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afterhoursfic · 4 years

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Please, could I get a fic where Vesemir claims the virginity of Geralt, Eskel, and Lambert. For example, it's a tradition that every year after the trials the senior witchers get to fight for the right to have a first night with the newly made witchers. Maybe it's an actual fight or maybe it's a game of gwent. Vesemir makes sure that he gets to claim his boys, before anyone else! Make it as fility as you want my friend!! Please and Thank you!

Warning: dub con

Um I may have given it feelings and I apologise, I’m happy to write something else if you want but this just kinda came out

He doesn't know how the tradition started and frankly, he doesn't care, it had started long before he began his training and would likely carry on after he was gone, but as it stood, every year the senior witchers who had left the Path to train the youth at Kaer Morhen would compete in a semi-drunken Gwent tournament to decide who gets to break in the boys about to set out on the Path.

More than a few times he's thought about how stupid it was that they resorted to Gwent a game of luck and chance depending on how your cards were dealt. He had long thought they should fight to see who gets bragging rights that year, but apparently Gwent was fairer and gave all of them a chance to win, which was just the weaker of the lot admitting they wouldn't stand a chance in hell in a fight each other.

Go figure he supposed, but most years he didn't care for the tournament and would purposefully lose early on and watch the rest of the evening unfold. It's not that he wasn't interested in the boys, well he wasn't for the most part, instead he only really cared for the boy he had brought to Kaer Morhen himself, deciding that it was somewhat poetic that he be the one to bring them there and then send them on their way.

Often it meant that he went years or decades without winning the tournament they set up, a mix of rarely leaving the keep to actually walk the path and claim the law of surprise mixed with the sheer amount of boys every year who wouldn't make it past the trials and challenges meant that oftentimes the boys he brought didn't make it to the end.

That was until the year Geralt was to finally leave the keep and walk the Path himself. He wasn't delusional to think the competition this year would be easy, all the senior witchers were eager to covet Geralt, him being the only witcher to survive two rounds of mutations, but he planned to fight tooth and nail to get his chance with Geralt, and protect him from some of the more sadistic tendencies of the others.

He had the advantage that most of his peers thought him an easy target for the games, and sure his Gwent deck wasn't perfect and could do with being updated, but they didn't know about the stash of special cards he kept locked away for just this occasion. It was almost comical watching the other witcher's faces as he won game after game after game until finally, he had won.

A number of them in a desperate plea to get another chance would call him a cheat, and Rennes had even flipped the table in a rage near the end, but the result was the same, he had won and that year he would be the one to take of the witchers.

There 5 boys who would be leaving that year, whilst his obvious desire had been Geralt and by extension Eskel, he couldn't shirk his duty to the other 3 boys. He didn't do anything grand or new, he simply invited the boys to his room one after the other and almost as a lesson taught them how to fuck, how to seek pleasure in someone else until they shuddered through their release and he sent them off back to their rooms.

He'd set the next night to be just for Eskel, whilst it was true he hadn't been the one to bring the boy to Kaer Morhen his similarity to Geralt was striking and he would have been a fool not to have seen how close the boys were to each other. He had been tempted to bring them both in together and let them seek comfort together whilst he took them each in turn but he had different plans for both of them, so it was he waited until he heard the knock at his door and met with the sight of Eskel shuffling nervously behind it.

The boy steps in the room without saying a word and stands there awkwardly in the middle of the room, not sure what to do next, so he finally takes pity on the boy and tells him to strip.

Eskel is almost methodical in the way he disrobes folding his clothes before putting them to the side before kneeling in front of him, head bowed. The sight is enough to make him moan and he can see Eskel's face go a little red when he cards a hand through his hair and praising him for being a good boy.

He almost wants to ruin the boy then and there, but it's not what he had planned, not what Eskel deserved so instead he guides Eskel to follow him to his chair and after taking a seat makes the boy settle between his spread knees, head resting on his thigh whilst he cards his hand through soft, brown hair.

They stay like that for a moment and he can practically feel the tension bleed out of the boy with every stroke of his hand. It's when he sees Eskel struggle to keep his eyes open that he guides his soft cock to the boy's mouth, not to suck but just hold and he groans again when Eskel does it without question, tongue flicking a little at the head of his cock as if to taste him before sinking down the rest of the way and once again resting his head against his thigh.

He picked up one of the bestiary's then and chose a random page to read off of, not that he wanted Eskel to pay attention but he had lectured the boy and had hoped some familiarity would ease the last bit of tension he still held.

Sure enough, the boy was a puddle between his legs, making little moans here and there that vibrate around his cock and he's sure Eskel isn't even aware he's making them. He carries on reading for another couple of pages until putting the book down and gently tugging Eskel off of his hardening cock, telling him what a good boy he was as he helped him stand to guide him towards the bed.

Gently, he helped Eskel settle onto his front, a pillow under his head and another under his hips that gave the most delicious curve to his back and couldn't help but lean forward to taste the skin with a brief kiss to the small of his back. He's not surprised when Eskel tensed again, when he flinched at every touch and press of his mouth as he moved across the boy's body, but he persisted in his task of worshipping the body under him and soon enough Eskel is moving to meet his touch and letting out little breathless gasps with every kiss to his skin.

He lingers at Eskel's shoulders and back until the boy's mind is clouded with pleasure before slowly making his way down to his ass, pressing a kiss to each cheek before gently spreading them to drag his tongue from the boy's balls to his hole. The effect is immediate and Eskel shudders beneath him with a moan and he can't help but do it again and again.

He's done this before to whore's and partners he's found on the Path but never to one of the boys he took to bed, not even those he viewed as his, but Eskel was special, one of the few to retain his kindness and a certain openness that most lost after going through the trials. He's intent on making this as nice and sweet for Eskel as he could because he knew life on the path wouldn't be easy for him. Sure he was skilled with a sword and even more so with his signs, but it wasn't the monsters and the scars he was worried about, it would be the men and women he was supposed to protect that would hurt him the most, so he wanted to give Eskel this, something precious he can think back on with fondness before he's sent out to suffer the world's problems.

It's too easy to wring out the moans from Eskel as he first teases at the boy's rim with his tongue before pushing it inside and feel Eskel shake as he begins to fuck his tongue into him. It was when he began to press a finger alongside his tongue, just teasing at the rim at first and suddenly Eskel is coming with a shout and keeps up his ministrations until Eskel is moving away from him with a small whine at which he finally pulls away to stroke his hands down the boys back instead.

It not long after when the high of his orgasm has worn off that Eskel begins to worry, stuttering out multiple sorrys for not asking, not waiting to come, and he's quick to lean over the boy, his chest pressing him into the bed, hoping it's a comforting weight as he kisses along the nape of his neck as his hand's stroke the boy's sides, all the while telling Eskel how good he's been, how there's no punishment here and he can come whenever he wants.

It takes a little while but eventually Eskel is relaxing under him again, and kissing a path down the boy's back picks up the oil on the nightstand and slicks his fingers. He takes his time opening Eskel, having him come first on two fingers and again on four as they rub against his prostate and it's when he's begging for more, pleading into his pillow that he finally pushes his cock in on one long thrust.

Soon he's setting a slow pace, a simple roll of the hips to allow Eskel to feel him and slowly be coaxed to come at how full he feels with his cock rubbing along his prostate. He's happy to wring out orgasm after orgasm from the boy until he's a whimpering mess, overstimulated and stuck between begging to stop and gripping his hand like a vice, pleading for more.

A couple of times he hears the boy murmur Geralt's name but he doesn't complain, he can't really when he has Eskel flushed red and desperate under him as he works another orgasm out of him.

It's in the early hours of the morning when they finally finish, he came once having pulled out and stripping his cock as he kneeled over Eskel until his come painted the boy's skin and even then he pushed his cock back to continue gently fucking the boy whilst one hand began rubbing his come into the skin of his back, marking him as his, one of his pups. It's when Eskel starts whimpering, tears threatening to fall down his face that he picks up his pace and after a handful of thrusts and a hand around Eskels cock he has the boy come a final time, only a few drops of come adding to the mess underneath him, but it's the boy's cry of 'Vesemir' that finally has him come inside the boy, simply rolling his hips in small movements to ride out his pleasure until he finally pulls out.

He was prepared for this of course and grabs the cloth he'd left in the water bowl on his bedside drawer and with a quick blast of igni has it warm enough so he doesn't shock the boy as he cleans up the come staining his front and back. Eskel is virtually asleep at this point, letting him move his limbs about to clean him up before he presses a glass to the boy's lips and with his help has him finish the water and take several bites of food. Finally, he pulls Eskel out of the wet spot left under him and against his chest instead, stroking his hand through his hair until finally, the boy falls asleep.

It's just before dawn when Eskel wakes again, eyes glazed and groggy as he slowly comes back to himself and he's quick to reassure the boy before asking him if he wanted to stay with him until he was ready or if he wanted to go back to Geralt. He's not offended when he chose Geralt, sure that Eskel would get more comfort from his best friend than his mentor so he simply helps the boy stand, wraps a cloak around him, and picking up his folded clothes guides him back to his rooms.

He says nothing when he sees Eskel immediately climb into bed with Geralt, or at the way Geralt loops his arm around Eskel's waist, pulling him closer so he can bury his nose into his hair.

Later that morning when he sees Geralt sneak out of the hall at breakfast with two plates piled high with food in his hand, he doesn't stop him. Instead, he just hoped that if destiny did exist, it would be kind enough to keep the two of them together.

~~~~

It's two nights later that he summons Geralt to his room and where the other boys had all been nervous trepidation Geralt just strides in, face blank before standing in the middle of the room, hands behind his back and head held high.

It was true the boy was cocky ever since he knew he could best his peers with a sword (Except Eskel of course), a fact which had only worsened after the second trial where the boy had gotten a colder edge to him, one which made him think he was untouchable.

So it's not too much of a surprise that when he ordered Geralt to strip, he didn't move, just stood there still as if he was above it all.

"Strip, or every time I have to tell you you get 10 beatings" Even with the darker edge that always managed to scare some of the hardier witchers, still Geralt remained motionless although there was a tension in his jaw as if he was challenging his threat and he simply growled "Strip...that's 10"

Suddenly Geralt's moving and pulling off his clothes, he doesn't fully know why, the boy never backed down from a challenge that easily before but it may just the setting, the inevitability of what was going to happen in this room that had him listen, he didn't want to think too much on it.

As soon as he was naked Geralt resumed his position standing in the room and he allowed himself to take a long look at the boy, a smug smile at his mouth when he saw Geralt squirm just the smallest amount under his gaze. Having looked his fill he guided Geralt to the bed, but before he let the boy climb on, he first bent him over the edge, hand on his neck to hold him down whilst his hand palmed at the ass in front of him whilst Geralt just gave him a confused look.

"You wouldn't listen so you'll take your 10 beatings now"

"I'm sorry"

"It's not enough to say you're sorry, you have to show it as well"..."You've grown unruly wolf, you need to learn when to back down just as much as when you need to attack"

Geralt just whimpered and after another moment finally went lax under him, he gave a pleased hum, stroking his hand across the boys one last time before he pulled it back to smack him.

He could've used his full strength, he should've, but this was a lesson just as much as a punishment, one of the last he'd teach his wolf and he didn't want pain to be the only thing he remembered about it. He didn't use his full strength but he used enough strength to leave Geralt's skin red and hot where he'd hit it, the boy tense and cry out with each new hit until finally he was done, the boy's ass bright red and looked as if it was already beginning to bruise.

He stroked at the skin and when he heard the pained gasp from Geralt picked up the healing salve to rub into the abused skin and slowly he felt Geralt relax into the bedding. When he was done he ordered Geralt onto his hands and knees whilst he disrobed, but instead he saw the boy on the back, legs splayed wide, still submissive bit a contradiction to his order.

"Do you have a problem following commands wolf?"

Despite having practically whimpered whilst getting his ass beat not a minute earlier, Geralt just lay back, hands behind his head as he stretched out on the bed "No"

He snorted even as he folded his arms across his chest and raised an eyebrow at the boy "No what"

"No, sir" Geralt said it in a way to antagonize him, to mock him but he wouldn't let it get a rise out of him like it did some of the other senior witchers.

"You're a brat, been allowed to go unchecked, well that stops tonight" He got up on the bed and put his hands on the boy's waist before flipping him over and lifting his hips so his head was on the mattress and his ass in the air. When he felt Geralt tried to lift his head and get up on his hands he put a hand on his neck to keep him held down no matter how much the boy struggled to get up, to get some sort of control back.

He doesn't know why as wolf witchers most seemed to develop some sense of pack, about the order and hierarchy and Geralt was no excuse and apparently thought himself at the top, or at least higher than him, but he intended to keep the boy face down as long as was needed before he learned his lesson.

Hand still on his neck he picked up the vial of oil and through some miracle managed to open it and slick his fingers, dropping the glass to let the rest of its contents to spill onto the sheets as he pushed one of his fingers past Geralt's rim. He felt the boy freeze under him for a moment but as he began to move the digit began to struggle anew, not to get away but just to do something, to get out of his hold so he wasn't in the position of bitch posturing for a mate.

He knew he had to move fast so after stretching the boy on two fingers pulled out to slick up his cock before pressing in. Once he'd pushed into the base, both of them panting now as Geralt went lax below him.

Once he's given the boy a chance to adjust he pulls out about halfway before thrusting back in again and when all he gets is a choked off moan muffled by a pillow he begins to pound into the boy below him as if he were a bitch in heat, and he may as well have been by the way he was mewling and growling with each thrust into him, any shame at being made to submit long gone as he tried to fuck back on his cock with every thrust.

It was somewhat heady having Geralt under him, a boy with unmatched potential, practically fucking himself on his cock, with each movement getting only more eager to have his dick back in him again so it was no surprise to him that he didn't last long, Geralt letting out a guttural groan when he felt his come paint his insides but still he tried to coax every drop from him that he could, to use him to get himself over the finish line even more before he went soft, and yet the boy never strayed a hand to his own cock.

He was nowhere near done with the boy and he was silently grateful for witcher stamina as he pulled out and told Geralt to move onto his back. Geralt did so without a word and even grabbed the back of his knees to hold himself open, neck bared as he waited for the next move.

He stroked his dick at the sight, Geralt watching with eager eyes as he got hard again, and letting out a breath as if in relief when he finally sank into him again. Whilst Geralt was a lot more pliable this time around, he curled a hand around the boy's throat just to be sure, squeezing every now and then just to feel the boy shake beneath him, as he felt himself approach a second orgasm he gripped around Geralt's throat and felt his breath catch and his eyes go glazed the longer he was without air until finally, he told the boy to come, and so on the next thrust Geralt convulsed under him as he shouted out his release for the whole keep to hear, his hole clenching so tight around him that he's forced over the edge as well.

After that, he's somewhat more confident that Geralt's learned his place, at least with him, and the boy is all eager energy with the intent to prove himself, so he's more than happy to lay on his back and let Geralt ride him long into the night.

It's hard to tell exactly how long they went for, only that Geralt sure was giving his stamina a run for his money as the boy's hips just kept moving, even after Geralt came, still, he moved, simply grinding back into his lap, but he kept going until he was ready to get up on his knees and fuck himself on his cock again.

A few times when Geralt's head was thrown back, a hand on his dick whilst he had put his feet flat on the mattress to take over and fuck relentlessly into the boy, he heard him whisper Eskel's name before seeming to catch himself and stare down as if waiting for to a punishment that wouldn't come.

The only time he took serious action was when Geralt got a bit too eager, when he would try to grasp his hands and pin them above his head as if he were the one in charge. When putting a hand on Geralt's throat no longer worked he pulled the boy off of him and flipped them over so Geralt was once again ass up below him, giving a couple of lighter, teasing smacks to his now pink ass until the boy came and he let him ride him again.

They carried on like this until the light of the rising sun filtered past their curtains and with a final fuck that had Geralt on all fours with him mounted behind him the boy let out a hoarse cry that would have woken those in the keep if they'd even managed to get any sleep with Geralt's overly enthusiastic shouts and moans for more and harder and faster.

When they were done he made sure to clean him and drink a glass of water but Geralt refused to eat. As with Eskel, he gave the boy the offer to stay with him but with no surprise to him, he chose to join Eskel instead. He watched Geralt change back into his clothes and with a nod and a 'Thank you sir' he left with only the barest sign of a limp in his step.

To say that he was tired was an understatement, whilst he had worn out Geralt, the boy had worn him out as well and it almost felt like he was the one who had been fucked all night. That morning he has a slight limp as he walked to breakfast, earning a couple of pats on the back from his peers and more than a few jealous stares from his seniors and he can't help but feel smug about it.

~~~~

It another two decades before one of his boys is set to leave Kaer Morhen to walk the Path.

Lambert, a spitfire of a child who had gotten through the law of surprise through a chance encounter on a supply run for the keep. He remembered how the boy had screamed and struggled the whole journey up to the keep and cussed him and everything witcher related to this day.

There's less of them now, mages and witchers alike being lost to riots and pogroms against their kind and the secrets slowly being lost with them, but even now they keep up with tradition. There are only two other boys who made in Lambert's year, but the boy's poor attitude is enough to deter most of the senior witchers from actually wanting to win this year.

He's well aware of just what a demon Lambert could be, but despite all the vitriol the boy had aimed at him, he was still one of his and he was still intent to win. The other witchers may as well have handed him the title but he's not going to complain.

As always that first night he invites the two other boys to his chambers and has them leave relaxed and well sated. He knew Lambert would be more of a challenge, the youth well aware of the tradition but would likely try to do anything possible to get out of it thinking there was some sort of shame to be fucked, but that's not how he wants tonight to go.

Instead, he makes Lambert an offer, a fight in the courtyard for all to see. If Lambert won, then he would leave him to his devices to brag about being the only witcher in several centuries, to not be fucked by an elder, if he lost then he would be fucked as was the tradition. The boy eagerly agreed to it.

In the ring the only rule was no use of their signs, all other bets were off and at the shout of Varin, it began.

Lambert was quick to start the assault, swinging and striking his sword to force him back onto the defense as he tried to parry and block. The boy was good and he was fast, on one block of an overhead swing he could feel his hand shake at the impact, but Lambert's greatest strength was also his weakest. His emotion.

It's true the trials stripped their emotions to the bare bone but they still had moments of joy or despair in their lives, and in Lambert's case fury. He goes somewhat easy on the boy so as not to wound his pride too much, letting him keep attacking in an attempt to exploit the moment he faulted, a moment that wouldn't come. Once Lambert had his eyes set on something it was his sole focus, so on one swing when Lambert had exposed his flank he struck again and again until with one kick knocked the sword out of Lambert's hand.

Lambert of course didn't give up, he didn't want to hurt the boy of course but he still gave the odd swing he knew Lambert would be able to dodge before he threw his sword to the side in order to have a fairer fight. Entertainment over he didn't let this last long, letting out the occasional grunt when Lambert got a hit in at his side but it could have only been a couple of minutes before he had Lambert pinned below him, face in the dirt and cussing something fierce.

Through it all he gave Lambert a choice to be fucked then and there in front of everybody or to behave where they could do so behind closed doors, the boy chose the latter.

He kept a firm hand on the back of the boy's neck, as if it were a collar and chain, as they walked to his room, Lambert having long fallen silent.

When they're in the room he doesn't remove his hand as he ordered the boy to strip, and it's with minimal mumbling he does so. He pulled Lambert onto the bed and similar to what he did with Geralt held his head down on the mattress with his ass up although Lambert didn't fight nearly as much.

There moments he would push and tug just so as if testing the limits of his hold but each time he would just lay across Lambert's back, a heavy weight he couldn't move against before he stopped and allowed him to continue. He was quick but thorough in his prep, stretching the boy on the three fingers before he's pressing the head of his cock into Lambert's heat which only got tighter as he tensed at the intrusion.

He pushed forward slowly, little thrusts Lambert could get used to as he gradually eased his way in until he was fully seated. There was a tension in the boy that would probably be there most of the night, but Lambert was silent as he began to move, letting out one or two grunts when he picked up his pace and a curse when he first hit his prostate but otherwise Lambert let him work.

It was when he put a hand on Lambert's cock and stroked in time with his thrusts that had the boy coming around him, barely able to hold off his own release as he felt Lambert clench almost unbearably tight around him, but with a few deep breaths he staved off the edge and carefully pulled out.

Lambert had relaxed a little after that and so it was easier to put him on his back, the boy too dazed to realize what was going on until he had one wrist tied up to the bedpost and a leg about to be tied up as well. He tried to resist then, of course, he would, but a firm hand around his neck and a growl from deep in his throat had the boy settle down with a huff and allowed him to tie up the rest of his limbs.

It's likely Lambert thinks he intends to torture him at this point, and he does but not in the way he expects, not in the way some of the other senior witchers have threatened to do when Lambert caused nothing but chaos and havoc.

No, instead he settled himself between the boy's spread legs and pressed two fingers into his hole and simply held them there, didn't move them or touch Lambert's prostate, just waited until Lambert began to squirm against the covers, bein to try and get some sort of stimulation, a frown on his face.

"The fuck are you doing old man" In retaliation to the comment with his free hand he slapped Lambert's half hard cock, smirking as he watched it twitch at the treatment even as Lambert cried out in a mix of shock and pain.

"What the fuck" This time he flicked the head of Lambert cock and watched as Lambert hissed and let out a drawn out swear

"Watch yourself with me boy, if you want to come then you have to beg" Lambert took that as a challenge and seemed intent to keep his mouth shut and body still, but he wasn't about to give the boy an easy pass.

He slapped the boy's cock again and watched as it grew harder beneath him and slapped it again, the only other reaction from Lambert being a sharp inhale, but otherwise nothing. He changed tactic then, and instead began to tug at one of the boy's nipples whilst he lowered his head to suck the tip of his dick into his mouth, and he managed to break through that wall just a little when Lambert gave a small moan.

He kept up his ministrations until Lambert was almost sweating below him, lip between his teeth to try and keep his nonchalance whilst he slowly worked him over with deft fingers and broad strokes of his tongue. It was now probably an hour after they'd entered the room and he felt Lambert was close, felt his balls tighten and his breath quicken but he was quick to wrap strong fingers around the base of his dick to stop him from reaching his peak.

"I said beg, Lambert"

Still, the boy remained silent and so he kept up his slow torture until he knew Lambert was just on the edge before he pulled away completely, impressed when Lambert only let a small whine escape him at the loss. He waited a minute or so until the boy looked at him again and making his movements obvious started his task again of working over his body, from biting at his nipples until they were red to pressing the nail of his thumb against the leaking slit of the boy's dick.

As before, he continued his efforts until Lambert was teetering on the edge, a couple of strokes of his fist would be enough to get him to come, and again he commanded him to beg, and again he refused instead pushing him to the very edge before pulling him back from it just as abruptly.

He worked over the boy for hours, whether that was mouthing at the head of his dick or pressing half his hand into the boy's hole until he couldn't contain himself anymore, moans and cries leaving his mouth unbidden, but still, he didn't beg.

Eventually, he added a blindfold and then started to tease Lambert with the cool metal of his knife against his hot skin, dragging the point of the weapon down his body, teasing at his balls before dragging up his cock until all Lambert could do was shudder and gasp at the feel of it. He edged the boy for hours and it was a little after midnight when with a voice hoarse from shouting, Lambert finally begged.

"Vesemir, please..."

"Please what" He brushed the tips of the four fingers he had in the boy's hole against his prostate and felt him shudder as his body became more and more overwhelmed the longer he went without release.

"Fucking shit, let me come"

"You can ask nicer than that"

"You old bastard" He had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes, of course even now desperate and on the edge, Lambert would still be cussing him out "Please let me come, please-"

"That's good, I was wondering how long you'd last" He chuckled as he pulled his fingers out of Lambert's hole and once again slicked his cock before pressing in, Lambert's face stuck somewhere between a scowl and bliss when he was finally pressed all the way in "See, there's no shame in asking for help"

Now Lambert just scoffed even as he tried to move his hips and get him to move despite their limited movement "Course you'd turn this into another fucking lesson"

"You'd be wise to remember it" He didn't wait for an answer then and began fucking the boy in earnest, his own pleasure had simmered under the surface for hours as he edged Lambert over and over and now that they were at the finish line they were both racing to get there.

In the end, he didn't even need to touch Lambert's cock, just fucked into him with abandon, forgetting himself for a moment and just enjoying the feeling of Lambert squeezing his cock tight as if he was trying to torture him now. Maybe he was, not that it mattered as just as soon as he began fucking the boy, Lambert began to pull at his bindings, head thrashing from side to side before coming over himself with a cry to wake the dead.

The sight of the boy's release and the tight, wet heat of his hole that began to clench around him quickly sent him over as well, riding out the aftershocks of perhaps one of the most intense orgasms of his life, not that he'd ever say that, he didn't want Lambert to hold that information over his head.

Breathing heavily he carefully pulled out and watched as his come began to leak out of Lambert's swollen rim, he went to push the small trickle of come back into his hole but at the sharp hiss and plea for no more from Lambert he stopped and instead began to untie from his bed.

Even now that he was free Lambert just lay there spread eagle and eyes dropping, which was fine by him as it made rubbing salve over the boy's wrists and ankles easier and he got no complaint when he made Lambert take a drink of water.

He was surprised when Lambert made no move to leave, his first thought would have had Lambert all but running from the room in an act to pretend this never happened. Instead, he just moved to one side of the bed to make space for him and turned away to face the wall.

He knew the boy was struggling, it was tough to be that vulnerable with someone, especially for the first time and even more so considering it was Lambert and so he just guided Lambert towards the middle of the bed and between his legs. The fact that he didn't even put up a struggle told volumes that he needed something to ground himself with and so he offered his softened dick to put in the boy's mouth.

There was about a second of hesitation before Lambert took him in his mouth and went to lay his head against his hip. Slowly he felt the boy relax against him and slowly fall to sleep and he couldn't help but card his hand through dark hair before he too fell asleep, sure that despite taking comfort now, come morning Lambert would be gone, but if that's what the boy needed he wouldn't stop him.

~~~

It's 70 years later and it's only him and his pups left. All the other long dead leaving the walls of Kaer Morhen haunted and quiet.

His boys have made their own way on the Path, made friends and allies and enemies and sought their own comfort amongst others, yet every winter they returned with heads bowed low and shoulders weary, and in their own time, they would come to him, let him look after them if only for a moment.

They were his wolves and he would die before letting anything happen to them.

#can you tell I love eskel a normal amount #I just want my boys happy okay #afterhours cw dub con #afterhours cw overstimulation #afterhours cw edging

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ty-talks-comics · 4 years

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Best of this Week: Batman: Curse of the White Knight Book Seven - Sean Murphy, Matt Hollingsworth and AndWorld Design

Batman is Dead.

The last issue of Curse of the White Knight gave us the last in the story of Edmond Wayne and revealed that the man that Bruce thought was his ancestor, turned out to have been the family to Jean-Paul Valley instead. Bakkar of the Order of St. Dumas killed Edmond after betraying and stealing Gotham from under him, thus assuming the name of Wayne and forming the city to his vision. With this newfound information, Batman has found himself a man with a lineage of thievery, especially after finding out that Gotham’s Elite have been funding their crime through Wayne Enterprises.

This issue begins with a somber flashback to a moment before the funeral of the Waynes. Bruce cries and blames himself for their deaths because he wanted to see The Mask of Zorro. He had always wanted to use the rapiers that his father kept on display and figured if he learned to use them from the movie, then he would be able to impress his father enough. Alfred, always so caring, tells him that if he’s able to go to the funeral, then he can hold a rapier. He then vows to teach young Bruce how to use it for the next danger he may face.

Matt Hollingsworth colors this flashback in a cool blue hue, emphasizing both the sadness and the hopefulness of the moment. Murphy portrays Alfred as being caring and shows that even with the tears, Bruce shows his ability to rise up and become the hero that people need. Though the rapier is far too large for his kid body, Bruce holds it firm in hopes of protecting Gotham in the future.

As we cut back to the modern day, Bruce faith in himself and his dreams of becoming Gotham’s knight are shaken. He was never a Wayne by blood and he sees himself as part of Gotham’s cuse. Many would be right to see him as such given Gotham’s crime initially started off as petty stuff and eventually escalated into battles with The Joker, Two-Face and others with Gotham being caught in the crossfire every time. He didn’t even know that his company was being used by criminals because of his singular focus on fighting crime.

Murphy draws Batman as being tired and ashamed of himself for only just now understanding Jack Napier’s vision and why Batman is just as bad for Gotham as The Joker was. His expressions are melancholic, Murphy makes excellent use of shadow to try to hide some of his shame and body language to make him look like an old man that’s been sitting on a lawn chair for eighty hard years. Harleen Quinzel acts as his voice of reason during his pity party and actually shows concern for him.

Harleen has been a central character in this world since the very first issue of the original White Knight and that doesn’t change here though her own personal arc is over. The last issue saw her do her best to bring Jack Napier out of Joker’s mind for one last time for information and to save her children. In the end, she had to shoot Joker in the head to let Jack rest and rid herself of the monster that had been plaguing her for years. She still finds herself at Batman’s side as one of his most trusted friends.

Bruce still has one thing that he can do to make sure that Jean-Paul doesn’t get away with his crimes and Harley convinces him that Gotham will forgive his transgressions like they did for the former Joker in Napier. At the same time, Azrael is still out there and Murphy and Hollingsworth give readers an AMAZING shot of the villain in his updated Knightfall costume. He grabs onto the nds of his cape as he soars backwards into his hideout. The lights of the city contrast with his blacks, yellows and blues to just give us a pretty damn good shot of how powerful he feels in the suit.

This is contrasted by the next few set of panels where he’s puking out of his mask after escaping from the GTO (Gotham Task Oppression Unit). This version of Azrael has been diagnosed with terminal cancer and as such needs medicine to live and suppress the symptoms. With little dialogue and some telling panels, we see that Azrael has empty bottle after empty bottle of pills in his cabinet. He’s starting to look a bit more gaunt than the first time we saw him. He’s withering away slowly and only has one more pill to spare for his coming battle with Batman.

I love the details that Murphy and Hollingworth add here. There’s blood in his vomit and it maintains after he pukes on his leg. His ribs are starting to show and we’ve seen just how jacked he was in the issues prior. His hair doesn’t appear as long as it did, even pulled into a bun/ponytail and there’s just something so final about the “shit” he gives after finding out that he only has one more pill left. In that singular moment, his mistakes come back to haunt him after killing his, admittedly, treacherous employer.

Soon after, Bruce makes amends to Barbara Gordon after inadvertently causing the accident that almost saw her completely lose use of her legs and effectively getting her dad killed. Barbara has always been resilient and we all feared that that issue #5 would be yet another Killing Joke, but here she is, using crutches to try walking again. The scene takes place during the bright Gotham day and this signals a brighter future for their relationship.

Bruce had always gone to Jim Gordon for advice on what route he should take, but without him, Bruce is missing one of his moral compasses. Barbara is the next best person because she has always been smarter than her father and Bruce has a ton of guilt to get off of his chest and Barbara handles everything like the mature adult that she is. She doesn’t blame Bruce for what happened, even though she said horrid things in anger, but can anyone blame her? She cries at the mention of her father and embraces Bruce, encouraging whatever his decision may be.

Of course, with this being the penultimate issue in this particular storyline, it only makes sense that we see a grand revelation come out of it. Murphy and Hollingsworth set the stage with Hollingsworth coloring the afternoon skies of Gotham with an orange-red kind of hue. We see various shots of different places in Gotham from public libraries to the streets themselves as Batman appears on the giant monitor of Gotham Square. Everything feels hot and sort of uncomfortable.

Bruce gives his appreciation and thanks to the people of Gotham for allowing him to serve as their protector and we continue to get these various shots of people. There’s auto mechanics watching the broadcast in their shop, people in a bar and kids watching on a cell phone with their dog. Murphy uses this to illustrate that Gotham is far larger than we think it is and that there are many people that Batman has saved from every corner of his beloved city, but he hasn’t done enough yet. So what’s the final step?

Batman reveals himself to be Bruce Wayne and dismantles WayneCorp.

Bruce finally becomes the knight that Gotham needs by giving back to the people. By destroying his company, he gives back to the people of Gotham by giving all of his money to nonprofits, schools, homeless shelters etc. It’s everything that Batman detractors have been saying Bruce should have done for ages. In doing so, he offers Gotham a better future than he could have as Batman, but he only asks them to stay off the streets of Gotham for one night while he takes care of the Azrael business. Murphy shows Bruce holding his cowl one last time, standing tall by his heroic decision.

Back at the GCPD, he gets lambasted by Commissioner Montoya for going off and doing his own thing again, but counters by saying that he trusts in the people of Gotham and they all formulate their battle plans. It’ll be his last time taking the reigns before he turns himself in as well, so he might as well make sure that everything goes according to plan.

As Montoya tells Batman that Azrael destroyed most of the other Batmobiles in his assault on bruce in Book Four (I think), she reveals that one survived and I see that Sean Murphy is a Batfan after my own heart. The Batmobile that survives is the badass one from the Animated Series, what this book is supposed to be the “sequel” to. It's sleek and well designed thanks to Murphy’s own love of cars. From the presentation, readers can tell that this is one of the pages he took serious time with as the Batmobile is given so much respect.

After a short conversation with Dick about what Bruce is going to do when he catches Azrael, Batman drives away, leaving his sidekicks concerned about his state of mind and we get one last splash page of Batman standing in the middle of Gotham Square without his cowl and the sky is a blood red. The Batmobile looks sexy in the background and this was all just so amazing.

Sean Murphy is a comic book treasure. His art and his writing truly made this an experience and a Batman story worth standing the test of time. It had the action, the drama, the stylish sequences and several twists and turns that make a story great. He’s made Batman his own in a grungy style much like how Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo have in a heavy metal manner. Murphy’s Gotham is a masterpiece in crustpunk with social problems that Batman’s always had in the periphery of his character and every issue has been better than the last.

Matt Hollingsworth brings it to life with his perfect colors; Whether they’re making use of the blues of Gotham’s clear skies or the light purples of the night sky, Hollingworth makes Gotham look distinct no matter the time of day. Scenes are given hues to match the tone of the pages whether they’re full of intense anger or incredible sadness, Matt Hollingsworth sets the mood no matter what

I really enjoyed this series, but I can’t wait for the next and final issue of it just to see that confrontation between Batman and Azrael. It’s been a long time coming and the fallout from Bruce’s decision as well… it’ll be too much, but yeah High recommend!

Also, support me on Patreon:

patreon.com/TyTalksComics

#batman #curse of the white knight #azrael #barbara gordon #harleen quinzel #sean gordon murphy #sean murphy #matt hollingsworth #dc comics #dc black label

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worldofavania · 4 years

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Avania’s Second Anniversary!

As usual it's been six months since my last Avania status update, but what a wild six months it has been! I hope you all reading this are safe and well. I am grateful that my life has not been too terribly impacted by recent events, and that the increase in time spent at home has actually allowed me to get ahead on Avania and create more art in general. This is an interesting time for the comic now, as after finding some sense of regularity with producing and posting pages over the last two years, I am now finally catching up with my buffer, and with it the first quarter or arc of the "season 1's" plot.

To briefly recap, Avania launched exactly two years ago on July 8th, 2018, after about 5 years of dedicated work (and close to 10 for general development of the characters and setting). As of January 2020, the comic has since reached the following numbers: Total Comic Posts (Covers and Interior Pages): 109 Pages Published: 100 Issues Completed: 5 Pages Completed: 110* Pages Written: 310 Total Planned for Season 1: 17 Issues, 360 Pages *Note that "Pages Completed" doesn't count credits pages, even though as of Issue No.3 they basically became single-panel story pages. I am now unexpectedly a little ahead of where I anticipated being at this time, so it is possible I will complete the first chapter of Issue No.6 before late October, when Issue No.5 will finish posting. This presents the possibility of pushing out the weekly posting for an extra 10 weeks, though I am not sure if I will do that, as there is a natural break point in the story at that time which I think would be ideal timing for the inevitable change in release schedule. In either case, I am incredibly excited to have made it this far, and looking forward more than ever to exploring more of Avania (and other locales) as I start production on Issue No.6's chapters! Both of them will introduce some new faces to the comic, but if you've followed my work for a while you will likely already know some of them...

As I've mentioned in past posts, once my current buffer expires, I am planning on switching to an on-off pattern of finishing a chapter and then posting pages every week until it is done. I believe this will be the best compromise between trying to maintain a weekly schedule and ensuring both story and art quality continue to improve... Of course, my ultimate goal is to work on Avania full-time, and thus be able to post new pages weekly! As for printing the comic (and releasing it digitally), I have Issue No.5 fully completed, and need only prepare it for print. Since the webcomic has almost caught up with my production though, I figure I will wait until No.5 has been posted before sending it to print. I'm hoping to make a final draft of all completed issues, and then start taking orders! I know it has been a long time coming, but I am really excited with how things are shaping up, and I think the time taken to make adjustments will provide the best finished product yet possible for me! Do let me know if you are interested in purchasing physical copies, or full-resolution digital copies on Comixology (those who have in the past, I haven't forgotten you!) In the meantime, you can check out the Avania PX online store for poster-sized prints, stickers, and buttons (with new stuff coming soon too)! In my status update 6 months ago, I said "All in all, I think 2020 is going to be an exciting year" and boy was I more right than I knew at the time! Never the less, I continue to look forward to bringing you more Avania. As always, I would like to give a big thank you to fans, readers, and everyone who enjoys my art work! Your support is very much appreciated, and I am always happy to hear your questions, comments, and suggestions too. If you have questions regarding the comic’s setting or characters, just send an ask to Avania Mail and get your answer in the form of a comic. And if you want the latest page of Avania ASAP, head over to WorldOfAvania.com every Sunday night at 7:00pm EST, and watch me here to see the latest art and comic updates every few days!

#comics #webcomic #artists on tumblr #comic book #avania #avanianews #???#hans #rhys #cass #blanche #eiserne #alders #eraclare #walter #daniel #winters #felix #sarah #valenvarius #raul

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signor-signor · 4 years

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Trending 27th - January 2020

What have been your efforts in the campaign for SaveWOY and what are your upcoming plans to save WOY? Now this is a question worth answering!

In the past, I made a little list of the things I did to support SaveWOY and bring awareness to Wander Over Yonder’s existence and its third season plans. Since then, I’ve done a whole lot more from hand-drawn art to more intricate art. Some of them are almost as special as that signed poster @peepsqueak got from the WOY crew as a token of their gratitude.

Here’s an updated list of everything I did for SaveWOY so far:

Attended the SaveWOY picnic at Griffith Park, where I got to sign a banner.

Pointed out various higher-ups involved in the business of Disney television.

Sent several letters to the higher-ups, some of which had envelopes with an image of the downed space pod taped to them.

Started a weekly Twitter post series, SaveWOY Thought of the Week.

Made Lite-Brite art of Wander and Lord Hater, which Craig McCracken and Francisco Angones liked.

Attended D23 2017 with an Operation: FORCE drawing of Hater, a colored page of Wander and Sylvia and a few facts about WOY, and an orange pen with a green hat (I got the hat from the aforementioned picnic) - there, I signed a bench with Wander and the phrase, “Never hurts to help.”

Signed my name, drew Wander (and my own character, Jacken DeBox), and wrote, “Happiest place in outer space!” on the highest beam for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

Wrote a letter (and drew Wander) for the victims of the Las Vegas tragedy with the message, “The darkest times call for the sunniest smiles!”

Got Craig to reveal the name of the ship (said to play a BIG part in S3, made a cameo in Future-Worm) when I commented that we’d have to figure out the name - his response: “The ship is called The Star Nomad.”

Wrote a couple of cards to two Disney higher-ups with the message, “A little nice makes naughty think twice!”

Drew Dominator in a situation that might take place several seconds after she passes the downed space pod, just in time for Noël Wells’s B-day.

Made the Star Nomad with LEGO Digital Designer.

Made three images in the style of the original Star Wars trilogy VHS set.

Posted 50 WOYS3PredictionPolls on Twitter.

Made an image of “The First 5 Years” with over 140 individuals (including the question marks for 3 new mains and 2 new regulars - I still want to know what they look like!) and one cleverly made Hidden Mickey.

Shared WOY-related images from my 1st 5 Years fan art on Twitter acknowledging the B-days of most of the voice actors (Charlie Adler, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ken Marino, Josh Sussman, H. Michael Croner, James Adomian, Jason Ritter, and Piotr Michael clearly noticed).

Typed a summary of how I think the S3 premiere would go.

Typed lyrics to “Let’s Go Soarin’ and Explorin’,” a song from my aforementioned S3 premiere summary. Wouldn’t it be great if Andy Bean used it?

Made a microgame with WarioWare: D.I.Y. where the player has to spin the fan to make the Star Nomad fly. Part of a chorus from “Let’s Go Soarin’ and Explorin’” included.

Started FanCharacterFriday on Twitter - more Tumblr users seem to like Dr. Otmar Vunderbar.

Made a short comic page of Lord Hater trying to break out of the DTVA vault plus a sly reminder that Disney owns the rights to WOY.

Shared a list of potential episode titles for S3.

Made an actual LEGO Star Nomad based on the model made with LDD. Hopefully, those who worked on WOY have noticed. In case you missed it, here’s a picture...

Now, the ideas I have in mind for further boosting support for the campaign. I may not be able to do most of them myself, but they are certainly for everyone’s consideration.

Provide updated information of higher-ups (if any).

As soon as we find out what Kid Cosmic looks like, expect fan art of him saying, “Watch my show and tell your friends so we’ll make that Mousey Company pay for what they did to my half-brother!”

Another SaveWOY picnic - if there’s one in my general area, you can count me in.

LP album artwork of My Fair Hatey.

A mural identical to that of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate consisting of not just characters from WOY, but also characters who were said to debut in S3 and characters who’d fit in perfectly, namely some of my OCs.

Pumpkin stencils of the main characters for Halloween.

Drawings of various WOY characters stuck on the ex-secret planet explaining why they need to leave said planet. Maybe I could also show how the galaxy’s villains would react if they learn that Lord Dominator’s been bested by Lord Hater.

Drawings consisting of SaveWOY-related messages spoken by the main characters from Disney shows that got at least three seasons (e.g. DuckTales, Fish Hooks), tons of love from the viewers and the executives (e.g. Gravity Falls), or both (e.g. SvtFoE, Mickey Mouse ‘13).

Example with Phineas and Ferb:

Phineas: “We may be creative and famous, but we’re not the ones who came up with the Star Nomad. It’s the ship powered by orbbles! Orbbles! I’d LOVE to see it take flight, wouldn’t you? If you let Mr. McCracken end the show his way, and not the executive way, which, truth be told, is the absolute worst, Wander will surely be elated!”

Ferb: “The Orbble Transporter was invented by conjoined twin brothers, voiced by the performers of the theme song.”

Irving (peeking in from the side): “Speaking of voices, the titular main character sounds JUST LIKE ME! How could you possibly resist?! And look, just because I’m the biggest fan of these guys (gesturing to P&F) doesn’t mean I have no interest in what’s planned for the furry orange fella!”

Since I’m a full-time Disneyland cast member, I should be able to make contacts with anyone who might have more clues about what S3 would entail. It might be a long shot, but if I’m able to convince Disney that WOY’s influence on my life boosted my chance at gaining employment at the company, they should understand.

A weekly Jeopardy-type pop quiz on Twitter - here’s the catch: you must refrain from finding information online when you read the answer (I bet you that the most hardcore fans of the most popular shows will get most of the questions wrong).

Example: This arachnomorph got his name from a dog tag he swallowed when he infiltrated a fish-shaped ship. He later became Lord Hater’s beloved pet.

-Who is Captain Tim?

Summaries of S3 episodes I made up myself a while back.

More fan-made characters - my most recent is an elected official of Cluckon, Mayor Spye C. Drumstick.

Conjuring a logo that best fits the status of S3/TV movie - Wander Over Yonder: The New Galaxy (the center would have the silhouette of the Star Nomad with Wander and Sylvia on it).

Brainstorming possible ideas for the three new main characters.

If all else fails, I suggest we make a web comic based on the hints we accumulated back in 2016 and what we learned from the cameo in Future-Worm’s finale. Team Sea3on has been taking that approach for SatAM Sonic the Hedgehog S3, though they are also making an animated version.

That’s about all I’ve got so far. In closing, I have several questions to ask as the new decade kicks off.

Disney executives: Are you even listening to us WOY fans? What more do you want? I’ve done so much for the campaign that I feel I’m entitled to know everything that was planned for WOY’s third and final season, especially now that I’m working full-time for your company. If you tell us what your demands are, we’d be happy to oblige.

@crackmccraigen: Are you aware of how hard the fans and I have been trying to talk Disney into giving you the chance for true closure? We’ll make sure we watch KC when it comes out on Netflix. If we’re lucky, we might see WOY get added to Disney+, where it should get that closure, assuming you’ll have finished KC your way before then.

@suspendersofdisbelief: I know you’re super busy with DuckTales and you love the plans for WOY S3 so much that you can’t bear to reveal it all in one post, but it’s been waaaay too long since we got any hints from you. Are there any other WOY S3-related facts you could describe in much greater detail? The campaign could do with more motivation.

Non-WOY fans: Are you convinced? Need I remind you what’s in the end tag of the “last” episode of WOY? You know there’s much more to life than tales from the land of Ooo, a blue middle school cat boy in a world of unusual individuals, adolescent twins in an Oregon town filled with oddities, a half-gem half-human protagonist, a coming-of-age princess of Mewni, a trio of ursine trend-followers in San Francisco, and all that jazz. If you’re not one bit interested in Hater’s origin story and all that was planned for S3, it’s your loss.

Pessimists: Will you please dispense with this unnerving “Wander is dead” talk? As a certain Popeye would say, “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more!” You’re not trying to let the Disney bosses win, are you? You probably used to think previously canceled shows like Hey Arnold!, Samurai Jack, and Young Justice could never be brought back. The point is, all is not lost.

@peepsqueak and WOY fans/SaveWOY supporters: Have I been of assistance? Almost every remark I’ve ever made shows wit and perception. I mean, just think. Wander is still stuck in that vault where his goal of reforming Lord Hater remains incomplete, and he has no idea of what threat awaits him. He says, “Glorn, help us.” It’ll take something big and extraordinary to convince every Disney fan (and perhaps every Netflix fan) to talk some sense into the higher-ups. Not to mention the replacement/back-up voice actors we’ll have to find if Disney takes even longer (we already lost one - René Auberjonois). We shan’t rest until we get the answers!

@disneyanimation

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clevercatchphrase · 4 years

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2019 year in review

So… The 2010’s are almost over. Huh. What a decade it’s been. Hard to comprehend how much has changed in 10 years. I can barely believe that I was in high school at the beginning of this decade, and now I’m a college graduate with 2 degrees who’s been working at the same job for the last 3 years. But trying to summarize the past 10 years in a single post is a good way to give myself an existential crisis, so let’s not do that! Instead, let’s just focus on 2019 because there has been more than enough shit that’s happened to me in this year to talk about.

PART 1 OF 2: 2019 AND 2020 GOALS AND RESOLUTIONS

Huh, looking back through my archives, I apparently didn’t make a tumblr post about my goals this year. I definitely had some, though. Lemme list ‘em off real quick, and then we’ll go through them point by point.

1) Pay off all my student loans 2) Finish some song comics 3) Make art for my Redbubble account 4) Finish the first rough draft/script of a game I wanted to make 5) Practice ASL 6) Sew some stuffed animals 7) Finish some fan fictions 8) Work on Ghost Switch 9) AMVs 10) Do some original writing 11) Make illustrations for my fan fictions

Okay, first off, the student loans. I was actually SO CLOSE to successfully completing this one bUT THEN MY CAR HAD TO BE A WHINEY PISS BABY AND HAVE ITS ALTERNATOR DIE ON ME WHILE I WAS ON THE HIGHWAY AND THEN A BLOW OUT THREE WEEKS LATER.

GOD, if I had to summarize this year in two words, for me it would be “Car troubles”. I swear I spent more on auto repair in the first third of this year than I ever have just freakin’ OWNING a car. All four of my tires had to be replaced, my alternator failed and my car literally just SHUT OFF while I was driving, and I was barely able to coast into a gas station. Both my front breaks and rear breaks were worn down the metal and I only learned this when my car was barely able to stop after I had to slam the petal down full force! I went in for an oil change, and they found some problems and then I didn’t get my car back for three days! I don’t even like owning a car! I hate driving! I hate my country’s refusal to provide universal, free public transportation! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS!

Oh-kay… number 2. Finish some song comics. I didn’t finish any. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t work on them. I have made tiny progress, but that’s certainly better than no progress. One of these song comics I hope to be realizes is going to be a collab with one of my friends. It’ll be a long-time coming as it’s pretty low priority for the both of us, but if anyone else out there was disappointed with KH3’s ending, we’re gonna have ya’ covered… With SONG!

3. Make some redbubble art. I actually did this one! Not in the way I expected, but I added (technically) 3 new designs to my redbubble in the middle of the year. If you like butterflies and dragons, I got some product for you~!

Number 4, finish a script for a game I want to make. I… thought about this. I thought about this a lot, but I never put pen to paper, so… oops. It almost happened! I debated making this my main writing project for NaNoWriMo this year, but ended up having more inspiration for another story. Maybe next year? (god, I hope not. I don’t want to wait a full year just to write something)

Number 5, practice ASL. I just straight up didn’t do this and I only have myself to blame. Still keepin’ up that Danish Duolingo streak, though. 4 years going strong and not a day missed yet.

Number 6, sew some stuffed animals. Again, another one I just straight up didn’t do, but I have an excuse of trying to save money while my car crashed and burned in every other sense except literal this year. Hopefully 2020 will be different. I’ll definitely be able to pay off this last loan within the first half of 2020, and then I can start saving for whatever I want to buy.

Finish some fan fictions was number 7, and I did this! Well, I only finished, 1, but it was a story I’ve been working on for over 3 years, and it came out to over 200 THOUSAND words long, which is the longest thing I’ve ever written, and I’m quite proud of myself. Now that the big story is out of the way, and I’ve gotten into a good rhythm of working on Ghost Switch, maybe I can squeeze in some short writing sessions more frequently. (either that, or just wait for my car to break down again and then go on a writing spree in a pepboys. The lord and the fan fic discord know that’s solely why I finished my other fic this year)

Speaking of Ghost Switch, working on it was a goal this year too, and I did that! I kept it up all year and took a vacation in November and it was wonderful. While the major plot points have been in place since before I started drawing, I still need to script each arc beyond Snowdin, but hey, by the time we get there, it’ll be 2022 so I got time. (Note, don’t do this, kids. Script your stories and comics thoroughly before publishing. The road I’m on is paved with misery and pain and it will only end in tears unless I change lanes soon)

Number 9, amvs. Do people make AMVs anymore? Idk… the last one I made was... Jesus, 5 years ago? (it was a gravity falls/fall out boy crossover, if you were curious) I’ve been wanting to do 2 more for just as long, but in order for me to do that, I’d have to spend time re-watching the shows to find the footage, and then actually edit them together, and I just don’t…. feel like it. Maybe someday, but not any day soon.

10; do some original writing. I did this! For nanowrimo! I wrote the first draft of some original fiction I’ve been planning for a year or two now and it completely sucks! But it’s on paper now and I’m happy. Will I revise and edit it? Sure, but not for a while. I want to let it sit and forget about it and look at it with new eyes months from now so I can be sure I can make it better when time comes to rewrite.

11, make illustrations for my fan fics. Now that You Monster is done, I want to go back and add pictures to it. I didn’t do any this year, but I did keep a list of scenes I wanted to draw, so I have plenty of ideas to do as warm up sketches next year~ I kinda want to stream them~

So, that was 11 goals, and I successfully fulfilled 4 of them! That’s! Not a very good ratio… QmQ So, goals for 2020. Some I’m gonna keep from this year, some I’m gonna drop and some I’m gonna add. In short I would like to,

1) Finish paying off that last student loan 2) Put more stuff on my redbubble 3) Illustrate my own fan fics 4) Sew at least one stuffed animal 5) Make an enamel pin 6) Read one new book a month 7) Write one page a day/Complete at least one new fan fic 8) Learn Python or C# for the game I want to make 9) Finish fully scripting Ghost Switch 10) Boost my patreon

Most of these I think are pretty self-explanitory, but I’ll go into detail just a bit because I’m on a roll and typing my thoughts helps me feel less alone in the middle of the night when you’re super tired and you know you should probably go to sleep, but the toddler in you is throwing a tantrum and doesn’t wanna go to sleep just yet, but you can’t fight the progression of time either way.

Number 1- I should be able to reach this goal by the end of March. End of June at the absolute latest. Once that goal is met, my secret new year’s resolution will be unlocked as well!

Number 2- I want to put more art of my OCs on redbubble. These OCs are tied to the game I want to make. There’s already some art of them up there, but I want at least one piece for each character.

Number 3- Mostly for You Monster. Embrace the cardinal rule of fan fic and apply it to fan art. If you want to read about see art about certain ideas, scenarios, or what-ifs, you gotta make it yourself.

Number 4- I have 3 potential ideas to sew. One is definitely leagues easier than the other two and will probably be chosen if/when I have the time and materials.

Number 5- This year I got really, REALLY into the idea of making enamel pins. Unfortunately it’s a pretty big investment (like, $350 to make 100 pins you might not even sell). If this happens, it’ll probably be towards the end of the year, and if I get enough interest. I’m currently torn between making an original enamel pin and one based off Undertale. We’ll just have to see where this goes.

Number 6- Back in 2018 when I paid off one of my many student loans, I rewarded myself by spending over 200 dollars in used books. All these books had a theme; they were focused on dragons because I have a problem. I have not yet read a single one of these books I have bought, and I would like to fix that. I have, like, 20 unread dragon books, and even if I only read 12 out of 20, I would consider that an amazing accomplishment and money well spent.

Number 7- I currently have about 8 different WIPs I could work on. (well, I don’t know if I can even call them wips. More like, a general idea and a title written down.) I want to build good writing habits, and if I can write just 200 words a day, hell, even 200 words a week and just one of my 8 stories done, I would consider this goal met.

Number 8- I’m torn between making my game in unity or ren’py. I know jack shit about both. Ren’py is more user friendly, but unity will allow me more customization. (Lol, can you guess what kind of game I want to make yet?)

Number 9- I really just want the full story to be done and written incase anything goes horribly terribly wrong in my life and I find myself unable to continue making ghost switch in comic form. Then at least I can finish the story by other means, you know?

Number 10- It always surprises me every month when I get that patreon email saying I got paid. Sure, I don’t even make double digits on it, but it still awes me enough to know that people out there like my work enough to throw me a tip. I can’t thank my patrons enough for supporting me and I hope to one day be in such a good place I can update my comic/song comics/writing frequently enough without need for goals or milestones. But until that magical day arrives, money is always a great incentive for anything, I suppose. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

ALRIGHT. PART 2 OF 2: SHIT THAT HAPPENED TO ME IN 2019

Cheesus crust what a year. This year started off great! Back in late January Kingdom Hearts 3 FINALLY released, and let me tell you a little story. Back in the summer of 2006 I was a 13 year old middle schooler with no way of making money other than by doing house hold chores at a rate of 25 cents a task. A few weeks ago, I had a sleep over at a friend’s house and they let me play this weird game called “Kingdom Hearts” and god, I was instantly hooked on it. That summer, I did over 800 chores, enough to earn myself 200$ and buy myself a playstation 2 (just in time for the ps3 to come out, gg me) The only games I had for the ps2 were KH1, 2, Re:CoM and Okami, and I beat them all… except Okami. Miffed that the PS3 wouldn’t allow for backwards compatibility, little 13-year-old me made a promise. I looked myself in the mirror and said “I will not buy the next playstation console until KH3 comes out, AND BOY that was probably a good choice for me to make with my level of gaming. I’m even less of a casual gamer than the average casual gamer, but I have been waiting 13 years for this piece of closure, and I even told my friends and family that “the day Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out is the day I will buy a playstation 4”. My dad apparently thought this was the funniest shit, because he literally took the day off from work that Friday to drive me on base to get the game and console (he thought it would be less crowded than a regular walmart, I suppose). I paid $400 on a ps4 pro while he bought me the game. Again, I have an impecible sense of timing seeing as the PS5 is now right on the horrizion, but just like before, I’m not buying a new console until the next KH game is released. See you in 2045, sony~. While I was at the gamestop on base, I also picked up Okami HD and The Last Guardian. For all of February and even early March, I took my time playing through KH3. And…! It was the best disappointment I’ve ever played. After a month away from gaming, I started The Last Guardian and finished it in a couple weeks. I love trico and would die for him, but trying to get 100% completion on that game is udder insanity. Okami, HD, however… again after a month break after finishing TLG, I started replaying Okami. I think I had only managed to get about halfway through the game before I just… stopped playing it on my ps2 version. I am currently SO CLOSE to getting a 100% on the ps4 version. In fact, I’ve beaten the game. I only (techinically) need 2 more trophies to be done; 1st, escape the water dragon without being eaten, 2nd, I need to beat that dumb stupid race with Kai, in order to get the last bead on my rosary, as well as the top dog trophy. I hate her so much. I hate this race so much. It’s awful and bad.

Flash forward to December! Earlier this month I was at Barnes and Noble, buying myself a planner for 2020. I exit the store and notice that there’s a gamestop across the street. For shits and giggles I go inside to look at their game selection, and I find KH 1.5 and 2.5. Now, my PS2 died a few years back (it just won’t read my discs anymore, I don’t know why) and I haven’t been able to replay any of my other kingdom hearts games since. If you had seen me the day I finished kingdom hearts 3, after the ending credits rolled, you would have heard me say “Man…. I wish I could play kingdom hearts 2 again”. AND NOW I CAN, ALONG WITH BBS which I had never even played yet, but knew the story of. I’ve restarted playing kh1, and I was so happy to hear that familiar music when I booted the game up for the first time. While at the game stop, I also picked up Rime and Tearaway, two games that had looked interesting to me. At the time of writing, I’ve finished Rime and am 25% done with tearaway. Rime was…. An interesting experience. I learned about it through Jacksepticeye’s channel a couple years back and thought the art style was enticing. For a super casual gamer like me, I found the puzzles just the right level of challenging and exploring was a blast! The music gave me VERY strong Princes Mononoke vibes, but the overall story left something to be desired. Overall I had fun, and enjoyed completing this game to 100%. Now for tearaway. Can I just say this game is super fucking adorable? I know the original was on the ps vita and the gameplay there was arguably more diverse and imaginative, but this game is just so fucking cute I don’t care?? ALSO, this game’s sound track is ABSOLUTELY incredible and I’ve only heard the first fourth of it! Listen to The Orchards, Pig Riding, and Gibbet Hill Pilgrimage for a taste of their wonderful beats and fantastic use of string and woodwinds! God, I’m so excited to get some more games in 2020. I’m proud to say I currently own more ps4 games than I ever did with my ps2 (and now the majority AREN’T Kingdom Hearts titles!), and I’m still hoping to play Journey, The Witness, and Abzu before everything becomes ps5.

What else happened to me this year. Oh, I went to a doctor for, like, the first time in seven years. I also had my blood drawn for the first time ever, and the nurse said the most disturbing thing to me while she did it. Now, whenever I get shots, I refuse to look. I did that here. So she thought it would be appropriate to say to me “Can you feel your blood leaving your body?” Lady… You can clearly see I am uncomfortable with what is happening here. Why, of all the things you could say, did you choose to say that. Unfortunately, while my doctor is nice, she keeps wanting to run tests on me, that I just cannot afford with my current salary, and my monthly insurance is about to go up to 200$ a month, so I’ve cancelled my next appointment with them, and don’t plan to go back until it’s absolutely necessary. Capitalism is fun, guys. Preventative healthcare is for wusses.

I started going to a chiropractor on a monthly basis. Story time- I don’t know when it started, but sometime late last November I began to notice that I had a headache that just... wasn’t... going away? And each day it was starting to get a little worse. It made it hard for me to find a comfortable position to sleep, it made it hard for me to be in bright areas or move fast. So I said to myself “Okay, if this headache persist through the month of december, then something is proooobably wrong and I should go see someone about it. And hoo-boy were thing wrong with me. By the time this January rolled around, I couldn’t even stay on my feet for more than a few hours without it physically hurting to just BREATHE. So I started going to this chain called The Joint (A+ name, I know). THey aksed me “How are you doing?” I said “I’m in pain” and they said “We can help fix that!”. I’ve only been to a chiropractor once before in my life a few years back after my freshmen year of college because I began to notice my hips weren’t able to support me? LIke, I would lie on my back, and I couldn’t push my hips up when my feet were flat on the floor. I also couldn’t climb anything steep, because my legs just couldn’t push me up if my knee had to bend more than 90 degrees when I lifted my leg up. (Turned out both my hips were apparently out of place). This time only one of my hips were out of place (which they fixed. they said one of my legs was an inch “longer” than the other because I had been leaning all my weight on one leg when I stand). But two of my ribs were apparently “Stuck” which was why it was hurting for me to just breathe, and one of my shoulders was missaligned too, causing one of my trap muscles to constantly be streched, which was pulling on my skull, and causing the headache. Anyway, after they popped all my bones back into place, I still felt terrible, but by god, that night was the first time in weeks I was able to sleep without a migrane. A chiropractor can’t magically heal your arthritis, or fibro, but I definately think they have merit to keeping your posture good and helping your body with things like circulation. 10 outa 10, would recomend. It’s all the fun of getting your neck snapped without the dying!

Earlier this month I got together with two of my friends and we baked Christmas cookies. It was a lot of fun, as well as a great learning experience. A member of my family has a gluten allergy, so we used rice flour for most of the cookies. We learned this is a bad idea! The cookies will just fall apart! A few member’s in one of the friend’s family have nut allergies. Other friend and I knew this and were careful to avoid cookie recipes with nuts, bUT THEN COMPLETELY FORGOT THAT ALMOND MILK AND ALMOND EXTRACT COUNT AS NUT. IN FACT, ALMOND EXTRACT IS PURE CONCENTRATED NUT JUICE AND WE FELT SO BAD FOR ALMOST ACCIDENTALLY POISONING THE FAMILY.

Earlier this year me and these same friends took a field trip to Hobby Lobby and just dicked around the store for a couple of hours. It was super fun, 11 outa 10, would recommend, a great date idea for your artsy S.O.

Back in May I went to a wedding for the first time in my life. (well, not true, but the first one I could remember) we left at 5am, drove 5 hours to get there, hung out at a zoo and spent the night in a la quinta before the wedding day. I slept on the bathroom floor because my mom was snoring too loud in the main room and keeping me awake, and the rest of the day was just spent me trying to keep myself together because I was pissed off and tired.

Other than all of that, nothing really major happened to me this year. I guess one more thing I’ve tried to do this year is started the process of breaking certain internet addictions so I can use my free time for more personal projects. Seriously, I found myself watching way too much youtube and following blogs that didn’t even make me happy. I had a personal intervention with myself where I sat down and asked myself, “why do you watch these videos and youtubers? Why do you follow these blogs? Do you really enjoy their content? Do you really care? If you stopped watching/following them, would you even notice?” After critically thinking it over, I’ve found myself unfollowing several channels and blogs and suddenly I feel so much happier. I thought I would miss it, but I realized I didn’t really care if I saw their content or not. I wasn’t missing much. And now I feel like I have more time to draw, read and write. If you think you spend too much time consuming and not enough time creating, I suggest you try and de-clutter your internet habits as well. It’s done wonders to un-fuck my headspace.

And… well, that about sums up my year. How are your holidays going? Anything fun, exciting, dramatic happen to you this year? I hope your new year is warm and safe! Good night, everybody!

#new year's resolutions #year in review #long post #(seriiously this think is like 3k words)

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veryimportantsparkles · 5 years

Photo

Alright I’ve kept meaning to do sort of an infodump on my projects because I’ve been really slipping lately. I dunno how obvious it is? Probably kind of obvious. I’ve also been really bad about checking messages and responding to people. So I figure I can write up a status report and then point to it when I’ve been inadequate about communication.

My IRL job has been wiping me out. I’ve been getting short, labor-intensive shifts in the evenings, and then random surprise morning shifts shortly after, which has been really hard to manage my time around. My sleep schedule has been extremely broken and it’s affected my productivity a LOT. Leadership in my department is about to shuffle around and I’ve been interviewed for the manager position. If I get it I’ll be working an entirely different schedule, which could potentially be good for my sleepy brain but will definitely leave me with less art time overall. I’ve also been enduring some back/shoulder issues over the past few months. Nothing urgent, but it’s limiting how much I can draw each day. I think replacing my desk chair is going to be a big factor but it’s not the only factor. I just need to be a smart human and take care of my joints and not hunch over so much. Working on it.

Here’s the current status of my various art projects:

Laserwing

I ended chapter 5 in June and said I would finish up some other side projects before I start concept work for chapter 6. One of the projects I needed to finish was the Popkas Yugioh season 4 special, which I finished. The other big one was my Neonmob card set, which is most of what I’ve been posting lately. Once that’s out of the way (see below) I need to do concept art. Chapter 6 will put all the Laserwing characters in new outfits which will need reference sheets. I’ll need background sketches and layout diagrams so I don’t have furniture shuffle randomly around between scenes. I also need to sketch out the chapter 6 draft page by page. I’ve made Laserwing in GIMP up until this point and am going to try switching to Krita for chapter 6. I might need to do a test page to make sure my process transfers over well into a slightly different system. Once I’m ready to make real pages, those take a while. Chapter 5 pages were going up maybe every 2-3 weeks. I don’t know how many pages are going to be in chapter 6, nor can I say for sure how many chapters are in Laserwing. An old outline had maybe 40 chapters. It’s a story with a defined end point, I can say that for certain, but it’s intended to be long.

Popkas

I’ve had issues with Popkas for a while. I keep picking new themes for dailies, thinking they’re going to be quick and easy, but then end up making them hard for myself. It’s been to my benefit, I’ve forced myself into learning new art programs and techniques through Popkas. But it’s hard to keep up the daily schedule. Currently I’m doing the Paper Mario: TTYD bestiary, which has 124 enemies. At a rate of one per day, by the time I’ve finished them, Pokemon Sword and Shield should be released and we’ll have all the info about the new Pokemon. Those will be drawn in ‘Popka classic’ style (scribbly shitposts). After those are finished, unless my IRL work situation dramatically changes, I’m considering putting Popkas on pause. In order to do any other monster dexes I’d have to do a lot more research (for example, people have suggested Yokai Watch but I’ve never played one) in order to have anything meaningful to post. Same deal with Popka Specials (the anime writeup things), those take prep time and anime-watching time that I might not have. I don’t ever want to end Popkas, but a hiatus might be necessary.

Angelfire Hime

Did anyone even know about Angelfire Hime? Well I want to post more but that involves finding, scanning, retouching, and transcribing my old high school scribble comics. It takes as long as any other project but is also low priority because it’s all old content. Nobody is waiting for the latest update because nobody but me actually knows what that content is, and possibly nobody but me can even read it. It’s more a personal journey of self-reflection than anything. I want to return to it but not at the expense of better work.

MeganFantastic dot com

I had a domain name linked to a tumblr that was supposed to be my news blog/front page and I barely use it. Also, I let the domain registration drop. Also, I had let a typo in my banner graphic go unnoticed for YEARS and still haven’t fixed it. Even now, I’m writing this big post to my personal blog instead of the one for news. The idea was to eventually buy some real hosting and make MeganFantastic a whole site of its own, but that’s a lot of work. I’ve got a generally good idea of HOW I’d do it (probably wordpress) but I’m not a coder, it would take a lot of trial and error. This would be a huge undertaking and eventually Laserwing, Popkas, and all my other junk would be contained on one big non-tumblr website. But it’s uhhhhh not happening yet.

Hundera Youtube

My contribution to our LP channel is to show up, talk about video games, and then draw title cards. All recording, editing, and channel management is maintained by Josh, and I can’t speak on his behalf about our update schedule. I will say there are a lot of half-finished games we want to return to. I will also say that when the new Pokemon comes out Josh is dead set on recording it. I don’t know if he intends that to be a stream or a regular LP. In the meantime he streams Minecraft with his friends every Sunday and we fit in our own streams and recordings when we can.

Commissions/Patron Art/etc

I’ve not been very good about this lately and I’m truly sorry! I have a few things I’m working on, a few things I’ve promised to start working on, and a few things I’ve told people I can do once my workload lightens up, which hasn’t been happening yet. I really don’t have an answer. I almost never delete anything so if I’ve been sent a message in any form I should still have it, and I’ll be sure not to forget anyone. And if I do forget someone feel free to throw rocks at me!

Rane Story 2

What the heck is Rane Story 2? Well I guess I have to explain Neonmob. Imagine if ChickenSmoothie and DeviantART had a baby. It’s a virtual trading card site, which is fun and cute, and I’m drawing out a card series to release on there. I’ve been using it as practice for painting backgrounds and to fill out some backstory for some 4th-string Laserwing support characters. Before Mistaire came to Earth, she went to space high school, and that’s where Rane Story takes place. You can preview the series, and when it’s finished I’ll post about it. I’ll also repost all the art to DA. If you scroll through the last several pages of this blog you’ll see some of the art. I’ve put a lot of my brain energy into getting this done in spite of my work/sleep issues because I don’t want to resume Laserwing until I’ve finished it. This is what’s stolen my life, guys. Right now I have 6 more cards to make, and then I have to write and finalize all the text. I should be done SOON.

Pokemon Nonsense

When my back and shoulder get too hurty and I have to take a break from drawing, one of the easy things to do is whip out a DS and play Pokemon. I’ve done a lot of twitter shitposting about it lately. I’ve also drawn up a bunch of gijinkas for my Pokemon. I’m talking about it now because I also intend to draw up gijinkas for Pokemon to trade away. I’ve already done a few. However, I don’t know for sure how I’m going to distribute them. The idea is people can trade actual Pokemon with me (in either X or Let’s Go Eevee) and the Pokemon they get will come with a character design for you to keep. I was thinking I might do a discord server for organizing trades and such, but I haven’t yet. Mostly because it’s low priority and I have SO many other things going on. But actually playing Pokemon can happen when I’m too fatigued for real work, so the horde keeps growing. Hopefully my posts and scribbles about it are entertaining.

I feel like there’s other projects on hold that I wanted to discuss, but right now I’m too braintired to remember, and some of my ‘projects’ never actually got talked about online so nobody’s waiting for an update. My greatest problem seems to be that I try to juggle too many pointless side projects and then drop them all over the place. Sometimes I’ll shitpost about an idea and even I won’t be sure if I was serious or not. How do I end this post? I don’t know.

tl;dr Megan is SLEEPY and dropped her spaghetti everywhere but somehow still has time to play POKEMON and WON’T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

#long post #what do i even tag this as

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amazildoessomethingstupid · 5 years

Text

We Did It Bois!

youtube

WE GOT DAT ANON HATE! I actually had to double-check cause I wasn’t sure if I turned on asks for this blog, apparently not. Fuck, man I’ve been missing out! This mad lad had to go over to False Idol to leave a comment anonymously. And since I don’t want that blog getting cluttered let’s respond to it over here shall we? Let’s see what this man has to say.

Oh I’m sorry, was my use of the “N-word” inappropriate? I thought it was quite clear, I was making reference to a joke that’s been a part of the public conscious and internet culture for like a decade now. And I’m absolutely certain if I used that old artifacted to shit meme you wouldn’t be offended!

Oh wait, no.

There we go. That cool? You get the joke?

I mean, it’s literally the same words, same usage, same context, and demeanor that’s meant to be conveyed! I actually shy away from using slurs in a purely derogatory way, because that’s not fun or funny. And if you didn’t catch on, the whole point of these rants is to have fun, while tearing into the comic where it deserves! But oh no, I can’t say the N-Word even if its clearly done as reference to a popular meme! Even if it’s done in a positive sense, in approval of a character and their actions! How dare I as a brown man use the N-Word! That’s only for black people! I should stick to the slang words of my own culture that no one gets or would interpret as a joke, right you fucking cuxika haoli?!

And as for the cocksleeve comment, oh sure. I’m sorry, did I hurt the feelings of this fictional teenage girl? By calling her a shameful lazy plot device? Forget the fact I was carpet bombing these “kids” with F-bombs like LBJ in ‘nam, calling a fictional girl in a comic a narrative cocksleeve is just too far! Even though I clearly stated what the term represented, and how it’s not actually a sexual term in the context of the rant, this is clearly me calling this fictional girl a sextoy. How dare I? I should use a softer word, or descriptor in this instance, to lessen the impact of its use, make it less intuitive as to what it means, like all the words you people come up with! But oh don’t worry, I know what you’re saying. Alright! Fine! It’s a harsh word! I even stated as such in the rant, I should’ve used softer words. Kinda like how my friend says I shouldn’t call Paulo a Cop-Out Gay, but instead use the term “queerbaiting” because that definitely has the same impact and gets the point across so much better.

And while we’re on the subject of fictional character ages, you do realize Sam (the cat I use to represent myself in these rants) is like 13, right? And hell, in the rant I’ve not only battered her to a broken pulp.

Bu I also shot this fictional 13 year old girl in the face!

drink alcohol

and attempt suicide! (although Taeshi’s done that too...)

Oh man I actually forgot where I was in this ask, what’re they going on about now?

If you’re talking about the reaction images, you do realize that these are all speed sketches right?

I literally made this whole page of reaction Sams in like an hour. Thus the lack of polish, or that much detail. This entire series is just a fun side thing to break up monotony (and punish myself for when I start to slack off). Not to mention, if being good at an art medium was the only way you could be a good critic of said medium, then I guess Red Letter Media, Doug Walker,and Brad Jones are all hacks. Not to mention all the other independent movie, music, and art reviewers too.

(although I’m sure you’d probably be the guy who’d argue that RLM are all hacks anyway)

and I like how you’ll insult my art and writing, but the only actual complaints you have are on the words I’ve used. And a lame insult to my art. And you say I don’t know how to write a story, but you don’t insult any part of my story or writing.

You don’t even have to look at all of it either! I had a little snippet right in the rant! It’s right there, you think I can’t write a story, or character? Why don’t you criticize these scenes I pulled from my own comic? And don’t worry, I’ll let you critique it even if you draw worse than me! Cause I’m just a nice guy like that~

But I see you’ve written more, so let’s see what that’s about.

Excuse you! I’ll have you know I’ve been drawing these fancomics for almost FIVE years now!

And yeah, guy. It’s called perseverance and dedication to the craft. It’s what happens when you have a hobby that you love, and spend time working on. It’s how you can go from this

to this

From this

to this

I know 4 years seems like a long time to progress, and it is. But y’know what? That’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’ve spent 4 long, straight years on this stuff, and that’s a feat that too few artists are able to accomplish. I’ve seen so many astists and webcomics, fan projects, fall apart and not even reach one year before they burn themselves out or give up. Artists much greater than me, who honestly deserved to have their stories told, and visions seen. And you can say whatever you want about me, but y’know what? I can proudly say, I finished a long-form story comic. I said what I wanted to say, I made the comic I wanted to make. And that’s something that too many artists don’t live to see. And hell, that’s something Taeshi can’t say!

I still have work to do, (clean up my lines, work on backgrounds more, be better at plotting scenes...) but I know that if I keep pushing at this rate, and bear in mind what I should improve; the next 4 years will only get better. The only reason I’m not better now, is because of my time on the forum and being pressured by people like you to give up and not pursue what I love doing. Instilling a sense of insecurity and self-doubt I didn’t have before. But then again, it’s because of that, that I learned to look so deeply into my own stories to figure out what’s wrong and work on it. To look at BCB and see its own flaws and to call Taeshi out on that, and to not make those same mistakes myself.

and even better

It’s what’s made me smart and tough enough to not just take a punch, but throw it back at you.

But now to the final comment!

“No note Joe”?

Oh my god, what do you even say to something like that? Is that really the best insult nickname you could come up with? Is this the kind of lame ass insults you make when you restrict what words you can use? Jesus! That doesn’t even make sense! I know what a one-note person means, I can assume what a no-note person means, but I don’t know what that would have to do with however many people actually care about my art. Dude are you okay? I mean this in a serious way, I don’t mean to insult really but...

Are you mentally deficient? are you actually retarded? If so, I admit I do feel a little bad about this.

but also

> Only you, and what, three other people give a shit about your stank artwork and attitude.

BRUH

SuitCase WISHES there was only 3 people who are like me.

But that’s the problem isn’t it?

You really believe that I’m the only one who thinks this shit. You honestly think that I’m just a random outlier who is just bitching on the internet. Let me tell you, I’m not alone. And for a long time, I thought I was. When I started doing comics almost 5 years ago, fully believing I was alone. But what I learned from those 4 years making comics, working on the canon, and now doing these rants was that I wasn’t. That there are people who feel these frustrations. Not all of them, maybe not to the same degree as me, but they are there. And what’s sad is that I’m probably the first and only person they’ve heard talk about this shit. To say the things they’ve been thinking to themselves, and hiding from people like you, because they know if they tried to voice their opinions they’d get shut down the same way. I’m not championing anyone, I’m not trying to be a role model, or want to be some icon of controversy or dissent.

I just got no more fucks to give, and a lot of shit to say.

I’d also like to mention, because someone brought up the point that this person is probably just a troll. And I shouldn’t respond, but calling/assuming someone’s a troll and ignoring them is exactly what SuitCase does, and if there was someone I’d like to think I’m better than, it’d be fucking SuitCase. Besides, I’ve already got the next update for False Idol colored and lined, and ready for words, and the next update after that sketched up and ready for lines. So I can spend the time to meme the hell out of an asshole. And if you think I ain’t gonna take the opportunity to make fun of a guy who can’t properly criticize, argue, or even insult me.

Then you really.

on some shit.

(Part 2 of the rant will be coming soon)

#rant response #ask

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jonesywrites · 7 years

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Hey, I love your writing! I think I've consumed everything at this point. Do you have any favorite stories you can recommend? I may have blasted through all the fic updates of my own faves and just looking to see if people are reading stuff I might have missed. Looking forward to your next updates! No pressure!

Anon!

First, I am so very sorry it’s taken me so damn long to answer this.

I actually did answer it - I wrote a very long, very beautifully gif’d post and then accidentally scrolled left on this stupid macbook and I lost the entire fucking thing and I wanted to throw my laptop out of the window.

::calming breaths::

Let us pray that doesn’t happen again this time (I am a klutz, so it’s a definite possibility). Secondly, I decided that now is the perfect time to recreate this answer because a) there are some goddamned talented ass writers out there killing the game rn, b) there are also haters out there trying to steal our joy rn and not only is it not going to work, I think now is a good time to spread the love as far and wide through Richonne as possible, so reblog the shit out of this and get reading if you haven’t already and c) I don’t have time to write the way I want at the moment so I hope this makes up for it.

I also really really need a list I can return to b/c I signed up to read a lot and am still verrry slowly getting through it.

So! Here goes…

Current Favorite Richonne fics…!

1. Round After Round by @nattah-gudgrrl

ZA Canon - Rick and Michonne after 6x10, being domestic and sexy af, round after round.

Holy crap, Anon. I was hooked from the first few words. I’m not finished yet, but this is incredibly sexy and beautifully well-written. Nattah’s writing is hypnotic and poetic. She drops precious gems throughout each chapter with her words, the way she phrases things is so original and addictive. Rick and Michonne are pitch perfect, but so is everyone else (and she’s hilarious, btw). She includes music to score her amazing writing, and trust me, listening to her suggested tracks while reading will only suck you deeper into the tantalizing atmosphere she’s created with these two. AND THE SMUT. HOLY SHIT. Prepare yourself. I love opening up to a chapter and letting myself fall. I almost feel like I need to smoke a joint, turn out the lights, and close my door reading this, no joke. (no seriously, i’m not joking, be alone b/c you will feel thangs down there)

2. Musings of Rick Grimes by @nyese3529

NonZA AU - Rick as a NYC photographer slowly falling head over heels for a charismatic college student Michonne as she becomes his muse.

OKAY. I’m not sure anything I say here will do this amazing piece of fanfiction justice. I’m not even caught up, but the chapters I have read so far are PURE FIRE. Nyese is a master at unfolding a real, atmospheric, moody, sexy, intense, and totally riveting Rick and Michonne for us to fall in love with from the start. Rick’s attraction to Michonne leaps off the page, as does she. She is so damn cute and sexy and seeing her through Rick’s eyes the way Nyese has written them is just to die for. Nyese also NAILS New York City life, especially as a southern transplant and artist (I feel you Rick) AND as a young, gifted black woman looking to make a difference while everyone else covets her light (I feel you Michonne). It’s a beautiful read, and I encourage you to ASAP. The smut is off the chain, as in every fucking moment of it had me squirming around wishing I had me a Rick Grimes here in NYC damn you Nyese you’ve ruined me!

3. The Art of Control by @avintagekiss24

NonZA AU - Rick as a sexy, wealthy contractor Dom and Michonne the comic book shop/cafe owner as his sub in Atlanta (bonus: featuring probably the best version of Maggie I have ever read)

GOTDAMN. Let me tell you something. THIS IS THE SEXIEST RICK GRIMES OF ALL TIME FOR ME. Every fucking word Miss Kiss wrote for him to utter had my panties wet and my brow sweating, do you hear me? This fic is hot as fuck. Even before Rick Grimes shows up in the story, I was feeling hot and bothered about his mere existence, just like Michonne. The way Miss Kiss writes the buildup throughout their relationship is simply riveting. She’s a very visual writer, just like Nyese, so I can see, taste, feel, and ground myself in this stunning world of money, undeniable attraction and absolutely delicious sex. AND DID I MENTION HER MAGGIE IS SEXY AF, FUNNY AF, NAUGHTY AF, AND GODDAMN IT I WOULD SO BE HER PLAYTHING?? The plot is really good, too, like really good. Screw 50 Shades of Garbage. Miss Kiss’s sub!Michonne and Dom!Rick Grimes are what you want, what you need, what you deserve. Go forth, and savor every moment of this. In fact, I need to catch up, myself. Hell yeah.

4. Sirens of the ZA, by @isisnicole

ZA AU - Michonne and her two sisters, fierce, trained fighters, find and protect Carl. Richonne begins to develop once Carl is finally reunited with Rick three years later.

Sigh, I love this fic. Miss Isis hooked me with her stellar opening, and the plot just got more and more compelling the more I read. Carl is still very Carl, but he’s got that “loved, protected, and taught to survive by three amazing black women” vibe to him that makes my heart melt. Ila, Luna, and especially Michonne are just everything in this. EVERYTHING. Their relationship is tight af, they keep it real, they are badass warriors (trained, medal-winning warriors, mind) and even though your heart yearns for Rick and Carl to reunite and for Richonne to soar, you cannot help but fall in love with the family dynamic that Miss Isis has written for them with Carl. The tension between Rick and Michonne is even more intense in this than in canon when they first meet, I’d say, but deliciously so. And once they both start to realize the business, it’s time to pull out the popcorn because the buildup is sooooo good. And did I mention an alive Shane and Merle, also written so well you kinda sorta forget they didn’t make it in canon? Yeah. Read this.

5. Red Dirt Road by @siancore

NonZA AU - Young!Richonne in southern af King County, Georgia, teenagers that fall in love one summer along a red, dirt road.

Honestly, this fic is just perfect. The world is real. I can smell the dirt. I can feel the heat. Rick in this is juuuuuuuust….! He’s everything we think of when we think of a teenaged Rick (but not underage of course). Kind, responsible, stoic, patient, respectful, and sexy. Michonne is a vessel for us all, transporting us back in time to when we went to our grandmama’s house and she bossed us while loving us like nobody else could. The whole gang is there and they’re all written to perfection, especially Shane. He’s as shady and selfish and yet completely charismatic as you’d expect a young Shane to be. The story is so sweet and the pacing is comfortable, fun, and easy, just like those summers we spent messing around with our friends, falling in love, learning to drive, staying out after curfew. I adore Sian’s writing and this is by far my all-time favorite of hers right now. It’s a must, must read!

To Continue Reading, So Help Me…!

1. HALO, by leeeel

Holy smokes. I have only read chapter one so far and it is absolutely amazing. AMAZING. I reeeeaalllyy need to get back into this one. Rick and Michonne meet under dire circumstances, and the mystery begins. The writing transports you, and I actually got chills reading this. CHILLS.

2. Deception by @severelybabykryptonite

YO. I HIGH KEY LOVE “THE BODYGUARD” AND THIS IS THE RICHONNE VERSION AND IT IS EVERYTHING. Rick as a no-nonsense bodyguard to Michonne’s sexy, vulnerable star is a dream come true. I really need to catch up on this one, it’s just so good and it’s visual and it makes my geeky movie+Richonne loving heart soar.

3. The Day I Met You, by @chezza3009

I almost don’t know how to describe this one. It’s dark. It’s riveting. It’s nothing like I’ve ever read in Richonne before. Rick and Michonne in the aftermath of an affair that leaves Michonne devastated and Rick a mess. I don’t recognize this version of Michonne or Rick, but then I need to continue reading. What I’ve read so far makes me very, very intrigued by this story. And it shall have my undivided attention ASAP.

4. The Beginning, by @vegasloversteel

Once again, Vegaslover has an uncanny ability to hook you with great story telling, dialogue that flows like “how is she doing this??” and chemistry between Rick and Michonne that vibrates off the page. Richonne is hot hot hot in this. Set in their college years with a great plot and fun with all your faves. Gotta catch up!

5. Palm Trees, by @cake-by-thepound

I AM SO UPSET I CANNOT PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE JUICY FIC TALK GOING ON ABOUT THIS STORY RN. Arrrrgggh the spoilers I’ve seen alone are killing me not so softly. I just loooove the way Cake writes Richonne’s worlds. Rich, grounded, dramatic but in a real, honest-to-goodness “that could totally happen to me” way that makes me want to stand up and cheer. I know this is going to be a beautiful ride, so far everything I’ve read is perfection, as usual, so I’m really looking forward to the day I am finally caught up and I can (too late, of course) dip into the forums and be like “GURL. BUT CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT PART WHEN…”

You Thought I Was Done? LOL.

These are the stories I haven’t gotten to yet, but that are also on my list. I’ve heard nothing but good things and I am hoping to get to them soon!

Right Where We’re Supposed to Be by @tigerwalk3 - I’ve read her mini-fic Sparklers and I cannot wait to dive into this one. Her characterization alone is amazing, and the way she puts phrases and details together makes me low key jealous.

Honey Bees by @cranesinthe-sky - I don’t get enough Michonne and Judith in my fandom diet and I’ve heard some really awesome things about this one. I’ve heard nothing but praise for Lady Cranes’ writing, so I’m excited!

The TWD Chronicles by @yellehughes - I read Yelle’s Richonne Secret Fantasy fic and loved it, and I actually feel rather ashamed that I haven’t gone back to dive into this epic Olympian take on Richonne!! Allow me to correct this, with the quickness.

The Hunter of Screams, by @codename-me - I started this, and holy crap is it amazing so far. Like me, Lady Codename has a thing for sci-fi and fantasy, and her writing is rich and detailed and visual, which totally turns me on.

The End of Wanting, by @glowysweetfab - I have started this, and love this period AU, it’s immersive and the plot is so interesting I’m not even all that fussed to get to the romance bits (well that’s a lie, of course I’m trolling for smut but I’m really enjoying the ride).

Honestly, there are so many more stories I have favorited/followed that it would take me all night to list them all here. But I will do more posts like these as I finish fics and move on to others, it’s important to me to show the same support for all of these amazingly talented writers that they have shown to me, and to spread as much positivity as possible because they deserve it.

This fandom is chock a block full of major talent, huge hearts, astonishing intellect, and abundant passion. No one can deny that, and anyone who does is lying.

READ AND WRITE ON, RICHONNERS!!!!

Thanks for the ask, Anon!

-Kendra

P.S. I promise I will get back to updating as soon as I can. I’m in the middle of preparing myself to move across the country and transition to a new career. But my beloved fics are always on my mind, and boy do I have such glorious Richonne in store for you! Thanks for sticking with me! I promise you won’t regret adding a few of these ladies to your reading list, either, if you haven’t already.

#richonne #fic rec #fanfiction #kendrawriter reads very slowly she is sorry that she's such a weirdo #updates #rick grimes #michonne #smut #plot #damn good writing #asked #answered

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journeysintowebcomics · 7 years

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Homestuck Liveblog #153

UPDATE 153: All the Pieces are Here

Last time Gamzee had completely fooled Terezi, and by extension, me. Yeah, he’s right now beating her with no remorse at all, and it’s awful to see. Yikes. Also, Jane is now asleep but her body, still under control of the tiara, has latched on Aranea like a tick. So let’s continue from there!

Writing this paragraph before starting. I’m predicting there’ll be a minimum of dialogue, the next fifty pages should have lots and lots of images. It’s bound to pass through real fast, isn’t it? Maybe I’ll go for 100 pages.

All these glitches make everything more ominous, in my opinion. It’s as if the world is going to shatter into pieces in any moment. Chances are that won’t happen, but who knows, maybe the end of Homestuck is the glitches making the universe explode. Thanks for nothing, Lord English, destroyer of paradox space.

Because Jake’s death wasn’t heroic or just, he revives, this time without hope powers. He is also right beside Terezi and Gamzee, just...watching. Gamzee continues hitting as hard as he can, dang. I’m kind of glad the glitches are obscuring the situation a bit. Rose, horrified, shouts for Gamzee to stop.

ROSE: Or, wait. ROSE: Is this some sort of blackrom thing? ROSE: I certainly hope not.

What the—Rose! This isn’t the time to be wondering if this is an obscure and weird alien romantic ritual! Stop standing there, go help Terezi! Even if it were a black romance thing, I think no one wouldn’t blame Rose for intervening. Terezi is getting her face smashed against the pavement. Anyone would intervene.

ROSE: I am the actual worst auspistice who ever lived. ROSE: THE ACTUAL WORST!!!

Damn right you are; you’re just standing there! And Jake isn’t really doing much better, he’s just standing there and watching Terezi being suplexed. I know in real life a lot of people stand around and do nothing when they see someone being attacked or anything, so it isn’t something that came out of left field, but this is still rather frustrating to see. Gamzee slams Terezi so hard against the concrete it breaks, and she’s now hanging over the lava. Augh.

Kanaya and Karkaroni arrive right in that moment, finding Terezi in danger. There’s a rather cool sequence of lava seeping into the Skaia in Jane’s fork, and Jake and Rose finally intervene. Jake does it meekly, just asking Gamzee to kindly stop killing Terezi -- ...fine, Jake, you do that – and Rose takes a more hands-on approach, getting her wand ready. About time, Rose! Tge blast misses and impacts near Jake, making him fly away. Karkaroni had enough, he brandishes the sickle and swears to make a fight. Up on the building, Aranea struggles to pick up Brain Dirk’s katana with her psychic powers – no idea how that didn’t vanish away as well -- and then she arrives.

The Condesce is pissed. Oh, gee, who’d have thought that derailing the session like this would make her angry? Haha! Do you have a plan to counter the Condesce, Aranea? Did you expect her to arrive so soon? Everyone who is in the session seems to have converged in one place, this is getting good!

Aaaaaand because Hussie is like that, right when it gets good, it’s time for the so-called main act of Act 6 Act 6.

Oh, jolly. Well to his credit I’m happy it was now and not in middle of the intense events that are likely to happen. Now that’d have been annoying. Better get this Caliborn thing out of the way before things happen here in Jade’s planet! Besides, I admit I’m a bit curious how much Caliborn has progressed now.

Looks like he’s confident enough to mess with the manga book. Why do I have this strange sense of foreboding...again? I have it all the time when it’s about Caliborn, haha...okay, let’s get done with this. What artistic work do you have to show now, bud? As usual, here’s the warning: there’s a chance I won’t have much to comment about Caliborn’s antics. By now, dear readers, you may be aware I’m not a diehard fan of him. By now I tolerate him, but I’m not exactly reading his sections with excitement. Once again, I’m sorry for that.

Looks like Homosuck is getting into its equivalent of Act 5. There are the trolls. Krabkrab, Honk Friend – ‘friend’?! Is there something you’d like to share with the class, Caliborn? – Cape Douche, Smelly Horse Man, Other Guy, and Bull Horn Wimp. Oh, and all the female trolls, too, with no pejorative name other than ‘tha bitches’. Hah! Saw it coming.

The Beforus trolls are just everyone flipped and with a negative color scheme. Yeah, that’ll do...for the five seconds the trolls mattered. All these pictures go to the trash, because Caliborn has something better to show.

Hah! Okay, you got my attention, Hussie. Man Gaka Extraordinare! I’m amused, this may be worth a read, after all!

IT'S GOD'S GIFT. TO "THE YAOIS". MY RESEARCH TELLS ME.

Do you know that feeling of morbid curiosity one feels when one hears about something awful having happened in a video, and one wants to see how bad is it? Yeah, that’s what I’m feeling. I really like the giant watermark, though. That’s a good one, Hussie.

Well, to Caliborn’s credit, he has improved a lot from his first drawings, and he followed all the instructions about how to draw manga. Never let it be said Caliborn doesn’t motivate himself to improve himself!

This is truly “the yaois”. Manga Dave and Manga Karkat are here. What they do, hm, well, let’s say they’d both be upset to know how they’re depicted here.

IF YOU'RE CONFUSED, BASICALLY THE IDEA IS. YOU PRETEND THEM TO LOOK MORE LIKE GIRLS. TO MAKE IT LESS WEIRD FOR EVERYBODY WHEN THEY DECIDE TO TOUCH EACH OTHER.

So that’s the key to draw manga. Haha! I know a handful of people from my school that’d have taken serious offense by that! Always with the finger on the pulse, Caliborn, eh?

Oh god, it’s American Comic Book Superheroine anatomy! We’re doomed. But yeah, other than the improved drawings, it doesn’t seem like this section of Caliborn’s intermission won’t differ much from the rest. Same old, same old, in terms of theme. The gals are dying in bloody ways. Yeah.

“Registered by the government as my legal artistic possession” Caliborn, you liar, there’s not even a government anymore.

SHE ACTUALLY THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO BE RELEVANT. KEEP DREAMING BITCH!

Right. So Caliborn may still have access to the radio tower? He knows what happened in the ghost bubbles. Well, not that it matters that much right now.

Oh my god, Caliborn has an OC.

...that is not what I expected. Dear reader, imagine that this here is what’s destroying paradox space. Imagine the big bad, Lord English, looks like that. Good thing he doesn’t, eh? Yeah, the skull, the hulking figure, and the billiard eyes does wonders when it’s about making someone threatening.

John arrives in middle of Caliborn’s games with his OC, and isn’t happy at all to see Caliborn. Thought so, what after seeing the kind of playing Caliborn does with those bad drawings of his friends.

HEY ASSHOLE, I'M TALKING TO YOU!

Oh, wow, he’s furious! I admit I underestimated how angry John would be. But yeah, another intense staredown. I’ll just...skip to the end of that sequence of images, thank you.

you're the one who vriska and her pirate pals are all trying to stop! it was you who put all this into motion in some way i don't really understand! which means you're responsible for like a trillion people dying, and universes blowing up, and all my friends getting scattered around and acting like idiots, and my dad being dead!

...huh. Well, that’s certainly...a bold accusation, John, and without anything to back it up, too. If what John said partly influences Caliborn to start doing everything he did once he was Lord English, hah, I wonder how John would react to that. It isn’t too farfetched to have that possibility in mind, I’d say, but if that were true, it’s possible there’ll be a second John to tackle the first one soon.

Turns out Caliborn is saying his monologue loud enough for anyone around to listen! I thought the narration was just text, not that Caliborn was actually saying it. Hah! It’d be kinda endearing if it didn’t come from Caliborn.

And then comes ‘game over. A flash file in Caliborn’s intermission. Um, well, that sounds a tad promising! Flash files are almost always great, I don’t see why this would be any different, Caliborn or not.

I’ll stop for now.

Next update: five updates

#homestuck #homestuck liveblog #webcomics #liveblog #webcomics liveblogs

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oosteven-universe · 5 years

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Riptide #3

Riptide #3 Red 5 Comics 2018 Written by Scott Chitwood Illustrated by Danny Luckert Coloured by Ronda Pattison Lettered by Troy Peteri In the Gulf of Mexico where the sea-floor is laid bare, survivors from a doomed cruise ship find themselves stranded with no hope of rescue one hundred miles from shore. Led by a young woman named Hannah, they race towards a nearby oil rig where they may be able to call the Coast Guard for help. As they run a gauntlet of hazards once hidden below the sea, they are slowly picked off one by one. But as the group briefly rests, two of the young survivors have stumbled across an unusual discovery—a sunken Nazi submarine. Meanwhile, as the clock ticks until the time when the asteroid passes the Earth, people on-shore flee the imminent tsunami when the ocean returns. I love this book, the fact that Scott doesn’t pull any punches, doesn’t try for some Hollywood style plan to save the world from the asteroid is greatly appreciated. This is more like an updated version of the disaster films I loved growing up, the Poseidon Adventure has nothing on this! I think as we get older and times change so do our tastes and we want things to be more realistic. People out for themselves against those who work together and facing natural dangers along the way this is what it’s about. I am very much enjoying the way that this book is structured. The whole ebb and flow of the book is very nicely done. Though the opening and the White House I could’ve done without but at least that reaffirms that there is nothing to be done but let nature take it’s course. There is some tension with the family trying to evacuate and I am not sure if there’s enough of that or not, it almost feels thrown in for good measure that she can’t drive out of town and instead is trying to find her husband and get out of town on the helicopter. Though if this turns into Vivica a. Fox from Independence Day well then that’s another story. So I could be a tad preoccupied with the group walking the floor of the Gulf of Mexico where they find a Submarine. Yes that Nazi submarine which means they were much closer to the U.S. than anyone realised or they were heading to South America where there wasn’t any extradition, who knows but the fact that I am thinking it through should tell you how well this is being written as I am way off the script here. The curiosity of kids is a wonderful thing isn’t it? I am so impressed with this flow it’s incredibly natural feeling and surprisingly they haven’t found more things on the seabed. The interiors here are gorgeous! I am in love with how Danny is able to create such attention to detail through the varying weights of the linework. doesn’t matter if it appears strong or soft you can get the sense that is intended. Plus the faces and facial expression are on point. The use of light sources and the consistency in how that’s seen through Ronda’s colours is a superb compliment. The colours and the way we see gradation and in some instances washing out of the colours is extremely impressive to me. The utilisation of page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels shows off a stupendous eye for storytelling. Plus backgrounds are utilised extremely well and for where they are that’s something special. The characterisation that we get is sensational and the plot/story development moves forward with it’s pacing beautifully. Scott really does write one of the absolute best limited series out this year. And with issue four hitting soon I think this book should be up for Best Limited series of 2018, now it’s your turn to see why!

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likelyfadblog · 6 years

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15 Best Rainmeter Skins to make your Desktop new Again [2018]

Rainmeter is a lightweight application to theme your desktop and explore many new features. Though Windows is fairly customizable on its own, this Software can take desktop theming to the next level, and today we will discuss some of the Best Rainmeter Skins available out there (May 2018).

Now, we know there are almost same themes on every webpage you go, but here we made sure that you will see some pretty amazing stuff, that no one ever showed, and we will keep exploring and will update when we will find something new and better.

Also, we tested these skins first and then placed it accordingly on our list.

Best Rainmeter Skins

Another thing about these themes, they are easy to download, and we gave direct links to download, you can just click the Download Button and it will take you to the download page.

1) Minimal

As the name suggests this is a minimal skin, with a beautiful look and features. The wallpaper you see above is included in the theme pack. So, what you have to do is just apply the theme and change the wallpaper and you are done!

After installing the theme you can find the wallpaper here Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\Simple\minimal wall.jpg

Download Minimal Rainmeter Skin

2) Spirit

A classic card themed skin with all the basic things you need like, Email, Dropbox, Chrome, Notes, Stats and more. Also, this theme sets up with every wallpaper you apply. This card design is also trending nowadays.

Download Sprit Rainmeter Skin

3) Mystic VR1.1

This is a theme for the people who love Owls, this theme has a beautiful design and features, plus it supports 8 languages and can display most important things like Weather, HDD, Music Player and Much More right on your home screen.

Download Mystic VR1.1 Rainmeter Skin

4) Comic Clock

This is one of the Best Rainmeter Skin out there. It’s not fancy or minimal but it will surely give your desktop a great and funny look. It’s not a whole theme pack, it’s just a clock, and if you like the wallpaper you can get that here.

Download Comic Clock Rainmeter Skin

5) Papyros

Now, who don’t love the Google’s Material Design and the Material Colors and if you do, then this theme is for you, this theme has some basic elements Material Designed like Google Search, Basic Info, Current Music, Weather, File Manager, and Secret Notes!

I personally used this theme for a long time, and I found it amazing.

Download Papyros Rainmeter Skin

6) Newspaper

This theme will turn your desktop into an old Newspaper. along with that, this theme has a lot of features too, check out!

You can Set up 4 RSS feeds on your desktop

You can Set up 14 desktop launchers

Mailbox skin (for Gmail only)

Weather skin

Working pocket watch and a cigarette that burns with time

notepad pop-up (on the left, above Uncle Sam) and a system stats pop-up

Download Newspaper Rainmeter Skin

7) Shield OS

Perfect theme for an Avengers Fan, This theme is beautifully designed to mimic the interface of Shield Computers from the Avengers movie. This theme can be easily customized and can change colors too.

Check out the list of features

Clock – Intricate clock design as well as the actual number version for clear understanding

Program Launchers – 6 small and 6 big launchers for opening programs/folders etc…

Web Launchers – 6 text-based launchers for opening web pages

CPU Monitor – Support for 1-4 Cores. The monitor is designed to be more visually appealing then functional so the accuracy of the actual levels is off. I plan on fixing this in the next update

Ram Monitor – Shows Ram used percentage

HDD Monitor – The outer ring on the clock skin displaying your HDD used space Date – Date, month and day

Music Player – Can open your music player directly from the skin. Playback buttons, progress, player volume control and album artwork all incorporated

Shutdown Buttons – Buttons to shutdown, restart and log off

Recycling Bin – Opens the recycling bin. Also shows a current deleted item count

Volume Control – Adjust the system volume

Options menu – Easily edit launcher names, paths, and icons

So, Download this awesome Rainmeter Skin from the link below

Download Shield OS Rainmeter Skin

8) Crypto Ticker

Interested in cryptocurrencies? but tired of opening your phone or webpage to check the prices? then this skin will help you a lot, this skin will show you the exact prices of the trending cryptocurrencies on your desktop. Also, it comes in two designs a semi-transparent background, and a fully transparent one, so it’s your choice, which one you want to choose.

Download Crypto Ticker Rainmeter Skin

9) Crypto Wallet Monitor

After you buy Crypto Currencies you need a wallet to manage those, this Rainmeter skin allows you to monitor the money in your crypto wallet. Currently, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Ripple are supported.

Download Crypto Wallet Monitor Rainmeter Skin

10) Ironman and Jarvis Theme

This skin is for Ironman and Marvel Lovers, everything is themed as Jarvis UI in ironman which looks very cool to have, also this theme has tons of features like

4 predefined colors (Red, Green Yellow, Blue)

System usage info CPU, RAM, and swap)

Weather Now and 4 days to come (°C or °F)

Audio visualizer (color changing)(right click over it to see customization options)

iTunes and Spotify music player with music controls, artwork, spinning vinyl, song info, etc

Date and Time

IP and Network info

Battery level for laptops

Recycle bin info (# of items and size of all the items)

Hard drive info

Notes section

Folders, apps and websites shortcuts

This skin is super customization and easy to use, download the theme below

Download Ironman Jarvis Rainmeter Skin

11)Aliens

This is a cool Rainmeter Skin for a Tech lover who wants every information displayed on his desktop, this theme covers almost every info including RAM, ROM, CPU temperature and much more.

Also, customizing this theme is also very easy, and the wallpaper is included in the theme itself.

Download Ironman Jarvis Rainmeter Skin

12) Realistic Mac OSX

Love Apple Notebooks but can’t afford one? then this theme is for you. This skin is the closest to what you can get on a Mac, though this is not perfect, but its the closest one, you have to install ‘ObjectDock’ to complete this theme. You can get all of the files from the link below.

Download Realistic Mac OS X Rainmeter Skin

13) Batman

After that awesome Ironman theme, here is a theme of a guy who “Bought the Bank” the one and only Batman. This theme features some cool icons and weather skins. Though the clock is my favorite thing. Though you get the wallpaper used above in the skin file, but if you cant find it, Here it is.

Download Batman Rainmeter Skin

14) Battlefield 3

Now, this is something for gamers, though this is no actually 1 skin, but its a set of the skins, using specific items of those skins. The end result you can see is terrific! This skin will be loved by all the Battlefield fans here.

Battlefield 3 Rainmeter Skin

15) Pirate

This good looking theme is probably one of the best Rainmeter Theme, as this looks good with any wallpaper you got. Also, it supports 8 languages and can display most important things like Weather, HDD, Music Player and Much More right on your home screen.

Pirate Rainmeter Skin

So, these were 10 Best Rainmeter Skins of 2018, do let us know if you like it via comments below. Also, we will regularly update the article to get you more great skins, and features!

To get that Subscribe to likelyfad by clicking the bell icon on the bottom right.

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ronnykblair · 6 years

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10 Years of Running This Business: My Top 10 Red-Pill Truths

Ten years ago this week, I officially launched M&I.

If you do a quick survey of your friends, acquaintances, and co-workers, you probably can’t find anyone else who has held the same job for 10 years.

Which makes me lucky, insane, or a bit of both.

To put the time in perspective, I started out when Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns still existed, and when Donald Trump was best known for The Apprentice.

The first iPhone had been released months ago, everyone was incredulous at Facebook’s $15 billion valuation (it’s now worth $500+ billion), and people were certain that Hillary Clinton would be the next President.

And I was young, naïve, and eager to quit my job and live the dream running an online business from a beach in Thailand.

Since then, I’ve taken the red pill.

I’ve launched products and services, hired and fired people, survived crazy relationships in both New York and Korea, and traveled and lived around the world.

And I’ve I learned some uncomfortable truths in the process.

I came up with dozens, but here are my top 10:

1) If You’re an International Student, Watch Out! Universities Are Exploiting You

There has been a massive increase in the number of international students at universities in the U.S., U.K., and other Western countries over the past decade.

Universities might claim they’re doing this to “embrace diversity” or “go global,” but don’t be fooled: It’s mostly about the money.

International students in the U.S. are not eligible for most government aid, so students must pay close to the list price – which means they either come from wealthy families or borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Many universities, especially in the lower tiers, are in dire straits financially, so they need the money. It’s a match made in heaven.

Just one small problem: It is very difficult to get a work visa after graduation, especially if you majored in a non-STEM subject. And even if you do get a work visa, there’s no guarantee that you’ll get to stay in the country indefinitely.

So, you apply, accept admission, pay a small fortune… and then get sent back after graduation.

To get around this, you need to start early and major in a STEM subject, attend a Master’s program and do the same, or give up and return to your home country.

2) The Fundamentals of Recruiting Don’t Change, But the Details Do

The truth is, not that much about finance recruiting has changed, despite what random 18-year-olds say online.

I just glanced at my emails from 2007-2008, and there were a lot of questions about networking, winning interviews from an unknown state school, overcoming low grades, and moving into banking as a career changer.

And today… the questions and comments are virtually identical.

Even in the reader interviews I conduct, the accounts of networking and interviewing at banks have stayed consistent over the years.

The top three points that have changed are:

Candidate Pool – Banks can no longer get “the best and the brightest” because finance jobs have become less appealing. Smart and accomplished people from top schools still go into the field, but the average quality is lower.

Timing – Summer-internship recruiting and buy-side recruiting now start so early that it is almost comical; these early start dates partially explain why banks no longer get the best candidates. If this trend continues, banks will soon be recruiting summer interns from elementary school, 15 years in advance of internships.

Required Technical Knowledge – You need to know significantly more about accounting, valuation, and financial modeling to win offers these days, particularly at the elite boutiques.

These points may seem significant, but think about how much has not changed:

Your story is still critical, and you still tell it in a similar way.

Technical questions still cover the same topics.

You still use emails, LinkedIn, and informational interviews to network in the same way.

I have been revising and updating articles on this site, but that’s mostly because I didn’t capture everything correctly the first time around – not because there have been massive changes.

3) Your University Friends & Network Are Incredibly Valuable… But Only Up to a Certain Age

I’ve lived and worked around the world in the past decade: South Korea, Australia, Argentina, Finland (kind of), Spain, and more.

But I’ve made almost no long-term friends in these places.

Almost everyone in my current social circle is from university or is connected to it in some way (friend of a friend, referral, etc.).

In school, you don’t need a specific reason to become friends with someone, which makes it easier to develop friendships “just because.”

Once you graduate, friendships tend to become more situational and transient.

You might become friends with someone at your new job, but once the person leaves, that’s it.

But the network you develop in school tends to withstand work and geographical changes more readily.

On the other hand, it also gets weaker over time as people settle down, have families, and drift into new fields.

So, you need to replace lost connections and develop a non-university network as you get older.

I’ve done a poor job of this, so I’m not sure I have any specific tactical advice.

But I have observed that “work friends” tend to disappear more quickly than others, so a starting point might be to depend more on activities/hobbies and less on co-workers.

4) Don’t Build a $5,000 Product for a $500 Market

One of my biggest mistakes, detailed in Part 5 of my Life Story, was taking the financial modeling courses and guides I created in 2009-2011 and revamping them to make them 10x more detailed.

Each new case study was based on a real company or deal, and there were SEC filings, press releases, industry research, channel checks, and more.

There were 32-page stock pitches, 50-slide pitch books, Excel models with thousands of rows, and 100+ hours of video.

And… no one cared.

Crickets.

I made the mistake of listening to a vocal minority who wanted “more advanced material” rather than the vast majority who simply wanted efficient training.

Also, I ignored the ugly truth that most people who buy educational products – even expensive ones – do not use them.

We get customers who pay $1,000 or $2,000 and then don’t even open the files or submit their resume/CV for editing.

And if someone does use the product extensively, he/she still tends to value brevity more than 543,123 hours of training.

More comprehensive products don’t necessarily sell better; people are willing to pay a certain amount for certain products/services, and “quality” is tough to define and use as a selling point.

I’m now reversing this mistake by replacing the courses with shorter, simpler versions, but I should never have gone down this path in the first place.

5) Don’t Hire Friends, Family, or Acquaintances

Almost all my hiring mistakes have happened because I hired a friend, a friend-of-a-friend, or an acquaintance rather than a professional.

If you run a business, you may be tempted to hire someone you know because “He/she would be great, and you already know him/her!”

But as Admiral Ackbar might say, it’s a trap!

People you already know personally tend not to respect you as an authority figure, and they often drag personal issues into the job.

One time, I hired a friend to do some design work in the early days of M&I, and he was 6 months late finishing the project because he was busy with his new band.

Another time, a friend I had hired in a customer support role couldn’t answer questions because his roommate locked him out, and he had to use an ax to force open the door.

No joke – he sent me the photos of the broken door.

You get the idea.

You could make a case for co-founding a company with a friend, family member, or acquaintance, but stay away from hiring them as subordinates.

6) If Customer Service is Killing You, You’re Doing Something Wrong

You read a lot of stories about “customer-centric” companies like Zappos killing it because they are responsive and willing to chat with you on the phone 24/7 to resolve problems.

I followed a similar philosophy a long time ago.

I used to kill myself staying up until 3 AM fixing customers’ Excel files, answering every incoming pre-sales question, and even offering phone consultations.

If someone wasn’t happy with even one small part of the product, I went out of my way to please them with free bonuses, services, and my own time.

But eventually, I realized it was all pointless:

80%+ of Customers Don’t Even Ask Questions: There are about 34,000 active BIWS accounts and ~13,000 submitted questions right now. Even if you assume that each question is from one unique customer, 62% of our users have never even asked a question. And the real percentage is much higher – probably 80-85% – because the same 5-10 users tend to ask questions repeatedly.

Fewer Than 5% Ask Questions Before Buying: Yes, even with products priced at $197, $497, $997, and $1,497, we get relatively few questions. Be skeptical of people who claim you “need” to do phone or in-person sales above a certain price point.

The problem with the “Zappos approach” is that someone with complex or demanding requests is unlikely to be satisfied by any response.

You can go out of your way and spend hours attending to the problem, and the person will still not be satisfied because he/she is inherently a difficult person.

So, why bother?

“Customer service” might be a differentiating factor in a commoditized business (online shoe sales), but if you’re selling highly specialized or luxury products/services, don’t kill yourself.

Get the offer, the pricing, and the marketing right, and provide competent-but-not-Zappos-like service afterward.

7) The Facts Don’t Matter – Only the Story Does

When I started this site, I had a serious problem: I knew the industry, and I was confident I could coach clients and teach the technical side, but I had zero credibility.

I was very young, and in real life, I didn’t come across like the stereotypical banker at all.

I seemed more like a tech/startup person, and people sometimes didn’t believe I was in finance.

So, I did what any good storyteller would do: I invented a new identity (“The Inquisitor”) that was better aligned with the market.

If I could demonstrate my competence with content and client results, my actual credentials and qualifications – or lack thereof – wouldn’t matter.

Early articles made it sound like I was Patrick Bateman crossed with Jordan Belfort from The Wolf of Wall Street.

I never gave detailed information about myself because I wanted you to come up with your own story about me.

Any story that you create and tell yourself is far more powerful than any story that I could tell you.

It worked!

Back in 2008-2009, many visitors assumed that I was an anonymous Director or Managing Director at a large investment bank.

Anyone who read between the lines and beyond the lines was skeptical, but this is the Internet: Critical thinking is an endangered species.

The usual reaction was: “He has a ton of helpful, in-depth content. Judging by this content and my interactions, he must be an experienced banker who knows this stuff really well.”

To get around my lack of formal credentials and qualifications, I relied on the story.

And if you want to get ahead, so should you.

8) Raise Prices

When Tim Ferriss interviewed Marc Andreessen on his podcast, he asked him the famous “billboard” question:

Tim Ferriss: “If you could have one billboard, anywhere with anything on it, what would you put on it? If you wanted to convey a short message to as many people as possible.”

Marc Andreessen: “I’ve got one, I’ve actually thought about hiring a skywriter to do this one. Right in the heart of San Francisco would be a billboard with just two words on it: Raise Prices.”

Pricing is the #1 mistake that startups make.

It’s certainly one of the top 2-3 mistakes I’ve made.

And it’s almost always the same mistake: Entrepreneurs price their products and services too low, which sets the perception that their products and services can’t be any good.

Then, they can’t afford the sales & marketing required to sell them… and when nothing sells, they cut prices again, making their products look even worse and even harder to sell.

Here are my top pricing mistakes:

Industry-Specific Courses: Initially priced at $97, even though competitors’ courses were in the $497 – $997 range. I should have started at $247 or $347 at the very least; when I finally increased prices to $247, units sold increased!

Interview Guide: Started at $47, went to $97 after a year, and stayed at $97 for almost a decade, even as the content and services multiplied. When we raised the price to $197 in June this year, the dollar volume of sales increased by 2.5x.

Releasing New Versions for Free: When Microsoft releases a new version of Office, do you get it for free? No! You pay for an upgrade, or you get it as part of an annual or monthly subscription.

If I could go back in time, I would fix everything above and gradually increase prices over the years.

9) Make Your Money Early – But Not Too Early

As I’ve written about before, money affects you in unexpected ways.

Coming from a lower-middle-class family and graduating from university with over $100K in student loans, I’ve become more isolated as I’ve gained wealth.

It’s difficult to relate to friends and family members who are struggling to earn more when I have the opposite problem (money, but almost no free time).

But… I’m much happier to be in this position than the “I’m in my mid-to-late 30s, don’t have a stable career, and don’t have enough money” position.

Once you reach that age, it becomes difficult to amass significant wealth with conventional methods.

Careers like investment banking, consulting, and private equity are shut off, so your main options are to start your own business, join a VC-backed startup and win the lottery, or start a side hustle such as real estate.

Those sound nice in theory, but your free time and motivation drop as you get older.

Having kids will annihilate your free time, but even without them, you’ll get sucked into more family/legal/other issues, you may develop health problems, and your day job will get busier with age.

So, if your goal is wealth, act on it when you’re young.

But there is one corollary: Don’t make too much money when you’re too young.

Most of my friends and acquaintances who hit the jackpot by working at companies like Facebook or Google in their early 20s haven’t done much since then.

Making millions or tens of millions at that age is like entering a cheat code in a video game: You win the game, but the boss battles are boring.

It’s good to struggle, fail, pivot, and change because it makes the journey more interesting and the final boss battle more rewarding.

As a rough guideline, I’d say that 20 years after university graduation is a good time frame to target for “financial security.”

I won’t define that term precisely because it means different things to different people.

At that point, you could downshift and focus on family or double down and feel secure enough to start another venture.

10) Don’t Stay in the Finance Industry for the Long Term

You could still make a strong case for starting out in investment banking and spending a few years there.

You gain a well-defined skill set, a solid network, and client/transaction experience that will be valuable everywhere.

But the long-term industry prospects have become much worse – everything from compensation to automation to the increasingly-under-pressure hedge fund/asset management/private equity industries.

Plus, you do nothing useful for the world.

Most of your work involves making rich people even richer, so you arguably make the world worse.

There are occasional exceptions, but they are few and far between.

The only good reasons to stay in finance for the long term are:

You Care About Money and Nothing Else – For example, $1 million is not enough; you need at least $10-20 million, or you’ll be a failure.

You Find the Work Legitimately Interesting – If you enjoy the process of digging into financial statements, wining/dining clients, or advising on deals, then sure, knock yourself out.

Another 10 Years?

As you can tell from the tone of this article, my enthusiasm has declined quite a bit.

I could explain that in many ways: Worsening market conditions, sillier and sillier questions, less rewarding interactions, and increased time spent on minutiae.

But the simplest explanation is often the best one: Ten years is a really long time to spend on one job, especially when that job barely changes.

I don’t necessarily want to quit, but I do expect to change the format of this site in the future.

For example, I may delete the less-popular articles, focus on keeping the top 100-200 updated, and occasionally write something new.

The good news is that I’m more interested in expanding/improving the BIWS courses, so you’ll see updates there far into the future.

I could see that lasting for another decade – even if M&I, in its curren from ronnykblair digest https://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/10-years-top-10-red-pill-truths/

#ronnykblair digest

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