First of all, I want to apologize if maybe this imagery triggers anyone and this is not in any way me fetishizing burn victims 🙏🙏🙏
Oof, I haven't done this in a while, I feel so rusty. Honestly I don't remember the last time I made a Duskwood fanart. I missed it. But I think this one turned out great. I was highly inspired by this shot from Challengers 👇
I just imagine his first reunion with MC he'd be pretty scared. As we saw from the first Moonvale episode, Jake abandoned his jacket and backpack because they caught on fire. So I figured he suffered some burn from escaping the mine (and the other thing 🙄)
I'm too lazy to add some background because that's literally all I do almost everyday now. I either draw buildings or plants. There's like nothing in between. I hope you enjoy this and also hopefully it helps with you Jake deficiency. At least it helped me a little. I just wanna hug him and tell him that everything's gonna be just fine ♡♡
Search each of the following words and choose the first that comes up: fashion, pantone, mood, food❤️
Oooooo, wait this is so fun! Let's see
I think I'm dressed pretty similarly to that, I love loose and layered. But I hardly ever wear pants. Skirts all the way 💕💕💕 I actually have a hoodie and sweater pretty similarly colored to that pantone and they're some of my most worn pieces of clothing.
Mood, need I say more? 100% accurate. I don't know why pancakes showed up, I don't even like sweets that much. The first four pictures that showed up are all pancakes haha. I wouldn't say no to pancakes tho. I like the crusty ones.
Ahhhhh I've been a bit frustrated about work. It's not necessarily the work itself but I've been overwhelmed with life and now what's happening at work is close to that last straw.
I was pretty clear from the very beginning that I struggle with picturing anything in 3D space. Which is a bit ironic considering what I do for work, right? My mind can only conjure up 2D space. And I was pretty clear to my CD (creative director) that I do not draw mecha. That brings us to my current problem. My CD wanted me to draw a concept for a more or less chibimaru knock off. I had no idea what chibimaru was until I googled it myself.
But just wait, he didn't actually say it needed to be similar to chibimaru. He just said to draw a simplified Japanese battleship Kongo. I only found out it was called a chibimaru later by myself. I asked him if there's anyone else available and he said there was but this is work, you can't pick and choose. But I literally don't draw anything remotely close to mecha, ever. Details like that are overwhelming to me because I can't picture them in 3D space. Obviously the actual chibimaru of this ship model would be more detailed, they had someone who does this on a regular basis. Is he expecting me to get to that level on the first try and better???????
This has been a problem with other projects too, where he's asking me to come up with something without much description about his expectations which would only end up in revisions. Now I'm asking him a lot of questions and he seems to be misinterpreting them and again, asking me to figure it out. But I need a benchmark for how "distorted" and "simplified" the artstyle needed to be. In his own words! But then he asked for MORE details which contradicts the need for it to be simplified. He didn't even give a clear brief and he also gets frustrated when I'm asking questions to something I'VE NEVER DONE. Make it make sense!
Mind you I'm just the intern. I get paid less than 20% of what the full time employees get. And I'm fine with that! This internship is part of my graduation requirement but OH MY GOD give me a fucking break. This is the first time I've ever tried saying no to a project because I know I'm not the right person for this. No need to make it a "teaching moment," smh. I'm good at what I do and I know what I can do. This? I don't think I can. And I told him that from the start!
I don't know if any of what I'm saying here make any sense. I just finished crying for hours after the last revision. Fortunately I'm working from home today so no one had to see that. Why does no one believe me when I say I can't think in 3D space? This is ridiculous.
And just like Ryland Grace, I do not rise to the challenge. I'm good.
To be honest, I do not remember a single thing Charlie said at the end of episode 3 during the car ride because having an actor for him who is pretty pleasant on the eyes as well (I hate objectifying but I'm just a girl 🫣) just completely distracted me. And also, I immediately had to think about Dan's car accident as well. Like I 100% expected Charlie to full on crash or someone else drives into him or anything. And then I also immediately was like 'God that means once again we can't be sure if he just did it on purpose like Richy did'. The Duskwood trauma is real.
A/n: I didn't know what dance sytel you wanted, dear anon. So I hope this here is okay and you will like it. I've always wanted to write something with a dancer MC because my OC I use for other fandom actually is dancer as well. So I was so happy to get this request. Thank you for trusting me with it. 💚 Please excuse any mistakes.
I used this song, but of course you can imagine it with whatever song you want. 🫶🏻
Frustration started to creep in as you lay on the floor, the polished wood cold against your sweaty skin. Your breath was far faster than you would have liked after only three repeats.
Rehearsing was like self-therapy for you. The only place you were... you. The only place you had full control without forcing it. You had it because here, it was in your blood. It had always been your life. From the moment you started in this bad hip-hop group at only 11 years.
Followed by ballet, breakdance and even three years of gymnastics. All to improve your passion for contemporary dance.
When you suddenly got pulled into Hannah's case, it became even more important to you. An outlet. A place where you did not have to think. Only feel. Only be. Almost weightless.
But today... today nothing really went the way you wanted to. An important performance for an upcoming competition. But no matter what... something was bothering you. Immensely.
But you couldn't pinpoint what it was. Well, you could, you had a problem with timing in the third 8th-circle.
And to say it was destroying your day was an understatement.
You let out a soft huff as you pushed your body back upright. For a second, you just looked into the big mirror on the wall. Your face was flushed, your bottom lip a bit swollen from biting onto it in concentration to finally hit the rhyme the way you wanted to.
But as fast as you had checked your reflection, your eyes wandered over to your phone. It was slightly propped up against your hoodie you had taken off before your practice.
It stood upright enough that the camera could capture the room... if there was a viewer on the other side.
Jake had never mentioned before if he had looked into your camera when you were rehearsing.
Usually, you hated it when he did. It was invasive, controlling, a breach of privacy.
But one part of you... wanted him to see.
To watch. To... appreciate seeing you like this.
Of course, as an adult you could do it very simply. Just ask. Or just tell him. "Hey, I'm at practice tonight, do you want to watch? I would like to hear your opinion."
But why do it easy when you could also do it the hard way.
However... this time when you looked at your phone, a sudden, strange tingle ran down your back. As if you could sense something. As if your body sensed... him.
You would have called yourself insane usually. Sensing him in your phone camera? How ridiculous.
When, in the moment you finally stood up again, a deep, slightly disoriented voice sounded right into your ear through the one earbud you were wearing.
"You're frustrated."
The way you flinched as it happened was probably very bad for your neck and shoulder muscles. But at the same time the shock and surprise went through you, your pulse already betrayed you. Your heart missed a beat, then picked up pace.
"My go— Jake!" you answered, looking back at your phone.
A short crackle on the other end, then the answer, "My apologies. It wasn't my intention to frighten you, MC."
The urge to smile at him hearing your name was almost too much to hide. But you managed.
Concentration, MC.
Instead, you changed the topic, not as casually as you would like. "What... what were you doing in my phone again?"
The barely audible laugh coming from him sounded creepy in your eyes. But this time, you couldn't fully suppress your smile.
To not let it show fully, you straightened again and walked back to your starting position.
"You're rehearsing," he stated, monotone as most of the time. But maybe there was a little bit of curiosity in the robotic voice.
"Yeah, I wrote you, you did not see it?" you asked, looking back at your phone once again, as if you were talking face to face with him this way.
Jake shifted slightly on his chair, the voice changer picking this up as well, "I did see it," he said.
You let out a small hum in acknowledgment, rewinding the song with the remote for the sound system.
"And how long have you been watching me?"
There was a pause on the other side as Jake thought about if he should tell you that he was always watching. Always admiring. Not your body, though, even he couldn't help but appreciate the view. No, he was admiring your skill, your talent.
Watching you dance was fascinating to him. Truly fascinating. It was the exact opposite of what he was used to.
Control vs. expression
Hidden vs. seen
Logic vs. instinct
He cleared his throat as he realized he was losing track of the reasons he actually had decided to make himself known.
"You're around 0.6 seconds late on the fourth beat."
"What?" you asked, the surprise was written all over your face, the confusion clear in your voice, "What do you— how do you know?"
Jake felt himself stiffen slightly as he realized he had accidentally given too much away about what he was usually doing when he was watching you.
His first instinct was to dodge the question, not answer, come up with a believable response. But then he decided to just be honest. After all, you two were a couple. Well, not officially. But telling each other about their love for the other was pretty... close, right?
His fingers moved to the small device on his desk, he switched the flip, and instead of the disorientation, his real voice answered you this time.
"I've... counted," he admitted. "You're 0.6 seconds late when you do this... acrobatic thing. Probably because you breathe in at the wrong moment. The intake of air at that moment is slowing you."
If it were anyone else than Jake, you would have probably laughed. "I breathe in at the wrong moment? You have a colorful imagination of how things work." But this wasn't anyone else. This was Jake. And so you knew, he wasn't joking, he wasn't trying to make a fool out of you. He was serious.
"You— you were counting," you answered carefully, as if the thought alone tasted weird, "And you...?"
"I saw your frustration. So I cropped your steps and synchronized the song with it. Then I analyzed your breathing and noticed the slight delay," the hacker explained. There was a bit of hesitation mixed into his usual matter-of-fact voice.
The words only slowly started to make sense in your head. He hadn't just watched. He had... put work into it. Had analyzed it for you with open eyes to then come and let you know.
"Jake— I—" you started, but he interrupted you.
"Reiterate."
You didn't refuse. Didn't try to make excuses.
You didn't question it. You just... listened.
Because it was him.
And when you started "Put It on Me" by Matt Maeson from the beginning and went into your starting position, you felt a flutter in your stomach. The slight nervousness that came with knowing, this time, he was really watching.
And yet, you had never felt as good before as you fully leaned into your choreography as if your life depended on it.
The beat buzzed through your entire being. You could feel it in your bones, your veins. Your eyes were closed, the music took over your existence.
And Jake? He became part of it. Counting your every step. Every beat. Analyzing every rhyme. He was learning your style, how you moved during every part. How your soul became... agravic.
He was tracking your every move. And when the part came you had been struggling with before, his voice guided you. "Wait... now."
And this time when you pushed yourself into the aerial cartwheel, it was as if the music adjusted to you instead of the other way around.
The next hour flew by without you feeling any of it. Jake became your eyes when you closed yours to feel.
"Wait. You're early."
"Again. On four."
His voice became your rhyme while he was learning your breathing patterns.
And when your practice ended, with a kind of confidence you had never felt before, Jake disconnected from your phone.
His lips twitching, once, twice, before he allowed the smile to fully spread over his face.
His eyes went unfocused for a moment as he replayed your words, your gratitude towards him, the way you smiled at him through your camera.
He secured the memory of those two hours in his mind, protected and available for the rest of his life.
His attention snapped back into reality. His hand moved to open another tab to check the progress of his loading program before he closed it again and once again opened the footage of your dancing.
He clicked the first video and then leaned back in his chair, allowing himself to fully dive into his administration for you.
You know, I have this weird paranoia that someone might be watching me through my phone or tab. I know lots of people have this too so I usually throw a blanket over my cameras whenever I'm changing.
This one is absolutely ridiculous. You shouldn't have to replay FOUR times for an achievement.
A little tip if you're trying to get this one but don't want to have to replay four times: after you get a different stone, just reset the episode. DO NOT restart story. It should count because that's exactly what I did. Thankfully this conversation with Ash is pretty early in the episode so it shouldn't take too long.
One song – three scenarios, things I imagine while listening | Jake x MC
Scenario 1 | Angst - Major Character Death - Fire injuries (I know it's similar to something I've already written but with the song it just... hits)
The floor of the woods were cold and soaked from the rain. His breathing heavy, every gasp followed by intense pain he couldn't even describe. His clothes melted. His skin burned. The smoke from the mine had immediately attacked his vocal cords. Every intake or air was rough and cracked. His phone lay on speaker next to him in the ground, his main priority had been that. You. With him. As he realized he was coming to and end. Your sobs were echoing through it. You tried to keep it together as much as possible. But you couldn't fully supress it. Of course not. It was just you and him here. Right in this very moment. For a last time. He took a last breath, it barely filled him with oxygen. And before his eyes closed, he whispered, only loud enough to hear through the phone "Promise me this was real for you too."
___________________________________
Scenario 2 | More angst (sorry)
Hannah was crying in Thomas’ arms. Lilly hugged herself, shaking, while Cleo tried to steady her. Dan struggled to keep Jessy upright as silent sobs wracked her, her gaze locked on Richy, surrounded by EMTs fighting to stabilize him.
Everything felt slowed down. Orders were shouted, weapons drawn—red dots fixed on Jake’s jacket, his hands half-raised. Caught. Still standing. Not resisting, but not bowing either. Slowly, he sank to his knees.
Then everything snapped back into motion.
MC broke through the crowd, shoving past two cops. Alan called their name, tried to grab them—but failed. No one else moved. The agents hesitated, waiting… or maybe allowing it.
MC pushed forward. Jake’s head snapped up, eyes finding them instantly. A second later, they collided. Arms wrapped tight around his neck as his circled their waist, pulling them close—like he was trying to hold them together.
Their breathing was ragged. A quiet sob—“Jake”—pressed against his chest. His face buried between their neck and shoulder.
“MC.”
___________________________________
Scenario 3 - Fluff, happy end vibes.
The power’s out, everything is quiet—no streetlights, no cars outside, just darkness pressing against the windows. Your apartment is lit by scattered candles, their flames flickering softly. The landlord had called around 30 minutes ago. Someone in the old building had caused a short circuit in the electricity when they plugged in an water heater. You had joked "Of course, after months of only meeting online the electricity gives out". To your suprise, Jake had answered "Maybe the universe wants us to be focused on... the moment."
Now the two of you stood there, in your small kitchen. Your head leaned against his shoulder. Jake, hesitant at first, had slung on arm around your back, his other hand cupped the back of her neck, thumb brushing lightly as if to reassure himself she was real.
Die With A Smile played silently from your phones speakers. And at some point, your bodies had started to move. Just careful steps and the light swaying of your bodies. Slow movements to the beautiful lyrics.
He pulls you close, awkward at first, like he’s learning something he’s only ever imagined. You shifted even closer without thinking, pressing into him. His breath warm where it brushes your hair.
For a long moment, it was just that. Close bodies, light swaying, moving to the rhyme. It feels unreal. Like the world has paused, holding its breath.
Then, after minutes, he took a deeper breath.
"If everything stopped tomorrowy" he murmurs, voice low against you, "this would still be enough."
Hi 🙈 so i just wanted to tell you i think your art is really really cool! How long have you been drawing? Because i draw too but i'm not as good and i wanna know how long it takes to be as good as you 🥺💕
Thanks!!
Thanks so much, anon :))
I guess I've always liked to draw? In my kindergarten yearbook, I wrote my dream job as a painter (i even scribbled some beard on my face). Congrats kindergarten me for (sorta) reaching her dream. I'm an intern visual development artist now, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
But the passion came and went as I grew up. As soon as I learned how to read and write, it's all I wanted to do.
Then when I was maaaybee... 13 or 14 I found my way back to drawing again and got a little more serious that time, and I'm almost 23 now. I don't wanna come off as unaware of my skills today, but I definitely still have room for improvements.
You will hear that from any professional, trust me.
I've always hated studying and practicing, drawing is no different. But because I find it less mentally draining and creating just gives me so much joy, I find ways to be consistent with it and gradually got better. I can't give you an exact number for how long it took me, so just go at your pace and find a routine that's manageable for you.
Constant bare minimum is better than putting too much pressure on yourself.
Also you don't have to go to art school, if you're wondering. One of my film professors actually graduated with economics degree. Never too late!
When we listen to the tape with her, we could ask if there's anything behind the tape but then that guy was messaging her. She could've answered first before leaving!!!
Right, so, Sophia came from a pretty well off family, at least by Redlog standard. Years ago some kids came around the estate, at first to look around? And then it got worse with all sorts of vandalism up to the point of leaving dead animal on their porch. And Charlie said it was "completely exsanguinated" which I thought was a pretty interesting detail. That means the animal was completely drained of blood. Why mention that at all? I could be reading too much into it tho.
Could those kids have seen something? Personally if I see something freaky I'd just bolted outta there but teenagers are different.
Her favorite books are The Last Unicorn, Neverwhere, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Do you see the similarities there? An ordinary protagonist enters a hidden, surreal world. The protagonist is a stranger in those world. Sounds familiar? Our card? Her favorite movie is Big Fish, similar themes. Am I reading too much into this or does this feel extremely deliberate?