#but I am used to either mouse+keyboard

[alongtidesoflight]

in wake of yet another wave of people being turned off by windows, here's a guide on how to dual boot windows and 🐧 linux 🐧 (useful for when you're not sure if you wanna make the switch and just wanna experiment with the OS for a bit!)

if you look up followup guides online you're gonna see that people are telling you to use ubuntu but i am gonna show you how to do this using kubuntu instead because fuck GNOME. all my homies hate GNOME.

i'm just kidding, use whatever distro you like. my favorite's kubuntu (for a beginner home environment). read up on the others if you're curious. and don't let some rando on reddit tell you that you need pop! OS for gaming. gaming on linux is possible without it.

why kubuntu?

- it's very user friendly

- it comes with applications people might already be familiar with (VLC player and firefox for example)

- libreoffice already preinstalled

- no GNOME (sorry GNOME enthusiasts, let me old man yell at the clouds) (also i'm playing this up for the laughs. wholesome kde/gnome meme at the bottom of this post.)

for people who are interested in this beyond my tl;dr: read this

(if you're a linux user, don't expect any tech wizardry here. i know there's a billion other and arguably better ways to do x y and/or z. what i'm trying to do here is to keep these instructions previous windows user friendly. point and click. no CLI bro, it'll scare the less tech savvy hoes. no vim supremacy talk (although hell yeah vim supremacy). if they like the OS they'll figure out bash all by themselves in no time.)

first of all, there'll be a GUI. you don't need to type lines of code to get this all running. we're not going for the ✨hackerman aesthetics✨ today. grab a mouse and a keyboard and you're good to go.

what you need is a computer/laptop/etc with enough disk space to install both windows and linux on it. i'm recommending to reserve at least a 100gb for the both of them. in the process of this you'll learn how to re-allocate disk space either way and you'll learn how to give and take some, we'll do a bit of disk partitioning to fit them both on a single disk.

and that's enough babbling for now, let's get to the actual tutorial:

🚨IMPORTANT. DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS ON A 32BIT SYSTEM. ONLY DO THIS IF YOU'RE WORKING WITH A 64BIT SYSTEM. 🚨 (win10 and win11: settings -> system -> about -> device specifications -> system type ) it should say 64bit operating system, x64-based processor.

step 1: install windows on your computer FIRST. my favorite way of doing this is by creating an installation media with rufus. you can either grab and prepare two usb sticks for each OS, or you can prepare them one after the other. (pro tip: get two usb sticks, that way you can label them and store them away in case you need to reinstall windows/linux or want to install it somewhere else)

in order to do this, you need to download three things:

rufus

win10 (listen. i know switching to win11 is difficult. not much of a fan of it either. but support's gonna end for good. you will run into hiccups. it'll be frustrating for everyone involved. hate to say it, but in this case i'd opt for installing its dreadful successor over there ->) or win11

kubuntu (the download at the top is always the latest, most up-to-date one)

when grabbing your windows installation of choice pick this option here, not the media creation tool option at the top of the page:

side note: there's also very legit key sellers out there who can hook you up with cheap keys. you're allowed to do that if you use those keys privately. don't do this in an enterprise environment though. and don't waste money on it if your ultimate goal is to switch to linux entirely at one point.

from here it's very easy sailing. plug your usb drive into your computer and fire up rufus (just double click it).

🚨two very important things though!!!!!!:🚨

triple check your usb device. whatever one you selected will get wiped entirely in order to make space for your installation media. if you want to be on the safe side only plug in the ONE usb stick you want to use. and back up any music, pictures or whatever else you had on there before or it'll be gone forever.

you can only install ONE OS on ONE usb drive. so you need to do this twice, once with your kubuntu iso and once with your windows iso, on a different drive each.

done. now you can dispense windows and linux left and right, whenever and wherever you feel like it. you could, for example, start with your designated dual boot device. installing windows is now as simple as plugging the usb device into your computer and booting it up. from there, click your way through the installation process and come back to this tutorial when you're ready.

step 2: preparing the disks for a dual boot setup

on your fresh install, find your disk partitions. in your search bar enter either "diskmgr" and hit enter or just type "partitions". the former opens your disk manager right away, the latter serves you up with this "create and format hard disk partitions" search result and that's what you're gonna be clicking.

you'll end up on a screen that looks more or less like in the screenshot below. depending on how many disks you've installed this might look different, but the basic gist is the same. we're going to snip a little bit off Disk 0 and make space for kubuntu on it. my screenshot isn't the best example because i'm using the whole disk and in order to practice what i preach i'd have to go against my own advice. that piece of advice is: if this screen intimidates you and you're not sure what you're doing here, hands off your (C:) drive, EFI system, and recovery partition. however, if you're feeling particularly fearless, go check out the amount of "free space" to the right. is there more than 30gb left available? if so, you're free to right click your (C:) drive and click "shrink volume"

this screen will pop up:

the minimum disk space required for kubuntu is 25gb. the recommended one is 50gb. for an installation like this, about 30gb are enough. in order to do that, simply change the value at

Enter the amount of space to shrink in MB: to 30000

and hit Shrink.

once that's done your partitions will have changed and unallocated space at about the size of 30gb should be visible under Disk 0 at the bottom like in the bottom left of this screenshot (courtesy of microsoft.com):

this is gonna be kubuntu's new home on your disk.

step 3: boot order, BIOS/UEFI changes

all you need to do now is plug the kubuntu-usb drive you prepared earlier with rufus into your computer again and reboot that bad boy.

the next step has no screenshots. we're heading into your UEFI/BIOS (by hitting a specific key (like ESC, F10, Enter) while your computer boots up) and that'll look different for everyone reading this. if this section has you completely lost, google how to do these steps for your machine.

a good search term would be: "[YOUR DEVICE (i.e Lenovo, your mainboard's name, etc.)] change boot order"

what you need to do is to tell your computer to boot your USB before it tries to boot up windows. otherwise you won't be able to install kubuntu.

this can be done by entering your BIOS/UEFI and navigating to a point called something along the lines of "boot". from "boot order" to "booting devices" to "startup configuration", it could be called anything.

what'll be a common point though is that it'll list all your bootable devices. the topmost one is usually the one that boots up first, so if your usb is anywhere below that, make sure to drag and drop or otherwise move it to the top.

when you're done navigate to Save & Exit. your computer will then boot up kubuntu's install wizard. you'll be greeted with this:

shocker, i know, but click "Install Kubuntu" on the right.

step 4: kubuntu installation

this is a guided installation. just like when you're installing windows you'll be prompted when you need to make changes. if i remember correctly it's going to ask you for your preferred keyboard layout, a network connection, additional software you might want to install, and all of that is up to you.

but once you reach the point where it asks you where you want to install kubuntu we'll have to make a couple of important choices.

🚨 another important note 🚨

do NOT pick any of the top three options. they will overwrite your already existing windows installation.

click manual instead. we're going to point it to our unallocated disk space. hit continue. you will be shown another disk partition screen.

what you're looking for are your 30gb of free space. just like with the USB drive when we were working with rufus, make sure you're picking the right one. triple check at the very least. the chosen disk will get wiped.

click it until the screen "create a new partition" pops up.

change the following settings to:

New partition size in megabytes: 512

Use as: EFI System Partition

hit OK.

click your free space again. same procedure.

change the following settings to:

New partition size in megabytes: 8000 (*this might be different in your case, read on.)

Use As: Swap Area

hit OK

click your free space a third time. we need one more partition.

change the following settings to:

don't change anything about the partition size this time. we're letting it use up the rest of the resources.

Use as: Ext4 journaling system

Mount Point: /

you're done here as well.

*about the 8000 megabytes in the second step: this is about your RAM size. if you have 4gb instead type 4000, and so on.

once you're sure your configuration is good and ready to go, hit "Install Now". up until here you can go back and make changes to your settings. once you've clicked the button, there's no going back.

finally, select your timezone and create a user account. then hit continue. the installation should finish up... and you'll be good to go.

you'll be told to remove the USB drive from your computer and reboot your machine.

now when your computer boots up, you should end up on a black screen with a little bit of text in the top left corner. ubuntu and windows boot manager should be mentioned there. naturally, when you click ubuntu you will boot into your kubuntu. likewise if you hit windows boot manager your windows login screen will come up.

and that's that folks. go ham on messing around with your linux distro. customize it to your liking. make yourself familiar with the shell (on kubuntu, when you're on your desktop, hit CTRL+ALT+T).

for starters, you could feed it the first commands i always punch into fresh Linux installs:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get upgrade

sudo apt-get install vim

(you'll thank me for the vim one later)

turn your back on windows. taste freedom. nothing sexier than open source, baby.

sources (mainly for the pictures): 1, 2

further reading for the curious: 1, 2

linux basics (includes CLI commands)

kubuntu documentation (this is your new best friend. it'll tell you everything about kubuntu that you need to know.

and finally the promised kde/gnome meme:

[hongjoongsslvt]

ITS YOU -CHOI SAN (MDNI)

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆

Click here for Part-2(Smut)

WC: 1.6k

Pairing: Roommate San X Roommate Reader Genre:University AU, childhood close friemds to lovers, Common best friends, Wooyoung and Yeosang, Reader is taller than San

Warnings: fem! Bodied reader, mild cursing, suggestive, reader is referred as kitten, MDNI

That's all i can think about ≽^•༚•^≼

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆

I have everything I wanted, university's top student in academics, enviously good at both physical and E-sports, basically you name it and I am either too good at it to be called a beginner or I have already learnt about it in my life more than anything I had my childhood best friend and rival who is equally good at stuff.

For as long as I can remember, San and I have been together. We went to the same middle school, high school, and university, so it made sense for us to move into the apartment together. But I had a big problem because of this rooming together.

I've had a major crush on Choi San for a long time. I've had it since we first met, but I made the decision to keep it a secret and carry it into death out of concern that if I ever made a move on him, I would lose our friendship.

---------------------------------

"Ayo Mate! Hurry up! I'm eager to test out this new mouse and write a review". In our shared game room, I yell while reclined in my comfortable gaming chair.

We have saved up enough money to furnish a comfortable apartment with the newest gaming equipment thanks to our accomplishments in hackathons, martial arts competitions, and streaming.

"Dude-c'mere and help me get this!" He seemed to be shouting, but it was barely audible. I moved out of the room to assist him with whatever it was, and as I did, I noticed that the man was in the storage room. He was wearing gray satin pajamas with the top two buttons undone, exposing his muscular pecs, a face mask, and a head band on. He was also tiptoeing to get his new keyboard, which was high on the shelf. "So adorable," I thought.

He jolted forward as I inadvertently brushed my breasts against him as I walked behind him and tiptoed to grab the keyboard. For a brief minute, I swear it felt amazing not having to wear a bra because the dark-colored, slightly baggy pajamas I was wearing nicely covered up my breasts. However, I chose to act like nothing had occurred.

"Having a Giantess in the dungeon is mad handy!" He patted my shoulder in appreciation and said, "Let's review your mouse and keyboard before he leaves the room like a cat jumping."

Yes, I am taller than my crush, but it doesn't really worry me because my 180 cm height got me hired as a model for several local magazines, which helped me be paid for new electronics and gaming accessories. However, I doubt San, who prides himself on being powerful, domineering, and manly, will ever consider dating a woman who is taller than him.

I sighed as I entered the room and saw two familiar faces: Kang Yeosang and Jung Wooyoung, our lads next door. The first had jet black hair, a gorgeous birthmark at the corner of his eye, and a deep, honey voice. The other had brilliant red hair and laughed like a witch.

"Wasssap Female Titan!" Wooyoung said as he got off my gaming chair to dab me up while yeosang nodded and gave me a fist bump and wacked the red haired boy. At the start of the year, the four of us really clicked because they were both excellent game designers. We are currently working together to design and build an independent game.

As I posted the schedule for the weekend in our group chat, I added, "Let's hit the library and the gym after the stream ends." We all four gathered together and began to stream information on products and collaborations, with Wooyoung constantly dropping spoilers and Yeosang and San, as always, delighting viewers with their distinct brand of deadpan humor. and San's sporadic, for reasons I'm not interested in knowing, staring.

By the time we finished streaming, it was close to 5 o'clock, and Wooyoung and Yeosang had to leave me and San alone since they had to pass our study session at the library and attend a significant lecture. It was expected since they both frequently went to seminars to get ideas for their game designs.

As I go into my own room to change and get ready for the night, I playfully tell him, "You better choose your outfit quickly before I barge in and break your kneecaps." We unintentionally became identical in black tank tops and sweatpants, but it didn't bother either of us. Even though I was dressed the same, I felt quite different. His large biceps, slim waist, and broad shoulders were all well-represented by the attire.

I got the other person to laugh as I flexed my biceps, triceps, and lats in front of a mirror, saying, "Oh boy, look at my guns and wings," hoping to release some of the tension building up inside of me. I had the perfect amount of muscle and curves to my body, luckily.

"Bet" he said, flexing his muscles and standing directly in front of me. God, he looks so ethereal and Greek god coded that I've temporarily lost my ability to process things. The doorbell ringing was one of them. San moved back to confront the person at the door, forgetting that I was right behind him. I again felt him brush against my breasts accidently, jerking and acting as if he hadn't touched before continuing.

We have done whatever we had planned for the day, without much convos outside the work, and without knowing a week has already passed already, with the tormenting "accidental" brushing against my breasts and ass, cooking food, cleaning room, doing laundry and other chores despite it being my turn to do. All these felt as if he had some hidden intentions behind them, but i decided to play it dumb till he comes out clear.

I made the decision this Sunday to give Wooyoung a call and tell him about my predicament making it the perfect time as Yeosang had piano lessons to attend and San was preoccupied with grocery shopping.

"HE'S 100% INTO YOU TITAN, TRUST ME" Wooyoung screams making me instantly whack his head.

"What was that for?" Wooyoung snarled and rubbed his head as I struck him. "Do you really suppose San rubs against every girl's ass and tits, remaining courteous and refusing to accept confessions?"-" I could almost see his wolfy, naughty smirk as he was ready to continue when his phone went off. wondering why he did this.

"Titan! Do you have anything sexy to wear? I realize I sound strange but trust me eh?" His hands are already enthusiastically going through my clothes in the closet mid way of the question.

"I don't think I do?" I said "Mate, why all of a sudden?"

He was too preoccupied digging through my closet to respond. A few minutes later, his witchy chuckle took me completely by surprise.

"BITCH- YOU NEVER TOLD YOU OWNED A BUNNY COSTUME?" he screamed, making me go deaf almost.

"It's not that I'm insecure about my height; it's just that I've never tried stuff like that," I remarked, leaning onto the door. "I got that as a gift from a stupid friend of mine," I said.

"let me cook" He said.

After what seemed like an eternity, he made me wear a costume of a bunny, but with cat ears in place of the bunny ears. He also lightly styled my hair, applied smeared lipstick, and made me wear Yeosang's fishnet tights. Upon seeing my progress, Wooyoung seemed happy and led me into the living room, where the lights were dimmed a bit.

"Damn! dude, i thought you were flatboard-" Wooyoung was about to start talking when an obviously irate San stormed into the home, dropped groceries at the door, and came right toward us. I swear, in my twenty years of living, I have never seen San look so upset.

"Too bad, Mate!, too late" Wooyoung said as he gave San's shoulder a pat before leaving the our house.

"San-"

"Is it true that you are sending semi nudes to mr.Lee?" He inquired, obviously furious

I was so perplexed for a moment that I just stood there.

"Yeosang said that Wooyoung was helping you take pics"

Now that it was all coming together, it was clear to me why they were rushing to a lecture on Sunday in the first place—they never go to seminars on Sundays!

"I love you, It have always been you and only you,I loved you since the moment we met in the school"San said in a voice that seemed shattered."Why Mr.Lee? is it because he is taller and much more appealing than me, because he is caring and kind?, I swear atleast I never thought height was a thing to be considered to love a person"

My mind went blank listening to those words, is it for real? or am i tweaking? this must definitely be a dream, there's no way San loves me, but soon i was brought back to reality from my thoughts by the sudden hug.

"Dude, that's why you were fucking brushing against my breasts and ass the entire past week, coz you thought imma date Mr.Lee?" I questioned him "Bitch, no shit my nips were crazy sensitive"

He replied, his tone falling several octaves as he crept nearer and eye-fucked me till I hit the wall. "It's your fault for being irresistibly cute and sexy." He grabbed my neck, held me to the wall, and bent me slightly so he could plant a kiss.

"Kitten you are merely 4 to 5 cm taller, that doesn't mean that i can't lift you up, bend you over and fuck you senseless"

Oh boy, I hope i will make it out alive by tomorrow morning.

⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆

let me know if you want part two(Smut)~ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

Re blogs are appreciated

DO NOT REPOST OR PLAGIARISE

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[forgotten-retrouvaille]

@separatedway to JILL VALENTINE .

natural science .

One could say coincidence, but perhaps luck was a more apt term for it. Time has all but felt like a blend of the same old, operations taken underneath a B.S.A.A. that was nothing like it was used to be, a glorified double agent completing her duty towards those she'd long since vowed to do for. Serve and protect — the only question lay in, what was she protecting, exactly?

It's on one of these outings that a ghost haunts the walls of strangely abandoned buildings like they always had. She's partially leaned over a keyboard and a small analyser beside her — she's not as skilled as Rebecca may be, but traces of viral contaminant are too intriguing for her curiosity to dismiss. It's one of her old safehouses from a long while ago, Valentine is relieved to find it relatively untouched and with equipment intact, but there's no chance she can afford for the organization to uncover research until she's confident enough to doctor her own version. She's wondered in the past, lingered on how long this game of cat and mouse would last, and the answer is simple — until they get back on track, or until she breaks off completely.

The latter isn't even a vague idea of a possible action, not this close to events too important to screw up now. Regardless, she has time — a thief's hands were skilled enough to take it from the ferryman itself.

Vibrant blue flickers over the computer screen, and a hand passes over her face in frustration. There's exhaustion behind that too, she's stayed up far too long, and always had. It's a wonder she's still functioning day-to-day anymore.

The computer beeps, and a glance is thrown to the analyser and then the screen itself. Thin lines of code spell out red flashes — there's either no registered identification of this particular contaminant, or it was far too tampered with to appropriately figure out. Another possibility comes into her head — maybe she just hasn't calibrated the equipment right. Where's Rebecca when you need her?

She stands to her full height, coffee is raised to her lips and she takes a draught of it. Bitter and without amenities, as she'd always preferred it to be, eyes flickering over the screen. Valentine has little energy to deal with it this late at night, but with something as crucial as this could very well may be, she has no other choice other than to work this out.

The hell am I missing?

[housewifebuck]

hi everyone! I've gotten several requests to make a tutorial on how to make gifs for someone just starting out and I finally got around to slapping a tutorial together.

This tutorial will cover:

software recommendations

choosing what to gif

creating a gif step by step with probably a lot of unnecessary detail

some tips and tricks:)

(This particular tutorial will not cover how to find tv and movies to download and gif, or any specific instructions on coloring. only the basic gif making process.)

so for the purposes of this tutorial, we will be using Adobe Photoshop, which is the most common program for making gifs, and the one I recommend. the version you have doesn't make a major difference in terms of capabilities but the interface may be slightly different looking if you have an older version or a different type of device. you cannot make or edit gifs in any mobile version of the photoshop application. Optionally, we will also be using Adobe Premiere Rush/Pro or another video editing software of your choice. wherever you are downloading Photoshop, whether from Adobe or a third party, you should easily be able to acquire Premiere as well. I am aiming to be as detailed as possible in this tutorial, so it may sound more time consuming than it really is. once you get the hang of things, it goes fast. the most time consuming part by far is the editing and coloring. in my opinion, one thing that majorly saves time while giffing is knowing your keyboard shortcuts and using your mouse/trackpad as little as possible. I will be going over these in this tutorial as well.

before we begin, some general tips:

gifs of single shots that do not cut between angles or subjects generally will look the best, barring exceptions

for a single gif set, choosing scenes and shots with similar lighting will be easiest to get to look uniform when compiled together, since editing wildly different looking scenes to have similar coloring and lighting is hard and takes some practice!

avoid shots that will require you to majorly crop or zoom to properly frame the subject, as this will greatly diminish quality

speaking of quality, gifs will look best using 1080p video, but you can get away with 720p as well. I would not recommend giffing with anything lower resolution than that

Tumblr's upload capacity for image and gif files is 10mb. be sure when exporting your finished gif that it is under that size. if it is a bit over, you can try trimming a few frames off your gif in the video timeline.

if you get frustrated, don't give up! giffing is hard and complicated especially if you are new to photoshop. I tried to make this tutorial as detailed as possible so it's easy to understand (although im sure I still forgot some stuff)

ok onto the tutorial!!!

STEP ONE: choose what range of frames you want to gif, and how.

once you have decided what you want to gif, there are two main way to convert your episode into a range of frames to make into a gif. the first is by screencapping. this involves downloading a program like mplayer or vlc which can be used to convert video files into "stacks" of screencaps, which can then be separated into whatever range of frames you want and imported into photoshop. this is seemingly by far the most common method I have seen amongst gifmakers*, but personally I don't care for it and I think it's more confusing and time consuming overall, so I will be explaining the second method: importing video frames to layers.

now, normally what this would mean is opening the full episode in photoshop and using the pathetic little playheads on either end of the scrub bar to trim the file into a clip. this is where your video editing software comes into play.

open whatever episode or movie you want to gif in your program. if it is a large file like a long movie in 1080p, this may take a few seconds. like I said, I am using Premiere Rush. I will be using a random episode of 9-1-1 for my example gif.

in your media browser, hover over whichever episode you want (you can also just add the whole episode to your project and scrub through, but that can take longer unless you know what time stamp you're after). click the fullscreen button by the bottom righthand corner.

now you can scrub through and trim the episode before you even import it to premiere. this makes trimming your clip even easier.

use the trim bar (yellow outlines) to trim as close as you can around the scene you want to gif.

then click this plus, and then "add" below. this will add the clip to your project.

now, move the blue playhead up to the frame you want your gif to start on. then, use the scissors button off to the left to slice the clip. select the portion before the playhead, and delete it.

now move the playhead to where you want the gif to stop. a good length for most gifs is around 1.5-2 seconds in my opinion. some may be shorter depending on how long the shot is, or longer if you plan on making them smaller (remember, the uploading capacity on Tumblr is 10mb per file.) trim again, now delete the portion after the playhead. you can also use the left and right arrows beside the play button to move frame by frame, and you can adjust the side of the horizontal scroll bar below your clip to “zoom” in on it and make scrubbing easier.

once you have your clip, go up to where it says "share". your clip will be rendered, and then you can click export to save it.

repeat step one as many times as you want for each gif. I know this may sound complicated, but like I said above once you get in the rhythm this step takes only a few seconds.

STEP TWO: create your gif!

close premiere. open photoshop. head to the control bar at the top. select file > import > import video frames to layers.

navigate to whatever folder you exported your clip to. select it, and hit enter. a second popup will appear asking you to select your range of frames. since you have already trimmed your clip to your liking, simply hit enter a second time.

now your screen looks like this, and we are going to crop and resize our gif! (troubleshooting: if you do not see the timeline bar at the bottom, select window from the control bar, scroll down, and make sure timeline is selected as part of your workspace. Adjustments and layers should be there automatically but if not add them too).

Tumblr posts are 540px wide, so in order to make my gifs as small as possible while maintaining quality, I typically crop my gifs to be around 550-600px wide, with varying heights depending on what shape I want the gif to be. experiment with this a little and decide what works for you. just don't make the width lower than 540px. once you have the portion of the frame you want inside the cropping grid, hit enter again. sometimes you have to hit it twice.

here are the measurements I am using for this gif

now in your timeline, select frame 1. hold down the shift key and scroll to the end to select the very last frame, thereby highlighting them all. from here we will edit our frame delay rate. photoshop will automatically set it to .03s, which will make your finished gif awkwardly fast. I typically use .05s, or .06s if I want a gif to be subtly slower (this comes in handy if the shot you are trying to gif is very short). anything longer than .06s will look weird though. choose "other" from this menu and type in your delay rate. make sure not to miss the zero after the decimal.

once you've set your frame rate, go to the other end of your timeline and click here to convert your frames into a video timeline.

then press option + command + A (on Mac) or windows + alt + A (on PC) to select all layers. then right click (control + click with a trackpad) on any one of the highlighted layers in your layers tab off to the right. scroll down in the popup menu and select Convert to Smart Object.

THAT'S IT!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! WE HAVE GIF!!!

from here comes the fun part!! you will begin adding action filters like sharpening as well as adjustment layers to color and edit your gif. experiment with different adjustments and styles until you find something you like. too many adjustment layers will up the size of the finished gif though, so I tend to keep mine to 3-4 layers max unless its a really hard to color scene. if anyone is interested in a separate coloring tutorial, please let me know!

once you are finished editing your gif, click file > export > save for web (legacy) OR hit shift + option + command + S. play your gif in the export window to make sure it looks okay, and then hit save!

I hope you guys find this helpful and informative! please hit up my in box if you have any questions or if anything doesn't make sense. happy giffing!!!

*one reason people seem to prefer screencapping to this method, is saving all the individual clips as video files does take up a lot of space on your scratch drive, which in turn can cause your computer to work slowly or crash programs. this can be rectified by making sure to delete the clips from your computer once you are done making the gifs. another space hoarder to look out for is the proxy files of your episodes that will be automatically saved to your hard drive whenever you add an episode to your project in Premiere. Periodically, go through your storage and delete all the .proxy video files. this will not delete the original episode files, only the proxy files created by Premiere.

tagging some mutuals to sb hehe: @shitouttabuck @lover-of-mine @honestlydarkprincess @eddiediaaz @compactdiscmp3 @eddiebabygirldiaz @bigfootsmom @callaplums @athenagranted @firemedicdiaz @sibylsleaves @loserdiaz @buck2eddie @diazass @eddiediaztho @giddyupbuck @monsterrae1 @icecreampotluck @sunflowerdiaiz @swiftfootedachilles @singlethread @aziraaphales @911onabc

[bewitchingblogger]

The Blogger Witch Tools of the Craft

Everyone knows the traditional tools of the Craft, but a little known fact is that there is a whole range of different ways to see these tools. In this post, I am going to list the traditional tools and then describe my personal thoughts on how a witchy blogger might modify them. I am also going to do individual posts on each of the tools listed here for a more in depth look at how they can be used.

List of Witchcraft Tools:

- Altar: For a witchy blogger, this could be the device you work on or the blog itself.

- Athame: Consider using your copy and paste of links to your blog to spread awareness. This directs energy towards your blog and can also be used direct other elements in a blogomantic ritual towards a greater purpose. (Yes I’m reaching since I don’t use an athame in any regard).

- Book of Spells: Every witch has some way of recording spells and rituals. For a witchy blogger, this could be a separate and private blog for your eyes alone.

- Candles: Images of candles are pretty simple, but the animated ones can also be used. Alternatively, if you want to create a writer’s ambiance, using LED candles like tea lights are a great idea.

- Cauldron: Audio, images and video are the water and flavor of the internet in my opinion. Mixing these into collages or even just creating and sharing playlists on your blog would count as using a cauldron.

- Crystals: Images of crystals can be put into a post on a blog and create a form of crystal grid.

- Divination Tools: ok here is where it gets fun. I have personally used a poetry community here on Tumblr to perform a version of bibliomancy and poetic prophecy. That being said, there are other ways to do it. Let’s say you find a tarot reader’s blog that you like and they do a daily pull. Instead of reading what they write for what it means, apply what it means to you as a form of blog post and meditation.

- Wand: Your keyboard, your mouse and your hands are what help direct the magic, so in essence they are your wand.

I know I didn’t go into each traditional tool that has ever been. I only went into ones that I personally have either used or have considered using. I’ll likely expand this in a later post, but for now, this is it. Tell me what you think.

[moedull]

LIKE

A/N: This is part of my AO3 series where my favourite characters represent different times (and ways) to say I love you

this was written waaay back in 2021? This is rewritten ofc, but, quite hastily in my opinion! It may not be the best, but, hey, it's cool

also.... dont be afraid to comment... help artists survive by showing ur love through comments or sharing their fics!!!!! >_o thanks!

AKA. Posted from my ao3 once again!

words: 1273

tags: NOT BETA READ, mild hurt/comfort, gender neutral reader, established relationship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy: TSUKISHIMA KEI!

“Oh you’re still going on about that?”

“Yes.” 

Tsukishima sighs, sitting behind you as you smash the letters on your keyboard. You hear the bed creak and suddenly, he’s sitting next to you. He gently grabs your hands and holds them tight. 

“Hey.” He starts casually.

You look him in the eye with a huge frown, and furrowed eyebrows. “What?”

“Come here.”

‘Here’ is the soft bed you wish to lay on with no worries in the world. Of course, with your boyfriend, Tsukishima Kei.

“Why?”

“Why not?” 

“I’m busy right now…” You try pushing him away. 

“You don’t look like you’re in the best condition.” He says matter of factly, rubbing circles onto the back of your hand.

“So what if I am? I have to finish my thesis.”

He looks at you, sighs, and rolls his eyes. “I know that but it doesn’t change the fact that I worry about you.”

“I can take care of myself.” You hushed. “But thank you.”

“Are you ever gonna let me help? Or just go along with everything because you have too much pride for your own good?”

“No.” You huff. You suppose it was a habit from when you first met– always reaching for the top, showing everyone who really deserves to be up there– and, you do. You try hard everyday, working and caring for so many different things.

You just seem to be out of luck as it always feels like your efforts are unnoticed. In such situations, perseverance is key– but that kind of mindset may quickly turn sour when they’re left to linger and turn into stubbornness. 

You should probably hate Tsukishima Kei– strong-willed, cool and collected, and of course, smart. You would never have expected to hit it off with him, but he's one of those people who could easily get under your skin and get you to crack.

“Well, I know you can handle yourself, but don’t forget to eat.”

You roll your eyes (no malice is intended, of course). “You don’t need to baby me all the time.”

His eyebrow twitches, and he rolls his eyes in exasperation (no malice is intended here as well). “Whatever. But you need to sleep. Okay?”

“Yeah yeah.” You wave his concerns away, already turning around to resume typing.

Tsukishima huffs, gets up and moves over to your desk. He places his hands on either side of the laptop, leaning forward slightly as he studies the screen. 

“It’s not good to stress yourself out like this.”

“I don’t stress out.” You argue.

“Right, cause you always make sure you’re not stressed out.”

“I am not stressed out.” You insist.

“Fine.”  He relents. “But just remember I care about you. I can’t help it if you act like an idiot sometimes.”

The corners of your lips twitch up. “You’re cute.”

“Shut up.” 

“And sweet.”

“Stop saying that.”

“Don’t you think I should use more than two adjectives when talking about someone I like?” You ask with a smile, tilting your head.

He grins smugly down at you, crossing his arms over his chest. “Maybe.”

You chuckle, but it stops right away as you turn back to your work. Tsukishima still hangs around, not entirely convinced of your claims of being fine. He is especially convinced when you simply stare at your blank page, trying to find the right words to make the right sentence to make the right point of the right argument and–

“Okay, so what’s the problem?” He asks, taking a seat next to you. He scrolls up with your mouse, trying to read the rest of your document. 

You see the reflection of his face; His eyebrows knit together, lips pursed as the cursor moves underneath a few words. He lingers on a few sentences for unknown reasons that make your hands sweat and your heart beat faster. Flustered? Hardly, it’s the ache of anxiety. Your problems, right now, are far from school-related. 

“Mm.” Tsukishima hums, resting his chin on your shoulder. “You have the idea, so that’s good.”

But,

“You’re not being straight to the point about it.” He scrolls back to whatever page you made some stupid mistake on.

When did mistakes matter? I mean, seriously, at which stage of your life, did you begin to wallow over your mistakes? You were only in 3rd grade, scraping your knee on a cement pavement from running and that was one of the worst things that happened to you. 

Now, you read back on all of your essays and tests and feel your heart drop when you see that red ‘X’, the teacher encircling a specific part, or some harsh comments at the side. You want to blame the system, the adults, the economy or whatever God is up there– but, you can’t help it– You look in the mirror, thinking: Fuck. Was this all me?

Someone flicks your forehead, and you let out a wince, rubbing the spot.

“Hey.” Tsukishima says, tilting his head to look at your face. “You were zoning out.”

You glance back at him with an almost confused, somewhat dazed look. Here’s another big question: When did Tsukishima Kei matter? It’s incredible that you looked at someone for 304 days, talked, fell in love and somehow, it’s your life and his. You can’t put it into words right now; the questions that grow inside the empty pit of your stomach, because, right, you haven’t eaten yet, and you can’t tell if it really is a question, or if it’s screaming at you. 

You feel like you’re going to vomit–Fuck, that anxiety was just building up inside of you.

“I..” You pause, swallowing a non-existent lump in your throat. 

 “I didn’t think..” You pause again, taking a deep breath. “I didn’t think you’d like me back.”

He sits straight up, and stares down at you, furrowing his eyebrows with narrowed eyes. “What do you mean?”

You shake your head. “Look, I wasn’t expecting any response from you when I confessed.” 

You pause, feeling your eyes burn slightly from the tears that were building up, “I was just.. someone. You were one of the smartest guys in school—still are—but, out of everyone....” you start to trail off. 

“Out of everyone, why did you choose me?” You continue, forcing yourself to speak slowly, slightly tensing up at the evident sound of your voice breaking halfway.

He doesn’t respond. He slumps his shoulders, seemingly taken aback and bewildered.

“Why does someone like you pick me?” You laugh bitterly. Your heart aches even at the thought of it.

You watch him closely, as if looking for some sort of reaction or sign of how he feels. A flicker in his eyes, anything.

Tsukishima’s face remains blank for several moments before opening his mouth slowly to say, “Because I like you.”  

It takes you a minute to process what he said and you blink owlishly. You’d been prepared to hear something like ‘You’re a dumbass’ or something along the lines.

”But why?” You manage to blurt out, unable to hide a frown.

There’s a long silence as you hold his gaze. You stare at each other, neither willing to break eye contact, not until he leans in and presses his lips against yours.

“Was that answer not enough?” He whispers into your ear, his fingers gently caressing your cheek.

You feel lightheaded, your entire body buzzing and your heartbeat drumming against your ribcage.

You can’t speak, so instead you shake your head.

There's silence as he begins to cradle you in his arms, resting his chin on your head.

“I love you.” He tells you again.

[omeletcat]

Hey! I recently started following your blog and I'd like to ask you some rather important questions before I start offering advice and my thoughts.

Why are you making a game? And for who?

Cause I don't wanna get in the way of your creativity just because you're not making "a game for me".

Like, as an example, I mostly play games on controllers, when I play games, and you tying so many of the mechanics and controls to the mouse means using controller input will not be very easy to add, if possible at all

But ... If you don't like playing games with a controller, and wanna see how much you can do with the keyboard/mouse inputs, then it is definitely the right decision to tie all these mechanics to that! But if me pointing this out makes you go "Oh right! There are people who mostly use controllers and I definitely wanna make my game work for them as well!" then it's a valid thing to point out that your game could prove hard to make work with a controller as input.

This is, btw, important to keep in mind when receiving critiques from others from your end, are they giving you tips/ideas/etc. that align with your vision of what you want to make, and following their advice will help you? Or are their points valid from their point of view, but would just muddy your vision and trying to accommodate it would mean falling into the trap of trying to please everyone, failing to make a good game for anyone?

Ty for asking! I'm mostly making this game because i think its fun and i rly wanna make something cool that people will enjoy. My ultimate dream is to make something so cool that it would be worth making fanart for! For the who part idrk, for people like me who like the kind of game i am making? ALSO TYSM FOR TELLING ME ABOUT THE CONTROLLER THING I had a rly small thought about smth like that ages ago but brushed it off thinking i should focus on making the core mechanics first. But yea you're totally right! implementing this combat system with a controller would be hard, especially since i mostly grew up playing with the wii.. and like a playstation controller three times. What i usually play is in random free stuff i could find online. I am unsure how it would work/how it even works when you apply a controller to a computer to play a game with it but i am definitely gonna think about this!! The core idea is the aiming, i could either change the mouse aiming to aiming with a joystick and moving a mouse like thingy around but i feel that wouldn't rly work.

The current aiming mechanic works kinda like this the screen is divided into 8 area's (4 directions and one for close and long range attacks) to attack you press either left or right mouse click and depending on if the mouse is in the central area or outside of it it will give a different attack for attacks that have a specific direction, the 4 area's decide where the attack will be aimed thanks to the mouse position. I could make it so that the player selects the area's like an option button? I can't rly explain it, imagine a list of buttons and moving the joystick to go down, imagine that but with these area's! This would work best for attacks are directed to a certain area like Rae's blast attack.

It has 4 directions and only aims at those parts. So for this attack it would work great. You move around the selector and switch around between them to aim pick a direction and if its far or close. But for some other attacks like Luca's main it aims towards the mouse position and doesn't pick a direction depending on where the mouse is, I am unsure how i would do this if i pick the idea of switching between zone's. I may just make it so the direction the player is moving while attacking is where it is aiming. Because when the player is attacking you can't move. I think that would work out. HOWEVER I am unsure how I would add this, how to detect if the player is using a controller, and a bunch of other things, i'm pretty sure i can add controller inputs in the settings and make those work for basic movements and attacks, but i would need to add a few extra things to fully make it compatible for controllers.

Sry if this rambling is kinda messy but they are the first idea's that come to mind how i would make the game playable for controller!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THIS!! I would have never thought about making it playable for controller if you wouldn't have helped me!!

You said you had more advice/thoughts so if you want to please share!! Any advice is be insanely helpful!

[lynnbecks-mainblog]

Fuck It, I Am Breaking My Silence: a Mario headcanon based on a game that almost everyone has played and one that almost no-one has played.

Warning: this headcanon will

and may leave you

So be warned.

Also all images used in this post are from the Mario wiki. I'm not replaying all of Yoshi's Safari just to make one Tumblr post that it's likely that no-one will end up seeing.

Ok so first we need to talk about Yoshi's Safari.

Yoshi's Safari is. A weird game. I've played it before (using Retroarch, with my mouse and keyboard in lieu of the lightgun). It's an officially-licensed Mario FPS (more specifically a rail-shooter), and it's genuinely kinda fun but also very fucking strange, like there's a light and dark world, and bowser wears a suit of power-armour that never shows up in another game:

None of that is important, however. I want to bring your attention to this character:

This is Prince Pine. He's the prince of Jewellery Land, and the game's main damsel (gender neutral) in distress.

Does he, in any way, look familiar? Let's skip ahead 11 years to 2004, and the release of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. And specifically, to Chapter 5, where we meet the character of all time, Flavio.

Do you notice anything? How about we compare these two side-by-side.

Now, they aren't like. Identical. But they do kinda look similar. Therefore, my hypothesis is thus; Flavio is either A. from Jewellery land, or even B. a member of the royal family.

[muunou]

2025Jun22

Its been a little less than a week since my last post. I figured, I'm feeling a bit emo right now so lets talk about a few things bothering me. Again, this is probably going to sound all over the place.

I haven't doordashed at all this week. I took my exam and was completely caught off guard. 23 question exam. took most students 4 hours to complete. for a summer course, that's rough. so i took the challenge head on. i am putting a lot more time into this class than previous. ive done it 1 and 1/2 times this week. i could do better. i got time off for the next two days so i can at least handle the homework and finish off at least 2 sections. it would make me a class ahead. We'll see if i actually follow through.

I went to the doctor today. Technically, yesterday. I'm getting a prescription for antidepressants and xanax. i've kinda accepted the fact that I need to be on something for the rest of my life. I'm just hoping these work for me. I'm not sure if I'll get them tomorrow or have to wait until Monday. In any event, I'm also going to look for cheap therapy and psychiatry soon. I have made an appointment with my gut doctor for a month from now. I also have a car appintment on monday to fix my car. It's not that it isn't working. I just feel a lot better knowing that its not going to blow out on me while doordashing. I have applied to Uber. They have to "consider" due to some shaky driving history. Basically, just driving with a suspended tag and no insurance. I have my insurance but I'm waiting on vehicle registration so I can then get a tag. The DMV said they would call me once they hear something from my lienholder. So far, no call. It could be because I'm almost in full ownership of the car. I pay it off in October. It could also be that I'm a little behind on payment. Just one month. I intend on paying it off soon. That should be my priority this week when I doordash. Just unsure if I want to tomorrow or Monday at all. Instead, just use that time to relax and possibly stream. I was also wanting to meal prep. Maybe I can do that? I'm not sure. I suppose it'll all depend on how im feeling after work.

Ive been sleeping a lot lately. It's kinda creeping me out. I didn't get much sleep living with my mom and my brother apparently. Either that or I'm either having issue with body or my body is having issue with me. I could be hurting or healing. Just not sure which yet. I took my supplements and a pribiotic yesterday. Didnt today. I'm still forming the habit of taking them.

I streamed some new games the last few days. Some league, melee, and pokemon. I have a scheduled stream today where I play a game called Portal Fantasy (they game me the game to review it for them and I still haven't done it. Ive played an hour of it on stream) and Minecraft for the first time. However, whats really bothering me is my microphone. I sound horrible. I'm not even sure if its connected half the time. Im in need of a new one. However, I want this next one to last a while. So, I'm probably not going to buy a cheap one. The first of many possible upgrades? Mic, then camera, then a light for the background, and then a new mouse and keyboard. However, this will only be accrued through tip money and donations. Not from the money I'm using towards my debts.

Going back into streaming has been a somewhat humbling experience. For starters, I deleted my discord a bit ago to relieve myself of stress as a creator. Same with other social media. I want to create on YouTube and TikTok. Then branch into other social media eventually. I know its weird. I'm weird. I think its more so just the pressure of tackling all of this by myself. That and other aspects of stress in my life currently dogpiling me. I'm confident once I have those under more control without the use of social media that I'll be able to integrate and expand a bit more comfortably. Just taking baby steps and going at my own pace. Not worry myself over the prospect of "making a name for myself" but because i actually enjoy the content I'm making. That is why I stream after all. Its just my own perception of me thats making it easier for others perception of me to affect me. Again, I'm weird. Thats the best I could explain it.

I've come to the conclusion of seperating myself from my immediate family for the time being. I recognize that I am vulnerable right now. As a result, I'm taking things way too seriously. I also admit that I am a part of the problem. Not just towards them but towards myself. I dont trust my brother. However, I cant keep myself in that situation with him. I just hope he doesn't do anything stupid during this time. I don't think it'll be permanent that I keep myself from them. I still have to receive aunt Pam's portion of the rent sometime next month. Maybe then things will be different? If not, I can trespass him if he comes to my job while I'm not there (the stupid thing I think he'll end up doing). I need to desperately focus on myself even if its to remove myself from the situation entirely. I don't wish for this but if it needs to be, it will be. Im asking for space and forcing myself away. Let's see what happens. It'll be day two today.

I'm still feeling lost. I suppose we all feel lost in one way or another. I do think that I'm taking the right steps at least. I'm putting time into my physical and mental health. If you don't have those then you dont have anything, right? Getting my car up and running is also smart. Meal prepping (even though I don't know what I'm going to make). I suppose I might wait until Monday to meal prep and use tomorrow as a laundry of sorts. Also, might be making a lamb steak tomorrow? Defrost chicken, shrimp, and philly cheesesteak beef (i got something deviously planned for this one). Also, maybe some chorizo breakfast burritos for the week on Monday as well?

The only thing I don't want to do is to lose my mind. I think you can do that maybe one weekend a month. Its been two weekends now? This being my third? We can still enjoy ourselves. Lets just be productive while doing it. Streaming, cooking, and taking care of errands. Setting myself up for success for the following week. Create that routine. Commit to it while adding stuff to it to stay refined. Apply discipline. Let's see how it goes

[theshipsong]

If neovim is what you want to talk about, then please pick three items from the ask game that you like the most and tell me about it ^_^

(fic writer asks)

this is a can of worms you’ve opened but i choose to understand your self-described tech monkey-ness as you probably know a thing or two already so for my other victims reading!!!:

16. favorite place to write

17. talk about your writing and editing process

i fully realize this ask game probably meant a real world location like a coffee shop or a couch but i am interpreting it as software!!!

vi/vim/neovim are a succession of terminal UI text editors that date back to the 70s. its main feature is probably that it’s modal, meaning you switch between editing/preview/select/other functions with a keyboard command. i write my fic in markdown format, not rich text like in google docs or word, so if i want to italicize text i type asterisks around it *like this* instead of having to select “italic” from a formatting bar or worse, highlighting the text after the fact

ALL THIS MEANS is i can write an entire fic draft without touching a mouse!!! which i know isn’t cool/with these touchscreen times but i have mechanical keyboards and a sexy sexy thinkpad that are a joy to type on, so any opportunity to use them, i will take. neo/vim is also highly customizable with plugins (relevant here is probably a wordcounter), and i use my own colorscheme named after my beautiful girlfriend PERONA:

the other thing about “modal” editing is it is so painless to manipulate text, like move entire 10s of paragraphs up and down a chapter draft without touching a mouse and easily undoing it, which i tend to do if i’m fucking with linear time, seeing what it’d look like starting in media res, etc. in terms of proofreading, i tend to proofread in either the tumblr editor (godless) or in obsidian, viewing the same file in rendered markdown, probably in a serif font.

and THE LAST THING is it’s such a lightweight piece of software that i can use it on any device under the sun. actually. there’s no compromises of folding to what the android app store has available. i have the exact same writing experience on my laptop, desktop, ipad, and if i’m crazy, by attaching a keyboard to my phone.

7. your preferred writing fonts

the other vim thing is because it’s in the terminal, you will be stuck with whatever monospace (hacker-looking) font your terminal emulator uses. now i set this to be either Iosevka or JetBrains Mono (in above screenshot) if i have that freedom, two open source programming fonts with pretty italics and broad language support, but my ipad shell app only lets me use apple’s Menlo, which is…. fine.

this is a similar liberatory resriction to using Times New Roman for academic writing. all the time i would spend fucking around formatting fonts is gone (and instead went into configuring neovim plugins). the serif font i have in obsidian for proofreading rn is Crimson Pro

[autumnalwalker]

Find the Word Tag

Thank you for the tag, @ahordeofwasps.

My words to find were never, night, nail, & need.

Passing the (optional) tag to @theimperiumchronicles, @sarahlizziewrites, @druidx, @blind-the-winds, and the usual open tag to anyone else who wants to join in.

Your words to find shall be muscle, morning, matter, & message.

Never: Empty Names - 23 - Compression

She waits a second for any objections and then places her palm on the bare skin between his shoulder blades.  He’s warm.  She feels the surrounding muscles reflexively tense on contact and then slowly relax.  He’s all muscle beneath the robes, but it feels different from what she’s felt through Eris’s tank tops when pulled into an embrace.  Leaner.  Less bulk but still toned.  She’s heard of mages tapping into their own metabolism for fueling magic to burn excess fat and retain figures in defiance of diet, but that doesn’t build muscle mass.  The skin on his back and arms doesn’t look like it could ever be anywhere near as sickly pale as hers is, but it is noticeably lighter than his hands and face, even accounting for makeup.  She wonders when the last time was that he wore anything with short sleeves.  Does he even have other clothes?  She’s never seen him wear anything else.  

Still less distracting without the robe on than with.  Probably says more about her than him.  Do all wizard robes on Orthon look like sleek dresses with wide sleeves, or is it just because he copied his mentor’s style?

Night: Empty Names - 23 - Compression

“No vertigo, nausea, or other adverse reactions to the counterseal,” Ashan reports once he and his double return to Lacuna.  “This illusion feels as natural to create and control as my conjurations.”  He glances over at said illusion practically bouncing up and down in excitement.  “Well, almost as natural.  Thank you, truly.”

With those last words Ashan lightly puts a hand on Lacuna’s shoulder.  When his double tries to do the same it passes through her slightly and becomes both there and not there to her vision, like an object only visible through one eye.

“You’re wel- whoa, that’s weird,” Lacuna stumbles her words in surprise.

Ashan pulls his hand back with a puff of exhalation and the illusion throws its head back in silent laughter.

“Ah.  My apologies.  Illusions can be like that when exposed for what they are.”

“It’s fine.  Kind of cool actually.  Do they normally reflect the caster’s emotions like that too?  That’s not something I’ve read about.”

Ashan’s reflection has just enough time to blush hard enough to be seen through the perfect makeup before flickering out of existence.

“Merely a random aberration born from tiredness, I am sure,” the real Ashan says coolly and evenly.  “It must be well after midnight by now.”

“Sure it is.” Lacuna grins and chooses not to poke more fun at the matter.  “Let’s call it a night.  Morning?  Whatever.  Either way, I think we can call this experiment a resounding success.  What do you say?”

“Indeed,” Ashan agrees.

Nail: Empty Names - 9 - Test Run

Just a little further to climb.  Not a bad warmup for her, really.  As long as she’s burning Sullivan’s money, maybe she should add a rock wall to her equipment request along with the other training gear. 

One more stretch.  Grab the main pole of the bowsprit.  Heave.  Swing herself up.  Nail the landing.  Dust off her hands.  Nearly lose her balance when she hears Sullivan slow clapping and sees the others already on the deck.

“What the Hell?”

“I conjured a ramp,” Ashan says matter-of-factly. 

Of course he did.

Need: Empty Names - 23 - Compression

She bends over to use the keyboard and mouse, foregoing sitting down for fear of not wanting to get back up again.  She stops the recordings and takes a brief glance at compiled readouts.  Nothing catches her eye as out of the ordinary, but she’ll need to check it again in the morning when she’s more awake.  She shuts down the test chamber, starts to shut down the computer, and then remembers she forgot to check her email all day.  Nothing urgent, thankfully, but there’s an unexpected message from RevaTech asking if she’d be interested in scheduling an interview and reconsidering working for them.  Weird.  Maybe someone from her old team heard it had taken her a while to find a new job?

She nearly deletes the email but then thinks better of it, flagging and archiving it instead.  Not that she has any intention of leaving where she is now.  Still… It’d be a heck of a coincidence, but with what she gathered yesterday evening and this morning over breakfast about Sullivan and Road looking into something involving robots, it couldn’t hurt to keep open as an avenue to explore later.

[sarasa-cat]

Yesterday evening it was really nice to have the opportunity to THINK FANDOM THOUGHTS while sitting in front of my gaming machine (which is in my office thus not the coziest place but not terrible either, although it is cooooolllldddd in my home office during winter especially once the sun goes down).

I still need to keep plugging away at that 4 timelines across 4 different thedas world states (plus various stray OCs who just exist for reasons). Still need to finish setting up all of my old that I used 10+ years ago. Still need to *eventually* find all of my old saves on old laptops and move them to my current machine. (not sure I'll have time to do this until next year).

That said, I love the cosy nature of playing video games on my steam deck, even if that means using an external (small) keyboard and mouse for old games that require KBM. But, ugh, virtual photography is not the best on the Steam Deck even with the faster OLED one. And mods don't always work. I have had a good hit rate with installing mods on the Steam Deck but it hasn't been perfect.

As of recent I have lots of fanfic writing themselves in my head. But, this is a terrible time of year for me: absolutely all of November and December are bad. I might have a little time here and there to start jotting fanfic down, starting end of next week but now is just ... hard. Really hard to get into the zone for writing when too many important life/work/family/personal things that are exceedingly time critical MUST BE DONE by yesterday. -_-

Once 2025 comes rolling in I want to return to fanfic writing as a regular creative hobby but do it differently from before, when I last left off.

When I stopped writing fic, I had quite a few LONG multi-chapter projects going ranging from fat novellas to novels to omgwtfWAR&PEACE?!

Working on long fic but posting it piecemeal on LiveJournal actually worked well for me back in 2007-2011. When AO3 came online, I just used it as an archive for finished fic. But once AO3 was the only place for posting fic, idk. It wasn't working for me then. Which is actually why I have a lot of fic squirreled away in weird locations like sideblogs here on tumblr from 10 years ago.

But now? (And how is it 2025 in, like 3+ weeks? fml)

Right now, my desire to structure a novel that isn't for professional publishing is next to nil. Instead:

Hello short fic! Hello novellas of reasonable length! Big hello to flash fic!

These days I am far more interested in using some of AO3's structure --- re-orderable series of works vs multi-chapter works --- to create new works that I can shove into their proper place in an ever growing "timeline" via a series.

Anyhow. That is what is on my mind. That and cleaning up my fannish spaces such that scattered fic worth keeping ends up being archived on AO3.

But first on my to do list: Update scrivener on my iPad (my primary writing machine these days when I'm not at my desk) and make sure all of my OLD OLD OLD OLD OLD scrivener files from literally a decade ago open. Because if not, I need to do the necessary conversions on a real computer and all of that needs to be done, like, yesterday.

(The next handful of days will be overwhelming)

[mumms-the-word]

Hi! I found your blog through your post about new DA fans in the tags! So I played through Origins and DA 2 as a mage for the first time and absolutely loved the combat and the gameplay, but I'm really struggling in Inquisition. It feels so choppy and like I have no control over anything, and on PC, you can't even see what the spells do when you hover over them on your toolbar. Do you have any tips or advice or know of any good add-ons?

Yeah I don't think DAI won game of the year for combat reasons, let's be completely honest here.

I can give you some advice but warning it is HEAVILY colored by my personal preferences when playing the game, which I mostly did on console (I only got the PC version a few weeks ago and haven't had much time to tinker around with it because I've been replaying DAO).

I'll put random bits of advice under the cut!!

Controls

First bit of super biased advice: If you're using the tactical gameplay mode and you hate it--just don't use it. Just don't! Unless it's a skill you want to keep pouring into, I'd just abandon it for now. It's terribly configured and I hate it so much. It's moderately better on PC but on console it was super un-fun to me and I think the only time I used it was to move party members out of the way of AOE attacks because their AI is wacky sometimes.

(That said, if you are a micro-manager who is like "No I need absolute control over this team" then the tactical camera IS for you. I am just a lazy gamer who plays DA games on casual or easy most of the time because I dislike the combat and want to get to cutscenes and dialogues faster. From what I remember about using it, though, it's definitely more like a "set up your next attack and then press play, then pause and set up the next attack, then press play, etc" kind of thing, which sucks for big group fights but works for big dragon fights or whatever.)

To me the game plays much better in live combat mode, but that was on console, where all I had to do was hold down the right trigger for endless attacks and then use the shortcut buttons. This is not the case for keyboard and mouse, because holding down a right click or R is tedious and isn't fun after a while.

Having messed around a tiny bit with DAI PC controls (and being a staunch console player for decades) I can say that I hate the PC controls, but I always tend to hate keyboard and mouse controls. I guess my advice here is to either remap the keyboard to suit you, which you should always do anyway for any game where they make that possible, or try playing with a console controller (which is what I'm planning on doing).

Controls aside, my issue with the combat is that if it isn't choppy, due to controls, it's...boring? At least until you get more abilities and specializations. I definitely played on casual for most of my multiple playthroughs because I just couldn't be bothered to learn the combat system forwards and backwards. I was playing the game because I loved the story and the banter and the open world concept, which was new to DA at the time.

The combat DOES get more fun/better once you start unlocking more abilities to use, but that does take a small bit of time. I'm not sure about any mods at the moment to help with the ability descriptions but maybe someone in the replies will know! For me, I think I just got used to memorizing them...which, now that I think about it, is poor accessibility.

Battle Advice

I can come back later with some PC-specific advice but for now, I can say that if you switch to live-combat mode, then it's a matter of playing the game as a damage control strategy. You're going to get hit, because there are no robust evasion options and no blocking at all (from what I remember), so you have to adapt with that knowledge in mind.

Keep up your Barrier and Guard abilities, because the temporary HP they give you is essential to surviving a fight. Potions suck. There is no healing. So it's better to tack on as much temporary HP through Barrier and Guard before enemies start chipping away at your actual HP.

Focus your efforts on crowd control (freezing enemies, stunning them, etc) and taking down distance fighters (archers, mages) first, because like I said, you're going to get hit, and every distance fighter has a near-perfect homing beacon on you with their projectiles. The squishier mooks need to go down first so they don't pester the hell out of you when fighting bigger things. Bigger things are slower, they can wait.

Also, adjust your companion's tactics (this is worth doing in any DA game) so that they use the abilities and spells you want to see more often. Having Barrier set as a preferred spell so your mages use it more often is honestly an essential tactic choice, and I'd say the same for upper-level Guard abilities.

A balanced party can make or break a battle encounter. The AI isn't always great (I guess that's what tactical view is for) but in general you always want a warrior to be up front taking hits while at least one mage and one other distance fighter (another mage, or Varric/Sera as an archer) is staying out of direct damage but still dishing hits and status effects. Your fourth companion (or you) can make up any difference that needs filling after that.

If you're playing a mage, use Fade Step to get out of range quickly and then get used to being the battlefield controller--you can deal damage, but you can also more quickly apply status effects (freezing, burning, etc) than anyone else. Fade Step + Tactical Camera to readjust + see what's going on the battlefield + then make your next move = might end up being your best friend, if you're a tactical mage player lol

Status effects and elemental damage do way more than you think. Way more than you think.

Don't be afraid to use grenades. They're more effective than they seem, and Jar of Bees is just fun in general.

And lastly, keep up with your weapons and armor. Schematics will be your best friend because they allow you to craft and upgrade weapons and armor until they're almost OP for your level. Nothing you find as loot will top a Masterwork version of a high-tier weapon or armor you make yourself.

I don't know if ANY of that helped, but maybe!! Hopefully you'll hit your stride soon and enjoy various aspects of the game!! <3

[sssammich]

Hiya! :D 16 and 28 of the 'these are sure some asks' meme. *waves*

hahahaha hello!

16. They say you can tell a lot about a person from the state of their desk… Do you have a desk? Can you describe it?

i do have a desk! because i live in a small apartment, i had to downsize from a 5x2.5ft desk to a 3x1.5ft desk so it's been an adjustment even after two years after having it. i do like that it's easy to disassemble because it's literally 2 parts, the fake wood slab and the foldable metal legs. perfect for small apartments.

on the surface there's only room for an oversized deskmat where i put my mechanical keyboard on. i have 2 speakers on either side of the monitor and a subwoofer and my pc tower underneath. and i have a mac mini behind the monitor.

mm let's see i have an ikea lamp clamped, and my monitor on an arm clamp as well. i have an mx master 2 mouse and a roccat gaming mouse for the pc and a trackpad for the mac (i sound like a bougie douche when i lay this out but it is what it is) but i shelf the trackpad or the mouse when i'm using the other system.

right now i have a black hhkb topre keyboard on it

this is the most egregious bit though at my desk is my chair which is just a cushioned folding chair because i am a) in the market and b) need a small chair and haven't found one

28. What about life makes you smile?

most everybody who isn't stuck in the toxicity of the internet are literally just living their lives. they're just trying to make the train, trying to hang with friends, trying to buy groceries, trying to just do their own thing. it makes people watching on the train or at the park much more fun since people are just doing their own thing.

ask meme

[anm-zero]

Judging by your post on the little chibi’s (dazai and gojo) would you consider yourself a fan of jjk or is it just something casual? I also have another question about program or whatever it’s called you use to write; is it google docs or something else I’m going to attempt to get a computer so writing is a bit easier seeing as it’s just a bit odd doing it on my phone and it’s much easier to use all those tools like to replace words or check spelling.

I am indeed a fan of Jujutsu Kaisen, I've been reading since 2018, back when there were twenty chapters. Haven't watched the anime. (nothing new with that, though). Sukuna and Hanami are my favourites. I love the character designs for the Curses.

I write using various applications, depending on what I'm doing. If I'm writing on my phone, I'll just draft since I make more errors typing and tend to run-off — it's much easier to type on a computer and check the fluidity of your writing. I used to use Yandex 360 (Yandex Documents) before I decided to make my online presence dependent on using more Western-preferred applications such as Gmail and Google due to some instigations with others when I used a mail.ru address. My primary choice for writing is Google Docs, which is useful for mobile and computer. This allows me to hop between either device so I can work on the go and at home. Google Docs also allows for an "Offline Mode" so you don't need WiFi to write (but you still need WiFi to actually open Google Docs. I always recommend that you still store your files somewhere (either as an .rtf file or .pdf) since things happen and you may lose some documents. My runner-up is usually Microsoft Word (or LibreOffice if you want a free alternative). Unlike Google Docs, Microsoft Word can be used offline entirely and has more collaborations features. It's also expensive (which is why I suggest LibreOffice). Microsoft Word is also more secure with your data and documents compared to docs. At the end of the day, you go with what suits your needs, maybe it's something less mainstream. It's important to do your own research, too.

EDIT: If a computer is out of your price range and typing on a phone is too bothersome, online vendors sell keyboards (and keyboard-mouse sets) for your phone that connect via Bluetooth. The picture below is an example of one.

- ᴀ.ᴢᴇʀᴏɪ

[thessalian]

Thess vs That Gameplay Trailer

So ... given how my Tumblr dash is blowing up, I don't feel like I have to be particularly careful about spoilers. You've seen it or you haven't. So ... here comes my opinion about the Dragon Age: Veilguard trailer:

It looks fun. I think. It also looks like I might not be able to play it. Like, at all.

And it's not because I'm hating on it, by the way. It looks ... interesting, for sure. My problem is actually accessibility, because there is a lot that gameplay trailers don't show you in games like this.

They're using a controller for input. I cannot use a controller, so I have no idea what the keybinds are going to look like. I don't know if you can lock on to your desired target, I don't know if you have to keep hitting the Attack button just to keep hitting something until it actually dies.

They used the flashiest-looking class, I imagine, so there was Rogue. A lot of dodge-rolling. That plus the "HEY LOOK AT THE WEAK SPOT" targeting spot on larger creatures (and probably the whole "darkness and demons" look to what we saw, honestly, but more on that later) basically put me in mind of Baby's First Dark Souls. Like, Souls-Ultra-Lite. I know that's The Hotness right now, and I'm not hating on that. Honestly, I'm not hating on any of it in and of itself. They went in a direction. Was it a good one? Depends on where you're standing.

Again, my issue is accessibility. Because I came away from that gameplay demonstration with the following:

A collosal migraine

A horrible feeling that the controls are going to be a nightmare for me personally

The migraine was a combination of the heavy contrast between the dark setting and the Big Glowing Demons, with the added fun of the flashy things indicating which direction magic blasts are going to come at you and all of the other artefacts, aaaaaaaaand the way combat moved. Because that much dodge-roll just had the camera going fucking everywhere. I struggle with that a lot. Not as much when I play it as when I'm watching it, because I'm at least nominally controlling it, but ... see, that's the problem. I can choose to not move the camera so much in most of my games. This one ... just the way basic mooks that you hit at level 1 involves so much bouncing around the area that ... yeah, migraine. And that wouldn't be much better if it was me causing all the bouncing around; not with those lighting effects, anyway.

(Also wondering how that's going to work for a mage. The last game I saw that did this kind of thing that I could actually play was Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, and I couldn't play a mage in that because spellcasting took forever and I kept getting interrupted either by being hit or by having to dodge before I could finish casting. But anyway.)

So there's the migraine issue ... and then there's the fibro issue. I can't say for sure without seeing how the UI works when using keyboard and mouse, but this looks like it's going to be torture on bad pain days. I imagine it's going to limit the hell out of what classes I can play, at minimum. (Hell, Inquisition already did that; having to follow enemies around and keep pressing R to stab them repeatedly wasn't something I could do, so I had to leave melee-rogue and warrior alone, sticking entirely with ranged-rogue and mage). I'm reliably informed that you can change playstyle as well as difficulty on this one, but I don't exactly know what that means or how that might be helpful.

All I can really comment on is what I've seen. And what I have seen indicates to me that aside from anything else, Bioware seems to have put the New Hotness of the current style of action RPG ahead of accessibility. That makes me sad and disinclined to discuss the thing, or to get too attached to any of the characters, because it's entirely possible that I may be entirely unable to play it for health reasons anyway, so why bother getting hyped?

Also I am grumpy because, again, migraine. I'm hoping that it's just that one was building anyway and that just tipped me over the edge. Not that that's much better, since sometimes migraines sneak up and I sometimes don't see the edge until it's agony and aphasia, but at least if it was that, I could pretend that there might be some days I could play that game without crippling myself.