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stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale · 5 years ago

Text

[checkmate] [3]

Summary: After ten years of fighting and surviving their way through the apocalypse in search of their son, Hugo and Isabel Sulieman finally find Ericson’s Boarding School for Troubled Youth and are ready to reunite with Louis.

Notes: After many hours of writing and rewriting this story, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s going to be way longer than I anticipated [what else is new]. I want to keep the all chapters around the same length [about 5k] so there’s a lot of splitting being done. I think it’s safe to say that there will be more than four parts to this like I had originally planned.

Anyway, I hope y’all enjoy it! Thank you for reading and for all the positive feedback!

As I’ve said before, this is a part of the contest prize story for @bluebutterfly1!

Read on AO3

---

Through the crack of the walker’s skull, blood oozes dark, dripping down the handle of the hatchet and onto his hand. Cold, clotted, and disgusting.

Hugo pushes the dead walker down with a huff just as Isabel finishes off the last one a few steps away.

They’re repulsive, the walkers. Even now, Hugo can’t over their decaying stench and peeling flesh. These walkers, in particular, are more disgusting- fresher walkers usually are.

Older walkers- years and years older- are slower, nothing but leathery skin and bone, weak from muscle deterioration and perhaps even hunger.

Newer walkers are what scare Hugo. Not only are the remains of a humane appearance more present, but they’re stronger, quicker, hungrier.

Killing them is such a normal thing now, he thinks. It’s easier when he considers it as a prevention of more chaos with every walker he kills. One less fresh walker. One less to wander around and devour innocent, unsuspecting survivors. There’s been too much of that.

“All clear,” Isabel says, wiping her knife off on the dirty rag attached to her belt. “Can we make this quick?”

Up close on the pier, the boat is an absolute wreck. Stray pieces of wood jut out of the water, metal stuck swaying with the waves, knocking into the boat. From what he can see, there isn’t a safe enough way for him to climb inside.

“Yep, it’s terrible. A real mess,” Isabel says. “Worst boat I’ve ever stood before in my life.”

Hugo raises a brow, elbowing her with a smirk.

“Worse than The Nauti Buoy?”

Isabel wrinkles her nose. “Ugh. I hated that damn thing.”

The Nauti Buoy was the clever name of his brother’s boat, one Stephen prided himself on, even though he stole the name from another boat he came across in his travels to pass off as his own.

Hugo used to say, “You know how people end up looking like their animals? Well, Stephen looks like his boat.”

Gaudy decor inside and out, painted a terrible antique gold color, much bigger than necessary.

Well, he thought so at the time. After Stephen’s second divorce, he ended up living in the damn thing. Oh, how proud their mother was. At least he was able to keep his prized watch collection safe and secure, because that’s all that really mattered.

Hugo only ever brought his family onto that boat once. Isabel grew so sick an hour in that they had to turn the damn thing around and head back to shore.

Not Louis, though.

Louis loved being on that boat. Not once did he ever get sick, except Hugo had to warn him about leaning too far over the railing to get a better look at the dolphins he spotted. Nearly fell overboard and gave Hugo a heart attack.

Seeing Louis’ glowing face as he marveled at the waves and salty air was what inspired Hugo to invest in a boat of his own.

Louis named it Gus.

Didn’t really have a reason, he just thought the boat looked like a Gus.

Hugo smiles.

“It wasn’t that bad, just ugly,” he says. “What do you think happened?.”

“I told you, someone blew it to shit,” Isabel says. “What exactly are you expecting to find?”

“Something useful,” Hugo kneels down, pressing a hand against the boat to steady himself as he leans in through a gaping hole. “Clothes, weapons, maybe food.”

“Hey, careful-”

“Look, through there? I can see a couple of crates floating inside. Worth checking out. Here, why don't you go check along the shore, I’ll see if I can grab one.”

“How about I stay right here and help you? I know you’re gonna fall in and I’ll have to fish you out.”

“I’m not gonna fall in,” Hugo rolls his eyes. “Have some faith in me.”

“It’s not that I don’t have faith in you, Hugh,” Isabel frowns. “I’d just rather prevent a disaster than try and fix one. Who knows what’s lurking around in these waters.”

“What, you think a shark’s going to gobble me up?”

“No, a walker,” Isabel kneels down beside him. “They can move under there much better than we can, and they don’t gotta breathe. If this ship crashed, odds are there were people on it who were thrown into the water. Hence, walkers.”

Well, damn, he hadn’t thought of that. Leaning over the edge, Hugo squints. The water’s pretty mucky, so he can’t tell how deep it is or what the bottom holds.

“I could out swim a walker, but to put your mind at ease-,” Isabel scoffs “-I’ll look around here some more and see if I can find something to pull the crates closer while you go search the shore, then we can pull the crates out together.”

“Y’know there’s probably nothing in them but useless, sodden supplies, right?” Isabel says, “I mean, I doubt this was some sort of battleship that carried weapons and first aid. Hell, it probably carried toy cars or something.”

“Toy cars?” Hugo laughs. “If that’s the case, then your little friend won’t need to ride around in your bag anymore. He can drive right beside us.”

“You’re not funny.”

“No?” Hugo smirks. “I’m a little funny, c’mon. Geoff driving around in a little car? Honking at the squirrels? Flippin’ me the bird every chance he gets? Hilarious.”

With an exasperated shake of her head, Isabel turns on her heels towards the shoreline, saying, “Fine, I’ll walk around. Don’t touch those crates until I get back because I swear if you fall in-”

“I’m not going to fall in,” Hugo calls after her. “I’m as coordinated as the most athletic breed of... cat!” Cats are coordinated, right?

He wouldn’t know, he never owned one.

He wishes he owned a cat, but Louis insisted on a damn turtle.

Isabel snorts a chuckle. “Yeah, okay!”

“You doubt me?”

“I doubt you.”

“Madam, now you’ve wounded me!”

“You’ll live.”

“Hey, while you’re over there, let Geoff go for a swim, too! He hasn’t done that in a while. He can scout for water walkers.”

That earns him Isabel’s lovely middle finger. He presses a hand against his chest, pushing his lip out in a pretend pout.

“Once again, she chooses the turtle over me.”

That makes Isabel laugh, shaking her head and giving a dismissive wave. “We meet back in five!”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Hugo watches her briefly, taking in the sight of her walking along the shore, stepping over pieces of broken wood and rocks. Her loose top flutters with the rustling wind against the curve of her waist and a strange tingle of emotion cause him to pause.

A lifetime ago, Hugo and Isabel walked along a beach.

Much cleaner than this one with a much prettier sight. Along the shores of Makena Beach, they walked together barefoot. Isabel wore a dress she bought in one of the shops, one that fluttered in the wind the same exact way her shirt does now.

She was young, her hair long, curls big and windblown.

Pregnant, about seven weeks along.

“Shit,” Hugo mumbles.

He wonders what the state of Hawaii is, if their walker population is great or not.

Not that it matters.

There’s no way he’ll make it to those shores ever again, much less walk along them with Isabel and Louis.

He always thought about bringing Louis back there, too.

After he graduated high school, Hugo wanted to bring him to look at the colleges. He’d get into the best school they had to offer, of course, because Louis was a straight A student- when properly motivated- and there he’d get his degree while studying the culture and history of Hawaii and its people, land a damn good job and make a name for himself.

He can just see his boy now. Tall and handsome with his mother’s eyes and a beautiful smile... happy and satisfied with his life.

Louis would fall in love with a pretty girl, propose to her, and have a gorgeous wedding on the beach. They’d have a handful of kids, too. Hugo would be more than happy to become a grandfather.

A grandfather... babysitting Louis’ children while he and his lovely wife went out on date nights...

Hugo rubs his eyes along the sleeve of his shirt, sighing.

Nostalgic for what never was, he supposes.

They need to find that school, Hugo thinks. No matter what, once they’re done here- after they’ve scavenged some useful supplies- they’ll head back to the train station to look for a map.

They couldn't find one earlier, but maybe they didn’t look hard enough. They only really looked around to make sure it wasn’t someone else’s home, then headed back this way to check out the wreckage Hugo spotted.

They have to be close, closer than they’ve ever been. From the faintest part of his memory, he remembers the road being long and yet hard to find. He had to pay attention to the road signs, but his concentration was more than unfocused with Louis silently fuming in the backseat.

“You’re only staying for a year, or until we can... until we can sort some things out.”

“...”

“You’ll have a dorm with a roommate. Mr. Davidson told me he’s a good kid, he just... fell down a wrong path, so I don’t want to get any calls about you mistreating him.”

“...”

“This isn’t going to be like your other school. You will be respectful to your roommate, your classmates, and your teachers. No excuses, no exceptions. Understand?”

“...”

“Louis, answer me when I’m talking to you.”

“...”

Hugo glances back at the boat.

He hopes there’s something to gain from doing this, but at the very least, he got to see an old-timey riverboat like this up close. Little things..

Hugo pays another look to Isabel as she inspects a piece of soggy wood before pushing away from the boat to move along the pier. Over the edge, the corner of what looks to be a crate sticks up. Dropping down to his knees with a slight wince- damn leg!- Hugo rolls up his sleeves, sinking his hands in the chilled water.

Thoughts of the cool waves crashing against the shores of Makena Beach haunt him, memories of swimming and laughing and kissing-

“Shit,” Hugo finds a good grip on the crate and yanks. “Knock it off-”

It barely budges, caught on something.

He tries again, grunting at the horrible pull in his back. A shock jolts through his bad leg, making him bite the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from yelping. Letting go, he adjusts his position.

“There’s nothing over here!” Isabel calls. “Just garbage!”

With a better, firmer grip, Hugo pulls. The crate loosens, lifting up out of the water.

“Damn it…” Hugo gives an exasperated sigh.

It’s empty and broken, it’s bottom missing. Whatever goods filled it are nowhere to be found.

“Damn, damn, damn,” he mutters, standing to rub his dripping hands along his pants, kicking the useless crate back into the water. “Double damn.”

He opens his mouth to shout out a complain, but sees Isabel down closer to the water, her open bag beside her. Grinning to herself, she holds onto Geoff as he moves through the water.

Hugo thinks to make a joke both to tease her and make himself feel better about his lack of findings, but decides against it. Instead, he soaks in the sight of her content smile.

Moving along the pier, he calls out, “Hey, got a question for you!”

“No!”

Hugo laughs.

“You ever think about growing your hair out again?”

Isabel’s face scrunches up in a way that tells Hugo that’s a dumb question, nearly losing her grip on Geoff.

“You seriously asking me that?” she shakes her head. “Hair like that is nothing but a death trap! Remember back in Peach Creek? Damn walker nearly took a chunk out of my neck! Not only that, but it got its nasty fingers all stuck in it and there was skin and puss and-ugh!”

“Oh shit, that’s right,” Hugo grunts, bending back down along the hardwood to fish out a piece of clothing- a sleeve of a denim jacket. “That was a nice place.”

A nice place, indeed, but one of many that almost killed them.

One of the worst moments in their lives happened while staying with the group at the Peach Creek Clinic.

The people there were sympathetic to their dire situation. After losing their vehicle to a bunch of selfish assholes, barely having anything to their names aside from pictures of Louis and his clothes, the group took them in.

It seemed secure at the time, with a small group and plenty of medical supplies. Scarce food, though. Hugo and Isabel might’ve stayed there longer but anxiousness about getting to West Virginia sent them back on the road after another incident with walkers breaking in.

Half the group perished during that attack. They’re both lucky Hugo was there to take care of the walker before it got to her, but he couldn’t stop it from getting it’s fingers stuck and tangled in Isabel’s curls.

She was hysterical, tears dripping down her bruised cheeks as Hugo cut out chunks of hair to get the damn hand out. Bodies of their fallen friends surrounded them, and he thought they both might pass out.

When he tried to pick out the remaining pieces of rotten flesh and bone all while attempting to comfort her, Isabel insisted that they just cut it all off.

One of the survivors- shit, what was her name? Yolanda, maybe? Rhonda?- did a nice, clean shave of her head. Short and close to her scalp, nothing for anyone to grab.

They left the next morning. The survivors at the clinic were understanding and kind enough to send them with a bag of medical supplies they were able to spare, and fish food for Geoff, since all the fish within the lobby tank was no longer around.

Through the shallow water closer to shore, the falling sunlight gleams off of something stuck in the sand.

“Ah-ha!” Hugo grins, ignoring the pain in his knee as he shifts into a better position. Rolling up his sleeve, he reaches in to dig through the mushy sand. His thumb brushes something firm.

“Why?” Isabel asks, kicking at another piece of wood on her way back towards the pier. Geoff drips in her hands, merry after spending time in the water. “What brought that on?”

“Was thinking about Hawaii,” Hugo winces, leaning further down into the water, fully submerging his arm.

“Hawa- Hey! What are you doing-?”

“Ah!” Hugo flings himself back, victorious with a muddy knife in his hand. “Ah-ha! Got it!”

“Huh, look at that,” Isabel says.

“Told’ja we’d find something useful. You can never have too many knives,” Hugo grins, pulling a rag from his pocket to wipe the mud away. With a dull, scratched to hell blade, the knife will be just as effective in killing walkers as any other weapon.

“Well, I’ll give it to you,” Isabel says, “a knife is much more than what I found over there.”

“Maybe you weren’t looking hard enough,” Hugo smirks, which dies when he notices Geoff's perpetual glare fixated on him. A childish impulse to stick his tongue out at the damned creature overwhelms him. He bites it back and returns the glare.

“That’s not long enough to help us grab the crates.”

“There wasn’t anything over there?”

"A couple planks of wood,” Isabel shrugs.

“We don’t need anything fancy, just something long enough to push the crates towards us.”

Isabel looks to the bright sky, searching for any sign of evening coming upon them. They have plenty of daylight left, but Isabel’s patience is running out, replaced with anxiety. She sets Geoff down on the ground.

“Watch him, I’ll grab the one I was looking at.”

“Watch him?” Hugo frowns, pointing at Geoff with his brand new knife. “Where’s he gonna go?”

Geoff glowers up at him, beady black eyes slitted and neck extended up towards him.

Hugo leans down, whispering, “Hey buddy, have you ever heard of caouane, by chance?”

---

They’re a cheery duo, ain’t they?

Thomas smirks.

Hidden among the greens with a shoulder leaning against the sticky bark of a tree, Thomas listens to their bickering. Can’t make out much, unfortunately, but he’s got the gist. Almost reminds him of how he and Julie would talk long ago. Julie was meaner than the girl- what the hell is that she’s carrying?- but that don’t matter now.

Julie’s dead and it’s just Thomas and the beauty in his hand, fully loaded and itchin’ to be fired.

Not that he’s going to go up and shoot the strangers.

They ain’t dangerous from what he can tell- the girl’s got a fire in her but the man’s got a limp.

He don’t know what they’re looking for in the wreckage. Maybe they’re hoping to find some of the kids, but there’s no way this is where they’d hide. No, those kids got ‘em selves a school around here somewhere, even if he and these two don’t know where it is.

But, from the sounds of it, they got an idea and sometimes, that’s enough.

Thomas knows that if he scours these woods long enough, he’ll find the school. The problem is would he find it before these two did? He don’t know how many kids there’ll be, but he knows that if they got two capable adults on their side, then things won’t go as smoothly.

Especially if these two actually find their kid.

Thomas scoffs.

Bunch of twits.

What makes ‘em think they got a chance of seeing their kid again? He’d bet his lucky dollar that their kid is roaming around here as one of the dead if he’s not already in a shallow grave.

Hell, maybe they will find him. Their little baby boy, gaunt, rotten insides with hollow eyes and a hunger for flesh… charging at them with not an ounce of recognition… and even as they’re begging him to stop, screaming, “Stop, it’s us! It’s your mommy and daddy, son! Remember us? Remember us-”

No, he don’t remember nothing. The dead don’t remember.

The kid’ll just keep scurrying towards ‘em… arms held out and jaw slack.

Maybe they’ll be so distraught that they just let their kid chew ‘em both up.

Together. Undead.

The gun is heavy in his hand.

Quiet laughter.

Thomas, fingers wrapped painfully tight around his gun, squints back over at the pier.

They’re trying to get something out of the wreckage, using a long chunk of wood to do so. Thomas leans up, attempting to get a better look at ‘em. Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out an old pair of glasses. Not his prescription, but he ain’t the picky type. Though they’ll bring on a mean headache later, they help him get a better look at the couple still struggling to get something out of the boat.

Down on their hands and knees, they work together to fish out whatever’s in there all while engaging in jovial chatter.

Pretty girl, Thomas thinks. Real nice shape.

Times like these he wishes he’d find himself a pair of binoculars.

Raspy groans emit from his right. A pair of walkers trod along, interested in all the commotion being made along the shore.

Just in time.

More’ll be coming here pretty quick- he saw a whole handful of them about a mile away, mingling together in search of something to tear their teeth into. He whistled at ‘em, then took off back to where he is now. He’s lucky these two ain’t quick in their accomplishments.

A walker- male, wearing a heavy coat and missing his left eye- hisses through his unhinged jaw as he crawls closer to where Thomas hides.

He ain’t worried about it. The more walkers that come, the better.

Ducking down lower, ignoring the age-old ache forever lining his back, he moves closer. Already the strain of his sight through the glasses brings on a fuzzy twinge behind his right eye.

“I got it, just need to-”

“Careful-”

Behind this tree, he can actually make out most of what they’re saying now.

“On three, alright?” the man says.

Together, they grunt out, “One… two… three!”

Thomas almost applauds. They managed to find something in the wreckage, and from the looks of it, that something is a crate. Well, he’ll be darned.

What else could be floating around in that thing? Thomas never paid it much mind upon first discovery- he wasn’t ever going to explore it. Not worth getting his boots wet, that’s for damn sure.

Also, he ain’t the best swimmer.

Let ‘em do the grunt work. He can come back and look through it later.

“See?” The man says, resting a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Fully intact.”

“Don’t celebrate until we get it open.”

“Really eager to see these toy cars, huh?”

“If there are actually toy cars in here, I’m going to strangle you.”

The man laughs, throwing a playful elbow towards the girl’s shoulder.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

Thomas raises an interested brow.

“Don’t be gross,” the girl laughs.

“You’re right, sorry. I wouldn’t want to talk dirty in front of Geoff.”

Geoff? There ain’t no one else around...

“As if we haven’t scarred him enough in the past,” the man adds.

“Just shut up and open the damn thing so we can go.”

Another gurgle, this time closer. Thomas slinks back further into the bushes, breathing slowly, silently. He’s confident none of the walkers’ll find him. They’re as stupid as dirt with no actual hunting skills, thankfully.

Thomas can’t imagine anyone would’ve made it as far as they have if the damned dead were smarter than the living.

Then again, lots of folks are dead.

Grabbing a heavy-duty rock from beside his foot, Thomas eyes the walkers moving past him. They’re foul, both in appearance and odor. Looks like they got torn apart real good when alive, too, given their shredded clothes and chunks of flesh torn from their arms and waist.

The one-eyed walker crawls past.

What a way to go, Thomas thinks as he chucks the rock towards the shore, sending it crashing into one of the larger boulders with an echoing crack.

It draws everyone's attention, the walkers practically wheezing with glee- well, Thomas likes to imagine they’re gleeful to have something to sniff out.

The couple jumping to their feet.

“Ah, fuck!”

“What the hell was- Oh shit-!”

The walkers approach the shore, quicker now that they have a meal to pursue.

Thomas checks the chamber of his fully loaded gun.

---

Hugo almost had it.

With his knife jammed along the side of the lid, he was ready to pop it off victoriously.

A startling crack broke his concentration, causing him to lose his grip. The knife slips from the crack and jerks, slicing into the muscle below his thumb.

“Ah, fuck!” Hugo cries out, dropping the knife to cradle his bleeding hand. Blistering pain shocks through his fingers and up his arm.

“What the hell was- Oh shit-” Isabel reaches out for his arm, holding on with a death grip. “Walkers!”

“What?”

The crate before him forgotten, Hugo whips around.

A group of walkers head down the shore, each groaning and moving as fast as their decaying bodies can carry them.

What?

Where the hell did they come from? They made sure to scour the woods from the train station to the boat and take care of any straggling walkers that stood in their way. There weren’t that many. The most they had to deal with were along the shores.

“There wasn’t a single walker for miles,” Hugo exclaims. “Where the hell did they come from?”

“Don’t know,” Isabel says, staring up at him with wide eyes. She does a double-take when she notices the blood dripping from his hand. “Oh my god, Hugh, what the hell?”

“I’m fine, I slipped. It's just a scratch-”

“A scratch? Seriously?” She grabs his hand, inspecting the wound with wide eyes. "Bullshit, a scratch!"

“Forget it,” Hugo grabs the rag from his belt and ties it around his hand. “There’s only five of them. Nothing we can’t handle-”

“There isn’t only five, look!”

She’s not wrong- on their right, more come hobbling out of the woods.

Hugo looks from the approaching walkers, down to the unopened crate, down to his bleeding hand. He winces, picking his knife back up.

“We can handle them.”

“We could handle them if they didn’t already see us!”

“I’ll take the ones on the left-”

“Hugh, we gotta go! Forget the damn crates, they’re not worth dying for. Not now!”

Damn it...

"We're not risking everything!"

She pulls him forward with her down the pier, their boots clanking loudly against the worn wood, making the walkers perk up more.

Isabel jumps over the side, splashing in the shallow water in hopes of cutting across the shore and into the woods before the walkers get any closer. An easy plan Hugo could follow if it weren’t for the three walkers emerging from their intended destination, blocking their path.

A nasty growl from his right sent Hugo whipping around. A walker- a woman with an exposed neck and chest cavity, missing clumps of hair from beneath her hat- hurries towards him.

Fuck it.

Hugo surges forward, grabbing the sticky bones of the walker's throat. The knife plunges through the side of its head with ease, and the walker falls to the ground. Hugo lets out a shaky breath, grunting out at the searing pain throbbing in his hand, painful enough to cause spots in his vision.

“Hugo, I swear to Christ- don’t you dare get that hand-” Isabel kicks the shin of another walker. It falls to its knees, the perfect height for her to stab it through the head before sending the limp body crashing into yet another walker. A chain reaction of the force causes three of the walkers to fall back.

“Use your gun,” Isabel tells him, attacking those fallen monsters as fast as she can.

“That’ll just attract more!”

“So what? Kill these bastards so we can make a run for it!”

That’s assuming that he can successfully kill all of them, which he can’t with his last five bullets.

There’s more than five left.

More than ten, maybe.

He can’t count.

Where the fuck did they come from? He knows they weren't loud enough to attract this many.

A walker with one eye crawls along the sand, grabbing at his ankle to gnaw on his boot. This knife breaks its skull with a sickening crack, the odor enough to churn his stomach.

“Hugo, now!” Isabel shouts, stabbing another walker and pushing through.

Hugo tries to follow.

Even in its final death, the walker's grip remains strong on his ankle. He stumbles right into the grip of a heavyset walker, this one much younger, fresher compared to the decaying monsters- stronger.

A full set of rotten teeth snap at him. With his forearm pressed firmly against the chest of the monster, Hugo reaches back to grab his gun from its holster.

The shot rings in his ears, rattling his brain as gore explodes through the back of the walkers head. The earth swerves beneath his feet, acids in his stomach rise into his throat. He coughs, spitting into the dirt.

Through nausea, Hugo aims.

Another two shots- two walkers fall to the ground, motionless.

A third.

A fourth- fuck.

Hugo lets off his final shot, hitting a walker struggling with Isabel. Seeing it’s no longer a threat, Isabel grabs onto it, heaving it towards another and sending them crashing. She’s by his side again, huffing, “Let’s go!”

Hugo nods.

He has no idea where the fuck these things came from, or how they showed up so suddenly, but he knows she’s right- whatever the hell is in that crate isn’t worth there lives, not when they’re so close-

“Shit!”

A hand grabs his backpack, jerking him backward. The foul stench of the walker's breath warms his ear and everything within Hugo runs cold. He throws an elbow, twisting himself around in the walker's embrace.

He doesn’t see the fallen walker behind him.

They both tumble to the ground. The gun slips out of his grip.

“Hugo!”

A sixth shot.

The walker's blood splatters across Hugo’s face, and for a moment, he thinks he’s dead. The body slouches over him, unmoving.

A seventh shot- an eighth-

Isabel grabs the walker by its shirt, hauling it off of him before dropping to her knees. Her hands move all over him as she gasps out, “Holy shit, please, oh please, tell me you’re okay!”

Several more shots fire, and one by one, the remaining walkers fall.

Then there’s silence.

Hugo reaches for his gun, scooping it up from the dirt before Isabel helps him up. He falls forward onto his bad knee.

“Augh!”

“Sorry- c’mon-!”

Finally on his feet, Hugo surveys the area.

All the dead are just that- fallen on the ground.

“Are-” Hugo coughs “-are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Isabel shakes her head, narrowed eyes darting all around the forest. “Pissed off, but fine.” Without taking her sight off the forest, she slips her backpack off to glance inside. “Geoff’s okay, too.”

Terrific.

Because Hugo was so worried.

Isabel leans down, whispering, “Hugh… someone’s here.”

He assumed so.

The walkers didn’t shoot themselves.

“Give me your gun.”

Hugo cocks his head to murmur in her ear, “We’re out of bullets.”

“He doesn’t know that.”

The snapping of wood and rubber against rocks turns their attention back to the woods where a man walks out, waving over at them with a grin.

“Howdy!” he calls out, voice gruff and accent thick.

Isabel snatches the gun from his hand before Hugo has a chance to protest, pointing it and stopping the man in his tracks.

“That’s close enough!”

“Woah, woah,” the man holds his hands up in surrender, though keeps his grip on his gun just as tight.

“Belle-” Hugo warns, but the man chuckles lightly.

“Didn’t mean to scare ya. I mean no harm! Heard the gunshots and saw y’all were havin’ some trouble, thought I’d lend a helpin’ hand. You folks alright?”

Isabel doesn’t lower the gun, keeping her eyes fixated on the man as he cautiously continues to walk over.

“We’re fine,” Hugo answers. “Fine, no bites, just a little startled. Thanks for the help.”

“We could’ve handled it,” Isabel adds. “Thanks.”

The man nods, saying, “No, you look plenty capable, didn’t mean to say ya don’t. Just didn’t want to see any more folks die, y’know? Not when I could do the decent thing and help.”

He’s close now, close enough for Hugo to better make out the details of his graying, ginger beard and bald head. He pulls his glasses off and pockets them with his free hand, blinking rapidly as he grins.

“Name’s Thomas,” he greets. “Nice to meet’cha.”

#[checkmate]#twdg louis #twdg clementine #twdg clouis #clouis #twdg louisentine #louisentine #twdg hugo #twdg isabel #twdg tenn #twdg geoff

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ohyangchon · 4 years ago

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Raffle commission for @anchoram-fr of their OCs.

Congrats on your win!

Hester had been working out in the garden when she heard hooves not quite her own: but she ignored them, figuring it was just another one of those veterans riding up on their horses to speak to the nurses. She bent down, reaching for another weed before plucking them, tossing the stalk aside in a basket and glancing around- only to see a blur of yellow and red pass her by in a gallop, leaving her blinking in confusion.

“The--” she began, tapping one of her hooves on the grass (the speed of that horse’s movements would spook some of the more skittish veterans recovering there, and she didn’t like that) before carefully trailing out, skipping over the low fence to approach at a cautious amble towards the front entrance. Was she needed...? She could yell at them for being an asshole and disturbing the peace here, but she doubted that’ll go well considering her unique status. Instead, she watched with curiosity as the blur stopped: and her eyes widened in shock seeing a second centaur approach and lean down to speak in faltering whispers to the hospital director.

She sighed, folding her arms and giving the younger centaur a once-over. At first glance, he was a little too bright to have come from any of the tribes she would recognise, and not only so, he was dressed in a military uniform. Why would a centaur willingly serve the human military? Maybe he got drafted, the poor thing, Hester thought to herself, already writing a story in her head for this new centaur before putting her pot away, realising that she was still cradling it in her arms. A moment or two passed, and it seemed like he and the hospital director seemed to still be in some sort of stalemate about...something, so Hester wagered she should approach, at least to help translate.

As she clopped forth to stand next to the hospital director, giving her a nod of acknowledgement, she watched the younger centaur across her wheel backwards, startled by her appearance. Hester eyed the letter tightly clutched in the other’s hands and turned to the director, giving a small smile. “I’ll...take over from here?” she suggested, and the director nodded in response before adjusting her wireframe glasses and heading inside, leaving them both alone.

“Could I see the letter?” Hester began, trying to seem polite and figuring speaking their common language might be helpful (even if she...wasn’t even sure if he would understand...) but when he dutifully handed her the letter, she gave a curt nod of thanks and scanned it. Hm...that was a familiar last name it was signed off as: ah! One of the newer officers admitted to the premise. She gave a stiff smile, unsure of how to proceed before offering him the letter back, which he quickly stuffed into his chest pocket.

Hester began to walk, turning to check if the strange new centaur would follow, but he stood waiting, staring at her with a look that had bafflement written all over it. “Oh, sorry, skipped forth a few steps again, didn’t I?” she chirped, before jerking a thumb towards the garden, “It’s easier for us to get into the hospital proper through the garden. Please be careful though, I just planted some new crops in there, and we’re not exactly known for grace.” When he nodded and trotted behind her, Hester softened slightly seeing how obedient he was.

Poor thing must’ve been broken in or something, those humans who fought wars just couldn’t be trusted. Her hand unconsciously brushed against the scars on her left front leg, immediately growing more sympathetic. Maybe they already had something in common...but it was rude to ask on their first meeting, so instead she put on a smile and carefully crossed over the low fence to enter the garden and turning around for the other to approach.

“So...what’s your name?” she asked, the silence already beginning to bother her and looking to break the ice (at least in the mines she had company), “You can just call me Hester. Don’t worry about it, you’re in good hands here: the humans here are significantly better than where you would’ve come from, I’m sure.” He avoided her gaze, carefully crossing the fence before stumbling at his back legs catching it and skittering next to her, sheepishly ruffling his hair with an awkward grin. Hester tilted her head, and his grin dropped, breaking away from her gaze while seeming stiff again.

“My name...is Ikram,” he replied softly, a blush dusting his cheeks at his clumsy showing, “Thank you.” He poised to start following her, before a quiet crunch echoed through the originally comforting silence. Hester stiffened, her concerned stare turning into an annoyed glare as she shooed him- revealing a cracked pot under one of his back hooves. She threw her hands up in resignation (of course he crashed into the ones she’d just repotted), but when she saw the other hold his hands to his chest and seem overly apologetic, she softened and picked up the pieces.

Hester rolled her shoulders, sighing to herself. “You know what, us standing around means you’re just going to accidentally step on things,” she continued, walking him towards the shed and showing him how to avoid the scattered pots and vegetation in the area, “I may as well show you where I usually rest, and you can lay down for a bit while I figure out what your arrangement is. It’s...hm, not every day another centaur rides up here, basically.” She would say that this had never occurred in her months being here, and her hopes of having any members of her tribe had dimmed by this point: they were probably still working at the mines, and she sometimes wondered if she’d been wrong taking up this job and leaving them behind. Maybe someone out there had heard her prayers and sent her a sign that her family was well through this new centaur: or maybe she was just overthinking it.

When Ikram followed, carefully kicking the chunks of ceramics away and trotting quietly behind her, she shook those thoughts out of her mind and led him towards the house next to the garden, opening the double doors to lead him in. It was really just a refurnished barn, which she’d transformed into a shed in the meantime and added her own personal effects- woefully little, just a coat or two and a horseshoe shed from her mother, and she led Ikram to where she’d usually lay down, a small mound of old pillows and hay that she’d haphazardly thrown together as a resting spot.

She leant down to toss some of the pillows aside, before gesturing towards it to him. “Just rest first,” she suggested, and watched him dutifully lay amongst the pillows with an awkward air, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll be right back.” As he sighed into one of the pillows, Hester took off towards the main building, looking for some answers in the meantime and hopefully puzzle out where Ikram was supposed to stay: it just didn’t seem appropriate for them to share a space, but at the very least the barn was big enough for them both.

-----

As she left, Ikram finally allowed himself to sag and recollect his thoughts. He’d been trekking for weeks at that point, with only a few pockets of time for rest in between, and it was difficult communicating with the hospital director who didn’t speak much Turkish. If that other centaur hadn’t appeared, he would’ve likely turned back and left: but she’d helped him and clarified so much that it felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

He carefully shed the haversack he’d been carrying, rolling his shoulders to get the tension out and taking a stock check of his remaining rations before finally allowing himself to take a look around. The barn was surprisingly homely, and he smiled seeing the gardening supplies neatly stacked in a corner. Putting it away, he thought back to everything that’d led up to this point and sighed into the pillows again, gathering them into his arms before flopping into them.

It didn't take too long for him to feel the urge to get up again- to start marching- to do something. Staying put suddenly felt strange, and he needed to move...but his body refused to move, far too exhausted from the day’s events. He was safe here, he repeated the mantra in his head as he laid his head once more onto the pillows.

-----

Hester soon returned, carrying a jug of milk and some butter biscuits helpfully obtained from the hospital staff. She’d heard from the others that he’d trekked a significant distance, and figured he must also be starving: hence the food. Watching the other quietly resting, though, she sighed and placed them on the makeshift table she’d stacked from crates before stealing one from the plate, munching along while she worked (he wouldn’t miss it anyway!)

Seeing Ikram curled amongst her pillows, she rolled her eyes and chuckled, before her smile dropped noticing the open haversack next to him and gently closing it as she passed him. “Good luck, soldier,” she commented idly, striding over to pick up some mulch to stack on her back, “I think you probably deserve it after that trek of yours, eh?”

#my work #enjoy!#didn't really end up using your prompt but I think this is a suitably fluffy start if any

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officialthiamlibrary · 5 years ago

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Meet The Mods - iftheskyisthelimit

We’ve had a few requests to do something similar to our “Behind The Screens” features in order to introduce ourselves, and we felt that after around a year of running this blog, and having another few people come on board along the way that now would probably be a good time to do it!

The idea is that we’ll each take a turn at filling out and posting one of these so that you guys can to know us all a little better including our own personal tastes/preferences and get a little bit more of an idea of how we all work and what we each bring to the team etc…

About You

Username/Name:

iftheskyisthelimit / Lisa

AO3/Tumblr:

https://archiveofourown.org/users/iftheskyisthelimit / http://iftheskyisthelimit.tumblr.com/

How did you find your way to the Thiam fandom? What about them drew you in?

I’d lurked in the Teen Wolf fandom for a while on Tumblr, and became really interested in Theo’s character and his story since he’d shown up in Season 5 (okay at first it was his looks that got me interested… let’s be honest), which evolved into being interested in his backstory when we found out a bit more about him. It wasn’t until his return in Season 6 that I enjoyed watching their characters together and their interactions and started looking around more on Tumblr for their characters that I discovered it wasn’t just me... then I randomly came across the Thiam ship through seeing some fics on Tumblr and found the Official Thiam Library as result of that...

Using a sentence, where the word count is either equal to or less than the number of letters in your two favorite Teen Wolf episode names, tell us about yourself. (ex, Motel California + Werewolves of London = 33 ; Raving + Galvanize =15)

Memory Found + Apotheosis = 21 - I’m slightly quirky but serious, love music, reading and travelling... kinda funny and always overly organised. Can’t ever cut something short...

What’s one thing about you or your life that we’d be surprised to know about?

Do you want serious, interesting or fun facts? I’ll do both as they might surprise people. Serious/boring: I have at least 3 chronic illnesses which tend to floor me, hence my long absences between writing & updating what I’m working on. Interesting: I can speak/read/understand around 5 languages and I’m a bit of a different cultures & sociology nerd.

One other thing I guess is when I get interested in a topic I get interested and have to know aallllll the ins and outs of it and thoroughly research it, so I’m probably full of boring random facts about a bunch of things that come in handy on general knowledge quizzes, but which no-one has any interest in knowing...

Other Shows/Movies You Follow:

Does too many to mention count as an answer? No? Okay… In no particular order *deep breath*

Shows: The Handmaids Tale, Animal Kingdom, The 100, Vikings, Stranger Things, All American, Riverdale, Scream, Supernatural, Parks and Rec, Vampire Diaries, Big Bang Theory, Modern Family, Twelve Monkeys, Shadow Hunters, Game Of Thrones, Reign, American Horror Story, Buffy… There are literally a ton more but I really can’t think on them at the moment….

Movies: I can’t really say that I follow movies per-se… if I had to choose I’d say Marvel movies though if that counts as an answer? Umm… genre wise I like a wide range but mainly gravitate towards comedy, action and thriller movies. Or something with a good twist in the story where it either throws what you thought you were watching on its head, or you get an “aaahhhhh that’s was happening” moment. To watch a horror, it has to have that something that makes me want to watch it or get invested in it… whether it’s a character I really relate to or can get invested in, or a really good story. My favourite horror is probably Haunting In Connecticut, and I saw Midsommar recently and thought it was really amazingly done!

Other Fandoms You Follow:

I don’t really follow a lot of fandoms if I’m honest. I would probably say after Teen Wolf I follow the Marvel, The 100 and Supernatural fandoms more. Mainly the Captain America/Steve/Bucky fandoms. I love a good discussion about Animal Kingdom too!

Other Favourite Characters from shows/movies?

Uuuuhhhh…. Okay you asked for it, I was going to explain my reasons for why I love each but I’d be here all day and this part alone would end up turning into an essay.

Steve Harrington (Stranger Things), April Ludgate (Parks and Rec) , Sam Winchester (Supernatural), Craig Middlebrooks (Parks and Rec), Mickey Milkovich (Shameless US), Bucky Barnes (Marvel), James Cole (Twelve Monkeys), Jack Kline (Supernatural), Michael Langon (American Horror Story), Catherine de Medici (Reign), Constance Langdon (American Horror Story), Dean Winchester (Supernatural), Alec Lightwood (Shadow Hunters), Anya Jenkins (Buffy), Raphael Santiago (Shadow Hunters), Stephane Narcisse (Reign), Kai Parker (Vampire Diaries), John Murphy (The 100)

What do you like to create (writing/art/videos)?

I’d really love to be creative enough to make art or videos, but I’m really not! I’m far more comfortable with writing… I find it a lot easier to plan a story, or just to start writing and let the words flow that way and see where it goes. It’s a good way for me to express myself and to work through feelings or to just switch off for a while and create words on a page.

Do you only create for Teen Wolf/Thiam?

I have written for Supernatural in the past and I’m planning to write a Raphael fic for Shadow Hunters at some point and maybe a John Murphy one because I’ve not found many for him that cater to my angsty tastes when there’s so much that can be explored... But at the moment yes it’s only for Teen Wolf. I’ve also posted one Sceo fic which I would like to continue as well!

Which genres do you prefer reading and creating for?

Angst, angst, angst… did I mention angst?? It just feels right to me to write angstier fics, the words and ideas just seem to flow really well, which is a surprise as I’m not really an angsty person in life. It’s just what I’ve always gravitated towards writing and I find a lot better to express myself in that way. I have a humour/angst WIP which I decided to attempt a while ago and I did quite enjoy writing something a little different from what I normally do and people seemed to enjoy it.

If your creative process was a person, what type would they be? What would they do? Wear? Listen to? How do they handle conflict?

Quite probably the most disorganised messiest person alive… No not really… just sorta… kinda… maybe… In all seriousness, they’d be half organised and half “ lets see where this road takes us”. They would probably wear all black all day every day, and be a half emo kid who listens to punk pop and emo music from their teens with a healthy mix of dance and sad songs. Handling conflict? We don’t do that here… we bottle up our feelings and hide them away until they come out in the wrong ways. No really… I think they’d express themselves pretty clearly with 1000 words instead of 100.

Official Thiam Library

How did you find the Official Thiam Library?

I found the Official Thiam Library through searching the Theo Raeken tags on Tumblr and seen the page name pop up a few times, I had a look at the page not long after and followed pretty quickly, I needed my Theo/Thiam fix and this page covered it very well!

First impressions?

“Woah, they’re on the ball!” and then when I saw a few of the events the page done I was really impressed at how often they posted recommendations and how they could organise it all.

How did you come to be involved on the mod team?

I filled in the form for Beta Readers and Helpers for the Thiam Big Bang, I’d have loved to have participated but I didn’t know if I’d have been able to commit to having such a large work completed on a deadline, so I thought I’d offer to help in another way, having helped to run the Supernatural SummerGen for a few years. Tiffany got back to me pretty quickly about it and I came on board at that point.

What do you feel that you bring to the team?

Uuuhhh… I hate these types of questions haha! I really feel like I mostly bring my organisational skills, along with the way that like to try and help out where I can in the background with writing/explaining things or getting back to people with asks/emails etc... With the Big Bang I brought my experience of things I’d learned from the Supernatural events I’d worked on too which I think/hope was of use?

How do you help out?

Mainly what I’ve answered above applies to this question too I think?

What would you like to see for the Official Thiam Library over the next year?

I’d really love to see the page continue… continue on as is, doing a few more fandom events, grow as a page and fandom... also to help keeping the fandom going which is important right now I think… we’ve managed it so far though! We were just speaking about how thrilled we are that the fandom is still going strong. I also think it’s important to give older and newer fandom creators the recognition & cheer that they deserve too, which can be done through reblogging/recommendations and different events too.

Cute BTS Questions

Let’s imagine you’ve landed in a Zombie apocalypse, Walking Dead/Zombieland style. You’re among seven survivors–yourself and six characters from Teen Wolf. Which five would be your first choice for survival, entertainment, etc? And who would be the sixth character, the one you’d willingly push in front of a rage-filled zombie mob given the first chance?

I can’t help but feel that my choice for the last part will be unpopular but here goes:

Theo and Chris for survival… they seem like they’d both be good to have around in this sort of situation, Stiles for entertainment because he had his funny moments and would keep everyone going I think. Melissa because we all need a mother figure who knows when to be tough but can also provide you with the loving support you need. Scott because… well… he’s a the alpha and we’d need someone to lead our small group and take charge when needed.

Who would I willingly throw to the zombie mob given the first chance? Allison and Kira are both a tie here. Can’t I throw them both?? I never really liked Allison as a character… I don’t even really know why I just never gelled with her as a character I would like or could even get behind. Kira… ugh… just ugh… I feel like she was quite a forced character, they tried too hard to make her this cooky/funny character who could also kick ass and it just came off wrong to me… I never really warmed to her as she just felt forced.

If you could read only 5 fanfictions for an entire year, which would you choose? Thiam or another fandom, if not Thiam, which fandom?

In no order at all because I never tire of reading any of them:

1 - Airplanes by Captainmintyfresh - Teen Wolf - Thiam fanfiction

2 - Despite The Threatening Sky And Shuddering Earth (They Remained) by praximeter (Zimario) - Captain America - Steve/Bucky fanfiction

3 - The Call by DemonzDust - Teen Wolf - Sceo fanfiction

4 - The Crow On The Cradle by Refur - Supernatural fanfiction

5 - Gotta Have Faith by arxiver - Captain America - Steve/Bucky fanfiction

You are our sensei and us your pupils, can you impart any life/writing wisdom?

Life wisdom: Don’t sweat the small stuff... seriously… it wastes so much time and energy that you could be using for other things. If you can’t control it or you don’t feel it’ll be bothering you this time next year, then don’t let it bog you down. People will come and go, that’s a part of life, take the lessons that they taught you from their time in your life (whether positively or negatively) and use them wisely.

Writing wisdom: Don’t force yourself. If you’re having an hour, a day, or a week where the words or ideas won’t come then don’t force it to happen, you’ll only feel worse. Step back, put on some music which suits the tone of whatever you’re writing and try to get in the mood of your story that way, it’s amazing the words that can come or the complete change in direction you can go from doing that.

Finally, what’s next for you?

Hopefully getting back into the swing of things with the Official Thiam Library and writing more again, getting ready for the Reverse Big Bang, and planning a few things in my personal life, like a few trips, my wedding and a house move (yes… I’m becoming a boring adult and it’s a scary new world!)

#officialthiamlibrary #meet the mods #behind the screens #bts #mod: lisa

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hydrus · 5 years ago

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Version 364

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I had a difficult week, but I got some nice work done. There is a new way to add complicated tag seaches, and repository processing is now a lot easier to work with.

complicated tag searching

Users in help->advanced mode will now see a new 'OR' button on their search pages' autocomplete dropdowns. Click this, and you will be able to paste a logically complicated pure-text query such as "( blue eyes and blonde hair ) or ( green eyes and red hair )", and it will automatically convert it to a tag query hydrus can understand! (It converts it to conjunctive normal form, or ANDs of ORs)

This code is thanks to user prkc, who wrote a really neat parser to do the conversion. The system even supports XOR! Complicated searches will produce similarly crazy hydrus search predicates--which may in some cases run a little slow--so give it a go and see how you like it. This is mostly a first prototype to see how it goes in the real world, and I am happy to revisit it based on feedback.

thoughts on current big tag work

I spent a bit of time thinking about tag management and inefficiencies this week, planning what I want to do in this big tag overhaul job. I also did some statistical analysis of the public tag repository to see how different tags are distributed.

not sure how well this will embed, I’ll post it in follow-up if it stays small

Of the nine million unique tags in the PTR, six million only apply to one file. These are mostly 'title:' tags and some misparsed garbage. These tags have long been a concern for me, and I feared they consumed a huge amount of space, but in truth (and of course, when you think about it), one-and-done tags are less than one percent of the actual file-tag mapping storage. They eat up a bunch of 'definition' space, but barely any 'content' space. About two thirds of total storage is taken up by good unnamespaced tags like 'hairband' or 'sitting' or 'twin braids'. Namespaced tags like 'series:' and 'character:' and newer sorts I have been tentatively approving siblings for, like 'clothing:', generally distribute a few percent each, perhaps 20 million each (out of a total 630 million or so). There are some non-descriptive tags I don't like much, like 'booru:' and 'filename:' tags, but there are no gigantic wastes of space in the PTR.

This is a pleasant surprise, but also its own problem: in the back of my mind, I had hoped I might be able to cut the PTR neatly in half by eliminating wasteful/useless tags, but it turns out the vast majority of tags, in terms of sheer storage, are good. I had considered adding a complicated serverside Tag List approved-tag filter as many boorus have, but I do not think it is worth the trouble at this time.

Therefore, I will focus my upcoming work on improving clientside control of what you see, where you see it, and how you see it. If you do not want to see 'booru:' tags, I want to make it easy to hide them. If you want all the new 'bodypart:' tags to display as unnamespaced, I want it to be one quick rule to set that. I want it to be simple to move a hundred million tags from one place to another, and to share them with other users.

The separate question of dealing with running the PTR and my current bandwidth throttle is a different problem that I have yet to plan out. I may add an IPFS plugin for the hydrus server, or server mirroring tech, or there may be another solution. I am a developer most of all, not a natural server administrator, so my dream scenario here is probably to freeze the current PTR and make its snapshot easy to modify and migrate about so users can run their own tag repositories and it is out of my hands. This would also neatly remove my single point of failure. My preference is to focus my time on improving how the servers work and improve administration functionality, but I am still thinking about it.

better repo processing

After thinking about tags and workflows, I decided to just go nuts and rework tag repository processing to no longer be a big application-blocking job! Somehow, it seems to work!

So, rather than making the 'dialog' popup that blocks the program, repo processing now works in a normal bottom-right popup. It streams work to the database in packets and no longer locks anything for long. You can still browse your files and do everything else in the program, with the only significant caveat being some operations like autocomplete tag results fetching may be a bit juddery. The program will no longer lock up for long periods while doing this work, and the cancel button will always be available.

As a result, the 'process now' button under services->review services is now available for all users, not just advanced ones, and loses its big warning. Please feel free to try it out.

The basic workflow and feedback is the same. It will still work through update files and report current rows/s. For this initial version, in most situations it will be slower than before, but in others it will actually be faster. As before, it runs best if left to work in idle/shutdown mode, where it will be greedier and work harder. I still recommend users leave it to work in normal maintenance cycles, but manual catch-up, if desired, is now much more pleasant and easily cancelled.

This is a first version of a big change. The pre-process disk cache run is no longer called, and work and break and transactions timings have been altered. Users on fast SSDs with good CPUs should not notice any big differences, but those who PTR-sync on HDDs may have trouble (or at least be better able to see the ~300 rows/s trouble they have been having all along). Please let me know how you get on and what sort of rows/s you see. Does it accelerate over time? Does it make your browsing or video rendering juddery? I will write a more intelligent throttle in the coming weeks that will speed this processing up when there is CPU available.

This is an important step forward on the tag work and my new unified global maintenance pipeline. I'd love to have the similarly chunky 'analyze' and 'vacuum' commands work a bit more like this as well.

I have been chasing an ui-lockup bug recently that may have been tied to long-running tag repository processing while the client was idle and/or minimised. If you got this (on restoring your client, you'd see black except perhaps a bit of a garbled screenshot in one corner), please let me know if this week happens to fix it.

the rest

The 'this video has an audio track, but it is silent' code from last week had a flaw (such files were detected as having audio) that slipped through testing. I have fixed this and extended the test to recognise more types of silent file. Thank you for submitting test files here. If you discover any more video files that detect as having audio--or not--incorrectly with this new code, please submit them.

Also, an odd issue where thumbnails of files that underwent a file metadata regeneration would not display archive/tag/rating updates until they were reloaded is now fixed. This bug had been in for a long time, but the rush of new files into the file maintenance system from last week exposed it.

I extended and improved some of the recent 'don't do work while page is not shown or gui is minimised' stuff this week. Duplicate processing pages should be more careful about when they fetch new duplicate counts (speeding up session load for users with several dupe processing pages), and the animation issue from last week that froze media viewers' videos while the main gui was minimised should all be fixed.

I also gave the autocomplete fast-typing logic another pass. Some users were reporting that typing 'blue eyes' might instead add 'blue ey' and similar. I cleaned up the 'should I broadcast the current typed text or the currently selected result?' test and I think I have it working better now. If you are a very fast typer, please continue to let me know how this works for you.

Query texts for some booru downloaders that contain '&', such as 'panty_&_stocking', should now be fixed!

The pixiv login script no longer works and has been removed from the defaults. They added some sort of captcha. If you wish to log in to pixiv with hydrus, please use the Client API and Hydrus Companion to copy your web browser's cookies to hydrus:

https://gitgud.io/prkc/hydrus-companion

Logging in this way seems to work well for many situations, and will be the go-to recommendation for any site that has a login system more complicated than hydrus can currently deal with. I believe the Deviant Art login system may have gone/be going that way as well, so if you have had DA trouble, give Hydrus Companion a go.

full list

repo processing makeover:

repository processing is now no longer a monolithic atomic database job! it now loads update files at a 'higher' level and streams packets of work to the database without occupying it continuously! hence, repository processing no longer creates a 'modal' popup that blocks the client--you can keep browsing while it works, and it won't hang up the client!

this new system runs on some different timings. in this first version, it will have lower rows/s in some situations and higher in others. please send me feedback if your processing is running significantly slower than before and I will tweak how this new routine decides to work and take breaks

multiple repos can now sync at once, ha ha

shutdown repository processing now states the name of the service being processed and x/y update process in the exit splash screen

the process that runs after repository processing that re-syncs all the open thumbnails' tags now works regardless of the number of thumbnails open and works asynchronously, streaming new tag managers in a way that will not block the main thread

'process now' button on review services is now available to all users and has a reworded warning text

the 1 hour limit on a repo processing job is now gone

pre-processing disk cache population is tentatively gone--let's see how it goes

the 10s db transaction time is raised to 30s. this speed some things up, including the new repo processing, but if a crash occurs, hydrus may now lose up to 30s of changes before the crash

the rest:

users in advanced mode now have a 'OR' button on their serch autocomplete input dropdown panels. this button opens a new panel that plugs into prkc's neat raw-text -> CNF parser, which allows you to enter raw-text searches such as '( blue eyes and blonde hair ) or ( green eyes and red hair )' into hydrus

fixed the silent audio track detection code, which was handling a data type incorrectly

improved the silent audio track detection code to handle another type of silence, thank you to the users who submitted examples--please send more false positives if you find them

fixed an issue where thumbnails that underwent a file metadata regeneration were not appearing to receive content updates (such as archive, or new tags/ratings) until a subsequent reload showed they had happened silently. this is a long-time bug, but the big whack of files added to the files maintenance system last week revealed it

the 'pause ui update cycles while main gui is minimised' change from last week now works on a per-frame basis. if the main gui is minimised, media viewers that are up will still run videos and so on, and vice versa

a few more ui events (e.g. statusbar & menubar updates) no longer occur while the client is minimised

duplicate processing pages will now only initialise and refresh their maintenance and dupe count numbers while they are the current page. this should speed up session load for heavy users and those with multiple duplicate pages open

gave the new autocomplete 'should broadcast the current text' tests another pass--it should be more reliable now broadcasting 'blue eyes' in the up-to-200ms window where the stub/full results for, say, 'blue ey' are still in

fixed an accidental logical error that meant 'character:'-style autocomplete queries could do a search and give some odd results, rather than just 'character:*anything*'. a similar check is added to the 'write' autocomplete

fixed an issue with autocomplete not clearing its list properly, defaulting back to the last cached results, when it wants to fetch system preds but cannot due to a busy db

fixed GET-argument gallery searches for search texts that include '&', '=', '/', or '?' (think 'panty_&_stocking_with_garterbelt')

removed the pixiv login script from the defaults--apparently they have added a captcha, so using Hydrus Companion with the Client API is now your best bet

the client's petition processing page will now prefer to fetch the same petition type as the last completed job, rather than always going for the top type with non-zero count

the client's petition processing page now has options to sort parent or sibling petitions by the left side or right--and it preserves check status!

the client's petition processing page now sorts tags by namespace first, then subtag

the client now starts, restarts, and stops port-hosted services using the same new technique as the server, increasing reliability and waiting more correctly for previous services to stop and so on

the client now explicitly commands its services to shut down on application close. a rare issue could sometimes leave the process alive because of a client api still hanging on to an old connection and having trouble with the shut-down db

the file maintenance manager will no longer spam to log during shutdown maintenance

sketched out first skeleton of the new unified global maintenance manager

improved some post-boot-error shutdown handling that was also doing tiny late errors on server 'stop' command

added endchan bunker links to contact pages and github readme

updated to ffmpeg 4.2 on windows

next week

Next week is a 'small jobs' week, and I have a ton to catch up on. I want to do some more Client API stuff and just hammer out a whole bunch of small things. I'll also tweak the new repository processing as needed and start work on better local tag management, maybe exploring how best to add multiple local tag services.

#release

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oneweekoneband · 6 years ago

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Today’s first guest post is by my friend and fellow The Singles Jukebox contributor Vikram Joseph.

Counting to 15, 20, 30… - Delayed Queer Adolescence and the Songs of Troye Sivan

- Vikram Joseph

On a humid early August evening a few weeks ago, in one of those converted warehouse bars endemic to inner north-east London, I was chatting over drinks with a guy I’d once dated and had last seen in 2014. There was a lot to catch up on, and the conversation ran unexpectedly, rewardingly deep. It became clear that, though we’re both well into our adult lives by any conventional measurement, we’d each changed and grown significantly in the intervening years in a way that films, books and the media seem to suggest happens in your late teens. The idea of delayed adolescence being a common trope for queer people came up, and I’ve been thinking about it a lot since then. Why do those formative years of growth and the exploration of self-identity seem to happen later for us? Is it a delayed phase of development, a prolonged phase, or both? And how is this reflected in the way we interact, the spaces we choose to spend time in, and the art we consume?

***

A recent viral tweet:

“Gay culture is your life being delayed by 10 years because you didn’t start being yourself until your mid-20s.”

At the time of writing, this tweet has 117,000 likes. Clearly, this is a phenomenon which touches nerves across the spectrum.

To the extent that we can “know” a pop singer through their songs, it seems like Troye Sivan – still just 23, and releasing his second album – has done his growing fairly early on. In just a few years, we’ve heard him go from singing about tentative gay crushes to the fully-realised queer euphoria of his newer songs. And yet, the concept of protracted, stuttering adolescence is crisply, poignantly refracted through his music, and I feel that a lot of his immense appeal to queer people far older than himself can be attributed to this.

***

HEAVEN “The truth runs wild, like kids on concrete.”

“Heaven” deals with the internal struggle for self-acceptance – by no means unique to LGBTQ+ people, but one that everyone who’s grown up on that spectrum will understand intimately, in the form of coming out to yourself. “Without losing a piece of me, how do I get to heaven?” Religion is a useful allegory here, but ultimately a distractor – the duality Sivan is really concerned with here is about happiness. For a lot of us, coming out for the first time feels like a crossroads, where we have to make a choice between one kind of happiness and another, and “Heaven” captures this (false, but very powerful) dichotomy beautifully.

Sivan’s first album, Blue Neighbourhood, hangs heavy with the imagery of suburbia. It’s rich, relatable visual and psychological territory, exemplified in decades’ worth of teen TV dramas and coming-of-age films. Many of us will recognise it as the backdrop to the fraught intensity of that long, tangled conversation with ourselves; the feeling of being on the brink of everything and the precipice of nothing, the intoxicating, paralysing combination of anticipation and dread. Sivan deals with this at 15; for me, I was 20, during university Christmas holidays, back in the dull hum of suburbia. Maybe there’s something about it that gives us the emotional space to plumb the depths of those brave new ideas. “Heaven” conjures this musically as well as lyrically, with a tense two-chord shuffle, close, muffled production, and Betty Who’s guest turn evoking a better angel from the future, reassuring us, beckoning us towards the light. If I’d heard it at 20, or earlier, it would have destroyed me; it might even have accelerated my own journey.

Sivan sings about “counting to 15”, the age at which he came out to his family. There’s something that invariably surprises straight people, when I’ve tried to explain it to them, but will come as no surprise at all to anyone else, and it is this: coming out never stops. Every new environment presents a decision to make and a challenge to face; and while it gets easier (and can often be an incredibly liberating experience), it’s never a formality. The subtler aspect to this is that there is no end-point to coming out to yourself, either. Accepting yourself as a gay person is just the beginning; there follows years and years of figuring out what that means. And I think this lies at the heart of delayed queer adolescence. These are questions of identity that are near-impossible to figure out alone, and many of us aren’t surrounded by other people with the same questions until much later – either due to geography, or opportunity, or not realising how badly we need to be, or maybe all of the above. And so “counting to 15” (or however old we are when we get there) is a countdown to the real start of our lives, rather than to any sort of conclusion.

***

TALK ME DOWN

“You know that I can’t trust myself with my 3 a.m. shadow.”

Queer mental health remains poorly understood and inadequately talked about, both in the mainstream press and in medical circles. Working as a doctor, I’ve witnessed the stigma towards LGBTQ+ patients from other medical professionals – rarely overtly hostile, but often casual, unthinking and pernicious. The mental health charity Mind believe that 42% of gay men, 70% of lesbians and 80% of transgender people experience mental illness; the statistics for gay men are almost certainly an underrepresentation, as men in general are less likely to report symptoms.

Early on in his powerful book “Straight Jacket: Overcoming Society’s Legacy of Gay Shame”, the journalist Matthew Todd runs through an harrowing litany of case studies of young gay people who have lost their lives to suicide, violence and addiction. He then explores the factors behind this, both intrinsic and extrinsic to the gay community, and hones in particularly on the near-universal gay experience of shame (in its many forms) during our formative childhood and adolescent years as a key determinant of depression, anxiety, poor body image, low self-worth, and harmful patterns of behaviour.

On the gorgeous, shimmering ballad “Talk Me Down”, Blue Neighbourhood’s emotional centre of gravity, Sivan sings (possibly from a friend or partner’s perspective) about dark thoughts, struggling for self-acceptance, and, implicitly, ideas of suicide. The accompanying video is high melodrama, but then, so is coming to terms with your sexuality. “I know I like to draw the line when it starts to get too real / but the less time that I spend with you, the less you need to heal” cuts to the heart of the conundrum most young gay people face – desire, and a need to be open and liberated, versus deeply-ingrained feelings of guilt, fear and shame. In his book, Todd argues that these are socially determined but can be overcome, but it’s hardly surprising that it takes a long time to get there – and hence, “normal” emotional development is a protracted experience.

***

YOUTH

“What if we’re speeding through red lights into paradise?”

It’s easy to forget that there are very few conventional pop songs on Blue Neighbourhood. “Youth” (and “Wild”) are probably the closest, but while it might be tempting to read “Youth” purely as a love song, I think its real core lies in escapism, another trope prevalent among (although, clearly, not unique to) young gay people. The imagery is wild and fantastical – “trippin’ on skies, sippin’ waterfalls” – and I distinctly remember writing similar (albeit much worse) songs at 15 or 16, cosmic love songs to no one in particular about things I knew nothing about.

Todd’s “Straight Jacket” has an interesting chapter on how he believes escapism informs archetypal LGBTQ+ tastes in pop, musicals, science fiction, horror and drag. I don’t always agree with the specifics, as I think we’re a broader church than he implies. But it’s hard to argue with the queer impulse for escape, particularly in our years of self-discovery, into spheres where our possibilities are limitless, our own selves freer and more confident, and our fears diminished. It’s maybe a symptom of that delayed development, of more years spent in limbo. When I listen to “Youth”, it gives me a clean hit of that feeling, particularly in the bridge, with “the lights start flashing like a photobooth” simulated by pulsing, strobe-light synths.

***

MY, MY, MY!

“Let’s stop running from love.”

Bloom, Sivan’s second album, finds him confident, assured and in love. It’s a big step, though not a quantum leap, from much of Blue Neighbourhood, and I’m interested in the in-between. “Running from love” perhaps gives a little away. It’s hard for us to know how to approach dating, love and sex. Certainly, queer people might feel unconfined by traditional heteronormative conventions or ideals, but equally many of us crave what our straight friends and families have. (It’s important to note that, of course, it’s not one or the other.) I think “running from love” speaks to a queer (and perhaps more universal) anxiety – after what feels like forever waiting for opportunities that feel tantalisingly out of reach, embracing a singular, tangible thing at the expense of all other potential things is terrifying.

Still, this is a dizzy, ecstatic, seductive love song. The expression “my, my, my” can seem trite in a pop song, but Sivan sells it as breathless disbelief. Some things are hard-earned.

***

ANIMAL

“No angels could beckon me back.”

And so we come full circle. The religious imagery is no coincidence; on Bloom’s stunning closer, the gorgeous, hazy reverie of “Animal”, we understand the heaven the Troye Sivan managed to reach.

It takes some of us a long time to get there, and the destination is different for all of us. I’m currently reading Michael Cunningham’s classic queer novel “A Home at the End of the World”, in which the character of Jonathan, at 27, tries to navigate the differences between the sort of settled, faintly bleak domesticity of the kind his parents have lived (“the fluorescent aisles of a supermarket at two in the afternoon”) and the often lonely, unfulfilling search for a different kind of home and family in the city (gay literature is fascinatingly fixated on homes and families, albeit often unconventional ones). It resonates with me. As queer people, the usual rules don’t have to apply – the expectations of one milestone and then the next, the pragmatic retreat back into suburbia at 30 – and that presents a different set of challenges.

I believe it’s a double-edged sword. Queer adolescence might be delayed because of our differences in the world, but equally, we are different because of that delayed development. It informs the way we experience life. Beautiful art is created because of those differences; hell, we might even be lucky enough to create some ourselves. And so, way beyond 15, most of us are still counting, still trying to understand, still discovering ourselves and each other, searching for logical families and people to grow with. No angels could beckon us back.

#troye sivan

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parkminijiminie · 6 years ago

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(1) I don’t blame a lot of tk shippers for feeling the way that they do. When you’re so involved with a ship given the evidence at the start of their relationship, it isn’t easy to drop the belief that you had and support their relationship with someone else. Even if there’s strong behavioral changes that would imply that change. I think that’s why so many people get so frustrated with them not “seeing” jikook or getting their “vibes” it’s not their fault for not seeing it, its just that Tk’s

(2) early relationship set a precedent for their ship, and itd be hard to let go of it and see that it evolved to become platonic.(Although that love is still there and will likely never be removed! It’s just become a different kind) Jikook sort of evolved in the opposite way. Easy for us to see, in my opinion, because seeing friends turn to lovers is pretty transparent. But seeing lovers(Not sure if that’s the right word to describe them at the beginning. Mutual/loving/touchy experimenters?)

(3) turn to friends is more difficult to accept. not speaking for all people that like them together of course. I don’t ship them so I can’t really relate to their feelings. But given recent interaction, I find it easy to pick out of the group the couple that have that special *thing* however serious it is. They’re development in the past helps solidify it

Hey, Anon. I think you’re making a compelling point with your ask.

You all know I’m not one of the KM shippers that has condemned t/k as entirely platonic from start to finish. or v/min and ji/hope by the way though I haven’t talked about these ships often. I just can’t, with clear conscious, rule out anything, especially when we’re talking about people leaving with each other for years, even more: teenage boys cramped in limited space. Anything could have happened during all this time, especially within Maknae line at one point or another. I know, I know, this ain’t the popular opinion but who’s to say what they were all up to through the years?

That being said, me not ruling out v/k doesnt mean I’m a believer that something was going on between them, only that I haven’t crossed that option either, although I’m heavily inclined to think they’ve been (mostly) always just friends. To me v/k dynamic through the years is less them going from “romantic to platonic” or “friends to lovers” but from “a pair with higher probability” to “a pair with significantly lower probability” of being “real” (aka in a committed relationship or otherwise romantically involved right now).

If shipping people was all about objectiveness and critical thinking, one would think the “older fans” and “older shippers” would be the easiest to convince of changes because they’ve been around longer. Therefore they should’ve had more time to observe the overall group dynamics and witness things first-hand. Sadly, shipping is not about objective thinking 99% of the time. Critical thinking is some shippers’ biggest enemy, I’m afraid.

The reason for that is pretty simple: we don’t ship in order to think, we do it so that we can escape. By immersing and investing ourselves in other people’s love story, we receive an outlet for the possible negativity we may experience in our life and/or a way to feel things through other people that we can’t feel otherwise.

Simply put: shiping is a fast way to second-hand gratification.

At least that’s the way for a lot of shippers, especially young ones who are still developing critical thinking skills or are yet to experience real life love.

All of this means that for a lot of people objective thinking is not a goal and can in fact hinder their shipping experience. When you ship, you become invested, you give up parts of your time and your own self and it can be hard to distance your own ideas of what’s true with reality. Hence why OTP doing something = proof (for some people, not all obviously) while nOTP doing the exact same thing = not proof.

In exteme cases when something is very very hard to disprove, twisting up the facts may also come in hand to preserve the peace of mind

(Jimin is Jungkook’s father if you haven’t heard)

The result of all of this is that instead for the “older” fans and shippers to be the most objective, it becomes the opposite. Because they’ve been exposed to their ship and committed to it the longest, it’s harder for them to accept when things start to deter from their wishes. Especially when things looked so promising once but not anymore.

This is why I think it’s a lot easier for new ARMYs to accept and like Jikook than for people who have been in the fandom for years and have fallen for other ships before. For newer ARMYs it’s easier to be objective (once they overcome the almost obligatory default ships state ofc) because they’re not biased yet and can see the group with somewhat clear eyes. They easily see Jimin and Jungkook are close because it’s very obvious when you’re not actively trying to overlook it.

So in a way you’re right. It’s understandable why it’s hard for a lot of “old” v/k shippers to acknowledge how much KM dynamics have evolved and how much closer (and questionable) they become every year. For a lot of them admitting this equals betrayal, not only to their ship but also to themselves and the time they’ve committed. Very few mature shippers of other ships ever talk about the evolution in Jikook’s dynamics even though it’s plain as day for everyone to see. It’s an uncomfortable truth. (and I’m not talking about them being real, only about their evolution)

I understand the reasons for it but I also don’t think that’s an excuse to forgive everything, for example the absurd “BH is hiding t/k by promoting Jikook” narrative. It’s okay to find it tough to switch lanes and no-one is making you but it’s not okay to completely abandon all logical thinking. It’s even worse when that’s combined with disgrading another pair’s relationship.

While shipping is for fun and mainly for our personal enjoyment, it’s good to keep a healthy and leveled grip on it in your own head. Especially when you become so invested that you start projecting your own ideas into the real members (which some v/k shippers do with this “Jimin is an attention-seeking hoe” widely spread nonsense).

Sticking with your ship through everything is fine but only as long as you remain respectful to everyone around and your position as representative of the group. If you go even a millimeter beyond that border, please take several steps back.

If you don’t ship light-heartedly but are instead committed strongly to your ship and are engaging in the fandom from that standpoint, keeping your critical thinking and staying mature is A MUST. Otherwise you may become detrimental to the fandom and the group.

So no, I can’t forgive everything by dismissing it as a natural consequence of being “ship committed” for a long time. Especially when some of it could have terrible consequences for the members and BTS. What do you think fuels all the death threats Jimin is getting?

Shipping is fun but it isn’t always harmless.

#jikook #kookmin #jimin #jungkook

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shanny-tired · 6 years ago

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Thinking on that picture of living longer lives, how does Shanaris handle loss of a loved one? I'm talking both immediate reaction and then moving forward. Does she hold to keepsakes of her lost loved ones? Pray for them or meditate on them? Or does she try not to remember at all? And finally, how easy is it for her to move on to a new love after losing a previous one?

Spicy, random ass question. Neat! I’ll let Shanaris answer this since she can probably word it better than me. [Afterthought]:This got long. Whoops.

“Life nowadays moves quickly. The involvement with so many short-lived races in the current state of the world, along with these constant massive catastrophes, makes for the way my life used to be a distant memory. Allow me to clarify. Take into account that Kaldorei used to spend months learning of a singular herb to learn every one of its properties both magical and non-magical. Highborne– especially those that were transformed into Nightborne, spent decades with a singular spell to perfect the evocation, hence their disturbing mastery over the art. A warrior would practice a single strike countless times over so that the strength in her swing could break through any defense, and she could understand the many ways to counteract that very same blow. Time flows equally for all races, but our lives back then… move slowly to strive for perfection. The luxury has been lost. We no longer are able to spend years on a single part of the grander scheme, no longer have time to properly grieve, and do not have the chance to repair a void that was filled for hundreds or thousands of years. The newer generations will never understand that kind of pain. Their bonds are decades old at most– incomparable.”

“With that in mind, it never gets easier to lose someone you love. Instead you just get better at keeping things inside. I had lost family during the Sundering and grieved for every one of them, but we were taught that all Kaldorei are brothers and sisters, thus lost came to be a softened blow. When I lost someone I truly loved I went through several stages of grief. Eventually I was stuck on two: sorrow and anger. I killed those I felt responsible when they never truly were, then exiled myself to Feralas for centuries. My emotions were rampant during death. He may be dead but until I die Al’mashan will never truly cease to exist. I still keep the silk scarf he made me in a sealed chest to preserve its worth. That was before. Now I simply… shrug it off. Druidism has a teaching that forces you to understand Life has no beauty without Death. There is no life without death, and the other way around. It enlightened me, allowed me to surpass what a mess I had become. I stopped grieving, but the attachments remained, simply not as one would expect them to be. They are a strength, and a lesson. I have lost many others, and I have gained something from them every step of the way. They taught me how to live on, and to honor their memory I will do so. Prayer feels to be a useless way of honoring the fallen. They are dead, only with their spirit nearby could they possibly hear your words– even then, could they respond? Rarely. Let the fallen rest, and honor them but continuing to live. Keep the words in your mind, speak them to yourself, not in hopes your deity will send them to your dead.”

“As for love? I only ever truly loved one man, and it will remain that way. I know that love because it was warm– filled me with some sense of trust that I could release my guard the instant I saw him. There was something different about it, when he called me his love. No one who tells me they love me these days has that same impact. Their words feel hollow, so I speak hollow words back to them. I am still capable of love, but it is not the love I knew. This new love is… rushed, unrefined– much like life nowadays. At least those who wish to love me understand that well enough. I give them pleasure, comfort, security, and the chance to grow, while they try to do the same. I am able to succeed far more often than them. They wish to hear the hollow words from my lips in exchange for theirs, but even if the words are true it still feels…like a lie. I gave my everything to Al’mashan, and it will remain with him and only him. None will come as close as he, for I will never betray his love. Humans have this saying during their matrimonious endeavors: ‘til death do us part. It implies only death will break a bond. I think it is probably the stupidest thing humans have in their culture next to their choice of hairstyles and fashion.”

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ramenrambles · 3 years ago

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Why Ramen

As awkward as introductions go, I suppose the best place to start might simply be: why ramen? And there are several answers to this, one deeply personal, one historical, another simply a reaction to the ramen scene here in Singapore.

It’s easier to go in the reverse order of that list; so I’ll start mainly with some observations on ramen in Singapore.

Ok I should add as a disclaimer here: I’m not a cook, nor a foodie so I’m probably getting some things factually wrong. I don’t know enough of gastronomy, but I’ve always been interested in thinking about ramen (and food) much more broadly. So I hope these notes are useful, nonetheless, for a general audience.

PART ONE of three Ramen in Singapore Perhaps it’s not all that surprising to find the heavy hitters from Japan setting up shops in Singapore: you know, the usual suspects of Ippudo, Santouka, etc. We can definitely add Kanada-Ya or Ramen Keisuke here too. In other words, chain or business ramen, as some ramen heads might call them. Which is still great regardless, because growing up all I remembered was Ajisen (and thank god we’ve all moved beyond that). At the same time, we’ve also seen a recent wave of newer shops set up here in Singapore, from the likes of Tsuta, to Afuri, Sanpoutei, Marutama and Enishi offering bowls that are not centred on tonkotsu broth -- truffle shoyu at Tsuta, yuzu shio at Afuri, niboshi shoyu at Sanpoutei, tori paitan at Marutama, and tantanmen at Enishi, just to name a few. Interestingly too, we are seeing clusters of local shops spring up around the island, but these are Singaporean shops that mostly offer tonkotsu ramen. You have those who sell themselves as affordable ramen for the “average Singaporean” (Takagi’s signature bowl of tonkotsu shio averages out to SGD7); Buta Kin sells hawker-fare ramen (yet another tonkotsu shio); and Suparakki offers an affordable bowl of tonkotsu gyokai (yes, another porky one, though tempered with seafood/fish). These are bowls that seem to be designed below the threshold of SGD10. On the other end of that spectrum, we might add Brothers Ramen who do a good bowl of paitan (approx. SGD13) made from pork and chicken bones.

The sheer amount and dominance of tonkotsu ramen shops is not unique to Singapore. And it’s easy to understand why: a decent bowl of tonkotsu is not particularly difficult to make, in terms of techniques and ingredients needed. Taste wise, it’s also pretty straight up. Good, strong porky depth, uncomplicated, and almost always familiar to anyone who grew up eating pork, and definitely for those who prefer their food with a 重口味 (heavy taste). Which, of course, seems like the “average Singaporean” -- but only if we ignore broader questions of class or race. Of course, I do understand the need to turn a profit for these shops, and hence tonkotsu remains the most economic of choices in Singapore (whether we are thinking here of the consumer pool, or the lower requirements for kitchen staff to be formally trained in the broader repertoire of ramen techniques).

(credit: Takagi Ramen)

But my interest in making and thinking about ramen from here in Singapore is, precisely, animated by some of these broader questions. Now I’m not claiming to make “inclusive” bowls myself, not by any stretch. Yet I think that the foodways of tonkotsu ramen -- to borrow a term from food studies -- are important things to think about, and whether or not we should be doing something differently in response.

In essence, foodways are the study of what we eat, how and why we’ve come to eat that. Or as Willa Zhen puts it in Food Studies: “Foodways are focused on the consumption of food and how these food-related behaviors mark membership in a community, group, or society.” At the risk of sounding melodramatic, we are in danger of ramen becoming almost a kind of monoculture, defined largely by variations on a bowl of tonkotsu paitan. A bowl where we almost always expect to see rolled up pork belly chashu (preferably charred), and runny ajitamas (marinated eggs). The difference would then be whether or not the bowl cost above or below SGD10 (thus indicating your social economic class in Singapore, whether or not you are the “average Singaporean”), or you go instead to the o.g. shops from Japan to eat your imported bowl of tonkotsu. Thankfully, outside of this porky class divide, there are still shops that offer non-tonkotsu bowls like those mentioned earlier, who focus more on chintan (clear soup) ramen that are less heavy on the palette, but almost always heavier on the wallet because of the techniques, labour and ingredients involved. And there are also, simultaneously, chains offering halal-certified ramen like the tori paitans at Ichikokudo Ramen or Tokyo Shokudo. Anyway, to round up PART ONE for this post, it’s also interesting to consider how a bowl of tonkotsu paitan even came to be a style of ramen, and in turn look to the origins / history of ramen in Japan. Most of us are no doubt familiar with ramen’s history as a translated form of Chinese 拉面 (La Mian). But this goes beyond the consumption patterns of a place like Singapore today, and brings us back centuries to the broader question of Japan’s engagement with modernity, Japan’s changing diet and understanding of the Japanese body (see PART TWO).

Reference Willa Zhen, Food Studies: A Hands-On Guide (London: Bloomsbury, 2019).

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nekosayuri · 7 years ago

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Replies, this is turning into a conversation on many fronts XD

This is only for @dramallamadingdang, sorry people xD I’m sorting out my downloads folder cause I’m frustrated with the mess in my game and well... it’s taking a while.

dramallamadingdang replied to your photo “Sorting downloads and basically fixing every other thing ¬.¬ This one...”

These days I tend to like to paint my own wood textures. It's actually pretty easy to do in Photoshop, and I can make 'em to fit a specific project. It's a little more work than just pasting in a pre-made one...although sometimes it's actually *easier* to paint from scratch than to try to make pre-made textures fit properly. Just depends on the texture you're working with.

And I really need to learn about mapping one of these days. *sigh*

You can paint many textures, wow :O by mapping you mean mapping/remapping an object? it’s not too difficult to understand, but you’d normally need to look at it in a 3d editing program? (like I do all the time on Milkshape)

dramallamadingdang replied to your post “More replies”

I think a lot of people think that what the game can handle is only a function of how good someone's computer hardware is, but that isn't completely true. The game itself has limitations, and trying to make it do things it really can't do is just asking for trouble. At the very least, it'd be nice if everyone put polycounts on their mesh-download posts. That wasn't a thing "back when," though. Well, except on MTS.

And, of course, many downloaders don't even know what a polycount is or what is high and what isn't and why higher isn't necessarily better, etc. So, they won't all make the best choices even if there're polycounts displayed. They just want the pretty. Hence, why there are so many posts on forums and tumblrs and whatnot about the person's game not working right and flashing and crashing and what-have-you. *sigh*

Exactly. It’s not just the computer, the game itself is old and has some limitations. :/ that’s also why it’s so hard for some people to even get it to work at all sometimes. The newer the system and all. I get that people with better systems can do higher poly better, but that doesn’t mean they should.

But then I’m guilty for a lot more high poly stuff than I would like, but hey, I wanted the Japanese festival stuff really bad (I mean almost 9K poly for a small food item??). And because I wanted it so bad I reduced poly on some meshes and remade things and it took forever, but I’d like to believe it was worth it. :D

dramallamadingdang replied to your photo “SLOTS! I haven’t gone overboard yet, I promise! not like I’m planning...”

I think the thing to do with TXMTs is just to play around with the settings until the thing looks good. :) Those table legs could use an envcube and some shiny, I think. :)

I think I got the table legs the way I want them at the moment, although they’re probably not that shiny. I just improved on how it originally was, to be honest, so I didn’t go too creative with it. Originally it was VERY shiny and green looking even when the texture is pretty grey o.O

#dramallamadingdang #replies #reply

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jmtapio · 5 years ago

Link

If you have ever used aptitude a bit more extensively on the command-line, you’ll probably have come across its patterns. This week I spent some time implementing (some) patterns for apt, so you do not need aptitude for that, and I want to let you in on the details of this merge request !74.

so, what are patterns?

Patterns allow you to specify complex search queries to select the packages you want to install/show. For example, the pattern ?garbage can be used to find all packages that have been automatically installed but are no longer depended upon by manually installed packages. Or the pattern ?automatic allows you find all automatically installed packages.

You can combine patterns into more complex ones; for example, ?and(?automatic,?obsolete) matches all automatically installed packages that do not exist any longer in a repository.

There are also explicit targets, so you can perform queries like ?for x: ?depends(?recommends(x)): Find all packages x that depend on another package that recommends x. I do not fully comprehend those yet - I did not manage to create a pattern that matches all manually installed packages that a meta-package depends upon. I am not sure it is possible.

reducing pattern syntax

aptitude’s syntax for patterns is quite context-sensitive. If you have a pattern ?foo(?bar) it can have two possible meanings:

If ?foo takes arguments (like ?depends did), then ?bar is the argument.

Otherwise, ?foo(?bar) is equivalent to ?foo?bar which is short for ?and(?foo,?bar)

I find that very confusing. So, when looking at implementing patterns in APT, I went for a different approach. I first parse the pattern into a generic parse tree, without knowing anything about the semantics, and then I convert the parse tree into a APT::CacheFilter::Matcher, an object that can match against packages.

This is useful, because the syntactic structure of the pattern can be seen, without having to know which patterns have arguments and which do not - basically, for the parser ?foo and ?foo() are the same thing. That said, the second pass knows whether a pattern accepts arguments or not and insists on you adding them if required and not having them if it does not accept any, to prevent you from confusing yourself.

aptitude also supports shortcuts. For example, you could write ~c instead of config-files, or ~m for automatic; then combine them like ~m~c instead of using ?and. I have not implemented these short patterns for now, focusing instead on getting the basic functionality working.

So in our example ?foo(?bar) above, we can immediately dismiss parsing that as ?foo?bar:

we do not support concatenation instead of ?and.

we automatically parse ( as the argument list, no matter whether ?foo supports arguments or not

apt not understanding invalid patterns

Supported syntax

At the moment, APT supports two kinds of patterns: Basic logic ones like ?and, and patterns that apply to an entire package as opposed to a specific version. This was done as a starting point for the merge, patterns for versions will come in the next round.

We also do not have any support for explicit search targets such as ?for x: ... yet - as explained, I do not yet fully understand them, and hence do not want to commit on them.

The full list of the first round of patterns is below, helpfully converted from the apt-patterns(7) docbook to markdown by pandoc.

logic patterns

These patterns provide the basic means to combine other patterns into more complex expressions, as well as ?true and ?false patterns.

?and(PATTERN, PATTERN, ...)

Selects objects where all specified patterns match.

?false

Selects nothing.

?not(PATTERN)

Selects objects where PATTERN does not match.

?or(PATTERN, PATTERN, ...)

Selects objects where at least one of the specified patterns match.

?true

Selects all objects.

package patterns

These patterns select specific packages.

?architecture(WILDCARD)

Selects packages matching the specified architecture, which may contain wildcards using any.

?automatic

Selects packages that were installed automatically.

?broken

Selects packages that have broken dependencies.

?config-files

Selects packages that are not fully installed, but have solely residual configuration files left.

?essential

Selects packages that have Essential: yes set in their control file.

?exact-name(NAME)

Selects packages with the exact specified name.

?garbage

Selects packages that can be removed automatically.

?installed

Selects packages that are currently installed.

?name(REGEX)

Selects packages where the name matches the given regular expression.

?obsolete

Selects packages that no longer exist in repositories.

?upgradable

Selects packages that can be upgraded (have a newer candidate).

?virtual

Selects all virtual packages; that is packages without a version. These exist when they are referenced somewhere in the archive, for example because something depends on that name.

examples

apt remove ?garbage

Remove all packages that are automatically installed and no longer needed - same as apt autoremove

apt purge ?config-files

Purge all packages that only have configuration files left

oddities

Some things are not yet where I want them:

?architecture does not support all, native, or same

?installed should match only the installed version of the package, not the entire package (that is what aptitude does, and it’s a bit surprising that ?installed implies a version and ?upgradable does not)

the future

Of course, I do want to add support for the missing version patterns and explicit search patterns. I might even add support for some of the short patterns, but no promises. Some of those explicit search patterns might have slightly different syntax, e.g. ?for(x, y) instead of ?for x: y in order to make the language more uniform and easier to parse.

Another thing I want to do ASAP is to disable fallback to regular expressions when specifying package names on the command-line: apt install g++ should always look for a package called g++, and not for any package containing g (g++ being a valid regex) when there is no g++ package. I think continuing to allow regular expressions if they start with ^ or end with $ is fine - that prevents any overlap with package names, and would avoid breaking most stuff.

There also is the fallback to fnmatch(): Currently, if apt cannot find a package with the specified name using the exact name or the regex, it would fall back to interpreting the argument as a glob(7) pattern. For example, apt install apt* would fallback to installing every package starting with apt if there is no package matching that as a regular expression. We can actually keep those in place, as the glob(7) syntax does not overlap with valid package names.

Maybe I should allow using [] instead of () so larger patterns become more readable, and/or some support for comments.

There are also plans for AppStream based patterns. This would allow you to use apt install ?provides-mimetype(text/xml) or apt install ?provides-lib(libfoo.so.2). It’s not entirely clear how to package this though, we probably don’t want to have libapt-pkg depend directly on libappstream.

feedback

Talk to me on IRC, comment on the Mastodon thread, or send me an email if there’s anything you think I’m missing or should be looking at.

via Planet Debian

#Reading

0 notes

madfictionland · 6 years ago

Note

Overall did you think KH3 was better than KH2, despite the disappointments with the former?

Hard to tell and I’m not really judging based on gameplay, just story parts. But yeah, I would probably say KH2 was better but that’s also because… well, it had no weightof entire “xehanort trilogy” behind it so maybe it was easier to handle? On the other hand… KH2 managed to fuck with us a bit + deliver some nice fucked-up explanations that make you go wtf but which actually make *specific* sense in the end, one way or another. I like these. Sadly, KH3 had very little of them, almost none, and even 3D (which was just a secondary title, so understandably not explained too well) went to greater lengths to explain stuff. Now, if we get other new titles that cover questions and details from KH3 AND DDD… then maybe it gets better but I’m not sure if we’ll get it. It just feels like Nomura doesn’t care about these details anymore (time travel, Nortification etc) and he just wants to move on - into his new crazy ideas of MoM and data realities. So yeah, KH3 will probably just stay as is, not detailed enough, with an awkward ending aka “fight all those bosses from previous games but don’t ask for details, forget backstories, no one cares.” For example, being a “Nort” turned out to be pretty lame - it doesn’t even seem like Xehanort’s heart changes them in any major way or influences their character or goals, they act as they always had and now Nomura is trying to tell us Braig (and thus Norted Braig/Xigbar) was Luxu all along (consciously!). So he only acted as a fool (as Xigbar) and Nortification doesn’t really influence him much, whether it comes to power, loyalty or character (he just doesn’t pretend anymore, hence he acts a little tougher and more serious than Braig we knew from BBS flashbacks). So well… yeah, not a fan. No drama of ‘he sold his soul for power,’ no internal struggle in some Norts when they maybe try to resist the process as an actual story for us to see and explore. The consequences, story and logic behind those processes are just forgotten, after first being hyped for so long. Such a waste. Some people don’t really care and think this was a shitty story even way before DDD but I actually liked all these concepts. They were good on paper but needed more depth and backstory and details which was a perfect opportunity for KH3… Instead, all it did was prompt MoM’s future and… except for some cool, heartwarming moments for good guys… failed to live up to its name as a “grand epic conclusion of Xehanort saga.” It had some cool scenes and animation porn, yes (gameplay wise! because I actually expected more story related cutscenes, with actual dialogues and explanations, and more Norts interacting for us on-screen) But basically it was very anticlimatic. Short story short: I do think KH2 gave justice to KH1 and begun a great crazy series that’s pretty unique. But KH3 utterly failed to bring it to proper conclusion (especially lore and explanations) so it failed to give justice to previous entries. Sure, KH3 is better at gameplay and damn wasn’t the PotC world and acting much better than the last time… but BUT, when we look at industry standards… KH2 was a decent enough thing back then. So they’re really dependent on the release date. Newer games have better and even superior graphics, effects, levels and thus gameplay, that’s normal, and it’s hard to judge the game based on this.

0 notes

photographycentreblog-blog · 4 years ago

Text

Different types of cameras

Being a photographer requires tremendous skill, talent, and patience. But to be able to produce beautiful images that perfectly capture every emotion every glorious day, there is one thing that every photographer need: the best camera for the job. Photography is a demanding job that requires a high-performance DSLR camera designed and built to not only meet but exceed the photographer’s needs in terms of speed and image quality.

A lot of people often love to click pictures when they travel to different locations. I am one of them too which is why it is important that we purchase a good quality camera if we wish to capture our experiences properly.

You might feel that purchasing a high-end and more technologically advanced camera from the start would be a wise choice, but it is not. Because until you get a hang of photography and how to manipulate angles successfully, your camera will remain just a piece of metal for you.

These travel camera picks will suit a wide range of budgets, needs, and expertise levels. Our picks are ordered in approximate order of budget, from lower budget models through to higher end models.

So, getting a compact and sturdy travel camera in the start is actually a better decision. I, myself, researched a lot when I bought my first DSLR and I still wish that I had done a little more planning before I purchased it.

In this guide, I have listed down the best entry-level cameras that can be considered for beginners.

Things to Consider When Purchasing a Travel Camera

This is an important one. Cameras vary wildly in price, from a couple of hundred dollars up to thousands of dollars. So, you definitely need to think about how much you want to spend. Also, this is a travel camera. Whilst you want to get the best shots, travel can expose you to risks, from loss to theft. Obviously, these are things that can be mitigated against with insurance, but it’s something to bear in mind when making an investment – the pricier the camera, the higher the insurance premium.

Here are a few things that you should definitely consider when choosing a travel camera for yourself.

Consider the Type of Camera

There are several types of cameras available in the market which differs from each other in terms of weight, size, price, etc. So, make sure you check them out and look at both the pros and cons before deciding for yourself.

Point and Shoot Camera

For people who aren’t travel professionals and don’t care much about photography controls, a Point and Shoot camera would be a good choice. It will allow you to take amazing photographs without having to bother too much with the settings.

However, you won’t be able to manually set the photograph settings or take pictures in raw. But, it is certainly the least expensive option as a travel camera.

Mirrorless Cameras

If weight, size, etc. matters to you a lot then a Mirrorless camera would be an ideal choice for you. A mirrorless camera doesn’t include a mirror reflex optical viewfinder. As a result, it is lightweight but still allows you to change the lenses. Mirrorless cameras allow you to swap and change lenses like a DSLR, but because the mirror inside the camera has been removed (hence the name, with mirrors used to bounce light from the path of the lens up into the optical viewfinder of a DSLR), it has allowed designers to make mirrorless cameras much more compact than DSLRs.

Another great thing about this camera is that it shows you the real-time effect of ISO and Aperture adjustments. So, you don’t have to guess too much about the outcome and know that what you see is what you actually get.

Digital SLR Cameras

Although Mirrorless cameras have given DSLRs a tough competition, DSLR still comes out at the top in terms of quality. Ideally, a DSLR camera is great for action photography and wildlife photography. While mirrorless cameras are good, they don’t offer as many lens options as a DSLR camera.

So, if you want more lens options, faster focus, and more control over photo manipulations, then DSLR is the best choice. Sure, it is a little bulky but it will allow more flexibility to you.

Underwater Cameras

If you plan to take a lot of underwater photographs then you would need to check out a waterproof camera. These cameras will not only take amazing pictures underwater but will also allow you to capture the marine life on film.

There are many point and shoot cameras which can click decent photographs underwater. However, GoPro is still considered the best choice for underwater photography.

Are you planning to take a video too?

Another important thing that you should consider is if you are planning to make videos and vlogs too. If the answer is yes, then you might need to consider a camera with a good resolution option. Also, a flip screen would make it convenient for you to take the shots.

Budget – How much do you have to spend on a travel camera?

Let’s face it, the budget plays a major role when choosing a travel camera for yourself. You don’t want something too costly initially because taking care of your camera equipment is no piece of cake. Your camera bag could get lost or stolen while traveling so, always make sure you spend a reasonable amount of money at the start.

Consider Some Additional Camera Features

Make sure that you check out for some additional features too. One of the most important and convenient features is the inbuilt Wi-Fi in your camera. This allows you to connect the camera with your phone on the go, allowing you to transfer pictures when you are traveling too.

Weight – How much are you willing to carry around?

This is a really important question. If you’re the kind of person who likes to travel light, then you’re not going to want a bulky DSLR. Having the best travel camera that sits in your hotel room while you’re out having fun isn’t going to be much use.

Even a mirrorless system might be too much for you if you want something that will truly fit in your pocket or purse, and your best bet is probably a smartphone or compact camera.

On the other hand, if image quality and low-light performance are more important to you than weight, and you’re happy carrying spare lenses, filters, and other accessories, then you’ll likely be looking at a mirrorless or DSLR system.

Entry-level DSLR bundles

If you're buying your first DSLR, it makes sense to buy it as a kit, which generally includes the camera body along with an 18-55mm lens. Often referred to as a 'kit' lens, this covers a pretty broad zoom range, perfect for everything from landscapes to portraits – but that's just the start.

A word of warning, though. Look closely and manufacturers will often offer two types of kit lens, one with image stabilization and one without. Normally there's not much difference in price, so make sure to go for the kit with the image-stabilized lens as it'll make it easier to sharper images at slower shutter speeds.

These kinds of lenses are more than adequate to get you started, but the key advantage of DSLRs over compact cameras is that you can add to your kit with additional lenses. For example, wide-angle and telephoto zoom lenses, as well as high-quality macro options. You can also add a flashgun and other accessories, which help you to make the most of whatever types of photography you're into.

1. Nikon D3500

Not the flashiest camera here, but we reckon it's the best right now

The D3500 picks up from where the D3400 (below) left off, and it arrives with a handful of extra perks. The battery now lasts for 1,550 images between charges, which is way ahead of most other DSLRs, while the new 24MP sensor delivers excellent image quality. Nikon also revised the body and control layout, not only to make it nicer to handle but easier to use, while the Guide Mode takes the first-time user's hand and walks them through all the key features in a way that makes everything easy to understand. We love it – and we reckon you will too.

PROS

Excellent image quality

Easy to use

No touchscreen control

CONS

Bluetooth, but no Wi-Fi

2. Nikon D3400

Knocked off the top spot, but still a great buy

It may have been replaced by the D3500, but don't discount the D3400. Sporting a range of features perfect for the novice user, this is still a great camera to get started on the road to more creative photography. Sharing many of the same internal specs as the D3500, the battery life is brilliant, while the images from the 24MP sensor won't disappoint.

Pros

Superb battery life

Good single-shot AF

No microphone ports

Cons

No touchscreen

3. Canon EOS Rebel T7i / Canon EOS 800D

One of the best options out there, but a bit pricey

The EOS Rebel T7i (known as the EOS 800D outside) sits at the top of Canon's entry-level EOS DSLR range. Sporting a 24.2MP sensor that delivers an improved high ISO performance over older models, the Rebel T7i's autofocus also gets a boost, now with a 45-point arrangement that's backed up by excellent live view AF system.

Pros

Great touchscreen

Excellent sensor

Plastic finish

Cons

No 4K video

4. Nikon D5600

Need a little more power? The D5600 could be what you're after

The D5600 is a step up from the D3xxx-series models, with a stronger set of specs to rival the likes of the Canon EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D. Key advantages over the D3400 and D3500 include a larger LCD screen, which not only flips out and swivels but also responds to touch, together with a more advanced autofocus system, Wi-Fi and a healthy range of additional control on the inside.

Pros

Excellent image quality

Articulating touchscreen

Slow Live View focusing

Cons

Snap Bridge needs work

5. Canon EOS 750D

The EOS Rebel T6i (called the EOS 750D outside the US) may have been replaced by the EOS Rebel T7i / 800D, but it's still a great option if the price of the newer model puts you off. While the sensor isn't quite as good as the one in the newer T7i – despite sharing the same resolution – it's still very good, while the vari-angle touchscreen is still one of the best around. AF performance could be better though, and the camera isn't quite new enough to benefit from the more up-to-date Dual Pixel CMOS AF system that makes focusing swift in live view and during videos, but overall this is still a very capable entry-level DSLR.

Pros

Great touchscreen

Wi-Fi with NFC on board

Cons

Average battery life

Autofocus could be better

#film photography #photographers on tumblr #portrait photography #photography #cameras

0 notes

holytheoristtastemaker · 5 years ago

Quote

The internet has been around for a long while, and over time we’ve changed the way we think about web design. Many old techniques and ways of doing things have gotten phased out as newer and better alternatives have been created, and we say that they have been deprecated. Deprecated. It’s a word we use and see often. But have you stopped to think about what it means in practice? What are some examples of deprecated web elements, and why don’t we use them any more? What is deprecation? In everyday English, to “deprecate” something is to express disapproval of it. For example, you might be inclined to deprecate a news story you don’t like. When we’re speaking in a technical sense, however, deprecation is the discouragement of use for an old feature. Often, the old feature remains functional in the interests of backward compatibility (so legacy projects don’t break). In essence, this means that you can technically still do things the legacy way. It’ll probably still work, but maybe it’s better to use the new way. Another common scenario is when technical elements get deprecated as a prelude to their future removal (which we sometimes call “sunsetting” a feature). This provides everybody time to transition from the old way of working to the new system before the transition happens. If you follow WordPress at all, they recently did this with their radically new Gutenberg editor. They shipped it, but kept an option available to revert to the “classic” editor so users could take time to transition. Someday, the “classic” editor will likely be removed, leaving Gutenberg as the only option for editing posts. In other words, WordPress is sunsetting the “classic” editor. That’s merely one example. We can also look at HTML features that were once essential staples but became deprecated at some point in time. Why do HTML elements get deprecated? Over the years, our way of thinking about HTML has evolved. Originally, it was an all-purpose markup language for displaying and styling content online. Over time, as external stylesheets became more of a thing, it began to make more sense to think about web development differently — as a separation of concerns where HTML defines the content of a page, and CSS handles the presentation of it. This separation of style and content brings numerous benefits: Avoiding duplication: Repeating code for every instance of red-colored text on a page is unwieldy and inefficient when you can have a single CSS class to handle all of it at once. Ease of management: With all of the presentation controlled from a central stylesheet, you can make site-wide changes with little effort. Readability: When viewing a website’s source, it’s a lot easier to understand the code that has been neatly abstracted into separate files for content and style. Caching: The vast majority of websites have consistent styling across all pages, so why make the browser download those style definitions again and again? Putting the presentation code in a dedicated stylesheet allows for caching and reuse to save bandwidth. Developer specialization: Big website projects may have multiple designers and developers working on them, each with their individual areas of expertise. Allowing a CSS specialist to work on their part of the project in their own separate files can be a lot easier for everybody involved. User options: Separating styling from content can allow the developer to easily offer display options to the end user (the increasingly popular ‘night mode’ is a good example of this) or different display modes for accessibility. Responsiveness and device independence: separating the code for content and visual presentation makes it much easier to build websites that display in very different ways on different screen resolutions. However, in the early days of HTML there was a fair amount of markup designed to control the look of the page right alongside the content. You might see code like this: Hello world! …all of which is now deprecated due to the aforementioned separation of concerns. Which HTML elements are now deprecated? As of the release of HTML5, use of the following elements is discouraged: (use instead) (use ) (use CSS font properties, like font-size, font-family, etc.) (use CSS font-size) (use CSS text-align) (use ) (use CSS font properties) (use ) (not needed any more) (not needed any more) (not needed any more) (use text-decoration: line-through in CSS) (use text-decoration: line-through in CSS) (use ) There is also a long list of deprecated attributes, including many elements that continue to be otherwise valid (such as the align attribute used by many elements). The W3C has the full list of deprecated attributes. Why don’t we use table for layouts any more? Before CSS became widespread, it was common to see website layouts constructed with the element. While the element is not deprecated, using them for layout is strongly discouraged. In fact, pretty much all HTML table attributes that were used for layouts have been deprecated, such as cellpadding, bgcolor and width. At one time, tables seemed to be a pretty good way to lay out a web page. We could make rows and columns any size we wanted, meaning we could put everything inside. Headers, navigation, footers… you name it! That would create a lot of website code that looked like this: Blah blah blah! There are numerous problems with this approach: Complicated layouts often end up with tables nested inside other tables, which creates a headache-inducing mess of code. Just look at the source of any email newsletter. Accessibility is problematic, as screen readers tend to get befuddled by the overuse of tables. Tables are slow to render, as the browser waits for the entire table to download before showing it on the screen. Responsible and mobile-friendly layouts are very difficult to create with a table-based layout. We still have not found a silver bullet for responsive tables (though many clever ideas exist). Continuing the theme of separating content and presentation, CSS is a much more efficient way to create the visual layout without cluttering the code of the main HTML document. So, when should we use? Actual tabular data, of course! If you need to display a list of baseball scores, statistics or anything else in that vein, is your friend. Why do we still use and tags? “Hang on just a moment,” you might say. “How come bold and italic HTML tags are still considered OK? Aren’t those forms of visual styling that ought to be handled with CSS?” It’s a good question, and one that seems difficult to answer when we consider that other tags like and are deprecated. What’s going on here? The short and simple answer is that and would probably have been deprecated if they weren’t so widespread and useful. CSS alternatives seem somewhat unwieldy by comparison: .emphasis { font-weight:bold } This is a bold word! This is a bold word! This is a bold word! The long answer is that these tags have now been assigned some semantic meaning, giving them value beyond pure visual presentation and allowing designers to use them to confer additional information about the text they contain. This is important because it helps screen readers and search crawlers better understand the purpose of the content wrapped in these tags. We might italicize a word for several reasons, like adding emphasis, invoking the title of a creative work, referring to a scientific name, and so on. How does a screen reader know whether to place spoken emphasis on the word or not? and have companions, including , and . Together, these tags make the meaning context of text clearer: is for drawing attention to text without giving it any additional importance. It’s used when we want to draw attention to something without changing the inflection of the text when it is read by a screen reader or without adding any additional weight or meaning to the content for search engines. is a lot like but signals the importance of something. It’s the same as changing the inflection of your voice when adding emphasis on a certain word. italicizes text without given it any additional meaning or emphasis. It’s perfect for writing out something that is normally italicized, like the scientific name of an animal. is like in that it italicizes text, but it provides adds additional emphasis (hence the tag name) without adding more importance in context. (‘I’m sure I didn’t forget to feed the cat’). is what we use to refer to the title of a creative work, say a movie like The Silence of the Lambs. This way, text is styled but doesn’t affect the way the sentence would be read aloud. In general, the rule is that and are to be used only as a last resort if you can’t find anything more appropriate for your needs. This semantic meaning allows and to continue to have a place in our modern array of HTML elements and survive the deprecation that has befallen other, similar style tags. On a related note, — the underline tag — was at one time deprecated, but has since been restored in HTML5 because it has some semantic uses (such as annotating spelling errors). There are many other HTML elements that might lend styling to content, but primarily serve to provide semantic meaning to content. Mandy Michael has an excellent write-up that covers those and how they can be used (and even combined!) to make the most semantic markup possible. Undead HTML attributes Some deprecated elements are still in widespread use around the web today. After all, they still work — they’re just discouraged. This is sometimes because word hasn’t gotten around that that thing you’ve been using for ages isn’t actually the way it’s done any more. Other times, it’s due to folks who don’t see a compelling reason to change from doing something that works perfectly well. Hey, CSS-Tricks still uses the teletype element for certain reasons. One such undead HTML relic is the align attribute in otherwise valid tags, especially images. You may see tags with a border attribute, although that attribute has long been deprecated. CSS, of course, is the preferred and modern method for that kind of styling presentation. Staying up to date with deprecation is key for any web developer. Making sure your code follows the current recommendations while avoiding legacy elements is an essential best practice. It not only ensures that your site will continue to work in the long run, but that it will play nicely with the web of the future.

http://damianfallon.blogspot.com/2020/04/why-do-some-html-elements-become_4.html

#SEO #Local SEO training

0 notes

suzanneshannon · 5 years ago

Text

Why Do Some HTML Elements Become Deprecated?

Deprecated. It’s a word we use and see often. But have you stopped to think about what it means in practice? What are some examples of deprecated web elements, and why don’t we use them any more?

What is deprecation?

In everyday English, to “deprecate” something is to express disapproval of it. For example, you might be inclined to deprecate a news story you don’t like.

When we’re speaking in a technical sense, however, deprecation is the discouragement of use for an old feature. Often, the old feature remains functional in the interests of backward compatibility (so legacy projects don’t break). In essence, this means that you can technically still do things the legacy way. It’ll probably still work, but maybe it’s better to use the new way.

Another common scenario is when technical elements get deprecated as a prelude to their future removal (which we sometimes call “sunsetting” a feature). This provides everybody time to transition from the old way of working to the new system before the transition happens. If you follow WordPress at all, they recently did this with their radically new Gutenberg editor. They shipped it, but kept an option available to revert to the “classic” editor so users could take time to transition. Someday, the “classic” editor will likely be removed, leaving Gutenberg as the only option for editing posts. In other words, WordPress is sunsetting the “classic” editor.

That’s merely one example. We can also look at HTML features that were once essential staples but became deprecated at some point in time.

Why do HTML elements get deprecated?

Over the years, our way of thinking about HTML has evolved. Originally, it was an all-purpose markup language for displaying and styling content online.

Over time, as external stylesheets became more of a thing, it began to make more sense to think about web development differently — as a separation of concerns where HTML defines the content of a page, and CSS handles the presentation of it.

This separation of style and content brings numerous benefits:

Avoiding duplication: Repeating code for every instance of red-colored text on a page is unwieldy and inefficient when you can have a single CSS class to handle all of it at once.

Ease of management: With all of the presentation controlled from a central stylesheet, you can make site-wide changes with little effort.

Readability: When viewing a website’s source, it’s a lot easier to understand the code that has been neatly abstracted into separate files for content and style.

Caching: The vast majority of websites have consistent styling across all pages, so why make the browser download those style definitions again and again? Putting the presentation code in a dedicated stylesheet allows for caching and reuse to save bandwidth.

Developer specialization: Big website projects may have multiple designers and developers working on them, each with their individual areas of expertise. Allowing a CSS specialist to work on their part of the project in their own separate files can be a lot easier for everybody involved.

User options: Separating styling from content can allow the developer to easily offer display options to the end user (the increasingly popular ‘night mode’ is a good example of this) or different display modes for accessibility.

Responsiveness and device independence: separating the code for content and visual presentation makes it much easier to build websites that display in very different ways on different screen resolutions.

However, in the early days of HTML there was a fair amount of markup designed to control the look of the page right alongside the content. You might see code like this:

<center><font face="verdana" color="#2400D3">Hello world!</font></center>

…all of which is now deprecated due to the aforementioned separation of concerns.

Which HTML elements are now deprecated?

As of the release of HTML5, use of the following elements is discouraged:

<acronym> (use <abbr> instead)

<applet> (use <object>)

<basefont> (use CSS font properties, like font-size, font-family, etc.)

<big> (use CSS font-size)

<center> (use CSS text-align)

<dir> (use <ul>)

<font> (use CSS font properties)

<frame> (use <iframe>)

<frameset> (not needed any more)

<isindex> (not needed any more)

<noframes> (not needed any more)

<s> (use text-decoration: line-through in CSS)

<strike> (use text-decoration: line-through in CSS)

<tt> (use <code>)

There is also a long list of deprecated attributes, including many elements that continue to be otherwise valid (such as the align attribute used by many elements). The W3C has the full list of deprecated attributes.

Why don’t we use table for layouts any more?

Before CSS became widespread, it was common to see website layouts constructed with the <table> element. While the <table> element is not deprecated, using them for layout is strongly discouraged. In fact, pretty much all HTML table attributes that were used for layouts have been deprecated, such as cellpadding, bgcolor and width.

At one time, tables seemed to be a pretty good way to lay out a web page. We could make rows and columns any size we wanted, meaning we could put everything inside. Headers, navigation, footers… you name it!

That would create a lot of website code that looked like this:

There are numerous problems with this approach:

Complicated layouts often end up with tables nested inside other tables, which creates a headache-inducing mess of code. Just look at the source of any email newsletter.

Accessibility is problematic, as screen readers tend to get befuddled by the overuse of tables.

Tables are slow to render, as the browser waits for the entire table to download before showing it on the screen.

Responsible and mobile-friendly layouts are very difficult to create with a table-based layout. We still have not found a silver bullet for responsive tables (though many clever ideas exist).

Continuing the theme of separating content and presentation, CSS is a much more efficient way to create the visual layout without cluttering the code of the main HTML document.

So, when should we use<table>? Actual tabular data, of course! If you need to display a list of baseball scores, statistics or anything else in that vein, <table> is your friend.

Why do we still use <b> and <i> tags?

“Hang on just a moment,” you might say. “How come bold and italic HTML tags are still considered OK? Aren’t those forms of visual styling that ought to be handled with CSS?”

It’s a good question, and one that seems difficult to answer when we consider that other tags like <center> and <s> are deprecated. What’s going on here?

The short and simple answer is that <b> and <i> would probably have been deprecated if they weren’t so widespread and useful. CSS alternatives seem somewhat unwieldy by comparison:

The long answer is that these tags have now been assigned some semantic meaning, giving them value beyond pure visual presentation and allowing designers to use them to confer additional information about the text they contain.

This is important because it helps screen readers and search crawlers better understand the purpose of the content wrapped in these tags. We might italicize a word for several reasons, like adding emphasis, invoking the title of a creative work, referring to a scientific name, and so on. How does a screen reader know whether to place spoken emphasis on the word or not?

<b> and <i>have companions, including <strong>, <em> and <cite>. Together, these tags make the meaning context of text clearer:

<b> is for drawing attention to text without giving it any additional importance. It’s used when we want to draw attention to something without changing the inflection of the text when it is read by a screen reader or without adding any additional weight or meaning to the content for search engines.

<strong> is a lot like <b> but signals the importance of something. It’s the same as changing the inflection of your voice when adding emphasis on a certain word.

<i> italicizes text without given it any additional meaning or emphasis. It’s perfect for writing out something that is normally italicized, like the scientific name of an animal.

<em> is like <i> in that it italicizes text, but it provides adds additional emphasis (hence the tag name) without adding more importance in context. (‘I’m sure I didn’t forget to feed the cat’).

<cite> is what we use to refer to the title of a creative work, say a movie like The Silence of the Lambs. This way, text is styled but doesn’t affect the way the sentence would be read aloud.

In general, the rule is that <b> and <i> are to be used only as a last resort if you can’t find anything more appropriate for your needs. This semantic meaning allows <b> and <i> to continue to have a place in our modern array of HTML elements and survive the deprecation that has befallen other, similar style tags.

On a related note, <u> — the underline tag — was at one time deprecated, but has since been restored in HTML5 because it has some semantic uses (such as annotating spelling errors).

There are many other HTML elements that might lend styling to content, but primarily serve to provide semantic meaning to content. Mandy Michael has an excellent write-up that covers those and how they can be used (and even combined!) to make the most semantic markup possible.

Undead HTML attributes

Some deprecated elements are still in widespread use around the web today. After all, they still work — they’re just discouraged.

This is sometimes because word hasn’t gotten around that that thing you’ve been using for ages isn’t actually the way it’s done any more. Other times, it’s due to folks who don’t see a compelling reason to change from doing something that works perfectly well. Hey, CSS-Tricks still uses the teletype element for certain reasons.

One such undead HTML relic is the align attribute in otherwise valid tags, especially images. You may see <img> tags with a border attribute, although that attribute has long been deprecated. CSS, of course, is the preferred and modern method for that kind of styling presentation.

Staying up to date with deprecation is key for any web developer. Making sure your code follows the current recommendations while avoiding legacy elements is an essential best practice. It not only ensures that your site will continue to work in the long run, but that it will play nicely with the web of the future.

Questions? Post a comment! You can also find me over at Angle Studios where I work.

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