs and lays his head on his arms* Well come on, this is Lucifer we’re talking about! I’m sure he’s just working.

Asmo: Hmm... though come to think of it, I think I heard him asking Barbatos for the spare keys to the Tower of Sorrow…

MC: Oh really? Huh. *works out the knot and gets up* I just remembered that I left some papers with Satan... I’ll be right back.

Asmo: You’re going already??

MC: *waves him off quickly* I’ll be right back, Asmo. *hurries out the door to do totally on-the-up-and-up things… surely*

Beelzebub 

Honestly he doesn't like this one… But not for the reasons you'd expect.

He agrees with everyone else that they seem a little shady, but Solomon and Simeon are too so it's not like that's anything new... 🤷‍♀️

No, no. He dislikes them because they're the person who FINALLY figured out how to keep him from eating all the food in the kitchen!!

Turns out that the trick was to put a teleportation charm on the fridge door that would send all the food away if it’s opened after a certain time of night… 

And where does it go? The Purgatory Hall fridge. And where does the Purgatory Hall food go…? The HoL fridge…

It doesn’t sound so bad until you remember that it means half of their fridge is now Solomon’s leftovers…. 🤢

After they put the same kind of spell on the pantry, it was all over… He couldn't get midnight snacks from the House anymore… Everything was contaminated by Solomon…

The MC is a nice enough person, he doesn’t have a lot of complaints about them, but he wants them to leave. Now. This is inexcusable… He’s so hungry… and he doesn’t want to die by “goulash” or whatever Solomon calls his latest culinary catastrophe… He’s still too young for death… 😓

Belphegor 

In a way, he absolutely could not have asked for a better person to help him get out of that attic.

… In another way, he got one of the worst possible people to try and kill... Like. They saw through his scheme sooo fast…

How was he supposed to know that the human had training in body language and sniffing out lies???

Getting the door open was a piece of cake for them. They knew enough magic to undo the seals and just rummaged around Lucifer's stuff long enough to find the key to the door. He could not have found a more competent individual for a break out, really.

It’s just… well he didn’t expect to go from locked in a room like a prisoner to tied up in enchanted rope, still like a prisoner but now mobile. 😑 

They even used his own hug ruse against him! They caught his wrists when they got close and tied him up before he could shake them off...

Admittedly, it wasn't exactly the best look for them either - what with walking Belphegor downstairs to the others like a one-man-prison-caravan but they're as silver-tongued as they are sly so they talked their way out of it beautifully… 

And like hell was he going to trust them after that!! And not even Beel liked them so something had to be up...

Well, you want a detective? Look no farther than Belphie (no seriously, it’s in the canon). He can put things together pretty fast when he puts his mind to it and watching the MC for a while gave him enough proof to work off of...

He always knew that, humans were bad news and the MC just proved it to him all over again. They are bad news, bad bad news and they’re going to-!

Overthrow… Diavolo…? Is that what he is getting from them…? Huh…

Wait a second, MC. You might just have him interested… 😏

[demonologistfucker]

In Love with an Artist💛✨

Obey me! Boys x gn! Mc who is a professional artist. I try to be vague about what sort of art you make so that anyone can fit in. As well as what your goals are as a professional artist. This could be someone who just posts art online, does commissions, whatever. I put in some gallery shows cuz those are fun to think about.

this is SFW Fluff💛 rest of the brothers under the cut

Lucifer

- he saw on your file that you did art, but wasn’t really thinking too much about it. Though when you arrived to your dorm you were greeted with a set of art supplies. A nice sketchbook, a couple pencils and pens. As well as rather high end paint set and brushes. He will never bring it up.

- if you do art out where others can see he’ll try to get a look as what you do, but if you’re private about it he would be respectful. Lucifer doesn’t enjoy when people step over his boundaries, and wouldn’t want to do that he you. He knows enough about artists to understand that ones work is personal.

- when he does get to see what you make he will be internally blown away, but outwardly just ask questions about your process. Trying to figure out if there is symbolism you are drawn to, or what you were trying to capture. There is always a little more to art than just the subject.

- if you want to continue being a professional artist in the Devildom he would be a great support. Would give you advice on who to contact and what venues would be best for your work. He seems to have had the information all prepared. He wouldn’t flex his power too much because he wants this to be your own effort, but is happy to help if you want it. 

- At shows he’s a an easy presence besides you. Though he likes to be admired. he knows when to step back at let you shine. If nerves catch your tongue or the social work becomes to much. Lucifer will step in with smooth answers. He knows your work backwards and forwards. So can easily answer any question a patron might have. 

Mammon

- “oh you should draw me!” It’s up to you if you actually do, but that’s one of the first things out of his mouth when he learns you do art. He does have a pretty face, and would make a good life model....

- Doesn’t verbalize that he thinks your art is cool, but he does want to see every little thing you make. Finds even your doodles to be mesmerizing. So if you’re do art while he’s around be prepared for him leaning over your shoulder to get a good look.

- If you’re trying to make money off of your art Mammon is extremely helpful. his sway over people’s spending could magically get people to be interested in you, but he’s also just good at setting prices. He will not stand for you setting your prices too low, and will come after people who try to skip out on paying.

- Will try to get your art hung up in every establishment he has a connection too. Not every place will be your vibe though so you get to choose where your art actually ends up.

- Though his room style is more modern minimalism. He has several of your pieces framed around his room. A couple you were sure had been sold...

Leviathan

- as a proud otaku he knows how to treat artists right 👏🏻👏🏻 if he wants you to draw something for him he’s gunna tip out of his ass. Leviathan has definitely worked with artists before. Commissioning cosplay, or fanart, and each time he tips outrageously. So be prepared for what he might do to try and impress you.

- Initially gets a little over eager with the commissions, but is able to figure out that.. you might want to do some art just for fun. Or enjoy other things too. Talk to him and he’ll relax. He just wants to support your beautiful art!

- really loves it when you show him what your working on. Especially when you show sketches or work in progresses. It makes him feel really special to see the unfinished product. Being trusted with your genuine ideas and imperfect thoughts means a lot to him. 

- if your art is story based at all. He will want to hear All about it. Might say it reminds him of anime’s he’s watched but he means that as the highest compliment. Your idea are just as good as his beloved shows. Your ideas might even be better because he gets to love the person who made them.

- If you have an art show... He will leave his room for you. He will look so dashing, but so uncomfortable. There with you as long as you need him, but if you are fine on your own he might hang out in a corner. Or go home early. 

-When you get home he will make it up to you✨

Satan

- He isn’t going to push you to show off your art if you don’t want too. Even if you are drawing in the same room as him. He just can’t see himself being able to interrupt you. Your focused expression is delightful. Though curiosity will eventually get the better of him if you don’t show him yourself.

- Once you do he is captivated. His face is still calm and collected. Expect for his eyes which are wide and sparkling. If you let him he’ll spend a full hour looking at just one of your pieces. Satan will try to spot every little detail, and see how it all comes together. Both as a reflection of what your are trying to capture but also you. What he see’s only makes him more captivated. 

- Asks good questions about what you’re working on, as well as complimenting by comparing to other artists in the realms. You had no idea what he meant when he said your worked reminded him of the great Venia the Dark Slayer. So he showed you his books on Devildom artists. You were surprised that Venia the Dark Slayer really did have something in common with your work. Weirdly enough. He also has sections for earth and the celestial realm artists. You are more then welcome to look through them whenever you like.  

- When you’re not around he talks about your art a lot. Always so proud of the latest piece he saw you working on. Satan conveniently forgets that some of his friends are gallery owners. He won’t sign you up for any shows without your informed consent, but he definitely help you get shows much easier.

- Whether he helps you get the show or not. He wants to help set up. His eye for detail makes hanging all the frames easier, as well as making good labels for the work. Whenever you can’t come up with a name for a piece. he’s pretty good at coming up with something clever. 

Asmodeus 

- Also going to lean over your shoulder to see what you’re making. Then is absolutely captivated by what you’re able to make.

- ART DAY! Asmo wants to be creative with you as much as you’re willing for. So you’ll both take up a table and have your art supplies shared in the middle. Asmo is planning his never dress design, or possibly a make up look he’d want to try. Stops to talks to you a lot. Wanders the room and ends up against you to peak at what you’re working on again. 

- He’ll ask for your opinion on his outfits and make up, as well as any other creative project they’ve gotten involved with. See’s you as a creative equal. 

- Thinks everything you made is brilliant, but also gives good constructive criticism when you want it. 

- When you get your first Devildom Galley. It’s going to be the biggest event that whole week. Asmo will not stand for anyone not going to this wonderful event. Takes over most of the party planning. Which makes you worried it’s going to be a big flirty party with Asmo at the center of attention. When you get there it is beautiful. Asmo has decorated the place to fit the theme or your art. There is catering and drinks. All of which again are themed to your art or just your favorite foods. 

- He’s so proud of you of course he had to make this event special. 

Beelzebub

- :OOOO 

- Really blown away by what you’re capable off. Asks you to send him photos as you work on pieces. Very quietly supportive. When you do art with him around he feels so happy. There will be a small smile on his face the whole time. Which breaks out into a beam whenever you show him what you’re working on.

- If you need a life model👀👀👀 Beel wouldn’t mind posing for you. 

- Very used to you coming up and asking him to hold something, or do something with his hands. So that you can reference it. Either holds the pose or asks you to take a picture if busy. 

- Commissions you to do art for his brother’s birthdays. Not only does he get to support your work, but he knows his brothers will be thrilled to have one of your pieces. 

- If you give him any art it will be treasured till the end of time. Neatly framed and kept somewhere he can see everyday. 

- Makes sure you stretch before and after doing arts. Making art requires a lot of fine motor skills that can put serious strain on your body. It’s important to take breaks and stretch. 

Belphegor

- His face makes a good desk when he falls asleep on your lap

- Might want to do art with you from time to time. He’s got a lot of thoughts in that brain and getting them out on paper feels really nice. If he can’t come up with something to make. he still gets to watch you make art which is always nice. 

- Wants to know the meaning behind your artwork. Even if he doesn’t particularly like an art piece. He wants to know what it meant to you, and its importance. Or lack there of. Some art is just shits and giggles. Belphegor just wants to know the intent of what you’re doing. 

- Has never gone to a gallery before, but for you?? He will be there on time. Hair brushed, face washed, and freshly shaved. Maybe even wearing a suit.

- “How many commissions have you been doing? no get your ass to bed.”

- Very good at reminding you to take breaks. Or getting in your way so much you can’t work and Have to rest.

[katyobsesses]

Katy my darling <3 I have a very fun ask for you!! What method of arts do each glee characters prefer and what is their favorite thing to create?

oooooo this is a fun ask!

I'm gonna do S2 New Directions for now, but may add S3-6 ND or other characters later 💛 (warning... this is LONG)

Artie: Film. 100% film. He loves using visual media to tell a story, he also really gets into the sound design side too when he learns it in College. He loves making music videos and after Uni that's mostly what he does. He also directs a lot of movie musicals and musical TV shows. Basically he loves making visual media for songs.

Blaine: Performing - mostly singing. He also love writing songs, which we never see in the show but I can imagine him learning about songwriting in NYU and loving it as a way to express his feelings. it's like a step up from using someone else's words to express them.

Brittany: Obviously dancing! I like to think that after marrying Santana she either goes to college for Dance, or maybe owns a dance studio/goes on tour with Mercedes a lot (with Santana as a guest singer) She really loves teaching little kids how to dance, she knows how to interact with them on their level and the kids love her.

Finn: Singing? I honestly can't think about what he likes. Like singing is the closest thing. He sings in the shower a lot and obviously he loves singing on stage. But he's not that much of an art person outside of that. He likes consuming it but not making it.

Kurt: Sewing, obviously, as well as sketching clothes. He loves making accessories for friends - scrunchies for the girls, bow ties for Blaine, a dog bandana for Sam's golden retriver (because you know he gets one) etc. - but he also loves designing and making costumes for small productions. Maybe he volunteers/works with a small theatre troop and makes & designs all of the costumes while also performing.

Mercedes: Mercedes likes making cards for everyone for Christmas and Birthdays. It started because she'd forgotten to buy a card for someone but had some card and pretty pens on hand and it spiralled from there. She now owns a fancy die pressing kit and lots of card toppers and pretty glitter pens and washi tape and all of that. She has a small kit she brings on all of her tours, it helps relax her after a show - making cards for the crew as a thank you/maybe selling some for charity because she makes so much? When she finally gets back together with Sam they both work together to make Christmas cards from them with cute pictures of themselves in terrible christmas jumpers and their golden retriver in a Kurt made bandana and later their kids in matching outfits.

Mike: Like Brittany he's a dancer first and formost. That's his art. He later goes on to be a professional on Dancing With The Stars where he reconnects with Matt on set (maybe they even get together in the end and the DWTS fans love their relationship and their jokingly competative instagram stories) He loves creating a story with only movement and music. Mike also really likes doodling.

Puck: Photography. I don't know why but I see Puck loving to take pictures of places he visits in his travels. He also scrapbooks but only Quinn knows that - he has a whole scrapbook of pictures of Beth that Shelby sends them and later makes them for all of his other kids too, and he has, like, travel journals and scrapbooks of roadtrips he's been on. Basically he's a Bullet Journal guy. He really likes washi tape and pretty papers and stickers and what-not. He will never admit this.

Quinn: Quinn's a writer. In my head she goes on to write a book that's losely based on her high-school years and it becomes a best seller and is later adapted into a Netflix series directed by Artie. I just like the idea! Maybe Rachel plays, like, the Miss Pillsbury character... or Terri! Or maybe Shelby? I dunno one of the adult characters.

Rachel: Obviously her art of choice is performing. It's singing and acting and standing on a stage or a set and making the words in her script her own. Also scrapbooking/moodboard making.

Santana: Santana likes knitting. She won't admit it but she likes knitting little plushies for Brittany, her favourite is a little bi flag coloured bunny. She makes knitted plushies and blankets for all of her friends when they have kids but she never tells them she made them - everyone knows though, they're too perfect for the couple/person (a cat in a scarf or a toy poodle in a bow tie for Klaine, a teddy adorned with gold stars for St. Berry etc. etc.)

Sam: This could be an essay for me (and kinda is opps). Sam is the Art nerd of the group and tries every type of art he possibly can. Macaroni art, illustration, digital art, traditional art, crafts, pumpkin carving, glass blowing, handlettering, graphic design, knitting, crochet, rag rugs, sewing, card making, pyrography, etc. He will try everything he can in terms of visual art. He doesn't, however, write because dyslexia, and he can't wrap him mind around, like editing and film stuff - he does try though because why not. He also really likes songwriting and music arranging.

All of this i'm trying to do as close to canon as i can but going off of canon let's say Sam goes to Parsons for illustration because he's so good at art, he stays with Mercedes in her brownstone and they never break up, after graduating he becomes a comic book illustrator (which i believe is literally a minor at Parsons, so let's say he does a Major in Fine Art/Illustration with a Minor in Comic illustration) and illustrates a run of Young Avengers comics and becomes a fan favourite artist.

In canon, however, he loves teaching the new generation of New Directions but he misses art because he doesn't have that much time anymore (because being the teacher of the new directions is a full time job, apparently, judging by the lack of adult friends or hobbies Will has lol) he loves loves loves arranging music, however, and that becomes the type of art he does the most. He does doodle a lot during faculty meeting (also he does a music teaching certification during his first few years of coaching the nNDs) and goes all out with pumpkin carving at Halloween, and loves decorating his apartment and the choir room at Christmas. He loves doing sets for the musical (and has a lot of fun staging it too) and helps out with the decorations for Prom.

Basically Sam loves to be creative in any way he can. He loves making things, whatever they may be.

Tina: Tina writes fanfiction and draws fanart. She's a nerd 100%, she watched Supernatural, she was a SuperWhoLockian, she loves Merlin, she's loves Twilight but more ironically than, say, Mercedes, and prefers books like Morganville Vampires or PC Cast's series that I've forgotten the name of. She loves the Hunger Games and Firefly and Star Trek and Star Wars. She definately has a tumblr. She mostly writes all sorts of fanfiction and is a huge name in the Supernatural fandom. Only Sam and Blaine know about all of this becuase they found one of her Star Wars fanfictions and in an authors note she said something that they recognised - idk she ranted about Santana or Rachel or something.

This was so much fun omg, thank you for the ask Myle 💛

[movedbl0g]

stray kids - reacting to you being an artist

Genre: fluff

Warnings: none

🖤requested by @tayatubby

-> I hope you like it!!

(Gifs also belong to their original owners)

————————————————————

Bang Chan:

Chan finally got a day off, he was spending the last days in his studio, busy with working on new music. So when you finally could meet again, you decided to go on a picnic date, bringing cinnamonrolls and a lot of other stuff with you.

After you ate, Chan laud down, his head pointing up while resting on your thigh, slowly drifting to sleep. You softly stroked his hair, when u had an idea. You grabbed your sketchbook from the bag besides you and you started to draw the peacefully sleeping man in front of you.

You were almost finished, just a few little details missed, so you were looking at Chan, appreciating his features in order to draw them right. All of the sudden, a little “hey! You’re staring!”, brought you back to earth, as you were completely zoning out. “Oh- I I’m sorry I just-“ , you stumbled nervously, but after your eyes met Chans , you both laughed it off.

Then, Chans eyes fell into your sketchbook. “What are you drawing?”, he curiously asked trying to peak on the page. You tried the close the sketchbook as fast as possible, but Chans fast reflexes already kicked in and he grabbed the book before you could close it.

As he saw your drawing, he immediately blushed and let out a small chuckle. “I didn’t know that you can draw that well y/n! This looks really amazing!! Why am I only seeing this now?? Please,,can tou draw something for me??”

Lee Know:

You were sitting on the couch in the large dance practice room,the room filled with the sound of music and Minho’s steps. He has been practicing for a while now, while you carefully watch every movement he makes.

After a while you decided to draw a little, you always had a sketchbook and a pencil with you (just in case), so you pulled it out of your beg and opened a free page.You started to sketch the different movements Minho did, analyzing his anatomy and emotions, trying to include them in your sketches.

Once you had the base of several movements and poses in the paper, you started working on the little details. You were so caught up in drawing, that you didn’t notice that the music suddenly stopped and that Minho walked up to you.

“I didn’t know that you could draw that well, y/n!”, he said and you clearly heard the amazement in his voice. “Thank you”, you said while your cheeks flushed red. “But no matter how good my drawing skills are”, you continued,” the drawings will never look as handsome as you do in real life”.

Changbin:

Finals week were coming up soon, but you just couldn’t concentrate on the school stuff in front of you. You tried listening to calm music and asmr, but nothing seemed to help. Your mind just kept swaying to other things or well...Changbin.

You started to mindlessly scribble on your notes,but after a while you started to draw an actual portrait from Changbin on your notes, trying to bring in all the details, like the sparkle in his eyes and cute dimples.

“I thought you wanted to study”, a voice behind you said, causing you to jump. You blushed and tried to cover the drawing on your notes but Changbin already laud his eyes on it. “Is- is that me??”, he asked,you were not able to tell if he liked it or if he thought that it looked horrible.

You hid your face in your hands, trying to hide the embarrassed look an your face. “Yes...maybe....”, you said slowly, waiting for a clear reaction. Changbin started to giggle, blushing from your cuteness “it really looks amazing, you could definitely sell this!”

You both started to giggle. “Well, maybe you should draw another one tho, because these math equations kinda kill the vibe”, he added,giving you a small peck before walking into the bathroom.

Hyunjin:

“You really think that you can draw better than me?”, Hyunjin asked teasingly. “I mean we could do a drawing contest and let the other members decide who won”, you answered confidently,raising an eyebrow at him.

What Hyunjin didn’t know,is that you always were good in arts and you even studied it for a while, before you decided to concentrate on other things. After you both agreed on a theme you both started drawing, a wall of arts supplies blocking you both from looking at the other’s artwork.

Time flew by quickly, you were both silent for the most time, concentrating on the drawing in front of you. “I’m finished!”, Hyunjin suddenly screamed, confidence written in his face and you can’t help but let out a small giggle.

Hyunjin eyed you offended “so you’re thinking your winning, huh”, he stated in a teasing voice, “then show me your drawing fir-“. He stopped in the middle of his sentence, as you turned around your artwork to him, causing him to gasp out loud. “Nooooo”, he whined dramatically,” how was I supposed to know that you’re THAT good at drawing....this is not fairrrrr”

Jisung:

It was the first time that you two went to your apartment. You had been together for a few months now, but you always met at different places and mostly the dorm.

The two of you had bags filled with groceries in your hand,since you were planning on cooking together this evening.After a little bit of struggle you opened your apartment door and held the door open for Jisung, letting him walk in, while his eyes explored your apartment.

As you put down the groceries in your kitchen, Jisungs eyes fell on the colorful wall in your apartment, it was filled with little drawing, landscapes, forms and a lit of different things, but somehow it all harmonized to one big picture.

As you catched your boyfriend staring at the wall, you walked up to him, wrapping your arms around his chest while pulling him close “Do you like it?”, you asked. “Are you kidding me??”, he answered, his voice excited while his eyes were still lingering on the wall, “this is one of the most amazing and beautiful things I’ve ever seen...I can really be happy to have such an talented partner like you, y/n”

Felix:

“Do you want to help me decorate this cake??”, Felix yelled from the kitchen,while you were busy scrolling on your phone in the living room. “Sure,,I’m on my way!!”, you screamed back, putting your phone down and making your way into the kitchen.

“The cake smells totally amazing!!”, you complimented as you pulled Felix into a tight back hug. The boy giggled,putting both of his hands on yours.”what theme do we want to go for?”, he asked while turning around, so that he can face you. “what about if we try to recreate the latest album cover and draw a group photo on it?”, you suggested.

“But isn’t that kinda complicated?”, Felix asked worried, but you gave him a reassuring smile. “ I mean yeah, it’s not very easy, but if we mess up we just have to eat the cake as quick as possible, so no one sees it” you said jokingly, turning to the cake to star decorating it.

After some time you were finished with decorating, the kitchen was a really big mess, but the cake turned better out than you expected. “Woahhhhh”, Felix let out as he saw the cake. “You’re talent is crazy...like wowww look at that.....”, he immediately pulled out his phone to take a picture of the beautiful decorated cake. “Now i really don’t want to eat that cake, because this artwork of yours is more than amazing”

Seungmin:

You were sick today, so you stayed at home to rest and get healthy again as soon as possible.But as time went by,you started to get really bored, so you decided to look up pictures from your boyfriend and decided to draw him.

Your bed was quickly filled with art supplies, your sketchbook on your thighs as you started to draw. You started with a simple sketch, but it soon turned into a detailed fanart and you even incorporated colors (what you usually don’t do).

After the piece was finally finished, you had to go to the toilet, so you put down the drawing on your bed and rushed into the bathroom. While you were away, Seungmin returned home, bringing your favorite take out food with him.

As he entered your bedroom, he saw the drawing of him on your bed and looked at it for a while. “Why did you print out a picture from me?”, Seungmin asked as you came back. “Huh...what?” You asked confused, until he pointed out your drawing. Your cheeks turned red and you started to giggle. “Minnie, that’s a drawing...”

Jeongin:

You came home from work and found your boyfriend in the living room drawing while talking to his fans in vlive. You gave him a small smile as a greeting and he immediately smiled back at you.

“Do you wanna draw with me?”, he asked while holding up a blank paper. You hesitated at first, but after he gave you a pouting-puppy-stare you gave in and took the paper from his hand, sitting dien behind the camera, facing Jeongin.

He continued to talk with his fans, peeking over to your drawing a few times, but he couldn’t really see what you were doing. Your mind was totally focused on drawing, you haven’t done that in a while,but now that you are drawing again, you remembered how much you loved it and how stress relieving it was.

“I’m done!”,you shout out after a while, holding your paper up to Jeongin, so that he can finally see your drawing,while waiting for his reaction. His jaw dropped open as he looked at the drawing. “Omg look guys!”, he stated while taking the paper from your hands and showing it to the fans,”I didn’t know that you could draw that well!!”. His eyes lingered over the drawing, appreciating every single detail in your drawing,while you were blushing at the cute reaction of your boyfriend.

🖤masterlist

[10dance]

10 Dance Day Fanworks Masterpost

It has been a few months since 10 Dance Day 2021, but there were so many fanworks and I’ve been meaning to compile all of them into one masterpost, so here it is under the cut. It will be separated into sections (+comments) depending on if it’s fanart, fanfiction, or other.

If I missed anything, please tell me and I’ll add it to the list!

Fanfiction

@goobarella - It’s Mutual

Here’s a multi-chapter fic about how the Shinyas got back together after the 10 Dance competition and went on a trip to Cuba, where they still struggle to find the balance in their relationship. This is the first long fic in the fandom, it’s fantastically written and I’m always hoping to read more.

@sailorspazz - I Hope You Know

This 2.5k-word fic is quite different from what we usually read in fanfiction, but it’s another addition to the list of fics in this fandom (which isn’t very long). A look into the Shinyas’s minds as they danced around Ginza for the last time in chapter 33, it is an emotional recap of the whole series and the Shinyas’ progression during the eight months they spent with each other. It never fails to make me cry.

Fanart 

@mahomoon - “of all the places in the world” fanart

Based off of the last scene of my first 10 Dance fic, this piece of artwork recreated the softness I had hoped to convey through words. It is a beautiful sketch of the Shinyas falling asleep together in bed. I’m not sure how to describe images, so please take a look!

@chlorine-tangerine - 10 Dance x Strawberry Dress

Gonna do a bit of self-promotion here, but I had the idea of putting Suzuki in the famous strawberry dress and that turned into the four main characters all wearing strawberry-themed outfits. It took me more than a month, but I really liked the end result. 

10hanayure (Twitter) - 10 Dance Fanart

This may be the first year the English fandom got together and celebrated this occasion, but 10 Dance Day has existed since 2018. Hana drew the Shinyas holding each other and Suzuki wrapping his arm around Sugiki’s neck. Bonus: gif of Sugiki pinching Suzuki’s lips like he did in Taboo

FutabaLoveLeafs (Twitter) - Shinyas in a box 

Futaba was the fan who started this fandom day (and Double Shinya Day) and makes chibi art whenever 10 Dance Day comes around. This year, they drew the Shinyas jumping out of a gift box and it’s as cute as ever. 

Myoruta (Twitter) - 10 Dance hairstyles

The fanart was posted to pixiv a few years ago, but Myoruta posted them on their twitter account for this occasion. They redrew the numerous hairstyles the Shinyas sported throughout the course of the story. (Update: Myoruta has privated their account, but the original piece is still public on their pixiv.)

fZzSn2LWCVpg14O (Twitter) - 10 Dance vol. 5 special illustration redraw

Nyarome isn’t a fandom regular, but they have created acrylic prints of other BL and manga characters as well. For this year’s 10 Dance, they redrew the special illustration for volume 5 and it looks very pretty. 

Photos/Other (Note: lots of fans posted their 10 Dance merch, this list only includes pictures where it contained things other than merch)

FutabaLoveLeafs - Sugiki Felt Doll

They first posted a picture of their merch, zoomed in on a certain doll in the middle, then revealed that they have created a Sugiki plush that looks like how Futaba usually draws him. He sits comfortably in their hand and is joined by Suzuki later in December. 

QWAsvB7tVa8rQO3 - Chapter 33 route in real life

10 Dance is mainly set in Ginza, so many backgrounds in the story are based on real-life locations, a good example of this being the dance marathon in chapter 33 “He Is Beautiful”. Kuina (shortened username) went to the “holy place” and took pictures of buildings the Shinyas passed on the way. I’d love to walk the same route when I have the chance to visit again. 

Inoue’s illustration

About 10 days later, Inoue individually replied to everyone who participated with this illustration as a thank-you note. The picture is of the two Shinyas in the same pose as Hana’s fanart, wearing different designs of the strawberry dresses, while the background is the Sugiki plush. I was thrilled to receive a direct reply from her that day, and it’s still hard to believe it really happened. Last year’s 10 Dance Day had a great turn out, and I’m excited to do it again!

[visd3stele]

modern Jily texting au blurb

summary: Lily is a newly published author and her story hits big. James is a talented artist. Texts and flirting never miss.

TW: none (well, not proof read, cringey? the first time writing something like this and it feels weird but I had to take this out of my system lmao)

stay safe on the internet, tho. don't meet up with shady people. make sure you're location is known by a close person. if something/someone makes you uncomfortable, you are allowed to back off and leave it at that.

A/N: I searched the username I used and found no one with that name, but if it's a glitch and there is an actual blog that I couldn't find, it's not based on them.

fanart credit to: I have no idea, found it on pinterest. Please let me know if you do.

masterlist and requests

Lily Evans smiled fondly at the shelves in the library. Standing proudly, her book looked back at her. The beautiful cover she never dared imagine until now. The touchable papers, more than an image in her mind. People passing her by, taking a copy in their hands and tucking it under their arm to purchase it.

It warmed her heart. Everything about her journey as an author. The reviews she read, the discussion she heard of her story. The fans simply enjoying themselves, escaping into her universe. And all the amazing art she was send. Talented people all over the world painted or sketched her characters and were kind enough to share it with her as well.

Lily jumped shortly when her phone beeped inside her pocket. Thinking of the devil, she mused to herself amused. Lily was tagged in another post. A beautiful art of her main characters dressed in halloween costumes. It made her laugh so much she couldn't resist reblogging it.

I absolutely love this! <3

Not a minute later, she received a message. Thanks so much, beautiful, it read. Of course, it was easy to be inspired by such a compling story ;)

Why, thank you! You're quite talented yourself.

After she typed the reply, Lily checked the id. The name prongsart next to a picture of a stag made her snort, but she had to admit, the guy knew his way with a pencil and a brush. There were some unfinished digital art pieces too. And a lot of them were based on her book. Lily doubled tapped each she could find. To be fair, the guy deserved it.

Validation, my love language. Came the message from prongsart soon after.

Really? You shouldn't doubt yourself. I love seeing my characters brought to life.

Great. Cool. I have an idea or two on how you could repay me if you're up for it.

Lily rolled her eyes at the phone screen. Scoffing at the bold implication of this boy, she typed quickly: Your work was voluntarily done. Payment isn't requiered.

True. But it's always welcomed.

Lily shook her head and sighed. Enough texting strangers for a day.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

Sorry for being an arse the other day.

Lily's phone opened with the notification. The deer boy, as she nicknamed him in her head, texted her again. Attatched to it was a comic apology gif.

Before she could reply, another text showed on her screen: Do I get another chance?

Lily bit her lip, debating with her eyebrows furrowed and mind still a bit foggy with sleep. As a sunday afternoon, she allowed herself a lazy day in bed, drifting in and out of dreams.

Another chance to what, exactly? Because when in doubt, stole the time with more questions.

Talk to you and not come off as a creep

Are you sure it is within your abilities?

Tell you what: if I misbehave again, you can block me and I'd report the account myself.

I'd've blocked you anyway, don't need your permission. And how would I know you'll keep that promise?

Follow your gut? Lily chuckled lightly at his words. She has been told not to speak with strangers online, but this deer boy wasn't so bad. He made her laugh and his talent was drawing her in to him.

You want me to trust you? I don't even know your name.

James. James Fleamount Potter. And to make it even, I'm from London as well. College student.

Lily Evans dropped her body weight on her elbows, leaning on the soft matresses of her bed. She had all those information about herself made public when she became a bestseller author and the redhead writer couldn't help find James' oversharing rather cute.

Let me guess. Art?

Bet on it.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

Lily and James were talking for over a month now. They found out each other's favorite movies, foods, their wildest dreams and biggest fears. She even admited to never truly come to terms of her and her sister's alienation from one another. And he shared the deep betrayal of a friend that led to a terrible accident to fall upon him.

I'm sorry for that. Are you better now?

Its fine Lily-pad. I'm sorry about your sister.

Lily-pad?

Well, if you call me Prongs...

I don't?

You should. Everybody does.

Weird. What's up with that, anyway?

There was a lack of response, the screen showing him typing for about five minutes. Whe James finally did sent his message, it was only a "long story" and a tired emoji.

Come on! Now I'm even more curios...

It really isn't something to drop over a writen convo.

That bad?

Not bad. Odd, maybe.

Lily has been waiting for a reason to see him for quite some time now. So, before she could change her mind lut of nerves, she sent him a quick question and went offline.

The next morning Lily woke up to a new text from James.

Can't have enough of me, Lily-pad?

The story better be worth it, deer boy.

Prongs*

Not until I know why.

Fine. Meet me in the campus, at the coffee stand. Sounds good?

Perfect.

°•▪︎~▪︎•°

James Potter's story proved to be wild and entertaining. And after that first date, many others followed. A clear path to a life long love. Who would have thought it began with one good book and a pretty drawing?

[thechekhov]

I had a fast question about commissions. My sister is an artist, and she’s having trouble figuring out pricing. How did you figure out your prices?

The basic idea for an artist looking to start commissions is to do hourly pricing. 

(More professional/experienced artists might use a different rubric. Your mileage may vary, etc.)

The first thing to do? Identify some stuff you (or in this case your sister) wants to draw. 

For example, I like drawing black and white a lot, so that’s one of my offered commissions. The other kinds can be anything you want. 

Examples of some common commission ‘types’:

full-body black and white commission

portrait style commissions (shoulders and up)

character reference sheet commissions (usually full body, full color, displayed for simplicity of viewing, may show off extra items or colors)

backgrounds or concept sketches

pet illustrations, etc

After choosing a few things you’re most confident in (and I stress this: DON’T OFFER COMMISSIONS OF THINGS YOU DON’T LIKE/AREN’T COMFORTABLE DRAWING! It’ll end in disaster.) sit down and think about HOW LONG it takes for you to draw a single thing.

When you have some ideas of how long it takes you to draw a specific type of drawing (and you should, by this stage, have several examples of this kind of drawing on hand so you can simply try to recall how much each one took) you can apply an HOURLY RATE.

When deciding an HOURLY RATE, I greatly recommend going for a minimum of $15/hour. That’s a reasonable minimum wage and gives you wiggle room. 

So, if we go with $15 per hour, any drawing that takes you an hour to make would be $15. Any drawing that takes 2 hours would be $30 - etc. 

FAQ: 

What if I take a really long time to draw? 😰

If you’re one of those artists that ‘snacks’ or productivity (comes in, does 5 minutes of work, goes away for a week, comes back again, does 3 more minutes, etc) then you’re going to have to go for estimates.

If you’re one of those artists that is a perfectionist and it takes you 20 minutes to decide where to put the line, or if you go back in and erase/redo things so much that the time you spend on something ends up being inflated - that’s fine too! But you’ll probably need to adjust things accordingly. 

Again, I’m serious - don’t offer things you aren’t comfortable drawing! I used to be TERRIFIED of drawing animals because I couldn’t get their likeness down and spent 3+ hours on a simple sketch. I refused most animal-based commissions because I knew I either didn’t have the confidence to do it, or I would take too dang long because my skill-set wasn’t applicable. After specifically focusing on some animal-based drawings, I became able to whip up a pet portrait relatively easily, which cut down my time for them as well. 

I feel like my commissions are overpriced... 😢

A LOT of people feel this way when they post commissions and get no takers. Sometimes, opportunistic assholes may even say ‘your art isn’t worth __!!’

But the reality is - your art ISN’T a necessity like toilet paper or food. It’s a luxury item - fanart, commissions, etc are things that you DON’T NEED but want anyway. And because they aren’t a necessity, there’s no need to price them low enough to make people unwilling to pay more than $10 comfortable. 

If someone is complaining that a commission costs ‘too much’ then I would simply ask - too much for what? No one *needs* a commission like their life depends on it. If you don’t have the cash, then you don’t need to pay. Someone else will want to pay, and that’s the person worth waiting for.

What if no one buys my commissions? 😓

I’m going to tell you the cold, hard truth - there’s a good chance no one will! 

At first, when you start out offering commissions, unless you already have people begging you to take commissions and/or you have a significant following... no one will ask for commissions.

Does this mean your commissions are bad? No. 

Does this mean your commissions cost too much? No.

Does this mean--

It means you have not found your customer niche yet. 

If you have a lemonade stand and you go and set up in a low-traffic area where no-one knows you, will you get lots of customers? Probably not. If you go to a city that’s full of other, more experienced lemonade shops, and try to set up nearby, will people buy your lemonade instead? Not likely. If you go to to your local neighborhood and ask your uncle to buy lemonade, will he? Eh, yeah, maybe. 

The 3 scenarios above are like posting your commissions info to, say, a new tumblr blog with very few followers, to Twitter, and to Facebook, respectively. None of these scenarios change how good your lemonade may be - but they are nonetheless environmental factors in who wants to purchase your work when they’re not familiar with your style, your manner, and yourself as a person. 

Don’t blame yourself - take your lemonade stand and move it, or make a funky commercial, or reach out to other lemonade-sellers and drink THEIR lemonade and hang out in the lemonade community to get more info on how to improve sales. 

Anyway, fellow artists, please add on to this! I’m sure I missed details and there’s more to be said here, but that’s my ‘fast’ answer! Haha... 

[frobin]

Okey serious question here. How much do you actually believe that Oda ships Frobin? Like do you think he actually have like doodles/sketchs of them in a pairing kind of way? like for the strong world film riding the motorbug? (Personally i would love it to be true but he has stated one piece isn't about romance in that way)

Hey there anon! Thank you so much for your question and I hope I can answer it seriously enough. Also once more sorry for the late response. I felt like a question like that needs some research and that is what I did these last few days.

So... I think I'll start with the tl;dr because that way people can read that and ignore the rest.

So, long answer short: I 100% believe that Oda has one or more sketchbooks with drawings of his characters that are absolutely self-indulgent. I am 98% sure that he has drawn Franky and Robin in a romantic way at least once (and supported the ship). I am 80% sure he still is shipping FRobin.

Little disclaimer: I actually have no idea if any of this is true. I pull everything in my arguments out of my own experiences and knowledge and since I'm not a 46 year old Japanese Mangaka my perspective might be WAY OFF.

argument - reason- example - conclusion... behind the cut (or in the google doc)

So, why do I think that Oda has a secret sketchbook?

Simple answer is that he is an artist. He is drawing a lot and no artist will publish everything. That can have multiple reasons like imposter syndrome or because the artist thinks it’s not good or interesting enough or they just forget. There are even more reasons I forget and every person has their own.

For Oda I can imagine two big reasons as to why he would keep secret sketchbooks.

First: He is a horndog. You can skip this part if you don’t want to read about it, to the second reason.

Anyway, we know thanks to answers in the SBS, the way he likes to draw big-breasted women and how some of his characters are classified as perverts that he can be considered one too.

Let me show you a few of a few lewd SBS questions he likes to answer in a funny way:

Chapter 228, Page 46

D: How are ya, Odacchi? I know how much you like getting butt-naked, so this must be a favourite season for you. <3

O: Yes, yes. I just LOVE getting completely naked. In the summertime, after I take a bath I just run STRAIGHT OUTSIDE!! And when the girls' softball team running on the sidewalk looks over at me, they say, "Yup, it's really summer now!!" ... AS IF!! I'D GET ARRESTED!!!

(x)

Chapter 433, Page 68

D: If Lady Robin can use her Hana Hana Powers to make any part of her body sprout somewhere else, does that mean she can do it with her ample bosom as well? "Nyurin-zaki" (Breast Sprout) Boy, I'd like to take a hit from that sometime... P.N. Ero Ero no Mi Devil Fruit User.

O: "Ichirin-zaki" (Single Sprout) "Nirin-zaki" (Double Sprout) "Nyurin-zaki" (Breast Sprout) Very clever!! NO IT'S NOT!! STOP THAT!! I'm sure she CAN do it though ♡

(x)

Chapter 798, Page 64

D: Oddachi, I'll give you a pornographic book, so please answer my question. Sanji won't allow anyone to waste food, but what will he do if a woman does so? P.N. Smoker's Cigar

O: I think he would grab the plate and eat it up. Now please give me the pornographic book.

(x)

Nowadays I’m sure there is a focus on those lewder questions compared to the beginning because that is what 13 year old boys laugh about and we all know that is Oda's main demographic (of course).

I think a very good picture of that is given by Tekking101 in his breakdown video of SBS Volume 100.

“Let’s get diving into these questions (...) now, this is a huge moment. I mean, not many Manga manage to reach 100 Volumes, Okay? Now I know Oda usually starts these off with questions relating to boobs and things that don’t really… you know, aren’t really relevant but you know, this is a big celebration so we’re gonna dive right into it. I bet the most important things that we need to know about the One Piece Story are right here in these pages, okay? I printed them out. That is how important this is. So let’s start off, shall we? Epic voice, Barry!

‘Mister Oda, there is a UFO over there with huge big-breasted beauties on it. That memorable 100 Volume of the SBS is about to begin.’

[pause] Yeah, like the first five of these are all related to boobs in some way. You know what Oda? Sticking true to your guns! Godspeed, Sir Oda. Godspeed.”

(end at around 2:30)

So, Oda is a man who likes beautiful women and who draws.

Coming to the conclusion that he will draw his own characters in suggestive poses, naked and even doing adult stuff is not hard.

Obviously he would not show these sketches just around. He would probably keep them in a secret sketchbook that he keeps at a safe location. Maybe his wife and some close friends know about it? Maybe it is his and only his little secret.

I don’t think it would be unlikely to learn about this years into the future, maybe the next generation of Anime Fans will hear about this.

And it would not be the first time that something like this happened.

Not that long ago the daughter of Osamu Tezuka - groundbreaking Mangaka, known for his works of “Astro Boy”, “Kimba the white lion” and many more - found his adult Furry art. Source; Japanese article;

It’s a fact that many Mangaka did indeed start their career with art of the more risque kind and/or as doujinshi artists.

So again, I have no doubt that Oda, a known pervert, has one or more secret sketchbooks with „the p0rnography“ in it. Is there only hot stuff in there? Not necessarily.

The second reason to keep a secret sketchbook would be to collect information in there, that could be considered canon but he is not willing to use it in the Manga. Maybe they are not important enough or will be used later.

What am I imagining here? Anything that could be considered too weird for the normal sketchbook but isn‘t too risque. Funny things that might still not be „appropriate.“

Like a sketch of the male Strawhat ding-dongs with the sizes beside it. All the lewd jokes the fans did about Luffy's stretching qualities? I’m sure Oda thought about them too and drew that in the past if he had the time and it made him laugh enough.

But also maybe there are scenes in there that never made it in the Manga. The Strawhats interacting with each other in their daily lives, ideas for colorspreads and maybe chapter-titles. Oda probably has noted/sketched down a lot of unofficial stuff somewhere.

Another example, even an artist like Oda himself would have needed to exercise drawing two people kissing. Why not use Characters he thinks that might work out together?

Why not Franky and Robin? I would imagine he sketched up a few panels of Franky and Robin having a romantic date, going shopping together in Dressrosa, having a conversation that we never got to see because it was too on the nose.

Which brings us to the second point of me being very sure that Oda had drawn FrankyXRobin at one point.

I’m sure in those sketchbooks there is at least one drawing of them doing anything couple-related together. Again it does not have to be downright nasty but it could be them holding hands, kissing or even just Robin leaning onto Franky while reading, like all those fanarts that exist out there.

It’s not hard to imagine. Even for other Characters I think that is possible

And there might even be proof for that idea. The sketch of the Strong World movie you also mentioned, anon. The one movie that can be considered canon is Strong World. It was basically written/directed by Oda. Shiki the antagonist had an appearance in the Manga.

This sketch is drawn by Oda. Robin is holding onto Franky.

Can it be read as romantic? Yes. Can it be read as Robin holding onto Franky because there is nothing else to hold onto? Also Yes. But couldn't she just have used her power to keep herself secured on the bike without holding onto Franky? WELL YES. Could Oda never have thought in these circles like I do right now? I hope he did not because I hate it and I don’t wish it upon him.

In the movie Robin is NOT holding onto Franky. Now the really interesting thing - that is neither proof pro nor anti FRobin - is that we can see the sketch provided by Oda as a “between the scenes”.

In the movie Strong World the old trio is collecting information at the Pirate assembly. The next time we see them they use the Batta GT-7000 to slowly approach the destroyed village, which had been ravaged by the animals, and start to look for their friends. No need to hold onto Franky and no need for Brook to lean back. They are looking around.

The sketch is clearly not the same scene as the one we see in the movie.

In conclusion the drawing is indeed a between the scenes drawing. And yes if there exists one, who is to say there aren’t more?

Talking about Animal-Bikes...

Is there any meaning about the fact that in the opening scene (that is part of the talked intro after the opening ‘We Go’ - a huge thanks to antiherofangirl, ccb0nnet, JFL_Estudios and Maems, over at twitter!) Franky and Robin build another grasshopper-based vehicle? Maybe not but I still feel like it’s quite a callback.

Where did the idea to put this in the beginning come from? a) an editor had the idea inspired by Strong World; b) maybe it’s another sketch that Oda provided.

Neither seems very far-fetched in my opinion.

So yes, I am very sure that Oda has drawn things that we would consider FRobin.

Now to the last point (the first being Oda having a secret sketchbook, the second me arguing that Oda might have drawn FRobin).

As I said in the beginning I’m very sure that at one point Oda did and kinda that he still does ship Franky and Robin. Because even though every Interaction of two characters can be depicted as romantic or platonic, Oda used ROMANTIC TROPES with Franky and Robin.

They have never kissed on screen but we had

finishing each other's sentences

coordinated clothes

one using the others lap as pillow

hand on cheek caressing

and we can’t forget that Robin had answered Franky's invitation to ride on another animal-themed bike with a heart.

Edit: I didn‘t say anything about „no romance in OP“ so ask again if you want me to talk a bit about that. Sorry!

Those are things an author of Oda's level would not write or draw without being aware about how teasing this is. He has to be aware that every single line he draws will be analyzed to the end of the universe and back. People earn money by saying their opinion and interpretations about the Manga on Youtube.

These interactions are not something outlandish like “There was once an Anime Scene in which Robin was wearing something blue and exactly 28 episodes later Franky was wearing something violet and then 39 episodes later they both stood beside each other for exactly 69 seconds.”

Whenever I think about these facts, things that are not about interpreting but are factual, black ink on white paper but also about the little things, about how Frank and Robin help each other to become better, how they support each other… I want to say YES! ODA IS 100% on board! While in reality I’m 80% sure and 20% of me is wondering if I’m not actually analyzing too much into it. If maybe he really is abandoning ship. Maybe I will become the person who will curse his name and throw my Mangas and fanfictions in an active volcano?

I don’t know and it’s impossible to say what is going to happen.

And with that I've concluded this answer, and it only took me around 2k words and four days.

[alkhale]

Desert Sun (Male!Vivi x Male!Hoku) Memos AU Ko-fi request

Hi! Recently i begin to love Vivi(theres dome amazing fanarts about genderbender!Vivi that i found ). so i would like to get an Vivi x Hoku or M!Vivi x Hoku or M!Vivi x M!Hoku ,please.

Pictures for reference! Male!Vivi by @bab_119

Male!Hoku looks a lot like Allen from D. Gray Man with just a bit shorter hair. He keeps the side braid with Mihawk’s ribbon or uses it to tie off a little ponytail at the base of his neck.

“What are you drawing, Hoku?”

Hoku paused, his fingers loosely holding the pencil in his grip. The lazy, light sketches looked back at him over the expanse of thick paper and he grinned a bit at the sight, looking up at Vivi’s voice. “Couldn’t sleep, prince charming?”

Vivi rolled his eyes at him, lightly running his fingers through the soft blue tufts of his hair. He came down the set of steps onto the lower deck where Hoku was leaning against one of Nami’s tangerine trees. A few peels sat at Hoku’s bare feet in the grass, his only evidence.

The front of Hoku’s wispy white bangs were pulled up over the top of his head, tied together in a silly looking tuft. The sight made Vivi want to chuckle, but he withheld it for now in case Hoku just started making fun of him for something else. The artist tended to be quick to bite back with retorts at Vivi if he tried to tease him too much, like stepping on the end of a cat’s tail.

Maybe it means we got closer. Vivi wondered, sighing as he looked over to the side. Or not.

The air was cool outside, another sign of their closeness to Alabasta’s own climate. Hot, rolling sun throughout the days and dark, cold nights across the endless expanse of sand and rolling desert. A sight and sensation Vivi never got sick of, not once, only missing it more as he got closer and closer to home.

Hoku shifted a bit to make room for Vivi underneath the tangerine tree. Vivi smiled a bit at that, trying not to get too hopeful and lowering himself down and getting comfortable beside Hoku, carefully stretching out his legs and watching how his legs stretched out just a bit further than Hoku’s.

Hoku’s feet weren’t as scratched up or scarred as Vivi thought they’d be. Well-protected by the sturdy, worn material of his boots sitting on the other side of him. Hoku’s hands were a different story though. Calloused, smoothed over, and then calloused all over again, only soft at the fingertips.

“It was getting too stuffy in the room,” Vivi said. Hoku snorted. “I wanted a bit of air.”

“Told you to just take the hammock outside,” Hoku said, pointing his pencil at the hammock he’d drawn from sheets and set up between Nami’s tangerine trees. Vivi raised a brow in amusement. “Nothing can beat a good hammock under the fresh air.”

“What do you do when it rains?”

“Just draw a tarp or a big umbrella, what else?”

Vivi laughed, a soft, elegant sound. Hoku rolled his eyes, turning his focus back to his sketchbook. Vivi watched his slender fingers move in silence, taking in the careful strokes and quick shifts of Hoku’s finger across the pages. He was never one for drawing or artistic crafts, but Vivi sometimes felt like he could watch Hoku do this forever.

Hoku loved what he did. He always looked like he loved down what he did.

Vivi wondered how much of that love Hoku could see himself.

“You’d die for your country, right? That’s good. I’ll lend you a life then if you need it.”

Their shoulders pressed against each other, warm still, from the earlier sunlight. Vivi idly rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the small space between his and Hoku’s legs before he quickly turned them away. Vivi winced, realizing his eyes landed instead on the bare expanse of Hoku’s stomach, left exposed from the shortness of the tight white turtleneck he wore, showing off the lean, taut muscle.

Vivi’s eyes quickly shifted to the side of Hoku’s face instead, quietly following the red ink pattern blended into his skin, curving softly around his eye. Vivi almost laughed again, realizing normally Luffy didn’t let him get away with looking this long.

“Tell me about Alabasta.”

Vivi blinked, looking up in confusion. Hoku didn’t look up at him, never taking his eyes off the page. “Go on, anything. Or you could just give me a bit of blood too.”

“Alabasta?” Vivi said. Hoku nodded, once. “I—well, is there a reason—”

“Don’t have too if you don’t want to,” Hoku said, sketching absently at the bottom of the page. “Up to you. Running out of ideas.”

Vivi kept silent for a moment, thinking it over. Hoku was warm beside him, reminding Vivi of the first rays of sunlight in the morning, not too warm, just barely there and gone in a blink. Hoku smelled like ink, a hint of iron and something else, like a flower maybe underneath the heavier smell of tangerines all around them. 

“Guess I’ll just draw Usopp,” Hoku muttered.

Vivi quickly straightened, clearing his throat before he started to speak, a little hurried at first. “It’s a lot larger than people realize. Across the desert it seems like it stretches as far as the ocean, but there’s all kinds of small spots that mark what’s what. The towns are all different, unique in their own way and filled with history.”

“Okay, tell me about one.”

“Alubarna—it’s where I grew up,” Vivi quickly continued, trying to keep Hoku’s attention on his words, on his home. Hoku’s pencil lightly shifted over the paper. “So big, a small child could easily get lost in the columns, fit right behind them.”

“What were you like as a kid?” Hoku mused. Vivi brightened.

“I, well, I wasn’t quite the picture perfect image for a prince. I got into trouble a bit and fought with some of the local kids, but we also became friends! I followed my father around—”

“You look more like your mom or your dad?” Hoku asked.

Vivi hesitated a second before saying softly, warmly, “My mother.”

Hoku’s lips curled up into a crooked smile. Vivi stared at it a bit in wonder. “Me too.”

Vivi felt the words gathering up at his throat. He tried to figure out the most elegant way to say it, to ask— “What was your home like? What were you like as a child, Hoku?”

“Keep going,” Hoku said softly.

“T-The palace is grand and white, huge, swirling columns and massive statues of Alabasta’s guardian deities stand in front of it,” Vivi said, hoping his chance would come again. “I think people from Artopoki were paid years ago to help build them.”

“Oh~” Hoku said. “Must be real good then. Keep going.”

Vivi’s voice grew smoother, warmer as the memories came flooding back to him in perfect clarity. They appeared, bright as day and perfectly clear in all their entirety, as if he’d never left the sand and the smell of the sun and the dry, warm heat. Hoku’s hand continued to move, quick and effortless across the page and Vivi followed it with a sort of hypnotic ease, feeling his shoulders unwind, his back relax. Hoku’s warmth didn’t disappear beside him.

“I love Yuba too,” Vivi said slowly. “My best friend is there... Yuba’s a great center of commerce and life...”

“What are the seasons like?” Hoku murmured.

“Always warm,” Vivi mumbled, his eyes drooping a bit. He tried to shake his head awake. “But the nights get cold... you might... like it...”

“Keep going,” Hoku said, soft by his ear. Vivi continued, mumbling the words out, his eyes drooping a bit. He tried to keep going, feeling the heavy, heavy fatigue pulling at his eyes.

Vivi could feel the sun behind his eyelids, warming his skin. He wondered if Hoku wouldn’t mind the heat too much. He said he liked the sun, right? Hoku had never tried food from Alabasta either. Would he like the palace baths? Maybe not, since Hoku didn’t seem fond of water. There was a lot Vivi wanted to show him, lots and lots.

More of my home... would you like to see it?

Hoku waited a few more minutes until the soft sound of Vivi’s breathing filled his ears. He sighed in amusement through his nose, shifting his shoulder under the weight of Vivi’s head resting on it. Hoku snorted, ripping out the page in his book and folding it up, tucking it into the waistband of Vivi’s pants.

Hoku debated his options for a bit until the silky ends of Vivi’s hair started to tickle his chin, the soft warmth of Vivi’s breath against his neck. Hoku rolled his eyes. Look at this guy.

Hoku carefully maneuvered Vivi’s head onto the soft grass, standing up. He took a moment, considering Vivi’s poor looking figure on the lonely floor before he finally threw a quickly drawn blanket over him. Vivi shifted, groping around on the grass and Hoku tossed a body shaped pillow down beside him too, watching with a snort as Vivi wrapped his arm around it and sighed, content.

Hoku rolled his eyes again, lightly nudging Vivi’s slumbering form with his foot before hopping into his own hammock with a satisfied sigh, grinning up at the stars as he shut his eyes.

“Sleep tight, prince charming—hngh?”

Hoku let out a garbled shout, a strong tug ripping him entirely out of his hammock and back onto the grass. He tried to sit up, hissing at the pain in his back when a sudden weight tossed itself over his stomach, pinning Hoku back flat to the ground. His eyes bulged from his head, jerking over to where a completely knocked out Vivi was sighing in deep content, the crease in his brow relaxing as he tightened his arm around Hoku and let his cheek rest on Hoku’s shoulder, snuggling up to him.

Hoku experimentally pried at Vivi’s arm, wheezing in surprise at the young man’s grip. Goddess!

Hoku scowled, grumbling in discontent. He threw his arms behind his head, cushioning it and shutting his eyes with a sigh. I’ll just wait till he lets up. When he wakes up tomorrow he’s gonna get it.

A few minutes passed and Hoku’s own brows relaxed a bit, body growing slack as sleep overtook him. Somewhere along the way Vivi shifted, one hand sleepily guiding Hoku’s head to rest on his chest while the blanket was strewn over them, Vivi’s arm returning to encircle Hoku’s shoulders.

Hoku muttered something in his sleep while Vivi let out a relaxed sigh, looking pleased.

- Luffy threw a fit in the morning, Vivi hid his face in his hands and Hoku simply packed up his hammock and decided he’d set up camp up in the crow’s nest

(this was more fun to write than i expected hahahaha, i get such student council president and lazy, not really a delinquent but unmotivated, complicated art student dynamics from these two)

[maxdark158]

This is based on @ozmav ‘s Damian Wayne x Marinette Dupain-Cheng au that I LOVE, please check them out.

Based on this ask they answered on their blog

AO3 link of the fanfic, any edits I make will be on there and not here

Characters are probably ooc because I am not familiar with Batman and I googled the riddle

Angel in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Part 5 ~ Part 6 ~ Ao3

Demon in Gotham: Part 1 ~ Part 2 ~ Part 3 ~ Part 4 ~ Ao3

Fanart for AiG: Riddler ~ Joker thank you @thegreysman

Please tag me in any fanart you draw for this guys ^^

oooOOOooo

It was a good thing that Hawkmoth’s attacks allowed Marinette to become used to supervillains at this point because otherwise, she would be losing her mind.

Oh, right, context.

Marinette’s class were still on their trip to Gotham. They had forgotten her again, but she decided she could spend the time with Damian. He accepted her offer, and together they toured some of the sights in Gotham during the day. They didn’t look as spooky as they usually did at night, and Marinette quickly wrote down and sometimes sketched out many design ideas during their adventure.

An adventure that was now put on hold because of a villain who thought green was a good color on him.

When outsiders heard of the big bad Gotham villains, they typically talked about The Joker or Harley Quinn, maybe Poison Ivy or Bane or even Catwoman. The Riddler was mentioned often, but he was the bottom of the ones on top. The A- of the A’s if you will.

Marinette knew he liked riddles and traps and he wore a lot of green. That was pretty much it.

Damian and Marinette were in line to get ice cream when the widows were suddenly blacked out. Damian grabbed Marinette’s hand. The doors locked, and the few people in the shop were trapped with the Riddler. He pointed a question mark shaped gun at them and demanded that they go to the back room.

Damian held Marinette’s hand, mumbling that it would be all right. Marinette nodded numbly, realizing that she likely couldn’t escape to become Ladybug if needed.

Tikki was unmoving in her purse.

She looked around her. The Riddler had the cashier, a father, and his two daughters, her and Damian.

The two girls were silent and scared, their shoulders hunched, but they continued to walk. Each held one of their father’s hands. The father himself was steely and glaring, but she saw the tremble in his lip. The cashier was wide-eyed and shaking. Marinette saw the beginnings of an anxiety attack in him. The worker that was dishing up the ice cream had followed them out but put on a mask. Must have been a henchman in disguise.

Damian was angry. He looked impassive at a glance, but his emotionless stare showed the fire in his eyes. Marinette hoped his anger didn’t lead to recklessness.

“Now that I’ve got you all here,” the Riddler cackled, “I need two volunteers to do the puzzle I set up until Batman and his batbrats show up! The others will wait here locked in a room as bait.”

Marinette glanced at the group. Two little girls, one around five and one around eight. A cashier struggling to breathe. A father wanting to protect his daughters.

Two pissed off able-bodied teenagers.

“We’ll go,” Marinette sounded more confident than she felt when she lifted her and Damian’s still conjoined hands.

He hissed something at her, it sounded like a question, but the blood roaring in her ears drowned out the words.

The Riddler grinned. “Excellent! A Wayne and a foreigner! Follow me!”

A Wayne? Marinette glanced at Damian but he started walking, dragging her for a few steps before she caught up.

The henchman locked the door behind them, locking the four others in the hallway. Marinette and Damian were now locked in with The Riddler

It was massive.

The room was the size of her school gym with green and purple squares covering the floor. There were black edges where they were standing now, but the majority of the room was square tiles.

They were on the ceiling too, Marinette noticed. The low hanging lights were still high enough to see the ceiling. Marinette could even see the hinges on the squares – What were those for?. Green squares were above purple squares and vice versa.

“What did you do?” Damian whispers. The blood roaring in Marinette’s ears was quiet enough for her to hear.

“We were the best bet,” she whispers back. An angry protective father would be rash. A panicking employee would stumble. Two young girls would be unpredictable.

Damian is angry, but from the, so far, little time they’ve spent together, Marinette knows he’s smart. He calculates his movements, coordinates the best course of action. He’s angry, but he will hopefully think before being reckless.

And she’s Ladybug, though currently without her suit. She’s dealt with similar things before, and she can do it again.

“As you can see,” The Riddler gestured to the brightly colored room, “there’s a gameboard. And you two are game pieces. Make a wrong step and…”

He reached for his cane that was tied at his belt and pressed a button on it. The green square nearest to them made a beeping sound. The purple square above it opened up like a latch and bricks dropped from it.

The sound of the bricks hitting the ground was loud, Marinette and Damian both flinched. She closed her eyes and gripped his hand tighter.

When she opened her eyes again, she surveyed the damage. The bricks went through the green square, opening up a dark hole below the floor. Marinette couldn’t see how far down it was.

The Riddler grinned, “as implied, if you make one wrong step then you die! Simple enough to understand?”

Marinette had to fight not to shake. She felt anger rising from within her – not fear.

She glanced at Damian. He was shifting his feet, his expression neutral. Was he angry too? Or was he scared?

Marinette’s anger grew. Her friend shouldn’t have to be scared.

She turned back to The Riddler. “How do we know if any of the cubes are fake?” she asked. Her voice shook, but she shifted her feet and didn’t meet The Riddler’s eyes so he mistook her fury for fear.

Villains loved to be feared.

Damian’s hand tightening grounded her to reality.

The Riddler smiled.

“I assure you there is a way to win,” he chuckled. “Now, who wants to go first?”

So, yeah. It was a good thing that Hawkmoth’s attacks allowed Marinette to become used to supervillains at this point because otherwise, she would be losing her mind.

She heard Damian move behind her. He was going to offer to go first, she knew it.

“I’ll go.”

Her voice sounded meek. Good.

“Angel,” Damian hissed, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“No takebacks!” the villain laughed. “Go ahead and choose, but make it snappy!”

Marinette squeezed Damian’s hand before letting go.

She glanced at the floor. All the tiles that were the same color seemed to be made of the same paint. They all had the same texture of wood. They were all identical from what she could see. But there had to be a way to tell which ones were dangerous.

She looked at the ceiling. There was one open tile-door but the others were closed and waiting. She couldn’t see latches. The colors were the same paint as the floor, the same size as each other and the floor. The only real difference from the floor was the hinges but-

The hinges!

The hinge on the open door was large. Likely more expensive, made to hold a lot of weight. But there were hinges on other tiles that were smaller. Likely cheaper and not made to hold a bunch of bricks.

It was the best chance she had.

Marinette looked at the closest one with a small hinge. It was one down from the hole in the floor, two steps and she would be on it.

“Go already,” The Riddler snarled. “Unless you want your friend to go-”

Marinette stepped on the purple square.

The Riddler chuckled, and fear finally overpowered the anger. What if she was wrong? What if the hinges were a fake trap and she was about to die? What if

He clicked the button.

The square under her feet beeped.

Damian inhaled.

The trapdoor opened.

Marinette did not scream.

She did stiffen. Nothing came.

She looked up in time for a soft feather land on her nose.

“Lucky guess!” The Riddler cackled with glee. “Let’s hope you can keep it up! But for now, it’s your friend’s turn.”

Marinette’s eyes widened. “Why can’t I play alone?” she asked.

She felt Tikki hit her leg and ignored her.

“What, think your friend isn’t as lucky as you?” he asked. “Tick, toc, Wayne. Don’t keep us waiting.”

Damian looked at the squares on the ground, trying to figure out where to step. He didn’t look up. He wasn’t going to get it right.

Marinette glanced up. The green one to his right should be safe. It was the one next to her.

Damian began to step on the purple one next to the green one. It wasn’t safe. The hinge was too large it wasn’t safe Damian was going to die and-

He looked at Marinette, seeing her panic.

He didn’t step on it.

Marinette relaxed, ever so slightly. Damian looked her in the eyes and she glanced at the safe square.

He stepped on the green square next to her.

When The Riddler clicked his button, another feather dropped down on Damian.

“Seems the little foreigner is helping the competition!” The Riddler growled. “You think I wouldn’t see the silent communication there? Now you have to answer a riddle for every turn, girlie! Answer correctly and you’ll survive.”

Marinette saw Damian get angry for a second before his face became neutral again. She felt nervousness rise within her.

The Riddler was known for his riddles. This may be harder than she thought…

“Take your turn,” the villain growled.

Marinette did, stepping on another safe space. When the feather fell, The Riddler growled lowly.

“Now answer this,” his voice was low.

Marinette’s breathing quickened.

Damian’s fist clenched.

She tried not to shake, she was going to get it wrong and die and-

“What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end and the end of every race?”

Marinette blinked, all her nervousness and fear draining out of her.

This was supposed to be a hard riddle? By the villain named after them? Annoyance was the prickling sensation over and over again that made her skin crawl and want to be itched. This villain is trying to kill them through an elaborate game and gave her such an easy riddle?

“The letter E,” she tried not to growl.

The Riddler frowned. “Take another turn.”

“But what about mine-”

“Shut it, Wayne,” The Riddler growled at him. “Take another turn, girlie. Your luck will run out eventually.”

Marinette took another turn. She got another feather.

The Riddler snarled, glaring at the ceiling.

Did he not know? Marinette mentally shook her head. The Riddler knew which squares were good and which ones were bad, he was simply frustrated that Marinette knew too.

“Go again!” he barked, forgoing the riddle.

Marinette went again. She had to step over a square but was safe once more.

“How can you tell?” the villain was snarling. “How do you know which ones you can use and which ones you can’t?”

Marinette shrugged. There was no way she was giving away the clue to him, he would only fix it the next time. “Just lucky I guess.”

“No, you figured something out,” The Riddler hissed. “How? How did you do it?”

She heard movement behind her and panicked for a moment. What was Damian doing? She scoffed so The Riddler wouldn’t hear him too.

“As if I’d tell you,” she held her head up, haughty.

Tikki hit her leg again but it was too late.

She could see the villain’s resolve snap.

When he lunged, Marinette was expecting it. Distantly, she heard someone yell behind her but her focus was on her immediate surroundings and her movements.

Sidestep to avoid the villain. Sweep under feet to make him lose his balance. Elbow to the side to topple him over. Jump to avoid his attempt to bring her down with him. Kick his remote away from him.

Of course, the villain didn’t stay down. Once she kicked his device away he was up again, this time fighting her with more intelligent movements.

No sweat. She won against akuma smarter than her before.

And it became apparent to her within a few seconds that The Riddler was not very good at fighting hand to hand combat.

She jabbed him in the throat before quickly running off the board to look for Damian.

Instead, she ran into another body.

“Woah, calm down,” Marinette didn’t recognize the voice, but she did recognize Red Robin and Robin, who were both standing where she was running toward.

Robin looked a little messy, almost like he changed his costume quickly. He also looked surprised, but Marinette couldn’t fathom why.

She looked behind them, seeing the door she and Damian entered through open, the other people from before missing.

She didn’t see Damian.

“Where’s my friend?” she asked. “Damian, he came here with me and-”

“It’s alright An- civilian,” Robin stepped forward. Red Robin walked to the villain. “I carried him out while The Riddler was focused on you.”

“You knocked him out,” Red Robin commented from behind her.

Marinette glanced back and shrugged. “Punching faces is stupid, you’re more likely to hurt your hand if you don’t do it right. Going for the throat is a dirty move but more effective.”

Robin looked surprised again, and Marinette was confused. Why was it surprising? Most people in Paris took up basic self-defense, so it’s not like she told him she was Ladybug.

“How’d you figure out his riddle board thing?” Red Robin asked.

Marinette turned to face him and pointed upward. “Anyone can figure it out if they look up! It’s obvious.”

Red Robin looked up. Marinette heard Robin move behind her and assumed he was also looking up.

“What?” Robin sounded confused.

“Oh!” Red Robin snapped his fingers. “The hinges?”

Marinette nodded. “He must have cut some corners because there’s no way the small hinges would hold a bunch of bricks.”

She heard Robin make an, “Oh,” sound behind her.

Red Robin looked back at her. “You’re pretty smart.”

Marinette’s eyes widened and she shook her head. “No, it’s something anyone would notice if they looked up! I just managed to use the knowledge.”

Red Robin didn’t look like he believed her, but Marinette didn’t know what she could do to dissuade him. She wasn’t as smart as Max, or anyone else, she just noticed her surroundings. It was a habit she picked up from being Ladybug.

There were footsteps behind her, too heavy to be Robin. Marinette saw Red Robin nod to them and assumed it was another one of Gotham’s heroes.

“How’d you know enough self-defense to take out one of Gotham’s villains?” Robin sounded suspicious.

Marinette relaxed slightly. “Paris has akuma like, every week. Most citizens learn enough self-defense to stay alive during attacks. I did a little more because my classmates are akumatized the most.”

Red Robin stepped forward. “Is there any more information on these akuma you can-”

“Robin,” a voice said from behind Marinette and Robin. She didn’t jump since she knew someone else was there.

She turned to see Batman, THE Batman, talking to Robin. “Please allow the civilian to leave, we need to get The Riddler to Arkham.”

Robin sighed.

“I’ll guide her out,” Red Robin offered, and Batman cut off any protests from Robin.

Marinette walked away with Red Robin, managing to shake off her starstruck-ness about Batman when they neared the exit.

“You really are smart,” Red Robin told her. “Most people don’t take notice of details like that easily. And I heard you solved one of his riddles.”

Marinette made a face. “His riddle was kind of pathetic. Anyone would have solved it.”

Red Robin shrugged. “Your friend is waiting in the police station down the street.”

Marinette felt her shoulders drop in relief. “Thank you,” she said before making her way to the station quickly.

Behind her, Red Robin smiled and walked back inside. Marinette was a genius, even if she didn’t realize, and he hoped Damian invited her over soon so he could see who was smarter of the two of them.

She may actually be a challenge!

oooOOOooo

Marinette walked into the police station only to be immediately hugged by the two girls.

“Thank you,” the older one’s voice was muffled by her stomach. “I was so scared. Thank you for not letting him take us.”

“I’m happy to help,” she assured them.

She saw their father talking to the officer. His eyes met hers and he mouthed, “thank you.”

She nodded to let him know she understood. The little girls let go of her and went to their father.

Looking around more, she saw the cashier being talked to by the officer. He looked a lot calmer now, thankfully. The henchman was in cuffs and being escorted to the cells for transfer.

She didn’t see Damian.

Worry was ice water in her veins and she began to shiver. Where was he? Did something happen? Was there another villain on the street that got him? Did anyone even know he was missing?

“Angel!” she turned her head toward the door to see Damian rush in. The ice water drained out, leaving warm fuzzies – hold on when did that happen?

Before she could ponder for much longer Marinette was wrapped in a hug. She returned it without thinking, breathing in and out slowly. Damian was really warm.

“I went back out to look for you, Robin told me you were here,” Damian mumbled. He stepped back, checking over her. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?”

Marinette shook her head. “I’m perfectly fine, Damian. I’m just glad you’re okay.”

He sighed in relief. “Don’t scare me like that again, Angel, please.”

It was now that Marinette noticed his slightly unkempt appearance. He was fine when she last saw him, but now his clothes were crooked and his hair was messy. It reminded her of someone, but she wasn’t sure who.

He must have been really worried.

Guilt was heavy on her shoulders. “I’m sorry, I should have given you more warning, or only volunteered myself.”

“What?” Damian shook his head. “No, I’m glad it was us two. The Riddler would have killed anyone else. I was more worried when you fought him.”

“You fought The Riddler?” The cashier was staring at her with wide eyes. His voice was loud enough that the entire station went silent.

Marinette laughed clumsily. The guilt had lessened, but awkwardness was chaining her. “He was bad at hand to hand combat. And mad at me. That made him make some dumb moves, most people would have been able to beat him.”

“Still,” an officer with grey hair and a mustache chuckled. “Quite commendable for a young girl.”

“It’s really nothing,” Marinette tried to wave it off. “We have a lot of villains in Paris. I’d be stupid if I didn’t learn to fight them.”

“The akuma!” the youngest daughter shouted. “I saw on the Lady’s blog about superheroes!”

She felt Tikki shift slightly in her purse.

“Don’t believe everything on that blog,” her older sister mumbled. “There is no way sausage hair is a superhero’s best friends. Superheroes don’t make friends with civilians.”

“I only watch the videos of fights,” the young girl pouted.

“Miss, if you’re ready,” the greying officer gestured to an empty room. “We need you to retell everything that just happened for the record.”

Marinette nodded. Damian let go of her fully, and she already missed the warmth – what was that? When did these feelings start?

She followed the officer into his office, not noticing the awed looks of those around her as she passed by.

After she left, Damian Wayne pulled out his phone. Someone had to let her teacher know she was alright if they even noticed her missing at all.

They’re fools not to notice her, but Damian was glad he had no competition from those idiots.

oooOOOooo

Unnamed Teenager From France Holds off The Riddler Until Batman Arrives!

“I was just doing what anyone else would have done,” she says. “He was pretty annoying though. His riddles need work.”

“A teenage girl took down Ed?” she turned to her friend. “After that whole trap he set up?”

“Seems so,” her friend shrugged. “Good for her. Hopefully, she goes back to France before he escapes and exacts revenge.”

“Watcha ladies talking about?” a pop of bubblegum. “Ooh! This lady betta watch her back, more villains might be interested in her if she can defeat Eddie!”

“You mean like us?” she asked.

“No,” her friend sighed. “We should leave her alone. One villain on her trip is enough. And I need to care for my plants, they're important for my next heist.”

The third girl shrugged. “Ain’t up ta me, but I won’t be the one that tells Puddin’ if that helps.”

“That helps,” she hummed. She would need to catch Batman on patrol tonight and ask him about it. She hadn’t stolen anything in a while, so he would likely talk to her for a bit.

“Of course you won’t tell him! You won’t go near him again if I have anything to say about it,” her friend replied to the third girl.

“Aw, Red, you do care!”

[mysticsparklewings]

I will be with You

When you go, just know that I will remember you If living was the hardest part, we'll then one day be together And in the end we'll fall apart, just as the leaves change in color And then I will be with you, I will be there one last time now --My Chemical Romance, "It's Not a Fashion Statement, it's a Deathwish" ____ It's rare that I'm this proud of an artwork I've created. ^_^ Usually, there's some glaring issue or just an assortment of small things I'd still change if I had the patience and/or artistic ability to do it. Or even just some things that I feel like could've been done better, even if I know it did the best I could. This time? No. Not right now, shortly after it's been completed, anyway. I'm sure years down the line from now I'll look back and feel at least slightly different. But as it stands now, while I'm sure it has its faults, I am truly happy and truly proud of what I've created here and whatever faults are there aren't bothering me at all. So what then is this, exactly? This my dear Sparklers is a visual love letter to the band I discovered just a little too late but was still there for me when no one else was all the same. Earlier this month, I uploaded a different piece of art to celebrate the announcement of My Chemical Romance's Return, but even when I uploaded that one I was already thinking of doing another one, this time something that was more obviously fan art. But not just fan art as I've done for them in the past (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, and Exhibit C), but something extra-special and fun. I really did go into creating this wanting it to be as I described it above; a visual love letter to this band that I love so much and could not be happier that they're back. As such, I've squeezed in as many references as I could: 1. The female figure is molded after Helena from the album Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge 2. The male/skeleton figure is supposed to be Pepe (that's what Google said his name was, anyway), the icon and seemingly marching band conductor from The Black Parade album 3. On Pepe's hat, I replaced the usual symbol with the Candle symbol that's been featured in the band's Return artwork 4. They fade into leaves based on the line from It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Deathwish (a song from Three Cheers) that I quoted at the top of the description 5. behind them is Party Poison's mask, as featured in the Danger Days music videos 6. on the mask, I replaced one of the black triangle shapes with the hanging man silhouette from I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love 7. The rest of the background is inspired by the covers for the Conventional Weapons releases (which in my mind I count as essentially an unofficial fifth album) (Debatable) 8. Their touching hands could be an indirect reference to the line "And as we're touching hands, and as we're falling down" from Demolition Lovers, a song from Bullets. That's at least one reference each (Three Cheers technically got two) for each of the main releases, plus one directly related to this new era we don't know much about yet. It's not an exhaustive "spot the reference" game, but I'm glad I was able to incorporate as many as I did. Now that I've explained them, maybe I can talk about my process without having to stop to re-explain each reference as they come up.   After some brainstorming, I got this image in my head of Helena and Pepe in this pose (inspired at least partially by this pre-existing fanart I've seen many times before) , which to me is a "renaissance dancing" pose but I'm sure there's some other better way to describe it I haven't thought of. I tried for a very long time to find a reference image of this exact pose to help me get the proportions and general anatomy right within my own stylization, but for the life of me, I couldn't find anything close enough to suit me and I really didn't want to have to settle for something else. As such, I'm sure the proportions and anatomy are off, but even so, I think I did pretty good considering. The main issues I ran into during sketching were mainly balancing the energy between the two characters--which I do think I managed in the end--Helena's skirt, as she's supposed to be holding onto it with that hand you can't see, and Pepe's torso. Originally, I was planning on doing this piece traditionally, but once the sketch was finished it almost immediately clicked into place that I'd be better served to do it digitally, considering what I wanted to do with the mask in the background already, as well as the leaf-fade. (The Conventional Weapons reference hadn't been planned yet, and it was technically only made possible later on by this piece being digital.) Luckily, doing things digitally meant that Pepe's torso was fixed pretty easily. It was too thin in the sketch, but all I had to do was select the right lines and move them out a bit in Photoshop. He's still a bit thin and not super buff, but personally I'm letting that go because...I mean, he's at least part if not all skeleton. If anyone's going to be too thin, wouldn't it make sense that it's him? Helena's skirt I did end up happy within the sketch but...we'll come back to the skirt in a moment. Pepe's...face? looked a bit odd in the sketch, but other than that, once I was happy with that foundation, I scanned it in and got to work on digitizing everything. I went over my lines for Helena and Pepe the way I normally would for something like this if a little intentionally messy instead of trying to get them super clean--as I thought that might be appropriate here--and then I paused with them to work on the mask behind them. The mask admittedly came out very poorly in the sketch, just because I bothered to look up no references for it whatsoever once I decided I was going to make this digital and I knew I could just draw half of it and flip it over. And I'm glad I didn't start trying to follow my sketch lines for it at all because looking up actual references showed me that would've been way off. While I had my reference up, I ended up going in and basically full-coloring and detailing the mask right then. That's the beauty of digital work; a lot of steps can be done basically out of order from how you'd have to do them traditionally and it doesn't matter because you can just move layers around and adjust effects later. I went with this pseudo-soft shading based on the colors and shadows I was seeing in my references, even though I wasn't sure yet exactly how I was going to shade Helena and Pepe. I figured that even if I used a different method for them that I could either go back and adjust the mask as necessary or that it wouldn't matter since the mask was part of the background anyway. Once that was done, I went back to ponder my two figures and the leaf effect that I wanted to do with them. And again, I went a little out of order here, as I ended up filling in the silhouette of Helena and Pepe with a blanket layer of gray so I could see how them blocking the mask was going to look (and I figured based on past experiences I might need the blanket layer in white later). From there, I went into working on the fading-to-leaves effect. My logic was that I'd need mostly the silhouettes of the leaves and then I'd get what I wanted after playing with layer effects or something. This assumption ended up being correct, but we're not there yet. As I worked, I kept looking at my "finished" messy lines. Something just didn't feel right. Honestly, I couldn't tell you where the idea to do this lineless look came from, but it got in my head as I was working and I kept looking at the lines I had and not being happy to just color those in as I normally would, shade it, and call it a day. I tried. I tried really hard to ignore the urge to at least try it and carry on as I was. I'd already come this far, and I'd be done so much faster if I stuck to the plan...But!! Clearly I lost that argument with myself. You know what though? I'm glad I did! I don't think I've ever done lineless art like this before, not counting my watercolor work where that's just part of the process to me. But digital? Certainly not. Human figures? Also no. I've come close in the sense that I've shaded my art before, turned off the line layers before, and thought, "oh hey that almost works without the lines because of the shading,"  but not much farther than that. Naturally, I wasn't even sure how or where to begin, so I went with what came naturally to me. I started by just filling in the lines as I normally would have, and then I went back layer by layer and went back and forth between having the line layer (with the opacity brought down somewhat already so I could sort of see what I was doing) on and off to try and balance the shapes between what they looked like with and without the lines. It's weird because if you ever try this, it's a little like having to figure out a bunch of individual silhouettes that make one whole one, except you need them to be a little more defined if you want them to make visual sense. That step and the next one, the shading, are tied in my mind for which one took me the longest. For the shading, I really just went in blind, using hard-edge cell shading, though originally I planning to come back with some soft shading in certain areas later. The soft shading ended up not happening partly because I liked it much better than I thought I would without it, and I thought the hard-edge shading made the figures pop a little more compared to the background. The thing about this was the same issue I run into with my lines nowadays; to get smooth shapes I spend a while going back and forth between putting color down and erasing it, and sometimes undoing and redoing the same line a dozen times to get it right in one stroke. But that's really my own fault for being stubborn and trying to work solely within Photoshop and not use other programs, as I know good and well I'd have less of that issue if I'd hop into Paint Tool Sai and use the linework layers in there. What can I say? I live up to my Capricorn sign by being as stubborn as a goat. Anyway. The biggest challenge to figure out the shading for was Helena's skirt. I think I would've still had issues with that though even if I colored and shaded my normal way, with the lines and everything. It's just the position it's in that complicates things. I actually did a good amount of shading in reverse here, where I'd make the base layer the shadow color and then the layer on top would be the regular color, as in some cases it just seemed easier to do that than the other way around. The part of Helena's dress around the top, for example. Or Pepe's pants (what little you can see of them). Additionally, I ended up leaving the feather attached to Pepe's hat alone and not really smoothing it out, as I thought the roughness and inconsistencies worked really well to make it seem more feathery. With enough patience and persistence and much back and forth among the various layers, I made it through all of that. I was a little concerned at first about some of my color choices and if the shading was too harsh in some places or not, but I mellowed out as I worked and ended up not making make adjustments after the fact. For instance, originally I thought I'd go back and make Pepe's...skin? closer to a true white and this fleshy off-white color was more of a placeholder, but the longer I worked with it, the more I didn't want to change it. It actually makes sense, given that his hands are normal (as they are presented in official artwork and other fan art not made by me) and that bones usually are naturally more of an off-white color. And I also think it just looks really good next to Helena's pale skin. The hands were a special challenge in regards to both shading and coloring, as hands like to be the more complicated part of a drawing more often than not, but even that I managed to get through with a lot more ease than I would've bet on. The other thing about that is that I was surprised once I got through the steps at how much better Pepe's face looked in comparison to the rest of the drawing. As I mentioned before, it looked odd in the sketch. But one I had most of the colors for him and Helena filled in digitally, the contrast or something just made it look infinitely better. (Combined with a hefty dose of earlier back-and-forth making adjustments to his jawbone area.) Originally, I thought I might use the same cell shading for Helena's eyeshadow. However, while I was still thinking of adding some selective soft shading, I added it using one of the brushes I'd used on the mask earlier. It looked so good to me that even after I tried added the soft shading with it like I planned and decided I didn't want/need it anywhere else, I kept it. And for the record, Helena's hair is kind of the wrong texture (it's officially more straight than this) and she's missing this little netted veil thing she's supposed to have, but I had a very specific vision in mind, so those were the two creative liberties I took with her design. I say it's fair game since I took a liberty with Pepe's hat to get the Return reference in. And besides, those two details being off doesn't make her totally unrecognizable if you know who Helena is in the first place. Once they were done, I spent longer than I bothered to document playing with the leaf layer I'd made earlier to try and figure out how to get the effect I wanted. Sparing you the boring details of my trial error, as I'm sure this description will be long enough without them, I eventually determined the best thing to do was to have one layer of the leaves on top set as an "overlay" layer, and another behind/beneath Helena and Pepe. Then I went back and extended my color and shading layers to extend down over the leaves, and I arranged and clipped the layers accordingly. Technically, the overlay layer wasn't necessary, but it added a little extra dimension that I really liked. By that point, it was my second day of working digitally and getting late, but I had to do one more thing before I could go to bed with my mind at ease that night. With Helena and Pepe done, I turned the mask back on (I'd turned it off so I could focus on them without it distracting me or otherwise getting in the way) and I felt like they weren't standing out enough against it. The bright yellow color was competing too much for my eyes' attention. So, after trying the "stroke" blending option in white and that looking God-awful, I added a new layer between them and the mask and manually gave them a white outline. It wasn't a perfect solution, and I knew that even then, but it was enough that I could sleep soundly knowing how far I'd gotten with the artwork. The next day I had to take a break from working on this to bust out a painting for the challenge I decided to take on this month, but I went back to this as soon as I could after that was taken care of. When I came back to it, I acknowledged that I technically could've left it as it was and call it finished. But I still didn't like how obnoxious the mask seemed for a background piece and it felt...I don't know. Almost hollow, in a way. It was a cool graphic, sure, but I wanting something more than that. Again, I'll spare you most of the nitty-gritty details. But long story short, I played around with layer effects and filters for a while until I had blurred the mask out just enough that it wasn't so obnoxious but also so looking at it directly didn't make me nauseous, and the edges were softened so it felt more like a true background piece and not just an accessory that had been plastered carelessly back there. It was only after I started saving off versions with different backgrounds--one with no background, one with white, one with black--that I realized I was missing a golden (semi pun intended) opportunity to incorporate a Conventional Weapons reference/allusion. Which was exciting because I'd previously been disappointed that I couldn't think of a good way to do that. I went back and forth on layer styles and adding texture with brushes and things for a while on that too, but you can see what I ultimately settled on. It's not a 1:1 to the CW covers, but I'm really pleased with it anyway. I did end up adding a bit more to the white outline in a few places and adding a drop shadow to Helena and Pepe so they'd pop a bit more (it almost makes them look like paper cutouts to me!), but really the only other thing I had to do after that was add my watermark. It took roughly 3 days of work from start to finish, but I was honestly surprised by how fairly smooth the process went. Especially considering the new things I'd tried along the way. I can only assume it's because of just how much my heart was really into making this piece. As I said before, I am truly proud of how this piece turned out. I love it. I love it, and I love the band that inspired its creation. Even the title says a lot here, I think. I picked this line that's repeated at the end of It's Not a Fashion Statement, It's a Deathwish, as it was a leading inspiration with the leaves and everything, and after looking at the lyrics I realized how fitting that line is for this. I discovered My Chemical Romance two years too late, two years after they broke up in 2013, but I've stuck by them ever since, and I will continue to do so, with whatever the unwritten future holds. They've changed, as anyone would over the course of six years, but they came back anyway. Even if it's just for a few shows and they're gone again. Or if it's going to be so much more than that. They. Came. Back. And that's not an easy thing to do a lot of the time. And so, I show my solidarity. I will be with you, MCR, no matter what comes next. You were there for me, and now it's my turn to be there for you, even if it as just another fan among the crowd. And that's really all I have to say on the matter. ____ Artwork © me, MysticSparkleWings ____ Where to find me & my artwork: My Website | Commission Info + Prices | Ko-Fi | dA Print Shop | RedBubble |   Twitter | Tumblr | Instagram