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fairefolked · 4 years

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so @okelli said they wanted a more in depth tortilla so ya gorl is here to deliver. here you go. click this link. that's it. that's the tutorial.

ok i'm done trying to be funny. i've chucked this in here under a cut, but please keep in mind, this is not a professional tutorial. i am in no way an artist/professional/the be all and end all/guru/god; this is just my editing process. so you don't need to follow it exactly to the t. you're more than welcome to change any processes and do your own thing. i know there are some more technical and frankly better tutorials out there by other simblrs that go really into details and what have you which are really helpful (and i do encourage everyone to go check them out), but please keep criticisms close to your heart bc i reiterate; i have no fucking clue what i'm doing. but let's get started bc this bitch gon be long.

what you're going to need:

photoshop or some other editing program. i personally use ps cc 2019, however gimp will probably also work

reshade; however whatever version you use is up to you. again, i use 4.6.1.

google is your best friend and mine

a screenshot of your choosing w some slick lighting

a lot of patience

for images where the resolution isn’t clear, click here for full size.

step one:

open up your screenshot in your editing program of choice. i have picked this screenshot for the purpose of the tutorial bc of the spicy lighting. also did i spend an hour building this for the purpose of this tutorial? i cannot confirm or deny these suspicions, but we're usin it ok. for this picture i used @intramoon‘s alethiology reshade preset bc it’s my fav atm. you can find it here.

step two:

apply your colourgrade. i used the sonder actions by again @intramoon bc this tutorial is sponsored by asia. i’m not going to go too in depth here, bc this differs from screenshot to screenshot. i’m only mentioning it bc it’s fairly important to the next step. adding the colourgrade turned my screenshot from what you see above to this.

as you can see, the colours are now slightly more muted and there’s more of a green hue to it.

step three:

depending on the colour scheme you’re going for with the screenshot, you’re going to want to pick a colour that compliments it. since my screenshot is still quite warm toned, i chose #fff4d8 which is a pale yellow. you’re going to want to take this onto a soft brush (they come with photoshop so if you’re new to using ps, it’s a default, you don’t need to download anything). i’ll include a screenshot of what it looks like.

before painting anything, what you’re going to want to do is create a NEW layer. you can do this by either pressing shift + ctrl + n or by clicking layer in the menu bar up top, selecting new, and then new layer.

on your new layer, with the colour and brush selected, what you’re going to do is paint over the areas that are already highlited by ea lighting. for example, my screenshot ended up looking like this.

looks pretty messy, but that’s ok bc we’re going to change the blending mode to overlay as seen below. obviously this made the lighting look slightly too intense. dw this is not how we leave it.

i also change the opacity to suit the image. i set my opacity to 50% and this is what it ended up looking like.

i added in an extra step that i only use occasionally for this tutorial, and basically that extra step is going in with a soft WHITE brush and taking it to the areas that look extra glowy - i.e. the typewriter, the pie and the counter handle. this is what mine looked like. this needs to be again done on a new layer, so make sure you ctrl + shift + n or select a new layer in the menu bar.

again changing the layer to overlay, and changing the opacity. this is what my settings looked like.

again, please refer to the full size image folder, however for those lazy like me; opacity is at 65%

step four:

on your main layer of lighting overlay (if you didn’t add more like i did it should be your only one), you will want to add a layer mask. this can be done by clicking this little button here

once you’ve done that, it should add a white box on your layer and look like this

because the colour has lightened some of our shadows, and depending on how deep you want your shadows to be, you’re going to want to click onto the white layer mask and with a soft brush set to the colour black, you’re going to want to draw over the shadowed areas that you want to deepen again.

for reference these are the areas that i went over. and my layer mask now looks like this

step five:

creaTE A NEW LAYER!!!!!! this time we’re going in with shadows. pick a dark grey colour (or black, your choice. i prefer dark grey), i used #1c1a18 and paint over the areas where you want to deepen the shadows further again.

this is what mine looked like

set that to soft light and change your opacity (don’t use overlay this time, it’s too harsh on the picture).

my picture now looks like this:

subtle changes make a world of difference.

step six:

FIND A LIGHT RAY!!!! i mentioned in the ask i published that i particularly like using this one i found on google, and i did use it for the purpose of this tutorial as well.

pop her on your picture and change the positioning. positioning can be changed by pressing ctrl + t and either flipping/rotating (which can be done by right clicking on the texture and selecting flip horizontal etc) and dragging the corners. if you’re dragging the corners to make the texture smaller, maKE SURE YOU’RE HOLDING SHIFT DOWN WHEN YOU’RE DRAGGING SO THE DIMENSIONS STAY THE SAME. with the positioning, make sure you’re putting the light areas of your texture where the light source is coming from. it’s really important to have a basic understanding of light and shadows. i flipped mine horizontally and made the texture smaller as well as rotated a little.

set her to screen and change you’re opacity.

boy i’m sounding like a broken record lmao, but my picture now looks like this.

starting to look kinda nice right?

step seven:

download this video. open it up in photoshop and make sure you have your timeline window on. if you don’t and don’t know how to change it, up the top, select WINDOW and make sure there is a tick next to timeline which is near the bottom of the drop down. once you’ve done that, click ANYWHERE along the little timeline that has shown up and it gives you a frame for the dust texture. it should look something like this. (the red is bc that little blue and red guy is important)

press ctrl + a on your keyboard to select all and copy that motherfucker. past her on your screenshot, set her to screen and play with her opacity again.

if you’re unhappy and feel like it’s too busy, you can go back and add a layer mask and using that same soft black brush, erase problematic areas the same way we did in step four. mine ended up looking like this.

NOW THIS PART IS OPTIONAL!!!!!

using the colour fill or paint bucket tool, i went in on another new layer with another pale yellow (#e4dcb1) and filled in the whole image. i set that to COLOUR and put it on a clipping mask RIGHT ABOVE the dust texture. you can add a clipping mask by right clicking and selecting set clipping mask. it now only applies to the layer directly below, which is our dust layer. i only did this because the white was too harsh (lol) and i wanted the dust to blend a little better with the surroundings.

finally step eight:

again optional, but if you like the vintage look like i do, select the layer with your screenshot and using the noise v2 action by @intramoon (hi again asia) in this set, add some noise. it creates a duplicate layer, which you can then play with the opacity of to set to your desired strength.

once you’ve done that, you’re basically done!!! this is what my screenshot ended up looking like by the very end.

that concludes our spicy lighting tutorial. i hope you were able to do better than i do on a good day. enjoy!!!!!! if there are any parts that you need clarification on, please feel free to yell at me and i’ll see if i can help lol

#ts4 tutorial #s4 tutorial #editing tutorial #the sims 4 #s4 #ts4 #ts4 screenshot #s4 screenshot #ts4 edit #s4 edit #i tried #it's long #i got lazy #i'm sorry

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otonymous · 4 years

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Moving Violation (MLQC Shaw - NSFW)

Description: Public transportation gets a lot more exciting when a gorgeous stranger decides to give you a hand 😉 Warnings: NSFW/18+: Explicit/graphic language — reader discretion is advised. SPOILER for chapter 17-1 only. Trigger warning(s): public fingering Word Count: 1698 words (~8 mins of shameless smut) AO3: read here Author’s Notes: This story contains SPOILERS for chapter 17-1 ONLY. If you don’t want to be spoiled at all, now would be a good time to stop reading 😆

As soon as this guy made an appearance in the game, you know I had to write for him. Although I don’t even know his name, I DO know he’s hot AF LOL. The events in this story are based on chapter 17-1; I just added my own smutty take on things. Please note the potential trigger warning in the tags above, and happy reading! 🥰

Nb) Lyrics taken from Green Day's "Holiday" are marked with an asterisk. (song written by Michael Pritchard / Frank Wright / Billie Joe Armstrong. © Warner Chappell Music, Inc)

All characters & Mr Love: Queen’s Choice owned by Elex

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

Clang.

The metal links of a wallet chain hit the steel trim of the seat beside yours, the sound so jarring it immediately pulled you from your thoughts. Turning your gaze from the window, your senses are assailed:

Hair that fell in devil-may-care directions over features all at once delicate and masculine — lavender grey, like the colour of a gathering storm, accentuated with silver like streaks of lightning blazing across an unsettled sky.

Metal studs embellishing a black leather jacket brushing against your arm, cool and sharp even through the sleeve of your cardigan, making you press closer to the side of the bus on instinct.

A hint of cinnamon, spicy and sweet each time the bubble in his mouth deflated with an audible pop, only to reemerge after a few subtle movements of a defined jaw and the push of his tongue through a thin, pink membrane.

And although the vehicle lurched forward each time the lead-footed driver stepped on the gas, the young man managed to keep his skateboard balanced against the back of the seat in front, the underside of its deck covered in a dizzying array of colourful but faded decals. Worn and treasured, like the mp4 player he suddenly produced from the pocket of his jacket, elegantly long digits in fingerless leather gloves fiddling with dials whose details had rubbed off long ago.

The stranger leans back in his seat, long legs spreading wide until one brushes the hem of your skirt…waves of heat emanating from the skin of his knee beneath ripped denim to send tingles up the bare flesh of your thigh.

Brows furrowed, you stare sharply in his direction from the corner of your eye. You had done your best to ignore that twinge of annoyance when he first chose to sit next to you on an otherwise empty bus. Brushed it off when it grew with the knock of his shoulder into yours. But the continued rubbing of his knee against your thigh — each bump of the rough ride sending it higher up your leg — was something you found unsettling. And stimulating.

Nonplussed by your reaction to the invasion of personal space, the stranger fits buds into ears boasting several piercings each, thumb tapping the scratched up player until all you could hear was the tinny refrain of Green Day rocking at insanely high volume over his headphones:

“I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies This is the dawning of the rest of our lives On holiday…”*

Suddenly, perfect eyebrows arch over amber eyes that train on yours to transform your annoyance into surprise. He leisurely looks you up and down, tongue sweeping over the edges of white teeth as he does…slow, as if considering some complicated calculation. Then, as the corners of his lips pull up into a devastatingly handsome smirk, you are similarly devastated to find yourself incredibly turned on by a man you knew absolutely nothing about.

Removing an earbud, the beautiful stranger slides up even closer to whisper in your ear, “Wanna listen?”

His voice is deep and playful, the heat of his breath electric on your skin and charged with an eroticism that effectively shuts down any protests you may have had. So you let him carefully position the bud in your ear, feeling goosebumps bloom wherever he touched, guitar riffs accompanying fingertips that drag from your lobe to your neck, traversing your shoulder and down your arm…before finally coming to rest on the top of your thigh.

Nipples hardening beneath the lace cups of your bra, you tense at the embarrassing possibility of your arousal being on full display through the thin front of your blouse. He slides his arm around your shoulder in response, pulling you flush against his side as the undertones of that husky voice switch from teasing to a soothing coo:

“Baby, relax. Just focus on the music, yeah?”

The hand on your leg begins to move, inching up your skirt, fingers tracing circles as they caress the skin of your inner thigh — so sensitive he grinned to watch you twitch at the sensation of his nails grazing flesh as he sought the moist warmth in the space between.

Soft lips smooth across the line of your jaw, the stranger's voice dropping even lower, as if revealing some illicit secret: “Focus on how good my fingers will make you feel.”

That beautiful face nuzzles into the nape of your neck, and you feel his chest expand against your arm when he breathes in deep — his exhalation masking the gasp you failed to contain when the tip of his finger made its first brush across your clit, swollen beneath a layer of silk.

Already impossibly hot, you glance at your surroundings once more to ensure you were the only two passengers on the bus during the early morning commute. You wondered if the driver heard your shuddering pants as the young man played with your pussy over your panties, wondered if he could smell the heady musk of arousal that was surely suffusing the immediate vicinity.

Wondered if he noticed the spread of your legs from that distance in the rear view mirror, growing wider in response to the lust that glazed over amber eyes to hold you captive.

Suddenly, the stranger retracts his large hand, its absence leaving the space between your legs cool and wanting. Past the point of caring about masking your desperation, you implore the stranger with a look that dripped with need. He smirks, eyes crinkling with mischief as he winks at you before proceeding to lick his digits — pink tongue swirling about the index…middle…then ring finger in excruciatingly slow turn.

To your relief, he brings his hand down once more. But this time, your panties are roughly pulled aside before you feel those spit-moistened fingers sliding along your folds and glancing at your clit…exploring bare flesh. At first contact, you hear the breath hitch in his throat. Hear the thick arousal even he couldn’t hide behind teasing banter when he says, “Looks like I didn’t need to lube up my fingers after all. Guess this excites you more than you let on.”

You couldn’t even argue, nor did you want to. Lips parting as shaky lungs drew in much needed air, your head falls back, the black cord of your shared headphones the only thing grounding you to reality when it pulls taut against your movement. A reminder that although his fingers sent you to the heights of ecstasy with the way they plunged in and out of your pussy — almost frictionless with how turned-on you were — you still had your skirt bunched up and legs spread wide on a public bus in broad daylight, a complete stranger’s talented fingers fucking you so hard and fast your thighs trembled and your underwear became a soaking mess, absorbing slick moisture that dripped in copious amounts.

“This is the dawning of the rest of our lives...”*

The music crescendoed just as the tension in your body swelled to breaking point, the thumb rubbing circles about your clit relentless like the fingers diving deep to push you over the edge of desire.

All of a sudden, the bus lurches as the driver slams on the brakes. Momentum continuing to drive your body forward like a rag doll, the muscular arm around you tenses to keep you from smashing face first into the seat in front. But the driver’s careless technique had another unintended consequence: the young man’s fingers drove even deeper inside you at just the right angle to make you fall apart completely. Spasming within his embrace, you thought nothing of burying your face into his chest to bite at his collarbone through his shirt, trying to muffle your screams.

“Sorry about that! Everyone ok back there?" Still descending from a higher plane of bliss, the driver’s voice seems so far removed.

“Yeah man, just take it easy next time," the stranger shouts back, fingers leaving a wet trail along the inside of your thigh as he finally pulls out from your trembling body.

He makes a show of examining his fingers, slick under the warm rays of sunlight filtering in through the window behind you. But nothing compared to the heat in your cheeks when he traced his lips with the tip of his index, the shiny coat of arousal accentuating pink flesh before his tongue swept out to savour every last drop.

And as the bus pulls up to the next stop — much more smoothly this time around — the handsome stranger leans in close, removing the headphone from your ear before he says,

“Sweet, just the way I like it. Be seein’ you around."

Readjusting his earbuds, he tucks his skateboard under one arm, amber eye winking at you beneath lavender grey strands one last time before he exits, the sound of his skateboard hitting the pavement the last thing you hear before the pneumatic doors shut and you slump back in your seat.

You didn’t even know his name.

⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️

Guess what? We STILL don’t know his name in the English server LOL! As always, thanks for reading and check out more of my work here! 📚

#mlqc #mr love queen's choice #love and producer #MLQC ling xiao #Ling Xiao #凌肖 #mlqc fanfic #mlqc fic #mlqc smut #mr love queen's choice smut #fanfiction #my writing #elex #mlqc shaw #mr love dream date

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darkmindsthinktwistedthoughts · 4 years

Text

Devil’s Trust pt3

Warnings: Strong language, Moblord styling warlords.

Masterlist

---

Chapter 3

He was not in the best of moods. His plans for the evening had been dashed with a single phone call that lasted for only a few minutes. Running his hand roughly through his dark auburn hair he took hold of a fist full at the back of his head and gave it a small tug in frustration. Why summon me? What game is the Devil King playing now? The private elevator gave a small lurch as it came to a stop on the top floor. He smoothed out his dishevelled hair and gave a deep sigh before plastering on an expression of ambiguous origin and entered the Devil’s lair.

The grandeur of the place annoyed him. Penthouse apartment on top of his own building and this is what he did with it? Walking along the corridor past the glass wall that revealed the private garden, a central pavilion past an elegant rock garden, shimmering water of a koi pond and beautifully manicured plants framing the path for walking. He felt himself twitch as an unwelcome thought as to its beauty entered his mind. Who would have thought such a place existed in Hell? There was a heavy-looking sliding door at the end of the corridor, propped open, and he knew without any guidance that that was his destination.

Stopping to look inside before he entered, he couldn’t help but feel the bile in the pit of his stomach churn. This place was really something else. The blend of modern furniture with items of antiquity felt seamless. The glow of the rosewood and lacquered items gave warmth to the contrasting cold metal and supple leather. He did wonder if all the rooms in this place were decorated like this or if it was just the Devil’s office. Knowing Nobunaga and his desire to surround himself with nothing but the best it was probably safe to assume that this level of dedication to all the finer things was abundant throughout.

There was a massive desk at the top of the room in front of floor to ceiling windows giving an unprecedented view over the city. A large sofa with a couple of chairs was in front of a fireplace with a large coffee table. There was even a drinks cabinet that seemed to take up quite a bit of wall space too. The rest of the items present looked as if they saw little use.

“You kept me waiting.” Nobunaga’s low commanding voice reached him from where he was sitting on a chair near the fire. Amber liquid glowed, already swirling in the crystal tumbler he had in his hand the decanter for which was placed on the table in front of him, another glass waiting patiently near it.

“And you are keeping me from my evening plans.” Shingen haughtily retorted and took a seat on the leather sofa without invitation. The sooner this is over with the sooner I can leave.

“You can submerge yourself under females another night. Tonight, I have need of you.” Nobunaga sipped his drink an infuriating smirk on his face as he cracked his mockery. Shingen tensed but managed to retain the composure he was known for. I’ll be damned if I let you break me again Nobunaga.

“As flattering as that is, I’m not interested.” Shingen shrugged and reclined back making a show of it. The leather creaked slightly under his shifting weight almost as if it were sighing at his moving mass.

“After all this time the old Tiger still has the energy to growl and yet all I see before me is a weak little kitten.” Nobunaga leaned forward and poured for himself and his guest. Shingen was making no attempt to help himself which given their history spoke volumes of the level of trust that remained between the two heads of family. In this world you learn that suspicions saved lives. To drink or eat something you hadn’t already seen the other consume was inviting trouble and it was a fundamental lesson to even the less seasoned members of their groups.

“Provoking me will only confirm my suspicions that you are nothing more than a spoiled brat who got in a foul mood because someone took away his candy. What did you summon me for Nobunaga?” Shingen accepted the drink still not partaking of it, he simply held the weighted tumbler on his thigh in his large hand. His black eyes meeting their red counterparts, steel versus flames in this undesirable alliance.

“You still have hold of your own network throughout the city correct?”

“Naturally. Such a thing that has been generations in its cultivation cannot be rendered dead overnight even by your hand. As long as I am still living the bonds of trust are tied, the network remains.” Shingen was first and foremost a trader in information. It was not something he had felt the need to hide as it was widely known among the different factions that that was his domain. In fact, it had served him well over the years. Strategies were only as good as the information held and if you wanted a war with words you sometimes had to get a little psychological with it. Much easier to gain success when the opponent is already panicked that you might know something too juicy to share.

“Good I want you to look into something for me.” Nobunaga nodded happily after accepting confirmation. That familiar entitled attitude did little to staunch the agitated Tiger.

“I am not one of your hounds. Don’t you usually use Akechi for this kind of thing?” Shingen shot out his reply and watched as it hit home. A subtle and almost completely hidden reaction happened. His hand definitely tensed I wasn’t imagining it.

“You might not be one of my “hounds” as you call them Shingen, but you are one of my possessions. It would be a waste to not use every pawn at my disposal on occasion.” Nobu’s voice held an edge to it that was part warning and part dare. The frustrating thing to this almost textbook masking of unspoken issues within the payroll was that Shingen could not deny that there was truth in the devil’s words. Had he been in his position it would be something he would be using to his advantage as well.

“You sit there and just expect me to take your barbs and bidding?” Shingen’s voice rose to meet Nobu’s. I would rather not think of how similar we can be at times.

“I expect you to do your job. Like it or not we are part of a united front and this threat we have on the horizon is coming whether you help or not. I would have thought the great Shingen Takeda would have recognised the importance of going into battle with as much knowledge as possible is preferable to entering a battle with nothing.” He hadn’t so much as moved in his chair and yet there was no denying the shift of his oppressive presence in the room.

“You’re rattled? The Devil King himself is worried.” Shingen held his ground but his gaze had become one of curiosity.

“I am not worried nor am I afraid. I have a dislike for things that are hidden from me. Things that would try to steal what is mine. Now go and find me my weak link. Find me the focus of my attack.”

---

It had taken most of the afternoon to get to the change of location and then unload the van. The neighbours had all begun their series of curtain-twitching and popping out to put items into the outside waste bins to get a look at the new arrivals almost as soon as they pulled up. Mitsuhide chuckled knowing all too well that this was the limit to a lot of people’s subterfuge in the world that was so different to his. It was more innocent and on a level with a child eavesdropping at a door.

“What are you laughing at?” [Name] looked at him curiously as she crouched down to let the cat out of its transport carrier. It gave a small grumpy sounding recognition to her as thanks for its freedom and darted off to explore its new territory.

“Nothing my dear. Nothing at all.” Mitsuhide glanced around the home that had taken on interior design inspiration from a child’s box fort. “So… what are we unpacking first?”

“The kettle. I’m gonna kill someone if I don’t get a coffee.” Casting out a flippant comment she started shuffling boxes around in an apparent search for the correctly labelled one.

“Really now? Well if you should find yourself with such a thing happening, I would hope that you remember to call me about it.” He smiled watching [Name] look over the boxes near her.

“Mobster jokes? Seriously? I was just using a common phrase Mitsu.” She huffed her words used to chastise him lost any negativity in them as she failed to suppress a beautifully happy smile from gracing her lips. Say what you like little mouse we both know you like it.

“And I was just stating facts, my dear. I think the kettle is in this one.” He slid a knife over the tape on the box and with a small popping sound, it opened revealing the chrome coloured appliance. She scooped it up and pivoted her body to go to the kitchen.

They were finally home. He had taken a lot more care and effort in selecting this place than any of his previous safe houses. It was here after all that he would be putting his greatest treasure. It had to be perfect, it had to be safe. He had researched and laid a path of paperwork thick enough to cover their trail linking it to several of his aliases in various ways to lead credibility to it all.

This was a milestone in a relationship even in the normal world. All though they had been living together already back at HQ it didn’t change how pivotal this was. As he mused over a turn of events, he had never thought possible in his life. His smirk softening into a more relaxed smile as he watched [Name] bounce around from box to box looking for cups and other things. I wonder if you know how far I would go to protect you. How far I’ve already gone and how much further I’d be willing to fall just to keep you safe.

---

To say his patience was wearing thin was little more than a joke at this point. His desk was covered in the correspondence that he had had with Esshu since the untimely demise of its former CEO. Each one a polite yet firm refusal to entertain any ideas of a merger. The names signing off on each had been different and each one was added to the growing list he was formulating to try to figure out the design of the inner workings of the beast.

A few days had passed since the Tiger had been set among the pigeons and the lack of enthusiasm to retrieve what he asked for irked him. The fact they simply didn’t just accept their position and dance to the tune specified proved he couldn’t discount Shingen as a possible assassin in this game.

Something else was annoying him as well. “Don’t you usually use Akechi for this kind of thing?” He might have known that Shingen would have spotted the elephant in the room. His once sharp tool that was so quick to cut that the opposition hadn’t even registered the damage until it was too late was now playing house. The blade blunt and discolouring with lack of use. A battle was coming, would his trusted predator still be fighting?

The other company was one thing currently outside of his control. He felt his blood boil as he looked at the rejections. They had no idea who they were messing with. He hated it but there was no changing fact. They say history has a way of repeating itself and he felt the cogs of time rewind to a certain point. If they are not with him, then they stand against him and will be treated like everyone else that had refused his dream. He will crush them, destroy them and take what he wants by force for the greater good. It’s not the first time he would have to come up with a plan for a hostile takeover. But who is he targeting? Nobunaga roughly bundled the papers together on his desk in a shambolic pile and spun in his chair to stare out of his window.

The city below stretched out as far as his eye could see. Pedestrians scurried through the streets making their commute. Traffic lights at each intersection caused the traffic to pulse down the roads of the city in a familiar and predictable way.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Mitsuhide was still performing his duties. All the bases were covered and targets met with precision. Currently, there was no reason to take action to regain his tool. Still, he was not a patient man and he knew there might still come a time when he would have to do something to “correct” the issue. I warned you once before… old friend.

---

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lilith-lovett · 5 years

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Found Families - Home is Where the Hart is - Chapter Three

Third chapter. Here it is, this chapter has definitely been my favourite to write so far because I love family dynamics so if anyone has any fic recommendations I would greatly appreciate them to help me through my upcoming exams.

Masterlist

Summary: A look inside the Hart household.

Word Count: 5483 (I’m so sorry this is so long I got a little bit carried away)

Warnings: Child abuse mention, self-deprecation, homophobic parents mentioned, anxiety, ADHD, depression, PTSD, OCD, therapy mention, minor panic attack, blood mentioned, sympathetic Deceit. If anything needs to be added please let me know.

Patton Hart. His name suited him, thinking more with his heart rather than with his head. He had always been a empathetic person feeling much more deeply than most. Back then, he had been a sensitive and fragile boy constantly seeking out his parents approval but now since they revealed to him how they truly felt about him he changed. He was no longer that delicate, helpless boy but a man who now had a family of his own to care for. No partner, as his parents would have expected of him but three extraordinary kids who he loved whole-heartedly despite them not being of blood but yet their connection was undeniable. Patton loved his famILY.

Patton upon opening his front door after his visit to the Orphanage was met immediately with his two year old Declan sprinting - as fast as a two year old could - full force towards him. His mismatched heterochromic blue and hazel eyes sparkling with joy as he threw his tiny body into Patton’s stomach knocking him onto his behind burrowing face sticky with jam - Crofters most likely - into Patton’s chest clearly pleased to see him.

“Hiya Dee, did you miss me?” Patton said ruffling Dee’s inky black curls as the toddler purred beneath his touch but not failing to notice that he was still dressed in his green and yellow coloured snake printed pyjamas despite it nearing three o’clock in the afternoon.

“Dee missed daddy,” Dee mumbled stumbling slightly over his words still not fully confident with his slowly developing speech “Up up,”. Finally meeting Patton’s gaze making grabby gestures with his mitten-clad hands which prevented him from scratching and irritating the large, painful burn scars stretching down his entire right side including a portion his face.

“Okay, up you go,” Patton said lifting Dee with minimal effort balancing the toddler on his hip “Did you have fun with Uncle Emile?”. He received mischievous giggles in response and felt instant sympathy for his best friend. Dee was certainly a handful and chasing an energetic two year old around the house for any length of time definitely required a lot stamina and endurance something which Emile did not have.

Patton with Dee balanced on his hip he trudged his way into the messy living room with toys strewn across the floor, the furniture out of place and his best friend Emile sprawled across the sofa fast asleep snores and grunts escaping every so often and in his hand what appeared to one of many cup of coffee evident from the several used mugs sat on the coffee table. Looking visibly dishevelled from his unexpected play-filled day with Dee his shirt crinkled, tie undone hanging limply from his neck, trousers stained red presumably with Dee’s favourite jelly and his pink highlighted locks an unruly mess unused to the demanding nature of young children, taking the lukewarm coffee from his hands Patton jostled his friend who woke with a jolt rubbing sleep from his eyes.

“Oh hey Patton,” Emile mumbled his voice still heavy with sleep stretching his arms over his head Patton audibly winced at the sound of the pops and clicks of his spine, Emile pushed himself off of the sofa drawing up to his full height a few inches above Patton exhaling a sigh of relief at the sight of him.

Patton and Emile had been the best of friends ever since their school days, spending more time with Emile’s family than his own and after he was kicked him out because he came out as pan-sexual to his less than supportive parents Emile was the one he ran to for help. He gave him a place to stay supporting him until he finally found his footing and even now was still figuring out ways to repay Emile and Emile’s parents for their kindness during the most difficult time in his life. Patton didn’t think he ever could.

“Have fun today Emile?” Patton chuckled gesturing to his scruffy appearance and considerable number of cups of coffee sat on the table in front of him. Patton couldn’t comprehend how Emile could drink such large quantities of the bitter tasting liquid, he after a mere sip was vibrating with energy and it left a rotten taste in his mouth.

“Yes, me and Declan had lots of fun today, didn’t we Dee?” Emile said forcing a smile at Dee while attempting to neaten his appearance brushing both crumbs and stains from his clothes, scowling at the jam smears shaped like a tiny pair of hands on his trousers.

“Ucle Emmy fell asleep,” Dee chirped giggling at Emile’s mock look of hurt as he poked Dee’s stomach playfully careful not to aggravate his burns inducing further giggling. Patton couldn’t help grinning at playful encounter between his son and best friend, praying that he would continue experiencing moments like these with his family for many years to come.

“Demon child,” Emile muttered underneath his breath contrasting the minuscule smile that crept involuntarily upon his face. “So Patton how was the adoption day, which poor soul was unfortunate enough to catch your eye?”. He had only told a single person his plans regarding adopting again, that person being Emile, unintentionally but ultimately he was glad he did. It had always been a dream of his to become a father and now that dream was a reality though not in the way he anticipated it but he wouldn’t change it for the world.

“Oh Emile, he is incredible his name is Logan and he is so smart and mature and the way his face lit up when he was talking about his books. My god Emile I love him so much already,” Patton rambled on and on about Logan. It was obvious the moment he met him he was the one simply by the look in his eyes, his straightforward attitude and the subtle glimmer in his eye made Patton believe he was worth it but he had walls. Walls built to protect himself from strangers preventing anyone from getting to close which made Patton all the more determined to care for him. “But…he reminds me of Virgil,”.

“He has a past,” Emile said lowering his voice to a whisper not to disturb Dee who had buried himself beneath a mountain of blankets undoubtedly exhausted from his busy day. His former light-hearted jokey nature faded away replaced by professionalism and an earnestness, Emile’s therapist mode as Patton liked to refer to it but yet a faint smile could be seen on his face acting as a solace to Patton.

“I think so, he made himself bleed in an attempt to stop himself from talking which triggered a sensory overload, like the ones Virgil had but I barely had to do anything to calm him down It looked like he had dealt with them before,” Patton explained struggling to prevent the audible tremble in his voice. He knew the moment he approached the apathetic looking boy sat reading, isolated from the rest of the children that starting a conversation wouldn’t be easy but once he eventually opened up upon the mention of his book all of the previous awkwardness was worth it to witness Logan’s eyes light up but that light died as quickly as it appeared, when Logan silenced himself Patton’s heart cried out for the boy. He dug his nails into his cheeks so ferociously Patton feared he may draw blood but once he clamped his hands over his ears and his breathing rapidly accelerated he knew immediately he was going into sensory overload. Patton was no stranger to the condition through Virgil’s own experiences though nowadays they were infrequent but however still happened on rare occasions so he was familiar with the steps to helping someone going through it though his assistance rarely required, he simply added extra weight in the books on Logan’s lap and Patton’s cardigan around his shoulders acting as grounding methods but Logan recovered primarily on his own puzzling Patton as for Virgil it often took up to half an hour to settle him after an overload however for Logan he returned to his cool composed state in a matter of minutes, mask washing over his face once again almost appearing embarrassed by the episode as if handling attacks like these alone were common.

Patton’s breath hitched and this time it did not go unnoticed by Emile who immediately swung into action enveloping him in a warm embrace knowing Patton responded much better to physical touch and reassurance to verbal, stroking his back with one hand, gently caressing his curls with the other until his breathing returned to normal but he made no move to push away remaining firmly engulfed in Emile’s arms.

“I just want to protect him Emile, he deserves a family,” He murmured into Emile’s chest, his eyes stung with tears but he refused to allow them to fall so to not alarm Dee. Patton had a weakness for children in difficult situations and circumstances and had an overwhelming urge to protect the people in his life and now it was Logan’s turn for someone to care for him no matter how rocky the path was.

“I know you do and you will,” Emile replied resting his chin atop Patton’s head “but please don’t forget to take care of yourself, after Virgil and Dee…I never want to see you that way again,”. Emile hands which had settled on Patton’s shoulders gripped him tightly as if he feared he may disappear like he almost did back then.

“You don’t need to worry about little old me,” Patton said plastering a smile across his face in attempt to comfort Emile, raising his hands to rest on Emile cheek brushing his thumb across the patch of freckles dusted on his cheekbones. He didn’t need anyone else worrying about him, it was his duty as a father to care for his family which included Emile.

“I’ll always worry about you little brother,” Emile reminded Patton. Patton and Emile considered each other family neither of them had any siblings of their own so now called themselves brothers.

“We are the same age kiddo,” Patton said though they certainly didn’t look it. Patton had consistently had a baby face never quite growing out of it while Emile flourished into adulthood much sooner.

“And yet you still call me kiddo,” Emile quipped.

“I call everyone kiddo, okay compromise I’ll let you call me your little brother if you let me call you kiddo. Deal?” He proposed stretching out a hand towards Emile.

“Fine deal,” Emile sighed taking Patton’s hand begrudgingly “Little brother,” A mischievous smirk playing on his lips. Patton rolled his eyes knowing he would soon regret that decision. “So, will you be telling Roman and Virgil they may be receiving a new brother?”. Patton initially wanted to keep his intentions to adopt again secret especially from his children until he was absolutely certain on whichever child he chose being the correct fit for his family which now didn’t seem so distant any more.

“Not yet, I’m sure if I told them Roman would instantly try and talk me out of it,” Patton said glancing to the collection of pictures frames decorating the once empty mantel place specifically to the smallest hidden partially behind the others of the first night with Virgil and Dee, nobody was looking at the camera Roman and Virgil who hadn’t ceased in their bickering since they arrived home and once Patton believed they had finally reached a compromise he brought out the camera hoping capture their first night together as a family but however he wasn’t quick enough before Virgil caught him immediately turning away from the camera concealing his face with his hoodie sleeve, Roman arms folded across his chest pouting and Dee attached to his half-brother’s leg refusing to part from him. It wasn’t the first family portrait he’d expected but it was perfect though Roman still hadn’t forgiven him for showing the picture to his Roman’s friend Elliott Sanders on his first ever sleepover. Roman had been an only child for so long and then he all of a sudden had two younger brothers which he took time adjusting to and it required him witnessing one of Virgil’s more severe panic attacks for him to at long last recognise him as his little brother but yet telling Roman he may perhaps be receiving a another brother he would surely oppose.

“Well don’t keep them in the dark for to long,” Emile said stepping over toys towards the window “And speak of the devil,”. Emile pointed towards the school bus steadily approaching the bus stop located outside the Hart house where Roman and Virgil would soon be getting off.

“Hey Dee, Virge and Ro are home,” Patton spoke softly shaking the sleeping toddler awake, well aware if he allowed him to sleep any longer he wouldn’t sleep tonight but he shot up instantly at the mention of his brother’s names making beeline for the door to greet them.

A short while later Patton’s eldest Roman aged twelve and his middle child Virgil aged ten arrived home squabbling as usual.

“You just have to seize your moment my chemically imbalanced romance,” Roman proclaimed dramatically as he often did, practically vibrating with energy his ADHD medication presumably having worn off. Gesturing wildly with his arms resulting in Virgil having to duck out of the danger zone to avoid getting struck in the face by a flailing arm, grimacing at the nickname.

Roman was the first to be adopted by Patton soon after he got back onto his feet with a well-paying job and his own home,adopting a child was simply the final piece of the puzzle of his dreams. Roman had been a rambunctious six year old given up by his biological mother at birth and had been floating within the foster system ever since. They had an instant connection with their shared love of all things Disney and silly puns that no one other than this six year old child seemed to appreciate but his seemingly never-ending supply of energy and inability to sit still regularly got him into a lot of trouble however to Patton he was perfect and simply a child who required an outlet for his creative energy, which he found in theatre kick-starting his passion for performing. Roman now apart of a local children’s theatre, had starred in numerous plays from well-known musicals to Shakespeare remakes and had obtained a small fan-following as a result and of course Patton attended every performance. With only a few short months until Roman blossomed into an angsty teenager, Patton had noticed some recent changes in him particularly in his appearance. His former auburn waves were now slick with styling gel and his clothing choices progressing from costumes - he assured Patton he was much to old for now - to whatever the latest trends were, most recently an all white ensemble beneath his red bomber jacket embellished with gold stitching and crown he’d asked Patton to add for him not completely abandoning his princely persona. Though Patton always thought Roman looked stylish his son didn’t seen to think the same of him, often embarrassed by his attempts to be ‘fashionable’ and had taken the challenge upon himself to dress Patton whenever they were to be seen in public together which Patton didn’t mind finding he quite liked Roman’s style suggestions but would always find a way to put his own Patton twist on it.

“What like you? I don’t think so sir-sing-a-lot,” Virgil quipped in his usual fashion, sinking further into his oversized back hoodie, cramming his gloved hands concealing his own burn scars into his pockets, music blaring out of his headphones which hung loosely around his neck playing some obscure band Virgil idolized immediately making his way to the kitchen shoulders hunched, his clenched jaw and closed off attitude was evidence that his anxiety levels were clearly on a high.

Virgil and Declan, Patton had been adopted from the same Orphanage as the two were half-brothers from the same abusive household and refused to be separated. Virgil, seven years old had been taking care of his eight month old brother Dee virtually since he was born but because of their complex situation they were relocated every few months, never remaining in one home for two long before both were sent away once again. Their first meeting didn’t go as effortlessly as Roman’s had, originally Patton had intended to adopt one child. A plan which had been thrown out of the window the minute he met Virgil who had been involuntarily forced into meeting Patton and undoubtedly irritated by the whole situation and once the two were left alone together Virgil made his frustrations known shouting and swearing before fleeing, saying that Patton was shocked would be an understatement and nearly walked out there and then but had a change of heart upon learning about Virgil’s troublesome past and his tenderness towards his younger brother. Virgil and his brother deserved a family and Patton would be the one to give one to them. So Patton came back the following day requesting a session with both brothers which went about as well as anticipated but once Patton put his mind to a task he wouldn’t be discouraged so easily, it took time and patience but they were worth it. Dee adapted to the new environment without any trouble presumably due to his young age and minimal memories of his past family but Virgil who had a severe mistrust of adults and to Patton’s knowledge at the time received the brute of his parents abuse took much longer to adjust but as time passed he gradually opened up but this wasn’t the beginning of Virgil’s problems, as a result of his trauma he had developed several mental disorders affecting his daily life he only had officially diagnosed and treated - a few different anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, insomnia and PTSD - a few months ago after suggesting he go to see a therapist for his worsening anxiety and panic attacks and though progress is slow there has been a steady improvement and he is now much more open especially with his feelings. Virgil had retained his sarcastic attitude and stubbornness and had a rather unique sense of humour which Roman often became the victim of but beneath his tough outer exterior exemplified by his dark aesthetic and choice in clothing distressed jeans, band t-shirts and his patchwork hoodie all in his two favourite colour black and purple is a thoughtful and kind-hearted individual who managed to find his voice finally in music and poetry.

“Hiya kiddos, how was school?” Patton asked as he did everyday when the boys arrived home from school though not failing to recognise Virgil’s heightened anxiety, positive Emile who was also Virgil’s therapist acknowledged his anxious energy too from their shared look of concern.

“It was splendid, in art today we finally got to make a start to our final paintings and of course I chose acrylic paint that was just a given,” Roman gushed rambling on and on about his day without pausing to take a single breath, enthusiastically motioning with his hands as he spoke. Excessive talking, one of Roman more prevalent symptoms. He’d made great improvement with his volume control and impulsiveness but he was excitable and passionate by nature and talking gave him an outlet to share his ideas though occasionally went a little overboard.

“Roman, remember to breath,” Patton spoke softly placing a gentle hand on Roman’s shoulder and the excited tension deflated as he released a breath he seemingly hadn’t realise he was holding but immediately averted his gaze to the floor shrinking in on himself, ashamed of his outburst.

“Sorry dad,” He mumbled fidgeting with the zipper on his jacket. A nervous habit of his.

“It’s alright Ro, I know your working on it. How about you tell me all about your painting at dinner tonight?” Patton proposed resulting in a complete turnabout a beaming smile stretching across his lips practically bursting at the seams with elation.

“Really, thanks padre,” Roman exclaimed a little too loudly as he bounded upstairs to where his room was, the skip returning to his step and Patton only smiled as he watched him go. Roman was Hispanic by descendant but living in an orphanage for the six years of his life, he had been brought up around English speakers and never had the opportunity to learn his native tongue but entering school had implanted the desire to learn the language and he threw himself into memorising as many words as he could. Patton had to admit he teared up a little at hearing Roman call him father in Spanish for the first time and it stuck.

“Virgil what about you?” Patton called out to an empty living room. Virgil, Dee and Emile all having disappeared relocating to the kitchen. Virgil sat cross-legged in his usual position on the kitchen counter for some reason having an aversion to chairs though Patton never questioned it and allowed him to perch on the counter if he joined them at the table for mealtimes, which he did begrudgingly. Dee settled himself in Virgil’s lap, plucking contentedly at the threads on his jeans while Virgil rested his chin on Dee’s head running his fingers through his curls breathing deeply matching each breath with the piano ballad now streaming through his headphones. While Emile sat at the dining room table with yet another cup of coffee flicking through some loose files peering at Virgil every so often his expression laced with concern. “Hey Virgil, how are you doing?”.

“Fine,” Virgil muttered into Dee’s hair. A common response whenever asked about his feelings in an effort to divert attention away from himself but from two years of learning to identify Virgil’s avoidance habits had given Patton the ability to navigate Virgil’s ever changing moods and mannerisms. Patton knew he was not ‘fine’ far from it.

“Virgil you know you can tell me anything right? Maybe talking about it might help,” Patton suggested gradually moving closer towards Virgil but making no move to touch him without his permission but decreasing the proximity between them allowing him to make the next move. Emile’s advice repeating in his head as he frequently resorted to physical reassurances which often only panicked Virgil further unless he actively seeks it out himself so he restrained himself from pulling his dark strange son into his chest to console him, waiting patiently for Virgil’s response.

“Um…well…I…I postponed my presentation again,” Virgil stuttered disappearing further into his hoodie as if to hide away allowing his inky black bangs to fall over his grey eyes. This ominous presentation had been looming over Virgil’s head for weeks causing nothing but stress and anxiety for him but the presentation was compulsory and despite the support and resources offered by the school it did little to quell his panic. “I…I was going to do it b-but the moment I stood up and everyone eyes were on me…I…I,” Virgil gripped his own hair curling further in on himself his breathing growing more rapid and erratic as he stuttered the words out as he recounted the event, his increased distress had not surpassed Dee’s notice. The youngest manoeuvred himself now facing Virgil placing his mitten-clad hands against Virgil’s chest as he had presumably seen Patton do before in order to regulate his breathing, his large eyes staring up at his brother with a combination of concern and confusion but it warranted a weak laugh from Virgil as he inhaled a shaky breath exhaling once before repeating the action until his breathing slowed enough for him to continue. During the time Emile had appeared next to Patton placing a comforting hand on his shoulder now much closer to Virgil allowing him to step in if need be, Patton simply watched the two brothers interacting able to read each other feelings without words a lump forming in his throat. It never got easier witnessing Virgil’s panic attacks, powerless to prevent them and only able to guide him through each one as they occurred but was increasingly grateful for Emile’s presence unsure of his ability to restrain himself from attempting to console Virgil himself. “I ran…I didn’t know what else to do…I just had to get out, I ran to the restroom…I tried to do that counting thing but nothing worked but then Princey showed up out of nowhere and helped me out of it,”. Virgil glanced over to where Patton and Emile were standing but peered over Patton’s shoulder at something behind them, Patton turned and was surprised to see Roman standing completely silent in the archway having replaced his red bomber jacket for his favourite red sash draped across his torso his sketch pad and an assortment of art supplies held to his chest.

“Of course Vir…eh J.D-lightful, it is my sworn duty as a Prince to rescue damsels in distress,” Roman proclaimed striking one of his many signature poses but Patton didn’t fail to miss his initial bashfulness and in that moment his heart swelled with pride. Roman and Virgil were polar opposites and determined to forever despise each other but yet slowly but surely they were learning to tolerate each other accepting their faults and figuring out that they aren’t so different after all.

“Whatever you say Princey but thanks,” Virgil said a small yet sincere smile creeping onto his face unfurling himself wrapping his arms gently around Dee now happily babbling away. “Thank you too Dee,”.

“Do you feel better Virgil?” Patton asked his heart warming at the sight of Virgil’s rare smile.

“Yeah I do, thanks dad,” He said hoping down from his perch lowering Dee to the floor and shuffled apprehensively towards Patton but he knew exactly what Virgil was asking for, he opened his arms allowing Virgil to close the space then wrapping his arms around Virgil’s narrow frame not too tight to feel as if he were suffocating him but enough for him to feel secure. Though Virgil made no move to hug him back Patton sensed his tension dissipating as he revelled in Patton’s touch and warmth before returning to perching on the kitchen counter.

“I’m proud of you Virgil. You were able to recognise you were panicking and calm yourself down,” Emile praised placing a gentle hand on Virgil shoulder. “And perhaps he could talk about this presentation in our next session and have a system set in place for if something like this occurs again. What do you think?”.

“Uh yeah sounds good, thanks Uncle Emile,” Virgil said his face flushing from the praise a stark contrast to his pale complexion winding the cord attached to his headphones around his hands.

“Patton duty calls, I have emergency meeting soon. So I will make myself scarce and Virgil I will see you next week for our session,” Emile said Virgil only nodded in response still self-conscious in regards to his weekly therapy sessions. As Emile was leaving he wrapped Patton in a quick hug before ruffling Dee’s hair who hummed gleefully in response and he left, the grumbling of his car could be heard outside as it exited his driveway.

Patton gathered Dee into his arms, his youngest immediately making a grab for his glasses resulting in Patton having to dodge his fast approaching hands reminding him that his glasses were not a toy receiving a dissatisfied whine. Virgil remained on his perch scrolling through his phone presumably on Tumblr the tween’s favourite social media sight though he didn’t give any indication of what he was he was smiling at on his phone but Patton didn’t pry trusting his son completely and Roman had assembled his art supplies at the dining room table fixated on the potential masterpiece he was working on in his sketchbook. Patton had an idea.

“It has certainly been a day. And the only suitable way to complete this day would be with a movie night,” Patton announced promptly gaining the attention of his children. Movie nights were cherished occasions within the Hart household as Patton held the belief that a night spent watching movies with your family could solve any problem and if not it certainly made everything a little easier. The entire family gathering on the couch beneath a pile of soft and fluffy blankets, various movie snacks - typically home-made cookies - and a heart-warming feel-good movie playing on the TV Patton couldn’t think of anything superior. Occurring typically twice weekly in a normal week but often unscheduled movie nights were arranged for a variety of reasons; if Virgil had a bad day, if Roman was stuck in a creative slump or if Patton was simply feeling worn down. A movie night was always the perfect solution.

Roman and Virgil expressions of elation were enough for Patton’s heart to summer-salute within his chest and they all immediately swung into action cleaning the chaotic living before they all settled down at the dining table -including Virgil - to a family-favourite of Patton’s extra special secret recipe for Spaghetti Bolognese, so extra special even the exceptionally picky eater Dee would tuck into with no complaints. Following their dinner Patton began the preparations for movie night preparing the traditional snacks while Roman and Virgil disputed over the movie choice and Dee snuggled up in the considerable number of blankets struggling to stay conscious but once the movie began - they ultimately chose a Frozen a favourite of all three Hart siblings - and barely half-way through the film when Anna began her journey to find her sister Elsa all three were fast asleep. Roman’s increasingly lanky limbs sprawled across Patton’s lap emitting occasional soft snores every so often, Virgil curled in on himself his hoodie drawn tight around his slight frame his music still flowing through his headphones allowing him to sleep easy and Dee nestled into his older brother chest Virgil’s arms gently drawing him in closer. Patton smiled immensely thankful that fate had granted him these three wonderful, beautiful, talented children there weren’t enough words in the English language to describe the warmth he felt within his heart and his one last wish was to add one more beautiful soul to complete the puzzle that is his dream and that missing piece was Logan.

But while Patton drifted off to sleep with a smile upon his face surrounded by the overwhelming love and affection of his children. Logan did not. He returned to his room beaten and broken, collapsing into his bed with an empty stomach, begging for an escape from the hell he was living.

Tag list:

@i-do-not-dislike-fudge @poems-art-darkness-n-more @alex-cain

If you would like to be added please do not hesitate to ask.

#sander sides au #sanders sides #logan sanders #patton sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #deciet sanders #Emile Picani #sympathetic deceit #Adoption AU #Logic sanders #Morality sanders #creativity sanders #anxiety sanders #tw child abuse #tw anxiety

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danhowellgifs · 5 years

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long-awaited icon tutorial!

i’ve had several people ask me how i make my icons, so i decided to give y’all quite a lengthy, super detailed tutorial on how i create them ^-^ ~having basic photoshop knowledge is expected~

i’ll be showing you how to make this

i’m using this screenshot here :)

first i like to colour. i use a base colouring that i alter depending on the image you wanna make sure the skin is lightened — especially for this particular image bc dan is shrouded in darkness be sure to use adjustments such as Exposure > Gamma Correction & Levels bc they will be of great use in livening up the picture.

after that, you’ll want to cut your image out with the Quick Selection tool on the left hand side of your screen then you’ll essentially just be holding & dragging over your subject until all of it is selected

SIDENOTE: ~ if you find that the tool is being troublesome in selecting your image, you can always erase around it by adding a Layer Mask. (select the paint brush to do this) erasing this way is more time consuming though ~ [THIS IS A LAYER MASK BTW ↓ ]

in this tutorial though i’m demonstrating with the Quick Selection tool :)

once dan here is selected,

you’re going to right click the image and Select Inverse

as you can see it has also selected my background automatically. now all you gotta do is press COMMAND X (ctrl x for windows i think) and it should remove it

now i’m left with this:

because this was a pretty dark pic with a low resolution background, it made it harder for the tool to make an accurate selection. so, as you can see, i’m left with a lot of impurities

but! that’s ok! because now you just gotta add a layer mask to this image and use the paint brush tool to erase

layer mask:

brush tool:

erase around ur image until the the edges of it are smoother. i recommend not having too harsh of a brush setting for this i had the hardness set at 50% and alternating the sizes throughout

after the erasure this is what it looks like:

this next step i incorporate because it means i have an even smoother, feathery outline to my subject.

i’m going to delete the layer mask i just had beside my image, use the quick selection tool again, select all of dan and ~then~ at the top of the screen should be this setting:

this should take you to a page where you can apply several alterations to your masking. as i said before, it creates a softer outline! i am always changing up the settings but for this particular icon, these were the values i used:

and below i just make the choice of a new layer with layer mask (just incase u wanna erase anything on ur layer mask after) hit OK when you’re done!!

this is now what your workspace should look like on the right and the result of the extra masking:

righteo!!! now that’s done it’s time to ensure my canvas has a 1 x 1 ratio (square) and by doing that u can just drag the crop tool outwards or go Image > Canvas Size > Pixels > and make sure the dimensions are the EXACT same. Now that your canvas is square, move your subject around until you’re happy with the placement.

now is a GREAT time to save your work as a .psd, because the step after this takes us to the next stage and you won’t be coming back from there. so, make sure your work at this point is saved!!!!

the next step you’ll be highlighting all your layers, right clicking, and Converting to a smart object. this just compresses everything to one layer basically.

NOW, go to Image, Image Size, type in 128 x 128 and click OK.

this downsizes your icon a considerable amount, to the specific set tumblr dimension now it’s pretty simple from here on out, i add some extra adjustment layers on the image such as Vibrance, Brightness, Selective Colour, Colour Balance and Levels just to make everything pop a little more now that the image is smaller. (and then compressing those + the image again to a smart object, before adding a background)

when adding a coloured background with a gradient, i add a black and white gradient map above my background colour, and set it to Soft Light at 80%

this next step i’m going to add in is mainly for images that lack the colour you want due to darkness, poor quality, etc. dan’s hair (for example) is something that doesn’t show up with vibrancy a lot of the time so i’m going to show you how you can bring those features out more.

i add a new layer right above my image

go over to my colour picker a select a rich brown colour i can paint over dan’s hair. (#853e25)

it looks pretty ridiculous, but...

i then set this layer to Colour, 52%

i also want to make his skin stand out a little more, so i repeat the same process as just then, with a new layer, and a skin tone colour instead.

this is now set to Overlay, 25%

you can also use this step for any features, it works on clothing too! generally with the setting Soft Light.

these steps + more colouring this is what my icon now looks like :)

i also further softened the edges of my icon, you can do this by simply using a small, soft brush on a new layer mask with these settings & going around the outskirts

OR you can use the quick selection tool again (make sure your coloured background is unchecked at this point so ur background is transparent) and repeat the process from earlier by going to Select And Mask and softening it a little there!

now add a coloured background if you haven’t already + a gradient if you wish!!

This is the final step i do, especially if i’m making an icon where either dan or phil are wearing black which happens a lot with dan rip

i add on a colour fill layer of pink with a low opacity to kind of make the black of his shirt look less intense. (you can use whatever colour based on what you choose for your background - just make sure it’s super light!)

setting here: Lighten, 7%

do you see how that simple adjustment kinda just makes it look a little less contrasty?

now i’m going to duplicate this layer once more, only i am going to be erasing on the layer mask and changing the opacity to around 30%

my icon now looks like this:

so i’m going to be erasing dan’s body on this layer mask very lightly with a medium sized brush with hardness between 0-10%. over on your colour picker once you’ve selected the layer mask (like above) instead of black, i’m going to change it to a dark grey and erase with that.

when erasing, try not to erase right to the edge of your subject, let some of the pink (or whatever colour) blend into the image because it overall makes the image softer and less contrasty

this is the result, it’s subtle but yeah

and that’s basically it! if you have any further questions ask off anon here :)

#icons #tutorial #there's probably typos. don't yell at me. i'm dumb #and tired #this probably wasn't the best pic of dan to use lmao but! what can ya do!

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grad504paulnukumm · 2 years

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Social Media Typographic Reflection

Project Name Digital Typeface Promo “Titillium Web”

The overall tone for this project was old-school technological. My concept was to portray Titillium Webs technological characteristics though the idea of a computer screen. Titillium is a geometric sans serif that’s blocky and square making it seem quite techie. I wanted to incorporate a matrix type of vibe with colours like green, black and grey. I also came up with unique effects that suited this matrix tone. Some of the effects I created were pop up ads a computer mouse, folders, typewriter text and so on. My project was split into two sets. Design 1 and design 2. Design 1 consisted of an instagram (ig) and Facebook (fb) animation that described the characteristics of Titillium, the technology and modern vibe, the styles and weights and some glyphs. Design 2 also consisted of an ig and fb animation that revolved around the historic context of the typeface. The two animations showcased the origins of Titillium. All of the choices Ive made in my designs have given me a strong story with the right amount of information and effects in each animation. Originally I wasn’t going to take my animation down this creative route. I was going to take a simpler approach with easy effects and a black and white colour palette, overall given it a simple modern look. But after doing more research into my typeface and other type promo ads I was inspired to take a more creative path. Another noticeable change in each animation was my screen design. I went from just a subtle white light on the screen to a pixel-like green light. I kept most of the animations screen designs different to show my iterative process and I felt like they looked better with each animation being different. Im proud of the work that I made in this project. Especially for my first time using photoshop frame by frame and timeline animation I feel like I did a great job. I found that each animation I was creating was getting better and better because I was understanding more possibilities as I continued to create. You can see my progress in each of my four mp4’s.

My effects are what made my animations stand out. After choosing my computer themed concept ideas came to me easily. I would say that my favourite effect that I made was the folder in my second ig animation that shows what year Titillium was founded. This is because I like the bold colour and the reference to the old school DVD screen saver. The hardest effect I created was the scrolling bar that reveals Titillium’s different weights. This was a hard effect to create due to it being my first time using layer masks. I also took advantage of using some of my effects as transitions as well. My pop ups showed this nicely. After my typewriter text animation would appear I would cover it with pop ups and after clearing them, all the typewriter text would be gone. I think that my computer animation effects proved Titllium Webs techie characteristics really well. I was able to show a good amount of info in each animation without them getting too overwhelming.

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freya-amelia-smith-fmp · 3 years

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HOW I CREATED MY MAP SIDE FOR MY LEAFLET ! (PROBLEM SOLVING)

Over the last week I have been putting together my leaflet for my campaign and my leaflet consists of a map of London and fun facts about the places that are on the map and also contains safety precautions that you need to take when in London and a fun game for children to play which encourages people to look around London the game links with my posters that I’ve created for this project which I’m really happy with.

The map contains key points in the city of London including Buckingham, Palace St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge etc The reason I have decided to pinpoint special places in London is due to these places not being visited much during lockdown and places on the map like cafés and hotels need tourism to help their industries.

On the map I’ve also included tube stations that are near the places as it is a way of travelling round London and getting to places faster rather than walking I’ve included train stations including Piccadilly Circus Waterloo monument etc.

I want is my leaflet to be appealing for tourists that are going to London after lockdown and I wanted London to look more inviting and fun and safe that is why I have added a game on the leaflet as it is a way of children and adults travelling around the city and have a bit of a purpose and it encourages travelling to these individual places.

The game that I have made is called the poster challenge it links to the posters that I have created within this project of places around London. For aim of the game is to find the posters around London and write in the number that is on the poster that I’ve created. I have also promoted my app and added a QR code that you can scan to download the app as people normally have their phones and is another way of seeing the leaflet but digitally.

The final thing that I have on the leaflet and I thing that is very important during these times is a safety precaution list that people need to follow while travelling and visiting the city on the back of the leaflet it consists of how to wear your mask properly and three rules that you need to follow.

Below is how I created my leaflet and what problem-solving and challenges I had to encounter when creating it and it shows how I solve these problems and how I worked around it to get my final product which I’m very happy with.

The first thing that I did was I created an A4 landscape document on photo shop and then I divided the A4 document into three sections, to do this I went to the tab at the top of my screen that is labelled view and scroll down to the label that says new grid layout. Once I done this a box popped up and I made sure that the column number was three and the gutter was 20px I then pressed okay and this gave me a grid separating my document into three sections ready to create a leaflet.

After creating the grid I proceeded to adding my map that I created via procreate on my iPad once I had added the document to my A4 photo shop document I placed it where I wanted it to go and added to the map using the brush tool I done this to make the map look more free rather than in a box.

Once I had added bits to my map using the brush tool I created a freestyle pattern around the map using a muddy green and then using the one title I experimented with the background of the map I selected different sections and used the paint bucket all to fill in those sections and by the end when I was finished I had different sections that were different colours of green. After I had finished doing this process I wasn’t really happy with the look so I went back on myself and decided to use the gradient tool I selected the whole background of the map and then using the gradient all I selected the colour green and white and experimented with different angles of the gradient. Finally I was happy with the gradient that I chose and decided to outline the freestyle shape using that muddy green colour again with the brush tool.

After I completed the map background I placed it in the middle of the document and proceeded to making a border to create some sort of aesthetic to the page I started adding circles in different shades of green around the edge but decided it didn’t look great and I wasn’t happy with it and I felt like it didn’t flow with the theme of my leaflet so I decided to get rid of all the circles and try something new.

Once I’ve got rid of all the circles around the border I decided to re-scale my map and start adding labels to it. I first started off with labelling each tube station sign to create the labels are used the eclipse tool and the text tool. After experimenting with a border and without a border on the eclipse shapes I’ve come to decision of having no border around the labels as it creates a softer affect similar to the outline of my map.

The Nextep in my leaflet was adding fun facts about each place around the edge of my map I had to reschedule my map again as it was causing problems with me being out to fit The text around it after completing the fun facts I proceeded to adding a background to separate everything from each other and make it more interesting. To do this I found an image online of cartoon clouds and copied and pasted the image onto my document.

After this I selected the image with the controls CMD shift T this allowed me to select the image and size it to the right scale.

Once I had got it to the scale I wanted I select the layer and use the one tool to get rid of the blue background once this was done I selected the layer again and changed it from normal to luminosity this created a subtle version of the picture that works well with my theme anaesthetic, I try different styles including multiply, lighten, lighten colour, hard light, hue and finally luminosity.

After getting my background to the right style I then proceeded to add boxes around the fun facts to make them stand out more.

After all this was done above I added the final touches of adding the title ‘the City of London’ and my logo for my campaign by doing this it made it more professional and looks like a real map for a leaflet for my title I decided to use a more cartoony typography as one of my main points for my project is to make London look more inviting and fun and by adding a pop of colour like purple it grabs the audiences attention and makes it look more interesting rather than a blocky type that is black which is not as fun as the one that I decided to use.

Finally the map side of my leaflet was completed there was problems on the way such as The map being too big to contain the facts around the edge but I decided to make the mat smaller and bring it over to the side slightly to add fax down the side of it and some small facts around the edge which works better than me putting the map in the middle. I did a lot of experimenting with this side of the leaflet especially with the maps background the original drawing has a grey background on it but to me didn’t look that inviting so I decided to use the colour green as it’s a bright colour and can represent the grass in London and the parks for the background are used different processes and finally decided to use the gradient for the background which works really well and is not too harsh and doesn’t override the main point which is the places on the map.

But overall I am happy with this aesthetic and how the layout has worked and think it looks inviting and I think it betrays the point I’m trying to get across in my FMP project.

#PROBLEM SOLVING #TASK #IDEAS #LEFLET #HAPPY #FMP #BETWEEN THE TRAIN LINES #LONDON #AFTER #LOCKDOWN

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