#National Clean Out Your Computer Day

[murderousink23]

02/12/2024 is Fasching 🇩🇪, National Productivity Day 🇮🇳, Red Hand Day 🌎, International Epilepsy Day 🌎, International Darwin Day 🇺🇸, National Plum Pudding Day 🇺🇸, Lincoln's Birthday 🇺🇸, National Lost Penny Day 🇺🇸, National Clean Out Your Computer Day 🖥🇺🇸

[copperbadge]

What do you mean by digital cleaning?

It's something I've been working on more this year because I had a bit more travel than usual so couldn't do actual home cleaning, but I always take a couple of days in the Month Of Cleaning where I'm focused on my digital life. It's good to make your physical home a comfortable place for yourself, but it's also good to recognize that we have "digital" homes that need attention. And often this is at least less physically demanding, so it's good to keep it in your back pocket for days when you're mentally okay but physically too tired or sore to do more of that kind of work.

In the shortest possible terms, digital cleaning is just making sure that your phone, computer, socials, and other digital "presences" are organized in a way that you find helpful, and that you take a moment to either answer those messages you've been putting off or give yourself amnesty on doing so.

This tends to make a lot of people extremely anxious in a way ordinary physical space cleaning doesn't, so I'm going to put the rest of it behind a cut...

So when I say digital cleaning, I refer to stuff like going through my likes on Tumblr and clearing them out, going through my drafts and turning them into queued posts, answering my asks. I spend time in my email inboxes, either responding to messages or removing them. I am not an "inbox zero" kind of guy, but I like to keep the read-but-not-answered messages to a minimum, and towards the end of the year that usually means a clear-out and amnesty. I clean my Google Drive -- delete old files I uploaded for others, move documents I'm no longer using into an archive, move documents I want to work on into a central work folder. I go through my catch-all folder on my hard drive and organize it; I sort through the year's photos and organize those, partly to archive them and partly because I make a scrapbook from them each year. I don't usually have a ton of tabs open but often have more than I'd like, so I go through them all and either read, bookmark, or get rid of them.

I look in my phone's file tree to make sure I delete files I don't need (mostly menu downloads, Restaurants Stop Making Your Menus PDFs Challenge 2K24) and I sometimes go through each app on my phone, make sure I still use it, and make sure it's set how I want it. If this sounds like a nightmare, bear in mind that I very rarely put apps on my phone to start with -- I think my mother has more apps open at any given time than I have apps on my phone ever.

Everywhere I clean, I look for files named things like "notes" or "deal with" or "random" and move them all into one place so that whatever is in them, I can sort through it and make sure it goes somewhere permanent. Logins go in the login/password spreadsheet I keep, addresses go into my contacts, story notes go into a "fiction scraps" file, random thoughts either get moved into a journal file or put into drafts to become Tumblr posts, etc.

If this sounds like I might have some kind of compulsion disorder, I get that; when I explain my digital hygiene systems a lot of people look at me like I'm spouting a mad but harmless conspiracy theory. But it's something I used to have to do periodically even before I created National Clean Your Home Month, because otherwise I could never find anything, and everything was just...harder. As I once told a boss who admired my organizational skills, "It was this or endless chaos."

Putting addresses into my contacts list means I always know that the addresses I have for my friends are up to date. Putting logins into a spreadsheet means that five minutes spent now will not result in five weeks of procrastination later because I can't find the login and can't do anything else until I do that. Going through my email and archiving old conversations means not only can I find them easily when needed, I don't have to look at them the rest of the time. Sometimes I even go through my various wish lists and remove old/purchased items, or clear out all my "save for later" carts.

There's no doubt this is stressful, but like every part of NaClYoHo, it's broken down into smaller tasks; I don't have to look at my computer and organize everything on it all in one day. I can answer a few asks, then sort photos (something I find very soothing up until the moment I Don't), then read and delete some emails, then I'm done for the day. I can spread "answer or file all your work emails" out over a couple of days. I can maybe empty out my Likes but just turn the ones I actually want to reblog into drafts for now and deal with them later in the "drafts" phase of cleaning. And if I don't manage to empty out my inboxes, at least they're emptier than they were.

I'm struggling this morning with having put a bunch of physical cleaning on the to-do list but not feeling physically up for it, so I did what I felt capable of doing (measuring cabinets for new shelf liners mainly) and later today I might sit down and start building this year's photobook. Or not -- I have to code Radio Free Monday, sort out a prescription and possibly go pick it up, plus a very full day of work and a couple of afternoon appointments I can't shirk, so today may simply be a "get through the day" kind of day. That's okay too; some days the spirit is willing but the schedule is full.

[nabibeans]

Eternal Sunshine

Summary: Seonghwa, 19 has been in an online relationship with Hongjoong, 18 for nearly two years now. Due to high school they’ve never met. However now that they’ve graduated and have the whole summer before college Seonghwa’s family takes a trip to Los Angeles, coincidentally where Hongjoong lives.

Disc: they’re high school age here. So no smut! Just lots of fluff of two long distance boyfriends meeting.

•☀️•

Seongwha laid on his bed on his stomach, headphones plugged into his laptop while he worked on filling out paperwork for multiple colleges. He’d been offered to study at Seoul National University, Yonsei, you name it he probably got a scholarship for it. On the computer he’d forgotten the whole reason he even had it out. “Babe? You listening?” Seonghwa’s eyes snapped back to the screen, his boyfriend sat on the floor of his messy bedroom. Messy brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, he wore a sports bra with pajama pants, Seonghwa couldn’t help but smile at the bit of pudge his stomach had as he bent over to get closer to the screen. “I was asking what color I should dye my hair.” Seonghwa smiled softly, setting the paperwork aside for now. “What colors do you have this time babe?” The boy grabbed a few bottles holding them up. “Pink, red, and blue.” Seonghwa tapped his chin. “How about pink? You’ve never done that color.” The boy smiled, “okay I will! I gotta call-“ , “Hongjoong! Mom says clean your room!” A voice called from off camera. “Ugh, I gotta clean my room. Can you keep me company while I do?” Seonghwa laughed, “of course babe.”

Hongjoong smiled, picking up the laptop he had face time on and setting it on his dresser. Now that Seonghwa had a full view of the room he could see the state it was in, clothes scattered the floor with multiple art supplies, his bed was a mess of plushies and blankets, a trans pride flag hung on the wall next to a gay pride flag, the windows were covered by sheer black curtains. “Damn babe, when was the last time you cleaned.” Seonghwa joked. Hongjoong rolled his eyes, beginning to grab the clothes off the floor first. “I told you I got really sick recently, I was in the hospital for a day or two because I was dehydrated.” Seonghwa hummed. “I remember, we didn’t video chat for a couple days while you were sick.” He watched with nothing but love in his eyes as his boyfriend cleaned his room. He liked when he could see Hongjoong like this, his full body figure, the way his mullet reached just the tip of his spine. Hongjoong was skinny, but he also wasn’t. He was slim with the tiniest bit of fat in all the right places, it was cute. Seonghwa just wanted to squeeze him.

“Oh babe! Did I tell you? I was thinking of going to college in Korea. But I also don’t really want to go to college, plus the paper work of moving to Korea only to come back to Los Angeles. I haven’t spoken Korean since I was a toddler too.” Seonghwa nodded as he listened. When they first began dating Hongjoong had told him he was born in Korea but moved to Los Angeles at a young age after his mother booked a very large job there. He spoke mostly English, but knew a good amount of Korean. Seonghwa had learned proper English to be able to communicate with his long distance boyfriend, making it much easier for them both. “If you don’t want to come all the way here for college don’t baby. Do what makes you happy.” The door to Seonghwa’s door opened, “hey Hwa! Mom says dinner is ready. Gotta hang up on your boyfriend.” Seonghwa sighed, “I gotta go babe. I’ll call before you go to bed okay?” Hongjoong was tugging on the sheets when he looked up. “Okay babe, I’ll call you later. Bye! I love you!” Seonghwa smiled. “I love you too babe.” He hung up the call putting the laptop aside. “What’s your lover boy up to now?” His brother rubbed his head. Seonghwa pushed his hand away, “cleaning his room. Thinking about college.” , “so normal kid things.” The two laughed sitting at the table.

Hongjoong had finally finished cleaning his room, collapsing onto the bed he grabbed his AirPods of the nightstand, putting them in his ears before grabbing his phone. Scrolling through Apple Music he opened the playlist Seonghwa made for him and started it, he’d listen to music while coloring his hair. Grabbing a pair of gloves and a bowl for the dye the boy got off his bed and headed into the bathroom connected to his room. Normally someone would dye his hair for him, but this time he wanted to do it himself. Humming along to the playlist Hongjoong began to run the pink dye through his hair, suddenly a Group FaceTime notification popped up. “Damn it guys.” Answering the call he went back to dying his hair. “Hey guys what’s up?” The group were all scattered around right now, though Wooyoung and San were clearly in the same place. “We have a plan to go to the beach sometime next week. What do you think?” Hongjoong hummed, he wasn’t normally a fan of the beach. “I don’t know, I’ll have to see what Mom and Bumjoong have planned. We’re supposed to take a mini vacation to Hollywood sometime this month.” Hongjoong tugged the gloves off, throwing them away before grabbing another pair. “Let us know! Yeosang’s family is out of town and he’s alone with his sister, she said it was chill if we all hung out there sometime.” Yeosang nodded in agreement. “Maybe we could have a sleep over before Yunho leaves to Florida for college with Mingi.” Mingi and Yunho had both been accepted into the same college, deciding to move to Florida once the college season started. “Yeah that sounds nice, but..I kinda want to go to Korea and meet my boyfriend.” Hongjoong blushed, he’d been thinking about it for a while, his mother had even agreed to buy him a plane ticket. “You haven’t asked him yet? You guys totally need to meet!” Wooyoung gasped. “We will! We agreed we want to, but my schedules never line up with his.” , “you’ll figure it out. Hey wanna go out for burgers at about 6? San is paying.” Hongjoong nodded. “Yeah burgers are good. I’ll let my mom know.”

“So remember how we take a family vacation every month?” Seonghwa’s mother spoke. “Yea, what’s up?” Seonghwa’s brother, Seungmin spoke up. “Well, looks like Los Angeles is next on the list! Isn’t that where your boyfriend lives honey?” She smiled at Seonghwa. His jaw dropped, he’d get to meet Hongjoong!? “Yeah! He lives near Beverly Hills I think?” Seonghwa didn’t remember details, just that Hongjoong and most of his friends lived in a nice neighborhood. “I think it would be nice if you met him dear, you always talk about him and I can tell you really love him.” Seonghwa blushed. “I’m supposed to call him later, I’ll tell him I want to meet him. We’ve discussed him coming here a few times but his mom is so busy it never works out.” His brother nodded, “definitely ask him without saying we’re going. You want to surprise him.” His father who had been silent spoke up, “tell ya what kid, we’re gonna make sure you meet that boy. Regardless of how hard it is.” Seonghwa smiled. “Thank you.”

It was around 9pm when Hongjoong got home, a bit tired from his outing; after dinner he and his friends ended up doing a bit of shopping at the mall then got boba. “Mom! I’m home!” He called out, “Hongjoong! Welcome home honey!” She called from the kitchen, where she was making kimchi with Bumjoong. Hongjoong walked into the kitchen, bags in hand. “Here, got your favorite.” He handed one of the drinks to Bumjoong, then another to his mother. “Thanks shortstuff, how was it? What did you get now?” Hongjoong sat on the bar stool, pulling a few shirts out of the first bag. “I got a few shirts to wear for our trip, they’re all short sleeves. I also bought a swimsuit.” His mother looked up, “you haven’t worn an actual swimsuit since you came out. Let’s see it.” Hongjoong pulled out the swimsuit next, it was a tankini, the top red and the bottoms black. “I figured this would suit me best, so I’m not too aware of my boobs.” His mother nodded her approval. “It’s cute! I promise we will get that surgery scheduled as soon as possible honey. There’s just so much to do.” Hongjoong smiled softly. “Mom it’s fine, I’m in no rush to get top surgery, especially if Seonghwa and I decide we might want a baby.” Bumjoong spoke now, “do you want kids?” Hongjoong thought about it. “I think I’d like to have a baby yes, But not any time soon. I’m only 18.” His phone rang in his pocket, taking it out Seonghwa’s caller ID flashed across the screen. “It’s Seonghwa, I’ll be in my room!” Hongjoong grabbed his bags, answering the call as he walked upstairs. “Hey babe! I just got home!” He smiled seeing his boyfriend’s face. “Hey babe, did you have fun with your friends?” Hongjoong nodded, stepping into his room and switching the light on. “I did! We went shopping after we ate, I got some clothes and a swimsuit.” Seonghwa smiled affectionately. “I have to change and pee real quick, I’ll be right back babe.” Hongjoong set the phone down on his nightstand, giving Seonghwa a view of his plushie net. Going into the bathroom Hongjoong did what he needed to then changed, deciding on a pink tank top and some shorts to sleep in. “Okay I’m back!” Grabbing his phone he walked over to the light switch, switching it off. “I’ll show you my clothes tomorrow, I’m really tired.”

Seonghwa smiled at his boyfriend, “I can see that, you do look tired.” He laid in bed himself. “It was fun, but exhausting. Wooyoung dragged us everywhere.” Hongjoong settled into his bed, rolling over so he was facing the wall. Seonghwa’s eyes softened, his boyfriend was so cute. “You look cute, oh by the way. My mom wants us to meet up. Would there be a time we could?” Hongjoong choked on the soda he’d grabbed to sip on. “I uhm..yeah! Next week! I’m going to the beach with my friends we could meet there!” Seonghwa nodded. “Great! I’ll let her know. Do you know what day?” , “ah Friday, it’s the only day Jongho can come down from San Francisco.” Jongho was Yeosang’s boyfriend, they’d also been long distance before Jongho moved from Korea to San Francisco for college. “Okay, I can’t wait to finally see you. Get to hold you.” Hongjoong blushed, grabbing a plushie. “I can’t wait either! I want to bring you to my house to meet my mom and brother, could you maybe stay the night too?” Seonghwa nodded, “I’ll ask my mom babe, it would be better than staying in a hotel but it’s still a family trip.” He almost let it trip. “I know babe, my mom runs an air bnb I can send a link to a home that’s available right now.” Seonghwa was excited. He’d finally get to meet his boyfriend, the love of his life. “Thank you, I can’t wait to see you.” Hongjoong yawned softly. “I can’t wait to see you baby.” He mumbled sleepily. “Don’t fall asleep yet, last time you did that you called me at 3am your time while you walked to seven eleven for snacks.” Hongjoong laughed. “But I’m so sleepy baby.” The two chatted for at least two hours before Hongjoong fell asleep, hair covering his face and the tv making noise in the background. Seonghwa couldn’t wait to meet him.

It was raining when they got off the plane in Los Angeles, much to Seonghwa’s dismay; turned out it’d be raining the whole week so plans had changed with the beach. Instead Seonghwa would go straight to Hongjoong’s house and spend the next few days with him while his parents were exploring and having some much deserved alone time. “How excited are you to meet your boyfriend buddy!?” Seonghwa’s father shook the boy gently. “I’m very exited! I can’t wait to see him. He looks so small when we video chat but I think he’s shorter than that.” Hongjoong was very small, his testosterone hadn’t done much in that area. “You have to send us pictures of each other!” His mother cooed, “don’t worry I will, I’ll see you guys in a few days.” The family split up, Seonghwa walking nervously to the entrance. Hongjoong had said he’d be coming to pick him up, which shocked him. He hadn’t know Hongjoong had his license, his phone vibrated in his pocket. Taking it out his stomach began to do flips,

🐿️: I’m in the bathroom, I really had to pee and couldn’t hold it. It’s right by the entrance.

His boyfriend always had a small bladder, he couldn’t remember how many times Hongjoong left their calls every night to use the bathroom. Walking over to the restrooms entrance he decided to wait outside , leaning against a pillar. The next few people that exited the bathroom were definitely not Hongjoong, Seonghwa’s nerves began to build up. That’s when he saw him, Hongjoong was in fact very short, probably no taller than at least 5’7 on a good day, he wore a black cropped tank top and blue skinny jeans; pink hair messy. His face was buried in his phone, typing away at something that had his brows furrowed. Seonghwa carefully approached the boy, wrapping his arm around his waist. “Hey I’m looking for my boyfriend.” Hongjoong flinched. “Hey get your hands off me fucker-Seonghwa!?” The phone slipped out of his hands, immediately Hongjoong’s body was pressed against his own; both of them locked in a tight hug. “Oh my god! No fucking way this is happening! Are you real!? Are you really my boyfriend!? Oh my god you’re so hot in person!” Seonghwa smiled, pulling back from the hug to properly admire his boyfriend. “You’re just as cute in person as you are through a screen.” Hongjoong nodded, tears falling down his face now. “I’m so happy, oh my god.” Seonghwa smiled, pulling him back in. “I am too, you have no idea how long I’ve been dying to meet you.” The couple held each other a bit longer before pulling away. Hongjoong bending down to pick up his phone. “How was your flight? Are you hungry? Tired? Wanna drop your bags off at my place then get lunch?” Seonghwa chuckled. “Yeah sure sounds good. The flight was long but I slept most of it.” Hongjoong laced their fingers, blushing at the warmth of Seonghwa’s hand. He finally got to hold his boyfriend’s hand! “That’s good! I parked close not too much of a walk, my car is messy though so I’m sorry.” Seonghwa giggled at the boy’s obvious nerves. “It’s okay babe, I’m just happy I’m with you.” The two made it to Hongjoong’s car, putting Seonghwa’s bags in the backseat. “Your car is not messy! A few bottles of soda is nothing!” Hongjoong blushed, “it’s messy to me.” He slipped into the drivers seat, Seonghwa getting in on the passengers side. Hongjoong started the car, then looked towards his boyfriend shyly. “Can I kiss you? Is that okay? I really want to kiss you.” Seonghwa reached out to cup his cheek, gently running a thumb over the warm skin. “You don’t have to ask to kiss me, we’ve waited this long.” The pair leaned in, finally sharing a kiss. Their lips stayed pressed together for a few seconds before separating. “Wow, your lips are so soft.” Hongjoong blushed, “so are yours, nice chapstick by the way.” They shared another kiss, this time longer. Breaking apart again Hongjoong took his boyfriend’s hand. “Let’s go! Mom is excited to meet you.”

Seonghwa and Hongjoong chatted the whole ride to Hongjoong’s house, their hands never once separated. “I live in a gated community by the way, curfew is at midnight.” Seonghwa nodded. “I plan to have you in bed by midnight, you barely sleep.” Hongjoong giggled. “I did last night! I was really tired.” Opening his door a bit Hongjoong typed in the password to the gate, getting back in the car as it opened. “Okay. Let’s go.”

Seonghwa was shocked to say the least, Hongjoong’s house was huge; surrounded by a well kept yard and two other vehicles sat in the drive way. “This is my home, don’t be intimidated.” Hongjoong smiled as he leaned over, kissing his boyfriend once more. Seonghwa returned the kiss, “I’m not, well..maybe a little.” The two got out of the car, grabbing Seonghwa’s bags then heading inside. “Mom I’m back! And I have someone with me!” He tugged Seonghwa into the kitchen area. Seonghwa felt nervous as they entered the kitchen, Hongjoong’s brother and Mother were packaging the kimchi they’d made. “Oh my goodness! Are you Seonghwa!? It’s so nice to meet the young man my son has been so happy with.” Bumjoong bowed. “I’m Bumjoong, his big brother. Nice to meet you.” Seonghwa bowed back, “nice to meet you both, I’m so happy to finally meet Hongjoong in person after so long.” Hongjoong smiled, hugging his boyfriend’s waist. “We’re gonna get Seonghwa settled then go out for lunch, is that okay?” Hongjoong’s mother nodded. “Just be careful my baby!” Hongjoong’s ears turned red as they left the kitchen. “Your mom and brother are really nice. I like them already.” Seonghwa followed his boyfriend up the stairs, and into his room. It was much cuter in person than on camera. “This is my room, you’ve seen it on camera though.” Hongjoong sat on the bed, “I might change, the jeans are making me sweaty.” Seonghwa joined his boyfriend on the bed, wrapping an arm around his shoulders to hold him close. “You look cute no matter what. You know that right?” Hongjoong nodded, “I know.” He yawned. “You’re tired.” Hongjoong nodded. “Only a little, I haven’t drove that long in a while and it’s raining.” Seonghwa smiled. “Let’s take a nap instead then. I want my baby well rested.” Hongjoong thought about it then nodded. “Yeah okay, let me take my bra off and change into shorts. You can change too, I don’t like people in my bed with jeans on.” He smacked his boyfriend’s thigh. “Didn’t think you would.” Seonghwa stood up, grabbing his small boyfriend and picking him up. “God you’re tiny, perfect for me.” Hongjoong squealed. “I’m not that tiny! Now put me down!” Seonghwa put him down, but not before kissing his lips one more time.

The couple slid into bed after changing and Hongjoong shut the blackout curtains, the sound of rain was loud over the low voices coming from the tv. Seonghwa was only starting to fall asleep while Hongjoong snored softly in his arms, a sleepy smile on his face. “I love you.” Seonghwa whispered, pressing a kiss to his lovers head. As he fell asleep he heard a soft groan, followed by a sleepy, “I love you too.” The couple cuddled togeher, finally able to fall asleep in each others arms. No screen to separate them now.

[octuscle]

Hello? Does someone hera me? Support? Oh thanks god. I was toying around on my computer with the chronivac when my little brother came out of nowhere and threw a football at me. I managed to dodge it but it landed straight on my keyboard. After throwing him out of my room, I came back only to see a countdown on my screen and I can't stop it. I was playing around the "Usefull to yoru country" parameter. Wait, I feel my legs tingling, it feels like they are allwing out. What is happening? I don't feel good, I think i'm gonna faint...

The only thing I can see is that your webcam was turned on and the "Use webcam images" mode is enabled. But I can't for the life of me see what transformation was initiated by the countdown. My system just tells me "process successful". I'm pretty much at a loss.

Just sit down at your computer, get another bag of chips and play a round of WoW. But maybe let some fresh air in. Your room stinks!

Saturday morning. Your room is really a mess. And somehow you feel the need to clean it up. As you sort through your dirty laundry, you smell your running socks. They are still good for a run. So you put on your running clothes, bring down the rest of the dirty laundry. And you run for an hour. When you come home with fresh rolls, your parents are just waking up. And your little brother is still sleeping. You make breakfast and grab the sports section of the newspaper. Since when are you interested in soccer?

Your mother is shocked when she sees you sitting at your tidy desk. But you have homework to do. This afternoon you would like to go to the swimming pool. The weather is good, but homework comes first.

As you pack your bag for the pool, you grab the football from your little brother. The lazy kid has already been at the pool for hours. He certainly hasn't done his homework. It doesn't matter to you, the main thing is that you and he find some lads to kick around on the football pitch.

After helping your mom clean up the kitchen, you watch some sports with your dad. Your hero is Lautaro Martínez. In your opinion, the best striker in the world. Your father disagrees. But he pats you on the back and says that you are the expert.

Sunday morning. Tonight you go back to the boarding school. So after your morning run and breakfast, you iron your laundry and pack your bag. Then it's off to the sports field. Your old club is playing today. After all, they play in the National League. But that was too little for you at some point. You want to make it big. The boarding school is your big chance. Almost all the national players have trained out here. Sure, a lot of work. Requires a lot of discipline. But in the end, you could have a great career.

Monday morning. The school day begins with a warm-up game. Kicking in the park or the outdoor pool is okay. But soccer is not a game, it's sport. It's just more fun with the right team.

Your best buddy asks if you filled your belly with chips and junk food again over the weekend. You show off your six-pack and grin. It's clear, as if someone here would eat unhealthy. After all, the scouts from the U20 national team are coming tomorrow. It's time to give something back to your country!

[storytellering]

if it's okay, would you mind sharing your art process? your style is SO gorgeous dude. keep it up spardacest nation!!!

Thank you so much anon, and of course! I kinda posted about it on twitter a while ago, but for anyone not also on there, here's a paraphrasing of what I said there! (under a cut bc it's gonna get a bit long)

(speedpaint video from procreate mostly bc like I also said in that post, it's one of the few pieces I've done entirely on procreate and thus entirely recorded kdfjhdk I usually don't do the sketching + painting parts on there but every now and then I get lazy and want to get it all done quick in one program lol! It's not as good as it would look if I were using krita to render (which is what I normally use) but it gets the idea across decently of what it is that I do)

The short version of my process is: sketch, clean up sketch for lineart, then flat colors, then paint over the flats (i make the flats my shadows and paint on the light), then a multiply layer for skin details (like lips, eyebags, etc), then an overlay layer for skin transparency details (red over the ears/nose/fingertips etc), then i do hair over the lineart, then a multiply layer with the contact shadows in a light beige/grey/neutral tone on top of everything else, and then i unify layers, paint over the details, and color correct the HELL out of it The longer version is: SO, first of all, I will say, my entire process for a finished/fully redered piece is pretty scattered and uses a lot of different apps, because after many years of trying out different drawing apps I found that I just worked better when I could incorporate the parts I liked best from each individual one rather than having to adapt to another app entirely! In total, what I use is: autodesk sketchbook and procreate for the first half I do on my ipad, then krita and photoshop on my computer when I'm actually rendering (but any photo editing app instead of ps will do, I'm just used to photoshop bc that's what I learned as my first drawing app WAAAY back in the day lol), and then meitu on my phone for color filters (also any phone editing app with filters in it will do), AND also optional just for references: blender and daz3d on computer + magicposer on my phone The actual step by step of what I do: First of all, if I want to do a detailed, well rendered piece I will start by getting my references ready. That means either just grabbing a screenshot from the game if it's like, a simple portrait, or a photo reference, taking a picture of myself in the right pose/lighting, and if it's something more complex I will recreate the scene in Daz3D to simulate a realistic lighting, OR even just blender (i have the game models for the dmc characters downloaded, so I can just pop them in, pose them and change the lighting to get a realistic idea of what shadows their faces will cast in that specific angle/lighting.) Note: references are pretty essential to me, and there's nothing to be ashamed about for using them! Personally I don't struggle a lot with the drawing/sketching part of art, but my tiny little pea brain cannot fathom how to make an object 3D in my mind, and how to visualize shadows realistically... thus the reliance on 3D programs to do that for me, and then all I have to do is draw what I'm seeing lol. My art improved significantly ever since I started making 3D refs so I could get /exactly/ what I needed - there's still a lot of leeway you need to learn though, because as realistic as the lighting will be in a rendering program, you'll never really get a fully natural looking image, as far as stuff like the body stretching/squishing/pulling when it's in movement, facial expressions, folds in clothing/fabric, etc... so really it's more a guide than something meant to be followed 1:1.

Then, once I'm confident I know exactly what I'm gonna draw/have the idea in my head, I start sketching it in sketchbook. Not really getting very in depth, just blocking out rough shapes - I like sketchbook and to be on my ipad for that because it feels very reminiscent of traditional sketching on paper to me, which while I'm not super confident on my traditional art abilities, I do get the most natural/fluid/non-stiff figures out that way. Then when I think I have the general idea ready, I export the sketch layer as a png and import it into procreate - which is where I kinda start picking at the sketch and polishing it like i'm carving it out haha. Lots of liquify tool, flipping the canvas to check if it's even, blending out some of the lineart to help out with the rendering later, and then polishing up what was once the sketch into serviceable lineart. I usually reimport it back into sketchbook at this stage - while I like procreate for drawing I don't love the brushes I can use for lineart there, and so I usually only draw the "base" naked figure in there - when I'm in sketchbook I use a hard pencil to refine the details, then on a separate layer add all the things "on top" like hair, clothing, etc - usually I can get it pretty easily in one go, and once I'm satisfied I erase the naked body under the clothes and unify the lineart layers. Then I will just do the flats with a hard brush, turning the lineart layer into an overlay layer and coloring things in with the shadow colors. At this point, I export the file as a psd and import it on my computer - I give it a once over in photoshop first to see if there needs to be any adjusting (like whether any layer that has an effect needs to have a different effect, if all the colors look right since the ipad screen isn't the most faithful, if i wanna change the background color, etc), and once I think it's ready enough, I open it up in krita, where I do the actual bulk of the painting/rendering (as to why specifically krita: it's because I've gotten very comfortable with the brush/painting brush dynamics there and cannot seem to get as good results anywhere else, it's just the goldilocks spot of a brush for me haha.) If anyone's curious, here's the brushes I usually use for painting:

The one in the middle is my go to painting brush, left one for tinier/more refined details, right one for blending out soft shadows (though I learned the hard way to not overuse it, or it will look like I went ham with an airbrush tool lol). (I don't change any of the settings on these brushes, so if you wanna try out the exact ones I use! Just fresh off how they come out the app haha) I paint on the lights on top of the shadows, and just focus on that for the time being - once I'm done with the basic painting, I'll make a separate multiply layer for details like lip color, eye waterlines, makeup if there is any, eyebags, etc, and then adjust the opacity until it feels right - then I'll make an overlay layer with skin translucency details (like, when you hold your hands in front of a light and see the tips of your fingers become bright orange - many parts of your body are always a bit translucent to the blood underneath, specifically parts where the skin is thin like noses, cheeks, joints, knuckles, etc, and I found it makes the character look a lot more alive to add that subtle coloring in) - then usually I do hair on a separate layer on top of the lineart (because that way I can add small flyaways, more details, etc, and just use the lineart as a guide) After that, I'll usually make a multiply layer on top of everything where I'll add contact shadows in a neutral color (usually pretty pale, it'll be darker anyway since it's multiply), and once I feel like I've rendered everything out properly, I save the psd and re-open it on photoshop.

In photoshop, I'll mess around with the layers a little bit more (changing hue/saturation, opacity, etc), fuck around with the background to make it look pleasing, and once I'm happy with it, I'll unify the layers and start color correcting - usually by duplicating the unified layer and messing with the curve/hsl of the image and then changing the opacity of that edited layer until it's as strong or muted as I want it to be - then I also edit the RGB curves individually and adjust the opacity of that also (because I just really like how it ends up looking if I give a bit of a red/warm tint to the shadows lol), and at that point often I will reimport the finished image into procreate for some finalizing touches! Like, blending out shadows that came out too harshly, painting over anything that came out not the way I wanted it, redefining the lineart if it got messy during painting, and adding any extra small detail that might have gotten lost like catchlights, hair shines, hair flyaways, tears, etc. I also do one last round of flipping the canvas and liquify if needed! At this point, I export the finished image both to my computer and my phone - on my phone I open it up on the photo editing app, and add a bunch of different color filters - I don't hesitate from going completely balls to the walls here, and just kinda applying as many filters as will make an image look pleasing to my eye. Once I think it looks good, I'll export the edited image to my computer - and then open both the version without filters and the one with them on photoshop, and use the filtered version as an opacity layer, and adjust it until it doesn't look as crazy anymore lol. One last step I recently started incorporating was also changing the image to grayscale after I'm done, and doing one last round of curves in greyscale to make sure the values look right, and nothing is getting too lost because the values are too similar (because i know i get a bit swept up in getting repulsed by harsh contrasting lighting and can end up washing out all of rendering if I don't check myself kjdfgk) AND that's it! Yes it's a pretty long and chaotic process, but it's coming from years of trial and error and realizing I can just let myself fo whatever makes me happier with the results, and I don't have to stay constrained to one program if I don't like every tool it has to offer/don't have to accept the final image fresh off the painting app as the "finished" image with no adjustments allowed after, lol. I don't find it takes a lot more time than if I didn't do it this way, but YMMV. Hope this was helpful and sorry for taking so long to explain! I just wanted to give a thorough explanation dfhdkhkx

[bedlamsbard]

About 800 words written today -- another "I am forcibly taking today off" day, which was not super successful because I was stressed about taking the day off and I did check my e-mail, but like. I did do it. Sort of. This scene feels messy right now, but I can clean it up once it's finished. (This one is also not the last chapter lol.)

Snippet from Of Home Near chapter 16.

“There was a problem with Nat’s SHIELD profile,” Clint said suddenly. “Back in 2008 when she started working for SHIELD.  It was some kind of fluke in the computer systems – they kept turning her up as already being in the SHIELD databases.  It wasn’t from when she had been under for the Red Room, it was all old stuff that had just been digitized a few months earlier.”  When they looked at him, he explained, “The CIA declassified a bunch of OSS personnel files from World War Two in 2008 and gave them to the National Archives.  Whenever the CIA or the FBI did something like that, SHIELD usually did it too because it looked good and it kept Congress from wondering what the hell we were doing.  Fury had the guys in Records pull some old SSR files, just personnel files, not operational reports.  Stuff that could be declassified or at least not too heavily redacted, mostly people who died in the war or big names like the Howling Commandos.  There was some woman in there who was close enough to Nat that it kept screwing up the computer systems, but there was no way it could be her because it was sixty, seventy years out of date.” “It’s digitized?” Steve said slowly. “In the SHIELD databases, except Ultron wiped them when he was busy deleting stuff,” Clint said. “The originals are in the National Archives in DC,” Bucky said.  “When they all looked at him, he lifted one shoulder in a shrug and said, “I went to look them up – not Romanoff’s, obviously, but the Howlies’ – mine.  Yours.  It’s public access.  The National Archives only digitized one SSR personnel file and it was yours.  They’ve got like six OSS ones on the website, so – don’t feel too special.”

[rcreveal]

The Trouble with a Keen Manager-Ch7

A 1990's Through the Ages story set pre-Antichrist. Crowley and a keen new manager are getting deeper into a battle of paperwork while Crowley's been cut off from most of his demonic powers due to an Accountability drive in Hell. Aziraphale and other new Whickber St characters help out. (Terry Pratchettesque banter and hijinx)

Dave looked up from the bar where he was polishing a glass and pointed his chin to the kitchen when Crowley walked in. The hungry demon made a big plate of pub fare and polished it off before putting his dishes and the dirties from the bus bins into the industrial washer. He set about cleaning the kitchen since it wasn’t yet time for his shift out front.

After a while Dave came into the kitchen looking for Anthony, eyebrow raised at the unrequested industry of his unlikely new hire.  Freshly washed and shaved, the lad still sported his kilt and heavy soled boots, knobby knees and elbows poking out so the redhead didn't look completely filled out yet, despite his lanky broad shoulders.

“Good job, lad.  I like the initiative,” Dave set down an official looking employment form on the only dry, clear space in the kitchen pushing the paper and a pen towards the lad. “Just fill these out for me, so I can hire you officially.  Just the usual stuff,” he explained.

Anthony picked up the form like he’d never seen one before, reading it quickly, then glancing up at Dave, an awkward smile that seemed to be trying for shifty on his face.

“Do we have to be so ‘official’?  I’m happy to save you the extra paperwork and just take cash?” Anthony offered hopefully.

Grabbing the other kitchen stool, Dave sat across from the lad, “Sorry, Anthony, I don’t employ people under the table.  I’ll need these filled out with your National Insurance Number and copies of your birth certificate or passport, to prove you can work in the UK.  It’s a bugger, paperwork, but it keeps me open an’ operatin’, you understand.”  

Mouth open, the kid came up with a plausible lie on the spot, “I understand, Dave, I’ll fill it out.  I just don’t have my ID on me.  An’ I don’t have me National Insurance Number memorized, yet…”

Dave fixed Anthony with a measuring look, the lad was fairly vibrating with keen, terrible hope.  The kid obviously needed the job badly, surreptitiously scrounging leftovers while bussing the tables last night.  And he was making a good impression so far…

“Fine, lad. I can pay you cash until you can get your IDs sorted,” a relieved smile broke over the kid’s newly shaved (and nicked) face.  Dave held up a hand, “I can’t run it that way for long, two weeks, tops.”  

Anthony popped up from his seat and grasped Dave’s raised hand, shaking it vigorously. “You’ve got a deal!”

The next few days fell into a new rhythm.  Crowley slept in the Bentley, sometimes in alleyways, sometimes on the street in the Whicker neighborhood, sometimes as the Bentley moved around the neighborhood.  For some reason, the car didn’t seem to want to venture past Soho.  Crowley hadn’t walked to his Mayfair apartment, since the doorman wouldn’t let in the unfamiliar young Scottish kid.  Plus, there was no point.  Crowley didn’t keep any documents.  He’d never needed real, actual documents before, always pulling the appropriate official paperwork by miracle for whatever situation was needed.  Anyways, he’d always thought all that paper just cluttered up the place and didn’t go with his minimalist aesthetic.  Shame.

Everyday he went into the bookshop, which started a rumor that the new barkeep liked history, and was writing a book.  He certainly had some colorful stories to tell of historical events and left the bookshop everyday with an ever enlarging stack of computer printouts.  In reality, Crowley was running reports for Usher’s requisitions.  Waging a war by form, now with the additional Daily Standard Requisition for official identification documents needed for holding a job, and energy or monies to run a body.  Aziraphale was a canny help suggesting new requisitions, but Crowley couldn’t ask him to miracle documents for him, too obvious.  Unfortunately, Usher didn’t seem likely to break before the two week deadline was up. 

The regulars at the Dirty Donkey were taking a shine to Anthony, which allowed Dave to step away from the bar to pop upstairs to help his wife. If the lad didn’t have to work under the table, he’d truly be heaven-sent.

***

Shax collected another sheaf of reports from a less harried Furfur.  “Your department seems to have grown considerably, Furfur,” she observed.

“Yeah, lookit them all!  Workin’ away like maggots on a carcass,” Furfur looked proudly over the demons at ranks of desks with inkwells and fountain pens at the top.

“I see you found a solution to the pencil problem,” Shax said.

“Usher understands an empty ink bottle, and they stay put on the desks,” Furfur smiled at the inkwells locked into the desks, fingering a shiny new key.  A demon with a strange contraption attached to his back went around filling the inkwells.

Shax looked at the new ‘Inbox’ which had been turned into a chute that fed into a huge hand cart, like the kind for industrial laundries.  Sheets of paper with regularly spaced holes on either side and attached to one another on their short sides were continuously feeding into the pile while pieces of paper, scraps of receipts, scribbles on envelopes floated around them.

“Did Usher get more demons to manage?  There’s considerably more coming in from Earth.” Shax observed.

“Nah.  Actually he’s got less demons reportin’ in.  There’s more coming in by the reincorporator, and they tend to lurk around until they’re forced to go back out,” Furfur said, going over a report that one of the demon clerks handed him.

“They were discorporated? By angels?” asked Shax, an edge of anger in her voice.

“Some of ‘em,” explained Furfur, “But some of them by humans more often now.  Also,” Furfur looked shifty.

“Also, what!?” hissed Shax. 

“Some of ‘em have been goin’ quiet for days or weeks, then pop down here in the re-incorporator.  Said they lost the ability to move and just laid there til they dissolved,” Furfur shuddered a little.

“Why would that happen?” Shax asked.

“Dunno, but one demon’s making up for all the others and then some, an’ ‘e’s been asking for energy to run his corporation. He’s the one sending down the reports on that funny connected paper,” Furfur indicated the nearly continuous fall of white connected paper landing in the handcart.

“Who is it?” asked Shax, noting that Furfur seemed negatively disposed to whomever was managing to oppose Usher.

Face distorting in dislike, Furfur said, “Crowley.”

Ah, thought Shax.

“So Usher is giving Crowley energy to run his corporation and all his other requisitions?” asked Shax, thinking that any preferential treatment of Crowley was sure to pull Furfur’s tail.

Grudgingly, Furfur admitted, “Nooo.  Usher actually gives Crowley the least of all of ‘em.   Though he’s started giving some of the discorporated demons part of the “Standard Daily Requisitions” that Crowley requests.”

“The what?” Shax asked and Furfur handed over a piece of paper from his clipboard.

Shax looked down the list.

“Usher is giving the other demons requisitions, but not Crowley.  And Crowley’s still operating?”

“Bugger me how.  I’ve checked for help from,” Furfur pointed over their heads, “After catching him with that angel in 1941, but he’s not registering any angelic support,”  Furfur said.

Shax looked up from the reports at a sudden outburst.

“I won’t go back!” a demon with spider legs extending from their back came through from the reincorporator accompanied by a slender demon with hair raised into two vague horns. “You’ll be fine,” Demon Eric encouraged, “Lookit all the stuff we get to have this go!” 

“That’s the spirit, Eric!  Get up there and give ‘em hell!” said Furfur.

“Oh, I didn’t requisition for all of Hell, sir,” Eric said, walking by towards the transporter, “Imagine me requisitioning all of Hell,”  he said, shaking his head.

Eyebrow raised, Shax said, “I’ll take the reports.” 

Furfur turned back to his desk and handed her a full banker’s box, “Here ya go,” dropping it into her outstretched arms.

Shax easily took the weight of the box and clicked away efficiently.

Walking until she didn't feel any eyes on her, Shax ducked into an unregarded corner to read the reports.  Maybe there was a clue to how Crowley was doing it?  This was information that was sure to help her get ahead!

Thank you for reading! If you liked this story, there are more Good Omens fanfic at my Master List.

[timetravell]

Twas the first day of school, here is a little recap:

We mainly went over all the new procedures. Theres one about phones and if they have to take it up 4 times in a row you have to pay a fine of 15 dollars. And the dress code regressed?? No teacher is enforcing it though. We still have the same tardy policy (10 tardies = ISS).

If this phone policy doesn't 'work' then we just- wont be allowed to bring our phones at all Which is a HUGE safety concern.

below is a recap of all my class periods <3

1st period: Colorguard

Nothing much happened here, again a lot of today was just a repeat of all procedures. There were a few band specific things, such as attendance, rehearsals, UDB, and stuff pertaining to the band hall itself. There is now a form so if need be, your istrument can be turned into the shop to get fixed!

We also cleaned out the guard locker room/area. All of the costumes from last year got put in one of the lower lockers. We somehow found stuff from seniors who left YEARS ago. And 3 year old water....in a jug still.. yikes.

2nd: Forensics!!!

Im actually so happy I got to be in this class. Im looking forward to a lot of things in it. Especially the labs and that one lecture about blood splatters. Our teacher is actually absent this first week, but thats because he's also the volleyball coach. (Our volleyball team is in Hawaii for nationals I believe)

We had three assignments. One of them was designing a locker (mine is super cute, it has a Marina poster), the second was a Syllabus scavenger hunt which isn't due until tomorrow but I wanted to get a jump on it so I finished it at home. The third was homework, which was just a student survey.

3rd: ELA

It was just, again, more policy updates and a little get to know you card. This class, thank god, wont be all on computer. We'll have some paper assignments. We haven't gotten our reading yet (which upsets me a teeny bit, but I'm sure we'll learn about it later in the week)

4th: AP World History

I'm actually so exited for this class its not even funny. I was genuinley upset when we didnt get our unit 0 packets and when I found out we werent getting our textbooks until Friday.

We did learn that the AP teachers are no longer allowed to split that 70% weighted major assignments to 40/30. Which absolutely sucks, and on top of that our first unit is stuff our state says we NEED to know to get said World History credit. Which means we wont even be tested on it come spring. Our district hates us.

I actually have a good teacher for this AP class, last year I had a very (idk how else to put it) 'White privlidged' teacher. AND AND I narrowly missed being stuck in a class with someone I despise. Made me so happy!

I also learned that 'The History of the Entire World I guess' is pretty accurate! So I can use that as a study resource for like- a short summary.

5th: Astronomy

SO SO SO excited for this class. And there is no math! None! (If they added math it would have to become an AP class). My teacher is so funny unironicly. He's very monotone and you would think he'd be a bore, but he's actually really funny in my opinion.

We actually will talk about why Astrology isnt real which I think will be really fun. I dont nessicarily believe astrology is real, I like the idea of it. But going indepts on why it isnt is going to be really interesting!

We also will get to learn how galaxies and solar systems form, which will be really helpfull for making my story, Abyss. Theres also gonna be night labs!! (if we go we get a free 100 on a test grade) And maybe some Day Labs if the school can get their hands on a solar telescope.

6th: Geometry

It's geometry. There wasnt really anything of note here. Just the fact that i somehow have a class full of kids who dont care abt the Highschool grades. (I have confirmed this, it isnt speculation) It's gonna be a loud period..

7th: Band (they split it up weird)

Again nothing of note. EXCEPT NOW I HAVE TO LEARN THE SHOW?? ON MY FLUTE?? WHAT??

Im in guard, i dont do 'band' until concert season. I cant work on my solo during this period OR my homework. Pissed me of factually because the original plan was as followed:

Used as a study hall

Practice choreography

Practice flute

But nope! They hate me! /j

8th: Musical Theatre!

So many new people! Its gonna be so much fun! I have a lot of friends in that class so im really excited!

I already know the song im gonna do for our first solo, just gotta get permission cuz its technicly not from a musical (Wont say im in love from hercules)

Anyways thats it!! Tmmr will most likely have some more stuff so follow if you want to see!

[wowbright]

National Clean Your Home Month Days 16 & 17

Yesterday I felt like my head was stuffed with cotton instead of brains, but I still had enough energy to sit at a computer, so I just did mostly mindless filing and deletion of old screenshots I've been let piling up on my desktop. Some were receipts and I need to keep them for my taxes, most of them were for temporary reference and I never got back around to deleting them. So yay! My desktop is much cleaner now!

Today my brain is still a little fuzzy but better. I checked a few financial tasks off my to-do list, put away the various packages I received in the mail yesterday and dealt with the packaging (New face masks! New ankle supports! Also got a set of elbow compression sleeves, I've been getting bicep tendonitis in my left arm for no good reason--actually I think it's related to crafting--and want to see if they will help.) I emptied the dishwasher and moved dishes from the sink into it. Emptied the dehumidifier. Worked on cleaning up my web hosting account by pressing on with transferring one of my privately hosted website back to wordpress.com (I had a meltdown about this yesterday on my Tumblr if you want to see; update is I won't have to pay $300 and may or may not have to redo the work I've already done--I'll know for sure in a few days). Packaged up some of the wool dryer balls for mailing to my fellow tumblrites. I'm so excited they're going to good homes! 🧶🎉 (If you requested some and haven't sent me your address yet, please do so today or tomorrow so I can get them ready for mailing out on Monday.)

The day isn't done but I'm pretty tired so that's it for tidying and organizing today unless I get a second wind. Right now the plan for the afternoon is to sit on the couch and watch Identity Thief.

[likearumchocolatesouffle]

National clean your house month

Day 13

Rest day

Day 14

Dishes only

Day 15

Very tough day. (Bad pain day, computer issues etc.)

Empty litter box. Clear harddrive space. Dishes. Take out food waste. Make doctor appointment.

[thelofian]

Dreamy Daily Booster Table (TTCC DBT) for 2024-02-12, Merit Monday,🌿 Darwin Day 🦎 | 🧹 National Clean Out Your Computer Day 💻 (Week 7)

Really sorry for today's late table, I tried improving the colors but I'm still not satisfied.

[thebananwithaplan]

" Hey again Mister! I see people acting up and we're hardly a week into Febuary! Speaking of which, I came to highlight some important dates that you and your pretty strange fans may be interested in! " 7th, Send a card to a friend day. (...I don't know how important this one is for them, but I'm sure it'll be a fun time for your fans anyway! I'm sure they'll love this one!-) 9th, National Pizza day Then of course, Lunar new Year on the 10th!

11th, National Make a Friend Day! 12th, NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR COMPUTER DAY (haha! Golly gee, I can't imagine how much need this on their calandar!) 13th, Galentine's day, and last but not least! on the 14th Valentine's Day! " "Please make sure to take a 'friend of the month Calandar' Mister! 'And no, I haven't been send here to shameless-elly plug our merch-and-eyes'"

((@fivc-applcs))

. "Oh wow. That's a lot of special dates going on this month, huh?"

Sure enough, that's what the special calendar showed. These sisters sure came prepared for celebrations and events.

. "Cool! Thanks! I'm sure the others might be interested in a few of these holidays." Mutuals, tag yourself-

[charlesandmiranda]

1/31: Shinjuku morning and Akihabara afternoon

After our first night in Shinjuku, we spent the earlier part of the day wandering around the Kabukicho area before we had to check out of Hotel Gracery. It was kind of interesting, because the area is primarily known for its nightlife, as I mentioned before, but it's still very busy during the day, with people seemingly just passing through, or folks cleaning and getting ready to open up at night. It's definitely a different vibe. We walked through some more game centers and arcades, just to kind of leisurely pass the time, before around 2 pm(ish) we hit Shinjuku station and started heading towards our next place to stay. Here's Charles playing easy mode on a drumming game, playing along to the opening theme of Spy x Family, which is a very cute, popular anime we both like.

I also had to stop at a Japanese Krispy Kreme because they're exceptionally tasty, and they have a super classy vibe that is definitely not part of the marketing in the US

Before Shinjuku station, we stopped by a department store that houses the Godzilla store, called Marui. They definitely had some cool Godzilla stuff to see.

Lastly, before we left Shinjuku, we went to a guitar store, where Charles bought a guitar pedal (this was very much a precursor to what was to come, haha)

The next place we headed to was Chiyoda, where we stayed in the Manga Art Hotel! It was a capsule hotel, comprising two floors -- one for men and one for women. If you're not familiar with a capsule hotel, they're like...private bunks or tiny rooms fitting a single person, and they often have dorm-like shared facilities for showers, bathrooms, sinks, etc. A lot of them are very simple, but you can find some super cool themed ones like this one, too. And best of all, they're typically very inexpensive, which we definitely took no issue with! haha.

The big draw for the Manga Art Hotel, for me, is that it essentially also functioned as a manga library (manga are Japanese comics!) The capsules are built kind of like walled in bunk beds and they're all decked out with tons of manga, in both English and Japanese, and you're free to borrow and read as much as you like for the duration of your stay! I also really loved the design or the whole thing, it had a sort of funky, clean and modern look and there was a really beautiful balcony on the women's floor. I only wish it had been a little warmer, or I would have loved to spend time out there!! Sadly we were still a bit too jet lagged to get much reading in, but I read the first two volumes of Tokyo Tarareba Girls and Charles read Give My Regards To Black Jack. I'll do a separate photo dump for Manga Art Hotel after this post!

The whole building we stayed in was actually quite cool, the ground floor appeared to be some kind of pop up music venue, and on the third floor right below where I stayed, there was an extremely tasty and charming coffee shop called Social Good Roasters!!! There is soooo much really good coffee here in Japan, even from vending machines and convenience stores (called "conbinis" here!) that even fast and cheap coffee is fun to try.

After dropping off our luggage, we went to spend the afternoon roaming around Akihabara, which is also known as Electric Town. It started off back in the day as a hub for folks to buy and sell new and used electronics and computer parts, but now it's best known as an otaku (geek) hub, that also boasts an impressive number of arcades and shops where you can buy anime goods like statues and figures, plushes, buttons, keychains, all kinds of stuff. There are also some cool stores for famous brands like Tamashii Nations, Kotobukiya, and one of my favorites, the Mandarake Complex -- Mandarake is a secondhand goods shop that sells a huge variety of manga, doujinshi (fan comics), cards, figures, etc. They occasionally have really old and rare stuff so it's almost like visiting a museum!

I will say, maybe it's the time of year or maybe it's just us, but the variety of stuff at Akihabara this time around was not as exciting as times we've gone in the past; just not as much of the cool old/vintage stuff and wide variety as we've seen before. Neither one of us are really into the most popular anime and manga right now, so most of the stuff on display was

We wandered around til well past dark, but at this point the jet-lag was setting in. We stopped for a snack break at the popular chain Mister Donut (which is, as you'd expect, a donut shop -- they're much like....chewier and less sweet than American donuts) we hit a few other places before we decided to head back to Manga Art Hotel and turn in early.

Keep you all posted with more soon! M.

[nerdieforpedro]

WIP Wednesday

I decided to post a few excerpts from WIPs I’m working on, just because. 🤣

WIP One:

“I reckon there’s some bullshit afoot Merlin. Why is it you don’t know who’s leaving these notes in my stuff?”

“Regrettably, it has not been high on my priority list Agent Whiskey. There’s only national security matters and terrorism to worry about. The notes that could be left by anyone who you’ve run afoul of within The Statesmen. You have a large pool of people they could be from. Why don’t you narrow that down first?”

“You bald yellow-bellied bastard. Yer enjoyin’ this? Old Whiskey being taken ‘round the farm. I’m gonna get to the bottom of it and when I do, I’m gonna rub it in your face.”

“I’d rather you didn’t. I have work to do unlike a certain cowboy who’s bothering me with schoolboy problems.”

Whiskey left Merlin in his office typing away on his computer. Over the last two months, the agent has had notes in each one of his work orders placed with the research and development department. The first few just poked fun at his hat and consistent denim wear, but one of them mentioned about the bullets in his guns that he used.

WIP Two:

“The trend is utter madness. Why would you remove part of what The Seven have given you? It makes no sense to me, and I cannot properly finish if not motivated.” The Red Viper slumped over in a chair, being a bit dramatic but he needed to drive home his point. The aide nodded as the maid who cleaned up the glass brought the prince his wine, he wrapped an arm around her small waist and pulled her close. “My pretty maid, you have not succumbed to the masses, have you?” He asked her, she was rather confused and shook her head. The prince smiled and let her go. “Raise your dress, I must check.” Letting out a squeal, she continued to shake her head.

“My Lord, I cannot. I am due to be married soon. My fiancé prefers I…” she stammered. His golden robe slipped out of his chair as he stood. His face darkened, suspecting her of indeed conforming to this god-awful new standard. The maid raised her dress and pulled down the cloth that covered her hairless mound. A long sigh came from his lips, and he waved her away.

“Damn it all, I need to find whoever the demon is responsible for this trend and run them through with my spear.” Oberyn Martell had spoken.

The prince’s aide knew he had to keep looking, soon instead of trying to feed his sexual appetite, Lord Martell may start feeding his murderous one.

WIP Three:

“I feel I should mention that I don’t go around blasting people, and that I don’t have any wishes for death. I was just tired of them bothering me every time I leave my house.” You huffed. You didn’t hear the beskar clad man say anything, at first. You filled the gap. “I repair droids for the guild and whoever pays to be honest. Apparently, that makes me somehow less than despite having a trade.” Your hands flair at your wrists to further express your distain for the two deceased troopers, the Mandalorian stops and so do you a few paces ahead, noticing that he wasn’t beside you anymore.

“How long have they been bothering you? Is it always the same two? Have there been others? Do they know where you live?” He inquired, he had already had his assumptions about you shattered once, could you be an enemy of the empire? Were you a target? Could there be a bounty on you? Would he get a chip on you later? Were droids the only thing you work on?

“Who are you, Miss?” His questions surprised you but the higher pitch you heard wasn’t just the effect of the modulator in his helmet. It seemed you had managed to make the Mandalorian laugh and very concerned in the same day.

So that’s what I got. There’s more, really too many. 😎 Let me know what you think. 💕

Nerdie ❤️

[yeololol-t]

Rent a girlfriend (Park ChanyeolxFemaleMC)

Ik 3rd pov is not popular on tumblr but I wasn't originally planning to post this it was just a warm up but decided to post it anyway so enjoy the unedited chaos!

Description:

In which Heejin works as a gf for hiring while seeing Chanyeol at the same time...

Part 1/2

“Not only did she lie about her age and nationality, but she also kept using the dumbest nicknames on me? Do I look like a little pumpkin cupcake to you?! I don’t even want to know what the inspiration for that one was.” Sehun scoffs, “And I have to sit through the entire thing, pretending to enjoy it?!”

“You’ll get used to it.” She holds back a giggle for her angry friend’s sake. “Plus, you get paid for it so..”

“Yeah, well, you made everything sound a lot more fun and a lot easier.” The tall college student crosses his arms in distaste, weighed down by the underwhelming job he’d willingly applied to at the suggestion of his close friend, Heejin.

“It’s only your first day, Sehunnie. Some clients are fun; others are your worst nightmare, and if you think being given pet names is bad, you might as well quit now, cuz it only gets worse from here.” Heejin’s eyes remained glued to the screen.

Sehun huffs in frustration, “This is worse than prostitution.”

Heejin shrugs, “This is clean prostitution.”

He purses his lips in defeat. “What are you doing anyway?” He shifts closer to her desk, taking a peak at her computer.

“Doing my job, unlike you.”

“I just got back, for god’s sake!” He runs his hand through his dark hair.

“Yeah, well, you better get to replying to clients before duck face catches you slacking.” Heejin types away on her computer.

Sehun chuckles at the image of his boss with a duck beak, though it wasn’t that much of a reach with her poorly done lip fillers. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to it.”

She pauses to finally look at her younger friend. “Fighting, Pumpkin cupcake oppa!” She holds up a fist to match her exaggerated determined expression.

Sehun crumples a random piece of paper and throws it at her, but she could tell he was holding back a laugh.

“Ah! Finally!” After hours of semi-nonstop work, Heejin was more than ready to go home. She stretches in her seat and glances at her coworker and friend to check on his progress.

“Gimme one more minute then we can head back home together.” He says while yawning.

“Take your time…ish.” She leaves her seat and circles the empty office seats. Their coworkers were almost all gone, except for the ones in higher demand. Heejin had already predicted the popularity Sehun would gain; after all, he had the looks of an idol. She just wondered if he’d be able to hold back his sarcasm and sass for the dates, but he seems to be doing well.

“And done!” Sehun violently clicks a button on his keyboard before shooting out of his seat. “lessgoo!” He cheers.

They say their goodbyes to their coworkers and leave the building.

“So,” Sehun nudges her, his expression already telling her what his next sentence will be, “how’s it going with yeollie?”

Her face heats up at the reminder that Sehun had overheard her earlier phone call with her hopefully-soon-to-be-boyfriend. “Shut up.” She mumbles.

Sehun cackles loudly, earning a light shove from his much smaller friend.

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop…for now.” He raises his hands, signaling a temporary truce. “Really, though, how’s it going with him?”

Somehow, her heart flutters just at the thought of Chanyeol, and so she avoids Sehun’s gaze to avoid further teasing. He knew her well enough to be able to tell she was flustered by just looking at her, so she was thankful their walk to the station made it slightly more difficult for him to notice her face.

“Well, he’s just…a dream come true, to be honest.” She smiles to herself, feeling the warmth spread from her chest to the rest of her body.

Sehun makes a gagging noise, “Can’t believe you’re getting like this over a man.”

Another shove.

“As cliché as it sounds, this one is different.”

“Uh-huh.” Sehun remains unimpressed.

Heejin couldn’t blame him though; it wasn’t the first time he’d witnessed her fall head over heels for someone only to later discover how much of a dick they actually were. Yet she had faith in her Yeol.

“Does he know about, you know, your job and all?” Sehun gets serious.

That’s exactly what she didn’t wanna talk about.

“No…” Heejin replies honestly.

“You know you’ll have to tell him sooner or later, right?”

She hated that he was right.

“I know, and he’ll understand.” She poured all her hope in that second part.

“I don’t think anyone would be okay with their partner going on dates as a job.”

“Guess I’ll have to find a different job then.” She sighs, “But the pay here is just too good…”

“True.” He agrees, “Well, no use worrying about it now, I suppose. We’ll think about it when y’all make it official.”

Heejin smiles at the idea of Chanyeol asking her to be his girlfriend. God, she’s whipped.

After taking the subway, Sehun and Heejin were left in front of their usual dinner place- the convenience store.

“Are you hungry?” Heejin asks.

“You already know I am.”

“Let’s go then.” She cheerfully links arms with him and drags him to the store.

It was almost a tradition for them to go have ramen at the convenience store after work, at this point, and if they didn’t do that, they’d have dinner together at one of their apartments. And by ‘dinner’, they mean more ramen.

“Yeol?” Heejin yelps in surprise.

“Heejin?” Chanyeol laughs sheepishly. He was dressed in a suit, indicating he’d come here right after work, and was holding a bag full of all different kinds of snacks. “I wanted to surprise you, but I got overwhelmed with too much work, so I’m a little late.”

“Oh, no, you’re not. Heejin was about to buy some snacks and go home, so you’re right on time, actually.” Sehun lightly pushes Heejin towards her little crush as she calls him- though the man was anything but little.

“Oh?” Chanyeol’s face lights up, “Is that so?” he waits for Heejin’s confirmation.

She looks back and forth between Sehun and Chanyeol hesitantly.

Her friend nods encouragingly, so she brings her gaze back to Chanyeol, “Uh, yeah, it’s true.”

“Great! We can go home and eat what I got you then!” He beams.

Her hearts swells, “Of course!”

“Well, you two get going, I’ll buy some stuff and go home.” Sehun excuses himself and walks further back into the store. Heejin couldn’t tell if he actually needed to buy something or if he just wanted to leave her and her date alone, but either way, she grabs Chanyeol’s free hand and walks out the store.

Swinging their hands back and forth, they walk to Heejin’s building- which also happens to be the same building Sehun lives in. He’s her next door neighbor, and that’s essentially how their friendship came to be. Well, they did get off to a rough start, but that’s a story for another day.

“You spend a lot of time with that friend, Sehun’s his name, right?” Chanyeol breaks the silence, as if reading her thoughts about Sehun.

“Oh, yeah, I guess you could say so.” She wonders what brought that up.

“Ah, I’m jealous. Wish I could spend as much time with Heejin-ah.” He smiles down at her, his dimples peeking through.

Heejin squeezes his hand in hers and smiles shyly, keeping her eyes on the ground. “Me too…I wish I could spend more time with you.”

They finally arrive at her apartment’s door, and she starts fishing for her keys in her bag.

While he waits, Chanyeol begins planting soft kisses on her cheek.

“Yeol…someone’s gonna see…” Even though they were just cheek kisses, any form of pda seems to set Heejin’s cheeks ablaze.

“Guess you have to find the keys faster then.” He teases, his arms wrapping tighter around her waist.

She chuckles despite how hot her face felt. “You’re so mean.” She fake whines.

Before he could respond, however, she’d already found the keys. “Found em!” She grins at the taller man before turning to unlock the door.

Chanyeol follows her inside and shuts the door behind them.

She flicks on an unnecessary amount of lights as she walks into the kitchen, to which Chanyeol protests as per usual, “Your electricity bill is gonna be way more than you can pay.” He flicks off a few light switches.

“Are you calling me poor?”

“Huh?” Chanyeol stares at her, dumbfounded.

Heejin laughs at his expression. “I’m just kidding, Yeol. Here let me help.” She attempts to grab the bag he’s been carrying.

“Nope. I wanna spoil you.” He places the plastic bag on the counter before turning around and carrying Heejin to also place her on the counter. “You just get to watch me, baby, okay?” He presses a kiss to her lips.

“Whatever you say then.” She shrugs, accepting the princess treatment.

Chanyeol takes off his jacket and folds his shirt’s sleeves to reveal his forearm. Heejin tries not to drool.

He then grabs two packs of her favourite ramen and turns towards the stove, “Wait, where do you-”

“Here you go.” She hands him a large pan from a nearby cupboard.

“Thanks.” He chuckles.

“How was work?” Heejin calls out while Chanyeol works on their dinner, his back turned to her.

“Alright, nothing worth mentioning really. What about you?” He glances at her.

She remains silent, her conversation with Sehun popping up in her mind.

“Heejin-ah?”

“Oh, um, yeah, same, nothing worth mentioning.”except of course, you know, the job itself.

Heejin remains quiet after that, silently drowning in guilt.

Chanyeol is the perfect man, but she just has to be sure first before she drops her job for a man.

She tried to shake off the urge to just tell him right now, directing her focus on anything else- like how gorgeous Chanyeol looks as he grabs the two bowls and places them at the table. His arms were threatening to rip through his sleeves. God, this man is beautiful.

She hops off the counter and sits on the chair opposite to where Chanyeol was standing.

She immediately notices how cheesy and creamy he made the ramen- exactly how she likes. She moans in delight after taking the noodles into her mouth, “Chanyeol, these are so good!”

His ears turn a bright shade of pink, “Oh, it’s nothing, really. Glad you like them.”

The almost-a-couple-but-not-quite eat in silence for a few moments before Chanyeol interjects excitedly, “Oh! How could I forget? My friend invited both of us to go out with him and his new girlfriend; kind of like a double date I guess. So, are you free on Thursday night?”

Heejin smiles sadly, “Sorry, Yeollie, I have to work until late this Thursday…”

He pouts slightly, making it hard for Heejin not to go kiss him and tell him she’ll be there. “Oh, well, it’s okay, I suppose we can set up another double date.” He nods as if agreeing with his own suggestion.

After finishing their bowls, Chanyeol grabs the rest of the snacks and leads them to Heejin’s living room, “What do you wanna watch?”

Heejin shrugs.

“Helpful as usual.” He chuckles, earning a light punch to the arm.

Chanyeol sets up some romcom Heejin had never heard of but was happy to watch.

He sits on the couch and holds an arm out, waiting for her to settle in his arms, which she does.

At some point during the movie, Heejin falls asleep, and Chanyeol takes that as his sign to leave, but only after leaving a few- okay, more than a few- kisses all over her face.

~

“I have to go now or I’ll be late.” Heejin announces as she grabs her bag off her desk.

“Have fun and don’t get murdered!” Sehun calls out from his desk.

“I’ll try.”

“If you don’t make it, can I have your PS?”

Heejin eyes him but doesn’t respond.

She rushes out the building, her heels clicking loudly.

“Kim Heejin?” A voice calls out, interrupting her march to the station.

The source of the voice looked familiar, “Uh, is this Lee Hyunwoo?”

“Yes, I had extra time, so I figured I could come pick you up to make things easier for you.” He smiles.

“Oh.” Her eyebrows furrow, “That’s kind of you.” She forces her face to display appreciation.

The drive to the restaurant wasn’t anything outside the usual, just some small talk to fill the silence.

“My friend will be joining us today; I hope you don’t mind.” Hyunwoo says once they reach their table.

It wasn’t strange at all; a lot of clients brought her to friend hang outs and the like, so Heejin smiles, “It’s okay.”

“So, until my friend shows up, would you like to take a look at the menu?” He slides the menu towards Heejin, as if she didn’t really have the option to decline, not that she wanted to but still.

Heejin scans the menu; she’d wanted to go on a diet, so she considered just settling for a salad, but when you’re at a fancy restaurant and someone else is paying, it’s extremely tempting to go all out. Plus, this wasn’t gonna last forever anyway; in fact, she probably needs to quit as soon as possible. So for now, maybe she needs to take advantage of this man.

Absorbed in her thoughts, Heejin doesn’t notice the man approaching their table.

“Chanyeol!” Hyunwoo greets.

Heejin freezes. No. No, it’s fine. It’s just a stranger with the same name. It can’t be.

She slowly lifts her head to look at said stranger. Her eyes meet Chanyeol’s. Her Chanyeol.

“Heejin?”

[chitaqua-toast]

This. My ex wife is an artist. She’s wanted to be an artist her whole life & create comic books.

What’s her job? She’s currently selling RVs and setting companies up with leasing fleet vehicles.

She’s been a paperwork destroyer (literally her whole job was take paperclips off files, run the papers through a Confettiator 2000, and bag up the resulting confetti). When she was done, she was to walk from desk to desk with a bin, collecting the next pile of papers to be de-clipped and confetti’d. She walked around for days with a multi-loop paperclip necklace. If people needed one, she was there with her clip chains.

She’s worked in a Clean lab, assisting computers in documenting fingerprints for AFIS.

She’s been a medical supply support worker.

She’s chewed through spreadsheets of data entry for points of data she couldn’t explain as she couldn’t comprehend WHAT the points of data were. All the information she needed was what goes where.

She did dispatch for a national alarm company.

She did dispatch for an animal shelter.

She was a waitress for a long time.

She’s in her 40’s.

And she’s an artist. And she makes digital comic books. And she is endlessly crocheting. And she is never NOT creating.

She’s an artist… but she figured out early on that the world won’t pay a living wage to artists & crafters. But working literally any job she’s capable of learning has meant and continues to mean she can create and she can enjoy and she can live in stability.

We both got taught the whole “do work that you love” fable. The truth is, unless you’re rich, or unless you’re lucky… doing what you love isn’t going to pay for food or housing. It isn’t going to let your kid go to the dentist or let you see a doctor about the persistent, random shortness of breath & dizziness that leads to you finding out your heart valves are two-flap instead of three and what you can do to stay topside.

By all means, strive to do what you love. But remember that you don’t have to monetize what you love. Especially if the rates aren’t serving you and what you love becomes another chore.

As someone who originally thought she wanted to work in media broadcasting, I'm so relieved I grew out of it. I went to school for it, worked grueling jobs for five years just to be behind a camera, and suffered abuse, wage theft, and so much more in order to keep a job in the "field of my dreams."

Then one day I looked around a realized I actually hated media, didn't care for cameras in the slightest, and only kind of enjoyed editing video. I jumped industries to a "boring customer support" position and am making TWICE my old salary with actual benefits and free time to be happy.

If you feel like you're stuck in a field because it's what you dreamed about at the age of 14, I am giving you permission to ask yourself if you'd be happier with a desk job and a 401k. I think we romanticize weird and interesting jobs but honestly you can just work something tolerable all day and then put your passion into your hobbies.

For you folks who would actually rather die than leave your dream job, disregard this post. It's not for you and I am genuinely happy for you, it must be wild to have that kind of passion and commitment to something. I just think it's not as ubiquitous as we sometimes think.