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#SO relaxing to draw... even the more challenging designs

alkalinefrog · 10 months

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Hey Alka, I had a quick question for you (whenever you have the time to answer or even if you have the time), I've been taking some storyboard classes and with my illustration background, it's been hard to really find a good shorthand for characters to really get that anatomy/gesture looking right without it being too sketchy and unreadable.

How long did it take you to find your storyboard shorthand, and what exercises would you recommend to try to find it? I'm sure it just takes time and practice, I've been doing a lot more studies and gesture drawings (currently following along all the free Glenn Vilppu videos I can find on youtube) but I wanted to ask you as well because I am in love with how fluid your anatomy is, and how clear your storyboards read. And those hands my god you're a wizard!!!

Thanks a bunch, have a wonderful day!

Heya Secret, great to hear from ya! Well, what you don’t see online is how gross the rough stage of my boards can get LMFAO. Most of the boards I post are actually overly cleaned up because I'm just doing them for fun and can afford the time! I'm not really sure how long it took to develop my shorthand, I've never really enjoyed drawing detail to begin with, so when I decided to go into boarding I kinda just leaned into it!

I’ve covered a bunch of gesture drawing exercises already if you scroll through my advice tag, but ***once you have a good foundation*** here's some stuff you can try!

First you'll want to build up an arsenal of anatomy hacks you can always fallback on, particularly for complex parts of the body. The less time you spend on details, the more time you have to focus on the overall pose and storytelling. Aim to find ways to draw with as FEW lines as possible. If I had to make a list to streamline what to practice:

Head shapes - find the most efficient way to draw the front + 3/4 + side view in as few lines as possible (the challenge is still making them look structured with dimension)

Eyes - are SO important for expressions! Unless your project has characters with dot eyes, you're going to need to find a quick way to do the circle and iris in as few lines as possible. Make sure you can convey where they're looking

Hands - fists (you'll be drawing a lot of people holding poles), open palms at various angles, foreshortened fingers pointing at viewer, fingers making grabby motions----protips: 1) half the time all you need is a vague triangle/rectangle plus thumb sticking up and that's a hand 2) if the hand is relaxed, you probably don't need to draw the knuckles. Save some time!

Feet - just learn how to make sure they look like they're standing on the ground, and do some studies of what they look like when you're running. Otherwise you can usually get away with a vague shoe or boot shape (just add toe lines if they're not wearing any)

----everything else you'll practice as you go!

Jump from SUPER rough straight into clean boards to really force yourself to be economic. I've done each of these methods for work before:

Before you start boarding with a character, sketch them a few times with the intention of simplifying their design while keeping them recognizable:

You'd be surprised how little you need to recognize a character:

Depending on the scene, you can adjust how much detail you want to include:

Stay loose/more generalized with action, especially for the "inbetweens" between key poses. Clean up enough to communicate movement and make the character recognizable.

If the character's small on screen in a wide shot, edit out most details and focus on the silhouette

Save the detail work for character acting, when you really want to be specific with their expressions and gestures.

But outside of all that, be bold and fearless!! Everyone has that stage where their boards look like spaghetti! Boarding is like handwriting; you could have really shitty chicken scratch, but if you're writing beautiful poetry, who cares!

god I love drawing hands you don’t even know thank you so much!! Good luck dude!! You’ve more than got this!!

#my art #advice #ask #secretsivekept #you got this!#sorry this took a while! my mental health was in the pits for a solid couple weeks #getting better now though!#storyboards

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norel-ravenclaw · 1 year

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21st Century Time Travel Headcanons

Fandom: Ikemen Prince (otome game)

Featured characters: All

Genre: Shenanigans and Chaos

Rating: sfw

Word count: 555

Description: These are my thoughts and opinions on what they might do, what are your thoughts?

WARNINGS: | none? | mxw |

Clavis - He walks around writing down all the amazing tech and medicine to research and take back to recreate in Rhodolite. Bicycles? Bicycles. (Also up all night watching prank videos)

Chevalier - SOMEONE TAKE THIS MAN TO A BARNES & NOBLE. The Kindle app is a must.

Nokto, Licht, Gilbert, Clavis, Yves, (and one time) Sariel - Mistaken as cosplayers. Varying responses ensue.

Keith, Sariel, Licht, Yves, Rio, Luke, Chev - Love quiet hours traveling by train in the countryside. Reading, watching you sleep on their shoulder…

Clavis, Gilbert, Jin, Leon, Silvio, Nokto - Enjoy the chaos, energy, and challenge of traveling densely packed cities. It feels like an adventure.

The Bros - modern sports? sports cars? motorcycles? music and dancing? Enthralled.

Licht & Yves - Go to a concert hall and are astounded by the grandeur and new feeling of modern orchestral music (and both cry throughout.)

Gilbert & Chev - Would figure out technology (including Google Scholar) in an hour and spend the rest of the time researching 10000 topics.

Luke - Joins a save the bees rally. He buys everyone t-shirts that he forces them to wear.

Rio and Silvio - Spend half the time watching telenovelas

Yves - Modern recipes and cake/pastry designs would probably be fascinating to him. He cries when you sign him up for a cooking class with a professional baker.

Leon, Jin, Nokto, Clavis, Gilbert, Luke - love rollercoasters

Nice!Keith, Rio, Yves, Licht - hate them

Chev, Sariel, Alter!Keith, Silvio - might be persuaded to go if you wanted to, entirely to watch your reactions (Although Silvio is secretly terrified)

Jin, Silvio, & Sariel - Go to every winery they find. They single-handedly save one small vineyard from going under with a huge purchase and some excellent business advice.

Clavis - From the moment I was introduced to this gremlin, I have been cursed to judge every single meme I come across: Would Clavis like this? Imagine this loser’s glee spamming incomprehensible nonsense to everyone (and airdropping them to strangers to watch their reactions).

Licht, Sariel, & Keith - Have never been so at peace after discovering relaxing instrumental playlists on Spotify.

Jin & Nokto - Discover they love modern music and let you take them to a rave. Life changing.

Chevalier & Sariel - Are far too happy to use the silent mode on their phones. Everyone curses them when there’s emergencies (Clavis purposely got on the wrong train again).

Jin wanders into a martial-arts class. Walks out three hours later beloved by the kids and the teachers.

Rio & Luke - Goes to animal shelters and names all of them. Tries to smuggle out a puppy. Does not succeed. There may be tears.

Silvio - Loves NYC. In a different life he would have been born there.

Clavis - Comes across a street caricature artist and spends a gleeful two hours having them draw everyone from pictures off his phone.

Nokto, Jin, Leon, Silvio - Inflict their ignorant selves on helpless clubs every chance they get. Imagine them trying to learn how to dance???

Gilbert, Silvio, Sariel, Nice!Keith - Love museums. Gilbert asks the employees disturbing and inappropriate questions. Clavis is obsessed with the science museum. Begs to go back several times.

Who would be the best dressed? My guesses? Silvio, Yves, Chev, and Sariel would turn heads for sure.

IMPORTANT ADDITION: Who would love 80’s music the most?

Virtually all of them - Enjoy your efforts and excitement in explaining everything to them as much or even more than they are fascinated by it all themselves.

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1000sunnygo · 4 months

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(1.6.2024) Mugiwara space vol. 17 feat. Kazuya Nakai and Kamiya Hiroshi highlights! I don't promise accuracy

Source (give it a listen if you have time! it has teasers to the new opening and ending)

Kazuya Nakai - Zoro || Kamiya Hiroshi - Law

-It's Kamiya's second time in Twitter Space, previously he was with Mayumi Tanaka (Luffy). He says that last time he babbled a lot thanks to Mayumi san's presence, even though he forgot most of it by now (hmm how convenient that you forgot this, kamiya san 🤨)

-Anytime One Piece (the 24/7 YouTube broadcast of the episodes) has 150M views and already in its 4th lap having completed broadcasting all episodes 3 times.

-The entire Space focused on the two voice actors reading out a heap of letters from the animation staffs about the Zoro vs King and Kid-Law vs Big Mom episodes.

-Kamiya jokes about being slightly younger than Nakai and calling him "Nakai-kun" instead of "Nakai san". Funny that Kamiya's career as a voice actor is actually longer than Nakai's.

-The Zoro vs King finale had 20000 frames in the episode which set a record. The movements were a lot more fluid and film-level. After all, often it's considered overwork if it crosses 5000 frames in a TV episode.

- The animators themselves tried out new things. It seems in one of the shots, Wado ichimonji's direction was reversed from the manga's direction as a realistic correction. Cue jokes about Zoro (and King's) long (long) attack names. Also, anticipation for legendary Mihawk vs Zoro to match the quality.

- Cutting to Kid-Law vs BM, Kamiya commented that it was scary that the fluidity of movements was so good that it made him wonder if that level of effort was necessary at all (he said it's like a Disney movie).

(in case you didn't know, this scene was indeed animated by an animator who worked in Disney.)

- Kamiya says it was both fortunate and unfortunate that Mami Koyama (Big Mom) wasn't there with them in the booth (she recorded her part separately). Both Kamiya and Nakai agreed that they'd give up immediately if they were to confront against Mami Koyama somehow.

- Kamiya also noted that Big Mom used "ore" to call herself in the final scene ("I am Big Mom") - exerting dominance 💪 her falling scene was intentionally animated beautifully.

- 1066 was animated by people all over the world, so the time adjustments and language barrier was a challenge. Episode director Henry thurlow balanced it well. In his letter, Henry credited the animation director for adjusting a variety of art styles from all participating animators. It was his first time directing a One piece episode, in fact it's the first time a foreigner has directed an anime episode. He thinks the episode was successful.

- Kamiya was calling Kidd "the extra budget man" for having his complicated-to-animate attacks costing extra budget 💸

-In the final scene vs Misery, Kamiya was asked to ad-lib breathing sound for Law. Kamiya immediately said "sure, got it". Regarding this, Kamiya said he loves doing ad-libs, it adds a little more life to the characters.

- Finally, announcement for the upcoming Egghead arc debut in anime (Nakai was exhausted of reading letters so Kamiya took over to read director Nagamine's final letter lol)

- The Egghead arc would appear in a new artstyle. Unlike the serious WCI and Wano, there's a more relaxed, "fun adventure" vibe for the future adventure island. And the animators are finally free from the torture of drawing Kaido's scales (and the kimono design patterns) so they're in a relaxed mood having escaped wano 🌞 and entering "the cool future where zoro has long legs and wears dove shoes" 👢✨

-(letter cont.) "..Also, about a certain change in Law! What will happen to his voice? It's an interesting future!"

Kamiya: Well, I just finished recording that. My voice is still cracking 😎 *nonchalantly continues reading*

Nakai: is it okay to spoil like that??

(fr Kamiya would not share Law's role with ANYONE even if he turns into a woman huh)

And that's it for the highlight!

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accio-victuuri · 7 months

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xiao zhan @ ifeng. com ent interview 2/2:

“sunshine by my side” was filmed in chongqing. what was the biggest feeling of returning to your hometown to film?

XZ: very happy and then it’s also very relaxing and his family environment is really similar to the one i used to live when i was a child. especially like…it seems like there are many things in the house, but it’s not that messy, it’s like someone cleaned it up at the first glance but it just pilled up a lot of things. so i think it’s very close to life, it just made me believe this scene all at once.

shengyang had the same career as you before your debut. what kind of preparatory work do you do before filming this series?

XZ: preliminary preparation. on the contrary it’s not a prepared design because when i go back to that environment, i was just naturally blend in. my initial preparation was actually about how to make everyone believe that the character shengyang really exists instead of making everyone feel like i’m working hard to play as someone. i may write about some things, he grew up in some environments since childhood, the way he interacts with his parents, he even grew up in a loving family and because learning to draw is actually quite expensive, so i probably know, i can probably feel it too.

it’s also the beginning of the school year. what would you like to say to the students entering college?

XZ: enjoy college life, interact more with others, effectively socialize more, you can also join some clubs that interest you, don’t be afraid to speak up. because when i was in college, i am also very afraid of speaking in the club, but i think this is a way for you to grow on your own. so take this step bravely, go college and enjoy your time there.

so what clubs did you join in college?

XZ: choir, and also another music club.

fans say that shengyang is xiao zhan in parallel time and space. so what do you want to say about shengyang in the parallel world?

XZ: he actually did better than me when you were 26 years old. i think it’s true, he did better than me so i will learn from him (for example) to be successful in my career, studio and career are also running smoothly right? and then embrace the beauty of life and return home and there is a very happy family.

let’s talk about the three different types of dramas that were broadcast consecutively this year. how to show the differences between the three characters?

XZ: actually i didn’t think that much about it. i think the script is rich. maybe for me, i think what may be even more difficult for me (in the future) is to take on another period drama in the future, add another ancient costume drama or follow another life drama. how can i differentiate between this genre of dramas. this may be a challenge for me.

what role would you like to play in the next play if you were free to choose?

XZ: i have been talking about this for years now. it’s charming and cute villain character.

#xiao zhan #sunshine by my side #accio victuuri translation #i fell asleep lol #so this is late #HOW MANY TIMES DOES HE HAVE TO SAY THAT HE WANTS TO BE A VILLAIN?!!

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diamondphantom-art · 9 months

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OK SO I've been wanting to draw my pokemon trainer self insert with all of her pokemon for a while but...it's just not doable LOL I decided to do a group pic for the pokemon she has for each region!

For example, these are all the Pokemon she has that were first discovered in the Johto region. Most people would start with Kanto, butttt, her first journey was through Johto, so I decided to start there.

Her outfit is based on my FIRST outfit design for her (it's not her current one). She'll have a different outfit every pic! At the end I'll try to make some kind of nice ref for her.

Click the read more to learn about each of these mons!

Petal—Meganium—♀— Calm Nature Caught in her sister’s garden in Celadon City as a Chikorita. Very mellow and prefers to go with the flow. She isn’t one for crowds and prefers opens spaces with plenty of flora. She enjoys spending time in the nearby meadow looking after the local Pokémon that live there. Petal is a great mediator and often helps settle various disputes.

Ash (Ashen)—Typhlosion—♂—Timid Nature Obtained from Prof. Elm in New Bark Town. He was supposed to be a starter for new trainers, but wasn’t suited for it due to his high anxiety. With a specialized treatment plan, his anxiety is mostly under control. He’s, overall, quite timid. He rarely interacts with others and spends most of his time sunbathing or battling whoever challenges him.

Blitz—Shiny Pichu—♂—Rash Nature The child of Dia’s Pokemon: Lightning (Raichu) and Vanilla (Alolan Raichu). Born at the same time as his cousin, Tess (Pichu). As a fairly young Pokemon, he doesn’t make the best decisions. He’s quick to start fights for fun but also quick to run when it doesn’t pan out. He wants to be a great battler like his dad someday, but hasn’t seemed to do well thus far. Special notes: Shiny palette comes from GSC.

Tess (Tesla)—Pichu—♀—Timid Nature The child of Dia’s Pokemon: Duskio (Umbreon) and her sister’s Pokemon: Thunder (Pikachu). Born the same time as her cousin Blitz (Pichu). As a fairly young Pokemon, she still clings closely to her parents. She’s very meek and tends to avoid most other Pokemon besides. However, she usually tags along with Blitz in an attempt to keep him out of trouble. She seems to have a good instinct for battling, even though she isn’t particularly interested in it. Special Notes: Spiky-Eared Pichu!

Volt (Voltaic)—Laturn—♂—Calm Nature Dia fished him out by the bayside in Cherrygrove City as a chinchou. He was happy to join her and her Pokemon. Volt enjoys sunbathing, taking relaxing swims. and naps. He's not much for activity and just tends to go with the flow. Although laid back, he's the first to rush out and help anyone in trouble. Volt's a certified Pokemon Lifeguard.

Dom (Dominic)—Espeon—♂—Hasty Nature The child of Dia’s Pokemon: Navy (Vaporeon) and Syntha (Leafeon). A prankster with little impulse control. Dom likes to drag his brother Damian (Jolteon) around on mischievous adventures; usually harmless pranks are involved. He often makes visits out to Violet City because he enjoys teasing tourists with at Sprout Tower with his wild Pokemon friends.

Duskio—Umbreon—♂—Impish Nature The first Pokemon that Dia ever caught! He had been corrupted in early Shadow Pokemon projects and released into the wild. Never fully a shadow Pokemon, Dia was able to unlock his heart and return him to normal. He’s very loyal and sees himself as a protector, especially now that he has a child: Tess (Pichu). When he’s not guarding/on patrol, he greatly enjoys playing with the younger Pokemon or spending time with his partner Thunder (Pikachu).

Dell (Dellutio)—Shiny Umbreon—♂—Bold Nature Given as a gift to Dia by her father when on a trip to Orre. Even as an Eevee, his goal was always to become as strong as possible. He’s very bold, ambitious, and stubborn. He cares deeply for his partner, Escalus (Flareon) and would do anything for him. Special Notes: Shiny palette comes from the GameCube games.

Cress (Crescent)—Teddiursa—♀—Rash Nature She originally belonged to the daughter of a berry farmer. Cress desperately wanted to leave the farm and see the world, so she ran away. Dia found her and brought her back to her original trainer, but, the daughter agreed to let Cress join Dia on her journey. Cress is a hotheaded and passionate gal. Most other Pokemon shy away from her due to her personality and she has trouble making friends. Despite this, she’s actually excellent at taking care of eggs and younger Pokemon.

#my art #dia art #pokemon #self insert #trainer oc #trainersona

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zoeykallus · 2 years

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could i request the bad batch with a seamstress s/o, pretty please? 💕

You could ;) Okay dear, gotta tell you I don't know much about a seamstress' work, but I'll try something for you ^^

The Bad Batch x Seamstress Reader HC's -

Hunter

He is fascinated by your dexterity, how the material slides through your hands, you do your work and in the end something wonderful is created.

Sometimes, when he is very tired, he watches you work. Your movements calm him. It's comforting to see how you can salvage something from many a broken scrap.

Hunter watches you patiently, even when he really wants your attention, he is often suddenly hypnotized and watches you until you are done.

Echo

He loves to pick out fabrics with you. He likes the stores you go to get your fabrics. The colors, the variety. Echo is fascinated by your imagination and your gift to make so much more out of a simple piece of fabric.

He even learns a thing or two from you. Since Tech made him his proper replacement arm, he's been able to help you a lot more and learn from you. It's relaxing and he likes the challenge of always learning new things.

Wrecker

He can't do much with what you're doing. He is fascinated by your skills but will not deal with it in depth. But he likes to keep you company while you work.

He loves that you fixed Lula for him and he is so happy you even made her a few friends, and some new pillows for him. Big boy loves to cuddle and relax.

Wrecker makes you snacks and brings you something to drink when you forget the time.

"Gotta stay hydrated, Mesh'la"

Tech

"Fascinating"

You might have to listen to a lot about where the fabrics come from, how they are made and what special features they have.

Tech enjoys watching you, very much in fact. For some reason he can unwind just fine, shutting down his mind for a while. He finds a kind of peace here that he really needed.

He loves spending time with you, even at your work. He's pretty handy himself and learns your craft very quickly. He loves to design clothes with you, for both of you. Tech can sketch like no one else, he makes fantastic drawings of the designs you come up with together.

Crosshair

He thinks what you're doing is quite pretty. But he won't say much about it. Much like his brothers, it calms him to watch you work. But aside from that he is not much interested. He will rarely comment on what you are doing or express his opinion in any way.

But you are with him, so you know his preferences. Crosshair loves the revealing clothes you have made for your special hours together. He will smirk at you and say, "That's what I call talent".

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@urfriendlyneighbornightfury

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birdy-the-tweet · 5 months

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❄️•Nexocember•❄️

Day 4 - Tech

I’m starting to really enjoy these writing prompts and the consistency of their release. Sorry for missing yesterday; I was exhausted and couldn’t come up with anything, and even now I can’t really decide on a good story for this one. Which is why I’ve decided to instead share a snippet from Nexo Knights S1 E1! It’s got a perfect scenario just for this prompt, so I hope you enjoy!

————————————————————————

Time Stamp: S1 E1 - The Book of Monsters Pt. 1

Once Clay realized the collisions of metal and hologram were ahead of him and drawing closer, he abandoned his reliance on the signs and quickened his pace to the only room with light illuminating faintly through its translucent doors, farthest door to the right he put together. He didn’t need to open it to know his companion was on the other side, but he hadn’t gone searching for him just to cement a theory. Welding his pride to the back of his head and plastering his best “relaxed” smile, he tapped a sensor panel on the wall and didn’t have to wait long for the double doors to slide downward into the floor.

The Fabricator was one of a few machines only certain places in Knightonia had access to due to its complexity and intake of power. He was proud they had even one in the academy; it made training more versatile and flexible to each knight’s resumé of presented skills. It was a large, slightly noisy machine, first invented twenty years prior by a team of academy mechanics who wanted to reduce the amount of wooden dummies and demolished sets of armor being thrown into digitization scanners. Knights could upload a 3D model of any object or enemy program of their choice, and the device’s RAM would fabricate it into a pixelated hologram solid enough to be damaged and destroyed without harming anything truly physical. If it was a more complex array of coding clipped onto a model, it would analyze the commands and play it accordingly until the hologram is destroyed. He didn’t want to think about all the times he begged Ava to design monster models for the machine they had on campus. One of his composition notebooks was filled to the brim with sketched-out ideas and lists for functions.

Within this room, the ones that had been summoned were flocks of agile primates that used relatively short wings to hover and shield themselves from attacks. Skyslicer chimps, nasty creatures in the southeast whose teeth could crunch through stone and acute climbing skills fit for scaling the hazardous Stormscrapers. Just one of them possessed the mischievous spirit and strong arm to throw travelers off the cliffs, but a swarm of them spelled trouble for even the mightiest of knights. It came to no surprise there were models of these in the Fabricator, nor did it shock him they were chosen for training.

One by one, they circled around a single figure, a hulking humanoid that stood well over seven feet tall and completely unarmed. Yet it didn’t stop him from taking a defensive stance and swerving around each slash of their claws easily. Their unpredictability added a preferred challenge to the evasive maneuvers he took, feet sliding across smooth metal flooring as if lathered in grease. It was more like an improvised dance than it was a dangerous game against the odds, a performance Clay couldn’t admit was pleasing to watch.

A primate perched on a parked hover horse stole an opportunity to glide into the scene from behind the training knight and land a strike against the spine, but the last thing it would see was a single side glare from within the mask of the man. Halting the assault at the last second, he swiveled on his heel and struck his fist square into the chest of the smaller beast, and it dissipated into a flurry of pixelated pieces. A cry of disapproval rang through the troupe of chimps after the fall of their colleague. Many slammed their fists on the ground or snarled at the martial fighter for his success, hostility only responded to with even more violence.

While a smaller monster was still gawking at the horror they would have to live with, its agony was silenced as the knight rushed forward at bone chilling speed and punched straight through the skeleton animation of its design. Only when two more were taken down in a similar fashion did the enemies realize they couldn’t sit around any further, but even that hardly saved them from their inevitable fates. A pair was grabbed by their prehensile tails and slammed into each other with the force of an armored truck. A third would be seeing stars for the next week after an elbow to the chest and a fist to the face. Another ate the heel of his steel plated boot and disintegrated instantly from the cold taste of defeat. And the rest, well, they were all vanquished in a similar manner to the rest: quick and simple.

The last one’s data returned like a gust of wind into the vacuum of the Fabricator, and the screen displayed a checkmark signaling the end of the program. Straightening himself from his fighting position and flexing gloved fingers, the masked knight contemplated starting another round of combat with the machine in what little time he had remaining. His armor was mostly donned save for the breastplate and his choice of weapons. It wouldn’t take more than a minute to secure both in his custody and server connection. But as he marched lazily to the machine, his thought process was interrupted by another pair of feet approaching from his left.

Clay, graced with his first genuine smile of the evening, tucked his hands politely behind his back in the presence of a folk hero. “Hey Dauntless.”

“Clay. Pleasure as always, old friend.” It never failed to amuse him how awestruck the Cobalt Knight would always appear after mere, measly moments of observing an independent training segment with code. His eyes were like Christmas lights the day after Thanksgiving, jolly and warm for the arrival of the higher god that was St. Nicholas.

Upon arrival at the Fabricator, Dauntless switched the power off and made sure its digital cord was disconnected from the outlet in the wall. The thread of golden light slithered back into the base of the machine, and a final purr died down into blissful silence only seconds after. The other knight saw it as his chance to resume conversation. Or, well, start it to begin with. “I trust you’re ready for the Battlebration tonight?”

“Well I must be, now shouldn’t I? It would be pretty embarrassing if I wasn’t, don’t you know,” the masked knight mused to himself mostly. He relied on the ancient piece of training equipment to support his weight in the minute he would spend planted in place, a foot nestled against its side as he folded his arms nonchalantly over his chest. “And you?”

The vex laced in the brunette’s heavy breath spoke greater than his next words. “I sure hope so. I had a whole spreadsheet made this morning so everyone would have a layout of what they should present at the ceremony, but… Lance broke the tablet.”

“Really,” buzzed his sardonic smirk. “Sounds to me he broke more than just that.”

He’d be right. Clay’s disgruntled pout only seasoned the flavor of his triumph, childish enough to spark a laugh off the larger male’s chest. “That’s beyond the point.”

“No but I sure am right, aren’t I?”

“Ugh- look.” He clawed the air and strangled an invisible Lance between his palms. “I just need everyone to concentrate today. That’s all I ask.”

“Yes, among the other fifteen things you’ve asked for this week.”

“Dauntless.”

“What. I’m right,” he reminded the swordsman. “You can’t expect everything to be perfect, you know. Every knight has their own definition of that.”

“Yes, I know. But for today, at least today, I just want things to go according to plan. So far Lance hasn’t even shown a grain of care for the ceremony.”

“He cares.”

“Tell that to the tablet.”

Dauntless rattled a tinge of irritation off his head like a maraca. “Clay, do understand. Half of your classmates could care less about the knighting itself. This has been a tradition that’s persisted in Knightonia for centuries, long before even technology was a thing. And while it is a treasured event in the lives of the people, it is all but routine as well. A display in the late afternoon followed by the knighting, a break for everyone to eat and prepare for the evening, and a performance of battle at the crack of dusk. It hasn’t changed in… I don’t even want to know how long. Longer than I’ve been around, sheesh…”

“So what does that say about your age, grandpa-”

“Not important.” He hoisted himself off the Fabricator and made his way over to where Clay stood, dwarfing him within seconds. “The point is, it doesn’t have to be perfect, and neither should you. Your education as a knight does not end once you walk out those gates. Field work is the most extensive, pain-staking form of study to any student no matter their age or expertise. Your real celebration will commence the moment you realize that. So today… Just focus on what you’ve learned so far, and don’t obsess so much over being flawless. Nobody likes a walking statue.”

Though the swordsman listened like a groundhog to the first mourning dove of spring, his eyes were stitched in a furrowed pattern across his troubled face. “And the others-”

“So what? The other classmates have a tendency to act on their own accord. Don’t worry about it. Focus on your own performance and your ability to adapt to whatever chaos happens out there. I trust you know how to do that.”

“...yeah, I do. I can do that at least.” Clay could never find the right words to thank the traveling warrior for his skill of words and wistful perception, not even if it took him a thousand years to formulate a thesis around his wisdom. He already wasted four of those years dragging himself into this same ballroom waltz over and over again, rushing to Dauntless for advice and never knowing how to return the favor. The masked man had years – in theory – of experience as a helping hand and protector of the realm without the need for a Nexo shield, and he offered his accelerated education of the world and its lessons freely like a guest speaker in a school assembly. And yet, he couldn’t ever do the same for him, or perhaps it was never needed. He couldn’t tell anymore.

“Good. Now then, now that you mention the others,” the Hooded Knight drawled, the optics of his mask drifting like dandelion fluff to the door. “Where are they, Macy and Lance?”

He’d much rather chew his own hand off than answer that. With a gruff groan that strained his throat, he dragged himself to an aimless waltz around a ten foot diameter in front of the other. “Macy’s still dealing with her parents, I think. She’s been arguing with them all morning about the battlebration, and I don’t think I need to know the finer details after the seven dozen angry messages she’s sent me all day, all in caps.”

“Will she be able to graduate?”

“Oh I hope so.

#nexo knights #lego nexo knights #nexo knights oc #clay moorington #nexocember

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rubykgrant · 1 year

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Hey, I can put all my pin-up pictures in one post now!

I spent a couple of weeks drawing these, sometimes trying multiple poses until finally they looked right, and then I had to travel to scan the pictures... and the scanner was really wonky. It washed out certain colors, while over-saturating others. It was just really weird. So, the only solution was to try to edit and fix the scanned images on my computer, and since I only have MS Paint with no layers, this was a challenge. I basically had to add the colors, then go over my lines so they would be clear, and finally erase around the edges. It took another few days to fix them all, but I did it!

(some descriptions for each character design below)

Church gave me the most trouble… and why wouldn’t he? This CHURCH, after all. He lives to be difficult. I knew I wanted him to have the “mud-flap babe pose”, but I kept messing up his face, and didn’t realize how bad I messed up until after I inked and colored it in… at one point, I tried to re-draw the face and cut out the one that didn’t work, and paste the two pieces of paper together. It wasn’t worker, so I finally just traced over my own lines, did the face all over again, and he looked half-way decent. SO, I’m done with Church! Look at that smug expression, he knows he’s a jerk. Seriously though, I love how he turned out!

When it comes to his design, I have my whole RVB story-line with a scenario in which Church and Tex get to come back with synthetic human bodies (specifically, when the Epsilon AI was deconstructed, all of the data from his memories WENT somewhere; it was downloaded back into the original AI units, which weren’t “dead” after the EMP, just deactivated. revived by Epsilon’s data, all the AI were able to reactivate, including Alpha! now HE is the one who is carrying on with the memories another part of him left behind… whoops, that’s sad, but don’t worry! he now also has the chance to feel better~). His was based on the DNA of the Director, but he’s not a clone, exactly. There’s a similarity for sure, but they’d probably look more like brothers. Church is considerably shorter, and even when he was “fresh out of the oven”, he’s more chunky too. As time goes on and he’s able to eat REAL FOOD, Church gets nice and chubby. He also wanted to be strong enough to actually pick Tex up, so that was his whole motivation for muscles. He has fairly long hair at first, and later cuts and styles it to this (imagine it feels like a silky-soft hedgehog). He wound up with some face-fuzz, and wasn’t sure of he should keep it or not… he doesn’t want to seem like he intentionally looks like the Director, but also? If he tries to avoid looking like him on purpose, he’s still letting that dude influence his decisions. Church finally asked Carolina (only fair, because she has to look at him), and she said it kinda suits him, especially since he has a squared jaw. So, the face-fuzz stayed~

The first rule of face-designs for RVB characters; Tucker is the prettiest. This is law. He definitely is really into the whole romantic-pose thing, so he’s both flirty and totally relaxed. “Yeah, I know, you want me. Don’t worry, plenty of Tucker for everybody!”. I like imagining his features as being a little aquiline, but still soft (he’s one of those people who looks about 10 years younger than he actually is, and even when he’s an old man, he’ll barely look 40).

He is indeed a manlet short king, thank you very much. He wasn’t always so muscular, but after training with Wash, Tucker has some definition going on (glorious calves, after all). I think the main thing with him that I keep in mind, is; yeah, in the beginning, he definitely wasn’t an “ideal fighter”, but he’s proven to not only be capable, but FANTASTIC… and it isn’t just about fighting. It isn’t just flirting, either. Tucker genuinely has so much depth, and a thoughtful side that makes him really care about people. So, even when I draw him looking strong, or confident, I want him to have a gentle touch in there~

When I thought about what kinda pose I wanted for Tex, I knew she had to be FLEXING, obviously. For the rest of the body, I used reference for some drawings I did many years ago in a Human Figure class, with models who posed while we sketched. I always liked the way this one sketch I did showed the line in the back follow all the way down the leg, so I elaborated on this for Tex. I really wanted something to show the full body, and standing up so you get the feel for how imposing/intimidating she is. I think she’d approve~

Like Church, I imagined a scenario in which she gets to return in a synthetic human body, hers being based on the DNA of Allison (rather than turning out identical, they simply share similarities). Ironically, Tex looks more like Carolina than Allison did (I like to think Carolina takes after a great-grandmother on her mom’s side, and Tex just kinda wound up inheriting those traits in her new body, too). Tex is very TALL, and once she was able to, she was determined to get BUFF. Tex is a built like a brick house, heck yeah!

I wanted to do another full-standing pose for Caboose to really show how tall he is. For a while, I wasn’t sure what to do with his hands... like, him holding them up over his head didn’t seem to work, on his hips didn’t look right... finally, I sketched them clasped behind his back, and it was perfect! Nice and casual, but also really cute. It also show’s off his arms REALLY good~

Like a lot of people, I imagine Caboose as being BIG. It just kinda fits with how strong he is, and since I made Tucker and Church both tiny, Caboose can totally life them both up on his shoulders! Little boy blue? Nah, big boy blue! Sarge is tiny too, so I love the idea of him standing next to Caboose, who is his favorite Blue (Caboose is son-boy). Caboose is also pretty comfortable with himself, so I just wanted him to calm and happy. He deserves it~

We never got a good look at Wash back in Project Freelancer, but at some point, somebody came up with blonde-freckle-man, and a lot of us latched onto it. I am no exception… and I really went all-out with his freckles! It was once mentioned that he grew a beard, so I decided to keep that. It is a little more full and fluffy than I usually draw it, but hey- maybe he’s growing it out a bit. That foot ticked me off, but whatever, I’m done with it. Also, yes; I gave him a catboy pose~

I imagine Wash also being tall, and fairly lean. Certainly athletic, but also agile. The dude has also been all over the map in terms of his character arc; Freelancer Dork, Mr Serious Recovery One, Villain Guy, Church Impersonator, and finally- a dork yet again, but now he’s more comfortable to be one! After living with the Reds and Blues, he’s found a way to sort of… not feel awkward about being awkward? It makes sense when you know this group. Also, I’m not sure how much I would elaborate on it in my story-line… but I kinda lean toward trans Wash~

Kai was actually the first one I did (originally, the only one... but then I kept going haha). I had this specific pose in mind for her that I thought was really cute. Somehow, the sketch turned out alright on the first try, and after I added all the ink and color, it was still good! The process I used to draw her was repeated for each picture; pencil sketch, then go over the lines I like with this one almost-dry brown marker (honestly, it looks like drawing with charcoal, but thankfully it WORKS like a felt pen. charcoal is so tricky), erase unneeded pencil lines, add more defined lines with the colors I want to use for the character (for Kai, this one goldenrod pen I have), and continue with the details, mixing different pens and colored pencils for the shading. It was a WHOLE thing.

I love how her pose turned out, she really looks like she has actual form. I wanted to express the fact that she is beautiful, and she’s also chubby with stretch-marks, thank you very much. I also imagine she and her bro have like... very fine body hair that you can barely see (seriously, they have baby hair on their arms and legs). As for the hair on her head, man- I LOVE drawing hair, and hers is so pretty! I like how it almost looks like gold~

Sweet Caroline, bah-bah-bah! She’s one of the few characters who shows us her face, so I know what she looks like, but I still wanted to play around with my design of her. I decided short hair works for her (and although I’m just using the aqua-blue here, I imagine that she starts dying it a darker red). She’s usually very tense and tough, so I wanted to let he show a slightly more dainty side with the pose. When I finally figured out how to make legs sort of over-lap in different ways, I started having fun doing poses like this. You can still see her impressive arm muscles, though~

Carolina has definitely taken some battle-damage over the years, with a few scars here and there… also, I think she just doesn’t care about shaving, so enjoy the leg hair! She was arguably the easiest to draw. Thank you for that, Carolina~

I struggled with this pose for quite a while… my fault for deciding on something difficult, but come on! I had to go with a push-up. Also, a one-handed push-up at that, because Sarge has to show off. I actually showed my mom all these pictures as I finished them (and she cracked me up, she’d say “That’s a very cute naked person, honey. Now, go color another one” like I’m drawing unicorns or something haha). When she saw Sarge, she said “He looks like a big silver back gorilla”, and she had no idea how ironic and hilarious that actually is.

I imagine Sarge being the shortest of the group, very beefy and very boxy. He’s also got the most body hair of the group. Plenty of scars as well (the ones on his knuckles are from punching so hard while wearing older armor, his hands would get scraped on the inside. newer armor has better padding). I wanted his face to look smug, like he’s saying “Yes, I know you’re looking at me, I can’t blame you”. As you can see, he doesn’t have much of a butt… and what is there is a tight little brick haha~

Grif obviously needed to have a very chill pose, so he’s kicked-back, relaxing with his legs crossed, and arms folded behind his head. I’m so happy I’ve gotten better at drawing soft mass, because fat characters are beautiful (and as a chubby person myself, I want to do different body-types justice). Grif is indeed a big guy, and although he’s very calm here, I hope you can kinda tell he’s got some strength in that body too.

Like Simmons’ prosthetics, I wanted Grif’s limbs with the skin-grafts to be clear and easy to see. Over the years, his body has sort of “absorbed” the organic tissue Simmons donated, so Grif has evened-out (though you can kinda tell, his lighter foot doesn’t quite match the one he “grew” himself, but he’s not as lop-sided as when the surgery first happened.) Just like Kai, I loved doing the curls in his wavy hair~

Donut was the second one I made after Kai, because he pretty much took over my brain and DEMANDED to be drawn in a pin-up pose. What kind of pose was easy enough to figure out (imagine him spread out on a bead). I totally screwed up on his feet, and didn’t want to re-draw the whole thing… but I also didn’t have white-out, or even white paint. I wound up using this craftwork enamel stuff… which is OK, but really tacky (I don’t mean like it looks bad, but tacky as in it takes forever to dry and stays sticky for too long).

I imagine Donut is what you get if Barbie had a baby with GI Joe; totally adorable, and also impressively buff (especially his arms). His face has the scar from the grenade incident, and after having his hair lop-sided for a while, he started styling with a side-cut and letting the rest grow out. He also has a scar on one of his hands (from when he got hurt from the vehicle). His face naturally makes the cutesy kitty mouth~

If you want to imagine these pin-ups as being for like… and actual calendar that exists within the RVB universe, the only way they could get Simmons to be part of it was by intentionally acting like they weren’t going to include him. This would kick his fears of being ignored into high-gear, so he would INSIST on doing it too. He’s still a little uncertain… so, a shy pose for the shy nakey boy~

I wanted to make sure we could clearly see his cybernetics (and I’m so happy with how the foot turned out). Like a lot of people, I imagine red-head Simmons, and I think he probably had short hair most of his life… but around Chorus he didn’t have time to keep trimming it, and after Iris it totally got away from him. One day he pulls it back, to figure out how much needs to cut off, but instead he went “Oh, pony-tail?”. So yeah, long hair Simmons! He used to be a string-bean too, but years of running around and trying not to die helped him put on some weight (he totally doesn’t even realize he has actual muscles~)

When I decided to do sort of leaned-over pose with Doc, it was hard to make it work… but finally, I had something that looked decent. I also wanted to show a wink and smirk, because O’Malley is there too! He probably would have rather done some kind of pose in a graveyard to look all creepy, but Doc won with the cute pose.

I like the idea of him having really thick, fluffy, and curly hair. Also, a very defined nose. His legs are really strong (being a former track runner and all), but he not as muscular as some of the others. In fact, Grif is the tallest of the short group, with Doc just a little shorter than him (after that is Church, Tucker, Kai, and Sarge). I’m really happy with how all the shapes of his forms turned out, his tummy, his shoulders, his legs~

I really wanted to do an especially cute pose for Locus, because he deserves to feel pretty~ He’s probably about as shy and awkward as Simmons in certain ways (certainly confident when it comes to fighting, but social situations? he’s a dork). So, he’s sort of closed-off here, but hey- popping that leg up, because yes! Locus can have fun, too! His legs turned out really nice too~

We know what he looks like in the show, or at least, what he looked like working with Felix before Chorus. So, I had that to bas his design on. I feel like while Chorus stuff was going on, Locus actually lost a lot of weight, being so stressed-out and not even recognizing how unhappy he was. He’s always been beefy and buff, but now that he has some new friends that actually give a heck, he’s put on some weight, and is just a bit more chubby than he used to be (which is a good thing~)

#red vs blue #rvb #anatomy #mild nudity #character design #pin-up art

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redsunsetxiii · 8 months

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**Please do not repost without credit** [TRANS] 2023.08.31 SONE NOTE LIVE vol 44 with Yuri

Staff: You tried weaving wicker this time! Please share the concept and motifs for the pieces you made.

Yuri: One is an accessory case that anyone could use. It’s something that I tried to make as a present for any SONE, regardless of gender. I tried to express wanting to deliver happiness with the smiling sunflowers!

The other piece is a case for water bottles, drinks, and the like. I also want to give this to SONE as a present. I want to give away everything (laughs). I’d be so happy if the receivers would use what I made a lot.

Staff: How was the activity?

Yuri: My fingers really hurt (laughs). I didn’t know that it would be such a challenging task. Since the material was pretty stiff, I used it after soaking it in water, but even then it was hard. Putting it together was like knitting and braiding. Hyoyeon likes knitting. When I was in elementary school, I liked to make things during art class, but that faded away when I became an adult. I think it’s my personality, but I get tired of repeating the same task over and over. But I really like to draw. The fun part is expressing [myself] with color!

Weaving wicker… Today I understood why the prices for it are so high (laughs). It really takes so much effort to make and it’s carefully crafted. I’d be so satisfied if I made something like a wonderful wicker light by myself and hung it up at home. The members enjoy traveling to Southeast Asia, so I would like them to try it out at least once. Personally, I was happy to be praised by the instructor today. I might have talent (laughs); my work speed kept on increasing as I did it. At first, I didn’t have any knowledge regarding the structure of weaving and had some troubles, but it was enjoyable and wasn’t too difficult once I got a bit used to it! The water bottle holder had a bit more complex construction than the accessory case, but I was able to enjoy making it without it feeling difficult or challenging.

Staff: Please share what you were the most particular about during the creation process.

Yuri: I think the most important point for weaving wicker is balance. I set up the stakes first, but I was careful to make sure that they were straight. If the base isn’t steady then it’ll fall apart, so I pulled on them while working and checked on the stakes often.

Staff: How many points out of 100 would you give your work? Please share a reason for your scoring as well.

Yuri: The instructor helped me, but it is also my first time… I might give both 80 points. No, I want to give them 90 points! (laughs) It’s just a score as a beginner and not on the basis of how perfect it is. It’s a score that represents my personal satisfaction!

Staff: Items made out of wicker are popular interior items, but do you have any preferences for interior [design]? Yuri: I like cozy atmospheres, so I like interiors that have snug atmospheres that I can relax in. I choose tones that are calming like beige or wood. My room right now has the main tones of white and wood. I’ve made my room all pink like a princess’ room long ago, but now there’s zero pink. I expelled all the pink from my room when I was around 23 (laughs).

I have my own bag made out of wicker. I bring it when I go to have fun with water in summer.

I’m interested in lighting, so one day I’d like to buy a light made out of wicker. I especially like indirect lighting and often go to dedicated stores for lighting. I believe that lighting can influence the overall mood of a home.

Staff: Please share your recent happenings. (This interview occurred in July)

Yuri: In Korea, both “The Genius Paik” and “The Zone: Survival Mission 2” just recently released so I’ve been a bit busy with those activities. Also, my fan meeting tour starts in Seoul in July, so I’m busy with that as well. The other day I went to the Philippines for my fanmeet, and I’ll be going to Bangkok and Taiwan, too. I think I’ll be able to go to Japan as well!

Staff: You’re currently in the middle of your fan meeting tour in Asia, but has there been a memorable episode so far?

Yuri: I really just thought about what would make all the fans happy. I really agonized over the set list as well. However, I have experience from being in SNSD (laughs). It’s been a long time since my last fan meeting, and it was so fun to think over what I’ll show to the fans. I also really enjoyed performing songs with a new arrangement. The solo performance I did from a 2010 concert got a new 2023 arrangement, and it was so much fun recording, singing, and performing it! It’s been a long time since I practiced performing, and it was actually relaxing since I’ve done it for so long. I’m so happy that the fans really enjoyed the event!

Staff: It’s been four years since your last fan meeting. Please share if there’s anything about SONE that has changed or remained the same since then.

Yuri: I don’t think they have changed one bit. Their cheers and support haven’t changed at all and it was actually refreshing. SONE have been with us for over 10 years, so there were many that came to see me after such a long time, and there were also those who have new family members as well. In Seoul, I was so happy that many fans came from abroad.

Staff: You often upload cooking videos on SNS, but is there a dish that you have recently been crazy about? Please share why as well. Or, please share if you have an original arrangement or other idea.

Yuri: I eat too much when traveling, so recently I’ve mainly been making food to maintain my figure (laughs). I like oatmeal, so I especially make dishes that use oatmeal. For example, rice porridge with oatmeal and tuna, or a rice bowl topped with egg that’s made with oatmeal. I say it’s my own style of cooking, but they’re actually recipes that I referenced from SNS and the like (laughs).

For my own original recipes that I’m currently into, there’s “chicken toast ssam”, or “chitossam” for short. I named it myself (laughs). (*”ssam” is Korean for wrap)

It’s chicken with bread topped with yuzu sauce, mayonnaise, and grated lemon zest. It’s really delicious with all my favorite flavors.

Staff: You’re so busy with events and drama appearances, but please share if you have any tips or secrets for balancing work and beauty.

Yuri: I try my best with working out. Also, I make an effort to balance work and my personal life. When I’m off, I eat what I want to eat, recover my energy by sleeping as much as I want, and then make a conscious effort to bring it all out when I’m working. But that’s really difficult, so I’m still working on perfecting it (laughs). And for beauty, it’s really important to relax, so I always take half body baths. I love taking them with the bath salts I bought in Japan.

Staff: Finally a message for SONE JAPAN!

Yuri: I really want to see you all! Also, it seems like I’ll be able to do that soon, so I’m really excited. I really want to talk to you all directly, but I try my very best even if I’m far away, so please cheer me on even if we’re apart. And let’s make fun memories together from now on!

Translation by RedSunsetXIII source: SONE JAPAN website **Please do not repost without credit**

#sone note live #sone japan #snsd #snsd trans #snsd yuri

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aragarna · 11 months

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🌿💞

🌿how does creating make you feel?

Powerful! LOL no but seriously, when I first writing fanfictions, it really felt like I discovered a magic power. The power to visit my favorite universe at will. Writing means I can stay with the characters after the cameras stopped rolling. I can stay with them a little longer. Hold their hands, a little longer. And of course, I can fix things, I can imagine the future, I can imagine all the happy reunions, the happy-ever-after, the kids growing up. The AUs, the craziest crossovers.

And writing, the act itself of thinking a sentence and typing it down, it feels like a shot of endorphine. It makes me all fuzzy inside as I'm spending time with my beloved characters, just as if I was watching the show.

For some reason, it's a bit different with art. When I'm making art/manips, of course, working on a subject or with a model that I appreciate staring at is always a bonus, but generally, making art, for me, feels more like craft, manual work. Probably because (for me, who can't actually draw) it's more about mastering Photoshop tools than anything and finding the best starting material, so it feels more technical. There's a whole process, that is actually longer than the creative part of coming up with the ideas and the design. But it is also a relaxing activity in its own right, and there's a real satisfaction in looking at the finish product on my screen.

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language

The FEELS. Angsty or fluffy (ideally angsty then fluffy!). So I guess it's the characters, and giving them challenges to overcome. Plots (or more accurately, settings), are just a way to set that up. Even if I come up with a plot idea first - like say, what if I was writing a WC/Forever crossover - then I'd try to figure out what would make it "fun". Someone has to become immortal. There's potential for angst there. Peter's been shot, dying. Neal's desperate. Neither of them know it's gonna be fine. Oh all the usual angst. You're my best friend, take care of El, etc... And he *really dies*. But disappears. MORE ANGST and confusion and dispair! But, then, twist! Peter walks back naked and wet, embarrassed and furious. Confused and cold. Comfort, happiness, fluff, and of course, LOLz. Gotta have Diana and Jones making fun of Peter. Or, depending on my mood, I can go a more fluffy way right away. In a world where Forever and WC coexist, Mozzie and Abe *got* to know each other. They'd totally be friends. Henry would have a lot less patience for Mozzie's excentricities. BUT Mozzie would totally figure out Henry's secret. So from there I just set up a meeting. Mozzie forge fake papers, Henry would need new papers every 10 years or so.

See, it all writes itself! (it just needs a lot of rework cause I'm stuck with plot, cause clearly plots aren't my favorite parts!)

Character interactions and feelings, I think that's the main thing for me.

Though I also have to note that all those different aspects are important in the final product. I do care about grammar. I do care about finding the correct phrase, or a coherent plot/setting. And I also very very much care about keeping characters in-character.

Wow that got longer than expected! I guess those were good questions! Or maybe I'm just procrastinating LOL Thanks for the ask <3

#a meme!#about me #and writing #thanks for playing!

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afunfunkytime · 2 years

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bamabanana and his tailor tendencies

Alabama is very into sewing/tailoring/dressmaking, and he's damn good at it

Its relaxing for him to just sketch out a design after a long day and get to work making patterns and stitching

He'll make anything he can, even if just to challenge himself. Y'all know he's made a ballgown at least once. Most of his pieces are menswear or long flowy dresses or skirts because he loves the way the fabric moves and they're fun to make, even if he'd never dream of wearing them (definitely has frolicked in a flower field at least once in a swirly twirly skirt just to see what it's like but will take that secret to the end of immortality)

He takes requests, doesn't insist on payment but does prefer a small fee for those not his friends. He's made a few of Nevada's drag pieces, judged a little internally but he did enjoy the project. Drag pieces are elaborate and creative and he likes a good experiment, does usually get paid to do these despite how fun it is

He'll fix any garment for free though, however way you want it. Resident seamster/tailor of the statehouse. You snag a thread on your shirt? No need to worry, Bamabanana's here in 0.3 seconds needle and thread in hand

He has a little sewing kit in his bag at all times in case of emergencies, it's got lots of thread colours and buttons and everything is organised perfectly into little boxes. The kit is in a wooden box handmade by Arkansas with flowers carved into the sides by Mississippi and painted carefully by Georgia, as a thank you gift for patching up their clothes after too many scrapes. The kit has followed him through his whole life, starting off with just a few spools of black thread and a couple mismatched buttons. It's his most prized possession.

He's made lots of things for lots of people but if he's honest, most of his creations are for him. Partially because he's not interested in spending money on overpriced poorer quality clothes when he could make his own which he'll love and treasure far more, partially because if he's staying up until 4am sewing a shirt then it's gonna be for someone worth the effort- also known as ✨him✨ or Georgia but that's another HC for another day

His favourite is a wool jacket with leather patchwork elbows that he made back in the 1920s and still wears today with a few adjustments for fit and restoration. Its not in pristine condition anymore but he kinda likes the natural wear and tear. Character development y'know

He embroiders his state bird on the label of all his creations as well as his state abbreviation. Most of his designs incorporate embroidery, he loves it. Most of his clothes have flowers and birds and butterflies on them, tiny ones just for flair. He embroiders peach blossoms over holes in Georgia's shirts, bluebonnets on Texas's shirt collars, 'Dolly' on pretty much everything Tennessee owns. He's damn good at it too, this man is TALENTED

He likes to sit on the porch and sketch whilst Georgia sleeps on his shoulder, often drawing inspiration from what he sees around him at that present moment. Mostly Georgia. Fat crush things y'know.

He's also a big fan of crochet and knitting, definitely gives grandpa vibes as he knits sweaters for the colder states and scarves for his southern friends just for fun. Each item he makes for a friend is personalised to them to an extent so loving that people have cried once or twice receiving a gift. Gift-giving is his favourite thing to do with his works, y'all bet all his friends have some Alabamabamababa swag

TLDR: bama sews

#the table #wttt #welcome to the statehouse #welcome to the table #ben brainard #wttsh #other 2 alabama fans come get yalls juice #roll tide ig #bama has a fat crush on georgia and i WILL do more with that hc #we love a man that sews

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drowninnoodles · 1 year

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So I plan to draw the two series that have been proposed.

The first one will be the 'lesbians series', which is actually lesbian ships from the series I usually draw.

The second one will be Undertale Zodiac. But I'd love if someone could help me match the character to the zodiac sign. Below I have more or less copied descriptions of each sign from allure.com so give your suggestions!

Pisces: ethereal fish adore exploring their boundless imaginations. In its more nefarious form, however, Neptune also oversees illusion and escapism. Neptunian energy is like the energy of the ocean: magical, mysterious, and often scary. These visionary fish have unparalleled access to the collective unconscious through their clairvoyance and make incredible artists and creatives.

Aries: Aries loves to be number one, so it’s no surprise that these audacious rams are the first sign of the zodiac. Bold and ambitious, Aries dives headfirst into even the most challenging situations. Aries is a passionate, motivated, and confident leader who builds community with their cheerful disposition and relentless determination

Taurus: enjoy relaxing in serene, bucolic environments, surrounded by soft sounds, soothing aromas, and succulent flavors. Taurus is ruled by Venus, the enchanting planet that governs love, beauty, and money.Pleasure is a necessity for epicurean Taureans and they feel most content when pampered. Taureans aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard to earn big rewards. They're ambitious, focused, and resilient and they feel most secure when steadily putting money into a savings account.

Gemini: Playful and intellectually curious, Gemini is constantly juggling a variety of passions, hobbies, careers, and friend groups.Find them buzzing between happy hours, dinner parties, and dance floors.These hyperactive air signs have short attention spans and are most satisfied when they can move fluidly from one idea to the next.

Cancer: highly intuitive and their psychic abilities manifest in tangible spaces: For instance, Cancers can effortlessly pick up the energies in a room. These crabs are highly sensitive to their environments, as well as extremely self-protective. Cancers tend to be domestically oriented. They love to create cozy, safe spaces that serve as their personal sanctuaries, then spend lots of time in them. Cancers care deeply about their families and are quick to adopt caregiver roles.

Leo: They’re delighted to embrace their royal status: Vivacious, theatrical, and passionate, Leos love to bask in the spotlight and celebrate themselves. These lions are natural leaders and they enjoy cultivating friendships and romances that are artistically and creatively inspired. Playful Leos have no problem leaning into drama-fueled romances that are perfectly suited for the tabloids.

Virgo: logical, practical, and systematic in their approach to life. This earth sign is a perfectionist at heart and isn’t afraid to improve skills through diligent and consistent practice. A Virgo deals with information like a computer, transforming even the most jumbled set of information into organized, clear concepts.Virgos want to help. They are kind, gentle, and supportive friends and lovers who use their incredible intellect and resourcefulness to problem-solve.

Libra: Libras adore high art, intellectualism, and connoisseurship. Suave Libras need to surround themselves with stunning objects and create environments that reflect their exquisite tastes. Accordingly, these air signs make excellent designers, decorators, art critics, and stylists.Relationships are paramount for Libras, who find balance in companionship

Scorpio: On a good day, Scorpion energy is ambitious and enticing. On a bad day, however, the shadowy side of Scorpio is fueled by a relentless desire for control. Power-hungry Scorpios must remember that if controlled by their egos, they are at risk of poisoning themselves.

Sagittarius: What makes Sagittarius so unique is its dynamic blend of passion, curiosity, intensity, and adaptability. Sagittarians are born to explore and it is critical that these archers have the freedom to roam. Fueled by wanderlust, these archers can be found traversing all corners of the world on thrill-seeking expeditions, chasing after geographical, intellectual, and spiritual adventures.

Capricon: Capricorn is a mischievous troublemaker (in tarot, Capricorn is symbolized by the "devil" card). Though this earth sign may seem a bit conservative and restrained at first, Capricorn's closest friends and lovers know that these sea goats love to party.Capricorns are relentless: They are determined to overcome whatever stands in their way.

Aquarius: the most innovative, progressive, rebellious, and humanitarian. And while Aquarius can often be found planning a revolution or proudly flaunting their funky fashion sensibility, they also have an often overlooked sensitive side that requires appreciation, support, and love.

#deltarune #undertale #justsomethoughtss #and think taurus or leo is Mettaton #and capricon is Chara #but give your suggestion

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lupismaris · 2 years

Text

The Opening Act of Spring- a Black Sails Fic. Chapter 1.

The Silverflinthamilton modern au that I’ve been drawing for over a year (where Flint owns a gay bar) is being written! Set five-ish years after a modern canon which will be somewhat told through flashbacks and exposition.

(Chapter one of idk how many but until more is written it’s going to live entirely on tumblr. )

Somewhere in the Village, Silver was counting Rolex and Cartier wristwatches, drop diamond earrings, plated gold layered necklaces, and birkins that were made to look well worn. He was counting, and noting the clear bell-like tone of the glass ware as it clinked together- crystal, the real stuff with the faintest etchings, but understated enough to look like it belonged in an effortless rooftop lounge. He didn’t usually enjoy rooftops, the only way out was the elevator unless he wanted to make an outfit change and that was usually too much work, and most rooftops only had one reserved for the restaurant, bar, or lounge. It was poor design for emergencies, poorer still for anyone looking to make a clean exit.

“Oh, enough already.”

Silver blinked and the room around him hummed loudly, violently, back to life, the carefully selected sounds of glassware and certain voices drowned out by a wave of noise.

Rackham sat across the small marble topped table, dressed neatly in a silk shirt that was unbuttoned nearly to the navel, tight high wasted trousers that made him seem even taller than he already was, and an assortment of jewelry that Silver knew half belonged to his sister. The exasperated look on his face, and the amusement that couldn’t be hidden behind his rose tinted glasses, made Silver smile.

“Sorry. Old habits.”

“I didn’t invite you here specifically for a job. This is called drinks, aperitif even- its what normal people do,” Rackham waved a hand and Silver watched the way his gold bangles caught the soft light of the room, accented further by the late afternoon sun. “No need to case the joint, cause if you get caught lifting anything worth less than 20k I’m not covering for you.”

Silver rolled his eyes. “As if I’d settle for anything less than that. You know me better, Jack.”

“Well I’d like to think so but your last few jobs have me a trifle concerned, sweetums.”

Their second round of drinks were delivered, Rackham flashing the waiter a smile and placing an order for an assortment of small plates. Silver wasn’t particularly hungry, not that he had eaten, it was more that the sudden summons to Manhattan had gone from generally positive to somewhat suspicious, once Rackham had started suggesting things that weren’t entirely business. And that suspicious feeling left his stomach a little too uneasy for overpriced appetizers with colorful garnishes.

But Rackham seemed unbothered by the tension in Silver’s shoulders.

“Is this a critique then? I thought I was being invited as a glorified house guest. At least that’s how my sister makes it sound. Not like I’m much good in your fashion designer games now am I?” He asked, taking up his glass. “Unless you want to truss me up like a prized poodle in whatever your newest designs are.”

“I can hear the note of condescension and it is unappreciated you fuck. Honest business is honest business and your sister and I happen to be doing very well for ourselves, thank you very much. Two of our designs are in this room alone,” Rackham said, and while his posture remained relaxed and unbothered, the knife like edge to his words made Silver smile brightly.

“Oh don’t twist up your thong, if you’re going to insult my skill it’s only fair I take a dig at yours don’t you think?”

“No. Because my skill has rogue fashion studios in Paris and now Manhattan,” Rackham says flatly. “That are giving the design houses a legitimate challenge and strong arming our way into fashion week. You, sir, are back to swindling old men for their investment portfolios or old women for their opera jewels. Things you have long since out grown.”

The noise of the room shifted again, as Silver sat back in his seat and scowled. “So this is a critique.”

“Would you prefer round one of an intervention?”

“Not really.”

Rackham sighed and set his drink down, propping his elbows on the table. “Look- you are, without risk of inflating your ego, the smartest man I know. I hate it, believe me. And you are wasting your time and talent on jobs that are going to get you caught. Your sister knows this. I know this. Even Chaz knows this-”

“Oh for fucks sake-”

“Ah let me finish- It’s been what, five years now? Six? Since the big one- since the glory that was our shared retirement.” Rackham spread his hands wide as if that simple gesture could, somehow by some miracle, encompass everything that had happened in the short, harrowing year that lead up to their so called retirement. “And you have not managed to retire.”

“No- no that’s not true. I did retire. I did. And it was awful. Okay?” Silver argued. “It was the worst fucking thing I’ve ever done. I mean my god you think people actually enjoy just laying around on a beach all day? I just-”

“You didn’t have to actually retire you idiot but you were supposed to find something else to do other than this-” Rackham waved at Silver, again as if the simple gesture could encompass everything that was his current state. “You could have done just about anything, conned your way into, I dunno, vineyard ownership, art collecting, travel writing solely for the sake of writing, writing bad romance novels for sexless married straight people, romance novels for the queers, literally anything-”

“I tried- and it was all just-” Silver sighed, giving up on an answer and instead sipping his whiskey cocktail. It was easier than trying to explain the fact that somehow, in that short, impossible year, he’d finally become someone real, someone tangible, and now he couldn’t be anyone else. And that at least, by being a con man, he was staying true to himself in the one way he knew how.

Rackham sat back in his seat again and pushed his glasses up on his head, tussling his carefully mismanaged curly mullet. “I know. Its not easy, finding a new life to lead. It took all of us time to find the people we were before it all happened. To find the people we wanted to be in the ashes the were left behind. I can… only imagine it’s much harder for you.”

Wasn’t that a laughable notion. A truth of course, Silver conceded, but a laughable one.

Everyone had lost something that year, you don’t go into a con of that level without taking risks. You don’t challenge men of that stature, companies of that wealth, collections of that value, without putting everything you value on the line.

But everyone else had walked away with something, someone. Some semblance of themselves.

Everyone but Silver.

“Your letter had said this was about a job,” Silver said finally. A letter. An actual letter too, on nice paper with a letter head and a wax seal and everything because Rackham was, if nothing else, authentic to the core and spared no detail, even in gently bribing a friend, nae, colleague, into what was starting to feel a little bit like a trap, though Silver couldn’t put his finger on why. “Does Max know about it?”

“Yes. I wouldn’t summon her brother without consulting her first. I like my dick well enough were it is thanks.”

“What Job?”

Rackham smiled and shook his head. “That’s not what this is. This is aperitif, drinks, catching up, remember?”

“We don’t do that, Jack.”

“We never had the opportunity.”

“Hardly have to start now.”

“I disagree.” He tilted his head. “By the way, what name is it you’re using these days.”

Ah.

That was why it was starting to feel like a trap.

The amusement had faded from Rackham’s eyes. He was watching Silver like a Cat, the way he used to in the Islands all those years ago, when he was hoping to catch Silver’s tell, catch his bluff. The faintest, thoughtless smile hung at the corners of his lips, accented by his curled mustache.

Silver held his gaze and said nothing.

“Mmm. That’s what I thought.”

“Jack-”

“Still using the name he gave you.”

Rackham’s smile grew as he sipped his drink, something golden like sunlight as it swirled around it’s coupe glass. Silver fought for calm, keeping his face impassive as he watching Rackham scan the room like any diner would.

“I chose the name, thank you.”

“Oh pish posh, you chose it, he chose it, tomato, tomahto. We all know the truth, Silver.”

Rackham fixed him with a hard look, arm hooked over the back of his chair and a cold light in his eyes.

“He’s the one who pinned you with that name like the tag on a fucking corpse. You’ve worn a hundred names in this life and the last, and whats it matter now? Oh nothing, just that your own personal god gave meaning to the empty promises you made the day you tried to rob him blind.”

There was a knife on the table. Sharp. Cerated. But that would be more than the moment deserved, even if the curdled taste on Silvers tongue demanded a bitter iron accompaniment. He could get up and walk away, that was the civil thing to do, and they were now civil people, feral things made clean and tame in the eyes of the well mannered world, or so his sister would remind him every so often during their calls.

But the hard look in Rackham’s eyes softened and he set aside his drink, reaching across the table for Silver’s hand. Silver stared at it for a moment before reaching to take it.

“You’re not the only one sour about the fact you got stuck. I’m just sorry yours…”

“Went up in smoke?” Silver offered with a tired smile.

Rackham laughed softly. “Well yes, but then faking one’s death is a pretty clean way out of the game. It was kind of you, offering him such a way out, when he didn’t deserve it.”

The uneasy feeling that had twisted Silver’s stomach up into knots was starting to reach his chest, twisting and churning it like the old sea before a storm. Silver pulled his hand away and sipped his drink, giving the waiter a moment to drop off the small plates Rackham had ordered.

The lounge, with the reflections in the glass of nearby buildings, felt a bit untethered to Silver, crowded and empty depending on where you looked, people coming and going in large groups and small. The decor was clean and simple, well placed greenery taking the place of abstract art, and two art deco inspired bars placed at opposite ends of the rooftop to give a sense of wide open space. Among the movement and the noise, it was easy to feel like one’s eyes were playing tricks, and with his nerves on edge, Silver felt like he was seeing ghosts in the corner of his eyes. He knew it was just the conversation, summoning them, that he wasn’t seeing old allies and enemies amongst the Manhattan socialites on a Tuesday evening.

He knew Rackham wouldn’t risk him like that.

Didn’t he?

“That isn’t fair to him,” Silver said once the waiter had left, Rackham glancing up from his plate. “To Flint-”

The rest quietly disappeared, exchanged to the Spanish government for a very lucrative payout (was it the total value? No but near enough that everyone would land on their feet, made sweeter by what they cleared out from Woodes’ investments), which then of course had been divided up into the appropriate accounts via wire so that, ideally, no one would ever have to see each other ever again.

The mention of the name alone shifted the air in the room, only for Silver of course No one else had any reason to notice the delicate way he uttered the single syllable. He wasn’t even sure if he was still using the name these days.

Their names had never fully gone public, during The Con. Sure they’d all been in the Islands, engaged in various events and jobs for The Guthrie Shipping Company, now out of business permanently, but records were lost, names smudged, burned, deleted, hard-drives wiped, the usual clean up that needs to be done after a dozen deaths, a minor workers rebellion, and the disappearance of 5 million in Spanish gold.

A portion of the gold had been seized on a private flight out of Nassau, in the luggage of one Woodes Rogers, who even five years later was still claiming he was framed, despite a plethora of evidence linking him and other English investors to various aspects of the Con.

It had after all been a very hectic year, a bit of time apart was in order.

They were meant to scatter.

Except Max and Anne and Jack and Charles, the Rangers as they had affectionately become known, who wandered off to Europe, to rusticate in Italy if Silver remembered correctly. Of course they were destined to stay together, the world now their oyster to bend to their mighty wills, and Silver was, truly, glad for them. No one quite deserved a soft and joyful ending, free of blood and non-consenting bondage, quite like his sister and her lover, and her lover’s men. Italy had become France, once the plan for their “Rogue Fashion House” as Jack called it, had come to fruition. Max and Jack each worked on the designs, Jack tailored them almost entirely himself and Max acted as head model. It was art for Art’s sake, they didn’t need the money (They’d swindled a few wealthy tourists and retirees on their Italian tour, and they were comfortable), they just wanted the magazines frothing at the bit, club kids and fashion week hipsters wearing their designs instead of Dior.

To disrupt and irritate and make their name stick. A bit of glory all their own.

Silver could support that.

Rackham tilted his head, toothpick from one of the plates between his teeth. “Don’t do that. Don’t go giving the man grace when you already gave him a miracle. Christ above Silver I’ll start wondering about that bleeding old heart of yours next.”

Silver smiled wryly. “Nothing to worry about there. That’s cold and hollow and tired. And done with, thank you very much.”

“Oh is that so?”

“Yes. I don’t have it in me and I’d like it if you’d just left it alone, I can smell the meddling,” Silver warned him, “I’m not interested. If I was I’d have gone to London and looked him up.”

“London?” Rackham frowned.

“Yeah. London. Or I dunno, maybe he went to Scotland, he’d probably be much happier up that way. He could go on for hours about how much he hated England but with-” Silver shook his head. The ghost was in the corner of his eye again, not quite the man he once knew but unnerving all the same.

His Flint had worn his hair short near the end, shaved clean cut in a military style with a haunted, gaunt look to his face. Still handsome, still the kind of man to hold the room’s attention and breath in the palm of his hand without so much as a spoken word, all he needed was a look. But the darkness that had come to live inside them both had graced Flint’s shoulders like a mantle, well worn, well loved, regal in it’s weight and grief and echoing in every facet of his body.

Silver cleared his throat. “With his husband being alive I’m sure he’d want to go home, pick up the pieces of their old lives and everything. I figured they made their way back to the UK once he broke him out of the hospital. I let him. That’s why it’s not fair, to say he didn’t deserve such a way out,” he clarified, as Rackham listened. “He didn’t- I was supposed to meet him. Once he’d found his husband and gotten him safely home.”

“… you chose not to.”

“It was never formally arranged.” Silver shrugged and sipped his drink. The whiskey had lost it’s flavor, only the burn remained. “When I showed him the file, all the evidence that his husband was alive in that facility, after all these years- he didn’t wait to make a plan, Jack. He left. That night with what few essentials he could pack and a kiss goodbye.”

There was a look in Rackham’s eye now, as Silver explained, that seemed almost pitying. There were few things Silver hated as much as pity.

“He left for one airport. I left for another. By the time he was in Austria I was on my way to New Zealand with a new phone number that only Max had and everything else burned and scrapped completely. Put the little I had into secured storage.”

Rackham sighed. “Fucking hell, John.”

“It was for the best.”

“Oh is that what you’ve been telling yourself?”

“Fuck you-”

“Yes yes, fuck me, you’re a good enough lay. The point stands, you made a choice, again. And you’re living with the fallout. Well maybe not living.”

“I am. And I’d like to keep doing that if it’s all the same to you.”

Rackham shook his head. “It’s not. And it’s not to your sister. We both came to the decision to call you and ask you here, not just for a job, which there is one I promise though that will be discussed once we are all together. So you have to stay long enough for that to happen no matter how sick of me you get,” he smiled sweetly and Silver considered the risks of punching him. Fighting Anne later was never worth it. Throwing a drink? No that came with public reaction. “Look I can see you debating your exit and whether or not you can subtly fillet me with that knife, but before you do, can I please just say my piece and then it will rest, for good, and I’ll not bring it up again?”

Silver held his gaze for a moment, looking for a tell, a bluff, anything.

The trouble was Rackham was as good a card shark as Silver.

There was nothing.

“Fine.”

“Thank you.” Rackham picked up his drink again and sat back in his seat, sipping at it as he looked Silver over for a moment. “Now. I am grateful that you told me your side of things in a very adorable attempt to try and, for whatever reason be it delirium or lingering feelings, give some grace to Flint and the fact that while you have been drifting aimlessly from con to con and mark to mark, he and his impeccably well dressed trophy husband have been living out their quaint little fairy tail.”

“Is this going to be a long final piece?”

“Hush. Now where was I-”

“The fairy tale.” Silver gritted out.

The ghost was sitting in the corner of his right eye now. Sitting there by the bar, not fluttering in and out, just sitting. It wasn’t Flint, just a man with similar red hair, longer of course, heavier built, but the fucked up wiring in Silver’s fucked up brain so desperately wanted it to be a ghost, so desperately wanted it to be Flint. Not for any good reason.

They had nothing to say to each other.

“Yes the fairy tale. You’ve gone to the ends of the proverbial earth because you, god forbid, fell in love with the worst possible man you could have fallen in love with, and we’ve forgiven you for that, and you give him this miracle, yes? You do this because you love him. You give him the impossible, his husband, who was dead. And instead of living out this fairy tale with him and his husband who, if I may, is a specimen, you commit yourself to a-” Rackham paused for a moment, sipping his drink as he mulled over the words.

“Life of my own?”

Rackham scoffed. “A mockery of one but fine, a life of your own, without even having a conversation. Fine. I’d be a bit allergic to such a conversation too but what I don’t understand, is why that bastard, with all the shit he’s done in his life, get’s the fairy tale.”

“Because he does. And that’s how it needed to be. If he didn’t things wouldn’t have ended. You know that, Jack.” Silver finished his drink. “The con would have gone on for ever, the gold would have become another treasure, another smugglers business to bring down, another union uprising, you know it would have gone on-”

“And so you bring him down with his Achilles heel and condemn yourself to purgatory. How noble for a man who claimed to never have morals.”

“Your point, Jack. If you please.”

“The point is, I have two reasons for you being back in Manhattan. The first is a very selfish cause, the job. The second,” Rackham waved a hand with a easy smile, “let’s call a spiteful settling of the scales.”

“The fuck are you talking about-”

The ghost.

The ghost in the corner of his eye.

Silver felt his blood run cold and his heart drop, a lead weight into the pit of his empty stomach. He sat, still as a man possibly could with fear clawing it’s way up his throat like a caged animal desperate for air.

Rackham watched him, carefully, sipping his cocktail. “Do you know why I picked this spot? It’s a new place, just opened a couple weeks ago and still very precious, hard to get a table. The dream of a whiz kid from the Bronx so I’m told, incredibly talented, next to no formal training, just a devotion and ambition. And of course,” a tilt of the head towards the bar, “the right sympathetic ear with a very sexy bank account. Takes a bit of digging online to find the investors, they prefer privacy, not to overshadow the stars they patron-”

“Jack-” Silver’s voice barely registered over the echoing noise of the lounge.

The ghost was moving, greeting someone at the bar, someone in a chef’s coat.

“But if you do go digging, if it interested you, you’d find one Lord Thomas Hamilton,” Rackham said looking Silver over. “He’s a devoted patron of well deserving cases it seems. Especially now that he’s got his old man’s money on top of whatever share Flint still has in the vault.”

There was a knife in his hand. Silver didn’t remember reaching for it, the cerated dinner knife clutched in a white knuckle grip so that the blade was parallel with his wrist, sharp edge outward. But holding it, solid and real and sure, was a comfort all the same. Even if the ghost was just some man with red hair.

The room felt impossibly small, suffocating, the sound muted save for Rackham’s voice. His hands rested on his lap, knife in the right, the left clutching tightly at his left knee, that ached with an old, vengeful pain.

“They’re not in the UK, Silver. They spent six months there I think, long enough to get the paperwork resolved for the inheritance and make sure the Lady Barlow was comfortable situated in her new digs. She’s doing well by the way. But once Thomas Hamilton was cleared from the hospital? Flint brought him back to New York far as I can tell, before finding a quiet spot up in New England for a time to weather the worst of it. But they tell me it was only a year or so before they were settling down in the City properly.”

“They- they Tell you?” Silver forced himself to ask.

Rackham nodded. “Considering Flint hunted us down the moment he realized you’d flown the fucking coop?Yeah. They tell us quite a bit these days. We kept our mouths shut in the beginning, other than to tell him you were alive. Had a feeling if we didn’t do that he’d topple back into the old ways over night, but what can you do hmm? Anyway, He let it go once the trail went cold. You did the job rather neatly, for what it’s worth.”

The terror, the grief, or whatever feelings Silver was forced to withstand in that moment must have shown on his face. Rackham sighed, and sipped his drink, his smile soft and indulgent around the rim of his coupe glass.

“What was that you were saying before? Your heart being cold and hollow? Sounds a bit like that grave you should have put him in when you had the chance, don’t you think?” he asked softly. “Before love snared you like the rest of us?”

Again the ghost was moving in the corner of his vision, talking to the person in the chef’s coat, shaking his hand, turning away from the bar to face the room- cold icy panic filled Silver to the core. Everything left unsaid, every goodbye rehearsed in hotel bathrooms at 3 in the morning, every broken apology, every canceled phone call from burner cells and hotel lobby phones- everything began to echo through his mind with the urgency of a siren.

And the grief.

Oh the grief.

He felt like he was drown all over again.

“He hasn’t spotted you yet,” Rackham said, confirming the fear. “But he’s close. He’s scanned the room twice, glanced this way with a curious look but I think that’s cause of me. He won’t acknowledge me in public without his husband though. In truth, I wasn’t sure he’d be here tonight but it was as good a chance as any.”

“Jack please-” Silver was willing to beg. He’d never begged before, but this seemed like a good enough reason to start.

“You have a clear path to the exit and the elevator, with what should be enough cover once the kitchen door opens. I’ve been watching them, they have a rhythm.” He pulled a card out from his wallet and passed it to Silver. “I know you have a room but this is the hotel suite your Sister booked for you. It’s closer to us but not so much so that he’ll find you with that irritatingly smart brain of his.”

Silver took the card and pocketed it. He’d only arrived the night before, checked in to a little boutique hotel by Grand Central to keep his head down. But whatever Max had planned was what he’d do, he was too worried about Flint right now to argue with her, and she had probably planned for this anyhow.

“Take a deep breath and count to ten,” Rackham said firmly. “On ten, get up and walk calmly for the exit. Calmly, do you understand me?”

Silver nodded.

“If he follows you I’ll do what I can to slow him down. He’s not going to catch you. I promise you John.”

Silver knew Rackham’s word was good.

All tricks and lies and charm aside, he knew that to be true.

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

“From 10. Starting now.”

Silver inhaled all the way to five and exhaled from five to ten, at which point he smiled and thanked Jack for the drinks, made a quick excuse about having to run. He got up from the table, placing the knife back with the rest of the silverware, and made sure to turn his back to the bar. Rackham grabbed his hand briefly, giving it a quick squeeze.

“Run, Rabbit,” Rackham said with a wink, and Silver made for the exit.

They timed it well enough, Silver headed for the door just as a wave of orders came out from the kitchen. The floor was confused for a moment, a chaotic dances of servers in white aprons and newly arriving diners trying to get to their tables and other patrons flagging someone down for their bill. Silver did his best to weave in and out of the various moving bodies, keeping his head down and eyes on the door, wondering to himself if this was how Orpheus had felt in that fateful challenge.

Fuck if that wasn’t proof he was still in hell over it all, ruined to the day he finally died by the secret romantic that Flint had been. There he was terrified of facing Flint again for the first time in over five years and he was thinking of Orpheus and Eurydice.

What a joke.

Just a few more tables to clear, and the hostess stand, and then Silver would be free, able to disappear around the corner and into the crowds of millions below, reveling in the springtime evening. He’d be free, he told himself, as he carefully sidestepped around a waitress who nearly dropped a tray on him.

“God I’m sorry sir, you good?” the waitress asked as she steadied herself, already taking a few steps away.

“I’m alright, I’m alright,” Silver assured her, only to find himself looking back at Rackham, and in turn, the bar where his ghost had been standing.

His ghost who was staring right at him, as if he too was looking a dead man in the eye.

Flint was wearing white.

It was Flint, of course, a bit older. He’d grown his hair back, it was falling in loose waves across his shoulders even with the more pronounced widows peak. There was more gray in it now, bright streaks of it along the temples and woven into it like starlight, combed into his beard and mustache that he still wore thick and well groomed the way he had when Silver had kissed him goodbye. Silver’s skin prickled with the phantom touch of it, the way it had felt to be kissed by him, the tickle of his beard along his skin. He’d filled out at long last it was easy to see even at this distance, his soft barrel chested torso, broad shoulders no longer weighed down with an impossible weight. He was dressed in simple, elegant clothes- a cleanly pressed button down and well fitted suit pants, leather loafers, a bit of jewelry that caught the light, all subtle and understated the way he always had been.

But what nearly broken Silver, what nearly kept his feet from moving and let him be caught? The silliest thing of all really.

Silver could hardly remember a time the man wore anything that wasn’t a mourning color.

He heard Rackham’s voice, a loud overly smarmy greeting as he moved to join Flint at the bar and intercept him before he could catch up to Silver and that served to force Silver’s feet to start moving again. He didn’t wait to watch as Flint no doubt shoved his way past Rackham, with whatever niceties or lack there of he could muster in his anger. He cleared the hostess stand and rounded the corner, nearly sprinting as best as he could on his prosthetic for the elevators as everything he’d fought to keep down for so many years tore its way back up his throat. He had to wonder what scars it would leave, whether it would match the rest of his collection.

“Silver!” came Flint’s voice from behind him. “Will you- Silver stop!”

A moment of divine providence, the elevator was waiting. A kind couple, clearly on a date, held the doors for him and Silver slipped inside with a bright smile and a sweet note of thanks. He pressed himself against the back wall and took a slow breath.

“Sir? Elevator?” the couple asked, still holding the door.

Silver lifted his head to see Flint standing there on the other side of the open door, arms limp at his sides.

His hands were shaking.

“No,” Flint said with a polite smile, “No sorry I realize I forgot my phone, I’ll get the next one, thank you.” He bowed his head and backed away so the doors could close, the couple turning to each other to continue their conversation.

It took a moment for the doors to chime and close, and all the while they waited, Silver was pinned under the fierce, familiar deep sea gaze he’d come to love. He could only hope his own expression was empty, impassive maybe, cold, quiet, anything besides what he was actually feeling. He was a con man for fucks sake he should be able to manage in moments like this.

But Flint looked the way he had the day they said goodbye, without knowing it was going to be goodbye. The day he’d learned that Thomas was alive, and had been all those long years, kept from him just out of reach. Haunted, with a new kind of rage brewing beneath the surface of the sea.

And Silver felt himself beginning the grieving processes all over again as the doors closed and his Captain disappeared from view.

#opening act of spring bs mdau fic #jamie's fic #black sails fic #silverflinthamilton #john silver #james flint #thomas hamilton #jack rackham #sat down and wrote 5k+ of words in one sitting lmao i hope you like it #my eyes hurt and my brain goes brr but im not manic so thats a plus #we'll pick at chapter 2 tomorrow

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tokiro07 · 11 months

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It’s really interesting that Medaka Box hit me just too early for me to draw fanart of it and Undead Unluck hit me just too late

I’ve literally drawn TWO pieces of Medaka Box fanart, and one was mostly meant as Pokemon fanart and the other was a birthday present for a friend

My fanart is almost entirely Pokemon, either doing various 30-day challenges, Fakemon, or drawing characters I like with Pokemon that remind me of them

Of those, I’ve done Tsurubami from Medaka Box with Cubone, Faust and Eliza from Shaman King with Alolan Marowak, Junko and Mukuro from Dangan Ronpa with Midday and Midnight Lycanroc, Palm from HxH with Mareanie and Toxapex, Emerald from RWBY with Salazzle, Let from Rave Master with Kommo-o, Uranus from Psyren with Alolan Sandslash, and for some reason Kakine with an entire Bug team! I don’t even like Kakine that much, why is he the one I gave a full team of six??? Oh, and Monet with Rowlet. Obviously

Practically everything else is Monet, but aside from her I’ve done a two Wario Land pieces, three Kirby pieces (one was a present), a fan Robot Master from Megaman, Peridot from Steven Universe cus I had art block, one Godzilland piece, a Smash moveset for Qbby from BoxBoy, a hypothetical design for the Duck Hunter from Smash, a Hero Academy OC, two Shaman King OCs, and various gifts including Ivankov from One Piece, Hisoka from HxH, Tsuyu from Hero Academy, and Shiro from Voltron

Looking over it, the spread is definitely way more than varied than I thought, but a lot of that variety was because I wanted an excuse to draw more Pokemon

If Medaka Box had still been going at the time or Undead Unluck had started earlier, there’s a good chance they both would have been consistent inspiration to me independent of Pokemon, just like Monet

I find it so hard to get myself to do art, and I was kind of hoping that my little bet about Monet would turn out...differently so that I wouldn’t have a choice but to force myself to do it. Maybe if my life goes in a bit of a more relaxed direction soon I’ll be able to find the inspiration to fill this void

Maybe I’ll get back to it with Undead Unluck Pokemon pieces, then transition to just UU

Don’t get your hopes up, but I’d sure love to see Isshin making an unbreakable hammer for Tinkaton

#undead unluck #fouryearsandananime

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chronicbeans · 9 months

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Here's my Welcome Home OC: Pinkie Patience!

My self-imposed challenge was to design him using the pastel crayons and markers my bff bought me, so he looks like a little dork, and I love him! Also this is my first time trying to draw/design a puppet (besides Wally), so expect it to be poor- (feedback is always liked and welcomed OwO.

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He's a laid-back, chill neighbor who likes to play games with friends, relax, and eat delicious foods! Due to his disability/disabilities, which was/were never specifically named in the show, books, or any other media, he sometimes needs to take breaks or ask for others to accommodate for him to be able to join in on activities. While his condition or conditions were never named, some difficulties that have been mentioned or observed are difficulty swallowing, food allergies, joint pain, the use of leg braces and other mobility aids, and sensory issues, such as hypersensitivity to light and sounds.

He often worse glasses, which he mentioned helped with the bright light of the sun and lights inside his house, even though they were clear and not tinted. It is believed that the decision to keep his glasses clear was to allow children with poor eyesight to still be able to see his eyes well. His mobility aids were often bright and colorful. He also wore clothes that didn't quite match in colors, or was all one color. One instance, where he was asked about his clothing style, had him say "I dress more for comfort than appearance. I think my personality makes up for it, don't you?" He is also noted as the only character with colored eyebrows and that changed outfits often, regardless of weather conditions. He also has visible pink stubble on his chin, which a design note mentioned was to try to express being laid-back and relaxed in his physical design.

His segments usually included themes of patience, accommodation, and acceptance for peers with varying levels of ability. It tried to demystify some of the various aids that others may need, such as walkers, braces, wheelchairs and the likes to young kids, as well as show them some accomodations you might need to make to let them join in on activities. Pinkie also showed a very healthy level of self-confidence, mentioning how he sees his disabilities not as a burden, but as a little hurdle that he can and does overcome daily. In the rare times where he felt down about not being able to join what the others were doing, or feeling like he was ruining their fun by needing help, the others would cheer him up and tell him that he's always welcome to ask for help and that they would rather make the changes he needs to join in than exclude him. The others would also ask him for advice on what he needs, listening to it intently and doing everything that they can to help.

He was only shown in a couple of the episodes on television, mostly appearing in the books and other merchandise. There are a couple of theories as to why this could be. The main two are that changing out the various accessories, like his leg braces, which needed to be taken off when he was in a wheelchair and his wrist compression wraps which were only worn in episodes where he mentions having joint pain, was too taxing and difficult for the puppeteers, or that they were hard to puppeteer around. This could be because the accessories were usually made of plastic, while to puppet was felt and stuffing, which comes with the risk of ripping the puppet on a sharp, plastic edge.

The other theory was that parents felt that the themes of disability were too intense for the young target audience, so the channels they were broadcasting odd requested that he be taken out of the show. This stems from letters that were found, usually from the late 60s to early 70s, from angry parents upset by episodes including Pinkie, some even saying that him asking for accomodations was him bullying or bossing the others around and that he didn't actually need them. If this was true, the fact that he was still featured in books and merchandise could be the studio's way of still showing their support for people with disabilities, as well as making sure that children who connected with him didn't feel abandoned by his sudden disappearance from the show. Letters from children, most dated in the few months between his disappearance from the show and his slight higher presence in the books, mentioned how they missed Pinkie or related to him. Some even asked if he was okay or moved out of the neighborhood. It is possible the heightened presence of him in the merchandise could've been in response to the letters from those children.