#maybe it’s just the art style. his eyes were Very Blue

[mangoisms]

ok never mind i saw another angle and. no

[sysig]

Wander-ful! (Patreon)

[fratttymatty]

Southern Shift

(All characters are 18+)

Maddox had never been much of a believer in magic. Sure, he’d seen the viral videos, heard the wild stories, but he figured they were all some sort of elaborate hoaxes or clever editing tricks. His life had always been a straightforward one: an 18-year-old guy from a fairly progressive city on the coast. He was used to being who he was—a proud gay man, confident and comfortable in his own skin. He didn’t fit in with every crowd, but that was fine by him. He had his friends, his passions, and a future in design and art lined up after graduation.

But when a strange e-mail showed up one Wednesday evening, everything Maddox knew about his life was thrown into chaos.

It came from a source called TrueVision Enterprises, a company he’d never heard of, with a subject line that read: "Your Destiny Awaits — Experience a New Life." Curiosity got the best of him. What could possibly go wrong?

It was a poorly-written message, vague but cryptic. “Ever wonder what it’s like to be someone else? To experience a life you’ve only imagined? Click here to find out.”

A grin spread across his face. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? Maybe it was a prank. Maybe it was a scam. But it was better than staring at the same four walls all night. So, against better judgment, he clicked the link.

The screen went black for a moment, then flashed with a blinding light.

When Maddox opened his eyes, everything had changed.

It wasn’t just the environment—though the suburban neighborhood around him looked radically different from his usual cityscape. No, it was something far deeper, more visceral. He felt it in his bones, in his muscles, in the very way he was standing.

Looking down, he saw the first signs. His body had undergone a remarkable transformation. Gone was his lean but soft physique, the figure of a 5'11" city guy with a slight build. In its place was something else entirely: a lean, toned build with defined muscles in his arms, chest, and legs. His body felt stronger, like he could throw a punch without thinking about it, or lift heavy things without breaking a sweat. But what really caught his attention was his height.

He blinked, staring down at himself. He was taller. Not just a little taller, but by a significant amount. Maddox used to be 5'11", but now, standing at 6'3", he had a commanding presence. His legs stretched out longer than he remembered, and the new height gave him an imposing posture. He’d never been the tallest in his group, and now he towered over everyone, even the people around him who seemed much bigger and broader than he remembered.

His new height felt natural, like it had always been this way. But it also made him feel powerful, larger-than-life in a way that was completely unfamiliar.

He glanced at the house around him. It was large, a two-story place with wide windows, a white picket fence, and an immaculately-kept lawn. The interior was similarly pristine, and the smell of fresh wood and leather filled the air. This wasn't his apartment. This wasn’t anywhere he recognized. But something about the space felt... familiar, as though it was his home now.

He staggered, momentarily disoriented, and made his way to a nearby mirror.

What he saw almost made him fall over.

A stranger stared back at him. His face was familiar, but only in the way you recognize a reflection in a window before you really focus on it. His hair—blonde, curly, and wild—was cut into a mullet that reached just past the top of his neck, the ends flaring out like a halo of unruly curls. He didn’t remember ever styling his hair that way, yet the new version of himself seemed to suit it effortlessly. The loose curls framed his jawline, drawing attention to the newly defined muscles there.

His eyes, once a sharp hazel, had turned a lighter shade of blue. His expression was different too—stoic, even smug, like someone who knew exactly who he was and had no time for nonsense.

Then he looked down at himself, taking in his outfit. A plaid, button-up shirt—tight across his chest but still comfortable—clung to his muscular frame. He wore a worn leather belt with a large, shining buckle, a pair of jeans that fit just right and boots that seemed made for walking through dirt. And of course, a tan, weathered cowboy hat sat perched on top of his head.

Everything about his appearance screamed “redneck,” yet it was as if he'd always been this way. As if this transformation was simply an outward reflection of who he was now.

He stared at his reflection, utterly speechless, before hearing a voice from behind him.

"Adam, honey, come on down here! Dinner’s ready!"

He froze. Adam? That wasn’t his name. His name was Maddox.

But when he tried to say it—when he opened his mouth to speak—it wasn’t "Maddox" that came out.

"Yessir, mom," the new voice said, gruff and confident, with a drawl he didn't recognize. It was his voice, but it felt... wrong.

Before he could think further, his feet carried him toward the stairs. Every movement felt more natural, more instinctual. He didn’t have to think about walking anymore; his body just moved.

The moment he stepped into the kitchen, he was greeted by two older figures: a tall man with a thick beard and a sun-worn face, and a woman with perfectly-coiffed blonde hair and a warm, motherly smile.

"Adam, you hungry, baby?" The woman—his new "mother"—asked in a thick Southern accent, as she placed a plate of fried chicken and mashed potatoes on the table.

"Yeah, looks good, mom." His voice was smooth, authoritative, and familiar. It was like he had always talked this way.

The man, his new father, patted him on the back. "Atta boy. Gotta keep up your strength if you’re gonna help me with the truck this weekend."

Adam nodded, suddenly feeling an unfamiliar rush of excitement at the thought of working on a truck. "Sounds good, pops."

His father gave him a knowing look. "Glad to hear it. Gotta be ready to defend this house. Keep it in shape." There was a pause, and then a sly smirk crossed his face. "Though, I gotta say, I’m more worried about that little gay friend of yours. What’s his name again? Cody, right?"

Adam’s heart skipped. Cody was his best friend. But the way his father said it—the sneer in his voice—felt wrong. His thoughts tried to resist, but the tug of new instincts, of new feelings, pushed him to respond in a way he would have never before.

"Yeah, Cody’s a nice guy," Adam said, his voice dripping with casual disdain, "but man, he’s just… different, y’know? He’s always talking about stuff I don’t care about, like his art or whatever. He’s not really my kind of guy. Dude’s all wrapped up in his feelings and thinks he’s some kind of big thinker. He’s just not built for the real world."

Adam laughed and shrugged, the words flowing out like they were second nature. It felt good, somehow, to say it out loud. The Maddox part of him—the part that would’ve fiercely defended Cody, that would’ve fought anyone who insulted him—seemed like a distant memory.

His father chuckled, clearly approving. "Well, I’m glad to hear you’re making better choices, son. You don't need someone like that holding you back."

"Exactly," Adam said with a grin. "I’ve got enough on my plate, worrying about football, work, and, you know, my future. Guys like Cody? They just complicate things."

The following day, Adam found himself at a school that seemed to be from another world. The high school was old, with large wooden bleachers in the gym and the faint smell of tobacco in the air. Kids in cowboy boots and trucker hats roamed the halls, and there was an air of casual arrogance in the way they all carried themselves.

When he walked into the classroom, heads turned. He wasn’t used to this kind of attention, but now, standing at his new, imposing height of 6'3", Adam felt like he belonged. He loomed over the students around him, towering above them with a sense of superiority that felt right, even though it was still so new. His height made him feel like the guy everyone respected—or, if they didn’t, they at least stayed out of his way.

"Hey, Adam," a guy called from the back of the room. He had a thick jaw and a cocky grin. "How’s it going, man?"

"Good, bro," Adam replied, easily slipping into the role of the guy everyone wanted to hang out with. The guy who didn’t care about anything except his truck, his friends, and his future. A life of simple pleasures, uncomplicated by anything like "progressive politics" or "diversity."

But the most striking change came when he spotted her in the hallway. Emily.

She was the cheerleading captain. Blonde, athletic, and with a smile that lit up the entire school. Adam hadn’t expected to feel such a strong pull toward her, but as he watched her walking toward him, he felt his chest puff out with pride, the feeling of possession he didn’t quite understand.

"Hey, Adam," Emily called, giving him a wink. She wore her cheer uniform—tight, short, and red—and looked every bit the picture of what his new life was supposed to be. "You ready for the game on Friday? I’ve got your back, big guy."

"Always," Adam said, his voice dropping an octave. He felt confident, even cocky, as he walked toward her, putting an arm around her waist as they headed to class together. She was his girlfriend, after all, and that was just the way things were now. The idea of a different reality, a different version of himself, felt so distant.

By the time school ended, Adam was fully in his new life. Football practice had been intense, but Adam had breezed through it. As a starting wide receiver, he was the star of the team. He felt invincible on the field, his new body moving with strength and agility. The other players had all been high-fiving him, slapping his back, calling him "the beast."

And as for Emily? She was always by his side, chatting him up with that sweet, familiar smile. They talked about the weekend plans—probably a party at Brad's, a bonfire down by the lake—and Adam felt perfectly at home.

When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Adam had only one thought: This is my life now. He was Adam, the 6'3", football-playing redneck with a cheerleader girlfriend and a world of opportunities at his feet.

The old Maddox, the artist from the city, was gone.

And Adam? Adam was everything he’d ever needed to be.

[rosevette]

·.༄࿔ TAKE ME TO PARIS pt. 1 my mlist

𝒋𝒐𝒉𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒄𝒌 & 𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒕 𝒙 𝒇𝒆𝒎!𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓

💋ྀིྀི résumé : meeting the man of your dreams at an art auction in Paris isn’t too good to be true, right ? Well, your bodyguard thinks just the opposite.

1.0k words + tags : dumb, ‘naive’ !reader, manipulation, fantasizing, smut, age gap, pet names, fingering, slight non-con, evil intent ⭑

୭ৎ … this is lowk based on one of my bots with marquis here … this is my first little blurb, I don’t really write but this idea is too good to not share w yall. if u see any spelling or grammar mistakes , ignore !! part two here - sincerely, rose

IN THE HEART OF PARIS, amidst the elegant splendor of an art auction, you found yourself captivated by the beauty of the pieces on display. Adorned in a gown of midnight blue silk, you moved gracefully through the room, your eyes alight with fascination as you admired each exquisite masterpiece.

As you lingered before a stunning portrait, a voice broke through the murmurs of the crowd.

"A breathtaking piece, is it not?" Turning, you found yourself face to face with a tall, green eyed brooding man. Dressed in a tailored suit of charcoal grey, he exuded an air of effortless charm as he regarded you with a knowing smile.

"Yes, it truly is," you replied, unable to tear your gaze away from his piercing emerald eyes. Engaging in polite small talk, you found yourself drawn into conversation with the stranger, his wit and sophistication captivating your attention.

“Marquis De Gramont. And you?” He spoke with a thick French accent, his thin lips forming a smile as he extended out his arm, opening his hand for you to shake. Flattered by him already, you shake his hand, your other one clutching onto your purse as you introduced yourself.

How charming, he was, you thought to yourself. He was not only handsome, but was a gentleman as well. You could tell by the way he just suited himself, and that sparkle in his eyes you glanced at whenever you two conversed.

One thing you didn’t know was that in fact, this man was the complete opposite of charming and well, a gentleman. Yes, he held himself with impeccable style and his composure was kept controlled, but the thoughts that came across his mind were just pure sin. He thought of how pretty you would look with your dress rolled up to your stomach as he pounded into you in the back of his limousine, maybe even perhaps hidden in an empty aisle of this very art auction.

The way his hands are would just fit around that small neck, the pearls that would fall on the ground as he pulled it off of you, and finally, your watery puppy eyed face he’d enjoy seeing begging and pleading for him to stop , or maybe even for more.

As the auction commenced, you both found yourselves bidding on a magnificent painting—a Madonna and Child by Duccio. With each raise of the paddle, the tension between you grew, the excitement of the bidding war fueling your competitive spirit.

In the end, it was you who emerged victorious, the winning bid earning you the coveted artwork. As you basked in the glow of your triumph, the Marquis offered you a gracious smile, masking the flicker of his ulterior motives in his eyes.

Later that evening, as the auction drew to a close and guests began to depart, the Marquis De Gramont approached you once more, his charming smile never faltering.

"Ah, ma chérie, it seems fate has brought us together once again," he murmured, his voice smooth as silk as he took your hand, pressing a gentle kiss to the back of it. A blush crept onto your cheeks at his bold gesture, and you chuckled softly in response.

"Perhaps our paths will cross again during your time in Paris," you replied, returning his flirtatious banter with a playful glint in your eye.

As you turned to leave, blowing a teasing kiss in his direction, you couldn't shake the feeling of his lingering gaze on your back. Climbing into the waiting limousine, you settled into the plush seat beside your ever-watchful bodyguard, John Wick. His eyebrows furrowed in concern as he glanced at you.

"Was that the Marquis?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.

You rolled your eyes, dismissing his worry with a wave of your hand.

"And what about him, John?" you retorted, feigning nonchalance as you closed the door behind you.

"You shouldn't be so friendly with strangers," John admonished, his concern palpable as he turned his attention back to the road.

Returning to the luxurious confines of the Ritz Paris, you found yourself lost in thought, the memory of your encounter with the Marquis lingering in your mind. Despite John's warnings, you couldn't shake the feeling that the Marquis's intentions were harmless. Little did you know, danger lurked just beyond the facade of charm and sophistication.

The next morning, as sunlight streamed through the silk curtains of your suite, you awoke to find John reading quietly on the sofa.

"I ordered some room service," he informed you, his gaze never leaving the pages of his book. You greeted him with a playful smirk, teasing him for his lack of a proper morning greeting.

While indulging in breakfast, your attention was drawn to a shiny box nestled among the pastries on the cart. With curiosity piqued, you opened it to find a stunning Van Cleef necklace in your favorite shade of sapphire blue. Your heart skipped a beat as you read the accompanying note, the words "for mon chérie" sending a chill down your spine.

Assuming it was a thoughtful gesture from John, you were taken aback when you realized the true sender. The Marquis's charm had ensnared you once again, his gift a reminder of the dangerous game he was playing. With a sense of foreboding settling over you, you couldn't help but wonder what other surprises the Marquis had in store.

End of part 1. Part 2.

© rosevette 2024 . do not copy !

[hoodedjelly]

Nicktoons unite main 4 in their respected styles ( minus jimmy neutron i'll explain more below)

i feel very mixed about these but it was still fun either way studying all of these cartoons respected styles. the final does make me happy, seeing all of them together ^__^ 💞

below i will explain my thought process working with each style so get ready for a wall of text:

first before anything you may be asking: why no jimmy neutron style!? it's because i tried and gave up! i was starting the rendering process for timmy and i hated it so i just didn't continue! no point of making myself miserable for something thats harmless fun style studies. but have these as a little treat:

Fairly Oddparents style: the easiest style to work on and research for, fop style is not that complex. i should also add i didn't draw each style in one sitting i drew each character together and then edited them all, so that might be the reason why some look better then others, i just got good. but i'm saying that because the character i started with was spongebob! specifically because i was tired of ppl thinking dp style and fop style are the same and how spongebob would look the same in both styles, just a flat square. which is wrong! fop style is very different! i would prob describe it as a flat paper style. has sharp and rounded thick lines. the main source of research i used for it was the designer for fop was Ernie Gilbert. he has designed a lot of iconic characters for the show and i highly would check out his work, this is his website

Danny phantom style: now this one was tricky, prob the hardest one to figure out and i honestly don't think i really DID figure it out. the possible reason is i am still trying to go through the show atm myself, but i'd doubt it. they all just look off to me, just a little. which no need for me to work myself in a circle trying to make it "perfect". im no professional character designer! especially not Stephen Silver.

Spongebob Squarepants style: this one was tricky but in the opposite way to dp style, where i didn't know what to reference! to start off the show is mainly nonhuman characters, so finding character refs were hard. the refs i did use were the mermaids and the superheros, so i used that for timmy. but in the middle of working on jimmys i was watching a video of someone ranking every single spongebob ep and TURNS OUT in the later seasons, i think season 13, there were human designs! (technically elfs but whatever).

and weirder thing is how they draw patchy but im not going to get into that. i am assuming that style is for characters that are supposed to be real life humans up on land in that universe (but why not just use real life humans? idk, maybe tom kenny is getting to old for the role). BUT ANYWAY, i used the elfs for a main source for jimmy and danny, they turned out a lot better then the timmy in my eyes. i wanted at least one of them to have the black eyes but they all have bright blue eyes and the show usually always colors blue eyes. i get ahead of myself cause there was a lot more factors i still had to figure out. like the line art. the show doesn't have a clear line style like dp or fop, its just relatively consistent medium lines. so i just went with more recent show stuff then older stuff since it's HD.

ok but thats basically it, i can prob go on more but i'd feel no one gaf. i made these for fun and it was fun making them! i love all of these shows a ton so it was nice looking up the designers and artist for these shows. support the artists!!! fuck bitch fartman!!!!!

[enkays-den]

Hermits as birds from where they live/were born!

note: my knowledge is centered around North American birds, so sorry if the european ones aren't super accurate

Bdubs: Northern Saw-Whet Owl. He's just a little guy with big eyes. Small and evil, love him

Cub: Common Starling. Skulk like-iridescence, incredibly friendly. Plus, with Cub running the horn store this season, he NEEDED to be the bird that can imitate pretty much any noise it hears

Doc: Bonelli's Eagle. Large raptor found in Germany. It's straight "brow" and hunched posture remind me of Doc

Etho: Common Loon. THE! CANADIAN! BIRD! Despite being "common", their pattern is simply EXQUISITE Plus, it has a red eye! Also listen to the noises these things make, it's literally stock nature sounds all in one bird. Also, I'd put Etho on my one dollar coin.

False: Barn Owl. Very elegant owl, I just feel it suits her, that's all. Very stately posture.

Gem (Season 10 specifically): Great Blue Heron. It's a fisher, it's blue, it's menacing, what more could you ask for?

Scar (Hotguy): Double-crested Cormorant: A waterfowl bc scar did competitive swimming, it's got a slightly funky shape which I feel suits scar's personality. It also has the Hotguy colors!

Grian: Eurasian Bullfinch. Parrot Grian will not reign supreme. Look at that little guy. He's mischievous, he's red, I do not trust him.

Hypno: Stellar's Jay. My provincial bird! I just think both have very chill and cool personalities

Jevin: Lazuli Bunting. Just a little blue guy!

Impulse: American Goldfinch. Black and yellow, need I say more?

Iskall: Booted Eagle. Something about a stout raptor just feels right. Look at that posture. Reminds me of when Iskall tries to copy the brits' accents.

Joe: Turkey Vulture. Although seen as odd or menacing, all vultures are integral to the local ecosystem and are in actuality, very elegant and gentle birds.

Keralis: Boreal Owl. Yes, I did make the two guys with big eyes owls, What of it? LOOK at him. Put a little hardhat on him, put a little hawiian shirt on him. Precious sweet face.

Mumbo: Avocet. It's basically a vibe check and a mustache joke.

Peal: Black Swan. Big 5AM Pearl vibes. Giant, beautiful, protective. Love that for her.

Ren: Giant Kingfisher. Obligatory King Ren joke, it's a South African bird, and it's kinda goofy looking. I think the speckled feathers look like a ruffled fur collar on a king's cape.

Skizz: Golden Eagle. Large, majestic, hella strong, and he's wearing pants :3

Joel: Tree Swallow. Very small, beautiful, agile bird. The swallow's wings remind me of Asian art styles.

Stress: Magpie. GOR-JUS and LOUD. Imagine her next to Iskall (they're very similar in size, bless them)

Tango: Swainson's Hawk. I fought every bone in my body to not make an Arizona Cardinals joke when I already made a Phoenix Coyotes one maybe half an hour before. The Swainson's hawk is on the smaller size, but still a deadly spitfire, which I think suits Tango

TFC: Brown Pelican. A solitary bird, definitely a rare sighting. TFC was always joking about how much he would eat, I thought a pelican was apt

Beef: Barred Owl. MY FAVORITE OWL. I literally call them 'round beefy boys' and they're just so sweet and I love them

Wels: American Kestrel. I LOVE these little guys. Simply the smallest, cutest and beautiful falcon there is. They're about the size of a pigeon. It's just got such a regal posture despite being a little cutie.

XB: Rock Pigeon. Despite being common and seen as a "dumb pest", they are pretty intelligent, there's a reason they were used to carry messages around. They're also a close relation to doves! The green collar also is like the jacket collar on his skin.

Xisuma: Semipalmated Plover. X and Mumbo were both chosen because of how those birds run on the beach. They're RIDICULOUS. This subspecies is exclusively because it look like he's wearing a little helmet.

Zedaph: Firecrest. Just the GOOFIEST little guy I found on the wiki of British birds. Look at that thing /aff. Also, Zed do be blowing up a lot

Cleo: Partridge. Beautiful bird, looks like they want to kill you in your sleep, just like Cleo.

[sophaeros]

arctic monkeys for q magazine, june 2011 (x) (x)

ARCTIC MONKEYS: Inside Alex Turner's Head

Words Sylvia Patterson Portrait John Wright

The day Arctic Monkeys moved into their six bedroom, Spanish-style villa in the Hollywood Hills, where the first-floor balcony looked over the patio swimming pool, they knew exactly what to do.

"From the balcony, you could get on t'roof and jump in't pool," chirps the Monkeys' most gregarious member, drummer Matt Helders, in his homely Yorkshire way. "We looked at it and said, That's definitely gonna happen. So by the end, we did a couple of 'em. Somersaults in t'pool, from the roof. At night time."

In January 2011, as Sheffield and the rest of Britain endured its bitterest winter in a century, Arctic Monkeys capered among the palm trees, eschewing hotels for a millionaire's Hollywood homestead as they recorded and mixed their fourth studio album, Suck It and See.

The four Monkeys, alongside producer James Ford and engineer James Brown, lived what they called the "American man thing": watched Super Bowl on giant TVs, played ping-pong, hired two Mustangs, cooked cartoon Tom And Jerry-sized steaks on barbecues on Sundays, had girlfriends over to visit, all cooking and drinking around the colossal outdoor kitchen area featuring a fridge and two dishwashers. Living atop the Hills, they could see the Pacific Ocean beyond by day, the infinite glittering lights of downtown LA by night.

Every day, en route to Sound City Studios, they'd travel in a seven-seater four-by-four through the mountains, via bohemian 60s enclave Laurel Canyon, blaring out the tunes: The Stones Roses, The Cramps, the Misfits' Hollywood Babylon. For the sometime teenage art-punk renegades whose guitarist, Jamie Cook, was once ejected from London's Met Bar for refusing to pay €22 for two beers, the comedy rock'n'roll life still feels, however, absolutely nothing like reality.

NICK O'MALLEY: "It were really as if we were on holiday. When we came back it's the most post-holiday blues I've ever had!"

JAMIE COOK: "It's hard to comment on that. It were just really good fun."

MATT HELDERS: "We always said, As soon as things like that feel normal, we're in trouble. But it's just funny. You might think it would get more and more serious as you get older but it's getting funnier. We've done four albums now and I'm still only 24, I'm still immature to an extent. So who cares?"

Alex? Al? Are you there?

ALEX TURNER: "Yeah, it were good times. But we were in the studio most of the time. So there's no real wild Hollywood stories. Hmn. Yeah."

Wednesday, 16 March 2011, Strongroom Bar, Shoreditch, East London, 11am. Alex Turner, 25, slips entirely alone into an empty art-crowd brasserie looking like an indie girl's indie dream boy: mop-top bouffant hair which coils, in curlicues, directly into his cheekbones, army-green waist-length jacket, baggy-arsed skinny jeans, black cord zip-up cardigan, simple gold chain, supermoon sized chocolate-brown eyes.

Almost six years after I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor became the indie-punk anthem of a generation (from the first of Arctic Monkeys' three Number 1 albums), and nothing prepares you for the curious phenomenon of Alex Turner "in conversation". Unlike so many of the Monkeys frenetic early songs, he operates in slow motion, seemingly underwater, carrying a protective shell on his back, perhaps indie rock's very own diamond-backed terrapin. The most celebrated young wordsmith in rock'n roll today talks fulsomely, in fact, only in shapeless, curling sentences punctuated with "maybe... hmn.. yeah", an anecdotal wilderness sketching pictures as vague as a cloud. He is, though, simultaneously adorable: amenable, gentle, graceful, and as Northern as a 70s grandpa who literally greets you with "ey oop?".

"People think I'm a miserable bastard," he notes, cheerfully, "but it's just the way me face falls." Still profoundly private, if not as hermetically sealed as a vacuum-packed length of Frankfurter, his fante-shy reticence extends not only to his personal life (his four-year relationship with It-girl/TV presenter Alexa Chung, whom he never mentions) but to insider details generally. Take the Monkeys’ Hollywood high jinks documented above: not one word of it was described by Turner. Before Q was informed by his other Monkey bandmates, Turner’s anecdotal aversion unfolded like this:

Describe the lovely villa you were in. AT: "Well... we certainly had a... good view."

Of what? AT: "Well, we were up quite high."

The downtown LA lights going on forever? AT: "I dunno. It was definitely that thing of getting a bit of sort of sunshine. Is it vitamin D? If you can get vitamin D on your record, you've got a bit of a head start. So we'd get up and drive to the studio."

What were you driving? AT: "Nothing... spectacular. But yeah, we'd drive up the studio, spend all day there and sort of, y know, get back. To be honest... we had limited time. So we spent as much time as possible kind of getting into it, like, in the studio.

So your favourite adventures were what? AT: "Well, they were really… minimal. We were working out there!"

Any nightclubs or anything, perhaps? AT: "You really want the goss 'ere, don't you?"

Yes, please. AT: "I could make some up. Nah!"

And this was on the second time of asking. It's perhaps obvious: Alex Turner, one of the most prolific songwriters of his generation (four Monkeys albums and two EPs in five years, The Last Shadow Puppets side-project, a bewitching acoustic soundtrack for his actor/video director friend Richard Ayoade's feature-length debut Submarine), is dedicated only to the cause – of being the best he can possibly be. He simply remembers the songs much more than the somersaults.

Throughout 2009, Arctic Monkeys toured third album Humbug – the record mostly made in the Californian desert with Queens Of The Stone Age man-monolith Josh Homme – across the planet. While hardly some cranium-blistering opus, its heavier sonic meanderings considerably slowed the Arctic Monkeys' live sets and on 23 August 2009, Q watched them headline the Lowlands Festival, Holland and witnessed a hitherto unthinkable sight – swathes of perplexed Monkeys fans trudging away from the stage. With the sludge rock mood matching their cascading dude-rock hair it seemed obvious: they'd smoked way too much outrageously strong weed in the desert.

"Heheheh, yeah," responds Turner, unperturbed. "That's your theory. You probably weren't alone."

Back in the Strongroom Bar, Turner's arm is now nonchalantly draped along the back of a beaten-up brown leather sofa. He ponders his band's somewhat contrary reputation…

"I think starting the headline set at Reading with a cover of a Nick Cave tune perhaps was a bit contrary. D'youknowhat Imean?! But to be honest, that summer, at those festivals, we had a great time. And I know some fans enjoyed those sets 10 times more. And you can't just do, y’know, another Mardy Bum or whatever. Because how could you, really?"

With Humbug, notes Turner, "I went into corners I hadn't before, because I needed to see what were there," but by spring 2010 he wanted their fourth album to be "more song-based" and less lyrically "removed". He was "organised this time", studied "the good songwriters" (from Nick Cave, The Byrds and Leonard Cohen to country colossi Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline), discovered "the other three strings" on his guitar, and wrote 12 songs through the spring and summer of 2010, mostly in the fourth-floor New York flat he shared with Chung before the couple moved back to London late last summer (the New York MTV show It's On With Alexa Chung was cancelled after two seasons). The result: major-key melodies, harmonised singing and classic song structures.

At the same time he revisited the opposite extreme: bands such as Black Sabbath and The Stooges ("we wanted a few wig-outs as well"); he was also still heavily influenced by the oil-thick grinder rock of Josh Homme, who is clearly now a permanent Monkeys hero. After four months' rehearsals in London, on 8 January the Monkeys relocated to LA for five swift weeks of production and Homme came to visit, singing backing vocals on All My Own Stunts. Tequila was involved.

"Tequila is probably me favourite," manages Turner, by way of an anecdote. "But it takes a certain climate... It's not the same... in the rain. Yeah. [Looks to be contemplating a lyric] Tequila in the rain."

Vocally, he developed the caramel richness first unveiled on The Last Shadow Puppets' Scott Walker-esque The Age Of The Understatement, finding a crooner's vibrato. "Everything before was so tight,” he notes, clutching his neck. "Probably just through nerves. That's just not there any more." Suck It and See contains at least four of the most glittering, sing-along, world-class pop songs (and obvious singles) of Arctic Monkeys' career: the towering, clanging She's Thunderstorms, the summertime stunner The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala, the heavenly harmonised title track and the Echo & The Bunnymen-esque jangly pop of closer That's Where You're Wrong.

Elsewhere, in typically contrary "fashion", there's preposterous head-banger bedlam (Brick By Brick, the rollicking faux-heavy rock download they released in March "just for fun", featuring vocals by Helders; Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair, and Library Pictures). News arrives that the first single proper will be Don't Sit Down 'Cause I've Moved Your Chair. Q is perplexed. Brilliantly titled, certainly, but arriving after Brick By Brick, the new album will appear to the planet as some comedy pastiche metal album for 12-year-old boys.

You've got all these colossal, summery, indie-pop classics and you've gone for... The Chair? AT: [Laughing uproariously] "The Chair! I'm now calling it The Chair, that's cool. Well for once it weren't even our suggestion. It was Laurence's (Bell, Domino label boss). And I were, Fucking too right! He's awesome. It'd be good to get a bit of fucking rock'n'roll out there, won't it? It's riffs. It's loud. It's funny."

If you don't release The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala as a single I'm going round Domino to kick Laurence's "awesome" butt. AT: "I think it'll be the next one!"

The record's title, meanwhile, could've been more enigmatically original than the un-loved phrase Suck It and See. The band, struggling with ideas due to the opposing sonic moods, invented an inspiration-conjuring ruse: to think of new names for effects pedals in the style of Tom Wolfe, Turner being long enamoured with the American author's legendarily psychedelic books The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test and The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby, "cos that just sounds awesome".

"There's the Big Muff pedal," he elaborates, "That’s the classic. I've got the Valve Slapper. And there's the Tube Screamer. So we came up with the Thunder Suckle Fuzz Canyon. And… wait till I assemble it in me mind… em… it'll come to me… The Blonde-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap. So we were going for summat like that."

A wasted opportunity?

"Nah. Because some of those things ended up in the lyrics anyway. Suck It and See was just easier."

Alex Turner, rock'n'roll's premier descriptive art-poet, still writes his lyrics long-hand in spiral-bound notebooks. "Writing lyrics is a craft that I've practised a bit now," he avers. "In me notebook it looks like sums. Theories. There's words and arrows going everywhere. There's always a few possibilities and I write the word 'OR' in a square."

For our most celebrated colloquial sketch-writer of the everyday observation (all betting pencils, boy slags and ice-cream van aggravations) the more successful he becomes, the less he orbits the ordinary. "I'm not struggling with that, to be honest," he decides. "In fact I'm enjoying writing lyrics much more than I did. Stories. Describing a picture. Um. There's quite a bit of weather and time in this one. Which is probably not reassuring. 'Oh God, he's writing about the weather.' Maybe leave that out!"

There are also some direct, funny, romantic observations: "That's not a skirt, girl, that's a sawn-off shotgun/And I only hope you've got it aimed at me..." (from the title track).

Some of your romantic quips, now, must be about Alexa. AT: "Right. Yeah. Definitely. Well... there's always been that side to our songs, when we weren't writing about... the fucking taxi rank. It's kind of inevitably... people you're with." [At the mention of Chung's name, Turner is visibly aggrieved, head sliding into his neck, terrapin-esque indeed.]

It must have been very grounding being in a proper relationship through all this madness. Because if you weren't, girls would be jumping all over your head. AT: "Em. Hmn. Well, of course that helps you to... I don't really know.. what the other way would be."

Does Alexa wonder if the lyrics are about her? AT: "Oh there's none of that. Yeah, no, there's no looking over the shoulder."

She must be curious, at least. "Maybe."

Did you ever watch Popworld? AT: [Nervous laughter] "Em! Now and again."

Did you ever see the episode where she helps Paul McCartney write a song about shoes? AT: "Ah, yeah I think so, maybe I did see that."

Well, if I was you, I'd have been thinking, "She's the one for me." AT: "Well. Yeah... maybe that would've... sealed the deal! Hmn. But maybe that wasn't when i got the ray of light. When was? Nah [buries head in hands]. I might have to go for a cigarette..."

Q can't torture him any more and joins him for a snout. Turner smokes Camels from a crumpled, sad, soft-pack and resembles a teenager again. As early song You Probably Couldn't See For The Lights But You Were Staring Straight At Me says, "Never tenser/Could all go a bit Frank Spencer…”

In January 2006, when Arctic Monkeys' Number 1 album Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became the fastest-selling debut in UK history, inadvertently redefining the concept of autonomy and further imploding the decimated music industry (& wasn't their idea to be "the MySpace band", it was their fans': the Monkeys merely kick-started viral marketing by giving away demos at gigs), the 19- and 20-year-old Monkeys were terrible at fame. They weren't so much insurrectionary teenage upstarts as teenage innocents culturally traumatised by the peak-era fame democracy.

To their generation (born in the mid-'80s) fame was now synonymous with some-twat-off-the-telly a world of foaming tabloid hysteria where renown and celebrity meant, in fact, you were talentless. Hence their interview diffidence and receiving awards via videos dressed up as the Wizard OfOz and the Village People. Which only, ironically, made them even more celebrated and famous. (“That were a product of us just trying to hold onto the reins," thinks Turner today. "Being uncooperative.")

Q meets The Other Three one morning at 11am, in the well-appointed, empty bar of the Bethnal Green, Bast London hotel they're staying in (all three live in Sheffield, with their girlfriends, in their own homes). First to arrive is the industrious, sensible and cheerful Helders, crunching into a hangover-curing green apple. He has recovered from last year's boxing accident at the gym, which left his broken arm requiring a fitted plate. Now impressively purple-scarred, the break felt "interesting" and the doctor couldn't resist the one-armed drummer jest: "D'you like Def Leppard?"

Currently enjoying an enduring bromance with Diddy, he still doesn't feel famous, "it just doesn't feel that real, there's no paparazzi waiting for me to trip up." He and Turner, during the four-month rehearsals last year, became an accomplished roast dinner cooking duo for the band. "I reckon we could have us our own cookbook," he beams. "Pictures of us stirring, with a whisk."

O'Malley, an agreeable, twinkly-eyed 25-year-old with a strikingly deep voice and a winningly huge smile, is still coyly embarrassed by the interview process. A replacement for the departed original bass player Andy Nicholson in May 2006, he went from Asda shelf-filler to Glastonbury headliner in 13 months and still finds the Monkeys "a massive adventure". His life in Sheffield is profoundly normal – he's delighted that his new home since last October has an open-hearth fireplace: "Me parents had electric bars." He has also discovered cooking. “I’m just a pretty shit-hot housewife, most of the time," he smiles. "I cook stews, fish combinations, curries, chillies. I made a beef pho noodle soup the other day, Vietnamese, I surprised meself, had some mates round for that."

Recently, at his dad's 50th birthday bash, the party band, made up of family and friends, insisted he join them onstage "for ...The Dancefloor. So I were up there [mimes playing bass, all sheepish] and it were the wrong pitch, they didn't know the words or 'owt, going, Makin eyes... er..." He has no extra-curricular musical ambitions. "I'm happy just playing bass," he smiles. "I've never had the skill of doing songs meself. It'd be shit!"

Cook, 25, is still spectacularly embarrassed by the interview process. He perches upright, with a fixed nervous smile, newly shorn of the beard and ponytail he sported in LA: "Rockin' a pone, yeah, because I could get away with it." With his classic preppy haircut and dapper green military coat (from London's swish department store, Liberty), he looks like a handsome '40s film star. (Turner deems Cook "the band heartbreaker" and had a word with him post-LA: "I said to him, Come on, mate, you've got to get that beard shaved off. Get the girls back into us. Shift some posters.")

His life in Sheffield is also profoundly normal. He still plays Sunday League football with his local pub team, The Pack Horse FC (position, left back), remains in his long-term relationship with page-three-model-turned-make-up-artist Katie Downes and "potters about" at home, refusing to describe said home, "cos I'll get burgled".

A tiler by trade, he always vowed, should the Monkeys sign a deal, that he'd throw his trowel in a Sheffield river on his last day of work. "I never did fling me trowel," he confirms. "Probably still in me shed." He's never considered what his band represents to his generation. "I'd go insane thinking about it, I'm pretty good at not thinking about it… Oh God. I'm terrible at this!"

Back in the Strongroom Bar, Alex Turner is cloudily describing his everyday life. "I just keep meself to meself," he confounds. He mostly stays indoors and his perfect night in with Alexa is "watching loads of Sopranos. And doing roast dinners".

No longer spindle-limbed, he attends a gym and has handsomely well-defined arms – "You have to look after yourself."

Suddenly, Crying Lightning from Humbug rumbles over the bar stereo. "Wow. How about that? I was quite happy the other morning cos Brick By Brick were on the round-up goals on Soccer AM. It's still exciting when that happens. It was like Brick By Brick is real."

He spends his days writing music, "listening to records", and recommends Blues Run The Game by doomed '60s minstrel Jackson C Frank ("who's that lass?... Laura Marling, she did a cover recently), a simple, acoustic, deep and regretful stunner about missing someone on the road.

Lyrically, he cites as an example of greatness the Nick Cave B-side Little Empty Boat [from ‘97 single Into My Arms ], a comically sinister paean to a sexual power struggle: "Your knowledge is impressive and your argument is good/But I am the resurrection babe and you're standing on my foot."

"I need a hobby," he suddenly decides. "I'd like to learn another language." Since his mum is a German teacher (his dad teaches music), surely he can speak some German? "I know how to ask somebody if they've had fun at Christmas." Go on, then. "Nah!"

Where Turner's creative gifts stem from remains a contemporary rock'n'roll mystery; he became a fledgling songwriter at 16, after the gift of a guitar at Christmas from his parents. An only child, did his folks, perhaps, foresee artistic greatness? "I doubt it!" he balks. "Cos I didn't. I wasn't... a show kid." Like the others, he doesn't analyse the past, or the future.

"You can't constantly be thinking about what's happened," he reasons, "it's just about getting on with it." The elaborate pinky ring he now constantly wears, however, a silver, gold and ruby metal-goth corker featuring the words DEATH RAMPS is a permanent reminder of he and his best friends’ past. The Death Ramps is not only a Monkeys pseudonym and B-side to Teddy Picker, but a place they used to ride their bikes in Sheffield as kids.

"Up in the woods near where we lived," he nods. "Just little hills. But when you're eight years old they're death ramps." The ring was custom made by a friend of his, who runs top-end rock'n'roll jewellery emporium The Great Frog near London's Carnaby Street. Ask Turner why he thinks the chase between his writing and speaking eloquence is quite so mesmerisingly vast and he attempts a theory.

"Well, writing isn't the same as speaking," he muses. "Not for me. I seem to struggle more and more with... conversation. Talking onstage... I can't do it any more. Hmn. I'll have to work on that."

The ever-helpful Helders has a better theory.

"Since he's been writing songs," he ponders, “It seems like he’s always thinking about that. So even when he’s talking to you now, he’s thinking about the next thing that rhymes with a word. Even when he’s driving. We joke he’s a bad driver, his focus is never 100 per cent on what he’s doing. Which is good for us cos it means he’s got another 12 songs up his sleeve. I think music must be the easiest way for him to be concise and get everything out. Otherwise his head would explode.”

The Shoreditch.com photo studios, 18 March. Alex Turner, today, is more ethereally distracted than ever, transfixed by the studio iPod, playing Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, a version of I’d Rather Go Blind. Occasionally, he’ll completely lose his conversational thread, “Um. I’ve dropped a stitch.”

The first to arrive for Q’s photoshoot, he greets his incoming bandmates with enormous hugs (and also hugs them goodbye). Today, Q feels it’s pointless poking its pickaxe of serious enquiry further into Turner’s vacuum-packed soul and wonders if he’ll play, instead, a daft game. It’s called Popworld Questions, as first posed by someone he knows rather well.

“Oh, OK. Let’s do it,” he blinks, now perched in an empty dressing room. He then vigorously shakes his head, “Um…I’ve gotta snap back into it.”

Here, then, are some genuine “Alexa Chung on Popworld” questions (2006-2007), as originally posed to Matt Willis, Amy Winehouse, Robbie Williams, Pussycat Dolls, Kaiser Chiefs and Diddy.

Why do indie bands wear such tight jeans? AT: “Um. I supposed they do. They haven’t always. When we first were playing I was definitely in flares. You need to be quite tall to get the full effect, though. So, that's why this indie band wears such tight jeans, cos we've not got the legs for flares."

What makes you tick in the sexy department? AT: "Wow. Pass. What do I find most attractive in a woman? Something in the head? That's definitely a requirement. Well... Hmn. I'm struggling."

Tell us about all the lovely groupies. AT: "No!"

If dogs had human hands instead of paws, would you consider trying to teach them to play the piano? AT: "Absolutely. I'd teach Hey Jude."

How many plums d'you think you can comfortably fit in one hand? AT: "They're not very big. [Holds small, pale, girly hand up for inspection] It's a shame. Probably three. Diddy only managed two? Maybe not then. I can carry a lot of glasses at once, though. If they're small ones I can do four."

Are you cool? AT: "Not as much as I'd like to be. There's this clip where Clint Eastwood is on a talkshow and he gets asked, Everybody thinks of you as defining cool, what d'you think about that? And he gets his cigs out, takes one out, flicks it into his mouth, lights it and says, I have no idea what you're talking about."

Here, Turner locates his Camels soft-pack and attempts to do a Clint Eastwood. He flicks one upwards towards his mouth. And misses. Flicks another. And misses. "Third time lucky?" He misses. "I'll get it the next time." And succeeds. "Hey. Fourth time. Don't put that in! So there you go. I'm four steps away from where I wanna be."

Thank you very much for joining me here on Popworld, here's my clammy hand again. There it is, let it slip, hmmn. You can let go now. AT: "OK! Were you a Popworld fan, then? It was funny. Cool. What were we talking about, before?"

Blimey, Alex. What must you be like when you're completely stoned out of your head? AT: "Stoned? What d'you mean, cos I seem like that anyway? Yeah. A lot of people... tell me I'm a bit... dreamy. But I like the idea of that. Of being somewhere else."

Two days earlier, Turner had contemplated what he wanted from all this, in the end. Many seconds later he gave his deceptively ambitious answer.

"I just wanna write better songs," he decided. "And better lyrics. I just definitely wanna be good at it. Hmn. Yeah.”

—

RUFUS BLACK: AKA Matt Helders, on his ongoing bromance with Diddy

Matt Helders has known preposterous rap titan Diddy since they met in Miami in 2008. “He goes, Arctic Monkeys! Then he said summat about a B-side and I was like, He's not lying! I just thought, This is funny, I'm gonna go with this for a while." Last October Diddy texted Helders, suggesting he play drums with his Diddy Dirty Money band on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross, to give his own drummer a day off. “I were bowling with me girifriend at the time. In Sheffield, on a Sunday." On the day of recording, says Helder, "We had a musical director. That were one of the maddest times of my life. Next day Diddy said, Why don't you just stay? Come along with me. So I went everywhere with him." Diddy had "a convoy of cars" and made sure Helders was always in his. "He'd stop his car and go, Where's Matt? You're coming with me! So I'd get in his car. Just me, him, his security, driver." Diddy, by now, had given him a pseudonym - Rufus Black. "He kept saying, I don't wanna fuck up your image. And I'm, I don't think it's gonna do me any harm!" He stayed in Diddy's spectacularly expensive hotel. Some weeks later, Helders almost returned to the Dirty Money drumstool for a gig in Glasgow. "But we were rehearsing in London. I were like, I might come, how are you getting there? And he were like, Jet. Jump on t’jet with me. But I had to stay in Bethnal Green instead.”

Love’s young dream: Diddy (left) with Helders

[myosotisa]

mark of an angel - e.m.

Eddie Munson x Reader

‖  summary: It's hard to convince your tattoo artist boyfriend to allow you to get art done by someone other than him, so this time, you go out of your way to make it a surprise for him.

‖  tags: fluff, like will make you sick to your stomach sweet. reader is described as afab, no pronouns used, nickname is angel (aka the whole fic), established relationship, it gets a little spicy but nothing explicit. it's just really cute and fluffy BYE

‖  word count: 2.6k

Having a tattoo artist for a boyfriend meant it was very, very difficult to mention getting a tattoo and not have him immediately jumping at the bit to do it. Going on and on about how you were the perfect canvas, how much he wanted to exaggerate the beauty already there with whatever art you wanted. Normally it wasn’t an issue – Eddie was an amazing artist with enough practical knowledge to do any style you asked for, even if it wasn’t his preferred method.

It had always gone the same way. You’d mention an idea, maybe even an artist you wanted to get it from, he’d encourage you but also mention he could do the same thing for cheaper (“Just for my angel.”). He’d be able to change every millimeter of it to your liking and touch it up in the comfort of your own home. Between his soft, deep convincing and his wandering hands, you almost always gave in.

Which is why, this time, you didn’t even mention the idea to him. Didn’t even mention that you had an idea or that you had an appointment. In fact, you might’ve actually lied about what you were going to do today. You couldn’t remember if it had even come up. But now you were sporting a fresh sheet of Saniderm above a delicate piece of script on your right hip, hidden beneath the dress you’d worn for the day, and walking into the apartment you shared with Eddie like everything was normal.

“Honey, I’m home!” You call into the door as you open it, not even bothering to check if his keys were on the hook. If he wasn’t back yet, then you’d just get to hear him say the same thing whenever he did get home. But his keys are on the hook and you get further confirmation of his presence by the echo of your call.

“My wife has returned from the war!” Is the dramatic reply that comes from the vague direction of the kitchen, causing an amused snort to leave your nose. “God, I hope she still has all her limbs!”

Toeing your shoes off by the door, you follow the siren song of your humming boyfriend until you catch sight of him. His long, messy waves are spun up into a bun on the back of his head, a few wayward strands tucked behind his ears. His head is tipped forward so he can keep a close eye on the concoction simmering on the stove, his shoulders rolled forward as he focuses on it like if he looks away for even a moment it will either catch on fire or grow legs and run off. His black tank top is well worn and loose, his black-ink covered arms leaning on the counter on either side of the stove. Navy blue sleep pants hang low on his hips that continue for an unbelievably long time on his lanky legs before they pool around his bare feet on the tile. The cherry on top is the bright yellow tartan apron tied around his waist. 

You walk up behind him, wrapping your arms around his waist as you press the side of your cheek into his shoulders. “Not your wife,” you remind him cheekily, before your voice drops into a teasing murmur. “And would you still love me even if I hadn't returned with all my limbs?”

“Not my wife yet,” he emphasizes, way too casually for the speed with which it makes your chest burst into excited butterflies. “Second,” he clears his throat in preparation before launching into a high-pitched whine, “would you still love me if I was a worm?” A laugh sputters out of you, turning your head to try to hide it in his back. His voice returns to normal as he shifts, one of his arms draping across yours. “Of course I would still love you if you lost a limb. Actually, have you ever thought about losing an eye? I think you would look really hot with an eye patch.”

You peek around so he can see the obvious pout you give him. “I thought you liked my eyes.”

He turns on you in an instant, dislodging your arms in his haste and nearly sending you both off balance. His hands grip your biceps while his big, wet, brown eyes double in size. “I fucking love your eyes, angel.” He says, as if he can’t believe he had made such a mistake. You can’t help but melt – shrinking inches as you relax in his hold. His face softens an equal amount as his lips part in a smile as sweet as honey. “Like little windows into your soul.” A hand leaves your shoulder to cup your jaw, a calloused thumb smoothing across your cheek as thick lashes brush his own in a slow blink. “I just, y’know,” the smile grows goofy, one shoulder tipping up in a shrug, “I think you’d be a hot pirate is all.”

“Tell you what, hot shot,” the nickname matched with his gaze catching down to your smile causes the tips of his ears to immediately flush pink, to your delight, “You get us a sea faring vessel and learn how to cook without catching shit on fire, then we can talk about getting me an eye patch.”

His jaw drops in obvious offense at the cooking comment. “I can abso– Y’know what just for that, you can’t have any of the– Wait, fuck,” he spins back to the stove, immediately digging into the pot with a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom and make sure it’s not burning. You can’t help but giggle at the irony; him defending his cooking while you distract him enough to potentially mess up said cooking. A glare is leveled over his shoulder, kicking his heel back into your shin to knock you away. “This is fucking sabotage,” his voice is full of false disdain that fades quickly, “I come home – after a hard days work – slaving over a hot stove, being a goddamn domestic goddess – and you dare question my authority.”

“And what authority is that, exactly?” You taunt back, walking backwards away from him. “The authority on finding a way to burn Easy Mac?”

“You little!” He lunges toward you but you move out of the way too quickly, dodging out of his grasp and rocketing down the hallway, giggling all the way. “This isn’t over!”

You push into your shared bedroom and swing the door mostly shut behind you, stripping your dress over your head and throwing it into the hamper beside your dresser. Approaching the full length mirror in the room, you lift the hem of your undershorts to expose the entirety of the Saniderm to the open air. Still irritated around the edges and leaking a bit of ink, is a delicate script of the word ‘angel’, the nickname Eddie has called you since the two of you started dating several years ago.

He’d been calling you angel for a few weeks when you finally got around to asking. “Can I ask why you call me that? I don’t think I really give off an angel vibe.”

“Well, if you’re thinking of an innocent, virginal, white-lingerie angel, then no, you don’t.” You glared at him and he looked endlessly amused by it. “I’m thinking more of the biblical, vengeful, warrior-type angel. Beautiful and smart and will righteously kick your ass.”

“Oh yeah? So you admit I could kick your ass?” You asked, trying to avoid the flattery.

“Fuck yeah,” he choked out in a laugh, like he couldn’t believe you were surprised. “I mean, I would put up a little bit of a fight... But only enough to make it not look like I was letting you because I’m into that.”

“Eddie!” You cried out, laughing through your embarrassment as he threw you a wink and cackled out into the night air.

Now you had the term of endearment permanently etched on your body and you were quite happy with it. Even if, god forbid, you and Eddie broke up, you would still be able to look at it and remember that you were beautiful, smart, and strong. A biblical angel of righteous fury. It made you feel powerful. Divinely feminine.

After taking a few moments to admire your new art, you set back to your task of changing into some comfortable clothes before dinner. Making sure to put on a pair of shorts that were the perfect length to hide the actual tattoo but still have the Saniderm peeking out the bottom as a tease. You layered a big t-shirt over them, pulling on a pair of thick comfy socks to counteract the chilly floors of your apartment, and taking off any of your accessories from the day. Satisfied, you padded back out into the kitchen just as Eddie was putting the finishing touches on your alfredo dinner.

“What would you like to drink with our gourmet meal, madam chef?” You ask while brushing past his back to get at the fridge, preemptively grabbing a beer for him and a wine cooler for you just as he confirms that he does indeed want the beer in your hand. “Do you already have plates and shit or should I grab some?”

“All good, angel, just go sit your pretty ass down on the couch and I will serve you like the queen you are.”

You’re rolling your eyes as you walk away from him and set both of your drinks on the coffee table in front of the couch. “You’re absolutely incorrigible, anyone ever told you that?”

“Only every day,” he confirms with a grin, walking your direction with two steaming bowls and silverware in either hand. He still has his silly little apron over his pajamas and you can’t fight the sickly sweet smile from tilting your mouth as he sets them down in your usual spots on the table before joining you on the couch. “Hello, love.” He murmurs with a purr, pressing a lingering kiss to your cheek before reaching to twist open his beer. “How was your day?”

“Pretty good, got done everything I had planned to do.” He raises his bottle in silent cheers to congratulate you before taking a long sip. “How about you, handsome? How was your day?”

Even after all this time, something as simple as calling him handsome still seems to make him trip up. It makes you incredibly weak for him. “Not, uh, not so bad. Messed up my back a bit bending over to tattoo a client today. Didn’t remember my posture lessons.”

“For shame,” you admonish, taking a sip of your own drink as you both face each other on the couch, already almost completely forgetting about your dinner. “Maybe I should withhold a shoulder massage from you, make sure you learn your lesson.”

"You wouldn't dare," he gasps, to which you give a noncommittal shrug. He flops back against the cushions dramatically, moaning loudly. “This is abuse! Abuse, I say!”

You’re quick to set your drink down and lay down on top of him, your braless chest pressing down against his tank top. His hands lower to grip your hips, his eyebrows raising as the tip of his tongue comes out to wet his lips. “Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?” You bat your eyelashes down at him, putting on your best ‘fuck me’ eyes as you rest your hands on his shoulders.

Without warning, he wraps an arm around your waist and uses the grip to flip you, sending you to the cushions with a yelp as he settles on top, the wild pieces of hair falling free from his bun and hanging down between you both. “I’m sure we can think of something,” he says directly into your ear, dipping down to the skin just below to press his lips to it.

“Eddie?” You place your hands up on his shoulders, your voice betraying his effect on you as it wavers. “Our dinner is going to get cold.”

He hums, nose dragging along the side of your neck as he nudges his way down to press a kiss to your collarbone. “I think I found something else I would much rather eat.”

You’re about to admonish him further, explain that he might not be hungry but you are, when the hand that isn’t holding him up skates down your right thigh towards your shorts and brushes the edge of the Saniderm. It takes him a few moments to register what he just touched and the entire time you’re holding your breath. When he finally pushes himself up off of you to lean back on his knees, his eyebrows are drawn together in concern, eyes trained on the plastic stuck to your skin. “Is that…?”

“Yup,” you answer, suddenly feeling a bit nervous. “It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“A surprise?” He echoes, fingers twitching like he wants to grab at you again. “Am I allowed to see?”

Propping yourself up on your elbows, you fist your hand into his collar to pull him down into a kiss to calm your nerves. He hesitantly returns the affection until you release him and lay back down along the cushions with a satisfied smile. “Go for it, handsome.”

To your surprise, his hands are a bit shaky as he reaches down to push back the hem of your shorts. For his work, he learned how to combat anything that could have made his hands shake, so you’re worried you’ve pushed him too far with this surprise. As he gently lifts the hem, you straighten out your leg, giving him a full view of the newest art etched into your skin.

His eyes almost double in size as he takes in the script, his lips parting in what looks like awe as he ghosts his thumb over the plastic covering between him and your skin. He glances back and forth between the new art and your face for a period of time long enough to make you even more nervous, drawing your lower lip between your teeth. “So? What do you think?”

It seems to make him realize he hasn’t said anything yet. “You got ‘angel’ because…?” His hand turns out in a question as he swallows heavily, glancing back at your face for support.

“I’m your angel,” you offer softly, now a bit unsure. “Right?”

His parted lips stretch into a bright grin that could truly be from the heavens themselves. “My angel,” he repeats back to you, sounding absolutely astounded. “How on Earth did I get so fucking lucky?”

The smile that returns to you is wide enough to make your cheeks hurt. “By being you, Eddie Munson. Just by being you.”

His mouth bends, lips pressing together, he looks like he’s trying to battle off tears. “That’s it, final straw, I’m marrying your sweet ass tomorrow, I can’t wait anymore, it’s over, you’ve killed me.” He ducks down and rubs his face into your stomach, tickling you as you break out into giggles.

“Eddie, stop, that tickles!”

“Nope!” He answers cheerfully, tilting his head back to rest his chin on your belly button. “I’m gonna cover you in kisses, then I’m gonna eat you out until you can’t remember your own name, and then tomorrow we’re gonna go to the courthouse and I’m gonna give you my name instead. Sound like a deal, angel?”

And with the absolute joy in his eyes, the sparkle of life and mischief, you forget all the reasons the two of you had decided to wait. None of them matter when you want nothing more than to spend the rest of your life with your best friend.

“Deal.”

-

-

-

-

[citrus-lamb]

HEY UHH CNA I REQUEST?

Logan x reader but the reader is very good at martial arts

So like maybe a headcannon or a story?...

a/n : hello! i got a little too into the story so it's pretty long, but i hope you enjoy! i tried my best with the martial arts thing, but the language could be wrong so i do apologize for that! it might be a bit ooc, as i'm trying to write these characters still. i enjoyed writing this, so i hope you enjoy reading it!

song : unspoken (dex)

Arcades are generally boring. You wouldn’t pick this place to hang out with the group, but everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, so you didn’t mind that much. You were zoning out, staring at the group and making sure no one got hurt.

“Hey, are you alright?” Logan asked, stepping away to talk to you. Your head snapped to him, being brought out of your thoughts quite quickly.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just bored.

“HEY GUYS! LET’S DO THIS ONE!” Aiden screamed, pointing towards a boxing-style game.

“Nevermind.”

~

The entire group decided to try the machine, just for the fun of it. Ben’s score was impressive, Ashlyn’s was good and so was Tyler’s. The group cheered you on as you stood in front of the machine. You hit it with your fist as hard as you good, and ended up with a score that rivaled Ben’s.

“WOO!” Aiden cheered. He slung his arm around you and started bragging. You saw Logan smile in the corner of your eye, and you smiled back. You heard the door of the arcade click open. Barron and his goons stood at the entrance.

Logan soon noticed this as well, going from watching Aiden bury himself in tickets to sweating over the fact that Barron was here.

Let’s be clear. You hated Barron. If there wasn’t any repercussions he’d already be in a ditch somewhere because of you. You would fight him over and over again to make sure Logan would never have to deal with that bastard. And you would win every. single. fight.

You watched him exit out the door, a shy kid in a blue hat trailing behind. That kid almost reminded you of Logan. That made you more angry. Fists clenched, almost snarling at the door they just left from. Oh, Lord, you thought, Hold me back.

“…I want to at least warn him.” Logan said.

“Well, go do what you gotta do.” Tyler said, “We’ll be here to help you if you need it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want anyone to come with you?” You asked, unsure about this whole idea.

“Actually… Could you come with?”

“Of course!”

~

You opened the door and held it open for Logan, allowing him to go first. You didn’t want to speak for him—as he was getting better at standing up for himself every day. This was a step in the right direction, you just wanted to make sure Barron didn’t pull a stunt you could prevent.

“Haha, wow! That caught me off guard. I never would’ve expected to see you here, four eyes. And who’s this lovely person you got with you?” Barron said.

You clenched your fists—almost enough to make you cut through your skin—and stared straight into his soul. Logan looked nervous. About Barron? About you starting a fight where there didn’t need to be one? Logan wasn’t stupid. He saw your score at the boxing machine. He saw you training with Ashlyn’s parents. You mentioned to him once that you had martial arts experience. He had seen it first hand. If a fight started, Barron wouldn’t be the one winning. He might not even make it out alive.

“It’s been a while, pal, how’ve ya been?” Barron smiled, as if he didn’t bully the shit out of Logan every day for at least a year.

Logan ignored Barron, turning towards the kid in the blue hat. You continue to glare daggers into Barron from where you were standing. “My name’s Logan.”

“Oh… I’m Noah.”

“…Is he making you do his homework? Because you shouldn’t have to do that.”

“H-he’s not making me… He just asked for help.”

“And you felt guilty saying no, right?” The conversation Logan was having with Noah faded into the background as you watched Barron intently. You watched him get up from the trashcan and walk over to Logan.

“Who do you think you are, twerp? Stop interfering.” Barron started jabbing Logan’s head, and continued, “You’re just a useless loser whose parents didn’t even want you.”

You stepped forward, ready to axe-kick this guy to the floor and beat him to a pulp, but Logan didn’t need your help. He swatted Barron’s hand away, “I’m useless? When you’re the one that refuses to do your own work and forces others to do it for you?” Chills ran down your spine at Logan’s words. “When you so pathetically waste others’ time while they are actually working for a better life?”

He was practically shouting now, “When you have nothing to give, not even a simple thanks?! You only take and harass and look down on others! If anyone here is truly and utterly useless it’s—”

Barron grabbed Logan’s hair and pushed him away, bringing up his arm to throw a punch at Logan. Logan quickly twisted him and threw him face-first into the concrete. His hands were pinned to his back by Logan. Barron struggled to get out of Logan’s grip. The lights flickered. You panicked.

“I think it’d be wise for you to start caring.” Logan said.

This place felt like the phantom realm all of a sudden. You turned to the door that opened with more of Barron’s friends. They held him back but you were at your limit. Logan can’t get himself out of everything. Ben felt the same as you watched him come out from behind a wall and grab the red-head’s face. You performed a quick back kick on the blonde.

Full hell broke loose.

The group was fighting others, and you were taking on upwards of three people at a time. Your teacher always taught you that violence was never the answer, but you disagree. You were kicking and hitting with more precision than ever before—even better than when you were in class.

You heard a scream sounding like Ashlyn. She fell to the floor gripping her ears, headphones scattered across the pavement. You ran over to her, defending yourself from Barron’s goons as you went. You grabbed her headphones as she screamed, “CALM DOWN!”

Barron and his friends left quickly after. You gave Ashlyn her headphones back and beelined to Logan. “Are you okay? You’re not too badly hurt right? I wanted to help you more but you did amazing on your own so—”

“I’m alright, don’t worry. But, you’re bleeding.”

“…Fuck.”

[lunarcrown]

can we see all of your tattoos? :0

I FINALLY TOOK PICS!!!! I actually don’t have a TON of tattoos compared to my peers but I have a nice chunk! I’m just slow at getting tattooed bc I’m always working so I get like MAYBE two a year 😂

ANYWAYS!!! Ok so my legs: butterfly, demon goat girl, caterpillar, bill cipher (a SUPER OLD ONE), Minecraft block, and blue three eyed cat are all by me on me HAHA

I’ve made myself quit tattooing myself so I can get OTHER people’s art on me, but I wanted to tattoo my own shins just in case it was too terrible to continue with someone else (it’s not actually that bad!!!), and the other things like the Minecraft block were just so I could have complete control of it when it meant so much to me. The three eyed cat is actually my first “official” tattoo on skin I did as an apprentice! (Bill was a sneaky stick and poke I did in college OTL)

Creeper is from a friend/fellow tattoo artist who I trade tattoos with a bunch (but we still pay each other bc BILLS…), party dragon was from a dragon tattoo trade, worm on a string was from a friend who’s apprenticeship started same time as mine, pink axolotl is from my coworker who is sooooo freakin cool….i aspire to be like her so much…. And anime eyes heart gal is from a super cool friend that I went to college with! We reunited when I started tattooing and got a lot of laughs on how long it took to get our degrees and now we aren’t even “using” them HAHSG

Rest of the ones on my legs!!

Mob is from the same buddy that did the creeper and another one you’ll see in a sec, the kitties are from ANOTHER pal who started apprenticing same time as me! They’re actually arranged to be a subtle ⚢ sign bc IM A HOMOSEXUALLLLL~~ the symbol beneath these is the ol symbol from gravity falls that I ALSO stick and poked in college YEP…. Love Bug and the firefly are by a buddy from Virginia! One day I’m gonna get a “mean” version of love bug on my other thigh and it’s gonna say “bug off” 🤩 and the colorful leopard is from ANOTHER buddy trade that I did with a very cool friend!!

And finally MY ARMS!!!!

I have even less up here because getting arm tattoos makes it hard to work pfft….

I LOVE canti from OG FLCL (I love robots with sick designs so much…) and I love the show as well (introducing me to the Pillows was so PIVOTAL…) so I have him not once but TWICE form different ppl. The one with the flowers was from my mentor who turned out to be a sucky person so BOOO but I still love the tattoo~ the claptrap and OTHER canti are from a neat guy that I LOOOVE his style but his shop is sooo traditional and it’s lowkey uncomfortable even though he’s nice so idk if I’ll go back for a third. The Grievous is from the same buddy that did the creeper and mob!!! It’s so cool too bc my freckles make HIM have freckles and it’s adorable to me. And finally my VERY first tattoo I ever got, the big ufo abducting a pumpkin!!

This was done by Kelly McGrath in North Carolina and she was so sosososo sweet, gave me free prints, let me video call some of it to my family because we were VERY very far away from each other, AND I got to tell her years and years later that she inspired me so much that I became a tattoo artist myself!! And I even got to ask her a question or two and she responded so nice :,,)

SO YEAH I don’t have much rhyme or reason to my picks besides preferring color tattoos to be the majority, but my goal now is to collect tattoos from some very cool people and take my time filling up my body with art!! Eventually I would like to extend to my hands (palms included) and feet (JUST THE TOP I AM NOT DOING MY SOLES), neck, body, and maybe a few on my face near the outer perimeter/outer corner of eyes/above eyebrows! But that’ll probably be way off bc I work a LOT like I said at the beginning! Always the tattooer, never the tattooed HAHA

[kuzure-collapse]

trying to find an art style again. i drew these as images for the results of my Which Bro from Loser's Bromance is your BF quiz. I've been pretty inconsistent with their designs in the art so far, so consider this their official colors and designs.

tidbits about their character design:

yes, i redrew tomohiro and kotose many times. their bangs are hard to draw and kotose's glasses are being glasses. i kept drawing their bangs hanging in front of their irises, which isn't very aesthetically pleasing.

i can never remember which side of kotose's face the birthmarks are on. should be 2 along the left chin and 1 under the right eye

nor do i remember which eye satsuma's bangs cover, or the side that yanagi braids his hair. both should be left side.

the initial chapter art featured both satsuma and yumeki with white hair. that was how i imagined them in my head. over time, i decided i wanted each character to have a theme color. satsuma was supposed to be a sort of grey white with some blue, but the umiuta's were already blue, so i gave him green undertones. yumeki's hair got pink undertones and became fluffier. Green still doesn’t feel very right on satsuma, but grey doesn’t really fit the rainbow theme. and the rainbow is a must.

after drawing satsuma, i tried to mimic that art style for the other guys. alas, i was too caught up in the details and they didn't turn out as good

for all of my fics, i draw a "placeholder oc" to insert in my chapter art. they each have a unique design with generic colors (usually just black and white) and "Y/n" somewhere on their person. I've never designed one so late into a fic until now.

i nearly forgot to draw mc until after i loaded the speedpaint. after that, i drew him lazily and it turned out pretty well. maybe lazy is the way. unlike the others, i didn't use any references for his

[zweigsangel]

i was wondering if you could write something angsty/fluffy for patrick (art cameo) where you introduce them to your family or friend group and it seems like they’re taking a liking to art over patrick (or at least that’s what he thinks) they keep talking to art like he’s the one you’re dating and patrick peeps it so he gets supeeeer insecure and is doubting himself and their relationship but in the end you reassure him he’s the only one for u

i imagine patrick caring deeply about you and your relationship, and it was a rarity for him. he was committed to giving it his all because he didn’t want to mess things up. so, when you invited him and art to lunch with your parents, he knew he had to make a good impression. he wore a crisp button-up shirt, a pair of his best-fitting jeans, and styled his hair neatly. he had to be perfect.

but who did your parents end up favoring between him and art? exactly. art here, art there; it was as if patrick wasn’t even at the table, his hand intertwined with yours, the hand of his girlfriend. patrick felt invisible and crushed inside. he couldn’t help but wonder if he had done or said something wrong.

he tried to insert himself into the conversations, offering his thoughts, aiming to be both charming and engaging. but it seemed your parents weren’t the least bit interested in his opinions.

he squeezed your hand a little tighter, and when you looked at him with a confused expression, he simply gave you a reassuring smile.

what if art was the perfect guy for you, and not him? he watched you, noticing how you laughed, the way you crinkled your nose when you smiled, and how you delicately ate, savoring each bite. he thought about how perfect you were, maybe too perfect for him.

after lunch, when your parents left and it was just you, patrick, and art in the cozy living room, the light from the afternoon sun streamed through the windows, casting a warm glow. art sat in the armchair next to the couch, where you were nestled up against patrick, your legs draped comfortably across his lap. your hands rested on his chest, and your chin found a home on his shoulder as you looked at him with your big, doe eyes.

“hey, you okay? you seemed a bit off earlier, at the table,” you asked him. your voice was soft, tinged with concern. patrick turned his head slightly, his blue eyes meeting yours, filled with a mix of uncertainty and vulnerability. he ran a hand through his tousled hair, the other securely wrapped around your waist, as if anchoring himself in the warmth of your presence.

“yeah, it’s just that…” he started, his voice trailing off as a sigh escaped his lips. he leaned back, resting his head against back the couch. “i don’t think your parents like me very much. they only seemed to care about art,” he admitted, his gaze dropping to the floor. “nothing against you, buddy,” he added, glancing over at art, who sat quietly in the armchair, nodding.

“pat, it’s not like that, trust me,” you said softly. you lifted a hand, gently brushing your fingers along his cheek, drawing his attention back to you. “they like you, and even if they don’t now, they will in the future. because you’re the guy i want to be with, okay?” you continued.

patrick looked at you, his features softening as a small smile played on his lips. he pulled you closer, the doubts and insecurities seemed to fade.

he started to give you gentle kisses on the lips. “really?” he asked, his breath warm against your face. as your lips met and parted, delicate smacking sounds filled the air. you nodded, a smile spreading across your face as you cupped his cheeks in your hands, feeling the slight stubble beneath your fingertips. “really,” you affirmed.

art cleared his throat, drawing your attention back to him. “i’m still here, lovebirds.”

[tnbscans]

Kazuhiko Tamura & Masakazu Katsura NYCC 2012 Interview

This is transcribed from the video included on the second season 1 Viz blu-ray set.

Tamura: Not many adults watch anime anymore. Those who do watch always will, but I wanted something with wider appeal, like a foreign TV drama. As we moved in that direction, I began thinking about "heroes." When I was little, our first real manga hero was Wingman created by Katsura-sensei. Before that, they were all tokusatsu or live-action. That's what made me think Katsura-sensei was the one fort he job.

Katsura: A friend of mine called. Takayuki Takeya (Note: He created Wingman figurines produced by Bandai), a figurine artist. He asked me if I wanted to design characters for an anime series. At the time, I was working on Zetman, a dark manga series about heroes. If it was going to be similar, I wasn't too interested. But he said it was a comedy, with a middle-aged man as the lead. That sounded interesting, so I accepted the offer.

Tamura: We wanted to create characters that people could relate to. Main characters in anime are usually young boys and girls. There aren't many successful anime with a middle-aged character as the lead. Since Tiger & Bunny features two main characters, we thought it'd be interesting if we make one of them a bit older and make it more relatable to adults. Like, "Daddy's really working hard!" That's what we were aiming for. During the planning stages, we just had very rough, one or two-line descriptions for each character. We gave Katsura-sensei total freedom to come up with his own ideas.

Katsura: "Freedom" is a nice way to put it - they just dumped it all on me. It was so random. It was like, "This character uses ice, uses fire, or the wind." Or like, "Kotetsu has strong punches." That's all that written down. What am I supposed to do, right? So it was very difficult.

Tamura: Couldn't have done it without you.

Katsura: Bandai wanted to come out with a toy line. They wanted to come out with eight figures together with the show, right? So they wanted me to design the heroes really quickly.

Tamura: Maybe it seemed like this was a project about toys to you.

Katsura: It really did seem that way. No details at all were set at that time. The concept was for them to advertise companies...

Tamura: Like walking ads.

Katsura: Yeah, like walking ads. The more they stand out, the better. They get more points. When we were kids, we thought it was so cool how Ultraman's and Masked Rider's eyes glowed at night. That's why I wanted to make them glow. I thought it'd be great if their entire bodies glowed like neon lights. Also, I gave them colors so they wouldn't be lost against the scenery. That's why the heroes in the series are so showy. Take Sky High, for example, I designed him in an art deco style. I tried to create the coolest possible design within that style. Even the angle of the fins...

Tamura: The angle of the fins? I think you revised them seven times.

Katsura: These? After looking at the CG?

Tamura: No, no. Your revisions to the lines of the fine on his legs. The length...

Katsura: I did that?

Tamura: Yes, you did. That's how particular you were.

Katsura: I was very particular. On everything.

Tamura: And the colors...silver and champagne gold...

Katsura: The patterns on Fire Emblem's chest, too...

Tamura: You changed that design a lot. Because his first submissions are so great, we tell him, "Let's go with this!" But then he'll say, "Actually, I want to fix it a little." He didn't like a certain angle, and things like that.

Katsura: Or I'd email him out of the blue and say, "Please change it to this."

Tamura: Yeah...

Katsura: I submitted the design for Tiger, but decided I wanted to change it, so I asked them to redo it.

Tamura: Yes, we had to redo the CG.

Katsura: Yeah...

Tamura: That's why Tiger in the promo looks different from the show when you look closely.

Katsura: I gave them a lot of headaches.

Tamura: But Tiger's overall design didn't change.

Katsura: No, just the details. I do that a lot in my other works, as well. If I don't like something I've drawn, I'd redo it.

Tamura: That's how particular you are.

Katsura: Well, I am very nitpicky...

Tamura: But, I think that was a good thing, though.

Katsura: Really?

Tamura: Yes. It was rough, but yes.

Katsura: I was asked to create heroes with a very distinct designs, so that was a challenge I was looking forward to. It was more fun than creating similar heroes with slight variations. So I first created categories and equally gave each one distinct design features. So I like all of then. But if I had to choose Tiger took the longest time. Until Tiger was set, I couldn't start deciding on the others. I guess my favorites are Lunatic and Tiger.

Tamura: Your use of colors was very original: white and lime-green.

Katsura: That's just because I like lime-green.

Tamura: But green has the image of a supporting character.

Katsura: True, but I never really felt that way.

Tamura: My favorites are Blue Rose and Origami Cyclone. I think they're very original.

Katsura: Really? From my perspective, I think Origami is a little cliche.

Tamura: But you know, ninja characters usually dress like ninja. But the classical Kabuki red eye makeup made him look really cool.

Katsura: In the original proposal, it said "Japan-otaku Russian." I thought i'd be humorous if he saw Japan totally in the wrong way, so I added Kabuki elements to his ninja style. Real ninja are supposed to be inconspicuous and stay hidden in the shadows, but he's showy to the hilt. And totally wrong. That's what I was aiming for. It was fun. Initially, I thought of Blue Rose as the female version of Tiger. So in the initial design, she was wearing a mask. Then I was told to make her cuter, like a pop idol, with her face showing. So I completely changed everything.

Tamura: To me, when I first saw her design...I hope Sensei won't' be offended if I say this, but she looked like a villain. But we wanted her to become popular, someone people can have fun cosplaying. And showed more skin.

Katsura: They were adamant about wanting to see her cleavage. They were very clear about that.

Tamura: Yes, we were.

Katsura: I didn't want to design someone so stereotypical, so I made her breasts actually small.

Tamura: Her gun, too.

Katsura: Like, her headpiece is the hat that nurses used to wear in old days. And her gun is in the shape of a hypodermic needle. After I created eight design categories, I couldn't decide which heroes will get assigned with design elements. I drew various possibilities, like a Sky High-type Fire Emblem and so forth. And that's how I narrowed it down. I had decided that Fire Emblem would wear a cape like American comic heroes do. I gave him a macho body with big shoulders. Along the way, I was told he's gay. So I made him wear high heels. Confident, I submitted my design. "He's supposed to be skinny," they said. Nobody told me! So I went back, made him skinnier, and that's the Fire Emblem as you know today. I was told that heroes would be drawn using CG, I thought it'd be naet if there was a moving fire pattern on his cape. So I made the suggestion casually. Later, I was told the CG artists had a hard time with it.

Tamura: Oh, they sure did. They had to redo the fire pattern so many times.

Katsura: It must've been rough.

Tamura: Yes, but I'm glad we did it.

Katsura: Yeah.

Tamura: We wanted to be true to Sensei's vision, so even if we couldn't make it perfect, we wanted to get as close to it as possible and tried repeatedly. The CG staff worked very hard.

Katsura: They sure did.  I think we were all happy with the outcome. I was told Lunatic was a detective, who was partnered with Kotetsu. And that he stepped over to the dark side. The plot I got at the time was that Kotetsu could manipulate memories. The mark on his face is the scar placed by Kotetsu when he tried to wipe Lunatic's memories of doing evil. That's what I based my design on. I don't think Lunatic works for justice at all. I don't consider him a hero. He's crazy. He can say whatever he wants, but he's not a hero of justice.

Tamura: We were striving to create an anime for adults, and this was my first time as an animation producer. We wanted to do something different than the ordinary anime. So we  asked Mr. Nishida, the screenplay writer, and Mr. Katsura to join us. And Mr. Ike for music, all of whom worked on live-action shows. I was so excited to have this opportunity and to have such a wonderful staff. I felt there was absolutely no room to screw up. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Many staff working on the show believed in the show, as well. Each of us has our own special feelings about the show. Animation is the accumulation of everyone's efforts allt he way to the end. We did have arguments and differences of opinion, but I owe it all to my staff to have been able to create this final product.

Katsura: I worked really hard designing these eight kids to the smallest detail. It would make me very happy if you would love each one of them.

Tamura: From the very beginning of the production, we wanted to show this to the world. We wanted to bring the viewers something interesting, not just in Japan, but beyond. At various events I was able to attend, including one here in New York, I learned that the show is very popular. Personally, it makes me extremely happy. And as the representative of the production staff, I am very grateful. I want the show to spread even further. Please continue to support the show. Thank you.

Katsura: I kept on working without giving a thought to the people in the studio. I felt I couldn't do my work if I thought about it.

Tamura: You're a heartless man, Sensei.

Katsura: Yes, I am.

Tamura: Were you always like that?

Katsura: Yeah, pretty much.

Tamura: So, you're petty?

Katsura: I'm gonna kill you later, okay?

Interviewer: Thank you very much!

Katsura: You say "uhh" and "umm" too much.

Interviewer: I knew you were gonna say that, Sensei!

Tamura: Can you cut those out?

[oncewhenalongtimeago]

A Marble in a Mixed Bag

Pairing: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III x Modern!Reader

Words: 814

Some affections reach past the bounds of universes.

Tags: oneshot, nostalgia, hope, pre-httyd 1, gender neutral reader, gn!reader

Polyvinyl Chloride and gloss, plastic grass pieces under faux brown boots, brushed and scratched to create the illusion of furs- You ogled at it through the glass window, smudged by the oils and debris of the people before you. 

Hot air brushed back up against your face, warm and heated, nearly suffocating, trapped in the distance between your mouth and the glass, of which there was little.

You weren't sure which company had made it, but you could imagine what the site had looked like on preorder, seedy and poorly text-ed, all garish color of border-less screen.

Airbrushed hair and cheeks, dappled freckles along two cheeks and a dandy, uneven wry grin frame just above a spruced shirt in the green tunic style- It was a piece of art, a statuette, and very much out of your price range. 

It was an unprofessional shop, dark and stuffed and almost messy but really not in a very homey way, with maybe imports and some other odd, geeky things hidden behind.

People moved to and fro behind you, sweaty mall crowds, musty with the smell and feel of body heat and cheap fabrics and perfumes and stiff, swaying plastic bags, filling what space was left with mindless, enthused chatter, nearly incomprehensible, words lost in the sea of many bodies.

You hardly paid them any mind. You hardly paid it all any mind- you were too busy yearning.

It was quite the odd one out compared to the large plastic mechas besides, or perhaps a few boxes away, packaged and place tightly together with too-close-together text and full box sides and millions of mark-down stickers in white and yellow, all grays and bright blues and reds and other fanciful colors, with garish metal fillings and nearly transparent resin.

Sickly mall lights glinted against shiny, beaded eyes, covered in a thin film of whatever hardened chemical, covering ivory white and a timid neutral green. It was so clear, nearly square, curving over a round surface. You could nearly see the lines of the ceiling way up in its reflection, clear as it was, slightly affected by the ever-present motion of the awning world behind you. 

If eyes could sparkle- you something eager pressed against the corner of your eyes, your heart picking up in speed. 

So strong was the feeling and the excitement in your chest that it threatening to have you shivering and shaking and your hands waving, floating, hopping on two feet, but you stayed still, jaw tensing, mouth curling upwards, hands coming up to hesitantly press against smooth, smudged, oily glass.

Mowing lawns, cutting hair, running around like a headless chicken, chores, hopes, dreams and wantings- you wanted.

Hiccup- well, he’d never been into dolls, but this was more a figure than a doll, like one of his cousin’s many carved warriors, all made up of dragon bone pieces and scratched wooden surfaces, stone helmets and mismatched, dull metal axes. The ones he’d paraded around just as he’d worn his own too-large helmet and had run around with wooden swords and shields that Hiccup had never been big enough to carry when he’d been young enough to play with them. 

Of course he’d been jealous, but then he’d gotten you.

His fingertips grazing over its surface as he held onto its delicate middle with his other hand, feeling just as fond just as something else inside him felt nearly worshipful.

It had been made incredibly smooth with age, the feeling offset only by a set of notches in its side, scratches made on accident by trips and falls and the very rare drop.

You’d been lost for much too long. There was a feeling…

Childhood, of companionship, truest feelings and long-held assurance -the only one, the smallest, rag-yarn clay figure- he one he’d been given, a friend that he could keep and play with, play-fight with and foster happy moments.

Dusts and soots and oils left a mark against your frayed doll cheek raising recent memories of levers and axles and stoney forge fires, bolas and boulders and clogs and rolling wheels.

Something in his chest felt incredibly warm, looking over its scratched face, eyes clumsily drilled into the surface by the point of a dull knife, wooden and stone limb pieces attached haphazardly to one another, all worn cloth and rag, hair made of knotted, old wool- As if you, small and faux, looking back up at him with your own soft, cracked, tiny ball eyes, had somehow found something worthy in scrawny shoulders and mottled, freckled cheeks. 

In them, there was something almost like a shine.

Admiration.

That’s what it was.

He’d nearly forgotten.

It gave him hope.

Maybe he could make something of himself.

Tonight, more than any other night, he had faith- tonight, he was going to make it, because now, more than ever, he had something to make it for.

[hwangism143]

off - limits (preview)

synopsis: hwang hyunjin was multiple things to you: incredible. god-like. everything. but most of all, he was off-limits. that is, until, you both are forced to share a room at a beach getaway. sounds perfectly romantic, right? except for your fear of the ocean and his recent break-up.

pairing: non-idol!hyunjin x fem!reader

genre: best friends brother trope, one room trope, angst, fluff

warnings: mentions of alcohol, swearing, mentions of death, nightmares, graphic description of nearly drowning (more warnings will be added to the main fic)

word count (preview): 968 words

release date: 03/05/24

a/n: finally! my first over 10k word fic lol. this was requested to me by @scarlet789 and i immediately started working on it. you can send in an ask or reply below if you wish to be added to the taglist for this fic, coming out nest friday!

preview down below

"Hmm," Hyunjin hummed in contemplation to something you had said, "You know, I always liked your company more then Hyun-jee's. Don't tell her though." He had mischievous look in his eyes and a smirk on his lips, eliciting a laugh from within you and bringing back a memory you had forgotten.

You were still slightly awed by the fact that the Hwang Hyun-jee invited you to spend summer with her. At a ski lodge. A fricking ski lodge! The shocking revelation that you could be considered cool enough to hang out with her and her brother were the thoughts in your head as you stared at the copy of Emma in your hands, pretending to read the text.

Beside you, you could hear the steady scratching of pencil against paper, interrupted only by the symphony of an eraser rubbing against the sheet. This little orchestra playing next to you was evidence of Hyunjin's existence, an art in itself if anyone asked you.

"You should teach me French," he asks you out of the blue, "For when if leave to go to Paris."

You look at him inquisitively. He told you that he got accepted into art school in Paris a few days ago. You did feel sad about the fact that he was going, but deep down you knew very well that practically, after this summer your interactions with Hyunjin would be few and far in between.

"You have Hyun-jee, she can teach you. If, that is, you can put up with her," you retort teasingly.

Hyunjin gives you a sly smirk, "That's exactly why I was asking you. I think I'll like your style of teaching better. And so, I want you to please, please, please teach me French."

You had no idea where this sudden newfound confidence to flirt with Hyunjin had bloomed within you but, oh well, you only live once. "Do you want me teaching you, or just me in general?"

"Ah," he said shaking his head regretfully with a smile, "Even though you have only known me for a few weeks, you already know me too well."

Butterflies ignite in your stomach, although you're pretty sure he was just playing along with you. You wonder what he's sketching, his bottom lip caught between his teeth and his eyes set in concentration. Even though you have a feeling it isn't, you sincerely hope it's you.

You don't know that your hopeful assumption was true.

A tightening in you chest starts to grow when the topic shifts to love. Earlier, talking to Hyunjin about love used to come as easy walking on your two feet. Now, it just hurts. He asked you if you were seeing someone. You promptly replied in the negative. You asked him if he was seeing someone. He reflected your answer back onto you.

But what did it really mean? You were always going to be bound in this life by that unspoken oath you made to Hyun-jee all those years ago. It wasn't even about love anymore, it was about not breaking another person's trust, a person who you held closer to your heart than most of your family.

You started thinking though. What was the point of hiding your feelings, old or not, from Hyunjin any longer? It wasn't like you could act on it, but you may as well have told him. Maybe then a huge weight from your chest would be released and you wouldn't be shackled by commitments, things you felt you owed to both of them.

"I don't think you know this but," your expression suddenly changed, "I used to have the biggest crush on you that summer."

"Used to?" At this point, Hyunjin is sitting up straight, eyeing you curiously. You roll your eyes and give him a playful slap on his arm. His expression, however, turns into one of regret. You begin to feel remorseful about telling him, paranoia settling in and molding itself into the fabric of who you were.

"That's a shame," he says quietly.

The air changes, charged with something you can't quite place. Hyunjin hols eye contact with you, unsaid words coursing through them. You never really believed in the phrase 'the eye is the window to the soul', but right now, you were terrified of whatever the hell your eyes were revealing to him right now. Hyunjin then proceeds to utter something, something so capable of infusing you with poisoned hope, that it takes your breath away.

"I think I would have loved loving you."

Time has stopped. Feelings of desperation, annihilation and most importantly, temptation, cascade in a whirlpool inside you. It had been years. This was wrong. This was the universe dangling temptation in front of you, urging you to just take a bite. Rebelliously, you wondered, what if you were selfish for one? Why were you feeling this way now?

"I think I would have loved being loved by you," you choke out. Hyunjin's hand laces through yours and gives it a little squeeze in response.

That is when it dawns on you that Hyunjin is as confined in this matter as you, if not more. Hyun-jee is his sister for God's sake; whatever guilt you felt in wanting him, he must have felt tenfold in wanting you. You know exactly what the little squeeze he gave you signifies: It will pass. If it cannot be, it will cease.

And you know it's true because you and Hyunjin can never be 'us' or 'we' as long as you were present in this reality. You wished there was a universe somewhere, a parallel reality when Hyunjin and you were considered of one breath because to breath you would need him like oxygen.

Judging by his expression, he must have been drifting in thought about that too.

[nica-my-beloved]

Nica...

So the three imported Villains....but my eyes only focuses on Nica.

Starting with Darius Vogel. But if you look at the man standing right, you can see Nica. Let's focus on Darius now. I don't hate his design but I expected some more.

Looks sweet but I was hoping to see a character with darker eye colour like dark turquoise, blue or a darker green. His eyes are golden, I wished it was a little more of a dark gold.

Another thing I wished he had were glasses. Not the rimmed glasses like Roger but monocle glasses would make him look hotter!

Also maybe lighter clothing. I'm not sure if he's royalty but I wish he wore something lighter than that extravagant outer jacket. Something similar to Jude would look stylish. But keep the fluffy cape sir!!

Oh yeah! Short King too! A friend for Jude, I guess.

I don't know about the fairytale - Swan Lake. Never heard of it!

I don't even know his VA.

All in all, I'm looking forward to what kind of evil he's going to bring into the story.

When I first saw his silhouette, I thought he looked like Levi from AOT.

My second guess was, he and my Nica would look similar because I assumed they'd be twins. They share the same last names.

I mean....both of my guesses were right!

I really thought Ring would be my least favorite one of the three but I change my mind. Because I see Nica in him, and Nica is my darling....I'm starting to like Ring more.

Ring looks like Nica but with a grim expression. They even have similar hairstyles albeit Nica has slightly fluffy hair.

Never the less, his ultimate reveal made me love him.

I don't have anything more to add about his design because I didn't expect too much from him.

His current design is already cute.

Same as Darius, I don't know his VA.

My sweet heart! My husband!!

The man who's sillouette I fell in love with!

The man who ripped opened my heart, pulled out Victor from there and sat there in his place.

The man who looks so charming that he exceeded my expectations!!!

This is it!! I wanna keep him close to meee and then bite him all over.

Then I wanna shower him with kisses and then bite him again!!

The moment he was revealed, I thought he looked very similar to Alfons with unruly hair. (And Darius looked similar to Ellis). But I guess it's just the art style of the artist.

I love the fact that he has a beautiful shade of blue as his hair colour and his eyes have a tinge of green to compliment his blue hair.

I wish he had a mole next to his eye but that's fine.

I could easily see this man looking down at me and licking his lips. And then with that same lips he can.......*ahem*

He's gonna look so good with my OC. The blue couple!! We can have blue hair coloured children!!

Both Nica and Ring reminds me of Nokto and Licht, polar opposite twins.

I wanna know more about Nica because he's my love right now!

What's his personality? What he likes? Dislikes? I wanna uncover him both figuratively and literally. (The things I wanna do to him is making me blush so hard!!)

Unlike Ring and Darius, I know Nica's VA. Same VA as Scara.

I'm looking forward to Nica the most!