#maybe i'm trying to learn new skills and make new art but i still gotta draw my silly little guys

[mynameismad]

MIMICS!!!

[thana-topsy]

Ok I gotta come out and say it. I envy you. Like, to a painful extent. The amount of people you get interested in your characters, how you're incredibly skilled in both visual art AND writing, how readers your fics have. I absolutely adore your work, but seeing it fills me with so much envy it's honestly ridiculous.

Did you deal with similar feelings towards other creators when you started writing fic by any chance? If so, how did you deal with those feelings? I feel genuinely stuck feeling worthless about my fics. I'm not as verbose with my language despite over 10 years of writing under my belt and it seems as though my plots don't interest people as much either. So I feel like there's just nothing of worth about any of my work.

I know that this is a lot to dump on you, but I felt like I would burst keeping this all in. Much love to you and I hope you have a wonderful New Year!

Hey there my friend, I've been sitting with this all day trying to decide how I want to answer you. I genuinely appreciate your honesty, because I know this is a familiar feeling for a lot of people, myself included.

I remember when I first rejoined Tumblr in early 2019, desperately trying to find anyone to talk to about TES, I would look at all these blogs gettings asks about their OCs like they were little celebrities and feel envy and longing. Now, when these feelings start to bubble up, I force myself to take a break from sharing my work, be it art or writing, if only to remind myself why I'm creating it and who I'm creating it for: myself. I know it sounds cheesy, and I probably sound like a broken record, but genuinely I just do this because it's bursting out of my skull. But I won't lie and say the engagement and the support doesn't have a big impact on my motivation. I love sharing with people and getting an enthusiastic response.

I think something people might not realize, or maybe they just forget, is that I used to write a lot of smut. Like...a lot of smut. (I still do). Hahaha and it doesn't get a lot of comments or engagement, but it does draw a lot of eyes. Once my smut stories started taking on heavier plotlines, a comment I'd get a lot was "came for the porn, stayed for the plot." And I wasn't writing smut because I thought it would get me an audience, I was just horny LMAO. But it encouraged me to branch out and experiment with the types of stories I was telling.

Anyways, art is another big part of it, yes. But that also didn't get a lot of engagement in the beginning, and my skills were rusty as hell. I was getting maybe 15 notes on here, 30 likes on instagram. But that didn't really matter to me, I was just insane with inspiration. I'd reach out to people and ask to do art trades, got ghosted a lot, made some good friends, (some people who are still my good friends to this day!). But it took a lot of risks, and I made a lot of accidental enemies and learned a lot of hard lessons. But having visuals to go with the stories I'm writing is like advertisement in its own way. I'm just lucky enough to hyperfixate on this shit like it's my lifeblood. I've always obsessively drawn my favorite characters, ever since I was a wee bab. Long before social media was a factor or the words "content creator" even existed.

And I think that's what it all comes back to. Above all else, do what you do with unbridled joy. If someone else finds joy alongside you, all the better! Even if it's just one person. Take risks, make friends, make enemies, draw that blorbo unapologetically and with wild abandon. Love what you create, even when it's bad. Even when it makes you cringe years later, don't delete it. Even when people try to find every reason to hate what you do and who you are. Don't stop.

Every act of creation is bringing something into the world that didn't exist before you made it. And that alone gives it worth.

Happy New Year!

[misc-obeyme]

hihi I'm back again, and here to ask who in the cast you think has the skill to do hair/up do's?

I'm 5'9, but my hair is now down to my mid thigh, and like around three feet long ?? I haven't chopped it since 2018, only trimmed it. Yet I only know how to do a simple braid, my hair basically lives in a low ponytail lol (though my mom will still do my hair if I ask her for help, which I'm grateful for)

anyway I got to read vol 2 of the manga and I remembered that the artist drew their interpretation of Lilith. So, it made me wonder if Beel or Belphie would know how to do hair, since they were the closest to her, and if she ever asked them for help?

I think Levi would be able to follow any tutorial, or figure out how to do something by trial and error since he cosplays (I bet he made his ruri-chan wig himself). I'd love to show him a picture of the heroine from whatever anime I'm watching and ask if he could help me recreate their style

Asmo we've seen in the dame cards, he's done some cute hairstyles!! I bet I could go to him if I had a fancy event.

I still think about Mammon's dame card... The chokehold it has on me is wild. We saw him do his own make-up in the art, and I think it was said he made his own outfit. So he's a maybe I could go to him? Or he'd put a lot of effort into learning because he knows it'd make me happy lolol

Barbatos also looks really pretty in the dame card !! I haven't read that devilgram, so idk if he did it himself, but what can't he do? I know in TTWF devilgram he literally makes MC's outfit and it made me SWOON

my last thought is if you can just do stuff with magic instead. Does it drain your energy to keep the style, or is it a one and done kinda spell, and don't gotta worry about it? Could a really powerful sorcerer change their hair color, and never have to worry about it fading? That'd be really cool, since I need to re dye the streaks in my hair. That would save lots of money LOL

okay I'm done 😅 time to wait ten billion years for my hair to dry now and try drawing (aiming for every other day to create something new to get better!!)

- ✨ anon

HOW do you handle having hair that long?!?

I'm 5'7" and I used to have my hair down to my low back. It was during the pandemic when I couldn't exactly go get it cut, so I just let it grow lol. And it grows dang fast, but I don't think I've ever had it past the low back area??? Do you accidentally sit on it sometimes? Or is it usually okay because you have it tied back?

All I know is I was so relieved to chop it all off lol! It's super short now, which is how I like it. It takes me ten minutes to wash and style it. I just don't have the patience to maintain it when it's long. And it's naturally curly, so having it short also means I can just let it curl and not worry about it. Ah but I am pretty envious because I always wanted to be able to have one of those really long, thick braids...

Anyway, getting off topic here, back to the question! I do think magic can be used to alter hair! I think sometimes you can get stuff that's temporary (I do believe there was a daily chat about this where Asmo put some kind of potion or something on Lucifer and Mammon?), but I would be surprised if there wasn't some kind of magic spell to permanently keep your hair whatever color you want. I think it's probably just a one and done situation so you wouldn't have to maintain it. Or at least, they'd want to develop something like that because otherwise it wouldn't be worth it right?

As for the characters, I agree with your assessments! I do think in a general sense, they'd all try their best to do your hair if you needed them to.

But as for who would already be capable without having to learn first, I think Asmo is a top contender. Barb can absolutely do anything and I don't doubt that styling hair is something a good butler should know.

I think Levi is another good option for the same reasons you said! I think he probably does have some skill at wig styling! And due to his ability to do costuming in general, I kinda think he'd be able to do a good job on real hair as well if he wanted to.

I love the idea of Beel and Belphie being good at it because of Lilith. Like I'm imagining they only know some really basic styles that were her favorites, but they're happy to do them for you any time. Maybe they get a little misty eyed while doing it because it reminds them of her so much. Awww...

I actually think Lucifer would do a good job, too, but expect to be sitting around for hours because he's gonna make sure no hair is out of place. Only perfection will suffice.

I think Mammon probably mastered whatever style he needed for his dame outfit, but I do think he would learn for you if you wanted him to.

Satan probably already learned from a book or maybe just from watching Asmo doing his hair. But I could see him wanting to do really elaborate styles or maybe using magic to style your hair.

I think Solomon would also be someone you could try, but he would absolutely use magic. I think if you really wanted him to, he would know how to do simple styles by hand. I could see him being really happy to carefully braid your hair by hand. But he wouldn't be able to resist a little bit of magic, maybe to give it an extra sparkle or a streak of color~ I think he'd develop all kinds of hair styling magic if you wanted him to lol.

Diavolo strikes me as willing but perhaps not the best at this particular thing... he doesn't exactly have experience with his own hair.

And I'm not sure about Simeon. I feel like he's pretty competent (except for technology obviously), so he would probably be able to learn how to do it fairly easily. But I don't know if he'd already have some knowledge. Same with Raphael. Though I love the idea of both of them like... doing the hair of little angels~

Mephisto would know about a bunch of fancy Devildom styles, but would he be able to do them? I think you might end up with your hair braided like a horse's mane instead.

Thirteen would know how to do everything. She's got her own long hair and there's no way that she hasn't experimented with it over the years! I love the idea of her doing your hair and her own hair in the same style so you match.

Anyway, I hope you have been able to get some drawing done! Every other day is an excellent goal! I'm rooting for you!!

[lionfission]

How long does it normally take you to finish making your art?

(Also, I love your art style)

SDHGJKFFHGFHKJ tysm!! tbh I've been struggling to get my art style to a place I'm happy with for a long time- still working on it but I'm glad you like it so far!

As for your question about how long my art takes- it depends! (obligatory boring answer)

Right now it feels like I work sooooo slowly but I'm trying to be more patient with myself- it's a skill you've gotta build up with practice/experience. I'm lowkey getting back into fanart after a huge (like 4-5 years huge) dead period so I'm still trying to figure out my workflow :')

A lot hinges on how complicated the initial idea is, how polished I want it to be, and how many new things I'll have to learn to properly execute it.

Really basic posts (mostly just studies or doodles I wanted to clean up a little) take two or three days with maybe 3-5 hours per day. More complicated/polished posts take closer to a week/week and a half.

The most recent couple posts were originally on one big doc that I split for my own sanity to make more digestible. Started those on June 1st and posted on the 4th and 10th, but have been spending a little more time than usual per day to complete them.

This is already long so I'll end it here but if you wanna know more about process or how I got back into making fanart again, I will GLADLY talk your ear off

[fantasticcloudcreation]

Rambling, food + body things

I'm making granola, probably way too much of it, it's so high cal that I don't even want to look at the numbers haha but it's gonna be like power food to get me through the day, I'll eat it with plain yogurt, it'll be fine 😅

I'm nervous about going back to work, heavy manual labor in the Texas heat, I haven't built a stage since April, I'm gonna be so out of shape strength-wise, I've been good about walking regularly but I haven't really been carrying heavy things lately, and I've gotten used to mild temps so it's gonna be hard to transition back to heat in the 90s... Good news is I'm 10 lbs skinnier, I got some new shorts for work today that aren't as short as the other ones so maybe the guys won't be looking at my butt all day, hopefully if I can manage to drive 8h each for the next 3 days I can get to Texas a day early so I can get used to the heat and buy groceries.

We're supposed to have a full size fridge and a kitchenette in the hotel room so I'm gonna be able to get actual food and not just eat out every day, I'm thinking yogurt+granola for breakfast, salad and veggies and whatever veg protein catering is serving for lunch, banana for an afternoon snack, and then easy protein foods for dinner like cottage cheese, lentil soups, etc.

Would love to be 105 or under the next time I step on a scale but I also have to prioritize health + body functions above that right now, but if I can at least maintain weight and energy levels that's fine ?? I guess ?? Idk I technically hit my goal weight for the year and I have a history of immediately gaining once the ultimate goal is reached so I'm just gonna see how it goes, don't overthink it, drink electrolytes and eat protein and don't eat crazy junk food -> actually I'm rewriting that sentence bc the new ultimate goal for this year is officially 103 so the plan is to maintain if I must but continue on my journey at the first opportunity :)

Motivation:

thinking about how confident I feel when I'm skinny, being cute and dancing everywhere and existing comfortably in my body; just casually looking skinny in every scenario and photo, taking goofy pics and looking cute instead of awkward; sitting on things and not worrying if my thighs look fat, wearing a crop top and not worrying about bloating after a meal, doing tasks at work in awkward positions but looking cute and fit while doing it, not constantly adjusting my clothes all the time bc everything just sits better;

working at hula, making a good first impression on the art team there, working on cool projects and using my creative/technical skills, learning new things but looking cute rather than clueless; and then show days, wearing cute outfits, swimming in the river, being cold at night and bundling up in cozy clothes, dancing with strangers, floating around like a mysterious woodland creature, confidence to make new friends and explore past my comfort zone

going out in rave clothes for show days in orlando, dancing and cuddling with L and feeling extra tiny next to him, also just seeing him again I know he's gonna pick me up and swirl me around lol would be nice to feel so tiny while that happens :) I finally got myself a set of real earplugs (last time he gave me his and then dragged me to a techno show hahaha) so I feel ready to go out and actually participate this time; also working with the art team over there, they were really snooty last year but it'd be cool to come in all skinny and confident and helpful this year and just radiate good vibes over them;

I gotta start trying a little harder with my work outfits this year, sometimes they look kinda grungy or like dad working in the yard vibes, but I'm trying to elevate my look just a lil bit and being skinny is definitely going to help. Less sweat, smaller thighs/legs, stronger + more visible muscles, looking better in short shorts and crop tops even though I've still been wearing them this whole time lol, big tshirts and longer shorts also look better; wearing bright colors and patterns and tie dye, all of it looks better when you're skinny;

My face looks so much cuter when I'm thinner; skinny hands and wrists on the steering wheel; muscles actually visible in my legs and arms and abs; bones ofc but they kind of get in the way at work, my hipbones are gonna be so bruised after one day; but cheekbones, collarbones, wrist bones, shin bones, shoulder bones, spine... Actually my spine also gets bruised when we have a long standby and I lean up against something hard for too long.

You get the idea. I know I've been saying how skinny I feel like basically since I started losing again which is funny but it's nice to be under 110 officially, it's like a whole new level of skinny :) can we lose another 5 lbs in the next 4-5 weeks?? Maybe, there's gonna be a lot of exercise, hot weather, no one paying attention to what I'm eating or wanting to share food with me, skinny roommate so I can't just snack all night without feeling weird... Could work out!

(God and then I'm going from TX to Florida and I actually can't wait to be so skinny and weigh myself on the stupid giant scales at Publix lmfao that's gonna be so fun)

[rainbows-and-shadows]

Rainbows Tinted Pink: A Rainbow High Swap AU

Chapter 5: Fiery Red

Previous - Ch5 - Next

Soon enough, Friday came around. Each and every person was buzzing with excitement for the upcoming Colour Block Party that evening, and were impatiently waiting for classes to finish for the weekend.

At last, it was the final class of the day, and for Ruby, that was Graphic Design. She was adding the finishing touches to a new flame print, waiting for class to start. As she ran her electronic stylus across the screen, so absorbed in her art, she took no notice of the person approaching her.

“Woah, sharp skills!”

She glanced up, slightly startled, at the classmate that complimented her. It was a boy she sort of knew, dressed in a purple and white hoodie and black jeans. They'd spoken a few times before, about assignments and projects, but she was still unsure of who he was, as well as his name.

“Colin? Right?”

“Really? You don't remember my name? After all this time we spend talking in this class,” he asked as he sat down.

“Maybe you don't make that much of an impression!” Ruby teased him, giggling.

Suddenly, the classroom door slammed open, as the A’s casually yet confidently strode into the room. Every single person’s eyes were glued to the trio, as they stepped up to the platform at the front of the class.

“First years, listen up!” Aidan began their announcement.

“We're here to give you a ‘Welcome to Rainbow High gift. An invitation to our Colour Block Party!” Avery grinned proudly as she elicited excited gasps and whispers from the entire room, before continuing. “Eight tonight, in the main hall and atrium. See you there!”

“And dress to impress!” Ainsley quickly added. “We accept nothing less!”

And with that, the three prefects left as suddenly as they’d arrived, leaving the class in awe.

“Prefect party?” A girl in hot pink, Stella Monroe, gasped. “I gotta get ready now! Move!”

She bolted out of the room, dramatically shoving a girl in marigold yellow, her roommate Sheryl Meyer, out of the way as she was walking into the room. Ruby and Colin glanced at each other before bursting out laughing.

“She's not wrong though,” Colin chuckled. “The prefect’s party is gonna be lit!”

“And it'll be extra fire, because my friend Poppy Rowan is DJing,” Ruby paused for a moment, deliberating on what to say next. He was cute, and sweet.

Maybe he’d go with her?

“Do you wanna meet me there?”

He paused, slightly taken aback. “You and me, kicking it at the dance? I'm into it.”

“Sweet,” she grinned as her heart soared. “We'll see if I remember your name this time!”

Colin rolled his eyes and went to sit down next to her. Ruby blushed slightly, smiling to herself. This was going to be her first real date!

❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️

After class, Ruby immediately ran up to her dorm. She leapt over and onto the couch, where Violet was showing Amaya and Jade her latest Vi Life episode.

“I am so excited for the party tonight,” she gushed. “And your girl has a date!”

“Awesome!” Amaya grinned.”So we're gonna have to impress the As, and you need to impress your date!”

“On it!” Jade exclaimed. “I've got a new neon lip palette that I've been dying to try out!”

“Oooh! Hashtag daring! Just depends on what we're wearing. Thoughts?”

“I'm not sure,” Amaya mused. “I bought a really cute dress before term started, but I can’t find anything to go with it.”

“Same,” Jade sighed, slightly frustrated. “I've got this green tracksuit and a t-shirt that look great with my green sneakers, but there's definitely something missing.”

They pondered in silence over their potential outfit choices for a moment, until Poppy abruptly burst into their dorm obviously excited.

“Guess what?” She squealed, as the double doors slammed against the wall.

“You're gonna learn to knock?” Jade raised her eyebrow at her sarcastically.

“So much better! Avery invited us to come to her Fashion Studio store! She's letting us have the first pick at her brand-new designs, before anyone else in the school! Ahh!”

“Sick!

“For real?”

“Awesome!”

“Hype!”

The four girls immediately shot up and bolted out the door, following Poppy down to the lifts.

❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️

Poppy led them down to the atrium, where Skyler and Sunny were already waiting. Ainsley and Avery stood proudly in front of a door, a golden sign saying Avery’s Fashion Studio just above. A set of silver keys jangled in Ainsley’s hand.

“Ladies, welcome to my shop, the Rainbow High Fashion Studio! I started this as a pop-up last year, but I got permission to make it a permanent fixture! Here, Fashion and Accessory Design focuses have the opportunity to sell their creations here, all year round!”

“We're not officially open till next week, but since Poppy’s our DJ, we decided to let you guys be our first customers of the year! Ainsley?”

On her best friend’s cue, Ainsley unlocked and opened the door, revealing the store in all its beauty. Inside was a warmly lit room with soft pink walls, lined with racks full of intricately designed clothes. The shelves above were filled with shoes, handbags, and jewellery. A few mannequins were scattered about, with beautiful dresses and outfits on display.

The girls gasped in awe, taking it all in.

“Go on, babes,” Avery urged them. “Check it out!”

They immediately darted into the shop, carefully grabbing clothes off hangers and holding them up, taking shoeboxes off shelves, and admiring the items in the mirrors.

“It's so cool!”

“Wow!”

“So stunning!

“Smoking!”

Amaya immediately picked a simple black t-shirt with a rainbow logo for herself, to go with her dress. Poppy tried on a pair of bright orange sunglasses embellished with gemstones, to accessorise her already completed outfit. Sunny chose a pair of gold high heels, decorated with sparkling stars, perfect for her sequined jeans and it’s matching jacket.

“Oh, I am so getting this!” Violet grabbed a light purple faux leather jacket off a rail. “It'll go perfectly with the dress and heels I wanna wear tonight, and my new bag!”

“Sick, V! Hey, what do you think of this?” Jade pulled off her beanie and pulled on a black baseball hat with safety pin eyes and a scribbled smile. “With the tracksuit I was talking about, and my white sneakers?”

“The ones I customised with the spikes?” Ruby asked, at another rail.

“Yep! What are you thinking of getting Rubes?”

Ruby held up a red vinyl skirt with a long clear belt. “Okay, this skirt, with my new tube top and jacket, and my black boots with the flames on them. Yes? No?”

“Um, literal perfection!” Violet grinned. “Perfect for a party, and perfect for a date!”

“Ruby, you have a date?” Sunny squealed.

“Yep! Ruby's got a boyfriend!” Jade teased.

“He's just someone in my Graphic Design class,” she explained. “He's not my boyfriend. Yet!”

“Sweet!” Poppy cried. “Rubes got a date, and Sky's going with her boyfriend!”

“It's a double date!” Skyler smiled. “How cute is that?”

“Not as cute as we’re all going to look tonight!” Amaya declared. “Everyone else better be bringing their style A-game, ‘cause we're all gonna look so cool!”

“You all found something?” Avery asked them, up at the cash register with Ainsley.

“Absolutely!”

“Of course!”

“So stunning!”

“I need these boots!”

“You're really talented, Avery,” Skylesid, as she admired the clothes. “Your stitching is amazing.”

“I will die if I can't wear this jacket to the party!” Violet exclaimed. “Literally. Right here. Dead!”

“Love that you love them!” Avery grinned. “If you guys like everything so much, everything will be flying off the shelves next week!”

“Alright, first years! Time to get ready for Colour Block,” Ainsley declared, clapping her hands together. “We're expecting flawless fashions, especially from our DJ. Are you ready, P?”

“With this inspo? Yes! Let's go girls,” she cried.

The group grabbed their garments and lined up to pay. As Ruby got into the back of the line, she noticed Skyler wasn’t there. She turned around and spotted her still standing at the mirror, deliberating between two items.

“Hey, Sky,” she called as she walked over to her. “Picked something out yet?”

“I'm kinda torn between these two,” she explained and held up a pair of jeans with silver scribble panels down the legs and a pleather dress with silver zippers. “I think both would go well with the top I want to wear, but I can't decide which would be better.”

“Hmm. Do you mind showing me the top?”

Skyler opened her phone and showed her a picture of a long-sleeved white top with black and rainbow details down the sleeves.

“Hmm. Well, I think the dress would go better. It’d show off the sleeve designs more than the jeans would, and take away some of the plainness on the front of the top.”

“Thanks, Ruby,” she grinned as she put the jeans back on the rail. The pair rejoined the line, and a few minutes later, everyone walked out of the shop with their new clothes.

“So, who’s your date tonight?” Ruby asked Skyler as they trailed behind the rest of the group.

“He’s been my boyfriend since middle school,” she smiled, a hint of a blush spreading across her cheeks. “He does Mixed Media, same as you! What about you?”

“I met him in Graphic Design class,” Ruby replied. “We sit next to each other, and he’s kinda cute, so I asked him if he wanted to come with me to the party!”

“Aw, I can’t wait to meet him!”

“Same!”

❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️

Three hours later, Colour Block was in full swing. The atrium was packed with students, as disco lights flashed all over the place, and Poppy's music blasted from her turntables.

Skyler, Sunny and Amaya were dancing near the stairs and Poppy’s turntables, having arrived early to help her set up. Their outfits were gorgeous, Avery and Ainsley’s designs completing them perfectly.

As the girls danced, Avery waved at them from the staircase, her hot pink minidress sparkling under the lights. She’d paired it with a pair of black heels with rainbow stars along the straps, to match her silver necklace.

Ainsley joined her, adjusting a black and white graffiti print jacket. She wore it with a black mini dress with purple trim, as well as metallic blue high-heeled boots with black buckles.

Just then, Colin ran over and picked Skyler up, spinning her around as she giggled.

“Aw! Heart emoji!” Sunny smiled.

“This party's tight!” Colin exclaimed.

“And Poppy's killing it! Hi Poppy!” Sunny cried as she waved at her, who looked up from her booth and waved back.

“Oh, hey. I see one of my boys by the punch. I'll be right back,” he told Skyler, as he walked away.

Just then, Amaya noticed Jade, Ruby and Violet entering the party. “Our girls are here!”

The group ran over to each other, admiring and complementing their outfits.

The remaining three had styled their outfits just as they envisioned earlier. Jade sported her tracksuit, t-shirt, sneakers and baseball hat, Ruby wore her top, skirt, jacket and boots, and Violet had her dress, jacket, high heels on, with a lilac crossbody draped over her shoulder.

“Hey!”

“Look at you!”

“Whoa!”

“You look so good”

“You look amazing!”

“You just missed Skyler's boyfriend!” Sunny said.

“He'll be back,” she turned to Ruby. “What about you? Where's your date?”

“Let's find out,” Violet pulled Ruby closer, her phone in her selfie stick, already live streaming. “Tonight on The Vi Life: Ruby's first big date!”

“We're seriously doing this on camera?” Ruby drawled, unimpressed.

“Um, yes,” Violet insisted. “It'll be the hottest episode!”

“Fine. Let's go find him and bring him back for a special ep, Date Night at Rainbow High! TM, I get the royalties. BRB!”

The pair walked away, as the others went back to dancing together. Ruby and Violet walked around the crowded space, before Ruby spotted her date by the refreshments table. “

“That's him! That's Colin.”

“Well, what are you waiting for?” Violet gently pushed her in his direction. “Go say hi!”

“Hi!” She called, a small blush growing on her cheeks as she approached him.

“Hey!” Colin turned around and paused, taking in Ruby’s outfit. “That look is fire!”

“Thanks! Hey, Vi, come over here!”

She beckoned her friend over, as Colin glanced away from her and looked at Violet, politely smiling next to her friend, her phone pointed in their direction, obviously filming them.

“Hey! I'm Violet Willow, Ruby’s roommate. It’s nice to meet you Colin! Ruby told me-“

“Wait. You're not, you're not filming this, are you?” he interrupted her, becoming slightly panicked.

“No! I mean, not until you do me a favour and sign a release letter,” she asked, immediately grabbing a consent waiver out of her clutch.

“Actually, um, I'm not into being filmed, can you, just, delete all that?”

“Hey!” Jade shouted over the music, waving at them, while Amaya and Sunny were just behind her. The two roommates were so absorbed in their conversation they didn’t see Colin straight away.

He tried to shuffle away after he spotted Amaya and Sunny, but Ruby wrapped her arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her, taking no notice of his actions.

“Girls, this is my date, Colin. Colin, this is my super awesome runway group!”

“What's up?” Jade waved at him, a calm, casual look on her face.

However, this expression quickly turned to confusion, as Amaya and Sunny began to panic the moment they locked eyes on the purple-haired boy. Their eyes widened as they realised what was happening.

“Oh no! Oh no no no no!”

“Bad! Very bad! Oh, very, very bad!

“Hey! Sorry, I got lost in the crowd! ” Skyler’s pushed through the last of the partygoers, to finally rejoin her friends.

“Anyways, I-” She was immediately startled at the sight of Ruby, with her arm around Colin, and the obvious look of panic on his face.

“Colin?”

“Oh, you know my date?”

“Your date? Colin's my boyfriend!”

Ruby recoiled away from him in shock, as Skyler’s eyes filled with tears of heartbreak and rage.

[upthetracks]

1/1/24 - After June

June I was sitting with her watching her childhood cat take its last breath and crying and loving her just as much as always. Eating a can of mandarins by the river with the gnats crowding in, quickest thing I could grab out the pantry after I heard her laughing with someone I once hoped to love, delirious in the heat and the hunger. Sitting in one of the back pews of a tiny church, white in all black in a sea of black family in baby blue - they'd invited me but I didn't hear about the dress code - wiping tears and snot on my sleeve after seeing my full-of-life friend dead and still in the casket.

And June is the month I met my friend from Georgia who I been clinging to ever since. We started feeding people on a hot August day and haven't stopped. Made a pot of stew just two days ago to hand out. Same month I had a 3 day romance, last week back home for christmas I had my first gay hookup. In October, went to a trans celebration and won a vial of T, saw my friend's set up for diy hormones, tried dmt. Made a couple things I'm proud of - big back patch for a Palestine march, a t-shirt design to fund raise for the Atlanta community bail fund, 100 stickers against the cpc up the street. I've been learning how to be a better listener and friend to the kids at work. I've been laughing often. My weeks are often full. I sat in on a mutual aid teach in recently, and met a black organizer who makes me feel like there's work in this city that is actually meaningful and direct. There are some folks around me with passion who I feel I could learn from. A friend saved up a whole pile of bread tags for me and gave em to me as a Hanukkah gift, one of the sweetest things someone's done for me in a while. I feel like I'm better with people than I used to be, like I can sit and chat with anyone if I gotta. Makes me less scared to be around new folks. Watched some John Waters movies with my ex-lover. We spend a lot of time together still, I'm grateful there's still love and friendship between us. I think I've learned how to be there better for my friend that has panic attacks and spirals. I feel like I'm a better cook than I used to be. I feel a little older, a little more steady on my feet. Mostly I am ashamed of myself, but sometimes I catch a facet of myself reflecting some light back. I stand taller. The fog is less constant. There is more sharpness and motion and change. The months do not bleed into each other so much. I feel more. I think more, want more. I feel like I am living a sad small life, but a life.

This year I want to be more dependable, committed, autonomous, skilled. I want to build this distro up strong and right, I want to grow bolder and less afraid. I want to make art, read, learn, be curious, be spontaneous, fluid, quick to spring and do on a whim. Less lethargic, less trapped by inertia, indecision, comforting numbness. I want to laugh with friends, grow closer, kiss lovers, text back, climb trees, get hurt, get up, get to work. Be honest, be blunt, be open. Desire, want, hunger, plan, enact. Stick with it. More life, more life.

You will be ashamed, you will feel alone, you will feel lost, impotent, cowardly, stupid, stuck, stagnant. And you will wake up. And you will try just a little bit, and it will feel like an unfurling. And you will forget again, and when you feel it again it will be familiar. And then more familiar, less impossible, more reflexive, more matter of habit. Maybe one day you will have teeth and be free. More life, more life.

[patbwaifs]

it's tuesday my dudes

i forgot to take my meds last night and this morning, so i had a headache all day, but it went away as soon as I took my meds tonight. hahhh. Just finished working out a bit too.

this is what my desktop pretty much looks like all the time (sans legal documents)

I am so so serious about creating a consistent art style so I can make visual novels. My "main goal" right now is to "rewrite" Detroit via visual novel to practice branching gameplay and also rewrite a few scenes and story lines (like Kara and Alice.) Obviously, to recreate the entire game would be nuts. The main thing is to learn how to make visual novels in general, so I'm gonna start with specific scenes and then kinda go out from there.

I also want to write a fanfiction for D:BH. I started drafting it out. The first time is never perfect but I gotta start somewhere with storytelling, and for now, I'm borrowing these characters...

But my art style is pretty obviously going in a certain direction. Ghost in the shell was one of the first anime movies I ever saw (along with Adolescence of Utena. That was definitely an experience) And while I want each of my portraits to look like they "match" I also need to remember that I can still change and vary things up. That's kinda the main reason Markus and North are not 100% complete. The point wasn't to draw a finished portrait of them but to explore and practice a style. I like to think I'll go back once I gain more skill and draw finished portraits of the main D:BH cast.

One thing I really like about using D:BH to practice my art is that there are a variety of different characters to draw, from race to age and beyond.

This styles similarities to realism do throw me off though. I keep wanting to steer into realistic proportions but since it's not my intention from the outset, things get weird fast. Thankfully, I'm a lot better about starting over, reworking sketches and concepts, than I used to be. Before, I would have been tortured to even think about starting over on Amelia's portrait, but now? I want to make a proper portrait of her, in oil pastel. Not in procreate with my illustration tools. (I haven't shown yall my oil pastel rizz yet, hee hee)

On an unrelated note

I talked a bit with my best friend about my headspace around the Decharts' streams (and positive spaces in general) but i was still in oof ouch head hurty mode so I didn't get much out, but she was like "yeah. positivity vibe exposure therapy." I did catch their stream today but it was right when I had to go to the mechanic/dealership.

and boy, is my car a piece of work. I always done knew it too!!! But I need to be more assertive about taking care of it instead of feeling like my Abba is the only one who can decide when things get replaced and when. But i need new tires last week :/

He's throwing a route tonight too. I hope it's all boring and safe.

Gah, i had something else I wanted to talk about but it's escaped me.

Doing things in general has been easier.

I worry about when school starts. I have this gnawing feeling that I need to take a full course load but I know, consciously, that if I do it will end badly.

Although I'm trying to build better self-care habits over the summer so I don't get completely blindsided again. It's just, when I get drowned in a project, it can be hard to pull myself up and do the things I know help me. Like I can't work on my project as well if I don't take the moment to take my medication. gahhhh. but in each moment is eternity, so why would i take an eternity to do something else?

I guess that's my default way of thinking. Maybe that's why things are so intense so often unless I dislodge my brain from the world.

There's something about the Decharts' streams and other thing similar that makes it hard for me to zone out/dissociate/focus on something else/some variation of that. I can't ignore it. And then it's just sensory overload. I think when i feel emotions it's sensory overload first. and then whatever the emotion is second.

I've been trying to let myself feel things about silly android game. As long as it's not guilt. I am trying not feel guilty for liking this game so much. Like what's the use in feeling weird and bad about listening to the soundtrack. gahh the blood is draining from my fingers again.

Speech therapy today went well too.

goodnight yall.

[bsecco]

not really a resolution but my goals this year are

be healthier; I want to improve my diet and be more physically active so I don't always feel terrible haha 😅 namely I want to learn to ride a bike so I can get around to places and exercise more easily. It would be nice to lose a bit of weight too so I can sleep better and feel less self conscious about joining a gym

learn new skills; I have a lot of interests and somehow never find time for them. Definitely I want to learn basic music theory and 3D modeling, but I'd also love to try out wood carving, refresh myself on Japanese, and attend some classes/workshops on blacksmithing, pottery, jewelry making, glass blowing, etc.

read more; my to read list is a mile long and I want to improve my vocabulary anyway. something like one book a month seems doable

go out more and visit new places!! There's so many parks and museums and local attractions to check out while I'm still relatively young and healthy.

I also want to make an effort to watch some classic movies I've never seen since I'm not much of a TV person

Of course I want to start drawing again and get over the massive art block that's been tormenting me for years now. Eventually I'd like to make money off it but I think mainly I just want to improve? I'm constantly feeling insecure and inadequate about my skills 🥲 so I gotta start working on those again

currently I'm working on growing out my nails and hair and I plan to dye it eventually and also get some piercings. Maybe a tattoo?? and I want to keep developing my sense of personal style. But that's more like a continuation of 2022 lol

[moons-and-stars-and-shit]

Hi! I hope you are fine and healthy. I'm absolutely in love with haikyuu manager imagines so if that's not a bother could you make one with Nekoma and their reaction to a strong, badass martial arts expert manager? Like she is a total bad ass and has her own fanclub maybe?

Thanks a lot in advance and stay safe muahh😘👋

𝑁𝑒𝑘𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑊𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝐴 𝐵𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑀𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑟 🥊

𝔽𝕥- 𝕂𝕦𝕣𝕠𝕠,𝕂𝕖𝕟𝕞𝕒,𝕐𝕒𝕞𝕒𝕞𝕠𝕥𝕠,𝕃𝕖𝕧,𝕐𝕒𝕜𝕦

Oh he thinks it’s awesome now

Key word: N o w

When you first became the team’s manager you always seemed like a kind person

And you were!

But that didn’t mean that you couldn’t defend yourself when necessary

So when you mentioned that you know many different fighting styles

Kuroos ass didn’t believe you 😀

So like literally every day he would go up to you and dare you to try a move on him

You never did because you weren’t trying to get kicked of the team just yet 🙂

But he made the oh so grave mistake of challenging you OUTSIDE of school property...

You did a quick look around before grabbing his arm and sliding your feet under his legs causing him to lose balance

Yeah he ate shit....

And he had a nasty bruise on his face to prove it :D

Ever since then he believes your fighting abilities

And has made a mental note to watch his teasing around you...

Ok so Kenma didn’t really care????

Like he thought it was cool and all

But as long as you never tried to fight him he was good 👍

He thought it was funny as shit when he heard that you took Kuroo down tho 💀

Definitely teased him about it for w e e k s

It did genuinely shock him how strong you were though

Like damn he’s seen you take down every single one of the boys down in a arm wrestling match

He didn’t engage of course, but he knew that you’d beat his ass too

Overall he thinks it’s cool that you can defend yourself

But he is a little careful around you

He just doesn’t want to push your buttons to much...

Oh he’s TERRIFIED of you

He wasn’t at first

When you first walked into the gym introducing yourself as the new manager

He just thought you were a harmless little thing!

And let’s be honest, your probably shorter than this man

So he would pick on you a bit for your height

And ngl when you gave him a death glare for picking on you, it freaked him out a bit

But he didn’t think you’d actually do anything

That was until his captain came to practice with a giant ass bruise on his face and a bandage on his nose 🤠

Ever since that day he’s stopped teasing you...

And honestly tries everything he can to stay on your good side 😅

Mans just doesn’t want to ruin his face

Ok so first of all

When you became Nekomas manager Yamamoto developed a teeny tiny crush on you

So when you mentioned that your well trained in self defense

He just fell that much harder

Your telling him that his team finally gets a manger

And not only that but they’re gorgeous AND a badass???

However he still thought he was tougher than you

And one time he mentioned being stronger than you

And you just looked at him like 🙂

Not wanting to actually hurt the man you challenged him to a classic test of strength

Arm wrestling

Yeah...

He lost pretty quick

But honestly that just made you hotter in his eyes 😩

Ok so I’m convinced this man knows how to fight a bit himself...

I feel like he learned so no one would think he’s weak based off of his height

So he thought it was pretty cool that you could fight too!

However unlike Yamamoto he never challenged your strength

He may be able to fight

But he’s gotta hunch that you can fight better 🥲

He would show genuine interest in this little skill of yours

So he would ask you a bunch of questions

Which fighting styles do you know?

How long have you done self defense?

Could you teach him?

Yes he would actually ask if you could teach him some new moves!

And if he knew any you didn’t he would teach you those

You guys were basically just the baddies of Nekoma 💅

[spoonyruncible]

So, this one is gonna be controversial but I'm gonna talk about a trend I absolutely hate and makes me feel concerned.

I haven't seen "Thor: Love & Thunder" but I have seen people bitching that there was no trigger warning for cancer.

Here is the thing, my rabbits and my debutantes, cancer is actually a trigger for me. When my mother was literally dying in the hospital someone I considered a friend showed me the movie "Before I Wake". It's a wonderful movie, it even fits into a genre I call 'happy horror' where the monster is beaten and some end the movie better than they started it. But the villain is actually a (spoilers) child's trauma over watching his mother die of cancer, something he interpreted as a monster eating her which caused his psychic powers to create a monster that ate people who dared to loved him. I cried so hard I threw up.

See, the thing is.... I do appreciate trigger warnings. The site doesthedogdie doesn't exist for no reason. But demanding, insisting, on trigger warnings? Getting pissed when they aren't there? That's insane. This isn't a "I didn't have it so the kids today shouldn't have it either" kind of thing. I think learning to digest and select media is a vitally important aspect of growing up. I don't think I'd be a better person if, when I picked up "Daughter of The Blood" it had come with a warning that my 11 year old eyes were about to read the most fucked up shit they ever did see. I very much believe you need to develop the skills needed to say, "This isn't for me and I'm not going to enjoy it. I can leave at any time, it's only a book or it's only a movie or its only a show, but it is something I can walk away from. No one is holding me down and making me consume this."

This isn't a thing where I'm like, "Toughen up! Life is hard and you have to be harder!" It's just about being realistic about what the world will be. Maybe the smell of a creamsicle will send you running. That doesn't mean you get to ban creamsicles. Maybe fireworks scare you to pieces. The 4th of July and New Years will happen anyway. Perhaps sexual language upsets you, but even kids are going to say "Aw, balls," when they're annoyed. If you're hurt by ordinary moments then you're going to get hurt a lot. I wear headphones and tinted lenses because the world is too loud and too bright for me. I still get stung. But you're not going to win a fight trying to beat the world into the shape you want it to be, you gotta just figure out how to live.

It's that I do like that we're doing better about triggers, I really do, but I think insisting, demanding, is goddamn bonkers. Guardians of the Galaxy makes me cry whenever I watch it because I saw my mother look just like Peter's mom did and no one raised a single bit of fuss. Graphic depictions of cancer very much do suck if that's a trigger for you. But, for chrissake, it's legit fascist bullshit to whine every time you see something that makes you feel anything other than perfect. Nottajoke, I'm very serious that policing art and expression from the left is concerning. Marvel is barely even art, but this honestly reads identical to when the right flipped their shit over Baymax showing a transman buying tampons. This kind of handwringing nonsense is why there's no proper difference between TERFS and tradwives. I hate it. Once you start putting the hammer down on trigger warnings that's begging for book bans, Huckleberry Finn has the n-word, it has bad language! Lolita has child molestation! Books have words and concepts! Have you read Beloved? It's awful how many bad things happen!

Stories are there to be stories. You can pick and choose the ones you engage with, but you don't get to be mad if there's something upsetting you didn't expect. Sometimes the surprise is a part of the story that's important. Sometimes you don't know what will upset you. Freak out about anything other than fucking stories, please, there are reasons to complain about them but not because anyone is entitled to perfect comfort all the time every time.

[be-ready-when-i-say-go]

Inked

Still on hiatus. But I found an old piece of writing and I revamped it just a smidge! It was originally published in 2018 on calumh-excess. Which is now deactivated. Hooray for finding pieces!

Calum's been watching Jay for a while. She's cute, talented, but a bit of mystery. Should he really give into her? What will it take for him to admit he has a crush?

Enjoy my masterlist (on hiatus)

______________

He watched her sometimes for far too long. The way her tongue stuck out as she pulled the skin and her hand worked steadily with the needle made it hard for him to resist. Her face always seemed to catch the harsh fluorescent lights and reflect it back so that it twinkled against her skin. A slight sheen, but nothing just of ethereal. He wasn’t even interested in any new ink, not seriously anyway. He had slowed on the ink train, but the shop his tattoo artist owned was a nice place to hang out sometimes. When he wanted to get out of his house but didn’t want to actually go somewhere, he could hang out here, listening to the buzz of the tattoo gun, poke his hand at trying a design here or there. They weren't great. He hadn't considered him this kind of artist, but the shop felt like a second home.

Besides, having her around was a more than welcomed bonus.

He wasn’t even sure what it was about her. She showed up about a year and a half ago, under an apprenticeship. Calum’s artist was unsure of her, much like everyone else that asked to work under him. A hazard of the job, according to the job, according to Calum's artist. However, her drawings spoke volumes; the colors and line work were impeccable. She had talent and knew it without being cocky about it. Well, sometimes she wasn’t. Calum watched her run into the occasional asshole that tried to belittle her; she always put her foot down in those situations. He didn’t fault her.

Today’s no different. When Calum walks in, he greets the guy at the front desk, eyes searching for her. He spots her in the back with her oversized frames creating a small glare over her brown eyes. He never quite got the appeal of the grandma-shaped glasses trend, but on her, they worked. She looked wise but soft. The glass pulled him in, felt like she was seeing into his soul. Maybe she was; maybe the pain made people more vulnerable than they anticipated--entrusting someone, a stranger in some ways, to permanently mark you and not fuck it up. Whatever the reason, looking at her felt timeless. Like she had seen it all, and you are just waiting for you to spill all the secrets.

“You finally going to get some new ink?” Calum’s artist teases.

Calum shakes his head, turning his attention away from her. “You finally took her training wheels off?”

“Your girlfriend’s got mad skills. I couldn’t baby her forever. Jay works hard on each piece, learned fast. Got a steady ass hand and pretty gentle for handling a needle.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Yeah, because you haven’t hardly even talked to her. Go for it, you wuss. What’s the worst she says? No?”

Calum exhales a chuckle. "I mean, the worst she stabs me with the tattoo gun. But considering the ink I'm already sporting, I doubt that's really all that bad.”

“Jay would not do that unless you asked for it, ff course. But really, go on, ask her out.”

Calum glances back at Jay. It’s a nickname. No one in the shop calls her by her full name. The only reason Calum heard it was when a client came asking for her. Jay was quick to correct them.

She wipes, clearing excess ink, before dipping back into the small cup. Jay smiles up at her client. Calum's sure they appreciate the reprise. Getting tattoos weren't always fun, but bearable enough to forget about it and get more.

Calum turns his gaze away. “I recommended you to a friend,” he says, hoping that he’ll escape the teasing. It’s not likely to happen. But at least he tries to minimize the ridicule.

"I appreciate it. Are they a first-timer?"

"A second-timer, but they're visiting town and want some new ink. I figured best not to fuck them over."

The two men laugh before Calum's escorted back to look through some new designs. Just in case something sparks his interest. Calum's visit is supposed to be short, but there's not much else on his to-do list for the day. He could kill a few hours here.

When Calum comes out from the back, after spending too much time pretending art was ever a talent of his, he looks for Jay again. She’s not in her corner, nor is she at the front. Calum shrugs, figuring she might have gone for lunch, or home depending.

As Calum walks to his car, he checks his phone. Nothing major's happened.

“Leaving so soon?” A voice states. Calum knows that voice, a little gravelly, mostly sweet. He’s dreamt of it every so often. He prays to hear it when he visits the shop.

He turns to Jay, who leans against the bricks. A vape is wrapped in her fingers. “Gotta get some dinner, maybe make a run to the grocery store," Calum returns. "I've gotten lazy."

She nods. “This reminds me that I can't survive off BLTs forever," she laughs.

"You could try, but I think you'd need other vegetables and some fruit in that mix too."

She pushes up on her glass with a nod. "Ah, yes, gotta get the whole food pyramid." It goes silent between them and Calum gives another nod, raising a few fingers to signal his departure while still keeping his phone in a secure enough grip.

"Hey, wait!" Jay calls out again, taking a half step forward. Calum turns to her. "Can I give you something before you leave?”

Calum nods, not trusting his voice. What would she give him? She nods back to the front door, taking back that initial half-step. “It's inside. Give me like two minutes.”

She disappears inside and Calum stands, his phone still in his hands, staring at the spot she once stood. Just as quickly as she disappeared, Jay reappears. In hand is her portfolio. She flips through before stopping and slides the heavy-duty drawing paper out.

Calum stares down at the green and black drawing. It’s his face, for the most part, that stares back at him. It’s distorted by a crystal ball that glows green. Inside are some instruments and something else, but right now he can’t really put it all together. His eyes keep moving over the lightning bolt, the crystal ball, the uncanniness of his face on a piece of paper, his three-dimensional face somehow translated perfectly into a 2-D space.

“Holy shit, this is amazing,” he breathes. “Thank you,” he says looking back up to her.

She shrugs with a smile. “You’re welcome.”

“Seriously, this is so fucking awesome. I’m going to frame it,” he gushes. He’s too excited to be nervous, or be embarrassed. "What are the dimensions?"

“I'm just really glad you don’t find it too creepy. I was watching you a couple weeks ago when you stopped by. It just sort hit me, the image of the crystal ball and lightning bolt; I had to draw it,” Jay elaborates. "And it's 8.5 by 11--standard printer paper size."

Calum shakes his head, staring over the drawing again. It feels so delicate suddenly in his hands. It’s almost like Jay recognizes the change in his handling. She shuffles her load in her hands and pulls out an empty plastic over. “Here,” she laughs handing it over. “So it doesn’t smudge or anything if you're worried."

Calum slides it in. “Thank you. Again. Seriously.”

“You’re welcome, Calum. Good luck with your grocery store trip and dinner,” Jay nods and then heads back inside. Calum watches the way the denim stretches across her hips, the way her hair billows just a little in the breeze of her strut.

For a moment, Calum can't move. The weight of the paper in his hand is hardly ounces, but it holds him--traps him to the point of the sidewalk. Jay thought enough of him to draw him. What did it all mean? Should he have found the courage to ask her out? He could walk back inside. But what if she didn't like him like that? Would it be too weird?

Calum blinks up into the hardly settling sun and thinks to himself, the second he can come back here, it better be with a bit more courage and possibly a gift certificate. No one can be made about free food, right?

It’s months before Calum can visit the shop again. The tour is a whirlwind and he only gets a few days off between legs. Not long enough to get back home or feel like he had any energy to drive out to the shop. But now that he's settled back in at home, he knows exactly where he's going.

It’s not his typical practice to just walk in and ask for a tattoo. But given the ink already on him, worse things could happen. When he pulls open the door, he notices it's kind of slow. Jay greets him at the front desk. “Hey, stranger,” she grins.

“Hey, how are you?” he asks in return.

“Pretty good. How was it? The tour? See any cool places?”

He nods. “Yeah, got to explore a few cities.” He taps his fingers against the wooden desk. “Do you have an appointment anytime soon?”

Jay shakes her head. “My 2 o’clock had to reschedule. I’m here until 4 before I see anyone. Why? What's tickling your fancy?”

“I was wondering if you could do a tat for me? I know this is very last minute and if you need me to come in another day this week, I totally can.” His words run into each other; his palms start to sweat. He wipes them on his jeans.

Jay laughs, holding up a hand. “Whoa, pump the brakes. One, what are you looking for?”

“You know that drawing you did for me?” She nods. “I was kind of hoping you could create something with just the crystal ball and lightning bolt. I know the drawing itself is kind of big.”

A grin lifts her cheeks; Calum’s heart settles for a second. “I think I can do that. Where are you thinking to put it?”

“Inner bicep.” He watches her gaze land on his arm. The t-shirt is baggy, he at least thought about that with enough advance.

“Give me 30 minutes to come up with some sketches.” Jay pushes away from the front desk and heads to the back, but not for calling to the shop to watch the front desk.

Calum slides into the seat at the front, leg bouncing as he settles down. This isn’t even his first tattoo, but the nerves flood his body. His scalp tingles. The thirty minutes move by too fast, but also too slow simultaneously. The seconds feel like hours but move by milliseconds.

Eventually, Jay resurfaces, waving him over to her. He walks back and looks at the sketches she places out in front of him. There are two different ones. One’s a bit more minimalistic, which is her style, with the lightning bolt in the background and a simple crystal ball at the point. The other is a bit bolder, the ball has a slightly warped edge where it connects to the bolt. It looks like the bolt is melting the glass ball.

“I can whip up more if neither one of them are quite right. But I wasn’t sure if it wanted something a bit more crisp and sharp or not,” Jay explains.

Calum admits that most of his tattoos are more cleaned up and sharp. He likes the idea of playing with a new style. “I like the second one,” he says, tapping it.

“You sure?” He nods, he’s never been more sure of something in his life. “Which bicep? Let me line it up and make sure it’ll fit.”

Calum lifts his left arm up for her. Laying the stencil over his skin, Jay notes she has to make a couple small tweaks. But after that, she’ll be ready. They discuss full color, or just outline, or shading, price, and a few other details before Jay concludes with, “Hop in my seat. I’ll be there soon.”

Calum nods and walks over to her station. Her stuff is already laid out, probably for her canceled 2 o’clock. It’s about five more minutes before Jay returns with the final stencil. Calum rolls up the sleeve of his shirt before she places the stencil. Happy with the placement, he stretches out on the table.

Jay gets herself ready before she brings the needle over his skin. The first puncture always makes him jolt a little, the first jab of pain causes his heart to race. “Do you plan on relaxing now that you're back home?"

"Yeah, for a little bit. I might go see my family, but I know we'll be back in the studio soon. Anything exciting happen while I was gone?"

"I mean exciting things happen every day at this place. But it's not like I could recall them all now."

Calum hums, acknowledging her statement, but not quite sure what to say next. Luckily, Jay's faster to fill in the silence. "You do realize you didn’t have to get a tattoo to have a real conversation with me?” Jay teases, pushing up her glasses.

Calum’s cheeks heat. “It’s not like that,” he chuckles.

“Well, that’s how it seems.”

“You were always busy when I stopped by. I didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Not always,” she laughs. “But it’s alright. You’re going to have plenty of time while I’m stabbing you to say all those things you didn’t.”

A chuckle escapes him; of course, Jay would have this sense of humor. “Wow, I can’t believe I’m paying so much for people just to stab me and act as a therapy. Maybe I am a masochist.”

“So are a lot of people. Sometimes you just take the emotional pain out in the physical realm.”

“I always imagined people that worked in a tattoo shop to be more heavily tatted,” Calum hums, taking in scattered ink across her arms and one pokes out from the V in her t-shirt.

“I focused it more on my back and legs and not so much my arms. I’m getting there. So, why this one today?”

Calum goes to shrug, but stops himself as he hears the gun nearing his skin again. “Not really sure. It looked cool. I guess it also serves to remind me that fate isn’t linear. There’s going to be twists and turns, maybe some trouble. And that’s okay. Don’t be afraid of the journey. Also, it's really fucking cool art.”

Jay hums her laugh, “Why thank you. Wise brain you got there. Besides, it seems like you also have people you keep close to you.” She eyes the initials and the name under the bird. “Whoever they are to you, I hope you all stay close.”

“Those are my parents' initials,” he explains. “And my sister’s name. They’ve been with me through it all--I love them dearly.”

“So sweet. I wish my parents and I were closer. I tattooed my brother’s jersey number on me. It was my first tattoo.”

“What did he play?”

“Soccer, or for your kind, football.”

“Hey now, it’s played with the feet, it makes much more sense.”

Jay laughs, wiping off excess ink. She cocks her head to the side a little, then goes back in for the black ink. “I’m only teasing. Us Americans are so dumb sometimes. Like why is our football not called something else? Literally, the only thing that happens with the feet is the running. We carry the fucking ball.”

“I’ve wondered that as well!” he laughs. "Does your brother still play?"

“Yeah, the whole knucklehead still plays for his college.”

“What position?”

Jay laughs. “I'll have you know my job as the older sister is to show up and cheer him on. Something defensive? I don’t remember off the top my head.”

“I’ll give you credit for that. I’m sure he appreciates it.”

“He does until he sees with me in face paint on and then he’s acting like he doesn’t know me. Oh, oh wait, I think remember what he does. It’s defensive,” she pauses, lips pursed together, “something fielder.”

“Defensive midfielder?” he asks.

“Yeah, that. But like I said, I show up when I can and scream. That’s it. When he’s old enough, I’ll buy him a beer after his games too.”

“How old is he?”

“Nineteen, we’re three years apart.”

“The only sibling you have?”

“Nah, got a baby sister too. She’s fifteen. If you’re impressed by my eyeshadow thank her. Because she’s the one that taught me how to do it.”

Calum finds himself staring at the red and gold coloring her eyelids. “It looks really nice,” he breathes.

“Why thank you.” She pauses to bats her eyelashes. “I even managed to get those godforsaken falsies on right too. They look good, but the raise hell.”

“I think you’re the first woman I’ve met in LA that’s not obsessed with makeup,” he notes.

“Oh, you were doing so well. There are a lot of people of who aren’t huge in the makeup scene.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he tries to backtrack. “I’m sorry. In my experience, it’s not like that. They’re hiding the fact they aren’t wearing makeup--embarrassed by it or something.”

Jay nods, pushing up her glasses yet again. “Yeah, it’s not easy. We’re told to be perfect, but in reality, we’re just like everyone. We’re human, imperfect and flaw-full and beautiful.”

“Not in spite of, but because of.”

“Exactly,” she chuckles. Silences settles in around them. Calum wonders why she said she was closer to her family, but the way she talks about her siblings doesn’t match. She’s cheering her brother on at his game; she’s sitting down to learn makeup with and from her sister.

“Can I ask a bit of a personal question?” he asks.

“What kind of personal? Do I get a lifeline?”

Cal exhales a laugh. “You can always say no.”

“Hit me with it.”

“Why say that you’re family isn’t close but you clearly take a lot of pride in your siblings?”

“An observant one on my table, I see. It’s my parents. They don’t like that I’m pansexual, say I’m going to hell. My siblings don’t fucking care. I’m still the crazy-ass sister that loves and supports them.”

With a hum of acknowledgment from Calum, it goes quiet again around them for a moment. “I’m sorry,” he whispers. He knows it doesn’t really fix anything for her; it doesn’t take away the potential years of her suffering. It’s the only thing he can offer her though. It feels right to say.

“Oh, no need for you to be sorry. It’s not like you threw me out of the house.”

“Ouch. You’re making it though right?”

“Yeah, now that I work here, things are on the up and up.”

“That’s good; I’m glad.”

“Thanks.”

“Favorite tattoo you’ve done?” he asks, wanting to hear her voice again.

“This one,” she laughs. “Though I had someone ask for a pin-up witch, which was also pretty fucking cool to do.”

Calum remembers seeing that on her Instagram. “That one was amazing! Her lips looked so good; I know that’s a strange thing to admit.”

“Don’t worry. I am quite proud of that myself.”

“Do you have a favorite tattoo on you?”

“The blue jay on my shoulder. My parents would take me on walks when I was still an infant. According to the legend, while they were sitting on a park bench a blue jay landed on me. I didn’t cry; it didn’t hurt me. It just landed for a second and then flew off. They called me Blue Jay ever since. I just shortened the nickname as I got older.” She gives one more wipe. “Finished. Check it out.”

Calum sits up, walking over to the mirror. He grins seeing the melting ball sitting against his skin. He grins over to Jay. “It looks amazing. Thank you.”

“No problem.” They head back over to her station. Jay cleans it and wraps the fresh ink. Calum carefully gets his sleeve back down with a little help from Jay. He pays their agreed price with his card, but slides two fifties over to her. “You do know that’s more than double a twenty percent tip right?”

Calum shrugs. “Is it? I’m bad at math,” he grins. “Treat your sister to a new palette or something. Treat yourself to something.”

“Thank you. Now next time, you come by, I hope we don’t talk while I’m stabbing you repeatedly.”

Calum shakes his head, a grin still on his face. Of course. He had forgotten to get the gift certificate. But possibly asking Jay to dinner wouldn't be such a bad idea. “Give me your number and I can promise the next time we talk, it won’t in your chair.”

She holds out her hand, waiting. He hands her his phone, after unlocking it. She puts her number in. She goes to hand the phone back but just before his fingers touch it, she draws it back. "I mean it--actually text me. I adore memes, dogs, TikToks, your favorite songs."

"I'll actually talk to you. I promise."

Jay hands over his phone with a smile. Calum steps outside the glass doors. Why should he wait? He could do it now. For fuck sake, the last hour had been the groundwork for a clear sign a date was absolutely an option. His fingers hovering over her name. He taps it, and then presses for a call. Holding the phone to his ear, he listens to it ring for a second.

“I can still see you, you know?” Jay laughs.

Calum turns around, catching her leaning against the front desk. “I told you the next time we talked you wouldn’t be inking me.”

“What can I help you with, Calum?”

“Dinner, tonight-- I may have ordered too many appetizers for just little old me."

Her laugh trickles in over the speaker. She drops her head, giving it a shake before looking back up to him in the afternoon sun. “I think I can help you with that. Give me the time and place."

Calum rattles off the name of a restaurant that he had been wanting to try. Nothing too upscale, but not something that would be too casual. "How does 8 sound?"

"I love it there. I'll see you at 8."

“Bye, Jay.”

“Bye, Calum.” As he walks to his car, his phone buzzes yet again. This time a text from his artist, I’m being fucking replaced, I see. I can’t be too mad since it’s Jay. Calum laughs as he slides into his car. Maybe he is getting replaced; maybe he’s not. Calum’s not sure. He is sure that he needs to figure out if he can make reservations and what to wear for tonight.

[juulcharg3r]

Why’d It Have to Be Hermione?

Summary: Your boyfriend and best friend suck. Based on the song Hailey by WRENN

Pairing: Ron Weasley x Girlfriend!Reader 

Word Count: 2,030

WARNINGS: Swearing, cheating, angst I suppose (I don't think I'm very good at making things sad outside my own brain oops)

Same day, same night

Always feeling our fights

Like a fire in an empty house

Gone off somewhere

All I know is you’re not here

You think I’d have learned by now

 You had had a premonition that this birthday wasn't going to be as pleasant as the last three with Ron had been. Maybe it was the rain, though you usually rather quite liked the rain, or maybe it was the screaming match you were currently having with your boyfriend of four years. 

“Are you kidding me, Ronald? It's my BIRTHDAY!” You’d been with Ron since your days in Hogwarts, since 5th year, and he had never missed your birthday before.

“Bloody Hell, Y/N, it's not like I can control it! It's an emergency meeting, I have to go.”

“You promised we would spend the whole day together.” 

“And we will! Just not right now. I have to go.” You watch Ron grab his wand and bag and head towards the door, “I’ll see you later.”

“Fine. I love y-” The door slams, effectively cutting you off. “Great. Best birthday ever.” You let yourself fall backwards onto the bed you shared with your boyfriend, “The Dark Lord is dead. What the fuck could they possibly be having a meeting about at 6A.M.?” 

You stew in your thoughts, your anger slowly subsiding. Maybe you were being unreasonable. Ron was right, he couldn’t control when they had meetings. You were just hurt because he always had meetings and had canceled many dates for them. You just wanted to spend your birthday with him, to have one day where he spent the entire day with you and all his focus was on you for once. 

Eventually you sit up and mope downstairs to make yourself coffee to wake up. There was no point in trying to get a few more hours of sleep, not after a fight with Ron. They always left you feeling empty and you were left sitting alone in a desolate house. 

It was awful. Constantly fighting with Ron about the littlest things, about the stupidest things. It had been going on for months and it was always the same. Ron would either miss a date or one of you would do the littlest thing, then you’d fight, he’d leave and go somewhere, and you’d cry yourself to sleep in the spare bedroom. He would come home eventually (he always did), though you never knew when and if you’d ask he would say he went to the pub and then things would go back to normal between you two. 

But when you would do laundry the next day, you'd notice his clothes would never spell like the cigarettes and beers that normally came along with a trip to the pub. 

The fights would eat you alive. For days after you would feel awful, like you were being burned from the inside out. The arguing left you feeling empty inside but as if you were on fire. You were like an empty house on fire, nothing inside to burn but the structure was slowly but surely succumbing to the flames. 

“Why haven’t I learned?” 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ron finally came home, six hours later. There was no way in hell a meeting lasted six hours, but you were tired of arguing. 

“Hey, Baby.” Ron grins at you as he walks in and kisses you on the lips. 

‘Hey!” You smile tightlipped at the man you love, “How was the meeting?” He seemed to be in much better spirits than he had been this morning.

“It was fine.” Came the simple response.

“Oh, what was it about?”

“Y/N you know I can’t tell you that.”

“Right…” You trailed off before you remembered your original plans for today and became excited again, “Well do you still want to go to the art museum? I want to see the new exhibit on Picasso!” 

“I’m tired from the meeting and I just want to relax. I’m going to nap before dinner tonight, Babe, you go without me.”

“What? The whole point was… Okay. Fine.” You accio your wand and wallet and apparate to The National Gallery in Muggle London. “Fucking piece of shit,” you stomp into the gallery, but the sight of the paintings quickly erases your anger. You had always loved art and were impressed by the skills that some people hold. You could see their passion in the brushstrokes and the feelings poured into the paint.

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 Eventually you made your way to the exhibit on Pablo Picasso. Something about his art just spoke to you, you weren’t sure what it was. 

An hour and a half later, you thought you had seen all his work encased in the exhibit until in the back corner of the room you saw it. A painting you had never seen before entitled The Melancholy Woman. 

You stood staring at it with an air of familiarity, though this was the first time you had laid eyes on it. You realized it was because you had been sitting in the same position all this morning. After getting your coffee you had spent several hours sitting on your couch facing the window but not looking out. You instead wallowed in self-pity wondering what had happened between you and Ron that caused all the fighting. 

“Oh my god.” Faced with the reality of your own sadness you all but ran out of the gallery and to a good spot to apparate home. 

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 You say she’s just a friend, well okay

Why’s she showing up at midnight on my birthday?

Why’s she crying in your arms looking a mess?

And you’re looking at me like you gotta confess

Not the first time you held her

 You were home now and were curled up next to Ron on the couch watching your favorite movie. Ron was stroking your hair and you felt lighter than you had in months. You and Ron had had a wonderful evening at dinner, for the first time in a long time. You went to your favorite restaurant and laughed all night long, but the sense of foreboding from this morning lingered. You shook off the feeling and thought maybe your premonition was wrong and you were just being silly, nothing bad had happened after you came back from the art gallery. 

Then the doorbell rang. 

You and Ron look at each other weirdly, who was showing up at your house this late at night? You both pad to the door, Ron looks through the peephole and then opens the door with hesitance, “Mione? What are you doing here? It’s nearly midnight.” Hermione, your best friend since second year, looked like a mess, her hair was knotted, and clothes wrinkled. 

The foreboding feeling that had been licking at you all night was now crashing over your entire body. 

Hermione was crying and was well past ruining her mascara, “I... I don't know.” Then she threw herself into your boyfriend's arms and started sobbing violently. 

You were too shocked to move. What do you do in this situation? Your best friend was sobbing in his chest at midnight on your birthday. You were about to ask if she was okay when Ron looked at you and the expression turned your blood to ice. He looked like he was about to confess something horrible to you and you knew then that this wasn’t the first time this had happened. This wasn’t the first time he had held her, crying and not. 

You took a step back, shaking your head, “No no no no no. You didn’t. No-”

“Y/N let me explain!”

“No, you fucking didn’t. This is a lie. This can't be real. Did you really? Are you serious? With her?”

“Baby please,” Ron untangles himself from Hermione and leaves her on the floor to approach you. 

You hold out your hands to stop him from getting closer, “Did you even have a meeting today? Or were you just with her? Were any of these ‘emergency meetings’ real or were they just excuses to go see her?”

“Y/N…”

The sound of your name on his lips told you everything you needed to know, “That's what I thought.” You glare at him with more anger and sadness than he thought possible, “And on my fucking birthday. Fuck you, Ron Weasley.” You dash upstairs to the bedroom you once shared with your boyfriend. 

 Mascara stains dripping down your t-shirt

Now I’m packing a bag, but I gotta ask

Out of everyone, everyone else

Why’d it have to be Hailey?

 You throw clothes blindly into an old, ratty backpack while ignoring as Ron begged you to stay. As you pack you stew in your own thoughts, wanting to scream at him, wanting to punch him in the face, stomp on his head, and just ask why. 

“I gotta ask… Why’d it have to be Hermione?” Your brain was stuck on the mascara stains on his shirt as he stood in the doorway of your bedroom. She ruined everything, both Ron’s shirt and your heart. She was your best friend, how could she? She knows how much you love him.

“W-what?” 

“Out of everyone, everyone else in the entire fucking wizarding world, why did it have to be Hermione?” 

“Y/N, I…” Ron trails off, he doesn’t know the answer to your question. 

“I mean I guess that explains what I heard in the back of Harry and Ginny’s birthday card to me,” you open your bedside table drawer and take out an envelope with a card in it. It's one of those cards where you record a birthday message in your own voice for the recipient. You throw it at your boyfriend and cross your arms. When he opens it, the sound of Ginny and Harry’s voices yelling out greetings and the lyrics to Happy Birthday to You burst out. After their offkey rendition that had initially put a smile on your face, in the background there is the faintest conversation going on. 

“Are you gonna tell her?” The first voice asks. 

“There’s no point.” The second responds. 

“She’s gonna find out eventually.” The first voice presses. 

“I mean it doesn’t matter if she does at this point.” The second voice concludes. Then Harry and Ginny finish their well wishes for you and say goodbye and that they love you. When you first listened to it you thought you were hearing wrong, but after this… There was no mistaking it now, those were the voices of your boyfriend of four years and your best friend of seven years.

 You say that I’ve got it all wrong, but I think I know you better than myself

Don’t you get tired of always playing the victim and running your mouth?

 “No, Baby, no. You- you’ve got this all wrong! I wouldn’t-”

“Ronald, we have been together for too long. I know you better than I know myself sometimes and this is one of those times. You would because you did.”

“No Y/N I didn't I swear!! Hermione came onto me! I love you; you know that! I wouldn't cheat on you, it was an accident, I swear!”

At this point you couldn't hold back the tears and were openly sobbing, “It wasn't an accident, Ronald.”

“YES, IT WAS!”

“Maybe it was an accident the first time, but you chose her over me every time after that. It was a choice that you made and now you have to live with it.” And with that you shove past him, bag and wand in hand and sprint down the stairs. You pause to stare at Hermione who no doubt heard your entire conversation. “I hope you’re happy, Hermione. You got what you wanted.”

“Y/N/N, I’m so sorry-”

“Save it. I do not care what you have to say. I hope you and Ron are very happy together.” You step over her body on the floor, out the door, and out of their lives forever.

 Why’d it have to be Hailey?

Why’d it have to be Hailey?

Out of everyone, everyone else

Out of everyone, everyone else

Why’d it have to be Hailey?

Why’d it have to be Hailey?

FINISHED

[wastelandlovingscenarios]

Hey! I am really excited for seeing your blog grow and I wish you the best of luck!💛💛💛 I'm bad at requesting, so if you don't feel like doing this one - that's fine~ How would all companions (inc. X6, Preston & Codsworth) react to a Sole being a handywoman on Liziqi level and finding out she spent her childhood in a village after she casually explains to some settlers how to make booze from fruit or how to butcher and smoke brahmin?

i saw her channel and i was like :0 the whole time. i have no time or patience for that kinda stuff, haha. that girl got mad skills. ill make them react to the food she prepares, if it’s okay!

i’ll do this as regular companions and kept it short and simple!

anyways, i hope you enjoy! ❤️

-

he leaned on the wall, watching as sole grabbed a basket of mutfruit from under the table/dragged a brahmin corpse on a rug. he wondered why the people of sanctuary gathered around sole and was interested himself. he decided to observe from afar to avoid interrupting whatever she was doing, she seemed to have a passionate look on her face after all. he pondered on whether sole could cook or not, seeing that all the items near her were food related. his ears perked up, hearing her voice ring throughout the crowd, “okay guys! i’m gonna teach you some stuff i learned when i was a child back at my village. i’m sure this will be useful to you all and sanctuary itself so be sure to carefully look!”

sole grew up from a village? he had no knowledge of that for sure but made a mental note to ask her after her demonstration. sole looked at the settlers happily and demonstrated how to make wine from mutfruit/butcher and smoke brahmin meat. the crowd became invested in her displays, amazed sounds escaping their mouths as sole went through the process step by step in detail. it was beyond unique and something that many people don’t see often in the commonwealth; an art of the prewar times, truly.

Danse:

he would think soles skills were definitely astonishing, seeing that he’s never seen anyone do something like that before. danse would be incredibly impressed and would even jot down those notes mentally to maybe learn it himself one day. as much as he wanted to try and attempt to replicate her skills, he knew he would never be able to but on the other hand, he was way too awkward to ask sole to teach him. lost in his thoughts over soles amazing abilities, danse wouldn’t notice her striding up to him with a smile on her face. “what’s with the look, paladin?” he would jolt on surprise, a small blush spreading across his face as soles eyes traveled to lock with his. it would take him a few seconds to muster a reply. “uh- i apologize if i’ve offended you.” he cleared his throat, adjusting himself so he could stand straight, “it wasn’t my intentions. it’s just.. your skills are certainly impeccable soldier, i’m sure the brotherhood could use your abilities back at the prydwen. they seem to be proven useful.” he then look away elsewhere, hoping his voice didn’t falter in the process. “it would be much appreciated, if you don’t mind.” much to danses content, sole immediately agreed without a second thought. he would then bombard sole with questions about her life while living in a village.

Deacon:

he would be immensely amazed by soles skills and would definitely be gawking at her presentation. how she gained the skills or who she gained it from would be a mystery to him but that was the least of his worries. his priority was to ask sole to teach him how to do something as complicated as that. as sole began putting away her finished products, he walked towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. sole looked at him with a raised brow and rolled her eyes at the smirk present on his face. “what is it this time, deeks?” deacon would use his free hand to make over dramatic gestures as he replied, “you gotta teach me that some day, charmer. who knows, maybe one of these days we’ll open up a restaurant named-“ deacon blabbered on for minutes, making sole chuckle occasionally at his silliness. she turned to face him, resting her hand on her hip. “fine deeks. i’ll teach you on one condition.” he would let out a small, ‘hm?’ as sole continued. “i can name the restaurant if we open it one day-“ sole shushed him as he opened his mouth to retaliate, “- and no. we are not naming the restaurant any of those names that just came out of your mouth.” deacon would throw his arms in the air dramatically but send sole a small smile, “fine, fine, you win..! but you still gotta teach me.” he was totally gonna name their restaurant one day with or without her knowledge.

Maccready:

he’s a child about it. it’s clear that there’s a flabbergasted look in his eyes and mac lets himself become completely submerged in it. he was so excited to see new and foreign ways food could be executed, especially since he’s been living off sugar bombs, nuka cola, and cram his whole life. maccready knew from his core that he could not cook for the life of him and could only go as far as preparing a box of blanco mac and cheese at somewhat decent standards, so something like this easily drew him in. god, he wondered how hard sole worked at her village when she was younger. after all, he didn’t really do anything as a kid and didn’t teach himself many skills that would benefit him in the long run. soon enough, the sound of soles voice dragged maccready out of his daydream. she signaled him to come over to where she was at and grinned as he approached almost shyly. he’d try to act all maintained and calm but sole already saw the excitement he showed during her demonstration. “yeah? she grabbed a bag of already cooked and sliced brahmin meat from the box near the table and opened it. he would feel himself grow hungry at the smell of the smoked brahmin meat. sole popped a piece in her mouth and hummed contently, nudging the bag towards maccreadys direction. “it’s so good, you should try it!” hesitantly, but surely, maccready grabbed a piece and slightly bit it, only to find himself eating the whole thing within seconds. it was amazing! how did sole manage to keep their talent away from him for months?! with a full mouth, macready excitedly sputtered out words that sole couldn’t quite comprehend. she sent mac a confused look, and he blushed in response, rubbing the nape of his neck timidly. “sorry- uh, it was just really good.” sole would shove the bag at him gently, a small smirk playing on her face, “would you like more, mac?” silence filled their air for only a mere second- “yes, please.”

Hancock:

as the applause ended with the crowd, there was only one left that continued to clap loudly, attracting soles attention. she would wave at hancock who looked at her with an entertained and impressed expression on his face. “and just when i thought i knew everything about ya.” sole would giggle girlishly and walk up to hancock, wiping her stained hands with her jacket. “i’m full of surprises, hancock. you’re gonna have to dig harder if you want to know everything about me,” hancocks grin would grow wider as sole bantered on with a cheeky smile, “being over 200 years old makes me far more interesting than many people.” a laughter was shared between the two for a moment. “guess you’re right, sister. i’m guessing you hold a lot more secrets than i expect.” sole would fold her arms sassily and stare up at him with a sly look in her eyes, “you are absolutely correct, mayor hancock.” hancock would immediately detect the friskiness in her voice. “i have no choice but to earn it then, huh?” he said in a joking tone. sole would feel his arm wrap around her shoulder casually, “how’s about we go back to goodneighbor and take a sip of that wine you made? i want to know about your days at the village anyway. sounded interesting.” sole would return his friendly affection, draping on arm on the backside of his torso as she hummed. “that sounds great.”

Nick Valentine:

he was ecstatic to see that sole still attained some of their prewar skills, it was definitely a rarity nowadays in the commonwealth. it’s been a while since he’s tasted some authentic wine, the last time being with jenny, but even so, that was the old nick and not the one that existed right then and there. he was thrilled to learn more about his partner who often kept her life to herself - it was a nice change for once. nick himself has seen people work in villages back in his day, so he had an idea of what skills she could’ve picked up while living in one. sole caught him walking to her with a smile on his face and she decided to meet with him halfway. “what did you think, nick? i know my skills were probably a little rusty here and there.” nick shot sole a warm smile, noticing the small, shy flush on her cheeks. “rusty? i found it quite flawless,” sole felt her face redden more as nick continued, “for a 200 year old popsicle, you’ve done pretty good, kid. i bet no one could replicate what you just executed.” she chortled at his silly remark, feeling more confident in her own expertise. “i’m glad i was able to impress you. now let’s hope it’ll taste as good as it looks.” nicked grinned, perking up at her comment, “i don’t mind being the judge of that, if that’s what you’re implying.” she smiled softly; it was exactly what she had in mind.

Codsworth:

he already knew of soles upbringing and the impressive skill set she had. codsworth remembered almost everything she had told her husband about her times at the village and was always drawn into her interesting stories. despite that, she’d always use these skills during her times with nate, and codsworth often observed her from afar during prewar times. he’d remember the excitement in her eyes when she used to execute this hobby and had still caught the same passionate glint as she confidently demonstrated to the crowd. as the settlers departed with happy and content comments, codsworth made their way to them with a jovial tone in his voice. “it’s lovely to see that your skills are definitely top notch just like the old days, mum!” sole would grin at codsworth, a happy expression on her face. “thank you, codsworth! it means a lot coming from you.” codsworth would help sole clean up the aftermath of the presentation, rushing to do most of the work so she could rest, “anytime, mum!”

Preston:

he’d be almost speechless at soles talents, nothing more than a soft yet interested, ‘damn,’ escaping his mouth. though he knew sole was a hardworking, humble, and honest person, he was happy to learn that she did reside in a village at one point of her life. it could only mean that she had a vast amount of experience that many people nowadays aspire to have - farming, cooking in unique ways, etc. most people just knew how to use a gun and make money for a living during these hard times. seeing sole smoke a brahmin would definitely leave him awestruck, considering that he’s never seen anyone do that before. ”wow! that’s so cool, ms. sole! i hope to be like you someday.” sole shyly grinned at the child that beamed at her, opening her mouth to respond until prestons sounded throughout the crowd. “that’s the general for you. we couldn’t have found someone better.” sole chuckled nervously as everyone continued to throw strings of compliments at her. “yeah, for sure!” “we have the best leader in the commonwealth!” she would meet his gaze, embarrassed by all the attention she was receiving. preston would tip his hat as sole mouthed a timid, “thank you.” as the crowd cheered on. he would definitely have to try her smoked brahmin after her exhibition.

X6:

though a stoic expression would remain on his face, he would feel a sense of awe as sole calmly explained to the residents how to smoke brahmin meat. for sure, x6 has seen many displays of how to prepare food in the most exotic and unique ways in the institute but would be interested finding out that she had presented a new method of execution he hadn’t encountered during his lifetime. with his eyes fixated on soles hand movements and the materials on the table, he jotted down every action that she made with every second that ticked. his stillness and intimidating presence would creep everyone out and they would feel uncomfortable with x6 just blankly staring at whatever. regardless, the crowd seemed to enjoy the show despite the discomfort. after what seemed like eternity, sole finally concluded her demo and thanked the crowd for giving her their attention. the settlers applauded sole, giving her their final compliments and comments before dispersing. she smiled, proud of what she accomplished and decided to pack everything up before hitting the hay. “ma’am.” she jumped up, getting frightened by the sudden voice that rung behind her. looking over her shoulder slowly, she caught x6 staring at her with a blank expression. she glared at him. “next time, give me a warning, will ya? you almost gave me a heart attack.” x6 simply nodded before continuing on with his statement, “i believe your skills will be convenient to the institute. it’s almost remarkable to discover that you retain something from your prewar days.” soles eyes widened in surprise for a mere moment but collected herself, a small smile growing on her face. “thanks x6.” silence followed after, but x6s compliment was enough to tell her that he appreciated her talent.

[askthesnake]

Hey m8, I have an idea for a comic (I've already designed the characters and have a blog for it but I don't know how to start it or get people to see it, and I'm not really confident in my art skills. Any advice?

Of course!

Lets look at what you've accomplished! You have the characters and the basic story figured out! That's a great start and honestly it's one of the hardest things to do when you're starting a comic.

As for getting people to actually see and interact with your comic, for Tumblr its all about the tags. Depending on what type of comic it is can sort of help you decide which tags to use. So for example if its web comic do stuff like #webcomic or maybe the genre of the comic can help too.

If its a comic for a fandom you're also pretty set too. Character tags are always pretty buzzing with people looking for fresh content. Just be respectful and responsible and don't tag characters that don't have Any thing to do with your work. Like for example, when I first started this blog, I included tags for ALL the sides, despite the fact that in the beginning my asks only had Deceit featured in them. Thankfully I didn't get hounded for it and I learned eventually, but either way just be responsible about tagging.

Oh while we're still on tagging, if your comic has some thing potentially triggering remember to tag that appropriately. Like for blood #tw blood or #blood mention as an example.

As for your art style and lack of confidence there of, just know you're definitely not alone. I've met a plethora of artists and I can confidently say none of them are truly ever happy or confident with their work. Even now I find myself looking at work I've done like a few days ago and wretching. I can however positively tell you that running this ask blog/comic has SIGNIFICANTLY improved my art style in at least half the time it would have taken normally. Its because im drawing constantly and always trying new things to make the art for this blog more appealing to new viewers. Running a comic is a fantastic way to better your art and gain confidence in it. Like yeah im not always super happy with what I post here, but looking back at stuff I've in the past compared to some of the stuff I've put on this blog honestly kinda boosts my confidence as am artist. Not to mention it really high lights where you've improved and where you still need to work on things. Personally I like your art style!! I got your Deceit drawing and I think it's wonderful! You're really not as bad as you think you are, and personally I think you've got a pretty strong style to start with.

I guess my next piece of advice is, to put it simply, never under any circumstances take shit from others. Do not let people's words and comments discourage you. Ever. Its much easier said than done I know, and even now I can't really give you any advice on how to avoid such things. The best I can do is warn you. I've had personal friends make fun of me for running this blog and like honestly that hurts differently. I made this blog when I was going through a very eye opening and dark time in my life, so naturally it means a whole lot to me. This blog was and still very much is a safe place for me to run too. There are going to be people who aren't going to understand that unfortunately and I really wasn't prepared for it. So hear this, be prepared for shitty people to rag on you for doing some thing that makes you happy. Im not saying it WILL happen, just be prepared just in case. Also on a similar note ignore anon hate. I think during my year with this blog I've only gotten one anon hate message, and it wasn't even that bad?? It was someone commenting on my chubby Logan post. Whatever, literally ignore the hell out of anon hate. People who take time out of there to bully someone on this godforsaken website aren't worth your time.

But, if anon hate does get to you, always know that you can talk to someone. My askbox and dms are always open if someone wants to talk or vent. People are assholes, and sometimes if you gotta vent you gotta vent.

Also, don't ever let your comic and blog impede your mental health. If you're feelin bad you're feelin bad. Remember to drink water and stay hydrated. Then again, if drawing is how you cope, then by all means draw your heart out you funky lil artist.

Finally, don't be afraid to reblog your own stuff. I do it, I know other art tumblrs who do it. You're gonna feel bad and annoying about doing it, but just do it man. It's not bad or wrong. I live on the west coast, historically Ive been known to post my art at like 12-4 am. Once like noon hits where I'm at I'll reblog my own art just to make sure everyone saw it, and then I'll reblog it again at some random time the next day just because.

Also, a small secret about this blog, I sent the first ask to this blog. I literally logged off this blog, hopped on my old tumblr and sent an ask to this blog. Its a pretty easy way to show people that your blog is Up and Running. Im not sure what kind of comic your making, but if its an interactive one like a web comic and you're not getting any asks, then there is no shame in doing this.

[g-r-i-m-a]

Do you/used to go to any sort of art school? Because damn... I'm a self-taught "artist" and I've been at it for about 5 years but it feels like I just don't move forward and I'm considering starting an art course but I heard that if you have no talent, nothing will help anyway... Thoughts? :)

No I never went to anything even close to art school (and it used to be my dream when I was like 15). I'm sure you're moving forward, you probably compare yourself to others :P And sadly 5 years isn't actually that much. It's nothing, in fact. So there's still a long way to go... But you've come so far so you can't let that time be wasted, you just gotta keep going. It depends on how often you practice, and for quick skill gain, quantity should have priority quality at first. Speaking from experience. When you get into drawing a lot of doodles daily (or at least several times a week), you hand just gets into that free and flexible mode and then drawing IS easier, which means it looks better, too. Uhh anyway since I have never been to any art school, I can't tell you if they can make an artist out of someone who doesn't feel it at all... But you have determination and that's what matters. With that you can achieve anything you want, but you have to be patient. If you can afford an art course, I say try it out (if you trust others that they will actually help you learn and not just kill your creativity by telling you what to draw and what not to draw). I really suck at this kind of advice because I have no idea what I'm doing most of the time. One thing I can assure you of is that skill comes suddenly, when you least expect it :P Those sudden leaps happen 3 maybe 4 times a year to me... Don't give up. And work with things that make you happy. You'll find advice to practice drawing from life, which actually is very important... But if you want to draw cartoon dogs at first, that's fine too. Learn things related to it. How to draw fur? How does the dog move? This will lead you into new things eventually. I started out with drawing shitty dragons and Lion King fanart when I was 10 or so, and I kept drawing only big cats for the next 8 years at least. What I learned from their anatomy though enabled me to draw any other animal I want. It made it easier to look at a creature once and know how it moves.So no matter what you draw, you always learn from it.Never let yourself fall into a comfort zone pit. You will be stuck and it WILL kill your creativity. It happened to me 3 years ago and I'm still struggling. If you find a way to paint things and it feels comfortable, fast, and satisfying... It's a sign you stopped moving forward. The longer you let it be this way, the bigger risk of getting stuck. It's much, MUCH harder to un-learn things than to learn, so keep that in mind! If something gets too easy, you've reached the end of the stage you're on and it's time to move on lol :P