#this was drawn on my ipad you guys how crazy is that

[iizuumi]

Staying warm 💖

[zosin-ya]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 8 - ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜꜱ ᴇɴᴄᴏᴜɴᴛᴇʀᴍᴇɴᴛ

Summary: You met a new girl at a university event, immediately drawn in by her friendly, outgoing nature. Before you knew it, she invited you to a small party where she hinted you could make some valuable connections. Little did you realize, networking with a biker gang wasn’t exactly what you had in mind for boosting your CV.

tags: Laws Ex, your first little argument with Law, Kid and Killer cameo

a.n.: I've a soft spot for Kid and Killer.

[ꜱᴛᴏʀʏ ɪɴᴅᴇx]

"Do you really want to go to this?" Law grumbled, his voice tinged with irritation as he shoved his hands into his pockets. He never had patience for events like these—listening to famous doctors drone on with the same recycled speeches about how med students were the future, how they were going to change the world. It was all so cliché to him.

But you, with a wide, enthusiastic grin, nodded. You would’ve loved it if Law joined you, but you knew better than to push him. He was clearly not in the mood. The fact that he was walking you to the lecture hall was already enough for you.

"Alright, fine," he sighed, his tone softening slightly. "If the guy actually says something useful, let me know." His irritated expression shifted into a familiar, amused grin.

"I will, but you’re missing out," you teased, knowing full well that Law wasn’t about to change his mind.

He raised an eyebrow, unfazed. "Yeah, huge loss," he said as sarcasm was dripping with every word. "Anyway, I’m gonna hit the library. Text me when you’re done, alright?" With that, he reached over and gave your cheek a quick, playful squeeze. You couldn’t help but smile at the gesture—it wasn’t like Law to show affection in public. And, well… you two weren’t officially together yet. “Dating” was probably a more fitting term. You met up regularly, switched from texting to phone calls—since he was terrible at texting—and usually ended up spending the night together.

"Will do. See ya," you said, giving him a smile before turning to enter the lecture hall.

As Law made his own way to the library, neither of you noticed the young woman standing off to the side, her gaze lingering on your exchange with something close to resentment. Once Law was out of sight, she slipped inside the lecture hall, her eyes scanning the room until she found you.

It was already filling up with students taking their seats and chatting quietly as they waited for the presentation to start. The woman’s eyes narrowed as she spotted an empty spot next to you. She approached with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"Hey, is this seat taken?" she asked, her voice sugary sweet.

You looked up from your bag, mid-rummage, and smiled politely back. "No, go ahead."

She sat down, her icy blue eyes locking onto yours as she introduced herself. "I’m Yuki, by the way."

"Y/N," you replied with a friendly smile. "Nice to meet you."

Yuki’s smile didn’t waver, though internally she bristled.

She could’ve ripped that smile off your stupid face.

"Haven’t seen you around here before," she remarked casually, pulling out her iPad.

You shrugged, letting out a small chuckle. "I tend to keep to myself. No offense to everyone in our program, but I’ve already got my little friend group."

It was true, but the words came out sounding very much like something Law would say. And Yuki hated you for it. She knew all too well there was something going on between you two—she’d seen the way you interacted, the way he looked at you. And it drove her crazy. In her mind, Law leaving her had been a mistake, and his friends were to blame, always meddling in his life. He was happier with her. He had been, at least—that’s what she told herself.

But for now, she kept up the pleasant facade. After all, what was the saying? Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

And you, in her eyes, were most definitely the enemy.

Yuki had done an excellent job masking her true feelings. To you, she seemed perfectly nice—friendly, even—and you didn’t mind her keeping you company during the dull wait for the presentation to start.

“By the way, you heard of this awesome party next week?” she asked casually, glancing at you. The question caught you off guard, and you blinked at her, puzzled.

“No, not really,” you said, shaking your head.

Yuki’s eyes widened, feigning surprise. “Really? You should definitely come, a lot of med students are there too, its great to make connections as well.”

You were a bit taken aback by her friendliness and the sudden offer, thinking about it. You didn’t knew her, yet she seemed pretty nice. You barley attended those kind of party, usually you just took part of a good old house party you friends threw occasionally. Building some connections for later on didn’t sound too bad either.

“Sure why not,” you replied with a smile.

Without hesitation, Yuki pulled out her phone, and the two of you quickly exchanged numbers.

As you saved her contact, Yuki mentally applauded your naïveté, her smile growing just a little sharper.

The event began soon after, and the two of you fell into silence, listening to the speaker drone on about the future of medicine and the importance of innovation. At first, it was engaging, but after a while, your attention started to fade. Law had been right—this was a snoozefest. You sighed quietly, trying to suppress a yawn as the presenter rambled on, his speech feeling more and more empty with each passing minute.

When it finally ended, you felt drained, like the life had been sucked out of you.

“God, that was a waste of time,” you mumbled under your breath as you started packing up your things.

Yuki chuckled beside you, though she was already hurriedly gathering her belongings. She seemed almost nervous, moving with more urgency than the situation warranted. She didn't want to risk bumping into Law.

“Yeah, total waste… Anyway, I’ve gotta run and catch the bus. You’ll hear from me soon, alright?”

You blinked, surprised by her sudden rush. She was already standing, ready to bolt, her polite smile looking a bit forced. “Uh, sure,” you said, still sitting, unsure of what had sparked her sudden haste.

Yuki flashed you a quick smile before darting down the stairs, moving as if she couldn’t get out of the lecture hall fast enough. You watched her disappear, frowning slightly. Weird, you thought, shrugging it off as you took your time gathering your own things.

As you exited the hall, Law was already waiting outside, leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. You felt a wave of relief.

"How was it?" Law asked, eyebrow raised, already suspecting your answer.

“Terrible,” you sighed, falling into step with him.

"Told you."

As you walked, Yuki’s sudden departure lingered in your mind. Something about it didn’t sit right, but you shook the feeling off. After all, she seemed nice… right?

Yuki still lingered in your mind days later, especially after she followed you on Instagram so quickly. How had she even found your profile? You shrugged it off, not wanting to overthink it. Maybe she was just really enthusiastic about the party today. Who knew?

“You’ve been glued to your phone a lot lately,” he commented, glancing at you over the rim of his cup before setting it down. He’d noticed your recent surge in texting but hadn’t asked until now. What he didn’t know was that it was his Ex  you were messaging.

"Ah, sorry," you said, locking your screen and sliding the phone aside. "I met this girl at that lecture the other day. She invited me to the med party I told you about."

Law’s reaction was immediate—a groan of disapproval as he leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. “You still want to go? Seriously, don’t waste your time.”

“What? Why not?” you asked, frowning, unsure why he seemed so against the idea.

He shrugged, eyes rolling as if it was obvious. "It’s just a bunch of future doctors jerking themselves off and getting trashed. Ego trips everywhere.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his bluntness. "Yeah, but I could use the connections, right? Networking is kind of important."

Law’s eyes narrowed slightly, his skepticism clear. “If you’re a good doctor, you don’t need to rely on that.”

You scoffed, half-amused and half-annoyed now. “Easy for you to say, Mr. ‘I-grew-up-in-a-hospital.’ You’ve had all the connections handed to you since day one.”

Law’s expression hardened, clearly irritated now. “Are we seriously doing this again? You gotta stop bringing that up.”

You knew it was a sore spot for him, but you were frustrated too. Law had connections, mentors, resources—you had none of that. To you, this med party was more than just an excuse to drink; it was a way to get ahead, to build relationships that might help you down the line. But Law didn’t seem to get that.

“You don’t understand,” you muttered, standing up abruptly. “I don’t have what you have, Law. I have to work for this.”

“I never said you didn’t,” he shot back, a little harsher than he meant. “But I’m telling you, these things are just ego-fests. Don’t expect anything real to come out of it.”

“Well, I’m going,” you huffed, crossing your arms.

Law sighed, running a hand through his hair. He could tell you were annoyed, but he wasn’t about to start a fight over something so trivial. “Fine. Do whatever you want.”

His dismissiveness stung, and the tension between you simmered.

Without another word, you stormed off to your room to get ready, leaving Law at the table. He just sat there, watching you go, now scrolling through his phone with a sigh. The silence between you felt heavier than usual.

“Call me if you need a ride,” he said after a moment, his voice quieter, as if he was offering an olive branch.

But you were still too frustrated to take it. “No need,” you shot back sharply, the words colder than you intended.

Law raised an eyebrow, his expression shifting. The tension in your voice didn’t go unnoticed. He scoffed lightly, more out of frustration than anything else, and leaned back in his chair, not wanting to push further. Whatever, if that’s how you wanted it.

As you pulled on your jacket and grabbed your bag, you could feel his eyes on you, but neither of you said anything. The silence had stretched too far, and now neither of you knew how to break it.

You left the apartment without another word, both of you too stubborn to fix the crack that had opened between you.

As you made your way to the location Yuki had sent you, an uneasy feeling began to gnaw at your gut. The place she directed you to didn’t scream “meds party”—it looked more like an abandoned building, graffiti covering the cracked walls. A bunch of motorcycles were parked haphazardly outside, while a few guys leaned against them, already looking wasted, bottles in hand.

You hesitated, your heart starting to race as you dialed Yuki’s number quickly. The longer you stood there, the worse this felt.

“Hey, uhm… are you sure this is the right place?” you asked when she picked up, trying to keep the nervousness out of your voice.

“Yeah, for sure! I’m running a little late, but go on inside! It’s chill, I promise. Have some fun till I get there, okay? See ya soon!” Yuki’s voice was cheerful, almost too carefree for the vibe you were getting.

“Wait, Yuki—” You started, but she hung up before you could finish. You sighed, staring at your phone. Great.

With a deep breath, you glanced back at the house. It felt off—so wrong in every way. But maybe you were just overthinking it? After all, Yuki had seemed so genuine.

You approached cautiously, feeling eyes from the people outside follow you as you neared the door. A group of guys laughed loudly, one of them muttering something under his breath as you passed. The heavy thrum of music seeped out from inside, as you pushed the door open.

The lighting was dim, shadows stretching across the room as heavy metal blared from old speakers. Your heart hammered in your chest, every instinct screaming at you to leave. This wasn’t right. You scanned the room quickly, searching for any familiar faces what so ever. Nothing. Just strangers—rough-looking strangers.

You turned back, ready to leave and forget this whole thing, but before you could reach the door, a large hand slammed it shut. Slowly you faced the person behind you, to find a tall, muscular guy blocking your way. His wild red hair and the predatory grin on his lips gave you goosebumps, not to mention his eyes lingering on you in a way that made your skin crawl.

“Look what we got here…” he drawled, leaning in closer. You could smell the alcohol on his breath, and you took a step back, trying to put some distance between you.

“Uh, sorry. Got the wrong party,” you mumbled, your voice shaky as you reached for the door handle. But he didn’t move. If anything, his grin widened.

“Wrong party?” he laughed, his voice carrying over the music. “Hey, Killer, this chick says she’s at the wrong party!”

From another room, a man with long, messy blond hair appeared, just as broad and intimidating as the redhead. His blue eyes gleamed with amusement, and his high-pitched, manic laugh only made your stomach drop further. The name didn’t help either.

“Cmon Kid, let her go. You are scaring her.”  the blond said, stepping closer and crossing his arms, his biceps flexing as he loomed over you.

Your pulse spiked as your back hit the door. You glanced between them, heart racing. “I don’t want any trouble. I think I got the wrong address,” you said, trying to keep your voice steady, though fear was clawing at your throat.

The redhead, apparently named Kid, laughed again. “You? Trouble?” He eyed you again and let out an amused laugh. “Doubt that princess. But you know, it’s pretty rude not to stay for at least one drink.” It wasn’t hard to see the challenge behind his words, a challenge you denied with a frantic head shake.

“Leave it Kid,” Killer chuckled, though there was no warmth in his voice. He stepped even closer, blocking off any hope of an exit.

You swallowed hard, every instinct telling you to run, but you were trapped between them. Your fingers itched for your phone, to call Law or anyone for help. This wasn’t just a misunderstanding anymore—it was dangerous.

“I—really—I’m just trying to leave,” you managed to say, your voice tighter now, laced with panic. Your eyes darted toward the door, but Kid’s massive hand stayed firmly in place, keeping it shut.

Suddenly, the blond man’s grabbed Kid’s wrist, his gaze unreadable. “Seriously, enough man,” he said, his voice calm but carrying a weight of authority. Kid shot him an irritated look but released his hold on the doorframe, muttering, “Asshole,” under his breath before losing interest entirely and wandering off into the chaos of the party.

You finally exhaled, your chest tight from holding your breath. Relief washed over you, but your heart was still racing as you looked up at the blond man. “Thank you.”

He shrugged, his tone casual as if the whole thing was no big deal. “Come on. Let’s get you out of here before someone else wants a piece of you.”

His nonchalance was unsettling, but you didn’t argue. You simply nodded and followed him as he opened the door, walking you outside. The moment you stepped back into the night air, you felt the weight lift off your shoulders every so slightly. The people outside, who had been eyeing you earlier, now ignored you completely, probably because Killer was body guarding you.

Standing on the sidewalk, you fumbled with your phone, trying to call Law. Your hands were still shaking, and you kept glancing around nervously, as if expecting someone to jump out at you. When the call finally connected, Law’s sharp voice cut through the line.

“What?”

His tone was icy, and the sudden harshness made your throat tighten, words sticking in your mouth. You stood there frozen, feeling even more vulnerable. The blond man watched you silently for a moment before sighing, taking the phone from your trembling hands.

“Yo,” he greeted, his voice steady but neutral.

There was a brief silence on the other end before Law’s tone darkened. “Who the fuck is this?”

The blond raised an eyebrow at the intensity in Law’s voice but stayed calm. “Chill, man. Pick up your girlfriend. She’s at the wrong party.”

There was a pause, and Killer could practically feel the tension building on Law’s end. “What do you mean wrong party?” he snapped.

Killer glanced at you, then back at the phone. “No clue. She just showed up here, freaked out, said something about wrong address. Anyway, come get her. This ain’t her scene.”

Law’s voice was clipped but calmer now, sensing the urgency. “Give me ten. Send me the location.”

Killer sighed again as he handed the phone back to you. His expression was unreadable, though, there was almost a hint of pity in his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure whether you were trembling from shock or the cold.

“He’ll be here soon. You’re out of this,” he said, his voice calm, almost reassuring. You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak.

Killer stayed with you outside, his presence both comforting and unsettling. He wasn’t saying much, but it was clear he didn’t want to leave you alone with the lingering partygoers. You found yourself wondering what kind of people they were—what kind of place this was—that even he felt the need to stick around and make sure you were safe. The air was thick with tension, and every noise from the party made your heart jump.

When you finally heard the familiar low rumble of Law’s motorcycle in the distance, your eyes snapped up. As he pulled up to the curb, he cut the engine and took off his helmet, his eyes immediately locking onto you. The sight clearly unsettled him, and you could almost see the curse forming on his lips, blaming your new friend for the whole drama.

Killer slid his hands into his pockets, offering Law a brief nod. “Nice machine,” he commented, glancing at Law’s motorcycle.

Law’s gaze was distant, focused on you but acknowledging Killer’s presence with the barest of nods. “Thanks for looking out for her,” he finally said, his voice tight as he passed the second helmet to you.

You didn’t waste any time, quickly taking the helmet and climbing onto the back of Law’s bike, your hands trembling as you secured it on.  

Killer shrugged at Law’s thanks, watching as he started the engine and the two of you sped off into the night.

During the ride, Law could feel how tightly you held onto him—tighter than usual. There was no need for words. The brief argument the two of you had earlier seemed irrelevant now. All that mattered was getting you home safe.

"What do you mean, she was sure it was the right address?" Law asked, his voice tight with concern.

Back at home, you were curled up next to Law on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with a cup of tea warming your hands. Law sat beside you, his brows furrowed, filled with worry. You shrugged and sniffled, your eyes still glassy from the overwhelming emotions.

"I-I don’t know," you mumbled. "Yuki said it was the place..."

"Yuki?" Law interrupted, his entire posture shifting. At the mention of the name, tension rippled through him, his muscles tightening like he was bracing for something.

You blinked at him, surprised by the sudden change. "Y-Yeah...?" you replied, voice trembling, eyes red and filled with sadness. Seeing you like this—so hurt, so vulnerable—shattered something inside him.

Law's heart ached, but his mind raced. He had a sinking suspicion about what was going on. Could it really be her?

“D-Do you know her or something?"

He hesitated. How could he explain? If Yuki was involved—if it was the Yuki he thought it was—this was even more twisted than he'd imagined. It wasn’t just a biker gang party you'd been lured into; it could have been intentional.

Law wanted to be absolutely sure he wasn’t unfairly blaming some random girl with the same name. His gut told him something was off, but he needed proof. "Do you have anything on her? A profile picture, social media... anything?"

You nodded and unlocked your phone. Law leaned in, his expression tense as he focused on the screen.

After a moment of heavy silence, he sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Y/N... That's my Ex."

"H-Huh?" you blinked at him, still sniffling, confusion clouding your face. The way you looked at him—like a lost, hurt puppy—made his heart ache. He didn’t want to pile this on top of everything else, but you deserved to know the truth. None of this was your fault.

"She’s... not stable," Law admitted, his voice low and strained. He shifted closer to you, gently reaching for your hand. "I think she did this on purpose..."

You tightened your grip on his hand, slowly processing what he was telling you. At first, your face was unreadable. Intentional? Laws Ex lured you intentionally, to a biker gang?

Flicker of something darker crossed your expression.

It was anger.

"Wait... so this bitch" you sniffed one last time and pointed at you phone, her profile still visible "sent me to some disgusting biker gang party because she’s still obsessed with you?" Your voice rose, sharp with frustration. Was it your possessiveness over Law? The humiliation of being tricked? Or the sheer outrage at the danger you'd been put in? You weren’t sure, but it boiled up inside you, igniting a fire you couldn’t contain.

You had even fought with Law before you left that night, all because of Yuki’s twisted lie.

Law watched, a bit taken aback as your emotions shifted from sadness to rage. The broken look in your eyes was replaced with pure fury, he’d never seen you like this before.

"I could’ve died, Law! I’m not exaggerating—one of those guys was named Killer!" You clutched his hand so hard now, it almost hurt.

"Y/N, calm down—"

"Calm down?!" you snapped, glaring at him. "Your psycho ex tried to get me killed, and you want me to calm down?! Why do you even stick you dick into crazy?!”

Law was caught off guard, not just by your anger but by your comment. He had heard the same accusations countless times from Shachi and Penguin. Now you, too.

"When did you even meet this... this, this clown?!" you demanded, clearly too furious to come up with a better insult. The heat of the moment had your mind racing so fast, and that made Law smirk just a little. He couldn’t help it—seeing you all riled up and possessive over him was oddly amusing.

"Start of uni," he answered casually. "Didn’t last long though. A year."

"A year?!" you threw your hands up in disbelief. "And she’s still obsessing over you?"

He couldn’t resist grinning, and that only made your frustration spike.

You glared at him, baffled by his amusement. "Why are you smiling like that? You think this is funny?"

Law chuckled. "You’re cute when you’re angry."

"Oh, shut up!" You snatched a pillow from the couch and chucked it at him, but the edge in your voice softened as a small laugh slipped out despite your situation. You were still furious, but the tension in the room had shifted. Knowing this was all part of Yuki’s twisted jealousy was terrifying, but also... it wasn’t your fault. And Law clearly knew how she was. Somehow, that gave you a sense of safety.

At least you weren’t alone in this mess.

"Seriously," you muttered, shaking your head in disbelief. "Yuki can piss off. I’ll fight that bitch if I have to—especially after this. She acted all nice and whatnot." You scoffed, but beneath the bravado, you were still seething.

Law sighed, a heavy sound, as he gently started playing with your fingers, his touch grounding himself as if trying to distance his mind from the painful memories of that toxic relationship.

"Yeah... that’s her thing," he admitted quietly.

You noticed the shift in his demeanor, and your anger flared even more. She had done this to Law, too—the person who already struggled to open up to others, who kept his walls high for a reason. The thought of what Yuki had put him through made your blood boil. You didn’t even want to imagine what the final straw had been, or how things ended between them.

The night had already been overwhelming enough. You swallowed those questions, saving them for another time, and took a deep breath. Scooting closer to him, you rested your head on his shoulder, needing the closeness to calm down, all of this was just too exhausting. He leaned into you a little, his body warm and comforting against yours.

"...isn’t what she did illegal?" you mumbled, almost to yourself.

"Can’t prove she lied."

"Shit.”

tag list:@mars-mizuko, @tadomikiku, @hopelesslover06 , @loraleiii (Let me know in the comments and I’ll add you 🖤)

[thecheckeredchaser]

Crumbl for You

A young woman of color works at her campus Crumbl Cookie and finds her attention drawn to a regular customer who is somewhat familiar and undeniably getting larger by the visit. *My attempt at an in and out story.

Part 1

Janessa’s entire mind became transfixed on the figure upon his entry to the cookie shop. She stood behind the counter in her pink polo and black bike shorts, feeling like a snack. Her visor encircled a plump bouquet of juicy curls. She had been zoning out, trying to think about what to prioritize when she got off of work, as it was a generally slow night at the Crumbl Cookie. A gaggle of sorority girls laughed and took selfies as they waited for the box her coworker was putting together. She was not sure what about the guy was pulling her eyes so dramatically to him. She was just relieved he couldn’t be mad at her for it, since he was walking up to her to put in an order. She guessed he was in his early twenties. Almost everyone in the college town was. He almost looked familiar to her, but she found the tall white boys with backward snapbacks and Salmon shorts all seemed to blend together. No Shade. To this guy’s credit, his shorts were dark gray. He was a pretty big guy too. Not your typical frisbee bro shape. But he didn’t look like he lacked athleticism. Not that she was there to shop for a man. She was taking a break from boys. Too much drama and bullshit. She rolled her eyes, sending memories of her dumbass ex boyfriend to the void they snuck out of.

“Welcome to Crumbl Cookie. What can I get you,” she said, averting her eyes to the ipad.

“I’ll just do one of each in the 6 pack,” he said. She punched it in and when she went to take his credit card, she saw him staring at her a little harder than she expected. He was a tall guy, and as a short girl at a solid 5’ 3”, she was a bit taken aback. He was even bigger than she had thought. Maybe he thought her chest looked as delicious as she thought it did before she left for work that afternoon. Guys tended to sneak their peeks on the daily at the job. She thought the pink did not help. She didn’t necessarily mind the attention, as a break from dating didn’t mean a break on wanting to be desired. She wouldn’t put it past this guy. Janessa knew she was cute. And nobody could convince her she wasn’t. She spoke her black girl magic affirmations in the mirror everyday, and she found every word more true. It seemed to annoy the people from her hometown, but she was on her way up and out and that was it. Getting the job on campus where the pay was better and parents would tip on the weekends when they visited their kids was a tactical choice she had made at the beginning of the semester.

She started putting the assorted box together and had to wait for two of the cookies to come out the oven. She tried to look busy, restocking ingredients. As she poured red white and blue sprinkles into a glass jar, she could see him scrolling on his phone. She noticed his stomach showing through his shirt and couldn’t imagine how he walked out thinking the shirt fit. Every curve of him was visible. She almost rolled her eyes thinking about it, but saw his eyes flash at her suddenly and they held her gaze. What kind of aquamarine color was that? He awkwardly looked away, making Janessa stop her task to take the cookies out, even though they were a few seconds early. She put the cookies into the box, sealed it with the sticker, and slid it across the counter to him. She looked up at him to take a dip in those pools for eyes one more time. They linked to hers and she felt strangely frozen.

“Thanks. Have a good one,” he said, adjusting his snap back and grabbing the box.

“Yea, you too,” she muttered, almost confused. He walked out and the store was empty.

“Ay yo Nessa, you good?” Brianna looked over at her coworker concerned. “Did that dude say something slick?”

“Nah. He’s good. I don’t know. He had some crazy colored eyes. You ain’t see them,” she said. Brianna shrugged.

“I wasn’t staring at him like you was.” Brianna gave her a suggestive look.

“Do not do it, Bri. I already told you. I am not here to get laid up with some rich Damhurst boy. I’m here for the doctorate.”

“Okay girl. You seemed like you took a long drink from that glass, is all.”

“Well it was a bit to drink, don’t you think,” she said, with a little attitude to help get her off her back.

“You not lying,” Bri cackled. She didn’t like something about how hard she was laughing, even if she herself had started it. She let it go, because it was a nothing level issue. By the end of the shift she and Bri were cracking jokes and laughing. They were a great pair for the Tuesday close shift. By the time Nessa had completely destressed from the day, showered and hair wrapped up for the night. She lay in her single dorm, scrolling through social media. She found herself thinking of the big guy from the store earlier. That shirt really was way too tight. How could she not look at all that? But then she couldn’t stop thinking about it. It was so strange to her. She started wondering if he was going to eat all those cookies by himself. She didn’t know how someone could. But that is the image she had in her mind until she fell asleep.

***

Janessa managed to stop thinking about her obsession by her first class the following day. Life had a way of sweeping her up like a wave. During the school year she worked and went to class, maybe a party on the weekend, after she closed on Saturdays, the busiest day. She had worked exactly a week before she even thought of him again. It was the usual slow Tuesday, and when she looked up at the bell ringing, he was filling the doorway, his head reaching the 6’ 1” marker on the frame. It was an uneventful visit, where he ordered one of each again. She couldn’t help but make a little bit of eye contact with the guy, Declan, she’d learned from his card. She could not have given him a more pretentious sounding name. He was still testing his shirts, and she wondered if he was oblivious or purposefully displaying himself so unflatteringly. She thought it must be obscene as she could not take her eyes from his round body. Bri had noticed his eyes this time and had to admit they were captivating, though she noted he was far too chubby for her taste.

When she saw him the following Tuesday, she could not help but think he looked like he was getting fatter than when she had first seen him. Was building a routine at the store that detrimental to one’s waistline? She figured maybe if you literally ate every one. Maybe he came multiple times a week. She didn’t work every day. But, if he had a standing appointment with the cookie shop, she figured he was probably not a health nut when not at the store. She couldn’t help but feel she was adding to his poor eating choices, but it was his choice. She just worked there. But it was nagging her. It made her feel so weird with how persistent she thought about it. She would start thinking about him and then have to get distracted to not just review the snapshots of his body. It was like she was doing a study on him. But why? His double chin caught her eye and she felt something else bubbling inside her and as it was about to dawn onto her, Declan cleared his throat.

“Sorry. Hi. You want a 6 pack?” Nessa said, hovering her hand over the ipad, glancing up into his eyes. They were something else. Swear. He smiled at her knowing his order, and she felt the corner of her mouth turn up too.

“Uh, yes. That would be great. I guess I’m kind of a predictable regular, huh,” he said, looking a little ashamed. Janessa felt a weird pang in her chest. She didn’t want him to feel bad. Maybe she wanted to keep seeing those eyes.

“You ain’t got the Crumbl Card?” she asked him a little aggressively, maybe flirty?

“What’s that?” His smile revealed strong and glistening teeth. Nessa always appreciated a nice smile and was happy to have turned his expression around.

“You definitely need it,” she said, snatching one and hurrying to explain the reward system, hoping he wasn’t taking offense to her comment. “Every six cookies purchased gets you two stamps.” She proceeded to stamp his card six times. She figured since she knew he purchased the previous sixers, he should get the credit. “Look at that. Halfway there.” Bri, who had been watching the exchange and had started making the order, chimed in.

“Maybe you owe her a drink when you get your free box.” Nessa whipped around to her, giving her a stare down. She heard Declan laugh nervously, like Bri was making fun of him. Was she?

“Ignore that clowney ass fool,” she said, sucking her teeth. “Sorry I shouldn’t be cussing.” She took his card and processed his order.

“Don’t worry. I’m no snitch,” he said, with a goofy smile.

“I’m gonna pretend you didn’t,” she laughed.

“That’s sweet of you,” he said, flashing those teeth at her again. He even had adorable plump lips, nothing extreme, but noticeable. His strong chin was doing its best to keep the soft one pushed back. “I like your braids,” he said as he took his card back. Nessa smiled at him.

“That’s very sweet of you.” She mirrored him. She didn’t even think white boys knew what they were looking at when they saw her hair. She looked into his eyes and felt something gnawing at her. He didn’t walk over to the wall to sit on his phone like he had the last two times. He held her gaze.

“So I do know you from somewhere,” he stated. Nessa felt relieved, but had really wanted to figure it out before he recognized their familiarity.

“I wasn’t sure. But you do look vaguely familiar. You aren’t from Greens Valley are you?”

“I am. I know I blend in well as a Damhurst fuck boy.” She leaned over and saw he was wearing a pair of crisp sneakers, and smiled.

“Okay Declan,” she hooted. “Maybe you are from the Val. Why don’t I remember that name? I would remember the name at least?”

“I think I was a year above you. I played on the football team. They called me Lando,” Declan laid out his evidence of existence at her highschool. She turned her face up and looked at Bri, who she had only just met at Damhurst, and couldn’t offer any support, aside being next to her in a matching fit.

“Nah. That dude was-,” Nessa stopped herself, putting her finger to her lips.

“Not this fat?” Declan offered, sighing knowingly. He chuckled a little.

“I didn’t say that,” she said sternly. But she knew damn well she all but did. “But I just didn’t make that connection. You do look a little different. You were mad popular. Why do you even remember me? I minded my business.” She turned the conversation on him to divert the attention from her instance of rudeness. He was blushing. Now that she could place him, he did look like Lando from highschool. He was just much heavier. He used to be a highly sought-after piece of ass, not necessarily by her and her group of friends, but lots of people. He had sported a man bun ahead of the trend in their school. He still looked like he wore his hair longer under his hat.

“I just noticed you. You were on the drill team right?” She smiled at him, holding back being as flattered as she was. “You were so small. I mean you haven’t really changed at all.” Him mentioning her size only made him seem larger. They stayed looking at each other. Bri cleared her throat.

“Hate to break up the reunion, but here are your cookies,” she said, staring at the two of them, baffled, as Declan took the box without looking from Nessa.

“See you around, Janessa,” he said, with a wink.

“See you Tuesday,” she said. He blushed and walked out. Janessa turned to Bri, already rolling her eyes, anticipating her coworkers reaction.

“Am I imagining things? Did I smoke crack this morning? Or was you just flirting with that chubby blue eyed boy.” Bri put her hands on her thick hips, demanding an answer.

“Shit. I don’t know. Wasn’t that what you was trying to do?” Maybe she had just been teasing them.

“Well damn Nessa. I could go in,” she said, jumping up, getting excited. “I’ll pour a whole mop bucket on you to get your shirt all wet. We can let him back to help. Lock the closet.” Nessa stared at the girl crazily.

“Stop that mess of a fantasy, girl.” Bri rolled her eyes, but smiled. She was in a relationship and seemed to be excited by the chance to play with Nessa’s love prospects, especially after committing to her dry spell. “Don’t do nothing extra. We just know each other, and barely at that.” She grabbed a rag and started wiping her counter.

“And he’s got them gorgeous eyes. And you're addicted to them.”

“They are nice,” Nessa let herself admit. There was a pause in the conversation.

“But you see how fat he looked?” Janessa stiffened. Bri seemed so tuned into those details, just less…favorably than Nessa.

“I hardly noticed,” she lied.

“You will notice next time. Just you wait.”

***

She had seen him another time, since figuring out who he was. He was not absent from his unofficial date with the shop on Tuesdays. He hung around the counter chatting with her about mutual friends they had, which was more than she expected. He had more interests than just football. He had been in the photography club, which is where he knew one of her closeish friends. Janessa couldn’t not notice how he’d looked like he’d gained more weight. It wasn’t drastic, but he just looked bigger, especially in his belly.

The Tuesday after that is when she noticed he was wearing something more size appropriate. He looked big still, but not as explicitly. His curves were concealed, which she guessed wasn’t inherently better, but he just looked so tight in the smaller shirts. “New shirt?” she had asked, hoping it wasn’t too directly pointing out his gain. He leaned up against the counter, in his becoming a usual place.

“It is. Look okay?” he asked, with a half smile that drove Nessa a little crazy. She wasn’t going to concede to complimenting him, so she offered an offhand shrug. He smiled, thinking he was going to get her to finally admit she liked him. They had been very subtly flirting, but neither committing. It had been driving Bri out of her mind to witness, but she tried to butt out.

“Just fits you better.” She felt comfortable saying whatever to him, now that they were in the ‘old friends’ category. He seemed to accept it as a compliment. She prepared his six pack without asking him for his order. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking about how he’d gone up a size. What size was he in now? Maybe a 2x. She wasn’t great with sizes. But her ex, Tahj, had been very athletic and wore a large. Declan was much fluffier and taller too. She walked over with the box, trying to dissipate the thoughts. “Gimme your card,” she said, mock annoyed.

“Oh yea. I’m one visit away,” he casually celebrated.

“Wonder when that will be,” she said smugly.

“As you should,” he said, deviously. He gave an up-nod and made his way out. Janessa’s hand went to her chest watching him walk by the storefront window. He looked back up at the last second and stopped a microsecond to smile at her. “Shit!” she exclaimed.

Brianna looked at her astutely, over her fresh nails. “Nessa. You like that white boy. You like him bad. I did not know you liked white boys. I certainly didn’t think you liked fat boys.” Janessa wanted to say something smart back, but she had been holding her breath since he looked at her and she was suddenly gasping. Bri looked at her, feeling more than confident in her assessment. The truth was she had never even looked at a guy who looked like Declan in that way before. Yet she could not deny that she was beyond curious about him. She was crushing pretty hard, if she was honest. But what was she gonna do? Ask him out? Not a chance. That level of rejection would send her right back to her swearing off dating game. She had found in school there was a hesitance in boys who weren’t black to date a girl who was. They might have flirted with a girl, but would not commit. She couldn’t remember who he had dated in school, but did remember him having a diverse group of friends. It was a pretty diverse city school. She would date outside her race, but up until her hiatus, she chose dates from those who asked, all of which had been other black men. And she admittedly only said yes to those with fit bodies. That made it all the more confusing why she felt so strongly for Declan. How was he making big look so sexy?

“Bri,” Nessa sighed. “I think I’ma have to attempt to snatch him up,” she said, perplexed.

“You have doubts that you can? I see how he’s looking at you. Like he can eat you up in one bite,” she said animated. Did he really?

“Well, I’ll be looking extra fine for Tuesday. I can tell you that.”

“Fuck it up, Ness.”

Part 2

[collecting-stories]

Hovering - Greg ‘Mouse’ Gerwitz

Summary: Mouse fluff honestly cause I was watching him in a few episodes and I kinda love the way he gets all up in peoples’ personal space.

A/N: Devastated that he left...honestly. 

One Chicago Masterlist

✰ ✰ ✰ ✰

“Have you tried running a reverse search on the other phone number?” Mouse asked, leaning over your shoulder so that he could look at the iPad in your hand. He was so close that you could feel his breath on your cheek and you were pretty sure you could chart every imperfection on his face if you turned your head…not that there actually were any. 

“Ever heard of personal space Mouse?” Jay teased, nudging his friend away and taking the ipad from you at the same time. 

“I ran trace on every number from the last three days, nothing connecting them to the other perp.” You replied, drawn back into work as quickly as you’d been distracted. 

It wasn’t the first time someone had given Mouse grief about his lack of spatial awareness but it was the first time that you noticed the missing presence hovering behind you. It wasn’t the kind of hovering your stepdad used to do, a sort of stalking invisible pressure at your back constantly making you feel like you were going crazy. Mouse’s tendency to stand too close felt more like someone had thrown a blanket over your shoulders, a soft kind of comfort that grounded you back to reality when you felt like your head was spinning…a hazard of the job sometimes.  

It wasn’t any secret that you had a soft spot for Mouse. Maybe more than a soft spot, as Jay had been quick to point out when he realized you were crushing on his best friend. (If “crushing on” was the correct term to use when you were both grown adults in your late 20’s). Either way, you liked him. You liked going to work and seeing him in the office and you liked when he invited you for a beer after shift and you liked when subconsciously invaded your personal space.  

Except there had been a lack of that since Jay teased him about it. A noticeable lack, at least to you, when you went to him with information and he just stayed behind his desk. He didn’t crowd into your space to look at the file in your hands or lean too close over your shoulder to show you something on the computer. There was a palpable distance between the two of you for almost an entire week before you finally decided to say something.  

After shift, when he was down in the tech room, staring at computer screens and drinking a beer. “Can I join you?” You asked, tapping your knuckles against the top of the counter that separated the two of you.  

Mouse leaned back in his seat, head tilting so he could see you, “oh hey, uh, yeah…” he sat up and reached for a bottle, holding it out, “be my guest.”  

“Thanks,” you took the rolling chair beside him and the bottle of beer, grateful for the opportunity to relax, even if there was something you wanted to talk about. It was an odd subject to broach. After all, how did you tell someone that you liked them standing too close.  

“You alright?” Mouse asked, spinning his chair back and forth as he watched you.

“Yeah...” you nodded, taking a sip of your beer before putting it down on the desk, “can I ask you a weird question?”

“Sure...but I might give you a weird answer,” he replied, the hint of a lopsided smile tugging at him lips.  

“You’ve kinda been...hanging back, I guess...I mean, usually you’re like,” you gestured vaguely with your hands, “right there. And now you’re not.”

“Oh,” he gave an empty laugh, if only to ease his nerves as he took a sip of beer, “uh...I don’t know.” He shrugged.

“I was just gonna say, I know Jay gave you shit about it but I don’t really mind.” You replied, “I just mean, I kinda...like...you being close and all.” For a well-respected detective you felt like a high schooler trying to tell the guy you liked that you liked them. Maybe Jay was right, maybe you were “crushing”.

Mouse nodded, that smiling creeping back even more prominently this time around. “Good to know.” He didn’t say anything else about it that night and neither did you, enjoying a six-pack in silence until finally both of you decided to head home.  

The next day at work though, as you stood in the breakroom getting a refill on your coffee, Mouse came in, crowding right into your space to show you something on his phone. He was watching you as you took the phone out of his hand, scrolling over the page that he had pulled up before looking at him. “What’s this? Is this for a case?”  

He shook his head, “thought we could get dinner there, if you want.”

“Oh, yeah. Yeah, I’d like that a lot.”  

-

If you want to be tagged in something fill out this form ☺️

[todoroki-waifu]

Atsumu x F! Reader

Scenario: When you try to subtly confess to Atsumu.

Word Count: 1,970

Genre: Fluff and humor.

Warnings: Cursing, female reader, and some OOC-ness (maybe?). My first time writing for Atsumu and the rest of the Inarizaki team. 

————

“I get that she’s the most beautiful here, but we are here to check out the art, too.” Atsumu jumps slightly at a voice and hand on his shoulder. 

“‘Samu!" 

"Could you be any more obvious?" 

"I-I wasn’t doing anything!” Atsumu huffs, a blush attacking his face as he shakes off his brother’s hand. 

“Why don’t you ask her out already before someone else does?" 

"I’m working on it!" 

"Hey, who’s that with __(y/n)?” Suna chimes into their conversation, nodding to where you had been standing and admiring a portrait. The two see a man conversing with you, both of you very engaged in whatever topic that was being discussed. He brought out a small electronic device, looking a bit nervous as he showed you the screen. 

“He’s probably going to ask for her number.” Osamu replies indifferently, but did a quick glance at his sibling.

“What?!” Atsumu immediately leaves the group.

“Wait, but doesn’t that guy-” Aran questions, but Kita cuts him off while the others hold in their chuckles.

“Let him figure it out." 

——-

"So if you put your-” While you were listening to the young man who approached you, a familiar face made himself known.

“Hey, buddy, is there a problem over here?” Atsumu suddenly inserts himself in between you and the stranger. He stands tall, looming over the shorter male.

“N-no, there is no problem.”

“Atsumu-kun, he was just-” You placed a hand on his arm and tried to explain the situation.

“Don’t worry, __(y/n)-chan. I got this.” Atsumu gently pushes you behind him to hide you.

“Was there something you needed from her?” He continues. 

“No, si-sir. I-I was only trying to-”

“Well, if you ain’t got any business with her, I suggest you beat it.” The blonde twin glares at the male hiding behind his black device. He smirks victoriously, watching the scared stranger run away. He turns around to find you with your arms crossed and an incredulous look. 

“Why were you so mean to him?”

“Mean? What do you mean? Wasn’t he trying to hit on you?”

“What? No! He works here! He’s a staff member." 

"But didn’t he have his phone out to get your number?”

“Get my..-you mean his Ipad? He wasn’t trying to get my number, he was asking for my email so he could send a survey for us to fill out on how satisfied we were with the staff and the place." 

Atsumu had no answer, processing what he did to the innocent and diligent worker and to you. You must think he’s a crazy idiot for sure. 

"As funny and adorable that was, you’re coming with me to apologize.” You grabbed his hand, dragging Atsumu to find the man who he wrongly yelled at. 

“Yes..” He pouts, but obeys. You’re zipping through the crowd until you finally spot your target.

“He’s with someone else, but we’re waiting until he’s finished and I’m not letting go until you do." 

"I-I wasn’t gonna run away.” His cheeks heat up at your clasped hands, avoiding your gaze. 

“Just in case.” You continued to look forward, __(e/c) eyes too shy to meet his brown ones. 

“Thank you though,” You break the short pause, “I know it was a misunderstanding, but it’s nice to know that someone has my back.”

Atsumu directs his head to you, but is unable to see your face since it’s turned away with your finger busying itself with a strand of your hair. 

“Of course. Always.” Your heart skips at his soft reply. You feel a gentle squeeze on your hand and respond similarly, fighting back the smile that was eager to present itself.

“Oh look! He’s done. Let’s go.” You gently pull him towards the staff worker once he has finished speaking to the other customers. You’re about to release his hand, but Atsumu keeps a tight grip. Probably he’s nervous about admitting to his mistake, you assume. 

So you hold his hand just as tight, figuring he needs the support. You knew how much of a big baby he was.

But really, Atsumu was using this as an excuse to hold you just a bit longer. His fingers felt right in between yours. 

——-

You managed to take some great pictures wherever it was allowed, but the artwork that forbade photos, you captured in your memory. After touring around the entire museum, you and the boys were starting to feel hungry, so everyone agreed to eat at the nearest restaurant.

You saw a few people scattered outside and you volunteered to ask the host how long the wait would be. Osamu steps behind his brother and lightly taps the back of his knees with his.

“Remember, that guy works here." 

"Shut up, 'samu! I know that.” Atsumu huffs, red cheeks puffing out slightly as his friends laugh loudly. They stop as soon as you near them, telling the boys that there was a table open that could accommodate your party.

You sat in between the Miya twins which made you both nervous and happy. Your crush on Atsumu was getting worse every day yet you didn’t hate the feeling. You distracted yourself by looking through the menu, all of you deciding to share a couple appetizers before choosing your individual meals. 

“What are you getting, __(y/n)-chan?” Atsumu asks, brown eyes looking at you as he lowers his menu.

“Hmmmm, I’m not sure yet. I’m caught between number 8 and 9.” You point to the items on the main course list. 

“Oh! I was going to get the number 8. How about I get 8 and you get the 9 and we can just share? That way, we can get a taste of both. I’m curious about number 9 also.”

“Really? You wouldn’t mind?" 

"Yea, of course I wouldn’t mind!” He grins, folding the menu before placing it on the table. You copy him and wait for the server to collect your orders. 

You then bring out your phone, taking pictures of the boys and the restaurant’s interesting decor. Despite your school’s motto, you liked to keep the memories. 

“Ne, Atsumu-kun, mind if I borrow your phone? Your camera is better than mine.” Your cell phone was a few years old, but Atsumu just replaced his and you were waiting to upgrade yours. Part of you was glad that you hadn't yet because you were going to use this opportunity to see how he feels about you. 

“Sure. Here ya go.” He hands you his phone. 

“Thanks!” You start taking pictures of yourself, really impressed with the photo quality. 

“Take a selfie with me.” You change the camera view as you hold out your hand in front of you and Atsumu.

“You’re so far! Get close to me like you actually like me.” You say jokingly as you hear a few, muffled snickers around the table. Atsumu stutters a response, but you interrupt him when you start counting from three. 

“Ready? Smile!” You take a few shots before looking at each one closely.

“Yeck, I’m deleting that one. I look gross in there.” You weren’t satisfied with how you smiled and your eyes looked like they were in mid blink. 

“What? Don’t say that. You’re gorgeous!” Atsumu looks up at you after he watches you remove one of the many pictures. You blush at his statement, dodging his stare.

“Oh, ummm. ..t-thank you." 

"You don’t gotta thank me. It’s the truth.” Atsumu murmurs, but it’s coherent enough where you could understand him.

“Get ready with your orders. The waiter is coming.” Kita sees the server walking towards your table. You went first and while everyone else was focused on the waiter, you quickly dragged your finger around on the phone screen. You immediately closed what you were doing and handed Atsumu back his phone. 

Your heart was beating fast, but you kept a calm smile on your face as you casually made conversation with the volleyball team. None of the guys knew about your crush, afraid that they would make fun of you. Not that you believed they would, but you weren’t comfortable telling anyone yet. 

Except for today. 

You finally were going to tell one person about your crush and that person was Atsumu. You planned everything out for a while, thinking of every possible situation that could happen and how you would approach it. You were surprised at how smoothly your idea was going, but that made you even more uneasy. 

But you already made your move and hoped that he would notice the little message in his phone. 

———

Dinner was both fun yet stressful. Every time Atsumu would check his phone, your heart would jump at the thought of him seeing what you put. But he made no reaction so you assumed he had yet to see it. 

And you were fine with that. You’d prefer if he read it at home instead of in a public place. 

Everyone went their separate ways after the restaurant except you and the Miya twins. Your house wasn’t too far from theirs so they walked most of the way with you. Once you were close enough, you waved goodbye to the brothers.

“Bye! See you soon! And don’t forget to send me those pictures later, okay, Atsumu-kun?" 

"Yeah, I will! Bye, __(y/n)-chan!” Atsumu waved back before turning away with Osamu.

——–

Unfortunately, he never sent those pictures. He must have forgotten, but with how many days has passed, you believed he probably felt awkward with the little note you put. 

If he saw it. He never acted any differently when you saw him at school.

Maybe he never did see it? But you were too afraid to ask so you were just going to live quietly with your heartache. 

——-

“Oh, shoot! I forgot to send those pics to __(y/n)-chan!” Atsumu says loudly while he and Osamu walk home from practice.

“You haven’t sent them yet? It’s been a week.” Osamu shakes his head. 

“I forgot! I was too busy thinking of a way to tell her I like her. I gotta make sure it’s perfect.” The setter takes out his phone and taps on the photo album icon. As he selects and scrolls through the photos, his eyes become rounded at one particular image. 

It was a selfie of you and him, sitting close, cheek to cheek as you both smile happily. What made him pause was the heart drawn over the two of you with the words ’yes or no?’ written at the bottom.

“Ahh! ’s-samu! Look, look!” He shows his phone to his brother. “I think __(y/n)-chan likes me back! She put this on our picture!”

As soon as Osamu sees what’s on the screen, his eyes also widen slightly then suddenly smacks his brother at the back of his head. “Dumbass! That photo has been sitting there for that long already?”

“I told you already, I forgot! And she never said anything! Other than to send the pictures after we ate- Oh my God, 'samu, I really am a dumbass!” Realization hit Atsumu harder than his brother’s slap.

“I knew that a long time ago. Now, why are you still here talking to me? Shouldn’t you be talking to __(y/n) instead?" 

"You’re right! I gotta text her!” Atsumu’s hands were working fast in trying to find your text message conversation. Before Osamu could even make a snide comment, Atsumu becomes aware of a better alternative to communicate with you. 

———

On your way home, you received multiple texts from Atsumu, all saying the same thing.

Yes!

Yes!!

Yes!

Yes!!!!

’The hell? Yes to what?’ Right when you were about to reply, you saw an incoming call from the setter who made your heart skip a beat daily. 

“Hello?” You answer. 

“Yes! __(y/n), yes! I want to be your boyfriend!”

[hayjeon]

Tips on creating fun fanfic headers!

i had so much fun writing the fanfic writing tips yesterday and i got a few more questions about header-making, and so i decided to make one more of these! i hope these tips help somebody out there! hope you enjoy :) 

p.s. these tips won’t require any hard editing skills or photoshop skills, nor any expensive tablets/apps! 

typically i spend around ~5-10 min creating one header, and that’s either after i think of/finish a fic. i have so much fun doing it and sharing it with you that i figured i’d share how i do it! 

why headers? 

as I talked about in my fic tips, one of the most eye-catching things about fics are headers. when i’m scrolling through a rec page, my home page, a tag, or even someone’s masterlist, i’m immediately drawn to well-made headers. that’s what captures my attention, and then i’m more drawn in by the content. so, you can say that headers is your own version of an ad for your own fic, or an extension of it (like the cover of a novel!) 

if you were writing your own book, imagine how much time you’d spend figuring out what you wanted your cover to look like. i try to have as much fun and invest as much time making my own headers because it’s just the cherry on top to my finished product :) 

disclaimer: BUT HEADERS ARE NOT NECESSARY/DO OR DIE! if you don’t feel like you want to do this, then keep writing! its ok! this is just a suggestion. i’ve seen plenty of well-written fics without headers at all, so don’t beat yourself up over not having one/not wanting to do one. this is truly just a fun, extra kind of thing, and only keep reading if you want to learn how i do it! :) 

tips for people who don’t want to make headers: if you still want something to make your fic stand out, use gifs! i use them in my drabbles a lot! this will at least give ur fic a lil boost! 

how to find pictures

I typically use unsplash, which is a free website in which photographers upload their HQ pics for free use. the pics are really high quality, typically stock photos, and don’t have any logos on them like other ones on google. unfortunately, you won’t find any pics of the members or anything, but you’ll find beautiful stock photos of typical scenes like “ocean scene” or “desert scene.” I found the stock photo for cut me open (shown below) on that site by just looking up “medical” or “doctor”. 

i used to use google a lot and just use keywords like “desert scene HQ” and edit the search settings to deliver HQ pics, and a minimum # of pixels, but unplash is definitely better in terms of quality, more aesthetic photos, and no logos/watermarks. 

on some occasions, i will screenshot some scenes of youtube videos, turning up the quality to 1080p or 4k and zooming in so that the pixelation is as crisp as possible, and then editing it later to look good (which i’ll explain in a second!) 

the above photo was a scene from the specific characters from the drama, “100 Days My Prince” that I screenshotted from a youtube video that TvN uploaded, recapping the drama. I cropped it just right so that their faces were left out, which i’ll also mention soon! 

things to look for when picking pictures: 

you want the picture to reflect a specific motif/theme from your fic! if its a moody fic, then try to find a moody scene that you can edit with filters/lighting to look even moodier; or if the characters’ jobs are a big portion of the fic (like cut me open/doctor theme) try to look for stock photos with that shown very clearly!

make sure its high quality: tumblr really dumbs down the quality of the photo when uploading it, so try your best to find something with a lot of pixels in it so that when you start editing, you don’t sacrifice too much of the quality already

try to look for something simple/clean: a picture with too much subject (ie. people in the background, or too much detail) may end up taking away from the main point of your header, which is your title. so find pics without too much clutter! 

try to make sure its landscape: which will help during editing to save some of the quality better. 

editing your pictures

now that you have a specific photo you want to use, now its time to edit! I use VSCO CAM (free app) and my own apple photos cropping tool for faster crops. 

crop/adjust: if your picture is too large/wide, crop it to at least a 16:9 ratio. i’d say aim for skinnier if you can, so that you don’t take up too much space (especially if you’re planning to add headers to your masterlist). also crop out any faces, any clutter, any unnecessary details, so you have a nice, clean slate to work on when adding text. 

contrast/sharpen/clarity/white balance/etc.: i’m not gonna give you a lesson on photography, but i’ll tell you I learned like 80% of everything that i know just by fiddling with it on VSCO! So just try it out and play with the app, see what you can make of it. i’d say a rule of thumb to follow is that you want happier fics with a brighter tone, and moodier/angsty fics with a darker tone so that it can reflect the nature of the fic further, without saying anything! 

if you wanna be extra af like me, then go a step further and photoshop your pics. this one is a good example; when i screenshotted this scene from another youtube video for my fic One Year My Love part 2, i was specifically looking for a scene that would showcase the ornate/regal details of their clothing/environment in contrast to part 1′s modest clothing/scene (the first header in this post). 

i found this scene, but actually, this scene portrays the Crown Prince and the Princess, not y/n. So, the actors weren’t smiling at all! They were actually frowning at eachother in this scene, to portray the tension between the two characters and their marriage. 

So, I took the extra step, adjusting the pic with VSCO so that their shoulders/chins were at the same level, cropped off their faces up until their lips, and then used the adobe photoshop free app to photoshop their lips to be SMILING at eachother!!!! subtle, but important! 

call me crazy for taking that much time but i’m so proud of how it turned out and i loved every second of making this one. that way, this scene makes it portray the happy ending for Jungkook and y/n! 

adding text to your header

you can use any app out there, but i really like Font Candy! I actually ended up buying the 2$ version of this and never regretted it, but you can actually find a lot of their basic fonts on the free version; I tend to use the fonts: OSTRICH SANS, BEBAS, TREND, and INTRO the most! these are pretty clean-looking, block letters that look good whenever i put them as my titles. 

I love this app too cause you can easily control the spacing between letters to make them take up more space, add shadows, or even make them contrast their background using the overlay feature; like this one i made for wildest dreams (see how the text changes depending on what part of the photo its on? amazing! it’s literally with a click of a button!!)

And i’ll always add “written by HAYJEON” or “by HAYEJON”, space it out, and add it somewhere underneath as my own branding.

orrrrrr 

if you want to be more creative, you can even go a step further and use whatever you have on hand to enhance whatever you’re trying to portray. 

for this one, i ended up finding this amazing photo on unsplash and i thought it would do a create job of portraying the “movie-set” quality of what wildest dreams is going to be about. this stock photo had someone else’s names on it, so i used my ipad, and used instagram to just erase the existing writing with the color of the background, and then wrote in my own title and url with my own handwriting/apple pen!!! 

i thought this was pretty cool because it’s like wildest dreams is its own movie/has its own movie set, which, once it’s out, you guys will see that it’s supposed to be! 

saving/uploading

this is pretty easy/obvious, but i figured i’d mention it. all the apps i mentioned are available on the appstore, and they will save directly to your photos. after doing that, i’ll just upload them into a special folder i have on my google drive so that when i’m finished writing a fic on tumblr using my laptop, i can easily download the photos without sacrificing quality. easy! 

and that way, i can save them forever; even if i have to delete them from my computer, i can always redownload them! 

side note: making text separators

i just recently started doing this, but ever since tumblr took down their text separators, i’ve just been cropping the bottom like 5-10 pixels of the header to use as my text separators! (with my laptop)

i saw some other writer doing it and thought that it looked better than what i had used previously (a cropped photo of a random line i found on google); i found that doing this tied my fics together a little better and just looked better aesthetically; 

so there it is! hope you enjoyed! :) i would love to see what other tips you guys have been using, feel free to send me an ask or reply to this post; and if you end up using any of my tips, please let me know! I love to hear from you guys all the time <3 

lots of love, especially during these times, 

hay <3 

[xxrainbow-princessxx]

Bubble Bath - Leo x Isabella (🍋)

N*FW, 30 Diamond Scene... blah blah blah 🍋

Travelling and heavy schedules make it difficult for some alone time. Not Drabble worthy but a small fic with a happy ending 😂 tagging a few I think might enjoy this! @drakewalkerfantasy​ @cora-nova​ @choicesbyjade​ @debramcg1106​ @hopefulmoonobject​ @the-everlasting-dream​

Isabella took a slow deep breath as she closed her eyes sinking lower into the freestanding slipper bathtub. The hot bubbly water lapped against her sun kissed olive skin whilst she relaxed, the warmth loosened the strain she felt in her shoulders after being on a fight for nine hours to New York. Moving her neck slowly in circles, a slow contended smile began to spread across her face. With a conference the next day and no kids; the petite brunette was enjoying the peace and quiet that came from her trip and with her iPad and wine glass propped up on the bath caddy; she proceeded to catch up with her favourite telenovela whilst her husband was left to pick up the slack at home.

Leo groaned heavily, rubbing his hand down his face. His eyes rolled as Liam began to laugh, “Brother... you do realise we can see you...” Leo’s brow raised in frustration before digging his heels into the ground and pushing his chair back. Leo stood up, walking towards the back of the room lifting the decanter filled with cognac and a glass, “We’ve talked about this for the last two hours...” Leo turned with a smirk across his face as he returned to his seat pouring out the dark, rich liquid before raising it to the delegates on the conference call, “...if I have to listen to this shit for much longer, I’m going to need a little help...” Leo placed his feet onto the table, crossing his legs, “...Prime Minister... continue...” Two hours later, Leo began to shake his head mumbling to himself, “How the fuck does she do this...” as his elbow rested on the table, Leo’s index and middle fingers pressed against his temple making circular motions as he tried to stay awake listening the delegates debating on economic trade deals.

Leo felt himself drifting off, this was not what he signed up for until he felt his watch vibrate and light up. Leo’s sea green eyes were drawn to it’s warm glow; he began to smile as he saw Isabella’s name pop up, ‘Hola mi amor, I am now at the hotel. Call me later after the meeting. Té amo!’ Leo returned his attention to the screen as he overheard a woman clearing her throat, “ahem... Your Majesty...” The Swedish Princess Royal quipped, sternly scolding Leo, “Are we boring you?” Leo began to chuckle as he took another drink, “Quite frankly...” he folded his arms across his chest, “... yes... because not one of you...” he pointed to the screen, “... have the balls to willingly put anything on the table. This is bullshit... now if you’ll excuse me...” Leo slyly smirked, “I’ve more important things to do...” before hanging up.

As Leo sat in the dark conference room, the only light visible was from the screen and laptop in front of him. It was 11pm in Laurentia and 5pm in New York and opening up FaceTime, Leo scrolled through his phone book and clicked on Isabella’s name waiting patiently as it rang. Isabella’s dark brow furrowed as her telenovela was interrupted, wondering if she would ignore the call, Leo would hang up but she was intrigued as she knew his meeting shouldn’t have finished yet. As she answered, her bright white smile adorned her heart shaped face, “¡Hola!” Isabella giggled as the bubbles surrounded her, veiling her body, “You’re finished early?” Leo surveyed his wife as she lay in her bath, steam billowing as Isabella’s long dark locks cascaded over one of her shoulders. “Hey... you know me...” he began to laugh, “straight to the point!”

He bit down on his bottom lip as he felt his length beginning to strain against his jeans, Leo reached down to rearrange himself, “Speaking of which kitten...” Leo slowly began to grin, as Isabella took a drink of her red wine - his sea green eyes had a mischievous twinkle to them, “You look devine right now...” Isabella’s sultry dark chocolate and honey eyes narrowed as her tongue traced her teeth, “Oh really?” Sitting up, Isabella reached over the bath caddy giving Leo an amazing view of her cleavage before lying back, “Heh... well it’s just me and this little guy...” pursing her lips pretending to give the toy a kiss

An involuntary groan escaped Leo’s throat as he saw her perfect, round breasts in front of him before he laughed as he watched her sit back, “Lucky duck!” All Leo could think about was everything that was hidden under the suds and the slight glimpses he would get as Isabella moved. She twirled her hair around her fingers lazily as she started to question him about the meeting but Leo wasn’t interested in that, “Bella...” he groaned as his hand rested on his crotch, “How can you ask me that when your rack is being projected onto the conference room screen and all I want to do is put my head between them and...” Leo watched as Isabella blushed, stopping himself before he went any further.

Isabella bit down on her ruby red bottom lip, she could feel her core quivering as she listened to her husband. Both of their schedules lately were crazy and neither of them got to spend any time together. Isabella’s chest heaved at the sheer thought of Leo touching her breasts, her voice was silky and sexy as she purred, “Don’t...stop...” Leo began to smirk as he carefully watched her tracing her hands across her torso, her nipples hardening in reaction to his words. “Listen to me kitten...” Leo’s tone was soft but authoritarian, “Run your hands across your chest and pinch your nipples for me...” As Isabella did as she was told and closed her eyes, Leo licked his lips excitedly as he watched every movement. Unbuttoning his jeans, Leo exposed his hard, pulsating cock - Isabella smiled as she watched it spring free, glistening with a little pre cum at the tip.

As Leo gripped his cock, he groaned commanding Isabella to push the bath caddy a little further down so he could see more, “Trace your fingers slowly beautiful, down towards your pussy... that’s it...” Leo couldn’t hold back any longer as he watched his wife teasing her clit. The Laurentian Queen’s began to circle her sensitive mound, moaning quietly and Leo began to slowly jack off as he spoke, “I just want to taste how delicious you are right now...” Listening to Isabella moan and watching her face contort drove Leo wild. He loved to watch her expression when they had sex to make sure she was enjoying herself as much as he was. As she teased herself more and more, Leo gripped his cock firmer with each stroke in response.

“Cum for me kitten...” Leo demanded as Isabella pressed down harder, lifting one leg up and propping it on the side of the bath. She began to rub faster, her mouth opening as she moaned louder. Leo’s groaning echoed through the bathroom pushing the petite Queen over the edge as she felt her body beginning to convulse moaning his name as she felt aftershocks against her clit from the moving water. Leo’s teeth were clenched together as he growled loudly feeling his cum shoot from his 8” thick cock. Isabella bit down on her nail smirking as she watched, cooing to him as he slouched back, “I wish I was at home right now... I’m sure I could help you clean up that mess....” Between each pant, Leo chuckled, “You’re a naughty girl...”

Isabella flattened her tongue as she licked the side of her index finger slowly enticing and playing with Leo just a little more “... If only you would have come with me...” Isabella purred, “... You’d be feeling your cock pushing into my throat right now...” Leo felt his breath hitch as Isabella spoke dirty - her accent getting stronger as she rolled her tongue; eyes narrowing with a lustful desire, “Mi amor... Quiero que me cojas...” Leo knew he heard words but all he could think of was how her mouth moved and how good it felt when it was wrapped around the tip of his length. Leo cleared his throat as he growled, “Clear your schedule kitten... I’ll be there by morning...”

[steve0discusses]

Yugioh S2 Ep 48: Bakura Completely Fails to Murder The One Person He Was Actually Supposed to Murder

Yo guys, this is the last episode of the season.

...

I know. How exactly do you resolve ANYTHING in one episode? The secret is, you don’t. Like...one thing did get resolved but it really seems like this was a 2 season storyline they were really banking on doing so well it would stretch into season 2 but, according to bro, this show got hella cancelled?

I can’t believe it. Finally. I’ve been joking about it for like a year but it actually happened.

Now my bro is full of spicy headcanons about this show and I decided to look up on Wikipedia to see what the hell happened between Season 2 and 3 for him to say this but I saw nothing about cancelling anything, but he’s pretty certain that this happened. So, I’m gonna open it up to all of you guys who know way more about this show than either of us to set it straight--was there cancellation drama between Season 2 and Season 3 or is bro just remembering history incorrectly?

Anyways, this show is obviously around for Season 3 but bro says it gets distracted and everyone has hinted that we get a really great filler arc that is most people’s absolutely favorite arc in the entire world. I’m honestly shocked I made it this far. But, lets first get into the episode.

This episode starts exactly where I wanted it to, with Tea realizing that she’s not only wandered into Bakura’s room, but that, from her perspective, it has made Bakura so freakin uncomfortable that he hella left.

Like imagine with me that your on a High school trip and you’re with all your buddies but then there’s that one kid who is a friend, but you don't know TOO well because he’s kind of awkward and also half a murderous ghost. Imagine he gets hella sick and then for some reason, you sleepwalk to his bedside, all draped across the sheets, and when you wake up he’s just...peaced right out of that entire awkward conversation that would have been.

Like...my reaction would have been completely the opposite of what Tea did.

Which was run straight to her somewhat-boyfriend Yugi Muto and tell him exactly what she just inadvertently did.

Also, forgive me for this aside, but Yugi is like 16, so why is Yugi randomly kind of jacked all of a sudden? Is that little backpack he carries just full of lead?

Oh wait, yeah...necklace is solid gold. But even still like...this small boy shouldn’t appear this jacked. Like, I know a lot of preteen girls were into this show for the large selection of anime boys, but I prefer Yugi looking sort of like the human version of a Pekingese instead. Mostly because I’m an adult, I guess. Not that I never had a preteen anime boy crush phase, but we’re talking Tuxedo Mask, who was sort of developed to be a preteen anime boy crush. Like, Tuxedo Mask has literally no other reason to exist except to be a perfect husband who gets abducted a lot, but Yugi? Like..he sells cards, why’s he gotta grow up?

My bros current spicy headcanon is that he’s slowly becoming jacked because of being in the Shadow Realm so often, and that it beefs you up like when Goku goes to space and turns the gravity on super duper high, but sure bro, you do you. Bro’s got a spicy headcanon for every loophole this show throws at us. (and it is surprising which ones were actually correct and which were probably a fanfic he read in High School.)

(read more under the cut)

Anyways, Yugi thankfully puts on a jacket and they decide not to wake up Joey’s room to see if Bakura also joined the Boy Chamber after Tea kicked him out but like...while that would be the most reasonable place to look, they decided to see if maybe Bakura is sleeping in...the hallways? I dunno why they immediately thought Bakura was kidnapped. Now that the ring isn’t with him then...there’d be no reason for Marik to kill him.

Then again, maybe Bakura kind of wanders off and does ghost stuff so often, that these two are always checking up on where Bakura wandered off to?

I guess these two just didn’t feel like waking anyone up. Or using the enchanted necklace Yugi just got. Or asking Roland the security guard. Or maybe, I dunno, ever asking Kaiba for help, who is still absolutely awake and doing literally nothing else with his time.

Like serious talk, a lot of this season’s problems would have been resolved if they had just gone to the guy in charge of the tourney and asked for him to use his endless resources to help out the tourney that he is hosting. Like, he would have done it. I know this is a bit of a stretch but I don’t think Kaiba wants people dueling to the death at 3AM. Especially if he can’t watch them do it.

I appreciate that the blimp was so important to Kaiba that he rendered it in 3-D and has it just rotating there, weirdly CG while the rest of this screen is drawn. Also, Kaiba’s desktop situation is an absolute nightmare, this boy is somehow managing a company but he cannot manage a desktop?

PS are you ready for this outfit without the horrible spiky shoulder jacket? Are you ready? Because I wasn’t.

he can’t seem to get away from that victorian gothic lady silhouette.

And so Kaiba is faced with a problem, he’s only got a low win chance to get this card the fair way. This would be a great time to just arrest Marik right now, although it would be somewhat difficult since their duel to the death is halfway over, but like, Kaiba also really likes losing at cards. He says he doesn’t, but Kaiba seems to sprint to every opportunity he can get to absolutely lose or only just narrowly win because your Dead Wife Card sent you a weird hallucination that one time.

Like...of the times that Kaiba’s dueled solo we’ve only seen Kaiba win twice, right? And once was to a random guy on the street? Yeah. Kaiba’s only won a single time on screen.

I mean, of course, unless you count the time he threatened to commit suicide if he lost and Yugi was like “What the hell!?” but I don’t know if we should count that as like...a game.

Despite the fact that Yugi has never once offered her even like...a coat in this freakin weather, Tea has decided that they’re official enough, that she will argue with him about how they now both...share a destiny??? This feels like jumping the gun a little bit?

I don’t know what the hell she’s even talking about. But she’s been treating it like they’ve been married for like 8 years. Which...would require a little bit more...supporting evidence for me as a viewer that Tea and Yugi would actually be this much of an item at this point.

Like at least she’s not a reincarnated soul of his dead wife stuffed into a playing card--this show has pulled weirder random romance plots out of it’s ass--but it’s a huge leap to suddenly tell me “And remember these two???? This romance of the ages?????” at this point, this far into the end of the season.

And like...don’t be misled by my description of this conversation, they never once even come closer than a foot of each other.

Everything about this is kinda weird. No kinkshame of course, all ships are good and valid. But, assuming that Marik’s got a foot in both Tea and Bakura’s brain right now, these two are 6 people right now (2 are Bakura, if he’s still swimming around with Tea, it’s unclear), and 2(3) of those people has tried to kill both of them, but now are piggybacking on these guys’ bodies that are currently fumbling about how the hell to date even. Imagine how awkward Marik feels rn. Just imagine.

Or maybe he’s super into it, Marik’s a nut.

Pharaoh just kind of rolled his eyes and walked through this mist door as Tea stood uselessly on the other side and it’s like, yeah, we feel you, Pharaoh, we don’t know why that conversation had to happen either.

Meanwhile, I’ve been skipping the card game portion which actually looked very nice. Again, it was the last episode, they upped their game, but that won’t come through in caps so just know--that was nice. but because Bakura decided to do the taboo of playing a God Card, it absolutely royally screwed him over. and then Marik fused his body to it like Final Fantasy and it’s like...sure why not. It’s the last episode. Fuse your body with a playing card, no one will question how that would have worked outside of a shadow game.

Anyways, Marik kinda saw that happen and was like, well damn. Didn’t know it could do that. Weird, right? Huh. So much for living in obscurity and being tortured underground and keeping the Pharaoh’s secrets for 5000 years, apparently we knew...NONE OF THEM.

And then Bakura died, and even dropped us an iconic one liner as Marik sends him into the darkness while saying “enjoy the darkness!” or something like that. This was extremely 2000′s. It’s fine to be cliche if you’re...Bakura. You kinda have to be. That is the whole point of Bakura.

So he said, something like this

Like the exact line was more like...”Did you forget, I AM darkness??” or something, but man, that sums up the whole of Bakura so well. Like, he doesn’t make sense. But, he doesn’t have to, because the point of Bakura is that he’s just a walking 00′s prototype and that’s what makes him great. Like if you could make the 00′s hot topic aesthetic (minus the meme shirts) into a candle and then burn it down to nearly the end of the wick--that’s Bakura.

Like I watch kids as a dayjob and the other day the 12yo was like “I drew stuff, do you want to see?” so I was like “Absolutely!” and she’s like “I warn you--it’s kind of messed up.” and I’m like “that’s fine” and she’s like “no but really it’s spooky, ok? I just want to warn you.” and I’m like “try me” and she flips open her ipad and in the apple version of MSpaint I kid you not it was

A happy face

crying black tears.

And I’m like “Wow.” and she’s like “I know, it’s pretty dark” and I’m like “well, not exactly, he seems pretty cheerful” and she was like “well this one is really really scary are you ready?” and I’m like “OK, because that one was pretty happy” and she’s like “no Rach this one is like reallllllly messed up. You’re going to think I’m crazy.” and I’m like “oh shoot” and she flipped open to the next page in her ipad and it was

A happy face

It’s eyes are bloodshot. (magenta blood. It was Magenta)

And I’m like “wow! He’s even happier!” and she was like “But this is the scariest thing I’ve ever drawn in my life!” because to a 12yo, that is scary. Like it’s funny to me because honestly, the way kids and even teens think of what is “scary” is so different than what is “scary” to an adult. And Bakura is sort of like the personification of an MSpaint happy face crying blood tears.

Like, he’s different than Marik in that Marik’s backstory was super well established, while Bakura...never needed one. Apparently he will get one, but he honestly doesn’t need it. He’s just a nightmare that a kid would have. I don’t really question the logic of what happens around Bakura vs everyone else because...he’s Bakura.

I do question that he somehow got beaten by Marik. That doesn’t add up for me, but honestly the other Marik kind of messed Bakura up so...you could say he was doomed to fail that. It was more that Marik beat himself and dragged Bakura with him.

And like, I’m not upset that I don’t have to look up Britishisms anymore and take notes during British Bake Off and then completely lose those notes when it comes time to write these. But wow, I will miss Bakura.

Didn’t know I’d miss you until you were gone, little gross disgusting buddy.

Didn’t realize how I’d miss you killing off random people all the time and pretending to be a good boy while leaving little cookie crumbs of a storyline that will apparently not even get picked up until like forever from now.

Ah, so lets pour a glass of fries that we call potato chips, pour some vinegar all over them and remember our favorite Bakura moments.

Like that time he straight up murdered everyone on this show and then inspired me to pick up bro’s idea to create this entire blog series.

Or that time he tried to possess Mokuba but then got stomach punched by Tristan while everyone else canonically thought Tristan was taking 4 hours to poop.

Or that time he decided “Screw this, I’m just going to use lasers!” and then never used lasers ever again.

Or that time they all walked in on Pegasus doing human sacrifices of living people and Bakura went “Oi, that’s a little much!” and then wiped everyone’s memories and dragged them back to their rooms, including Pegasus.

Or that time he decided to swing from the rafters of a warehouse and knock over Bandit Keith, and then say “Oi, all better” and then just walked away while the entire warehouse combusted into flames.

Or that time he just held up a recently used disembodied eyeball and then in the Japanese version, licked it clean.

I will miss you, you freakin weirdo, and will I ever get to write about him again? I actually have no idea. Season 5 is a really long time from now. I’ll keep the Bakura color palate saved in the corner of my Photoshop, but ah, it will be a forever from now before I get to click it again. If I ever do.

But congrats to his voice actor who now gets to take a very long drink of tea and fix whatever the hell talking like Bakura does to your vocal chords.

Marik picks up the ring although I’m not sure that it matters and now I’m very confused as to where the hell the absolutely never-washed eyeball went. Maybe he saw it rolling around down there and was like “I’ll have to come back with a ziplock baggy for that.”

We started this season with Yugi being late and arguing with Tea about being late and now we end the same way. It all came together.

Yami could have done something, but there wasn’t enough time in this season, so he just let Marik walk free.

I swear, Yami.

In her defense, maybe this is what jammies actually are when you live underground?

And then, to make things even more complicated, Marik has decided to show up to Ishizu as...Tea.

Also, miracles of miracles, this plot thread actually paid off:

And then for I guess 2 Seasons Bakura just plays with Yugi’s Tomogachi’s and does calf raises on all these stairs. I would say he’d have to avoid running into Pharaoh, but I feel like Pharaoh only really hangs out in the one room at the entrance. He doesn’t seem to really care about these doors anymore.

At least someone was there for the Tomogachis, in the end. Mine has been dead for 20 years, but Yugi’s will live on apparently eternally. The immortal Tomogachi (which was apparently featured in Season Zero?).

Stepping away from the Yugioh Tomogachi headcanon, lets see what Marik’s up to. Oh that’s right, that thing he keeps trying to do.

Nice.

And just when I thought this episode was finally over, get ready for it, get ready for this massive plot dump that just comes right out of no where so quickly I didn’t even get to fit it all in one cap.

That’s right, this season ended with a cliffhanger of Seto saying along the lines of he stole his father’s company (OK?) and then his Stepfather got super pissed and fled here and then Kaiba built a huge ass phallic tower on it and like...it was a lot for the last 1 minute of the show.

Anyways, it ends with Kaiba being like “NOW DO YOU UNDERSTAND, WHY WE’RE COMING HERE, TO THIS ISLAND, TO PLAY CARDS!?” and it’s like no, no one understands, Kaiba. Your brain doesn’t work right. This is weird.

This is so freakin weird.

Kaiba was giving the Ishtars a hard time about their family issues being resolved with his tourney, and it was because apparently he was ALSO using this tourney to resolve his own family issues the entire time.

Anyway, I never expected for Kaiba to become such a dominant character on this show but we are going to Kaiba island. Another freakin island.

So Season 3 is apparently way different and my bro was like “we can just skip all that filler? We can skip like 20 episodes.” and I was like “That is not the point of this blog. We are watching the filler.”

Now, just FYI I’m gonna take a break for a bit between seasons, probably for about 2 weeks or so. I’m probably going to make a little buffer because life stuff will inevitably pop up and I’d hate to go too off schedule now that I know Pharaoh wears PJs in season 5. Like, I enjoy doing this blog, it’s incredibly nice to do something that isn’t art related and has zero expectations assigned to it, but it is a side project, so I gotta prep accordingly.

That being said, thanks so much y’all for reading these, and all the nice comments (which I am very bad at responding to, especially since it really feels like tumblr doesn’t...have a response ability built in). I was really only making these with bro to cheer him up when he hated his job and was quitting--and then he quit and we continued to make them because last year was pretty stressful (like I don’t talk about it here because this is a happy blog but damn I’m glad 2018 is in the trash) That other people seem to enjoy these rants was fun and unexpected. So thanks for reading and putting up with the fact we know very little about this series. Well, now I know an awful lot actually. Scary how much I know about Yugioh now. Eh.

I got a graveyard post I’ll probs put out there around next weekend, in the meantime, but, other than that...I’ll see y’all in Season 3.

And if you just got here, this is a link to read the recaps in chrono order from s1 ep 1

[misterrad]

Reviews

A week ago, I reached over to pick up an empty backpack after a night sleeping on a cot. A moment later, I was spitting swear words through my teeth as the muscles in my back felt like they were attempting to change places with each other.

In that week, I have spent more time not moving than I have spent in the whole rest of this year. So, just because nobody asked for them, here are my reviews of all the things I’ve watched, read, and done while unable to do just about anything else:

Books:

Star Wars Books:

Last Stars - Way good. It’s essentially a love story with space ships blowing up and stuff, following childhood BFFs that eventually love each other and then fight on different sides of the war.

Blood Line - The best Star Wars book I read. Just well written with characters that were easy to care about and some really thoughtfully done critique of polarized political debates as well as the idolization of horrific pasts.

Aftermath Trilogy - Yes, all three of them.  These were good. It felt a little like a Clive Custler novel or something like that. A group of scoundrels with good in their hearts traveling around and punching people in the face who suck at stuff. By the third, it is legitimately messed up and digs more into loyalty vs. fanaticism. One time, just one, there’s a side chapter that stars Jar Jar Binks. It is the most obnoxious thing that has ever happened.

Other Books:

American Street (by Ibo Ziboi) - This book was beautiful, just gorgeously well written with masterfully drawn characters. This was the best book I read, probably the best book I’ve read since The Children of Blood and Bone.

How Schools Work (by Arne Duncan) -  I have thoughts. I’m writing a whole piece about it.

TV and Movies:

Mindhunter -  FBI guys interview serial killer guys. Super good.

Extinction - Aliens blow everything up. Dude shoots his way out. Awful. Just, really freaking awful. 

The Signal - Idiots follow a signal, end up trapped and there are aliens and everything is crazy.  Pretty good. Way better than Extinction, which was awful.

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee - I watched just about all of them. Often, while watching, I would say to myself, “well, this is delightful.”

Youtubers (generally listened to from the iPad across the room that my daughter was holding, or on as background on the TV while she was drawing). In the Venn Diagram of “Youtubers” and “People who are not the worst” the circles do not touch. I hate Youtubers. I’m worried that they are in her head too much, but also, it’s not like we can go for a walk. Ok. I kinda like The Odd 1s Out.

Other Random Stuff:

Pokemon Go - Less fun when you can’t walk.

Socializing -  I did not do this.

Social Media - Depending on my mood in the exact second, it was either great and helped me feel connected and stuff, or just sucked and I hated everything. So… my experience with social media did not change in the slightest.

Muscle Relaxers - Yes.

Racism - I spent a lot of time online, and my god. White people are super super pissed right now, and they can’t be quiet about it. They are shouting, sometimes in the same posts, that we all need to ignore Race and they just don’t see it and also that they are really upset when people of color are doing well. Or they are talking about Democrats “buying” the votes of Black people through Welfare. Whether it’s the comments sections, twitter, or the actual, real world, everyone’s racist uncles took the summer off and won’t shut up. I’m hoping this is a “dead cat bounce” sort of thing, the last gasps of a dying way of thinking. 

My Daughter’s Art - She’s been drawing and doing stuff all summer, and she’s getting super super good. Every time she finishes a piece and shows it to me, I’m blown away. I remember, before she was born, thinking about the fact that at some point there would be this new human that would make things that had never existed before, that would have original ideas and stuff. Now, on her way to turning 8, she’s doing it, and it’s the most beautiful thing. She even started an Instagram, @junipermysticvlogs_art .  She will draw pictures of your cat for a small fee.

Back Pain - I’ve given this one a lot of thought.  Sure, this week has forced me to slow down in a way that I am generally terrible at doing, to the point that I sometimes just went and laid down on my porch without a book, phone, or computer, and just listened to whatever was happening in the world.  Still, in the end, I’m going to have to give back pain a big thumbs down.

[lenfazreads]

My Manaconda brings all the fans to the yard

So, as you might know, some of us decided to read together this wonderful piece of literary art called Manaconda.

I don’t know who found the book originally-.- yeah, as if you’ve ever believed that one.

Here’s my take on Manaconda (under the cut for spoilers) 

The pain is real for Hunter *Manaconda* Jordan. He has it all: a successful band with a killer new album, a killer body, good looks and a great brother (we will come back to the brother, several times.) But yet, all goes down the drain when Rolling Stone decides to put him in the cover shirtless and with the caption of Manaconda on top of the bulge of his jeans.

Sales skyrocket, fans go crazy, and poor Hunter only wants people to see him for more than his large toolset.

Like I said, the pain is real for our hero. We have branded a term for this pain: cock angst.

Now queue in Kennedy McManus, go walks into the hotel where the band (Hammered, for crying out loud, there is no subtlety in here) is presenting it album. She walks in with high heel shoes, professional attire and an iPad with a pink case, all ready for business because Kennedy here is a career woman. Oh yes, all career, no fun for Kennedy. The only interest she has in Manaconda is how she can milk that buzz for all that is worth PR wise. She’s a PR Princess on a mission as she owns a favor to the owner of the record label, a guy that can totes make and break your career with just not naming you again. So yes, Kennedy needs to be in her A game in here, and she is as she checks social media accounts while doing a power walk and having everything under control as she finds the band manager, a woman by the name of Indie (Indie is a terrible manager, btw, but we will get to that later)

At this point we’re introduced to the rest of the band, whose names I can’t remember other than Keys (the only chick in the band) and Bats (who’s crazy as fuck, and we will go back to him over and over again). Then I think there was Wyatt, and an Irish guy… bc there is always an Irish guy (according to @winterbythesea ). Then I think there were two more, but they didn’t do nothing to be remembered… sadly, they had failed to stand out of the shadows of the manaconda long enough to grant them page-time (or their own book).

Now Kennedy has her first major task. Hunter has gone missing and she has to go fish him out of the kitchen where he’s cooking with his pal Tristan (we like Tristan, and we picture him as a cooler version of Chad Michael Murray in Gilmore Girls, as he defied his family and moved to LA to become a cool chef with blue hair.)

It all goes downhill from here. In a matter of 15 minutes between meeting him as he’s finishing putting together a bowl of pasta and the trek back to the stage Kennedy “I’m too professional so don’t call me Kenny, Mr Jordan” ends up making out in a dark corridor with the actual man of the hour after some really weird pasta eating that is supposed to be sensual but it only came out as someone had cut too many carbs out of her diet.

Of course, they get caught by a huge crowd. There are pics, social media posts and all that jazz. OF COURSE.

First plot twist: Kennedy doesn’t get fired on the spot. She actually stays for the show and doesn’t even get reprimanded by big tycoon that is supposed to be a hard ass career maker or breaker.

Sure, Jan.

Second plot twist: She kisses him again during the press conference because they are asking him about Bats hanging out with his ex-fiancee Victoria and poor Hunter is not reacting well.

She doesn’t get fired either. Actually, the suits decide she and Hunter now have to be a fake couple (fake dating!).

You can all imagine how they ended up that night… in his room. Yes, eventually. Before that there was some action on the back of a truck that was large enough for Kenny to pace (yes, I’m calling her Kenny from now on. Much like Hunter)

I’m going to stop in here and start with some bullet points because I think you get the idea.

The smut was subpar… he uses a rosary and she’s thinking more of that than what is happening in the bad. It’s a rosary, he uses it as a necklace, move on. We don’t care about the worn out walnut beads or the details of the crucifix… really, no.

He gives her six orgasms in one night. Manaconda can deliver. Point for Hunter.

Then he takes her to a breakfast buffet and tells her they had good coffee there. I have to put a stop in here. I can deal with unrealistic smut but this is too much. No breakfast buffet has decent coffee. Not unless they have a state of the art espresso machine and a well-trained barista. Let’s not lie to the people like that

The book is told in alternating first person PoV and it’s co-written. You can tell the difference in styles and it kind of makes sense if we think there are two different people, but is a rollercoaster.

The brother shows up. I’m immediately drawn to Liam Noah. His description only fuels for me to like him more. His first words to Kennedy make me want to go down on him on the spot.

Hunter and Kenny are a hot mess… they fuck and then they fight because he wants more and yet cannot deal with Bats maybe dating his ex (intro backstory drama of the cheating ex)

Kenny refuses to come second to anyone (intro backstory of her father having another family and her being a cast off) and that is why she’s a career woman, so she doesn’t end up crying over a man like her momma,

Hunter volunteers for a charity that helps people adopt dogs. He had several. Hunter is ready to settle down and he wants Kenny to play home with him and the dogs. Kenny is still figuring out how to get out of the tight professional clothes she wears

Kenny has an assistant called Carter. Carter wants to have a threesome with his girlfriend Felicity and Hunter’s brother bc Noah is that hot. I love Carter. Me too, Carter, me too.

Hunter and Bats engage in not one, but two fights in the span of three days and both times they end up with the cops. Funny enough Kennedy “you can’t call me Kenny but here’s my cop friend Remy who’s totally into me and let him call me Ken and I hug him” pulls some strings to get him off the hook. Him, not poor Bats who’s never given the chance to tell his side of the story. Neither does Vic, tho. She’s been labeled the bitch villain of the book.

Hunter then realizes he has to fight for Kenny, bc Noah makes him realize what is important after telling him he’s a good for nothing. I really don't understand why this book is not about Noah. He’d be a lot more fun than Hunter. He probably has the same equipment and none of the cock angst.

Hunter convinces Carter to let him into Kenny’s place and gets Tristan to cook for her. I like Tristan, he can slice vegetables while flirting… somehow Kenny still only has eyes for the Manaconda.

We gotta give props to Hunter for romancing the hell out of Kenny with pictures he takes while on tour framed in glass and little notes underneath, lovely texts and a plain old move out of Say Anything that almost bumped him with Noah’s on top of the list. Almost. Like I said, Noah still wins. A lot less baggage and a lot more game if you ask me (he works security and is an ex-Army. Go Noah. Come to mamma)

The words cock and dick are used as interchangeable... this is not good. is either one or the other... and it should be cock. I can’t with dick... it is used as an insult;  so if a dick is an idiot, a dick cannot be a wonderful specimen of a male organ

You know your novel has a problem when people are more engaged with your secondary characters than your main ones. That is not a bad thing per se if you are laying out the ground for the series (These things are always a series) but sadly, there are no books planned for Noah, Tristan or Bats. Next books are about Keys, Wyatt and Irish Guy.

Kennedy has a weird fixation on wood. The rosary makes another appearance.

“Pound” is used several times in the book, so much that I want to have a drinking game over it.

I still want to know what the fuck is going on with Bats and Vic.

Noah needs his own book.

All in all, at the end of the day, Hunter Jordan was just a guy with a huge bulge on his pants and a pack of adopted dogs, standing in front of a girl career woman, asking her to love him (and not just his manaconda).

[48motion]

Film Composition and the Art of Making Friends

I wrote this profile on my good friend Arsan for a college class recently, and I liked it enough to want to repost it here. Hope you enjoy it, and thanks for reading.

Photo by Dane Persky

Arsan Salaryfar, six-foot-two and unable to keep a clean-shaven face for more than a few days, effortlessly defies most stereotypes levied against tall, bearded Middle Eastern men. Standing outside his dorm building at 160 Mass Ave one evening, the Berklee College of Music freshman tosses inside jokes to almost every student who passes by. He appears to be personally acquainted with them all; some he even shouts to from the other side of the busy street, and their laughter is just as palpable despite the distance. Many of his jokes are in foreign languages—French, Dutch, German—because Salaryfar has been overcoming cultural and language barriers since he was born. He is, in a word, friendly.

Spending additional time with Salaryfar reveals more than just a friendly guy, however, but someone who is intensely observant. He keeps his eyes open—the round, semi-rimmed glasses resting naturally below his eyebrows make sure of that. He does the same with his ears; he’s even started recording his conversations and says he listens to them while he goes about his day. And why does he do all this? Salaryfar says he’s into the way the visual and auditory interact and coexist, and he’s constantly mining his surroundings for inspiration to help him explore this in his music. It is his fascination with this concept that drew him to film scoring, and kept him fixated on the idea of becoming a film composer even through years of arguments about it with his dad. It was a film, after all, that first convinced him to try his hand at music. Salaryfar boils this concept down to one word, which he says is “such an important word” to him: context.

“Honestly, I’ve been feeling spiritual [about] context,” he says. “It’s driving me crazy.”

It’s likely that accredited film composers like Hans Zimmer, who Salaryfar refers to as “the god,” would relate to this sentiment. The marriage of music and film is an infinitely tricky thing, and the act of composing for film can be approached at a million different angles. With so many variables to juggle, it can be difficult to create a truly holy matrimony. Even the greats, including Zimmer, have admitted to flubbing at times.

“I remember on The Lion King, because it was all hand-drawn, there was one scene I never had in colour and it bugs me,” Zimmer told Vice Magazine’s now-defunct Thump. “To this day, I know I picked the wrong colours of the orchestration, and it clashes with what’s on the screen. Nobody else has ever noticed it—just me. It drives me crazy.”

But, when done right, an appropriate soundtrack can make all the difference.

“The score, when done well, can influence the emotion of a scene without being overbearing or too didactic,” Chris Wei, a Film and Television Studies Master’s student at Boston University, said. “When a score is done poorly, it can come across as manipulative or inappropriate. Of course that can be done on purpose, but when it’s done thoughtlessly, it’s jarring and it pulls you out of the experience.”

Imagine Christopher Nolan’s Inception without Zimmer’s blaring synths—it’s a completely different experience, altogether lacking in spectacle and intensity. The bond between the visuals and soundtrack is so strong that the film must be heard for the full experience. Most often, that bond is forged through close collaborations between director and composer; predictably, Nolan and Zimmer are two of the closest in the business.

Unfortunately for Salaryfar, an A-list director was not on speed dial during his first experiments with film composition. That didn’t deter him, though; he simply took on the helm of the director himself. His first works were shot on his mom’s cell phone camera. They were horror videos, which Salaryfar said were easy to shoot because all they required was a simple setup, low light and a scream. Eventually he started incorporating original characters, which he created by painting faces on eggs. When he figured he’d need music for his creations, he downloaded MP3s from the internet and looped them. The process was so simple, Salaryfar realized he might as well just make the music himself.

He had no musical experience, however, and it wouldn’t be this that prompted him to pick up an instrument, but something a bit more out of left field—a Jack Black movie. Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny was a box office bomb, but its crude humor and absurd storyline captivated Salaryfar when he happened upon it on TV in his Istanbul home. The element of the film that most appealed to the Turkish kid, however, was its music. And so, after the credits rolled, he ventured up to the attic, where his sister kept an ancient nylon-stringed guitar. It was missing strings, and those it did have were hopelessly out of tune, but Salaryfar didn’t care. Undeterred by the inadequate equipment and his lack of musical know-how, he blissfully strummed the guitar while humming tunes from the movie he’d just watched. Shortly thereafter, his mom got an iPad with GarageBand��finally, an outlet for Salaryfar to actualize his musical ideas.

From there, Salaryfar discovered his knack in the music realm: composition. He became enamored with the progressive metal band Dream Theater, whose songs he admired for their intricacy and attention to detail.

“It wasn’t just about playing for the first time, it was about composition too,” he said. “It wasn’t just, ‘Look at how fast we can play,’ it was, ‘Look how complex our ideas can be.’ That was very influential [to me]. I tried reverse-engineering Dream Theater songs by writing them down, then I’d change them and come up with my own songs. I ended up making a lot of shoddy Dream Theater rip-offs, but that taught me a lot about music.”

By the time Salaryfar had outgrown his interest in Dream Theater, he’d written a series of four original albums complete with lyrics, each up to 90 minutes in length. They were concept albums, meaning they followed storylines he’d thought up. It was just about the closest Salaryfar could get to film composition without an actual film to compose for.

“I could literally create new worlds just by composing the music [and] providing lyrics,” he said. “All those concept albums could be films, too. I kind of thought of them like that.”

It wasn’t until he watched Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s Amélie, however, that Salaryfar began to really understand and appreciate the craft of film composition, and simultaneously realized that convoluted prog metal might not make for a suitable soundtrack to most films. Yann Tiersen, Amélie’s composer, had a minimalist, organic style that incorporated toy piano, simple percussion and even typewriters into the music. This minimalism would soon rub off on Salaryfar’s compositions, as he recognized the importance of leaving room for interplay between sound and visuals.

“It’s very simple music, but when mixed with the atmosphere of the movie—that’s when they contextualize,” he said. “That’s the beauty of context.”

In researching more about Tiersen, Salaryfar discovered the composer’s passion for Breton, a minority language spoken in Brittany, a small region in the northwest of France. As a lover of languages himself—Salaryfar taught himself Turkish and English from television as a kid—he was intrigued.

“I think Brittany is more part of the world,” Tiersen told Port Magazine. “We have Celtic culture, we’re closer to England than we are France. We are conscious that the world exists, French people think the world is a big map of France. People in Brittany at least try to speak other languages.”

Film composition itself is a game of translation. These composers don’t make their pieces simply for personal enjoyment; their works are inherently tied to another person, and as such must be tailored to another’s vision. Communication is vital. Salaryfar got the chance to create some relationships like this as a high school senior, after a military coup in Istanbul forced him to flee his home country and move in with his cousin, Neek Azar, and Azar’s family in San Diego, California. Azar and his friends introduced Salaryfar to hip-hop, and in turn the art of beat-making—producing instrumental tracks for rappers to record vocals over. Azar and Salaryfar forged a partnership reaching out to rappers and producing beats for them.

“As we hung out with each other and listened to more of each other’s music, we realized [that] if we were able to meld my knowledge of American music and his knowledge of music theory, we could have some fun,” Azar said. “We went on Twitter and found random people to DM, and were like, ‘Hey, we’re producers and we want to work with you.’”

As Salaryfar switches languages on the fly to communicate with the melting pot of friends he encounters outside his dorm, it’s clear that connecting with others comes second nature to the musician. He’s even reconnected with one of the rappers he worked with after moving out to Boston, who picked him up from Berklee one day to show him around his neighborhood in Lynn, Massachusetts. And being surrounded by other aspiring musicians has only inspired him to push his music in exciting new directions.

In the middle of explaining the collaborative element of the film composition classes at Berklee, classes Salaryfar hasn’t taken yet but has eagerly sat in on, he pauses.

“I love showing people my music,” he says. “Is that selfish?”

After hearing all about his history with music composition, stories laden with self-deprecating humor and modesty, it’s hard to find any compelling reason to say yes. And, regardless, it’s evident that Salaryfar thrives on feedback from and collaboration with others. After our interview, he insists that I meet the other members of his band; Salaryfar, unsurprisingly, composes the majority of the group’s music.

“It’s just cool to connect with other people through that medium,” he says. “Everyone has a different interpretation of [film]. Every single thing, even the most objective stuff, could be interpreted differently by different people. I just like getting to know how they interpret my creation.”

[jinwoowoohoo]

Astro in DC~

Hello! I’m here to give you my complete fanmeet experience to the best of my abilities~ I’m going to preface this by saying I’d been feeling ill the past few days, so it took a lot of my willpower just to keep myself standing for a fair chunk of the show…. Which means 1) my memory is a bit fuzzy and 2) I just did not have the brainpower to focus on every member, so this is a very Jinwoo-biased fan account (not that any of you should be surprised tbh).

P.S. I’m sorry I wrote a literal novel;;; this is largely to help me remember it all both now and in the future, but I also wanted to share!

(rip mobile users someone please teach how to actually make readmores work on mobile edit: never mind my iPad did the thing! Bless)

The Beginning:

The girl who did the cover dance absolutely rocked it, and the crowd had no problem hyping her up - she performed Again and we were fanchanting and everything~ And then when she finished the lights dimmed, she left the stage, and we all waited very anxiously for the real show to begin.

Now. I knew going in that Jinjin would be the first on stage with his dance solo, but that did not stop him from still completely taking my breath away (like I actually gasped and put my hand on my chest/over my mouth). It was the moment of realization that he’s real! And really here!! And he’s doing his thing!!! Like I’m still processing the feeling of seeing him in real 3D space, seeing his body as a real human body, with depth and warmth, not just a flat image (I hope that doesn’t sound weird??). And man did he kill that solo. I always love when he gets a chance to bust out his house dance skills 💕 (I should actually check cams from the other shows to see if he was doing a set choreo or going freestyle 👀). And then, of course the Rocko man himself came out, and proceeded to just destroy us all (and booooy was the crowd Rocky biased - the screams for him were REAL yall).

Once that section was done the rest of the boys came out and!! Myungjun was in just a black tshirt and jeans!!! How dare he attack me so soon into the show!!! 

They performed Again which was stellar as always, and then they segwayed into Baby. And things got LIT. Their demeanor changed, the crowd energy changed, it was just. Exactly the mood you’d expect from Baby~ The boys got really smiley and just looked like they were so happy! Just rainbows and sparkles all around haha

After baby finished they did their intros! Jinjin went first and of course intro’d himself as the leader and main visual. Eunwoo said a good bit in English but so help me if I remember any of it 😰 Moonbin gave his whole intro in English too! And you can seriously tell how hard he worked to be able to do so!! Like he really said a lot and you could tell he was thinking carefully as he was talking, I was so proud of him :’) He’s adorable, his voice is adorable, hearing him say ‘puppycat’ is deadly 😂 Mj introduced himself as the happy virus, and I unfortunately don’t remember the rest of his or Socky’s intros :( After intros, the staff brought out chairs and they sat down for q&a time!

Q&A:

If you had drawn a line directly from my seat to the stage, that’s where Jinwoo was sitting :“”“”“”) So basically I had the perfect view of him (even if I was like 12 rows back). I cant remember everything that was asked/said (im sure there are 100 fancams anyway) but some highlights include:

♥ The first question was who pays for meals the most, and they did the 3-2-1-point thing; everyone pointed to Jinjin. Then they said some stuff I couldn’t hear/catch, but it ended with Jinwoo saying something (in English!) about no longer having access to his mom’s card 😂😂

♥ Someone asking Bin his workout routine, and him genuinely telling us lmaoo And every time he would name an activity (running, weights, etc) Jinwoo would be in his chair just miming it out like a NERD 😂 (Jinwoo was just generally very animated and interactive, and he was smiling soooo muuuuuch you could just tell he was in a good mood!!)

♥ Someone asked what the members needed to have when traveling. Rocky said mask pack, Jinwoo said Arohas love 😑, I didn’t catch what Eunwoo said??, I think Bin also said Arohas love, MJ said contacts and something else genuine, and Sanha said?? He brought Jinjin??? And Jinwoo was just like ???????????????? What are you talking about 😂😂

♥ Someone asked who’s the best cook/who cooks the most and what do they make. Immediately Sanha just goes “not me!” and everyone laughs. They said they really don’t cook much at home, but Bin likes to cook and wants to make food for the upcoming birthdays! :’)

After the q&a they introduced/moved into Run which, again, Jinwoo’s position was DIRECTLY in line with my seat for a lot of the song; I was #blessed. Also at the very beginning when they were passing the mic down the line, Eunwoo teased Sanha and almost didn’t give him the mic in time - the baby got a little flustered 😝 (P.S. Sanha is the most adorable and pure being on this earth, and I’m pretty sure his giggle could cure cancer. I still can’t believe I got to hear it in person.)

So Run was good, the crowd def didn’t know the lyrics as well as the other songs but the spirit was still there! And then then segwayed into Crazy Sexy Cool and for some??  reason??? I have very little memory of it…. I do remember the fanchants being STRONG though, esp for rapline haha

After that I think they took a short break while the MC did his thing, then they brought the boys back out for gaaaaame tiiiiiiime 😀😀

Game Time:

The first game was the mystery box one, and the members were divided by staff into Hyung line vs Maknae line. The grandpas being on the same team were, of course, being goofy and extra af lmao (And Eunwoo just stood there laughing as usual). They r/p/scissored to see which team would go first - it was Jinwoo vs Rocky, and Jinwoo decided to be Extra™ and do it by turning away from Rocko and sticking his arm out behind him. Rocky won, and I’m like 99% sure he totally cheated and waited a split second for Jinjin to throw his hand before showing his own….

But either way, Maknae team won so they made Hyung team go first. Before they brought out the box there was some hyping/smack talk~ Eunwoo said (approximately) in English “Just one thing: we win >:)” and then our precious child Sanha goes, also in English (approximately) “Just one thing: You lose!” It was seriously the cutest ah my heart 💖 So they brought out the box, and the thing they had to guess was…. Raw egg 😫😫 Maknae team peeked at what they’d have to guess and omg their reactions 😂😂 They were thoroughly grossed out and excited for the other team to suffer lmaoo

So Jinjin went first, and he took off his jacket and rolled up one shirt sleeve and he;;;; has a very nice forearm;;;;; You should find fancams for their reactions tbh bc there’s no way I could do them justice, but watching Jinwoo’s face distort in discomfort and hearing him let out a small scream was sure something 😂😂 Because it was raw egg it was suuuper wet and drippy and gross and you could seeee it dripping off his fingers when he took his hand out of the box 😣😝 (the staff had towels at the ready, don’t worry). He removed his hand from the box, wiped it off a bit, and then smelled his fingers and as soon as he did that we was like “…aaaaaaaaah 😈😈” so he probably figured it out right away. Mj was next and of course he had to be a little extra when putting his hand in, walking his fingers around the opening a bit before diving in. And then as soon as he touched it he just full on screamed 😂😂 And he kept screaming and making weird noises for a bit, then he got a little used to it and was like “ooooh 😳” I can’t remember anything he might have done after that 😩 Eunwoo went third and was def the most anxious. He stuck his hand in and I can’t remember if he even touched it or not before he freaked and pulled his hand back out 😂 Again that’s really all I can remember from him 😢 Then they had 15 seconds to collude as a team and settle on their answer, and they guessed it right!! Also once the crowd heard what it was they had touched we were all just like “eeeeww oh noooooooo!! DD: ” And then. And then the Extra Bros™ Myungjin start acting like chickens =w=;;;; There were fair amounts of butt wiggling. (MJ started it of course).

So! They guessed right! Which meant if Maknae line couldn’t get theirs then they would have to do a punishment. So. The staff brought out the next item, which was white and round and squishy. Hyung line snuck a peek and they were just standing there poking it 😂😂 And then freaking troll Eunwoo said to the other team “guys be careful! Its moving! Its alive!!!” And Myungjin went along with him on it lmao Maknae line didn’t really know what to make make of them lol

Rocky went first, and he really Did Not want to stick his hand in there - you could just see the classic suffering smile on his face. He definitely yelled several times when touching it (not a scream, but a very Rocky yell haha) Once he was done he seemed to have an idea what it was, and started whispering in Bins ear. Sanha went second and he was… well…. Sanha lol Very squirmy, very screamy. Bin went last (I think, he and Sanha might be switched aaah I’m so sorry), and I don’t really remember Bins reaction while his hand was in the box at all. I do know that he was like full-on squeezing the thing and the MC was losin it at him, and after he took his hand out he sniffed his hand and then licked it =w=;;;;; and all of us were just like Bin no!!!! Then he went back and there was more Moonrock ear whispering.

Once all 3 went they had their 15 seconds to decide, and I didn’t understand what the answer they gave was (it was hard to hear Rocky and the MC didn’t repeat what he said for us) buuuuuuuut it was wrong! The right answer was a ball of mozzarella cheese~~ Hyung line of course started taunting them for losing (mostly led by Jinwoo) and even got the whole crowd involved 😂😂 And thus the losing team was introduced to their punishment: they had to spell their names. With their butts. Sexily. (And I was like you’re going to make the Maknaes do what?????). So Bin went first and he pretty much died of embarrassment one letter in, but he powered through! Rocko was next and he was also internally dying (and externally yelling 😂) but the dancer part of him took over and booooy does he have balance and body control. I’m pretty sure after he was done he ran and hugged Bin to deal with his embarrassment and the crowd LOVED that 😂 Sanha went last and the MC had to torture him!! And make him do his full name!! 😭😭 Of course it was more awkwardly cute than sexy, and him saying the letters as he went was unbearably adorable. (I honestly covered my eyes/turned away to laugh/cringe for most of the punishments =w=)

The next game was guessing the song based on choreo. They split up into teams by randomly selecting colored papers and somehow!! Binu still managed to be a team!! How many times has this happened now????? The other teams were JinHa and RaMyung. They were deciding who should go first and Bin said the “maknae” team should go first (referring to RaMyung) and literally everyone was just like what are you on about????? 😂😂 Fake Maknae MJ strikes again! They r/p/scissored for team order again and I’m like 80% sure Rocko cheated again 👀👀👀 But either way the order ended up as Binu, RaMyung, JinHa. Binu actually did really well!!! with Bin dancing and Eunwoo guessing, but I have to shame Woo for not getting Sistar’s Shake It like boy come on! I think they got 6+ right? RaMyung were…. less successful, but it was honestly more on Rocky??? I think he just like panicked and couldn’t straighten out in his brain what he should actually be doing with his body, then the ones he did actually do the dance to MJ was pretty hit or miss 😂 But they still got a few!! Aaaand then came JinHa… For some reason they decided Sanha should do the dancing, and well…. He passed like every other one, and I don’t think Jinwoo was able to guess a single one 😂 It was just a lot of panic and failure lmaoo So needless to say their team came dead last.

It was decided both losing teams had to do punishment, and that punishment was 40 pushups per team. However the MC said they could divide that any way they wanted, for example Sanha could do 1 and Jinjin 39. JinHa team went first, and Sanha volunteered to do his share first. And the kid got down, wiggled into position, did 1 pushup, and stood back up like “all done!” 😂😂 We got to witness Jinwoo’s legendary ‘possibly contemplating murder rn’ face 😂😂 But then Sanha got back down - and as he was going of course Jinwoo was starting to take his jacket off to prepare for his half but then we reached 20… And 21… And 22… And Sanha kept going all the way to 40! So Jinwoo didn’t have to do anything, and he seemed really pleased :) and was like *shrugs* alright then and put his jacket back on. Mj went first for RaMyung team and bless his heart he did the whole 40 too so Rocky didn’t have to.

The final game was random play dance and there wasn’t much to it really, they just ran through the point parts of 2 other group songs (BTS Dope and Apink No No No). They all did fine for BTS of course, but Binnie KILLED it with Apink lmao to the point where the rest of the members kinda stopped and just let him shine. The final song was one from Dream Part 01 but I cannot for the life of me remember which one it was 😩 I want to say Dream Night or Dreams Come True?? (Watch it be neither akdbsj)

And that was the end of game time! I think they maybe took another quick break, but maybe not idk;;; and then we segwayed into Breathless!

And boy let me tell you, Aroha get PUMPED for Breathless. Confession too tbh, like I don’t remember much from CSC but I definitely remember people just going hardcore with love for these songs haha And I’m pretty sure the boys could feel the passion for them too~ Also during Breathless when Moonrock have their dance bit and then it switches to a rapline dance bit, Jinwoo’s shirt came up a little bit and idk why that suddenly affected me so much but I literally like gasped said “oh my god” out loud 😳

They then moved into the final ment, which worried me at first as I thought maybe we had to skip You & Me due to time or something, but nope they just did the ment first!

Final Ment:

I don’t really remember much of what they said, but I do know Eunwoo said that when he was younger DC was one of the cities he dreamed of visiting, and that it was a beautiful place~ And I think it was MJ(??) who said DC Aroha are the best of the 3 shows so far of course~ 😂😂 Omg and Rocky, when he was in the middle of his ment (I think that’s when this happened anyway aksbaj my awful memory) he just stops like mid-thought and goes “I can’t see” and does the most epic hair flip to get the hair out of his eyes, then just stands there for like 10 seconds basking in his new-found vision. It was so majestic and unexpected I doubled over laughing 😂😂😂 They also said they know it’s hard for us to see them and they were grateful to us for waiting for them, and they would be waiting for us in Korea as well~

For You & Me they first asked if everyone knew the choreo, and enough people said yes that the were like “alright then, show us what you got!” and the music for the chorus played and we all did our darn best to remember the choreo (I failed, I didn’t refresh my memory beforehand and couldn’t remember it well enough =w=;;;) They seemed genuinely impressed by how we did overall though! After that they had Sanha teach us how it goes cutely, and yeah, it’s exactly what you’d expect from that sentence 😂 Once everyone had learned from Captain Sanha and practiced a couple times, they started the song for real! And I already posted about it, but it really is softest, warmest, sweetest experience. To have everyone in the crowd doing choreo and interacting with their neighbors whether they knew them or not it just, i don’t even know how to describe it, it’s just nice?? And lots of people were giggling and smiling, including my right-side partner, which was so fun to turn to each time 💕💕 I definitely got a little emotional during it (but I didn’t cry! Go me!) Edit: Also I forgot but when Jinwoo started to move to the front to do his rap, MJ pushed him out of the way and did it instead! Jinwoo was hyping him up and laughing his butt off 😂😂 And MJ genuinely did really well

 After Y&M they gave their official goodbye and left the stage, and almost immediately the crowd started chanting “encore!” and as expected, after a bit they came back out~

Encore:

Our encore was I’ll Be There and they were throwing out bags of gummy bears. Also for the encore a TON of people rushed the stage, including like everyone to the front and right of me. Soooooooo~ When Jinwoo threw some into our area, there was nobody but me to retrieve it :’) (I maaay have accidentally body slammed the seat in front of me trying to catch it 😅) In my wildest dreams he threw it to me on purpose, but in reality he never actually looked at me so I doubt it (it’s nice to have dreams though 😂) Some people who were up at the stage got some great footage of Jinwoo getting right up into their camera’s business so I look forward to seeing those 👀👀

Once they ran out of candy and the song ended it was officially time for them to say goodbye 😢 They gave their last “Wanna be your ☆” and took a bow, then headed backstage to chill until perks began!

Hi-Touch:

The staff decided to do hi touch first, and since I had both perks it took me a hot minute to realize I needed to get in line too (since I was sitting in P1 and nobody around me was moving lol) The girls I was in line with were very cute and nice - one of them was newer to the boys so she had a hard time telling Myungjin apart haha We tried to help her get them straight~ The line moved really quickly and when it was my turn my brain switched to auto pilot……

Jinwoo was first bc apparently the universe likes to see me Suffer. I don’t even remember what he looked like, all I remember is him seeing my shirt and saying “aaaah, slow~  😉” and all I could get out was a “yes!” 😂😵😵😭😭 Sanha was next in line but my brain was so busy processing the first interaction I have absolutely 0 memory of him, if I even managed to hi five him at all akdbaj like I completely just blacked out for a few seconds. Eunwoo was third and I regained myself enough to actually start looking at their faces, but I still couldn’t make my own sentences, so instead I started parroting what I was hearing from the members which was “thank you” - which is a fine thing to say and I wholly meant it, but I do wish I could have said a bit more… Bin was third and I also Do Not remember him, like, at all 😣 I’m so disappointed, he deserves better. But then came Rocky. There really must be something just inexplicably striking about Rocky, because I remember him pretty damn clearly all things considered! He had his big Rocko smile and it was strikingly beautiful 😪 Finally was MJ and I remember seeing him and thinking “I have to make sure he knows I genuinely love and support him!!” So I looked really hard at his face, but my brain was still *static noises* so all I could say was thank you :“) I tried to really sincerely say it and show him with my eyes that I meant it though!! And then it was over, and I took a big ole breath as I made my way down off the stage and back to my seat. And thus began the waiting for group pic. (The girl I had been sitting next to laughed when I came back 😂😂

Group Photo:

The line for P2 was pretty much a free for all, but the line for P1 was specifically done row by row. I was at the back of Orchestra Center, so I wasn’t first by any means but I was probably in the first 1/3. The setup was there were 8 chairs, and the boys stood behind the chairs. They were all doing different poses and switching it up for each pic while I was waiting in line (I’ve been told staff made them stop later on which is dumb af if you ask me like people are supposed??? To pose for pics??? Also have you met Astro aksbaj but ANYWAY).

Jinwoo was last this time, which meant if I wanted to be in front of him I had to be #1 in the group of 8. Well, they counted us, and I was #7. The girl behind me was 8, and her friend ended up being #1 of the next batch. The two clearly wanted to go together, and I wanted the #1 spot, so when staff wasn’t looking we quickly switched! And I got to sit directly in front of him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And he of course remembered me from when I did the hi touch like ~10 minutes ago lol I made sure to look at all the members again as I was walking up, esp Sanha since I missed him the first time! And again I’ve got Nothing on Bin (rip 😢), but Rocky’s smile seared itself into my psyche yet again 😂 When I finally walked up to Jinwoo I said “I get to sit by you! :DD” and he was like “yeah!” We sat down (god I wish I had actually clearly looked at his face, I have no memory of it from either interaction 😢😢😢) and I kinda tried to do a hand heart with him but he had other plans and was like “let’s do this instead!” (retrospectively I think maybe the girl behind me was also a Jinwoo stan so he wanted to do something with us both). So he LEANED DOWN BETWEEN US SO HIS FACE WAS SEVERAL INCHES FROM OUR EARS and made finger hearts for the first pics, then he said “cheeeeese!” (or it sounded like that to me anyway) and switched to peace signs for the second. I honestly have no idea what my face was doing the whole time soooo the pics could be fun >w>;; (I WAS JUST FOCUSED ON THE FACT I COULD FEEL HIS PRESENCE/BODY HEAT HOVERING OVER MY SHOULDER AND HIS HANDS WERE RIGHT NEXT TO MINE AKSHAJ). And then we were done! And I think I turned and smiled at him one last time as I was heading off the stage, and I think he smiled back, but who knows!! Certainly not me!!!

And that was that.

I went out into the theater hallway and just….existed for a bit (and yelled into all my chats lol) and more than one fan came out hysterically sobbing :( I think it was a mixture of happy and sad tears, like some people overwhelmed with happiness and others crying cuz they didn’t get the place in line they wanted.

All in all it was an amazing night, and completely worth being absolutely nuts and dropping everything to fly literally halfway across the country to attend. 100/10 would give all my money to these boys again (I mean they already own my heart and wallet anyway)

Also I didn’t know where to fit these tidbits in, but the members overall:

Jinjin - I mentioned it already but he was just a goofy happy boy! So many smiles, so many silly actions. I didn’t think I could love him even more and yet :”)

MJ - He sunshined a number of times but overall seemed really tired, which is COMPLETELY understandable (I really feel like he’s an introvert, and I can imagine how draining an international tour would be) and I just hope he’s feeling ok and was able to enjoy himself!! 😣

Rocky - He was also quite lively and just giving fanservice left and right! I didn’t watch him too much but even then I could see him waving and throwing hearts and smiles to people 💕

Eunwoo - I really didn’t watch him at all but I’ve been told he was also giving out just tons of personal fanservice~

Sanha - My favorite son, he just had us all cooing and giggling the whole night. He really did seem to be in good spirits!

Moonbin - I’m sorry Bin stans….. I’m sorry Bin….. I don’t know why my brain just decided to completely block him out but 😢😢😢 I barely remember anything he said/did besides what I already talked about. His muscles were probably too powerful 😣😣

[amwritingmeta]

5 Moments I’d Like to See in S13

1. Dean in a Trench Coat (For reasons. I mean I know he cosplayed Cas in 12x18, but this would be more him just wearing a trench coat. Ok, preferably him wearing Cas' trench coat. Naked. Eating pie. At the Bunker kitchen table. And Sam walks in and Dean is flustered and closes the coat and buttons it as he's getting up and is all "Hey, man. What're-what're you doing here? I thought you went to Eileen's." And Sam just has no words, except then he frowns and goes "Where's Cas?" And either Cas is in the shower or hinted at being in Dean's bed. Or he's not there at all and Dean makes some flimsy excuse about "Laundry day. Hah." And scampers off. Or Cas shuffles into the kitchen all disheveled wearing Dean's sweats and T-shirt and he freezes when he sees Sam and finally says "I just woke up." And Sam says "You don't sleep." And Cas says "That's true, I don't." And Dean looks at Cas with that exasperated dude-really? face and Sam is just shaking his head at them, saying nothing.)

2. Dean Surreptitiously Serenading Cas in the Impala (Also for reasons. Like he's driving and Sam's in the passenger seat and Cas is in the middle, as usual, in the back and then this song comes on the radio - preferably something Uber-cheesy like Glory of Love - and Dean just sort of sings along like it's no big deal and Sam is used to it by now, even to the cheesy songs, so he doesn't care, busy on his iPad or whatever, but Dean is throwing subtle glances at Cas in the rear view mirror and Cas isn't really reacting until Dean finally makes brief eye contact and Dean gets a bit self-conscious but keeps singing a few more lines - like I have always needed you I could never make it alone - and when he looks at Cas again he only gets his profile, but then there's the smallest smile on Cas’ mouth and it makes Dean smile too and Sam has started catching on at this point and he's there just going fuck my fucking life, guys, shaking his head at them, saying nothing.) 

3. The Great Melt-Down of Sam Winchester (Reasons? Because having waited for a decade to be included and trusted with his brother's emotions towards the angel Sam finally blows a gasket and tells the two fuckers acting like nothing's going on between them that he KNOWS. He's not STUPID or BLIND - he's a FUCKING HUNTER and MAN OF LETTERS, he pieces together clues FOR AN UNPAID LIVING and he FRIGGING KNOWS so can they STOP acting like it's some big secret that they're TOGETHER. And CONGRATULATIONS YOU FUCKERS, FINALLY YOU CAN STOP WALKING ON FUCKING EGGSHELLS LIKE I'VE EVER ACTED LIKE I WOULDN'T BE COOL WITH THIS. Mic fucking drop. Exit stage left." 

4. Shoulder to Shoulder Doing the Dishes (Because Dean has cooked Cas dinner and they've had a nice, quiet evening for the first time in weeks, and the food was really good and Cas has made sure Dean knows and so now Dean is beaming, and Cas collects the dishes and says he'll do them because Dean cooked, and Dean stays seated at the kitchen table at first, enjoying being taken care of, but then he's kind of too far away from Cas so he gets up and joins him by the sink, picking up a towel, starting to do the drying. And there's this relaxed silence, the sound of Cas’ hands dipping the dishes into soapy water, the sound of the sponge on porcelain, then Cas asks Dean something simple that starts a conversation that has everything to do with the future. It has this where do you think you'll be in five years vibe to it. Only not in so many words. And there's this subtle anxiety that maybe what they have now is just something fleeting, something fragile, that might break, and yes, both of them are scared of that, but then they both begin to feel that neither of them wants it to, and that calms them, because as long they take care of each other, they'll be stronger for it. They know that now. And there's love in their glances and in their smiles and in their movements, and there's ease and comfort. Because they belong. Together. So they stand there, side by side, shoulder to shoulder, both in white shirts, sleeves rolled up, and Dean looks at Cas with everything he's ever felt for this complicated man, and Cas notices but merely smiles that slow, lopsided smile, teasingly flicking water at Dean's face to make him quit staring and at that they share a chuckle. Because they're happy.) 

5. First Kiss comes Last (when for obvious reasons it should've come first. It just goes without saying, right? That this is a thing I want to see. I can honestly say that I don't need an "I love you, Cas" from Dean before this happens. He's always been a man of action anyway so screw verbally expressing his emotions - I want a visual. I need a visual. Just one explicit, horny, explosive, I FUCKING LOVE YOU visual. And it can be in-my-face explosive, or it can be drawn-out-and-heartstoppingly-slow explosive. It can be them separated for half of S13, both working, trying, clawing, cheatinglyingstealing, goddamn murdering to get back to the other, until finally there's running, Dean's running to where Cas is said to be, not daring to believe, but there's that hope that refuses to ever die, that knowledge somewhere inside that says that the angel is his, was always for him, and maybe now finally at long last after all these months, and he reaches a building and runs inside and it's dark and dusty and old and empty, but there are dead demons, eyes burned out, so he pulls out his knife - going stealth mode - and the telltale signs of an angel present makes the longing in his chest feel like it's going to break through his ribs, and if Cas isn't here he doesn't know if he can even handle it, and then he steps through a doorway and his eyes are on the trench coated back of his angel and then Cas turns and their eyes meet and Cas hesitates, he hesitates for only a fraction of a second because he's still not sure what he's supposed to do, and that's it, that's all it takes for Dean to move forward, knife slipping out of his hand, clattering on the floor without him taking any notice at all, and the following second his mouth catches Cas' lips and his hands are grasping either side of Cas' face and his body is against Cas' body and the kiss is deepening into something violent and hungry and breathless and needful, because Dean knows Cas has fought to get here, fought as hard as him, and this is what they’re supposed to do, and Cas’ hands are clutching at his back and Cas is kissing him and Cas is making noises that have Dean backing him up against the nearest wall, mouth traveling down the side of Cas’ throat while his hands undress him, pushing in under the trench coat, down over Cas’ shoulders, the garment dropping to the floor, lips meeting again as Dean’s fingers get to work on the stubborn knot of Cas’ tie and finally he gives up and Cas ends up wearing that tie for only good reasons throughout their lovemaking because that tie comes in very handy more than once, wrapped firmly around Dean’s clutched hand. --- Or maybe the visual isn’t this in-your-face explosive, maybe it’s the other one, maybe it’s the drawn-out-and-heartstoppingly-slow one. Like if they’re separated for half of S13, both working, trying, clawing, cheatinglyingstealing, goddamn murdering to get back to the other, until finally their struggles meet in the middle, leading them to the same place, at the same moment in time, their paths finally crossing, and both are too stunned to even react, and both know now, feel it so acutely, precisely what the other means and how deep the emotions run and even if they don’t say it immediately, neither will let the other go ever again, and Cas comes home to the Bunker, settling back into his room, and that first night, sharing beers with Sam, filling each other in on what they’ve been through so far, Sam waits for either of them, but especially Dean, to tell Cas exactly what they, but especially Dean, have been through to find him, but Dean doesn’t and Sam shakes his head, saying nothing, and goes to bed, and Dean and Cas share another beer, and another, neither ready to say goodnight, and that’s where it starts - the friction; it’s there whenever their eyes meet and linger for a moment longer than necessary, it’s in the urge to stay close to one another, in the impulse to place strategic touches whenever possible, and it doesn’t take long for the friction to begin to grow unbearable, neither knowing how, exactly, to counterweigh it because it’s so addictive, and soon they seem to be touching all the time, even if all they’re doing is passing the other a cup of coffee or a book from the library or the car keys, and those lingering looks are growing more and more filled with their mutual yearning until finally all it takes for Dean to break is Cas smiling at one of his jokes, eyes warming with the mirth, that feeling of connection bringing Dean to lean forward, his lips on Cas’, gently teasing them apart, and with their next breath their arms are wrapped around the other and the kiss is luxuriously deep, and the world is fading and nothing matters but this and they’ve waited so long and now they’re going to take their time to explore................. And then, in the quiet of night, Dean will say “You know I’m crazy about you, right?” and Cas will smile in the dark, and reply “Yes.” and the perfunctory way he says it will make Dean smile and when Cas says “I love you, Dean” it will make Dean so horny that he forgets to be quiet, and Sam starts spending a whole lot more time at Eileen’s.)

I’d very much like to see these things in S13. A girl can dream, right? ;)

[lyndastreaming]

Deke’s Techniques

Title: Deke’s Techniques ID: 789179d7a2766e48952a94501b4700b6 Original Page: Deke’s Techniques Released: 1/13/2011 Duration: 144h 31m Author: Deke McClelland Level: Intermediate Category: Photography Subject Tags: Design Techniques Design Photography Raw Processing Software Tags: Illustrator Photoshop Description: This course is a collection of short Photoshop and Illustrator projects and creative effects that can be completed in ten minutes or less. The series is taught by computer graphics guru Deke McClelland, and presented in his signature step-by-step style. The intent is to reveal how various Photoshop and Illustrator features can be combined and leveraged in real-world examples so that they can be applied to creative projects right away.Note: Because this is an ongoing series, viewers will not receive a certificate of completion.

Course Content: (Please leave comment if course url is broken)

884 Faking a GoPro over-under shot

885 Developing your over-under in Camera Raw

860 Using an iPad as a Sidecar drawing tablet

861 Introducing Adobe Fresco for the iPad

862 Adobe Fresco paints halftone patterns

863 Live brushes in Adobe Fresco

864 Using oil brushes in Adobe Fresco

865 Masking layers in Adobe Fresco

866 Repurposing and inverting masks

867 Vector brushes in Adobe Fresco

868 Opening Fresco art in Photoshop

869 Customizing the Auto Color command

870 Camera Raw 12: Panoramas with fill edges

871 Developing your panorama in Camera Raw

872 Healing with Clone Source plus Diffusion

873 The improved Simplify command in Illustrator 2020

874 Filling in any post-Simplify gaps

875 Posterizing colors, in the style of “Hair”

876 Recoloring art with the Paint Bucket tool

878 Adjusting your poster art dynamically

877 Posterizing colors nondestructively

879 Hiding the Filmstrip in Camera Raw

880 Making an awful photograph awesome

881 What if Rembrandt had painted sea lions?

882 Recolor a freeform gradient in Illustrator

883 Recoloring a gradient using a color group

767 Mandala patterns in Photoshop CC 2019

768 Painting a free-form mandala pattern

769 Painting mandala-style dot patterns

770 Coloring your mandala pattern

771 The final full-color mandala

772 Illustrator CC 2019 new preview mode

773 Illustrator CC 2019 presentation mode

774 Global edit in Illustrator CC 2019

775 Applying a global edit from the control panel

776 Freeform gradients in Illustrator CC 2019

777 Freeform gradients: Points versus lines

778 Freeform gradient limitations

779 Crop and develop a great white shark

780 Sharpening your great white shark

781 Low vibrance and high saturation

782 Vibrance, saturation, and sharpness

783 Actioning a full-color hedcut in Photoshop

784 Recording an action to play all actions

785 Draw something, color the outlines

786 Combining multiple works of line art

787 Group your line art, clip to the group

788 Coloring outside your line art in Photoshop

789 Flip horizontal view in Photoshop CC 2019

790 Creating a White Walker in Photoshop

791 The White Walker begins

792 Giving a guy a digital shave in Photoshop

793 Carving deep wrinkles or scars into skin

794 Shading the White Walker’s deep-set brows

795 Creating pale, lifeless lips in Photoshop

796 Giving your White Walker glowing blue eyes

797 Adding some creepy lifeless pupils

798 Adding a cold and gloomy background

799 Adding cold and brittle snowflakes

800 Using the Transparency Shapes Layer option

801 Combining a radial filter with a range mask

802 Flipping a photograph in Camera Raw

803 An actual dream effect, in Photoshop

804 Augmenting your Photoshop dream

805 Applying distortions as Smart Filters

806 Combining distortions with blend modes

807 Drawing a 24-sided star in negative space

808 Making your star a repeating hex pattern

809 Shading your star pattern in Illustrator

810 Creating a gradient pattern in Illustrator

811 Making one pattern fade into another

812 Welcome to my seamlessly repeating summer

813 Drawing a cubical gobstopper in Illustrator

814 Creating a pattern of gobstoppers

815 Aligning your many gobstoppers

816 Blending line textures in Illustrator

817 Combining object blends with a pattern

818 Carving cubical holes into cubical objects

819 Nesting gradients inside a pattern

820 Drawing 3D isometric arrows in Illustrator

821 Positioning the tips of your arrows

822 Filling in the gaps in a repeating pattern

823 Drawing cartoon teeth aligned to the hair

824 Drawing a triangular cartoon eye

825 Adding windows to the houses pattern

826 Creating a perfectly tessellating pattern

827 Op art experiment 4: Triangle tunnels

828 Expressing your triangles as a hex pattern

829 Adding color to your triangle tunnels

830 Recoloring your triangle tunnels

831 Creating rainbow gradients with blends

832 The downside of using blends in patterns

833 Drawing an impossible trident in Illustrator

834 Shading an impossible trident with gradients

835 Painting paths with opposing gradients

836 Adding impossible shadows in Illustrator

837 Drawing an impossible hex object

838 Creating impossible latticework

839 Painting like Joan Miró in Adobe Sketch

840 Painting a watercolor wash background

841 Signing your artwork like Joan Miró

842 Opening your Sketch artwork in Photoshop

843 Enlarging your Miró to poster size

844 What if Joan Miró had met Jordan Peele?

845 Coloring your terrifying Miró/“Us” scene

846 Painting a Rorschach background

848 What to do when Content-Aware Fill fails?

847 Finishing your “Us” artwork in Photoshop

849 Hand turkey 2019

850 Tracing your actual hand on an iPad

851 Drawing a highly articulated hand

852 Adding color to your hand-drawn hand

853 Painting your hand-drawn fingernails

854 A hand becomes a Thanksgiving hand turkey

855 Painting the turkey’s tail feathers

856 What’s wrong with this drop shadow?

857 Introducing Photoshop for the iPad

858 Photoshop for the iPad: Part 2

859 Photoshop for the iPad: Part 3

669 Customizing a QR code in Photoshop

670 Adding more color to your QR code

671 Coffer illusion and the hidden circles

672 Filling out the hidden circles illusion

673 Shading the panels in a Coffer illusion

674 Drawing a classic “café wall” illusion

675 Skewing your crazy café walls in Illustrator

676 Creating a “magical checkers” illusion

677 Swapping magical checkers for dots

678 Reversing the direction of your illusion

679 Decorating your illusion

680 Adding more and more gizmos

681 Connecting the gizmos wirelessly

682 Drawing a Wi-Fi symbol in Illustrator

683 Drawing the official Bluetooth logo

684 Introducing Trajan Color Concept

685 Trajan Color Concept in Illustrator CC

686 Using stylistic sets in Photoshop CC

687 Using stylistic sets in Illustrator CC

688 Creating gradient molecules in Photoshop

689 Sharpening your very soft molecules

690 Editing your smart-filtered molecules

691 Exploring regular molecule patterns

692 Blending opposing rows of colorful molecules

693 Sharpening molecules with High Pass

694 Creating shimmering cells in Illustrator

695 Turning regular hexagons into organic cells

696 Enhancing your organic cells in Photoshop

697 Making dead cells spring to life

698 Creating letters with accordion extrusions

699 Combining object blends with skews

700 Making one object blend cut through another

701 Making one object blend slice across another

702 Object blends and dynamic distortions in Illustrator

703 Another random distortion: Roughen

704 Dynamic warp distortions: Fish and Twist

705 Adding a dynamic background, part 1

706 Adding a dynamic background, part 2

707 “Quieting down” an overly elaborate design

708 The Marvel disintegration effect

709 Building up more flakes and ashes

710 Enhancing and masking your disintegration

711 Turning your flakes into dull, dead ash

712 Jogging your memory with the Note tool

713 Contour mapping with Distort > Displace

714 Contour map + gradient map

715 Contour map + arbitrary map

716 Riffing on a contour map in Photoshop

717 Smoothing out jagged contour lines

718 Contour mapping for cash in Photoshop

719 Infusing an image with the color of money

720 Simulating an adjustment layer in Illustrator

721 Drawing a stylish computer key

722 Spelling a word in computer keys

723 Creating a faux hedcut in Photoshop

724 Tracing outlines around your hedcut

725 Creating a full-color hedcut effect

726 Creating an E.T. moon in Photoshop

727 Adding a forest of trees for your E.T. moon

728 Combining the best of E.T. and Jurassic Park

729 Tracing vectors with a universal glow

730 Creative uses for Content-Aware Fill

731 Creating a porthole to a far-away galaxy

732 Enhancing your crazy space porthole

733 Creating a galaxy of rushing stars

734 Using the Puppet Warp tool in Illustrator CC

735 Illustrator Puppet Warp tips and tricks

736 Puppet-Warping very complicated selections

737 Shift-P for Puppet Warp!

738 Introducing the Pentagon Patterns

739 Types 1–5: The Reinhardt pentagons

740 Types 6–8: The Kershner pentagons

741 Type 10: The James pentagon

742 Types 9, 11, 12, and 13: The Rice pentagons

743 Type 14: The Stein pentagon

744 Creating a type 15 pentagon in Illustrator

745 Tessellating your type 15 pentagon

746 Expressing pentagons as proper tile patterns

747 Applying and modifying a tile pattern

748 Combining complementary patterns

749 Combining a tile pattern with a photograph

750 Adjusting a tile pattern to fit its photo

751 Creating a creepy Candy Keeper in Photoshop

752 Enhancing the Candy Keeper text

753 Creating an old monster movie poster

754 Adding a monochrome halftone effect

755 Enhancing a special word, such as “Haunted”

756 Cheating letters into an ancient border

757 Naming an adjustment layer as you create it

758 Under the sea in strict monochrome

759 Backscatter and split toning

760 Sampling any color outside Photoshop

761 Designing a vector-based logo in Photoshop

762 Free-transforming shape layers

763 Adding a photo element to your vector logo

764 High-resolution snowflakes in Photoshop

765 Enhancing your big, juicy snowflakes

766 Adding a snowflake bokeh “on the lens”

576 Creating a two-way portrait in Photoshop CC

577 Quick-and-dirty chalk type in Photoshop

578 Creating spray-painted stencil type

579 Adding drips to your spray-paint type

580 Symbols and spaces in Illustrator CC 2017

581 The wacky world of live polygons

582 Creating custom arrowheads in Illustrator

583 Creating custom line caps in Illustrator

584 Creating tinted arrowheads in Illustrator

585 Designing multicolor arrowheads

586 Multicolor arrowheads emojis

587 Customizing a new document in Illustrator

588 Creating trendy Twirl art in Photoshop

589 Creating symmetrical Twirl art

590 Turning a face into a piece of Twirl art

591 Increasing the resolution of your Twirl art

592 Capturing a screen that can’t be captured

593 Adding color and grid lines to a histogram

594 Creating an LCD screen effect in Photoshop

595 Mastering Adobe Illustrator 88

596 Fixing jagged Illustrator art in Photoshop

597 Fixing problems with an AI smart object

598 Center-stroking letters in Illustrator

599 Hand-drawing inline character strokes

600 Cropping inline strokes with an opacity mask

601 Oodles of differently angled screw heads

602 Creating dynamic inlines using Offset Path

603 Drawing a half circle in Keynote

604 Using the Pen tool in Keynote

605 Auto-stitching scanned artwork in Photoshop

606 Auto-trimming without clipping artwork

607 Creating crinkled paper with Clouds

608 Making your crinkled paper even crinklier

609 Bringing back Refine Mask in Photoshop CC

610 Power up with dekeKeys for Photoshop CC

611 Creating your own shortcuts in Photoshop

612 Every keyboard shortcut for Photoshop CC

613 Creating a multipage doc in Photoshop CC

614 Photoshop CC artboard tips and tricks

615 Exporting a multipage PDF from Photoshop CC

617 Photoshop Clouds pattern variations

616 Seamless patterns with the Clouds filter

618 Healing with a pattern in Photoshop

619 Creating a vector-based gradient mask in Photoshop

620 Creating a multicolor vignette in Photoshop

621 Excluding elements from your custom vignette

622 Masking like a pro with Photoshop’s Pen tool

623 Contrast: bright image, dark background

624 Tattoo your face in Photoshop

625 Drawing tattoos with the Pen tool

626 Selecting and masking eyes in Photoshop

627 Selecting and masking ruby-red lips

628 Pasting Photoshop paths into Illustrator

631 The 2017 American Solar Eclipse

632 Smoothing out a noisy universe in Photoshop

633 Designing an intriguing cube logo

634 Stroking your logo with mitered corners

635 Turning an orthogonal cube into a pattern

636 Turning a photo into a Chuck Close effect

637 Making a seamless pattern of paint splotches

638 Imbuing your Chuck Close effect with color

639 Infusing more colors into the midtones

640 Creating a wrapped logo in Illustrator

641 Enhancing your wrapped logo

642 Creating a gently blanketed logo

643 Completing your gently blanketed logo

644 Modify a TIFF clipping path in Illustrator

645 Modify an EPS clipping path in Illustrator

646 The best way to mask an image in Illustrator

647 Dr. Frankenstein’s monstrous emoji

648 Frankenstein’s emoji’s eyelids and brow

649 Frankenstein’s emoji’s rippling hair

650 Frankenstein’s emoji’s mouth and scar

651 Frankenstein’s emoji’s iconic neck bolts

652 Drawing HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey

653 Adding realistic reflections to HAL’s eye

654 Op art experiment 3a: Volumetric waves

655 Op art experiment 3b: Rolling windows

656 Create a concentric ring logo in Illustrator

657 Create an octagon of concentric rings

658 Automatically converting circles to diamonds

659 Drawing a perfect snowflake in Illustrator

660 Adding lines to your snowflake pattern

661 Enhancing a perfect snowflake in Photoshop

662 Editing a smart snowflake in Illustrator

663 Creating a gradient sunset in Photoshop

664 Simulate a total solar eclipse in Camera Raw

665 Celebrating the winter solstice at Carhenge

666 Adding a time lapse of partial eclipses

667 Oh Illustrator, where is your Control panel?

668 Downsizing the massive Properties panel

486 Creating high-resolution ice type in Photoshop

487 Editing type inside a nested smart object

488 Introducing PixelSquid: 3D for 2D designers

489 Creating your own Jurassic Park in Photoshop

490 Lighting up a dinosaur’s eyes and teeth

491 Combining Field Blur with a depth mask

492 Helping your dinosaur escape to the big city

493 War of the Worlds: The sun attacks!

494 Weaving tendrils of lightning into a cloud

495 Turning off Live Rectangle widgets in Illustrator CC

496 More Live Shapes: ellipses and polygons

497 Turning off the new CC Start screen

498 Correcting shadows with Dehaze

499 Creating an infrared/snow effect in Photoshop

500 Creating a custom angry emoji in Illustrator

501 Adjusting your emoji to match Apple’s style

502 Exporting your emoji as a device-compatible PNG file

503 Elongating a snake in Photoshop

504 Blackening an animal to create a silhouette

505 Two ways to select a silhouette in Photoshop

506 Moving and scaling a selection outline

507 Auto-tracing a masterpiece in Illustrator

508 Drawing a dynamic atom symbol in Illustrator

509 Rotating your atom with electrons intact

510 Applying Knockout Group to a dynamic path

511 Solving the world’s problems with Illustrator’s Rasterize effect

512 Blending multiple shots to better frame a photo

513 Rebuilding an octopus’s garden

514 Turning a logo into a star in Illustrator

515 Dressing up your logo star

516 Using chromatic-style fonts in Illustrator

517 Using chromatic-style fonts in Photoshop

518 Casting 3D font shadows in Illustrator

519 Creating a pattern in Adobe Capture

520 Bringing Capture patterns into Photoshop

521 Creating an authentic Möbius strip in Illustrator

522 Coloring the Möbius strip with Live Paint

523 Shading your authentic Möbius strip with gradients

524 Masking a Tilt-Shift landscape in Photoshop

525 Combining Multiple Group Photos

526 Introducing Adobe Photoshop Sketch

527 More fun with Adobe Sketch

528 Tracing a photograph in Adobe Sketch

529 Tracing facial features with the Ink Pen

530 Painting with the Blend and Combine modes

531 Lips, eyes, and specular highlights

532 Painting hair with Pencil and Marker Brush

533 Blending a photo with your Sketch art

534 Tweening a layer’s position and opacity

535 Tweening new layers across existing frames

536 Turning the world upside-down in Photoshop

537 Zooming thru the universe with Photoshop

538 Turning a panorama into a tiny planet

629 Drawing a kern-perfect logo in Illustrator

630 More kern-perfect, now with overlap

539 Adding depth and shading to your tiny planet

540 Rendering a person in chrome

541 Creating a fiery blast in Photoshop

542 Rendering a person in liquid metal

543 Creating a better screen shot

544 Recording a screen shot action

545 Drawing a bacterium with Gradient Mesh

546 Drawing randomly waving pili (or hairs)

547 How Bézier curves really truly work

548 Drawing Bézier time and tangent lines

549 Drawing a complex network of lattice lines

550 How many dots can you see at once?

551 Creating a scintillating grid in Illustrator

552 The two-thirds rule of Bézier curves

553 Creating a classic neon sign in Illustrator

554 Adding real-world neon light fluctuations

555 Connecting neon letters with dark blockouts

556 Creating photorealistic neon in Photoshop

557 Photoshop CC’s top-secret banana tool

558 Toast and transient witticisms (Easter eggs)

559 Creating a hovering head in Photoshop

560 Connecting head and neck with a grisly spine

561 Projecting simple shapes into 3D perspective

562 Creating an American flag in Photoshop

563 Creating a field of 50 evenly spaced stars

564 Designing an M.C. Escher-like tessellation

565 Completing your Escher-inspired creature

566 Making an M.C. Escher-inspired hex pattern

567 Designing matching pattern variations

568 Creating a Doctor Strange–like mirror world

569 Replacing one mirror world with others

570 Creating wildly purple supervillain eyes

571 Adding ominous crystallized skin texture

572 Creating embroidered type in Photoshop

573 Stitching the letters in a script font

574 Cheerful holiday trees in Photoshop CC

575 Lighting your holiday trees in Photoshop CC

377 Two ways to create center guides in Photoshop

378 A new way to create center guides in Photoshop CC

379 Two ways to create center guides in Illustrator

380 Clearing the list of recently used fonts in InDesign

381 Two ways to search fonts in InDesign CC

382 Drawing flowering vectors in Illustrator

383 Stroking the petals to create a lattice effect

384 Creating a flowering origami effect

385 Painting shapes with transitional gradients

386 Correcting the brightness and banding of a printed image

387 Further reducing banding with a gradient layer

388 Smoothing away noise with the Mean stack mode

389 Developing a sweetly romantic tropical island

390 Creating a Caribbean blue sea with Photo Filter

391 Creating letters chiseled into stone

392 Adding a chiseled border

393 Assembling MRI slices into a 3D volume

394 Assigning multiple strokes to gradient type in Illustrator

395 Filling in the gaps between stroked letters

396 Fragmenting a photo through ribbed glass

397 Applying a displacement map with the Glass filter

398 Infusing an image with vivid nightclub colors

399 Adding MDNA-inspired bands of color

400 Patching badly displaced edges

401 Styling type with a pattern of vertical lines

402 Reshaping letterforms to match the intervals of a pattern

403 Swapping one image for another with smart objects

404 Forging a million-dollar stamp in Photoshop

405 Masking graphic frames and natural edges

406 Matching a real-world paper texture

407 Casting multiple drop shadows in Photoshop

408 Developing an awesome angelfish in Camera Raw

409 Tweaking a fish photo to perfection

410 Assigning spot colors to a logo in Photoshop

411 Blending spot colors inside a logo

412 Exporting spot-color separations from Photoshop

413 Exporting spot-color separations from Illustrator

414 The latest and greatest 2015 Facebook image specifications

415 Creating the perfect Facebook cover photo 2015

416 Extending your profile picture into your Facebook cover photo

417 Preparing images for your Facebook timeline

418 Converting all corner points in a drawing to smooth points

419 Adding field blurs to a vector-based illustration

420 Great uses for Color and Gradient Overlay

421 Easter Island

422 Creating a string of pearls in Illustrator

423 Drawing a letter to match a dingbat font

424 Assembling an interior, vertical panorama

425 Developing a dark and stormy photo in Photoshop

426 Developing a dark and stormy photo in Lightroom

427 Sharpening your dark and stormy photo for print

428 Auto-blending multiple depths of field

429 Assigning multiple strokes in Photoshop CC 2015

430 Combining multiple drop shadows to create faux-3D type

431 Combining multiple Color and Gradient Overlay effects

432 Removing unwanted perspective from a photo

433 Correcting the perspective of a single image element

434 Extracting an unmodified photo from a Smart Object

435 Extracting a raw photo from a Smart Object

436 Orthogonal pattern 1: The boxed towers

437 Repeating a tile pattern Brick by Row

438 Refining the color scheme of your tile pattern

439 Orthogonal pattern 2: Which way is up?

440 Upping the number of colors in a dynamic pattern

441 Achieving real pointillism with the Pointillize filter

442 Adding Emboss to give your painting depth

443 Blending multiple motion photos

444 Creating a wildly colorful High Pass effect

445 Correct in Lab and leave a smooth histogram

446 Combining the best of Lab and Camera Raw

447 Wrapping a gradient around a circle in Illustrator

448 Blending gradients with the Saturation blend mode

449 Using the Join tool in Illustrator CC

450 Using Illustrator’s Shape Builder tool

451 Wrapping text around a graphic in Illustrator

452 Curly quotes and the Smart Punctuation command

453 Creating the perfect smartphone home/lock screen

454 Creating a smartphone graphic in Photoshop

455 Islamic design 1: Flirting with geometric genius

456 Islamic design 2: The eight eight-pointed stars

457 Islamic design 3: Connecting the pieces

458 Islamic design 4: Completing the corners

459 Islamic design 5: Coloring and sculpting

460 Islamic design 6: Photoshopping the pattern

461 Creating a bat-faced moon in Photoshop

462 Cartoon bat 1: Drawing the head

463 Cartoon bat 2: Drawing the bodies

464 Cartooning the moon!

465 Changing a daytime scene to night

466 Lighting up the windows of a dark mansion

467 Adding a moon to a nighttime sky

468 Adding a ghost to your haunted mansion

469 Creating a custom Dual Brush in Photoshop

470 Adding texture to your custom brush

471 Framing a photo with a custom brush

472 Creating place cards for your holiday dinner

473 Tracing your guests with the new Pencil tool

474 Coloring your guests with the Live Paint Bucket

475 Drawing a custom coloring-book place card

476 Drawing a generic male place card

477 Coloring your cartoon place cards in Illustrator

478 Removing power lines from a photo

479 Turning a utility pole into a tree trunk

480 Creating candy cane type in Photoshop

481 The seamlessly repeating candy cane pattern

482 Adding snow to your holiday design

483 Making a little boy fly in Photoshop

484 Creating blast trails with Motion Blur

485 Masking clouds with the Quick Selection tool

282 Ringing in the New Year with dynamic effects in Illustrator

283 Dynamically transforming fills and strokes

284 Tracing an avatar from a photograph in Photoshop

285 Drawing a vector-based avatar in Illustrator

286 Coloring and shading your avatar

287 Exporting an illustration as a universally supported PNG file

288 Upsampling a layered composition with great results

289 Rebuilding a pattern at a higher resolution

290 Painting happy little trees

291 Shading and lighting the happy forest

292 Enlarging a low-res photograph in Photoshop

293 Enlarging a photo by tracing it in Illustrator

294 Mastering Exposure in Camera Raw

295 Super smooth and unflinchingly sharp

296 Deleting an inadvertent photo bomber

297 Correcting a distorted panorama

298 Rebuilding bad stitching in a panorama

299 Nondestructive dodge and burn

300 Blending a shadow into any background

301 Saving a PNG image with a translucent shadow

302 Cleaning up a smart phone photo

303 Using Photoshop 1.0

304 Creating your own Chinese seal (or chop)

305 Simulating hand lettering with art brushes

306 Adding texture to your hand stamp

307 Creating a black chop on red paper

308 Auto-hiding iconic panels in Photoshop

309 Creating a custom toolbox in Illustrator CC

310 Creating the perfect passport photo

311 Retouching your passport photo

312 Turning a photo into a giant mural

313 Enhancing the reality of your mural

314 Creating a 3D bump map

315 UV overlay and 3D bump paint

316 Using Lens Flare for good (not evil)

317 Using the Perspective Crop tool

318 Reducing real-world camera shake

319 Reducing glare in a photograph

320 Restoring repeating details

321 Integrating a detail captured with a phone

322 Blending two exposures of a single scene

323 Masking mountains away from sky

324 Creating a photographic caricature in Photoshop

325 Exaggerating facial features with Liquify

326 Masking a caricature against a new background

327 Shading and sharpening a caricature

328 Drawing a Möbius strip in Illustrator

329 Shading the Möbius strip with gradients

330 Adding twisting edges to the Möbius strip

331 Creating an impossible Penrose triangle

332 Shading the cubes in your Penrose triangle

333 Selectively converting a photo to black & white

334 Straightening and “uncropping” a photo

335 Restoring a missing photograph detail

336 Drawing a hand (clenched in a fist)

337 Cleaning up a sketch captured with a phone

338 Four hands united in brotherhood, solidarity, and teamwork

339 Swapping out colors in existing gradients in Illustrator

340 Select > Focus Area and the pseudo engraving effect

341 Integrating 3D art into a 2D scene in Photoshop

342 Creating a 3D shark in Photoshop

343 Creating a 3D doughnut in Illustrator

344 Creating a golden 3D ring in Illustrator

345 Mapping Elven runes (or text) onto a 3D ring

346 Hand-drawing custom-made letters in Illustrator

347 Drawing letters with curves and holes

348 Enhancing your hand-drawn text in Photoshop

349 Mixing a low-color photo with Camera Raw

350 Mixing a low-color photo with adjustment layers

351 Saving your effect as a color lookup table

352 Extracting a classic painting from its frame

353 Extracting that same painting nondestructively

354 Archiving and enhancing a child’s art

355 Combining a child’s art with a real classic

356 Developing the perfect sunset in Camera Raw

357 Lush landscapes: The real green is yellow

358 Painting away Camera Raw “Clarity halos”

359 Selectively sharpening a stressed photograph

360 Transforming yourself into a Dark Elf

361 Hand-masking the elf against a vivid background

362 Making the Dark Elf that much darker

363 Developing a photograph of The Joker

364 Carving expression lines into The Joker’s face

365 Creating a campaign poster in Illustrator

366 Creating a Prohibition (or Universal No) symbol

367 Using Photoshop CC’s new Flame Generator

368 Creating cool Flame Generator art

369 Setting type on fire with the Flame Generator

370 Blending synthetic flames with type

371 Creating secret-message type in Photoshop

372 Animating a continuously morphing message

373 Creating a piece of Minecraft-inspired art

374 Extruding your Minecraft art into 3D space

375 Adding a big-pixel, Minecraft background

376 Developing the perfect holiday portrait

185 Creating a custom 2013 calendar in Illustrator

186 Adding dates to a calendar using tables

187 Branding your calendar with a field of logos

188 Crafting an Infinity symbol to match a specific font

189 Op art experiment 1a: Inflated checkers

190 Op art experiment 1b: Rounded windows

191 Building a universal ISOTYPE man with strokes

192 Building a universal ISOTYPE woman with strokes

193 Drawing an ISOTYPE couple in love

194 Creating a Warhol-style silkscreen effect

195 Creating a series of Warhol-style variations

196 Adding Warhol-style background variations

197 Creating opaque colored shadows

198 Assembling multiple variations into a single comp

199 Creating a pattern of unique inset circles

200 Changing a static blended color scheme

201 Op art experiment 2a: Undulating pattern

202 Op art experiment 2b: Concentric rings

203 Developing a dramatic castle in Camera Raw

204 Artificially coloring a photo in Camera Raw

205 Creating an antique photo effect in Camera Raw

206 Adding a weathered old-photo frame effect

207 Drawing an Angry Birds-like character

208 Stroking an entire layer in Illustrator

209 Drawing a classic snarling cartoon face

210 Drawing a radiant, cheerful cartoon background

211 Stroking any kind of type in Illustrator

212 Creating synthetic water droplets

213 Simulating liquid reflections with effect

214 Simulating liquid refractions with a dmap

215 Creating an eye-catching splatter effect

216 Defringing purples and greens in Camera Raw 7

217 Making a danger sign more dangerous

218 Using texture and depth to add realism

219 Precisely aligning artwork to the bleed

220 Creating and importing a tracing template

221 Drawing a distinctive 2D video game character

222 Adding features to the face of a 2D character

223 Creating a vivid aura around an entire character

224 Adding variable-width strokes in Illustrator

225 Animating bird wings with Puppet Warp

226 Animating text by onion skinning in Photoshop

227 Creating an animated movie in Photoshop

228 Exporting an animation to QuickTime and GIF

229 Correcting an underwater photograph

230 Making a photo razor-sharp and porcelain-smooth

231 Reducing noise in a high-ISO shot with Camera Raw

232 Creating highly reflective sunglasses

233 Adding drama to an outdoor portrait shot

234 Creating volumetric forms with shape layers

235 Creating a bloodshot eye effect

236 Shading an image with shapes and layer masks

237 Creating fabric textures with pattern layers

238 Colorize any layer with Color Overlay

239 Turning a portrait into a dot drawing

240 Creating a full-color dot drawing

241 Drawing an orthogonal cube with the line tool

242 Creating a cube of differently colored cubes

243 Recreating the Creative Cloud Logo in Illustrator

244 Creating a psychedelic fabric texture

245 Turning psychedelic fabric into rock letters

246 Creating a more finely rendered dot drawing

247 Converting from RGB to CMYK via Multichannel

248 Creating printer-safe CMYK shadows

249 Creating bright, golden motion trails

250 Creating schematic art with grid

251 Drawing precisely aligned arrowhead

252 Adding arrowheads around a closed path

253 Drawing the Pen tool without touching the Pen tool

254 Merging frames for the best possible UAV photo

255 Retouching details in an aerial landscape

256 Editing a video and adding transitions in Photoshop

257 Importing the quadcopter crash sequences

258 Color correcting a video and adding a soundtrack

259 Adding precisely timed titles to your video

260 Hand-painting an image with a Wacom Cintiq

261 Blending the final false-color artwork

262 Creating a honeycomb pattern in Illustrator

263 Building up strokes to create 3D honeycomb

264 Turning yourself into a zombie

265 Enhancing an ambience environment for the undead

266 Creating dripping, gooey ghost letters

267 Turning type into gooey green slime

268 Creating heavy metal type (updated for Photoshop CS6 and CC)

269 Cleaning up a crummy product shot

270 Scaling and rotating photographic objects

271 Tracing a line drawing with uniform strokes

272 Coloring line art using Live Paint Bucket

273 Creating a pigture using shapes and letters

274 Integrating a cartoon into a photograph

275 Converting a photo into a Lichtenstein drawing

276 Adding bring Ben-Day dots and a talk balloon

277 Painting an eye using a custom brush

278 Painting and smoothing straight-sided brushstrokes

279 Simulating pressure with path outlines

280 Developing a 32-bit HDR image in Camera Raw

281 Converting from 32-bit to the more flexible 8-bit mode

091 Removing people from a photo

092 Masking people back into a photo

093 Hand-painting a mask

094 Masking a real-life shadow

095 Turning a photo into line art

096 Adding a crosshatch shading pattern

097 Creating type that inverts anything behind it

098 Creating auto-inverting line art

099 Creating movie poster credits

100 Creating a dual-focus hybrid image

101 Adding text to a hybrid composition

102 Drawing with the reshape tool

103 Hand-drawing a really great letter

104 Creating a vanity frame

105 Adding a frame to a photograph

106 Drawing a highly graphic explosion with Illustrator

107 Drawing a Ninja Turtle nose

108 Mapping a dog face onto a duck

109 Putting a tongue on a duck

110 Making synthetic lightning in Photoshop

111 Creating a driving rain effect in Photoshop

112 Designing a railroad track

113 Bending the railroad track around curves

114 Creating a Star Wars hologram effect

115 Creating leafy letters

116 Creating topiary type

117 Creating type in grass

118 Rendering type in smoke

119 Rendering type in brushed metal

120 Adding brushed copper effect

121 Reflecting type in water

122 Reflecting water back into type

123 Joining type to a circle

124 Making flared type on a circle

125 Making a person emerge from water

126 Creating progressive water ripples

127 Creating an upside-down face effect

128 Achieving silky smooth skin with retouching

129 Pearly white teeth

130 Head-shrinking

131 Getting a big head

132 Adding a photographic texture to vector type

133 Adding strokes in back of photo type

134 Adding a border to an image in Illustrator

135 Two ways to crop in Illustrator

136 Inventing a 3D temple with a depth map

137 Drawing a 3D object with Curves

138 Creating a superhero shield in Illustrator

139 Turning Illustrator paths into Photoshop shapes

140 Creating a photorealistic superhero shield

141 Pimping your ride in Photoshop

142 Masking and blackening a car

143 Drawing a multi-part vector mask

144 Masking and painting a shadow

145 Integrating blades of grass into tires

146 Making a (ridiculously) dramatic sky

147 Adding flame stripes to a car

148 Creating interlocking octagons in Illustrator

149 Hand-coloring line art

150 Creating a custom wave pattern

151 Simulating a screen print

152 Drawing a perfect linear spiral in Illustrator

153 Drawing a spiraling nautilus shell

154 Designing a hex pattern in Illustrator CS6

155 Making a hex pattern in Illustrator CS5 and earlier

156 Creating a Facebook cover in Photoshop

157 Matching a profile picture to your cover

158 Cloning yourself in Photoshop

159 Lighting the clone party

160 Hand-carving letters into wood

161 Creating a Spirograph-like pattern

162 Tracing scalloped gear teeth around a circle

163 Applying custom carve and shadow styles to type

164 Turning a pencil sketch into digital ink

165 Adding a graph-paper background

166 Creating a continuous single-line Spirograph

167 Scaling circles into complex patterns

168 Creating a money-like design

169 Attack of the killer pumpkin

170 Simulating a glowing Jack-o-lantern

171 The headless stranger in the mist

172 Creating 3D punched letters

173 Designing a double-wave line pattern

174 Assembling a seamless pattern brush

175 Creating a hand turkey in Photoshop

176 Creating a depth-of-field cast shadow

177 Creating a lustrous round jewel

178 Cutting and brushing light on a gem

179 Creating a shiny button with inset text

180 Creating a jaunty six-sided star

181 Interweaving star shapes and adding gradients

182 Casting shadows between interwoven shapes

183 Creating a Hobbit-like text effect

184 Enhancing a landscape photo in Camera Raw 7

001 Creating ice type

002 Branding type on a texture

003 Creating an image-branding machine

004 Capturing effects with layer comps

005 Rendering type in gold

006 Creating a hammered metal background

007 Creating heavy metal type

008 Creating a molten letter effect

009 Setting type on fire

010 Using an anti-edge mask

011 Blending textures onto a face

012 Rendering a face as a cave painting

013 Creating a reflection in shattered glass

014 Creating a face in a tree

015 Building a synthetic star field

016 Making 3D type with Repoussé

017 Casting 3D shadows and reflections

018 Adjusting 3D light sources

019 Masking highlights and shadows

020 Masking glass

021 High key high contrast

022 Simulating sub-pixel rendering

023 Fixing chromatic aberrations in Photoshop

024 Fixing chromatic aberrations in Camera Raw

025 Correcting red-eye like a pro

026 Turning a photo into an ink drawing

027 Turning a photo into a pencil sketch

028 Creating a seamlessly repeating pattern

029 Repairing seams in a repeating pattern

030 Creating a 3D pie chart

031 Splitting and modifying 3D meshes

032 Using the Ground Plane Shadow Catcher

033 Creating a talk show-style curtain

034 Assembling a flawless panorama

035 Removing people with image stacks

036 Creative stacking with Maximum and Range

037 Creating synthetic wood grain

038 Making slats of uniquely textured wood

039 Kerning within a single character

040 Creating a raised bevel effect

041 Putting wings on a horse

042 Creating a classic heart in Illustrator

043 Glossing up a heart in Photoshop

044 Shooting and assembling a stereoscopic photo

045 Extending 3D beyond the screen plane

046 Adding stereo 3D text and shapes

047 Tilting text and shapes toward the viewer

048 Creating a shooting star in Illustrator

049 Using blends to draw path outlines

050 Inventing custom starbursts

051 Making a fictional creature

052 Transforming a creature into a monster

053 Capturing a monster in motion

054 Changing the color of a car

055 Painting a colorful car black

056 Coloring the stripes on a zebra

057 Drawing trendy swirls in Illustrator

058 Creating variable-width and brushed swirls

059 Drawing trendy ornaments in Illustrator

060 Designing a magically updating pattern

061 Automatically collapsing a selection

062 Adding a magnifying glass into a design

063 Healing one eye onto another

064 Creating a giant command key

065 Drawing common symbols part 1

066 Drawing common symbols part 2

067 Filtering images with Camera Raw

068 Creating a vivid HDR effect

069 Creating an ambigram in Illustrator

070 Making a two-word ambigram

071 Drawing a Halloween scareflake

072 Creating true clones in Illustrator

073 Taking your scareflakes into Photoshop

074 Making a faux HDR image in Lab

075 Turning a guy into a zombie

076 Miniaturizing the world in Photoshop

077 Creating a synthetic rainbow

078 Casting an artificial shadow from a layer

079 Rendering a portrait in type

080 Rendering a portrait in tile patterns

081 Rotating a pattern layer in Photoshop

082 Tracing an image with path outlines

083 Turning path outlines into a vector mask

084 Drawing rays of light in Photoshop

085 Drawing concentric glow rings

086 Designing an Indiana Jones-style logo

087 Achieving mitered corners in Photoshop

088 Masking with Blunt Instruments in Photoshop

089 Creating a stained-glass ornament

090 Designing a stained-glass window

The post Deke’s Techniques appeared first on Lyndastreaming.

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[actutrends]

The DeanBeat: My favorite games of 2019

Games grew to a $148.8 billion market in 2019, up 9.6% from 2018 and reaching over 2.5 billion people across the globe. Console games, the lion’s share of the industry a decade earlier, were smaller than mobile games in 2019, a continuation of a multi-year trend, according to research firm Newzoo.

We watched the further growth of esports and game watching expand this year, and we saw the introduction of subscription gaming for Apple Arcade, Google Play, and Google Stadia’s cloud gaming service. Hyper-casual mobile games that last 30 seconds emerged, but big mobile titles like Call of Duty: Mobile emerged to hold their own against the nanosecond attention spans.

I didn’t think we could match last year’s brilliant titles such as Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Marvel’s Spider-Man. For me, last year was the triumph of traditional narrative triple-A games that blended open worlds with deep narratives.

But the highest end of the industry didn’t rest on its laurels in 2019. As usual, I didn’t have enough time to play it all. But I enjoyed everything across the board, from Sandbox VR’s Star Trek: Discovery — Away Mission virtual reality experience to episodic games like Life is Strange 2 to mobile titles like Call of Duty: Mobile and Apple Arcade’s Where Cards Fall. I re-engaged with favorite maps from years past in Call of Duty: Mobile and plunged into battle royale maps with squadmates in the multiplayer action of Apex Legends. And I was scared out of my wits playing titles like The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan.

It felt like I had less time to explore indie experiences that my peers played, so I wasn’t the first to stumble on titles like Untitled Goose Game. But I enjoyed delving into my own passions, such as the World War II real-time strategy game Steel Battalion 2 from Eugen Systems, where I could zoom in on a single tank in a battle or pan out to see an entire division marching across the Russian landscapes. Toward the end of the year, I rushed to finish titles such as Remedy’s Control and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.

For the sake of comparison, here are my favorites from 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011. In each story below, the links go to our full reviews or major stories about the games. And be sure to check out the GamesBeat staff’s own votes for Game of the Year and the best individual favorites of the staff soon.

Check out our Reviews Vault for past game reviews.

10) Sayonara Wild Hearts

Above: Sayonara Wild Hearts takes you on an impossibly fast ride.

Image Credit: Annapurna

Developer: Simogo Publisher: Annapuana Interactive, iam8bit Platforms: Apple Arcade/iOS, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Windows, MacOS, tvOS

I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this dream-like game, as music games don’t usually get me dancing. But Sayonara Wild Hearts has an artsy combination of dance-fighting, pop music, and high-speed motorcycle chases that clicked for me. I played it on an iPhone with Apple Arcade‘s $5 a month subscription platform, and I used a Rotor Riot wired game controller to play it rather than brave the untrustworthy touchscreen. You can also play it on an iPad or Apple TV.

It’s a high-adrenaline game where you tap, jump, and maneuver to collect little hearts in a beautiful neon-and-black landscape. And it isn’t that long with 23 levels. The neon-on-black art is beautiful. It’s hard to believe a small game studio put it together, because the art is so well-crafted. There isn’t much of a story, but the developers tell you what you need to know.

In Sayonara Wild Hearts, you play as a young woman who suffers a heartbreak. A tarot card pops up and dubs her The Fool, transporting her into an alternate universe. She sets out to restore the harmony of the universe hidden away in the hearts of her enemies. As you take control of The Fool, you speed along on a motorcycle within a tunnel-like view of the horizon.

The fusion of music and gameplay reminds me of music games like Rez from 2001 or that wacky and artistic “Take On Me” music video by A-Ha in 1985. The gameplay in Sayonara Wild Hearts seems impossible, and it takes a lot of skill to avoid crashing. But it’s whimsical and forgiving at the same time, as you can start up right where you crashed to try again. I thought songs like Begin Again were catchy and hard to get out of my head. I’m not going to say that this was far better than many of the triple-A games that debuted this year, but this is my nod in the direction of creativity, fun, and the indie spirit on mobile devices.

9) Rage 2

Above: Rage 2 couldn’t fight the dying of the light.

Image Credit: Bethesda

Developer: Avalanche Studios and id Software Publisher: Bethesda Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows

When id Software’s Tim Willits visited Avalanche Studios in Stockholm, he told his new compadres to ignore constraints. “When I met with the team in Stockholm on the whiteboard, “More crazy than Rage” That was the first pillar of this game,” Willits said.

And he got what he asked for. Rage 2 didn’t get the best reviews, but I thought it was underrated, as I played it through the end of the single-player campaign and played a lot of silly side missions as well. Rage 2 had a lot of environments, ranging from the Mad Max-style desert to jungles and cities. The script was a bit weak, but the enemies were tough and the weapons were glorious. The “nanotrite” capabilities that you discovered along the way are critical to defeating the biggest bosses. The art style was absolutely wild, with plenty of bright pink and yellow colors splashed across the punk habitats. And I enjoyed reuniting with my old friend, the Wingstick, which is like a boomerang that could slice an enemy’s head off.

If it had flaws, it was that it wasn’t Red Dead Redemption 2. It often littered the landscape with side missions and enemies to kill, to no purpose. You could get damaged on your way to an important mission, and then have to figure out a way to recover. It’s good if you stayed on track, built your capabilities up, and stuck to the good stuff.

The final part of the game lasted a lot longer for me because I had trouble taking down General Cross, the bad guy, and his pet monster. But to me, it was a thrill when I finally succeeded.

8) Days Gone

Above: A horde of Freakers chases Deacon St. John in Days Gone.

Image Credit: Sony

Developer: Sony Bend Studio Publisher: Sony Platforms: PlayStation 4

The amazing success of its first Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) hampered this game, as did a couple of years of delays. By the time it came out, many were sick of it, and it suffered from having some of the worst bugs I’ve ever seen in a triple-A game. Others wrong wrote it off as a copycat of The Walking Dead, World War Z, and The Last of Us.

But I admired Sony’s guts in standing by Bend Studio, and I stuck by it too as my colleagues ragged on it. I played it for perhaps 50 hours over several weeks, and I was quite possibly the last critic to review the game. I rated it only as a 75, because of the bugs. But without them, it would have been more like a 90, based on the quality of its story and the thrill of fighting the hordes of zombies, or Freakers.

I was drawn to the story of Deacon St. John, a bounty hunter in the Oregon woods and a broken man in a fallen world. He had a death wish and could ride a motorcycle through a horde of zombies just to get them to chase him. But Bend Studio delivered on the big scene where a few hundred zombies chased the biker through an abandoned lumber mill. It was a thrill to figure out how to beat that challenge, and I was hooked on the story of how Deacon was haunted by the memory of his lost love Sarah.

The adventure took me across the beautiful Oregon landscape into horrifying creature battles, motorcycle chases, infected crows, memorable horde battles, stealth missions tracking the secretive government agency, and just plain-old surviving in the wilderness. It was kind of an art to orchestrate your escape from several hundred Freakers. And it was good to see Deacon change and become the person that Sarah would have wanted him to be.

7) Steel Division 2

Above: Your forces appear as icons when you zoom out in Steel Division 2.

Image Credit: Eugen Systems

Developer: Eugen Systems Publisher: Eugen Systems Platforms: Windows 

There are no Metacritic reviews for Steel Battalion 2. I may have been the only one who played it. But I saw the game being played on YouTube by some dedicated influencers with tiny audiences. And I was fascinated. I’ve been playing the Total War series of real-time strategy games since they first debuted more than 15 years ago, and I played Total War: Attila for hundreds of hours in 2015.

And I was glad to pour scores of hours into it this summer into Eugen Systems’ real-time strategy World War II games, which are a niche within a niche. It dwells on a bit of war history I didn’t know much about, Operation Bagration. It was the Soviet Union’s huge summer offensive in Belarus to take back big chunks of Eastern Europe from the Nazis, as the Allied invasion of Normandy was gathering steam in 1944. It was a massive set of tank, infantry, and air battles that left the German Wehrmacht in full retreat on the Eastern Front.

It has a steep learning curve. The game has more than 600 historically accurate units, 18 divisions, and an astounding level of detail in its graphics. You can focus in on an individual scene, such as above, or zoom out to get a birds’ eye view of an entire battle with thousands of soldiers. Your job as general is to constantly feed the right kind of troops into the fray to make the enemy’s forces melt away from you. This is easier said than done, as you can dislodge well-trained enemy squads from a forest trench, even if you’ve got superior armor. The enemy AI is smart, taking out your anti-tank guns on a hill with artillery or air power.

I lost dozens of skirmish matches against the AI before I figured out how to win. On top of the tactical battles, I also got hooked on the Army General mode, where you moved around divisions like chess pieces on a map. But you can still choose to play those huge campaigns, one tactical battle at a time. That’s what is amazing about the title.

6) Gears of War 5

Above: Kait gets here close-up.

Image Credit: Microsoft

Developer: The Coalition Publisher: Microsoft Platforms: Windows, Xbox One

Coalition head Rod Fergusson humbly said that Gears 5 was the best entry yet in the Gears saga. And he wasn’t making that up. I was gratified to see the developer get the balance right when it came to creating a wild action game with an emotional story with strong characters such as the hero, Kait Diaz.

Gears 4 got pretty goofy at certain points in its narrative about the human race losing its battle for survival against the Swarm in a world gone mad. But this story balanced that goofiness that brought us chainsaw bayonets with the moments where you mourn the death of a lost friend. These are tough moments because the cast of characters has survived some very tough times, and they’re a close-knit group. When you rip a character out of that group, it leaves deep wounds.

The campaign’s longer than usual, and it features cool features such as a skiff that sails across both the desert and ice. shoot out the ice under the feet of the Scions, the heavy tank bosses that carry a heavy weapon and are often shielded from attack by flying drones. This was very different from past Gears games. I remember spending an hour battling a blind boss, slowly figuring out a kind of choreography to stay out of its way, replenish my ammo, grab new weapons, and spray it with the frosty freeze guns. The title also had some cool additions to multiplayer and co-op play.

Gears 5 delivers a sense that you’re losing a big war at the same time it delivers the blow of a personal loss. And it generates a resolve to hit back. I like how this team outgrew its urges to be goofy and shocking and instead opted for something closer to fine art.

The post The DeanBeat: My favorite games of 2019 appeared first on Actu Trends.