#when I see fit I usually make some tweaks to the scene

[colleendoran]

I was curious how you manage to keep features consistent when you draw them? Do you use models? Is there a model for Crowley? He is very handsome.

I don't use models per se, but I sometimes keep files of photos or art that resembles the subject.

Crowley is based a bit on the French actor Alain Delon who was once considered the handsomest man in the world. He doesn't look exactly like Delon, but that is in my head when I draw him. I recall reading Neil and Mr. Pratchett once considered Peter Sellers for Crowley.

There is no reference for Aziraphale because he is entirely in my head and I can't really find anyone who looks exactly the way he does. I recall reading that Neil and Mr. Pratchett thought of Brian Dennehy at one point, but my head canon Aziraphale won. I think a Brian Dennehy Aziraphale would have been amazing, though. Anyway, he is actually kind of hard for me to draw because his facial structure is a bit outside my usual style. His face is a bit long and his eyes closer together than I normally do, and if I'm not careful, he slips away. He appears younger and more classically handsome as an angel than he does in his corporeal form, but I think he's quite fetching as a bookseller.

Michael Sheen is so perfect in this role it is really hard not to leak bits of his performance into the graphic novel edition, but I have to resist the impulse. I am not allowed to use any of the show actors as models.

I adore Michael Sheen. Who doesn't?

Adam is also a head canon character. He is a perfect young Greek God, so that's kind of drawing on a day with a Y in it for me.

The inspiration for Newt I'm keeping a secret. I submitted a number of sketches for Newt. The show Newt dug in deep and I had a hard time shaking him off.

The Them are based on kids I knew. They're in my head, I don't need any photos. They don't really look like the kinds in the show. The book version of Pepper, for example, is a freckled red-head.

Anathema is an amalgam of features that don't come from one person, which I think fits the description of the character. She's also unusual for me to draw but she's easier to draw than Aziraphale. I nail her every time.

Hastur is a caricature of the stereotypical English upper class you'd see in broadsheets 200 years ago. I have a file of pictures of Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury for Hastur. I considered making Hastur more handsome in a Duke of Hell sort of way, but I think Hastur likes to be scary. I keep thinking of Peter O'Toole when I draw Hastur, too.

I feel kind of bad basing Hastur on Lord Ashley because he was a wonderful person and I'm sure he didn't go to Hell.

Ligur is a broad caricature of Danny Devito. I obviously can't use a DeVito portrait. That would be wrong. But I can tweak from there and come up with a general idea of the face I want to use.

Beelzebub and Metatron are head canon, and don't look a thing like they do in the show. I postulate some demons prefer to look like their angelic selves, and at other times prefer to be fearsome. Crowley can look fearsome when he wants, for example. In the book, Beelzebub appears as a young man in red flames.

Shadwell was drawn from reference at the direct suggestion of Neil.

Madame Tracy is based on a certain person, but no one you would have heard of. The original source might not be flattered, but I love Madam Tracy. She's really easy to draw because she's a bit over the top. I'm sketching around her scenes right now because I don't have final approval on some things yet. So she might need some changes later.

War is head canon, very easy to draw. She's a knockout. No reference required.

Famine looks a lot like Famine in the show, actually, but that's what Famine always looked like, pretty much. Except he has the grey eyes he has in the book.

Pollution is initially described as being a forgettable white guy, but later described as looking like a romantic poet, which strikes me as being memorable. Because he's only on one page in his forgettable white guy phase, I chose not to make major changes in his appearance between those panels and later when he appears as his true self, because that's a bit more confusing than it needs to be in the graphic novel edition. He's rather glamorous as the essence of Pollution, though. No reference needed.

Dog is a dog.

While I do give every detail a lot of thought, I am sure other people have other opinions. I understand that, and hope you enjoy what I do anyway.

Thanks for your question.

I'm still a bit under the weather, so may be stepping away from the net for awhile so I can concentrate on work. I have a lot of sick time to make up.

But don't think I don't appreciate your interest in the Good Omens graphic novel adaptation. Your wonderful support is acting on me like a tonic, let me tell you.

#good omens #good omens graphic novel #neil gaiman #terry pratchett

[angstywaifu]

The Lost Sister - Part 9

Synopsis: Xaden is known as an only child due to his sister who 'died' during the Rebellion. Little do they know she didn't die and has been so close this entire time.

Garrick Tavis x OC

A/N: From here on out you will see a few things pulled from the books. Especially moments where we have Garrick. Cause lets be honest we have some amazing moments from him where I can slot Ophelia into the scene. So there will be a mix of my stuff, and some dialogue from actual Fourth Wing with some tweaks to make it fit. We have some really good moments coming up, that I am so excited to show you guys to! As per usual requests are open for any one shot or scenarios you may want. And if you want to be on the tag list just let me know! The Lost Sister Masterlist | Masterlist

All of our current squad make it up the gauntlet. And now we wait our turn for presentation. And of course Garrick is over seeing the squads before they walk in. He’d been at the top of the gauntlet when I’d climbed up, but he had been dealing with an issue of how Violet had gotten up the end of the gauntlet. I was actually impressed with her idea to use the rope and dagger. I knew Xaden had given her some guidance, but I knew he hadn't told her to do that. But it worked.

This was the closest I’d been to Garrick in a while as we all stood in a single line waiting to go in. Despite me somehow tying for first in Gauntlet time, we aren’t the first group to go in. Slowed down by Violets time. But at least we all made it.

Ahead of us is a clearing lined by dragons, lined up in their own formation. All close enough to pass judgement on us, as well as dispose of us quickly as we walk by.

”Let’s go Second Squad, you’re up next.” Garrick says sternly, beckoning us forward with a wave that makes the rebellion relic on his bared forearm gleam in the sunlight. “Into formation.”

Garrick’s tone is all business, he’s in full leadership mode. It’s one of the first times I had seen it and it reminds me a lot of Xaden’s style of leadership. But Garrick is more mission first, niceties last. And currently his mission is to prepare us for presentation. It is also one of the first times I’ve seen him in full uniform, usually opting to forego his jacket around the grounds. Which I don’t blame him with how warm its been. But winter is starting to set in, and its definitely a fair bit colder up here. I notice the line of patches on his uniform, show casing his as the Flame Section leader, and an abundance of patches advertising his skill with multiple weapons. I wasn’t sure how many patches there were, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there was only a small amount left he didn’t have. I notice daggers isn’t one of them.

We all get into formation as hot air rushes towards us again. Another cadet claimed. Garrick’s hazel eyes skim over our squad before landing on mine. “Hopefully Aetos has done his job.” His eyes flick to Violet at the mention of Dain. “So you know that it’s a straight walk down the meadow. I’d recommend staying at least seven feet apart -”

”In case one of us gets torched,” I hear Ridoc mutter a few places in front of me.

”Correct, Ridoc.” I can’t help but smirk at the slight sass in Garrick’s tone. “Cluster if you want, just know if a dragon finds disfavour with one of you, it’s likely to burn the whole lot to weed one out.” He warns us as he holds our gaze. “Also, remember you are not here to approach them, and if you do, you won’t be making it back to the dormitory tonight.”

”Can I ask a question?” A cadet whose name I can’t quite remember says from the front row.

Garrick nods, but I noticed the tick in his jaw. He’s annoyed. And honestly don’t blame him. I may not remember their name, but I know they annoy me. And have since day one.

”Third Squad, Tail Section of Fourth Wing already went through, and I talked to some of the cadets….”

”That’s not a question.” He states as he lifts his brows. I note another tick in his jaw as he places his hands on his hips. Definitely annoyed now.

”Right. It’s just that they said there’s a feathertail?”

“A f-feathertail?” Someone I think called Tynan sputters. “Who the hell would ever want to bond a feathertail?"

I feel most of our squad roll their eyes or shake their heads. I see Garrick restrain from doing the same.

”Professor Kaori never told us there would be a feathertail.” Sawyer says. “I know because I memorized every single dragon he showed us. All hundred of them.”

”Well, guess there’s a hundred and one now.” Garrick states sternly, clearly wanting to be rid of us and this job. “Relax, feathertails don’t bond. I can’t even remember the last time one has been seen outside the Vale. It’s probably just curious. You’re up. Stay on the path. You walk up, you wait for the entire squad, you walk back down. It really doesn’t get any easier than this from here on out, kids, so if you can’t follow these simple instructions, then you deserve whatever happens in there.”

Kids? We were barely three years younger than him. But with most of our squad not bearing rebellion marks, I could easily see why he would refer to us as kids. He turns and heads over to a path before the canyon wall where the dragons are perched. We follow, breaking away from the crowd of first years.

“They’re all yours.” Garrick says to the quadrants senior Wingleader. A woman I’ve only seen a few times in Battle Brief.

As Garrick turns to walk back, he locks eyes with me as his hand lightly brushes mine, setting my skin on fire where his touch lingers.

“Single file.” She says to us, drawing my eyes back to the front.

We all form a single line, I end up at the very back behind Rhiannon. With the final instructions of talk to each other, she steps aside revealing a dirt path that leads through the centre of the valley, and up ahead, sitting so perfectly still you would almost mistake them for statues are the dragons. We start to move, each of us leaving the suggested seven feet before following the cadet in front.

As I enter the valley the smell of sulphur is thick in the air, and I note multiple black patches on the path.

As instructed we talk amongst each other. But talk is a loose term. Its mostly bickering. Towards the end I nearly have a heart attack as two greens approach Violet. Then I remember the corset she told me about. The one made from the dragons of her sisters green dragon. They can probably smell it As we get towards the end, our squad is down to seven first years.

As we’re about to leave the area I feel something. An extra presence at the back of my mind. I turn around, trying to keep my eyes down as best I can as I look around. At the back amongst the trees I catch a glimpse of…. Was that white? No, dragons aren’t white. I know I saw white though. But I can’t have. Dragon’s aren’t white I tell myself again.

“Ophelia, you ok?” Violet calls from the exit.

I turn to see her looking at me, her eyes also scanning the area I was just looking at. Did she see it to?

“Yeah, just thought I saw something.” I say, trying to pass it off as casually I can.

She nods, seeming content with my answer. But the tall figure just inside the pathway stares at me as if they are not convinced. Garrick’s eyes are narrowed me in almost a glare. Luckily the next group walks up and I’m able to slip past him without him talking to me.

Part 10

@riorgail @going-through-shit @fw-gt @bbkissme99 @xceafh

#fourth wing #fourth wing fanfic #the empyrean #garrick tavis x reader #garrick tavis #garrick tavis imagine #the fourth wing

[adawngswife]

dating sean diaz hcs pt. 1

- the kind to get mad when he’s embarrassed. like, for example, if he were trying to show off some skate trick he learned and kept messing up to you, he would lwk start tweaking and hit his board on the floor rlly hard 😭 but he wld realize how even more embarrassing that was and apologize awkwardly

- he does the same whenever u guys play games together and daniel ends up joining. daniel is scarily good at bedwars and it makes sean rage lowkey 😭

- daniel and u end up bursting out in laughing fits whenever u guys spawn kill him n sean always goes “what? what’s so funny?!” but then ends up laughing with u guys

- if ure both poc, i imagine u guys exchange the corny dramatic shows from ur home countries w/ each other

- sean shows u the corny telenovelas his dad watches sometimes and u guys always make fun of the unnecessary dramatic scenes

- about twenty minutes in sean always stares at the screen not blinking w/ his jaw hung open though 😭

- both of u end up like that and once the credits roll u say “that sucked ass” in unison

- sean loves small, barely noticeable skin ship in front of other people

- hand holding under the table, arm draped on ur shoulder, quick embraces, and honestly just sitting side by side together is enough for him

- he gets embarrassed if its anything more than that but he has a stupid grin he has to hide on his face after

- if u guys ride the school bus together i can imagine sean sitting behind u and always stands halfway up to look at whatever ure doing 😭 kind of an ick but u cant see his bottom half so its okay <3

- sean hates house parties but somehow always gets dragged one way or another (usually bc of lyla)

- his only requirement is that if he goes, u have to come with him

- back to the shy on physical contact thing, he DOES NOTTT play when hes jealous

- hes not some macho alpha dude but hell def tell guys to back off once they get too close

- grips ur hand extra tight the rest of the night after 😭

- sean always ends up dragging u into some room w no one in it

- both of yall r nosy n lowkey be looking through the party hosts stuff

- pro mma play fighters

- sean obviously has training w daniel and it ends up integrating into when u guys fight

- u guys try to be a cute couple and have little pillow fights but both of u guys end up taking that shit sooo serious

- u guys start dragging each other on the floor and body slamming each other 😭😭

- daniel thinks its sooo funny and tries to referee

- u guys ignore him n go crazy stupid 😭😭

- “STOP!! STOP!! TIMEOUT” is a recurring phrase in ur relationship just bc u guys always escalate off each other

- both of yall ugly laugh sm u have to stop before u puke n then a couple seconds later u burst out laughing again

tbh i have no clue if ive read some of these and subconsciously wrote them down here so sorry if this is similar to a lot of others ones 🙏

#lis2 #lis2 sean #life is strange #sean diaz x reader #sean diaz #sean diaz hcs #life is strange 2

[honeyviscera]

♫ vbs writing songs.....

toya knows advanced music theory because of his upbringing. he would take those fancy theory exams and his dad would assign him theory homework, so he knows how music works on a very technical level. i think while writing music he can become wrapped up in chord progressions and modes and the like.

he does use the music mixing software souma's teaching him of course, but i like to think sometimes the best way for him to work through a song is to set up in the Weekend Garage, haul an electric keyboard onto one of the booth tables, spread staff paper out in front of himself, grab a pencil, and plot out chords by hand.

he's still working on "going with the flow" more, in order to make songs that feel more free and relaxed, and fit the style of vbs, but i think this method has allowed him to create some incredibly technically complex and beautiful scores. it's fun to imagine him plotting it out on staff paper, then typing it by hand into his laptop, and then adding effects and layering melodies and seeing how he can digitally alter it to make it even better.

♫

akito knows some music theory, but not as much as toya. when he was first getting into the music scene, he thought it would be important if he knew how to read music, so he taught himself the basics and has worked up from there. and starting his music journey with toya, he also would learn more theory from him as well, even if at the time it was a bit of an uncomfortable subject for toya. i think akito's approach to writing music is more prioritising what sounds good and just. trying a bunch of different things over the technical aspect of it, but he falls back on technical knowledge when something just isn't working, or if he's trying to achieve something specific.

he also will think of the music in technical terms (like note names, basic chord names, etc), as opposed to an, who just thinks in vibes and sound bytes of songs she's heard before lol

i like to think of him up in his room with his headphones in, on his laptop, just trying different things, humming, making small notes in a notebook, tapping rhythms with his hands. he'll aready be imagining the choreography that could go with the song in his head and might jot that down too. he and an will text back and forth little sound bites as they work on songs together and also short videos of themselves demonstrating dance moves to each other.

his notes are a mixture of sketched chords, timing and choreo notes, and generally outline a song timeline. toya: "now if only your school notes were this organised :)" akito: "oi. -_-"

♫

an isn't suuper well versed in music theory, but she does know some things. she more learned music by ear, growing up in vivid street around a bunch of street musicians. her way of using the music software is like. she'll hum something she thinks sounds good and then trial-and-error her way with the software until it sounds like what she was thinking (but she has very good pitch, so it doesn't usually take too much tweaking to get what she wants.)

she definitely goes more by vibes. she'll think something like "hmmm, it needs to sound more 'bwah!' here...." and then she'll make it more bwah. when she and akito are writing together, this habit of hers can be frustrating because "an, i don't know what bwah means. do you mean something like the chord should be brighter? the tempo faster? some effects should be added?" and then an will be like "mmmm.... I don't know. it just needs more bwah." eventually they figure it out though. and akito slowly learns to interpret her noises and hand waves and head shakes lol

she also texts akito sound bytes and choreo clips and general thoughts on songs. i think instead of using a notebook she just texts akito and uses their conversation history as a notebook lol. when they're rehearsing a song she's like "oh that reminds me...." *pulls out her phone* *scrolls through her and akito's messages* "just a minute......." and then akito will be like "do you mean [x thing] you texted me at 1am last week" and she'll be like "YES how did you know :0" "sigh". akito remembers everything she texts him, because even if random or out of context, he really likes her ideas. and so akito himself ends up being her notebook haha

♫

kohane, being the newbie, is just learning..... i think she's trying to teach herself music theory to really understand what goes into a song. when vbs are hanging out and discussing songwriting, she's doing her best to listen and absorb it all. i like to think she'll sit and watch toya when he's in the booth at weekend garage with the keyboard, and she'll ask occasional questions about his process and he'll smile and explain this and that..... ♪(´▽｀)

akito and an both talk about their process with her to help her learn.... i think when she sits down to write her first song she'll take a mixture of everyone's methods to make her own! (❁´◡`❁)

#ocean.mp3 #project sekai #vivid bad squad #vivid bad squad headcanons #an shiraishi #akito shinonome #toya aoyagi #kohane azusawa #i was struck yesterday with ideas about how vbs writes songs..... -w-

[amuhav]

Get to Know Me - Sims Style

tagged by @dandylion240 (if anyone else did too I’m sorry, I’m not seeming to get notifs for tags rn???)

tagging @keibea​ because we need more TS3 rep in tag games like this tbh.

What’s your favorite Sims death?

Old age. Because it means my sim actually made it that far and I just love seeing their life play out. Some of the more quirky, simsy ones are great though. Death by Jellybean or Cowplant come to mind lol.

Alpha CC or MaxisMatch?

I... really don’t like the TS4 MM aesthetic 😅 I really don’t like the clay hair look for my own sims, though think some people do wonderful things with it, and I do like certain Maxis Mix styles, good skin details with clay hair, certain stylised MM styles etc. but the default TS4 clay look is literally why I never moved over to TS4 in the first place, and it took too long for the Alpha scene to really take off in the beginning, so by the time there was enough CC for me to feel I would ever want to jump in, it felt too overwhelming to even try moving to essentially a new medium.

For TS3... I also am not a huge fan of the straight “MM” look either, though I think the distinction is less prominent as it is in TS4. You can easily make most “MM” stuff fit in an “alpha” game simply because they aren’t usually full-on clay the way TS4 MM is, they’re just not quite as detailed as full “alpha” CC. Whereas the other way around isn’t quite as true, intricately detailed alpha stuff might look out of place if most of your other content is vanilla or MM. So I think as well as preferring the aesthetic, I like the flexibility a more “alpha” leaning style can bring.

Do you cheat your sims weight?

Storywise, characters are obviously whatever size I make them lol. 

Uh. I don’t know about weight, because I don’t think any of my sims have put on a lot of weight during gameplay. I have definitely cheated muscle levels though. Traumatic flashbacks to Loch suddenly getting BULKED whilst I was letting him run free during Riv’s BC. Absolutely not you little twink.

Do you move objects?

For gameplay, I used to try to minimise doing so just cos it breaks so much routing and stuff. Now I don’t play so I go nuts with MOO. Who needs working doors or stairs or beds anyway?

Favourite Mod?

So many mods for TS3 are kinda essential to even be able to run the game lol, like almost the entire NRAAS suite. I think I’ll have to go with the Remove Stencil mod though, cos being able to undo EA’s weird obsession with shiny clothes by removing the specular is honestly so lifechanging LOL. no more shiny wool jumpers or oil slick jeans 🥰

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack?

My first TS3 expansion was Ambitions, because I skipped World Adventures, in fact, I think it was one of the last expansions I bought lol. 

Believe it or not, I do actually own one EP, one GP, and one SP for TS4 lmao, back when I thought maybe, just MAYBE. the game might get better, and I was still trying so damn fuckin hard to force myself to enjoy the actual gameplay. So I have Get to Work, but don’t even ask me what the other two are because I haven’t a fuckin’ clueeeee. 

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing?

...It just occurred to me maybe it is meant to be “LIV” mode because it’s... like. Living mode. Like, Alive Mode doesn’t make sense. But my brain won’t accept it. doesn’t sound right. Always been “LIVE” mod to me lol.

Who’s your favourite sim that you’ve made?

Oh, jeez. Uhhh, I can’t *really* claim most of my current legacy sims because I didn’t make them, they were born in-game, even if I have tweaked the hell out of them in recent years. So if we’re going for physical appearance, I wanna say actually maybe Sylvie for my TS3 sims? She took so long to get just right, especially because TS3 doesn’t really do curvier sims quite as well as TS4, especially not without a fuck ton of sliders, and I had a really specific look to her face in mind that took forever to get right, had to blend her a custom skin etc. But I am finally super happy with her cute lil sassy round face 🥰 Close runners up are probably Qu or Edge.

God, I’m gonna get so fucking shot for this but here goes. Physically, my fave TS4 sims I’ve made are actually both of Tay’s brothers, Ethryon and Ailos, and also probably father, Qariel. I think because I had a little more experience with using TS4 CAS by the time I got to them, more sliders, more skin details, just generally a fuck ton more CAS CC by then, and more time to tweak them etc. As much as Tay will always be my favourite sim OVERALL... yeah. plznoonekillmebye

Have you made a simself?

Ye. I used to update her like. all the timeee too, whenever I got a new haircut etc. And, ofc, Havoc was my alter ego so she’s like. simself adjacent lol.

Which is your favorite EA hair color?

God I hate EA’s hair colours in TS3. their blondes are so yellow, the highlights don’t blend well etc. always make my own. TS4 hair colours make me want to actually die, but then again, I hate the clay hair and cartoony colours of vanilla TS4 anyway, so.

Favourite EA hair?

Favourite life stage?

Young Adult, with Teens a close second. You can do the most with the YA age, but the chaos of teenage years are real fun too lol.

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay?

I literally can’t play lmao. I have too much CC in TS3 for it to run well enough to play, and TS4... is it even possible to play TS4? joking joking... mostly. I’m in it for the story.

Are you a CC creator?

No. Never. I do not have a CC page I abandoned whatsoever no idea what you’re talking about goodbye. 💀

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad?

RBSB represent. 

No I hate everyone equally.

@lazysunjade and @thesimperiuscurse have no choice but to be talked at by me every day. I’m inescapable. 

Do you have any sims merch?

I actually had the TS3 Collectors edition that came with the Plumbob USB and I was devastated when it got broken. Like legitimately heart broken lol. 

Miss her so much I just want her back

Do you have a YouTube for sims?

Ew.

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing?

I used to try so hard to stick to whatever gameplay threw at me, following the actual legacy rules, not editing sims etc, all to the detriment of my actual enjoyment of storytelling. Now I care maybe a little too much about how posts look that I get into a rut of not posting oops bye 💀

What’s your origin id?

Probably the same as my username here lol, but I avoid origin at all costs so couldn’t tell you for sure tbh.

Who’s your favorite CC creator?

Oh, way too many to choose. For sims 3 CAS stuff, the still active converters like @rollo-rolls, @vmsims23, @simtanico etc. for build and clutter stuff @kerriganhouse, and @martassimsbookcc for conversions. Honestly, I’m kinda out of the loop atm, but there’s just way too many good creators.

How long have you had simblr?

uh. since 2015, I think? let’s not dwell on it 💀

How do you edit your pictures?

Dunno how to answer this? Photoshop, I guess lol? 

What expansion/ gamepack is your favorite?

It used to be pets, cos I loved having animals in the game. Now I always forget they exist oop lol. Probably Supernatural. 

#tag game #saviourhide #tagged #dandylion240 #this is so long I almost don't want to post it now ugh #delete later

[cayemm]

i'm curious about your technique ..... the texture in your fabrics, metals and skin is magnificent, do you have some favorite brushes and how do you approach drawing these materials? thank you!

Hello!! :D First things first, thank you so much for your kind words!! My favorite brushes to render with are these:

I don’t remember where I got this brush exactly :( It might be an old Photoshop brush that I tweaked and/or changed its properties quite a bit over time to suit my preferences. The good thing is, this brush is easily replicable, all you need to do is take a simple round brush and enable color mixing!! Then adjust how much paint you want the brush to pick up and/or how intense you want the color mixing to be :D I use this brush for pretty much everything, from skin to fabrics to metal!! I also want to mention that Clip Studio’s default “Smooth watercolour” and “Transparent watercolour” are decent alternatives!

I've worked with this brush for years now! Nowadays I use it for really fine details which require hard edges or opacity. There isn’t much to say except I really like its texture and it balances between being a hard and soft brush really well ^__^ You can get it here!

I got this one from the CSP Asset store, however it originally had a Japanese name which I couldn’t read, so I changed it to just TEXTURE. I don’t see it in my downloaded brushes catalogue though, so I’ll update this post if I manage to find a link

Really good brush for adding some fancy texture – it’s a simple rake brush consisting of 9 lines, nothing too complicated AND easily replicable :D I consider it a good addition to my personal brushset. It’s really fun to use!

Now... I’ll try my best to explain how I approach things during rendering :D (disclaimer: I am no professional artist…this is just how I do things when painting) So! With skin I always keep in mind that light penetrates its surface and, in a way, illuminates it from the inside. This usually leads to experimenting with many colors depending on the subjects skintone and lighting of their surroundings/scene they're placed in :]

Fabrics - I generally paint them very close to how I paint skin :D Of course it’s not a one-fits-all solution, as there are different types of fabric with different properties. Whenever I render a specific fabric - let’s say for example leather – I keep asking myself “How do I make this look like leather? What properties does a leather surface display? Is it shiny, thick or thin, does the material allow subsurface scattering?”

For metals, I usually stick to a general rule of thumb - use stark contrasting values when rendering (really push those dark, saturated shadows and really shiny lights) and don't forget about how reflective metallic surfaces can be!

That's pretty much it! ^__^ ❤️

#ask #phEWWW this was a lot to type #anyways I hope I answered your question anon!! ^__^ #much love #faq #brushes

[thecodyagenda]

Soup:

Alright, buckle up, cause I'm about to give you the recipe to the most cottage-core friendly/I-want-to-eat-this-while-I-cry-at-2-AM potato soup you've ever eaten in your life. I originally got this from Pioneer Woman, but my family and I have tweaked it for extra deliciousness. Here's the ingredients you'll need: 6 strips of bacon, 1 onion, 10 potatoes, 96 oz of chicken broth, 2 cups of milk, 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, enough shredded cheddar cheese to heal any and all childhood trauma for all of about 7 seconds like that scene from Ra-Tat-Touille (you know the one), and whichever seasonings you prefer (I usually go for salt, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, and ground cumin.)

Go ahead and dice your onion and cut up the potatoes into squares--aim for something about the size of a grape. Grab a big pot (like the biggest one you have) and cook the bacon to your preference (I usually make it crunchy to balance the softness of the potatoes). When it's done, you're gonna take the bacon, set it aside, and forget about it for the next hour. Don't pour out the grease, though. If you don't eat meat, you can ignore this entire step and just use butter/olive oil to cook the onions/potatoes.

Next, toss your diced onion in the pot and cook until golden brown. Add the potatoes and cook for five minutes uncovered. Move the potatoes around as you see fit. When the five minutes are up, drown the veggies in chicken broth and cook for ten minutes with the lid on and the heat on high. In the meantime, you can go ahead and start adding your seasonings to the broth. After ten minutes, check to see how soft the potatoes are; (they should be soft enough to eat before you continue). This could take a while, so during this time, feel free to ponder how something as stubborn and seemingly plain as a potato tastes so good.

Whisk together the milk and flour. Add it to the broth. Cook for five minutes. Add ya heavy whipping cream. Blend about 1/3 of the soup you have then add it back to the pot. If you don't have a blender, you can also just mash some of the potatoes.

Add a ton of cheddar cheese to the bowl(s) you plan on using and pour the soup over it. Lastly, break up the bacon from earlier into pieces and add it to the top of the soup.

You have now completed the soup side quest!

Sincerely,

This soup makes me feel like an NPC in a video game and idk about you, but that constitutes a good soup for me 💚

I’ve been hoarding this in my inbox for months from my quiz bc I really wanted to make it but Cato’s soup post has made me think I should publish it anyway bc soup good

I still want to make it tho and probably will someday.

Thank you for sharing it feels incredibly special and I’m honoured you’ve decided to send it to me

#recipes from my quiz #quiz recipes

[delektorskichick]

2 3 16 29

Assuming this is for the bored and anxious fanfic writer asks:

2) Do I read/reread my own fics?

Hell yes! Even fics that I’ve gifted someone else are written for me, by me, and it’s fic I want to see in the world. Since it’s fic I want to see in the world, I read it all the time!

3) What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

Honestly it’s probably one of the two I’m working on right now that both kind of spiraled out of control? One is a (mostly) canon-compliant Clint/Nat/Laura fic that I wrote mostly at @cassiesinsanity’s urging, and the other is a multi-fandom spin-off of ANOTHER fic I’ve been working on (that was SUPPOSED to be a ONE-SHOT, dammit!) that is now longer than what I’ve written of the original fic.

16) At what point in the process do you come up with titles?

Unless a title slaps me upside the head at the beginning of a project (like honestly most of my NaNo works) it’s the last thing I figure out before I post it. And usually you’ll find me screaming into the void or scrolling those Criminal Minds quotes for something. Or I steal one a friend who’s read the fic comes up with.

29) Share a bit from a fic you’ll never post OR from a scene that was cut from an already posted fic.

So here’s the thing. I don’t edit. I don’t cut things. I might spawn an idea or two that I never get to, but I don’t write them down. What little I do cut just isn’t really long enough to say that it’s an idea? I’m one of those people that will slap anything up on Ao3 once it’s complete enough to be coherent. Or I’ll use bits that fit for things like Whumptober.

BUT!

I dug through my word docs and found a thing that won’t be posted for a LONG time yet because I’m stymied on plot currently. It’s from a clintasha fic where Nat is a tattoo artist and Clint is a barista.

*

Natasha walked into Howlie’s Ink Parlor -affectionately known as just Howlie’s- on Fulton Street, fifteen minutes late and without her usual Starbucks.

How on earth Steve managed to see her from where he was bent over his buzzing needle, Natasha didn’t know, didn’t want to know, honestly. But see her he did, and she heard the raised eyebrow in his voice when he spoke.

“Cutting caffeine cold turkey there, Nat?”

Natasha growled quietly at him as she slumped down on the stool at her station, chucking her bag under the desk with a careless thud. Her head was pounding, and she couldn’t even manage to be disgusted at the gooey love eyes Steve was making at James over his literal labor of love. He was putting the finishing touches on the scar-covering tattoo that he’d been tweaking and refining for the last eighteen months on James’s left arm.

Normally, Natasha would have just rolled her eyes and pulled out either some new flash sheets she was working on or pull up a design to do some last-minute tweaking of her own for a client. Normally her ferry was on time. Normally the last Starbucks before she got to Howlie’s wasn’t closed to undergo surprise repairs.

Normally she probably could have handled all that and just laughed it off, getting herself a cup of Steve’s horrible instant decaf in the breakroom and pretending it was real and bitching about her, admittedly ridiculous, commute.

But damn Matt Murdock and his shitty-ass timing. She hadn’t gotten any sleep last night, and she was getting too fucking old for that kind of shit.

*

Hope that was what you were looking for!

#minirant #questions

[gale-gentlepenguin]

ML Reboot: Miraculous: Heroes of Miracles: The Lovesquare (Season 1)

-I think it will be important to say that the lovesquare is very much as integral to the reboot. But I will be changing a few things about How its handled.

-Origins still has both Marinette and Adrien falling into the lovesquare, but the event is altered

-Its actually after they beat stoneheart and Ladybug kisses chat noir's cheek, thanking him for the encouragement, and that she is "lucky" to have a partner like him. Its seeing all of the aspects of Ladybug that hit this boy like a truck. From her cute nervousness, to her confidence, her clever mind, and her supportive side. Its right after that that Chat noir has his soft "Oh" moment

-And yes even the precious Umbrella scene is getting some tweaks.

-For one, the gum seat is being changed because its pretty tame. So instead Chloe tells Adrien she needs a bucket of water, which he gets and Sabrina sets the trap. Adrien realizing what they were doing comments that this is a bit too mean of a prank. Chloé assures him it is fine, "Dont you want to fit in?"

-Adrien feels conflicted but does decide that "To hfil with it" and swipes the rope from Sabrina. This results in the bucket falling earlier, Which good news, Marinette and Alya dont get soaked, bad news "Marinette's Design notebook" does.

-And Chloé decides to play it up, making it look like Adrien's idea. Which causes Marinette rage much like in canon but now more so.

-Alya is a bit suspicious of how it was set up, but she sees her new friend in pain and is more concerned for her.

-Adrien feels guilt as getting the bucket was his fault, and he wants to make it right. He ends up venting at a table during lunch and Nino happened to be there and is like.

-"Sounds like you should apologize. Even if you didnt set up the plan, you have to clear the air." Nino himself didnt understand why he bothered telling him this. He normally never gets involved with drama.

-Adrien turned to see Nino there, and thanking him for the advice. Asking for his name.

-"Nino"

-"Adrien, sorry for randomly dumping that on you."

-Nino tells him its fine just go deal with his drama, he doesnt care for it.

-So Umbrella scene. Adrien has his umbrella, and much like the intro of the scene, Marinette dismisses him. But this time he peps himself up to go and make it right.

-He approaches her, and first thing he does is apologize, explaining that he was trying to stop the bucket from falling. He never liked harmful pranks and he especially hates the fact that Chloé didnt tell him her plan, he would have never agreed to it. He explains how he never been to real school before and is just trying to find his place. But he knows that he doesnt want to be Chloé's friend if it means hurting people. He gives her the new note book, he got it along with a fabric/swatches binder, (based on the one his dad has). Commenting that he saw one of her designs and thought it was good.

-Marinette was definitely surprised seeing this caring, and thoughtful version of what she thought was yet another spoiled rich kid. But it was him giving her the umbrella and hearing that laugh that did her in. She was left Thunderstruck, just like in canon.

____________________________________________________________

-Chat noir is actually less flirty in this. He still flirts, but usually its seen as banter. Which Ladybug goes along with. Only in super serious situation she will be like "Time and Place kitty" Which means focus, and that is when he does.

-Marinette does know Adrien's schedule to an extent, mainly because she has asked about it. They are friends, and Adrien does want to hang out with his friends.

-Alya finds out about Marinette's crush 5 episodes in. Marinette hides it and is in denial about it for a bit. Thinking that he is out of her league and doesnt want to get her hopes up. Alya nips that bulls*** mentality in the bud.

-Chat noir and Ladybug do hang out outside of akuma fights, and it isnt uncommon to see them on patrol. Chat noir comments that next time he will get macarons from his favorite bakery. Funny enough, Marinette was at the counter 10 minutes before and saw chat noir walk in to pay for the macarons.

-Marinette and Adrien hang out as friends sometimes (granted not all the time, because schedule).

-Marinette’s first civillian interaction with Chat noir is still Evillustrator. (There are some changes to this episode) Chat noir is a bit more flirty (since Marinette is Adrien’s friend) he wanted to see her flustered. But Marinette was cool as a cucumber, even with the danger. So Adrien thought she was cool.

-After Evillustrator battle. Chat noir tells ladybug he is going to check on Marinette. Since she was put in danger over it.

-So Balcony scene where Chat noir commends the baker girl, in which Marinette teases saying that He should stop being so flirty, ladybug might get jealous. He blushes and asks if that’s possible. Which chat noir then covers up with bravado. Marinette gives him some cookies as a thank you. And chat noir promises he will get her something as reward for her help.

-Adrien’s first civilian interaction with Ladybug is Pixalator, (it’s a change from the plot and character in who the akuma is). Ladybug basically guarding Adrien. As this girl is in hot pursuit of Adrien. Ladybug keeps him safe and it’s Marinette doing her best to be professional. He even saved ladybug once before “appearing to get captured.” Chat noir shows up shortly after. Apologizing he was late. Ladybug said it was fine, “Just don’t make it a habit”.

-Ladybug checks on Adrien after, and he thanks her. Asking if there is anything he could do to thank her. She smiles and tells him to enjoy life. And kisses his cheek before heading off.

-There will be LADRIEN AND MARICHAT

#miraculous: heroes of miracles #ml reboot #gale boot #ml reboot idea #adrinette #ladynoir #marichat #ladrien

[rollofleaf]

Inspired by a post from @silversiren1101

What would Hilde’s dream in Areelu’s lab be?

The original idea was for her to be at home telling stories to children from her tribe, but a good point about the demonic dream latching on to more surface-level desires made me reconsider. Ultimately, I think it still works well by framing her desire as seeking out fame and power, portraying her as a great, famous chieftain and poet with a woman hanging on her arm. It strikes close to the core of her desire and gets some important details like her retiring from fighting and being a storyteller, but ultimately misses the point. Hilde doesn’t care about fame, what she really wants is to pour her soul into something she created, to learn something from her endless traveling, and to love someone with all her heart. And of course the demonic misinterprets that as wanting power and fame and sex because it can’t fully understand the love for creation and beauty. The more I think about it, the better Hilde would fit as a Shelynite… So I made some tweaks without changing the essence, focusing on it portraying her as vain.

Hilde is sitting in a big comfy chair surrounded by children and a few adults. There’s a shadowy feminine figure at her side that leans over and kisses her shoulder. Her axe hangs over a fireplace as a trophy alongside a few stuffed heads. One of the children pipes up, “Chieftess, Chieftess! Can we hear the one about how you slayed a dragon alone!” Hilde chuckles and stands up to head over to a bookshelf. “Of course. Just let me find that volume…”

Hilde sighs as the illusion fades. “Is that what I want? Seems crowded… I’d rather have seen myself writing that tale.” She doesn’t fully understand how to process it, she clocks that something’s wrong with the scene and doesn’t find it as appealing as she thinks she should but doesn’t realize it’s missing what she really wants.

Arueshalae: She’s initially confused, but she quickly takes it as a beautiful expression of humility and desire for peace because she doesn’t yet know Hilde well enough to realize what’s wrong with it. “Is that your dream? It’s beautiful… I hope someday I’ll be able to wish for things like that.” She also can’t help but murmur, “I wonder who that woman at her side was…”

Camellia: Camellia is nothing but contemptuous. “All this power, and you want to go tell some snot-nosed brats stories?”

Daeran: Daeran understands Hilde’s desire for peace, since he kind of shares in it, so he’s much nicer than usual and focuses on something he feels comfortable making a barb of. “A woman on your arm? Well, I suppose that explains why my charms have failed on you.”

Ember: Ember, being Ember, gets a sense of what’s wrong with the scene. “You’re a big success with power and fame… But you seem even happier when you’re writing than here.”

Greybor: Greybor focuses on the wife and kids and is only able to mumble out “Mora…”

Lann: Lann is thrown for a loop and very conflicted. He’s frequently looking to Hilde for advice on being a leader since she understands his more tribal system. On one hand, it’s a very unconventional method of leadership that he doesn’t get, on the other hand she’s still taking care of her people.

Nenio: Nenio doesn’t really realize what’s going on.

Regill: Regill is a bit conflicted on what to think. He isn’t quite sure whether Hilde’s desire for a peaceful life is an asset keeping her grounded or a distraction from her duties. Ultimately he says nothing.

Seelah: Seelah is reassured by it, seeing it as confirmation that Hilde isn’t the demon she superficially appears and is still a good person under the demonic rage.

Sosiel: Sosiel seems to appreciate the dream, though he also gets the sense that something is off. “You really are an artist at heart… I hope soon you’ll be able to write freely instead of being trapped in war.”

Ulbrig: “Isn’t that what we all want? No more oglins, no more fighting, just family?” Hilde doesn’t have the heart to tell him that’s not what appeals to her.

Wenduag: Contempt similar to Camellia, but more disappointment. “I suppose you’re chief in your own way, but where is the power and bloodlust?”

Woljif: “Hey Chief, who’s the old lady? Looks sorta like you.” Hilde will sullenly respond with, “My mother. I t-think. I don’t remember what she looks like, but I think that’s her.” Woljif gets quiet, unsure how to try and comfort her.

[shadesofmauve]

Writer ask meme

Tagged by @swaps55, and I'll tag @comeoniwantacoolname, @virusq, and @fenmere

Do you write in order?

HahahahahaaHAHHAHAHAhahahahAHAHAHA

no.

Do you start with something in particular?

Dialogue, almost always! Sometimes it comes with blocking right from the start, sometimes it's just voices in the void, and I have to put bodies to them and fill in the ground under their feet later.

How fully formed does your writing come out on the first try?

See above; dialogue is usually there but the voices may be in the void. And for dialogue to hit right I sometimes have to finesse the character actions or other descriptions so the reader inserts pauses in the right place for effect.

How many drafts do you go through?

I never just start at one end, right to the other, and say "Here is An Draft." I do a lot of editing/revising as I go, even when I'm frantically writing out first-draft stuff by hand (there are scribbled arrows and footnote-inserts and strike-throughs to (very quickly) capture things). And I write chunks as inspiration strikes, and expand on them over time. So it's more like "Here's scenes A, D, and F. I've already tweaked them all at least once, and some of them more. Now I need to write scenes B, C, and E to connect them. But once two and three are in five, which I wrote earlier, needs to be changed...'

Once all the connective tissue is in place and a thing actually reads like a chapter, it goes to the beta reader. I make revisions based on feedback, then usually a typo/line-edit type pass before posting.

Tell me about your process?

Okay, so, I'm in the shower or on a walk, and these characters Say Things, so I scribble half down on the shower notepad or on a phone, arrive home and/or put on clothes, tear through the living room, stop my boyfriend from interrupting me by holding up a hand and yelling WRITING IDEA, and then I write it down, riding it as far as I can.

When it's time to make something into an actual chapter, I sit down with the Giant File (SaES's Scrapyard file is around 40,000 words), I grab the stuff that fits, and I plunk it into a new doc. Then the 'apply butt to chair' writing is figuring out how to stitch it all together, and applying tweaks to make sure the thing I wrote three years ago fits the thing I wrote yesterday.

I DO outline, so I usually have at least a vague idea of when in the story all these out-of-order scenes happen. They either cluster around important plot points or emotional moments, or they're the sort of random day-in-the-life stuff that could fit anywhere. But the outline isn't some kind of structured scene-by-scene plan. It starts out very general, and then the nearer bits get more filled in as I wrestle with plot and arcs and flow and all that. So bits where I'm writing might be pretty detailed, and the bits towards the end are things like "ULTIMATE SHOWDOWN OF ULTIMATE DESTINY" and "??? >>> PROFIT".

#making the words come

[rockmiyabideusexmachina]

2022 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest Results! (Part 2)

Categories 2 and 3 were a little lighter in participation, but the important thing was there were enough entries to still make it a contest. 

Again, the top 3 who placed will be announced first, followed by the remaining entries in alphabetical order by alias. Winners will be contacted later this evening. Check your email/DMs tomorrow.

See Part 1 for the first category’s results.

After the break, here are your winners and galleries full of art!

CATEGORY 2: Rockman World Amusement Park

For this category, entrants were tasked with creating their own Mega Man-themed amusement park rides or attractions, including a scene with characters interacting on one of these rides/attractions.

After each entrant’s name, there will be a link to the entry, too, just in case the inserted external images don’t load for you. In the interest of not breaking your browser with the usual super-scrollingly-long post, entries consisting of more than 2 images will only have 2 embedded into this post, with links to each page separately.

[Full Cat. 2 gallery]

1.) @metakit: [Entry]  ($125 prize)

You know we all loved taking a ride on Utuboros the first time we realized we could when playing Mega Man X. So the concept of making it into a roller coaster ride just felt perfect! It didn’t take any major tweaks to make it’s round body ball parts into passenger cars, and it looks like our Maverick Hunter crew is enjoying the drop from those heights. I loved the logo style, the streaky motion making it seem to be moving way faster than it did in 16 bits, and the Ball de Voux attraction in the distance. Super fun piece worthy of the top prize!

2.) @aw-colorcat: [Main Image] [Carousel Detail] ($75 Prize)

Carousels are always a main attraction of theme parks, just for the fun, ornate decorations, bright lights and colorful creatures you can ride on. With the variety of robot animals and pet friends in the Classic series, this piece totally fits that vibe in the Megaman universe. Loved the overall scene, and all the cameos you added in. It seems Cut Man is filling in for the Hourly Pay Squad: Part-Timers, with some soft plush ball friends nearby.

3.)  JanoXshi: [Pg 1] [Pg 2] [Pg 3] [Pg 4] [Pg 5] ($50 Prize)

Something seems suspicious with this theme park, but I can’t quite put my finger on it... I loved the variety of scenes you created to show off multiple attractions; not just rides, but also things like Eddie’s Eatery, the Yellow Devil plaza, and the statues. Cute, creative, and some laughs along the way. 

And the remaining wonderful entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

@dahlia-the-nurd: [Entry 1] [Entry 2]

Much like our first place entry, I thought the concept of a long Big Snakey designed as a roller coaster is a fitting and creative idea! But as a Gemini myself, I don’t think I could handle it in any way, either. Totally a Gemini thing. 

@dwn-059: [Entry]

Those aren’t bolts Auto is smashing. Even kiddy coasters are too much for me, but if it allowed me to go back and forth crashing into Gutsman’s ass and hearing *dun dun* from the clap of his cheeks repeatedly, I dunno, maybe I could handle it. Perhaps this truly was your best entry of the 3, but since you placed elsewhere, it unfortunately was not going to place here. But there is no shame in that, because of the joy I know it will bring to all! XD

@subzeroiceskater: [Pg 1] [Pg 2] [Pg 3] [Pg 8] [Pg 9] [Pg 10]

*Note* Those page numbers are correct; entry was in progress and not fully complete, for those wondering

As is the norm, I know your ambitions were higher than what you were able to send in. But even with some gap in the story, I still thought there were some cute and clever bits sprinkled in here. In particular, loved Impact Man popping those balloons, and the opening with the Hoppy Catcher was cute and punny. I await seeing what you fully planned to do with it!

_____________________________________

CATEGORY 3: Boing Boing Inflatable Pool Ride-Ons

For this category, participants were to design a Megaman-themed pool inflatable ride-on, raft, or flotation accessory, and a scene with the Megaman characters of their choice interacting/relaxing in the water on one of these inflatables.

[Full Cat. 3 gallery]

1.) @hyperbole1729: [Artwork] [Photo 1] [Photo 2] [Photo 3] ($125 prize)

Is it Akane bribery™? Sure. But the real reason why you took first prize was for taking the time to design and create a real life Cygnus floaty! I know multiple people are already jealous they don’t have this and aren’t in a pool right now relaxing with it around their waist! XD I just think it’s so cool you brought this idea to life. (Unrelated, but don’t know why the imgbox uploads rotated the photos to the side. That was not my doing.)

2.) @dwn-059: [Entry] ($75 prize)

Sword Man is lucky his weight doesn’t cause his inflatable Diveman.EXE floaty doesn’t cause him to dive below the water’s surface, de~aru. Both the Dive and Rush floaties turned out cute and would be awesome to have as real products. I thought you did an excellent job in the detail of the Dive inflatable, as you can see the effect a heavy Robot Master has on it with the air bubbling up, as well as the stitching line shadow detail. The water ripples and splashing turned out great, too!

3.)  Foidot: [Entry] ($50 prize)

Getting pulled around by the Flutter sure is one way to catch some air as you Wire waterski on your inflatable Item 2! Roll is in for a little bit of a wave probably knocking her off of her relaxing Hover floaty. That was actually a clever one to choose, because as we usually think of them above the spikes in Pharaoh Man’s stage, it is part of their backstory that they were robots meant to go over water. 

And the remaining wonderful entries, in alphabetical order by alias:

AbilityField: [Entry]

Rare Strike Man concept art version! In volleyball form. Love the concept of the Charge Man floaty drink holder. That was not a character I was expecting anyone to turn into an inflatable. Wily sure doesn’t have the speed gear operating on his Wily Tube 11, but he will be wishing he did if Bounce’s splash ends up his way. Cute and fun scene, with a lot of character fun!

@subzeroiceskater​: [Pg 1] [Pg 2] [Pg 3]

Once more, I know more was to come, so I didn’t have much to go off of on the floaty, besides Tundra initially getting pulled up in one. I appreciate the “whale” continuity from your Cat. 2 entry, and Cut Man’s punny Star Trek log. Or actual log. XD Again, I know one day you will get it all hashed out and share the grand vision for this comic, and eagerly await.  _______________________________

Once again, congrats to all the winners, and I will be contacting you about your prizes shortly. And thank you all so much for continuing to participate year after year, both regulars and newcomers! ‘Til next time!

#Rockman #Megaman #Mega Man #Rock Miyabi's 2022 Megaman Summer Fanart Contest #Fanart Contest

[adamwatchesmovies]

Charade (1963)

1963’s Charade is a comedy, a romance and a suspense thriller all at once. The mix seems incompatible, particularly when your lead couple is separated by 25 years, but the results work. So well. In fact, much of what makes the film special are the ingredients other movies would’ve eliminated. It’s got so many twists it’ll make your head spin off its axis and there’s no way you’ll guess the ending.

Returning from a skiing holiday in the French Alps, Regina “Reggie” Lampert (Audrey Hepburn) discovers her apartment stripped bare, her bank accounts empty and the husband she was about to divorce dead. His four passports - all under different names - lead the police to suspect foul play. All signs point towards the three men who attend his sparse funeral (played by James Coburn, George Kennedy and Ned Glass) being involved in his murder. They threaten Reggie, warning her the money they’re owed better show up soon. With the help of a charming American stranger, Peter Joshua (Cary Grant), Reggie begins sifting through her husband’s last possessions for clues.

From the colourful and stylish opening credits (Designed by Maurice Binder), you know you’re in for an unusual treat. This movie is bright and shiny. When Reggie and Peter are together, all you can think about is them but he’s apprehensive. She just lost her husband - she didn’t love him. They’ve just met - and aren’t they great together? There’s such a big age difference - she doesn’t care, why does he? The banter they have back-and-forth is full of great, witty lines, the kind you want to memorize and pull out at the right moment to knock all your friends off their feet.

But wait. This is a romantic comedy… but it’s also a thriller. Just when you think we’re getting ready to zoom in on that first kiss… a dead body. A hideous murder. A gun. Now you’ve got to wonder. Is he actually hesitant to get with her because of some chivalrous impulse… or is he stringing her along for nefarious purposes? What if it's the opposite. Maybe Reggie knows something we don’t and she’s trying to seduce it out of Peter. Maybe their coincidental meeting wasn’t a coincidence at all! But no, there’s no way there could be anything sinister between Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. They’re simply too good together to be anything but a couple waiting to fall in love.

That’s how you feel during the whole movie. One moment, you’re in knots over the thriller elements. You wonder if the unhelpful CIA agent (Walter Matthau) is up to something no good… until you remember this is a comedy. You think it’s getting fun and screwball-y with people looking into rooms for clues to figure out who’s got the money… and then someone turns up dead. Yikes! This movie keeps you on your toes in a way you’re not used to, which might make it more enjoyable on a second viewing. Then again, this first ride is a blast as you try to figure out who’s lying, who’s going to betray who, what’s a real clue, what’s a dead end, and so on. Not that you’ll be able to figure it out on your own. This is not the kind of movie that will linger on a piece of paper to give away a crucial detail. You might be able to guess certain motivations but where the money went? No way. I suppose you could call that a bit of cheat - part of the fun is usually piecing together all the puzzle's pieces and seeing if you can beat the detectives to the conclusion - but this isn’t a normal thriller. Not at all.

You could never recreate the magic of Charade. You might be tempted to, with the one fight scene that’s a bit clunky and another where everyone decides to go with the flow instead of calling the police, but too much of what makes this movie good is unique to when it was made. The actors fit their roles so perfectly it would be foolish to recast them. The dialogue is too magnificent to be tweaked. The atmosphere is a perfect mix of romance, mystery, and danger. It’s a great choice if you want to know what made Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant icons. (May 14, 2021)

#Charade #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #stanley donen #peter stone #marc behm #cary grant #audrey hepburn #walter matthau #james coburn #1963 movies #1963 films

[screadingchallenge]

Behind the Keyboard-Volume 13

Please note that Behind the Keyboard will be posted once per week during the Reading Challenge. We’ll go back to twice a week in mid-August.

Behind the Keyboard is a series of interviews with different Schitt’s Creek fanfic authors. The series will last as long as there is interest (from authors) and capacity (from me). If you are an author from the Schitt’s Creek fandom who would like to participate, send a DM to this account.  

Each author was given ten questions. The first five questions are the same for every author, the last five will vary.

Remember, this year’s Reading Challenge begins July 15, so polish up those MFL lists.

Let’s meet our next author:

@shimmies​ / shimmies

How many fics have you written?

I think I’m up to 38! I post some of my art to ao3 so that bumps my total count to 44. 

When did you publish your first fic on AO3?

2020. I watched Schitt’s Creek that spring/summer. I specifically remember looking for David/Patrick fic after watching Grad Night, and was a lurker for a while. Eventually I was like, hey! I could do this too! Why am I not already doing this? 

Describe your writing process from “Oh, I have an idea” to pushing publish on AO3. 

If I have an idea/scene/line pop into my head I basically can’t accomplish anything in real life until I get it written down. But these come to me in so many different ways. Sometimes I hear a song and I force myself to craft a plot to fit my interpretation of it. Sometimes I vividly see a scene in my head and struggle for days to choose a title. Sometimes I’ll write an entire fic within a couple hours of its inception. Sometimes I’ll write down a line of dialog and stew over it for weeks before either fleshing out the story or finding it a spot in another WIP. 

In general I do like to start with an outline but I’m a “path of least resistance” kind of person, so I work on whatever is coming to me at the moment. Nothing has to happen in a particular order or with a particular method.

Tell me about your most recent fic? What do you love about it? Is there anything you think you could have done better?

My last published fic was RPF ( hope i'll see you down the line ), which I fully understand is not everyone’s cup of tea, then some Outer Range stuff before that. So for the sake of this semi-public statement I will consider my last Schitt’s Creek fic, Alarm C(l)ock. I published it in March and it was the first thing I’d finished since Frozen Over in December. I had been feeling so uninspired for so long, so what I love most is it was a really nice boost for my creative energy and self esteem and definitely got the gears turning again. If I went back and looked for stuff to improve I’m sure I would come up with a hundred little tweaks, but I really don’t like doing that. [Editor’s note: shimmies has since published  (Not) Being Left Behind Again and  Tuning In On You both for the Schitt’s Creek fandom.]

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about publishing their fic for the first time?

This is going to sound super cliche but the fandom experience is whatever you make of it. Want to share your work with others? We’re here for it! Publish it and change your mind? Delete it! Asexual smut writer? Cool! Are the comments and kudos what keep you going? Reblog that fic from last month! Life’s too short to let a hobby make you unhappy or uncomfortable!

Plot vs vibes - pick one.

Hmm, I think vibes. Sure, a good plot will keep the pages turning (metaphorically), but when you find that fic that turns you into the human equivalent of the inside of a roasted marshmallow BUT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE GOOEY WAY? Heaven.

What parts of writing are easy for you? What parts are hard?

I’ll start with the hard part which is finding free time, inspiration, and motivation all lining up at the exact same time. It’s a miracle I’ve ever gotten anything accomplished at all. 

I would say the planning of a story is probably easiest for me. I’m a planner by nature so usually I’ll have a good idea of the progression of a story (in a bulleted outline, of course) before I even start writing any scenes in detail. 

In your mind, what’s the most important element of good writing?

Do your research and get your details correct! Whether it’s rewatching scenes so you know the character better, learning about a culture being represented, or whatever is relevant to your story, it’ll feel natural when it’s done well but it’s hard to ignore when it’s done badly. (This is not a callout of anything/anyone in the fandom! You’re all awesome!)

Tell me about one of your favorite headcanons.

Patrick is not actually allergic to cats, and he just freaked out because his crush’s sister started flirting with him. He has to come clean when David catches him feeding a friendly stray cat that hangs around outside their store. He and David have a minimum of 2 cats at all times post-canon.

What are your three favorite tropes?

This is so tough but I’ll say forced proximity, fake dating, and accidental confessions, but each with a healthy dose of mutual pining.

#behind the keyboard #meet the authors #sc fic reading challenge #sc reading challenge #sc fanfic #schitts creek #schitt’s creek

[and-stir-the-stars]

For the ask game, I'm curious about 6 & 8 in general, and 9 for By Cain's Own Hand. ~Dire Kumori

6. What character(s) do you find most difficult to write?

William, kinda? I have an idea of what I want William to be: a man obsessed with image and control, a man who must be in control or at least APPEAR to be in control at all times; a man who must be the one with the power in any situation; he loves his children but only as extensions of himself, his power, and his own accomplishments; a quick-minded manipulator who can both sit back and watch things play out and be the one pulling the strings the whole time. I just don't really know how to take that idea and make a believable person out of it yet. That's why he's been so "conveniently absent" in My Brother My Wound as of yet.

Buuut, I haven't actually written William yet, so he can't really be my answer, can he? So, I'd have to say Elizabeth. I have difficulty writing her because... well, to be honest, my whole Thing in fandom is "choose one character and completely obsess over them with everything I have" and that one character is very obviously Evan. For fnaf more than any other fandom I've been in, I usually care about characters other than my Comfort Character in terms of how they relate to my Comfort Character (my CC if you will, lmao). It's easy to care about Michael because his and Evan's stories are so hopelessly intertwined, but there's been no semblance or suggestion as to the kind of relationship Liz and Evan had/might have had in canon, as far as I'm aware. That gives me a sort of double whammy in terms of having difficulty writing Liz because 1) she's not clearly connected to Evan despite being his literal sister, and 2) I have no canon to draw ideas from in how to present their relationship even in the times when I WANT to write Liz. I have to rely heavily on other fanon interpretations of her character, which feels like stealing tbh. It's hard to be excited to write a character with a stolen personality.

8. Which fic or hc do you feel the most proud of?

Ack, asking to me to feel positive emotions about myself and my work? How cruel of you; I have too much anxiety for that :/ (<- complains about the ask game I myself created)

I'd have to say I'm the most proud of the Dire Consequences, Springlocked Mike, and Silent Protector aus, because 1) they were originally based completely on my own ideas rather than being tweaks of other people's aus, and 2) they've gotten so much attention from other people, oh my god. Literally everything from chaotic DMs at midnight to one-shots written at two in the morning to (multiple!) comics and fanarts. It's genuinely... so much (/pos). I'm literally just a Little Guy, yk?

9. What scene in BCOH took the longest to write, and why?

I'd say the hardest thing to write was the beginning sequence in chapter 2. It ended up being completely different in my hesitant outline.

I wanted that chapter to start with some of the anger Evan has been unknowingly feeling finally being unleashed. In my hesitant outline, I actually had the thing that pushes Evan over the edge written as Mike asking Evan about seeing Liz almost die to Circus Baby.

Before writing chapter two, I noticed that Evan and Mike actually have a bit of a parallel: in my version of the canon game timeline, Evan feels guilty for not being able to stop things when he watched Circus Baby kill Elizabeth, and Michael too feels guilty after he watches (well, is the contributing factor) in Evan dying to Fredbear.

At first, i wanted to make a reference to this parallel in the Nest Torn Empty verse. I wanted Mike to ask Evan in a fit of hopeless desperation how Evan could have possibly dealt with the guilt of almost watching Liz die to Circus Baby (not that Michael really believes Evan's "tall-tale" about Liz almost dying, but he knows Evan believes it) since Mike is having so much trouble dealing with Evan's almost-death himself. Only Evan misinterprets Mike's questioning as Michael making fun of him for being scared of the animatronics, and after almost dying to one at Michael's hands, Evan snaps.

This idea didn't work for... several reasons, and I ended up scrapping it entirely.

One reason is that yeah, this parallel exists, but I only noticed it because I'm a fic author/reader who was looking at Mike and Evan's stories as just that: a story. Michael wouldn't be looking at his and Ev's lives in the same way. Michael isn't introspective enough for that, especially not at this age. But the most obvious reason is that Liz ISN'T dead in this story, so Evan doesn't feel guilty about not being able to stop Liz's death. And, I don't know, something fundamental about the idea just didn't work.

I tried to think of another version of events that could make Evan upset enough to have him yell at Michael to leave. I couldn't really think of anything, though.

But, I did already have the Hell Scene (where Evan asks what Hell is like because some part of him thinks Mike wanted to send him there) already written out. The Hell Scene was one of those ideas I really liked but wasn't sure yet where to fit in the timeline, so I wrote it out while I still had the motivation and excitement to write it. I kinda thought that I wanted the Hell Scene to come later in the timeline while I was writing it. And I wanted to drag out the dynamic of Evan believing Michael wanted him dead and Michael being unaware of that detail for way longer by not having Evan mention the hell thing until sometime after the Stairs Scene.

But I decided to move the Hell Scene to the beginning of chapter 2, and then having Michael realize "wait, my little brother really thinks I wanted him dead" just seemed like it should naturally fall after the Stairs Scene, where Evan genuinely thinks Michael would have thrown him down the steps.

I think replacing the Circus Baby thing with the Hell Scene worked a lot better, although the hell thing was rather abrupt since I could no longer go back and plant seeds to foreshadow that Evan had been thinking about hell after moving the scene back so much in the timeline.

@dire-kumori

#howeverrrr i've been meaning to point something out about the Stairs Scene: #the flashback evan has of michael dragging evan up the steps so he can throw evan down them as his friends watch? #michael was never ACTUALLY going to do it. but evan never got to see Michael scoff and let him go #at the top of the steps because William interrupted them. #that's why michael doesn't remember threatening to throw evan down the steps later in the scene: bc he was #genuinely never going to do it. it was just yet another mundane prank. but poor evan didn't see it that way. #neither michael nor myself are THAT cruel. #well. okay. michael isn't that cruel. i totally am. sorry evan #ughhh putting the cringefail circus baby parallel idea out into the world... #anywayyyy thank you for the ask <3 #this was fun <3

[quickhacked]

I hope you don’t mind me asking but how do you come up with personalities and details for each one of your OCs? I am struggling with my non main OCs (you can answer me in a dm if you prefer)

HIII i don't mind at all, no worries!! you all know i love talking. especially about ocs but just in general too LMFAO

so usually when i create a new oc i already have some ideas for them about how i want to use them in the story or what i want them to be like. this is either based on the role they'll have (with my cyberpunk ocs i tend to decide this with their occupation or if they're family of an existing oc or not) or who i'll end up pairing them with (either just platonically or romantically). i like to keep relationship dynamics in mind when deciding on personality, so that's an approach you could try to use! look at how personalities fit together, or how they can conflict, and how that influences the story and the characters involved :D especially if one personality in this dynamic is already established (because of it being an existing character) it can make things easier!

what i've also been doing for my more recent ocs is some personality tests, i usually use this one, this one and this one and they give me a good general overview of what they're like and i use that as foundation for the rest of their personality :D

what also helps is doing ask games here on tumblr, there's plenty to find in the tags but for easy access i have a lot of them here on my blog :) AND!!!! i also made a big question generator at some point which is still up!! you can find it here and the post about it here if you want to support me <3

another really fun way to develop ocs is to put those mfs in a situation LMAO whether that is an actual scene from the source material or something you came up with yourself, it sometimes really helps to imagine them in that specific scenario and see how they would handle it and what they would do!

backstories tend to come to me in a later stage when i already know a bit more about how an oc is personality-wise. i tend to give a lot of them tragic backstories but also it's really not all that necessary, sometimes it's also very interesting if a character is now very fucked up but then they just had a very normal past; leaves you wondering what went wrong along the way and that can also spark new thoughts for MORE character development >:)

i don't always give ocs a family because that's just so many new ocs added to the BCB (bones cinematic blorboverse) but i've been doing it a lot more recently for my cyberpunk ocs because. i will say. it is a LOT of fun to do LMAO and as i said before, that gives you a lot of opportunity to build your character more!

to give an example for that, vitali's personality can be explained by just who he is now, his status as a fixer and his dynamics with the people around him. but if you look at his family and his past relationship with matvey and nadya (and daniil and roksana too actually) some of his traits suddenly make a LOT more sense and it adds some depth to him which he wouldn't have had without a family. so yeah that's something you can also give a try!

i think the most important thing in it all is to have fun and to not be afraid to retcon information!! both cassidy and aubrey (my latest blorbo) were supposed to be evil corpos and now they're both just some guy and they've become so special to me in such a short period of time, but to get to this point i had to keep tweaking their personalities and there's nothing wrong with that!! in fact it's a lot of fun to see where you started and compare it to where you are now with an oc :)

so yeas that's my thoughts on it all, i hope any of this is helpful to you and also if people have more tips or ideas feel free to leave them in the replies!!

#asks #mutuals #strafethesesinners #i am a huge daydreamer to the point it May be a bit of a problem so i have no trouble putting my blorbos in Situations LMFAO #again i hope this is helpful and if you have any more questions feel free to send more! again. i Love talking SGHFDJHGJDF #hope this is coherent also i Just woke up and i am a sleeby mf