#and highly recommend giving it a try to really understand how much work goes into giving you fanfic audiobooks lmao
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You really have no idea how long it takes to make a podfic until you do it yourself
#this isn’t like a jab or anything it’s an observation.#the same way someone might look at a finished painting and not know the hours of work behind it#unless you’ve done that yourself you know?#I stand by podfics being an important transformative work in fandom. for accessibility and for just the joy of making them.#and highly recommend giving it a try to really understand how much work goes into giving you fanfic audiobooks lmao#but actually okay you don’t need to try I have some numbers right here if you’d prefer#so uh the one I’m working on now. it’s a fic about 1.7k words long.#which was about ~22 minutes of recording. the recording is the easiest shortest and. usually the most fun part. because saying words is fun#but anyway that 22 minutes got edited down to around the final runtime of 13 minutes.#(this is before I go through it again to see if I should re-record a line or two.)#(usually only do that if something got Monumentally messed up because it’s sometimes hard to make two different recording sessions sync up#and sound similar enough to not throw the listener off. for me anyway. I’m not the greatest editor rip.)#anyway so. 13 minutes of podfic.#so want to guess how long the first round of editing took?#about an hour. give or take.#this stuff is time consuming! worth it! but time consuming.#so what im saying is if you see podfics that are multiple hours long. salute your troops.
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Finally, here it is! The first date! Can be read as it’s own but highly recommend knowing the lore first. Thank you for the love this little blurb series is getting, sooo much more to come 💜
Eddie was coming to pick you up in the van with one big worry in his mind. You were perfect. Literal woman of his dreams. However, there is this nagging in his head, self doubt. Why would someone so fucking great date the resident freak of Hawkings?
It makes him want to turn arround. He is so torn. This is a one in a million chance, but can he promise something so precious won’t go unharmed? He was so hopelessly devoted to you yet he didn’t even know you that much. There was just something so enchanting.
When you open the door, smiling bashfully and looking so radiant, he feels like he has won the lotery. He understand right then and there that this is a chance he is not willing to miss on.
You are just as nervous. Letting Eddie in, it feels easy. He looks at you like he would never actually hurt, but you’ve learnt looks decive and you don’t know if can actually trust him not not break the heart you’ve put back together since you moved to the town.
“You look… wow.” He says, with his hand over his heart. “Sweetheart oh my god.”
“You look really good too, Eds.”
The drive to the dinner is far from quiet. Eddie is set on paying, having worked overtime dealing and at the mechanic’s, but still there is so much he can afford.
“I promise if you give me a chance, I’ll get you on nicer dates. I swear.”
“Eddie I couldn’t care less about money, honestly.”
The date goes smoothly, Eddie swoons as he hears you speak. You on the other hand are stunned. You thought the walls would be too much, yet with everything Eddie does, he chips at every brick, little by little.
Time ticks and you are both in his van, talking about life.
“So Wayne said something the other day. Something about your past.”
“What did he say?”
“Not much. That it wasn’t easy. That it was your story to tell.”
“Listen Eddie-“ you take a big breath, this is not first day material. “It’s hard. It’s not something I want to get into right now but I guess I must warn you.”
“Warn me? What?”
“It won’t be easy, Eddie. I come with baggage that I’ve learnt to mask. And I don’t want to get into… something, relationship or not, just to be left after because it gets too much.”
“I don’t understand, I don’t wanna leave.”
“All I’m saying is at some point it’ll be hard Eddie. I want to date you, I really do. Just being your friend would be great too because you have such a pure, beautiful light. But that is something I don’t have.” You look at him, hoping this is not scaring him. “I’m not saying you have to stay for the long run, we’ve only just met. I just need you to be honest with me. Because I can’t let the walls crumble again, Eddie. I need to know that things are okay, that you don’t feel like you have to run away.”
“I don’t think you will believe me right now, but I understand you. So much. I feel the walls, I know them all too well. I know I make everything lighthearted but this whole town hates me, sweetheart.”
“How could anyone hate you, Eddie?”
“That’s the thing, they do. They really do. I’ve spent all my life being made fun of. A freak. And then you come around and make me feel… human. Like I matter, like I don’t have to see life from an outside perspective. And it’s so fucking refreshing. So let me be that for you, I want to be that for you. I want to get to know you more. I need you to know I don’t see you as a challenge, I see you as someone worth getting to know. You don’t have to let your walls down right now, I get it. We can work each brick, little by little.”
The tension is high. Eddie wonders if he has just fucked up, while you wonder how you managed to be this lucky. It feels like luck. So you kiss him.
It’s tender and it’s sweet and you can feel Eddie melting onto the kiss. It doesn’t go any further than that. There’s a shyness to it, both of you just trying to memorize this on your brains.
“For the record, I do think you have a light. I think you are radiant. And you deserve to be taken care of, and cherished. And listen I don’t have much money, but I promise I’d give you the moon and stars if I could. I am full invested in this, in you. I’m not running away, not matter what.”
Original post Pt. 2 Pt. 3
Tag list: @josephquinnsfreckles @yujyujj @maedesculpaeusoubi 🦋
#eddie munson x reader#eddie munson x you#eddie munson blurb#eddie munson x y/n#eddie munson fluff#eddie munson angst#eddie#eddie munson
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Hello Tamelee! Do you have any advice to give to beginners regarding drawing? Maybe some exercices that helped you to make progress? I’ve seen that you learn to draw all on your own, and that’s really impressing (and inspiring)!! ❤️
Hi!! 🧡 thankyou so much (ノ・∀・)ノ♥︎ Ah yes of course!!! I wanted to make this earlier but I waited until I finished a few drawings to see if I could come up with more tips and find out what really helps for me.
✍️;
I did learn to draw by myself, but I watched a lot of speed video’s for guidance ^^ I used to slow them down a lot and really tried to study what artists that I liked did, but I wouldn’t recommend this for beginners. Especially when you don’t really know the program and you won’t understand why they do what they do.
I used to copy the greyscale method even though I knew nothing about color so I heavily relied on values only which made everything look very muddy.
It’s actually only recently that I’m understanding the things that I do and I feel like my anatomy/coloring is improving slowly because of it.
So, first, I’d highly recommend to instead of copying only as a study method, (like faces for example) to understand why things are the way they are. If you know how planes of a face work, it’s much easier to remember why a certain perspective is like that, when something feels off and how to fix it or how to lay down shadows. The ‘Asaro head’ is a favorite for many, the free version you can find HERE a video on the topic is HERE and learning how to shade is explained very well HERE. Sinix Design has a great video that goes beyond that and it may help you for different kind of faces which you can find HERE. If you're more interested in Anime faces (though the planes work the same), you can find and manipulate 3D models for free HERE or HERE that you can use as a reference. Of course you should always make it your own but they can help with perspective. In fact, you can find many different kinds of models on Sketchfab. Your character holding a cup and you aren't sure how to draw it in that angle? Find one, manipulate it, screenshot and study the perspectives ^^ (I don't recommend tracing or copying.)
Learn about environmental lighting and color temperatures instead of value's (light and dark) only!!! Trust me, the earlier you learn this, the better >*chants* color temperature, color temperature, color temp-
Anatomy is interesting. A lot of tutorials recommend you use photo's to learn it, but it confused me a lot. Pictures aren't always clear enough to see how the body parts are connected and I always thought it was a bit pointless to learn muscles, but it really isn't. I'm not sure how to explain it well, but a picture is often too complicated and you have to narrow it down to find its foundation. I personally think it's helpful to find an artist you like and look how they do anatomy if they have shared any sketches.
Not sure if that makes any sense xD but what I'm trying to say is that for me, looking at pictures alone didn't help me understand much of anything else at all and in some cases made it even more confusing. Clothing makes much more sense in drawings when they're simplified, but this also depends on style!
You can use a napkin around you finger and bend it to get a quick fold reference for a sleeve or something!
Studying the body means... well, studying the body. Naked, in underwear or swimwear. You can find many free references! But there are special anatomy reference packs that are being sold like these.
I don't really do drawing exercises because my ADD just won't allow me to. My motivation immediately drops to zero. So I can't say which ones are very helpful but always feel free to try anything you want and see what works for you! But if there's anything you should exercise always... it's your hands.
Trust me on that one. The pain for ignoring your pain is a consequence you don't want ;-; and sometimes it even leaves you unable to draw for a long time. Avoid issues with carpel tunnel or RSI as much as possible. There are many video's but you could use THIS ONE for example.
I do practice though with everything new that I create. I always try to learn something.
I think the thing that helped me a lot in the beginning was by getting the habit to save everything that I liked. An expression in a movie? I saved it. Favorite art styles? I saved them. Naruto looked particularly adorable in that panel? Saved. Sasuke's hair spikes flawlessly there? Saved it.
If you're quickly overwhelmed though (like me lol) then it's not a good idea to save a bunch of screenshots in a folder because you'll have no idea what to even look for. If you do this then try to keep things as organized as possible so you actually have some use for it and even narrow it down as much as you like. Some panels for Naruto and Sasuke for example I have saved in several folders like 'expressions', 'manga style' or 'outfit' for example. I don't want to spend too much time looking for things, because unlike some of you think, I don't have that much patience xD
INVEST IN EXTERNAL SSD('s) and BACK UP REGULARLY!! Like, everyday if you can, but at least 3x a week. Once a week at THE VERY LEAST. You'll thank yourself one day. Save your art-files so you have access to full versions always but post smaller files if you're drawing in large 300DPI (or more) files. Whatever program you use you can learn to reduce sizes, you don't need to save every layer always when you've finished a drawing, but in Photoshop for example you can 'merge layers 'duplicate all visible layers' as a copy and put it in a progress folder in case you ever need it, like so;
Some other things that helped me a lot also was to create my own short keys to flip the canvas and making the current layer I'm working on visible or not. Personally I have the flipping on 'command+§' and layer visibility on 'command+1'. If you're working with Windows you can switch command key or pick anything else you think would be easy! Flipping your canvas horizontally helps a lot to find mistakes and layer visibility.... I don't really see anyone talking about it, but when I'm rendering over a sketch and get lost in it, I often use this short-key to see if I'm not overdoing it or losing the original perspective which can easily happen!
I hope some of these are helpful, I can't really think of much more right now, but feel free to ask anyway if there is anything in particular! 🌷
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Thing relationship headcanons SFW & NSF W
Fandom: Wednesday
Entirely dedicated you. You know who you are. Eddie Munson's girl. Sorry it's short. This was not my idea 😌
Thing is very good at heartfelt and romantic gestures, you have no idea how he gets it all done but you'll come home to your room candlelit with scattered rose petals and an old poetry book on your pillow.
He gets very sappy when you trace his stitches, and will tell you the story of how he got each wound if you like.
A big conversationalist and very patient with you trying to understand him, doesn't mind repeating for you. But he does get really excited at times and goes far too fast to catch much of anything.
He likes leaving you lots of sweet letters and reminders, Thing has beautiful penmanship but often uses Wednesday's typewriter so he doesn't get ink stains.
It's no secret that Thing is extremely vain, he's utterly weak to you complimenting his healthy cuticles and soft skin. (a feat with the callouses the tips of his fingers can get.)
He only uses highly recommended skin care products and is rather stingy about them...but he's happy to share with you, his love.
Thing enjoys the intimacy of slowly working the lotion into your palms, and joining your hand with his when he's finished.
Thing is very good at massages and is always ready to help you relax after a rough day.
Manicures and gossip weekly at least, Thing always has the latest scandals going around.
He gets you both matching rings for your anniversary, they're actually family heirlooms that had been passed to him while he still had more pieces.
In the occasions where he is sliced, or stabbed, or broken, he loves you fretting over him. Will oversell his injuries for more attention.
He likes watching movies with you, especially his favorite romance flicks and period dramas, and holding hands with you.
He's extremely good at painting nails (besides all hand care), and even dabbles in nail art after spending time with Enid, he preens when you tell him no nail salon will ever compare to his work.
Thing is very good at comforting you, even if he is just a hand on your shoulder. He will wipe away your tears and do his best to remedy your problems once you're fallen asleep.
Very early on Thing knows that you're the one and wants you to meet the rest of his family, is a comforting presence sat on your shoulder the whole visit and Gomez and Morticia love you, they think you're perfect for him.
Unsurprisingly, Thing is very good at fingering as he is impressively fast and dexterous for a severed hand.
He also keeps his nails trimmed and well cared for.
Not at all to forget how well he is at handjobs, he knows exactly when and where to squeeze to make sure you're pleased with his work.
With unknown age, Thing has dabbled quite a bit over the years and is very well versed in making the most of his abilities. Much of his experience did come after the loss of his body after all.
Thing also likes putting his fingers in your mouth, or better yet, when you lick and suck on his digits.
You also have full permission to use him how you like, bending his fingers how you like, a service hand and very pliable.
Also likes holding your hand while you get off if he's not assisting, will rub his thumb across yours tenderly.
To really get Thing worked up, teasingly trace your finger along his knuckles then thread your fingers with his and flip him over roughly.
Though a bullet vibrator works too, quickly scritching the center of Thing's palm until he's writhing, he will give one full-hand spasm and go limp with a little shudder.
He's very good with aftercare, will bring you anything you need and help you clean up while you just lay back and catch your breath.
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Gomz rambles about something again so feel free to scroll pass :]
Recently had a video recommended to me on youtube and gave it a watch: how you play games is how you do everything so I wanted to give some thoughts after watching it
for starters, the video was pretty simple and straightforward and easy to watch, it got me thinking how true that statement is and I started reflecting a bit.
I rarely play games any more, simply because sometimes I couldn't bring in the time and commitment to games like I used to be, or that it feels like I'm completing tasks instead of enjoying the game (kind of what the original author felt)
That applies to some games I've played in the past, Minecraft, Valorant, Dont starve - when I play a game, I clock tf in LMAO I just tend to focus so much on it that everything else didn't matter. I guess irl this applies to me too, whenever I want to do something I make sure to put in 110% into it, very meticulous with completion and deadlines and ensuring the work I do are good quality, I spend time on researching every single questions or queries I have and yeah just, being into something. Though lately, I've dialled down a bit and take it easy (bcuz stress isn't fun)
Honestly, in another aspect, say Minecraft again, I used to be very active in a community, being the lead builder and just pumping out ideas and making builds after builds while still having fun, I loved brainstorming idea and vomit it out in blocks, being able to use part of my interest that are less relevant in my studies to something else, you know? but ever since the said community grew larger, I got overwhelmed and stepped away from the people. They're great friends, really, but sometimes it's a lot when a friend circle grows.
Reflecting this to irl, I tend to work in smaller groups and have a close-knit of friends instead of many friends. Better yet, working alone or just with another one person. It's easier to focus and manage things. Another takeaway would be, I guess, is the way I tend to walk away when things gets more than what I like, or can handle.
I used to be part of a group of friends online too, I liked what we had going, we were silly we were honi (lol) and things were more light-hearted. But as more and more people join, I started feeling overwhelm or a sense of disconnect. There's a lot going on, like a bouncing ball started yeeting against each surfaces at lighting speed and I can barely catch the ball kind of feeling.
I wouldn't say it's entirely their fault, it's mostly myself, which is more comfortable in controlled or slower pace(despite being hyper as well- brainrot goes brrrr). I guess what sucks the most is also watching a friend who liked hanging with another person that you don't really vibe with can be uh something(idk what or how to describe it, it's not jealousy either). The main issue is always around the aspect that I like person A, B, C and F, but not the rest of the bunch. Yes, I could bring it up, talk to them about it, and then highly possibly creating drama and beef with that process (relationships are so fragile). Knowing the people I was dealing with, I decided to just leave quietly (which, to no one's surprised, caused drama itself too - sigh)
I do miss them sometimes, the people I like talking to and be friends with, some of us kept the connection, some burn the bridge for good, some remains a mystery.
That brings me to another aspect in decision-making games, where I tend to walk the passive, most diplomatic route ever to finish the game. Well because irl I hate dealing with conflicts XD I also lean towards neutrality most of the time, unless it's something important then only I pick a side strongly. Using persuasion, communications and understanding, compromising and delegation to let a project or anything really(like relationship) run smoothly. Some of this cost my sanity, patiences and often, gaining less from the agreement lol
I stopped caring more than I do, I stopped trying to please everyone in the room after going through some stuff, and I learn to let go a lot of things because of those experiences, which for now feels like a good experience for me (Literally my page motto is my life motto, it is what it is)
This also made me think, that I am a person who likes to stay the same, more often than I'd like to admit. I mean this by saying like for example, no matter how many times I play Stardew Valley, I will follow a similar route. If irl, the mix rice shop I visit for almost 4 years now? I'll pick the same veggie and meat choices everytime I go there. I find comfort in repetition, I like following the same pattern, I enjoy being safe in a known routine.
If i want to ramble about this, I do like to change sometimes, explore different options, pick a different route etc. But, only if I finished the "foundation" first(both in game and irl)
So for example, stardew valley right? I tend to go min max route, getting my greenhouse and my plants, relationship, all those jazz to maximum first before I actually try something else. What's funny is the something else can be as small as picking a different spot to fish, wearing a different hat, try defeating the dungeon without espresso(that was awful) or romance other people(I still love Harvey more than anyone, sorry Sebastian, I do love the frog though)
Same with Minecraft, Im a builder yes, but I also grind a hell lot in the game, building industrial district and shit ton of farms to get whatever I need.
I think this is kinda reflected irl, where I like to have a strong stability of foundation before I try something different, something that is not part of the route Im used for. It's like once I am sure that our project presentation has the right amount of slides, informations and delivery, then only I try and test out animations, maybe some infographics and whatnot. Same with patient counselling, I usually follow a flow strictly in patient information gathering because that is what we were taught in University (name, age, height, weight, etc), but one time I decided to switch it up a bit to and try to make small talk in between info gathering (like when a patient tells me they're married, instead of moving on I congrats on their marriage instead) and has found it a nice experience and change of pace. You may find this a silly or heck, an obvious thing that I should've tried, but you need to understand every video, notes and lectures always follow a systematic manner with stuff like this. I've only started incorporating this style after being in the med course for like, 2 years, so when I transitioned to Pharmacy, it came naturally to me when it comes to building rapport with patients. The patients and lecturers love it, because the process can feel more like a conversation rather than an interrogation you know, it feels more lively, more empathy and whatnot. I hope to continue to improve on this actually, Im really happy that one of the change I made on an impulse stick through and benefitted my career.
Id say one bad thing with this habit (with how I approach change) is sometimes I miss out opportunities and again, missing out the fun. Heck, sometimes the process to finish the "foundation" itself feels like a chore that sucks out the fun from games. Like rn with tears of the kingdom(totk), I like collecting Light of Blessing to get more hearts and stamina, but god- totk is so much bigger now compared to the first one, and I got overwhelmed and stressful to play the game. So I dropped it on my previous semester break. (I wanna go back to it one day, hopefully)
This kind of also tie into something Im aware of, is that I get weary and overthink in the face of uncertainty. Like there are a lot of places in totk that I have yet to explore, because I have thoughts like
oh shit does this have important story plot? wait what if im suppose to go place A before going place B first? will it mess up the timeline? oh no that place is new what the heck let's just put a marker first-
you get the gist, same applies irl too. An invitation to quizzes, participating talk shows or experiments, most of which I usually don't attend in fear of my lack of skills or just, nervousness in new environment. There's always a lingering thought that I am not good enough to go to events that clearly, required skills and competence beyond what I have. Im no 4 flat student, hell my cgpa is shit lmfao, the only thing Im good at are soft skills and maybe level 1-2 clinical judgments. I still regret that one time I didn't join a community event where they've explored and talked about stem cells intervention, they had a whole freaking lab!! of cells!! like in the movies!!!!!!!!! ok anyways
Idk what im tryna say with this ramble, I just wanted to share and relate my experience to the video, maybe this is like a self reflection. I've been trying to be better at managing some of the issues I talked about, building confidence or maybe facing confrontations instead of dipping entirely.
If you read till here, thanks I guess! maybe you can relate to me or maybe you just wanna read my yaps, either way I appreciate it :D if you want to share your thoughts or experiences as well go ahead!
#procrastinating on my actual school work to ramble about stuff hA#scream to the void to feel better#gummyspeaks#rambles
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Hi can I ask about your writing process regarding "our love is these days' piano"? How do you usually write, do you plan out everything in advance, or just use a general outline? How hard it is to write a story that takes place in the Regency? Do you do a lot of historical research? (I really enjoy looking up the little things you sprinkle in there, like Robin Adair) What is the best advice you wish you would have known when you started writing?
hi! thank you so much for this amazing message. it makes me feel like a *real writer*.
i usually follow the same process when writing a story. i always start with an outline, which i break up into scenes so i know exactly when certain events take place.
however, with olitdp my outline has changed a million times. i usually wait until a story is finished to post it, so it mostly ends up being pretty much what i originally planned it to be. with olitdp, i've had so much amazing feedback that has helped change the story substantially. it was only ever supposed to be 6 chapters. so in all honesty, if you like the story, it's as much your accomplishment as mine.
i have to admit, though, it is bloody hard writing regency. i'd say this is probably the most challenging story i've ever written, because - for some unfathomable reason - i wanted to stay as close to regency english as i could and it requires a fuckton of research. i'm not a historian, and certainly not a historical linguist. so most of the time i spend on this story, goes into looking up if certain words or expressions existed in the regency era. i have several tabs open with etymological dictionaries and thesauruses as i write, plus i consult pride and prejudice (my main inspiration) on project gutenberg constantly to see if jane austen used certain words.
i want to make it extremely clear, though, that i am not saying that i've never used any words that did not exist in regency times. i 100% did, but i try to avoid modern words that would stand out like a sore thumb as much as i can.
this is why it takes me a million years to complete a chapter, by the way. pretty much all the dialogue is written out for the entirety of the story (unless my amazing readers inspire me to change the outline yet again). but all the actions in between, choosing the right and period-appropriate words to describe them, takes hours and hours of research.
as for other research, i have gone down many a regency rabbit hole. i have spent days reading about the correct order in which to enter or exit a dining room, the layout of upper class regency houses, the way a regency household is structured, popular books and songs of the time, clothing items and fabrics and lately, regency dances (which will play a key part in the next chapter 👀).
if you're writing regency stories and want detailed information and video clips of regency dances, this website is the most brilliant resource. it has helped me out so much. highly recommend.
a few other great websites, that gave me a lot of insight and understanding of the how and why of the regency period are, in no particular order:
jane austen's world (just great in general)
regency history (especially the page i linked to, on how to behave at regency balls)
ellie dashwood (youtube channel that has truckloads of information on regency novels, a lot of them jane austen's)
if i had to give any advice - not that i am in any way an authority on writing recency pieces - it would be to not do it 😅. or at least, don't stick to the regency english. it has slowed down my writing so, so much and while i am quite pleased with all the research i've done, i have made it so much harder to tell the story i want to tell, and i am constantly worried i am veering off into purple prose territory with the words i do decide to use.
i have been working on a new penthony-story (mostly in my head, though) for a while and i'm definitely setting it in modern times because i just want to be able to write without second-guessing myself with every word.
should you decide to try and stay as true to regency language as you can, i would heartily recommend pulling up a regency novel (doesn't have to be austen) and checking it for certain expressions and vocabulary as you go along. i think that, far more than the etymology websites, has helped me decide on the wording of my story. plus, bonus re-reading of some of your favourite pieces of literature. (i do get lost in p&p every once in a while, and i LOVE it).
if you managed to get to the end of this ranty post, i commend you, dear reader. thank you so, so much. i cannot tell you guys enough how much your interest and interaction with me have inspired me and helped me shape the story.
and you, @cardeakelsey: what an amazing ask this was. thank you so much for taking the time to notice the tiny things i put in there and for appreciating them. it genuinely means the world.
#our love is these days' piano#olitdp#answered asks#penthony#bridgerton fic#my readers are better than yours
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Book Recommendations (Hoodoo)
One of the things that I see the most online is when people ask what books they should read to learn about Hoodoo. An important part of Hoodoo is understanding that your ancestors and spirit guides are the ones you should rely on the most. The books you may come across may be best for learning how to start. Here, I will compose a list of books that I've read. I will put books directly related to the topic and further down will be books useful for hoodoo but not the practice itself.
Sticks, Stones, Roots, and Bones: Hoodoo, Mojo, and Conjuring with Herbs - Stephanie Rose Bird - This book had a ton of useful information for those who are trying to learn the history of hoodoo. Bird does a great job explaining how there are different forms of practice based on geographics and their respective evolutions. You'll find early in the book that she states "Hoodoo is a practice open to anyone who has an interest". This is one of those unfortunate things that contribute to the debate of whether or not hoodoo is a closed practice. Going forward in the book, you find more historical information on things like talismans and tools people would use in or around the slavery period. After that, you find a comprehensive list of rituals you can do. There is a good variety of options you can choose from for typical everyday things. All in all, I thought the book was just OK. The only use that I really got from the book was the historical and talismanic chapters of it. Otherwise, the later sections didn't have any use to me. A lot of the ritual ingredients that you would have to use to complete anything are inaccessible and expensive, which I feel defeats the point of hoodoo given the fact that you use what you have when you can.
365 Days of Hoodoo - Stephanie Rose Bird - I have the same feelings about this book that I have with the previous one. The difference is that this one lacks the historical aspect of the workings in it. The goal of this book is to give you workings to do daily for an entire year. It's a guidebook of hoodoo! Just like I said for the last part, you are pretty much encouraged to go out and buy items for the workings. Geography and economic status are not really considered in this book so doing daily workings doesn't really work out in the long term unless you have expendable money and high commitment. I thought that this book was mediocre in a few ways. My initial impression of the structure of the writing was not good. It's a manual essentially for a spiritual practice that has no set system or order. It is written for anyone interested in the practice, and the explanations in it for each component and tool are good, but encourages you to spend, which is what we don't want. All things considered, the book didn't impress me. But everyone's experience with something will be different.
Hoodoo, Conjuration, Witchcraft, Rootwork; Beliefs Accepted by Many Negroes and White Persons Volume 1-5 - Harry Middleton Hyatt - These books are huge tomes of information recorded by Hyatt through the 1970s and before/after. This series of volumes is highly inaccessible because there are only 300 copies of each in the world. I think these books are a highly valuable resource for anyone who wants to get serious about their practice. Hyatt interviews people from all over the states, asking them about very specific topics in hoodoo ranging from spirits to roots to poisons, etc. Unfortunately, not all of the information is useful, practical, or ethical in many cases, but most of it is. The books go for thousands of dollars online, making them really hard to obtain, but I managed to find volume two in a local college library so they are not impossible to get a hold of. This collection goes very high on my list because of its historical value. As a social scientist, my appreciation for this book is like nothing else. The book is rich in black culture and customs, you see how life was for people in that time period and you even see stories about past generations. Life back then was very different from how it is now, obviously, but there are some similarities you can spot from the interviews.
Mojo Workin' - Katrina Hazzard Donald - I personally haven't got to this book because I just obtained it so it isn't high on my priority list. I have heard from other people that the information in this book is valuable and unique as it isn't a regurgitation of what other authors are putting in their books. I think this would be a very good read for those who want to know more about the history of hoodoo rather than reading a guidebook for how to practice it.
It's a short list of books, admittedly, but I am picky about them. I refuse to read books about hoodoo from Caucasian authors. There is essentially an epidemic of white people who claim to be hoodoos and proceed to mislead people or are outed to be racist. The books listed hold a great amount of useful information for beginners and intermediate practitioners. I cannot express this enough though, there is no structure to what hoodoo is, and to make progress you really have to experiment.
Another list of books that I have are books that practitioners use commonly but are not directly related to the practice itself. These books have historical connections to hoodoo, for example how it was kept hidden during slavery and how the people of the time stayed fortunate and safe.
The Holy Bible - The most common tool you will see from nearly every hoodoo practitioner is the Holy Bible. People will very commonly say that the Bible is something like a spellbook for hoodoo, which is fair. The prayers you can get out of it are immaculate and have been used for specific purposes throughout time. I am not sure if there is anyone who uses the whole bible in their practice but I am sure there are people who use more than proverbs and psalms. If you look online or in some books, you find that the Psalms all have specific uses. Each psalm is prayed once or more and you may have to take extra steps to achieve what you want to get out of it. Food for thought; the bible -specifically catholicism was used to cover up hoodoo practices during its development. It is not uncommon for people to work with or pray to saints and angels in their practice when it comes to hoodoo as they are a part of many people's spirit teams.
The Charmers Psalter - Gemma Gary - is a short book with the psalms and their uses listed respectively. Gary tells the reader the very specific ways rituals can be performed with the psalm you need to use for a specific purpose. It is a very small book with a large amount of information for any practitioner.
The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses - I am not fully sure if these are counted as books? It is more of a book full of seals that are used for highly specific purposes too. Something you learn in the Hyatt collection is that there are a lot of people who used to include these seals in their mojo bags and other workings to help make a working take its effect faster or better.
That's as far as the list goes for this edition. I am open to answering questions if anyone has any. I have some other lists in the drafts for other practices.
#witchblr#divination#witchcraft#tarot#crystals#hoodoo#numerology#divination readings#african american#african traditional religions#occult#occultism#booklr#books#african america history
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My weekly roundup CW 13
Well, I watch a lot during the week, as you all might know. I really want to write a little bit more about the stuff I watch, but time and work kind of get in my creative way. So I try to write down my thoughts after watching stuff to create a little weekly ranking in relation to the previous week on my, most of the times, quiet sundays (and because I love lists and this is a good excuse for me to create a new OneNote journal!).
The Promis is on hiatus, so it didn't make it on this week's list.
→ 1. Our Dating Sim (Ep 7+8 / The Final)
The final! It is so perfect. The whole story just feels realistic! How Wan makes his decision at the end is understandable and that they then offer him to develop a webseries out of the game, perfect. Ki Tae's fear of loss broke my heart. I can understand him so well. What I especially liked were the little things. How Ki Tae and Wan hold hands in the office, how Wan hugs Ki Tae a little tighter when he realizes how much his leaving in the past hurt Ki Tae. The whole birthday present with the snippets of Wan's life where he missed or thought of Ki Tae. Uhhh, that gives me goosebumps and tears in my eyes right away. The last scene where Wan says goodbye to Ki Tae and gives him little pats on the butt. This normal tenderness that belongs to most relationships was just beautiful to watch. It all seemed very natural and that's why again this week's number one goes to Our Dating Sim. And if people haven't already, check out the BTS…highly recommended!
→ 2. Unintentional Love Story (Ep 5+6)
Okay…I think it's so ridiculous that some people really skip the show because there is a Dead Fish kiss. The chemistry between the two is just awesome! I didn't watch that scene just one time. Yes, I just close my eyes for a moment or look away during the kiss, but the whole build up to the kiss and up to the second is so worth the watch! It is just so good! I felt it tingle in my stomach. I love the story of the two mains and also the second couple. I'm excited about the series and I really wish more people would watch it, despite the not so nice kiss. Yes, it sucked, but it doesn't take away from my enjoyment of the series. There were worse ones, but I probably didn't like the show that much either (All the liquors I'm looking at you).
↑ 3. A Shoulder To Cry On (Ep 5+6+7 / The Final)
Reading the comments on MDL, you can get really sad. It feels like every second person is upset that there wasn't a kiss and I'm sitting here, being glad that there was at least an "I like you". That's where they stayed true to the manhwa. Their love is a little different than others. They aren't big on romance, the bouquet of flowers at the end was really a lot. In general the weekend away was something special. And why not show this side of the romantic relationship? I think it's good that not everything always has to be so over-romanticized, but that relationships also sometimes start slowly, take their time until the characters feel comfortable with each other or just don't show that much affection. That doesn't mean they don't care for each other or love each other. It is so stupid to always demand a kiss. Not every relationship needs those and not every story needs them. I thought the series was great. Great chemistry and a cute story.
☼ 4. The Eighth Sense (Ep 1+2)
Ohhh such a good start. I love stories about surfers. I've been excited about the subject matter since "Shelter" (one of the best queer movies I've seen). The story starts with what I would say attraction/interest-at-first-sight and I like it so much. Also how the more introverted Ji Hyun comes out of his shell and wants to learn to surf to get closer to Jae Won, at least as a friend. I'm already looking forward to the heartbreak! It's going to hurt so good. If there's no happy ending, I'm starting a revolt. I really can recommend this series.
↑ 5. Jack o’Frost (Ep 6 / The Final)
All in all, the final was a bit unspectacular, but it fits the overall picture of the series. Not that it was bad or boring, but it was told at a steady pace and I like that. I think it's nice that Ritsu was able to remember everything at the end and give the relationship a second chance. Now the reason for forgiving Fumiya, that he hid from him they didn't meet each other for the first time at the cafe, I thought was a bit weak, but again sweet because he was able to give their shared history a different meaning. The way he forgot everything about Fumiya after his accident and can now remember everything about him has something very romantic and I think that this time they'll manage to communicate and make each other happy.
↑ 6. Bed Friend (Ep 7)
I wanted to hit them all! King, you stupid idiot! The man you love comes out of the boss's office visibly distraught and you can't think of anything better to do than accuse him of doing it on purpose? Your stupid jealousy comes at the shittiest time ever here! A slap for you! And Krit…you fucking asshole! I'm really uncomfortable watching him act. Not just the sexual assault, but the invasion of Uea's privacy when he showed up at his family's home. That's where it really shakes me. A kick in the nuts for you. And at the end, Uea's mom gets a load too. What a bitch! I hate her. It's good that Uea was finally able to stand up to her a bit. Hopefully he can cut off contact altogether. I big fat slap on her filthy mouth. I feel sorry for his poor sister too. What a crappy episode full of trauma and pain! Honestly, I'm so fascinated by how Uea continues to stand tall. I would have broken down. But he's a strong guy! Jade was the sweetheart in this episode. A little silly at times, but a true good friend.
↓ 7. Chains Of Heart (Ep 7)
Oh man. This show is killing me. Can't they finally kiss? What is this series waiting for? Something until the last episode? Looking at the previews, I don't even want to see the next episode…But back to this episode, where it felt like hardly anything happened. There was a stupid fight in an alley, sorry, but Hin really shouldn't fight…it looks way too posed. I don't like DeeDee. He is way too possessive of Ken for me. You two aren't dating and just because you are jealous doesn't mean Mr. Lue is a bad person. Yes, I'm still on his side. Poor little guy. Had to get drunk this week out of heartbreak. Ken was mean though…Well, they still ended up in bed together in the end! And the scene with the friends outside the door was indeed hilarious. I also think Din as Mr. Lue is trying to expose our one-eyed man and his illegal dealings, and the purchase of the wood is meant to be a trap. At least something I can take away from this episode as insight.
→ 8. A Boss And A Babe (Ep 5)
I don't know, I think Gun approaches the whole thing a bit too offensively. I really didn't like the kiss in the car. To see how confused and jealous Cher is, however, I find very sweet again. Yes, Gun has to bring out the big guns to show Cher that he likes him, but just because our boy just don't get what Gun is trying to tell him doesn't mean I have to like what he's doing. I continue to think it's good that Gun values Cher's opinion so much. I think he needs that kind of appreciation a lot, especially considering his past. Oh yeah, I think they're cute together.
→ 9. Tin Tem Jai (Ep 5)
And we took 45 steps back and the show is kind of annoying like before...Tin can't stop aksing Park to marry him and it gets to a point where it just annoys the crap out of me. But Park can't say a clear word so what do we do here? Just let him date the cute senior and Park sucking up on his jealousy. I feel there is no progress between those two.
→ 10. PastSenger (Ep 4)
I'm writing the recap on sunday and honestly, I don't remember what happened. All I remember is that they almost kissed, in Kiao's memory of their clash they kissed. There were so many filler scenes in it. I don't have to watch the friends eat for ten minutes without anything happening or talking. I didn't get the slave thing either. Why am I still watching it? I don't know. Now I have The Eighth Sense to watch on wednesdays and I'm so much more into it! And these stupid revenge plots…Oh man, you're in university and not in kindergarten anymore.
#josi watching bl#weekly update#weekly wrap up#sunday charts#our dating sim#unintentional love story#a shoulder to cry on#the eighth sense#jack o' frost#bed friend#chains of heart#a boss and a babe#tin tem jai#past senger#bl drama#bl series
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I still haven't gotten into rain world, I played it for an hour or so but it was a bit too slow paced to really grab me at the time. I really wanted to like it but I haven't touched it since. can you convince me?
I will convince you AND anyone else reading this who might be interested in rain world !! >:3c or at least try to lol
quick summary for anyone unfamiliar: Rain World is an indie sidescroller where you play as a little animal trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. the player characters, 'slugcats', must eat enough food during the short dry seasons to be able to hibernate through the deadly torrential rain seasons - without getting eaten by bigger animals. as you venture deeper into the game, you learn more about the long-gone civilization whose ruins you're now traversing.
reasons to play Rain World and stick with it despite the frankly harrowing difficulty:
the atmosphere! the nature-is-reclaiming-but-boy-is-it-harsh atmosphere is my personal favorite part of the game. the world only becomes stranger the further you delve into the game. old ruins, old worlds, old religions, old mistakes, old ghosts ... all in a world that feels lush and new and alive despite.
music is used sparingly, but it's gorgeous when it's there, especially during cutscenes
speaking of which, the cutscenes are essentially beautiful digitally painted slideshows. again, full of atmosphere and feeling
the game itself has a deliberately coarse, almost brutalist look, which I think fits the vibe extremely well. unusually for these types of games, all character animation is generated in real time, with each part of a character's body being affected by physics. this creates some very fluid, realistic animation and some ... frankly very janky gameplay, that nonetheless feels very satisfying when you get the hang of it. the learning curve is steep, but once you get really good at movement, you can zoom around the map at much-higher speed!
it may not look like it on the surface, but this game got crazy good AI. it's more or less a fully functioning, procedurally generated ecosystem. every individual enemy lives its own life, including off-screen. each type of enemy has its own unique personality (members of sapient species even have unique personalities generated for each individual!), and almost every being in the game is programmed to try to feed and find shelter before the rain returns, just like the player. the vast majority of beings in the game also develop a relationship to the player that changes depending on how you behave around them - you can actually tame enemy animals and make friends with sapient species! or you can kill enough of a species to destabilize the ecosystem, causing invasive species to appear, among other things. the AI is super intricate and complex, and I highly recommend looking up how it works, just so you can fully understand what you're experiencing in-game. a lot of things that seem random are decidedly not. it's deeply fascinating!!
while it's light on story and there's very little dialogue, what is there is strange, abstract and very poignant. it's a "glass half full" type of story at best, but the almost ... tender(?) way the bleak story is handled really made it stick with me personally. I highly recommend seeing the story through, if nothing else by watching someone else's playthrough. it goes some truly mysterious places that I at least in no way predicted.
as much as I personally love this game, I do also have to disclaim that it's not ... perfect. it's a niche game (I think?) for a reason. the fans love it for the same reasons critics hate it - it's hard, it's weird, it consciously refuses to conform to a lot of the traditional principles of what makes a "good game", and its near-total lack of in-game tutorials makes it almost hostile to new players. it frequently leaps back and forth between "hard, but worth it" and "I will give you 2 dollars if you climb that telephone pole 47 times!" type difficulty, and all you can really do to combat it is to pick and choose which challenges are enjoyable to you and which to leave alone.
I personally gave up on the hard mode campaign completely because I wasn't having fun - the standard campaign was already difficult for me. I also looked up a lot of the lore that is technically available in-game because I found the way to obtain it to be a boring grind at my current skill level.
Rain World is difficult and not in a balanced, fair way, like Dark Souls or Hollow Knight. it will fuck you over at the drop of a hat, for no reason, with no way to recover. it will render the last two hours of gameplay moot if you screw up in the last five minutes. it is not always, strictly speaking, a "well-designed game."
but it is a beautiful game, an immersive game, brimming with emotion right under the steely surface, and if you enjoy simply being in the world and you want to learn more about it, I highly recommend sticking with it in whatever capacity is fun for you.
and then look up all the lore you missed by being a rational person + watch some video essays on youtube about how that insane AI works because understanding what's going under the hood of this game is going to make the slow-paced parts SO much more exciting
everyone who likes fucked up animal stories and getting their shit dismantled by RNG ad nauseum go play rain world right NOW it's FANTASTIC and I LOVE IT SO MUCHH IT'S SO SPECIAL DESPITE THE. THE ALL THAT. THE PAIN
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hi morri, hope you're having a good day! how did you get into dnd? i'm interested by it but my adhd revolts at all the complex info and rules and reading and such. i'm trying to get a feel for it with baldur's gate, is that misguided? lmao i know nothing 🙏🏼💗
LUSH!! Ask me about my special interest why don’t you? /pos
I’m gonna start off and say that I have yet to play BG3 so I can’t really make a comparison between that and actual D&D, but from what I’ve heard the rules are pretty much the same, it’s just a lot more limited in choices Bc yk, video game. (No game will ever be able to simulate the pure chaos of people playing D&D. I swear to you. People come up with the wildest shit.)
So, I’ve had an interest in it for YEARS, like, so long. I don’t even remember where it started, I just thought it sounded cool as hell and I wanted to play. But I didn’t *really* get into it until late last year.
I got my introduction by watching Critical Role, and that helped me to the point that the second time I ever played I could help my DM remember rules. (No one believed me that I had only played once before lmao.)
So if you want to get a feel for how it works and the rules, watching people play is a GREAT way to do that! There’s some amazing D&D shows out there. I’ve only watched CR, but I know a lot of people who love Dimension 20 and I’ve also heard of Not Another DnD Podcast. (If anyone has other suggestions, feel free to comment!)
(Btw, if listening to just audio is impossible for you, like it is for me, both CR and d20 have full videos of their streams on YouTube. Which is both more fun (facial expressions, body language, and all around shenanigans) and also lets you see and understand combat better which is helpful!)
But all in all, the best way to really get a feel for the game is actually play it. (Which is true of anything, really.) I have a discord server for simmers who play D&D, and I’d be happy to send you the invite if you want! I’ll gladly answer any questions you have (I’m not kidding. I’ve explained just about the entire rule book to my mom and sister by this point, and I enjoyed it.), plus we’re hoping to run a couple one shots this summer!
A one shot is a great way to test out the waters and see if you like it, plus they can be just plain ridiculous, so I highly recommend giving one a shot.
Okay, that’s it. I swear. I’m so sorry for rambling at you for 200+ words. But yeah, feel free to DM me on here or on discord if you have questions and/or want an invite to the server. (That goes for anyone btw!) I hope you enjoy your foray into D&D!
#ask Morrigan#morrigan.txt#morrigan plays dnd#d&d#nonsims#friends <3#literally please talk to me about D&D. I swear you’re not annoying and there are no stupid questions. /gen#I love this game so damn much
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Skinamarink (Re-Appraisal)
Okay, so this is the first time i’ve ever done this for a movie, but i couldn’t get this one out of my head. As y’all may remember, i spent my initial review mainly talking about the issues i had with it and then sending it off with a mediocre score and a lukewarm recommendation if you’re into arthouse shit.
But, for whatever reason, i couldn’t stop thinking about it.
I found myself liking the movie more and more the more distance I had from actually watching it, and the more i was just researching the (very sparse) lore and looking at tumblr posts and shit. Which seemed super weird to me, and idk that i should recommend a movie based on how it makes you feel AFTER you’re done watching it
So i watched it again last night
This time, i really thoroughly enjoyed myself. I knew what I was in for, I could follow the plot, I was prepared for the weird way it was shot so it wasn’t distracting, and the nature of the scares meant that they actually stayed pretty effective the second time around as well.
It was MUCH more emotionally effective. It made me anxious, it made me incredibly fucking depressed, it made me feel a little bit sick to tell you the truth. It actually succeeded in just about everything it set out to do.
I also didn’t realize the first time around how...not irrelevant the visuals are, but secondary. A lot of the movie is told through sound alone, and the sound quality really is incredible and very fucking creepy. I caught myself at times wondering if you could just listen to this entire movie and still get what was going on. You couldn’t, and the visuals are important and very striking sometimes, but almost. Either way, it’s very interesting.
I would highly recommend this movie, based on my second viewing of it, but therein lies the catch
Okay, my praise out of the way, here’s where i’m gonna start dumping all over it
Skinamarink is kinda like hypnosis. It only works if you let it. You can’t watch it like a normal movie. You have to really immerse yourself in it, i mean, in a sense you have to almost actively TRY to enjoy it, or at least try to engage with and understand it. There’s a whole section of people i know who just read that and went “Oh, well that alone makes it a shit movie.”
Which is a valid take, and you’ll fucking hate Skinamarink.
But if you let yourself get totally immersed, watch it alone in the dark with like some very nice quality headphones and pay very close to attention to everything you see and hear (because many of the infamous static shots of random ceiling corners and shit are actually giving you some kind of information), you’ll have a really great....great’s probably the wrong word, a really tense and uncomfortable and horrifying experience.
Also, this is almost the opposite of one of those blockbuster Marvel movies where they don’t even want the actors to know what’s going on lest something be spoiled, i would honestly highly recommend going into Skinamarink already knowing the basic beats of the plot. Not y’know a scene-by-scene breakdown, but just knowing what pretty much happens greatly improved my enjoyment of it the second time.
What happens being, essentially, that a kid playing with some imaginary friend seems to fall down the stairs and hit his head. They get home from the hospital later that night and the dad goes to bed. The sister gets up later to find the dad has disappeared into thin air, along with all their house’s doors and windows. From there, it’s largely just the story of these two kids trying to make sense of and survive their situation while they’re fucked with in gradually and then very fucking dramatically escalating ways by what appears to be an omnipotent entity. Think I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream starring two kids just barely too old to be called toddlers, and no motivation or backstory is given for AM and you’ll start to understand what it’s going for.
In terms of technique, it’s shot in a deliberately frustrating and disorienting way that is often supposed to be mimicking a child’s perspective. You don’t get a good look at anyone’s face, ever. The two main characters are exclusively shot from the waist down, usually the knees down. Once in a blue moon you get the back of someone’s head.
Characters are usually completely off-screen, and so is the action. I don’t just mean the gore and scary shit. I mean almost literally everything that happens happens off-screen while the camera is pointed somewhere else. If you’re lucky, you’ll see an object get dragged on or off-screen, but that’s about it.
The dialogue that is there, and there’s not a lot, is almost entirely whispered and almost unintelligible, to the point that about half the lines are subtitled by the movie itself. It’s...not easy to follow.
Again, if that description turns you off, you’re gonna wanna give it a miss
Finally, i’d watch the director’s short film “Heck” first, it’s on youtube for free and it’s only half an hour. It’s not the same story, but it’s a very similar one with a very similar style, and serves as a very nice litmus test for your ability to put up with Skinamarink’s.....idiosyncracies.
So yes, i would recommend the movie. With a lot of fucking qualifiers. If it’s not worth the trouble to you, it’s not worth the trouble to you, and that’s fine. I don’t think i’d call it y’know the BEST horror movie of the year based on just how limited the appeal is. But i do believe for a select group of weirdos and art hoes (myself included) it’s one of the most bleak, disturbing, and anxiety-provoking horror films in a while and highly enjoyable.
TL;DR My first review remains true in that if you love arthouse pretentious shit you should give it a go and if you hate arthouse pretentious shit you should give it a miss and if you’re unsure you should read the long version and use your own discretion, but i actually really liked it. Eventually. I had to warm up to it
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You're the first person I see reblog anything form 1899. I assume that you watch it? I've been debating getting into it but something holds me back. Why do you like it? What about it? Basically give me that last nudge to go and watch it
Watch it and loved it!
There's a whole bunch of reasons why I totally enjoyed it, so I'm gonna list a few.
#1 Mystery - I'm a huge sucker for mystery. Little hints and teases at what might happen and what might not. Being just as clueless as the characters, trying to figure out with them what's going on.
#2 The cast - Perfectly chosen. Great acting. Superb chemistry with each other. Pretty people. The Captain can get it.
#3 The international languages - Aboard a ship that goes from Europe to the States, there are bound to be a bunch of languages and cultures. That's why I highly recommend watching it in it's original version with subtitles. That means every character speaks their mother tongue. That adds so much to the atmosphere and the situation aboard that they don't understand each other very well.
#4 What's real and what's not - The show really plays with the whole reality vs imagination thing, how the brain works and why it works the way it does. Is what we see reality? Is it our reality? Or is it something completely else? Absolutely love that trope.
#5 The writers - They're the creators of DARK, who has been an outstanding show with absolut mindfuck plot twists and it's one of my favorite shows, so ofc I had to watch 1899.
#6 The atmosphere - It just grips you. Idk how to explain but there's always this sense of dread and "What's going on?" around and I could hardly turn my TV off haha
#7 You have to pay attention (if you want ofc) - This is actually a point that puts a lot of people off, I totally get that. Sometimes you just wanna chill and relax and don't think while watching a show. But I also really enjoy a show where I have to think too. Where I have to pay attention to see the little clues that are all scattered around. 1899 does that really well. Sometimes it's the wording of dialogue, sometimes it's a small detail in the background that gives you a clue about what's going on.
#8 Lowkey to highkey shipping- I like shows where I can ship people and actually see their relationship grow, so I can squeal into my pillow like a teenager when they look at each other from a distance with soft eyes.
I do want to give a warning that it might start out a little slow for some people because it's quite a big ensemble cast so introductions take a while before it really takes off. But lemme tell you, the last two episodes blew my mind and I can't wait for another season haha.
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Hi I freaking loves your arts I'm trying to start drawing people that aren't just standing static but I have no clue where to find references may I please have some guidance? Also thank you and you are so slays sincerely 🌹
Hello and thank you 🌹! I'll preface this with the fact that I am by no means a professional or expert on the subject, but I can tell you some little tips that I find helpful (also - I really like giving critique! So, if you wanna get REAL personal advice, feel free to DM me your work and I can give you more specific pointers :3) I'll put this under a readmore bc I'm gonna include pics.
So! When I'm trying to break out of boring poses, there's a couple things I consider.
Character Personality factors a LOT into posing. When getting more stylized and cartoonier, you can REAAALLY push a character into being energetic or sad or what have you - but this totally applies to more realistically proportioned art as well. The amount of space a character takes up, how exaggerated their motions are, and their body language in general can all speak to their personality. I include these drawings because they're all basic character art - but the variations in posing differentiate them. I once read somewhere in some post about how characters hands should always both have a purpose and it still nags at the back of my mind while I draw even plain poses LOL
Give your character something to do. This also helps you break into larger-scale drawings. Drawing backgrounds, props, angles, all practices that will better your art immensely over time. Ofc, you don't have to do full-blown illustrations all the time if that's not what you want to do, but I'd highly recommend pushing your skills and learning new things. And this doesn't have to be an intense action scene, but just thinking about an environment/situation and how that would affect said character! This goes double for multi-character drawings; characters standing and smiling at eachother? Nice, but boring... Characters doing any activity together? Better! Here's some sketches that are still heavily character focused, but have just a bit of environment and implied story to them that make them more lively.
Now for references! There's hundreds of ways that you can find reference pictures for different scenarios, but often it can be discouraging to not be able to find one that fits your exact vision. I personally prefer just Google image searching whatever I need, but many people use pinterest as well. I also like using 3D model posers to get a more exact reference and understanding of how the body is positioned. My main tip would be that you do NOT have to follow a reference exactly. Feel free to edit a picture and rearrange a models body parts, to combine multiple pictures, to disregard half of the image, edit your sketch, make a new one on top, so on and so forth, THE POINT BEING: a reference picture is a tool, not a law. Don't feel restricted by it. Go nuts.
And as much as I hate to have to recommend it, do the boring practice stuff. Do traditional figure sketching (bonus points if it's timed!), learn about anatomy and line of action and gesture drawing. I unfortunately don't have any video recommendations on it, but I KNOW they're out there for free on YouTube so do some searching! If you wanna jump on in, try out Line Of Action and do some practices there (I HIGHLY recommend doing this on physical paper, not digitally, it just Works Better I swear), but if you've never done figure drawing before, you may need to read up on it. It's more technical and less fun than drawing furries and cartoon fanart, but it's useful and enjoyable in its own right!
I think that's all I've got for you... Hopefully my ramblings here are helpful! I've had about Half a semester of art school so really I'm still learning too LOL but this is the stuff that I found helpful as a beginner :) LMK if you have other questions at all!
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so accurate and detailed!!
🟫Vesta in 5th house: These people put their all into it when it comes to their hobbies, they may excel at more than one activity and have many artistic interests. Usually seen as multi-talented, passionate, as well as very good at whatever it is they do. To be efficient and work excellently, it is necessary for them to really enjoy what they are doing, so it is recommended that they look for jobs or study things that they are really passionate about. In case they decide to be parents, they will be excellent and they will put all their attention and care in seeing their children grow and love unconditionally. Very devoted people in love and at first they can be somewhat shy/it can be difficult for them to open up, but they can be very understanding lovers and willing to support their partner.
🟫Vesta aspecting Mercury: These aspects give a brilliant mind, full of ideas and always seems to be active, sometimes too much. They love to share their ideas with others and that others do the same. These people become very devoted to learning, either always trying to be good students or keep learning about various subjects that interest them. Tense aspects may indicate that the native is easily distracted.
🟫Vesta aspecting Mars: They have excellent abilities to focus their energy in a healthy and constant way on their goals or actions, they are very energetic when it comes to doing things they like. Sex for them is important, but it isn’t something they feel they can have with just anyone, because they want it to mean something deeper for them. They may work hard or keep busy to cope with inner tension or anger. Very good at working under pressure.
BOTH OF US: 🟤Vesta in Scorpio: They give their all when they are passionate about something, giving 200% in everything they consider important. They are private when they have plans, projects or passions and they only confide them with people they really trust. They may prefer to undertake ideas or projects on their own, especially if they are very personal or significant to them. One of the most loyal placements of Vesta, they respect privacy and constantly care for their relationships. Passionate, they immerse themselves in their passions, falling into the risk of distancing themselves from other issues in their lives or not giving them the indicated attention. Talent for spiritual matters, especially healing people or for the tarot. Highly developed intuition. Much wisdom. They are very sexual people who are not afraid of touching topics of this nature, intense and attentive lovers.
🟫Vesta aspecting Saturn: They are very persevering, constant and responsible people once they commit to something or someone. They can be very perfectionists with themselves, because they want to do their best and be the best version of themselves. They may take time to do things, but the results promise to be very good. May have a hard time starting some things for fear of not being prepared or not having enough skill or knowledge.
Partner:
🟫Vesta in 12th house: They are passionate about what is not easily perceptible by others, what goes beyond, what each person keeps in their heart, spirituality, the deep meanings of life, art or music they listen to, the root of social problems and their own emotional problems. Major healing placement of Vesta, a comforting person who knows how to understand and guide people. Great wisdom, altruistic and sensitive to their peers. They work hard when it comes to their dreams, they are very creative people with an interesting inner world and a mind full of complex and fascinating ideas. Interest in introspection and a need to constantly analyze their past and the things that have happened in order to understand themselves better.
🟫Vesta aspecting Venus: They can have many artistic talents, a lot of charisma when it comes to relating to others and even skills in managing finances. Honesty and transparency are crucial for them in a relationship. Very loyal in their relationships and always work to make them better. Tense aspects can cause the native to alternate between wanting a relationship and not wanting it, so they think better if they open up to having a relationship. They respect their space and their partner’s without forgetting to seek the relationship.
🟫Vesta aspecting Jupiter: They possess much inner wisdom and have a natural attraction to the complex and spiritual issues of life. They can be very lucky if they decide to work on things related to their passions. Talent to learn languages and easy to connect with people from other cultures. Very devoted people to the idea of always doing the right thing, fair and considerate of people. Good karma may come quickly to them.
Vesta: Your inner flame
⚶ Vesta asteroid [4] can show our talents, abilities and in which area of our life we should focus our energy or in which we usually focus our energy. Commitment and dedication, as well as the area of life or the aspects in which we focus our entire being. It is the area of your life in which you are willing to make sacrifices no matter what, in order to achieve the goal. In this post I will talk a little about the attributed talents. By sign I will speak of the way in which we do what we are most passionate about. By house, the area of our life in which we focus the most. ⚶
🟤Vesta in Aries: They are very passionate and active people who put all their energy when they have an idea in mind. The idea can arise spontaneously and as soon as they have it they can put it into action. They dislike doing things with a set routine and prefer to act creatively and figure things out on the go. They make their ideas actions and it bothers them to feel that they are only daydreaming about something instead of doing something. They may have a talent for a particular sport/physical activity, motivating themselves and others, and leadership. People with this placement are very focused once something captures their attention and they are quick to carry out an activity that they like. These natives dislike that others want to control how they do things or what they do, they stand out for their independence when it comes to carrying out a project of any kind.
🟫Vesta in 1st house: They are people who are very focused on learning more about themselves, getting to know each other from head to toe, and having a clear idea of who they are. They are true to themselves, they seek to stay productive and do what they want without caring much what others say. They put their energy in themselves, have a clear self-concept defined and they enter the journey towards that search for their true identity. They may have a talent for leadership, the ability to charisma, can help others find themselves and follow their own path and heart. They are focused on achieving independence, expressing themselves in an uninhibited way, and distancing themselves from the opinion or expectations of others.
🟤Vesta in Taurus: They are people who take their time to do things, they find it difficult to focus at first, but once they do, they are persevering, constant and determined to complete that activity or task. For them, achieving security, stability and comfort is the goal. They may have skills and talents for activities that require concentration and the use of their hands, such as drawing, crafts, pottery, painting, or playing an instrument. It usually takes some time before they decide to start bringing an idea to life, for fear that they won't be able to do their idea as they have it. Working on things they like makes them feel better about themselves, and when they finish something satisfactorily they feel a boost in their self-esteem. They may have a talent for handling money, for some art or as I mentioned previously, in an activity that has to do with the hands.
🟫Vesta in 2nd house: Some of the talents they may have are singing, for organization, investing [or for business related topics] and looking for creative ways to earn money. They are people who work daily on their self-esteem and know that hard work will lead them to have the economic stability they desire. They stand out for their loyalty and for that way of, even without realizing it, giving a lot of security to those they love. They do not go into projects, jobs or work on ideas that they know have no purpose, they like the tangible and the real. They protect what they have worked hard to achieve and are very focused on improving what they already have. They like to know that they have a safe place and always seek to do what makes them feel happy and more complete.
🟤Vesta in Gemini: They can have multiple ideas at the same time, their mental energy is high and they tend to be very productive and restless intellectually. They prefer to use their reason over their hearts when it comes to making an important decision, as they can be very objective. They are great communicators and highly capable, have a unique ability to verbalize their ideas, are resourceful, creative, and perform wonderfully when it comes to teamwork. They do not have a defined style of work, they can alternate between being spontaneous or organized. They may have many interests in mind, making it difficult for them to stick with one in particular. Multi-talented, they may have skills in many different fields. Great ability to connect people. They can get a lot of happiness if they make their hobby a job or vice versa. Talented writers or speakers.
🟫Vesta in 3rd house: Passionate about learning, they love learning about new ideas and concepts and are easy to understand. Great talents to learn new things quickly, talent for writing, public speaking and everything that involves communicating effectively. Their mind is restless, but that allows them to be able to focus on many things at once, that is, they run the risk of being easily distracted. They can be socially skilled, but they need some alone time afterwards, their alone time is something they enjoy doing many different activities. They can be passionate about reading and they can always have something to read on hand [books, notes, or internet articles]. They can help others by contributing unique ideas, as they are very creative.
🟤Vesta in Cancer: They tend to put their whole heart when it comes to doing something they are passionate about, they are tenacious and get a lot of emotional comfort when they do what they love the most. Their hobbies can be their safe place and can bring them a lot of satisfaction. They may have a talent for psychology, cooking and some arts, as they capture emotions in a satisfactory way. They take their emotions and those of others very seriously, plus they have a very special way of understanding other people's needs with ease. They highly value their space and may feel more comfortable and more creative when alone. Some of them can see their performance affected when they are not emotionally well, they can even take a break, because they want to be one hundred to dedicate themselves consciously and totally. They deeply care about the well-being of those they love.
🟫Vesta in 4th house: Their family is very important to them, and not necessarily the biological one, but the people they consider family (friends for example), they are very devoted to people who feel a very strong emotional bond. It is important for them to understand their own emotions and the emotions of those they love. They spend a lot of time doing activities that make their inner child feel happy, perhaps doing things they enjoyed doing as children or eating things that remind them of their childhood. They are very protective people with children or people they perceive as vulnerable. They may have a talent for making others feel comfortable and happy, dealing with children, cooking, or writing. They focus on healing their inner child.
🟤Vesta in Leo: These natives are highly creative and very spontaneous when it comes to getting going when doing something. The gratitude of others upon noticing the native's good deeds can greatly motivate them, they can get annoyed if they feel that others don’t appreciate them, their efforts or if others don’t give as much energy in the matter / work / relationship as them. They will always look for the key to happiness and they will do many activities to feel happy. They put a lot of energy into feeling satisfied with themselves and with what they do. They feel the need to do things their way and although authority doesn't bother them, it is more that they need to feel that they can express themselves through doing what they are passionate about. This placement can give charisma and the power to stand out doing what the person is most passionate about.
🟫Vesta in 5th house: These people put their all into it when it comes to their hobbies, they may excel at more than one activity and have many artistic interests. Usually seen as multi-talented, passionate, as well as very good at whatever it is they do. To be efficient and work excellently, it is necessary for them to really enjoy what they are doing, so it is recommended that they look for jobs or study things that they are really passionate about. In case they decide to be parents, they will be excellent and they will put all their attention and care in seeing their children grow and love unconditionally. Very devoted people in love and at first they can be somewhat shy/it can be difficult for them to open up, but they can be very understanding lovers and willing to support their partner.
🟤Vesta in Virgo: Regardless of other traits of their personality, if they are really interested in or passionate about something, they can be very perfectionists and demanding of themselves, they will always want to give their best in everything related to what they are passionate about. They will seek to be the best version of themselves and feel competent to perform whatever they like. Despite this and how independent they may seem, they will not hesitate to lend a hand if the other needs it. They give themselves body and soul to causes they feel worthwhile and like to feel useful and productive. This is a very productive placement of Vesta, as it feels comfortable in this sign. They prefer to work in a quiet place, in order and efficiently, noise or very chaotic environments can stress them out. They are capable of giving absolutely everything if the situation requires it. Silently passionate.
🟫Vesta in 6th house: They like to be there for others and support them. They probably have a job that they are truly passionate about or at the very least, it is important for them to work on something that they genuinely love. They may have a gift for understanding and caring for animals and may like them very much. Talent for design, organization, healing and understanding of complex ideas. It's crucial for them to do a great job, otherwise they don't feel good about themselves. They take great care of their body and their health, for them there is nothing more important than their emotional and physical well-being. They are very detailed when it comes to doing something, they put a lot of time and effort.
🟤Vesta in Libra: It is necessary for them to function in places with harmony and peace, tense and angry environments can make them nervous and deteriorate their performance. They actively work to have an internal balance and seek to find that middle ground between channeling their energy into themselves and others. They are people with a talent for relating to different types of people, a talent for any branch of art and for giving beauty to anything. They take their relationships seriously, are highly committed, and expect that same level of devotion from the other person. They may prefer to work together or make their work space aesthetically pleasing, for example, by decorating their surroundings. They are passionate, but they do not go out of their way or work more than is considered healthy for them, they prioritize their well-being and comfort. Perceived as elegant without trying.
🟫Vesta in 7th house: They have a great ability to understand the other very well, great diplomacy, charisma and talents to mediate any type of situation. They are somewhat selective with whom they leave within their closest circle, but they like to give their all in their relationships of any kind, especially those in which they see themselves in the long term. They work to maintain harmony and make both the other person and themselves feel comfortable in the relationship. If problems arise, they will seek to resolve them effectively. They do a lot of introspection and are able to see all sides of themselves even if it might be difficult. It is important for natives to create a balance between what they give and what they receive.
🟤Vesta in Scorpio: They give their all when they are passionate about something, giving 200% in everything they consider important. They are private when they have plans, projects or passions and they only confide them with people they really trust. They may prefer to undertake ideas or projects on their own, especially if they are very personal or significant to them. One of the most loyal placements of Vesta, they respect privacy and constantly care for their relationships. Passionate, they immerse themselves in their passions, falling into the risk of distancing themselves from other issues in their lives or not giving them the indicated attention. Talent for spiritual matters, especially healing people or for the tarot. Highly developed intuition. Much wisdom. They are very sexual people who are not afraid of touching topics of this nature, intense and attentive lovers.
🟫Vesta in 8th house: They are fascinated by topics that others do not dare to touch or explore, mysteries can attract a lot of attention. Criminology, psychology, occultism, spirituality or sexology. They possess great curiosity and may not rest until they know the truth. These people consciously or subconsciously seek emotional intensity. As for sex, they tend to seek a deeper connection with their partners and enjoy the idea of knowing and stimulating every corner of their beloved's body. They may have a more spiritual vision of death, believe in reincarnation or beliefs of that nature. They are aware that death is something we will all go through, so they may have the idea of wanting to enjoy themselves without inhibition.
🟤Vesta in Sagittarius: It is easy for them to feel motivated to start a project, do what they are passionate about or make their ideas a reality, the complicated thing can be to finish the action. They are very enthusiastic and creative people when it comes to doing what they like, no matter how serious they are in their day to day, you will see that sparkle in their eyes when they talk about what they like or when they do their favorite activity. They focus on acquiring more knowledge, more wisdom, on their dreams and ideas and on enjoying life. They may have a talent for learning new languages, generally for learning many things quickly, for teaching and for motivating people. They are people very devoted to their ideologies and with a strong sense of what is right. They enjoy learning about and experiencing new things and stand out for being open minded.
🟫Vesta in 9th house: Many of these natives feel a desire and an itch to learn about the complex issues of life, to see beyond what the school or their parents may have told them, to search for a deeper meaning or a reason for what happens to them. around. They may have skills in the humanities, learning new languages, debating, and teaching others. They may have an interest in the law and may fall under the label of a knowledgeable and curious person. They love all those activities that allow them to continue acquiring knowledge. They may love to travel or experience different cultures. They like to continue acquiring wisdom and spirituality can be very important to them, they will be very devoted to their beliefs.
🟤Vesta in Capricorn: It is crucial for these natives to be in a calm environment to feel completely comfortable, ironically they project to others the ability to work efficiently regardless of the chaos of the place. They are very constant and if they consider that something can augur something stable and f they see a purpose, they will give absolutely everything. Another Vesta placement commonly attributed to loyalty. These people are very hard workers, if you have a lot of tense aspects, especially Moon or Saturn, they don't let their emotional upset get in the way and can suppress their emotions in order to do what they have to do. Talents for organization, planning, strategy, they have a privileged analytical mind. They resist temptations easily, have great abilities to concentrate and to make people under their charge complete a task successfully. They give stability to others.
🟫Vesta in 10th house: For these people it is crucial to do something to get what they want, they like to feel productive and have a rational approach to their passions. They believe in hard work, especially if they are looking for a reward. They put a lot of their energy into things that can be useful to them in the long term, they like to play it safe and fight for things or people that are really worthwhile for them, because they don't waste their time or energy. High chances of working on something they really like. They can help many people through their work, or throughout life they can help many even without realizing it. Skills to bring comfort to people, leadership and to organize and put order in any chaos.
🟤Vesta in Aquarius: They like the idea of doing things their own way and are often drawn to activities that allow them to express themselves freely and at the same time do not make them feel as pressured. They can work just as well in a team as on their own, but may prefer to do things independently. They may have a talent for astrology, branches of science, or anything related to the humanities. They tend to do things with their own rules and do not like to follow a scheme, a plan or an order, as there is a tendency to get carried away when it comes to following a passion. They may have writing, computer, or digital art skills. They have this spark that allows them to unite people, they have a certain social charm. They are always willing to help others, and although they are not quick to trust, their friendly and charming personality makes them make favorable impressions on others.
🟫Vesta in 11th house: They are people with many aspirations and long-term goals, they actively work on them. They stand out for their creativity and ability to come out with innovative and intriguing ideas. Friendship is something that they value with all their soul and they will always try to be there for who their friends are, they can play the role of counselor and they will have an attentive and caring personality towards them. They are very compassionate with people and they like to unconditionally support causes that need it, they can give them a lot of support through social networks or by spreading the word. They may spend a lot of time on the internet and may have hobbies or a job that allows them to connect with many through it.
🟤Vesta in Pisces: These natives can lose track of time and what is happening around them, because they immerse themselves entirely in topics that they are really passionate about, they put their soul, all their attention and all their emotions into it. Actively seek to make the world a better place. They empathize with others and love the idea of helping others overcome difficult situations. They devote themselves to the task of supporting those they consider vulnerable or offering their support and understanding to those who love. A remarkable talent for art and spirituality, it is difficult for them to express their emotions but they do so in a remarkable way through these media. Easy to connect with the emotions and psyche of other people. Unique ability to heal the discomfort or sadness of others, great listeners and excellent counselors. Focus a lot on dreams and have a rich imagination.
🟫Vesta in 12th house: They are passionate about what is not easily perceptible by others, what goes beyond, what each person keeps in their heart, spirituality, the deep meanings of life, art or music they listen to, the root of social problems and their own emotional problems. Major healing placement of Vesta, a comforting person who knows how to understand and guide people. Great wisdom, altruistic and sensitive to their peers. They work hard when it comes to their dreams, they are very creative people with an interesting inner world and a mind full of complex and fascinating ideas. Interest in introspection and a need to constantly analyze their past and the things that have happened in order to understand themselves better.
🟫Vesta aspecting the Sun: These people are very devoted to things they are passionate about, have a loyal personality, and are very reliable and trustworthy. For them it is important to work on themselves, be it improving themselves, getting to know themselves better or developing their individuality. They may seem shy or focused on their own matters at first, as they don't really mind being on their own. They are very creative people and can tend to put a bit of themselves, a piece of their soul into everything they do.
🟫Vesta aspecting the Moon: These people need good environments, harmony both in their surroundings and emotionally to be able to concentrate. Emotions can direct the outcome of their actions and level their productivity. Unique way of understanding both their own emotions and those of others. These aspects show us someone who is very devoted, loyal and attentive to their personal relationships. Constant and balanced emotional world.
🟫Vesta aspecting Mercury: These aspects give a brilliant mind, full of ideas and always seems to be active, sometimes too much. They love to share their ideas with others and that others do the same. These people become very devoted to learning, either always trying to be good students or keep learning about various subjects that interest them. Tense aspects may indicate that the native is easily distracted.
🟫Vesta aspecting Venus: They can have many artistic talents, a lot of charisma when it comes to relating to others and even skills in managing finances. Honesty and transparency are crucial for them in a relationship. Very loyal in their relationships and always work to make them better. Tense aspects can cause the native to alternate between wanting a relationship and not wanting it, so they think better if they open up to having a relationship. They respect their space and their partner’s without forgetting to seek the relationship.
🟫Vesta aspecting Mars: They have excellent abilities to focus their energy in a healthy and constant way on their goals or actions, they are very energetic when it comes to doing things they like. Sex for them is important, but it isn’t something they feel they can have with just anyone, because they want it to mean something deeper for them. They may work hard or keep busy to cope with inner tension or anger. Very good at working under pressure.
🟫Vesta aspecting Jupiter: They possess much inner wisdom and have a natural attraction to the complex and spiritual issues of life. They can be very lucky if they decide to work on things related to their passions. Talent to learn languages and easy to connect with people from other cultures. Very devoted people to the idea of always doing the right thing, fair and considerate of people. Good karma may come quickly to them.
🟫Vesta aspecting Saturn: They are very persevering, constant and responsible people once they commit to something or someone. They can be very perfectionists with themselves, because they want to do their best and be the best version of themselves. They may take time to do things, but the results promise to be very good. May have a hard time starting some things for fear of not being prepared or not having enough skill or knowledge.
🟫Vesta aspecting Uranus: Need to put their own touch on everything they are passionate about, may prefer to work independently and feel inspired suddenly and when they least expect it. Difficulty concentrating on just one subject, tendency to multitask and be easily distracted. May procrastinate, especially with hard aspects. Difficulty focusing on day to day activities. They do not like to be ordinary, nor the routine.
🟫Vesta aspecting Neptune: They tend to be artistic people with a lot of potential in this area, in the same way they can have a great spiritual world and be very devoted to their beliefs. They are people with a lot of compassion who believe that by contributing their grain of sand they can help improve the world. They have high emotional intelligence and easily understand others. They put a piece of their soul into everything they do.
🟫Vesta aspecting Pluto: They keep their passions private, but feel more joy and satisfaction when they put one of them into practice. They have a lot of inner power, they can influence, change or transform others/their minds through doing what they are passionate about. Very sexual despite the impression they may give, sex is a memorable experience with them. May have an interest in the occult, mysteries, astrology, tarot or similar topics.
🟫Vesta aspecting Rising: With a loyal, constant and productive personality, they always seem to be on the go or with something in progress. They are passionate about the idea of knowing themselves more and more, they can seek to know everything about themselves and have a realistic and positive self-concept. Independence is something crucial for them, they need their space. They have a strong sense of identity, not easily influenced.
🟫Vesta aspecting Midheaven: They can be seen as very reserved people, there is a touch of purity mixed with confidence and certainty of where they want to go. They give the impression of being very productive and professional. They give their all when it comes to their career, they are hard workers and can make a job out of their passion. They are very productive and prefer to believe in making their own miracles happen.
🟫Vesta aspecting North Node: They live in the constant search for their life purpose, this may be linked to work or dedicate themselves to what they are most passionate about, either professionally or as a hobby. Their mission in life is related to forming a hard-working, devoted personality. They can achieve great things doing what they are passionate about. Helping others also seems to be an important issue in their soul development.
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Sometimes other white folks ask me the best way to be less of a Clueless White Person without demanding people of color expend effort teaching them, and I have a suggestion that will absolutely work. You won't wanna do it, but I'm going to tell you anyway. Step 1) Follow at least 50 more people of color on social media ASAP. Step 2) Read their posts, and don't reply to them unless they're addressed to you by name or they've addressed a non-rhetorical question to the general public. Not sure if it's rhetorical? Don't answer. Step 3) Make this a habit, over a period of years. That's it. Certain things will gradually start to become clear to you that used to be extremely opaque and confusing, and you will never have to waste a single other person's time educating you. Same goes for a man trying to understand women, a straight person trying to understand "teh gays," or any other group of people who has traditionally dominated conversations trying to understand a group who has traditionally been silenced/marginalized. The moment you enter a conversation between people your group generally dominates, you're tacitly asking it to accommodate you. Social media gives us an unprecedented opportunity to just quietly listen and learn how things really are for people. Don't waste it by butting in. "But I'm a straight middle-class white male Christian - this means I'll never get to reply to ANYONE!" If you're good friends, go ahead. If you're not, why does silence feel so much like hardship? Really think hard about this. You're so close to understanding. Also, #wellactually you aren't silenced at all. Thanks to the internet, we each have our own accounts and platforms where we can ramble as much as we want, and people can opt in. Witness me, white cis lady, doing just that, unsilenced "despite" my cis whiteness. I simply believe that not EVERY conversation is for or about me, and I also believe that the conversations that are not meant for me are worth listening to when they take place where I can witness them. Others' perspectives and experiences matter. And I also know that, raised as I was (white and affluent), I am primed to believe that my opinion matters and should be heard. I have to FIGHT that conditioning every time one person says something I disagree with on here. In my case it takes *effort* to stay silent. But for some people, speaking means fighting against their conditioning. Some people are raised to believe their opinions do not matter, and they are fighting that conditioning just to have these conversations, to make themselves heard. Social media gives them a place. In theory, being a woman should make it hard for me to speak up, but I was lucky; I missed that conditioning. My upbringing was largely free of sexism. So I have a very "white dude" tendency to talk over people, and it takes effort to just listen. But it's so, so worth it. I have learned FAR more about the reality of the world simply by quietly listening and observing than I have by "debating." I highly recommend that all of you, especially those of you who belong to one or more dominant groups, give it a try as often as you can.
Mishell Baker on Twitter (account https://twitter.com/mishellbaker/ no longer exists)
It’s so so important to learn that entering a conversation as a person with privilege changes the conversation. If you are a white person entering a conversation between people of color, you are changing the conversation. If you are a cis person entering a conversation between trans people, you are changing the conversation. Ask yourself: did these people invite me in? do they want this change? Can I not step in?
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Sterek Fic Recs
Here are links to my Top 10 favorite Sterek fics/series with my personal ringing endorsements for each. Not all of them are slow-burns, but most are, and all take place in canon.
1. By Any Other Name by entanglednow
33,090 words/Explicit
He doesn't know his name, he doesn't know who he is, and neither does the werewolf he's on the run with. But he's pretty sure they hunt monsters, because they seem to be really good at it.
This is my number 1, absolute favorite Sterek fic. It currently has over 21,000 kudos and for good reason. Stiles and Derek lose their memories and have to figure out who they are, who did this to them, and how to get their memories back. The fic does a beautiful job utilizing Stiles' detective skills to retrace their steps and shows how well these two work as a team with just their personalities and no prior history. Plus, who doesn't enjoy a Supernatural-style, monter-hunting roadtrip? Just absolutely gorgeous, made me tear up at the end, very well written, love of my life.
2. Stepping Off The Razor's Edge by MissAnnthropic
25,301 words/Explicit
After the events of season 3b, the group in Beacon Hills graduate high school and move on with their lives… everyone except Stiles and Derek. Beset by their demons, they decide they need to get away for a while to clear their heads. Cue the road trip. (companion piece to “Occam’s Razor” but can be read alone)
This is actually Part 2 of a series, but can be read alone (which I highly recommend you do!!!). It honestly hits much harder when not tied to Part 1 (and in my opinion actually has very little to do with Part 1), the tones are completely different, and the ending of Part 1 left a sour taste in my mouth. Just trust me on this one. Read this without Part 1. If you're still curious, go back and read it AFTER. THIS fic, however, is one of the subtlest, slowest burns I've ever read. It's very gradual but not in a frustrating way, since it's giving Stiles enough time to heal. Stiles, one day, just goes, "I can't anymore" and drops everything, including school, to essentially run away from his problems. Instead of trying to stop him, Derek, without any questions, opens the passenger door and goes "Where to?". A long, epic roadtrip ensues where they ignore the rest of the world and go from allies to the only ones that truly understand each other. It is absolutely beautiful.
3. Amor Fati by alocalband
42,812 words/Explicit
When Stiles gets thrown into the bank vault about twenty minutes after him, Derek isn’t even surprised. As it turns out, neither is Stiles.
This is probably the most well-written, in-character Derek I've come across. Prickly, snappy, but still cares for the well-being of others even if he doesn't show it. This fic is also meta at times in a funny way, with Stiles constantly calling out why the universe keeps shoving them together and why their lives keep playing out cliche' tropes. It doesn't get 4th-wall-break-ey, though, and it's mostly serious and hits you pretty hard in the beginning. It's not as overindulgent as you might think as you learn that all the times they're shoved together aren't just coincidence.
4. The Weight of Living by thecomedownchampion
7,083 words/Explicit
Healing was a slow process. It was like driving up a mountain in the winter without snow tires; you’d make a little progress, slip back a little, keep moving forward, get stuck in a snow drift and have to dig yourself out.
More Nogitsune trauma and Stiles trying to live with himself in the aftermath. No one but Derek truly understands what it's like to experience that much guilt and grief. Derek tries to show that Stiles is thoughtful and caring and nothing like the Nogitsune. There's a scene of Stiles remembering Derek's birthday that absolutely tore me up.
5. You Saw Me Standing Alone by orphan_account
43,947 words/Explicit
A pack of alpha werewolves is burning a war path through Beacon Hills; Stiles shouldn’t have the luxury of trying to get laid.
I honestly don't think I could describe this in a way to do this story justice. Just know that there's a reason that it's one of my top 5. The whole fic revolves around the Alpha pack wreaking havoc and leaving warnings all around town, mostly setting fires. Stiles and Derek steadily come together in a physical way but spend most of the time not quite knowing what their exact relationship is to one another. Stiles and Derek reminisce about loved ones, trading stories of fond memories. A story of navigating a relationship with neither one having any clue what they're doing or what they want, all while under a constant looming threat. There's also a bit in the beginning about Stiles taking some sort of healing potion that causes hallucinations, but so much other important stuff happens that you kinda forget about that part.
6. For You There's No Warning by Zee (orphan_account)
36,590 words/Explicit
Derek doesn’t know how Stiles always does this every time they have to work together: he gets Derek caught up in these ridiculous, circular conversations and Derek finds himself arguing over inconsequential things that he doesn’t actually feel that strongly about. It’s like Stiles has an innate ability to bring Derek down to his level of immaturity.
This is the best kind of dynamic. Their constant arguing and UST reaches a boiling point. You don't usually see this kind of fic from Derek's point of view, especially a Derek who, despite making the first move, is unsure and insecure and is just so terrified of taking advantage of Stiles, like Kate did to him (and the fear of becoming Kate is so crippling). It's also refreshing to see a headstrong Stiles that's confident and doesn't let Derek second-guess himself or run away when things get scary, who isn't afraid to say "Oh no you don't, buddy. We're going to sit here and talk this out." They're both awkward dorks that have a hard time communicating properly (it can get a little frustrating at times), but you can tell they're trying so earnestly, harder than they ever have with any other relationship. There's tons on monsters-of-the-week, hunters, witches, etc. There's plenty of excitement and drama. Also bottom!Derek, because he just needs someone to take care of him.
7. walk me down your broken line by geordielover
18,411 words/Explicit
The kissing. That’s important, very important. Not that the homicidal lycanthrope dragging him through dirt and fallen leaves isn’t important, but the kiss that follows? The path to this monumental push of lips on lips began even before this ill-fated venture to the Hale house. The douchebag manhandling him through the forest, hand clamped tight around Stiles’s throat to keep him from screaming, is just a bonus.
A cute, slow burn romance with a mostly soft Derek and an unsure Stiles that is always worried if the next thing he does is going to be what makes Derek break up with him (not realizing that Derek adores him). I love how supportive and understanding the sheriff is in this. Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a sucker for Stiles remembering Derek's birthday, but this fic reverses that with Derek being sweet and thoughtful for Stiles' birthday instead, which is almost just as nice. The main reason this fic is at my top 10 is because of one moment in particular, in which (not knowing of Derek's past with Kate) Stiles licks Derek's stomach...the aftermath of this broke me HARD. It is absolutely tragic for the both of them, but they find comfort in each other and it's very warming to read how they handle it. Plus, they face some monsters. All in all, their relationship is very wholesome and sweet, and not as heavy or riddled with grief as my other recommendations may be. You get the sense that they're together because they're fond of each other, not just because they're both hurting and lost.
8. We've Written Volumes (in Blood and Scars and Ink) by notthequiettype
25,935 words/Explicit
Stiles is on his back on hard-packed dirt. He's cold and there are leaves stuck to his neck and there's a four inch gash in his side that he thinks he can feel his ribs through. There's so much blood around him he feels like he's floating on a pond and everything is so much dimmer above him than it was a minute ago, which is saying something because he's in the dark center of the forest in the middle of the night. And the worst of it is that he's alone, totally alone with the smell of his own blood drowning him and the soft side of him run through by a tree. As his eyes slip shut, the last thing he thinks is, "This is going to kill my dad."
Another cute slow burn but with a surprisingly funny Derek. Stiles gets hurt and Derek takes it upon himself to dote on him. Stiles has printed out werewolf research laying out on his desk and Derek makes a habit out of writing sarcastic and hilarious notes between the lines. Made all the more hilarious because, despite what he's writing, his demeanor doesn't change. He's still stone-faced and broody all while doodling dicks on Stiles' research. At the same time, Derek can be socially awkward. It's adorable how these two learn things about each other and the witty banter and quips between these two are non-stop and pure gold.
9. Trust Fall by Stoney
144,224 words/Explicit
Stiles is fairly certain that a case could be made for every bad thing in his life coming back to Peter Hale. This time it's pissing off a powerful witch, who retaliated by swapping Stiles and Derek a la Freaky Friday, because sure. That makes sense. Um, there are GPAs on the line, not to mention the whole thing where his dad wants to shoot Derek on sight. Except who he sees as Derek is actually Stiles, and Stiles did not sign up for filicide. Great. Wait...does this mean he's the Alpha until they figure this out? Holy. Shit. **** Derek had stood in front of the bathroom mirror for a few minutes trying to control the panic as he saw himself as Stiles. As the loud mouthed human friend of the pack. He was going to kill Peter. He was going to kill the witch, then he was going to kill Peter. Maybe even resurrect him again just to kill him all over. They were going to have to play this cool. They would have to stay calm and focused. Which is of course why the universe threw him into this situation with someone who physically couldn't be calm and focused. Of course.
A body-swap fic that focuses on them learning each other's lives. Derek experiencing what it's like to have a father again via the sheriff is so heartwarming and Stiles learning about Derek's history with Kate is heartbreaking. I know I've got a few Derek comforting Stiles fics on this list, so here is a sweet Stiles comforting Derek fic. Stiles is also pretty hilarious in this, super funny one-liners and banter from Stiles.
10. The Nothing Less/Something More series by bigboobedcanuck
Total: 30,526 words
Part 1: Nothing Less
11,422 words/Explicit
Derek even does up Stiles’s seatbelt, which Stiles thinks he should comment on, because it’s not like he got hit with kanima juice or something. He’s fine. But then Derek’s already sliding behind the wheel, and Stiles keeps losing little pockets of time.
Part 2: Something More
19,104 words/Explicit
In this sequel to Nothing Less, Stiles and Derek navigate the choppy waters of their new relationship. They also have to deal with that nasty alpha pack, who aren't going away without a fight. Drama and angst ensues.
A two part series that MUST be read together. I cried and was frantically thinking the whole time "The author wouldn't do that, would they? WOULD THEY?!" There are major twists and turns in Part 2 that will make you want to stop the hurting, but TRUST ME, you HAVE to read it to the end. As expected, Part 1 is a slowburn of them getting together. Stiles asks Derek to teach him how to shoot so he can stop feeling helpless. Part 1, I should mention, starts off with the Alpha pack attempting to sexually assault Stiles before Derek rescues him. Nothing happens, but just figured I'd put a warning.
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