#anyway yeah i don't know anything about artists genuinely

[adelle-ein]

every year spotify wrapped just confuses the hell out of me. what is "pov: indie" (why not just indie????) what is "alt z." what the fuck is "hopebeat," is it like "indie poptimism." and where is provo

[dr-spectre]

WE DID IT!!!!!!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!!!!! This is such a big milestone. Halfway until 1000 followers... that's absolutely insane!!

This will be the last follower update until we reach 1000. But, I wanna share something special with you all and get rather personal...

So, about a year ago, I wanted to learn how to draw because I was feeling depressed about "not being productive enough." Basically I got sucked into the bullshit productivity self help stuff that wants to turn your life into a cold calculated work obsessed nightmare, rather than living in the moment due to fear mongering about the future and how "if you don't grind now you WILL be a failure and die alone and get no pussy." (No wonder I picked Team Present for the Grand Fest...)

Plus I dropped out of uni at the time and welp, to put it lightly, I was feeling fucking god awful and I was scared into basically "putting in the hard work" by all these self help channels and other bullshit online. Whatever the FUCK that vague shit means, my autistic brain still doesn't get it.

It was BY FAR the worst period of my life, but, at least I tried to do SOMETHING. And I wanna show you all some of the things that I drew last year....

This was between October 2023 to February 2024. I stopped drawing due to it causing me much frustration and anger.

So yeah! Uh... enjoy?

So.... not the best work you've seen, right? HAHAHAHAHA!

Would you freak out if I told you that I got upset and damaged a book and a fan because I got so mad at myself over not being able to draw or do anything right?...

I feel like this ain't for me, and you know what? That's okay! I've learnt that it's okay to try new things, it's okay to experiment and if shit doesn't work then it doesn't work. Plain and simple. It's perfectly fine to give up and try something else.

You are not a robot, you are a human being. Don't feel like you "gotta do something everyday otherwise you'll die alone and you'll be broke and you'll never be successful and you'll be forgotten!!"

Do feel pressured to feel like you have to "find your thing" or "be productive" or whatever kind of... heh.... BRAINWASHING you hear online.

I wanted to draw because I was jealous of others, including my friends who are skilled artists... and I did it for the wrong reasons which is why I stopped in February.

I am very happy that I've decided to actually focus on what i like doing and what gives me energy. A quote that has stuck with me for years now is a quote by Jordan Peele from an interview, and it's basically this-

"Follow the fun." And you know what? He's right. Following what gives you that good good boost of dopamine while also feeling like you're accomplishing something is one of the best feelings EVER!!!! Whether it's art, writing, modelling, sculpting, architecture, making music, acting, clay sculptures, etc. FOLLOW THE FUN!! FOLLOW THE SHIT THAT EXCITES YOU!!! I literally always have multiple projects spiralling around in my head all the time and cycling between them at every given moment.

I'm not even saying do only what makes you comfortable or be lazy either, do shit that makes you go "BRING IT ON!!!! I WANNA DO THIS!!!" Get that blood pumping!!! Challenge yourself fairly!!!! There's healthy and unhealthy stress. Healthy stress should make you feel like a fucking PREDATOR!!! AN ANIMAL ON THE HUNT!!! While unhealthy stress makes you feels like you're the prey, the one who's being chased by an unknown force that's out to get you!!

I feel like I'm kinda rambling... anyways!!! ENOUGH WITH THE INSPIRATIONAL BULLSHIT!!! THANK YOU ALL!!!!!! 99% of you have been awesome and incredible!!!

It's also been an honor to get to know so many people who feel the same way as I do about a certain squid lady and her best friends.... before I went onto tumblr I genuinely felt so alone and so insane. I felt isolated, I felt like no one saw these characters the way that I do... I thought my perspective of a certain squid lady and her rebel phase was invalided and false... But now I know that I have people who have my back and understand what I'm trying to express...

One final time, thank you. I'll keep going.

STAY FRESH!!!!!!!!!!

[welovetesvkaidan]

OPINIONS ON KAIDAN EE/IF???

My honest reaction:

in all seriousness, if you wanna hear me yap about it, more under the cut

warning like, genuinely a ginormous yap, like a HUMUNGOUS, sleep-deprived yap,,, im cursed to be obsessed with skyrim + modded followers instead of touching grass

I think a lot of this is probably gonna be the same thing other people have said, so im sorry

if you feel i'm gonna be bringing up redundant points and get mad at me😓dont read

I haven't experienced and thus won't talk about the versions of EE and IF that are now separate mods from each other. I don't know anything about that.

if they're better now yayyy but this is about pre-separation

I should preface this with the fact that I've played through Skyrim 3 times with different stages of Kaidan EE/IF:

The initial Dawnguard + fixes/miscs mod

Kaidan EE/IF versions before extensive faction/NPC dialogue for Kaidan

EE/IF w/ NPC Dialogue (AKA Fratpack)

I was also part of the two different discords that were purged and created during these intervals. i don't even know if there is a discord currently?

anyway, that is to say that I have experienced the mod and it's behind-the-scenes progress, extensively so I have a pretty good idea of what I liked and didn't like

That being said, I will introduce probably my biggest problems with it: Tonal whiplash

Okay, well the most common complaint is ofc that a lot of the writing is out of character - and I agree. But it's not just ooc on paper, it's his voice too. I swear, it is very jarring hearing hushed, mild og Kaidan 2 voicelines, and then being deafened by EE Kaidan SCREAMING in my ear ALL.THE.TIME. (like... why are you yelling at me rn jeez)

Seriously. I'm not sure why they didn't just re-record everything from the original mod instead of adding more and more contradicting lines on top of the originals. It definitely could have been a standalone mod, and sometimes it almost feels like it is - because he is just so different.

My most infamous moment in my last playthrough with him happened after we defeated the dragon at Kynesgrove. His og Kaidan 2 dialogue played first, in it he shows interest and is cordial about Delphine ("I wouldn't mind prodding her mind" or whatver dialogue), THEN immediately after his Kaidan EE/IF dialogue will play, in which he walks up to Delphine and STARTS YELLING AT HER AND INSULTING HER - like they argue for quite a bit wtf. And it's like, listen, I have my thoughts about Delphine, but whether or not it was okay to yell at her isn't the problem. It would be fine - IF he hadn't just calmly told me he thought she was okay.

It is sooo confusing how he contradicts himself :(

I mean, yeah, fragments of who he is are still there, I can tell it's Kaidan, but he's warped to fit a different character. Like a con-artist Kaidan.

Anyway, besides the contradictions, it also feels out of character because of his established backstory.

Let's go over it: He's an orphan, lost his only connection to his family(his guardian) to drugs, fell into substances himself, joined a violent cult, had to escape said cult, came clean from his addictions, has been traveling Tamriel bounty-hunting, got brutally attacked by the Thalmor, rescued by mere chance. Do you honestly mean to tell me this man would be yelling, pissing, drinking, lewding, and joking his ass off?? After all that???? NO - or maybe not these levels of extreme. (maybe some other dude might, but Kaidan's characterization insists he is a brooding, keeps-to-himself man, even though he never acts like it anymore)

That man should be tired, and he did feel like he was tired in the original. He was more brooding then than he is now, usually silent, but could still have an edge of comedy/wittiness, he was smart, he had been through a lot!

In that regard, EE/IF Kaidan felt like... we are experiencing Kaidan 10 years in the past - like a Kaidan in his early 20s when he was still a drunkard low-key terrible person. He is just so energetic, always yapping - GOD he talks a lot now. ugh but most of the time it wasn't about anything, it was either inside-jokes, meta jokes, and only occasionally did we get things that added to the experience.

For example, I think most of us who have played Kaidan 2 remember at least one specific line he has said while exploring. What comes to mind for me is either "Can you smell the magicka in the air too? Smells like a rainless thunderstorm." or "Watch for the mammoth with the carvings on their tusks, that's how the giants mark their herd." Alright, both pretty nice small talk for characterization (he IS smart) and worldbuilding.

Tbh i can't really remember any iconic lines from the additions of EE/IF Kaidan... the only two lines that stood out for me were: the "elevenses" line from the clip above (started bumping into him every time he was about to say this so he would stfu... total tonal dissonance), and one he said while I looted Lucky Lorenz ("poor sod wasn't as lucky as his namesake would have you believe!") kai HOW do you know this man, and his nickname, who told you that??? (idc about it that much but its like the only other added line i remember)

I thought that maybe his ooc-iness might have been caused due to the collaborative approach of the mod, I think the mod authors created their own perfect Kaidan - and that's good for them! It takes a shit ton of work (Ik cuz i was there!!) But I think the original essence was lost with each addition. It might have been lack of direction for the voice acting too, a lot of the lines might have hit better if they weren't borderline screamed.

Okay, at some point while playing I got so tired of his constant himbo chit-chatter that I tried tuning him out and bringing other npcs from vanilla skyrim as followers. Problem: even without kaidan on your party, everything starts being about kaidan. Because the extension made it so that Kaidan either has history with/character interactions and development with different NPCs from the base game.

The main poor sods that traveled with me:

Erik the Slayer: Apparently was Kaidan's childhood friend, got inspired by Kaidan to become an adventurer. Least egregious in my opinion, they say sweet things to each other. I swear, Kaidan yells more at me than he ever did at Erik.

The Companions: dumb, dumber, and dumbest basically.. This part of EE/IF was also known as "The Fratpack" and y e a h they pretty much had Vilkas, Kaidan, and Farkas acting like immature frat boys all the time. Just,, absulutely taking away all the maturity out of these GROWN ASS MEN. im sorry, i guess i dont get the appeal. I liked it when they didn't behave like teens (Aela im so sorry, you deserved better than being part of this)

Lydia: All she does is simp for him, ALL.THE.TIME. You think she's about to have a meaningful thing to say? nope, she's checking out Kaidan's ass. Think she'll have a deep convo with another npc about one another? nope! she wants them to tell her all about Kaidan. Both the Companions and Erik will either talk down to her or have to deal with her thirst for Kaidan. i had to start leaving her home.

They also suffered from the same tonal whiplash as Kaidan, unfortunately

additionally, the mod added an "early flirt switch" - you could basically toggle Kaidan to start showing romantic affection for the Dragonborn before the amulet of mara., the interactions were good on paper, but everytime he stammered and stumbled over his words it was written in such an unnatural way... pls people don't talk like fanfics lol !!!

I did like that he gave me flowers, my inventory got full of them - but then he noticed how many flowers I had in my inventory and judged me for "picking everything i see" ugh dude you gave them to me, but also even if you hadnt... mind your business lol

Another addition was a feature that basically made it so NPCs could potentially throw flirtatious comments at Kaidan and the Dragonborn (Bishop flashbacks😨)

You can't do anything to defend Kaidan from those comments, but he WILL take it upon himself to defend your honor infront of any men, women, jarls, or criminals that even so much as find you attractive (THIS INCLUDES FARKAS AND VILKAS BTW :( ) by being rude, forthcoming, AND violent. so yea, you can guess the target audience

speaking of which, he definitely comes on too strong on you once you start the romance, and it left a bad taste in my mouth. I specifically picked the "go slow" option for the romance, and the next day or two it was him constantly complaining about having to go slow under his breath, how he wanted to do anything but slow rn... and like just, wow. :/ yikeees lmao

Maybe this is the result of "i can fix him" romance ideals? im sorry but I liked him when he was down to earth

Bonus? He comes with a campsite now, which has to be magic because its ginormous and he somehow lugs it around despite it also coming with a whole ass furnace (fine fine i'll hold my disbelief)

anyway I do like it, its basically a player house you can take anywhere (so long as kai is with you ig) also you can have a cat in there

I like that there is an MCM, I like that the MCM lets you get through the quest stages in case you get stuck

I like that he can guide you places, usually he gets stuck in a tree or rock but its the thought that counts

I think if the mod had continued in the vein as its original iteration when it was just audio/bug fixes and included these qol features it would have been better than it is now.

But it seems maybe i'm just not the target audience, and as a young woman I'm really confused as who the target audience is 😓

okay im srry rant over

if anyone else wants me to yap about other kaidan skyrim things also ask or join in cuz i like yapping about skyrim and kaidan to people!!!

[factual-fantasy]

10 Asks! Thank you! :}} 🌱

I assume I'm not, it appears to just be a chest cold 😞

<XD I've heard of whiteboard yeah. But I've never used it. I can just imagine people popping in just to scribble all over everyone else's work. I'll think I'll stick to solo drawing for now-

(Post in question)

XDD Sylvester has a tendency to be rather cursed-

@minnesotamedic186

I don't see why not! :}

(Post in question)

Indeed it is! I made a post talking about his backstory but I can't access my archive atm so I'll do a quick recap-

I don't actually know anything about madness combat. Some friends of mine were really into it and made a bunch of OCs and I wanted to be cool like them 🥺 so I made my own madness OCs based on what little knowledge I had.

His name is Casey. And he lived out in the middle of nowhere Nevada with two of his best friends in this giant armored truck that they built.

At some point they were caught in a burning building disaster, some bandits stole the truck and Casey's friends died in the fire. He wandered the wasteland alone for a few years.. before eventually stumbling upon the bandits camp.

He stormed into the camp and killed everyone, unfortunately his truck was nowhere to be found. He did however find this little girl that had been captured and tied to a tree.

Him and "Stefany" then traveled together for a few years before meeting a scientist named Eric. He had gotten separated from his group and was stranded. I had this idea that the people from the wasteland hate scientists. But Eric begged for help. They made a deal that if they brought this guy back to his lab, that he would give them this valuable thing from the lab. He agreed.

Eric didn't intend to keep his side of the deal. But after a few weeks of traveling together and bonding.. when they got to the lab he stole the thing and gave it to Casey. Getting himself booted off the lab team in the process.

So now the three of them travel together. Eventually Casey gets hurt really bad and the group has to camp out for a bit. While Stef was out looking for food, she saw Casey's truck in the distance. She went and hijacked it, kicking out the two bandits that were in it.

She drove it back to the camp but the bandits followed. There was a stand off between the bandits and Casey. When suddenly..

"..Casey? Is that you?"

The two bandits were Casey's friends he thought he'd lost. There's this tearful reunion, a lot of story telling and explanations.. and now they travel together as a family :)

Oh yeah and at some point Stef gets a (probably) rabid raccoon named kitty, even though there aren't animals in madness combat..? Apparently?? Idk I had barely any world knowledge when I made these characters <XDD

But now that I'm thinking about them.. I should draw them again some time.. 🤔 anyways, thank you for the interest and for the ask! It means a lot to me :}}

(video/link in question)

That's how I'd start probably. Then they'd build sandcastles, dig giant holes for no reason and play in the sea! :}

@couchwow

Sorry, I don't take drawing requests. :/ and considering my state, it's especially something I will not do upon request..

And what are you doing askin me to draw? 🤣 I've seen your work, you're quite the artist yourself! Why not draw it yourself? I know it'd come out great! :D (genuinely)

@astaherussy

I don't think much surprises the Mario Bros anymore. 😅 If they saw a crew of talking pirate cookies they'd just think "well this might as well be happening."

As for a bully on the ship, the crew would not tolerate any of that behavior towards Red. They'd shut that down real quick. ❌

@fallingbones

:DDD Thank you so much!! :}}}

@glitchhayden418

Jimmy's doin fine. And I'll draw what ever I WANT when I finally get over this, thank you very much! >:T ☝️☝️thank you tho :}}

[beanghostprincess]

Shuggy modern day AU where Buggy has a circus artist school/daycare for kids and Shanks constantly brings his godchild Luffy. That kid is so hyperactive that all the teachers don’t want to work with him anymore but anytime Buggy tries to refuse him coming back all Shanks does is flirt Buggy into submission.

Alvida constantly rips Buggy a new one at the evening wine session.

Meanwhile Luffy has the best time getting all bendy like snake man, hop on trampolines and swing on the trapeze.

Maybe Zoro is also there learning how to throw knifes.

This is,,, The cutest thing.

Buggy tries his best not to succumb, but have you seen Shanks? The guy is charming. And it's not like Buggy hates Luffy, either, he's just pretty fucking annoying and hard to deal with (but he has talent and he's a genuinely good kid). So Buggy always ends up letting the kid in. Alvida always laughs at Buggy for this but at the end of the day, she tells him not to get his hopes up because guys like this one only want to flirt to get their kids into school, and Buggy agrees! He hates Shanks! He doesn't even like him! His body is betraying him, okay? He's just hot. That's all. One day it's Luffy's father who comes to pick him up from there, though, and Alvida can see the disappointment in Buggy's eyes. She doesn't need to say anything to get on his nerves because he already can read the "I told you so" in her eyes.

One day, Luffy's the last one to stay waiting for somebody to pick him up from school, and Buggy has the responsibility of waiting there with him. And with Zoro. The kid refuses to go without Luffy. Besides, Zoro is also waiting for his dad to come pick him up. Anyway, long story short, Mihawk (Zoro's dad. Like in every Au. What a surprise) appears and ends up taking Luffy home too and Buggy is suddenly free of the burden. Seconds after this (before Buggy can finally go home) Shanks' car suddenly appears and he starts apologizing and asking where Luffy is. And something like this happens (don't expect narration besties I am still sick):

Shanks: So sorry I was late, I had uh, things to sort out. Where's anchor? Buggy: Huh, yeah, things to sort out. Mihawk took your kid home. Shanks: My home? The kid's home? His home? Buggy: Do I look like I asked? Shanks: You probably should, since you're the one in charge and all. Buggy: Hey! The kids are friends! And I'm not asking Mr.Hypnotizing-Gold-Cat-Eyes here for his direction, thank you very much. Call him yourself. Now, if we're done here- Shanks: Wait! Wait. I was picking up my daughter from her music lessons. Uta. Buggy: Did I ask? I have had enough with one of your bastards already, I don't want to know- Shanks: I just don't want you to think I forgot about Luffy I- I am not the perfect role model but I care about him. I was in my way. Buggy: Yeah, no, I know. Kid talks about you all the time, Mr.Best-Guitarist-In-The-World. Now, seriously, I need to go home. Shanks: It's still early, though. Buggy: And running this place and still doing shows isn't exactly a thing that takes up little time, so- Shanks: But you can skip one training session. Today only. Right? We could hang out Buggy: Hang out? What are you? Twelve? Do you want to go on a silly movie date later and hold hands during the scary parts? Shanks: ... I wouldn't be opposed to that. Buggy: You're unbelievable. Shanks: But if we do watch a horror movie I don't want one about clowns, they're not scary and I rather like them. Buggy: Don't push it, I can show you how scary a clown can be. Shanks: Playing hard to get? Buggy: I can't fucking stand you! I could literally go full murder clown on you and you'd get horny by it Shanks: I told you I like clowns-

[freddie-77-ao3]

infodump about how you got into pjo please :)

okay so when i was younger than six i had absolutely no interest in reading. like. at all. i would fight to avoid reading. I wasn't dyslexic i just really couldn't and wouldn't do it.

But then, I got pretty sick-- influenza which kicked off respitory infections and pneumonia and lead to a kick off a bunch of autoimmune issues (which were never actually diagnosed but that's a whole 'nother thing) and anyway, I basically couldn't do anything from october to april. like, was barely in school and when I was, wasn't allowed to do recess or anything.

and I wasn't interested in the television at all, so my parents started telling me to read/write/draw a lot more.

And let me tell you, i've never been an artist. So I wrote a bit, but mainly, I started reading mid october, because my dad would get off work early and read harry potter with me. So he read the philosophers stone with me, and then I read the other six books by myself... in two weeks.

So that's when I started reading. Then, in second grade, I discovered percy Jackson-- and flew through the whole series. I got House of Hades the first day it was released, and kept up with the series for a while.

Genuinely, I just loved the disability portion of the series-- Thalia was my favorite character, since TLT because of this one scene in we ride a zebra to vegas.

Anyway, I was, what, 7 then? And so late second grade, I'd started watching youtube videos-- you know the fan edits with fan art and music in the background? I would annoy my brother by playing them on the youtube tab in the Wii, all afternoon while I would do my homework (or make him do it-- he was three years/grades younger-- so not even in school, but I would make him do my math homework)

anyway so those fan edits were really my introduction to fandom, and I don't know how, but I started reading fics on ffn around then as well. also started writing my own fanfiction. anyway, yeah. Then covid happened and i definitely got super reinterested in the series.

[beautifulpersonpeach]

BPP what is your honest view on Jimin biases?

***

A lot of y'all are down bad for that man. Down something horrendous my goodness.

Not that I blame you though.

*

Btw, I was watching fancams with friends again last night and we played this one:

How does he move the way he does? /gen. You can see the strength he infuses into every move, down to his fingertips when he dances.

Do you see that form?

(???)

There are many dancers in k-pop who impress me, some I'd place in the best dancers globally, but Jimin is easily the top ranked in nearly every category IMO, no matter the context. He's a real artist. It's not in him to half-ass a performance, no matter his condition. He gives his all and that's something that both inspires and troubles me about him.

I don't even bias him and Jimin induces some insanity in me from time to time. It's just what he is. Nobody who pays attention to him can react normally to him, everyone gets drawn disproportionately to him. Imagine how tiring that must be for him to know sometimes. And no offense to Jimin biases but I genuinely believe you have to be a little bit off kilter to be able to commit to being chosen by him.

Because Jimin is the sort of person you need... space to love.

Jimin is..

Jimin uses whatever misalignment is in you, eases his way into you to fix that offset, remove that imbalance. The way he is... when you fall under his effect it's like he takes up space inside you. As though he deserves and will take nothing less. In my honest opinion that's one way I perceive him. But then you open your eyes and realize the man is the softest marshmallow, a kind and truly measured person with exceptional emotional and practical intelligence. A Slytherin to the bone, a living shape-shifter, so attuned and sensitive to everything.

And he doesn't really demand anything. He's just so loved people want to commit to supporting him. His charismatic idol persona is just as attractive as his naturally shy but mischievous personality off the clock. It really doesn't get much more perfect than this for any celebrity ever.

Like, sometimes I wonder if Jimin goes to bed at night fearing he might one day destroy k-pop. In real practical terms. I wonder if Jimin agonizes over the fact that he's the most dangerous person in the industry. Knowing him, he probably doesn't but it's still something that as I've said before, needs to be said.

(Between you and me, I think he's yet to come to terms with it. Poor lad.)

Anyway, Jimin biases are actually in love with the man and I'd like to present some evidence both as a self-confession, and in support.

Exhibits

(...)

*

(Do you remember where you were the first time you noticed he has a dimple?)

*

(His look for this shoot is criminally underrated. He had easily the best chic styling for any idol in 2021.)

*

(Orange, yellow, and bright mustard are all good colours on him.)

*

(Yeah.... he's something else.)

*

Alright, now that I've answered this one, that's enough of the Jimin bias asks for now. I'll be ignoring all the rest for the next while.

Remember to keep streaming. :)

[smile-files]

still trying to wrap my head around the unvitational committee. what do they want? the general theme seems to be "mephone is an immoral host so we have to take him down", but not all of the members' motives seem to line up with that...

walkie talkie has been working with(?) mephone this whole time, goading him into making the season run longer and longer with more rejoins. in a way, she's been enabling mephone's scummy hosting practices, including abandoning an entire season and all the people in it, as well as wanting this season to go on forever. why is she suddenly criticizing him for being a bad host? was she not complicit in that?

dr. fizz had to deal with box's horrible injury which, while not technically mephone's fault, is a sign that the show isn't very safe and that mephone doesn't care that much about the well-being of his contestants. i think it makes sense for him to be here.

the cameras came to interview mephone about some touchy subjects, including hosting two seasons at once, bow apparently being alive, and there possibly not being a prize; they get pissed when mephone brushes them and their concerns off. they know some of the shady stuff mephone's been doing as host, as well as his unwillingness to address it, so i suppose they have their place in taking him down.

tyler bombard had his whole ecosystem destroyed by a stupid challenge mishap. yeah, he has the right to be pissed.

sprinkles was going to be forced to compete in a fighting ring of other inani-mates which would almost inevitably lead to her death; almost all of the contestants mistreated their inani-mate companion, her owner (yinyang) included. it makes sense for her to be here too.

springy? they wanted mephone to completely commercialize his show, including selling off the likeness of one of its contestants; he got pissed off when mephone changed his mind and ultimately didn't do that. if anything, that's a sign that mephone isn't quite so morally corrupt! springy has personal reasons to want to take down mephone, but those reasons don't align with the supposed motivation of the whole committee.

zoetrope gave mephone the animation machine to use in his challenges! he was the one who fed mephone the idea that creating a show isn't an art, that using what's essentially ai to do so is perfectly permissible! what right does he have to be angry at mephone for doing exactly what he said? how does that make mephone as a host any worse than zoetrope is as an artist?

i'm tied about groscer; as the apparent owner of a prestigious award organization, it makes sense that she should take her craft seriously and not appreciate those who try to disrespectfully milk it for fame. mephone's show was in the running because what existed genuinely looked good, but he lied about the number of episodes and ultimately sent a ridiculous amount of ai slop to make up for it. she has the right to be annoyed by that, but i don't think one guy making a fool out of himself in the submissions completely discredits your entire award -- certainly not to the point where you personally go after him.

walkie talkie and springy, being the leaders of this group, talk about how ii3 could've been a perfect show -- but by their logic, that would include the season being unending and highly commercialized. at the same time, though, they make out mephone to be this horrible host mistreating his contestants, as if making his show what they want wouldn't make him worse. and as it is, it's strange that they should put the show on such a pedestal anyway, for them to feel they must take it from mephone to save it -- all of this was him! what are you talking about? and you helped him! all of this stuff you say is bad, you helped him do!!

and like... the whole 4th season thing... for one thing, walkie talkie wanted him to keep the show going, so i don't know why she's pissed... but also, you just found that when you got here! that couldn't have been your motivation before you came!

in other news though, silver's whole thing with candle is so fun. he acts like he's so above it all, but her not supporting him shakes his ego so much that he straight up kills her?? insane. in a good way. he got all this way just because he thought candle believed in him...

[maniculum]

Bestiaryposting Results: Nirmosho

Today's is interesting in that it's notably vague about what kind of creature this is, other than "lives in the river" and "smaller than a crocodile". (Convenient that the crocodile was so recent, now that I think of it.)

It should also be noted that this is our very last entry on an individual animal -- as we're winding down, our final half-dozen Bestiaryposts are going to be collections of multiple entries, mostly ones that I felt were too short or too obvious to give their own post. Artists should feel free to pick & choose which to draw, or do a group shot, or however they like.

If you don't know what this is about, you can learn at https://maniculum.tumblr.com/bestiaryposting.

To see the entry the art is based on this week, click this link:

To see the entry for next week and potentially participate, click this one:

Now, let's see what people came up with.

@silverhart-makes-art (link to post here) has drawn this very charming little beastie that is not unlike a horseshoe crab, just less flat. I really like this overall, but I'd like to highlight the tiny little eyes, the detail on the mouthparts, and the nifty fin-thing on its back.

@coolest-capybara (link to post here) correctly observes that she's already drawn this one -- this is indeed the "certain kind of fish" mentioned in the Dolthruk entry, which she included in that illustration. However, in light of addition details, they have revised their design to create a fish that's capable of being mobile on land, basing it heavily on the mudskipper. Here we see an excellent image of two having a dispute in muddy water -- I particularly love the rendering of the fins and think the background works well here. (Also thank you for providing alt text.)

@cheapsweets (link to post here) has drawn this really nice fish inspired by various prehistoric species -- to me, it genuinely looks like this drawing would fit right into a series of illustrations in a paleontological text. To me, it's giving coelacanth, but that may be mostly because that's the only lobe-finned fish I recognize. I also like the little fang at the front. (And thank you for including alt text.)

@strixcattus (link to post here) has drawn this rather polite-looking snake, noting that the description provided lines up quite well with it being some sort of snake. As usual, the gold is in the naturalist-style description they've provided in the linked post -- in this case, I think it fits right in with any given article about unusual animal life cycles & behaviors. Weird, but not implausibly weird.

@wendievergreen (link to post here) is depicting, in their usual aesthetically pleasing stylized form, an insect life cycle. I like the idea of it being an insect, which does fit the description, I like the thought put into this crocodile-centric life cycle, and again I really like the vibe of the artwork here. See the linked post for more detail on the life cycle being depicted, and close-ups of the individual details of this drawing.

Now to see what the Aberdeen Bestiary has to say:

... yeah, that is neither a crocodile nor a fish.

The beast being killed here looks more like a medieval hyena than anything -- people who have read these posts from the beginning may find that spiny back familiar. And the creature killing it, which this entry is ostensibly describing, is dead-on identical to the standard-issue Medieval Wyvern Thing that you see in a lot of different manuscripts.

Anyway, as I'm certain nobody guessed from that illustration, we're going out with a bang on the world-famous... Ydrus.

If you've never heard of it, you're not alone. It isn't real, and is one of those imaginary beasts that never quite caught on. As far as I know, it pretty much only shows up in bestiaries -- occasionally it gets confused with the Hydra, but I don't think they were originally intended to be the same, similar names aside.

And now you know.

seriously i don't think the illustrator was making a lot of effort to fit the description

[tedlyanderson]

Reading posts from someone I follow on why image generators are a legitimate form of art and their use should be normalized, and it's refreshing to encounter some pro-generative-AI arguments more nuanced than "I don't want to pay artists." I still think they're fundamentally wrong, but it's been extremely helpful, because it's forced me to examine my own thoughts on the matter and determine why, exactly, I believe what I do. Something something mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone, idk, I didn't watch Thame of Groans.

(Of course I'm not going to mention the person by name or tag them or anything, and for that matter I'd appreciate it if people didn't reblog this. I'm not writing this to get into an argument; I'm mostly just consolidating my own thoughts into a semi-coherent form.)

There are a number of arguments that have been leveled against generative AI, some of which I find more persuasive than others. The energy usage and financial waste, for instance, are significant, but not relevant in the case of one person using a locally hosted image generator and not selling the results. The question of the quality of the work is similarly unimportant to the bigger question; AI-generated images are going to continue to get better-looking as the technology improves, and "good" versus "bad" art is impossible to define in a meaningful way for the purposes of this argument.

The copyright argument is much more important, particularly to me as a creator. Another user pointed out that copyright cases against LLMs (on behalf of creators whose works were included in the learning sets) could have a potentially deleterious effect on fair use and transformative artworks. I'm not hooked into the legal scholarship on this, so I can't respond to that point. I do think it's somewhat short-sighted of that user to say "AI is a tool like any other, its use can be good or evil, our true enemy is capitalism," and then turn around and attack copyright as some kind of uniquely evil legal technology, rather than a technology that can also be used for good (making sure artists are recognized and paid for their work) or evil (large corporations shutting down parodies). And yeah, the revolution would fix all this, but how long do we have to wait for that? And what can we do in the meantime?

Anyway, the one argument that made me genuinely examine my own beliefs was "what is art anyway, and can you define it in a way that does not disqualify large swaths of what is widely recognized as human creative work and also excludes generative AI?" Because that's the meat of all this—not whether image generators suck up too much energy (because it's not about the specifics of the technology, which will change and improve over time, just as new types of paint do not fundamentally alter the nature of painting) nor copyright (which is a whole other legal mess), but whether we can call this "art" at all. For that, you need a definition, and that's the sticking point.

The original poster named a couple common ways of defining art/not-art (the "smell test," i.e. I Know It When I See It, and the "quality test," i.e. Can You Hang It In A Museum, which are largely the same but from different perspectives), and points out that they and other definitions would exclude quite a lot of human endeavors that most people would describe as art (graffiti, calligraphy) as well as fields that are more difficult to define but could constitute art (mathematics, programming).

(They also ascribed to anyone who attempted to make such a definition the motivation of not just gatekeeping but unadulterated fascism, which is an argument I think holds no water and wins them no friends, but. Let's just leave the paranoia aside and concentrate on the argument itself.)

So what is art? How do we define it, and why do I fundamentally disagree that anything that comes out of an image generator can be considered "art"?

I don't think this is sufficient for a full definition, but after talking it over with friends, I think, in part, art requires a perspective, which is to say that it must be the result of individual human decisions about non-trivial components. Another way to state this would be that the artist (if indeed they are an artist) must be able to make conscious choices about the work that are beyond what is strictly necessary for its completion.

Should the background be blue or green? Would this sentence be improved by an adjective? How large of a flourish should this letter have? What if I carve the gargoyle's snarl more deeply? What color should the hair of my halfling rogue be? These choices are indicative of a product that would be widely recognized as belonging to the category of "art."

Obviously, there are still gray areas. Certain fields have both a creator and a performer; can we say that one is "more of" an artist than the other? What about commissioned works? What if the artist is creating something within a strict limit or form—for instance, the 14-line sonnet, or a novel without the letter 'e'? What about Duchamp's Fountain, or John Cage's "4'33""? What about works with a large number of creators, such as films or collaborative writings? What about works where there is a level of interactivity with the audience, such as video games or certain theater pieces? Those and other questions are certainly open to debate, and should be debated! But to my mind, they do not challenge the fundamental principle, which is that the artist is an artist because they exercise choice in the process of creation.

Thus, by my (admittedly partial and underdeveloped) definition, I don't regard AI-generated images as art. The algorithm does not choose in a meaningful way; it merely calculates the most statistically likely next word/pixel/frame/etc. based on the database and the prompt with which is has been provided. (If you want to claim that this constitutes a choice, please submit a 5,000-word essay on whether free will exists and how we could possibly know if it does.) The remixer samples a specific beat; the collage artist cuts a particular image out of a magazine; the parodist deliberately draws in a specific way. The computer computes. It uses a mathematical operation—which, by definition, is repeatable and will produce the exact same outputs, given the same inputs. (Yes, the results have elements of randomization. We all know that true randomness is impossible for a computer, so they produce quasi-random numbers using things like the system time and so forth. I don't want to split hairs on this specific point. You get what I'm gesturing to. Don't look at the finger, look at the moon.) A prompt limits the database to certain specific sets, which the algorithm assembles according to its internal logic. The input is disconnected from the outputs; anyone could input the same prompt and receive the same art. (Even The Policeman's Beard is Half Constructed required an editor.) Generative AI is no more "creating" a piece of visual art than turning a radio dial to a specific station is "composing" the music that plays. The purely mathematical nature of its generative process makes it no qualitatively different from assembling a Lego set according to the directions.

The first obvious challenge to my partial definition is to say that it just restates the premise and shifts the goalposts: art is something that must be made by a person, and thus cannot be made by a computer. Which is fair! This is a verbalization of a belief I've always held about art, and which caused me to immediately (instinctively, unthinkingly) reject the idea that an AI-generated image could be "art." That's how I got into this discursive mess! It's why my brain recoiled when I heard someone call these images "art"!

But it also helps me understand why I instinctively categorize other acts and works as either "art" or "not art." A photograph was taken by a person at a specific time and a specific place, its elements arranged and its moment chosen according to the photographer's visual logic; it is therefore art. A hamburger put together by an underpaid worker at McDonald's is not art; a recipe by a chef that combines existing ingredients in a new way or using a new method is; a meal created by a person who tweaked a recipe might be. (That one might actually run counter to current copyright law, I'm not sure.) A mechanism assembled by a worker on an assembly line, identical in every way to another mechanism made by a different worker, is not art, because there was no choice on the part of the worker. (Could it be art because the designer of the mechanism exercised choice? Depends on the nature of the mechanism and the industry! Venmo me $20 for a debate.) A dance choreographed to produce a specific visual effect is art; an exercise designed to stretch certain muscles in the most efficient and painless way is not art. And so forth.

AI-generated images are not art. (They are also not a medium, which I saw several other commentators claim; an image is an image, regardless of where it comes from. I'm already knee-deep in linguistic debate, let's not cloud the matter any further.) Generative AI is a tool, and there are and can be creative and ethical uses for it! But to claim that it is capable of making art is giving agency to a thing that cannot have it, and claiming that someone who writes "sexy anime girl" in a prompt field is an artist is to expand the meaning of that word to the point of nonsense.

More than one person has brought up Jorge Luis Borges' "The Library of Babel" when talking about the potential of AI-generated works. It's got some bearing on the question, sure, but I feel like the more apropos point of comparison is his story "Pierre Menard, Author of the Quixote." In that work, Pierre Menard is a friend of the author's who is attempting to become the author of Don Quixote—not in the sense that he is trying to plagiarize the work, or time-travel and replace Cervantes in history, but that he is trying to make himself into a version of himself that could have independently written Don Quixote. It's partly a critique of elements of literary criticism, in that Quixote would become a far more interesting book (according to the narrator) if it had been written by a 20th-century Frenchman rather than a 17th-century Spaniard (it was written some 28 years before Barthes' "The Death of the Author," for context). But in the context of the current argument of generative AI, and specifically to my fumbling attempts to defining what is and is not art, it's an illustrative example of what I think it all boils down to: any work of art is the work of an artist, who inevitably brings to the work perspective/knowledge/experience/an individual understanding of the world. Ascribing any such perspective to an algorithm is just fetishism. (And not the kind that generative AI is most often used for.)

Or, to put this way more succinctly and directly:

[callm3-q]

WIP

disclaimer: Starhalo/sweetduo, Marriage, homosexuality[ don't know what else you'd expect from the LGBTQSMP]

-Summary-

-Bad and Ètoiles get married in the span of 15 hours, cause they don't know any better, and why the hell not :D

-Fluff

-WIP

Just a long term alliance, not a marriage proposal

[Ch 1- Isn’t that how it’s done?]

WHAT!? BAD! NO NO NO NO NO! AHHHHH! NO NO NO BUT ALSO FUCK YESSSSSS! BAD YOU’RE GETTING MARRIED! HOLY SHIT! IN I-IN LIKE… FUCK! IN LIKE 10 HOURS!? OH MY FUCK…

You good now?

Y-you’re getting married…YOU’RE- YOU, YOU, MARRIED!?

Well… I wouldn’t call it that… More of a… Long term alliance

Of course you would call it that…

Chill out Baghs, I already dealt with most of it

Really?

W-What? Of course! I’m not some soulless person who would give someone a crappy wedding! What kind of monster do you think I am?

Bad said, sounding kind of genuinely sad that she would think that.

W-Well… You are a demon…

…One thing you may not know about demons Baghs… We can through one heck of a party

…

…

…

Ok! 5 hours left… Hmmm… I cannnn… Ooh! I can make a new ring , I just needed one quick for the… asking for the long term alliance… Definitely not a proposal. Anyways! The store bought ones are always just straight terrible all gross and basic [for how expensive they are], non of which are anything close to what Ètoiles is, he’s just… The best. And he deserves the best, obviously. Why else would I marryyyyyy- suggest a long term not proposal alliance. 

…But how should the ring look… We need something that is easy to wear during combat, something that will stay on, and it has to be small, not to much, not to little, something that will suit him. Hmm… Maybe… Stars! That’s literally what “Ètoiles” stands for, something like… Like, we could, make thin outlines of stars around the ring, thin lines, so it doesn’t get caught on anything. I want him to be able to wear it all the time so people know that he’s in a long term alliance with me and not anyone else.

Bad had zoned out, not even noticing Dapper watching him from around the table. He only noticed when he felt a small tug on his cloak.

Oh! Good morning Dapper!

Good morning dad, what were you thinking about?

Oh, nothing important

Well, important or not I wanna know

Well, ok then. I’m going to a wedding in about 5 hours

What? Who’s getting married?

Me?

WHAT!?

What?

YOUR GETTING MARRIED DAD?!

Yeah?

TO WHO?! I’LL KILL THEM

Please don’t, and it’s not a ‘marriage’ per say, more of a long term alliance

Your getting married

I guess you could say it like that, if you really wanted to

To who though? Who do you find good enough to marry you. I’ll kill them, nobody is good enough for my dad

That’s sweet Dapper, but please don’t kill Ètoiles…

Ètoiles?! Two of the people most known for not wanting to be tied down are getting married, what a sight to see

Not married Dapper, just an alliance

Yeah Yeah whatever. What about this ‘alliance’ were you thinking about

Well, I was thinking about just making him something

A ring?

How did you know? But yeah, I wanted something better that the stupid store bought ones, those ones stink

I agree, what design were you thinking of doing?

Well… I’ll draw it out for you, but be nice, I’m not an artist Dapper

…

…

…

It’s so pretty dad!

Thanks  Dapper… But like I said I’m not an artist…

Just give yourself the credit you deserve, but I would like to make a small sudjestion

What is it?

Make the jewel thingy on the top red

You sure?

Yep

Well If you say so Dapper, I’m gonna get to work

Ok, I’ll help!

…

…

…

What do you think Dapper?

It’e perfect!

That’s good to hear…

Are you ok?

Yeah…

Nervous…?

Kind of I guess…

It’s normal to be nervous dad

I know…

You’ll be great, and I’ll be there, right by your side cheering you on

Thanks Dapper

Bad choked out, not expecting to be crying. He brought Dapper into a hug, holding him tight. Crying into the top of his head, Dapper gladly accepted the hug. He felt bad, but proud. It was nice to see Bad getting this rush of emotion, felling so deeply about this, trusting someone enough to, finally, have a bigger bond that just a really close friendship.

You’ll do great dad…

All Dapper got in return was sobs, soft and quiet, but still audible.

Dapper looked slightly to the side, hearing the warp stone go off. He saw a small figure peeking out from the door. He signaled Pomme to come in, trying to not disturb Bad, who seemed to not hear the swoosh sound of the warp stone

Are you ok dad?

I-‘m ok Pomme

What happened…?

Pre-wedding jitters…

W-

Pomme paused, not wanting to make her dad more upset or nervous, but still having questions, having not heard about this until just now

You’ll do great dad… I’m sure the person your marrying will be  so happy to be with you

Yeah! 

Dapper replied, patting his dad’s shoulder softly

Calming Bad’s sobs down into small hiccups

T-thank you kids…

No problem Dad… How much time before you’ve got to go?

Li-ke 2 hours…

Why don’t we get you dressed then

Pomme snickered, a wide grin sprawled onto her face 

Ok Pomme

Bad replied with a chuckle

…

…

…

You look so pretty dad!

Pomme said, ecstatically 

You think so?

We know so

Dapper replied proudly

You guys want to go get ready? I made sure I got you something you would like to wear, as a surprise from me to each of you specifically.

Ooooh yayyyy!

Pomme and Dapper ran into their bedrooms to get changed

…

…

…

Let’s get going…

Your gonna do awesome dad..

Thanks Dapper… Ok… let’s go…

…

…

…

Woahhhhh, this place looks amazing

Pomme said looking around, mouth agape in awe

Thanks Pomme…

Bad replied with a small smile spreading across his face

You did this dad?

Dapper looked up to Bad in shock

Yeah…

Woah…

Dapper had the same reaction as Pomme, mouth agape

I know it’s kinda crappy-

It’s amazing!

Well… I’m gonna go to, whatever that place is

Ok, see you later dad!

Bye Pomme, bye Dapper

…

…

...

[Dappers POV]

There were a lot of people there, guess word really spread fast, people were crying in joy? Pride? I don’t really know, but still, a ton of people. It would probably make dad freak out a bit.

Dapper kinda was wondering who would walk Bad down the aisle, kind of having a sneaking suspicion of who would. Not wanting to assume anything though.

Dapper saw Ètoiles walk out first

He looks… Fine… I guess… Nothing compared to my dad though.

Following he saw Sunny, Pomme, Empanada, Tallulah, and Leo. Pomme leading the group proudly, even though she had just figured out she was a flower girl. 

[End of POV]

Pomme, and all the other little huevitos in their little flower petered dresses, perfectly matching the color theme of the beautiful setting around them. Matching Almost all the things Ètoiles had told in secrecy to Bad, matching the things that he loves. All the colors, down to matching all the tones perfectly, the music, the setting, the time of night, all the stars visible through the glass roof. It was perfect.

Ètoiles saw Bad standing at the entrance, and my god did he look stunning. He felt his face get red, how could he not. He also saw Foolish? Walking him down the aisle, shocked that Foolish would agree. It also looked like he was crying? Again, shocking. But it was cute, they really do care about each other.

Once they had gotten all the way up to where Ètoiles was, Foolish went to stand to the side, behind Bad wiping the tears from his face. Ètoiles took in all the little details of the masterpiece that was in front of him, the luminous glow of Bad’s eyes to every little barely noticeable scar that covered his face, and even the barely visible freckles that were splattered perfectly on his face. He truly was just the definition of beautiful.

The outfit he had on just solidified it even more in Ètoiles’s mind, Bad was wearing a white suit, tailored to a perfect fit. He had on matching white shoes, guessing Pomme had helped him with the outfit, cute. But his suit, my god his suit. It was perfect, almost dress like, but not fully there. It was flowy and moved softly in the wind, like water. That’s what gave it away that Pomme and the other kids helped Bad with the outfit, always making Bad wear these kinds of things, Ètoiles wasn’t upset by it though, better for him. Bad can just find a way to make any outfit look good.

…

Bad inspected Ètoiles just as closely, seeing the way his hair effortlessly falls perfectly on his face, despite the wind blowing in the opposite direction, looking at his eyes, the light green blush spread across his face, the mask that usually hid the details of his face now gone. Ètoiles was so handsome, unbelievably and upsettingly so, how can he just so effortlessly look this good. And the black suit he was wearing suite him perfectly.

Both thoughts were quickly stoped when Dapper and Pepito came with the rings, holding them carefully.

Bad picked it up and put in onto Ètoiles’s finger, as Ètoiles stared in awe, at the intricate work of the ring, ‘Ètoiles’ inscribes into it, with a small red ruby on top, seeing how well put together this was, Ètoiles was ashamed of how sloppy his would look compared to Bad’s.

Ètoiles picked up the second ring and slipped it gently onto Bad’s finger, Bad was shocked that the islands greatest fighter was able to pull something so intricate off, the ring looked almost spiraled, The word ‘Halo’ inscribed on the inner walls of the ring, a small emerald embedded on the top.

…

…

…

Blah Blah Blah, after all the other boring wedding stuff

Vows

Recession

Procesional

Readings

The officiant

Etc

Let’s skip to the good part

[The Kiss]

Bad had gotten Max to officiate the wedding, seeing that he’s done it time and time again for the islanders.

…

Do you, Ètoiles, take BadBoyHalo, as your lawfully wedded husband

I do

Ètoiles stated, with no hesitation whatsoever

And do you, BadBoyHalo, take Ètoiles, as your lawfully wedded husband

I do

Bad said, with somehow less hesitation than Ètoiles

Then, by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husbands. You may kiss the Groom

Ètoiles grabbed Bad and immediately kissed him, dipping him. 

Bad didn’t fight back, gladly accepting everything that Ètoiles did. 

They stayed like that for a bit longer, before standing up straight again. Only looking at each other, only letting a quick glance out to the crowd. Seeing the Huevos still covering their eyes in disgust from the kiss made them laugh. They looked back to each other, love visible in their eyes. Ètoiles took Bad’s hands in his, noticing that they were way smaller than his. How they fit perfectly into his, how soft they were.

Ètoiles saw how happy Bad looked, he had never seen him so exited or happy before. It felt nice to see.

Bad looked lovingly into Ètoiles’s eyes, seeing him look back with just as much love. He had almost never felt so happy, first being when he got Dapper. Oh! Dapper! Where was Dapper? Bad looked around for him, quickly seeing him sitting with Richarlyson, Pomme, and Cheyenne by the kitchen. He smiled at Dapper, before looking back at Ètoiles

…

…

…

You did so good dad!

Dapper stated proudly

Y-Yeah

Pomme said, sobbing

Calm down Pomme

Bad said with a small chuckle

I-I-I Can’t! My- my dad-s j-ju-st got m-married!

Pomme said, still sobbing

Bad brought Pomme into a tight hug, gently patting her hair. Dapper squeezed his way into the hug, not wanting to be left out.

[Ètoiles’s POV]

Ètoiles was talking to Baghera, who was probably crying just as much as Pomme. But… Not out of happiness for him, more out of anger for not asking her for permission to marry her younger-brother-figure… Nice… But it’s not even like I knew, or even hoped the question! I only figured out I was getting married like, 15 hours ago! It was sudden, but still the best “Long Term Alliance” proposal I could of asked for.

Look Baghera, how could I have asked for your permission when, first, I wasn’t the one who proposed. And two, I didn’t even know I was getting married until 15 hours ago… sooo, how could I have asked for your permission?

Wait… 15 HOURS?!

Yeah…?

HOW!?

Isn’t that how it’s done?

NO?!

Oh

“OH”?!

Well either way, shut up about me not asking for your permission, be mad at Bad for not asking. I’m going to talk with Bad now, bye!

[End of POV]

Ètoiles walked over to Bad, hugging him from behind. Resting his head on Bad’s shoulder.

Oh, hi Ètoiles

Hi…

Are you ok?

Yeah

You sure?

Mhm

Ok

Hi dad!

Pomme said, running up to Ètoiles, hugging his leg

Hi Pomme, hi Dapper

Hi Ètoiles

Are you feeling ok dad?

Yeah, why?

You just seem a bit sad is all

Pomme said, moving back to look Ètoiles in the eyes

I’m alright, just tired I guess

You can go chill somewhere quieter if you want, I can keep everyone else entertained

Bad said softly, turning his head to look towards Ètoiles.

It’s ok

When you need to rest you need to rest, it’s nothing to be ashamed of love. It was a busy day

I know, I’m just waiting for you to be able to go with me

Ètoiles whispered the last part, placing a gentle kiss on Bad’s cheek

[regretisstoredintheme]

Hi it's your local spawn from hell who wrote about Yandere Mickey-

Anyway, can little me request the turtaleles with pianist MC? Yeah thanks my ideas basic af leave me alone It can be a fic or hcs I don't give a fuck-

I'm just a ginger music nerd who craves content that isn't mine-

Makin my way downtown, walkin’ fa— OH?? WHATS THIS??

WHAT THE FUCK??

*SNATCHES PAPER*

“Pianocat939 asked:

Hi it's your local spawn from hell who wrote about Yandere Mickey- 

Anyway, can little me request the turtaleles with pianist MC? Yeah thanks my ideas basic af leave me alone It can be a fic or hcs I don't give a fuck-

I'm just a ginger music nerd who craves content that isn't mine-“

A/N: WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE??? NONONO YOU BITCH YOURE NOT SUPPOSED TO REQUEST FROM ME ??— IM YOUR BIGGEST FAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY INBOX🧍 

YES OFC ILL WRITE IT BUT WHAT??? IM OVER HERE MAKING YOU FANART AND SHIT IN THE BACK AND YOU JUST SAUNTER UP HERE LIKE “yo can I get uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh raggedy cloth and others with piano” GET THE FUCK OUT /j

——-

All turtles x Pianist!Reader

—

(In honor of this occasion I only see it fit to write with your cursed ass names) 

Raggedy Cloth:

HUGE sweetheart.

Likes to sit close to the bench, his head and arms propped up on the wood - taking up as little space as possible.

He watches closely, his tail wagging gently in anticipation as your fingertips drum on the keys. His smile widens as he hears the notes, snuggling up to you. 

Sometimes he has a hard time not hugging your torso, having you there in his arms just lulls the turtle right to sleep— doesn’t matter what you’re playing. 

You could be playing the most chaotic, horrifying, heart wrenching piece of sheet music and as long as he was hugging you, he’d be fine. In fact, he’s incredibly content!

If you gently pat his head before playing, the churring that vibrates from him is rather hard to play over— but eh who are you kidding? It adds a good baseline. 

He hardly notices anytime you mess up, and if it really starts to bug you - he’s rubbing up and down your back, telling you to take a break, get a snack, anything to help you calm down. 

Danielston III:

He isn’t exactly the type to sit and watch you play. 

However, when you had expressed an interest in piano, he quietly began working on a custom-made keyboard. Purple, of course.. with accents of your favorite color. 

It has more sounds than the original, and, it’s a lot more practical. 

It did come with headphones.. however, he may or may not have messed with the jack so it could hook up to his headphones as well — with Bluetooth.

You know how he records everything? 

…yeah.

Sometimes when he’s really overstimulated, he’ll just pull up recordings of your music, the sound calming his nerves until he can get himself back together. 

When he’s understimulated? There is nothing stopping him from remixing your talent.

He DEFINITELY adds your mess - ups too, he thinks your tirades of frustration are actually really humorous.

I like to think he makes most of his ‘jammy jams’ by himself, considering how he knows what he likes, but you know.

Overall he appreciates your talent— but in secret. He’d die before letting you know how much he relies on it. 

Mikey Mouse:

Loves your playing so much!! 

Theres no better feeling then listening to you play and working on his art— he considers you an incredible artist, especially if you compose your own music. 

His mood depends on what you’re playing, it can really affect what he plans on drawing.

If you play chaotic things, he acts like he doesn’t mind at all!! And really he doesn’t, but if you look over his shoulder, you’ll notice it’s inspired him to draw his own chaotic things..  

Things you wouldn’t even wanna unleash on your own worst enemy.

Everytime you finish a song or overcome a rut you were in, he’s bombarding you with compliments. 

“That one was so cool, Y/N!”

“Where did you learn to play like that?”

“You did it! I’m so proud of you..” 

incredibly genuine too— like it’s overflowing.

I feel like this was short, but there’s not really much to say about the mikester 😭 Hes just content to be in your presence. He sees you as an artist the same as him, same level and creative ability. He loves being around you.

Tableo:

He makes sure you have a couch instead of a bench for your piano

Why? 

So he can lean against you and prop his legs up on the armrests of course!!

He’s quick to point out when you do something impressive, like a chord progression you had been practicing all day. his brows furrow as he gives you his signature smirk, “Class-ayy~” 

He often reads comics while you play, chuckling anytime you mess up. 

If you point out his laughter, there is LOADS of teasing in for you. 

“I don’t see what’s so hard!” He laughs, as you scoff, asking him to play it if it’s so easy! “Well, you can’t expect me to just do it perfectly with hands like these..” he gestures to his 6 fingers, but scoots closer to you anyway, muttering something about how “but.. if you insist~”

He’s surprisingly really good his first try! Great for someone with “hands like his”.

If you try to teach him though, he’s yawning through your whole lecture — instead staring at you and how prettily your features meshed together. 

“Leo? Did.. you hear anything I just said..?”

“Hehehehhh.. nope. ♡”

He’s.. Shameless..!

Absolutely…

Shameless.

——

A/N: PLS EXCUSE ME FOR BEING SUCH A FANBOYJFHJDHS op is just really cool ♡

[i-like-anything-water]

Hello I-Like-Anything-Water! I'm respecting your privacy by knocking, but am too impatient to wait for permission and am coming in anyway! (Breaks door down with a battering ram)

Glad to see from you again! Hope school's treating you well. I have returned with more CHLOENETTE!!

I posted this a few other places, but was curious about your thoughts on it: The Scene starts with Rose inspecting a present someone left on her desk, wondering what's inside... only for it to blast open and smash a pie into her face, the sound of cruel laughter coming from behind her. She turns her head to see Marinette and Chloe, both decked out in gold, and asks why Marinette became so mean. Marinette's answer? "Because someone needs to keep little losers like you in their place!" Before moving in to kiss her girlfriend... and then Marinette wakes up screaming, wondering why she dreamed of dating Chloe of all people... and why the thought of being so cruel felt so right.

Meanwhile, across town, Chloe is experiencing a dream of her own. One in which she's no longer rich, and isn't particularly famous. One where she spends most of her days either keeping the house in good condition or helping her in-laws run the bakery. A simple life with a loving family, when her wife, Marinette walks through the door... carrying their daughter in her arms. She moves in to pull her wife into a kiss... and wakes up, blushing bright enough to be seen from space, and instantly going into denial that she would EVER want to be with Dupain-Cheng OR give up her wealth and influence... no matter how at home she felt in that little shop in her dreams.

To make a long story short, my thought is that both Marinette and Chloe are crushing hard on each other, in denial, and would gladly throw away their current lives if it meant being with the other. What do you think?

Hello! School is still a pain and my toothache isn't helping but it's alright, ask as much as you want. My doors are pretty much open at this point xD

I think that's what makes Chloenette my favorite ship in the series. They won't throw away all the life they built away (technically) but they would want to do everything that hey can to build a future for them.

Marinette growing a more firm and decisive backbone due to Chloé's influence is pretty much accepted within the chloenette fandom and I personally think it's great. Despite her growth (canonically...there still is) I don't see why she can't be a bit more aggressive in situations. Plus it's funny when Mari's being mean but also feeling kinda bad but satisfied later and Chloé's just proud and smug. 'That's my girl.'

Chloé Bourgeois, former heiress turned commoner found strolling Paris's park with up and coming fashion designer Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

I don't know if y'all have read the fics, but Tacomuerte's stories 'Best Frenemies' and 'Divided Loyalties' are one of the best portrayal of Chloé slowly settling down with Mari's lifestyle and Mari with Chloé's. Chloé is artistic (a bit perfectionist in a way as well) and I can definitely see her fussing and making sure all of the pastries are decorated to the tiniest of details and that every box doesn't have a single speck of dirt or crumpled. Baking also requires physical exertion especially in large orders so that's one way for her to let out some steam without causing an akuma xD.

They grew up with different backgrounds but I can see them having multiple common grounds aside from Fashion. One of them is their devotion and loyalty to people they like (in Chloé's case, people she genuinely respects and looks up to) which can get pretty aggressive and sometimes obsessive (obsessive chloenette is a fave).

Basically, yeah, I can see them doing a lot of unexpected things just to be together and to build a future they both want and need.

[churrorat-art]

Alright so I'm reading the lost continent...

I have some thoughts.

No spoilers, I'm only on ch.18

!spoilers for the lost continent below cut !

Okay so basically blue is a nervous cowardly dragon, which is not my favorite to read about (except you turtle, you are perfect.) But I do think it's cute how he doesn't even gave wings yet. And theres the whole thing about flamesilks which is cool ig. BUT LUNA she is such a good character I can't even- (no where near as good as winter tho) and I don't even know that much about luna yet but I know she will be an ICON in the later books.

Moving on from that, basically blue is wanted cause the hive thinks he is flame silk which is not good and queen wasp needs blue as a servant blah blah. Then we meet his friend (??) And her name is io. AND SHE IS SO COOL. Such badass the way she saved blue and his pathetic butt. Idk if Io died cause she isn't mentioned later, but I hope she didn't BECAUSE SHE ONCE HAD A PET MONKEY.

Then blue meets cricket. And I think cricket is a cool lil dragon. She is very interesting. I like how she likes food alot, it's funny to me. Also I appreciate her artistic talent and I think her positive energy is a nice touch. And basically she is impossible to hate. Although I'm not sure how I feel about blues crush on cricket. Sure it's cute...but I was kinda hoping blue would've been a character WITHOUT a love interest.

Anyway they free sword tail and he is hilarious. 4/6 character I think. And so far up to this point it was really boring to read but swordtail made it way more bearable to read.

Then they meet the reading monkey-thing in the cave ??!? And like wtf??? Idek if that monkey thing is important to the plot, but it doesn't look like it! So why tf did this random monkey creature even appear??!?! Idk but I hope he becomes the main villain.

Anyway, then blue, swordtail and cricket find FUCKING LEAFWINGS (WHO ARE LONG EXTINCT BTW) IN THE QUEENS GARDENING SHED??!!!!!? Ok ok, genuinely this made the book 10x cooler. I believe the leafwings names were: hemlock, belladonna and sundew. I love sundew. (Not anywhere near as much as winter and not more than cricket but she is still a cool character ) sundews sassy attitude is so funny and want to know more about her.

Basically the leafwings know where luna is being kept, and blue + friends want to save luna but don't know where she is, and the leafwings will tell blue where she is if they steal the book of clear sight for them. And they totally dont want the book of clear sight for anything suspicious, obviously.

So I am hoping that blue , cricket and sundew go on a mission together, either to save luna or the book idc. I just want to see sundew interact with the other kids her age. Then hemlock, swordtail , belladonna can go on a solo mission to retrieve either one. Idk if that will happen, it's just my prediction.

But yeah! That's the book so far and my opinions that I felt I needed to share ! Sorry if you don't understand any of my gipperish. '- _-

Also no spoilers please !!

[ratbakes]

i 100% agree on the lqg tigertaur thing. Portraying liu qingge as a white tiger is nothing new and putting a human half on a animal half is literally a concept as old as time. It exists in cultures all around the world and is sooo far from new or revolutionary

Honestly the fact that sirencat is trying to play the victim of being "bullied" when in reality their claim was just debunked is so baffling to me. As if they didn't start the fight by trying to call out an artist who DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHO THEY WERE and reposting their art without credit???? While claiming THEY had something stolen from them????? Fucking bonkers. I'm glad so many folks are backing us up because this kind of fandom drama is utterly stupid. To me this is no better than "I like this character the most and nobody else likes them as much as I do!!!" bullshit. Like. They don't fucking know where sinn's inspiration came from. To claim that it MUST have come from them because it's been around for a while is?????? So presumptuous??? To really think that everyone else was "copying" them by including tiger stuff in their creations within the same month as them is also genuinely insane considering it was THE MONTH BEFORE THE YEAR OF THE TIGER. Like fuck, if I saw someone else come up with a fairy SJ au where he was scantily clad and living in the forest.... I'd be like "hell yeah someone else sees my vision, hell yeah 2 cakes" instead of "HEY YOU COPIED ME!!!!! YOU COPIED ME YOU MUST HAVE SEEN MINE FIRST AND COPIED IT!!!! IDK THAT YOU'VE RECENTLY JOINED THE SVSSS FANDOM AND HAVE ALWAYS LOVED DRAWING SCANTILY CLAD FAIRIES YOU'RE CLEARLY JUST COPYING ME!!!!" If they knew anything at all about Sinn it's that they've been doing half-beast svsss characters for a while now and a lot of those ideas come about based off of conversations with their friends and NOT looking at someone else's designs and going "hmm I think I'm going to steal this" like just. The ego to think they have THAT much influence over the fandom when the folks like Soursoppi and Acernor probably don't even know who the fuck they are, let alone trying to "steal" from them. I could go on and on about this. I'm so mad on so many levels because of the amount of mental gymnastics they'd have to do to come to that conclusion. If they had just gone "okay, I didn't talk to the artist and I didn't realize their inspiration came from elsewhere. Sorry for the misunderstanding" then this whole thing could have been a lot less hostile, but instead they doubled down on their claim and started deleting people arguing against them (proving them wrong) and blocking them.

Anyway. I need to calm down. Thanks for giving me an opportunity to vent via this ask 😂

[mermaidsirennikita]

People are ridiculously entitled and it’s genuinely so disheartening. Books are someone’s ART. You don’t just get to alter a name in someone else’s creative work. (I’m appalled people out there think this is remotely acceptable - writers are not court jesters nor do they exist to please everyone - no human being nor their creative work does, in fact!) Thanks for putting your various responses out there! Here’s hoping people learn to respect and appreciate artists and creators once again

Quoth Nora Roberts:

I am not here to be a slave to certain reader’s wants, needs, whims. Again, I write what I write, and these are MY characters, in my books. Not yours. They are yours to enjoy or not, but they belong to me, they come from me...

You don’t have to agree, but I’m not writing for your particular point of view. Again, I’ve explained my reasons for this. I won’t do so again. My characters, my books, my decision. If you want something else, read something else.

And yes, I said that, too. Blast away, it changes nothing. I am not obliged to meet an individual’s demands.

So.

First off:

If you're really super chill about the idea of being able to change what writers write just because you didn't like a detail you think is small and irrelevant, I would sincerely encourage you to read La Nora's full thoughts on similar issues... and yeah, I'm gonna equate something as "small" as a name with what Nora's talking about here. Because it is ALL the author's domain. I've never personally subscribed to the idea that a work "isn't yours anymore" once it's out in the world. The way people interpret and interact with it isn't yours, sure. But it's still your creation, and you should be the only person with control over the content.

... and sometimes, I, as a reader, don't like what authors do with their content. I get it. I don't like that Lisa Kleypas edited her work years after publishing it, because I'm big on the "own what you wrote originally even if it's uncomfy" train... (for the most part--editing the fetishization of Cam and Kev would've made sense to me). And I don't think there's anything wrong with readers pointing out problematic shit in a writer's work, offering critique in an open forum, as Smart Bitches, Trashy books did when reading Hello, Stranger, which I speculate may have prompted some of Lisa's edits.

But! I can't say that it would ever be my right as a reader to, say, use future technology to tell my reading device "edit out the times Cam says shit that reads super fetishized". It's just kind of repellent to me to imagine rewriting someone's work in any way without their permission. Fuck, I don't even like the idea of estates releasing sequels or revised versions of books unless the author indicated that such was in their wishes in their will. (See: the TWO official Gone with the Wind sequels/prequels/whatever authorized by Margaret Mitchell's estate.)

We, as readers, have our lanes. The writers have theirs. And sometimes, as writers, they do tiny things or BIG things in their lanes that we dislike. (I love Tiffany Reisz's Original Sinners series, for the most part. I really, REALLY hate the most recent book in the series. HATE. IT. But the only thing I can do about that shit is just pretend that book never happened, which I actually can fairly efficiently because I do in fact control what my brain does. Or, seek out books that give me what that series didn't with that most recent book. Sierra Simone's do a bangin' job.) But you know... Not only do I not think it is safe for me to merge into their lane... I don't want writers to feel like they have to submit to demand and give away pieces of their work in order to keep selling.

(And honestly? For the vast majority, I don't think it would make enough of a difference anyway--writers are often sold bills of goods with new strategies or tech. "This will change the way you sell books". Most writers won't ever be able to write full time anyway, and I find the way that this fantasy that you'll be able to do otherwise with THIS TECH optimizing your writing time, or THIS SUBSCRIPTION increasing the eyeballs that will see your book... Scammy. Not all of it's bad! But the selling strategy that you'll make more money... If you're selling on KU, if five extra people buy your book you're still making pennies, so it's gotta be more than one thing that converges to create the sale, and a lot of that, I gotta say, is word of mouth and people just LIKING YOUR SHIT. And I'd argue that they're more likely to like your shit if you're invested as a writer.)

Second:

No need to thank me! I honestly think that the majority of readers do appreciate what writers do (or don't feel either way about it and just read like people have always read lol) but I don't know. I can't really tell what it is--the sort of "fandom" that's been created around books (and like, author fan clubs and such have always existed, but obviously the accessibility is so different), new tech developing very rapidly when for centuries books were relatively stagnant technologically speaking, the fanficification of EVERY type of media it feels like... But the sense of entitlement that certain readers feel does seem to have grown. Or maybe it's simply become more visible. I mean, Nora Roberts has from the dawn of her writing career taken off had fans that can communicate with her, and I'm sure many have written letters like "Go give these characters a baby :(".

My biggest thing is always going to be this: some books ain't gonna be for you. There are books that sound so Caroline. I read them, and for whatever reason--writing style, one character choice, something ephemeral I can't name--they aren't. Everyone else loves these books. I'd love to love these books. I'd love to discuss these books. I'm not in the party. And that's FINE. Not every party is going to be a party I'm down for! One of my best friends loooooves Tessa Bailey and Tessa-like contemporaries. Tessa, by and large, doesn't work for me. So my friend and I can't discuss a lot of books in depth. Do I wish historicals worked for her so that I could nerd out with her? Sure! But I can't make something that doesn't work for her work for her, and I can't make Tessa's books work for me.

And I know that people will be like "it's just a name bitch", but... it's a slippery slope to me, just like ALL of AI and AI-related tech has been a slippery slope. Like, y'all said AI wasn't gonna be a big deal and would just make things easier, and people are now selling AI-written books under their names. Everyone said that authors would have control over how AI interacted with their books, and books are being scraped for AI on the daily.

I do not want anyone to have final control over what is and isn't in a book but the person who wrote the book. I do not want writers to feel like they need to cede any amount of control over the copy in that book over to readers in order to succeed.

And I honestly think it would be a lot healthier for everyone involved if we as readers (viewers, general audiences) just accepted that we don't get everything we want, and creatives are not here to dance to our tune. They are people, and they want to tell the stories they want to tell. Your power? Is in your dollar. If you don't like that shit, don't buy it. If you don't want to support it... don't! Fuck, if you want to talk shit on the internet about how the most recent book in the series was absolutely not for you, that's your right, too.

I don't want you fucking with a single word on the page, though. Feel free to go write your own shit--prosper! But that part of what Nora said that rings true to me most is "they come from me". These books come from writers. You have them because of those writers. So, I don't know, dude. Just take what's there, and if you dislike it, spit it out and move on to the thing you will like. Authors aren't churn factories to produce what you want, and ROMANCE as a genre, however commercial it is and however much it does have that One Rule that defines it as a genre... Is still something that writers should be allowed to experiment with. That's the work writers put in. The work readers put in? Finding shit that works for us. And I'm telling you... With a little practice, it ain't hard. How do y'all think I have all these books to recommend? Lmao