#this is actually a crop of a the bigger image that i have *plans* for | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

twdmusicboxmystery · 2 years

Text

11x23: Family - First Thoughts

Okay, what did everyone else think of ep 23? I thought it was awesome! Not only was the end so heart-meltingly sweet (“Daddy?”) but it was totally full and action and BETH CALLBACKS!!! Did you catch them all? If not, keep reading!

***As always, spoilers for the episode abound below. Don’t read until you’ve watched!***

So, the first thing I want to point out is Judith’s monologue at the beginning. Obviously we’ve been paying close attention to those for this entire block of episodes. But this one REALLY reminded me of Beth’s monologue at the beginning of Inmates. Now, of course the words and images they showed were different. Because using the exact same ones would be obvious and wouldn’t work for what’s going on in the show right now. But the ideas are very similar. I’ve bolded corresponding ideas below. Check it out:

Judith:

“For the longest time, we were just fighting to survive. Trying to get back what we lost. This family, my family, we would do anything to protect each other. And we’re fighting now for something else. Something bigger. A new beginning. But that comes with a cost. There’s always a cost. I never got to know my mom, Lori. My brother Carl dreamed of a day when we’d all live together in peace. My mom Michonne tired to hang up her sword. My dad Rick was searching for mercy. And me? Well, I guess I’m a Grimes too. I keep thinking about something my mom told me. A secret saying she used to share with my dad. It was like a good luck charm. For me and RJ, too. I was afraid to say it out loud. I was afraid to say so many things out loud. But we didn’t know when we started this, that this would be the day everything changed forever.”

Beth in Inmates:

“Hey, I know it’s been a while. I’m gonna be honest. I forgot about you. After the farm, we were always moving. But something happened. Something good. Finally. We found a prison. Daddy thinks we can make it into a home. He says we can grow crops in the field. Find pigs and chickens. Stop running, stop scavenging. Lori’s baby is just about due. She’ll need a safe place when it comes. The rest of us, we just need a safe place to be. I woke up in my own bed yesterday. My own bed, in my own room. But I’ve been keeping my bag packed, keeping my gun close. I’ve been afraid to get my hopes up, thinking we can actually stay here. The thing is, I’ve been starting to get afraid that it’s easier just to be afraid. But this morning, Daddy said something: “If you don’t have hope, what’s the point of living?” So, I unpacked my bag, and I found you. So, I’m gonna start writing in you again. And I’m gonna write this down now because you should write down wishes to make ‘em come true. We can live here. We can live here for the rest of our lives.”

Okay, so again, obviously different words. But both talk about what was lost (the farm, or Judith just saying ‘what we lost.’) They also both talk about a new beginning. Judith actually says that, Beth talks about finding the prison. Both mention Lori in some way. It’s notable that Beth mentioned Judith’s birth, and now Judith, so much like Beth, is doing the monologues. And both talk about what being afraid, but trying to let go of that fear. Both actually use the words, “I was afraid” or “starting to get afraid.”

I would even argue that Beth talks about her journal, though we don’t actually see it in the sequence, while Judith pulls out Michonne’s paper of laws that she had the community leaders sign. Both have to do with records of what has gone before, as well as planning for the future.

See the similarities? Well, buckle up, grasshoppers, that’s just the beginning of the parallels.

Next, we have Rosita and Gabriel on the train, talking about faith. Again, Rosita = Daryl in Inmates, and Gabe = Beth. Rosita sort of mocks his faith a little, but he just smiles and affirms it. Very similar to Beth and Daryl’s exchange about faith in Inmates.

This one may be small potatoes, but it got an eyebrow raise from me. We see a walker, walking along the tracks, just before the train hits it.

Maybe just an excuse for walker gore, but it reminded me of the walker we saw in 5x01 walking along the tracks. People called that the “Andrea walker” because it was wearing Andrea’s S3 outfit, but it also had a handcuff attached to one hand. There’s no doubt in my mind that it was a foreshadow of Beth’s arc.

Beth was already imprisoned at Grady by this time, and she took over many of comic-book-Andrea’s storylines. Especially her scars. So, seeing another walker walking along the traintracks felt like a callback to 5x01, and hence, a Beth clue.

Next, we had Daryl telling Judith that after this mission, he’ll tell her every story he has about everyone who ever loved her. OBVIOUSLY that would include stories about Beth.

And for the record, this is actually the second time he’s said something like this to someone. The other person was Lydia, back in 9x16, The Storm. When they were looking at the pictures above Maggie’s desk at Hilltop, he told her one day he’d tell her about them. As far as we know, he never has. But they aren’t putting things like this into the show by accident or without any intention of following them up. Granted, I don’t think we’ll see this in ep 24, but we will at some point. And of course we have the spinoffs coming up.

Next, we have Lydia’s arm. A sad development, but we’re not seeing any indication that she’ll die from it. With Cassidy Mclincy spotted in France, there’s a very good chance she’ll be part of the spinoff. But the main thing here is that, while they tried hard to equate it with Aaron losing his arm, it was really more reminiscent of Tyrese.

Not only because it was a walker bite (Aaron’s was not) but because they held her arm out and cut it off with a sword. Even the camera angle was exactly like Tyreese’s in 5x09. You know, the last official episode we saw Beth in, with tons of foreshadows of the CRM. Just saying.

Seeing the group crouch outside the CW, looking for a way in reminded me of the end of 4x16, when Rick, Michonne, Daryl, and Carl did something similar before going into Terminus.

Eugene fights with a trooper in his room. It reminded me a lot of Daryl’s fight with Officer Lecari in 5x07 Crossed. We already talked about how they called back to that in the earlier episode when Daryl and Carol had to fight people off, but this felt similar to me.

Now, for the biggest parallel. Since footage of Daryl carrying Judith surfaced some time ago, we’ve known for a while that Judith would be injured, but we didn’t know how. She was SHOT guys. SHOT. And the entire train station sequence was one big replay of Grady.

So, first we have Judith pushing Maggie out of the way. Oh man. We could go several ways on that. Judith, our little sheriff, just saved Maggie’s life. Beth’s sister. She was also being heroic and saving someone in general, just as Beth tried to save Noah.

As soon as she’s shot, just as Beth was shot, she goes down, and Daryl bends over here. The major difference here is that Judith is not shot in the head, and Daryl is not assuming she’s dead. He’s just terrified she might die of her injuries.

WE also saw everything go into slow motion, just as at Grady.

WE see Pamela’s reaction, just as we saw Dawn’s.

And they showed other members of TF having terrified reactions to Judith being shot, just as we saw at Grady.

I also think there was a parallel to Rick’s disappearance here. Daryl tells Zeke to throw the fire extinguisher in the air. Fire extinguishers are symbols we’ve pointed at for some time.

But it’s also red, and when Daryl shoots it, it explodes, giving them a way to escape. It’s very similar to Rick firing his gun at the red dynamite on the bridge, which saved the communities from the walker horde. I think there’s a purposeful parallel there.

Then, Daryl just so happens to carry Judith out in the same way he carried Beth. Now, AK said they wanted to equate it with Rick carrying Carl in S2 after he was shot. And given the parental relationship Daryl has with Judith, I think that’s valid. But with all the other Grady parallels, I don’t think we can discount the Beth parallels, either. It’s both.

But we can even go deeper than that. At the beginning, Judith put her (Carl’s/Rick’s) sheriff’s hat on RJ. This was very much a “new sheriff in town” moment. Now, it’s not exact, because the hat was put on Beth in 4x16, and Judith (the Beth character) put it on someone else, but I don’t think the details are super important here.

I mean, it wouldn’t have made sense having someone else give it to Judith because she already had it. The point is, the hat was put on Beth’s head in 4x16, and a few episodes later (5x08) she was shot in the Grady sequence and carried out in Daryl’s arms. Here, Judith put the hat on RJ, and a little later in the same episode, was shot in a very Grady-like sequence, and carried out in Daryl’s arms.

And I suspected (and kind of knew because of the leaked footage) that all of this stuff we’ve seen that’s been a clear repeat of 4b would culminate in a Grady like sequence.

And guys, that’s AWESOME for us. Because it shows that they’re doing repeat sequences to lead up to Beth’s return.

We don’t know for sure if we’ll see Beth in 11x24. I really hope we will, in an after-the-credits coda at least. But if we don’t, it won’t matter all that much to me (other than the usual disappointment). I know there will be those who roll their eyes and leave TD, talking about how we’ve been preaching her return for years and now the show has ended and we’re still holding on.

And okay. I totally get it. But people who say that don’t really understand the story TWD is trying to tell. Beth was never going to return until the CRM storyline came around. Of course we didn’t understand that back in S6, S7, S8, etc. But we’ve learned and understood more as each season progressed. Grady was tied to the CRM, and we know the CRM will be explored in the spinoffs, so either way, we’re looking to those for Beth’s story.

Meanwhile, they’ve done a complete retelling of 4b, right up to and threw the Grady storyline. This, in my mind, is obviously leading up to Beth showing up.

I’m going to do a more in-depth post later this week about the musical coda and how they’re using it here, but just trust me on this, guys. We’re right on track here.

The other thing to ponder is that this simply MUST be a massive clue to what happened with Beth. I mean, in terms of why she was shot. Judith was shot when pushing someone out of the way; trying to save them. Now, Beth wasn’t doing that in a literal way when she was hit, but you could argue that she was confronting Dawn to try and save Noah.

But perhaps more to the point, Judith was shot accidentally. Pam was aiming for someone else (Maggie) and accidentally hit Judith. We still can’t say much about the details of how that happened with Beth, but to me, this is pretty good evidence that she was shot by accident. There were theories about someone trying to shoot Rick in that hallway, because he was a threat. But for me, especially given that the female officer says, “hold your fire. It was just about her,” it seems clear to me that someone at Grady was trying to take out Dawn. They were aiming for her, but hit Beth instead.

Again, because of all the Coda parallels here, this is pretty good proof in my mind that that’s what happened in the hallway of Grady. And even that should bring everyone hope because the showrunners are STILL letting us believe Dawn shot her. If Beth wasn’t coming back and none of this was relevant, they would have explained the ending of Coda to us by now. The fact that they haven’t shows that they’re still planning to at some point.

We even have some of the missing 17 days figured in here. While Daryl is carrying Judith, TF is running around, trying to escape, and ends up surrounded by walkers. Basically the exact thing we think happened with Beth during the missing 17 days, leading to her being left behind. They are even surrounded by chain link fences here, which is very reminiscent of Grady. Grady had the green military tents. Here, we have a different kind of military: the white CW troopers.

So yeah. I’m gonna leave you with that today, but there’s plenty more to say about this episode.

I also want to note that while AK said they would be ending the series very well and tying things up nicely, rather than JUST setting up for the spinoffs, it really isn’t looking that way. I kind of think she was full of it, lol. Maybe they will tie things up nicely the last five minutes of the next episode, but they have a LOT of ground to cover for just one more episode. Lots of action and stuff that still has to happen. So, I’m looking forward to a nice, cliff-hangery set up for the spinoffs.

Also, remember that the final episode won’t be put on the app one week early. So, no one will be seeing it until next Sunday. Can’t wait!

#beth greene #beth greene lives #beth is alive #BETH IS COMING #td theory #td theories #team delusional #team defiance #beth is almost here #bethyl

13 notes · View notes

ghosty-guyy · 3 days

Text

a transtape review part 1:

part 2 (can also be found in reblogs)

just a warning I do put a cup size guide image in here, it has the word female on it.

so I am fat, and my chest is "big"(it isnt that big but because Im fat when I stand up it looks like I have a bigger chest, I look to be about and E/F cup) I got the starter kit in 5 inches(large)

This is my first time using it, but I did watch Beau's tutorial on the transtape youtube channel and watched a few other peoples reviews. I put it on without using a mirror at all and it was hard to get exact placements right, I would absolutely reccomend getting a full body mirror to help with placements(or have someone help you) it took more tape than I would have liked to use.

(bind is in quotes, it doesnt compress)

It "binds" somewhat well, but I dont think itd work for someone who has an actual big/full chest, I usually use spectrum or old gc2b binders(both tank and cropped) and when I wear them I look to be about an A or B cup, with transtape I look to be about a B or C cup, as I learn better ways to use it for my body I might be able to look a bit smaller.

now the feel, for me its more comfortable because its not compressing my ribs, the feel of the tape on my skin doesnt bother me but if your sensitive to textures it may bother you, the other thing that bothers me about the feel is when I bend or lay down on my side, it doesnt hurt but its uncomfortable.

EDIT: make sure the nonsticky part covers the majority of your areola

also on nipple covers, I cannot use the ones they make and sell, the outside feels very soft in a way I dont like, and I cannot put them on without wrinkes that bunch it up, I made my own nipple cover using trans tape, I cut a piece that would cover my areola and cut a smaller piec that woulf cover my nipple and I set it down(sticky side facing sticky side) on the bigger piece, making sure that there is a border around it, they do their job.

I have not took it off, im planning on sleeping in it and wearing it for about 3 days, i'll make a part 2 to this post in a few days.

#trans tape #transtape #binding #ftm #trans man #transgender man #chest binding #ftm binder #trans tape isnt just for transmen those are just the tags im using #queue

1 note · View note

trustwashington · 2 years

Text

Psykopaint full free

#Psykopaint full free upgrade#

#Psykopaint full free full#

#Psykopaint full free registration#

#Psykopaint full free software#

#Psykopaint full free registration#

Web Design: -Programs - Name Registration - Hosting - Tutorials.

#Psykopaint full free software#

Stocks & Shares:- Software - Financial Data - Brokers - Tutorials.

Senior's Online:-Shopping - Finance - Travel - Entertainment - Health - Tutorials.

#Psykopaint full free upgrade#

Senior's Computers:- PC Hardware - Windows - Software - Upgrade - Tutorials.Programming: -Resources - Reports - Tutorials.Genealogy: -Family Tree programs - Resources - Tutorials.Digital Photography:- Cameras - Imaging - Printing - Tutorials.Communications:- ISPs - Browsers - Email - Networking - Security.Robert Israel's Favourites:- Useful - Weird - Wonderful.I can't wait to make some more artwork in Psykopaint some time. Womp, womp.īut check out the close-up of the canvas print. I am pretty sure they are only whole salers, however. The quality is top notch and the flamingo is almost jumping off the canvas, which is a thick, nice fabric-y quality. And it came back GORGEOUS!!! I am so happy with it. I then remembered a great canvas printing place from my days as a family photographer:.

#Psykopaint full free full#

Their customer service was AWESOME and I got a full refund, so that was great. This company was SO great through, they had really helped me out and shipped fast and done everything they could and I SO wanted to recommend them to you, but the product just didn't measure up. The material it was printed on was thin and plastic like and you could see the wooden frame through it. I had even found a great deal that I wanted to share with you, but when it came in, the print was just not. Then I ordered up my Flamingo print at an online canvas print source. I made my print 20 x 28 inches finished size, so my file was 24 x 32 inches to account for the gallery wrap around the edges. My actual file did not have lines on it of course. You can see where it would wrap below on the right. I made it ready for print by leaving 2 inches all the way around the canvas for a gallery wrap. Then I decided to crop it so the flamingo would have more of a presence and take up more canvas space and be bigger. Here is a close-up of that my finished file: If you spend more time in Psykopaint, than I did, you would not have to do that. I pulled it into Photoshop and cleaned up some of the "over spray" on the brush, but not all - especially around the beak, added the eye back in and oomphed up the color a bit. I liked that it made a purple line on the beak. I actually liked that one too, but I ended up going with the Cezanne one - a more subtle approach. Ok, in all fairness, I did ask him what he thought because I actually value his opinion. It was so much fun).ī commented on this one: "Well, that isn't very good Mom" LOL. Here is another one I played around with, with the Monet brush (I think. I followed the direction of the feathers on the flamingo as I was using the brush. I love their Cezanne brush, but there are several to choose from incl Monet and Van Gogh in the Style drop down. Then I tried some different brush styles. I created an account and pulled up my flamingo image on their art board. And I found this incredible free resource:. Next, I did an online search for some brushes or filters. It was 5 credits for the large size, which translates into about 8 dollars, depending on which plan you are on. So instead I bought a stock photo of a flamingo. The one on the far left was a contender for a while, though. They ended up not working for this project, however. I took these pictures last fall at the Copenhagen zoo, thinking I could turn them into artwork somehow. Dorsey (you can skip my whole process and go straight there for a free printable), and also by this flamingo on Smitten Studio. I have seen flamingos here and there in the last couple of months and I was very inspired by this flamingo by Sarah M.

#Psykopaint full free

0 notes

thesmpisonfire · 3 years

Text

Ok so

Quackity lore! And, with it, we FINALLY got an answer we've been waiting for weeks now.

Who was the hooded figure?

After yesterday, it was practically confirmed it was Quackity who was chasing Fundy in his dream, wasn't it?

But, oh, wait....

There's 3 of them! Which one was following Fundy? Who are the other 2?

One question was supposedly answered, but now we have other two to be solved.

Setting the scenario here, the first part where we see the 3 hooded figures was right at the beginning, before we saw the flashbacks and technically even before we saw the present time

One of the tease images was this one:

Which we all immediately thought it was the Grim Reaper, turns out this was Quackity, or a representation of him

Quackity was being represented as the Grim Reaper, or the Death itself.

And Death is part of a bigger group that has 4 individuals:

Death

Famine

Conquest

and War

The four horsemen of the apocalypse, the ones that will bring the end of the world

But, wait...

There was only 3 of them, wasn't it?

Well...

Here's the fourth

Fundy wasn't chased by any of the 3, he was chased by the 4th.

Fundy was chased by himself

Fundy is the 4th horsemen

This is what Fundy will become if he doesn't follow what the books, what his own conscience, warned about. This is what waits for him. A future self that he is scared and can't even recognize.

Now, you look at me saying "Des, stop all this stretch. Anyway who are the other two horsemen then, you absolutely brain rotted clown?"

First: ow, i roasted myself

Now, the 2 other horsemen.

You remember how I said we didnt even know if the first segment was set in present day? Yeah. Remember how, in the actual present segment of the stream, Quackity was alone riding Ossium? You see how all 3 horsemen have enchanted netherite swords, but Quackity only has a diamond sword during both past and present time?

The horsemen aren't together yet.

Quackity will get the revive book, and he will have the power to bring back the dead...

Wilbur and Schlatt.

Quackity is Death

Wilbur is Conquest, he was the one conquering L'manberg and that fought for it. He was the one that had the self proclaimed right to explode it, because it was HIS. If he can't have it, no one can.

Schlatt is Famine, he made Manburg starve by both shutting Niki's bakery down and letting the crops die to the point some of the inhabitants had to eat spider eyes, which are poisonous. He died sick due to only drinking and not eating at all

And, the last one...

Fundy is War.

He was the one raised in it, that had an entire life surrounded by fighting and chaos. He went into a war against Sapnap due to his love (/p) for Niki. Wars are fought with passion, and Fundy certainly has it. He fights and fights, that's all he had ever done. Doomsday? He knew it wasn't a war, it was a massacre. Also, war is not only the blood bath. Its strategy, its planning. Fundy is a smart guy, planning ahead so he complete his objectives.

Fundy's actions always are part of a domino effect that brings war. Even if its unrelated, its a important piece that starts the fall.

Now, the air horns. Nuke alarms.

A nuke is a war weapon. The power that it handles helps you conquest lands. When a nuke lands, it poisons the water and the land, bringing famine to the citizens.

A nuke causes death.

There's how the nuke connects to the 4 horsemen.

The egg?

Well, the 4 horsemen aren't the only ones that cause the apocalypse, they always have some company.

Also, Quackity trying to destroy it only made it angry. It will be more aggressive. It was just the beginning of something bigger.

Remember how Fundy dreamed about a desert, and a crater?

The time is coming, and they'll slowly meet each other again.

Wilbur, Schlatt, Fundy, Quackity

Conquest, Famine, War, Death

#if one day i dont start an analysis with 'ok so' is bc im fucken dead and someone stole my blog #dsmp analysis #Man this one is GOOD OK #dream smp #mcyt #fundy #wilbur soot #Quackity #Jschlatt #Well its more of a theory than analysis but shut up #It has some analysis ok???#Also this theory gave me a good AU idea and i loved it so much #Anyway they are the 4 horsemen and the end is near #We love to see it

2K notes · View notes

plaidamoosette · 2 years

Text

His Greater Good -- Part I

Summary: After the death of your father, the King, you take the throne for yourself. And though your Kingdom has thrived, the threat of war appears on the horizon. Your only option is to accept one of two marriage proposals; Brock Rumlow, a scummy King hell-bent on flipping the order you all fought so hard to create. Or Steven Rogers, a firm but gentle man whom always leaves you dizzy and confused. How will you save your kingdom? How will you protect your people, and your own heart?

A/N: So originally I wanted it to be a dark fic but I’m not sure if it actually is so we’ll see what you guys think! Also, Italics are for memories or past events.

Credit to originals owners/creators of all images or characters used or shared in this series.

Word Count: 4,309

WARNINGS: This series contains explicit content and is not intended for younger audiences. Read at your own risk. Smut (eventually), noncon?, violence, swearing, men being assholes. Although, there is no smut in this chapter. Thank you.

Prologue

The sun was setting on the horizon, setting the landscape on fire, blazing in hues of orange and red and yellow. The King stands tall, peering down at his Kingdom, admiring it. Although it was small, it would soon be so much bigger.

The Dark Enchantress slithers up behind him, almost blending into the encroaching night. Her pale hand slides up the smooth naked skin of the King’s back, and he shivers as her sharp nails leave red trails along his flesh. She leans in close to whisper in his ear.

“All that is left is for you to seduce the Queen, marry her, and take over her Throne. Only then, will we be able to finish our plans,” her voice was barely a hiss.

“And what if she says no?” King Brock Rumlow turns, clasping her elbows, drawing her body closer to himself.

“Asking is only a courtesy. A King does not bow to a Queen, a King takes. We want her to think it was her idea, but no matter what, we will not take no for an answer.” The Enchantress clutches his shoulders, and he nods.

“And then what?”

“And then, we watch the world burn.” A grin slices through her face, and she tilts her head back in a laugh as his lips leave small kisses across her skin.

Below, the army they had gathered cried over and over again, their noise a deafening rumble which shook the walls, “Hail Hydra!”

Five years. That’s how long you have run this kingdom by yourself. Five long years, after your father had passed on your 15th birthday celebration. All of your counselors and advisors immediately pushed the prospect of marriage on you. “You’re of age,” they would tell you. Ripe for the picking.

“If I am the ample age to marry, then I am fit to rule my Kingdom. Know your place, advisors.” You would sneer at them, gracing them with a slight bow of your head before welcoming the long line of citizens that had complaints left and right.

It was hard, exhausting work, but your father had prepared you for this. He had always filled your head with knowledge of ruling, how to be diplomatic in tough situations, how to present yourself as a lady and a Queen. How to handle your battalions and your farms, the trading business, and the counsel with the other royalty.

Although, your first annual council was… rough, to say the least.

“Who let this little girl in?” One king had cried.

“Watch your tongue! This is her royal Highness, Queen (Y/N) (Y/L/N) of Fernlock. Her father passed away only two months ago. Show some respect.” King Anthony had defended you, giving you a soft smile. He had always favored you, taking joy in your playful banter. He had always told you your sharp tongue would take you far in this game of thrones.

That first meeting was rough, but you quickly taught them that you were as sharp as your father, with fresh ideas of how you wanted to run things. It didn’t take long for you to earn your place.

These past few months, though, were the worst you had ever witnessed. Your crops were thriving, your relationships with the neighboring kingdoms and caravans were flourishing… but for some reason, one man threatened your reign. And his persistent actions were… annoying, to say the least.

“You must have an excellent reason for bursting through my doors, unannounced, and uninvited,” you quipped at the man who strode into the main hall of your castle, as you handed a series of papers back to the courier.

“Your Highness,” King Brock Rumlow bowed, a grin stretching his lips. His dark hair was tied back in half of a braid, his dark garments symbolizing his trade. The sword on his waist creaked as the leather stretched and moved. “I have come with a proposition that I felt was better said in person.”

You eye him for a moment, staring into his dark orbs brazenly, before flicking your fingers. “Proceed.” You melodic voice echoed in the grand room. You knew what he was about to ask, he had only hinted at it in the hundreds of letters he had sent, which were now merely ashes in your fireplace. The servants enjoyed the chocolates he sent. The only worthwhile gift was the steed he sent you, which was now resting in his stall within the grounds area.

“My Lady,” he begins, clasping his hands over his belt, “as you know, I have yet to take on a Queen to rule beside me-”

“No.” You knew it was against your upbringing to interrupt a man when he was speaking, but you knew where this was going, and you would not stand to hear it.

“My Queen, if you shall allow me to please continue.” You could see Rumlow’s jaw twitch in irritation, fingers flexing.

Your advisor, Hogan, cleared his throat at your side. You release a slow breath, and then smile tightly, gesturing for him to continue. This was his third time asking for your hand in marriage over the course of two years, and you were growing rather sick of it.

“As I was saying- I have yet to take on a Queen. And currently, my kingdom is falling into despair. We have been struggling with a drought in my region, and the Northern Men have been raiding the surrounding settlements of my territory. Now, though my army is vast, with all of the men I have recruited to defend the villages, there is no one to farm. No food for the soldiers, and soon… there will be no soldiers. No soldiers means no protection, and- well… you know what else ensues.”

“But why come to me for aid? Yorkshire stands between you and I, why not go to King Anthony for aid?” You cross your legs under your heavy skirts, the deep blue dress complimenting your skin and the bodice accenting your features, your peculiar birthmark on display, just below your collarbone on the left side. You see Rumlow’s clasped hands lower, covering over his crotch.

“As I was saying, I have yet to pick a Queen,” he enunciates, and you take a calming breath, heavily exhaling.

“And?” You raise an eyebrow. You weren’t going to fall into this trap. You wanted him to spell it out for you. His jaw twitches again. If you didn’t know him personally, you would find his rugged features and chiseled face appealing. But you knew better.

“I would feel more comfortable if we could have this conversation privately,” his brown eyes flicker to Sir Hogan, and then back to you.

“Happy?”

“I shall leave you, my Queen.” He bows his head, glaring at Rumlow before retreating through the door to your left. It stayed cracked though. Happy never stayed too far from you.

“As I was saying, If you were to accept my offer, I would wish you to become my Queen. With our combined forces, we could vanquish the Northern Men and then begin our Empire.”

You almost choked at the word. “Empire? Are you deranged?” You all but shrieked, struggling to keep your composure.

“You just stated how Yorkshire stands between us. Anthony is old, his Princess is only a few years old, and his Queen is not strong enough to keep the peace. His kingdom is surviving purely by his trade business, thanks to his access to the shore. If you and I were to form an alliance and join in matrimony, then we would be able to conquer him.”

You rise from your feet, slowly descending the steps of your perch, only to walk a slow circle around him. He keeps his eyes forward, jaw set, but you knew he was observing out of his peripheral vision.

“First, you invade my home, violating the rules of common courtesy. Then, you propose a marriage without first gathering a council to discuss. And finally, you suggest that I break a union between Fernlock and Yorkshire that has been just about the best thing I’ve done since taking the throne- and not only that- but you suggest that we, what, kill him?”

Before you could even react, Rumlow twisted around, grabbing hold of you, one hand on your arm, the other clutching your throat. “You really need to be taught to watch the way you speak to a King.” He growled, his breath hot, fanning across your face.

“And you shall learn how to treat the Queen of Fernlock!” You cry, spitting in his face before bringing your palm to his cheek, striking him with as much force you could muster.

“I will have you!” He shouts, taking your throat in his hold again, but the door that Happy was waiting outside of burst open, and a series of footsteps stormed inside. Happy ripped Rumlow away from you, and you gasp, taking in a deep breath.

“I think that King Rumlow has overstayed his welcome,” Happy grunts as he wrestles the man back, two guards taking hold of each of his arms, dragging him towards the door.

“If you don’t take my offer, I’ll find someone who will!” Rumlow bellows as he is forced outside of the large doors, the threat ringing in your ears.

Your cheeks flushed red with anger, and you clench your fists. The only negative thing you had inherited from your father was his temper. “Happy, send word immediately to King Anthony of what transpired today. As well as King Steven.”

“King Steven?” Happy mutters under his breath, trailing behind you as you storm towards your study.

“Yes. As much as I’d rather not involve him, his kingdom resides on the outskirts of Rumlow’s as well, and if that bastard continues on his plans, then they are both at risk.” You huff, throwing yourself into the chair at the large desk, pulling together papers and you quill.

“What shall I say to them?”

“Summon them here, actually. I think it would be best for them to hear it from me personally,” you sigh, shuddering at the words Rumlow had just spoken to you.

What had you just gotten yourself into?

It was weeks before you received a response. Both men came running to your call when Happy sent an urgent letter of distress. Their announcements of arrival came to your door only a week before they themselves showed up.

“My Queen, you look lovely as ever,” King Anthony smiles at you, taking your hand to kiss your knuckles, bowing over your hand. He was the same age as your father, maybe a year or two younger, and had always treated you as family.

“Your charm gets you nowhere with me,” you laugh, flicking his nose to free your hand.

“And with me?” A second voice interrupts the two of you, as King Steven Rogers enters the room, removing the cloak from his shoulders, flakes of snow still sticking to the flowing blonde waves of his hair.

You bow low, although you never break his eye contact. A bold move that you were well known for, gazing into his bright blue eyes as he held out his hand. You place yours into his rough palm, and he kisses your knuckles. His facial hair tickled, and he shot you a grin.

“I’m afraid I did not call you here for pleasantries,” you sigh, spinning around and striding towards your study, expecting them to follow. “I have several great concerns to bring to your attention, and I’m fearful for what our futures hold. I trust you two the most out of the rest of the Council.”

The clatter of their boots ran silent as they tread over the thick carpets that adorned the floor of your study, which was really your father’s. You kept everything the same as when he passed. It still even smelled of him. You swiftly clear away his journal, which you had been reading before you greeted the men. Your father held detailed notes on both of the men in front of you.

“Brock Rumlow stormed through my doors over a month ago, proposing a rather treacherous plot to overthrow you-” you looked at Anthony “- and disrupt the balance that we have all worked so hard to maintain.” You lace your fingers over the desk, the sunlight filtering in through the large window behind you, the heavy snow reflecting pur white light into the room.

“And what exactly did he propose, might I ask?” King Steven was the one who spoke, his voice low. You always hated the way he gazed at you, almost… predatorily. Like you were a meal he was waiting to devour. It makes you hot in uncomfortable places.

“He proposed a marriage between he and I, to destroy the Northmen that are invading his borders, and then to create an empire by first taking over Yorkshire. I assumed Amrika would be next in line, considering that Rumlow has always hated you.”

“Why would he propose marriage to you? You have already made it clear how you feel about sharing your throne,” Anthony shifts, and you sigh, rubbing the bridge of your nose.

“I would never marry that bastard even if it were my last hope. We need to devise a plan in case he decides to attack. I’ve had agents sent to monitor his actions in case he starts massing his forces on your borders, but I am worried for my kingdom.”

“You are not equipped to fight in a war,” Steven murmurs, brows furrowed, deep in thought.

“I must admit that I have not even considered reforming my armies. When I took the throne, I promised to maintain the peace that my father had achieved, and that I would avoid war at all costs. Now, if it is inevitable… I have no idea how many others he has contacted about his plans. I have not spoken to any others on the council. I feel my gender would get in the way, that they would claim I’m having a feminine panic over something simple, but I know it is more than that.” You fret, standing to face the large windows, a hand fluttering to clutch the pendant that had belonged to your late brother. He had fallen in the final war that had ended all wars. Or what you had hoped was the last.

You hear a chair move, and the glasses and decanters to your left clink as Anthony pours himself a drink. Something you knew he would do, according to your father. ‘Tony loves his spirits, so I always make sure to put my best out when he is coming. Damn that man for having such rich tastes.’ “And what makes you think he even has reached out to other members?”

“When he came here… well, before he left actually, as he was being dragged away by my guards for manhandling me, he made a subtle threat.” You turn to look towards the men, only to find Steven was merely a few feet from you. “He said, ‘if you don’t take me up on my offer, I will find someone who will’. Who else could he go to, than someone else on the council?”

“‘Manhandled’ you? Are you alright?” Stevens' voice was low, gentle. According to your father, he was anything but. Atleast, on the battlefields, where your father had fought with him. And the hands that had slain hundreds, now softly tilted your head back, searching for injuries.

“Your concern is touching, Your Grace, but I am unscathed. I can handle myself,” you smile tightly, stepping away from his touch, rubbing your thumb into the palm of the hand that had slapped Rumlow. You ignored the spark that ignited in your lower belly at Steven’s touch, his soft eyes… his full bottom lip.

You clear your throat. “Until things play out a little more, I’d like to confirm that you two have my back. Your armies completely surpass what exists of my own, and are equal to Rumlow’s. And I will fully fund any efforts you make against him. Money, food, labor. Even shelter for any refugees from the outer villages.”

“Our alliance stands. I made a vow to your father on his deathbed that I would watch over you, and in doing so, our kingdoms would thrive together. I should thank you for being so urgent to inform me on what happened, and I am sorry for his brashness,” Anthony approaches you, gently clasping your shoulders. “I am going to stay here a few days and help you summon the Council. I’m assuming my usual room is prepared?”

“As always,” you laugh, “with plenty of alcohol and thick curtains.”

“You act as if I’m a lush!” He laughs with you as he leaves your study, following the path that he must know all too well.

“And what about you?” You turn towards Steven, clasping your elbows, peering up at him.

“I think this color suits you well,” he hums, his wandering fingers once again invading your space, clasping the soft material. It was a lighter shade of blue, with cream accents and a low neckline, which you knew he noticed.

“About our alliance, Steven,” you whisper, backing away from him once again, but he only followed you.

“I seem to recall a proposal that I had made to you less than a year ago, similar to Rumlow’s.” He traces the line of your jaw and then down your neck. You fight to suppress a shiver, but it betrays you. He smiles. “Only mine was less tyrannical.”

“Steven, you know how I feel about this. I can’t just hand over my people like that, I’ve fought too hard-”

“I know. And I’m not asking you to hand over anything. Together, we can rule our kingdoms. Together. You and me, and eventually..” hie hand lowers to your stomach and you gasp, jerking away one final time, crossing the room.

“This is exactly why I say no. I am more than just a vessel for your spawn-”

“Spawn?” He scoffs, interrupting you, but you continue.

“I am the Queen of this region and I am not finished yet, I still have a lot of things I need to do, and I cannot be distracted by a husband or… children.”

“Like what? Name something that you’re ‘working’ on, and I’ll leave you alone,” he throws up his hands, exasperated. You stutter for a second, at a loss of words, not used to such an outburst from him.

“Like, well,” you take a breath, and then clasp the door, throwing it open, “um… I’ll see you at dinner tonight. Make yourself at home.”

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” He tips his head to you, gliding past you, but stopping just as he passed in front of you. “I know you read his journals. Why don’t you check the last chapter of his last book. Maybe then you’ll change your mind.”

He whispered that last part to you, passing you as he went towards the guest chambers that you had prepared for the kings. Your breath catches in your throat. You had never read the last chapter that your father had written. It was the last thing on this Earth that he had touched, that he had said… you felt if you read it, then he would truly be gone. You refused, but at Steven’s challenge, you glanced at the journal.

No, you chide yourself. You will not fall victim to his childish charm. You slam the doors shut, dressing yourself in a cloak so you could stroll the castle grounds. The cool air would clear your head.

A week passed, and Steven and Athony left your castle, promising to send word to you after they reached out to the Council, to seek out allies of Rumlow. But before Steve left, he presented you with a gift.

“Here, an apology for upsetting you the other evening,” the grin was back on his face, and you held your head higher. He reaches out, clasping your hand, placing a small object into your palm. It was warm, as if he had been holding it for a long time.

You glance down to find a beautifully crafted pendant, with a large blue gem in the center of an intricate design or silver metal, twisting around a few smaller rubies. It was an absolutely gorgeous piece of jewelry, one you just couldn’t accept. He must have known what you were thinking, because he folded your hands over it.

“It belonged to my mother. I had always planned to gift it as a wedding present… until then, I shall have you wear it now.” He smiles genuinely, and you huff, a small cloud cutting through the cold air.

“Steven,” you whisper, but he hushes you.

“I’ll wear you down eventually,” He chuckles as he turns around, bounding down the steps and onto his horse, who whinnies as he pulls the reins. “We’ll see each other soon again.”

“Next time, bring Sam and James with you, I miss them.” You wave at them as they retreat through the gates, and you suck in the chilly air. Back to business. There was no use in worrying over the coming weeks. You had to start preparations. You called in a meeting with the local leaders of your villages to discuss preparations for a potential… Well, they needn’t know what’s at stake just yet.

You were hiding behind the pillar, listening in on the two men as they talked. Your father’s booming voice filled the hall as they stopped in the center.

“What if things don’t fall into place as you’ve planned? What if she…” The other man sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Peering around the side, you stare, sighing at his strong, handsome features, the thick and full beard that covered his jaw, and the strong shoulders that flexed when he walked. You wondered who he was talking about. A woman, probably a woman he was planning to marry. He was a King, and a new one. They usually got married pretty fast. To have children and all that.

“There you are!” Cried Wanda, your lady in waiting. You push a finger to your lips to shush her, but it was too late. She had given you away.

“(Y/N),” your father called condescendingly, and you lowered your head as you came around the corner, walking towards him as he held out a hand towards you.

Your father was handsome as well, softer around the middle, with permanent lines along his face from years of worry. You knew you were the source of a few of those wrinkles. A scar also carved its way down the side of his chin and on his neck, a wound which had almost killed him in the Final War. His savior was standing in front of him, clasping his hands behind his back so he could bow towards you. You curtsied, before taking your father’s hand. The guests were all leaving after celebrating your 13th birthday. Your father had also used it as a time to discuss big matters with a few of his allied Kings. Something about the Northmen.

“My little Mouse, I was just about to send away our final guest. Would you help me?” Your father placed his hands on your shoulders, putting you between them. Your cheeks flush hot at being so close to King Steven, and you curtsy again, giggling.

“I thank you for coming, Your Royal Highness. Please, travel safely, but return soon.” You hide your smile behind your hands, hiding a squeal as he flashes you his dashing smile, and small dimple appearing in his cheek.

He opened his mouth to say something when another set of arms scooped you up, spinning you in a circle, causing you to shriek and squeal in delight, slapping at the back of the man who had stolen you away.

“Sir James, please, this is improper!” You manage to get out between laughs, his own hearty laugh bouncing off the walls. But he relents, planting your feet on the ground. You frantically tuck your hair away, panting a little, fists up.

“You make it difficult to be a lady, Bucky!” You bark, swinging towards him, which he dodges with ease.

“You do that on your own, little Mouse. Practice your speed, then maybe you’ll catch me,” he chuckles, tapping your nose with his metal hand, spinning you away from him so you could wave to Sir Sam.

“James, have you been teaching my daughter to fight?”

“No, she just watches. You better keep an eye on her, she sees all,” James grins one final time, wrapping his arm in a brotherly manner around Sam’s, who quickly shrugged it off.

“Princess, it’s time for our lessons,” Wanda tugs at your arm, hissing in your ear, her accent thick with her native tongue. You were currently studying the language of the Northmen, but you’d much rather be here, to see the handsome men off.

“Remember what we discussed,” your father squeezes Steven’s shoulder, and the blonde man nods, turning around to exit through the large doors, giving you a wave of goodbye.

You release a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, and then skip away with Wanda, your other Lady, Natasha, coming to join you at your left.

“I thought we were going to keep it a secret that we’ve been watching the knights practice,” Nat’s whisper was harsh. You shrug, linking your arms.

“Surely father will only think it's a joke. Speaking of which, shall we practice at the Old Place?” You ask in Sokovian, Wanda’s mother-tongue.

“You wouldn’t believe what I’ve got my hands on!” Nat squeals, and you settle yourselves in the large room that acted as your learning homeroom.

If only things had remained so simple and easy.

Taglist:

@ivybarns @yellow-winds

#king!steve rogers x reader #fanfiction #king!au #king!steve x reader #steve rogers #Steve rogers smut #Steve rogers x you #Steve rogers x reader #Bucky barns #Sam wilson #Marvel universe #Marvel au #queen!reader #Royalty smut #dark!steve rogers #captain america #kingdom au

327 notes · View notes

lord-explosion-baku · 3 years

Text

Trident Tale

Merman!Shinsou x reader, Kirishima x Reader

Warnings: adult themes (Minors DNI)

A/N: read the prologue on AO3

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3

(Original image by @maewoahoah)

Synopsis: Moving to an island where everyone is big on the surf scene and other oceanic happenings might not have been the brightest idea for someone so afraid of anything that has to do with water, but you make do by spending your days looking after the Bed & Breakfast, trying not to burn the house down when you fry a few eggs, and obsessively scrolling through Eijirou Kirishima’s social media page. He’ll never notice you, and you think you’re fine with that, until a mysterious force washes into Ms. Shuzenji’s pool after a particularly nasty storm.

Hitoshi Shinsou is a pain in the ass from the get-go, but you put up with him, fins and all, when he promises he can help unite you with your soulmate. The catch? The fish is hellbent on taking back what was stolen from him, and he won’t lift a gracious finger until he gets what he came for.

You’re helpless to lend him a hand, so long as you stay dry. Unless, of course, he has other plans.

You know how the saying goes: you rub his fins, he’ll rub yours.

Storms have never really been your cup of tea. Though you keep yourself locked inside a good percent of the time, there’s nothing quite as suffocating as the compress of clouds overhead. It’s not like you always have to see them to be uncomfortable, but you definitely feel them pressing down, closing in, and caging you, even when you’ve got yourself tucked under a blanket on Ms. Shuzenji’s couch.

It’s been a little over a year since you first moved to the island. All you needed was a new beginning, and you got that, but you got that, and the tropical weather that you’re still getting used to. It’s currently typhoon season, and holy seaweed-on-your-doorstep, is it storming.

There’s little you can do to distract yourself while staying and working at Shuzenji’s bed and breakfast. There are currently no guests, aside from you, so all the rooms are made, and the old lady is on another one of her long vacations, so you’re basically being paid to lounge. You’re grateful for that, at least. But the only thing that’s keeping you physically separated from the terrifying weather is a thick glass pane that water sloshes on every time a wave laps over the backyard walls.

The things that separate you mentally are the old-timey recordings of Shuzenji singing alongside an ensemble cast, and the little device in your hand. If you didn’t have your boss’s haunting melodies echoing throughout the house, and some big, beefy, tatted eye-candy to gawk at during the storm, you’d surely go insane.

Eijirou Kirishima, one of the island’s best surfers, is out on his board, live-streaming his current fight against the waves. His whoops and hollers can be heard over the crashing tides, getting even you excited for what’s about to come. That’s the thing about Kirishima; he’s wild, you’re not, and it’s hot as hell. Oftentimes, you catch yourself daydreaming about joining him out in the surf—he guides you through the waves, maybe yoou impress him a bit with your sudden affinity for wave-riding, and the two of you wash up on shore where you’ll both share your first kiss. It would be feasible if you could swim. It would be feasible if you bothered to learn how to swim, but for now, you’re content with your imagination. At least he can make you hate the terrible weather a little less.

The conspiratorial smirk he shows the camera is borderline swoon-worthy when the swell begins to pull him further out. It’s impossible not to bite your lip every time you catch a glimpse of his arms forcing themselves through the sea. He makes this look easy—like the storm is child’s play, and as the winds blow Shuzenji’s trash bin into the sliding glass door, you welcome the delicious distraction.

As Kirishima stands up on his signature trident board and rides one of the biggest waves he’s seen all day, you’re once again struck with how much of a coward you are. He can fight the elements, while you can hardly bring yourself the courage to talk to him. Mind you, he’s constantly surrounded by a close group of friends—a close group of friends you find intimidating—and when he’s not with them, he’s out in the water. Where there’s water involved, you’re spoken for. Unless, of course, you’d like for the first time you guys actually speak, to be when he’s giving you CPR.

Not the most ideal “meet cute”, but if it works, it works.

A loud crash snaps you out of your admittedly salty daydream. Mango, Shuzenji’s orange tabby, yowls at the blanket of water cascading down the windows, and your stomach sinks. There’s only so many minutes you can pretend that the storm Kirishima is facing isn’t the one that’s destroying Shuzenji’s yard.

With a sigh, you roll off the velvet couch, and grimace when crumbs that were nesting in your shirt fall to the carpet: a mess to clean up later. Without any guests to mind, you don’t have to worry too much over keeping the place spick-and-span, so long as things are nice and tighty by the time the old lady gets back, which will be awhile.

You have an easy enough job—at least, when there aren’t bunches of thick seaweeds crashing over the yard’s wall, flooding the pool.

“Shit.”

Water sprays in every direction. The already trash-infested pool overflows as more kelp rolls in with the maniacal waves, and angry, white foam bangs on the back door. It's a disaster outside, and you’re not sure what to do about it.

Fingers wrapped around the back door handle, you struggle to think of a way to prevent a bigger mess, but even if you could manage to clean anything, nothing is stopping the tempest from wreaking anymore havoc. Best case scenario, you stop a plastic soda-chain from washing out to see and becoming a deadly necklace for an unlucky seagull. Worst case scenario, you slip, crack your head open on the pavement, and drown before you can ever utter the words “mahalo” to Kirishima.

Needless to say, you’ll take your life over a gull’s any day.

Another sigh.

A greater wave collides against the wall, bringing more of the Great Unknown into the pool. This is going to be a fun job to clean. Good thing you’ve got Shuzenji’s service boy, Denki Kaminari, on speed dial. You think if you sound particularly distressed in the morning, he’ll show up to help you out with just about anything in the matter of minutes. God bless desperate fuckboys.

So, for now, you cuddle back up on the couch, watch Kirishima shake saltwater out of his thick, red hair, and pretend that his storm is not the same thing as your storm.

It’s early morning when you finally rise out of bed. You hadn’t gotten a whole lot of rest—something to do with the wailing winds shaking your bedroom window nonstop, but after you finally drifted into dreams about snakes and dragons, you woke to clear skies, and light seagull calls.

From the second story, you can see early birds have already gotten the jump on cleaning up the beach. The sun is shining, the ocean blue and vast. The only trace there was ever a storm is already being taken care of. There are lifeguards riding around on ATVs and younger civilians with trash bags and grapplers picking up seaweed and absconded debris. The respect everyone has for the island is something to be admired, and you half-consider going out there yourself, after you’ve dealt with your yard, which is sure to be a wreck.

There’s no interest in picking out a cute outfit for the morning you’re going to have, even if Denki might see you, so you throw on a already-worn-this-week crop top, some pink shirts, and you’re good to go.

The first thing you do after Mango’s fed is check your socials. Kirishima posted a picture of his breakfast: a hefty plate with three eggs, sausage links, bacon, cut avocado, and what seems to be low-carb toast. The post reads, gotta eat ur gainz 2 gain ur gainz, and it’s so ridiculous that you’re infatuated with this reckless himbo. You wonder if you’d ever be able to hold an intellectual conversation with him, if you could ever manage to speak to him in the first place, but conversation wouldn’t matter if his mouth was between your thighs.

Following his example, you crack two eggs over a frying pan, sigh at the mostly empty fridge, then agonize over the state of Shuzenji’s yard. It’s worse than you thought it’d be. The pool is a sickly green color, and from where you’re standing inside, its murky depths seem to be almost opaque from the seaweed and garbage stewing together. Kelp litters the beige pavement, and there’s trash hiding in the shrubs. There’s a chocolate donut floaty bobbing around in there, too, and Shuzenji doesn’t own any floaties.

What a drag.

Before you get too far in your head about everything you’ll need to do to clean up, you quickly dial Denki’s number. He picks up after a ring and a half.

“I know what you’re about to ask,” says the boy on the line, and from his cocky tone, you can assume it’s not going to be about the cleanup. “I am absolutely free tonight. If you wanted to grab drinks at the Salty Barrel, maybe go on a romantic rendezvous out on the beach, watch the sunset on or in a couple blankets, I wouldn’t complain.”

“I’m not calling to ask you on a date, Kaminari,” you say as you step outside. The pavement is cold underneath your bare feet, and you have to tip-toe around to be sure not to let any kelp touch your skin. Yuck.

“But you’re not, not calling about a date, either,” he counters. By the volume of his voice, you can tell that he’s in his van, talking to you over the speaker. Good. So he’s already out and about.

“I need you to tell me how to drain Shuzenji’s pool.” Call you cold, but you’re used to Denki’s flirty nature by now, and you’ve learned that the best way to deal with it, is to not acknowledge it. Of course, you can’t be too callous when it comes to him, especially when you actually need his help. You eye the dangerously complex-looking valves off to the side of the house, and grimace. “There’s too many twisty thingies! I’m not sure what to do!”

“Now, hold your horses, little lady! Don’t go twisting any thingies just yet. Draining a pool is a process.” There’s a long pause, the loud growl of an engine, then silence. He’d pulled over to talk to you. “How’s your TDL? And what kinda PVC pipes you got?”

“The huh and what?” You don’t need to pretend to be in distress—you have no idea what he’s talking about.

“Listen, don’t touch anything. You’re calling because the pool’s a mess right now, right? You don’t need to drain it; at least, not yet. I can swing by in an hour or so to clean it, but I’ve gotta make some stops first. You’re not the only single woman who wants to watch me do my thang, especially not after yesterday.”

“It’s so bad, Kaminari.” The water in the pool sloshes around, like there’s actually something in it causing the water to ungulate and burble. “I don’t even know where to start.”

“Don’t worry your pretty, little head over it. You've got me, okay? It’s my job to protect and serve.”

“You’re not a cop.”

“Nope, I’m better than a cop. I’m a pool guy.”

He goes on to ask you to check out what kind of drain the pool has, if you can find the drain, then loses you when he starts talking numbers and gallons. While still on the phone, you send a few texts to Shuzenji, explaining the predicament, then Denki mentions rates. You’re getting the cutie pie discount, doubled because he counts Shuzenji as a “cutie pie” too—something you mention to her because she’ll get a kick out of it—then he drops all business to ask about food.

“I’m cooking my breakfast,” you say with a wary glance back at the house.

“But is your breakfast fries and a shake from Tiki Burger?”

You bite your lip as your stomach growls its empty sorrow. “No.”

“Would you like it to be?” His knowing grin is heard through the line.

“…I’m not gonna go out with you.”

He chuckles and you’re grateful that he can’t see your answering smile. “We’ll see how you feel after you see me work my magic. And hey, if you’d like me to wear a Speedo while I work—“

“You’ll be here in an hour?” You cut him off, because Denki in a Speedo is the last thing you need on your mind. The thought of Kirishima in a Speedo, however, gets you a little hot, which is saying a lot, since you’re a part of the Speedos and Dolphin-shorts Are Abominations To Swimwear belief system.

“Maybe sooner. I think my next client just needs me to check out their chemical levels. Inside pool and all. Everyone else knew to put a tarp out.”

The tarp you had blew away, but you don’t bother explaining that to Denki. Let him believe you’re the dim-witted “little lady” he wants you to be. If it means Shuzenji gets a discount, not that she can’t afford any bill Denki’s company throws at her, then let him believe you can’t open a pickle jar without a man’s help for all you care.

“See you then,” you say, and end the call. There will be time to work on your charm once Denki gets here. Until then, you figure you could do some investigating so you’re not completely helpless.

Leaving your phone on the pavement so you don’t accidentally drop it in the water, you make your way around the pool to where you think you remember the drain being. You can’t say you’ll know what kind of drain it is, but if you remember correctly, it’s circular, and like, kinda meshy? That description simply won’t do.

Dropping down to your knees, you peer down into the pool, squinting, as if that can help you see through all the muck. There’s definitely a lot of kelp and algae, sand drifting through the water, someone’s wayward brazier, and oh. A school of fish—little babies circling about. It’s wild, but you suppose it could be possible if all the chlorine washed out and there was enough salt water to sustain marine life.

The fish move together, bopping into each other, mouths gaping open to eat whatever they find in their temporary home. You don’t know enough about marine life to know what kind of fish they are. Silvery little things. Maybe Denki has something that can help transport them from the pool to the ocean. It’s not far—Shuzenji’s house is on the beach. It would be a shame if all the little fish had to die. You don’t particularly care about touching or feeding fish, but a life is a life, and if they can be saved, you’d at least like to try.

But all your thoughts of saving fish life stop when you catch something moving in the water. It’s not the fish—they’re not that big, but it’s definitely fishlike. Fish plus. It moves like a shadow, serpentine and fluid. You catch a glimpse of scales, so it’s definitely not a dolphin—even then, it’s bigger than a dolphin, and more graceful than a shark. You begin thinking of leviathan, and other mythical creatures, as ridiculous as that is, when you see a long flowing fluke.

Okay. This thing is not just big. It’s gargantuan, and to see this much of the creature without seeing its head makes your skin crawl. You imagine falling in and being swallowed whole, suffocating in the dark, drowning in a monster’s belly.

The thought spooks you static, just in time to meet a pair of eyes in the water. This is your overactive imagination—you’re scaring yourself insane, but you don’t look away, and those eyes, almost human and curious, don’t disappear.

You’ve consumed enough media to know how these impossible interactions go. The creature is inquisitive, but keeps its distance. It often has to be coaxed out of hiding, and even then, the thing is skittish and untrusting. You’re certainly not one to go “pspsps, hey little guy, I’m not gonna hurt you,” but even if you were, you don’t get the chance, because this thing you’re looking at isn’t the least bit skittish, and in one second, you’re making eyes at at it, and in the next, the thing is exploding out of the water.

A large, broad chest towers over you. The thing pushes itself up with arms, human arms, but it’s anything but human. Sure, it has hair, although an odd purple color, framing its angular face and jaw, which are both human enough. Also framing its face are a pair of long, pointed fins sticking out from where human ears should be. Water dribbles down its chest, down to its navel—its navel. Your brain screams mammal, but underneath its navel are scales, rippling down to where its legs should be. Not human. Not fish.

Fish plus.

Man.

Fish plus man.

Fish-man.

Its eyes are almost the same color as its hair, only a shade lighter, and much sharper, narrowed in on you. It’s glaring. You realize this at the same time you realize that you're staring at it with your mouth agape. This would be so rude in any other setting. It’s also rude to pop out of a pool that isn’t yours without any other warning, but you’re not about to chastise the thing. You’re far too scared.

Then the thing reaches out to you, sprinkling water on your thighs and your shirt. Its hands look like a man’s hand, but its long fingers are connected by thin, indigo webbing that matches its tail. Its tail. You lose focus trying to find the word for this creature that’s barely on the tip of your tongue, when you realize the palm of its hand, its fishy, webby hand, is hovering over your cheek, the other carefully placed next to your knee to keep it upright.

You open your mouth to speak, but only a hiss comes out. The creature, wary, brings its hand back, but only slightly. Not enough to put you at ease, but enough to allow you to gain your composure, and scream.

“H-help!!!” You screech. “Help! Somebody! Help me!”

It claps its hand over your mouth, knocking you back. Water drips down on your shirt as it leans in, mouth curling up with distaste. Then, it does something impossible.

It speaks.

“So loud,” it growls in a low, masculine timbre.

It speaks, you think, it speaks and it has no manners!

You try to yell back, probably something with little thought, but you have a mouth full of fish-man hand, and the more you warble in its palm, the more apathetic it appears.

“Be quiet and still,” it commands, as if obeying it is supposed to be the most natural thing—something it expects from you. It catches you so off-guard that you actually listen, only trembling a little bit as those indigo eyes scan over your form. It’s uncomfortable having an unknown but cognizant creature observe you so closely. You shiver when its gaze roams over your belly, down your legs. You want to curl your legs up, move away, but you’re afraid if you even twitch more than it’s comfortable with, it’ll grab you and drag you into the pool. Your nightmare.

Instead, it does something slightly less worse. It moves its hand from your mouth to your cheek. The palm of its hand warms your skin in an unnatural way, like you’ve been laying in the sun for half an hour and it’s only your cheek that heats up. The creature's eyes widen as light begins to emanate, either from you, or from it, you’re not sure, but definitely from where it touches you. Tingles run from your neck down to your spine, and you wish you’d put a bra on before going outside, because this thing’s touch is making your body react in a way that it shouldn’t.

“So easy,” it purrs appraisingly, somewhat less insolent, but you’re still taken aback, ears hot with embarrassment.

Un-fucking-likely.

“Easy?!” You squawk out. “What do you mean by easy?”

It doesn’t answer you, and instead, moves its fingers from your cheek, down your jaw, to your chin. It begins leaning closer, heavy lids closing. You notice its lips for the first time: a defined line and a pretty bow. If you were in a less dire situation, you’d be able to admit that they’re very nice lips, but they’re getting closer to you, closer still, and you realize with a jolt what it’s trying to do.

Your foot meets its chest in a heartbeat.

“Nope!” You belt out, extending your leg so there’s more distance between you and the impolite beast. “Not today, fish-breath!”

Unperturbed, it lifts a lazy brow. Then, to your absolute horror, it presses both of its hands into your bare leg, and again you’re lit up, warm, and tingly, only far worse than before. Stomach tightening, you make a choked noise, trying to hold in the sigh that claws at your throat.

“Fish-breath.” It repeats your insult like it’s a balled-up piece of paper to be thrown in the trash. “I’ve been told that my aroma is quite appealing.”

“By whom? Other fish-breaths?!” You wriggle your leg out of his embrace, or whatever you could call that invasion, only to have it slip down so your foot rests in the fish-man’s hands, bright as the stars in the sky. “Eww ew! Don’t touch me! Get away!”

The creature scoffs, but let’s you go, and you both watch as the light disappears from the arch of your foot where he’d been touching. Fish-man slinks back into the murky water, hiding under a blanket of algae.

You have enough time to gather your composure, wipe the water droplets off your face, and rub your eyes. For a moment, you try to convince yourself that this has all been a sleep-deprived hallucination, but you’ve never really been one to delude yourself, unless your Kirishima fantasies were involved, and you know that you’ll have to try another tactic to accept the reality of your situation. Perhaps you can try to be civil with this creature, ask it if it’s…hurt, or if it needs a late night escort to get it back to the sea. But then, the thing resurfaces on the opposite end of the pool. It faces you, and leans back against the wall, arms spread out against the pavement, basking.

“You know,” he says, “your decorum is severely lacking. Don’t humans have classes that teach them proper etiquette—how to be more polite towards their guests and such?”

What’s lacking is your patience for marine life.

Standing up, you take in the thing, which you’re now pretty sure is in fact a man of sorts, in its entirety. His tail is long, longer than human legs, extending past the halfway mark of the pool, if your measurement counts his fluke. There’s a golden cuff on his right arm that spirals around, accentuating his large biceps. You stubbornly admit that it’s attractive—he’s attractive, at least, he would be for people who were into fish and not surfers. You brush whatever you’re feeling in the pit of your stomach off by telling yourself that you’re simply awestruck, and move on.

“Where I’m from-“ you begin, straightening your sodden crop top- “we offer our guests various beverages and snacks, depending on the time of day.”

Annoyingly, he looks interested.

“Since it’s the morning, I’d offer a guest tea, or coffee, and if I’m looking to impress, I’d maybe cook them a hot meal.”

The creature offers you a sardonic smile. “I happen to be famished.”

“However, with home-invaders, we’re more likely to pull a gun on them before heating up the earl grey.”

He loses the smile, and you’re glad that he might have an inkling of what a gun is. You’ve never owned one, and they don’t allow firearms on the island, but the threat stands. But if he was intimidated, even for a moment, he doesn’t show it anymore, and proves just that by turning his back on you, and resting his head in his arms. He has a dorsal fin with what looks to be a deep, x-shaped scar near his tailbone. You try not to wonder what that could’ve been from.

“Then how do you propose I go from a home-invader, to a house guest?” Asks the creature with little interest.

Cautiously walking around the pool with your arms crossed, you begin to list things off for the far-too-comfortable fish-man.

“You can start by telling me who you are, what you are, why you’re here, what you want, and why you think you can lay your webbed hands on me.”

“Oh, is that all?” He hums noncommittally. Content. Aggravating. “Why don’t you start then? Who are you, and why are you here?”

The back of your neck grows hot and uncomfortable. “How entitled do you have to be to—!” You start, but you’re swiftly cut off by the shrieking of the fire alarm. Smoke plumes from outside the house’s windows, and you curse under your breath before darting towards the door. You’d completely forgotten about your eggs.

In your haste to move the pan off the stove, you burn your fingers and drop the pan to the kitchen floor, two blackened egg crisps flaking off and diving in different directions. Mango yowls at the commotion and investigates one of the fallen egg crisps. Before you can tell him to buzz off, he loses interest in your mess, not bothering to give it a taste. You don’t blame him, but the eggs didn’t appear to be cat-bad. Ah, you can’t kid yourself. They are cat-bad. They’re completely inedible. Now you’re going to have to head to the market, while worrying about a man trapped in Shuzenji’s pool.

Your stomach roars at you.

After cleaning the mess as best as you could while desperately and ruefully wanting to return to your guest—no, not guest—invader, you get the alarm, half-heartedly fan the smoke out of the house, and return. Angry. This guy better start talking soon, or things are going to get ugly.

To your utter displeasure, he looks all the more amused at your newer, messier state.

“Was that supposed to be the hot meal,” he asks, cocky. “Because if so, I’ll pass.”

Instead of biting his head off like you’d like to, you present him with the still-dirty frying pan, pointing it at his head like you intend to use it.

“Start talking, fish-for-brains.”

The beast snickers, raising his hands in the air in mock-surrender. “Easy there, tiger shark. You know how to use that thing?”

You refuse to humor him. Instead, you keep your scowl tight, your arms steady. If he’s not threatened, he’ll lose interest in this game, then he’ll have to talk.

Lo and behold, you’re right. The fish-man rolls his eyes, and looks at you, again, with apathy.

“My name is Hitoshi Shinsou,” he says, lackadaisical, like he’s already bored of himself. “I’m one of Ryūjin. What humans have learned to call merpeople are actually descendants of the sea gods who lived centuries ago. I’m here, simply because the storm washed me here. What I want is to retrieve what’s mine. I thought I could lay my webbed hands on you—well-“ the corner of his mouth tilts up-“darlin’, it was because your body reacted to me.”

Mouth forming the beginning of a question that never comes, you stare in disbelief at this myth. Then the last thing he said dawns at you.

“I did not react to you!” You rebuke, steady hands now shaking.

“Oh no?” He says, but it’s not a question. It’s a challenge.

Hitoshi grabs the flat end of the frying pan and yanks it, and you, closer to him, closer to the water. You cringe and whine when a wet, webby hand closes around your wrist. Inadvertently, you drop the pan, but he pays it no mind as it sinks past his tail. Your skin begins to glow underneath his palms, and the tingles come back, shooting up your arm, causing tiny goosebumps to appear.

“Would you look at that,” Hitoshi croons, slow and almost sensuously. His indigo eyes narrow on your index finger where you’d burned yourself. To add to this nightmare, he closes his lips around it, and begins to suck. Your stomach flips, and you’re not sure if it’s because you’re disgusted, or scared, or…enjoying the feeling of his warm mouth, his tongue, touching your skin.

“Stop.” It’s a whisper. It means nothing. You think you want it to mean something, but your thoughts are buzzing into a blur. Knees growing weak, you descend, leaning closer to him, not caring about the water or the seaweed or the fish, and instead, entirely focused on his mouth. It’s glowing, his mouth. Faintly. Like a single candle lit in an otherwise empty room.

When he eases off of you, he runs his thumb over your now-healed finger, and let’s your arm fall limply at your side.

“All better,” he whispers back at you.

There are prickles all over your skin once you regain an ounce of dignity.

“What the hell was that?” You ask, breathless for no other reason than shock.

“The glowing?” He asks. “The healing?”

“Both.”

“Your reaction to me.” He’s cocky again. This is something sick. Mythical creature or not, this has got to be a game he plays, washing into people’s pools, causing problems, sucking on lonely girls’ fingers. He probably gets his kicks this way, and uses whatever other kind of magic he has to erase whoever he’s tormenting’s memories, if he doesn’t end up eating them when he’s done. Bogus.

You won’t let him get to you.

“Alright, Hitoshi Shinsou, how would you like me to get you back into the ocean? You healed my finger-“ although it’s essentially his fault you were burned to begin with, if you take into account the sequence of events-“so helping you out is the least that I can do.”

“I could use your help,” he muses lightly, turning his body back around to his chest and abdomen are turned towards the sun. You tell yourself not to stare like you know he probably wants you to. Though his eyes are closed, he peeps at you, sneaking a glance. “I don’t want to go back into the ocean, though. Not until I get what’s mine.”

With the might of a girl who just wants to go back inside and scroll through her phone, you swallow your bite, and ask, “what would that be?”

“Oh, this and that-“ he waves his hand around dismissively-“other things.”

With the might of a girl who just wants to go back inside and find another frying pan, you say, “alright, listen. Someone is on their way to the house to clean the pool. I don’t know what one of Ryūjin means, but I’m guessing people like you don’t always want to be discovered by people like us. So you either tell me what it is you need, or see how my pool guy reacts to a mermaid lounging around in my backyard! I wouldn’t put it against him to call the local news station. Get this place flooding with cameras. Does that sound like a pretty picture to you?”

Absolutely none of your threats penetrate Hitoshi’s cool nature. In fact, he laughs.

“When he gets here,” the merman drawls, knowing he’s got you hanging on every word, “invite him to swim.”

#bnha mermay #mermaid au #siren!shinsou #mermaid!hitoshi shinsou #hitoshi shinsou x reader #shinsou x reader #bnha x reader #bnha x you #bnha imagines #bnha reader insert #reader insert #trident tale

777 notes · View notes

brightorangetea · 2 years

Text

Things to keep in mind when preparing an illustration for print!

Disclaimer: I’m writing this specifically for a potential zine publication, so it’s not going to cover everything there is to know about going from digital to print. However, for illustrators, we can keep things pretty simple!

When you want to print your drawing, there’s two things that are important: SIZE and COLOR SPACE

Hopefully this looks very familiar to everyone. This is what you see when you make a new canvas in Photoshop. It’s under File>New or Ctrl+N. It’s also the same in Procreate, CSP, PaintToolSAI, and other similar programs.

First off, make sure you are working at 300 pixels per inch (ppi)!

Photoshop’s default is 72. That is no good because printers work at AT LEAST 300 dpi (dots per inch). That means 300 dots of ink per inch (ish). Each pixel converts to a dot. Any less than that, your image will either not be as sharp as you saw it on your screen, or it will print too small.

After you’ve set your resolution to 300 ppi, you can type in your paper size. Width is the horizontal, or side to side, dimension. Height is the vertical, or up and down, dimension.

In other programs, the dialogue box should look pretty similar.

This is what my canvas will look like. I am just using 6x9in as an example since that seems to be a popular zine size, but you can work at whatever size you want. I’ve also added what these dimensions would be as pixels since pixels matter more if you’re also planning to post online.

A good range to stay around is 720+ pixels for your shortest dimension (think about it like youtube quality). Most artists stay around the 2000px to 5000px range depending on how much detail they want to draw and strong their computer is. More pixels = more yummy detail. For example, these two crops are the exact same pixel size, but one of them is closer up because the original image was drawn bigger. You can only do that with a bigger canvas.

Sounds obvious but you’d be surprised at how many of my classmates are trying to zoom in on their tiny default 5x7 at 72 ppi PS canvas and they’re like “why is it all pixelated!?” It’s because you have no more pixels, bro. Make your canvas bigger.

So, just because you’re planning to print at 6x7in 300dpi, doesn’t mean you have to stick to those dimensions. As long as the ratio is the same, it’s better to draw at 2 or 3 times the minimum pixels, and then downscale it again later.

Next, convert your Color Space (here it’s listed as Color Mode) to CMYK 8 bit. This is very important for print!

Don’t do this if you are not going to print. There’s a few drawbacks to CMYK that we’ll go over.

If you’ve already created a canvas, you can edit the Color Space (now they call it Color Profile...) by going to Edit > Convert to Profile... and select from the menu.

CMYK color space changes your file so it will only show colors that a printer is able to reproduce, which is also known as a color gamut. Put super simply, digital art is normally seen on an RGB screen, which, depending on your screen’s quality, is able to create very pure, and very bright colors, as well as very subtle darks and whites because you’re playing with actual light. The RGB color gamut is much wider than CMYK. When you print, you can only get as white as your paper and as dark or vibrant as your ink, and if you hold your paper up to your screen at full brightness, your paper isn’t going to look very white.

If you work directly in CMYK from the get go, Photoshop can almost guarantee that your print will have the same colors as what you intended.

or something like that. There’ll be less surprises. RGB is able to create such bright colors because it mixes light “additively” all the way to white. CMYK is like paint, it mixes colors “subtractively” so it’ll only get duller all the way to black.

- I borrowed this handy dandy graphic from this article that explains RGB vs CMYK from a graphic design POV: https://blog.iccbusinessproducts.com/rgb-and-cmyk-correct-file-formats

- I also super oversimplified the nuances between the two color spaces, so if you’re even more confused, I recommend reading this article: https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/articles/4464

Unfortunately, you can only work in an RGB Color Space in ClipStudio Paint. Here is a link to a way to “proof” or preview the print in CSP: https://tips.clip-studio.com/en-us/articles/5656#763fe323

The last thing you need to know about printers is that they can’t print to the edge of your paper.

You will always have a 1/8th inch-ish unprinted border around your print. In Photoshop, under File>Print, this unprinted area shows up as those diagonal lines. You can chop it off with some good ol’ shears or straight-cutter but if you absolutely NEED your print to be a certain size, you will have to print on a larger piece of paper than your illustration, at least 1/8th inch on every side (so add a 1/4th inch to each dimension).

For example, since I want my zine to be 6x9in. our paper will need to be at least 6.25x9.25 inch. If you’re sending your image to a professional print shop, you can ask them if they’re able to print to the edge. Though personally, I’d rather just use a common paper size and just chop off the unprinted spots since common paper = cheaper paper.

tl;dr

Change your Resolution to 300 pixels per inch.

Change your Color Space/Profile/Mode to CMYK if you can.

Printers will leave yucky white borders on your print.

Work on a bigger canvas than you expect to print at so you can sneak in all those juicy details.

#brightorangetut #arttip #printingillustration

12 notes · View notes

dallonm-archive · 3 years

Text

[image description: a cropped picture of a leafy orange tree in front of a vibrant blue sky. across the photo, in a white serif font reads "CAMP NANO WRAP-UP" in all caps. /end id]

whoops did not plan to do a post like this but also did not plan to work on more than one project 🤸 i hit my goal much sooner than expected but i still wanted to ride the camp nano wave so i kinda just. wrote what i wanted as long as i wrote every day lmao. now I'm more focused on planning and researching than actually drafting so I figured I could wrap up the month now! I'm v happy with the progress I made. I'm only sharing three, but I got progress on four projects and a short story 🤩

LIFE CYCLE OF MASSIVE STARS ; 22,803 words ; yeah I definitely needed a break after writing like 20k in like 2 weeks LMAO BUT it's going well and I'm enjoying drafting the rest much slower! I love this book sm (Context on the excerpt: someone asked Tomas what his dream house would look like and he just described his childhood house but like specifically how he remembers it from his childhood because even if he can go back to the house he can never go back to the home </3)

Fireworks shatter behind your heads. Streetlights drip onto pavement puddles. You don’t have an answer ready. “I think it’d be very rustic. Cosy, you know? Big windows with big windowsills you can sit on.” The house in your head is alive but hazy, images blended like a bleeding watercolour painting. “There’d be a big garden, but because it’s in the countryside it feels even bigger. Like it’s not in the middle of nowhere, but it’s quiet. Like you can hear the air in the morning.” When you speak, it’s 2004. Seven years old. The sleepy drawl of morning radio. Dad’s botanical office, watering plants with your elephant-shaped can whilst he lists their names. “I want loads of plants too. Monstera, dracaena, spider plant, ivy…realistically they’d be a nightmare to keep alive but like you said, this is a dream.” When you speak, it’s 2018. Twenty-one years old. Sat on a brick wall in front of houses whose windows bleed amber. One of them has a star ornament hung on the window. Another already has their Christmas tree up. If you gaze hard enough, you can draw out the silhouettes of people that move and speak and breathe and live in houses in the Netherlands and not England. “Yeah, a cosy house. One with lots of memories.” You smile at your silhouettes, you pretend they have faces to smile back.

Also Tomas came out as being on the aromantic spectrum last week everyone say congratulations Tomas :)

REVELATIONS, REVELATIONS ; 7,142 words ; I keep thinking I know this book and then it keeps punching me in the jaw. Had some plot revelations (aha) that I am both excited for and terrified of :) anyway here's Felix at a party he def doesn't want to be at (cw for alcohol and implied sex and drug use, nothing explicit)

The party is a feeble attempt to razzmatazz 1986 into something bigger than it was. Madonna’s album from summer whirls across the apartment. Groups of strangers with alcohol-flushed faces laugh too loud. Terry from Apartment 5 shoves through the door with a champagne bottle in each hand and Margot from Apartment 7 pours too much vodka into her Blue Lagoon. Cheap coloured lights soak the room in purple. Red solo cups discarded on the coffee table. The air fuzzy and neon. A man with a beer-stained shirt and pupils like Magic 8 Balls informs Felix that he and his boyfriend are looking for a third. Felix politely declines.

and here's a soft sapphic kiss with concerning undertones :)

Tonight her lips don’t taste like Jolie, they taste like her blood. But Dorothy has kissed Jolie so many times she’s not sure what “Jolie” tastes like anymore: sometimes it’s drugstore lipstick, sometimes it’s cherry cola, beer, bubble-gum, tobacco. Sometimes it’s sunlight, rain, fog. Tonight it’s blood, and the taste sticks to her tongue. Cars hum outside. The unshaded lightbulb casts them in a dull halo.

MADE OF INDIGO ; a novel idea that recently ambushed me and now I'm hooked. It's too early to properly introduce but: trans mlm romance! Road trip! Fleet Foxes vibe! :) the mental impact of unsupportive families and systematic transphobia :( anyway I've known Cyrus for like a week and I would die and kill for him. I'm not drafting yet, just playing with prose!

Cyrus has bulb-shaped fairy lights across his desk that flicker like the wings of a dying moth, but he keeps them up because he likes how they look in the sunlight. Cyrus sneaks cake batter and says he didn’t even though it kisses the corners of his lips. Cyrus fiddles with his beaded bracelet when he’s nervous. Cyrus has a moon-shaped reading lamp that he forgets to turn off. Cyrus will wake with dawn even if he falls asleep at two, three, four in the morning. Cyrus’ favourite colour is turquoise and his favourite flavour is cherry and his favourite season is summer and his favourite planet is Neptune. Cyrus says he doesn’t understand poetry but when I asked him why he chose his name he said he wanted to pocket a trace of sunlight even after the day is swallowed by the night.

since i didn't do a camp nano taglist i'll just torment the general one! ask to be added or removed;

@kowlazovdi @avi-burton-writing @ryns-ramblings @kitblogsthings @ezrathings @aetherwrites @radiomacbeth @bijouxs @bookphobe @haldimilks @alicewestwater @bookpacking @shaelinwrites @onlyganymede @theelectricfactory @write-like-babs @oceancold @veiliza @sidhewrites @wolf-oak @oasis-of-you @coffeeandcalligraphy @cecilsstorycorner @howdywrites @keira-is-writing @flip-phones

#its MY camp nano and i decide when april ends #long post #atlastracking #amwriting #life cycle of massive stars #revelations revelations #made of indigo #camp nano 2021

48 notes · View notes

theyreonlynoodlesmike · 4 years

Note

I have no idea if you've done this before, but could you possibly do the boys (seperate) with a chubby s/o who's kinda self conscious about it? Thank you so much and I really like your blog :)

Of course! Here you go!

The Lost Boys x Fem!Chubby S/O

Warnings: mentions of insecurity over weight, mentions of body dysmorphia, mentions of losing weight

David

Now, David isn’t exactly the skinniest guy in the world. He’s got a little extra weight on him, just enough to make his stomach and his face a little bit softer around the edges. So, if you’ve got a little extra weight on you, who is he to complain?

David is from a time where being chubby was considered a good thing. It was a sign of wealth, fertility, and a high social class. He’s aware that times have changed and so have beauty standards (especially with the fitness craze that was going on in the 80s), but David doesn’t really get it. Beauty standards are instilled in a person at a young age, adapt over time, and David is old. He’s seen so many body-types become favorable over the year that at this point he doesn’t care that much anymore. Whoever he likes is whoever he likes. He specifically likes the softness of your cheeks and jaw. It makes them smooth and gentle to the touch, and he thinks it makes you look absolutely adorable

He doesn’t mind it at all, and he knows better than to tease you for it. David’s an ass, but he’s not an idiot. He knows it can be a sensitive subject, even if he’s still wrapping his head around the beauty standards of the time. If anything, he just sees it as a little more cushion for the pushin, y’know?

David won’t draw any attention to it unless you do. You wanna talk about dieting? Make sure you’re not starving yourself or he will. (If he sees you counting calories or fasting, he won’t be happy. Losing weight is about exercise). You wanna talk about how you don’t like the way you look? David will completely ignore those comments and tell you you’re perfect. You compare yourself to someone else? He’ll tell you exactly why he doesn’t like them. The boy is a nit-picker and he will definitely just calmly tell you every little flaw that he sees about them. Then, he’ll tie it all in a bow about how you’re perfect

If you’re really getting down and out about yourself, he might even see if he can use his mind tricks to help with any body dysmorphia. He might use this as an opportunity to remind you that vampires don’t have reflections and you can’t feel bad about your reflection if you don’t have one

He’ll let you wear whatever you want and cover up as much as you want. He wears two jackets, a t-shirt, and gloves. He’s not exactly showing any skin so he’s not forcing you to either. If you’re feeling bad about yourself he’ll let you wear his leather jacket to cover yourself up some more. If you’re back at the cave and your clothes are making you feel like shit, you can wear his instead

In fact, to get your mind off of it, he’d tell you what you would look good in. Specifically some older pieces of clothing. He’ll tell you about all the things people would wear in the late 1800s and early 1900s. He’ll specifically tell you about the corsets, hoop skirts, and the large dresses. The silks, lace, and ruffles. He’d tell you how if you’d lived during that time you’d probably be well sought after, and would say, “I’d probably have to eat all your suitors.” Just to make you smile

Anyone that comments about your weight is getting eaten. No exceptions.

Dwayne

It may seem a little hard to date Dwayne if you’ve got body issues, but this boy is sweeter than sugar when it comes to you. He thinks you’re beautiful (obviously or he wouldn’t be dating you), and he thinks you’re the perfect piece of arm candy

Again, Dwayne is from the same time as David, so he doesn’t see a single thing wrong with you being a little bit chubbier. Beauty standards change and so may preferences, but Dwayne doesn’t really care. He likes the kindness inside people more than their looks, though your beauty definitely does help. To him, it makes you look a little bit more maternal. He likes the wideness of your hips, and he may reach down to give them a squeeze from time to time. Not to grope, just because he wants to pull you, and keep you, close. Also, Dwayne coined thick thighs save lives before anyone else did. He likes to rest his hand on them whenever you sit in his lap, and he’ll smile if it makes you flustered

Dwayne would never dream of teasing you for it or making you feel uncomfortable. Though, you may bring up that you feel a little silly having a boyfriend as hot as he is and he’ll just stare at you. For once in his life, he may consider wearing a shirt if it’ll make you feel better. You have to assure him that it’s okay and he definitely doesn’t need to change for you, and that it’s just your own insecurity. If he hears that, and that you may think you’re not good enough for him, Dwayne is ready to remind you exactly why you are. The boy doesn’t talk much, but he can rant all day about all the ways that he thinks you’re beautiful

Dwayne completely doesn’t bring it up, and chooses to stay silent whenever you do. A persons body is their own business, and he’s not gonna tell you what to do with your body. If you want to diet, you can diet. Just don’t hurt yourself. He may probe a bit just to make sure that you’ve eaten that day, but he won’t tell you to stop. If you seem genuinely excited and happy about losing weight, he won’t stand in the way or make you feel bad about it. But if you’re talking bad about yourself? Mentioning even the slightest thing that you don’t like about yourself? He’ll scoop you up and remind you just how much he likes everything about you. He’ll carry you around, commenting that you’re as light as a feather to him, and he’ll tell you that he doesn’t like it when you say mean things to yourself

If you’re really feeling down and out about yourself, he won’t even bother taking you to the boardwalk. Nope. It’s cuddle time. You two are gonna stay home or at the cave, stay in your pjs (or whatever makes you feel comfortable), and you’re gonna read, cuddle, and watch movies all night

Like David, he’ll let you wear whatever you want. If you wanna be completely covered up in 90 degree weather, have at it babe. Just remember to drink some water, okay? If you wanna show some more skin, he’s completely fine with that too! He’ll make sure to tell you that you look pretty as soon as he sees you

If anyone makes you feel bad about your weight, they’re dinner. No if, ands, or buts. An asshole surf-nazi? Chomp. A random group of girls? Chomp. Even one of your own friends? Okay, maybe not immediately chomp, but he’ll definitely try

Marko

Marko’s got his own set of insecurities. He’s not exactly the tallest guy in the world and he has a definite baby-face. Neither of those things really screams ‘tough’ or ‘manly’. He’s aware that he’s a good-looking guy, but why couldn’t he have been a few inches taller? It contrasts his vampiric nature so that people don’t suspect him, but he’s tired of assholes thinking that he can’t fight. He could knock someone dead with one punch, but people keep picking fights with him like he’s some kind of easy target. So, he definitely understands when you say you’re a little insecure about your weight, but he does not agree

He’s a touchy boy, and he sees your extra weight as a good thing. He shares the same sentiment as David and just sees it as more cushion for the pushin. In fact, he likes it. He’s similar to the others and has kind of just lost all sense of beauty standards, so weight is not an issue with him. He sees it as more for him to grab, especially if you’re a bit bigger in the chest department. If you are bigger in the chest department, rip to this boys sense of control

He doesn’t mean to tease, he just thinks you’re cute! (Okay, he might mean to tease, but none of its mean). He’ll compare you to princesses and queens from the past. If you call him a bust in a museum, he’ll point out how there are so many statues with exactly the same body type as yours in there too. As far as he’s concerned, you’re just as worthy as a spot in a museum as he is. He may be the spitting image of Michelangelos ‘David’, but you’re his Aphrodite. He may give you a few pinches here or there, just because he likes to see you jump. If you ever tell him that you don’t like it, he’ll stop. He’ll grin the entire time you scold him, but he really will keep his hands to himself

If you tell Marko you wanna lose weight, he might argue with you at first. You’re already gorgeous, why would you wanna change? Though, the second he starts to think about it, he’ll get an idea. The two of you can totally go work out together! He’ll be your gym buddy, and he’ll integrate himself into your weight loss plan. This is mostly to make sure that you’re actually doing it healthily, but he gets to see you all sweaty and out of breath so he’s quick to offer another form of exercise (*wink wink*). If he hears you talk bad about yourself, he will literally smother you in affection. You can’t talk bad about yourself if you’re too busy kissing him, and he’ll kiss whatever body part you were hating on. Your thighs? But they’re so soft! Your stomach? But it feels so nice whenever he hugs you! Your jawline? Babe, if you were any hotter he’d have to beat the boys off you, so stop complaining!

If you’re feeling down and out about yourself, he thinks the best way to remedy that is to take you out for a fun night just the two of you. He’ll take you dancing, out to your favorite restaurant, and maybe end the night with some rides at the boardwalk. Whatever will make you smile and get those endorphins running through your system

He lets you wear anything you want, but he’ll definitely offer you some of his clothes. Most of his shirts are cropped, so whether or not you’re comfortable is completely up to you. If you do wear one of his shirts, he’ll beam brighter than all the lights on the Santa Carla boardwalk. He’ll tell you a million times that he thinks you look absolutely gorgeous. If you choose to wear your own clothes and cover up more, he’ll kiss your neck and hands (whatever skin you do have exposed) and tell you that you look ravishing even when completely covered up. He might even mention how from the time period he was born, it was considered scandalous to even show an ankle

Someone makes a rude comment about your weight? He doesn’t even wait to get off the boardwalk to eat them. His first instinct is to deck them, no matter where you are

Paul

Pauls the walking embodiment of self-confidence. He’s got enough for the both of you, babe! As far as he’s concerned, he’s a walking chick magnet. But he’d trade all the babes in Santa Carla for just one of you. And, lucky him, that’s exactly what he’s got! Chubby or thin, he doesn’t care. A babe is a babe, no matter the size. He’s not picky, and he’s just happy that you like him!

Like all the others, he’s from a time where beauty standards were way different. He’s probably the most accepting of the new wave, and even dawns a slightly more popular look than the rest of the boys. He likes to keep up with the times, but that doesn’t mean anything when it comes to the women he dates. You’re a bit bigger? So what! This boy is definitely handsy, and he’s not picky about where they land. Whether it’s your tits, waist, or ass, he’s touching something. He likes to grab and he likes to grope, and he definitely likes the fact that there’s more than enough to fill his hands. He’ll lay his head on your stomach or chest, wrap his arms tight around your waist, or reach into your back pocket whenever he feels like he needs some attention

He doesn’t mean to tease, he really doesn’t. He just thinks you’re so hot, and it’s how he shows his affection. He’ll hit you with one-liner after one-liner, and he’ll specifically tailor it to your body type. He’ll say, “Do you have back problems? If so, I could give you a helping hand and hold those for you” or “Are you an astronaut, because your ass is out of this world”. He’ll sing ‘Fat Bottomed Girls’ whenever you walk past him. You have to swat his hands away and tell him to shut up pretty much the entire night. If you tell him it makes you insecure, he’s layering on the apologies. But, he’s also whining whenever he doesn’t get to feel you up. At least you know he definitely doesn’t feel some type of way about it

If you say that you wanna lose weight, this boy is heartbroken. Sad puppy hours for the next few days. He’ll bitch and moan and might actually try to sabotage your weight loss plans. This sabotage is usually him buying your favorite junk food, and eating it right in front of you. You’ll have to glare at him over your salads as he makes obscene noises. He’ll whine, saying who’s gonna be his munchies buddy if you’re on a diet? He likes your body! Why would you change if he likes it! When you explain that it makes you insecure, this boy is completely confused. He doesn’t get why someone as hot as you would ever feel insecure, especially because it’s not something he feels that often. If you’re really persistent, he’ll change his mind the minute he sees you in your gym attire. Okay, that’s something he could get behind. Literally.

If you’re feeling down and out about yourself, he’ll get you stoned, put you in an outfit that he knows makes you feel sexy, and drag you to the nearest show. There’s nothing like screaming along to a random band to help you get out of a funk. He’ll let you wear whatever you want, of course, but he’ll encourage you to show some skin and layer on the positive reinforcement

If someone makes a rude comment about your weight, he’s covering your ears the minute he hears it come out of their mouth. He’ll memorize their face for later, but his first instinct is to make sure that you’re okay. He’s tried his best to help you build up your confidence, and he’s not gonna let some loser ruin that for you

#the lost boys 1987 #the lost boys #the lost boys david #the lost boys dwayne #the lost boys marko #the lost boys paul #david the lost boys #dwayne the lost boys #marko the lost boys #the lost boys x reader #the lost boys imagines

214 notes · View notes

ibblescribbles-archive · 4 years

Note

Hi! You work a lot with prints and that stuff so i wanted to ask you if there are important things i have to take into consideration when printing? I recently test printed a 2000x2000 piece (i think that's around 6 inches) and at 300 dpi but for some reason the colors look off? It also looks like when a picture has a lot of noise, like the colors don't look very smooth, maybe it was because of the printer but i don't really know

Hi! I’m not an expert when it comes to print making by any means but I’ll try to let you know what I know!! gonna put it under the cut since it got quite long!

I’m not sure about the noise, if your piece was at 300dpi and looks smooth digitally then it should translate over to print just fine! That’s only if your drawing was //drawn// at 300 dpi and not converted later. If that’s the case, then it might be an issue with your printer! If you’re using a local place like Staples or OfficeDepot, or using a bad quality printer at home then you’re likely to get a low quality print that will have some grain to it! It is possible to make nice prints with a printer at home, but you have to consider the paper and print settings. Settings for printing a black and white document on printer paper are gonna be completely different from printing a full color image on glossy photo paper!! dfkljfsd that might be a little obvious, but I wanted to mention it jic since I don’t know where you printed your test! Also, if your canvas was originally around 6x6 inches and you’re trying to print it bigger, you’ll run into the same loss of quality. I always reccomend drawing bigger than you plan to print (or at least at the same size for bigger cavnases) since sizing down is better than sizing up! As for the colors, what you’re probably noticing is the difference between RGB and CMYK! RGB refers to the colors we see on monitors and screens, while CMYK refers to actual print colors. When you try to print RGB colors, especially bright neon-y ones (or sometimes specific hues like purple), they often come out looking more desaturated or in a different tone than the original art piece as the printer ink cant make the exact colors. CMYK basically just refers to the ink cartridges in your printer! A lot of artists use programs like Photoshop (and maybe Clip Studio?? idk) to convert their pieces to CMYK as they work in order to see how the colors will transfer over irl. Some prefer to simply work just in CMYK as it makes it easier and there are no nasty surprises after printing. Personally? I kinda just ignore it sdksdfjkl, the printer I work with for my prints converts my artwork from RGB to CMYK better than when I try to do it myself with a program, and I’m satisfied with that. Printers tend to convert things to CMYK automaticallys, and personally I find my art comes out brighter than if I convert it to CMYK beforehand. So its really a matter of preference, but once you adjust to the initial shock of having your colors changed, its not a huge deal imo (my very first print ever had a neon pink background and you better believe i was so disappointed when it came out looking grey af sdfkjlldfks) I know some home printers are pretty good at replicating RGB colors. My friend had like a 5ink cartridge printer and she used it to print stickers and they turned out a lot brighter. So, that’s a possible advantage to making prints at home if you’re willing to invest in a nice quality printer. Lastly, bleed is very important. Full bleed refers to when the artwork on a print goes to the very edge. Without full bleed your art will have a border around it. Its important to make sure your art doesnt have important text or graphic elements too close to the border as they could potentially get cut off when cropping the print. Every printer will have their own specifications, but most will recommend that you work with a canvas that is slightly bigger than the size you are printing in order to account for bleed. Ex: If you want to make an 8.5″x11″ print with full bleed, you’d wanna draw on a canvas that is a quarter inch bigger all the way around (or whatever the specification that you printer requires). So you’d draw on an 8.75″x11.25″ canvas instead, making sure that important details dont touch a 1/2 inch safety border around the whole print. (The safety border includes the quarter inch that gets cut off and then another quarter inch inner border just in case.) I know all of this might sound confusing and overwhelming but its really about trial and error. Take advantage of ordering sample prints/soft copies before you order a bunch in order to ensure that your print turns out nice! Once you get the hang of it its really not that much work to format! The company I use is called CatPrint, and while they have their ups and downs, I’m familiar with working with them and their quality is usually pretty good. If you order from them, please use my referral link as it helps me out and will get you $10 off your first order!

#FAQ #sorry if there r any typos i dont have time 2 proofread this rn but i hope this helps a little!#Anonymous

41 notes · View notes

scoupsy-remade · 4 years

Text

For this gif tutorial I’m going to try to keep it as basic as possible, I may add a few tips for coloring at the end, but for the most part this is going to be how I make my basic gif. Also I’m not going to use my vapoursynth to process the video beforehand, just because I know not everyone uses it and it’s harder to learn. This is going to be just a downloaded mp4 video through the gif process. Don’t let the idea that this is a BASIC TUTORIAL fool you, I’m going to try to teach you a lot of things. It’s gonna get wordy, but i will try my hardest to keep the process easy. I’m just going to explain what things do instead of having you just copy + paste my method and not know what it means. okay? okay.

Before we start though, if you plan of giffing live stages you either need to accept the they will not be super crisp and clear OR learn how to use avisynth/vapoursynth to resize the videos without quality loss.

If you just want to gif music videos or variety shows then this should still give you HQ gifs.

Other notes:

try to ONLY use 1080p and up video if possible, maybe 720p if you’re really desperate, but anything under that... it’s not going to look good at all, so try to avoid using them.

The Photoshop I am using is PS 2020, so all my screenshots will be from that version and with my weird set up. But I’ve been using pretty much the same method since cc 2015 so other than the fact that some placements and names are tweaked, it’s the same. (If you can’t find something on your version shoot me an ask and I’ll try to help! And asks I get on this tutorial I’ll link HERE for future reference)

CUTTING VIDEO

To cut videos I’ll just use my quicktime player.

I use edit > trim to select the portion of the video I plan to gif and save that as it’s own new mov file.

which pops up this tab

that you just slide until the part you want to gif is selected

then just save it as a new video and your done with part 1

ENTER PHOTOSHOP

Now what we’ll do is open our photoshop and import that clip into layers

FILE > IMPORT > VIDEO FRAMES TO LAYERS and select your video.

A small pop up will appear to show the clip you’re opening, you can trim it further here or just keep going by clicking okay

my setup is weird for drawing BUT you should have it looking remotely like this:

The things you will DEFINITELY need to see are TIMELINE, LAYERS, ADJUSTMENTS. If you don’t have these sections you can add them to your screen by clicking on the WINDOW tab at the very top menu bar and clicking on them

LAYERS - this is pretty self explanatory but each row is a layer in the gif. the more layers the bigger the gif will end up, the longer it plays. So bigger clips will have more layers and end up as larger gifs in the end.

TIMELINE - This is where you can edit the gifs timing (make it faster or slower)

We’ll be doing a bit of work with it so it’s important to know it well

ADJUSTMENTS - Best friend and worst nightmare. this is where ALL the tedious recoloring is done. VERY rarely would you not use these. 99.9% of kpop things are filmed through a green or blue lense so you’ll want to fix that to not have ghost idols

So, Let’s make a gif

Step 1 - In the top right corner of your timeline is a set of lines, click there and then click SELECT ALL FRAMES

under each frame is a time stamp (this video’s is 0.04) this decides how fast each clip goes by, or how quickly the gif moves. Personally I prefer slower gifs, but I say anywhere between 0.04-0.06 is a decent speed.

Step 2 - with all the frames selected, click on the small down arrow next to any of the frames and change the speed to your liking. (I’m going to use .06)

Step 3 - in that same tab of lines we’ll now click CONVERT TO VIDEO TIMELINE, which will change our Timeline to look like this:

Step 4 - Back in our very TOP menu we’ll click SELECT > ALL LAYERS, then on the TOP menu click FILTER > CONVERT FOR SMART FILTERS (this might take your computer a minute since our File is still pretty large.) Now our Time line will look like this:

Step 5 - Sharpening

This one is VERY MUCH something you’re going to have to play with to get your settings to be how you like them. It’s also where I’d use topaz adjustments, BUT since I said we’re doing basic PS gif we’re just going to be using smart sharpening. SO:

in the TOP munu again, click FILTER > SHARPEN > SMART SHARPEN

A pop up window will appear and you can edit the settings to your liking. Mine:

Step 6 - Resize your gif or crop it to tumblrs standards: big singal gifs have a 540px width || Two gifs use 268px || and three gifs use 177/178px

To do this we’ll use the crop tool and type in our dimensions in the menu bar:

and then crop to your liking. (this doesnt resize the gif it just crops to the correct ratio so we still have to shrink the gif)

Next, we’ll resize the gif to that size in the TOP menu click IMAGE > IMAGE SIZE a pop up menu will appear and you’ll type in your resize ratio and click enter.

Now technically thats a gif. it’s TECHNICALLY done. but mine is white washed and there are words on it that I dont want so onto the coloring and blurring.

First I’m going to show you how I blur text on gifs. because text is EVERYWHERE in kpop content and it’s hideous and I hate it. so lets kill it.

BLURRING LETTERING

First we’re going to add a new blank layer to our LAYER TAB by clicking the little box with the + inside at the bottom

Sometimes doing this can mess up the timeline’s selection but its SUPER easy to fix so lets do that.

So in our timeline we have these two bars on each side that select what part of the gif will play. this is also where you can readjust your gif if it has extra frames at the end, or it ends up being too large and you have to make the gif smaller to save it. Just click and drag the bars back to where our gif actually ends, and all is fixed!

Now on our new layer we’re gonna take a paint brush (one of the ones with a lot of fade NOT the solid circle ) and paint over where the words are like so:

MAKE SURE ITS ON OUR BLANK LAYER AND NOT THE GIF LAYER!!

I know it looks stupid but trust me okay.

Now in your LAYER tab we’re going to duplicate our gif layer by right clicking on it and selecting duplicate.

Then we’re going to drag the new gif layer so that it’s above the paint layer in our LAYER tab :

Now, right click on the top gif layer and select CREATE CLIPPING MASK. it should put a little down arrow to the left of the picture, toward the paint layer. This means the gif is ONLY visible where that paint is now.

So we’re going to click on FILTER in the TOP menu again (while we still have that top gif selected!) and Go to BLUR > GAUSSIAN BLUR. a pop up menu will appear and you can just drag the radius until the text is as blurry as you want it to be. (also IF you missed part of the text, you can just go add more paint to your paint layer and it will blur wherever you paint!)

so now my gif is like so:

So now we’ll color him, because he’s pretty washed out.

ADJUSTMENTS

This is where I’m going to be the least specific about what I do and more about what tools do, so that you can learn how to color things the way you like them!

The Adjustment tab on Photoshop has 16 options but I’m really only going to talk about 6 of them. We’ll do it in order though. All the actual adjustment tools will open in the PROPERTIES tab

Brightness / Contrast - Pretty self explanatory, but definitely should be toward the end of your coloring, as if can effect the quality a lot. Small adjustments do A LOT so don’t go crazy,

Levels - Levels is all about the balance of how dar or light your gifs will be if you adjust in the RGB layer it will adjust for the entire image, but if you change the selection to RED/GREEN/BLUE it will adjust just those colors hues. Also there are three small droppers to the left of the graph. using those you can select which part of the gif you want the image to recognize as the lightest/darkest part of the gif, and the tool will adjust the gifs coloring to that point. ( play with those droppers! magic happens i swear!)

Curves - Kind of like levels but instead of how light or dark the entire image is it works more on contrast. REALLY play with the curves options, i’m sure most things you can do with other tools can also just be done in curves if you’re patient enough to learn

Vibrance / Saturation - Vibrance will make duller parts of an image higher contract and brighter and saturation will make everything a more neon shade. or in reverse lowering vibrance will dull out the things that were already neutral and saturation will dull out the more vibrant parts of the image (usually reds)

Color Balance - Good for fixing tones. so if a live stage is SUPER BLUE!!!!! you can readjust and calm down the blues to dull them out or get rid of them completely. Again play with this its insane what it can do

Selective Color - adjusts the different colors in your image without touching the other colors. if you wanna touch the reds, make them pinker but not change the blues and greens, you do it here

If you want MORE drawn out explanations of what each of the 16 adjustment layers do here and here are actual articles you can look at. But it’s all about practice. playing with all the adjustments alone and together. Finding out what you like to do!

Now when you gif is ALLLLL colored and you’re ready to save it we do FILE > EXPORT > SAVE FOR THE WEB and a whole new window of options pops up. I’ll give you two examples of how to play with those options and then we’re done!

keep in MIND tumblr’s gif limit is 10MB which is pretty huge now, but still watch your gif size!!!!

AND SAVE your done!

I hope this was helpful! Let me know if you have any questions,again I’ll have an ask tag for it and it’ll get linked HERE if people end up needing help!

Happy giffing!!!

#drm.pst #drm.txt #Gif tutorial #this is LONG okay please be aware of that before you open it #als i did NOT reread it because it took me 3 hours to type out so it's probably a grammatic nightmare #BUT i'm JUST under a new milestone so i'm gifting this early because i had the patience to do it today lmao

98 notes · View notes

aerynwrites · 4 years

Text

The Devil You Know - Part 4

Figuring Things Out

(Gif by: @pedroispunk)

Author’s Note: Finally! Here is Chapter 4. I really really hope you guys enjoy this chapter because I had so much fun writing this you have no idea. I would really love to hear what you guys think about this chapter, and the series in general, hearing your feedback really helps keep me motivated to keep writing!

Word Count: 5.8k (oopsie)

Warnings: blood, canon typical violence, slight NSFW themes, fluff.

As always spanish to english translations are located at the bottom. (I do not speak spanish, so I am sorry for any formalities or things i got wrong)

Previous Part | Next Part | Masterlist

////

In the past week, it feels like nothing was going your way. You and Steve had made a considerable amount of headway in the investigation against the Los Carnales cartel, having gained some valuable info on the inner workings of the cartel and how they operated. However, just as good things started to happen, another problem seemed to crop up. It all pretty much started a few days after your date with Javier. An unknown group was on a violent streak in the area – market shootings, assassinations of important figures, and even bombings had started to crop up out of nowhere. The only conclusion that either you or Steve could come to was that they were part of the cartel – perhaps out to cause trouble in order to distract you and the Embassy from the bigger picture. But you weren’t having it, they were not about to stop you from taking the cartel down, not now. Which is why you ended up with Carrillo’s men at the town hall several blocks away.

Colonel Carrillo had received intel that the town hall was the next target of a bombing – and you all intended to stop it. And it seemed like you would, as you pulled up to the town hall just in time to see a small group of men crouched by the side of the building. The caravan screeched to a halt in front of the building starling the men, just as You, Steve, and the Search Bloc exited your vehicles. At the sight of you all, the men scattered, running in all different directions.

You weren’t going to lose them.

“Steve with me!” you call to your partner, taking off to the right and following one of the men who bolted.

The man didn’t argue, just followed in your footsteps as you pursued the runner down various alleyways. It feels like a maze as you continue to chase after him, until you and Steve round the corner to a dead end, seeing the man flounder for an escape but unable to find one. You can feel your frustration from the past week bubble up inside you, along with your aggravation from the chase, and it fuels your actions as you stalk towards the man, gun aimed towards him as you approach.

“¡Manos donde pueda verlos pendejo!” you call, watching in slight surprise as he actually complies with your order.

He raises his hands above his head as you continue to approach, Steve comes with you and he cuffs him as you keep your gun aimed at the stranger until he’s securely apprehended. You drop your weapon slightly, guard still up, and walk until you’re only a few paces away.

“¿Por qué estabas en el Ayuntamiento?” you snap, voice harsh, “¿Para quién trabajas, eh?”

The man, who you quickly realize is quite young, probably only in his late twenties, rolls his eyes before spitting at your feet, “No te estoy diciendo nada, cerdo.”

It’s like his words cause the very thin string in you to finally snap, because before you can stop yourself, you are reaching forward and grasping the front of his shirt in your fist. You yank him from Steve’s grip and turn around, shoving him forward roughly. He stumbles, falling to the ground hard before rolling over onto his back, sending you a glare.

You take a few threatening steps forward, gun still lowered until you are standing at his feet, “si quieres salir de aquí, me vas a dar algo imbécil,” you say, your tone leaving nothing up for negotiation, as your patience starts to run thin.

However, he doesn’t seem to get the message, because instead of giving you an answer, he kicks his feet out in an attempt to knock you down. But you saw this coming and stepped out of the way before raising your gun.

“Wrong answer.”

Before either Steve or the perp on the ground could say anything, you pull the trigger on your pistol sending a round into the ground just inches from the man’s head, making concrete fly into the air. The man shrieks, and before you know it Steve is by your side hand on your weapon pushing it to the side forcefully.

“What the fuck was that?” he grinds out, eyes searching your face, a tinge of worry on his features.

You huff, “I’m trying to get answers, Steve! And if this asshole won’t give them to us, then I’ll make him,” you hiss, pushing your partner out of the way and stalking towards your target.

You don’t get very far before the man is holding his cuffed hands up, fear in his eyes, “No, no, por favor –“ he begs, “Por favor, no me mates, te diré lo que quieras, por favor.”

You don’t holster your weapon, ”¿Trabajas para el cartel, Los carnales?”

The man shakes his head violently, “No, señora. Estábamos con el cártel, pero nos fuimos. Queríamos hacer las cosas a su manera – el camino fuerte.”

Your eyes widen at the information, and you finally – slowly – holster your pistol, just as Carrillo enters the alleyway, a few of his men with him.

“What the hell happened?” he asked, “We heard a gunshot.”

You shook your head, “it was nothing,” you lie, seeing Steve roll his eyes in your periphery before turning your attention back to Carrillo, “Take him in,” you point to the man still on the ground, “He can give us more information. This group isn’t cartel like we thought, they used to be with the cartel, but they left. And they left for a reason,” you say.

Steve steps forward at this point, “So he could tell us why, and probably where the rest of the rogues are holed up,” he states, piecing together the situation.

Carrillo nods, turning back to his men and barking a few orders. They pick the man up and lead him away as Carrillo turns towards you, for once a hopeful look in his eye, “Good work. Maybe we can stop them before they do more damage,” he says, shaking your and Steve’s hand before returning the way they came.

You moved to follow after him, but a hand on your wrist stopped you. you turn to see Steve, brows furrowed together as he stares at you.

“What Steve?” you sigh, fully aware of what he was going to say.

“What the fuck was that?” he snaps, “You don’t even like being in the same building when Carrillo’s is questioning people, yet here you were ready to shoot someone – an unarmed someone – in the middle of the street.”

You yank your hand out of his grasp immediately defensive, “I did what I had to do Steve, we got answers didn’t we?” you sneer, turning to head back to the caravan, “come on. Before we get left behind.”

You hear Steve let out a frustrated sigh, before his footsteps followed you. you wouldn’t admit it, but your actions scared you. You never intended to almost blow the guy’s head off. You’ve never gotten that violent with an assailant before, so what has changed? This investigation, this cartel, Carlos’s death, it was all starting to have an effect on you.

What is happening to you?

***

It was nearing the end of the day as You and Steve started planning a raid of the rogue’s hide out. Carrillo had easily managed to get the information out of the man you had caught, finding out that the group was using a small house on the outskirts of the city as their base of operations. That left you and Steve the responsibility of planning the logistics of the raid, Carrillo would come in to help tomorrow.

“Hello?” Steve’s voice called, snapping you from your distracted state.

“Hmm?” you hummed, looking up from the papers on your desk to your partner who was giving you a somewhat concerned look.

“Are you okay?” he asks, “You’ve been out of it lately…you seem off,” he finally states, words laced with concern.

He wasn’t wrong. You had been out of sorts the past few weeks, unable to sleep properly ever since the shooting in the market. Ever since Carlos. When you did manage to find sleep, it was plagued with nightmares, images of Carlos lying on the ground or even Steve being the one on the floor instead. The lack of sleep was all starting to catch up with you, and evidently it was showing. Both in your actions today and in your life in general.

You let out a small sigh, “I’m fine Steve,” you begin, “I’ve just been distracted lately, this case has been…getting to me. That’s all,” you reply flippantly, deciding not to worry our partner with your personal problems. You’re sure he has plenty of his own to worry about, no need to add your issues on top.

Steve doesn’t seem entirely convinced, still obviously upset by your earlier display and so attuned to you by now after being partners for so long – but he sighs and lets it go.

“Well no better way to get your mind off of things than a few drinks, right?” he asks dropping his pen and looking at his watch, “Connie and I were going to go and grab some drinks after work. You should come,” he looks at you expectantly.

You mull over his proposition for a moment. You had intended on going back to your place – possibly seeing if Javier wanted to get together again, but maybe you could go for a drink instead. It sounded a lot more fun than moping around your apartment.

So, you nod, “Sure. Is it okay if I invite a friend though?” you ask, not wanting to intrude on Steve’s plans.

A mischievous look crosses your partners face as he wiggles his eyebrows, “hmm, a friend huh? How come I’ve never heard of this friend before now?” he teases, leaning back in his chair and putting his hands behind his head.

You feel your face flush at his jests, you open your mouth to speak, your initial reaction to say that Javier was more than just a friend, but you stopped yourself. You stopped because you weren’t even sure if that was true. Obviously, what you and Javier had was more than just friendship, but neither of you had put a label on it yet – so what were you really? Fuck buddies, friends with benefits? You shook your head – you would have to figure this out later.

“I didn’t think it was important,” you shrug, “We’ve only known each other for a couple of weeks. Our jobs keep us busy.”

Steve just hums, before standing from his seat, “Okay well, I have to go pick up Connie and then I’ll see you and your friend at the bar,” he says, grabbing his jacket from the back of the chair and heading towards the door.

You rolled your eyes at your partner before leaning forward and picking the phone up off the receiver to call Javier. You felt the all too familiar feeling of butterflies in your stomach as you dialed his number and waited for his answer. You all had talked a few times since your date, but you haven’t met up since – you both had been busy with work. You were chasing the rogue cartel members while Javier was dealing with his family’s plantation. At least that’s what he told you.

Little did you know, he was also trying to deal with the rogues that left his cartel and stole his goods. He had caught a few of them – making sure they understood the repercussions of their actions. Maybe if he was a little…louder in his methods of dealing with the traitors, no one would try to undermine him again. He was actually in the middle of discussing the rogue members movements with his men when his phone started ringing. He sighed, pulling the cigarette from his lips and snuffing it out in the ash tray before answering the phone.

“Buenos,” He mumbled into the receiver, hoping to make this conversation quick.

“Javi?” your sweet voice asked through the receiver, and he immediately sat up straighter, snapping at his men and pointing them out of the room. The obeyed without question.

“Bonita?” he asked, when his men were out of earshot, “Is something wrong?”

His heart sped up a little when your bubbling laughter reached his ears, “No, nothing’s wrong,” you reassure, “I was calling to see if you were free, actually.”

Javier didn’t answer right away, he was too busy trying to get his racing heart to slow and quell the feeling in his belly. He hadn’t asked for more dates or meet ups since the one a few weeks ago for a reason. He was still trying to gather himself, still trying to figure out what the hell he had gotten himself into. He was trying to figure out if it was even a good idea to still be around you anymore – it was all too confusing, too complicated for him to logically continue this way. yet, no matter how hard he tried, he felt drawn to you. He found himself eagerly awaiting phone calls from you, waiting to hear your voice and your laugh, to see your smile – and this worried him.

“Are you still there?” you voice spoke timidly.

Javier shook his head, as if that would somehow expel the thoughts from his mind and sat forward in his chair letting out a loud sigh, “Yeah I’m here.”

It’s like you could hear his inner turmoil, because before he could continue, you were speaking again, “if you’re not that’s fine –“ your words were spoken quickly, the words jumbling over themselves as you continued to ramble, “I just – my partner and his wife were going to get some drinks in a little bit and asked if I wanted to come and – and well I just thought that maybe you would want to come?” he could hear the hopefulness in your words despite the winded explanation, and he opened his mouth to respond but you beat him to it again.

“But I know you’re probably busy, and this is so last minute, I should have known-“

“Hey, hey slow down,” he cut off your rambling, voice amused yet firm, “I would love to come,” he said, and he meant it.

He just couldn’t stay away from you, and plus, one more night out wouldn’t hurt anything.

“Great! That’s –“ he heard you take in a deep breath, “That’s great, I’ll see you there – It’s the bar we usually go to,” you say, voice light and filled with relief.

“Okay,” he said, “I’m out at the plantation right now so it will take me a bit to get into town, but I’ll start heading that way.”

“okay, drive safe,” you tell him.

Javier smiles at your words, amused at your small show of concern for him, “I will. see you soon princesa.”

He then pulls the phone away from his ear and set it back down into its cradle, a large smile lingering on his lips.

God, what has he done to himself?

***

“So,” Connie begins, taking a sip from her drink, “What is this friend of your like?” she asks, curiosity lacing her words.

Steve took this opportunity to jump in as well, “Yes, please enlighten us on the details of this friend you never told us about.”

You roll your eyes. You, Steve, and Connie had arrived at the bar about half an hour ago and you had managed to avoid the topic of Javier until now. But it seems their curiosity got the better of them, so you decided to give in.

“Well I met him here actually,” you inform, reaching out and taking a few peanuts from the bowl on the table and popping them in your mouth, “it was the day we got the Cartel case. I came to celebrate, and he struck up a conversation with me.”

Connie’s leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand, “Is he handsome?”

You saw Steve roll his eyes as he took a swig of his beer, before you answered her question, “Yes Connie,” you giggle, “He’s quite easy on the eyes,” you then feel a flush creep up your cheeks and you start to pick at a thread on the dress you had changed into, “Not too bad in the more…physical realm either,” you mumble.

You hear Connie let out a high pitch giggle at your comment just as Steve lets out a low groan and stands from his seat, “And that’s my cue to go get more drinks – you guys are terrible,” he chastises playfully walking over to the bar to get more drinks for the table.

Connie immediately leans into the table, voice lowered slightly as her eyes sparkled with mischief, “So…Spill!”

If your face wasn’t flushed already, you knew it had to be red as a tomato now, “I’m not just going to talk about my sexual exploits Connie!”

She whines, “Why not? I need details! I’ve been with Steve forever – and while he is far from disappointing –“

You wave your hands in the air and make an exaggerated gagging noise, “Connie stop. Oh my god I do not need to know about my partners sex life, please.”

She just lets out a loud laugh and takes another sip of her drink, “Come on – Please?” she practically begs, “Is he like totally vanilla? Or is he into to other things?”

You cover your face with your hands, “Connie, please!”

She shakes her head, “I’m not gonna stop until you give me something. so is he-“

You finally plant your hands firmly on the table, “Oh my god okay!” you whisper shout, “no he’s not totally vanilla, yes he’s into other stuff, and before you ask because I know you will – Yes he is above average. Are you happy now?” you huff, the heat of embarrassment creeping up your neck.

You expect the woman to throw even more questions at you but instead you see her hand over her mouth, stifling laughter as she looks behind you.

“So,” a familiar baritone fills your ears, “I’m above average, huh?”

You slowly turned to the side, seeing Javier standing just to the side and behind you, a smug grin on his face and a sparkle in his eye. If the earth were to open up beneath you right now, you would have gladly dived in headfirst. Your skin was hot with embarrassment as Javier leaned over and pressed a kiss to your lips before sliding into the booth next to you.

“How much of that did you hear exactly?” you mumbled.

Javier just chuckled and slid his arm around your waist and pressed another kiss to your temple, his lips ghosting over your ear, “Oh, I heard enough,” he whispered, breath warm as it fanned over your already heated skin.

You wanted to shrink down into your seat, but Javier didn’t give you time to dwell in your embarrassment as he extended his hand to Connie, “Javier. It’s nice to meet you – although it sounds like you already know who I am,” he introduces, voice teasing.

Connie takes his hand in her own politely, “Well actually she hadn’t even told me your name yet,” she says, sending a playful wink your way and letting Javier take his hand back.

Javier just gave you an amused look, “you didn’t even tell her my name before you told her all about my –“

You cut him off, pointing an accusing finger at Connie, “She was the one who asked!” you cried, “I didn’t even want to have this discussion.”

“What discussion?” Steve’s voice asked, returning to the table with drinks in hand.

“Oh, Steve thank god-“ you whine, “Please save me from your wife and the trouble she has caused me.”

Steve just laughs, and sets the drinks down before sliding into the booth, his eyes landing on Javier as he passes the drinks around, “Hey man, I hope you like whiskey, because that’s what I’ve got,” he said, offering a glass of amber liquid to Javier.

He just nods, taking the glass from Steve’s hand and pulling his arm from around your waist to offer it to Steve, “My favorite, actually,” he says, shaking hands with Steve firmly, “Javier. And you must be Steve.”

Your partner smiles and nods, casting a glance your way, “That’s me,” he takes a sip of his drink, “Hope missy over there hasn’t told you all bad things.”

You chuckle at his words and felt the butterflies return as Javi gives one of his own laughs and returns his arm to your waist, “Not all bad things,” he jests, “but she’s told me some pretty good stories.”

The night goes on like this, just the four of you talking and catching up as if you were all old friends. It was a comforting feeling, knowing that Javier seemed to fit right in with you and the people you cared about. It was all so…domestic – and it brought your thoughts from earlier back. what was this between you and Javier? Despite not having an answer, you found yourself wanting more. More of this…whatever this was. And the fact that Javier had gotten more handsy as the night drew on wasn’t helping this feeling.

“So, what is it you do for work Javier?” Steve asked, pulling a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offering one to the man next to you.

He graciously accepts and pulls his arm from around you to grab his lighter. He puts the stick between his lips and opens his lighter, igniting the cigarette and storing his lighter away.

“My family owns a coffee bean plantation on the outskirts of town. I’m in charge of the managerial side of things – exports, profits, shipping, stuff like that,” he explains.

You expected him to wrap his arm around you again but are caught off guard when instead his hand falls to your thigh, his fingers creeping under the hem of your dress slightly. suddenly you were very happy you decided to go home and change before meeting the group at the bar.

You tried to pay attention to the conversation, dropping in when you had something to add, but you found it harder and harder to focus with his hand on you. He would switch from rubbing soothing circles in your skin to gliding his hand up and down, stopping a little higher each time. Eventually after several torturous moments of this, his hand rested a little too high for your comfort and you shot up from your seat slightly.

“I-uh,” you stumbled over your words, “I’m gonna go get more drinks. Do you guys want anymore?” you ask, sending a playful glare to Javier asking him to move so you could get out.

They all nodded their confirmation as Javier slid from the booth to let you out. He helped you stand before returning to his seat, sending you a playful wink as you walked to the bar.

That coy bastard. He knew what he was doing to you, and he was proud of it. You stuck your tongue out at him playfully and watch as his shoulders shook with laughter as he returned to his conversation.

You finally made it up to the bar and waved the bartender down, ordering your drinks. You waited patiently for him to make some other customers drinks before he got to yours. You leaned your elbows on the bar, leaning forward just slightly as you waited, when suddenly you felt a presence at your side – a little too close for comfort. You turned and you saw an unfamiliar man standing next to you, eyes unabashedly roaming your figure.

“Te ves bien esta noche Chica,” He called, eyes never leaving your body.

You scoff and turn away from him, silently begging the bartender to hurry up. That is until you felt a harsh grip on your upper arm.

“Oye, te estoy hablando bruja,” his voice snaps, turning you harshly to face him.

“¡Suéltame cabrón!” you snarl, trying to pry his hand from you.

But before you can shove him off, he’s pulling you closer to him his free hand coming down to grab your ass, “¿Por qué?” His breath is warm and reeks of alcohol as it fans over your face, “Apuesto a que podría follarte mejor que ese pendejo de ahí” he breathes, making your stomach churn as he shoves his nose into your neck.

You push at him even harder now, “Get your fucking hands off of me!” you shout, the last word coming out high pitched as he groped you harder.

Before you even realized what was happening, the man was being ripped off of you and thrown to the ground and Connie and Steve were by your side, questions spilling from their lips – asking if you were okay and what had happened. But you couldn’t focus, your eyes were glued to the scene in front of you as Javier stood over the man who assaulted you, his shirt gripped fiercely in one hand while the other laid blow after sickening blow to the man’s face. You heard shouts from the other patrons in the bar and it finally broke you from your stupor. You pulled out of your friends grasp and moved towards Javier, who was still beating the absolute shit out of the guy while cursing at him.

“No la tocas, ¿me oyes?” he yelled, every other word enunciated by another blow.

You finally reach them and lunge for Javier, hands wrapping forcefully around his arm before he can hit the man again, “Javier stop!” you shouted.

But he didn’t stop, he just pulled his arm from your grip and continued beating the guy, and at this point a small seed of fear planted itself in your chest. The feral look on Javi’s face and the utter ruthlessness in his actions worried you. He was going to kill this man.

You looked back at Steve quickly, eyes begging for help, and he seemed to get the message. He rushed forward, and with your combined strength, you were able to pull Javier away from the man. You heard the bartender yell at you all to get out and you didn’t argue, glancing back and seeing the man unconscious on the floor as a few people crowded around him. once you were to the door of the bar, Javier roughly shrugged from your and Steve’s grip and shoved the doors open. You winced at the sound of them slamming against the wall before following him out.

You turned behind you, seeing that Connie had thoughtfully managed to grab all of your things from the table before you were kicked out, and you took your purse from her.

“I’m so sorry,” you say looking from them back to Javier who was lighting another cigarette and taking a long drag, “You guys should go home, I’ll talk to him.”

Steve looked at you warily, “Are you sure you want to be alone with him? After what he just did?”

You put a reassuring hand on his arm, giving it a small squeeze, “He won’t hurt me Steve, I promise.”

He glanced from you to the man a few feet away before sighing and pulling you into a hug, “okay,” he said, and you moved to give Connie a hug as well before stepping back slightly, “I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” Steve said, tugging Connie closer to him and turning to walk back to their car.

You let out a small sigh before turning around to go to Javier – this was not how this night was supposed to go. As you approach him you see that he has calmed down slightly, the only thing off about him is the hand holding his cigarette is shaking, blood and bruising covering his knuckles. He speaks before you can, stepping towards you as one hand cradles your face.

“Are you okay, Querida?” he asks gently, his eyes dancing across your face for any indication that you were harmed.

You shake your head and take his hand in yours, removing it from your cheek, “What was that Javier?” you question.

His lips fell into a firm line and he clenched his jaw for a moment before pulling the cigarette to his mouth and taking a deep breath. you wait patiently, as he exhales the smoke slowly, eyes looking off into the distance.

“I just-“ he sighed, scratching his brow with his thumb, the smoldering stick held between his fingers, “when I saw what has happening – when I saw his hands all over you – touching you like that,” his voice is filled with disgust as he takes another drag, breathing out the smoke again, “It’s like I couldn’t stop myself, I just – He shouldn’t have touched you like that.”

As you watched him take one final drag before tossing the filter to the ground and squashing it, you couldn’t help the conflicted feelings that bubbled inside you. You were grateful to him, obviously, that man had assaulted you and who knows what would have happened if Javier hadn’t stepped in. He protected you, something that should make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Yet, as you looked at his bloodied hand and remembered the primal scene in the bar…you also felt scared. Javier absolutely lost it, and he was powerful, you saw that on full display. So why did you still feel drawn to him? you should tell him to get lost, that you never want to see him again, but words spill out of your mouth faster than you can stop them, as you take his injured hand in your gently.

“Come on,” you whisper, tugging him in the direction of your car, “Let’s at least get your hand taken care of.”

***

The car ride to your apartment was silent, neither of you saying a word until you entered your apartment and locked the door behind you. You wordlessly walked into the kitchen and Javier followed, watching as you dug around under the sink for the first aid kit. Once you had it in hand you walked over and pulled a stool out from under the island, pointing to it.

“Sit,” you command quietly, grabbing the disinfectant and gauze from the kit while he got situated.

Javier was silent for a while, a million thoughts running through his head as he watched you work. But the one that kept coming to the fore front of his mind was the one that bothered him most. He was worried he had ruined everything.

But why should he be? This is what he wanted after all – an excuse to get away from you and the feeling you stirred within him. however, the only thing he felt at the thought was an intense ache. He didn’t want to entertain the idea of never seeing you again, especially if it was because you were scared of him. He was surrounded by people that were scared of him every day, the citizens of this country were scared of him and they didn’t even know who he was. El Diablo is what they called him, the devil. He scoffed at the thought, and that seemed to catch your attention.

You glanced up from your work, catching his gaze before looking back down again, “Penny for you thoughts?”

He doesn’t answer right away, only speaking when you finish with his hand, tying the gauze into place and taking a step closer to him.

He finally looks up at you, your eyes level with his with him sitting down and you standing in front of him, “are you afraid? Of me?” his words are quiet and they rumble in his chest as he speaks.

Your eyes soften at his words, and you fold your arms in front of you loosely, shrugging your shoulders, “What you did was insane, Javi. It was – “ you chew on the inside of your cheek momentarily before continuing, “yeah, I was scared,” you breath.

You watch as he seems to deflate at your words so you step forward quickly, hands coming to rest on the back of his neck, “But I’m not afraid of you,” you assure, “I know you would never hurt me. At least I would hope not.”

His head snaps up at your words and he stands from his seat, taking your face in his hands firmly, “No, no, never,” he stressed, “I would never hurt you.”

He doesn’t let you respond, he just surges forward, connecting his lips to yours in a fierce kiss. It’s desperate and needy, as his lips clash with yours, and his tongue swipes along your lower lip. You don’t hesitate in allowing him entrance. Your mouths move against each other hungrily – like you both had been starved before this moment, every emotion either of you had held back was thrown into this kiss, this…declaration. His hands move from your face down your body until they land on your hips, squeezing harshly and earning a gasp from you. Your hands had moved up, fingers carding through his hair and tugging slightly just as his hands gave you another harsh grasp, and the groan he emits is sinful as he pulls away from you.

You can see what he wants, the desire plain as day in his eyes, and you want to say something, anything, but he attaches his lips to your neck and your brain seems to short circuit, failing to get the one question you have been holding onto all night past your lips. but the feeling of his fingers creeping under the hem of your sundress kick starts your brain again and you push at his shoulders lightly.

He pulls away immediately, worried eyes searching yours, “What’s wrong? Did I – “

“What is this?” you blurt out, the words spilling over your lips before you can stop them, causing a silence to hang in the air.

It was out. The question you had been thinking about all day - that had been plaguing your mind since your first date. And Javier didn’t know how to respond. His mind, previously foggy with lust and too many emotions he couldn’t identify, was now blank. He didn’t know how to answer, because he didn’t have one. What were you? were you friends?

No estúpido, you’re more than that.

Friends with benefits?

He shook his head at this thought. No, that wasn’t it either.

You pulled away from him slightly, “Javi?”

He looked up to you now, unable to miss the innocent hope in your eyes as you waited for his answer, so he shook his head again, closing his eyes momentarily before looking back up to you.

“What do you want us to be?”

///

Translations:

¡Manos donde pueda verlos pendejos! – hands where I can see them asshole!

¿Por qué estabas en el Ayuntamiento? – why were you at town hall?

¿Para quién trabajas, eh? – who do you work for, huh?

No te estoy diciendo nada, cerdo. – I’m not telling you anything, pig.

si quieres salir de aquí, me vas a dar algo imbécil – If you want to walk out of here, you’re going to give me something asshole.

Por favor, no me mates, te diré lo que quieras, por favor – Please don’t kill me, I’ll tell you whatever you want, please.

¿Trabajas para el cartel – Do you work for the cartel?

No, señora. Estábamos con el cártel, pero nos fuimos. Queríamos hacer las cosas a su manera – el camino fuerte. – No ma’am. We were with the cartel, but we left. We wanted to do things out own way – the loud way.

Te ves bien esta noche Chica – you look good tonight girl.

Oye, te estoy hablando bruja – hey, I’m talking to you bitch!

¡Suéltame cabrón! – Let go of me bastard!

Por Que – Why?

Apuesto a que podría follarte mejor que ese pendejo de ahí – I bet I could fuck you better than that asshole over there,

No la tocas, ¿me oyes? – you don’t fucking touch her. Do you hear me?

////

Permanent Taglist: @lord-wolfgen @petalduck @sebastianstanslefteyebrow @stillreadingfantasy @pedrosdoll @simonsbluee @justlovetoreadfics @discogrrl @maryan028 @asaucecoveredsomething @hiscyarika @theforceofdisney @hail-doodles @murdermewithbooks @getinthepoolkeanu @ah-callie @adikaofmandalore @fleurdemiel145 @fioccodineveautunnale @harrypotter-life2 @mandalorian-theway @spxcedxdddy @dizzydazed @readsalot73 @wickedfrsgrl @shayna-winchester @blushingwueen @oloreaa

Pedro Tag: @lustriix @yeah-boiiiiiiiiiii @longitud-de-onda @jellyfishpoptart @mutantsandproud @pascalisthepunkest @24kgolden @kaelyn-lobrutto24 @mrsparknuts @theocatkov @yabby-girl @mybarnesmyhero @sarcastic-space-gal

TDYK Series Tag: @peggers-n-beggers @hannahdanyelle @icandothisallday @kristalhi @lucienjynix @hello-im-bi @hillarymurray4

#javier pena x reader #pedro pascal x reader #javier peña #Pedro Pascal #narcos x reader #narcos

140 notes · View notes