#this was a struggle to make everyone was hard to draw and the layers are many

[koszmarnybudyn]

The only people doing relatively well right now, I bet that hug was gooooddd, dad hugs are the best after all.

[renguro]

Now that S2 is almost over, I wanted to finally get out that post talking about all of the insights and things I did, learned, or other fun stuff about the countdown pieces I made. I still have something in mind for the S2 finale, so maybe if you read (or skip) to the end I'll have a preview for you?

Oh god here we go One day I was coming home from work and decided to check how many days there were until the new season released and I found it was 7 days. So I did all of these in 7 days. Literally everyone was worried about me because I did nothing but draw for those 7 days.

... Except for when I went back to work. I worked I came home and then drew until I literally couldn't anymore lmao. I remember being dazed and exhausted after the Clock Keepers and my dad came up to my room literally right as I finished and asked, "Have you gone to sleep?" And I said, "NOPE! :D" I was living on energy drinks

I'm also 90% sure this started the "ren you're doing too much you need to chill the hell out" thing with me and my friends now

When I was doing these, I had only read the first ten volumes of Hanako-kun at the time, so I was stopped right in the middle of Picture Perfect. I had the second box set, but I just hadn't gotten the time to read it since I got it for Christmas. That means I didn't know Shijima's full deal, and I didn't even know Hakubo's name, so I was winging it hard.

All of the full pieces are linked by clicking their names :)

NO.7 HANAKO

You can tell from the speedpaint I was struggling hard with the pose lmao. I honestly felt like the one I chose was a cop-out and didn't feel energetic enough, but the time crunch got me. At this point, I was also really unsure about how I wanted to treat the colors, because I'd only just started dipping into seriously studying how Aida does it. So many references. And him wearing basically all black didn't help I wanted to scream. I was TRYING to keep everything as solid colors without falling back on overlay and multiply layers, but I got desperate. Still looks pretty good I think.

My favorite part was probably the hakujoudai and the detailing on his collar/shoulders! If I were to edit anything, I think I'd put more on the bottom half of the background because it feels a touch empty. kinda killed it on this pant leg and his hat tho

NO.6 HAKUBO

Like I said, I had no idea who Hakubo was. For the first half of things, I couldn't even find his name, I was just calling him "Shinigami-sama..." I wasn't going to go trampling into spoilers just for references either, so I was freaking out on what to do for the background. All I knew was that there was something to do with lotuses or bugs, and already having an idea of where I'd take Tsuchigomori, I took the lotus route. I uh also hope I didn't make his face too feminine. I don't know why but when drawing male characters who are larger or more built (even if it didn't turn out obvious in this piece) I somehow keep making them look like butches.

Shading his hair was the most fun part out of all of this, I usually never draw characters with hair as short as his, so it was a fun challenge! I'm also just a sucker for kimonos and flowy clothes. He was probably one of the most fun ones for me, even if he was so early on. I LOVE the texture I got on the skull. (even if it's technically too small.)

NO.5 TSUCHIGOMORI

Tsuchigomori onwards ALL used this sticky note full of thumbnails I drew at work for reference. Yes that is a note next to him that says + cuntier. He was also drawn on the same day that I did Hakubo, so I managed to buy myself some extra time.

I was so excited for this one because I could see it so well in my mind's eye, until I realized how many hands I'd need to draw. And then I sucked it up and locked in because I love Tsuchigomori. I'm so pleased with how I worked in more of the blues into the shading and his hair. It was at this point that I think I was understanding how I wanted to take the colors for all of these pieces! I enjoyed doing the fun trick I learned with the weave on his sweater and the spiderwebs where I drew a thick like and then erased the middle. Nearly forgot the markings on his forehead too lmao.

I wonder whose black book he's reading?

NO.4 SHIJIMA

Oh Shijima. I truly had zero real clue about her, and I managed to dodge spoilers about Mei even when I was looking up references. That's why she's painting using her paintbrush clone haha. It's still cute though, so I'm keeping it. Her hair kept giving me trouble because it's the kind of hair you draw and don't really realize just how big you're drawing it until you have to fix it. Actually, I'm having that exact issue on what I'm working on right now, and I'll fix it after I take a break.

I dug up a comment I made while I was working on it and I still stand by this.

There's also something a little odd about the positioning of her chin that I was too exhausted to fix, and I SUPER fudged the coloring on her hair. Also I really didn't know what to put in the background OTHER than the atelier, but I can't really draw buildings! So uh! The exhaustion was beginning to set in after 3 days of this. (Since Hakubo and Tsuchigomori were done on the same day. I didn't keep that time advantage for long though.)

think i fudged it okay, though.

NO.3 MITSUBA

I was struggling on Mitsuba some because that thing where you see/read something and then forget about it only for it to arise as something you think you did happened. That pose I thumbnailed on the sticky note was WAY too close to the official Hell of Mirrors standee/art. Luckily I contain extreme Mitsuba bias (shocker) and I was able to figure it out. I had a ton of problems shading his coat just like I did with Hanako. It's so hard to keep things from melding together when you've mostly got them wearing black.

It's an odd thing to be proud about, but I feel I did the best on the.. Legs of his pants, the chains and lockets, and the eyes and teeth on his jacket. That and the ribcage scarf. I'm really disappointed in myself for the background and his hair, if I'm being honest. I wanna fix his eyes. I STILL haven't figured out his hair either too. Which makes me even more surprised that my friends said, ren, your bias is showing on this one because I was like IS IT??? ARE YOU CERTAIN?

his hand turned out nice too and did i mention i had fun on the ribcage

NO.2 YAKO

I sketched the first initial draft for Yako on the same day I drew Hakubo and Tsuchigomori, but when it finally came time to sit down and draw her? I realized there would be so much empty space where I couldn't have fun with colors and it'd just be the white back of her kimono, so I turned her around and scrapped the idea of her fox form curling around her. I couldn't fit fox Yako in, and I'm STILL kind of bummed about that.

The flow of her hair was so much fun to figure out, as well as the patterns on her kimono. I'm really happy with the background, combining the aspects of the Misaki Stairs' original version and the one after she's been removed from her seat with the spider lilies. The lilies themselves are a little fudged if you look too close, so... Don't look too close? :3

loved the kimono. every bit. can't believe i had her turned around.

NO.1 AKANE/MIRAI/KAKO

MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT THIS WAS THE COGS IN THE BACKGROUND SORRY AKANE'S FACE BOTHERS ME I NEED TO FIX IT ONE DAY HE LOOKS TOO OLD I WAS LOSING MY MIND AND THE EXHAUSTION WAS KILLING ME IT BEGAN MY HATE OF DRAWING AKANE'S HAIR BECAUSE *GESTURES VAGUELY*

Uh okay some good things to say about this one... The colors were a ton of fun to figure out how to place, and I think I at least did a good job on that part. Shading gold things is always really fun! And at least Akane's ponytail was fun to make flow, I was riding the high from Yako's hair here. I think I got a lot of that fun flowy movement in here, which I'm pleased about. This was another one that my friends say turned out the best, again that I'm ??? about.

these cogs are my everything

FINAL THOUGHTS + EXTRAS

All of the kanji's colorings for their numbers were taken directly from the anime! I don't really wanna get rid of that fun reference even if in like, Tsuchigomori's case the colors are REALLY different from the main piece.

Most of the first day was spent on, Hanako of course, and then setting up the frames for everyone else to go into. I spent money to get the patterns to go on the colored part, actually. Constraining everyone to the frames helped a LOT in terms of balancing myself and made it fun to choose what elements would stick outside of them. If I pushed for entire full backgrounds, then I would have been doing even worse.

I was on the ropes at the end. I was half dead and drawing like I was possessed. And the catharsis of it being done and it all looking acceptable just. Ough. I don't know if I'll ever have a high like that again. There's an evil, evil part of me that says, ren! redraw all of them for s3 under the exact same constraints! And shit I might but I'll complain about it. I think it's more likely though that I go back and doctor them up some so I can print them as standees. Probably just for myself, but I do want to build a stock for artist alleys.

I had so, so much fun overall even if it was so much it really could have put my already bad health in more danger. I learned so much about coloring, lineart, framing things, and I really attribute my gauntlet to the explosion in my art progress. That, and my sheer adoration for this series. Am I rambling? I just love TBHK. It's only been 5 months since I first discovered it and it's done so, so much for me.

Even if you went and scrolled through all of this nonsense, which I don't blame you for, here's a little preview of what I'm trying to finish by next week for the finale.

I can't believe we're on the final episode! It's so close now, and it keeps flooring me how little time has really passed. I'll try and push to get SOMETHING else done before then, but we'll see. I've got so much I want and have to get done.

[callsigns-haze]

Memories Fade VII

Eris x Rhysand's Sister!Reader Summary: Not so long back Rhysand lost his sister. Years after Helion and Elain can raise her memories from the past to see what truly happened to Y/n. Warning: Mentions of death and drinking, mentions of violence, murder, blood, poison, CHARACTER DEATH

Part 1 here

Previous

Back under the mountain, Y/N's heart pounded in her chest as she made her way through the shadowed halls, slipping past guards and courtiers with practiced stealth. She had done this before, sneaking into Amarantha’s office to gather crucial information. But tonight, there was an added layer of urgency, a desperate need to find anything related to the Autumn Court.

Reaching the door to Amarantha’s office, she glanced around to ensure no one was watching before slipping inside. The room was dimly lit, the faint glow of faelight casting eerie shadows on the walls. Y/N moved quickly, her hands trembling as she opened drawers and sifted through boxes of documents.

Papers rustled and boxes shifted as she searched, her anxiety growing with each passing second. Where could it be? She thought, her frustration mounting. She could hear the faint sounds of the revelry above, the distant laughter and music a stark contrast to the tension gripping her.

Just as she found a stack of documents that looked promising, the door to the office creaked open. Y/N froze, her heart stopping as Amarantha stepped inside, her eyes narrowing at the sight before her.

"What do we have here?" Amarantha's voice was a low, dangerous purr. "A little spy in my office?"

Before Y/N could react, Amarantha's guards surged forward, grabbing her roughly by the arms. She struggled, but their grip was ironclad, their expressions devoid of mercy.

"Bring her to the dungeon room. Immediately," Amarantha commanded, her eyes gleaming with cruel delight.

The guards didn’t hesitate. They dragged Y/N out of the office, her feet barely touching the ground as they hauled her through the labyrinthine corridors. Panic clawed at her, but she forced herself to remain calm. She couldn’t show fear. She had to be strong.

The dungeon room was dark and cold, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and old blood. The guards threw her to the floor, and she landed hard, the impact jarring her bones.

Amarantha followed them in, a predatory smile playing on her lips as she looked down at Y/N. "You’ve been a very naughty girl, sneaking into places you don’t belong. What were you looking for, I wonder?"

Y/N glared up at her, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a response. She knew better than to reveal anything, especially now.

Amarantha’s smile widened, her amusement evident. "No matter. I have ways of making you talk. Guards, prepare her for interrogation."

The guards moved to obey, and Y/N steeled herself for what was to come. She would endure this. She had to. For Eris, for her brother, for everyone counting on her. She would find a way to survive.

As the guards bound her hands and prepared the instruments of torture, Y/N took a deep breath, drawing on the strength and love she carried in her heart. She would not break. She would not give Amarantha the satisfaction.

She closed her eyes, whispering a silent promise to herself and to Eris. She would endure this, and she would find a way to protect those she loved, no matter the cost.

----

The grand dining hall under the mountain was a place of stark contrasts. Opulence and decadence were juxtaposed against an underlying current of menace, the echoes of power and cruelty resonating in the air. At the head of the table, Amarantha sat, her regal posture and calculating eyes taking in everything and everyone.

Rhysand sat across from her, his expression carefully schooled into one of polite interest. The dinner spread before them was lavish, a feast fit for a queen, yet he barely touched his plate. His mind was consumed with worry for his sister, Y/N.

Amarantha watched him with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, a predator savoring the tension. "You’re awfully quiet tonight, Rhysand. Something on your mind?"

Rhysand met her gaze, his violet eyes steady despite the turmoil within. "I was just wondering where my sister is," he said, his tone casual. "I haven’t seen her all day."

Amarantha’s smile widened, a flicker of amusement in her gaze. "Oh, Y/N? I needed her to do a job for me. She left for a week."

Rhysand’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept his expression neutral. "A week? That’s quite a long time. What kind of job requires her to be away for so long?"

Amarantha took a delicate sip of her wine, savoring the taste before answering. "It’s a delicate matter, one that requires her particular set of skills. I trust her to handle it efficiently."

Rhysand nodded, forcing a smile. "Of course. Y/N is very capable."

The lie settled heavily in his mind. He knew Amarantha well enough to recognize when she was being deceitful. His sister would never leave without telling him, without making some sort of arrangement. A cold dread crept into his heart.

"Is there anything I should be concerned about?" he asked, keeping his tone light. "I can go to assist her if necessary."

Amarantha laughed softly, a sound that sent chills down his spine. "No need, Rhysand. She’s quite resourceful on her own. You should trust her more."

Rhysand nodded, though his thoughts were far from the pleasant façade he maintained. "I do trust her. It’s just that I worry. This place can be...dangerous."

Amarantha’s smile didn’t waver. "Indeed, it can be. But she’s under my protection, and you have my word she will return safely."

---

The chamber was a place of nightmares, a dark, cold cell deep beneath the mountain where screams and cries seemed to linger in the air, echoing the suffering of countless souls who had endured its horrors. Y/N had been there for five days, and the relentless torture had taken its toll on her body, but not her spirit.

She was chained to the wall, her wrists raw and bloody from the restraints. Bruises and cuts marred her skin, and each breath she took was a struggle, her ribs aching from the repeated blows. Despite the pain, she refused to give Amarantha the satisfaction of seeing her break.

Amarantha stood before her, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "You’re a stubborn one, I’ll give you that," she said, her voice dripping with false admiration. "But everyone breaks eventually. Why prolong your suffering? Just tell me what I want to know."

Y/N lifted her head, meeting Amarantha’s gaze with defiance. "Go to hell," she spat, her voice hoarse from screaming.

Amarantha’s smile faltered, a flicker of irritation crossing her face. She stepped closer, her nails digging into Y/N’s chin as she forced her to look up. "Such spirit," she murmured. "It will be a pleasure to break you."

With a swift motion, Amarantha struck Y/N across the face, the impact sending her head snapping to the side. Pain exploded in her cheek, but she refused to cry out. She wouldn’t give Amarantha the satisfaction.

"Do you really think you can endure this forever?" Amarantha taunted, her voice low and dangerous. "I can keep this up for as long as it takes."

Y/N’s vision blurred, but she focused on the thought of her brother, her friends, and Eris. She drew strength from their love, their unwavering belief in her. "You can torture me all you want," she said through gritted teeth. "I’ll never tell you anything."

Amarantha’s eyes darkened with anger, and she turned to the guards. "Increase the pain. Make her wish she’d never defied me."

The guards moved forward, their expressions grim as they prepared the next round of torture. Y/N braced herself, every muscle in her body tensing in anticipation of the agony to come.

Hours passed, each moment stretching into eternity as they inflicted wave after wave of pain. But through it all, Y/N held on, her mind retreating to memories of better times, of the love that awaited her beyond the darkness.

Finally, when she thought she could endure no more, the guards stepped back, and Amarantha approached once again. "Still defiant, I see," she said, a hint of grudging respect in her voice. "But this is only the beginning. I will break you, one way or another."

Y/N glared up at her, her resolve unshaken. "Do your worst," she challenged, her voice a mere whisper but filled with steel.

Amarantha laughed, a cold, chilling sound that echoed through the chamber. "Oh, I intend to," she promised, before turning on her heel and leaving the room, the door slamming shut behind her.

As the echoes of her laughter faded, Y/N sagged against her restraints, her body trembling with exhaustion. But even in the depths of her suffering, she clung to hope. She would endure this. She had to. For her brother, for Eris, for everyone who depended on her. She would survive.

And she would make Amarantha pay.

---

Eris paced the confines of his small, dimly lit room, the oppressive atmosphere under the mountain pressing in on him from all sides. It had been days since he last felt Y/N's presence through their bond, a connection that had always been a source of solace and strength. Now, it was as if she had blocked out her part of the bond entirely, leaving him in a state of constant worry and dread.

He had scoured every corner of the mountain he had access to, searching for any sign of her, but she was nowhere to be found. It was as if she had vanished into thin air, and the thought of her being in Amarantha's clutches made his blood run cold.

Eris clenched his fists, frustration and fear gnawing at him. He couldn’t stand the thought of Y/N suffering, but he was powerless to do anything about it. His father’s orders were clear—he was to remain under Amarantha’s command and not draw any unnecessary attention to himself or his court. But that didn’t stop the burning desire to find Y/N, to protect her from whatever horrors she was enduring.

He paused by the window, looking out at the bleak landscape beyond. The weight of the bond's absence was like a physical ache in his chest. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside him.

The door creaked open, and his youngest brother, Lucien, stepped inside, his expression grim. "Still no word?" he asked quietly.

Eris shook his head, unable to hide the worry in his eyes. "It's like she's completely shut me out. I don’t know where she is or what’s happening to her."

Lucien’s jaw tightened. "Amarantha is a monster. If she’s done anything to Y/N..."

Eris cut him off, his voice harsh. "Don’t. I can’t think about that. I need to find her, Lucien. I need to know she’s safe."

Lucien nodded, his own worry evident. "We’ll find a way. We have to."

Eris resumed his pacing, his mind racing with possibilities. "There has to be something we can do, some way to reach her. I can’t just sit here and do nothing."

Lucien placed a hand on Eris’s shoulder, his grip firm. "We’ll figure it out, brother. Y/N is strong. She’ll hold on until we can get to her."

Eris nodded, though the uncertainty gnawed at him. He had to believe that Y/N would endure, that she would find a way to survive. But with each passing day, the fear grew stronger, threatening to consume him.

As night fell, Eris lay on the narrow bed, staring up at the ceiling. He closed his eyes, reaching out through the bond one last time, hoping against hope that he might feel her presence, even for a moment.

But there was nothing. Only silence.

And in that silence, Eris made a silent vow. No matter what it took, no matter the cost, he would find Y/N. He would bring her back. And he would make Amarantha pay for every moment of suffering she had inflicted.

With that resolve burning in his heart, Eris let sleep claim him, his dreams filled with images of Y/N, her strength and her unbreakable spirit guiding him through the darkness.

---

The twelfth day of torture had blurred into an unending nightmare for Y/N. The constant pain, the endless questions, and the malicious gleam in Amarantha’s eyes had become her world. She had held out, refusing to break, but today, the cruel High Queen seemed to reach the end of her patience.

Amarantha stood before her, a poisonous glint in her eye. "You’ve been quite the challenge," she sneered, holding a knife that glimmered with a sickly green sheen. "But I’m afraid your time has run out."

Y/N’s heart pounded as she watched Amarantha approach, the knife gleaming in the dim light. She strained against her chains, but there was no escape. With a swift, brutal motion, Amarantha plunged the knife into Y/N’s stomach. Agonizing pain shot through her, and she gasped, choking on her own breath.

"This knife is coated with a very special poison," Amarantha hissed, twisting the blade. "Even if you don’t bleed out, the poison will kill you slowly and painfully. Let this be a lesson to anyone who dares defy me."

Y/N’s vision blurred with tears, but she refused to give Amarantha the satisfaction of seeing her cry out. She clenched her teeth, glaring up at her tormentor with all the defiance she could muster.

Amarantha pulled the knife out and wiped the blood on Y/N’s tattered clothes. "Guard!" she called, her voice echoing through the chamber. "Fetch Eris to clean up this mess."

As the guard hurried to obey, Amarantha leaned in close, her breath hot against Y/N’s ear. "You’ve been a fun distraction, but I’m done with you now," she whispered. "Enjoy your last moments."

With that, she turned and left the room, her laughter lingering in the air like a dark shadow. Y/N’s strength waned, her body trembling as the poison began to spread. She could feel her life slipping away, but she held on, clinging to the hope that somehow, she would survive this.

Eris’s heart raced as he followed the guard through the winding, dark corridors of the mountain. The dread that had been gnawing at him for days now threatened to consume him entirely. Y/N’s presence through their bond had been faint, almost non-existent, and he feared the worst.

Lucien caught up to him, his expression a mirror of Eris’s own anxiety. "What happened? Where is she?" he demanded, his voice taut with urgency.

The guard said nothing, leading them deeper into the dungeons. When they finally reached the cell, the sight that met Eris’s eyes made his blood run cold. Y/N lay crumpled on the floor, her body bloodied and broken. Amarantha’s cruel laughter still seemed to echo in the chamber, a haunting reminder of the torture Y/N had endured.

"Y/N!" Eris cried out, rushing to her side. He fell to his knees, his hands shaking as he cradled her face. "Stay with me. Please, stay with me."

Lucien stood just behind him, his face pale with shock and sorrow. "Eris..." he began, but Eris ignored him, focused entirely on Y/N.

Y/N’s eyes fluttered open, her gaze locking onto Eris’s. "It’s too late," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I’m so sorry."

"No," Eris choked out, his grip tightening on her hand. "You can’t leave me. You can’t. Not you."

A weak, pained smile touched Y/N’s lips. "The Autumn Court is safe," she murmured, her eyes glazing over. "I made sure..."

Eris’s breath caught in his throat. He understood now. Amarantha had caught her trying to gather information to protect his court. Her death was a direct result of her bravery, her sacrifice.

"Don’t speak," Eris begged, tears streaming down his face. "We’ll get you help. We’ll fix this."

Y/N’s hand reached up to touch his face, her fingers cold and trembling. "I love you," she said, her voice fading with each word. "Always remember that."

And with that, her hand fell limp, her eyes closing for the final time. The life drained from her body, leaving Eris clutching her lifeless form, a guttural cry of anguish tearing from his throat.

Lucien knelt beside him, his own eyes wet with tears. "Eris, we need to go. We can’t stay here."

But Eris couldn’t move. He couldn’t think. The bond that had connected him to Y/N was shattered, leaving a hollow, aching void in its place. He had lost her, and the pain of it was unbearable.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Eris allowed Lucien to help him to his feet. He gathered Y/N’s body in his arms, holding her close as they made their way out of the chamber. He didn’t know what the future held, but he knew one thing: he would make Amarantha pay for what she had done. For Y/N, for the love they had shared, and for the sacrifice she had made to protect his court.

A/n: Not me crying my heart out rn.....One more chapt- Or.........

Chapter 8 soon

Tagging some:

@callsign-magnolia

@kmc1989

@hardballoonlove

@senawashere

@hookslove1592

@marvel-molly

@lucky7rosie

@daughterofthemoons-stuff

@lilah-asteria

@crossfandomslut

@pit-and-the-pen

@inky-sun

@the-sweet-psycho

@why4anne

@bunnyredgirl

@rcarbo1

@pandabiiissh

@adalia-jaycee

[haleswallows]

I will not ask where you came from (Deleted Scene)

A deleted scene for "I will not ask where you came from", my fic for Dead on May-n week. Inspired by @roanawayspoons in the HH server, where they linked this and said it's perfect for puppy!Jason.

CW: NSFW, anal sex, fingering, light pet play

Jason is excited to reveal his new helmet. He's spent a lot of time designing it, ready for a refreshing new look. It's just... a coincidence. The dog-like features. Siren lives rent free in his mind, ok? It wasn't on purpose. Jason is not responsible for his subconscious.

Siren raises an eyebrow, bright red lips pressed to disguise their smirk when Jason first shows them. Lounged on his couch, their dressing gown falls open slightly to reveal toned legs. "Oh, puppy," they demure. "You spoil me. You're so pretty with your new helmet." He can't help but preen under their praise. When they command him to his knees, he goes without single hesitation and kneels at their side. The finger under his chin has his eyes fluttering closed, and Jason obligingly tilts his head back.

“Is this way your way of making sure everyone knows?” The finger traces a line along the seam where flesh meets metal, the slightest scratch of a long nail. “You like being my puppy this much?”

Jason knows the rules. He's a good boy. “Yes.” The new voice modulator grinds the word into a rough growl. Siren does smirk then, grazing a finger over the molded fangs.

“This is very nice, perfect for my puppy.” They playfully tap the subtle snout. “Well, come on then, strip. Show me the helmet without all these distractions.”

Siren likes to tease but not be teased. He does make a show of stripping, muscles flexing and stretching. But it always goes quickly. They reel him in by the buckle while he shucks off the vest, then gloves. “Let me help. You have so many layers.”

While his arms are tangled in this shirt, Siren undoes the belt, then button, then zipper. Without pushing the pants down, Siren slides their hand between compression shorts and the outer armored layer.

“No cup? Oh puppy, did you prepare for me?” They press a finger against the rapidly hardening underside of his cock, balls drawing up with his gasp. “Am I going to find another treat?”

Jason struggles to find words. Even after months and months of this game, Siren's rules, Jason's still so responsive, left gasping. 

“Puppy?” Siren gently prompts, beginning to withdraw.

It takes a few gulps of air to get there. Jason chokes out “One more surprise.”

His efforts earn a reward. Siren wraps a hand around his dick through the soft fabric. They squeeze slightly on an upstroke, teasing the head. “Good boy. You're so good for me, and just me. Wanna show me?”

The praise makes Jason flush, reddening from chest and up his neck. His face feels warm in the helmet. “Yes,” he repeats.

Sadly it means Siren releases his cock, allowing him to toe out of the steel toed boots, unbuckle hostlers, and shove the pants down. Jason’s embarrassed for a second before the compression shorts join the mess of clothes on the floor. All it takes is a half lidded look from Siren, their eyes hungrily tracing from chest to toe, flicking back up to the helmet.

They swirl a finger lazily. Jason obeys, pausing just a moment when his back is turned. “Oh,” Siren breathes out. “Come here.”

He kneels again. Siren cups the cheek of the helmet in their hand and encourages him to prop his arms onto the couch cushion. Instinctually, Jason leans into it, missing the feel of their palm a little bit.

Siren finally sits up from their relaxed lounge, legs bracketing him. Jason's practically in their lap and fully hard now. Their other hand skates up his arm, drawing patterns into his bicep with a nail. He flexes his arms without thinking, Siren giggling. 

“That looks new. Were you excited to buy it? Couldn't wait to show me?” Siren pulls him to sit up straighter, pinches a nipple. With a gasp, Jason arches his back, sits as pretty as he can.

“Yes.” Jason was excited. Is excited, the press of the plug a little bigger than his usual preferred toy. It had taken a little effort to get it in, Jason had nearly come while fingering himself open, thoughts of Siren forefront.

“So cute,” they coo, pressing a kiss to the temple of the helmet. “It matches your helmet. You look so good in red, puppy. Now the question is do you want the toy, or me?” 

Jason shorts out for a moment. He trembles as Siren distracts him with wandering hands. As he opens his mouth, Siren pressed a kiss to his neck, scrapes teeth over the skin. Jason gasps, words flying from his head. Groans when Siren bites harder.

“Words, pretty boy.” A grin pressed into his neck, a hand reaching down his back, a barely there brush of a finger at the base of his tailbone.

He pants. Half crazy from the plug and the constant stimulation. Jason needs to be touched. “You.” His voice is strangled.

“Well, get up here. I'm not getting on the floor.”

Jason slowly crawls up, Siren directing him to lean over the armrest. He feels exposed, hemlet pressed into the fabric, arms curled under his chest. It puts him ass up, cock heavy and hanging between his thighs.

“Just look at you. Beautiful.” Siren admires, pressing a kiss to the small of his back. Jason squirms, pleased with himself and relishing the praise. Then nearly jumps out his skin when Siren suddenly grabs his balls. 

He can barely concentrate on what Siren says, focused entirely on the hand slowly kneading the sack. “I'm going to fuck you, your hands stay right there. No touching yourself, I want you to come on just my dick, Jason. Do you understand? Will you be good?”

“Yes.” He can be good. He can be so good. Something breaks in his brain a little bit, overwhelmed with the promise of being fucked, the promise of more than teasing touches. “Yes, I understand. Please, I'll be good, I'll be good. Please, Siren.”

Siren drapes over his back. A kiss to the nape of his neck gentle and soothing. “Please, what?” A finger presses on the plug, pushing the flare against the stretched rim. He pants.

“Fuck me, fuck me, please. Siren, I want your cock. Want to come for you, want to be a good boy.” The begging erupts from him, Jason wrapped up in the press of Siren's silken dressing gown all along his back, the way their legs frame his.

“Relax for me,” Siren commands, biting the juncture between neck and shoulder. Jason melts into the sharpness of the feeling, breaking through his general fog of need and arousal.

The plug slides out. For a moment, Jason is stretched too wide, too much. Then suddenly he's empty, bereft, clenching on nothing. “Oh, honey.”

A single finger slips easily in, hole still wet with the smear of lube from fingering himself. Jason's hands twitch. He clenches them, and shoves them under his chin. 

A second finger joins the first. Siren hums, slowly scissoring them. They're always so gentle with Jason, so careful as they open him up. “We need a little more lube, sweetheart.”

“Ah,” Jason twitches. It's a few heartbeats before his brain produces a coherent thought. “Pants pocket.” 

They laugh. “Of course. My clever puppy, always thinking ahead.” But it means they remove their fingers to lean for the pants, rooting around in the pockets. When Jason shivers at the loss, Siren runs a hand up his flank, presses a thumb to his hole. “Patience. Don't wanna hurt you, baby boy. You're being so good, I'm going to take care of you. You know what you get when you're good?”

Jason nods into the armrest, eyes squeezed shut. Siren removes their hand. They lightly swat his ass. “Words, puppy.”

“I get rewards.” He twists his head, getting Siren into his peripheral. Their smile is sweet, eyes crinkling with it. 

The reward is Siren pushing two lube slicked fingers into his ass. Jason groans long and shamelessly. After a few moments, Siren easily adds a third finger.

They mouth lines of kisses across the broad span of his shoulders. Fingers pump slowly in and out of his hole, a maddening pace only barely enough to keep him hard. The pads of Siren's fingers just graze his prostate every few strokes. 

Jason is melting. He's burning and panting and fighting every instinct to grip his cock. If he doesn't get more, he's going to scream. Or cry. A chant starts pouring out of him. “Siren, please. I'm ready, I want you, more, please. I… it feels so good, please, please can I…?”

Siren surges forward, pressing their weight all along his back. Their dick slots behind his balls. “Yeah? You want me to fuck you? You asked so nicely, it’d be mean of me to make you wait more.”

They gently remove their fingers. There's the sound of the lube opening again and Jason takes the opportunity to catch his breath. He uncurls his arms, bracing hands on the armrest. 

Then groans again at the stretch of Siren's dick pushing into him. It's slow but delicious. in all the right ways. Jason sets his hips against the push, allowing Siren to rest against him. Siren breathes out a long satisfied sigh against the top of his spine when they finally fully seat inside him. A heartbeat of stillness, Siren caresses his sides in an upward sweep. They pause to grope his pecs before slotting their hands together.

“You have no clue how good you feel, puppy.” Siren presses a kiss to the nape of his neck. With a long slow withdrawal, Jason squeezes their hands. He knows what’s next. He’s been a good boy. They pull out until the ridge of their cock head pulls at the rim. The thrust is hard, driving Jason’s breath out.

Siren’s pace is cruel. Each thrust hard, but just shy of fast enough. Jason writhes under it. He hangs his head, lifts it again, clenches his hands and thighs in turn, arching his back. All the while, his cock and balls ache. Jason needs more, certain a single touch would put him over the edge but Siren keeps a hold of his hands. The sound of their fucking is obscene, and if Jason had even an of sanity to spare, he’d be a ashamed of the continual whine and gasps and mewls he’s making.

It’s obvious when Siren starts to get close. They release Jason’s hands to pull his hips closer, encouraging him to sit up. Impossibly it drives their cock deeper. Siren noses against his neck. “Beautiful and you don’t even realize, god you feel so good. You don’t know what you do to me, puppy. It’s like you were made for me. Can you come without me touching you today?” Every word brings heat to Jason’s chest, he shudders.

And they wrap a hand around the base of his neck, the barest hint of pressure against his throat. Jason comes, losing his voice as pleasure rips through him. Siren keeps up the brutal pace, fucking him through his orgasm.

“Good boy. You’re so good for me, you’re perfect. Stay just like that, puppy.” Strong arms keep him upright, the thrust not stuttering. Jason gets lost in it – the haze of endorphins and praise. Beyond all reason, Jason gets hard again. “Look at you. Filthy, you like it that much? Oh puppy, are you going to come again for me? Can you?”

Siren presses him into the couch, bending him forward until the helmet meets cushion. Jason’s hips tilt and then he’s seeing stars with each thrust. He scrabbles against the fabric, trying to gain purchase to push back. “Right there, huh. You’ve been marvelous. I’m so close, puppy.”

They pant against his shoulder. “Come. Come, Jason.” The command is paired with a hand on his cock, stroking in time with the thrusts. “You can do it, puppy. Beautiful boy.” 

It isn’t Jason’s first dry orgasm. It definitely won’t be his last. Still it shocks Jason, amazed by the way it rocks through him and makes his toes curl. He clenches and finally Siren’s hips stutter. Warmth of a different sort fills him, and Jason swears his dick twitches as if inspired to try for a third.

Time gets a little fizzy for Jason as he focuses on catching his breath, only gasping once Siren pulls out. Sensation slowly returns to his numb limbs. “Careful, honey bee. There you go,” Siren coos gently, guiding Jason to lay on his side. “There’s a wet spot there. We made a mess, huh. You stay put.”

Vaguely, he hears the padding of feet. He concentrates on wiggling his fingers and then toes. “You want this off? Oh babe, you must be boiling in there.” Jason obligingly rolls his head so Siren can access the release on the back. The rush of cool air is a relief, he barely noticed how warm he was. 

Jason hums, cracking an eye open when Siren begins combing fingers through his sweaty hair. “You poor thing, you’re drenched. Wanna get showered?” Absolutely not. The thought of getting up just then is abhorrent, so Jason shakes his head. “No words right now? That’s ok, puppy. Let me get you a little cleaned up and a towel down. Will you have some water for me?”

The washcloth is warm on his skin. When Siren finishes, they press a kiss to his hip bone. He sits up just long enough to drain most of a glass of water. Flopping onto his back, Jason sprawls across the couch.

“Scooch, how am I supposed to cuddle you if there’s no room?” Jason squints at them, but doesn't move. “It's like you think this will stop me.”

They clamber onto him, slotting themselves between his legs to fold arms over his chest. “It's like you think this wasn't my plan,” Jason comments. As Siren settles, he loops his arms around their back.

There's blissful silence for about three seconds. Siren wiggles. “Hey, you ever thought about soaking? Cock warming?”

Jason groans, and not in pleasure. No, he hasn't. But now he is… and, huh. That's new. He considers it, finds he might like that.

“You'd be so cute stuffed with my cock for hours. We could get a mirror for the bedroom, make it so you can see. Your asshole is amazing. You'd be a great cock warmer.” 

When Jason doesn't answer, Siren pauses. “We don't have to. You know my rules, no means –.”

“No, I know. I'm not saying no. Just… give me a few days?” Siren smothers a smile.

“Of course. We can make a whole thing of it. Let me spoil you. Buy us dinner, get some sweet treats, something nice for a bath after. Yeah? Sound good?” They beam at him, and Jason is hopeless.

“You've ruined me.” It makes them laugh, bright and happy. “How are you always like this? You have too much energy.”

They hum, kiss his pec. “Can't help it. Hey, you patrolling tonight?”

Maybe if he could feel his legs. “Nah, I'll do gear and weapons maintenance.”

“Good, you deserve the rest. Want me to grab something to eat when I'm done?” They idly trace a scar on his bicep. “I can even get you some of those disgusting chili dogs.”

“Disgusting, they say. As if you didn't text me last week to beg for four of them.”

They flap hands vaguely in his face, shooing away the teasing remark. “Wait! If I do a seance for Nana Franny again, do you think she’ll make me more birria?”

Jason catches their hands, smoothes a thumb over the bare nails. “Nah, she called yesterday. Her oven is acting up. I’ll go fix it and then we’ll be birria rich.” Siren gasps.

“It’s fate! Hey, wanna pick a couple colors for my nails? You have a good eye. Don’t just pick reds though, puppy.” A phone, lodged somewhere in the couch, starts ringing. Siren surges up for a kiss, digging it from between the armrest and cushion at the same time. “And now I have to start getting ready.”

When Jason bench presses by their hips, Siren makes an appreciative ‘ooh’. Mostly Jason does it to avoid their flailing limbs, and inevitable elbow to the solar plexus he always gets when Siren scrambles off his chest.

“You stay put, puppy. Rest. Drink lots of water.” They pat his chest, then trot down the hall. “Wait, have you ever thought about shibari?”

“Stop it!”

[doumadono]

GRATULACJE Z OKAZJI 3K, ZASŁUŻYŁAŚ

I'd love to request: comforting you when you’re anxious with Bakugo and f reader, blurb nor headcanons, whatever you find more accurate

An explosive shoulder to lean on - Bakugo x Reader

Synopsis: in times of anxiety, Bakugo extends his unique form of comfort to soothe your worries A/N: thank you so much, my dear friend! Your support is truly priceless. I hope you'll delight in this brief blurb I've crafted ♥

MASTERLIST

One gloomy afternoon, as rain tapped against the windows, you found yourself hunched over your desk in a class, anxiety gnawing at your insides. The weight of upcoming exams and the pressure to excel in a world of heroes was suffocating. Your fingers tapped nervously on your textbook as you tried to focus on the material before you, silent tears streaming down your cheeks.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom swung open with a bang, and Bakugo stormed in, his expression a mix of irritation and frustration. Katsuki had to make a swift return to the school when he realized he had left his phone behind in the classroom. He had a fierce scowl on his face, the telltale sign that something was amiss. His crimson eyes narrowed as they scanned the room, and it was then that he spotted you, sitting at your desk with tear-streaked cheeks.

Bakugo's initial instinct was to scoff, to retreat from the unexpected vulnerability he had stumbled upon. But something held him back, a small flicker of empathy buried beneath his layers of brashness. He cleared his throat, drawing your attention, and his voice, surprisingly gentle, cut through the silence. "What the hell are you doing here, crying like an idiot?"

Panic surged through you, but his gaze held a peculiar softness that contradicted his words. He looked uncomfortable, as if grappling with an unfamiliar emotion. It was a side of him you had rarely seen.

Swallowing hard, you struggled to find your voice. "I-I'm just… having a tough time, I guess."

He snorted, his arms crossed over his chest. "Tch. That's no excuse to blubber like a damn baby."

For a moment, his harshness threatened to push you further into your shell. But then, to your surprise, he pulled out a chair and sat down next to you, his movements awkward and uncharacteristically unsure.

"Look," he began, his voice gruff but with an underlying gentleness. "I ain't good at this kind of crap, but if you're gonna sit here being all mopey, you might as well tell me what's eating at you."

You hesitated, the words caught in your throat. But the way he had defied his own nature to sit beside you, to offer even the slightest semblance of comfort, gave you the courage to open up. "I'm just… overwhelmed, Katsuki… It feels like I can never catch up, like no matter how hard I try, I'm always falling short. I'm scared of failing, of disappointing everyone – including myself."

"Listen, idiot," he grumbled, his words surprisingly gentle. "I get it. We're all dealing with our own crap, and sometimes it feels like the weight of the world is gonna crush us. But the only way to deal with it is to keep pushing forward, to keep fighting. So, stop crying and start kicking that anxiety's ass."

You couldn't help but chuckle at his blunt, yet oddly inspiring, pep talk. Bakugo was offering comfort in his own unique way, a blend of tough love and unwavering support. It wasn't a traditional display of kindness, but it was genuine and heartfelt in its own right.

The tears that had threatened to consume you began to recede, replaced by a newfound determination. With Bakugo by your side, even if he was more likely to explode than offer a hug, you felt a renewed sense of strength. You wiped your eyes, managing a small smile.

"Thanks, Kacchan. I needed that."

He grunted, his cheeks tinted with a faint blush that he tried to hide. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't make it a habit, got it?"

With that, he stood up abruptly, as if eager to escape the vulnerable moment he had created. But as he walked away, you couldn't help but feel a warm glow of gratitude. Katsuki Bakugo, the explosive hero-in-training, had shown you a side of himself that few ever witnessed – a side that, despite his rough edges, was capable of providing comfort in its own uniquely fiery way.

[skellyjingles]

HOW DO YOU GET YOUR STYILE SO SOFT LOOKING? THE WAY YOU DRAW JAX IS SO HEKING CUTE!! LIKE HOW???

I think the softness of my style ultimately falls on 3 things:

Good, textured brushes - this is the biggest one. it's not impossible to make soft-looking art with a hard brush, but i mainly stick to textured brushes to make things easier for myself. my favorite brushes are the ones that are solid enough for clear line definition but they do something interesting with the shape/density/opacity that keeps it from being too "hard" if that makes sense. for example, my go-to brush for line art is the CSP Bit Husky ink brush (it used to be a default brush, but now you have to download it if you have a newer version). It acts like an actual brush that isn't loaded with enough ink, so you can see the brushstrokes where certain parts are less opaque (like what you can see in this Jax drawing)

i think this brush strikes a great balance between the clarity of the lines while still giving it a certain fuzziness. speaking of fuzzy, a brush that i love for softer shading/coloring is the SU Cream Pencil; it has a really nice, pillowy feel to it + it is absolutely awesome for blending. i understand that not everyone has CSP but i encourage you to experiment with other brushes regardless! i use different brushes all the time.

[this is getting long so i'll pop the rest under the cut]

Color usage - aside from when i doodle, i don't really use pure black or white because i find that they often look too harsh; just adding that little bit of color makes it look more visually interesting and easier on the eyes. similarly, i refrain from using colors at full saturation. even when i use highly-saturated colors, i limit it to 1 or maybe 2. i also sometimes use a multiply or overlay layer over the whole thing to unify the color palette more.

you've probably also noticed that i like to color in the inner lines differently from the outer lines. i think it works because less contrast on the inner lines makes it less harsh but the contrast created by the outer lines maintains the visual separation between different parts of the piece.

Lack of straightness - be bi like me the concept of softness is visually associated with curves and rounded shapes. whenever I'm drawing characters, i try to avoid using straight lines and sharp angles so i can get a more organic feel (unless the design calls for it, like Zooble)

that's how i get my style soft-looking. there's plenty of other approaches by other people, but this one's mine.

as for a cute-looking jax, he has big expressive eyes. it's pretty easy to make him look cute. add some highlights to them if you're particularly struggling.

[jellyvibes710]

@skylabrea Leo took it upon himself to learn Morse code while Donnie learned asl in case they ever needed it in battle, Donnie also knows Morse code and with this knowledge Leo learned Morse code VERY well from being an absolute menace to Donnie, donnie doesn't know it as well as leo because he just prefers ASL and everyone in the family knows it

Leo knew he was dying, he could feel it in his body and him being the main medic of the team he knew he was getting worse, he knew more than anyone that he was dying so he decided to spend as much time as he had left just spending time with his family, he didn’t realize how fast he was dying though and by the Time he realized it was his last moments he only had enough strength to see one person so he went to his twin

Not only was Donnie the second closest to the medbay but Donnies lab just became his safe place when he struggled to sleep

Dee always had a backup chair for leo to sit next to him and listen to him rant about a project or a game he was interested in, eventually putting him to sleep. In turn Donnie would fall asleep shortly after listening to Leo's eepy chirps and churs, tuning his brain out enough to relax and get his own amount of sleep.

So it was a bit of both to wanting to see his brother and knowing that he was passing

In part 3, Leo doesn't understand how mikey knew morse code though.. only Donnie and him know it.

My friend responds that worded it way better than I ever could :]

"This hits really hard when paired with the Mikey drawing, because you can tell Leo is sorta just thinking things over and trying to come to terms with his reality and how he's going to like. Minimize the damage of his death. Knowing full well he can't, really. He can only pray that everyone will just kind of see him as this strong, funny guy that they grew to love, thinking that he'd be showing weakness if he didn't at least pretend he was fine"

"It's almost scary how much hes convincing himself that his death won't actually be that bad, as long as he fakes it til he makes it, hoping that everyone will be in there so he can give them a lil speech and then just pass in his sleep so he doesn't have to see it. Cause Leo knows. He knows every layer to it"

:]

Till next time

[darkfictionjude]

I just wanted to say that I really love your writing!! The way you capture the feeling of living in a broken home for example, or the struggle with mental health, really resonates. It's not easy to nail such complex and difficult topics, so i really admire your skill. Also, the friendgroup interactions are so fun! The way their personalities bounce off each other and their individual dynamics and how Crowny is experiencing the wonders of friendship for the first time😪🥹I've only found your story yesterday but if anything happens to this little group of Scooby Doo's, it's on😤(even though i am 90% sure it will all fall apart terribly and I will cry in a corner, but one can hope!!)

Anyways I also love how you write Crowny!! Their struggles with mental health and family problems are written in such a relatable way, and just them as a person is fascinating, I love an unreliable narrator and mysteries.

And, of course, Crowny's funny and my favourite menace. And this might be niche, but i think it's also super impressive that your teenager characters actually read like teenagers. Like Imre (my impression of him, at least); even though he is this manipulative schemer with 1000 layers of secrets, he's also still a 19 year old boy and in high-school, and that shows in the way he interacts with the team and the world, if that makes sense!

I could go on about all the other aspects of the game that have me in a chokehold, but i don't want to clog your askbox with like 5 more paragraphs of my ravings🧘‍♀️know that i am rotating your story inside my mind and crearing so many little silly drawings to deal with my excitement🙏🖍🖍🖍

On a more serious note, thank you for witing this story and sharing it!! I hope you continue having as much fun creating it as I have reading it, even though writing can be really quite rough sometimes🫶 and i also hope you're doing well and experience many of moments of joy! <3

(ps: and I'm really sorry if some of what i wrote was hard to understand, English isn't my first language and my sentences are always too long when I'm excited😪🙆‍♀️)

Yeah I’m happy my teenagers feel like teenagers cause it’s a pet peeve of mine to have them talk and act as if they’re 25

Also another nickel for apologizing for what I consider to be great English 😘

I’m happy I get messages where people love every one in my discount scooby gang, I find that it’s either they only like one or they hate everyone

Thank you 💜

[halowritesthings]

“Tout est nul, putain,” Remy said while stomping his way inside. He shook the snow off his body like a wet dog, specifically because he knew it would annoy Scott when he eventually came inside and saw the partially melted snow on the hardwood. “I hate de cold.”

He shucked off the winter cap and gloves he borrowed, but before he could bend over to unlace his boots, a southern drawl emitted from the doorway, “So Ah’ve heard.”

Looking up, he saw Rogue leaning on the frame of the entrance to the common area of the mansion, a blanket bundled in her arms. His mood suddenly perked up significantly, “Well, good ol’ North must‘ve finally caught me. Why else would such a stunnin’ ange be here t’greet moi?”

Rogue rolled her eyes as she got off the frame to stand up straight, “Quit bein’ a drama queen, Swamp Rat. Everyone has had to shovel the walkways at some point.”

Remy pouted, leaning down so he could get back to stripping off the boots, “You say dat, yet why is tonight de first time I seen Specs do his fair share, neh? Gettin’ down an’ dirty too much a hassle for Fearless?”

“Ya know that’s just because ya always hightail it out of the room before the drawing of straws can begin,” Rogue said. “Ah think he’s already maxed out his shoveling duties for the season, but he joined ya tonight anyway, specifically to make sure you would do yer job for once.”

When Remy got both boots off, he looked up at Rogue with zero guilt in his eyes. His pout might have gotten bigger, actually, “So mean to Remy.”

He was quick to slip on his moccasin slippers that he was forced to abandon just an hour prior. If he wasn’t feeling so stiff, he would honestly be willing to bend over even further to place a kiss on the tips of each of them. Plus, he already got called dramatic once in this conversation; even though it was true, he would like to keep the factual observations to a minimum tonight.

As he stood back to his full height, he was suddenly assaulted, darkness enshrouding his vision and his movement becoming restricted. He struggled for a second before remembering what he was just looking at and held himself still. He was swiftly rewarded when a pair of gentle hands messed with the covering at his face and adjusted it so he was snuggly wrapped everywhere that didn’t impede his line of sight. 

Once he was able to see again, he was met with Rogue looking at him with that same fond exasperation he loved to bring out in her. “Don’t chu’ worry,” Rogue began, finalizing the details of her current attempts to encase Remy where he stood. “Jubilee went and made us a bunch’a different kinds of hot coco, and knowing yer daily sugar intake, you’ll be reawakened in no time.”

With a lopsided smile, he grabbed one of her hands, using his blanket-covered fingers to wrap excess blanket around her knuckles before placing a kiss to the top of the hand while looking her in the eyes. She was of course wearing one of her nighttime pair of gloves that she wore when they hung out after hours, but recently he had been making sure to add extra layers between them whenever he could to ease whatever leftover anxiety plagued her mind, “Mon sauveur, what would dis scoundrel do wit’out chu?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rogue said with another roll of her eyes. “Love ya too, ya greaseball.”

woe 🫴 halo x-men fic be upon ye shout out to the 4 people who unanimously voted "yes" to the poll on my main asking about whether or not i should post this WIP snippet to tumblr lol. i have zero idea as to when i can get this completed due to a.) the dreaded blockage of writers as per usual and B.) the dreaded schoolwork which is in a constant revolving state of "maybe i won't have too much work this weekend" and "holy shit i'm falling behind so hard i'm gonna die-" this snippet is rather contained tho so it can work as a standalone pretty well. maybe i just need to embrace shorter ficlets as my main form of writing. certainly would be a nice break from the "can't make a oneshot less than 6k words" train i've been riding since day one LMAO anyway feel free to ignore my yapping; i hope you like my first foray into this fandom!

[realspacejunk]

3. What ideas come from when you were little

For the art ask game

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy

23. Do you use different layer modes

3. What ideas come from when you were little?

When I was in school, I had this elaborate fantasy setting of abducted humans and aliens forming a criminal gang in space to finance their search for Earth and fight bad guys. It had planets, artificial planets that were layered and under construction, space stations, spaceports that were giant trenches in the earth or a ring in the sky, characters, resistance fighters, opportunists, terrorists, an occupied Earth, cradle planets that were secured and secret, quarantine sectors, apartment layouts, zombies, species living in nuclear vaults deep underground, dying empires with noble kings, honourable monk warriors, corrupt and benevolent megacorporations, 60.000 years old and 4 billion years old extinct ancient civilizations, big wars over the entire universe, universe-wide extinction events, old and extinguished space magic, ancient and upcoming robot societies, and all that stuff, all connected in a timeline. It inspired me to make lots of art of space and planets at the time. But almost no characters since I sucked at making humans. One Idea I had was about a spaceport that was literally a hollowed-out planetoid.

Much of the tech was inspired by Prothean and Forerunner architecture from Mass Effect 3 and Halo 4 since I really like those. I made many little drawings of this stuff during and after classes, but I put them all on paper years ago and I don't know where they are. (Lies, I found them)

I don't think about that setting that much anymore since I was unable to think of a believable reason as to why an alien corporate entity would abduct half the human race, turn them into bio-organic synths and sell them as workers to the unknowing galaxy.

8. What's an old project idea that you've lost interest in?

There was this one painting I started after I finished the Lively Town piece. it was supposed to be a town in a jungle, but I lost interest because The perspective and composition sucked, it was mainly green and I hate painting plants since they confuse me, and I did not know what kind of characters I wanted to make the subject of the scene. It did not help that I had no lore for the thing so I just put random characters in there without knowing what they were supposed to be doing there.

20. Something everyone else finds hard to draw but you enjoy?

This might sound lame but I can't answer this because I have no idea what other artists struggle with. I struggle with most things myself and can't say what I find easier than most others. The opposite is much easier to ask. Other artists I know are usually awesome at things like anatomy and gestures, which I find to be nightmarish.

23. Do you use different layer modes?

I use layers but to separate subjects like Characters, scene elements, etc. Rarely do I use them in modes other than normal, and when I do that I quickly merge them down again. Most modes I like to apply directly using brushes. The blending modes I use the most are Color Dodge, Add, Multiply and Overlay. Sometimes at the very end of a project, I put one flat color layer on top and use it in Color mode and play with the opacity to harmonize the colors and control the colour temperature without falsifying the values.

[not-xpr-art]

the painstaking process of pointillism lol

been a lil while since I shared some progress shots of an artwork so have this of a recent pointillism piece I did of reece shearsmith!

read below for some thoughts and advice for anyone who's interested in doing pointillism! (from someone who has done less than 10 pointillist pieces in their life pfft...)

pointillism is a style I always appreciate looking at, but often put off doing much of myself just because of how long it takes lol... and I'm afraid their is no way of fixing that, it's just quite a time consuming technique lol! BUT my first piece of advice would be don't let that stop you from trying it since I think a lot of the results from pointillism can be really rewarding!

one thing I really enjoy about pointillism is that I have a tendency to do quite harsh shading sometimes, so it allows me to create more a more softer feel than usual!

I gotta say that I do still struggle a lottt with doing hair in pointillism lol it's so hard to create the appearance of individual strands with just little dots which is kinda why I chose to only do half his hair in this piece pfft I've yet to try and draw curls in this style so am intrigued whether that would be easier than straight hair... will have to get back to you on this lol!

a big piece of advice I'd give is that more than any other style, think of pointillism in terms of layers! start with the shadowy parts, which I used a slightly bigger 'pen' size for in this piece (pen is in quotation marks because I drew this on my phone lol..), and then went in with a smaller dot to blend into the light parts with little to no dots!

one thing about pointillism is that is kinda forces you to draw everything on one level, rather than zooming in to and hyper-focusing on details! in some pointillism works I've done I've actually chosen to use just one size of dot throughout the entire thing, which creates a really interesting sense of uniformity!

final thoughts about this is knowing when to stop, which is true of any art technique lol I think I could definitely have gone even further with this piece adding more and more dots until everything sorta just blends together, but a part of the appeal of pointillism is that you can see those individual dots and how they make up the larger piece, so my advice is to maybe go with less than what you think to keep all the fun texture still in place!

so there's some advice and some thoughts about this technique lol! I'm gonna be trying to experiment with this more casual style of art advice post since I've been really struggling thinking of interesting and specific topics to go into, so hopefully some of you found this informative lol!

so feel free to let me know if there's any particular style of technique I've done that you'd like me to talk about or potentially offer advice and I'll see what I can do!

as always thanks to everyone who actually reads my rambling posts <3

[lovelyzzzz777]

Hii! I saw your previous ask about capricorn moon in the 9th degree and I wonder if you can interpret my moon placement too. (It's alright if you can't.) My moon is in scorpio, 1st house, and also in the 9th degree. 😊 It's a pretty prevalent placement so I always look for a fresh perspective. Anyways, I hope you have a lovely day ahead of you. Xx 🌸✨

hey honey! 🩷🩷

With your Moon in Scorpio in the 1st House, your emotional world is incredibly intense and powerful, and it’s out there for everyone to see, even if you try to hide it. Scorpio is the sign of transformation, so your moods can shift dramatically, and people are likely to notice when you’re upset or deeply affected. This placement gives you a magnetic presence, one that draws others in, but also one that can make them wary of your depth and intensity. The 1st House amplifies this emotional transparency, and you may find it difficult to conceal your feelings.

Your Moon at 9° Scorpio suggests that you could have been through deep emotional transformation early in life, possibly marked by some powerful experiences of loss, betrayal, or power struggles. These experiences have shaped you into someone who doesn’t shy away from vulnerability, even if it’s hidden beneath a layer of emotional control. You may also have a tendency to guard your emotions, but when you trust someone, you're all in—fierce loyalty, protection, and a deep emotional connection are your gifts.

On the downside, this placement can lead to emotional extremes, where you may feel like you're constantly swimming in your emotional depths, sometimes feeling overwhelmed by them. The need for emotional intensity can create a push-pull dynamic in relationships, where you crave deep connection but also fear being too exposed or vulnerable. You may find it hard to let go of past hurts, and this can make it difficult to move forward in some situations.

However, this placement gives you a great inner strength and resilience, and you can handle some of the toughest emotional challenges life throws at you. When you learn to balance your intense emotional nature, you become incredibly insightful, empathetic, and intuitive.

Hope that provides a fresh perspective for you! ✨

[kuruna]

💧🙉🌌🌈 for Xanthos! I have to say, I really love his complex character layers and dynamics with AZ. I find him to be pretty relatable especially his struggle with feeling needed and his fear of failures; I'm also the youngest out of my siblings so I feel that sense of wanting to be "useful" . I apologize if this comes off a bit too gushy, but seeing your works helped clarify my thoughts with the media itself and myself.

Aw don't worry about sounding too gushy, I love hearing people's thoughts and I'm glad he resonated with you in that way! I'm a middle child myself, so I do often think about my own sibling dynamics when writing for them 😭 🙉 HEAR-NO-EVIL - what is the worse thing your oc could hear from someone?

Xan is already his own worst critic, and has a bad habit of blaming himself for things that quite genuinely are not his fault (he also blames himself for things that ARE his fault, but that's more understandable 😭). However, it does hurt him a Lot when he's told something that confirms what he already thinks about himself. Being placed in a scenario where he feels helpless, or where he feels weak, are the worst things ever for him.

🌌 MILKY WAY - what was the inspiration behind your oc? what was the first thing you decided about them?

This is gonna be long because I love these types of questions... anyways! Whenever a media has "implied characters" (characters that are mentioned but not seen or named), I really enjoy taking them and giving them a design and voice ^.^ The first thing I decided about Xan was a design feature! I thought it would be fun if he essentially had an "upside-down" version of Lysandre's hair. The idea is still there but less obvious, because this proved to be way too hard to draw in a way I liked 😭 AZ was known as a great king who transformed Kalos into a land of prosperity, but it's also established that in the past, pkmn were seen as tools and not much more, and here was a king who treated a Floette like part of his family. Despite his greatness, he was surely seen as odd for it! The fact that his best friend is a sweet little Floette also tells me that he doesn't mesh well with other humans. What does that mean for his brother? I imagined someone who lacked AZ's skill for invention, but was charismatic and well-liked. And from there I imagined someone who (unfortunately!) would be the type to chastise AZ for not being a "proper" king, who maybe didn't make an effort to understand his brother as well as he should have. At the same I really dislike the idea of "everything bad can be blamed on this one guy," so I wanted to make a character that was complex from the get-go, rather than it being a situation where AZ's brother was just an evil jerk or something. If AZ is secure enough to not care what others think of him and to act as he wishes, his brother must be the opposite. This was my initial thesis for Xanthos, and still my go-to when I work on developing him! He is his brother's opposite. As for why I eventually decided Xan became immortal too... I forgot how the idea came about 💔 but I really like the inherently complicated dynamic he'd have with AZ in such a scenario, and the questions it creates. Is it possible for them to forgive one another after everything that's happened...? I would like to think they can... after all, they have all the time in the world to make amends.

🌈 RAINBOW - what advice would they give to their younger self?

Ohhhh he definitely has a whole laundry list of things he would want to say... other than the obvious ("can you pleaaaassee actually talk to your brother instead of attempting a coup in your desperation to be heard"). I think the #1 thing would be "stop acting so ashamed of the people you care for most! You cannot appease everyone, and this is fine!" The #2 thing would be "stop trying to do everything on your own! ask for help when you need it!!!" (funnily enough... I think a lot of the things he would say to his younger self are things he Does end up saying to Lysandre at some point 😭)

💧 DROPLET - random angst headcanon

Ended up doing this one last because I couldn't decide which little lore tidbit I wanted to use for it 😭 During the reconstruction of Kalos... while it took a bit to discover the Straight Up Immortality, people were quick to notice that Xan aged much slower than those around him. When his sons were both adults, for example, Xan only looked a few years older than them. Eventually this confusion grew into fear, and that fear led to Xan being rejected by his very homeland, despite all he'd done for it. (On this note 💔 Xan's sons were named Xerxes and Yeltaz. The name "Xerxes" is one of Xan's middle names, and the name "Yeltaz" is one of AZ's middle names. As you can imagine, AZ and Floette never got the chance to meet either of them 😔)

[edisacornball]

What made you fall in love with writing Ed/Noah?

I know you sent in this question forever ago and I've just been going through too many things to deal with my inbox lately, but I was babbling about this ship the other day to my husband because he was talking about how he had never really given it any thought until I apparently "made it adorable in Other Side," so I figured I might as well write those thoughts down, since this ship is on my mind after working on that drawing of the two of them dancing.

So I'll start by saying: I didn't really go into Other Side as a Noah/Ed shipper. I mostly just knew that going to the BH world would make 03 Ed have to deal with letting a lot more people in, which is something he struggles with more than BH Ed, so I figured I could play with that push and pull by adding in Noah as another layer to show that he struggles with letting people in. And then, as I wrote it, it just... struck me how these two fit together so well.

03 Ed has so freaking much trauma. I would honestly go as far as to say that he's more traumatized than BH Ed. The guy's died a couple times, after all. The 03 series as a whole is a lot darker and really dives into some traumatic shit for poor 03 Ed. But it's the sort of trauma where it gets nearly impossible to talk about. How do you even talk to someone about how you saw your brother become the living embodiment of a philosopher's stone? Or how about how you had to kill a being that maybe just wore the face of your mother, or maybe actually was your mother, who really knows because you didn't let her live long enough to find out? How can anyone even relate to the idea of "I died a couple times in a row and ended up stuck in another world where everyone looks like people I once loved, but they don't even speak the same language as me?" There just comes this particular point with trauma where it starts getting so hard for other people to even relate.

But Noah can be one of the few people ever who actually gets the trauma Ed's been through. Because she's able to experience it right alongside him via his memories. Even Al can't get that close, even though he's one of the very few people who will actually get a lot of what Ed's experienced. She can even understand the things that are too hard for him to explain, and he can know that she actually believes him, because why wouldn't she?

And meanwhile, on Noah's end, she's had to face this terrible double whammy of being Roma and also cursed with this supernatural power that a lot of Roma people would have seen as some sort of marking from the devil. And even if people can accept the power conceptually, most people aren't comfortable with the idea of not having any secrets with someone. People hate mind-readers. Poor Noah has had to go through a whole lifetime of everyone around her hating her for things she can't control, whether that's her powers or the color of her skin.

And then along comes Ed, the guy who's seen so freaking much shit that he can't even think of rejecting someone for such a petty reason as that they can read his mind. I think he probably wouldn't even expect anyone to stick around after seeing into his memories, so he doesn't see any point to keeping secrets when it's inevitable that someone would eventually end up getting scared and leave him. So he doesn't flinch away from Noah, because he doesn't even see it as possible that she could ever be scarier than him. And then she surprises him by not leaving. She sees all the darkness and suffering in his past and she also doesn't flinch. Because she's seen into the hearts of people who are so much worse, who have caused so much pain without any regard. She doesn't see Ed as the monster he sees himself as, because she's actually seen what the minds of monsters actually look like, and she knows he's not one of them.

They just... AGH, THEM. ❤️😍🥹 I have a lot of feelings. But there's something about each of their traumas that comes together so freaking perfectly so that they can each support one another so beautifully, and I freaking love it. It constantly reminds me of this one set of lines from Roger and Mimi in Rent:

"I've been trying, I'm not lying. No one's perfect, I've got baggage!"

"Life's too short babe, time is flying, I'm looking for baggage that goes with mine."

(Do I use Roger and Mimi regularly as inspiration for Ed and Noah? ...Maybe.)

[pumpkin-spike18]

✨Weekly Progress 48-49✨

As expected, being on time 3 weeks in a row is too much for me.

Weekly Progress #48

Updated twitter links to bsky links in various places

Lined new animation frames for winter jam

Updated eye frames

Lined bounce frames

Tested full chara animation

Buggy BL design ideas

Weekly Progress #49

Uploaded psd files for fan project BGs

SWAK brainstorm + base outline

December planning

BG testing for Winter Jam

Initial shading animation for Winter Jam

Sketched Buggy BL designs

Starlight Meets the City Lights

If you've been following my bsky, you probably already saw my variety of struggles. But since you're here, I guess you'd want to hear more backstory?!

Well the backstory is that I went to Times Square and spun around looking like a silly tourist to get a panoramic shot for the BG bc I didn't want to draw the whole thing myself! I probably looked a little crazy being the only one who took a picture at eye level while everyone was looking up at the lights.

Since I was in the neighborhood, I also dropped by Kinokuniya for some window shopping, but then I saw this:

and I couldn't resist buying a few volumes of manga........

A-Anyways, back to VN dev!

After getting these shots, I tried it with what I had so far. These were the initial test frames for the full movement I had drawn.

I put the BG through a few filters, and did some light paint over to make things look... a bit more fitting to the character art. There's no replacing hard work. Without a doubt, this would definitely look best with a hand drawn BG, but I am running low on time.

Unfortunately exporting as a gif compressed the image a lot. Here's actually an example of how large the full image is.

Ultimately, these gifs are just tests. Each frame will be saved separately and chained together with code.

The full effect will be done by keeping the BG separate, having it spin in the opposite direction of where Star is facing to give the illusion of movement.

The initial frame where Star appears to be moving, but is actually still is also created with shadow movement along side the BG. These are also manually drawn frame by frame.

There's still a lot of work to do and I'm forever afraid of the ding! that sounds whenever I run out of layers, but that's a story for next week.

Jincan Underground

Or, Buggy BL finally has a title! Wait, I only have one post about it?

A number of things have changed about the concept, but the core of it being based on Kodoku remains. However, since I'll be using more than just insects as character themes, I decided to reference Jincan (the Chinese version of Kodoku).

The main character, Roach, is an underground fighter still grieving the death of his employer, Catarina. By chance, he runs into Catarina's younger brother on the run from a beggar. By saving him, however, Roach lost his name and sealed himself into a death match with 20 other participants...

Eat or be eaten, become the Jincan and have your greatest wish granted.

...Or something like that.

SWAK Jam

No rest for the weary. It appears I'll be participating in SWAK Jam with a short BL story I'll be writing for. I've been busy working on the outline this week and I'm over halfway there so I'll hopefully be able to discuss it in more detail next week! <:

[just-some-castaways]

Something changed tonight.

I’m not quite sure how, or why, but… it’s different now.

(Putting spoiler for allusions to sui struggles and because it’s a longer post <33)

We have a lot of issues, many of which the majority of people in our lives don’t understand, or can’t relate to. And that’s fine, we’re not upset at the fact, but it is lonely sometimes.

It was a mutual agreement when this blog started that the purpose would be to provide us a safe place to create, write, pour out, and reflect as… well, as us. But the other point we agreed on was to do our best to avoid needlessly drawing attention to any disorder that wasn’t the topic of the post. Our info doesn’t say “a blog by a system” because that’s not who we are. We don’t say “a blog by some depressed souls” for the same reason. The disorder isn’t the definition of a person core, it’s a film that is just layered on top.

The point I’m getting at is that this isn’t a blog to promote identity in our disorders or struggles, but to show who we are despite the disorders and struggles.

And for the most part, it’s been just that. A place to be human, to be honest and raw, to give everyone a chance at writing or journaling or trying something they haven’t before in a place that judgement wouldn’t matter, because tumblr is designed to be curbed by the user. We’ve carved out a little corner of the Internet as a suto creative studio, and we’re very proud of it, and what’s come from it.

But reality never stays a stranger.

Nighttime’s were hard for years, they were low points, even dangerous at times. They were the moments we most felt alone, most felt the cracks and flaws. When we began to create out of a need to survive, night time became…. A bitter sweet retreat. It was one of the only times that we could bare the raw parts and know that if rejection or hurt arose, it only took a click of a button to seal away our special little studio. That’s not a luxury we can afford in the day to day. People don’t like oddities like us. Either we’re faking for attention or making it up. It’s not safe, I doubt it ever will be. So for a while, this was a mournful retreat, a reminder of what could be but isn’t.

Then, something changed.

It’s subtle, I’m not sure I could put my finger on it if you asked me to try. But it’s there.

Tonight, for the first time, the moment the door closed, the lights went out, and the lamp turned on, it wasn’t a sealing of a cage blocking out reality for an hour of freedom. It was…..

Well, it was an opportunity.

This time, this ability to write for no one and everyone at the same time, it… well it became intoxicating. The feeling of joy coursing through one’s veins as raw creative energy pours out through words on a screen just…. I don’t know, it became so much more than an escape.

It’s something we’ve begun to look forward to.

I don’t know what the future holds, perhaps tumblr is a short term visit, perhaps it’s a life long journey. Perhaps the freedom to live openly without the masks will one day arrive, or perhaps safety will only be found in anonymity. But what we’ve discovered here is a beautiful little truth, one that’s evaded us for a long long time.

The act of creating, whatever the purpose, makes us feel alive. And Lord knows how close we came to never knowing that feeling.

So I guess…. I guess I’m saying thank you. To whomever sees this, whether it’s a hundred or noone, it doesn’t make a difference.

Thank you for being a place that we’ve found other people with love for crafting beautiful things. Thank you for being a place that feels safe to be honest and raw about the hard parts in life.

Thank you…. For just being you. Don’t stop creating, don’t stop pursing life. Death is a choice, Life is an opportunity.

-Madeline, on behalf of the Castaways system