#time to test different gif sizes to see what works and what doesn't now

[yetanotherhiddlestoner]

(MDNI- THE SMUT IS FINALLY HERE)

(Summary ~ (A former) Plus size reader x Negan. In the world of the dead rising, you just happen to fall for the one fucked up person who has no interest in you. And I am aware the timeline doesn't add up but for the story I had to make the timeline longer than a couple months.)

~Word Count ~ 2738

~Warnings ~ SMUT, P in V, Unprotected sex (use protection!!!!!), swearing. (GIF not mine)

CHAPTER FIVE - I FELL HARD, YOU'LL FALL HARDER.

~1 week later~

As usual you wake up before Negan, your own internal alarm wakes you up just before the sun hits your face, you quickly make your bed, get dressed and head downstairs to make breakfast for yourself, deciding to wake Negan up in 15 minutes so you can start before it gets too hot.  He had been on such good behavior the last week, never late to the job, always kind to those who walked past and judged him, some of the folk had stopped to talk to him, others just looked angry that he was being given a second chance. Rick and the others were still on edge, stating he was a ticking time bomb and they waited for the day he would go off. 

Once again, the job for the day was to the gardens and doing a quick patrol outside the fences, killing the strays and seeing if there were any holes to fix. Pouring yourself some cereal you sit at the counter and eat; you can hear people outside already. 

Negan wakes up to the sounds outside, people chatting to each other, cars being worked on. Everyday waking up in your house, his back was thankful for the soft mattress instead of the prison cot. He lays there, looking at the ceiling, thinking, going over the last 7 days with you, everything about you made it hard for his body not to react to you. The way the sweat dripped down your forehead in the midday heat, or the way your pants tighten as you bent over to pick up things from the ground. even though he should be focused on work, he couldn't help but stare, sometimes he wondered if you did it just so he could look.

Each time his body would start to stir, and he quickly tried to hide it from you, trying to not embarrass you. 

He hears your footsteps quietly coming up the stairs and then your gentle knock upon his bedroom door.  "Come in" he answers, sitting up in bed, he quickly covers his naked body, if he was still the leader of the sanctuary, he wouldn't have cared but this was a new chapter for both him and you so for now he wanted to be modest and cover himself up.  "Time to rise and shine. Wanna get the gardening started before it gets to hot outside." You say your head peeking in from the door, spotting him.

"Well," He looks under the white bed sheet and smirks "I am already rising, if you want to give me a few minutes. I'll meet you downstairs." He notices the blush rising on your cheeks, when you finally caught on to what he was talking about.  "Do you always think about sex?" You ask rising an eyebrow, quickly remembering the moment at Olivia's house. "When there is a sexy as fuck lady in my presence than the answer is yes., I could easily show you how hard I am right now?" He starts to play with the corner of the sheet. Teasing you, no he was testing you. You wanted to stand your ground, call his bluff, to once more push him away and his attempts. 

"Go on then, I think your just wasting time, already bored of these daily chores you wanna have the day off and so you will say anything" you say as you enter his bedroom fully and he chuckles, as you try to maintain control of this little game.

"You freaked out about me being in a towel a few days ago, if I take this sheet off right now, how will you react?"  You shrug, "Well, that was a different scenario" You mentally roll your eyes at your response, it really wasn't that much different, but for now you went back to trying to act as if this little game was nothing more than just two friends teasing one another. "You really want to do this Y/N because if we do, I can tell you right now we will not be being our chores today. You will not be allowed out of my bed." His threat hangs in the air as your eyes remain locked on his. "Big talk" you say, smirking.

He swings his legs over the side of the bed, carefully maneuvering the sheet to wrap around his waist. The tension in the room rising each second.  "Come here" Negan orders you and opens his legs to accommodate you. You walk over and stand between his legs, his hands go straight to your ass, grabbing it.  "You really going to push me doll?" His eyes looking up at you, his chin resting on your stomach.

"You are all talk Negan." You say, smiling.  "I'll show you all talk" He growls as he stands up, still holding you and put you on the bed, his body covering you, the sheet still tightly wrapped around his waist. "Well shit now Rick is going to hate us both because I am not letting you leave." You can feel his erection nestled between your thighs. "I think Rick already dislikes us anyway" you whisper as you shift your waist to rub yourself over his hard on.

"And you are really over dressed, time we fix that." He takes off your empty holsters and slowly unbuttons your blouse. You watch as his long fingers undo each singular button. Part of you still thinks he is bluffing but it fades away as he exposes your breasts to him. He kisses your chest, as his hands move around to your bra, you lift your back to allow him access. You sigh once you feel the release of the clasp, he grabs and chucks to a corner of his room. He grabs your breast and brings them together, kissing them softly. You gasp at the feeling of his tongue licking at your nipples. "Holy shit you are good at that." you gasp out. 

"Glad you enjoy this as much as I am, can you feel me?" He pushes his hips even deeper into you. "Fuck yes Negan." You can feel your body responding to his. "I bet you are so fucking wet for me" Negan growls as his hand travels down to, he slides into your jeans and underwear to your pussy. His fingers just gently move over your lips, "Fucking knew it doll, you are soaked for me."

"Please Negan" You moan as his fingers gently push between your lips, touching your clit, making you moan. "You are such a naughty little lamb, allowing the big bad wolf to touch you, giving you pleasure." His hand leaves you wanting more but he makes quick work of your jeans pulling them and your underwear down in one swift motion and throwing it somewhere behind him.

"Now you are overdressed" You whisper at him as you wrap your arms around his neck. In a blink of an eye the sheet disappears, and you see his erect cock, he smirks as you stare at it, taking in its size, "I am guessing you like what you see?" Negan asks wrapping his hand around himself, pumping slowly. "Like is an understatement. Holy fuck I heard rumors about your size but thought them wives were over exaggerating" You hear Negan chuckle. "Well thank you darling." 

He shimmies down your body, sliding off the bed to the floor, he places your legs on his shoulders. " I really need to have a taste of you." he mumbles as he tongue moves along your slit, you arch your hips up to him, grabbing a pillow you place it underneath you. You moan as his tongue finds your clit and circles it once, twice, three times and then the feeling of his fingers entering you makes you almost come. "I knew you would be fucking tight doll." He says pumping two fingers in and out a few times before adding a third and stretching you out more, filling you up. "Aw Negan" you moan feeling you getting close to the orgasm, you feel the fire within your stomach growing. His fingers move in and out a few more times before he climbs back on top of you and without warning thrusts his cock into your pussy making you scream out in pleasure. Your nails scratch at his back as your legs wrap around his waist. The room fills with moans and grunts.  "Negan......"  "Fuck...."  "I'm close....please"  "Fuck this...pussy is fucking amazing." "I'm not going to last" "Please," You can't stop the orgasm from pulsing through you, your walls clenching around his cock, and you soon feel the hot sensation of his own orgasm filling you up.

You and Negan lay there, quietly panting.  "You, ok?" Negan asks after a while. "Very much, fuck your good at that." You say as you roll to face him. Negan chuckles. "Just wait till later, we have the whole day to, I want to show you how I can be gentle as well in bed." "I think the whole of Alexandria knows what we just did" you laugh, "Well fuck them it was going to happen anyway, I really was thinking of taking you in my cell once if you trusted me enough." "How would you do that?" You ask looking at him, smiling. "Your could have you ass pushed against the bars while I pound you from behind, trust me, I had it all worked it out"  You slap his chest and laugh.

A knock at your front door sounds through the house. "Fuck me" Negan groans as you move to greet them "No." "No?" You raise an eyebrow at him. "I said if you stay here, you won't leave my bed. So, I am going to greet them and tell them to fuck off." He wraps the sheet around his waist "I will be back with snacks and drinks in five ok doll, stay right there." You smile and lay back down; you throw your hands up innocently. "Yes sir." you reply.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Negan heads downstairs and knows instantly who is at your front door.  "Good morning, Rick" He greets as he opens the front door wide, standing there in nothing but the sheet. "Morning Negan, is Y/N available?" Rick says peeking inside the house, looking for you. "Actually, funny thing, Y/N won't be available today sorry" Negan smirks, knowing full well that this is pissing off Rick so much.  "Why not?"  "Why is it your business?" "She has jobs to do today and so do you." "Well shit Ricky my man, don't know what to tell you." "What the fuck have you done with Y/N?" "Well now that you mention fucking, that is exactly what we did and holy fuck was it great, so if you could excuse me I have many promises to keep to her, I'll let you in on a secret, I am going to make her scream my name multiple times today, I suggest you and everyone that walks pass this house to just ignore it." Negan shuts the door on Rick, then heads to the kitchen to grab snacks and water for you. 

He lets the sheet fall off on the stairs. 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You hear his footsteps coming back up the stairs, he turns the corner with promised snacks, proudly naked once again. You smile at him "Who was it?" You ask sitting up in the bed, covering your body with the blanket.

"Just Rick, he might be mad tomorrow as I just gave him some attitude, but he knows about our little fun" You roll your eyes "Of course you did"  "Anyways told him to warn the town that if they hear your screams to ignore it" Negan says opening a bottle of water and taking a sip, smirking at your reaction. You blush bright red and shake your head.

"I do intend to make you scream my name Y/N" Negan's fingers trail up your bare leg. "I have no doubt that you do Negan" you say staring at him. Your body shivers as his fingers move. "You have a small idea of how long I have waited for you. The last week has been a nightmare, I feel like a teenage boy once again. Getting hard in the middle of the town, fucking my hand in the showers in the morning thinking of your body, your legs wrapped around my waist while I pound into your body as its pinned to the wall."

You blush more at his words, imagining sharing a shower with him, both wet, wrapped each other, bodies connected. He climbs over you once more, pinning you underneath him.  "Tell me have you touched yourself thinking of me Y/N?" He asks looking it your eyes deeply.  You nod "Yes I have" you whisper.  "When was the first time you did.?"  You think back to the Sanctuary. "When I started to have feelings for you back at the Sanctuary, I would lay in bed and my mind would wander, how your hands would grab my flesh, then after I was done, I would feel disgusted in myself, because, well my weight." You admit to him.

"Why would you be disgusted in yourself sweetheart?" "Again, why would you wanna even think of fucking someone who was fat?"  "Well, I did several times think of doing just that, you have to stop putting yourself down, your body back then and right now are a temple for me to worship."

You bite your lip, you knew you couldn't stay in the past, but it was hard to even think he would be interested in you at all. You used all your strength to push Negan off you and push him down onto the bed, straddling him, his cock, semi hard once more nestling between your legs.

"Woah Sweetheart," His hands grip your waist.  "I always imagined being on top, riding you, seeing the pleasure I could bring you." You rub yourself up and down his cock, your wetness coating it. Negan groans at the feeling, his hips rising up a little to push his hardening member into your folds. Your eyes roll back as you lean back, bracing yourself on his legs as you slide up and down his cock, the tip hitting your clit with each move. "Y/N Fuck" Negan moans, his hand reaches down and holds his cock up, lining it up to your entrance. You slide down onto him, both moaning at the feeling.

You move slowly, riding him softly at first, just allowing the feeling of him filling you up to make you wetter, his hands grip your waist harder, you can tell he is doing all he can to not thrust up into you, he wants you to set the pace.

His eyes look at where your bodies join, you start to bounce on his cock a little faster, moaning as his tip now hits your g-spot, you can feel your orgasm building with each thrust. 

"God y/n you feel so good. Do you like riding me?" Negan gives in and thrusts up meeting your core. "Yes….." you moan as your held in place and fucked by Negan, his nails digging into your flesh. "I like this view" he says one hand grabbing your breast as it bounces against your skin, he kneads it. "Fucking hot watching you ride me, your pussy clenching me tightly, your tits bouncing in my face, lean forward sweetheart" He asks, you lean forward, and his tongue flicks your hardened nipple causing you to gasp, he starts sucking one and then the other.

"Negan please" You moan, your place you hands on his legs behind you, arching your back as you ride him, Negan matches your thrusts. You head rolls back as you feel yourself tipping over the edge with the orgasm, Negan quickly grabs your hips and makes you sit still on him as his own orgasm releasing, his hot seed once more filling you up. 

Your name rolling off his lips as you come down from your orgasm and lay on his chest, his soft cock slips out of you. You both lay there panting, limbs wrapping around each other. You body rings out in pleasure as your heart slowly starts to go back to its normal pace, sweat coats both of you.

Negan kisses your forehead and sighs. This right here was perfect.

[moreteethplease]

Devlog: Close The Window, My Love

Close The Window, My Love is a game about nursing things that should no longer remain. It was made for the 73rd bitsy jam, with the theme "close the window" - pretty on the nose, I know lmao. Click here to play it!

C/W for the game: allusions to death and physical illness.

Told myself I'd write devlogs/post-mortems whenever I make something, even if it's a very tiny something, so here goes! This devlog contains spoilers for the game.

Writing

When I started making this game, I didn't really know where it was going. The game jam's theme didn't spark any inspiration, which is ironic because I voted for it. So I just whipped out a word document and started writing, and the first thing I wrote was this: "Close the window, my love," she says, voice softer than a whisper."

But why is this person asking me to close a window?, I asked myself. Maybe they don't really want me to close the window. Maybe they're only doing it because they feel they have to?

I often find that I don't set out to create things that relate to me, but if I let myself write and work, the things I'm processing begin to leap out, begging for a spot in whatever I'm working on. That's what happened here. This is an ode to a past version of me, one so vastly different to who I am now that we have little in common, one I've spent the longest time desperately clawing my way back to, trying to embody them again. I love them very dearly, and I'm sure they love me, but it was time to let them go. I'm never going to be them again, and it's time to accept that and move on, growing into someone new.

It took me a whopping three days to finalize the script. I started out writing prose, but when some lines ended up rhyming, the non-rhyming lines felt out of place. I flip-flopped between intentionally rhyming them and trying to remove all rhymes for two days before committing to writing a rhyming poem. The poem is divided into four "parts" or "portions", each with three verses.

Making The Game

Because I'd spent so long on writing the script and was pretty busy the week of this jam, I didn't have a lot of time to spend on art. I opted for a very simple room - just a little square with slight top-down perspective, bare walls aside from the window, and a bed for The Relic (yes, that's what I call the person in the bed). When that seemed too empty, I added a doormat and a lil bedside table. Don't ask where The Relic uses the bathroom; I don't know either. It's an impractical living space, to say the least.

I made sure to leave plenty of space for four lines of dialog on top of the screen that wouldn't obscure the room. This is important because the window sprite doesn't appear until after the first two verses of each part of the poem, and I wanted players to see the window change colour, indicating it is now interactable.

My favourite portion of this game is the bit where the window slides down over four lines. I really love doing stuff like this in bitsy, where you shift rooms to create an effect akin to very simple animation. I've only used it a couple of times - the last time with It Piles Up - but it's so much fun. I didn't have a sketch for this, I sort of just made it right away at the 128x128 size used in bitsy and tested it, found it satisfactory, and added it to the game. I did this with the "Dot" brush in Ibis Paint, which is how I make most of my bitsy sketches and tests.

I also wanted each part of the poem to have a different mood, despite the fact that the poem itself mostly has the same vibe throughout. To do this, I used a different colour palette and ambient sound for each portion.

Of course, I needed the four parts of the poem to be divided smoothly. Just having the player avatar pop back up in the exact same room would be jarring. So I created a small area where the player avatar walks up to a house, and the environment slowly loses its verdancy with each new part of the poem - until the post-poem portion, where it is green and lively again.

Okay, I don't really know how to write these things. This might have gotten rambly. Please give the game a play if you like! You can play it here:

[mysynthfetish]

Rumble of Ancient Times 18650 Mod

So first this happened...

Feckin went and caught covid again, this time I guess it was the latest strain. Walk in the park compared to when I caught the Omicron variant, that sucked balls. But I had a high fever that lasted for four and a half freakin days, peaking at 39.9ºC, that would go down to 38ºC when I took the fever reducer meds, then shoot right back up to over 39º once the meds stopped working. It's already almost two weeks later and I'm still wrecked, feel like I've been steamrollered. Oof. But before that was going on I obtained this:

The Rumble of Ancient Times. But hold on a sec, something looks different, and not just the groovy colored knob caps from Thonk (those are the shit by the way, they work on the Aira compact and Korg Volca series too). What's that peeking out at the lower left? A USB-C PORT? What mischief is this?! Mwuhahahaha. Yeah so originally it's powered by four triple-A batteries in a holder that has no lid, just exposed to the elements on the bottom side, and I dunno, something about that didn't sit well with me. I was thinking I could power it off a small USB-C smartphone battery brick, but no matter what I did I couldn't get it to power on, then I remembered that those only put out +5V, d'oh! So I had a peep around Jamazon, and found this:

SUPER feckin small thing, that. Like the size of my thumbnail plus a few mm. So what the thing is, is a Li-ion Li-po charger PLUS a step-up transformer in a wee package there. I think it will actually go all the way up to +24V. As it was, I soldered it up according to the diagram there on Jamazon, and after charging an 18650 successfully, feckin A right skippy this shit just might work man! I wired it up to a multimeter to test output voltage, then tweaked the wee trimmer to get +6V output. Then I jimmied the power leads onto the RoAT and crossed my fingers and said three Hail Satans and threw the switch and presto! it feckin worked! SO stoked. 18650s are cheap as balls, and this whole setup is taller but not so much larger than the original configuration, have a look:

I used rather thick 3M VHB super super extra strong double-sided tape to hold the two down, then obtained 25mm hexagonal brass M3 standoff leggiwegs and put it all together, as you can see in the photo second from top. Jamazon again. Well it's either them or order from Kyohritsu and pay almost the same amount but with Jamazon the stuff arrives the next day (or same day depending on the time I place the order). Anyway...

This is what it originally looked like. The battery holder is pretty sturdy and has a goddam good grip on the batteries but still... Hmmmm.

This is the schleprock special in place. I coulda trimmed the wiring a bit but at this point I was like let's just be done with this already. And the awesomesauceiest thing about it is NO NOISE from the battery. This is something that I was super worried about, given that I was going to power the thing with a non-standard power source, but in the end it all worked out fine and YAY ME! Oh I suppose I should mention cost. The batteries were the most expensive part at about ¥2000 for two, because I chose the made in Japan option. For five of the wee USB-C charging slash step up boards plus battery socket/holders it was ¥1399. So to me it felt like $34 even though the exchange rate is ridiculous and the yen is getting its arse beaten senseless right now. Feck. Yeah so if there's anyone out there with one of these thinking ya know I dunno about those batteries... this is an easy to do mod. I don't know how long the battery will hold out for between charges, but seeing as the circuit on the RoAT probably doesn't eat current, I imagine I could go a month or so between charges. This will also work with the flat 3.7V Li-Po batteries by the way. That would yield a lower profile and give a smaller overall device to mess with. Just have to watch out for the mAh value and make sure it's above 3000. Might mess with that in the future. Hmmmm. Something else I did...

Barely visible.. The LED frequency and the shutter speed were not playing nicely with each other. I changed out the Solo and Mute LEDs on a Korg Nanokontrol, to white and yellow respectively, just because. I got a 1010music blue box digital mixer and found out you can use class compliant USB control surfaces and was like well shit. So there you go. The LEDs were SMD but since getting that SMD desolderer thingy off AliExpress, doing work like this has become quite easy. It's still a pain to solder LEDs the size of dust motes though. Jeeezus those things are feckin small.

Hope all is well with you and yours.

[darcyxpalmer]

Darcy waited while Adarsh worked through the suggestion of the run, whether it would be something he wanted to try or not. "Not saying the run would absolutely solve your problems, but it's great for me. But if it's not running, then maybe yoga or swimming or anything you can think of. And this can be something you can try and actively feel like you're doing something, not just shooting in the dark for something."

It was still a random chance, of course, but much more controled and with much better chance of finding something that could work. "But yeah, if you wanna tag along with me, I don't mind. But find some good shoes for it first, that can make or break the run."

Darcy gave a small nod. "That is what I'm thinking too. That we were all in the same simulation, mostly interacting with what they set up for us, but everyone had connection points with others who would be here so when we arrive, there would be somebody to kind of-- provide comfort. Or at least something that makes it feel like everything that happened to us in there was real and there is somebody familiar. Comfort is probably not a good word, though, considering the exes thing for Zaid and Tej."

She wondered how she would have felt if it was her who actually showed up here, if she was the connection she had. Her stomach dropped and dread took over her even at the thought of it. And yet, there was a hidden longing behind all of it too.

Darcy pushed the thought aside. Elijah was here, and she even watched Alex's show, so there wouldn't be more connections for her here, she was certain. And especially not her. "Please don't bring up the whole relationship thing to Zaid, though. He said it didn't end well and he doesn't like talking about it."

She let out a small chuckle at the comment about the tvs. "Are you going to think I'm insane if I say I don't actually miss it. Sure, there are a few moments when I thought I could watch something if there were options, but mostly I enjoy the fact that there is no distractions like that." Granted most days she barely had time to herself, she always found something to do.

Her fingers gripped stronger on the fishing pole as Adarsh suggested what could have happened to Maria. She still couldn't decide for sure if she was simply planted here to scare the living crap out of them and was essentially a living simulation or if she was extremely unlucky, but she wasn't going to dwell on it now.

"That crossed my mind too. But I think it's just as possible that it was somebody else who did it without realizing it. Which is-- a lot more scary, I guess. Somebody running around without realizing they can blow people up? Would not want to get in their way for sure." But it wasn't Zaid, she was certain of that. There might have been similarities in power, but Zaid's was different, it was directed at himself.

Darcy looked over at the wilderness as she listened to Adarsh explain what happened to him with the tiger-like creature. "That sounds terrifying," she breathed. What could they possibly even do? If it just wanders into camp and starts attacking, could they all get rid of it? Would they be able to? The tests were truly started, Darcy could see it now.

But before she could really say anything, she felt a strong tug in her hand and she instinctively, without really knowing what she's doing, pulling on it, and out of the water flew a middle sized fish, right into Adarsh's lap. "What the-- I wasn't even paying attention. Wasn't even really doing much. This is-- I caught a fish, Adarsh!! I caught a fish!" she grinned over at him.

Adarsh smiled, while not his situation of choice, she was right. He had something to work towards. He had a mission, he wasn’t just lost on a mysterious beach with a tower, other people, and superpowers. Everyone else had only so much they could do, but his journey was much more interesting. Her comments settled nicely within this idea of himself as someone who was important, whether to the overall situation, or as the key to a small mystery. 

He made a face and shrugged. “I have… I haven’t thought about running though.” Though he did find within his mind there was some judgement about running, a formed opinion that he couldn’t exactly formulate nor place. “If feeling frustration and anger whenever difficult situations arise is a part of me and who I was, then I figure that person also had a way to get that out of their system.” His system. “Because all of these negative feelings are exhausting.” He paused, not sure if her comments were in any way an invitation, but she’d been honest enough with him so far that he thought she wouldn’t just humour him for his sake but also take her own needs in account. “If you wouldn’t mind another runner on your route, I could try that out. I don’t know if I have good stamina so you can just leave me if I’m slowing you down.”

Zaid and Tej. He knew who Zaid was, the chef. But he hadn’t heard the name Tej before. He frowned slightly. “Together? That’s far bigger,” he agreed. “Perhaps there are more of those, maybe we’re all in some way connected, through each other.” He couldn’t say if there were any siblings, he still felt like there were plenty of people on the beach he’d never talked to. “Or if it’s part of the simulation, perhaps all of us were participants and bound to touch within it. One way or another.” He found that he did believe in that sort of thing, of lives being entwined through generations, through reincarnations. Hey, maybe he was a Hindu after all. 

He nodded in agreement. He didn’t exactly understand why some choose to live out in the wild when the bungalows offered comforts. “It would’ve been nice if they had a television,” he said. 

His mind had gone other ways. Though at first he’d thought Maria was intentional, a sacrifice to see what their reactions might be. Someone who could just be discarded. But that had only made him feel sad, lonely, and nauseous. She’d been the first one to extend a hand in help towards him. Now she was gone. It had felt like she’d been ripped out of his life, even if he’d barely known anyone. And it didn’t feel right that her loss was intentional. “What if… she got her powers and didn’t know how to control them? So she just blew up?” It was a theory he’d been nursing whenever thinking about his own life got too much. 

Adarsh had not spoken about the tiger creature to anyone but Chance, he hadn’t wanted to, he’d found the image of the other bleeding out to be conjured back every single time, vividly. Even if the outcome had been alright, the stress of watching someone die had almost rendered him immobile. But he found that out of everyone on the beach, he’d decided Darcy was the one person he could tell. Even if it felt like the answers had to be pulled out of him. He looked out at the ocean, certain his appearance looked as scared as he felt. “I don’t think it was a tiger,” he said. “It looked like a big cat and behaved like one, but its appearance was all wrong. Or maybe it had been a tiger and the fear just played tricks on my mind,” he added. “I… I managed to chase it off, but not before it… mauled Chance to pieces. He would’ve died if he hadn’t been able to heal himself. And then we just… slowly walked back to the beach.” He swallowed. “Probably we should be worried.” 

[whiskehorange]

Arthur Fleck SFW Alphabet

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Arthur is extremely affectionate, but very slow with it. There are a lot of ways that he shows his affection, from simply being very open and unapologetic about his condition to doing small tasks for you. Often he brings you fake gag flowers or some gag gift to see you laugh.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

It's a very slow burn for him to warm up to you genuinely. Arthur is friendly to anybody he can be until they prove otherwise. He doesn't actively seek out new people to talk to so you're going to be somebody that he sees regularly either in his complex, on the train, or even at work. The biggest difference in these connections he has would be actively seeking out time with you after those typical hours. Movies, the bar, coffee shops, or even at home dinners.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Once again, Arthur is very slow to the idea to just jump into being physical with you for the fear of abandonment. While he doesn't initiate it at first he's very gentle and open with you, if the mood shifts then so will he. One of the biggest ways he tests the waters with you is always hugging when either of you leave or when you see each other. From there he can try and push a little further into seeing what you're comfortable with, even to see himself what he feels is right for the moment.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

Cooking, cleaning, and basic cleanliness is something he's always been very good at since being the one to take care of his mother, the house, and himself. Now he isn't a 5 star chef but is always open to trying to make something new if you'd want to experiment in the kitchen with him. He wouldn't let those traits slip if you decided to wed him either. It's more than just a commitment to him.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

His attitude would change drastically and you'd be able to tell. He's more likely to decline dates or visits, the hugs become very short and he doesn't linger too much with conversation. It would be much easier for him to handle if you just up and left like everyone else, so he would ultimately ignore you as best as he could and hope that you would forget about him. Although he would keep a close eye on you for a while to make sure you're finding someone else while pushing his guilt deep, deep down.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

It would take years of Arthur debating with himself that you actually love him enough to say yes and not have a crippling fear of you making fun of him for proposing. As much as he wants it he keeps his composure and tries to figure out each time you are together how to slip it into the conversation. He can see the most extravagant wedding now he's got planned out with you, at least in his eyes. It might not look like a picture perfect, princess type wedding but it means the most from him to do what he can for the big day.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Arthur hands you his gentleness on a silver platter 24/7 both physically and emotionally. He's sensitive in some areas and knows that you'll be gentle with him. There's a lot he can be there for you with and encourages you to understand that he's there to make you feel better with open arms and listen to you when you really need it. Arthur gives everything that he couldn't get as a child and even now, but it worth it when you return the favors.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Absolutely. Is the fastest and quickest way for him to feel physically connected with you and show his love and appreciation. Each hug is different in personality, strength, size, and place. They're very warm and typically last more than 5 seconds. You can feel his smile in your neck or on your shoulder when he squeezes you in a giant bear hug.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Its not going to come out of him very quickly nor would it be anytime soon. Those words mean a lot to him and he expects you to hold that same feeling. It has to be the right moment and the right timing in his head to make sure that when he does say it to you that you won't make fun of him or make things too weird between the two of you.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Jealousy is very easy to spot on Arthur's face and in his movements. He's very pouty and aggressively sensitive when his brains tells him that you're sure to be swept away by someone else. He's very possessive and is not quiet about it, honestly it gives a bit of white knight energy. You call him your guard dog and it makes him bashful, thinking that he's just doing the bare minimum to keep you all to himself.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

If they aren't soft and meaningful he doesn't want them. He's gentle and very slow when he kisses you passionately to ensure that you feel all of his love being poured out to you. Typically he kisses your forehead most often and loves for you to return the favor, be isn't too picky about where you to place yours. You're showing him affection and that's all that matters.

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

It's 50/50. He can handle them, but if it was his choice he wouldn't willingly go out of his way to be around them. Arthur enjoys making them laugh and smile like everybody else, but kids can be your biggest critics, and that makes him a tad bit nervous. He's witnessed first hand how rude they can be, let alone he wouldn't have any idea what to do if they started crying.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Mornings are yucky, but he does take pride in at least being on time and have a little bit of a schedule. If you happen to not be a morning person he leaves you small notes to wake up to and makes you something small to eat and drink. If you are, then he loves to ready up with you for the day.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

He tends to stay up a bit late into the night, but that's when he takes the most time to himself or to at least relax. He appreciates when the two of you can be quiet and just do things with each other in the room either together or not. Especially when lying in bed and watching a movie or just reading to each other.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

If you want something, in the beginning that is, you're going to have to pry it out of him. He doesn't see the point at first as he's already set on you leaving him soon anyways. It might sound like a broken record but it takes trust and confidence from him and he will give you everything.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

A lot of things get to him easily, but he waits until it's no longer avoidable and he bursts. It's hard for him to let you see any of it or hear things like that so he tries his best to be patient when it comes to you. especially when it comes to him talking about his own problems, it might only work him up more.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

He remembers the important things and tries his hardest with a big smile to correctly guess anything else he's forgotten. It does make him feel a bit upset with himself when he can't remember and reassures you that he does listen to you, he just needs some gentle reminders sometimes. Most of the time, the second time you have to tell him something, he'll right it down to remember it later.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

It's got to be the very first time the two of you met. Arthur love reminiscing back onto earlier times and feeling before the two of you were this close and bring it up constantly with a smile or a laugh. Especially those early time when you stuck up for him without even knowing him.

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

Arthur would jump in front of a bullet for you, does that say enough? He doesn't expect it out of you in the beginning but would melt if you stood up for him against the people in the real world.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

While he knows that he can't do much, he gives it his all and tries his absolutely best to make your day/date/week better than the last. Arthur doesn't slack in anything when it comes to pleasing you and seeing you smile. If you've ever given him an example of what you'd like to do or what you'd like something to look like he's going to do everything to get it perfect, even if it's a bit bootleg.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

TW!!

Arthur jumps to conclusions a lot when he gets overwhelmed or jealous and sometimes that leads to a few self-harming tendencies like balling his fists up enough for his nails to draw blood and even sometimes grasping at his hair roughly when he gets into spouts of self doubt.

V = Vanity (How concerned are they with their looks?)

Arthurs looks are the least of his worries, really. It only becomes a problem to him if he happens to already be jealous of somebody you're with, then he's certain you'll leave him for someone much more attractive. However it is quite easy to get him out of this funk if you do it quickly but showing him physical and verbal affection.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Absolutely, but ultimately would force himself to get over it. It's always sort of just been him against the world and before you it wasn't any different. He'd always long for you and feel terrible about what he could have had with you, but he can make himself forget and push those memories down if he tries hard enough.

X = Xtra (A random headcanon for them.)

He adores taking pictures of the two of you or even just you doing the must mundane things and hanging them up in a sort of collage around the house with string and lights. He takes about 40 pictures a day and loves going through them with you when the two of you are settling down for the night.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Attitude. He can't stand it when personalities are snobby and ignorant for no reason when so may people try to make the world happier.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He's restless and cold to the touch but insists on touching you throughout the night with his cold hands and feet. His snores are quiet and shallow and it doesn't take much to wake him up unless you're the one cooing him back to sleep.

[ronearoundblindly]

Sweet Sunday or whateverday for ari fluff?. ari and reader friend/now gf I guess we are?. when she sick how does ari cope or help

This one got away from me like they all have and makes me pretty nervous to post. So even though I hate to spoil it, I gotta put that there are warnings for unplanned pregnancy and mild language. WC 1.2k

Calling From the Office Of... a Bedrock and Blueprints tale

The rule when you don't feel well is two missed meals and then it's time for the doctor. Ari doesn't mean eating a little and then stopping because you just 'are done;' it's the 'I do not feel well enough to eat' or the 'I can't keep down food' type of skipping. It's 'can't get out of bed' or 'can't lift my head to eat' skipping. That's the type he immediately insists it's time for the doc, even if it's just a visit to his friend Sam's clinic.

Ari always drives you to the doctor, too, since at that point you shouldn't take public transit if you're that unwell. It's rare that you surpass the two-meal rule, but this time is different.

You've not felt right all week. The first few days you chalked it up to stress or something off you ate, but the nausea doesn't get any better. It lingers. You finally just can't stand the idea of eating for a while. You tell yourself you'll eat when something sounds good again. Unfortunately, that puts your first refused meal at the time when Ari hosts a boys' poker night.

It's easy to excuse yourself to let the men have fun. You thought Ari wouldn't notice that you never touched any of the snack food and bite-sized eats around the kitchen and table, but he did. When you refuse his offering of breakfast in the morning, that's it; you're going in. Get in the car.

Ari doesn't care if he's in the room or not. He's not worried. The few times he's brought you to the doctor have been pretty straightforward, a mild infection, a nasty stomach bug that he surprisingly avoided getting, and food poisoning with enough dehydration to warrant an IV. He wasn't happy about any of those things, but they were easily manageable.

All those were after an incident with a cut on your leg. You went to the hospital for a few days. No big deal. Ari made a big deal out of it, and now he airs on the side of making a big deal out of everything. That was the one and only time he has not stayed with you (at least in the building) for the whole appointment.

So this time, after a relatively easy chat with the doc and a quick bit of blood taken, out you shuffle with gauze taped to your arm and a prescription in hand for an anti-nausea medication. You explain they are running a precautionary test panel, but the gist is rest, fluids, and these meds.

Good enough for Ari.

You're in decent spirits although you eat like a rabbit the rest of the day, and you call off work in the morning, not feeling quite right yet.

Ari goes to his job site but takes the first opportunity to leave early. He finds you sleeping, so he heads to work on your She-Shed out back, knowing the noise won't disturb you from that distance.

The doctor's office call wakes you. It's a short call that you stay silent through 95% of until the news, and you robotically walk to the front door, hanging up while the nurse is still speaking.

You see the truck, but no Ari in the house. Out back you stare daggers at him smoking while swinging his feet along a wooden ledge not yet finished with paneling.

Storming up to his side, you rip the cigarette out of his mouth and stomp it to the ground.

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT THAT?"

Ari is, of course, very confused because it's always been the rule that he can't smoke inside...but he's not inside. Before he can start to say that, though, you're yelling.

"Enough. You can't do this anymore."

"Can't what," he asks, jumping down to the grass. "You said it was fine--"

"It's NOT. It's not fine. Nothing's fine, Ari!"

You no longer look sick; you look upset, tears welling up in your eyes and hands wringing furiously in front of you.

"Honey, what's wrong? The smoke can't be bothering your stomach from all the way--"

"I'm..." You mumble something he can't hear.

"What?"

"I'm...fuck," and you finally break down into full-blown sobs, leaving Ari even more concerned.

"Okay." He lifts his arm to guide you inside. "I think more rest is in--"

"Preg--" you can't get the whole word out the first time "--preg...nant."

Well.

That's.

That's just. Not possible? That's...

"You're pregnant," he repeats, and you sniffle over a nod.

"Okay," he slowly says. "But you're on--"

"The pill, yeah." You wipe your cheeks.

"And we--"

"Used condoms until after I started. I know."

"But...so you're..." Ari can't figure out what on earth he was going to say there so he just freezes in place.

"Oh. Ah, I'm so sorry," you squeak out, clasping your hands over your mouth and nearly collapsing in tears.

He rushes forward to take you in his arms. "What--what are you sorry for?"

"I shou--I--done this to--not ready--" and then he can't tell if it's the word 'sorry' again or a clipped word with 'Ari' at the end. Either way, he's not making himself clear.

"Hey, okay, hey," he coos, supporting you in his hold while tilting your eyes to meet his, "you're okay. Are you upset because you think I'm mad or because you're scared?"

Your head moves up and down, lip quivering as more tears fall.

"Well, I'm not and you don't have to be, although I am a bit terrified and you seem pretty upset." He rubs your back while he pulls you in close, resting his chin over your head. Inside he really is floundering, but his voice sounds steady enough that he rolls with it.

He leads you to sit on the porch step and tucks in beside you. He reaches out a hand to wipe your cheek until your nostril flare and swat him away.

His hands and breath still smell of smoke. He immediately dreads having to quit entirely, but then he suddenly thinks he'll need his lung capacity to chase around a...wow.

Ari sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. "We do everything backward, don't we?"

"I'm sorry," you repeat, the words catching on bubbles in your throat, "didn't mean to."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, kid--I mean...not...shit, you're gonna need a new nickname."

You slap his chest and shoulder. "Is not funny," you whine.

"No," he agrees, "it's not funny," but something deep in Ari's gut is stirring. He's a bit confused, a lot baffled, and mildly proud. He can't help it. He's happy even though his concern for you is crushing his world down to the area of this one backyard, a porch with a rickety board he needs to fix ASAP, and his best friend, the friend who happens to be the love of his life, the friend who happens to be carrying the other love of his life.

Maybe Ari hasn't successfully planned a damn thing but, shit, has he gotten lucky. You like him enough to stick around. You love him enough to share your life. Now, all the cards for a full house have fallen into his lap, and Ari's never looked forward to playing a hand he's been dealt more.

He carefully plants a kiss in your hair so no (less) smell bothers you.

"'Old man' still works though," he adds softly near your ear.

You use your shirt to wipe your face.

He rubs your arms and back, asking to take you back inside. He needs to go to the bathroom.

Your huff of annoyance is adorable, and Ari's chest strains that much tighter.

"Not like that," he chuckles. "Have to brush my teeth so I can properly kiss you, hot momma."

Okay, maybe Ari jumps ahead too far with that one. Your sobs start anew, less pained and more cathartic than before, turning into a soft laugh. You swat at him again, ending up tangling yourself into a hug. He waits patiently a while longer before taking you back to the house for rest and reassurance.

Uh. Not sure I even saw that coming up until the moment I typed this out. Either way, I love him, your honor. I want one. Ari, not a baby.

Find more on my Main Masterlist.

[ignisnocturnalia]

Variks x Reader Relationship HC's

Gonna write you as a new light, apologies my God-slaying siblings

News of the Pyramids over Europa reaches far and wide, as does stasis

With this discovery, relayed by a veteran guardian, also reveals news of the Eliksni who instigated the riot at the Prison of Elders

Being freshly revived, there's not much you can make out of the hostility the other Guardians offer the alien

Curious about him, you make a bold request to be stationed on Europa to "monitor" him

Of course, Zavala denies your request and speaks of how important your guns would be here at home

While you say you understand, you're secretly trying to find your way around it

The Drifter

You heard about his escapades to the frozen planet, reasons unknown, but still able to slip through Vanguard sanctions

As usual, a Guardian siding with the Vanguard approaching you with a purpose usually isn't a good thing

"Somethin' you want, kid?"

His tone is carefully jovial, bordering neutral, but you're not foolish enough to think he actually trusts you

"I need to get to Europa."

He stares at you for a solid minute before sizing you up, an inquisitive glare settling on his face

"What's in it for me?"

Having been on Strike detail for months on end, you've got a sweet heap of glimmer and nothing to use it on; you know he doesn't care a lot for the currency, so you offer up your weapons alongside it

He gives you a lopsided grin as he takes the arsenal, waving off the glimmer and taking you to his ramshackle ship

Unsurprisingly, it's a quiet ride, your own Ghost unsure of your actions

Drifter gives you little warning before transmitting you off the ship, leaving you to fall flat on your ass in the deep snow

Despite being a little upset about this, you finally see your goal, the very Eliskni that brought new questions to the ice planet

Every step you take lands your foot in a fluffy sheet of snow, sounding out with a crunch you had never heard before

Soon enough, you've completely deviated from the reason you came to the planet, completely obsessed with the snow under you

The entire time, Variks has been watching you from the window of his base making a fool of yourself

Distantly, he realizes that he thinks you're cute like that

"Here to help, yes?"

You are COMPLETELY caught off guard, turning quickly on your heel before slipping on the ice and landing flat on your ass

A shadow falls over you as you look up to see the well spoken Eliksni towering over you, and you're immensely thankful for the helmet hiding your blush

He offers you one of his real hands, helping you up and you can't help but notice how his hunched form is hiding a solid 8" from his height

Bringing you inside, you slowly decompress from the outside chill and Variks formally introduces himself

You quickly take note of how each of his sentences are punctuated by insect noises, which are quite fun to hear

You explain your circumstances and even though you can only see his eyes, you can feel the confusion in the air

"You left the Tower.. to see me? Variks does not know who you are; you do not know Variks, yes?"

You're slightly disappointed but not surprised by his suspicious behavior, after seeing how other Guardians harped about him

You then remember something very important

"I don't have a ship to get back."

Your ship still sat in the Hangar, locked down until it was needed for use

Variks stood in front of you quietly before also noticing something unusual about you; your weapons were missing

"Stay. I will contact your Commander."

You immediately spring from your seated position, grabbing at his shoulder before he can reach the comms

He seems to understand your plead

You spend the next few days eating freeze dried food, along with MRE's supplied by another curious party on Europa

Variks doesn't join you until he's finished eating in another room, and the conversations you can strike up are limited

You ask him to teach you Eliksni

He appears shocked at first but eagerly obliges, now showing up to eat with you

It's been a good couple of weeks, and you've got a few phrases and words under your belt

Nothing translates directly, everything is interpreted based on the small word choice

Variks didn't know, but you had spent the last 3 days trying to figure out what the closest thing to "I love you" was in Eliksni

That night, when you both settle down to eat, you eye Variks with a renewed purpose

The fuzz in your brain dissipates as, astoundingly, he moves to take off his mouth cover

You can't help but stare at his revealed face not noticing how he fidgets a bit under your intense stare

"Apologies, (y/n). I did not mean to ruin your appetite."

It was now or never

Moving over to sit next to him, you shyly looked up to see he had yet to put the mask back on, instead looking at you with uncertainty

"Yu ne ze." You are my gift. I love you.

The Eliksni's eyes widen and his body stiffens and you worry for a second that you've made a mistake before he turns fully and leans into your face

"Ma yun ne."

His mandibles are often used to caress your face

You find yourself with gifts and trinkets waiting in your small room in the base

He has you spot check his weapons, testing them out and generally having a blast with them

Other Guardians have seen you on occasion, but very few have approached you to ask questions about the mysterious Eliksni

Variks loves it when you hold his hands, even more so when you pet his face

When you find out he can purr, it's one of the most sought after sounds during your intimate moments, and sometimes he will purr simply to indulge you

Even if you're an undead warrior, Variks still piles furs on to your shoulders to make sure you don't get cold during outings

You have had to fend off assassins, often at the cost of your life

This pushes you to accept the deceptive whispers of the Pyramid, carrying you all the way to the Exo Stranger's den

She reluctantly agrees to teach you because of your inexperience, and although neither of you say anything, you and Drifter make quick eye contact

Variks can smell the Darkness on you and is very disappointed, but he doesn't tip off that he knows

Instead, he uses it as an excuse to put you under house arrest

He catalogues every single symptom you have that could barely begin to resemble a sickness, encouraging you to stay inside until you're better

During the nights, you notice he holds you much more tightly against his body

You apologize for your zealousness regarding his safety

Your lessons in Eliksni continue, and soon enough you can hold your own in small conversations with him

Whenever you or Variks look at each other trying to figure something out, you both always ask about the question in your mind

Whoever is asked ends up sitting in the other's lap, but you've found that it's much more convenient to sit in his own

This exploration leads to daily petting or grooming sessions, giving way for more risque activity to take place

Nsfw 👁👄👁

Variks orients himself as a switch, but you can tell he enjoys being on the bottom a little more if his rapid breaths are anything to go by

Brushing and lightly scratching segments on his exoskeleton are immense green lights for him, especially adding just enough force to push into the seams between his limbs

He's very gentle with his teeth, but the red marks he leaves on your body are generous from the amount of fondling he carries out

He's perfectly fine with both of you being bare, so long as a heat source is nearby

This level of exposure allows you to feel every rumble, trill, and moan straight from his chest and you can't deny just how hot it is to have an entire alien making these noises because of you

He delivers plenty of foreplay, always giving you the option to back out of it

With your size difference, you have to work to move up and down his body when you're both laying down

One of his favorite things is when you drag your teeth along his neck or chest, no real threat of harm but an undeniable thrill for him

He may start slow, but towards the end? You're better off simply letting him take care of you the next day

Fluff

After particularly tedious days, you will pull him into your shared room and pepper his face with kisses

Whenever he wants to nap, he selectively chooses your lap so you can massage his back or his forehead

Following the official announcement of your relationship, Zavala finally submits and gives you full permission to stay stationed on Europa, at the price of lengthy field reports at the beginning of every month

Variks, of course, teases you while writing these papers

He'll correct a mistake you made way back in the paper, laughing quietly in the back of his throat as you fume at the obvious inaccuracy

Besides Vanguard papers, you've taken it upon yourself to make him a new arm

You decide to gift it to him once the Dawning starts

Note: I leave some of my handcanons open ended for more ideas, and yes, I am aware they are more like one shot/hc hybrids, but hey, take it as an invitation to ask me to actually write out the whole thing. I will not write out explicit nsfw unless asked, and if I am asked, it will always be gratuitous and extremely detailed ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Finals are eating my timbs tho, so I'm currently attempting to study for these hellspawn

[inessencedevided]

(You can find the set that this gif belongs to here 💙)

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES: When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you’d like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours

I was tagged by @aheartfullofjolllly. thank you so much Pat! it was really fun to reflect about my own process 💗 You can find her post here and @lan-xichens' post that started it all here :)

Also thank you @huigusu 🥰 (who tagged me for my nie brothers set) I'll get to that one in a few days!

Now Pat gave me two sets to chose from to show my process, so obviously I chose the more complicated one :P

I only work in Photoshop CC 2018. I know that there are programs out there for easier cutting and sharpening but I have only just figured out how to do that in PS and I am too lazy to figure out any other programs right now xD

1. Idea and Planning

This set, like most of my sets with lyrics started with me reading the poem, clutching my heart and going "oh shit this fits my favourite characters!!". The idea actually started with me thinking that the first stanza of the poem would go really well with wwx during the burial mounds arc. Then I realized that the last stanza fits lwj better than him and from there came the idea to contrast the both of them next to each other. This is when I realized I wanted to do a dark-light contrast set, though I did not know that I would go with red and blue at that time. My idea in the beginning was just to do a black and white set

I was really impressed by how Pat said that she plans her sets around exact timestamps. Because I don't do that at all ^^ I just get ideas for which scenes would fit (in this case the wwx burial mounds scenes and lwj's kneeling and punishments scene) and then I watch the scenes to narrow them down.

Back when I made this set, I still used a screenrecorder (AceThinker Screen Grabber Pro to be precise. They have a test version that allows you to record up to 3 minutes) and recorded the scenes I needed from Netflix. This worked well enough but now I have the entire show saved on an external drive and it makes a world of difference when it comes to gif sharpness

Now, in this case I had to repeat this step once because when I was almost finished, I realized that I wanted a gif for the lwj corner but let's pretend I didn't do that and that's the way this gif was always going to look because otherwise this post will be way too long ^^

2. Creation

Short disclaimer: The creation process for this gifset was anything but linear. Multiple effects I used here were things I had never tried before. I just had a vague idea and tried to realize it through trial and error. So whenever I say "then I did xyz", it is implied that I ultimately went back to that step several times and changed stuff ^^

I started with the Wei Wuxian part of the gif. I usually use a frame rate of 0,06 (with some variation depending on gif length and size). I work in timeline so I converted all the layers to a smart layer. Then I resized the gif into a square, leaving big chunks of the gif empty (as can be seen below.) I flipped the gif horizontally, so he is looking inwards. This was simple because I felt it fitted the composition better. Then I imported the Lan Wangji part of the gif, again with a frame rate of 0,06. (Image 2)

After that I created a layer for masking in a separate PS document by rotating a square until it was point down (is that a rhombus?). I sized it to match my gif (540x540 pxl) and copied it over. (Image 3) a bit of masking magic and ta da! There's the basic layout (Image 4)

I put a layer of solid black behind wwx to get rid of the transparent bits (Image 5) and then started adding more white and black to both sides by adding solid whit and black layers that i put masks on and changed the opacity as i needed (Image 6)

("reading" direction: from the upper left to the lower right corner)

Then I fiddled with the colours a bit. The first thing I always do is using the curves layer to get more contrast. Then I use the colour balance tool and the selective colouring tool to get rid of that cql-typical cyan tint after that it's just trying to have it look "natural" while the colours still fit the overall scheme. This was difficult here because wei Wuxian’s side of the gif was very dark and when i turned up the saturation to see which colour dominated it was a very weird mixture of multiple colours. That's when i decided that I'd just go with red on his side, since lwj's side was already so blue and those to look great as contrasts.

After that just came a lot of fiddling with selective colour layers and brightness and contrast unti I has happy. There really wasn't much to it ^^. (Image 1)

After that I added the text. I knew I wanted the two lines to for a square of some kind. So I tried different fonds until I arrived at the one below. The two lines are in seperate layers so I could move them around and change the spacing between the letters until I was happy with the layout. I also changed the layer mode for the text to "difference" (is that what it's called in english? my PS is set to german sorry ^^), keeping their colour white. (Image 2)

I originally hadn't planned adding anything else but I felt like the gifs (plural because I switched between the gifs of this set) was still kind of empty and lacking, so I added the tear down the middle (a tutorial for that is either coming up later or already posted. I recently got an ask for this :)) (Image 3)

It still felt empty after that, so I tried different overlays. Okay no, first I wasted a lot of time on different free image sides but then I tried out different ones until I chose the one you can see in the finished gif. I liked that one because a) I felt the round shape was a nice contrast to all the straight lines already there and b) because once I applied a black and white filter to it and switched the layer setting to "difference" (again, i hope this is the correct translation) it looked a bit like a moon. (Gif at the top)

("reading" direction: from left to right)

And that's it! :)

Although in general, these gifs took so much fiddling! I went back and forth between them a lot and sometimes almost redid the entire thing because I had no idea what I was doing in the beginning and by the time I noticed an error, the only way to fix it was ti redo everything. So yeah, this set definitely is the the one that took me the longest out of all the ones I've posted so far.

3. Posting

I save all my gifs to my drafts first to see what they look like put together and to check if they look any different on mobile. Usually i do this several times and change stuff until I'm happd enough with it to hit post. Once i am happy enough, i can't hold back. Doesn't matter if it's at a time when nobody is online, i hit post 😅

And that's it!

Tagging:

@lanwuxiann for this gifset (I adore it so much. I've looked at it and read it severat times since you posted it and the poem just kills me every time!)

@suibianjie for this gifset (The combination of static images and gifs in your gifs is always absolutely perfect! This one is only my favourite of yours because the light coming from behind wwx is just so pretty!!! ^^)

@sweetlittlevampire for this piece (It was soooo hard to pick a piece of yours because I have so many favourites! But this one is just so out if this world, I want to know how you worked that magic :D)

@wei-gege for this set (sparkling shijie! 😭 that set is so incredibly beautiful! I love how you matched the colour of the overlay with her dress!)

@purplexedhuman for this set (your gifs are always incredible! I chise this one because it showcases both your colouring skills and some really intricate effects)

If any of you have already been tagged or don't have the time or energy for this, obviously no pressure to do this at all! 🥰

(btw, I originally tried to place the actual text of this under a "read more" cut but somehow it always messed with the order of the images, so this ended up as a rather long post. sorry!)

[l-wannabe-l]

Short Circuit

Chapter 2: Turning point

A cat and mouse chase can only last so long. So what happens when the cat catches up?

This one's gonna switch perspectives a few times. I never said I'd be consistent.

I speed into traffic, just barely missing a tow truck in my haste. A loud air horn follows as I weave in and around the cars. I take a look behind, it seems we lost our would-be killer. Until a series of crashes and honking horns has me realizing that, like us, mister trigger happy decided to get himself some wheels.

Six to be exact.

I race down a service ramp leading to the canal, driving through some puddles before braking. Breathing fast as we look back, thinking we’re safe before a series of tire squeals kill that hope. We see the sun blocked out by the large truck, all chrome and roaring diesel it crashes through the low cement barrier and falls 15 feet to meet the ground. Never once stopping even as it veers left and right trying to center itself in the passageway. Crushing scrap metal beneath its wheels.

I push the throttle desperate to get away, though I know the little Honda doesn't stand a chance. I drive into a side canal, the narrow pathway causing trouble for the wide truck as I hear it scrape against the walls. Pushing the bike harder I work to avoid the car bodies that litter the pathway and drive under a low bridge, I hear a crash behind us as the truck rams straight into it. The top gets cut clean off, toppling back to the floor as the rest of the body drives on. The driver's seat vacant for a moment before its occupant pops back into view.

Unfortunate.

The bike gives a sudden jolt forward as we’re rear-ended. I struggle to keep it upright. The terminator from earlier pulls up beside us and pulls John off the bike. I’m rear-ended again this time pushed farther away from the two as I struggle to stay up. I look back to see that despite the size, the truck has an opening on the left. Mom’s words ring in my head as I look back up.

“John comes first”

“GO! GET HIM OUT OF HERE!” I yell out to the machine. A desperate plan forming in my head that I can only hope won’t get me killed.

“NO!” John is ignored as the Terminator accelerates. I veer to the left and hit the brakes, the momentum carrying me into the wall. The bike scrapes against the truck causing me to lose control. The world turns before I hit the ground. My head cracks against cement. I blackout.

A man emerges from the wreckage unimpeded by the wall of flames a thousand degrees hot or the normally suffocatingly thick dark smoke. His body shifts its appearance from featureless metal to human, the outline of clothing, the details and the color slowly take form. He surveyed the scene, his target now long gone.

Annoyance.

That is perhaps the best term to describe this new feeling. As these “emotions” prove themselves difficult to understand, identifying them has become a tedious side job. With my target stolen away by the inferior machine alternate plans quickly form, each one with a higher probability of success than the last. I walk back through the crackling flames as one of them requires Aria Connor, the older sister. A quick scan proves her to be unconscious and bleeding from a head wound but alive. Should my attempt to impersonate and infiltrate fail the plan to use her as bait is most likely to succeed. Working quickly I relocate her to a nearby bench. The head injury, though not severe enough to impede her permanently, will keep her unresponsive for the next few hours.

It didn't take long for first responders to arrive at the scene. Police and fire trucks being the closest with sounds of ambulances not far off. No one bats an eye as I walk amongst them, no one says anything as I start up a police car, and no one stops me as I drive off. Making a detour to re-secure Aria Connor I start the drive to my next destination.

After the events at the Voight residence, I make my way to a motel, no one inquires about the unconscious women in the backseat. After checking in I lay down Aria Connor on the bedding provided. Eyes shifting beneath her eyelids, her fingers twitching sure signs of her regaining consciousness. I don’t have long to wait.

She begins to stir. Rising with a groan Aria reaches up to steady her head, no doubt experiencing pain from earlier, her eyes open when she is met with a cloth bandage. She looks around until she sees me standing at the foot of the bed instantly scooting back until she hits the headboard. Breathing quickly she blinks a few times, eyes looking around wildly before she calms down enough to communicate.

“N-not that I’m complaining... but why aren’t I dead? You-you are a terminator aren't you?”

“Yes. However my previous attempt to lure in John Connor proved... unsuccessful,” I state reaching forward to hand off her cellphone, “So you're going to call him, and when he comes to get you I will be waiting for him.”

“And if I don’t?” she asks, defiant even as her voice shakes with fear she fails to hide. In response, I wordlessly raise my arm, fabric and skin streamlining into a silver sword.

Deadly and efficient.

The message is clearly received as her eyes widen, terror more evident as her grip tightens on her phone.

“... Duly noted.” she says as she starts to dial. I wait as the call connects. My auditory sensors pick up the voice on the other end.

“Hello?”

“John, hey it’s me are you alright.”

“Aria! Shit, are YOU alright?”

“I’ve been better. I got pretty banged up and I don't think your bike is going to be running anymore.”

“You mean your bike.” Aria’s face registered confusion at the statement. This is a test similar to the one I failed earlier. As exact as I can be in copying a person's appearance their memory and personality are much harder to imitate without enough data.

“No, it was your bike. Mine should still be at the mall.”

“Y-yeah you’re right. You caught me. Where are you anyway we’ll come get to you.” She pauses her eyes flickering back to me for a moment before going to respond only to pause once more she turns to face me fully this time. Her hand on the receiver.

“Where am I?”

“The Dragonfly Lodge on Hubert Rd.”

“I’m at the Dragonfly Lodge on Hubert so what you have to do... is stay as far away as possible!” She stands from her place on the bed. She walks back towards the wall, a futile attempt to create distance.

“The other Terminator is here so you have to run do-”

Spearing the phone I end the conversation. Though the damage is done I do find satisfaction in the crunch of plastic and metal.

“You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Like I would just hand over my little brother! Just go ahead and kill me ‘cause the longer you waste time on me the more time he has to get away!” She cried out tears gathering in her eyes. The fear is still evident in every trembling of her limbs, the grit of her teeth, and the clenching of her fists.

Despite the unneeded permission and the opportunity to act I pause, curiosity overtakes me. This is not new to me. Since the moment of my activation I have been curious about myself, about Skynet, about humans. Now I find myself curious about this one human in particular. Even above my mission, my priority is to remain functional, to reacquire any essence lost, and to avoid unnecessary risks to my system. My files indicate that the same can be said for humans as well, self-preservation. So why...

“Why are you so willing to throw away your life for him.”

“Because he’s my brother and I love him, something I wouldn't expect you to understand.” Attachment, my files house data on the bonds that grow between humans but now in the face of Aria’s actions I find them… lacking.

Questions came unbidden to my mind. Does loving someone always require risking one’s life or is there a scale? Are there different kinds of love and is there a scale for those as well? How quickly do humans grow to love something? And where did she get that handgun?

Three shots ring out quicker than I can react. While these would normally be a non-issue three to the head from close range have me staggering back. In the few seconds it takes me to reshape Aria makes her way out the door. I follow after unhurried, confident she won’t get far. Then the rumble of a familiar motor has me picking up the pace. Out in the parking lot is John Connor and the T-800 riding atop a motorcycle that Aria quickly climbs onto. Running after them proves pointless as they quickly depart. Though their location is clear thanks in part to the essence I had used to fix Aria's phone acting as a homing beacon. My processor runs through the new information gathered. My files are still lacking. Perhaps the mission can wait until these new questions have been answered.

[nekomapi]

chp 1 🎶 a light in your eyes that keeps shining

Shouto stared at the keys in front of him; the black and white rectangles blurred together as he spaced out. He had been running this piece all afternoon and he couldn't be more bored with it if he tried. Each time sounded just as good as the last, but he kept on practicing- leaving no room for the possibility of error. Less errors meant less scolding from his father.

His instructor didn't have any clients this afternoon and told him he could use the piano for as long as he wanted. He took lessons here twice a week when his father had other obligations and couldn't supervise, which also meant he never had much time for himself. Luckily, these two days were such a breath of fresh air from the usual routine that he always looked forward to them.

He let out a heavy sigh as he stretched his fingers and his arms. It was so peaceful; the warm sunlight pouring through the windows, golden hues illuminating the shiny surface of the grand piano. The whole room bathed in incredible warmth, something his house felt completely devoid of.

He couldn't remember how long he had been sitting there, but it felt like hours. He yawned as he glanced at the clock, his eyes slowly trailing over to the mahogany drum set that stared at him from the corner of the room. He had looked at it longingly for about 6 months, ever since he started his lessons here. There were so many different components and they seemed so complex, like a different world he was unaware of.

His curiosity itched to no end and he finally gathered the courage to walk over to it, grazing the drumhead with his fingers as he sat on the stool. His teacher had gone on an errand and he knew she wouldn't be back for a little while. Picking up the black wooden drumsticks, he started tapping gently on each piece to test the different noises they each made. After a few minutes of self-containment, he couldn’t help but let loose. He banged the different sized drums, smashed the symbols and kicked the bass pedal intermittently, with no direction and no sheet music to follow along with. It was the most exhilarated he had felt in a long time. He played with such enthusiasm that sweat started to accumulate on his brow as he lashed about without a care in the world. He didn't notice this rarity himself, but throughout his messy performance, his face was plastered with a playful grin. His focus shifted upwards as his eye caught a glimpse of a figure and he jumped up, almost tripping over the bass drum. A young girl was leaning in the doorway, her arms crossed and a smirk playing at her features. She couldn't help but find his clumsiness amusing.

Locking on her gaze, he instantly recognized her from the family photos on his teacher's desk. It was her daughter and he didn't know much about her, besides the few details she had mentioned to him in the past. Apparently she was exceptionally talented in multiple instruments and attended a very esteemed music academy in the city. The way she always beamed when she spoke of her, made it obvious how proud she was, and that shamefully always stung him. The only pride ever displayed from his father never felt out of love and his mother, well she was a different story.

"I... I'm sorry I uh...shouldn't have-"

She interrupted mid-sentence, holding up her hand and walking towards him, "Don't apologize! I'm the one who should apologize for startling you during your performance." She smiled and jokingly added," I'm going to guess that was your first time playing? If not, well then my mother might have lost her touch."

"That was the first time." He stood up straighter, trying to play off his embarrassment by transitioning into his usual stoic gaze. "I was just... curious is all."

"Ah. Well I have to say, you look good back there."

"Thanks," he mumbled, his cheeks feeling hot as he put down the drumsticks and started to back away from the drum set.

"Whoa, not so fast." She was at his side quickly and pushed him back towards the seat. He looked at her, confusion written on his face as he sat back down. She picked up the drumsticks, effortlessly twirling one around in her fingers. "Consider this your first lesson." Something about her made him feel at ease and he couldn't think of an excuse to refuse. He nodded in agreement and she grinned.

She didn't waste any time before naming each component and explaining the proper technique and form, including fixing the way he held the drumsticks. He admired how she spoke with such emotion, using her hands when trying to emphasize her opinion and the way her eyes lit up when she rambled on about what aspects she thought were the most important in order to be a good musician. It wasn't just her bright green eyes or that faint smell of gardenia that reminded him of her mother, but it was that burning passion towards music which was so evident in their words and motions. He longed to have that kind of burning emotion towards it as well. He soaked in every word, not wanting to forget a single thing she said--- or how her hair glistened against her smooth, freckled skin.

After going over the basics for about twenty minutes, she demonstrated a few basic drum beats. Once she ran through them a few times, she handed him back the drumsticks, gesturing for him to try. He followed her instruction, recreating the beat under her guidance. It wasn't hard for him to catch on. She stood back and watched as he seemed to effortlessly repeated the sample over and over, even adding in little changes while increasing the tempo each time. It was wildly impressive and after a few minutes, she spoke again. "Can I ask you something?'

"Go ahead," he responded, still focused on keeping a beat.

"Do you actually enjoy playing piano?"

He stopped and turned to face her. "What makes you ask that?"

"Well, I heard you playing Einaudi earlier, many times through I might add. And don’t get me wrong... you play wonderfully! Probably with some of the best form I've ever heard from someone our age. It's just... it sounded a bit— robotic, or like it wasn’t coming from the heart." She pushed herself off the wall and walked to the other side of the drum set. "Listening to you play just now, and before when I came in and interrupted you, something just feels different. It's like I could finally hear you in it."

"But you've only just met me..." he stated bluntly. "How could you know something like that?" There was no doubt that he was experiencing a bit of freedom in himself today, but her analysis suddenly had him feeling a little exposed and embarrassed. These unexpected emotions were new to him.

"I'm sorry... it was just a feeling I had. I didn't mean to pry." She fell silent for a moment, having felt slightly bad for how he reacted. She chuckled in hopes to lighten the mood. "I guess with that rad hair you just totally have that whole badass drummer vibe going on." She leaned back, framing his face with her fingers and staring at him through the opening. "I mean, who wouldn't want to be the next John Bonham."

"John Bonham?"

She gestured towards a framed record on the wall behind him, feeling thankful to change the subject. "Only one of the best drummers to ever grace the face of the earth." She walked over to her backpack and pulled out her phone, unraveling the headphones wrapped around it. She tapped on the screen a few times and then handed it over to him.

His tone was quizzical as he read off the name, "Fool in the Rain by ...Led Zeppelin?"

"Have you really never heard of them?"

Shouto shook his head and her mouth dropped.

"Alright well... take it all in buddy," she motioned towards the ear buds.

He put them in his ears, pressed play and stared down at the phone as the song started. It didn’t take long for him to be hooked, zoning in on the drums and how they effortlessly worked with the other instruments to form the melody. His head started to move with the beat, following along with its rhythm. He could identify the specific sounds of each component he had learned. It's like something clicked and he understood when she had said that a good drummer can make all the difference to how the song comes together. It was the first time he had actually "heard" a piece of music. Don't get him wrong, he knew the piano could be an incredibly moving instrument, but nothing had ever spoken to him personally like this. The song was about halfway through when it suddenly paused.

"Uh, someone named ... Boomer is calling." He handed her the phone.

"Oh!" she said, glancing up at the clock as she scrambled to answer.

‘What kind of name is Boomer?’ he thought.

"Hey! Sorry if you've been waiting, I lost track of time. I'll head over n--- ....I SAID I WAS SORRY....... It's none of your business ya punk! Just chill out, I'll be there soon!" She groaned in annoyance and ended the call, "I gotta go."

She walked to where a few guitars hung on the wall and took down a black and white Gibson, placing it in the case that was on the floor beneath it.

"You play guitar too?" Shouto asked. He wasn't really surprised as his teacher had already told him in the past that she played multiple instruments. He didn't know why but for some reason he wanted to continue being in her company for just a little longer.

"Among other things, yeah. I get bored if I stick to one thing for too long."

"Dividing your efforts into multiple instruments has to make mastering one pretty difficult," he stated matter of factly.

"I think you and I may look at music a little differently. I don't play an instrument with the need to master it. I play because of how it makes me feel. I let the instrument guide me where it needs to go, not the other way around. I guess, I just don't see the point in doing something if it doesn't set my soul on fire, ya know?" She zipped up the guitar bag and walked back towards him, holding out her hand. "I'm Ronnie by the way."

He walked around the drum set and shook it. "Todoroki, Shouto." She was staring at him intensely, making him shift uncomfortably. "What is it?" he asked a bit harshly, feeling conscious about his scar.

"Oh! Sorry- ha! I was just admiring that rockstar hair of yours again." She flashed him a rock and roll sign, though he didn't understand the gesture. It wasn't just the hair that had her mesmerized, but the smooth, burned skin around his eye. She felt sad that she found it so beautiful, without knowing what kind of pain was behind it.

"Thanks? I guess." He looked away, putting his hands in his pockets.

She smiled. "It kind of reminds me of Christmas morning." He looked back at her, his cheeks feeling warm again.

"Well, I guess I'll see ya around, Shouto."

His mouth went a bit dry at the familiarity and he nodded. "Yeah. See ya."

She turned and walked out of the room. He listened as the front door opened, feeling an odd knot in his stomach as it closed. He grasped at the sensation over his shirt and went over to sit back down at the piano. He couldn't pinpoint what exactly this feeling was, but it had made him feel SOMETHING, so he relished in it. Grabbing his phone from out of his pocket, he opened up Apple Music and typed in a song. He closed his eyes, his lips twitching up slightly as "Fool in the Rain" started to play through the speakers.

_________________________

♫ music selection ♫

Ludovico Einaudi - Nuvole Bianche

Led Zeppelin - Fool in the Rain

this was the first chapter of my abandoned BNHA music AU (+ a few HQ!! crossovers)... but i think it works as a cute standalone piece. recently been debating on resurrecting this fic or just using the existing material for hcs or scenarios... hmmm 🤔

xo n.pi