#i'd add images but i'm too tired

[tekatonic]

the only midori/leak/spoiler-oriented post i will ever reblog

because hi Sonic fans, did you know about Metaphor: ReFantazio ?

[transgender-catboy]

I'm so captivated by his . Everything.

[huellitaa]

girl's guide to academic success: ep 1! ⊹˚. ♡

──★ ˙ ̟🎀 this post focuses on: actively rooting for success! ♡ part 2 -> ♡

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 1. organisation

first off, have something to organise ur academic life with! i personally use notion (which i'll add later) but u can use anything as long as it's cute, convenient, unique and accessible to you, your life and your schedule specifically. especially as a visual learner, i like to have somewhere i can dump literally everything regarding a singular area in my life, so i do this for almost everything along with school and i highly recommend this <3

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 2. recognition of talents & improvements

analyse your strengths and weaknesses. think back on tests, exams, marks, and analyse which ones you got highest and lowest on. dont beat urself up for it, obviously; it's just to check which subjects you're doing good in and which ones have room for improvement. for example i love science but im not the best at it sometimes and we had an assessment recently and i didn't get as high as i'd like so i wrote down a little list on a piece of paper in my pencilcase for the topics i got the least in for me to study on my own to practise later.

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 3. laying out goals

set down specific goals; i like to do this week by week accustomed to my schedule that week in my school notion page along with images and vision boards based on the term/semester, but you can do it for the week, the month, the year, anything as long as its helpful to you

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 4. productive planning

plan accordingly based on ur time energy. when creating any to do list or productivity plan dont pile a ridiculous amount onto it that just leaves you stressed and overwhelmed because that defeats the entire point; this works the same for academic plans and goals and lists etc.

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 5. extra credit

put extra work in to the subjects you know will help you in the future. for example, for my personal aspirations i need to excel in english, history and textiles so i always try my absolute hardest and put my all into those lessons and do extra studying for them in my free time where i can. school is to prepare you for the future so take advantage of that

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 6. asking questions

please don't be shy to ask questions! that's what teachers are there for and you won't have them forever so take advantage of it while you can! you can even do it in that little window of time just after class if ur too nervous to ask in class. for example, on my last english exam i went to my teacher after class and asked about what i needed to improve on to get the marks i missed next time, and he told me i added too much detail and some other things so i wrote it down and am keeping a note of it to remind me to improve on that next time! (i got top of my class though so i didnt mind. still kind of pissed i added too much detail though)

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 7. participation

participate! ok im saying this as someone who still struggles with social anxiety a fair amount but if u wanna get higher marks and get on good terms w ur teacher i 100% recommend this. i don't do this in every class but i do it where i can and when i'm confident in my answer, and it's really intimidating at first but what i did is i did it first in the classes i felt most comfortable on and continued from there. it gets easier every time i swear, and nobody's judging you; they'll forget about it after five minutes. plus, what would they be judging you for? being smarter than them?

🧸𓂃 ࣪˖ 8. prioritising ur health

this is mentioned a lot in these types of posts but if you're tired or burnt out or overworked or just feel like you need to take a break then do. do the best you can and compromise like i said earlier if you need to, just make sure u are prioritising yourself over anything. <3

──★ ˙ ̟🎀inspo

──★ ˙ ̟🎀my notion

i also really recommend this layout by @honeytonedhottie ♡

all my love 🩷✨💬🎀💗

[roosterforme]

Aim for the Sky Part 33 | Rooster x Reader

Summary: Bradley can't wait to learn if Rose is going to have a younger brother or sister. Planning for the baby means planning for the future, but Bradley can feel that you're unhappy. With help from friends, he finally figures out why.

Warnings: Angst, adult language, body image, DILF Roo, pregnancy, jealousy, vomiting

Length: 3500 words

Pairing: Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw x Female Reader

Aim for the Sky masterlist. This was written to accompany my series Is It Working For You? along with a bunch of my one-shots and other series, but it can be read on its own! Check my masterlist for the reading order.

You'd been quiet for days, chalking it up to exhaustion from work, but Bradley was a little concerned. He was missing out on a lot of cooking and cleaning at home, as well as responsibilities with Rose. Most days, he was collapsing in bed right after you, body tired and brain overworked. But he was close to advancing a few of his pilots to the next stage in their careers, and he didn't want to let up just yet.

Truthfully, he was enjoying many aspects of his day-to-day at work. He loved making decisions that would benefit his group. When he had a compelling answer for his superior officers, it made him feel so good about himself. He didn't even mind putting in the extra hours. But it was clear that Indigo wanted to be his class pet, and he wasn't quite sure what to do about that.

She was weighing on his mind a lot, most likely because she was constantly invading his office hours. He wanted to tell her she didn't have to try so hard to be the best aviator in the bunch when she just simply was the best one. But that would be feeding her ego, which probably wasn't the smartest option right now.

"Are you ready?"

Bradley looked up from his desk to see you standing there, and he jumped to his feet. "Of course I'm ready," replied with a smile, pushing all of his paperwork to the side and logging out of his computer. "Been looking forward to this."

You smiled softly, hand resting on the slight swell of your belly as you shifted your weight from one booted foot to the other. "Me too," you whispered, and Bradley grabbed his keys, wallet and phone from his desk drawer. He reached for your hand, lacing his fingers between yours and headed out into the sunny October afternoon.

"Time for our final guesses," you said. "Do you think it's a boy or another girl?"

Bradley looked down at your face, the perfect curve of your cheek catching the sunlight. You were beautiful. Every bit as stunning as the day he first laid eyes on you in one of the classrooms he passed on a regular basis. "Sweetheart, if there's anything good or just in this world, it better be another girl. Then I'd have three of you to look at."

"Rose looks like you, Bradley!" you insisted immediately, breaking out in the biggest smile he'd seen on your face in weeks. 

"Rose looks like you. Everyone thinks so. She's adorable." He pulled you to a stop and leaned down to kiss your cheek. "And her face already has this exact curve that I'm fucking obsessed with." 

Bradley let his lips linger, loving the way your cheek warmed as you stepped all the way into his embrace. You seemed on the verge of telling him something or asking a question, your posture never quite relaxing. He'd noticed that recently. Like you couldn't let yourself completely go with him like you always did. He wanted to ask you what was going on, but he was more than willing to wait until you were ready to say something on your own.

"We'll be late if we don't get a move on," you whispered. Bradley responded by kissing along your cheek to your lips. "I'm serious, Roo," you mumbled.

"Let's go," he sighed. "Dr. Morris already thinks I'm an idiot. I better not add tardiness to her list of complaints about me."

A short drive later, and the two of you were walking into the waiting room right on time. You barely sat down before a nurse was calling you back and handing you a hospital gown.

"It's weird without Rose here," you said as you got undressed. Bradley held out the gown for you to slip into, shaking his head.

"Nah. This is just for us. She can hear all about it later after work."

He was just about to close the distance to stop you from tying the gown closed so he could get another look at you, but Dr. Morris strolled in.

"How are we all doing?" she asked, shooting Bradley a look on her way past. It wasn't like he was capable of knocking you up again, but she was looking at him like he might have.

"Fantastic," he replied at the same time you said, "Okay."

He shot you a look as you eased yourself up on the table. He wasn't sure what he could do to make you happier. A conversation was clearly necessary now, but he didn't even know how to initiate it. If finding out more about the second Nugget today wasn't enough to make you smile, he didn't know what was.

He dropped down into the chair at your side, wrapping his big hand around yours as Dr. Morris spread that warm gel across your belly and asked you an array of questions. He listened to your answers as his heart beat a little faster. He was excited about this. Soon you could talk about baby names and nursery themes. He couldn't wait to meet his second child in the spring. 

Bradley kissed your fingertips, watching intently as your doctor isolated some ultrasound images. Then she asked, "Do you want to find out the sex?"

"Fuck yes," Bradley gasped, scooting his chair a little closer. "I mean, please."

You and Dr. Morris were both wearing smirks as he squeezed your hand. He was so excited, it was hard to swallow. He didn't care if it was a boy or a girl. He felt the same way last time around, too. He just wanted a healthy kid he could dote on.

"It's a girl."

He was up out of his seat, sending the thing screeching across the floor as he hooted. Okay, so maybe he did have a bit of a preference for another daughter, but he would have been happy either way.

"Another girl!" he shouted while you smiled up at him. "Just me and my three beautiful girls."

Bradley let his lips collide with yours, kissing you until he got his fill. Dr. Morris and the rest of the ultrasound and everything else could just wait a few minutes while he soaked in this pure perfection.

----------------------------

Bradley had been inundating your text thread for days with links to various nursery themes, but meanwhile you and he hadn't even decided which room would be your second daughter's.

"A second daughter," you whispered at your desk. Your parents were excited; you got to watch your mom and dad cry over FaceTime. Rose was too young to care, but one day she might have an opinion about her sister. You, on the other hand, felt like a mixed bag of emotions.

You wanted to be happy. You really did. But it was too hard. Somehow letting your sadness ebb and flow was easier. Especially whenever you ventured too far away from your lab or your office. Indigo was always around. It was like she knew were to find you. And perhaps she did. Your name was in the directories around base. But it felt like she was mocking you. She obviously wanted your husband, and he was either oblivious or hiding something.

When you managed to let your intrusive thoughts win out, you checked his phone only to find pretty much nothing untoward. Other than ruining the surprise of what was probably supposed to be an anniversary gift, all you found was one unanswered message Indigo sent to him a while ago. It bordered on flirtatious, and you were a little concerned that he gave her his phone number, but there was really nothing there.

But she was in your face on base enough that you kept to your office as much as you could. Of course, today was the day you were absolutely starving, and you left your lunch at home. You could pop down to the cafeteria, grab a sandwich to appease yourself and the baby, and then bring it back up here to eat it. Should be a piece of cake.

Hot turkey sandwiches were on the menu, and you almost cried tears of joy as you had one packed up in a container with extra gravy and a side of mashed potatoes. It smelled so good, you couldn't wait to take a bite. 

When you were waiting for the elevator, you froze with your lunch in your hands. You could see Indigo and Spice heading out of the cafeteria, and there was hardly anyone in the lobby for you to try to hide behind. You felt absolutely ridiculous as you stood there eavesdropping.

"What kind of progress have you made?" Spice asked, voice carrying over the sound of conversation around you.

Indigo smiled and laughed, showing off her perfect teeth. "Well, I can't give you details here, but... it's no wonder he's willing to spend so much time with me after hours. Anyone with eyes can see his wife let herself go this time around." Your cheeks burned as she added, "He's more than happy to help me with absolutely anything I need."

You sucked in a deep breath, certain she was talking about Bradley. And you. When the elevator arrived you ducked inside, jamming your finger against the button for your floor. As the doors slid shut, Indigo's gaze connected with yours, and she stood there proudly with her friend like she'd actually managed to steal Bradley from you.

A sob escaped your lips, and you tripped along to your office door. You really did look awful. Your skin was broken out, and you were going to need to start wearing the maternity tent well before your third trimester. Your belly was already tender, and then the baby decided this was the perfect moment to kick hard enough you thought you were going to wet your khakis.

"She's right," you whispered, tossing your lunch onto your desk and running for the bathroom. One glance in the mirror as you ran for an empty stall left you sobbing in the ladies' room. You looked awful. It was no wonder Bradley was paying extra attention to her. The fear that looking at Indigo had already turned into touching her was eating away at you. When you flushed the toilet, you turned and gagged before emptying the meager contents of your stomach into the bowl.

When you finally made it back to your office, your stomach couldn't handle a single bite of food. You dumped it in the trash.

-----------------------------

Bradley was just wrapping up a meeting with Maverick when Indigo cornered him outside his office. "Can I help you with something?" he asked, trying to keep the amusement from his voice. She was getting to be relentless.

As she shook her head slowly, she laughed. "I already told you, Sir, I can think of countless things you could help me with."

"Well why don't you run some of them past me?"

Her eyes widened as she licked her lips. "We could do that at the Hard Deck? I could still buy you that drink?"

Bradley sighed, hands planted on his hips which somehow drew her in closer. "I can't let any of you buy me drinks. Sorry, but that's not going to happen." He nodded toward his door. "But I have about fifteen minutes if there's something I can help you with."

She nodded. "Fifteen minutes would probably be more than enough, Sir."

Indigo stepped inside his office, glancing back at him over her shoulder, but Bradley saw another familiar face turn the corner in the hallway.

"Hey, there, hot shot," said Natasha, making Bradley smile. "You have a minute?"

"Actually, no," he replied, watching as his best friend looked inside to see who was waiting for him. She made a face, gaze snapping back to his. "Can it wait until later?"

Nat pressed her lips together like she was fighting off a scowl. "I wanted to see if you were free to workout with me later," she whispered. "I could stop by after dinner, and we could do some reps in your garage?"

"Absolutely," he replied. "See you around seven?"

"Yeah." 

She took one more look at Indigo before marching back the way she came, leaving Bradley with nothing to do but take a seat behind his desk.

"Do you want me to close the door?" Indigo asked, voice laced with hope as she half stood.

"Leave it," Bradley replied, once again showing no hint of favoritism. "Now, what did you want to talk about?"

----------------------------

After dinner, you excused yourself to Rose's nursery to feed her and make a phone call to your parents. Bradley kissed you on the forehead before doubling back to the bedroom to change into gym clothes. When he let you know Nat was coming over to workout in the garage, you seemed almost relieved.

He started setting up his weights and bench press when he heard the sound of a familiar engine pull up to the house. A minute later, Nat was strolling in wearing bright pink spandex with a matching gym bag. 

"I could spot you a mile away," he told her, and she chucked her bag at his chest. They both laughed when he caught it.

"You know what I can see a mile away?" she asked.

"What?"

"The word dumbass written across your forehead."

He rolled his eyes, dropping her bag onto one of the mats. Then he froze as he heard another engine pull up to a stop at his driveway. This one made him glare at Nat.

"Why is he here?" Bradley asked, and a split second later, Jake came strolling in like he owned the place. 

Nat and Jake shared a look as Jake tossed his gym bag next to hers. "I thought I might need some backup."

Now Bradley was annoyed and also confused. "Backup? For what?"

Natasha closed the distance to him, patting Bradley on the chest with a firm hand. Her dark eyes conveyed concern as she asked, "Are you fucking stupid? Or are you doing it on purpose?"

"Huh?"

"I love you, Bradley. I really do. But I still have to follow girl code."

"Nat, I have no fucking clue what you're talking about."

The clanging of Jake adding weights to the bar made Bradley want to scream as Nat shook her head in pity.

"She wants in your pants," Jake drawled.

"Who?" Bradley asked, still unsure what they were even talking about.

"Your student with the crazy blue eyes!" Nat said, smacking him hard on the chest.

"Indigo?" Bradley asked, taking a step away from her. Both Nat and Jake were nodding as Bradley's brow creased. "She's like twenty-six years old."

"So?" Nat asked, hands planted on her hips.

"So, she's not trying to get in my pants. I'm married. Everyone knows I'm married."

Bradley held up his left hand, complete with wedding band. He rarely ever took it off, especially since it got him into hot water with you when he was deployed. But as he watched the band shine under the fluorescent lights, his lips parted wordlessly, and he stood there while both Nat and Jake scrutinized him.

If Indigo had been flirting with him this whole time, he'd written her off as an overzealous young pilot trying to prove herself. Now every interaction replayed through his mind, and he rubbed his palm over his eyes as he groaned. There was no way this was happening to him. He'd been alone with her on several occasions in his office. The door always remained open, but she'd pushed for him to close it.

Bradley's cheeks burned with mortification, and he wasn't sure he could even look Nat in the face. If Indigo really was trying to get in his pants, then he was a joke. He was an absolute joke, and none of the younger pilots took him seriously in his new role. That thought made him sick, but not as sick as the idea that maybe you'd noticed something as well.

Bradley swallowed hard. "Oh, fuck." When he swallowed again, he wanted to scream.

"Okay, there's my answer," Nat whispered, wrapping her fingers gently around his wrist and pulling his hand away from his face. She pressed herself up onto her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "Thank god you're just stupid. It would be so much worse if you were messing around with her intentionally."

"I'm not," he barked, angry at the insinuation. "I wouldn't. I've never even touched her!"

Nat's hands were on his chest, coaxing him to calm down, but he was too worked up. "Easy, Soul Sister," she said, but he was shaking his head now.

"I'm fucking married, Nat! I made wedding vows. I have a daughter, and my wife is pregnant with another girl. What the fuck would I cheat for? What's going to be better than this?"

Bradley's chest was heaving with ragged breaths as she guided him to sit on his bench. He landed hard, jostling the weights as he looked up at two sympathetic faces.

"Nothing's gonna be better than Angel," Jake drawled. "I'm still not sure if it was dumb luck or divine intervention, but she's way out of your league, Bradshaw."

"I know," Bradley snarled. "You think I don't know that? She's fucking perfect." He tilted his head back, blinking up at the lights. "Do you think she knows Indigo was trying to flirt with me?"

"Absolutely," Nat replied, and Bradley forced himself to meet her eyes.

"Yes, asshole," Jake added. "She's not stupid like you are."

"Fuck." Bradley stood and started pacing around. He felt like his job and marriage were suddenly on the line. He didn't know what to say to you that wouldn't potentially make things worse right now. If he could think of something reasonable, he'd run across the yard and back inside the house and say it to your face.

Maybe this was part of the reason you'd been so quiet? But it didn't make sense. He never talked about Indigo outside of the context of work, because there was simply nothing else to say. But after that night at the bar, you were really fucking mad at him. He thought you were mad that he got drunk, but maybe there was more to it.

"God damn it," he groaned, realizing Nat was lifting weights while Jake spotted her. "Do you think I should talk to Mav tomorrow?"

"Yes," they both replied in unison. The fact that they agreed on something was scary enough, but that let Bradley know just how fucked he was.

But he would take care of everything. He'd talk to Mav and figure it all out. What other choice did he have? 

"I'm heading inside," he murmured. "Can the two of you turn off the lights and lock up when you're done."

Bradley didn't wait for an answer. He was already walking across the backyard, craving your reassuring touch that he wasn't quite sure he deserved. When his phone vibrated in the pocket of his shorts, he pulled it out. He was met with another text from Indigo, but this time there was a photo as well. She was on the beach at sunset, the orange and pink sky somehow making her eyes look even more startlingly blue, and she was smiling at the camera. When his eyes slid down the screen to her cleavage, he almost dropped his phone. But not before he read the text.

This beach is so beautiful. Wish you were here.

Bradley couldn't decide what to do. Turn around and go back to the garage? Go inside the house? Sit down on Rose's jungle gym and cry? Smash his phone to bits? When another text appeared, he looked at it immediately.

Oops, I sent that to the wrong person. Have a good night, Sir.

Bradley squeezed his phone in his hand until he was afraid it might break. Then he opened a different text thread and pounded out a message, hitting send immediately. 

Mav, I need to talk to you about something important first thing in the morning.

When Bradley noticed movement, he looked up at the sliding glass door. You were carrying Rose around the living room, bouncing her in your arms as you yawned. Getting the Nugget ready for bed was supposed to be his job. He loved it. The bedtime stories and the snuggles were the best part. He needed to have this.

Finally he walked inside, sliding the door closed quietly behind him, trying not to panic. Rose was nearly asleep, but you let him take her into his arms. Bradley kissed her all over her sweet face before forfeiting her to her crib, then he climbed in bed with you. When he reached for your hand, you curled up against him, and he let his hand rest along your belly.

"I love you, Sweetheart," he whispered, heart aching. "I love my three girls."

-----------------------------

Start getting your shit together, Bradley. Indigo has shown she's relentless. Also, I thought I was solid on the baby's name, but I might put it to a vote. Stay tuned. Thanks @beyondthesefourwalls

@hotch-meeeeeuppppp

@solacestyles

@blog-name6996

@bcon24

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@katiebby04

@marantha

@averyhotchner

@abaker74

@heli991113

@k-k0129

@noz4a2

@shanimallina87

@ccbb2222

@xoxabs88xox

@thedroneranger

@cherrycola27

@fanboyswhore9

@xomrsalliej4787xo

@desert-fern

@horseslovers2016

@mattyskies

@hookslove1592

@blahehblah

@sadpetalsstuff

@local-spidey

@schoollover

@lex-winchester

@nicole01-23

@jessicab1991

@happyrebelruins

@samsgoddess

@bellaireland1981

@sagittarius-flowerchild

@mygyn

@yuckosworld

@daggerspare-standingby

@nessjo

@trickphotography2

@lyn-js

@furiousladyking

@godsfavoritebabe

@bethabear12

@halo-mystic

@sherlockstrangewolf

@theamuz

@khaylin27

@glenpowellluver

[blackboard-monitor]

how i've finished inktober every year for eight years and counting

Every time I mention around other artists that I finish inktober every year (meaning I draw and ink 31 drawings, one every day in October), I get questions like "how???", so I figured I'd make a post about it on the off chance it's helpful to someone. Please note that all my advice is based on my personal experience and you're a different person so what works for me may not work for you, and you can do whatever you want forever.

What it boils down to for me is two basic rules: 1) keep it simple and 2) manage your expectations.

Tools

Paper/sketchbook

I started my first inktober in my journal at the time, and because I'm neurotic like that, I've had to do every subsequent inktober in whatever journal I was using at that point.

The benefit of this is that each journal has had a page size of A5 or smaller, which can be tricky when trying to get in a lot of detail, but on the other hand forces you to limit the size of your drawings to a pretty managable size.

Paper type can also be important! Last year in 2023, my journal was a Moleskine sketchbook (image 1), which was actually designed to handle some degree of wet media, which was a game-changer for me as an ink wash enjoyer. Don't get me wrong, I've been using ink washes in most of my previous journals as well, but inking is a lot nicer when your paper isn't constantly buckling (image 2) or pilling and the ink isn't bleeding all over the place, inclunding through the page (image 3). Pages that stay flat instead of buckling are also a lot easier to scan or photograph, if like me you want to post your art online.

In short, my inktober paper recommendation is to use a sketchbook no larger than A5, and go for one with nice, thick paper if you intend to use wet media.

Sketching

I sketch everything with a single 6H pencil that I got from my brother in 2019. Because the lead is so hard, it allows me to scribble to my heart's content without the sketch getting too dark or hard to erase. Sometimes I'll refine the sketch with a HB mechanical pencil, which shows up really nicely on top of the 6H lines, but I may skip that step if I'm feeling lazy or the first sketch is clean enough.

Inking

I've used a variety of art supplies in my inktober drawings. For the most part I've always stuck to greyscale, with the exception of a couple of red or gold accents some years.

My main inktober tools are a set of Micron fineliners in various sizes, and liquid India ink, which I use with a dip pen and with brushes. I usually mix up a mid-tone ink wash in a small bottle, and use that throughout the month.

Fineliners pros: portable, require minimal setup, can use on the sofa or in bed or wherever Fineliners cons: creating texture and filling large areas is a lot more time-consuming. In 2021 I did inktober exclusively in fineliner because I was tired and couldn't be bothered to deal with liquid ink, but I ended up spending more time than maybe ever on the drawings because it took so long to add texture with pens.

Ink pros: you can achieve small details with a dip pen as well as quick texture and fill in large areas with a brush and ink washes Ink cons: can be messy (protip from 2022 Liekki, don't spill ink water all over your laptop), usually you have to sit at a table of some kind, you need to wash your brushes and dip pens, if your paper isn't designed for wet media, it'll buckle or bleed

Pick your inking tools and techniques based on how much time you have!

Prompts/ideas/subject matter

I've always stuck to the "official" prompt list, because it brings me joy to scroll through the tag of the day on instagram and see how others interpreted the same prompt. Or, rather, it used to bring me joy to do this, until instagram's enshittification stole our ability to look at tags. Maybe I'll have some luck with that on Cara going forward; here's hoping.

As for ideas, sometimes they come easy, sometimes it's like pulling teeth and I have to enlist all my friends to brainstorm with me (sorry, y'all). When in doubt, draw the first thing that comes to mind when you read the prompt; don't overthink it (like I often do). I like to try to come up with a less obvious interpretation of a prompt, but this is also where I often get stuck and have to harass my loved ones for ideas. Sometimes it helps to relate the prompt to a tv show/book/etc. you're into; I've done quite a bit of inktober fanart, as well as art of various DnD cahracters from games I've played/DM'd. If all else fails, just look at what everyone else is drawing that day.

Time management

Be realistic about how much time you have in a day to work on inktober, and then set your expectations accordingly. If you only have an hour, stick to a size and level of detail that you can realistically finish in an hour. I've done some very quick scribbles in my years of inktober when I've been busy that day.

My personal philosophy is that I try not to plan too much ahead; I don't do any sketching until day of, and ideally I don't try to come up with ideas for a prompt or at least decide on an idea until the day before at the earliest. Containing each drawing in one day helps me have realistic expectations of what's doable. This does mean drawing late into the night sometimes after procrastinating or struggling to find an idea all day, but it's what works for me.

If your goal is to complete inktober, it's better to do a small shitty drawing in ten minutes than to fall behing by starting something way too ambitious that you'll never be able to finish in a day.

Secret third rule!

Accept the fact that you aren't going to be happy with every drawing.

Inktober was created as an exercise to practice inking. Think of your drawings as sketches, not finished masterpieces. Some of them will be bad, at least in your own eyes. Sometimes you'll put a lot of effort into something that just doesn't work out. For example:

To quote Joe Hills, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of practice. So you fucked up today's drawing. Tomorrow is a new day – that's the beauty of inktober. "Ever tried, ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better." (Samuel Beckett) Progress isn't linear, either; some years are consistently mediocre, other years it's all over the place with a couple bangers and a couple really shitty ones.

Every inktober I've made drawings I love,

drawings I'm indifferent to,

and drawings that straight up suck.

And I'm at peace with that.

Thanks for reading what turned into a pretty long post, and I hope some of it was helpful. Happy inktobering!

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

Paul McCartney Discography Album Cover Ranking

Because I Feel Like It!

25. What was the vision here. I'm genuinely baffled. That pink feels so out of place. Why am I thinking of that one Narnia book.

24. C'mon, man.

23. Denny literally looks like he's about to sneeze. Linda's slaying tho. Why is the contrast so high. You can't even tell they actually took these pics on location.

22. It should probably be lower than London Town but I'm too much of a sucker for red/blue contrasts. It emphasizes his asymmetry way too much.

21. It's kind of a neat picture but it doesn't match the album At All. (Linda I Love Youuuuuuu)

20. The squished artist name and feet upset me. Nice picture though.

19. Striking. I really love the font. The reflection feels like too much.

18. Inoffensive. The colours are lovely.

17. Not super ambitious but a well executed concept.

16. Very cute and cool composition!!!

15. Neat concept. I prefer the cooler tones of the deluxe edition.

14. Love the copper here and the delicate touches of purple.

13. Integrating the album title into the actual subject is always inspired. I wish the tracklist could be found on it too though!!

12. Again: big red/blue contrast fan here. I just find myself wishing the picture (which is good!) was better integrated into the background somehow. Really like the font and the tetris-like blocks though, it feels very in character with the production.

11. Beautiful composition. Just lovely, possibly the most underrated one.

10. Love the handwritten title, the little pie detail, the colour palette, the fact the picture is slightly blurred. this is like if the Driving Rain cover was thought-through.

9. Unapologetically quirky like the album itself. I go back and forth on the blue frame but the portrait itself is so goddamned inspired I have to give it a spot in the top ten.

8. Gorgeous picture. The birds in motion are amazing. I wish Paul's haircut was better but what can you do.

7. This is amazing to me. This cover TELLS a story (I know it's basically a screengrab from some TV special lol). In connection with the title it makes me think "the egg" is earth itself. The way the lighting creates a natural frame. It's just so cool and unique.

6. I cannot decide if the concept of Mike McCartney happening to see his brother through the kitchen curtains and snapping a picture of it or having a specific vision for this image and getting Paul to pose for him is more impressive. This is the stuff of legends. He was fucking 18 or something. Though a part of me wonders if it really works as an album cover. I'd need to look at a physical copy more closely.

5. Back at it again with the blue/red. It works so well with the album's mood as a whole and it's a lovely picture to boot.

4. I just love getting lost in all the details of this one. There's so much to look at without the whole thing feeling over-crowded or overwhelming. I can see the brushstrokes and I love that.

3. The funky af font matched with the super super simple motif. Nothing to add. Having the title vertical and horizontal was inspired.

2. Iconic. Christopher Lee is literally on it.

Sorrrrry but the way it combines black and white with colour and it's VISIBLY homedrawn marker and the yellow is so iconic. This shit goes crazy, I don't tire looking at it.

[autistic-sidestep]

OH ALSO FOR THE SHIP BINGO. Sura and Mortum because i KNOW that's brewing in your brain rn and I want to hear more about them 👀👀

suramortum!!!!!1 fuck it took me 5 months to answer this anyways throws this under the cut (it gets slowly more incoherent towards the end because i am very tired)

so suramortum. i hadnt considered them as a thing when i first played but gradually through codediving and exploring more of mortum's route i really liked the new dimensions it showed of sidestep + how multifaceted the good doctor was. I’ve been fiddling a lot with sura + made it more ruthless + calculated, therefore nudging itself further away from ricardo/heroic persona, and mortum represents a lot more present/future thinking whereas ric’s looking back at the past.

to me i think sura did earnestly first fall for mortum all the way back in rebirth at the cape scene:

You watch the image of the armor rotating in the air as Dr. Mortum adds a variety of capes to the sleek image. There's a look of almost childish joy on her face that makes it hard not to smile in return. "I didn't know you were so fond of capes," you tease. "I'm not." There's a pause, and a sheepish shrug. "Alright, maybe I am. It adds a sense of style that I feel most people these days lack."

someone else who also enjoys design and knows there's power in appearances and genuinely just being able to collaborate with a fellow artist was really nice for sura

Besides the t4t they’re both lonely people starved/desperate for connection and that juxtaposition w/ the fronts they maintain to keep themselves safe, and mortum's route really hits the heart of sura’s issues. eg at the gala:

"It's an interesting feeling, isn't it?" Dr. Mortum looks around the crowd for a moment before returning ${mhis} gaze to you. "To look back and realize how much you've changed. How far you've come." "I suppose." You snort a little in amusement. For a moment, you can see your younger self, standing in a party not unlike this one, feeling completely overwhelmed for very different reasons. "Never thought I'd end up like this." "For people like us, the first time stepping out of line means stepping into our own. I recognized a kindred spirit in you from our first meeting." You turn to look at the good doctor, frowning a little as you try to decide how you are supposed to handle this conversation. $!{mhe} has turned out to be more perceptive than you bargained for.

  #I'm curious about what ${mhe} thinks of me, so I will let ${mhim} continue leading the conversation.     "Really? What kind of a kindred spirit is that?" You smile a little coyly, pushing back your nervous twitch about being investigated like this.     "Someone who is in the process of reinventing themselves." $!{mhe} rubs ${mhis} chin a little, looking you over. "Into what, I'm not sure."     "Isn't that true for everybody, though?"     "Sadly, no. Most people are satisfied with what life has given them. They might whine and complain, but they will make no attempt to change their circumstances."     "But I am?"     "Are you telling me that I'm wrong?" Dr. Mortum looks honestly puzzled, as if nobody had ever dared to do that before.     "Not exactly…." You drag out the pause a little too long. "Just that I'm uncomfortable with being scrutinized this closely."     "I'm not your enemy, ${title}." $!{mhe} smiles a little as ${mhe} looks into your eyes. "Quite the opposite, in fact."

the transtalk during the lovers scene route (which i am always at least a little irritated that sura can’t reach naturally because being intersex and trans are mutually exclusive so i edit the savefile just for that) and the (good) reveal scene really cemented junomortum/suramortum for me though.

Sura’s always masking and acting and lying because it’s an ingrained habit from the Farm and a defense mechanism (and we also can’t forget those identity issues). mortum is one of the few people that's perceptive enough (and that's allowed) to see through some of sura's facades (partly because there's none of the baggage of knowing what sura Used to be like the way it is with chen and ortega)

trans lovers talk:

"I'm sorry," you say [...] "I didn't mean to touch a nerve." "You didn't." She pats you on the back, pulling you a little closer. "Some people…they do. There's this morbid curiosity I can't stand. Like I'm a slab of meat they are trying to find fault with. But you, ma cherie, you…" This time she looks you straight in the eye. "I what?" You are the one turning away your gaze this time. "I get the feeling you understand." "Maybe I do." You can't hide your sigh because you do. Not in a way you can explain to her, but you do. "I wasn't sure at first. You look rather…comfortable with yourself for…" She doesn't say it out loud, but you know what she implies. Juno comes across as so confident, it must be hard for someone else to imagine how much of a mess you are. "I'm good at keeping up appearances," you say, and it's not even much of a lie. Layer the masks thick enough, and they become armor. <- sura's motto right here

"You are," Dr. Mortum admits, but she keeps looking at you with the faintest of frowns. "A little too much for your own good, I think." "No, I like being inscrutable." You slide from her grip, giving her a pat on her shoulder. "Roll over. You're looking at me too much." "Even to me, ma cherie?" But she follows your command, rolling over on her stomach. "Do you still need to hide who you really are around here?" "Yes." You slide on top of her, starting to massage her shoulders. A little rougher than you need to, but she deserves it. "You don't have to," she gently suggests. "I don't judge." "That's what everybody says." You lean into your hands, finding a particularly tense muscle. "Right before they judge you." "I can understand your paranoia, but…" "If you do, then drop this subject, and I'll think about it." That's a lie, but she doesn't need to know that. Your mask is the only thing keeping you safe, no matter how much she claims she would understand. Agh. How did you end up getting caught in another anxiety loop brought on by your own damnable curiosity?

i just. [clenches fist]

also the post-confession stuff! since sura gets stuck in juno (puppetcrash + puppetstuck) i love that mortum even as justifiably upset as she is still cares enough to rescue puppetstuck sura after they'd assumed all bridges between them had been burned (outside scar w/ a lot of self loathing and a self-destructive streak whoops). it's so messy and complicated and i just love them being able to pick through the mess and slowly progress forward (with a lot of apologies, effort and reconcilliation on sura's part). they're not good people but they can still find solace in eachother.

(i think sura's probably headed for a bad ending but mortum might be able to change the trajectory with a bit of luck)

also mortum's audhd and sura's autism ! neurodivergent couple :3 i love that mortum's always checking for consent and how much she cares.

also!!! mortum and sura being the hottest villain powercouple on the west coast is very hot. im thinking about coordinated costumes for annual halloween villain galas and just massively ruthless competence. they can cover eachothers blindspots since mortum's the tech person and sura's got the contacts and the charisma as argos.

sura's down just. horrendously bad for the good doctor. i've likened them to an aloof/hissy housecat with everyone else but a very affectionate lapcat with Only mortum. i'm picturing all kinds of silly domesticity in the lab. in a good end au sura gets its cat back from elena's place and the three live together :'3

[bootyshortsjacob]

ANNIE!!! Hi! Can I request Maeve, Homelander, and Starlight threeway? So, let me set the scene. Starlight, baby supe is under Ezekiel. Ezekiel and Homelander has backdoor deals with baby supes. Homelander and Maeve are together, sort of. He knows about Elena but he knows he and Maeve had fun banging. So, however you can fit this in. This is my 4th time as of august 12th requesting this. Please Annie. If I could write, I would.

This is part 2. I forgot to add that Starlight goes along with everything. Maeve and Homelander is like her favorite supes and she is happy to be there. Maybe some praise kinks? Good girls here and there. However you write it Annie. Pls

I'm sorry it was almost a month responding to this. Broke my wrist and writing and stuff has been... weird. Any way, a little of the chapter and the rest on Ao3.

Meeting Her Heroes (Maeve/Starlight/Homelander)

Maeve was tired of being a perfect partner, tired of photoshoots and events where she had to fake herself with Homelander. All those fake smiles and forced touches were taking a toll on her. Finally, one evening, Maeve had enough and cornered Homelander beside where they would hold their meet and greet.

He looked over at Maeve then, eyes cold and assessing. "What, Maggie? Mean to tell me you can't just pretend for a few hours?"

Maeve clenched her hands at her sides, furious. "It is not just a few hours, John—every day. It's every day. I'm just… exhausted from every press event, interview, and every piece of shit lie we have to believe that's 'in our best interest' as a couple."

Homelander chuckled. There was this nasty curl to his lips, the corners of his mouth quivering. "Oh, poor Maggie. Being with the most powerful man on the planet must be so exhausting. It's tiring dealing with you, too. In the beginning, you were fun . Now? Jesus fucking Christ."

Maeve's jaw clenched, but she would not be pushed away. "The thing is, John, it's been all about power for you. That's all there is. You don't care about me; you're worried about what I'm projecting to the world. How we're a perfect image couple."

Just as Homelander was going to snap on her, a familiar face came into view, and he wasn't alone. He hated those lower-ranked supe freaks that Vought paired with, especially Ezekiel. Who in the world would think God is the reason for Supes? He was a God himself.

Ezekiel was coming to meet them—the charismatic man on the verge of being arrogant—smiling confidently, with only a few other low-ranking Supes trailing behind him, desperately trying to catch the Leader of the Seven's gaze.

Homelander and Maeve stared at the tiny, sheepish blonde standing behind Ezekiel. Their eyes locked for one long moment, and something seemed like understanding fluttered between them.

Ezekiel smiled wryly at the sight of their brief shared moment. "Ah, Homelander, Maeve. I thought I'd drop on in and introduce you to someone." He motioned to the blonde supe behind him; her eyes darted between them nervously.

Homelander never took his eyes off the blonde, appraising her. "Who's this?" He inquired, his tone mixed with curiosity and the tiniest amount of possessive questioning.

Ezekiel grinned and was entertained by the friction between them. "Meet Annie, one of our rising stars in Capes for Christ. She can influence electricity... A pretty useful power, eh?"

Annie stared back at them, brown eyes big and skittish as she nervously pulled at the hem of her skirt. "She can tell you her Supe name, but her favorite Supes growing up were you two! And I told her I could pull some strings and have her meet you guys."

Maeve felt pity for the obviously ill-at-ease and anxious young Supe. Meanwhile, Homelander was intrigued, plainly. He circled in on Annie and looked her over. "Is that so? You idolize us, huh?" Homelander said in a voice thick with praise and mockery. He leaned in close, gentle fingers tilting Annie's chin to get a better look at her, a predatory grin spreading across his face.

Maeve had gently moved his gloved hand from Annie's chin with a roll of her eyes. "We're your favorites, Annie?" She asked softly.

Annie raised her eyebrows in amazement as Maeve gently moved Homelander's hand out of the way. "Y-y-es," she gaped. "I…I thought you were both the greatest Supes… And it's..." She stopped for a second. "It's an honor to meet you..."

Homelander chuckled at this—the sound made Annie shiver. "Glad to know we have fans. Especially a pretty little thing like you." He ran his eyes over her, his gaze stopping and lingering over her body.

Read here!

[innerbeast]

within a dream(scape) ;

he wasn't sure what came over him, this sudden fogginess settling within his head. every muscle had begun to feel heavy, weighted; movements growing sluggish as though he'd been out and busy for days on end.

exhausted, he realized. that's what this felt like.

whatever he had been doing came to a crawling halt, hands pressed against a counters edge to try and force himself to remain upright. dar'khol managed a few, slow blinks, hoping to will some energy back into his vision; to keep things from blurring from the thick blankets of sleep rolling over him. he was used to fighting this off, but was failing miserably this time around.

it didn't feel natural, wasn't right. there was no reason for him to feel so tired -- regardless of how highly emotions had been running, with how busy he's tried to keep himself without going too far.

but his body wished to tell him otherwise, causing him to jolt as it grew lax, trying to force the miqo'te over. eventually, dar found himself giving in to the heaviness, legs bending at the knee and carefully bringing him down to the floor. hands slipped away from the counter, body turned to press his back against the cabinet doors underneath.

again, his head drooped. again, he fought with his eyes to keep them open.

ultimately, they fell shut. dar'khol's head dropping before his entire body slouched, falling to the side until he was comfortably wedged in the corner of the counters; cheek smooshed against a cabinet, legs sprawled out in front of him and arms left to rest limply in between them.

his slumber guaranteed the moment a gentle snore sounded.

. . .

' khol'to... '

he knows that voice. gentle with a light roughness, warm and comforting.

' khol'to. '

he finds himself humming in response, left at ease the more the voice spoke. it was so familiar, he was happy to hear it. wanted to keep hearing it while a sense of longing curled up against his chest; heartbeat quickened yet steady.

"khol'to! quit your daydreaming, you've got plenty of time before needing to set sail. you were in the midst of telling me of your preperations for it -- bring back that excitement! i'm gonna miss that smile while you're away."

dar'khol's head snaps up, widened eyes blinking a few times before the room becomes clear. his chin was left resting in the palm of his hand, other arm beneath him, laying atop a wooden table. all of it was familiar: the wooden furnishings adorned with varying plants scattered about, either potted or strung along to grow around a beam or wall. those dusty, beige walls littered with crammed shelving. pots, photo frames and boxes. a few wooden carved animals decorating the edges, handmade gifts that were given time and time again, lasting for years.

the warrior only found himself settling the further he took in his surroundings, eyes eventually focusing on the woman who stood beside him, offering him a warmed cup that she set on the table in front of him. her smile an infectious one, dar returning the expression. the two of them almost a mirror image of one another, ears flicking in near unison, dangling an earring each that matched the other.

"sorry, ma," dar'khol chimes, "gettin' a bit ahead o' myself. i'm excited!" he takes hold of the cup offered, the aroma of the steeping leaves within earning a joyous wag of his tail. "i've explored so much of eorzea, even goin' passed it to the east, then further south... the west is a whole new deal."

his mother laughs, patting her sons shoulder and offering it a reassuring squeeze. "that excitement is going to run your furry arse into a wall," her lips curl with a knowing smile, head tilting playfully, "again." she adds, laughing once more before she's stepping over to take a seat at the table.

dar can feel embarrassment tug down his ears, brows knitting together as he hides behind a sip of tea.

"oh, ease up, moonbeam. i'm only teasing -- i'd be just as excited myself if i were you." khol gives a joyful flick of her own tail, leaning back within her seat as she takes a sip of her own drink. "khol'a will be mighty jealous, you might see him over there before long, too."

they both give a laugh to that.

"i'll be sure to show him the good spots. once i've found 'em all first, of course!" there's a smugness to dar's tone, head tilted back proudly. he's never had much of a rivalry with his brother, but it was always fun to pretend he did now and again. his mother always seemed to get a kick out of it. getting her to laugh was just more reason to do it.

"oh, i'm sure you will, khol'to. and i'll be receiving word in the mail of your little victory, aye?"

dar'khol flashes his mother a grin; a full-face smile from ear to ear that squeeze his eyes shut. an equally infectious smile that has khol's own eyes crinkling from her son's beaming joy. "i'll take that as a yes, then."

"you'll be gettin' a lil' somethin' along with it, of course! gotta fill in the empty spots on your shelves, somehow." and spoil her further with a souvenir from every corner he traveled to. she may not be able to come along on each venture, but he'd be damned if he didn't find a means of including her one way or another..

"empty spots?" khol questions, a brow quirked as she waves a hand towards them, "you better be willing to help me find these so called 'empty spots' before you go sending me anything more!" but she's laughing shortly after speaking, shaking her head gently all the while as she watches dar's ears fall back and his expression shift to slight bewilderment.

"i kid, luv. i kid. i've already a few places in mind for the next set of trinkets you'll gift me," her own grin seemed to help ease the warrior, again. both of them left in a cozy cloud of understanding laughter.

he missed this. he missed home.

he missed her.

there's something in the back of his mind that wishes to tell him none of it was real, he wasn't really here. reason wishing to remind him he'd only just fallen asleep not long ago... but he ignored all of it. either willingly or otherwise.

for as long as it would last, he was home. swaddled in the comforts of conversing with his mother again, eager to set out upon a new adventure. taking full advantage of his invitation to tural, reveling in these few moments before he'd be swept away by his growing excitement once again.

he can't remember a moment otherwise where he felt so... free.

. . .

as dar'khol let himself drift away further into memory, his sleeping form only seemed to melt in place further. from his place within the cabinets corner he'd managed to fall to the floor entirely. limbs curled inward, head tucked away within his arms, and his tail draped gently over a thigh.

occasionally, his ears would twitch. as though they were focusing in on spoken words, a soft smile left etched across his face. after everything he's been through up to this point... he's yet to feel this content.

[tangyangie]

Can I please get some body hair comfort/ headcanons for Mha boys? Specifically for the belly, legs, arms, between the legs, etc.

» no bed of roses... ☆彡

characters: izuku midoriya, katsuki bakugo, shoto todoroki, eijiro kirishima, denki kaminari

description: you're insecure about your body hair. how do the mha boys comfort you?

hii and thank you for requesting!! i didn't know who exactly you wanted, so i just put these guys. i would've done more, but i'm tired and i was really busy today :((

» izuku → he's a total sweetheart, and completely understands your feelings. he's had his insecurities too.

"i know how it feels to not like your body. perhaps not this exact situation, but i'm right here, and i'll listen as long as you need me to. i think you're incredibly brave for telling me your feelings."

he would totally give you hugs and snuggles and whatever else you wish for. he would shower you in compliments to make you feel good about your body.

» katsuki → he thinks it's stupid, because he doesn't understand why?? body hair?? is?? bad?? because it's not.

"huh?? who told you that your body hair is something to be insecure about? i'll kill them!!"

perhaps he's a bit direct, but he gets the job done. after he's done interrogating you about this 'person', he will sit down next to you and listen to whatever you want to say about the situation.

» shoto → he rushes to attempt to comfort you as soon as you mention this insecurity.

"you're so beautiful, don't listen to whoever made you think that body hair is something to be ashamed about. it's completely natural. personally, i think you're very, very pretty, no matter what you feel."

he's so nice, and will gently hug you before sitting down with you and encouraging you to spill your feelings to him and comforting you about every single one <33

» eijiro → he thinks you're incredibly cool, and doesn't care about how others feel about your body hair.

"you're so cool! i don't care what other people tell you, you're amazing and beautiful. i will totally out-man them if you ask me to!!"

he's a little confused as to why you're so insecure about it, as he deals with it too. but, he's totally up for comforting you and making you feel happier about your body image!! he will then go and out-man everyone.

» denki → he does his best to cheer you up and make you feel better about yourself and your body.

"you don't need to feel bad about that! it happens to everyone, it's completely natural. whoever made you think that doesn't deserve you."

he'll totally add in some jokes, as he knows you best and knows what will make you laugh and get you out of your sadness. definitely be prepared for some tickles, because he will take any risk to make you happy!

notes: guys please request some genshin 🙏 i'm totally feeling it rn and i'd go completely crazy over some ganyu requests..

anyways i really hope this was up to your expectations!! i think i'm starting to get a better sense of my writing style, so hopefully it won't take as long to start posting consistently!!

[sickofthis666]

"Feminist" songs recommendations:

Tried to find a playlist of "feminist", or more like "women positive" songs online the other day and the results were disappointing, so I'm making my own and thought I'd share!

My Way, Ava Max

"But how come when I tell you

What's on my mind like men do

I'm called crazy?"

Killings boys, Halsey

Jennifer's body inspired.

"All I want in return is revenge"

Bitches, Tove Lo

Bitch Of The Year, Krewella

I've had enough, Melina KB

"So you say you really miss me

Well that makes me laugh

Cause you miss the way I let you walk over me"

Eat Me, Demi Lovato

"Try to be sexy but don't be too sexual

Longer hair and tighter clothes

Would you like me better if I didn't oppose?"

Suburbia, Tove Lo

"I never want babies

I never want a marriage

You are the love of my life

But I can’t be no stepford wife"

My Man, Winona Oak

"Damn

You think that you’re so hardcore you’re the man

Keep looking at me like you’ve got a chance"

Sex Yeah, Marina and the diamonds

"If history could set you free (from who you were supposed to be)

If sex in our society (didn't tell a girl who she would be)

'Cause all my life I've tried to fight what history has given me

If women were religiously recognized sexually

We wouldn't have to feel the need to show our ass-ets to feel free

Tired image of a star, acting naughtier than we really are"

Man's world, MARINA

"Burnt me at the stake, you thought I was a witch

Centuries ago, now you just call me a bitch

I don't wanna live in a man's world anymore"

Just a Girl, No doubt

"Don't you think I know exactly where I stand?

This world is forcing me to hold your hand

Oh, I'm just a girl, all pretty and petite

So don't let me have any rights

Oh, I've had it up to here

'Cause I'm just a girl, I'd rather not be"

You don't own me, Lesley Gore (modern cover by Saygrace is good without the male rap imo)

Competition, Little Mix

Power, Little Mix

Little Me, Little Mix

29, Demi Lovato

"Finally twenty-nine

Seventeen would never cross my mind

Thought it was a teenage dream, a fantasy

But it was yours, it wasn't mine"

The Man, Taylor Swift

Nightmare, Halsey

That Bitch, Bea Miller

Now You Know, Icon For Hire

Good thing, Zedd with Kehlani

We will rock you, In this moment (cover by 3 female artists)

Not 20 Anymore, Bebe Rexha

Home with you, Madison Beer

Fall In Line, Christina Aguilera ft Demi Lovato

Not Afraid, GJan

Pendant 24h, Grand Corps Malade et Suzanne

"D'être une femme, je veux découvrir l'enfer du décor"

Nobody's wife, Anouk

Experiment on Me, Halsey

"Lock up your sons, make way for the daughters

You be the lamb, and we'll be the slaughter

Who needs a Y this many X's?"

Don't hesitate to add yours.

[hellothere-generalangsty]

It's way past my bedtime ans my cat is sleeping-purring next to me but I thought I'd post the process of the @ailani-reillata Ailaniversary art I made today just to talk a bit more about it

Disclaimer: doing traditional art is cool until you need to scan it or post a picture of it 😂 also kinda long post below so ofc no obligation at all to read it!

Phase one: Sketching the Idea

My inspiration for the posture was a Yara Flor comic strip I found on Pinterest. Yara looks over her shoulder and her hair falls on the side of her face, and I loved the way it framed her face and thought it would look great with Ailani's hair.

I drew a little doodle on the page to help me visualize how the hair would be divided, and focused on 3 main parts (the lines, the bubbles, the empty space) which would - supposedly- help me during the lineart stage. Below are images of the final sketch.

I was hesitant on adding details to her arms, such as the folds of a dress, but I was so anxious about ruining the drawing I abandonzd that idea. I was considering adding her tattoos and was still not decided at this stage of the drawing.

Phase 2: Line-ing the Art

Is that even a real word? Idk, I'm too tired to English properly so we will say it is. Following the sketching phase was naturalle the lineart phase, which is one of my favorite stage when drawing. I bought new inking pens too so I was able to test them out, and it went quite well!

As you can see, the ribbons, outline of the skin and facial features have been done with my new pens, and i was quite happy with the result! It gives a more natural look to the whole drawing in my opinion.

At this stage I decided not to add her arm tattoos and consider this version of Ailani as the one you would find in the early chapters of Begged and Borrowed Time, so before she would get her tattoos.

Phase 2.5: Line-ing the Hair

This stage has it's own part because it was really fun to do! The inspiration for the way I draw hair comes from @/ssavaart (aka Scott Christian Sava on Youtube). I've been following him for a while now and I'm trying to push my art beyond my comfort zone and try new stuff thanks to him, and having fun with drawing hair is one of these things!

Look how beautiful these curls are. I'm not trying to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm really proud of the drawing at this stage 😂 it's the perfect moment where the inking went well and I have not yet ridked myself with the watercolours - so I always take a long sight (and tons of pictures) to celebrate reaching this stage without incidents.

Phase 3: Watercolours

Here comes the difficult part. It always makes me nervous because I always fear ruining my drawing and all the efforts I put into it by doing the watercolours. But I love the medium too much and if I want to get better I need to practice. So, testing the waters, I finally dive head first into this crucial stage.

The watercolouring goes well, I'm overall satisfied enough to take some pictures and even try to scan it, with the hope that the scanned rendering will be better than the usual "photographing and editing" I do with my phone.

Spoiler alert: the scan was NOT better than the pictures, and no amount of editing could change that. (Or maybe I am just very bad at editing.) So, back to my "photographing and editing" habits, I somehow managed to get a good enough result:

I still feel unsatisfied as I find these digital versions do not properly render the visuals I have on paper, IRL. With the digital versionsw the hair is either so dark we don't see the details, or too bright, the colours are too warm and light... And while Ailani looks light-skinned, the paper version has these visible brown tones that I struggled to find on the digital version, even when editing the pictures. The closest I got is the tone you see on the first picture, but the image is not lighted enough so the overall quality of the picture is a bit lessened by that.

Still, I won't complain too much, because overall it was a very fun drawing to do, I enjoyed every stage of it and I would love to do another piece like this! But for now I will go to sleep because it is Way Past My Bedtime 😂

If you've made it this far, thank you for your attention, feel free to let me know which stage is your favorite and what you liked most (or disliked most) about this drawing!

I for one really had fun doing Ailani's lips, as well as filling her hair, and colouring her eyes! 😊

[txt-ruby]

⌗ Sugar rush ride shooting sketch !!

⊹ word count. 1.5k

⊹ era. sugar rush ride

⊹ emma talks. first request and i know it's very choppy TT but pls bear with me! It's been almost two years since I've properly written something TT lmk if you found anything wrong and I'll fix it!! I'd love it if i get any feedback!! Constructive criticism is also welcome as long as it's not you just bashing me for my bad writing 💔

Bella looks around as she enters the sugar rush ride music video set. Looking at the camera, " today is our first day of filming for our title song, sugar rush ride in Korea. I heard my shoot is with butterflies in my hand! Of course I know they're not real butterflies but I'm excited to shoot for the upcoming days!! Fighting!!" She says excitedly. She laughs when yeonjun mentions he feels like winnie the pooh. Looking at the eldest whose hands are currently busy with the honey.

When the lights went out during Soobin's shoot, she let out a scream to which she quickly apologized embarrassed. She stayed and watched everybody's individual filming and cheered for everyone! During the group scene, she was seen standing in the corner with her hands and legs spread out. When asked why, she replied "I don't like the feeling of glitter on my skin hahaha that's why I'm standing like this". When beomgyu heard her say this, he immediately ran to her and hugged her which made her scream at him and they chased each other for a bit before calming themselves down.

For the next outfit change, when they were fixing their hair and makeup, she asked soobin, "are you not wearing anything inside?" To which he replied "yea I'm quite cold".

She looked at taehyun with pure eyes of adoration as he spoke to the camera "our muscles are a part of our outfits. The choreography this time started off as refreshing and sexy but it's been corrupted to just sexy sexy haha. That's our choreography. I was really surprised to see ruby's muscles. I knew she worked out but i didn't know she hit the gym everyday" she laughed at his speech.

" There are a lot of points where we have to sit and then stand which makes the choreo very tiring " ruby said with a pout on her face while fanning herself and monitoring the group performance.

" But we'll have to overcome it to have the best performance, " she said while the rest of the group were trying to go through the choreography once again.

Laughing at Beomgyu's antics, she and Taehyun were bouncing around to which the other members except yeonjun soon joined.

After the last scene, the group finally finished their first day of filming. Gathering as a whole, they stood in front of the camera and ruby next to beomgyu and soobin when huening kai spoke about how their first day of filming had come to an end. Taehyun explained that it was their only shoot in Korea and most of it was dancing and asked them how they felt.

Ruby replied " I think the image shots came out really well and of course our choreography scenes always look really cool so I'm really excited for it!! The camera movements were very cool too!!"

She finished when Huening added that he was there too and soon one by one the members were starting to add themselves in as Bella laughed at their childishness. "Yeah yeah but it came out well so we're happy and let's do our best in the remaining shoot!! Well done everyone!" Huening kai said as the group followed with a 'lets meet at Bali!!'.

"Shoutout to our Indonesian fans," Yeonjun said as he pressed a kiss onto the camera with his hands. " It's my first time here in Bali but it's so nice and it feels like heaven!!" Ruby exclaimed as she looked around at nature.

" Ooh there are goats here!!" Ruby said to soobin and he and Beomgyu turned back to look where she was pointing. "The goats here are the size of Maltese" soobin said to which beomgyu replied "these two love little things. You can see their likes right here" ruby gave Beomgyu a side eye when he started singing baby goat and explained that the goats would come if he called like this which made the staff around them burst out in laughter.

Ruby saw that soobin and Beomgyu were running around chasing each other which brought a smile to her face. Her turn was to run with yeonjun. Him and Bella were standing there waiting when Yeonjun said it was too hot to which Bella agreed, fanning her face.

She then ran along with Yeonjun laughing and looking around when the director instructed them to. When they heard 'cut', they ran to their original place. "It's soo beautiful here. I can't believe a place like this actually exists". Yeonjun exclaimed looking at the beautiful place they were at, to which Ruby agreed by saying " i know right! I can definitely see why we decided to shoot here! So when we were checking on how the scenes turned out, it looked so beautiful" soon they were starting the group and the choreography scenes.

They were running around happily and smiling and laughing at each other.

Waiting to start the choreo, bella spotted a bug near soobin to which upon seeing it she lightly screamed startling poor beomgyu who was next to her. Soon they were done with the second day of total filming and first day of filming in bali. They once again gathered as a group to end the video for that day while clapping.

The second day of filming in bali, they were at a natural waterfall and the members were all taking pictures of the place and some sneaky pictures of Bella because she looked absolutely ethereal. "Why do you look like an angel today" beomgyu asked her which made her chuckle and ask him if it was a compliment or a genuine question.

She laughed along with soobin as he teased huening kai for stirring the water like it was iced tea. She pouted when she heard that Soobin had to get into the water for his scenes. She could see his shivering from where she stood. She went up to their stylist and asked her to bring a few more towels for soobin. After soobin finished, all the staff and the members clapped for him because he worked so hard. For the group scene, she had to walk in the water a few meters next to beomgyu. They were preparing to shoot in a new location and Bella looked mesmerized by Yeonjun who was quietly filming his scenes. "Waah Choi yeonjun you're soo cool".

Bella said as soon as he finished it and he gave her a genuine smile. As Yeonjun was filming his scene, beomgyu called out for kai and ruby. "yah bella and kai feel my heartbeat" to which the two younger ones kept their hand on his chest to feel them. Kai laughed at the elder who's heartbeat quickened because of a honeybee.

The group monitored their dance as Bella tried to steady her breath. They continued their choreo passionately. They filmed their last scene for the night and the members left quickly just waving to the camera.

The last day and it was to be spent on the beach. Bella was seen wowing at the water's colors and pointing it out to yeonjun who stood next to her because of the girl's fear of the water. They filmed the scenes and when they were monitoring, Yeonjun, who found a hermit crab, called out to bella. The group soon huddled around the poor crab.

They film their own scenes and bella is seen emotionally looking into the ocean while sitting down on the shore in a position which seems like she's been washed ashore. She nods while beomgyu explains it to the camera. They end the group scenes with yeonjun, her and taehyun run around on the beach and then walk tirelessly to just run back again.

The four members, huening kai, soobin, beomgyu and taehyun talk to the camera explaining that the four of them are done with shoots and only bella and yeonjun are left. Soon a wild yeonjun and a calm ruby are seen running up to the rest of the members and the group conclude their three day shooting in bali as a successful one.

Bella is seen on the beach as she watches the boat turned upside down and she turns around to the camera in tears and then the screen turns black.

Bella is the only person left and she turns to the camera, " we've completed our shooting for our title track sugar rush ride!! It's our first time here in Bali and it's so pretty and it's really meaningful now because it's our first overseas location!! We've worked very hard for this comeback so I hope everyone is looking forward to it!! Bye!!"

taglist: @stealanity @alixnsuperstxr @riikiblr lmk if you wanna be added!!

[orcelito]

Gencon is very busy...!!!

Ummmmm highlights of the day..!!!

I maybe bought 4 Naruto figurines. Thankfully not individually expensive (though perhaps a little expensive all together...) see I wanted Sasuke but I also wanted Kakashi and I couldn't have Sasuke without Naruto and well it would feel wrong to have the 3 of them without Sakura and so I somehow. Got all 4. Haha. I'll most likely post pics later, whenever I end up opening them. I'm still at the convention center rn lol

(Putting the rest of this under a cut bc it got a little long lol)

I was on the field of the Lucas Oil Stadium, aka the stadium that the Indianapolis Colts play at. I've attended all of One game here (not professional football, it was a high school game lol) so I've felt the size of it, but it's still fucking crazy being on the field. It's so BIG...... and obviously they've got the grass covered rn, but it's still pretty cool!!!

I maaaade dice!!! Pretty precise process it seems, & definitely would require a Lot of work (after the sanding and the painting etc etc). I do still wanna get into it, but if I wanted to spring for stuff like the vacuum chamber or the pressure pot...

Yeah, it'd get expensive. Add in the fact that I don't have a good place to do this away from the cats & it really is not feasible to start rn. But!!! Eventually!!!! I think I'd really enjoy it. I just need a dedicated workshop space where I can spread out without worrying about poisoning my cats lol.

Here's some cool game set stuff I saw in the event hall. This picture is maybe... hm... a fourth of the event hall? And then when you consider that the vender hall (connected to the event hall, though it's closed right now) is maybe 1.5 times as big as the event hall?? Give or take a little...

Aka just imagine booths upon booths upon booths... I'm gonna have to take a pic of it tomorrow. I was there too briefly to think about taking a pic. Honestly I maybe managed to get through like a tenth of the whole vender hall in an hour of wandering. It's fucking huge. And So Many Dice... I bought one set of 14 (I think it was) dice. Aka an extended set. And then I got a random set bag of dice (just a basic 7). And then a d20 with a cat on it. And a dice of LETTERS. Aka I guess a d26 (I totally did not have to double check that there were 26 letters in the alphabet)(I have 702k words written & posted to ao3)(😂😂😂 I'm very tired) but with letters instead of numbers. And it's glow in the dark!!! And I found some hxh buttons, and a mighty nein poster, and uhmmmm. A cute lanyard. And that's all I bought. Which really is such restraint for me. (Omfg I just saw a dragon cosplay)(someone just dressed as a dragon)

OH YEAH I saw a fucking. Persona 5 Ryuji cosplay. Hanging out with the biker lady from Durarara. Featuring the Ryuji holding her scythe hfksbfmd which was such a funny image. I was too shy to ask for a pic but just trust 🙏 i saw this

Anyways yeah the only real big thing I bought is the naruto figurines. I'll show pics later once I got the stuff again (I dropped it all off in the car earlier)

Omfg literally as I've been sitting here (on a bench at the side of a main hallway) someone stopped by and gave me a handmade bracelet !!!

DND's 50th anniversary!!! So cute!!!!

[esidolmail]

For my beloved Switch,

I'm honestly a bit nervous writing this, but you only live once, I suppose! I'm eternally grateful to have been able to follow your unit and activities for these past few years. I'm convinced whatever magic you three talk about is more than real, because every time I hear any of your songs or see an image or clip of even just one of you, it just makes my day so much brighter! I feel more than lucky to be a fan of yours, as you're one of my main motivations to keep going every day. Though, I'd feel bad writing this cheesy little letter of admiration without focusing on each of you individually, so...

Natsume: You're very interesting! You shroud yourself in mystery, keeping up this persona that I just can't help but be fascinated by! Every move you make, on stage and off, feels so, well, I'm not too sure how to put this... Calculated? I think. What I'm kind of trying to get at here is, you very much give off the aura of a skilled magician. Aside from that, I've been absolutely enamored with your vocals by day one. Your performances are absolutely enchanting, giving me the feeling of being whisked away by some fantastical creature, if that makes any sense. Honestly, your precense in general is wonderful, and I hope you continue to be the incredible person you are!

Tsumugi: You truly are a beacon of happiness! Honestly, I don't even know how to put how grateful I am for you into words. You do so, so much for everyone around you, and I think that's one of your most admirable traits. The love I feel from you when you simply talk about the things or people you like is positively radiant, and anything you say has a way to lighten my mood greatly! Your voice is like that of a songbird's; I could never get tired of listening to it, really. I believe everything you do is simply incredible! Though, I do know you tend to push yourself quite often... Try to get some proper rest, will you?

Sora: Sora!! You are an absolute blessing to the world, bringing light everywhere you go. Your upbeat personality is almost infectious, as you always find a way to bring a silly smile to my face. I know being an idol can get exhausting, especially for someone like you who can get overwhelmed by too much going on at once, but I hope you're faring well! I don't experience the exact same things you do, but I'm also not very good with a lot of sensory input, so I can relate to some extent! It's very tough at times, but I know you'll be able to keep yourself strong! Your bubbly performances are everything to me, and as I said earlier, the happiness you carry with you is absolutely contagious! I'm so, so glad someone like yourself exists! Please keep being the wonderful Sora you are!

And, to add on a bit and close this whole letter off, I am extremely glad, moreso than I could ever fit into a simple letter, that I've been lucky enough to discover the three of you in Switch. You've all helped me bring me out of the lowest points of my life thus far, and I am terribly grateful that fate has been kind enough to allow us to each exist in the same timeline. I adore you with my entire existence! Please take care, you all!! (*´ω｀*)

— Mya!!

[ed-recovery-affirmations]

ive been going back and forth about asking this but as someone who never had healthy eating to a healthy approach to body image modeled for me, what does waning the healthfully lose weight look like? ive been considering trying to lose weight for health reasons (my doctor supports me if i choose to or not) but i realize i have no idea how to keep diet and exercise from becoming disordered. thank you for your time

That is a very good question! I'm glad you have access to a medical professional who supports you either way. I'm going to go ahead and put my answer under a cut so that people who find diet advice triggering can choose not to read. The truth is that for many people who've experienced disordered eating, all dieting is a risk and can lead to ED relapse. I was really hesitant about answering this, because I do personally believe in health at every size, and because I do not know your specific medical needs/previously existing medical conditions. However, because as someone who had to be put on a very restrictive diet when I was experiencing terrible GI problems, I REALLY wish I'd had someone to talk me through having to restrict with a previous ED, because it was SO triggering. I truly hope my advice can help, whether you choose to pursue this or not.

I am going to bold something I ended up putting in the end of my written piece, though: If you try still find yourself struggling too hard with your mental health and body image, it's really okay to stop dieting. If you find yourself too hungry, too tired, just too deprived, you can quit. I don't know how you feel about the "health at every size" movement, and I do not know your current weight, nor do I need to ask. All I know is that ANYTHING is healthier than developing a lifelong eating disorder. And I know that you deserve a life in which you feel the best you possibly can, regardless of what that looks like! I personally believe it is okay to be fat. Yes, really. It is okay to be fat. It can be hard, in this world that demonizes fatness, to accept that for yourself, but it is okay to be fat. And it is much, much healthier to be a self-loving fat person than to be someone who self-destructs in pursuit of thinness.

Please take care of yourselves, followers. Know your limits and mind the tags before reading on.

So if you choose to pursue this, first and foremost, make sure you're not cutting too many calories, because you will fuck up your metabolism in the long run. Remember that 2000 (give or take) is considered the MINIMUM for an adult. Many diets recommend 1500 - that is BAD. That is a starvation diet. There have been studies showing this will fuck with your metabolism and health long-term. 2000 is the minimum, and remember that calories have no morality. You may find yourself needing to add more if your exercise plan is particularly rigorous. Remember, giving your body what it needs will make it feel safe. Exercising while going into deprivation mode will trigger your body into starvation mode in the long run.

That leads me into a segue - never let your body feel deprived or starved. This is the gateway to eating-disordered thinking - the idea that you should deprive yourself if your body is not where you feel it "should" be, or that you are displaying moral weakness for feeding your body when it tells you it needs feeding. Use intuitive eating - eat nice and slow, savoring each bite, and absolutely keep eating until your body tells you it feels full enough. Remember, once your body is full, there is nothing wrong with putting away the rest for leftovers!

(And keep in mind - eat until you feel ACTUALLY full, not using ana tricks to make your body temporarily THINK you are full.)

Take joy in cooking and finding new foods! Food is not bad. It is something that we all need and it is natural for us to take pleasure in it, so don't let your eating or food prep experiences become "guilty!" Experiment with nutritious recipes, savoring the journey of finding what you like, and remember, you don't have to force yourself to eat specific foods if you don't enjoy them. I know kale got really big a while back, but it's just not for everyone. (It can also be cooked in different ways - it is VERY difficult to enjoy raw kale.) Now drinking liquefied celery seems to be the new fad diet. You don't have to like that either (I hate celery, myself!) There is no morality attached to eating foods that you hate because the latest fad diet says you have to, and you do not deserved to be deprived of enjoyable food at ANY size, remind yourself of that! Remember that your body does not need to "detox" from food, and that there are a wide variety of foods that can offer you good nutrition. Depriving yourself leads to a mentality of feeling like you deserve to be deprived. Do your research and find what you like.

Remember that healthy fats, carbs, salt, and sugars are necessary nutrients. While your doctor may advise you to somewhat reduce these things, do not trust ANY diet that tries to keep you from incorporating these things into your regular meals. (In fact, you need many of these things in order to properly absorb your vitamins.) Eat complete meals rather than falling to fad diets.

You are human and humans need little treats! If you have a favorite type of "junk food" it will not lead to a healthy mentality to deprive yourself of it completely. Your doctor may advise you to reduce the quantities of these treats and replace them with more nutritious snacks, but a total-deprivation diet is not mentally healthy. Keep your treats. Remember that your worth does not decline at ANY size, and you deserve to have treats here and there at ANY point in your journey. And that's ANY treat. Yes, processed food. Yes, refined sugars. Yes, "empty calories." We all deserve a little bit of our favorite things every now and again, and these foods have no morality. They are not "guilty" or "bad" foods. They're treats. Allow yourself to enjoy them. I also would NOT follow the practice of setting aside one specific "cheat day" where you allow yourself to go ham, followed by more restriction. I'm concerned that could lead to a binge-restrict pattern, fuck up your metabolism, and encourage an unhealthy relationship to guilt and food. Instead, allot yourself these treats in measured amounts throughout your week.

(Also, try to keep from falling into the mentality that you are only allowed to feel joy, pride, happiness, etc once you have reached a certain weight. If you never lose an ounce, you are every bit as human and worthy as a hypothetical thinner self. If you deprive yourself of joy in the process, having no idea how long it will take, you may arrive at your weight goal only to find that you have forgotten how to feel positively about yourself as a person along the way.)

Remember that exercise is not for punishing your body! Try to find exercise that you enjoy. You can take little walks while listening to music. Perhaps you can go swimming, try yoga, or sign up for a dance class. It can be hard to do these things while you don't feel comfortable in your body, but remember that regardless of what anyone else thinks, you deserve to have activities you enjoy at EVERY size. Typical exercise like running and lifting are totally fine, but not everybody likes these things and that's okay. There's no morality to that either. Some people just hate running. Remember that you're trying to create a lifestyle in which your mind and body feel good, a life that you enjoy. So ask yourself, as you exercise - are you doing something good for your body, or are you punishing your body? Your body does not deserve to be punished. (And don't be discouraged if you have to work up to the exercise abilities you want. It doesn't happen overnight.) Oh, and you don't need to exercise excessively after a holiday or a treat! Exercise is not something you use to punish yourself for eating. Eating is a life necessity, not a punishable offense. Remember that.

Allow yourself to enjoy events like holiday parties, birthdays, family events. It can be hard not to struggle with guilt on these days, but you are still deserving of enjoying the treats and festivities at any size. And if well-meaning family members try to guilt you, feel free to let them know that if you wanted their advice, you would ask.

Do not be tempted to punish your body through restriction or painful levels of exercise, even if you don't lose weight as fast as you'd wanted to. Even if you find yourself not losing any weight at all! All bodies and metabolisms are different, and you don't deserve to punish yourself no matter what. These behaviors can create mental health problems and can set you up for serious long-term physical health problems down the line. And you deserve better than that - at ANY size! Keep in mind that you may not end up at the ultimate weight you had envisioned, but try not to become frustrated. Go at it slowly and steadily. Drastic levels of rapid weight loss just do more harm than good. Try to enjoy where you are at every part in the process, and give your body love and appreciation wherever it's at. There is a lot of pressure to want and relentlessly pursue a thin body, but it's not sustainable if you can't be in the moment loving your body along the way.

And finally, if you find yourself struggling with a mentality of guilt, shame, or fear around food, it is okay to go off your diet. If you find yourself too hungry, too tired, just too deprived, you can quit. Yes, really. There can be a lot of stigma or shame attributed to a "failed" diet, but there is nothing shameful about making the right choices to best protect YOUR mental and physical health. So if you try this and still find yourself struggling too hard with your mental health and body image, it's really okay to stop. I don't know how you feel about the "health at every size" movement, and I do not know your current weight, nor do I need to ask. All I know is that anything is healthier than developing a lifelong eating disorder. And I know that you deserve a life in which you feel the best you possibly can, regardless of what that looks like! I personally believe it is okay to be fat. Yes, really. It is okay to be fat. It can be hard, in this world that demonizes fatness, to accept that about yourself, but it is okay to be fat. And it is much, much healthier to be a self-loving fat person than to be someone who self-destructs in pursuit of thinness.

I might suggest you consult with a therapist and nutritionist who might be able to help you monitor yourself, and might also help you gain better insights into your mentality around body image and food. That way you're not doing this alone and will have other people to tell you if what you're doing is taking a turn into the unhealthy/disordered.

Whatever you decide to do, anon, I hope you find a life that you enjoy and in which you feel well!