#thank you brain for letting me draw them when I had art block

[hitwiththetmnt]

I MADE MY IDEA! Spitfire AU

So this has been rattling around in my head for a while. Essentially it’s and AU based on the idea of the RISE boys having Nepo dragons as a fun combo between the 2003 dragon forms and the mystic magic of the RISE universe

I tried to take inspiration from the 2003 designs but also alter them to fit the RISE turtles personalities and powers

I’m working on developing this idea more (things like names and how this would run in the RISE universe) but I’m so happy I actually got to draw them ( ´ ▽ ` )

[theveryworstthing]

I'm Alive

I posted this on patreon so I might as well post it again here. Hopefully current and past patrons see this as well as people who have just been generally curious about where I've been.

I'm very sorry for not being around and I'm very grateful to those who stuck around. To those who didn't, I get it and I truly appreciate you passing through. 

Last year and the beginning of this year have been pretty bad. Some of you might have heard about my grandma's death and sadly, she was just the first of the family losses in the time I've been gone. There was also a friend's death discovery, my parents' health tanking, my friends Going Through It, and my own physical/mental problems. I didn't want to talk to the internet about these things because they were/are very overwhelming and private and tbh I used all my energy to help with the household and make sure work got turned in on time. When I had spare time after dealing with the near constant disasters, I didn't really feel like interacting with the internet at all beyond using it as a way to talk to far away friends (mostly to give them the thumbs up that i was alive) or watch/read things when my brain was less scrambled. Social media was an absolute no go and I didn't have any non-work art to post so I just kind of mentally crawled under the porch to die lol. 

I only drew work related things for months due to extreme burnout and it took me almost a month off after my last job to remember how to create again. I couldn't draw or write, it was kinda like art block except it was more like nothing was there at all? It's hard to explain. 

Things are still happening but I need to get back in the saddle eventually so here I am. 

I'm going to post the little art I did in June and all the sketches I did in January when I re-learned how to draw for myself. Again, I'm so sorry for being away without saying anything and I'm grateful to whoever threw me a buck, or even just casually enjoyed my art. Leaving like I did was really irresponsible and there's no excuse for not at least making a post about all of this sooner.  Every month I got a patreon payment was another wave of guilt because I literally couldn't give y'all anything but at the same time that money was letting me book flights to funerals and keeping my mom comfortable while she recovered from surgery right after I spent a lot of my savings in 2022 trying to fight my late cat's cancer. And then not posting about what was going on made me more anxious as time went on because there was more guilt every month so I felt like I needed to come back with a bunch of art and energy and good reasons and it was just. A Mess. 

But anyway.

I'm alive, I'm back. The Horrors persist, but so do I.

Thank you for your patience.

[oladthepancake]

HELLOOO EVERYONE!

✦ · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

HERE

LOOK

I put off publishing this post for a long time because I was too lazy to write all the information that I want to put here, but here I am, showing you my two models for vitubing, created entirely by myself with my own hands on my laptop!

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but before that I think it’s worth starting with an idea! And the idea came mega spontaneously:

This handsome man and I watched a couple of videos with Neuro-Sama and suddenly this dialogue appears:

- How about we become VTubers?

- seriously?

- yeah

- Let's go.

✦ · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Even though this decision was mega harsh and rather profane, it charged me with motivation and allowed me to get out of the art block a little

After all, I REALLY love learning new programs and things for myself.

✦ · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Time:

• 5 days to draw both models

• A week to animate them

Programs:

Krita (drawing)

life2D + his brother (animation of models and adding additional emotions)

Vtube Studio (Launch models)

Obs (video filming)

Energy Source:

God knows

✦ · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

So who were my victims of this experiment?

As expected, my avatar was my alter ego Temmie, and for our mega partner/boyfriend we chose his alter ego Sans from Freedomtale!

Since the path is completely new and unfamiliar to me, I desperately searched on YouTube for all kinds of videos and tutorials, as a result of which I found the most understandable and enjoyable series of videos from Lazu-Tan, which I mainly relied on when making avatars

Next, having found it on the Internet and installed the necessary programs on the laptop, I scribbled sketches that would later grow into models:3

after this stage there is a boring process of drawing the models directly, grouping a bunch of layers (a separate layer was needed for each moving object, such as separate layers for each strand of hair and grouping into a common group with hair. This was an unusual thing and made me really strain my brain)

Having saved both files in .psd format, I put them into a new program called Life2D! I needed this program to create animations of the very layers that I had distributed and grouped earlier. head turns, hair physics, eye blinks, additional emotions - this is all the merit of the great Life2D and those 43 days of the trial of the full version, which he so kindly provided me with for creativity... in fact, I thank you for the conditional “deadline”, because without it, God knows when I would have finished this project under other circumstances

When working, there were a lot of problems due to insufficient knowledge about the operation of the application, which is why sometimes I felt like a would-be programmer who couldn’t find an error in his code for several days (I tried to program, I know what I’m talking about)

It would seem hurray, everything is ready! however, here the finishing touches await us.

Those additional emotions (like blush, stars, tears) that should be activated by assigned keys must first be configured through a separate program that is installed with Life2D

in general, the procedure is not complicated, and I even found it somewhat pleasant

After this, the models can be considered ready, they just need to be put into the files of an application such as Vitube Studio, after which you can play your character at the camera or use them for streaming or making videos!

I published videos demonstrating the capabilities of my models on my YouTube

It was an ultra-mega interesting experience, and I will not hesitate to say this, and I am proud of the results:3

for streaming, however, all that remains is to turn my little potato into a more or less tolerable laptop, but I think sooner or later I will be able to solve this issue

@thefreedomskeleton

✦ · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Thank you if you are reading this and wish you a wonderful time of day!

[xxwelxx]

Can I request wxs at the beach!!

ANON I AM SO SO SORRY IT TOOK SO LONG

I hope u can accept WxS Alien Beach Wear as an apology and fulfillment of this request ;_;

(More under cut)

At first I tried a normal WxS at the beach, but for the LIFE of me I couldn’t do it, I still don’t know why. Maybe it was art block or smth. Still I couldn’t do it. THEN a few days I don’t know what possessed me and I was like “what if I drew alien wxs at the beach hahahahaha how hard can that be” suddenly my whole world was refilled with color and I finally had a clear vision of something I could do for this request.

Unfortunately that meant I needed to not only create spacey beach wear, but also I HAD to think of how a beach in outer space would look like for jelly aliens. (No one but myself is holding me to this standard)

This is where I must regrettably come to you a little empty handed, as I still have not fully figured out the logistics of how I’d want a space beach to look and interact with any characters I choose to put in it, let alone something I am able to DRAW. LIKE WHAT DOES A PALM TREE LOOK LIKE IN SPACE ?!?

I have a few ideas of what I’m aiming for, but there’s truly so many sparkles you can add to something in attempt to fix it before realizing there’s a lot more thinking that needs to go into this 🥀🥀

To what I did finish.. I didn’t think it would take this long either. Coming up with all the outfit ideas took like an hour. Actually drawing them and adjusting them to my liking took a couple more days. I breached a hundred layers on this canvas when my usual is around 50 layers on the heavier side. Working with transparency is a little tough because of that. I also had so much trouble with the anatomy for some reason n I still feel like some of the designs looked better in the sketches, maybe coz I’m not used to making bases or smth but WHATEVER I did it and it’s done.

That being said, I spent a lot of brain power on this and idk if it’s likely I’ll revisit them for a whileee. So if anyone else sees this and is interested in drawing them in these outfits or writing or anything, you can do so without asking (but do show me please I would sob if you did it would make me so so happy)

This wasn’t a complete waste for me though, as I’ve been thinking of exploring what they’d be like as aliens so I could create smth either by drawing or dipping my toes into writing.

Whatever the case, I want to thank you for sending me a request, it meant a lot to me. I like feeling that the art I spend time on is being seen by someone. Much love 💖💖

[insomniac-djmm]

Omg I saw that you accepted my request! Thank you so much :3. Soo I have another BATIM ask for sammy x reader (he’s my favorite) Sammy x artist reader? They can just draw casually or be an art department person or anything else I don’t mind

(btw I love your writing style so much!)

A Musical Muse: Sammy Lawrence X Artist! Reader

Summary: Sammy's lover has always had a knack for creating things, especially pictures. After a while of art block, they find inspiration in the man closest to them.

Character: Sammy Lawrence - Bendy and the Ink Machine franchise

Warnings: None! :)

Genre: Fluff

Author's Note: Thank you so much for your request, I really appreciate it! I absolutely LOVE writing for Sammy, he's got to be one of my all-time favorite characters! Thank you so, so, so much for the compliment on my writing style, by the way! It means so much to me! I hate to say it, but I did put this off until two days ago and did it during an all-nighter, so it's gonna be short and sweet, sorry :( I wanted it to be a bit longer, but I wrote the last sentence and thought that was a sweet way to end it :)Merry Christmas, and happy holidays!

Word Count: 509 words

"Uugghhh..." Y/N groaned, falling back onto their bed, holding their sketchbook and pencil in the air. For almost a month now, they would sit down with snacks and their art supplies, ready to draw, but the moment they picked up their pencil...

Nothing.

Their brain came up with nothing.

No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't think of a single thing they wanted to or felt like drawing. Either that, or they got side-tracked. "Curse you, art block..." They groaned, letting their arms flop down beside them.

"Art block?" Sammy spoke up, having just then walked into their room. It was one of those rare occasions when Joey let him actually leave the studio instead of staying in the Artists' Rest, which was a good thing because he hardly got any sleep in there anyways, and it gave him more time with his darling.

"Goodness, it's a horrible thing." Sammy winced, recalling his own episodes of experiencing art block. When you do creative work for a living, art block is the last thing you want to experience, and Sammy had his fair share of scuffs with the involuntary lack of creativity.

"Yeah... Got it right now." Y/N sighed, sitting up now as their legs dangled off of the edge of their bed. "That was rather apparent." Sammy chuckled, making his observation clear.

"I just... Ugh! I wanna draw something, but I can't think of anything at all!" They exclaimed, the frustration clear in their voice.

"I'm sure you just need to give it some time." Their lover offered a smile. "It usually clears up on its own." "Sammy, it's been a month now-"

"Oh-"

He took a moment, pausing. "Well, my dear, have you not yet come across something, perhaps... Particularly inspiring? Something that would get your mind going again?" He asked. "Perhaps revisiting a source of media you enjoy could get you back into it." Y/N paused, nodding. "Yeah, maybe." They glanced to their sketchbook before looking back to Sammy.

Maybe it was the way the artificial light from the overhead lamp hit his eyes, his patient smile, his soft hair. Maybe it was what he said about finding a source of inspiration.

Either way, they'd just found their source of inspiration, and it was him.

They smiled, and Sammy gave them a curious sort of expression.

"Actually... Would you mind if I drew you?" They asked, picking up their paper and pencil. "I wouldn't mind at all, dear." Sammy chuckled, feeling a bit flattered that his darling would project such creativity onto a piece of his likeness.

"That's great because you're gonna be there for a bit." They laughed.

"Oh!" He chuckled, shaking his head with amusement.

And for about 30 minutes he sat there as Y/N sketched his likeness onto their paper. The curve of his smile, the glow of his eyes, and the warmth he made them feel - they projected it all into their work.

After all, you know what they say.

Drawings are the love language of an artist.

[cookieeevee]

Hello Yellow and Welcome People!!

Most people tend to call me Cookie or Cookieeevee because of my blog name, but call me Alice! I use the pronouns She/Her and They/Them (I don't mind which one you use)

I am Aroace and a Minor! ! !

I am into Rain World, OneShot, Pokemon, Warrior Cats, Kirby, Sonic, Pikmin, Ori, Chicory: a colorful tale, Steven universe, MHA, Epic Mickey, and many more

You can ask me anything, I'd love to chat with you all (Ask about ADH au or ask Lily if u want too)

Art requests are always welcomed :D

My designs of the slugcats and Iterators My Rain world OCs My other OCs

Side blogs of mine

ISAT AU: @three-multiverse-shooting-stars

Cookie: @ask-cookieeevee03

Madge: rainworld-starsandclouds023

Droplet (Old, should probably reboot at some point): rainworld-ask-the-medic

SOES: rainworld-lifeisendless230

Slugcat's: rainworld-cycle-of-slugcats

just doodle/art blog: mossy-doodles85

Silly adventurers of my plush's (feel free to send me art in Messages of the sillys if you want, I will post it and credit u, if u want :3)

you can draw for me if ya want

Amazing Friends Of Mine!: @rainworld-obsessed-cat-reborn (One of my first tumblr friends! Probably one of my closes friends here! They are really silly and has great art! I thought I'd never see them again once their main blog got deleted... I'm very glad they're back now. I care for them with the might of a 1000 suns and always wish for the best of them! I'll always have their back, no matter what <3) @stargazer0001 (A great friend, who I really care for! One of the first people I go to talk to about silly ideas and aus of mine. They're art is a joy to see and our silly chats we had before were really fun! Thanks for being there for me <3)

@southparkau00 (MY FIRST TUMBLR FRIEND! They helped me a lot when I was new to Tumblr, lots of love to them! They have been off for so long I thought they left, they didn't and I'm so glad.) @critter2 (Super silly bud that I met because of Star! Their art is amazing and its always a blast to be around them! Sadly they aren't on often so that kinda sucks... ALSO THEY ARE WHOLESOME WHEREVER THEY THINK/KNOW THAT OR NOT!!!!) @lanternlightsovercloudyskies (I've actually never checked if we're friends or not, but see her as one! Cute silly art that a joy to see, and shes super wholesome in my opinion! I always hope for the best for her!) @bananacat76 (My silly great friend! They're super cool and wholesome, all things I wish to be. They've let me add their RW persona, Banana cat, to my RW AU and even let me make Banana Cat Enot's sibling! Lots of hugs to them! A joy see and a gift to be around ^^) @rcranger (THIS SUPER AMAZING AND COOL PERSON IS MY FRIEND!!! Hes made super cute and silly art that is a joy to see and always puts a smile on my face! Cherry has been a super great person and he need MORE LOVE so go check him out and give him some love!!)

@puffstarss (I'm pretty sure we're friends, at least to me she is! Puffs is probably one of the most kind people here! She's a big UT and UTY fan and is the owner of The Undertale Yellow Runaway Route AU! If your a fan of UTY aus and stuff be sure you check out her blog! also I will die for them like all friends of mine)

Random things about me: My favorite colors are mint green and lavender I want to write but am too scared to put it online and I get writers block a lot... I wish people would ask me more things (on any of my blogs)... My IRL friend group and I do a lot of dark humour I draw all the time, in class, at lunch, at home, in the car, and many other places Cream is my favorite Sonic character I my 3rd favorite Sonic character is Chris from Sonic X, FIGHT ME ON IT I have four brothers and no sisters... I have many AUs which I will probably never tell anyone about because I am scared of doing that Rain world brain rot I REALLY want to play SA2 just because of the chao garden Undertale Yellow fan! I'VE DODGED DEATH!!!! If you want to be friends with me, just ask. Cuz I'm probably not gonna ask you that and I'm always happy to have more friends I need help

[djrizard]

Lets Do This One More Time.

theres stages of denial. denial, When The Doc Shey_Pancakes Made First came out people where vary suspious about it anger, people when angry after finding out more of whats in the doc and what "Quinn" aparently did. bargaining, everyone talking everything out with eatch other and figuring out more of the Doc and understanding it depression, me and other people where depressed after looking through the document and reading everything over and coming to terms with things acceptance. for others people accepted that quinn did it and moved on and some even left the community as a hole, i never had a chance to accept it after relooking over the document and finding things. another thing i wanna add the way people switched up on quinn so fast after looking at abunch of art that looked like theres with out even going into it and editing it to see if there was any errors or mistakes that could prove quinns innocents, yall saw the drawings and believed it with no hesitation, i really wounder is this what you truely think of quinn? Shey_Strawberry Blocked me after i confronted them about the document i asked about the victim the art word being a little off and quinn herself , she denined ever knowing quinn personaly. relook over the Document Shey Says (This person was *apparently* friends with Quinn when the comic was being made, as the dates on these screenshots, and the artwork they've provided is clear evidence to this.) , the evidence does speak for itself as anyone with a working brain that has knolage of discord would know if you go into inspect element you can change text and make it look real. if i need to cover this again and just go over more stuff i will but until then look over my Document, Most of the people who looked at the Document took a look and diden't double check anything so really look at Everything https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wKOIbaZpYkJpRvJ2vAeqfAZZgGE_2ys015q_XsSYDKY anyways Thanks for making my life a living Hell Shey_PanCakes you really done yourself with this one even tho you're not the person who fully made the document as you had help from the "victim" i want the victim to take responsability since insted of going to a place like the FBI or Police to sent this stuff they decided , Hey Lets Post this on the internet and let abunch of people build it up to a point where we`ve come full circle The Same Reason Quinn left will be the Same Reason she Now Won't be Coming Back now She knows People will come after her Even when shes left the internet and nobody has contacts to her.

[imonthemoonitsmadeofcheese]

hi moon, just wanted to let you know that your fanfiction and other's artwork who i follow here have inspired me to make fanfiction. i've written tamer stories but i've also written nsfw stuff as well about eris and drifter. i don't run out of ideas but i run out of steam and motivation to write, even when it involves characters that i love to either draw or write about. do you have any tips to keep going if, for example, you run into an art block of some kind? how can you filter out junk ideas for a good one to write about? also dialogue, it is my weakness but you pick up their mannerisms really well based on some of your work i've read. any tips to get them right in fanfiction? thanks for your time

I cannot express how delighted I am that things I have written have inspired you to write - especially things with Eris and the Drifter. I hope you will consider posting them somewhere and sending me a link either on here or in DMs (or if you are not posting it and still want to share, I invite you to email me - my ID for gmail is the same as it is here, on Discord, and on Ao3.)

Regarding motivation: Writing is a muscle and creativity responds well to routine use of it and sustenance. Motivation is also like a small child and sometimes needs coddling and protection.

I have found the most effective way through blocks is to freewrite through them, By this I mean set a timer, get a pen and paper (not keyboard unless you need one for accessibility reasons) and write whatever comes into your head for five or ten minutes (the number of minutes can vary - I often go up to 20 but even five can be hard at first). Your job is not to actually write, and the words don't actually matter, you just need to keep the pen moving and are not allowed to stop writing words, and then you want to try and do this every day. The point is not to write creatively, it's exercise. Most commonly this begins with phrasing like:

I must write words. I must keep them appearing on the page. I must not stop until the timer ends. I must write. I must write words.

And eventually you get very bored of writing the same thing over and over again and start including other things. For me the most common thing I start to write is lists of things I need to do that are not done yet or lists of things that are emotionally bothering me.

Eventually you run out of things and/or get tired of writing the same problems over and over again and your brain gets bored and starts dreaming up new things. That is good. Let your mind get bored. You want that. Let it play. Grammar is not important. No one else needs to ever see this, including yourself. Ethics/morality is not important. This is pure brain-vomit straight from within. You are teaching yourself to have a conversation with your mind in a nonjudgemental manner. If critical thoughts happen you can write them down, but try not to focus on criticism because that is the enemy of creativity.

For when you're not completely blocked and trying to avoid becoming so, write full first drafts before going back and editing them. Editing engages a different part of the brain from creation and engaging too early can divert your focus and sometimes make it hard to get back into the creative mindset again.

Take breaks. Play games (if you're writing D2 fanfication, this counts as research!) or step away from the computer (or paper). Eat a food. Drink a water. Human bodies were not designed to write for long periods of time. Too much and we start to cramp up and have bad posture and this eventually leads to being distracted by pain.

Protect your creativity. This may be more of a depression thing than a writing thing but few things strangle creativity more than immersing ourselves in toxicity. I curate what media I ingest very stringently. I've had to block people who I still consider to be fantastic artists and writers, whose work I genuinely respect, because it's just not healthy for me to interact with them. Constructive criticism is healthy and good to engage with, but when you encounter a person (or a group) who makes you feel bad routinely, ask yourself if you're actually getting anything out of that relationship. Are they making you a better writer (or a better person) or are they just shitting on everything you love? Sometimes we stay in places (especially online places) that are hostile to us because we feel socially obligated to do so and it harms, not just our creativity, but also our self-esteem. Remember to evaluate these things routinely. Sometimes the reason you're creatively blocked is simply a symptom of something larger. Sometimes your unconscious mind is trying to tell you that it's being poisoned and you need to change your environment so it can breathe again.

Regarding how to filter out junk ideas:

There are no junk ideas, only poor implementation. And even poor implementation is better than no implementation. Write them anyway. You can always edit it later. If your mind thinks something is shiny, pursue it, no matter how 'junk' you think it might be. If your mind thinks something is junk, put it aside, but keep it. It may become shiny later. It may be useful in another form.

Do not filter your ideas. Pile them in a giant heap like a dragon and lie on them. Roll around. Kick your feet. Play. Let your brain be a two-year-old magpie and just pick out whatever is shiniest at the time. Be indulgent. Be decadent. It is your mind. You can have favourites. You can get bored and pick up something else. It's allowed.

You are also allowed to force yourself to finish something when you are unblocked (if you wish) but you may find that doing so causes you to be blocked. Be careful of that. Human unconsciousness and creativity is very cat-like. It gets bored easily and will often be contrary just to fuck with you. It will sit in front of a door, demand you open it, and then begin to lick its ass. It didn't want to actually go through the door. It just wanted you to open it. And that's fine. Let your mind be flighty. You are not on a time limit (unless you are being paid - then it gets more difficult).

In my experience, when you are blocked, or close to it, the restrictions need to come off. Let your mind play and pick up shiny things and get distracted by something shinier or different or otherwise weird. Treat your unconscious like an unruly child, give it breaks. Let it take naps. Give it a cookie when it's done eating its vegetables (but also let it have cookies just because). If you end up with 300 unfinished things that's fine. I, myself, have oodles of them. I look through them and often later find them shiny again. This is fine. Keep your half-done things. Allow yourself to make them and to have them. They are part of your horde. Go looking for more. Shuffle them around. Mix them. Throw them against different walls periodically to see if they stick. Sometimes two things are not interesting but when you put them side by side a third thing appears, within or between them or in reaction to them, that is more lovely than either of them could have been on their own.

When you are writing something and feel bored with it, ask yourself if maybe it's just that you need something else happening at the same time. Maybe this part could use some foreshadowing of something dramatic that isn't yet stated. Or perhaps another scene could be woven into and happen simultaneously with what is happening now.

I work very hard at my dialogue. I am delighted you like it. Some voices (such as the Drifter) come to me far more easily than others and for some (like Eris) I need to immerse myself in them to get a good feel of them. Yet others I simply copy and paste some of their in-game dialogue into a notepad file and then replace individual words until it is saying something else. Or I splice two in-game lines together to make a new one with existing phrases. I often work with a notepad of just copy-pasted dialogue from the game along side what I'm writing so I can use it as a reference for how the character talks.

Conversations also don't tend to begin at the beginning and end at the end. If more context is needed later, you can fix that when you're editing. You're allowed to just skip to the fun parts. You're allowed to have external things interrupt.

Sometimes I go stand by a character in-game that has idle dialogue (both the Drifter and Eris are lovely for this) and I just listen to them while I do other things in an attempt to absorb their speech patterns through osmosis. Sometimes I look up transcriptions of their voice lines from the game, or find quotes from them, or play scenes from the destiny lore vault on youtube in the background, or look up transcriptions on the ishtar collective. I read through them and analyse them. I look for patterns and note them down for use later.

Distinctive character voices have distinctive quirks. Eris, for example, tends to use poetic language, and often uses a bigger word when a smaller one will do, but only when the meaning of the bigger word is actually more precise:

"We do not seek to exculpate the Witch Queen."

Her humour is subtle and pointed, often a little creepy or mean.

"Ikora and Zavala are dear friends. Even if we don't always see eye to eye… to eye."

She is also very blunt, not only in not sugarcoating anything but also in being forthright with her feelings and her tendency to state the obvious, sometimes uncomfortable things no one is talking about:

"Did Zavala send you? He does not trust me." "You give me hope."

Drifter loves colourful gritty memorable metaphors and his humour ranges from self deprecating and flirty to bleak as fuck - sometimes one after the other or at the same time for shock value.

"Otto does it so beautifully that, when he's done, you're standing there holding your guts in your hands and thanking him for the show."

But he's also prone to dispensing unrequested, often highly practical (but a bit unnerving) advice:

"The bullet always comes when you're not moving." "Ever headbut a Kell? Don't. You'll break your neck. Use bullets."

Dialogue also works best when something else is happening at the same time. People rarely talk to each other with their full focus unless the situation is emotionally charged and/or the conversation is extremely important. Figuring out what each one of them is doing in addition to talking can be very helpful even if it never shows up directly in the dialogue at all.

Dialogue also tends to work well when each character has a reason for having the conversation. The reasons don't need to be complicated. The Drifter can be hungry and want to eat dinner. Eris can be busy and want to finish the conversation quickly so she can go back to what she was doing. But having what the character wants in the background of what is being said can really give weight and context to what's being spoken.

Not all responses need to be verbal and many characters have distinctive non-word responses to things. Drifter often laughs, says 'Oooh!' or 'Huh.' Eris often says 'Hmmm…' or sighs. These are as important to their distinctive voices as the words they use.

Dialogue between two people may not need attribution if the voices are distinct enough but any more than two people in a conversation and attribution is usually needed or the reader will become confused. The goal for dialogue attribution is to make it as invisible as possible unless you are using it for a specific effect (for example, I often use attribution as pacing or to achieve a specific rhythmic effect). So anything that might confuse the reader and make them need to re-read or otherwise ask who is speaking is to be avoided. This means that 'said' is not a sin, and neither is 'growled' as long as whatever you choose doesn't stick out and draw attention to itself.

I hope this is useful to you. I love writing, and reading, and delight in sharing stories and ideas. I very much look forward to anything you write and, while I know it is challenging to show your work to others, it's also very rewarding. I hope some day you will be willing to share your things with me, especially if they include Eris and/or the Drifter. I tend to be a very sympathetic reader and will delight in your words and cherish them as expressions of joy and care.

Let there be more love in the world. Let us write it into existence. Let us sing our songs to the universe and delight in the songs we hear in return.

Aiat.

[clt009-wearehere]

Learning and Being Taught

Okay, so, my autistic ass had a flash of insight that I wanted to pass along. Maybe this is just for me, maybe y'all got this on lockdown BUT on the off-chance someone out there in the dark can profit from this... Welp, here you go.

I hate(d) being taught new things. Especially new skills.

I wanted to LEARN. I wanted to get better at what I enjoy doing because I love writing and drawing, and I'm not happy with my current skill level at either. But something hurt whenever I tried learning from a lesson plan, something deep inside that I didn't understand. Between the autism, the ADHD, the depression and the anxiety... sometimes I just have to stop when my body or mind pulls the breaks, and accept that I can't go further until I've processed or moved past whatever thingamajiggit in my brain has gotten stuck on. And it always happens eventually, just a matter of prodding until I find the right lump in my mental tracheae, or someone says something that knocks the block loose.

This time, I read a tutorial that changed everything. (I've already reblogged it but again, here it is.) It's not your average tut - The artist blitheringbongus openly admits they aren't conventional in how they do what they do, and ends the tutorial with the important statement:

REMINDER There is NO wrong or right way to do art, this is simply how I do it, I don't follow my own rules most of the time as well, I dont believe rules in art do or should exsist, do your own thing, go wild, if you think it looks rad thats all that matters. Let your art be fun Let your art be you.

THAT was the problem.

When you learn from someone, and are taught, it's easy - in fact, almost inevitable - that you feel the pull to do exactly as they do. Many teachers demand an exact imitation and adoption of all their methods, actions, priorities and ideology. My way of drawing is different enough than how others typically teach and I balk at a lot of the expectation to “do as [X creator] does in every respect”. And I thought that's what I'd had to do.

But it's not. You and I can learn from someone without embracing everything that works for them and without abandoning everything that works for us. Yes, we’ll learn new ways to do things better. Yes, we’ll change and grow, even if we realize that nothing they're doing will help us because our needs and ways are different. We’re allowed to only take on what makes us better and to toss the rest. It's everyone’s choice. Because if we’ve already gotten to a skill plateau doing things a certain way, chances are that we’re ready to add some new ideas, insight, tool or practice and will be able to recognize that when we find it. We can change to get to where we want to be.

Good luck everyone. And again, @blitheringbongus, thank you for your insight.

[dalishthunder]

Happy valentine's! It's me smile anon :]

It's been a really really long while and I planned on replying much sooner but in short: college life and depression. I'm not back to full power yet, but getting there and I absolutely had to leave a message on valentine's day since I missed new years.

I've been around since the GEO days and I've even interacted before, just never left anything that indicated I'm the same person hehe. That fic and universe will always have a special place in my heart. I binged the whole thing in one day when it was one chapter away from being finished and I laughed and I cried and the ending left me warm and satisfied despite not being into cronus at all. I've read that fic entirely for the humor, the emotions, the dynamic between two characters you've beautifully constructed (and made me gain a new appreciation for, cronus-wise. still a goober, but your take really fleshed him out), and for the background characters who got their own depth and interiority that it made the story's universe come alive. It's one fic that really touched me and I think even affected the way I approach my own creative projects. And then I proceeded to scour your blog for every other thing you've written and have been hiding in your (tumblr) backyard, occasionally whispering 'yippie' ever since lol

Anyway back to what we're both here for, GoG:

ABQKDHWLQ2HEOFUALXHXKCHSKXHICIEKSUCIDOLWIEFOIFIFIFSHQKSHXKSHSKXJ

READER GOT TO WEAR A CAPE AND A MASK AND BE COOL AND BE TERRIFIED!!!!!! I N E E D TO DRAW THAT AS SOON AS I'M OVER MY ART BLOCK

READER GOT TO (ATTEMPT) KILLING SOMEONE ("INDIRECTLY") :D!!! I was wondering when it will be coming to this and yup. Here it is. With Ramattra basically going "Point and I'll kill them" as a show of trust/respect lmao. I am really excited to see how this plays out, if there will be any casualties on their side. How that would make them feel. If it would be difficult seeing themself the same way again after asking for something like that even knowing the person they ordered killing wouldn't think twice about the suffering they'd inflicted. I'm also worried about what will happen when Talon figures out their real identity...

This project started as a two parter and look where we are now. I'd leave a longer more in depth comment but my brain is pretty fried rn ashsh. Just wanted to let you know I'm still here finding joy and comfort in your writing, and thank you for sharing it this valentine since we're celebrating the love and all that :3 Hope you have a good day today!

SMILE ANON MY BELOVED!!!!

Happy Valentines Day!!! Oh my god thank you for sticking around so long! And I'm so glad you enjoyed GEO enough to stay for the ride ;u;

writing GEO was honestly such a huge emotional experience for me beginning to end. It's... one of those ones that will probably stay with me in my heart forever because it was the first big thing I wrote in... a good 9-10 years, and it was filled with a lot of heart (not that my other stuff isn't, I do pour my heart and soul into my other works, but GEO was special to me yknow?) So I'm really glad that you enjoyed it so much

And that's so touching to hear that it's kind of changed the way you view your creative endeavors!!!! At least I hope it's in a good way haha ASLDKJFASLKDFASDFSDF

AUUUGHGHGHOOGHGHH IF YOU DRAW THAT I WILL BE FOREVER IN YOUR DEBT OH MY GOD

And yeah baby's first murder... Ramattra is so proud

But in all seriousness there's gonna be a lot of emotions in the next chapter and I'm so fucking pumped for it... (if my hands and brain would cooperate and type)

I hope you also have a wonderful day!

[drazzilder]

10 and 3!!

Ooooo thank you for the ask!

Lets get started:

3. What are your favorite subjects to draw? (OCs, your fan faves, etc.)

Hmmm I'll say it really depends on the mood I am in. Right now I love drawing my OCs but I had a lot of fun with that Ganon Zander workout piece I did. Sometimes the brain rot takes over and I have draw fan art or it won't let me sleep.

How do you deal with art block?

Now that's a good question. For me, as a comic maker, I deal with it kinda strange, at least I feel. If I can't draw for some reason, I'll get to drafting out more chapters. I write them out like it's a script and describe the scenes, the emotions, the facial expressions. That helps me visualize later when I'm working on the chapter. Also it helps that I am a professional baker and cake decorator, so when in doubt, LET THEM EAT CAKE!

[modx-reborn]

Been thinking… reader finding artist!Simpur not so innocent drawing of them and makes his fantasy’s come true and more. (Dom reader btw-)

-Book anon

Ahhh, Thank you book.

Sure the arts block of the campus was kinda old, a little run down, and filled with... Stuff but at least it was mostly quiet and mostly quiet meant free periods were easy for him to work, to draw and dive into the idea of how you would look spread out in all your glory, how you would look lost in rapture, it meant he was able to use his skills and the few images he had snagged of you at the beach to draw out a semi-real version of you.

Admittedly the book he was using for these was only filled with pictures of you, from normal sketches of sitting and laughing to these more scandalous drawings of you lost in carrying throws of pleasure. Lord forgive him should anyone find these drawings, it would be a death sentence for his already dead and dying social presence, but it would spell an end to the just barely there tolerance you have for him, always so kind to him even as he stutters and stumbles through simple conversations with you.

And sure, maybe he had made a habit of dropping one of the better drawings in your bag every now and then, but at least you never made a fuss about it, or not in front of him at least.

Or you hadn't till now.

He had dropped another drawing of you off, this one simple and cute, a little sketch of you dozing on your desk or it should have been but once he was home, tucking the book away the drawing he was sure he had slipped into your bag fell out. Perfectly folded and signed just as they always are when he slips them into your bag, but if this was here then...

You were usually confused and a little flattered by the drawings left in your bag, but today, today it was something else, the usually sweet little sketch or drawing was more descriptive, a clear display of need, lust, and want, it was a full shaded and lined piece displaying someone, head thrown back and arms crossed over their face with what is quite clearly you straddling their thighs, a hand wrapped around their cock.

It was a far cry from the normal drawings that you had let collect in a box in your dorm, and it was a little strange, the drawing was lovely no doubt about it, a display of skill and time put into finishing it but you were still wracking your brain for who could have drawn such a thing? Sure you had one or two people you and your friends joked about having a crush on you but none of them were the kind that would do something like this.

Or well none of the ones that came to mind straight away, but maybe you wouldn't have to think all that hard about it as you were quick to catch the person behind the drawing once again dipping their hand into your bag, either dropping a new drawing or looking for the one you had kept folded up and tucked in your wallet since it was left for you. The sight of the tall, lanky, awkward guy from your English class with his hand still halfway in your bag was kind of cute and it made a little more sense than thinking it was one of the others that had shown interest in you.

"You know, it's always the ones like you, the shy ones, the awkward ones, the tall lanky back of the room dwellers that have these... Fantasies, and boy do you have them. I wonder how many more of these little drawings of me you have? How many pages have you filled with these ideas? Well? You wanna be a little creep and think about me like this, maybe I should take initiative and let you live them hmm? Keep you from straying those pretty brown eyes from me. Would you like that?"

[comicaurora]

hello! i have a couple questions!!

ysee im in a situation. over the years, i have made Serious Attempts at starting a comic with EIGHT different projects, and none of them have stuck. One of them i even made it 60 pages in before tanking. now im right at the brink of starting my CURRENT project! … for the fifth time…!!

needless to say i am sliiiiiiiiightly worried that this is going to turn out like the last 200,000 attempts. so like.

how do you know when you're ready to start a story?

do you have any experience with false starts, and if so how did you know that this time wasn't just another false start?

how did you handle the transition from the concept and planning part to the actual comic making part ?

and how do you keep going now?

thanks !!!

Whoof, that's a toughie.

I don't know how helpful this will be, but in my experience the only difference between a false start and a long-term commitment is just a matter of willpower - of choosing to keep going after you hit the first wall. Because there will be walls! Every project will eventually hit a bump where you question the value of the entire concept - a tricky bit of plot, an arc you need to scrap and rework, a character you can't get a handle on, a general sense of imposter-syndrome malaise. In fact, if you stick with it long enough, you'll discover that this is a regular occurrence. Walls happen.

The trick, in my experience, is that the wall is a signal, not that the project is a failure or you need to stop, but that you need to put the story down for now. Stories often get polished and worked on when you're NOT actively trying to make progress. My dad calls this "the better writer in the back of your head." That subconscious work can't be done if you're consciously focusing on it, and if you hit a wall where something just isn't working, your BWITBOYH needs a chance to look it over, draw a few connections you maybe hadn't seen, and then bump it back to the front of your brain for approval and execution.

So, ironically, the trick to sticking with a story long term is knowing that when you put it down you can always pick it back up. If an inactive project feels "abandoned" or "failed", you end up with all these negative emotions attached to it that repel you and keep you from picking it back up. That mindset is the real issue - not the work itself. ANY art can have merit; it's not a flaw in the project or in your creative process that makes you step away. The problem is the guilt and the feeling that "oh I ALWAYS abandon things", because that means a natural and unavoidable step in the creative process is just going to make you feel bad and reinforce this spiral. The projects won't judge you for putting them down, and even if you don't end up finishing them, there is always value in picking them back up!

Aurora is a long term project, but there are days - weeks, even - where I make no progress. Months have gone by with me stalled on a storyboard wrestling with writer's block and questioning the point of everything. The trick is I know I can and should indulge those moods, because as long as I don't let it spiral off into self-pity, I'll be chipping away at the problem in the back of my head. I was stalled for literal weeks choreographing an upcoming encounter and what ended up breaking the block was just a tiny new addition - "what if this character had a tool that could do this one thing?" Five pages of storyboarding flowed out that day, and then five more the next, all reshaped by that one additional tool. I'm currently stalled out processing exactly how a single small interaction is going to play out - I know the shape of it, but the character specifics are currently nebulous and hinge on a few larger-scale things I maybe want to use it to plant and pay off. With no angst in this process, I'm not at risk of becoming bogged down in bummers and losing my grip on the story. I know I'll pick it back up, because nothing is stopping me.

[yandere-sins]

Could you please do a one-shot where the reader tries to escape from yandere Gojo? Thanks in advance! ^^

Thanks for requesting ♥ Haven’t done a request for him in a while :D

»»———————— ♡ ————————««       

Only when you finally ran out of adrenaline did you notice the soothing cold of the night against your skin. For the longest time, you hadn't felt even a breeze ruffling through your clothes. But now, paired with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind, you were engulfed by all these normal-strange sensations you had missed out on for so long. 

Even though your feet hurt from running, and your lungs couldn't get enough of the air all around you, you felt so alive and happy, you were barely able to contain yourself from screaming in joy. Leaning against the wall, you decided to take a small rest in the alleyway, having come far already. How long had you run? Probably a bit more than twenty minutes, left and right and uphill and behind houses. You'd have put rabbits to shame with how you sidestepped just to escape.

So what now? 

Many would call you crazy. That you'd run from a man that loved you so much wouldn't be taken positively by the people around you. You couldn't go home, or to your parents, after all, if you were him, that's where you'd look first. Police? But what would you tell them? That you were locked away for months? Gojo had told you more than once that it was useless to go anywhere - especially without him - after all, he made sure that no one would believe the terrible things you wanted to tell them. Everyone was under the assumption you were doing splendidly with your new boyfriend - a boyfriend you didn't even know existed.

You had been seen with him so many times that people liked to assume that what you had was a normal relationship. They didn't know that he kept forcing himself into your space, that you didn't want to go anywhere with him anymore after he monopolized and clung to you for the better part of weeks. Everyone knew he was eccentric, but they didn't think he was mad on top of that. One could assume that after all he's done in the past and went through, his brain took a big hit, his arrogance and confidence only feeding into his egotistical views. But that he'd kidnap the person he loved, kept them holed up, and did things you didn't want to think about anymore that's not something anyone would accept easily. 

In fact, if you two were ever again confronted with each other, he might blame you for doing these things to yourself and harassing him! No... You decided then and there that you didn't want to have anything to do with him anymore. You just wanted to go somewhere he couldn't find you. Somewhere you'd be safe and could start over without drawing any attention. Calm and peaceful, but most importantly, alone.

At least, that was the plan, but biting the tip of your thumb, you realized you were still stuck in the middle of the city, with no money, no phone, and nowhere to go for help. Perhaps if you visited the bank and asked for money from your account personally, they'd be able to provide you with some, but it was already late, and you doubted there was any bank near you that had a late-night clerk waiting for customers. You didn't like to settle somewhere outside for the night. You wanted to be gone as fast as possible, but what were you supposed to do? Clothed in just a shirt and pants, you sunk to your bottom, pulling in your legs. At least, hidden behind dumpsters and between the buildings, no one would find you or, if, simply assume you were a beggar asleep. 

This was still nicer than being with him. 

Nicer than sleeping in his hold while he whispered his seemingly endless confession in your ear, your body bruised and fragile from his touches.

Sleeping in some dirty alleyway was heaven compared to it.

»»————————

"Ah, look at you," Gojo hummed as he stepped into the alleyway. Even though you had been dozing, immediately, your eyes snapped wide open, and you took on the stance of someone about to jump up and run again. However, your eyes could only fixate on his legs, standing right in front of you and blocking your way out. Even if you thought it was safest to hide, you didn't calculate the risk of getting found. "You must be cold."

There was mockery in his kind words, but Gojo was quick to strip off his jacket and squat down, laying the fabric around your shoulder. Everything about him - the sharp eyes hidden behind shades, the smell of his aftershave, the rough tug he made as he adjusted the jacket over your shoulders - made you want to vomit. Pictures of things he had done and things he was able to do to you popped into your mind while you sat there like a frozen, trying desperately to come up with an escape plan.

"How did you...?" you mumbled, questioning yourself more than him. "What kind of boyfriend would I be if I could even find you? I missed you! Were you scared I wouldn't come?"

No, you were scared all along that he'd find you.

"Why?" you whispered, shoulders slumping. Gojo's lips curled into a pitying smile, one he probably imagined signaled empathy the best. But really, was there even a spark of humanity in this man that would let him feel these kinds of emotions? You doubted it more than anyone in the world. Hands falling from your shoulders to your hips and dragging forward over your thighs to your knees, Gojo took a deep breath, taking in every inch of you appreciatively. Like fine art, a rare sight to see, that's how you must have looked in his eyes.

"I told you I missed you, so I came--"

"No, why are you doing this. Why me? What do you want from me?"

Your voice sounded exhausted more than anything now. Now that you realized Gojo had won, you were tired. There was something animalistic in the way he touched you. Possessive, victorious. He was the white lion prowling in a habitat that didn't fit him, and yet, he benefitted from it. However he did it, you knew he wasn't just passing by and found you. If you didn't know it better, you'd say he always knew where you went, every second of your escape. But it was inexplicable how, when, and why he knew, and it frightened you even more that he was so much more aware of everything going on around you than you were.

Gojo smiled, hesitating to answer while he thought hard about what to say. "You. I always wanted you. I want you to love me and cherish me. Make the whole world stop for a while without me having to worry that you will disappear from it. I am doing this for you as much as I am doing it for me, don't you understand? Won't you rely on me to do what is best for us?"

"I don't want that," you replied firmly, not even a moment of hesitation on your side. No matter what he said, you couldn't decide if Gojo was telling the truth or if he lied. You were sure he was manipulating you, but at the same time, he did it with the face of an angel, hiding much, much more than you'd ever know even if you expected there to be hidden meaning behind it all.

"I see," he sighed, the smile never leaving his lips no matter how he was feeling at the moment. Was he angry? Disappointed? Sad? You weren't sure if even Gojo himself knew. But you did notice his grip on your legs growing harder as he kept squeezing down on them. "Then I will make you rely on me."

Surely enough, you couldn't keep up your scared-up-stance for much longer as he seemed to force you to the ground. You could feel your expression harden in pain as you gasped, pushing at his shoulders. However, Gojo used the moment of your focus shifting to move forward to your face, kissing you in a moment you were stunned by his actions. "Please don't hate me too much," he mumbled, almost sounding... remorseful.

"I just think those legs don't do us any good as long as they are attached to you. We both need to make sacrifices, you know?"

[freezethebeez]

These are some super quick doodles, am in art block rn :| still working on the designs too :))

IT'S THEM!! IT'S THE LITTLE GUYS!!!! :DDDDDDD

it is 7:30 in the morning and i have just woken up but let me tell you when i laid my eyes upon these little dudes i ascended from my bed and had an 'aimsey after seeing bubbline kiss' moment (view gif above)

i simply cannot express how in awe and thankful i am. like, these may just be some super quick doodles and you may still be working on the designs BUT THEY'RE STILL MY LITTLE GUYS AND THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL. seriously, thank you. the fact that your read my silly little fic and went "yeah, i'd like to draw these guys" and then DID?? absolutely wild to me. and so freaking cool– like, actually insanely cool.

i adore the expressions you gave them too!! like how tubbo looks so utterly done with the world (which is fair tbh) and ranboo is, like, almost scared to be alive?? at least that's how i interpret it and i think that's adorable.

again, thank you so so so much!! putting how awesome and cool this is to me into words when my brain is hardly awake is a little difficult, but just know that this is the only thing i will be looking at and thinking about for who knows how long and– oh shoot is that my printer haha so weird how my printer is uh... printing something haha i wonder what it could be ^_^;

[yinses]

B R A N D E D

| he would make sure that everyone knew who you belonged to |

tattoo artist! sukuna ryomen

rating: t

a/n: this is going to be a three part series. it got too long because i couldn’t shut up. thank you to @teoran for beta reading !! 

you should have never informed yuuji that you were thinking about getting a tattoo, because of course his first response would be hey, sukuna owns a shop. why don’t you stop there. as if you didn’t already known that. your other friend, unfortunately had not known how to be subtle about it.

its when you go to hand off your card that they gasp audibly, drawing the attention of both yourself and the woman behind the counter.

“you’re not going to ask for a discount? i mean you know the owner, right?”

she jumps back quick enough to dodge the errant elbow you throw her way.

you knew you would regret telling her.

the woman is undeterred as she take your card, looking bored with the news. “so you know sukuna, huh?” the way she said it implied that it wasn’t the first time it had been made known to her.

you had known the man long enough to know where her thoughts were going with that assumption. sukuna wasn’t only popular for his art. a shudder rolled through your body at the idea of being categorized as one of his flings.

it wasn’t as though you were intentionally shaming the women. but it was sukuna. the same guy who locked you and his younger brother out on the patio whenever he was meant to keep an eye on you. and then blamed you for hiding from him when the responsible adults got home.

in hindsight, maybe you should have chosen another location. but now your card has been charged.

you scribbled your signature on the receipt, “uh yeah, awhile now. im not requesting him or anything.”

“his appointment book is full anyway. he doesn’t take walk ins.” its not said snidely, just matter of fact. as if she was seasoned with dealing with these kind of customers.

the man of topic strides in then, carrying a few bags of take-out that he drops carelessly onto the counter. he doesn’t m look unlike any other day, a loose white sleeveless shirt with a low hanging v-neck that just invited attention to his skin. the swirls of black ink made permanent by his hand only. though that was the advantage of this field and owning your own business on top of it.

sukuna was prepared to ignore the clientele planted at front desk, until he did a double take. those vermilion eyes took you in, morphing from speculation, to shock, a pinch of awe, then back to postulation.

“what are you doing here?”

a small frown mars you face. you didn’t actually consider that perhaps sukuna wouldn’t want you here. it was one thing to know the guy, but whether you wanted to accept it or not, you weren’t just another customer. so you unsurely respond with, “getting a tattoo?”

the snort he gives isn't one of annoyance. in fact its almost comforting to see the minuscule curl of his lips until they start to part, “yeah, missing something aren’t you?”

you realize with a frown that he’s referring to his brother.

“i have other friends.”

that slow smile wides as he gives your friend a brief look of appreciation. suddenly all those years of witnessing him cart his flings around rise to the forefront of your mind.  really nothing rarely changed. “ i can see that.”

his gaze cuts back to you, “what are you getting? your boyfriends name?”

you cant tell if he’s teasing, fishing or a combination of them both.

he turns to lean over the counter, arms flexing at the action and pinches the fresh design still hot from the printer. you resist the urge to shuffle in place as he inspects the image with more interest than there were lines. it was hardly all that complex, just as you intended.

sukuna finally voices his opinion, to no surprise of your own. “yeah? kind of small isn’t it?”

“its my first sukuna,” you drawl.

you realize too late that the wording isnt best around him.

“no kidding.”

he tugs a styrofoam box free from the plastic bag before gesturing to you with a tilt of his head.

“alright, lets knock it out.”

you look to the woman expecting her to complain about his pending appointments but she only returns it with a pointed look. when it came down to it, what the boss wanted goes.

right then.

turning, you address your friend who seemed more invested in watching sukuna’s departure. “are you coming?”

her gaze snaps to you and she doesn’t even bother to pretend. she shrugs, “you may not be squeamish about needles but i am.” her hand waves vaguely towards the lounge area near the coffee station and stack of assorted snacks. “i’ll come running if you scream though,” she teases as you turn down the hall.

sukuna’s voice carries from the right in guidance where you find him setting his food off to the side. the room is neat. though you don’t know what you were expecting given the health expectations lining his work. then again, you’d spent the better part of the decade watching him cart week old pizza boxes out of his room so it was hardly a baseless assumption.

aside from the desk of tools and variety of inks the only other defining feature was the wall at the back. there was no rhyme or direction to the madness. the once white wall was littered with varying penmanships and messages. almost like an autograph book. some derogatory, others genuinely thankful for his work - you think you see a few numbers too.

the cushion of the seat protests under his weight as he rolls to the center of the room. he has the stencil of your chosen art held up in expectation.

“where is this pretty little thing going?”

“oh my rib- here on the right.” you think nothing of bringing up the hem of your shirt to expose the skin just under the curve of your breast.

he almost looks impressed, though there is some doubt. he wheels closer and gives no warning as his hand palpates the area. “over the bone? that’s daring for your first tattoo, princess.”

the name was nothing new, an accompaniment to yuuji’s ‘brat’.

part of you actually grateful that its sukuna. the entire shop had good reviews but it was best known for his talent. besides, the charge was already sitting on your card.

“i can handle it.”

he’s still squinting at your side, fingers tickling at your skin.

“yeah?” he answers absently. nimble digits you didn't think had any taste for delicacy carefully peel the plastic from the stencil. he doesn’t second guess himself in the slightest before pressing it to your skin.

when he pulls away, the chair follows him as he collects a hand mirror from his desk to reflect the design back to you.

“double sure?” he’s still rallying your resolve, but there is a hint of warning to his voice as professionalism seeps in.

with a firm nod you seal the deal,” yeah.”

“aright, pin up your shirt out of the way. tuck it into your bra if you want.”

you were expecting this already, given the location you’d decided on. with sukuna that action comes effortlessly without thought. it was no different than the times he’d seen you in your bathing suit, your brain reasoned. at least you still had your pants this time.

sukuna rests back into a lean against his small desk. absently you note that his eyes haven't left you once since you’d entered the room.

“eager little thing aren't you?”

but its sukuna.

you shrug.“ i guess. kind of been saving up for this one.”

the noise he makes is non-committal as he nods to the angled chair.

without your shirt there was no barrier between yourself and the leather. you expected the cold chill but the lack of stickiness kind of surprised you. once again you were reminded of the indisputable list of reviews at your fingertips.

sukuna goes about collecting the materials to disinfect your skin, angling the bottle and cotton over the trash can to catch the excess drops. satisfied with the saturation, he slides back.

you try to absorb the brief shock you feel when he applies the alcohol to your skin. it was hardly a substitute for actual bracing to come but it was good practice. when you look up, you catch his gaze again.

he’d been more observant in these last few minutes than you could ever recall sukuna caring before. maybe it was the job. though the thought of him excelling at customer service has you fighting a snort.

“cold,” you supply and he gives another grunt.

he chucks the cotton ball into the trash with all the efficiency of a man who has made a sport out of it and probably keeps score.

deciding on a solid color eliminated the need for him to break away to change shades, eliminating any surplus time keeping you in this chair.

a gloved hand braces your side, pinching the skin, while the other holding the gun rests against your sternum. when the motor starts you take a careful breath in. sukuna’s eyes raise at the sound.

“not nervous?”

you blink, expecting him to just get to it.

“uh, not really? i’ve never really been afraid of needles.”

he pauses. just when you part your lips to ask what wrong the buzzing starts.

its impossible not to tense at the first bite of the needle. but you fight the urge to jerk. it stings. the vibration of the motor is uncomfortable against your ribcage but it's not unbearable. you certainly wouldn't cry.

sukuna seems to notice it as well.

“not going to lie thought you’d be more of a cry baby? weren't you the one sobbing after you stubbed your toe.”

you latch onto the idle chatter even if it's a jibe.

“i was eleven and i sprained that toe.”

he gives you a quick glance. “sure, princess. completely called for the waterworks.”

you snort. “yeah well it made me stronger. im barely affected today.”

your words are followed by a shift of his hand as it turns to follow a line, the movement pressing firmly against the underside of your breast. you're too attentive to the needle pinching at your skin to take notice.

but sukuna does, eyes narrowing without your awareness.

“yeah, i can see that.”

rather than closing your eyes to block out the pain, you find a more comforting distraction in tracing the lines of his tattoos with your gaze. you can hardly make out the first tattoo he’d gotten at the age of seventeen after forging his parents signature. 

the abstract design had now branched out, interlocking with new styles to map out the formation of a sleeve. it was almost like his own branded language. a dialect of bold shapes and bands. you’d never thought to actually ask what his tattoos meant. nor did you expect an honest answer.  

sukuna works rather quickly and efficiently while your mind wandered. even if he hadn’t squeezed you in during his lunch break this felt like the usual pace for him. he looked so in the zone as he followed the pre-made lines to perfection.

you weren’t the model customer, still having your brief moments of weakness but he rolled with the interruptions better than you expected. sukuna was brash growing up and didn’t tolerate nonsensical people. you’d had your fair share of opportunities to be chewed out by him.

and earned a reasonable amount of them, though your returning attitude said otherwise.

but this sukuna was softer, if you could put it like that. he knew the right time to give you breaks but didn’t let your nerves settle too much. when he wasn’t adding a layer to permanency to your skin, an errant finger would smooth over the swelling flesh.

more than once you heard him throw out a quiet good girl. that you knew was meant to be encouraging but it came with additional implications that tickled your skin.

he tells you that you should be grateful that the artwork doesn’t need any shading. that it was never a good fit for beginners.

your chest expands the furthest it had in the last half hour when he finally rolls back.

“alright, princess, go ahead and take a look.”

you take the offered mirror again and angle it to take in the fresh piece. the reflection you get back is- amazing. you’d been so concentrated?? on micromanaging the pain that you failed to take in the little details he’d added along with the original design.

as if reading your thoughts, he snorts. “it's not my art if i don't leave my mark. you can tell me it looks good you know.”

if you didn't know any better, you’d say he was authentic in his attempt to bait your approval.

and you had no reason not to provide.

your legs are a little shaky but you manage to balance yourself before brining the eldest itadori into a hug. sukuna goes stiff for a moment before returning the embrace and doesn’t resist when you press your face into his shoulder. there’s an awkward pat before they release each other from the hold.

sukuna .. before he’s shrugging you off.

“god, what a noob. at least let me cover it up. you’re going to irritate the skin.”

when he turns back to rummage through his desk you note the hint of a flush creeping up his nape. you know better than to mention it, instead just smiling at his back.

there is a scowl on his face as he applies the cotton square to your skin and tapes it in place.

“please do not itch this shit. i don’t care if you feel like your skin is going to fall off.”

he presses a small tube of antibiotic into your hand.

“and apply this daily. you don't need it drying out. “

you’re grateful for the little slip of printed instructions that follow. you were able to remember the sensible directions but it couldn't hurt to have additional guidance when you started to question the progress.

“oh and no sex.”

that was definitely not on the list.

sukuna raises a brow in all seriousness. “what? if you get your blood pumping too much.”

you call him on his bullshit,” this small? hardly. “

he raises his hands in mock surrender. “alright, try it yourself if you want. i charge for touch ups though.”

the two of you size each other up. just like old times.

with a sigh you relent, “fine, no sex.”

“good, see me in two weeks.”

his words stop you short. it wasn’t as if you needed anything added and he wasn’t a physician checking on your progress. if anything, you would only revisit your artist if there was a problem.

“what for?”

the dawning grin would follow you for the next fourteen days.

“to make sure you didn’t have sex.”