#but then there are people who write these things because they LIKE THEM / FIND THEM COMPLETELY OK

[stardust-thief]

look after you

an: this my first x reader fic LMAOO, i needed to write smth and this spencer was on my brain :// i am in the middle of a rly long donna fic but i cba this was much easier. also i absolutley have not proof read this sorry

synopsis: you get hurt while hunting down an unsub, after some reluctance (and kind words from papa rossi) you let spencer take care of you, 1.7k words

cw: descriptions of violence, panic attack, spencer swears and can drive (the most un-canon thing abt him) umm italians..., the rest is just fluffy, hurt/comfort, x reader but no y/n

masterlist

The unsub had his gun pointed at you, the cold press of the barrel against flesh. He was ranting and raving about needing to be seen and understood, having spent his childhood in emotional neglect. Teachers and parents failed him at every turn, it’s not his fault that this happened but he can fix it if he just drops the gun. Rossi tried to tell him this over and over, but he only got more angry, pushing the gun in harder and harder. 

If you were to open your eyes, you would’ve seen JJ and Luke there too, guns trained on the unsub. Their eyes glancing between you, the unsub, and the gun. But you didn’t. Not until the bang went off and you could breathe again. 

The flashing lights of the ambulance do nothing to dissuade the pressing headache you feel coming on, the movement of people helps even less. You watch as the EMT’s cart the unsub away on a gurney, sheet covering him. 

“You okay, kid?” Rossi asks from beside you, he had been hovering ever since the ambulance arrived. 

“I’m fine, just need a good night's rest. I’ll be good as new.” You hummed half-heartedly. 

David Rossi always knew when someone was lying to him, part of that talent comes from his job as a profiler, but it’s mostly because of some ancient Italian magic. “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t say that to me. Look, Hotch is on his way with Reid and Emily. They’re gonna be taking some witness statements, but I imagine Boy Wonder will be a little distracted. I want you to let him take care of you, ok? You’ve been through hell tonight kid, let him worry.”

Italians never lie, although you wish they did. Spencer had very obviously caught feelings for you, everyone on the team could see it. Unfortunately, so could you. Spencer Reid was one of the kindest, most genuine people you had ever met, always putting other people's needs before his own. A voice in your head kept telling you that there is nothing you have done to deserve someone like him doting all over you? You had only brought trouble to the people who loved you. Eventually you learned that it was better to just keep everyone at a distance; if you don’t let them in, they can’t get hurt. Which worked well, up until Spencer.

He had such a wormy way of getting into your brain at the worst times; whether it was when you were alone in your kitchen, or at slightly dangerous, very inappropriate times on a case. You couldn’t stop thinking about him and his stupidly cute (and sometimes ill-timed) facts. Some part of you wanted to let him in, in the end the stubborn side always took over. 

Before long, you heard the worried cries of Spencer trying to find you in the chaos. Rossi called his name and gave you a pat on the shoulder, “Remember, you deserve to be looked after too.” and left to find Hotch.

“Oh my god, are you okay? We tried to get here as soon as we could, but they managed to take down the unsub right? What happened, did he hurt you? How did you get so close? Talk to me are-” Oh, how he rambles. 

“Spencer, I’m fine. I just need to… rest, you know. He didn’t hurt me that bad, just a sprained wrist, couple bruises. Could’ve been worse.”

He spluttered, “Could’ve- you know, that doesn’t make this any better, I was so worried about you. He had a fucking gun to your head, I was going insane thinking about what could’ve happened. What did the EMT say about your wrist?”

“Just to rest it, and use an ice pack if it starts to swell or hurt.” You couldn’t look him in the eye, he was so worried about you. It made butterflies dance in your belly, but there was a twinge of guilt there too. He was so busy, he worked so hard and then went home to look after his mom. He had too much on his plate, how could you add more to it? “Spence, I’m really sorry about worrying you. I should be fine to leave now, so I’ll just head home and sleep it off. Have a good night.” You pushed yourself off the ambulance, eyes focused downwards, restless fingers fidgeting with the already frayed bandage.

“No- wait what are you talking about? You’re gonna drive yourself home in this condition? I can’t let you do that, even thinking about it makes me feel sick.” He lowered his head to yours and spoke softer this time, “Please let me take you home. I don’t have to stay, I just want to make sure you’re ok, ok?”

Fuck that voice did things to you. Leaning from side to side, you thought about what Rossi had said earlier. Maybe, it was ok to let someone in? It would be cruel to let him suffer more, not knowing if you were ok or somehow got in a car crash with 5 other vehicles on your way home. Just this once, you think.

Looking up into his soft eyes, you give a small nod. His lips immediately turned up into a smile, his hand comes up to cup your head, fingers stroking your cheek. It felt… nice. His thumb was calloused but he still moisturised enough for it to feel smooth, and he smelled like lemongrass and ginger. His hand fell to the small of your back as he guided you to his car. Ever the gentlemen, he opened your door and softly placed his hand over your head as you got in. Manoeuvring himself into the driver's side, he pulled out his phone and typed something, then quickly stuffed it away into a pocket and turned on the engine.

The sky was dark when you woke up. The unsub had a gun to your head at dusk, and Spencer was walking into your apartment when the moon was out. He took off his shoes and the door, and walked into your living room.

“I’ve never been here before,” he mused. “I like it.”

He looked at ease wandering around your apartment, his shoulders had relaxed and he let out soft musings as he perused your photo collections.

“Oh Spencer, not that one, it’s embarrassing!” You tried (with not a lot of effort) to pull him away from the frame.

“No this is cute, was this when you were at University?” He asked, wrapping an arm around you.

Oh my god. “Yeah, um- those were some of my friends at the time. I try and keep in touch but, you know.”

He hummed, pulling you closer into him. Finally content, he looked down at you. “How’s your wrist?”

“It’s ok,” you shrugged, “just a little tender now.”

“Where’s your kitchen, I can get some ice.”

“Spence-” you wanted to tell him no, to go home and look after himself. But his body was so warm, having him so close to you melted your brain, leaving you unable to think of any good reason as to why he should leave. “It’s the first door on the right.”

His grip tightened for a moment before he swiftly navigated you to the sofa, and turned to leave for the kitchen. The cold of the apartment rushed to get you as soon as he unraveled his arms. You hadn’t been alone all day since the unsubs attack, it somehow felt more claustrophobic. His hand on your throat, squeezing the air from your lungs. The way he grabbed your arm, contorting it so he could throw you to the ground. The gun, pressed into your forehead. The knowledge that the only thing between you being alive, and you being in a ditch, was a madman's finger on the trigger. Reality faded as each memory pressed further and further into your mind. You weren’t in your apartment anymore, you could feel the cold concrete beneath your hands. The thick air in your lungs, Rossi and the unsub shouting.

A hand on your knee, a soft voice bringing you back. There was no unsub, no gun to your head. You were alive. You were alive and Spencer was in your apartment, wiping the tears that had fallen down your face.

“You with me?” His voice was so soft, you couldn’t recall ever hearing Spencer raise his voice in anger. He was so gentle when he touched you. 

The floodgates burst, choked sobs made their way past your lips. Your shoulder shook as you cried, pressing yourself into Spencer’s arms. “Oh honey,” He murmured, pressing his lips into your head, softly rocking you back and forth as you sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. It was too much. You could have died today. Very nearly did. You weren’t ready to die, not yet at least.

As your cries softened into hiccups, you pushed yourself back from Spencer. “I’m sorry, that was so disgusting. It just all- I don’t know.”

 “Hey, you don’t ever have to apologise to me ok? What you went through was really scary, I’d honestly be more shocked if you didn’t cry.” His hand moved to draw soothing shapes along your back as you leaned back into him. “You want to watch something to calm down? I brought you some water and an ice pack for your wrist.”

He would be the death of you. You nod and push yourself back into the sofa, moving your wrist to rest in your lap. Spencer gently places the ice pack across your wrist and grips the tips of your fingers. He leans forward to push your cup of water towards you and grabs the TV remote, then turns and leans back so your side is pressed into his front. Truthfully, Spencer didn’t seem like the type to watch cable TV but he navigated the menu with somewhat ease. 

“Look at what’s on! It’s your favourite isn’t it, you want me to put it on.” He said as he nudged your shoulder.

He remembered your favourite film, of course he would remember it he has an eidetic memory. You hummed a yes as you relaxed your body further into his, finally content. Maybe Rossi was right, having Spencer close really wasn’t so bad after all.

[marzipanandminutiae]

"it was my mother's. it was my grandmother's"

"I don't want it thrown away."

"I've asked around, you know, but none of my kids or grandkids-"

"they just don't sew, and dolls creep them out, so-"

treasure comes in a paper shopping-bag, one of the big ones, brimming with lace wrapped around old notecards. a hand-embroidered linen tablecloth of thorny rose vines. a Tupperware container, rubber-banded together around a tissue-paper wad with an Art Nouveau belt buckle at its heart. yards of beaded silk fringe. long cotton stockings. petticoats like the froth on a cresting wave

things saved and put by for when the fashions changed and clothing had to be remade- until that stopped, and clothing came only from a rack and went only to the dump, and the stockpile lost its purpose

Post-Its stuck on this and that: "1910." "was my great-aunt Martha's." "this is real lapis, I think." little bits of provenance like whispers on the wind, things nobody thought to write down until they were only half-remembered

the women always look so grateful, as if I'm giving them something rather than claiming an inheritance before they've even died. I, a stranger- yet, I suppose, kin at heart, because we both look at this bounty and see more than old junk (or, at most, dollar signs in an Etsy store)

family who found each other on Facebook or at a museum event or in the middle of a street festival

fairytale logic applies: you can't go looking for these kinds of gifts. you can't ask for them outright. you find them by showing genuine passion and enthusiasm for antiques, sewing, dolls, whatever, when there's not an expectation that you'll get something rare and valuable out of it

it's not a king's ransom. it's not a happily-ever-after. it cannot fix the broken world we're both living in

but it's beauty and love. and two people- one nearing the end of a story, one closer to the beginning- saying, goddamnit, this little bit of light is worth passing along

[kurooku]

megumi fushiguro is the kind of guy who gets set up on dates by his friends all the time, just for them to be unsuccessful. is not that he isn’t a good looking guy (and he knows that at this point), it's just his aura that comes off as off-putting. he hangs out with the girls, brings them to places like the arcade or random parks, and the date ends up to be pretty boring. the girls usually look pretty bummed that he isn't really a taker, or in general that his vibe isn't overall welcoming and at the end of the day he never gets a call back. he actually isn't all that interested in 'finding love', he mostly says yes to his friends so that they will get off his back about it.

"just this time, fushiguro. it won't happen again." yuji itadori is saying, after asking him to go out with one of his girlfriend's friends. megumi isn't even looking at him, scrolling mindlessly on his phone. "yeah, sure."

he doesn't even mind all that much at this point, he knows already how its going to be. he's just going to have to sit through the night with a plain face, knowing that the person on the other side of the table is never going to want to speak to him again.

that's what he thinks until he meets you. he is blinded at first by your beautiful smile, that pops up as soon as he introduces himself. yuji and his girlfriend picked a place this time, sending you to a chinese restaurant that opened up somewhere downtown. he looks at you carefully, as if he his scared to ruin you by staring too much, while you order something to drink. you're all smiles and kindness he almost feels out of place.

it is silence at first, after a first shaky conversation about how the day is going or something like that. fushiguro almost blames himself for his dryness in answering, because you actually are a cute girl and he wouldn't mind striking a conversation, he just doesn't know how to. gladly, you do.

at first, it feels like an interrogation. you keep asking questions and he keeps answering briefly. then he starts saying stuff back and the conversation blooms. you guys talk about school, friends, food, bands you like to listen to. he is a good listener, you are a good talker. he makes you feel heard, always nodding to whatever you are saying and adding something here and there, and you make him feel seen, never looking away from his eyes while you speak.

at some point - mind you, he doesn't even know how or what he did say - he makes you laugh. the conversation was about the gyoza y'all were eating, it wasn't even all that interesting, but your laugh sweeps him almost off his feet. right there and then he swears its the best thing he has ever heard.

delicate yet full of emotions, your laugh fills the room. the sound is haunting even when it's over and other people in the restaurant look at you fondly while your face relaxes and your cheeks still hurt. he was staring at you the whole time, almost carving a hole in your face. "you have a beautiful laugh" he blurts out, while his face blushes like crazy and his mind yells why did you say it like that you weirdo.

you flutter your eyes a little bit, surprised by the heartfelt comment, but quickly thank him. "thank you, fushiguro. i kind of can't wait to hear yours." you wink at him playfully, but your answer made his heart sink. his ears get violently red while he quickly looks away, flustered.

he never actually got to this point with any girl before, and he feels weird, really. it's like he doesn't even know what to do, but at the same time he doesn't have to know. its easy, it's natural.

at the end of the night you give him your number, writing it on the back of his hand with a pen you asked the waiter for. you are not scared of anything, he thinks, while he walks you to the bus stop and watches you walk beside him. for the first time in his life, megumi fushiguro feels the need to have more. more of you, more of this. he feels like wanting it all.

back to his dorm, before going to sleep, itadori knocks on his door. "how did it go?" he asks, eyes lighting up in excitement. fushiguro doesn't say anything at first, but then, looking away from his friend, he sticks out his hand. blue ink shines on his palm, almost reflecting the dim light in his room, and yuji cheers out loud.

"I knew you could do it, fushiguro! I'm so proud of you!" and he pretends to wipe away a tear, meanwhile megumi thinks that actually he didn't even do much, he was just himself. and this time, it worked.

[patricia-von-arundel]

I don't like Neil Gaiman's writing.

Don't believe me? Search my Tumblr. Promise you'll find evidence that I said this long before recent info came out. (I should have looked for it myself before starting this reply - I'll try to remember to add some in after I finish writing this ramble. If Tumblr cooperates and finds it.)

I have never liked Gaiman's writing. Going back 20+ years, I've maintained it's not for me.

Ah - but see there?

Not for me.

He's a GOOD WRITER. I can see that in his work. I can tell he's good. I just don't like his style.

I haven't read anything he's written since... 2011 or so? I finally gave Good Omens a try around then, and despite also not like Terry Pratchett's writing, I actually loved it! I'd given both writers multiple chances, was not going to become a fan of either, but somehow, their styles together were perfect!

So - yeah - aside from Good Omens, didn't like anything I'd read by Gaiman: American Gods, Stardust, Coraline, Sandman, Books of Magic... none of it clicked, even knowing he was a good writer. I can say I wasn't a fan even back in the 90s. I can say I haven't touched anything of his in over a decade.

Does that give me some moral high ground now?

No.

I just didn't like his books. Simple as that.

No superiority, no "I knew all along," nothin'.

Because he's a good writer and seemed like a good guy. I followed him on most social media despite not liking his writing because he seemed like a good guy!

There's no need to revise reality here.

You can admit he's a good writer and a bad person. You can admit how much you loved his books. You can still love his books. Or you can be horrified by them now and never touch them again.

Any of those are okay.

It's a rough thing to wrap your mind around, especially if you were a big fan.

We've all been let down by our heroes. This is just... a particularly egregious, painful example for a lot of people. I know. I have all the sympathy for you as you try to work through very complicated feelings now.

How you feel, ultimately, may take some time to work out, work through, fully grasp and accept. That's also okay.

But Gaiman is still a good writer.

(Better than JK Rowling, who's gotten a similar revision from many.)

Big hugs to everyone dealing with this.

[jerreeeeeee]

more and more i find myself interested in the period of time where barry and lup were best friends and sort of both knew they were starting to have romantic feelings but also were both not ready to act on them and continued to be close friends.

like so often i’d resist that sort of story, because they end up in a romantic relationship, and so it feels like that feeds into that narrative of “inevitability,” it feels like it retroactively cancels out the “platonic explanation” for how close they were before, but i don’t think that’s actually true for them? the “inevitability” isn’t that they’d develop romantic feelings, because any friendship that close must eventually become romantic, rather it’s that they happen to develop romantic feelings, and so it’s inevitable that they trust and love each other enough to take their time and change their relationship as they want to, because their friendship means so much to them.

there was a platonic explanation for how close they were before they started feeling romantically and before they started labelling their relationship as romantic, because before all that, their relationship was platonic. they were close friends who loved each other and then they fell in love romantically. they still loved each other equally as much when they were “””just””” friends. if they’d never developed those romantic feelings they’d still be close and love one another. (case in point; their respective relationships to taako, or at the very least lup’s relationship to taako, which is equally close and deep and loving, yet platonic, and in fact directly mentioned as remaining just as important to lup) (and really, case in point their relationships to everyone on the starblaster. in the monologue about lup and barry, griffin takes care to mention that the relationships between everyone on the crew had become indescribably close, and never positions their romance as being “more” than any of the others��� friendships).

the reason i dislike friends to lovers is because usually those stories imply that romance is the inevitable end to a close friendship, that romance is a deepening of a relationship, but taz balance so pointedly does not say that about all its other myriad deep and profound platonic relationships; the narrative, at every turn, fully respects its friendships and platonic bonds, so this one happening to be a romance doesn’t actually bother me. it does actually feel like a choice people made because they felt like it and wanted to, rather than being forced in, and it doesn’t reinforce amatonormative bias, because the story doesn’t.

their ending up as a romance doesn’t invalidate the friendship beforehand, because the friendship was already so deep and valuable to both of them. and honestly, from the way the monologue goes, it seems to me that they weren’t exactly pining, they weren’t longing to deepen their relationship, they didn’t experience distance before becoming a couple; they were together every step of the way. it was already deep and close and loving before they decided to change it, and they took their time because that was how they wanted to do it. not being together romantically never stopped them from spending time together or valuing their relationship or loving one another.

[fanged-fanfics]

Slides in with a very polite request of Dr Phosphorus/ Alex Tudyk x GN!Reader pretty please (๑╹ω╹๑ )

Story can be however you like heh.. 𝓘’𝓶 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓴𝔂

☆ Melting Sounds Much Sweeter Than Burning — Dr. Phosphorus x GN Reader Fic☆

Genre: Fluff || they/them pronouns for reader || Warning for canon-typical violence + a lot of swearing

A/N: I don't think it came across clear in the writing but this is pre-canon for context-

──────.𖥔 ݁ ˖˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ──────

You were one of the humanoids caged up with the rest of the Commandos, locked up for your own big name crimes. There wasn't much the prison guards ever really let you do, and for quite a while you kept to yourself to try and avoid trouble. Sure, it was mundane to follow the guard's routines, but it kept you from getting shoved into solitary confinement or extra charges. But, in a flurry of green flames, trouble ended up quite literally landing in your lap during a mealtime brawl, and you found yourself fighting mutant assholess off of a radioactive green guy who was backing you up hit for hit.

From that day on, you couldn't seem to get rid of Dr. Phosphorus. You kept being in the same vicinity, or gravitating to each other subconsciously. Even if you tried to pick up conversations with someone else, he'd likely be the one to help you walk back to your cell. It was one of the better things to come from your time here. Phosphorus was one of the smarter criminals you interacted with on an average basis. He could at least hold a conversation without trying to gnaw his own leg off halfway through it like some other inmate (his name was apparently Weasel, but you didn't find that out till much later).

Unfortunately, despite your initial approach of being under the radar, Phosphorus was prone to trouble. You'd seen him melt a whole table enough to punch it in half, burn through walls, or sucker-punch people who pissed him off with a fist hot enough to literally kill them on impact. Suffice to say, you usually didn't offer him a handshake or give any pats on the back, for obvious reasons. Even though it was amusing to see him get himself out of alterations, you got into the habit of standing up to others by proxy.

Today, you'd gotten into a brawl. Not because of the great green doc, moreso of your own volition. You didn't get to see how it ended— swelling around one eye and dirt in the next prevented it. But due to the shouts you'd heard, it was easy to conclude the wardens broke it up. You were finally released back into your cell, seeing the familiar irradiated skeleton waiting for your arrival. The second the steps of the warden couldn't be heard, he walked up in front of you.

"The nurses didn't do a damn thing, did they?" He asked upon seeing your visible bruises and scrapes. You heaved a tired sigh as you sat on the edge of your stiff mattress "Hello to you too, Doc" you muttered. "Hey, I wasn't the one who jumped that guy" Phosphorus reminded, walking past the front of your vision "You had a hell of a stick up your ass today". "You heard him, he deserved every bit of it" you replied. Phosphorus kneeled down in front of you while saying, "Well all I see is you're the one with a fucked-up mug". You grumbled, keeping your gaze off to the side. He was right, of course, he usually was, it was just exceedingly annoying. He could never not be smug about it, even when he insisted he wasn't smiling.

"Guess you rubbed off on me" you commented back. "Better than you getting radiation poisoning like most around me do" Phosphorus countered lightly, reaching his hand up. You leaned back, scooting to the very back of your mattress as quick as possible. Phosphorus quickly retracted his hand "Still stings?". "No, dumbass, you're gonna melt my face off!" You said with pressing worry, almost in a yelp. For a brief moment of pause, silence and the soft hum of radiation was all you could hear before Phosphorus broke out in a loud laugh. It was always a little strange, watching his bony mouth open, blank eye sockets making the expression vacant even though he sounds happy. Speaking of, what the hell was there to laugh about-

"Ah, you may be smart, but you're sure as hell not observant" Phosphorus said, casually leaning his arm on your bedsheets "See?". You slowly leaned forwards, brow creasing in confusion "But- I've seen you- how the hell-" you stammered. He chuckled again, leaning his head into his palm "I can control when it burns anything. Right now, you're just fine. I don't plan to set another cell on fire". "Another?" You echoed, and he shrugged "There's a reason I got moved to being your cellmate. Now come on, you're just gonna look more fucked up if you don't let me see" he said.

You hesitated for just a second. There was a brief flicker of a thought that he could just be messing with you, but you pushed that aside. He didn't have reason to suddenly turn you into a walking molotov cocktail, right? And it's not like you ever did much to piss him off, intentionally anyways. You scooted up, and he leaned back to allow you the room. With a gentle hand, he touched your swollen black eye. You winced back at first, but thankfully his hand only felt warm rather than scalding. You sat up a little straighter, letting him look you over. "Do you even know what you're doing?" You asked. He pressed two fingers under your jaw, moving your head a bit to see the damage better while he spoke "I know more than anyone here would, unless you think leeches are still good for sore throats"

You nodded, still feeling a little uncertain. Even with his surprisingly gentle guidance, you saw the man break way too much 'invincible' shit to just forget. His touch eventually became a gentle hold on your jaw, guiding it back down "Jeez, way to go, pal. You're gonna be feeling this one for a few days". You nodded quickly, and he fell quiet. He pulled back his hand, holding it up in front of you instead "See? You're fine! Not even a little melting" he said, attempting to be reassuring. You nodded, looking at the hand he was holding up. With faltering motions, you very gently pressed your fingertips together. It definitely felt warm, but still bearable. Your palm slowly pressed to his.

You couldn't see his face change any, but his tone was warm with encouragement. "Not so bad when you get used to it, huh?". "Nah" you mumbled in agreement, slowly interlocking your fingers with his "Not bad at all". Phosphorus tilted his head down a bit to look fully, only waiting a moment before gently rubbing your hand a bit with his thumb. It had been quite a while since anyone felt comfortable enough to let him near, much less this. Not since... well, he didn't like to think about it too much. You both glanced up together, empty sockets meeting your eyes. Not wanting to overstep, you slowly pulled your hand back.

"Aaaanyways-" you began awkwardly, trying to transition back into casual conversation "You sure this didn't give me mercury poisoning or something?". The doctor chuckled, standing up "Who knows, you might wanna get checked". You gave him a small, non-serious glare in reply, and he laughed a little louder. He pointed to his face "Sarcastic smile". You huffed a small, exasperatedly fond sigh. You reached under your pillow, pulling out a stowed away deck of cards. "Wanna play blackjack?" Phosphorus asked as you began shuffling. "Sure, if you don't burn them when you lose" you replied. "I'm not promising anything" he said, hopping up to sit across from you on your bed.

As you prepped the game, a thought came to mind. "Hey, did the guards drag off that other guy?" You asked "I heard a lot of commotion". "Oh yeah, you know how they are" Phosphorus said casually "Can't handle a little third degree". You halted your motions all at once, squinting suspiciously at the man across from you, who had the nerve to innocently ask, "Something the matter?". You shook your head, smiling as you handed him his cards "Nothing, doc. Thanks"

[generalpalacefishgoop]

trBad and trRos convo transcript!

VOD ID: 2351774111

1:32:00 - 1:43:34

BBH: How was your thing going with the thing we talked about the other day? You make any advancements on that? Make any thoughts, decisions, progress?

Ros: I feel today has shown me that if something wants me to die, I'm pretty powerless. 

BBH: Yeah. But what about what you want?

Ros: I mean. I did kill someone.

BBH: How'd that make you feel?

Ros: Um…awful.

BBH: Okay, so has that made you kind of rethink about whether you want to kill other people?

Ros: Umm a tiny bit, because I feel like they were kind of willing a little bit. So someone who's not willing, I think they're just going to wipe me clean and dead and violence, you know. So maybe I should just not pick a fight. You said don't pick a fight you know you're going to lose. So let's be honest, I'm probably going to lose.

BBH: So honestly, I feel like if that's what is making you happy, Ros, I said go for it.

Ros: Well, I think that's the goal is hopefully to try and find something that makes you happy.

BBH: When I ask what you want, I'm essentially asking what would make you happy.

Ros: I don't know, Bad. I honestly don't know. I have no idea. I- I all of- all thoughts are dead. They’re gone. They’re gone. What about your thoughts?

BBH: Yeah, I've noticed that a little bit, Ros. Yeah. You're like an open book. People keep writing in the book. But I want to know what- what does Ros want to write in the book?

Ros: …I don't- I don't know, Bad. I want to protect my friends and I want to help them slay and and and never get hurt.

BBH: Does spending time with your friends make you happy?

Ros: Yeah…

BBH: Then I think you've got kind of your answer there. I think if you think about it, you've kind of been driven at points to want to kill. And I think maybe that's because it was in response to deep down, you just want to spend more time with your friends. And sometimes you need to kill to protect your friends, and sometimes you need to not kill to protect your friends. So maybe your confliction is coming from you just haven't figured out 100% what you want to do. And I think once you figure that out, you'll be able to come to terms with what you need to do to accomplish that.

Ros: That's really helpful. Bad. I- I- I- appreciate that. To be honest, I feel like I have a large Kingdom, like the Kingdom. There's a lot of people, but I feel like they're all busy doing their own thing a lot of the time and they're grinding. And so I feel like I should be grinding. But I think- I think I do want to hang out with them, but it's hard. It's hard to hang out when they're they're grinding, you know?

BBH: Yeah, it's OK to just let others do the grinding. You don't need to be good at everything, Ros, right? You're an amazing builder. You're very, a really good listener. You're really good just having amazing company. And I think it's OK to, you know, you don't have to be the Jack of all trades. You can just be the master of a few things. And there you go. You don't need to worry about the rest. Let your teammates and your friends support you.

Ros: Really?

BBH: Yeah.

Ros: I just feel bad cause I- I feel like- I just feel like I'm not contributing enough. 

BBH: You know, I think we all feel that way on some level because yeah, I mean think about it. Like at one point Pili was doing all this potion grinding and. And just getting on and and grinding, grinding, grinding alchemy and spending hours and hours and hours. And during that time I could have easily been like, oh man, I'm not really contributing or helping to this equation, but I've got strengths in other areas and I'm contributing in there. I help with making armor and enchanting good gear and then Pili helps get more Netherite. Like we compliment each other's weaknesses. We don't have to be just amazing at everything and neither do you. You don't have to be good at things that your teammates are good at, and you can rely on them without feeling, you don't need to feel like you're dragging them down. You're not an anchor, Ross. You're- You're a buoy. You're helping your teammates float, and they're helping you float.

Ros: Thank you, Bad. That's- That's a really lovely way to think about it. I just- I feel like it's hard to get rid of that feeling though, you know, and I want it- I want it gone. I- if I- if I could be the strongest- if I could be the strongest out of everyone, obviously I don't have- I don't- I don't have the time for that. And even if I- I did get to that point, I don't think that would still be me. But I- I just, I don't know. I just- I just want to do something to change that.

BBH: Ros, being the strongest doesn't give any additional value unless it's something that you feel makes you valuable and it's something that you want, right? Being the strongest for the sake of being the strongest. Like if that isn't something that you want, it's just wasted energy. It's wasted effort.

Ros: That's- That's a really good point. Thank you. Thank you so much, Bad. I- you've given me a lot to think about.

BBH: You've got this.

Ros: Oh, thank you. Thank you. You've got this too.

BBH: Thank you. I will do everything I can to hurt Foolish. Yes, because that's what makes me happy, is his downfall.

Ros: Well. You know what? I'm happy that you know what makes you happy. And to be honest, I feel like you're a good leader, Bad. I feel like- I feel like you're a good- you're a good mentor. You're a good leader. I think you're very smart and I- I just hope that-

BBH: You’re too kind.  

Ros: Oh, no, no, but it's true. I mean, you've killed so many people by accident. I think that's pretty smart.

BBH: Oh, gosh, I'm a monster. But no, you're right. You're right. You're spot on. I have- I have- I, you know, I look behind me and I can almost still hear their screams.

Ros: Does that make you happy?

BBH: On one level, Yeah. I think it makes me laugh. I feel like we have two choices, Ros. We can either laugh at the things we've done or we can cry about them. And I'd like to spend more time laughing at them, so.

Ros: Laughing is good. That's- that's- that's a good choice. 

BBH: It's all about perspective.

Ros: I guess so, I guess so. Oh, thank you. I- I still feel like I haven't come to a solution, but I have things to think about and you know what? That's better than, that's better than nothing.

BBH: Oh, exactly. You just gotta keep thinking about it, like the journey to find yourself. It's not, you know, just going to the supermarket and getting some milk, Ros. Like it's a never ending journey. Once you think you found yourself and what makes you happy, you're gonna discover something new that you never would have thought, you know, would change that and it'll change the equation and then you'll, you know, continue your journey. And that's what life is, Ros. It's constantly updating yourself and yeah, evolving. You're constantly changing, Ros, like a butterfly. If you're not constantly growing. Ros, and changing, then you're being stagnant and stagnant water gets spoiled. So you wanna you wanna be like a river, not like a pond.

Ros: OK, I'm gonna try and be a river. I'm gonna do that.

BBH: You can do it.

Ros: Oh, thank you. Thank you. I'm gonna try. I'm gonna try my hardest.

BBH: I believe in you.

Ros: Oh, thank you. I believe in you too.

(...)

BBH: Go be a river, Ros!

Ros: Oh, I will. I'm- I'm- I'm a river right now!

BBH: Nice.

[mirrorcatcreditcard]

I second both people.

I am a commenter who analyzes and notes different happenings throughout the story, and authors go over the moon when I drop multiple paragraphs in their comment section. It is crack for authors. On top of that, it makes me happy when someone is happy about my comment; because all I want is for the author to know how much I appreciate them. I always advise others to be the type of person they want or need in their lives, and that's exactly what I do. In my mind, it's only right for me to take a bit of time and give it to commenting when the author took hours to make that chapter. I don't judge those who don't take the time because not everyone can or wants to, but I applaud those who do because it is a service to the community.

Copy and paste is a commenters friend, and authors DO NOT find it annoying when you take a piece of their writing that you found beautiful and put it in your comment with a note on why you find it beautiful. If anything, it makes them go back to that spot and appreciate it like you are. Ten times out of ten when a reader comments on a certain piece of the story I scroll up to make sure I'm replying to the right thing and also to look at it in a new light. Sometimes it hits me later what they're talking about, and I get a stupid little smile.

All comments are welcome! Long comments are encouraged! Tell people what you think or they will never know the beauty you have found!

BTW i see these posts all the time like "ohhh i dont know what to comment on fics.." and every response is "keysmashes! or hearts!! anything works :3" and thats GREAT!! thats helpful!!

but: consider. if u genuinely like analyzing writing.. do u know ur just allowed to go through and quote your favorite parts and ramble abt what they mean to u and the author will LOSE IT WITH HYPE?

genuinely. i felt SO WEIRD the first time i did it.. but like. holy shit authors love it. its crack for authors. the first time i did it, it was on a fic that hadnt updated in half a year, give or take, and the author made 3 updates that month BECAUSE OF MY COMMENT.

LIKE. as an author every comment is INCREDIBLE!!! but also, dont feel like your comment has to be short or otherwise ur invasive or smth!! authors ADORE long comments more than ANYTHING.

[mrincrediblyblind]

Explaining D&D :0

Because I’m not too sure how many people in the fandom are familiar with the mechanics of the game

It kinda hit me when i was writing an analysis that a lot of people might not fully get the concept of the game as it’s not too clear in the show🧍‍♂️

like, i invited my ex to play D&D with me and my friends last year because we were having a campaign on my birthday, and i asked him if he knew of D&D and he goes “uhhhh, i’ve seen stranger things?”.

Bitch was so lost, he literally said to me “so where’s the Mind Flayer?” 😭

so i have cooked up an explanation :3

⬇️⬇️⬇️

here’s some basics!! 😋😋😋

You have your DM/dungeon master who is your narrator, and the players. The DMs we are shown are Mike, Will and Eddie

every D&D game is a quest of some sort. It isn’t always medieval goblins and demons starting off in some cathedral or tavern.

The books that we see Eddie, Will and Mike have for their campaigns have set story lines, maps, encounters, statistics for fights, etc!

the players have sheets of their characters with strengths and weaknesses

most strengths and weaknesses come from the class (nearly like a occupation) of your character

Standard classes are

- Barbarian

- Cleric

- Bard

- Druid

- Paladin

- Mage

- Ranger

- Fighter

- Monk

- Rogue

- Sorcerer

- Artificer

- Warlock

- Wizard

- Monk

How it works:

Basically, you’re all sitting round a table, role playing as your characters and imagining what the scenes look like.

sometimes theirs visuals to help, like figurines and maps, sometimes audio recordings

some players might draw their character, as Will does

figurines can be anything from clay, 3d printed, store bought or even lego

when my friends and i play D&D, we draw up maps on whiteboards and will draw an “x” or initial to represent where our players would be.

you’ll have a set of dice (images down lower), nowadays there’s digital dice.

you usually roll the 20 sided one to do a standard action. dice rolls get confusing in fights and stuff, but usually you’ll role the 20 sided one.

the higher the number the better, single digit numbers are shit 😭

EXAMPLE OF A GAME!!

The DM gives the backstory of the campaign. (They’ll usually give a brief description of your location and the players connections to one another.)

DM: “you’re in a the town square of Jonoquill Village. The four of you are protectors, yet last night there was an unknown attack on the village, and they stole the expensive crystal from the centre of the fountain”

Player: “can i roll to investigate the area?”

DM: “sure” (keep in mind, the DM can say no if it doesn’t progress the plot or if it’s ridiculous)

the player would then roll the dice. Let’s say our player got a single digit number, 6 perhaps. The DM Can’t tell them much, maybe a brief “you’re in the town square”, something obvious because their roll was bad.

Let’s say our player rolled a 16 though. The DM might say something like:

DM: “Stood with the fellow protectors of Jonoquill village, You see the concrete shattered and chipped, broken violently in a successful attempt to take the town’s beloved gem. The thief’s weren’t messing around.”

The players now have the option to do whatever to complete the campaigns objective. If i was playing, i would try to ask around to find witnesses.

DICE:

You usually have a 20 sided dice (D20), the dice in the last picture, which you roll when you want to do a standard action.

In season 1, when Will rolls to fight the Demogorgan, he gets a seven, which is a bad roll. The higher the number, the better chance of you succeeding with your action.

The party will usually share a set of dice

CAMPAIGNS:

You can make your own campaigns (“Homebrew”), for example, me and my friends are currently doing one inspired by Brokeback Mountain. I’ve DM’d a Coraline inspired one, so it’s anything you want.

In Stranger Things, the DMs use the already written campaigns. These are in the books. They use these so they don’t have to write their own

(Though, the one Will has in the second image looks hand drawn)

The DM usually has beginning plot points and an end objective. They’ll have set locations and scripted characters for the players to meet. The actions determined by the players fall in between and they’ll improvise based on the actions of the party.

They often make notes as the story progresses. The book is commonly stood upright so it stops the players from seeing the notes and knowing what’s happening.

(LOOK AT MIKE’S DICE IN RAINBOW ORDER AHHH!!! click the text to see my post about it :3 )

players have character sheets with inventory, spells, fight moves & combat abilities, also their regular abilities which are based off their character’s species (“race”) and class. They usually write down items they collect on the way, standardly gold for currency and other bits and bobs like weapons

(once, i went a whole campaign with ONLY a tray of lasagna in my inventory)

the stats can add and subtract things to your dice roll.

Character sheets look something like this:

EXAMPLE!!

this is ollie, my bard character

Bards are good with music and commonly known for their good stage presence. Bards in D&D have high charisma

if i were roleplaying as this character, and rolling the dice for charisma, based on my character sheet I might be able to add 1 or 2 to the number shown on the dice

Ollie isn’t very nimble. If the party was doing some mission impossible style laser maze and i were to roll for Dexterity on my character sheet (“physical attributes including hand-eye coordination, agility, reflexes, fine motor skills, balance and speed of movement”) I could have -1, which i’d take off the dice roll.

Anyway, i don’t know if that helps with comprehension of what the fuck they’re doing.

it’s basically a quest and you roleplay and roll dice.

i was just gonna make a seperate post to the analysis i’m doing because this is too long 😭

and i wanted to yap about my interest (D&D)

ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU NEED/WANT CLARIFICATION!!! i love yapping😈 

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Book Cover

“Don’t judge a book by it’s cover!” We’ve all heard the phrase and we all know that’s impossible. Because the cover of a book is the first thing a potential reader sees—it should stop them in their tracks. It’s a very powerful marketing tool; having a well-designed book cover is crucial.

Tips for Making a Great Book Cover Design

Using more than two to three typefaces on a cover is discouraged, as it can look really messy.

Keep things simple. Your cover will be in a sea of other covers so try to keep your design from getting muddy and make sure it stands out.

Show your designs to people who have a design eye and/or you trust. It’s great to get feedback.

If you hire a professional designer, write a brief and send them info. Be really clear on what you want. Designers usually do a certain number of design rounds included in the agreed upon fee and any extra rounds of design will be extra.

If you hire a professional designer, they will likely have ideas about printing and may have connections to printers. They are a resource so don’t forget to ask questions.

Don’t forget: a book cover is an important part of selling any book. Whether you decide to do it yourself or collaborate with a professional, pay special attention to this part of the process, as a great cover goes a long way.

6-Step Guide: Professional Book Cover

STEP ONE Generate Ideas. Look around at book covers you like. Go to a bookshop and peruse what’s currently happening in book cover design. Take notes of what elements you like on the cover image. A certain typeface? Color? Do you prefer an image or an illustration or something purely typographic on the cover? Another option is to create a mood board. You can use a platform like Pinterest or Evernote, or create a folder on your desktop, and pull book cover inspiration from the web. While you’re gathering inspiration, keep in mind what genre your book is and what kind of book design feels appropriate.

STEP TWO Find a Designer (Who Could Be You!). Do you have design skills? If so, your next step is to begin layouts and mock-ups of the covers. You should use whatever software program you are comfortable with. Most professional book cover designers use a program from the Adobe Creative Suite:

InDesign. InDesign is a multi-page design platform but can also be used for single page design.

Photoshop. Used to manipulate and experiment with photography.

Illustrator. Illustrator is a vector-based program, which means you can create graphic art that can be scaled up or down without loss of quality.

Photoshop and Illustrator. These can also be used together as you can bring your Photoshop file into Illustrator to set the type after you have worked with your cover image.

If you don’t have design skills, now is a great time to hire a book cover designer. The first step is to figure out what kind of budget you have for this. A designer’s fee will range depending on their expertise. Get a figure in mind and then write a design brief which should include the book specs:

Size

Print-run

Intended audience

Where and how the book will be published

Anticipated publish date

You should also include a summary of what the book is about and what you are looking for in a cover. Also share the inspiration you’ve gathered with the designer.

If you don’t have design skills but want to create the cover without the help of a professional, there are a few software programs you can use, such as Canva or 100 Covers, design tools that allow you to DIY the cover (for free or a fee).

STEP THREE Decide on the Dimensions. If you’re self-publishing and printing with a local printer you can work with them to make sure your book dimensions will fit on their printer (remember a book prints front, back, and spine in one sheet of paper). It’s also a good idea to find examples of books whose size you like and feels good to hold. Use that as a jumping off point for your book.

Book Cover Dimensions List. If you are printing for a specific market, from print to ebook, here is a handy list:

Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing File Format: JPEG or TIFF Cover Size (Recommended): 2560x1600 pixels Cover Size Requirements: between 1000x625 pixels and 10,000x10,000 pixels (one side must be at least 1000)

Apple iBooks File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): 1400x1873 or 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: at least 1400 pixels wide

Barnes & Noble File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): Rectangle height and width, at least 1400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Min. 750 pixels height and width

Kobo Books File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Min. 1400 pixels width

Smashwords File Format: JPEG or PNG Cover Size (Recommended): 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Min. 1400 pixels width Draft2Digital

File Format: JPEG Cover Size (Recommended): 1600x2400 pixels Cover Size Requirements: Tall rectangle

STEP FOUR Choose Your Style

Photo-based cover. If you’re creating an photo-based book cover, you’ll need to source stock imagery. There are lots of great resources online to find stock imagery including ShutterStock, Getty Images, and Adobe Stock. (Keep in mind: most photography archives require payment to use their images. Always investigate the copyright of images you’re interested in using.) Look for images that convey or allude to your book’s genre. You can use programs like Photoshop to manipulate your image, making it black and white instead of color or cropping it in a certain way.

Illustration-based cover. If you’re considering a more graphic approach to your cover, Illustrator is the tool to use. You can bring hand-drawn drawings into it and outline them to create scale-able, high-res illustrations which you can manipulate within the program. You can also create shapes, patterns, experiment with typography within illustrator and play with color, transparency, size and much more.

Typography-based cover. Finally, many successful book covers use typography as the main graphic device. This takes some skill and knowledge of typefaces, the historical context of a typeface, and how to manipulate it thoughtfully. That said, using type as a graphic can be very impactful.

STEP FIVE Pick a Typeface (Font). No matter what kind of cover you are designing, you are going to need the title of the book and the author’s name on the cover. As mentioned above, picking an appropriate typeface is very important. You want to pick something that feels right for your book—is it a sans serif or serif? A heavy weight or lighter weight? You want to make sure it’s not something with a lot of baggage, like Comic Sans or Papyrus. It is a good idea to actually do a little research on when, where, and who your typeface was designed by to give you context and feel out if it will be right for your book. You might also consider using up to two different typefaces, one for the title and one for your name. A serif and sans-serif mix can give a bit of contrast and visual interest. There are some typefaces that pair really well together. Check out the website TypeWolf to get ideas of what fonts pair well together.

STEP SIX Test, Tweak, and Repeat. Once you have a few versions of your cover, print them out on your home printer and take a look with a critical eye. Does the type size feel chunky? Too bold? Too small? How does your image look? Is it cropped right? Are the lines of your illustrations too thin and not showing up? Go back and refine your design and then repeat! Don’t forget to look at your book cover as a small thumbnail as well. People are on their mobile phones and you want to make sure your cover still stands out and is impactful.

Book Cover - serves as your first impression with potential readers—and though book covers don’t always look the same, they do tend to contain the same essential elements.

Design standards may be different in the world of traditional publishing than they are in self publishing, and book cover templates for physical paper books may differ from those of ebooks—but they all serve the same purpose.

Some Functions of a Book Cover

A book’s cover provides essential information. At its most elemental, a good cover includes a book’s title, the author’s name, the publisher, and the price.

A good cover offers clues about your book’s content and tone. Your cover design indicates whether your book is a work of high-minded literary fiction, a pulpy page turner, or a compelling work of non-fiction.

A front cover reveals a book’s genre. You can usually tell if you’re holding a thriller, a memoir, a sci-fi epic, or a nineteenth century classic just by looking at a book’s cover art and typography.

A back cover offers broader context. It may feature quotes from reviewers and fellow authors. Softcover books may contain a plot summary or author biography on the back; those summaries and bios are typically moved to the inner flaps of a hardcover book.

How to Hire a Professional Book Cover Designer

Book covers are marketing materials, and a well-designed professional cover can make your book stand out among the competition. If you want someone with expertise in the realm of cover design to work on your book, you may want to hire a professional book cover designer. Here are some steps to consider when hiring creatives to design your book cover:

Hire a cover artist. A cover artist produces the cover art and imagery that will appear on your book cover, either on their own or with heavy input from an author or publisher.

Hire a graphic designer. Certain graphic designers specialize in layout; they incorporate cover art that you provide them—whether that’s an original illustration, photograph, or even a stock image—into the overall design of the cover.

Find a cover designer online. Reedsy is one of a number of online resources for independent authors, self-publishers, and anyone connected to the world of books. Many professional book designers list their services on Reedsy.

Use your personal network. Seek out writers’ groups, either locally or on Facebook. In these groups, people share professional referrals and help support one another when a member has a new book in the works. A group of like-minded individuals can be an invaluable resource when creating your own book cover for the first time.

When to Call a Pro:

You have a budget (a designer’s fee will vary depending on experience and location).

You have enough time to work with the designer.

You have a clear idea of what you want or at least what you don’t want.

You don’t have any design skills.

You don’t want to invest in the design software.

Your book isn’t selling.

How to Design a Book Cover Yourself

If you don’t have the budget for a pro designer or just have a DIY itch you want to scratch, it is easier than ever to design your own book cover. While it may not be quite as rudimentary as when you covered your textbooks in a brown paper bag back in fifth grade, modern technology has made cover image design accessible to anyone with a computer. Here are some tips:

Use a template. There are numerous websites that offer book cover templates and step-by-step tutorials covering basic cover design skills. Some even have a free book cover creator tool, along with cover ideas, design tips, pre-made design templates, and digital cover image tools.

Use standard design software. Book covers can also be made using standard home computing software including Photoshop, Microsoft Word, and even (with a little sweat equity) Google Docs. This is particularly easy if you are importing a pre-made cover image from another source.

Make a prototype. The process for assembling a book is straightforward and satisfying. If you want to test out how your book will appear in print, you can learn to bind a copy yourself.

When to DIY:

You don’t have any budget for design.

You have design skills to do it yourself.

You have the design software.

You have a template and know exactly what you want.

You have people with an eye for design that can guide you.

How to Make a Hardcover Book

So you’re ready to bind your own book. Here’s what you’ll need:

Content, of course.

Uncoated printer paper for book pages

Decorative paper for endpapers, such as wrapping paper or cardstock

Davey board (aka bookbinder’s board), thin chipboard, or cardboard for the book covers

Craft knife

Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) glue such as Elmer’s glue

Hot glue gun and glue sticks

Ruler or straight edge

A long stapler

Thin fabric or book cloth for cover

Binder clips

Thick decorative paper (optional, for dust jacket)

Paper trimmer (optional, for trimming book pages)

Paintbrush (optional, for spreading glue)

There’s more than one way to bind a book, and you’ll find tons of great tutorials online for making homemade books, including Japanese bookbinding and perfect bound softcover books. The most popular style of hardcover book binding is called case binding, which is traditionally done by stitching pages together with thread. Here is how to make a hardcover book step-by-step—no sewing or special materials required:

Assemble the content. The number of pages and the type of paper you work with depends on whether you’re binding a novel, a full-color photo book, or a sketchbook. Familiarize yourself with the format by taking some hardcover books down from your bookshelf and observing how they were made.

Format your pages. If you’re creating a blank book, you can skip this step. If you’re printing a book with text, you'll need to format the text so that you can print it into a book. You can get help with this at a copy shop, or you can download book design software and print at home. Eventually, you’ll end up with a PDF with a page count. This page count has to be divisible by four so that your book can be bound as folios made up of eight sheets of paper (32 pages) each. You may need to add some blank pages at the end of the book to keep your page count correct for the folios.

Print and fold. Once all of your pages are printed, fold pages in half and stack eight within each other, making sure the pages are in the correct order. Staple the folios together in the folds, alternating the location of the staples so that you don’t end up with a bulge in the spine.

Bind your folios together. Arrange all of the folios in the correct order and flatten them between heavy books. Once your folios are flat, it’s time to glue them together. Hold the folios together with binder clips and use a glue gun to glue the folios together along the stapled edge. This will become your book’s spine. Be careful not to overdo it on the glue: Use just enough to keep the folios together. Before the glue cools, use a thin piece of fabric to cover the spine only.

Even out the pages. Carefully trim the edges of the pages with a paper trimmer or craft knife, if needed.

Make the hardcovers. Cut two pieces of cardboard for the front and back covers of your book. For the spine, cut a piece of cardboard that is the same height as the front and back covers, with a width equal to the thickness of the spine plus the front and back covers.

Attach the hardcovers. Paint the cardboard (both covers and the spine piece) with a thin layer of PVA glue and attach to the cloth you’ll use to cover your book, leaving a space between the covers and the spine equal to one and a half times the thickness of the cardboard. Let dry.

Assemble the book. Use PVA glue to attach the fabric-lined spine of your bound folios to the cardboard spine. Keep the book propped up between other books while you wait for it to dry.

Attach the endpapers. Trim the paper lining so that it’s twice the size of the first page and fold it in half. Paint glue onto the inside of the front cover and the front page, and attach paper lining. Repeat with the back cover.

Make the dust jacket. If you’d like to cover your book with a dust jacket, measure a piece of thick decorative paper as tall as your book and as wide as the entire book, plus a few extra inches to fold over the edge of the cover. Fold the dust jacket over the bound book. Lay another heavy book on top of it to help the dust jacket keep its shape. This is the place to add a cover design, if you’d like.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[horreurscopes]

i don't even remember what it's called or of if it was good but i read this slice of life novel years ago about the friendship between a gay guy and a girl with some kind of hormonal disruption that made her very big, and perhaps there was some sort of murder or assault in their town that shook them, and they thought a lot about it. i think they drift apart because they have different reactions to it; there was a series of passages or maybe? a trueline through the novel? about the american need for control over the world, how victim blaming is really a psychological self-defense mechanism from the horrifying truth that things can happen to us that we are powerless to stop, and how this self-soothing worldview comes at the expense of empathy. and writing it down seems pretty obvious, right, but at the time of reading it it felt like something very deep in me, underneath the outer layers that already knew victim blaming was Bad, had been cracked. anyway i still find myself thinking about it every time i have a kneejerk reaction along the lines of, well EYE wouldn't have done that, or well that wouldn't happen to ME, because justifications about street smarts or situational awareness or etc etc etc. and i get annoyed about it first before i can digest it, again and again. i think what matters is that i don't forget. i think it's a very human response to have in an environment that is so permeated in an exceptionalism that reaches its logical conclusion through a soul-poisoning cultural refusal to acknowledge that we can die. but it's really stuck with me all these years later, and once you see it is everywhere; from the cult my parents are entrenched in teaching them only they and a small group of people are the ones who will survive a fire apocalypse and live forever in a paradise earth on the ashes of dead billions, including me, due to the whole being a lesbian thing; to like, the billionaires trying to figure out how to keep people in their servitude in their nuclear war bunkers, or the tech bros who firmly believe they will be uploading their consciousness to the cloud before their carbon body begins to rot, or your average grandma asking what your friend who was raped was wearing

[luckykiwiii101]

“SPOTTED: ANONYMOUS F*CKERS LOSING SOMETHING NOBODY KNEW THEY EVEN HAD…THEIR COMMON SENSE.”

XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GRL

XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GRL

ﾟ blah blah blahhhh ࿐

Hey Upper East Siders.

Pardon me for the time I took to write this, but I wasn’t sure whether to write a gossip post, or a eulogy, for some people’s common sense, that is.

Want to hear a story? Once upon a time, Mary had a little lamb, then the lamb grew up, gave birth, and that explains some people on this app. They follow each other, like sheep, one by one.

and that’s exactly what some of you are doing.

But when there’s so much smoke, who cares if there’s fire? Liars, Liars, Liars. I’m running out of fingers here, there’s too many to count!

But who’s talking? Oh wait, the lack of belief some people have in themselves. Like the great gossip girl I am, I decided to open my inbox to answer some pending success stories that have been sent to me. Instead, one anon said “slit your wrists”. I don’t usually like being told how to do things but if you’re going to tell me to do something, at least give me a physical demonstration. Maybe a…tutorial? Funny that you give me advice in a field you’re so specialised in…at least we have one thing in common. Someone give this one a pay rise. Since everything else in their life seems to be at an all time low.

As usual, it doesn’t end there. Another desperate lower east sider sent me: “You write things to yourself in your anonymous messages, come on, they're already realizing it.” Darling, just because you would, doesn’t mean I would. My blog runs on authenticity, not so-called tumblr “fame”. But of course, that’s just one concept your head’s too thick to wrap around.

Anyway, let’s move onto the bigger picture here. But…you might want to wear a gas mask. I’m afraid there are too many pants on fire! Allegedly. I’m sorry, that wasn’t clear? Let me say it again. Allegedly. Maybe if you listened as much as you’d spoke, you’d hear me, and I wouldn’t have to say it again.

It’s funny to say, but usually I’M the one gossiping, not the one gossiped about. But somehow, people have magically found a way to drag me through the dirt. No that’s not a tear in my eye, it’s disappointment. Disappointment that Mary’s little lamb turned out to be the mother of such…fuckers. Motherfuckers.

But back to the point, just found it flying right over your head. Listen closely so it doesn’t happen again. SPOTTED: A few lower east siders attempting to create their own little success story debunking club. They’re running in…circles? If there’s two things we know about circles, it’s that one, they are pointless (literally), and two, running in them, gets you nowhere (also literally).

Unluckily for them, a conclusion is something they’ll never come to, but to picture proof? They might just.

Picking and choosing which success stories are fake, and then asking them to send picture proof when you don’t believe? Please, there’s only so much laughs the upper east side can hold. Since your common sense seems to be searching for the divorce papers, i’ll break it down for you. Nobody owes you picture proof of their manifestations. But just like the many previous and countless times, people would just find a way to accuse them of getting their photos/videos on Pinterest, or the good old photoshop. Well I know a shop where you can’t buy photos, and it’s called your imagination, and when you use it, not only do you find your common sense in there, but you also get exactly what you want. Not such a difficult concept to grasp is it? Keep talking and i’ll see your head peeking over the empire state building soon enough.

Now once again, onto the next idiotic attempted claim. “These success stories have such similar desires”. Oh i’m sorry? But we live in a generation full of trends. And with trends come followers. And we call those followers sheep. I’ve counted sheep so many times so far, I might just fall asleep. This might sound crazy but…people get inspired…wait for it…by other people’s…don’t scream just yet…IDEAS! I know, it’s hard to believe. Crazy right.

But in my lovely consideration of not hurting your ego, I do acknowledge the rare valid points some of you’ve made. Like bloggers suddenly having each others accounts. Like bloggers saying they’ve manifested their dream lives, yet still staying on tumblr to argue with anons who call them liars. That doesn’t really make sense, honestly, even to me. But what gets me is the idea of picking and choosing certain success stories that have common desires, similar “typing” styles, and not enough enthusiasm. Apparently that’s the criteria you need to meet, in order to have a “fake success story”…Who the actual fuck are you to decide what’s not enthusiastic enough? So just because someone’s success story doesn’t sound like how you imagine your own to turn out, therefore it’s fake? If someone isn’t freaking out and smashing their keyboard whilst writing their success story then it’s fake? Are you fucking dumb? Let me answer that for you, first of all yes, you are fucking dumb. Second of all, you look for YOUR idea of success in THEIR success stories, so when you don’t see your ideal version of success, and your ideal reaction to success, you immediately assume it’s fake, because you cannot relate to it because “it’s not how you would react or what you would manifest”. Because your dumb fucking arse cannot comprehend the world beyond your own perception. Why? Because you’re a fucking dumbarse.

Call me crazy, but if one word comes to mind, it’s projection. And yes there are liars here and there, but the struggle to believe in others successes is just the struggle to believe in yourself. If you were reading those success stories from your mansion, with your desired appearance, in your desired city, with everything you could possibly want, reading other people’s success stories wouldn’t be so difficult would it. Why? Because humans learn from experience. But some of them are just too ignorant to consider, that with every person, comes a different experience. “Oh I didn’t succeed, therefore there’s no way they could have, they’re lying!!!!” Poor babies, may I ask where this desire to look for inconsistencies in success stories came from? I think we ALL know…it’s pretty easy to disbelieve in something that you believe you can never have. What was that word again…projection.

Yet again, I can’t believe I have to remind you that it’s not you against the world. Nobody is out to get you. Loablr is not some plot to make you believe in something that isn’t real. I don’t know what level of delusion that takes but usually it’s enough to put you in a straight jacket. Get off the app and touch grass. No one will notice if you leave, trust me. But in all fairness, I’ve read a few success stories that have seemed ingenuine to me. But do I have proof of that? No. So do I make a blog “calling them out” when I have no way of 100% knowing that, or do I move on with my life and focus on my own successes instead of their alleged fake ones? You think it hasn’t occurred to people that other people could be lying? If you think otherwise, boy have I got news for you. And most IMPORTANTLY, like I said before, YOU cannot define what ingenuine is, because YOU cannot predict other people’s reactions, nor can you see them from behind their screens. And since some of you are so obsessed with “real life” proof, you still decide to ignore success stories OUTSIDE of tumblr. Especially, Celebrity success stories. So CLEARLY there’s not much we can do for you here. You claim to believe in the law of assumption, then go and fucking apply it, instead of thinking you have some valid point to “prove”. You’re not as “woke” as you think you are. I don’t care if you can’t control your suspicions of others, i’m not telling you to stop feeling suspicious, but it’s the way you go about it that matters. And the way some of you do it, is disgusting.

If there’s anyone who is currently reading this who has lied about any successes whatsoever, you’re pathetic. And I hope you feel ashamed. And yes, no one actually knows who you are, but that’s not where the consequence lies honey, the consequence lies in the fact that you don’t have anything you want. Think about that for a second. Bitch. Instead of louboutin red bottoms, you literally have a red bottom. Don’t break your knuckles trying to get the extinguisher out.

Anyway. There’s so much more I could say about how unfathomably stupid some of you are but if I were to, then I’d be here all day. So i’ll leave it at that. And keep in mind, when I don’t reply to you, or when I block you, it’s not because i’ve got nothing to say or that i’m “defeated”, it just means that you are not worth my time and that i’ve probably already made a point that yet again flew over your head that you therefore missed.

As if some of you haven’t embarrassed yourselves enough already, you’ve decided to dig your holes even deeper. Maybe a little too deep. I think i’m starting to feel the earth’s core, maybe the heat wasn’t coming from the liars fiery pants after all…

I guess success is just harder for you to believe when your self concept is buried almost as low as you, when you debunk, insult, and argue yourself to death. Ofcourse someone who’s so used to failing sees nothing but failure. Can I even blame you? You know who you are. Pathetic.

- gossip girl

XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GRL

XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GIRL | XOXO | GOSSIP GRL

[bitchface24-7]

Hey, it’s me again. Did I send in a request last night? Yes. But ur writing is very cool and I rly like it and my thoughts are eating my brain so I’m sending in another! (Please take however long you need to reply to this tho, I would hate to overwhelm u)

N e wayz, I am once again requesting JayVik x fem reader. I was hoping to ask for more comfort maybe? Mostly just smthn with a reader who doesn’t want kids at all ever.

Like, it’s not that I’m not good with them, they super overwhelm me and they’re loud and messy (and pregnancy horrifies me(and I think(?) I’m autistic so also that doesn’t help))

Just, maybe smthn where R tells em or someone else brings it up? They’re upfront abt it but worried abt losing Jayce and Viktor (also if I’m going into too much detail I apologize, I’m very specific abt my feelings towards kids and it’s hard to find anything like this. Most fics that bring up pregnancy are abt the R wanting kids or expecting and that’s just. Not for me)

Also if this makes you uncomfy that’s also cool and chill :))

Hope ur doing good, thank you either way :))

WE ALREADY MAKE THREE - JAYVIK X READER

synopsis: you're in your late twenties. Your partners are thirty-one and thirty-two respectively. The dreaded question keeps coming up, “When are you going to have kids?” Never if you had it your way. Time to see if your partners are on the same page as you.

warnings: being childfree by choice, talks of overstimulation, fear of pregnancy and childbirth, talks of not wanting kids due to illness, soft fluffy comfort, Grammarly is my beta

genre: m/m/f

p.s. I too do not want kids, and you damn near listed every reason I have as well (add suspected ADHD/AuDHD). I'll personally add that I'm selfish, I like doing things when I want to do them, in peace. I want to spend my money on me. I want to wake up at noon and drink my coffee in silence. I'm also a graduate of a nursing program so I had to do maternity/child as a course and OMG IT WAS HORRENDOUS. I've never wanted kids, never dreamed of having them; and that won't change. Your feelings are valid; don't let anyone tell you otherwise. I also may or may not be projecting a bit onto this story; hope you don't mind pebble!

You're at that time in life as a woman where people keep asking you in a variety of ways when you're getting pregnant. Or they shoot you a variation of either pity looks or side-eyes when you're childfree; and happily so!

You've never wanted kids. Never had that baby dream where you wake up crying wondering where your kid is. If you did have that dream, you'd be crying in relief knowing you don't have a kid. People have always looked at you funny, your parents especially. “You’ll change your mind when you grow up!” “When you find the right guy, you never know!”

Eventually, when you hit your early twenties, your parents left it alone. Understanding that you don't want kids. Period.

Now… you need to ensure both Viktor and Jayce are on the same page as you. Because this… this topic can either make or break a relationship.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The conversation came up one random day in the lab. The three of you tinkering away when you just blurt out, “What do you think about kids?”

The sounds of tools crashing and swearing fill the lab, you try your best to suppress a giggle, but you fail.

“Where— where is this coming from?” Viktor asks, his voice frazzled as he holds a finger he accidentally smashed in his panic.

You shrug, “People keep asking me when I'm getting knocked up. Other departments, professors, acquaintances. I want to know your opinion on having kids. This topic… is a sensitive one. And I know this can either strengthen our relationship, or it'll crumble to dust. I don't… I don't want to lose you two. I can't imagine my life without you in it.”

Viktor lightly smiles and takes your hand with his non-injured one, and Jayce comes over to scoop you into a big hug.

“I— I've never wanted kids.” Viktor admits, his voice low as he looks at the two of you from beneath his eyelashes, “I’m sick. I'm disabled. I would never want to pass that down to my child; it'd be cruel. Even if we had a cure, I’d be hesitant.”

You squeeze Viktor's hand in reassurance, and the slowly built-up tension in his shoulders eases slightly. Now we just need Jayce's opinion.

The two of you look to Jayce, who just has a contemplative look on his face.

“Kids, babies especially, are a lot of work. Your whole world revolves around them. We wouldn't be able to do things like we are now. Hextech would have to wait. Finding a way to make Viktor feel better would have to wait. And I— I don't want to wait. I want to see Hextech helping everyone, I want to find a way to make Viktor feel less pain. And a kid… a kid would ruin that. Does that make me a bad person?!”

At Jayce's panic, the two of you get up on your tiptoes as best you can and kiss him on the cheek; one on each side. The dopey smile you get in return makes you and Viktor smile.

“Oh thank Janna,” you sigh, “I don't want kids. I've never wanted kids. I like doing things when I want to do them. I want to wake up when I feel like it. I want to drink coffee in peace. If I want to go to the market, I can immediately put my coat on and leave the house. I want to travel the world with you two; I want to make our dreams become a reality. A baby… a baby would ruin all of that. Besides, pregnancy and birth terrify me. That's one of the highest mortality rates a woman faces.”

At that last tidbit, Jayce and Viktor tense up.

No.

Absolutely not.

You're not dying, not anytime soon if they have anything to say about it. They want to be with you until you're all old and wrinkly. Your hair is no longer its rich colour, but a stark white. All three of you will die at the same time, cuddled up in bed holding one another.

You don't see their contemplation and just continue in your explanation, “And they're incredibly overstimulating. I understand logically that they can't speak but sometimes they just cry and make noise unnecessarily. You've taken a bath, your diaper is clean, and you've been fed and burped. We’re having mommy-baby time so I can love on you and you're pitching a fit? Why? It makes me so—”

Your explanation is interrupted by a passionate kiss from Viktor, you think your lips are gonna be bruised later by the amount of force he used. Eventually, he pulls away, and you feel breathless; Jayce quickly replaces Viktor's lips on yours. This kiss is softer, a bit tender as if he understands your lips feel tingly.

Jayce pulls away and as you're stuck in between them; Viktor and Jayce kiss. You appreciate their beauty as you bite your lip and smile. Jayce is the super physically affectionate one, you're in the middle, and Viktor rarely shows PDA. To have Viktor start this means a lot.

Your little kissing session ends a bit too quickly for your taste, but at least you get swamped in a group hug from both your partners.

“So…” Viktor starts, “We’re all in agreement? No kids.”

Both you and Jayce simultaneously respond, “No kids.”

Viktor nods, “Good. So, shall we go back to work? Or are we going to cuddle the whole day?”

“If I had it my way, it'd be the latter.”

“We know, Jayce.”

“So… I guess its back to work?”

“Yes, Jayce.”

“Hmph.”

With a dramatic sigh, Jayce lets the two of you go and you all go back to your workstations. Your heart and steps are a little lighter than when you first came into the lab today.

You work in comfortable silence for about ten minutes before you decide to be a menace, again.

“Why is everyone so invested if I'm getting my shit rocked and getting stuffed full of cum? Like I hate when couples are all like, “We’re trying for a baby! We’re trying every night!” Like… okay? I didn't need to know that. What do you want me to say? “Congratulations. Try harder.” Like?”

More crashes are heard and even more swearing. But this time you cackle in glee. Yeah. You wouldn't change this for the world.

Here it is! I hope people enjoy this tiny fic (especially you pebble!) its nice to know I'm not the only one who doesn't want kids. Whenever I feel lonely in that mindset, I search up “childfree by choice” on tiktok and see so many other women with the same mindset as me; and it makes me feel a little less alone. If you do want kids, all the power to you, but this story isn't for you.

[arliedraws]

I've seen your posts about AI. I also know it's a pretty polarizing topic and what the majority opinion is, especially in regards to art and writing. And being an artist myself, I totally agree that it sucks, like you have to pay attention and all, but.... I hardly dare to say this because I know how emotional the discourse around AI is, especially on a platform like tumblr, which sometimes seems so strong that I don't participate in a discussion about this topic at all because I feel like people here would hound me for it, but I still use different AI software, but not in the way that I use it to create something that I can publish and pretend that I spent hours creating it myself. I think it can be really helpful.

If I need information about something quickly, it's more efficient than spending a lot of time searching different websites for a particular piece of information.

I also like to think of it as a group member when I'm working on projects. That doesn't mean that I get the ideas from it and then just copy them. In the same way that group work is beneficial, you pass the ball to each other with the AI and exchange ideas that you can then develop further. Or it can help you if you're looking for another word to describe something better, like a dictionary. And I still know how to use real dictionaries or do proper research, because I know that AI can make mistakes and you shouldn't believe everything. Just like it is with information from the internet in general. Anyway, now I come to the actual “confession”, which is that I also use it, not to let the AI create the art, but as a tool to help myself creating it. I usually use reference images for drawings to help me get the scene itself or the anatomy correct etc. Andy capture it properly. But sometimes I have a very specific scene in mind and can't find a suitable reference, and it can take me hours to find something that fits. So I like to use AI to create that reference for me, because unfortunately I don't have people modeling for me and personally it helps me extremely to have examples to work from.

Idk where exactly I'm going with this. But since the general opinion on generative ai seems very clear here, I wanted to finally get this off my chest because I always kept my moth shut being afraid of how others might react, even though I think that my methods are still quite legitimate, as I still do the real work myself. Anyway, I'm looking forward to your opinion.

Ahhhh okay, well, thanks for the vulnerability here.

You know my opinion on AI. I’m not going to tell you you’re a terrible person or anything for using it, but I’m also not going to justify your personal decisions. Instead, I invite you to change your perspective.

My opinion is this—and it’s more of a question: why are you creating the art? I’m going to hit a few of your main points and just pose questions because I think this gets to be more philosophical than a cut-and-dry “if you use AI, you are a bad guy.” Because I don’t think that—I also don’t think you should use it.

The reason I don’t blame people for being attracted to using AI is because as human beings, we’re designed to find the most efficient way to do things. Thinking and using creativity is a huge caloric expenditure. Right? Naturally, we’re attracted to ways that things can be done FOR us and reduce our cognitive load. Your brain is working as it was designed! But this is also a really cool way to take away your voice and mold you into someone who cannot think for themself.

(This is also what you’re doing by “confessing” to me. You’re unloading your cognitive/emotional burden so you can keep on doing the thing you know is probably a bit shady.)

First of all, I don’t know you, so I don’t know what your art training is. However, you need to train your brain to start coming up with stuff on your own. I am really sorry, but I don’t buy the “I don’t have enough references.” When there are free resources like Unsplash.com and even just looking at buildings around you, the furniture in your house, etc, you DO have the references. But you need to learn how to use them. This is a tool.

Second thing, if the reference isn’t exactly what you need, then you need to start learning volume and shapes. You need to study anatomy. Eventually, you will be able to look at a reference and understand how perspective works and be able to transform a reference in your head to what you need. OR - start combining references. If I’m doing a full scene, I probably have about 5-6 reference photos I’m working from. This is a tool.

Third, start taking photos of yourself for reference images. If you can’t find what you need, do that. I periodically have to go into my camera roll to delete the god-awful reference poses for myself. This is a tool.

Fourth, start a collection of things that “strike you.” Start a reference blog. Have a folder filled with images that intrigue you. Personally, I take an insane number of photos when I’m traveling. For example, I went to a mansion for a tour and took photos of all the early 20th century objects and rooms so I would have these in my arsenal. This is a tool.

My fundamental question is this—why are you having an algorithm create what’s in your head for you? Why not learn how to do these things instead? Your imagination is so cool. The process of creating is making happy mistakes. What do you think Bob Ross would say to you? When you use AI, you’re just copying. The imaginative part has been done for you. You’re just a tool of the robot.

We do so much to avoid frustration, but frustration is the part of creating. When we can see the skills we need to learn, that’s how we know we’re improving. It means you’re trying, and when you press through that discomfort, that’s when you grow. Stop seeing this as a block to your end goal but as an opportunity to continue your infinite journey as an artist. Celebrate that there are so many beautiful things to learn.

Additionally, please don’t see AI as a group project. A group project indicates that all parties involved consent to participate, and I know most artists do not want their art to be used in this way. Imagine if you learned to do all the things I’ve described above and taken time/years/frustration/love to develop these skills, and someone years later then took your work and said “It’s okay - we ALL contributed to this.” It’s just not true.

The artists you see online don’t simply sit down and draw a bunch of cool stuff without practice. I watch Youtube videos of professionals. I draw a gazillion sketches of just MOUTHS or hands so I can create my own references in my mind. Why would you deprive yourself of this?

Look, I think it comes down to this: if you’re looking for efficiency and ‘getting it done’ quickly, then why are you doing it? Are you enjoying the process? If you aren’t, why are you even doing it?

If you need a robot to imagine something for you, then you don’t actually want to do it.

[mimipolo]

Can u write headcanons for the sakamoto days characters as the animes coming out on Saturday. For ur bestie friendie 😆😆

Sakamoto days x reader headcanons

Yes I will, happy birthday to you. You should be ecstatic rn.

Is the Sakamoto days fandom alive on here??? Hope so.

Shin

He's really obvious about the fact he like you, like reallyyy obvious

Puts extra effort into every little action he does so you think he's cool(he's really not),if you two met in the JCC he'd make sure his entire routine for group assassination missions is basically flawless.

Can't help being curious about what you thought and tunes into your thoughts and has to pretend his face isn't growing hotter by the second as he walks back in line, your inner thoughts of admiration replaying in his head.

Has at least one person(Mr Sakamoto) who he talks to endlessly about you, if he was still an assassin he'd have found it unbearable but now he sits blissfully with a ramen cup in hand as Shin talks away, when his mind wanders to young love and then eventually his wife, Shin snaps at him to pay attention.

Knows a lot about you (most without you knowing but sh), sometimes he just comes up to you and reminds you of something you're about to forget or a question too niche for him to ask and you're like "huh?" and he just blinks at you before going "huh-?"

Takes a deep breath and does that silly shake thing guys do when they're about to run when he's determined to talk to you, ends up folding anyway because he's geeked you asked to eat with him today.

Does the absolute most to keep you out of danger, at the JCC and at the shop, enemies seem to be popping up from anywhere now he and Sakamoto had dropped from the ranks and he didn't want you wrapped up in that.

Cannot flirt, he cannot and it's so embarassing, it's sweet when he tries though, the moment he sees you trying to hold your laugh he just gives up and holds his flushed face as you double over laughing. At least you said he was cute(internally.)

I can imagine you two in his or your room on a hot day, the windows wide open and the fan is blasting in your faces as you split twin popsicles, he thinks you look beautiful even as you sweat profusely and fan your face with your hand.

Nagumo

So annoying, to the point it's almost driving you mad, makes every excuse under the sun to come see you, be it day or night. People often ask how you deal with his unprecedented visits and you can only drag out a sigh and shrug.

Terrible gift giver but it's clear he tries, hands you a beaten up rubber duck and looks at you expectantly when you're not immediately ecstatic (cause what??). He'll explain like some expertise in the science of you that he saw you cooing and feeding ducks one day in the summer five years ago. You look down at the small colourful bird and decide it's actually quite cute, it can go in your random trinket box.

Naturally touchy guy, an arm around your shoulder is not a rare thing but one thing he does get nervous about is holding your hand. Yes he could hold you against his chest for ages as you read out something to him but the idea of holding your has his head in his hands as he squats on the floor.

Would love it if you liked his stupid jokes but would love it even more if you made it your goal to absolutely despite them. He finds the dynamic quite funny. Actively enjoys seeing the way your face crumples up when he cracks a joke at the absolute worst time, something dumb about grannies as the both of you are still panting and painted in blood in a care home of all places.

Not that jealous or possessive but will feel left out when he notices you're hanging out with someone a bit more than him. Will insert himself between you and this new person, mostly unaware he's acting on self preservation to keep himself in your sights.

Shishiba

He's so calm and collected all the time, the concept of him liking someone and that person possibly being you had never crossed your mind and it probably never will.

He likes to praise your work ethic a lot, "Looks good." , "You cleaned them up yourself?" You just nod back with a smile and he's convinced he made the boldest move in the books.

Would want to make absolute certain you like him before saying anything life threateningly risky. Pretty traditional with it, asks you out to eat after work and lets you choose the place. Insists he pays because he earns more than you but he just wanted to treat you. Has a list on his phone of the places you two enjoyed the most and pins them on Maps in case you want to go again.

The type to stare daggers into you while you're busy talking to someone else, when you're done talking he's still looking your way and waits for you to acknowledge him. Sometimes he announces himself, sometimes he'll just walk up beside you and hands your new assignment over which honestly startles you at times.

Wish he could've met you under different circumstances, wherever you're in his line of work or not. He'll never be truly satisfied with the way things are, constantly weighing the options.

For now he's enjoying watching you enjoy your favourite snacks and his heart warms when you offer him a generous bite.

Kashimo

Doesn't know what he's feeling towards you, the only thing he knew was his loyalty to Slur and you were gradually changing that one situation at a time.

It started when you'd apply ointments to where his body disconnected even though he was literally designed to be able to be broken and put back together with no effort. But you put in that effort, insisting he should let you and it'd be beneficial in the long wrong, he liked to believe you.

Often shows up to your cubicle at work just to say good morning then walk away, not even waiting for you to respond. You find it oddly charming and he just likes hearing your giggle as he leaves the office.

He believes you're also one of those people whose never done anything worth damning in their entire life. You're so kind and considerate of him he couldn't even fathom you doing anything wrong. Sometimes he hopes he's still capable of dying just so it could be alongside you, doesn't understand what that means fully though, it's just an ideal.

Likes it when you hold his arm, patting it slightly as you give some feedback on the latest mission. Doesn't understand the point in it but is far from complaining, he enjoys your attention and doting words.

Doesn't like to hold delicate things, like cats he really likes them but has a lingering fear he'd accidentally hurt the small thing. Instead he likes watching you hold these fragile things, pointing to them and you pick them up with a questioning look on your face, he makes a motion for you to scratch it's ears, he's pleased when you do.

(Y'all know like those slime stimboard monkey vids💀💀)

He considers you to also be delicate, so you'll never catch him making a move to touch you even though sometimes his bones ache to, he's fine with the brief touches you give him he couldn't ask for anything more.

Heisuke

He's also helplessly down bad for you, instead he tries his best to be helpful to you but you always seem to one up him in that area, especially when you let him crash at your place. Like a true angel.

Doesn't bother with pickup lines he's tried them out and they're not really his thing but sometimes he says something so heartmoving you pause all together. When he notices your reaction he's completely oblivious he's successfully shot his shot, "Pfft look at ya face."

Piisuke loves you because he does, it's like their brains are interlinked. The bird will catch small sight of you and immediately rush over to perch itself on your shoulder and snuggle its beak into your cheek, it hurts but how could you say no. Heisuke already knows that whenever his small partner did this you were likely around, so he's walking up to you bashfully and taking Piisuke back (he's secretly setting the two of you up.)

Showers you with compliments and praise likes it's nothing, words of affirmation is definitely one of his top love languages on hopefully getting you to like him back. But the moment you reciprocate, admiring his terrifyingly precise sniping skill he's so flushed and hot and fumbling his words he just has to slap a hand over his mouth. Needs a minute before he's chucking softly, his hands smoothly over the rough build of the artillery as he thanks you.

The forgetful sort but not when it comes to you, suddenly he remembers everything. Sometimes he comes to you to say something he needs to remember because it's so much easier when it's your face and voice he remembers reprimanding him.

Dreams of a soft domestic life with you, maybe, if you like, a kid or two to complete the picture and of course the family pet as Piisuke. Grins stupidly to himself at the idea of how he'd propose to you (you're not even together yet.)

[yogsandchaos]

Okay more seriously I made a post about when the Iskall stuff with the Hermits went down and I do want to reiterate a few points i made there again for the dream smp fandom, tommy fans, etc etc etc

1. just because someone has left or did a bad thing, doesn’t mean you’re a bad person for enjoying the content, along with still wanting to watch that old content they did or were a part of

2. Just because someone has left or did a bad thing does not mean you cannot continue to make fan content. While it’s understandable if you don’t make more or remove art you have made, you are also not bad if you don’t. YouTube is all about collaboration and transformation. Fanart? Fanfic? Cosplay? That’s all transformative, you don’t have to stop making a new thing from the old thing. It’s fully in your right to do so, but it’s not required.

3. Do not harass people about whether they do or don’t make art or delete art, it’s transformative works and personal choice, the most you should do is ask for it to be tagged so it can be filtered.

4. Be kind to each other, and remember the people you watch are people, and people do dumb or fucked shit sometimes, every youtuber has probably held an opinion or been a part of something you’d find distasteful, that’s just what it means to be human. It’s up to you to decide where your personal line is and your comfort levels on that stuff, and no one can make that choice for you.

I want to be extremely clear I am not saying this in support of dream, fuck dream, all my homies hate dream , I just want to be clear about my own experience with how fandoms who have had issues with problematic or shitty creators have best dealt with that fact while also balancing the creative side of fandom and how you can't always just delete them from the story and have it still make any sense or not need major revisions. It's a tricky thing, and everyone's lines and understandings and sensibilities will clash against each others.

In my own personal experience, trying to police the people trying to find their own balance between "this is a bad person who should not be given more attention" and "this is a story that means a lot to me along with had many other people who worked on it and i dont want to give up on it" never ends well. I don't want someone to get hurt because they still are updating their unfinished 40k dream smp fic or something.

While I hope Dream goes away forever, I still support people who want to keep writing with the dream smp setting, or manhunt ideas, or anything. If you don't want to see it or anything, that's perfectly fine as well, but be kind about it. Have some understanding of why some people may throw themselves into fixing it, while others distance themselves entirely from it. It's messy, and you need to be kind. Everyone handles this shit differently.

Creating something transformative is deeply personal and everyone's level of comfort will be different. You can have discussions about it in a general sense yes, but please be kind to each other okay? Don't attack each other over it. I don't want anyone to feel like their a bad person because they don't want to delete some random one shot they wrote four years ago because one of the actors turned out to be a piece of shit.