#it keeps messing up the colours after its done uploading

[dilfslayer1080p]

having fun with cell shading, also finally got around to adding multiple eyes just in time for spooky month

[justarandomreaderxoxo]

Shadows of the Heart: Chapter 2

First Date

Summary: Your first date with Wanda brings up some conflicting emotions.

Word count: 3472

Pronouns: She/Her

Age: 24

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x reader

Warnings: Violence, Drugs (Mentioned), Alcohol

A/n: Sorry again for delay in uploading guys. if I missed any warnings please let me know as well as if you wanna be tagged in future updates. Enjoy!!!

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The soft chime of the café’s bell signals its closing as you flip the sign to "Closed." When you turn back, Wanda is watching you, her arms crossed, amusement dancing in her eyes.

“So,” she says, her voice light, teasing. “Where are we going?”

You extend an arm toward her with a warm smile. “You’ll see. Trust me.”

The two of you walk through the dimly lit streets of New York, the distant hum of the city creating an intimate backdrop. You make sure to keep the pace unhurried, letting the conversation flow naturally. Wanda glances at you occasionally, her eyes flickering toward your hands when you fidget with the cuff of your jacket. She notices. Of course, she does.

After a short walk, you guide her into a building and up a narrow staircase. “Almost there,” you say, your tone both reassuring and teasing. At the top, you pause in front of a door.

“Close your eyes,” you instruct gently.

Wanda chuckles, skeptical. “Is that necessary?”

“Yes,” you reply with a smirk.

With a sigh, she complies, and you take her hand, guiding her forward. Your touch is light, but she doesn’t pull away. The warmth of her fingers in yours sends a pleasant hum through your chest.

“You can open them now,” you say, stepping aside.

Wanda’s breath catches as she takes in the scene. The rooftop garden stretches out before her, fairy lights casting a golden glow over the space. The city skyline twinkles in the distance, the perfect backdrop to the setup you spent all afternoon arranging. A small table for two sits at the centre, a vase of Sokovian flowers resting between flickering candles.

For a moment, she’s silent, her eyes glistening as she turns to you. “You did all this?”

You shrug, trying to feign nonchalance, but the warmth creeping up your neck betrays you. “I wanted it to be special. For you.”

She steps closer, her voice soft. “It’s perfect, Y/N. Thank you.”

The faint strains of music begin to play, completing the ambiance. Wanda smiles—really smiles—and you let out a quiet breath of relief. The nerves from earlier fade into something lighter as you gesture toward the table.

“Shall we?” you ask, keeping your voice steady despite the flutter in your chest.

As Wanda sits, she takes in the thoughtful details—the flowers, the music, the city lights. You watch as she lightly traces the stem of her wine glass, lost in thought.

“These flowers grew everywhere in the village where I grew up,” she murmurs, a soft nostalgia in her tone. “My brother and I used to pick them for our mother. She’d put them in a vase, just like this, and say they made the house feel alive.”

You lean forward slightly, resting your chin on your hand as you listen. “It sounds like your mother had an eye for beauty. Like you do.”

A faint flush colours Wanda’s cheeks, but she waves off the compliment with a small laugh. “I’m not so sure about that. Most of the time, I feel like I’m just throwing things together and hoping they work. Baking, running the café… it’s all trial and error, really.”

You smile knowingly. “You make it look effortless.”

Wanda tilts her head, a playful spark lighting her eyes. “Effortless? You haven’t seen the mess I make in the kitchen before the café opens. Pietro always teases me about it—says I look like a tornado hit me by the time I’m done.”

You chuckle, and the last of the nervous tension melts away. This isn’t about grand gestures or trying to impress. This is something deeper, something real.

Her gaze drifts to the city skyline, the distant lights flickering like stars brought down to earth. “New York is so different from Sokovia,” Wanda murmurs after a moment. “Back home, everything was quieter. Simpler. But here… it’s alive, in a way I never imagined. It’s overwhelming sometimes, but it’s also… freeing.”

You nod, considering her words. “It sounds like you miss it, though.”

Wanda sighs, her fingers idly playing with the edge of the tablecloth. “I do, but it’s not the same anymore. After everything that happened… Sokovia is just a memory now.”

The wistfulness in her voice lingers in the air, delicate and unspoken, like the flickering candlelight between you. She shakes her head, pushing the sorrow away, replacing it with a small but determined smile. “But I try to bring a little bit of it here, you know? The café—it’s my way of holding on to what I loved about home. The smells, the tastes, the way people used to gather and talk for hours over coffee.”

She looks up at you, her eyes bright with something deeper than nostalgia—something unshakable. “It’s not just a business to me. It’s… a piece of who I am.”

You hold her gaze, something warm settling in your chest. There’s a quiet strength in her, one that makes you want to listen, to understand. The way she speaks about the café, about Sokovia—it’s not just longing. It’s love.

A warm breeze carries the scent of the Sokovian flowers you chose, brushing gently against your skin. Wanda leans back in her chair, letting out a soft, contented sigh. She takes another sip of wine, savouring it, then glances at you with a small smile.

“You know,” she says, voice lighter now, “this is the first time in a long while I’ve done something like this. Just… sit down and enjoy a moment.”

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “You don’t take time for yourself?”

She lets out a quiet laugh. “Not really. The café keeps me busy, and when I’m not there, I’m usually running errands or helping Pietro with something. He likes to think he doesn’t need me, but he does.”

At the mention of her brother, her face softens. “He’s the whirlwind in our lives, always rushing around, always with some wild idea. But he’s also the one who keeps me grounded in a strange way. Sokovia might be gone, but with Pietro, it still feels like I have a piece of home.”

She pauses, her gaze drifting back to the skyline. The distant murmur of the city hums around you, a quiet contrast to the conversation. You say nothing, but you don’t need to. Your silence is an invitation, an understanding.

“That’s why I started the café,” Wanda continues, her voice gentler now. “I wanted to create a place where people could just stop and breathe for a moment. Share stories, connect with each other, feel like they belong somewhere.” She glances down at her hands, fiddling with the napkin in her lap. “I guess, in a way, it’s what I need, too.”

When she looks back up, her smile is a little shy, as if expecting you to brush off her sentimentality. “You probably think that’s silly.”

You shake your head, steady and certain. “Not at all. I think it’s beautiful.”

A faint flush colours her cheeks, and she drops her gaze for a moment. She’s not used to being seen like this, you realize—not in a way that doesn’t demand something of her in return. But you aren’t asking for anything. You’re just… here.

Wanda exhales a small laugh, the weight of the conversation lifting slightly. “It’s funny,” she says, tilting her head. “I don’t know much about you, but here I am, spilling my heart out like we’ve known each other forever.”

You smirk, leaning back in your seat. “Maybe that’s the magic of your café.”

She smiles at that, the tension in her shoulders easing. The cool evening air brushes against your skin, carrying the distant sounds of a saxophone from a street performer below. There’s a comfort in the quiet between you, in the way the night seems to settle around this rooftop like it was meant for just the two of you.

After a beat, Wanda rests her chin on her hand, watching you with quiet intrigue. “You seem… different,” she muses, studying you as though trying to piece together a puzzle.

You quirk an eyebrow, amused. “Different how?”

She hesitates, her eyes narrowing playfully. “I don’t know… maybe it’s the way you carry yourself. Like you’re always in control, even when you’re just sitting here having dinner.”

A small chuckle escapes your lips, low and warm. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No,” she says quickly, cheeks darkening slightly. “It’s just… intriguing.”

She leans in slightly, elbows resting on the table. “You don’t strike me as someone who spends a lot of time in cafés. Or someone who just happens to stumble into one, for that matter.”

You say nothing, only smile.

Wanda’s curiosity sharpens. “What brought you in that day?” she asks, her tone light, but edged with something deeper. “Was it really just the coffee? Or were you waiting for someone?”

Lifting your glass, you take a slow sip, considering your words. The city lights shimmer in the reflection, casting soft golden hues over the table. Finally, you set the glass down and meet her gaze.

“Maybe I was looking for something I didn’t know I needed,” you say, voice even, but laced with something just cryptic enough to make her heart stutter.

She blinks, caught off guard, and quickly looks away, feigning nonchalance as she glances down at her plate. “You’re not going to tell me, are you?”

Leaning in now, you drop your voice just enough to make her pulse quicken. “What if I like keeping you guessing?”

Wanda exhales a soft laugh, shaking her head. “You’re impossible, you know that?”

You smirk, eyes glinting with something teasing, something undeniably drawn to the way she looks at you. “Maybe,” you admit. “But you seem to like figuring me out.”

She doesn’t deny it. And somehow, in the cool night air, with the lights of the city stretching endlessly around you, you find yourself hoping she never stops trying.

Wanda rolls her eyes, though the smile playing on her lips betrays her amusement. There’s a confidence in your demeanor that she finds both maddening and magnetic, and you can see it in the way she watches you, the way her curiosity flickers beneath the surface. You wonder if she realizes just how easily she’s unravelling in front of you—or how much you want to unravel with her.

“So,” she ventures, her tone growing more serious, “what do you do when you’re not wandering into random cafes and charming unsuspecting baristas?”

You chuckle, tilting your head slightly. “You think I’m charming?”

She opens her mouth to protest, but the words catch in her throat. Instead, she shakes her head, laughing at herself. “I think you’re avoiding the question.”

“Maybe a little,” you admit, watching her closely. “But only because I’d rather hear more about you.”

Her brows raise slightly, surprised by your deflection. “Me? There’s not much to tell, really. I run a cafe. I bake. I try to keep my brother out of trouble. That’s about it.”

You smile; your gaze locked on hers. “I think there’s a lot more to you than that.”

The sincerity in your voice makes her pause, her cheeks tinged with warmth. She isn’t used to this—to being seen, not just for what she does but for who she is. You can see the conflict flicker in her eyes, the instinct to pull away warring with the desire to lean in. And for some reason, you find yourself hoping she does.

She keeps talking, and you find yourself captivated by every word—the way her hands move when she describes her work, the way her voice softens when she mentions her brother, the way the lilt of her Sokovian accent lingers in the air like something delicate and warm. You’re not used to this. To sitting across from someone and feeling… light. Like, for once, you’re not weighed down by everything you carry. Wanda’s presence is different. Disarming. A rare moment of peace in the life you lead, where strategy and calculated risks dictate every move.

She tilts her head at you, curiosity evident in her gaze. “So, what is it that you do, exactly?”

You swirl the wine in your glass, weighing your words carefully. “I handle logistics,” you say lightly, measured. “Making sure things run smoothly. A bit of problem-solving here and there.”

It’s not a lie. But it’s not the truth either. The last thing you want is to drag Wanda into the world you inhabit, a world that is as dangerous as it is demanding. But she’s perceptive—you can tell she’s not entirely convinced by your answer.

“Problem-solving?” she echoes, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “That sounds vague. Are you some kind of consultant?”

You chuckle, grateful for her teasing tone. “Something like that. Let’s just say I’m good at fixing things that need fixing.”

Her eyes narrow slightly, not quite satisfied, but she doesn’t push. Instead, she leans back, a thoughtful expression settling over her features. “You must be very busy, then. I’m surprised you found the time to come back here.”

You meet her gaze, and for once, you don’t deflect. “Some things are worth making time for.”

The words slip out before you can stop them, but you don’t regret them. You watch as her cheeks flush a soft pink, her eyes darting away briefly before she smiles—shy but pleased. It does something to you, that reaction. Makes you feel something unfamiliar, something you’re not sure you should allow yourself to feel.

For a moment, you let yourself watch her, marvelling at the way she’s managed to slip past your defences without even trying. You feel something stir in your chest—a quiet yearning you haven’t allowed yourself to acknowledge in years.

Wanda looks up again, her gaze meeting yours. “You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”

You smirk, raising your glass in a mock toast. “Only the good kind, I hope.”

She laughs, the sound like music to your ears. As the evening stretches on, you feel the walls you’ve built around yourself begin to crack, just a little. She doesn’t know the full truth of who you are, and you’re not sure if she ever could. But for now, in this moment, none of that matters.

For the first time in what feels like forever, you let yourself be present. Let yourself enjoy the company of someone who sees you not as a strategist, not as a fixer, but as a person.

And for now, that’s enough.

But as Wanda’s laughter fades into the warm hum of the restaurant, you feel it—that familiar pang in your chest. It’s not sharp or overwhelming, just a quiet ache. A reminder of all the things you can’t have. Wanda doesn’t know it, but her innocence, her complete unawareness of the world you navigate, is a gift.

Your life is a tapestry of shadows, woven with danger and compromise. The Avengers aren’t just your family; they are your duty, your purpose. You have fought to earn your place among them, to prove you can stand shoulder to shoulder with legends. And yet, sitting across from Wanda, you wonder if that fight has cost you more than you realized.

She speaks about her dreams for the cafe—expanding the menu, hosting community events, creating a space where people feel safe—and you admire her for it. There’s something pure about her passion, something untouched by the harsh realities that define your world.

But that also makes her a liability.

Your fingers tighten around the stem of your glass, your mind drifting to the van you had staked out the day you first met her. Your rival’s drug operation was a cancer in your city, and you had been ruthless in cutting it out. But that kind of ruthlessness comes with consequences—consequences that could easily spill over into Wanda’s life if you’re not careful.

And for the first time since this all began; you wonder if keeping her close is more dangerous than keeping her away.

You’ve always been good at compartmentalizing, at keeping your emotions in check. But Wanda makes that impossible. She’s a reminder of everything you want and everything you can’t afford to have.

“You okay?” Wanda’s voice breaks through your thoughts, pulling you back to the present. You blink, realizing you’ve been silent for too long.

“Yeah,” you say quickly, forcing a smile. “Sorry, I just got caught up in the way you talk about your cafe. You’re really passionate about it.”

Her eyes soften as she leans forward slightly. “It’s my dream. And I get the feeling you understand that—having something you’d do anything to protect.”

A sharp twist coils in your stomach at her words. You do understand, more than she could ever know. But the things you protect aren’t dreams—they’re people. Your family, your city, your legacy. And the cost of that protection is steep.

“Yeah,” you murmur, dropping your gaze to your glass. “I do.”

The weight of your double life presses down on you, relentless. You’ve spent years perfecting the art of the lie, saying just enough to satisfy curiosity without revealing the truth. But with Wanda, every half-truth feels like a betrayal.

Your chest tightens. She doesn’t know the burden you carry or the risks that come with being close to you.

The night unfolds like a dream—one you didn’t realize you wanted until it was already slipping through your fingers. You orchestrate every moment carefully—the quiet walk through the park, the tucked-away restaurant, the laughter that comes so easily between you. For once, you let yourself be present, untethered from the war you fight in the city’s shadows. Tonight, there’s only Wanda.

Now, standing outside her cafe, bathed in the glow of the streetlights, she looks radiant. Exhaustion lingers at the edges of her expression, the kind that comes from long hours spent pouring herself into something she loves. But she’s still smiling, still looking at you like tonight has been just as perfect for her as it has been for you.

“This was…” She hesitates, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “This was really nice, Y/N.”

Your name on her lips sends something sharp and aching through you. You swallow the feeling down, unsure of what to say. You wanted tonight to be special for her, to give her something to remember. But you never planned for this—to feel so much, so deeply, for something you can’t have.

“You’re welcome,” you finally say, keeping your voice steady even as your heart races. “I’m glad you liked it.”

She steps a little closer, her warmth seeping into the cool night air, and you fight the urge to reach for her. Instead, you hold her gaze, hoping she can see everything you can’t say.

“Thank you,” she continues, her voice filled with quiet sincerity. “For everything. For making me feel special tonight. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this… carefree.”

Your chest tightens again. Wanda doesn’t know how much that means to you—how much you wish you could protect that feeling for her, keep it untouched by the darkness that follows you. But you can’t. Not forever.

“It’s nothing,” you say, but even you can hear the lie in your voice. “I just wanted to give you something nice.”

She smiles, soft and knowing, and for a moment, time slows. She reaches out, her fingers brushing against your arm, sending a jolt through you.

“I hope we can do this again,” she says, quiet but hopeful.

You nod, the answer coming too easily. “I’d like that, too.”

She lingers, like there’s something more she wants to say, but instead, she sighs and steps back. “I guess I’ll let you go, then,” she says reluctantly. “You’ve got your world, and I’ve got mine. But tonight—tonight felt like something else.”

And that’s when it hits you—the full weight of what you’re risking. The tangled web of alliances, the enemies you’ve made, the life you’ve built in the shadows. The cost of this, of her, is too high.

But standing here, watching her smile at you like she’s never looked at anyone else, you can’t bring yourself to care.

“I’ll see you soon, Wanda,” you say, voice quiet but certain.

She nods, offering you a final, bittersweet smile before turning toward the warmth of her cafe.

You watch her disappear inside, your heart heavy with something you can’t quite name. You tell yourself this isn’t the last time you’ll find yourself here, in this moment, standing on the edge of something dangerous and beautiful. And that realization both terrifies and thrills you.

For the first time in years, you allow yourself to hope.

[wonwooridul]

HELLO & WELCOME ♡ to an all inclusive giffing guide, which includes: - vapousynth installation on windows / mac - how to source giffable material - resizing / deinterlacing / denoising / sharpening on VS - step by step breakdown of how to use VS - giffing after you've used VS - giffing using only photoshop - simple colouring guide - watermaking and blurring captions

( a better and updated version of the previous one )

GIFFING USING VS + PS

1. VAPOURSYNTH & ITS INSTALLATION

VS is free to download and use. it is truly an amazing tool which allows you to resize, denoise, sharpen your gifs all at once and save the output in gifs, frames , mp4 and mov.

You can install vapoursyth from here. The site has download software and installation guide for both MacOs and Windows. Please watch and read the installation guide thoroughly, it is a very well written one and if you follow along, installation will be done easily.

It is best to use a video with minimum resolution of 1080p but a good 720p would work sometimes. This is how gifs look after sharpening a normal 1080p video:

2. SOURCING GIFABLE MATERIAL

➞ You can start with downloading a 4K Video downloader. It will allow you to download clean and best available resolution videos from youtube. ➞ If you don't want to download a software, you can use screenrecording. - Windows : windows key + alt +R - MacOs: shift + cmnd + 5 ➞ .TS files - for seventeen .ts files, you can go to rosebay

3. TUMBLR SIZING

Tumblr has it own resizing rules so that your gifs aren't blurry after you've uploaded them. Keep this in mind when you're using VS resizing tool.

4. USING VAPORSYTNH

After you've installed the VS properly. You'll have a VS script shortcut on which you'll drop your video file for giffing. Once you drop your video file on the VS shortcut, a window like this will pop up:

After you've put your timestamps and gif duration, a resizer will open up in chrome ( or your default web) along with a VS Script Window (sometimes it’ll take a min to open).

GIF Size: WIDTH (left space) and HEIGHT (right space). Use the bottom left triangle to adjust you clip. Make sure 'Preprocessor' is set to 'None' and "debilinear'.

Use KNLM for denoising and FineSharp for sharpening by selecting them and ticking the small check box beside them. DONOT mess with the denoise and sharpening cursor on the resizer tab, we'll adjust setting on the VS Script.

There are CCs who use BM3D for denoising but it never worked for me. Always gave me an error. KNLM has worked without an error for years for me.

NOW, there are CCs who like to set frame per second ( qtgmc) on the resizer itself but qtgmc is designed to work with interlaced video. Don’t waste your time with fancams, it won’t do shit.

[ Interlaced content: live performances, variety shows. Typical formats: .ts/.tp/.m2ts Progressive content: fancams, vlive/instagram videos, some variety shows (basically 1080p/720p/480p/…, anything with a p. Typical formats: .mp4/.avi ]

Copy whatever code that comes on the top right.

YOUR VS SCRIPT:

First, remove the # on line 9 to increase your cache size so that your VS doesn't slow down or crash. It is already removed in mine, but you'll have to remove the # on the start of line 9.

Remove everything from line 17 till before "video = core.fmtc.bitdepth(video, bits =16)" and paste the code you copied from the resizer on line 17.

After you've pasted the code, we put in our denoise and sharpen settings by changing these things. denoise: 2, 6, 4 , 2 finesharp: 2

Now, Encoding aka Saving the output. Script > Encode Video and another window will pop up which allows you to select in which way you want to save your ouput.

I would highly suggest using the PNG sequence because it is easily editable and is saved in hd from. GIF output can often be dithered.

Ensure that header in in Y4M mode

Click on Start to start your encoding process. Don't close any of the window tabs before the encoding is completed.

Your output will be saved under "D:\VapourSynth64Portable(200722)\gifs\output".

Before you start encoding another batch of frames or a gif, please cut and paste the previous output in another folder because each new batch of output gets saved in the same folder with the same name, thus, automatically replacing the files.

after you’re done with accessing your output PNGs, close all the windows and repeat the same for a new set of PNGs for another gif.

TRIMMING GIFS

If your saving as PNG sequence, you can simply trim your gif by removing the unwanted frames!

If you're saving as a GIF output, after loading your gif and converting it into a smart object, you can cut it using the 'scissors' button on the timeline. Place the cursor thing from where you want to cut the gif from and press the scissors button. It will split the gif in two. Select the unwanted one and press delete.

REMOVING FLASES FROM GIFS

To remove flashes in gifs in a simple and easy way is to save them as a PNG sequence. With that you can clearly see which frame has a flash and simply delete that before loading in photoshop as stack.

5. LOADING THE GIFS IN PHOTOSHOP

Firstly, turn on your timeline mode. WIndow > Timeline

To LOAD GIF FILE IN PS FOR COLOURING File > Open > Select GIF > Enter ( a normal gif output will have a 0.02 FPS delay )

(if you want to sharpen or add any effects to the gif then:) - Click the small button on the left bottom of the timeline to convert into into video timeline.

Select all frames on your right and convert them into a Smart Object (select all > right click > covert to smart object)

Add whatever filters you want.

Add your colouring and save.

TO SAVE AKA EXPORT GIF

File > Export > Save to WEB

6. LOADING PNG SEQUENCE FRAMES FOR GIFFING

File > Scripts > Load into Stack > Browse Browse will open your File Manager. Select the frames you want to be loaded as a stack. Let them load and click OK.

After PS is done loading your frames, Follow these steps:

Click create frame animation. It’s show only one frame so you have to click this ≡ symbol on the top right of the timeline.

Then click Create Frames from layers and it’ll make all frames.

Then click ≡ again and click “reverse frames” because ps loads stacked frames in reverse so you have to un-reverse it.

4. Most importantly, we need to set frames per second because we didn't set anything on the resizer. Frames per second can make a huge difference in how fast or slow you want your gif to be. 0.05 FPS is just my preferred setting.

To input your desired FPS settings, select all frame from the timeline, right click on any frame > Other > Input your desired setting. ( anything above 0.08 will make the gif too slow )

5. Click on 'Create Video Timeline' to turn this into a video timeline. (bottom left of timeline)

i made an action that does all steps from 1 to 5. Download it here <3

6. Then select all your layers from the side panel and convert it into a smart object so that you can sharpen it and add other filters.

7. Add your adjustment layers for colouring and save it!! Saving process as same as before. (File > Export > Save to WEB)

GIFFING USING ONLY PHOTOSHOP

If you don't want to go through hassle of installing and using vapoursynth, you can use this photoshop only method. You can simply cut the video and load them as frames.

File > Import > Video Frames to Layers

A window like this will pop up:

Use the triangle cursors to set the start and end of your clip. Make sure Make frame Animation is check. Press OK.

IMP: After you frames have loaded, you'll see the frames have loaded at a 0.04FPS. You can change it according to your preference but the speed is different (slower) for these gifs even if they're both at 0.05fps, that is because the number of frames is different than number of frames from a VS png sequence for the same clip.

You can adjust the fps the same way mentioned above.

You can see the difference even with the same FPS settings. The frames in the second gif are VS generated whereas the first one is PS generated.

After setting you desired FPS, click on the Make Video frame animation button at the bottom left on the Timeline tab,, Select all frames/ layers on the right and convert them into a SmartObject.

Now comes the main part, Resizing the gif according to tumblr. For this, Image > Canvas Size. Input your desired dimentions and press OK.

Then, Click of CTRL + T (Free Transform) and adjust the gif along the canvas. like this:

Press Enter. You gif is set. all you need to do is, add your sharpening (filters > smart sharpen).

You can also refer to this amazing tutorial by @jeonwonwoo for photoshop giffing.

BLURRING CAPTIONS IN GIFS

For this you only need a gif in a Smart Object, Marquee Tool and Gaussian Blur.

Marquee Tool is the small dotted rectangle tool. Click on it and then make your selection around the caption by clicking and dragging your cursor.

normal selection

Add to selection (to the normal selection) ( best for multiple captions, it lets you select in multiple places at once) Example:

after selection, go to Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blue > 3.0

IMP: If you want to add Blur using marquee tool on a smart object that already has a smart sharpen filter (or any filter) on then you need to convert that smart object into a smart object again.

after you've added your colouring adjustment layers, save your gif. File > Export > Save for Web

WATERMARK

To make you custom watermark shape, you can follow this wonderful tutorial by @yunaevis

How to set the custom watermark or any watermark, you can follow this tutorial by me. ( bonus: it'll also teach you how to use actions for watermarking)

BASIC COLOURING

Start off Curves. Click and drag the curves from the middle to upwards. This will increase the brightness .

For skin, we begin with Selective colours. Messing with Reds and Yellows, give the skin more even saturation. You can accentuate blacks and increase brightness + contrast too.

BEFORE AND AFTER:

for a detailed basic colouring tutorial, you can follow this tutorial!

DONE AND DUSTED,,,, THANKYOU <333 I hope this was somewhat helpful <3 if anyone has a doubt, they can always contact me!

[cavity-core]

Satisfying Salad

Chapter Six

I post a lot of different stuff that is totally consumable for minors, but this space is not intended for minors, so if you fall in that category, please navigate it responsibly and respectfully... on that note.. keep scrolling to the next post kids. ^ ^

Despite the tag, this is not Kaebedo, I’m shipping Kaeya with the Fellflower because I’m an absolute psychopath... I call it crack but it’s my otp idk what’s wrong with me, cryo sugoi.

It is still updating but you can read the full fic here.

Forgot I was posting this on Tumblr but I just uploaded a new chapter (9… aka 10) so now I remembered!

Last night had been hectic and disorienting for Subject Three. He remembered passing out on Kaeya’s bed, nestled against the thick duvet, but he’d woken up in a bush. As tempting as it had been to burrow into the ground right there for a nap, there was no way he could do that! His master sent him to take Albedo’s place in Mondstadt, and even if he’d messed up a little he couldn’t just go back to Dragonspine already.

Walking on his stupid human legs was so slow, but luckily he wasn’t in Mondstadt and he wasn’t under cover, so he was free to burrow into the ground and dig his way back to the city. Being able to take root and expel the alcohol from his body, as well as just being able to feel the dirt all around him made him feel infinitely better, he was ready to take this mission on again with gusto!

The only problem was… he didn’t have his clothes. As far as he knew, they were still with Kaeya. Captain Kaeya… he definitely wanted to see him again— oh, but he knew of Subject Three’s real identity. He helped hide it from the alchemy bench man though, so maybe it didn’t bother him! Subject Three could be just as good as any dumb human or homonculus!

Getting into the actual city without his human disguise was much harder, but he was well equipped to take on the challenge. Although the average WhopperFlower lacked the ability to change much beyond its corolla while its body remained hidden beneath the ground, his master’s alchemic intervention had done more than alter his appearance to that of a human, but rather it had made his entire body more malleable to disguises so to speak. Not only did it allow him to mimic with his entire body but he was not limited by size… within reason anyway; the greater the difference in size, the more taxing it was on his body, as he had so aptly shown last night while drunk.

Smaller was easier than bigger, but everything took practice. The crystal flies that had been drifting around him when he’d awoken served as excellent inspiration to float gently over the bridge and up, up over the wall, never arousing any suspicion as such a harmless creature. It was convenient both as a means of getting inside but also as a means of taking in his surroundings.

Maybe it was because subconsciously he was already looking for him, but as Subject Three fluttered over the red coloured rooves toward the square, he picked out Kaeya stumbling away from the Angel’s Share. His first thought was that perhaps he had gotten injured somehow, after all Subject Three had also woken up sore and disheveled, but it was also possible that Kaeya was affected by the same kind of drink as everyone else in the tavern. Either way, he needed to get back inside the apartment to retrieve his clothes in order to continue his mission.

Remaining safely up in the air, far above Kaeya’s head, he followed him right back to his building again. Unfortunately, there was no way he’d make it down in time to follow him through the door now, so his only other option was to search for an open window. Circling the building was proving to be a fruitless endeavour until a pair of shutters suddenly flew open, and low and behold it was Kaeya’s room on the other side. Frankly, Subject Three was a prodigy, his master clearly couldn’t have chosen a WhopperFlower more geniusly gifted in the art of infiltration.

He only had to perch on the flower box for a couple of minutes before Kaeya had shucked off a few layers and collapsed onto the bed… which was actually a problem, Subject Three noted as he entered the room and resumed his usual form, because his clothes were on the bed… under Kaeya. Retrieving them was out of the question, Kaeya was too heavy to pull them out from without waking him… Subject Three knew this for sure because he had already tried, resulting only in the whopper skittering under the bed when Kaeya groaned and shifted.

This wasn’t about to stop him though, he had already devised another, equally brilliant plan: There was a large, potted plant on the floor near the bedroom door, inside it was a big plant with fanning leaves. Easy. He slunk out from beneath the bed frame and reached up with his leafy appendages to take hold of it by the base and rip it free. It took much of the dirt with it so he did his best to shake most of it back into the pot before hopping back to the window and chucking it out.

Phase one had been executed perfectly. The real plant was gone and Kaeya was still fast asleep! Now was the easy part, hopping into the pot and nestling himself into the soil to take the form of the evicted plant and wait. Once Kaeya woke up and left the building, he could hop back out, grab his clothes and… … he.. didn’t think any farther ahead than that. This soil was very comfortable though and the size of the pot was actually pretty cozy, before long Subject Three had dozed off as well.

It might have been better for his initial plan if all the ruckus of Kaeya waking up in the morning hadn’t roused him and he’d remained quiet when he was called out. Unfortunately, it turned out that Subject Three had not been thorough enough with his disposal of the other plant. The floor was dirty and the plant was right there outside the window, all Kaeya had to do was look down! Foolish mistake after foolish mistake were what got him caught the first time, and this time was no different it seemed. Should he take his punishment and just return to his master in Dragonspine after all, accepting his failure?

Kaeya’s reaction didn’t seem aggressive though, he didn’t sound angry… he sounded more or less the same as usual. Maybe he really wasn’t that bothered about Subject Three’s identity, maybe Subject Three had already gone above and beyond and found an ally. Ignoring Kaeya’s objections, he dropped his disguise, wriggled free of the potting soil, and hopped out of the pot, nuzzling up to his leg with a soft squeak. Even without the drink from last night, he was still getting that weird feeling of wanting to be physically close to the human.

The feeling of Kaeya’s hands on him again made his skin prickle… but in a good way, making Subject Three squirm a little in his grasp. Kaeya also said he was allowed to continue his mission! Even though Kaeya didn’t think his master would be coming back… but that was the next step.. so he had to.

“Let’s clean you off then,” Kaeya sighed, carrying him towards a different room of the apartment.

As a mimic, Subject Three was sensitive to minute changes in demeanour and something about Kaeya seemed softer today. Both his tone and his motions as he cleaned and watered Subject Three, adjusting the temperature to his preference and drying him off in a plush blanket that smelled like Kaeya. Obviously he couldn’t burrow into it, but he could try.

When they were done, he was placed on the bed with his discarded clothes from last night while Kaeya cleaned up the floor then left, albeit awkwardly, to clean himself off next. Unfortunately, Subject Three still didn’t know how to put on any of these clothes. He did resume his mimicked form of Subject One and kind of picked up some of the garments, but he didn’t even want to wear all these stupid clothes again! He hated every single piece and still remained at a loss on how to wear any of them right up until Kaeya reappeared… in nothing but the towel Subject Three had dried off in.

Even last night Kaeya hadn’t fully undressed. He had never seen Kaeya fully naked, he noted, staring down at the towel while he was interrogated about his undressed state. How strange that he wanted to see… Subject Three watched intently as Kaeya moved about the room collecting his clothes, but to the whopper’s dismay he disappeared briefly into the bathroom before returning again, clothed.

Again, Kaeya was gentle, despite some frustration creeping into his tone when Subject Three voiced his disdain. In the end, Kaeya pulled every layer back onto him and he was once again stuck in Albedo’s stupid, stifling cloth prison of sensory despair. On the bright side, he was heading back to his mission despite his short comings, alongside Kaeya… but… no matter how close he walked to the knight, Kaeya never put his hand on him again the whole way there. Last night Subject Three had been tense to his touches, but today he was starved for them.

The walk this time was made in silence, only interrupted when brief greetings had to be exchanged with the humans milling about their morning business. Kaeya’s pace was brisk, challenging for Subject Three to match on his shorter legs and leaving him a little out of breath by the time they reached the Knights of Favonius headquarters. Learning to walk in this body was hard enough, but keeping up with Kaeya really put his skills to work.

When the two arrived inside, there were already people in the main hall. One of them was the blonde woman from yesterday, the other was a woman who Subject Three hadn’t seen before. She was also tall, and looked even taller with her big purple hat. He was sure thankful he didn’t have have to wear a hat. They both turned as the doors opened. “Ah, there he is,” the unfamiliar woman said, folding her arms. “You see? You worry far too much.”

“Were you looking for us?” Kaeya asked putting a hand on his hip. “I was running a bit late this morning, I certainly didn’t mean to make the Acting Grand Master worried on my behalf.~”

“Albedo” nodded. “Sorry, we were busy,” he agreed. He could also help Kaeya cover up why they were late!

The woman in the big hat raised her eyes brows, lifting a hand to not so subtly hide her smile. “Ohhh.”

Kaeya turned to Subject Three with a slightly tight smile. “Why don’t you head to your lab now?”

“Albedo” nodded obediently and scurried up to his office to… probably hide for the rest of the day, or so he’d planned anyway.

After pacing around the room, pulling the books off the shelf, opening them, failing to make sense of the scribbles and dropping them on the floor, staring out the window, sitting at the desk, sitting on the floor, staring out the window while sitting at the desk, and poking at some of the more dangerous looking items in the room for a while, he was starting to get antsy. Staying cooped up in this room just didn’t work for him. For the most part, whatever his master had done to better placate him had accomplished its purpose quite well, although he had some adverse reactions to certain parts of coexisting with humans, he didn’t feel such a strong urge to lash out and was generally level headed enough to reason… but spending time in this room felt like it was just undoing it all.

In the end, Subject Three decided it would be best for him to do as his master instructed and take a walk out to the alchemy bench; and so, leaving the office much messier than he’d found it, he headed down the stairs and back out the doors, walking along the stone roads towards the square. As expected, standing at the alchemy bench was the plain looking man.

For a while Subject Three just stood near the railing overlooking the square, as he pondered whether the office had left him in an appropriate mental state to handle whatever conversation he’d be dragged into if he approached the bench. Still… could he really just loiter around up here? Aside from looking suspicious, he’d probably be noticed sooner or later anyway if he continued to just stand around like this. Eventually, Subject Three made the executive decision to bite the proverbial bullet and make his way around to the stairs.

Mr. Alchemy Bench hadn’t noticed him yet when he’d first descended near the building across from him, the one that smelled of food, busy talking to a lady human who was also standing at the bench. They were the least of what held Subject Three’s attention now though as walking up from the entrance were a trio of familiar faces; his master had returned! Strangely though… the one he was accompanied by was Subject One, Albedo, and he was no longer donning the appearance of the Chief Alchemist himself. Presently, he was a tall man with brown hair, long enough to be pulled back in a short pony tail; it made no difference of course, Subject Three could recognize his master right away— and that child! That was the little human he took before!

How strange, as far as Subject Three knew, this wasn’t exactly how his master had described the next stage of their plan playing out. Well, he would just have to ask him! The breath he drew to call out was cut short though when he was suddenly grabbed, one hand over his mouth and the other around his waist, yanking him back around the side of the building and out of sight- and no doubt getting a nasty ice burn in the process. After a pained hiss following Subject Three’s adverse cryo reaction to being grabbed so suddenly came Kaeya’s voice in a low whisper. “Easy now… come with me.”

Obviously Subject Three struggled, his master was back which meant their plan was supposed to move forward to the next stage… whatever that was. He needed to tell him how he’d done as he was told, without even attacking anyone!

“If you rush in now you’ll only get yourself caught… maybe even killed,~” Kaeya pointed out. “It would certainly look strange if there were suddenly two Albedos in the square, wouldn’t it?”

Subject Three finally relaxed a little in Kaeya’s hold, causing the grip on him to slacken slightly in turn. He raise a hand to pull Kaeya’s off his face. “But my master is back,” he explained.

“Your master,” Kaeya reiterated, arching a brow down at him as he tugged him further behind the building lest the trio spot them on their way to the stairs. “Do you mean to tell me that Albedo is a fake as well?”

The mimic frowned a little, shaking his head and fully turning to Kaeya now that the grip on him was loose enough. It was probably only to ensure he didn’t try to run off, but Subject Three revelled in the continued contact of Kaeya’s hand on his waist nonetheless. “That isn’t my master, the tall man with them is.”

Kaeya seemed surprised, granted Subject Three was surprised to see his master looking that way as well. “Isn’t that Joel’s father?”

“Who’s Joel?”

“The young boy with them-… his father went missing on Dragonspine while looking for the summit, he was presumed dead,” Kaeya explained.

“I don’t know about that,” Subject Three replied. “I just know that’s my master, and that’s the little human I got in trouble for taking.”

Kaeya frowned pensively. “Albedo is back and your master has a new identity, doesn’t that mean you’ve been discarded?”

Did it mean that? Just because his master chose a new approach didn’t mean there was no more plan though! “I still have to talk to him,” Subject Three stated firmly.

“Not like this,” Kaeya said even more firmly.. successfully overruling Subject Three unfortunately. “If you’d really like to speak with that man, I can facilitate a meeting between the two of you in private.~”

Even though he wasn’t that gung-ho on compromising, this seemed like a sensible approach to the matter as far as Subject Three could tell. “I… okay,” he conceded, not without a bit of a pout though. “When can I talk to him then?”

“Tonight perhaps, but you can’t keep standing in public like this. The Traveller and Paimon returned to Mondstadt last night as well and while I doubt those two would have stuck around long enough to still be here, I wouldn’t risk running into them if I were you,” Kaeya answered.

“I can’t go back to hiding in the office though,” the whopper pointed out.

“You can wait in my apartment then, if you promise to behave yourself.~ I’ll be back when my shift ends.”

Ah, he was allowed to keep staying with Kaeya? Subject Three perked up again at this. “Yes, I’ll be good,” he confirmed eagerly. Following instructions well meant rewards, that was how his master trained him initially… even if the reward was mostly lack of punishment. If he was good for Kaeya wouldn’t he also be rewarded though?

It was lucky that the building which Kaeya lived in was accessible via some side stairs and the street it was on was residential and out of the way, which kept them out of sight for the most part. Kaeya had accompanied him up just to unlock the door but headed back out immediately after, leaving Subject Three alone in the room. Another enclosed space he had to figure out how to deal with… but this time he couldn’t throw any books on the floor or Kaeya would be mad. Even though he wanted to please Kaeya similarly to his master, it wasn’t quite the same; he had to follow his master’s orders or he would be punished and maybe even killed, but for Kaeya it wasn’t because he was afraid of him… he just desperately craved the knight’s acknowledgement.

That being said, Subject Three needed to occupy himself in some way that wasn’t tearing apart Kaeya’s living space. The room with the comfy pot was where he was most familiar with so he decided to stay in there. Ideally he’d just get back in the pot and go to sleep, not having to be shaped like a human would be an amazing first step… but he was still stuck in these stupid clothes. He couldn’t even remember how Kaeya had removed them last night, a lot of things were fuzzy from last night actually. Kaeya had put them on for him this morning though… could he just do that backwards? He’d missed most of it but maybe he could still piece it together since it was fresh in his mind.

There was only one way to find out. Subject Three took a seat on the edge of Kaeya’s bed to begin. He distinctly remembered that the gloves and boots went on last, as he recalled being disappointed after thinking he might’ve gotten out of wearing them this time. With enough tugging at various parts, he managed to get one glove off, and using both his freed hand and his teeth he got the other off too. The gauntlets were still on but they didn’t bother him as much, just having the ability to feel with his hands was enough for now. The shoes were similar to the gloves, in that they mostly just involved pulling but he spent most of his time rolling on his back while he struggled to yank the things off, leaving him quite winded by the end.

The discarded items were launched ruthlessly off the bed, miraculously failing to hit anything but the floor. All of his struggling had even slipped his belt off his shoulder which left it sitting near his waist where it was catching on his dumb coat’s stupid decorations. Pulling didn’t do much to help the coat though, no matter which way he pulled, it remained caught on some part of his body. Eventually, he gave up, he was satisfied just being out of the boots and gloves, and frankly he was tired after all that struggling.

With a sigh, Subject Three flopped back onto the bed again, using his heels to push himself as he shimmied up to the pillows and— his coat moved! It slipped down his shoulders just like belt! He kept shuffling his body up until he was all the way on the pillows and his coat was almost at his elbows, allowing him to lift his arms out and push the whole thing, belt and all, past his hips and kick it right off the bed. Being in only his shirt and bottoms felt freeing in itself at this point, and he finally relaxed back into the pillow taking a long breath and… noticing… they smelled like Kaeya… he turned his face more towards the pillow he was laying on a breathed in again. They really smelled like Kaeya.

Scent wasn’t a sense he relied on much in his normal life, sight and touch were his primary means of experiencing the world as a WhopperFlower. Ever since he’d started his mission in Mondstadt he was much more aware of the smells around him, and there were so many different ones too in a way that just didn’t exist on Dragonspine. Last night though, the one scent he distinctly remembered was Kaeya and how he smelled when he’d carried Subject Three back from the Angel’s Share or how he’d smelled the same yet… a little bit different looming over him on the bed, sweat glistening on his body.

Even though the smell lingering on the pillows was making his face and body feel warm again, he just wanted to sink his face deeper into the pillows. Being surrounded by Kaeya’s scent like this felt so good to him, it made him feel like Kaeya was touching him again… or.. not exactly; it felt the way Kaeya’s hand had made him want to be touched more, and it made his breath shorten and his thighs squirm. The smell alone was making him hard in his pants but Kaeya wasn’t even here to help him, how was he supposed to find the same release? He couldn’t go looking for him when he wasn’t allowed to leave the apartment.

Subject Three whimpered into the pillows, reaching his own hand down to desperately palm the growing bulge between his legs, still trapped behind two layers of clothes he didn’t know how to get out of. It didn’t feel the same as when Kaeya did it, Kaeya’s motion were confident and deliberate, and felt so much better with nothing in between. He desperately needed some kind of friction but he didn’t know how to get it himself, he couldn’t grip his dick through his pants the way Kaeya had without them but he couldn’t pull his pants down past his hips without opening them and he was completely stumped on the button!

With a frustrated groan Subject Three rolled onto his stomach instead, pressing his face into the pillows with his arms tucked underneath them. From this angle, he found he could sort of squirm his hips against the duvet for some kind of stimulation but… it just wasn’t enough. Still, that didn’t stop him from trying anyway, desperate pants and whimpers muffled by Kaeya’s pillow left damp by his breaths. Despite the wetness seeping into the fabric of his tighter inner pants, his needy squirming and rutting against the mattress just wasn’t enough to relieve him.

By the time the sounds of a key clicking in the front door caught his attention, Subject Three had accomplished little else than reducing himself to a flushed, panting mess… and he was supposed to meet with his master this evening! Ah.. would Kaeya be mad at him? In the end he’d still been bad. In a feeble attempt to mask his state, the whopper rolled onto his back again and lifted his knees to squeeze his thighs shut as the bedroom door opened.

[hazelcallahan]

Hey! Can I ask how you gif? Your gifs are so pretty and I’ve been wanting to learn how to do it. I know I could also probably google it so if you don’t feel like answering I understand

it's a bit of a process so i'll put stuff under the cut! not sure if this will be the best tutorial but i'll try!

things i use: a torrent downloader, kmplayer, photoshop cc

first off! download the episode you want the gifs from! i get mine off piratebay and use utorrent as my downloader. lots of tips on how to do that online so i'll skip over that

open up the episode in kmplayer and hit ctrl+g (or cmd+g if ur on mac i think? the rest of this will be PC specific since thats what i use for gifs) to open up the capture settings. the top bar is where you want the caps to be sent to- make a different folder for each gif u want to make.

these are the settings i use. bitmap format is a lil faster and wrecks ur pc less and its perfectly passable! png is the best quality but it makes my laptop chug like hell so i use jpg (the happy medium)

make sure its continuous, original size, and every frame! start the video playback a little before the segment you want and hit start on the capture menu, then hit stop once you're done. there will likely be a few extra frames on either end, so just go and delete those!

next up take those caps and upload them to photoshop! w the version i have i go to files -> scripts -> load files into stack. go into your caps folder, select all of em, and hit ok. it'll take a while for all of them to load in, especially w a larger gif, so just wait a bit before doing anything else or photoshop might crash haha.

once that's up, go to window (in the top bar) and check "timeline". click "create video timeline", and then immediately click the three small squares on the bottom left to convert it to frame animation. now click the three lines on the top right of the timeline window and click "make frames from layers:. they'll come in in reverse, so go to the same menu and click "reverse frames" next! go into the same menu, hit select all frames, and then change the frame duration to 0.05 by clicking the arrow next to the time under a frame, clicking "other," and typing in that value.

i usually crop my gif next. for a gif with one gif per row the width is 540px, for two gifs per row it's 268px, and for three it's 177px except for the middle gif which is 178px (meaning you have to kinda plan the layout in advance). the height can be whatever you like.

next up is sharpening! to sharpen easily, convert your timeline back into video animation by clicking in the same spot you did to convert to frame animation, then select all of your layers on the right, right click, and "convert to smart object". should look like this now:

one single layer. now click filter -> sharpen -> smart sharpen, and use these settings:

duplicate that layer, then hit the duplicated layer with filter -> blur -> gaussian blur with a radius of 0.5 pixels. set that layer to 50% opacity. you layers should look like this now:

after this is colouring! all of these upcoming layers can be found under layer -> new adjustment layer. the process i tend to follow is a standard curves layer to up the brightness:

another curves layer to get some contrast going:

and from there on out you can kinda do whatever you want! i use a vibrance layer to get more saturation followed by a gradient map layer set to soft light and 50% opacity to kinda tone it down a bit while increasing contrast, and then selective colour and colour balance layers to mess with the overall colours of the scene, and finally a levels layer if i want a little more contrast! so my layers tend to look like this:

and now your gif is pretty much done! to save, go to file -> save for web. i use these settings:

make sure your loop is set to forever! for gif size, im not quite sure what the hard limit is, but i think i remember reading somewhere that the quality starts tanking once it's bigger than 5MB, so i try to keep it under 5. if a gif is too big, start by cutting frames. you can also reduce the amount of colours to lower file size, but it will start affecting the quality!

now for a little tricky thing i learned recently- converting your gif to video timeline actually automatically changes the frame duration to 0.07, which is a little slow. to fix this, just open up your finished gif in photoshop again, which will automatically open it as a frame animation, and change the duration back to 0.05! save as normal, and you're done!

WHEW this got long. honestly it just gets easier with practice once you're not thinking about it as much. if you have any specific qs feel free to reach out, and happy giffing!

[life-rewritten]

SPOOKY SEASON! An ode to Mo Dao Zu Shi: one of the best BL story created!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!! One last Halloween post and it's about one of my favourite pieces of media in the world of BL, romance, and supernatural stories. Roll your eyes because once again I'm talking about Mo Dao Zu Shi (The grandmaster of demonic cultivation) I mean already with the demons, and cultivation is already hinting why this is Halloween themed, and trust me MDZ has much more than that: from zombies to ghosts, to magical instruments and weapons, and we love our fantasy cultivation sects and clans. Anyhoo, I am here to write a fun post another verdict/review on each of the adaptations available so far for MDZ, yeh you heard me I've listened, read and watched all versions of this masterpiece, and I'm here to tell you to go and do the same for Halloween. Also in case, you haven't heard MTX (the author of MDZ) has another show on its way TODAY! And that's the magnificent, the excellent and incredible Heaven's Official Blessing after marathoning MDZ do that too. 

As always with my verdicts: we have ratings: From 1 to 5 (1 being least excited to watch, 5 being most,) how excited am I to delve into these again? 

Country: China Genre: Danmei, Supernatural, Action, Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, BL, Horror,

1.The Book

We begin with the one that started it all. The reason for my devotion and love for this world, for Wei Wuxian and Lan Wang Ji. My heart hasn't stopped loving this book experience. And at first, it wasn't easy to understand all the logic and terms needed to know for this world of cultivation and sects and clans, and magical skills. But once I got the hang of it (maybe after reading it three times I wonder how I had time to do this by the way), this is a book that I keep on returning to, crying to, and just breaking down into a mess too. This book is the most original source for the love story of Wangxian and to be honest its a masterpiece. Now onto the pros and cons, I guess about this adaptation.

Pro: 

First, I would say that this is the most non censored version of MDZ, meaning China couldn't mute the romance or delete scenes because it's the original written story. The romance between Wangxian stands out and makes your heart go through a lot of emotions, from frustration at Wei  Wuxian not realising how he feels for Wang Ji, to pain because of Wang Ji's perceived unrequited feelings for so long, to happiness when they're just together, to confusion at some drunk scenes and then to all-out shock as the story reveals its self to the villains, the background of Weiying's death and more. 

The introduction to all these characters, all of them have a role in the story, all of them are important to keep an eye on, and they all grow and develop throughout the story as we find out more about their circumstances and their own perspective on Wei Wuxian.

Cons but not actual cons

The book is longggggg. The first time I read it I wondered when we would finally get a resolution or hint that Wei Wuxian finally understands what he's been feeling for sooo long, but it took forever and to be honest even though this is a con to me, it also is a positive for those who love slowwwww burns, and slow reveal to the background and development of Wangxians feelings for each other. There are many missions although essential to the world-building and the actual plot/mystery that at first seem so useless and not needed, but they are there for a purpose, and they do help us find out more clues about what's been going on and why Wei Wuxian was brought back from the dead. 

The book is the most non censored version of MDZ, and so there are many questionable moments/questions about Non-consent that occur during moments when Wangxian are drunk. Honestly, these scenes are so weird to me, because they hold so much truth and revelations to Wangji's feelings for Weiying. After all, he's drunk and the most authentic version of himself. There are so many moments (like stealing chickens or showing him the bunnies) that make you just want to cry at his love Weiying and the pain he had to endure when he thought he was never coming back. Still, at the same time, there are many moments where you're like oh wow that escalated, and you feel just a tad discomfort at the idea of the non-con. But like I said these scenes are required for these two to really like give into what they've both been trying to push away or ignore, and it's nice to see how Weiying reacts to his feelings becoming uncontrollable and more prominent. 

There are some moments in the book where things seem vague or unexplained (which the other sources did their own thing with), some characters who are mentioned but not really given enough detail, some plot details where it's not fully understood. However, I do think that because the book is already so long, the most critical information needed was there and the reveal of the mysteries were all done well. I think though that it's better to see how it materialises visually hence the other media adaptations. 

Ratings: 4/5 -It's not easy to pick up the book and read, but I have so much fun returning to it and laughing along with Wei Wuxian's thoughts and ideas about Wang Ji.

2.The Manhua

I was so shook when I found out MDZ has a manhua. Mostly because China wouldn't really make it easy for the book adaptation to be honestly portrayed visually. But the manga shocked me, it is censored, but the writers and the artists are all so obsessed with this book and this couple that despite having to remove or edit some scenes, they draw some additional scenes and post it online so that international fans can still get to see these moments visually. That is incredible, and I'm so grateful that we have a team of people who respect and love the piece as much as the fans do. 

Pros: 

With any graphic novel/manga the art of MDZ is fantastic to see, the characters are brought to life with colour and also the inclusion of chibi drawings to make a moment incredibly cute or funny. Weiying is very naughty, so a chibi drawing of him makes us see him like how he's acting a child. I enjoy the manhua of MDZ so much, and I love how they drew each of the characters and the world. 

Cons but not really cons: 

I think, however, there are better visual sources for MDZ available that is more detailed in terms of characters and includes more information about the world-building. The plot also has to be condensed as well because you can't draw everything from the book. The manhua is also still in the works so, its a very slow upload and it will take years for it to be completed. But this is understandable, and I can't wait to read the full completed copy. If you hate reading and can't stand words, I think the manhua version is for you!

Ratings: 3.5/5 -It’s the waiting that lowered the ratings for me and the fact that I prefer other sources but I’m so grateful for the manhua. 

3.The Show

The one that brought international fans like swarms to this story. Untamed shocked all of us in the BL community as the first time we heard about it, sure it was nice to see that Yibo was cast as Wang Ji, but even then his acting wasn't that profound or praised so we didn't care, and Zhan also seemed like an interesting choice for out Weiying. I think there were an outrage and confusion when we heard this was going to be censored and a bromance. It felt like it made no sense because there's no way really to edit the relationship and love of Wangxian, so people went into the show resentful and worried. But after 20 episodes, the anger, worry and upset were erased. Untamed is a masterpiece, and it blows my mind how censored it is but still not really censored? It deletes the questionable moments in the book but adds the essential parts even where we get to see Wang Ji's feelings (Though obviously not mentioned as feelings but respect). We get to watch Weiying realise how much he cherishes whatever he has with Wang Ji and how much he misunderstood the latter, and how much Wang Ji cared for him. The show as Netflix says is not about just friends. Still, it emphasises the connection between these two using subtext clues and symbolisms, and visual metaphors to make sure the audience knows that these two are soulmates and are meant for each other. Here are the other pros and cons of the show:

Pros:

The acting is incredible, like so good and I can't think of two people who were more suited for Wangxian, Yibo shocked me as Wang Ji because although I knew him (because of Kpop), I didn't really think he would pull of stoic but still vulnerable Wang Ji. He was good at showing the emotions of love and longing that has been connected with Wang Ji. Zhan was an excellent Wuxian, he made me smile, he made laugh, he made me so happy because of his mischievous aura, but he also played serious and emotional and resentful Wuxian well as well. I keep crying every time I see the death scene in the show because it's just so done well.The directors and producers who didn't care about hiding the relationship between these two, they still wanted to be respectful to the writer and the source, and they still wanted to show as much as possible that these two loved each other. For that, I'm so grateful and they did a brilliant job with what they could. The character arcs and development and depth; Its the way they took the other characters from the book and fleshed them out giving each of them more depth, more understanding, more dimensionality and more story connecting to our plot, and it broke my heart how much I loved everyone in this show. The actors all performed so well, and some gave me goosebumps at how well they portrayed their characters  (Xue Yang!!) like stunning and just a great cast.The storyline was also written in an innovative way, the flashbacks were first shown to the audience, how Wangxian became Wangxian and so the audience felt every single hurt and pain that Wang Ji was feeling. We understood why he acted the way he did. The flashbacks also provided plot structure to the mystery and the actual plot of the show, it left clues, and we watched the villains become villains (secretly), we saw how some characters grew. Each of the arcs in the book was told in a way that it flowed together and made sense. Due to this way of structuring the plot the show became so much more profound in the way it messed with our emotions, every death mattered, and every character had their own story and importance to the audience. 

Cons:

The censorship. I've praised how they overcame it, but it's still there, the ending of the show was done this way because of censorship and to be honest I still think everyone should read the book because there are moments where the romance of Wangxian is fun and memorable to see (the confession scene whilst it was done okay in the show because of censorship it doesn't hold as much oomph as it did in the book. Mainly because the events that happened before it was already so filled with angst and drama and the results of the confession Wangxian clinging onto each other despite being in danger is a must-see, the censorship is annoying because it shouldn't be there, it's something that whilst it did help with some stuff, it still feels like an insult to the piece, and it still doesn't sit well with me that China censors their BL. So its a con.

Ratings 5/5  I think I could spend so much time breaking down why Untamed is a masterpiece BL show, but all I can say is despite 50 episodes (longgg) it is worth the time and effort and if you watch BL, go see it. 

4.The Audio

The audio for the MDZ is like my favourite thing in the world. I love Chinese audiobook dramas; it's an incredible experience to listen to. With MDZ, this is what the show would be if it wasn't censored. The actors for the audio drama are amazing, and I love them so much. The audio drama is three seasons with some extra scenes and it's incredible if you don't want to read the book, then just watch and listen to the audio drama because its the same story but its brought to life by the acting and storytelling. Also though there are some scenes removed, I think the audio drama is the next uncensored gem of MDZ that shows Wangxian's romance the best way possible. I squeal, and I laugh, and again I cry at every single moment; their first kiss, the inn scene, the confession (i spend time pausing it just to cry at how good it is) and more. I just love it, and I prefer it to reading the book. Other pros and cons:

Pros:

 The story is structured and told properly, follows all the arcs and events in the book and brings them life by voice acting, and the music is incredible. It's nice to listen to and hear Weiying's thoughts and to also listen to an audible version of the book. The audio drama has all the pros from the book as well.

Cons: 

Nothing much to say about the cons. It is not easy to attain the audio drama in English subs, its hard to download and store it, but once you overcome that it's great. I think the audio drama is the most difficult to obtain.

Ratings: My favourite adaptation  5/5

5.The Donghua

Lastly, we have the Donghua or the anime version of MDZ.  What can I say about this, its brilliant, masterpiece, it's gorgeous. If you think the art for the manhua is good, the donghua takes it to a different level. The visuals are stunning, the animation is breath-taking, and the story is again following Untamed ways of censoring the story but making sure it doesn't remove the romantic connotations and symbolism to Wangxian. The donghua also follows Untameds way of starting with flashbacks to explain what happened to Weiying before it started. I have nothing else to say about how great this is. It's the same thing I've been saying about all these adaptations. The donghua though is the best visual masterpiece for MDZ, in my opinion. 

Pros; 

Packed full with symbolism and clues to the plot, it's detailed so well for the storyline and its an excellent way to tell this story. The music and ost for the donghua are also beautiful and gets me emotional each time I hear it.

Cons: 

Censorship. That's it, that's what it always is. For me, I think the donghua is the most censored version of MDZ? Or maybe I just feel that way despite the subtext clues; I do feel irritated at the censorship in the donghua.  Let's pray Heaven's official blessing overcomes that.

Ratings: 3.8/5 - I love it so much because of the visuals but apart from that I prefer other sources for MDZ. Still the best donghua that exists. 

So here you have in an in-depth and messy conversation about one of my favourite media pieces to existing right now in BL. I think I will never stop singing praises at MXT for creating this story and I think there's nothing else I rather do than just spend times when I need a distraction watching, listening or reading this story again and again. What about you all.  What do you feel about MDZ? What pros and cons do you have for each adaptation? Which is your favourite. And have you been able to get any rest when we know that Heaven's official blessing is out TODAY!! Let me know your thoughts. Happy Halloween, Enjoy it.

[imaginesmai]

Peter Parker - Far From Home

This is long, angsty and fluffy! It follows the film, mostly. 

Plot: Peter Parker has just been run over by a train. However, he has biggest worries. Like, Beck having you in his grasp. 

“Oh my god, Happy”

Peter let out a loud hiss when the needle hit his skin once more, and swallowed down the tears that threatened to leave his eyes. He bit his lip, closed his eyes and endured the pain for a while longer. No more than a few hours ago, he had been all over the moon because you had asked him to go for a walk through the city. He had been inches away from kissing you, had gripped your hand and had told you the truth about his identity; well, you had figured it out, but no one needed to know that. It felt like a dream, that had turned into a nightmare because of his stupidity.

“Just a few more to go, don’t worry” Happy said, using a soft voice that Peter thought he didn’t deserve.

Another pinch, another hiss. The needle, however, wasn’t what hurt him the most. It was a mash up between the betrayal of who he thought he could trust, the guilt crushing into him like waves, and his mind running a mile per hour with the possibilities of the disaster that he had caused.

He tried looking out of the window and focused on the low hum of the plane. It was hard to disassociate from Happy stitching up his shoulder without any anaesthetic, and just when he thought he had managed to keep his breathing under control, the careful man hit some nerve and Peter jumped on his seat.

“Happy!” Peter slammed his fist on the desk, an empty cup making its way to the ground.

“Relax, Peter!” Happy tried to calm him down, but it only angered Peter more. The boy got up in a sudden move, with half of his wound still bleeding. Happy was about to drag him back to the chair when Peter turned around and faced him, showing the angry tears on his eyes.

“Don’t tell me to relax!”

Happy had known Peter for some years by then. He had thought he knew the boy fairly well to say that Peter was nothing but sunshine and rainbows. The kid made videos, introduced himself to everything – and anything – , and sometimes brought sandwiches for him when he thought Happy might not have eaten yet. But the way Peter spoke, showed him that the pain he was feeling was nothing like sunshine and rainbows. In fact, Happy thought no one should ever felt it – especially not a kid, his kid.

“How can I relax when I messed up so bad?” his voice broke at the end into a messy sob, and Peter pressed the back of his bloody hand to his lips. “I trusted – I trusted Beck. I thought he was my friend, I gave him the only thing Mr Stark left behind for me.”

“Kid, maybe – ” Happy started, but Peter cut him off.

“And now, he has her.” Peter let the tears run down his cheeks, supporting himself against the side of the plane. “He has the most important person for me and the deadliest weapon, because – because I can’t take care of anything without messing up”

His legs gave up and Happy didn’t have time to catch him before he stumbled into the nearest sit. The autopilot was, once more, the only thing that could be heard in the plane, besides Peter’s quiet sobs. Happy didn’t know much about what had happened, just that he had received a call from a very long number and had to fly through half of the world to get Peter. Since then, he had had to calm the boy down from a panic attack twice, where he had only muttered your name and asked if everything was real.

“So, please… do not tell me to relax.” Peter breathed out.

He let his body fall down until his head was nearly hitting his knees, and ran a desperate hand through his hair. It was damp with blood and sweat, and he missed so, so much the brief feeling of your hand running through his hair. It had been just a second, after he had freaked out after the whole discovery with Mysterio, and you had done it by chance. But he wanted so desperately to feel it again. Peter and Happy let the silence take over for a few minutes, and Peter used that time to get his shit together.

Finally, he heard movement and raised his head. Happy was sitting now in front of him, leaning towards him with his hands clasped together. There was only a desk between them, and that reminded him of the abysm that dissociated both of them in that moment. While Peter was witnessing his whole word crash, Happy still had to understand where that awful wound came from.

“You have to talk to me, Peter” Happy tried to sound as friendly as possible. He searched Peter’s eyes with his own, and held the smile even when he saw the pain in them.

“Y/N… she’s the girl I had the plan with” Peter started, lowering his gaze again. “I was supposed to kiss her at the top of the Eiffel tower, because she loves those awful love movies and I really, really like her Happy”

Peter started to tell him how Nick Fury had crashed his plan by changing the trip, how Beck had appeared from another universe and he had been fooled like a kid. How you had found a drone that proved his lies and had showed it to Peter, discovering his secret identity in the way. Peter avoided the details about how you had almost kissed in the bridge and how you had hug him for a while longer when he had jumped from that window; not knowing Beck was already at the hotel and had targeted you before Peter had the chance to do anything about it.

“It was all a trap. It – I-I fell for it. A-and he had her all the time, but I couldn’t… reach her” Peter tried to explain how the illusions had messed up with his head, and hadn’t let him save you. “Then – the train, I was hit by a train and I fell unconscious. I woke up before I called you”

“And that guy still has Y/N” Happy finished for him, and Peter nodded.

The shadow of you reaching for him, in Beck’s grasp, just before the train ran him over clouded if eyes. Peter wondered if you knew he was alive; you hadn’t known he was Spiderman until that night, and his powers were still some mystery for him sometimes. He wondered, too, if you were alive. If Beck wanted to, he could have killed you just after the crash.

But his ‘peter tingle’ told him you were still alive, with Beck, in case the plan had gone wrong and Peter came back. That was, probably, what scared him the post. That you would have to endure just an inch of what the illusions made to him.

Peter pressed the palms of his hands against his eyes and rubbed them until he saw white spots, and then looked up to Happy.

“I don’t know what to do, Happy” Peter wasn’t afraid of sounding weak, or childish, in front of him. The man sighed. “I just – I just want her back”

“You’re Spiderman. She counts on you” Happy told him with a small smirk, and his eyes were the most real thing Peter had seen since the fight with Mysterio. “You’ll figure something out”

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

That Flash had a public account with no self-preservation, where he announced himself the biggest fan of spiderman and uploaded the most embarrassing things, came in handy. Peter decided to take care of the suit while Happy drove them to London, where the students were and where he hoped Mysterio would be. Ned also knew about the fiasco of the monsters, and probably MJ did too, so they were probably a threat too.

The suit he was creating was nothing like the old one. He decided to go with the original colours, eliminating the blue and using only black and red. He added a few new webs designs he was working with Tony the last time in the lab, something similar to a parachute so that he could fly down from the plane, and a thicker cloth around his body so that he wouldn’t be defeated so easily.

Like last time. Where he had seen you for the last time.

Breathing through his mouth and giving Happy a hesitant thumb up, he decided to rip the band-aid at once, jumping out without looking back. Suddenly, he was surrounded by air, clouds and pressure. Peter fell through the sky like a crumb, right into the bigger mess he had seen in a long time.

A bus was in flames, flying in the sky and being torn apart like if it was made of clay. People were running everywhere, screaming and looking for their loved ones. As Peter went down, he could see more of the scenario; like Ned gripping Betty’s arm with one hand and leading MJ away with the other, or Mr Harrington trying to calm everyone down while screeching like a fire alarm.

Peter landed on the top of the bridge, hidden from plain sight but still in a good position to see everything above him. Like, Mysterio controlling the drones with a big helmet from inside the glass tunnel, while gripping your arm and dragging you around. He sucked in a breath as he quickly searched for any injuries. You seemed fine, wearing the same floral drees you had been wearing for the opera, then stained by grease and blood. Your hair, that had been pulled up, was obstructing your face as you tried to break free from Mysterio.

But you were alive, still having the will to fight against him, and Peter could almost laugh in relief. He didn’t waste much time in relaxing, instead going for the plan that he had made up in the short trip there.

“Happy?” he muttered against his earpiece. “I – Y/N is down there”

“That’s good, kid” Happy muffled voice came through the earpiece.  “You know the plan then. Turn off the earpiece and cause a distraction. I’ll be waiting on the ground, just bring her to me and I’ll put her to safety”

“Alright” Peter smiled shakily. For a moment, he hesitated. He knew he was far from just a kid, but he had really, really wanted to be a trip without any problem. Where he could talk about his feelings with you, and maybe kiss you. His hand trembled for a second; then he pressed the earpiece. “See you in a minute”

The lines of drones designed to protect Mysterio failed to detect Peter when he entered into the cloud, and the boy let his mouth hang open. There were, at least, one thousand drones flying around an open air, shooting and creating an illusion for the rest of the world. In the middle, stood the real Beck, talking angrily with someone and still holding your arm.

From where he stood on one of the drones, he could see some kind of wound on your ankle, that stopped you from moving freely. Peter gripped the end of the drone where he was resting with so much force that the mental bended under his fingers, and he had to stop himself before throwing everything through the roof. Instead of just going for Beck, he focused on the drones.

They seemed to be following a path. Move left twice, then right once, up and down three times. The plan was simple; destroy one of them so that Beck would be forced to check it out, and use the opportunity to lower you to Happy, who would put you in a safe place while Peter ended up the fight.

Peter decided to go with one that seemed lonely. It was probably in charge of something small, like the monster’s finger or his eye. He threw an explosive web to it and hid under the glass bridge when it exploded. From there, he could hear everything.

“No, I want the cape – what was that?” Beck turned around like a maniac, hissing venom into the earpiece. “Why the fuck has a drone exploded?! I said I wanted a perfect job this time!”

A unintelligible response came out of Beck’s helmet, too low even for Peter’s ear to pick up. He watched, from his place under a piece of metal, how his face became redder and redder until a vein popped out of his neck. It seemed that Peter was finally seeing Beck’s true face; a mad man that couldn’t control his emotions.

“I don’t care! I don’t – if this goes wrong, you’re dead! You hear me?! I’m gonna fucking rip you apart!” he threatened into the earpiece. Peter winced each time you were shaken around like a piece of rag, but forced himself to stay in place. “Like everything, I’ll go and solve it. But be fucking prepared for when I come back”

Beck took out the earpiece and threw it over the bridge, emitting a low grunt. Your lip trembled and more tears fell down your cheeks when his grip on your arm became more rough. Over the past few hours, you had cried, begged, yelled, insulted, sassed and said everything you could think of to the man. Still, the only thing you had received had been a nasty bruise on your cheek and a hard stamp on your foot that probably was broken.

“Now, listed to me” Beck kneeled in front of you and frowned. When he talked, spit hit your cheek. “You stay here. Quiet, still and being a good girl. If I find you an inch to the left, I’m going to throw you to the river tied to a drone. And that’s not gonna feel nice. You hear me?”

“Yes” you answered, knowing that if you didn’t he would only get angrier. “Yes, I won’t – I won’t move”

“I know you won’t” Beck scoffed, and inched closer. “But if by any chances certain spider boy comes around, you will stay put too. Because I don’t think his body would take two thousand drones shooting at him, alright?”

You nodded quickly and another sob rose up your throat. Beck got up and dragged you to the side of the bridge. He didn’t bother in tying you, because he had played with your mind enough times to know you wouldn’t move.

A drone appeared in front of him, simulating a small platform where he could step on. Beck spared you a final glare and drifted away into the mass of drones.

Peter, still hidden under the bridge, saw his chance and crawled up to where you were. He took his mask off with one hand and clenched his jaw. His body hurt and his spidey sense was screaming at him to leave, but he kept moving until he was besides you. He took a second to look at you thoughtfully; from head to toe, from how your hair was messy from being dragged and the way you hugged yourself.

It took him a while to move, because he could feel the panic attack rise to his throat, and the bile with it. He was tempted to turn to the side and empty what he had left in his stomach, but swallowed and gave you a hesitant smile. You didn’t move, neither, and he was afraid you thought he wasn’t real. Been there, done that.

“Hey” he whispered, and stepped – or crawled, since he was still in fours – forwards. “Hey, Y/N. It’s me”

“Oh my god” you squealed out, and unfolded the protective shell you had created around your body to put your hands on your mouth. “Oh my –“

“I know, I know” he stopped you, and looked quickly around to check Beck was still busy. “But I’m here. I’m – I’m real. And I can prove it! Ask me –“

“Oh my god, you’re alive!”

Peter barely could do anything before your body crushed into him. He wasn’t prepared for it, so he fell onto his butt and caught both of your bodies with his elbow. Swallowing the hiss of pain, he wrapped his free arm around your middle and hid his face on your neck.

Suddenly, he felt like a kid.

Spiderman wasn’t supposed to do that, but Peter let the first sob break through his throat and pressed you tighter against his body. Time was hot on your trails, and Peter knew that; yet he only took shaky breaths against your neck. You were talking, saying something about Beck, your class and the drones. It was all white noise, compared to his heart beating loudly against his ears.

You smelt like blood, sweat and Beck. It wasn’t a pleasant smell, because Peter was sensitive to them and, after hours of captivity, they weren’t nice. Behind them, there was also your natural smell, the one he found himself sniffling in class when you sat in front of him. It was there, just like Peter’s sanity, hanging by a thread.

Slowly, Peter pulled you back until your faces were only inches apart. He had to shift his gaze to see your features, and his lip shook dangerously. There were tears on his cheeks, and his eyes were glossy.

“I’m gonna get you out of here” Peter whispered. He didn’t want to sound weak, but it seemed that he was the one seeking your comfort. “I – Happy is down there, and he’ll take you to a safe place. I’m sorry… I couldn’t save you. Sorry.”

“It’s okay” you reassured him. “You’re saving me now, Spiderman.”

“But I couldn’t – “

“We can discuss it later” you cut him off with a small wet laugh. “I think I’m going into cardiac arrest if I spend one more second here”

Peter nodded once, twice and a last one more firmly. He got up and helped you to stand by his side, your ankle making your lean against him. Again, with just one hand, he put on his mask and jumped out of the bridge in a blink of an eye. Wind rushed past him like the familiar feeling he was used to, and he felt as if he was just in Queens, swinging back to his apartment after a rough patrol.

The occasional yelp from you and threat woke him up from his daydream.

He landed in an alley, away from the mess and destruction. Happy was waiting for you like the loyal friend he was, with a black car already on and a gun ready on his shelter. The plan was to run in the opposite direction, run by a hospital in case it was needed, and wait for Peter to go back home. It was a rushed plan, open to many problems and obstacles, hence the gun, but Peter didn’t have anything else. With a sigh, he unwrapped his arm from your waist and let you catch your breath.

“Peter – that was – we were, they were just seconds!” you smacked his shoulder lightly, and Peter didn’t have the heart to tell you it had been stitched in the ride there. “Why didn’t – I’m taking so many advantage of that.”

“We can… talk about that. At home” Peter said, voice muffled under the mask. He didn’t want to risk breaking down again, so he didn’t take off the mask. “I’ll see you there. I have, you know, to go back”

“I guess” you shuddered, and Happy honked. Neither of you cared. “Be careful”

“I will”

There went his plan, probably. The beautiful blue necklace he had brought you in Venice was probably destroyed in his backpack, wherever it was then. The kiss, shattered by an improvised kidnapping. His date, ruined by a mad murderer. And the girl he wanted to do all of that with, in front of him ready to go home.

Peter swallowed around nothing, because his throat felt dry.

“I, uh, we could do that again. No the swinging. The – the other part” Peter blushed under the mask, and you raised a brow.

“The part you got it by a train? Or the kidnapping?” you teased.

“No! No that’s – isn’t happening again. I promise. Never, ever again” Peter shook his head and raised his hands. “Like in a million years? Never. I’m sorry. Not that, it shouldn’t –“

Happy honked again, and both of you jumped a bit. He shouted something to Peter and signalled inside of the car and behind you. The place wasn’t ideal, but neither was probably kissing Spiderman. After all, you had just been kidnapped and Peter was going to risk his life for the sake of the humanity.

So nothing wasn’t ideal, but Peter wasn’t either, and that was where the magic of things laid.

There was a sudden breeze hitting the lower part of his face, and the mask rested uncomfortably against the bruises on his cheeks. Shivers ran down his spine and for a moment he was afraid, because his vison was being blocked because of the mask and his ears were covered. Probably a second before having a breakdown, he felt your lips on his.

They were soft but decisive, your hand cradling the back of his head. It wasn’t as good as what he had planned, yet he could live with that. Leaning forward and ignoring Happy’s indignant shout, he responded to the kiss. There were no fireworks or angels singings, and his body still hurt from the beating. Nothing was being solved by kissing, but he surely felt a lot better.

The kiss was awkward because of the mask, and Peter was too petrified to even think about removing it. One of his hands was resting on your hip, while the other just clenched and unclenched at his side. Your fingers cradled the baby hairs of his neck and he shudder, making you smile and push yourself tighter against his.

As quickly as it had come, it went away. You stepped back, lowered his mask and the world screamed for him again. Peter wasn’t sure, for a second, that it had been real; but then he saw the blush of your cheeks, the angry-proud smirk in Happy’s face, and the tingling on the tips of his fingers.

“Yeah, we can repeat this later” you said, and kissed his masked cheek. If he hadn’t had the mask, he would probably had been as red as it. “See you later, Peter”

Not the first date he had imagined, but he was fairly okay with it.

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[replaygifs]

»        𝐆𝐈𝐅 𝐈𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐓𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐁𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐆𝐈𝐅𝐒   !

hi folks! i’ve gotten a few messages on how i make my gifs, on what tutorials i used, etc. so i decided to make my own (since i didn’t use one) in hopes of helping a few people get their footing on how to make gif icons from scratch! this tutorial has been made with the assumption that you have prior knowledge of using photoshop (e.g. like smart filters), but please don’t be afraid to ask me any questions if you need anything explained or you’re a lil confused. however, do bare in mind that i am no photoshop genius, and have never become more advanced than what i required for my needs. anyways, without further ado, the tutorial on how you can make something like the above can be found below the cut. please like or reblog if you found this useful in any way!

some starting tips:

gif icon making, or gif making in general can be strenuous. do not give up if it doesn’t look like you want it to the first time! it’ll take time to find what you like. 

don’t compare your gif icons to other’s, which i’m guilty of, but your gif icons are unique and lovely in their own way and you should view them as such!

♡

i am using a macbook, with a mac operating system and adobe photoshop 2020. keep in mind that this is the way i make my own gif icons, and i’m just sharing what i know so this may not be the best/easiest way to go about things, like you can probably include scripts that save it for you, etc. but i prefer having more control over to process.

♡

screenshots will be distorted, for easier viewing i’ve added a link that will take you to the full size image.

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before anything, a high quality gif comes from a high quality video. when downloading your content, make sure it's either 720p or 1080p resolution.

♡

step 1: open up your .mp4 file

open it up as if you are opening any other file on photoshop. no need to import video frames to layers or anything of the sort. i find that way better for making gifs for gif sets instead of like 100+ gif icons. your photoshop should look like the image below.

this works best with shorter video files of around 1-3 minutes.

step 2: find your faceclaim

your video should now be open in photoshop as a video timeline, keep this the way it is, you’ll be able to move along the video to the next gif. using the timeline layers (see:layer 1), you can slide along until you find your faceclaim.

*extra info for those that don’t know. to extend your layer and make it easier to find your faceclaim, you can use the slider down below which looks like this:

this will essentially space the frames out more, if that makes sense?

step 3: select your gif focus and crop

use the rectangular marquee tool (circled in red) and select the area of your gif icon.

following this, use the crop tool (again, circled in red) to cut out the rest of the area. you are now left with a square.

step 4: select the length/frames of your gif

this step can be done pretty much anywhere between step 2 and step 7, depending on your preference. anyway, use the slider (red arrow pointing to it) to decide where you want your gif to end. 

then, bring the end of your video timeline (red arrow pointing to it) to where your animation slider is. your video timeline should now look something like this:

the space in between the lil sliders will only includes what will be in your gif. 

step 5: resize

using image size, resize your gif to whatever size you wish. i prefer 80px. 

following this, it should say that your file is going to be converted into a smart object, click okay. (i can’t show the pop up since i got rid of it). 

yet, now that you’re looking at your gif icon, you’ve realised you don’t really like the placement of it. simply cmd/ctrl+t to go to free transform. i moved it a tiny lil bit to the left. 

as you can see, the rest of the video area is still there. you can now transform it to your liking. this will be useful when you want to change the area again.

step 5: add sharpen settings

you now have an icon, you can sharpen it to your liking. 

i use smart sharpen and gaussian blur. i tend to have them in this order. 

you can change the opacity of each smart filter to your liking. i won’t be sharing my exact sharpen settings (not that they’re hard to figure out), as i’d like them to stay unique to me, but do play around with this and see what you like the most (the key is less is more). 

the trick here is to include the sharpen>blur>sharpen filters, which will give a sharpened appearance without overdoing it, and make your gif icon a lil smoother as well due to the blur.

**also, you may see the lil video group 1 in my layers there (and in your own too), this isn’t really necessary and is more of a pain in the ass that anything. if you have this, you can get rid of it by right clicking on it and ungrouping layers.

step 6: add your colouring

my colouring is a mixture of psds i’ve interchanged for years and i have lost the originals so do not intend on sharing. do look around at psds or make your own colourings that suit your tastes. 

BE MINDFUL OF WHITEWASHING!!! if you are giffing people of colour, use colourings that do not make them into a white sheet or a gray mess. i see this constantly as if it isn’t 2020. 

adjust! adjust! adjust! your colouring will not always work on different people or different scenes. adjust your levels, saturation, selective colour, brightness, etc to make sure the colouring works for your previous gif, as well as your next one.

even you can see here that my layers are mess because i adjust constantly. 

step 7: save for web

now that you’ve made your icon all pretty, save it for web and it should look like this:

step 8 (optional): speed

if you like your gif icons slower, you now have to upload the gif file into photoshop again. this will take you to the frame timeline. you can change the speed of your gif to whatever you want, and save again.

and there you have it, your is gif icon complete.

step 9: making more!

instead of going through this whole cropping process again, you can continue to move along the video timeline to different frames of your faceclaim, and making the next gif with just the exact sharpening settings, colouring, etc. this will make it super easy to make more gif icons in less time.

this can be done by simplying moving your animation timeline.

again you can use cmd/ctrl+t to adjust your gif placement. of course, this doesn’t always work, and you may need to revert back to your original video to crop the area again. an example of this is if you need a bigger or smaller area for the gif.

i just made this gif in a few seconds.

action

i use my own script to crop and have included the rest all in one action file. i did a lil digging and found this gif icon making action (resizes to 80px) that does essentially the same thing with no script. this will make it already 10x easier to make an icon. you can then make your sharpening into an action and you’ll basically have most of the job done for you in one click.

tips: 

make things into actions! for example, i cut down a lil on the speed changing process by making actions that change the speed for me.

save your actions! you never know when you’ll lose them

you might get tired of looking at your gif icons after a while, they might even start to look ugly but that’s most likely because you’ve been looking at them for too long, so don’t feel discouraged! 

crop close to the face, this is important! what in the fresh hell am i supposed to be seeing in a 70px gif icon if its so far away, or in general tbh

anddd that's about it! i hope you find this useful! again, if there are any questions, feel free to im me or send in a message and i'll do my best to help!

[coppicefics]

Masked Omens: Week One

New chapter here, or read from the start here!

(Right click picture and select ‘View Image’ or ‘Open Image In New Tab’ for hi-res version.)

[Image Description: Image 1 - A simple rendition of the Masked Singer UK logo, a golden mask with colourful fragments flying off of it. The mask has a golden halo and a golden devil tail protruding from either side. Below, gold text reads 'Masked Omens'.

Image 2 - A newspaper page from the Capital Herald, dated Saturday, 26th December, 2020. Full image description and transcription below the cut.]

The Capital Herald, Saturday 26th December 2020 News, page 11

GODLEIGH MANOR RESTORATION SET TO BEGIN YouTube Community Comes To The Rescue Of Historic House In Unprecedented Donation Spree Restoration work on Godleigh Manor, Little Dyvyn, is set to proceed at last after years of stagnation – thanks to an unexpected influx of donations from interested members of the public. A house has stood on the site since at least the early 13th century, but most of the current building was constructed in the 18th century by its then owner, Lord Michael Godleigh. It remained a private residence until 1914, when it was commandeered as a military hospital for officers injured in the First World War. When the war was over, the officers went home, but the Godleigh family had suffered severe losses, and those who had been involved in treating the injured officers had many bad memories associated with the place. What was left of the family moved out, and – barring the operation of a second temporary hospital during the Second World War – this once-busy house has remained empty and silent ever since. Left to its own devices, the house began to crumble. Water found its way through the roof, and weeds forced their way up through the floor. By the time the deed to Godleigh Manor was passed on to its current owner, Lucy Godleigh, in the mid-1990s, barely a few rooms were anything close to habitable. “I set up in a mobile home on the grounds,” Godleigh told The Capital Herald, “and basically just started trying to secure the few rooms that hadn't been completely exposed to the elements. Then I contacted a restoration expert to find out what could be done for the rest of it.” The experts' verdict wasn't what she wanted to hear. “There was no chance I could pay for it myself. The rest of the family opposed me moving back here; I was on my own. And to get the whole place back to the way it was, we were looking at anything from fifty million to three hundred million pounds. I was going to need help raising the funds, so I started campaigning. But it was slow going. Nobody's keen to put their hands in their pockets to restore a stranger's old family pile.” And, for over two decades, it seemed that a pile would soon be all that was left. Godleigh moved into Little Dyvyn, and the property was abandoned once more to the tender mercies of the elements and the frequent trespassers who came to explore. “I'd go up a few times a week, but it hardly seemed worth it. I'd all but given up. But then one of those visitors saved the day.” A YouTube personality known as Sergeant Shadwell, famed for his urban exploration videos and the occasional paranormal investigation, contacted Godleigh to ask to film in the house. “I said yeah, whatever, do what you like, it's a mess,” Godleigh recalled, “and he saved it. He saved my home.” Shadwell uploaded a video of Godleigh Manor in the last week of November. In it, he speaks frankly about the challenges and benefits of preserving such old buildings. “I don't know about there being ghosts here,” he tells viewers, “but there's a lot of wasted potential. Stately homes like this can and should be used, and it'd be a real shame for this one to crumble. I'll add a link to the fundraiser in the video description.” The Wytchfynder Army, as Shadwell's fans call themselves, have so far contributed £80m to the Save Godleigh Manor campaign. The fundraising page is filled with messages of encouragement and support, attached to donations ranging from £5 to £1500. Some donors have even explained that they raised the money through sponsored swims, bake sales, and car washes. “It's enough to get started, to make a really good start,” Godleigh explained, “I can't thank him – all of them – enough. They really came together to help me – a complete stranger – and it means so much, it really does.” So what's next for Godleigh Manor? First, says Godleigh, the surviving rooms will need to be stablised. Then the house's ground floor will be restored to its former glory, and Godleigh hopes to work with local historians to ensure that it is both a functional and educational space. “I won't charge people any more to use it than I need to cover the cost of maintaining it,” Godleigh said. “How can I? It's being restored by this huge community; it belongs to the community, and to Little Dyvyn. It's going to be a great space for everyone to enjoy.” Work is now set to begin on the Godleigh Manor restoration project as early as April this year, depending on local planning committee approval of plans first drawn up in 1998. MARY HODGES. To find out more, or to contribute to the renovation costs, visit www.savegodleighmanor.org.uk.

[Image Description: A sepia photograph of a large, grand house. Inset, a colour photograph of a hole in a wall, through which weeds can be seen growing. End ID.] [Caption] NEGLECTED: Godleigh Manor, pictured above in 1980, was once the heart of a thriving community. Inset, weeds grow in what used to be a service corridor to the rear of the main building. (Photo: Annie Spratt on Unsplash. Inset: E. Diop on Unsplash.)

THE NEWS IN NUMBERS 800 years of a house on the site 300 years in its current form 23 generations in the same family 29 bedrooms 40 acres of land £50m lowest estimated renovation costs £300m highest estimated renovation costs 198k subscribers to Wytchfynder 291 Wytchfynder videos 10 years Sgt Shadwell served in the Army £80m raised by the Wytchfynder Army £91m renovation funds raised so far 15 years estimated to complete renovation

[Image Description: a rectangular ad with a picture of Dr. Raven Sable. His name is signed beneath his photograph. Text reads: Don't settle for a balanced diet when you can have a SABLE DIET. End ID.]

Corner Cuppa with Esther James

[ID: Photo of a young woman's face. She has black hair cut into a bob, and slightly gothic makeup. End ID.]

Why do we know you? I'm the captain of the Red Roses, which is the England Women's Rugby Team. What are you passionate about? Rugby! Also, my girlfriend Jane (Adams, also on the squad), and my charitable causes, of course. I support the NSPCC and the Albert Kennedy Trust, in particular - both fantastic charities helping young people who've been let down, in many cases, by the people they should most be able to rely on. I'm really glad to be involved with them. What's your favourite holiday of the year? Pride! I love getting dressed up and going to the parades – most of the time Jane and I get to march, these days, which is great. Last year we even got to ride on a float at one of them, which was really surreal – we got to cover ourselves in rainbow feather boas and just have a laugh waving at people. What a great time! What's been your proudest moment? So far, it's a tie between coming out as bi in a press conference – which was really scary at the time but which led to such good things and such good conversations – and being made captain of the Red Roses. It's an honour just to be selected for the national side, but to be chosen to lead from such a talented group of women is even better. I was walking on air for a week! If you could do anything in the world once, what would it be? Only once? I'd hate to do something and enjoy it and never get to do it again. But, OK, hypotherically... Something completely different and mad, like getting up on a stage and performing a song like I really mean it, or bungee-jumping. What scares you? Bungee-jumping! Which is exactly why I'd like to do it. I think it's good to get out of your own head and your own comfort zone and just do something that scares you, if you can. What's your ideal day? Taking a day off of training and just lying on the sofa watching films with Jane for the whole day. We love what we do, but we don't get a lot of downtime to just relax and snuggle. But then, when we do get a day off, it's usually at the same time, so that's lovely; we're always together and it hasn't started getting on our nerves yet! If you could go anywhere in the world right now, with no complications or restrictions, where would you go? I've always wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower, but somehow whenever I end up in France I don't find the time. Jane's never been to Disneyland, so I think we'd have to combine the two if we got a no-holds-barred trip somewhere. And, obviously, I wouldn't exactly hate getting to meet Mickey again! What's the best advice you've ever been given? My gran was as tough as old boots, and proud of it. She once sat me down, when I was quite young, and she said, “Essie,” which is what she called me, “Essie, you'll do all right in life if you remember this simple rule. Make sure you keep your nose clean, but don't be afraid to get your boots dirty.” I'm not sure she meant me to take it quite so literally! But I think what she meant was, don't get into trouble unnecessarily, but don't be so scared of getting it wrong that you can't do anything right. That's stuck with me, I've held onto it all these years, and I think it's a good motto to live by. What's one thing you wish someone had told you when you were younger? I wish they'd told me it was OK that I fancied girls, that things were getting better. I think we've still got a long way to go, as a community, but I never could have dreamed that a bisexual woman could captain England when I was a little girl. Let alone that it would be me! Finally, what's one thing you'd like to tell younger people now? Be true to yourself, be true to your friends, and be kind. I think the world will turn out fine if we all just try to be kind to one another, above all. Next week's cuppa: Ligur Mortice, head of the Ligur fashion house.

[End of page.]

[parisakamali]

heyy bie!! if it's not too much trouble do you think you can make an icon tutorial for the ones with the shadow? if u can't thats fine ofc i hope your having a nice day <3

hello!! sorry for answering so late, i wanted to do it yday but i only remembered after i turned off my laptop. anyway!! it’s actually super simple, so of course 😌

1. find your picture. i usually get pictures with solid background cause it’s easier to remove the background that way. i have a board on pinterest full of pictures i’m planning on using at some point, but feel free to use any of them if you want.

2. remove background. this is the lazy way, to be honest, but i use this website to turn them into pngs. for this particular tutorial i’m gonna use a screenshot from the druck video cause i wanna change my icon so two birds with one stone. 

all you have to do is upload your picture, let the website do its magic and then download it. the resolution will usually be smaller than your original picture, but it’s not that important since icons are small anyway.

you can click on edit and refine the edges or whatever if you don’t like the result. i like to go on photoshop and use the eraser (with a soft brush) if i’m not content with what i have. keep in mind that the website might not always work, depending on how detailed your background is; that’s why i like simpler pictures.

3. size and background colour. 

in photoshop, make a new document. (i’m pretty sure you can use pretty much any other editing tool once you have your png!!) when i start with the icons i like to make the canvas 400x400 so it’s not super big but i can still see what i’m doing. 

click on the solid colour option at the bottom left and choose your colour.

you can select gradient or pattern too if you like. i usually like to go with a colour similar to the original bg cause it’s easier to blend, but that’s up to you. 

if you want only half of the background to have colour on it, just draw a rectangle, colour it, and place it on as much of the picture as you please. (i like it when it’s half/half but that’s a preference thing.)

4. place image + coloring. this is 100% up to you, really. place it whenever and play around as much as you like.

this is what i currently have, after messing around with curves, selective color, and color balance:

5. shadows! the part you’ve been waiting for woo. all you have to do is select your png and go to drop shadow. (or double click on the layer preview)

i either use a shade that’s lighter/brighter than the background or a complementary colour. (or whatever colour i feel at the moment, to be honest lmao)

these are the settings i have, but again you can play as much as you like. for this exact effect, everything except for your distance has to be 0 so it looks... crispy i guess. 

6. resize and sharpen. when i’m done with everything i merge all the layers and resize the icon, making it 250x250 (sometimes 300x300 or 200x200 depending on how the planets are aligned since i have no idea what’s the best icon size).

then, i go to smart sharpen. these are my usual settings, but see what works for you. (again, no idea what the best settings are, these are the ones i use and they look ok)

7. this is the final result! i made one with almost half/half bg too since that’s the “style” i like more.

hope this was made sense and it’s useful!! thank you for asking and i hope you’re having a lovely day!! 💛

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Adventure Time Reviewed - Season 1 Episode 6 to Episode 8

From The Jiggler to Business Time

S1E06 The Jiggler

This one is about the cautions of adopting cute little forest animals. I wonder why Finn and Jake are covered in so many bite marks? Why was that kingdom on fire? What was going on? How much trouble can one watermelon get into? Anyway this is the first episode to feature Finn’s autotune voice. I can’t remember the last episode he said something in autotune - there was the s6 finale, then a few scenes in season 7. 

When they take the Jiggler back home, they Get Creative and escalate until they destroy their entire house interior. I think Princessss made an AMV Nightosphere gag about this.  I love how chiptune noises play every time the Jiggler moves on day 1. 

I always loved this episode. I thought it was very disturbing when the Jiggler gets sick, and then explodes. It reminds me of failed attempts to save birds or insects after my cats have gotten to them. I can relate so much to Finn and Jake here. Poor Jake having to keep himself together and look after his traumatized little bro.  I love the OST of this ep. The soundtrack was uploaded to soundcloud once, along with Ricardio the Heart Guy. I love how artistic this ep is with the edible drawings and the painting of the jiggler’s mom. Very bright and colourful. I always found the momma jiggler’s cry to be... weirdly genuine. 

S1E07 Ricardio the Heart Guy

This ep starts with Finn saving PB from Ice King, who humorously kisses Jake’s butt. PB gives Finn a kiss on the.... neck? hat? as thanks, and Finn’s crush truly begins. Oooooh boy.  I always wondered in hindsight why Pb let the ice king roam free to begin with. That question is raised later in this season. Ice King kidnaps dozens of princesses daily and roams free, but Princess Cookie starts 1 hostage situation and is locked up forever. In the ep What Have You Done, it’s reasoned IK can only be punished for recent crimes, but... ehh, there are a few reasons. Pity? Old ties? Maybe she doesnt want to lock up a pathetic old man forever.  There are some really funny statues of Finn and Jake in the castle, they look buff. I wonder who made these? PB commissioning them makes a lot of sense. Hey, it’s Peppermint Butler’s first speaking lines!!!  “This style of massage is called Best Friend Massage. Because it can only be done for friends. It is completely consensual.” Well the first line from Ricardio the Rapist Stand-in is already incredibly sus. What’s even more sus is he’s apparently friends with LSP.  I find it interesting that Ricardio is so intelligent. This must have been one of the motivators behind making Simon really smart. Ricardio is his heart, at the end of the day. Oh, Simon at the end of the show still has maracas in place of a heart. I wonder if that has health complications? 

“I hear you appreciate ancient technology.” This is foreshadowing of MULTIPLE things now. One - Ice King being pre-war. Two - PB building everything out of pre-war technology. Three - The fact there was a war to begin with!!!! 

Jake is trying to help Finn deal with his new emotions of jealousy (burning low war flashbacks) and he’s once again trying to make him happy, Jake never once considered the logistics of whether Finn and PB would ever actually go out, because it was far more important to him that Finn grow up and have the courage to listen to his heart. Jake encourages Finn’s crush to a fault, and provides lots of support to him when he’s heartbroken later on. 

I love how PB and Ricardio were talking about dangerous micro-organisms and poor Finn has no idea how to approach the topic. I love how Zanoits are actualy dangerous and Ricardio uses them as a poison later.  Anyway even PB can tell Finn is jealous. Finn is of the idea that she has no idea of his crush on her. Of course she knows. But from her side it’s exactly the same as Baby-snaps wanting to be a princess, or every other candy person doting on her - she thinks it’s adorable and completely fails to take the other person seriously. At least, until Braco comes along. Then you realise it’s a good thing she didn’t take Finn seriously, because she might have done something ridiculous like make him a robot clone of herself.  

Holy shit, the duck from The Vault!  I just made a post about it. 

Anyway this ep provides a challenge to Finn or a test of his character, ironically through his own test of Ricardio’s character! Finn gets obsessed with proving Ricardio evil to the point that he gets easily baited into punching him, and doesn’t care that the Ice King is basically dying. Poor Ice King. At least Jake is here to approach the situation with a level head. 

I was wondering as of late, with all the post-Obsidian sexuality discourse (in no way ignited by that one towel scene), whether PB was interested in Ricardio during this ep. It’s possible, and in the past, I thought “maybe”? But upon rewatch? No. She is only interested for as long as she can have scientific discussions with him, and as soon as his knowledge becomes lacking she has already used him for all hes worth. SAVAGE. But not as savage as him trying to rip out her heart. Ew, creep!!! 

I should say that Ice King wanted to cast a spell that would force PB to fall in love with him. He’s NOT safe, he’s dangerous. He’s especially a danger to PB. He does kill her twice at the end of season 2, after all. Once again I don’t know why she hasn’t locked him up LOL. Anyway, even if he did cast a love spell, she wouldn’t change any of her decisisons. It’d just make her sad, like it did at the end of The Suitor.  There was that one time PB tried to make a love potion but we don’t talk about that.  Ice King does demonstrate some concern for Bubblegum’s welfare when he reveals Ricardio’s plan to literally murder her. Ricardio’s plan here is pretty slapstick violent, and it’s funny watching Finn beat him up, but when he returns in season 4, it’s far more... personal and insidious. As in, here he could be seen as a jokey stand-in for a predator creep, but in that later episode he 100%  sexually threatens her and forces her into a non consensual relationship, making it very satisfying when PB beats the shit out of him instead. 

Holy fuck I forgot about this joke. Golden.  

S1E08 Business Time

For some reason, I don’t feel like there’s a lot to say about this ep. It doesn’t demonstrate any remarkable characteristics of Finn and Jake themselves. Instead, it seems to be more of an inside joke. 

When they find the business men, Finn and Jake at first feel like the business men are helping them work more effectively with their assists. However, the boys end up just being lazy, and not realizing that their workers are messing everything up. You can sympathise for the business men because they’re just doing what they were told to do.  This all seems to be metaphorical for when Pen and Patrick McHale started work on the show, and they got tons of help from Cartoon Network staff. They wanted to do everything by themselves, but ended up having to delegate. Maybe they feel lazy for it? 

What makes this episode EXTRA SPECIAL, however, is its confirmation of the Great Mushroom War.  By the time the season had released, the first shot of the intro was already Mushroom War bombs. There was also a reference to the war in the previous episode, where PB and Ricardio shared an interest in “ancient technology”. However, the only reason those references exist is because of THIS episode - This is the one they were working on when they decided it should be post-apocalyptic. They made the human zombies, and the icebergs filled with human junk, and then every GMW reference we see in the show is down to this decision. 

I enjoy the physicality of this ep. Finn and Jake crash through the entire gauntlet. Finn’s still wearing his fire resistant glove as he does it. They get covered in bruises, because they... like pain? I liked when you could see Finn’s sword legit being shinier, and his shoes having bouncing noises. And I want to be hydrated! I loved how smushy Jake was when he became an ice cream monster.  I love the colours of the Fluffy People. S1 has this unique art style compared to the rest of the series. They often draw white outlines to white things, it works nice here. 

[rvb-is-gay]

ok so now that the final episode of rvb0 is out for everyone, lets get into some discussion about it! please note that post isnt a topic of debate but rather just my personal thoughts about everything, so dont go arguing in the replies

(fair warning ahead of time for any fans, this is mostly criticism and negative feelings about it, so keep scrolling if you dont wanna read it)

When RVB0 was first announced, I remember everyone was first upset that the Reds and Blues weren't in it, including me. But now that I've watched the whole thing, I can say with confidence that my only issue with RVB0 isn't the lack of the Reds and Blues, but rather everything. the dialogue, some of the animation, the characters, the delivery, the pacing, the ridiculous amount of clichés, etc. I don't dislike RVB0 just because there's no Reds and Blues. I dislike it because I just found the entirety of it bad.

When I first started watching it, I went in with an open mind that maybe this season could actually be really good. I’d also be lying if I said that there wasn't a single scene that I liked. There were actually a few, but they still didn't make up for just the overall badness of the season. But please note that I don't blame the voice actors for any of this or even just Torrian Crawford for the season coming out a giant mess. Many people worked for this season and always had the opportunity to improve or change things but didn't. But anyways, let’s get into some of the criticisms I have for this season.

1. Smaller and more opinion oriented criticisms

This isn’t really criticism or anything important, but rather just a few things I found a bit weird to me personally.

First, the term “ragtag team of misfits” was used to describe Shatter Squad (and was even actually said out loud by One in the last episode, which sounded just so cliché and dumb in my opinion). I don't think this describes them at all?? Everyone has, at the very least, decent relationships with each other (save for One and East who were competitive with each other (which I also fucking hate in RVB that all the girl characters are always competitive with each other)), but that still doesn't really fit the term ragtag) and they all fight very well. I think ragtag fits the Reds and Blues more than it does Shatter Squad; they're bad at fighting, they argue and fight all the time, they're idiots, and that's why we love them. If they had just stuck with “a team of misfits”, that would've made more sense, but again, this is more of a personal opinion than genuine criticism.

Second, I don’t really like the aesthetics this season had. Everything felt a bit too neon and bright and then some stuff just felt like it came straight out of World of Warcraft or something. It didn’t really feel like RVB.

Third, my feelings about Carolina constantly calling Wash David can be summed up by what Michael said in the first episode of Halo 4 LASO: “Now we’re just gonna throw his name around all willy nilly. It used to be a secret.” When someone is called by their real name in RVB or just any story in general where everyone goes by code names, it’s usually a big deal and indicates something serious. Carolina wore out Wash’s name the first time she said it and it just got more and more irritating from then on out and lost its value.

Fourth, who was the blue and purple soldier in the first teaser we got? Was that One? Did they decide to change her armour colour? I don’t know, I just randomly remembered that and thought it was weird but I guess it must’ve just been a colour change.

Now, onto the more serious criticism.

2. Animation and dialogue

The second thing I wanna talk about is the animation. Don't get me wrong, the fighting animation is probably the best compared to everything else and it was pretty good to watch, but the talking and idle animations and gestures were..... kinda yikes. I know that it could be chalked up to “well we’re not used to seeing animated gestures since all of RVB usually has everyone just holding their gun and using the regular Halo models” but there were still some pretty bad parts.

Take the scene from Encounter at 3:26 as an example (I uploaded the scene to YT to put here, but obviously it was blocked for copyright):

This scene is probably one of the worst when it comes to not only the animations, but the dialogue, pacing, and delivery. When I first saw this, I honestly laughed. Here's a list of my problems with this scene and what made it so laughable:

The overexaggerated hand gestures. I get that because everyone's in armour and a helmet, it can be hard to show expression, but this feels like a bit much. Especially when One says “what? You’re pulling us off the mission? You cant do that!” I think that one scene in season 15 when Grif stays behind on Iris while everyone leaves and it slowly zooms in on Simmons’ visor somehow does a lot better at expressing feelings than this.

East immediately making the connection between Axel and Zero feels weird. I don't know if its just me who feels this way, but I think it should've been a little bit longer before she immediately is just like “you know Zero don't you”

Axel saying “I... I do... I did”  also sounds weird and like he was trying a bit too hard to sound dramatic. I don't really know how to describe it its just such a weird delivery of the line.

The way they all immediately start yelling at each other.

One saying “Axe, I trusted you” right after saying “tell us the truth”. Girl, you gave him no opportunity to explain and just immediately jumped to not trusting him anymore. Speaking of which, I don't think this was ever really mentioned again and had no meaning or importance to it.

The echoing of “I trusted you” also feels cliché to me, but this is more of a minor thing.

I think this one comment on one of the episodes on the RT site that says the dialogue “seemed acted rather than natural. It didn't really sound like how people normally talk, more how actors talk in plays” is how I feel about all of the dialogue in RVB0.

3. The villains

Zero and Diesel both felt like they didn't really have any motivation at all for being villains. Phase is probably the best when it comes to this. She was essentially abused by her father as a child and forced to undergo being experimented on. This is an actual good and understandable motivation.

Diesel we know basically nothing about, and then on the other hand, all Zero wants is power. But for what? Why? I can understand that power is a pretty common thing for people to want, but it still kind of felt like there wasn't really anything there.

Some previous good villains in RVB include:

Temple: Temple witnessed his best friend be brutally murdered right in front of him by 2 soldiers who didn't give a shit and just left him to die, especially right after he told him he was having a baby. Of course it’s understandable that he has a hatred of Freelancers after this. Any normal person would.

Felix: Felix was probably the best villain of all of RVB, to be honest (right beside the Director). He was just somehow so likeable and had so much personality, despite being an asshole. His ultimate motivation was money and being rich, which is another thing I can understand; the more money you have, the more you can essentially do whatever you want and live in luxury. I mean, even so many people in real life do horrible things just for money. I don't even have to give examples for this. Felix in general is also just a psychopath.

The Director: The whole reason the Director did what he did was because he lost the person he loved most in the world: his wife. He was willing to do literally anything to bring her back, leading to all of his actions in the Project Freelancer saga. You can find many examples of movie/TV/book/etc characters/villains seeking vengeance as a result of loss of a loved one and grief. Despite being a horrible person, the Director actually managed to be a villain you could even sympathize with, making him even better.

Sharkface: Although a bit of a more minor villain, similar to Temple, Sharkface is a villain because he wants revenge on the people that killed his team, the people he considered to be the only family he’s ever had.

4. Tucker & the swords

The fourth thing I wanna talk about is the whole thing with Tucker and the swords. I always found it kinda weird how both Tuckers sword and now Locus’ sword in the chorus trilogy were the same, but then in RVB0, Zero’s sword looks and acts completely different, but that might just be a little nitpick of mine.

As for Tucker, it was so good to see him. Although I don’t know if it was just me, but he seemed a little OOC. What I didn't like about seeing Tucker again was that he did literally nothing the entire episode. He was useless. He said “I can fight” at one point but then all he does during the battle is get held at knife point, run away, and then get stabbed and have his sword taken. Tucker isn't an amazing fighter, but he’s definitely a lot more capable than just this. We’ve seen him in action many times and I just feel like he could've done a bit more. It almost feels like he was purposefully nerfed and tossed aside just to advance the plot.

Another thing that I and probably a lot of people are upset about is the fact that Tucker might not even own his sword anymore?? When East stabbed him, he apparently died and the sword was rebound to Phase, but it wasn't very clear that this was the case. Although the beginning of the next episode starts with hospital beeps and a flatline, I don't think it was still really clear enough that Tucker actually died long enough for Phase to reclaim the sword because I saw a handful of people confused in the comments and, like me, even thought it was just bad writing at first and that the writers completely forgot about the rules of the sword established over several prior seasons.

When in the hospital, Wash tells Tucker that he almost died. Although I actually liked this scene because it was nice to see wash and tucker bantering again, I think it could've been made better and made the plot clearer if instead of saying he almost died, Wash said something along the lines of “Tucker, you died. Your heart stopped, but they were able to bring you back thanks to their advanced medical tech” and then in response Tucker freaks out because that means his sword will now work for Phase and now they know how urgent the situation is.

I really really hate that Phase just has Tucker’s sword now and nothing is even said about it. If Tucker was to give his sword away to someone, I think many people would prefer that it was at least someone close to him, like Junior for example, but instead it goes to a random girl he hardly knows.

5. Pacing

The fifth thing I wanna talk about is the pacing. This season was definitely a lot shorter than normal and I think that’s one of the things that really prevented it from being good. The entire story just feels rushed and while I understand that it can be really difficult to build a good story and characters in such a short time, I think there’s still ways you can do it without it feeling like there’s so much missing. I think the long intros and outros are also responsible for less time and maybe they should’ve considered cutting them to give more actual episode time. Here’s a few things that were poorly done as a result of bad pacing:

The final battle against Zero: The whole battle just somehow felt like a typical video game boss battle that ends super quickly to me. Shatter Squad didn’t even defeat Zero, he just up and got disintegrated or whatever from Black Lotus.

Shatter Squad giving up on their mission: After receiving the silly deep voice filtered message from Zero, everyone on Shatter Squad just immediately gives up on finding him.

One’s speech: One’s speech wasn’t awful or anything and I didn’t really have any problems with the speech itself, but rather just how quickly the team went from “we can’t do it.. it’s over..” to “you’re right! I’m in! Let’s go get them!” Compare this to Doc and Sarge’s speech to the Reds and Blues after Church and Carolina leave in season 10 episode 20. It just felt a lot more genuine (this is probably because the Reds and Blues had a lot more time to be developed, though) and was only given after some time passed rather than 2 seconds later. The scene and context also transitioned well into it and at first, nobody was on board with what Doc was saying, which is more realistic in my opinion. People’s minds won’t just instantly change, they’re still gonna think about it and maybe have a few doubts at first.

Phase and West: During their fight, West talked a lot about how he regrets giving Phase away to Starlight, that he won’t hurt her, and is even willing to die for her. Their scene together ends with Phase punching him in the head and then leaving to join the others and nothing else about them is mentioned. We don’t know if Phase forgave him or not, we don’t know how West feels, etc.

Tucker’s sword: Phase still has Tucker’s sword and like the scenario with West, nothing about it is mentioned. We don’t know what she’s going to do with it, if she’s going to keep it, if Tucker’s gonna do anything about it, etc.

6. Clichés

Clichés aren’t inherently bad and can be really impactful and good if done right. But when it comes to RVB0, it’s jampacked with clichés that aren’t good. Here are a few examples:

Everyone gives up until a speech is given: All of the points for this are the same as above, but I wanted to include this scene as a cliché as well.

Every female character is competitive with each other: RVB falls into this a lot, like I mentioned earlier. It happens again with East and One, although luckily they seem to resolve it, but not until literally the end of the season.

West’s fit about East: All of the lines and delivery in this scene were just atrocious and cheesy. I think West’s dialogue just could’ve been a bit more original, but instead we’re given this boring predictable “I won’t lay a hand on her. I promised her. I promised her mother. I promised she’d be safe” spiel that has no emotion to it in his voice.

The whole “I got this, you go ahead” thing: This isn’t like a super cliché thing, but I found it pretty interesting how it happens twice in the same episode.

I think this is pretty much all I can think of at the moment. If I think of anything else, I’ll add onto this. Overall, I think RVB0 would’ve done a lot better as just an RVB spinoff so that it could have more episodes and seasons dedicated to developing characters and a good plot. I’m really disappointed with this season and I hope whatever comes next is better than what RVB0 was. I hope the team that worked on it can learn a few things that come from the good and valid constructive criticism given to them. And if I had to pick, I think I’d say Raymond was my favourite out of all the new characters. He just felt the most relatable and realistic to me.

[tashgoose]

Main commissions are open again! Two slots open! Small experimental wing it commissions are also still available! I'm not currently offering background options. See my commission site for examples, prices, tos and more info! 

Best with Imaginative fantasy themes. Nature themes. Creatures. Natural, earthy colours and markings.

Will draw Any animal/creature, anthro or human. Android/cyborg's to an extent. Original, existing, and fan characters. Portraits and pets.

Won't Draw Complex machinery, very complicated and detailed armor. (Might be able to do a simplified version) Extreme gore (blood and small wounds are ok). Nsfw, most fetishes and anything discriminatory. I won’t heavily reference/copy another artist's, character, art style or pose.

Please include this form where applicable when taking a slot. I realize this might be a bit wordy. But it saves both of us time to have all the info I need to get things going.

Username/s Paypal address

Character name Character species - If a mythical or made up creature please note real animal inspirations as well. Especially if its heavily stylized.

Character info – Just a few notes on their personality, what they do and whatever else may be relevant for the artwork. Too little or too much info might make it difficult to get a grasp of your character.

Character refs – if you don’t have any refs please include a description with photos and inspiration images. Please note, its in my tos not to copy or heavily reference someone else’s style or character design. These are just to give me an idea of the kind of look you want.

Preferences – What would you like the character to be doing in the artwork? If the description is too complex or controlling, I might have difficulty making a good piece of art. I can work with artistic liberty but please include the kind of mood you’d like for the art. Energetic and happy! Or sad and listless, angry and tense etc. This is so I can more confidently start the work with a jumping off point with more of an idea of what you want.

Artistic liberty with character designs How comfortable are you with me adjusting your character’s design? Some folk want my own take while others might not want me to change things too much. With certain commission types I may have to simplify features, or colours and markings. Stylized and traditional painting commissions in particular. So let me know if there’s anything in particular you want to keep or change! I tend to go for a more semi feral look with anthro characters. I Prefer more natural colours and markings. And I like natural and fantasy/imaginative settings.

Commission type What type of commission would you like? If there are different options, please include which one! Full body, half body or stylized?

Want the original shipped? Traditional commissions can be sent with an extra post and packaging fee. UK (signed, first class) - £3 European union (tracked + signed) - £9 USA, Canada + Elsewhere (tracked + signed) - £10. If yes, please include your address!

Any other necessary info? Is it for someone’s birthday? (I can put off uploading it until a certain date) Is it going to be used for anything? Does it need certain dimensions for digital files?

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

How to Order Read my TOS Email me at tashcrow.commissions@gmail.com to claim a slot! While I'm happy to answer questions about availability and costs please only book a slot when you are ready to pay. Please include above info. Payment up front via paypal invoice. I’ll invoice you once I know what you want and when I'm ready to start your commission. If you take a slot and don’t respond after a week (before payment) I’ll have to remove your slot. Please tell me if somethings come up/you’ve changed your mind about the commission.

Wip’s and Edits I send wip’s throughout the commission. The sooner you respond, the sooner I finish your commission. Please don't take a week to respond as that can really mess up my schedule. But take a moment to make sure you’re happy with everything. Drawing stage - Two rounds of revisions for the rough sketch stage. For posing and proportions. One more round when the drawing is finished for more precise digital edits. Digital colour - Two rounds to check colours, markings and shading. Traditional paintings - One round of digital colour adjustments as it would be difficult to adjust the paintings themselves. Additional rounds of edits will be priced depending on complexity. Traditional paintings will have very limited edits due to the medium. I can change colours and little details digitally once the painting is done. If you’re quite particular about your character’s colours and details, traditional paintings might not be the best option for you.

Thank you for reading! Please ask if you have any questions

[momentofmemory]

Would you be willing to share how you make blended gifs?

Hey nonnie! I don’t mind at all. :)  I assume you’re referring to gifs that have  more than one scene/image going on at once—there’s technically two ways to do this, depending on how you like to gif, so I’ll explain both, and also explain my method for both combining a gif with another stationary images or another gif. Explanation was supposed to be under the cut but tumblr ate my formatting and put it in your ask somehow? Sorry about that everyone!

Single Image Import

1. Open & create your gif as you normally would (including curves, vibrance, sharpness etc. When cropping, set the height & width you want but do NOT select “delete cropped pixels.” This gives you some space to move your frames around later.

2. Select all layers (including adjustment layers) and group them. This will keep you from a)accidentally dropping your image in between layers and b)allows you to move all layers around within the frame simultaneously.

3.  Go to file > Place Embedded or file > Place Linked. Both allow you to insert images; the difference is that an embedded file is actively stored inside your new file whereas a linked file is essentially “borrowing” it from the original file (like uploading an image vs. hyperlinking to an image). Either is fine, just make sure you don’t move a linked file out of its original folder. Notice that it inserts as a smart image.

4. Assuming your image isn’t already transparent, double click on it to open in a new tab. You might want to drag them side-by-side so you can see both at once.

5. Select & Mask your subject. Go to Select > Select and Mask > Select Subject and adjust the mask as needed. Output to New Layer with Layer Mask and make any adjustments still necessary by clicking the mask and painting with black (to remove) or white (to add).

6. Save the smart image—your screen should now look like this:

7. Now use the transform tool (cmd+t or ctl+t) to resize and place your image. If you want to do any adjustments to the colouring, make sure you clip it to the inserted image (cmd+option+g or ctl+alt+g) to avoid messing with the colouring of your base image.

Your next step is dependent on whether you work with frames or a video timeline.

Version 1: Gifs as Frames

This works under the assumption that you create gifs via file > import > video frames to layers.

8. Make sure your new image layer is selected and then click Unify Layer Position (the thumbtack) and Unify Layer Visibility (the eye). This ensures that the image is in the exact same place in every frame (otherwise if you move it on frame 6, it won’t move on the other layers too). Now export & save as normal. :)

Version 2: Gifs as Video Timeline

This works under the assumption that you create gifs via file > open .mp4 OR file > import > video frames to layers > convert to video timeline 

8. If necessary, drag the beginning & end of the clip to make sure it covers the entire length of the gif. Export & save as normal and you’re done!

Okay, so that’s a single image. Now for blending gifs.

Combining Two Gifs Version 1 (frames)

1. Create both gifs as normal and have them open in two seperate tabs. Whichever gif is your “base (the one you want on the bottom) we’ll call A and the second (the one we’re pasting on top) we’ll call B. Number of frames should be the same (e.g., 35 and 35), and Gif A should be trimmed to the appropriate size, using the instructions from steps 1&2 of the Single Image Import guide.

2. After you’ve made sure all your adjustment layers in Gif B are clipped and grouped, select all frames, then click on the hamburger menu in the frame timeline and click copy frames.

3. Go back to Gif A, select all frames, then go to video timeline Hamburger > Paste Frames... > Paste Over Selection. Drag your new layer over to the side a little bit until it lines up about where you want it, like so. If you adjust the positioning later, make sure to click on the 1st frame and then select all frames (shift+clicking on the last frame) with “Propagate Frame 1″ selected or the layers will only move in that frame.

4. Now masking comes in. Select the group layer and then click on “Add Vector Mask”. A white box will appear next to the group. Click on that, then use the brush tool (hardness 0, opacity probably 100 at first and flow at 80) to paint the image black over the parts you don’t want (white to bring it back). As you fine tune it you’ll want to vary the opacity to get a smoother transition. Continue until satisfied, then you’re done!

Combining Two Gifs Version 2 (video timeline)

1. Create both of your gifs as normal, then open your base gif (Gif A) and save your pasting gif (Gif B). Click on the + icon in the Video Timeline and then click on the gif you’ve just created. When it uploads, drag it onto its own layer in the timeline.

2. Click on the group in the top layer and then add a vector mask. A white box will appear next to the group. Click on that, then use the brush tool (hardness 0, opacity probably 100 at first and flow at 80) to paint the image black over the parts you don’t want (white to bring it back). As you fine tune it you’ll want to vary the opacity to get a smoother transition. Continue until satisfied, then you’re done!

Hopefully that will give you at least a starting point. :) If you weren’t familiar with masks before this, I recommend checking out this video by PiXimperfect. In fact, I’d recommend PiXimperfect to anyone using Adobe products, no matter your knowledge level—he’s a fantastic teacher and will help you understand Photoshop so much better.

Good luck!

[neondvcks]

part II: creating gifs in photoshop

how to make critical role gifs (a tutorial)

masterpost || part I

The method I use for giffing is the > Load files into Stack method. What this means is that you take screencaps of videos and load them into Photoshop to convert them into frames. In this part I'll teach you how to make gifs in Photoshop using screencaps.

NOTE: my Photoshop is set to Dutch but I explain everything in English in text (also because of context clues I’m sure most of it will be self-explanatory anyway).

what you’ll need:

Photoshop (I use an old CS5 version).

Screencaps to make gifs from.

(if you don’t have photoshop maybe take a look at this list)

loading files into stack

The first thing you need to do is open the screencaps in Photoshop but because we want them all in one file we don’t just go to File > Open and select them. Instead we do this:

Go to File > Scripts > Load files into Stack

Click Browse

Select all the screencaps you want to use for your gif

Click Open (I typically use anywhere between 50 and 150 screencaps in one gif)

Click OK and wait for them to load (each screencap will load as its own layer which will make it a lot easier to make small adjustments)

Once it has finished loading your layers should look something like this

making frames from layers

Go to Window > Animation (or Window > Timeline depending on what ps you use) and make sure it’s checked

Your Photoshop should look like something like this

Click on the three white boxes on the bottom circled on the image above (Create Frame Animation or Create Video Timeline)

Your animation window should now look like this

In the top right corner of the animation window you will find an arrow pointing down with lines next to it (circled in the image above)

Clicking on it will reveal a list

Click Make Frames from Layers

Your layers will appear as frames in the animation window but they will be arranged backwards

Click on the same icon again (arrow pointing down next to the lines)

Click Reverse Frames 

Your gif will now play correctly if you press the play button in the animation window (bottom left)

cropping

We have our base but it’s obviously way too big to properly work with and I want to focus only on Travis’ face. To know what size to crop to you have to understand Tumblr dimensions; this image is a clear and easy reminder of what they are. 

Note: height is less important and can be messed around with more than width. If you upload a gif that doesn’t follow the width dimensions tumblr will resize it and you will lose some of your quality.

Most of the time the gifs I make are 268px by 268px though I would recommend you play around and find your own preferred sizing after you get a bit more comfortable. 

Select the cropping tool on your tool bar

Enter the dimensions you want where it says Width and Height

Crop the image

timing/looping

The timing of your gifs helps control how fast or slow your gif moves.

Click on the arrow pointing down next to the lines again (top right corner of the animation window)

Click Select all Frames

Click where it says 0 sec. on any of the frames

Click Other...

Set Delay 0,05 seconds

(0,05 or 0,06 is what I have found works the best for my screencaps; if you use a different method for getting screencaps or want to speed up or slow down your gif you could change this to whatever you prefer)

Click OK

Next we’re going to change the looping setting to make sure your gif doesn’t stop after playing one time.

Click on where it says Once in the bottom left corner

Select Always 

My gif now looks like this:

At this point you should delete any of the frames you don’t want to keep in your gif (select a frame you wish to delete and click the little trash icon on the bottom of the animation window). I have a tendency to use a few more screencaps than I actually need to because I want to make sure I get the exact moment I wanted and now is the time to get rid of any excess ones. 

Go through your gif, let it play a few times and figure out if you want to delete a few frames here and there (I only ever delete frames from the beginning or the end so as not to mess up the flow/smoothness of the gif). This is the last chance you’ll have for this.

convert for smart filters

Congrats you have made a basic gif! If you’re like me you maybe want it to look a little bit prettier and a little more polished though. The main ways to accomplish this is to sharpen and to mess around with the colouring a bit. 

Now there’s a lot of different ways you can go about this but I like to do it with my frames/layers converted for Smart Filters so that I don’t have to go through every frame one by one. 

Go to Select > Select all Layers

Select all Frames (arrow pointing down next to the lines > Select all Frames)

Click on the rectangle in the bottom right of the animation window

Go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters

Your animation window and layer panel should look something like this

Check if your gif still plays when you press the play button in the animation window just to make sure nothing went wrong. If it is not playing go back (Edit > Step backward) until you can see all your frames and layers once more and try again

sharpen

Now we can sharpen the entire gif in one go. You can use an action if you have one but if you don’t this is the easiest way to easily sharpen your gif.

Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen 

Copy the settings on the image below (you can play around with the radius if you’d like; 0,3px also works)

Click OK

My gif now looks like this:

colouring + resources

This is where you can play with the colouring a little bit if you wish to. Either you can use a PSD (a pre-existing colouring) or create your own colouring. When using a PSD created for another show please keep in mind you will probably have to do a lot of adjusting because of the way cr is filmed.

Here are a few tutorials on basic colouring in Photoshop: one, two, three.

And here is a list of places that offer some great PSD’s to download:

drunkandcoloring

flawless-psds

itsphotoshop

psdsfaves

For my own colouring I usually play around with Curves, Levels, Selective Colouring, Vibrance and Color Balance. 

If I get to it I will clean up my own critical role PSD’s and upload them for public use and insert a link here. 

text

Though not needed for this specific gif a lot of Critical Role gifs do depend on subtitles. Here there is a quick and easy tutorial on subtitles for anyone who needs help using the Text tool.

save for web and devices

Your gif is smooth, the colouring looks great and now it’s time to share your labor with the rest of the world. Saving gifs is a little different than saving other files because we want them to move when uploading. If you were to simply click save right now you would have a nice PSD file that doesn’t move and you can’t upload anywhere. That’s where saving for web and devices comes in. 

Go to File > Save for Web and Devices

A window should pop-up, again there is a lot of room for messing about and finding what works for you; but these are the settings I always use with a quick explanation

I use Selective and Pattern from the dropdown menus highlighted. From what I gather Adaptive and Perceptual are good options for the first one as well (all the others are less so). I like the look of Pattern better because it arranges the pixels in a pattern which I personally prefer but both Diffusion and Noise are fine too. Always pick the highest number of Colours (256) for the best quality gif. 

Make sure the box next to Convert to sRGB is checked to keep the vibrance intact.

Looping options: Forever. To keep your gif looping endlessly instead of stopping after one time. 

Gif size! Who even knows what the Tumblr gif size limit is anymore; it’s 5MB after compression but then sometimes people are fine uploading 7MB gifs and others struggle with 6MB gifs. Personally I hardly ever go over 4MB but hey, let me know if you understand it.

To save click Save... (rather than Done) 

And you’re done!

This is the end result:

If you have any questions or comments or remarks please feel free to contact me. Hopefully this was somewhat helpful! :))

[someone-always-cares]

[image description: a q&a for the webcomic someone always cares. full desc under the cut because its long and wordy sorry]

post chapter 3 Q&A

first - previous - next

thanks for yalls questions!! it was fun to answer! if anyone still has questions feel free to ask whenever i am always 100% down to ramble. even if i did go slightly off topic in some answers

additional: went off topic with the hair question a bit. their bright hair is all part of the transformations. regular hair dye does exist though. best way to tell is that if the eyebrow matches the hair its probably not dyed. also, quartz’s hair is naturally ginger.

also for more on ages, check out the character bios here

also was gonna keep this in the tags but thought i might as well actually try to answer it: the question i found it hardest to answer was someone the song one. my taste in music is. a mess really. ive been listening to like the same 5 songs on repeat all day. more under the cut because i was rambling again and now its uhhh half 1am

if it helps at the time of answering that specific question i had home by cavetown on repeat, and that song reminds me of both rami and lewis. but that may be because i project onto those two a lot, and as a aro trans dude. who sucks with people skills, yeah of course i love that song.

specifically the vibes of like not knowing how to communicate (rami is fine with his friends but other people are different), the lines “ Turn off your porcelain face, I can't really think right now and this place, Has too many colors, enough to drive all of us insane” idk what the porcelain face line is supposed to mean but im picturing it as like. a mask. that you need to take off and stop hiding and rami does tend to hide when hes feeling upset, and the next two lines kinda could tie into that, like the feeling of when youre overwhelemed and just want the world to stop so you just hide somewhere. also the colours could go with chapter 3 with the chromatic abberation.

also the bit with “ my eyes went dark, I don't know where, my pupils are, But I'll figure out a way to get us out of here” just kinda sums up ramis whole hero thing with his powers and all. anyway this has turned into less what songs rami would like and why this particular song reminds me of him and lewis (lewis specifically has the hair cutting/chest hiding, [big transmasc mood], and also messy haired trainwreck who doesnt know who he is yet. also the ghosts bit)

i did end up picking upbeat songs because ramis a dude who like to try and be upbeat even if things arent. even if hes not really feeling it he will pretend to.

[full description: Anonymous said to someone-always-cares: “hi ily!!! do characters like quartz who have colored hair have that naturally or did they dye it?”

“its both natural and not! while most supers can do a magical girl ish transformation, including a change in hair colour, there are some exceptions.”

theres two small full body drawings of rami, one in civilian clothes, one fully transformed.

“if a superhero were to have a biological child, the child will inherit the powers of the parent(s). however, the child will not inherit the full transfromation. they do inherit any physical transformations, but not the outfit.”

theres a drawing of a woman in blue, quartz’s mother, fully transformed, holding her mask in her hand, smiling down at a much younger quartz as a child. hes smiling back up at her with the same blue eyes, pointy ears, and blue hair, but hes still in normal clothes.

“in the case of quartz, both of hisparents had superpowers, and he inherited those powers and the physical transformations.he can also pick and mix whatphysical traits to change.“

next is a headshot of adult quartz, his face split down the middle with one side having hair and eye like his mother, the other like his father. theres a list of traits from each parents, blue hair and eyes and pointy ears from his mum, and purple hair and eyes and pointy teeth from their dad.

 “Anonymous said to someone-always-cares:  Are all the characters the same age? If not, how old are they? Are they irl friends or just superhero friends?”

theres some headshots of rami and his team lined up with ages labelled: cam is 15, rami himself is 17, lin, mateo, and dante, are all 18, and cap is 20.

“rami and xandra were somewhat friends before she got superpowers, so when, after the incident with her old team, she found rami had developed powers, xandra stuck close to him. their other teamates started off as superhero friends but soon turned into irl friends too”

theres a headshot of lewis and jade. theyre both 17

“when lewis first decided to start being a vigilante,jade quickly found him and decided to help train himand offered to be a mentor of sorts, as they both have similar powers. that quickly derailed.”

“ cinder5555 said to someone-always-cares: How long does it usually take to make a comic page? I'm curious because they're so freaking good that they must take FOREVER”

theres a drawing of myself, a fluffy hair tired bastard in a hoodie, smiling

“Thanks! Ive been doing this shit since like 2017 and i still have no idea how long it takes me. i can get a page done in a day if i have nothing else to do or if its a simple page, but if i have work then maybe 2-3 days? i spend like, most of my free time doing this.“

another drawing of me, now looking frustrated muttering “how the FUCK does time work”

“but i can never do it all on one sitting.i will inevitably get distracted and zone out daydreaming mid drawing so its very hard to get an accurate read on how long it takes. so however long a piece of string is i guess“

the only qustion not from tumblr is a discord message from RuneStone Cabin:

“Q: Can you talk about the incidence of superpowers in this world? Like many people are supers, which powers are more or less common, how long they've been a thing for, stuff like that. Also does Omen know I'd die for them “

theres a drawing of omen pointing at a date circled on a calender marked “decembuary”, theyre saying “i know. i already wrote your death in my calender.”

then a giant wall of text reading: “Supers have only existed for a relativly short time, since the early 1940s. momento mori was the second person to have ever gained powers.

Only a small number of the population are supers! the chances are higher in more populated cities, but unusally london has oneof the higher percentages of supers. while nobody in universe has any idea of the origins of superpowers, it does seem that powers are more likely to occur in people who would actually use their powers.

as for what powers are most common, after making a badly catagorized spreadsheet of every superpowered character ive made for this world (70% of which will probably never even be seen), turns out that elemental powers are the most common. although not all elemental powers manifest as the straight up 'controling this element' as seen in characters like lin or tsunami. for example, iris's powers would fall under shadow elemntal powers, but theyre a lot more weird that just controlling shadows.there are some abilities that have never been seen before,such as ressurection or full on time travel (aka anything that could bring a character back to life), but powers are certainly allowed to toe the line eg healing, powers involving undeath, immortality, pausing or manipulating time.

aside from that, anything goes. you could get plain old superstrength, but you could also get the ability to create dogs with your mind. other not quite rules, more guidelines are that supers are immune to their own powers hurting them (unless they were pushing themselves too hard), although the way the imminuties occur may be inconvinient to the super.

while some powers may be 'more powerful' than others, powers dont really get to be way underpowered or overpowered in comparision to others. sure being able to talk to animals may feel a bit useless compared to someone who can lift 4 tanks at once, but nobodys going to end up with a power like 'can turn into a goose but only once' or 'can grow toenails twice as fast' or 'if i sneeze i can change my hair colour'. at the same time, youre not going to get someone with the power to snap their fingers and level a city, or instantly blow up the moon or whatever.

“Anonymous said to someone-always-cares: I love rami PLEASE tell me his favorite song(s) and why. I will die for you”

a drawing of rami saying out loud “i dont really have any specific favourite song, really? i just listen to whatever sounds catchy and then listen to that on repeat for hours until i hate it. i guess i do like upbeat songs? ones that make you feel happy even if the lyrics are sad”

“ un1c0rnhh said to someone-always-cares: tell me,,, please,, cam,,, are they a cat person or a dog person?? ily"

theres a drawing of cam a metre away from a cat lying down. she has her arm out and is making ‘psspsspss’ noises at it. end id]

FUCK i am so glad i didnt hand write all of that, it would have been a major pain in the ass to write it all and then have to transcribe all that next. but nope i could directly copy paste the asks and word answers. cheers if anyone made it this far down. if anyone wonders why this is uploaded late, you know now.