#real red cardstock

[yourstruly9489]

Distortion Fanart (michael centered)

(saturated version on the left, og on right)

This is long, so a break before closeups start!

Closeups:

Text reads "The Distortion" (the o has a spiral inside of it)

More closeups but the doors on the left page are open, left to right, top to bottom:

Text reads: That was very stupid

Text reads: I am the throat of delusion incarnate

Text reads: There has never been a door there, Archivist

Text reads: How would a melody describe itself, when asked?

Text reads: "MICHAEL" That is a real name

Text reads: Does your hand in any way own your stomach?

Text reads: My very existence, tied to my pointlessness

Text reads: Did you notice which door she left through?

Text reads: I am not a "who," Archivist. I am a "what"

And that's the end of the closeups :D

All the text inside the doors are quotes from Michael Distortion btw. The only exception being "MICHAEL" bc Jon says that, but Michael does respond by saying "That is a real name" so I think it counts as a Michael quote. At least enough to be included.

I'd also like to thank a couple members of the "michael enjoyers" community for helping me come up with enough quotes. I do not remember your names, but thank you :D

The decision to make this spread was fairly impulsive. It started by me doodling spirals on a scrap piece of paper while trying to design a birthday card for a family member. While doing so, I thought, "why not fill a full page in my sketchbook with spirals?" And that turned into "I could make it into a Distortion spread."

And so, we have ended up here with a full Michael Distortion spread.

It was lots of fun to do, and has possibly gotten me out of artblock. Although, trying to come up with 9 unique doors that weren't yellow was quite the pain. Alongside the 9 different spiral patterns inside said doors. (although a couple of the spirals are copies of another)

And now a couple fun facts.

I am currently listening to "More Doors For Me" by elybeatmaker. I thought the song would be fitting.

I have only watched the first 14 episodes of TMA, and none of the TMAGP episodes. Everything I know about TMA is from my sister and Tumblr. For this reason I did only Michael, bc I know him far better than Helen. (she appears less in fanworks)

This spread took me five days. This is because I was either busy, or didn't have the motivation to work on it. The doors took the longest.

There is so much tape. The black background on the left page is black construction paper taped in, the spiral patterns underneath the doors were taped in, the doors themselves were taped on, the yellow door was also taped in, along with the hand and the wrist, both separately taped. It's a good thing I want a thick sketchbook.

My sketchbook's paper is a bit thin, so you can see the spiral behind the yellow door on the back of the next page. (I have since drawn over it, so I don't have a pic)

Each door has a separate color chosen to be the main color of said door. The colors include: Pink, Red, Orange, Yellow, Lime, Green, Light Blue, Blue, Purple, and Brown. The only one that is a normal door color (brown) has Michael inside it.

If you look closely at the right page, you can see where the lines start to get uneven in the background spiral.

I really like the idea of showing someone this spread and have them randomly open the doors, just to see a surprise Michael. :)

Materials used: generic pencil (for the initial sketch) 05 Micron pen random Prismacolors a cool multicolored lead pencil I don't know the brand of kingart twin-tipped brush pens Sipa fineliner pens scotch tape X-acto knife kid scissors black construction paper yellow cardstock A5 Fabriano sketchbook that I hate with a burning passion

Since you read this far, have some bonus Michael doodles!

^This one was variations of a scene from a dream.

^This one is from a doodle page I have laying on my desk, hence the scribbles nearby. I did not color in the lines (yes, that is nendou from TDLOSK to his left) This was also the first time I ever drew him.

I love giving him spiral cheeks :)

[three--rings]

Happy Fanfic Writer Appreciation Day!

So back in May/June I finished my first playthrough of Persona 5 and fell HARD into the shuake/akeshu ship. This fic was one that I read and immediately messaged the author about doing for this event.

And it turned into probably my favorite book I've made yet. The one I am happiest with overall.

The series (both fics are in the book) is First Step. The main fic is "the first step to find your way is to mark where you have been" by @futuresoon

It's a fantastic post-Royal fic that explores the idea that Akechi's spirit is trapped in a Palace, and Akira has to work through the Palace of Akechi's trauma in order to save him.

Also thank you to @munidraws for letting me use their fanart for the fic.

Process details under here

The typesetting was designed based on both canon elements from the game and motifs from the fic. The fic is set mostly in a labyrinth of black stone walls, so I used that for the chapter openers. And the Chapter titles and text messages in the book use the actual fonts from the game (or ones recreated to be very close by fans).

Text messages are shown in very stylized black and white boxes in the game. I decided I couldn't recreate the shape of the boxes without both a lot of work and taking up a lot of page real estate. So I settled for plain black and white boxes. Shoutout to Manda and Des from Renegade for teaching me how to do these easily in Affinity.

The title page took me....more time than I'm willing to admit. Because of the labyrinth theme and long title I wanted a winding brick path for illustration but it proved really difficult to find anything like what I wanted. So I went through a lot of image manipulation to get something like what I wanted. (Shh, it's not a snake.)

I did my first solid painted edges, with a couple fails until I went and bought some black acrylic ink, which worked like a dream. The endpages are linen textured cardstock.

The case is bound in black bookcloth and marbled fabric made into bookcloth. I used purchased black bookcloth for the author copy and made my own paperless bookcloth with acrylic medium and paste from some thrifted fabric. You can tell the difference in person, but it's subtle. The marble is quilting fabric from Joann's which I also turned into paperless bookcloth and then folded and glued down as a strip.

The spine is titled with heat foil quill in red foil. It's not perfect, but came pretty close for using foil that is not fantastic in quality.

[thepinkwriterr]

Jimmy's Birthday Gift for All of Us: Smut Spoiler

A/N: I usually do not post smut, but in honor of Jimmy's birthday, I decided to post a little spoiler smut. I hope all you depraved readers enjoy.

"Miss Young?" He said my name in a deep voice, calling my attention away from the book in my lap.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I have a gift for you, my love," He moved behind the couch and pushed my hair back, planting a kiss on a patch of skin marked with goosebumps. His voice was buttery, only in the way it was when he was in the mood. I knew this tone very well and knew I was in for trouble. I turned to him with wild eyes, my face painted with a soft grin, and looked him up and down. His hands were behind his back, presumably holding the gift in question.

"Oh, yeah? What is it?"

"You should open it and find out."

He jumped over the side of the couch and sat next to me, handing over the gift box. It was long and white and wrapped with a pink ribbon. A card dangled on the front. A short message written in black calligraphy lined the thick cardstock. My eyes followed along with the words and bloomed into a big smile. My cheeks were tinted vermillion and I hadn't even opened the box.

To Guinevere, the woman who owns my body & soul From Jimmy, the man who loves her most

"Awe, this is so sweet. You don't have to buy me gifts to tell me you love me. I know you do."

"I know I don't. I buy you things because I love you. You're my special angel and I want you to know that." He planted his lips on my forehead, leaving behind a swelling heat in my body. I could tell he had something planned, his attitude was carnal and his movements were characterized by romantic sexuality. He was slow but moved with purpose, the same way he did when he was trying to seduce me.

I worked to untie the bow and admired the way it released and floated down to rest on the couch, moving like flowers in the wind. I opened the box and was taken back by its contents. Lying in between two pieces of pink tissue paper was a set of ruffled lingerie.

"Lingerie? Really, Jimmy?"

"Do you not like it?"

"No, I love. It's gorgeous. But what does this gift mean?"

"Whatever you want it to mean." He shrugged.

"This seems more like a gift for you."

"It might be, just a little bit."

"Yeah, you get to touch and see it, you get all the enjoyment."

"Oh, believe me, love, if you put that on you'll shortly be experiencing a wonderful feeling."

My mouth fell open with a shocked laugh and I slapped his arm, "You are such a slut! You think you're just the cutest, don't you? How else would you get away with this behavior?"

"Am I getting away with it?"

"Of course. Because you are the cutest."

"So you'll put it on for me?"

"It would be my pleasure, Mr. Page, but I'm on my period. There will be no fashion show and there will be no funny business."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm on my period."

"So?"

"You don't care?"

"Why do you think the lingerie is red?" He grinned.

"Oh my God." I shook my head. Impossible. He's impossible. "But really, you don't care?"

"Why the fuck would I care? A period only stops a sentence, sweetheart."

I grimaced. "You're disgusting."

"Gwen, stop it, you know flattery doesn't work on me!" He grinned. His eyes were still firmly planted on the lingerie in my hands. He had been imagining it on me since he bought it, and was now growing hard at his proximity to the real thing. I could tell.

"Just put the damn lingerie on so I can see you. I'm dying over here." He drew attention to his situation, pulling my eyes to the point of his arousal.

"Jimmy! Oh my god, you're impossible. I tell you I'm on my period and you get a fucking boner."

"I'm one of a kind." We looked at each other for a moment or two before he spoke up again, telling me that he was serious. His need for me was growing. He didn't want to see me in this outfit, he needed it. "Please, my gorgeous and sweet woman, put this on for me. I want to see you in it and I want to make love to you. We can make love under the light of the stars and full moon. We can make a ritual out of it, I can worship you and we'll be drawn closer yet." He picked up my hand and rested his lips on my soft skin. "I can draw us a bath and we'll bathe together, then I'll massage you and put you right to bed."

"That all sounds appealing, but I don't know."

"Well, why not? Have you ever tried period sex?"

"No, not really. I have always wanted to but what if-"

"No what-ifs. I am not one of those pathetic men who cannot handle a little blood. In fact, I find it makes things much better. It's a natural lubricant. It's sacred, holy, if you will. You are producing something I can't, and that makes you far superior to me. Orgasms also happen to soothe cramping and settle the body. Think of how relaxed you will be by the end of the night."

"I'm getting warmed up to the idea, it seems. You're just so damn good at convincing me."

"I'd do anything to get you to sleep with me. I need you, Gwen, just feel how much I need you."

He moved my hand to his lap, smirking as I pulled it back, "You're an animal! I'll go put the lingerie on if it makes you calm down, you horn-dog!" I marched into the bathroom, slamming the door with a giggle.

I looked into the mirror, my eyes landing on my slight curves. The lingerie was pretty. I was impressed with his ability to pick it out, assuming that he had done so on his own. I made a mental note to ask.

"Jesus Christ, love, you're magical."

His eyes looked like they were falling out of his head. I walked from the bathroom in a glow of heavenly light, my hair fluttering with a gust of wind from the open windows. He had drawn the lacey curtains together, all four windows in the living room now covered to ease my fears of the neighbors seeing them. I'd shared these concerns with him before and told him I wouldn't have sex in the living room if they could see in. He thought it was ridiculous because the closest house was almost two miles, but complied. I felt touched that he'd remembered and made this extra attempt. This was the man I was spending my life with, so thoughtful and slutty.

"Yeah, yeah, all that romantic stuff. I know you just want to charm me out of this get-up."

"No, no, my wonderous woman, I do not. I want you in this as long as I can handle it. You look amazing. Just- I am salivating over here. Let's take this up to the bedroom, where I can really appreciate you."

So he took my hand and led me up to his bedroom. It looked the same as the last time I saw it, the day before, but now there were candles lit and rose petals everywhere. I smiled and shook my head.

"You planned for this, didn't you?" I took note of how burnt down the candles were. They looked like they were burning for a while.

"Of course I did."

"And how did you know I would say yes to this?"

"Well, you're up here in the lingerie I bought, aren't you?" He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, something he knew would get a reaction from me. Something about the way he could move so gently made my knees quiver.

"Yes," I said begrudgingly. He knew his grasp on me was tight. I couldn't deny him, just the way he couldn't deny me. We were mad for each other, utterly lost in the complexity of each other.

"Good girl." He whispered in my ear, causing a moan to creep out of my mouth. It was low and quiet, but I knew he heard it. He was standing behind me and I could feel him move. He was growing stiffer the longer we held out.

"Fuck, I could just ravage you... But I won't. I want to savor you. I want to save the sugary sweet taste of you, hold onto it as long as I can."

"There will be no tasting. That's where I draw the line."

"Fine. But you'll be the sorry one when you're left un-licked and whiney."

"Whiney? I'm not whiney!"

"Oh, Jimmy, oh fuck! Jesus Christ, that's it... Please don't stop!" He mimicked my voice, opening his mouth wide and rolling his eyes back into his head. My face burned red. I slapped his arm, "stop that, or I won't sleep with you!"

He laughed in my ear, sending icy fire through my frame, "It's sexy. I like to hear you."

"You don't mind it?"

"Mind it? Darling, I fucking live off of it. You know how often I get off on just the memory of your screaming?"

"I wouldn't call it screaming."

"It most certainly is. I had to cover your mouth and put a pillow over you every time we shagged in the hotel room."

"Okay, now you're really about to be high and dry. Shut up!"

"Once again, it's sexy. You're sexy. God, you're sexy!" He exclaimed, grabbing me and pulling me to the bed. He straddled my hips and towered over me, his gentle face lit by candle flame.

"Would you like to smoke a joint?"

"That sounds great."

He sat up at once and pulled a neatly wrapped joint from his bedside table. He lit it with haste and passed it to me, his nimble fingers holding onto the end with a firm grasp. "This is some good shit. Where did you get it?"

"That is beside the point, love. I want you to finish that while on my lap."

"Okay. You have some weird requests." But I obliged. I didn't tell him this, but I liked when he bossed me around, especially in bed. I liked to be told what to do sometimes. And boy was he good at it! I looked over and blew the smoke into his face, reveling in his limpid desire for me. He was drunk on me, his senses taken over by the idea of having me.

The power I had over him was exciting. I knew I could get whatever I wanted from him, especially if he was horny. He was thin and pliable in more ways than just physical. I had him wrapped around my finger. Perhaps our relationship would be more manipulative if I wasn't of the same status.

We passed the joint back and forth but didn't finish it. He was quick to cut me off, stating that he didn't want me too far into the clouds. "I want you to cum. Multiple times. So no more of this."

"Jesus, you've really a plan."

"God graced you with the ability to orgasm multiple times. Why spit in his face? It would be blasphemy if you came just once"

"Oh, so this is about honoring God now? I think he would be madder about the premarital sex."

"Then why has he made it so wonderful?"

"Shut up!" I laughed. He was impossible.

Now that the joint was out, he was ready. His clothes came off quickly, sailing to the floor with abandon. He looked so sexy, stripped down to his underwear. His body was lithe and lean, a pale shade marked with dark veins and tiny nipples.

"You are impossibly cute."

"Cute?"

"Sorry, you are so sexy and manly. God, I just want a giant chunk of man from you!"

"Okay, now you're scaring me. Go back to cute." We laughed. He was always making me laugh, and at the worst times too.

He placed his hands on the sides of my face and looked up into my eyes. He kissed me softly. His lips were lush and massaged my own. Talk about a gift from God, it was that man's mouth. He could do more with it than I could with three hands. With a flourishing moan and rolled us over so he was on top.

As he worked his pelvis into mine and kissed down my neck, I felt a wave of pain work through me. No matter of heavy petting and lacy bras could make me forget about these terrible cramps. They were especially bad this month. I sighed and put my hands on my abdomen, trying to massage the pain away.

"I'm sorry, my sweet, I hate that you're in pain. Why don't we try to relieve that, hmm?"

"That would be nice."

"C'mere, I'll make you feel better." He lay behind me, wrapped his arms around me, and started to kiss my neck. I was already distracted from the pain once more. My cramps were a distant thought as his hands traveled down to the space between my thighs.

When he reached between them, rubbing me through the red lace, I let out a breathy moan. It felt so good to have his hands on me. I missed them, although it had been less than a week since we'd last had sex.

"Does that feel better, baby?"

"Yes," I moaned.

"Good. Now I'm going to keep doing this for a little while, then I'm going to get back on top of you. Does that sound okay? I don't want to hurt you." He said, inching his way under the lacy excuse for underwear.

"Okay," I moaned.

"That wasn't a yes. I need a yes, Gwen." His voice was a whisper against my ear. I was too aroused to say anything of import, but he was trying to pull it from me. When his words were met with silence he dipped a finger into me. "Is this okay?"

I moaned, hoping this would suffice. I couldn't think of anything. A simple yes had evaded my mind.

"I need an answer or I'll stop."

"Yes, Jimmy, fuck- yes, that's more than okay."

He continued to slowly work his fingers in and out of me, pressing gentle kisses to my neck and cheek as he did. After a few minutes, he pulled his fingers out of me, revealing a sticky layer of blood, and simply smiled. "How do you feel?"

"Better."

"Better? That's good. Now, we just need to get you speechless."

"I want to make you feel good,

I could see that look in his eyes. I didn't know what it meant for a long time. He would look at me and I would laugh, I would turn away and laugh some more, not knowing what he wanted from me. But now that he's told me he loves me I know what that look is. That look is desperation, the pleading for God to open his palms and allow you to crawl inside. That look is hunger, a burning desire to be filled to the hilt. That look is love.

He looked at me like this now. He looked at me in a wonderful field of lavender, tulips, and daylilies, and he looked at me the same here in his bedroom. He looked at me with love in his eyes, the bright colors of ferns and wisteria bouncing off his pale features. His skin screamed and his eyes reached out for me. I could feel what he wanted from me as if I were enchanted. I don't know if it was the full moon, the cannabis, or love that was making a house out of my bones, but he set it ablaze.

He called out to me once more, asking me to lend all the parts of myself I kept locked up. He wanted me to give that part I refused, the part that I kept for myself. As he touched me I could feel it. He wanted me to give myself over.

It wasn't natural for me. I didn't know how to open myself up and fly face-first into the sun. I was used to the feeling of hot wax dripping on my shoulders, the feeling of falling lower and lower into the endless expanse of blue sky as my wings liquified. He was a benevolent bulb, smiling as I got closer.

Although it was foreign, I decided here and now to give myself fully. I opened my legs and allowed him to run flush with my body, to devour me fully. I allowed him into me and we moved together in a sweet waltz of passionate love. My body was opening up in a way I had never experienced. My hips were enlightened with the feeling of him inside me. We had sex many times before but this was different. The energy was burning and the angels were singing.

His hands were on me now, pulling at my hair and singeing my skin. He was driving into me at a steady pace, impossibly close to me, and rested his pelvis on mine as we merged. He sighed and whimpered, leaving hot kisses on my slick skin. His noises only melted my body more, only melded our skin together. I didn't know where I ended and he stopped. I didn't know where the line between our celestial bodies ended and our cosmic energies began. I was becoming him, I could feel my supple skin under his coarse fingertips, and he was becoming me.

Things were heating at a rapid pace. Although he wasn't moving as quickly as he'd shown me he could, my end was approaching. I was running to the edge of a cliff, only gaining more momentum and speed as I went. He was pushing me closer to the ledge with glorious hands. I could feel wet heat radiating through my body, my blood only causing him to move within me with more ease as we went.

He was calling to God once more, weeping for the chorus of onlooking angels and devils, lesser beings of import and varying malevolence. We were performing before an audience but it felt like we were the only ones in the world. It was all getting to be too much. I was welling with tears at the feeling and he was groaning deeper with every movement. I put my hands between us, coating it with my blood, and stopped his movement.

"What? Love, are you alright?" He asked breathlessly.

"Yes, I'm more than alright. I just need a moment."

"Oh, don't make me stop, please. I can't get enough of you," he whined in a whisper. He kissed and nipped at my skin.

"I-I just can't take it anymore. This is all too overwhelming."

"But, darling, I love you. I want it to be overwhelming. I want to ravage your senses and send you into the throes of passion." He continued to kiss me and it only increased my intense feelings.

"Please, Jimmy, I just need you to give me a moment." He pulled out of me and rolled over to lie beside me. He pulled me into his embrace, laying behind me, effectively gluing us together with blood. We lay together in the room, lit only by the numerous candles and perfumed by the flowers and incense.

"I'm sorry. I think I'm just overwhelmed with how much I love you."

"Don't be sorry, my fair Guinevere. I love you too. I love you with all my heart. I feel my very soul was crafted with the fibers of your body. I am Adam and you are my Eve. We were meant to be, and not a thing could change that."

[greenhorn-art]

Keep Your Head Up to the Sky (As Your Day Unfolds) by alphera [Twitter]

Illustrated by Shirou_UOHS @shirou-oh-sakura

Fandom: 全职高手 | The King's Avatar

Rating: General Audiences

Category: M/M

Words: 9 270

Time is rarely kind, and impossible to escape. At the ripe old age of 30, Han Wenqing retires from the Glory Professional Alliance and moves forward the only way he knows how: fearlessly and without hesitation.

About the Book

FONTS: Coelacanth, Segoe UI Emoji

IMAGES: Illustrations by Shirou; pastel sky ID: 7007221 from Rawpixel; dark blue sky ID: 7044483 from Rawpixel; Han Wenqing & Desert Dust image from The King's Avatar Wikia; Ye Xiu & Lord Grim image also from TKA Wikia; Glory card png also made by Shirou via Discord

MATERIALS: regular ol' printer paper (8.5"x11", 20lb, 96 bright); ~1.5mm chipboard; Neenah cardstock (8.5"x11", 65lb, bright white); Iris bookcloth (Madeira colour); paper from Gilded Ink paper pad by Recollections; waxed linen thread (30/3 size, white); wheat paste (1:4 flour:water)

PROGRAMS USED: typeset in Affinity Publisher 2; endpapers designed with Affinity Designer 2 and Affinity Photo 2; imposed with Renegade's Community Imposer (settings: Quarto, snug against binding edge, signatures of 2 sheets).

Text & QR codes printed with colour laser printer (duplex, flip long edge), images printed with inkjet printer (HP Envy 5055; one sheet at a time, single sided, place facedown in tray)

BINDING: quarto (quarter-letter) size, sewn board binding with french link stitch and breakaway spine.

.

Absolutely LOVED this story! I've reread this one a number of times, and keep going back for more. Alphera's writing is so good! Ye Xiu is the series protagonist so things usually follow him, which makes it refreshing to see a story through Han Wenqing's eyes. And the author does it SO WELL! AHHH!

It's been a while since my first read-through, but I'm pretty sure this was the first TKA fic that I actually downloaded and started typesetting. Absolutely chuffed to have it finished! (Love me some growth-- the typeset looks a LOT better than my earlier attempts!)

RAMBLES

Another sewn board binding and breakaway spine! Since this isn't my first go at it, the construction of the book was considerably faster and smoother than my last one. It's just as well, because I ran into a speed bump that stretched out how long it took to typeset and print.

The culprit: (very pretty) illustrations. My laser's colour printing capabilities are shot to hell, so I used my inkjet for the artwork. This involved creating 3 copies of my typeset: 1) the completed typeset; 2) just the text, images hidden; 3) just the images, text hidden/white. Then I ran them through the imposer and printed the text version. The real issue was figuring out how to feed the sheets through my inkjet printer to print the images where I want them. Had to go one page at a time, single-sided. (Just need to place sheet facedown in the tray. So flip along vertical axis.) It took a while, but I got there in the end. And the results were SO worth it! 😊

For the scene breaks I left them as written. I had tried inserting images of the Glory Logo and account card, or using crossed swords emojis ⚔️, but nothing I tried worked as well as what the author did. (It's really neat! Different characters were used to indicate the direction of the timeskip: >>>> for a jump forward in time; <<<< for a flash into the past; and ==== for regular scene breaks, a 'next' rather than 'before' or 'later/after'.)

The cover and endpapers were based off of Shirou's fantastic cover illustration of HQW and YX walking hand-in-hand down a beach at sunset. The art itself is phenomenal so I had it stand alone as a frontispiece and didn't do anything fancy with the title page. For the covers, I looked through my decorative paper stash for something red or black to represent HWQ or Team Tyranny. What I found was paper with pinks, oranges, and purples similar to that illustration -- and that was that. I liked how the colours matched the art, and the gold splashed across it. (Gold for victory, gold for wedding rings and a happy golden future together.)

(Sidenote: I love how the beginning of the end of HWQ's career as an e-sports player "starts with a tingle in his ring finger", leading him and YX to taking the next steps in their relationship and eventually getting married 💍🖐)

I went with a red bookcloth for the spine because it's a common team colour for Tyranny, Excellent Era, and Happy. It also represents good fortune, courage, passion, and love -- things that come to mind when I think about YX, HWQ, and HanYe. The particular shade of red I used is Madeira. It's darker than Ruby Red and leans a little cooler, which suits the decorative paper more.

The endpapers use two background images (overlayed, adjusted, using multiple blending modes) and some images of HWQ and YX from The King's Avatar Wikia.

The background images are from Rawpixel -- I was just minding my own business looking for images of clouds and maybe some mountains to represent overcoming challenges/glory/looking up to the sky, when I found some clouds with the same sunset colours of Shirou's art. Figured it was too perfect, and if I'm going to lean into that design-wise, I might as well go whole hog and full-ass it. Then I found a starry night sky to add some darker blues and stars to it to match. After that it was a matter of overlapping them and positioning them to fit. I also grabbed some images of HWQ and YX from the King's Avatar Wikia and added them to it because HanYe. (After removing the backgrounds).

[hexagonspress]

BE by tothewillofthepeople

Grantaire is earnest in this, and it’s heartbreaking. Enjolras can’t look away. This is just a rehearsal. Grantaire is still wearing skinny jeans. They have lights and phones and textual analysis and thousands of years of history between now and then and yet– When Grantaire speaks, the distance collapses. (Grantaire as Hamlet.)

Title: Middle Ages Deco Headers/Accents: Letter Gothic Standard Body text: Adobe Caslon Pro Case title: Goudy Initialen

38,667 words | 224 pages

Binderary book 1: a long-favourite EXR fic. I love wild Les Mis AUs and I love Shakespeare and this is all of that in such a lovely lovely form. Stage manager Enjolras is inspired. Also, I've been frothing at the mouth to use my special blackletter fonts and go suuuper overboard designing and this was Perfect for that purpose.

More pictures/design/process under the cut.

Design and Construction Case: Flat-back case binding with bradel board covers and spine. The spine cloth is Hollander's pearl linen in charcoal grey. The painted titles were done in Amsterdam acrylic ink in silver, with a pair of scissors because I don't own a painting brush and likely never will. The cover papers are printed on 80gsm white printer paper and glued with a regular Elmer's glue stick and PVA on the turn-ins, and the whole case is sprayed with workable fixatif to (hopefully) preserve it longer-term.

Covers: The front and back covers were designed in Photoshop. The centre image is a William Morris pattern, and the top and bottom little circles are Renaissance printer's ornaments (pngs by the lovely @helle-bored of Renegade Bindery) that I vectorized in Illustrator (Illustrator and I were sworn enemies until this month. Now we're forced friends. Like enemies to lovers).

Insides: Endpapers are a William Morris pattern recoloured in Photoshop to be a richer green and red, obv, for EXR. Printed with inkjet on 80gsm printer paper and glued to gold cardstock, and sewn into the textblock. Endbands are pre-sewn from Hollanders, dyed gold with acrylic ink to match the endpapers.

Typesetting Typeset was done in InDesign. This is a one-shot with scene breaks, so to match the theatre theme of the piece I replaced the horizontal line breaks with flagged scene numbers. I tried to strike a balance in the typesetting between classic Shakespearean aesthetic with the blackletter drop caps and cover fonts versus what you might see in a theatre script book with the monospace accents. The title spread uses a transparent decorative frame, again from Helle's collection; the large box in the middle with the title was part of the original frame and then I duplicated and resized it for the author name and my imprint.

We All Do It, or, the Mistakes Section I somehow managed to print the cover papers nine inches tall and didn't see a problem with it until they came off the printer. Truly who knows how that happened. I was working on the case at two in the morning and cut the spine cloth the wrong length three separate times...earned the measure once cut twice badge big time for that one. The endpapers were an ordeal and a half for real. What I learned: print them too big and glue the cardstock to the back, then trim the paper to size, not the other way around otherwise you'll end up with big ugly gaps where the trimming was a few millimeters off. Whoops.

And...more pictures

I'm particularly pleased with how the covers here came out so here's closeups. Also, the arc on the spine that you can see in the endband on the last one is really pleasing to me lol I fought a war trying to get the flatback hinge calculations right.

[xxkitty13]

Circus Freaks

LA Buggy x Fem Reader

NSFW

Previous Chapters: Part 1, Part 7

Next Chapter: Part 9

Previously: After years of avoiding the cemetery, Y/n decides to finally make a visit. Accompanied by Buggy, they come across a spirit that lures them to a particular tombstone. It happens to be the temple of the island's founder, Febe. There, they find a hidden room inside the old building and discover ancient writings. Meanwhile, Abask Kija, is making a move.

Part 8: The Proposal

The candle wax drips down to the base of the vase. Each drip adds to the pool of hot liquid that surrounds the melting candle. Its flame flickers vigorously, swaying left and right. The corner is solitary and hidden from the rest of the area. One single candle is enough to light the space.

Y/n turns page after page, reading the ancient history of the island. Linguistic books stack on the small desk she sits at. So far, the library provides little information about the dead native language that was once spoke by their ancestors. Nothing appears to match the strange writing engraved on the old temple. She sighs, closing another book, no luck in that one either. Her strained eyes are dry, she closes them and lays her head down on the desk.

A clacking noise nears her isolated corner.

"May I?"

Rubbing her red eyes, she looks to see the owner of the voice.

"Yasi?"

The raven head smiles at her and takes a seat in front of her. He sits with his intertwined hands on the dusty table. His face scowls at the gray particles staining his clean hands. Y/n rolls her eyes, there he goes, too elite for some dirt.

"You're stalking me again? Don't expect me to go on a date with you."

He scoffs. "I just got here and you're already accusing me of such ill acts?"

Y/n only stares back at him. Yasi chuckles, "Ah, you know me so well. I can only blush at that fact." He reaches for her hand, but she smacks it away.

"Geez, no need to be so rude. Anyway, I came here to give you this."

He reaches into his dress pants’ pocket and hands her a white envelope. She grabs it, intrigued on what it held inside. It is sealed with a gold wax; the letter A is stamped in the middle. She carefully opens it and pulls out a red velvet cardstock paper.

"What is this?" she asks.

"It's a formal invitation to a dinner at the mansion. My father personally sent it to you."

Her eyes widened. “Y-your father? Why?”

“I may have mentioned you to him and he’s delighted to finally meet you,” he grins. He gets up from his seat and begins to walk away. “I’ll expect you there. You know my father is an important man. Do not disappoint him.” Yasi gives her a sly smirk before leaving.

Y/n looks at the invitation. The dinner is tonight. She groans, of course he wouldn’t give her time to think about it. Still, the dinner could lead to new information about the island’s past and the mysterious death of her father. With a deep sigh, she departs from the library.

.°˖✧.°˖✧

“What do you mean you’re going?!”

Buggy voice booms throughout the circus tent. His fist slams on the armrest of the wooden chair he sits on. He stands up and snatches the white envelope from her hands.

“Tsk, that brat thinks he can swoon you over with daddy’s money. Ha, pathetic,” he grits, gripping the envelope.

“But Buggy, think about it. We have no leads, this our only chance to find something.”

Buggy sits back on the large chair and angrily takes out the invitation. “The fact that it’s tonight sounds fishy to me,” he says almost crumping the paper.

Y/n heads to him and sits on his lap, facing him. Her hands cup his scratchy face. His green eyes look above and lock with hers. He lets go of the paper, making it fall to the floor. His hands hold both sides of her hips and reals her in closer to his torso.

“You’re playing a dangerous game,” he whispers.

“Come on Buggy. You know I won’t let Yasi get his way.” Her hand caress his left cheek as she slowly leans towards his face.

A bulge is felt underneath her, right below her ass. She allows her full body weight to press against it, teasing him. His hands grip her sides.

“You know anybody can walk in at any given moment.”

“Oh,” she gasps. “Maybe this was a bad idea.” She tries to get off, but Buggy hold is strong.

“Where are you going little lady? You have to finish what you’ve started,” his raspy voice sends chills down her spine.

He unbuttons her pants and y/n unconsciously helps him out. All is left of her bottom half are her panties. Buggy removes one of his gloves and feels under her sex. Y/n jumps at the rough touch.

“Look at you, already wet. You naughty girl.” He slaps her ass, making her yelp. His fingers slide the panties off to the side and slithers his way to touch her wet folds. His thumb makes it way to her enlarged clit, he presses his digit against the raised tissue. She mewls at the slight pressure. “Is this what you want? Why didn’t you say so earlier,” he teases.

“T-this is not what I had in mind.”

“Were you really leaning in for just a kiss?” He grabs a fistful of her hair and reals her in. “Come on baby, you don’t have to act so innocent.” His lips smashes against her own. With the deepening of the kiss, his index finger abruptly shoves inside of her.

“B-buggy, be gentle!”

He simply laughs and begins to finger her.

“What if somebody comes in?!”

“Then we’ll give them a show.” He adds a second finger inside and quickens the pace. Y/n holds her moans, not wanting to attract people to the ring. “Don’t hide it,” he grabs her throat and slightly squeezed his hand around her neck.

“B-buggy.”

“That’s more like it. Let’s take it up a notch.”

His fingers leave her wet insides. She relaxes at the lost feeling. Buggy unbuckles his belt and pulls down his leather pants. As soon as y/n sees his boxers, she knew what was coming next.

He pulls them down and his hard erection springs out. Precum oozes out of his slit and down his rosy tip. Using his hands, he lifts y/n from her bottom and positions her body with his erection.

“Buggy are we really doing this in here? N-no, someone will catch us.”

“Relax babe, the thrill turns me on.”

He slaps her tender thigh and guides her down to his exposed groin. She bites her lips, it will be her second time experiencing an intimate session with the man. The act still frightens her, but she is eager to experience the blissful pleasure once more. Buggy aligns his wet tip to her entrance. With her body coming down, he pushes the tip inside the prepped hole.

Buggy grunts as his shaft is swallowed by her tight walls. His hands are now placed on her waist, pushing her down on his crotch. Y/n controls her breathing as his cock ripped her apart once more. Her insides burn, she tries to relax her tight body.

“Fuck darling, you’re quite tense aren’t you?” He grits. His hands massage her lower back, going under her shirt to feel her smooth skin.

“Let’s fix that.” He bucks himself up inside of her.

Y/n feels her body jump up in the air and back down on his member. She feels his tip hit right at her cervix; the feeling is painful. Her body falls onto his chest as her hands hold onto his shoulders for support. Buggy grunts as her nails dig at his skin, the pain turns him on. His coarse hands cup both cheeks of her bottom and manually fucks her, still thrusting deep within.

The labor is intense, but the pirate enjoys every second of it. The stinging pain vanishes, and y/n finally loosens up to the penetration. Moans fill the empty ring, echoing throughout the thin curtains of the tent.

"Buggy more-" she audibly gasps.

"As you wish, princess."

Buggy wastes no time in pumping his swollen shaft into her throbbing pussy. The slick clenching walls surround him with immense pleasure. Sweat drips from his forehead, catching his breath becomes harder. Each thrust sends an electrifying sensation with y/n's core. Despite the harsh movements, his dick hits every spot so nicely.

His hands grip onto her reddened cheeks, absolutely violating her pussy to reach his orgasm. Hot cum suddenly shoots out, Buggy barely held off before pulling out. "Shit, that was fucking amazing," he groans, throwing his head back.

Y/n completely falls over him and buries her face onto the crook of his neck. She engulfs his musky scent, falling more for the pirate. Their pants fill the void of the area as they calm their hormones.

"Are you happy now, grumps?"

Buggy rolls his eyes. "No."

She gets a hold of his soft dick and tightly wraps her hand around it.

"Ow, what the fuck are you doing?!"

"I have to attend; this is our ticket to find answers." Buggy wiggles around and tries to remove the death grip on his dick. "Fine, just let go. It fucking hurts."

He sighs in relief and immediately puts it back inside his boxers. "I'm sending Cabaji with you."

"How would that work? They're cameras everywhere."

"Don't underestimate him, he has plenty of tricks up his sleeves."

.°˖✧.°˖✧

Y/n stands before the large gate of the Abask estate. It was not easy making it out of the circus grounds. Buggy could not fathom letting her leave with a tight dress to present to the enemy. Somehow, Cabaji and Mohji calmed him down before her exit. Cabaji accompanied her halfway to the place before disappearing. She wonders how he would enter without being caught.

She hesitantly rings the bell, and the metal doors creak open. A horse carriage arrives shortly, two black stallions halt in front of the stone path. The coachman jumps from his seat and opens the small door to the carriage.

He assists y/n inside and is greeted by Yasi, who wears a navy blue suit.

“Isn’t this a bit extra?”

“Nonsense. Why must we walk when we can enjoy the luxury of a carriage ride.”

She sighs and looks outside the small window. Beautiful green magnolias line the path they travel in. Beyond that, the lush lawn expands across the large property. A waste of space, the amount of land could be used to nourish the wildlife, instead boring blades of grass cover the ground.

The horse carriage nears the mansion. It is her first time seeing the grand home, only a few are able to enter the estate. The building is old, but still in its glory.

The coachman guides the stallions to the front of the mansion and allows its passengers to get off. Yasi helps y/n out the carriage and guides her inside his home. The pillars are larger in person, meters up in the air. She is already astonished and has not taken a step inside.

The large white doors open for them, and they both enter. A large chandelier hovers above the main lobby. The spiral of white crystals glow and glimmer. In front of them stands a stone statue of a young male angel, ironic for the family to own a holy entity.

"Y/n, I have various wardrobes you can change into. The materials are of higher quality than that tawdry dress you wear."

Yasi points to the long black gown she wears. It is the only adequate attire she has for the event. "I think the dress is fine. . ." she says, adding a lingering awkwardness in the room. The young man clears his throat, already starting on the wrong foot. "Okay, if you like it. . . well, let's head to the dining area."

He extends his hand and y/n accepts it. Yasi gives her a warm smile, it is a rare expression, she only brushes it off. The pair proceed to exit the main lobby. Y/n looks back briefly, Cabaji has somehow made his way up the grand stairs, a true master of breaking in. She turns away and hopes the acrobat will find what they're looking for.

The long hallways are well lit, the white marble floors shine beautifully with its gold specs. Large paintings hang on both sides of the white walls. Each painting tells its own story, the lavish scenery of the island's landscape is depicted lividly.

"I see that you like the art, wait till you see the ones upstairs," he smirks. As much as y/n hates to admit it, she is intrigued by his comment. She wonders what other things the mansion holds.

Breaking her thought, the bright light of the large room ahead of them catches her attention.

"At last, you've arrived," a deep and hoarse voice calls out to her.

In front of her stands a large man that towers over her. She gasps, children will have similar features to their parents, but Yasi and his father are like twins. The older man reaches for her hand, gold gem rings decorate his long fingers. Y/n slowly goes to touch his rough hand, the man kisses the top of her as a sign of respect.

"Y/n, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Yasi's father, Kija."

"I-it's nice to meet you as well, sir."

Kija laughs softly, his croaky voice clearly dominant, "Noris, go ahead and seat our guest."

The main butler of the house arrives, the black suit he wears shows the prestige of his title, he's an older man who smugly looks at the new guest.

"My lady, let me guide you to your seat."

Y/n is seated at the tail end of the rectangle table. Yasi sits adjacent to her, and his father sits at the opposite end of the table. Despite being sat at the furthest end, Kija voice is able to be head across the room. A powerful voice from a powerful man. Y/n felt uncomfortable facing Kija, his piercing eyes are icier than Yasi's.

"Don't mind my father, he has a habit of studying the people around him."

"Yes, I can tell. . ."

Servants of the mansion arrive with lavish plates of gourmet meals. The aroma of each cuisine brought a grumble to y/n's stomach. Embarrassed, she hopes no one heard it.

After the appetizing meal, the servants clear the dining room leaving y/n alone with the Abask men. Kija clears his throat; his face becomes serious. Those icy blue eyes stare her down.

"Y/n I am pleased that you enjoyed the food that our top chefs prepared. Now, I want to explain my reason for inviting you over." He looks at his son, who slowly gulps, with a stern look. “Yasi here is fond of you. He rambles about you all daylong and never seems to think of anything else. Clearly, I am intrigued about the woman who has captured my son’s attention. After our short time together, I see why that’s so.”

Y/n grips the sides of her dress. She knows Yasi is obsessed with her, but she did not think he would go in details to his father. How much does Mr. Abask know?

“What do you mean? I’m just a regular person. I think Yasi just can’t get over a simple childhood crush.”

“What? Y/n, I know I can be persistent-”

“You’ve been such a brute towards me. Your behavior is strange and violent,” she cuts him off.

Before Yasi could speak, Kija interjects, “I am deeply sorry about my son’s behavior. I thought I raised him better than that.” Yasi huffs. Kija continues. “My son has grown to be a mature man and will change such ill habits. Though, he is still young, I can see his feelings are true. It is only through his immaturity that he has not expressed them in a healthy manner.”

“Dad stop embarrassing me.”

“It is true, is it not?”

He scoffs and turns away from y/n. For the first time, his eyes soften as he peaks at her. Could it be true? All this time does he feel love? It is nonsense, only young boys treat their crushes like that, but he is a spoiled brat after all. Even so, his actions have no excuse.

“With all due respect, I find it hard to believe.”

“I do not blame you. Yasi, as a man, apologize to this young lady.”

His eyes lock with hers. He fiddles around, it is unusual to see him agitated. “Y/n I,”— he grabs her hands— “I sincerely apologize for all the awful things I’ve done to you. I let myself be a horrid monster around you. Nothing can excuse my toxic behavior. I don’t expect forgiveness, but I do hope you understand that I mean it.”

Y/n looks at him astonished. Never in a million years would she have thought to hear the entitled man take blame. Taken aback, she is not able to respond to the apology.

“Y/n, with that in mind, there is something I would like to ask you. I know it is unprecedented. . .” A long pause brings tension between the two. His hold becomes tighter. “I want to propose the idea of marriage.”

“Marriage?!”

The air in the dining room becomes awfully thick. Her sweaty palms tremble. What a daring question to ask. “Y-yasi I-I. . . I don’t know what to say. . .”

Her gaze turns to Kija. The intense stare brings shudders down her spine. “I-I can’t Yasi. . .”

Defeated, Yasi drops his hold and looks down at the marbled floor like a scolded dog.

“Y/n,” Kija says firmly. “Please, rethink my son’s offer.”

Her full attention is turned to the older man.

“I understand my son has done some questionable things, but his love is sincere. Second chances often result in a beautiful blossom.”

“Sir, I don’t like the idea of marriage being forced down on me.”

“Force? No, no. . .” Kija takes a cigar from the inside pocket of his suit. He lights the large cigarette and places the brown rolled paper in his mouth. “It is a proposition of course. I want to be honest miss y/n, I proposed the idea to Yasi after finding out you are the Ti’s daughter.”

“What do they have to do with this?”

“You see, the Ti’s are in a debt. A massive one.”

“Debt? No, it can’t be.”

“I’m surprised they haven’t mentioned it to you.”

Y/n scoffs. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe you. Why would you give them a free voyage knowing they owe you money?”

Kija laughs. “That voyage happened to be my old vacation plan. I know the Ti’s were dealing with the stress of accumulating their payment and I wanted to do a good deed. However,”— he puffs out the reeking smoke— “I see no solution to their problem.”

He stands up and walks towards the grand entry of the dining room. His footsteps halt. “I thought of a way to clear their debt and only one happened to work. If you marry Yasi, they are able to keep their lovely property.”

Kija eyes trail to Y/n. A sinister intent lingers behind those cold irises. “Think about it. I am willing to forgive a debt as you should be willing to forgive my son.” He gives her a charming smile, a fake one. It drops immediately, he turns away and makes his exit.

Conflicted, y/n hastily gets up from her seat and storms out of the dining area.

“Y/n wait!”

Yasi goes to grab her arm, but Y/n pulls away from his grip.

“I’m not being forced? Bullshit!”

“Y/n, listen please-“

“Your father is only giving me one option to help my parents and it is very clear that I can’t refuse. You knew about this. You’re taking advantage of the situation to marry me, what is wrong with you?!” she spits out. “And I was only beginning to feel like I should forgive you.” She storms away, leaving Yasi alone in the empty room.

"I didn't know. . ." he says, his arms reaching out to her.

Y/n heels clack harshly against the floor, every detail of the mansion fills her rage. The materialistic items that decorate the place only reminds her of the wealth and power the rich own. She will not be the next thing to be labeled as their property. As she strode down the hallway to reach the main lobby, she noticed Mr. Abask on the second floor, leaning against the railing. He gestures her goodbye with one hand, barely hiding his smirk.

She simply ignores him and marches out the front doors. The coachman spots y/n and calls out for her. "Miss, would you like an escort to the front gate?"

"No thank you, I can walk there myself."

"B-but young lady, are you able to walk with heels?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to use their services."

The man watches the young woman march away on the paved driveway. He sighs and begins to return to his nap, but a familiar yell startles him.

"Hurry, take me to her." Yasi gets in the carriage and the coachman pulls on the reins of the horses. It did not take long for the carriage to reach y/n, she continues to walk, ignoring the large horses next to her.

"Y/n, let me explain."

"No. Leave me alone."

"Ugh, for once, listen to me."

She glares at him and snaps her head forward. "Y/n. At least get inside, it's a long way to the gate." The sound of the clacking stops, alongside with the hooves of the stallions, the door opens, and she heads inside.

The ride is silent, the clacking of the hoofs ring loud in their ears. The two keep their distance as they look outside the small windows. Yes, the estate is beautiful, everything is something anyone could dream for, but at what cost? All the blood, sweat, and tears of the poor. She'll be damned to do the same.

The horses halt, they're finally at the gate. The coachman opens the door for y/n and helps her out the carriage. The gates open and she walks closer to them.

"Y/n."

She turns to face Yasi, who sits inside.

"Be careful."

"What do you mean?"

"My father. . . he is not a kind man. I wish the marriage would be on different terms, but I realized my mistakes too late. I'm sorry I dragged you into this. Please, reconsider his offer before someone gets hurt."

The carriage leaves and y/n stands dumbfounded. "Hurt?" Regret and fear were expressed in his tone, it was genuine. Her heart pounds, he is not one to show those emotions, what will Kija do? She stares at the departing horse carriage and slowly begins to exit the estate. Finally, she is out.

"Psst."

"Huh?" She looks around to see who made that sound. A bush rustles alongside the large walls that lined the property. "Y/n, it's me." A head pops out of the prickly bush.

"Shit, that fucking hurt," Cabaji says removing the thorns off his clothing.

"Oh, I completely forgot you were inside. How did you manage to get out?"

"It’s a long story, I’ll explain it later.”

“Well, did you find anything?”

Cabaji face immediately turns pale. He clears his throat, “Let’s get back to our base. We don’t want to linger here any longer.”

Puzzled in his change of tone, she follows after him, curious to know the details of his findings.

Immediately upon her return, Buggy marches towards the center of the ring. He reels y/n by her waist and inspects every inch of her body.

“Nobody touched you, right?”

“I’m fine Buggy.”

“Well, what was the reason for your presence?”

Y/n felt her heart drop. Knowing the pirate, he will make a dramatic scene in front of everybody. “Well…” She averts her gaze to the ground.

“Well?” Buggy says back, growing impatient.

“Buggy, do not get mad when I say this, but…”

“Just say it already.”

Closing her eyes, she shouts, “He wants me to marry Yasi!”

The ring becomes silent. Y/n opens her eyes to see Buggy’s reaction. To her surprise, he looked unfazed. She sighs, it went better than expected, but it was too soon. The pirate twitched his hands before exploding.

“MARRIAGE?!”

Then all hell broke loose.

[weirdunicorn]

Inspired by the art of Gustavo Floering who uses plastic bags in the making of his art dolls, I made a baby Mothman!

His innards are multiple plastic bags twisted together, cardstock, and wrapped in masking tape. His outside is an old bear plushie I had no real room for anymore, and the eyes are from the bear too, just painted red.

He's a bit lumpy here and there, the back is a bit more lumpy than the front, but for a first time attempt at this type of thing I'm pretty proud of him!

Bonus, I finished him yesterday, Friday the 13th

[stingandsnoutbindery]

Advent Anthology by @pacific-rimbaud

A Compilation of PR's one-shot entries for DHr Advent, years 2020-2022.

Fandom: Harry Potter

Relationship: Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger

Art by the wonderful @chestercompany

My binderary baby and second fanbinding project.

read below the cut for the process and other binding deets.

Quick Specs

20,015 words | 179 pages | Quarto (1/4 of Letter)

Technique: Flatback bradel Title & Body Font: Libre Baskerville (in various style emphasis)

Fics included:

Les Pelerins (10k; 2020 entry)

I'm Never Lonely When I'm With You (5k; 2021 entry)

On The Virtues of Inexhaustible Burning (5k; 2022 entry)

Pac is the type I could trust to write anything and I know I'll absolutely love. Her advent fics, in particular, I especially adore. The writing is very visceral and I will not admit how many times I've reread these.

On The Book

I had not intended to bind any book/s for @renegadepublishing's binderary because of my hectic schedule, however FOMO won over and this book was born. It was a relatively quick design and typeset (I really do better under pressure lol). I wish I could say the same for when I started the actual binding though. This is the 8th book I’ve bound and I had expected it to go relatively smoothly, but this book fought me every step of the way and I'll indulge in expressing my distress on this post.

First, the print place I go to messed up my typeset, thus me having to travel back home to use our old crappy inkjet (that took 3 hours to print). And because said printer is crappy, I had to use 100gsm short grain to minimize show-through, and well, you can imagine how stick straight the pages are. Second, I made the case too small (I worked on the book after a toxic 12 hour lab day and was not in the right state) and instead of redoing the covers, I re-trimmed and repainted the fore edge (at cost of my lovely margins ..wails). Third & last, the vinyl refused! to stick to the cover and I proper burnt the HTV as well as my finger on my iron. In the book's defense, it was my first time using leather paper and I forgot to test their chemistry.

On The Bind

Everything else went swimmingly, aforementioned shit aside. I tried not to make this book scream Christmas and leaned into a more subtle theme through color choices. I finally got to use this lovely red leather paper from Itoya, which my parents bought me during their trip in Japan. Many thanks to @celestial-sphere-press for helping me out with the shops to visit!

The design cover was made on Illustrator. The words are actually the fic prompts which I arranged in concentric circles, inspired by the arrangement of the advent candles in our local church from years back. I have no idea what paper my print place used, but it has some nice pulp to it.

As I said, I melted the HTV and certain parts refused to stick, so I peeled all of it off, except for the spine title (which miraculously stuck) and used my foil quill pen instead. I used an off-brand one and it's really good!

I also did this sort of strip across the edge which I learned is called a "river" as Nic @bindsbymunchkin called it. The side near the spine though, looked asymmetrically empty, so I added the foiling. And as this is an anthology, the punctuations was a design choice to convey the start and end and pauses in-between stories (and mostly because they just look fancy lol).

Like my last bind, the edges are gold which is comprised of an undercoat of diluted dark gray Sakura acrylic paint and many layers of Liquitex iridescent gold acrylic ink.

Endbands are made with alternating colors of cream, gray, and gold DMC cotton threads, however I'm learning I don't very much like how sewn endbands look on small flatbacks.

The endpapers are my fave. I had already tipped in plain cream cardstock but then I was like: this book needs MARBLED PAPER! so I ripped off the one I had stuck and replaced it. It's actually not real marbled paper HAHA. I sourced it from this site, printed it on some heavy paper, and oh my god I believe the universe really meant for me to find this pattern because it coincidentally matched the colors of the endbands!!

On The Typeset

I wanted to keep things cohesive but also give each story its own character. Libre Baskerville was a lovely typeface to do that on.

From left to right: Les Pelerins, I'm Never Lonely When I'm With You, On The Virtues of Inexhaustible Burning

For Les Pelerins, I wanted to mimic the silhouette of the establishments in Montmartre, hence the varying heights of the letters. If I wasn’t on a time crunch, I would’ve spent more time editing the headers but alas this is what we get. INLWIWY is more straightforward– a pinecone, which was a recurring theme in the story. And I think OTVOIB is my favorite. I drew tiny gold cracks onto the coal rock which is a significant element in the story. It still gives me that stomach flip whenever I reread it (iykyk).

[chehukyu]

“doctor- i think… yeah, there’s a sponsor gift coming towards us! should i go get it?”

“well i hardly think ignoring a potential boon is a good way to stay alive in this hellhole, imbecile. of course you should go get it!”

“right away, sir!”

…..

“it’s… it’s chocolate.”

“and in a heart shaped box, at that. it appears you have an admirer, sycophant.”

“i- what? me? what makes you say that?!”

“well, i hardly think my winning personality and social skills have seduced anyone watching, and you’re…. conventionally attractive, so to speak- so it’s not an unfounded explanation!”

“i- i just don’t think someone would spend all that money to send me chocolate and not- i dunno- anything more helpful?”

“sugar is a natural energy booster, stone. and any food is better than no food. now, as for the real gift- start breaking that casing apart! those idiots finally sent us something i can use! metal containers for such simple items? they’re practically begging for someone to take advantage of it!”

“oh! that’s brilliant, doctor!”

“of course it is, you snivelling sycophant! get that thing open!”

“right away sir! feel free to help yourself to the chocolates, i don’t have the biggest sweet tooth.”

“i would’ve done so anyways, but your permission is noted.”

—🥚🪨—

“doctor? you’ve been… awfully quiet over there. are the chocolates not to your liking?”

“what? no! i’m just- thinking. something i doubt you’ve ever been able to accomplish!”

“you’re… a little red, sir. are you allergic to something in them?? how’s your breathing?!”

“i’m FINE, dammit stone! go- get some firewood or something! leave me be!”

“i… if you’re sure..”

“i am. leave.”

“yes, doctor. call if you need me, i wont be far...”

“you never are, sycophant, i am well aware of your guard dog tendencies. shoo.”

—🥚🪨—

as soon as stone was out of his field of vision, robotnik turned and looked back over at the small slip of cardstock paper that had been inside the box of chocolates. in neatly typed letters, standing boldly against white background, were the words currently slamming around in his brain and inhibiting every useful function.

‘kiss him!’

he needed to get them out of here, and fast. he wasn’t sure how much longer he could stand being watched by mindless buffoons.

…especially when the back of his neck burns hot and undoubtedly a bright red whenever he looks at the card in front of him. what the hell is he supposed to do now that this specific door has been unceremoniously flung open and brought to his attention?

clearly, he just needs to shove everything back behind that door and lock it up, if not forever then at least until they’re out of the damn arena. it’s easier to think about getting them out of here alive than it is to suddenly reanalyse all of his (eugh) feelings towards stone.

[ineffablefool]

Signatures punched! Now it is back in the Squish Machine until tomorrow.

This was a lot harder than I expected it to be. The awl really didn't want to go through my fancy paper (it's still only 104gsm! I am not using cardstock here!), so I ended up using my punch template just to poke little marker holes, then went back and carefully twist-shoved the awl through each of those. Also, I had a half-second there of *real* confusion on how the heck I was supposed to juggle everything, only to realize... ah. Yes. I was set up like I'd seen the DAS Bookbinding guy do it. And he is right-handed. And I am not.

So I flipped the template over and moved things around and then it made much more sense.

The all-purpose thread Did Not do the trick in my testing, but fortunately I also have eight-year-old white jeans topstitching thread, and that behaved acceptably on the test signatures. I don't have linen or cotton tape but I do have eight-year-old grosgrain ribbon. When it comes time to use mull on the spine, I will instead be using some eight-year-old plain beige cotton fabric that I bought at the Schaumburg IKEA. (Can you tell I had a sewing phase eight years ago? Never finished a single damn thing though. The whole point was that I wanted clothes that actually fit me, but I couldn't get my head around the physics needed to reshape the patterns.)

I lightly stabbed myself with the awl at one point, and didn't realize it had broken the skin until I noticed a tiny red smudge on one page. I'm not reprinting it, though. Building a computer takes a lil blood sacrifice to really work right. Maybe bookbinding is like that too!

[aerodaltonimperial]

Hook trying to find the perfect Valentine's gift.

(Okay I think soft girl time is over after this LMAO don't choke on how sugary it is)

He is not good at this. He just isn't built for it; it doesn't come naturally, nor easily, and thinking too hard about it manages to summon an embarrassment that heats the sides of his neck. And he would absolutely have fled already if Anthony hadn't been his ride, if there were any other options besides waiting awkwardly in the aisle overfull with pink and red, with hearts and streamers, with balloons and bears with inane sentiments stamped across them.

Wow, he is really, really not good at this.

"Yo," Dante says, holding up a card that looks just like a hundred others, the same nauseating color of magenta. "Heartfelt or funny?"

"Heartfelt," Anthony says. "Always go for the heart."

Dante looks at Hook next, and oh, he expects an answer. Shit. He wants an answer?

"Uh," Hook tries, tongue fumbling behind his teeth. "Same?"

"Okay," Dante says, and nods, like he's satisfied. "Maybe like a poem or something."

Hook cannot think of anything less romantic than a greeting card poem typed up on a piece of cardstock marked 300% higher than it should be, but Anthony makes a noise of affirmation. "Always a good move."

Is it? Is this something people really do? Like, not to laugh at, but legitimately because they think it's nice? Or, worse, that it's expected?

Shit. Shit, is this expected?

His palms are getting sweaty the longer he stands in the aisle that's exploded in glitter and manifestations of what people think love is, a representation that Hook has never understood. He can't find words on a good day; how is he supposed to be able to find the right ones on a card while under pressure? Nothing is ever going to actually hit close enough to mean anything: thanks for putting up with me even though I don't ever say the things you probably deserve to hear?

Shit. He's starting to panic. Anthony and Dante are both pulling cards out and reading them, putting them back and reaching for more, and Hook eyes the door longingly. He can't do this. He really, really can't do this.

Anthony seems to finally notice his discomfort. "Yo. Hook. Y'okay?"

Hook nods once, and hopes it's convincing. The two figure out what they want to buy and start towards the registers, and the further they get away from the ticking Valentine's time bomb, the better. Hook's nausea doesn't dissipate until after they've paid and are heading back to the rental car.

He slides into the back without fuss, mostly just so he can tug his phone free and open up the message thread. He shakes a little as he writes, do I need to give you something for Valentine's Day?

It takes a minute for the response to come through: It is a very strange holiday, isn't it? No real connection to anything. Humans are fond of spending money on each other.

but do I need to? Hook replies. I don't know how to do this.

No, Danhausen doesn't think so, Hook’s phone displays, and Hook exhales so quickly it burns his throat. Danhausen does not need cards with silly things written on them.

okay, Hook types. And then adds, I would rather just spend time with you.

Really? comes the follow-up. That's fortunate, because all Danhausen wants is to see Hook, too.

Hook grins, biting down on his lower lip. He's glad he doesn't need to worry himself sick over finding a card that somehow manages to be sentimental without cheesy, meaningful without specific.

He might not have very many words, and most of them might get stuck before he can force them out, but he knows the ones that really matter. When he finally sees Danhausen a few hours later, backstage, he grabs his wrist and tugs him into one of the dark hallways before throwing his arms around Danhausen’s shoulders.

"Hey," he whispers, tangling his fingers in the back of Danhausen’s hair.

"Hey," Danhausen responds, with a low note of surprise. He sounds pleased.

Hook sucks in a deep breath. "I love you, you know?"

"Ah," Danhausen says, and laughs. His arms, a mirror of Hook’s own, tighten. "This is about your question from earlier."

"No, this is about you," Hook tells him.

"Well, in that case, Danhausen loves Hook, too. But Hook already knew that."

Hook did, but there's something about hearing it that helps the concept settle down into his bones, becoming part of him. And maybe that's the whole point of the smarmy cards and overpriced bouquets, at the heart of things.

Still. He'd rather just be like this, wrapped around each other for long enough that the endorphins are triggered in his brain, flooding his limbs with warmth.

"Mm," Danhausen says. His palm flattens against the nape of Hook’s neck. "Hook is Danhausen’s favorite person."

"Ditto," Hook says, and laughs when Danhausen pinches his skin.

[broodhollowan]

Broodhollow Posters

Poster 1 Description:

"Zane, Iris, Dr. Angstrom and the Bottlefly Boys all make their appearance on this sturdy cardstock print. Are they posing for a photo, or is this a real-life still from one of their investigations? Another Broodhollow mystery!"

Poster 2 Description:

"This print of a rare vintage Encyclopedia Atlantica ad will add a little class (and sadness and the demise of print media) to any room. It's also the first and last print ad Wadsworth Zane got to appear in -- it was his reward for being salesman of the month (the month before the stock market crash of 1929)."

Poster 3 Description:

"This local print ad from the early 1930s extolled the virtues of switchwater, a regional beverage that circumvented Prohibition. The copy also hints at the traditional process for making switchwater, now lost to time."

Poster 4 Description:

"Travel posters were very popular in the 1920s and 1930s, and the town of Broodhollow wasn't immune to trying to reach out to tourists, in various ways. Bold in red and black, this sturdy print lends a sinister grace to any wall. Be glad it's not a window! Or is it?"

[downatfraggleblog]

Happy St. Valentine’s, Fraggle Rock!

Hello Silly Creatures! Since today is a minor holiday and there’s no better way to spend it, I wanna show you some Fraggle Rock Valentine’s cards!

These little cards are from 1984, and feature some delightfully off-model Fraggles (As you’ll see, this is a trend with most Fraggle Rock merch, although I find it quite endearing- especially here! They are so round!). My favorite personally is Wembley and Junior, especially thanks to the wordplay on the back, a necessity for any good Valentine’s card. Red is a close runner up, though, for how she is drawn here :]

And here we have a special Valentine’s postcard from everybody’s favorite explorer, Traveling Matt! This card is from 1986, and is much bigger than the mini-Valentine’s two years prior. It even folds open to reveal an actual postcard from the Fraggle himself, which reads as follows:

Dear Nephew Gobo,

You should see the way these Silly Creatures act. You would think they had never seen a radish before! All day long they have been carrying around these strange-looking radishes and giving them to their friends and saying "Happy Vallen Time". Weird!

 Love, Your Uncle Traveling Matt

 P.S. they don't taste too good either.

P.P.S. Happy " Vallen Time " to you too, whatever that means!

(Only Uncle Matt could mistake a pink cardstock heart for a radish, then again, he’s the only Fraggle I know of who’s seen a cardstock heart!)

That’s all I’ve got for this Valentine’s Day! I hope you can enjoy the holiday whether you’re together or alone. See you all real soon~

(Maybe next year I’ll go over some popular Fraggle ships? Who knows…)

[laws-yellow-submarine]

Hiya, glad to hear things are calming down! :D For the questions: 6, 7, 19, and 48!

Omg I literally sat down to answer this like 3 times and kept getting distracted, my ADHD is so bad this week lmao but thank you things are going really well 🥺

6: What do you use to keep your place when you’re reading a book?

I grabbed so many paper bookmarks from my last job over the year that I worked there lol they were just ones we printed ourselves on cardstock but every time I bought a new book (or 12) I would grab like 3 bookmarks so now they're scattered all over my boxes of books lol I also have a cool metal bookmark my previous boss gave me! It's a feather on one end (sorta looks like a hook) and dangling from the other end is a sun and moon pendant. It's really nice so I've been using that now that I'm not worried about losing it lol

7: What color dominates your closet?

Hmm...either black or red I think. Actually probably black just because it goes with anything, I do love picking out the most obnoxiously colored outfits though lol at all times I strive to look like a paint palette threw up on me

19: What’s your favorite Halloween costume from when you were a kid?

Hmm I had this witchy costume in 4th grade that I adored - it had this thin gauzy coat/cloak thing with sparkly purple spiderwebs all over it, and the sleeves draped from the elbows. It was my first instance of feeling like a real witch, and it solidified a lasting love of fancy drape-y sleeves (I don't know fashion enough to know what you would call it, but they are my favorite style of sleeve lol)

48: Do you have a favorite plate or bowl?

All my plates and bowls are brand new and part of the same set so as of right now, no, but I DO have favorite cups and they are the Burger King exclusive light up promotional Fellowship of the Ring glasses lol I had the Arwen glass growing up, it mysteriously disappeared from my dad's years ago when I moved out (I didn't take it with me but it's not there anymore), and when I moved into my new place one of the first things I did was order the full set so I replaced the one I lost plus got 3 I never had 😁 now when I have guests I can break out the fancy cups (sadly the light up parts were...gross lol so they went in the trash, but the glasses themselves are perfectly usable!)

[arctic-hands]

A few people have asked me about my SillyPunk vest that I put that patch on yesterday. I don't have any recent photos of me wearing it because my apartment hasn't had hot water for like three weeks and sponge bathing with cold water has left my hair a wreck, but here's the front as it is on the back of my computer chair. The whole vest can be seen here in the post where I bought it (image also captioned)

[Image Description: a tan suede (unsure of real or faux) vest with goldish flowery embroidery holding it together. The buttons are likewise goldish embroidery, as well as the button holes. There is netting as the bottom in the same goldish thred. The vest is covered in buttons and pins. There is some unintentional lens flare coming up the top of the vest, from a TV in the background. End I.D.]

[Image Description: on the right shoulder is a small enamel pin of the Progress Pride flag (horizontal stripes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, with a right-pointing triangle composing of black and brown stripes, followed by stripes of the trans pride flag (blue, pink, and white). The pin is facing triangle-down, as if a military rank. End I.D.]

A lil Chevron to show my allegiance

[Image Description: on the right breast of the vest, a pin button that has the trans flag on it, with the words "trans men are men" on it, with the smaller words "Baltimore Transgender Alliance" up top. Beneath that pin and to the right is a tarnished-looking metal brooch of the Sock an Buskin (the Greek theater comedy/drama masks, one mask laughing manically and the other one weeping). End I.D.]

The trans closet was out of "Trans Women Are Women" pins when I was there last. I'll get one eventually. Also, a lil bipolar rep.

[Image Description: slightly lower, a pin made of a black, circular sticker that says "End Covid I Got Vaccinated" with the outline of a needle and syringe and a checkmark. Thee sticker is coated in something glossy, and is affixed by a safety pin. Also affixed by a safety pin to the left is a weird, flat key with no teeth. End I.D.]

That's the sticker Maryland gave out with the first round of vaccinations. I wanted to keep it for posterity, so I stuck it to some cardstock, sealed it all with Mod Podge, went over the image part with some Mod Podge Dimensional Magic, and then stuck a safety pin on with some strong duct tape. The key is something I found on the top of my door frame in my old place. I just noticed something shiny on the corner of the door frame, reached up, and found it. Neither tumblr nor reddit could figure out what it was a key to. Mine now.

[Image Description: further down, an enamel pin in the shape of a painter's palette, with paintbrushes in the hole. The palette says "study art" and in a box beneath it it says "for fun or fame". End I.D.]

A pin by John Waters that I got from the Baltimore Museum of Art last time I was there.

[Image Description: above the right abdomen, roughly where it would rest over the ileum, is a gold-colored brooch of the small and large intestines. The small intestine is studded with tiny faux diamonds. End I.D.]

I saw this pin online like two years ago and new I MUST have it for Crohn's-punk reasons, and then a few months ago I found it on walmarts site when I had a giftcard to blow.

[Image Description: at the bottom, a lil metal octopus affixed by a safety pin through the loop made by one of the tentacles. End I.D.]

A lil gift from a friend 🥰

[Image Description: beneath the last two pins, showing off the bottom of the vest. In addition to the netting at the bottom, there is also a panel cut out of the lower side of the vest an filled in with that netting. Dangling from the edge of of the netting like a punk pocket chain is a string of small black rocks, affixed at both ends by safety pins. End I.D.]

Found strings of volcanic rocks on the site Unclaimed Baggage (where they sell lost luggage that hasn't been claimed after a long period of time). No idea where it was sourced from, hope it's not Hawai'i, don't need that kind of karma.

We can only do ten images a post right? I'm gonna run out soon so I'll immediately reblog with the left side.

[trapny]

Story time with trapny

At my elementary school, they had every fourth grade class do a "wax museum" where we'd all study different people and write up an informative essay from their perspective. Then, at the end of the unit, we'd do a presentation day where we'd dress up as the person we studied and pretend to be wax figures in the gym. We'd have "buttons" (pieces of cardstock with red circles on them) in front of us and when someone stepped on the button we'd give our essay in character.

You might see where this is going, but I chose kellogg. This was because I had no real attachment to any historical figures, and I decided to just go with the cereal guy.

Knowing what I know now, I'm a little bit shocked that they'd let me choose kellogg. I'm pretty sure they gave us very specific sites to do our research, but if they had just turned us loose on the internet to do our research, then I would probably have had some very uncomfortable questions for the teacher.

Among puritan Christians in the 1840s, many believed that material disease was due to material sin. You do bad things and you get sick.

This eventually morphed into the idea that spiritual disease is therefore caused by spiritual sin. I.e. you think bad things, you go insane.

John Harvey Kellogg was an innovator. He sort of blended the two, popularizing a new category; the physiological sin. Eating unhealthy, disrupting the natural balance of the body, is a sin against the natural order of the body as God ordained it, and he punishes us with chronic illness.