#aren't they a pretty pair?

[lindira]

Questions for Your Tav - Envy

Part 5! (Last one!) They/them pronouns for this one because Envy's feeling more femme in the above pic. Questions taken from this list of Questions for Your Tav!

Does your Tav have a treasured item with them? If yes, what is it and why is it special? If no, how do they feel about item sentimentality in general?

Yes, their lute. It was lucky Envy was going to a job when they were taken from the Baldur's Gate area, because then they had their sword and lute with them. The lute was one they had saved up for and purchased while still together with Astarion, before they were forcibly separated three years ago. Envy had bought the instrument used, but it's pretty, well-cared for, and has sentimental value because Astarion helped them pick it out.

Envy's a pretty sentimental person, as is expected from a bard. They have a few other treasured items at their rented room in Rivington. They fear that those items will have been thrown out by the time they get home, since they weren't around to pay the rent.

How does your Tav feel about giving and receiving orders?

Envy gives orders easily and comfortably. They don't mind being put in a position of leadership, and would actually rather do the talking and be the "face" of the party because they know they're a smooth talker. People take them seriously because they're confident and carry themself well. Envy is also really opinionated and stubborn, so they like making the decisions for the party (though they're willing to hear and consider input from the others).

As for receiving orders, Envy doesn't do that well. They have a general dislike and disrespect for anyone in authority. If they feel someone is looking down at them, they will talk back or do something stupid in retaliation. They would probably just do what they want anyway, unless they agree that the "order" is the best course of action. But then, Envy would insist that it was their idea and they were going to do it anyway.

How well does your Tav function under pressure?

Envy thrives under pressure. They find that a sense of danger or urgency makes a task more interesting or fun. In fact, Envy tends to procrastinate or get distracted if there isn't some level of urgency to a task, which is another reason they bounce from job to job in their life before the nautiloid. They get bored easily in slow or tedious situations, so they often need a deadline or some impending consequence to light a proverbial fire under their ass.

What advice would you give to your Tav?

I think I would advise Envy to see the people around them, and realize that family is not necessarily a traditional nuclear unit with a mother and a father and a bunch of kids. They are so focused on the family they lost when they were 6 that they repeatedly fail to realize that they can make a new family from the people they care about around them. Sometimes a family is your vampire boyfriend, a nerdy wizard, a demonish folk hero, a sweetie pie barbarian, a lost lamb cleric, an angry githyanki, a few druids, a dog, and an owlbear.

What are your Tav’s intentions/goals after the end of the game?

Envy wants to take advantage of their "Hero of Baldur's Gate" status to perform and gain a solid following as a well-known bard in the Baldur's Gate area and beyond. They'd like to eventually leave the city - maybe head to Waterdeep since they know Gale there. Envy thinks a change of scenery might be good for both them and Astarion, to leave behind all the bad memories and start fresh. They figure Astarion would like it if they both became crime-fighting vigilantes of a sort, to sate his bloodlust and give him a wider menu than boars, bears, and the occasional Envy-based snack.

Along those lines, Envy also wants to adventure with Astarion to find either a cure for vampirism or at least a way for him to walk in the sun again. Envy is a little doubtful such a cure exists - especially one that would not corrupt Astarion like the Ascension would have - but they'll do anything to make Astarion as happy as he can be. After all that Astarion has suffered and worked through, Envy wants to spoil him as much as possible, to show him the happiness life can provide.

[timey-fandom-stuff]

"... Fine. If you want to see a monster so bad..."

"... I'll show you what a real monster looks like."

this was mostly me wanting to share the design for my Deltarune Monsterswap AU's monster Kris as they appear in the Dark World, but it also doubles as a little something else: a glimpse into one possible Weird Route. the Kris of this AU isn't bound to Player choice... and thus far less defenseless against their whims.

the question is: what does it take to make a good dog bite?

[aflawedfashion]

The most suspenseful thing about that episode was whether or not Elsbeth was going to get Kaya to go to the gala with her

[border-collie]

Just got a really nice deal on a new leather jacket : )

[ishomieokay]

Was looking for inspiration for my Muslim OC's outfit and omg. This is so beautiful. Muslim women are really out there slaying 😍

[shieldsurf]

out of the big 4 het/canon fairy tail pairings jerza is by Far the worst imo like. he needs to leave her alone i'm so serious and the fact that mashima wrote in a 7 year age gap for no reason is Not helping... erzas ass is NINETEEN the first time jellal makes an open pass at her i don't care that they used to be the same age it is fucking weird. gruvia is a close second though because while yes we objectify men here sir and i live to serve women juvia's creepiness is really just too much like at a certain point it starts to feel really gross and the fact that gray seems to fall for her by the end of the anime/manga just reeks of coercion. not even bringing up how genuinely awful juvia's character writing is she gets like 5 minutes of being interesting before getting instantly reduced to a creepy stan who completely revolves around gray and has less depth than the average bossfight of the week. i guess its equality that erza and mirajane are some of the best characters in this story (which is admittedly a low bar considering half of their personality is being subjected to the most voyeuristic shots possible) so mashima had to balance it out by making juvia one of the worst

[thsc-confessions]

"I don't like Henry ships very much bcs he's incredibly aroace to me so I exclude the ship tags when looking for fics to read but I can't help but be worried that I'm missing out on good stuff I'd otherwise enjoy :(" submitted by @fastrainbowdas

[wobinbug]

Miku Wazowski lmao

[cultivating-wildflowers]

🎧

[stabbingandorbeingstabbed]

i have an honest to god job interview for a real job tomorrow before work and i bought new heels for it and everything bc i wanted to dress to impress and the lady im talking to was like "btw they like to do a tour of the hospital during the interview so wear something you can walk in!" girl the whole thing is supposed to take 30 minutes how on earth do they think we have time to do both ?? anyways catch me walking around my apartment in bulky socks and heels in an effort to break them in overnight bc i don't have any other shoes that go with my Professional Outfit <3

[elenadoeslife]

Here's most of the clothing I thrifted over the weekend. I almost felt guilty for spending so much money (€80-€100) on a new wardrobe, but I guess most pieces are basics that'll last me a long time :)

[l0ganberry]

Wait. If Howdy were to go ice-skating and he had to rent some skates........ does that mean he had to pay the exact amount for 2 people only for himself??? Or can he get an extra pair for free if he paid the first pair??

I NEED ANSWERS!!!

[opens-up-4-nobody]

...

[shithowdy]

this is your periodic reminder that for all the artifacts and errors and "tells" one could possibly list, the only reliable way to actually determine if an image is ai generated is to investigate the source. it is becoming increasingly common for "fake classical paintings" to circulate around curative aesthetic blogs, and everyone should be using this as an opportunity to not only exercise their investigative skills but also appreciate art more in general. you're all checking out the artists you reblog, right? 🫣

so what are some signs to look for? let's use this very good example.

what a lovely late-impressionist piece blended with evocative leyendecker-esque themes! why haven't you ever heard of this artist before? surely tumblr would be all over an artist like this. who is justin brown?

your two options from here are to do a search for the name, or a reverse image search. i prefer reverse image searching, particularly when it comes to a common name like "justin brown". so what does that net?

Immediately, without looking at any text, something is wrong: it barely exists. an actual historical piece would turn up numerous results from websites individually discussing the piece, but no such discussions are taking place. Looking at the text, though, does show the source-- and at least in this case, the creator was honest about their medium.

But let's also look at the "exact matches", in case a source doesn't make itself apparent in the initial sidebar results like this.

This section will often tell you post dates of images, and here it can be seen that the very first iteration of the image was posted 15 days ago. It did not exist online prior to that.

Seeing how long an unsourced image has been floating around is a skill applicable to more than just generative images! See a cool image of an artifact or other intriguing item with a vivid caption? Reverse search it! If all the results are paired with that caption and only go back a few months, you might just have viral facebook spam.

Sometimes generative creators are dishonest about their medium and do not tag it like in the example, so that's when establishing "jpeg provenance" becomes important. While it can be a little trickier to determine if someone is using generative images and not admitting to it if they aren't trying to pass it off as a classic, something to consider is the age of their account and the frequency with which they post. Here are some account red flags:

-Did they only start posting art after 2022, or if they did before, did their style/skill level WILDLY change? Not gradual improvement-- I'm talking amateur graphite portraits straight into complex digital renders. Everyone starts somewhere, newness is not a red flag alone; it's newness combined with existing in a vacuum away from any community.

-Do they post fully-finished paintings several times a week? -Do many of these paintings seem iterative of a similar theme or subject matter ("three well-dressed young men face each other under shade and dappled sunlight")?

-Does their style change in inconsistent ways? An artist that can swap between painting like Drew Struzan and Hokusai should be pretty well known, right? Why is no one hyping this guy?!

-Do they have social media besides the source instagram? If so, what are they posting about? Are there any WIPs? Doodles? Interactions with other artists? Gallery dates? 3am self-doubt posts? Or is it all self-promo? Crypto? Seemingly nothing art-related at all for someone pushing out 3 weekly paintings?

Basically, if it's important to you to omit this stuff when you curate, please don't just smash reblog if the source doesn't seem to be the OP themselves. Seeking out sources was important even before this became an issue, now it is more than ever.

peace n love

[lacyblades]

౨ৎ satoru hates the idea of cock-warming. he thinks it's pointless, getting the opportunity to be in you, and not even bothering to make the most of it.

his idea of making the most, well, it would consist only of fucking you so hard, you won't be able to move the next day. that's what good boyfriends do, right?

"good boyfriends do whatever their girlfriend asks them to do," you counter.

satoru whines in response, looking up at you. all pretty, you're seated in his lap, as he lays on the bed. strands of white hair fall into his eyes, and you brush them away.

he pouts, "i am a good boyfriend." satoru's getting impatient, wanting to just feel your snug cunt around him. his throbbing cock sits hard on his stomach, red-tipped and leaky.

"then, please?" drawing out the syllables, you give him the best you can: puppy eyes. he caves. instantly.

grumbling, "fine. i guess you can put her in you. willingly choose not to move, too, or whatever."

you clap your hands, emerging victorious. you're not willing to test your luck, though, not commenting on the fact that you've told him multiple times not to refer to his penis with she/her pronouns.

he groans as you sink onto him, his thick length pushing past your spongey walls. there's a filthy squelching that fills the room, paired with your quiet whimpers.

satoru's hands grip your hips, fingers digging into the flesh. "shit, pretty girl, tight 'n' wet f'me. taking me s'good." his words slur into one another, lost in the depths of arousal.

there's always a certain amount of self-control it takes, to not immediately cum the second he's all the way in. "'toru," you murmur, accidentally clenching around him.

"fuck," he mutters, "you can't do that, squeeze your little pussy like that, if you aren't gonna do anything about it."

"sorry," you say, sheepish. his eyes flutter shut, a hum dismissing the apology.

"now, what? just... stay like that?" satoru tilts his head at you, questioningly. sassy, if you may add. he just really can't believe you'd rather be doing this.

shifting above him, you lean down, resting your head on his bare chest. "yeah. isn't it nice?"

his arms wrap come up, to wrap around your waist. there's a beat of silence from him. begrudgingly, your rigid boyfriend shrugs, "maybe."

you're too content to roll your eyes. he wouldn't admit it, but satoru was filled with love, in this moment. his shoulders relax, and his entire body seems to ease, a breath of satisfaction leaving him. he feels at peace. he's always at peace, when he's with you, but this is different.

more real. more raw.

it's incredibly intimate. he feels like he's a part of you, like there's nothing keeping you separated. satoru inhales your scent, holding you just a little tighter.

"baby, i love you," he whispers, voice thick with emotion.

you smile against him, "i love you, too, 'toru."

to say the least, cock-warming is his new favorite thing. there is no sitting beside him on the couch anymore, not when you're alone. no laying next to each other on bed, either.

if he was clingy before, he's a monster now. if you're near, he wants to be inside you. not to have sex, but just to rest. it's not like you're complaining, anyways. at the end of the day, you're down bad for him, just as much as he is for you.

[hepbaestus]

Y'all I got myself these new Nintendo switch joycons (specifically the Nintendo switch split pad compact (Eevee)) for Christmas and they are incredible.

Like, my hands aren't massive so the basic joycons work fine but holy moly my hands don't feel so cramped on these new ones.

And the fact that there's a button on the back that I can assign? Chef's kiss.