#I'm gonna try to sleep i guess

[cum-allergy]

...

[deoidesign]

One of my first digital pieces (2010) versus one of my recent ones (2024)

We all start somewhere!

[a-s-levynn]

"It's too late for me now, I am altered / There is something beneath" A Series of Small Offerings - III/7 - day27

[lesbiancarat]

want to give my two cents on the AI usage in the maestro trailer--

i think seventeen doing a whole concept that is anti-AI is very cool, especially as creatives themselves i think it's good that they're speaking up against it and i hope it gets more ppl talking about the issue. i also understand on a surface level the artistic choice (whether it was made by the members, the mv director, or whoever else), to directly use AI in contrast to real, human-made visuals and music in order to criticize it. i also appreciate that they clearly stated the intention of the use of AI at the beginning of the video

however, although i understand it to an extent, i do not agree with the choice to use AI to critique AI. one of the main ethical concerns with generative AI is that it is trained on other artists' work without their knowledge, consent, or compensation. and even when AI generated images are being used to critique AI, it still does not negate this particular ethical concern

the use of AI to critique also does not negate the fact that this is work that could have been done by an actual artist. i have seen some people argue that it's okay in this context because it's a critique specifically about AI, and it is content that never would have been done by a real artist anyway because it doesn't make sense for the story they're trying to tell. but i disagree. i think you can still tell the exact same story without using AI

and in fact, i would argue that it would make the anti-AI message stronger if they HAD paid an artist to draw/animate the scenes that are supposed to represent AI generated images. wouldn't it just be proof that humans can create images that are just as bad and nonsensical and soulless as AI, but that AI can't replicate the creativity and beauty and basic fucking anatomy that's in human-made art?

it feels very obvious this was not just a way to cut corners and costs like a lot of scummy people are using AI for. ultimately it was a very intentional creative decision, i just personally think it was a very poor one. and even if some ethical considerations were taken into account before this decision, i certainly don't think all of them were. at the very least i feel like the decision undermines the message they want to convey

i would also like to recognize that i myself am not an artist, and i have seen some artists that are totally on board with the use of AI in this specific context, so clearly this is not a topic that is cut and dry. but generative AI is still new, and i think it's important to keep having these conversations

[fooltofancy]

happy chrysler, housing edition

[disdaidal]

I wanna thank my irl friends who follow me here and also my beloved mutuals as well as followers who still send me kind messages and try to interact with me and my stuff even if I'm bad at doing it myself.

Honestly, things haven't been that great with me lately, so... it means a lot to me. Honestly. <3

[sevens-evan]

accidentally bumped my trouble lobe piercing and experienced white hot burning agonizing pain 10x worse than getting them pierced in the first place. it's been four and a half months since i got them pierced

[aparticularbandit]

First Steps

Summary: Mukuro has an unanticipated encounter on her first solo mission.

brought to you by @danggirlronpa's list of ships that have no content and also i couldn't get the idea out of my head so here you go.

Rating: T.

AO3

Her first solo mission.

The first time her superiors have trusted Mukuro to kill someone entirely on her own, with no backup.  Normally, it takes members of Fenrir years to get to this point – at least, from what she’s heard from the other operatives – but she’s gotten to this point within a matter of months.  Nearly a year, but not quite.  It sets her apart from the others in a way that she both likes and does not like; she joined Fenrir to be among a group of equals, of people like her, but she’s climbing the ranks so quickly that it causes envy and awe and disgust, which makes her…well, not exactly an equal.  It was already strange when they allowed her to join their ranks as young as she was, and now….

Now, she has no choice but to continue to prove herself.  If she makes a mistake, a single misstep, then those opposed to her will just pull out their I told you sos, the ones they’ve been waiting to use since she joined, before they even met her.  She can’t just be good; she has to be perfect.

Fortunately, the Ikusaba family is built for this kind of pressure.

Unfortunately, someone else got her kill.

“Who are you?” Mukuro asks, blunt, as she levels her gun at a girl who looks about her age but seems to be dressed like a maid who walked off the set of a Tim Burton movie.  A more chatty operative might ask what agency this girl is from; it’s not like there aren’t other mercenary companies, and it’s not like some of their targets aren’t wanted by multiple people, and it’s not like people don’t, on occasion, hire multiple mercenaries to make the same hit just to make sure it goes through.

But Mukuro couldn’t care less about any of that.  She only cares that this girl, whoever she is, got here first.  Before her.

The girl clasps her hands in front of her calm as anything, like she isn’t staring down the barrel of a gun.  “Did I do something wrong?”

Like most people wouldn’t consider murder to be something wrong.

(Mukuro doesn’t, but that’s not the point.)

“You killed my mark.”  Mukuro nudges the body in front of her with the toe of her boot.  He doesn’t even let out a moan.  If he did, she could shoot him, and then it would technically still count.  But no.  She’s gotten here so far behind this other girl that he’s not even throwing out a death rattle.

“I see.”  The girl tilts her head to one side, and she brushes ashen blonde hair out of her left eye.  “Unfortunately, I do not believe I can bring him back only for you to kill him again.  That is beyond my capabilities.”

Mukuro’s eyes narrow.  “No shit.”

The girl sighs.  “I suppose killing someone else would not suffice.”

“No.”

“My sincerest apologies, then.”  The girl doesn’t smile, just stands there, cool as anything.  “I do not suppose you could lower your weapon.  As you can see,” she says, holding out her empty hands, “I’m no threat to you.”

Mukuro looks around the room, noting not just the body of her mark but the many, many other corpses surrounding them.  That’s not even counting the bodies she ran across on the way here.  She raises a brow.

A smile graces the girl’s lips.  “You do not believe me.”  She steps forward, causing Mukuro’s finger to shift on the trigger of her gun, and then stops.  “I was sent here to fulfill a request from my master.  Your death is not part of that request, so you are at no risk.”

“Who are you?” Mukuro repeats instead, blue eyes meeting the jade green ones.  (She’s even taller than her, and Mukuro’s not short.  Something about this girl just puts her off.)

“Kirumi Tojo,” the girl says, “and you’re Mukuro Ikusaba, aren’t you?  I met your parents once.  Your mother was very proud of you.”

Your father less so, Mukuro is sure the girl is thinking, but at least she doesn’t say it.  She slowly lowers her gun.  “What did they want with you?”

Kirumi’s smile softens – a true look of pity.  “Your father sought a maid for your mother, one more, shall we say, adequate than those he normally came across.  I was highly recommended.”  Her gaze shifts.  “However, something about me must have bothered him, as I was never in his employ.”

Mukuro scoffs.  “Sounds about right.  Oto-sama doesn’t trust anyone with Oka-sama, no matter how highly recommended they might be.”  Even if they’re family.  She considers that for a moment.  Maybe especially if they’re family.  Then she nods to Kirumi.  “What exactly did your master want you to do?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot tell you, only that his request is now fulfilled.”  Kirumi meets her eyes again, considering.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m merely making a decision.”  Kirumi holds her hands out again.  “Not about killing you, as we’ve already established, so please don’t aim that weapon at me again.”

Mukuro’s eyes narrow.  Then she turns away from the maid – a test of sorts.  “I’m leaving.  There’s nothing here for me to—”  As she speaks, she feels the maid rush at her, and her lips curve upwards.  She turns and deflects a knife with her own.  Then her gaze drops to the knife before returning to meet Kirumi’s gaze, one brow raising.

Kirumi steps back, flips the knife in the air, and hides it within her clothes once more.  “Only a test.”

“Mmhm.”  Mukuro turns away from her once more.  “Don’t try that again.”

“I would never,” Kirumi says, voice soft and composed.  “However, if I might make a suggestion.”

Mukuro’s teeth grit together, and she glances over her shoulder.  It would be easy to spit out a lot of things in this moment.  So easy.  But there’s no point to that.  She can hear whatever suggestion this girl has to make, and then she can leave, and that will be the end of it.

Kirumi glances over Mukuro.  “Would you allow me to join your service?  I believe that my particular assets could be quite useful for you.”

“I don’t need a maid.”

“No, most people don’t.”

“I can’t pay you.”

“Most people can’t.  Let me take care of that end of things.”

Mukuro stares at Kirumi for a moment, appraising her in a different manner.  “I think not.”  She can’t take a maid back with her to Fenrir.  That wouldn’t go over well.  Even if the maid was capable of this sort of bloodbath.  They’d start wondering if her kills were truly her own, and she can’t have that.

Kirumi nods in acceptance.  Then she pulls a card out from a pocket in her apron and holds it out to Mukuro.  “If you change your mind.”

“I won’t.”

But Mukuro takes the card anyway.  She holds it between her fingertips as she leaves, presses it against a spot of bare skin just to feel how sharp it is.  It wouldn’t take much effort to cause a papercut with this.  Or something more dangerous.

Hm.

Not that it matters.

Hopefully, she’ll never see that girl again.  She certainly isn’t planning on calling her.

(Mukuro tucks the card into her pocket, and although she doesn’t look at it again for some time, she never lets herself lose it.)

[medicinemane]

Should make a pain killer that actually kills (or even touches) pain

[gamebunny-advance]

Random Thought

So, a while back I posted a pic of all the Pokemon dudes that I like despite knowing basically nothing about Pokemon, and it's become a very shocking fact to me that despite their apparent popularity, the train dudes do basically nothing in their home game.

[captainsparklefingers]

Well, I managed to write nearly 5800 words today. That's more than I've done in. Uh. Quite a while. So that's nice.

I wouldn't even say at this point that I'm disappointed it's not in the fic I've been working on for months that I've been stuck in for over a month, because I'm happy to feel like I'm able to do anything, you know? I mean I really would like to actually finish Unhappy Families so I can go back and edit it and shine it up all nice, but I'm enjoying writing this still untitled Sonic movie au story (which I guess I need to figure out more of a plot for...and a title for...). So it's all good. God, that's a nice thing to feel, like things are going good.

[sodafrog13]

fanart of the son dying in a glue trap and also richter :]

[fatalsmile]

discord drop: numblittlebug.

[carnage-cathedral]

yeah I'm gonna die for sure

[insightfulllama]

I know exercise is good for me but UGH

[disorganised-bagel]

been playing way too much slime rancher recently, and am now getting The Urges to make some kind of rtc slime rancher au