#I can't find any better images which is annoying

[sandymybeloved]

do I have some great news for you

this is the 2009 Australian series K9, I have not seen it but reportedly terrible. it's relationship to doctor who is... ambiguous. the BBC doesn't own the rights to a lot of doctor who stuff, so while this is officially licenced K9 media, it is not official doctor who media

My biggest grievance is that we never really got a 2000's 'futuristic' redesign for K9 that would have inevitably shook the doctor who community to its core with horror and have resulted in the design being canned or reverted immediately, just like pretty much every single dalek redesign but particularly the paradigm ones. Anyway here's my design <3

Based off of numerous toy robot dogs from the last 20 years

[0sbrain]

here's a list of mozilla add-ons for all of you tumblrinas out there to have a better internet experience

also, if you like my post, please reblog it. Tumblr hates links but i had to put them so you adhd bitches actually download them <3 i know because i am also adhd bitches

BASIC STUFF:

AdGuard AdBlocker / uBlock Origin : adguard is a basic adblock and with origin you can also block any other element you want. for example i got rid of the shop menu on tumblr

Privacy Badger : this add on will block trackers. if an element contains a tracker it will give you the option to use it or not

Shinigami Eyes: this will highlight transphobic and trans friendly users and sites using different colors by using a moderated database. perfect to avoid terfs on any social media. i will explain how to use this and other add-ons on android as well under the read more cut

THINGS YOU TUMBLINAS WANT:

Xkit: the best tumblr related add on. with many customizable options, xkit not only enhances your experience from a visual standpoint, but provides some much needed accessibility tools

bonus: if you are into tf2 and wanna be a cool cat, you can also get the old version to add cool reblog icons

AO3 enhancer: some basic enhancements including reading time and the ability to block authors and tags

YOUTUBE

Return of the YouTube Dislike : pretty self explanatory

Youtube non-stop: gets rid of the annoying "Video paused. Continue watching?" popup when you have a video in the background

SponsorBlock: gives you options to skip either automatically or manually sponsors, videoclip non music sectors and discloses other type of sponsorships/paid partnerships

Enhancer for YouTube: adds some useful options such as custom play speed, let's you play videos in a window and most important of all, it allows you to make the youtube interface as ugly as your heart desires. I can't show a full image of what it looks like because i've been told its eye strainy and i want this post to be accessible but look at this <3

PocketTube: allows you to organize your subscriptions into groups

YouTube Comment Search: what it says

FINDING STUFF

WayBack Machine: you probably know about this site and definitely should get the add on. this allows you to save pages and access older versions with the click of a button. while you can search wayback using web archives, please get this one as well as it allows you to easily save pages and contribute to the archive.

Web Archives: it allows you to search through multiple archives and search engines including WayBack Machine, Google, Yandex and more.

Search by Image: allows you to reverse image search using multiple search engines (in my experience yandex tends to yield the best results)

Image Search Options: similar to the last one

this next section is pretty niche but... STEAM AND STEAM TRADING

SteamDB: adds some interesting and useful statistics

Augmented Steam: useful info specially for browsing and buying games

TF2 Trade Helper: an absolute godsend, lets you add items in bundles, keeps track of your keys and metal and your recent trades, displays links to the backpack tf page next to users profiles and more. look it tells me how much moneys i have and adds metal to trades without clicking one by one oh may god

IN CONCLUSION: oooooh you want to change to firefox so badly, you want to delete chrome and all the chrome clones that are actually just spyware and use firefox

HOW TO USE MOZILLA ADD-ONS ON YOUR PHONE

if you already use firefox on android, you'll know there are certain add-ons compatible with the app, some of them even being made just for the mobile version such as Video Background Play FIx. while most of them are pretty useful, some more specific ones aren't available on this version of the browser, but there's a way of getting some of them to work

you need to download the firefox nightly app, which is basically the same as the regular firefox browser but with the ability of activating developer mode. you can find how to do that here. once you've enabled it, you need to create a collection with all the add ons you want. i wouldn't recommend adding extensions if the creators haven't talked about phone compatibility, but XKit and Shinigami Eyes should work

also, don't tell the government this secret skater move, but you can try using both the regular firefox browser and nightly so you can have youtube videos in a floating box while you browse social media.

see? i can block this terf while Rick Rolling the people following this tutorial. isn't that tubular?

[ipso-faculty]

I, an intersex autistic, want to complain about an autistic flag

This time I'm not complaining about using the white infinity symbol of the Métis. I wanna complain about this flag, made in 2021 by Autistic Empire:

This one upsets me as an intersex person. I get that the designers wanted to make a flag that's different from the neurodiversity flag, and that gold is a common choice for autism (Au = Gold).

The problem it's an icon on a solid golden yellow background, and that is Intersex Flag Territory.

For my perisex readers, these are intersex flags. The one on the left was made in 2013 by Morgan Carpenter so you'll hear people refer to it as the Carpenter flag sometimes:

A common technique in deriving flags for "intersex plus X" is to replace the purple ring with another icon in the same colour. Like these! (Note the intersex autism flag.)

So using the flag logic I'm used to for intersex flags, a rainbow infinity on a solid gold background means.... neurodivergent intersex!

I've talked to a few other intersex people who had the same reaction. It's kind of upsetting - intersex is so frequently invisible and sidelined at the queer table. My *emotional* reaction to the Autistic Empire flag has been "really, we intersex people can't have one thing?". (This is an emotional response not necessarily a rational response.)

Also annoying me is how Autistic Empire presents their 2021 flag on their Autistic Pride Day page beside the history that Autistic Pride Day started in 2005, which apparently gives people the idea that the Autistic Empire flag was created in 2005.

Best I can tell, this was the 2005 flag that Aspies for Freedom created. I know it was a rainbow infinity on a white background but I'm not 100% this was their design. (If you know please let me know!)

These oldest ND/autistic flags I can find with clear provenance are from 2013 and 2016:

The Autistic Empire design was created in 2021 by taking a 2016 neurodiversity infinity symbol design and sticking it on the gold background.

The prospect of solid gold backgrounds taking off as an autistic flag theme is scary to me. I've seen how queer Métis now have to explain that the Métis queer pride flag is not an autistic flag.

In my eyes, it fits into the greater trend of autistic flags being insensitive of other minorities' flags (see: the Metis flag). I think we as a community need to do better about this.

My fellow autistics I beg of you when doing flag designs: - google image search - has your idea already been used? Search the keywords you want before making a mock up - also text search on google and tumblr: <keywords> and <flag> - consult recommendations on how make an infinity symbol that does not look Metis - Wikipedia's list of flags by colour combination - once you have a mockup, return to google image search and this time search using the mockup - if you get feedback that your flag design is too similar to another group's flag, use this feedback. The person who is giving you the feedback might be upset, and if so, try to look past their tone and work past any defensiveness you may feel Edit to add: I'm keeping a list of autistic & ND flags that don't use the Metis infinity nor use a solid gold background here. If you know of more please let me know! <3

💛

[yuujispinkhair]

Sukuna gave up on love years ago. But somehow, your eyes and your smile are all he can think about. -> This is part of my Blog Anniversary Event. A sweet anon requested the song "Lovebug" by the Jonas Brothers.

Pairing: Modern!CEO Sukuna x Reader (female) Genre: fluff Word Count: 700 Warnings: Mentions of alcohol. Sukuna and Reader meet as business partners, and feelings spark between them. All characters are of age. Minors don't interact.

God, it's ridiculous!

Sukuna slams his vodka glass down on his desk, laughing and shaking his head. He isn't a sentimental person. He isn't one of those fools who let their emotions get the better of them. He knows love is more trouble than anything else, and he isn't chasing it anymore. He decided years ago to stop doing that. No, Sukuna hasn't been looking for love for a long time.

And yet, all it took was one business phone call followed by an afternoon and a dinner spent with you, and now he can't stop this weird feeling from spreading through his chest. He sees your smile even when he closes his eyes. He still smells your perfume even though it can't linger on his skin after such a short moment of holding your hand and bringing it to his lips to kiss it.

It is highly ridiculous. And irresponsible. And foolish.

He swore off love. Swore off everything that could tear down his walls. And he is good at this, brilliant even. No one can see beneath Itadori Sukuna's mask of arrogance and indifference!

And yet your eyes looked at him with that knowing look. As if you could see right through him. As if you knew.

You treated him differently than the others. Your eyes didn't stray to his expensive watch or his car keys. You didn't order the most expensive meal off the menu when he said he would pay. You didn't act mysterious or slutty or any of those other things the others did, who were always so calculating, so desperately trying to fit into the image of the perfect doll, not realizing that it only made them seem fake.

There is nothing fake about you. You didn't hold back your laughter during dinner. You didn't worry about smearing your lipstick while eating. Your makeup was light, and the eyeliner applied a bit crookedly. It made his heart do a flip somehow. You didn't shy away from sharing a huge dessert with him, smiling and rolling your eyes in pleasure at how delicious it tasted. He had chuckled in genuine amusement and joy when you pushed a spoonful of ice cream towards him, telling him he simply had to try it.

So light. That's it. He feels so light when he is around you. It's as if all the small and big stresses of his busy CEO life just vanished into thin air, and instead, the sun is shining on him, and he can breathe in clear, fresh air.

He catches himself smiling as he thinks of how you snorted with laughter about one of his dry comments. Usually, none of those women laugh about his humor. And it's not just that you think he is funny. You replied with the same humor, making him laugh too.

He sighs and turns off his computer. It's late at night. Time to go home and get some rest. But not before he grabs his phone and types a quick message to you, thanking you for the lovely evening and wishing you a good night. He only hesitates for a small moment before he adds, "I would like to see you again. I know a place with even better dessert variations for two."

He is surprised by the smile he spots on his face in the mirrored walls of the elevator when he receives your reply, telling him that you would love to share a dessert with him again.

A catchy love song starts playing on his drive home. The type of song that Sukuna usually finds annoying and which would lead to him changing the radio station. But not tonight. Tonight, he lets it play, and maybe he hums a bit in tune with the melody. Maybe he feels a little fluttery sensation when hearing the lyrics about freshly found love.

Maybe all he can think of are your eyes and your smile and how good it felt to sit there with you and talk and laugh and not even realize how many hours had already slipped by, so caught up in his conversation with you. So caught up in your eyes.

He isn't someone who catches feelings easily. He thought for a long time that he had managed to become immune to all of this.

But does a man who is immune to falling in love hum along to a stupid catchy lovesong? Does a man who gave up on love smile to himself while he pictures your laugh?

Maybe the lovebug bit him after all. And maybe he is glad it did

Thank you so much for participating in my event! I hope you enjoyed this little story!! I am swooning so much thinking about spending a flirty business dinner with CEO Sukuna aww!!

Comments and reblogs would be sweet!!

[zumek0]

draft 04; dostoevsky, f.

↪︎ fluff, fedya having a soft spot for his lover, reader is sick, gn reader, written with a fem reader in mind tho, references to irl dostoevsky’s life, surprise angst at the end, mentions of death.

↝ summary: when you become ill and are unable to fall asleep, he reads to you. the action feeling both familiar and distant to him.

You sneeze. Four times, actually.

You getting sick was highly inconvenient for Fyodor, as it prevented you from fulfilling your duties as a member of the Rats in the House of the Dead. He had to disregard plans and work his way around being down not only a member, but also the best assassin in the organization. Not to mention how it not only affected his organization, but also the Decay of Angels.

As annoyed as he was with the whole situation, seeing you in such a miserable state didn't bring him any kind of joy. On the contrary, he felt his heart hurt when he saw your teary eyes and heard your hoarse voice. Not that he would ever let you know that.

He stands up from his office set up and heads to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He can't concentrate, so he decides that he might as well check up on you. That is, of course, because he needs you to get better so you can get back to work immediately, and not because he heard you cough a little too much and a little too hard.

He places the glass on the bedside table. He hears you thank him weakly. "Are you okay?" he asks uninterestedly but scans your face for any kind of discomfort. "Tired..." you sneeze after you answer.

"Then sleep." He hands you a tissue, which you barely muster enough energy to take.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"I don't know."

Fyodor sighs and then leaves the room. Your eyes start tearing up again, this time because you want him to stay with you. The whole image is comical: a killer as cold and ruthless as you, crying miserably because their boyfriend wouldn't spend time with them? Even if someone were to see it with their own eyes, it would be hard to believe.

Fyodor returns to the room with a book in hand. The cover torn and creased from the passage of time. It is Fyodor's favorite. Even if he rarely touched it, you knew he held a great fondness for that book in particular.

He lays down in the bed and looks at you expectantly. While your moves are slow, he waits patiently for you to make yourself comfortable against his chest. He opens the book on the first page.

"On an exceptionally hot evening early in July a young man came out of the garret in which he lodged in S. Place and walked away slowly..."

His soft voice and regular heartbeat lulled you asleep.

A young dark haired man lies kneeling at the foot of his bed. His head is hung low and his fingers are intertwined. After he finishes his prayer with an "Amen", he gets up and heads for his mother's room.

He enters quietly and finds his father already there, sitting on a chair by his mother's side. Her head turns upon hearing the door opening and a warm yet tired smile makes home on her face.

"Fedyen'ka." Her voice, although strained and tired, sounds happy to see him. "Come here, my angel. Your father and I have something for you."

He is given a book.

On a late night while talking to his mother, he had entrusted her with the knowledge of his passion for literature. Talking about some of the books he had managed to get his hands on, weather by acquaintances of his lending him some, or by the old man in the shoe shop who let him stay a couple of hours after his work ended just so he could read some of the books that he kept in the backroom of his store. That night his mother promised him that for his sixteenth birthday, she would get him a book of his own.

She had never broken a promise, yet there were still two months until his birthday. Fyodor understood at that moment that his mother was probably going to die before that.

A simple "Thank you." is all he could muster.

That night he was unable to sleep. His father went out to tend to some business, so the house would've been completely silent if it weren't for the coughs of his mother.

He gets out of bed, grabbing the book from the wooden dresser next to the door to his room. When he enters his mother's room, the coughing stops.

"Oh, Fedechka, did I wake you up?"

"No, mother." He takes a glass of water from a table nearby and puts it up to her lips. She takes a few sips. "Are you unable to sleep?" She nods.

He leaves the glass back on the table and grabs his book. His mother's gaze follows him as he moves to sit on the chair where her husband usually sat beside her. He opens the book on the first page.

"On an exceptionally hot evening early in July..."

She falls asleep with a smile on her face as she listens to her son's voice.

Two days later, Maria Fedorovna Dostoevsky would pass away.

Fun fact: i spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to understand which Russian pet names and nicknames are most common, just to end up not using any because in my head they’re already speaking Russian.

If you recognize what he's reading, ur hot. Ahhh I'm so in love with fedya, but i’m not sure if i like how this turned out...

— han.

[blorboazula]

a little draft on how this AU could start (basically: people think Azula is being stubborn for not speaking to anyone, meanwhile her vocal chords are just terribly damaged – kinda want to write it in Azula's POV actually, but Katara's sorta my default for some reason). (buy me a coffee)

In every interaction of theirs, Azula was polite enough when she wasn't trying to kill them. Or trying to capture them, actually, in hindsight it didn't quite look like she was going for the kill. (She was too deadly, too efficient, for not having killed them if she wanted to.) Surprisingly pacific for a perfect princess soldier.

Which means Katara isn't that surprised by Azula good behavior in the asylum Zuko sent her to. She's more annoyed by how long it took him to bring her home, being stuck in a place where she was locked up in her room all day, forced to take teas to keep her malleable and with her bending weakened didn't seem like the ideal way to deal with yet another child soldier.

It's ironic, really, that knowing Zuko better is exactly what made Katara feel any sympathy towards Azula at all.

Knowing more of Zuko's childhood is also why she's here. It took not much convincing for him to believe that if Azula is behaving well, maybe she doesn't need to stay stuck in there. Reports say she's quiet and cooperative, there are group activities and she seems to tend to have a teamwork mentality – that explains why she's that good at strategy. The only issue is that she doesn't talk.

She never talks. Not even back in the palace, not to servants that have been around her her whole life. She silently acknowledges them, with nods and glances. There are no threats, and no fire, even after a few weeks and there's no trace of that chi-weakening tea. She's not even hostile towards her, and she had been expecting lightning in her face instead of a nod before Azula went on to do whatever she was going to do.

In one of her walks around the palace, late at night, Katara finds herself in that courtyard. It has been over a year, the ground is still scorched. It's disturbing to look at the grate and remember the chains – it's a weird feeling, knowing she did the right thing, stopping Azula, but feeling so bad for the way she did it.

The chains, the armor, had been deformed where Azula's fire touched. Fire hot enough to soften metal.

She blinks, fire hot enough to soften metal.

Firebenders aren't immune to fire, look at Zuko's face.

She's not surprised that Azula is up when she knocks at her door, the princess just frowns at her and tilts her head. It's kinda cute- what? She's quite expressive, actually, Katara had formed the image of cold and stoic, when Azula says more with her eyebrows than with her words.

"I want to test something, I-" this is something they should have checked, yes? Treated, like they treated the burns on her wrists and her chest and shoulders- "You can't speak. It's not that you don't want, or that you're this stubborn, you just can't."

Azula looks astounded for a second, like she expected nobody to notice it. She didn't seem to mind that people thought she was a stubborn brat, letting it slide and just being... a quiet presence. Like she was tired of fighting, of taking up space, like she wanted some peace.

You know, like she was exhausted from a life of being someone's pawn in a senseless war.

"Does it hurt? Your throat?" Azula blinks, like nobody has asked her if anything hurts- then she nods. "I can try to... soothe it a little. I can't really heal anything..."

Azula seems to calculate the risk of allowing someone to bend water on her throat, but maybe it hurts enough to be worth the risk. She nods, steps aside and allows Katara into the room.

Not in a million years Katara thought she'd be in the Fire Nation's Crown Princess chambers to offer her relief for her pain, but here she is.

The war is over, everyone deserves their pain to be soothed, their wounds healed.

[yourlocallyneysimp]

Perfect Hoshino, Ai!

Genshin Impact x Ai!Reader

Characters: Lyney, Kazuha, Wanderer

A/n: I made this post mainly for Lyney to celebrate him coming out soon, but oh well.

!Slight Oshinoko spoilers!

Lyney ♡

You're both really similar! Although you both may be stars when performing, you both have another side you don't want anyone to see.

He finds your performances to be entertaining and they also give him ideas for his own!

He sees that you care a lot about Lynette, so he trusts you a lot. He would've honestly abandoned you a long time ago if you didn't treat his sister with respect.

You're also very beautiful to him. A perfect image. You deserve all the love in the world, whether that be on stage or behind closed doors.

Expect him to treat you like a princess! He will be a gentleman and is willing to listen if you are dealing with any 'issues'.

Kazuha ♡

He saw right through you as soon as he laid eyes on you.

He enjoys your performances, but he can't help but feel like your forcing yourself to be perfect all the time.

Every move, every facial expression, it's all calculated.

He honestly worries that you will be overcome with your false reality, but that is until he gets to know you better that he disregards that thought.

When he found out you had kids, he was surprised but didn't ask for any of the details since that would be too personal.

He thinks your kids are great, they don't cause trouble and he finds it adorable that they're both twins.

To be honest, Kazuha had become apart of this small family and you can't imagine it without him.

It doesn't matter if they aren't his kids. He will protect them and you with his life.

Wanderer ♡

He finds it annoying that no one sees through your false smile. I mean, come on! No one smiles like that 24/7.

When he confronted you about your fake personality, you only played dumb, which pissed him off a little. How could you keep lying to yourself like that and be okay with it?!

He watches your performances a lot. He doesn't want to admit that he's a fan because that would ruin his image.

He secretly loves when you sing though. To be honest, he might be one of your biggest fans out there.

Whenever the Wanderer does a task for Nahida, he would make sure to be extra efficient if you have a performance that day.

He just hopes that you will eventually stop lying to yourself and to the people around you. To be honest, you worry him a lot...

Ai is so pretty. ♡

[ravenstargames]

✦ Lost in Limbo Devlog #9 | 02.29.24

What is this?! Two devlogs in one month?! More likely than you think! This February has been very productive for me and the team, so let's dive right into it!

Ooooh boy, Raquel keeps knocking it out of the park! She managed to get done every expression for every LI, and I coded them all! Now we have our wonderful characters ready for their debut. We have been using the wonderful Image Tools for Ren'py made by the talented and hard-working Feniks, whose tutorials and resources save a lot of dev's lives every day! This tool has made everything a bit easier for newbies like me, hehe.

Here's a taste of our edgelord's expressions! 💜 They're kind of a cutie when they put some effort into it!

We also had our second valentine's day celebration art piece thanks to Kayden! Sadly with the reworked version of the demo, you won't meet Vycar yet, so we thought we could ask for his forgiveness by giving him a beautiful bouquet and reminding him how much of a sweetheart he is! 💜

Also, Raeya got a hair update!

So, we weren't completely satisfied with the way we portrayed Raeya's hair, so this has been a rework we were sure we wanted to make. At first we were just going to render it again, but we ended up working on it from scratch to better represent what we envisioned for her. We hope you like it as much as we do! ; v ;💜

As always, we are open to any critique or advice; we are white people who have the luck to be able to ask POC friends for their advice as we work, but the more the merrier! Don't hesitate to send us your opinion to our ask box or even our email, gamesravenstar@gmail.com!

When it comes to the background department, we have been making great progress thanks to Airyn, who is honestly leaving us with our mouths hanging open every time! Thanks to her, another background has been finished and another one is in the making, leaving only two backgrounds to be revised and approved!

I personally can't stop looking at this WIP! She understood perfectly what we wanted to portray just by looking at an old WIP we had, and this is what we have so far—and it's already amazing!

Allie has been OBLITERATING the script. As of today, I think we have almost gone through everything that needed to be corrected and discussing, and lord if the script doesn't look a 100% better after we put it in Allie's hands. The way she writes, the way she understands everything I want to say even when sometimes I don't even know myself—what a talented, inspiring and amazing writer they are. I know I may sound annoying at this point singing her praises endlessly, but if the script is in the state where it is now, it's thanks to her!

My programming adventure of the month has been a success, if I say so myself! I've coded the characters with aaaaall their layers, their expressions, the blinking animations, made some videos, and started coding the script. Step by step as they say; I've coded 18 pages, and there's, uh...142 more to go. Haha! *sobs*

BUT WE ARE GETTING THERE! We can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I can finally click 'new game' and read the script and see the stuff going on! YAY!

Some extras of the month—we are preparing a Casting Call to choose the voice acting talent that will hopefully give voice to our characters. The demo won't be fully voiced (it's impossible with the funds we have, which are...zero), but if we are lucky we'll use some of our personal savings to pay for at least a few lines for each character so you can get an idea of how they'll sound if we get funded! Raquel is preparing an art piece for the announcement, and I'm getting the document ready and asking fellow VA friends for advice :3.

Also, we have a new member here at Ravenstar Games! Some weeks ago Astro and I formally adopted our first kitty, 8 month old Riki, fulfilling one of our dreams. We got him from a feline association that works with volunteers and fosters cats who have been abandoned, cats they find on the street, and so on. Riki has been living with me since January, and he's a happy, long big boy who loves playing, cuddles, and sitting on my desk while I try to work!

Say hi to the Ravenstar family, Riki! 💜

A productive month full of accomplished milestones, excitement and new challenges! The team has worked so hard, and I've done my part too! We still don't want to get ahead of ourselves, but we have done a lot of stuff we were sure we wouldn't finish yet, and look at that! We are doing so well!

As you can probably tell, my batteries are starting to run low, so I'm going to leave this devlog here. Thank you all like always for cheering us on, for being here in this journey with us, and for all the love you send our way. Let's hope March is as amazing as February has been, for us and for all of you! 💜

[caesariawritesstuff]

Crush

Summary: Every time the Riddler comes on the TV, you can't stand him. His face and voice piss you off - but when you find yourself in the center of one of his traps, you might just realize you like him more than you care to admit.

Content Warning: Awkward flirting, unrequited crush.

Word Count: 2.2k

● Ao3 ● X ● Retrospring ● Read on Ao3 ●

He was on the TV. Again. That irritating voice of his, like always, grating on your every last nerve. Knots twisted in your stomach and you glared at the screen, which Edward Nigma, the Riddler, had somehow managed to take over, broadcasting his face all across Gotham. Green question marks danced in the background behind him, illuminating your apartment in an ominous green glow.

“Listen up Gotham!” he cried. “All across the city, I’ve left a series of carefully crafted conundrums for you to solve.” He laughed, high-pitched and full of ego.

You rolled your eyes, rage rising up from your belly and spreading through your veins like wildfire. Already, you were drowning out the sound of his voice, you absent-mindedly reached for your remote to mute his ever-annoying voice. God, didn’t this guy have anything better to do with his time? With an angry huff, you snatched up your phone and hopped onto social media, only to find a thousand other Gothamites expressing their same distaste for the Riddler. Any man as obsessed with Batman as he was had some serious issues. Many Gothamites were using some rather choice words to complain about the interruption of their regularly scheduled programming, and you couldn’t help but laugh at a few of them.

Turning your attention to your own page, you wrote, Can’t this guy get a life? He needs a serious reality check. His ego is bigger than the Empire State Building! With one button, you sent the post off into the vast void of the internet.

Almost immediately, a dozen people began commenting on your own post, words of agreement flooding your screen. But as you watched more and more come in, one in particular got your attention. The profile image was of one single, green question mark against a black background.

And your brain is smaller than an ants, the commenter had replied.

You rolled your eyes. Of course, it was just another Riddler fanboy coming to jump to his defense. Gotham was ripe with plenty of those. But just as you were about to set your phone aside, a second comment from the same profile caught your eye.

If you want a better insult, I suggest using the Burj Khalifa. It is the tallest building in the world, but of course, your pea sized brain wouldn’t have known.

You frowned, cheeks burning. Your brain was not pea sized! Another dozen insults suddenly came your way, and you chewed on your bottom lip. Anxiety twisted in your belly, and even though people were jumping to your defense, the onslaught of creative insults continued to come at rapid speed. Quickly, you deleted your original comment and raised your eyes to the screen, relieved to see Riddler’s broadcast had officially ended.

Good, you thought, even if the insults still got under your skin, as anger rippled inside your bones. With an angry huff, you stood and headed to bed.

The next day, you found yourself walking through Gotham on your way home from work. But as you weaved your way through the trash-riddle streets, a strange feeling crept over you. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up on end, goosebumps crawled along your flesh. The sudden sensation that you were being followed washed over you; glancing over your shoulder, you checked the streets, but saw nothing – at least, nothing out of the ordinary. You took a quick swing right, down an alley you always cut through to get to your apartment, when you saw it: a small box sitting on the ground, purple with green question marks on it.

“Oh no—” you said, but before you could even turn to run, the box suddenly opened, expelling a cloud of green gas. You coughed, eyes watering at the smoke filled your lungs – and everything went dark.

When you finally awoke, your limbs were stiff and achy. Your throat was scratchy and you struggled to prop yourself up, looking around at the shadowy room you found yourself in. Blinking the sleep from your eyes, you managed to prop yourself up and look around the room. Darkness lingered in the corners, and you saw nothing in the distance – other than the simple fact you were inside a cage.

“Shit,” you whispered, pulling yourself to your feet. The room suddenly illuminated in a green haze, as the shadowy corners were lit up with question marks covering all the walls. You ran forward, wrapping your fingers around the iron bars; the space between them was too thin to squeeze through.

“So, you’re the one who said I have an ego the size of the Empire State Building,” a familiar, annoying voice suddenly came over the intercom.

Crap, you’d know that voice anywhere. The same one that came over the TV only the night before. Irritating and grating on every single one of your nerves. You searched the room, but between the ominous green glow and shadowy corners, it was impossible to tell where he might be.

“Let me out of here!” you yelled. “What do you think you’re doing?”

He let out a bored sigh. “Isn’t it obvious? You really have no sense of making your own conclusions, do you? And for your information, I don’t have an ego.”

Right. Of course not. Any man who hacks into Gotham’s TVs and broadcasts himself for everyone to see can’t possibly have an ego. With a shake of your head, you turned, examining the cage, only to discover that there were three podiums lined up one by one on the other side.

“All right,” you said. “What am I supposed to do?”

“I thought I’d run a little experiment,” he replied. “Since you’re clearly in need of some intellectual stimulation, I’ve prepared three riddles for you to answer. If you can answer them correctly, you go free. If you can’t, well…you’ll see.” A low chuckle escaped his lips.

Your skin bristled at his threat, face draining of all color. This couldn’t be happening – it couldn’t be. You squeezed your eyes shut, desperately hoping to wake up from this nightmare, but when you opened them, you were still in the same spot. Okay – deep breaths. The only way to get out of here was to answer the riddles. That was his MO, right?

You braced yourself and turned to the first podium, examining it. In bright green writing was a riddle, along with three buttons labeling multiple choice answers. Okay – so that was a good thing. He was going easy on you, giving you a chance. Maybe he thought you were too stupid to answer them without some level of guidance.

“I am easy to lift, but hard to throw. What am I?” he asked.

You studied the choices: Feather. Paper. Ball. “Uh…” you wondered, the word slipping out of your mouth.

“Tik-tok,” he said, his tone laced with impatient and condescending.

Your palms grew sweaty, your heart pounded in your ears. You swallowed, throat scratchy and dry as panic filled you. You had to choose – in case something happened – in an instant of pure terror, you slammed your hand down on the button for paper…but it immediately flashed red.

“Wrong!” he cried. “What a disappointment. Now, next riddle. What is full of holes but still holds water?”

Examining the next choices, one in particular caught your attention. Oh! A sponge. You clicked the button and sighed in relief when it turned green.

“Well, well, perhaps you do have some shred of intellect,” he said. “But lucky for you, that was one of the easy ones.”

Of course he had to rub it in your face that you got the “easiest” one right. Looking around the cage, you mumbled, “I’m not stupid, you know.”

“Of course you are, my dear. Otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten caught. You wouldn’t have taken the same route you always do through that alleyway back to your apartment. At least take some effort to analyze your surroundings as you walk.”

You paused, his words washing over you. Wait…what? “Have you been spying on me!?” you cried, unable to contain the horror in your voice.

“Wait – no, of course not!” he cried, defensive and frantic. “I checked the surrounding security cameras near your apartment. That’s all.”

“So you were spying! That’s creepy! Don’t be a Peeping Tom!”

He sighed. “You haven’t forgotten my name already, have you? You do know the correct term would be “Peeping Edward”. You really are daft.”

There was a sudden, long pause that washed over you when you realized just what he’d said. In such a sarcastic tone.

“Wait,” he said, suddenly realizing what he’d said. “That’s not what I meant.”

You couldn’t help it – something inside of you broke. That utter hatred and irritation for him snapped, making room for the laughter escaping your lips. Your shoulders shook, unable to contain yourself as the sound poured out of your mouth. Warmth flooded your veins and you held onto the iron bars, resting your forehead against them.

“Wait, wait, wait!” he cried. “Stop laughing. That feeble mind of yours couldn’t possibly find humor in what I’ve said.”

Despite his protests, you couldn’t stop. You slid to your knees, ribs aching as the laughter continued. You couldn’t believe you felt this way, as if all the anger had suddenly disappeared and been replaced by something else entirely. A pounding in your chest, a fluttering in your heart.

A yellow glow suddenly filled the room, and you looked up to find a door on the other side open. Edward Nigma strolled inside, wearing cargo pants and a wife beater covered by a button down clad with question marks. His cheeks were flushed, red creeping up his throat, as he stormed over to the cage.

“Silence!” he cried. “We’re not finished here yet, remember? You still have one more riddle to solve.”

As you caught your breath, you wiped your eyes and managed to control yourself. Oh, right. You were still trapped in the cage. But no longer did you feel fear and hatred and irritation…instead you felt something else. A heavy beating in your heart; you met his eyes, blue and stern. Your cheeks warmed at the sight of him. He was more handsome in person than you expected. Your face flushed and you looked away shyly, not wanting to meet his eyes.

Oh no…this couldn’t be happening.

“Now,” he said, clearing his throat. “One last riddle. Or has your tiny brain already forgotten?”

“No,” you said. “I haven’t.” You turned your attention back to the third podium and glanced down at the green lettering.

I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?

Three choices: Map. Space. Painting.

You hesitated, heart hammering against your ribcage. Not because of nerves this time – not because your life was on the line – but because he was watching you. Your every movement. Hesitantly, you clicked the “painting” button and it immediately flashed red.

He sighed. “You really are stupid.”

You spun around on your heels. “Wait – please give me another chance!”

“I don’t do second chances,” he said, but as he spoke, he pulled a key from his pocket and slid it into the keyhole, unlocking the door. The iron bars swung open and he stepped aside, gesturing for you to leave.

You watched him hesitantly. “You’re letting me go?”

“You really are lacking in any kind of survival instinct, aren’t you? I’m setting you free and you’re not even running.” He raised his brows, a bored and disappointed look crossing his face.

Perhaps you should be, but you didn’t want to run. You were far more interested in taking the time to watch him a little longer…your blood raced hot, and a nervous lump formed in your throat that you tried to swallow. You suddenly couldn’t take your eyes off him: the toned muscles of his arms, the small patch of curly chest hair, the sweat dripping down his brow…

“Why are you just standing there?” he asked, brows furrowed. “You’re a hostage – act like one!”

“Sorry. Well, I just don’t understand why you brought me here and now you’re letting me go,” you said.

He sighed. “Because I was bored, and I thought you would make an interesting experiment, but alas, you failed my tests. And since I’m feeling generous, I’m allowing you to go free. See? I told you I don’t have an ego. Now you can run online to your little friends and tell them just how generous I, Edward Nigma, the Riddler, am. Now go. Before I change my mind.”

A small smile crept across your lips. With a shake of your head, you wandered out of the cage and past him, catching a whiff of musk and sweat and him. Heart thundering against your chest, you turned and stood on your tiptoes – and planted one kiss onto his cheek. He suddenly stilled, as if short-circuiting, before you pulled away and raced out of the hideout before he could decide to kill you.

And the next time he came on the TV, you’d make sure to savor the moment.

[melancoley]

ੈ˚ʚ welcome to my notion tutorial !!

♡ my notion took me a month to make. It's a bit frustrating sometimes, but i want you to know that it's possible to have some organization in your life.

notion is meant to help you have a more organized life: trackers, goals, diary entries, anything can be turn into a notion page and i'm here to teach you how. ♡

ps: sorry for being so long and with some typos and whatnot ♡

♡. 1st step: the choice of an aesthetic.

it's important to have an idea when you start your notion;

for me, i wanted a place cozy and warm that reminded me of spring.

my main color is green. and with that defined, i started looking for color palettes with the types of green that i liked the most.

(i used this website, but any is good enough. it's just to give you an idea of what you're going to work with.)

i chose an aesthetic more gloomy, academic, and obviously green, (for my main layout, a retro blue-ish layout for my fanfics and a melancholy yellow for my original works) and with that i jumped to step 2.

♡. 2nd step: hunting images and inspiration.

pinterest, pinterest, pinterest.

i can't stress this enough. use keywords to find what you actually need.

if you're a beginner, start with notion inspo, notion [aesthetic] ideas, anything notion related. pick your favs and choose what you like most about each one:

the font, the pictures, the layout, even a small detail like an aesthetic quote design -just make sure you know what you like the most.

once you have a list of what you want, you start searching for images.

keywords i suggest are: [color] aesthetic, [color] cinematography, [color] photography, and, especially, [color] png icon.

i find it really satisfying having pngs on your notion: it gives a better sense of home and they cute, so it's a plus!

(most png aren't transperants on pinterest, so i use this app to make it a real png. now, know that it's not perfect and on dark mode might look funky, but it's worth a shot ig ♡)

for transperants images i suggest you look on tumblr. just use key-words and remember to pt 'png' at the end.

now you should be left with a small gallery of photos with the same color scheme and this takes us to step 3!

♡. 3rd step: dividers save lives.

pick one image to be the base of your notion layout.

it might be for your notion icon, header, or just a random pic laying around your notion. but make sure you only have one.

with that, go to an app that finds colors (i use this one) and pick the 3 most predominant colors! i suggest one darker, one lighter, and one in between.

this works not only as dividers but to enhance any quote or pic that you have. e.g.:

as you can see, this little dividers (size that i use: 948x8) work better than the ones provided by notion and they're easy to make. just open paint and you're done!

and once you have all the inspo, all the pics and dividers, it's time to create some art ♡

♡. 4th step: the creation of art.

is time to make pages and more pages.

now, please know that this requires lots of work, frustration and patience. sometimes the website doesn't want to collaborate and it might get a bit annoying. but know that it's totally fine to take breaks and take your time. this is something for you and you only.

you can take all the time you want ♡

ㅤㅤ♡. 4.1 step: page outline.

choose the number of pages !

i suggest you have one homepage with quick links to your other pages:

trackers, school related, hobbies, anything really.

it's your notion after all, you can do anything.

after having the number of pages you can star outlining the pages.

the beginning is always difficult and embaracing, but if you give it a try, i'm sure you will create art!

i suggest, if you do a full page, to use 4 to 6 columns. it might be a bit overwhelming at the start, but i found it easier to work with more columns and less rows. also, it's more compact which makes everything x3254 cuter.

nut you can literally do whatever you want! so here's my organization ♡

my personal organization !

homepage (5-6 columns, 4 rows): quick links to my other 4 pages. daily routine. quick reading and writing trackers. my performances schedules and feedback. goals for the month. clock, weather, year progress bar (see end of post).

original works (4-6 columns, 2 rows): my three wips. websites that help me with writing. my progress in each work. motivational quotes.

fanfic works (4 columns): folders for each fandom with more folders for hcs, one-shots, multi-chapter and ideas. motivational quotes. goals for the year. pretty pics and quotes.

trackers (5-6 columns, 4-5 rows): media that i'm currently consuming or consumed, with details such as rating, author, and some sub-pages with my extensive thoughts.

in short !

have one big page at the beginning to help you navigate easier.

don't be afraid to had columns and rows! if there's a blank space, throw some png's and quotes at it. it always makes everything 10x cuter.

ㅤㅤ♡. 4.2 step: widgets are your best friends.

add some widgets to make it prettier ♡

i use this website. it's pretty easy and has the main widgets.

a quick google search might take you to other websites so feel free to explore ♡

♡. 5th step: a touch of magic and stardust.

the start of a new page is always frustating: what aesthetic to use? what do you put first? what if it's corny? too much quotes? so many questions and, hey!, i hear ya! it's a pain in the ass.

that's why i'm here to tell you that you will change your layout lot's of time. even if you have already in mind what you have, it's only normal to change stuff every now and then until you have the perfect page.

e.g.:

you can see how my first homepage (pic. 1) changed drastically to my current homepage (pic.2). not only the color scheme changed, but the layout itself.

more artistic pictures, cuter png's and quotes, and my homepage changed completely!

so don't be afraid of change! it is important fr ♡

♡. don't forget about...

you can change the font and size of the page by clicking on the three dots on the top right of your screen ♡

make your text pretty with cool symbols !!

again, just surf the internet and tumblr and i'm sure that aesthetic bios will provide you with the cute little symbols to make everything cute ♡

be creative with your picture layouts ! ♡

i personally use pinterest (frame template) and clipstudio to make prettier pictures, but i'm sure any photoshop app can give you this effect as well.

play with png's and make your notion look more alive ♡

any hanging or 2 png's similar can help with a look cleaner and more organized.

add spotify playlists (it had to be public, i'm afraid) and youtube videos for more diversity!

table view is a life changer for organizing trackers, especially books and movies ♡

let me know if you want a deeper tutorial on how to use any function or if i forgot mentioning something you would like to know more about ♡

i hope this helps you and it's clear. know that i'm here for anything you need and i'm sure you're gonna do amazing things there ♡

[yukirayu]

hii! i am absolutely blown by your analysis of Taku and Madarame: To Heal and To Hurt, and it gave me alot more insight into how Taku is a great foil for other characters. i kept thinking about the CG artwork of Taku's painting. it seems like the vacancy of the center square might represent the removal of a webtag or even the eventual disappearance of Towa's past trauma which Taku tried so hard to suppress. do you have any thoughts on the painting as a whole?

Hi, I apologize for replying to this several months later. Sorting through my drafts/WIPs or the things I need to do in general got me rather distracted, to say the least, but I am committed to seeing this through.

Thanks so much of course for reading and liking the metas. I'm always glad to hear that others like it and that I've managed to get the message through.

Now as for my opinion, I will give the disclaimer that said opinion is greatly inspired by what this person said in their breakdown of the paintings, as well as an art I saw that did their own breakdown about what the red square represented.

If anything, I may as well be parroting what they said in the site, albeit with different wording; since as someone who has no experience in art, analyzing paintings isn't exactly what I'd call my strongest suit let alone something I have confidence in.

But true enough, the image does really give off the image of a medical patch that Taku is trying as hard as he can to keep intact by either reapplying or patching over with a new one... even if he can't keep truly contain the "blood" that is the pain and trauma left by Towa's past, or even Taku's own hurts that are both connected to Towa's ordeal and the tragedy that he had contended with alone (his mother and the debt he had accrued as a result of his family situation) even before Towa came along.

It might even represent how Taku has a hard time keeping his own troubles in check and is better (or at least more proactive and willing) at doing the same for others. Because try as he might, the cracks start to show (or bleed, in this case), partly because he's not good at lying or hiding things, and partly because there's only so much he can handle until he finally snaps from it all; hence why he has a darker side that manifests in his route, where the way the plot progresses makes things reach a breaking point for him.

That aside, from purely aesthetic point of view, it is relatively simple looking, especially when you compare it to the other paintings. Like I've said, I'm no artist myself, so I can't really give a good description of what I think of this and that painting without risking coming across as pretentious and such. But at the very least, I find it pleasing to look at because of its simplicity.

One other thing about it that I think is rather understated (as well as incredibly touching) is how it's the only painting that gets featured in the cover for the AfterStory drama CDs. I think that this is becase while it's a very apt visual reflection of Taku's guilt and burdens, which Towa knows very well with how perceptive he is (and it's even the focus of his Interrogations with Taku), it is also a representation of Towa's own longing for Taku the entire time the latter was in prison.

Heck, it even becomes a topic of conversation in the first track, which leads to one of my favorite moments between them:

Towa: You’re not going to ask me who’s the inspiration of those paintings? Taku: …No…  Towa: You’re not interested in knowing?  Taku: That’s not it…! But… Towa: But?  Taku: (slightly insecure) Of course I’m curious. I mean… who were you painting?   (Towa says nothing and simply chuckles at Taku’s cluelessness.) Taku: (flustered and annoyed) Hey…! Towa: (still a hint of laughter in his voice) Oh, sorry. I had a feeling you wouldn’t be able to figure it out, so I just…  Taku: …What do you mean by that? Towa: (moves closer to Taku) All those paintings, who do you think they are of? (leans even closer and answers in an affectionate whisper) Murase… Takuma.

It's really telling that after Towa paints something, he no longer really cares for it and doesn't mind whatever anyone else does to it. But this painting, he treasures it enough to keep it in Taku's apartment (or rather, their home, together).

That, and one other significant detail: when it comes to Towa's modus operandi regarding his painting, he only ever paints each model once, no exceptions. Why? Because he wants to capture the very first time his model's innermost desire is fulfilled; in other words, when their euphoria is at its apex. It's why he won't agree to a second time, since the impact is no longer the same.

However, the narration for Taku's Euphoria ending as well as some other lines from Towa in the drama CD made it apparent that while that painting with the white splotches and the red square is his magnum opus of Taku, there were countless other paintings and sketches that he made of the man.

His way of coping, of waiting for Taku to serve his time, to reflect and come back a changed man, was to reflect his memory and feelings for him on paper and canvas, over and over and over, each one definitely distinct from one another (even if we never get to see those other artworks).

So... there. I hope that I still made sense at the end of this post, and I really hope it was a satisfactory answer for you. Again, I am so sorry for the delayed response, but I really appreciate getting this ask. 🥺

[inkinmyheartandonthepage]

Family Induction

Day 26 of Flufftober and the prompt is "I can't find it." You can read it here on Ao3. And you can read the prequel here.

“I can’t find it,” Buck huffed, teetering into his closet on his one good leg. He had already knocked over several coat hangers, his jackets now a crumpled heap on the floor. He was too frustrated though to attempt to pick them back up.

“Careful,” Maddie said, drawing Buck back before he could face plant into his clothes by the belt loop of his jeans.

Buck hopped backwards, landing on his mattress with a bounce. He stared up at his sister with a pout. Her bruises and cuts curtesy of Doug Kendell had mostly faded, now easily concealed under makeup. They could almost pretend like it had never happened, if it weren’t for the bulky cast that Buck still wore around his leg. That had been six weeks ago, and Buck still had another two before he could ditch it.

“Now, what are you looking for?” Maddie asked, turning to survey Buck’s closet.

“My white button up,” Buck huffed. “It’s my only good shirt.”

Maddie turned to give Buck a fond look. “Evan. You don’t need to dress up for dinner. It’s just a barbeque.”

Buck flushed, looking down at his lap. “I want to look nice for your family.”

When Buck and Maddie had been released from the hospital, Maddie had insisted that Buck stay with her. She had her own apartment, whereas Buck was in a share house.

“We can recover together,” Maddie had insisted.

Buck wasn’t about to say no, not when his sister had finally come back into his life. Her boyfriend Chimney and his friend and co-worker Eddie (and Buck still flushed at the memory of calling Eddie whoa while high on hospital narcotics) had offered to collect some of Buck’s clothes from his home and bring them over to Maddie’s.

In the six weeks that Buck had been staying with Maddie, the 118 had filtered in and out of her home, allowing Buck to get to know them. Buck got to see firsthand the family that Maddie had found for herself.

Chimney, who not only doted on Maddie like she deserved as she recovered, fetching her food, and comforting her, but doted on Buck too. Doug had never liked Buck, had never tried to get to know him. Just thought of him as Maddie’s annoying little brother. But not Chimney. He asked Buck about his travels and about the garden centre where he worked. He joked and teased with Buck and brought him books to read. He always included Buck when they watched a movie and had even helped him in and out of the shower a few times when Maddie had returned to work.

Chimney’s captain, Bobby had come around with his wife Athena to make them dinners and had stayed to share the meals with them. Buck imaged that this is what it was like to have dinner with parents who actually loved you. Buck couldn’t even think of the last time he had sat down to a meal with his parents.

Bobby and Athena had helped Buck with his insurance and had helped let his job know that he would be off work due to injury, making sure that Buck still had a job to go back to once he was back on his feet. Bobby was kind enough to teach Buck some cooking tips when Buck had raved about his food, admitting that he mostly lived off take out.

Hen was like another big sister and immediately made Buck feel comfortable. She beat his ass at Mario Kart and told him wild stories about some of the calls they had been on, making Buck laugh.

The visits Buck enjoyed the most though were from Eddie and his son Christopher.

“We match!” Chris cried out joyfully when they had first met, indicating to the pair of crutches they were both using.

“Your way better at using them than I am,” Buck had grinned. “You’ll have to give me tips.”

Buck had always loved kids, but there was something about Christopher that was just so special. He was wicked smart, with a cheeky sense of humour and a sunny disposition. Chris didn’t treat him any different with a cast on, and either did Eddie which just made the man all that more attractive. It didn’t help that Eddie was sassy, funny, kind, and generous. He had quickly become the best friend that Buck had ever had.

The first time Eddie had invited Buck over to his house, he had been surprised.

“Come on,” Eddie had smiled at him, all loose and soft. “I bet your getting cabin fever being at Maddie’s all the time. Besides, Chris wants to show you all his Lego’s.”

If Buck wasn’t at Maddie’s, he was at Eddie’s and Buck had never found a place that felt like home more than the Diaz’s living room.

Buck had been invited to one of the famous Grant-Nash barbeques and Buck wanted to make a good impression on the family that Maddie had made herself.

“Evan,” Maddie said softly, drawing closer to Buck. She perched on the mattress beside him, taking his hands in hers. “They’re your family too.”

Buck shook his head. “Come on, Maddie, we don’t have to pretend,” he said quietly.

Maddie squeezed his hand tightly. “Who is pretending?” she demanded.

Buck shifted, blinking wetly. “Chimney is only spending time with me because of you.”

Maddie scoffed. “You met Chimney because of me but that doesn’t mean he’s forcing himself to spend time with you. Did you know he has been researching rehab for you so that once you get your cast off, he can take you? And asking what kind of things you like so that he can treat you after a hard session?”

Buck lifted his head up at that. “What?”

Maddie nodded firmly. “Him and Hen have already got recommendations for you through their contacts. They are going to let you choose which one.”

“But – but why?”

“Because they like you, Dummy,” Maddie said fondly. She brushed her fingers over Buck’s birthmark. “Ev, it wasn’t me who Bobby has been teaching to cook. Chimney said that Bobby spent his down time at the station looking through recipe books for things to teach you.”

Buck felt something warm bloom in his chest.

“And, okay, Athena was going mumma-bear on both of us,” Maddie admitted with a laugh. “But I have it on good authority she only does that to the people she loves.” Her smile turned into a smirk. “And Eddie certainly wasn’t coming around to keep me company.”

Buck ducked his head, cheeks flushing hot.

“And Christopher absolutely adores you,” Maddie continued. “And I can see how happy you are when you spend time with them.”

“I – I like the Diaz’s,” Buck said. “They’re the best people I’ve ever met.”

“They let you be yourself,” Maddie said quietly, a hint of sadness in her voice.

Buck had told Maddie one night as they were tucked up on the couch together about his life since he left her in Hershy. How he had travelled from place to place, just looking for somewhere to belong but had never quite found it. How he had friends, but there was nothing meaningful about them. How he slept with a lot of people but had never found love or had been loved in returned.

“I just want to be accepted,” Buck admitted quietly. “You’ve got this great family and – and – and I want that too. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

“And you have it,” Maddie promised. “Yes, you met them through me, but they loved you before they even met you. You can ask them. I never stopped talking about you.”

Buck chuckled. “Yeah, uh, Chimney kind of told me.”

Maddie squeezed his hands again. “See. And I know it might be hard to believe right now but I promise you, they love you like I do.”

Buck nodded, blinking back tears.

Maddie soft smile turned sly. “Well, Eddie might love you a little differently.”

Buck nudged Maddie, letting out a went laugh.

“Now, I can find that shirt for you,” Maddie said, standing to her feet. She moved to Buck’s closet and reached inside, pulling out a blue polo shirt. She turned and showed them to Buck. “Or you could put this on and make Eddie droll over your biceps.”

Buck grinned, flashing Maddie a cheeky smile. “’suppose it will be pay back for watching Chimney drool over you.”

Maddie laughed, a pink flush spreading across her cheeks. “Yeah, well, I’m drooling back. He’s so cute!”

Buck made a face that had Maddie slapping him on the shoulder playfully. When Buck was finally dressed, Maddie helped him to her car, and they made their way to the Grant-Nash house.

When they pulled up to the home, Eddie and Chimney were waiting out the front of the house for them. When Maddie parked, she shot Buck a knowing look making Buck roll his eyes.

“Shut up.”

Maddie cackled she got out of the car.

Buck shoved open his door swinging his legs out. He got his good foot on the ground, the cast legged hovering slightly in the air. In an instant, Eddie was there, flashing Buck a bright smile.

“Hey. You guys made it.”

“Yeah,” Buck grinned back.

“Eventually,” Maddie teased as she opened the back door to retrieve Buck’s crutches. “We had some wardrobe issues.”

“Don’t listen to her,” Buck said to Eddie. “She’s crazy.”

“What does that make you?” Eddie asked, cocking his head to the side, smile teasing.

“Probably just as crazy,” Buck admitted.

Eddie chuckled, reaching out to grasp Buck’s hand. “Well, you know what they say about the crazy ones.”

Buck’s heart fluttered in his chest as Eddie heaved him up, a hand going to Buck’s waist to steady him as he gained his balance. When Buck had his crutches under his arms and was secured, Eddie shut the car door for him, and they made their way into the Grant-Nash home.

“Buck,” Bobby greeted warmly when they made it to the living room. “Glad you could make it. I’ve made that lemon and garlic chicken we were looking at the other day.”

Buck felt his mouth water. “Really?”

Bobby beamed. “It’s on the barbeque as we speak.”

“Hang on, you made food for Buck?” Chimney squawked, looking between Buck and Bobby. “But when I ask for fried chicken –“

“Or that Mongolian lamb,” Eddie added.

Chimney snapped his fingers. “Exactly! You say you don’t have the time. But Buck here asks, and he gets it? Favouritisms, really cap?”

Bobby shrugged, placing a hand on Buck’s shoulder and squeezed it gently. “He helps me in the kitchen and is willing to learn. When was the last time you two helped me in the kitchen?”

“Eddie got banned after he burned water,” Hen smirked as she drifted past, drink in hand.

Buck grinned as Eddie’s cheeks went dark pink.

“I thought we agreed to never talk about that,” Eddie hissed, shooting Buck a panicked look.

Buck caught Maddie’s gaze and she nodded at him, giving him a soft look, eyes sparkling.

In that moment, warmth flooded Buck and his breath hitched in his chest. Because Maddie was right, and he never should have doubted his older sister. This was Buck’s family too. He had finally found home.

[itspronouncedtessa]

The "English or continental" debate is problematic and ultimately detrimental to the community.

Every time I see one of these "are you one or the other" posts, polls, tweets (Xcreets?), blogs, vlogs, whatevers, I get so annoyed. Undies fully twisted.

So indulge me and let's get into this.

First things first:

This is not an attack on pickers or throwers specifically. Any knitting style is valid. If the end result is even, non-twisted stitches that you enjoyed putting together, you're doing it right.

That said, I have 3 major gripes with the concept of "English vs continental" knitting:

1. The terminology. The terms "English" and "continental" were coined during WWII, as continental is actually German and the English were (rightly, at the time) uncomfortable doing anything the German way, or admitting that that way could be more efficient.

As we're about 80 years removed from the war, it might be time to accept that neither is objectively better and that German isn't a dirty word. We can, and should, use English and German, or throwing and picking respectively.

2. It's exclusionary to new knitters. The whole picking vs throwing discussion has made it so that new knitters don't know there are other options. If you're new to knitting, you get the impression that these are the only two options and if you can't do either, you can't knit.

Not to mention that the overwhelming majority of patterns and instructional videos are written or made exclusively for English or German methods. Which means if you want or need to use a different style, you need the additional step and skill of translating the pattern to fit your method. This requires a certain level of understanding of the underlying techniques that new knitters don't have. (Which is why I prefer charts, but that's a whole different rant.)

3. It's exclusionary to experienced knitters who don't pick or throw. The term continental for specifically German knitting dismisses all the other non-German European styles.

An incomplete list:

Eastern, or Russian, where you purl clockwise instead of counterclockwise, mounting the stitch backwards and knitting through the back loop on the right side. Creates the same stitch, but can be so much smoother to execute. Also very useful if you're doing rows of YO, ssk, as it eliminates the need to reorient the stitches before knitting them together.

Norwegian, where you purl without the need to bring the yarn fully forward. This is hard to describe in words, so I highly recommend googling for a video on Norwegian purls. It's a game changer for rib or seed stitch.

Portuguese, where you tension the yarn at the front of the work, looping it over your neck or through a pin. My personal preferred main method. Super helpful for those of us who lack finger strength to comfortably tension at the back. Makes purling a breeze.

Irish or lever knitting. Done with straight needles and (mostly) one-handed. Extremely helpful for people with disabilities. Also one of the fastest methods. You should check out videos on this, the speed is magical.

Flicking (not exactly regional), which is right handed but instead of throwing, you move the right needle to grab the yarn. Also difficult to explain, so check out some videos on this, too. Its a very quick method with minimal wrist movement. If you have the finger strength for tensioning it's worth practicing this, as it's so quick.

All of these are valid techniques, most of them are from continental Europe, none of them are included in the question "English or continental?".

And all of the above doesn't even get into the non-western, non-English, non-European styles there must be around the world, that I can't find through Google, because the English speaking world only uses the above mentioned methods.

Also, knitters that use other methods than picking or throwing are wildly underrepresented in the community, giving the knitting scene a culturally very white, western European image. Knitting could be a far more inclusive hobby if we'd embrace all styles.

In short, we need to change the question to "tell me about your technique" and learn from each other. Combining multiple methods (I use 3 or 4 interchangeably, depending on the pattern) can increase efficiency and enjoyment. And if you're struggling in any way, there might be a technique out there that better suits your needs. Asking about English vs continental isn't going to provide that information.

So tell me about your technique, especially if you use or know of any knitting methods that aren't western or European, I would LOVE to hear about that. Let's share and celebrate all the ways we knit.

[zu-is-here]

Hiya! So uhm. I literally can't draw a simple base for shi- so I often use Bases I found online but. It gets very annoying because I then have to go and find the creator of that specific base and well i sometimes never find it which is very annoying. What I'm trying to ask is if you have any tips for how to make a simple body shape for beginners?

(also I love your art style and I hope to see more of your amazing artwork!)

Sincerely Azzu.

Hii Azzu!╰(*´︶`*)╯

I believe it's better and easier to use references not so much as a full base, but partly, as a guide for learning and drawing your idea correctly (since it's usually different from the found reference itself, right?) (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)

If you intend to use the entire reference with no credits known, you can attach an image itself ✧

But as long as you don't trace or copy another artists' works, it's gonna be alright (*´∀｀*)

This tutorial may be useful, but I highly recommend to use a mirror and take photos for your own references ☆ Thank you so much, and good luck! <3

[webcomixwastaken]

Honestly, every time I see someone insist they need AI for writing, be it for getting an idea or drafting their piece or even basic grammar my instinct is to say:

"Just... GET GOOD."

Like, have no ideas? Then read more books in ALL sorts of genres, styles, and authors. Even read different age groups (if you only read YA but are over the age of 20, I promise you there is plenty of Adult out there you will love. Find it. You deserve it.) Do the same for movies, shows, and plays. Go to festivals and exhibitions and concerts. Dabble in different hobbies to observe and talk to people, all sorts of people. EXPERIENCE LIFE, that's how you'll be inspired to write about it. Know the world and how you feel in it beyond what the internet tells you to. (Also, you'll find out that your "brilliantly unique concept" has likely been done before and that your personal life experience will be the thing that makes it genuinely unique.)

Think your writing is bad? AI can't make it good for you. AI is a shitty writer. If you want to write I assume you like to read. (If you want to write but don't like to read then you have an incredibly tough, nigh impossible road to "being a good writer" ahead of you.) Again, read as widely as you can. Fanfic alone will not help you unless you only want to write fanfic which I do know applies to a lot of people. There's a fantastic thread floating around here that explains why writing for fanfic vs writing original work for publication are very different spheres. And as someone who reads a bunch of both, the best fanfic still has structure, character development, and actual plot, very similarly to books. (This is very much my subjective opinion, but I despise "no plot only vibes" -- to me both are integral to a good read. This 100% applies to tradpub too; the social media trope-focused marketing annoys me to no end. What is your story ABOUT?? If you can't tell me I have no interest in reading it.)

Instead of taking the shortcut that is actually sending you back to the start anyway, just... GET GOOD. And you get good by BEING BAD. Compose some trite purple prose nonsense rife with cliches. Have all your characters be shameless Mary Sues. Or, as I see the most often in early writers, be pedantic and repetitive as fuck because you don't know that you're doing it yet until after a year or so you look back and go "why the hell did I talk so much about this irrelevant thing? it totally disrupted the momentum of the scene and doesn't even develop character." And then, you'll realise that you've learned how to edit! Congratulations! You must understand that AI doesn't know this. AI is just plagiarising a couple hundred thousand people. AI has no brain. Don't trust it. Don't even play with it. It is a pathetic zombie concoction that only causes damage to others and the environment. Trust YOUR BRAIN. You are SO MUCH SMARTER. You KNOW what you want and like, you have way better ideas and images you want to convey. And in time you will know how to convey them accurately and compellingly in a way that sounds like you.

And finally, AI for grammar and spelling? Hoo boy do I have some opinions. Well, just one. Which is to simply GET GOOD!!

People bitch that English is a difficult language to learn but hey! All languages have their rules and nuances, so that's merely subjective! Whatever language you want to write in, learn those rules!! Seriously, just GET GOOD!! it's doable! I do it! In fact, many people do it and have DONE SO FOR YEARS.

Honestly, I don't use ANY kind of grammar software beyond the basic spellcheck automatically built into browsers and word processors nowadays (the ones that give you wiggly lines while you're typing and even then I rarely right click to accept since I find it faster to simply retype properly) because I KNOW MY SHIT. I know how to construct sentences, use consistent tense, punctuate properly, and capitalise or italicise or utilise any other convention of the English language I wish to follow or break because this is my craft, and I know how to shape it to become what I want my work to be.

So here is where I expect people to be all like "but what if I'm NOT a native speaker of the language huh huh??" Well, you're choosing to write in this language though. Do your level best -- and here is where I will say that this grammar stuff IS the most forgivable aspect anyway. Spelling errors or janky phrasing never hurt anyone when we can tell it's coming from a place of true diligence and effort, in fact one of my favourite fanfics of all time was set a summer camp and the NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKING author wrote "councilor" until about chapter 20 when they asked us, utterly mortified, in the notes why nobody had corrected them (because the plot and characterisation were immersive AF and felt like it came from a real person with real experiences). Some of the most poetic syntax and delightful descriptions I've come across were from people writing in not their first language, or even second or third -- children and adults alike, still learning and still TRYING because they took this shit seriously and were putting in their all.

This is the part that I personally cannot comprehend (but in a practical way I do, only because I see it EVERYWHERE) of people claiming that they just can't "get" grammar and need some brainless software running on codes and algorithms to "correct" them - don't you want to be FREE of this dependence?? Wouldn't you prefer to write KNOWING that it says what you WANT it to say instead of hoping that maybe 30% will remain after a program strips it of voice and style (and then because you're no longer paying attention, it also makes your sentences just WORSE and not "succinct" at all)?? Don't you want to be grown and confident with SKILLS instead of whining for help (which just boils to someone doing it FOR you, not actual help) all the time???????? Like seriously!! Have some self-esteem!!!!! You deserve it!!!! GET GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have been teaching fiction writing as my day job for nearly a decade now and when my students fret over their sub-par skills I always ask them how old they are. Because they should know that 9 year olds aren't supposed to spell everything correctly. Instead, they're supposed to make mistakes so they can learn how to fix them. Then, they should practise and practise and practise until they're 19 and realise that the habit has developed so beautifully that they're finding it HARD to make mistakes!

And if you're 29 and still struggling, no it's not too late. The best time was to start 20 years ago but the second best is now. Writing is pretty much a lifetime gig so keep going, and GET GOOD!!

[jimmyshopkins]

Your guide to bully girl Charlie Bond - her terrible grades and bad reputation are finally here!

Explanations for the stats, etc. below:

These are all subject to change and just what I think fits best for now, but starting with her relationships with the other bullies - she gets along with the more violent bullies, and has a less established connection with more talktative or empathetic ones. She can't empathise with Wade's family struggles so just finds him annoying for talking about it all the time, and finds Tom weird and stupid for regretting bullying people (as some examples). However, this IS her clique, and she always gets on better with any bullies than anyone else at bullworth.

She has little affiliations with the other cliques (avoiding those stronger than her, but she'll never admit that), picking on nerds and non cliques (which i didn't put in the image, smh) and only talking about the other cliques begrudgingly when with other bullies. She likes the townies though is envious of them because she despises attending bullworth (her parents forcing her into a boarding school so she can't be as much of a truant as she was at her previous day school). The preps make snide comments about her being "dirty" and "savage" to one another but won't pick fights with her directly.

Her grades are suffering because she hates writing and listening, so usually fiddles, dozes off, or picks on other students and the teacher instead of doing the work. She would be pretty good at gym if she didn't despise Mr Burton for making her do cheer instead of team sports, and is better at more practical subjects though her grades still aren't the best because she often doesnt show up, or gets kicked out for acting up. It's still an improvement from the atrocity that was her previous report card from her old school though.

(also if you're somehow still reading this thanks lol i hope u like her)