#i'll see how i'm getting on by the time i finish the free trial and might subscribe
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an-ruraiocht · 2 months ago
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so i'm trying out the app "say something in..." for welsh and it essentially gives you phrases to repeat and combine in different ways, interspersed with a nice welsh man telling you facts about brains and how they learn, reminding you that your brain is amazing and that you definitely can learn to speak welsh, and encouraging you to "learn a little bit more welsh for me"
it's very different from the duolingo shame/guilt motivation and also i have to say. i don't personally have a praise kink but if you do and you want a gentle-voiced welsh man to tell you you're doing really well all the time. well
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gor3-hound · 6 months ago
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WRITTEN ALL OVER YOUR FACE - NAOYA ZENIN
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ft. naoya zenin x puppy!reader
a/n: commission for the very lovely @nexysworld !! naoya is so very pretty and i was scared to write him BUT !! he was actually very fun to write. i love my asshole nepo baby :3 hope you guys enjoy, fb and reblogs are always appreciated <3
cw: 18+ content, dead dove-ish, pussy inspection, mistreatment of hybrids, forced cosmetic procedures, dub-con bcs power dynamics, praise, degradation, use of shock collars, caging, mentions of filing teeth, ear cropping, touching unhealed wounds, tail play, misogyny, spit, mean naoya, dehumanisation, orgasm denial, forced spaying, p in v, creampie, dacryphilia, neglect
word count: 3.2k words
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Naoya’s bored.
It might’ve made you feel better if he had a secret soft spot - that the pressures of his clan have left him lonely and desperate for companionship, but that’s simply not the case. There’s no profound self-realization that comes with his actions, no sense of guilt when he pays one of the maids to suck him off before he kicks her to the curb.
He’s just bored. He’s always found the best cure for his boredom was to find a pretty little plaything that was willing to put up with him. But there’s only so much you can do to a human girl before she’s skittering off. Women value their life more than their job these days, a thought that has him scowling and breaking the shit in his room as soon as his latest slut cuts him off.
He needed something more permanent. A pretty thing that he can use to get his dick wet. One that isn’t crying for a relationship or money when he’s finished. He’s always found those hybrids pretty cute, and it seemed like the perfect thing to keep him entertained. A girl that knew she was lesser than him. A pet he could play with that would forgive him after a couple of head scratches and a new toy.
It’s that thought that has him dragging his ass to the nearest adoption center, his eyes scanning the kennels until he spots you.
You seem like a shy little thing, but he doesn’t see an issue with that. He’s always had more fun breaking girls in, and you’d be no exception. He hums thoughtfully for a moment, his head cocking to the side as he looks you over. He doesn’t address you or ask you any questions, but he doesn’t need to. You were cute, and that’s all he really cared about, anyway. He calls a worker over, asking to get some time alone with you.
“Well, we don't really have any private rooms for you to-”
“How much?” Naoya cuts him off without even gazing his way, his eyes locked onto your form. No point buying the goods if he doesn’t get a trial run, first.
“I'm sorry?” The worker stutters out. Naoya hates that shit. Pisses him off more than anything, acting like he doesn’t want the Zen’in’s money. Naoya knows better.
“You heard me. How much? Doesn't need to be a fancy room. Shit, I'll take a storage room. I gotta check she's worth the money, y'know?” He says with a sigh, his brows twitching slightly as he fights back a scowl.
Seems to work well enough, because the worker leads him to a staff room, telling him to wait right there. He crosses his arms over his chest, making him sigh in annoyance. He waits impatiently, but he lights up when you come padding into the room, looking all nervous.
”No need to be scared, girl.” He tells you, but his words come out in a grunt. He doesn’t really care if you’re scared of him or not, as long as you let him get a good look at you. He moves towards you when you don’t budge, gripping your chin between his fingers.
His gaze is sharp, his dark brown eyes narrowed as he looks over your features. He reaches a free hand up to your floppy ears, giving them a flick. A frown crosses over his features as he gives you an appraising gaze , clicking his tongue. “They’ll have to get done. Don’t like ‘em.”
His fingers and thumb dig into your cheeks, forcing a gap between your teeth so you open your mouth. He shoves his fingers down your throat, sighing when you gag and splutter. “Gonna have to train that outta ya. Those canines are gonna have to get fixed, too. Bet they’d fuckin’ hurt if they caught my dick.”
He pulls his fingers out of your mouth and wipes your spit off on your cheek, smirking when your nose wrinkles. He reaches down, tugging on your fluffy tail with a thoughtful expression. “That can stay, though. Cute.”
”Bend over the table, pup. Spread your legs, lemme see your cunt.” He orders, releasing your tail and taking a step back. Your hesitance irritates him, and his hand comes out to smack you across your face so hard that your head snaps to the side, your ears ringing. “Don’t make me say it again. I fuckin’ hate repeating myself.”
Your tail is tucked between your legs as you shift to lean over the table, those fluffy ears pressed down firmly against your head. Doesn’t bother Naoya. He kicks your feet apart, pulling your pants and underwear down in one tug. The tail is a little bit of an obstacle still, so he sighs and scratches behind your ears.
”C’mon now, baby. I didn’t mean it.” He coos, making sure he finds the spot behind your ear that has you pushing back against his hand. His tone is condescending, but that dumb puppy brain of yours can’t register that. He grins as your tail perks up and wags, showing you off to him. “That’s better. Lemme get a look at that pretty pussy.”
He kneels behind you, spreading your folds with two fingers, humming in satisfaction as strings of slick spread and break at his actions. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t pick out a puppy for that exact reason - a few words of praise, and you were soaked. He slips a finger deep into your cunt, adding another one and scissoring them open before groaning at the tightness. You felt like a virgin, too. Perfect.
He pulls his fingers out and licks them clean, wiping his spit off on your clothes before he pulls them back on. He gives your ass a few pats as he stands up, turning around to bang a few times on the door.
”Hey! I’ll take her.”
˗ˏˋ ☆ ˎˊ˗
Naoya’s unpredictable.
It’s hard to settle into a routine with him. He can be easy to handle one moment, only to switch up at the next second. He’s never kind - that’s not the right word for him - but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have his moments. If you’re good, he’ll let you curl up at the foot of his bed. Sometimes he’ll even let you sit at his feet when he’s relaxing, petting your head absentmindedly.
Those moments are few and far between. For the most part, he’s cold. He doesn’t pay much attention to you unless he’s feeding you or if it’s play time.
He shows you the most attention when he wants to play. He’ll praise you, scratch behind those freshly cropped ears standing tall on your head and run his fingertips through the fur of your tail until it’s wagging fast enough that he knows you’ll be pliant and eager for anything he wants to do to you. You’d tried whining, begging, pleading… Anything just to get him to look at you and show you some affection, but you quickly learned that the only way you could guarantee something from him was to paw at the front of his pants until he’s twitching against your hand.
His choice of affection has a bit of a side effect, and you’re unlucky enough that Naoya notices it. All it takes is one little ‘good girl’ or a scratch on your head for you to be soaked, whining and rutting against any part of him you could reach. He loves feeling you wrapped around him, but he loves teasing you even more. So, naturally, as soon as realizes how desperate his touch makes you, he decides it would be a fun little game for him to see just how needy you could get.
He’s leaning back against the couch when he spots you padding over, that fluffy tail slowly picking up speed the closer he gets to you. He can’t help but chuckle when he spots you settling on the floor by his feet, a smirk spreading across his face when you rest your chin on his thigh. Your gaze flicks up to his face, a longing expression on your features. His hand comes down to pet your head, fingers scratching your scalp gently.
”You need something, girl?” He coos, tugging on one of your bandaged ears until you whimper, biting back a laugh when you lean into the touch regardless of the pain that comes with it. You’re always so eager to please, it drives him crazy.
“Need you, please.” You whine, your ears tilting back slightly, unable to press flat against your head due to the wrapping keeping them up so they heal pointed. He grins wolfishly at your words, yanking you by the collar until you’re straddling his thigh, a mischievous going in his eyes.
”Go on then, pup. I’m too tired to deal with you myself. You can handle it, can’t you?” He hums, giving your head a pat before crossing his arms behind his head as he leans back on the couch. You give him a curious little head tilt, confusion twisting your cute little face. He loves it when you give him that look - you’re just a dumb puppy, nothing more than entertainment for him. He can’t help but feel amused, shifting his leg so he can press his thigh more firmly against your core.
”You’re a big girl, aren’t you? I’m sure you can figure it out, puppy.” You seem to get the picture, a soft, needy sound rising in your throat as the hard muscle of his thigh presses against your cunt through the fabric of your shorts. Your hips start shifting on their own, rutting against him desperately. Your mouth falls open, artificially rounded canines digging into the flesh of your bottom lip.
Your hands come down to rest on your own thighs - you know better than to touch Naoya without asking, and you don’t want this to end so soon. Your nails press into your flesh, leaving indents on the surface of the skin. Naoya’s face is a mask of indifference. There’s no sign of enjoyment from him, the only hint that he isn’t completely unaffected by your actions is the tent forming beneath the fabric of his pants. You whine when you realize he isn’t even looking at you, staring over your shoulder to look over one of the paintings on the wall.
You want him inside of you, want his strong hands to grasp your thighs as he fucks into you. The thought alone has you panting, your head hanging as your tail starts to wag again, steady behind you as you grind against his thigh more harshly. Your breaths come out heavier, your cunt soaking through the fabric of your shorts to coat his own pants.
You’re so overwhelmed with your rapidly approaching orgasm, how good it feels to finally be this close to your owner that you don’t see his hand reaching for his phone until it’s too late. You yelp as your collar zaps you, the fur on your tail standing on end as the shock makes you spasm, your hips quickly pulling away from his thigh.
”I didn’t say you could cum, did I? Bad girl.” He hisses, grabbing you by the hair and dragging you across the floor, forcing you into your crate with a swift kick. He slams the door behind you, locking it before stepping back. “You can stay there for the rest of the night. If I hear you so much as fuckin’ squeak, you’re not getting let out for the rest of the week. Got it?”
You nod quickly, but that’s clearly not good enough for him. He taps at the screen of his phone a few times before pressing his thumb down for a longer period. The voltage is higher, and he doesn’t let up on shocking you until you drop against the blanket in your crate, your fingers twitching. He scoffs at the sight, letting go of the button.
”Pathetic. If I’m talking to you, I expect an answer. Surely you’re not so stupid you’ve forgotten how to use your words?”
”N-no. I’m sorry. I’ll… I’ll be quiet.” You whisper, your voice shaking slightly with the effort it takes you to hold back tears.
”Stupid mutt.” He grunts, fiddling with his trousers until he can free his cock. His jaw tenses in slight annoyance at how quickly that has you perking up, your eyes wide with interest like he’s holding a damn treat up for you. He steps closer to your crate, pressing his length down against the bars above your head. Naoya can’t help but laugh as you try to crane your head to get a taste of him, his eyes shining with amusement as your tongue laps between the gaps to catch his skin.
”Look at you. You were crying a second ago, and now you’re drooling like a bitch in heat? You are the single most pitiful creature I have ever laid my eyes on.” He muses, letting out another chuckle at the whine that spills from your lips when he pulls away from the crate.
”Go to sleep.” He grunts as he tucks himself back into his trousers, his eyes trained on your as he takes a step back. “If you’re good enough, I might let you out for breakfast.”
˗ˏˋ ☆ ˎˊ˗
The next morning, Naoya is wordless as he approaches your cage.You can tell from his narrowed, fox-like gaze that he hasn’t forgiven you from last night, his jaw set tight as if you hadn’t just made a small mistake. Naoya expected nothing but perfection from his pet, and it was something he made abundantly clear. He opens the door, his eyes narrowed in on your slumped over figure.
”Out.” The words are short and clipped, but firm, leaving no room to argue. It wasn’t a request, but a command. You weren’t stupid enough to ignore it.
He watches you crawl out of the cage, kneeling at his feet on the cold floor. You keep your gaze trained downwards, unable to meet his eyes. You look so pathetic it almost angers him, a crease forming between his brows as looks down at you. He slowly strips his clothes, his eyes locked onto you the entire time.
“Strip.” You listen, pulling your clothes off and adding them to his own pile on the floor. There’s no praise now, no attempts to get you wet enough to take him. He just pushes you down onto all fours before spitting directly onto your cunt as he forces his cock into your tight heat. It’s meant to be a punishment, but all it takes for you to get wet is the feeling of him stretching you out, your tail swaying side to side as his tip presses up against your cervix.
”Such a slut… Dripping as soon as you see cock. Bet it doesn’t even have to be mine, hmm? Could pass you around the whole clan and you’d gladly let each and every one of ‘em mount you until you were sore and dripping cum.” He spat, his hips rocking forward harshly. He builds up a steady pace, pounding into you brutally.
”Wouldn’t…” You manage to force out, brows furrowing as you try to rock back against his hips, your walls pulsing around his length. “Just you… want your pups.”
”Aww, that’s cute. You want me to breed you, girl? Is that it?” He lets out a cruel laugh, tugging on your tail to pull you back against him with each thrust, his cock brutally pounding into your tight cunt. “You think I’d let you carry my seed? That your bastard children could be sufficient heirs for the Zen’in clan? I’d never let you have puppies. Stupid fuckin’ bitch. Didn’t even realize I got you spayed? You just believe every little thing I tell you, huh?”
Fuck, he really likes the look of your tears. Nearly has him cumming from the way you look sobbing on his dick, the way you clench around him like you're trying to milk him dry despite how upset you are. It doesn't matter what he does to you, not when you're so forgiving. He knows he can say whatever he pleases and you'd still come running back to him, tail tucked between your legs like you were the one in the wrong.
He presses down between your shoulder blades, forcing your chest flat against the hard-wood floor as he keeps your ass in the air with his grip on your tail. With your back arched, the new angle allows him to fuck into you deeper, bullying himself into you without any regard for your pleasure. You were nothing more than something to use to him - a glorified fleshlight, at best. He only let you cum because of how tight you squeezed him when you did, how hot it was to see your dripping down his length.
This wasn’t about you right now - it was meant to be a punishment. You'd be lucky if he decided to let you cum in the following weeks, let alone today when he's still pissed off at you for almost breaking one of his rules.
His hips smack the fat of your ass with every thrust, low grunts spilling past his lips as he wraps your tail around his hand, smacking your thigh in frustration when you yelp at the discomfort that comes with it. He's increasingly glad with every pained whimper as his grip tightens that he decided not to dock your tail. It's so much better than a leash could ever be, forcing you back onto his imposing length everytime it gets too much for you and you try to crawl away.
“M'gonna cum.” He groans, harshly forcing your upper body further against the floor as he leans his weight on the hand pushing you down, slick sounds filling the room as he thrusts himself brutally in and out of your twitching pussy. He yanks on your tail, pulling you back against him as he cums with a grunt, his cock twitching inside of your abused cunt. He ruts his hips into you shallowly as he rides out his high before pulling out, smacking your ass once before standing up, ignoring your pleas to let you cum.
“Stupid mutt.” He spits out, rolling you onto your back with his foot, pressing it down against your stomach to hold you down. He spits on your face, a huff of laughter leaving him as your nose wrinkles. “I've been too good to you. Made you think you have a say.”
“You are a toy.” He continues, pulling his foot away with you before moving to gather his clothes. He pulls them on, leaving you panting and leaking his cum on the floor. “Something for me to use when I get bored.”
He makes his way to the door, shooting one last glance at you over his shoulder. “The quicker you learn that, the better.”
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toptophat · 1 month ago
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2.6 thoughts!!!!
Spoilers for anyone who hasn't finished it yet!
It was a freaking blast, a rollercoaster of emotions, I honestly thought that Mr Reca, with how cuckoo he was in the trailer, was gonna be the antagonist, turns out he's a quirky memokeeper (who may still have his motives but for now he was definitely an ally) I guess, much like the galaxy rangers, there is no uniform, because I honestly thought they all would have some resemblance to Black Swan, but I can't wait to see more memokeepers, as well as more galaxy rangers
Speaking of galaxy rangers, ok!! Rappa and Boothill were the real protagonists here!!!! Poor trailblazer became a side character to these two champions and I love it!!! I've already made it clear that I adored Rappa from the moment her drip marketing dropped, I initially found her strange way of referring to everything as ninja stuff hilarious and quirky, I thought "are all galaxy rangers gonna talk funny?" But that was my first impression, now I wanna [forking] cry!!! I was already skeptical of this "Master Kucha" from the way he spoke! I didn't know that he was basically like the only parental figure she had, she's one of Dr Primitive's (Evil Ninja Osaru) test subjects in a hidden lab (Ninja capital) having to undergo harmful tests and torture (Ninja trials) this, coupled with the fact that her only source of free time and entertainment has been a ninja manga, she may have developed some sort of mental/ identity disorder, she's been living in a fabricated reality and no one can help her because they don't see the full picture, even her backstory has been distorted by her own retelling making her some sort of unreliable narrator in her own story. Dr Primitive is truly a despicable monster, torturing people and distorting an innocent girl's mind. There's a bright side to this tragedy though! That innocent girl is now our Rappa, and although her mind has been messed with, she still became a righteous galaxy ranger, kindhearted, unmatched skill, hellbent on hunting down the cruel doctor and she definitely lives up to that title too!!! So I'm rooting for her!!! And the moment we got to fight alongside her at the end after hearing "No Dazzle No Break" was gorgeous (can't wait to finish building her so she can continue to show them the way of the ninja!)
Once I finish reading her character story, I'll make a further analysis
Speaking of which, I'm actually gonna make 2!! One for both of our stars of the show, Rappa and Boothill, two people who had to revisit their past, and come to terms with their present and future, living up to the ways of The Hunt! I already deeply respect these two, the more I get of them, the more I can't help but respect them more!!! And I'm definitely excited to get more of them!! Galaxy rangers are the best!!
Boothill's up first because obviously I've already read his backstory so his POV was like an added 5 course meal!!! But I do wanna talk about his best moments (aside from the obvious highlight that blew me away) Firstly, we got more of Boothill the identity stealer (First Pom Pom now March 7th???) Actual Robinhill moments??? (I'm more of a GunsNRoses person now but it's still really cute) The way he was so relieved that he could "fake swear" again instead of the banana cussing was hilarious, Star Rail don't do this to my man, at least give him the "Ninja slang" treatment, let him swear 😭😭 And Boothill owned the dancefloor in the DJ Robin cutscene!!! We have a rapping ninja and a dancing cowboy, could this get any better!!! And obviously, there's the Lore!!!! Which was actually insane !!! I literally wanted to avoid spoilers in order to experience it blindly and it was worth it!!!! I wanted to [fudging] cry, it was so well done!! Andrew Russell and Kendell Byrd knocked it out of the park with their scenes!!! I freaking love Boothill and Rappa so much 😭😭😭 they're both life my dude!!!
This is just what I needed!!!
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wellcollapse · 7 months ago
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idk if you're still writing the post-cemetry scene fic with pining eddie (idk if i'm describing it right) but i would love to hear more about it/see a snippet or too if you feel so inclined 👀
someone asking about angsty pining fic in the month of our lord april 2024? this was such a lovely surprise 😭 i'm gonna be honest with u anon i'm likely not going to publish 911 fic again BUT because you asked so nicely i'll give you a few older snippets from my draft:
Eddie sighs, breaking the stare. “You have a key, you know,” he says finally. “Feel free to come join me whenever you want.” He turns on his heel and walks back inside to finish his goddamn brownies, leaving Buck standing in the doorway.  It’s silent for a few minutes. He’s in the middle of measuring a tablespoon of espresso powder when Buck steps into the kitchen and shuts the door behind him. Eddie feels the weight of Buck’s gaze on him as he folds the powder into his brownie mixture, but he doesn’t turn to meet his eye until Buck speaks.  “Is that…” Buck falters. He clears his throat. “Is that my recipe?”  “Yeah,” Eddie says gruffly. “Chris asked me to make it. Said he wanted to share it with his friends when they come over tomorrow for their playdate.”  Buck snorts. “Man, you can’t call it that. Chris nearly bit my head off last time I tried. Kept reminding me that ‘playdates are for kids, Buck,’ and that he’s not a kid anymore.”  Buck emphasizes that last bit with air quotes, and Eddie can’t help but grin at that. But his smile fades instantly, remembering the somber look on Buck’s face when he’d opened the door. He highly doubts that Buck came over just to commiserate about the trials and tribulations of watching Christopher grow up.  Eddie bites the bullet. “Why are you here, Buck?”  Buck shifts nervously. He shrugs and looks away from Eddie. “I — I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to answer that. You’ve never asked me that before.”  Eddie scrubs at his face. “I've never had to ask you that, Buck. Things are different now. You’ve been busy.” 
+
“Wow,” Buck says acidly, all traces of heartbreak gone. “I’ve never heard that one before.”  Eddie frowns. “What?”  “Really, Eddie?” Buck’s voice cracks on the last syllable. He shakes his head. “Unbelievable. Just — unbelievable.” “Buck — what are you talking about?”  “We were just trying to protect you, Evan," Buck mocks. "You were never supposed to find out. We kept it from you because we love you. Any of that sound familiar to you?” Eddie’s breath hitches on the word love, because he doesn’t know, he can’t know, but then —  Oh.  Fuck.
+
Buck: We’ll get through this just like everything else. I promise. It’ll be okay.  Buck: Eddie, did you eat enough today? Should I come by and bring you some food? Buck: You know you’re still my best friend, right? That’s never going to change, Eddie. Never.  He reacts with a thumbs up or a tap-back heart on most of the messages, too exhausted to do anything else. He replies with a thumbs down to the message about food, certain that he wouldn’t be able to handle seeing Buck so soon. He knows he’ll have to face him in person eventually, but his tired, broken heart just wants to postpone it as much as he can.  The last one, though, is a balm that both soothes and agitates Eddie’s burning, aching heart, and he taps out a brief, Thank you, you too. Always, in response. It feels like too much and not enough all at once, and Eddie wishes once again that he was a little better at resisting Buck, that he didn’t feel that need to reply to his every message lest Buck worry even more about him. The only one he actually acknowledges is a message that comes in at 2:43 AM on Sunday. As he opens the message, Eddie absentmindedly wonders if Buck’s having a hard time falling asleep for the same reason as him. Probably.  It’s a link to a new exhibit at the Griffith Observatory, accompanied by a text that reads: Can I take Christopher here next weekend? Eddie squeezes back tears as he replies with a brief, Of course, and puts his phone down, letting the darkness swallow him again. 
+
Hen beats him to it. “What happened, Buck? I thought you really liked her. Weren’t you planning to introduce her to Maddie and Chimney next week?”  “Not anymore,” Buck mutters. “I broke up with her.”  “What?” Eddie snaps head snaps up. “Why?”  Buck doesn’t meet his gaze, his lip quivering. The rest of their team is watching them, eyes darting back and forth, and Buck blinks hesitantly before swallowing down a sip of coffee. He wipes the cream off of his upper lip and looks Eddie in the eye.  “You know why,” Buck whispers. 
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hourousha-chu · 1 year ago
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Killers React to a Drunk Survivor- The Trickster (Ji-Woon Hak)
How were you supposed to know that the Entity planned on snatching you for a trial soon as you hit the bottle? All you wanted was to take the edge off. Granted, it seemed to work as everything was much more of a blur now. You stumbled through Ormond with nary a shiver, the booze keeping you nice and warm inside. Who said this wasn't a perk in itself?
Soon, the telltale lullaby of a killer sent your heart racing. But your inhibitions were out the window, and you gravitated towards the familiar melody.
Oh, the look on The Trickster's face when a darling little survivor ran not away from his blades, but right into his chest.
"Ji-SWOON cutie! Haven't seen you in foreverrrr! I missed youuuu!"
He didn't know whether to be annoyed, flabbergasted, or flattered. Actually, yeah, go with all three. All he could do for a moment was stare dumbly at you, mouth slightly agape, as you nuzzled against him without shame, arms securely wrapped around his torso.
Clearing his throat, he glanced around to ensure no one was watching. "Someone was too eager for an encore, hm? I'm touched, honey." He hesitated before awkwardly patting your head while trying to push you away. No such luck. The contact only made you push your head against his hand like a cat, practically begging for more. Did you have to giggle so sweetly like that?
It was obvious you were out of sorts. One glance at your extra rosy cheeks confirmed that you had to be drunk. Had you been drinking in the trial grounds? There was technically a bar here, but he couldn't imagine it was stocked. Now that he thought of it, he didn't remember anything like this happening before. Survivors were supposed to be coherent and have basic self-preservation instincts at the very least.
The Trickster clicked his tongue and sighed. He lifted you onto his shoulder with no resistance, earning a delighted squeal. "Yaaaay! Hook me, daddy!"
You were going to be the death of him. "You're not mentally fit for a trial right now." He ignored your protests as he carried you upstairs to one of the bedrooms in the lodge. Setting you down onto a cot, he turned briskly to leave you. "Go find the Hatch once I've finished the others."
His shoulders tensed when he heard you sniffle. Against his better judgment, he turned to see your eyes watering.
"D-do ya not like me?" you blubbered. "I thought you liked my screams 'n stuff…"
Entity help him. "Would you rather I took advantage of you instead?" he muttered.
You really looked like you were considering it for a second before you shook your head. "No, it's just…I'm so lonely…"
The Trickster ran a hand through his hair and exhaled through his nose. "Look. If you set a trap for a rabbit, but the rabbit is watching eagerly, ready to jump into it, it's not a hunt. No chase or challenge or satisfaction." Sure, Evan might be appeased and Danny might die laughing. Not the point. "So rest up and come back when you're ready to be a good little bunny, all right? Then I'll happily spend some quality time hunting you down."
That made your cheeks positively glow. You cupped them in a way that should not have been adorable at all and nodded your head. "O-okay Ji-Swoon! I promise I'll be good!"
You laid down and he was pleasantly surprised at your obedience. He couldn't help but smirk. Stalking closer, The Trickster leaned in to peck your forehead. "There's my good bunny. Now don't make me come looking for you again."
In that moment, you could've died happy.
Once you escaped and the foggy memories came crashing back, you actually wanted to die. Maybe you'd get sent to the Void if you were lucky.
Of course, you were offered no such reprieve. It was a while until you had another trial with The Trickster, and you prayed he'd forgotten.
Of course he hadn't.
He pinned you to the wall after leaving you for last, a smug grin on his face. "How's my good little bunny? Feeling better than last time, I hope?"
You grunt and tried to free yourself, about to retort, but his hand brushed your head ever so slightly. For just a moment, you relaxed and leaned into him, your body remembering when he...
"...I'll give you a good chase then you can Mori me. Permanently, if that's possible."
Your bodies were so close that his chuckle rumbled against your chest. You cursed yourself for the involuntary chill that ran down your spine. "Aw, but why? I thought we could spend some quality time together, since you're so lonely."
Your cheeks blossomed indignant red. "Asshole, I was drunk! Don't use that against me!"
"They say that alcohol unmasks the true desires of the heart. You certainly had a lot to say that day, honey."
He leaned in closer, breath fanning your face. "Quite honestly, I found it adorable. Besides…you're not the only one that's lonely, and wanting."
He used your shock to nuzzle closer to you, one hand snaking around your waist while the other petted your hair. Your muscles went slack at his touch.
"I believe I deserve some thanks after treating you with such dignity and patience. I'd like to hear how you feel for me while you're sober."
You didn't try to get away as his lips closed in. "And," he whispered, "I want to feel it too."
A fog enveloped your brain once more, similar to when you'd been drunk, except now his lips were the culprit. You gasped for air when he finally pulled away, gaze lidded.
He was smirking, as always, but something else hid behind his gaze. Something softer. "See? I have the same effect on you, but better. You don't need to get wasted when the perfect remedy is right here."
You rolled your eyes at his cheesiness, but smiled. "Even if that were true, I can't exactly drag you back to the campfire with me whenever I want."
He pouted. "How do you know? You've never tried." Your incredulous stare made him laugh again. You couldn't help but chuckle as well. "I'm just saying, I want my bunny to stay healthy. So they can give me many, many rewarding hunts."
Before you could reply, he rested his head against your chest so he could hear your heartbeat. "But perhaps, just this once, I'll take that missed opportunity and keep you company."
Your touch-starved body melted into him, and your eyes fluttered shut. "...I'd like that."
(Cross-posted from my AO3!)
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satancopilotsmytardis · 6 months ago
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How do you settle down to write? Like do you put music on, have a certain set up, a snack?
I’m mainly asking because I have multiple fanfic on hiatus (some for 3 years 💀💀💀) because I can’t just sit down and write 😭
I have all this inspiration, and all these ideas (I have 582 open docs 0-0) but struggle to write more than a few sentences a week. I’m not short on ideas by any means, I just can’t WRITE them.
Okay so you gotta figure out what works for you. I read this and my immediate reaction was "well I can't answer that, I just sit down and write, that's not going to be helpful". And I do just sit down and write, I have a lot of things I'm working on, but I pick one or two a day to do and then I just write.
BUT I use 4thewords which is a website that creates an RPG around writing. Every amount you write can progress the story, give you in-game rewards, and help you build a writing streak (at the time of writing I am at 999 days in my streak (I have absolutely missed days but you can recover those with stempos)). I'll be honest, I haven't read a single game pop-up that actually explains the story, I literally don't care about it. But I knew I wrote the most when I was at school participating in Nanowrimo where I could do word sprints and word crawls with other people, and I couldn't hold myself accountable to do them on my own. But the monsters on 4thewords and the quests that can be done help me to stay on track and keep writing.
On days when I don't want to write, I still often end up groaning and saying ugh, if I just defeat ten monsters that each are only 44 words, then I can earn my daily chest, that won't take that long. And I do it. Or if I'm at 3.8k words and I want to stop, ugh there's another reward if I hit 4k, so I might as well just finish the last 200 words. And then, oh wait, there's another reward at 5k, how long will 1k more take me?
I use this site because it has built-in goals and rewards so that I have accountability outside of myself to keep me motivated and producing words. That's the method that I've found works best for me. If you're someone who likes external goals and deadlines, then that might work for you too (or a different similar site-- this one does have a paid subscription, but there is also a free trial to give it a go if you'd like).
If you think that having outside deadlines is too much pressure, then this probably isn't the method for you. Do you edit too much as you write? Try writing in white font on a white page (or whatever color you'd like) so that you can't see what you're writing. Do you get distracted researching something that will amount to one line of text? Put that thing [in brackets] and don't research it until you are going back to edit and adjust from there (same works with naming places or characters). Do you need other people to motivate you? Join a forum (4thewords has lots of these but I don't visit them) or have an IRL buddy who will check in with you and ask you if you wrote that day. Is your writing space uncomfortable? Too comfortable? Optimize it for you! No motivation due to mental illness? Been there, fully understandable, take the time you need to work on that first and other things will start to fall back into place as the brain recuperates.
Not writing when you want to write means that something else is going on, and it has to be you who figures out what that is and makes the changes that are needed to get you writing again. Idk if this was actually helpful, but literally I roll out of bed every day thinking about doing my dailies like a mobile gamer so like... this is all I've got, sorry!
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moodybluezzz · 1 year ago
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Hairstyling w/ Team Bucciarati
[Content: SFW, gender neutral Y/N]
[Word count: 1.1k]
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Bucciarati
When you ask Bucciarati if you can style his hair, he agrees as soon as he sees the smile on your face. "You can certainly try, Y/N." This man would let you get away with practically anything if it meant making you happy.
Since Bucciarati's hair is so short, your options are limited. However, you can curl it. He has no objections, even commenting that he’s curious to see how it would look since he's always had straight hair.
Bucciarati sits perfectly still and talks casually to you through the entire process, watching you wrap his hair bit-by-bit in the curling iron and expressing his excitement after each section is done.
In the end he places his hairpins back in and chuckles as he fluffs his curls. "Well this is certainly different. And I can't say I don't like it." He thanks you and decides that he'll have to invite the gang to dinner just to see how the others will react. You wonder how the others would look with curls or if they'd let you style their hair at all.
Abbacchio
"Absolutely not." Unsurprisingly, the moment you ask Abbacchio to style his hair he shoots you down. However, after a bit of insisting and promising to do it in private, he agrees. "Fine. But if anyone sees, you're dead."
Abbachio sits in front of you, his shoulders tense as you start running your fingers through his hair. "Just get on with it already, will you?" he comments impatiently, crossing his arms.
Since Abbacchio has the longest hair out of the gang, you decide to have some fun with it. You work his pale hair into a wrap-around braid on each side, merging into a half-up ponytail in the center.
To your surprise, Abbacchio doesn't speak up again for the rest of the process. He gradually relaxes under your touch, eventually closing his eyes with a faint smile. Though he'd hate to admit it, he secretly loves the feeling and doesn't quite want it to end.
By the time you're done Abbacchio is disappointed that you've finished so quickly. He opens his eyes to look at the final product and smiles wide, resting his head in his hand. "I'm impressed. Maybe I'll let you do this again sometime, mio tesoro."
Giorno
Giorno smiles softly and happily agrees to let you style his hair. "Of course you can. Just make sure it looks good," he jokes. He takes a seat and sighs, having needed a break like this. Becoming a gang-star is hard.
You carefully remove the bands holding his current braids and curls together, letting free an ocean of golden waves. You hadn't realized just how long his hair was, falling just below his shoulders. It almost looks too good to re-style, but you can't stop now!
Already knowing Giorno’s hair looks good in a braid, you decide to put a twist on his usual look. With some trial and error, and a bit of help from Giorno himself, you manage to put together a unique half-up style - the top braided into the shape of a flower and the bottom left down.
Giornio gazes into the ornate mirror in front of you and smiles, turning back and forth to see your work from every angle and make a few adjustments. "Perfect! Thank you Y/N, I didn't know you were so skilled at this. We can do this more often if you'd like." He kisses your hand politely, excited for the others to see what you've done.
Fugo
"Why me?" Fugo wonders why you want to style his hair, of all people. His reputation as the hothead of the gang has undoubtedly been drilled into your head and there's certainly more eager candidates than himself. Nevertheless Fugo doesn't feel like disappointing you today, especially if it would mean being berated by Narancia and Mista for not having enough fun again. "You know what… fine."
Fugo sits in front of you, somehow even more tense than Abbacchio. Sensing how uncomfortable he is, you decide you'll give him a quick and easy style. He watches your every move in the mirror as you start running your hands through his hair, preparing to tie it back. You catch his sharp purple eyes in the reflection and he glances away, blushing. He didn't expect to enjoy the feeling and trust your process so much. He almost wants to tell you but he isn't sure how. He stays quiet and lets you do your thing.
You pull Fugo's hair into a spiky ponytail, sticking up boldly in the back with long bangs left down in the front. When you're done he brushes his hands over the spikes of hair, smiling ever-so-slightly. "This isn't usually my thing, but… It's not bad. Thank you. Really."
Narancia
"REALLY? OF COURSE YOU CAN!" Narancia is more than excited to have his hair done. Judging by how unkempt it usually is, this must be a rare treat for him. "I want it just like Fugo's!" By now nearly the whole gang has shown off their styles and Fugo's spikes caught Narancia's eye immediately.
Narancia sits in front of you and asks how you convinced the rest of the gang to agree to this. You laugh as you tie his hair up just like Fugo's. Despite how quickly you're done, Narancia is still overflowing with excitement. "Awesome! I can't wait to show Fugo! Hopefully he isn't mad I copied him… Oh well!"
Mista
"Oh, well… I don't have much hair for styling… But you can play with the hair I do have as much as you want," Mista says with a wink. You've somehow never seen what's under Mista's hat, so you can't help but be surprised when he removes it to reveal a head of short, dark, and very curly hair. He motions for you to sit in his lap on your styling chair and you happily oblige.
You reach up and ruffle his curls with a chuckle. He smiles and blushes, loving every second of it. "You should take your hat off more often! You're handsome without it, you know," you comment. Mista blushes but keeps a confident face. "Oh reeeally? Anything for you, mia cara…"
When you're done, Mista puts his hat back on and together you head back to the rest of the gang. Mista pouts as he looks around the room. Everyone is showing off their new hairstyles - it's amusing but you can't help but feel proud. "Damn it, how long do I have to grow my hair for this! ...Better yet, how the hell did you get Abbacchio to agree to this!"
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leaderofthemafia · 21 days ago
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After the war I went back to New York
A-After the war I went back to New York
I finished up my studies and I practiced law
I practiced law, Burr worked next door
Even though we started at the very same time Alexander Hamilton began to climb How to account for his rise to the top? Man, the man is Non-stop!
Gentlemen of the jury, I'm curious, bear with me Are you aware that we're making history? This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation The liberty behind deliberation Non-stop!
I am meant to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt With my assistant counsel—
Co-counsel. Hamilton, sit down Our client Levi Weeks is innocent, call your first witness That's all you had to say
Okay, one more thing—
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom
Aww!
Why do you write like you're running out of time? Write day and night like you're running out of time Every day you fight like you're running out of time
Keep on fighting, in the meantime Non-stop!
Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany This colony's economy's increasingly stalling And honestly, that's why (He's just) Public service seems to be (non-stop!) calling me
I practiced the law, practic'ly perfected it I've seen injustice in the world and I've corrected it Now for a strong central democracy If not, then I'll be Socrates Throwing verbal rocks at these mediocrities (Awww!)
Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention
I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!
There as a New York junior delegate
Now what I'm gonna say may sound indelicate... (Awww!)
Goes and proposes his own form of government What?
His own plan for a new form of government What?
Talks for six hours, the convention is listless
Bright young man! Yo, who the eff is this?
Why do you always say what you believe? Why do you always say what you believe?
Every proclamation guarantees Free ammunition for your enemies (Awww!)
Why do you write like it's going out of style (goin out of style, hey) Write day and night like it's going out of style (goin out of style, hey) Every day you fight like it's going out of style Do you what you do
Alexander?
Aaron Burr, sir
Well, it's the middle of the night
Can we confer, sir?
Is this a legal matter?
Yes, and it's important to me
What do you need?
Burr, you're a better lawyer than me
Okay?
I know I talk too much, I'm abrasive You're incredible in court, you're succinct, persuasive My client needs a strong defence, you're the solution
Who's your client?
The new U.S. Constitution?
No
Hear me out—
No way!
A series of essays anonymously published Defending the document to the public
No one'll read it
I disagree!
And if it fails?
Burr, that's why we need it
The constitution's a mess!
So it needs amendments
It's full of contradictions!
So is independence We have to start somewhere
No, no, no, no, no, no way
You're making a mistake
Good night!
Hey! What are you waiting for? What do you stall for?
What?
We won the war, what was it all for? Do you support this constitution?
Of course
Then defend it!
And what if you're backing the wrong horse?
Burr, we studied and we fought and we killed For the notion of a nation we now get to build For once in your life take a stand with pride I don't understand how you stand to the side
I don't keep all my plans close to my chest
Wait for it, wait for it, wait
I won't wait here and see which
Way the wind will blow I'm taking my time watching the afterbirth of a nation Watching the tension grow
I am sailing off to London I am accompanied by someone who always pays I have found a wealthy husband Who will keep me in comfort for all my days He is not a lot of fun but There's no one who can match you for turn of phrase My Alexander—
Angelica
Don't forget to write
Look at where you are Look at where you started The fact that you're alive is a miracle Just stay alive, that would be enough And if your wife could share a fraction of your time If I could grant you peace of mind Would that be enough?
Alexander joins forces with James Madison and John Jay to write a series of essays Defending the new United States Constitution, entitled The Federalist Papers The plan was to write a total of twenty-five essays The work divided evenly among the three men In the end, they wrote eighty-five essays in the span of six months John Jay got sick after writing five James Madison wrote twenty-nine Hamilton wrote the other FIFTY-ONE!
How do you write like you're
Running out time Write day and night like you're
Running out time
Every day you fight like you're
Running out time
Like you're
Running out time
Are you running out time?
How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive? How do you write like you need it to survive? How do you write every second you're alive Every second you're alive Every second you're alive
They're asking me to lead I'm doing the best I can To get the people that I need I'm asking you to be my right hand man
Treasury or State?
I know it's a lot to ask—
Treasury or State?
To leave behind the world you know—
Sir, do you want me to run the Treasury or State Department?
Treasury
Let's go
Alexander!
I have to leave
Alexander!
Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now
Helpless
They are asking me to lead
Look around, isn't this enough?
He will never be satisfied
Would it be enough?
He will never be satisfied
Satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
History has it's eyes on you
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?
Look around, look around
Non-stop!
He will never be satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom
Isn't this enough? Would it be enough?
History has it's eyes on you
Why do you write like you're running out of time?
Non-stop!
Why do you write like—
History has it's eyes on you!
I am not throwing away my shot!
Just you wait
I am not throwing away my shot!
Just you wait
I am Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton Just you wait
I am not throwing away my shot!
Uhm? Is everything ok?
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ckret2 · 10 months ago
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Power to you with regards to wanting to finish with Gravity Falls first. I passed over so many pieces of media just so I'd be READY for when Hazbin dropped the season. When I hyperfixate, it's almost never a choice, I just get thrown around with no will of my own. And it happens fast. Sounds like you're kinda the same way, so ride that wave while you're on it, and hopefully we'll see you on the other side!
I'm exactly the same. I got into Hazbin because I was working to finish the draft of a 500k word Invader Zim fic during nanowrimo, went "oh I need a break, maybe I'll watch that one episode pilot my mutuals keep mentioning just to unwind," and next thing i know I'm writing a 30k romantic tragedy between a serial killer and a goofy snake, reading multiple scholarly books on the history of radio broadcasting, and filling my bookmarks with links to sites on medieval demonology and the history of New Orleans.
It's always like that! I got hooked on Godzilla from one movie I saw on a whim because a mutual was asking a bunch of pals to see it, and now I have strong opinions on the characterization of a three-headed space dragon. My current Gravity Falls hyperfixation came because whenever The Sims 4 updates and all the current mods break, I go back to a mod-free backup file where I'm building the Mystery Shack and rewatch a bunch of episodes to get references of the shack—and somehow, after 4-5 times of doing that and losing interest again within a week, in March my brain suddenly went "you know what, this time I think we're gonna make Gravity Falls our entire personality for, oh... at least the next year."
I'm taking no chances now! Outside Gravity Falls almost all of my current media consumption is nonfiction because I never hyperfixate on nonfiction. I'm putting off watching Hazbin and listening to The Magnus Protocol. When I am reading/watching fiction, it's as research on topics/genres relevant to the fic. What this means is I've read Flatland and watched almost all of the 80's Care Bears series. (Care Bears was very nearly a bad decision. I started developing emphatic headcanons about No Heart and Mr Beastly's backstories. We had a close call. It's okay, I'm past it, luckily tumblr has a nigh-on nonexistent Care Bears fandom.)
Adulthood is figuring out how your ADHD functions by trial and error and corralling it into doing what you want by setting up clever traps and blockades to steer it.
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oboetemasuka · 9 months ago
Text
Order of Attack, part 12
One of these parts had been written even before Mahiru's VD. It was inspired by Nott, and by that, as usual, I mean "Nott was there".
My trial is over, but I had so much fun holding this over Nott's head. "I'd show this to you, but I'm a stickler for chronology, so I'll have to finish Mahiru's VD first."
And then I turned around and held Mahiru's VD over Beans's head. "I was going to cause emotional devastation to Nott, but I have to write Mahiru's VD and inflict it on you first instead. *sigh*"
(cw cults, implied suicidal thoughts)
-
"I've been in my share of fights, but going up against her was different. She really isn't someone to mess with. I could defeat her in a fair fight, but… she does not fight fair."
"Is that so?"
"I could tell by the way she fought Mikoto. As much as I wish I could have broken up the fight sooner, I couldn't afford to just jump in. If they had ganged up on me, that would've been the end of it. I suppose it was fortunate that they were already worn down." 
"Speaking of Mikoto, what is up with him?"
"I don't know. Nobody does. But at the very least, he doesn't seem to be going out of his way to pick fights. It says something that he was the first at the scene." Kazui lowered his gaze regretfully. "I have to hand that to him. Amane's injuries could have been fatal if not for him." He sighed. "I wish I wasn't so late…"
"Better late than never," Es said, but Kazui did not seem to appreciate that.
"Still, I shouldn't have been so far away from the scene. I take a single moment of rest, and this happens. Two people… and one of them is a child."
"It isn't your fault. If anything, I…" Es trailed off.
"The weight of responsibility is a heavy one, isn't it? Well, if you would forgive me for adding to it… could you try to keep everyone safe?"
"Are- are you asking me to make my judgments according to safety?"
Kazui nodded.
That was the opposite of what Mahiru asked for. Es wasn't sure what they would do.
Amane walked across the panopticon towards Fuuta's cell. She was concerned that he was getting worse than last time. Wait, last time? What was going on last time? He was probably arguing with the voices in his head. That sounds about right. It was so bad that she could practically hear them from the way he argued with them. He was probably also hitting things to drown them out. Kicking the walls, ramming his shoulders into the furniture… anything that would be louder. But nothing was louder than those voices.
As she stood in front of the cell door, she went over her speech again. Fuuta-san, I- Wait, how did it go again? She'd rehearsed it many times. Why was she drawing a blank now?
"Stop it… Stop it… I… I haven't killed anyone…"
That sounded awfully familiar.
And then she could see inside. Fuuta was backed up against the back wall, with Kotoko standing over him.
She needed to get inside now.
She didn't remember how she got in, but whatever was covering her hands seemed to dematerialize in that moment.
"Fuuta-san-"
Kotoko looked over her shoulder and locked eyes with Amane.
The rest was a blur.
...
Amane stood in front of Fuuta's cell door. She sensed something different from within the cell.
"Stop it… Stop it…"
Fuuta was being attacked by Kotoko. Amane didn't know why it was Kotoko specifically, but she could feel it.
Should she call for help? No, she shouldn't run from her trials. Besides, all the free adults were so far away. She couldn't just leave Fuuta like this.
Amane barged into the cell. The sound of the opening door immediately drew Kotoko's attention.
"Amane Momose. I didn't expect you to come to me. We can start this early."
Amane was on the ground. She didn't know how. But she had to stand up. She had to get up and face Kotoko. Tell her that… what was she supposed to tell her? Everything was jumbled up.
Everything was dark.
...
Amane sat in her cell, examining the items she had accrued before the first trial judgments went into effect. Scissors, wooden skewers, some rods from an easy-to-assemble chair… She picked up the rods. She had to be crafty this time.
Amane stood in front of Fuuta's cell door. She had no speech in mind this time. Just a plan to punish a persecutor. She just had to sneak into the cell and catch Kotoko unaware. She had gotten the jump on a person once before. She could do it again.
But when she moved to turn the door knob, she realized she didn't have a rod in her hands. She didn't even have free hands. She was wrapped up in the straitjacket. Oh well, she could probably find something in the room to use despite this.
Amane carefully pushed the door knob with her elbow, propped the door with her foot, and leaned in to open the door as quietly as possible.
She caught Kotoko in the act. What a horrific sight to see. Kotoko didn't notice her in turn.
Amane guided the door to close as quietly as possible, and then she surveyed the room. Was there anything at all that she could use? No, the room was completely devoid of anything, including furniture.
There was nothing she could do but watch.
Even when she looked away, she could still see them.
What other options remained?
Before she knew it, Kotoko was hovering over her, staring her down.
"Amane Momose. I didn't expect you to-"
"You're wrong," Amane told Kotoko as firmly as she could muster. "Milgram's judgment is wrong. You have no right to take part in it. You don't get to interfere with other people's destiny. You are not the warden's fang."
"You are nothing but a persecutor!"
It hurt. Everything hurt. Her eye socket screamed at her. Her ribs jabbed her angrily as she yelled.
Then she saw Mahiru on her left side and tried to quickly compose herself. She wasn't fast enough.
"Oh, Amane-chan… was it another nightmare?"
"There are… no… nightmares…… only trials."
What were the things she said in that dream? Maybe she could use them in her next conversation.
… There was no point trying to remember words said in dreams.
"Fuuta Kajiyama, how have you-"
"It hurts..." Fuuta groaned, drawing out his words.
"Pain is merely a trial form God. If you endure it, your reward will be great."
"It had better be worth it."
"Of course it will be."
Little did Amane know that Fuuta had a very different outcome in mind.
"…I've felt more alive," Fuuta said after a brief silence. "Ever since I reduced the dose."
"I am glad to hear that."
"But it still hurts…"
"I know. I also know you can tough it out. I believe in you."
If only Amane had listened and observed Fuuta's mannerisms more carefully.
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vounoura · 12 days ago
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I'm doing ittttt! I did look at Photopea and wow you were soooo right it hatteesss firefox. So I did the free trial of adobe photography and played around with it. I feel like the picture quality isn't as crisp as yours, but I'm taking recordings off my ps5. I'm running into the issue that my file sizes are too big, and the only thing I can think of is just making the picture size smaller. Is there another way to decrease file size without sacrificing picture clarity?
I've so so appreciated your time! <3
explanation under cut for length. a little image heavy.
note: I can't give specific advice for adobe photography, bc I've never worked with it. I'll give you what I know re: working w/ photopea and photoshop 2020 - I am by no means an expert at this, and you can probably find additional help from other posters who've been at this longer than me with better knowledge of photoshop. but I'll give you what I can!
for the first question: The quality of your gifs is first and foremost really dictated by the quality of your video - the better it is, the better your gifs can be, at the expense of your filesize. But the quality looks 100% fine from here.
The 'crisp' quality on my gifs is just sharpening - I'm not sure what it would be on that particular program, but on both photoshop/pea it's called 'smart sharpening' and it helps significantly.
On photopea:
Get your gif cropped and resized. See here for tumblr's gif size rules; these are really important and your gifs should always follow these. The reason is that if your gifs are too small / large for how they're being posted (one in the same line, two in the same line, 3+ in the same line, etc) they'll be automatically resized, which wrecks your quality. This is always the first step before anything else. Yours is 540px, so good to go.
Select all frames and go here:
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and on photoshop, the process is a little more involved:
get your gif cropped and resized. Again, always the first step.
convert to video timeline
select all layers, convert to smart object
smart sharpen (can't sharpen without converting to a smart object)
convert frames > flatten frames into clips
delete smart layer
convert to frame animation
make frames from layers
do your colouring
export > save for web (legacy) for final results
you resize first before smart sharpening bc doing it the other way around destroys the effect of the sharpening.
I can't remember the exact number I used to do on photopea other than I would sharpen twice, on photoshop it's usually smart sharpen @ 355% and that's enough for most gifs, though some (a couple from the Lucanis romance set) took sharpening well enough to do another @ 110% (and some games like my ffxiv sets need lower sharpening); how much kind of depends on the exact game and your own preferences (some people like more, some like less). Sharpening will greatly improve the look of your gifs significantly (as in it's an unskippable step significantly) but is a big filesize hog; I think the lack of quality you're seeing is just bc it's unsharpened.
In terms of actually getting the filesize down without sacrificing quality you have a few options;
generally I don't worry about filesize until after I finish my colouring and sharpening, since those will have significant effects on it. Sometimes due to the way I tend to push shadows really dark a gif is actually larger before colouring than after. ofc if your gif is like 20mb to start you're going to have to trim, but.
The less frames your gif plays, the less its filesize is straight up. If you have extra frames to play with you can remove some off the front and/or back. If not, then:
Related to that, a trick I do with long gifs is to remove every other frame; works really well for video games, but probably not for things like tv shows or cartoons. This takes off half the frames without sacrificing the actual length of the gif or the movement, and the only adjustment I have to make is adjusting how fast it plays. This alone can take a gif from way over to way under and/or let me gif longer movements than I otherwise would; lots (most I think, actually) from the lucanis romance set used this to get them under 10mb. I also check for dead frames (sometimes w/ video games and their captures, you get an extra frame with no movement; this makes your gif choppy). you can take a 300 frame gif to 150 w/ this. I've only done this on photoshop, but it'd probably work with photopea too.
The less colour and movement your gif has to render in general, the lower the filesize. for example, compare these two:
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The first was an absolute PITA to get under 10mb bc it's a lot of detail, colour, and movement. The second has significantly less colour and barely any movement, and took barely anything to get under the size limit (and can be way longer in total animation length than the first).
5. your filters and colouring can significantly affect your filesize; how much depends on the colouring, which is dependent on your preferences. I personally tend to have really bold colours combined with very striking shadows bc that's what I like; more colour means bigger files, but lots of black (or white) helps bring down the filesize. again, comes back to the idea that the less your gif has to render the smaller it is.
6. the smaller your length and width, the smaller your filesize is just straight up. a 268px gif will always be able to handle more movement and length than a 540px, and ditto w/ a 177px. You can't touch the width, but you can touch the height; you can remove some of this to take off a little bit if necessary, though unless you're removing large chunks generally the difference in filesize will be fairly minor. The only caveat to this is if you're working with 268/177px gifs, bc all of those in a line need to have the same vertical height or they'll be automatically resized. for single 540px ones tho it's an easy trick.
7. If necessary, you can sometimes add some black (or white, depending on the colour of the gif) gradient at varying strengths and layer opacities as a pseudo-vignette to take away some extra colour, which helps. If I do this it's only in the corners or sides. ex:
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(bottom corners have black added in both)
you can also do this with strong colour vignettes. I usually add faint ones to a lot of gifs for extra colour and interest (ie. all of the ones in the lucanis romance set have a light red vignette added), but it can be as light or strong as your personal taste dictates. if it's strong enough to remove some detail, it may help; really faint ones like I do just to add extra colour add to it.
8. play with your dithering settings when you export; bc most of my stuff is video games, I almost never touch this but in an emergency you can consider it. See here for an in-depth explanation on what each option does.
too long, didn't read:
as a general rule, your filesize is going to be dictated by a couple major things; the number of frames you have, the size of your gif, the level of colour and detail, and the amount of movement. adjusting these will affect your size.
height/width, number of frames, and the level of detail are some of the biggest factors.
dark/black (or white) backgrounds, static backgrounds, black and white gifs / limited colour gifs, or gifs with a lot of deep black shadows are generally smaller or help to make them smaller. general rule: the less you have to animate (colour, detail, movement, etc), the smaller the gif.
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shizucheese · 1 month ago
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"Hey Shizu, that's not Silent Hill 2!" You're right. Turns out I'm too much of a baby to play SH2, so we're shifting gears a little. I still plan on finishing SH2....eventually. And by that I mean we're making it a tradition on the channel that every October we'll be revisiting the game and seeing how much further I can get before I wimp out again! Please look forward to it! In the mean time, we hit the donation goal for emotes to the channel thanks to a very generous donation, which means I owe the community a Phasmo stream! I'll actually go into the house this time I promi!
Tomorrow we'll be going back to FFXIV for realsies! If I'm not mistaken, we've got one last week of Doman Enclave left. Then we'll be doing 4.5 Part 2 MSQ! After that, with whatever time we have left of the stream, we'll be getting glamours put together for Shadowbringers, and doing Moogle Tome Event stuff! Then, Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, we'll be throwing wide the gates and starting Shadowbringers!
Catch me on Twitch and YouTube every Sunday starting at 4:30 Central and every Tuesday and Wednesday starting at 7:30 Central, as well as on Fridays, starting at 8:00 Central, for Friday Night Writes! Get me to 50 subs and we’ll do a trial series or savage raid tier of the community’s choice MINE! Also, buy me a Cocoa? I'm on Ko-fi now! All money raised through Twitch and Ko-Fi donations goes back into the channel! You can also commission me for editing if you're a writer!
Also be sure to join the Pantry Discord to join in on community and hijinks!
twitch_live
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iwaitforthestorm · 21 days ago
Note
After the war I went back to New York
A-After the war I went back to New York
I finished up my studies and I practiced law
I practiced law, Burr worked next door
Even though we started at the very same time Alexander Hamilton began to climb How to account for his rise to the top? Man, the man is Non-stop!
Gentlemen of the jury, I'm curious, bear with me Are you aware that we're making history? This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation The liberty behind deliberation Non-stop!
I am meant to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt With my assistant counsel—
Co-counsel. Hamilton, sit down Our client Levi Weeks is innocent, call your first witness That's all you had to say
Okay, one more thing—
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom
Aww!
Why do you write like you're running out of time? Write day and night like you're running out of time Every day you fight like you're running out of time
Keep on fighting, in the meantime Non-stop!
Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany This colony's economy's increasingly stalling And honestly, that's why (He's just) Public service seems to be (non-stop!) calling me
I practiced the law, practic'ly perfected it I've seen injustice in the world and I've corrected it Now for a strong central democracy If not, then I'll be Socrates Throwing verbal rocks at these mediocrities (Awww!)
Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention
I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!
There as a New York junior delegate
Now what I'm gonna say may sound indelicate... (Awww!)
Goes and proposes his own form of government What?
His own plan for a new form of government What?
Talks for six hours, the convention is listless
Bright young man! Yo, who the eff is this?
Why do you always say what you believe? Why do you always say what you believe?
Every proclamation guarantees Free ammunition for your enemies (Awww!)
Why do you write like it's going out of style (goin out of style, hey) Write day and night like it's going out of style (goin out of style, hey) Every day you fight like it's going out of style Do you what you do
Alexander?
Aaron Burr, sir
Well, it's the middle of the night
Can we confer, sir?
Is this a legal matter?
Yes, and it's important to me
What do you need?
Burr, you're a better lawyer than me
Okay?
I know I talk too much, I'm abrasive You're incredible in court, you're succinct, persuasive My client needs a strong defence, you're the solution
Who's your client?
The new U.S. Constitution?
No
Hear me out—
No way!
A series of essays anonymously published Defending the document to the public
No one'll read it
I disagree!
And if it fails?
Burr, that's why we need it
The constitution's a mess!
So it needs amendments
It's full of contradictions!
So is independence We have to start somewhere
No, no, no, no, no, no way
You're making a mistake
Good night!
Hey! What are you waiting for? What do you stall for?
What?
We won the war, what was it all for? Do you support this constitution?
Of course
Then defend it!
And what if you're backing the wrong horse?
Burr, we studied and we fought and we killed For the notion of a nation we now get to build For once in your life take a stand with pride I don't understand how you stand to the side
I don't keep all my plans close to my chest
Wait for it, wait for it, wait
I won't wait here and see which
Way the wind will blow I'm taking my time watching the afterbirth of a nation Watching the tension grow
I am sailing off to London I am accompanied by someone who always pays I have found a wealthy husband Who will keep me in comfort for all my days He is not a lot of fun but There's no one who can match you for turn of phrase My Alexander—
Angelica
Don't forget to write
Look at where you are Look at where you started The fact that you're alive is a miracle Just stay alive, that would be enough And if your wife could share a fraction of your time If I could grant you peace of mind Would that be enough?
Alexander joins forces with James Madison and John Jay to write a series of essays Defending the new United States Constitution, entitled The Federalist Papers The plan was to write a total of twenty-five essays The work divided evenly among the three men In the end, they wrote eighty-five essays in the span of six months John Jay got sick after writing five James Madison wrote twenty-nine Hamilton wrote the other FIFTY-ONE!
How do you write like you're
Running out time Write day and night like you're
Running out time
Every day you fight like you're
Running out time
Like you're
Running out time
Are you running out time?
How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive? How do you write like you need it to survive? How do you write every second you're alive Every second you're alive Every second you're alive
They're asking me to lead I'm doing the best I can To get the people that I need I'm asking you to be my right hand man
Treasury or State?
I know it's a lot to ask—
Treasury or State?
To leave behind the world you know—
Sir, do you want me to run the Treasury or State Department?
Treasury
Let's go
Alexander!
I have to leave
Alexander!
Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now
Helpless
They are asking me to lead
Look around, isn't this enough?
He will never be satisfied
Would it be enough?
He will never be satisfied
Satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
History has it's eyes on you
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?
Look around, look around
Non-stop!
He will never be satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom
Isn't this enough? Would it be enough?
History has it's eyes on you
Why do you write like you're running out of time?
Non-stop!
Why do you write like—
History has it's eyes on you!
I am not throwing away my shot!
Just you wait
I am not throwing away my shot!
Just you wait
I am Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton Just you wait
I am not throwing away my shot!
"What is happening."
2 notes · View notes
womanovertheedge · 22 days ago
Note
After the war I went back to New York
A-After the war I went back to New York
I finished up my studies and I practiced law
I practiced law, Burr worked next door
Even though we started at the very same time Alexander Hamilton began to climb How to account for his rise to the top? Man, the man is Non-stop!
Gentlemen of the jury, I'm curious, bear with me Are you aware that we're making history? This is the first murder trial of our brand-new nation The liberty behind deliberation Non-stop!
I am meant to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt With my assistant counsel—
Co-counsel. Hamilton, sit down Our client Levi Weeks is innocent, call your first witness That's all you had to say
Okay, one more thing—
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom
Aww!
Why do you write like you're running out of time? Write day and night like you're running out of time Every day you fight like you're running out of time
Keep on fighting, in the meantime Non-stop!
Corruption's such an old song that we can sing along in harmony And nowhere is it stronger than in Albany This colony's economy's increasingly stalling And honestly, that's why (He's just) Public service seems to be (non-stop!) calling me
I practiced the law, practic'ly perfected it I've seen injustice in the world and I've corrected it Now for a strong central democracy If not, then I'll be Socrates Throwing verbal rocks at these mediocrities (Awww!)
Hamilton at the Constitutional Convention
I was chosen for the Constitutional Convention!
There as a New York junior delegate
Now what I'm gonna say may sound indelicate... (Awww!)
Goes and proposes his own form of government What?
His own plan for a new form of government What?
Talks for six hours, the convention is listless
Bright young man! Yo, who the eff is this?
Why do you always say what you believe? Why do you always say what you believe?
Every proclamation guarantees Free ammunition for your enemies (Awww!)
Why do you write like it's going out of style (goin out of style, hey) Write day and night like it's going out of style (goin out of style, hey) Every day you fight like it's going out of style Do you what you do
Alexander?
Aaron Burr, sir
Well, it's the middle of the night
Can we confer, sir?
Is this a legal matter?
Yes, and it's important to me
What do you need?
Burr, you're a better lawyer than me
Okay?
I know I talk too much, I'm abrasive You're incredible in court, you're succinct, persuasive My client needs a strong defence, you're the solution
Who's your client?
The new U.S. Constitution?
No
Hear me out—
No way!
A series of essays anonymously published Defending the document to the public
No one'll read it
I disagree!
And if it fails?
Burr, that's why we need it
The constitution's a mess!
So it needs amendments
It's full of contradictions!
So is independence We have to start somewhere
No, no, no, no, no, no way
You're making a mistake
Good night!
Hey! What are you waiting for? What do you stall for?
What?
We won the war, what was it all for? Do you support this constitution?
Of course
Then defend it!
And what if you're backing the wrong horse?
Burr, we studied and we fought and we killed For the notion of a nation we now get to build For once in your life take a stand with pride I don't understand how you stand to the side
I don't keep all my plans close to my chest
Wait for it, wait for it, wait
I won't wait here and see which
Way the wind will blow I'm taking my time watching the afterbirth of a nation Watching the tension grow
I am sailing off to London I am accompanied by someone who always pays I have found a wealthy husband Who will keep me in comfort for all my days He is not a lot of fun but There's no one who can match you for turn of phrase My Alexander—
Angelica
Don't forget to write
Look at where you are Look at where you started The fact that you're alive is a miracle Just stay alive, that would be enough And if your wife could share a fraction of your time If I could grant you peace of mind Would that be enough?
Alexander joins forces with James Madison and John Jay to write a series of essays Defending the new United States Constitution, entitled The Federalist Papers The plan was to write a total of twenty-five essays The work divided evenly among the three men In the end, they wrote eighty-five essays in the span of six months John Jay got sick after writing five James Madison wrote twenty-nine Hamilton wrote the other FIFTY-ONE!
How do you write like you're
Running out time Write day and night like you're
Running out time
Every day you fight like you're
Running out time
Like you're
Running out time
Are you running out time?
How do you write like tomorrow won't arrive? How do you write like you need it to survive? How do you write every second you're alive Every second you're alive Every second you're alive
They're asking me to lead I'm doing the best I can To get the people that I need I'm asking you to be my right hand man
Treasury or State?
I know it's a lot to ask—
Treasury or State?
To leave behind the world you know—
Sir, do you want me to run the Treasury or State Department?
Treasury
Let's go
Alexander!
I have to leave
Alexander!
Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now
Helpless
They are asking me to lead
Look around, isn't this enough?
He will never be satisfied
Would it be enough?
He will never be satisfied
Satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
History has it's eyes on you
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room?
Look around, look around
Non-stop!
He will never be satisfied, satisfied, satisfied
Why do you assume you're the smartest in the room? Soon that attitude may be your doom
Isn't this enough? Would it be enough?
History has it's eyes on you
Why do you write like you're running out of time?
Non-stop!
Why do you write like—
History has it's eyes on you!
I am not throwing away my shot!
Just you wait
I am not throwing away my shot!
Just you wait
I am Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton Just you wait
I am not throwing away my shot!
musical.
//I LOVE HAMILTON
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frostbite-the-bat · 10 months ago
Note
how do you do the “cut out of a piece of cardstock or paper or something” effect
i'm gonna do an image guide, if that's okay!
i use these texture overlays - i've been planning to make a post that credits all these sorts of assets i use that i can link in my pinned post, but i keep forgetting...
so, well, i'll credit them now! and you can get them yourself, too! they're quite handy. it's a name your price thing, so you can download it for free, or be kind and donate to the creator!
-> Natural Materials Vol. 1 by TOMB of NULL
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guzma art guide underneath all this, it does get a little long, but it should cover my whole process for getting this effect!
you download the thing above and unzip it, and get some handy files to open in basically any art program that can handle PSD files. there's other material packs, but i only use this one! and out of these, i really only ever use the ones i lined with blue. (CARDBOARD and WATERCOLOR-PAPER)
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the idea is, that you draw a drawing and paste it within these folders. however, i don't do it this way, as you can see! it's a very different result. as an example, i'm gonna use the non-textured version of my old icon .
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you can do this and get a nice effect, especially if you use more fitting colors for this sort of style, but again, this isn't what i do! i actually copy specific layers and paste THOSE into my actual pieces. (specifically "LOWLIGHT" and "HIGHLIGHT" from "WATERCOLOR-PAPER")
i paste LOWLIGHT first, and set it to MULTIPLY. then, i paste HIGHLIGHT on top of it, and i set it to SCREEN.
then, i lock the layers for both and either paint over or bucket-tool fill them with a different color that fits my piece more. i adjust the opacity of each layer. i don't get the color first try always, i spend some time to play around with it - but for demonstration i stuck with what i picked at the moment.
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but that isn't all! i sometimes use "LOWLIGHT" from "CARDBOARD" as well, set on top of both of these layers, but instead set to OVERLAY. due to some scratches in the texture i don't like, i may move the position slightly. unless you draw really big, the texture will cover up your whole pieces and allow for some movement. if not, re-sizing is okay!
but i don't use that one always - what i use MOST of the time, and what i've done before i began using any paper overlays - were dot/halftone overlays! i either use these ones below, that are a specific, same size. (i resize for canvases all the time, that doesn't matter.)
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...or i also use another method! it requires krita.
you open up krita, and paste your whole piece into it. (what i do, is flatten my current piece, copy it, then undo to get all my layers back. then i paste the image into krita)
once i'm there, i go to FILTERS -> ARTISTIC -> HALFTONE. i adjust as i think it looks good, and then copy that.
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then, i paste that back into sai. however! it may be off by a few pixels! zoom in and move it slightly left or right - turn the opacity down slightly to help you figure it out. once you do that, set that layer to OVERLAY. you can play with the opacity - or even do fun things! it makes it look better, so hang on a minute!
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the "fun things" i mentioned is going over to LAYER and selecting "CONVERT LUMINACE TO TRANSPARENCY". in this case, it makes the white transparent and removes it, while it keeps the halftone! then i can change it's colors to be more fitting to my piece. (like we did with the texture layers!)
i used a purple overlay - so it makes the picture feel more purple and it ties the colors together a little bit more, without the use of an layer on top that's just one color set to OVERLAY or MULTIPLY to give it a different color hint. i usually do that, but set to super low opacity. but not always!
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a lot of these are just done by "feeling it" and trial-and-error! just messing around and seeing what looks nice, after all, these are usually my final details i add to a piece once it's done to give it a more finished, uniform look. plus, the texture looks nice, and it's great to make more flat colored pieces just POP OUT !!
and of course, i use either the image half-tone overlay or the krita method depending on just what i think looks good. i don't really have a specific method!
and sometimes, i add different overlays on top and mix and match - sometimes from actual scanned paper textures! i've downloaded some from this google drive i'm going to link below. i use them rarely, but it's worth the credit, too.
-> PAPER TEXTURES GOOGLE DRIVE (not mines!) (unfortunately, i lost the tumblr post i got these from.)
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few other things i tend to do, also: i tend to add extra saturation once a piece is done. i like bright colors.
i also tend to copy the original drawing underneath all these effect layers, and paste it over all these other layers. i set it to OVERLAY and set it to low opacity. (or rarely, without the layer effect!) it helps gets a bit of the "original" feel out, while brightening/saturating the colors out a bit... i always play with the opacity here a bit.
and so, here's the layers again + the final piece!
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admittedly, this was supposed to be a softer looking piece from the get-go, so saturating it may make it look a bit goofy when the flag in the background has been made brighter previously... but it makes the characters stand out! still looks nice! i'd definitely tweak this a bit, but it's definitely the kind of result you may be looking for!
i did use sai as an example, but if you use krita, medibang paint, fire alpaca, csp or photoshop... this all should work there as well! i've done this in ibis paint as well - using textures from the app itself! using what you learned here could help you figure that out for your own.
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well, i hope this was helpful and somewhat comprehensive! if anything's a bit messy here, i can admit i made this while in a call, so that may be why. feel free to ask follow-up questions! thanks for reading!!!
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sometimesraven · 1 year ago
Note
any writing advice for someone writing their first novel? (*cough, cough, aka me*)
<3
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Disclaimer: what works for me might not work for you, so feel free to take, twist and scrap whatever you need. I recommend asking/shopping around for ideas and other authors' processes, and it'll take some trial and error before you find what works best for you. But here's how I personally write.
Disclaimer disclaimer: this got real long while I was writing it and I realised how terrifying it must look to a first time writer. Take it step by step, at your own pace. It's not as scary as it looks xx
BEFORE YOU WRITE
(I'm going to be focusing on the story itself, but I'm sure it goes without saying that you should have your characters planned out first)
First things first: have a basic idea of the story beats. It doesn't have to be a Big Old Detailed Outline, just a basic compass to keep you going in the right direction so you're less likely to hit a roadblock. Personally I use the Plot Embryo! Here's my favourite video explaining it:
youtube
It's a nice simplified, easy to use tool for plotting. Here's a page from one of my journals breaking it down in a way I can personally come back to and understand:
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hopefully you can read my shitty handwriting but I've put a little breakdown in the image description.
I then use these prompts to scribble down the basic idea of what journey I want my main character/s to go through, and use that as my blueprint for when I write.
WHILE WRITING
First things first: if you're like me, and seeing errors or plot holes in the stuff you've already written will bug you forever, do what I do and NEVER READ BACK OVER YOUR WORK WHILE IT'S STILL IN PROGRESS. Sometimes I have to skim back to remember where I am but as a rule, once something is written it's no longer my problem until the whole thing is done.
Don't worry about chapters and other such structure. I use the plot embryo to split things up so I know where I am, but otherwise chapters and scenes Do Not Exist until the editing process. Here's the "chapters" of a WIP as an example (this is a slightly different embryo adapted for romance but you get the idea)
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Then just keep going until you're done. You don't even have to do it in order. If I'm stuck on a scene, I'll just put a big word in all caps that I can ctrl+f easily (usually either ELEPHANT or PENIS sklfsgskjf) and move on to the next bit I have ideas for, then come back to it later.
This first finished story will be bad. It'll be rough, patchy, full of holes. THAT'S OKAY. This is what we sometimes call the "Zero Draft". The draft that literally exists just to get the story out of your head to make the whole thing easier.
EDITING
Warning: editing is the longest, hardest part of writing a novel. Your book will go through several different versions, be scrapped and torn apart and put back together again. This is what makes the story great.
This is where every author differs, and there's a whole bunch of ways this can go. Personally, the first thing I do once the zero/first draft is done is put it down. Don't look at it, don't touch it, don't think about it. For at least a month. This allows you to come back to it with fresh eyes that haven't been staring at the same words for so long they just hate the whole thing regardless (and you WILL HATE IT. This is normal).
Then, the first thing I do is read back over the whole thing, adding notes and reactions as if I am a reader. If a part of what I've written makes me go 🥺🥺🥺, I'll write that down. If something could be worded better, I write that down. If you think a certain thing that you would put in the tags of a tumblr post, write it down. Treat it like you're someone else's beta reader, note down every negative, every positive, every ???? part. This will give you an idea of what is and isn't working. Here's some of my funniest notes from my zero draft of book 2 just to prove how literal I'm being here:
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Then, and this is a controversial move that doesn't work for everyone but it works for my autistic adhd self-loathing brain: WRITE THE WHOLE THING AGAIN. FROM SCRATCH.
This sounds daunting and it is, but you've already written it once, so the second time is easier. Usually I don't worry about making this perfect because again, this is just another draft. I'll copy from my zero draft anything that I think is fine and write new bits or scrap bits as I go.
Sometimes, the story is fine. Sometimes this is an easy refining process. However, if you're anything like me, sometimes the whole thing is messy and you'll realise halfway through rewriting that the whole thing needs restructuring. Do not despair. This is normal.
I'm using book 2 of the Truth Saga as an example for this. I got 40k words into rewriting it before I realised that the reason it felt so 'off' was because the whole thing was sagging in the middle, characters were being left behind, and the whole thing needed restructuring.
It was a rough realisation, as Reckless Truth (book 1) was such a comparatively easy process. I only did three drafts and didn't have to restructure much. Book 2 is giving me so much grief and I'm gonna slap it when it's done.
If you hit this roadblock, it might be time to do what all mood writers hate. Detailed plotting. Go right back to basics. Write down every plot point in detail this time. Act like you're spoiling the whole entire story for someone. Have you ever watched a movie or book review where the reviewer does a full breakdown of the plot? Do that. In this you'll find out exactly where you're going wrong and be able to tweak and fix it. If you have more than one main character, I recommend doing a separate plot thing for each of them and one for the book as a whole so that you can make sure their emotional arc is getting the attention it deserves.
Then, when you're happy with the new plot you've written based on the draft of your story, go back and try to rewrite it again. If this sounds like a nightmare, it is. But it's worth the work, I promise.
From there it's a case of rinse and repeat, reread, rewrite, re-edit until you're mostly happy with what you've got. Then send it to beta readers and editors to tear apart even more and put it back together until you think it's ready! I also recommend joining some writing discords, watching streams or videos about writing, just research research research basically
Happy writing!
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