#still trying to find out the best canvas size

[kraymerman]

Been obsessed with the Wa's lately. Wanted to draw this unused little gremlin (she didn't make it to Mario Tennis on account of being in jail for the attempted assassination of Mayor Pauline).

The roadants are the native creatures of the New Donk City sewers and are her subjects.

________________________________________________________

Wario Bros,

Come to the castle. Now. I've got a job for you.

DON'T BE LATE - -

Princess Wadstool

WAPEACH

[n0tamused]

heard u were desperate for elf asks and me, the local elf fucker, has decided to grace your life pookie😚

elves who have still yet to start their courting with their human s/o, finding pieces of themselves in their work room or finding their human passed out over a table. huffing about human fragility under their breaths, walking over to drag them back to their bed for a proper rest, freezes before their ears turn a cute pink because their sweet mortal was musing about them. whether it be poetry draft, painting, art, sculpture in process, embroidery — anything. and elves adore art, so this is like skipping straight to “will you marry me?” before starting their dating

A/n: thank you for stopping by once again Nobu! Please stop more often hdhfhhs <3 I do hope you like this pookie. I planned to put even more characters into this, but that would have been too much for one post, so I'll separate it into another post tehee

Content: Thranduil, Glorfindel, Maedhros x GN!Reader, fluff hcs, a tinge of angst in Maedhros' part (ofc)..

𓄃Thranduil

-The vast forests of Mirkwood held much beauty, and even more when one looked closer into them. The trees were one of a kind, holding memories of old and having seen rises and falls of  both elf and man. Yet they all remained steadfast, roots holding them upright. In the same manner, Thranduil held himself

-It was an image not many could ever hope to replicate, and a trait many aspired to have, like big fancy shoes one hopes to grow into

-And perhaps you have spent too long in the Woodland realm, you’ve learned a lot, but a lot more was waiting to be learned as well. It came to a boiling point where you were growing fussy with yourself for not having a pipe through which to blow your steam out through. There was so much beauty and lore, yet you couldn’t find a way to capture it all. And seeing all of this, your tense display, Thradnuil had gifted you paints and canvases and brushes, and a whole new room so well illuminated that you could even paint in it during the night, given you had a good candle with you. 

-It came as a relief, having your own space, yet you felt indebted to him as much as you felt flattered that the elven-king cared so much about your comfort. When he had approached you with the request to court you, he almost seemed aloof, despite his request holding many thoughtful words and his gifts showing even more care. But that could be just the little voice of the devil that came with courting one of the most important figures in Middle-Earth. You didn’t express this much to Thranduil, for he really did his best at meeting you halfway with the courting traditions of men and elves.

-In turn you decided to paint him. Or, at least, try to do so. It would be worth it. So you set out on this quest and holed yourself in the painting room, having selected a medium sized canvas and the best colors you could ever hope to pair up with one another. The initial layout looked good, with Tranduil standing in the woods, surrounded by greens, oranges and reds, wearing an outfit he recently wore when he took you out on a walk through the forest. There is also a large elk approaching him in the painting, but you saved the animal to be painted last. You had covered most of the canvas, nearly finished with the backdrop of multiple tree trunks and you were working your way to the foreground when your vision began to droop and blur.

-Raising your head you saw that it was well past sunset and you could no longer see the color on your canvas as well, your candle was flickering out.

-But your chambers seemed a world away, you could not bother to try your legs to walk the distance. And the next best thing was the bench in the room, usually reserved for any guests you may have hosted, but tonight it would be your bed. You moved the plush pillows and the blanket around until you were comfortable, and you finally shut your eyes for the last time that night.

-Thranduil had wandered in some time later, finding it rather odd that he hadn't seen you for the entire day, and the guards he asked about your whereabouts had little answers as well. But his instincts told him you’d be here.

-He went in with his lamp, alone venturing into your space and  seeing the canvas first. For half a heartbeat he half-expected to find you behind it, painting in the dark - humans had weird ways of doing things, he realized

-But once he went around it, he only saw an empty chair and unwashed brushes, crusted with paint. And the unfinished painting..

-His breath stopped in his throat, his brows furrowing as he leaned in closer, shining the light of the lamp onto the canvas. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him, surely it wasn’t his likeness he was seeing in the sketch lying underneath the drying paint? But the worse option was to believe that it was another elf wearing his attire

-A soft hum snapped his focus away, and he turned to see you shifting in your sleep. It was then when he felt his ears begin to burn, his lips pushing into a thin line as he attempted to ease his heart from beating so terribly fast, too hard, he felt it beating against the bones of his ribcage

-He coughed into the palm of his hand then took a deep breath, approaching you after what felt like an eternity of waiting. It was in your shared interest that you sleep somewhere comfortable.. 

-Despite his racing thoughts, he did make it a point to talk to you in the morning about your courtship, perhaps this was your way to signal him that you were ready for the next stage..? 

☀︎Glorfindel

-There are not many things that can catch Glorfindel by surprise; he is a seasoned individual, both in the art of combat and in more mundane things. He has seen much, and more. His mind is not so closed off to the change in the world, and while he is used to planning things, strategizing, his mind does prefer to take life one day at a time. Let life be the present moment until tomorrow arrives.

-You came into his life rather unexpectedly, but he welcomed you all the same. What feelings began to brew he had hoped to keep secret for a while longer, but once he realized that things were not going to change and that his feelings were only growing, taking into account your mortality, he had approached you and asked to court you

-He delivered the speech elegantly, armed with his usual carefree and easy going demeanor, but once his breath fell short towards the end you could tell that this meant a lot to him. And stepping into this more intimate relationship with him felt much easier than expected, but now you just had much more affection from him, and you had the privilege of seeing him more as well

-It was only natural that your own nature led to you wanting, even needing, to preserve him in some form of a craft. To flatter him the same way he did you, or to simply have something to remind you of him when he wasn’t with you

-Poems you tried, but no word seemed sufficient enough to capture Glorfindel’s character. Art you tried too, but you proved not skilled enough to satisfy yourself with those results. So you turned to something else - embroidery. It wasn’t easy, but the process was more satisfying and the image that was slowly coming into reality made you much more happier than the other attempts at making something in the image of Glorfindel

-It was a bit of a challenge to discard the failed attempts from him, but embroidery was easier to deal with before the bigger image was beginning to materialize. ‘It’s only a little something I’m making…for decor!’ or ‘I wish to give my mother something as a gift’ and so on. Glorfindel did not distrust you on that. It made sense, and why would you hide anything from him, anyway?

-Perhaps you overestimated yourself with your human strength, staying night after night doing work or finishing the embroidery or being unable to sleep. But exhaustion finally caught up to you one evening as you were sitting by the hearth. The warmth of the fire was licking up your arms and the side of your face, tempting you to close your eyes, lulling you to sleep. And before you knew it, your heavy eyelids giving way to darkness to overtake you

-Glorfindel found you in your chair, chin on your chest and arms stretched down to your lap, fingers still touching the wooden hoop keeping the canvas in place. The needle was slipping from your fingers, hanging on by a thread. 

-Glorfindel shook his head and approached slowly, being light on his feet as he took the needle from your limb fingers. The thread pulled at the canvas as he picked it up, and it was then when he saw the picture you were making. His brows furrowed in focus and he felt more alert than a moment prior. He pried the wooden embroidery hoop from your hand and picked it up to take a closer look. Now that he thought of it, he hasn’t seen the progress made on this in a long while. 

-It was a field of golden flowers, carefully crafted with yellow thread and in the middle was a finished white horse, and a person - well most of them. They were unfinished and only the shoulders-down of the body was visible, but Glorfindel recognized the clothes as his own, and he could recognize Asfaloth in any format.

-He wasn’t caught by surprise often, he held and open and calm mind, but even if he had expected this, even if he did hope for this, it made his heart feel like bursting 

-He had to hold himself back from bowing down beside you, taking your sleepy face in his hands only to wake you up with a dozen of kisses

-Glorfindel really did his best to not cause a scene in that moment, and after a moment of simply admiring the artwork and tracing the pads of his fingers over the thread on canvas, his smile only growing, he had to remind himself that you were still asleep in a chair. And your back wouldn’t be thanking you in the morning for that

-After setting aside your embroidery, he gently picked you up and carried you to bed, smiling all the way and feeling how his chest swam with joy and a feeling he could only describe as a well-stuffed feather bed

-He laid you down, bringing the covers over you and for a moment longer he just admired you, having so much to tell you, but he settled with a kiss to your cheek for now, making a note to himself to make a better gift for you, and to ask for your hand soon.

⚔︎Maedhros

-There was little place for a human in Maedhros’ life, even as wars came and went and brought before him countless faces only for him to see them fall before him in the days following. He has seen much, too much, but there was only one path in his life, and it lay ahead of him.  Yet, even his path wasn’t made wholly of only the things he knew. There were things changing, with him and around him

-It was strange to have someone with him. Ever since you came into his life Maedhros had slowly begun to adjust the ways when it came to interacting with you, and what  chats you two had always managed to take his mind off of the constant battles and the Oath. It took a longer time for him to realize it and come to terms with his feelings, but once he did he plucked up whatever strength and elegance he could summon. He remembered the person he was before coming here, before everything, and he did his best to emulate that stability and a bit more cheerful demeanor. How much that works.. well you can imagine. But that does not mean he was bad at it, just not as good as enthusiastic as he imagined he’d be </3 He does think about it later and does wonder if you would have preferred if he asked in some other fashion

-Maedhros visits you when he can, although the truly private times between the two of you are far and few between with such a big host of people following him and waiting on his orders. He does treasure any moment he has with you. He hold your hand and kisses the inside of your wrists before he has to depart, kisses your forehead when he comes to see you and sits right besides you for as long as he is with you

-His heart had grown much more fond of you, it feels alive and the scars he bears nearly feel non-existent when he’s around you

-And little by little, you manage to get the old Maedhros from underneath the rubble. He had  taken habit to calling you ‘his light’ in elvish, among some other endearments

-It was a late night when he came to visit you, and he did expect he might not find you awake at the hour but he tried his luck regardless as he went into your chambers. Despite your earlier claims that ‘he doesn’t need to knock’ he knocked anyway, only opening the door when he got no response.

-And there you were. Sitting at your little table (although everything average to us is little to Maedhros-) with your head on your arms. A quil rested between your fingers, and a blotch of ink was left both on paper and the wooden surface. As much as it was endearing at first, Maedhros couldn’t help but worry. He hurried in, carefully closing the doors and peering at your face before he agreed with that little voice in his head - you were fine, just asleep.

-His large palm tenderly caressed your upper back, coaxing your sleepy self to move just enough until the point he could pick you up without jostling you around too much. Your bed was just beside the table, so after he had settled you in, he smiled at the  thought of your stubbornness to leave your work corner. He knew you could be stubborn beyond measure, especially about things that you held dear to heart

-Not wanting to depart yet, he went back to your table to see what he could do with the spilled ink and scattered papers

-He found a towel nearby and used it to suck up the wet ink - the dry splotches were beyond his skill. It was quiet work, but he found his mind wandering, one might even call it relaxing. 

-He was picking up papers absentmindedly, not wishing to overstep your own trust by peering into whatever it is you scribbled down

-And he held onto that thought until he glimpsed something he couldn’t ignore. Since when did you know elvish?

-It suddenly came into view, the papers he held in hand were all letters in elvish, although each stroke revealed you were a novice in the language, but he also saw effort and thoughtfulness. The first page began with ‘Dear Maedhros’ and then the rest continued on into a poem. Maedhros thought he was dreaming, and had to glimpse outside the window to remind himself where he was 

-He read through and found himself falling apart from within. Each line, each word, addressed to him held so much love and care, it meant more than any song some bard could sing of his valor in battle. And it was written by you - and you’ve seen how ugly he could be, yet you wrote how you loved him all.

-He was probably as red as his hair, but his lips also twisted downwards in this pout-like expression keeping tears at bay. His heart felt full, too full for him to manage. Maedhros doesn’t remember the last time he felt like this. And with his curiosity sparked, he peered into the crumbled letters scattered around, finding even more verses that were unfinished. On the corner of the table was a thick book, almost crumbling to ashes from how old it looked, but he recognized it as the first book holding the alphabet of men and elves, translations and grammatical rules to follow

-Maedhros sat down, not trusting his legs to keep him upright anymore, holding the letters to his chest.

Ⓒ n0tamused/jarttavia_. Do not repost, translate, edit, and/or copy any of my works. Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

[egophiliac]

How do you draw your high contrast, shape-y pieces? I’ve tried something similar but it always end up off, any recommendations on brushes or exercises that could help with improvement?

(I wasn't sure what part was giving you trouble, so this is sorta an all-over smattering 😅 hopefully some of it helps!)

• the kind of brushes don't really matter, just what you're comfortable with using! more chisel-shaped or calligraphy-style brushes might be harder to control strokes with though. I do personally like using brushes that are like...Mostly Round But With a Little Grit to 'Em!

• work at a higher size and/or resolution than your final size (I usually work at ~3x final size). scaling down will smooth out little imperfections and some of the little aliasing weirdness that comes from raster transformations (scale/rotate/etc.)

• drawing with your arm, as in moving from your elbow while keeping your wrist pretty still, makes big smooth curves much easier (you can also go from the shoulder for BIG movements)

• most drawing programs will let you rotate the canvas -- drawing downward strokes tend to be easier to control (extra cheat: if a stroke is proving troublesome, I'll sometimes draw it as best I can on a new layer, move/rotate it into the exact position I want, and then merge it down again)

• instead of trying to draw a super precise shape and fill it in, I usually draw a bigger, shittier shape, and then use an eraser or layer mask to kinda chisel it into the shape I want:

• Always Check Your Values -- especially if you're finding your colors feel kinda muddy or not contrast-y enough, it's a good idea to make sure there's contrast in the light/dark as well as the hue/saturation! I usually have an adjustment layer set to 0 saturation that I keep on top of my document, and just periodically toggle on and off to check. (there's some debate about the most accurate way to check values, but this works well enough for high-contrast solid blocks of color.)

• on the same note, instead of using pure grayscale colors, particularly full black (#000000) and white (#FFFFFF), adding a little bit of color into them can give you a richer, more interesting and more cohesive result.

(and even when using pure grays, using slightly "off" from full black and white can be more interesting! and it's not to say DON'T use black and white and gray, more just...use them thoughtfully, instead of by default?)

• color thumbs/sketches/roughs, whatever you want to call them. people get SO weird at me about these for some reason, but they're literally just...a little sketch of figuring out colors before you start painting. they don't have to be final or detailed or any good or whatever, it's just to get a starting idea! working super fast and loose especially helps to get out of the mindset of Doing A Good Drawing and more into messing around with shapes and negative space and all that fun stuff. :> then later you can focus on the Doing A Good Drawing part, without having to also think too hard about the other stuff.

• Keep It Simple -- 100% the hardest part. I have absolutely not mastered this in any way. 💀 it's SO easy to overwork this style and end up too detailed/too unfocused/just too much going on -- half the time I spend on these things is just adding details -> squinting at it for a couple of minutes -> erasing all the details again. you gotta keep in mind that it's about getting an idea across more than anything else, and when it comes to that, less is almost always more!

(this is one of the reasons I sometimes make myself use SUPER restricted palettes; when you only have three colors, it forces you to really think about what's important to show and how to leave things implied. ✌️)

[kabr0ztrousers]

I am also a big fan of minotaurs - u might have gathered that from my last request lol 🙋🏼‍♀️🙋🏼‍♀️ (but ik you are too!!) What about a fem reader who catches/traps a mintotaur and milks THEM for a change?? lots of cum, bondage, maybe a bit of inspection kink? i feel like that would be hot, but pls exercise your full artistic licence. can’t wait to see what u come up with ! 🥵❤️‍🔥

-🪽

Kabr0z Writes episode 110: Bull Milk

Find the rest of the Kabr0z Writes anthology here!

This series also on Ao3!

CWs: bondage; intoxication; somno; semen collection; oral sex

A/N: I'm grateful for the outpouring of suggestions after yesterday's (kinda) double bill! I remind you all, this show runs on requests so if you have an idea, even if you're not sure about it, send it in!

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Alchemy is messy business at the best of times. When you've been given a commission to produce potions of libido and fertility for the local monarch, it only gets messier. Most of the reagents aren't too bad: some garlic oil, some honey, mandrake, powdered bezoar, stuff any self-respecting alchemist's kit would contain. The real problem was the key component. Minotaur cum, freshly squeezed.

That's what brought you to this windswept plain. Nothing but dry grass and dust as far as the eye can see which, on the few moments the scathing wind dies down, is pretty damn far. The plan was simple enough: trap a minotaur and extract semen. Get a hundred or so fluid ounces, then you could get back to the city. The only hard part is actually trapping a minotaur without him deciding you look like his next meal, or his mate.

You'd brought windbreaks with you, long strips of canvas, as wide as you are tall. Setting them up was a nightmare but as the last pole sank into the sunbaked soil, the breaker itself can be tied to them and immediately makes a barrier to the whipping dust. Within hours you'd made a dune, a ridgeline in the plain, invisible from one side, a six-foot drop on the other into a dozen tanglevines. They'd hold a minotaur, no problem. At least for the day or so until they start to rot.

Now just to find a minotaur. It's an audacious plan, It'll only work from one direction, but you had faith. Lying on your dune in the dawn light, you scanned the horizon through a spyglass. Sure enough, the lumbering mountain that is a plains minotaur came across the grasses. You blew on a hunting horn you'd purchased. The roar of a minotaur in rut echoed from your instrument. The one noise guaranteed to bring a raging bull-man tearing towards you. He hadn't seen you yet, minotaurs have terrible eyesight at range, and he's only on the edge of the range of your spyglass.

You ducked behind your dune and waited for the inevitable. The minotaur thundered up the slope, missed his step, and tumbled into the waiting trap. Tanglevines whipped around him, pinning his arms to his broad torso, wrapping his legs together. The beast was felled into a snorting, struggling heap. Your bag opened. A little of the pinkish one, a touch of the green, maybe a dab of the vermilion powder for luck. A quick shake, and you'd made what you reckoned would be enough to settle him down. One way to find out.

You filled a syringe with the mixture, hedging your bets by using a dose on the low end for what you'd really want to give 300lbs of prime beef that's trying its hardest to break free in order to kill and-or fuck you. That loaded into a gun of sorts, and then was poised at the thrashing beastie. A click. A thud. The drug worked fast, and we was quietened.

You stepped up to him, rolling the monster to his back. You'll have to work fast, and in the open air. The horn will have been heard by more than just one, if you're lucky you'll meet a dozen or so heifers looking to join an up-and-coming harem. If you're unlucky, you'll get a beast the size of this one charging you.

You checked his pulse. Still alive. Good! A hammer to the knee told you his reflexes were still working, which is also promising. His breathing was slow and deep, like an induced sleep. Which is, of course, exactly what you've put him under. Satisfied he's still functional and not likely to wake up and murder you, your attention turned to the business end of the beast.

Feral minotaurs only fashion clothes where it's cold. These plains aren't chilly enough to need them, so they don't bother. As a result, his sack was exposed for all to see. Large, pendulous balls, stinking of testosterone and musk. Exactly what you need. You laid your hand on one, watching it droop away from the warmth of your touch. His penis hid within the prepuce, or "sheath" as less scientific minds refer to it. Exposure of the phallus is simple. You grabbed the base of the sheath, grasping the semi-soft flesh within. His cock extended slowly as the beast mooed softly in his sleep. You could only imagine the buxom cow woman he was envisioning as you held him. The cock grew until well over eighteen inches long, and four in diameter at the flare. Your hand struggled to wrap around it even at the thinnest point, just where the meat of the shaft reaches the flared head.

Now for the fun part. You grabbed a length of tubing from your bag, hooking it up to a modified waterskin. The end of the tube slid into the insensible minotaur's urethra, and you got to work.

Your hands rubbed his cock up and down, trying to keep him hard and stimulate him enough to get what you came for. The gentle huffing and snorting from his mouth told you you're on the right path, but you're going to need more... Direct methods.

You abandoned the tube idea. Fitting a funnel to your collection vessel, you sat on his belly. The cock in front of you smelled just as much as his balls, thick musk cut with acidic sweat and stale cum. Once experienced, never forgotten. You steeled yourself, holding on to the cock with both hands as you leant over it. You planted a kiss on the head of his cock.

The whole thing throbbed. Your tongue traced the edge of his sensitive flare. You watched as he oozed great drops of precum, spilling out of him in a sticky, slow moving river. The smell of the fluids emanating from him made you gag, but they also made you wet. One of your hands slid from his cock, sneaking under the waistband of your trousers to get at your moist cunt.

On and on he leaked, on and on you rubbed. You could feel yourself getting closer. You were getting off to this feral beast in front of you. His cock was so hard in your hand, spitting globs of thick, stinking precum that covered your mouth and chin. Your cunt buzzed with sensation, your breath quickened with his. You shifted your hand, focusing on your tingling clit as you crested your peak, sucking his juices straight out of his cock as you groaned into it.

Seconds later, he started to cum. You pulled the cock over, aiming the stream of thick white spunk into the funnel. Pulse after pulse shot into the skin, filling it up gradually as you watched his balls churn. Every pump of the cock in your hand made his balls tighten a little more. The skin passed halfway full, still he showed no signs of stopping. Ever more of his potent seed flowed out of him.

Eventually you got enough, stoppering the skin and letting him pump the last few ropes of cum over his broad chest.

This potion's going to be great

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It's so weird to do a Dominant reader again so soon! Don't worry, back to my usual tricks soon

Once again, thanks for reading and remember, I won't know your request until you send it, and my ask box is open for exactly that

[tinyundercover]

pepper & felix

part sixteen

SURPRISE MF its out a day early

MASTERPOST word count: 4.7k

“Sit still,” Pepper murmured, brow furrowed with focus. 

On the end table next to Felix’s couch, Pepper sat cross-legged, a miniature paintbrush held in both hands. In front of him, Felix’s long fingers rested, splayed out on the end table, and from the couch Felix rested his chin on the back of his other hand, observing the borrower’s movements.

After dipping his paintbrush into the open bottle of nail polish next to him, Pepper returned to painting Felix’s nail, completely covering it in black polish. 

Felix hummed, lifting his head from his hand. “It looks good!” He experimentally moved his fingers, all five nails now jet black and glossy.

Pepper sent him a glance, twisting to search for another paintbrush. An array of art supplies sat next to him, an awkward blend of human-sized and borrower-sized materials. When Pepper finally found a plastic sheet of tiny silver gems, he announced, “I’m not done yet.”

“I figured.” The human let out a laugh and rested his cheek on his other hand, draped over the arm of the couch. The nails there were already finished, painted black and decorated in silver gems.

Felix, originally, had been a little apprehensive when Pepper had asked to paint his nails. He had worried that Pepper would grow bored or exhausted with the task, but the borrower insisted, treating Felix’s nails like any one of his other art projects.

The human didn’t paint his nails that often, but when he did, he gravitated towards his usual simple, soft colors— gray, pale blue, or white. Pepper had taken the liberty to find the black nail polish that Felix had bought but never touched, tucked away in a cabinet underneath Felix’s bathroom sink, and Felix couldn’t find it within his heart to refuse.

Pepper’s excitement had actually been adorable. Felix was aware that Pepper enjoyed being artistic, but the human didn’t get to see that side of him often, as most of Pepper’s art projects were constructed in the privacy of his little home. Besides, the microscopic size of his journals meant that Felix wouldn’t be able to see the details, anyways, which inwardly disappointed the human. He wished that he could support Pepper’s artistic endeavors the same way that Pepper regularly supported Felix’s passion for music.

Serving as a blank canvas felt like a fair compromise. Felix leaned into his sleeve, heart fluttering, watching as Pepper carefully pressed a silver gem into the center of his ring finger’s nail. The borrower’s gaze was intense and focused, as if this was the most important thing he had ever done. Felix did his best to keep his hand still.

Pepper worked diligently, tiny hands dancing delicately over Felix’s fingertips. As he decorated the rest of Felix’s fingers with silver, the borrower’s satisfaction visibly grew, until he finally finished with the last gem on Felix’s thumb. 

Felix blinked curiously as the borrower pushed himself to his feet, proudly gesturing to the fingers below him. “Now we’re done!”

Mindful not to bump into Pepper, Felix held both hands above the end table, eyebrows high as he examined his nails. Silver gems glimmered up at him, more symmetrical than he would have been able to achieve on his own. The black nail polish underneath was bold, and definitely not a color he was used to wearing, but it was growing on him.

It was hard to dislike anything that clearly brought Pepper so much joy. The borrower was trying to play it cool, crossing his arms, but the excited rocking of his heels was anything but subtle. “What do you think?”

Felix wiggled his fingers. “They look amazing,” he breathed, pulling his gaze away from the detailed designs to admire his soulmate. “Thank you! I— this is incredible!”

Pepper fought a grin, ducking his head. “I’m glad you like it.”

“Seriously, I love it,” Felix pressed, beaming. “I wish I could do your nails.”

Pepper snorted at the absurdity. He held his hands out in a similar fashion to Felix, splaying his hands in front of his face. Felix couldn’t even see his nails, let alone try and paint them. “Yeah, good luck with that.”

Felix laughed lightly as Pepper began to organize his things, dropping his gray gaze to the pile of art supplies. After a moment of silence Felix spoke up, observing the delicate movements of Pepper’s hands.

“I, um…” A nervous feeling danced around Felix’s throat, restricting his words. Pepper peered up at him, expression nonchalant, closing the bottle of nail polish. The glass bottle reached his shoulder.

Felix exhaled, glancing down at his freshly painted nails. “I was wondering if, uh— if you’d want to go out on a date. Like, a real date.”

His hesitant words made Pepper freeze, tiny hands jerking away from the bottle. Felix felt a pink tinge creeping into his face, and he cleared his throat, rushing to explain. “Only if you want to. We don’t have to go out in public, or anything. It’s up to you.”

Silence stretched for a second too long, as Pepper stared up at him, gray eyes enormous. Felix was just about to haphazardly change the subject when Pepper finally responded, voice breathy. “Yeah. I want to.”

Felix blinked in response, heart jumping. He had been terrified that Pepper would refuse, offended at the idea that there might be something even slightly romantic between them— but clearly they were on the same page. It brought a warm feeling of relief into Felix’s chest.

The human ducked his head, suddenly embarrassed to face the borrower. “Oh! Okay, ah— good! Would tomorrow night be okay with you?”

Felix tried to keep his face light and casual, not wanting to reveal that he had already checked tomorrow’s weather repeatedly and had been purposely keeping his Thursday night open for several days now. To his relief, Pepper nodded vigorously, tiny hands fumbling.

“Yes. That sounds perfect.”

—

Pepper had never been on a date in his life, let only on a date with a human.

Four days ago, Pepper had given Felix a kiss on the nose. He had been emboldened by a surge of confidence, but his confidence had dissipated rapidly over the next few days. Neither of them mentioned that kiss— much like how they hadn’t mentioned Felix’s drunk kiss. Felix, honestly, didn’t seem to be treating Pepper any differently, and Pepper had started to wonder if maybe he had taken things too far too quickly.

But Felix had asked him out a date.

Pepper’s heart raced. He exhaled, dragging his hands down his face. On the floor of his room, his clothes were strewn around him in haphazard piles.

“I’ve literally kissed him,” Pepper mumbled to himself, digging through a pile of shirts. “He’s kissed me. This isn’t a big deal.”

Still, the fear of the unknown was difficult to combat. Pepper didn’t even know where they were going yet.

After struggling for twenty minutes, Pepper finally settled on a plain black crewneck and baggy blue pants, not unlike the cargo pants that Basil usually wore. He didn’t have a lot of nice clothes, but he figured this was good enough.

Right on cue, Felix’s voice filtered into his mind. “Hey, I just got home from rehearsal. Do you want to meet in the kitchen in… maybe half an hour?”

“Sure,” Pepper responded, trying to sound nonchalant despite the racing of his heart. “See you then.”

Pepper suddenly wished he had a phone, so that he could call Basil at her place in the lounge and tell her what was going on. He didn’t know much about how phones worked, but it would be nice to have one right now.

He spent the next fifteen minutes pacing around his room, smoothing his clothes, double-checking his bag, before finally deciding that he should make his way to the kitchen. He sent a quick telepathic message to Felix that he was on his way before he slipped into the long passageways of the walls.

When Pepper emerged from behind the toaster, Felix wasn’t there yet. Being alone in the kitchen somehow comforted Pepper and worsened his fears at the same time. 

It wasn’t exactly a secret that he and Felix were advancing onto romantic territory, and had been for a couple weeks, but it still left Pepper feeling dizzy. He had absolutely no experience with romance at all, and his little knowledge of how soulmates worked didn’t help the situation.

Basil had talked with him about it, explaining that some people ignored their soulmates altogether, while others found their platonic best friend in their soulmate and searched for romance elsewhere. That only confirmed Pepper’s fear that Felix would never choose to be with a borrower if he didn’t have to.

But, no— Felix had asked him out on a date.

The exhilarating feeling returned, leaving Pepper rocking on his toes, heart racing. He pulled at the threads of his crewneck, which were a bit loose, considering that he had merely thrown this sewing project together a few weeks ago.

At the sound of Felix’s footsteps approaching, Pepper straightened up, listening intently. His gray eyes were wide and curious as Felix finally stepped into the room, his towering height sending a fluttery feeling down the borrower’s spine.

Over a white button-up, Felix wore a black sweater vest. In addition to his black dress pants, the human was wearing a much darker palette than usual, which surprised Pepper somewhat, and the borrower could only wonder if he had intentionally chosen these black clothes in order to match his dark nails. Pepper’s first thought was that it was an incredibly sweet gesture.

His second thought was that black was a very flattering color on Felix.

The stark contrast between the darkness of his clothes and his light skin and features left Pepper feeling dizzy, oddly enough. Fighting the heat growing in his face, the borrower nodded politely, crossing his arms. “You look nice.”

A breathy laugh escaped Felix, moving closer. “Thanks. You too.”

Pepper didn’t hesitate to step onto Felix’s hand when he offered it. Throwing his hands out to balance, he peeked up at Felix. “Where are we going, by the way?”

Felix flushed, glancing away as he brought Pepper up to his left shoulder. The borrower watched him quizzically as he scrambled up onto the knitted material of Felix’s vest. “I actually want to keep it a surprise, if that’s okay.”

Pepper raised his eyebrows, suddenly anxious— but Felix knew better than anyone not to put Pepper in danger. “Oh!” He kept his voice playful. “You won’t even tell me a little bit?”

Felix shrugged, jostling the borrower momentarily. After offering a quick apology for the movement he responded, “Well— we’ll have to drive there. Is that okay?”

Pepper had already accepted that a car ride would be very likely. He nodded. “Yeah, no worries.”

In the next few minutes, as they made their way through the apartment building, Pepper could only wonder where they could possibly be going. The only time he had left the apartment recently (willingly) had been to accompany Felix to his audition.

Honestly, Pepper wasn’t really even sure what humans did with their time. Felix didn’t seem to be as crafty as Pepper, which made sense, considering the vast difference in what the two of them needed to do to survive. Pepper enjoyed sewing as a hobby, but at its core, it was a survival tactic for him. 

Felix’s hobbies revolved around music, which made Pepper wonder if they were possibly going to some sort of music performance. He had enough common sense to understand that humans played music for each other, much like how Felix sang onstage. Curious, and a little baffled, Pepper sank closer to Felix’s neck.

The sun beamed down on the two of them as they stepped outside into the parking lot. Self-conscious, Pepper clung to Felix’s silver hoop earring, gaze dancing. There were no other humans around, but he still felt overwhelmed in such an open space.

“How is Basil doing?” Felix asked as they approached his car. Pepper had only been inside it once, when Felix had rescued him and Basil from their kidnapping. “Settling in okay?”

The polite question helped to ease the tension between them. Pepper nodded, subconsciously tightening his grip on Felix’s earring as the human opened the car door with an unfathomable amount of casual strength. “Yeah, she’s doing really good, actually. Her room in the lounge is really coming together.”

The borrower smiled, recalling how he had spent the entirety of his Monday helping Basil to organize her new space. He knew from experience that the first few weeks of moving somewhere new could be emotionally draining, so he had been happy to help. “Her room finally looks like a home now, you know? It started off as this dark, dusty, empty space, but now it’s super cozy. She even took an old scarf from the lost and found and made some tapestries out of it to put around her room.”

“Aw, good! I’m glad things are going well for her.” Felix expressed his approval as he slid into the driver’s seat, careful not to jostle Pepper. His blue eyes were kind as they settled on Pepper’s reflection in the side mirror. “How often do borrowers move? It can’t be easy, right?”

Pepper hummed curiously, settling into the crook of Felix’s neck. Felix hadn’t made any indication to move Pepper down to the passenger seat, so the borrower got comfortable where he was. He paused to let the initial roar of the engine die down before he responded, gazing out into the parking lot as the car rolled into movement. “We don’t move around a lot, usually, but it depends.”

After a beat, Felix asked, “Where did you live before?”

“Your apartment is my third home,” Pepper explained, entranced by the movement outside. “I grew up in a bakery. It was this little place on a street corner, with all these cute green and pink decorations. It was nice, but it’s kind of a tradition for borrowers to move out of their childhood home once they’re an adult, so when I was nineteen, I moved into a new house— but the couple that lived there started setting out mouse traps, so I left. I moved into your apartment a little over a year ago, when I turned twenty-one.”

Felix’s eyebrows were high. He briefly pulled his gaze from the road to observe Pepper in the mirror. “You’ve lived in my apartment for a year?”

Pepper blinked. He supposed he hadn’t revealed the exact timeline before. “I guess I have.”

“Huh… I can’t believe I never noticed you.”

Pepper almost snickered. “Not being noticed is kind of the whole borrower thing, man.”

Felix released a sheepish laugh at that. “Right. Of course.” After a moment he added, “I’m glad I met you, though. Even if I wasn’t supposed to.”

Pepper smiled, absentmindedly threading his fingers into Felix’s vest.  “Yeah. Me too.” He decided not to make a snarky comment about the unfavorable circumstances in which they met, basking instead in their shared warm moment.

“You’ve mentioned the bakery before,” Felix added after a quiet minute of driving. “You grew up there with Basil, right?”

“Yep.” Pepper admired the buildings whizzing past them, bright and enormous. “She’s six years older than me, so she kind of took care of me.”

Felix’s brow furrowed out that. He looked as if he wanted to ask more, but changed his mind, nodding in response. Pepper blinked.

He had never really brought up his family to Felix— not only because it had never come up, but because he didn’t have much to say. His father had died shortly after Pepper was born, so he didn’t remember much about him aside from the brief feeling of comforting hands on his shoulders and warm, brown eyes. 

His mother, on the other hand, had left unexpectedly in the midst of Pepper's childhood. The rest of Pepper’s teenage years had been spent with Basil— then by himself, once Basil had inevitably moved out. 

“You have a sister, too, right?” Pepper finally asked, changing the subject. “What’s she like?”

Felix smiled. “Her name’s Kelsey. She’s really funny, and she’s so sweet. I think you’d really like her.”

Pepper blinked at that. It hadn’t really occurred to him until now that he might have to meet Felix’s family at some point, as absurd as it sounded. 

He vaguely remembered seeing Kelsey once or twice, when she had visited Felix’s apartment over the past year. She looked a lot like her brother, lanky and blonde, aside from the bright streaks of pink in her hair. Of course, back then, Pepper had never stuck around either of the humans long enough to get a read on their personalities.

“Does she do theater too?”

“Yeah, actually. For her it’s more of a hobby— she’s gonna go to college for economics— but theater definitely runs in the family.” Felix smiled. “She’s auditioning for Legally Blonde soon.”

“That’s a kind of musical?” 

“Oh— yeah. It’s a really good one.”

Pepper beamed, oddly proud that he had made the connection. It was nice to finally have a grasp on how human theater worked. “Well, wish her luck for me.”

Until Felix’s car pulled into the largest parking lot Pepper had ever seen, the borrower hadn’t realized how much time had passed. Suddenly remembering that they were on a date, Pepper straightened up, curious.

He examined the enormous gray building in front of them, brow furrowed. With a distinct lack of windows, the building was comparable to a cement brick. “Where are we?”

Felix parked the car. His black nails danced over the steering wheel, hesitant. “An art museum.”

Curiosity flickered in Pepper’s chest, and he leaned forward, searching the bland gray building. “Oh! It’s got a bunch of human art in it, right? Like, paintings, and stuff?”

Felix relaxed microscopically at Pepper’s positive response. “Yeah. I just figured you might be interested in this, because you’re so artsy, and stuff— is this okay? Do you want to go?”

“Yeah!” Pepper’s heart positively melted at the considerate gesture from Felix. “Yes, absolutely! Except— are there a lot of humans in there, usually?”

Felix shook his head, smiling. “It won’t be crowded, and if we do see people, we can avoid them. I checked online and they’re usually not busy on Thursday nights.” He hesitated briefly as he shut the car off. “Although, when we first go in, you might have to hide hide. Just for a few minutes.”

“That’s okay.” Pepper’s gaze danced down, searching for Felix’s messenger bag, but it wasn’t in the car. “Oh.”

Felix seemed to be hit with the same realization. The human pursed his lips, subconsciously patting himself down. “Oh,” he echoed.

Peering down the towering length of Felix’s torso, Pepper registered that he didn’t have any pockets on him, either. The borrower tilted his head, running his hand over the color of Felix’s white button-up.

When he had accompanied Felix to his audition, he had wedged himself between the folds of the fabric on Felix’s shoulder in order to remain hidden. However, if Felix needed to talk directly to another human in order to get into the museum, a simple fabric fold wouldn’t be enough to hide Pepper.

With a strike of inspiration, Pepper straightened up. “It’s okay— I can just…”

He faltered, self-conscious about what he was about to suggest. Meeker than before, continued, “I can just hide in your sleeve— you know, in your hand?”

He had been ready to announce the idea before he had even considered being scared. Hiding, trapped in Felix’s hand, with no knowledge of what was going on outside— it was a terrifying situation to put himself in, but he had a strange feeling in his chest that insisted it would be okay.

Only if Felix agreed to it, of course.

Felix’s blue eyes flickered, surprised, peering down at his hand. His thumb played with the sleeve of his white button-up. “That would be okay with you?”

Pepper shrugged, trying to play off his sudden wariness. “Yeah, it’s fine. Only for a few minutes, right?”

“Yeah,” Felix agreed, although he seemed to feel just as nervous.

It wasn’t a situation that either of them were used to. Felix had held Pepper before, obviously, but he always refrained from closing Pepper into a fist. It would be uncomfortable for both of them, especially considering that they could be surrounded by other humans. Pepper was willing to make it work, however, if it meant he could explore the art museum with Felix.

He didn’t know everything about human society, but he was smart enough to understand what a museum basically was. The idea enthralled him.

Once Felix was standing outside the car, ensuring that nobody was around, he lifted his hand to his shoulder. Pepper’s gaze dragged down from the enormous gray building— the museum, in fact, was the largest building he had seen in his life— to peer down at Felix’s palm.

It amazed him how quickly Felix’s hand had changed from a thing of terror to a comfort. Fingers as tall as he was curled inward, once threatening— but as Pepper stepped delicately onto the hand, he felt oddly protected by them. Something emotional shifted in his chest.

Felix moved his hand in front of himself, allowing the borrower to adjust before gently moving him to his non-dominant hand. Pepper immediately felt secured by the fingers curled around him, and he clung to Felix’s thumb and forefinger, acutely aware of how much power rested in his soulmate’s hands. His heart thudded on instinct, struggling to meet Felix’s gaze.

“Just a few minutes, I promise,” Felix said softly, and Pepper relaxed, nodding. He sent a lighthearted salute up, earning a breathy laugh. Moments later, Pepper was completely concealed from sight, as Felix tugged his sleeve over his hand. 

Pepper exhaled as Felix began walking, gaze dancing around the confined space. He wasn’t in complete darkness as his imagination had suggested he might; the sunlight filtered through the white fabric of Felix’s sleeve, providing the borrower with enough visibility not to go into a panic. 

The fingers around him were loose and accommodating, barely a fist at all. Pepper shifted into a more comfortable position, sinking into the warmth around him. He wondered if Felix could feel his heartbeat, with how his large finger was resting against his back.

His instincts murmured at him every time Felix’s fingers shifted around him, fleeting thoughts of being squeezed or dropped entering his mind. To be held like this was to completely surrender himself and trust Felix. He had no knowledge of what was going on outside— he just knew that Felix was with him, completely surrounding him with his presence. The thought left Pepper feeling somewhat dazed.

Pepper closed his eyes, resting his head back. He could hear Felix speaking to someone, and felt the shifting of gravity as Felix moved his hand, but he willfully ignored all of the noise in favor of peace of mind.

Felix was correct; it only took a few minutes for the sleeve to be tugged away. Pepper straightened up within Felix’s palm, squinting at the sudden onslaught of light, feeling like a frazzled baby bird.

Felix seemed to feel the same way. He hid a teasing smile, blue gaze dancing away respectfully as Pepper attempted to flatten his shaggy hair. “Sorry. Should’ve given you a warning.”

“It’s fine. As long as there’s no one around…”

Pepper trailed off. He had glanced around in search of other humans— but the room they were in was empty. Dark walls stretched around them, the floor expansive, and for a moment Pepper was reminded of being inside of the walls, with its enormous passageways and empty space.

Several gold-framed paintings adorned the walls, each one lit dramatically. Pepper’s breath left his body, and he immediately leaned towards the painting closest to them, attempting to see the little details. “Holy shit. Is this real?”

Felix seemed a little surprised by his reaction, but he approached the painting nonetheless, lifting his hand higher so Pepper could see. 

The painting beamed down at Pepper, an abstract rendition of two young girls playing on a swing set. Pepper wasn’t unfamiliar with fancy artwork, but this was the first time he had seen a painting with such detail or color. His gaze danced to the label below it.

“This is from 1986? These paintings are old!”

“You have no idea,” Felix teased, bringing his hand to his shoulder. Pepper quickly got the idea, scrambling up onto the dark sweater vest, double checking to make sure no other humans were in the room. “There’s artwork here that’s hundreds of years old.”

Pepper’s mind was racing. He had sewn clothes and drawn doodles in his journals for years, but most of his artwork tended to fall apart over time. It just seemed to be natural for paint to smudge and threads to wear down. He couldn’t imagine preserving something for hundreds of years.

As they examined the paintings surrounding them, Pepper rattled off questions, thrilled. A lot of things Felix couldn’t answer, because he wasn’t exactly a trained painter— but he was happy to see Pepper so excited.

Just as they reached the last painting, a young couple entered the room. Felix fell quiet at their presence, and after Pepper ducked against Felix’s neck in surprise, he took it as his cue to leave.

The panic in Pepper died down almost instantly as Felix moved to another section, filled with more paintings of wildly different styles. Pepper, recalling just how large the building had appeared from the outside, beamed with the realization of how much artwork there must be to explore.

The minutes flew by as they moved from painting to painting, speaking softly. Pepper remained enraptured the entire time.

“That one looks like you,” Pepper commented as they observed a painting of a tall, ghostly man. Felix snorted.

“Right. And you’re the bird.”

A tiny bird rested in the ghostly man’s hand, barely a stroke of paint. Cupped in the thin, pale fingers, the bird was barely noticeable.

Pepper blinked, then punched Felix’s neck. “Shut up.” 

The borrower was incredibly grateful for how quiet the museum was, something he hadn’t expected it to be. The borrower usually pictured every human structure to be filled with movement and noise— but the silence of the museum was a pleasant surprise. 

Pepper’s gaze drifted towards Felix, examining the length of his jawline and the smoothness of his cheek. The human was speaking quietly, discussing the origins of the painting in front of them, but Pepper was more focused on the movement of Felix’s jaw and fighting the sudden dizzying urge to reach out and touch it. 

Flushing, he turned back towards the painting, gently grasping Felix’s hoop earring for stability.

Only when they entered a room filled with towering human statues did Pepper remember exactly what he was— a borrower, currently on a date with a human.

A fluttery feeling filled Pepper’s chest, and he subconsciously straightened up, sending Felix a glance. He suddenly wondered if Felix had been on dates before.

The human had never mentioned any past romantic experiences, and the thought made Pepper feel a little uncomfortable. Was Felix comparing this date to any previous dates? Surely dating a borrower was significantly worse than dating another human, right?

“You okay?”

Pepper blinked, realizing he had fallen silent. His gaze turned towards a marble statue, towering over him, the details incredibly intricate. “Yeah, I… yeah. Sorry, just lost in thought.”

Felix’s voice was gentle, polite. Pepper momentarily hated him and his never-ending patience. “What were you thinking about?”

Pepper hesitated, drumming his fingers over his knees. For a moment, he thought about sharing all of these negative thoughts with Felix— but what would be the point? Felix had asked him out on a date, as soulmates. It didn’t matter what might have happened in the past.

Exhaling, Pepper dropped his shoulders, lifting his gaze to the next shoulder. A warm feeling in his chest, he inched closer to Felix, placing a small, steady hand on the human’s neck. He could feel the heartbeat underneath, quickening.

“Thank you for bringing me here,” Pepper murmured, heart fluttering.

Felix’s shoulder shifted underneath him, surprised, before the human spoke again. His voice was as gentle as ever. “Of course.”

-----

they can have one nice chapter where nothing bad happens. as a treat

happy pride month!

TAGLIST: @smallsday @compact-katrina @satethesatelite @taters169 @entomolog-t @gtzel @gt-newbie @da3dm @clumsiergiantess @vee-normous @fee-hunter @torakan @mabelisthebatman @andithewhumper @mothsintherain @violetlight @heroofthe13thday @phoenix-on-the-run @houseboatmac @dav8530

[littlejoyss]

Do you write for more than just Hyunjin? If so can I request a Felix fic where he is comforting a plus sized reader? -Thanks!

Yes! I write for OT8. Sorry for the late reply, life has been busy. Here is the fic :)

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚘𝚗 𝚒𝚜 𝙱𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚏𝚞𝚕

Stray Kids - College Au!Lee Felix x Plus Sized!Reader Warnings: Body image issues, bad self-talk, not proofread Word Count: 1.1k (short n sweet)

You and Felix have been friends since the beginning of freshman year, but your connection has always felt like something more. 

Sometimes, it’s in the way he insists on walking you home after a study session, brushing it off as “just being a good friend,” or how he remembers the smallest details about your likes and dislikes. Other times, it’s the quiet moments when you’re alone together.

Though you’ve never crossed the line into romance, there’s a subtle hint of it in your relationship, leaving you to wonder if Felix feels it too, or if you’re imagining it. 

You must be imagining it. He was handsome and you were…you. Chubby and shy. 

You tried not to think of it too much though. 

It’s a cool evening the city hums softly in the background as you and Felix walk side by side. He had texted you earlier, suggesting a late-night hangout, and you immediately said yes. 

Felix walks with his hands stuffed in his coat pockets, his breath visible in the cold air. “So,” he says, his voice low but bright, “are you ready for our adventure?”

You laugh softly, tilting your head. “Adventure? Isn’t this just us walking to the park?”

He grins. “A park at night is totally an adventure. Who knows what we’ll find? Maybe a stray cat or… a really questionable vending machine snack?”

You shake your head, biting back a smile. That’s always what Felix has done for you. He makes even the most boring things seem magical. 

When you reach the park, the two of you settle on a bench overlooking a frozen pond. Felix pulls out a thermos from his bag and offers you a cup of hot chocolate he made at home. You take a sip, savoring the warmth. 

His freckles are faintly visible in the dim light, and his expression is relaxed as he stares at the pond.

“Thanks for tonight,” you say softly.

He turns to you, his smile gentle. “Anytime. You know that.”

The moment stretches, the unspoken tension between you lingering like the mist of your breaths in the air. 

He speaks again, “The moon is beautiful, isn’t it?”

You glance up at the sky, the moon shining softly against the dark canvas of the night. It is beautiful.

You’ve read about that phrase before. It’s often used as a poetic confession, a subtle way of saying what someone might be too scared to say outright.

Your cheeks heat, the chill of the night doing little to cool the warmth spreading across your face. You glance at him, trying to gauge if he meant it the way you think he did. Felix is still looking at the pond, but there’s a slight tension in his jaw that wasn’t there before.

You take a steadying breath. “It is,” you reply softly, your gaze drifting back to the moon. You could leave it at that, let the moment pass as so many others have before. But you didn’t want to this time.

“Felix,” you say quietly, your voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you say that?”

He hesitates for a moment, then shrugs, his lips twitching into a nervous smile. “Because it is beautiful,” he says, his tone not entirely convincing. “And because… I wanted to know if you’d understand.”

Understand. 

Your hands tighten around the cup of hot chocolate as you muster the courage to ask the question you’ve been too afraid to voice for years. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

He exhales, his breath fogging in the air. “I guess I am,” he admits, his voice quieter now. “But it’s hard, you know? You’ve been my best friend for so long, and I don’t want to mess that up. But…” He trails off, his gaze dropping to the ground. “I feel like I’d regret it more if I didn’t say anything.”

Your heart feels like it’s going to burst out of your chest. You set the cup down beside you, your fingers trembling. “Say what?” 

He looks back at you, his expression raw and open in a way that you’ve never seen before. “That I like you. Not just as a friend. I’ve liked you for a while now. And I didn’t know how to tell you because… well, because I thought maybe you wouldn’t believe me.”

You blink, his words taking a moment to sink in. “Why wouldn’t I believe you?” 

Felix gives a soft, almost bitter laugh. “Because you never see yourself the way I see you. You’re kind and funny and smart. You make everything feel easier, lighter. And you’re beautiful.” His cheeks flush, but he doesn’t look away. “I wish you could see yourself the way I do.”

“I thought… I thought you were just being nice. That you couldn’t possibly…”

“Like you?” he finishes gently, leaning closer. “Why couldn’t I?”

“I just…” you stammer, struggling to put your feelings into words. “You’re you. You’re amazing. And I’m… me.” You look down at your body.

Felix's thumb brushes over your knuckles, a gentle, reassuring touch that brings your gaze back to him. "Hey, don’t say that. I like you exactly as you are. I don't care about anything else, just you.”

You blink, feeling a mixture of disbelief and something else you can’t quite name."But I’m not like-" you start to say, but he shakes his head, cutting you off.

"Stop comparing yourself to anyone else. You’re you. And that’s all that matters to me." His hand moves, slipping to the side of your face as he gently cups your cheek, his thumb brushing away a stray tear you didn’t even know had fallen. "I’ve always liked you for who you are, not some idea of what you think you should be. No matter what size you are and no matter what you look like, I see you, and you’re perfect. Every part of you."

"I don’t know what to say," you admit, voice small and unsure.

"You don’t have to say anything right now. I just wanted you to know how I feel." He lets out a small laugh, a nervous edge to it. "I’ve been wanting to tell you for a while now, but I didn’t want to mess up what we had."

Your heart beats louder, and the urge to close the distance between you becomes overwhelming. "Felix..." you murmur again, this time with a quiet, but genuine smile. 

His thumb strokes your cheek once more. "You’re perfect just the way you are,” he says again.

You find yourself leaning into his touch, your heart swelling, and before you know it, your lips meeting his in a kiss. It’s gentle at first as if both of you are testing the waters, but when his hand moves to the back of your neck and pulls you a little closer, the kiss deepens.

When you finally pull back, your faces are very flushed. Felix grins, his forehead resting against yours. "So," he says with a playful glint in his eyes, "was that okay?"

You laugh, your heart racing in a way that feels right. "Yeah, that was more than okay." You breathe out, "The moon thinks the sun is beautiful too."

[your-unfriendlyghost]

How I draw: Proportions/sketching

The first response to a few art questions from @johnny-and-clyde :))

sketching:

So I honestly used to be a lot more…intentional about my sketching?? Up until a few months ago I would draw out actual sketches that I’d then cleanly ink on top of in a separate layer, like this:

I’d try to keep things loose and easy, but I’m not fantastic at that lol

I have a tendency to over complicate sketches- It’s not super obvious here, but I did semi-map out the anatomy under the clothes and fabric folds. That’s probably a good thing to do, generally, especially since I was and am still learning anatomy.

I don’t do it much anymore tho, because I often got caught up in little details that just wound up covered by clothes 😭 So I generally focus on mapping out the clothing shapes over the proportions/ anatomy. Definitely study anatomy anyway tho- this only works for me nowadays because I did and still do study anatomy a lot lol

These days though, I don’t r e a l l y sketch that much. I mean, I do- but instead of making another layer and inking it, I kinda just clean up the sketch the way I would if I were using pencil and paper. I don’t have a lotta example images of this, because it goes from the sketch to the final lineart in one layer?

tried to reverse-engineer it here on this Angela drawing. idk how helpful that is tho lol.

Idk, most important thing for me while sketching is remembering that everything has a 3D form, and also to FLIP MY CANVAS FREQUENTLY so that it stays balanced lol. -also- I almost always take note of the ribcage, the clavicle angle, and the hip angle when planning poses

-And I consciously try to keep things from getting stiff, and think of the pose as an intentional composition. I actually struggle most with plain standing/walking poses, because I very often can’t think of ways to make them look…idk, interesting? That’s why it’s taken me so long to finish pt.2 of my Outsiders character designs- I can’t find good dynamic-but-also-stagnant poses for them

proportion:

Honestly man idk I just sorta say “fuck it we ball” and hope for the best. I used to think a lot more about this one but as it’s become more and more natural to me I become less and less able to define/describe it?? I dunno lol.

My art style is semi-cartoony, and honestly kinda inconsistent in terms of proportions. I generally aim for the hands to be similar in size to the face, and for the shoulders/chest area to have enough space to fit the clavicle…but none of this is really a conscious decision? It just sorta happens. The heads/eyes of my characters are usually stylized, and so the hands end up a bit bigger to match the faces, and I tend to exaggerate muscle mass but not really muscle definition…And I also stylize things for characters to better contrast each other. For example, I’ve noticed I draw Steve Randle stockier/bulkier than he is to better highlight Soda’s slenderness.

(see how they’re not as drastically different in build as I draw them? Steve seems bulkier mostly cos he’s shorter but has a similar amount of mass I think) (don’t quote me on that tho idk how to put this shit into words lol)

I have a pretty decent idea of how proportions are supposed to work from years of studying them, and I have no idea how to explain any of it. Just…do a lot of figure and gesture drawing, use a lotta refs, and it’ll make sense eventually 😭

[mystycalypso]

do you have any advice for drawing in the ok KO artstyle? Awesomesauce AU btw I’m actually going to eat it

Okay so, I'm gonna try to do my best to do this- like professionally ig? Because I know saying "Dude I just fuckin go in" does not help anyone at all ever. I spent the last couple drawings I did over analyzing how I draw just for you guys.

And so you get the full explanation, I'm going to do a screenshot edit for this. It's basically how I draw in the style but just with a few extra steps to show how I've accidentally fooled people into thinking shots exist in the show when- they don't.

We're gonna use this shot of Carol, because the redesigns for Rad and Enid aren't done yet, and I like her posing.

This is the brush I use, at size 1-2px depending on the line thickness, canvas size, etc. If you're unsure how thick yours should be, try drawing over one of the lines on another layer/in another colour, does it match the original lineart pretty closely? Then you're golden. (Please note this brush kind of sucks with the bucket tool sometimes, especially with dark colours, so I recognize the lasso fill tool)

Now, shape language is very important in ok ko, (it's one of the reasons I love it so much) and every character is made up of very distinct shapes for themselves. If you can draw squares and circles, you're basically golden.

Here's a sort of- quick breakdown of the parts. Sometimes your squares might be more rounded, or your ovals a little more square, but this is generally how I break it down.

Now let's turn the opacity down on our original shot, add a layer and use our shape language to put Laserblast on top

Okay, not bad, but the issue now is he's still built like Carol. But that's okay, now that we know generally how the pose is laid out, we can adjust it to fit his proportions. If you're unsure of what those proportions are, try taking a shot of the character and drawing the shapes over them. THIS IS NOT TRACING. Breaking art down into shapes is vital to style studies and you're only using the original to understand how things are broken down.

Bam! Much better! And you can still see the squares, circles, and triangles he's made up of. Now we're gonna hide the scene beneath our sketch and lower our sketch opacity. If you have a reflection sheet of the character you wanna draw, that's probably already helped you with proportions, but it'll also be important to stay on model. (However, keep in mind, the model is not the Bible for this show's art style, and feel free to break away if it helps exaggerate the emotion or action you want to show.

In my case, my reference image is "Date Night Laserblast" for how he styles his hair, and his outfit.

BOOM SHAKALAKA, YES COB- Sorry

Anyway, you may have noticed his property got adjusted a little between the pose sketch and this one, that's totally normal. Sometimes you don't realize something looks off until after you're basically done sketching, and so you adjust the pose and sizes as necessary. Lasso tool is a digital artists best friend guys. (Admittedly normally I do all of this in one sketch layer, so if that works better for you guys too go for it, but I wanted to easily illustrate the differences for ya) Alright, now with everything but your final sketch hidden, turn the opacity down once more, and do your lineart!

Hell yeah! Next we're gonna colour in our flats. Now in most cases that'll just be- the normal colours of the character, but in this scene there's lighting changes. In most cases you can probably find an image to colour pick from of the character in a similar light, but if not you're just gonna have to use some colour theory. Which- there's way better tutorials on online, I cannot explain colour theory despite it being the part of art I've actually spent time studying.

Don't worry if the flat colours look a little funky on their own. Now we add a clipping mask to our flats, and add the highlights (most scenes/drawings won't require this, because they don't have fancy lighting) in this case like the shading, it's going to lean blue.

Now, you're gonna make a copy of this alone, if you're using ibis "Add from canvas" is what I use, or "Add layer from folder" if you have everything in a folder. Then unhide your background and cover up anything you don't want seen (I can't show that along because I've only got 10 images to explain this) I always do it on a separate layer just too erase any mistakes easier. It's basically a bunch of colour picking and continuing the background.

If you're not trying to make a screenshot edit, you don't need to do this next step. All it's for is to help create that imperfect look a real snip from the show would have. You wouldn't expect the lines to be perfect and crisp when you zoom in.

Finally, take your copy of your character, in this case LB, and use the transform tool, drag the top right corner down until he's about half size (make sure you still have your original version/layers visible as well. Then click okay before transforming the tool again until they line up properly. DO NOT JUST UNDO YOUR TF OR DRAG IT IN AND OUT. It will look blurry, we want this. Turn that layer down to about 20-25% opacity. (your lines should look clean zoomed out, but slightly fuzzy when you zoom in) You should be left with something like this!

As for more general tips, don't be afraid to look at lots of references. The wiki practically knows my fingerprints from how often I look up shots to reference and my gallery is full of images I've saved to help me. Second, practice makes perfect. If you look back even to my earlier posts from this year, you can see a lot of improvements in how I draw the show's style. And there are still characters I want to get better at drawing. (The kids like Fink and K.O. especially)

And finally, as silly as it might seem, don't focus too hard on it! Ian said that one of the major design philosophies of this show was to make it look like doodles. Keep your hands loose and have fun making it look silly! Using and leaning into that philosophy has helped me improve drawing these characters so much. Even during serious-looking scenes, I'm not worried if the shot will look exactly a certain way, but treat it like a quick angsty sketch in my notebook. Don't worry about making it look perfect because the show isn't meant to look perfect.

[kimminsu]

Hiii your icons are so pretty, would you have a tutorial on them or tips on how to do it?

hello lovely and thank you so much!! i have been making icons for a long time, but have also just started with this style of icon, so i don't know how much of a help i can be but i'll try my best! i make all my icons in photoshop, but when i first started i used gimp, it works similar and i'd recommend it if you dont want to commit to ps just yet. this ended up getting kinda long because i went step by step on how i make my icons like the ones from this post, with a bunch of tips and tutorials linked, so i put it under a read more. i specifically go deeper into how to change the colours of his hoodie depending on your background/preferences. i hope i could help even a little bit!

1. the base

one of the first steps is deciding what you want the base to look like. you can do just a solid colour, gradients, patterns, etc. you can use the solid colours and gradients that are already a feature in photoshop, but there are also a lot of amazing resources and bases by other talented people either on here or on deviantart. just look up icon textures on deviantart, you'll be able to find a bunch of textures and pre-set gradients you can use as your base. this is a really great pack you can find on deviantart that offers a bunch of bases. if you'd like to make gradients yourself, here's a really good tutorial! i am not really an expert on explaining how to use textures because i've only really just started with headers.

2. the picture/png

onto the star of the show - the person you want to have in your icon. i usually get those from screencaps from whatever show/movie i am making icons of. you can get screencaps of most shows and movies from screencaped.net. i then isolate the person i want to be in my icon so that the background is removed and transparent. you can do that yourself, here is a very good tutorial on how to do that in photoshop, or you can use other platforms like canva or adobe express, that have features to remove the background for you. you usually cannot adjust those, so if they dont cut out things the correct way you have to adjust in photoshop afterwards. when chosing a screencap you should make sure that the person and silhupette are clear and delinated from the background, without any obstruction in the foreground, so that you can cut out the entire figure easily without parts of their body missing. i usually also look for screencaps where the head and the sites aren't cut off, so that i can freely adjust the sizing and move the figure around. i also try my best to get a scene where the lighting is alright so that i don't have to fight for my life colouring it, but sometimes it can't be helped.

this is one of the screencaps i used for my recent eddie icons and it's a good example: his upper body is clearly seperated from the background, nothing is cut off, etc.

this screenshot is an example that i personally wouldnt use because there is a jug in the foreground in front of eddie that would be in the icon as well.

buck looks very cute in his lil hat but the shot is cut off on the right and on top, so i didn't end up using it either. you just kinda go through the screencaps you have (or take your own) and figure out which frames fit for the type of icon you'd like to make.

if you'd like to make screencaps yourself, here is an easy tutorial to follow!

3. basic colouring

when i make icons like these, i usually dont go too crazy with the editing, i mostly just adjust the lighting and colouring the create a well-lit base. here you can see the unedited png (first picture) and then once ive used a basic colouring (second picture).

this is a very good tutorial on basic colouring using curves, hues, etc, as i've done as well. it is for gif-making but those same editing steps can be applied to still pictures as well.

4. colour isolation

the icons i am currently making are in a style that you can see a lot around tumblr - where parts of the person in the icon, usually their clothes and other accessories, are edited to be a certain colour that matches the background, and that colour can be changed to match different bases. you can see that the hoodie eddie is wearing has a different colour to match the different colours of the background.

i desperately tried to find the tutorial that i used to learn how to do this but i can't, so i'll try my best to explain it myself (brace yourself). i have seen people do this by drawing onto the png, but i use a different method. for this you'll need to have some basic knowledge on layer masks.

we're gonna start with our png image that already has the colouring applied to it (1).

now, click on the layer and add a solid color layer (2). you do that by clicking the symbol i've marked on the bottom and then selecting "solid color...".

in the screen that pops up now you can select the colour you would like the accents to have (3). choose the colour you want and then click "OK".

your entire image should be in the colour you chose. now right-click on the solid colour layer in the layers panel on the right and select "create clipping mask" (4). this will apply the solid colour layer only to the cut out of your lil guy. it should looks like this now (5).

now we're going to adjust the blend mode. right now it should be set to "normal" (6). click onto the drop down arrow and select the blend mode "colour"(7).

now we can see eddies features again! now we want to edit it so that the pink is only on the parts that we want to be colourful. for this left-click on the white box in your solid color layer (8) so that it's selected. after that select the brush tool (9) and make sure it's set to black. we use black to take colour away and white to add colour back in.

now go over all the parts that you don't want to be colourful. if you accidently take too much away don't worry, just switch the brush colour to white and go over what you want to add in again. it looks like this (10) for me afterwards.

you can change your colour if you double click on the little pink box of your colour layer and adjust it however you want.

5. adjustments

after i've done everything listed above i usually group the two layers (your cutout and the solid colour layer) together so i can move them as one (11). after that i pull the group over onto my base and adjust it so that fits properly (12).

now that the cutout is on the base layer i usually go in to properly adjust the colours and make sure the colours on the cutout match well with the background. you can do that by changing the colour manually or using the eyedropper tool. and voilá! i know it sounds like a lot right now reading this, but once you've gotten the hang of it, it really isnt that hard.

i hope this was at least somewhat understandable and that i could help a bit! there are a ton of amazing tutorials out there for all parts of editing and photoshop in general that go deep into details in case there is a specific part you want to learn more about. for now i hope this gives you at least a small overview.

[spacechild-glitchypix]

How to position facial features for the Our Life sprites

Idk how many people need this tutorial (especially since I kinda sat on it for like a month...whoops) but I noticed people were starting to make more sprite edits and videos using the in-game sprites and I thought having this tutorial might help for those of you who don't know exactly how to place the expression layers for the sprite.

Part 1: What am I talking about?

Ok so some of you may be reading the post title and thinking "what the hell does that mean?". For those who are unaware, if you decompile OL1 and OL2, you can find the sprites used for the characters in the game. These files are generally in character folders that contain all the bits for each sprite as well as several versions of the sprite itself in different outfits. All these base sprites files look a little like this

You may have noticed the glaringly obvious detail that Qiu here is missing most of their face. That's because there are several seperate images used for their eyebrows, eyes and mouth. The reason they're all seperated like this is to give more creative freedom over expressions than what would be allowed if there were just already a set number of sprites with set expressions

However, if you want to make a spite edit video, that means you have to piece all the expression layers over the sprite and, since the expression layers don't have the same canvas size as the sprite, you have to actually place them on the face yourself. This can lead to stuff like this.

If you're looking at this and thinking it doesn't look quite right, you're correct. This is the issue you're noticing

This is generally what happens when you try placing expression layers by eye, you end up sort of assuming you've got the right spot when you're actually slightly wrong. And this is gif just shows the facial features in the wrong spot vertically

So, I've explained the problem, now how do you fix it? It's simple actually.

Part 2: The actual tutorial part

What you'll need:

The sprites and expression layers you need (this tutorial assumes you already have the game decompiled. If you don't and have no idea how to do so, here's a tutorial for just that)

An editing software that has a tranform tool such as Photopea, Photoshop, GIMP, etc.

Step 1: Open up the sprite you want to use in your image editing software of choice and import in all the expression layers you want to use

Step 2: Open up the transform tool on your editing software. Where this is may vary, on Photopea and Photoshop you can open up either through the shortcut alt+control+t or clicking on edit in the top bar and selecting Free Transform from the menu. If you don't know where the transform tool is in your software, I'd suggest looking it up

(A showcase of where the tranform tool is in Photopea and Photoshop)

(What the transform box should look like

Step 2.5 (This might be photopea specific, idk if other software does this): If your transformation tool box looks like this, cancel out of the tool (using the little x button on the top bar) and then open the transformation tool back up again. Make sure you're not selecting multiple layers and also make sure you didn't open the tool with the transformation controls tick box from the top bar. If none of that works, just delete the layer and grab it from your folder again and try again

Step 3: With the transform tool still open on your desired layer, move the layer so that it snaps against the corner of your canvas. Your image editing software should automatically have layer snapping enabled but, if not, I suggest looking up how to turn it on. If it doesn't have this, the best suggestion I have would just be to make sure the corner of the transform tool's box and the corner of the canvas allign. Zoom in if need be. You then repeat this process for the other expression layers (and any other layers that aren't automatically allighned like the blush layers or the tear layers)

(Notice the red lines that show up when it snaps against the corner)

Step 4: Export your sprite file because that's it, you did it! Now you have a sprite with the layers placed in the right spots! Isn't that great!

...(maybe I should've chosed a happier expression for this...)

Anyways, I hope this helps!

[leading-manhattan]

Dysfunctional || Modern AU

You can also read on Ao3!

David is dead on his feet. After a day of morning classes and the shift he picked up at the restaurant he feels like every spark of energy he had in him has been drained away. The only thing keeping him from sitting down in the stairwell of the apartment complex and passing out then and there is the promise of Jack waiting for him up on the second floor. There's nothing more satisfying than shoving his keys into the lock and pushing open the door. Unsurprisingly the lights around the flat are all on. It's not a big place by any means, they were two broke college kids lucky enough to find an affordable single bedroom near campus, but Jack often flipped on all the lights when he was working late into the night on a piece. In the center of their living room Jack's easel was set up with a medium-sized canvas nearly finished perched in its grip. Hence the lights.

David throws his keys on the counter, glancing around the space to see if Jack is in the room but quickly coming up short. He takes another look at the painting and furrows his brow. He recognizes the painting, splashes of navy and shades of purple that he couldn't name flowing together in a brilliant forest scene, it was the same commission Jack's been working on for the past week. The same commission that Jack's client was supposed to pick up tomorrow. It should've been finished by now so it'd be ready to collect by the evening after Jack wrapped up his classes. 

"Jack, I'm home!" David calls just in case Jack didn't hear him come in from, he assumes, the bathroom. A soft grunt comes from the couch, the cushions blocked by the back facing the door, and a sense of dread starts to stir up in David's gut. "Jackie?" He murmurs much softer into the quiet air of the apartment, slipping his bag off his shoulder and hanging it off the back of one of their dining chairs as he makes his way towards their makeshift living room.  

He's close enough now to see just who's on the couch and his chest constricts at the sight of his boyfriend. Jack is stretched out on his side, head propped up on one of the throw pillows, staring listlessly at his unfinished painting. He's still clad in the tank top and sweats he was in this morning when David left, streaks of paint scattered about his arms and clothes, and his eyes look so dead that for a moment David doesn't feel like he can breathe. He gently bats his anxiety aside and lowers himself slowly onto the armrest by Jack's feet. David swallows thickly, trying to think of the best way to approach this, but ultimately tries to take a casual approach.

"Is this the one you were working on when I left?" David asks softly, careful still not to break the fragile bubble that seemed to encase them. Jack offers another noncommittal grunt in response. David tries to push down the worry that flares cold and demanding in his chest. "I thought they were gonna pick this one up tomorrow, did they say they couldn't make it?" He presses tentatively.

Jack makes a choked sound deep in the back of his throat and David feels like his whole world collapses when Jack's lifeless expression cracks and tears quickly flood his eyes. Jack curls up, arms wrapping around his middle and legs pulling up to his chest, and David immediately jumps into action, leaping from his seat and immediately rushing to Jack's side. It's an awkward fumble lifting Jack up from the cushions high enough so that David can slip onto the couch but he manages and settles Jack lovingly against his chest. Soothing words spill from David's lips as he holds Jack tight, pressing soft kisses into his hair while Jack trembles violently with the force of his repressed emotions.

"I just couldn't do it," Jack gasps, arms uncoiling from his waist to latch desperately onto David's work shirt. He's sure there's a sauce stain on him somewhere but neither of them is in any mindset to care. "I was so prepared to finish it today, I was, but then I just sat down and suddenly it was like I couldn't get up and I-" Jack chokes on his words, a strained sob ripping from his throat.

David feels even more helpless than he did before, arms tightening around Jack while the other man tries pathetically to hold himself together. David's familiar with executive dysfunction, his anxiety has put him in very similar positions to Jack, but he also knows that there's nothing he can really do now to help. It was far too late for Jack to try and finish this painting for his client and Jack had classes tomorrow that he couldn't taint by pulling an all-nighter anyway.

"Hey, hey, hey," David says frantically into Jack's hair when he hears Jack's breath hitch. "It's okay, baby, it's alright. You can have an off day, that's okay." He promises warmly, nuzzling the top of Jack's head softly. He projects as much care and assurance into every movement, throwing himself into the act of holding Jack together.

Jack sniffs and shakes his head, burying his face into David's chest, "I gotta have this done by tomorrow. Ain't no way I'm gonna get this finished. They're gonna drop me and then I'm gonna 'ave a random paintin' I won't be able to sell." There's an undercurrent of anger and bitterness wrapped in Jack's sorrow and David hates how much self-loathing he can hear in Jack's voice. He slides a hand up Jack's back and runs his fingers soothingly through Jack's hair.

"How about this, huh? You're gonna tell the guy that you need a couple more days-" Jack looks up and opens his mouth to protest but David presses a swift kiss to his forehead to silence him. "And if the guy is a big enough asshole that he can't understand than I promise you so many people would love to get their hands on that painting. Jack it's gorgeous. No matter what you're gonna sell it." There's not a doubt in David's mind that if Jack were to list his painting somewhere it'd sell quickly. Jack was incredibly talented and even if he only did commissions sparingly there were plenty of people around the campus familiar and infatuated with his work. Jack's biggest critic was himself.

Jack lets out a watery laugh, offering David a shaky smile that nearly melts him with relief, "Just like that, huh?" Jack asks.

"Just like that." David promises easily. Jack swallows thickly, gaze drifting back to the unfinished painting that was taunting him a few feet away. "Hey, how about we turn off all these lights and order in? We can put on one of those musicals you like." David is determined to keep Jack's focus away from the easel that Jack's been lost staring at for who knows how long. If Jack sat down and just couldn't get himself back up David wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't eaten anything all day and that just wouldn't do.

Jack snorts, unclenching a hand from where it was fisted in David's shirt to wipe away the tears in his eyes, "Shuddup, Jacobs, don't act like you don't like 'em too."

David finally relaxes as the dread and worry start to uncoil. It makes room for the fondness and love that Jack imbues in him. "Yeah, they aren't so bad." He concedes agreeably. David didn't mind musicals but he'd be lying if he said that Jack singing along wasn't his favorite part.

"Can we get Chinese from that place over in Queens?" The tension is bleeding out of Jack's body and without it he melts against David's chest. He's quickly becoming a dead weight, perfectly pliable, and while this makes it a little harder to get up and turn off the lights David can't really say he minds.

"Of course we can." David nods easily, still carding his fingers through Jack's dark hair. Jack sniffles and turns his face into David's chest once again. The feeling of defeat and guilt isn't just going to leave but David's still glad to see that he's helping to make it more bearable.

"You're covered in sauce," Jack mumbles, a whiny note to his voice.

"You're covered in paint." David throws back.

A pause. "Touché."

[marsbar17]

Here's a part 3 to Apex Legends figuring out you're a masochist. there'll probably only be one or two more parts so let me know if you want more! And requests for your favorites are always welcome :)

CONTAINS: NSFW, overstimulation, understimulation, sex toys, bondage, spanking, size kinks, strap ons, crying, slapping, choking, slight exhibitionism

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

•Rampart

Okay look, this woman is an engineer and a girlboss, she will build makeshift fuck machines. Shes super into testing your limits and overstimulating/understimulating you until you're numb. She's honestly probably the one that asked you about it instead of the other way around. When you agree, and even show an interest in it, she gets that look in her eyes that says "you might regret that." But even when you're 10 orgasms deep and she's still got a vibrator on high attached to your most sensitive parts, you don't regret a thing.

"Crying already? Wanna tap out? Or are you too tired to even speak, doll."

Overstimulation, understimulation, so so so many toys, especially vibrators. She wont really hurt you other than maybe tying you down a little too tight.

•Horizon

Okay, she's just too nice for this prompt, I just want her to hug me :(

She'd probably hug you when you tell her you're into pain dhdhnsja, like "oh dear, who hurt you." She'd somehow find a way to make you feel the same pleasure without the pain part. She's just fully praise and soft touches, she'd make you feel so safe and nice. I'm sorry to all the masochistic Horizon simps but if you specifically request it I can try to do it.

•Fuse

SPANKING, SSSPPPANNNKKIIINNGGG, SPANKING AND SIZE KIIIINKKK. Look, this man would fix all of my daddy issues if he was real, that's all I gotta say about that. It starts off as him lightly spanking you to get you to ride him harder, but your reaction makes him do it harder next time. It's his favorite thing, watching the way the skin of your ass gets red and ripples everytime he spanks you. Sometimes he'll even do it with his metal hand for a change, never too hard, just for a different feeling. He also gets really fixated on the sight of him thrusting into you, he loves to watch as you stretch around him. He'll even buy bigger toys just to see you stretch around something bigger, hissing when the stretch is too much.

"What a pretty sight you are, all red and sensitive. Taking me so good, pup."

Please make this man real, I'm begging sjhdjsja

•Valkyrie

This is the type of woman to sit back and watch you bounce on her strap while she occasionally thrusts up or spanks you to get you to go faster. She's not into hardcore sadism masochism stuff, but she'll spank you, grab you, pull your hair, anything to get you crying pathetically on her cock.

"Look at what a mess you are, baby. It's so fucking hot."

Spanking, hair pulling, light slapping, light choking, overstimulation, all that type of stuff. She just wants to see you crying your eyes out cuz it's so good. Any makeup you have on is sure to be running down your face way before she's even close to done with you. She takes pictures too, and sends them to her friends just to show how much of a slut you are for her.

•Seer

Look, this man in also an angel, the best you're getting is the burning stretch from his dick or the way he makes sure to go deep enough to hit your cervix (if you're femme) with every thrust. Other than that, he's slow and soft and just wants you to feel like you're in heaven.

"It's too deep? Nonsense, love. There's no such thing as too deep."

Man's a fan of understimulation, just making it so you cum even harder when the time comes. He wants to see every reaction your body has, every twitch of your legs, every deep shuttering breath you take, every feature of your face as you get the most overwhelming orgasm you've had in weeks. He's into art afterall, and you're the perfect canvas to paint.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for reading! Requesting takes like 30 seconds and helps me know what to write, so please do!

[galaxysupreme17]

AU - A Fresh Start

Y/n = Your Name

Rio Vidal x daughter!reader!

The U-Haul's engine groaned as Rio reversed it into the driveway, the sound cutting through the stillness of the Westview cul-de-sac. Y/n sat in the passenger seat, fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie, her expression a mix of exhaustion and apprehension. The modest two-story house before them had a charming, albeit slightly weathered, look-a fresh start in every sense of the word. The pale blue paint was chipped in places, and the flowerbeds framing the porch were overrun with weeds, but it had potential. It was a blank canvas, waiting to be filled with memories.

"Well, kiddo," Rio said brightly, killing the engine and turning to face her daughter. "Welcome home."

Y/n gave a small, tight-lipped smile, her gaze lingering on the house. She wasn't quite ready to call it home, not yet. The word felt too big, too heavy, like a sweater two sizes too large.

Rio hopped out of the truck with practiced ease, clapping her hands together. "Let's get to it. The sooner we unpack, the sooner we can find where I stashed the Pop-Tarts."

The first box they carried inside was labeled "Essentials" in Rio's loopy handwriting. It was stuffed with mismatched mugs, a kettle, and the instant coffee packets that Rio swore by. The house was eerily quiet, its walls bare and rooms echoing with their every step. Y/n gravitated to the living room, where a large bay window let in the morning sunlight. She perched on the edge of a moving box, eyes scanning the unfamiliar space.

The emptiness felt oppressive, almost as if the house itself were holding its breath. Yet, the sunlight filtering through the window caught the dust motes dancing in the air, giving the room a fragile sense of warmth.

Rio emerged from the kitchen with a roll of packing tape in one hand and a triumphant smile. "Alright, soldier, what's next?" she asked, her voice upbeat despite the dark circles under her eyes.

"Unpack the Wi-Fi," Y/n quipped, earning a laugh from her mom.

Rio shook her head, grinning. "Nice try. But first, we conquer the kitchen. Can't live on sarcasm alone, kid." She ducked back into the other room, leaving Y/n alone with her thoughts.

Y/n sighed, her fingers tracing absent patterns on the dusty surface of the box beneath her. The idea of a fresh start sounded good on paper, but in practice, it was heavier than the heaviest box in the U-Haul. Still, her mom's laughter made the weight a little easier to bear. Maybe, just maybe, this house could feel like something close to home someday.

It wasn't long before they fell into a rhythm. Rio attacked the kitchen with the precision of a seasoned general, unloading boxes and arranging utensils while muttering to herself about where the cutting board had vanished to. Y/n, on the other hand, claimed the upstairs bedroom with the window overlooking the street. It wasn't the largest room, but the view of the quiet cul-de-sac had a strange sort of charm.

Her bedframe was a puzzle of wooden planks and screws, but she tackled it while on FaceTime with her best friends, Kate and Yelena. The two chatted nonstop, their voices a familiar comfort that filled the quiet house, bouncing off the bare walls and making the emptiness feel a little less oppressive.

Menwhile in the kitchen, Rio stood surrounded by a sea of half-unpacked boxes, each one promising hours of work ahead. She sighed, running a hand through her short curls, her eyes scanning the chaos. At her feet was a battered cardboard box labeled "Memories," written in thick black marker that had long since started to fade. She hadn't planned to unpack it just yet-it always brought with it a mix of emotions she wasn't sure she had the energy to confront today. But when she knelt to move it aside, the lid popped open, revealing a cascade of papers, old photos, and trinkets.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she sank cross-legged onto the tile floor, lifting the first few items off the top. Her hands paused on a piece of faded construction paper, the edges crinkled and soft with age. She picked it up carefully, as though it might crumble if she held it too tightly.

The drawing was simple-a stick-figure woman with a wild mop of hair that went in every direction, holding the hand of a smaller stick figure. Both had wide smiles and large, unevenly colored-in eyes. The woman had three, for reasons Rio could never quite figure out, and the small figure was labeled in shaky, oversized letters: Y/n (Me).

Rio let out a soft laugh, her chest tightening in a way that was both painful and warm. She remembered the day Y/n had drawn it-she couldn't have been more than four. They'd been sitting on the floor of their old apartment, crayons scattered everywhere, Y/n chattering non-stop about how she was going to draw a picture of "us." It had been a good day, one of the rare ones during a time when life had felt overwhelming.

Her fingers brushed over the crayon marks, and she could almost hear her daughter's tiny voice explaining that the extra eye was "for seeing everything, even behind your head." A lump rose in Rio's throat as the memories washed over her. She had missed so much. Too much.

Shaking herself from her reverie, she stood, still holding the drawing. Her bare feet padded softly on the hardwood as she made her way upstairs, following the faint hum of Y/n's voice. She paused at the top of the stairs, just outside her daughter's room. The door was ajar, and from inside came the sound of laughter.

"So, when are we coming to visit?" Kate's bright and cheerful voice asked.

"Spring break sounds good," Yelena's voice chimed in, drier but no less warm.

Rio peeked through the crack in the door, leaning against the wall. Y/n was perched on the edge of her bed, one hand gripping her phone, the other using a screwdriver to tighten the last bolt on her bedframe. She was smiling-really smiling-as she bantered with her friends on FaceTime.

"We'll give your new town a proper inspection," Yelena continued. "See if it's up to our standards."

"It's Westview, not Paris," Y/n replied with a snort, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"Details," Kate declared dramatically.

Rio lingered in the hallway, her heart squeezing at the sight of her daughter's easy grin. It had been a hard move, and she'd worried endlessly about whether this new start would be too much, too soon. But here was Y/n, finding joy even in the midst of upheaval.

She straightened, knocking lightly on the doorframe before stepping inside. Y/n glanced up, her eyes widening slightly in surprise.

"Hold on, Mom's here," Y/n said into her phone, tilting it slightly to show her friends.

Rio stepped closer, holding up the crumpled piece of construction paper with a smile that didn't quite hide the shimmer in her eyes. "Look what I found."

Y/n's brow furrowed for a moment before recognition dawned. She set the screwdriver down and took the drawing, her lips twitching into a smile.

"Is that supposed to be you?" she teased, tilting her head.

"Obviously," Rio replied, placing her hands on her hips. "And that's you, in case you couldn't tell. You always gave me three eyes for some reason."

The voices on the phone erupted into laughter, and Y/n joined in, her gaze softening as she stared at the old drawing.

"Hang it up!" Kate called out. "It's a masterpiece!"

"Gallery wall material," Yelena added with a smirk.

Y/n smirked, running her thumb over the crayon marks. "Maybe," she murmured.

Rio placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder and squeezed gently. "I thought you might want to keep it," she said softly, her voice thick with emotion. "A little reminder of how talented you've always been."

"Talented, huh?" Y/n replied, raising an eyebrow.

Rio grinned, pressing a quick kiss to the top of her daughter's head. "You'll see. One day, that'll be hanging in a museum."

As Rio turned to leave, she glanced back, watching as Y/n propped the drawing up on her desk where the sunlight caught it perfectly. It was a small thing, but it felt like a bridge-something familiar in the middle of all the change.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, the house felt a little less alien. The living room had transformed into a cozy makeshift setup: an old rug Rio had unrolled earlier in the day, their "Essentials" box doubling as a coffee table, and a stack of mismatched blankets shoved into the corner. The faint glow of a lone floor lamp bathed the space in warm light, softening the sharp edges of their disarrayed surroundings.

They celebrated the day's progress with greasy takeout from a local diner that promised "the best burgers in Jersey." An old rom-com played on Y/n's laptop, perched precariously on the makeshift coffee table. The two of them sat cross-legged on the floor, chopsticks in hand, their laughter filling the room as they watched the bumbling protagonists navigate an absurd series of misunderstandings.

"Okay, seriously, who proposes with a karaoke machine?" Rio asked between bites, her voice tinged with mock outrage.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Y/n replied, though her grin betrayed her.

Rio raised an eyebrow, gesturing at the screen with her chopsticks. "Sweet? It's a disaster. This poor guy's going viral for all the wrong reasons."

"That's the point, Mom. It's supposed to be cringe-worthy."

"Mission accomplished," Rio muttered, earning a snort from Y/n.

As the credits rolled, the empty takeout containers were pushed aside, replaced with mugs of hot tea Rio had brewed using the kettle from their essentials box. The steam curled lazily upward, carrying the faint scent of chamomile. Y/n tugged a blanket around her shoulders, leaning back against the couch with a contented sigh.

"Tomorrow, we tackle the garage," Rio announced, holding her mug aloft like a general issuing orders.

"Tomorrow, I sleep in," Y/n countered, her words muffled as she burrowed deeper into the blanket cocoon.

Rio smiled, setting her mug down before reaching over to pull her daughter into a side hug. "Deal," she said softly, resting her cheek against Y/n's hair.

They sat there in comfortable silence for a while, the faint hum of the laptop's fan the only sound in the room. Outside, crickets chirped, and the occasional car passed by, but inside the house, it felt like their own little world-a fragile, imperfect bubble of peace.

"You know," Rio said after a moment, her voice quiet, "we did pretty good today."

Y/n glanced up at her, her expression soft. "Yeah, we did."

Rio's arms tightened around her daughter for just a moment before she released her. "Alright, soldier," she said with mock sternness, ruffling Y/n's hair as she got to her feet. "Time for bed. We'll need our energy for tomorrow."

Y/n groaned dramatically, dragging the blanket over her head. "If you wake me up before ten, I'm moving out."

Rio laughed, collecting the empty mugs and takeout boxes. "Noted. Sleep tight, kiddo."

The next morning, Rio stood on the porch, armed with a cup of coffee, a roll of duct tape, and a determination to fix the mailbox that leaned like it had just endured a hurricane. She crouched down, examining the wobbly post with a sigh that was equal parts frustration and resignation.

"Gonna fix it with sheer willpower, or does that duct tape come with instructions?"

The voice startled her, warm and laced with humor. Rio turned to see a woman standing at the edge of the driveway, her dark hair streaked with silver catching the morning sunlight. She held a basket of fresh herbs, her expression amused and inquisitive.

Rio smirked, holding up the tape like a prize. "Duct tape fixes everything. Pretty sure it's in the Constitution."

The woman laughed, stepping closer. "I'm Agatha," she said, extending a hand. "I live next door." She nodded toward the house with the perfectly trimmed hydrangeas and a porch swing that looked straight out of a magazine.

"Rio," she replied, shaking her hand. "Just moved in yesterday."

"Ah, the new neighbors. Welcome to Westview." Agatha's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "How's the house treating you? Still standing, I see."

"Barely," Rio quipped, gesturing to the mailbox. "Everything's a little... unsteady."

Agatha crouched beside her, inspecting the damage with an exaggeratedly serious expression. "This mailbox has seen some things. Battles fought. Stories told."

Rio snorted. "And I'm about to add duct tape to its legacy. What's your professional opinion?"

"Burn it," Agatha said with mock solemnity. "But if you insist on saving it, at least use a spell or two. Much faster than tape."

Rio blinked, unsure if she'd just heard a joke or a confession. "A spell, huh? Do I look like a witch to you?"

Agatha gave her an exaggerated once-over, grinning. "Well, you do have the duct tape. Pretty witchy vibes."

Rio laughed, shaking her head. "Good to know my magical aura is on point."

From the porch, Y/n watched the exchange, arms crossed and her expression unreadable. She hadn't warmed to the idea of moving to Westview, and the appearance of a quirky neighbor didn't exactly scream "fresh start" to her.

"That your kid?" Agatha asked, nodding toward Y/n, who was now squinting at them like a hawk sizing up a potential threat.

Rio glanced back, her features softening. "Yeah, that's Y/n. She's still adjusting."

Agatha tilted her head, her lips twitching in amusement. "Smart kid. Looks like she already suspects I'm trouble."

"She's cautious," Rio said, stifling a chuckle. "It's been a lot of change lately. We're both... figuring things out."

Agatha's gaze lingered on Y/n for a moment before she smiled. "Well, if you need anything-magical or otherwise-just knock. Westview's got its quirks, but it grows on you."

That evening, after wrestling with an uncooperative curtain rod for longer than she cared to admit, Rio heard the doorbell ring. She grumbled under her breath and glanced toward Y/n, who was sprawled on the floor, sketching idly in her notebook.

"Can you get that?"

Y/n rolled onto her feet, padding to the door. When she opened it, there was Agatha again, this time holding a pie. Its golden, flaky crust looked like something out of a cooking show.

"Thought I'd drop off a little welcome gift," Agatha said, her smile disarmingly warm.

Y/n blinked, caught off guard by both the gesture and the scent of cinnamon wafting from the pie. "Uh... thanks." She hesitated, then took the pie and retreated to the kitchen without further conversation.

"Who was that?" Rio called from the living room, triumphantly securing the curtain rod at last.

"The neighbor," Y/n replied, setting the pie on the counter. "She brought this."

Rio walked in, eyeing the pie and then her daughter. "Well, that's neighborly. See? Moving here might not be the end of the world."

Y/n rolled her eyes but couldn't fully suppress the small smile tugging at her lips. "Let's not get carried away. It's just a pie."

"Just a pie?" Rio scoffed, grabbing plates. "This is a gesture of goodwill. A pastry olive branch. You don't insult the pie, Y/n."

"Okay, okay," Y/n said, holding her hands up in mock surrender. "I'll respect the pie."

As they dug in, the house felt a little less empty. Maybe Westview wouldn't be so bad after all.

[aetherphobia]

NRC Oc #3: Salem Pachemi

Basics

Salem Pachemi (He/They), otherwise known as Sal, is a sentient life sized doll that is a Pomefiore student. He's a character who is twisted from Sally Skellington from The Nightmare before Christmas. In the game he would mostly just be a passing background character with a unique character design. But he does indeed have a story of his own! And I can't really get into detail with this section without spilling the entire thing so let's just move onto the quirks!

The quirks of Sal (Personality n stuff)

Sal is written to be rather shy and closed off, Which is very different from the usual expectations of a Pomefiore student. He spends a lot of time in his room sewing, sketching, and longing to be a part of something bigger. He feels he doesn't belong in Pomefiore and finds solace in a group of students who he shares a general aesthetic with. We simply call this group "the spookys", which is basically a group of other students who are also based on TNBC characters.

Sal likes to make gifts by hand, Mainly via sewing. He has a hobby to design clothing and sew them himself, picking out fabrics and putting his metaphorical heart and soul into it. He also offers to tailor clothing when asked for that sort of assistance. His talents are what outshine his looks and he holds that sentiment with pride. Despite his shy nature, he is still a very determined and hard worker with just about everything he puts his mind to. On another note, Sal is also rather paranoid with just about everything. He doesn't mean to be a downer most of the time, but if he gets a bad (metaphorical) gut feeling, it's not gonna go away for some time. He's wary about so much as the sounds of someone's footsteps and can even identify people by the way their shoes sound when they walk. It's a habit he learned at a young age that we will get into in the section after this next one.

Generally, Sal is a sweetheart that means well despite his paranoia. He's very awkward in trying to fit in with those around him, but he's really trying.

Funky party tricks (Talents and abilities)

Starting with the signature spell, it does not have a name yet (subject to change). But he has the ability to see glimpses of the future using dead plants as a canvas. He must be very detail oriented when using this spell, as it doesn't just spell the answers out to him. He must watch everything that happens to this plant, from every sparkle to sparks of flames, and he pieces together the answers from what the vision on the plant implies to him. When he wants specific answers for certain outcomes, he has to ask the plant a specific question before he does the spell so it doesn't just show him a random vision. Because of how detail oriented he is, he more often than not does get a pretty good idea of what the plants are trying to tell him. And his words are mostly accurate. This causes several students to occasionally flock to him to offer favors in return that he uses his magic to check things like whether or not they'll pass a test or if their crush will like them. Most of the time he declines unless it is a request from a friend. He can only use his sig spell three times a day. Any more than that and he'll be overusing his magic and would be at risk of straining himself. So he likes to use this power as sparingly as he can. Besides, his visions often tend to fuel his paranoia.

Trauma /j (Backstory, life back home)

Sal... Didn't really have the best upbringing. He was created by a mad scientist who originated in the Spectral Realm and moved to twisted wonderland to gain more knowledge on the living world. But this scientist wasn't in the best condition, finding it difficult to balance taking care of himself and focusing on his work. So to combat that, he decides to make a servant of his very own with fabric, dead leaves, and other definitely legal means. This experiment ended up leading to Sal's birth(?). Although for a while, he wasn't all that sentient. All he knew how to do up until he was 6 was to follow orders and do things like cook, clean, and generally take the role of a caretaker of his creator. However, Sal one day did gain sentience and a mind of his own over time. His creator wasn't all that fond of having to actually start treating Sal like a child and not walking free labor. And in a way, he kinda didn't. Only being a father when it was convenient to him and keeping Sal like a bird in a cage. But as you know, strict parents raise sneaky children.

Sal knows all of the shortcuts and escape routes in the book. Every way to tiptoe around anyone and go completely unnoticed. He has a habit of entering and leaving places via the window rather than the front door out of disliking the sound doors make when they open and close. He sneaks off to observe things like ongoing events and parties, wishing he could join in on the fun and dance along with them. But despite those silent wishes, he finds himself stuck in place no matter what

Relationships (Philia, Storge, Eros, etcetc)

(Wip, will get back to this later)

Closing message

Posting this sooner rather than later due to the upcoming event on Twst. I made Sal like a year or so ago and I just wanted to share him before he gets ripped off (/j)

Usually I would show off media like other art, picrews, rh screenshots, or maybe even a playlist link, but I kinda do not have any of those at the moment! I will update this post in the future for any changes that may be made to this character.

[java-dragon]

Covers Bookbinding for beginners by a beginner- The Home Stretch

*drinks half a gallon of coffee*

COVERS!

You've gotten your typeset done for the fic, you've battled the demon that is your printer, folded pages, stitched pages, glued pages, glued end pages, and end bands. Made the cover, covered the cover in potentially homemade book cloth.

Now it's time to design a cover.

It's time to make this thing into a fully functioning book and slide it on your shelf and have a nice bout of "Laying on the Floor while Questioning the Human Condition (TM)".

There are a few options.

It depends on what you want.

I can only take you so far with Cricut/vinyl applications. But I researched enough to maybe, MAYBE give you the run down on at least how to get your cover from Canva to the software to cut out your vinyl. I'll start there since this is what I know the least.

Open up your version of Canva.

Make a document, I've seen some fanbinders make all this in the cricut software but I can only smile and nod along. But for me- this is the best I've figured:

go to the search bar and type in book cover (or use the drop down menu) click on a random template.

Fiddle and fart your way into a design you like. Text and Font Options are available in drop down menus and find some designs that are "Easy to Weed" which I understand as "Getting rid of all the stuff that's not going on the cover".

For Example:

Do you like it? It took me 40 seconds, I'm very proud of it. But this isn't to impress you really I just need to show you how to save your file so you can make the leap from one software application to the next.

Hit "Share", Hit "Download", File Type- Hit the down arrow, Hit "PNG" I missed this for the first few times--- BUT!

Click the "Transparent Background"

If you're doing more than one colour Vinyl you're going to duplicate the page that is located right next to the lock icon above the document. Hit that. Delete the stuff that you want to be different colours. Otherwise it will just cut everything out as one colour and I've seen some vinyl covers that get damn fancy.

You can also build a title cover just measure the spine and height of your spine and rotate your text to horizontal if you please.

Now for how I do mine. I use Printable Iron On Vinyl. Keynote there is a difference, there is stuff for light fabrics, and stuff for dark. Choose for what your primary book cloth will be but the paper itself will be white.

Make your design.

I have 3 different covers for Celestial Navigation by Sabrecmc just because of how LARGE the fic itself is. I had to split the text block up for ease of handling.

I saved as a PNG, and loaded up my fancy printable vinyl into my printer and went through the software for printing, I had to do some fiddling but for my purposes I had to get the whole cover in the right size on the page- it took some fiddling yours might be simpler it might be more complex. But once I got it printed I trimmed off the white and was left with a peel-able rather velvety feeling thing.

Remove the backing. Get the iron on and go low and slow with the provided barrier material to prevent melting and damage to the print you've just done.

I made spines as well and made an 11 x 8.5 (Or brochure template)

And lined up my spines accordingly as to not waste materials. There will be grids that pop up automatically to let you know if things line up.

Print them out on the "highest quality" out put for your photo software.

It peels like a sticker. It may take a bit to get it going.

Line it up as nicely as you can on the cover (double check on the still exposed board).

There is a protective sheet that comes with it USE IT. Set your iron to a low heat and move it around frequently.

If you're in a relatively humid area (I live in a coastal town so the humidity is pretty high all year). Have a heavy book to squish your covers down with to try and get out any bends that may happen post ironing (also why we want low and slow).

Leave to cool.

Now you have a text block and a cover.

For all intents and purposes for my demonstration I'm leaving the spine off and am redoing everything with this fic from the ground up. There are aspects and mistakes that I have made that have irked my brain. So I will be leaving the spines off for this round. This is the learning curve and since a lot have things have clicked into place since beginning this series that have given me the "AH HA! CLARITY!" moment. I have completely reworked EVERYTHING in my text block of Celestial Navigation. Plus I've a perfectionist issue that is a lot milder than what it was.

But these two text blocks will work as my "Ground Zero" and will be the books I compare all potential future binds too.

As a note that I said in the beginning of this endeavor:

THIS IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK DO NOT SELL WORK THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!!!! YOU HAVE ASKED PERMISSION (I dearly hope) TO DO THIS DO NOT BREAK TRUST WITH THE AUTHOR.

IF You want to offer a copy to the author- GO FOR IT. Close friend that is showing interest in the fic?? Sure ok.

But if you sell it for monetary gain? I hope you stub your toe, and just before it finally heals you stub your toe again and may all your breakfast cereal turn to slugs.

DO NOT BE A DICK. I am writing this whole 'How To' Series as an experiment of Good Faith that you, the potential binder, will do right by the community and not compound an issue that has been cropping up. Etsy sellers, and this horrible Facebook community that will steal other's typesets, and begin selling them.

Like I said- this is a breech in Fair Use.

Now with that lecture, again, out of the way lets settle the rest of this series.

You will need:

Glue

Book Press

glue brush

Wax Paper.

Your Cover.

Your Text block.

Get your textblock and cover lined up with some wax paper in the middle of the decorative pages (if you're doing them other wise the page you glue down to the cover and the rest of the text block.

Fiddle, fart and dry fit until you are satisfied.

Lay down a layer of glue on the page NOT THE COVER ITSELF.

DON'T BE ME. I FUCKED UP HARDCORE AND DID THE COVER WITH THE GLUE. HOOOOO NELLY LET ME TELL YOU HOW BADLY THAT FUCKED SHIT UP.

HOW BAD WAS IT? BAD. VERY BAD. DON'T BE LIKE ME THAT FIRST ROUND, BE LIKE ME ON THE SECOND ROUND AND PUT GLUE ON THE END PAGE.

Line up the textblock for a final time and then apply the paper to the cover open the textblock and smooth what you just glued down. Flip over and repeat.

Then add weight to the text block put it back in your press, or if you're like me and have a reprint in the press just throw books atop the block.

Allow glue to cure over night.

Shiver, shudder, and lay on the floor. Your fic is now a book that you can put on your shelf.

Welcome to the wild wild world of bookbinding.

I've been your host trying their best to explain all the things.

I will likely continue this series with "OK SO I LEARNED SOME SHIT ALL THAT SHIT I WROTE BEFORE FEEL FREE TO LISTEN BUT I'VE GOT BETTER SOLUTIONS NOW" time stuff.

[goonersaurus]

how long does it take you to create a piece, start to finish? you are an artistic inspiration of mine and i am curious :)

I find myself struggling with drawing footballers in a stylized way instead of using a direct reference… it took me maybe 3-4 hours to do a semi-realistic piece vs 8 hours until i am satisfied with a art piece without direct reference (procreate). part of it perfectionism… i know it’s not a skill i’ll develop overnight but i want to create more freely if you have any tips.

i love your art dearly and i’m always happy to see it on my dash! especially the animated post of rice’s goals vs. real madrid, the color choice is so so cool. 🫶 have a good day

the last drawing of dec took, according to the procreate file, almost 8 hrs. here is my usual process + rough times for a drawing of that size:

1hr: look up the references (for football usually on getty images), draw the thumbnail sketch, choose colours and figure out composition 

1-2 hrs: do a secondary sketch, work out anatomical proportions

1hr: lines. trying to be precise while also dynamic. i think seeing this sketch with the colour sketch, to get a rough look at what the finished piece would look like, is very motivating. (very important as its easy for me to drop a work if im not motivated enough lol)

1-2hrs: colouring (least favourite part)

1-2hrs: details such as the kit designs, the ball, words, the little ornaments (i like this part even less)

then by this point, maybe about 30-60 more minutes would be spent with more tweaks, corrections, staring at the finished product lol

but this time i think i might’ve spent at least 2 hrs doing the animations despite it only being 6 frames in the end. i’m not used to animations but hopefully the more i do in the future the less time it’ll take me. 

also, i tend to waste a lot of time experimenting on the canvas or moving stuff around. i’m also held back by perfectionism, while it is great to hold yourself to high standards, getting bogged down in details seems to be a curse of many artists, so the common advice tends to be to let go of perfectionist proclivities, and trying to do so personally has helped me the past few years with getting progress on a piece. c:

i spend maybe from 0.5-3 hrs each day working on a piece, a lot of procrastination/pep-talking myself on the parts of the process i don’t like. 

these times vary depending on how many characters i’m drawing and the complexity of the composition. in contrast, this drawing of Miles Lewis Skelly took me 1.5 hrs. 

with footy art i also i use references a lot for faces and hair even though i suppose my drawings are very stylized, just to make sure they all look distinct. here are my recommendations for practicing the skill of reducing time on stylized art: 1. experiment with stylizing different facial features and body parts. 2. anchor it with practicing fundamentals such as anatomy proportions, skull construction, rendering 3d shapes, that kinda stuff. 3. exercises and tips on doing the above can be found on youtube. and take continuous inspiration from your favourite artists as well as master illustrators, animators, cartoonists, painters, sculptors, etc. character design references is an example of a solid, organized resource for this. 

thank you for the enormously lovely ask. there are times where i take about the same amount of time on a drawing as you do and i still have so much to learn about drawing >_<not sure of your skill level but i hope some of these tips can be of use to you. the world always needs more footy art so best of luck with drawing those footballers, i really look forward to seeing your drawings if you post them!