#there was no way i wasn't going to share this amazing art with my fellow birdrick shippers

[hotdrinkstudies]

i had the honor to commission one of my favorite artists and look what they drew for me😭😭❣❣ i still can't stop myself from smiling. i mean, look at these sweet silly blorbos :'))) i just absolutely love how @geetimesthree encapsulates their energy!

[if-lost-please-return-to-maliksi]

POLARIS

Disclaimer: I do not own Maliksi, or Makisig (the Tamawo bros). Full Credit goes to HC - @ask-emilz-de-philz. Please check out their blog for amazing art and the wonderful world of Planet Puto.

A/N: This one is the sequel to Rough around the Edges. The last chapter (Rough Around the Edges - Final Part) may seem rushed- honestly, it is. Not in a way that I wanted to finish it at that, but my ADHD brain sometimes gets sudden bursts of ideas that I need to quickly get into my drafts, however, my fingers are too slow to type everything. Those I didn't get to type is somehow forgotten or changed into something else, thus explains the inconsistencies in pace, typos, wrong grammar, and other imperfections in my writing. (No, I am not sad or apologetic about it. I have a lot to improve and I have all the time in the world :D ) Still, I am thankful for everyone who takes time to read the products of my mind. I love writing about Maliksi btw, I think his character is complex and simple in itself and I am absolutely smitten with him. <3 Love HC and everything they do, as well as my fellow Planet Puto fans and enjoyers.

((AND NO, I AM NOT HURTING YOUR HEARTS THIS TIMEEE))

"Hey old hag, slow down or do you wanna get your second hip replacement right away?" Maliksi grumbled as he helped Amor's granddaughter, Maricela sit into a chair at the patio. She and Maliksi became friends- sharing their adoration for Amor.

Maricela has been old now and being in her 70's wasn't that enjoyable for her. She recently got hip replacement surgery and her grandchildren will be coming home from the city next week to take care of her.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure Lola Amor loved not getting this old. That woman died pretty." Maricela softly chuckled. "Thank you for visiting, Maliksi."

Maliksi scoffed. "Yeah, yeah. Can't have you tumbling around your backyard again before Amor scolds me on my dreams."

"Lola visits you on your dreams? Wait, you guys sleep?"

"If you were any younger I would've smacked you on your head by now. Ofcourse we sleep! We're not vampires! And no, she doesn't visit my dreams, that snobby little lady not even showing herself to me...even once."

"Not like you visited her when she was still alive!" Maricela burst out laughing.

"To my defense, I absolutely have no idea how time works outside Biringan. I didn't bother finding out before losing her." Maliksi softly answered.

"Atleast you're learning now. How's your Kuya Makisig? Still busy with his tamawo duties?"

"Yeah, as always."

"If you both didn't tell me everything about tamawos or explained how you guys' relationship with the humans work, I would've stayed there. I was crushing hard on your Kuya when I was younger." Maricela giggled.

"Well, you're a widow now want me to get Kuya to-"

Maricela, even being that old was still strong enough to playfully bonk Maliksi on his head. "Oh shush! Have some respect to your elders, how can you pimp me like I'm some kind of sugar baby wannabe."

Maliksi clutched his stomach from laughing too hard. "C'mon. I'm technically older than you by a lot!"

"You have a point. You should visit here next week. My grandchildren will be throwing a little party since this is the first time they'll be going home here in the province in a very long time. We'll have a lot of sweets and kakanin for sure."

"Next week huh? Seven human days, sure...I'll set that in my calendar so I won't miss it."

Maricela's laughter filled the air as her younger grandchildren pushed her wheelchair around the yard. Most of Maricela's family stayed at the city and rarely visited the province. The kids are absolutely enjoying it, having a chance to play in the sun and have fun on an open yard for the first time.

Maliksi quietly watched as he picks up a plate, ignoring the other savory dishes and going straight to the dessert section. The family members just thought of Maliksi as anak ng kapitbahay who looks after their Lola Maricela whenever he's free so he is treated warmly, oftentimes greeted by everyone who passes by his table.

Maliksi was spooning some lecheflan right out from the llanera when a shy boy approached his table and placed a platter of kutsinta right infront of him.

"My ate told me to give this to you." The boy shyly said before running away to join his cousins.

He tilted his head, eyes scanning the plate of steamed rice cake in front of him.

Amor still makes the best one.

Kutsinta is still his favorite, no doubt about that, yet he couldn't get himself to eat it after learning about Amor's passing, knowing nothing can top her kutsinta- it's the best he's ever tried even after being alive for centuries afterall.

Maliksi looked around, knowing that the kakanin might be prepared by one of Maricela's relatives, or worse, by one of her grandkids. Not wanting to be rude towards the one who made it, Maliksi slowly picked up a piece, inching it closer to his mouth before taking a bite.

His eyes widen as he quickly stood up from his seat, Maricela and her family were surprised at his suddenness, all eyes staring at him in bewilderment.

"Is everything okay, ijo?" one of the aunties asked Maliksi.

He quickly realized his actions, clearing his throat to gain composure and sitting back down calmly. "I- Sorry, it's just..the kutsinta is...good. Who made it?"

"Oh, must be Y/n. Lola Maricela's granddaughter who just graduated college. She loved cooking."

Maliksi heard a soft chuckle from behind him. He slowly turned around to see who it's coming from.

"Tastes like the best kutsinta ever, huh?" You stood infront of him, giving him a smug smile.

"You look like a kutsinta type of guy so I asked my lil bro to give you some. You like it?"

Maliksi stood frozen in place, his mind wandering to places. It is indeed the best kutsinta. Hell, it tastes like Amor's. He cannot forget that taste even after so many years.

The nostalgia brought by that single bite alone is enough to take him back to that time when Amor would make kutsinta and place it somewhere he'll find since he's too prideful before to accept anything from humans. He won't be able to resist it and just tell himself that Amor didn't give it to him- he 'sneakily' stole it from the human girl and enjoyed every last bits of it.

"I might not remember him, but my heart and soul will know him once we meet again."

"You...made this?"

You nodded. "Yeah, aside from the kutsinta itself, the secret actually lies on-"

"On the yema that is spread lightly on the top of the kutsinta before it's sprinkled with grated coconut." Maliksi finished your sentence which made you chuckle a little bit.

"How did you know that? Not everyone does that."

"A...friend of mine made it like that." Maliksi softly answered.

[ryuichirou]

Replies

We gave you a break from my art but not from my replies lol

Anonymous asked:

Will you draw more Scott Pilgrim content?

Not in the nearest future. Like I wrote in the post itself: we haven’t watched the show yet; and probably won’t for quite some time (I’m positive it’s not something we’d be able to recover from to jump back into twst). But Wallace’s anime design is adorable, so I really wanted to draw him with Todd. We’ll definitely watch it though, and then I might spam more art with them... or keep it to myself.

Anonymous asked:

Out of curiosity, do you have like a genderbend tag or something to see all your works with the twisted boys as girls together 👀

I do! It’s not strictly about twst, but it’s the only thing I post nowadays, so it probably doesn’t matter: #genderswap

I do have quite a lot of drawings of twst boys as girlies, but we haven’t posted much of them… I hope we will one day. 💪😔

Anonymous asked:

Do you think that Fem!Jamil would have less complaints than Regular!Jamil about those times where Kalim tries to dress her up? My guess is that she would simply see it as Fem!Kalim wanting to "play dolls" and wouldn't really think much past that. Annoying, yes, but nothing more than a childish whim. Also, if this requests involve crossdressing, I imagine that her male counterpart would make more of a fuss about it than her.

(we talked about fem!KaliJami in our reply yesterday)

At first yeah, probably. She’s definitely more comfortable with it than the regular Jamil, because it’s easier for her to rationalize it in a non-romantic/non-sexual way. It really is as if Kalim just treats her like a pretty doll, and it’s nothing unusual: they used to play like this a lot when they were little. But when she’ll realise that whenever she’s dressed in pretty silks (and sometimes quite revealing ones), Kalim looks at her in an amazed but also clearly enamoured way. The moment Jamil realised that Kalim probably desires her, she’ll start treating these little dress up games differently.

Anonymous asked:

Ortho got a new card for new years. So picture him with Vil in his new years. Same goes with Rook in his new year. You know what? Have the three of them together in new years?

Ortho’s been getting so many new cards recently! He deserves all of them. The best boy lol Really liked the new year’s one!

Vil’s New Years outfit was so good that my heart actually stops whenever I remember him, and I’m super excited that he could be paired up with either Rook or Ortho now. Or both~

Anonymous asked:

Hey Ryu and katsu, did you guys read the translation for the previous jp event 'Playful Land'? I haven't seen you guys talk about it or mention it, so i'm curious to hear your thoughts and opinions on this event.

personally, i enjoyed most of the event  This is basically falling into the Black Butler territory lol (But i heard rumours that Yana wasn't involved in this event and a few previous ones apparently?).

Also, what do you guys think of the two new characters? Fellow and Gidel. I swear Gidel looks almost identical to cheka :'DD

Anon!! Sorry that it took so long to reply. We haven’t seen this event yet, so we edited out some of the parts of your ask to keep it spoiler-free; I don’t know when we’re going to finally watch it, but we’ll keep your ask in the askbox so we could share our thoughts when it happens. It might take quite a long time though, so I’m sorry.

I’ll reply to the rest of the things you’ve mentioned.

I’m not sure about the rumors, but I think Yana mentioned in her twi that she and her team was involved in the writing + design work for the event? But she has to do a lot of things these days, so I can’t say for sure.

The Black Butler vibes are very strong though, the whole circus/carnival theme is like a classic Yana setting, especially when it gets dark and traumatic lol Very excited to learn more once we watch it.

Fellow and Gidel look great!! Really love their design, their sprites are also great, Fellow especially has great expressions, and I really really love sleazy characters in general. Gidel has a lot of Cheka vibes lol but Cheka is more of a >:3 kid, and Gidel is more of a =w=, also I trust Gidel much much less. But in a good way, because once again, sleazy characters = good.

Anonymous asked:

So I've seen this hand held octopus citrus wringer, let's just say it looks like something else, so I'd like you to imagine Azul shoving a tiny octopus up Idia's ass

You mean… this one? Wow, it really looks like something else…

Poor Idia and his poor butt. Come on, Azul, it’s not an orange!!

Anonymous asked:

Neige could be Cady, but in universe fans would probably say he's a good fit for Regina George bc of his beauty

Either way Janis cusses both of them out so Vil gets paid to insult Neige on-screen

Let’s be honest, his fans would be so scandalized by Cady-Neige turning into “the second Regina” during the course of the movie lol I don’t know why I keep picturing his fanbase as a 90% wholesome people but. Still, he would absolutely be celebrated for that role and for going outside of his unproblematic box.

But yeah, if Vil got to play Janis in this scenario he would probably enjoy his opportunity to vent lol

[two-white-butterflies]

WAITING FOR A BUS

Pairings: Aemond Targaryen x Reader, Daemon Targaryen x Reader (MODERN)

Description: A new promotion at work prompts you to move into a small modest town with your boyfriend, Aemond Targaryen. There you meet a few friendly faces. It seems like life is going where it's supposed to. That is until you meet your new boss, Daemon Targaryen, who is your boyfriend's estranged uncle.

It doesn't help with the fact that you've been having dreams about him since birth.

masterlist | chapter sixteen

HONEYBUNCHSUGARPLUM💗 1:19PM Rhae invited us to Jace's bday. You coming?

PUMPKINPIE (GAMING PHONE) 🎃 1:19PM Nah, wby?

HONEYBUNCHSUGARPLUM💗 1:19PM Wow, finally using slang I see I'm coming tho.

PUMPKINPIE(GAMING PHONE)🎃 1:20PM Without me?

HONEYBUNCHSUGARPLUM 💗 1:21PM Pls attend!! I don't wanna go there without u 🥺

PUMPKINPIE (GAMING PHONE) 🎃 1:22PM Can't babe. I have stream today.

Aemond left the message at that. A controller was in his right hand, his fellow streamers were inside his mother's house. Casually eating the chips that Alicent left out. "She doesn't remember?" Arryk questions while peering over his left shoulder. Aemond was still staring at the message, his phone was in his left hand. "Don't think she ever will," he responded with a grin while turning his phone off.

"Your charisma is fucking amazing." Larys chuckles while pressing on the controls. "I mean, you just stream and shit." he complimented backhandedly while crushing Aemond's character. "Have you seen me?" his eyes narrowed as he flexed his muscles. "I'm a piece of art bro," he joked while pressing another button that let his character revive himself.

"Bitch please," Arryk mumbled through gritted teeth, slumping on his chair and nibbling on the bowl of Lays. Aemond stares at the both of them, eye alternating between his two friends. "You can't just insult me and eat my food, that's shitty behavior." he shook his head playfully, reaching for the remote and turning the t.v off.

He stands up.

"It's time to go home." he settled, grabbing the bowl from Arryk's hands. He promised to go home today, to grab his phone that he accidentally left in your shared home. He wanted to be home by the time you did. He missed you — he missed your face.

"Come on! I just got here!" Arryk complained while laying on the leather sofa. "Yeah, you're free to stay but you have to babysit Egg's children." Aemond rolled his eye while walking away from the kitchen counter. "I'll bounce," Arryk replied suddenly rising from the chair.

'That's what I thought.'

———

You gazed upon the open window of Daemon's sports-car. It was a humble Porsche 911, that he allegedly bought in 2019. The wind was blowing on your face, there weren't any smoke in the city — only fresh and clean air. You stare at your phone, turning it on for a second — then turning it off again. It was 7:29PM.

You decided to not attend Jace's birthday party as your boyfriend wasn't going to be there anyways. "You're free to go to Rhae's house at any time, if your mind ever changes." he offered kindly, a soft smile was painted on his lips.

Thomas Daemon Targaryen was the perfect man. He was an intellectual who appreciated the arts. He studied at Harvard, and is on his way to earn another PhD. He was the person that your parents wanted you to be — and that somehow turned you on.

"I'm fine, Dae. I don't think it's appropriate to attend Aemond's family function without him." you answered, using a nickname that he hasn't heard in a while. His lips pressed into a thin line.

Oh, he hasn't forgotten about you — something inevitable changed deep within him, and you took his ability to ever feel anger. You made him fight a war that he's already lost. He's waving a while flag of surrender, inevitable to your endearments.

He stares at you for a second, almost missing the red light. You continued to gaze upon the scenery. An attempt to fight motion sickness. "(Your name), you're part of the family. You're welcome any time." he mumbled while taking a sharp right-turn. He was taking the long route in order to spend more time with you.

"Thank you, I'm already tired anyways — I'll send a gift to Jace. Tell him that we're sorry for not coming." you pleaded while seeing your apartment building in the horizon. It was a small building — it only had ten floors, and your apartment was on the top. The penthouse.

"He won't take it to heart, I'm sure — but if you ever need anything. Grocery? or company, I'm here for you." he attempted to slither closer into your close circle. He'd take anything — scraps of your attention, if it meant having your attention. "You're too kind to me. But I feel the same, if you ever need anything — I'm just a call away." you wink while he halted in front of the building.

There were boxes of your teaching material on his trunk. It was evident that you weren't going to be able to take all of those items up the stairs. He was a gentleman, and he offered his help. "I'll help you with that," he demanded while taking two big boxes off your hands, leaving you with a tiny box and your handbag to carry.

"You don't have to do this, I could call someone to help." you chuckled nervously, embarrassed of having your uncle-in-law and boss carry all of your objects. "This is what friends are for (Your name)," he says while climbing up the stairs with ease.

You suppose that this is the result of his military trainings, but that only meant that you were trailing behind him. It was late at night and the elevators were closed due to the landlord's stinginess. You couldn't help but feel exhausted after five-flights of stairs.

You stare at him from above you. His expensive polo was stained with purple glitter-glue. "Dae, there's something on your shirt." you climbed up the stairs faster, placing the handbag on your shoulder and the small box on top of your waist. He looks down on his striped polo, not even faltering as he sees the stain.

"I'm so sorry, the glue must've leaked." you apologized while attempting to wipe remnants of the glue away from his shirt. He chuckles loudly, "It's alright, it's a shirt." he comforted and you both walked up the stairs together — side-by-side.

Until you didn't even realize that you were on the 9th floor. An old lady that lived under your apartment suddenly fades into view with a flower-pot on her hand. "(Your name), is this your new boyfriend?" she asked with an old-lady smile, her voice was a croak but you were both able to hear her quickly.

You blushed, speechless.

Daemon and you? Pft impossible.

"Well, you two look good together — have a nice day." the old lady closed her door, not even waiting for your response.

You turned even redder, almost like a tomato. You walked up the stairs faster, already in shame of all the events that happened today. "I'm really sorry for Mrs. Parker — well, she's adorable but she shouldn't have said that." you apologized, bowing your head. He chuckles again, his voice a dark velvet timbre. "It's okay." he smiled and you stopped in front of your apartment.

Hands reaching for the doorknob. His eyes trailed from the doorknob to your hands — you were still wearing the ring that he gave you, but it was on your thumb and readjusted to fit that finger. The door beeps, and that familiar ring plays through your ears.

Daemon could smell your apartment, it was of cinnamon and jasmine — it smelled like you. There were no pictures of you and Aemond, but there were paintings on the wall. Minimalistic and unlike you. "Where do I put this down?" he asked, eyes roaming around your apartment.

Some parts of it reminded him of you, and other parts were foreign.

"On the counter," you pointed while settling your handbag and box down on the plastic chair. He places the boxes down, and the stain on his shirt grew in size. "I'll go grab a shirt for you." you mumbled while staggering to your room in search of an oversized hoodie.

You weren't a bad person. You weren't going to give him your boyfriend's shirt. After flicking a few hangers away, you were able to see an oversized hoodie that had a unicorn drawing on the center. It was girlie, but it would do.

You exit your room, smiling at him as he sat on the counter. "You're welcome to sit on the couch. Do you want anything to drink?" you offered like a kind hostess. He shakes his head, instead searching for the lavatory. "The bathroom is — that way." you pointed on the door beside your room and smiled, thanking you silently.

You were about to follow him, but the doorbell rings. You walk towards the door, staring through the peephole and you see Aemond. He was a jealous man, even though there was nothing between you and Daemon — he'd get mad.

The doorbell rings again and Daemon exits the bathroom. "Who's that?" he asked, and your turned your head to look at him. Aemond couldn't be jealous of his uncle? "Aemond," you answered while opening the door. "I missed you, baby." he whispered while opening his arms to hug you, giving you that fever.

He frowns at the sight of another man inside his house and wearing his woman's shirt.

"Uncle, what are you doing here?" he asked in a rigid tone. Daemon was trying something again, but his uncle will never have you. He'd have to pry you away from Aemond's dead hands. "I helped her with the boxes, I was just about to head out." his uncle replied in a civil-tone, but he knew what that meant — 'I'll be kind to you once, but don't try anything funny.'

He nods his head, not wanting to make a show in your presence.

"I'll walk you to your car."

next chapter>>

taglist: @urmomsgirlfriend1 @namelesslosers @immyowndefender @ammo2022 @perihelioneclipse @gracielikegrapes @joliettes @thetrueblackheart @ammo23 @sanzu-sanzu-sanzu

[sparklingpax]

Hellooo tumblrrrr >:3

sorry for the inactivity, but I'm finally on winter break now!! Sharing some of my favorite works from this semester <33

These are mixed from 2 of my studio classes (6-hour classes btw lmfao 🪦✨), Painting & Drawing. Since it's a foundational year, work is primarily traditonal. I can also answer questions ab materials/dimensions/etc if you have any!! :3

Ok incoming unedited vague and yet specific ramble about my feelings and experience 😳

Art school is everything I hoped for...idk if y'all remember cause I've had this acc since sophomore year, but I was conflicted about college even then cause of how people made the experience sound horrible and not worth it. Especially artists. I was nervous applying, I didn't think my work was even vaguely good and yet I got into my top choice school. Further, I found very quickly that this experience is in fact crucial to me personally as well as artistically. It's very challenging but in a way that makes my soul feel like I have purpose. I fucked my sleep schedule SO bad this year (😭) and my diet has gone to shit (purely my own irresposibility, don't freaking do what I did there's always better ways).

The feeling of accomplishment in work I spend full days and nights on, as well as how it feels to be in a space with the kindest and also fellow like-minded artists, is unmatched to anything I've experienced in my life. I've used materials and made progress I long ago swore off never touching because "I could never"

I wasn't happy in high school, despite what people said about how I'd miss it when college starts, how I'd hate college, how everything sucks now blah blah blah. Nope. Maybe they loved the experience, their friend groups, the feeling of not being the only person going down their career path (my school was small, I am the only person who graduated going to art school. It was hell during the application process, being told left and right I'm doing it wrong and I shouldn't bank on being an artist anyway. I learned that year the value of ignoring people fr).

OH NOT HAVING TO TAKE MATH, SCIENCE, ETC......IVE BEEN WAITING SO LONG AGHHHH 😭✨✨ The feeling of anxiety and worthlessness over not understanding or doing well in those subject areas while also knowing it's not important in the bigger picture but still feeling horrible over them....being gone....knowing I can put my whole mind and heart into creating now...sobbbbbb it's amazing

Right now, I'm feeling good about everything, even with the many ups and downs during the semester--ultimately, I'm where I wanna be now, and I'm kinda hype for the next semester 🥰 idk if my opinion counts or if this will reach any people who are in my previous situations, if this is encouraging at all but maybe perhaps it will?? And if it does then I'm glad 🫡

In conclusion, uh. I'm being my usual overdramatic and wordy self, but first semester was slay and I'm so deeply grateful I'm an artist and that I am in my current situation. ART SCHOOL FUN RAAAAA

[echosong971]

any ideas on how to get more confident in your art or just things you make in general? I struggle a lot with my thoughts and always talk myself out of trying to get better at art because of stuff so was just curious if you had any thoughts on the subject? thanks !

HI HELLO! I'm always up for hyping up fellow artists!

So, I used to struggle a lot with being confident in my art to the point where I solely relied on other people's opinions of my art to validate my self-esteem. It really sucked and dampened my enjoyment of drawing quite a bit. But one thing that helped shift my focus that I eventually realized was this:

I wasn't letting myself be proud of my own work.

It is not self-aggrandizing or wrong to simply be happy about something you have created, to look at it and go "Y'know what? I really like the way I drew that nose. And those flowers look AMAZING, actually." It's perfectly normal and healthy to hype yourself up and in fact, I encourage it! Be your own hype-man! Look at an old drawing you made and instead of only focusing on what you think looks bad, just focus on what you think you did well! Give your art three compliments today, I promise you it will make you feel better about your art skills.

Of course, that's not to say you can't critique your own work, or that you should blind yourself to what you can improve on. But you are your own worst critic, and often times people fail to remember that proper critiques and constructive criticism include mentioning things you enjoyed about the work alongside the potential improvements.

Bullying yourself or beating yourself up is not constructive, it is destructive. And thoughts that don't have your best interests in mind are not thoughts worth listening to.

And another thing, you need to accept yourself where you are. You cannot do better than your best and that is ok. With time and study and practice, you will improve. But if you don't let yourself draw in the first place, then how are you going to get better? Like a very helpful person once said: "bad art is good art because you made art."

And one final note: Art as a general, overarching concept is not something to "get right," it is not something with cut and dry rules that must be followed to the letter of the law. It's a form of expression. It is a product of passion that is tailored to the individual. And it is beautiful. When you let yourself pour your heart and soul into a piece and share it with the world, people will see that; even with any technical mistakes that you may have made, what people are going to notice and latch onto first is the love you have for art and the passion you carry for the craft that shines through what you make. So when you love what you do, other people will too :)

Like my mom always tells me: seek to express, not to impress.

I hope this advice helped ya out my dude and I want you to know that I'm rootin' for ya in your artistic journey! Art can be tough and really frustrating at times and I'm proud of ya for makin' it this far and seeking ways to improve!

I hope you have a good morning, good day and a goodnight, wherever you are Anon! ♥️

[x-authorship-x]

2022 Creators Self-Love Extravaganza!

Rules:

It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works (fics, art, edits, etc.) you’ve created this year and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world in 2022. If you don’t have five published works, that’s fine! Include ideas/drafts/whatever you like that you’ve worked on/thought about, and talk a little about them instead! Remember, this is all about self-love and positive enthusiasm, so fuck the rules if you need to. Have fun, and tag as many fellow creators as you like so they can share the love!

This post is inspired by @bubblesthemonsterartist - thanks for bringing it across my dash! ✨

1) THE 'A' IN ANBU STANDS FOR (SURPRISE) ADOPTION

I love feel-good found-family fluff fics and this one served a side of comedy to boot. Writing this was really therapeutic at a stressful time in my life and I was feeling really guilty for not keeping up with my longstanding Shisui Series (HOPE AU, including completed work 'No Tomorrow' (NoT) and ongoing sequel 'Until Dawn Breaks' (UDB)). Writing Shisui is always my favourite thing to do, he's such a comfort character to me even if I'm making him hurtle through life and death situations or wacky AUs. This fic kind of encapsulated that, the joy I find in him as a character, and making sure he's loved and supported too. The fic started when I asked myself all the possible points in time for Shisui to transform what happened in canon; one of them was 'Itachi is under crazy pressure... How can Shisui protect him?' and 'legal guardian the shit out of his baby cousins' was the immediate answer.

Summary: Shisui didn't know why Raidou was giving him disappointed looks. It wasn't like Shisui had much of a track record for letting things go, for going with the Status-Quo and ignoring what was happening around him. Or that this was the first, er, child acquisition - for any of them! - either.

Honestly, at this rate, they were going to be renamed Squad Toddler instead of Two.

It was Kakashi who grabbed this one, anyway!

2) Until Dawn Breaks

This is the sequel to my favourite shisui fic I've ever written. I planned the whole story out, multiple arcs, before I had even written a word for the fic itself. I spent days getting together a brand new timeline for the Narutoverse, I figured out a whole cast, their abilities and motivations and relationships, and it felt like the whole thing was hovering above the page, waiting to be written. Writing No Tomorrow (NoT) was literally the best thing I've ever done and I'm so proud of that fic, even if I would edit it differently looking back on it now. For Until Dawn Breaks (UDB), I was really conflicted on the plotline because of that phrase, 'no plan survives contact with the enemy'. I'm at a cross roads with the fic, part of me wishes I'd skipped this arc entirely, but I don't want to abandon anything so I'm forced to soldier through. I have to make a lot of big plot decisions and that takes a lot of time, which I don't have, and knowledge, which has faded over the past year or so. I used to only update when I had at least three more chapters finished ahead of time and now I publish as soon as it's ready, and I'm sad to have lost that routine. Writing is hard and it's supposed to be fun. I hope my readers understand that breaks are inevitable and they still come read updates whenever they arrive. The fact I updated this fic this year is a huge thing for me and I'm really proud that I could keep going through this rough patch with the fic and IRL.

Summary: Shisui had succeeded, destroying the man who was responsible for his death, in every way possible. Who had caused so much suffering... more than anyone could have foreseen.

(He gasped for air, throat parched and lips chapped and-)

But now came the hardest part; learning to live again.

(The ground felt as distant as the dim twinkle of stars scattered across the night sky.)

All was still.

(The air, the only thing surrounding him, felt stretched in his lungs, whipped his clothes and hair taunt from his skin, and streamed tears from his eyes.)

And then it wasn't.

3) The Red Istari

I submitted my thesis at midnight and planned this fic before I went to sleep. The first chapter was completed and posted within a day of that. This fic was a watershed moment for me, I had made a promise that I wouldn't write any fanfic whilst working on my thesis drafts until it had been completed and I stuck to that. I did some brainstorming, I have a lot of WIP ideas saved up, but I didn't write and I didn't allow my focus to shift. This fic was like a dam exploding and I feel like I'm still recovering for the enforced sabbatical. I'd attempted LotR/Naruto crossovers before but it always felt like there wasn't much of an audience for it and, whilst I like to think I write for myself, I do weigh up reader engagement too because I find it discouraging to post and get nothing nice back for my hard work. This time I didn't care, tbh. I watched the extended edition on loop in the final days of my thesis work and it felt like i had to write this fic or explode. I think it worked out nicely haha

Summary: The sky was aglow, deepest crimson washing over the land and undimmed by the bruise-purple clouds that clutched at the edges of the horizon.

The sands shifted beneath him, deep and perfect as only a desert that has consumed everything within it can be.

A staff of inscribed steel stood proud where it was stabbed into the sand, radiating heat against the side of his neck.

Somehow, he knew in his bones that there was nothing out there but him, the staff, and the golden desert.

He was alive, bare, and unwounded despite the blood he could feel stuck to his flesh.

This was not death.

This was… something new.

4) REVELRY

I once wrote a Bnha self insert and the whole experience of trying to make sense of the fandom and the canon verse was so bewildering that I never wrote for my hero academia again. Until now. I've read a lot of Bnha (seriously, my total ao3 bookmarks are in the 6000s now) and I have a lot of characters I adore but i never felt the urge to write for them like i did for this Tokoyami fic. Quirk science confuses me, I'm not one of those accounts who can theorise legitimately on the topic, but quirk Shenanigans and fuckery is something I can weigh in on a little more confidently. I'm ending 2022 by trying out a fandom i thought I'd never post about again. It's a nice bit of self character development, yeah?

Summary: “The shadow is the greatest teacher for how to come to the light.”

Others don't understand that a 'quirk' is not always a tool and that, sometimes, a family is two birds in the darkness of the night.

Fumikage is going to be a hero.

And so is Dark Shadow.

AKA

What if Tokoyami was the top hero student in his class?

5) WIPS

This last celebration is for my WIPs! There are a stupid amount of them, most will never see the light of day, but i love them all ❤️ they're wacky, heart breaking, ridiculous, fluffy, healing and badass! I'll spotlight a few of my favs from this year, since I pick out a snappy title, dramatic summary and aesthetic line divider before almost anything else haha

DRAGON (KAGE SERIES WIP)

“The hunger of a dragon is slow to wake, but hard to sate." ― Ursula K. Le Guin

Mikoto had been born into a Clan that, whilst not so foolish as to disregard its girls, preferred for them to stay at home, providing future heirs and fighters, than risking themselves in the field. Peace had only esasperated the expectations that a pretty girl made a prettier wife.

Mikoto, thankfully, was the daughter of Uzushio Ambassador Uchiha Kagami and Shiho the Silvertongue.

Her inner spark was tended, never stifled. 

The Will of Fire would burn brightly once more.

AKA

Mikoto had been born in a plum grove, nearly a month premature, exactly half way between Konoha and Uzushio. Her mother predicted that she would have an indomitable will. Her father declared that she was born between two worlds.

They were both right.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

HUNTER (KAGE SERIES WIP)

The Sarutobi Clan had long been in the service of the Daimyo. The Uchiha and Senju were Noble Shinobi. The Nara were Wild Healers, coaxed out of obscurity by their connection to the Yamanaka and Akimichi.

The Hatake had been Samurai, set apart by their own moral code and Clan culture.

They'd sworn themsleves to Konoha, allies with the Senju for centuries. They were Kin to the Nidaime, who was born of Senju Butsuma's second wife, and an integral part of the village founding. Their loyalty and skill had put them in the first line of defense and had proven their Clan's downfall.

Sakumo was the Head of a Clan of two. His wife, ambushed on a solo courier mission. His son and heir, strongarmed onto the battlefield far too young for all of his genius. The Hatake were in danger and Sakumo was their only hope.

The White Fang had played the loyal watchdog for too long. Konoha had forgotten the bite of white chakra and the savagery of a desperate father.

Konoha needed to remember why the rest of the known world rightly feared wolves.

╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠╣◍╠

THORN

"We, who wield power, adorn ourselves with flowers to hide the sting of our thorns." - L. Bardugo

They saw her ebony curls, eyes like cranberries, and the strength of her Genjutsu.

'Uchiha,' they whispered, fearful, wrong.

'Pretender', the Clan-born dismissed, sneering, ignorant.

'Clan', the trees seemed to murmur, a song precious few could hear these days, and swayed towards her presence. A leaf caressed her cheek, the soil humming underfoot, and branches curved to cradle her descent.

Kurenai had grown up in a civilian family and, whenever anyone looked at her, that was all they saw. The Yuuhi family were small, wide-spread, but had done well for themselves. Kurenai was their only child, the lone Shinobi in generations, and the secrets in her blood seemed to pound just beneath her skin. 

She wove roses into reality and warped the mind in her grasp until nothing was believable and the flourishing greenery was waved away as a trick of the light.

'Yuuhi,' they called her.

'Senju', the forest breathed.

And Kurenai smiled.

AKA

Kurenai wasn't supposed to reach Jounin until she was 25, and even that might have garnered too much attention. However, when she notices familiar chakra - like her, like her, like her - lingering around her friend, Kakashi, Kurenai stumbles across a conspiracy that spans decades.

Truth will out. And Blood runs true.

AKA

Kurenai has her Grandfather's eyes and her Great Uncle's chakra.

ෆ(⁠)✿ᘛ⋋⁠✿ෆ(⁠)✿ᘛ⋋⁠✿⁠ෆ(⁠)✿ᘛ⋋⁠✿ෆ(⁠)✿ᘛ⋋⁠✿⁠ ෆ(⁠)✿ᘛ⋋⁠✿

I'll tag: @looks-like-starlight @katlou303 @thekatthatbarks @ellorypurebloodculture @raendown anyone else who wants to play!

[apexart-journal]

Hanna Saarikoski in NYC, Day #4&5

Friday, September 6th, began in the apartment with a lecture and virtual tour from Jaffa 1948 to Gaza 2024. It was heartbreaking to watch. What has been going on for decades and what is still going on in Palestine, will it never end so that the people there have a chance to build and live their lives in peace? It's so important to share information based on documents and historical facts, even though the world seems to be getting more and more polarized, violent and full of fake news.

After the late lunch, I had a very different tour with Circle Lines. The boat left from Pier 83 in Midtown and was full of tourists. The sun was hot like summer, and people were getting out to get a better view and fresh air. Our guide took his role as an entertainer very seriously and I'm sure he was good at it - for me it was just a bit too much talking and the speakers were super loud and on everywhere, you couldn't escape to hear your own thoughts. But the sights were amazing. In an hour and a half you could see a lot of "must see" places. I think in new places it's more interesting to see normal everyday life than crowded attractions, but this was a very compact way to at least get a glimpse of them.

The last activity of the day was the American Symphony Orchestra concert in Bryant Park. I went with Apexart Fellow Kewulay Kamara, whom I hadn't met before. It was fun to listen to classical, very well played music with a little easy-listening vibes and at the same time see people sitting on the grass eating their picnic treats. Some of the pieces were very evocative, like music from Psycho arranged for a string section. As the orchestra played it, the lights dimmed and bats flew around the park. Sometimes the sound of 6th Avenue mixed perfectly with the music. After the concert we walked to Central Park to talk for a while, I hadn't been there before and it felt like an oasis of quiet, natural voices after the heavy traffic and crowds of noisy people. We talked about politically engaged art and Kewulay's work as a storyteller, poet and teacher.

The next morning I had a Zumba class at Fort Tryon Park, it was hard, sweaty and fun. I had been writing late last night and it took a while to settle down and get some sleep, so I was super tired, but the morning workout still felt good. Adult gaming day at the Tompkins Square Library didn't. My brain just stopped working, I got a terrible headache and could barely concentrate on doing a puzzle, no hope of participating in the Scrabble or Backgammon the others were playing. Libraries seem to be so beautiful and inviting everywhere, despite the headache I loved the place. Before going to rescue food from becoming waste, I had a nap, it helped, and taking food from the bakery near Union Square to the church on 2nd Avenue went quickly. One of the volunteers said that sometimes there is a lot more to carry and deliver, but this time it wasn't that much. She said she moved here from Australia and does a lot of volunteer work. I got some recommendations on where to go and what to see in NYC. One of my favorite things here so far are the people, they are so relaxed, friendly and helpful.

[xhibitur]

🎨✨ Painting for Beginners: Smart Tips to Get Started! ✨🎨

Hey there, fellow art enthusiasts and creative souls! 🌟 If you've ever looked at a beautiful painting and thought, "I wish I could do that," guess what? You totally can! 🖌️✨ Here are some super intelligent ways for all you painting beginners to dive into the colorful world of art:

Baby Steps, Beautiful Results: 🌈 Don't be in a hurry to become a Picasso overnight! Start with the basics. Get comfy with the types of brushes, paints, and canvases out there. It's like building a solid foundation for your artistic dreams!

Pick Your Magic Potion: 🪄🎨 Paints come in all sorts of flavors – watercolors, acrylics, oils – oh my! Experiment with different ones to find your artistic soulmate. It's like choosing your own adventure in the world of art.

Tools of the Trade: 🖌️✨ Quality matters, but you don't need to break the bank. Invest in decent brushes, paints, and surfaces. Your art supplies are like your trusty sidekicks on this creative journey!

Embrace Oopsies: 🙈✨ Mistakes are just happy little accidents waiting to happen! Don't sweat the blunders; learn from them. Art is all about evolving, and that's where the magic lies.

Artistic Sherlock-ing: 🔍🎨 Study the art of the greats! Analyze their strokes, colors, and stories. Recreate their works to learn different strokes (literally!) and broaden your own artistic horizons.

Simple Magic in Shapes: 🔶🔵 Complex subjects can be intimidating, right? Break them down into basic shapes. It's like solving an art puzzle – piece by piece, you create something amazing!

Technique Time: 🌀🖌️ Experiment with strokes, layers, and textures. It's like having your own painting laboratory! Who knows, you might just stumble upon your signature style.

Sharing is Caring: 🤝✨ Show off your work to your art buddies, online communities, or even your cat! Constructive feedback is golden. But remember your art, your rules.

Patience, Young Grasshopper: 🌱 Rome wasn't painted in a day, right? Be patient with your progress. Celebrate each step, no matter how teeny-tiny. You're a growing masterpiece too!

Radiate Joy: 😄✨ This is your art adventure, friend! Revel in the process, dance with the colors, and embrace your creative spirit. Your canvas is your playground – splash your personality all over it!

So, whether you're doodling in your journal, splashing colors on canvas, or just making a beautiful mess, remember: Art is what you make of it. 🎉🌟 Now go on and paint your heart out! 🎨💖

[anauro]

Okay one I'm so sorry I didn't realize how long that was, I would've broken it up if I knew how long it would be. Two I don't blame you. I would leave to. You and your friends don't deserve this. You haven't done anything wrong. You all should've been allowed to live your lives peacefully writing your fanfics and people shutting the fuck up about it. I don't know a lot about most of what's happening but I know it's bullshit. I've done a little bit of digging and I'm no longer sad about all of this I'm pissed off and disgusted. This this is just plain hateful. It's hateful for no reason at all. And the main reason I'm telling you this off of anon is because I want to make sure from now on anything I say to people they will know it was me. I can't imagine going through all of the shit you all go through. I can't imagine being told the shit that you get told. It's unethical and unnecessary and most importantly undeserved. For all you do for us you shouldn't have to go through this. The fact is you all write for yourselves and choose to share it with us. You choose to let us know about the amazing stories you have to tell. I can't thank you enough for allowing us, allowing me to read it.

This one probably wasn't much shorter but I had stuff to say. Once more thank you for your effort and I hope all of this stops because it's pointless. It's just a bunch of idiots who don't know how lucky they are to be able to read your stories and see your guys' art. But I know. I know and the rest of us who don't give the hate, who wait in anticipation for the next chapter or snippet know how lucky we are. I thank you for everything you have done and as far as it sounds will continue to do despite the circumstances.

It’s absolutely disgusting and if anyone behaved this way towards you at work, at school or at any public space, you’d probably escalate the matter. People think they’re anonymous on the internet, but they really aren’t and I have reported a cyber bully to the police before and I wouldn’t hesitate to that again.

I, and probably lots others, started writing to give something back to the fandom that I found so welcoming and so soothing. I remember when finding a fellow Jegulus shipper under a tik tok video was a reason to become mutuals and I have in fact made my very first friend in the fandom this way. I was feeling lonely when I moved cities and writing was a great escape, but now I have to restrict access to my account and hide myself from search engines whilst in the middle of an Indonesian jungle and that really wasn’t the whole point.

I get enough shit from people at my job, I really don’t need it online and neither did my friends. This fandom is really destroying itself cause nobody wants to be here anymore.

Pss…. Thank you for you message though and thank you for sending it off anon. Nice to know most people are still decent here 🫶🏼

[lilradridinghood]

Mapulon and Lakapati

Finally posting the Tagalog myth retelling I wrote for @withbarehands-zine! I still kinda get imposter syndrome sometimes when I write about Filipino stuff, so it feels really special to get this out there. Also my my first time trying to write anything arospec-related!! And @/tidalbronze on Twitter made AMAZING art to go with my story which I will add to the notes when they post.

Thanks for reading!

~~~~~~~

Mapulon watched as the rain fell at his command.

Or rather, at his nudging, as he preferred to call it. He didn't like to think of himself as some demanding ruler over nature. Sure, as the god of seasons, he had his fair share of power over the weather, but it wasn't like him to summon harsh winds or call upon the heavens for a storm.

Instead, he coaxed the water down gently, so as not to deter the villagers from coming out to gather herbs. Medicinal plants seemed to love the way he arranged the skies.

But today, no human showed up from the village—not even after the soft patter of rain had ceased.

Mapulon grew unsettled as he waited, wondering if he should venture into the village to check on the mortals. He had never actually visited their homes before, electing to merely observe from afar like every other god he knew, but it was unusual not to see anyone out in the fields by this time of day.

Before he could come to a decision, he suddenly noticed someone approaching a patch of herbs—as if the person had materialized out of nowhere. They barely paid Mapulon mind as they gathered the leaves. It was only after filling their shallow basket that they looked up, smiling at what was no doubt a bewildered expression on his face. Then, before he could say anything, the stranger got up and headed for the village.

It wasn't long before Mapulon followed.

He wasn't sure what exactly drove his feet forward—knowing there was at least someone to care for the villagers should've been enough to assuage him—but there was something about that warm, amused smile the stranger had given him. Something that made him want to see it again.

By the time he finally caught up to the elusive stranger, they had already entered someone's home. Mapulon remained respectfully at the entrance as they knelt by an unconscious old man's bedside, applying herbs to the red welts on his arms.

"Thank you," said a woman with a scratchy voice.

The mortal with the basket held it up in her direction. "You next," they said.

The woman shook her head. "I can tend to myself as long as you leave me some herbs."

The other hesitated. "Then take this too." They reached into their basket, and—somehow, though Mapulon hadn’t noticed anything other than the herbs in there before—pulled out a shiny ripe pomelo.

After more thanks from the woman, the basket-holding stranger went on their way, presumably to help the next household afflicted with illness. Mapulon was about to follow them again when the woman in the hut called out to him.

"You be careful out there," she said. "There's a sickness going around."

"Shouldn't you be more worried about the person who just helped you?" Mapulon asked.

Despite her obvious fatigue, the woman smiled with fondness. "I wouldn't worry too much about them. I don't think it's even possible for a god to get sick."

Mapulon blinked at her. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Oh, you didn't know? I assumed that was what brought you here. You may not guess it from the way they're always giving time to help us humans, but they're actually the deity of fertility," she said. "Their name is Lakapati."

The next second, Mapulon was running through the village and calling their name.

And there Lakapati was, coming out of a different hut. They turned their head at the sound of their name and smiled. But that same amusement from before had barely spread across their face before their body seemed to flicker, and the next thing Mapulon knew, Lakapati was gone.

—

The next day, Mapulon was determined to have a repeat encounter with his fellow deity. He returned to the same area, once again gracing the fields with his signature caress of rain. Then he watched over the dewy herbs, waiting for Lakapati to appear, but all morning no one came.

All the while, Mapulon kept thinking back to his brief encounter with them, and how kind Lakapati had been to the humans. Such kindness was a marvel that warmed Mapulon’s heart, and he realized that he wanted to be just like them. So instead of waiting any longer, he gathered an armful of herbs and made his way into the village.

When he stopped at the same hut as the day prior, the old man had what looked like a fresh layer of treatment on his arm, while the woman winced in pain as she tried to apply herbs to her own body. At Mapulon’s arrival, she looked up and managed a small knowing smile.

“If you’re looking for Lakapati, they’ve already gone,” she said.

“And you still wouldn’t let them treat you?” Mapulon asked.

She sighed and shook her head. “It would be a great help, of course, but I don’t want to take up too much of their time—especially when they’re the only god I’ve seen down here helping us so personally. Even being a deity, I’m sure there’s only so much one can do.”

Mapulon felt guilty then, for all the years he’d thought it sufficient to support the humans from a distance.

“Then from now on there shall be two,” he declared. “And I swear as the god of seasons that you will be cared for.”

The woman’s eyes widened at his revelation. “M-Mapulon?”

He smiled. “That is my name,” he said. “May I ask yours?”

The simple question seemed to calm her down a bit, and she answered, “Dalisay.”

“Well, Dalisay, you look like you could use some help.”

And so Mapulon helped treat her welts, before moving on to another household with a promise to come back the next day. He made his way through the rest of the village, making sure everyone got what they needed. In many places, Lakapati had already satisfied all their needs, but there were others like Dalisay who could use the extra care. So Mapulon put himself to work, as he did every day for several weeks.

Then one day, while helping Dalisay care for her father, Mapulon looked up to find Lakapati watching him with a radiant smile on their face.

It was the sight Mapulon had so longed to see, and it filled his heart with a rush of warmth. He immediately knew what he wanted to ask Lakapati. And at Dalisay’s approving nod, he got up and went to join them.

—

It was dark out by the time they were done helping everyone, and the two deities settled into a leisurely stroll.

“It’s good to see someone else so dedicated to helping these people,” Lakapati said. “When we first met, I wasn’t sure you had such kindness in you.”

Mapulon grinned at them. “Well, I did have someone to inspire me. In fact, I was hoping…”

Lakapati raised an eyebrow at his sudden hesitation, and he sat down on a nearby rock, looking up at them sheepishly.

“I was hoping I could court you,” he said.

The surprise on Lakapati’s face soon gave way to a deep-set frown. “I’m not sure I’d want to be in that kind of relationship,” they said.

“It doesn’t have to be now. I’m willing to wait—however long it takes.”

But that only made things worse. “As if it’s a given that I should fall in love with you?”

“I only thought-”

“I know what you thought. You thought the same thing as everyone else.”

And with that, before Mapulon could respond, Lakapati was gone.

—

Mapulon was beside himself with regret as he ran through his memory of the conversation. He didn’t know what went wrong, only that he wanted to make things right as soon as possible. He needed to find Lakapati before night’s end.

So he asked around among the villagers—among his new friends—and he figured out where Lakapati usually retreated to. Relief flooded through him when he found them at the lake.

“I’m sorry for what I said,” Mapulon told them. “I shouldn’t have assumed anything.”

Lakapati looked up wearily, their brown eyes reflecting the soft glow of firefly light. “It’s normal to assume,” they said. “But I… I don’t know if I can feel the kind of love that comes with courtship. I think I may be missing something.”

“Missing something?” Mapulon shook his head. “You’re more full of compassion than any deity I know. If you never find someone you wish to marry, it can’t possibly be because you’re lacking in love. Your love just happens to be different. Special.”

“Special enough that you’d wait an eternity? Even if there’s no guarantee I’ll ever marry you?”

“If you think there’s any chance, then yes. But if not, or if it doesn’t end up happening…” Mapulon shrugged, offering a lopsided smile. “Then I’d be more than happy to have you as a friend.”

He held out his hand, and Lakapati took it while smiling back, both cherishing their growing love for the earth, for humanity, and for each other.

[epicqtefail]

One thing I learned about trying to get over my own insecurities when drawing, is that my own eyes are liars. They trick me into thinking that my mistakes are way more obvious than they are, and that they ruin a whole picture, and that if my drawings aren't perfect in every way then they aren't worth being shown. But then I see amazing works from other artists who think they aren't very good, and the imperfections I see (if any) don't come anywhere close to ruining the picture at all. I think of how sad I'd be if I didn't get to see that picture because the artist thought it wasn't good enough to show. Then I realize that I'm holding myself to an unfair standard compared to other artists. I would never tell another artist to withold or delete their work just because it isn't a 100% flawless masterpiece. Personally I think your work is amazing, whether it's a messy sketch for a joke or a fully coloured piece for a zine. It's funny, it looks great, and it's got so much personality. The fact that you were the one who made it is what makes it so good! I think you deserve to treat yourself and your art with a bit more kindness.

This is so, so achingly true and something that artists of all kinds need to be reminded of frequently, thank you. I love when it's put into perspective like this, because we really are just applying double standards unjustly towards ourselves relative to others and thinking it completely rational. hahah the shock of when a fellow artist thinks their art is terrible when all you see are masterpieces should be a wakeup call, but it never is :''^)

(oops sorry this got lomg so ill put it under here) 

and i'll do exactly this while wholeheartedly believing that art does not at all have to be """good""" by any standards (also that art doesnt have to be hard work to be worthwhile). the point is to create, after that it's about what you want to get from it. this reminds me of a few years ago when my housemate and i were talking about how their art is so clean and professional (of course they disagreed) and how they're always actively trying to improve, whereas i improve very slowly because i have little motivation to follow tutorials or learn how to colour, shade, highlight etc correctly. and then they just hit me with "it's because your priority isn't how good or professional your art looks, but more so the emotion or tone it conveys" and it was so on the mark that it stuck with me ever since. It's incredibly helpful to know what you want from your own art, and in turn, where your frustration/perfectionism is stemming from.

but in the face of those frustrations, like you said, kindness is key. give yourself a break from your brain, create art you think is bad, it's fine. why wouldn't it be fine? what do i think is going to happen? my inability to draw eyebrows that don't look like 2 slugs about to kiss will be weighed against my soul on judgement day and i will be cast to hell? (cut to judgement day and this is exactly what happens).

and because art is such a personal thing, everyone has their own unique flavour and other people are so much more likely to recognise that uniqueness than we do ourselves (no chance of sneaking off to draw embarrassingly indulgent fanart on the downlow, someone will always know its you '':^v *whispers* do it anyway, do it unabashedly). and like you said, the thought of missing out on seeing that because an artist deemed their work unworthy to share out of insecurity, is heart breaking.

thank you for these words of encouragement, you've really helped me and likely others refresh that stale, self-critical part of our minds, and i hope you’re able to internalise these kind reminders for yourself too <3 (i'm so sorry for this messy response, i originally typed out a whole essay and lost it all when the page reloaded... although the original was probably just as messy :'''V)

[clairecrive]

“Small thing” - Alfie Solomons x reader

A/n: So, I failed to post this on saturday but here it is! Thanks again for requesting @fifty-shadesof-tommyshelby! I changed a few things however I hope you’ll like this!

Summary: Alfie can’t help but step in when he sees that the man you were talking to was about to hit you. Then, one thing leads to another and eventually it’s your shared love for animals that’s what brings you together.

Word count: 2.2K (roughly)

TW: violence on animal, abusive behavior but fluff overall

Tag list: @mollybegger-blog, @evelynshelby, @br0ck-eddie, @of-love-and-of-the-sea, @shadow-of-wonder, @fandom--0verdose, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @sopxhiea, @fuseburner, @ashesbelle (let me know if you wanna be added or removed)

(this beautiful piece of art was made by @fortunetellingnonesense. she has other amazing art so go check her out!)

“Hey, stop! What the hell are you doing?!" Your voice resounded in the streets, its echo jumping through the buildings amplified. You weren't one to shout, nor did you get into fights easily. But if there was one thing you hated, it was bullying. Especially when those pieces of shit always picked on people half their size or age. It wasn't fair and showed how insignificant they were. However true that might be, the cuts and bruises that their kicks and fists would leave on them weren't insignificant. Especially compared to a smaller body such as the one of this little kitty that piece of shit on the other side of the road had decided to kick. 

Unfortunately, it had taken the small kitten cries for you to notice what was happening. But now that you had, you couldn't turn a blind eye to it. Not even if you weren't a strong muscular person and there was no one in the streets could give you a hand. Given the hour, the street was deserted.

"This little shit has decided to pee all over my doorstep. That’ll show him." Not happy with the kick that had probably broken the kitten's ribs, the bloke spat on its trembling body and was about to keep going. 

"Don't you see that it's a little kitten? They don't even know what a doorstep is." You pointed out incredulously but wasn't it obvious? 

"You almost killed him", you added to show that it was totally unnecessary and simply a dick move. 

"I don't fucking care. He peed on my doorstep and I taught him a lesson." His voice became even harsher as he bragged what he thought was a grand gesture. But really, he only proved your point further.

"You're a piece of shit." Simply put.

"Oi, lady, I don't know who the hell you think you are but ain't no one gonna talk to me like that." You could see that he trying to make himself look bigger and threatening but you didn’t expect anything less from him and were set on not let him win.

"If only you cared about yourself just half as much as you cared for others than I wouldn't have to point out the obvious." Dismissing him, you turned towards the poor kitten that was pathetically laying on the floor. Their breath was uneven and you could tell they were having trouble doing so. 

Your words must have confused the man, who apparently wasn't accustomed to a more complex way of speaking. You hadn't apologized but he wasn't sure that you had offended him either. By your tone though, he figured out that it must have been the second. And of course, his ego was bruised. 

"Right, you sl*t, it seems that you need to be taught a lesson too." Too busy cooing over the small thing, his words didn't even register. It was probably going to be too late once they did but luckily for you, a guardian angel interceded for you. 

"It ain't very manly to hit a woman, mate, right." A loud husky voice spoke behind you and you looked up, cradling the kitten to your chest, ready to make a run for it if it came to it. A tall figure of a man leaning on his cane with a big hat that cast a shadow over his face was the newcomer. You had never seen this man before but one look at him was all it took to understand that you did not mess with him. If you didn't want to end up bloodied and broken, that is. 

The bully was about to shoot a retort but the burly man spoke again before he could, "Just like hitting small animals. What fucking beast would do that, hm." And then he spoke no more, only stared at the guy. You found amusing how big and mighty the guy was trying to be just a moment early when it had been only you, and how scared and spineless he was being now, under the stranger's unwavering stare. 

It only took a minute, maybe even less, for him to lower his head and retreat. 

"That's right, no more lesson teaching for you, bastard." You snickered, mocking him. When the man in question turned to send a death stare your way, you shivered and moved behind the stranger's back, just to be sure. 

"Keep on going, mate." The stranger said fully ridding you of that menace finally. 

"Asshole", you muttered under your breath as the man disappeared into his house. You must have been louder than you thought because that prompted the stranger to look at you. 

"What are you doing, lass, getting head to head with a guy bigger than you, eh. Got a death wish?" As you were standing close to him now, you were able to see his face clearly since he was looking down at you for the height difference. What a lovely face. A guardian angel had sent him for sure because there was no way that such a handsome and kind man would stumble into your life by coincidence.

"Look, he almost killed this kitten and was definitely going to if I hadn't stopped him." You didn’t move to put some space between you. His eyes were too mesmerizing to look anywhere but at them and the way his lips trembled before forming a small smirk, was too endearing to miss.

 The stranger’s name turned out to be Alfie, but that wasn't the only thing you ended up knowing about him. He was a fellow animal lover and the human of a sweet bullmastiff. He had a trusted vet and offered to take you to him. On the way, you got to know each other. Albeit, he did all the talking, only stopping to let you answer the many questions he asked you, it wasn't annoying as it may sound. His rumbling was… comforting, in a way. It gave your mind no room to think back about what happened or worry about what could have happened if Alfie hadn't shown up. It only allowed you to lightly caress the kitten's fur and hum now and then to what he was saying. 

———————————————————————————

And after months of knowing him, you could vouch that it was. 

He was an interesting fellow, this Alfie. Such a scaring looking guy, all burly and dishevelled. His cane angrily stomped the ground, his boisterous voice and confident stride successful kept away any wandering eye and unwanted attention despite how difficult it was to not notice them walking down the street.  Of course, since you had just met him, you couldn't know that this happened mainly because of his reputation. And you would have never guessed either because despite his rough exterior, there was an underlying tenderness in the way Alfie looked at the small thing in your arms and how quickly and unprompted he had offered to help. It was the recipe for a sweetheart, wasn't it? 

"Right, I reckon we should get him some help, don't we?" Alfie couldn’t help but find you amusing and was more than willing to spend a little more of his time with you. His day had been uneventful up until now. Besides, the small thing in your arms did need help.

After the kitten was entrusted to the vet's care and eventually saved, Alfie, moved by your love for animals, had asked you to take care of his boy, Cyril. Of course, you happily took the job. Yes, the money was good and certainly helped but you mainly agreed because of him. As naive as it sounds, Alfie had made a really good impression on you that day and always had been the portrait of the perfect gentleman around you. 

He would welcome you in and offer a cup of tea when you’d get to his home in the morning and another one when he'd come home in the afternoon before you'd leave. And whenever he needed to stay at the bakery until late at night, he'd phone and tell you either offering to have someone walk you home or when you'd refused to leave Cyril alone - that was your job after all- he had given you one of the spare rooms for you to crash in and get some sleep, always with the promise of a raise for the inconvenience. 

You were titubant at first, yes Alfie had always been nice to you but was it enough to trust him? Eventually, you caved and stayed the night. The door of your room locked and a route for a quick escape already in mind. You'd soon find out that you wouldn't need it though. Alfie had come home a little past midnight and despite the late hour, he didn't go to bed straight away. Instead, you heard some noises coming from the living room. 

Curiosity got the best of you and you ventured downstairs. You had cooked a small dinner and left some for him in the oven. Alfie however, hadn't even noticed. The concept of a cooked meal was new and far away from him, his nightly routine mainly consisted of whiskey and the papers he'd brought from the office. 

Coming home to someone was also something out of the ordinary for Alfie, so when your silhouette appeared in the doorway he thought he was hallucinating. The whiskey made him a little slow but his mind still worked quickly enough that you didn't notice his moment of disorientation. 

That night turned out to be an interesting one for both of you. Looking back to it, it was also a kind of turning point in your relationship. Whiskey proved to be something that made Alfie even more prone to speaking and since the night is young, you two talked a lot, and you inevitably ended up feeling closer to him. 

After that night, Alfie made sure to come home a bit earlier so that you could talk a bit before you had to head home. And you ended up spending more nights at Alfie's too. 

Today was one of those days when Alfie said he would come home in time for tea. So, as usual, you had got everything ready, the cookies you had just taken out of the oven were nicely arranged on a plate beside the two steaming cups of tea. 

———————————————————————————

"We are restless today, aren't we? But we just came back from our afternoon walk, so what can I do for you, eh?" You were sure you sounded utterly ridiculous, using a baby voice with him but you loved doing so whenever you talked to him. And you’d swear that he could understand you. 

"A-ha, these are not for you sweet boy," you tutted at Cyril when he tried to help himself to the food.

It felt like a crescendo, your relationship getting out of the acquaintances’ stage and entering something blurry that you still couldn't figure out. All you knew was that it was warm and it felt a lot like home.

"Alright, alright, I'll give you some cuddles." Yeah, maybe you were a little soft on him but how could anyone be anything but when he looked so cute laying on his back with his little paws in the air?  

Exactly. 

The sound of the door closing caught your attention and you got up from the ground and walked in the hallway to meet Alfie who was taking his hat off. 

"Welcome back, Alfie. How was your day?" Walking to him, you helped him take his coat off. After hanging it on the coat rack, you turn back around to listen to his answer. You expected him to have moved away instead you found your faces extremely close after you had turned around. 

A gasp left your lips when your noses brushed whereas Alfie appeared unaffected. His eyes flickered between yours, his moustache tickled your upper lip as he spoke, "it's about to get a lot better, it seems pet. What do ya think?" He whispered on your mouth, referring to your previous question. 

The kiss was slow at first, your lips were cautious of each other, tentative and shy. Then Alfie’s hand reached the back of your head and it was like a flip had been switched. Only a  brief pause to get some air, your forehead touching, before your lips reconnected. This time with far more hunger, like you had been waiting for this moment. And in fact, you had been. 

"Look who's decided to join, cheeky bastard", Alfie commented, amused at his dog who was now panting on his leg. Cyril barked as if he had understood his human and you couldn't help but laugh. This dog was something else. 

Your hands trailed on his shoulders up to his neck while the kiss grew more desperate and Alfie pushed you to the wall behind the coat hanger. His hands began wandering trailing down on your body and his mouth was about to follow when something humid and wet interrupted them. 

Your eyes bore into his then flickered to his mouth, so close to yours, before you answered him. "I wholeheartedly agree." And that was all he needed to hear before his mouth was on yours. A shot of electricity ran through you when he did.

"I'm sorry mate, but this is a dance for two," Alfie gave him a loving pat on his head, "now where were we?" he turned back to you before connecting your mouths again. 

[cakemousse]

2021 Creator Self-Love Extravaganza!

thanks @emsylcatac for the tag! never done a tag game before, much less such a unique one, so i'll try

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works (fics, art, edits, etc.) you’ve created this year and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world in 2021. If you don’t have five published works, that’s fine! Include ideas/drafts/whatever you like that you’ve worked on/thought about, and talk a little about them instead! Remember, this is all about self-love and positive enthusiasm, so fuck the rules if you need to. Have fun, and tag as many fellow creators as you like so they can share the love! <3

it's my first time/year writing and i honestly didn't expect myself to write 9 fics when i first started out in March, so here's 5 personal favs?? in no particular order:

Poisson d’Avril this was a piece i wrote and published in a few hours after learning about France's concept of April Fool's in class! this fic almost didn't see the light of day until a year later because by the time i ended class, half the day was already gone... until i realised the rest of the world was still on the 1st of April, so i wrote it on the way home et voilà ! it was also my 2nd piece ever so i was pleasantly surprised by how i was able to write it down rather quickly ^^

Unstained identity reveal through Adrien almost getting akumatised; basically my dream turned into a fic. and uh, its not a long fic but it was something for me cause i literally wrote this fic for that one scene in my dream and had to write and publish as i go

cataclysmic creations just, marichat being stupid. it was a gift for @miabrown007 and i actually had a fancomic drawn for another fandom which i could see totally working for this pair. the only challenge for me was how to convey everything from a comic to a fic. and ngl, i thought people were gonna scoff at how ridiculous it was, but was glad that that didn't happened :3

this is us trying what can i say other than this is the longest piece i've written to date? also it's for ladynoir july 🐞🐾

with you, everything and nothing makes sense another gift for a friend, but this time its adrinette. due to unforeseen circumstances, i spent way lesser time on this than intended and wasn't writing it with full focus. when i was done, i quickly moved on to another cause that was more urgent. anyway, when i finally got back to this for editing, i went "how the heck did i even write this??" like wow. i made words work, and i had no idea how. also, this was slightly spicy out of the normal things i write so 👉👈

tagging @miabrown007 @jjuuppiter and anyone else who wants to do this! (no pressure, just have fun :D)

[imagines-to-quench-thirst]

No nut November

Imagine: in the glory of No Nut November, you make a bet with your lover saying if they fail you cuff them and use them to your liking but if you lose they get to fulfill one of their fantasies. And you are keen on it to make them lose, by any means.

Victor Creed

Accepting the challenge that is No Nut November, it's a walk in the park, after all, he did have a wager with you. So you were prepared to make him lose.

Walking into your living room dressed in a maid outfit so small enough that the skirt perfectly (barely) covers your ass when you bend over. And you use it wisely, in front of him.

-Excuse me, Mr. Creed. Just a second.

He watches your form in front of him seeing the black thong between your cheeks that peaked between getting the sensation he started to miss already.

-You want me to lose, dove?

He asks as he grins feeling his palm on his hard length trying to massage the hard-on away.

-Me, no. I'm just wearing this costume since I didn't go to the Halloween party. So this is my chance. It's not my fault you have a dirty mind.

-It's not that hard with a beautiful girl like you.

Damn!

He knew how to rile you up.

-So you forfeit? You do remember your punishment.

Victor stands up walking to you slapping your check roughly as he smirks down at you.

-Being handcuffed while you ride me isn't that much as a punishment.

Steve Rogers

For Steve, it's somewhat easy. He is always on a mission kilometers away from you. That also means when he comes back to you he is a beast... Until he accepted the bet. After a day passed since he came home he wanted to devour you.

-Ready to relinquish, captain?

You asked as you sat next to him on the couch dressed in your pajamas. You knew you didn't have to do much, he will crumble himself eventually.

-No...

He trailed off but you saw how hard he was, partially begging to take you.

-When you think about it if you lose it isn't that bad. Sure you would be handcuffed and you don't like to be submissive...

With that Steve grabs your hand yanking you to him so you sit comfortably on his dick.

-Who said I don't like to be submissive?

You kiss happily knowing that there is indeed something like a 'Submissive Captian'.

Bucky Barnes

-Doll, I have been known in my days as 'James the Champ', which meant I NEVER lost.

You turn your gaze to him watching him through the glass as you applied your red lipstick as he leaned in the door frame.

-Well, of course, but you never went head to head with me.

Bucky rolls his eyes at your testimony as you walked towards him letting your steps be slow and seductive as your hands land on his shoulders.

-That means I'll just have to go to the girl's night out without my departure gift.

Bucky licks his lips finding it hard not to fuck you before you go, your usual tradition before you or him went. Always marking each other up to know how just lucky you are that the rest of the population.

-Looks like it.

He said slowly as he felt your fingers dance along his neck waiting for your kisses just below his ears. He closes his eyes focusing his hands trying to control his animalistic behavior from jumping out and losing the bet.

-I'll be home in a few hours.

You kissed his cheek and left your shared home for the first time ever since he came back from the mission. Closing the door Bucky jumps onto the bed discarding his pants and mixer and quickly getting to work.

Ding

Bucky stops for a second as he looks at his phone a new text message form you.

A photo.

Opening the photo it's a picture of him jerking off with the title being

'When I come home you prepare for your self for the punishment.'

Loki Laufeyson

After spending almost an hour explaining Loki the No Nut November he was rather excited to try his limits. And the bet was just as sweet. He did always say that his mind is the strongest of anyone but you knew how to crack him. And now was the time.

Cooking.

Loki loved to help you cook especially when you bake a cake just for the fun of it. Taking the freshly whipped cream covered cake you dip your finger onto your slice of the cake totally forgetting the fork beside you and putting the whipped cream covered finger into your mouth letting the delicious moans be loud for Loki to hear.

Loki watched you torture him as he felt drool exiting from his open mouth.

The bet.

He needed to be strong, he is royalty they never give their power to others. Especially if they are his amazing and sexy lover.

-Delicious.

You moaned as you looked at Loki as he shakes his groaned approval.

-Yes... You are.

Giggling at his blurb you walk to him pressing your body on his.

-Ready to forfeit, my King?

Loki sighs and for a split second he nods.

-Yes. I'm yours, my love.

Thor Odinson

He loved challenges, he loved the pressure to succeed and prevail amongst other mortals that failed. And he was furthermore ready for the challenge. You were in it to make him beg for you. And you knew just about how.

-My darling, how about a kiss?

Thor asked as held you by your waist.

-I'm sorry, Thor. The bet is limited only to hugs other than that it's losing.

Thor sighs as he watched you walk away hoping that this will end soon.

-Y/n, my light, my moon... Can you bestow me kiss onto my aching lips?

Looking down at your kneeling boyfriend you laugh as you watch Tony enter.

-For fucks sakes. Thor just forfeit and get a room!

Tony screamed clearly irritated at the muscular God.

-But fellow Tony much is at stake.

-Just kiss her and get it over with. I'm tired of hearing your pending across the HQ.

-Forfeit Thor and I'm all yours.

Thor looks back at you and he nods to your words as he lands his lips on yours softly.

-Please, do go get a room!

Thor continued to kiss you as he carried you out of the living room leaving Tony to wash his eyes with soap.

Bruce Wayne

He is the man, the detective, the toughest of tough. He can endure every pain and still make it on time to a date with you. But when a wager is in he is 10 times tougher. He is in it for the end line. But you were also stubborn as him, even more. This will be fun.

-Come on, Bruce. You possibly can't endure a whole month without feeling me. And my body.

Bruce looked at you as you swayed in your dress next to him watching the crowd of shallow rich species.

-Believe me, It's hard. But knowing I beat you in a bet is all the worthwhile. Plus, I have spent years in isolation so this will be easy.

Rolling your eyes at his ruling you walk away grabbing Olivers Queen and going to the center of the ballroom, in the perfect position in front of paparazzi, rich folk and Bruce.

-Ready to waltz, Oliver?

-Yeah, let's make some magic.

The dance was magical. You and Oliver moved in unions even better with Bruce but your eyes never left Bruce's figure. As the dance ended you pull out your leg from your high slit dress placing on Oliver's hip and giving a kiss on the cheek.

-Thank you.

-Always, temptress.

Walking back to Bruce you see his eyes locking onto your body and stoic expression he wastes no time in yanking you out of the room.

-Get ready to be punished, baby girl.

-Yes, sir.

Clark Kent

Clark is a cinnamon roll, you can't deny that, but he is rough when he wants to so pulling an invisible brake on his libido is pure torture.

-You know that you can always forfeit.

You say softly hoping from him to give up since you are feeling frisky.

-I don't know. I want to but I also want to win this bet.

Kissing his cheek, almost near his lips you see the twitch in his neck as he tries to kiss you on the lips. You know just what he needs. Fuel this small fire.

-If you want to complete this bet you can do that. I'm not gonna stop you. I can always ask Bruce for some meaningless fun.

Clark sharply runs to you on his face shock.

-Or maybe Arthur, or maybe even Diana. I am feeling very much frisky.

Clark shakes his head as his hands grip your waist and pulling you on his lap as his hands roughly grip your boobs.

-You are going to regret saying Bruce's name. I'll make you forget it.

-Prove it.

Arthur Curry

Arthur is filled with happiness and he very much finds joy in making you feel amazing. So proposing the bet he was against it. He himself knew that he won't last even 3 days without touching you.

-Maybe I'll accept the bet if you add something more.

-What do you propose?

-You being in a sexy costume of my choosing for 2 days.

Arthur grins at the idea.

-Fine. But if you lose. You'll fulfill my fantasy of choosing.

Arthur nods feeling excited as he shakes your hand, starting the challenge. A days pass and you knew how much he wanted to win even going so far to sleeping on the couch. He wanted to win so bad but seeing you exit the shower as he entered he just could not look away from your marvelous body, wanting to pinch your booty and massage your tense muscles.

He started to lose his cool. It was apparent. You saw it and somehow enjoyed seeing him squirm.

-You alright, Art?

He looked at you like a hurry and horny wolf (mostly horny)

-No. Want. To. Touch. So. Bad.

He slurped like a zombie as he watched your lips wind up in a smile. So kissable.

-You can. But there are consequences.

You walk to him at an arm's length not touching him just torturing him by the small insignificance distance.

-Come on, Arthur. You can't go on like this.

He huffs like a bear as he steps closer kissing your lips with so much need you almost fell on the floor he wasn't holding you tightly.

-Fine, you win but now I get my way.

-Deal.

Orm Marius

Orm wanted to touch you it was a fact but having a challenge for him as a prince was tantalizing. He wanted to try it and he was wrong he didn't understand the power you had on him and made his task a nightmare in his words at least.

-Y/n can you not be so sensual, beloved? I'm trying my hardest.

He pleaded hoping for you to change out of his shirt into your pajamas.

-I don't see the problem. I always wear it and you love it.

-I do! That's the issue. You are enticing me.

Snickering at him you walk to him standing in front of him as he sat on his chair.

-Well, then how about you get on your knees and worship me.

Orm gulps feeling his dick hardening at your command. He loved it when you took control and he lived when he submitted to you. It was like a drug. He doesn't answer as he drops to his knees in front of you looking up hopeless.

-Yes, my goddess.

Joker

-You want to chain me?! Chain the sex machine?! Are you crazy?

-It's not an order. Just a bet. You can decline it. It thought it would be fun.

-It's on.

After that J was focused and loaded as he focused on his 'gangster' work. After countless tries of seducing him in his office in his favorite lingerie. You took a break. To gather yourself and think of a new plan.

Got it.

As the night enrolled you walked into J's club dressed in a small red dress and walking past J's private club section. Only winking at him as he discussed business with another gangster. Going straight to the bar and sitting pretty it doesn't take long from the moths to come to the flame.

-Can I buy you a drink?

Many men ask as you lean on the bar table and seeing the bartender behind you butting in.

-Gentlemen, Y/n is...

-Its okay Mark. Let them be.

Mark nods obediently handing you your drink. After a while, you see Joker walking to you pushing away the men from you.

-Scarm before I kill you here.

The men run away and you smile at your man.

-You are very clever, luring me in with other men so I get jealous and fuck you hard.

-Did it work?

-Yes, princess. Prepare for the punishment of your life.

-And you too.

Duncan Vizla

-Y/n you should know that I am trained to be tougher than the average person. This puny bet won't affect me in the slightest.

Smiling at Duncan you counter his statement.

-I know but when people are told something they tend to the opposite. Something like the apple in the Garden.

-Are you pulling Biblical reference to get me on board with the bet?

-Maybe?

-Deal.

After that deal, you made sure he saw you every second. If he was in the kitchen you were there to help, if he was in the bathroom you needed an 'urgent bath'. When he sat in his leather chair you purposefully bend down to pick up anything that fell, accidentally. Even when sleeping. You were purposefully sleep talking small words that he wanted to hear.

-More Duncan... Faster... I'm yours... Mark me...

He was a tough nut to crack but it will be worthwhile. Just a little more. A few days passed being completely impressed by Duncan's steel will. As you walked into the house you see Duncan cooking his eyes looking solely one the scrambled eggs.

-You good, Duncan?

You ask as you watch Duncan turn to you pulling himself to you like on a string.

-In a way. A HARD way.

Moving your gaze down you see Duncan hard-on poking out of his pants.

-Need help with that?

You ask hoping for Duncan to nod and fuck you right here in the kitchen. Of course, as you tried to seduce Duncan and being left empty-handed was also hard on you leaving you wet and wanting more of his distant touch.

-Time is passing Mr. Vizla and your problem is still here. You know how it can be solved.

Duncan smiles viciously as he pushes you against the fridge. His rough lips smacking against yours as your ears pick up the calling of his belt.

-You are in a ride, prepare yourself Y/n.

[mysticalmusicwhispers]

HELLO I'M BACK!! GUESS WHO HAS A TERM BREAK COMING IN A FEW DAYS I'M VERY HAPPY :D this ask is Very Long so i'm going to split it up into a few parts

part 1/2

But honestly, it would probably be something like “I’m going to bring a (dead) chicken to class for show and tell and you two need to act horrified and cause a ruckus because it would be fun and it would scare the other kids :)”. (this is probably bullying, so in an effort to make them slightly better kids, an alternative plot is that a stray cat has been coming to their school and in order to make friends with it, they feed it a whole-ass dead chicken Nyo China got from the butchers and was planning to cook for dinner. The teachers are horrified and confiscate Yao’s backpack for fear of germs and salmonella.)

hhhhhh the first idea is SO FUN my gremlin repressed anger eight year old self would've loved it. the idea of bringing a stinking plastic bag to school, opening it, revealing a dead, fly-infested chicken and then maybe playing a small game of lobbing the chicken around for funsies is both simultaneously horrifying and amazing. however the second idea is also amazing, one of my previous schools had stray cats and staff and students would feed and pet them (and i miss it :( ) and it was the Best feeling... or maybe they could do BOTH? but this time they're planning to bring a dead chicken to feed the cat (aw, even if yao probably gets detention. also a lecture from nyo china on what exactly you should feed a cat, including why you shouldn't steal the chicken she bought to feed it.) and the next time they can bring like. a bunch of dead flies to show their classmates but in a not bully way. i went once to this family friend's house in a part of the countryside that had an abundance of flies. (i literally haven't thought of this in years i'm remembering so many childhood things because of this omg) they had this paper covered with glue that the flies would land on and then be stuck on the paper. it was both disgusting and amazing to watch a black mass of bulbous bodies straining with their legs (which were probably thinner than my hair) to escape the paper. i also think that indchuran, being both little sadists in the making and having an abudnace of fascination like many children, would take great delight in watching an unsuspecting fly landing on the glue, watch it still, glancing around eerily similarly to when humans realise they have gotten themselves in a bad situation, and then start struggling with all their might to get out. but fuck the flies tho they landed on our food all the time there and it sucked. they can die :)

THE PROBELM is... how will they get that many flies in what i assume would be a gentrified ass area with frequent fumigation efforts given that nyo china would not accept anything than the best elementary education for her ward?? (i have a solution) maybe indus has friends in the countryside and she goes with aditya to visit them. and while they are talking aditya wanders about and discovers a few pieces of paper filled with flies. because he is a gremlin, he is Fascinated with these pieces of paper, and he takes one out to Further Examine. all the adults yell at him, but he is Fascinated and will not be stopped. and then a Thought occurs to him: who would probably enjoy this as much as he would? duh, his friends of course! good things must be Shared even if they're kind of disgusting! so what he does is he gets a disposable plastic tupperware like container, very gently places the fly paper into it, pokes a few holes for air, sprinkles some sugar because he thinks that'll keep them alive, and wraps most of it up in duct tape he found so indus can't see it. unfortunately most of the flies died on the way home because the container was stuffed into aditya's bag and the paper slid to the side + there wasn't enough air, BUT the dead flies are still a Sight to behold when he visits iran's house (which yao is /coincidentally/ visiting) to show them. then he brings it to school after the weekend, and everyone is Fascinated and thinks it is Very Cool, at least until the teachers see it and start screaming. they throw it away but indchuran get an Idea to put dead flies into the bags of people they hate (this is now just bullying) so that opens up a very few interesting weeks of attempts to collect flies in a fumigated city and Horror for the school. fun times for all!

😔 finding and reading that encyclopedia is probably one of my formative memories now and i wish it wasn't 😔 i bet yao during his teenage years would look back on it and be like "... oh my GOD." but i think he would appreciate her directness even if he didn't absorb all the information correctly or remember most of it lmao because it seems like only a very small percentage of the world has actually good sex ed and i don't think indchuran's school would be an exception. at least nyo china like you said instilled a good sense of consent with them 😔 also the idea of saying fuck in mandarin makes me break out in hives the AUDACITY of saying fuck in your first language but of course he would. he WOULD. nyo china probably wouldn't even have purposely taught him that which is why he doesn't know what it means, just that it's an insult, but once they come up to her to complain all she does is give them a Terrifying Contemptuous Glare and steer yao away from them. yao is her kid and therefore entitled to say fuck whenever he wants.

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First things first I hope you had a good term break! this is... very overdue sorry about that :(

Second, ALSK:FJ:SLFDKSFDLKJSLDF the fly infested chicken is disgusting and I want so badly to intervene,,, they need hELP. Please learn about proper sanitation, children, I’m begging you T-T. Also, headcanon accepted: they’re ostensibly bringing it to feed the cats (which is hopefully allowed) but also they want to terrorize (or awe) their fellow classmates with this discovery. Watch the school call up nyo china about this, but she gets annoyed only because yao wasted human food in order to feed cats, not because he brought an inappropriately dead chicken to school that scared the younger kids and fellow classmates lol; what a great value system. Also this scenario def happened:  School: your child got in a fight. Nyo China: Oh no! Did he win?

I am both fully revolted and half fascinated by the flypaper thing because on one hand I CANNOT stand flies, and killing them is 178% gross. But also the way you described it is... very compelling and I would like to experience that, gross as it is lol. So yea I can definitely see those three nastily observing the flies getting stuck to the flypaper one by one... they all intently watch the flypaper with round and curious eyes and it really looks very cute from far away, three heads of fluffy hair close together and bent over something, carrying on an animated whispered discussion, until you get closer and see that they’re watching flies on flypaper •—•;; An even more gross scenario would be if one of them accidentally squashes one and they crowd around to see what fly guts look like 😭 bonus points if it happens during school. Also YES to Indus’s countryside friend; I feel like India would have a lot of fun exploring over there and would be able to bring back v cool stories for city slicker Yao, and also Iran (although I don’t know where they’d live precisely. I feel like they’d probably have a medium sized house with very nice art and Classy furniture (they got good taste from somewhere), but they’d also knows a lot about how rural areas work and stuff, so uh.. suburbs? Or something like that?)

“then he brings it to school after the weekend, and everyone is Fascinated and thinks it is Very Cool. . .” O—O sigh... three balls of absolute chaos. At least the other kids are fascinated this time instead of apprehensive ^-^ but the dead flies in lockers AL:KDSLFDSJF PLEASE NO me as an elementary student would have been absolutely horrified and I. really hope they get detention for that lol; Please Tone Down kids 😔 (also do y’all get flies in the lights at school? Because every single classroom I’ve been in has either had flies, wasps, moths, or some other black spots in the lights and they’d multiply as the year went on 😭 I never thought about it too much but... what if they linger around to watch the lights get cleaned? o-o)

“i bet yao during his teenage years would look back on it and be like "... oh my GOD."” YEAH there’s always a select few memories that make you realize “what even WAS that” and I think this is one lol. Yao just buries it in the back of his spacious mental closet and makes India and Iran swear not to bring it up again but inevitably they do :))))) they find it rather hilarious, actually. Also yes at least Nyo China did a good job in that department!

“also the idea of saying fuck in mandarin makes me break out in hives the AUDACITY of saying fuck in your first language but of course he would” lol I wrote that thinking he'd call someone a 王八* (because it could technically pass as a regular noun o-o. Who knows, maybe he was insulting someone for being slow like a turtle but it got out of hand due to word choice lol) but... the second scenario is quite something... I don't know whether I should laugh or cry. RIP the other parents who just have to fervently hope that disgraceful kid from next door grows out of his foul mouth soon (he never does, just gets better at pretending his language is elegant and not at all dirty XD)

*for non mandarin speakers 王八 is literally a soft shelled turtle, but is actually a pretty big insult in mandarin :)