#or should i say my all over the place art process lol

[heretherebeturtles-comic]

Hello! Many people have said this but ill say it too, I LOVE YOUR COMIC SO MUCH ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

I really wanted to ask you about how you do the backgrounds? (Something i struggle with) whats the process? Like from start to finish, also, to do the rise backgrounds do you use reference from the show and generally real photo of ny? Or do you come up with them? And last question- The shadow and light on the background- Like HOW

i know it’s a lot of questions but i’m just so curious qwq and wanna learn to be better, thank you again in case you read this and respond, in case you don’t, i hope you have a nice day and a wonderful life uwu keep up the great work! (≧◡≦) ♡

Backgrounds are a really broad subject and I'm always a little overwhelmed when asked this question. Just like drawing the human body, backgrounds take time, repetition, and practice!

My answer got a bit long, so it's going under a read more :) but if you digest info better in video format I found this on youtube

It pretty much goes over everything I wanted to say, but in a much better way. I wish I had found it before writing all this out lol

ok, first of all, I'm not a teacher nor was I built to be one of those cool helpful art tutorial people who do a full coloured tutorial filled with illustrations. This is just going to be a messy "how I do backgrounds / environment layouts from start to finish." kinda thing.

... lets start with a sight tangent.

Sketch from Life!!!

If you want to get better at backgrounds I recommend doing some sketching out in the real world!

When I was first getting into doing backgrounds I went to cafes and parks to just sketch the buildings and objects. Sketch rocks, flowers, clumps of grass, garbage cans, bottles, tables, street signs, etc. If you are drawing a tree observe how the trunks twist, how the bark flows, or how the leaves are bunched.

If you can't leave the house the same still applies! Sketch the interiors of your house, the walls, or common objects like chairs and bookshelves. How are objects stacked? items on the floor?

If you aren't comfortable with drawing outside or in public you can take some photos to draw from! They are good for practice and you can use them again as references later. Alternatively you can find pictures online of buildings and objects to sketch as practice.

All spaces have objects in them, it becomes easier to draw those kinds of spaces when you already have spent time observing and sketching them.

ALSO! They don't have to be good sketches! It's just to build out your mental catalogue and strengthen your perception of perspective.

now the actual thing...

BACKGROUNDS

(the pictures used for this are my own. I dug them out of my 2022 folder)

Backgrounds have slightly different rules based on what you are making them for. Videogame Environment Concept Art vs Animation Layouts vs Comic Backgrounds vs Illustration backgrounds.

They all follow the same basics, which I will go over here, but the intention and function of those designs are going to be different. It's all about how you set up the scene and what it's purpose is!

Brainstorming and Thumbnailing

I like to think about a location as though it is a character. An abandoned old house with creaky sagging floorboards is very different from a futuristic space ship with sharp metal floor panels. A gas station has a very different feeling from a library.

I usually start by asking what is this location's story? Why was it built and for what purpose? What kinds of things does this room need to fulfill that purpose? You don’t need solid answers, but its good to be thinking about it while you are working.

Next, sketch some ideas for how this place is going to look. For me, this usually involves drawing the idea from multiple angles and then making lists & small sketches of the objects I think should be filling the space.

Example: The main character of my original work is a Wanderer. They collect a lot of things on their travels, but those items have to be small enough to be easily carried in a backpack. I wanted his room to be in the corner of an attic, walled off by curtains, and filled with trinkets. You can see some of my brainstorming above.

References

I only look for references after I've done some sketching and planning; this is to solidify my idea first so that I don't accidentally copy anyone else's work. I will make a moodboard with pictures of lighting, colours, items, rooms with specific ceiling beams, old chairs, etc. basically whatever I feel fits the vibe.

Honestly, I don't use references as much as I should. For ROTTMNT fanart I look at backgrounds and screenshots from the series to study the style. I also reference actual photos of NYC to get a feel for how Rise condenses the visual information.

In general, it's good to have references of real life objects/locations, because there are so many details like cracks in pavement, stickers on polls, crowning on buildings, fancy fencing, weird chair legs, etc. that you might not think of. It's the imperfect details that can make a location feel more alive.

Perspective

Once you have your chosen sketch we move to.... the infamous perspective boxes. Doing backgrounds is just learning to be comfortable drawing So Many boxes and carving items out of them.

Many better artists than myself have made videos on perspective, vanishing points, and all the technical bits. Videos like THIS ONE and THIS ONE are helpful (this post is great too!!). There are probably a lot of classes to be found on Skillshare or Schoolism. I learned a lot of this in my college art course, so I can't give you a specific video which helped me.

You can get by and be a good artist without learning this stuff. There are quite a few successful artists who have admitted they never bothered to learn perspective (one of these people even made a whole graphic novel series).

I personally avoided properly learning this stuff until I was in my 20s because I thought it would be boring and difficult to do. tbh I really wish I had learned it earlier because it's so much fun to make those silly little boxes imo. It looks scary and complicated but, just like drawing humans, it just takes time, repetition, and practice to develop the knowledge and skills.

Cleanup

You have your boxes and lines! Cool! Now to make a scene out of it. Fill in the details, get everything placed were you want it! Generally, the lines of each item will point back towards the horizon line, but they can have different perspective points.

Generally you would want to clean it up and get your room completely sketched before doing the lineart. I tend to combine the steps (not recommended)

Lineart

I've mentioned how I do this before. Closer objects have thicker lines and more detailed inside. Further objects have thinner lines and less detail. I didn't quite achieve that balance with the image below, but it's close enough.

Colours and Shading will have to be a separate post. In the meantime, I highly recommend the book "Color and Light" by James Gurney. I used to borrow it from my local library and a good chunk of my knowledge was learned from it :)

[devotion-disorder]

What was your yandere ocs first look? Their first design?

Or did they come fully formed and ready in your head?

good question!!

after letting them marinate in my head for god knows how long, i did actually drew some quick tests to help me visualize them better!

it says "lil shit" beneath beta-Noel on the left, but if you squint it looks kinda looks like i wrote "lil slut", which is also true. he ended up with fluffier hair and yellow eyes bc i thought it would leave a (deceivingly) brighter impression. Beta-Kuuya looked too much like a touken ranbu character (yagen i think?) LMAO so his design was also changed a lil in the end

and then the bit at the bottom may or may not be other yandere ocs i have been conceptualising

bonus: my initial sketch layers lol

[tofupixel]

Do you have any advice on how to get into pixeling larger scenes, or how you go about the process? I dabble in pixel art occasionally and am interested in pursuing it more, but whenever I try large scenes I always tend to fall flat

Love your art, by the way!

thank you!

my first step i always go get a ton of references. i think if you are struggling with pixel scenes it can help you to get some pixel art references too. for example if you arent sure how to render a tree, look it up on pixeljoint hall of fame im sure you can find something that inspires you.

this is the moodboard for my current knight crowley/statue azi piece im working on (software is called pureref btw. i have a dedicated monitor just for this but you can do transparency and overlay it if you lack space)

i think this is mostly preference but i always begin working with large areas of value/colour rather than an actual line sketch

i usually only save the wip process if im sending it to clients, so here is an example of how i worked through a commission

at this point im just going for the vibes. colour is more important and shape/size and having random pixels everywhere doesnt matter cos u can just remove them later !!

its kind of an anomaly/doomsday thing so i wanted the red sky and chaos all over

i work really quickly at this point and try for energy

just beginning to work my way through and detail things up. im still changing things around and adding more stuff in different places. its digital art so you can change things however you like, just keep moving forward

final ver sent to client after some revisions. pixel art is 99% rendering so you just need to keep pushing forward

i also want to say i did like 3+ years of sporadic studies. mostly studio ghibli and shishkin. if you have someone who inspires you you can study their work and figure out how they do it.

it cant be overstated how many of these i have done lol and im still not even close to where i want to be (its a process)

anyway sorry for the long post but you really should go for it. ive done the same concept like 3 times over my career (so far) cos i enjoyed it and want to come back to it now that im a little better. so u dont have to make it perfect the first time but doing it is better than not doing it!

sorry for the long post but i kinda got carried away anyway lmk if u want more specific tips i like talking about pixel art :--3 GL with your art

[daegutowns]

svt as your hogwarts boyfriend

tags: hogwarts au, gn!reader

gryffindor: seungcheol, hoshi, chan 

seungcheol: quidditch team beater, quidditch team captain

prepare to be sick of him!! 

very competitive, so match days are always so big for him

if you’re not dripped out in gryffindor colors (regardless of which house you’re in), it’s over. he’ll be so pouty and whiny

“baby, it’s match day. why are you not wearing your custom made quidditch jersey i made for you?”  

“don’t talk to me, you’re wearing [house other than gryffindor] colors. nope, obviously you don’t wish me good luck.” 

big bad quidditch team captain has nothing on his lover 

says he plays better when you’re cheering for him 

claims he’s mcgonagall’s best student

he’s actually very good at transfigurations

he wants to be an auror one day, so this is just a step in the process

mcgonagall actually does adore him

very protective of his quidditch team members and would gladly start a fight to defend any one of them (hot-headed but won’t admit it) 

always says he’ll buy you anything, no matter how many galleons he has to spend

actually gets upset if you try to pay for your own chocolate frog on the train

the type to always want to sit next to you if you share a class together (except potions)

hoshi: quidditch team chaser 

he is mr. horanghae…. mr. quidditch is in my blood…. mr. tiger chaser 

his plans are to become a professional quidditch team player

the british national quidditch team coach has already scouted him out

genuinely a quidditch prodigy, since he’s a muggleborn wizard. just picked up a quaffle and was an instant baller 

mcgonagall’s pride and joy…. she lives and breathes quidditch 

he has nothing else going on for him academically, really -- just trying to pass and that’s it lol 

snape hates his guts. didn’t even have to do much, really 

only asks for quidditch stuff for his birthday

he loves when you shout out nonsense stuff like “get ‘em tiger!” or “horanghae!” or “tiger’s gaze!” during the quidditch match. it’s soooo embarrassing for you but it actually gets him fired up 

the type to fall asleep in class and then ask you for notes afterwards 

chan: 

he wants to be on the quidditch team starting line so bad, but he’s been benched… then injured… then benched again… 

but he’s, like, lowkey highkey very good at defense against the dark arts??? 

like, conjured a patronus at the age of 12 kind of good

comes from a family of aurors (his dad’s side), so this kind of just runs in his blood 

he offers to tutor you in it because it’s his greatest passion in life 

of course, he’ll need some tutoring in all the other subjects…. snape has lit his ass on fire (metaphorically, for legal purposes) due to many badly made, strange potions he’s made 

hufflepuff: dk, mingyu, seungkwan, vernon 

mingyu: quidditch team beater 

of course this big puppy is a hufflepuff! but, he’s the most gryffindor-like hufflepuff ever

even the sorting hat had trouble placing him in the correct house, but ultimately chose hufflepuff 

he honestly didn’t even know if he should be trying out for the quidditch team, but dk brought him there and he barely even had to struggle at tryouts

his big frame and strong arms make him an excellent beater

he still has a fear of heights, he just forgets about it during quidditch (like what)

he loves when you praise him for his quidditch skills, especially after a particularly hard practice or grueling game 

he just wants to be held in your arms near the fireplace, is that too much to ask for ?!?!?!!?!!

surprisingly very smart at most subjects too, especially potions

the only thing he struggles with is herbology (like wtf would he be doing near all these screaming plants or oozing flowers????) 

kind of based for a hufflepuff to not be good at herbology bc of professor sprout but alas…. 

he loves care of magical creatures, because he’s like a dog -- just friends with everyone 

he’s kind of like the cedric diggory type ngl -- well liked, friendly, athletic, smart 

the type to want to walk around the castle holding hands all the time 

deekay: quidditch team chaser 

the most stereotypical hufflepuff ever 

so kind, so loyal, so hardworking, so….. 

the happy virus, sunshine, rainbows shooting out of his ass kind of guy

seriously, there’s not one hufflepuff that doesn’t love him 

he plans on becoming a charms professor at hogwarts one day! 

he’s soooo good at charms 

so much so that girls around hogwarts giggle and call him a charmer

like he got people blushing n shit 

turned down the offer to become captain because it was a lot of pressure! he is still going to be the next quidditch team captain next year. 

he simply did not have a choice in this matter 

loves going to hogsmeade and sitting in the three broomsticks with his friends laughing because it’s so cozy. he wants to live in that feeling forever 

the type to send you a love letter by owl on valentines day to watch your reaction while you sit with your friends 

seungkwan: hogwarts choir soprano 

he is THE boo seungkwan of the hogwarts choir! 

professor flitwick (the conductor of the choir) is always amazed at his performance ability. seungkwan has never Not had a solo in the hogwarts annual christmas choir performance 

likes to watch quidditch practices while he does his divination essays 

he feels like it gives them a certain vibe while he makes up dreams about his imaginary rabbit dying for trelawney 

if dk was everyone’s crush, seungkwan is everyone’s friend

there’s no table he’s not welcome to sit at, and definitely no house that would turn him away

the most social butterfly in hogwarts, even more so than the weasley twins

his networking capabilities is insane, but necessary for his life path 

he wants to work in the ministry of magic, close to the minister of magic 

this requires lots of connections! he wants to collect those wizard society inductions like pokemon cards 

the type to ask you to come to his birthday party as a special guest but he actually invited half the castle and dumbledore 

vernon: 

he’s just here for the vibes 

very seriously collecting all the chocolate frog cards. if you see one, please check with vernon to see if he has it or not. he’ll give away the ones he doesn’t need and is always willing to trade

please help him. this is his life’s goal right now

is really good at quidditch but doesn’t really vibe with organized sports, so he just comes to tryouts to play with other people

tried to start a recreational interhouse quidditch team to play outside of the house matches but it turned messy so he gave up 

really good at herbology and care of magical creatures! he just understands 

not sure what he wants to do in the future, but he’s honestly down for whatever

the type to ask you if you’re free for a date and then forget, so you both end up just asking the house elves in the kitchen for food 

ravenclaw: jun, wonwoo, woozi

jun: quidditch team chaser  

another person who is just here for the ride

just naturally gifted at a lot of subjects, so he doesn’t really study that much for the exams either. it really makes other people mad

once you asked him for help in a class (“jun, why is this the right answer?”) and he just gave too vague answers (“that’s just the order the things are put in.”) that you just kind of gave up 

will definitely be asleep in class if you let him 

history of magic is spent 90% of the time with his head on the desk sleeping away zzz

sometimes just gets really sleepy, what can he say???

a really good chaser, but just plays quidditch because it’s fun

he goes to practice because games/matches are more fun when you’re actually good at playing 

self-dubbed “arthur wen of quidditch”

what does it mean??? you will have to ask him yourself

the type to sneak you into his bed on friday nights so you can spend all weekend cuddling together

wonwoo: prefect  

what an absolute heartthrob

he’s not really a man of many words, so he was genuinely surprised when he became a prefect for his house 

is actually a very understanding and caring prefect

he doesn’t really like taking points away from other houses or giving out detentions and only uses it as a last resort 

you can usually find him reading novels/writing essays in the library (madam pince is very enamored with him) or playing wizard chess in the ravenclaw common room

he’s VERY good at wizard’s chess

if he could be a professional wizard’s chess player, he would.

ron weasley has nothing on jeon wonwoo

a lot of younger ravenclaws like asking him questions because he always explains things so thoroughly and patiently

tutors younger students in other houses for extra money -- fellow ravenclaws free of charge! -- and sends it to his family 

wants to be a professor at hogwarts but still isn’t sure which subject he wants to teach. he figures he could be a librarian like madam pince if he were allowed to be

the type to gift you a new book on christmas every year and highlight/annotate things that reminded him of you 

woozi: 

also legendary in the hogwarts choir

he arranges all the pieces for both the choir and band

wants to be a professional wizard producer and music writer

once got to meet the weird sisters and got a random muggle t-shirt signed by them that he carries like his most prized possession

other than that, he just like hanging out with you, his friends, and going to the quidditch matches whenever ravenclaw plays 

he’s not really that interested in other house matches unless it’s an important one that affects ravenclaw 

he tries to be interested in your house’s matches too (if you’re not a ravenclaw) but you can tell he would rather not 

tends to befriend a lot of gryffindors (like seungcheol and hoshi) for some reason unknown to even himself 

the type to write poems to you when he gets bored in class 

slytherin: jeonghan, joshua, hao

jeonghan: prefect

oh, don’t even try to mess with him, because he will get you back and worse 

definitely takes advantage of his prefect status way more than he should, but rules are meant to be bent 

sneaks you into the prefect bathroom because “you shouldn’t have to take a bath with the rest of the normies” or so he says. 

likes pranks and practical jokes, so he often turns a blind eye to the weasley twins when they stir up trouble 

they have an unspoken partnership

weasley twins don’t prank him, jeonghan doesn’t snitch on them 

it’s honestly a win-win for both of them. 

he’s really good at charms

this is mostly because it teaches you shortcuts of how to do everyday things but just faster and lazier with magic 

his favorite is using the duplication charm to make copies of polaroids he took with you so both of you can have a copy of it 

he likes messing with the younger students and getting them to loosen up (like what are they always so serious for?) with him + reminding people when to have fun (but also when to buckle up!) 

the type to ask you on a date to three broomsticks and then prank you into thinking he forgot his wallet in his room 

joshua: head boy 

classic head boy vibes from a gentle sexy. jk he is so chaotic, but no one really expects it from him until after he gets all these privileges 

you want a permit to paint a brick pink? just a single brick? okay done.

you want to rearrange the quidditch trophies by most to least impressive accomplishment? okay done. 

you want to take a date walking around the castle while he patrols the hallways? okay done. 

he lives for the things that are ambiguously not breaking the rules but definitely not abiding by them either 

kind of athletic (grew up playing quidditch in his neighborhood around the other wizard children) but never liked it enough to actually play for the team

it’s way too competitive + he wants more time for you. it’s already hard enough with all the head boy stuff 

also was in the hogwarts band but then it was too much work so he only did it for a year 

very gifted in potions and transfigurations! 

he always wants you to teach him the more boring subjects like history of magic since he always finds himself doodling instead of listening or dozing off in that class

his dream is to become a healer at st. mungo’s hospital for magical maladies

likes to tease you that you’re mrs. head boy 

he treats you like you’re the first lady and he’s the president. it’s a very american way of thinking, but then again, he is american. 

if he catches you doing bad stuff, you’re legally required to write him a love letter. it’s the rules. no detention, no points taken away from your house. just a nice love letter. 

the type to let you dress/style him for all your dates because he wants to have matching outfits always

hao: quidditch team seeker

he’s actually one of the most popular people in slytherin house due to his insane skills as seeker

his catch rate is insane, like he can sniff out the snitch on the field

he’s already set to play for the national team in the U20 league and for the montrose magpies (the british-irish quidditch league team with the most wins)

his knack for flying was discovered during their first year flying class with madam hooch. after the class, she spoke with snape and set him up to shadow the quidditch team to be on the starting lineup starting his second year

he pretends like he doesn’t care if you come support his matches or not but is always visibly happy when you do

the times when you can’t because you’ve got a big essay due the next day or you’re sick is when he pretends he doesn’t mind (because you gotta focus on yourself too!) 

his favorite subject is divination (because he really vibes with the tea leaf readings)

but, his best subject is astronomy. he’s the best student as has been the best student in astronomy out of your entire year (all 7 years!) 

the type to ask you if you want to share your scarf while you walk around the castle together 

[astrow0rldx]

Kamala Harris vs Donald Trump Astrology Reading (PART ONE)

Birth Charts, Synastry & The Astrology of the Election Day <33

Small notes: Humanitarian vs Money-Man?? 2 Clowns?? (not in a bad way. funny but could be 2 faced) Pretty Party Girl vs Popular Rich Man?? (THIS IS ALL FROM THE BIRTH CHART)

·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:· Experienced Astrologer for 7-8 years now. I'm new to networking, tumblr and having an astrology content account & paid readings so just follow my private Instagram account universalstarbaby00 for any inquiry ·:¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨:·

PARTY GIRL. Kamala Harris Sun (Who she is/Self-Identity & ego) is in libra (love/romance/beauty/art/attraction) pretty girl! also an air sign so her personality & ego is just a loving, aesthetic, attractive, sensual girl who needs mental stimulation and is probably social & connecting. Moon (Inner self/what she does to feel comfortable & secure/Deal with her emotions) is in Aries. Adrenaline, Taking Initiative, Beginning/Starting, Daredevil, Doing, Risk-Taking. Also a fire sign. So to her inner soul, naturally acts as a fiery Aries for comfort & security within. Her Rising sign (outlook on this world, her perception & how others perceive her, her interactive body) is in Gemini clever, witty, funny. they can be either over thinkers, and cause a lot of anxiety & thoughts. or they can just be really quick, witty & clever because their mind is racing, & smart. likes to be mentally stimulated. Double Air & Ruled by Mercury she is definitely a great conversationist, writer, speaker, debater. That Aries Moon her natural self, and her mars planet being in the 3 house of where she has to communicate, process, think, speak. WHAT SHE SAY. if Donald trump has to say something SAY IT TO MY FACE. she wasn't playing, people tend to not take Gemini Risings serious sometimes & Look at them as clowns lol. (Donald Trump is a Gemini Sun also). they could have mask personalities, 2 faced, and their mind is crazy. but she is READY for a debate with Donald trump, that's just who she is. Her mars sign in that house, it's what she primally desires, and rules her chart so naturally comes to her.

Big 3 definitely makes her an exciting, stimulating, person to be around. that's her literal outlook on life as a Gemini rising. While her sun her core personality, will in this life, her sense of self & ego is placed in the area of life where her pleasures & joy is. sex, romance, creativity, partying, drinking, having fun, inner-child, getting loose. 5th house sun baby. Her literal chart ruler is in the 5th house (Mercury), and mercury is how you process, think, your mindset, how you talk & communicate, what stimulates your mind. Definitely seeing her in the spotlight more, we get a taste of how she campaigns. a dive into what makes her comfortable (her Aries moon behavior). but its expressed in the 11th house, of networking, Humanitarism. coming together as a group to revolutionize, invent, wishes. its the house of social media, politics. I SAY WE SHOULD TRUST HER. plus her libra sun she definitely makes it her motive to GET US. to come together, and she's very smart mercury ruled.

Her Chiron is placed in the 10th house. Your Chiron is your trauma & wounds that you become an expert to heal people on. In the 10th house of public image, reputation, social status, career, success, responsibility & place in this world. All while her North Node is your life purpose & who your here to become is in the 1st house of self & self discovery. FIRST BLACK WOMAN (POTIENTIAL) PRESIDENT!!! Saturn is your lessons, karma, responsibility, depression, authoritative, president. Placed in the 9th house of the god house, the house of faith & optimism, the house of mind expansion & learning, the house of traveling & experiencing. With her Lilith being placed in that house. Lilith brings destruction & trauma but it brings power, revenge & liberation!!

Okay Mr. Trump. Your birth chart comes with originally 12 placements (not including adding extra lots/parts, asteroids, etc) which is your planets, north node, & rising sign. WHY IS 6/12 OF THEM SITTING UP THERE, STELLIUMS IN HIS 10TH/11TH HOUSE. (His Sun, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Uranus, & North Node) All while having his chart be ruled by his Leo Ascendant. MANS MEANT TO BE FAMOUS & KNOWN & SHINE. I mean the other placements like Jupiter, Neptune & Chiron is all in his 2nd house of receiving money, material possessions, value & worth. Jupiter is where your blessings & prosperities. Your luck, optimism, & faith. While Neptune is your fantasies, inspiration, dreams, subconscious, spirituality. But your Chiron is that wounded healer, the traumatized that becomes the expert to help people. (which I heard from a debate, and a trump supporter showed data of him putting JOBS IN THE COMMUNITIES. He was president during the STIMULUS CHECKS I believe. His 10th house of public image, & reputation. your place in this world, responsibility, career & success. Is in his sun WHAT RULES HIS CHART (who he is, his will, his personality, his ego & sense of identity/self.) DUHHHHH mr. cocky popular. and his uranus in the 10th, uranus is freak, weird, inventive, revolutionizing stuff. thats definitely his public image is weird & different. His mercury (communication, mindset, processing skills, writing, internet, local environment, social media/neighborhood.) in his 11th house LMFAOOO. Bruh that's why the network & broadcast EVERYTHING THIS MAN SAY. you cannot change a news channel MSNBC, FOX, always quoting something or just talking about him in general. and that's why he's so good with his words, and connecting his mindset, communication & stuff to groups of people. His Venus is also there so he gets love from groups, communities. Really good at making friends & fans. But his Saturn is also there where his lessons, karma, responsibility, CAREER, PUBLIC IMAGE, is.

[goosewriting]

Hi I just wanted to tell you that I really enjoy your writing. What if the turtles got cloaking broches and wanted to show their partner, and the partner was like “yeah you’re pretty as a human but I miss your markings/stripes etc.”?

Cloaking broach (rottmnt x reader)

summary: reader and turtle’s reaction to seeing him in human form for the first time.

relationship: Rise Leo, Raph, Mikey, Donnie x GN reader (separate) 

warnings: simping ✊😔, innuendos? sort of? nothing spicy or anything but idk it’s a different tone than my usual stuff XD, i guess it still counts as fluffy ending tho

word count: 1.9k

A/N: ty for the kind words anon! i have to say i went kinda hard on the simp reader here but can you blame me? this ended up being 100% self-indulgent lmao check the human designs i used for this one under the cut and you’ll understand 🫡 still, i hope it’s to your liking ;;w;;

(english is not my first language. constructive criticism and grammar corrections are very appreciated!)

— — —

for this one i wanted to give you guys a visual lol for the human!turtles: i’ll be using these designs by @redbeanp13 (source), who was kind enough to let me use them :D the drawing below is by @soldrawss (source) whose art you should really check out because it’s top tier 😤👌

with that settled, let's get to it~

— — —

The turtle made his way to your apartment, moving swiftly between the buildings, unable to hold in his excitement. He had borrowed a cloaking broach from Sunita, and he wanted you to be there when he transformed for the first time. After all, he hoped you’d like how he looked. 

When he got to your place and explained the situation, you suddenly got nervous. You had never even thought about him as a human, and while you were certainly curious, you also felt strangely uneasy. What if he was shocked about how he looked? What if he was disappointed because it wasn’t like he expected? On the other hand… What if he looked even better? What were you supposed to do with that knowledge after he turned back to his turtle self?

You shook your head to rid yourself of those thoughts, focusing instead on the almost child-like glee your boyfriend had, waiting for you to join him in front of your full-length mirror.

Giving him a nod, he was just about to place the broach on his strap when you spoke, suddenly remembering a very important aspect of the transformation.

“Wait!” you stopped him, holding up your hands, and he looked at you slightly irritated but waited for you to continue, as he saw how flushed your face looked all of a sudden. “How does the whole clothes aspect work? Will you have those or will you transform, like… naked?”

“Why, would you like to see that?” he teased you.

You didn’t nod nor shake your head, instead only bringing up your hands to cover your face.

“I’m just kidding” he laughed and placed a hand on your shoulder reassuringly, giving it a bit of a squeeze. “The broach gives you the clothes you imagine, so no worries.”

“Right…” you replied sheepishly, uncovering your face. “Let’s see it then.”

And with that the turtle placed the broach on the strap around his torso, and got engulfed in a greenish smoke.

🔵 Leo

When he emerged, he was smug about it.

You blinked a couple of times, trying to process what you saw.

There were a lot of feelings happening. 

Meanwhile he quite literally checked himself out in the mirror.

He had no shame about it. 

You ran your hands through his hair, and the new sensation startled him, but he didn't pull back.

It felt kinda nice actually.

You traced over his face; his stripes had translated into scars and birthmarks of sorts.

As you were admiring his facial features, Leo suddenly pulled you closer by the waist, leaning in, and stopped just before your lips touched, quietly asking if he could kiss you. You replied by closing the distance.

The kiss felt different and yet the same, as it still was Leo in front of you. Again, your hands came up to run through his hair, lightly tugging at the base of the neck, which made him softly groan into the kiss. At the unexpected sound you pulled back and looked at him with big eyes and heated cheeks.

“I could get used to that” he said with his signature grin, and quickly pecked your nose. 

“So, you like it?” Leo asked, placing his arm over your shoulder and pulling you into his side, so you stood next to each other, facing the mirror.

“I mean… yes? You do still look very handsome” you replied, and trailed off, biting your bottom lip, as if hesitating to continue. He gave you a soft smile through the mirror.

“But?”

“I don’t know, it’s like there’s something missing? Your half-moon markings that bring out your eyes, the stripes that seem to glow in the light, your whole ninja-ness. This feels like more of a costume than anything else… I like you in green; it feels realer.”

His gaze suddenly softened, looking vulnerable for a split second. That was not the reply he was expecting, but maybe deep inside the one he was hoping for. 

“I do like the hair though” you said to go back to your banter. “And it looks like you finally can get a good posture without the shell.”

“Hey!” Leo gasped in mock offence, and you stuck out your tongue at him. “Turtle or not, I can still totally kick your butt!”

You had no time for a clever remark, as he was already playfully tackling you to the ground, with you squealing and trying to get out of his grasp to evade his relentless tickling.

🔴 Raph

He was still tall, almost as tall as his turtle form. 

Just not as big.

Which was kinda weird to see.

As if there was a part of him missing in the space before you.

You hugged him and could almost reach around his back, which was impossible in his turtle form.

Also he was warm for once, which was nice.

As you were hugging him, his arms also wrapped around your form.

That’s when you noticed.

He was so soft.

“So, what do you think?” he asked at your reflection in the mirror.

You pulled back from the hug and just stared at his chest for a second. His chest was usually rather hard because of the plaster, even though it was quite flexible for him to move in. Still, you couldn’t help but wonder.

Without saying anything you gingerly placed your hands on his chest, making him slightly flinch, a violent blush spreading on his face and neck.

“This is gonna sound so weird” you said, unable to look him in the eye. “But can I… feel you?”

“Ah- Uhm- Sure.” Raph went a little stiff, unsure of what you were about to do.

Your hands traced his chest, which was still rather firm; you assumed his muscles still were present in this form. Then your fingers slowly wandered down to his tummy, which was softer, and to the sides, where you softly pinched his hip, making him squeak in surprise. You took a deep breath to recover from the sheer adorableness of his reaction, and made a mental note of doing it again in the future if you had the chance.

“So… You like it?” he asked after you seemed satisfied with your exploring.

“To be honest? Yes and no” you replied, going back to hugging him and talking to his reflection with your cheek smushed against his chest. 

“I like that I can hug you like this and almost reach around you without the spikes. I like how warm and soft you feel” you explained and he smiled. “But I also really like green and spiky Raph, who is so very gentle with me and makes me feel safe.”

Raph’s arms tightened around you, giving you a kiss on the top of your head.

“Maybe we can borrow the broach in winter for cuddles?” he suggested, slightly swaying you from side to side. Now that was a compromise you could get behind. 

🟠 Mikey

The only way to describe how he looked was adorable.

Since he was more petite and lighter, you figured you could give him a piggyback ride for once.

You also loved that he went with a colourful outfit and lots of accessories.

It suited him very well.

And you couldn’t get over his freckles, they were too cute!

For a while, you both just stood there curiously looking at all the details in the mirror. 

Then Mikey took your hand in his.

“Whoa, so this is what it’s like to have 5 fingers!” he exclaimed, intertwining your fingers with his. You had to admit, it felt pretty nice. 

While he admired his digits alongside yours, with your other hand you ruffled his hair, to which he snorted.

“That feels so weird” he laughed.

“But I bet I know what will feel nice!” you said, letting go of his hand and bringing both of yours up to softly massage his scalp. 

“Oh, oh wow” Mikey basically melted away as you worked your fingers through his hair from the top of his head to the back of his neck, being careful not to get tangled in his locks. He just stood there in pure bliss, with his eyes closed. So when you were done, you couldn’t help yourself from giving him a quick peck on his lips.

He blinked a couple of times, coming out of his stupor.

“You think you could do that even when I don’t have hair?” he asked. You told him to remind you of doing so whenever he wanted. He thanked you and went in for a hug; that's when you realised there was one more thing you could do with his non-turtle self.

Without much of a warning, you bent down ever so slightly to reach under his thighs, and lifted him up with a ‘whoop!’. Mikey held onto your shoulders and instinctively wrapped his legs around your torso. You gave him a smug smile.

“This is new” Mikey commented, an ever so light blush adorning his cheeks, and you tightened your hold on him so he wouldn’t fall. 

“Is it nice?” you asked. If Mikey nuzzling his face into your neck was anything to go by, you’d guess that it was. 

You both knew he loved being held, especially by his brothers, so now that you could do it, he’d never want to let go. 

🟣 Donnie

The only way to describe your internal reaction: that anime gif 

You blushed heavily when you saw his human form.

He was too handsome for the world to see.

“It’s too much power, he’s too dangerous” you thought.

You tried to keep your cool, you really did.

He had somehow managed to bring out his bad boy persona perfectly, without losing the nerd touch. 

Seeing your reaction, he gave you a knowing grin through the mirror, resting his arm on your shoulder.

“So, what do we think?” he asked with a mock nonchalant tone. “I’d love to hear your current thought process in depth.”

“Shut up” you muttered under your breath, shoving his arm off so you could face him. You looked at him for a second, then reached up to cup his face in your hands. Now it was his turn to blush, and you gave him a smirk of your own as you realised something. You didn’t wanna ruin the moment, but you just couldn’t help yourself.

“Look at you, a real boy with real eyebrows!” you cood. Donnie scoffed.

“Don’t ‘Pinocchio’ me” he retorted, but leaned into your touch. It was a somewhat unfamiliar sensation for him too, his skin being different and all.

“May I…?” you asked, gingerly stroking his cheekbone with your thumb, silently asking for permission to further touch around his face, knowing that he wasn’t a fan of that. Deciding to make today the exception, he gave you a short nod.

“How do you feel?” you asked, this time for real, as you further inspected his face and all the features he didn’t have as a turtle: nose, ears, lips, the little freckles speckled around his cheeks. 

“To be honest? Kinda like a wet noodle” he replied, earning a chuckle from you. “I feel way too exposed. Too much soft flesh… everywhere. On the outside. I don’t know how you can walk outside like this every day.” You just gave him a sympathetic smile and hummed. 

Once you were done with your inspection, you withdrew from Donnie, giving him one last once-over.

“Well, that was a fun experiment” you concluded. “But I feel like your human form lacks a certain… mad scientist factor, if you will.”

Donnie agreed and took off the broach, albeit correcting you with a “not mad, just science”. 

~~~~~

🐥 taglist: [more info in my pinned post!] @hearteyedracoon, @koalaray, @maribatshipper, @whygz, @lovelylovelydreams

[billowingangel]

Welcome ✧

I've been into hetalia since 2016 and for a while I tried to pretend I didn't like it....And I'm tired of living that lie! So I'm back to thinking, loving, obsessing, and writing about Hetalia.

I also block very freely and I'd rather people be 18+ to interact (since occasionally I may post nsfw/nsft which I will always tag)

I'm currently working on a few fanfictions which you can find on AO3 and FF.net

My favorite character is Canada 🍁 And I ship him with pretty much anyone...and I mean anyone...If that makes you uncomfortable please feel free to block this blog or the tags associated with ships you are uncomfortable with. I may at times reblog problematic ships, I'll add tags for the ship and a cw for the problematic element of the ship. Please take care of your mental health and curate your online space to what is best for you ♡ ˎˊ˗

more information below the canada picture

Wow, you clicked continue reading so here's more annoying stuff about me and this blog (^_^)

I spam reblog, mostly fanart (so many in this fandom are so talented!) and miscellaneous things (memes, random shit, writing tips, etc).

I'll occasionally post some of my own fanfictions (drabbles or links to them)

I also will post my rambling silly thoughts. I have decided to let myself loose and be as annoying authentic as possible here.

Also I will do my best to tag content/trigger warnings but I may forget (memory of a goldfish) so if I do please let me know

Here are some tags I use on this blog to organize (still working on what tags to use) ᯓ★

#art reblog ( ˘͈ ᵕ ˘͈♡): self explanatory

#hetalia fanart ✨: reblogs of hetalia fanart

#canon tbh: posts that I see as accurate to character's personalities, how I perceive them, and how I think they'd act

#hetalia fanfiction:

#hetalia meme:

#positivity: posts and reblogs that are positiive

#misc: posts that are surprisingly not related to hetalia

#me core: reblogs that I really relate to

#fanfic imagine: imagining a fanfiction and maybe i'll write or finish the idea

#fanfic in progress: my thoughts during the process of writing fanfiction, debating whether I should do this or that, talking about what I plan to do, blah blah

#my fanfic: fanfiction that I have written, usually a link to ao3 but may also be to ff.net

I also mostly tag hetalia characters as hws so if you look up hws canada (for example) you'll be able to see all posts about that character

Some of my favorite posts of mine ┈─★

Now more about me which is why you're reading this (I'm just kidding)

Call me angel or anything really I don't care what I'm called (ᐢ. ̫ .ᐢ)

Also please feel free to message me!! I love talking to people but I get a bit hestitant about initiating. My discord is billowingangel if you want to talk there!

I'm 20 years old and I go by she/her pronouns and I'm a lesbian I love me some boobs what can I say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I may be a raging homosexual but I'm also a raging hetaliansexual (joke), I am attracted to so many fictional male characters and shockingly a ton of them are from hetalia (shoot me dead)

I love hetalia if that isn't obvious, it's on my brain a probably disturbing amount what can I say I'm mentally ill. I also like other anime (demon slayer <333, jujutsu kaisen, the witch and the beast, parasyte, etc), doctor who (so happy there's a new season), yuri manga!!, and other shit. I love horrors and thrillers! I rarely watch romantic comedies but I love reading romance in fanfiction ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I'm working on my own book (probably my 20th book) but I'm hoping to actually finish this one.

I am also working on multiple fanfictions: red means it's completed

off the grid: canada slightly snaps and goes on vacation lol

???:idk what to call it, america, england, and france are all fighting for canada's love and he's oblivious

unhealthy obsession: another country becomes obsessed with canada

Falling for Canada: multiple rarepair oneshots with Canada

My first omegaverse 0.0

a really stupid horror drabble that I posted

amecan week 2024

And I believe that's it~ Maybe I'll add my favorite ships

[frogcroaks]

Hello! I’m someone who’s planning to begin taking commissions in the future, and seeing as you have experience I’d like to ask; is there anything you feel new commissioners should know as they get started? Essentials with sheets/process that are easily missable, or just things you’ve learned in your time?

Sorry for the late reply! I think I could talk about the commission process in length and each step there, but I'll just share a few tips for now. For sheets first:

Function over form: Your commission sheet is not an art piece, it's an advertisement, and while pretty graphics can entice people it's important to not let your own art be cut off or drowned by it. This is especially true if you want to showcase fullbodies, character design and larger work, where the entire piece is important.

If you can draw it, show it: Avoid having your examples all be the same subject if you're saying you can draw multiple things. I draw humans, furries/anthros and animals, so I tried to put one of each in my sheet. This also applies if you only draw a specific subject: Human artist? Show different races and body types and clothing. Furry? Show different species and body types (again) etc.

If you draw multiple things also, you may have less opportunity to expand on each area. If you think that's lacking, having an extra examples page will not hurt!

Organize yourself: I know this sounds obvious but please organize your commissions!! Especially if you're taking them on social media DMs (and if they're spread across multiple platforms). I personally recommend a trello, but it doesn't really matter as long as it works.

Things I recommend writing down: The @ or name of the commissioner, where you're contacting (email, twitter, discord, etc.), the request and details of the comm & refsheets.

This will make it so easy to put down updates, the length of your queue, who to do next and grabbing your refs in one place!!

Terms of service: Have one, they're more for you than for your commissioner, as many never read an artist's TOS LOL.

You can check mine out, and you have my permission to just steal it for yourself. I detailed payment, refunds, process & edits and the rights & permissions. It doesn't have to be long, and it's better for it to not be long! But even if you think you don't care about your art to have them, you might find some use anyway.

I'm ending it here because this is getting long, but if you want anything more lmk! I could talk hours abt the commission process LMAO

[crescentpaws]

Any art tips for aspiring artists?

practice!!! i know that’s what everyone says but that’s bc it’s true… practice is the best way to get better (as is true for a lot of things). a lot of the time i end up improving without even realizing it which is crazy

other tips that can help with practicing:

- use references! ppl who say using references is cheating are lying to you. even experienced artists use references all the time. plus, the more you practice this way the easier it will be to draw without references later on :) (i used to have to use references for every single hand i drew but now most of the hands you see in my art were drawn without references). also sometimes i just like looking up references when i need pose ideas or whatever (though if you heavily reference another artist’s work it’s best to give credit, especially if the resemblance is noticeable. at the same time, pose theft and color theft are not real. that is not a thing. but i’d still be careful with heavy referencing actual art vs things/pictures that were made to be used as references) you can also take pictures of yourself if you need a specific reference photo but can’t find one you’re looking for. i’ve definitely done this with hand poses a few times

- look at/watch tutorials! whenever i see a tutorial on instagram that seems like it might be useful i save it for later 👍 keep in mind that a lot of them are stylistic preferences but they can still help a lot if you’re unsure where to start

- tracing! controversial maybe but tracing can actually help a lot (it can help with practicing hand movements/improving muscle memory, proportion/anatomy study, and just overall figuring out how to draw things :)) DISCLAIMER: this should only be used for practicing purposes, not for sharing or posting. i do not condone tracing another person’s work and then sharing it online as your own. that is a form of theft <3 (even if you do give credit, most artists do not like having their work traced. you’d think that most people would know this but…)

- don’t be afraid to take inspiration from other artists! this isn’t really the same as referencing imo, especially if you’re only taking inspiration from a specific part of someone’s style. this is how i’ve developed my style over the years! if i like how a certain artist draws noses, i might try that out! if i like how they draw hair, i might take some inspiration from that! same with shading and coloring processes:) this is a good place to start imo because even if you start by referencing these things they will eventually develop into your own unique style over time

- this one might be a bit obvious but: draw what you want! art is so much more fun when you’re actually… you know.. enjoying it. if there’s a fandom/show/anything you’re interested in, draw things from that! i’ve improved a lot because of various hyperfixations i’ve had LMAO. also, draw because you enjoy it, rather than for the sole purpose of sharing it online and getting likes/comments/etc. if you’re just drawing as a hobby, have fun with the process and don’t worry too much about the result :) i like sharing my art because i want other people to enjoy it as much as i do!

- at the same time, don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new! (admittedly i have trouble doing this sometimes lol…) also, don’t be discouraged if your art looks ‘bad.’ everyone has to start somewhere, and without the bad art there will never be a chance for the good! i’d also recommend not throwing away/deleting old art, because it’s fun to look back and see how much you’ve improved :) i personally really like doing redraws of older pieces as well

hmmm this was longer than i planned on it being but whatever!

[zemi-noelle-art]

Your LPS customs are soooo amazing!! Like genuinely so inspiring 😭 I wanna get into it but I have no idea how!!

Thank you so much!!! that really means a lot! And I'm really honored to hear I've been inspiring people with my work<3 I can provide some tips on starting the hobby if that helps! this'll be based on my own experience though of course! I can firstly say that getting into LPS customizing was pretty simple for me, because I already had most of the supplies I use for other projects, and it was only a matter of getting the bases themselves to paint on. Of course I have the LPS I grew up with but I didn't want to ruin those lol. I use those blank bootleg LPS bases they sell on amazon. You can also use authentic LPS but I'd recommend making sure you're not painting over a rare one like a big 5 or Savannah Reed first lol. A good starting point is to draft out the design you want on paper/digitally to see what kind of custom you want to make. for me I use digital templates and paint over them in my art program. Templesta on DeviantArt has some really good ones! For paint I use acrylic. Get a teeny tiny paintbrush for detail work along with a couple other sizes as well and those should be all the basic supplies you need to start! You can also get more complex with it and use chalk pastels, water color pencils and glitters too. Get creative! see what supplies you can use to take your customs to the next level. As a tip, make sure to water down your paint and do multiple thin layers. Patience is key because that paint is not gonna want to stick to the base at first. A lot of the actual painting process does come down to practice and a steady hand.

If you want to seal your customs which isn't necessary but gives them a nice finish, I recommend Liquitex high gloss varnish to seal the eyes. There are some good matte varnish sprays out there but I recommend doing your own research on those, as they can be resin based and therefore need a bit of caution and prep to handle. I personally use Mister Super Clear matte spray to seal the base of the custom, and I always spray outside with gloves and a respirator.

And though I have done sculpting I don't consider myself well versed enough to recommend supplies for clay but I've heard Green Stuff and Apoxie sculpt are good clays to use, but be sure to do your own research on those as well.

The monster high doll customization community is a good place to look for material research! A lot of the process of the face-up is pretty similar to painting LPS. That's actually what got me into customizing in the first place; I just watched a bunch of Dollightful, Enchanterium, and Moonlight Jewel's videos and said to myself "Wait a minute, I could do this with LPS!" I also of course recommend watching other LPS customizer's videos to see the process of how they make their customs, and show them some support as well! Pumpkinscustoms Is a really big inspiration for me and HelloStudios, Mr. Crazy Ray and LPSCobalt have really good videos on making customs.

And once again, if you don't wanna dive right in you can just draw them, whether using a template or not to see if you like the process and the design! You can even make a bunch of designs digitally and once you feel ready to tackle a real custom, start there! ahaha I didn't know I'd be writing a whole-ass Essay but I hope all this helps!! Thank you for enjoying my work!

[writingwell]

20 13 fanfic questions

Thanks to @randomfoggytiger for the tag. I didn’t do all of them, just the pertinent ones, and I modified those just to include ffnet as well. 

1. How many works do you have? 26 on AO3 (for my mature rated Spy Castle stuff); fanfiction.net has 278 Castle fics;and about 300ish archived at Gossamer for X-Files.

4. What are your top fics by kudos/reviews? The Return of Vulcan Simmons, Tempest (not a spy work!) on AO3; ffnet would be One Hundred Days of Summer (co-authored with SandianeCarter) and Dash It All.

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? Yeah, I think if you take the time to contact me, you deserve the respect of hearing from me. It might not be a full-blown conversation, but I’ll do what I can with a full-time profession and a writing one as well. Also, suuuuper sorry, just discovered AO3 has an inbox. 300 days ago, some of you messaged me and I am just now seeing those. Lol. 

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I have a spy fic where the two of them are just so at odds, so grieving with and over each other… okay that’s most of them. But I try not to end on angst, as it’s supposed to be the journey not the destination. (Angst is a twisting of the heart, not a place where you stay. According to me.)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Dash series has the ‘happiest’ endings. Not because life is happy, but because they figured out how to create contentment within what they’d been given/dealt in life. And in ways other versions of the Castle characters hadn’t accomplished. They did the work.

8. Do you get hate on fics? Oh definitely. A while back, I turned off comments on tumblr for about a year as I processed and healed from some targeted attacks, and I can say that I came out more certain of myself and my writing. But I was also an adult who had not been forced to weather these attacks as a vulnerable 13 y-o on social media (as so many of you are unfortunately dealing with). I was able to detach, center myself once more, and rise above because I’d grown up IRL, so to speak. I have a faith in something bigger than me which, while it doesn’t look like what it did, has sustained me and given me the confidence to know my worth even as it spurs me to be/do better. 

9. Do you write smut. If so what kind? Oh definitely, lol. It’s on AO3. Usually I like to explore M/F with a third in there for kicks, as the concept of generosity and giving within the sexual relationship/experience is intriguing to me.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? I objected to the term ‘stolen.’ I’ve had my fics, without my knowledge, posted elsewhere, translated without my knowledge, and changed to other fandom characters to be posted elsewhere. However! I’ve had loads of people ask me too, and I really appreciate being able to go visit them. (Stolen would indicate I somehow own these fanfictions, and I do not, as that would be a legally difficult hill to stand on. I also do not perceive collective fan art in this manner, because the world is all of ours.)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will? Oh there’s a co-written story that me, carto, and muppet47 started and have NEVER finished. We all know Castle has to go to jail, but we can’t write it.

16. What are your writing strengths? Writing it the first time. Correctly. As in, it comes out the way it should or ought to or how I am seeing it in the moment. I have the right rhythm, I can spell and I have the grammar skills. My first draft is fast and good enough for submission. Of course, I go back and edit, and I have to, but I’m very blessed in not ever going through anything like writer’s block.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Secondary characters. I have a tendency for tunnel vision, where all I want to do is talk about and to and for the main characters. If they have friends or family, I barely include them. I can’t manage to care that they exist. But all of us live in a complex web of relationships and community; no one is alone. My last novel, Taste of Salt, was an concentrated effort to include as many other perspectives as possible, so it was told through the POVs of the two main characters and interspersed with flashback chapters from the POVs of their friends, family, coworkers, chance encounters, medical personnel, kids, support networks… there you go.You have to do the thing that’s hard. Write it out, over and over, keep practicing.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? Yeah, sometimes it becomes necessary for the character. But please keep it to a minimum (imo) as it detracts from the reader’s understanding and experience of reading. It ought to be rather easy to understand what the person is saying due to context or just the flow of the scene. If you’re writing in English, and you have a character visiting France, then obviously some of that ought to be in French, but after a while, you can indicate that the language is being used while writing it in English. I say this because most of you are fandom writers who are not writing for literary audiences; therefore, don’t ruin everyone’s fun my making it incomprehensible or inaccessible. Please.

20. Favourite fic you've ever written? Don’t ask me to choose between my children! I can tell you that Dash holds a special place in my heart due to the amount of readers who said it gave them understanding of their own sensory issues or their child’s autism, etc. Spy gave me one of my greatest friends, carto, who continues to love and support me and my writing. 

I won't tag anyone, because I deleted so many of these questions, but feel free to answer or share or talk with me about them!

[expirisims]

Old Builds!!!

I decided to plop all the old builds I found down in Adventureland so I could make a list of changes I'm planning to make and which lots I will scrap from the project. Needless to say, there will be roof work, LOL! I had forgotten how much work I'd put into a lot of these! And how large all of the houses I used to make were! Even though there will be some terrain finagling to do once I place them in my custom world it is still going to be a LOT quicker process! All I'm missing from my original builds is a super awesome aquarium I'm still pretty bummed to be missing and an okay poolside beach bar.

This is the resort lot I built it is situated on a lake that will actually extend beyond the lot and become a significant element in the nature reserve area of the world. Inspired by a couple of real world resorts here in the US. The pool area is Art Deco style and always makes me think of "The Shining" for some reason, LOL!

The Copa Club, an exclusive lounge with functioning restaurant and performance area! Yes, those ARE palm trees inside the building. Yes, that IS a glass tiled area of the floor. And yes, those ARE shark spawners inside the tank in the middle of the bars :)

More pictures from around the club, as you can see I never put stools at the bubble blower...facepalm.

The main transit station with buried subway rabbit hole, java hut and laundromat. In the old world I had about a million subway objects littered all over the place. It was a total mess, I also thought I needed multiple of every rabbit hole to make it seem like an actual city. No wonder it broke before I could finish it! I've learned a LOT over the years! I was originally going to take the laundromat out of this lot, but I think I'll just leave it and not have a separate designated lot. It'll save me some space and a lot for possibly another house if I feel the need for it. I've gotten to be more about function and streamlining world layout/size over the years than I used to be.

Random screenshots from a couple of the old houses. They seem so huge to me now!

The crowning glory! This house is by far the most elaborate and there was a backstory which I think I will include in Pickerling Cove. Seems only right as I'm using all the old builds from my unfinished world. Ugh! I'd forgotten that this house was 1 tile off on one side! OMG it was such a pain to create, I dread fixing it, but it will drive me crazy! Anyway, I'll definitely have to offset terrain when I place it in Pickerling and hey, I don't have to remake it totally from scratch, so I should stop complaining!

[miranhas-art]

do you have any tips on simplifying a person's facial features into a drawing? i love your art because it is so simple yet so evocative, and though your style is fairly cartoon-y, your characters always look like the people they represent. i've been doing portraits for years, and i have a very difficult time letting go of the details and simplifying. it's one of my biggest challenges. if you have any tips or could go over your process for doing that, i would be super thankful. (and no worries if you're not up for it, i just always think "how?!" when i see your drawings! )

Helloooo!!! Thank you so much! And thank you for the question! I tried doing a step by step thing to show you how I approach drawing a face!

(This goes for anyone I try to draw)

Step 1: Find a ref pic and train your eyes to not complicate stuff!

After I have a ref pic I look for what I've decided are the important things in a face that makes it a face (I listed them on the image).

But you may say: well, that's the whole face! Everything on the face is important!

Well, yes. But if you have a list of things you should focus on, makes it simplier!

Continuing!

You must focus on studying the person's:

1. Shape (Face. This also includes the understanding of how the jawline is shaped)

2. Eyes (shape and also placement)

3. Nose (shape of the nostrils, the side lines and placement)

4. Mouth (placement under the nose; the shape of the mustache if they have one; until where the corner of the mouth goes, usually I use the eyes as ref)

5. Hairline (this one is not on number 1, because I usually leave it for last. Drawing the hairline close to what it looks like in the ref, helps you neat the shape of the face, because forehead makes a total difference as I've learned along the years lol)

6. Cheekbones (I do like a good blushing and this could be used as a tool to try saving a doomed drawing lmao *cries*)

Ok! So accessing these elements, let's try drawing it!

Step 2: Doing the drawing.

2.1. It all starts with a ball.

So, like everybody tells you to, I start with a ball.

This helps you not go crazy and limit you area of work! I also devide it in 4 and use the line in horizontal to place the 👀's

2.2. 1st sketch

The first sketch is really a moment of trying to control your anger:

- It won't look like anything

- It'll look bad

- You might question life

On the first sketch I use 2H because it's soft and you can work through it on the next steps.

This is where I put all the elements of the list and only them. It's very simple and cartoonish.

(The thing is: I only focus on them and forget the other details you could work on)

2.3. 2nd sketch

Ok, now things are suppose to look right.

On second sketch, still using 2H, you gotta work more on the same elements, shaping it to look more like the ref pic.

Here is also where I draw eye bags, lines and dimples. But only the ones that are close to the eyes, the nose and the mouth! The ones you can't ignore because they ultimately make the person look like themselves.

2.4. Line art ✨

Line art is also where you take a pencil with darker graphite (like 2B/4B) and pray to the gods that you won't ruin everything.

The line art is where you hightlight stuff (imo) and you also give depth!

So focus on places where there is shade... to highlight. (Does this make sense? Absolutely not)

This is also where you gotta work on the hairline.

2.5. Finishing you drawing!

With H2 I just shade during the finishing process.

You shade mouth, under eyebrows, under eyes, nose and cheekbones!!!

So, that's it!

I hope this makes sense and helps you in anyway! This is what I do and what I focus on when I draw faces!

[astral-mariner]

6 - 15 - 24 - 30 Questions ask ;0

6. What's the best/worst part of being online/a creator?

The absolute BEST part of being online as a creator is getting to connect with other creators. Other creative souls who care just as much as the things that mean so much to you. Who themselves create things that bring you joy, make you cry cathartic tears. People who understand the creative process, the NEED to create. It's not just other creators, though. It's also people who engage with the things you create. The people who tell you that what you created meant something to them, moved them in some way, however small. Little bits of human connection. I personally put so much of my soul into my creative projects that, when someone sees even a little of those very real emotions, I feel seen and understood in a way I have very rarely felt in my life. One of the reasons I am creative at all was because I was lonely and had no one to turn to for various reasons. I used art to process my grief over the world being so purposelessly unkind. Not just to me, but generally. Why do bad things have to happen? Why do the people who should love us hurt us instead? And most of my art meditates on answers to those questions and shows characters fighting to find meaning in spite of their circumstances. As for the worst part... It's hard to say because I think of it as mostly positive. Perhaps just that being vulnerable is scary sometimes. And that people are just as likely to misunderstand you online as they are IRL. But online, there's at least the advantage that the people who are engaging with your stuff have often intentionally sought it out, so they are more likely to approach it in good faith. Perhaps, then, the worst aspect of creating online is that those connections you form with other creators and people who find meaning in your content often are so far away, lol. Sometimes I'd like to actually be present with people in a way that's not mediated by art. I very often neglect my real life relationships and responsibilities because my art is where I feel most alive...and I wish that my creative connections were more integrated in my day to day interactions. Fun fact: everyone I've ever dated has met me through my art, and I don't think that's by coincidence at all.

15. What do you think of when you hear the word "home?"

This answer will be somewhat sad... Because I don't think of any one place out here in reality. Literally the first thing that came to mind when I asked myself this question was an empty field on the edge of a wilderness. The sun is setting, the wind is blowing, and I'm standing there by myself. I very often go on long hikes alone to Brood, and I think this has something to do with it. My blood relatives rejected me for being queer. I was sheltered in a religious extremist community and didn't make many friends growing up. I had undiagnosed autism and anxiety, among other things, that I never got help for until I was an adult (and this was not entirely anyone's fault---there was far less awareness of those things in the early 90s, and even adults trying to do their best didn't have the resources to provide effective support). I've experienced a number of traumatic events that have made it hard to trust people and form connections. So at the end of the day...where I feel most "at home" is by myself. Even if it's a coping mechanism. Sometimes feeling comfortable and safe around other people feels so foreign and strange, like I'm an alien visiting from another planet. Even if I really want to connect with others deep down. (I think that's a big reason why I connect to Vegeta trying to adjust to life on Earth after Freeza is gone.)

24. What's one thing you're proud of yourself for?

I'm really proud of myself for getting as far as I have on my Saiyans under Freeza story, honestly. It's the longest creative project I've attempted, and it's close to being finished. I will likely be over 160k words when it's done, and it's the culmination of years and years of thoughts and feelings. I've written other novel-length pieces before, but this easily my most ambitious project.

30. What's one thing that never fails to make you happy/happier?

Music. Even if it's dark, heart-wrenching stuff. There's just something so moving about it. Being able to engage with things that remind you that other people have felt the way that you do and have used those feelings to create something of beauty. In particular, I love music that is nevertheless somehow beautiful, meditative, and melodic despite being harsh. Favorite genres include classical, goth/darkwave, black metal. An Example:

[th3-0bjectivist]

The Salvation Day Interviews (1 of 2) with musician Anthony Tadlock

     Dear listener, as a special treat and for the edification of music lovers all over Tumblr this is part 1 of 2 of my Salvation Day Interviews with Anthony Tadlock, A.K.A. t-underneaththeradardancing on Tumblr. Mr Tadlock, I recently spent several hours listening to Salvation Day. Thanks for agreeing to answer some questions about your band’s music. 

    When I dive headlong into music that I’m not too familiar with there’s always this sense of discomfort, but when I started with Mercy from your EP, The Backdoor Sessions, I felt distinctly like I was sitting in a new bar and listening to an exceedingly talented local band perform live. I know we’ve discussed this one-on-one before, but for the peeps on Tumblr, what was the actual genesis of SD, and how did you and Ms Vita Rhie Quintanilla meet? What was the spark that brought you two together to record in the first place?

     to set the stage - so to speak - i had been performing with and jamming and hanging with a young musician - very loose no muss fuss - 3 weeks before meeting vita i had a mild heart attack - mild but the hospital experience was literally a nightmare and nearly killed me - a couple weeks after getting out i was invited over to play/ jam/hang out - wuz expecting at most a couple other ppl to b there - btw to digress - t is very much an introvert - to digress further - t is a stage name but the only name ppl in the music aspect of my life know me by or call me - anywaves - i had just set up my guitar and amp when i could feel a presence coming down the stairs - a young woman - at 1st i guessed 25- ish which would make her the 2nd oldest in the room - she looked at a painting of crows and i said something to her about my love of corvids - i was improvising on guitar - some blues - i think a bass player was playing along and maybe another guitar - she started singing improvising lyrics and we started riffing off each other - her voice blew me away - then she started playing her original songs - omfg ! - anyway - i hoped that we would play together again

     a couple weeks later she walked into Madrone Art Bar where i frequently played open mics -she was with my friend - both joined me on stage and we did what i call "deep space nine " which is what i called any unplanned unrehearsed collaboration onstage - i of course could not remember her name - she handed me a business card lol - she told me she had a weekly gig at a cafe i had performed at and would i like to join her - by this time i knew she was diagnosed w schizoaffective disorder - that she was 17 still in high school and a witch - we started performing together playing her gigs - open mics - on the street ...there is of course more to the story which may be covered as we go on

    I went through every song on Salvation Day’s YouTube page, the instrumentals and the voice go very well together, and I must admit, there is great synergy on display. You two had me mesmerized a few times, particularly with tunes like Para Ti and Reincarnation. Tell me, do the instrumentals come first, or do the lyrics/vocals come first, or somehow both at the same time? What goes into the process before you record?

     virtually all of salvation day songs are mostly vita - the lyrics in particular - some have come out of improvising at gigs - or as vita would say - we are just gonna pull something out of our ass now - some she has already "arranged " before i hear them others she asks me to figure out some chords and key - it should be noted that after graduating high school she moved to davis ca about 100 long miles away with no good way of getting there and back on public transit - required bus ride - a subway ride and finally a train and took 3 hours - neither of us drive though she recently learned - t cant see for shit so - and there was lots of drama in the summer preceding - however we rarely felt the need to rehearse - at early gigs i would ask whats the 1st chord and what key - sometimes the answer was - idk - jimi hendrix chords lol - sometimes they were jazz chords i didnt know - i still play a lot of chords im not quite sure the name of and double stops that suggest a chord - on a good night i play by ear and improvise mostly - when we decided we were gonna make an album - we formalized the arrangements and figured out keys etc ...

     sometimes - like last week when we got together after not playing together in a couple months - tho exchanging some snippets thru email text etc - vita thought of some lyrics on the spot - i started playing some chords - we fucked around w it a bit - made a rough recording on fones and will see if something comes of it - Reincarnation was written just before we met - vita says the songs morphed and become different thru my influence - Para Ti she had come up with a couple months after we started playing together - we were at the friends house - and he had become totally indisposed - we were supposed to start the recording process that day - we waited around to see if he would improve and she started playing it - i came up w the lead guitar lines - btw to digress to q 1 - vita was often in and out of hallucinations and delusions at the time - she has no memory of the 1st time we met and hazy about the beginning period - one last example Mercy - written entirely by vita - tho my guitar was central - she sent me an audio file - it has chords i dont know - i just followed her voice and elaborated - tbh i still dont know what key it is in lol - like jack sparrow eluding capture we just make it up as we go

    Do you have any advice for aspiring musicians out there based on your experiences with SD so far? Have you had any creative blocks or serious problems when generating new music? If so, how do you get through them, and what do you think the most important thing is for a musician to do when they feel discouraged or dejected by their own bad experiences with music making?

     whew - thats a tough one - i have been playing guitar for almost 60 years - been in a number of bands and playing situations - have been discouraged countless times - most recent was the whole experience of recording a studio album with a producer - it was hugely stressful for myriad reasons and ego deflating and not in a good way - we coped w that by recording the Backdoor Sessions ep - the bulk of was recorded in a couple hours in vita's tiny dorm room using garageband - it was done without rehearsal - and we played 2 gigs in january that we were happy with also w no rehearsal - we also released vita's book The Schizophrenic Dialogues - all while covid was rearing its ugly head - no gigs to promote anything - no spoken word opportunities - vita was in terror of infecting me - between age COPD and heart i was a likely candidate to die - so we saw each other rarely

     i had invested a huge amount of $ in the studio album - to cope vita started a collective based on Sacred Arts Productions - a jewelry biz and an art biz - i worked w our web designer / friend / collaborator maggie umber to get our web site up - and started recording daily snippets for instagram and spammed the fuck out of tumblr - vita and i met mostly outdoors - playing mostly acoustic where the chances of infecting me were minimized (she got covid twice during this period ) so i guess my advice is 1) forget the ego and bullshit that goes w doing - anything - but particularly the creative 2) forget about "success" and numbers - sales/listens/hearts...3) just keep on keepin on - that said it aint easy sometimes - i been playing as i said almost 60 years - theres still so much i dont know - i try to learn new things and ways almost daily - just showing up is sometimes a victory

     Listen to Salvation Day on Youtube. Back at the end of the next week with part 2 of my Q&A with Mr Tadlock. If you liked this post, please spread the word about SD and consider reblogging this set of interviews. And if you haven’t done it yet, scroll to the top of this post and smash play!

[lizzie-is-here]

like the dawn

part xiv- the calm before the storm

“one day, you and i are gonna wake up and be alright. maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day. one day, i promise you” - fisher amelie

summary: you, steve, and bucky take refuge in wakanda. but the next steps of your recovery are daunting.

wordcount: 3.6k

warnings: trauma, nightmares, steve feeing excluded once more, a brief allusion to sexy time, cliffhanger lmao

a/n: ok so originally this was a 15-part series, but i’ve extended it to 20 lol. hope y’all are still enjoying! and like i said last time, this series will likely be put on a brief hiatus soon so i can write my christmas series/thing! love y’all so much 🤍🤍🤍

taglist: @whelvedfeelingsstuff @sebsgirl71479 @rebloggingmyrecs @babyblublossom @local-mr-frog @thenyxsky @capsiclesdoll @moonlightreader649 @saranghaey @almosttoopizza @itsivymusic

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Once everything was settled, it was decided that the next best move would be to go to Wakanda. A road trip could be saved until after you got deprogrammed.

T’Challa was more than welcoming, promising that you would be allowed to freely travel the streets of Wakanda once your treatments were finished, and going even further to offer you a safe home at any time.

And Wakanda really was a safe haven. They’d escaped the oppression so common in the rest of the world, and had truly flourished in their hiding place. It was magical.

You had thanked him profusely, and had been led to meet the princess.

Shuri Udaku’s reputation preceded her. She held a record for the highest IQ in the world, and at 18 was running an entire country’s technological developments. And she was damn good at it, too.

“This is my lab,” she’d said, waving an arm out. It was still clean and organized, but lacked the cold-stone sterility of HYDRA. Colorful art decorated the walls, and a few messy post-it notes clung to the tables and chairs.

All the while, Steve was discussing with T’Challa exactly how the treatments would work.

Both of you would be put under, cryo-tubes coming in handy once more, but during your sleep, they would work their magic.

Something about this place was special, and Shuri was confident in her ability to pluck every trigger word from your head in the matter of a few weeks.

She gave you some clothes to change into, and when you returned, clad in white, she sat you down on a table.

The doctors were patient and far kinder than any you’d experienced, even before HYDRA. They didn’t look at you differently, only made polite conversation and explained every move they made.

You appreciated their warnings. They’d ask before touching you, and moved your wings around with delicate hands.

Now, you’re awaiting the final preparations for the cryo-tubes. These, which Shuri proudly presents, will make the process much more tolerable.

Rather than being shoved into a dirty tube and frozen in a painful and shocking process, she promises that these will lower the temperature in intervals of 12, as well as pumping in some nitrous oxide to relax you.

You sit next to Bucky, leaning on him as a doctor checks his pulse.

“How do you think Steve’ll do?” you whisper. You should only be under for a month, but you know it won’t be easy for him.

Bucky shrugs. “I think he’ll be okay. Might cry a bit.” You elbow him lightly. “But he’ll be alright,” he adds.

The blond comes over to the two of you.

“I can hear you, you know? Enhanced hearing and all that.” He taps his ear. You smile, taking his hand.

“I’ll be fine, promise,” he says, kissing your forehead. He does the same to Bucky.

“You sure about this?”

The brunet sighs. “I can’t trust my own mind. We can’t.” He chuckles, a sad smile making its way onto his face. “So until they get this stuff out of our heads…”

“…Going back under is the best thing,” you finish. “For everybody.”

“Maybe not for everybody,” Steve mumbles, and you catch on.

“Shuri said it’ll only be about a month.” You run a thumb along his knuckles. “We’ll be back soon, Stevie.”

As the three of you hug, you hear Bucky whisper to him.

“You aren’t losing us again, punk. We aren’t going anywhere.”

The king and princess approach, seemingly reluctant to split the three of you up.

“The cryo-tubes are ready when you are,” Shuri states. Her tone makes it clear. You can still back out.

But your brain has no qualms about reminding you of exactly what happens when The Angel of Death and the Winter Soldier take the lead.

A brief flash of Steve, bloodied and dying in the burning helicarrier is all you need to make your decision.

“We’re ready.”

Your chamber is noticeably larger, another kind consideration by the Wakandan team. You climb in on your own volition, merely helped along when you struggle to turn around.

You exchange a glance with Bucky before you both nod.

Shuri readies a tablet, and slowly slides her finger across the screen. A soft hissing sound comes from all around you, and goosebumps cover your arms in seconds.

A light, floating feeling settles in your mind, and you can hear your heart slowing, slowing, slowing.

This time, it just feels like going to sleep. No breath being stolen from your lungs or screaming until you pass out. Your eyes slowly shut and the last things you see are your boys.

It’s the most quiet that your mind has been in 70 years.

———————————————————————

“I’m gonna lose it. Shit, what if something goes wrong, and they wake up as-“ Steve can’t even bring himself to think the words. He’s been pacing for what feels like forever. It’s been too quiet without you two, and when he finally couldn’t handle it, he gave in and called the team.

“They’ve come so far, and if they get set back��� they won’t be able to live with themselves,” he rambles.

“Not to mention that I haven’t slept in bed alone in, what?” The blond captain counts the weeks. “Two months! Two months, and now they’re just-“

From the FaceTime call, Natasha’s eye twitches.

“Rogers,” she begins, exasperated beyond belief. “It has been. One. Hour.” She claps to emphasize her point. “They have been under. For. ONE. Hour.”

Ok, she has a point there. More than a point, honestly.

Steve knows he looks crazy. Probably is crazy. And it’s impossible to miss how the doctors glance worriedly at him every so often.

No, he hasn’t left the lab. The team is too nice to ask him to stop sadly staring at his best friends and lovers in the cryo-tubes.

“Get your star-spangled ass out of that lab, Cap,” Tony says through a mouthful of cereal. “You’re in the most technologically-advanced country in the world.”

Steve can hear Peter as the teen cuts in.

“Well, Mr. Stark, I don’t think he’s that interested in seeing more tech he isn’t familiar with.”

“Was that a burn?” Sam. “I’ll count it. You did good, kid.”

Steve can’t help but smile when they devolve into bickering, and the phone is forgotten on the dinner table shortly afterwards.

“Bye, guys, I’ll call again later,” he calls. A few people respond before he hangs up.

“Guess I should get out of here,” he says to himself.

You and Bucky look so peaceful, though.

Clad in white, Bucky looks so different. He’s stuck with dark colors, mostly to blend in but also out of habit. But the white looks good. It looks ethereal.

And as cliche as it is, the only word he can conjure up to describe you is angelic. The fluff of your feathers cradles you as you sleep. You’re so still. But you look content.

Steve’s never looked so stressed. He lost you both so long ago, and found you and lost you and found you all over again. He can’t handle this.

And it’s only been an hour.

———————————————————————

As talented as Shuri is, the super-soldier serum bests her tech occasionally.

Every so often, in intervals you aren’t sure of, you gain enough consciousness to hear through the cryo-sleep.

Most of the time, it’s just doctors taking notes, or Shuri mildly commenting about how she has to fix another “broken white boy”.

But today, you can hear Steve. No one else is around.

“Hey, (Y/N). Hey, Buck.” The sound of a stool being dragged over and a notebook being opened makes its way to you.

“I know I’ve been visiting all the time, but I needed to talk.”

“These past weeks have been hard. I… I miss you.” He pauses. “But Shuri’s been digging through those files you gave her. And some of the stuff in there…”

Steve wishes he hadn’t looked in that box. The detailed notes describing exactly how they broke you down and destroyed you until you caved.

They started with the experiments. Hours of being strapped to a table and injected with foreign needles.

Then they trained you. Taught you exactly where to strike to kill and where to strike to wound. How to use every weapon under the sun and exactly which ones did the most damage in your hands.

Then the brainwashing. That chair. Steve had to stop reading when the files began to describe how you’d screamed and begged to not go back into that room after your first session.

But you didn’t go down easily. You fought for twenty years. In and out of cryo-freeze, you fought them tooth and nail and gave them more hell than they had ever expected.

But they won. And now you ended up here.

“I just want to keep you two safe. And I know you don’t need it. But you did the same for me.”

“Captain Rogers?” T’Challa’s voice is far away, and even Steve’s voice is beginning to fade away.

You hear them leave, and then it’s just darkness again.

———————————————————————

It’s another two weeks -longer than predicted- when you’re taken out of cryo-freeze.

Bucky’s let out first, and Sam gets a sore stomach from laughing over the phone when the former assassin falls flat on his face getting out- right in front of the camera.

Your boys decide to not let you suffer the same fate, and are there to catch you when you realize that your legs don’t quite work right after a month and a half frozen.

Steve takes the role of mama bird in an instant. “How d’you feel, sweetheart? Wings sore? Want a blanket?”

You yawn, wings stretching and shaking off the little bits of frost that accumulated on them. “‘M alright. Tired. Cold.”

Bucky brushes away ice crystals, equally as cold but more concerned about you. “Let’s get checked out and then we can head outside, thaw out a bit?”

Shuri is speedy and gentle in her assessment. She moves around the lab with a distinct intuition of where every tool she needs sits. It reminds you of Tony.

She carefully extends your wing, maneuvering it slowly.

“These are amazing,” she gushes. “The way the lightweight bone grafts to the original, the feather pattern is-“

“Shuri,” T’Challa chides. She rolls her eyes with a smile, obliging anyway.

“Take it easy,” she says to you and Bucky. “Just because you’re super-soldiers doesn’t mean you can go throw yourselves at the nearest training room. Your bodies need time to recover, and so do your minds.”

“So, are they… gone?” Bucky asks. The Winter Soldier. The Angel. It’s almost too much to hope for.

The princess takes a deep breath before shrugging. “We won’t know until we can test the trigger words.”

At your visible apprehension, she holds out her hand.

“It will be done in a safe area, supervised by the Dora Milaje themselves. Two weeks from now should be plenty of time to recover.” She passes over two bracelets.

“Kimoyo beads. They will take you to your temporary home, allow communication, and really anything you need.” She proudly points to them.

You know she’s probably tired of how many times you’ve thanked her, but you do so anyways. Following her instructions, you, Steve, and Bucky begin to head through the city.

Steve watches the way you and Bucky interact with the crowd. He’s been treated with awe and prestige ever since he came out of the ice. People ask for his autograph and pictures.

The same people have only looked at you two with disdain.

But the people here aren’t afraid. They smile at you in the street and offer samples of food. A woman holds up a delicate lattice of gold chains, gesturing to your wings.

“I don’t have money, or anything to trade-“ you begin. She shakes her head and drapes it over the tops of your wings. It sits nicely, though probably designed for the shoulders. She shoos you away with a knowing grin.

“Look at you, all dolled up,” Steve laughs. You blush, shoving him.

“Oh, hush, Mr. Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. Get us home.”

The home in question is a comfortable hut. Far enough away from the city for some peace, but close enough to walk easily.

Inside, you find a small kitchen, a large bed on the wood floor, and a small shower and bathroom blocked off by a curtain. Despite the humble appearance, you find that there’s hidden tech in every corner.

The carved wooden sink runs with perfectly cold water, the small fireplace is in perfect condition. Even the curtain covering the entrance, upon further inspection, is found to be sewn with vibranium thread.

You lay down on the bed, sprawling out and shaking away the last chills. Your boys are quick to join you.

Steve lays beside you, while Bucky happily drops his head onto your stomach.

“Miss us, Stevie?” the latter asks.

“So much.”

At his tone, you pause. “You weren’t alone this whole time, were you?”

The silence that follows is telling.

“The team visited a few times,” he says, immediately jumping to do some damage control as the two of you frown. “But it was mostly just me.”

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, kissing his cheek.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” he promises.

Bucky fiddles with the kimoyo beads. “We’ll make it up to you.”

Extending a pinkie, you listen as the Border Tribe finishes up their evening patrol. They sound the horns, and silence follows.

Your boys link pinkies, and everything is peaceful.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

———————————————————————

True to your word, you and Bucky spent the next few days making up your lost time to Steve.

Days were spent exploring Wakanda and its culture, and nights were spent huddled up in your hut, often with the curtains tightly shut and with hushed whispers exchanged in the darkness. Well, sometimes they weren’t exactly whispers.

The market was a common day trip, buying fruit or just frivolous items. You bought more jewelry for your wings under Steve’s encouragement, adorning a few of the ink black feathers with gold rings and charms.

But you wouldn’t use your powers. Besides healing a few bumps and bruises on the local kids that loved to play around the hut, you’d avoided casting even the smallest ball of light.

A part of you feared that, if you used them, it would awaken the Angel. The two were intertwined, in your eyes. One couldn’t happen without the other stirring to life.

You dreaded that two-week mark. So did Bucky. The few nights leading up to it were peppered with nightmares and restlessness.

“I can’t hurt anyone else,” Bucky had sobbed late one night, clinging to Steve as you prepared some tea. He’d woken all of you up in a violent nightmare, screaming and tangling himself in the covers. “I need to go back under, I-“

“What you need to do is breathe,” Steve had urged. “You’re alright. The Dora Milaje will be there, and they won’t let you hurt a fly. Besides, Shuri was almost sure her treatment worked.”

“I can’t trust ‘almost’,” he’d pleaded.

As you watched them, you’d had a moment of forgetfulness and had touched the searing kettle. Wincing, you flung your hand back, watching as the blistering receded in seconds.

Carefully lifting the teapot, you’d poured a cup and offered it to Bucky, running a hand through his hair.

“I know you’re worried, I am too.” Sighing, you plucked a bit of grass from your wing. “But we need to trust Shuri’s work. It’ll be ok. We can’t just go into cryo forever, love.”

It had been twenty minutes before you lulled him to sleep, and another thirty before Steve joined him.

But you’re too anxious to go to bed. Sneaking out of the hut, you stare out into the darkness. Some goats bleat, evidently disturbed by you.

“Oh, hush,” you whisper. “I’m just going for a fly.”

The goats don’t respond, blinking lazily. One bleats and bumps his feeding trough.

“No. The last time I got near you-“ You point at the goat, tone becoming accusatory. “-you tried to eat my feathers.”

He gives up, turning back to the covered area of his pen. Turning your focus back to the path in front of you, you stretch a bit, preparing for the flight.

You take a running start, barefoot as the soft earth slowly recedes from beneath you. Leaping up, you rise, powerful flaps propelling you skyward.

There’s no clouds tonight. Just stars and the bright lights of the city a bit of a ways away.

You veer towards the skyscrapers. It’s a few minutes before you’re in the heart of the city, narrowly turning between buildings and enjoying the cool air.

The lights dance in shimmering colors, and a few buildings have music pouring out of their doors. It’s lively, even this late.

You hear it before you see it. A soft thrumming from behind you. You flip over, slowing down until you’re upright.

It’s a hover bike, you think. When it gets closer, you recognize the rider.

“Princess,” you greet.

Shuri waves you off, chuckling at the formal greeting.

“You’re out late,” she comments.

“Could say the same about you.”

She shrugs. “Needed to clear my head. You, too?”

You nod. She leans on the handlebars, unfazed by the 300-foot drop.

“Are you nervous for tomorrow night?” The assessment. The trigger words.

“A bit,” you admit. “It’s not that I don’t trust you, or the Dora-“

“You don’t trust yourself.” You pause. She raises a brow.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” you say. “Bucky and I- we don’t want to hurt anyone. We’ve done enough of that.”

Instead of offering pity, or a sympathetic glance, Shuri nods.

“I get that. But it’s not your fault.” There it is. You’ve heard those words so many times. But it felt like you, you were there, so it had to be your fault.

The princess continues. “I don’t mean that just to make you feel better. I mean, mentally, psychologically, it wasn’t you.”

She presses the bike forward, fast enough for you to comfortably fly beside her.

“What do you mean?” you ask.

“The Angel of Death and the Winter Soldier aren’t you. You are your memories and experiences. Really, a person is their brain and consciousness. The body’s just a tool to keep you alive.”

“So, HYDRA took away the memories and experiences. They took away you. And in your place, they trained someone else with what was left. Just the fact that you’re worried about hurting people because that’s what the Angel did proves that you aren’t her.”

“I know you’ve heard it many times. I heard it when my Baba died. I’d thrown myself into my work, blamed myself for not creating a better suit for him.”

She lands the hover bike, and only then do you realize she took you back to the hut. The sun’s beginning to rise.

“But it wasn’t your fault. Really. Truly.”

You can’t come up with an argument. You chuckle, shaking your head. “You’ve got me there, Princess.”

She smiles. “I’ll see you soon?”

You nod. “Yeah. Tonight.”

And she’s gone. Speeding off far faster than her mother and brother would approve of.

“(Y/N)?”

Your boys are peeking out of the hut, confused and squinting in the growing light.

“Was that Shuri?” Steve asks.

“Yeah. Went for a fly, and she ran into me. Talked for a bit.”

You greet them both with a kiss, sighing into the feeling as the sun warms your feathers.

Bucky wraps an arm around you, clearly still just as worried as he was an hour or so ago.

“Tonight?” he asks.

You and Steve nod. There’s no postponing this, no outrunning it. Shuri was adamant that two weeks was the ideal period.

So two weeks it was.

———————————————————————

The trek up the hill was much worse than the weeks leading up to it. Rocky ledges offered little purchase, and moss caused your feet to slip every so often.

You used your wings to boost you and you went, charms jingling in your feathers. You’re accompanied by Ayo, an experienced Dora Milaje, and Steve.

The blond wasn’t supposed to join you. But she found it hard to deny his wounded puppy look when she tried to pull you and Bucky away.

“We’re nearly there,” Steve assures, traversing the steep rocks. You jump up a ledge, wings flapping wildly as you correct your balance.

There, in a clearing, is a campfire. It’s small, unassuming.

Ayo vaults up behind you with her spear. She gestures to the ground.

Once Bucky makes it up the hill, he sits with you. You take his hand, nodding in reassurance.

“Sergeant Barnes?” Ayo calls. “It’s time”

Bucky takes a deep breath, and you can practically feel the weight in his chest. His metal arm recalibrates, buzzing as the nerves fire rapidly.

“You sure about this?”

The warrior doesn’t back down. “I won’t let you hurt anyone.” Stepping closer, she begins.

“Желание, Ржавый, Семнадцать.” Her voice is quiet, but the words bury in your soul.

“It’s not gonna work,” Bucky whimpers. You almost reach for his hand again, but you know you have to let him do this.

Ayo pauses, but continues. “Рассвет, Печь, Девять, Добросердечный.”

You can see him struggling, fighting off the Soldier. When you glance over to Steve, he looks about ready to spring over and cover the brunet’s ears.

“Возвращение на Родину, Один, Товарный ваго.”

The last word is said, and it’s still Bucky in front of you. The exhale that follows his realization is broken, punctuated by silent sobs.

“You are free,” Ayo smiles.

Steve hurries over, embracing him and turning to you. You know it’s your turn. And if it worked for Bucky, it had to work on you, right?

Right?