#2016 style guide

[i-miss-2013]

Requested style guide for @bwutcher ♡

I hope you like it! 💕💕

💋 Taglisters: @2543jj @lou007sstuff @cottoncandywhispers @lavender-rising @bambibabydoll123 @evascoastal @amaliasdiary @sullengirl78 @jimmakoscake @hailey09diaz

[celebratingwomen]

Christian Serratos for Rogue magazine, 2016

[lemoncrushh]

Claiming His Territory

Summary: Harry gets jealous when he thinks another guy fancies you, and he decides to claim his territory.

Warnings: Smut, dirty talk, possessiveness, angst. 18+ ONLY!

Word Count: 4960

A/N: Here's another one shot from my 2016 collection. This was originally two parts, but I've combined them into one. Obviously, this is 1D Harry, and you're spending time with him on tour.

"Hey, Y/N," you heard a voice behind you say.

You quickly twirled around to see Dylan, the new drum tech, a huge grin on his face. He was carrying pieces of the drum kit as he was apparently making his way to the stage to set it up.

"Hey, you need some help with that?" you asked him, reaching for a cymbal that was slowly slipping from under his arm.

"Thanks," Dylan nodded sheepishly.

With a giggle, you took the cymbal from him and followed him through the backstage area. Your breath hitched in your throat as you stepped onto the stage and looked out at the empty seats. You'd seen this view a few times with Harry when you would come visit him on tour, but it never ceased to take your breath away. You still didn't know how he managed to face that many people night after night.

"You can just set that right there," directed Dylan, pointing at the floor next to the toms.

"Oh, okay."

"So how long have you been with One Direction?" asked Dylan as he adjusted the bass drum where he wanted it, a lock of his long blond hair falling over his right eye. You had already admitted to yourself a couple days ago when you'd first met that he was cute. And the way he smiled at you gave you goosebumps. But you were with Harry...

"Y/N," Dylan suddenly said, making you blink.

"I'm sorry, what?"

Dylan chuckled. "Is this your first tour with them?"

Finally understanding what he was asking you, you laughed and shook your head. "I don't work for them," you explained. "I'm not part of the crew."

"Oh!" exclaimed Dylan. "I just always see you in the hall helping somebody, I thought-"

"Heyyyy there you are!" a familiar voice sounded behind you. Before you could turn around, Harry had is arms wrapped around you, his lips on your jaw. "Been lookin' everywhere for you."

You swallowed hard as Harry's mouth trailed to your ear. "Um, I was just helping Dylan with the drums."

"Who's Dyl- oh, hey mate," said Harry, acknowledging the young man's presence.

Dylan jerked his head up with a curt nod, clearly now understanding that you were indeed not part of the crew, but Harry Styles' girlfriend. He fumbled with the hi-hat stand, nearly toppling it over when Harry grabbed your butt and you let out a squeal.

"Stop," you giggled, though you leaned back against him. "We're not alone, baby."

"Then let's go be alone," he murmured in your ear.

You rolled your eyes and looked over at Dylan just as Harry began to pull you back by your arm. "See ya, Dylan."

"Yeah, sure," he nodded again.

You kind of felt bad for the guy, but you didn't have time to dwell on it as Harry jogged down the hall, taking you with him. Finally pushing open a heavy black door, he pulled you inside, locking it behind you.

"I reckon somebody has a crush on my girl," Harry smirked, sliding his hands up your waist and back down.

"Oh please," you scoffed. "He was just being friendly. And I offered to help him with the drums."

"I could see the way he looked at you, love. His eyes said it all."

"I don't think he knew I was with you," you muttered as Harry's mouth found your jaw again and he backed you into the wall.

"Well, then, let's show him so he knows."

"What do you mean?" you teased.

"I mean 'm gonna leave my mark. To show you're mine." Harry lifted his head, his eyes meeting yours with fire in them. "C'mere."

Harry guided you to the nearby sofa where he pounced on you. You giggled with glee as you playfully pawed at him, helping him remove his t-shirt followed by your own.

"Tell me where," you hissed as Harry swiped his tongue across your collarbone, unclasping your bra with one hand.

"Where what, baby?" he mumbled.

"Where you're gonna leave your mark."

A deep growl rose from Harry's chest as he lifted himself up to look at you. Dropping your bra on the floor and lightly dragging his finger across your neck he whispered "here...", then he did the same down your shoulder and collarbone, "here...and here...", finally dragging it to your breast. "And here..."

"Mmmm," you sounded, reaching for him and eager for him to get started.

Devouring your neck, Harry sucked hard, the blood rising to the surface quickly. The sting only made you want more as you hastily unbuttoned his jeans for him. But Harry wasn't finished claiming his territory just yet. You clawed at his arms as he slid down to wet the top of your chest with his tongue. Leaving his next mark, you arched your back with a moan.

"Harry..." you said breathlessly. "Touch me. Please."

"Where baby?" he asked. "Right here?"

Grazing his thumb across your right nipple, Harry took your left one into his mouth, swirling his tongue across it. You let out a kitten-like cry before saying his name again. Reaching for his hand, you guided it where you wanted it between your legs.

"Ah, right there?" Harry teased as he rubbed you over your jeans. "'s that where you wanna be touched, baby?"

"Mmm hmm," you nodded with a pout.

"Then let's get these off, yeah?" he raised a brow, quickly unbuttoning your jeans.

You kicked off your shoes just in time for him to slip off your pants and underwear, leaving your naked body trembling underneath him.

"So pretty," Harry murmured, swiping his fingers up your slit. "And always so wet for me."

You nodded with a shy smile.

"This is mine, innit?" he added as you opened your legs wider.

"Yes," you replied.

"Yeah," he nodded, licking his lips.

With his free hand, Harry managed to push down his already open jeans, freeing his erection. You blinked at the sight of it, though you'd already seen it several times. Removing his fingers from your wetness momentarily, he produced a condom from his pocket and rolled it on.

"You ready for me, love?" he inquired, positioning himself between your thighs.

"Always," you said.

Harry smirked as he pushed in slowly. "Yeah ya are. Always ready. And so warm. Fuck."

His eyelids heavy, he began to thrust deep inside so you could feel all of him, stretching you to fit around him. Tiny mewls escaped your mouth as you grasped at his shoulders.

"God damn, I love the sounds you make," groaned Harry. "So fucking sexy."

Biting your bottom lip, you reached above your head to grab hold of the armrest. Then you lifted your leg up against the back of the sofa. Harry tried his best to focus on your face while he pumped, his perfect mouth open.

"You're mine, yeah?" he breathed.

You nodded. "Yes."

"Yeah. Nobody else's. All mine."

You weren't really sure where this possessiveness had come from, but you kind of liked it. You liked being Harry's. And the idea he was claiming you turned you on.

Harry lowered his head again, nibbling on your neck and sliding down to suck another tender spot, no doubt leaving another mark. You heard him moan against your skin as he thrust harder and faster. You felt yourself reach the edge, a deep rumbling in your core.

"Fuck, Harry..." you cried.

"You gonna come for me?" he asked, lifting his head to look at you again.

You nodded, your eyes wide. Hard breaths puffed out of your mouth as you grabbed his hips, guiding him deeper.

"Right there," you instructed.

Harry covered your mouth with his, slipping his tongue inside to meet yours. You felt your orgasm rip through you then as you moaned against his lips. Harry bit your bottom lip, dragging his teeth across it before releasing it. His eyes looked wild as he stared at you. You could tell he was close.

"Does it feel good?" you asked him.

"Fuck yeah, baby. That pussy's so wet and all mine."

You grinned at him. "Yes, Harry. Take it, baby."

Harry shut his eyes as he let out a quick chuckle and licked his lips. With two more thrusts he was moaning your name as he came.

You laid on the couch together for a few minutes while you tried to wait for your breaths to even out. Suddenly you heard a soft pout before you felt a wetness on your neck. Realizing Harry was licking your skin, you giggled.

"What are you doing?"

"I think I mighta got a bit carried away," he replied.

"How many are there?" you inquired.

"Um...like five?"

Your chest shook with laughter as Harry sat up. "Sorry, babe."

"I'm sure it's fine," you commented.

Harry excused himself to the restroom while you sat up and got dressed. When you stood, you walked over to a nearby mirror to inspect Harry's work. Five might have been an exaggeration, but he'd definitely left his mark on you. One particular love bite almost covered the entire left side of your neck.

"Jesus," you muttered, covering it with your hand.

"Told you," you heard Harry say behind you.

You turned to face him with a shrug. "Well you definitely got your point across."

"Are you mad?" he asked hesitantly.

"No," you shook your head, walking around him toward the bathroom.

"You sure?"

You waved your hand above your head, not bothering to turn around. "It's fine."

Shutting the door behind you, you inspected your neck and shoulders better in the bathroom mirror. You weren't exactly sure why, but the sight unnerved you. Harry wasn't known to be the jealous type. So maybe he had just been playing. Or maybe it was just the adrenaline and the height of passion that made him so animalistic. Even during the sex, you hadn't thought anything was out of the ordinary. But thinking about it now, and looking at the evidence, it sure seemed like Harry had been trying to prove something.

Was he really upset about you talking to Dylan? Had he truly had a problem with the way he looked at you? You honestly hadn't noticed anything, other than the fact that he was cute. But it wasn't like he'd been flirting, and neither had you.

What had suddenly made Harry want to be so possessive and claim his territory?

Opening the bathroom door, you stepped back into the dressing room. Harry sat on the sofa, but you barely looked at him. Instead you made your way to the exit.

"Where are you going?" you heard him ask.

"Gonna try to find a scarf or something," you replied.

"So ya are mad," remarked Harry.

"I didn't say I was mad. Did I say that?" you jerked around, your hands on your hips.

"Your tone says you're mad."

"So I have a tone now?"

Harry groaned, running a hand down his face. "Babe, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

You sighed loudly, dropping your arms. "I said it's fine, Harry. I'm not mad. It's just kind of embarrassing is all."

Harry glared at you with a set jaw. Grabbing the doorknob, you swung the heavy door open.

"I gotta go find something. I'll be back," you announced.

You made your way outside to the tour buses, stepping onto the one you'd arrived on, quickly finding your suitcase. You hadn't remembered packing any scarves, and coming up empty handed confirmed it. The next best thing was your favorite hoodie, a pink one from Victoria's Secret which didn't match your outfit, but it would have to do. Slipping it on and zipping it up, you pulled your hair over your neck and shoulders, trying your best to cover what the hoodie didn't.

Okay, so you were mad. Maybe mad wasn't the right word. Just...irritated. Perturbed. But you knew it was partially your own fault. You'd certainly had a part in Harry's assault on your skin, hell you'd even egged him on, asking where he was planning on marking you. But now you felt weird about it...almost dirty.

But what bothered you the most was that he'd done it after seeing you talking to another guy. A guy whom you paid no mind to. You thought Dylan was cute, but that was as far as it went. And Harry had never been the jealous type.

Stepping off the bus, you returned to the venue where the activity had picked up and the hallway was more crowded than before. Harry's dressing room was now empty, and for a moment you considered just sitting alone for a while until you heard your name called.

"Hey, Dylan," you said softly when you saw him coming towards you.

"Hey, um, sorry about earlier," he muttered.

"What for?"

"You know...um...I didn't know that you were...with Harry."

"Oh," you looked down at your hands. "It's okay."

"I guess maybe I should keep track of who's with whom," he grinned sheepishly.

You gazed back up at him, shaking your head. "You can't be expected to know. Besides, it's not like you were flirting with me or anything. I was just helping you with the drums."

Dylan chuckled, that same strand of blonde falling over his eye again. "Yeah, sure," he nodded. Then leaning in closer, he whispered, "Maybe I kinda was."

Biting your lip, you felt yourself blush. You weren't quite sure how to respond to that. Since being with Harry, guys hadn't been flirting with you. Or if they had, you sure as hell hadn't noticed.

"Um...okay," you muttered, absentmindedly combing your hair behind your ear. That's when you noticed Dylan's eyes widen.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, stepping back.

"What?" you asked a millisecond before you realized. He'd seen the marks.

"Guess he wasn't kiddin'," said Dylan, pointing at your neck.

Ashamed, you tilted your head and pulled your hair back over to hide Harry's love bites.

"He told me you were his," Dylan added, "But I guess he wants everyone to be aware."

You furrowed your brows. "Wait, you talked to him?"

Dylan shrugged. "If you could call it that. I didn't get much say in the matter. He just came up to me a minute ago and said, 'just so you know...Y/N is mine.' And he walked off. I didn't really take it as a threat then but..."

Your shoulders fell and your mouth went dry.

"Guess he's claimed his territory," Dylan finished before walking off, leaving you standing dumbfounded in the hallway.

"Hey, doll," greeted Lou when you entered the room designated for hair and makeup. Liam had just left the room with a short wave of his hand, and you were grateful to find it empty now except for her.

"Hi," you barely mumbled as you sunk into a chair.

"Something wrong?" she inquired as she returned a makeup brush to its caddy.

With a long sigh, you pushed your hair back to reveal the hickeys on your neck and shoulder.

"Bloody hell!" exclaimed Lou.

You groaned. "Help."

"Were you snogging all day? What-"

"Never mind," you got up to leave, but Lou called you back.

"I'm sorry, love, c'mere. I think I have something to cover it."

You sat back in the chair and Lou got to work putting makeup on your neck, at least the areas that were most exposed. You focused on the various cosmetics on the counter so you wouldn't have to look at her face, knowing it was probably full of shame. You appreciated her silence, however, until she finally said you were good to go.

"Thanks," you muttered as you stood, still pulling your hoodie tight around you just in case.

"Y/N," you heard Lou call as you reached the door. You turned to look at her. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah," you nodded.

"Alright," she sighed. "Just know that I'm here if you ever need to chat. And anything you say never leaves this room, you hear?"

You smiled softly at her. "Thanks, Lou."

You'd just rounded the corner when a tall frame nearly bumped into you.

"Hey! Was looking for you," said Harry. "Did you find something?"

"Um...yeah," you stammered, licking your lips, grabbing the zipper pull of your hoodie and moving it up and down. "Lou helped me out with some makeup."

"Oh, right," he nodded. "Good."

"Harry, we need to talk," you gazed up at him.

He furrowed his brows, looking past you. "Show's about to start, babe."

"What did you say to Dylan?" you asked, ignoring his words.

Harry's eyes darted everywhere but at your own which told you all you needed to know. But you still wanted to hear it from his lips.

"Harry..."

"I just told him you were mine."

"Did you threaten him?"

Harry finally looked at your face, shaking his head. "No, not at all. I just wanted to make sure he knew you were taken."

"Harry, he wasn't even doing anything," you scoffed. "We were just talking. For like five minutes!"

"I've seen the way he looks at you," declared Harry in an accusing tone.

You rolled your eyes. "How does he look at me?"

"Like how I look at you!" he exclaimed.

You threw up your hands. "So fucking what?"

"I don't like it," Harry's voice dropped so low you barely heard his reply.

"Harry, what the hell is going on? You've never acted jealous before."

Harry stood up straight, his chest puffing out as he crossed his arms. "Do I have a reason to be jealous?"

Your mouth opened to retort, but you stopped. You couldn't believe what you were hearing. Harry never acted like this. Never.

"You're unbelievable," you shook your head and turned to walk away. "We'll talk about this later."

"Hey, you're the one who said we needed to talk now," you felt his hand on your arm. You shook it off.

"We're not talking about this now!" you yelled through clenched teeth. You held your hands up in front of you. "I need to calm down, and you have a show to do."

"Y/N," said Harry, his tone softer now.

"Go," you pointed to the backstage area. "Your fans are waiting."

You felt the bile rise in your throat as tears threatened to release from your eyes. Turning once again, you zig zagged through the crowd whom no doubt had heard at least some of your squabble.

"Hey, doll," Lou stopped you. "You coming to sit with me?"

"Not yet," you blinked. "I need to be alone for a minute."

Without another word, Lou merely nodded, patting your arm before making her way to the family seats. You walked to Harry's dressing room, immediately locking the door behind you and lying on the sofa, finally allowing the tears to fall.

You didn't understand it. You tried your best to recall the evening's events that had let up to this. Just an hour ago you were on this same sofa as Harry fucked you, sucking on your neck and telling you how you were his. You'd liked it, his possessiveness as he claimed what was his. But the marks had left you feeling uneasy, and then to find out he actually did have a problem with Dylan...it made you wanna throw up. The look in his eyes when he asked if he had a reason to be jealous sent you over the edge. You were hurt and angry at the same time. This...this was not the Harry you knew. This was someone else.

Despite the noise on the other side of the door, you somehow managed to cry yourself to sleep. When you woke up, you sat up, realizing the concert still had half an hour left. Wiping your eyes, you used the restroom and emerged from the dressing room. You were halfway down the hall when you spotted Dylan. With an uneasy smile, you walked up to him.

"Hi," you greeted.

"I don't think you're supposed to be talking to me," he proclaimed.

You rolled your eyes and folded your arms across your chest. "What the fuck ever." Another tear escaped your eye and rolled down your cheek. As you swiped it away with the back of your hand, Dylan stepped closer to you.

"Hey," he said softly. "I was just joking."

"I know," you sniffed.

"You okay?"

"No," you replied quickly, looking up at him. "No, I'm definitely not okay."

"You wanna go somewhere and talk?"

The sounds of cheering fans and the boys singing "Story of My Life" seemed miles away.

"Yeah," you sighed, running your fingers through your hair. "But can we talk about something else? Anything else?"

Dylan grinned. "You bet. C'mon."

You sat alone on the bus, waiting for Harry. You'd decided to wait for him there instead of his dressing room. You knew he was more than likely going to be mad, or at least a little confused as to why you hadn't gone to watch the show. So, you figured you'd give him some time to cool down, take a shower and get dressed before meeting you on the bus.

After talking to Dylan, you felt a little better. He was really nice and funny and took your mind off of everything. You hoped that you could talk to Harry and assure him that you were his and he had no cause to be jealous. But when he stepped onto the bus and you caught the look on his face, you knew that had been too much to ask.

"Hey," you whispered.

With a scowl, Harry walked right past you without so much as a nod. You watched him as he headed toward the back of the bus.

"Harry..." you sounded.

Nothing. He was ignoring you. You had to admit that hurt even worse.

"Harry, talk to me please," you called.

"Oh, so now you wanna talk?" he jerked around, a horrible mean look on his face.

"Yes."

His jaw set, he closed the space between you swiftly. "Why didn't you come to watch the show?"

"Because I was upset," you replied. "I didn't feel like it."

Harry narrowed his eyes. "Didn't feel like it. What were you doing?"

Stepping back, you shoved your hands in the pockets of your hoodie. "Nothing. I went to sleep in your dressing room."

Harry nodded slowly, an accusing look in his eyes. "Right."

Almost feeling frightened, you glared at him. "Harry, what the fuck is going on?"

"Why don't you tell me? One minute you're moaning my name, begging me to touch you, and the next you're embarrassed by me."

"How dare you turn this around on me! I'm not the jealous one here!" you yelled.

"I'm not bloody jealous, Y/N! You think I'm jealous of that twat?"

"Why else did you make such a point of leaving so many hickeys on me?"

"I told you got carried away!" Harry exclaimed. "I didn't mean to."

"Did you mean to go up to Dylan afterwards and threaten him?" you asked.

"I-" Harry glared at you. "Did he tell you that?"

"No," you looked down at your hands. "He just said you came up to him and told him I'm yours, and-"

"So you talked to him." It was a statement, not a question. A statement and an accusation.

"Harry, I think I can talk to whomever I choose. And you're being a little ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" Harry raised his brows.

"Yeah. And frankly, a bit scary if I'm being honest. I don't know what's gotten into you."

"Fuck!" Harry turned his back on you, his fists at his sides as he walked to the back of the bus.

Trying to keep your calm, you took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Just then Niall stepped onto the bus behind you.

"Um...everythin' okay?" he inquired.

"Yeah," you bit your lip, stepping back to allow him to pass.

"Ya sure?"

About to nod, Harry turned around an answered for you. "Apparently showing your girlfriend how sexy you think she is and how proud you are to be fucking her pussy isn't allowed."

Your bottom lip trembling, you stared at Harry for a moment. "Fuck you."

"Whoa," Niall muttered as you stomped off the bus.

You could hear Harry calling after you as you ran toward the venue, but you didn't bother to turn around. Liam was just exiting the back door and Louis was halfway towards the bus, both of them stopping in their tracks to watch the scene unfold.

"Y/N!" Harry shouted. "Wait!"

"Leave me alone!" you screamed as you neared the door. "I wish we never met!"

You didn't look back as you continued to run through the hall. You stopped only when you saw Dylan emerge from behind the stage, drum pieces in his hands. Your chest heaving, you swallowed hard. Your eyes met, but you remained silent. Instead you turned toward the makeup room, finding Lou packing the rest of her products.

"Jesus, what's wrong, doll?" she asked when she saw your wild eyes.

Your knees buckling, you broke down right there. Lou reached her arms out to embrace you, allowing you to cry on her shoulder. You stayed in that position for a long time, your body shaking as you cried over and over. Lou rubbed your back, told you to let it out, and that everything was gonna be okay.

"Baby..." you suddenly heard behind you.

"Go away," you mumbled in Lou's shirt.

"Baby, I didn't mean it," said Harry. "God, you know how I feel about you."

Still keeping your back to him, you lifted your head to look at Lou. She had a kind expression on her face, silently urging you to listen to him.

"Don't you?" Harry sounded. You could tell he was closer. "Please say you do. Baby, I'm crazy about you."

Shutting your eyes, you scoffed. "Crazy about sums it up."

"I know. I deserve that."

You wiped your eyes as Lou released you from her grasp and turned you around. Harry had a somber look in his eyes, his body slack from defeat.

"I can't excuse the way I've acted," he said softly. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've never felt like this before."

"Like what?" you asked.

"Jealous," Harry shrugged. Then he let out a slight chuckle. "Fuck me, I'm jealous. And I don't know why."

"I don't know why either, Harry. There's absolutely no reason to be jealous. I barely know that guy. And until tonight he didn't even know I wasn't part of the crew let alone your girlfriend."

Harry hung his head. "I realize that. I honestly don't know what got into me. At first I-"

Harry lifted his head then, and you heard Lou clear her throat behind you. "Let me just get this," she said, grabbing her makeup caddies. Once she left the room, Harry turned back to you.

"At first I thought it was just kinda hot, you know me claiming my territory, showing that kid - and everyone else - you belong to me. But once I was inside you...it was like something happened, some switch went off and I couldn't stop. And you were loving it too, begging me. Like I said...I got carried away. Then I could tell you were embarrassed by the marks and I'll admit, it made me mad. I didn't want you to be embarrassed. I wanted you to be proud and flaunt it in front of his face. Like 'fuck yeah, my man fucks me good'."

"Harry..." you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

"I know, it sounds stupid now. But that's what was in my head then."

Licking your lips, you looked down at the floor and then back up at him. "You scared me."

"When?"

"On the bus. I've never seen you like that. I've never seen you like...any of this," you shook your head. "It's frightening, and I don't like it."

"I know, love," Harry reached for your hands. "I don't like it either. But I swear, I didn't mean what I said."

"I know," you replied softly.

"I'm hoping you didn't mean what you said either. That you wish we never met."

You sighed. "Of course I didn't, Harry. I just..."

"You just what?"

"I just..." you released your hands from his and combed a hand through your hair. "I think maybe we should cool it for a little while."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm gonna go on home earlier than I planned. I'll ask Lou if I can stay with her til tomorrow. I'm sure there's a flight I can take."

"Baby..." Harry tried to reach for you again.

You bit your lip and held up your hand. "Please, Harry. I think...I think it's best. For right now. I'll come back later. If you still want me."

"Of course I want you, Y/N. I want you now! With me!"

Covering his mouth with your finger, you silenced him. Then dropping your hand, you placed a soft kiss on his lips. "It's gonna be okay," you murmured.

"Not without you," he pouted.

You mustered up your best smile as you dragged the backs of your fingers down his cheek, then squeezed his arm. "Goodnight."

Turning on your heels, you headed back down the hall to the exit doors. You were halfway there when Harry called your name once again. Stopping, your turned around to see him standing in the middle of the hall.

"I love you," he declared.

You sucked in your lips as your insides trembled. He'd never said it before.

"I love you, too," you echoed before blowing him a kiss and walking out of the venue.

Sorry about that sad ending. I don't really remember why I decided to end it that way lol. I guess I felt more realistic with all the angst than to give it a happy ending. Also, the "I wish we never met" line was a prompt I'd received so I threw it into this story. It's pretty harsh, I know. Hope you enjoyed anyway.

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK

[ipso-faculty]

Infinity symbols: a guide to their variations

Infinity symbols are popular in graphic design for good reason. In this post, I'm gonna describe ways to vary up the designs of infinity symbols. My goal is to educate fellow neurodivergent people on how to make infinity symbols that don't look like the Métis flag.

The neurodiversity community has been using rainbow infinity symbols since 2005. Here are neurodiversity flags from 2013, 2016, and 2019:

However, there's a problem with some of the new flag designs for a flag that is autism-specific. Here are some of the contenders:

These use a solid white infinity symbol. The solid white infinity curve is a symbol of Métis.

The Métis flag, created in 1815, has a white lemniscate on red background. Nowadays the Métis use the blue version more often. And to the right is the Métis queer pride flag:

For those unfamiliar, the Métis are one of the major Indigenous groups in what is now Canada, with most of their >600,000 population in the western and central parts of the country. The word métis means half-breed in French; lower-case m métis refers to those with mixed Indigenous and European ancestry. Capital-M Métis refers to the specific culture of métis that emerged, distinct from both Indigenous and settler cultures, and speaking hybrid languages such as Michif.

The issue of likeness has been brought up many times. While I can believe the autistic flag makers didn't know about the issue when making their designs, I know at least one of them was promptly informed of the issue and dismissed it.

The autistic community writ large has been pretty dismissive about this issue. I wonder if some of the defensiveness comes from not seeing an alternative - thinking that infinity symbol design is all or nothing.

I have some good news: it's possible to make infinity symbols that don't look Métis!

HOW INFINITY SYMBOLS VARY (PART ONE)

ASPECT A: TOPOLOGY

The first way we can categorize infinity symbols is their topology. These four varieties are most common

Topology 1: Open infinity symbol - this is the oldest style of using a figure-8 shape to represent the mathematical concept of infinity. On the left is the version Euler used.

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Topology 2: Lemniscate - a closed curve. On the left is the Metis flag. The curve is one solid entity: notice how the rainbow gradient on the right fills the whole thing.

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Topology 3: Infinity *loop* -  imagine you take a hair tie or rubber band and twist it. One part of the infinity loop is clearly in front, with another part clearly behind it. Loops are well established for neurodiversity and I think we should stick to using these.

Notice in the left example how the pattern flips between left and right. Also compare the rainbow gradient on the right to the lemniscate rainbow gradient above it. -

Topology 4: Infinity *ribbon* -  instead of a hair tie, use a ribbon. Ribbons have sides, producing an infinity loop that shows two sides.

-

ASPECT B: THICKNESS

Line width can vary, which also helps to convey a loop! Again, I think we should be sticking to infinity loops when it comes to autistic/ND designs.

Option 1: Constant Thickness The lemniscate on the Metis flag has a constant line width, as does this neurodiversity rainbow gradient from 2016. I think we should avoid constant thickness.

-

Option 2: Variable Thickness A variable thickness can help to reinforce that an infinity symbol is a loop rather than a solid lemniscate. There are a lot of ways to play with line thickness!

Many neurodiversity infinities are variable thickness and I think we should opt for this to steer clear of Metis territory.

THIS WILL BE CONTINUED IN A SECOND POST (tumblr has a limit of 30 images per post)

But just in case the second post gets lost in reblogs: I think variable thickness, combined with a loop topology, is what we should be using for neurodiversity & autism. E.g.

CONTINUED IN NEXT POST

[namelessdumbass]

Meliora/Popestar Ghouls guide

I noticed some people still have trouble telling the Ghouls apart. Specifically Meliora era Ghouls. So i'll try to make things easier for all of you :)

WARNING: lots of text, my silly comments

Happy reading 😏

Learning which symbol/alchemic element (which was Martin Persner's/Omega's idea btw!) belongs to a certain Ghoul is essential:

🜂- Fire, 🜄- Water, 🜁 - Air, 🜃 - Earth, 🜀 - Quintessence. The first Fire Ghoul was also called Alpha and the first Quintessence Ghoul - Omega. Why such names? Because Quintessence/Ether Ghoul had Ω sticker on his guitar and fans started calling him Omega and his counterpart - Alpha. These names just fit them perfectly. Meliora era was unique because neither of previous Papas, nor Cardinal/Papa 4 called Ghouls by their names/elements. Only Papa III did that.

There were few changes of lineups during Era 3 and some Ghouls were given different names by fans. Simply because naming their elements wasn't enough. Examples will be seen below.

Ways to tell them apart when they are on stage:

Their instruments and stickers.

They are placed in certain areas of the stage: Quintessence and Earth on Papa's right, Water in the middle, Air and Fire on Papa's left.

Different body types, eyes, rings, bracelets and tattoos.

The way they behave.

When they are off stage, on promo photos etc just take a look at their chests.

Even though every Ghoul has 5 elements embroidered on their suits, their respective element is highlighted.

HQ pictures are pretty helpful if y'all wanna find your favorite Ghoul.

(from left to right: Air, Earth, Omega/Quintessence, Water and Alpha/Fire)

Also check this video of Papa III introducing Ghouls.

2015 lineup:

Air Ghoul #1. Simply Air. Joined Ghost in 2011. No tattoos, no rings. Usually quite calm on stage, favorite gesture is🤘 . Was the tallest Ghoul till 2017. Had cool keytar solo. Didn't move much.

Pebble aka Earth Ghoul #2. Joined Ghost in June 2015. Smol (yes, smaller than Papa). Has intense stare. Literal beast when it comes to playing drums. Had a special way of throwing sticks to fans (literally footballed them into the crowd lol). Funny one.

Quintessence Ghoul #1 aka Omega. Terzo's favorite Ghoul. His butt was smacked and grabbed by Papa countless times during Year Zero solo. Known for his stomping, graceful guitar playing style, has big silver rings on both hands and pretty eyes. Has the cutest laugh. Did lots of interviews when Special Ghoul wasn't around. Loves Abba. Has been in the band from 2010 till july 2016.

Water Ghoul #4 aka Delta. Slightly shorter than Papa III. Joined in 2015. Sometimes kicks air (literal air, not his fellow Ghoul) on stage, also filled in for Alpha (when he injured his shoulder) and Omega for a few shows. Played rhythm guitar after Omega left. Has no rings, no visible tattoos, but has mad skills. Allegedly he's the one who tried to kick the dude who got on stage and kissed Terzo lol

His regular bass Omega's guitar

Fire Ghoul #1 aka Alpha. Popular among fans. Hangs out with every Ghoul on stage, especially with Water and Pebble. Loves cameras, does✌ a lot, humps his guitar sometimes. Enjoys attention, a bit horny:) Also did a few interviews (mostly with Omega), has strong accent, also speaks Italian. Has rings and tattoos on both hands (had none during era 1 and 2!). Taller than Papa. Joined in 2010, left in november 2016.

2016

Omega left in july, so Water took over rhythm guitar and the first Ghoulette of the Ghost, Mist, was introduced. This lineup toured till the end of the year and nobody returned for Popestar tour in 2017.

Quintessence Ghoul #2. Basically just Water, but with different guitar and highlighted QE symbol on his uniform.

Mist Ghoulette aka Water#5. Tiny💜, unlike Copia's Ghoulettes she wore the same outfit and mask (that looked a bit too big for her) just like other Ghouls. Badass bass player, has a ring, a tattoo on her finger and painted nails. Veeeeery calm. Cute as hell. Alpha liked her a lot.

Fire, Earth and Air Ghouls were same as in 2015:

(from left to right on this picture: Mist, Quintessence #2 (aka Delta/Water Ghoul#4), Alpha/Fire, Earth/Pebble, Air)

2017

All of the previous Ghouls left and the new pack replaced them. If you see Ghouls who are +- same height as Papa, that's them!

(Dewdrop/Water #7, Aether/Quintessence #3, Zephyr/Air #2, Ifrit/Fire #2, Ivy/Earth #3)

Ifrit aka Fire Ghoul #2. Chaotic, hyperactive, Papa's hype man. Same height as Terzo, sweet bean, has wiiiide chest dorito shaped No tattoos, no rings. Spins, dances, jumps a lot. Gets "shot" during Ghuleh/Zombie Queen. No 🜂 sticker on his guitar. Only toured till 2018.

Aether aka Quintessence Ghoul #3. Beefy, jumps a lot, has rings and a bracelet. Always looks friendly. Plain black guitar with no QE symbol. Also pretty active, especially with his pal Ifrit. A bit taller than Papa III. Ran after Terzo when he got gragged off the stage by Papa Nihil's people. Joined in 2017, left in 2022.

P.S. since he's not Omega, his butt was safe during Year Zero solo 🙃

Dewdrop aka Water Ghoul #6 aka Sodo. Smaller than Terzo. Has an aggressive guitar playing style. A bit horny (it got worse). No visible tattoos. Proudly played bass with someone's panties. Syncs with Ifrit and Aether during Ghuleh/Zombie Queen outro. Became Fire Ghoul #3 in 2018. He's still in the Ghost (as of february 2024).

Zephyr aka chAir Ghoul #2. Sits on chair, a lot :) Charming, more active than previous Air ghoul. Loses it during Monstrance Clock, Per Aspera Ad Inferi and Cirice. Could be a great DJ. Almost the same height as Papa. Has a ring. His Mummy Dust keytar solo -[X]. Only toured till 2018.

Ivy aka Earth Ghoul #3. Underrated, many don't know much about him. Was present only during European leg of the Popestar tour (from march till july). Has brown eyes, a tattoo and bracelets. Same height as Ifrit. Wasn't around much, but still did a great job. Was later replaced by Mountain.

Mountain aka Earth Ghoul #4. Joined Ghost in july 2017. The tallest Ghoul. Hates shoes. Has a tattoo on the finger of his right hand, but you won't see shit on photos from this era because he wasn't photographed much and drummers usually get less attention than others in general:/ Quite calm comparing to Pebble. He's still in the band (as of february 2024).

Honorable mentions:

Special Ghoul aka Phil. Has green eyes, speaks Swedish. Did lots of interviews, showed up to grab a few awards for Ghost, worships cats and loves Abba. Literally Papa in disguise (aka Fire Ghoul's uniform and mask). Has been in the shadows since 2017.

Cowbell Ghoul. The myth, the legend. Played cowbell during "Ritual" and "If You Have Ghosts" a few times at the end of the Popestar tour in 2016. Tall, has a posture of a shrimp, always got shooed by Papa. Many want him back.

Aaaand that's it. I hope it was helpful. Thanks for reading :)

🌈👻

[themyscirah]

What runs/stories do you recommend for someone starting WW? Could you please be specific (/nicely)

Yeah ofc!

My Wonder Woman Starter Recs (specific style 😎)

First stops: for an initial introduction to Wonder Woman, I'd generally recommend going to at least one of three places first. These three are:

Wonder Woman: Historia: The Amazons by Kelly Sue DeConnick

Wonder Woman: Year One by Greg Rucka

Wonder Woman: the Hiketeia by Greg Rucka

Of these I generally recommend reading Historia first, as it's a retelling of the origin of the Amazons as a race and how Diana came to be (so it essentially starts from the beginning) and is also the most recent of the them (if that means anything). Something to note about Historia though is that it's a DC Black Label book, so it's events aren't strictly canon in the main DCU and there are some changes and new elements present. I don't think this is something that should discourage anyone from reading it though, it's the best WW origin story out there, and even in strict main canon over the years her origin is one that has had many fluctuations and small (& sometimes big) changes. WW:Historia is three prestige format (longer) issues.

You'll notice the third book there is WW: The Hiketeia. Hiketeia is a great book if you're looking for a view into Diana as a professional and experienced hero. It's a graphic novel so standalone and not too long, and has a great Diana and really interesting plot (Diana vows to protect a young woman and finds herself pressed against the wheels of Greek Tragedy). This is also the first work with Diana done by Greg Rucka, one of her most prolific and loved writers. A sampling of this work (and also Historia) I think gives a good guide to where to go next in terms of runs on her main title.

Wonder Woman: Year One is the second book on the list up there, but I'm mentioning it last here as it's a bit more complicated in terms of format. Unlike other year one books, WW: Year One is actually a series of issues on her main title, showcasing Diana's arrival to man's world in Rebirth (and also current p sure) continuity. The issue numbering for this one is strange (only the even issues 2-14 on WW (2016)) so I recommend looking for this in trade form if possible.

These 3 books I think give a taste of some of the best standalone stuff in the Wonder Woman mythos, and give the reader a good idea of where they may want to go next in terms of longer runs on the title. So I'll break that down here as a Step 2.

STEP 2: WHERE NEXT?

Here I break down some highly recommended runs based on what they have in common with the standalone books from step 1. As a rule, these runs are going to be much longer than the above and generally more connected to the wider DCU and other books. Look for the italics to see the introduction to each new work. Explanation paragraphs follow after each italic/bold rec.

Curious about Greek mythology in WW and the Amazons' origins after reading Historia? Liked the prescence of a supporting cast and Diana learning about Man's World from Year One? Willing to read a longer run? I recommend: Wonder Woman by George Pérez

George Pérez's time on Wonder Woman totally reinvented the character after Crisis on Infinite Earths, and is fundamental in establishing many core concepts of her lore. At 62 issues, 2 annuals, and a 4-issue crossover event at the end (War of the Gods), it's definitely a commitment to read, but it's the most enduring and well-loved run on Wonder Woman for a reason--it's just that damn good. Lots of focus on mythology (although with a lighter tone than Historia) alongside Diana learning her role in relation to Man's World & establishing herself as a hero and ambassador. Pérez's run also has almost-certainly the most expansive and developed supporting cast in WW comics, something that really drives the emotional core of the series, especially in later issues. Obligatory note that this series was written between 1987 and 1992 and contains some very occasional aspects that I thought were in some way dated/uncomfortable etc. while reading (details of Cheetah's origin, depiction of the Bana-Mighdall, Hercules) but despite that I still highly, highly recommend this run. The word fundamental cannot begin to describe it.

Liked the experienced Diana of the Hiketeia? Interested to see her attempt to balance the high stakes responsibilities of an ambassador and superhero? Looking for some really badass moments and fights? Haven't read enough terrible tragedy? I suggest: Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2003 EDITION.

Some of Diana's coolest moments of all time are collected here. Also one of her most controversial. The 1st Rucka run is very much the story for anyone who liked the Diana of the Hiketeia and the tragedy of that and Historia. 2003 Rucka Diana is a Diana tested, forced to make decisions that are anything but easy, and live with the consequences. She's extraordinarily capable, but her enemies know that and are prepared to that end. This run, along with the Pérez run, rank among my favorite Wondy comics of all time (those and Historia are my top 3). This run is such peak Diana, especially in terms of sheer badassery. Her final confrontation with Medusa is in my opinion perhaps the greatest Wonder Woman fight scene of all time. Her encounter with Athena in the second-to-last issue breaks me every time. Cannot recommend this book more.

*a note abt this run is that it is more context-dependent than the other ones listed here, as it's the run that finishes out the Wonder Woman vol. 2 book and so has some guest appearances from characters introduced in other prior runs (Artemis of Bana-Mighdall, Cassie Sandsmark, and Vanessa Kapatelis, to name a few). I read this run before knowing much (if anything) about any of them, and still enjoyed it a lot, so I wouldn't be worried about this really but just thought I'd mention it.

Rucka's 2003 run is published from Wonder Woman (1987) #195-226. You can also find it in trade and I believe(?) omnibus. Sometimes the Hiketeia is included in collections of this series, as the 03 run is thematically similar in many places, just with a much deeper look at Diana and the world & with higher stakes.

Liked the specific characters and plot threads of Wonder Woman: Year One? Want to see what happens with Diana's exile, or learn more about Barbara Ann? Want a Diana in between the extremes of young and highly experienced? Wonder Woman by Greg Rucka 2016 EDITION may be for you.

...yes I'm putting ANOTHER Rucka book on here. He writes a great Diana, what can I say. This run is the same one that Year One came out of, just the follow ups to that story and versions of the characters. I have this run listed as separate from Year One though, as there's some really big time skips since the events of that first volume. A lot of time has passed since then, and there's more history between the characters, not all of it without drama. This run continues to be weird with the numbering, as well as some artist changes, so I definitely recommend looking into reading this in trade format (physical or digital) if at all possible. My recommended reading order is WW 2016 by Rucka vol. 2 "The Lies" (Wonder Woman: Rebirth Special #1, followed by 2016 main title odd numbered issues 1-11), then Rucka 16 vol. 3 "The Truth" (odds 13-23) then Godwatch (evens 16 through 24) followed by 25? But The Truth and Godwatch combine near the end so that doesn't really work either. This run is so good but recommending it is such a pain because the numbering is so all over the place. On God I never know which order to read this in. Going to revoke my previous statement and say read it as Rebirth Special 1, then only odds 1 through 11, then from 13 through 25 normally. That may lead to some weirdness as you read because the two stories take place at different times and have different art styles, but they come together at the end pretty dramatically so I think it's less confusing to read it this way? Maybe? So strange bc this is one of the go to good starter runs and yet it's set up so unintuitively. If someone has a better way to read this then let me know and ill edit, ik this explanation is super confusing bc neither way to read it is totally ideal imo and I feel I definitely read it in a weird order.

Going to call that a good rundown of some of my greatest recommendations in terms of Wonder Woman comics. If anything wasn't fully clear here or anyone (not just anon) has questions or wants to talk abt WW comics/my choices feel free to send as many asks or dms as you want. Have a good day everybody, & as Diana says, may the glory of Gaea be with you <3

[wolves-and-stars]

Beginner's Guide to Wolfstar (Long Fics)

(here's a list of my top 10 favorite long fics ranging from 259k to 59k words)

Momentum by children_of_the_shadows (ao3) 259k

If you have to ready any canon compliant (mostly) marauders through the years fic, this is the one, Children_of_the_shadows is one of the best writers ever, Top 3 fic authors.

2. Text Talk by merlywhirls (ao3) 141k

Everyone knows text talk, it's basically wolfstar bible, Non Magic AU where the boys meet by accidently texting the wrong number.

3. Time is a Fine Invention by bluepeony (ao3) 105k

Brilliant university non magic au, with the most imperfect and human characterization of both Remus and Sirius, read it if only to humanize the both of them and their relationship. Insecurity in a relationship and Coming of age and all the thoughts accompanying it are perfectly described in this. so much foreshadowing if you read it carefully enough.

It'll make you hate and simultaneously empathize with both characters.

4. Slughorn's Sanitarium for Troubled Boys by MelloPie 65k

TW: discussion of mental health, SA, institutionalization, ab*use, s*icide, self h*rm.

Non-Magic AU, set in a mental institution, where both noys have to share a room. Its one of the first long fics i ever read, so maybe i have a soft spot for this one, and every other fic on this list.

5. The Lad That Loved You. by MollyMaryMarie (ao3) 81k

I've said this once and I'll say it again, mollymarymarie is one of the best writers out there, another top 3 author for me, all of her fics are amazing, obviously including dear you holiness, we can pretend, the only living boy in new york, i might have to do a separate recs list for that.

But, if you had to read just one, i would say The lad that loved you is the perfect one, set in their 6th or 7th year? of hogwarts, they hide their new relationship by acting like they hate each other, and let me tell you, they are exactly, perfectly themselves in this fic, and by that i mean exactly how i imagine them.

There is not one single thing about this fic that i would change. Perfection.

6. Discards by picascribit (ao3) 76k words

I can't make a fic rec without picascribit. Cure for nightmares changed my life. Non-magic AU, Remus meets Sirius in the library he goes to study at, real love isn't always perfect and doesn't involve perfect people, is what i've take away from this fic.

7. ten reasons (to go to michigan) by greyeyedmonster18 (ao3) 59k

Top 3 Fics. If you had to read any wolfstar fic, it would be this one. I've read 100's spanning from 2016 - till date, and this is the best one ive ever read.

Remus is newly divorced, and he meets Sirius Black.

If you've ever lost someone one and had to re-learn how to live without someone you never thought you would have to live without, this fic will encapsulate the gist of it in words.

In one of their notes the authors says something close to 'the hardest thing about losing someone is finding out that the earth keeps spinning and you have to keep living'

8. Dating Remus Lupin by Children_of_the_Shadows (ao3) 83k

Top 3 fics. I can't explain this fic in any words, the writing style is brilliant, the characterizations are unique and wonderful and perfect. Everything about this fic is brilliant.

Set in Year 5, Sirius Black wants a boyfriend and James tells him about the only other openly gay boy in in their year, it just happens to be Remus Lupin. Much to his disdain.

9. Remus Lupin's Guide to Successful Courting by Children_of_the_Shadows (ao3) 87k

Non Magic AU, Remus Lupin finds harry in his yard having escaped from school and return him back to Dr. Sirius Black, who's new to town and coincidently doesn't have an inkling about Remus's past, his eyes clear of any judgement are what make Remus fall for him and pursue him, court if you will.

I again cannot explain this fic. Children_of_the_shadows is the most talented writer, i will make a separate fic list for their other brilliant work.

10. Sex Pistol by ArtificialAorta (ffnet) 86k

Musicians AU, Remus is punk rock, Sirius is akin to the prince of pop, how can they not fall in love?

[kradeelav]

thought it'd be cool to dissect one page's coloring method from IRON CROWN since i was not kidding in saying my coloring was on another level compared to now.

(also stress-testing that i can do all of the things in krita vs photoshop cs5. long story short: yes, unequivocally!)

the easiest way to show this is listing out my layers and then doing a timelapse gif of turning off/on the layers one by one, from top to bottom. if you're not familiar with how modern painting software uses layers, think of it as many panes of glass "layered" on top of one another, where you can paint on as big or as small of an area you want.

most of these are self explanatory. adding a few notes below:

* as hinted above, a huge part of IC's style design was inspired by 00's 2-D animated films like atlantis: the lost empire, prince of egypt, and legend of korra.

you can actually see the old animation color-map I used back then as a style guide of sorts below! posting here freely since i've since expanded/revised this color map yesterday in much more detail to hopefully get back on the wagon with coloring.

the idea is when planning out a scene is to use this as a blueprint of what mood the scene should be, what colors accentuate that mood, and how to "shift" into the new scene's color mood without going too zany with too many colors.

for example, the page above is a transition between the cooler turquoise of the dungeon to the wamer red/magenta "danger" scene, so you get a neat red/green play.

* "hue shift" is one final merged-visible layer on top that's kind of a halfassed version of mimicking a CRT TV screen's effects. there is so much more literature out there now than there was in 2016 (though the quality is ... debatable); just google up some stuff about "chromatic aberration". try to keep a screenshot of a real show on hand to compare and contrast since a lot of people don't get it right.

* "fog" layers (lol) are just gradients stacked up on each other since i had a horrible tendency to abuse those and overlay layers. :D

* "light" was your basic overlay layer. generally i tried to keep to only flat colors (with a very slight secondary "shadow" color for skin; but sometimes i cheated by adding a third lighter skin tone on the flats as well as the light on top.

* most of the heavy lifting was done by taking the real raw flats (last part scene), and then lightly throwing some gradients on top of there too until they more or less resembled the animation screens i was referencing off of. you see what i mean by abusing gradients. :)

[cypressure]

Have you got any recommendations for dinosaur nonfiction books?

Your art makes me so happy 🥺

hey thank you, i appreciate your saying so (and also giving me the opportunity to talk about dinosaur books)! under the cut for length--

starting off with an overview before getting down to specific topics, my first recommendation is Dinosaurs: How They Lived and Evolved by Darren Naish & Paul Barrett. this was first published in 2017, but the third edition was just released with plenty of updates to reflect new discoveries and hypotheses. it's very thorough and accessible, and takes you through all the major clades of dinosaurs and everything we know about their evolution and ecology. this is definitely the best starting point for getting up-to-date with dinosaur science.

the end-Cretaceous extinction has been getting lots of popular attention lately (thanks to DePalma and the Tanis site I suspect), so if you'd like to learn more on this subject, I love The Last Day of the Dinosaurs by Riley Black, also from 2022. this is the scariest dinosaur book i've ever read--she paints an incredibly vivid and horrifying picture of the aftermath of the meteor impact, and of how the animals which survived the event managed to live on.

if you want to read about how exactly we know all these things about dinosaurs, I just recently picked up Dave Hone's How Fast Did T. rex Run? (titled The Future of Dinosaurs in the UK i think), published in 2022. he delves into what we know from the fossil record and how paleontologists work to figure these things out, as well as what we don't know yet and what we probably will never know, and the difference between those two. i suggest it for learning about paleontology as a scientific process, and it's a very interesting read.

so far, all of these books have been about dinosaurs as a whole; if you are looking for popular publications about specific groups, there are not as many options unfortunately (for some reason there isn't a huge audience for 200-page books about obscure thyreophorans. sighs disappointedly). most of what we get is about the large, more familiar clades; you will see books on tyrannosaurs, and there's a few field guide-style books about Mesozoic birds (which tend to be very beautifully illustrated but kind of technical; see below for titles). my pick for clade-specific books is The Sauropod Dinosaurs: Life in the Age of Giants, by Mark Hallett and Matthew Wedel, from 2016. this one goes into serious detail about every conceivable aspect of sauropod paleobiology, which as you can imagine is a huge and fascinating topic, and all the artwork is gorgeous. caveat: it being 8 years old means there's some science in there which will be outdated by now, but as far as i can remember it's still worth checking out.

and finally, as a paleoartist, i have to mention paleoart books! if you're interested in the science behind the choices paleoartists make when reconstructing extinct animals, especially for your own practice, i cannot recommend enough Mark Witton's The Paleoartist's Handbook, from 2018. he thoroughly explains how to interpret fossil evidence and paleontological research from an artist's perspective, and covers about everything from soft tissues to composing a scene. this is one of less than a handful of books on this particular topic, and it's definitely the most in-depth.

with any scientific subject you have to be careful with older books; this is especially true with paleontology since the discipline has accelerated so much over the past few decades and shows no signs of slowing down. i would even hesitate to recommend anything published more than 10 years ago, since new discoveries and technology have made so many questions and hypotheses moot (and in turn created new and more interesting ones)! the only exception to this is a recommendation for historical significance: Robert Bakker's 1986 The Dinosaur Heresies is essential to understanding what modern paleontologists call the Dinosaur Renaissance, or how our perception of dinosaurs changed from lizardlike evolutionary dead-ends into the active, successful bird ancestors we see in reconstructions now. this book kickstarted that change, and it's easy to see how: it's a very engaging read, Bakker argues his points very effectively, plus there are cute dinosaur cartoons. (i also love a lot of older works for their personal significance, but gushing about formative dinosaur books is something for another post.)

finally, thanks to the wonders of the internet, books are not the only way to learn about current dinosaur science! the best way is always by reading paleontology papers, where scientists directly describe and illustrate new discoveries or hypotheses. however, i know jumping straight into the technical literature may be overwhelming: fortunately a lot of paleontologists have social media, blogs, and/or podcasts where they write about their work and new developments in the field. the heyday of science blogs is kind of past, but there are still a few very good ones out there: this list on Feedly has a good selection to browse. being just self-published material, all of these don't have the benefits of peer review that papers and books do, so always be willing to take things with a grain of salt and do your own research.

of course this is a non-exhaustive list, especially limiting myself to both works recently published and which i have actually read. i've certainly forgotten or missed out on many new paleontology books (Dean Lomax's Locked in Time is one of these which i still haven't gotten ahold of yet, but which im very excited to get to); i welcome any additional recommendations or thoughts from the rest of paleoblr!

i hope this was helpful and i wish you luck in your reading :)

[randomimaginesideas]

My King (Loki X OC) Prologue

Hallo everybody,

A/N: Before you start reading the rest of the story, I just want to give a little disclaimer.

My King (Loki x Reader) was the first fanfic I ever posted back on quotev.com. The un-edited story can still be found there. (Read at your own risk). I recently remembered this story, and looking back on it I see how much I’ve grown in my writing style, but also in real life. I published the first chapter back in 2016. And since then I’ve never truly stopped writing fanfiction with my more recent works of Valtor’s right hand series and Papilionem effectus. 

So I wanted to revist this story and update it to my more recent writing style while also keeping as close as possible to the original.

This work may not be the most original storytelling wise, but I do hope you enjoy it, just as much I had while revisiting this work.

So thank you for your time, and happy reading.

Summary:

When Astrid doesn't fit in anywhere, and she get sentences to life on Earth she makes the best of it. When one day, a certain prince steps into her life and offers a way out of the dull Midgardian life.

Alternatively

What happens when Loki gets a right hand woman during his time on Earth?

Disclaimer; This story can also be found on AO3 or Wattpad, if you prefer reading there.

A loud bang could be heard as the grand wooden doors opened, letting the two guards who were guiding a struggling prisoner through. The sound from the metal shackles moved through the room as they hit the tiled floor. The guards were holding the arms on the woman with two arms, lifting her just above the floor as she continued to struggle in their arms. “Unhand me!” She said angrily. 

The guards ignored the woman’s struggles, and dropped her in front of the throne that stood in the enormous hall. From the force which they dropped her with the woman ended up on the floor, but before she was able to stand up her accompanying guards placed their hands on her shoulders. The woman struggled for a bit more, until she realized it had no use and settled. Finally casting her eyes on the man sitting on the throne, watching the spectacle. 

The man was not alone, alongside him stood his wife, the queen Frigga, taking her place on his right side. And his two sons had placed themselves on their father’s left. It was a rare occasion that both sons would be presented during a trial, oftentimes only the younger son would be present as the eldest was out in the nine realms as an emissary of Asgard, which was basically just swinging his fists and hammer around. But the woman knew that those three people weren’t important, not to her at least. No, her fate was in the hand of the man on the throne. All-Father Odin. 

“Astrid Arnedottir, today you are being trailed for the following accusations made against you; Attempted murder, endangering the royal family, and treason against the people of Asgard. How do you plead?” Odin looked down at the woman on her knees, Astrid, who looked back at him with fire in her eyes. Her brown hair which once had been braided now hung in loose ringlets around her face, as the rest just looked like a disheveled mess. “Not. Guilty.” Astrid said, her teeth clenched as she fought the urge to not throw every insult known to Asgard at the man’s face.

“And what do you have to say to confirm your statement?” The All-father continued, not bothered by the sheer anger of the woman in front of him. “Does it matter what I say? You have already decided you want to get rid of me!” Astrid lashed out, wanting to stand up but the guards pushed her down again. “I give you one more chance, do you have anything to confirm your statement or should we look at the evidence we have against you?” 

An almost manic laugh escaped from her lips, shaking her head. “I’m not guilty of the crimes you accuse me of. I didn’t attempt to murder anyone, I didn’t try to kill any of you, and my loyalty lies with the people of Asgard. I’ve done good things, I’ve helped people, I nursed men or animals back to life from the brink of death. But now, I’m being framed by the crown itself just because you want to get rid of me!”

“The guard claims it was you who attacked him,-” Odin started, but was vastly interrupted by Astrid. “So it is his words about mine, but it’s me who gets treated like some animal.” Odin just waited for Astrid to be finished before he started speaking again, his voice remaining calm. “The guard claims it was you who attacked him near the personal quarters of the crown prince. After you fled the scene another guard saw you exit through the palace gardens. So there is more than one witness.” Odin seemed almost pleased when he pointed it out to her. “Knowing the evidence of your crimes, how do you plead?” Odin asked Astrid again, who just shook her head and laughed but it slowly faded away in a sigh. “How convenient that all witnesses follow your orders, All-father. How I plead doesn’t matter? It’s clear you have already decided.”

‘Astrid Arnedottir, I sentence you hereby to be executed by sundown. Your death shall be brought by the ax.’ The All-father said, slamming his staff on the ground. A look of defeat crossed Astrid’s face as she looked up at the ceiling before closing her eyes. Astrid felt the hands from the guards move from her shoulder towards her upper arms again, as they helped her up. “I can walk by myself, give me at least the dignity to do that.” She snapped at them as she tried to shake them off. The guards shared a look before slowly releasing her, but remaining on guard to see if she would bolt.

Astrid looked at the All-father and gave him a small mocking bow. “Thank you, All-Father, for your honest judgment. May your son rule life up to your example.” Odin’s face betrayed nothing at Astrid's little display.

Astrid was led back to her cell she had been kept in these past couple of days. Only a few days ago she was just minding her own business, tending to her gardens when the guards had taken her into custody. It was only yesterday that she learned of her supposed crimes, which she hadn’t done. Even now while walking next to the cell of hardened criminals she stood out like a red dot on a white painting.

Astrid waited for the magic shields to close behind her before she turned around, and watched as the guards walked away. Astrid made her way towards the small pile of blankets that had been her bed these past couple of days. She placed her head against the wall, as she glided down and sat down. She closed her eyes, and tried to shut out the sounds from her fellow prisoners.

***

They were late.

Even though there were no windows in the dungeons, Astrid's biological clock had been telling her it had been somewhere near sundown when she had opened her eyes again. In preparation of the ax Astrid had tried to brush her hair with her hands, and braided it again. The All-father may think of her a villain, she was at least polite enough for the executioner to easily see her neck. Perhaps that way he would kill her in one blow.

But after she had done that she waited, and waited, and waited. And then she had been sure that the sun was already down by that point. Had something happened, or was the executioner’s list full for today and was she to be moved to tomorrow? Then they could have at least done the decency thing to tell her. She had mentally prepared herself to die, now she was being forced to wait, giving fear the chance to creep back in again.

Eventually four guards made their way towards her cell, among them in the middle was Queen Frigga herself. Astrid gave her the courtesy of a small bow with her head. She was after all the wife of the man who sentenced her to death. But Frigga had always been known as a good queen to her subjects. Astrid said nothing as she waited for somebody to speak.

“Astrid, I am pleased to inform you that the All-father has made a change in your judgment.” Astrid could’t hide the surprise that came on her face. “Since no actual murder has taken place the punishment of execution might have been too severe for the crimes you were accused of. Instead you will be sent down to Midgard, to spend the rest of your life there in exile. You are to remain there, and are not allowed to step foot into Asgard ever again. We will take you there now, and you are only allowed to bring the possessions you have on you now.” Freya ended her announcement, but there was a kind smile on her face. 

“Thank you, your majesty.” Astrid said, sounding sincere, which she was. It wasn’t like she was looking forward to living on Midgard with limited access to her powers, but it beats dying any day.

***

Frigga didn’t accompany her and the guards to the Bifrost. No, only Astrid and four of the guards had made their way to the Biforst where Heimdall was waiting for them. Before she walked inside the dome-shaped building Astrid glanced back one more time, as she took it all in, assuming this was going to be the last time she would see it.

Then she proceeded to make her way inside the building, and followed the instructions Heimdall gave her. “I wish you the best of luck Lady Astrid.” Heimdall said to her. Astrid glanced over her shoulder to look at him, a sad smile on her face. “I can assure you I’m not Lady, Sir Heimdall.” Astrid turned back to look at the place the portal would soon appear. Just before the portal would suck her in, and take her towards her destination she could hear Heimdall speak. “I wish you the best of luck all the same.”

***

Astrid was in pain, her whole body hurt from the blow her body had taken when she’d struck the earth. Her passage through the bifrost was less than graceful as she had been shaken towards all sides. When she felt like she wasn’t about to throw up from the pain, or just overall dizziness that comes with the use of the bifrost she slowly sat up.

It was dark, the stars were shining in the sky. The land felt like it was going down, so perhaps she was on a hill. Surrounding her were tiny trees, but in the darkness she couldn’t see what kind of fruit hung from them.  In the distance Astrid could see a small house, with people coming her way, using a lantern of shorts to light the way.  

Two people approached her carefully as she stood up. In the dark they shined the light from their lantern in her direction. “Qui es-tu?” A male voice said, and as Astrid slowly walked closer she could see it was an elderly couple. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.” Astrid said in Asgardian. “Que es-tue? D’où viens-tu? Et que faites-vous dans votre vigne?” This was going to be harder than expected.

But Astrid was nothing but a fighter. One language barrier wasn’t going to stop her. No, she was going to learn. She was going to make something of this second chance she had gotten, even if there had been no need for it. But she was going to make the best of it, and before she knew it Asgard will be a distant memory.

[crushedsweets]

As someone who's also trying to make an expansive creepypasta world with rewrites, crossovers, and a big storyline, any advice for someone whos been out of the creepypasta loop since 2016?

@lazari-returns

OK FOR STARTERS YOUR PAGE AND ART STYLE ARE BEAUTIFUL!! ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!! ur art style is literally perfect n im beyond excited to see what other stuff u create

this isnt exactly advice(cuz im not qualified LMFAO), but how i created my AU!

to start, i was completely and entirely okay with throwing out canon ...LOL

making a googlesites website and a miro timeline helped me the most!

i started by creating each individual character, their backstory, and motivations! who graduated, parents, source of income, mode of transport, are they a wanted criminal, etc... once i put them all on a timeline, it forced me to smooth out any wrinkles in the plot

and creating a map helped! once i made a map for Creeped, i thought about who lived close together, where conflict might take place, etc..

AND FINDING A THEME IS HUGE TOO! the constant theme of Creeped is healing. finding joy, solace, community, growth, etc... this guided my story soooo fucking much

TLDR; website for characters, timeline for events, map for setting, and theme for purpose!

if anyone who actually studies writing/worldbuilding has advice, feel free to leave it in the comments LOL it would benefit me as well....

[getsikndie]

Where I get my clothes, and where to buy clowncore fashion

Alright so, ever since I’ve started posting my outfits on here and instagram I’ve been frequently asked where I get my clothes so I decided to just make this post I can direst people to when they ask. What I’m going to be covering in this post is:

☆ Where I buy my clothes

☆ Where I got the specific pieces that are most frequently asked about

☆ Brands/shops that sell clowncore and kidcore fashion

☆ About where the pieces used in my urstyle sets come from

Let me know if you want me to make a clowncore style guide/ post with basics and recommendations for starting to wear the fashion.

WHERE I BUY MY CLOTHES

The answer to that is that majority of my clothes, and especially the more interesting pieces are bought second-hand, either from thrift stores or depop. If you’re looking for weird or colorful clothes, thrift stores and antique stores are the first place you should check because a lot of common things in clowncore fashion such as weird/ugly sweaters or colorful frilly blouses are vintage.

When buying stuff online, yes you can search for terms like “clowncore” or “kidcore” and get results from people who know those aesthetics, but I usually have better luck finding stuff I like by making a pinterest board of clothes I want, and then searching for specific items on depop and ebay. 

For example some of the things I search for are “colorful vintage sweater” “clown sweater” “colorful 80s blouse” “vintage rainbow sweater” “vintage bed jacket” “square dance dress”. I also search for old Lazy Oaf stuff, because I feel like 2010s Lazy Oaf goes well with clowncore. The only other brand I specifically search for is Eagles Eye, who made some of the weird sweaters I own.

Accessorizing is also important for this style, and you can find stuff like patterned socks/tights, novelty purses, and quirky earrings pretty easily on Amazon and Ebay. But I’d also recommend looking on Etsy to find more unique and better quality accessories.

WHERE I GOT SPECIFIC PIECES:

These are just the ones most frequently asked about so I thought I’d put them in here, if there’s something else not included here feel free to ask.

Blue clown face sweater: This was bought in 2016 from beautifulhalo.com and sold out soon after I got it. It’s actually a dupe of a very similar Lazy Oaf sweater that was sold out before that.

Red letter skirt: I actually made this myself out of a plain red circle skirt I thrifted, and some foam letters that you can buy in the kids arts and crafts section of walmart or similar stores.

Fuzzy red cartoon eye dress: This is from Lazy Oaf, I got it second hand on ebay.

Crayola crayons sweater: I bought this on ebay, the brand is the Eagle’s Eye.

Blue burger top: This is another Lazy Oaf piece I got on ebay.

M&M button up shirt: I got this in NYC from the M&M store there in 2019, I’m not sure if they still sell them or if they’re available online.

Red clown sweater: I bought this on Etsy in 2017 and I’m under the impression it was one of a kind, but I’m not 100% sure. 

Rainbow striped top: My mom got me this for Christmas in 2019 I think, and I’m pretty sure she got it from Amazon. It’s a dupe of a top made by Minga London, although the original uses a darker shade of blue. You can probably still find it if you search “rainbow stripe turtleneck” or something.

Rockafire Explosion Rolfe and Earle tee: Got this from https://www.cafepress.com/rockafireworld, they have merch of the other characters as well.

BRANDS/SHOPS THAT SELL CLOWNCORE AND KIDCORE FASHION:

Here are some links to brands, stores, and depop accounts that sell clowncore and kidcore type clothes. Note that some of them sell other clothes besides that so you might have to look through their stuff.

https://www.kinaandtam.com/ (Can be a bit pricey, but I’ve bought a sweater from them and it’s great quality, def recommend) 

https://www.lazyoaf.com/collections/lazy-oaf-x-nhozagri (while i feel like the lazy oaf aesthetic has shifted and become less kidcore over the years, they still do make colorful weird stuff sometimes)

https://theraggedpriest.com/  (have some cool colorful stuff if you look for it)

https://www.depop.com/kitschcore/ (vintage clothes)

https://www.depop.com/sweetcarolinesvintage/ (vintage clothes)

https://www.depop.com/sweaterweatherco/ (colorful sweaters)

https://www.depop.com/maekshift/ (clown costumes)

https://www.depop.com/bluebearboutique/ (colorful collars)

https://www.depop.com/mysticalbaby/ (jewelry)

https://katabasisagora.com/ (upcycled/altered pieces, featured in my urstyle sets multiple times)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/MaliciousDesignsLA (dresses and sets, very melanie martinez-esque but some also give me clown vibes)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/ichigoblack (bloomers, dresses and skirts)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/KawaiiKave (accessories)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/YellowThreadd (accessories)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SistersEnchanted (clown collars)

https://rommydebommy.com/ (realistic food purses - super expensive but very cool i dream of owning one T_T)

https://www.fashionbrandcompany.com/ (duh)

That’s all I can think of atm, hopefully I’m not forgetting anything I know of

ABOUT MY URSTYLE SETS

If you follow me it might be because of my urstyle sets, aka outfit collages I’ve made on the website urstyle (it’s just like polyvore). I make these as moodboard basically, putting together outfits for whatever style I’m into at the current moment, but none of the pngs I use are my photos and only a couple of my sets include clothes that I own, since they’re more like pictures of outfits I wish I own. If I want to make outfits with my clothes I can just wear them lol

Some of the pictures I use I uploaded myself from pinterest or other websites, but I also use a lot of pictures that weren’t uploaded by me. For the majority of the clothes, I don’t know where they’re from or where to get them, although there are a few that I do know. If you want to know whether I know where a specific piece is from, just ask me, but please don’t ask the general question of “where are these clothes from” or “where do you buy these” under my urstyle posts since that broad of a question is hard to answer.

Hope this answered some questions people might have!

[bugeyedfreaks]

Is it just me or are we getting new official art of ppg everytime I see the new merch, i’ve never seen some of them before, not even when I checked out those obscure art they usually use for the japanese merch. I started seeing them around after Craig confirmed he’s interested in making more ppg

There’s only been one piece of “new” art I’ve seen, and the art was just something I think they just rarely used from back in the day. What’s realistically happening is that they’re testing to see if people will still buy PPG merch and if it will make money (they did the same thing before the 2016 reboot), and if someone licenses the show for their merch, whoever is at WB/CN/Turner/whatever they’re calling it nowadays sends them everything they’ve ever made and lets them pick from there. It might explain why some “exclusives” use reboot art only/original art only/a mix/etc. Either that or they’ve written a really bad style guide for some of the new stuff that incorporates both the reboot and original styles. I don’t know what’s going on.

If you guys do find art you think is “new,” send it to me!

[zeeckz]

any tips on how to learn to draw heads and facial expressions? i see some of your old drawings have some flaws (such as small upper or back part of head) but newer ones look perfect to me. did you do any specific exercises to learn or follow any guides? i am really bad at this so no answer is obvious and any advice is appreciated

Hi anon! I suppose my "old drawings" are the ones I have here on tumblr? Those are from 2016-18 more or less, the digital ones I did very uncomfortably with my finger on a small iPad, so they're like. Worse than my average. But either way I'm not sure I understood what you meant - I think I've always done the same kind of head shape (small upper/back head), so I wouldn't know what to tell you about it;;

I also grew up kind of obsessed with Ancient Greek sculptures (and Greek-adjacent, aka Roman copies, Renaissance, Neoclassicism, etc), so my proportions are directly based on their canon. I think it might help you feel more comfortable with drawing faces/heads, but keep in mind it is just for that - getting used to it. You don't have to use these proportions forever, and real life people more often than not do not follow them. This is pretty eurocentric AND mathematically idealized, so it really won't apply to everyone, but you can still throw (guide)lines and adapt them to your needs

This is more or less the way I draw faces and where I position things (like the eye, the ear, the end of the hairline or the front part of the neck). Again, you don't need to follow these. You can try to learn them, if you want, but it works the same way if you do so from real people. You can ignore things you don't feel as interested by, or draw them in a way that you like more (for instance I don't really draw the double chin a real person would have, I just do the bone jawline and the neck directly attached to it, if that makes sense). You could even pick your favorite person (or character) ever and draw their face/proportions until you're comfortable enough to try different things!

I've been talking about profiles because I think I don't have that much "structure" with front faces? As in, at most I think I'm only taking into consideration where to put the eyes in relation to the nose or viceversa, but you can try to do turnarounds like this and see what works best for you or just to test yourself

(Lined notebooks are pretty useful for this...) Either way if you want me to be more specific about front faces, lmk and I'll try

Anyways, I think these should work out regardless of what your artstyle might be. By this I mean you could use, idk, Shin-Chan or Rick & Morty (or whatever else) to get the author's way of doing proportions. It's easier with 2D animation shows because they already need to do character sheets with them for the animators to draw characters consistently, but any other media should work just fine

If despite going through all of it you still feel you lack structure, then I'd suggest to learn some basic anatomy. You're lucky enough to currently be in an era with thousands of tutorials with thousands of artists, old and new, and styles that you can find for free. Honestly I don't personally own that sort of books, or if I do they're rather advanced compared to what your question is, so I could only suggest you some youtubers if you really wanted me to, but then you might already know them

As per how to draw expressions, I think my previous examples already show I've never been one to differ a lot from the lack of it, but I think this one depends more on the artstyle you want to achieve - I'd say it's way easier to clearly show an emotion with less realistic styles, as it allows you to exaggerate things more. Thus, I'm not sure what to tell you about this either. Keep things simple for now, try to recognize the way faces distort when they're smiling and compare them to when they're pissed off (or any other emotion you're interested in), look for the most basic guidelines/shapes from that, try to apply them to your drawings

I do struggle with certain things when conveying expressions or doing certain body parts, so I try to have a reference (or several) for them. This is normal. I'm not Kim Jung Gi, after all. So don't feel disappointed if you find yourself needing 10 different pictures or drawings of the same thing by different people. It's okay. Expressions are difficult. Bodies move in weird ways. Don't be hard on yourself, and have as much fun as possible

[skepsiss]

A collection of all the terms, lore, and monster types for my fic The Last Strange Thing. Read my fan fic here.

This cross-over fic of Stranger Things and The Last of Us left me with a lot of creative liberty, so I figured it would be helpful to have a guide so you can follow along or reference the monsters (etc) just in case.

WARNING: Body horror, gruesome monsters, mention of death

Terms/Lore:

Red Ash = The ash produced by the parasite/infected. It looks like Upside Down ash

Need to wash the ash off yourself every 2 (ish) weeks with acidic liquids like lemon juice, vinegar, or salt

Fire is the only way to safely destroy an infected corpse 

Larva do not like intense heat, will actively avoid. Sleep near a fire to deter them.

Demogorgons and Demo-dogs do not like intense heat, will actively avoid. Don’t like fire, but are strong enough/big enough to attack if you sleep by a fire.

Apocalypse happened in 2013 (Last of Us style). The year now is 2033

Steve was born in 2013

Robin & Nancy were born in 2014

Eddie was born in 2012

The teens were born in 2016/2017

Only mammals can be turned. Insects, Reptiles, Birds, and Amphibians cannot be infected. 

Monster type references;

Larva = slug slime creatures (the things that Will barfs up)

Infected = overall, all the monsters are called “infected” as a catch-all term

Scrags = newly infected (still mostly human, but have lost their minds already. Attack to kill)

Incubators = fully infectious (the period of time when mutations are beginning, but mostly they are a host for incubating the parasite/larva. They are driven to eat meat to feed the larva and will eventually barf the larva up. The corpses will die eventually if it does not eat enough.)

Demogorgons = full mutation (deadly, inhuman appearance. Mouths split like the tulip of ST’s demogorgons. Full transformation happens if an incubator can stay alive long enough. Eventually, parasites stop being produced, and they just become a fully fledged demogorgon.)

Demo-dogs = 4 legged mammals that are infected by the parasite (does not have to be a dog. They go through a more rapid infection process than humans, do not produce as much larva. More likely to transform into demo-dogs, then die and become ash-factories.)

Demo-bats = Flying mammals that have been transformed. (Demo-bats do not produce larvae.) 

Hive Mothers = dead, ash-producing corpse (when the body/incubator dies and instead the body is slowly reduced to “red ash” that can infect you)

Vines = like the vines from Stranger Things. (Seem to be connected psychically to nearby networks of infected).

[tellthemeerkatsitsfine]

Okay, I know I said I don’t give one fuck about any Taskmaster s18 contestants who aren't Andy Zaltzman, but I do want to post a bit more about Rosie Jones and representation (if you swapped out Andy Zaltzman for someone I cared about less, then the big story that I'd be really excitedly posting about this week would be that I can't wait to see Rosie Jones on there). And I wanted to put it in a separate post from the stuff about these people as comedians, because I don’t want everything I have to say about Rosie Jones to come back to disability representation. There are so many reasons why her style of humour is a perfect fit for Taskmaster, reasons that have nothing to do with disability. So here’s a post to talk about the disability stuff, from an able-bodied person who isn’t really qualified to talk about that, and outside this post I’ll try to keep the focus on her comedy.

I’m interested to see how much of this season has tasks tailored to things Rosie Jones can do (avoiding running, fine motor skills with hands, complicated or fast speech), versus tasks that do have things she can’t do but Rosie Jones gets accommodations (ie. everyone else paints freehand but Rosie gets something guided). I assume it’ll be some mix of both, and both are good! Both are good models for how real life should work, accessibility-wise, weaving accommodation into all the different aspects.

I expect the Taskmaster lineup announcement will provoke some comments disagreeing with that, and I assume that’s why Rosie decided to get off social media before it. However, in this post I really want to respond to one particular YouTube comment I once read on a Rosie Jones video, by someone who said you shouldn’t do stand-up comedy with a speech impediment for the same reason why people don’t play professional basketball if they’re five feet tall, comedy doesn't work when people can't understand your speech, and this is why you saw comedians from lots of different minority groups working 20 years ago, but there were no comedians with speech impairments twenty years ago, because they didn’t have “diversity & inclusion” policies twenty years ago and only a diversity & inclusion policy could cause people to pretend they understand Rosie Jones.

First of all, I’m feeling the need to reply to that comment because: Francesca Martinez. It’s objectively untrue to say there weren’t stand-up comedians with cerebral palsy (and an associated speech impairment) twenty years ago, there was Francesca Martinez. I’m sure there have been other comedians with cerebral palsy from 20 years ago that I don’t know about and I apologize to whomever I’m leaving out, but I knew at least one off the top of my head, because they’re not that rare.

Now. About the other thing. I see a lot of people in YouTube comments saying they think it’s silly that all these people are pretending find Rosie Jones funny, just because they want to be nice to the disabled girl. Obviously that’s an awful thing to say, but I can kind of see why people would think that’s happening, if they genuinely don’t understand the words Rosie is saying, and they think everyone else must be similarly unable to understand her. Someone might truly think that, if it hasn’t occurred to them that other people have put in the fairly small amount of effort it takes to understand a style of speech they're not used to.

Because there’s no point in pretending it’s automatic for everyone. Some people are better at auditory processing than others, and some people will understand Rosie Jones easily on the first try. But personally, I did find it hard at first. And that’s exactly why it’s good that I kept listening to her until I found it easier. Because Rosie Jones is funny enough to be worth listening to even if it's slightly difficult. But more importantly, it mattered because people who talk like Rosie Jones exist in all parts of life and it’s nice if the people around them can comprehend their speech.

In 2016, I worked for a few years as a PSW for disabled people. A bunch of the clients had cerebral palsy, and almost all of them could speak at the same pace as I did and were easy to understand. But one of them spoke similarly to Rosie Jones. I got him breakfast every morning, he didn’t talk much, and when he did, I found it very hard to understand him. I tried my best, of course, because I hated making him repeat himself. But sometimes I had to, to make sure I knew what he was saying.

In 2020, I got really really into panel shows. Rosie Jones turned up on some of them, and I struggled to understand her speech. I used some of the tricks that I’d learned when working with the man in my PSW job, the most helpful one being to look at her lips when she was talking.

Over time, however, it got easier. The big change came when I watched The Last Leg, and they had her on a lot, a frequent guest for several years in a row. They also had on a lot of other disabled people (athletes and comedians), and some of those people had speech impairments, so I got used to hearing that style of speech even more. After a while, it was so familiar to me that I realized I'd stopped having to strain to understand it. I barely noticed that Rosie Jones was talking any differently from anyone else. I mean, I knew she was, but my brain processed it as easily as it did with any other speech. Like a regional accent. I didn’t need to turn on subtitles or look at her lips or run the video back to catch words that I’d missed anymore.

It's weird that this happened from watching a TV show, but didn’t happen when I had to interact in real life with a disabled person for my job. But I was only with that client for half an hour every morning, and he spoke for maybe two minutes. That just wasn’t enough exposure to the speaking style for me to get used to it enough to find it easy to understand. What I needed was a lockdown where I could spend all day every day for months watching hours and hours and hours of TV shows that frequently featured Rosie Jones.

Looking back, I realize it’s terrible that my client didn’t get care from PSWs who knew how to understand his speech easily. It should have been on me to work on that, to find videos on the internet of people who talked like him, watch them to practice understanding. On the other hand, I was working midnight to 8:30 AM five nights a week for a dollar over minimum wage and was exhausted all the time. The people who ran the agency where I worked hadn’t put any effort into training their staff on how to interact with people have different speaking styles (the stuff about looking at his lips when he talked was something I found by Googling on my own), and I'd argue that it should have been on them too.

In 2023, I worked for a few months as a facilitator in a day program for people with various disabilities. One of them had cerebral palsy, and spoke a bit like Rosie Jones, though with a more significant impairment (speech slower and more slurred). All the other staff in the program had a lot of trouble understanding him when he spoke; I was the only person who found it pretty easy. So most times, when he had something to say, the staff would direct him to me. It helped that I also know the sign language alphabet, something I memorized as a kid and just never forgot. He didn’t speak much sign language but he knew the alphabet and so did I, so when he really couldn’t enunciate well he’d just show me the first letter of the word he wanted and I could get it from context. I worked closely with him and got to know him pretty well because of this, which is cool because he was a great guy, and that was an awesome experience in an otherwise horrifically bad job (bad as in, after I left I helped a co-worker successfully sue the company for human trafficking). I still think about him often, I hope he’s doing okay with getting care from a terrible company that doesn’t bother making sure staff can understand him (like with the other job, I don’t think this should be on individual underpaid and overworked and occasionally human trafficked staff members, I think it should be on management to train, which this company did not).

But for the time I was there, that guy got better care than he would have otherwise, because I have watched hundreds of hours of The Last Leg. That is a very literal example of “representation matters”. There are all kinds of reasons why Rosie Jones being on TV is good disability representation, a big one that it’s great for people with cerebral palsy to see someone like themselves out there, but also, it’s good for an able-bodied person like me to hear the speech of a person with cerebral palsy for long enough to get used to it and find it easy to understand. That is good for the world in general, because if the world becomes more full of able-bodied people who can understand that kind of speech, then people with speech impediments are more likely to encounter people in real life who can understand them when they talk. A literal, tangible benefit to disability representation on TV.

I think some people in YouTube comments who ask “Why are all those people pretending to find Rosie Jones funny when they clearly can’t even understand what she’s saying?” are not necessarily being disingenuous, they may actually be unable to understand her and not have considered that it just takes a bit of effort and then gets easier. But it does get easier, and it doesn’t even take that long (I’m quite bad at auditory processing, so if I can do it then most people can, I bet it takes most people less time/effort than it took me).

Therefore, having Rosie Jones on Taskmaster is a good thing because a very large number of people all over the world watch that show, so that's lots of people who will spend lots of time listening to her talk and get used to the speaking style. That is of course not the main reason why it's good to have Rosie Jones on Taskmaster, the main reason is that she's funny. And it's definitely not the main reason why she is on Taskmaster. If it were all diversity and inclusion, then people with cerebral palsy would be proportionately represented on TV, which they're definitely not. The world is full of people with cerebral palsy who are not on Taskmaster, because they are not as funny as Rosie Jones, and/or because they did not get lucky enough to get around the many disability-related and non-disability-related barriers to entry in showbuisness. Rosie Jones is on Taskmaster because she's funny enough, and because she got lucky enough to get around the barriers to entry. That is the exactly same reason why every non-disabled Taskmaster contestant got on the show as well. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

(I wrote this post before the news was official and left it in my drafts to post after, but now that the news has broken, I'd like to add that I've read some YouTube comments on the lineup announcement, and I feel like my (possibly unfair) view of Jack Dee as someone who is not a favourite of the feminists - that view is certainly not dis-couraged by the fact that a whole lot of the predictable "Rosie Jones will ruin Taskmaster" comments are followed by the same person saying "But at least Jack Dee will be great".)