#so it will be good for me to flex some creative muscles that might not be used as often in my illus work

[blazingstar29]

Top Gun Workouts - Slider

Everyone’s favourite [living] RIO

Disclaimer: I’m not a PT. In this series i break down characters muscle composition and how i think they’d exercise, if this may trigger you feel free to enjoy my other general shit posting!

Find the rest of the series under #top gun workouts :) So far there’s Mav and Ice

Slider is is also very interesting in his muscular make up. He’s tall, about 6’2 (?) and this DOES matter but not how you think and it’s something I’ll get into in more detail with Goose. Also keep in mind a lot of shirtless photos of Slider are during the volleyball scene so the actors will be in peak physique and probably have done some exercise before shooting to give themselves a ‘pump’.

I know forearms are a big deal for some of y’all and you’re right to be obsessed with them. Hold out out your arm in front of you as if you’re reaching for something. Does your for arm flex like Slider’s? Some might, some won’t. But for the hollow above the inside of your elbow to appear at the same time as the muscle at the top of your forearm (the sort facing the ceiling) that’s actually very impressive. It’s a combination of low body fat and muscle.

Sir, put them pits away. It’s pretty blurry but the concave of the arm pit, huge lateral bulge, front deltoid and shoulder are flexed here but even so, that doesn’t appear by itself.

Slider’s got a low body fat. Flexed on the left and relaxed on the right you can see his muscling pretty clear. Like with Maverick, we see those obliques. Unlike Mav, Slider’s got a slightly narrower waist. And those boulder shoulders are ginormous, well done Rick. His traps aren’t super big which makes sense when we look at his legs in a minute.

Everyone say thank you Rick for the effort he put in flying into sand and those arms. Full, well defined shoulders, good biceps and impeccable triceps. Yes flexed, no less impressive. Rick knows what hes doing in the gym. In the bottom photo you see those lats and scapular being flexed which shows us the muscle composition nicely. But like everyone, there’s thing that he didn’t focus on as much.

Slider please work on your legs. I’m kidding but it’s interesting to see that he’s got lean legs but next to know muscling. I have a theory for this but it’s more applicable to Goose so I’ll go into detail there with him. Something I’m noticing about the cast is that they don’t have huge chests. Like, these dudes are pretty built but they’re chests aren’t. Especially if you take a look at these guys either side of Goose.

Probably the typical 80’s lads. Beefier and more built chests. Perhaps there was a focus for the cast to have big stereotypical dude arms? I feel mean calling picking a part their lack of muscling in some areas but there is very few pectoral muscles on stand out in the cast. Hollywood and Ice perhaps being the only ones. Maybe a creative choice for the cast to focus on the ‘hotter’ parts of their body but also may have been a fitness trend in then80’s?

I hate to say it but the tag “Ron Slider Kener’s tits” isn’t…I’m sorry guys but these are not certified jugs im SORRY (I’m kidding, use that tag it’s hilarious and i love it)

Now onto what sort of exercise Slider would do? I have some ideas and a lot of them are built around this.

Slider you are a show OFF. This is a body building pose if I’m not mistake. He’s doing the vacuum stomach to flex his abs and angling his arms to show them off. Body building is time consuming and requires a certain diet so I don’t think Slider would be purposefully training whilst, I think he may have dabbled in it during College where he had a bit more freedom. Regardless he puts a lot into his physique.

Further more:

That’s an ankle wrap, now this might just be ankle support for beach volleyball but let me tell you something. If you’ve sprained your ankle badly, and I mean badly, that shit fucks you up for life if you don’t rehab it right. Now again, this may just be for support because both Ice and Slider have the same wrap on the same foot, but taking into account Slider’s lack of muscle on his legs, there’s a potential injury there. Which if you ever need to shunt Slider away out of a story, it’s a good option lmao (guilty as charged.)

If he’s not deadlifting then that may contribute to not having huge trapezoids. For how built his shoulders are I expected them to be bigger. I understood with Ice because his overall physique is just different but Slider confuses me.

Okay, now the actual exercises:

Back, bi’s and tri’s BABY. Over and over and over. They are his pride and joy.

Wide grip bicep barbell curls, hammer curls, arnold press, lateral raises. Tricep dips, tricep cable extensions. Anything and everything.

Rowing, either on the water or on a rowing machine. It takes the weight off his ankle. Potentially cycling too but he’d likely have bigger calves.

[seafoamstatice]

Some season 4 thoughts!

Not gonna lie, while I really liked a lot of the character moments, twists, and jokes from this season but some parts of the plot... didn't really make sense to me.

Something interesting to me is that in every season but this one, it's always established 1) why the police can't be trusted to investigate the murder and 2) why Charles, Oliver, and Mabel are making a podcast about it. It's used as set up for why the audience should root for them. In season 1, the police think its a suicide so the close the case. Oliver needs the money from the podcast, Charles is lonely, and Mabel has a personal stake in the mystery. In season 2, the police think its the trio. They make the podcast to prove to the public that they're innocent so they can move on with their lives. In season 3, the police arrest the wrong guy and close the case. Mabel drops the first episode to exonerate the guy and get him out of jail. In this season, its specifically stated that the feds are investigating, and while the trio has a reason to look into what happened, they don't have a reason to record and release a podcast about it (other than force of habit). In fact they have good reason not to do that: their first theory is that it was a case of mistaken identity and Charles was the intended target. If they think the danger isn't over, it would be ridiculously irresponsible to tell the public (and potentially the killer) where they are in the case.

Charles' and Oliver's story arcs were great! I especially liked Charles learning to open up about his feelings, and coming to terms with Sazz's death, it was really sad yet heartwarming. But! Mabel's arc is kind of baffling to me. I was really glad to see season 4 set up her developing her career, but it kind of felt like it petered out at the end? What was the point of setting up Animal Jobs and Mabel feeling bad about using Howard like a disposable lackey if they were going to go on to forget about the whole thing and treat Howard the exact same way? Mabel learned to see herself as a podcast producer, she flexed her creative muscles and started drawing again, but at the end of the season, she says that she doesn't belong in the entertainment industry??? She was inspired to make something of herself using her life rights money but the story she pitched to Bev Melon at the end of ep 10 is very clearly just season 4 of the omitb podcast- something she already had the means to do! (I will say, Bev's second phone call implies that this storyline may not be over, so I'm fully prepared to eat these words after season 5)

The trio's danger handling skills are so weird? When they realize someone is watching them they rush out of the Arconia in a panic. Some people call them out for not noticing loose ends. They come back to confront the supposed culprits and find out actually, they weren't responsible for the cameras at all. And so, still not knowing who it was and whether its safe to do so, they fully drop the issue and go right back on to live there? (This plot line might also be brought up again, so idk, if they can come up with a good explanation for why they did this, then fine)

I think it's super fun that Sazz was investigating things all on her own. It reminds me of that joke from season one where Jan complains that the trio trust Sazz, who randomly showed up, to investigate, but not Jan herself, who was Charles' girlfriend and Oliver says something like "Sazz is a stunt double, so I think she knows what she's talking about!" But I think it's so out of left field that Sazz is a really good screenwriter. Sazz is an extremely successful stunt double who comes from a family of stunt doubles and dreams of opening a school for young stunt doubles. Why is she writing rpf so good that on her first try it's blockbuster-movie-with-famous-celebrities worthy? It feels kind of unfair to the audience... If random characters can secretly be insanely skilled at random things that don't fit their previous characterization, then how could anyone ever guess motives for murders or any given character's capabilities?

Same with Marshall/Rex's skillset. He's introduced as a nerdy, anxious writer, but it turns out he's also a prodigy marksman who angsts about whether or not he's a violent person and secret former stuntman who's great at parkour? Ok?

I don't wanna nitpick plot holes, but I think it doesn't make sense for Marshall to kill Glen? The day Sazz confronts Marshall is the day before the opening night party, and she says then that they are the only two who know the script was stolen, meaning while Glen knew about the ronkonkoma incident, he would likely have no clue about Marshall stealing the script. In the omitb universe, coincidences like 'a group of people conspiring to cover up a death happen to know the trio's movie's directors, and also happen to live right across from Charles' are seen as reasonable. Sudden drastic career changes like genius stunt double to genius first time (!!) scriptwriter are seen as reasonable. So even if Glen did end up recognizing Marshall as Rex, it wouldn't tie him to the murder, it would just be a fun coincidence. It's possible Marshall just panicked, but that would be strange because he was very calm when the trio chased him and interrogated him. He managed to pretend that he was relieved they were asking him about the murder and not the rewrites! I'm not sure if I'm missing something here, but...

Admittedly I don't know much about trash incinerators, but from what I can tell, Gravey leads the gang to a chute that leads to the incinerator and then they go down to the basement to check what's in it. If Marshall put Sazz's body in the chute, why did he need to bring the vest? Do you have to wear flame resistant clothing just to turn on an incinerator?

Helga says that Sazz said her protege messed up badly and started harassing her. But in the flashback we see that they remained friends post stuntman career. Marshall tricked Sazz into giving him the script and she confronted him right before going to New York, meaning that their relationship was only antagonistic on both sides for like a day. So Marshall was harassing Sazz for at most one day. When did Sazz talk to Helga?

Are the westies... gonna be ok? Since the police know dudenoff is dead they can't really keep the rent control scheme going on, can they?

Ok this last one is really stupid but is the omitb movie just gonna go with Sazz's original screenplay? Didn't it need a bunch of rewrites lol?

All in all, I still really did like the season. It was a super fun watch, with exciting twists and the comedy and acting were still great! And who knows, maybe they'll revisit some of this stuff in future seasons! I'm already looking forward to season 5. I'm actually surprised they picked Lester, poor guy! I was thinking it would probably be someone new so they didn't lose too much of the supporting cast too quickly. The new character, Sofia, looks super cool, and I'm excited to see Olimabel (the Charles is silent) take on organized crime after dealing with four cases that were all about interpersonal drama. And I'm definitely excited for a mystery that seems very much tied to the Arconia.

[in-death-we-fall]

Scar Tissue

Scar the Martyr marks Joey Jordison’s first new music since the death of his Slipknot songwriting partner, Paul Gray. It’s helped heal his wounds and got him excited for the future…

Words: Paul Travers Photo: Paul Harries (drive link)

Joey Jordison and Paul Gray were in many ways the beating, bloody heart right at the centre of Slipknot. They were both in there from the start. They named the band. They were also the core writing team. Joey once said that when he was writing, he’d always just know where a Paul idea would fit just right. When the bassist died in May 2010, Joey lost an important piece of his musical puzzle.

Some of Slipknot’s scars have healed, through their live shows, including an incredible headline slot at this year’s Download. But now, Joey is finally flexing his creative muscles again, with Scar The Martyr. It’s not the new Slipknot album, but their self-titled debut is the first new music the drummer has written since the death of his best friend and songwriting partner. For Joey, though, Paul Gray’s influence still permeates everything he does.

“It’s always going to be difficult,” he sighs. “It will never not be hard to write without him, because he was my partner and my best friend. But there’s a huge part of Paul in me. I know what he’s thinking, I know when he’s upset, I know when he’s happy; I can read his emotions. This might sound weird to people, but I still talk to paul. He still talks to me and it’s spooky. He might not be here in the flesh, but he’s still here in the spirit. When I get stuck I go, ‘What would you do now?’ and he tells me. He helps me when I get stuck.”

That songwriting partnership might still survive in an ethereal fashion, but Scar The Martyr is a very different beast to Slipknot. The album is dense and dark, taking in post-punk atmospherics and tempering its noise-flecked industrial clatter with vibrant melodies and surging synths.

“Do I think it will surprise people?” Joey muses. “Perhaps not so much as other things I’ve done. When I put out the Murderdolls record (2002’s Beyond The Valley Of The Murderdolls), that was a completely left-field move from what I was known for. But for the record I do think that Slipknot fans will totally dig this album.”

That is good. Because the seeds for Scar The Martyr were sown when Joey began the painful process of trying to pick up writing for Slipknot’s long-awaited fifth album.

“I went into the studio and wrote a load of songs for Slipknot. A load of songs,” he says. “I wrote about 30 songs and the stems of another 20, so that’s 50 songs. But when I realised Slipknot wasn’t going to be happening for a while I stayed in the studio and started this.”

Hang on, 50 Slipknot songs? How come this isn’t going on the new record, then?

“The timing just wasn’t right,” admits Joey. “We have to all be on the same page at the same time, but I still have those songs ready for the new Slipknot album. Once we get together we’ll tear them to pieces and see what works.”

So you’re saying the album’s written?

“We might use one song or we might use all of ‘em. I don’t know what the fuck we’ll do.”

Okay. So did Scar The Martyr allow you to make an album without the pressure that the new Slipknot record would?

“There is less pressure,” says Joey. “There are no expectations, so yeah, it’s a lot easier. But I’m not sitting in there just jacking off. This band is now a part of me, just like Slipknot is.”

With the music written, Joey assembled an impressive bunch of ex-men, with Jed Simon (ex-Strapping Young Lad) and Kris Norris (ex-Darkest Hour) on guitars, and Chris Vrenna (ex-Nine Inch Nails) on keyboards. Joey handled drums and bass himself and recruited a largely unknown vocalist, Henry Derek.

“I did want a vocalist that no-one would know,” Joey explains. “Someone put me in touch with Henry and I sent him four songs. When he returned them, I was blown away – he was totally who I was looking for.”

Henry was given free reign on the lyrics. As a consequence, Joey isn’t willing to discuss the themes on the album. The drummer does, however, reveal that much of the turmoil and anguish of the past three years has been channelled into this new project.

“It’s different from anything I’ve ever done and I think you can tell the emotion in the music,” he nods. “I was in a really different place when I was writing this stuff. It’s not just anger, although there is some in there. There’s reflection, beauty – all kinds of different moods.”

And how is Joey Jordison feeling right now?

“I’m ecstatic,” he beams. “I’m really excited. Whatever happens in the long-term isn’t the focus right now, but we’re going to be around for a while.”

That’s good news in one respect, but where it leaves Slipknot’s immediate future is still unclear.

“I can’t tell you an exact timeline,” Joey shrugs. “Stone Sour’s still out [on tour] and I’ve got this record, but [Slipknot] are still playing shows to keep in touch with our fans. It’s just a matter of waiting until it feels right for Slipknot to get back in there.”

What do you think it’ll be like when that happens?

“Whenever it is, it’s gonna be the perfect time, because we’ve never had this much material, ever,” enthuses the drummer. “I just got three song ideas the other day from Corey [Taylor], and they’re fucking awesome. Corey’s primarily been a lyricist in the band, and it’s cool to see someone who doesn’t normally write the music getting so excited about making Slipknot’s next record.”

So Slipknot is still for the future. But for now, Joey has Scar The Martyr to immerse himself in. You get the feeling that somewhere out there, his songwriting partner and best friend would approve.

Scar The Martyr’s self-titled album is out on September 30 via Roadrunner

We’ve seen it live!

Joey unveiled his new band in New York on August 10. We got the first look! Review: Hardeep Phull Live photo: Shaun Regan

It only takes a few songs of Scar The Martyr’s first headline show to realise that Joey Jordison is not trying to create Slipknot Mk II. Instead, the band are attempting to carve out a sound that has more in common with industrial pioneers like Ministry and Killing Joke through songs such as Never Forgive Never Forget.

Although the broader scope and ambition is impressive, it’s the traditionally heavier songs that Scar The Martyr perform more confidently. With it’s (sic) siren-like opening riff and relentless pace, the first single Blood Host is already a crowd-pleaser, if only because it’s the only song anyone has heard to date, while the crushingly heavy finale of Last Night On Earth is where the band give a tantalising glimpse of how good they could turn out to be.

So, with Slipknot still on hold, this is Joey’s main bag for a bit. Us maggots can wait a little longer, as Scar The Martyr are a brilliant distraction.

[drabbles-mc]

Appointment Only

Tattoo Artist!JJ x F!Reader

Moodboard and Fic created for @the-slumberparty Across the Universe Challenge: choose any AU for any character

Warnings: mentions of drugs, language

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: I haven't written AU's like this for characters in years but this was actually super fun to write! It was nice to do something a little different with JJ, age him up a bit and give him his own life. I just want all of the good and fun things for him. Plus I think the idea of him with a bunch of tattoos is just 💯

OBX Taglist: @garbinge @passionatewrites (If you want to be added to any of my taglists, please let me know!)

JJ unlocked the front door of his shop, reaching above his head as he walked through, slapping the top of the doorframe. He whistled as he walked through the small shop, twirling his keyring around his finger. He flipped on the lights as he went, illuminating the walls covered in flash and other artwork by him and the two other people who tattooed in the shop with him.

He didn’t have any appointments booked until the afternoon, but a few days out of the week and if he was feeling motivated, he’d go in and open up the shop a couple hours early in case any walk-ins came along with something he could crank out before his appointments for the day. There would usually be a tour-on or two looking for simple things that he could take care of quickly. Nothing that really flexed his creative muscles, but money was money and he had no problem taking it from rich tour-ons.

Once all the lights were on and he checked that everything was in order, he hooked up the shop phone to the speakers and put some music on. When he was finally happy with the song choice, he went and flipped the “closed” sign to “open”. He also propped the door open. It negated the bells that hung above it, but to him there was no point in being so close to the beach if he couldn’t hear some of the waves when things quieted down.

It wasn’t as though there was a long line of people waiting to come in. Since that was the case, JJ took the opportunity to work on some other designs he’d started. He had a few for specific clients that just needed some finishing touches, but what he really wanted to work on was a fresh idea that had come to him in the middle of the night the night before. He’d thrown a crude sketch of it onto a piece of scrap paper at his house so he wouldn’t lose the gist of it, but he was itching to really start putting it together. He grabbed his tablet that had all of his designs saved to it, plopped down in a chair, and got to work.

He was hunched over his tablet, stylus flying in his hand when he heard someone knock against the open glass front door. Looking up, the furrow of focus in his brow softened almost instantly when he saw you standing there.

You gave an awkward smile and a small wave when he looked at you. Clearing your throat, you said, “Hey, I was, um, I was wondering if anyone here had time for a consult?” You glanced around. “Guess I should just be asking you, huh?” you said with a soft laugh.

He flashed you a smile as he leaned forward, setting his tablet to the side. “Yea, it’s just me right now. Everyone else comes in later.”

You nodded. “Right. Well, then,” you walked closer to him, “do you have time for a consult?”

He was practically beaming as he stood up from his seat. “I think I just might.” He held his hand out for you to shake and that’s when you got a good glimpse of the tattoos going up the entire inside of his arm. “I’m JJ.”

You shook his hand as you gave him your name in return. “Nice to meet you.” You felt like you were supposed to be giving more of an introduction of yourself but you didn’t really know where to start. “I just moved here a few weeks ago, so I’m still getting a lay of the land a bit.”

“Well,” he chuckled as he pulled an extra chair up by his for you to sit in, “welcome to Paradise on Earth.”

You laughed as you sat down across from him. “Thank you.”

“Actually, before we get started…” He motioned for you to wait as he got up from his seat. He walked to the small area that passed for a seating area and grabbed one of the binders from the small table. He handed it over to you. “This is pretty much all of my recent work. You can tell me what you’re thinking for a tattoo, and I’m happy to help ya, but if you don’t like my style there isn’t much of a point, right?”

You laughed, nodding as you opened the binder. “I guess that’s true.”

You paused as you looked at the photos of his work in front of you. Your eyes grew wide as you took them all in. Most of them were nautical-themed, which wasn’t surprising to you given where you were. There were a handful of fun, silly tattoos as well, things you were certain had to be inside hokes to the people who got them.

All the pieces were well done, though. Bright colors, clean lines—it all looked crisp. You looked back and forth between JJ and his body of work. He wasn’t looking at you, instead looking at the page you were on. You drank in the sight of him in his cargo shorts and cut-off shirt, his boots covering some of the tattoos on his legs. Looking at him and his designs right next to each other, it all made sense.

“These are beautiful, JJ,” you finally said.

He smiled shrugging nonchalantly. “I do alright.” He paused. “Thank you, though. Still, you know, wanna talk about what you were planning?”

Your smile stretched side. “Yea, definitely.”

“Alright,” he said with a nod as he grabbed his notebook, “tell me what you’re thinking.”

The two of you sat and talked for a while, mostly about your tattoo but he did get around to asking you a bit about yourself. Any time his eyes weren’t glued to the paper in front of him, he was looking at you. The smirk that would curl the end of his lips as he listened to you talk instantly made your face heat up. You tried your best to stay focused and on track, but it was hard not to get distracted by his bright blue eyes staring back at you. You kept it together enough to ask some questions of your own, which was how you found out he’d spent his whole life in the Outer Banks, him and all of his friends. From the glint in his eyes when he talked about them, you had to assume they were a fun group of people.

Eventually, your conversation began to draw to a close. He set his pen down and looked at you. “I should be able to pull together some basic ideas to send your way, see how you’re feeling about ‘em. If you like one, we can get right to it.”

It almost seemed too simple, but you weren’t upset about it. “That’s great! Thank you so much.”

“No problem.” He paused. “There, uh, there a good way to get in touch with you?”

“Shit,” you said with a laugh. “Yea, let me give you my number.”

He walked with you towards the door, both of you saying goodbye. He promised to be in touch with you sooner rather than later, and you couldn’t even try to hide your excitement at the prospect of it. You told yourself it was just because of the tattoo.

JJ watched for a few seconds as you made your way down the street, lingering for longer than maybe he normally would have or should have. He shook his head at himself as he turned and walking back so he was completely inside the shop. When he went back to his little work area and grabbed his tablet, he suddenly found himself getting attached to a brand new idea, unable to try and focus on anything else as he grabbed the notebook with all the notes he’d taken during your conversation with him. There was a small smile on his face as he got to work.

He stayed up later than he cared to admit over the next few nights working on the design the two of you had discussed. More than a few times he was tempted to reach out and talk to you, show you what he had done so far. But he wanted to make sure that when he showed you his idea, it was good. He was also tempted to reach out and ask more questions, blaming it on needing more information for the design but really just wanting to talk to you more.

Eventually, finally, he had something that he felt comfortable showing you. He checked the time before sending it, wondering if maybe it was too late. But he figured that worst case scenario, you’d just see it when you woke up in the morning.

“First draft- let me know what you think.” He typed it out and attached the picture of the design before sending it off to you.

He set his phone on his nightstand, figuring that he wasn’t going to hear back from you until the following morning. He was just reaching up to turn his bedside lamp off when his phone buzzed against the top of his nightstand. Tilting the screen towards him, he couldn’t hide his surprise at the fact that you’d already gotten back to him.

“I love it!”

He smiled, unlocking his phone and replying to you. The two of you texted back and forth, firming up the final details of what you wanted for the design. You also asked him when he thought he would be able to get you in for an appointment. You would’ve been lying if you tried to say that you weren’t hoping for something as soon as possible. On top of the excitement of getting a new tattoo, you were excited to have a reason to stop in and see him.

“I’ll see you next week!” you texted excitedly when he’d given you a date and time for the appointment.

“Sounds good. See you then” JJ was glad that the excitement on his face couldn’t be seen through a text message.

Over the next couple days, you wondered if it was unprofessional to just text JJ simply because you wanted to talk to him and get to know him better. You knew it probably was, but you still wanted to do it. More times than you would ever admit to anyone else, you went back and reread the short text conversation between the two of you.

By the time your appointment rolled around, it took all you had not to speed-walk down the block to the shop. The door was already propped open when you got there, so you walked right in. Unlike the last time you’d stopped by, it wasn’t just you and JJ this time. The two other artists were in the shop, each of them working on their own clients. The place was filled with music, conversation, and the lull of multiple tattoo machines going at the same time.

“Hey!” JJ piped up from where he was sitting at his work station.

He just had on a plain white t-shirt on with a pair of shorts and his boots, but it still made your brain go totally blank for a moment. You watched him as he stood up and walked over to you, greeting you again before you finally got your brain to cooperate so you could return the favor.

“So,” he walked with you to the table where you’d be laying while he worked, “you ready to get to work?”

You laughed as you nodded, setting your bag on the floor. “Yea, but I mean I guess I should be the one asking you that, right? I just have to lay here while you do all the work.”

The comment got a laugh out of both of you. You watched, twisting your hands in front of you as JJ printed off the stencil to place on your leg. You rolled up the bottom of your shorts so he’d have easier access to the outside of your thigh. Goosebumps broke out over your skin when his fingers grazed along your leg so he could press the stencil on. You wanted to bury your face in your hands at your reaction but he didn’t say anything about it one way or the other, which you were thankful for.

“Here,” he said as he gestured for you to stand in front of the full-length mirror by his station. “How’s that?”

Your entire face lit up as you looked down at your leg, and it was only the stencil. “That’s perfect!” You looked at the thin purple lines that were covering your thigh. “Think we can get it all done today?”

He laughed, shrugging as he helped you hop up onto the table. “If you think you can sit for the whole thing, I can get it all done.”

“If I can sit for it,” you repeated back, your tone just on the joking side of mocking him. “I think I’ll be fine.”

He chuckled at your response, holding his hands up in surrender. “If you say so.”

You managed to find a comfortable position to lay in while he worked that would make it easy for him to do your tattoo, but also make it easy for you to be able to talk to him and watch him while he worked. You kept yourself propped up on your elbows, leaning so that you could see it as he passed the needle over your skin. Every now and then your leg would twitch, but it was never enough to throw him off from what he was doing.

He kept the conversation going with you despite the fact that he hardly ever took his eyes off of his work. You didn’t mind it, taking the opportunity to be able to stare at him without being caught or called out. Each time he laughed or shook his head at something you said, all you wanted to do was reach over and run your fingers through his hair. You didn’t, of course, but you really wanted to.

A few hours into it, he looked over at you and asked if you needed a break. You couldn’t deny that getting up and being able t stretch your legs sounded like nice. JJ held his hand out to help you sit up and get off the table. You hopped down, the leg that he’d been tattooing feeling like it was still mostly asleep and you stumbled a step. His grip on your hand tightened and he allowed you to lean onto him until the tingling in your leg subsided a bit.

Stepping back, you let out a nervous laugh, trying to ignore the way your face felt like it was on fire. “Sorry about that.”

He shrugged, the smirk curling the edge of his mouth making you think that he didn’t mind it in the slightest. “All good.” He nodded towards the mirror. “Go check out the progress.”

You walked over to the mirror and looked at what he had done so far. You were already excited as you had watched him work, but being able to see it all in the mirror increased your excitement tenfold. Your eyes widened and you fought the urge to reach down and run your fingers over it. The skin was still sensitive and he wasn’t anywhere near done yet. All of the outlining was complete though, and he had just started the shading.

You’d been so enthralled with the ink on your leg that you hadn’t noticed the fact that JJ stepped in close behind you, popping up in the mirror and looking just over your shoulder. “Whatcha think?”

You almost stumbled right back into him out of surprise. You chuckled as you met his eyeline through the reflection of the mirror. “I love it!”

He smirked at you as he looked in the mirror. You felt like there was something more that one of you should be saying but neither of you said anything. He lingered closely over your shoulder, and as you took a deep breath you could smell the bodywash and faint scent of weed on him. You gnawed lightly at the inside of your lips as you fought the urge to say or do something stupid.

“Ready to hop back on the table?” he finally asked.

You nodded, turning around so that you were facing him. “Yea, I think I’m good.”

Once you were back on the table, JJ got right back to work. He didn’t say anything for a little while, just focusing on shading in your tattoo, listening to the thrum of the machine in his hand. You watched him contentedly as he worked, something to take your mind off the stinging sensation that was happening as he continued to pass the needles over the same patch of skin.

When JJ adjusted his leg, he brought one foot up and braced it against one of the supports under the table. You looked down, and along with the other tattoos that were winding up his leg, you saw one that didn’t quite look like the others. It looked crude, simple. But he clearly hadn’t covered it up even though he easily could’ve.

“That your first one?” you asked him.

His hand stilled, pulling the machine away from your leg as he looked over at you. Confusion covered his entire face. “What?”

“Your tattoo.” You reached, lightly tapping it with your fingertips. “This one.”

He looked down, a smile spreading across his face as he saw the one you were pointing to. “Yea,” he said with a nod, “that was my first one. Did it myself.”

“Stick and poke?”

He laughed. “You know it.”

“That’s where it all started, then?”

He smiled, shrugging as he got back to work on your leg. “Yea, I guess so. Lucky for you I’ve gotten a lot better since then.”

You hummed in approval. “Lucky for me.”

It was such a relief when JJ did one final swipe over your leg when he was done. He helped you off the table again, letting you get another good look at your tattoo before grabbing the wrap to cover it. You watched intently as he crouched down next to you, deftly wrapping your leg and taping it in place.

You tried not to think too hard about the warmth of his hand against your leg as he secured the wrap around your thigh. You forced yourself not to stare at him, instead looking up at the ceiling above you. A very large part of you was glad that everyone else in the shop was preoccupied so they wouldn’t see the flustered look on your face.

When he stood back up, JJ was nearly chest to chest with you. You let out a quiet huff of a laugh, unable to look him in the eyes. He waited for you to finally look at him in the eyes and the smile that was on his face nearly made your leg give out again.

“You should be all set.”

You nodded, swallowing hard. “Yea, o-okay. Thank, thank you. Seriously,” you looked down at the fresh ink on your leg, “it’s amazing.”

“Looks good on you,” he said, the smirk audible in his voice.

You laughed, biting down on your bottom lip. “Thanks.”

“Anytime.”

You busied yourself with getting the money together to pay him. “As long as I make an appointment, right?” you joked as you handed him the cash.

He shook his head as he took the money from you. “You got my number, right?” He looked up at you from counting the bills in his hand. “Just text me—I’ll make time.”

Just when it felt like your face had finally cooled down it felt like it was on fire all over again. The amount of self-control it took not to giggle was embarrassing and gun to your head you would never admit it. Instead, you nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

The two of you walked over to the door of the shop again, and you found yourself wishing you knew what to say to him. The two of you lingered in the doorway, you picking at the straps of your bag and JJ watching you.

“Anything comes up, or if you have any questions, just text me. Or, you know, drop by,” he said as he leaned against the doorframe.

“Or stop by, huh?” you asked with a small smile. You shook your head slightly as you chuckled. “Thank you, JJ.”

“Yea, no—” he stopped short as you stepped in and gave him a quick hug, recovering quickly as he hugged you back, “no problem.”

Pulling away, you saw the slightly surprised look on his face. “Sorry, sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll, uh,” he reached and brushed his fingers against your arm, “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yea,” you said as you finally stepped outside the shop, “I’ll have my whole leg sleeved up before I know it.”

He chuckled as he watched you start walking down the sidewalk. “Let’s hope!” he called after you.

Turning around, you faced him with a smile on your face, effectively making yourself walk backwards down the sidewalk. “Later, JJ.”

Reaching up, he braced his hands against the top of the doorframe, leaning with a smile. “Later,” he replied, trying to sound much more casual than he really felt as he watched you walk away one more time.

[fandomworld9728]

Lucifer's Magic Outing Him Chapter 5 - Alastor (Deer):

Sitting up in bed, Lucifer stretched out his sore muscles before forcing himself out of bed. Healing Alastor's wounds are he let that Angelic Grace festering for months like an idiot had done a number on him. Though he had to admit, never out loud or around that bastard, he was impressed how long he lasted before he cracked and finally asked for help. He almost died so very stupid, but still impressive.

It was worth it if Lucifer was being honest. Charlie wouldn't have to lose any more friends, he repaid the man for almost dying to protect his daughter, and he got use the grace he pulled out of Alastor's wound to get creative again! Not with rubber ducks this time. No. Using the same power Adam had used to try and kill the sinner was mixed with his own to fix the broken staff.

Not only did it allow him to flex his creative side, but it was also a big fuck you to the first man. Might also be Lucifer apologizing for how shitty he was to the deer demon when they first met. He owed it to Charlie to try and get along with the man and... well she was right about them having things in common. They started to sort of get along. To the point of the small king offering up his first interview in who knows how fucking long on the man's radio broadcast.

It was happening that afternoon, so he had to make sure he was ready for anything that was thrown at him. Looking at himself in his vanity mirror, Lucifer blinked in surprised at what he saw. 

"AAAHHH!"

~

The king was late. Alastor was losing his patience and going to find him. Lucky for him, he'd soon have his answers to what was keeping the small nuisance from the group huddled around his bedroom door.

"Dad stop relocking the door!" 

"Sorry, ducky! But I can't do that! Tell Alastor I can't make it for our interview today please!"

"...You don't think...?" 

"Don't think what, my effeminate fellow?" Looking between the other residents of the hotel as they shared their own looks with one another, Alastor's patience was now paper thin. "What has our dear king locked away in his tower now?"

"Well... Alastor. We think that dad's magic is uh... acting up again?"

"Acting up? The King of Hell can't keep his own magic in check? Pathetic. Step aside, my dear, I will handle this."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Ignoring her, the sinner used his shadows to slip under the door and prepared to give the king a piece of his mind. "Lucifer. Not only are you late but you intended to send your daughter to cancel on me? This interview was your idea-" The words died in his throat at the sight before him.

He had caught Lucifer, in all his naked glory, in the middle of a break down and staring at him. Was it his imagination or were the fallen angel's eyes bigger? Fluffy blonde ears and a small pair of alabaster antlers sat on top of the king's head. Oh. Was that a tail peeking out from behind him? His usual goat hooves were replaced with much smaller deer hooves and the fur on his legs were now much shorter. Almost like a second skin. Some of the fur was a shade or two darker than the rest with some rather interesting markings along with some freckle like dots.

Those darker markings went up not only his legs but his sides too and appeared on his shoulders. Only they had no fur to accompany them. The freckle like dots were there too. Looking like tiny stars. Lucifer was a fucking doe. Alastor wondered if those markings and dots extended to his back as well. He could feel his own tail wagging in delight at the thought.

"N-No no no! You weren't supposed to see this! Get out!"

Faster than Alastor could react, the king had teleport him out of the bedroom and warded the room so he couldn't go back inside. "What. The. Fuck? Lucifer let me in!"

"I knew it! You bitches owe me money!"

< Previous

Next >

[lampmanliveblogs]

We cut to Luz grabbing her Good Witch Azura figurine, and while I did see a few seconds further, I had to go back and pause here because I noticed something.

What’s that on your arm? It’s red like a wound, but that can’t be it, this is the peaceful future. Tattoo?

Luz is packing. I spy with my little eye in this box… at least three books, with the top one being the first The Good Witch Azura, Eda’s old jacket that Luz inherited, the Grom queen crown from Enchanting Grom Fright, the tamagotchi-looking thing Luz and Amity used to communicate, and a scroll of some kind. It might be something from a previous episode, but I can’t place it.

Lots of stuff in this one shot. We’ve got a cute little L+A heart carved into the desk.

On the wall we have a letter saying ACCEPTED! It doesn’t say accepted to where, but the symbol does look like a a Titan’s skull, so that document probably originates from the Demon Realm. Right next to it, we have a note talking about a dorm room and move-in date, meaning Luz is headed off to college or university. When accounting for the backwards way americans write their dates, I can decipher that said move-in date is the 21:st of August. If this takes place four years in the future like I think it then that means this takes place in 2026 and the 21:st of August is a Friday. In case I overshot it, and this actually takes place in 2025, then the 21/08 is a Thursday. This is the kind of riveting analysis you will only find here at Lampman Liveblogs.

Right next to the dorm room note we have a shopping list. Listed are a new laptop, bedsheets, a laundry bin, and an umbrella. All are crossed off, so everything’s take care off. Good to know Luz is on top of things.

On the cork board*, we have a photograph labeled GRADUATION! from Luz’ graduation. I spot Vee there with her. Depending on if they somehow managed to convince the authorities that Vee is actually a real person and a citizen who did not appear from nowhere, then she might’ve graduated at the same time.

(*WHAT DO YOU MEAN ”corkboard” IS NOT A SINGLE WORD!!?!?!!?)

Next to the graduation photograph, we have some kind of diploma. It is just barely visible, but I can spot the word ”scholarship,” so it’s safe to say Luz managed to get her grades up. Also, I’m terrible at reading cursive, but does that signature look like it says ”Dana Terrace” to you? Cute.

We pan up to find more stuff! Turns out Luz and Vee did graduate at the same time, how lovely. My second brother and first sister graduated on the same day as well, which was convenient because that meant we only had to have one party for the both of them. Next up is my second sister, but she hasn’t even started high school yet.

There’s a flag for the Gravesfield Ghouls, which I assume to be some sort of local sports team. Unless the rumors about Gravesfielf being haunted turned out to be true, and this is actually some kind of union flag for the undead population of Gravesfield.

There appears to be some kind of essay or perhaps a short story consisting of several papers which impressed the teacher. I spot a ticket to a comic convention of some kind and a ticket to a movie adaptation of The Good Witch Azura.

We also get a better look at the scholarship, which turns out to be in writing, meaning Luz has been flexing those creative brain muscles of hers. Man, I wish that was me.

Hey, guess what. This is the two-hundredth screenshot! Wowsers! Not as dramatic as the 100:th, but I feel this is appropriate for the 200:th. A look back at happy memories.

Also, we got an even better shot of the scholarship, and I am now convinced that the signature does read Dana Terrace.

We’ve got a couple of photographs I recognize from before. There’s the one of Eda, Luz, and King from Enchanting Grom Fright, there’s the group picture the Emerald Entrails took during Any Sport in a Storm, and there’s Luz and Amity watching a falling star on The Owl House’s roof. I’m pretty sure that one isn’t from ay episode, but I think I’ve seen the picture before… maybe in Willow’s scrapbook in Thanks to Them?

(Future Lampman here: it is from Thanks to Them, but it was used in the little Lumity movie montage Luz made for Camila.)

There’s a bunch of new ones though. In the top left we have… I think I’ve seen that character before, was she the employe at the cafe Vee visited in Yesterday’s Lie? The one that had the sentient rats in the alley? It looks like she came to feed the birds,, but Luz and Amity brought Hooty along to the Human Realm. Funnily enough, Amity looks entertained while Luz looks worried.

(Future Lampman here: It might be the same employee from Robin’s Roast, as she looks nigh-identical, aside from one small detail: her hair color. In Yesterday’s Lie, she’s blonde, but she looks like a brunette in this photo. Though I suppose she could have dyed it.)

It appears that Vee, Luz, and Camila managed to make peace with the giraffes and even got to take a selfie with two of them. Very brave of them.

(hmmm… now I kinda wanna include a scene in the Vee fic I’m working on where she goes to ask the giraffe about the strange things happening in Gravesfield… probably won’t include it, but it would be funny.)

We’ve got Eda introducing Camila to her favorite alcoholic beverage. My headcanon that witches actually have a pretty low alcohol tolerance, and thus appleblood is relatively weak by human standards makes this image even funnier.

There’s a picture of Eda, Hooty, and King playing baseball. Based on the blue skies, this took place in the Human Realm, which is interesting.

I saved the best for last, we’ve got a picture from the another Grom. Look at Hunter. Look at him! Dear heavens boy, did Darius really let you dress like that??? I mean, Willow seems charmed, so no harm done I suppose. And are those glasses I spot, Augustus? Welcome to the club buddy. And of course, let’s not forget my snake daughter Vee. She’s so cute!

[videogames-i-wish-were-real]

Not a question. I just wanted to say that your blog is my favorite thing about Tumblr. It's an absolute gift. Thank you for doing it.

Thank you so much, it really means a lot to hear that.

I've never mentioned this, but the reason why I started this blog was because a while ago I started playing more videogames than usual, and thus (due to how my brain works), I started getting ideas for videogames I would love to play, so at some point I decided to make this blog and start writing them down, mainly for my own amusement, but also for the amusement of whoever found this blog.

Besides getting to flex my creative muscles, writing the VIWWRS also allowed me to discover plenty of new games I never would have found otherwise (do not ask about the size of my wish list oops). However (and I should have realized this a lot sooner), a couple months into running this blog I had the sudden realization that... this is writing. Creative writing? So this whole blog is like a writing exercise? And as someone that has always loved writing but that for many reasons has now been struggling with a huge writer's block for years, this revelation was a pleasant surprise. Writing concept posts about videogames I wish were real might not be the writing exercise I expected to be doing but... it feels good to be able to regularly write something that requires a tiny bit of creativity.

Also during these months I've discovered other blogs that do similar things to this one so if anyone wants their urls let me know.

[vertebrae-entertainment]

05.07.2023 - FAIL FAST

When people get into game development the first bit of advice they get is often a variation of "fail faster". Make small games first, don't jump right into your giant dream game, don't waste time on polishing things to perfection, get your game out as fast as possible, etc. This can feel insulting. Like come on, I'm here because I want to make good games. And you're telling me to aim for mediocrity?

Unfortunately, they have a point.

Most of the breakout indie game hits that seemingly came out of nowhere didn't actually come out of nowhere. Toby Fox made romhacks for Earthbound and music for Homestuck before Undertale, with Undertale itself intended as a smaller first game to get their footing before starting on the more ambitious Deltarune. Notch worked on Wurm Online and multiple gamejam games before Minecraft, which itself was inspired by Zachtronics' Infiniminer. Cactus was known among indie game devs as a prolific award winning game developer before Hotline Miami, and some of his freeware games like Mondo Medicals went viral with youtube letsplayers at the time. And the Hollow Knight team did several game jams together, with the main character's design actually coming from a game jam they did back in 2013. The story about an indie game developer hitting it big with their first game sounds great, but in reality it's rarely if ever true. Like with other artforms, most art is built on years of practice and standing on the shoulders of previous works.

When people recommend starting small some of it is about survival in a capitalist world. -Making games gets expensive, and most games don't even break even. So if you put yourself in debt to make your game you're probably screwed. -Game development takes time, and the industry moves fast. So what seemed like an interesting idea or relevant topic at the start of development might be outdated by the time you're done. -Game development is unpredictable, with many games getting reworked or scrapped in the middle of development. So if you set aside 5 years on a game idea you might find yourself 3 years in with an idea that doesn't work and no backup plan.

But even if you don't care about all that and your primary motivation is the raw artistic quality of your game, there are still reasons to consider it.

Game development is a craft that incorporates a lot of different disciplines on top of being an artform of its own. You'll often flex creative muscles that saw little use before you started with game development, and get used to tools you never used before. So if you've worked on a game for 5 years, your standards will be completely different by the time you're done. The latest animation is higher quality than the first one you drew. The first song you composed is grating on your ears. It took you 20 levels to get the hang of level design. So you go back and update the oldest bits to match the quality of the latest bits. Months pass and now a different animation looks outdated. So you go back. And unless you reign yourself in, you'll never finish the game because you're always chewing on the oldest part. Finishing fast therefore makes your game more coherent and cohesive overall, on top of avoiding a major timesink that could threaten your game from ever getting finished.

Finishing fast also makes you more familiar with the whole process of making a game. What do you do when the exciting honeymoon period is over and you have to stare at the same level for weeks on end to polish things? What do you do near the end of development when you realize that you promised multiple languages and you suddenly need to set up support for different languages and also find someone to translate? What do you do at release when you have to take feedback from a bunch of strangers playing your game and giving the bluntest unfiltered criticism and pointing out flaws you missed? If you spend year after year starting new megaprojects you become an expert at the first 10% of game development, but you don't get any experience with the remaining 90% and that can be a huge issue when you finally get there.

Finishing fast lets you learn from past mistakes. Mistakes are important, especially in an unpredictable field like game development. A lot of the time, you can't know what to avoid until you've crashed into it at least once. Not just on a big macro scale, like knowing that your favourite game engine can't do certain things well, but also on a tiny micro scale, like knowing that you can avoid an annoying collision bug by running collision checks in a certain order, that a certain colour combination doesn't work with colour blindness, or that this one word is actually pretty offensive abroad.

And importantly, the topic of next week's blogpost: having games under your belt gives you the power of recycling.

Next week I'll get into some more concrete examples of how old Vertebrae games help us build Fangst.

-Åge

[seiwas]

HI SEL can i give you 3 emojis......if not pick 1 or something :3 💌 💥 🤍

KIT hello 🥹 thank u for sending some in!!!! ofc u can give 3!!!! 🫶🏻

💌 share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

hmm… this is in one of the parts of my iwa series! (i’ve had it written for a while though, so my writing style might be different—i haven’t edited it yet!) 🥹 this whole series has been plotted out, so it’s really down to just writing it!! (which am hoping to focus on next year!!)

every time you look at iwaizumi, you feel like you’re about to go into cardiac arrest. heart stopping, fingers numbing, body warming—all that. he looks too good.

you make the terrible mistake of sneaking a glance as iwaizumi is about to spike, the wet fabric of his muscle tee clinging to the dips of his flexed back muscles. the hem rides up, exposing a bit of his abs from the side. you look away, brain feeling like it’s about to short circuit.

zoning out into the ocean seems like a better distraction.

💥 find your least kudos'd fic - say something wonderful about it.

with two hands to hold from that same iwa series ^

it focuses more on iwaizumi’s character than anything, i think—an analysis of some sorts! i like it a lot for that reason. in a way, you can say it’s how i see him! the things i love most about him 🥹

with those two hands, you’ve seen him take on too much while still making it look so little.

whenever you ask iwaizumi about his hopes and dreams, the answers always vary, but his conviction stays the same.

🤍 what's one fic of yours you think people didn't "get"?

4:59 a.m. for bakugo!! it’s an angst piece (my first and only i think 😭 idk if i can go through breaking my own heart again!!)

i only say idt people rlly ‘get’ it because i was pretty vague with what happened in the end! i was trying to be creative with the way i was writing it too so it makes sense if people get it confused! but basically, people thought someone died HAHA but i really only meant something else! 🥹 no dying on my watch, these boys have suffered enough 😭

send me asks from this writer ask game!

[nebulousneuroticism]

I had insomnia last night.  I simply could not fall asleep, and my headache kept getting worse.  Eventually, I did drop off, but the few hours of sleep were not enough, and I woke up with my head throbbing more than when I had gone to bed.  I had to call in for the morning and go back to sleep.

After a few more hours of sleep, the headache was not gone, but at least it was subsiding.  It was manageable enough to get up and go to get some food, and as the day wore on, it got better.  I kept feeling twinges all day, though--the root cause, which I always suppose to be some kind of neck and jaw cramp, was never truly resolved.

Still, I got through the day.  I had a notion that I was productive, but looking back, I don’t think I really was.  I stopped at the local library to get my library card, which I intend to use to access some academic journals online, and I did succeed in getting a card.  But I was very disappointed in the quality of the library--the place was so run-down and disorganized, and the librarian who was helping me made me feel uncomfortable.  Unfortunate; I have very good memories of the public library that I frequented as a child, and this one did not live up to my hopes.

In the evening, I played some more Diablo 4, somehow not burned out on it yet.  I also took a couple hours to flex my creative muscles by drawing a map for my D&D group, which they have been frequently requesting.  It turned out okay.  Far from perfect, but at least I didn’t labor over it for too long, and I’m sure the group will be excited.

Anyway.  I feel kind of strange tonight.  I’m on edge because I feel like my headache might return.  I’m feeling stressed socially because that cute girl has been venting to me about her work and it’s hard to see her so unhappy.  I’m feeling stressed about work because I’ve been very unproductive.  I have a general sense of tension in my life right now, and it’s hard to relax.

[universitypenguin]

Hey, can I get some writing advice?

So, after you come up with a story idea what do you do next?

Do you brainstorm for that story? Or make a character profile?

Because I have a story idea and idk what to do next. I read about it and they say to brainstorm but then I'm like "how am I going to right if I don't know who I'm writing? " But then I feel like I'm not doing it correctly.

I know it sounds silly but I would really appreciate some help. 🙏

So, I had to think about this one for a while, because the way I write has changed so much over the years. What I've put together is more geared towards how I used to write when I was developing my skills.

Without further ado, here's my official advice.

The most important thing you can do is realize that not everything you write is gold, and that's fine. Never compare your unedited draft to someone else's published work.

As C.J. Cherryh once said:

"It's perfectly okay to write garbage - as long as you edit it brilliantly."

Be consistent about writing and keep going, even on the days when you're not getting very far. Even on days when you know your writing sucks, write anyways. (They made the delete button for a reason. Go make your mistakes, and cover up the evidence as you see fit.) Forming the habit of writing regularly is what turns you into a writer more than anything.

Step #1: Pre-Writing

When I first get a story idea, I take time to daydream about it. Letting my mind wander is usually the best thing to do in these moments. At first, I don’t take any notes. I just like to see what sticks. If the idea drifts away, I assume it wasn’t meant to be and move on. If it sticks around and keeps circling back, then I know it’s a thread I probably should start spinning. 

Next, I like to do concept maps. The quick diagram with bubbles and arrows that show relationships helps me organize things in a simple manner. This step usually helps me enlarge the plot and figure out what I need and what’s extraneous. 

The most important thing about prewriting is to make sure your story has a solid conflict and at least four parts. These four parts are: 

Introduction

Inciting Incident

Immediate Reaction

Reaction

If these conditions seem to be fulfilled I begin writing.

Step #2: Writing

Step two is writing. Here, I’ve found the best thing to do is write while the idea is hot. This is when I do my best writing, when the emotion is fresh and my mood is just right. However… I usually have an amazing writing day about once every two years. So, I have to do what most mere mortals do. I sit down at my desk, put my hands on the keyboard, and demand of myself that I at least produce 200 words. Once I’ve hit that mark there’s usually some momentum going, which makes the next 200 words much easier.

This is where I write the first four chapters, which are what I listed out above. The introduction, the inciting incident, the character’s immediate reaction, their considered reaction after they’ve had their “off the cuff” reaction, and then I stop. 

Here, it’s good to take a step back and look at what you’ve written. Does the story have enough conflict? How does your character sound and feel? Are you enjoying yourself? I think writing four chapters should be enough to identify if you’ve got a story or if you need to develop the idea a bit more.

Step #3: Developmental Editing

Whatever the answers to those questions are, I usually do some developmental editing at this point. I might not finish the story, but it’s always good to flex your creative muscles and see if you can fix something that’s flawed. 

To develop an idea, I rely on story structure. There are a lot of good resources out there for structure. My first experience with structure was from the 27 scene outline. 

In my opinion, this is a great way to learn how to form a coherent plot. It’s very exact in laying out the story beats a writer needs to hit. That said, it’s also very constraining. I used this to learn how to form a narrative, but since then I’ve become more flexible with my story structures. 

Other plot structures I’ve enjoyed using are the beat sheet from “Save the Cat,” as well as four act structure, and six act structure. Each of these presentations of a story structure has its strengths and weaknesses, so figuring out what methods appeal to your style and what doesn’t work, is very useful. For short fiction there’s a thing called the “seven point” structure which I often refer to even now. Short fiction is not among my strengths… so I have to work harder at it than I would a novel. 

Another great resource for developmental editing is the YouTube channel run by Ellen Brock. She’s an editor and posts really informative videos about things like what type of writer are you, which is a very useful thing to understand when you're trying to write. She also has a phenomenal story structure series that’s one of the best I’ve come across. 

If you’re struggling, turn to other sources of inspiration. For myself, I like to read about the craft of writing. It's always good to remember that inspiration comes and goes, but skills can earn you an income. My book recommendations would be: 

Save the Cat - Blake Snyder 

Plot and Structure - James Scott Bell 

How to Write Dazzling Dialogue - James Scott Bell 

On Writing - Stephen King

Lastly, always remember this quote from Ray Bradburry:

“Write a short story every week. It's not possible to write 52 bad short stories in a row.”

I hope this has been helpful. Also, I love to talk about the craft of writing, so feel free to message me if you have any follow up questions!

[esther-lu-writes]

Welcome welcome welcome

Hello! Happy to have you here!

My name is Lu. I'm a semi-professional writer (hoping to go full-time soon). This here blog is to help me blow off some steam by writing out some fun little fics that align with my, um, interests. 🪶

So yeah, let's get into that. I do have an interest in tickling. You probably should too, if you're in these neck of the woods. I'm a Lee but am certainly not above some mild revenge (with friends).

Before we go further, let's talk a little bit about ✨boundaries✨. I am an old married person who doesn't have any interest in the following:

🚫 Roleplaying

🚫 Tease requests (I'm a Lee)

🚫NSFW (I keep things pretty clean over here)

🔞 I won't interact with under 18 folks. (Pls have your age posted if you want me to respond)

I'm not interested in policing my blog, but if you don't respect my boundaries, I will protect my peace and block you. Sorry to be such a grump, but I've been in the tickle community a long time and, well, the nonsense gets old. 😾

Geez, how can folks engage?

Great question! I'm writing some pretty niche fics here. To the few folks who might fancy them, here's the key to getting me out of my shell:

😽 Praise my writing! Clearly, I need some attention.

😽 Feel free to ask me q's!

😽 You're welcome to reblog my work... just give yours truly credit.

If, for some reason, you want to create something with my OCs, just honor the spirit in which they're written. I really don't anticipate this but should the time come, I'll draft a lil character use guide.

My Style

In terms of tickle content, here's an idea of what to expect:

🖋️Consensual tickling only (or con/non-con)

🖋️Original characters only (I have written fanfic before but I'm here to flex some creative muscles while being terribly self-indulgent)

🖋️ Romantic and playful contexts (but very much SFW)

🖋️Narrative heavy (at least at first... rot and fluff will always be present)

🖋️Long, emoji-bullet lists apparently. (Idk... here's another parenthetical)

About Me

As ye olde header states, I'm in my 40s and like to write. I'm nonbinary... I present as femme but any pronouns suit me just fine. This is a safe space and I love the LGBTQ+ community. 🌈

I really can't draw, so I bade AI to conjure up an anime-ish profile pic. I don't have an artist friend to tap for my secret tickle blog. Please don't hate me for using generative AI. If it brings any good into this world, perhaps it's so introverted goofballs like me don't have to resort to using cat pics for their profiles. Maybe, if anyone is into it, we can do a trade so I one day have a proper pic/banner (which is also AI... sorry!!)

To make amends, here is one of those cute tickle templates:

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Ha, hope you're in the mood to read some more. 😸💖

[the1975attheirverybest]

i'm also a 5sos fan and mattys solo project reminds me a lot of what ash and luke did. especially luke's record sonically wasn't very different from the bands stuff, so i feel like it was just a way to test out how a creative process works, when it's just him and i think the same goes for matty. he has never known anything but the band and their (esp george's) influence in his art, so a solo project might just be a way of experimenting and testing things out. plus it wouldn't have the 1975s name and there for branding on it, which might alleviate some pressure? anyways i just see it as a cool opportunity for him to develop as an artist:) ~🦦

Yeah, definitely! You make a good point about them having always worked together. Which, of course, is important to their identity as a band, but, change and discomfort is also how one learns and evolves. So, maybe it’s just Matty flexing his creative muscles a bit more and seeing what he can do without the context of the 1975, the guys, the fandom, etc. which would honestly be so cool. I’m excited to see what direction he takes all this in! And whether or not it would sound different than the band. RELEASE DATE, WHEN? GIVE US MATTY. WE ARE READY 🤲

[blocksruinedme]

I posted about this at 1am my time so i'm letting myself have a "time zone reblog" and a little author's commentary. (which i'll do on any fic!) If you'e liked my work and want to see me getting into some more serious stuff about memory and loss and messing around with the multiverse, please check this out! I'm very proud.

Memory: It's my thing. Memory and time travel are my #1 all time favorite story elements. I finally published a big memory story, despite writing them since august. I don't have a ton of kudos but I did get "I'm walking away from reading this changed.", so hell yeah! It worked! My creative history: For the previous all of my adult life, my big artistic expression was larps - aka live action roleplaying games. Primarily "theater style" or "us freeform" or "parlor" larps, where the designers hand you a prewritten character sheet with relationships and goals to play for a few hours/days. I have made people weep with my character sheets, and playing the larps, and after, one friend planned out a tattoo from a 3h games. People have told me their lives were changed. So I know I am a good storyteller, that I can craft a character who is compelling and heartbreaking and so real that someone can easily inhabit them. And I've wanted to bring that to my fic writing! So I've been having fun with "jimmy doesn't know people are pining for him" and "people are kinda sad after the crossover and stuff", but this is me digging my teeth in, flexing my angst muscles, something. This is the shit I really want to do, and mess people up with in /pos ways.

More on memory and what i'm not writing: Y'all I have like 60k+ of writing/notes for an AU that i'm 99% sure will never happen in full[1], that is "Jimmy and Scott live in their 3L valley between SMPs, forget everything while in SMPs, and after DL it's intolerable so Scott breaks through the multiverse to get Jimmy laid on hermitcraft... and then watchers and stuff". It's all about memories, losing them, half remembering them, being haunted, sad watcher grian, divorce quartet reconciliation, sex farces, tender love, raunchy adventures. It woulda been great but there's many reasons while you'll likely only ever see pieces (see below). Though if I get any super fans of the parts I publish, I'll share some docs. :-D

I have so many unpublished wips that involve people (usually jimmy or scott) having flashes of memories from other lives, or finding they have unexpected skills, etc. It's wild that it wasn't till my 13th mcyt fic that i got around to this, one of the big reasons I started writing at all. I hope to do more, if you've read this far I hope you like it, I would love commentary as I explore these things - I know how to write an introspective character study, but when doing a Big Mystery Thing, i am used to writing like 9-20 people's POVs and it comes together through their larping.... which is very different than a single story. [1] some of the stories are mostly done and stand alone so i might publish. My first ranchers and my first smalletho were both here! This wip wed was "after emp1, jimmy goes back to the hobbit valley alone and goes kinda crazy remembering emp1, scott comes back from his afterlife and it's rough.

This one is SmallEtho in Double Life (and so is this one) in this series (which i codenamed "break the cycle")

new fic: with the time they had (Limited Life, Jimmy POV, bad boys, flower husbands, keyword: memory)

It's rated T, it's Jimmy POV, it's bad boys and it's flower husbands (3L+E1) and it's complicated. everyone is having a bad time (except joel) and everyone is doing their best. angst with a hopeful ending, heed the tags.

It's 11.7k, y'all. I was supposed to write one fic a week for limited life, y'all. Episode 5 is looming and I just published the one for episode 2, y'all. It's 11.7k words, y'all. It's about memory and fighting to remember and not knowing what is controlling you and not being able to remember that you don't remember that you remember that you don't remember that you --- oh look, scott's here! he smells like the ocean, scott feels like home and the ocean smells like home but you can't remember why this feels off but everyone knows you have a bad memory.

(just wrote that directly into tumblr at 1:30am and i'm not rereading it)

The always amazing @that-tall-queer-bassist wrote a god damn poem about this fic. I do not know what this story would look like without their input and help and suggestions. The poem is total spoilers for the fic. If you're def not reading the fic, I think the poem would still be lovely!

I have made a worldcloud! Seeing the most common words might give you some of a vibe! (boring words have been removed) ....it's just full of jimmy words, well. it's fun.

[spaghettificationstation]

you know what’s absurd? how many times, when i’m writing fanfic or the like, that i’ll cut down or even cut out parts that i might like, because I’d think, “oh, people won’t like this, it’s too (insert whatever here).” But then i’ll turn around and read a dozen fanfictions that don’t necessarily line up with how *i* like to perceive the character, or the world, or whatever, but I’ll still have a good time and will read through the fic and kudos and comment and all that?? (unless it’s something i rlly dont jive with, then I’ll just stop reading) like, why do i allow so much slack for what I read, but absolutely none for what I write??? its silly

[radiowallet]

In Knots

Summary: Din shows you how good he is with his hands.

Pairing: Din Djarin x F!reader

WC: 2.3K

Warnings: 18+ Minords DNI, Canonical type violence, Unprotected p in v sex, fingering, slight dom behavoir, slight bdsm, bondage, dirty talk, cursing, helmetless Din, and some minor joking about Star Wars.

A/N: Sometimes, my husband and I make really absurd jokes about Star Wars. Case in point- what if Din kept bounty hunting and just decided to strap his bounties to the front of his ship like a hunter does with deer? Then of course I share this joke with my dearest @astroboots and @jazzelsaur and then things instantly got slutty. Let me be clear, this doesn't happen without either of them. Please go tell both of them how amazingly talented they are. Also, funny enough, this is the first time I've written Din Djarin smut (outside of an AU) soooo, yeah. *hides*

You knew Din had strong hands. It was hardly a secret. The man has pulled you apart with just the thrust of three fingers and the quick turn of his wrist more times than you could even remember. His skill with a blaster was double in the privacy you shared, armor discarded and skin bare. But something else entirely erupted in your brain earlier today. It had started as a joke- the lack of storage in the N-1 Starfighter glaringly obvious as Din carried his bounty back to the ship- and you couldn't help but casually tease him about how he was going to have to get creative when transporting the body back. Din just stared at you, the black of his visor offering zero clues about how he intended to solve this problem. 

You certainly weren’t riding in that stupid bubble seat next to his latest kill. 

You watched in quiet awe as your mandalorian heaved the lifeless bounty to the front of his new ship, nimble fingers wrapping thick rope around and around, pulling knots tight, tight enough to withstand the pull of light speed. He grunted and groaned as he tugged again and again at the ropes. Without even trying you could picture the muscles beneath the beskar, straining against the tan of his skin, and your brain whispered the most devious thoughts in your ear. 

By the time Din turned back around, you were a mess; eyes wide, lips parted, knees shaking. 

You could hear the smirk in his voice a mile away. “See something you like riduur?” 

You could only nod in response, your voice whisked away with any last remaining jokes you might have had. Din gave a low chuckle– knowing exactly what he did to you– walking up to you slowly, taking his time with each step, a killer stalking its prey. When he finally reached you, he pinched your chin between his thumb and forefinger leaning down until the cool metal of his helmet brushed against your temple, the leather of his gloves still warm from where he had been pulling at the ropes. 

“I thought you knew how good I was with knots?”

Good was understatement. 

It had been a quick turnaround; dropping off the bounty and collecting the credits, then promptly using a majority of those credits to rent a room. If you hadn’t been so hungry for him, you would have reminded Din that those credits were for things like fuel and food. You’re glad you didn’t. 

The room is small. Barely enough for a bed, a fresher tucked off to the side. It didn’t matter. That was all Din needed. A bed, some rope, and you. He pushes you down gently, helmet tilting as he looks you over head to toe, a silent command dripping out of him: Strip. 

You shudder, licking your lips and keeping eye-contact with the deep fathom of his helmet. Your answer is just as muted, a nod of your head as your fingers reach for the hem of your top. You rid yourself of your clothes, zero flourish in the quick way you pull your tunic overhead and kick off your leggings. Din watches silently, hands flexing into fists at his side, a hunter ready to pounce, his prey baring themselves for him like a lamb to the slaughter. 

A sigh of relief reaches your ears as the last of your clothing slips to the floor, and Din rewards you, reaching up and removing his helmet, giving you the first glimpse of his eyes that day. The sweet honey color is gone, black bleeding into dark brown, his lips curled with arousal, eyebrows pinched as he regards you with barely tempered need. 

“Is this is okay?” 

He asks every time. It never matters if it’s soft or hard- a fast fuck behind a cantina, the weight of his armor pressing you into the wall, or gentle love-making where he makes sure to caress each piece of your exposed skin with his own- Din will always ask, will always find it hard to believe that you are his and he is yours. You are eternally honored that you get to be the one that reminds him. 

His palm finds your cheek, his hard edges smoothing slightly as you nuzzle the bare skin, his gloves pulled off too, another wall breaking away. He doesn’t move until he feels you nod, a silent reminder that the trust is still there, and he takes one solid breath in, absorbing the seconds as they tick by. Then, like lightning cracking against the desert sky, he’s on you. 

Nimble hands twist your body around, face pressed into the thin mattress as Din pulls your arms up above your head. Thick rope soon joins the touch of his fingertips, weaving around and around, pulled tight enough to bite at the delicate turn of your wrists, followed by the sweet press of his lips. His mustache tickles where skin meets bone and you can’t help but laugh, earning you one more kiss and a nip of teeth. 

“Does it hurt?”

The question is whispered, his voice strangled, Din just as tangled as you are. The simmering adrenaline of a fresh kill mixed dangerously with his lust has him barely holding back and you’re desperate to set him free. You pull at the ropes binding your hands together, a soft moan falling out of your lips when you meet sweet resistance, a sting of pain biting into your pleasure. You can feel your arousal leaking out of you, and if it were anyone else you’d be embarrassed, trying to pull your legs closed to hide the effects of your lust. But Din is your safety net, a protective space for you to let all of your jagged pieces show, and so you spread your legs wider, knees digging into the bed, giving him a full view of your aching cunt, whining louder; loud enough for him to understand. 

You feel his hands ghost over your backside, fingertips barely grazing your hips before he pulls away again, the sound of beskar hitting the floor signaling the breaking of the dam. Clang after clang rings loudly through the small room, vibrating from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. You’re anxious, impatience filling you to the brim as you wait for your mandalorian to join you completely, and in your haze you thrust your body backwards, a teasing search for friction, eliciting a strangled groan from above. 

“Needy thing,” Din murmurs, and suddenly you feel the bed dip, his broad frame joining you, lips and tongue trailing up your spine. His breath is hot in your ear, panting wet and sending ripples of need down your back. You keen loudly, twisting your head in search of his lips but he pulls away, leaving you writhing on the bed, your knees slipping underneath the weight of your want. Two strong hands wrap around your waist, pulling your ass up into the air, and without warning Din’s lips are centimeters from where you need him most. 

“So wet, mesh’la.” 

You can only whine in response as the tip of his tongue finds the evidence sticky and warm, coating the inside of your thighs. You can feel your entrance fluttering, another wave of slick leaking out of you at Din’s breath teasing your pussy. He’s laughing again, taunting your aching cunt, not at all dissimilar to how he laughed at the bounty from earlier today. For a brief moment you forget your current position and you try to reach back for any part of him, but you meet the biting resistance of the ropes, and you whine again, Din’s name falling from your lips in a broken plea. 

“Shhh,” he reassures, fingers reaching up to pet at your wrists, the gentle touching stilling your struggle for a few seconds, long enough for his other hand to dip inside you, just enough to make you clench around the tip of his thumb. 

It’s relief and torture all mixed together. Din palms your waist, gripping hard and holding you still as his thumb inches inside you. You’re begging for more before you can stop yourself, your teeth scraping at the meat of your forearm in search of any sort of help to get you closer to release. But he will not be rushed. He takes his time, in all things, and just as he did earlier– slowly lining up his blaster, aim precise and shot deadly– he will take care of you. 

He fucks into you, deliberate and steady, first with his thumb, your orgasm crashing into you harder than you expected, your breath trapped inside your throat. The second is pulled slowly from you as he circles your clit, pressure never wavering, no matter how loud you beg. The third is like fire, your skin burning hotter than the sands of tatooine, Din’s tongue lapping up your release as two fingers stretch you open with practiced ease. Sweat prickles at your temples, your arms shaking, muscles fraught and aching from where the rope keeps them bound above your head. 

Between each wave of pleasure, Din’s lips find your ear, a wet kiss pressed to your damp skin and a gentle request to make sure you’re alright. You want to laugh and scream each and every time, but you know it’s no use. Even in the blind haze of his own need, the blunt pressure of it digging into your back as he once again checks that you have room for one more, Din will always put you first. 

Your patience is worn through, body more than ready for all he has to give. You bite out a growl, thrusting back, the hard length of his cock catching in the curve of your spine, precome smearing into your sweat, Din’s voice taunting as he grips your chin just as he did hours ago, dark eyes carving out a home on your face. 

“What do you want, riduur?”

He’s playing with you, enjoying the hunt far more than the kill, even the endearment teasing around the edges of adoration. You meet his gaze head on, moving back and forth, shoving back into him like a wild beast, challenging him to tame you the same as any creature who dares cross his path. Without warning he moves away, only for the tip of his cock to slam into you, his hips meeting your backside in a crushing blow that knocks your teeth together. A guttural moan rips out of him as he keeps himself buried inside you, the length of him piercing you down the middle.

“Din…Din, move. P-please.” 

He doesn’t move right away, stubborn in more ways than one. You can see his muscles quivering, his forearms landing on the bed, caging you in where they frame your head. His hands find your own, tracing the ropes that bind your wrists together and following the path up to your knuckles, touching gently to each one before lacing his fingers with your own. It’s awkward and tangled, a perfect twist of knots, his body curled around yours as if to shield you from everything but the weight of his cock inside you. 

It takes four more breaths, slowly in and slowly out, before he starts moving again, his hips slowly picking up pace. You can only hold on, fingers clinging where he’s holding them tight as he fucks into you, his knees pressing your legs wide apart.  A cacophony of sound surrounds you, Din’s growls mixing with your mewls of pleasure, skin slapping from his brutal pace, the slick squelch of his cock inside you. It’s filthy and delicious and Maker, you never want it to end. 

Your toes curl and your back tightens, a familiar pool of warmth filling up your core. You’re helpless to stop it, and Din refuses to slow down now that he’s inside you, jamming the head of his cock up inside you again and again, knowing just how to find the spot that turns your vision white and your eyes black. You’re howling, heedless of any other guests that may hear the effects your mandalorian has on you. Let them hear. Let them know how it feels to be a bounty caught in his snare. Pleasure snakes through your body, twining up and around each and every muscle, pulling you as tight as a rubber band, until finally you snap, your release slamming into you. You clench around Din, helpless to do anything but ride out your orgasm as he chases his own. 

His tongue loosens, just enough, and soon, your riduur is a mess, moaning nonsense in your ear as his own orgasm begins to crest.

“So fucking pretty. Pretty girl. My pretty girl filled w-with my….fuck, my cum. Like this. Like me to treat you like my bounties…like something to be tied up?”

He’s shaking, arms tightening around you, his chest pressing into your back as he ruts inside you. His teeth sink into the curve of your neck, a violent bloom of pain biting into the last waves of your pleasure. In your haze you can feel Din’s cock spasm inside you, warmth filling you up, ropes of his cum painting your walls. It seems to go on forever, Din’s hips canting a sloppy pace as moans into your shoulder, dribbles of his release leaking out around where you’re still stuffed with him. Finally, regretfully, he stills, and the two of you are left struggling to bring your heart rates to something close to normal as the mess you’ve made cools on your skin. 

When Din does pull away, you know it will be with a whine and a pout, large hands carefully untying the rope before he scoops you and carries you to the fresher. It will be tender, his aftercare, sweet kisses and gentle praise as he wipes you clean and holds you close. He’ll be insatiable in his need to thank you once again for sharing so much, for trusting so easily, eyes clinging to the marks upon your skin even as he sinks to his knees and licks the last of himself away. You can already feel the warmth of the water and dip of his tongue, though neither of you have attempted to move. For now you’re both content to lay here, twisted in knots.

Dedications

@jazzelsaur for instantly making this stupid joke an idea that morphed into something equal parts hot and ridiculous. You never ever shy away from encouraging me and supporting me, and I honestly don't understand how I got so lucky. Thanks for taking a simple joke and instantly being a whore about it. I love you so much. Please never ever change.

@astroboots Instantly said the words "WRITE IT" the second I snuck into discord and started making Star Wars jokes. Just like Jess, you never ever hesitate to encourage me, and I'm so thankful that you point that loving energy in my direction. You make me want to be better and your kindness and support are a constant inspiration. Love you, and I hope you enjoy this whore-ish moment.

@frannyzooey I really want to take a minute to thank Kelli for being so amazing and sweet. Every once in a while I sneak into your DM's or leave you a message and you're nothing short of sweet and wonderful and encouraging. And when I told you I was writing Din smut you were so excited and it got me even more excited. Other than flowerly little snips of character introspection, I don't hang out with Din much, and you inspire me to strive to try more. Thank you.