#lightweight but sturdier than i look

[stabwoundangel]

need to get tortured by a girl who'll explain things to me at length

[15-lizards]

What kind of embroidery do you see each kingdom doing?

This is the good shit right here

Goldwork embroidery is so Lan-coded but is also very Tyrell-pilled and even Faith of the Seven-celled, so I believe that this is a big western movement, which makes sense as all the big houses and the faith can afford to splurge on literal cloth of gold thread so they can make their vestments and dresses and coats look all pretty with painstakingly accurate flowers and lions and seven pointed stars

Whitework would probably be common all over Westeros, but is especially popular in the Vale, as the overall look of this type of embroidery is more light and airy, less heavy than beads or thick goldwork stitching. And in my head Vale fashions are very flouncy and flowy, moving with the wind. So delicate and pretty suits them

I really like needlework and needlepoint for the Stormlands. It looks sturdier and is often on thicker fabrics, looking like it will last longer than silk and thin linen stitches. And it almost tends to look worn and a little rough, as if it’s been passed down as an heirloom for so many years, and as if the hand that stitched it was not as careful or delicate as the gentle hand from a lady from the Vale might stitch it. This was made by a rough stormlands woman who needs to keep her children warm at night

Stumpwork again is something that is probably popular all over the kingdoms but particularly in the riverlands idk the riverlands vibe is just so textured like I can just grab onto it so their clothing and embroidery should also be textured I have no real reasoning behind this other than vibes. Also I’m pretty sure Cat wears stumpwork in the show and Sansa does at certain points too so it has some show basis if that means anything at all

Gota Patti is so perfect for most Dornish customs. There is no room for thick and heavy embroidery to weight down their clothes, as the fabric is too thin for that, so they opt for lighter threadworm instead, nothing bulky. They might use cloth of gold or silver but will not make it textured like the westerners. It’s lightweight but still complex enough to show off artistry and wealth

[riocinn]

Hiii just curious how do you make you rock-a-fire sculptures?? They look amazing

Thanks, I'm glad you like them!

They're mostly made of Sculpey oven-bake clay, although to keep the heads light I used tinfoil balls as a base. I use a toothpick to connect the head to the neck, and I use wooden dowels to make the limbs. This all makes them sturdier and more lightweight so they can stand on their own more easily. Additionally, for Looney Bird, I painted an empty container of slime for his barrel. All the paint is acrylic and the blush was added with a red Prismacolor. To seal it all in I used matte varnish, except for the eyes and inner mouth/teeth, which I painted a coat of gloss over.

For Rolfe's and Mitzi's fur, I picked up some cheap faux-fur at a craft store and trimmed it to be the right length. Unfortunately, it was a lot darker than I expected it to be. And I'm sure you can imagine what a mess it made haha

For Rolfe's bowtie and Mitzi's hairbows and pom poms, I used thin ribbon. Mitzi's skirt was made with felt that I painted the pleats on manually, and her hair is just the scalp of a Barbie doll I cut off with an X-Acto knife. Earl's hair and eyebrows are made of cotton balls I dabbed color onto with alcohol markers. Please don't do that it's messy and looks really bad LOL

Looney Bird's feathers were all sourced from a rainbow feather boa I found on clearance at Michael's. It is the worst material I've ever had the displeasure of working with and I will probably have red feathers stuck in my mouth for the rest of my life. His branch is a small plastic plant I cut off from a wreath I just happened to have in my room.

Now WOE PROGRESS PICS BE UPON YE + Looney's structure! Please ignore my horrible messy workspace

[moe-broey]

Here's my thought process. Because my Alfonse and Sharena plushies are made of felt and whatever material I had laying around for years, I think I have to keep in line with that philosophy. Even the embroidery on the face was stuff I already had, and I improvised in some areas where I didn't have proper embroidery thread for it (pulling apart black thread of something thicker/for jewerly making, layering sewing thread for the freckles, pulling apart yarn for the eye shines, ect).

Like what I'm getting at here is that the design philosophy is almost ragdolly in a way! And I def think they're more doll than plushie actually. I almost kinda think of Yoshi's Wooly World/Crafted World, for the aesthetics -- the "gimmick" is that they Look crafted by hand, using whatever you have on hand (which is. As I'm saying it. Literally just What I'm Doing LMFAOOO BUT WITH INTENT 😤😤😤)

So. That in mind

From the start I had the idea of using this fabric for the blue undershirt. You won't see much of it, if any at all though.... so I was gonna use it for the cape, too. But then my nana stopped by, and gave me A Bunch of fabric, including..

Like. The perfect shit. Just out of whatever she had on hand. The dark blue with gold sparkles is SO PERFECT for the inside of the capes..... and it doesn't even shed glitter!!!! It's good stuff!!! The shiny satiny gold material is thin, but hefty. So like. Even though you can see it fraying (and it does look. Intimidating.), I feel like if I'm smart I can make it work. My idea for the armor was to layer some fabric on top of sturdier fabric, anyway, to add/hold shape (but also very much crossing that bridge when I get to it).

Now, for the white fabric...... well. I've run into some issues. One of which was material that was from a thinly knit scarf, had that ragdoll vibe, but was way too flimsy. Not even gonna bother.

Digging around...

There's this fabric. It has a nice sheen to it, that doesn't really show up on camera. But you see how it fucking frays. You see how it's imprisoned by a hanger. You see the crinkles. This shit is going to be a fucking Nightmare to work with. It's lightweight, yeah. Too lightweight. I COULD use this for something else, but using it on a Fuck Around and Find Out project where I'm not even using patterns is a Death Sentence. I would Die. Badly. Next

I found this soft material I got Years Ago, big dreams of something else that never came to fruition. It would be very good plush material. I was really ruminating on it. However... I feel it may be too flimsy to use button joints on it. And even though it's not thick material, on this scale.. it's probably too thick to work with. And going back, to when I said they're more doll than plush... I have other big dreams. Of a Plush plush. I only have so much of this material, I think it would be smarter to save it. Probably will save me some grief, too. ENTER.

Pant leg. With some effort, I could probably find the rest of it. I actually do think this could work, though! It's that sort of stretchy fake jeans material, and it does have a nice visual texture to it irl. Very subtle. And I feel, fits very well into the "shit I just had laying around" ragdoll aesthetic. LITERALLY ACTUALLY...... made of rags..... and again, them being more for display than they are like, cuddly. I mean, they're also very much for Holding. I do want them to be very holdable. BUT. Idk may be onto something here...

ALSO. That red ribbon is a bit on the thick side, BUT...... it has potential. With enough fucking around I could have something, there...

LIKE I mentioned it a little bit, but I think the thing that's REALLY gonna make these guys shine is having a variety of dif patterns and textures, primarily visually. Although I do think about having to make three layers of clothing on these guys and my brain explodes. Badly. Like. I'm resigned to making one layer the bodice. We can skimp on the realism. But that still means.. the white over shirts... AND the armor..... and the capes. Help. 🧍

I leave you with this.

She's so helpful...... so good at that.....

[idabbleincrazy]

The Start of Something Old Ch.1

Fandom: Angel (Buffyverse)

Rating: E

Pairing: Spike/Lindsey/Angel (Splingel)

Word Count: 3495

Warnings: Sounding, double penetration, rough sex, oral, anal fingering, anal, subby Lindsey, biting, blood sharing, vampire dynamics

Summary: Angel gives Spike a very special gift.

A/N: ok, I finally found some headspace to get this done. Ended up more plotty than porny, and I'm not sure on some parts of it, but, it is what it is. Yay for finally finishing a Splingel, tho! Written for day two of Kinktober.

Squares Filled: enemies with benefits ( @julybreakbingo )

When he finally heard the elevator signaling Angel's arrival, Spike was splayed out across the bed, his cock ruddy and curved up towards his pale stomach, hard and leaking, his fists clenched in the sheets as he fought against the need to cum. He had kept himself on the edge, just as Angel had told him to. For two and a half agonizing hours. If Angel didn't let him finish soon, something was going to rupture. 

Angel strode into the bedroom, pulling his gift to Spike along behind him. Spike sat up, his aching cock momentarily forgotten as he looked over his present. 

"Not messing with me, are you, Angel?"

"Nope. He's all yours. For the month anyway. We'll figure out what to do with him after Halloween."

Spike's lips spread into a wicked smile and he climbed off the bed, crossing over to Angel. Pulling the older vampire away from the surprise offering, he captured his mouth in a deep kiss, both of them chuckling at the quiet whimper that sounded from beside them. Releasing his hold on Angel, Spike stepped over to stand in front of the shorter man.

"All mine to use as I see fit, for a whole month. Surprised you went in for it, Texas." 

"Wasn't exactly a hard sell, Blondie. Upgrade to my prison cell," Lindsey gestured at the room, his gaze locked on Spike's, a smirk playing on his lips. "Better lookin' cellmates than a Groxlar demon. The potential for a lot of great sex. May have done some stupid shit over the years, but mamma ain't raise no idiot."

Spike barked out a laugh, reaching out to untie the bow wrapped around Lindsey's hands.

"Leave it, Spike. At least for tonight, Lindsey's hands stay bound."

Spike looked over at Angel, eyebrow quirking up in curiosity.

"Probationary period. If he behaves, the bow comes off when we go to sleep. If not, it's replaced with something a bit sturdier." Angel reached into his pocket and pulled out something metallic, handing it over to Spike. "Another little gift, for both our pleasure." 

"This is lookin' to be the best anniversary month since that year Bulgaria. Love the way you know just how to keep me happy."

Spike rolled the hollow sounding rod between his fingers, admiring the narrow, lightweight, titanium tube. His cock twitched, reminding him of his long-suffered plight.

"Right, then. Time for pleasantries later. Been waitin' long enough, let's get this show on the road." 

With his free hand, Spike ripped away Lindsey's shirt, careless of the scraps of fabric falling to the floor. Handing the sound back to Angel, he then went to work undoing the Texan's blue jeans, pleased to find he was going commando. Steadying the human as he stepped out of the denim, he looked him over appreciatively, letting out a low whistle as he took in the sight of his half-hard cock. 

"Christ, you're prettier than I thought you'd be. C'mere, Linds, on the bed like a good pet."

Spike tugged Lindsey backwards with him, turning them both and pushing him onto the bed. 

"All mine?"

"Mmm, mostly. I want his ass first tonight though, Sire's prerogative."

"Yeah, alright", Spike allowed with an eye roll. "Wanted to try out that smart mouth of his anyway." 

Angel scoffed a laugh and began to undress as Spike turned his attention back to the brunette laid out on the bed, tossing the sound onto the mattress by Lindsey's head. He watched the two as he unbuttoned his shirt, his cock twitching in his pants at the compelling contrasts the pair presented, Spike's blonde hair and marble-pale skin a striking counterpoint to Lindsey's brunette locks and sun-kissed tan, both males deceptively muscular. 

Spike climbed onto the bed, tugging Lindsey's hands away from where he was idly stroking himself, stretching his arms up over his head. 

"Keep those there, pet, your cock belongs to us now, no touching 'less we say you can."

"Want me to call you Master while I'm at it?"

"Snark's my department, Tex, and we don't take backtalk from pets. Next smart li'l quip'll earn you a punishment you won't like."

Lindsey glared at Spike, but kept silent, much to Angel's amusement. He'd expected the human to respond in kind, so similar was his attitude to the younger vampire's. Probably just didn't want to risk not getting to cum, or a thrashing that wasn't meant for pleasure.

Angel stepped out of his pants as Spike straddled Lindsey's hips, his gaze drawing to the juncture where the two were touching. A brief image of Spike riding the cowboy while he fucked into Lindsey flashed through his mind and he let out a quiet growl, half aroused, half angered by the notion. Spike looked back over his shoulder at him, his face wary.

"You alright there, luv? That didn't sound like a playful growl to me."

"It's nothing."

Spike looked down at Angel’s hardening cock and shrugged, seemingly placated by the curt response. Angel pushed the stray fantasy aside, focusing on the display of flesh on the bed before him. He watched as Spike dipped his head down to tease at Lindsey’s nipple, the brunette’s head arching back as he let out a moan. 

"Like that, do ya?" Spike shifted and another moan was pulled from Lindsey's lips as he gave the other nipple similar treatment. He sat back up and pinched at the hardening buds. "Betcha Eve never thought to bother playing with these pretty little nubs. Most girls never do. Don't realize how sensitive they are for us, too."

"Fuck, Spike, yeah, feels good."

Angel's cock was now fully hard, his body reacting to Lindsey's sounds of pleasure and the musky scent of arousal filling the room. Keeping half his attention on the activities on the bed, he strode over to the bedside table. 

Spike's focus on Lindsey was diverted when a bottle of lube and a foil-wrapped alcohol wipe landed beside him. He smirked and snatched the items up, eyes glinting hungrily as he looked up at Angel.

"Can we get to business, already? Want to sink my cock into that pretty ass some time tonight." 

"Alright, bossy britches."

Angel rolled his eyes and joined the pair on the bed, stroking his cock as Spike slid off of Lindsey to the other side. Spike opened the alcohol wipe and wiped down the sound. 

"Ever used one of these, mate?"

Lindsey looked at the tube in his hand and shook his head. 

"No. Heard about 'em, just never tried it." 

"Think you'll find it quite enjoyable. Might feel a bit weird at first, but you get used to it." 

"Not like you to give your pets a pep talk, Spike."

"Yeah, well, ain't had a pet since before the soul. Makes me…give a crap."

Angel chuckled, the laugh getting louder when Spike rolled his eyes in return. Spike turned his attention back to Lindsey, his free hand wrapping around the brunette's flagging erection. He stroked the cock slowly, his eyes flicking up to Lindsey's face to watch his reactions as he pumped him until he was half-hard. The vampires shared a smile when Lindsey let out a whimper of disappointment when Spike stopped stroking him. 

"Ah, ah. Can't have you completely hard when it's inserted, need that pretty cock to have a li'l give to it."

Spike lubed the tip of Lindsey's cock and applied a liberal amount along the length of the tube. Holding the cock upright, he slowly pushed the sound against the slit on the cockhead. Lindsey gasped as the sound began to slide into the hole, fighting the urge to squirm.

"Ohh…"

"Yeah. If it starts to hurt, say something. Don't want my month of ownership dampened by you gettin' an infection."

Lindsey moaned out an affirmative as the rod slowly disappeared inside him. Spike pushed the sound all the way in, until the flared tip rested against the skin, then eased the now rigid member to rest along Lindsey's stomach. 

"Feel good?"

"Uh-huh. Weird, but good. Feels full."

"Good." Spike moved around the bed until he was looming over Lindsey's head, knees pressed against the brunette's shoulders. "Not the only part of you gonna feel full tonight, pet."

Angel settled himself between Lindsey's legs as Spike teased his cock over the human's lips, pre-cum slicking the pink flesh like lip gloss. Lindsey stuck his tongue out and groaned at his first taste of the blonde vampire before flicking the tip of his tongue over the head of Spike's cock. 

Spike grunted at the warmth, and pushed his cock past the parted lips, eyes fluttering at the sensation of a hot, wet mouth surrounding his length. Raising his gaze from the enticing sight of his cock disappearing down Lindsey's throat, he quirked an eyebrow at Angel.

"Not the first cock he's sucked, it seems. Christ, didn't think he could take me so deep on the first go 'round."

"Well, this is Wolfram and Hart, he probably climbed that corporate ladder on his knees."

Lindsey mumbled around Spike's cock, and Spike pulled out, letting him speak. 

"Didn't learn how to suck cock working here, but it was a useful skill to have when I started."

The vampires snorted a laugh and Angel shuffled closer, grabbing up the bottle of lube. He squeezed out a decent amount and slicked up his cock, his eyes glancing back and forth between Lindsey's face and his cock where it lay twitching against his stomach. 

"And what about your ass, Lindsey?" Angel reached out with his slick fingers, one digit circling the clenched pucker hidden between his cheeks, pulling a soft gasp from the human. "Anyone ever been in here?"

"No. Topped plenty, never bottomed before. Never found anyone I wanted to bottom to."

"But you do want it, don't you, Lindsey?"

Spike watched as Angel used his free hand to spread Lindsey open further, and knew the second his finger pressed into the virgin hole, Lindsey letting out a loud moan and beginning to squirm beneath him.

"Yes. From you. And Spike. Been wanting it. Wanna know how it feels."

Angel let out a low growl as he perfunctorily stretched Lindsey, quickly adding a second finger.

"Gonna give you what you've been wanting from me for years, Linds, a good, hard fuck."

"Texan's got a vampire kink, does he? Can see why you thought he'd make a good pet."

Spike thrust his cock back into Lindsey's mouth as Angel removed his fingers, sinking the full length of his shaft down the brunette's throat as Angel lined his cock up at the loosened pucker. He groaned as Angel pushed into Lindsey, Lindsey's muffled moans vibrating around his aching length.

"Jesus, he's so fucking tight, Spike."

"That soul of yours ain't gonna flutter away, is it? Don't need a repeat of the last time you had your way with a human virgin." 

Angel gave Spike a disbelieving look as he paused, giving Lindsey a moment to adjust to the stretch.

"I hardly think Lindsey is as likely to give me perfect happiness as Buffy, Spike. And it wasn't the sex that gave that moment, so much as her making me feel human enough that I forgot what I really was." 

"Yeah, well, still…you feel it tugging at ya, say so. I'll start natterin' at ya or somethin', keep it in place."

Angel growled in annoyance and leaned forward, grabbing Spike around the back of the neck and pulling him into a harsh kiss. Spike groaned into the kiss as he felt fangs scraping over his lip. The taste of his own blood soon mixed with Angel's as his own fangs descended and pierced the older vampire's tongue, and he felt his arousal surge higher, Lindsey's mouth still working his cock. Angel broke the kiss with a sharp nip to Spike's bottom lip.

"Shut up and fuck the boy, will you? I've got my cock deep inside a hot, tight ass, and I want to actually enjoy it. Ruin this for me, and I might have to take back my gift."

"So fussy." 

Angel growled again and Spike rolled his eyes, but didn't press his luck. He had too many ideas brewing on how to spend the next month with their new pet, and wasn't willing to risk calling Angel's bluff. 

Spike was brought back to the moment when Lindsey's hands clumsily grasped at his ass, trying to urge him into movement. He nearly toppled over as he tried to start a rhythm, and Lindsey moaned his disappointment when Spike sat back. 

"Bloody hell, pull out for a mo', Angel."

"What! Why?" 

"'Cause I can't get no bloody leverage like this. Much as I wanna keep seeing that pretty cock of his twitchin', need him on his hands and knees."

Angel huffed but pulled out, another complaint falling from Lindsey's lips at the loss. He quickly turned the human over, letting him steady himself on his knees and elbows, and slid back into him. Spike stroked himself for a moment, watching the two brunettes. 

"Fuck, that's a pretty sight. Think Tex is regretting not bottoming before. Be a right little cockslut by the time we're through with him."

Lindsey moaned, his cock twitching, a bead of pre-cum welling up at the tip of the sound. He was already pushing back on Angel's cock, wordlessly urging him to move.

"Like the thought of that, pet? Bein' our li'l cockslut?"

"Shit, Spike. Yeah."

"Smelled it on him the first time I met him, Spike. Could've had him on his knees for me right there in that office, he was so hard for it."

Lindsey's cheeks reddened, and Spike chuckled at his embarrassment. 

"Angel, please, man. Need you to move." Lindsey's voice was strained, and both vampires groaned at the desperation they could smell wafting off him. He looked up at Spike, his pupils lust-blown, and pleaded with him. "Spike, c'mon, need to cum. Angel told me, can't cum till you do."

Angel thrust once, quick and sharp, pushing Lindsey up the bed closer to where Spike knelt, causing the younger brunette to cry out in pleasure.

"Yeah, Spikey, fuck the boy already. If you aren't going to take care of your pet properly, I'll just have to take him back to the kennel. Besides, I can smell how badly you need it."

Spike gave Angel a heated look before relenting, scooting forward. Lindsey's mouth opened eagerly, and Spike let out a groan of hunger at the wantonness of the gesture, sliding his cock past his lips. 

"Fuck. So much better this way, pet. Christ, you take me so deep." Spike bucked his hips, feeling his cock slip into the tight grasp of Lindsey's throat as the human swallowed around him. It was almost enough to make him spill, then and there. Needing a distraction, he pulled Angel forward, capturing his mouth. "Thought you promised him a good, hard fuck, Ang. Gonna follow through?"

"Just waiting on you," Angel growled against his lips, starting a harsh pace, one hand raising to wrap around Spike's head to keep him from pulling away, the other gripping Lindsey's hip. "Jesus Christ, wait till you fuck him, Spike; he almost gives your ass a run for its money."

Spike growled into the kiss, his fangs dropping again to nip at Angel. He thrust his hips in rhythm with Angel's, rocking Lindsey between them, barely more than a vessel for their lust as they began to lose themselves to their passion.

"Bite your tongue, luv. No one's arse compares to mine, an' you know it." 

"Bite it for me." 

Lindsey moaned beneath them, their rough treatment of his body surging his arousal higher.

Spike did as prompted, sinking his fangs into Angel's tongue and groaning at the fresh burst of familial blood that filled his mouth. He carded one hand into Lindsey's hair, guiding his head along his cock as he felt his orgasm looming, the other gripping Angel closer as they devoured each other's mouths, nails scratching along the nape of his neck. 

Angel snarled hungrily, his own fangs extending and tearing at Spike's lip.

"Feelin' demon enough, luv? Soul all steady?"

"Fuck, yeah, Spike. You always know how to bring it out in me. Shit, not going to last long."

"Christ, me neither, 'Gelus. 'Specially the way he keeps swallowin' me."

"Do it, boy. Cum for us. Bet he'll blow the second he tastes you."

Spike's roar was muffled by Angel's greedy mouth as he let himself fall over the edge, his hips stuttering to a stop as Lindsey milked his cock. He let go of the human's head so he could ease his cock back, letting Lindsey lick him clean as he came down from his orgasm. He could scent the fresh spill.of human cum in the air, and his cock gave a valiant effort to rise once more. 

"C'mon, Angel, luv. Know you gotta be close. Feel that sweet arse clenching around you, waiting to be filled full of your spunk?"

"God, yes."

"Do it, then, luv. Fill our slutty li'l pet up."

Angel let go of Spike and gripped Lindsey tightly with both hands, thrusting his cock into him one last time. His head fell back against his shoulders and he let out a howl as his climax overcame him. Spike withdrew from Lindsey's mouth as he watched the older vampire cum. 

Lindsey keened, pushing back against Angel, taking him as deep as possible, and came again from the sensation of the cool seed filling his heated passage. 

"Boy's got impressive refraction time for a human. Come in handy, that will."

Angel grunted and released his hold on Lindsey's hips, easing his cock from the slick hole. Lindsey collapsed to the mattress, looking like he was seconds away from passing out. 

Angel climbed over Lindsey, flipping him over, and let out a pleased chuckle at the blissed out look on his face. 

"Aw, look, Spike, we wore him out." 

"They're so cute when they're sleepy, ain't they?"

"They can still hear you, you know."

Spike barked out a laugh as Lindsey struggled to sit up, his bound hands hampering his success. Taking pity, Spike untied the ribbon and helped the brunette upright. 

"So pet, was it all you thought it'd be?"

"Fuckin' a, man. Better." Lindsey looked over at Angel, a frown tugging at his lips. "But next time, maybe use more lube?" 

"Be thankful for that soul of his, mate, or he'd have taken you dry."

Angel rolled his eyes, climbing from the bed and gathering up Lindsey's clothes from the floor. Handing them over to him, he pulled him from the bed. Taking his cock in hand, he carefully removed the sound, inspecting the tube for traces of blood in case of any internal damage. 

"Looks fine. Now, time for obedient little pets to get some rest. Your room is down the hall." Lindsey looked between the two vampires, confused at the abrupt dismissal. He started to leave, but Angel grabbed his arm, stopping him. "And bother trying to sneak out of here. Had the mystical department work up a little spell just in case."

Lindsey nodded and left, walking slightly awkwardly. 

"Love the bedside manner there, luv." Spike maneuvered up the bed, shoving the covers down beneath him. "Bit curt with the boy, weren't you?"

"He's here for sex, Spike, not affection. This is Lindsey we're talking about." Angel turned off the light and climbed into the bed, pulling Spike close. "The man who conned you, the man who tried to pit us against each other for his own agenda, the man who has tried to kill me on multiple occasions. I may have a soul, but that doesn't endear me to him. Don't push me on this, alright? Don't make me regret choosing him as your gift."

"Yeah, sure, luv, no need to get your knickers in a twist. Just weren't expecting you to be so cold about it."

Spike let Angel tug him into his embrace, snuggling into his chest. 

"He's a pet, and nothing more."

"I get it, Angel." Spike wasn't entirely convinced by the tone of his Sire's voice. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time one of their pets turned into something more. Valentin had been much more to both of them, to the point where they'd contemplated turning him. "Thank you for the gift, Da."

"I do love you, little one, happy anniversary. And thanks for earlier. I wasn't sure about doing this until then. I think it's something we both need, to bring balance between the soul and the demon."

Spike lifted his head and pulled Angel into a slow kiss, his tongue washing away any last traces of their blood. Feeling sleep overcome him, he pulled the covers up over them both. Whatever the month held in store for them, he would be sure to pay close attention.

*****

All Things Spike: @leatafandom

[oracleofsecrets]

fuck it I’ll post my thoughts and progress here. Never done a proper cosplay before but after I made Tri for funsies at the beginning of October I was like haha what if….? Also bc I couldn’t think of a costume for Halloween, despite not currently having plans for Halloween >.>

I’ve gotten a lot done just figured I should Log It somewhere that isn’t just my friend’s dms lol

Couldn’t be assed to make a white dress so I bought one from. Idr where. Had briefly considered buying Zelda’s vest-like thing from this like modesty clothing site called Veiled I think? It seemed pretty quality but I wasn’t sure if I could style it right or if it was a good color or feel, and it was outside my budget

Couldn’t figure out what to Call her vest thing to even find patterns to buy, but I ended up getting one on Etsy for a “long cardigan” that I figured I could just make Longer

Unfortttttunately, the A0 pattern file was locked, so I couldn’t try to get it printed at a print shop for like blueprints size, but the person who called me said they can’t print This big a size anyway. So I had to deal with taping together a bunch of regular printer paper. Wish I’d have thought to use that guillotine paper cutter thing at work…

For the cape I wasn’t sure what kind of fabric I’d want to make it out of. Partly bc I’m Quite New to sewing lol. Even though Zelda’s wearing it, it’s Link’s cape, so I don’t imagine it’s Super fancy, and it should be lightweight. Wool could’ve been cool but that is Very Much out of my price range lmao

Found a nice free (if you email them… kinda annoying but could be worse) pattern online for a hooded cape that I think will work p well. So with that, I decided to make it out of fleece. It’ll double as a nice comfy cozy thing to wear around the house for fun too hehe

Then I was off to the fabric store weeeeee. I was trying to decide for a while between some pink knit fabrics (p-something? It seemed sturdier than Jersey knit and wouldn’t look too cheap) bc her vest isn’t quiiite pink but it’s not full on purple either, and none of the purple fabrics looked close

but thennn I found this clearance/last chance cotton in the perfect color :3 bonus of being able to put off learning to see non-woven fabrics lol. Got some muslin fabric too bc I figured I’d need it to make a practice version of the vest (greatly paid off!)

This isn’t how much I bought btw these are just the bolts I was lugging around while deciding and then waiting for the cutting counter. They were quite heavy…

Oh, also decided (we’ll see if I regret this later when I actually get to the Making It part) to make the cape detail basically like a fleece appliqué. There are probably better and easier ways to do it but i don’t really know about them !

Jeez ok this is getting long and this is just the “intro” djshdjfjd

[thesundowncrew]

Nightshade was truly a welcomed sight, her small frame hanging off of Samhain's neck not bothering him one bit. He was much too used to this after all and she was practically lightweight. However, seeing the boy in the doorway was a surprise. "Bran.." the name escaped Samhain's lips but the boy hadn't heard it, still rambling off his suppositions and questions.

As soon as he was done, Samhain rubbed the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "About the barrier, well... Ah took it down." A short pause, unsure how to explain himself to the boy. "What can ah say? Ah'm sturdier than ah look?"

Suddenly he felt a twisting pain from his ear as Nightshade pulled it hard and good. "Don't give him that!! He was obviously worried about you, the poor thing! Even more worried than I was, I bet! Now what do you have to say for yourself, mister??"

"OW ow ow ow OW! Okay, okay! Ah'm sorry, Nightie, ah'm sorry!"

"Do you have ANY idea how worried I was?? How rushed these dream draughts were done?? Diving into the dreaming unprotected like that without a Plan B - What were you THINKING??" Nightshade had moved from twisting Samhain's ear to pinching both of his cheeks and stretching them out in comical fashion. It looked like it hurt, especially by how flushed the ghoul's pale skin was looking now. "OWWW!! Nightie, please..!" He was probably more embarrassed someone on the outside had to see him in such an undignified state. It was a rare sight indeed to see the usually calm and collected Samhain be scolded by a girl a foot shorter than him; at least in public.

"But ah did have a Plan B," he defended once his cheeks were released, though they were still sore and pink. "You're here, aren't you?"

"How many times do I gotta tell you I HATE it when you make ME your Plan B without you telling me??!" Nightshade scolded, stomping her foot down at the end to emphasize how mad she was. She crossed her arms over her chest, turning away with a huff. "Keep this up an' see if I ever come rescue your sorry butt again!"

"Yes, yes, ah know," Samhain chuckled, unfazed by her threats as if he's heard it countless times before. "Really, thank you Nightie," he said, reaching out for her hand affectionately and patting it. "What would ah ever do without you."

"Stinky poophead. You're not getting that apple crumble," Nightshade grumbled under her breath, still not making eye-contact in protest.

"And Bran," Samhain addressed the boy finally as he shifted on the bed, hanging both legs off the side. "Ah'm sorry for makin' you worry." He was smiling his usual smile, as if telling him everything was all right now.

"Don't let him off easy, Bran! You'll only encourage him," Nightshade warned, which only made Samhain laugh. It seemed as if everything Bran told her had just flown out the window. Or more importantly, everything that Bran knew about Feld and its impossible traps ought to be questioned. That maybe they weren't so infallible after all.

Some guests woke. Some guests did not. The ones who woke were the ones whose dreams lost Feld’s interest. The ones who stayed asleep were the ones Feld decided to keep for itself. It collected them.

Bran felt certain Samhain belonged to the latter group, as much as he wished to believe otherwise. Their game of questions last night had convinced him. Samhain revealed he’d once wanted to save someone dear to him, a desire so strong that he’d made a fateful deal and lost his arms as a result. If this memory had ever haunted Samhain’s dreams, Bran had no doubt that Feld found it irresistible.

He had hoped Samhain’s barrier would protect him, but… he could no longer sense its presence. It had vanished. Part of Bran wondered what happened to it, but a stronger part reminded him the reason no longer mattered. Samhain was gone regardless.

A lump had formed in his throat. Bran drew his knees to his chest and rested his forehead against them, trying to make himself as small as possible, to vanish into himself. It was a trick he’d learned as a child before he met Maude. It hadn’t saved him then, but sometimes it made things more bearable.

‘Oh!’

With a gasp, Bran jerked his head up to see the girl in Samhain’s doorway. Oh no. His face burned with embarrassment. He rubbed his eyes with his sleeve and looked away. She asked if he was okay, her voice soft, and heaviness twisted around Bran’s heart. He didn’t deserve that sort of gentleness. Especially not from someone who had just lost her friend to Feld.

“He won’t wake up.” His words were shaky and hoarse. Bran swallowed hard and shook his head, unable to meet Nightshade’s gaze. “I— I know you’re trying, but he just… he won’t.” The sky outside the window had turned a darker grey, and light rain began to patter on the roof. His arms wrapped tighter around his legs. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

—

And then the dream fragmented and fell apart.

—

The creature in the attic jolted in surprise and tumbled off the faded chair with a thump.

—

A shudder of breath and the rustle of bedsheets came from inside Samhain’s room.

Bran’s heart skipped a beat. Nightshade disappeared in an instant, and her excited squeal rang in the boy’s ears. A familiar voice gasped out a reply.

… what?

On unsteady legs, Bran pushed himself upright. He stepped to the entrance of Samhain’s room and looked inside at last. His eyes widened in disbelief. Samhain was awake. Seemingly alright aside from the fact his friend was nearly strangling him.

“I… I thought you’d left,” Bran heard himself say quietly. He stared at Samhain as though seeing a ghost, his face pale. “I thought you’d gotten away.” Dizziness swept over him, and he steadied himself against the doorframe, his other hand clutching the front of his sweater. Questions swirled in his mind and tumbled from his lips. “How’d you wake up? Why… why is the barrier around your room gone?”

[leejeann]

In honor of my boy finally getting a new pot, houseplant update!

The pot isn't actually any bigger than his old one tbh since his roots aren't that big, but he's a climbing aloe and has just gotten so TALL. The old pot was lightweight plastic, much narrower at the bottom than the top, and a very high risk of me bumping the shelf too hard and this top-heavy ass falling to its death. This pot is much sturdier. Still needs support so it doesn't snap under its own weight tho

This is the like 4th time I've repotted him and every time I'm still paranoid I've done something wrong and will kill him by accident. Fingers crossed that I Did Not do that this time!

More plants:

I bought a decorative plant pick for this one ^ that says "thirsty bitch" because it's the type of plant that just falls over if I go a little too long without watering it and then pops back up within a few hours like nothing happened once it's watered

I also have an airplane/spider plant now (top left) thats doing surprisingly well and look at the lad on the right! It's an asparagus fern I think, which also has like 8 other names according to google, it just keeps growing. It will engulf my entire room someday, I can feel it. It also has little thorns now, because apparently they do that too

(and also apparently can cause skin irritation? But I haven't had a problem with that so far and I've had this dude a while, so fingers crossed there too lol)

I have a few air plants on my desk and a couple more succulents on a lower shelf, but I dont feel like adding more pictures lol. Anyway there are my plants!

[pillowcases]

The Many Perks of Using Cotton Polyester Blend Pillowcases

Cotton is a soft, fluffy fiber which grows in a protective case (called a “boll”) around the seeds of the cotton plants. Today, the global production of cotton is around 25 million tons, or 110 million bales annually, with the US being the largest exporter of cotton. Today however, cotton is now blended or mixed with different materials to create a sturdier, more comfortable material. Let’s look at one example, the cotton-polyester blend, and see what the perks of using it are.

 What’s a Cotton-Polyester Blend?

If you’re planning to buy pillowcases, whether single or by bulk, I strongly suggest that you get cotton polyester blend pillowcases, because polyester-cotton material is a blend of both fabrics, with a ratio in the vicinity of 35% polyester and 65% cotton (Although 50-50 mixes or blends are also available today).

 When the two materials are mixed or blended, the wearer or user gets the benefits of both polyester and cotton fibers in one fabric. When combining polyester with cotton, the result is a much stronger material, which is also very durable and relatively affordable.

 Cotton that’s combined with polyester is also less prone to static and pilling. Today’s new cotton-polyester blends are also softer and fluffier than their previous predecessors. And, this blend also keeps it shape and color longer, and it doesn’t shrink. Well, blended products are often less costly, and last longer too.

 The Advantages of Cotton

Well, before you buy cotton polyester blend pillowcases, let me again refresh you on the advantages of each of the major materials that were blended together. Let’s start with cotton.

 Cotton, like I said earlier, is a natural fiber that’s free of chemicals. It is highly breathable, which is an amazing option for hot weather. It’s also hypoallergenic and does not irritate the skin. It also burns, as opposed to polyester that melts.

 The Perks of Polyester

Being a synthetic fiber, polyester is a less expensive option, and has a lot of perks that cotton on its own doesn’t have. Like for example, it has strong fibers, and it does not wear down as quickly, while at the same time being flexible and resistant to wrinkles and shrinking.

 Unlike cotton alone, polyester dries much quicker, which makes it the perfect material for colder weather and sports, where you certainly do not want to wear moist fabric against your skin! Now you know why polyester is very popular with athletes because of its moisture-wicking properties, strong fibers and lightweight feel. And of course, polyester is also relatively inexpensive.

 So, this just goes to show that cotton-polyester blends are actually showcasing the best of both worlds. Take the natural feel and breathability of cotton and mix or blend it with the strong, flexible and more cost-effective properties or characteristics of polyester.

 No wonder 50-50 cotton-polyester shirts, or cotton polyester blend pillowcases, are very popular choices among buyers today, as well as garment decorators. Just go to your nearest mall or outlet store and you’ll personally see how popular these items are today.

[the-firebird69]

So we're going after the justice positions of his cuz they're not helping warlock or rebels it's just a bunch of f****** dicks and BG is working with bja all the time now because the guy is so awful and Trump was up there and iron Man the movie fighting him with his body let me finish we have enough of this piece of s*** for a million lifetimes but we want him out of these justice positions in police and everything else and Max do too and the discovering it's a pain so they're bringing them out and they're getting rid of their positions and they're taking them over and they're doing it now all day today.

A huge load came in after the 400,000 initial block and it was 500,000 additional block and they were done curing last night and we're making more. They called in tons of truckers and they're Max they said finally I said he has something to do with it the company's changing ownership in this fat assholes not doing it anymore and supposed to be us cuz it's retard and he sold all the stock to them and he's buying us and he sold it and did it on purpose now when I'm up on treason against us he doesn't care at all this is making his life so damn hard and he forced him to do it and it's a loser that's why I just sits there. Has something to do with Tommy f and I want that researched he's being forced to do it by these two big groups he's innocent. I don't really need the comments but the stadium does look like a big bagel so Ken's jonesing for him if he wants to take him to get a bagel he does he won't go there with him. We have a lot to do today and I put a ton of orders out so let's get to it Max mac daddy says and he's adding orders to get them out of the judge chips and things like that it's making life miserable

It's been a while coming it's been a long time and these people are completely out of control but that big shipment came in it rolled in and their eyes went a light and it was a Max who are excited and they said I wonder what this is and they knew about it knew it was and that was after the equipment and they were excited about that and more men no it was just block and it's all lightweight and they unloaded it and they are using it and it is a giant giant load of blocks and he's watching TV and he sees an ion it's a cop show with Robin from Batman and Robin and it's got players in it from smokin' aces the first one so I think that's more important than the name but really it's on 10 minutes time and you can't remember the name so that's horrible it's temporary amnesia caused by Trump and son who have a force of idiots on him so they're concerned about it and then it is a concern and he doesn't know how it's happening either and it's too much of it for him so there's a lot happening today but these loads came in and the last one was blocked and it was the other portion of it making it about 1/3 of the load delivered two more thirds and it'll be what was ordered but they ordered twice again once again I'm sorry which means it's twice as much as the original order and so now the 1/3 delivered is only 1/6 of the total order here in Florida and we're trying to produce it for other areas too but they can't really take on that much right now they're kind of rushing now define pads for the loads that they have and they found several and they're just going to do it and if it sinks and breaks they will have to fix it I guess and usually they don't fix it they just fill it with epoxy that's the way it goes and they might try and root tooth and block but they never do that either. So our son suggests that they pressure inject grout under the slab to make it sturdier and they like the idea and people say it's very high PSI and actually helps and usually there's some voids there anyways they're looking at that as an option and they're hiring the ground contractor to go around and scan and fill it if they are or even raise it a little maybe half inch and they agree that's not bad thing to do tightens it up and doesn't leave hollow spots for bugs and other stuff so they're hiring tons of them now and we just thought through it he and I and our wives and others who are listening it's a good deal.

It will prevent cracking and brakes and if it drops and prevented from breaking because it's going to drop you to uni formally, and the grout trucks are needed and I'll get them running and up and going for filling the block and there's going to be a ton of them needed so they're hiring more and it's going good.

The stuff is fast drying half day it'll be cured well before they get start going on this block cuz I have to prep for it there's a huge number of things they have to do with some slabs and not many for others but they have to check everything and it's a pain so they're going through it now about half the block of the first load is delivered to job sites the other half will be today and the whole load of the second one is being delivered directly to job sites all the contractors immobilizing and most of them warlock are not doing the job so their properties are being confiscated and the titles and the cops are mobilizing all over Florida too the whole state.

Now there's other stuff that's coming in but the lumber came in and it went to the job sites and those houses are ready half of them were by idiots and those half for being confiscated, By max and it's pushing us to do the job and we have to.

Thor Freya

[arcelerity]

Garreg Mach is pretty dang cool! They don't just use that fancy magic for show and glitz and glamor, but for actual practical stuff! Battle training with realistic custom-made enemies and terrains without a risk of actually dying? Sign him up!

And so he did. It's actually pretty funny how he just put his name on a piece of paper. And selected a few things to try out. He could've grabbed anything, but the opportunity to be a Dark Mage without having to make a spirit pact was too cool to pass up, and magic literally called Death? Come on!

(He couldn't fathom what "Two Shells" meant, but the descriptions said they were lightweight armor that made him better at dodging and sturdier, so like, perfect!)

Well. That's sure what he thought.

Now that he's standing here with two of his classmates (Hilda and Marianne, even!), a blonde guy he doesn't recognize, and freaking Nasir of all people...while wearing a weird ass outfit equipped with some phony seashells that are supposed to be part of a swimsuit! He's been scammed!

And they're in a weird smelly place that reminds him of some awful, awful mansions he's raided in the past. Hopefully whoever they're fighting will be as satisfying to beat up as those creepos.

"So, uh. How's everyone doing?" He's happy to see Marianne and Hilda, probably chill with the blonde guy, and, well, Nasir is Nasir. He's got weird and complicated feelings about the guy that he does not want to think about while he's dressed like this in the middle of a nightmare zone.

Before he can do anything, a bizarre square of metal rolls towards him, creaking wheels contrasted by glittering lights. It moves as if it has a will of its own, and a hollow, strange voice emanates from its core.

"Welcome to Fiery Emblems: Gatcha Gatcha II! By playing, you agree to our legally binding terms and conditions."

"Are you...the boss?" Tormod stands at the ready, but it doesn't really seem like a threat.

[Roll: 1d4=4!]

"You have been selected to pull from our Premium Guaranteed pool! Choose one of the following by tapping the screen!"

Oh, neato! This is weird, but this thingamabob is giving him some way fancier options than the initial form. Also they're being displayed in light on its front...? Weird. Ragnarok looks tempting, but his finger slips and he finds himself on Hoplon Guard instead. Less explodey than he'd like, but that's armor and he'd love to have a different outfit on right now, plus whatever boss they're facing is probably pretty tough!

"ERROR: Currency not found! Taking from Customer's Life Pool instead! Do Not Display This Message To Customer."

"Hey, huh, wha--?"

Tormod 10/10HP gains Hoplon Guard and Corporate Shadow 30/30HP loses -1 Res and -1 Def!

Tormod is suddenly engulfed in light and hears jaunty music--are they stealing his soul or something? He didn't agree to this! Or did he? Tricky weird illusion metal monster! Either way, something is happening, and he feels way, way heavier...is this it? Has he already been knocked out?

The light recedes, and he's still standing. Just way more weighed down than before. Okay. Cool.

He can see his reflection in the metal of the robot. He's wearing...some kind of armor? It has to be armor with how it feels to move around in, but it kind of looks like a stupid puffy jacket instead, complete with a pointy hat. It's red and green, which is kind of his style, but it looks really dumb and it's hard to move in.

And worst of all, those shells are sitting on top of it.

"I think this illusion or simulation or whatever is faulty! Give me my cool armor!"

Unfortunately, banging the metal thing (slot machine, a voice in his brain generously supplies) is fruitless. The voice in his head assures him that his outfit works the same as the armor, but that doesn't help. (Also, there's a voice in his head???)

@cursedbluebird @delicatevalentine @moriddyn @yukyunotabibito may the odds be in your favor!

fighting commodity fetishism with commodity fetishism since 980 | team 1 bronze round

[sokkas-first-fangirl]

Fluffy prompt idea:

Luisa wants an outfit change but is a little nervous that it might interfere with her work. Mira talks to her about how she shouldn't worry about that and focus on what makes her happy 💙

Let 👏 Luisa 👏 have 👏 pretty 👏 things 👏

As soon as Luisa mentioned wanting a new dress, Mirabel dragged her down to the village to look at fabrics. Well, not literally. No one could drag Luisa anywhere. But Mirabel pouted until Luisa gave in.

One of the shop-keepers, Ana, took one look at them and directed Luisa towards the plain, sturdy fabrics. The stuff Luisa's clothes were usually made of, whether they be pre-made or sewn at home.

But Mirabel saw Luisa glance towards the long swatches of chiffon, organdy, cotton lawn and Georgette. They were lightweight fabrics in soft pastel shades, next to different spools of bright embroidery threads on display and boxes of little decorations to be sewn on.

"Those are pretty," Mirabel said, nodding towards them.

"Oh, they wouldn't last long at work," Ana said. She held up a length of plain white cotton, sturdier stuff than the cotton lawn. "This is your usual, isn't it, Luisa?"

"Um...Well..." Luisa, for such a tall girl, somehow managed to look small. She cast another longing look towards the fabrics. "It's more for a dress than a shirt."

"Oh, we have some coloured cottons that will work!"

"It's not for working," Mirabel interrupted. "She won't be wearing this in the fields." She marched over to the fabrics and gestured to them. "What'cha like, hermana?"

Ana looked stumped but Luisa shyly approached. Biting her lip, she ran her hand over some baby blue chiffon.

"This one's nice," she said softly. Mirabel could see the longing in her eyes.

"Then let's get it," Mirabel said firmly. She gave Luisa an encouraging smile and, when Luisa lifted up the fabric and brought it to the counter, Mirabel openly squealed in excitement.

She also grabbed some new embroidery thread. Just in case.

As they walked home, Luisa quietly asked if Mirabel could sew the dress for her.

"Of course!" Mirabel said happily. "We'll get designing when we get home, okay?"

"Wha- we will?" Luisa asked.

"Well yeah, it's your dress. I'm gonna need your input!"

Luisa started to smile. "Okay," she said, still so quiet. "I can do that."

"We're gonna make this the prettiest dress to ever hit Encanto," Mirabel said, punching the air. "Just you wait, you're gonna knock everyone dead!"

[igotbulletproof-insomnia]

Adopting Bangtan 08

01 previous

Supermarket Sweep

You were never going grocery shopping with seven kids ever again in your life.

The chaos. The absolute chaos was something that you somehow never expected. You actually thought that shopping with all seven kids would be the most efficient way to accomplish the task. Sit Kookie in the cart and let him “help” you by picking out the area to shop and hold the bags while you pick the vegetables. Send Yoongi and Namjoon to buy the snacks because they were the most sensible of all of the children and wouldn't have you spending way more money than necessary. Let Taehyung and Jimin retrieve the bread and the milk. Let Seokjin pick the meat because he was surprisingly talented at the job. And then everyone was supposed to meet you back at the shopping cart, still located in produce, so that you could pay and you all could go home. It should have taken thirty minutes, tops.

Instead, you found yourself chasing Taehyung around the store while Jimin kept an eye on Jungkook and you really, really hoped that he didn’t grab the most expensive apples on display, but you have the feeling that he would — because of course, he would. Prices didn’t seem to exist to any of the younger kids.

Instead, Jin was throwing a fit because all of the meats on display were apparently complete rubbish and he refused to let you spend money on anything but the most expensive cuts of beef so you “just have to” make another stop at the actual butcher’s shop. Granted, if Jimin spent all of your money on asparagus, your family would be eating vegetarian this week.

Instead, as soon as you managed to grab Taehyung, who apparently just wanted to replace Jungkook as your shopping partner, Namjoon appeared with a reasonable request for more variety in tea for the house. Which opened up a whole new can of worms as Taehyung realized he can ask for things too. This had him running back to Jimin and the shopping cart with a grin on his face, demanding that they find the snack aisle because you were going to buy them extra snacks if they asked, and Jimin’s face lit up with a smile so bright that dammit, it was going to be hard to explain what a budget was and why it wasn’t a good idea to exceed it.

(and yeah, you checked. Jimin grabbed the most expensive radish and lettuce he could find, and you were going to have to break out the vegetarian cookbook.)

(except for the bananas. It seemed Jungkook picked up the bananas)

Thankfully, Yoongi — lovely, beautiful, blessed Yoongi — had been returning to the shopping cart with his arms full of a variety of snacks, all low in price but high in popularity at home. He took one look at the chaos of whining and fussing children, rolled his eyes heavenwards, and took control.

“You get one.”

His tone left no room for argument; even you stood straight and stopped making a scene. Yoongi led the group back to the snack aisle and replaced everything he picked and let the others run wild. Together, you watched the others pick out snacks and place them, one by one, into the shopping cart.

“... They’re going to blow the snack budget like this,” you commented idly.

“I know.”

“That’s why you put the rest back, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“And these snacks aren’t going to last as long as they usually do, will they?”

“Not at all.”

“Thank goodness you’re so smart,” you ruffled his hair. “This is why I keep you around.”

“You keep me around because you don’t want me living by myself and I save you from going broke.” Yoongi’s tone was as matter of fact as ever and you couldn’t help but grin.

“Like I said, smart kid.”

Yoongi grinned back. You liked the fact that these kids didn’t take you too seriously. You had a good balance of deference, respect, and playfulness with all of them, even if you weren’t sure who actually ran the household most of the time. “Go pick you something, Yoon. You don’t have anything for yourself.”

“You can’t afford what I want.”

“I probably can’t afford what anyone wants, they aren’t paying attention to the prices.” And indeed, Taehyung and Jimin, your babies with the most expensive tastes, were debating the merits of two snacks that were way outside of the price range you would normally consider. But again, Jimin’s smile was so broad that you were reluctant to tell him no and watch that fearful, nervous look fall back into place. You would talk to him about budgets and restrictions another time. “I’ll make it work, don’t worry about it right now.”

With a grateful smile, Yoongi asked you to grab the snack he wanted, placed just out of his reach on a top shelf. It wasn’t priced too far out of budget, but it was different from the things he normally selected for your busy household of eight. You made a mental note to pay attention to how much Yoongi enjoyed the snack and check the stores for similar ones. The kid did so much and asked for so little, it would be nice to do this one thing for him.

“Wait a moment…” you frowned, counting off. “Where’s Hoseok?” Immediately all of the children quieted down, looking to each other as if to confirm that yes, someone was missing.

“Wasn’t he supposed to go with Jin-hyung?” asked Namjoon.

“No, I thought he was keeping Jimin and Taetae company?”

“Oh my God, you lost Hoseok.” That accusing tone came from Taehyung, and you watched Jimin’s face go from lightweight confused to completely devastated. You hated it, had suspicion that he was wondering if you would eventually do the same thing to him, if you would get bored or disappointed or angry and cast him off, lose him in a store or at a park like Hoseok explained happened to him, like all of Jimin’s previous parents did to him.

“Okay, boys,” you shouted, uncaring of the stares you attracted. The boys startled, but gave you their full attention, which was one hundred percent more than you’d had the entire grocery trip. You continued to speak firmly, and could tell the show of authority did more to calm their panic than the shouting. You decided that they needed to focus on something other than their lost brother. “This is what we’re going to do: Namjoon, you’re going to take Taetae and Jimin and get the bread, milk, and all the dairy stuff like I told you before, okay? Add eggs to that list. Yoongi, go get the paper products. Get the brands we used to get, not the ones we used last time, they’re cheaper and sturdier. Seokjin, we’ll go to the butcher’s if we have the budget when we finish here, but I promised we could have meat for dinner, so take Kookie and find something, okay?” All of the boys nodded at their assignment. “Good. Yoongi, Joonie, find Jin when you’ve got your things. Seokjin, when you’ve finished, wait for me in produce. You all understand? I’m going to go find Hoseok. He probably got distracted and can’t find us.” Hoseok had a habit of doing that. He often got lost among the chaos, because while everyone was being loud and boisterous, Hoseok was often quiet and did the things that went unnoticed. If you assigned dairy, meat, and snacks, then Hoseok probably went off to grab paper towels or rice or something you needed at home but forgot about. You wouldn’t be surprised if he came to the store with the list Yoongi and Jin never felt the need to write.

So the kids separated, worried and mumbling to each other, but occupied with their tasks. They were trusting in your ability, in your promise to locate their missing brother before you all went home. Whether these kids were abandoned by their parents (or maybe ran away from home, Seokjin never discussed why he chose to stay with his former teacher) , you found them and chose to take care of them. It was understandable that they would be worried. Up until now you had probably seemed like some sort of savior to them. Maybe not infallible, and definitely not… whatever it was that made other adults seem parental, but you had taken care of them, kept track of them, and protected them. Losing one of them had probably shaken their hearts.

It didn’t take long before you Hoseok as you predicted, standing in the frozen section, a piece of paper and pen in his hands. He bit his tongue as he read through it, humming to himself and ticking off items. A hand basket sat at his feet, overfilled with supplies.

“I’m pretty sure you should have an actual shopping cart for that,” you told him. Hoseok startled, jumping nearly a foot in the air and shouting in surprise. The petty, upset parent part of you feels satisfied for it, like Hoseok got what he deserved for scaring you the way he did. The more rational part of your brain is just glad that you were right and he hadn’t been kidnapped. Casually, you looked over the basket. “I didn’t even think about checking the spice cabinet. You’re a clever kid.”

“I just wanted to be helpful,” Hoseok replied with a shrug.

“It would have been helpful if you told me where you were going.”

“... I didn’t do that?” Hoseok’s eyes went big and wandered left and right. He seemed to be making himself smaller, pulling his arms close and leaning away from you.

“No, you didn’t.”

“I… oh.”

“We got very scared,” you explained. “We thought you got lost. The other boys were panicking.”

“I didn’t mean to scare you, I just… everyone else got an assignment and I didn’t, so…”

“So you thought I wouldn’t notice if you disappeared for a bit.” You nodded and ignored Hoseok’s flinch when you crouched down to his level. He wasn’t terribly short, he was actually almost as tall as your shoulder, but it was always easier to have these sorts of talks when you weren’t looming over him. “It’s okay, I’m not mad about you shopping on your own. I’m actually really glad that you took initiative to do something helpful. But you did scare me. I didn’t know what happened to you. I didn’t know if you got lost or ran away or if someone stole you from me. I’m glad I know you well enough to assume you brought your own list, but I was still afraid of being wrong. I really, really don’t know what I would do if you went missing, Hoseok. I haven’t had you for long, but my heart would hurt. I care about you that much, okay? So please, communicate. Tell me when you’re going to wander away, and tell me where you’re going so that I know you are safe.” Hoseok nodded fervently, most likely an effort to convince you he was sincere and wouldn’t disappear on you again. You opened your arms for a hug, You opened your arms for a hug, partially to comfort yourself, but mostly to soothe Hoseok. He looked like he might burst into tears and needed the comfort.

“Okay, good.” You squeezed the kid tight, your hold unrelenting until you felt the kid push away. “Alright, let me see that list of yours.” Together, you and Hoseok went through his list, and you were amazed that he was so thorough. Apparently the kid started taking stock as soon as you mentioned the intent to go to the grocery store earlier in the week. Hoseok noticed that you had a habit of leaving something out and he thought that making a list would be helpful. When you decided that you were going to take all of the kids with you, he decided to just hold on to the list himself.

“From now on, you’re making grocery lists,” you decided as you made your way back to Jin. “Maybe even all of the lists if you’re this organized. What do you think of that?”

Hoseok grinned, obviously proud of himself. “I think that sounds awesome!” He cheered. “Is this like how Yoongi gets to be in charge of the budget and Jin is in charge of the kitchen and Joonie is in charge of all of us?”

“Kind of yes, something like that,” you said. “Because obviously I’ll lose my head otherwise.”

“I’m sure we’ll keep track of your head too if you want.”

“Ah, why are all of my kids so snarky? I don’t deserve this,” you cried, hugging Hoseok more tightly to your waist. “All I do is give them love and a home, and they pay me back in sass.”

“But you love us, right?” Hoseok asked. His voice was a little softer than before, and you saw it for the genuine question that it was, not the joke that it would have been had it come from Jin, Joon, or Yoon.

“Of course,” you told him. “Don’t you doubt that for a second.”

When you went searching for the rest of the kids, you found them standing by Jin with the shopping cart, all lined up on the side of the aisle and eerily quiet. Even Jungkook in the shopping cart was holding his hands in his lap, eyes down cast.

“Do I want to know what happened here?”

“No,” was the resounding answer.

“Okay, good.” You shake off your curiosity. Whether that was because you trusted Seokjin or because you were afraid of the answer, you were undecided. “Hoseok, do you want to delegate tasks? We have a few more things on your list, right?” Hoseok noded, and set about sending his brothers off in pairs to retrieve the remaining items on his checklist. After the two sets had wandered off, Hoseok looked up again.

“Could you…?”

“Seokjinnie, you good by yourself?”

“I’ll have Kookie with me, it will be great.” Jin shrugged and you rolled your eyes.

“We’ll still meet over in produce when you’re finished, okay?”

Jin huffed his frustration at the meat selection. “I think we’re just having fish tonight. Is that fine with you?”

“If it’s okay with your brothers, it’s okay with me.”

“They’ll be fine with it,” Seokjin declared. His tone said he was still very irritated with whatever happened while you were gone.

“Get some cheaper produce when you’re finished, please.”

“Sure thing,” Seokjin agreed absently, wandering further up the aisle.

“Holler if you need me,”

“I will.”

“Just don’t scare everyone when you do.”

“Now you’re just taking away my fun.”

After all of that, you spent another fifteen minutes in the store. The trip to the butcher’s shop was put off for the following night, and you all made the unanimous decision to eat ramen and kimchi for dinner. You were also very loud about never bringing seven kids grocery shopping ever again.

That was, until two weeks later when Jimin’s adorable pout convinced you that they would be on their absolute bestest behavior (spoiler alert: they weren’t).

To find more of my child-bangtan fics, select the "Collecting Strays" tag at the bottom of this page ^_^

[acaseforpencils]

Jonesy (aka Steve Jones).

Bio: So far I’ve been published in Private Eye, New Statesman, Prospect, Harvard Business Review, The Oldie, Reader’s Digest (UK), The American Bystander, The Phoenix, CAM (Cambridge University Alumni Magazine), Resurgence and Ecologist, London Evening Standard and The Spectator.

Tools of choice:

Traditional: Pentels, pencils (seldom anything harder than a B), Uni-balls, Sharpies, brush pens and dip pens. Allsorts, really. For instance, you’ll find various other weird and wonderful oddities in my arsenal like Pilot Parallel nib pens and folded brass dip-pens. The Pilots are intended for use by calligraphers but I enjoy drawing with them. As for the dip-pen, a HIRO Leonardt 41 Copperplate is my nib of choice, nib fans. 

I use Higgins Black Magic and Daler Rowney FW ink and White Knights (formerly St. Petersburg) watercolour paints plus various makes of brushes. I find a toothbrush comes in handy too. (Not for my teeth, obviously: I’m British.) Oh, and a diffuser.

My favourite paper for ink and watercolour work is Saunders Waterford High White HP 140lb, and Canson Bristol mostly for ink only.

I draft out rough ideas on Daler Rowney layout pads. I also use various sketch and note pads and have been known to scribble ideas on anything to hand including pets, plants and passers by. Anything alliterative, really.

Sometimes when I’m out and about I also recite cartoon ideas into my mobile so I can pick them up off my voicemail when I get home. Saying stuff out loud like “lighthouse with a bowling alley” and giggling can attract strange looks from passers by. Scribbling on them, however, invokes a much stronger reaction.

Digital: I use MacBook Pros (x2), a Wacom Intuos 4 pad and stylus. I started off with Photoshop and Painter Essentials but now use Clip Studio Art and Affinity software. Both are much cheaper and - for my purposes anyway - just as good.

Recently I was considering an iPad but I think my newer Macbook Pro is about to give up the ghost so bang goes that idea for the time being. My 2010 MBP has been hammered day and night without giving me a moment’s complaint: a wonderful workhorse. I wish I could say the same for my 2015 version. In their efforts to make the laptop thinner and lighter, Apple, sadly, seem to have sacrificed build quality and durability. How about u-turning on this skinny/lightweight malarkey and making the upcoming model a bit sturdier, eh, Apple? Go on, you know you want to…

Tools I wish I could use better: All of them.

Tools I wish existed: Scanvision - ie: Just looking at the drawing equals instant scan filed on your computer.

Command z on dip-pens. Failing that, an effective ink eraser.

Tricks: Not so much a trick of the trade as sound advice: join the Professional Cartoonists’ Organisation. Only if you’re a cartoonist, like. Or a caricaturist. If you’re a shepherd, say, you probably won’t get too much out of it. Anyway, it’s been an enormous help to me.

Don’t spill coffee on your freshly drawn artwork. All other beverages are fine.

Never throw away ideas. Sometimes I return to cartoons I initially rejected and get a fresh angle on them. Absence can make the thought grow stronger. (Sorry, that last sentence reads like one of those crap motivational posters…)

I find I get the best results by holding the pointy end of my pen to the paper.

Try to avoid cleaning your brushes in your tea/coffee/whatever cup/mug/glass/beaker/whatever. Or, indeed, drinking from your brush water container. (I’ve done both.)

Try to avoid typing sentences with lots of/too many/an excess of options/alternatives/choices/whatever.

Rejection comes with the cartooning territory, I’m afraid. Easier said than done, I know, but try not to let it get you down: use it as motivation to do better. Or try blackmail.

Miscellaneous: Be as helpful as you can to people starting out. I appreciated the kindness of, and learned a great deal from senior pros who took the time to help me with my first steps. (See “Tricks” section above as proof.)

Websites, etc:

My social media empire, such as it is, comprises the following...

Website (I should update this more often)

Instagram (I should update this more often)

Twitter (I should visit this less often)

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If you enjoy this blog, and would like to contribute to labor and maintenance costs, there is a Patreon, and if you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee, there is a Ko-Fi account as well! I do this blog for free because accessible arts education is important to me, and your support helps a lot! You can also find more posts about art supplies on Case’s Instagram and Twitter! Thank you!

[gethellbcnt-m]

❝ i'll have you know : i'm sturdier than i look ! ❞

Which is very true ; despite Niffty being quite a lightweight when it comes to alcohol, her pain tolerance is ungodly high. from surviving being cooked alive to crawling from the rubble remains of the hotel from Pentious's first attempt at attacking the hotel, her durability is unmatched !

❝ if Alastor asks, i'll tell him it was my idea. i'm sure it'll be fine if i vouch for you.. now, lets FLY !! ❞

[stellahibernis]

Lan Wangji: Simply Blue

AKA Lan Wangji’s costumes in the Untamed, part 5/9

Now it’s the turn of the second mainly blue costume, which is the simplest of all the outfits Lan Wangji wears during the series. Bit of a blessing, since it was really hard getting good screencaps that show the outfit, but the simplicity means I didn’t need that many😉. On the other hand, I have several sad faces in my folder because of reasons.

He wears this outfit in episodes 25 to 29, and as always, I’ll first talk about the costume and then the context.

The Costume

This second blue costume is the least elaborate out of all his costumes in both shape and detail. Gorgeous fabrics are used once again, but they’re not textured the way his three earlier outfits had.

(Sidenote, it was impossible to get a capture where you could see the full outfit from front clearly in a neutral lighting 😤)

As we see, the silhouette is as basic as it gets, a robe closed with a sash, and the cuffs with the criss-crossing bands are one of Lan Wangji’s basics. It feels a lot more casual than any of his other outfits, with minimal tailoring and more loose and relaxed at the top.

Far as I can tell, the top robe is made of two layers of fabric; the fairly lightweight blue one, and a bit sturdier silvery one underneath. It seems they’re only stitched together at the collar and front down to waist, because we see the blue and silver fabrics move independently as he walks at the front and side slits. The layer underneath is unsurprisingly a white robe.

Coming to the details, first we might note that the cloud embroidery is present but relatively understated in this outfit, it’s at its usual place on his lapels but runs down only part of the way and in a narrow row, not covering the whole lapels. Second, even his sash is simpler than usual. Usually it’s been wider, with the layers of fabric crossing over each other, but this narrower blue one is just very simply wrapped around his waist.

I’ve pointed out previously how his outfits tend to especially shine during some of his key scenes. Often it has been in darkness, which makes sense since white is pretty great to light in those conditions, but they’ve also enhanced the effect with fabric choices (the matte white in the cave that was great with the warm fire, and the shiny white of his Sunshot campaign outfit which meant he basically glowed under the moonlight when they sat on the roof). Especially great with this particular outfit is that different aspects of it are enhanced by different lighting.

On top of this post is the daytime scene on Phoenix mountain, and under the sun the blue is at its best, giving LWJ a softer appearance than his more common whites do, especially combined with the simple and loose cut. And above, during the rainy night scene the silver next to the blue is absolutely gorgeous.

He also came with an accessory once again, an umbrella. Surely it’s just a coincidence that the black pattern on it looks much like the resentful energy Wei Wuxian summons with his flute.

The Context

Lan Wangji actually doesn’t care a bit about your hunting event, Jin Guangshao.

It’s so funny to me, when everyone last saw him, there was an actual war going on and he was wearing a super elaborate outfit that was so pristine white that anyone who looked at him probably saw afterimages, and now that it’s an event designed for showing off he comes in the least detailed outfit he can get away with. The thing is though, he doesn’t care about politics or the general showing off, he’s laser focused on one thing (one person, that is):

(Yes, it was absolutely necessary to have two images from this scene.)

Again, a blue outfit is an outward symbol of his priorities swinging toward Wei Wuxian rather than his sect, and this time it’s much more pronounced than during their search for the Yin Iron. It makes narrative sense for LWJ to dress simply, because it’s as big a difference compared to his previous outfit as he can have and still keep to the Lan Sect dress code. After WWX came back, even though they made up and got along well enough together, they still didn’t manage to fully connect, there was still a wall between them, and now LWJ is trying a different strategy. Now that the war is over and his sect safe as ever, he can with a good conscience (albeit probably not in the eyes of his uncle) take a visible distance to his identity as the Second Jade of Lan and try to signal his priorities to WWX.

It’s very obvious from the start of the hunting event; as soon as they leave for the forest, LWJ doesn’t stay with his own sect but goes looking for WWX. It’s obvious in the way he asks, who he is to WWX, and affirming that he doesn’t consider their connection a thing of the past. He’s holding a door open, and it almost works, too. We see WWX contemplate his flute, as if deciding whether to confide in LWJ, and I think he even might have, had they not been interrupted. It’s very characteristic to all of their interactions while LWJ is in this outfit, there’s always a turn for worse, something of an outside influence or they meet an internal barrier they just can’t breach.

While LWJ is very persistently trying to reach WWX, he’s also perhaps the most conflicted during these episodes. His upbringing is waging a war against what his heart wants, and during this time frame he can’t resolve that battle. When WWX distances himself from the norms of the cultivation world, the conflict just gets more difficult for LWJ. It’s impossible for him to let go of WWX, but it’s equally impossible for him to leave his family and what he’s been brought up to be, and at this point in time he also doesn’t see any way to resolve the problem that would allow him to fulfill both those needs, and so he’s left in between.

At this point in the story it’s very visible how the difference in their upbringing affects the choices of LWJ and WWX. In principle, they agree that the way the Wens are treated is wrong, but LWJ has been brought up to rely on the rules rather than on his heart, to rely on the established structures of the world and to think of them as the right, and we know his uncle was and is extremely strict about it too. At the time, he’s still a teenager, and it would be practically impossible for him to let go of all that, when the only thing telling him different is his heart that he’s always been taught to not rely on, lest he become like his father. Meanwhile, WWX spent his first years with rogue cultivators and after that some time alone on the street, and those experiences most likely left him very little will to trust the establishment. Even after he’d been brought into Jiang Sect, he was still allowed to question and to not follow the rules, and so for him it’s the natural choice to follow the voice of his heart and his consciousness, even though it means breaking a promise to his sect brother.

And here is the last we see of this outfit, LWJ kneeling for a long time. I’m pretty confident in saying that no matter how long, it doesn’t really work as a punishment since he doesn’t actually regret going to Yiling.

Next we get to my favorite outfit, and more heartbreak on the side. I’m still undecided what the title for that part should be, I’m currently leaning on “everything is awful but at least he looks good,” or is that too long?

You can read the other parts of this series on my blog’s “lwj costume series” tag, and there is also a link on my blog contents page. I’d put a link here but we know how this site is with those.