#with this last one i even edited the original always having a scroll bar visible to only having one when it's actually needed. it was godly

[bonetrousledbones]

i keep getting really frustrated with how long it's been taking me to get this atbb thang rolling again and then i put together a whole new secret and remember Oh Right This Thing Straight Up Taught Me How To Code

[jksmoongf]

Kissing Fire [pt. 9]

Pairing: Jungkook x reader x girlfriend (oc) Genre: cheater!AU, angst, smut Wordcount: 9.1k Warning: smut, lies, heartbreak and more lies and maybe fluff if you squint

Summary: It always feels like there is only one person in the world to love. And then you find somebody else.

a/n: I don’t condone cheating on your s.o., so please don’t read if you have a problem with this! (also I’m not saying this is something Jungkook would actually do!) Warning chapter 9: smut (( oral (kinda? / male receiving), some good old tiddie fucking, classic unprotected vaginal sex, profanities), a shit-ton of crying, fluff (if you squint really really hard)

The early signs of what had looked like harbingers of spring on the cold winter day had diminished into nothingness; the sun was hiding behind a thick blanket of clouds which were getting darker in the distance. Yina wrapped her blush pink coat tighter around her body as she made her way through the small side streets of Gangnam. The music from her headphones was drowning out the outside world and her thoughts; she couldn’t let herself think and fall into a black hole when her body was about to succumb to the tightness spreading in her chest. Yet, a small spark of hope was still glimmering in her heart that maybe she just misunderstood and he had been talking to his older cousin. Yina knew it was delusional and irrational to hold on to that thought but it was all that kept her from breaking down. She had to keep it together; she was not going to cry in public making people feel bad for her or pity her; leaving them to wonder what had happened to her. Her feet carried her to one of the cafés nearby, it was a popular spot because of its cute aesthetics a lot of people came here to take pictures for their Instagram. Her voice was shaking when she ordered a big mug of plum tea. While she was waiting at the counter; she looked around trying to find a table that would give her some privacy but the only two tables that she deemed suitable were occupied by a teenage couple playing tonsil tennis and a group of girls her age just chatting away. Then she spotted a table close to the back of the big cafe that would suffice; surrounded by businessmen working on their laptops, two older women in their thirties with their babies and a few students who seemed to be buried neck-deep in their books. Clumsily she grabbed the mug, thanking the barista over and over again before hurrying to her designated table, when her foot got caught on the strap of a backpack on the floor, almost making her spill the steaming hot contents of her mug not only over herself but also the guy’s laptop. “You have to be careful. Is everything okay?” The guy flashed a smile at her; her face burning red in embarrassment as she bowed a little. “Yes, I’m sorry.” “Oh, don’t apologize. Nothing happened.” He waved his hands, directing his attention back to the computer screen. With a sigh, she dropped her bag on the table, setting the cup down. Originally she had planned to sit on the other side but she couldn’t bear the thought of having to look at the guy the whole time she was here when she had embarrassed herself in front of him. Draping her coat over the empty chair next to her, she finally sat down. Carefully she swirled the little tea steeper around, the small clink of her bracelet on the table made her stomach churn. Her fingers traced the delicate links of the gold band around her wrist; a gift from Jungkook for their 100th day anniversary. She remembered that day so clearly; how upset she had been that he had to film all day when it was such an important day in their relationship but he picked her up at midnight and took her to Han River. They walked for a long time in the warm summer night before he gave her the bracelet and promised her things, she now knew he wouldn’t be able to keep. Sinking her teeth into her lip tint coated bottom lip, she blinked ferociously to keep the tears at bay for now. She had no real proof, maybe she really just misunderstood because he had been acting strange. He would never do that to her; Jungkook was a good guy, he was so loving, kind and loyal that Yina was sure she was wrong about this - she just had to be. After unzipping her bag, she pulled out her laptop, setting it down in front of her. A small giggle escaping her lips when she saw the name of the free Wifi provided by the cafe, dejabrew - she had always been a sucker for a good pun. Her fingers rested on the keyboard; how was she going to do this without Jungkook finding out? He would be so mad if he found out she was snooping around, breaking his trust in her. Yina felt like a cartoon character with an angel on one shoulder, telling her to trust her boyfriend and a demon on the other pushing her to go looking for the answers she needed. Shaking her head, as if to make the little invisible creatures disappear, she typed the website into the search bar. If she was wrong and Jungkook found out about it she would have to lie to him but she was willing to risk it. Quickly she put in his login details on iCloud, her whole body shaking when her index finger tapped on the trackpad to sign in. Luckily he had not changed his password in the last few months after using her laptop to set up his new phone; she knew it would come in handy that he stored all of his photos on here. She closed her eyes as the new screen loaded, taking its sweet time downloading the copious amounts of pictures her boyfriend had taken. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Selfies, pictures of the sky and from traveling, videos of himself eating, pictures and clips with his older brothers and some staff members and pictures with her; when he still cared enough to actually take pictures with her or of her for that matter. It made her feel queasy to look back on those photos when they were happy; Jungkook was so sweet and handsome, truly a loving boyfriend that she could see herself marrying. Maybe it had been all in her head when she spotted the pictures he had edited for y/n; only recognizing them because -out of courtesy-, she followed the tramp on Instagram. She enlarged the picture, her eyes scanning every inch of her - yes she was pretty and she seemed nice enough to keep her around but just seeing her face left a bitter taste in Yina’s mouth. Ever since that girl had come into their friend group, everything had changed - all the dynamics were so messed up now, making her wish that she had never moved to Seoul in the first place. She wanted to slap herself for thinking that Jungkook would actually betray her like that when her eyes darted to a folder in the menu on the left labeled as private. Furrowing her brows, she didn’t hesitate to click on it, shifting in her spot as the pictures loaded one by one. A smug smiling pulling at the corners of her mouth when she saw the countless shirtless pictures of him. She knew he was proud of his body, he had worked so hard to shape it that way and he looked like one of those marble statues from ancient times. Sucking in a sharp breath through her teeth, her eyes darted to the small pictures of his hand down his sweatpants, his erection prominently visible through the fabric. He had never sent her one of those pictures, which she was thankful for. He knew she liked the real thing more than raunchy pictures, especially when she thought that all penises looked like slugs that she wouldn’t even want in her mouth if it was up solely up to her. The new set of pictures was pretty much a repetition of the older ones but a picture that seemed to be all black caught her attention. Without giving herself time to contemplate whether she really wanted to see it or not, she clicked on it; her mouth falling open when she saw her in his arms, her lips pressed to his cheek while he had a bright smile on his face. Her stomach was doing somersaults, any sign of color vanishing from her face. The photo was taken four months ago and he looked so happy, happier than she had seen him in a long time when he was with her. Quickly she closed the picture, not being able to handle looking at it any longer; everything around her seemed to be spinning in circles. A part of her wanted to just log out of his account and forget that she ever saw it but the other part that wanted to know more won the battle inside her head. She didn't have to scroll further down to find similar pictures of them; hugging and holding hands. Cautiously she zoomed in on a picture, she rolled her eyes; it was one of those popular couples pictures. She could only see a part of Jungkook’s arm, he was holding her hand but she was facing the camera, laughing, the wind blowing in her hair by the river. If anger and hurt weren’t chipping away at her heart, she would have liked the picture but it just made her want to scratch the y/n's eyes out. She was torturing herself; skipping through all the photos of them kissing; kissing in his bed, his studio, the elevator, the practice room. It was making her sick to her stomach but she couldn’t stop, she needed more evidence. Not bothering to look at the nudes of the girl that had ruined her relationship, she kept scrolling until she saw the small play button down at the bottom where the most recent files were. She scurried to get her headphones from her coat pocket, plugging them into her laptop before turning it more to the wall so nobody around her would be able to see what was happening on the screen. Yina held her breath when she hit play, recognizing the tiny bit of fabric from the skirt she hated so much. Her brows furrowed as she watched Jungkook’s mouth go to town between y/n’s legs. Fingers wrapping around the tabletop when the realization began to sink in that this had been filmed the same day they had disappeared to pick out pictures to edit. Her leg was bobbing up and down rapidly; she had kissed him when they came back - “Ahh noona! Noona this hurts.” His whiny voice interrupted her train of thought, making her x’ed-out of the video quickly. With shaking hands, she reached for her tea in hopes that it would calm down her upset stomach. The thought of him kissing her after eating out another girl was sickening, her heart convulsing uncomfortably.  She closed her eyes for a moment to take deep breaths before she moved on to the next video, regretting it as soon as moans were ringing loudly in her ears - Jungkook was making noises she had never heard from him before. The contents of her stomach trying to force its way into her mouth; eyes swimming in tears as she watched her boyfriend pleasure another girl so shamelessly without protection when he always made it a point to use it with her. Unmindfully she ripped the headphones from her ears, slamming the laptop shut, if she had to look at them fucking for another second she would throw up all over the table. Burying her face in her hands, Yina finally let out a sob from deep within her chest. She should have seen this coming; all the signs were there right in front of her. He had started to push her away, he had been so cold and distant that every other girl would have known something was wrong - that someone else had driven a wedge in between them. But she had been blind to it all, the rose-colored glasses hindering her from seeing what was actually happening. He never wanted to sleep with her anymore, when just months ago he couldn’t keep his hands off her, because he was getting it somewhere else. The sour taste of bile coated her tongue; as the torturous images replayed in her head over and over again without any sign of stopping. Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks, the stinging pain in her chest making it almost impossible for her to breathe. They made her look like a fool in front of everyone; she was sure all of them knew and she was the only one left in the dark. She felt so stupid, she should have known that Jungkook was cheating on her with that countryside bimbo that Taehyung brought along. “Is everything okay?” One of the older women stood by her table, her child propped up on her hip, concern plastered all over her aging features. “Yeah, yes everything’s fine.” Yina smiled, using the back of her hand to wipe away the tears as the woman handed her a paper napkin. “Thank you.” She bowed her head, tears falling from her eyes, staining her skirt as she closed them. “Don’t let anything get you down, you’re too young and pretty to cry.” But she wasn’t too young nor too pretty to have her heart broken into a million pieces by a stupid boy but still, the lady’s words struck a nerve; unraveling a wave determination inside her. She wouldn’t let Jungkook and y/n walk all over her; nor would she let them make a fool out of her in front of their friends. With a weak smile she thanked the woman again before reaching for her phone to text her friend Yuri; the only person she could always count on to have her back and the only one she would find some comfort in now that she had all the confirmation she needed. * 

Jungkook was sitting on the couch in the motel room, kneading his bottom lip with his fingers. He had picked up y/n from work after recording all afternoon to spend some time with her before everything was going to change. This room wasn’t as cozy as the last one but they weren’t even staying the night, just a few hours to be alone. Wondering if his heart rate was ever going to slow down, he began to feel anxious as he listened to the running water of the shower. He had missed the perfect chance to break up with Yina but after she gave him his favorite cookies he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her when she had been so sweet to get them for him. It was a vicious cycle of him being too weak to go through with it, although he had promised Ha-na he would finally do it. She was right, Yina deserved to find out from him. It was his fault; he let himself fall out of love with her and now he had to be a man and be honest with her and tomorrow would be the day. Maybe it wasn’t just the fear of hurting her that paralyzed him for the past months; the fear of his older brothers getting mad at him playing a much bigger role than he liked to admit. They would find out eventually, but Jungkook had to cling to the small chance that they would just accept him being with y/n - especially Taehyung. He was sure the older one would so happy to see them together. But for some reason, this moment felt like his last night on earth. She got out of the shower, wrapping the worn down hotel towel around her body. Jungkook always had a habit of picking her up from work when she was sweaty and smelled like Korean barbecue. Usually, while she was in the shower, he would play music and she could faintly listen to him sing but tonight he was quiet. On the way to the hotel, he had told her bits and pieces of his conversation with Jimin and Ha-na, she knew he was worried - his big brown eyes drooping in sadness whenever he spoke. They weren’t going to tell anyone so she didn’t quite understand why he was so distraught. After drying off her hair a little with a smaller towel, she opened the door to find Jungkook exactly where she had left him fifteen minutes ago; on the sofa deep in thought. The floor creaked underneath her feet as she made her way over to him, sitting down on the cheap faux leather loveseat. She couldn’t help but admire his face, and although his eyes looked sad, they were still filled with all the stars in the galaxy. His bottom lip jutted out into a small pout as he absentmindedly picked on the peach fuzz of his right cheek, staring at the stained carpet. “Hey.” She mumbled against his ear, softly pressing her lips to his cartilage making him flinch from the unexpected peck. “Were you daydreaming?” He hummed, not wanting to make her heart any heavier than it already was. She ran her hand through his dark locks, peppering kisses light as feathers down his neck, feeling his body tense up. Pulling away, she eyed him carefully; wondering why he looked so burdened when everything was okay according to him. “What’s wrong, baby?” Jungkook shook his head; pressing his lips together into a tight line. “Nothing.” Not so elegantly she climbed onto his lap, legs dangling off the side, cupping his cheeks with both of her hands. “Kookie, I know you better than I know myself and I can tell something is bothering you. Please tell me what’s wrong so you don’t have to suffer in silence.” Deep down she knew that the conversation weighed heavy on his mind but a part of her was certain that he didn’t tell her everything that had been said in the room earlier that day. “It’s really nothing. I’m fine, noona.” The smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes like it normally did; making them sparkle like fireworks in the night sky and it worried her. He leaned forward, his lips ghosting over her clavicle as he inhaled the clean scent of her skin, trying to regain the usual feeling of home whenever he was with her, wanting to feel safe so badly. Forehead resting against her shoulder, his fingers sunk deeper into the towel around her waist as if she would just get up and leave him if he didn’t hold on to her as tightly as he could. He needed to feel okay; he didn’t want to feel this way when she was around - she was his happy place. Gently she ran her nails down the back of his neck, drawing indecipherable patterns on his golden skin, the short hair tickling her fingertips. “Noona…” His voice was small when he finally spoke after a while. “I-I-…” He sat up, his dark eyes diving into hers. “I’m scared..” It was nothing but a whisper; she knew it had taken everything out of him to admit what she had known all along. “So scared that I’ll lose you..” Tilting her head a little, she sighed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “This could be our last night together, so you better make it count, Jeon.” She mused, a smug smile playing on her lips - a desperate attempt to lighten the mood that was about to crush both of them. “Don’t talk like that, please.” He whined, throwing his head back but she used her arms to move it back to where she could gently press small pecks onto his slightly chapped lips. This time he kissed her back; feverishly his tongue darted into her mouth, catching her off guard as it started a play fight with hers. The rough skin of his hands felt warm against her thighs as they slowly rubbed them up and down before taking back their place on her waist, pulling her tighter to his chest. As if her mouth was uncharted territory, his tongue tried to get a taste of what he had been missing for what seemed like an eternity. She pulled away, resting her forehead against his. “I love you, I’ll always be here, Kookie. No matter what happens, okay?” His lips ghosted over hers, feeling the smile tugging on them she harshly reconnected them - every second she didn’t spend kissing him was a waste of time. The urge to feel him grew inside of her, spreading slowly through her body. With restless fingers she began tugging at his shirt while he sucked on her bottom lip, making it throb from the blood rushing to it. But Jungkook wasn’t ready to break the kiss, not wanting to be separated from the lips that made him forget every bad thing that had happened that day. Capitulating when his tongue slowly licked back into her mouth to massage hers, her hand disappeared under his shirt. Feeling his soft, warm skin as she delicately brushed over his toned stomach, eliciting a small sigh from the doe-eyed boy. Dragging her nails further down his abdomen until she hit the much-hated belt buckle, which denied her entrance for the time being. Opening her eyes, her gaze rested on his long eyelashes brushing against his skin; he was lost in the moment of feeling her lips on his like it was the last time. An overwhelming feeling of love for the boy in front of her made her eyes tear up; he was everything to her, her whole world. She pulled away, Jungkook’s eyes fluttering open instantly as her warmth left him. “Why did you stop?” His lips were swollen, already moving to form a pout yet again, like a child who didn’t get all the chocolate that he wanted to eat before dinner. But he got no answer, her fingers reached for his shirt tugging it over his head, giving herself a brief moment to bathe in the glory that was Jungkook. With hooded eyes he watched as she slid down his lap, kneeling on the sofa next to him, fingers busy with unbuckling his belt and unzipping his jeans. Rather impatiently she tugged them down his thighs, letting them pool at his ankles. Sitting back on her heels, she untied the towel from around her body. Jungkook gulped down the salvia that collected in his mouth as his dark brown eyes wandered over the soft flesh, lingering on the triangle between her legs. She leaned forward, leaving a trail of burning hot open-mouthed kisses down his neck to his chest, steadying herself on his thighs as she made her way further down. His mind must have been preoccupied; usually, his dick would be hard as a rock after making out but not this time. Pushing aside the worries and insecurities that started to fog up her brain; she adjusted herself to pepper little pecks on his femur, feeling his muscles tense up the closer she got to her destination. When suddenly his hand got in the way, covering up his member. “Noona, please don’t…” Embarrassment swayed in his voice. “Why not? I want to feel you get hard in my mouth.” Her fingers wrapped around his rough hand, gently moving it out of the way. Jungkook sucked in a breath through gritted teeth as he watched her lips ghost over the soft flesh before taking it in her mouth. He let his head fall back, breathy sighs escaping his lips blending seamlessly with the sucking noises bouncing off the walls. Her tongue gingerly played with his slowly hardening dick, his fingers woven in her slightly damp hair as she sucked like her life depended on it. “Baby…” He whined, his chest heaving up and down as she cupped his balls, massaging them. With a juicy plop, she pulled her head back to give the reddened head tiny kitten licks, lapping up the first drops of precum. “Fuck, y/n..feels g-good.” He choked out while she sank her mouth further down his length again, the confinement of her throat tightening when she swallowed around him, his nails digging into her scalp. “Kook, ouch.” She pulled away, his saliva coated erection slapping against his stomach breaking the string of spit that connected him to her mouth. “I’m sorry, noona.” Gently patting her head to ease the pain he had caused her, looking down, his gaze glued to the mounds of her breasts pressed against his thigh. 

Sneakily his fingertips danced from her neck over her throat and further down until they reached the soft round flesh. He swallowed the water that gathered in his mouth, eyes darting between his cock and the valley of her breasts that looked so inviting. “Noona…can I-I…” She didn't wait for him to word his desire, but simply adjusted her body in a way that would accommodate his throbbing member; propping her arm up next to his other thigh to give her some leverage as she pulled her upper body up, leaning against his torso, her right boob pressed against his lower stomach. Eagerly she reached for his dick, sliding it between her breasts, only to cup the right one with her left arm to make it as tight as it needed to be for Jungkook’s pleasure. He exhaled shakily in anticipation resting his hand on her back when she smiled up at him. “Kiss.” She demanded, puckering her lips and he happily obliged, leaning down to place a chaste kiss on them. “More.” Letting out a chuckle, he kissed her harder, teeth grazing her bottom lip when without warning she started moving. Jungkook moaned into her mouth, the soft, squishy flesh of her breasts forcing more precum to spill. 

Looking down at the angry reddened tip that was ejaculating from in between her bosom with every bob. She lowered her head, kissing it every chance she got. Before holding still to run the back of her tongue over the exposed part of the shaft, trying to savor the sweet saltiness as much as she could, coating her tastebuds in it. “Fuck, noona…please don’t. I’ll cum.” He whimpered, legs squirming against the fake leather, his toes curling when she started rocking back and forth, sucking harshly on the tip. Wrapping his hand around her hair, he abruptly pulled her head back.  “You’re weak.” She giggled, pushing herself up.  “For you, yes.” His chest was rising and falling quickly; he took deep breaths trying to calm the whirlwind inside of him that had almost pushed him over the edge far too soon for his liking. 

“Do you want to make out for a bit so you can calm down?” He shook his head, both of his hands grabbing her hips as she straddled him, wiggling her hips. A gasp fell from his mouth when he slid with ease through her folds, coating it in her sweet juices. He tried hard to think of every unsexy thing he had ever seen; Jin hyung in his funny glasses on stage, the time he had thrown up from drinking too much with Jimin, Hobi scolding him when he messed up during practice, desperately needing a distraction from her rubbing her clit on his sensitive head. Up until this point Jungkook had been sure that his dick couldn’t get any harder than this, alas he was wrong - the protruding vein throbbing dangerously as her slick folds embraced him. Her swollen lips were so close to his ear that they drowned out every thought in his head; she was moaning so deliciously that he was about to erupt like a volcano. She was really testing him today; how was he supposed to hold back and wait for her to get off first? When suddenly her movements stopped and she lifted herself up, knees digging into the sofa as she reaching around from behind to grab his cock by the base, holding it in place to lower herself down yet again. Both moaning loudly as the tip forced its way through the small hole, stretching it until it swallowed his entire length.  She held on tightly to his shoulder, Jungkook’s fingers squeezing her still bruised ass- making sure to leave marks behind. He tried to help her find a steady rhythm when she started bouncing up and down slowly, giving herself time to adjust to him being inside her from this angle. Jungkook was about to lose his mind, feeling like he was at her mercy; her boobs swaying right in front of his face. He couldn’t stand to just look at them any longer- he knew it wasn’t quite as sensual as when she was sprawled out on his bed and he could take his sweet time worshipping every inch of her. Quickly his tongue darted out, toying with the hard bud before sucking it into his mouth. She cried out; his ministrations making her head fall back when he gently sunk his teeth in to increase the pressure. “Jungkook-ah..” She mewled, nails scratching his skin; her walls tightening around him, working hard on getting him to explode. He bucked his hips up, meeting her halfway, eliciting another cry from her. Mesmerized by the way she sounded and moved, just using him to get herself off on his dick, had his head in the clouds. Leaving him to wonder, how he got so lucky that she chose him to be hers. She sank down on him, taking him all the way, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders to bury her face in the crook of his neck. Hot breath fanning against his sweat glisten skin, she was grinding her hips back and forth; making him hit the right spot over and over again, her clit rubbing against his skin right above the base of his cock. His hands danced up and down her back, trying to hold back a little while longer; his cock rubbing against the hidden rough patch of skin inside of her. 

She lifted her head up, resting her forehead against Jungkook’s, sweat slowly dripping down his temples when her weight shifted and she started bobbing up and down his cock again quicker than before. Never breaking eye contact, Jungkook felt the knot in his stomach pulling itself together, ready to burst into a million pieces at any second. Ravishing the feeling of her body so close to his, he pulled her even closer to him; her breasts pressed to his chest. 

“I love you..” He panted, her velvet walls convulsing around him rapidly. “God, I love you so, so much, baby.” She smiled, masking the fact that her walls were squeezing him extra tight on purpose. “I love y-“ Cutting her off, he locked his arms around her back; holding her still - hips thrusting inside her without mercy, chasing his own high. “Oh god! Right there, baby. Fuck.” She whined, choking on air when her legs began to shake; she was really close to coming undone. “Don’t close your eyes.” He grunted, still relentlessly fucking her as deep and fast as he could, her arousal dripping down his length. 

Blinding lights flashed before her eyes when her high finally washed over her like a tsunami, needy moans echoing from the walls; clinging to her lover for support while he helped her ride it out until the waves subsided. The almost unbearable tightness of her orgasm pushed Jungkook over the edge; painting her walls as white as snow. His thrusts were getting sloppy, mumbling profanities against her lips before he let his head fall back, his body going limp from the exhausting sprint. He felt her soft lips on his; the kiss was innocent like it was the first time many moons ago; she brushed his bangs from his face. “Hmm, you look so pretty right after you cum.” She smiled; Jungkook felt the heat rushing to his face, quickly closing his eyes to escape the situation that had his ears burning up. “Noona, I told you not to say those things.” He whined, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to spread on his face. “Fine, I’ll never say something like that again.” After a quick peck to the column of his throat, she tried to get up but he pulled her back, his arm securely around her back. “No! Don’t stop, please.” Jungkook brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, reconnecting their lips for a second. She chuckled, playfully hitting his chest. “I knew it, you do like it.” She poked his sides, making him giggle and squirm underneath her. “Maybe.” He shrugged trying to keep his composure, peppering small kisses on her cheek when a rumbling noise between their bodies startled both of them. “Are you hungry?” He crooked an eyebrow, eyeing her intently. “Yeah.” Puckering her lips together like a fish, she gently patted her stomach. “Starving, actually.” “Me too.” He confessed, mimicking her lips from before. “God, if you weren’t so cute, you would be really annoying.” Jungkook smiled, bunny teeth on full display. “But lucky for me you, you do think I’m cute.” “The cutest.” She added, softly squishing both his cheeks between her hands, pressing her lips to the tip of his nose. “I love you.” “I love you too, y/n.” Biting down on her lip in order to hide how giddy it still made her feel on the inside when he said her name; it danced so beautifully off his tongue. “How about I’ll go get us some food while you get cleaned up and maybe you can pick out a movie?” “Sounds perfect.” Fishing his t-shirt off the back of the couch, she quickly pulled it over her head; Jungkook loved how it hugged her body in all the right places; she looked so cute with cum smeared on her thighs as she walked to the bathroom. Quickly he got dressed; zipping his hoodie all the way, it would be too cold outside without the warming underlayer of his shirt. After slipping on his shoes by the door, he peeked into the bathroom watching her clean herself up with a washcloth. “I won’t be long, baby.” “Okay.” She mumbled, pulling the baby pink panties up her legs before combing through her now semi-dry hair with her fingers. It always struck her as odd that, although Jungkook had just left, she missed him already. She pulled his shirt up to her nose; the usual smell of his fabric softener mixed with his perfume never failed to make her feel happy and calm. She walked back into the room; it really wasn’t the nicest hotel they had been to but their options were limited tonight. She picked up the remote from the desk next to the bed to go through the movie catalog when suddenly a knock on the door startled her. Was he back already? “I’m coming.” She called, her eyes darting to his phone that he had forgotten to take with him - quickly she picked it up on her way to the door. “Next time take your ph-“ She started lecturing the second she pulled the door open to the dimly lit corridor but it wasn’t Jungkook standing in front of her. “Y-Yina?” Muttering more to herself than to the girl in front of her. Eyes wide in shock and like a fish out of water, she opened and closed her mouth, trying to understand what was happening - desperately looking for a lie that would explain why she was wearing Jungkook’s shirt and nothing else. “Can I come in? Thanks.” Yina pushed past her into the room, a short sturdy girl in a leather jacket following her. The shorter one made eye contact with her for a millisecond and she swore that if looks could kill, she would be lying on this dirty hotel carpet taking her last breaths. She swallowed hard, closing the door behind her to rest her back against it; denial making her head spin, this had to be a bad dream. “Y/n, don’t just stand there.” Yina’s voice was as cold as ice, her skin crawling from the way she said her name - only fueling the hate she had for it; it just wasn’t the same compared to when Jungkook said it so sweet and soft with his saccharine voice of an angel. Her legs felt heavy as she dragged them down the short hallway into the main room. Yina and her friend were looking around, she couldn’t help but stare at the spot on the couch where only a few minutes ago she had made love to Yina’s boyfriend. As if this wasn’t bad enough, small drops of his cum stained the sofa; there was no way for her to wipe them off without the two girls noticing. Her nails dug into her left forearm, waiting for the younger girl to finally speak when she turned around to face her, it was like a handful of ice cubes was gliding down her esophagus and forming a big clump in her stomach. “What’s wrong y/n? You look surprised!” The light-hearted tone in her voice did not augur well - nausea draining her mouth of any moisture. She had to find a way to get out this situation; she was so accustomed to lying that usually it was fairly easy by now to come up with believable lies concerning Jungkook but no lie was going to explain away all the evidence in this cheap hotel room. In her head Jungkook had always been the one to finally end things with Yina, not once did a scenario involving her having to face her all alone occur in her mind . “Yina, I-…i-it’s not what it l-looks like.” Her tongue had trouble forming the words - usually, she was good at thinking on her feet, always a witty remark on the tip of her tongue but it was like her brain was slowing down, clogged up with fear and the sheer terror of how this was going to play out. Yina turned to her friend. “Can you believe that she’s still trying to lie to me?” Before the girl could say anything, she took a step forward. “I’m not.” She burst out desperately hoping the two girls would just give up and leave. 

“Y/n…y/n…y/n… cut the bullshit! I know you have been sleeping with my boyfriend.” Yina’s eyes flickered in disgust as she contemptuously looked her up and down. “Do yourself a favor and stop denying it.” “I’m not denying anything, just let me explain.” The words had already left her mouth when she realized what she had said. There was no way to tell her without making her feel worse than she already did. “Explain to me what exactly? I don’t want to know which dirty tricks you played on him to get him to cheat on me.” She let out a frustrated whine, running her fingers through her hair.  “I didn’t trick him into anything. We didn’t plan this, we didn’t want to hurt you.” 

Yina huffed under her breath, feeling her body shake; anger and the overwhelming disappointment making her want to hurt y/n, forcing her to suffer the pain she was feeling but her cracked heart experienced an odd sensation of pity for the girl in front of her. She looked so small and defeated, eyes swimming in tears as she fixated her gaze on the ground, her arms wrapped around her waist as if she was trying to comfort herself for being a home-wrecker. So she closed her eyes, she had to stay in control - they hurt her, they made her look like a complete and utter fool. She wasn’t going to break, even though y/n looked like she was about to crack from the tension in the small room. “For how long?” Her voice was straining when she attempted to speak, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Almost seven months…” A cold sting in her chest made her gasp at her words. Y/n’s lips were trembling, Yina was unsure if the girl had one ounce of decency left in her body that made her feel bad for what she did or if she was just upset that her dirty secret wasn’t so secret anymore. “Oh stop crying! You’re the fucking slut who slept with Jungkook.” Yuri snapped, her small hand wrapping tightly around her best friends wrist for support and encouragement to keep the interrogation going. 

“Did…did you know he had a girlfriend?” Yina wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to ask but maybe it would be easier for her to handle if it had been an accident that turned into a friends with benefits situation. The movement of y/n’s head was almost unnoticeable if one blinked. “I’m so sorry, Yina... I knew he had a girlfriend. I knew he was taken but I made a move anyway.” Her words knocked the air out of her lungs and she stumbled a few steps back, knees feeling so weak that she had to lean against the desk for support. “I’m sorry, I felt awful but I just…I-I liked him so much. I know it was wrong but I couldn’t control myself…I’m sorry. I really tried to stop myself but I just gave in.” “Stop saying you’re sorry! You’re not! If you were you wouldn’t have done that, you are a vile person and I hope you rot in hell for this.” Yina sneered; her constant sorry’s weren’t good enough, they wouldn’t glue the pieces of her heart back together, they wouldn’t make it hurt any less or make it any better that she hooked up with the love of her life. “How could you sleep with him when you knew he was with me? Do you have no conscience? From the moment I met you, I knew you were going to cause trouble. You ruined everything!”  “How do you think felt all this time?” Y/n sniffled, her voice overflowing with hurt and desperation.  “I don’t care how you felt! Jungkook was still my boyfriend and not yours to take!” 

The unexpected knock echoed loudly in her ears and Jungkook’s muffled voice could be heard through the wooden door. “Noona, open the door! The food is getting cold.” No one made a move; afraid of what would happen when Jungkook entered the room.  “Kook, don’t come in!”  Y/n called out to him, wanting to protect him from having to face this situation when Yuri turned around to open the door for him, a smug grin on her face.

“Yuri? What the-“ It took him a moment to realize what was going on - connecting the puzzle pieces, he rushed inside, now standing between both of his girlfriends like a manmade statue, petrified as fear washed over him. Yina’s lips were tightly pressed together into a thin line, her hands shaking as she held on to the table. She just kept staring at the doe-eyed boy, the plastic bag rustling from his shake-ridden hands as his big eyes darted between them, both teary-eyed as they waited for him to come to his senses. Yina couldn’t take her eyes off Jungkook; a part of her wondered why she felt so bad for him - he looked so fragile and confused like a child that had lost his mother in a crowd. He was the one who broke her - she could feel all the broken pieces of her heart floating inside her. She knew that anger and resentment should be the only things she should be feeling but at this very moment, she wasn’t. Maybe a part of her knew that it had never been his intention to hurt her like he did; he was a good person, the sweetest and kindest man any girl could hope for. He just made a terrible mistake, or maybe he was scared that breaking her heart would break his too and that made him betray her. An odd sense of sadness seemed to spread from her chest through her body, forcing fresh tears to spill from her eyes. She felt sad for him; he looked pathetic as his eyes once again darted from her to the girl that robbed him of his innocence, who turned him into cheating liar that could not be trusted. 

He looked at y/n - she was crying, grabby hands trying to wipe away the tears as they made their way down her cheeks uncontrollably. With two long strides, he was standing in front of her, hands resting on her shoulders. “Is everything okay? Did they hurt you?” His head snapped around when she didn’t reply, glaring at the other two girls across the room - Yuri had her arm around Yina’s shoulders, comforting her best friend as she had to watch him care more about another girl rather than herself- his girlfriend - the one he had promised to be with forever all those nights when he was on the verge of falling into a deep slumber. “What did you do to her?” He tried to wrap his arms around y/n, wanting to hold her so badly, needing her to know that he was there for her and would never let her go. Seeing her cry made his heart contract painfully like a supernatural force was poking it with a thousand needles all at once but her hands pressed firmly into his pecs, pushing him away from her to keep the distance between their bodies. “We were just talking,” Yuri spoke up, her voice drenched in condescension. “You know, trying to figure out why you would cheat on Yina with that …” She made a rude gesture towards y/n when Yina pushed herself off the table, taking a few wobbly steps towards to the middle of the room as did Jungkook - he had to face her, there was no going back this time. Never had he imagined that this was how it was going to end, not in front of Yina’s best friend and certainly not in front of y/n. His plan had been to take her to a park with strangers around which would ensure Yina wasn’t going to cause a scene but here he was; in a cheap motel room facing the harsh reality of his actions. His head automatically tilted to the side for a second as he looked at his girlfriend; his heart wrenched as her peach colored sweater stained with big teardrops. He didn’t want to hurt her but he had to, he had to be honest with her one last time. “I just want to know why Jungkook…” He inhaled deeply a few times, trying to get as much oxygen as possible to his brain as it was too numb to work properly, thoughts stumbling and tripping over one another in chaos. “I-It just happened.” “Things like that don’t just happen.” She choked out, her brows knitted together in a stern manner. “What did I ever do to you that made you betray me like that?” Sucking the inside flesh of his cheek in between his teeth, he tried looking for a way to let her down with minimal damage. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” “Then why did you sleep with her behind my back for 7 months? I feel so stupid and humiliated. I must have done something that made you run into her arms.” Jungkook’s breathing was shallow, his palms were getting sweaty. He couldn’t find the words to say it; and once he did say it out loud he knew he would break her, unsure if she would ever be able to trust anyone again. “Is there any way we can fix this?” Her words sent a shooting pain down straight to his core at her sudden change of mind. He had no desire to fix their relationship when he had fallen for someone else so he stayed quiet. Adamantly Yina shook her head, fingertips pressed against her mouth. 

“Jungkook-ah, no…no please, tell me it’s just sex…please…” She whimpered. “Please say you’re not in love with her…” Not once before had he ever heard her beg; she sounded so desperate, clinging onto the small thread of hope that he had just wanted some fun on the side. His teeth sunk into his bottom lip, leaving a shallow tear in the soft flesh. “I-I do - did love you.” His voice was nothing but a whisper; it was too painful to say those things to her. “It’s just… I love y/n more.”  The silence in the room was deafening; Yina stared at him in shock, big tears rapidly spilling. “I’m sorry, I really I am. I never wanted to hurt you but I just fell in love with her. She’s not just a hookup, she is my soulmate.” 

Her pupils darted to the frightened piece of misery that was hiding behind Jungkook. How could he love this girl more than he loved her? She had given him everything from changing her work schedule around to accommodate his to going to his shows to cheer for him and this was how he repaid her unconditional love for him by he ramming a knife in her back first chance he got. Jungkook blinked quickly; his mind too busy to realize what was happening when Yina lifted her arm. His eyes falling shut, expecting to feel her palm colliding with his cheek. He deserved it - ready to endure every hit she would throw at him, he broke her, it was the least he could do to maybe lessen the pain that was tearing at her from his betrayal. “No!” Immediately he opened his eyes as the sound of a whimpered outcry reached his ears, quickly followed by a hand harshly coming down on skin that wasn’t his. Y/n stood in front of him, holding her cheek. “Don’t hurt him, you should be hurting me. It’s all my fault! I fell in love with him even though I knew he had a girlfriend so go ahead and hit me all you want.” Her body was trembling, trying to protect him from harm. A whisper of her name left his lips, reaching out his arms to embrace her.  In utter disbelief Yina stared at them, eyes resting on the matching bracelets around their wrists; he had quickly spun y/n around to hug her tightly against his chest where she sobbed quietly into his hoodie. She had seen the bracelet before, only now realizing that even back then he had lied straight to her face. Telling her that it had been Taehyung’s and he was just testing it to see if it was right for them and like a fool she had believed everything he said because her Jungkookie would never lie to her. Hating herself for falling for his lies; it had been so obvious - they were hiding in plain sight relying on everyone around them to be too oblivious to see the truth. “Yina, fight for him! He’s your boyfriend!” Yuri pleaded, not able to understand why her best friend didn’t even try to get him to stay with her. “Not anymore. I don’t want him.” She whispered, much too proud after being humiliated beyond repair by the one person she loved more than anything that the universe had to offer. She wouldn’t fight a battle she knew she was going to lose; she had lost him months ago without realizing and now it was too late. “I never want to see him again.” Yuri’s faced softened, reaching for her best friend’s hand as she slowly led her to the door. Jungkook’s arms loosened around her, his hands gently cupping her face. “Are you okay, baby?” He mumbled, lips ghosting over her forehead trying to reassure her that he would never leave her, that she could still feel safe with him. “I don’t know. My head is just kinda empty right now.”  Carefully his fingers brushed a strand of hair from her face that was sticking to her skin from all the tears she had cried that night. “Let me see your cheek.” Turning her head, she let him examine the left side of her face. Softly he brushed the pad of his thumb over her cheek before pressing pecks light as feathers on the reddened skin. She flinched, pulling away quickly. 

“I’m sorry.” He hung his head, finally letting the guilt consume him. He was to blame that Yina struck her when it should have been him. He was the one who had been cheating and lying, not her - he made her his accomplice, dragging her through the mud with him when he had been too selfish to finally go through with the breakup.  “No, it’s okay, Kookie. It’s just a little sore, don’t worry.” Tiredly she smiled up at him but he could see the sorrows behind the dark orbs, wanting nothing more than to take all the pain away from her and carry it for her.  She deserved to be happy now that they were finally able to be together. “Do you want to eat something?” He let go of her, scurrying to pick up the bag of food on the floor. “It’s not hot anymore but it will do. I’m sure you will feel better after. I got you your favorite that will cheer you up, noona!” Jungkook was trying hard to show her that he cared, maybe a little too hard but he could feel the fear of her wanting to leave him after tonight creeping up on him. Harshly she sucked in a breath and he could tell she was about to burst into tears again. “I don’t feel like eating.” Sitting down at the foot of the bed, she covered her face with her hands. “Can you drive me home, please? I-I just want to be alone for a bit to process all of this.” Jungkook nodded and hummed a yes, despite screaming on the inside. He didn’t want to leave her alone, he wanted to stay with her and hold her until she felt better - completely ignoring how emotionally drained he felt himself. He was certain that they both would feel better as soon as they left this place that felt so suffocatingly small now after everything that went down. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to voice his concern; he would give her the time she needed, although the thought of being apart from her was eating him up inside.  The tables had turned, now it was his turn to hold on to the small thread of hope that was stretched too thin but he wouldn’t let fear consume him just yet - he would make enough time for it later when he was in his bed, all alone. 

[fontasticcrablettes]

How I Use Scrivener

Wrote this up for a friend, figured I’d post here in case it helps anyone else!

If you haven’t heard of it, Scrivener is a writing program that’s great for organizing long works.  It’s what I use to write anything that has more than one chapter.  It has a tonne of features, and honestly I don’t even use half of them.  This is how I use it to write though. 

Ok, so this is basically what the interface looks like:

You write in the middle.  Documents and files are stored in the left, and the window on the right is for toggling things within the scene, jotting down notes, and some other cool things.  Lots of things.  Let’s break this shit down:

First: how to just write shit without worrying about all the neat features.  When you first start Scrivener, go to New Project and get a box like this:

This is showing you all the templates you can choose from.  I have a personal template that’s set up for how I use it.  I’ve never used the non-fiction or scriptwriting ones (Like I said, I haven’t used half the features this baby has).  It doesn’t really matter which one you use because you can change it all later anyway.  If you aren’t sure, just go for blank.

Select blank, type your project name and where to save it, and then click create. (Tip: The project will create an entire folder with sub-documents.  I like to make a folder for each project, and then put the scrivener folder in that folder, because you can’t import images that are already in the scrivener folder.)  You’ll get this screen:

You can just start writing here.  I’ll show you how I organize it though.  

I like to make one folder for each chapter.  Then, each scene gets its own page.  You can create a new folder by click on the arrow next to the big green plus sign.

If you just click on the plus sign, it will create a new document.  You can also change folders to documents and vice versa by right-clicking on them later.  Create a document for each scene - basically, anywhere you’d put a page break, create a new document.  They line up in order in all your folders like this:

I name the folders with the chapter title.  You can either name you individual scenes (i.e., “Yuri goes to the store”) or let it auto-generate a title from the first sentence of the scene.  This is what I usually do.  Or, if you write out of order, you could create place-holder scenes and title them with what generally will happen there once you write it.

The cool thing about this is that you can move these scenes around easily. If, for example, you decide to end a chapter earlier and want to move the last scene to the start of the next one, just click and drag it into position.  

Click and drag and hover over another scene (rather than between them) to nest your document within another one.  This lets you use documents as folders of their own.  I usually use this for notes rather than the manuscript itself (like, one page outlining a city, and then sub-documents for neighbourhoods within it).  

At any time while writing, your entire list of scenes and chapters is available at the side.  Need to double-check what someone said five chapters ago?  Easily find the exact scene you need to re-read by finding it in the list rather than scrolling up through thousands of words in one big document.  

I like to colour-code my scenes my point of view.  Yuri is black, Flynn is blue, Estelle is pink, etc.  You can do this over on the right window, in this box:

When you open a blank project, the top box there won’t say Point of View.  It just says Label and will have different coloured boxes.  Click the arrow and then hit “Edit...” to get to this box

Change the title of the label and create custom colour labels here.  You don’t have to use this for Point of View; it’s just what works best for me.

Then, to get the colour to show up in the binder (the right bar where all your folders are listed, hit F6.  That will toggle the little doc icon being coloured. F5 will toggle the colour appearing over the entire title, like this:

The Status box is for giving docs stamps - things like “DONE” or “TO DO”.  It’s mostly useful in the corkboard view.  

The Document Notes box is where you can write things down that pertain to just that scene.  I use it to jot down a list of information that needs to be delivered in a conversation, for example, or I stick sentences I’m moving around over there until I find a better place for them.  Use the arrows at the far right side to switch to Project Notes, which is like that but for the entire project and will be the same in every document.  

The index card at the top is where you can write a summary of the scene if you need a reminder, or if you haven’t written it yet.  

The camera icon takes you to the snapshots.  This is for if you’re going to make some edits but you aren’t 100% confident in them.  Take a snapshot before you start and it will save the document as it is.  At any time, you can go back and check your previous version of the document and use Roll Back to bring it back again.  There’s a little folded corner icon on any document that has snapshots. 

I never use the other tabs in the inspector here.  I think they’re mostly for non-fiction writing (References, footnotes, meta data, etc).  And hit the I at the top to toggle the inspector open or closed. 

“Include in Compile” and related check boxes are for when you’re compiling everything into one document at the end.  Don’t worry about this for fanfiction; I find it easier to just copy and paste from scrivener.  

Moving on from writing, you can also keep all your research and reference notes within Scrivener so that they are easy to refer to while-writing.  I put mine in the Research folder.

You can create documents to write things up just as you would in the Draft folder, or import image files, pdfs, even entire web pages.  

Something I like to do is create a calendar.  It makes it easier to keep track of the passage of time in long fics.  Create a regular document, then insert a table with 7 columns and 4/5 rows.  It can be as elaborate as you want.  Right click on the document within the binder and go to “Change icon...” to make it stand out.  

I usually don’t use the Characters or World folders for fanfic, but for original stories that’s where I put all my worldbuilding notes, character profiles, histories, etc.  

These three buttons at the top control the mode you’re in.  The place document is just writing mode.  That’s the default.  Then there’s Corkboard mode, which is how I often do outlining.  Create a new folder outside of the Manuscrupt, label it “Outline” (and change the icon if you want), and then create a document for each point on your outline.  If you’re in Corkboard view, creating a new document will create a new index card (which turns into a document if you go back to Editor view).   

This is where those Status labels I mentioned earlier come in.  I mark a thing Done on the outline to check it off.  The cool thing about it is that all documents are automatically index cards.  Here’s my draft showing all the folders as individual index cards:

If I move cards around on the corkboard, they automatically move around in the binder as well.  So I could spread out my entire story, scene by scene, on index cards and stamp them with completeness, label the PoV character, and summaries of the contents, and then shuffle them around right here.

The last mode is Outline mode.  I’m more of a visual person so I don’t use this as much.  I just use it to show me how many words a chapter has because it’s the quickest way to get that info. 

You can toggle what columns you want visible on this screen.  Total Word Count isn’t there by default; you have to tell it to show that. 

Other cool things:

The built-in Name Generator found under Tools

Go to Tools > Options to change the fonts, colours, sizes, appearances etc.

Press F11 (this button)

To enter fullscreen mode.  You can change the appearance of this under Options but it lets you write in a customized fullscreen view to help concentration.

Press ctrl+shift+’ to enter split screen view.  This lets you write in one window and have reference material (or another scene) open in another. ctrl+’ takes you back to one screen.  

The last important thing is Typewriter scrolling.  This makes it so that when you hit enter, the lines shift up and keep your writing centred on the page.  You never hit the bottom of the screen, you never have to scroll up to re-centre yourself.  It’s great.  I only turn it off if I’m editing because then if you fix a type near the bottom of the page it snaps that to the middle and can be annoying.  I always forget how to turn this on but here it is:

Honestly this is just an overview of the most important features to me.  This program is huge.  I’ve been using it for almost 10 years and I’m still discovering new things about it (maybe because I am a person who never reads manuals and just figures shit out as it comes up but shhhh).  I love it a lot and feel free to ask me how to do a thing because I can’t write without it now.  

[nikashepard]

2.5D zDepth Animations Tutorial

Due to the popularity of this post, I decided to write a simple tutorial for whoever wants to try the same thing with their favorite game. This method will work with every title that supports ReShade and Depth Buffer (and pretty much every static image you want to animate).

What is ReShade?

It’s more or less a mod that alters the original graphics, adding in more effects (like lens flare), different tones and fixing bad looking edges.

What is the 2.5D/Parallax effect?

2.5D is a method used by many editors to animate a completely still picture, from simple sceneries to characters. This creates a sort of 3D depth on your pictures, used a few times by many professionals to bring famous paintings and advertisements to life.

Note: This tutorial is mostly about scenery animation faking a camera movement and adding in a 3D space between layers. For the Parallax animation on characters I’ll write a separate guide.

What you need:

• The game (duh) (in this case I’ll use Assassin’s Creed Syndicate as example) • ReShade (I find myself more comfortable with a previous version, because I somehow cannot achieve the same results with ReShade 3+ at the moment. This should easily work with the latest version too, but for any problem or if you want to follow the guide better, grab ReShade 2.0.4f from here) • An editing program like Adobe Photoshop, anything that allows you to separate parts on layers and fill empty areas. • Adobe After Effects

A basic editing knowledge is required, along with a good understanding regarding Adobe programs in general. If you make graphics and gifs you’re already a step ahead, but you actually don’t need to be familiar with AE to do the animation.

The tutorial will include four parts:

1) In-game screenshot w/ Depth activated 2) Editing/preparation for AE 3) Compositing 4) Animating

Part 1: In-game Screenshot with Depth Buffer

1) If you are using ReShade 3+ you can follow this tutorial regarding its installation, otherwise copy the ReShade folder, ReShade.fx and ReShade64.dll (or ReShade32.dll if the game is 32bit) into the main game path (where the exe is, so to speak), then rename ReShade64/32.dll as dxgi.dll.

2) With ReShade 2 go to ReShade directory > Presets > Default and drag Shaders_by_CeeJay.cfg into Notepad, then scroll down to the very last line where you see a shader called DisplayDepth. Next to #define USE_DisplayDepth change the value from 0 to 1. With ReShade 3 press Shift+F2 and look for the same name, if you properly downloaded it along with the other shaders of choice it will most likely be already activated. It is highly recommended to set a hotkey for this effect so that you can easily turn it on and off in game (for example, #define Depth_ToggleKey VK_F12). 

3) Open Pipeline.cfg and look for the line #include EFFECT(CeeJay, DisplayDepth). Select it, cut it away and then paste it to the very top before any other shader listed. This will allow you to obtain smooth shapes instead of jagged edges (you should also play around with AA options, specifically SMAA and/or FXAA, both included in CeeJay.cfg). Sadly I’m not sure how the setup works in ReShade 3+.

4) Now that your options are properly set you can start the game. Find an area you like and want to shoot, then press F12 (or any other key you chose for it). If the game has a photo mode or custom made free camera tools, you should totally use those for the best results. You can check this post for a few listed titles and all their respective links.

ReShade allows you to automatically store your screenshots directly into the game’s folder by simply pressing the print screen key. This is how the scene looks normally, without UI and with the free camera activated.

This is what happens when you turn DepthBuffer on.

Note: If all you get with Depth is a fully white or black screen, chances are you need to “reset” by simply entering the fullscreen mode (and switch back to borderless/windowed if that is what you usually like playing with). ReShade usually reloads whenever you apply a modification to the settings, but if even after this the effect doesn’t show up it probably means the game has no DepthBuffer support (or there is some incompatibility somewhere, which may be related to other shaders).

Part 2: Editing

1) Grab your depth screenshot and open it with your editing program of choice, I use Photoshop. In order to animate this, you have to create different layers (renaming them for an easier use in AE, but that is up to you) being sure each hole is covered, or else the empty part will definitely show up in your animation.

2) Make a selection around the areas you want to separate, I’m starting with what is close to the “camera”. Try to be as precise as possible to keep most of the details, especially around the character. Once you’re satisfied with your selection press CTRL+X to cut it out and then paste it into the same position, a new layer for it will be automatically created.

3) If you hide the layer you’ve just made, you will obviously notice an empty shape on the background right where you cut it. The easiest way to fill that properly is by selecting the layer (CTRL+LMB on it), inverting selection and going to Modify > Fill > Content-Aware.

As you can see the empty area has been filled completely, but a few fixes are required. You can use the clone stamp tool or the healing brush, in this case I choose the latter because it makes the process quicker.

It can be a bit tedious in some places... especially if there are a lot of buildings or trees, depending on your scene. Photoshop covered the outline using the existing content to generate the missing parts as I dragged the brush over it, but you may want to use the clone tool as well and even draw here and there where the brush failed.

Repeat the process for all the other layers you want to separate and then rename everything to know what you’re gonna edit in AE (again, this is optional). You can also make the back layer bigger to hide imperfections behind the other layers, which won’t be too visible while animating. Further edits will be done in AE later anyway.

Part 3: Compositing

1) Save the PSD file and load Afer Effects. I’m currently using the CC 2015 one, but even if you have an older version this method will work without problems.

Go to File > Import > File and select your PSD. 

Be sure the importer is set on Composition and Editable Layer Styles is checked, this is essential if you want to work on each layer.

2) Double-click on the left to preview the PSD and convert every single layer into 3D. To do so simply check the third square on the right, under the cube icon:

Now we need to add a Camera. Go to Layer > New > Camera and leave the options untouched (the default configuration should be okay for this).

3) Right under your preview you should see a button called Active Camera. Switch to Custom View 1 to move the layers and create depth between them.

All you have to do is select each layer in the lower panel and move it using the blue arrow (z direction) to push it backward or forward. Use the order you’ve got as reference for the best result, then change the view to Active Camera again when you’re done.

4) Now that you have changed the original positions you need to fix their size to fit the composition. Select all layers at once, press S and activate the little watch icon that appears followed by the effect name (Scale). You will see three values then; place your mouse over the 100,0% one and drag it to the right or left in order to resize the layer(s). Use the directional arrows to also move them up or down eventually.

The stopwatch is absolutely fundamental, because it tells where to place each frame in the timeline. Whenever you apply an effect or any modification you need to be sure it’s recorded at the very start, this way it will affect the entire sequence and you won’t risk to only see it taking action in a few frames later instead.

5) You can move the upper bars in your timeline to change the final time. A few seconds for this kind of animations will suffice, I always set it around 4s.

Part 4: Animating

1) Now we can finally animate, woo!!

It is highly recommended to make all the planes bigger than the composition, so that you can move them around without risking to get empty spaces. In this case we want to fake a camera movement with a sort of 3D perspective, like the gifs I’ve posted in that photoset.

Let’s start from the first layer. Click on it and press P (position) to store the current location on the first frame, then move the time indicator at the end of your sequence. I want the main layer to slide horizontally, thus I will move the red arrow on X axes.

As soon as your first animation is stored, another frame will be generated at the end of the timeline. After Effects automatically creates all the frames between the first and the last one, if you are happy with it select the second layer and do the same, then the third and repeat. You can also use the R (rotation) key to add more realism. Remember to ALWAYS check the stopwatch on frame 1 before doing anything else.

You can preview the animation with space bar, the rendering times change according to the amount of virtual memory installed on your PC.

For a nice camera shake you can follow this tutorial.

2) Once you’re happy with your animation you’re ready to export it. You can pick a simple video option, but that usually requires a second rendering in Sony Vegas or any other program for video editing to fix the bad-looking fps drop. I suggest you to export in frames instead, especially if you plan to make gifs. Go to Composition > Add to Render Queue, a new panel will appear on the bottom. Click on Lossless and pick PNG Sequence next to Format, then on Not yet specified (output to) and select a destination on your computer. Press Render, wait and it’s done! Again, the rendering times will highly depend on your RAM and composition size. The bigger, the slower; if you play in 4k you should reduce the screenshot size to a common 1920x1080 at least, even smaller after that for the final gif (tumblr has a 3MB limit).

Result:

Questions? Send me a note!

[professionalpracticetendai-blog]

Industry expert reveals what the future holds for illustration

By Creative Bloq Staff February 25, 2015 Illustration

Varoom’s John O’Reilly reveals the emerging illustration trends you need to know.

There was probably a time when an institution like the Connaught Hotel in London, a venue marinated for generations in establishment values, would have commissioned an artist to fill a prominent space in its hotel.

Yet when brand consultancy The Partners was asked to rebrand the premises, they used the work of illustrator Kristjana S Williams to visually anchor the project. The large-scale illustration featuring images of the Connaught's history was played out in other touchpoints in the hotel – from the in-room menu to complementary bags and 150 other pieces of collateral.

However, what makes Williams' work so telling as an emerging trend is not simply the growing appreciation of such clients for their illustrative versatility. It's the fact that the centerpiece of the project was originally a 3D handmade collage. The continually evolving process of making the work emphasises the hotel's heritage, which on this evidence is one of the Connaught Hotel's subliminal pitches to its clients.

If there is an underlying direction in illustration, it's that the practice is getting more physical, more craft-like and more 3D, while also becoming more immaterial in exploring the creative opportunities of movement in digital channels on the internet and on tablets.

You could call it Divergence Culture – an extension of Henry Jenkins' idea of Convergence Culture, or the flow of content across media platforms and the migratory behaviour of audiences.

Technologies are continually converging, and so clients' marketing has had to converge differing communication channels and platforms. But consumers are increasingly interested in unique forms of content across their media, not just different media-appropriate iterations.

As Handsome Frank co-founder Jon Cockley notes, social media followers don't want to see re-hashed content, they want bespoke content that's purposely made for a smaller screen. The past 12 months, for example, have seen some cracking work where traditional illustration has got subtly mobile.

Illustration in motion

The cover of Computer Arts 231 is a case in point: it was originally illustrated by Jack Hudson, then tweaked for mobility by animator Joe Sparkes. This mobility is neither animation nor illustration – the context for movement is not the frame or border of the screen, but the image itself.

At this year's VaroomLab conference in Bournemouth (a network of colleges researching illustration with Varoom), illustrator Roderick Mills, who is also course leader at Brighton, showed a 2012 interactive from The New York Times by Jon Huang, multimedia editor at the paper. It was a piece about the popularity of Farmville and Angry Birds-type games.

The lead image had a small white triangle in a black surround, reminiscent of the triangle at the centre of classic arcade game Asteroids. But what made this slightly anarchic was that you could move the triangle down and across the column of text and fire stuff at a column of game characters on the left-hand column.

Removing the fourth wall

It's where the art director uses movement to break down the 'fourth wall', the imaginary barrier between audience and screen. The New York Times, whose nickname is the Gray Lady because of the amount of copy it features compared to graphics or images, had suddenly been taken down by a graphic as the triangle swooped down the copy, shooting the fruit, angry birds and farm animals.

This year The New York Times did a slightly more conventional illustration/animation by the ever-innovative Christoph Niemann, for an online version of their feature on the Brazil World Cup.'My Travels With The Curse of the Maracana' (again developed with Jon Huang) features a mix of illustration and animation on photographic backgrounds – if nothing else, it's worth watching for the kick-about between Niemann and the statue of Christ the Redeemer.

The mix of illustration, animation and photography makes you consider the hold football has on Brazilian life. It's a great example of illustration going for a walk across different media. Niemann draws over photographs, it feels live and delivers a narrative journalistic experience.

One missed opportunity for the marketing department to have a play on social media was with the most uncanny illustration I saw this year.

While chairing the judging of the Association of Illustrators Awards, barely visible on the table surrounded by colourful, contemporary editorial work vying for attention, was an old black-and-white image of what looked like a dragon flying in the foreground with an old castle or stately home in the background.

It looked like something found in an old shoebox, stored away in someone's loft from the 1950s. Its visual language – the engraving, the sculpted visual information of the subject matter – was so unfamiliar and so not-at-home in the second decade of the 20th Century.

It turned out to be an image by illustrator Andrew Davidson for an adult edition of the Harry Potter series. In a recent interview, Davidson explained that he wanted the illustration to look like the books were taken from the library at Hogwarts – my original instinct that these were 'found' images wasn't too far wrong.

Licence to play

It's partly down to illustration's warmth as a medium, and how we are socialised as children through children's books. We all remember the magic of drawing when we were kids, inventing characters and worlds, which means there are opportunities for design and marketing to be playful in merging fiction and reality in campaigns and communications.

Take for example Mireille Fauchon's images for The Prisoner of Zenda, designed by the consistently innovative John Morgan Studio for Four Corners Press. The studio created objects and artefacts that weren't actually in the book, but looked like part of the universe of late 19th century Ruritania. Illustration has a visual charm – is a charm in that magical sense – that enables it to be playful with consumers.

Confident brands take advantage of illustration's licence to play – such as the mural Tristan Eaton created for Versace around the opening of their new flagship store in Honolulu, where he got to play with the company logo.

Most of all, the magic of drawing still has an immense cultural aura around it, and that's why brands have been increasingly engaging in live drawing events whether in shop window displays or more remarkably, Lindsey Spinks' project for Novartis pharmaceuticals.

Novartis is known for commissioning high-end editorial photographers such as James Nachtwey, Mary Ellen Mark and Stephanie Sinclair for their annual reports. Spinks did a live drawing for the company on a large-scale Moleskin notebook, illustrating the stories of patients whose lives had changed for the better after being given medication produced by the company.

Adding authenticity

This impressive project highlights the craft of illustration as a signifier of 'authenticity' – in some ways a burden for such a playful art form. In The Dove Real Beauty Sketches, the drawings became the instrument of the authentic image, more real, more telling than a photo for the viewer.

The popularity of illustration among commissioners over the last decade has been driven by the digital age. While our contact via the internet with companies and people often feels remote, illustration signals something familiar, emotionally warm, and most of all tangible. For brands, it's a signifier of provenance, made-by-hand and trustworthy.

This driver is accelerating and illustration is becoming divergent – both more digital and more animated. It's becoming less like the illustration we are familiar with, as art directors and designers explore the boundaries of various editorial and advertising contexts. At the same time it's becoming more three-dimensional and more about delivering a tangible experience through its physicality.

Just look at the Year of the Bus Sculpture Trail in London, featuring work from 40 illustrators and artists such as Rod Hunt, Edward Carvalho-Monaghan and Fiona Stewart. Or the 30-metre-long illustration in London's Eurostar ticket hall designed by Christopher Jenner, narrating the journey from London to Paris. The image isn't wallpaper, it's not even collage, it's photo-etched on stainless steel.

Then there's Joe Wilson and Helen Friel's pop-up cocktail book for The Savoy Hotel, which embodies the idea of illustration as an experience. Joseph Pine II and James H Gilmore's The Experience Economy was published in 1998 and has been the subject of much debate, but in an ever more digital age it has increased resonance.

Even digital tools like smartphones make us scroll, swipe and pinch, echoing the original Latin meaning of digital – referring to the 'digits' on our hands. When guests at the Savoy choose their cocktail they experience it through the magic of Wilson and Friel's pop-up book. But we've always known that illustration can open doors to other worlds. At its best, it has always been a medium of wonder.

We live in a post-advertising age, the age of the attention economy, the age of 'content marketing' – all phrases that touch on the fact that consumers constantly filter out unwanted noise. We need to return to illustration's roots as a source of magical interaction with the world.

Visually rewarding

Noma Bar's style for example is coolly graphic, but what he delivers is the experience of working out a visual puzzle, and the pleasure and amazement in figuring it out.

One of the smartest and funniest books I read this year was Chris Haughton's Shh! We Have A Plan, a children's story that doubles up as a book about mindless leadership and doing the same thing over and over again as a recipe for failure. We need to move on and think differently about illustration as more than simply the visual support.

Whether it's the tactile craft of collage, where we put together the fragmented storytelling of the illustrator, or the enchantment we experience in great narrative image-making, or the unexpected movement of a detail in an image online, in 2015 illustrators and art directors have a big opportunity to get more playful, to transport us somewhere magical. This will happen when clients understand that illustration is no longer the support act, it's the headliner.

Words: John O'Reilly John is editor of Varoom, a magazine produced by the Association of Illustrators. A journalist, writer and consultant, his clients have included The Guardian, The British Council and Nike.

You can read the full version of this special report inside Computer Arts issue235: Make 2015 your best year ever.

http://www.creativebloq.com/illustration/industry-expert-reveals-what-s-next-illustration-21514274