#pinterest asked me if i needed help while i was searching pics to make this

[silverameco]

i like the headcanon that regulus dresses like a posh victorian boy, full three-piece suit and all, but the reg i have in my mind is a modern au reg who wears oversized hoodies and regular jeans. he sleeps in old baggy band t-shirts that once belonged to his brother and tiny shorts. he wears little silver hoop earrings and that chain necklace with sirius' name that he keeps hidden. he never goes anywhere without his noise-cancelling headphones and his old little notebook in which he writes his sad boy poetry, but only with a black ink pen - he'd rather die with his thoughts than write them in blue ink. he puts his head against the window in the bus and follows the rain drops with his eyes. he looks just like a lil guy - you'll never guess he has the sharpest tongue and the meanest stare.

[aurorawritestoescape]

RIBBON || Joel Miller x f!reader || 1k

Summary: Joel wants you to come without touching yourself.

Tw: 18+ mdni, smut, pwp, Joel is strict but fair, unprotected piv, bondage, size kink, praise kink, a drop of degradation

A/n: I saw these two pics on Pinterest side by side and couldn’t shake off the thots. Pics for mood only, reader has no physical descriptions. Kisses to @milla-frenchy for beta-ing💖 Hope you all will enjoy🎀

MASTERLIST

*****

“Joel, please,” you whine wriggling on the bed, legs spread around his hips. “I can’t, I need someone to touch my clit!”

He’s fully clothed, jeans unzipped and pulled down to the mid thigh while you’re completely naked, your tank top and shorts discarded on the floor by Joel’s impatient hands.

“The fuck ya mean ‘someone’?” He growls looming over your face, his cock buried deep in your cunt. You squeak pathetically when you see him clench his jaw.

“I mean you or me. I can’t come… you know, just from you fucking my pussy. It’s not you. I never could.”

“Hngg,” he growls and you nervously chew on your lip.

“I’ll touch myself a little, ‘k?” you ask as your hand inches closer and closer to your pulsating bud.

“The hell ya will.”

He pulls out and you see him reach for the nightstand and search for something in the drawer.

“Good…,” he mumbles before pulling a pink ribbon out.

“What are you…?” is all you have time to say until he grasps your wrists, pins them to the bed and starts tying them together, huffing over you. His hard cock smears precum over your belly, his delicious musk hits your nose and you clench around nothing when he cages you like that between his giant body and the bed.

When he’s done, he hovers over you with a satisfied smirk.

He gets back between your thighs as you bring your hands to your face and widen your eyes in surprise. The ribbon holds your wrists securely but doesn’t hurt you.

“It looks really pretty, Joel,” you say admiring his work.

“It ain’t for being pretty, sweetheart. It’s to stop your hands from touching your needy clit. You’re comin’ just from my cock tonight. Nothing else.”

You furrow your brows and pout your lips, placing your bound hands on your naked chest but he grabs them and pins them over your head.

“Ready for your training?” Joel asks you, his dark eyes searching your features for any trace of discomfort.

“Do your worst,” you smile at him and spread your legs a little wider.

You’d expect another man to hammer into you immediately, trying to hit anything that can make you come. But not Joel.

“Breathe for me, sweetheart,” he asks you, nudging your wet hole with his fat head, and then slowly pushes it in, deeper and deeper, making your folds spread around his girthy cock. Your moan is needy and lustful.

He bottoms out and groans looking down at the place where his cock disappeared inside your greedy hole.

“Fuck, ya have a perfect pussy, baby. Look at her takin’ all of my cock so good.”

Joel slowly pulls out almost to the tip and you feel your walls clench around his fat head, not letting it go. His eyes dart attentively between yours, reading your reaction, as he slowly buries his length into you again.

“She’s not perfect”, you whine, “I wanna come on your cock and be a good girl for you. But I can’t.”

Your insecurity is soon alleviated by his warm smile, full of love and affection.

“She is. Just needs a little help.”

“Like your thumb on my clit?” You purr with an innocent smile.

Joel chuckles.

“No, baby. She needs to be fucked right. Does she want that?”

“Yeah,” you breathe out, your cunt melting around his cock. His tip kisses your cervix and you softly whimper, as your nails dig into your sweaty palms.

Joel groans, then leans lower and kisses you. His taste intoxicates you, his tongue possessive, lips skilful and soft.

When his lips leave you, he stills his thrusts and looks deep into your hazy eyes. You whimper, feeling his length throb deep inside you.

Then he rolls his hips and starts gradually increasing the pace. You’re moaning and chewing on your lip feeling the climax closer and closer. His tip rubs against something so pleasant that you’re dripping on the sheets, your body sweaty with the heat radiating from him. Albeit dancing on the precipice, you still can’t seem to take the final leap.

“Joel, please, just graze it, just a little,” You plead with a desperate need in your voice, eyes glossy with tears of frustration. You wiggle your hands, trying to free yourself from his grip but he’s unyielding, the ribbon held tightly by his thick fingers.

“Shh.. I said ya gonna come like this, sweetheart. Now lie still and let me make ya feel good. ‘k?”

You nod and he pulls out, grabs a pillow next to your head and sits on his heels between your thighs.

“Lift ya sexy ass for me.”

You do as you're told and he pushes the pillow under your butt, raising your hips.

Then he stands on his knees between your thighs and throws your legs over his shoulders. With his hand wrapped around his cock, he pushes it into your soaked hole again. It slides in easily, his length, your folds are all covered in your juices, and the sensation is so much brighter in this position, a gasp leaves your lips.

He starts fucking you, his strokes hard and deep. No one has ever made you feel this good. With each thrust, you say his name like a prayer, devotion in your breathy voice. You’re looking up at him like he’s your god. And he is at this moment.

“Yeah, baby. Bet your little fingers can’t make you feel this good, huh? Singing beautifully on my big cock. She’s gonna choke me soon, I can feel it.”

You nod with half-lidded eyes, lips parted, drunk on the sensation of his hot member massaging your walls just right, and he barks a laugh,

“You’re so cock drunk, baby. Not a single thought behind your pretty eyes.”

You have no power to object, why would you? He’s right. All of you is focused on his cock fucking into your soaked pussy.

Joel slows down dragging his tip against your front wall and making you squeeze your eyes shut with pleasure.

“I feel it, Joel. So close. Please make me come, please,” You whine desperately, opening your blown eyes, legs trembling on his shoulders.

“I will, sweetheart”, he rolls his hips just right and you scream, clenching on his cock, your whole body shaking.

“That’s it…perfect little pussy,” Joel mumbles as his thrusts become erratic. He doesn’t stop when he begins emptying his heavy balls inside you, prolonging your orgasm with the jets of cum caressing the walls of your contracting pussy.

“Yeah…Keep milking my cock, baby…hnggg. Good girl.”

Wanting to be closer, you drop your legs, sit up, throw your tied hands around his neck and pull Joel to you, chest to chest. Nuzzling the crease of your neck he continues filling you with his warm cum, growling against your skin.

Joel stays on top of you for a few moments, big and broad, pressing you into the mattress with his weight. You kiss his cheekbone and whisper a loving ‘thank you.’

*****

Thank you for reading!💖

Please consider reblogging and commenting if you enjoyed the fic. Your feedback motivates me so much!🌺

Masterlist

Tag list: @milla-frenchy @harriedandharassed @survivingandenduring @missannfairy @iamasaddie @nervousmumbling @bbyanarchist @stevie75 @puduvallee @auteurdelabre @mountainsandmayhem @senoratess @flamingochick55 @theoraekenslover @schnarfer

If you'd like to be tagged in my future fics, let me know!💕

[millieisawriter]

Stitch you up

arthur morgan x reader

summary: a fanfiction where arthur finds your own journal where you wrote about him

wc: 1.2k

english isn't my first language

♡this wasn't requested, but if you wish to request something you're more than welcome♡

all pics are from pinterest

You had joined the gang recently, and immediately noticed him. Arthur Morgan. The big, bad mystery of a man. Soon enough you learnt that he had a past more wounded than anyone you've ever known, and you wanted to help him.

God, you wanted to help him so badly, stitch up the wounds he hid from everyone else, light up his darkness even at the cost of your own light. But you didn't know scaring the shadows away won't be easy. It was as if he didn't let you do it, scared it will break you. Little did he know, the rejection hurt you like a gentle hammer to the heart.

You could be a bit scatterbrained at times. Like that one time when you left your journal god knows where. Writing down your thoughts always seemed to help you feel better, but now there was a risk someone could find it and read it.

Arthur never planned on finding your journal, nor had he intended to read it. He saw it abandoned by the tree where you often sat alone in the evenings, writing while the others laughed and drank by the fire. His hand hovered over it, hesitating. He knew he should leave it be, or better - return it, but curiosity twisted tight in his chest.

Your handwriting was delicate but hurried, with little mistakes probably caused by you glancing around from time to time, checking if no one is looking into the journal over your shoulder. Arthur knew he shouldn't look where he didn't belong. But he kept flipping, kept glancing over the words like he was pulled by a higher force.

Until that one page...

I tried to stitch you up with thread from my own skin, thought maybe my bones could be your bandages. I couldn't fix you and broke myself in the process. But you stay empty and I stay broken, a ruined sacrifice for a love that never wanted saving.

Arthur stared at the words, re-reading them a few times. He felt it in his core, even if no name was mentioned, he knew well who you wrote about. Too well.

His heart was thudding when he shut the journal closed. He had known you had a thing for him, but he thought it's just an infatuation that will eventually pass. Now it turned out your feelings ran deep.

He searched for you, intending to give back the journal as if nothing happened, as if he hadn't read a single word. But from the panic in your eyes, even if the rest of your body tried to remain calm, he knew that you knew.

"I uh... found this by the tree," he muttered, helding the little journal out to you.

You took it, your gaze dropping to the ground in embarrassment, and instead of thanking the man, you said, "I'm sorry."

Arthur looked away, swallowing his words. He should be the one apologizing. You did nothing wrong, developing feelings wasn't your fault. Reading your journal, however, was Arthur's choice.

"Nothin' to be sorry for," he managed to say, "I shouldn't have read it. I– I don't know why I did."

He didn't meet your gaze. Instead, now he was the one looking at the ground. As if he wanted to dig a hole and dug all his guilt and embarrassment there.

"I didn't mean for anybody to see this," you still felt the need to explain yourself, "I know what I wrote must seem so foolish to you."

He shook his head and finally looked at you, "Ain't foolish. Just... I ain't the man for you. Truth be told, I ain't the man for anyone."

That was exactly what you wished to prove him wrong. You wanted him to believe he could be loved. He was worth it, even if he couldn't see it. You wanted to make him see it.

"Says who?" You asked.

He sighed.

It was his concious decision. Nobody had to tell him. He knew he can't be a bad man and expect good things to happen to him. The past had told him enough.

"Says me," he muttered eventually, "I know what I am, I know what I've done. You, on the other hand, you–"

You interrupted him, "Don't give me that, Arthur. I know what you are, too. And so what of it? You're not a bad man, you're just... broken."

"And I won't burden you with fixin' me. Don't do this to yourself, don't go gettin' hurt over someone like me."

"What if I want to be burdened with it?"

That was foolish, way too foolish, to love someone for such a short period of time, but the feeling for some reason so strong you wanted to be their bandage, their stitches, their cure. It didn't make sense, but has love ever made sense?

But, damn it, Arthur would be lying if he said he didn't want it. He had lied so many times already, saying he doesn't feel the same, but his heart ached for you. He wished he could touch you, kiss you, feel you, fully convinced it could fix him so easily.

"We're both fools," he said, his eyes meeting yours and in them you could see the truth. He could reject you as many times as he'd like, but his eyes were longing for you in ways you wished for.

"Maybe," you agreed, your lips curling into a sad smile, "but if being a fool means having the chance to love you... then I'll gladly be one."

Not letting you love him was what broke you, but he was scared letting you do it, would be even worse. But this time, he didn't pull away when you moved closer to him.

Maybe in his eyes, he wasn't worthy of you, of your feelings, of being fixed, of any of what you were willing to give him. But in yours... he was worthy of way more than what this life could offer.

You reached up, your palm landing on his jaw, the stubble nicely tickling your soft skin. This touch was something he longed for from the moment he knew you wanted him the way he wanted you. Your touch sent a weave of warmth through him, as if it had any healing powers.

He closed his eyes, partially because he couldn't quite bear the weight of his own feelings, and partially because he wanted to stay like this for as long as possible. To memorize your touch in case this will never happen again.

"We're both fools," he repeated, his eyes opening, and he gently took your wrist and moved your hand so that he could place a kiss on the back of it, "but if you're willin', then I reckon I am too."

There was just something about you that made this man feel like maybe misery isn't something he's sentenced to for the rest of his life. Maybe there was a flicker of hope, too. Maybe for once he could love and be loved in peace, if he tries to deserve it.

[notaorbital]

hi I really like your mb and I'm new here. Do u have any suggestions or tips to make mb? like where did u get the pics and the captions.

𝓜oodboards: a guide for beginner blogs!

I decided to bring here a small tutorial that can help other blogs that are starting out and still have questions that need clarification, with tips and links that you may need. I wrote this from my point of view of creating moodboards and I tried to be as brief as possible in my explanation, there may be errors in English as I'm not fluent in that language and everything here was translated using Google Translate, any questions you can contact me via asks or by message.

how do I find pics for moodboards?

Pinterest is where you will find most images for moodboards, so create a Pinterest board just for these images, separating them into subboards for each color or aesthetic to make it easier.

Some blogs leave the link to their Pinterest accounts in pinneds or in the carrd, you can follow them and save the pics they published on the app in your boards, this will influence the Pinterest algorithm so that they recommend more of the type of images you want.

You can also search on Pinterest for the aesthetic and color you want (coquette pink aesthetic, cottagecore aesthetic, y2k, etc.).

how to make moodboards + tips:

Well, it's not such a complicated thing for me. I generally make moodboards with 6 or 9 images, taking inspiration from the moodboards of other blogs that I admire, so I can get an idea of ​​how to make the captions and how to position the photos in a way that matches them.

To make it easier, first I create the moodboard and then I look for an icon of a kpop idol that can match the aesthetics and color of the moodboard. The reverse can also be done: first choose an icon and make a moodboard for that image, paying attention to the color palette and tonality (and for some reason, for me it's better to create moodboards in Tumblr's light mode instead of dark mode)

When I finish the moodboard, I add the caption, the hashtags (which will be very important for your post to reach other people) and maybe a divider. You can find these dividers on other blogs or by searching for "dividers" on Tumblr.

If you want to split a photo into two or more images, use this site.

how to create captions:

To make the captions, I use parts of songs that I like or that I found searching on Pinterest for "Spotify song lyrics", but they can also be album or song names, movie names, a phrase you thought, etc. The symbols you will put in the caption can be found on this website or just by searching for "symbols", "kpop symbols", "kaomojis" on tumblr.

If you want to use a different font for the letters, there are these two websites (01 and 02). And to change the color, there are also these two tutorials (01 and 02).

what to do to make your blog "popular":

Add popular hashtags that relate to the content you are posting. If you use almost the same tags as other big blogs, your posts will have more reach. Posting frequently and your account looking nice and organized helps too.

Ask several other popular blogs to promote your account. This was very important for my profile to grow in the number of followers and engagement.

Join the events that some blogs do, as they offer good prizes like reblogs if you win. And remember to have patience, as it often takes a while to get good engagement on Tumblr.

[lazyjellyfish300]

12 𝑫𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝑺𝒎𝒖𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒔 ~ 𝑫𝒂𝒚 𝑭𝒐𝒖𝒓

Synopsis: Christmas Eve baking turns smutty with Coach!Miguel 🍪🎄Words 1.2k

CW: MINORS DNI, X FEM!READER, LIGHT ANGST, DIVORCE, FLUFF, SMUT(P IN V, BREAST/NIPPLE PLAY, FINGERING, CUM)

a/n: was supposed to be written for a dear moot 😭💕 ILY Vicky wherever you are. 😭🎄🎁

12 days of smutmas masterlist 🎁🎄

dividers by @/saradika-graphics,pics from Pinterest

"And now we need to add three cups of flour...haah, Miguel, are you paying attention...?"

You slowly breathed out as you felt a faint tickle at the nape of your neck. A fanning breath from your tall husband at your back. 

Miguel's eyes, coarse and rich like the chocolate chips he loved to steal out of the bag(and denied doing so), hang heavy with the irresistible sight in front of him, large hands gliding sensually over the soft shape of your bare body underneath your snowman apron that thinly shrouded his most favorite parts of you that would soon be unraveled at his unhurried leisure. 

Baking naked together had been your idea, but soon you discovered this little plan of yours may have entailed more than you bargained for when the added element of being snowed in and deprived of one another for weeks came with a heavy dose of raw desire fueled by the tranquil atmosphere. 

It was Christmas Eve. All light in the apartment was non-existent except for the residual glow of multi-colored lights and fireplace that carried from the adjacent living room, bathing the air in a way that was subdued and balmy.

Little Gabriella's jovial cries that once graced the halls were at her mother, Dana's, and Miguel had awaited this night with dread knowing this would be the first year he'd be forced to go without hearing them after the foundation of his home had been shaken.

Enter you, and, for the first in a long while, the feelings of loneliness were kept at bay long enough that he started to believe that Christmas could feel whole once again from having the assurance and warmth of another person by his side. 

Now, it was here, in the intimate solitude on the dawn of the holiday, that the festive backdrop of Nat King Cole on casual repeat only further endeared you to this gorgeous man that awakened the parts of you that you thought were asleep. 

"Miguel..." 

"I'm listening..." He mumbled worshipfully as his hands couldn't help but portray the opposite, skimming lowly along the raised surface of goosebumps that pebbled all over your naked back. 

He hums as a rough palm skids past the pale blue canvas that hugged your bare breasts, in search of the perky nipples that were hardening underneath his lingering touch. "Three cups of flour, and then..." 

He pauses as his knuckles brushed what hair concealed the smooth skin of your neck away from him, leaving a prolonged kiss in his wake.

"And then..." You let out a haggard breath as the recipe book you were holding clattered to the floor, bracing both hands in a death grip on the flour dusted countertop. "Goddamn it, Miguel..." 

You sighed and parted your thighs, making way for Miguel's thick finger that made tantalizing work of slow circles along the pearly slick that had begun to build steadily and drip ever since the winter sun  had dipped below the horizon. 

"I think it was vanilla extract..." He purred as his solid muscle bestowed you warmth more potent than the mild cackles of the fireplace that hummed against your ear. 

He squeezed your left breast in his free hand while his finger rubbed along the wet puffy lips of your cunt, just ghosting past your velvety clit that pulsed more steadily with each passing movement. "Did it come before, or after the eggs...?" 

"Miguel..." You huffed as you bit back a smile with lustful frustration when he buried his face in your neck. "Don't play with my pussy and expect me to give you coherent answers." 

"I'm not the one who insisted on baking with no clothes on." 

"Well, what about the fundraiser...?" You asked in a honey ladden tone as you turned around and coyly cocked your head to allow him more access. 

"Grocery store's open after Christmas..." He smiled against your neck before sinking to his knees and disappearing underneath your apron, feeling the brush of his wavy umber locks as those plump lips teased along your left inner thigh, followed by the right. 

"Fuck the fundraiser. Miguel, don't stop..."

You sighed as the ingredients were haphazardly pushed to the side in the heat of blinding passion, going back to those breathy pleas when your bare back met the coolness of the granite countertop, calves resting on his shoulders as Miguel began to slowly lap at the warm, glistening feast in front of him. 

Perhaps the divorce did shift things, yes, but something long lasting was being forged in flour dusted cheeks and too much tea. 

You reflected as the inner corners of your eyes began to wet with fuzzy pleasure when his slick coated jaw underneath those mesmerizing brown eyes came up to gaze at you as one long finger gently pushed past your dribbling entrance, followed by a second. 

He watched, entranced as he wetly squelched and massaged each one of his fingers in and out of you until it coated his wedding ring. 

It was cemented in the kind of laughter that aches your belly and the ember your lover ignites with a look from across the room that comes from months of inhabiting the other's space. The knowing that comes from loving. You and him. 

Now, your apron was discarded somewhere along the fervid trail that departed the kitchen, and your back was arched beautifully against the plushy cushions of the couch. You raised your chin, your pretty lips parting as the soft bottoms of your feet gently grazed the subtle pudge of fat that sat just above his grey flecked, darkened bush. Every sculpted detail about Miguel that embodied his strength was illuminated in the orangey glow of the burning fire behind him. 

You wondered if in a past life your deeds were so benevolent that they had to be rewarded in the present with the tender love of this man who found you when you were not looking. 

This same man who was now steadily fucking his thick, veiny cock into you by the expiring fire with the passion of a million unspoken words. 

A waffle making technique that became perfected because of a pair of glittering eyes with a shiver of sleep in them one autumn morning said she preferred them over pancakes. 

He leaned on his forearms as he cradled the halo along your jawline which was brought out by the shadow of his form swallowing yours, using the position to sink his cock more deeply into the wealth of silky wetness between your thighs that dripped and massaged each groove of his cock. 

Your legs squeezed him like the ice that frosted the streets and quiet rooftop that hung over you both in this heated fest of steamy lovemaking. Miguel panted as his cock strained and his balls drew impossibly tighter with each soft bounce of your breasts with every deliberate thrust of himself into you. 

Syrupy, milky white soon leaked all over your soft mound, coating both forests of your pubes in a sinful gloss. 

The fire wasn't so quickly extinguished, however, as he slowly traced the fat tip around your weeping hole, using the mixture to allow himself to quickly slip inside you deeply again with another groan, nails digging in his back as you prepared for another round of many that would surely last until the snowflakes no longer clung to the fresh blankets of  Christmas snow. 

---

[theloversarchive]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Subject: Booking Lash Extensions (For Beginners!)

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Girls Guide #: 1

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Audience: Those who want to try Lash Extensions but don't know where to start

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Purpose: I have seen and heard such unfortunate stories about people's first lash appointments, so I wanted to create a guide for those who might be nervous or have had a bad experience. Think of this as a 'What to Watch Out For' or a 'Standards' guide from a girl who is well-versed as a client in this world!

By: The Lovers Archive

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Step 1: Finding a Lash Tech

The easiest way to find a trusted Lash Tech is by word of mouth. If you have friends in the beauty industry, ask them! Even if they aren't related to the lash industry specifically, the chances they know of some good Lash Techs are quite high. I personally found my current girl through my Nail Tech.

If you don't have friends/mutuals in the beauty industry or word of mouth just isn't feasible, here's what to do:

I search for the right Lash Tech through social media, I found my first Lash Tech on Instagram and stayed with her for a year! For me, it’s important that they have an Instagram and/or Tiktok. This shows me that they are passionate about their work and it makes me want to trust them. The content I look for are things like: lash maps, examples of their relationship with their clients (reviews, bloopers, etc.), sharing their journey, and more. It doesn't need to be videos or any crazy content, but just something.

Seeing a Lash Tech's personality through their content is very important to me and can help me determine who I would mesh with best!

Look out for Instagram Highlights like: Client Reviews (do they have only one highlight for reviews, or multiple bc there are so many?), Client Cams, Lash Retention, Policies (are they clear? Is there a policy you haven't seen on any other page? Does anything look off?)

Additionally, prices can help determine who and who not to trust. I'm in Canada and I like seeing lash prices in between $90-$110.

(Lash Techs without social media can, of course, still be trusted, but when you're trying to find one for the first time, it feels a lot more secure when you can see their work and some of their personality.)

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Step 2: Which Lash Style is Which?

I remember feeling very uncertain about the name of the style I wanted. I wanted one thing but the Lash Tech I chose didn't have that specific style listed. Typically, you see options like 'Classic', 'Light Volume', 'Half Volume', 'Full Volume', 'Mega Volume', while you might be looking at inspo pics that are called things like 'Wet Lash', 'Wispy', etc.

Now, of course you should be taking some of these inspo pics to your new Lash Tech so you're both on the same page. However, booking under the correct service is simply to allocate appropriate time for the style you're looking for.

L: Classic , R: Light Volume

L: Medium Volume, M: Full Volume, R: Mega Volume

Generally, these are the different levels of volume. To figure which one you want the most, search the different volumes on Pinterest and just scroll away. As for finding wet lash or wispy looks, search things like 'Light Volume Wet Lash Extensions' or 'Full Volume Wispy Lash Extensions'.

Once you have determined which volume level you like, select that on the booking site. Make sure to bring inspo pics to the appointment!

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Step 3: The First Appointment!

The first lash extensions appointment can be both exciting and/or nerve-wracking. Because you took your time and you did you research finding a trusted Lash Technician, there is no need to worry. At all!

Here's what to expect.

Waivers:

Every Lash Technician I have seen has required me to sign some type of waiver. These things can include warnings about possible allergic reactions, the caring process of your lashes, and sometimes a consent form for photos/videos for their social media. On every single lash extensions waiver I have seen there has been a line that speaks about the risks of getting them. These include (but are not limited to) potential allergies, irritation, and blindness. In storytimes of botched lash appointments or lash appointment horror stories, I've seen comments say that a waiver including that information is a red flag, when it actually is not. This waiver is simply to protect your Lash Tech's business from people who are not looking out for their best interest. It's sucks but it's necessary. It also promotes a more informed decision when choosing whether or not to get them or come back for a fill. This is why it is important to take your time when choosing the Lash Tech that is right for you.

Eye Pads:

After the waiver you will be guided to their station. I recommend watching videos of different Lash Technicians preparation. This can help give you a glimpse into what you can expect. Typically for the first five mins they will be putting pads under your eyes, usually taping them down. Sometimes, depending on the Tech's experience, they may also include tape onto the eyelid either at the beginning or during the service to reach difficult places like the inner corner or, for fuller volume styles, to lift the extensions to reach another layer.

The pads are extremely important as they will stop any burning sensation (we'll get to that later!)

Duration:

Applying a full set of lash extensions is a time consuming process. For quality work, expect to spend 2-2.5 hours for that very first appointment.

I have ADHD and it's difficult to stay still for those initial appointments, sometimes even my fills. I've discovered that going into the appointment with a fully stretched body can help you relax and stay still for a longer period of time. I make sure to stretch for 5-10 mins before I leave for my appointment so that my back doesn't get sore. Additionally, if you need to sit up and stretch during your appointment, that's fine! Because you did your research and chose a professional, they totally get it and literally don't care at all.

As mentioned in nearly every Lash Tech's policies, do not consume caffeine on that day until after your appointment. Not only can this cause eye twitching, which makes your Tech's job much more difficult, but it can make you restless and want to move.

If you choose to go back for a fill, you can expect a quality appointment to take at least 1 hour.

Potential Burning Sensation *IMPORTANT*:

While there may be some mild discomfort during the very first appointment, there should be absolutely no prolonged burning sensation. If there is, communicate this with your Lash Tech. Sometimes, even during a fill many appointments after your first one, eye pads can move around. Even millimetres and simply because you're talking, laughing, or smiling. The movement of these eye pads are typically what cause the burning sensation so once this has been communicated, your Lash Tech should adjust them. Do not hesitate to share this. Sometimes, for first-timers, there can be more discomfort and the best solution is for the Lash Tech to use their fan to dry the glue.

Additionally, never open your eyes unless your Lash Tech tells you to. The burning sensation can happen even if you open your eyes for the tiniest flash. I've seen and heard horror stories where the client (while definitely experiencing a botched situation) was taking videos of themselves with open eyes during the service. This is not safe, so don't do it! Again, it's so, so, important to keep up communication with your tech.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Step 4: Feeling and After Care

Your finished lashes will feel much heavier than what you're used to, but there should not be any 'pain'/discomfort. You should be able to blink, keep your eyes closed, and squint easily, even if it feels odd and different. If there is a poking feeling, this is mostly likely from a lash fan being place too close to the lash line. Message your Lash Tech and they should be able to fix it for you.

Taking care of your lashes is important, fr. If you aren't washing them everyday... Girl, they just won't look good.

Many Lash Techs sell their own lash shampoo, that's where I get mine. If yours doesn't, they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Make sure you bring a spoolie with you everywhere! I ended up tossing a single spoolie (cut straw to cover the bristles) in each of my bags, so that no matter what, I always had one. Lashes get messed up during the day, take care of them!

Your Lash Tech should have (either on their website or their social media) something that shares who Lash Extensions would be good for and also shows clients how to care of their lashes between appointments. Make sure you have read it before you even book.

For best practice, book your appointments consistently so you can keep your lashes looking good. Don't wait until the last minute to book. Many Lash Tech's have a policy in regards to their fills.

Additionally, the first few times you get your lashes are gonna be kind of experimental. During the wait for your next fill, you'll be able to see how the lash density or style works with your face and eye shape, and if the lashes are too heavy or not. My natural lashes have become much stronger with the protection of my extensions, but they're still thin compared to others. While I love full volume, I recently switched to half volume so that I could achieve the cat-eye look without fear of droopiness in the outer corner!! If you don't know how much weight your lashes can hold, bring it up with your tech and have that conversation.

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧Step 5: Fall Out

People lose 3-5 lashes per day, so you can expect to see some longer lashes around your place. There is usually a tiny bit more fall out than usual on the very first fill day, but it should chill out pretty soon. If there is excessive fall out, contact your Lash Tech--with a light heart, always assume it was a product malfunction instead of the Tech themselves, it almost always is something easily fixed--and see what their solution is. Most Lash Techs I know offer a free fill--within the week of it's occurrence--because they know it rarely happens (also something to look for when finding a Lash Tech!)

That's all for now! If you have any questions or there is something you think I should add, feel free to visit the Post Office!

Good luck, and I hope you love your new lashes!

(Upcoming Girls Guides: Quality Acrylic Nails, Conquering Body Dysmorphia, Realistic Routines)

[kissmetwicekissmedeadly]

Hi! Can I ask a question?

How do you deal with posing your drawings?

I wanted to get back into drawing, but I struggle so much with poses, and I find your drawings so dynamic.

:OO!!!

Oh my god! For some reason I keep being surprised that im an artist?? I HOPE I CAN GIVE YOU GOOD ADVICE FANG! Thank you for asking!!

What I tell myself when I begin thinking about what im gonna draw this time, is "i need something happening in this art", my mind goes to, for instance, "autumn themed...snuggling, warmth, cuddles" so i try to transform this into a specific action instead, if they're snuggled maybe "let's make mc hold a mug, omg maybe it can hide her mouth as she's lifting it to her lips to take a sip" and my next thought that just came to me right now is "or maybe napoleon stealing the mug and mc making a surprised/angry expression at him" - which is close to that dynamic you're looking for, I hope! this was my thought process #1 showcased in action... now, if your imagination doesn't happen to work today, your second best option is to get inspired from elsewhere - my go-to account for pose references is kamitokatachi on twitter!

(i forgot the username and. i follow 1600 people on there. i went to my gallery to find one of their pics i saved so i could reverse search it. i suddenly remembered that i wanted to see on which date last year i put up the xmas decorations at home, so while i was already there... i started stopping at nearly every photo along the way in my gallery. then a song came up on my playlist that i havent heard in ages and i just had to stop and listen and.... 20 minutes later i found the username! I still wonder why i dont just keep a note with it somewhere. This happens every time i start drawing, fang. save me, fang)

Dynamic poses are pain in the ass, so dont be afraid to look at references, otherwise you'll piss yourself off and it would lead to nowhere. look at other art (twitter artists, pinterest, zerochan, even google might do the trick...) until you find that one where the character is facing the exact way you want yours to face - remember to only take small details from there and there and twist them into something original and yours. for me this happens naturally because as much as i try to duplicate a pose, i never do it right and it becomes a whole another pose HAHAH

if you want something simple but still dynamic, like a character standing prettily but not like, just standing, think about it like a movie scene where the director really wanted to make them look nonchalantly sexy while going through their day, and you have to pause at one frame, and that movie still is your drawing!

anyway, that's how my brain works! hope it was helpful!

[cinamun]

Hi! I've been wanting to make my own sim story (currently in the stages of fighting my insecurities of inadequacy) but I wanted to know what's your process between writing and talking pictures? Like, do you find poses to fit the scene you've written, or write around poses you've found? I have this image in my head of how things should look, but I can't find the poses for them and it has become very frustrating.

OMG THATS SO FRUSTRATING!!! Sorry nonny, I had to react to that last sentence first because maaaaaannnnn lol

Secondly, I absolutely want you to make your own sim story, we're a whole subculture and we're kinda dope. Plus who doesn't love a good book? But instead of a book, its 10+ pictures and a transcript from a game we all love?

My process changes depending upon what I'm going for but here's the gist of it:

Before I even open up the game (or while its loading) I'm thinking about what the scene is gonna be. Then I start googling poses. Mind you, I have a LOT of poses already so I do this moreso to see if I already have something. Will the scene require hugging, physical touch, arguing, playing a sport, etc. Then I start downloading. Now, if google turns up nothing, I use what I already have and make it work. I typically have to google if I'm doing something out of the ordinary, like that football game. As a storyteller, you'll want lots of conversation, emotion, couple and single poses. Of ALL varieties (like couple walking, single texting poses, stuff like that), you can never have too many of those. Model poses and stuff like that I rarely use (except for prom lol).

Then, I go in game and set up scenes, go into CAS and change outfits for the occasion and start thinking about dialogue. For me, the dialogue happens in Photoshop. I have a general idea of what will be said, but it isn't fleshed out until I'm looking at the screens in photoshop (when I'm doing this, I'm noticing facial expressions, body language, the mood, the lighting, etc). I don't have anything scripted, I just have the idea in my head, although I've definitely taken notes because I'll think of something I want to be said and don't want to lose it (my short term memory sucks ass).

If you get stuck on the poses that don't fit, definitely google, its helped me more than I can imagine, sometimes google images will lead me to pinterest which will have poses that don't show up in the google search. Don't let that frustrate you too much, because when all else failed, I've had two OCs just start a conversation, watch real close and if I'm quick enough with the pause button, I can get a great shot:

Above pic Indya was not posed but Darren was. I sent her to the bedroom and she walked past looking at him like this LMFAO swear! So I hit the pause button and the dialogue I was thinking of lined up perfectly.

If anything, this is a practice and I'm so glad you asked because for as long as I've been writing sims stories, I still get stuck, I still can't find what I need and only recently actually asked a friend if they did commissions because I really REALLY wanted a certain scene!! Ugh! And with the level of adulting I have to do, I honestly don't have time to learn poses so I'm so so thankful for those that know how and share them. I get how frustrating it is because the last thing you want to do is change a mood or a scene because you can't find the right pose.

This was long as hell but I hope it helps in some way! Reach out any time for tips, tricks and whatever the hell else! I love y'all and want to read your stories!

[lovieebby]

White Winged Girl (part three)

Part One | Part Two

Sugar Daddy!Henry Cavill x F!Reader (she/her)

Summary: Its not easy to cover up when she’s filled to the brim with anxiety, though Henry could care less. This isn’t a game to him and he’s not letting this little minx slip through his fingers.

WC: 1.2k (whoops)

Warnings: 18+!!!, SMUT SMUT SMUT, rough sex, dubcon if you squint (thats a damn LIE) d/s dynamic, daddy kink, oral (m receiving), cum eatting ?? degradation, spanking & spitting

Note: yall idk what happened, my fingers let loose and im not sorry. & PLEASE can someone talk to me like this??

Also! I know on my mood boards theres ladies that are white and I don’t see the reader as white— she is you and I’m trying to find more plussized women and women that are poc so i can meet all your needs! But rlly lovelies, the reader is you and you are perfect and beautiful all on your own way! I just wanted to clarify that real fast bc I don’t want ppl feeling excluded from my works. I love each and everyone of you and if theres anything more I can do to help please please just say so, don’t be shy I promise I’m nice!! & all the pics were found on Pinterest so the credit goes to all the owners of the photos!!

When the door started to open, it gave her enough time to shuffle back while Henry collected his thoughts and calculated his approach. Her knees shook as a muffled sob rolled its way into her mouth, she tried to cover it but was met with Henry’s steely look. A look he only gave if she was going to be punished or put back into her place.

“I don’t—“ He stuttered, his lips pinching shut as his eyes glared into her disapprovingly. “You think it’s funny to say shit like that?”

He still looked dashing as ever, even if it was him in sweats and a jersey tee. His nostrils flared as he bounced his keys in his hand, chest rising and falling before he reverted his eyes away from her and onto the soft rug she stood on. She forgot he asked a question and dumbly fumbled with her fingers.

Again she looked like a little girl lost in the big blue world ready to cry over the stupidest things, and Henry drank it up. He quickly shoved his keys in his deep pocket and took long strides to her, she froze still.

“Did I fucking studder?” He growled, gripping her chin as he backed her into the green velvet couch.

Such a spoiled thing, he thought, how ungrateful.

She sat with a gasp, chest rising fast with her heartbeat thrumming in her suddenly tight ribcage. She shook her head, a small hiccup bubbling up her throat. Henry moved so quick she swore she would have gotten whiplash as her back hit the seat of the couch. Her legs rose to his chest and her ass was met with harsh slaps.

“No please! I’m sorry!” She cried, trying so hard to cover her cheeks. With fruitless attempts of waving her hands to stop him, Henry’s bigger hand trapped her wrists in his grasp and continued his assault.

Her skin prickled with pain, her frails ending and she took his rough punishment with silent cries and mewls mixed with Henry’s heavy breathing. His curls bounced on his clammy forehead, and with a curt huff he was satisfied with the lesson. But knowing himself, he knew this was just the beginning.

“Who pays for your things, hmm? —Your stupid pretty little things?” He grumbled, pinning her ankles in his armpit, “No, I’m bloody serious! Who?”

His shout made her pant a dry sob, “You d-do.” She whispered weakly.

Henry moved his hands to the seam of her black leggings and ripped roughly at the crotch, exposing her whole self to him and the open air. He didn’t bother to correct her, the answer was good enough and with another slap to her heated cheeks caused her to squeal her answer louder. It was perfect for him.

She tilted her head to look at the older mans face, she’s never gotten punished by him like this and it killed her. It ate at her fragile heart and made her feel terrible for causing his frustration. She desperately wanted to be on his good side; yearned for it like a baby fawn searching out its mother.

“Daddy I—“

“No, nothing from you.” He snapped, his bright eyes nearly eaten by his darkened pupils, making her own eyes clamp shut to let herself believe he couldn’t see her.

She heard his keys jingle before she could open her eyes again, but when she did, they shot open to the rushed and forced entrance of her daddy’s swollen and blunt tip of his cock at her quivering cunt. She gasped loudly at his thrusts, mouth falling open in a broken scream.

“You don’t-“ He panted loudly, her pussy clamping tight around his length, “bite the hand that fucking feeds you!”

His heavy balls smacked against her warmed cheeks, creating a beautiful sound to Henry’s hungry ears. And when he felt the wind from the open door, he made for damn sure it continued to get louder and louder.

“Tell me you don’t want this. Go ahead, tell me you stupid little girl.” He taunted, his cock sliding easily into her drenched canal that made room for Henry to call home.

When she didn’t answer clearly, only in broken moans and garbled whimpers, Henry breathlessly laughed. Her sweet eyes hooded over in a fucked out gleam, her body limp as Henry thrusted deep and rough. All she knew was Henry’s large hands and the way his cock slid so easily into her. The only thing she could do was chant “Daddy, daddy, daddy!” And Henry loved every minute of her broken voice.

He was overly ecstatic of her being broken, watching her look at him like he hung the moon and stars. It was all he craved and he’d do this again and again just so he could see her fucked out face watch him dumbly like a whore. His heavy hand rested on her cheeks, squeezing her them together as he watched her pussy become swollen and red with his undying thrusts.

“You belong to me, got that?” He groaned, tightening his grip on her face, darting his gaze away from the lewd and intoxicating sight of them being connected in such a sinful way.

Her lips trembled as she nodded, at least tried to nod in agreement. He could feel his release approaching fast, the loud slapping matched with the absurdity wet smacks of his balls hitting her. With a loud roar, he tore away from her like she had burnt him, shoving her legs down onto the ground and stepped closer to her.

With his angry cock in hand, glistening beautifully in her honey like juices, he surged himself roughly into her mouth. “Eat it baby, ta-take it all and lemme- see it.”

His voice broke in a rough whine of its own, not being able to hold on for much longer. Though she eagerly took his beaten head into her warm mouth, it was her soft and shaking hands gripping tight around his shaft that sent him over. Henry moaned loudly, growling almost with praise as he emptied everything he had to give into her sweet mouth.

Her jaw let loose in perfect timing, letting him see his cum paint her tongue while his jaw clenched as he let out a snarled pant, approving her obedience. “Good girl. Very good.”

She didn’t know what was up, down, left or right. Her mind went into autopilot as she widened her mouth to show her daddy all she caught. The once mean and rough hand, now softly closed her mouth as his breath evened out and watched her soft throat swallow all his seed. His brows rose in a knowing look, waiting for her to stick her tongue out to show him she took it all. And when she did, like always, he spat down her pink throat.

If you want to be added/removed lemme know! Feedback is always welcomed, love you lots and be nice to yourself my bbies ;))

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[slashingdisneypasta]

Hello! :)) i wanted to start writing some personal work for the disney villain and my oc but i wanted to ask you for some advice in writing? just wanted to know how you do to start, do you search about the charcter personality? just write some randoms things and then start, etc. Thank you so much?

Hello! ^^ I'm sorry this is such a late reply, I just had no idea what to say. First of all, this is a super lovely message and I'm so touched that you think I could help you ^^

UM!- Well- here's what I do to get a feel for a character. I have no clue if it'll help though or if this is legible 😅 I tried my best though! I hope something helps! ^^ :

First of all, while I'm enjoying the actual content they're in in the first place (And I've already decided I want to write about this character), I find myself constantly inserting the reader into the canon scenes, in my head? Like, for example, I'll have reader in the chariot with Hades as he's releasing the Titans and feeling the horror dawn on them, or I'll have them wincing at Iago when Jafar crushes him with the door to their secret lair- Just little things like that. Not making reader a main component or anything, but just having them be there. In their presence.

This is so reader (Or your OC) can interact with the canon character right off the bat. It helps to get the feel for what the character is really like and what it might feel like to be around them, really. So when you're writing for them later, you aren't just working on memory or what Wikipedia says the character is like- you have a vibe to return to.

Fandom Wiki is also really good tho!! I haven't seen all the movies for the characters on my blog (The Black Cauldron being one of the ones I've never seen- oops), but I have a good idea of what the character is like from the Personality section on their Wikipedia pages. Often they come up with words the describe characters that haven't occurred to me, too. So that's great!

I also find it very helpful to look through screencaps of the characters, even more so then the Wiki page. Just seeing what kind of expressions they pull and how they react to certain things both when they are and when they aren't featured. Have fun with it, too- I find I get closer to the characters once I've played around with them a bit. Edited the pictures, made fun of the things they do, felt sorry for them, had a laugh, etc. Don't take it too serious because you'll just get frustrated and your writing will always come out better if you enjoyed making it.

Gif's are also good.

A little besides the point but THATS A BIG DETAIL I NEED YOU TO HEAR THOUGH, so again- Your writing will always come out better if you enjoyed making it Its an objective truth. Please, have fun ^^ Writing can make you feel less alone- let it. Okay moving on.

Adding on to the first point I made, about inserting your OC into scenes while you're watching, it may also be a good idea to write that stuff down. Just mundane bits in the movie, ripped right from the script- just with your character inserted into it. Like I said before, it helps you get a good feel for the character's and the vibe of the movie, which makes your fanfiction more 'realistic'.

Also brainstorming, yes, that is good ^^ I do it by making photo albums on my computer of pics on Pinterest that remind me of them ^^ Helps you to build on the character, especially if they're not a huge part of the movie or aren't around much or even just don't show much of themselves when they're on screen.

Some characters, like Yzma, show basically their whole personality throughout the movie because they're put in situations where they aren't the immediate villain and are just a person (The diner scene, or when she's talking to Chicha) which is really helpful for us! But others, like Maleficent, are always just that- the villain. The bad one- The evil fairy. And I need to brainstorm to get a better feel for them as a character (A person), and not just the villain archetype; The angry, vengeful, or greedy part of them. Though those parts are very important to keep, as well.

But mostly the most important advice I have is just to WRITE when you have the inspiration. Don't let it slip away!! Haha. The more your write of a character, the better you'll know them.

That's all I got, haha XD I hope you have some fun!!

[northcarolinanative]

𝐈𝐟 𝐈𝐭 𝐖𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮 - Boxer!JJ

Requested by anon: Can you write about boxer!JJ, with or without the outer banks’ plot. JJ enjoys boxing and you can’t go to matches because they scare you. But you always prepare with him before and he always comes to see you after. One night something happens and they confess their feelings whatever you want haha I just thought it would be a cool idea (:

Description: After the disappearance of their best friends the pogues all search for different ways to cope. Some working too hard, some fighting, some just blocking it all out. JJ puts himself in danger too often for Y/N’s liking. She finds him an alternative, but in typical JJ fashion he moves too much too fast and gets out in a tricky situation. 

A/N: This is so different from what I normally write. I got a bit carried away per usual:) I chose to put it in the OBX plot, this is all after 1x10 because we all know that I am a sucker for that at this point let's be honest. I tried to do my research but the more I read the more confused I got so I am sorry if it is inaccurate. I have ZERO experience with boxing and stuff. As I said this is so different for me so ANY feedback would be FANTASTIC!! MY asks/requests/messages are always open! ALSO, italics are flashbacks. // TW: This talks about character death, panic/anxiety, abuse, and violence.// 

*pic courtesy of pinterest*  

After the disappearance of John B and Sarah, each of the pogues had their own unique way of dealing with the major loss. The unknown ate them from the inside out until it was turned to grief, washing over them the moment the pair was presumed dead. Over the next few days, they went into denial, finally understanding why John B had been so desperate to hold onto clues about his father when the group had thought that he was grasping at straws. They understood why John B led them on the hunt for the gold because he thought it would lead to his dad. They understood because now they too would follow any lead, risk anything, or go anywhere to find John B and Sarah. 

Each of the Pogues were dealing with their feelings in its respective way. Pope was trying his hardest to prove to his parents that he had not messed up his chance to get off the Island. He applied for every academic scholarship on the east coast. Pope was scared. Kie, while the two of us helped Pope when we could, worked countless hours at the Wreck. After running from her parents and being brought into question with the police she was in hot water with her parents. She allowed herself to stay focused on her work and earn back the trust and respect of her parents so that when the time came that John B and Sarah needed them, we could help. Kie was hopeful. JJ was starting fights with everyone that looked at him wrong. He threw punch after punch at the one boneyard party that we tried to attend in an attempt to make things feel normal. He kept going home and picking fights with his dad, he said that he deserved the torment for letting John B get on that boat. JJ blamed himself for pushing John B to his death. JJ was Angry. I let myself get swept up in my art, going to the docks, or sitting in the dunes, drawing. This where the other Pogues found me when I was not working my shift at the Wreck. When I sat down to create I let my thoughts go and wander to whatever I needed to try and process. This was the only time I let myself think about the things that happened between the pogues, or what was ahead for us. I let myself think about both the options, whether they were dead or they were alive somewhere. Outside of that, I shut it off and tried to help the other pogues, as much as I could, to get back to something normal. I was numb. 

Kie and Pope had a lot to figure out between the two of them. It took them a while to actually begin to talk about what was going on between the two of them since they kept defecting. That left JJ and I alone rather often. Not that I was complaining. The two of us had never been super close when it came to the group. I was always Kie’s best friend first, pogue second, until now. The disappearance had brought all of us closer. Though I appreciated the closeness with JJ, I was worried about him. He showed up on my doorstep night after night bruised and broken. More often than not it was a fight with some rando that has looked at him on the side of the road. JJ didn’t care who felt his wrath anymore, he would fight anyone, kooks, and pogues alike. The worst nights were those that he came back from his house. Those nights were always the worst because the injuries on his body and the way that his soul sat shattered in front of me told me that he didn’t fight back. 

JJ was sat on the edge of the bed, his eyes not daring to look up at me. His face covered in red splotches and bruised from the other fights he had gotten in over the week. Tonight was different though. Normally JJ talked about the way that he handed the Kook a can of whoop-ass or the guy had it coming and that he had ‘totally won’ the fight. Every other night he would boast saying “Y/N, don’t worry about me! You should see the other guy.” He would try to soothe my nerves, but tonight there didn’t seem to be another guy. Just JJ fighting himself, the thoughts raging war in his head, making him beat himself up. 

I moved to sit beside him. Finally deciding to break the rooms heavy silence. “JJ, did you go home again?” 

His breath caught in his throat as he slowly nodded his head. I saw his jaw clenched as he fought back the urge to let tears fall down his face. He rested his head in his open palms. I wrapped one of my arms loosely around the boy before laying my head on his shoulder. “Why do you go home JJ? Every time you come back you end up so broken?” 

“It’s just a few bruises and split lips Y/N, nothing I’m not used to.” He said shaking his head. 

“That’s not what I mean and you know it,” I spoke. I moved my hand so that I could rub his back. I moved softly up and down his spine, trying to comfort the broken boy in front of me. 

“I deserve everything he says to me.” He started, swallowing a lump in his throat. “Every time

 I go I know he’s ready for a fight.” 

I took a moment to collect my thoughts. I took a deep breath before speaking. “JJ, getting into fights with your dad like that, the things he says to you.” I paused, looking over his face, trying to figure out what was going through his mind. “You know that they aren’t true right? He’s saying those things to hurt you?” 

“I know that, but deep down I’m so scared that everyone else sees what he sees.” He signed leaning back and falling onto the bed. “I’m just so angry. I am angry at the system for screwing up so bad that they ran JB away.” My breath caught in my throat as he began his rant. “I am mad that we couldn’t do anything to help him after his dad left. I’m mad that we lost him and have no way to contact him or even know if he’s alive!’ He stood up beginning to pace, and raising his voice. “I’m mad that I pushed him on that boat to sail straight to his death Y/N!” 

I stood up on my feet, moving so that I can be in his direct line of vision. “Hey!” I called to him, even though he was right in front of me, he felt a thousand miles away. “You did not push John B to do anything that he would not have done on his own! You have got to stop blaming yourself for all the unfortunate events that lead to John B’s disappearance. This on Ward Cameron and you know it!” I said pointing at him. He locked his eyes with mine for a moment. 

He ripped his glance from mine, his jaw still clenched and nostrils flaring as he tried to even out his breathing. It took a few moments and several paces across the length of my room, but he seemed to calm down. “I’m-” He started, looking around the room and taking a deep breath before continuing. “I’m just so angry. All the time.” He confessed. “I’m honestly scared, it’s like all I can think about is how pissed off I am and the smallest things just add on top of it until I explode for what seems like no reason.” He stopped rubbing his hands over his face. “I just don’t know how to channel it, make it die down.” He confessed, moving to join me back at the end of my bed. 

“You know, whenever my brother is upset he goes to the gym-” I started 

“You are not seriously telling me to work out right now, are you?” He huffed rolling his eyes.

  “Let me finish.” I scolded him before continuing. “He’s a boxer, the have matches and fight, but it is in a safe environment. One where you can let your anger out with out going home or exploding on some rando on the side of the street.” I said. I laughed awkwardly, trying to fill the silence as I gauged his reaction. 

“You really think that would help?” He said, the softness in his eyes returning. 

“It helped my brother” 

It had become routine over the past few weeks that JJ came to my house so that I could help him prepare for whatever match he had lined up for that night. When he first started all the Pogues were supportive of JJ’s new interest, but after the first match, Kie and I decided that we would support him from afar. Neither of us could stomach the blows that JJ took in his first fight. I was happy that he was able to find a more acceptable outlet for his anger, it was still just as painful to clean JJ up after, or to hear from Pope about the hits that JJ landed or had taken. Pope always attended, Kie and I chalked it up to him being a boy and into that stuff, but we both know that he watched because he wanted to be there in case something went wrong. 

Tonight was one of JJ’s biggest matches. He had been talking about it for weeks. The guy was from the mainland and was supposed to drag in a huge audience with him. He was being scouted as a professional, bordering on going pro. That bothered me because it had only been a short time since JJ had started boxing. While he had grown up his entire life fighting, boxing against people like this was much different than landing a few punches on Topper. 

JJ was sitting on my kitchen table, I was right in front of him with his left hand in my own. I wrapped the sticky red tape around his hands, knuckles, and wrists. I pulled it tighter after each pass around his hand. “Please be careful tonight. These guys got a really good record.” I spoke softly, but the concern coating my voice was evident. 

“I think I’ve got it though Y/N!” He said, happiness coating his voice. I just shook my head and switched his hands, beginning to wrap the right one. I was weary when JJ first mentioned the idea of the match, and still am, because the guy was well known and it just did not make sense that he wanted to come down to the OBX to fight a Newby. Things didn’t add up. Of course, none of us dared to tell JJ, because he was so happy, and he finally seemed to be getting back normal, no one wanted to set him off. 

I finished wrapping his hands and handed him his gym shorts. I had got him some with his name on the waistband for his birthday the week before. While I couldn’t stomach to sit through the fights and watch them, I wanted him to know that I was supportive of him finding a healthy outlet for his feelings and grief. I had washed the shorts for him so that they would be fresh for him. 

“All done.” I smiled, handing them to him. He took them into his newly wrapped hands. “So you look all spiffy when you win the fight tonight.” 

“Spiffy?” He questioned causing us both to laugh. He reached forward pulling me into a hug. Whenever I touched JJ I melted into the warmth that his body gave off. He smelled like pine, I assumed it was from his deodorant, but it captivated me every time. He let me go after squeezing me tighter. “Thanks for, you know.” He said scratching the back of his neck. “Helping me with all of this. I wouldn’t even be doing this if it weren’t for you.” He said with a smile. 

“Stop being so sappy Maybank!” I said and I turned him to the door. I put my hands on his broad shoulder pushing him softly towards the door. “Now go! You don’t want to be late.” He made his way to the door opening it and standing for a second to look back and smile. 

“I’ll see you after right?” He questioned, the hope in his eyes was hard to miss. 

“Wouldn’t want anyone else cleaning you up would we?” I joked, before answering him. “Yes I will, just make sure Pope tells me when you're finishing up and I’ll head that way to pick you up okay?” As I finished the car horn outside honked. It seemed to reverberate off the walls. “Now go! You know how Kie gets when you're running late!” I shooed him out the door. I stood watching them back out of the driveway as I waved to Kie and Pope in the car. 

I walked to the TV, flipping it onto a random TV show before grabbing my sketchbook and settling into the couch. I had been working on a piece of a deer skull and a floral pattern. I was using ink to draw it. I got lost in stippling the dots on the paged, shading in the sides of the skull, and forming the cracked texture of the bone. I barely noticed the buzzing that came from my phone beside me. When I looked up the sun was setting, almost disappearing behind the horizon. The name flashed across my phone and sent me into an immediate panic. “Popey” was read across the screen, my stomach dropping when I set my eyes on the time. It was way too soon for the fight to be over. I quickly slide my finger across the bottom of the screen, seeing it click open. 

I held the phone to my ear, “Hello, Pope? What’s wrong?” I could hear the panic in my voice. My body was moving so fast as I swiped my keys across the counter with a screech, and started through the garage to my car. 

“Y/N.” I hear him say on my way out the door. There was pause filled with chants and yelling in the background, signaling that the fight was still happening. “Things don’t look good, Kie’s on her way, but JJ needs you to be here when he gets out.” I was nodding my head, but Pope couldn’t see me. “If he gets out.” My breath stopped in my throat, making me choke slightly on my own air. “ Y/N it’s bad, I don’t know why they won’t call the fight.” 

I let out a shaky breath as I pulled myself into the driver seat of my car, slamming the door behind me with a thud. “I’ll be there as fast as I can Pope, Promise.” 

“Hurry!” was all he said before the line went static. I pulled the phone down slowly, looking at it. JJ was really hurt. It was my fault, I wanted him to do this professionally. I snapped myself out of my guilty haze, picking my keys up from my lap with my shaking hands. I struggled to get the key into the ignition, before turning it to start it up. I turned out of the driveway as quickly as my mind would let me, leaving a cloud of dust behind me as pulled from the driveway. 

I tapped the steering wheel with my thumb, my eyes flicking between the road and the number growing on the speedometer. The words of JJ and I’s conversation from just hours before replaying over and over in my head. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.” Over and over again. I felt a warmth fall down my cheek. I touched my hand to my cheek only to find the warm wetness of tears falling from my eyes. I was shocked at the reaction that this event had on me. I felt like I was back to the night that we watched John B drive off on that boat. I felt that same sense of panic wash over me. What if this was it? “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.” JJ was a fighter, literally, no matter what punches were thrown at him, he was always able to fight back. Part of me wanted to think rationally that Pope was overreacting and when I got there JJ might have a concussion and a bruised ego. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.” If it was that bad why had they not stopped the fight, right? Pope had to be overreacting, it was Pope. He likes to be careful. 

My fingers kept tapping a quick pace on the back of the I kept telling myself that over and over in my head. I was driving but everything around me was a blur. I was glad that I had the roads of the cut memorized so that I could get there in my haze of worry. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.” I know what he meant by this, he meant that I had helped him, but I just didn’t feel helpful at that moment. I was the reason that he was fighting and trained a skillful fighter. This guy hardly ever lost a fight, but none of us wanted JJ’s improvement with his anger to stop, so we let him continue. 

I hit the pothole in the gyms driveway, jolting me out of my thoughts. I fell back into the seat from the rough jump and dirt that was kicked up around me once again. I pulled into a spot at a dangerous speed. I practically threw the car in park and yanked my keys from the ignition. The sun seemed to paint the air around us a beautiful shade of orange, but my worry made me look past the beautiful sunset that was illustrated in the sky. Instead I approached the gym. I hadn’t stepped foot in for months now. The one that was seemingly making my worst fears come to life. 

I scanned the parking lot looking for Kie. When our eyes met, I started making my way toward her. I broke into a jog, but quickly came to a halt, when I looked behind her. The red and white lights behind her become blinding. I stuttered stepped, coming face to face with her, but I could not look at her face. I was focused on the broken boy that was laid in front of me on a gurney. The blood on his face made him almost unrecognizable. I clenched my teeth so hard that I hurt. Pope was by his side, struggling to keep up with the boy on the gurney. Pope’s worried eyes met with mine that barely held back the tears. He said something that I couldn’t make out before pointing to us. I followed my eyes down to JJ, who’s eyes I met. Even from this distance, I could see the spark still in them. I felt my stomach drop and a wave of nausea hit me. I felt myself physically fall back and feel weak. He weekly raised his hand to wave at me weakly before they began wheeling him into the emergency vehicle. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.”  My arm felt like my shaking hand to wave at him, The barrier broke and the warm tears fell down my face. I felt the sob make it way up my throat, catching Kie’s attention once again. Her expression was a little shocked at my reaction but wrapped an arm around me pulling me into her. I glanced over to see her worried expression as she watched Pope.

Pope quickly made his way over to us after talking briefly with the medics. As soon as he was turned away from JJ, his expression turned to anger. Kie and I looked at each other, both silently questioning the boy’s actions. He got to us, visibly angry, his breath was heavy as he started walking back and forth. He threw his hat on the ground and ran a hand across his head in distress. 

“What happened there?” Kie said being the first to break the tension. 

“We shouldn’t have let him fight that guy!” He said, raising his voice making me visibly flinch. “There’s a reason that he always wins! He knocked JJ out in the 7th round!” He spoke looking me straight in the eye. I felt two inches tall and wanted nothing more than to disappear in that moment. 

“I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.” 

“I wouldn’t be doing this if it weren’t for you.” 

I stepped back, it felt the air had been knocked out of my lungs. I heard the conversation that Pope and Kie continued to have, but they still felt miles away. I tried to listen and regain the ability to breathe. 

“He had plaster in his gloves” Pope spoke loudly, as people walking outta the gym snickered, only making Pope’s anger grow. I snapped my head up at the tall boy, before looking at Kie, whose face held a confused expression. I knitted my eyebrows looking at Pope who just nodded, silently reinforcing his last statement. 

“They caught on, but I’m gonna go back to talk to the fight manager, but y’all should go and meet him at the hospital.” He said, looking between me and Kiara. 

Kie was quick to act, while I felt like I was still frozen in place. “Here,” she said, holding her keys out to Pope. “I’ll ride with Y/N and you can meet us there after you talk to whoever you need to?” She questioned, but she had alright dropped the keys in his hand. Pope nodded at the two of us before turning back to the gym. 

I looked at Kie just as she placed her shaking hand on my wrist pulling me to the car. “Are you okay to drive? I mean do you think-” He started to mumble on. 

“Yea, yea. I can. I think I got it.” I said send her a tight lipped smile. I could tell in her eyes that she knew neither of us believed me. Nonetheless, we both got into the car and made our way to a small emergency hospital on the Island, both of us praying that they had enough space for JJ. The entire car ride was filled with silent, sad, tension. The two of us stuck in our own thoughts, filled with worries about JJ’s health. Kie was the first to break the car’s heart-wrenching tension. 

“What did Pope mean, when he said that he had plaster in his gloves?” Kie asked. She hadn’t been privy to the boxing world, much like me. My brother had told me that it was illegal. He knew a kid that got kicked out of his gym for doing it and had told me about it. 

“It’s when boxer’s wrap plaster in their wraps and gloves and stuff.” I started, I stuttered over my words a bit, because I was unsure of what I was talking about. “As they sweat it makes the plaster harden or something,” I said shaking my head. The image of JJ getting hit over and over without a chance to fight back made me push the accelerator down and speed up on the long stretch to the hospital. “It essentially makes their hands like stone,” I said recalling the words my brother had used to tell me. 

Kiara looked over at me with wide eyes. “That’s seriously fucked up!” She exclaimed. She let out a deep sign before falling back into the passenger seat. The rest of the ride remained silent, except for the news that was faintly being spoken from the radio. 

When we pulled up to the hospital, it was all a blur from there. Kie could tell that I was worried and in a state of panic. She seemed to be rather calm about the situation, because of this she took the lead on speaking to the front desk. They pointed us to a waiting room saying that the doctor would come out after they examined him. 

We sat in the cold metal chair in the waiting room. I tried to blame my shaking on the chill air that seemed to always be contained in hospitals, but I knew it was nerves. Kie placed her hand on my bouncing leg to stop it before looking up at me. 

“Hey, It’s JJ.” She said moving to hold my hand in hers, giving me a soft smile. “He’s got the survival instincts of a cockroach, alright?” 

I laughed slightly at her joke, looking up to her with a hopeful smile on her face. “You’re oddly calm.” I stated, looking over her relaxed figure, slightly laid back in the chair, her hand resting still on the chair handle, the other firmly grasped in mine. 

“Eh, like it said, JJ’s gonna be fine.” She smiled. She leaned forward a bit, resting her weight on the armrest that sat between us. “I am more interested in what is going on inside your head?” She said nudging me with her shoulders. 

I took a deep breath, my eyes lining with tears once again. “Over the last few months JJ and I have gotten so close, and after everything with John B and Sarah I just-” I was cut off by a sob, which came out more like a cough. Kie was quick to move her hand to my back, rubbing small, comforting circles on my back. “I am scared to lose him too.” I said quietly, tears falling still, but at a much less rapid pace. Kiara pulled me into a tight hug. I took a deep breath, letting the scent of her coconut shampoo ground me. I closed my arms around her tightly before we split. Kie pushed a piece of hair out of my face softly. 

“You’ve got it bad.” She said with a soft chuckle. I looked at her knitting my eyebrows together in confusion causing her to laugh. “You and JJ are so blindly in love with each other that neither of you can see it.” She spoke. Suddenly, things started to make a lot of sense. The way that my stomach dropped whenever JJ was getting into a fight or how I wanted to end Luke Maybank for the things that he did to his son. The most important thing that I had become accustomed to was the way that my stomach erupted in butterflies every time we were close to each other, the way my skin broke into goosebumps when we bumped into each other, or the way that I smiled every time he cracked a joke or showed up at work. I played with my fingers letting a smile spread across my face.I looked up at Kie sheepishly. 

“I told you.” She smiled at me, causing me to roll my eyes at her. 

We were taken from the serenity of our moment by the doctor calling for those that were here with ‘Maybank.” She informed us that JJ took a lot of hard hits but managed to leave fairly unscathed from such a brutal fight. She let us know that JJ had had a lot of minor injuries, a broken lower rib, and that he passed out due to a pretty serious concussion. It took Kie and I a moment to soak in the abundance of information. “With his current state, we think it would be best if you all went in one at a time.” The doctor spoke, looking between you and Kie. 

Kie pushed my shoulder lightly. “I’ll wait here for Pope and fill him in. “She said, a cheesy smile plastering her face. “Go get your man,” She joked causing me to roll my eyes before following the doctor back through the long hallway. The fluorescent lighting made the hallway look and feel more daunting than it should have. The doctor stopped in front of the room letting me know that he was inside. 

I smiled and nodded at her. I took a deep breath before preparing myself to enter. I walked through the doorway to see JJ playing with the IV cable that was hooked up to his arm. I was wrapped and tangled around the opposite hand. I laughed involuntarily at the blonde boys antics. He looked up at me, smiling when he realized that it was me. I felt a tsunami of relief wash over me, just seeing that, while he wasn’t completely unharmed, that he was going to be okay. 

“There you are, come here!” He said patting the bed beside his legs. I walked into the room slowly, making my way to his bedside. I sat down and turned to look at his bright, smiling face. He scanned over my face, his smile quickly fading. “Wait, are you crying? “ He asked, reaching up to wipe the stale tears from my face. 

“Yes JJ,” I said laughing at the boy's oblivious nature. “You looked terrible when they took you out on that gurney at the gym,” I said looking down at the crinkled white bed sheet in front of the two of us. “You scared me. I can’t lose you too.” I said quietly. 

JJ hand came up once again cupping the side of my face, pushing me to look at me. “Hey now. You know better than anyone that it's gonna take more than some cheating ring rat to take me out.” Both of us laughed at the statement. I met his bright blue eyes, and instantly felt drawn in. 

I didn’t think much about it before I did it. I leaned forward and pressed my lips into JJ's. The kiss started off still and innocent. JJ’s hand moved from my face to the back of my head pulling me in closer. I moved my hands to his shoulders, placing them softly trying not to hurt him. The kiss was passionate and heated, our lips molding together, allowing us to melt into one another. I felt light headed just from the kiss itself. I could feel JJ’s emotion poured into the way that he kissed me back and the way that his hands caressed my sides and the way that he held me close to him. 

We were interrupted by the loud beeping of the monitor beside him. I pulled away looking at the machine that ruined the moment. The warning flashing “High Heart Rate”. I looked at JJ and saw the same warning causing us to laugh slightly. 

“What was that about?” JJ asked, a blush creeping up his cheeks. 

“After John B and Sarah I thought I would have learned that time is finite, but I guess it took you, at least in my mind, almost dying for me to realize that I should just say something,” I said, laughing nervously. “Oh and Kie made me realize just how in love with you I am” I spoke rolling my eyes before realizing what I said. I felt my face heat up, as I looked over at JJ with wide eyes trying to gauge his reaction. 

JJ grabbed my hand. Struggling slightly because of the awkward tangled IV that was stuck in the back of his hand. He huffed as he tugged at it trying to pull it out of the way. His hand was wrapped around mine when he started speaking. “You know, I’m glad she did because I’ve been in love with you all summer.”

Masterlist

Tagging b/c I asked:) @tomfreakinghollandneedsaoscar​ @write-from-the-heart​ @jjmaybanksbaby​ @kikifromtheblock​

[darkcolinodonorgasm]

where we can gaze into the stars (1/1)

a/n: welp! After YEARS thinking about this fic... it’s HERE! HAPPY HALLOWEEN PEOPLE!!!

A bit of backstory: Hannah Alexander. Cosplayers know her the most, I just stumbled onto her page on DeviantArt once, and fell in love. A few years ago, she published her own version of Jack and Sally Skellington and I told myself “Sara, this is gonna be something CS”. I had every intention of having Emma as a cosplayer and Killian as an actor, but without an event, and even while I’m going through a writing slump, I managed to get it out of my system. And I’m so happy about it!!!

I have not seen Nightmare Before Christmas in soooooo long, but I did my best to research and quote it as much as I could. To better visualize their costumes, I advise you search the pics. So. Good.

I hope you’re alright, and I hope you enjoy ♥

Summary: Emma Swan loved Halloween. Mostly, she loved that she could finally be herself without being judged. With a solid plan to enjoy her weekend at a party in New York, she had no idea her life would forever change on the most magical night of the year.

read on ao3 - support me on Ko-Fi! ♥

Emma Swan loved Halloween.

She loved how everything turned black and orange around her aided by fall turning leaves yellow and tangerine.

She loved the fact that the smell of pumpkin filled the air and even Granny had bent to the demands of tourists asking for pumpkin spice lattes. Ruby had snickered when putting out the chalkboard stand sign, only to be relegated to dishwasher duties for a week.

She loved, despite the mess they left behind, the kids going crazy over spooky decorations and candies, mostly because she loved those sweets as much as them.

She loved that she could find new ways to decorate her house and garden - and thanks to TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest, her folder of ideas kept getting longer and longer each year.

Mostly, she loved that she could finally be herself without being judged - she already had enough of that for threehundred-sixtyfour or threehundred-sixtyfive days per year.

Being a cosplayer in a small town was, ironically enough, like being a healer in Salem in 1692. Not that she was considered a witch, though Leroy did ask her if he could cast a spell on Granny’s lasagne to make them edible. That hadn’t turned out well for the man.

No, Emma was what everyone called a weirdo, with her handsewn dark clothes and a camera hanging around her neck. And that didn’t even consider all those times when she set up cosplay photoshoot all around Storybrooke.

Alas, as much as she wished they did, cosplays didn’t put food in her mouth nor did they pay the bills. That was up to her career as a make-up artist, which was the reason why most of Storybrooke spotted her hauling a suitcase into her beloved yellow Bug, leaving Ruby in charge of the sweets she’d purchased for the kids.

Emma dreaded what she would find upon her return from New York, but for now, she would just try to enjoy the weekend, when witches would come out to waltz and pumpkins scream in the dead of night.

-/-

New York was cold, probably not as cold as Storybrooke, but Emma felt grateful for whoever had organized the party: space heaters had been placed outside, granting comfort to those who’d had enough of being stuffed inside among people they didn’t know and didn’t want to mingle with.

Emma sighed, glad that only few were brave enough to face the cold. Plus, the size of the penthouse terrace was impressive, capable of hosting a helipad, and helped her need to be alone.

Though the party had been for many make-up artists, many celebrities had turned up as well, sporting wonderful looks they had clearly paid for. It irked her, because they wouldn’t have been able to achieve them without a make-up artist there to do it for them. This party was supposed to be in their honour, not for famous people to flaunt looks they hadn’t spent hours or days on to enjoy.

Resisting the urge to stomp her foot, Emma marched to the railing, only to rapidly avert her path toward an outdoor stand where a man dressed like the horror version of Willy Wonka with purple bubbles scattered over his nose and cheeks marred with melting chocolate. His grin was horrifying, mostly because it resembled so much the one from the movie.

Too bad that can’t be Johnny Depp, Emma thought to herself, mirroring the guy’s smile.

«Good evenin’, sweet Sally. What do you crave tonight?»

Not for the first time that night, Emma was grateful for the body paint blocking the view of her blushing skin. The guy was totally flirting with her, but she doubted it would lead anywhere.

You’ve been out of that game for far too long. That reminder sounded very much like Ruby.

After a rapid look at the menu behind him, she said: «Hot chocolate with rum, whipped cream and cinnamon, please.»

«Any preference on the rum? I have one that smells like caramel,» he offered, pouring a few fingers in a shot glass before handing it to her. As he’d reassured her, the smell of caramel hit her nostrils and moved her stomach.

«Perfect,» Emma agreed, her eyes probably shaping into two hearts.

After he’d prepared her drink, she tipped him - because he deserved that even if his paycheck would thoroughly compensate him - and headed to one of the benches near the infinity railing that offered a breathtaking view of the New York skyline.

Something crunched beneath her foot, forcing her to stop.

Crouching, Emma picked up the frozen stem of a thistle. She twirled it between her fingers, sitting down on the freezing bench. Thankfully, the many layers of fabric cushioned her and protected her skin from the cold, despite the breeze swirling up her calves.

The dried glue itched where she’d applied the fake stitches. Only a few more hours, she thought to herself, knowing full well that parties like this one usually ended when the sunlight enveloped the tall skyscrapers in a lazy morning embrace.

Even just one sip of her hot chocolate helped thaw the ice threatening to settle into her bones. Thankfully, Emma had had the good sense to sew merino wool on the inside of the bodice; the thick striped socks had been a lucky but welcome find. For her legs, however, there was nothing to do but endure the cold as it was, no tights or anything, just pure, dyed skin marred by prosthetic stitches. When sitting down, however, the various layers of the skirt helped conceal and keep warm most of her thighs and knees.

That didn’t extend to her arms, left uncovered by more pieces of fabric cascading from the slightly puffy short sleeves.

I should have just taken one of my cloaks, Emma grumbled, only to be reminded by her own inner voice that cosplays were supposed to be as accurate as possible. Or at least, that was her conviction.

Music drifted outside, the deafening volume blessedly blocked by soundproof windows, carrying just enough not to make her feel completely alone out there.

Her foot tapped against the floor, following along the fast-paced rhythm of whatever cover this was. Bold of her to assume she would hear decent music: after all, the hosts’ knowledge lay in make-up and costumes, not music.

Once again, her attention fell on the flower in her hand; the fact that it was a thistle of all flowers made her chuckle and shake her head, synthetic auburn strands moving with her.

«My dearest friend, if you don’t mind, I’d like to join you by your side.»

The dulcet sound of a low-timbered voice set her whole body on fire in the very middle of the coldest night so far. Blood thrummed in her veins, heating her up from inside out as her heart began to race, almost wanting out of her chest.

And out of her chest it flew.

Standing in front of her, tall, wearing the most perfect costume she’d ever seen, was Jack Skellington.

Her mouth parted in shock, eyelids heavy with make-up blinking almost lazily at the sight. Though many were the versions of Jack’s dress, she knew this one was inspired by the live action: while the design was faithful to the original, the costume department of the movie had added touches here and there to make it mouth-watering. The main difference everyone noticed was the hood, casting shadows over the mask Emma knew was made in silicone and perfectly fit Killian Jones’ features to catch his own facial expressions. He’d said he’d trained with a former CIA specialist to bear wearing the mask for hours on end, just like Jim Carrey had when filming The Grinch.

Another novelty were the gloves he was wearing, made of vantablack material to better blend with the darkness and give a better contrast to the bones attached on their back. This time, they hadn’t used green screen to make them look like part of a skeleton - which had caused disdain in the fandom and between all the nerds. That is, until the final product had been delivered.

What didn’t make sense was how the gloves were perfect: usually, cosplayers couldn’t have access to vantablack because of the too expensive license fees, so those who’d tried to recreate those gloves usually used what was called black 3.0 several times, but somehow, it wasn’t the same.

Shaking herself out of her shock, Emma nodded, the long hair grazing her legs like spiders.

She watched him sit down next to her, his eyes never leaving her from behind the pitch black mesh fabric that gave the illusion of a hollow skull. She knew why, and pride swelled within her. Mary Margaret Blanchard, the actress who portrayed Sally, resembled Emma a bit, but it wasn’t just that: Emma would always, always try to recreate the perfect cosplay, never stopping until she could walk into the costume department, switch the dresses and nobody would notice.

Sally’s costume, just like Jack’s, was very much different from the original one, with a more victorian gothic twist to it. The headpiece of fabric roses, buttercups and pearls was something the original Sally didn’t wear, but it perfectly suited her. Her costume reveal had brought cosplayers to their knees while most nerds drew their weapons, ready to fight to get a better costume. Strange how the slit in her dress didn’t appease the common man, probably because it didn’t give a sexy appeal to Sally, but it mostly reminded of a torn dress, which was what the designer wanted.

Jack - there was no other name he’d given her, so she would just call him that - kept on looking. But so did she.

There was something about his costume that nagged at her, something she couldn’t rationally explain. Was it so strange to see a cosplay so perfect when she was obsessed with perfection herself?

Without remorse, her fingers shot up, carefully grazing the skull. Immediately, she recognized the feel of silicone beneath her painted fingertips.

«Wow,» she gushed with wide eyes, «that must have cost you a fortune to make! And it’s so perfect… everything about your costume is perfect.» My god, those buttons, and the stitches… «If I didn’t know better, I’d say you stole it from the costume department as some actors do when they leave a set.»

Though her words had been just a joke, Jack coughed, choking on his own breath. Once he’d recovered, he shook his head, the smile on the mask widening. Immediately, Emma remembered all the tidbits shared about it, how it did change following Killian’s expression; it was like having a highly sophisticated prosthetic hand that responded to the stimuli given by the nervous system. Everything Killian felt was replicated by the mask, making the effect even more terrifying. Even now, when Jack grinned, Emma was reminded of the movie, how it looked as if a skeleton had come alive.

«Not quite,» he admitted, the smoothness of his voice warming Emma up.

She arched an eyebrow, and he tilted his head.

At last, Jack sighed in defeat. «Would you believe me if I told you it was one of the few things I was allowed to take home from the set?»

It took a bit for her to realize what he was saying, her dyed eyebrows wrinkling together.

Emma sputtered. «You can’t be him, that’s just impossible!»

“Jack” cocked his head to the side. «Really? How so?»

«W-well...» she stammered, blinking slowly. What the hell? «Everyone knows Killian Jones is in England right now...»

A snort reached her ears, and the man shook his head, the hood moving, light gently rippling over the smooth fabric. «Ah, love, don’t you know that social media can be easily deceived?» He was now grinning like a Cheshire cat.

It would’ve been so easy to ask him to remove his mask, to prove to her that he was the real Killian Jones but, strangely, she felt as if she would be insulting Halloween itself.

Locking her jaw, she tapped her forefinger against the stem of the thistle, her mind working. He could easily tell her out of his own volition, put her out of her misery here and now, but where was the fun in that? Besides, there was a reason why he had chosen that dress for the night, not to flaunt that he was the Killian Jones, but because, that way, he could keep his identity a mystery and be free.

Feeling her mouth suddenly dry, Emma took a long sip of the now lukewarm chocolate. Somehow, she was grateful he was not easily recognizable as other celebrities. Problem was, if he truly was who he claimed to be, he wasn’t aware of being sitting next to one of his numerous fans, one that might or might not have fantasized about him, about his voice…

A light shiver licked down her spine and arms. What wouldn’t I give to be an actual ragdoll right now.

«Were you hoping I was someone else?» There was a trace of hurt in his voice, so raw and painful that Emma snapped her head up to look at him, wishing she could see his eyes.

«No, I-I just didn’t expect you, that’s all.» Flustered, she waved at the French doors. «To be honest, I didn’t even expect celebrities, sure, Vic and Jeff have connections-»

«And very bad taste in music.»

Emma couldn’t help it: she laughed. Tension faded, the knots in her stomach loosened and warmth unfurled, spreading to every inch of her. «That they do. But still, I expected this to be a party for us artists, and I’ll probably sound rude, but I didn’t want others to join.» No, that’s not just rude, Emma, that’s completely childish.

Killian - if that was even truly him - nodded. «One of the reasons why I chose this costume, it allows me to mingle but doesn’t make me someone to admire or look at in awe.» He shrugged. «Aside from the sentimental attachment, of course; it’s not everyday that I can wear it anymore.»

I know where you could wear that coat, Emma’s mind supplied as she hungrily glanced down the silver twirls on his lapels and the brocade vest. No, no, bad Emma.

She licked her lips, blessing the waterproof lipstick she wore. The not so innocent movement didn’t go unnoticed, her mouth drawing Killian’s gaze. How she could tell, she didn’t know, she just did.

«That’s very kind of you,» she murmured, her voice strange even to her own ears. «Many are just parading works of those who won’t get any recognition.»

He hummed. «In a way, I’m a fraud, too. I didn’t make this dress, nor the mask.»

«Still, you could have come here without the mask, with a make-up done by someone else, and everyone’s eyes would’ve been on you, just because it’s you.» Tone it down, Swan, she reprimanded herself; he didn’t deserve her ire.

«I’m surprised you’re not inside with Jefferson glowering at my colleagues,» he chuckled.

Emma’s insides melted at the sound, freeing butterflies in her stomach. «I hope Victor has hidden all his scissors.»

Victor and Jefferson were an incredible duo, both in and out of the bedroom. Emma and Vic knew each other since their teen years, when she was sent to Storybrooke out of all places. He’d been the crazy kid who loved chemistry more than anything else while she was a cast out who dreamed of better clothes, hating at the time that she had to sew them up in order to wear them again. They’d both found freedom in make-up, going to the same college and frequenting the same people.

Jefferson, on the other hand, was a single father who’d lost his first love to childbirth. Slightly older than them, he and Victor had clicked immediately on the first show they worked for together.

Now, years later, Vic had his own line of cosmetics that Emma adored, Jefferson had his own line of clothes and they both were wonderful parents to Grace. Emma loved them like the brothers she never had and adored her goddaughter.

«Then again,» she chuckled, «if Vic snaps, prepare yourself for one hell of a hangover. Been there, done that, never gonna repeat it.»

«Ouch, I’ve heard of his concoctions, but I’ve never tried them. Are they that bad?»

Emma bit her tongue, holding back a laugh. «No, no way: they are delicious. They make you see paradise only to send you straight to hell the next morning.» She looked at him, wanting to inch closer and peek behind the black film. «Definitely worth it.»

The air around them started to buzz, reminding her of the effects of Victor’s cocktails. Only, she knew she was fairly sober, and what she felt wasn’t a mere illusion.

Emma had had her fair share of one night stands, a boyfriend here and there, always ending in heartbreak, but nothing compared to this, to the tingling just beneath her skin, to the way her body instinctively gravitated toward him.

A vibration broke the spell, making Emma wince. «Shit, sorry,» she said, placing the thistle on the bench to reach into the pocket she’d sewn into the skirt to host her phone. More texts followed the first, and with each one, her complexion paled beneath the paint.

Apologizing eyes looked up at Killian. «I wish I could say I can go kill my friend and come back to finish our talk, but I can’t. I need to go. I’m sorry.» Emma shot upright, the hot cocoa sloshing over the rim of the paper mug, coating her fingers and dripping on the floor. «I really am sorry.»

She flew, despite her want to stay, to try to better understand what was that something between them, but in need to rush back to Storybrooke in hopes to find her house still standing.

Her heels clicked in her wake, Killian’s plea to wait making her heart bleed. In front of the glass door, she turned around, eyes locking with him even though logic would say she couldn’t be sure.

Killian was standing next to the bench, the thistle, secured in his hand. «Will you tell me your name?»

At that, Emma smiled, halfway between melancholia and amusement. «Where would the fun in that be? If we’re meant to be together now and forever...»

A groan escaped him, followed by a chuckle. «You’ll be the death of me, dearest friend.»

Her eyebrows shot upwards. «You seem pretty dead to me.»

His chuckle became a laugh, and more butterflies fluttered in her belly. Another incoming message dragged her back to reality.

With one last, mournful look at a laughing Killian Jones, and still slightly incredulous, Emma returned inside, leaving a tiny, small piece of her heart in the cold October night.

-/-

The doorbell interrupted her meticulous plans to kill Ruby.

Well.

Ruby and those damned teens who had decided it was good to set fire to her cobwebs.

It was definitely just the vandals’ fault, but Ruby had been in charge of house-sitting. She was guilty by association.

And of course, she wasn’t there to help Emma clean the mess in the backyard. Don’t be too hard on her, she helped you as much as she could before crashing.

A defeated sigh escaped her. «Coming!» she called, entering her house and blatantly ignoring the mess of decorations in her living room. Her heart clenched at the sight.

The doorbell rang for the third time, setting her nerves off. «I swear to god, if you’re one of the kids who set my house on fire I’m going to find a goddamned actual witch to curse you to hell and back!» she swore, wrenching the door open.

Only, it was no kid.

I would really hope not.

Standing in front of her, with a grin that didn’t completely mask his concern, with bright blue eyes and a beanie doing a poor job of covering his pointed ears, as red as the tip of his nose, was one Killian Jones.

Oh shit. It really was him.

Despite his words and the resemblance of his voice, Emma had convinced herself she’d not talked to the real Killian Jones. Perhaps he’d been his stuntman.

But now, seeing him in front of her in the broad daylight and without a mask… Fuck.

«I don’t know any witches, but I can help find one, if need be.»

Heart. Melting.

That was the effect he had on Emma. Apparently, having a crush on the actor was nothing compared to having a crush on the man.

«That’s… very nice of you. But unnecessary.» She blushed, dropping her head. «I’m sorry you had to see all this. Some idiots decided to become complete morons and risk jail because the weird girl was out of town.» Then, she looked up at him. «Wait a minute. How are you here?»

The same pinkness spread to his cheeks as he brought a hand to scratch behind his ear. «Ah, I might have persuaded Victor to tell me more about you...»

Emma was stunned. She should have been pissed at Vic for sharing personal information with a stranger, though Killian was no stranger to Victor. Besides, he could’ve just given up, as many had even after dating her for a few weeks. Instead, Killian Jones had come to Storybrooke. For her.

Not many - okay, not one man in her life - had ever made such an effort.

Remembering the last part of their conversation, she tilted her head, squinting at him. «I do wonder, have you extorted my name from Vic?»

Killian shook his head, black strands falling over his forehead. Her fingers itched to brush them away just to feel his hair beneath her skin. «As a matter of fact, I didn’t. I only inquired about Sally, and he told me that I would have to take a trip to Storybrooke and find the creepiest house in town. Thank goodness, he didn’t mean the haunted house on the hill.»

A laugh bubbled up in her throat as she stuck her hand out. «Well, I guess you deserve a reward for such a haunting experience. Emma Swan, make-up artist by day, cosplayer by night.»

The contact with Killian’s warm hand sent jolts of electricity up her arm; they turned into lighting bolts when he bent in a mock bow and kissed the back of her hand, his lips oh so deliciously warm and soft.

«Pleasure to meet you, Swan. I’m Killian Jones, actor by day, sometimes even by night.» His deep voice caressed her like a summer wind.

She felt at a loss, not knowing where to go from there, how to act. For the first time in her life, all Emma knew about men and how to be around them flew out of the window, catching on the tail of a witch’s broomstick.

For a moment, Killian didn’t move either, and she wondered if he felt the same helplessness, the same void inside her brain.

As if shaking himself out of a reverie, he brought his free hand to the pocket of his leather jacket. When he withdrew it, the same frozen thistle Emma had left in New York appeared, gently clutched in his fingers.

«My dearest friend,» he began, a mischievous twinkle in his striking blue eyes, «would you do me the honour of joining me where we can gaze into the stars after I’ve helped you clean up?»

Emma was speechless. Not only did he come to Storybrooke to find her and ask her on a date, but he was still quoting the end of the song, the duet between Jack and Sally, somehow never breaking character and yet still being himself. And, to add to that, he was offering to help her.

She had to lean against the doorframe, her knees suddenly weak. «So you think we’re simply meant to be?» Her words were a murmur, something she didn’t want to actually ask in fear of what his response would be.

Killian merely smiled wider, one hand shooting to graze his knuckles over her cheek. «I don’t know for sure, but it would be fun to investigate that possibility, don’t you agree?»

In plain sight, as anyone could see, beneath the mistletoe she put up as a nod to her favourite movie, Emma Swan, the weirdest girl in town, dragged famous star Killian Jones down for a kiss, wondering if her own now and forever had just begun.

-/-

The following Halloween was spent cuddling on the couch in Scotland, and if Emma found a way to sneak a 1700s handsewn gown in the luggage alongside a kilt she oh so gently pushed Killian to wear for an Outlander inspired shooting to officially announce they were seeing each other, well, that was for their followers to go crazy about.

It wouldn’t be until two Halloweens later that she dressed up as the Corpse Bride, sporting an engagement and a wedding ring completely different from the right one you’d expect a professional cosplayer to wear. Her and Killian’s fans might have taken a bit to catch on - if you consider three minutes and twenty-five seconds “a bit”.

On their sixth Halloween together, they dressed up as Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, but it was very much clear that she didn’t need a prosthetic pregnant belly beneath the dress.

Their fans took just a tad longer, this time, but they were dancing beneath the stars, just as they were always meant to be.

[assetsliterature]

7 ways to earn money while you sleep

: Creating money while you sleep. Whenever I get this in my mind, I always remember a quote from Warren buffet “if you don’t find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die.”

First, let me tell you something. If you haven’t been heard this type of thing before, then believe these things:

Every way I share in this blog works.

Ways which can make money while you sleep are called: “Passive income.”

You cannot achieve multiple income sources just reading ``always remember “1 hour of doing > 5 hours of thinking.

Passive income :

Just imagine you wrote an ebook and publish it on Kindle, then people who are interested in your ebook will buy it, I know that selling a book on a huge level can be a hard task, but after doing this, you will make money while you sleep ;

This is just an example of ‘selling a digital product online.

~ Please scroll down if you don’t want intro~

Don’t let your area influence your mindset:

When I was living in my hostel, sometimes I used to to the terrace for stargazing at 3 a.m. with my best friend. One night he asked me to give my best advice to him because I haven’t got any advice for him in my mind.

But now I have one

:

You must have heard that- “the people you socialize with influence you so much.” That’s why you should be with people who have a positive mindset ~~

People around you affect your life in many ways. Let’s understand this with an example- “imagine you’re a student and your classmates don’t take their studies seriously, they only study one night before an exam, they bunk classes and waste so much time on not-so-good things.” Then there is a big chance that you can be like them too!

“Sociologists tell us the most introverted of people will influence 10,000 others in an average lifetime” every person you come in contact with is impacted in some way.

So, in my opinion, train yourself to not learn from negative minds. Stay with people you want to be. They will always lift you!

Remember: Just because someone is so confident at saying something doesn’t mean they are right!

How much you can earn:

Creating Passive income in your 20s is not something that everyone does, and for making your passive income source work good you have to put in some effort and time. You have to invest your money in it.

You can start with investing a little, and then you have to invest from your profit to make it work well.

So it depends on you; however, there are so many ways that have a huge income compared to another passive income source.

7 ways to create passive income for beginners :

1.Sell Digital Products:

If you’re a newbie, then this can be a good start for you!

There are a lot of things to create and sell online! I.e., ebooks, online courses, podcasts, graphic art bundles, photographs, music, templates, and so much more.

If you like blogging, you can create podcasts, ebooks, online courses related to your niche. Visit this for more examples of digital products_ If you’re interested in photography, you can sell your pictures at reasonable prices. Just pick your interest and go for it! It is not effortless, but you can learn and earn a lot from this!

Requirements?

All you need to have is a phone, a good internet connection, an urge to learn, and a lot of patience.

How much can you earn?

If you choose to write an ebook and you list it on Kindle for 1$, and you get one buyer a day, then you can earn 30$/month easily; stock photos earn approximately 25–45 cents per image, it depends on how many people are buying from you. The prices of online courses are usually 8$. If 1 thousand students buy your course, then you can get 624$ from it!

The more you work, the more you’ll earn but make sure to be creative and unique and don’t forget- “quality over quantity.”

# Don’t give up too easily if you’re here to earn.

2.Start a blog:

You may have heard that before, but it’s because it’s work. Even I was thinking about this so many times before starting this blog, and it’s good to have something on your bucket list to work on. When you are free, you can start a blog and give your six months in it.

Remember, it’s worth the hustle. Imagine if you started a blog one year ago. Do you believe you’re that useless that you can’t even get 50,000 views on a blog after working one year?

You can check this out if you’re interested in starting a blog.

Requirement:

I know a friend who is planning to start a blog. I asked him about his blueprint, and he said, “i will write and earn” he is stupid; I hope he is now seeing this right now, first learn about blogging in-depth and decide how much time you can give it, if you don’t have a plan then you will be lost for a moment, trust me I know that, been there.

These things are a must for starting a blog :

A niche

A map for both before posting an article and after posting an article

And expect the hard time will come, and if it will not, then it will.👁

How much you can earn:

Blogging is something a small blog can be a bug business after some time, many bloggers who just started blogging for a hobby leave their 9–5 from it,

It’s from google AdSense website;

Google will pay you according to your niche, but if you create a finance blog and you get 50,000 visits per month, you can make 15,012$/year.

# for blogging, you should learn daily and use google sheets for planning. You can download the sheets template from here

3.Join the affiliate program and use Pinterest:

You can join the Amazon affiliate program by just signing up to their website. By doing that, you can share your link, and if someone buys a product from your link, you’ll get paid depending on the product category and price.

So there is a problem in that like who will buy products from your link, I know, so that’s why you will use Pinterest,

If you don’t know about Pinterest, you can download Pinterest from any app store and use it.

You can share pics with links on Pinterest, and it’s called creating pins. So people can see your shared photos on Pinterest, and if someone sees a product they like, they will click on the pic, and then they will redirect to amazon.

Requirements: you don’t even need a laptop for it, just 1 hour a day and a little bit of Pinterest SEO, and it’s the best thing I love about Pinterest; it has so easy SEO compared to google.

How much you can earn?: amazon affiliate earning has no limits; you can increase it as you grow anywhere online. Once you achieve your target on Pinterest, you will thank you for just starting.

4.Rent your apartment on Airbnb:

Airbnb is a platform where someone can rent out their couch, room, or home.

Since hotel prices are so high in major cities, it’s been obvious that before booking hotels people check Airbnb.

If you have free space in Airbnb, you can try this out, and after some time, you can hire a cleaner and an assistant to manage everything.

Requirements: you have to live in a developed city, if you are like me then AirBnb is no use for you, but I will wait when my hometown has so many travelers all around the world XD!!

How much you can earn?: That depends on the level you are receiving orders from AirBnB, but for a try, you should register on it and try yourself how often you get a call !!

5.Write an ebook:

If you love the idea of digital products, then you can choose to write an ebook. In that case, you don’t need any investment. You can check this out for more category ideas !!

For creating book covers or any graphic, use Canava. You can choose something related to your studies or interest. But do remember this ‘getting readers for your book is not easy. Everything is hard, so choose your hard.

Requirements: just an idea about your ebook, map of where you will share your ebook(like Facebook groups. Forums related to your book title etc.), and you have to know good writing and your target audience but don’t worry and don’t afraid of failure, you should give 30 days to write your ebook and see what you can do

How much can you earn?: As I mentioned earlier, it depends on your readers. If you get 80 readers at a 1$ price per month, you get 80$/month without doing anything. It’s just a starting future. You will get more readers if you write valuable content for your target audience.

#write an ebook like you are talking to your friend about something

6 .Dropshipping:

Dropshipping is like selling products online, but you don’t store your product. You use a third-party supplier (like wholesaler or manufacturer) to fulfil product needs; I am sure you have heard Shopify’s name before from Shopify; you can create your dropshipping business; I highly recommend you check out Shopify website. If you use Shopify, don’t worry; no one will know if your eCommerce website is Shopify.

From here, you can learn how to start an eCommerce dropshipping store from scratch.

Requirements: A niche, a supply for your store, build your online store and then market your store after that to improve your store.

How much can you earn?: It’s just like a store but online, but it can be a lot more profitable than an offline store. You have to put a lot into it to succeed, so your earning cannot be defined by just typing and thinking !!

7. Create an app:

I am not saying that it’s not risky, but you can create an app that solves people problems or help them with something like if you use android, then you might have some problems and wish that there was a solution for it _

Some time ago, I was searching for friends interested in fantasy books, so i wish that I had an app where I can just find them ~

So if you can solve the problem from your app, then try it.

However, you have to invest in it first because everyone is not an android/ios app developer.

Requirements: an idea, some money to hire a developer, and a plan

How much you can earn?: when you upload your app on any app store, and user use it, you earn money, so it depends on what’s your planets

Like you can sell the app to every user or add a subscription fee or monetize your app.

So it will worth it when it achieves its meaning!

_____

Thanks so much for reading this article, I will share more business strategy in-depth and if you really want to earn from passive income please accept my suggestion and plan something and go for it because i know a lot of people who learn and never take actions ~~

You can subscribe to us if you love this topic!

Assets- Literature

Original article: https://www.assetsliterature.com/2021/05/how-does-cryptocurrency-work.html

You can check our website for other contents like this.

[boratanical]

graphics guide

a guide filled with basic info, tips, and answers to common questions that i hope helps people who want to start making graphics

*this was made based on my experiences of making graphics and is what i thought was important to cover but everyone has different ways and approaches so dont feel the need to follow everything on here

what is a graphic?

a graphic (also known as ‘gfx’) is a image edit that incorporates various elements (textures, filters, text, etc) in order to visualize a idea or to create a aesthetic composition 

unlike making gifs, there is no right or proper way to make a graphic so dont get too caught up in the idea that a graphic should look a certain way - just stick with your style and what you think looks good 

anatomy

image/subject

usually the main focus of the whole graphic

you should always try to use a sharp hd picture - getting it from the original source is always the best option 

make sure the source of the picture allows editing - pictures from public sources like a company or the news can be edited while fansite pics and scans need to have permission asked (and if they give you permission make sure you link them when you post your graphic!)

coloring 

often referred as ‘psd’ because that is the format they are in (i.e. pink psd pack)

comprise of multiple layers that can alter the images look 

a lot of people make their own colorings since the outcome of the look also depends on the image’s original coloring 

textures

smaller cut out images that are often used to decorate the graphic

can also refer to a image that can be use as a background of a graphic

can be found in the form of a png (copy + paste into graphic) or a brush (”painted” on to the graphic) 

avoid using any textures that does not state the original poster made them - you could unintentionally be using someone’s work that was not made to be used [read more about it here + resources that you can actually use]

text

text can be used to tell information or just for decoration

try to choose fonts and colors that are legible

faq 

what software can i use to make graphics

most people use some version of photoshop (i currently use photoshop cc 2018) and a lot people have it cracked but if you cant afford photoshop, find a cracked version or a patcher (i used adobe zii 3.0.4 for mac), or are uncomfortable with getting a cracked version then there are other softwares that are just as good!

i can only vouch for gimp since i used it when i first started making gfxs. it is very similar to photoshop and shares most of the same tools and has a similar look to photoshop. it is also probably the most popular photoshop alternative and would totally recommend it if you cant get photoshop!

[visit + download gimp here]

where do you get your pictures from

official sources such as teasers companies release, photos released by press, photos from idol’s instagram - basically photos that are made for the public to see are whats best to use for a gfx. you should download the photos straight from the source so you get it at its highest quality 

some phrases you can use to search for pictures on google: - [group name] photoshoot - [idol name] press  - [group name] showcase  - [idol name] teaser

remember the more specific you are in your search the better! also when you search through google make sure you check your source!

avoid getting photos from reposting websites like we heart it and pinterest  avoid using fansite pictures and scans unless you are granted permission

i don’t know where to start/i’m overwhelmed and i don’t know what to do/ where should i begin

figure out what you want to make or a theme you want to follow - do you want to make a simple graphic or a infographic? do you want it to center around a certain theme like a comeback or a photoshoot? once you determine what you want to do it becomes easier getting ideas and finding stuff you will need for the gfx

example thought process: “i want to make a loona graphic” →  do you want it to be the whole group or a certain member or unit? will it just be a simple gfx or a AU gfx or based on a event that the group is doing? “i’ve decided on doing a kim lip one” → do you want it to have a certain theme like kim lip smiling or kim lip with blonde hair? is there a certain frame of time in which you want the graphic to represent like during eclipse era or hi high era?  “i want it to be from max and match era with her teasers” → from here you can start finding pictures to use and thinking of colors and textures that would fit your theme

where do you get ideas/inspiration from

i mean it’s different for everyone but for me i literally just think of stuff and i’m like wow i want to make that happen asdfsdfj but mostly when i see pictures or watch something thats where i suddenly get a idea 

but tumblr is full of graphic makers!!! ive seen so many amazing graphics from various fandoms like kpop, anime, marvel, etc. 

some amazing graphic editors i know myself include: primirene, ireone, nctjaemin, celo-mar, 1hyungseo, jeongahn, haechxnie, sonxiumin, syua, lulumelody, dinomite, lovelyeo, joohys, whatchatalkabout, yveu, maerinah, mihyon, lorbits, cherryjennie, thatporcelain, monoka, ifbin, 7ww

some other places you can look at are behance (dont go on behance if you have a cracked ver of ps - it might trigger a ingenue software alert that is a huge pain to deal with), pinterest, deviantart, dribble, and probably any social media platform if you just look up #graphicdesign

remember if you take inspiration from someone’s work then you should cite them in your caption - if you are afraid that you might’ve accidentally copied someone when you were trying to take inspiration from them its best to either try to remake the gfx again or just to ask the creator permission if its fine if certain details are similar/same

my stuff sucks how do i get better

literally just keep on making stuff aka practice. you can’t improve if you don’t bother putting effort. 

ways i’ve forced myself into practicing making gfxs is by: 1) starting a gfxs series - its self paced and is based on what you want to make (i.e. introducing my biases gfx series, my favorite outfits gfx series, etc) 2) taking in requests - people who would request from you probably like your stuff so its a win win situation (i.e. send me a idol + era, send me your bias + palette, send me a group and i’ll make a gfx of my fav member, etc)

tips

only sharpen your pictures after you are done resizing them, if you sharpen and then resize it might result in a more blurry or grainy picture 

always save your graphic every 5-10 mins in case photoshop crashes 

 have two copies of your image cutout: one will be the original and the other one will be the one you edit with - in case you mess up like over erasing or over sharpening your image you have a back up you can use

stick with a color palette so you don’t get overwhelmed when having to color everything and it makes all the graphic panels you have look more cohesive 

on photoshop you can favorite fonts!!! take advantage of it!!! your computer has a lot of fonts saved on it and it takes forever to look through a whole list of fonts so by favoring fonts you can see all of the fonts that you like to use for graphics

combine a png pack to one psd → when you open a png pack you will probably get a lot of png files and it gets annoying having a lot of tabs open in photoshop when most of them are just textures so by putting all of those pngs into one psd you can cut down the files you open and can easily see all of your options 

make folders dedicated to colorings and textures that way you can easily access them instead of looking through your computer for a certain file

name your layers... i dont do it because its easy for me to tell what layer is what but when you are working with a lot of layers its best just to name them it’ll make life easier

lock your main image/subject so that when you play with texts’ and textures’ location you don’t accidentally move your main image

use curves to help get a photo back to its original coloring! like if you have a photo that has a weird filter on it just use curves and it’ll help the picture look more natural! [tutorial]

try warping your text to make it stand out more! you can access it by pressing the icon on the top text bar that has a T with a curved line under it. i use flag and wave the most

alter a particular color by using a selective color layer

rather than changing the actual color of an image/texture you can: create new layer → select the image/texture and color it on the new layer instead of on top of the image/texture → change the opacity or the mode of the layer so that the color is put on the image/texture while keeping its detailing and not affecting the actual image/texture

resources

colorings: can be found on deviantart or tumblr just look up ‘psd coloring’ or ‘[color] psd’ 

textures: can be found on deviantart (check to see if its og content or stolen) simply just search what you are trying to find or ‘png pack’ or ‘texture pack’ common textures you can try to find: vintage flowers, memphis shapes, organic shapes, doodles other wesbites: pngtree, creative market, lost and taken, spoongraphics

fonts: if you are looking for a certain font then you can just do a google search but if you are browsing then dafont and font squirrel are really good websites too some of my favorite fonts: abril fatface, agfatumc, antonellie calligraphy, arcadeclassic, bebas neue, century gothic, couture, daily news 1915, dark larch, hondurhas, kotori rose, krinkles, risingstar, sant joan despi, studly, zing rust

color palettes: i made one myself which you can find here, color hunt, and honestly a quick google search will give you tons of options

if you have any questions, other stuff you want me to cover, or want to add more resources and tips then please dm or send an ask! i hope this helps!

[minnesotadruids]

What does tumblr offer to you as a social media platform that others do not? Have you found better response here? Is this your number one place as opposed to facebook or instagram?

Short answer: For me, Tumblr seems to be the platform that is the least inconvenient. 

All social media sites seem to have some sort of baggage, particularly in the way each one handles its own policies for sure, but also in a number of different aspects as well.Facebook: Oakdale Grove has a Page [here] where I post photos and ritual event listings. Despite Facebook being a bustling megalopolis, my page doesn’t see that much traffic. In fact as of today it has exactly 200 likes since 2012. I really dislike the feature of “invite John Doe to like your page,” it’s just smarmy to me. Facebook buries or removes all the best features to the point that I just post less and less so that I don’t have to deal with the hassle. I lost a lot of trust in Facebook in the 2014 News Feed Experiment, and I decreased my activity there in general thereafter. I also deleted the Facebook and Messenger apps from my phone because of feature creep and my custom settings getting reset with each update.

Instagram: I’ve never wanted an Instagram page. Pretty much all social media sites compress uploaded image files to take up less server space, but Instagram seems to downscale photos the most aggressively. Aside from that it’s really just not my thing.

Pinterest: Is Pinterest even a social media platform? It either needs to just go away or at least not be indexed by search engines. Do a search for why I hate Pinterest and the millions of search results are pretty much how I feel about the site. It’s basically imagery that lacks context.

Twitter: As John the Verbose, it’s hard to make concise posts sometimes. By far I mostly post Oakdale Grove event listings from Facebook, but sometimes I throw in a few pics or general Tweets as @ReformedDruid: 

Google Plus: Well it’s dead and gone, but it never was a social media powerhouse. I had a Plus page on druidry but pretty much abandoned it in under a year.

YouTube: This was once quite a social media haven. It was never perfect, but YouTube has fallen from grace repeatedly. Until 2011 or so, you could add users as friends, messaging was also easier then, and you also once had the power to delete subscribers that you didn’t want, including dead accounts. These days you can only block users you don’t like, but they can still subscribe to you. There’s also the latest YouTube policy enforcement fiasco which demonstrates that they are permitting hate speech to continue. I just reached 2000 subscribers [on my YouTube channel] but I haven’t uploaded a video since 2017. I really should come back because my fans have been asking really nicely. 

Tumblr:

Overall, I really like the things you can do on the site. That said, Tumblr really shot themselves in the foot in December. Tumblr had ample opportunity to purge the porn bots, Nazis, and pedophiles, yet they haphazardly went after the whole NSFW community. A lot of regular Tumblr users left in protest after that, too. I’m still getting followed by porn bots, and I have them to thank for reaching 1000 followers this past May. Though my thousand followers here seem more interactive than my 2000 subscribers on YouTube. So yes, I feel that I do get a better response here.

As it pertains to Druidry, I created my blog on Tumblr in 2015 because of the lack of representation of druidry. The Witchblr community is huge here in my opinion, but there is far more gaming content in terms of the search tag Druid. The search results churn up almost exclusively role playing content such as D&D, World of Warcraft, and related fan art. That’s nice for the gaming community, but they have a disproportionate monopoly of content under the Druid tag. Druidry and Druidism yield more relevant search results in terms of spirituality and paganism, but spiritual druidry is still not that well represented here.

Tumblr is also most popular among Millennials and Generation Z. The demographics of druidry are shifting, but I’ve heard (by hearsay) that most people tend to find druidry in their 40s or later, and that many of them didn’t even know it existed beforehand. As a mostly typical Millennial myself, and as someone who dove into druidry back at age 20, Tumblr seemed like a good place to set up a blog where I could help other young adults discover druidry, too. There have been plenty of times where older practitioners of druidry have said “I wish I would have found druidism sooner” or something to that effect. 

So that’s part of why I’m here, to help others gain in Awareness, and to help them discover something potentially meaningful while they’re still in their prime.

[unnecessaryparadigms]

HOW TO: Template/Layout Edits on PicsArt!

The picture up there is my edit. It is my first time doing it and I didn't watch any tutorial regarding this. I just happen to cross or see this "layout" or "template" on Pinterest and decided to play with it. And the photo above is the result!

On the photo's twt acc: @Quinnlaii @owennmaarie @gilcypatootie @AliyahDarlene @angls_ncl @lesyeuxlili

PS. The pictures used are my friend's and ofc I'm in there too! Hehehe.

Pps. I asked permission before posting.

°××°°°×××°°°×××°°°×××°°°×××°°°×××°°°××°

>> Before proceeding, might as well look at the "original pictures" and/or the sources. <<

[[The link of the picture that was inspired on this edit: https://pin.it/3MjAZ1j ]]

[[The photo of the layout/template that I used: https://pin.it/159f2KJ ]]

* This edit is easier bc you already have the layout, all you have to do is to fill it!

* KEY TOOL: Eraser(located at the top)

First thing that I did is the icon. Press the "add photo" below & choose a photo that you like and place it on the icon section. It is up to you if you'll just leave it as square, but I followed the template's shape, w/c is circle. I used the eraser(located on the top) to shape it into circle. While the pink circle is actually a sticker, I added it on to make it look "cleaner" cuz my "erasing skills" are not that good aka so out of the place lmao

Onto the next step! The Cover Photo? Idk what's that called. So for here, click "add photo" below, pick a photo of your choice again and lay it out. You can lower the capacity so that it'll be easier for you to erase unwanted sides, those who {omg out of english sksks} uhh the one who exceeded the supposedly line????? OMG I HOPE YOU GET ME I'M SO SORRY. But lemme repeat, Lay your pic on the "designated" spot, lower the capacity so you can see where you should erase. Basically erase those who'll tamper the search bar and other icons that shouldn't be tampered. (The ones I encircled)

Next part that I did was the other cover photo??? The one on the top of your icon. For here, ofc press "add photo" below then choose you picture, lay it out there, lower the capacity so it'll be easier to erase unwanted "sides."

The photo section. Same process, click the "add photo" below, & choose your pictures. Just follow the outline of each section. Again, lower the capacity so it'll be easy to erase. After the erasing method, you can add a number on top of one of the sections. Its up to you how many, mine is +10 w/c indicates that there are 10 more pictures.

For this one, idrk what to place in here but I decided to put our picture (hehe❤️) So for here, just the samee, click "add photo" below, choose your pic, place it on there, lower the capacity and erase the exceeding sides. After that I added "Villa Colminar Resort" bc that's where our picture is taken. Idk if I should say this but ofc look for the "add text" w/c is also located below alongside "add photo." As for the cute lil circle icons, same process. Click "add photo" below, then crop it into smaller pic. After you crop, click your cropped photo, then the erase button again. There's an option "shape" there and u can just click the circle then "invert" and you're done! Place it on their places and it'll look just like that. [ I added one circle cuz i need 5, u can do the same too, ofc. ]

For the username and bio. I decided to brush the original texts with white brush(located below alongside add photo & add text) so after I brushed it, I added the text. Ofc its up to you what name you're gonna use. I used my friend's username on Twitter and his bio.

uhh so that's basically it, idk if u understood this but i hope u do. Last step that I did was to add filter. Its not necessary, literally up to you. So once again, the "final product." If you find this helpful then omg thankyou. STAY SAFE!! ~NYEONGAAN~

On the photo's twt acc: @Quinnlaii @owennmaarie @gilcypatootie @AliyahDarlene @angls_ncl @lesyeuxlili