#I need to just simplify simplify simplify

[emmanation]

could you simplify your instant manifestation post? it still hasn't entirely clicked for me just yet </3

basicalmente!!!

instant manifestation doesn't fail because you did it wrong, but it might stall because you're still using the operating system called cause-and-effect. as i did with the example of "i'm blonde now," but it still came from a place where mirrors still may have shown a different result which you'd have to ignore and continuity still applied.

the secret lies not in better affirmations but instead changing the rules of reality. not just i have the thing, but i'm now in a reality where what i say is the thing, with no transition, no logic, no wait

you're manifesting the system architecture where updates happen on command. you're not pushing a result through a funnel but actively choosing a version of reality where the result's already always been true. you kill the need, you drop the timeline, and you stop waiting for proof

you say it, it's true, because you said it

[deerspherestudios]

Asking about Mycheal’s sense of morality and thoughts on kindness sort of got me thinking - what are his thoughts on justice?

Some examples on what I mean (that you do not have to specifically address!): If someone has harmed someone else, does he think that justifies hurting them back in any sense? And if someone in power continually abuses that power, does that justify hurting or killing them to prevent more harm in his opinion? Does it depend on the degree? Where does he draw the line? Or is it completely unacceptable - does he think we should always try to use mercy to solve conflicts? What about in situations where mercy can’t be used? And how does what he’d say verbally on the matter differ from how he’d actually act in a satiation where justice might be needed (eg. he says that he would never hurt anyone in any situation, but in reality there might be situations where he’d bring harm - or he says that he would hurt someone to prevent more damage but couldn’t bring himself to in reality). I’d be interested how his isolated upbringing impacted his thoughts on right and wrong as well - I’d imagine he prioritizes interpersonal relationships over the good of the whole (of any group he’s been rejected by especially), but, if so, by how much?

Again, these are just examples of generally what I’m going for by asking for his take on justice, please don’t feel pressured to answer any of the questions in that wall of a paragraph specifically! I’d love to hear your thoughts on his opinions in the area of morality in general - whatever comes to mind, even if it doesn’t relate to any of my example questions or the points I brought up. Thank you so much for your time and the love you pour into your work, and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Oo now this is a doozy of a question, from an anon no less :-0! I actually love these kinds of questions, but save them in my draft for months until I'm up to answering since I wanna do my best for them haha. Now's the time for this question to shine!

Long!!!!!! (possibly mad?? character opinions about justice and morality???) ramble below:

Regarding justice, I find myself struggling to answer to be honest! While I, the creator, have my own views on it, I'm not sure how someone like Mychael would feel about the concept of justice. This kind of thing warrants a society, of which he is isolated from. You don't really bother to be justified if something you did was wrong unless it's in the eyes of someone else, if that makes sense? Otherwise you'd end up arguing with yourself. And when stuck between committing a crime to survive or moral righteousness, it's obvious which one he would go for.

From your example, he's not really the type to believe in "an eye for an eye" as he's a pretty forgiving person. But of course, an extreme situation would change his mind like any of us!!

Now morality is a pretty nuanced topic, but after digesting the question a bit and gathering my thoughts, for the sake of conversation, I think his sense of morality can be simplified into a few traits:

First, he tries to be kind in all situations.

In the past, he's seen cruelty and kindness, how humans are capable of both, and the effects of those actions. Whether it's towards himself or others, he obviously prefers the latter treatment over the former. No matter what, he'll try to do the good thing (or at least, what he perceives to be the good thing) in most situations. He's aware it's naive to think so, but when you claw for something to live for, he insists "kindness above everything" is the best he could hold on to without losing himself.

Second, at times, he will be self-serving.

Just because he tries to be kind, doesn't mean there aren't moments where he'll be selfish. While his self interest isn't his top priority, in the rare instance he wants or needs something for himself, he'll likely skew odds in his favor. This is kinda clear from the game itself with how he treats MC when they start pulling away from him (another example is how he got his chickens and it's implied he does shoplift groceries/supplies no matter what he wants you to think.)

And finally, mercy is a tricky thing.

Let's say we equate mercy to forgiveness or compassion. Already in the game we see Mychael being callous towards the injured rabbit but also refuses to kill Rosie even though she doesn't really serve a purpose anymore other than being an attachment for him. With that said, you are definitely correct in saying "he prioritizes interpersonal relationships over the good of the whole" since with his background, interpersonal relationships are few and far in between. He might forgive a lover of his for murdering someone in front of his face, but wouldn't do the same for a stranger. He doesn't have the same sense of a judicial system like us humans, so with the above traits combined, he'd brush off the frankly heinous crime easier than most.

I hope that answers the question? Re-reading my answer a bunch I'm not even sure if I gave the points you're asking for but mmMM I spent spoons on this so have it like so 🫴❤️❤️❤️!!

[creatingblackcharacters]

project anon here and showing my face lol

just a PSA, my blog is definitely NOT art-centric and not suited for minors, so this is really just me showing the designs 😅

this one was mine (I get that I went a little overboard considering detail in animation, but if one of the white cast members can wear a detailed, professional sport sailor outfit, then I think my design can get a few details as a treat. I even simplified the hair down to two puffs in the end, even though that hurt)

AND TO BE PETTY: this was the design they chose

THEY'RE RACIST AS FUUUUUUUCK!!!! that design is so CUTE nahhhhhh oh that's foul!!! What???? Yours is BETTER!!!! 😭😭😭 Like yo I'm just. Maybe you were too expensive for them. Like I can't fathom the Wrong needed in your mind to not pick your design. I'm so mad. Oh she and you deserved better than this this is a TRAVESTY. "Too dark skinned" bro we are the SAME COLOR this is just Brown and even if she were darker SO WHAT???? aw nah I hope that place burns down.

[hotkeyliimepies]

Make me feel like I am breathing, feel like I am Human (?)

I think im just having this insane fever where all I can think about is them for a while. I am so so inlove with 55. His such a miserable pathetic excuse for an Android. So obscured from his original purpose, his obsolete.

anyway in terms of his character, the best way to simplify it is his insecure and has an inferiority complex. Similarly in the game, Connor has the habit of copying others.

One thing he picked up is “drinking” he has a built in tummy chamber thats made of metal that doesn’t corrode with a futuristic acid that just destroys everything without the need of being flushed. The reason for this new feature is because Clementine hated eating dinner where she cooks for both her and him and he just sits there starring at the food unsure with what to do with it.

but anyway, he likes to copy the little memory he has of Hank, where Hank drinks excessively when depressed. Hence Connor drinks alot and likes to pretend his drunk when his alone.

I might do more of these character thingy’ I might do one of Nines, since alot of people really like my take and interpretations of them. I hope you guys are ready because ive been planning a new mini series featuring a PL600. (Not Jericho Simon, just a random Simon PL600.)

[luxmoogle]

any advice on drawing clouds? I struggle over and over and over so I'm learning from everything i find online

I maybe have a few insights, but am definitely not much of an expert on clouds. The first thought I have is that many make the mistake of thinking about them in 2D, like a picture plastered on the sky. Yet, clouds are 3-dimentional objects just as anything else, so I find it's key to imagine that shape, even if the shape is so irregular and hard to grasp at times..!

I'll try to simplify what I'm thinking, imagine a cluster of cubes and how the lights and shadows form around them. Now Imagine those cubes being wrapped in fluff, the shadows stay the same! An actual cloud would be much more complicated in structure, but I hope you're getting the idea...

Another key is to simplify, another mistake is trying to bring in a million nuances of color and shapes into the cloud, a cloud consist mainly of the highlight points and the shadow, the most important part is the highlights! They show the shape of your cloud, where does the light (the sun) hit the cloud and creates the harshest lights?

Clouds come in a lot of shapes, references are great when looking at the time of day, weather etc. for what kinds of clouds form in which. There are also usually several types of clouds in the sky at the same time, so bring a lot of variety!

Hope this helps a bit, I realize I need to ponder on clouds more myself..

[hellothisisangle]

Hi!! I always feel super inspired by your art and is currently also thinking of going into nsfw myself, but I don't really know where to start. Where do you usually find inspiration and references? And do you have other fav nsfw artists yourself?

Awesome questions! If you’re interested in pursuing nsfw subjects (whether it's blatantly erotic, suggestively sensual, or just anatomically explicit)- it might be obvious that having an extensive understanding about anatomy would be helpful. And not just “the bits and bobs are in the right places/knowing how to distribute fat & muscles with motion” understanding. I mean: implied action and gesture, capturing movement in a still image, emotion through body language.

There are tons of resources you can study from: quick googling, your porn site of preference, 3d models/pose packs, real life… I’ve dabbled with them all. r/drawmensfw is popular because all posts are automatically allowed to be used as reference. 3d models can be helpful especially for multiple models/group shots. Posespace.com is another good one. But really, imagination, googling, and pausing porn is my go to if I need to see an interaction up close.

Although the main inspiration begins from the character side of things, not immediately nsfw. And I don’t think it so much matters ‘where you start’, but more: go ahead and do it! Now if you’re just starting out you’ll likely benefit from approaching it with a more realistic style, then stylize further as you continue to progress, exaggerating or simplifying things to fit your ideals. Because that’s what’s most interesting imo. The choices people make in their art based on what excites them tends to become a pattern, this is a more personal subject.

So I say- focus on pursuing what makes your heart rate increase, because it’s just more fun and you’ll get “better” faster than if you were to force yourself to draw something you don’t want to.

In terms of other nsfw artists I admire, the list is very very long and even if I name drop you guys are likely already aware of them due to being in the same related circle and fandoms, but maybe peruse the list of people I follow on socials some time!

[crackerpacket7]

realizing ive never posted these

for the purpose of categorizing my notes and shit, I made little symbols and assigned colors to each of the entities. if you look at any of my tma art these colors are probably present somewhere. I wanted them to be super bold so they could stand out when needed, but can also just be used as a wash or a little bit of color and still be recognizable. idk if that makes sense.

i think its pretty clear which is which but just in case

slaughter

hunt

desolation

eye

end

corruption

vast

lonely

web

stranger

spiral

flesh

dark

buried

extinction

ive considered changing the lonely one into an astronaut helmet but honestly I think that's too detail dense but if I try to simplify it it'll just look like a fishbowl. Also I know I know fog but I wanted them to be mostly symmetrical and I honestly just couldn't get it to look good. I quite like what I finally came up with tho. it really fits the vibe of 'THE FORSAKEN' to me

also thought about changing the buried to be a coffin and I'm still torn about that. i feel like it could be confused for the end idk

lil bonus im working on a jon sheet and im doing the eye slowly opening over his head so here's that

tumblr compression is probably gonna crunch that but whatever

[jolie-goes-rome]

Today's million dollar question from the Conclave (2024) and Conclave book fandom:

Are all cardinals of the Catholic church bishops, and if yes, why are some of them 'Cardinal Bishops' and others are not?

AKA Jolie's Weekly Lecture on Catholic Church Organisation, Canon Law and Other Things You Never Thought You Would End Up Wanting To Read Meta About Until You Contracted The Old Men Yaoi Bug 😝

This meta is the result of a recent conversation on a Conclave Discord server. Thank you to everyone who contributed and helped to clarify things!

So, bishops, cardinals, and Cardinal Bishops - which is which?

When you ask, "is Cardinal X a bishop?", the 'bishop' bit could actually mean three separate things. It could mean, has he been ordained as a bishop? Like, has he formally attained that degree of seniority as a cleric? It could also mean, does he work as a bishop, i. e. does he lead an active diocese anywhere in the world? Or it could mean, is he a Cardinal Bishop, or is he a different type of cardinal? These are three separate things.

First thing to keep in mind:

There are basically three degrees of ordination for Catholic clerics. The lowest is deacon, the entry grade for people who want to become priests. Trainee priests, if you like. The second degree is priest. The third and highest degree is bishop. That’s it. Cardinal or Pope is not a degree of ordination, nor is Monsignor or whatever other titles you can have in the church. Bishops also get made bishops (the official term is 'consecrated') only once in their lives. Whether they then work as an auxiliary bishop ("vice bishop"), bishop or archbishop (i. e. head of a particularly prestigious and important diocese) depends on where they get placed by the pope. There’s no new act of consecration necessary for these different episcopal jobs.

Now, obviously not all bishops are cardinals, but are all cardinals bishops? Almost all of them are. I think the only RL cardinal currently alive who is not a bishop is Timothy Radcliffe OP, the former head of the Dominicans (religious order) who is 'only' a priest, and had to be given special dispensation in canon law to be allowed into the college of cardinals.

Whether a cardinal works as a bishop (i. e. leads an active diocese) is a different question. Most of them are, or used to be. (The older, 80+ aged cardinals are often retired bishops but they of course retain both titles.) These are the majority of cardinals (about two thirds in all) and they don’t live in Rome.

The cardinals of the Curia, however, who are the pope’s "ministers" for specific fields of church work, like evangelisation and doctrine of the faith and communication and what have you, almost all do not or no longer lead active dioceses as well. That’s a practical consideration - it’s just too much work for one person and you can’t be in two places (Rome & your diocese) at once. (Although there are a few exceptions even to this.) But the Curia cardinals all remain consecrated bishops in terms of their degree of ordination, of course. That’s something that never goes away, no matter what your current job description is.

So if 99 % of cardinals are bishops in the degree-of-ordination sense, even if they don’t or no longer lead a diocese, then why on earth are only a few of them 'Cardinal-Bishops' and others are not? This is a different category altogether and I swear someone came up with it for the sole purpose of horribly confusing innocent little fans and fanfic writers.

So, over the course of history, the popes decided that the College of Cardinals couldn’t be a group of equals but needed to have a hierarchy within itself. (This is the Catholic church. Of course there’s a hierarchy for everything.) To simplify those historical developments very much indeed (you can read up on them in the Wikipedia article on cardinals), they figured that it would make sense to have three ranks, and then remembered that the church already had a handy three-tier system for ranking clerics: Deacons, priests and bishops (see above). So they named the most senior cardinals Cardinal Bishops, the middle tier Cardinal Priests, and the junior tier Cardinal Deacons. But this does not reflect the degree of ordination of these guys - 99 % of them are already bishops anyway! Their rank within the college is purely symbolic in that sense.

The senior rank, Cardinal Bishop, is awarded to cardinals who hold a titular suburbicarian see (6 in number), i. e. some very senior members of the Curia (in the movie, definitely Thomas and Aldo Bellini), and the Patriarchs of the Eastern Rite churches (of Alexandria, Antioch etc - 4 in number. In the movie these are the guys with the long beards and the markedly different garments, with black hoods etc). IRL, Francis also appointed 5 more Cardinal Bishops who were members of the Curia but did not hold suburbicarian sees (because there are now more senior Curia jobs for cardinals than there are suburbicarian dioceses), to reflect that the College has recently grown a lot in total.

In the book/movie, Tremblay and Adeyemi are very likely Cardinal Bishops as well. I don’t think it’s ever specified whether they hold a suburbicarian see or another titular see, but I think the former is strongly implied, given their seniority.

The Dean of the College (i. e. Thomas) is always a Cardinal Bishop because he’s elected from among their number. In Thomas’s case, this must have been when he was Secretary of State, a super senior Curial position. It’s only the Cardinal Bishops who elect the Dean, by the way, not all the cardinals.

The middle rank, Cardinal Priests, is the most numerous. They’re mostly the bishops and archbishops of active dioceses around the world, like Tedesco (who, to make things even more confusing, holds the historical Venetian title of Patriarch but is a Patriarch of the Western Rite, i. e. just a normal Italian archbishop with an extra fancy name). Vincent Benítez is also a Cardinal Priest.

The lowest rank is the Cardinal Deacons. They’re mostly guys who hold important positions in the Curia (below the super senior positions of the Curial Cardinal Bishops) and who get elevated to the rank of Cardinal in recognition of their faithful services to the Holy See. Bureaucrats, essentially! I don’t think there’s a canon character mentioned by name in the movie who falls specifically into that category, but there are a few in the book. The most senior of them makes the Habemus Papam announcement and answers to the title of Cardinal Protodeacon (or simpler, Senior Cardinal Deacon).

If you ever come across a Cardinal Priest who is a Vatican bureaucrat rather than a classic diocesan bishop, that’s because the Cardinal Deacons get the option to become a Cardinal Priest after 10 years. Promotion from Cardinal Priest to Cardinal Bishop, however, is not automatic but always tied to a very high ranking job in the Curia.

Like the Cardinal Bishops of the Curia all have their titular diocese (suburbicarian or - since Francis - elsewhere), the Cardinal Deacons and Cardinal Priests all also get assigned a parish church in Rome that they’re the titular head of. According to Vatican regulations, they’re "encouraged" to show their faces and say Mass there once in a while when they’re in Rome anyway. For the Cardinal Priests, this is an honorary position in addition to their home diocese anywhere else in the world.

</info dump>

Any questions? Comments? Corrections? Please feel free to get in touch!

PS I checked, it really is 'suburbicarian'. Not 'suburban', not 'suburbican' - 'Suburbicarian'. Try using that in a casual conversation today to impress your peers! 😝

[writingsoftarnishedsilver]

An Analysis of the The UK Wizarding World Population

How Many Wizards Are There, Really?

Okay, so this started because I just needed to get this figured out. The numbers in the Wizarding World have always felt a little… off. So I decided to sit down and really work it out using the books, real-world stats, and some basic demographic logic to see what kind of population could actually support the magical society we see in the series.

I've done my best to be as thorough as possible, but of course, there are probably things I missed, details I overlooked, or assumptions that could be challenged. This isn’t meant to be a definitive answer, just a grounded, numbers-based attempt to reconcile the world we see in the books with what it would actually take to make that world function. Think of it less like a census and more like a curiosity-driven thought experiment. One that, once you start… you kind of can’t stop thinking about.

Okay, so how do we start? Well, we’re told several useful things in canon:

There are 7 years at Hogwarts.

There are 4 houses.

Each student is sorted into a house in their first year.

Using the books as a reference, we can start to gather some information to help us get a baseline for the population. Throughout all the novels, Harry names the following Gryffindors in his year:

Ron Weasley

Neville Longbottom

Dean Thomas

Seamus Finnigan

Hermione Granger

Parvati Patil

Lavender Brown

If there had been anyone else in his year, I am making the assumption that they would have been mentioned. This means there were a total of 8 Gryffindors that year. However, in several scenes throughout the books, we do see joint house classes and various comments are made that allow us to make assumptions about other houses.

For example, in first year flying lessons, it is said that when Harry arrived, there were "twenty broomsticks lying in neat lines on the ground". Thus, there were 12 Slytherins with the 8 Gryffindors. This would give an average of 10 students per house per year during Harry's time. In total, that's approximately 40 students per year, meaning a total of 280 students in the school across the 7 years. This also implies that there are only approximately 40 magical children are born per year in the UK.

Next we can apply a simplified demographic model used to estimate how many people are alive in a population at any given time if the population is stable:

Population size = Annual birth rate × Average lifespan

We know wizards live longer than muggles, so lets assume a average life span of 120.

4,800 = 40 × 120

Now, if you're like me, you're looking at this total thinking "that is a tiny number of wizarding folk". So, I'd like to point out a few factors that we should consider:

Birth rates during war

Society and the economy

1. War-time Birth Rates

First, let's start with war-time birth rates. Looking at a real-world example, "by 1914, the birthrate was around 2.88 children per woman, but by 1918 this had collapsed by almost 50%".

Students who arrived at Hogwarts in 1991 (Harry's year) must have been conceived during the year of 1979. Importantly, the First Wizarding War lasted from 1970 to 1981, and thus we can conclude that wizarding births would presumably have also significantly decreased during this period of time.

So, assuming twice the number of magical births per year, that would give us:

9,600 = 80 × 120

Double our original value, but once you step back and consider the infrastructure, complexity, and institutions that we’re shown in the books, it still seems tiny.

With this in mind, I will shift my focus from population biology to sociological and economic modeling.

What do we actually see in wizarding society? Even filtered through the narrow, teen-focused lens of Harry’s POV, the wizarding world contains infrastructure, complexity, and economic specialization that a population of just 4,000 could never realistically support.

2. Society and the Economy

Hogwarts

A fully staffed residential boarding school with:

Multiple subject specialists

Caretakers, groundskeepers, nurses, kitchen staff

Expensive magical architecture, security, and upkeep

Referred to as the only wizarding school in the UK

Revered internationally (seen as elite)

If we assume the oft-cited (if narratively inconsistent) “1,000 students at Hogwarts” figure from J.K. Rowling’s 2000 Scholastic chat is correct at peak capacity, then: 1,000 students ÷ 7 years = ~140 students per year Now apply the lifespan-based model: 14,000 = 140 × 100

Even this is conservative in my opinion, but it's better than our original figure! So let's continue...

2. St. Mungo’s Hospital

A multi-ward medical institution

Staffed with Healers, assistants, and administration

Serves everything from spell damage to long-term care

Using a conservative UK hospital ratio, 1 bed hospital bed per 100 people gives us 30,000 magical people served.

3. Ministry of Magic

The Ministry includes:

At least 7 named departments

Subdivisions like Aurors

Full-time court officials (Wizengamot), clerks, obliviators, diplomats, and more

In the real-world, the UK government employs (500,000 / 67,000,000) × 100 = ~0.7% of the population.

Even if the Ministry is bloated (as governments often are) and employs 1,000 people, then 1,000 / 0.007 = ~140,000 magical citizens.

Now, if these figures aren't enough for your consideration, I have a few more...

4. Azkaban

Azkaban is a high-security, long-term prison used to hold:

Violent criminals

Political prisoners

Entire cells full of Death Eaters

In real life, most countries don’t operate entire island prisons unless they have substantial incarceration numbers. For comparison, Alcatraz housed ~250–300 inmates and still required a significant support system.

Even if only 1% of magical adults ever serve prison time, that implies a population large enough to make Azkaban worth running, once again suggesting a base of at least tens of thousands, not a few thousand.

5. Magical Economy

In the novels, we see:

Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade packed with specialty shops (wandmakers, potion ingredients, magical pets, etc.)

Flourish & Blotts hosts author signings

The Daily Prophet is a fully operational national newspaper

Magical public transportation (Knight Bus, Floo Network)

Owl delivery services

An economy with this degree of specialization requires thousands of consumers and enough income diversity to support luxury, artisan, and utility goods.

And it's not just about who's buying the goods, but who is making, sourcing, or importing them. For example, consider Madam Malkin’s Robes. Even if we assume that much of the tailoring and enchanting is done in-house, the materials must come from somewhere. Who harvests the acromantula silk? Who spins it? Who processes the dragonhide for protective gloves or boots? Even something as seemingly simple as standard Hogwarts robes likely requires inputs from weavers, dyers, and delivery couriers. And that's just one shop. Now multiply that by the dozens of boutiques in Diagon Alley, the merchants in Hogsmeade, and the countless magical goods required to support the average household, hospital, school, and Ministry office.

6. Decentralized Communities and Regional Infrastructure

So far, this entire model assumes that magical Britain is highly centralized, with everything flowing through Diagon Alley and London, but that assumption doesn’t hold up to scrutiny and and recent additions to the canon support a more distributed magical landscape. In Hogwarts Legacy, we’re introduced to several small magical hamlets throughout the Scottish Highlands, indicating that rural magical communities do exist and have their own localized economies. This aligns more with how real-world populations are distributed.

It also raises a practical question: are magical families in Wales or Scotland or Ireland really expected to travel to London just to purchase school supplies when they have their own major cities? The idea that there’s a single alleyway to serve the entire magical population of the British Isles is logistically absurd. Even if Diagon Alley is the largest and most famous commercial center, it cannot be the only one. There must be regional tailors, wandmakers, apothecaries, and general suppliers, especially for families that aren’t wealthy or well-connected.

This suggests the existence of dozens of small to mid-sized magical communities, each requiring their own economic base, service providers, and integration into the broader magical world. And that, in turn, implies a significantly larger national population to justify and sustain this decentralized infrastructure.

All in all, this implies a significant consumer base. However, an important consideration is that unlike Muggles, wizards can:

Automate household chores (e.g., cleaning, cooking)

Teleport instantly (no need for extensive infrastructure)

Heal injuries and illnesses faster

Use magic to farm, manufacture, and repair with fewer people

Reduce logistics and transportation burdens

Thus, while a Muggle society might need 250,000–300,000 people to support, let's assume a magical society could feasibly do it with half the number of people.

3. A Final Number

Taking the narrative, demographic, economic, and institutional factors together, a reasonable, grounded estimate for the population of the British and Irish wizarding world would fall between 100,000 and 150,000 witches and wizards.

While wizards benefit from magical efficiencies that reduce their reliance on large labor forces (e.g., using magic for transportation, food preparation, and household tasks), the complexity of their institutions still demands a much larger population than the original 4,000 estimate suggested by Hogwarts class sizes alone. Even assuming magical productivity multiplies output, the sheer diversity and durability of magical Britain’s institutions point to a minimum six-figure population.

At 100,000 individuals out of roughly 67 million total in the UK, that makes magical folk ~0.15% or roughly 1 in every 667. In a city the size of Manchester with 570,000 people, about 850 would be magical.

Now, in 2022, the UK had ~5.3 million people aged 11–17 out of ~67 million, giving us ~7.9%. If the total magical population is estimated at 100,000, then the number of Hogwarts aged children would be 100,000 × 0.079 = 7,900.

At this point, however, we begin to see the unavoidable tension between narrative design and realistic population modeling, as we certainly never see anything close to 8,000 students at Hogwarts in canon material. Class sizes are small. Dormitories are intimate. Teachers give individualized attention. There are no massive dining queues. J.K. Rowling herself has contradicted the books in interviews. So what do we do with this contradiction?

8. A Top-Heavy Age Pyramid

We know that Wizards live significantly longer than Muggles. Dumbledore was over 115 at his death. If wizards live ~120 years on average, then this would impact the age structure of the wizarding world. It’s possible the population is top-heavy, with a disproportionately large number of elderly witches and wizards and fewer magical children born each year.

This structure isn’t unprecedented. In the real world, countries like Japan face a similar demographic challenge. As of 2022, 29% of Japan’s population was aged 65 or older, and the national fertility rate was just 1.26 children per woman, far below the replacement level of 2.1.

Applying the same logic to the wizarding world, it’s reasonable to assume that even with a total population of around 100,000 witches and wizards, only a small fraction, perhaps just 3%, would fall within the 11 to 17 age range. That would yield approximately 3,000 school-aged children, translating to roughly 400 students per year at Hogwarts, or about 100 students per house per year.

While numbers like 400 students per year or 3,000 total may sound large compared to what we see in the books, it's important to remember we're talking about a massive, enchanted castle. Hogwarts is likely capable of adjusting itself to fit the needs of its population. We’ve seen magical spaces, like tents and suitcases, that are significantly larger on the inside than they appear from the outside, and it stands to reason that Hogwarts’ dormitories, classrooms, and common rooms function in much the same way. So even if the student body expands or contracts from year to year, the school is almost certainly built and enchanted to scale accordingly.

9. Final Thoughts

So, what does all of this actually mean?

Well, it means the Wizarding World is bigger than we’re led to believe. Not just in terms of geography or magic, but in terms of sheer numbers. If we take the books at face value, we get tiny class sizes and a population that feels more like a close-knit village. But when you start looking at the complexity of the institutions, the economy, the Ministry, the infrastructure... it just doesn’t add up unless the population is much, much larger.

That doesn’t mean the books are wrong, they just show us one very specific lens: the extraordinary life of a teenager who isn’t particularly concerned with census figures or economic modeling. But if you zoom out and think about what it would really take to make that world function? In my opinion, you end up somewhere around 100,000 to 150,000 witches and wizards, maybe more.

Anyway, I had to work it out. And now maybe you don’t have to.

Or maybe you will. Because once you start thinking about this stuff… you kind of can’t stop.

[mrsbuttergood]

PAC: Summer Bummer

I've been wanting to do another pick-a-card/adventure that's SSO related but honestly feel so drained that I instead just decided to keep this a mini-post. I may do a longer and more immersive one for Halloween like I did last time, but for now, hope you guys like this one even though it's short!

Disclaimers! This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously! It's more like a "choose-your-adventure" and is not a reflection of your actual life and instead is meant to immersive into the Jorvik world.

Whew, it sure is hot out here! Is summer really coming to an end soon? It feels like it’s just starting with this weather! Can you even believe James got me here in the heat to do readings? But I’ll tell you what, since we’re comrades in arms fighting this dastardly weather, I’ll get you a reading for free! I’m sure James won’t mind. Just choose any of the cards to see what you need to know before your Jorvegian summer to comes to an end! … where’s Yrdis? No clue, probably flying to the moon again. Anyway, choose a card!

Piles in order from: 1 -> 2 -> 3.

Pile 1.

The first card that popped up was 8 of Diamonds in reverse with the message don’t waste your time and do what you want. As enjoyable as it is to laze around Fort Pinta beach drinking your fourth strawberry milkshake, it won’t suddenly stop time or make all your worries go away.

The 3 of hearts also popped up and it also talks about time. The quote on my card specifically is “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one” -Elbert G. Hubbard. You also got a lot of clock imagery, like a sand timer and a stopwatch, so again, the message mostly relates to time.

By worrying about wasting time, you are ironically wasting time, which actually stops you from doing things. Both cards can also be related to creativity and encourage you to use and embrace it. As a side not, taking a break isn’t wasting time, but worrying about it taking up time isn’t going to make you feel better. Time was going to pass anyway, so just go for what you want. Either your adventure for the end of summer or a dive in the ocean with ole’ Bruce.

The 5 of Diamonds also came out as a hidden card, and the message is mostly to simplify your life instead of making things more complicated. This card usually talks about expansion and a change within your lifestyle, and given it’s upright, there will be a positive growth if you can take the first step to just go for it. None of my personal cards wanted to fall out for this but I felt like grabbing my candle cards for this reading, and the message was again related to the passing of time.

So instead of worrying about all the details, go for it! I’m sure you’ll make a perfect shark trainer! 👍

Pile 2.

Ahh, don’t the flowers smell so sweet and tickle your nose all funny? What’s that? You can’t because you’re moving too fast? Yeah, I can see that.

You’ve been bustling all over Jorvik this summer it seems. The Kind of Diamonds talks about a figure who is securing some sort of success in their life, this can usually be monetary, but it can also represent whatever success means to you. Though the 6 of Clubs coming out after almost cautions you to not get stuck looking towards the future.

Specifically, with just being still and being present within the moment, because that in itself is can become a fond memory to look back on. There will always be summer, as there will always be time, but there will only be one moment within this specific time and you’re being told to cherish it. The time card also came out for this one with the 3 of hearts, though unlike pile 1, yours seem to be the opposite message of taking your time.

You’re too frantic, when I went to pull out cards, they basically came flying out at me. It was worse than chasing those Sunfield chickens. Don’t even get me started on the crabs, do you know how hard it is to get back something from a crab? But I digress, I limited myself to only 3 cards per reading but multiple cards kept jumping out.

I think you’re progressing with something in your life but the cards feel almost frantic and I think the message coming out is to actually enjoy your time. The 3 of Clubs also points to this sense of overwhelming yourself, and again, the message is to just breathe for second. Perhaps you should join up with pile 1 at the beach and switch your life styles for day to just relax with a nice smoothie next to the beach. Maybe find a picnic spot around the vast and beautiful landscapes Jorvik has to offer and layout a picnic blanket, some snacks, and enjoy the sunset.

There’s a lovely spot on top of the mountain that overlooks Starshine Ranch in the wolf den or the spot just outside of Jasper’s Ranch next to the Riding Hall. (Also don’t tell the other piles, but I let you have an extra card with the King of Spades but this basically says you’ll be fine if you take a small break, you’ll find the success you seek.) An image that comes to mind is a field of hay with a soft breeze, so just enjoy this moment.

You’ve got time, and you’re going to do great fighting Garnock, where’s the stress? …Um, I wouldn’t recommend petting that crab, maybe a swim with Bruce will alleviate the stress instead? At least you can worry about something else…?

Pile 3.

Do you have a new adventure you’re dying to start or trying to check things off of your Jorvik summer list before heading back to the mainland?

Perhaps part of it is to get rid of the summer blues, maybe you can’t wait to travel to South Hoof at the Rescue Ranch or go around Jorvik to be a helping hand. There’s almost this sense of restlessness, you just want to do something. The 8 of Spades popped out and tied in with the 2 of Diamonds, which was a hidden card, the message that came out was that you’re excited about some new type of adventure, or wanting to start one.

Though before you start wrangling sharks and wolves, the Queen of Clubs tells you to maybe plan out your adventure first before jumping in head first. Afterall, it’s kind of hard to get your head out of Bruce’s jaws, trust me, Tim should know a thing or two.The 10 of Spades also points to you having many ideas and the Kind of Spades says that you’ll be successful but again, the message it to mostly slow down a little just to make some sort of plan.

You probably just want a fun time with good vibes instead of guessing what appliance Bruce ate next. Heck, you could even scribble it out in the sand with a stick at Fort Pinta beach, just something so you know what direction you want to go in, either South Hoof or somewhere else before your checklist ends up becoming too chaotic instead of feeling like a refreshing cold drink for the summer whenever you check something off.

Afterall, even brief planning can be your best friend… besides the crabs. You could probably bring a companion with you on this trip. Would you have thought of that before setting off to sea? I think not! (Probably.) With just a bit of planning, this idea could grow into a lush garden filled with the most wonderful memories for the end of summer.

So what are you waiting for? Take the wheels of adventure and go forth Aideen’s minion! Your pirate adventure awaits!

Well that's all! Hope you guys enjoyed this fun little pick-your-adventure!

[drakyns]

𝗦𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦, 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗩𝗘𝗗 . . .

a brief breakdown on håkan’s physique and intimacy details. this post is tied to: 1) the notes about his tattoos, their meanings and some other body details, 2) the post about him having longer hair as he grows older, and 3) the eyepatch headcanon. they are not necessary reads, though, and i just need an excuse to gush more about him, so here we are.

when håkan was younger, people would’ve easily described him as scrawny—a bit of a toothpick, honestly. he didn’t fit the image of a future chieftain at all. over time, though, his body filled out. as an adult, he ends up with a swimmer-like build: strong core, powerful thighs, and a well-defined waist. he reaches his most muscular after the war against grimmel, which is also when he starts letting his hair grow out. that choice is tied to mourning the death of snotlout/sveinn (more will be discussed in a separate post).

people from other tribes often don’t recognise him as he gets older. it’s not just the body, his whole demeanour changes. his posture is much firmer post-war; the way he moves, the way he talks, it all carries more weight (grief). so much for ‘hiccup-ing’: he doesn’t stutter nearly as much anymore, eeither. that said, in private moments, especially when he’s focused on his forge or bantering with a friend, he still hunches over and talks with his whole body like he used to as a kid. the difference is, he now knows how to “wear the mantle” of his title. he’s grown into it, and people who knew stoick will certainly see the resemblance far more than not.

after the war (HTTYD3), håkan lost sight in his right eye. he wears an eyepatch now, and beneath it are claw scars from a dragon tearing through that side of his face, cut flesh and everything else. he used to get extremely anxious when people approached from his blind side, but these days, he barely bats an eye (pun intended), even when the twins mess with him. he’s learned to recognise people by the sound of their steps alone. it’s still rare for him to let people touch his injured eye, however.

when it comes to his looks, hiccup doesn’t see himself the way others do. because he grew up believing he was weak and not meeting expectations, he’s stupid to the fact that he’s grown into someone attractive. to him, his body is just that: a body. so he doesn’t spend time on “beautifying” himself. his body modifications (such as his piercings, tattoos, braids and/or hair accessories) are strictly tied to cultural rituals. because of this, compliments and physical flirtations will more often than not fly over his head. one would need to be extremely forward to get a serious response out of him.

appearance-wise, he’s covered in freckles; most noticeable on his cheeks, shoulders, hips and, errrm, between his legs. he also has plenty of scars and tattoos, and those were explained more in-depth on this post, though i’m retconning the wings on his chest: instead, they’ll be on his back, and the design for the northern lands’ alliance was simplified.

also, due to his training routines, the regions of his hips and his lower back barely have any extra fat: he has visible hip bones, and deep back dimples. those dimples, specifically, are extra sensitive because of heightened nerves in that area.

the non-erogenous area of his body that is most sensitive, however, is his ears. whisper near them, and you’re sure proof to get a reaction: goosebumps, short breaths, even blushing. funnily enough, when he does indeed blush, it generally starts from his ears: they get an adorable shade of pink before spreading through his entire face and down his neck.

håkan is very reserved about being physically perceived by others. this is due to a series of reasons, from his low sense of self-image to his upbringing as a chieftain’s son (since keeping a certain amount of decorum was expected, even for a hiccup). he very much cares for his personal space, keeping a respectful and nice distance from others when in public. he won’t appear shirtless in the village, no matter the weather, the celebration, or anything of the sort; he prefers aloneness for things like bathing, too. in his culture, communal bathing is normal, but he’ll avoid it unless it’s with trusted people like his drengr council/dragon riders or a partner.

he’s also surprisingly traditional when it comes to displays of affection. unless he’s betrothed to his partner and they are recognised by the council of the northern lands and their respective elders, hiccup prefers to keep things reserved. once he is formally promised to someone and that person to him, though? expect a very clingy, openly adoring man. some people even joke about him being as territorial as a dragon would be over his partner.

in more intimate situations, he focuses entirely on his partner. although he secretly craves for praise, he’s not used to receiving it at all, so depending on how it’s given and its frequency, it may either overwhelm him or be extremely cathartic. the same goes for body worship; he’s far more comfortable giving such type of attention than receiving it. he’s still learning how to navigate through ‘give and take’ dynamics in romantic relationships. overall, it will heavily depend on his partner and their affinity.

lastly: extremely touch-starved. when he’s in an established relationship, håkan becomes incredibly needy for affection without realising it: leaning closer, gravitating toward warmth, always wanting to be near. quality time is his biggest love language. and yes, he’s absolutely the type to come up with very sweet, sometimes ridiculous pet names for his partner. ‘ástin mín’ (my love) is only the starting point.

[befemininenow]

Attention all followers and fans!

Yes, you heard me right: I haven't quit just yet! I am simply making a new change on my content, but that will be reflected on another account. Everyone, I am happy to introduce a new, more simplified blog of this one: A Girl Called Nikki.

This is my way for a fresh new start, as well as to re-introduce my older work to newer fans with some well-needed changes, the main one being the new font. As promised, I'm going to be using the newer, more simple font on newer captions. There's a catch: You will have to go to the other blog to view it.

Making that change here would impact the theme of this blog. I've grown a lot these past (almost) 3 years and while it would be nice to show everyone the growth here, I feel like it's not the time to show that change yet. As hard as it is to read it at times, there's no denying that the cursive font has become very associated with the Be Feminine Now blog. Hot take, but changing the font lose a part of the blog's identity; the same could be said about its name, which is why I never renamed this blog "A Girl Called Nikki".

I know those of you awaiting the change didn't expect that result, but I feel like making the new blog was necessary in part, because I want to archive my caption work for the future, and also, because I want to make the new blog the way I intended it to be. I will still upload here, but don't be surprised to see my activity grow more in the other blog as opposed to here. If you are planning to contact me, don't do so through the other blog: I can't reply back due to a glitch. Contact me here. Anyways, that's all I wanted to give to all of you today. Have fun, everyone!

[ilovegt]

Bennett seems so tired when he’s human. Why is that? And how are they getting used to their new sizes?

[Size swap au!]

Well, as a borrower, he almost always felt tired and looked bad, but he was too small for a human to notice (and it was a simplified drawing). When he became a human, everything became clear.

_

Having become human in the early years, Bennett would have been extremely sociophobic. He wasn’t afraid of the borrower society — he was simply an introvert and would’ve preferred to be alone. Besides, many borrowers disgusted him. Just imagine his reaction to suddenly being as gigantic as the towering beings he once looked up at from below, afraid they might step on him — or worse. Now, he could talk to them all calmly. My God! He now constantly sees the world from a human’s height instead of a borrower’s. It would take him months to get used to that.

The most unpleasant part would be the paperwork and bureaucracy — he doesn’t even have a passport. In any case, it’s all boring stuff. Trevor and his friend would probably help him with that.

Bennett would probably find another job, or maybe stay a postman, but only as a side gig. He’d choose work that’s solitary, where he barely has to interact with anyone.

_

Trevor would have been much more comfortable being a borrower than Bennett being a human. Now that he's free from all obligations and such, his physical fitness is even better than that of a regular borrower (he's studying to become a firefighter). I think he would have visited the borrowers city frequently, as... well... He can't do without socializing and people. Trevor would have quickly integrated into the borrower community, and no one would have suspected that he was once a human.The only thing that could give him away is a lack of the quick thinking and resourcefulness a borrower needs.

[eveningcherryblossoms]

Loving the betaverse! I'm curious tho, I've been feeling like it's unavoidable for Rei to be trapped with the bats, now, what happens if they don't fulfill their role as beta? Bc they obviously DON'T want to do it.

And, what would happen if Rei just snapped and told the bats that they don't want to be part of their pack and that they don't consider them family or something alike? I'm curious. Mainly bc I would NOT have that mental strength of not snapping when they get up in my business after leaving me by myself all my life lmao.

Also, would Rei ever want to be part of a pack at all in the future, if they do are able to escape? I've read that children who are neglected tend to either be super clingy or not be interested in deep relationships at all (super simplified, I know).

Rei seems to be the latter rather than the former to me, is that like a viable situation in this universe? Can people live a normal happy life without a pack?

Glad you like it!

Well, a pack beta's duties vary depending on the pack. In the BatWayne case, the beta needs to diffuse tension between the pack members but that's it. The presence of a beta already suffices to subtly calm down the alphas and omegas, so technically Rei just has to be with the pack 😶

Oh, Rei definitely would snap and tell the Batfam that. Unfortunately for them, it'd be as effective as arguing with a brick wall. The Batfam are infamously stubborn–err, strong-willed after all, they wouldn't budge about making Rei their beta now that they knew they were one. Expect ropes and chains if they want to be blatant, bribery and blackmail if they want to be 'nice' 🙂

Lmao I do like the thought of Rei living as a free beta all their life, guess my preference leaked on the story 😅 But tbh Rei is more, unsure? The concept of a pack is lovely but Rei knows how one (1) pack has treated them, could it be that everything they've heard about a pack untrue, at least when it applies to them? So chances are they'd choose to stay alone.

It's not exactly normal, especially since they're a beta. They have their inheritance, but if not? It'd be more of a struggle to live independently of any pack bc of harassment from packs looking for a beta, other packs' caution about the danger of betas living packless. High-paying jobs are not unavailable for betas, sure, but most betas are stuck on the bottom ranks with the lowest salaries. Even renting a place could be difficult with landlords skeptical of a lone beta's ability to pay. Long story short, it's not impossible to live without a pack but it won't be either normal or very happy.

...unless you're Rei probably uwu

[anghraine]

It's kind of funny that "And the Children Shall Lead" is a pretty bad episode and then has some fascinating characterization beats buried in it.

Most obviously, Kirk's breakdown is mostly terribly written, but the moment the awful dialogue stops and they just let Shatner desperately cling to Nimoy and have Nimoy whisper "Jim" it catapults to this absolutely god-tier perfect interaction between their characters.

It also tracks on a certain level that when Spock's inhibitions were artificially removed and the deepest most idiosyncratic recesses of his soul amplified in previous episodes, he was miserable and crying and ashamed, with an edge of rage when challenged or when his boundaries are pushed. But here, Kirk stripped of inhibitions with his vulnerabilities amplified is panicking and desperately lonely—yet pretty much the smallest expression of love and respectful support from Spock can yank him right out of it. I need him indeed.

But the other detail I like is that McCoy has a good sense of what's going on with the children from early on, and doesn't really have any difficulty grasping the idea that they're coping with the traumatic losses of their parents and the malign influence of the worst Pied Piper by forgetting what they saw and following directions from the most authoritative figure around. The one who has the most difficulty wrapping his mind around the idea of the children dealing with their trauma by forgetting it is Kirk:

MCCOY: They seem completely secure and unafraid. KIRK: And you insist their behavior indicates traumatic shock? MCCOY: I don't insist, Jim, but I can't dismiss the possibility. KIRK: A child suppresses the fact that both parents are dead? I can't believe it. SPOCK: Humans do have an amazing capacity for believing what they choose and excluding that which is painful. KIRK: Not these children, to this extent. It's incredible. MCCOY: What those children saw is incredible, Jim. The way those deaths occurred, any reaction is possible including lacunar amnesia. That's my diagnosis. Until specific tests can be made, it remains that. KIRK: I'll be guided by that opinion, doctor, for the present. What about questioning them? MCCOY: Not until the fabric of the traumatization weakens or you come up with another explanation for their behavior.

It's always nice to have an episode where McCoy is insightful in a very characteristic way and stands his ground on the fronts of genuine decency and medical ethics. It makes a lot of sense for him that he's concerned with the children not crying and showing no signs of grief as obvious indicators that something is very wrong with them. Spock, whose particular childhood miseries are nothing like this, can at least imagine how such a coping mechanism might be true, if in a rather cold and distant way (he's pretty cold and distant towards everyone but Kirk in this episode). But Kirk, someone horrifically traumatized as a child who values his controlled performance of himself and never cries, struggles the most to understand.

Since I prefer to experience TOS as its own thing, without considering much beyond occasional details that didn't make it into the scripts but are entirely compatible with the show as aired, for me this is extra apropos because the writer of "The Conscience of the King" had intended for TOS Kirk's father to die opposing the fascist coup on Tarsus IV that laid the foundation for Kodos's genocide. Other staff forced him to simplify the backstory and remove any reference to Kirk's family, but the more elaborated earlier backstory lingers in references throughout the aired episode and TOS never contradicted anything in it (Kirk's parents are never mentioned in TOS, including in the discussion of his brother's family showing up to celebrate Kirk receiving command of the Enterprise).

But it's such a contrast to the emphasis in "The Conscience of the King" on how the Tarsus IV eyewitnesses can't forget, can't help but recognize Kodos, can't help but remember. Kirk very much does not want to revisit Tarsus IV and prefers to relegate it to the past rather than face everything Kodos's survival means for him, even if he ultimately can't resist the opportunity for long-delayed justice—and, simultaneously, he retains a letter-perfect memory of Kodos's genocide speech, heard once as a thirteen-year-old boy twenty years earlier. If his parents did die in the coup/genocide (which frankly makes more sense within TOS and requires less desperate straining IMO), then him looking at these unconcerned orphans frolicking around and getting to forget while Kirk is just baffled and frustrated and disbelieving that this is even a possibility—there's a kind of sense to it.

This whole dynamic around the children's uncanny valley behavior also leads to this wild moment with Spock later:

KIRK: They don't understand the evil that they're doing. SPOCK: Perhaps that is true, but the evil that is within them is spreading fast, and unless we can find a way to remove it— KIRK: We'll have to kill them.

Okay!!

[hollytree33]

Hi so I might’ve made a painting of my Inquisitor while trying to mimic Solas’s style so I can pretend he made it