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#you can have create art based on that instruction

elaine19day · 24 hours

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To those who are confused as to where and how to buy OldXian's new artbook and merchandise, let me try to break it down for you.

A few days ago, OldXian announced the pre-sale of their new artbook which comes in two versions.

Variant A (regular) includes: - the new artbook - a poster - 2x postcards

Variant B (deluxe edition) includes: - the new artbook - a poster - 2x postcards - 4x buttons - a shishiki board - a sticker sheet - a 24 page booklet

Furthermore there's two new acrylic standees which can be purchased separately. A tianshan and a zhanyi version.

All of these items are available for purchase in their taobao store now, under this link: https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?ft=t&id=786971367604

But if you have trouble creating a taobao account or your country isn't on the (very short) taobao shipping list [China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand] then you have several other options to get your hands on these new items.

1. You could use aliexpress, koonbooks or any other China-based shopping app/website to buy these things from a 3rd party seller.

Now, keep in mind that these sellers obviously want to make a profit, so you will pay more than in the original taobao shop. However, on the plus side, they usually offer free shipping, which is nice considering that items like artbooks are heavy and shipping costs are based on weight, so if you pay over, some of that money also goes towards covering the shipping costs, which is not bad.

The risk of ordering with such a website is obviously that the independent seller could turn out to be a scammer and keep your money and not send you the goods. I have no idea about koonbook's policies, however in the case of aliexpress you are at least protected by such practices and should you not receive what you paid for, you will be refunded and get your money back.

Also keep in mind that the artbook and merch is still in production at this point! But Old Xian said the merch will be shipped out BEFORE May 20th. That's less than 4 weeks from now.

That being said - in some cases the merch will be cheaper on aliexpress after official ship-out, because there will be more people offering it, competing for best prices.

However there's obviously also a risk that the deluxe edition will sell out before that or that these re-sellers only ship the artbook itself with none of the extras.

Here's two links where you can have a look at potential resellers, but carefully think about all the pro's and con's I gave you before you consider to buy. https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005006893284852.html https://koonbooks.com/products/old-xian-19-days-art-collection-3-chinese?variant=46493038674166 2.

The other option you have is using a taobao shopping agent. If you google that, you'll find dozens of websites offering their services. I myself have used parcelup, 42agent and superbuy before. Here's links to all of them: https://www.superbuy.com/ https://parcelup.com/ https://www.42agent.com/ What all of these agents have in common is that you need to create an account BEFORE you can start searching and shopping. All you need for that is a valid email address. I'll show how it works with superbuy screenshots here. After you signed up, you can copy the taobao-link I gave you earlier and paste it into the search-field.

What will come up is an embedded view of the taobao listing where you can pick which variant you want and then add it to your shopping cart.

Once you have added everything you want, click on the shopping cart and simply follow all further payment instructions.

They will also ask you if you want them to keep the original packaging or if you want them to remove anything unnecessary and repack everything in order to make it weigh less so shipping will be cheaper. It's up to you. You will then be asked to pay for items, domestic shipping (so mosspaca studios can ship the goods to your agent's warehouse) and in some cases a service fee. For example, superbuy has no service fee, however they stopped offering paypal as payment method recently so you'd need a credit card or other online methods to pay for your order and everything. Parcelup, however, still offers paypal, but they also charge service fees. (They are fairly low though, if you ask me.) So after you paid for your goods, they will order the items for you and then you'll have to wait about 4-5 weeks for them to arrive, because keep in mind - like I said earlier - everything is still in production and Old Xian aims to ship everything out before the 20th of May. There's hundreds, if not thousands of parcels arriving to all agent's warehouses every day, so it will take them a few days to sort through things after your order arrives. You need to be patient!! They will get back to you with pictures of your order, trust me. When this happens you need to look at the pics and if everything is okay, you can reply to them to proceed. You will then be presented with shipping quotes. Usually they offer more than one shipping method and some are tracked, others are untracked, some will take only a week or two until they arrive at your doorstep, others will take 6 weeks or up to two months. Choose wisely which method you want and consider what is in your budget. (Obviously fast shipping with tracking is more expensive than slow shipping without it, however personally I'd always recommend a tracked service.) Just to give you an estimate on what to expect when it comes to international shipping - parcels with that amount of merch and weight, will always cost me about 50 USD or more to ship from China to the UK, where I live. (So keep that in mind before you order. International shipping is very expensive!) But once you picked a shipping method, you pay for it (that's your 2nd payment) and once they have processed that - your goodies will be on the way to you within a few days. And that's it. Sit down, eat your food and wait patiently for it to arrive. If you have further questions, just plop them into the comments and I'll try to answer them.

#19 days #old xian #tianshan #mo guan shan #he tian #zhanyi #zhan zheng xi #jian yi #merchandise #guide

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art · 22 days

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Creator Spotlight: @camberdraws

Hello! My name is Camber (any pronouns), and I’m a mixed media illustrator located in the southwestern United States. I love drawing everything, but I have a special interest in depicting strange creatures and environments, often accompanied by abstract imagery and mark-making. Professionally, I’ve worked creating concept art and 2D assets for museum exhibits, but currently, I am engaged full-time as a software developer and make standalone illustrations in my free time. I’ve been posting art on Tumblr since I was a teenager, and the site has been very welcoming towards my work to this very day!

Check out Camber’s interview below!

Did you originally have a background in art? If not, how did you start?

I’ve had an interest in drawing since I was barely sentient, but at thirteen years old I decided to become “serious” about art. I was all about reading tutorials and doing a ton of studies. I would tote my heavy instructional art books to school every single day (my poor back!) Despite all this, I decided to forgo art school in favor of a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at my local college. Alongside my major, I received a minor in Art Studio with a specialization in fine art, which totally changed my views on creating artwork and drastically changed my style.

How has your style developed over the years?

As mentioned previously, my style did a 180 after I studied under some very skilled fine art professors! As a kid, my drawings were very realism-heavy and inspired by video game concept art. I mostly worked digitally, too. During college, I was thrown for a loop when we were instructed to do strange things like, for example, make a bunch of marks on paper using pastel, WITHOUT looking, and then turn said marks into a finished piece of art! I quickly and deeply fell in love with abstract work, and especially appreciated images that are not easily parsed by the viewer. Since then, I’ve made it my goal to combine abstract mark-making with more representational subject matter.

What is one habit you find yourself doing a lot as an artist?

Hmmm, one habit I really enjoy as an artist is strictly tracking the amount of time I spend drawing! I currently work a full-time job wholly unrelated to art, so I have to be careful with my time if I want to spend enough hours drawing each week. I created a spreadsheet that allows you to enter the amount of minutes you’ve drawn each day and calculate how much drawing time you still need to reach your weekly goal (I aim for 20 hours a week.) Having such a clear, numbers-based objective keeps me motivated to work like nothing else!

Over the years as an artist, what were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

I know this is a common inspiration, but Hayao Miyazaki’s work has been rewiring my neurons since I was a child. Seemingly all of my artistic interests can be summed up by the movie Princess Mononoke: it has strange/abstract creature designs, a strong focus on nature and environmental storytelling, and a mix of dark and hopeful themes. Additionally, I’ve been deeply inspired by video game series such as Zelda, Okami, Pikmin, and Dark Souls. But arguably, none of these have influenced me more than Pokemon! I’ve been drawing Pokemon since I could barely hold a pencil, and I haven’t stopped since! I believe my love of designing creatures originated with my endless deluge of Pokemon fanart during my childhood.

What is a medium that you have always been intrigued by but would never use yourself?

I’ve always been fascinated by 3D mediums and am so tempted to try them out! Whether that’s 3D models created digitally or sculptures made from clay, I profoundly admire artists who have this skill. Oftentimes, it feels like I don’t have time to delve into a totally different artistic paradigm. However, I feel very strongly that learning new skills can enrich your current work. I should take that advice and someday give 3D mediums a shot!

What is a recent creative project that you are proud of?

I am in the process of creating an art book (a dream of mine!) and have been executing smaller drawings of concepts I find interesting from both a visual and storytelling standpoint. A recent drawing for said book is that of a snail made of ink with an ink bottle as a shell, and it went absolutely viral! I’ve never had an experience like this as an artist before and it has been spectacular! I was able to open a shop using my newly acquired art printer and sell many prints of my snail. Creating something original, directly stemming from my interests, and having that resonate with so many people has been unreal. I couldn’t ask for more as an artist!

What advice would you give to younger you about making art that’s personal or truthful to your own experiences?

I would tell my younger self to chill out and experiment more! I was so caught up in the idea that I needed to have a realistic style to be considered “good.” I also believed that technical skill was the only measure of how worthy my art was. That’s not to say technical skill doesn’t matter, but I now firmly believe the creativity and voice of your ideas far outweigh the skill of execution in terms of importance. Technical skills should elevate ideas, not the other way around. Once I began to revel in strange ideas and stories for my work, depicted oftentimes in odd styles or mediums, I truly found my voice as an artist.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

My peers here on Tumblr inspire me more than anything! Sharing my work with contemporaries and giving each other support brings me joy like no other, and keeps me motivated to continue creating. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them! @beetlestench, @theogm-art, @trustyalt, @ratwednesday, @phantom-nisnow, @svltart, @mintsdraws, @mothhh-hh, @jupiterweathers, @thesewispsofsmoke, @picoffee, @fetchiko, @kaisei-ink, and @pine-niidles just to name only a few!

Thanks for stopping by, Camber! If you haven’t seen their Meet the Artist piece, check it out here. For more of Camber’s work, follow their Tumblr, @camberdraws!

#creator spotlight #artists on tumblr #camberdraws

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xianyoon · 21 days

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　　　　　WHEN THE SPRING LIGHT HITS THE FIELD

. ݁₊🍃. ݁⊹ 🎐 ⊹ . ݁🌤️ ݁ . ⊹🫧 ₊ ݁. ݁ .🍃. ⊹🫧*ੈ⊹ . ݁ ˚👒. ⊹🌿

WELCOME TO YING'S SPRING EVENT !

🎐 this event is a celebration of springtime ! a celebration of fresh flowers that sprout up from the ground , of farewells to flakes of snow, of the emergence of freshness and sunshine and crisp air – soak in all that springtime loveliness, darling, and i hope you happily get to participate in all the festivities ! join the gathering in the field , and you'll see that there's a multitude of mini events for you to join . 🍃

── event one : ꒰ flower crown crafting ! ꒱

a prompt collaboration event ! choose any of the prompts ( no min. nor max. ) to create for – all types of creations allowed ! this is multifandom and open to everyone – it can be oc works , selfship works , x reader works, or any kind ( fics, art, edits & music welcome ! ) all you have to do is to reblog this post and let me know which prompts you'll be taking ! ( you can use prompts people have already used too <3 )

✿ amaryllis – spring flower crown making with them !

✿ begonia – asking them to be your partner/them asking you for a spring dance

✿ camellia – baking together for a spring picnic

✿ daisy – watching the evening sunset together amongst the wildflowers

✿ epiphyllum – shared kisses behind the willow tree

✿ freesia – going on a strawberry picking outing

✿ gardenia – tending to the spring flowers together

✿ hamamelis – going on a spring cafe date

✿ iris – winding down on a spring evening together

✿ jasmine – hosting a spring garden tea party

── event two : ꒰ mix 'n match mocktails ! ꒱

this one's only open to my mutuals ! i'll be doing matchups for you all – matching you up with a character . . . look below to see the rules and instructions ! for each matchup, i'll add a mini moodboard as well as a few headcanons ♡ i have 20 open slots for this !

send me an ask ! here's the list of things you need to include :

send me a 🌷 emoji to let me know you're entering this part of the event !

send me a brief introduction about yourself !

send me some characters you would not like to be matched with !

choose whether you'd like a platonic or romantic matchup !

and send me your favourite colour ♡♡

── event three : ꒰ bouquet making ! ꒱

i'm opening requests !!! !!! ! ! this segment is open to everyone ♡ there will be 15 slots opened for this , so it'll be based off first-come-first-serve ! do look below to see the rules and instructions for the little fancy florist shop you're entering ! ♡

send me an ask ! here's the list of things you need to include :

send me a 💐 emoji to let me know you're entering this part of the event !

choose your ribbon : white ( fluff ) or brown ( comfort ) !

choose your bouquet wrap : paper ( romantic ) or plastic ( platonic ) !

choose your flowers ! select one prompt from the flower list from event #1 and send me up to three characters from genshin, please <3

i do not accept requests that are just " 💐 + white ribbon + paper + character a " , please be nice when requesting ! i have every right to deny your request.

#― ying talks.#― latest brew.#astronetwrk #genshin x reader #genshin x gn reader #genshin x you #genshin x y/n #genshin impact x reader #blog event #spring event

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buf309 · 7 months

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Pose Reference Resources

I promised Dia (aka aerequets) that I will make a collection of pose references in the reply of one of her art posts, and then I completely forgot about it. Until now. I'm sorry for my bad memory.

So, yeah, better late than never I guess?

The pose collection I use the most is no longer free. They used to let you download a whole album (more than 8GB worth of data) to use offline, but now you have to pay $40/package or $200 for full sets. I still have the zip file for a very old version of theirs, but I can't legally share it. So, let's skip to the other options.

1/ First, you heard of those 3D dolls program that let you model your own reference pose? This one is an online one and for free, the whole ordeal. Of course since it's online and free, you can't save your model for next time, and it costs quite a lot of time to set the model up. So, you should take as much screenshots in as many tricky angles as you need once you done with the setting. Best using for complicated scenes where those below don't have what you need already available.

2/ This one is free and in 3D, you can rotate the model to any angle that you need. The only set back is the numbers of poses are quite limited. This one is best for using as a basic blocks then build up what you want to draw, or just as a practice to improve your understanding of human anatomy.

3/ This one is free for personal uses and the pose collection is massive. The setbacks are the language barrier (it's in Japanese, English is sometimes tag-a-long) and you have to search through their pages for what you need. The pics for each pose is static but they are in different angle in almost 360 degrees. There are many 2-person and 3-person poses too. Great for illustration inspiration.

4/ This one will only show reference photos of human head, at whatever angle you rotate the model. The web interface is easy to use. There are options like searching based on gender, ages, emotions, glasses, facial hair or not, etc. Good for practicing face drawing.

5/ This one will show reference photos for human body parts, at whatever angle you rotate the model, read the instructions for how to do it. The web interface is quite hard to use at first, just tinkering around for a bit, and you will be fine. There are options like searching based on gender and which particular parts that you need refs for. Good for that moment when you go "huh? how is this <body part> will look in this <situation>????"

6/ This one will only show reference photos of animal heads, and only the head, at whatever angle you rotate the model. The accurate skull refencence list is their best point. There are enough common species in the drop down list. Tbh, I don't use this much because I often need refs for the whole animal most of the time. But it's best for furry artists, I guess?

7/ Real model photos. They sell pose reference in themed packs, but there are enough free packs to use as drawing practice too.

8/ This is the best for general background reference. Lots of options. Not really good for very specific location results, but good for random background in drawings.

9/ Lastly, for specific objects or background references at strange angles, I often search for 3D models on this site then take screenshots of whatever I need.

That's all, folks. Hope this list can help ease some of the struggles that we will encounter on our quest of learning the art of drawing things 😂

#reference #digital art reference

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theresattrpgforthat · 4 months

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games to play with my long distance partner? we’re queer nerds, i have a lot of dnd experience and some not dnd experience, they have a little bit of dnd experience, we both have fucked up schedules so something that’s asynchronous or short would be best. uh. there’s two of us. yeah i think that’s everything.

THEME: Long-Distance Games.

Hello friend, I am excited to introduce to you the joys of epistolary games!

From the Petals to the Leaves, by somewhere with stories.

This is a two player game about writing to a loved one while you are apart. Throughout the game you will write to each other while in different gardens, surrounded by plants and flowers of your choice.

This looks to be a pretty small game, but I think it fits the mood of writing to a loved one, with a concrete topic to base your conversations around - the plants in your gardens. I don’t own this game but I own a similar one by the same creator, so I’m assuming that the game provides you with a prompt list for each letter you send each-other. You can create your characters slowly as you write, uncovering bits and pieces about each-other through your fictional personas. If you just want something a little extra to flavour your letters to each-other, this might be worth looking at.

Soulum Scriptum, by Radmad.

Featuring the art of Marisa Bruno, Soulum Scriptum is a letter writing game for two or more players. You are isolated and alone, until a mysterious courier arrives at your door. They give you a proposition: write letters for someone just like you and they will bring you letters in return.

Develop the broken world and the haven that protects you, all while fighting despair and taking what hope you can find in your new connection across time and space.

This is a game of connection, between two isolated individuals who are struggling with despair. There are pages for various steps of the game, from world and character creation, to how to manage your feelings after your first letter. There’s also instructions for what to do when you fill certain tracks, including the track for your Haven (your home) and your Hopes (lines and pieces of the letters you receive that give you hope). If you like emotional games that have great potential to tell a story that grows brighter as you play, I recommend Soulum Scriptum.

Talking Thunder, by Eleanor Hingley.

‘Talking Thunder’ is a two-player correspondence RPG about finding connection in a dystopian world.

As the world changes, you never know what news each letter from your only friend will bring…

If you even hear from them again.

Another game about connection, this time in a post-apocalypse of some kind. I’m curious about how the letters are meant to reach each-other in the fiction of this game, although I suspect that ultimately that is up to the two of you!

We Are Ciphers, by Jgurantz.

We Are Ciphers is a 2-player letter-writing game where you craft a story using coded messages sent through the mail. You and your partner both covet the Prize, which you believe will transform your lives for the better. But acquiring it is an extremely tricky operation. Many things stand in your way, including the Target.

This is a letter-writing game with an added layer of complexity, because both of you could be writing in code! The code part is optional, but the premise of the game is that you are two spies trying to get your hands on the Prize - whatever you two decide that may be. The game comes with a list of popular media for inspiration, as well as a series of checkboxes for you to tick off to help you create a game that would be fun for the two of you. There’s also a number of worksheets to help you build your world, craft your codes, and create your characters. If you would like a fair amount of guidance as to how to play the game, We Are Ciphers might be up your alley.

The Wanderers, by AdventureByMail.

You and your friend wait to board two ARK-4 Civilian Class Shuttles charted for new colonies in the hinterlands of space. Though you will be several light-years apart, you promise to keep in touch through the interstellar communication network known as the Unified Starways Parley System. You'll use this network to tell each other about the life you build and the love you discover in the far reaches of space…

This creator makes a number of games designed for long-distance play, so if you like The Wanderers, you might want to check out some of their other work as well! The game itself is small enough to fit on a brochure, so it should be easy to print out and keep somewhere for easy reference. There are roll tables to help you create a character, and some advice on how to write your first letter. Following letters will be provided prompts based on a deck of playing cards, with special rules for drawing Aces. If you like using a bit of randomization to help drive a story, this game might be for you!

Games I've Recommended in the Past

I've played The Reaper's Almanac with a friend before and I really really love the premise of it. It has a chance to dive into some pretty traumatic material, however, as it is about death, so make sure to talk about your partner about the things you'd like to steer clear of if you play this game.

#tabletop games #indie ttrpgs #game recommendations #dnd #asks #indie ttrpg #epistolary games

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comicaurora · 1 year

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are you scared of the whole AI art thing? What do you think about it?

"Scared" is the wrong word, I think. "Pissed" is probably more accurate. The technology underlying the concept is interesting, but its current form transparently functions by mining data from artists who didn't consent to have their work used like that. Arguments over whether it's "real art" or whatever aside, that is unethical and gross and a class-action lawsuit waiting to happen.

I think the people scared that this is going to replace actual living artists are severely overestimating the technology at play here and possibly don't understand computers very much.

The reason why computers are a fascinating mix of very smart and very stupid is because they are only good at doing exactly what they are told. Human thought, communication and creation is based on a process of flexible interpretation. Our brains take in patterns of light and sound and interpret them into shapes and figures and speech - a process that is imperfect, messy and susceptible to any number of disruptions from minor chemical alterations to major brain injuries. We read text and subtext and emotional undertones into what we hear, we extrapolate assumptions from the things we see. It's an extremely messy process with a lot of room for error, as evinced by miscommunications, corner-of-the-eye shadow people, "are you mad at me I feel like you're mad at me", getting hangry, assigning personalities to car taillights, audio processing disorders, and about a million other human idiosyncrasies.

Art, down to its bones, is about interpretation - the artist interpreting a slice of the world and the audience interpreting that art. This is why no two people experience the same story the same way, and why no two artists create the same work.

Computers, in contrast, are not messy. Or, to be more accurate, they aren't naturally messy. They do exactly what they are told. They have no context, no axioms, no common sense and no rules except what they're given. A human told to write a sentence over and over again and never being told to stop will eventually get bored or tired or hungry or pissed and stop. A computer told to 'while 1: printf("Hello World!")' will do it forever until the power goes out or someone notices and forces it to stop. A person told "hey man can you go to the store and get me a mango, and if they have apples get five" will acquire a mango and possibly five apples. A computer told the same instruction may well turn up with five mangos. A computer won't do anything if you forget to close a parenthesis or put in a semicolon somewhere in a thousand lines of code because it's doing exactly what it's told. The eternal frustration of computer science is figuring out why the stupid computer isn't doing what you told it to do, and the answer is always "you didn't tell it what to do right. Find the missing parenthesis. Don't capitalize that one variable."

An artist told to paint a fantastical landscape might paint beautiful mountains or flying cities or the high, arching curves of Saturn-style rings or ancient ruins or massive skeletons or any number of things. A computer told to render a fantastical landscape will, as I understand it, comb through a database it's been given by a human, find works a human or a human-trained algorithm tagged with "fantastical" "landscape" (or, if it's been made a little more complex, a word-web of other tags commonly added by a human to things tagged with "fantastical" and "landscape") and use a very impressive program created by a human to recombine them into a mashup of "fantastical" "landscapes" that may or may not parse correctly to the human who looks at it. The computer doesn't know. The computer isn't thinking. It's just doing what it's been told to do.

If we stop thinking of computers like people that are going to take our jobs and start thinking of them like tools that people use, the whole situation becomes a lot clearer. The technology isn't the problem. The people who baked in stolen datasets and the people who are using the tool to be dicks to artists are the problem. I'm not scared of the tech and I'm not scared of the people - I just wish they'd stop being dicks.

And even if we do reach the theoretical point where a computer can create art that actually stands up to scrutiny - you know, where the hands don't look like calamari plates and the eyes and teeth don't blur together and sharp delineating lines between clothing and skin don't just sort of dissolve into shadowy vagueness - I think that'll be the point we just shift into the "holy shit! two cakes!!" zone. 3D animation didn't make 2D animation obsolete. 4K screens didn't kill pixel art. The printing press didn't kill painting. Video only killed the radio star until podcasts brought them back. People enjoy lots of things.

#asks #not aurora #art stuff

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morebird · 6 months

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Hello there 💜 as someone who’s trying to figure out cel shade and wrap her head around the use of airbrush and hard light, and…your style??! my eyes?! It’s so PRETTY!! The way you shade just draws the viewer in instantly! And points for the art of Astorian ✨

could I possibly ask how you go about your shade/lighting process? If that’s a question with a lot of undertaking then please don’t feel obligated to answer! Just know that your art is beautiful!

Thank you! 💛 I honestly don't really think my art style is anything special like you said it's just cel shading, but still thank you it's nice to hear that my art looks good to other people.

Anyways there's has been a lot of people who asked about the "process" I am going to give you a very simplified version because otherwise I'll start rambling and it's going to be too long I mean look how much I've written already.

First of all I work with PS, but you can replicate this anywhere.

So first I have a base color layer, the line art and the base color are separated.

I select the entire base color layer with a quick selection tool, and in a new layer that will be above the base color but below the line art with a paint bucket tool I fill it with my desired color, the layer blending mode must be set to hard light. This is the shadow layer.

Now in another new layer above the shadow layer, I use the polygonal lasso tool to select everything that will be in the light layer, once I am done with that I will fill it with whatever color I want. Btw you can use a brush for this I just use the polygonal lasso because I just like it that way.

In another new layer with the layer blending mode set to Linear Dodge (Add), I select with the quick selection tool everything from the light layer, I hide the light layer and in the new linear dodge layer I create a gradient with the selection. I usually use a radial gradient since I think it gives a more natural look but you can use whatever fits your art. If you don't know how to use a gradient, you just drag it from the direction of the light source. And you should have something that looks like this:

This is a very simplified explanation I add a lot of more gradients and lots of layers so this is just the base.

I'm sorry if this is incomprehensible, I also struggle with written instructions so if something isn't clear just ask me again I'll try explain it in detail and add more screenshots 💜

#ask #hope this helps!#and sorry to all the people who asked me for a tutorial before 😭#i know i never delivered but i had something prepared i was just like do people still care?#clearly they do lol #tutorial

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spinthetags · 6 months

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(Once again, thank you to @pononoin for the art and @alister312 for the banner!)

We’re thrilled to announce that the interest check was a success, and we’re ready to move onto signups! The signup form will be found at the end of this post, and please make sure to read the rules carefully before filling it out!

So, what is a Secret Santa event?

In a Secret Santa event, each person who participates is both a “Santa” and a “giftee”. Each person will begin their participation by creating a small wishlist of concepts that they would like to see in their gift (more on this later!). The mod (that’s spinthetags) will look over the wishlists and assign each person both a giftee and a Santa. The person participating will be aware of their giftee’s identity — as they’ll receive their wishlist, and be instructed to create a gift somewhat adhering to those wishes — but they won’t be aware of their Santa! Their Santa is the person who will be giving a gift to the original user based on their wishlist.

Here’s an example: Person A asks for a gift relating to Tweek celebrating Christmas with Craig. Person B is assigned to be Person A’s Santa, though Person A doesn’t know it! Person B will then create a gift related to Person A’s ask. In the meantime, Person B is also a Santa — they’ve received Person C’s wishlist, and are creating a gift to their specifications. At the end of the event, everyone will get their gift! Person B will give their Tweek-centric piece to Person A, and Person A will give Person C’s gift to Person C! Consider it kind of like a circle, where everyone will both give and receive a gift.

It’s not as complicated as it may seem! During the course of the event, all each person needs to worry about is creating a work for their giftee. Then, at the end of the event, everyone will exchange their gifts! We encourage posting the work on Tumblr (though other social media sites are definitely allowed!) and tagging your giftee, revealing that you’re their Santa in the process. This will all be reiterated as we get closer to the gift posting date!

Below is our estimated timeline for the event:

October 25th - November 3rd: Signups are open!

November 4th - November 5th - Participants are sent their giftee’s wishlist!

November 6th - January 5th - Participants work on their gifts!

December 20th - January 5th - Gifts are posted!

As you can see, there’s an overlap between the creation of gifts and the posting of gifts; this is because the holidays can be busy for everyone, and we want to give you as much time as possible! You don’t need to post your gift immediately on December 20th — you can instead post it any time between December 20th and January 5th. If you need more time to work, take it! It doesn’t need to be finished by December 20th, as long as it gets shared before January 5th.

So, that’s the basics of the Secret Santa event! But we also have some more rules. Here they are below:

1. All works created for this event must be SFW! Profanity and light suggestiveness (granted the characters are of age) are allowed in line with the show, but no explicit NSFW content may be involved.

2. We ask that works you create are full pieces, or close to such; make sure to put the effort your giftees deserve into your works! We’re not explicitly disallowing sketches or drabbles, but make sure to put the amount of effort into your works that you would like to receive from your Santa!

3. The mods are going to work hard to make sure everyone gets assigned a giftee that they’re comfortable working with! On that note, there will be no switching; once you get assigned your giftee, short of extenuating circumstances, you won’t be given a different one.

4. We understand that things may come up! If you decide you no longer wish to participate in the event, you must let us know by Thanksgiving (November 23rd) so we can find a new Santa for your giftee.

5. Make sure to come into this with an open mind! Not everyone has the same skill level, and we ask you to consider the effort your Santa put in rather than their skill or experience in the medium. Please show your Santa appreciation!

6. The type of media you create can be anything; we expect to see a lot of fanart and fanfiction, but what you can create isn’t limited to that! If you have any doubts about whether your media is allowed, please send us an ask and we’ll get back to you!

On the same note as the rules, here are some guidelines for your wishlists!

- You can be as vague or specific as you would like! It’s encouraged to leave your Santa some wiggle room to exercise their creativity, but there’s no shame in adding specific preferences to your wishlist!

- It’s not required, but we encourage you to include some Holiday-themed requests. Get into the spirit of the season!

- You can put as many requests on your wishlist as you’d like! It’s a good idea to include at least two or three, to give your Santa some options, but there’s no upper limit. Just remember that the more requests you include, the less likely it’ll be that ALL of them will get included.

- Your wishlist can include anything from ships to scenarios to headcanons; anything that you would like to see represented in a work you’re receiving.

- Please be respectful of what’s on a wishlist! Remember that you’re creating the work for your giftee, not for you; even if you disagree with some of the headcanons the user would like, we ask you to still do your reasonable best on including them. If there is anything that you are deeply uncomfortable with creating, there will be a spot on the signup form to enter it, and we’ll make sure you aren’t paired with a user who would like that content.

Here is the link to sign up!

Please note that communications related to this event will be done by email; we encourage you to create a new email for the event if you’re uncomfortable sharing your personal one! Please make sure to check your email at least weekly! Communications will be sent from [email protected].

Thank you to everyone who’s interested in participating! We can’t wait to see what you create!

#south park #stan marsh #kyle broflovski #kenny mccormick #eric cartman #sp secret santa #south park secret santa #spinthetags

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granddaughterogg · 3 months

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Are men of Modern Warfare any good at cooking? Will they cook with you?

Johnny MacTavish: He's pretty terrible at it. Too impatient to follow all those detailed instructions, which he likes to put "his own twist on" anyway. His history with the art of cooking is marked by picturesque catastrophies. Things explode or end up pretty much inedible. You two can still have great fun in the kitchen though - prepare to get covered with flour handprints in all the fun places! (And later order takeout.)

Gaz Garrick: This lad can cook! He took some cooking classes once and created a portfolio of recipes which always deliver. Will gladly share this knowledge with you. Prepare to be swooned.

Ghost: He's not that much interested in the art of cooking as he is in, you know, providing that large body with protein. But since he is a methodical man, he's mastered a few recipes which deliver on that front. SImple as they are, they're not terrible. He doesn't mind eating the same things over and over again. If he invites you to his kitchen, prepare to be ordered around like a sous-chef though - the idea that you can cook and have lighthearted fun at the same time is the one he has yet to grasp. He loves watching Gordon Ramsey. His no-nonsense approach and dry wit make him chuckle.

Captain John Price: This man is actually a consummate cook, but prefers to do this on his own. If he invites you for dinner, expect being politely shooed out of the kitchen...and a delightful culinary experience later.

König: He spent his whole life scarfing down whatever they put in front of him at any given base. Doesn't care that much about how food tastes as long as there is plenty. He can't cook, sorry. Maybe you two could learn together?

#modern warfare #captain john price #john price headcanons #ghost headcanons #kyle gaz garrick #simon riley headcanons #konig headcanons #johnny soap mactavish #soap mctavish headcanons #task force 141 #konig x reader #john price x you #soap mactavish x reader #simon riley x reader #kyle gaz x reader

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lilislegacy · 6 days

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Positive Percabeth imagines :))) (though ngl this is mostly about their daughters but still)

I imagine that Percy and Annabeth will have twin daughters, and they’ll choose names based off their loved ones. One daughter is named Zoe Elizabeth, after Zoe the Hunter, and Rachel Elizabeth Dare. The second daughter is named Natalie Grace, after Annabeth’s aunt Natalie (and also bc as einherjars Magnus and Alex will never be able to have kids so it’s also for Magnus’ sake) and Grace bc it’s the last name of both Thalia and Jason obviously but it’s a way to honor Jason especially. Natalie Grace is nicknamed Tali, pronounced Tah-lee, and I’ve always pronounced Thalia as Tah-lee-uh, so that way they’re honoring her too. Zoe has dark brown hair and grey-blue eyes, and Tali has dirty blonde hair and blue-green eyes.

Percy and Annabeth lived in New Rome for several years after finishing college, and they both helped create sacred temples and statues and groves and places for all the gods, as Percy started, Jason expanded, and Apollo basically vowed to complete. Annabeth of course did most of the brainstorming and research and building stuff, but Percy was actually the one who would ask various gods and be like “okay Nereus. These are some ideas we have to honor you. Can you tell me which you like best?” And then that god would send him a dream giving varying amounts of detail and instruction as to what exactly they wanted. So the twins, Zoe and Tali, were raised in New Rome for their first several years.

Meanwhile at Camp Half-Blood, they have expanded to have cabins for legacies, and they also started an academy, called Olympus Heights Academy. As more demigods were claimed and now legacies too, it made sense to start a school. When Tali and Zoe are eight, their parents decide to move back to Camp Half-Blood and become teachers. Annabeth predictably tries to teach too many classes at first but eventually settles on just teaching a couple classes, probably Ancient Greek history and language bc we know she taught Percy and also close combat with a knife. Percy teaches swords fighting obviously.

Tali and Zoe are at this point beginning to learn their abilities. Both of them can breathe underwater. Zoe can control water, ocean water most easily but with some degree of control over fresh water. She is an expert in close combat fighting. She is skilled in strategy and has an affinity for the arts. She is a natural sailor. Natalie can communicate with horses and their cousins. She has siren powers, similar to charmspeak, but water based and music/voice linked. She is an expert at swords fighting. She is skilled in craftsmanship and strategy and has an affinity for academics. She is a natural sailor.

You noticed the siren powers? I headcanon that Sally is a third generation legacy of Venus, and Percy didn’t really get anything from Venus except good looks, extra ability to learn Latin, and extra meddling in his love life, but Tali did. I saw someone make a post about, what if daughters of Poseidon could sometimes get siren like abilities? I loved that idea, and had to include that in one of the twins. Normally a second generation legacy of Poseidon wouldn’t ever have siren abilities, but bc of the distant relation to Venus, Tali did get that ability.

The twins will of course go on their own death defying quests and adventures. Percy and Annabeth will happily be living in Camp Half-Blood, visiting Sally and the rest of the Jackson-Blofis family as much as they can.

Oh I also have another funny idea. I actually woke up one morning earlier this week daydreaming about it. Percy and Annabeth, after college, are trying to plan their wedding. But they keep getting into fights about small random things. And this is so out of character for them. Eventually Annabeth realizes that this is Hera meddling and at first she’s furious but eventually tries to reason with Hera. Hera eventually gives specific instructions on something that she wants to be created at Camp Half-Blood to honor her. I’m not entirely sure what it is yet, but whatever it is, it’s gonna be nearly impossible to create. But Annabeth has to do it if she wants to get married to Percy. So she struggles for months with this building project, finally it’s nearly done. Then Hera says that she will allow them to marry, but they have to be married nearby whatever it is that Annabeth had to create, and their marriage will be dedicated to Hera and will act as the way to consecrate the sacred building thing to Hera. So now Chiron has to allow demigods to get married at Camp Half-Blood, allow the queen of the gods to officiate it, and he can’t keep their mortal family from the wedding! So now there are mortals in Camp Half-Blood. But it all goes well, but now a tradition has begun of campers wanting to get married by Hera’s sacred thing, and now Chiron has to deal with weddings and mortal families and he’s seriously annoyed at Hera but he can’t show it bc she’s the queen of the gods.

Hope you like these headcanons!!! :)))

~wolfyboi

thanks for the ask wolfyboi!

awww, these are all so fun and cute! i love thinking about their future and their kids! it just being me so much joy. they deserve to be happy more than anyone. i do hate hera so the thought of them having to dedicate their marriage to her makes me a little queasy, but the idea of chiron having to deal with a ton of people getting married at the camp made me giggle

this put a smile on my face. thank you!! ❤️❤️

#i love you guys #pjo #answered

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monstersdownthepath · 3 months

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Herald of Irori: The Old Man

CR 15

Lawful Neutral Medium Outsider

Inner Sea Gods, pg. 294

Yes, Lawful Neutral. I know, I know, he's not technically the Herald of a Good-aligned god, but I myself have trouble conceptualizing Irori as Evil-leaning, and Master Roshi the Old Man here is noted to only ever want to help and to motivate his students. Yes, one can take Irori's doctrine of self-perfection in a negative light (how many villains do you know fight just for the sake of fighting and becoming stronger?), and the Old Man can just as well choose to teach an evil student instead of a good one, but almost every piece of supplemental material about Irori signals that he leans towards Good, from his Monks and Paladins archetypes leaning Good, to his personal rules for Quivering Palm allowing a nonlethal option, to his divine servants stalking prey like a proper tiger only to bap them once with their paws and let their prey run off free... all the way to his Champions being restricted to Lawful Good. That last one's pretty convincing.

Anyway, onto the Old Man. Unlike most Heralds, the life of the Old Man before he became the Herald of Irori is basically nonexistent, with no hints as to who he was or if he even existed at all before Irori created him. He may simply be a divine construct born into existence by the Master of Masters, or he may have been the old master to Irori himself before he ascended. This isn't the only unusual bit about him: also unlike most Heralds, the Old Man freely wanders the world where Irori's faith is building, seeking out pupils to instruct in the ways of the Master of Masters. His teaching methods and even his entire personality changes depending on what his chosen pupil or pupils need the most, and while he's among mortals, he himself limits his powers to those of a mortal which his advanced age would suggest, so as not to discourage his limited students with his true superhuman might. This does come with a few drawbacks, but none he hasn't already considered; many times his mortal form has been beaten and even killed in pitched combat... though always to provide motivation to a student of significant promise.

Yes, he can pull the Mentor Occupational Hazard trope out on himself, and has done so many times in order to give a specific student a much-needed kick in the pants. As the Old Man reforms unharmed in Axis each time he dies as a mortal (dying in his true celestial shape is much harder to come back from), it's not even all that inconvenient for him. The only real pain he feels is if he looks upon the student he died for and sees a lack of improvement... which may prompt many spiritual or dream-based visits. The Old Man lives and breathes fulfilling every trope one expects of any old master in a martial arts movie in cycles lasting years at a time, something I find charming.

Of course, when I say every trope, I of course not only mean Old Master... but Awakening the Sleeping Giant for those moments when the Old Man shrugs off his mortal disguise and unveils fists that can dent steel.

I gave the Hand of the Inheritor a lot of guff for being an angel with Paladin class levels, but in truth I was mostly annoyed that he didn't get any of the good class abilities, or any class abilities which made him interesting to talk about at length. The Old Man is an immediate improvement in that regard, because instead of having some Monk abilities, he has all of them.

It made me laugh to see that the Hand of the Inheritor's heavy armored form and heavy steel shield actually gave him 32 AC, which is less AC than the simple robed Old Man, and that's because the Old Man--whom I will be referring to as TOM from now on--has +4 AC from being a Monk and can add his Wisdom modifier to it, bringing his AC up to a considerably more impressive 37 (with a TOUCH AC of 35). TOM has more AC than almost any other Herald! Killing the TOM as a mortal is a tough feat, but killing him in his true form? Hell, just hurting him is a mountain of a task. Even making it past his AC and his honestly impressive saves (+10/+20/+20 WITH Improved Evasion), he's got DR 10/Chaotic protecting him... and 30 Resistance to every element except Force. And if you DO damage him? That's what his 3/day Heal is for, just to spit in your eye.

And he's not just resilient, he's mobile. With Air Walk, Water Walk, and Dimension Door available to him 7/day and the ability to walk near as fast as a human can move at full sprint (80ft movespeed, and 30ft of both climb and swim), there's little one can do to escape from him once his ire is roused except, perhaps, tunneling away. Thankfully, he's still quite vulnerable to all manner of restraints, lacking both Freedom of Movement and, strangely, any ranks in Escape Artist... But to take advantage of that, you first have to survive him long enough for him to fail a save.

TOM has a frightening offense, as one can expect from a 16th level Monk stapled onto the resilient frame of a powerful Outsider. That staff of his is just for decoration; he doesn't use weapons at all unless he's giving his opponents a measure of mercy. While unarmed, he can throw out up to four unarmed strikes for 2d8+5 damage each... or he can perform a Flurry of Blows, sending out seven such attacks, plus one extra one if he spends one of his 18 Ki points, plus one more if he's used one of his 3 castings of Haste on himself for a grant total of a potential nine attacks. 2d8+5 for a single attack isn't special, but 18d8+45 (with the damage averaging out to around 140) with the ability to bypass 5 different types of Damage Reduction is likely to be enough to humble whatever beast pushed TOM into battle.

Against foes that have a ranged advantage against him, or if he has the ranged advantage against them, he can also flick flick up to four pebbles every round for a humiliating 1d3+5 damage. They're not even magic, they're literally just stones he can pick up off the ground and hurl with the force of a bullet, and he has as many of them as he needs.

Of course, like all Monks, his frightening offense is somewhat mitigated by the fact it's tied to attacks which decrease in accuracy as they're thrown out; he has no magical accuracy modifiers or even Weapon Focus, so a DM wanting to up his challenge a little bit can get away with giving him an Amulet of Mighty Fists or similar. His most accurate attack is a modest +20, but his least accurate attack is a pitiful +5, which at this level means his final blow is unlikely to actually hit any level-appropriate foes wearing modest medium armor. Unarmored or light-armored is far more likely, but his main prey are creatures hovering around the 10~12 Hit Dice range, which is where the party is going to be if they ever face TOM as a boss.

But if your AC is too high, he can always just make it lower. He's a 16th level Monk, so TOM can throw out 16 Stunning Fists every day, potentially locking down a single target for the entire battle if he just keeps combo-hitting them and they keep failing the DC 28 Fortitude save. While he lacks the power to fully paralyze a target, he can also swap out the stun for fatigue (which turns to exhaustion if the victim is hit twice), a 1d6+1 round stagger, or permanent blindness or deafness. Every single option benefits him as much as the stun does, with exhaustion robbing foes of their damage, staggering severely limiting their options for at least 2 rounds, blindness making him much harder to hit (and cast spells at), and deafness being extremely damaging to spellcasters, Bards, and teammates relying on coordinating with one another.

The fun icing on the cake, though, is that he doesn't need to actually do damage. He's got a feat suite of nonlethal options to disarm, disable, debilitate, and humiliate anyone who tries attacking him: Improved Disarm to throw your weapons aside, Trip to throw you off your balance, and Grapple to just throw you, with the seldom-seen Greater Grapple waiting in the wings to let him wrestle with superhuman speed and proficiency... or just Stunning Fist the snot out of anyone he's got in a headlock.

In a one-on-one fight against similarly powerful foes, TOM is almost unbeatable due to his long list of options to demean and debuff his enemies, and even full parties can struggle against his towering stats and staggering damage... unless, of course, you have some method of staggering him, or simply continuously step out of his reach. A nine attack flurry with a menagerie of debuffs attached is quite scary, but he's a Medium creature with Medium reach; he's insanely fast--especially with Haste--and incredibly mobile through almost every terrain, but his speed means nothing if you just keep moving 10ft back and denying him his Full-Attack. This isn't a reliable tactic, mind, and eventually you WILL lose (his Regen 15 will outpace your single attacks) unless you do something to hold him still or debuff him; he has high saves and 26 SR, but no immunity to paralysis, negative levels, death effects, or mind-affecting effects, so if luck is on your side, you may yet prevail.

Say, what's the average saving throw for a 10th~12th-level caster's most powerful spell? 24? ... Okay, maybe you'll need a lot of luck on your side. But it's still possible!

You can read more about him here.

#Monster Spotlight #CR 11 to 15 #Holy Heralds Month #Pathfinder #dungeons and dragons

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uniquetosmbody · 4 months

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Howdy i love your art and i was curious what are the characters roles in you recent zosan au. Sanji and nami are dancers, zoro some important client of some kind, but like who are ace and luffy in this

I imagine this au like this:

The reference (base of the story) was a very famous TV series (magnificent century), so if you know it, you can immediately understand a lot:

Sanji, Nami, Vivi and others are dancers, concubines in the possession of an influential person (I do not know who from the characters lol)

Crocodile is their mentor, gives instructions, and hires all concubines. Everything goes by his order

Zoro is an influential traveler, a bounty hunter. He came to visit a friend (?) or just an honorable person.

Luffy and Ace are ones of the many employees of this house. Cleaning, laundry, training, guards, hunting, etc is their job.

I don't think I'm going to continue this au (I actually created it for fun and didn't think there would be anything further than the first couple arts)

But for the sake of just expanding a lil bit the universe of this au:

1. I wanted to add Usopp as Sanji's best friend. He with Nami and Vivi could dissuade /insist on continuing the relationship with Zoro/ Ace

2. Among the readers' ideas, I liked that Crocodile has feelings for Sanji. (He may be hiding it, but he is secretly jealous Sanji to any guest he need to spend time with)

3. I'm sure Sanji is not the only guy among the dancers. Who are the others? Maybe you can find out in the future.

4. The seed for the next chapter: Hiyori is waiting for Zoro around the corner, and when she encounters him "accidentally" asks to take her to the concubines' room. Zoro agrees to let the situation with Sanji out of his head, but he can't do it. Along the way, he doesn't even listen to the conversation. They run into Sanji at the door. Hiyori does not miss the chance to openly flirt with Zoro in front of Sanji. Sanji immediately runs into the room, being in shock.

5. Double jealousy? Perhaps... hehe

6. From the very beginning, I wanted to add Doflamingo, Law and other characters, but they need suitable roles. So far, I have neither ideas nor the desire to add them.

So that's how it is~

Thank you so much for the support🫶 I really appreciate it

maybe one day I’ll continue this au, but I need time for plot cause atm it doesn’t have it 😂

That’s the most recent part of the dancer au im talking about, in case someone doesn’t know what I’m talking about, there’s also a link in it to other parts 🫂

#zosan comic #sanji x zoro #zoro x sanji

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choicesficwriterscreations · 5 months

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Tumblr Top 5 and Creator Top 5

It's that time of year again! We will be hosting this event again in 2023, but with a couple changes:

This year, both writers and artists can highlight their works - and if you're both - yes, you can have two separate entries.

In the past, it was Top 3; this year, we're making it Top 5.

For those who are unfamiliar with the event, here are last year's lists: 2022 Tumblr Top 3 | 2022 Writer (Creator) Top 3

All creators can participate! Please see instructions below. Entries must be sent as instructed! Thank you!

THIS IS TWO SEPARATE EVENTS:

Tumblr Top 3 5 (here is last year's)

Creator's Pick Top 3 5 (here is last year's)

You can choose to participate in one or both.

TUMBLR TOP 5:

Your top 5 fics or artworks based on Tumblr notes.

You can wait for your Tumblr-Year-in-Review, which will be available in December, to determine your top 5, or...

If you're like me, your top 5 posts may not be fics. So how do you know? There are a couple ways: Use JetBlackCode Tumblr Top 10 (be sure to set parameters to 2023) Or simply use your best judgment and guestimate!

CREATOR'S PICK TOP 5:

This is completely up to you - it doesn't matter if it got 1 or 100 notes - send us your 5 favorite fics/creations of the year. Remember, these are YOUR creations, not fics/art created by others.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY! You must follow these instructions for your entries to be accepted.

To participate in one or both events, please follow these instructions:

Please send links for your top 5 fics/creations via DM (direct message) to @jerzwriter between now and Saturday, December 23, 2023.

Be sure to provide the following: 1) Your blog name (if different than the one you're sending the DM from) 2) Links to the top 5 fics/creations and clearly state if they are part of the Tumblr Top 5 or Creator's Top 5. 3) Make sure to note which fic/creation is #1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. Please, please, please do this! Please. 😊 This is a time-intensive project, and this will cut back on that a lot!

You do not need to participate in both events, but if you just wish to be in one, clearly state which you want to participate in.

The lists will be posted in early January 2024. If you have any questions, send us an ask or send a message to @jerzwriter.

WE WILL SELECT OUR JANUARY 2024 CREATOR OF THE MONTH AND MC / OC OF THE MONTH FROM THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT!

#choices fic writers creations #cfwc holidays 2023 #playchoices #choices stories you play #choices fanfic #choices fanart #open heart #blades of light and shadow #crimes of passion #the royal romance #perfect match #red carpet diaries #wake the dead #it lives anthology #the freshman series #immortal desires #the elementalists #playchoices fanfic #playchoices fanart

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hushcaringdemons · 29 days

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A Druidic Demonolator's Guide to Invocation

I have been asked many a times to kindly offer guidance on how to do ritual invocation for demonolatry. I will oblige those inquires now, and all future ones by revealing how I personally do invocations as a syncretic theistic Satanist and Druidic Pagan. This is only one individual’s example. Yours will surely be different based off of tradition, experience, and preference. (Please with all gratitude credit back to Hushcaringdemons when sharing.)

THE SACRED CIRCLE

In order to conduct ritual, one must call upon the elemental forces and balance the spiritual energies within and without you. This sacred space is brought into existence by the might of your own Will. It serves as a gateway between the Mundane and the Spirit World as well as a stabilizing force during your ritual workings (especially if this involves working with a spirit like a Daemon). Depending on the tradition, a wand or a ceremonial dagger is used to summon and direct energy. A hand with the pointer and middle finger extended can fill the role of a ceremonial tool if one is absent. A scared circle can be cast pretty much anywhere.

THE WATCHTOWERS

Watchtowers refers to the cardinal direction (East, South, West, North, and Center), their elemental association (Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit), and the spiritual entities that represents them. Calling upon the spirit of the Watchtowers instills their power in your circle and rite. What spirit is called upon varies between traditions as well as practitioner preference. Direction and elemental associations are very open to interpretation, especially in the case of Pagan Gods where it is largely a modern invention. It is the metaphor that matters here.

THE WORD OF POWER

Choosing a Word of Power to shout at the end of prayers, blessing, or invocations serves as a release of spiritual energy in accordance to your Will. Give it focus and some oomph. Like Watchtower spirits, Power Words vary by tradition and preference. Examples include:

Amen - Useful for practitioners with leanings toward Traditional Ceremonial Magic. A Jewish word meaning "So Be It" inherited by Christianity and Islam. If one comes from a culturally Abrahamic background and is unbothered by that, it is a perfectly serviceable word.

Amun - It is a common falsehood in magic communities that the true origin of the word Amen comes from the name of Amun, a High God of Ancient Egypt whose dominion is the deepest and most hidden parts of the cosmos. I list it here as an example because calling upon the highest, and preferably most primordial, entity or force in your pantheon sends out your magic intent to those parts of the universe. For me, that name would be Satan who I view similarly representing the hidden and the primordial.

Awen - Useful for druidic practitioners such as myself. Awen is divine inspiration in the Welsh bardic tradition. Neo-Druids have expanded it to encompass the animating force of the universe.

A STANDARD RITUAL INVOCATION

Now, lets put all of the above components together. The following instructions will be using my personal invocation as a template.

Turn to face East, and use your ritual tool to point outward. Starting from the East, the direction associated with the sunrise and new beginnings, is a common way to start Sacred Circles through out traditions. Beckon:

“HAIL LUCIFER, Prince of the East. Spirits of Air anoint thee for thou art Truth and Enlightenment amoung them all. HAIL AND WELCOME.”

Turn to face South, and use your ritual tool to point outward. It is another common tradition to use clockwise motions in order to create. Beckon:

“HAIL ASMODEUS, Prince of the South. Spirits of Fire anoint thee for thou art Passion and Desire amoung them all. HAIL AND WELCOME."

Turn to face West, and use your ritual tool to point outward. Beckon:

"HAIL LEVIATHAN, Prince of the Wests. Spirits of Water anoint thee for thou art Chaos and Rebirth amoung them all. HAIL AND WELCOME."

Turn to face North, and use your ritual tool to point outward. Beckon:

"HAIL BELIAL, Prince of the North. Spirits of Earth anoint thee for thou art Filth and Fecundity amoung them all. HAIL AND WELCOME."

Hold your ritual tool high over your head, and state:

“HAIL SATAN, Master of Darkness. All Spirits are within thee.”

Say the following as you move clockwise, weaving all the elements and directions together with your ritual tool:

“Thou art the Adversary, the Black Goat, the Ram-Headed Serpent.

All that is Above, and all that is Below.

All that is Hidden Without, and what is Hidden Within.”

At this point you should have completed your circle. Hold your ritual tool high over your head again. Stand tall and proclaim:

“What is hidden in me! Myself! I am God!”

(This is technique I stole from LaVeyan Satanism. A little puffing up of the ego helps with energy building.) Maintain your erect pose as you conclude the invocation:

“By the Might of the Four Watchtowers

And by the Binding Power of the Baphomet,

I proclaim this ritual circle cast.”

Use your ritual tool to draw a sigil in the air such as the pentacle or pentagram, and declare:

“It is my Will, and it is Done.”

Complete the invocation with your Power Word. Congratulations, your Sacred Circle is cast, and you are now ready to proceed to your ritual.

#demonolatry #theistic satanism #left hand path #magick #witchcraft #ritual magic #dear reader

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zgvlt · 2 years

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capture my heart, my voice into art sebek zigvolt x reader

summary: As payment for his help in class, you offer to draw something for Sebek. As the weeks go by, it gets difficult to pretend that you're still drawing Malleus and he's only talking to you about his Young Master. Neither of you do a good job at pretending.

tags: gender neutral reader, sfw, fluff, classmates to friends to lovers, 6.0k+ words, not beta read

author’s note (see end notes for more): The first fic to a mini-series I'm making based on the five senses! The prompt for this fic is the sense of "sound/hearing"

[you can also read this on AO3]

Sebek Zigvolt is, in every shape and form, terribly obvious with showing his interest. Not the most verbally honest, though he usually is rather blunt about everything, but still honest — everyone can tell with his expressive face (the eyes, the mouth, the eyebrows), his stance (he moves with his whole body), and his voice (his words do not always reflect back on his tone).

Sebek is oblivious to this aspect of himself, or perhaps interprets it in a different way — it's only passion and devotion, is it not?

There is truth to that statement of course, but you can tell he expects that analysis of him to be about his Young Master, the Malleus Draconia, other adjectives omitted. After all, he's aware that he's known to be a person whose prime interest is Malleus, and he is proud of that.

It's just that he doesn't seem to be aware that those same symptoms of interest are beginning to leak again in the face of someone else entirely.

Sebek is a person who appreciates talent, can take the time to praise it even coming from someone who isn't fae — Epel Felmier would be an example. Sebek is also a person who, upset as he is to admit it, has difficulties with the more subjective, abstract subjects, to wit: the arts, and anything to do with creativity and imagination over formulas or instructions.

Unfortunate. If he were an artist, he would certainly create portraits upon portraits of his Young Master, maybe even create sculptures or, best yet, gargoyles.

He supposed not everyone could be as talented as the prince, after all.

Despite his inadequacies, Sebek did take an interest in art, and that was how he found himself taking an interest in you.

You usually sat near him — out of coincidence, he assumed — and now and then you would ask him to repeat things the professors had said, clarifications on instructions you had potentially misheard. He, of course, chided you for not listening properly — or perhaps it had to do with your human hearing. Nevertheless, he would repeat everything previously dictated perfectly.

He knows it's perfect because you don't ask him to repeat it again, clearly satisfied. Of course you are! Receiving help from a student like him?

And then Sebek... worries, just a bit. He will call it sympathy (or pity) if asked, but it's worry. He's a natural worrywart, so when you keep asking him to repeat things, or when a wave of confusion or concern flashes over your face, his natural instinct is to act on it. He is a knight (to-be) after all, isn't it okay for him to want to help, even if it's not directly tied to his duties to the heir of the crown?

"Hopefully I got everything..." you murmured, flipping through your notes as soon as class ended. Sebek thinks back to the few times he looked at you the past hour, the way your eyebrows would furrow and the occasional huh you would whisper, and he knows that no, you didn't.

Sebek sighed, almost like it was a chore for him, and said, "let me take a look, human! I'm sure you must have missed out on something again."

"Thank you, Sebek."

Sebek is used to people rolling their eyes at him, or even blatantly covering their ears, so it's odd when you simply smile and hand him your notebook, like you're relieved to have his assistance... as you should be, and it's good that you recognize that! It showed you have far more awareness than most humans. Still, it doesn't make it any less baffling for him.

"Surprisingly, most of what you've written matches my notes," he said, and promptly ignored the way you seemed delighted by such a fact. It was just notes, it wasn't an achievement or anything, "but you're missing a few key details, i.e., two ingredients for the potion — the geranium and mint."

"Geranium and mint..." you retrieved your notebook from him, your pencil immediately meeting the paper as you began to sketch a flower — Sebek will assume it's a geranium, since mint is more herb and leaves than flower.

That was another thing he noticed about you — you liked to draw. He saw it on occasion, the motion of your hand indicating you were sketching something as opposed to writing, but this was the first time he had actually seen you at work.

“Drawing, huh,” Sebek said, subconsciously peering over your shoulder to get a closer look — only because he had been (note: put himself) in charge of making sure you had been writing down the right things. “It’s a useful talent, being good at art.”

You hummed, throwing him an inquisitive glance. “You’re not going to scold me for doing something unnecessary? Every plant in the room is labeled so it’s not like I actually need to draw this.”

“So you mean the bare minimum? Clearly, human, what you’re doing simply elevates your work above everyone else’s! What if we had a test where we needed to identify the ingredients, and Professor Crewel got rid of the labels to test us? To have a reference image without having it developed or looking at a book is excellent thinking!” Sebek explained for you, failing to notice your look of bewilderment. “Now, if only you could listen more attentively to the professor, I’m sure your work would be on par with mine!”

“That’s more difficult than you think, maybe because I have human hearing,” you said with a laugh, although Sebek did think it a possible reason, “so I hope you don’t mind if I keep asking you for your notes after class. Can I look at your analytical magic notes as well?”

“I should really be going back to the dorm now. I don’t know about your after-school responsibilities, human, but I still have to attend to my duties to the Young Master, and you’re holding me back!” he complained, already bringing out a black notebook. “But it’d be troublesome if you fail the exam tomorrow because you missed something important! Heh! Aren’t you so glad to have a responsible classmate like me, human?!”

“Definitely,” you replied, not even hesitating as you swiped the notebook from his hand, “but if you really need to go, you can just leave this with me, then–”

“Out of the question,” Sebek interrupted, “so hurry up, human!”

“Okay, okay, just a minute!” And then Sebek started counting down from 60 in his head, deciding to take it literally as opposed to the figure of speech.

… 57, 56, 55, 54, 53–

“You know,” you spoke up, just after eight seconds of writing, “I feel kind of bad for taking up your time like this. I feel like I should pay you back somehow.”

“You absolutely should, and it’s good that even a human like you can realize that! But should is different than could, and I question what you’d be able to give me in the first place.”

“It’s a useful talent, being good at art,” you repeated his own words back to him. “And before you say anything, of course I was listening. Your voice is loud enough to hear at any distance, you know?”

Unable to determine whether the latter part was a compliment or insult, he decided to ignore it by taking it as a fact that everyone was simply too quiet by comparison; thus, he focused on the former point instead. Sebek thought about it — while he’s never seen you draw anything else other than a flower and some leaves, though something gave him the impression that you did draw other things during class, your offer carried a hint of determination that Sebek could admire, even if there was barely any basis to prove the extent of your capabilities.

The first year took another glance at your alchemy notebook — well, he at least liked the way you drew the ingredients. He wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise.

“I could draw you.”

“Just why would I want my likeness taken? There’s no reason for it — I don’t have anyone to give it to,” Sebek asked with confusion, one that you mirrored as you absorbed his reply.

“What? Why would you give…? I mean, is it not the typical request to have a drawing done of you — not of you you, mind you, I mean for someone to request a drawing of themselves?”

“Is it? That’s odd, I doubt that many people in this college are in the midst of courting someone,” and even if they were, would they even have the eloquence to court someone as properly as I would? Sebek sighed — no wonder a majority of these students weren’t in relationships — it wasn’t just that they wanted to focus on their studies like him, but that they were unable to get someone to agree to become their partner.

That aside, even if one wanted to get a portrait or sketch done, there were far better options for the subject choice.

“That said, I wouldn’t be against a well-meaning attempt at drawing the Young Master,” Sebek suggested. It was not a requirement per say — if you said you wouldn’t be able to, he would understand it; after all, it was difficult to actually capture the prince’s greatness in one still frame, but was not any paper or canvas with said prince’s likeness great? That was why he would appreciate even the attempt itself, if you agreed.

“I should have expected this,” you replied, a tinge of amusement laced in your voice, “like I could, if you want, but I don’t have a good frame of reference. It’s not like I have the opportunity to get up close and personal with him.”

“Well I’m not giving you a chance to do so either,” he huffed, “so don’t expect that out of this exchange, human! However, I will allow you to go to my room to check the portrait of the Young Master I have displayed! I believe that will make sufficient reference, yes? And, to make sure you are not lacking in passion, I will talk about the Young Master to inspire you!”

A part of him wondered if you would refuse. He knew a lot of people were unappreciative, blind to the splendor of the Great Malleus Draconia, so while he would be appalled he would not be surprised. However, after a minute of you looking down at his notebook, you made eye contact with him once more and nodded.

“If you don’t think I’ll be a disturbance, I’d be glad to.”

There weren’t enough people in school willing to listen to him talk about his Young Master Malleus, so he was more than just a little exhilarated at the opportunity to talk to someone, even if it was just so he could inspire you to draw his dorm leader to the best of your abilities.

Sebek enjoyed stories, not just reading but telling them as well. That was to say, Sebek, a person who had a lot to say about anything and everything, genuinely enjoyed having someone to talk to, and it just so happened that of all possible topics, he found that talking about the tales of the Malleus Draconia’s Martial Might would not only be the most interesting for him, but for everyone else as well.

Not only was it interesting, but it was incredibly easy for him to recount everything without so much a reference on hand. Reciting everything from memory, allowing him the freedom to move as animatedly as possible and subconsciously showing off his own talent for martial arts — the motion of his hands as he (the best he could with the space in the room) recreated any poses or actions that you might have difficulty imagining from his words alone, eventually standing up to demonstrate a kick or two himself. He would argue he still had a long way to go, though.

Still, what was even more eye-catching about Sebek at that moment was not his athletic prowess or memory, but his face — a handsome face, yes, but it was always a sight to behold when his serious (or as others would describe, intimidating resting face) expression turned beatific, beaming with pride over Malleus’ achievements and abilities as though they were his own, or perhaps because they represented a goal for him to accomplish, a greatness he wished to become.

Whatever it was, it lit Sebek’s eyes up like lightning to a stormy sky, and with the lightning came the booming thunder of his voice, loud and yet, paired with his jubilant mood and exuberant expression, it was difficult to find it terrifying.

(But if you were to be asked, with how often he’s helped you, when was the last time you’ve found him terrifying?)

Unbeknownst to him, he made for quite the captivating sight.

And then, approximately an hour into retelling the first part of his story, he finally noticed it — he understood that looking at the speaker while they were talking was the polite thing to do, just as he was predominantly looking at you as his audience, but you’d hardly glanced at the portrait on the wall! Had you looked while he was looking away? Not impossible, but improbable — he made sure to keep his eyes on you, not looking away for more than a few seconds at a time, so he would have known! Did you not think it was a good painting?

“Is there a problem, human?” Sebek asked suddenly. You had barely asked him any questions but you were drawing in your sketchbook, so he didn’t think you were distracted or uninterested or anything of the sort, but why would you stare at him so inquisitively if not to question him? “You keep staring at me. Do you take issue with something I’ve said, or maybe you’re not sure if you heard right? I know Young Master Malleus’ skills sound otherworldly, but you need not to see to believe, I assure you they are the absolute truth!!!”

“A problem…?” you muttered quietly, or at least quietly by Sebek’s standards. You seemed torn about whether to actually speak up or not, before eventually deciding that you should. “I suppose there is one, but it has nothing to do with you… or your Young Master! It’s just getting late, isn’t it? I should probably go and actually start that essay we have due tomorrow.”

Right. There were obligations to be fulfilled — schoolwork on both of your ends, and his own guard duties that would resume once more for dinnertime. Still, he could not help himself from being the slightest bit upset, a feeling he couldn’t quite keep to himself.

“That’s… unfortunate. I was nearly done with the first part of the tale,” Sebek claimed, frowning as he stood up, already having accepted that he should escort you out of his dorm room. “I was getting to the best scene of that part, too…”

No more than a minute had passed before you made your offer, “I can come back tomorrow?”

Sebek perked up immediately, unaware that his excitement was bleeding through his face.

“Do you want — are you able to?”

“It feels like I should be asking you that,” you replied, shutting your sketchbook tightly, “since you’re so busy all the time… I mean it doesn’t have to be tomorrow, but I can come back to… have more time to refine my sketch and to, you know, listen to you.” At that, Sebek grins, teeth all on display and eyes once more alight. Perhaps lightning does strike twice in the same place.

When exactly did he begin anticipating your presence? When did he start saving snacks in his drawers instead of eating them, storing them to share with you when you came over?

“If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? For me…”

Your sketchbook laid atop his desk, untouched for what must have been twenty minutes — or, practically since the time of your arrival.

When did he stop asking you about when you’d finish the sketch (sketches? There had to be more than one at this point), and when did he stop caring about how fast he got through his recount of his Young Master’s achievements? When did he start looking forward to the random exciting and yet mundane conversations he shared with you instead?

And why did it delight him that he was capable of sharing conversations with you outside of his Young Master and outside of academics?

“If I have something I’m lacking in — obviously there’s many things, as I’m far too young to compare to the Young Master and Master Lilia — I just work hard to improve myself,” Sebek replied. Neither of you seemed completely satisfied with his answer, probably because Sebek knew it wasn’t quite right. Not that he owed to you any story or secret about himself, but he supposed he could mention one thing.

“...Although, back when I was younger, I used to pull up my ears a lot, hoping it would look the same as my mother, and the Young Master, and…” and everyone else in the Valley. “Of course, I know now that you can’t change things like that without magic or potions, and certainly not for good!”

You looked up from the papers in your hand, choosing to look at him again, like you tended to do when you were in his dorm room. It still baffled him why you looked at him a lot (was it really just out of politeness?), but he never bothered to tell you to stop for reasons he couldn’t quite understand himself.

The sound of papers shuffling in your hand prevented silence from encompassing the room. Homework. The both of you were supposed to be doing homework. How did the both of you get here?

“I think I get where you’re coming from,” you commented, “but if you ask me, you’re already fine, though.”

“Fine?”

“As in good. Physical appearance wise, aren’t you already good as you are?” you let out a non-condescending laugh, “I mean, maybe you could let your hair down, it’s always good to let your hair rest from products every now and then, but hey! If having it up is more convenient for you!”

He didn’t really register that part about his hair (although he did hear it, and he might think about it eventually), a little too focused on the first part. He felt like a fool — his heart was thumping, and it was a comment about his ears for crying out loud! Get yourself together, Sebek Zigvolt!

“Compliments are unnecessary, human. I’m already helping you anyway, I’m not going to stop because of some lack of praise on your end!” Not that there was a lack of praise. It embarrassed him at times, how easily the praise and gratitude came from your end, and yet he still looked at you expectantly for it every time he did something to help you, or did anything he thought admirable in general.

“Except I’m not complimenting you just because,” you insisted, a firm gentleness to your tone, “we’re friends now, aren’t we? I’m just letting you know what I think.”

“Friends! How bold to attach a label like that just on your own!” he exclaimed, and yet he did nothing to discourage it.

He and Silver were the only two people from Briar Valley born in the same generation, and he would rather drink black coffee (without the milk!) than admit that guy was his friend… which meant that, for Sebek, friends were incredibly few and far between. He never quite considered the importance of having any close confidants, everyone too unworthy, and yet… Friend. It was a label that felt right to describe what relationship he had with you at this moment.

Yes, he supposed there was no shame in having a human friend, not if that friend was you.

He hadn’t known that you and Silver shared a class together. While he knew he shared almost every class with you, hard not to notice when you went from sitting near him to right beside him at every given opportunity, he hadn’t realized the one exception had been a class with Silver. Not that it mattered, he just naturally assumed that because the two of you were in different years…

There really wasn’t an issue with you being classmates with Silver… or there wasn’t going to be, until his fellow guard asked you a question.

“Aren’t you in the same grade as Sebek?”

“Mhm, classmates, even.”

“Really? Then, what do you think about him? Isn’t his voice the most annoying you’ve ever heard?”

Sebek held his breath, stopping himself from barging into the conversation uninvited, even if the conversation was about him in the first place. He stood still against the wall, hiding — since when did he start hiding? — from a person he grew up with in Briar Valley, and from a person he actually considered a friend, a label he attached to you in his head. It was too quiet, he wished either one of you would be a little louder.

“What? Of course not!” you replied, as though you hadn’t even thought of it. He can’t see you from his position, and he’s unwilling to sneak a peek in the case that you coincidentally lock eyes with him, but he thought you at least sounded genuine. Really, you could have stopped there and Sebek would have been able to move on with his day, but you just had to add one more thing.

“Actually, I like his voice a lot,” you admitted, and Sebek loathed that he couldn’t hear what else you had said thereafter — was he too far away? Were you whispering? Today in particular, couldn’t his hearing have been more fae-like? Silver might have said something, too, but he hardly cared about that now, couldn’t care less about why Silver even said such a thing in the first place.

You liked his voice — something that was a part of him, and something that was more than just his usefulness to you, something outside of his identity as Malleus Draconia’s guard. Sure, you mentioned being fine with other aspects of him, but it was one thing to say it to his face, where he could pin it on politeness and a desire to curry favor, and it was a different thing to say it to someone else, not knowing he was just around the corner listening.

There was a part of him that wanted to reprimand himself — him and not you, although he wished he could still blame you for the things you make him do, the things you make him feel. It was always easier to blame you because you were human, you and your humanity that was as warm as sunlight, but if he had blamed you then it would not be instinctive but forced.

He detested the sudden surge of affection he felt for you then and there. Aside from the fact that it was so simple a statement that he should have felt nothing at all, he hated how he appreciated being seen as someone apart from his Young Master’s guard and devotee. He’s always felt pride in being associated with the prince, so why did it suddenly matter that he wanted to be more than just that classmate you always went to for help, that classmate who was dedicated to Malleus Draconia, when it came to you?

However, even with the bouts of self-admonishment and confusion, he didn’t do much of anything to stop himself from feeling exhilarated at such modest and meager praise. Sebek was never exactly insecure about his voice, he was proud and always spoke loud enough to be heard, but he still knew what people said about his volume, even if he didn’t necessarily agree. Why did it matter if people thought differently? Why should it matter if he was liked by the human populace?

Perhaps that was partly why the comment caught him so off-guard. How unexpected it was, how you committed to not simply finding it alright, but to liking it!

Simply put, he was electrified by you. There was the shock that stuck with him for what felt like eons but what must’ve been minutes, something so difficult for him to comprehend, and then the shock died down to what it was now — tingles, all over his body and even his mind. It must have infiltrated his mind as well, for even when he willed himself to finally walk away from the scene he couldn’t quite stop thinking about you, to the point that he had missed the knowing stare Silver had thrown his way as he passed.

Sebek wondered if there were other things you liked about him, and with a newfound desperation he wished he could find out without having to actually ask, for pride’s sake.

Sebek’s never been that aware of his voice before, but because of your words he’s been rendered conscious of it. As he told you about his training today (actually, he was supposed to continue with the fourth part of Young Master Malleus’ Martial Might, but you ended up asking about his day so he ended up deviating from that), Sebek wondered — did his voice sound nice today, and did you like it today as well?

In his head, he thought himself quite foolish again for not having gotten over it, but since that day it, and by association you, was all he could really think about when he had nothing else to keep him occupied.

It was strange. He had always assumed thinking of someone who wasn’t Malleus or Lilia would be nothing but a distraction, but that hadn’t been the case. Funnily enough, you had not distracted him at all — rather, he was quite motivated to finish all his tasks so he could have free time to either talk to you or think about you.

He hadn’t tried very hard to stop himself from thinking about you. It was normal to think about things that bother you, and he was no longer that cowardly kid who ran away from things that scared him. In fact, he actually quite indulged himself in imagining what exactly you thought of him.

Did you actually like listening to him talk? Or did you just like the sound of his voice? He knew holding your attention wasn’t something guaranteed, but he’d like it if you paid attention to the times he told you about his childhood or his family, or a memory that he happened to recall while talking to you.

If you liked the sound of his voice… what did you like about it? Was it the volume? A tone or accent he wasn’t too aware of? Maybe pacing or pronunciation?

Then there was your voice — Sebek found he quite liked it as well, although unlike you he’s never voiced that opinion out to anyone. You didn’t talk much the first time he brought you to his room to show you the portrait, but the more times you sat down with him on the floor or atop his bed you talked to him more and belatedly, Sebek realized there was something in particular he liked about you — when you talked to him, listened to him, you made it a point to at least lock eyes with him for a few seconds. Even when you weren’t looking into his eyes, your eyes were still on him.

Sebek liked that you looked at him, an intimacy he’s only ever read about and imagined for himself far into the future, but never thought he would get a glimpse of now. It almost felt wrong — shouldn’t these types of feelings be reserved for those in relationships? That was always what he was taught, but the thought of being liked by you in some way or another felt too good to pass up.

Sebek wanted you to keep looking at him, so just as he was coming to terms with the fact that there were things — many things, so it seemed — he liked about you, the way you kept looking down at your sketchbook whenever he opened his mouth gave way to a bitter taste whenever he closed it. It was annoying, and he wasn’t sure what displeased him more — that you’ve been drawing so much today, or himself for being annoyed that you were drawing his Young Master. He was the one who asked for it, wasn’t he?

At the same time, he was talking about himself and not retelling a tale, so he wasn’t exactly talking to inspire you, was he? When he asked about your day he listened quite attentively, so he would at least like the same courtesy extended to him.

“Human, you’re not being very polite right now!” he scolded, attempting to mask his own frustrations. It wasn’t going too well — Sebek had come off as insulted, glaring at the object atop your lap as though it had personally offended him, and, unbeknownst to him, jealous. “Right now, shouldn’t you be paying attention to me and me alone?”

“I am–”

“Not completely,” he countered, quickly swiping the sketchbook while you were too busy being surprised at his change of attitude. A part of him did feel bad — he knew he was just as impolite to do as such, and you’ve told him before that it was rude to peek without permission, so he loosened his grip in case you wanted it back immediately. “Can’t you just continue this later? What needs your attention so much that you have to sketch while we’re–”

“Wait, Sebek, just let me close it!”

“Close it? Surely I can do that for you,” Sebek sighed, looking down to shut the cover quickly, only briefly getting a glimpse of the page with a smiling man and–

Sebek looked back up to watch your expression shift into one of fluttering embarrassment, a fluster that only affirmed that he had not been affected by an illusion or some newly discovered delusion of his. He knew what his young master looked like better than most people, and that hornless, human-eared boy on the page was no Malleus Draconia.

Oh.

“Could I…?” he asked, even though he had already seen — perhaps he just wanted to confirm it really was him you’ve been drawing, and maybe just for your sake as well. He thought you’d prefer it if he asked anyway.

You reached out a hand, still not making eye contact with him, turning to one of the first few pages with drawings from far earlier. The page you flipped to had a sketch of the First Prince of Briar Valley, and as much as he liked it and would have appreciated seeing it some other time, there was something else he wanted to see more.

“It was probably obvious, but I finished sketching Malleus weeks ago.” As you explained, you allowed him to turn the pages for himself, letting him discover what else laid on the pages. “I drew him a few more times just so you wouldn’t get suspicious, but after a while you stopped asking about if I was done or if you could see so I just…”

He flipped to the next page, seeing multiple sketches, of different sizes and poses and angles, all of the same person. Then he flipped to the next, and the one after, and although you drew other things as well, the fact stood that you had developed a favorite subject.

“I like the way you talk. I mean, for a while, even before this, I’ve already, you know,” you suddenly confessed, although you didn’t appear or sound prepared for it at all, “I mean you’ve always helped me in class even when you say you won’t do more than give me a few hints, and whenever I ask you to repeat something you don’t just say never mind like people normally would?

“And then you made that request and I thought it was a good chance to get to know you, but then you just had to be so–” you paused for a moment, openly letting out a small shout against one of his pillows. Sebek understood the feeling, he wished he could do the same as well but his will to look good and put-together in front of you would not allow it. Not that he was that put-together at all, with his mind doing sprints and his face and ears heating up as hotly as a dragon’s fire.

“Your expressions whenever you talked about Malleus or Lilia, or something that annoyed you, or even when you were scolding me… all of those were so cute, and cool, and you were so passionate about everything that I just had to–” you made an up and down motion with your hands, “–but that’s no excuse. I should have asked you first if it was alright. If you want, I could just give you those sketches and let you do whatever you wanted with them.”

Sebek didn’t speak immediately. He had listened, yes, but he wanted to flip through the pages a little longer, in particular comparing your first depiction of him to the latest one from today. It would be wrong to say one had more effort put into it than the other, unfair considering he thought they were both excellent, with a bias he thought he was now allowed to have.

However, there was one clear distinction — the first, and several after that, looked almost like an experiment, as if you were just trying to figure him out. The one from today, though, was drawn as if you knew who he was, like you were sure of your perception of him as a person, and most of all, you drew him as if you enjoyed drawing him, as if you liked him for more than just his voice and his expressions.

It was then that Sebek realized just how you saw him.

“...No,” Sebek replied, oddly softly, but that did not last for very long. The first year cleared his throat, his voice booming once more, “absolutely not. You will be keeping those, and you may continue to draw me as much as you want under ONE condition —

“You… I demand you give me a portrait, a sketch, any artwork of you!” Sebek huffed, attempting to maintain whatever confidence and composure he had left. “Normally, in these situations, I should send in a painting of myself first, but as you already have so many sketches of me, it’s only right that I have something with your likeness as well! That– that is to say, ahem, I can also give you other things, of course. Since you like my voice, surely I can ask Master Lilia for some books containing fae poetry? Or… human! Are you laughing?”

“No! No, I’m just…” you shaking shoulders and puffs of incredulous laughter slowed to a stop, “you’re not mad? And you seriously like me back?” As if noticing the look he was giving you, you reiterate your statement, “I don’t doubt your feelings and I know you’re not lying, I just never would have… you said you wanted to focus on your duties, so I never would have thought you would be interested.”

“I remember telling you once — I did want to, in the future,” Sebek said, openly showing his uncertainty. He had never been in a relationship before, so he had no idea how to proceed — it was as if the advice he’d received from his seniors had mysteriously vanished from his head, leaving nothing but crumbs on how to woo you, “I don’t know now, considering my priorities, but… I want the chance to capture your heart for myself, and just for myself — if you’d let me.”

“Sebek…”

“I now know well how you see me, so this time, let me tell you what I think of you. Make sure to listen closely!”

my other sebek fic end notes | masterlist of all my works | series masterlist

[1] I know Sebek gets slandered for his voice, but I really like it! Personally I like loud people, when I talk to people who talk loudly I understand what they’re saying really well and I don’t have to ask them to repeat 🥺 and, well, Sebek is the type of person who’ll chide you for not listening but will repeat something anyway. It saddens me when people say “whatever” or “never mind”, Sebek would never! Also his diction? His expressiveness? His passion? Sebek would make a wonderful speaker for a talk, or debates, or honestly even theatre! He’s so wonderful! The whole purpose of this fic was just to show how much I love Sebek’s voice! I think it’d be cute if he talked softly for you as well, but Sebek is Sebek so no matter the volume I think he’s cute.

[2] In choosing the reader's personality, I went with someone he can admire (talent wise and eventually personality as well) but also help at the same time, for the sake of his ego and because he wants to be someone useful, wants someone to praise him. Sebek is a certified dog boy, after all, so the reader thanks and praises him quite openly (most of the time). Compared to the rader from the stories told, the charm you hold, they’re a lot less smooth, though. I wanted them to have their typical “teen embarrassing moment”, and in this one it’s drawing your crush and doodling his name on your sketchbook (bc Sebek checks their notebooks they cant play MASH or FLAMES there lol)

[3] Flower symbolism isn’t exactly constant everywhere. Geraniums symbolize friendship and happiness (which is why it’s mentioned at the very start, where they’re just beginning to be friends) but also stupidity and foolishness. The latter two, I wanted to give it a nice connotation, so they’re stupid fools who will be in love with each other soon, of course.

[4] Mint I mostly went with because of Sebek’s hair color (also doesn’t he seem like the type to use mint-scented shampoo…?), but I also like the meaning of “virtue, protection, personal strength”, I thought, “that’s so Sebek!”

[5] You could say this is my second fic with an artist!reader, but compared to the Vil fic I wanted to distinguish how this reader isn’t really a professional or anything (unless the reader imagines them to be). They just like art and they draw, no specific style other than they at least use a pen/cil sometimes, which I feel like is more relatable for people. And Sebek likes what the reader makes, that’s about it, really.

[6] (“Is it? That’s odd, I doubt that many people in this college are in the midst of courting someone,” and [...]) In this part, I just wanted Sebek to call everyone in NRC, excuse my language, bitchless. I just think it would be funny that out of all people, Sebek’s one of the few people who gets himself a significant other.

[7] Malleus’ Martial Might is a reference to Sebek’s 2022 Valentines Day card

[8] Silver’s question is a line ripped from his SR Labwear card, although I used the JP translation from twstarchives as reference, so I’m not exactly sure if the wording is the same on EN.

[9] The reader could be the prefect (who happens to share multiple classes with Sebek) or from another world but not necessarily Yuu, I just decided to leave it ambiguous who they were and if they were magicless or not since it doesn’t really matter. I just wanted them to be in their first year as well.

[10] For the ending, instead of being in a relationship right away I went with Sebek basically deciding he should go through the “courting” process first… basically there isn’t exactly a label yet, but there’s a mutual affection, or “MU” as we would call it in Filipino terms. I decided to cut it off there because I didn’t want to give too much information about the reader for immersion/imagination purposes.

#twst x reader #sebek zigvolt x reader #twst imagines #sebek zigvolt #twst x you #twst #twisted wonderland #nathya twst writing #sebek x reader

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