#I think the consistency is bc i did one on a smaller canvas than the other maybe | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

franeridart · 6 years

Note

Where you going for a shark girl and lava boy mirror for the kids

Nope, they were based on Bakugou and Kirishima themselves. Now the real question is, has Horikoshi based Kirishima and Bakugou on shark boy and lava girl? That’s a question I got no answer to, though.

Anon said:That smiling Sero... my heart... can’t take it. You contribute so much to the BNHA fandom... I appreciate you, I appreciate you so much. Thank you, it’s great, all of it is so good

I wouldn’t say I contribute much at all, honestly lol just doodles, but I’m glad you like them! :D

Anon said:Jeez-la-wheeze

...?

Anon said:The comic strip of Baku exposing Kiri's black roots made my day. I now use it too cheer me up.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! glad people are still somehow finding that one hahaha

Anon said:I'm. So. That comic w the kids was so lovely it's one of my fave things EVER I love how u portrayed them it was so so perfect but. I ran out of tags for the first time bc I was rambling about it so much. That's. how much I love it bless u for my life jfghjghfj

;O; thank you so so much!!!!!! I’m super glad you liked it that much!!! ;A;

Anon said:I LOVE SEEING THE KIDS HELL YEAH

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D glad to hear that!!!

Anon said:I feel like That one meme comic would fit the Baku and Kiri fam well the one where someone would swear and the other person with cover the ears of the innocent with a >:O face then the innocent would swear and >:O would beat he crap out of the peep who taught them

Lmao but to be fair considering how Mitsuki is and how Bakugou turned out, I would find it hard to believe if at least one of the kids didn’t end up swearing haha

Anon said:Hi!!! I love your art so much and I just want to wish you happy holidays!!!!

Thank you!!!!! I hope you’ll have great holidays too!!!

Anon said:I really like the kid characters you created they are really cool! (In your opinion which kid is closer to kiri and Baku? I have a mini head cannon about it but I would like to know your thoughts!!) I would love to see more of them when ever you feel in the mood to draw them!! :) love all of you work you are consistent and talented and I really enjoy checking your page to see all the new art you post!!

Thank you for liking them!!!! And hmmmmmmmmmmm let’s say that Mako’s closer to Kiri and Tai to Baku, but not by much - a bit because Mako’s a high energy type of kid and Kiri has energy to spare always, a bit because Tai is the quiet type and Baku’s good at keeping him busy and entertained with things in his comfort zone, but also because back when they adopted Mako Bakugou was... really scared he would fuck it up so Mako ended up growing closer to Kiri first, and because when they adopted Tai Baku was the only one he for sure wasn’t gonna accidentally hurt with his quirk so he grew closer to Baku first. Bakugou’s also better at keeping calm and working out what’s the problem when the kids cry (surprisingly) (Kirishima more often than not ends up crying with them) so since Tai gets easily overwhelmed he seeks him out often - ah well, in general they’re all really close, but, yeah. This is how it is.

Anon said:Were those Kirishimas scars???

They were! I came up with the design after he got hurt but before Hori implied he got no permanent damage, so Rappa’s fight influenced it!

Anon said:YOU DREW MORE KIDS OMG IM FUCKING DYING. IM CRYING. YOU MADE MY NIGHT. I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THESE KIDS YOU CREATED AND THIS AU I'M SO GLAD TO SEE MORE OF THEM THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOU'RE A BLESSINGGGGG!!!!!!

AHHHHHHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Anon said:I did ask how the kids were doing!! Yay I love seeing them! They're great!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! glad to know I didn’t imagine that ask then hahaha

Anon said:I just noticed that Bakugou is playing with Kirishima's foot in that one photo where he's just talking to help keep Kiri's mind off Bad Shit, and omg it's the cutest fucking thing I've ever seen? Just how adorably comfortable and casual they are together and gahhhhh I love them so much

;O; glad you caught and liked that!!!

Anon said:not to be controversal but uhh do you like mp100 or are you full bnha :0

lmao I’m the furthest thing from full bnha you’re gonna find anon, I’m in way too many fandoms honestly, I just happen to always end up drawing bnha lately lol I did post a couple of mp100 things before, tho they’re p old by now :O

Anon said:Consider - minamomojirou

I still don’t understand minamomo tho :O

Anon said:Dude I'm like...legit in love with your art style it's so GOOD it makes me wanna stare at any of your drawings for like. My whole life

*sobs* thank you so much???? ;;;;;

Anon said:The sad paramores make me sad. ;-;

I’m sorry ;-; (.......... that was sort of they purpose tho :0)

Anon said:Idk if this is weird or not, but I love how you draw feet. Like they looks so nice? And I just??? Is it odd to think someone draws feet nice?

I don’t think it’s odd at all! Thank you!!! :D

Anon said:i have a hc that kirishima is from a foster home and at some point fatgum finds this out and is like 'this child is mine now ' and adopts him. he even gets permission to come to the dorms and ask kiri for permission only to watch the mofo cartwheel down the hallway and crash into a wall yelling 'IVE GOT A DAD' happy hugs ensue

That a good headcanon!!!! A pure one!!!! A warm one!!!!! We do know he’s at least got a mom, tho :0

Anon said:Your art always puts a little smile on my face and brightens my day up! Thank you for sharing it with us :)

!!! Thank you for liking it!!!!

Anon said:Hello! I'm not sure if you remember, but a couple weeks ago I asked you about your process making comics! I finally had time to sit down and draw following a similar procedure you described, deciding to start drawing my ideas out on a huge canvas like you do, and I'm AMAZED at how much easier it is to draw on a huge canvas rather than trying to figure out how to lay out panels on individual smaller pages. Thank you so much for explaining your procedure, it helped me out a lot and I-- (1/2)

-- ended up making a comic that I'm actually pleased with for once! (2/2)

OHHHHHHHHHH you’re most welcome!!!!! I’m so glad to hear that actually helped you out!!!!!! :D !!!!!!!

Anon said:The way you seem to have so much fun drawing has inspired me to start drawing, too! I'm pretty shit at it atm but I keep thinking about this thing you said one tine about how it's awesome how one creates something out of nothing when one draws (no matter what the drawing looks like), and that helps me go on! So!! Thanks!!!!!

IT’S TRUE!!!! IT’S AMAZING!!!! YOU’RE AMAZING!!!!!!! I hope you’re having as much fun with your art as you can manage, anon!!!!! *O*

Anon said:Your bakusquad doodles give me life, who do you consider to be the Squad Mom out of the lot?

.....................it’s Bakugou, isn’t it (and thank you so much!!)

Anon said:Ah! I love all your art (even the fandoms I'm not a part of and all your OCs!) I also really like your headcanons and opinions so I have a quick question: Do you have any specific or persisting (as I'm sure it could change a lot) headcanons on what the BNHA kiddos will look like as pros?

I don’t, actually! :O I do hope Aoyama will do something about the lack of redirectors for his laser to his hands, and I ALSO would love for Kaminari to get some close-range weapon (anything metal would work for him, really, but I’ve been thinking tonfas lately 👀), but aside from that I’m all up in Horikoshi’s hands! I hope he’ll make me see cool updates to Bakugou’s costume with this new arc, actually :O didn’t get to see him fighting all that much, during the license exam!

Anon said:Hiya! I really like your art and all, and since I'm on mobile, I normally save it in my phone. Is that okay? I don't repost it anywhere at all! I just like keeping it so I can enjoy your art. I really hope you don't mind because I never claim anything against of or use it for unnecessary stuff. Thanks!! 💞💞 also I really love your art like yes

That’s fine by me!!! Thank you for liking my stuff enough to give up archiviation space in your phone for it hahaha

#fran answers #there's short talk about the krbk kids in this #writing it out here more for myself to find it later really lololol #anonymous

152 notes · View notes

rememberthattime · 6 years

Text

Chapter 29. Jordan

Chelsay and I have been in sketchy spots before. We swam with sharks in the Maldives, kayaked through claustrophobic shafts in abandoned Slovenian mines, been surrounded by a political demonstration in rural Morocco, and even scratched by a human tooth peddler in the souks of Jemaa el F’na. We aren’t extreme travelers by any stretch, but we’ve still managed to find some questionable situations.

That said, Chelsay and I haven’t been to a place quite as turbulent as the Middle East, one of the most consistently unsettled regions in the world. That isn’t to say that every country in the Middle East is dangerous though. In fact, one oasis from the desert unrest was the site of Chelsay and I’s 29th adventure: Jordan.

There are beautiful places throughout Jordan, but THE reason we chose this trip was Petra. Ever since Chelsay introduced me to Indiana Jones, I’ve wanted to go. There just aren’t many 2,000 year old cities carved directly into the rock.

One of our favorite restaurants in Seattle (named Petra) had the famous Kazneh painted on its walls. As we’d eat our lemon, garlic, and tahini chicken, Chelsay and I dreamed of braving the Arabian Desert to find “the Lost City”.

The problem with a trip to Jordan isn’t the desert though - it’s the turbulence in the surrounding area. Petra is located in the middle of Jordan, which shares its borders with Israel, Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. It’s also about an hour ferry away from the dangerous Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

Despite the country’s unstable neighbors, Jordan has actually maintained relative peace. Everything I’d read painted the country as progressive and welcoming.

That reputation wasn’t enough for Chelsay and I to book this trip though. When we moved to London two years ago, Jordan was not even a possibility. ISIS had just taken Aleppo, which was only a six hour drive north of the Jordan-Syria border. Even a year ago, after ISIS was pushed back, I was hesitant largely because of my lack of real research.

Finally, about two months ago, I looked into a potential trip and realized the danger was all in my head. Jordan hadn’t experienced turmoil in decades, while tragic shootings and attacks were a monthly recurrence in the US and UK. We was genuinely in more danger in London than we would be in Jordan.

So, with just eight weeks left in the UK, I booked Jordan for our second to last weekend abroad (...we had save our last weekend to pack).

I’d booked the trip from a Thursday to Monday, with flights out of London on Thanksgiving Day. Needless to say, our meal on the Royal Jordanian flight was the most unique Thanksgiving Dinner I’ve ever had. (Side note: Chelsay and I’s last two flights have been on Turkish Air and Royal Jordanian, and they’ve been our best flying experiences).

It’s a five hour flight from London to Amman, the Jordanian capital, and with the time change we actually arrived pretty late. Instead, the trip really began the next morning when our tour guide Hazem picked us from the airport hotel.

Our four day trek was largely based around three sites: Petra, Wadi Rum, and the Dead Sea, with a few smaller stops along the way. Day 1’s focus was Petra, though it would have to start with a two hour drive through the desert. This was actually useful because Hazem used the time to introduce us to Jordan. He explained the Kingdom’s hierarchy, and its tradition as a warm and welcoming culture despite its neighbor’s turbulence.

He shared the reason for the country’s relative stability, which is largely driven by their acceptance of all religions. Jordan IS the Holy Land. It is the site of many stories from the Bible, the Quran, and the Torah. This geographic significance allows Jordanians to understand and respect the similarities and differences between beliefs. 60% of the stories in the Quran are also in the Bible, and 100% of the stories have the exact same intention: to be kind, show respect, and spread peace. I won’t get into how this message gets lost when believers squabble over whose story is correct, but the point is that Jordanians do not judge.

This spiritual discussion was briefly interrupted throughout our drive down to Petra. At one point, we stopped to admire the Dana Natural Reserve, placed within the “Jordanians Alps”, and stopped again outside of Shobuk Castle, where we drank sage tea with one of Hazem’s friends. Hazem’s friend was actually a member of the Jordanian Parliament, so he had pictures with several famous politicians: from Jordan’s current King Abdullah II to former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (....I’m not sure our new friend knew Spitzer’s full story).

We arrived in Petra around 1:00, which was perfect timing for our two-day tickets. Despite Jordan’s dip in tourism over the past few years, Petra will always draw a crowd. A lot of these tourists are just day-trippers from Amman though, so the buses are only present from around 10:00 until 3:00. With this in mind, I aimed to avoid the tourists by arriving in the afternoon on Day 1, then returning early on Day 2.

Some background on Petra: archaeologists have determined the city was built between 100 BC and 100 AD. It was a thriving Nabatean town, serving as the hub for Egyptian and Eastern trade. With this wealth, the Nabateans chose to display their affluence through architecture, carving their city directly into a large, 6.5 mile stretch of surrounding rock. The city is hidden within the Wadi Musa valley, and the tall surrounding mountains provided lookout views into present-day Israel.

Architects today still marvel at the perfectly calculated design and permanence of structures built 2,000 years ago using only pick axes and chisels. Meanwhile, engineers are equally impressed by the culture’s mastery of hydro-mechanics, which allowed them to divert floods and store water while living in the remote and arid desert. Despite this architectural skill though, the Nabateans couldn’t avoid natural disaster: an earthquake in the 300s crippled the city’s water supply systems and residents abandoned the city, leaving it lost in the desert for centuries.

For nearly 1,500 years, historians theorized on the location of Petra, but the lost city remained a mystery until it’s rediscovery in 1812. Its significance was immediately obvious, and the city is today considered one of the 7 New Wonders of the World.

Whew. Okay, that was a lot of background, but it gives you an idea of everything Chelsay and I were thinking about as we made our way through the narrow gorge known as the Siq.

The Siq itself is beautiful, rising to heights of 600 feet and widths as narrow as 10 feet. It’s also surprisingly long, so if the two hour desert drive hadn’t built our anticipation, this mile-long walk did the job.

We weaved through the narrow Siq wondering which turn would eventually reveal the mysterious Kazneh. Finally, between smooth bends in the rock, we caught a glimpse of the ancient wonder: red stone columns, steps, and pediments. This glimpse makes you feel like you’re the first to discover the lost city.

Only a few steps later, Chelsay and I left the Siq into the city’s open entrance, where the Kazneh (Treasury) was now in full view.

Like I said earlier: I never thought I would see Petra in person, yet here we were. Chelsay and I stared up in awe for an hour, unable to fathom how something like this could be built 2,000 years ago. The structure is 130 feet tall so how do you even go about cutting the top? Scaffolding? There isn’t any wood in the desert! (The trick is that they cut from top to bottom... carving their “platform” lower and lower as they finished each level.)

What’s impressive about Petra isn’t just in the building method, but the executional perfection. There are no re-dos when you’re cutting into stone, so every swing of the pick axe had to be perfect. The weight distribution to each column had to be precisely calculated or the building would collapse. I’m not even sure modern engineers could build a structure to stand for 2,000 years with today’s material and technology... let alone using primitive tools on a rock canvas.

The Kazneh is certainly an impressive structure, but it isn’t the only building in Petra. This was probably the biggest surprise for me: the city is 6.5 miles end-to-end, so a half marathon to do the full loop. It’s also built into the encompassing mountains, so there are some STEEP ascents up worn staircases. To get to the Monastery, which sits about 5 miles from the Kazneh, Chelsay and I had to climb 850 steps!

This trek was well worth it though. We arrived as the west-facing building was illuminated by the setting sun. The tour groups had left for the day, so it was just Chelsay and I peacefully taking in the panoramic view: the ancient Monastery, setting sun, and Israel in the distance.

We then made the long 6.5 mile trek back through the city and Siq, stopping at the Kazneh one more time for some high exposure night shots.

We wanted to be the first ones in Petra the next morning, so knowing that the park opens at 6:00 AM, we were asleep by 9:00. Also, we were exhausted from our hilly half marathon.

It was still dark out when we woke up at 5:15 the next morning. Given how early we went to bed though, the hot start wasn’t a problem. We entered the park around 6:00 and breezed through the dimly lit Siq. It was chilly and eerily empty, except for a wild puppy that tagged along for Chelsay and I’s trek. We named him Short Round.

Short Round, Chelsay, and I followed the same path as the previous day, but were just as awestruck when we again caught a glimpse of the Kazneh between the Siq’s smooth bends.

It was silent this time, the same absolute peace it had been left in when lost for 1,500 years. Without any tourists though, Chelsay and I went trigger-happy with the pictures. Between the GoPro, our iPhones, and the camera itself, we had to have taken 200 photos. All 200 are mesmerizing.

I’d seen pictures of the Kazneh from above, and I wanted to see if we could get there before anyone else arrived. The map showed a route wrapping behind the city, so Chelsay and I set off. As you’d anticipate, Petra doesn’t have the most precise visitor signs. We followed the map, but quickly wondered if we were heading the right direction… Our first warning was when Short Round stopped and started barking as we departed down this particular path. 45 minutes later, after scaling a sketch metal ladder (which I think it was actually just a twin bed frame) and basically rock climbing across 2,000 year old Nabatean homes, we decided this wasn’t the right route. By this time, the local Bedouin vendors had arrived, so they were all looking up and wondering how these white people got so lost...

youtube

We were drenched in sweat and finally decided to retrace our climb back. When we got back to the shaky ladder, Short Round was still there waiting for us!

After course correcting (and another hour up an ancient staircase), we made it to the perch overlooking the Kazneh from above. At the top, cushions and pillows had been left my some saint (...this is the Holy Land), so Chelsay and I recharged our batteries as the rising sun crept down the face of the Kazneh.

youtube

We could tell the tour buses were arriving as more and more visitors exited the Siq and came into sight. Chelsay and I realized it was time to make the long trek back. After about a million steps, we weren’t walking the whole way though: we got horses for part of the ride back. I actually wasn’t bad for my first time, getting my horse up from a slow trot to a steady gallop. Chelsay, on the other hand, kept kicking her legs to make the horse go faster. At one point, I heard our Arabic speaking handler mumble to himself in broken English: “Pull back lady.”

youtube

After relaxing back in our hotel, we met back up with our driver Hazem and started towards our next destination: Mars.

By Mars I actually mean Wadi Rum, though it’s red sand, towering plateaus, and desolate valleys were the perfect film set for the movie The Martian.

We were staying in a desert camp, though I’ll get to that later. For now, just know that we quickly dropped our bags off before heading out on Jeep tour.

Our driver, Mohamed, was a local Bedouin that had grown up in Wadi Rum. He started working in tourism when he was just 12, and had been giving tours for the past 10 years... I write that for two reasons: first to say that he knew all the best sites (including a perfect view at sunset), and second to explain why he was so comfortable mobbing through the desert like it was Fast & Furious. Mohamed was a cool dude though, and because we got along so well, he took us sand boarding before it got dark.

youtube

We returned to the camp afterwards, where I can now tell you about the surprise I kept from Chelsay. I normally tell Chelsay each trip’s itinerary beforehand so that she has an idea where we’re heading. This time, I left out one detail: the desert camp.

After The Martian’s filming, camps in Wadi Rum started to capitalize on the alien setting. One even set up “bubble tents”, which look like the hab-unit from the movie. Though covered during the day, the top half of the bubble is see-through so guests can stargaze from bed! Once the sun set, Chelsay and took in the interstellar show from the warmth and comfort of our space pod. (Note: our camera sucks and can’t capture anything at night, so I actually had to use someone else’s travel photo. First time I swear, and only because I want to remember the view.)

The next morning, we woke up at 4:00 AM... Yes, the day after waking up at 5:15, we woke up at 4:00... on vacation. This early wake up was for good reason though: I had arranged a hot air balloon to take us 3,000 feet above Mars. I mean Wadi Rum.

Because it was still so dark, I could see Mohamed’s headlights rattling through the desert from miles away. He was clearly far more awake than Chelsay and I, and kept jokingly turning his headlights off. Dude, stop or you’re going to hit a camel!

We then made our way to the balloon site through a series of bizarre and somewhat sketchy car changes (apparently it takes three cars of people to get these things in the air), before finally cramming seven people into a single pickup.

Our three cars converged on a dehydrated clay flat, where the men began setting up. Some pulled the large basket from one of the pickup trucks, while the others began unfolding the massive balloon. The men setting up the basket then attached two massive hydrogen gas tanks, which they used to start filling the balloon. All the while, Chelsay and I looked on at the sunrise began to illuminate the desert valley in various shades of red, orange, and yellow.

The balloon was soon ready for takeoff, so Chelsay and I hopped in the basket. The ascension is an interesting feeling... the basket floor is obviously rising with you, so it isn’t like you’re levitating. Instead, the objects below just shrink as you get further and further away. One minute, you’re only 10 feet off the ground and waving goodbye to a fellow ballooning Australian couple… Two minutes later your 3,000 feet in the air and the pickup trucks looks like specs in the expansive desert.

youtube

Chelsay and I were speechless as we were in the air. It was silently peaceful, and the views were unbelievably dramatic and alien. I’m actually still speechless now... it’s definitely top 5 action experiences for us, and may beat out Sahara ATV’ing, Slovenia cave kayaking, and the Iceland trio of ice climbing, black sand ATV’ing, and glacier snowmobiling. Just like while we were on the balloon though, I’ll shut up and let the views do the talking.

youtube

This hot air balloon had the same effect as a massage. After landing, we stepped out of the basket in a peaceful daze. Hazem picked us up while blaring celebratory Arabic music, but quickly realized Chelsay and I’s state. He turned the radio off and led us on a quiet ride past the Red Sea and through Wadi Araba, the bordering valley shared between Jordan and Israel.

To complete this relaxing ride, we then stopped at the Middle East’s natural spa: the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is located 1,200 feet below sea level, so the excessive salt content makes it uninhabitable for fish (hence the name). Driving in, we could see the salt deposits at the base of the cliffsides.

The “heavy water” also means that you naturally rise to the surface, so you have to float rather than swim. It feels like you’re a boat with your entire body on the surface, but any sudden movement will “capsize” the boat. Chelsay struggled with this....

youtube

One benefit of the salty water is that the mud is actually very mineral rich... I swear we weren’t doing blackface when we covered our bodies in the skin-softening mud.

After this refreshing dip, and with our flight the next morning, we made our way back to the airport hotel. We made a few religious stops, including Mount Nebo (the site where God showed Moses the Promised Land in Israel) and Madaba (home to a 2,500 year old mosaic map of the Holy Land), but these were very brief.

We’d already filled our enjoyment tank with Petra, Wadi Rum, stargazing space pods, Petra, Martian hot air ballooning, Dead Sea mud masks, and of course, Petra.

Genuinely, this trip could not have been any more fun. It’s too immediate to say for sure, but Jordan MIGHT have been our best trip. It had elements from all of our favorite adventures: the desolate alien setting of Iceland, the quiet desert of Morocco, the unique culture of Seville, and the active pace of Croatia. One element that was not present: a sense of danger.

I started this post by listing some of the questionable situations Chelsay and I have been in. Instead of sketchy hosts though (like looming sharks in the Maldives or handsy souk peddlers in Marrakech), Chelsay and I enjoyed the welcoming hospitality of the pleasant, genuine, and accepting people of Jordan.

0 notes