#which is great and all but I should really learn to give my more relaxed and less perfectionist art a chance

[theswedishpajas]

The man truly can’t take a genuine compliment 🙄

[theelvishfiddler]

AN ARTIST'S GUIDE TO HANDS

No, sorry it's actually not an artist's guide to drawing hands. Those are just warmup studies (which I'll talk about in this post.)

This is a guide to Your Hands and how to take care of them when making art.

No one ever sits down and teaches artists how to take care of their hands. They didn’t even teach me this while I was in art college. This is just what I've learned myself through years of pain and scouring the internet for advice.

This is going to be a long one and geared towards illustrative traditional/digital/pen/pencil artists specifically, but artists of other mediums and crafts should take care of their hands too! Well, we all should take care of our bodies in general, but this is about hands.

(advice is below the read more)

First off I'm not a professional or anyone with actual medical advice. I'm just some guy with chronic hand pain who makes art. This advice is free for you to use or discard.

WARMUPS!

Ever sit down in the morning to draw and wonder why your art is so stiff and looks so much worse than what you were drawing last night? It's because you didn't warm up!

You know how for physical sports they all warmup and do stretches before getting into the actual sport. To prevent injuries and all that? Yeah, it's good to do that for art too.

One way to warmup is to just draw lines. Try to keep them as straight as you can. Going up and down and diagonal. Draw squares. Big squares. Small squares. Circles! You are warming up, keep it loose and relaxed! Basically just scribble away.

(examples. I usually keep going until there is no paper white left. This can double as practice for drawing straight lines without a ruler, which is a great skill to have when freehand city drawing.)

Before hopping right into drawing people you can try doing some quick gesture drawings. Line of Action has timed sessions with a large variety of clothed or nude models. I usually do the 30 min class as it has a nice balance of short and long timed poses. The point isn't to draw nice art, but to warm up. Try to get the basic form down, not the details. I find that doing a full class session can really help my drawings feel more loose and grounded in reality for the rest of the day.

Some examples I found in my folders. I suggest looking into what a line of action (not the site) is and giving it a try with some of the studies!

COOLDOWNS!

For sports it's to return your body back to your everyday baseline after a workout.

Example; you are working on a big project! A masterpiece! It's detailed and cool! You have been focusing on this for hours and drawing so intensely. But you need to stop working for the day.

A cooldown is for winding down out of the go go go mindset. Put away the big project and do a couple small doodles and sketches. You are relaxing your hand and letting it stretch out. Keep the sketches loose. Let the art happen slowly. Don't polish anything, that can happen another day. Just ease yourself out of drawing.

...

Cool! Now we get into the meat of this thing.

HAND PAIN

How to avoid it and how to manage it if you already have it.

I love you artists and creatives, I am begging you to please take care of your most important creative tools. I really don't want this to sound like scare tactics like "oooh you better do this or blah blah!" Nope. I just had to learn all this the hard way and I'm extremely passionate about it.

Take this advice or don’t ╮(ﾟ～ﾟ;)╭ I can't tell you what to do, I'm not your dad

Adjustments and Small Solutions

If you are feeling physical discomfort while drawing there are many different solutions to try! Here are some suggestions that may or may not work for you.

Hold your pencil more loosely. Stop gripping that thang so tightly!!! Relax that hand! They make these… squishy pen grip things... I think they are called Adaptive Pencil Grips or Adaptive Writing/Drawing Aids? They stop your hand from being all cramped up by making your drawing tool wider. It's going to take a bit of time to adjust to drawing with it, but it's worth it for those who hold pencils too tightly.

Don't press as heavily. For traditional art, if you find yourself pressing really hard to get darker lines try moving to a softer pencil. Most standard pencils are HB, the B pencils have softer graphite. Experiment until you find the right one for you. For Digital, adjust your pressure settings so you don't have to press as hard to get thicker lines. You should not be pressing so hard all the time, it wears out both your hand and your tablet! It takes a bit of time to adapt to pencil or pressure changes. Try doing some unimportant sketches, they don't have to be good. You are just training your hand and mind to adjust using less pressure.

Draw with your arm and not your wrist! It's small repetitive motions that cause the most strain. You probably hear this one a lot, what does it even mean? It means moving your arm with the motions of your line, and trying not to make too many tiny movements with your just your fingers or wrist. This one is hard! It takes time and conscious thought to change the habit. Tips? Work bigger. Zoom in more. Use bigger sheets of paper.

(Motions exaggerated for a clearer example)

Change the angle of your drawing surface. They make angled tablet holders, angled desks, angled desktop raisers. Experiment, find and angle that is comfortable and the one that causes the least pain. (It's also good to make sure you don't have to hold your head at an uncomfortable angle when drawing. Staring straight down or hunching over a paper flat on the table can cause pain!)

Compression Glove? Wrist brace/tensioners? Some folks use them and I've been thinking of getting one for years now. I can't give advice on this one, because I don't have experience with it. Look into it if you want!

Managing Pain

First things first.

IF YOUR HANDS START TO HURT WHILE YOU ARE DRAWING. STOP! Put the pencil/pen/paintbrush/whatever down. The art will still be there for you to continue tomorrow.

I know from experience that it's extremely hard to pull away when you are hyper focused on an art piece. It's hard to remember all sorts of basic needs like food or bathroom when hyper focused. But you Need to stop when you feel that pain. (Preferably even before the pain…)

Take Breaks! Let your hands rest when you can. Just like a machine, if you don't schedule maintenance, the machine will schedule maintenance for you. Often that means having to wait a few days for it to return to functional. Best to take a day off from heavy usage or take an occasional 30 min break throughout the day to let your hands rest.

Stretching is important! Full body stretches are good; your arms, shoulders, neck, and spine are all connected, but I'm specifically talking about HAND and wrist stretching. There are a lot of stretches and massages for carpal tunnel and arthritis out there. I find they work for hand pain in general. Move into and out of each stretch slowly. Do not push a stretch if it hurts!! Be gentle!!

I am not a qualified professional and I will not be giving out specific stretches (that is beyond my personal comfort level). There are other artists out there who have made helpful stretching info-graphics which are cool, but I will not be because i don't want to be responsible for someone accidentally hurting themself. Ask your doctor for stretches & advice or look some up on your own.

Don't feel bad about forgetting to stretch frequently! Of course it is good to do it regularly and frequently, but I would be a hypocrite if I said that I remember to stretch daily. Setting timers for stop and stretch sessions can work for some people, but also doing stretches whenever you remember is fine! If you are sitting on the toilet you can idly do some hand stretches. On the bus? Laying in bed? At the beach? Do a couple stretches! Even just once a week is better than… nonce a week.

Using Cold or Heat to treat pain. If you really overdid it, put your hands in some cold water or wrap a cloth around an ice pack and apply it to your hand. Cold works best for me, but warmth works for others. This is just pain reduction and reducing inflammation from overuse! This is not a permanent solution.

If your hand hurts a lot! Frequently! Talk to your doctor? Idk mine has never given real advice. Just gently poked my hand and told me there isn't much to be done about it :/ but there are really good doctors out there who will care and give helpful advice!

Again. IF IT HURTS TO CONTINUE DRAWING. STOP DRAWING! This is not a "no pain no gain" type situation. Drawing so much that you hurt yourself isn't noble, it's just… limiting yourself. You only get one set of hands. These things are very handy to have.

Other Advice

Things I couldn't figure out how to fit into the earlier sections.

Your other hand can't handle the strain! Lets say you hurt your drawing hand... the other hand is right there free to use for art. Right? Wrong. Your other hand can't keep up with the demand, it hasn't been trained to the same extent as your dominant hand, it does not have the built up muscle. If you want to use that hand for drawing you are going to have to use it s l o w l y and train it bit by bit over a long period of time. When I tore a tendon in my right hand I decided to just keep drawing with my left and I got Really Good at it. It only took like two months before my left hand hurt too much to move. Then I had 0 functioning hands to pull up my pants. Not fun!!

People who draw on phones. That is extremely impressive! I'm amazed by the things people can create on such a small space. But phone artists are the ones I see most frequently mentioning hand pain. please please please make sure you are taking breaks. Would a stylus work instead of using a finger?

Outside of Drawing. Sometimes it's things outside of drawing that are causing the pain. For me there are multiple sources, but I also have tiny baby hands. Holding a phone too long causes pain. The handheld mode for my Switch causes A Lot of pain. The way my hand rests while typing on my laptop hurts! Playing tense videogames for too long hurts! Find the source of your pain and make some changes. The same things will apply to most; take regular breaks, do some stretches, and find soft things to prop up or rest your arms on.

Change your Artstyle. This one is more of a last resort. You might have to change your art style if you are getting sharp pains every time you draw. I loved drawing tight clean lines and many small fancy details, but drawing like that left me in so much pain at the end of the day. In 2023 I had to take the better part of year off from illustrations just to learn how to sketch and draw more loosely. I had to learn how to be gentle. To stop gripping my pencil so tightly. Learn! Adapt! You might discover a new style that you love even more!

A lot of this stuff gets more complicated in a work setting where you have to draw fast and long in order to get paid. Things like reducing your workload can help, but that can be... financially rough. But outside of that, it’s ok to be a slow artist. Going full steam and hurting yourself is not worth it.

Aaaaaanyway, thats all folks. Today's rant brought to you by me! The guy with chronic hand pain who always forgets to stretch! The guy who got frustrated with a sketch yesterday and decided to push to keep drawing for just one more hour! The guy who woke up this morning and had to spend 2 hours massaging and stretching their hands. The guy who probably shouldn't have typed all of this out because ooww ow ouch

If your hands do hurt, it's going to be ok! You don't need to be a speed demon who draws all the time. It's ok to take your time and take frequent breaks. You are going to do great things! Just be gentle with yourself...

[fanficlolsblog]

TASTE

back to my main masterlist

pairing: fem!reader x sabrina carpenter

summary: your favourite artist, sabrina carpenter asks you to be in her new music video, ‘taste’, which of course you couldn’t refuse…

warnings: none.

a/n: i posted this on wattpad to, i would appreciate it if you would go check it out :) loversxoxoxo.

It was an ordinary Wednesday when an email arrived that made my heart race with excitement. Sabrina Carpenter, one of my favorite artists, was reaching out to me. She wanted me to be in her new music video for ‘Taste.’ I could hardly believe it—I’d been a fan for years, and now I was being given a chance to work with her. I agreed without hesitation.

The day of the shoot arrived, and I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. Sabrina’s team met me at a chic studio, where the atmosphere was buzzing with creative energy. When Sabrina walked in, she looked even more stunning in person. Her smile was bright, and her energy was infectious.

“Hey there!” Sabrina greeted me warmly. “You must be the one I’ve been hearing so much about from my team! It’s lovely to meet you dear.” She takes out her hand for me to shake.

I tried to keep my composure but felt my cheeks flush. “Hi I’m Y/N. I’m so excited to be here. Thank you for inviting me.” I grab her hand, her hands are so soft.

Sabrina’s eyes sparkled with mischief as she shines her beautiful smile. “Of course! I have a feeling we’re going to make a great team.” She says as she shakes my hand and winks at me. My cheeks probably look so read right now… “Let’s go over the concept, shall we?”

We went through the details, and that’s when I learned about the kiss… it was part of a scene in the video where Sabrina and I were supposed to share a moment of connection. My stomach did a little flip at the news. The idea of kissing Sabrina Carpenter was both thrilling and nerve-wracking.

As the scene approached, Sabrina came up to me with a playful glint in her eyes. “Ready for our big scene?” she asked, her voice low and teasing.

I nodded, trying to stay calm. “Um yeah, I think so.”

Sabrina stepped closer, her proximity sending butterflies fluttering in my stomach. “Don’t worry,” she said softly. “It’s just a kiss. Just trust me, okay?”

When the cameras started rolling, Sabrina and I were caught up in the intensity of the moment. We shared a tender, lingering kiss that felt both surreal and exhilarating. I grab ahold of her face pulling her closer. As we pulled away, I caught a glimpse of Sabrina’s warm smile and the way her eyes sparkled with genuine affection. “Wow…”

Sabrina giggles a bit as she lets go of my waist. Shit did i just say that out loud? “Was I that good darling?” I open my mouth to speak but nothing comes out as Sabrina walks away from me to her team.

Once filming wrapped, Sabrina walked over to me, her demeanor relaxed and flirtatious. “You were amazing today. I really enjoyed working with you.”

I grinned, feeling a mix of elation and disbelief. “Thanks, Sabrina. It was incredible to be a part of this. It felt surreal,” I say as i slightly laugh. Sabrina grins at me, I swear i see her eyes glimmer again.

She leaned in slightly closer to my face, her voice playful. “You know, we should hang out sometime. I’d love to get to know you better outside of all this.”

My heart skipped a beat. “That would be… great.”

Sabrina reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. “How about you give me your number? I’ll text you so we can set something up.”

I quickly gave her my number, biting my bottom lip slightly trying to hide my excitement. “Here you go.”

Sabrina took the number with a smile. “Perfect. I’ll be in touch soon. It was lovely to meet you, Y/N.” She pulls me into a hug.

“You too,” I pull away as she starts to walk away. She turns around to give one last look back and glimmers her pearly white teeth one last time. I smile back to her as she fully turns around to continue walking.

As she walked away, I was left grinning from ear to ear. The day had been a whirlwind of emotions, from the thrill of the kiss to the unexpected invitation to hang out. I couldn’t wait to see what would come next.

[funlovinzara]

The unexpected hangout

𝐼 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓀𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑜𝓊𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓌𝑒𝒾𝓇𝒹 𝒶𝓈 𝓂𝑒

(Music is intended to be played in the story, wear headphones <3) (long fic)

I grew up in this town for as long as i can remember, i wasn’t introverted, but i wasn’t an extrovert either. I spoke when i had to, leaving me with a group of friends here and there. Beginning high-school was another story, i still had my small group of friends including this one girl Momo. I don’t exactly know how i became friends with her but shes been the friendliest since i could remember.

But i find myself drowning in the sinkhole of over working, and i think she could tell because she recommended a sleepover/hangout with another one of her friends that she thought i would like. Momo is the only one i can truly be myself around so how can i expect her friend to even like me. I open to learning many subjects, although i don’t pick a favorite i like things about conspiracies or random theories to keep me up thinking.

My phone dings with a message, its from Momo

Momo👻: I’ll be at your place around 7! My friend is still coming over, trust me you and him are going to be great friends.

Me: Him? He’s a guy? You must be setting something up

Momo👻: Well I’m just saying if things between you guys progress than it is what it is but thats NOT what I’m trying to do at all🤣

Me: What if he’s really rude or something i cant handle more stress I’m too tired for this, if i wanted to have a guy friend then i would have asked.

Momo👻: No he’s not like that he’s a total nerd, he would never do anything harmful. Ive been friends with him for awhile, i talk to him about aliens and stuff all the time

Me: What makes you think i wanna deal with boys at all. I’ll try to be friends with him i guess but if he does anything that i can’t respect he’s getting out of my home

Momo👻: Alrightt no need to be so stuck up, your stressed just relax for a bit.

I stare up at the starry night and then bring my eyes to the clock, Momo is a few minutes late. But as a coincidence, she knocks at my door as soon as i have that thought. I go down the stairs to see her open the door, hmm must have been unlocked, but i remember locking.

Maybe i should be nice, ill try my best too. I mean she wasn’t worried about him or anything. Momo swings the door open giving me a big hug, i look behind her to see a boy. We make eye contact and he looks away timidly and fiddles with his hair. Momo knew i had a thing for nerds, she’s definitely setting something up.

(I was a little scared to introduce myself though…)

“This is my friend i told you about, his name is okarun!!”

He looks back up shyly, extended his hand to give me a hand shake. I give him a handshake back, flashing the tiniest smile to show the least bit of comfort. He steps closer to me to whisper something quiet enough not for Momo to hear

“M—my name is actually Ken takakura…” I nod my head to make sure Momo doesn’t think anything is up, i wonder why she calls him Okarun though. Momo yawns making her way to the living room and into the kitchen, opening the fridge to look for her favorite drink i usually keep at my place.

“Hey…y/n you don’t have any more of that drink..”

“Sorry, I’ll buy some more soon.” She walks back over to the entrance of the home where me and Ken were still standing awkwardly “its alright, speaking of which, the gas station is only a 5 minutes walk from here. I’ll go run and buy some!! My grandma gave me some money incase i wanted to get snacks!”

I look at her in despair. I whisper yell at her before she walks out the door “You’re leaving??!? Now???! Me alone with a boy??!!”

“Cmonn I’m gonna be back I’ll make it quick.” She gives me a sly wink before shutting my own door at my face. I turn around slowly, lifting my head up to look at Ken embarrassingly. He was looking at me but he shifted his gaze to some random spot in the house. I didn’t want to stand here forever..

“We can just go to my room for now while we wait…”

I guide him up the stairs towards my room, i leave background music playing to calm me and i accidentally forgot to turn it off. We enter my room and his eyes lighten up like a puppy. I had a fluffy rug, thick bed sheets many tiny figures and posters, with a neat desk and dim lights. He felt a comforting feeling as he heard the music that was left playing.

He looks around and he notices i have a book on my desk titled “conspiracy’s and theories #1: Aliens? Are they real?” I sat on my bed and i saw him approach the book for a closer inspection, his eyes glow as he looks up at me.

He realizes he touched something without asking and he places the book down quickly while fiddling with his hair again and re-adjusting his glasses. He looks down at the floor in embarrassment with a blushing face.

“I have the same book..d—do you like…aliens..?”

My goodness he is so cute. I snap out of my daydreaming after staring at him.“Well…i like reading about them. They seem cool to me and i like the unknown. I watch a-lot of documents.”

He looks up at me, with his hand still in his hair. “Do you know anything about…UAP’s and UFO’s..? I softly replied, “Yes i do read about them a little.” His eyes were in full on dull mode, he was so ready to rant. I realized he was still standing, and i was on my bed. He’s not a bad guy at all, he’s just really shy, well— so am i.

I pat the spot next to me signaling him to sit down next to me. I try to get more comfortable, i sat in a criss cross position. He looks at me with his face flushing again and he slowly makes his way to the bed, he sat in the same criss cross position facing me. His hand still in his hair obviously, his head down, he muttered…

“There have been many sightings of aliens..I—I’ve done alot of research. I should have brought my b—books but i thought that you weren’t really going to like….me..”

“Oh, i thought the same about you…that you were going to be kind of rude to me. But you like the same things as me.”

He hesitantly brings his head up to make eye contact with me, his face a pink tone due to the blush. My open window blows a cool air into the room, moonlight hitting his eyes and shining them. I avert my gaze to him to see him pondering into my eyes, his lips part as he was going to say something until we could hear the door open. It was Momo, that was really quick.

We rush back downstairs to see her with multiple bags, more than what she said she was going to buy. “Oh man, i really should have called you!! They had an amazing deal and i got so many snacks for half off!”

Me and Ken look at each-other, we slightly giggle at the goofiness of Momo. Momo ran up the stairs and came back down with a giant blanket from my closet, she places it on the couch with the snacks she bought on the table

“Cmon guys let’s watch a movie!!” I sat down with Ken trying not to be to close to make me uncomfortable, through out the movies we watched i could feel him land his attention on me. But he was very slick with it, i could hardly tell.

At the end of the night after all the movies, Momo and Ken helped clean up. Momo grabbed all of her belongings and so did Ken and they were about to leave. “Bye y/n! See you tomorrow!!”

“B—bye…” i didn’t want it to end like this… “Okarun.” He turns around and looks at me with confusion and a bit of fluster. “Could I see your phone for a sec?” He hands me his unlocked phone and i quickly type my number and my name into a new contact space and hand him his phone back. He looks at what I’ve done and his face goes from pink to a rose red. He looks up at me like his face was about to explode

It seems like he wanted to say thank you, but Momo pulled him out of the door in a hurry. The door shut on me again, but instead..i don’t feel lonely anymore. I feel a warmth entered my soul.

We could be friends…

This took forveerrr please but i love this alot like i really wanted to get the emotion in here😭🫶🏾

[cjlouwho]

Bucktommy prompt: Tommy is dealing with chronic pain and Buck helps him through it.

Part 3 of my injured Tommy fic

If Tommy were being honest, there were some positives to being paralyzed. The first time he'd told Evan as much, he'd stared back at him with eyebrows raised and a face that said, “I can't wait to see where this is going.”

So Tommy had gone through the list he'd made in his head.

1. He always got the best parking spots.

2. Little old ladies now helped him in the grocery store.

3. People were constantly opening doors for him.

4. He'd get to board first on a plane... as soon as he and Evan figured out where they were going to go for their honeymoon.

5. Sometimes people let him cut in line.

6. He'd learned how to do some sick ass wheelies!

Buck had laughed along with his list, even adding a few himself.

7. Bigger hotel rooms.

8. Tommy's biceps were larger than Buck thought humanly possible.

9. If Buck got tired of walking, he could just sit on Tommy's lap and get a free ride.

And while these things were all good and true, there were plenty of things that made Tommy's new life far more difficult.

One of which were the body spasms.

He'd been warned about them in the hospital. Had a few of them before he'd been discharged. Learned how to deal with them, for the most part, through physical therapy. He'd also been put on muscle relaxants, sleeping pills, and antidepressants.

Which really only caused more problems, because he spent the better part of a month feeling so doped up that he was asleep more than he was awake.

His doctors changed doses and moved around schedules, trying to find the perfect balance, but Tommy hated the pills no matter what.

They didn't only impact his day to day life, but also his ability and desire for sex.

And God, as his body recovered and he and Buck settled into their new normal, he really wanted to want to have sex.

Adjustments already had to be made do to the reduction of sensation he felt around his pelvis. Things got weaker and weaker from there, reduced to no feeling at all in his legs.

They'd had their quickie wedding at the courthouse in February, followed by a ceremony with family the next month, and started planning a honeymoon in the summer. And that's when Tommy decided he was going to cut back on some of his medications, and cut others out completely. He was not going to spend his honeymoon in a half daze, not caring whether or not his drop dead gorgeous husband was naked on top of him.

Buck had protested at first. He'd made it clear that sex didn't mean everything to him. The things they still did do were pretty damn great, and it wasn't worth Tommy being in pain.

But Tommy insisted.

So they'd met with his doctors and come up with a plan. He could go off the sleeping pills, taking them only when needed. They'd reduce the antidepressant in increments. And muscle relaxants could be used as needed as well.

For the most part, everything went fairly smoothly. His spasticity would rear its ugly head from time to time, but it wasn't anything unmanageable.

Until, one night, it was.

He should have known it was going to be a bad night. He'd been restless and uncomfortable all day long. He'd go from his wheelchair, to the couch, to the wheelchair, to the dining room chair, to the wheelchair, to the bed, then back to the wheelchair.

He'd tried wheeling around the neighborhood, usually enjoying using his arms to push himself around, but today he just felt stiff.

The muscle relaxants in the kitchen cabinet had been calling his name, but he'd resisted. Evan was coming off a forty-eight hour shift tonight, and he'd already texted Tommy a picture of himself all sweaty, no shirt on, telling him he was gonna get himself all cleaned up for Tommy.

And Tommy wanted nothing more than to give him everything he wanted, because he wanted it too. Which was a damn good feeling to have back.

He hoped that sex would help his body relax.

It didn't.

He'd gotten through it though, with a few little twinges of pain in his chest and back. Nothing too severe. And with Buck on top of him, his body flushed red, head tossed back and mouth hanging open, the pleasure overrode the pain.

It didn't get really bad until after Buck had fallen asleep. Tommy wasn't sure how long he laid there, trying to stay as still as possible so he didn't wake Evan.

Even as the pain started to radiate up his back, he clenched his teeth to keep himself from groaning.

Then it went to his chest, causing his breath to hitch. The spasm made his back arch off the bed. If it didn't hurt so bad, he would have made some sort of exorcist joke.

His hands gripped onto the fitted sheet and he could feel a vibration.

His legs were probably shaking. He couldn't feel it, but it always happened when he had these spasms, even the minor ones.

He couldn't hardly get a breath. Not while fighting to be quiet. Not while his back and chest felt like they were becoming harder than a rock.

Finally, he unclenched his jaw and let out a half-moan, half-gasp.

“Ev- Evan,” he huffed out, releasing his grip on the sheet to smack his hand down on the bed. Tommy couldn't quite reach out far enough to touch him. Not when everything was seizing up like this. “Evan!” he repeated, louder this time.

Even in his deep sleep, Buck must've realized something was wrong. One second he was dead to the world, and the next he was jumping up, tossing the covers off of them both.

“What? What's wrong?” he said, clumsily reaching over to the nightstand and turning on the lamp.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut against the light. He didn't feel like seeing himself right now.

It took Buck's brain a few seconds to catch up to the sight in front of him. When he finally registered what was happening, he headed for the door. “I'm gonna get your meds.”

“No!” Tommy yelled, sucking in a breath. “D- Don't.”

“Tommy, you need your muscle relaxant.”

“I- I can't.” He managed to bring a hand to his throat, hoping Evan understood.

“You can't swallow right now,” Buck replied. It wasn't a question.

“Mhm. Just... Just-”

“Massage?” Buck guessed, getting to Tommy's side of the bed in record speed. “You think that would help this time?”

Figuring out the correct responses to these episodes was always a guessing game. Sometimes touch could make it worse. Tommy was pretty sure nothing could make it any worse right now.

“Mm... Mhm.” His jaw was getting so tight he could barely open his mouth.

“I'm gonna move you onto your side.” Very carefully, Buck turned Tommy's rigid body so he was facing away from him. It was an awkward angle, and he was having to do most of the work to keep Tommy on his side, but he managed to get into a position where he could start to dig the palm of his hand into Tommy's back.

At first, he was so tight Buck worried he was going to hurt him even more by massaging him. But, Tommy's breathing seemed to become a little fuller, and the groaning died down a bit.

So Buck continued. He'd alternate between using his palm, his fist, his thumb, to dig into the muscles and get them to loosen.

After a few minutes, Tommy had quieted down completely. His body relaxed into the bed as he flopped the rest of the way onto his stomach. The shaking in his legs subsided. He no longer felt like he was going to shatter into a million little pieces.

Still, Buck continued his massage. He worked up Tommy's neck, massaged his head, down to his shoulders, his back. He even massaged over his legs and feet, letting Tommy know what he was doing so he wouldn't think Buck had just left the room.

After about half an hour, Buck rested his hand at the center of Tommy's back. “Feel better?” he asked quietly, unsure if Tommy was even still awake at this point.

“Mhm. Thank you,” Tommy replied. He paused, blushing before starting to ask, “Did I... Do I need..?” He couldn't quite get the words out. Did I piss myself? Do I need to get up so we can change the sheets and clean me up?

It happened sometimes, when his body seized up. And while he nearly had full bladder control back, everything went haywire when it came to his spasms.

“No, you're good,” Buck answered, and Tommy thanked whoever might be listening that they were able to read each other's minds. “Think you can turn back over now?”

“Yeah. Yes, I- you'll have to help me though.”

“Of course.”

Once Tommy was resting comfortably on his back, head propped up under two pillows, Buck stared down at him. “You knew it was gonna happen today, didn't you?”

Tommy sighed. There was no point in lying. “Yeah. Not this bad though.”

“And you didn't take a pill earlier?”

“No.”

Buck sucked in a shaky breath as he nodded. He didn't answer. Didn't say a word. He simply turned and headed into the bathroom.

Tommy listened as he turned the sink on. It ran for a while, then Buck was back by his side. He ran a warm washcloth over Tommy's face, Tommy closing his eyes and melting into the touch.

Once Buck had finished wiping off his face, he started on his chest.

Tommy blinked his eyes back open, studying Buck.

He was tense, eyebrows knitted together as he focused on cleaning the sweat from Tommy's body.

Tommy's eyes drifted to Buck's hand, shaking ever so slightly.

He reached out and placed his hand over Buck's, gently gripping his wrist. Finally, Buck made eye contact with him.

“Please don't be mad,” Tommy said, knowing it was unfair even as he said it. Still, he hated to see Evan disappointed. Wasn't sure if he could handle it right now.

But as he looked further into Evan's eyes, he didn't see anger.

He saw fear, and sadness. Red-rimmed, wet with unshed tears that were threatening to spill over.

“M'not mad,” he replied, clearing his throat. “I- I'm upset. I don't like seeing you in pain, Tommy.”

“I know. I'm sorry.”

“You don't have to be sorry. Just don't do it again. I can't... I can't enjoy being with you- having sex with you,” he clarified, “if I think you're hurting yourself for it.”

“I know, Evan. I just... I just wanted to be with you tonight. Wanted to feel good. Wanted to make you feel good.”

Buck tossed the rag onto the nightstand, sitting down on the bed beside Tommy. “You know what makes me feel good?” he started, resting two fingers under Tommy's chin so he couldn't look away. “Seeing you comfortable makes me feel good. Us enjoying dinner together makes me feel good. Going for a walk in the evening, watching movies, going out for ice cream, you holding me in your arms, getting to hold you in mine, kissing you for hours and hours. All those things, plus like a million more, make me feel good. Sex is fun, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it because damn you've got some moves,” he said, getting a smile out of Tommy, “but it's not everything to me. You are everything to me. I know we can't always prevent spasticity, but when we can, it would make me feel good if we did. Got it?”

Tommy nodded, giving himself a few seconds before verbally responding. “You can't just say stuff like that to me, you know,” he said, choked up. “I'm a softy now.”

Buck scoffed, rolling his eyes playfully. “You were always a softy,” he informed Tommy, leaning in for a kiss.

“I'm gonna go get your pills now, okay?”

“Okay.” Before Buck could get too far, Tommy reached out and grabbed at his hand. “Hey. Have I told you lately that I love you?”

Buck cocked his head, giving Tommy a glare. “If you start singing Rod Stewart to me, I will divorce you.”

“No, seriously, Baby,” Tommy said, keeping a straight face. “Have I told you there's no one else above you?”

“I already know a good attorney.”

“You fill my heart with gladness,” Tommy continued, grinning, “take away all my sadness.”

Buck wriggled his hand free of Tommy's grasp, heading out toward the kitchen. “If you hear the front door slam, I'll be back later for my things.”

Tommy's smile only widened as he yelled out, “You ease my troubles, that's what you do!”

[iangeeluv]

-you tell your husband your awesome plan-

“Katsuki,” you began, your voice taunting, “I’ve been thinking.”

“What is it now?” He glanced down at you, his expression soft and relaxed, a state that you often did not see his face in. 

You bit down your lip to keep from grinning as you prepared to drop your epiphany. “You know how I’m always worried about you being a hero and putting yourself in danger constantly?”

He nodded, evidently not understanding where you were going with this. “Yes, you bring it up almost daily.”

“Well, baby.” you resumed, “I have invented the perfect solution to that problem.”

“And what ever could that possibly be?” Katsuki drawled, raising a singular eyebrow.

“I think you should quit being a hero and become my little housewife instead,” you announced with a mischievous grin.

There was a moment of speechlessness as Katsuki processed what you’d just uttered. His usually stoic expression changed, his eyes restricting as he tried to determine whether you were serious or not. 

You could practically hear the wheels turning in his brain, and it only made it harder for you to hold back your laughter. He looked so adorable thinking.

“A house... wife?” he recited slowly as if trying the word out on his tongue. He didn’t sound too eager about it…

“Yes! A housewife, baby,” you affirmed, nodding enthusiastically. “You’d be amazing at it! I know it! You could clean, cook, which I know you’re good at, and basically take care of everything home-related while I go out and do all the work instead.” 

I smiled brightly at him, “See cause then you’d never have to worry about villains or people in trouble or any of that dangerous stuff ever again.” 

Katsuki blinked at you, his mouth opened as if to disagree, then closed again as he reconsidered what he would say. He didn’t need to say much… I knew he wasn’t amused by my idea. But surprisingly, he decided to give in and indulge in my little idea.

“And what else would being a housewife include?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’d be constantly busy baby,” you replied, on the verge of bursting out laughing. “You could perfect your cooking skills, or learn how to fold laundry correctly for once, maybe even take up yodeling! Cause you doesn't want to know how to yodel? Plus, you would have tons of time to care for your exhausted wife when I come home from work doing all my big girl stuff,”

At that, Katsuki let out a low chuckle, the sound vibrating through his chest and warming your face.  “Yodeling, huh? I didn’t realize that was going to be a part of the job description.”

“Well, it’s optional I suppose.” you confessed with a giggle.

Katsuki shook his head, clearly amused by your stunt. “You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Serious as ever” you replied, though the gleam in your eyes revealed your true intent. “I mean, think about it. No more dangerous missions, no more fightingvillainss. Just a quiet, tranquil life at home with me. We’ll grow old and wrinkly together. We will fight over what type of bread to buy and who left the back door open. We’ll spend every morning watching the sunrise come up, with coffee in our hands. Doesn’t that sound wonderful?”

He considered it for a moment, his expression thoughtful. “It does sound pleasant,” he admitted, his tone still teasing. “But I’m not sure how I feel about giving up my dream occupation to become a… housewife. You do know I went through rigorous schooling to become the great hero I am today right?"

“Oh, come on.” you scoffed, poking him playfully on his muscular bicep. “You know you would love it. I've seen you when you get in the "zone" while cleaning. Plus, you’d look really sexy in an apron.”

That did it. Your husband Katsuki burst out laughing, the sound loud and warm as it filled the house. You couldn’t help but join in, his laughter was always so contagious. Your laughter mingled with his as you both pictured the absurdity of the idea.

When the laughter finally died out, Katsuki leaned down to press a soft kiss on your hair. “I respect the thought,” he said, his voice full of affection, that you know he only showed to you. “But for right now, imma stick to being a hero. Though I have to admit, the idea of being your housewife is tempting.”

“Tempting enough to reconsider?” you asked with a grin, though you already knew what he was going to say.

“No, darling,” he replied, chuckling. “You know what being a hero means to me, but I guess I’ll keep this “housewife” in mind as a backup plan.”

“Deal.” you agreed, bopping his nose with your pointer finger. “But just so you know, you’d make a perfect housewife."

“With you to teach me darling?  I have no doubt I will,” he whispered, kissing you softly as you both settled back into the peaceful silence of the evening.

masterlist

[owatazumi]

Keys. ꄗꗃ

༘˚⋆𐙚｡⋆𖦹.✧˚ lee heeseung feat. gender neutral reader. no warnings. reader studies a lot. not a lot of conversation between reader and heeseung. i kept it fairly simple and short, hope you don’t mind. #studying #neighbors2?? #friendshipdevelopment . word count: 632.

authors note: This should be my first heeseung post…? That’s crazy. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. Sorry for my absence. I kind of sort of got rid of my writers block a little. I hope. <33

Half-unpacked boxes were still scattered everywhere around your new apartment. Your bedroom wasn’t fully equipped with furniture yet either, you only had your bed and your desk and chair for studies while the rest of the apartment was slowly coming together.

Every day after you come back from your classes you would usually go straight back home and fixate on your studies, diving head first into your work. You enjoyed it, although it was hard at times and really took every particle in your body to not just throw everything out the window, you still continued and tried savoring every good moment to make up for all the stress and frustration.

After another tiring day, you walk up the stairs to your apartment, just wanting to relax a bit and rest. That was the only thing on your mind. “Hello there new neighbor,” you hear a male voice from the opposite side greet you as you search your pockets for your keys, just to find nothing so you turn around. “Oh— hey, it’s nice to uhm— meet you…” He could clearly tell how tired you looked and felt just by taking a glance at you. A chuckle escaped his lips as he takes a few steps closer to you, his hands in his pockets. “Uni?”

He was pretty tall compared to you, not too much but definitely visible although his looks were definitely what caught you more off guard… He looked beautiful, ethereal even and he was your neighbor. That’s definitely something you could brag about. Living next to somebody as handsome as him? Yeah, that definitely would come up in conversations with your friends. “Is it that obvious? That I’m tired?” You couldn’t help but chuckle softly, feeling your cheeks heat up out of embarrassment. He responded by pulling his hands out of his pockets, revealing your keys.

“You left them hanging this morning.” As he reveals your keys, your eyes widen and you gently take them from him, nodding your head softly to show him that you’re thankful that he took them until you’d come back. “Oh God— Thank you…” All he did was shake his hand and brush it off as if it was nothing before walking back to his apartment door. “I’m Heeseung… Rest well.” He gave you one last soft smile before heading into his apartment and closing the door behind him, leaving you standing there a little baffled and flustered before you also head inside again.

That slightly awkward encounter with your new neighbor sparked interested in the both of you and it also created a new friendship as well, leading to you not just staying home everyday after your studies but actually going out from time to time. He was the person that kept you grounded, the one that made you realize that there was still a world outside of studying and learning and for that, you were truly grateful…

Occasional going out and talking with Heeseung gave you an insight of what kind of person he was. He was quiet, at first, but slowly, through patience, because all you needed was patience with him, he spoke more with you. He opened up to you.

Heeseung was a thinker, maybe even an overthinker, which lead him to taking a while longer to answer to things or to respond but you didn’t have a problem with that at all. It actually helped you take your time as well, not always just babbling out everything and not giving him a chance to speak. He helped you to listen closely and you helped him by understanding him and being patient…

It was truly a great match. A match made, not in heaven or anything, but instead, by yourselves…

<33

[eepwriting]

Hi can i request a date with Vess at the aquarium pls

He would be all excited to see all the animals & drop every single piece of knowledge he has bout them & the reader would be so mesmerized listen to him talk bout something he loves✨

That’s You ✶ Vessel x GN! Reader

Warnings: none

I’m actually crying this is so cute. We all know boy is smart so I’d absolutely not be surprised to find out he has in depth knowledge on aquatic animals 🐠

✧༝┉˚ MASTERLIST ˚┉༝✧

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚

“That’s you.” You stifle a laugh as you point to the eel in front of you. Its head curiously peeking out of its rock enclosure, its wide eyes staring up at you.

Vessel slowly turns his head towards you with a distasteful look on his face. He looks to the eel before he rolls his eyes at you. “I’m okay with that.” He shrugs. “Eels are cool. Did you know they generate their own waves to swim around?” He tilts his head.

“No? Why would I know that? Why do you know that?” You let out a small laugh and look back at the tank. Vessel just shrugs and reaches for your hand, tugging you further down the walkway. “I just do my research. Like these guys, what do you think they are?” He gestures to what looks like a small pile of pink worms. “Worms? Pink worms?” You shrug your shoulders and take a step closer, leaning forward to get a better look.

“Well, yes, but they’re bone eating worms. They eat the bones of dead whales.” He slides his hand up your back. “They’re naturally drawn to the carcass and then they’ll gather in groups and devour the whole thing.” His fingertips abruptly tickle the back of your neck, causing you to jump back into his chest. You side eye him over your shoulder, a smile threatening to crack on your face when you see him trying to hold in a laugh.

“That’s morbid.” But you were not the least bit surprised that he took such interest in the creature. “Morbid, but interesting.” He taps the tip of your nose before turning on his heels. “Let’s go! I wanna see the reptiles!”

You couldn’t help but watch Vessel in awe as he enthusiastically spewed facts and knowledge about various reptiles and amphibians. He spoke with his hands, really taking his time to properly educate you. Looking at you every so often to check that you were paying attention, which it was hard not to. When he spoke so passionately about something he knew a lot about, it was easy to focus on what he was saying. He was a great teacher and it really made you want to learn more. You didn’t think that you’d be in the aquarium for so long but time truly felt like nothing when you had Vessel around. You didn’t mind stopping at almost every enclosure to listen to him.

Now, the two of you stood in front of the floor to ceiling tank, watching the fish, sharks, sea turtles and countless other animals. It was almost mesmerizing, the water sparkling, reflecting off the shiny scales. The relaxing music playing throughout the aquarium putting you at ease, lost in the beauty of the animals. Vessel even stood quiet. You expected him to point out an animal and give you a fun fact, but he just stood, eyes wide as he looked into the tank.

You bump his shoulder lightly, taking a step closer. It takes him a second to look over to you, a content smile on his face. He moves to wrap an arm around your shoulders, giving your arm a small squeeze, smiling down at you again before looking back to the tank.

A picturesque ending to your perfect aquarium outing.

⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚⋆｡°✩₊✩°｡⋆˚⁺ ⁺˚

Yall should have seen me looking through the Monterey Bay Aquarium website lolll

This was very fun (and educational) to write and I hope yall like it!!

K. Bye bye.

[becomingthatgirl111]

10 steps to self-love according to louise hay

these principles were shared by the author louise hay in her audiobook "how to love yourself" which you can find on youtube and i recommend listening to it. they are very useful and they really work if we are committed to put them into practice, so that's why i share them with you

abandon criticism

stop criticizing yourself now and forever. you've been criticizing yourself for years, so i invited you to try another tactic. it was eye-opening for me, when i discovered that i could make changes that would support me in loving myself. everything is a process. remember everyone changes. choose nurturing thoughts.

2. don't frighten yourself

stop scaring yourself with frightening thoughts. i have observed that people create overwhelming circumstances out of a small situation. the mind is such a good movie director that it creates horror movies. forgetting the divine power.

3. be nice, kind and patient with yourself

a good example of the power of patience is when you cultivate a garden. at first, you find barren soil. then you turn it over, sow, and even though it looks like nothing is happening, great things are happening, of course, if you have sown seeds of prosperity. life is like a garden.

4. be patient with yourself

look at negative thoughts as weeds. be inspired by the beautiful. human beings when asked if they have good self-esteem, people answer, but of course. in reality, when you are critical of yourself, there is no good self-esteem, neither when you feel envy, insecurity, resentment, jealousy, anger, hatred, in short….

5. be kind to your mind.

during my talks i ask participants, "yes, would you allow a garbage bag to be thrown in your living room? they immediately respond, no! then he asked again, "why do you put garbage in your brain? you do it when you feed negative thoughts, pain, guilt, resentment, envy, insensitivity, anxiety, hatred, bitterness, bitterness, laziness, stress, anger, rage, criticism, etc.. we are human, it is true and lovingly imperfect.

we can learn to love ourselves little by little. everyone on the planet can practice the four loves: love of god, love of self, love of nature, love of neighbor.

6. praise yourself

enter the hall of praise. when you feel overwhelmed, sad or criticized by others. i like to go to the hall of praise that i have imaginary created and give myself a bath of popularity. people think that's weird, but what's weird is not doing it. why not recognize how good we are?

7. practice meditation

the only thing you should do is to become aware of your breathing. Meditating is not a big deal. everyone can meditate at least two minutes a day. you could close your eyes and breathe consciously. let your mind relax.

8. listen to your intuition

without being aware sometimes we override what our sixth sense tells us. we all have them. it's just a matter of learning to listen to it.

9. don't do to others what you wouldn't want them to do to you

sometimes we want others to be fair, kind, loving, generous, understanding and understanding with us. but we are not aware that we have sowed in others…. we want others to change. but, we cannot change anyone. we can only change ourselves.

10. improve eating habits

balance the food. sometimes, in our eagerness to do everything, we dedicate little time to eat at the recommended time. it is important to look for nutritious food. have you observed how you eat? what thoughts do you have when you eat? in restaurants i observe people who are more concerned about their cell phones than about respecting that sacred space. others eat on the spur of the moment. neither good nor bad.

[otomehoneyybearr]

Kagari Amagase

Things I can Only Do With You at Night: Ch1 | Ch2 | Ch3 | Ch4 | Card

A few days later—I found myself running around town alongside Prince Kagari.

Emma: "Good work out there! I’ve placed the signs and flyers in the designated locations!"

Kagari: "I’ve picked up the supplies. I’ll leave them here."

The corner of an inn serving as the festival’s operations headquarters was overflowing with packages.

A staff member at the counter poked his head out, bowing repeatedly as he rushed over.

Man: "Thank you so much! You’ve been a great help."

Man: "I must admit, I was startled when Prince Kagari arrived, but having extra hands is always welcome."

Man: "Still, Miss Emma, you’re a visitor from another country. Are you sure you’re okay with this?"

Emma: "Yes! In fact, helping out is a great way to learn more about the town, so it’s a win-win for me."

Kagari: "You seem like the type who gets taken advantage of easily."

Emma: "…Are you really one to talk, Prince Kagari?"

●●●●●● Flashback ●●●●●●

Kagari: "Among all the regions in Kogyoku, my territory is relatively the safest. It even attracts a fair number of tourists."

Kagari: "Even if this festival is small in scale, it has more liveliness and entertainment than festivals in other territories." Kagari: “Which is why—you’re going to help with the festival preparations, Princess."

●●●●●● Flashback End ●●●●●●

Emma: "If you’re going to say that, then I’ll demand five dorayaki as payment instead of just one!"

Kagari: "...? Who said anything about one? I was planning to give you twenty."

Emma: "That’s way too many for me to eat!"

Kagari: "Then I’ll help you eat them. Problem solved, right? No leftovers to worry about."

Emma "But it’s supposed to be MY reward. Isn’t this just benefiting you, Prince Kagari?"

Man: "Haha, you two get along well. Still, I’m surprised Prince Kagari has a girlfriend!"

(Ah… there it is again…)

I’d already heard that comment dozens of times since arriving in town, but I still wasn’t used to it.

Emma: "Um, no, we’re not a couple."

Man: "Really? Then are you long-lost siblings? Or newlyweds, maybe…?"

Kagari: "None of the above."

Man: "I see… It’s just unusual to see Prince Kagari with a woman, so everyone was talking about it…"

From the corner of my eye, I saw Prince Kagari sigh quietly, looking slightly annoyed but still expressionless.

Kagari: "It’s always the same kind of talk wherever we go. It’s starting to feel tedious correcting them."

Kagari: "Maybe it’d be easier if I just made it true."

Emma: "Th-that’s obviously not an option!"

Kagari: "Relax, it’s a joke. Don’t take it so seriously. Your face is red."

(He’s teasing me!)

Kagari: "Still, even if I correct them, people might assume you’re my favorite which might actually be more convenient that way."

Emma: "Huh?"

Kagari: "Let’s go, Princess. We still have work to do."

Emma: "Oh, right."

(He brushed past that like it was nothing, but what does he mean by ‘favorite’…?)

(And why is he okay with the townspeople thinking I’m this…?)

Even if it didn’t matter to him, the thought left me feeling awkward and self-conscious. I’d need to steel myself every time I walked through the town from now on.

(Come to think of it, why did Prince Kagari ask me to help with the festival preparations?)

(From the conversation with the kids earlier, it didn’t seem like they were short on people…)

As I mulled it over, I walked toward a pile of wooden crates and checked a sheet of paper nearby.

(Next, we’re supposed to deliver these supplies to the sweets shop… Oh.)

As I reached for one of the crates, a hand appeared beside me and effortlessly lifted the crate away.

The crate should have been filled with heavy items like flour and fruit, yet Prince Kagari’s expression remained composed.

Kagari: "Your job is to guide me to the sweets shop, Princess."

Kagari: "You’ve been running around all morning, so you should know the way by now."

Emma: "Understood. Um, thank you."

The sudden subtle kindness made my heart skip a beat.

At the same time, I couldn’t ignore the stares from the people busy with the festival preparations.

(…It really feels like everyone’s convinced I’m Prince Kagari’s ‘favorite.’)

The destination for the delivery was the shop owned by the family of the boy I had met at the dojo.

Boy: "Miss, you were so excited about the festival, but you didn’t get invited by Teacher, huh?"

Emma: "I never wanted him to invite me, nor did I want to go with him, you know."

Boy: "…Oh, yeah, I guess you’re right."

While I waited outside for Prince Kagari and the shop owner to finish their conversation, the boy gave me a look of pity.

I swallowed the faint frustration I felt.

Boy: "Oh!"

As if suddenly remembering something, the boy dashed inside the shop and quickly returned.

He handed me a long, slender wooden box.

Boy: "Here, take this. These sakura sparklers are sold a lot during festivals here in Kogyoku."

Boy: "They might not seem like much to us, but they could be something unique for someone from another country."

Emma: "Wow, how pretty! Thank you!"

When I opened the lid of the box, I found several delicate, pink-colored sparklers inside.

(I’d heard about these from the owner, but this is my first time seeing them.)

The tips of the thinly twisted paper were filled with gunpowder, and each handle was adorned with a single sakura flower.

Boy: "Oh, by the way, did you know?"

Boy: "There’s a legend in Kogyoku that—"

.....

(A legend in Kogyoku.... I wonder what is was?)

Just as he was about to explain, Prince Kagari stepped out of the shop, and I didn’t get to hear the rest.

On the day of the festival, the town was bustling with excitement.

Lanterns adorned with sakura patterns and rows food stalls lined the streets, filling the town with vibrant colors and happy faces.

Carefully navigating through the crowd, I wandered from stall to stall, soaking in the atmosphere of the Kogyoku festival.

Stall Owner: "Here you go. One extra skewer of dango, on the house!"

Stall Owner: "Is Prince Kagari not with you?"

Emma: "No, I haven’t seen him today."

(I thought I might have the chance to bump into him, but finding him in this crowd seems impossible.)

(Actually, knowing how busy he is, he might not even be here.)

Suppressing the inexplicable sigh welling up inside me, I thanked the stall owner.

Stall Owner: "Miss Emma, here’s another skewer, on the house! Eat up and enjoy the festival to your heart’s content!"

Emma: "Thank you so much! I’ll enjoy it!"

(This feels more like a consolation gift.)

I accepted the dango, feeling both happy and slightly apologetic, and slipped away from the stall.

.....

Finding a quiet back alley to avoid the crowd, I began savoring the food I’d bought at the stalls when—

Kagari: "You’re eating that with real enthusiasm, Princess."

Emma: "gulp… Cough…! Pr-Prince Kagari!?"

I looked up in shock as Prince Kagari suddenly descended from the rooftop without a sound.

I should’ve been happy to see him, but his sudden, stealthy arrival startled me so much I nearly choked.

(He’s a prince, but he moves like a spy.)

Before I could recover, he casually grabbed my arm and took a bite of the skewer of colorful, sweet bean-paste-topped dango I was holding.

Emma: "Don’t steal bites of my food!"

Kagari: "You’re the one who made it look so delicious. You’d make an excellent food advertiser."

Kagari: "Here, finish the last bite before it gets cold."

Kagari: "Or would you prefer me to feed you?"

Emma: "I can manage, thank you."

(…From the way he’s acting, he probably doesn’t even think twice about this kind of thing.)

I glanced at the now slightly nibbled dango, steeling myself to eat the last bite.

The heat rising in my cheeks made it hard to focus on the flavor.

Kagari: "Are you enjoying the festival?"

Emma: "Yes! The sakura-themed food and decorations are adorable, and the unfamiliar music makes it more exciting!"

Emma: "Also, the shopkeepers were incredibly kind and gave me more than I could ever eat."

Kagari: "The people in this territory are naturally friendly and generous. They’re the type who thrive on camaraderie."

Kagari: "Looks like you’ve been well-received, Princess."

Emma: "That makes me happy to know that."

Prince Kagari’s eyes softened slightly with satisfaction as he reached into his pocket.

Kagari: "Here, take this."

Emma: "Huh?—Mmph!"

Without warning, Prince Kagari gently cupped my chin, prying my mouth open with his thumb before tossing something inside.

(Huh…? Candy? Wait, this flavor…)

Kagari: "It’s a dorayaki-flavored candy. I had it specially commissioned and supervised its production myself."

Emma: "Your passion for dorayaki is truly impressive."

Emma: "The flavor is spot-on. If it were a product, I’d definitely buy it."

Kagari: "It’ll be on sale at the confectionery shop starting tomorrow. Make sure to support it."

As the candy melted on my tongue, the taste of dorayaki spread in my mouth, creating a strange yet delightful sensation.

(I should stop by and buy some tomorrow.)

(I knew Prince Kagari loved dorayaki, but to go so far as to create a candy… I underestimated him.)

(He’s the type to pour himself entirely into the things he loves.)

Emma: "Wait… Prince Kagari?"

When I looked up, Kagari had vanished without a trace.

The lingering taste of the candy reassured me that the events just now were real, even though his sudden departure left a strange sense of emptiness.

(I guess he was on duty after all.)

(Maybe he called out to me because he happened to see me…)

(If so, I’d be happy...though that’s probably not it.)

Shaking off my hopeful thoughts, I felt a small pang of loneliness as the candy melted away.

(...It’s so quiet now.)

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[spnfanficpond]

July 2024 Angel Fish Awards

(Angel Fish design by @slytherkins!!)

Every month all of you fantastic writers work your asses off to post some truly incredible stories. Our Angel Fish Awards are the way for all of us, as a community of writers and readers, to lift each other up and give praise to those who have captured our attention and deserve a few kind words. (Click here to learn more about how to nominate a fic for an award!)

Nominated by @heavenssexiestangel

A Stairway to Nowhere by all_the_kings_ham (AO3)

Everyone knows there is a lack of some good Ducifer fics out there, due to it being a rarepair. This one is still one of my faves and I love the humanity and trauma shown in some scenes. It's truly worth a read.

Apple Pie and the Apocalypse by @ladyknightskye

I'm still reading it but I've read quite a few new chapters and I'm absolutely loving it. There are some hilarious scenes and some more serious ones (sometimes they're together...) and I really can't wait to see how it ends

Like an Open Book by @butiaintgonnaloveem

I am trying to get into x Reader fics and there truly is a lack of Ketch oh my G-d. Anyway. Although here the reader is... Way too dominant to be me lol... I love Ketch showing his softer side and reader helping him to relax. I shall leave nsfw thoughts untold 😫

Nominated by @annahmiraculousmillenium

Let's pretend I'm dead by evitably (AO3)

I love possession fic.

Nominated by @charliethealpaccaso

Woof by morrezela (AO3)

I tend to hunt down all sorts of transformation based fics of all kinds if it peaks my interest and this one caught my interest at the start. I want to make sure more people check out the tag or get some ideas. For this fic what if jensen got turned into a dalmatian. How is he going to deal with his new form and does he ever get back to his human self that is up to you to figure out

Like The Fairy Tales by Icefire149 (AO3)

As the one trying to seek out some great animal transformation fics we got this one where sam is turned into a frog. I thought this was a cute fic and worth a read if you like to check it out.

Regarding Sam by AllHallowsEve (AO3)

For me Regarding Dean was a great spn ep and when I found this I wanted to see what would happen for Sam. The story for the ep plays the same with some added bits more leaning on the Sam side of it all along with his relationship with Dean.

Home For a Stray by 3oclockrock (AO3)

This one was a hard read for me with the topics but it did peak my interest a bit in its concepts. If your interested in a strange read with more mature topics dealing with struggle and recovery check out this fic.

Faithful Companion by brokenlittleboy (AO3)

I'm still hunting down as much transformation fics that peak my interest and this was one I thought was a great read. Sam's powers go out of control causing him to change into a dog and Dean take a bit of an advantage on him giving him a pink collar.

Nominated by @glygriffe

Did You Hear? by cacholady (AO3)

This is a sweet outsider (mostly school related) POV on Dean. He might not be a dad, but he sure has a way with children! And I love that Bobby John Campbell was a part of this story.

Nominated by harrypotterfanatic1 (AO3)

amoralism by @artyandink

I'm nominating this because it's just caught my eye. It's an AU, based in the world of the FBI and the smut is just AAHH and the sexual tension and all of it is so damn GOOD! There's also a plot around a crime syndicate which includes as many major characters as possible and it's overall a read which I would recommend everyone to check out and leave their feedback on as there's so much to go. Aah, can't stop talking about it! It's the characterization as well, all the characters leap off the page and are so accurate. Definitely felt I should nominate this.

Nominated by @leatafandom

Wingman by cas---2y5 (AO3)

I love Sam's fascination with wings and Gabe helping him organize the bunker. I love how their relationship changes and the how Sam just can't help himself. Plus it's also just so steamy.

we sons of hell and heaven by @gay-destiel

This was such a great read! I love the word usage and descriptions so much! It was so enthralling and the relationships were amazing to watch bloom.

Nominated by @masoena

Living in a Haze by @girlsvmonsters

The story has well thought out plot, smoking hot smut, lots of Dean whump and a red thread of humor that compliments the trauma, angst and comfort perfectly. It is also polyamorous and A/B/O.

Nominated by @rainythursdaynight

Crashing In by @followyourenergy

I'm an angst girl through and through, but sometimes I just really need some fluff and comfort. That's what this fic is, hot chocolate on a (not 2024) cold winter's day, snowed in with a good book. Single parent Cas and kid Jack fics are always so lovely, as are the fics where Dean comes in when Cas needs it most. Even if in this fic it's a literal crash into them, it's fluffy and sweet and heart warming and cozy and everything you could ever want out of a read.

And This, Your Living Kiss by @asecretvice

I'm a sucker for well written stories about well written in-story works. Poet/Writer Dean has some beautiful works sprinkled throughout this fic that the author does so much justice to, his story is heart wrenching in the leave-your-chest-aching-despite-knowing-the-outcome-is-okay-kind-of-way, and I love me a fic about hidden identities. The tension, the prose, the energy: this fic is beautiful, if I only could describe it in one word it'd be that: Beautiful.

Heroes for Ghosts by @pantheonofdiscord

I think I haven't felt such deep yearning as I have felt conveyed through this fic. It reads so tense, like you're waiting for a small crack to let out some of the building up pressure and anxiety but still waiting, and waiting, and aching the way Cas does. And then when that pressure is finally relieved, god is it worth it. The waiting was worth it in the end. This fic is also a masterclass in writing interactions that aren't direct, none of TFW can speak to each other or see each other, but they still move and talk like they can, even if its out of desperation. It acknowledges the empty spaces in each of their lives during the fic, and reminds you in equal parts that they are connected even if the thread is invisible.

The Benjamin Franklin Key-and-Kite Experiment by @deanology101

I'm a sucker for not only time travel, but pre-season 4 deancas meetups. This one hit all the marks. It was tense with mystery, with energy, with passion and secrecy. It left the reader and the characters in equal levels of dark as to why things were happening in the way they were. And it kept characters alive that the show couldn't bother to, and gave the Winchesters some meaningful friendships to boot. This setting IS if Faith Healer had an extended cut, rainy and dreary and electric, but with occasional bouts of light peeking through the clouds. And Dean's Journal Entries? His little doodles? His analogies? Dean's voice was PHENOMENAL in this fic, I highly recommend it to any Dean fans, period.

The Sinking Ship by @crack--attack

I'll offer the note that I wrote down when I bookmarked this fic the first time. "Like bearing a part of my soul open and shining sunlight on it. I ache, but there are new flowers here. There are new flowers and a gentle breeze." This is a story about sacrifice, and love so intense it shakes the planes of the world. It's about story telling and eternity and history inundated by loss and a ticking clock and forgiveness and moving on and love. It's everything I could ever want in a piece of literature. Please, if you have even the slightest interest in Deancas, give this story a read. I read this not even acknowledging some of the ships in this fic but found myself pleasantly surprised by them. Even if you don't like or are impartial to deancas, or sam/rowena/gabe, or claire/maggie, please please PLEASE give this fic a shot. I'm so so glad I did.

The Neighboring Perspective by aileenrose (AO3)

A story about loss, grief, and healing. About loving unconventionally but loving fiercely and fully. About opening old closets and airing them out with hope. It's a shorty so I won't write much, just that if you're interested in moving on from loss, in finding new family, in learning how to love again, give this fic a shot. Plus baby!Ben Braedon is adorable throughout!

Out of the Deep by @riseofthefallenone

This is a behemoth of a fic, and popular if the hits are anything to go by. However, if you haven't read this yet and you're into heavy Mermaid lore, I highly recommend giving it a try! It's heavy at times. Cas is caged and sometimes no matter what they try to do, things don't work out for the protagonists. But they try again, and again, and again and the payoff is very much worth it in the end. Plus there's a whole lot of cathartic payback and BAMF Cas, Dean, Sam, and Jess that makes the high action points of this story edge-of-your-seat fun! And the calmer points much more magical, mystical, and hopeful. I loved it for its found family, for it's incredible lore, and it's fierceness. And when I have the time, I know I'll go back in for a second read.

Nominated by @samanddean76

My Brother's Keeper, My Father's Prisoner by @xpurdyglambertx

An Omegaverse story that starts dark with Dean being trapped by his duties and obligations. It follows him as he struggles to break away from those that are more intent on hurting him, than helping him to grow. With help, he does escape. And he goes on to find a relationship with an OC that you will love and adore. They grow together, while Dean works through all of the pain and trauma that was inflicted upon him by the one that should have protected him. It concludes with happy endings all around, and the possibility of hope for the rest of his days.

Nominated by @sardonic-the-writer

B-Clean by EliDeetz (AO3)

i'm nominating this story mostly because the descriptive nature had me hooked, as did the accurate characterization of gabriel, and the relationship between him and the reader was really enjoyable without feeling forced

Nominated by @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes

The Cherry Pie Club by zation (AO3)

>.< It’s so hard to explain. It’s a great story with angst, fluff, a bit of violence that is an after the fact type description so not too bad imo, and a hopeless romantic story. Zation does it again, ok? They’re an amazing writer and destiel is just *chef’s kiss* for them. I have yet to read a story of theirs that I haven’t enjoyed. I swear! Did I mention a bunch of well written kinky smut that also shows the developing relationship between the main characters and Dean coming to happy terms (with loving support) with his sexuality too. I highly recommend reading!

Stars in Your Eyes by Cigarettes_and_Valentines (AO3)

It is so, so good! It’s perfect. It’s perfect and I love it. Relaxed, Endverse-like Castiel is an amazing Alpha for Omega Dean Winchester, a career-focused man that loves his job. ❤️💙💚

Stars Above, Earth Below by @hellhoundsprey

It’s a love story that is technically a slow burn. It’s so sweet and well done. I love how the author gets Jensen and Jared finally together. It has a lot of A/O vibes imo, which might be why I love it so much. The secrets that come out and how it ends up actually helping in the long run, shows just how dedicated they are to each other. There is some angst but a good amount of smut that is actually necessary for the story. Pay attention to the details or you’ll miss it. 😊

For Appearances Only by @lotus820

It’s an amazing amalgam of urban fantasy, billionaire romance, one-sided enemy to lovers with a decent slow burn, and then everything gets fun, sexy, and dangerous. The love that Castiel has for Dean just keeps showing and showing so easily. Dean can’t help but falling for the being that is Castiel. I love this! This is a new comfort fic. It is amazing. You gotta read it. The title is half the story. 😊

Nominated by @thoughtslikeaminefield

The Fear That Remains by @stusbunker

This fic is nearly 4yrs old, and I've read it multiple times because the characterization is perfect (as Stu is wont to do) and it feels like I'm in the room, whether as a spectator or as the female reader. It's sumptuous and heartfelt, sexy and so, so Dean.

(Divider by @glygriffe)

THANK YOU ALL, KEEP UP THE AMAZING WORK, AND AS ALWAYS, HAPPY WRITING!

- From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @heavenssexiestangel, and @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes!

[bibibbon]

I'm convinced that the translators saw the backlash on the different scans and tried to modify the dialogue to make chapter 430 sound better than it is. It doesn't change the fact that even though villainy has fallen and there's more time for heroes to relax. That none of 1A decided that Izuku was worth their time. I can't stand the copers right now; they are just making excuses for Hori right now.

Plus, Ochako and Tenya had their own team dedicated to quirk counseling and she didn't think to invite her best friend Izuku someone known for being intelligent and obsessed with quirks. Izuku really has some scummy friends. No wonder the cucking memes are going wild right now. Ochako and others just seem like junior members of the MLA for ignoring Izuku after losing OFA. The MLA is bound for a resurgence doesn't it lol.

Not to mention I still can't get over the fact that Izuku had to wait 8 years to get some stupid armor when All-Might had his special suit built in a couple of weeks to fight AFO. If the editors had some sense, Izuku would have already had the power suit before he even graduated from UA and be in the top ten hero ranks by now. But that might have made Izuku look awesome possibly outshining Mirio or Bakugo and we can't have that now, can we. but Hori really wanted to make Izuku look like a bum. Izuku needs better friends and an author.

Hi @agentterios 👋

Iam not sure if Viz manga or official translators actually did do any of that but I still do have my issues with the MHA ending overall.

My main point that confuses me is that if there are less villains then how are the heroes doing more work?!?! Are they more focused on rescuing and changing society? If that's the case then cool I don't have a problem with that but it's the fact that we don't see much of it. We are told that ochako and iida have started a quirk counselling project which like you mentioned adding Izuku to it (or having him involved in the background) because of his quirk analysis or just analytical abilities would be a great addition to them and should of been canon. Doing this would of 1) proved that izuku even though he has lost his quirk he is incredibly close and still works with his classmates and 2) would allow for one of my favourite Izuku characteristics shine.

Alps I find it very weird how the manga states that izuku and the rest of 1A don't hang out at a lot due to work but we don't even get a small panel of him texting them or him hanging out with individual members of 1A. I feel like if we got something like that it would of shown us that yes Izuku is still in contact with them but nope. I also feel like this is one of the reasons why so many people including I might of misinterpreted the thing into 1A ditching Izuku because we literally don't see them hang out or do anything outside of heroics together. Now that I think about it the whole found family bond of 1A is centered around them being heroes and in heroics so that's all they have and it's not a good look.

First I hate the idea of izuku losing his quirk (I have seen different interpretations but I still think it sucks) and two i find it incredibly unrealistic how izuku (a boy who did anything to become a hero) simply not do anything for 8 years. That's not the Izuku I know at all. The Izuku I know would do anything to help others and even try and be useful or a hero but this one just sits back accepting defeat and that his dream is over?!?! The boy who said his body moved on it's own to help others simply gives up and doesn't do anything until he is given a suit?!?!?!

There's also the fact that I don't like the whole suit thing. Maybe I would of liked it if izuku worked with Melissa and mei to make it himself. Something about izuku making it and earning it and learning and adapting to reach his goal is much more satisfying and adds more to his character than him being given a suit and becoming a hero. Izuku working in the background helping heroes whether that be with projects or strategies and analysis also should of been something he should of done during the eight years.

Also, I have been avoiding Izuku related content from twitter and tiktok like the plague so no I haven't had the misfortune in seeing another gag that the fandom makes about izukus pain without them acknowledging how the manga events effect his character

[blakeswritingimagines]

Call My Name *SMUT*

Summary: Having always been an out-of-control child with not many options left, Alicent chooses someone who has been on a great track in life and could tame her dragon son...You.

A/N: You all picked Aegon for male reader so here it is I tried my best, and your last name in this is Blackwell because that's what I came up with.

Word Count: 5.4k

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the House of The Dragon/Fire & Blood characters nor do I claim to own them. I do not own any of the images used nor do I claim to own them.

Being known as a strong warrior out in the field of war and as one of the smartest men to help your people, who recently caught wind of an arranged marriage for you and someone you'd only heard of in passing, arriving at King's landing and meeting everyone curious as to who you would be marrying only to hear you'd be with the second oldest Targaryen child which helped none as to who that was. Meeting Aegon during a party to celebrate, but didn't know he was the one you would marry, especially since it was odd being with another man but greeted him as you drank from his goblet of wine speaking in a confident and relaxed tone "I take it your one of the Targaryen children?" Aegon turns from the woman he has been flirting with and looks the stranger up and down, "You could say that, yes." His voice drips with boredom as he answers. "And yourself?"

Watching on as the lady quickly left while Aegon was distracted but looked back over at him, giving him a respectful bow after learning he was, in fact, a Targaryen before you spoke up once more "I am Ser Y/N Blackwell, I suppose a very important prospect soon to your family as I hear a marriage will be taking place soon with me and a Targaryen." He nodded "A-ah." He blinks, his expression surprised. Was this the man for whom all this fuss was being made? "You're to marry… my sister?" Chuckling softly as you shrugged your shoulders, not knowing which one was to be your partner since your parents and their mother Alicent were the only ones to know "I honestly have no idea who is to be by my side, I'm not privy to that information it seems." He slowly nodded along to your words "…hm. I see." Aegon crosses his arms and his expression becomes disinterested. "Then, we should perhaps get better acquainted." He looks you up and down. "You a good fighter?" You took notice of his body language but chose to ignore it as you nodded your head, thinking it would be nice to become friendly with different members of the Targaryen family you would be marrying into, nodding your head confidently at the thought before you spoke up with pride and a gleam in your eye "One of the best, during my stay here your younger brother Aemond as even asked to practice with me."

His gaze lingers a moment longer and then looks you over once more. "You do look like the type who knows how to handle himself." He holds out his hand to shake your hand. "Aegon. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Smiling to yourself as you shook his hand, then nodded your head at his words, having been in enough fights to know how to take care of yourself "You'd be correct, Prince Aegon, and I too am pleased to make your acquaintance I'm quite sure we'll get along just fair." He lets go of your hand and smirks. "Indeed, I think we will." He looks around the room, at all the men and women, many dressed up in fancy clothes and jewelry, and he scoffs. He found all this utterly boring. Not sure how anyone can stand this, really. He takes a gulp of wine "What say we get out of here?" Glancing around the loud over-crowded party as you drank and finished the wine in your wine before looking back over at Aegon, raising a brow as you knew it was important for you to make rounds getting to know people but grinned as you slightly tilted your head curious as to what kinda trouble Aegon just might get you tangled in "What did you have in mind?" Aegon eyes you for a minute, before he chuckles to himself and says. "Well, since you're a man who enjoys fighting, why don't we… see if we can't find some trouble?" He grins and holds out his hand. "We'll make this party a little more interesting." He's already a little drunk. You looked around as a smirk on his face appeared. "I can always make a party more interesting," you said. Aegon takes your hand, still looking out at the sea of people, deciding what form of mayhem to get into tonight. "It's only a good night if you cause trouble, and trouble is not what I'm best known for."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," he smirks. "You're a man of… action, are you not?" Aegon sips his wine, his expression amused. "Very well then." He raises his goblet and grins as he looks around the room. "That's good. You're my kind of fellow." He drinks a little more of his wine, his expression turning flirtatious as he looks at you. "I can certainly think of some places where you can be a little… uh…" wiggly finger sign, up and down gestured toward you. "You know, get more familiar with that blade of yours." He laughs as he nudges you playfully. You chuckled as you returned the nod of recognition. Your face felt slightly warm from the wine and a soft smirk stretched up over your lips. "Aye, I think you could say that." He laughs when the meaning of Aegon's words settles in, "I can certainly be…a bit more active than most, on certain occasions." His eyes move over your form, then back to your face, a low chuckle bubbling out, "That sounds like a proposition to me." You spoke playfully, and as you did your eyes flick around the room. Once it's clear that none of the lords present are paying any attention to them you move closer to Aegon and speak quietly, but with a smile that shows how entertained you are by the idea. "I do hope you mean what I think you do with that kind of comment. I think it's about time I see what else this blade can do."

Aegon smirks as he takes another sip of wine. "Now you're speaking my language." He glances around at all the people at the feast. They look so… boring. So proper. It's all so stuffy. "You ready to let loose?" he lowered his voice and looked you up and down. "This night needs some… excitement." He looks around, his gaze lingering on a group of nobles in the corner. His eyes fall on yours and he smirks. Aegon smirks, "I think you know exactly what I mean." He leans in close and whispers in a quiet, yet firm, voice "Let's… get out of here." His tone is almost flirtatious, though whether he intends it or not - is unclear. He gives one last look to the room around them before he takes your hand and pulls you out of the room, away from prying eyes. A spark of fire lights in the pit of your stomach at the suggestion, though your face remains calm as you walk with the blonde male. Eyes roving over the room at the party-goers, a smile of understanding creeps across your lips. "Aye, I think I do." Your free hand rests on the hilt of your sword as you move closer, eyes locking with Aegon's. "A man can only endure so much propriety conversation before he becomes restless." You turned your head back towards the group of nobles Aegon was motioning to, your smirk grew into a grin, and you were quite pleased with how things have gone up until now. The wine has loosened you up a fair bit giving you the confidence you wouldn't have normally about such talk, and you make no effort to hide the excitement in your expression."I like your thinking, Aegon." You whisper back to him before he leads you out of the room, his eyes scanning the hall for somewhere you both can find a bit of privacy. "Where exactly are we going?"

"Away." His voice is low, and his gaze piercing - but also, there is a playfulness within it. He leads you down the hall, towards an empty bedroom. His expression is almost daring, and he gives you an almost flirtatious look. You can see the lust in his eyes, and a hint of mischief in his expression, as he moves to block the entrance of the room with his body. He speaks in a low, sultry voice. "Let's… have a little fun," you smirk as he guides you out of the feast not expecting to be alone the alcohol-filled Targaryen. It is hard to keep from admiring his pale beauty as you pass by the guests until alone- his eyes inevitably falling towards your hips. "I would have to say you are right, we should let loose tonight." The prince laughs before grinning when he meets your gaze, "Now you're speaking the only language that I understand." He chuckles, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Aegon smirks at you and then steps close to you, his smile becoming more seductive. He leans in and whispers close to you, his hand grazing the side of yours as he speaks, his gaze piercing through you. "Why not, let's go for it." He grins and then pushes you against the wall, his body against yours. "It's been much too long since I've let loose… But with you? I'm sure we can make that up." He whispers with a grin and a slight lick of his lips as if looking forward to ruining the good boy image you had made for yourself. You grinned as Aegon pressed against you, your hands sliding up Aegon's sides. You felt your heart race as your skin brushed together, your breath catching slightly in his throat. "A man gets tired of good boy behavior." You chuckled as your hands came around to the front of Aegon. "One only can behave so well before it becomes….unbearable." Your eyes drop to Aegon's lips for a moment, before they shift back to his gaze. "I think it's time I stop behaving." Your breath quickened as your throat tightened slightly as Aegon pushed you up against the wall, your head tilted back and your gaze locked on Aegon's. There is a fire in his eyes and a burning heat in his blood. "We can do…anything you want." A grin stretched across your lips as you breathed in deeply, pulling Aegon's body flush against yours. "The night is ours for the taking…and I'm not going to hold any punches." Your hand falls to Aegon's lower back, and you pull Aegon in closer still.

You were being brave, fearless, and not afraid to show the lust in your eyes. Aegon stares at you with admiration and lust, before his expression changes to one of determination and passion. He grabs your hand and brings it back around to his own waist as you both embrace. His other hand wraps around your strong frame as he steps even closer to you. "I like being bad." He leans for a kiss, his body pressed up close to yours. "Now let me show you how it's done." His breath catches as he leans into you, his gaze flickering to your lips. "Let us… do as we please." His expression becomes slightly more serious, and his hands move across your body, grabbing at your hips and pulling you in tight. Aegon whispers in a sultry, seductive voice, "Just let me…" He stops talking and then leans in and kisses you, passionate yet gentle. As if he was exploring your body for the first time. His hands explore your body, his eyes flickering with lust and desire.

As Aegon's lips move against your lips, you lean into the kiss until your lips part, eyes closing as you press yourself into Aegon's body. One hand traces against Aegon's back, over the shape of his form as the other slips down Aegon's arm and rests at your side. The hand pauses in its movements as Aegon's hands travel over your body, his fingers gripping at the fabric of your shirt until it's lifted just above your hips. Your eyes fluttered open as you leaned into the kiss, your lips brushing against Aegon's as you tasted the sweet wine on Aegon's breath. Your heart pumps furiously in your chest as you kiss Aegon. Your body is pressed entirely against Aegon's now with hands running up and down the smooth fabric of Aegon's arms and back every part of him touching. He breaks the kiss and lifts his head only slightly. The hunger and lust in your eyes are undeniable at this point, your hand caressing the back of Aegon's neck while your gaze locks with Aegon's. "Let us." It's unclear if you're agreeing to let Aegon show you what it's like or agreeing to let all inhibitions go.

"Yes." An answer to both of your statements and his lips crash against yours with a passion that matches your own. His hands slide up and down your body, as you both press together. Aegon is drunk on your lips, his fingers caressing your shirt, pulling the fabric up and exposing the flesh beneath. You let out a soft moan as each of your hands roam over the fabric of each other's clothes. He pulled you closer to him once more, his eyes hungry and lustful as he kissed you even harder now. Aegon's kisses are sweet and seductive, as his hands roam over one another. The kisses become more passionate, more intimate. He bit your lip gently and then your ear. He pulls back from the kiss momentarily and speaks softly. Your eyes meet, and Aegon's expression is full of sensuality. "I want you." He speaks softly, his voice almost a whisper, but there is a hint of hunger behind it.

Your heart is racing in your chest, mind spinning and body trembling as Aegon's touch travels over you, his kisses sending goosebumps creeping over your arms. You pulled Aegon closer, pushing against the wall and leaning in to nuzzle against Aegon's neck. Your breaths were quick and shallow, your eyes half shut as Aegon's kisses left your body in a whirlwind of passion. "You have me," you whispered back, your voice thick with lust and hunger. "In any way you want me." A low moan escaped you as Aegon kissed you deeper. His lips were tender as he pulled away and began trailing kisses across your neck and collarbone. "I want you, too." Your voice is tinged with desperation as you whisper into Aegon's ear. "There is something…about you." Your hand runs down the small of Aegon's back, tracing soft circles in the smooth fabric of his clothes. "I've never felt…anything like this."

You kiss Aegon's shoulder, your eyes flickering with lust as you hungrily devoured Aegon's skin. Aegon kisses you deeply, pressing your body flush against his as he lets out soft moans. "I know what you mean." He speaks seductively as his hands explore your strong form palming you through your pants. "Oh… you are…" He moans again, his mouth still kissing at your shoulder. "You're…" He trails off, his mouth moving to your neck. "I don't think I want to let go of you." He whispers, his tone thick with lust Aegon breathes softly, his lips against your ear. "I understand." He whispers gently. You were so close, so warm, so…He lets the words hang in the air before he tugs you even closer. Your lips find one another and his tongue runs the length of yours as Aegon begins to move his tongue back and forth. Laying back on the bed with you hovering above him Aegon's legs wrap around your waist.

You moan deeply as Aegon pulls you into the bed, eyes rolling back slightly against your will not used to such attention. Your teeth find Aegon's lower lip then you start to kiss and lick it until your lips are coated in a layer of Aegon's saliva. Your tongue teases Aegon's mouth before it enters, and you begin to explore Aegon's mouth with it. Your fingers run through Aegon's hair as his mouth roams before your hands move downwards to pull on Aegon's clothing. The fire in your stomach grows thankful for the liquid courage, and you pull Aegon even closer grinding your hips against his. "Mm…" Your voice is low and seductive as you hold Aegon close to you. Hands roaming down Aegon's torso, your fingertips trailing across his warm flushed skin. Your lips trail up Aegon's neck, kissing him deeply. Your weight pins Aegon underneath you as your hand rests on Aegon's hip, your mouth wandering along Aegon's collarbone again.

A low, hungry moan escapes you as you begin to pull Aegon's shirt up. Aegon's body is hot with heat, and his breathing grows heavy as the both of you continue to move to the beat of your own lust-filled hearts. He held you close with his arms and slowly lowered his head. His lips press lightly against your neck again, teasingly, but finds a spot soon after and begins to nibble. Slow. Methodically. A moan escapes his own lips as he pulls on your shirt, missing but undoing the buttons in his eagerness. His lips move against the soft flesh of your neck, trailing down to your shoulder. Aegon bites, softly, the sound of his teeth biting down into and sucking your skin caused you to groan. His hands move across your skin and unbutton your trousers. Your touch sends waves of pleasure through Aegon and he closes his eyes, losing himself in your touch.

Your own desire begins burning in the pit of your stomach. In the moment, for once you were unable to think straight. You felt like a beast, and you were acting like one. As your hands run up and down Aegon's body, you grow increasingly more aggressive in your exploration of Aegon's body. You move down Aegon's torso with your mouth, your tongue swirling around his nipples as you pull at Aegon's shirt. "You taste so good." You whisper with a grin before leaning back up, kissing Aegon's lips deeply with an almost frenzied urgency. Aegon moans softly as you nibble and mark his neck, his hands running through your hair as your bodies continue to move and grind together. Another moan escapes Aegon's lips. Aegon's eyes flutter open again, and he stares directly into your eyes as he leans in for a kiss. He pulls you close again, his hand tangling in your hair and pulling it, almost forcefully, but with his hands still caressing your skin. He breaks the kiss for a moment and his voice is almost a whisper now. "…More." His voice is tinged with lust.

"I've never felt like this before," you muttered breathlessly, his mind almost spinning out of control. "I'm not sure what this is…but I know I need to have you." Your hand runs up Aegon's thigh and move underneath his clothes easing your fingers into his tight hole, the urgency that was evident in Aegon's words only fueling the desire within you more. You kiss Aegon again but this time a hunger is evident in his kiss, as if you were attempting to consume Aegon completely. Aegon whimpers his pleasure at your touches, and his legs wrap firmly around your waist, his hips raising to meet yours. His hand travels down your torso, grasping at the cloth between your legs and caressing your hips. He moans softly, breaking the kiss a moment, before finding your lips once again. He looks into your eyes and whispers again. "Oh God. I've never wanted another man like this," his voice is almost a whisper, yet his desire is burning hot. Aegon's body responds quickly to your touch. He moans with pleasure as his hands grip your body tightly, his voice is breathy but almost desperate. "It's been so long for me too…" Another moan escapes Aegon's lips. "I need you." Then his lips find yours again, and the two begin to move together again, as their breathing becomes heavier.

You were completely lost in the moment. Any and all rational thoughts of caution or self-preservation have left you. You were like a starving man, ravenously taking everything Aegon had to offer and giving him nothing less in return. A low, hoarse moan escapes your throat as you push your hips against Aegon. "God." You mumbled again. "You feel so good…how can a man be so beautiful?" You lean in once more and give Aegon another deep, passionate kiss. Your eyes flicker shut as Aegon's words touch a nerve within you. At that moment, you're a person burning with desire. Lost in Aegon. Your kisses become more urgent as Aegon's hands grip the sheets of the bed with almost painful force. You shift your weight and ease your cock into him with a groan. Your voice is quiet and hoarse as you respond. "…Gods above, you feel so good." Your eyes flicker open and look at Aegon. Your hands explore Aegon's body with a touch that is both soft and hard. Your tongues explore one another with a hunger that is almost feverish. Aegon bites the edge of your lip. "Oh, God, yes." His eyes flutter shut. The pace of your movements picks up in intensity, and you move together at a pace that is almost frantic. Your hips pound against Aegon's harder hitting a certain spot inside of him, your breathing fast and hard. "Oh, God, yes! More." Aegon grunted.

A deep breath escapes past your lips as Aegon's words send a wave of pleasure through you. This was nothing like you had ever felt with any other man before. You were overwhelmed with emotion as your bodies met in perfect rhythm. "I never…felt…" You trailed off in an attempt to collect yourself - to find the words for what you felt - but the words escaped you. Your voice trailed off as the pleasure mounted, your body shaking a little as you closed your eyes. "Gods, gods…" You pressed Aegon more into the bed, your hips moving in steady, deep thrusts. "I-I…yes…" You kiss Aegon deeply once more, groaning against Aegon's mouth as he leans forward more into you. Your body begins to tense as pleasure wracks through you, your breath growing shallow already feeling close due to all the build-up. Aegon lets you take control. You were the one guiding the pace of the movements, you were the one who was controlling the rhythm. In some way, Aegon realizes, You were taking him. And he likes that. He moans with pleasure once more. "Oh, yes." He bites his lower lip, his eyes flickering open. His arms wrap around you for a deep kiss. "More." His voice sounds desperate. "I want you. Don't stop." He sounds almost urgent. He grips your body, moaning softly as your hips roughly press against his while your hand came down on his pale rear. "Oh, Gods." His voice is breathy, and he is close in that moment, so terribly close.

"I…" Your breath trails off as your eyes flutter shut, your body wracked by the pleasurable sensations. The room takes on a haze that matches your senses, "Oh, Gods…yes…I…" Your eyes slowly flicker open once again as you kissed Aegon deeply, your pace slowing but the pleasure building. Your voice is hoarse as you gasp for breath. "So…." You pause for a moment, your body shuddering with pleasure as you struggle to catch your breath. "…good." You whispered the words and wrapped your hand around Aegon's cock tugging on it for extra pleasure. "Yes, yes, yes…" You grit your teeth together as the pleasure begins to build, heat rising within you as your body moves within Aegon's. Your eyes flicker open, and your gazes meet. Words are lost to you the second your eyes lock, and what little control you had over yourself is cast away. Your hips move more desperately inside Aegon, your body beginning to shake with the tension mounting. Aegon's body releases the tension in a wave of pleasure, his head tilts back with a gasp. "Oh, Gods." His body is still shaking, his heart pounding out of his chest as he pulls you impossibly close once again. In that moment, in that release, Aegon's body is shaking with pleasure, his heart pounding in his chest. He grits his teeth, his eyes wide as he stares into yours. For that moment, the world around you both comes to a stop, and Aegon feels the warmth flowing through him, the pleasure radiating through his soul. In that moment, You are Aegon's world.

You woke up early not recalling much about the night before until you slowly looked around the room, feeling your nerves run cold as you noticed this wasn't your room, then the sleeping Targaryen male next to you both still naked and bare. Slowly getting up and dressed before you left the room holding your head trying to place what happened but going about your day cleaning yourself up. Joining everyone for the first meal of the day smiling as you spoke to everyone even as you greeted a tired Aegon only to feel confused as he reintroduced himself again as if you didn't remember the night before. Aegon yawned as he stretched his arm, waking to reality. The room was filled with sunlight as he began to think back on the night before. A hint of a memory in the back of his mind. He thought to brush it away and get up but decided to stay in bed, letting himself relax as his mind searched back through the fog. "You seem…familiar." Aegon was staring at you once he took his seat ignoring nearly everyone else, unable to place where he had seen you before. You seemed…well-known by everyone at the dinner table, "So…have we met before? Or are your features just that easy to remember?"

At Aegon's words you almost spit out the bit of food you were chewing. "Familiar?" The question catches you off-guard and stammer over your response, clearly surprised to discover that Aegon doesn't remember last night. The memories are slowly coming back to you, but don't feel your head is clear enough to process it all just yet. But you do glance up when Aegon speaks again, and your eyebrows raise slightly as you note the blonde's confusion. "Hmm?" You spoke, your voice was a bit hoarse but your smile is still intact as you looked at Aegon. "No, I'm quite sure we've never met before." Your words are casual, but you can see the spark of recognition on Aegon's face. Alicent cleared her throat once she heard Aegon's normal spot of going out even though often pretending it wasn't true, clasping her hands together as she slightly leaned forward thinking over her words before she finally looked up at everyone as she spoke. "It seems that Ser Blackwell has caught the attention of many at court, as many consider him to be the most eligible bachelor in the realm, especially among those who stand in opposition to the crown. Mayhaps you might consider this arrangement, Aegon, It is customary for a King to wed, you both would make a great match. Coming from a noble house with loyal soldiers. And has an impressive reputation as a warrior and will be able to defend you on the battlefield. Furthermore, the family has a vast network of spies, which will be useful in keeping an eye on those who attempt to threaten House Targaryen and the realm at large. I believe that your union will bring great strength to the Seven Kingdoms."

Aegon looks over at Alicent in surprise, his eyebrows raised. He then slowly turns to look at you, his face still a little red from drinking too much wine the night before and continuing with it. "So…let me get this straight. You'd like for me to marry this person?" The thought hadn't occurred to him before, and he was genuinely surprised by the sudden thought. His eyes drift to you once more, his mind going over Alicent's words. It wasn't a bad idea, he realized. You did seem to be charming, loyal, and a fine warrior. He sighs and closes his eyes shaking his head as he listens to Alicent as she speaks about you, praising and recommending you quite highly. Aegon notices the eyes around the table are on him, "Yes. Yes, all of those things may be true…But why?" He asks, his voice has a hint of frustration in his voice. You listen intently as the two speak, your eyebrows rising slightly as Aegon questions Alicent's suggestion. You had a feeling you should interject at some point soon, but for now, you are interested in seeing how Aegon will respond. At Aegon's response, you smirk somewhat playfully. "I can think of far worse choices than me, your grace." You spoke though it's done with a fair amount of mockery. "And a marriage proposal made by our parents is all but the norm for families." Not having thought he'd be the Targaryen you were going to marry.

Another sigh leaves Aegon's lips as he looks at both his mother and you. He was tired of everyone suggesting someone new to marry at any given opportunity. It felt almost as if everyone was conspiring to pair him off in a marriage, but to whom and when he didn't truly know. His eyes glance at you as he speaks and his smirk widens, "…I'm aware of that." He responds with mild irritation but he keeps his tone even-keeled. "I'm also aware this isn't your place to speak of such matters." He seems to ponder over what you said a moment ago. "it would keep my mother happy as well…." His voice was almost distant as his thoughts wandered before he smiled at you. "Aha! And now that I look at you closely…yes, you would make an excellent match for me." His smile is almost mischievous at the end, almost like he's teasing you slightly. Your face lights up as you pick up on the teasing and mischievousness on Aegon's part. Your smirk widens and you lean back in your seat, the smile that was on your face remains. "An excellent match, your grace? I'm flattered." The words are said with feigned humbleness, your voice dripping with sarcasm. As you speak you lean forward, resting your arms on the table. "But why do I feel as if that's not the only reason you're interested in this match? You wouldn't be considering my other… qualities…would you?"

"Hmm…?" Aegon seems to be trying to suppress his amusement. "Oh, pray tell, tell me what qualities I could be so interested in?" His eyes have a subtle sparkle and there is a mischievous edge to his words. "Ah, you caught me." His voice was once again calm, but there was the slightest hint of flirtation there. "Let's just say you have…a certain look to you. A certain…charm." Aegon gave a smile almost teasingly as his eyes lingered on you. "And I think I'd quite like to get to know you more, my good man." Aegon's voice was almost breathless as if he was trying his best to contain himself. You had to suppress a laugh as Aegon's words and demeanor caused you to feel the same heat from last night. "My good man, eh?" Your voice has become more teasing at this point, your eyes wandering over Aegon's body with a familiar gleam. "And would you like to get to know me…better? Is that why you found your way into my bed?" Your voice is softer now, the humor in his voice replaced by something slightly more earnest even with others around. Your eyes drift back up to Aegon's, a slight smile crossing your lips. The playful banter is almost too much for you to handle. It's a far cry from how you normally act almost as if no longer a gentleman, but Aegon is drawing a side out of you. Your smirk widens, and your eyebrows raise suggestively as you lean forward. "A certain charm?" You questioned, your voice low and teasing. "Or perhaps…is it my skills in battle or in the bedchamber?" You grin knowingly at Aegon, your eyes lingering on the blonde for a moment too long.

Aegon smirks at you, enjoying the playful teasing and your open admission of certain desires having already taken place. His eyes flicker up and down your body, as he takes you in. It takes everything in Aegon not to blush and turn his face away. It was as if you were daring him to flirt back, dare him to do something…and he was almost ready to take the bait. "Perhaps it's all of the above, Ser." His voice is soft, low, and almost…seductive as he stares at you with a hint of mischief in his gaze.

[drenched-in-sunlight]

hello hi!!! grfhvhghr i am in love with your artwork so much you cant believe-- i wanna ask if you have any tips on how you lineart and colourpick?? no pressure to answer tho, have a great day/night!! again, love your art <33

hi!! thank you for your kind words!! since i got asked about these a lot, im answering this for all the other ask asking about lineart and colour tips too! You can see some previous post here.

also i could only give out tips that work for my drawing style - which is heavy lineart / colours pop up the line (believe it or not it's American comic book style. ppl cant understand why my art doesnt really look like usual anime/ Asian webtoon style, even though it is still clearly anime / Asian webtoon style, but when i told them it's because im drawing these by studying American comics, no one believes it either lmao.

i do study but i do my own things too, so most of my art inspo is really unexpected to ppl, but they r really where i learn things from, cuz i dont even go to art school TT_TT).

Changing the brush size will help you achieve thick/thin lines better without having to put pressure on your wrists. Keep your hold relaxed and let bigger brush size give you the thick strokes.

I like messy sketch, to me the sketch is just an outline shape to fill details in when i do the line, it also gives more freedom to wriggle as i draw! cuz i dont really plan out everything from the start, just wing it as i go, so a lot of my work is actually very spontaneous.

that leads to this point: when you do the lineart you should start deciding which colour style you want from it to adjust the details amount. the ink shadow blocks in my art aren't there randomly, i adjust them to best complement the shape language and colours.

for piece where i want the line/shadow to...idk hit (?), the colours are almost flat with textured brush adding depth to them, so the inking is the shading, thus there are more details in the lineart / ink blocks.

for the video above and piece like this where i want the colours to be clear and pop out, the use of ink blocks are minimized and i do the shading during colouring process. but! the ink blocks can still make some places pop very nicely! just use in moderation!

when doing the base it's good to keep the colour on the left side of the colour wheel (low saturation), but as you do shading and lighting, try to spread out evenly so it won't look washed out.

toggle around with hue and saturation slider as you go! the key is always adjusting! you're making hundreds of decisions at once, being conscious of your choice in why a line or a colour should be in a certain way will help improve your process a lot! (i think you can tell which art i turned off my brain and just draw for stress relief ........ which is also a valid way to draw and sometimes the result might surprise you! but for more serious stuffs i try to be aware of most of the move i make. it's problem solving, yeah?)

i find that one way to keep your art from appearing too...yellow in the end (which is sth that haunted my ass for a long while) is always aim for cold tone, so if you accidentally make it warm either way in the end it won't be too warm (and yellow :cry:)

well that's all the stuffs i can think on top of my head. sorry i can't give more advice on colour picking cuz it's sth i don't really know how to give advice on???? i think my colours now are still pretty lame haha........ if there are still any questions i'd gladly answer within my ability, though im very slow to answer ask ( i do read and be happy at all of them tho!)

[marvel-starwarsfangirl]

TBB Season 2 Retrospective

Season 2 of TBB is my favorite season for sure. I love all the character moments we get such as the conversation between Tech and Omega. It's why I love this show because at its best, TBB really tackles some mature topics. Although the Batch mainly do missions for Cid, I think it foreshadows season 3's ending really well in retrospect.

"Tribe" might be a fun adventure with Gungi, but on a deeper level, it's about Hunter realizing that what Omega needs is a true home and stability. It's the first instance in S2 where Hunter gets a look into domestic life. Phee as a character serves many purposes. She's an ally to the Batch and takes them on adventures. However, she also challenges Hunter's soldier lifestyle for Omega. Phee comments that Omega needs people her own age and stability, something that none of the Batch understand due to their upbringing. "Tribe" and Phee, along with some moments from S1, do a great job setting up Pabu.

Pabu is an ideal place for the Batch to live and raise Omega: it's hidden, beautiful, and welcoming to all. With all the signs encouraging Hunter to settle, Pabu is perfect. On a side note though, I do feel that the conflict in the episode "Pabu" was a bit contrived. Personally, I don't think we needed a tsunami for drama. I was perfectly content just watching the Batch relax.

S2, like S1, also does a great job of balancing the Empire's machinations with the Batch's shenanigans. "Metamorphosis" not only serves as a Batch mission for Cid, but also the introduction of Hemlock and the return of the Zillo. It develops both stories in a natural way which made for a phenomenal episode. The two-parter "The Clone Conspiracy" and "Truth and Consequences" equally shows the Empire's decommissioning of the clones, introduces the CX troopers, and what motivates Echo to leave. This is why I love TBB. We get a glimpse into how the imperials caused such chaos and created the Stormtroopers. Btw, I think the show handled the transition from Rampart to Hemlock really well. Both storylines were set up and interwoven with each other, which allowed the one villain to rise and the other to fall.

The notion that the Batch should settle is a major arc for Hunter and Omega this season. Hunter really begins to consider Pabu as a new home, especially because he wants to keep Omega safe. The more he sees the growing unrest, the more he reaffirms the decision in his mind. Clones have never settled down before and it's a new life for Hunter. He always wants to do right for his family and protect them. That's what leaders do. Even Wrecker slowly comes around to that idea and leans a lot on Hunter for decision making.

Omega gains a lot of new perspectives in S2 and I really loved that. She learns that things aren't what they always appear and that change is a part of life. This takes form in many ways, like when Romar showed her the kaleidoscope. Tech is another great example. He might not outwardly show his emotions the way she does, but his heart burns brightly for his family. And like Hunter, Omega begins to realize that having a home like Pabu isn't such a bad idea. She could grow up safely and make friends her age.

As for Echo, I realized that S1 does hint at his choice to leave in S2. His decision makes a lot of sense given his strong sense of justice and camaraderie with Rex. He's always been about helping others. This man has such a beautiful soul.

I think Crosshair is self-explanatory. Only three episodes and I perfectly understood what he did and why he did things. His humanity could no longer take being abused the way it was. He knew where his heart truly lied and he made his choice. S1 established his attachment to the Batch wasn't gone. But he wasn't ready to fully see the truth just yet.

Tech. Beautiful, smart, brave Tech. How much I miss you. S2 did so much giving him depth and maturity. They easily could've kept him as the stereotypical nerd who has great dry humor. But they chose to take a more thoughtful route. Like Omega, Tech learns to see things from a different perspective and it helps him grow as a person. It's those little moments that mean so much. I wish we could spend more time with him because Tech has so much to share with us and S2 highlights that perfectly.

AND TECH GOT THE GIRL (kinda but yall know what I mean). They could've chosen Hunter, the objectively attractive one, but I'm so glad they chose Tech. Look guys, I'm not a girl who goes out and buys all those trendy clothes or wears lots of makeup. So, it meant a lot that Tech was able to win over someone's affections. And kudos to Phee for always being understanding and loving Tech and his awkwardness.

I do have some other thoughts on Tech I will make a separate post on because it's something I really thought about on this rewatch.

S2 has beautiful music and animation on top of some stellar storytelling. "Mayday" will always be my personal favorite and "The Outpost" is always going to be my favorite episode. It means to much to me.

Overall, the best season imo. I love S3, but it has pacing issues, and S1 just makes me sad.

[artificial-transmutations]

Two sides of the same coin - Road to Success

"You know, they should just, like, close that place down." Alden said and took another deep drag. Devan, his pal, nodded eagerly and waited for Alden to give him the blunt.

Both young men sat at their usual spot in the park opposite of the big Financial Applications Partnership bank and smoked weed. Other guys in their age were probably in college right now, learning for their future, but not those two. They started smoking weed together back in high school and had not stopped ever since. Learning, working or earning money was such a foreign concept for them. Sure, they had their part time jobs to pay for rent, but it was not something they enjoyed doing or wanted. It was a necessity in that exploitative capitalistic system they had to live in that didn't let two fine young men do what they wanted all day long. In their case, this was relaxing in the park and smoking weed. Fuck the system, really.

"Or really, all the banks." Alden continued. "Who needs money anyway? Right?"

Finally, he passed the blunt to Devan who took a drag and smiled.

"Yeah dude. Money is the worst."

Then, he made a serious face for a moment and asked. "But imagine, dude. What would you do if you had like, a ton of money? What would you buy?"

Alden was distracted for a moment by a glittering object next to his old sneaker. When he picked it up, it was a shiny coin, sparkling in the sunlight. He pocketed it quickly. He kept his money in his pocket because he believed that wallets were for rich people.

Too late he realized that Devan had asked him a question.

"Sorry dude", he smiled, "what were you saying?"

Devan shrugged and took another puff before passing the blunt over again.

"If you had, like a million dollars or even a billion. What would you do with it?"

Alden thought about it for a while, then answered honestly.

"I'd probably spend it all on weed." Then he smacked his forehead. "No, wait! I probably couldn't smoke all that weed by myself, right? So, I would just buy everyone weed, tons of weed."

Devan laughed heartily.

"Yeah man. And we could have parties every day!"

They both laughed at the idea of having parties every day. That sounded great to them.

"But how would I even get so much money?"

Devan looked around and pointed the building at the other side.

"Perhaps you'd work at the FAP bank?"

Both laughed again, the notion was ridiculous.

"Then I would probably, like, need to go to college or even university, right? That sounds like so much work."

Some subtle changes occurred to Alden's face. His hair straightened itself and his beard got a little less messy.

"Yeah, and look at you, you wouldn't even be accepted by university. Not with these dirty shoes of yours." Devan joked and took the blunt back. Neither of the two men found it odd in the least as Devan’s own shoes dissolved suddenly, leaving him bare-footed. Shortly after, his feed became black and leathery, becoming clean black lace up shoes.

Alden nodded and got out of his shoes, putting on the new ones that were Devan’s feet just a few moments ago.

"But if I were in university, I would probably ace all my classes, because I'd be really smart. And don't forget I'd play baseball. I'd be the star of the team and win all games."

This time, the changes were more extreme. Alden’s body pumped up with muscles and his new shoes transformed into cleats.

"You would need proper baseball pants for that. No way you could play with those torn jeans."

Immediately, Devan's pants vanished and revealed his legs, balls and cock, which quickly began to change. While his legs became a pair of white baseball pants, his cock and balls hardened into a sports cup and jockstrap.

"Duh, of course." Alden was already discarding his old pants and fastened the athletic cup around his groin with the jockstrap before he pulled up his new pants.

"It would of course take a while to graduate, but I would surely be top of my class. I could apply at the bank then."

Alden quickly gained a few years and his whole appearance became more cultivated. His beard disappeared and his hair became well-groomed and dyed blond.

Devan, who was now literally only half the man he used to be laughed. "As if they would even consider you if you showed up in a t-shirt. A button-up is the least they'd expect."

Immediately, his torso flattened and folded in on itself, depositing his head on the bench with the blunt still in his mouth. What was once his arms and chest formed into a neat white button-up shirt.

Alden nodded seriously and changed into his new shirt. He looked smart and neat now, with his muscles straining the shirt just the right amount.

"Of course, I can't expect to make a fortune from one day to the next. It will take me at least 20 years of hard work to establish myself in the company and raise through the ranks to upper management."

Even his speech pattern was different now, but his changes were not quite over yet. His hard earned university muscles degraded somewhat again, as more and more years piled up in him, leaving him a mid-40s ex-jock. Still attractive, but with the hard cold eyes you need in order to be really successful.

"Just imagine wearing a tie everyday..." Devan joked, as the last part of him, his head, changed and transformed into a blue silk tie.

Alden nodded politely and quickly put on his tie with movements he did a thousand times before. Then he grabbed his cigar that had fallen to the bench next to him and sighed. That cigar did cost more than other men earned in a month. Still, it had fallen to the dirty bank, so he would have to throw it away. It didn't matter. He was successful and rich now, what did he care for people less successful than him?

He straightened his expensive suit and walked back to the FAP bank. Time to make more money.

If you like the theme, be sure to check out my other stories of the same kind!