#complaining is an important part of the creative process

[in-death-we-fall]

Pattern: go ahead and flat fell this seam we only gave you 3/8" (1cm) allowance for

Me: or. Or. You could suck my dick

[thesweetestsupervillains]

Avoid The Roleplayer Yips!

So here's something that I've dealt with, and talking with friends, they've dealt with, and from what it seems like, it's something that's not really talked about in the wider community.

Now, 'The Yips' is often talked about in terms of sports. It's a mental wall that keeps you from performing at your best; maybe the pressure to perform has gotten to you, maybe you just got back from injury and you're too preoccupied with not getting injured, but whatever it is you're incapable of performing at the level that you were before.

This happens with creative people too. Maybe you're a musician and you can't seem to play the same way you used to. Maybe you're a writer who can't bring yourself to sit down and write like you think you should. Maybe you're an artist and everything you put out looks, to you, like garbage. You're always chasing this feeling, this idea, this thing that you think needs to be true to be great.

And in roleplaying, this happens all the time. You think that you need to put in a lot of effort into your replies, because you want to meet expectations of your partners. You take their replies and you put them in your drafts, and you say 'I'll get to them.' But you don't. Instead they sit there, piling up, like a giant boulder growing heavier by the second. You can't bring yourself to deal with them, because it feels like such a huge ordeal.

And then one of two things happens. You either quit roleplaying entirely, because it's not fun. It's a chore. It's work. Or, you just delete all of them, start fresh, but don't change your behavior and the process starts again. Maybe you decide you need to start fresh on a new blog, and you move from account to account, never finding anything changing.

Look, you don't realize it, but you've already got The Yips. You've fallen into the pit. But don't worry, because there is a way out. But first you need to grasp how it happened.

When everyone starts roleplaying, no one thinks about things like quality or how much they 'need' to write or things like trying to meet other people's expectations. You're having fun. You want to have fun. You're writing, and they're writing, and that's all there is.

But then you start to actually gain understanding; you realize that some people are good writers. You realize that people seem to be putting in effort. You've gained understanding, and in so doing, you've suddenly realized that you might not be as good as others. But, and this is the important part, the only one who cares about this is you. After all, no one was complaining before; the one who has changed is you.

In other words, you're so concerned with meeting ideas of 'quality' and 'living up to expectations' that you end up doing nothing because you're being crushed under the weight of your own expectations.

So, now we know what it is. How do we deal with it?

Well, for one, you need to teach yourself how to get back to basics. Chances are, at no point have any of your partners actually complained about any of the supposedly awful parts of your writing. Thus, we need to see this as a skill, one you're going to work on. It's a habit that you're going to form for yourself.

First, I don't think about roleplaying as writing. Yes, it involves writing. But for me, writing implies a lot of things; writing a novel or a story is work, it requires effort, it's tiring, it's something that contains expectations. Writing is what you do in school, a thing that gets a grade at the end. It's stressful and has pressure associated with it.

But roleplaying is different. I've separated these two things in my mind. I don't go 'I'm going to write today' I go 'I'm going to roleplay.' Roleplaying is a game, it's fun, it's something I do that's entirely separate from writing.

But let's take this a step further.

When I write a response, I don't use drafts. I don't think about it. I just go with my gut. A response for me takes no more than around 5 minutes, maybe 10 if it's really long. And the way I do this is that I read my partner's response, and I just respond, and then I post it.

Now, some people will go but how could you not go back over it and make sure it's perfect and not bad and- No. Stop.

This is the skill you're going to learn. This is the thing you're going to develop. No more overthinking, no more trying to be perfect.

By just going with your gut, by not thinking but feeling your muse, you're training yourself to just respond. It's not work. It's not conscious. It's just something you know how to do. It's not stressful. It's just something that you do.

And this will make your writing easier. You'll stop struggling to 'have muse' because you'll just write. You won't have to think about how to respond, you'll just respond. And more importantly, you'll remove the stress from replying.

Look, it's not going to be easy at first. But the point is that you, the mun, need to form the habits that let roleplaying be fun again. Instead of feeling stressed or anxious, you'll be able to just write and enjoy yourself. It's a skill, one you can develop.

And it begins by taking a step back and changing how you approach your roleplaying. Roleplaying isn't a job. It's not a test. It's not something with serious consequences. So don't approach it the way you approach those things. Retrain yourself to do more roleplaying and less worrying.

[strayheartless]

AGSZC and being read to:

Inspired by this ask answer by @rottenpumpkin13 ❤️

I do not apologise for the amount of pain I’m inflicting recently. But know that I am also in pain.😅

Angeal: bedtime stories were important to Angeal’s bedtime routine growing up. He liked when his dad read to him because he did all the voices and made shadow puppets on the wall with the bedside lamp. They couldn’t always afford books, but there was a local library and Gillian seemed keen for him to be imaginative and creative.

As he got older, guided reading homework was a good way to spend one on one time with either parent, and Angeal lived for calm evenings sat leaning on his father as his mother cooked dinner and Angeal read aloud bolstered by their soft praise.

As an adult Angeal is less interested in fiction and fantasy, instead loving history and horticulture books. He does enjoy fiction about self discovery -especially if the protagonist is escaping to heal in nature- but he mostly likes to learn when he reads.

Genesis: As one would expect, Genesis lives for reading. As a child His Nannie read to him and her soothing Banoran lilt smoothed out any of that anxious energy that bothered him though the day. For Genesis one of the most painful things about his childhood was that his mother never read to him. She was never in the mood to listen to him read and even when they had mother son days, she would send him to bed with a promise of tucking him in and saying goodnight, and never would. These were times when little Genesis sat on the end of the bed all night waiting with a story book in his little hands and his heart hurting.

As an adult Genesis is most offended when people complain about his reading aloud. It helps him self sooth and he will literally read anything put in front of him ms LOVELESS will always be his comfort read, but he has been known to enjoy vampire romance and high fantasy novels too.

Genesis is at his most relaxed when reading to his friends or when Angeal or Sephiroth return the favour by reading to him. As kids he and Angeal read to eachother and it’s Genesis’ safe place to be read to by him. Sephiroth’s voice is, however, the one that can put Genesis to sleep in a good way. It is an extremely important part of a bonding process to Genesis that he can share language and stories with them in this way. His friends understand that this is Genesis’ most intimate love language.

Sephiroth: he was never read to as a child, unless you count that short barely remembered time with professor Gast. He also has a vague memory of a brown haired woman who smelled like flowers and dirt but he doesn’t know who she was. He read aloud alone or with his tutors and it always felt sterile and uncomfortable growing up.

As an adult he craves being read to like nothing he’s ever craved before. It aches so painfully that Angeal and Genesis see it on his face when they do. There has been many times when they have tactfully not drawn attention to the tears he sheds when Angeal reads him a kids book he’d never had the chance to read. They never point out that he clings to Genesis like a enraptured toddler when he shows him illustrations in his book of folk law. Reading out loud is still extremely difficult for Sephiroth, and he’s not always comfortable enough to do it. But the nights that he is are so special that none of them talk, just bask in it.

Zack: Zack is not a big reader. He wasn’t really very creative as a child and bedtime stories were kind of lost on him due to his attention wandering. His mother created a way to engage him creatively by telling stories in a “choose your own adventure” kind of way that had Zack moving and thinking but this didn’t really work for bedtime.

Growing up getting Zack to do his reading logs was a pain because he hated being made to sit and look. He did it, but it was an ordeal for everyone involved.

As an adult Zack still doesn’t really get any pleasure from reading or being read to. He can’t sit still long enough and prefers movies and video games. He likes things that keep him moving and engaged.

Cloud: reading with his mama was always Clouds safe place as a child. A lot of his childhood was spent with his nose stuck firmly in a book as he leant against his Mama’s legs as she washed dishes; or curling up in blankets but he fire listening to her read. This makes reading an incredibly personal thing to him and it horrified him to find out that Sephiroth never had that, and that Zack didn’t want it.

For Cloud the only bright spots of his childhood were the books he read with his mother and the moments they shared together. It was the time he felt the most loved and when it’s gone Cloud finds that the ache is one that never leaves. He doesn’t read like that with anyone else until Denzel and Marlene, and he hopes that they have the same associations with his voice as he had with his mothers.

He finds comfort in listening to others read and like Genesis it is one of his most intimate love language but you have to be truely special for Cloud to share that with you.

[wondrousmay]

Remembering that time when I said artists/mangaka should take breaks whenever they want and some people took it so personally that they accused me of “babying” those artists/mangaka. What a wild time.

Taking breaks is a big part of the creative process. Rest is important to the artists/mangaka’s health and it is important for their work too. Like I’m thinking of all those big weekly series where fans say that the story “has fallen off” compared to the early days of the series and I think the weekly schedule and the lack of breaks contributed to the creative burn out. Writing and creating stories requires time to plan out things. Different artists have different working pace/process. You can’t complain about wanting more quality works and then throw fits when artists/mangaka take time off for whatever reason.

[campbyler]

that thing about the chapters makes total sense yeah! i liked hearing you break down the themes and realisations etc, it's nice to hear meaty info about the creative process and undercurrents in the work alongside the jokier interactive posts you guys usually make!

and we are both aware that we could probably cut certain scenes or events out, but we also are very adamant about maintaining a pace that feels realistic and makes sense, which usually leads to those higher word counts 😙

the word count splitting absolutely makes sense then, too - two halves of a whole. i'm surprised people have complained about wanting you to cut down on actual scenes for word count purposes... i wouldnt want to lose action or scenes themselves! maybe they meant more brevity or succintness? not repeating things that don't add to the narrative as much, etc. because the dialogue between characters is the most exciting part, as it usually is in storytelling! its happening NOW, we're IN IT with these characters, its so compelling compared to description or that famous bane of writers' lives: long recountings of events that happened previously or 'offscreen'.

please don't cut out action scenes and dialogue - i'm thinking of how my heart picked up when mike was waiting for will to get the sparklers, that tension was so well played... and also the final scene of 10.2, how fast mike's realisations moved as he kissed will into the sand. a vast contrast to how long it took to get there - so perhaps your stylistic choice is to slow the pace and draw out that delicious tension by making characters very pedantic and introspective rather than by adding more external action, dialogue, or obstacles that prevent them getting where they want to go. mike and will ARE their own biggest obstacles, it seems. and perhaps this is the vibe you wanted to create; it makes for a story that really feeds into the cloyingness of being stuck in your head and being stuck in one place - camp - no matter how much the boys both love it. the camp itself becomes a crucible for the story, giving the reader themselves something of the same claustrophobic feeling mike and will must have. very meta!

i’m so glad that helped clear things up from our perspective! we like to largely let the fic speak for itself obviously, so we usually refrain from flat out saying what the intention behind certain decisions was, but in the context of asks like this and the og regarding chapter/overall fic structure, it did seem fitting to clarify the purposes of chapters 9 and 10 more specifically so i’m glad everything makes sense! sorry for the absolute beast of an answer that’s going to follow, except for i’m not. teehee

regarding the word count, i don’t think we’ve been told outright that we should cut down on certain scenes to keep the wc lower, aside from maybeeee a comment or two that i can remember remarking on us over-describing or over-narrating things? which is probably true at times but also honestly that’s just me n thea’s writing style, so if there is something really egregious we will likely catch it while editing and otherwise we’ll just let it slide 🤷🏽‍♀️ overall though, i feel like it’s more of an implied thing — since we talk often about chapters taking longer to get out due to our typical 20-30k count, i’m sure a few people have wondered why we choose to include all of the interactions and details that we do. thea did actually give me the push i needed to take out an almost 2k chunk that we both loved but agreed was a little clunky and unnecessary in the context of what was happening, and its removal wasn’t detracting from any characters or relationships or worldbuilding in the chapter. so there are definitely times that we do decide something isn’t important enough to tack on a couple thousand extra words, and we will rectify that when possible!

this also brings me to your point about Long Recountings of Offscreen Events — that’s also something we try really hard to avoid, and when we do want to recount something that happened in the past or offscreen, as is natural for basically every story, we do try to make it feel natural and in the moment, like a character is simply remembering or thinking about something instead of trying to catch the reader up to present day. i LOVEE writing dialogue, maybe too much (i added almost all of the 1700ish words i deleted back again with dialogue. oops) but i completely agree with you in that the In The Moment-ness of it all is what’s most compelling to me as well — writing their reactions as they happen, or adding distinctive mannerisms and thoughts and motions while two or more characters speak.,, ougghh it makes my brain vibrate. but of course you need narration and descriptions to fill in those gaps, and i hope our efforts come off as at least somewhat successful! and for the most part, fleshing out the characters and the story and setting as much as possible is just as key to us as the Byler Moments are — if we wanted to focus on only every interaction mike and will had with each other while tabling those with the rest of the party, background/original characters, or the setting of camp as a whole, we would write a much different (and much shorter) fic instead :-)

finally, about 10.2 specifically: THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCH WHDBHDHDGDJ <- me blubbering with happiness FRRR. thea can tell you firsthand that i spent many weeks banging my head against my desk trying to hammer out the entirety of the bonfire scene and its transitions — it was particularly tricky for me to try and balance general pacing with the inclusion of other characters And having everything lead up to the final moments, so i’m so so so glad it was a good read and that everything felt fitting and intentional because it was definitely meant to be! thea mentioned this in the last ask but will in ch09 gets kind of bowled over by his realization moment all at once, whereas mike kind of has two separate ones — one in 10.1, and one at the end of 10.2, both helping him come to terms with similar but different aspects of his romantic feelings and processing them and moving forward — and i didn’t want them to feel like the same moment happening twice (past a certain obvious degree).

they definitely are their own worst obstacles, especially in a modern au that takes away a good amount (but definitely not all!) of the canon universe pressure of comphet and sexuality and conformation. i know this is a big reason people tend to shy away from modern aus in this fandom, because it’s true that the source material is pretty heavy on these themes, and i have my thoughts on this that i’ll probably expand on soon, but to me, in doing so, it’s kind of a really fun exercise in fleshing out their internal struggles and playing off of those more, if that makes sense: their shared stubbornness, self-repression, reactivity and emotional tendencies, etc, but also the fact that they are very kind, generous, and loyal characters who, at least in the context of acswy, are more scared of being hurt by each other or themselves than they are actually invested in “hating” each other. and you bring up an excellent point as well, probably something that has been more of a subconscious but known goal for us than something we are On Purpose trying to get across: everything is happening in one location during one part of the year for a reason! they’ve had good memories here and bad, both in regards to each other and their friendship and otherwise, and are drawn to coming back every summer just as much as they are each other. with the brief exception of ch09 (although the context of it is a Rare Day Away From Camp, so the idea is still there lol), the emotional journey of the mainline fic very much plays out in the same place to try and convey that.

sorry for the essay long answer to your long ask in response to a long answer in response to a long ask — it’s just very very fulfilling to know that people are noticing our choices and the reasons behind them when we make so many of them intentionally! thank you again and i’m soooo so so glad you enjoyed 10.2 🥳🥳🥳

[darl-ingfics]

Concert Cooties

Fandom: ATEEZ

Sickie: Seonghwa

Caregiver(s): Hongjoong (the others are there, though)

Summary: It takes all of a day after their concert for Seonghwa to get sick, and it surprisingly, miraculously takes Hongjoong no time at all to get him to admit it.

Word Count: 2,390

Note: 1. I am still learning ATEEZ's personalities and relationships with one another, so sorry if they come off OOC. But this was the idea that has nagged at me recently. 2. All relationships were written platonic. 3. I don't know why there's so much exposition, but the puzzle subplot felt really important to me.

It was rare to have two weeks off in a row. Rarer still to have two weeks off right after a tour. Usually it was one week, then back to work. Which they rarely complained about; the adrenaline after a tour was absolutely exhilarating, and fueled creativity like no other. But it wasn’t like anyone was complaining about an extra break, either. 

The first day home, the team interacted as little as possible, catching up on sleep and refueling social batteries that had been dead for weeks. 

The second day home, at 10:04am, Hongjoong walked into the kitchen to find perhaps one of the most domestic scenes their dorm had ever been witness to. Puzzle pieces were scattered across the table, and Yunho, Mingi, and Jongho were in the process of dividing the pieces into two piles: edge and middle. Wooyoung was sitting at the head of the table, chin propped up in his hands, running quality control (or his mouth, if Jongho had anything to say about it). All four were still in their pajamas, (Yunho’s sweatshirt hood pulled over his head, Mingi wearing his glasses). The smell of coffee hung in the air, four gently steaming mugs placed strategically on the table to avoid the puzzle, the pot on the kitchen counter far from empty. 

Jongho was the first to note Hongjoong’s presence, quietly whispering, “I win,” to his hyungs gathered at the table. All eyes shifted dramatically towards Hongjoong. Mingi and Wooyoung both whined rather theatrically, their voices cancelling each other out aa Yunho playfully shoved Jongho’s shoulder.

“Good morning?” The leader held up his hands as if at gun point. 

Completely ignoring Hongjoong’s confusion, Wooyoung sat up straighter, “Hyung! Join our puzzle!” He pointed towards the work on the table.

“No! He’s gonna drop pieces again,” Yunho teased, shooting a heart-melting smile at the leader despite the insult. Hongjoong shook his head, smiling himself as he moved towards the coffee like a moth to a flame. 

“You’re not even part of this,” Mingi added, pushing Wooyoung’s shoulder lightly. Wooyoung whined, flopping back in his chair. 

“Joong-hyung, wanna start different a puzzle with me?” Wooyoung deployed his best puppy dog eyes. “It’ll be better than this puzzle!" But his attempt was curtailed but the sound of a door opening down the hall. 

“San!” Yunho exclaimed in a dramatic whisper, tapping the table twice to place his bet.

“Seonghwa.” Mingi tapped the table back.

“Hwa hyung.” Wooyoung tapped. 

“Hey, you can’t take my answer.”

“That’s not fair! We all know it’s not Sangie,” Wooyoung retorted. “We won’t see him for like, 29 hours at least.”

“That’s an odd number choice,” Jongho commented, almost entirely to himself as he was very absorbed in puzzle sorting. 

“What’s going on?” Hongjoong asked, slipping into the chair on Wooyoung’s right, which appeared to him to be the most out of the way of the puzzle. 

“We’ve been taking bets on whose awake every time a door opens,” Yunho replied. “Jongho guessed you last time.” The youngest gave a triumphant thumbs up, eyes glued to his task. Hongjoong nodded into his coffee cup as Seonghwa turned the corner into the room. 

Wooyoung and Mingi cheered, a double high five echoing loudly, prior bickering forgotten. Seonghwa started at the noise, as if he hadn’t realized there were other people in the room. 

Yunho looked over with a bright, “Good morning!” His face immediately fell, though, looking at the older man. Like the rest of them, Seonghwa was still in his pajamas, but, unlike the rest, he was wearing a mask. And the parts of his face that were visible looked so dreadfully exhausted, all pale skin and shadowed eyes, like all the life had been sucked out of him. To put it plainly, Seonghwa looked sick. Which was, unfortunately, something their eldest simply refused to acknowledge majority of the time. 

“Hyung, are you feeling okay?” Wooyoung asked, carefully, gently. There was a delicacy to dealing with a sick Seonghwa they’d all been forced to learn over the years. The problem, of course, was the unpredictability of their most uncooperative patient; there was no way to know how he’d respond to them at any given point in time. 

Seonghwa nodded in reply, surprisingly agreeable. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little under the weather.” A statement proven false instantly as he turned away from them, coughing harshly, a fist pressed against his mouth despite the mask. 

Yunho clicked his tongue. “Oh, hyung,” he cooed, pushing away from the table. His arms had barely reached hug height when Seonghwa flinched backwards, arms pulling into his chest, the violent suddenness of the movement freezing Yunho in place.   

“Don’t touch me! Please.” The last word was soft, a tad desperate perhaps, an attempt to smooth over the bite of the first ones. Yunho had yet to drop his arms, and while his lips had naturally defaulted to a pout, his eyes were much more sympathetic. “I… I’m sorry. I just… I don’t want any of you catching this.” Hongjoong frowned at that; an omission this fast meant Seonghwa felt significantly worse than he was letting on. He’d have to fix that. 

It was strange, Yunho would realize later, how in that moment Seonghwa simultaneously appeared as their ever-vigilant eldest yet also terribly fragile and young. Which was why Yunho rerouted his hug, gently cupping his left hand around Seonghwa’s face, his right hand moving to his forehead. “I’ll go wash my hands immediately,” the dancer promised, switching from the back of his hand on his palm. His frown deepened. “You feel warm. Have you taken anything yet?”

Seonghwa shook his head. “Can’t take anything on an empty stomach. That’s why I came in here.”

“Then why don’t you go back to bed and let us make you breakfast.” Hongjoong casually blew on his coffee mug before even looking up at his roommate. 

Even with the mask obscuring half his face, Hongjoong could read Seonghwa’s displeasure in the specific narrowing of his eyes. There it was, the denial demon; Seonghwa could admit to feeling unwell, but drew the line at anyone caring for him. “That’s okay, I can…”

“Then you won’t have to touch anything and risk getting your germs everywhere.” The already quiet room grew deadly silent, four pairs of eyes volleying back and forth between their eldest members. Hongjoong knew this song and dance, and had skipped straight to his trump card: Seonghwa’s fear of infecting others. Hongjoong held his friend’s gaze, watching the initial fire in his eyes dim as the reality of Hongjoong’s words set in, and then burn out entirely with compliance. His posture followed suit, arms falling limply back against his sides as his shoulders sagged, as if the weight of this charade had been a much bigger burden than expected. 

“Okay. Fine.” The room was silent as Seonghwa shuffled back into the hallway. 

“Hyung, that was mean,” Yunho chided as soon as they heard Seonghwa’s door close behind him. The dancer moved towards the sink to wash his hands as promised, flipping on their electric kettle with his elbow. 

“Hyung, that was impressive!” Wooyoung gaped at the leader, then at the empty doorway, and then back to to Hongjoong. 

“How did you learn to do that?” Jongho asked, genuinely impressed. His full attention was on Hongjoong now rather than the puzzle.

“Do what?” Hongjoong asked innocently. 

“Get Seonghwa-hyung to give into being taken care of?” “I learned from the best.” Jongho cocked his head to the side, prompting more. Hongjoong nodded towards the doorway. “The devil himself.” 

Mingi applauded. 

Wooyoung gasped. “You are in sooo much trouble.” 

Hongjoong snickered to himself as he got up to join Yunho in the kitchen. “He can be mad at me all he wants. That’s not gonna cure his concert cooties.” As Yunho poured the now boiling water from the kettle into a travel mug (smart, Hongjoong noted), the leader poked around in the fridge. They had a pitiful amount of food prepared, but thankfully some simple rice and vegetables sat in perfect microwaveable containers. He’d have to pay San back for those veggies later, but also knew the other man wouldn’t mind if they used his food for the sake of his precious Hwa-hyung. 

“Concert cooties?” Mingi laughed, turning to face Hongjoong, who was decidedly pushing the buttons on the microwave to avoid his gaze. 

The leader shrugged. “What else would you call it?”

“Concert crash?” Mingi offered. “Concert curse? Concert contamination?”

“Those are good, but I still like concert cooties best,” Yunho said, leaning forward against the kitchen counter. 

“Concert contamination sounds like an apocalypse movie,” Wooyoung replied. He nodded to himself, eyes far away. “It would either a cinematic masterpiece, or complete trash.” 

“Well, let us know when you’ve written the script and we can let ya know,” Hongjoong said as the microwave beeped in ‘done.’ After removing the warm bowl from the microwave, Hongjoong carefully accepted the travel mug from Yunho in the other. “I’m off to fight the dragon currently residing in my roommate’s bed.” 

“Good luck, valiant knight.” Yunho gave a sweeping bow, much to the delight of Wooyoung and Mingi. 

“Let us know if you need back up, hyung,” Jongho added despite still being absolutely zoned into his project. 

“And then you can come back and help us with the puzzle!” Wooyoung cheered. 

“You are not one of us; this is not your puzzle!” Mingi countered. 

“AHHHH! Just let me help!”

Hongjoong laughed to himself again as he backed into the hallway. He fought the urge to stick out his tongue as a means of maintaining his balance, shuffling his socked feet along the floor to risk spilling anything. Luckily, his efforts were successful. 

Without knocking, Hongjoong shouldered open the door to his room, which Seonghwa had thankfully left cracked open. His roommate didn’t notice him at first as he pitched forward, sneezing twice, “HhtCHU! Heh-ETchu!” 

“Bless you.” 

The sharpness of Seonghwa’s glare wasn’t hindered at all by the tissues obscuring the bottom half of his face. “I’m mad at you.” He sniffled harshly, wiping at his nose and throwing the used tissues into the trash bin he’d moved from the desk next to his bed. 

“I know.”

“How dare you use my own methods against me?”

“Well, why’d you teach them to me in the first place if not to use my powers for good?” That earned him an even sharper glare. “You’ll thank me for this. Promise.” 

“Sh-huh-shut up.” His breath hitched again, and snatched another tissue to his face before his body sagged, the impulse lost. “Shut up.” 

Hongjoong smirked. “No comeback? Is it because you know I’m right?”

“You should be nicer to me.”

“Cause you’re sick?”

Seonghwa responded by pitching forward with that third sneeze, desperate and followed by a raspy, “Fuck this.” Hongjoong instantly felt bad for teasing him. 

“Bless you again.” Hongjoong offered the bowl. “Eat up so we can get you medicated.” Seonghwa accepted the bowl without further argument. Hongjoong watched him eat the first three bites before asking, “What kind of meds would you prefer? Liquid or pills? Any preference?”

“Whatever’s strongest.”

“Got it. You eat. I’ll be back.”

The trip to the medicine cabinet in the bathroom was quick and uneventful. The strongest medication they had was the nighttime drowsy stuff, but Hongjoong figured it didn’t particularly matter. More sleep would be ideal, actual. 

When Hongjoong returned, proudly brandishing the medicine bottle, Seonghwa was eating as told but his eyes were focused somewhere beyond the wall he was starting at.

“Do you think Yunho’s mad at me? For snapping at him?” the older man asked before taking a bite of rice. 

“Not at all.” Hongjoong shook his head. Seonghwa instinctively pulled his knees to his chest to make room for Hongjoong at the end of his bed. “He knows you don’t feel good. He actually made that tea for you.” Seonghwa looked thoughtfully at the mug on the bedside table. When he didn’t say anything else, Hongjoong took the opportunity to crack open the medicine bottle. “The strongest shit we have is gonna knock you out, by the way. It’s the nighttime stuff.” 

“That’s okay.” Seonghwa’s voice was soft, small almost. “I don’t wanna be sick.” 

“I know, sweetheart.” He measured out a dose of the amber liquid and handed it over. Seonghwa took it and downed the cup without a fight. Hongjoong smiled, squeezing his friend’s knee. “I’m sorry the concert cooties got you.”

A dry but genuine laugh shook through Seonghwa’s entire body. “Concert cooties. Who came up with that?”

“Me. What do you think?”

“Don’t quit your day job.”

“And here I was planning to go into marketing.” Seonghwa laughed again, and Hongjoong couldn’t help smiling with him, patting the older man’s knees affectionately. “Okay, there, we got you food, meds, and laughter. Perfect ingredients to kick this cold’s ass.” 

“Thank you, Joong. For putting up with me. I.. it means a lot.”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now go to sleep.” 

When Hongjoong returned to their room ten minutes later, the bowl on the nightstand was empty and Seonghwa was fast asleep, curled up on his side. Hongjoong smiled, unable to resist the urge to run his fingers through his roommate’s hair, but angel soft to risk waking him. That urge was followed by another to snuggle up with Seonghwa, with his silky hair and peaceful expression, nothing like the daggers and fire he’d been minutes ago. This softness certainly wasn’t something Hongjoong expected to feel at this moment when his roommate was so clearly sick and, by all definitions, gross. Not to mention he knew Seonghwa would be so upset later if Hongjoong did catch this cold from him. And that more than anything convinced him otherwise.

So Hongjoong settled for tucking his JJOONGrami plushie into his roommate’s arms, trusting the stuffed animal to provide the cuddles he couldn’t personally supply. 

(Wooyoung was never admitted entry to the current puzzle, because the bit was too funny to Yunho and Mingi. When San finally emerged from his room, he took pity on Wooyoung and started a second puzzle with him. They did not, indeed, see Yeosang for exactly 29 hours after Wooyoung said they would.)

[alevicke]

Hi there! Can you do the continuation on The Pregnancy from TADC? I'm curious what Jax would be during the process and to his kids, you can do one by one! I don't mind,just don't pressure and get creative! Stay hydrated and happy!

Jax x pregnant!reader

I’m just going to do the pregnancy in general for now because I’m hella exhausted lately I’m so sorry ;^; I’ll write soon about them with their kids though! Don’t worry ^^ I’m just super slow as well, sorry D: Also only Jax, because this took so long

First part of this:

NSFW headcanons would make this way too long so I didn’t include them D: They aren’t too different from normal NSFW HCs if I’m honest

TW: No beta-read! Sorry! Some slight NSFW HCs, petnames 

Jax

After the great news, Jax needed a few days to adjust to everything. He didn’t think this could be possible so he was… Panicking a bit whenever the conversation was raised.

As said, at the very beginning when you started having morning sickness, two things happen. Jax laughs at you and then throws up after seeing you do it. 

It takes him days to finally get used to the situation AND more to be useful for you because he would still feel nauseous seeing you in that situation and would often gag while trying to hold your hair

But hey, he’s… He’s trying his best…

You also feel a lot more tired than usual in this first period so Jax stays by your side a lot. He isn’t really the most useful but he’s around I guess. You don’t really do that much in the circus anyways

Also expect him to throw a tantrum if Caine dares to make any single adventure that is slightly physical. He won’t say he’s protecting you but he will complain in all ways possible that he can imagine to make Caine change the adventure or cancel it if there is even the minimum chance of hurting you in any way or shape.

For everyone it is pretty obvious that the reason he’s doing this is to protect you but no one dares to say a thing because if they do, he gets pissed off and makes everyone's life a living nightmare. You being pregnant ain’t stopping him from being the asshole everyone knows. 

Your mood was already starting to become a roller coaster so Jax started being a bit more careful after the first few times he upsetted you. He continues teasing you and joking but not as much as before because to be honest, he doesn’t want to deal with you mad at him at this important time of your relationship, Don’t blame him too much because he still upsets you a lot of times, he’s kinda awful controlling himself when it comes to jokes and teasing.

He doesn’t want to pressure you but he is worried when you start rejecting the food. Sure, you didn’t really need it. But deep down he was scared the baby could need it

But turns out you just started disliking a lot of the normal food there and started having some weird craves. That was definitely the thing he liked to annoy you with the most. You eating the most bizarre foods you could think of was amusing to him. 

You realized since the first week that Jax started sleeping and cuddling with you letting his hand rest on top of your tummy. He kinda does this unconsciously but likes to do it to feel closer to the baby.

For the first months you both decided to stay quiet about the news. Pregnancy has higher risk to go bad in the very first months and you kinda don’t want everyone talking about your relationship and pregnancy, but rather keep it private for both of you

This basically causes everyone to be confused by the sudden change in Jax’s behavior. No one understood why he was being so overprotective of you suddenly when he used to be the first one making you pranks.

By the third month you both already feel good enough to tell everyone the news and suddenly everything clicks. You were successful hiding it from everyone.

As the second trimester comes, your sickness starts to fade away which is a relief to both of you. Waking up a lot of mornings to throw up was kinda annoying for both. Worse to you of course. But Jax wasn’t a huge fan of standing half asleep next to you in the bathroom holding your hair while you puked the awful 3D looking peas from last night. 

Something Jax realizes way too fcking fast is that your breast grows and believe me, this motherfcker is going to celebrate it. He’s just testing if they are good enough for the baby he’ll say. He’s just sacrificing himself for the baby by burying his face against both of your boobs.. Yep, sweet nice protective dad and nothing else. 

By the fourth month your belly finally starts to grow. And so do some of your insecurities. 

And hear me out

Jax ain’t the best when it comes to talking about feelings. But he’s being 100% honest when he says he sees you as beautiful and hot as the first day. He ain’t joking. You won’t see his libido going down so you can trust his word. He’s as horny as the first day and won’t doubt a second to get between your legs if you’re up to it. 

But Jax also notices that you’re out of breath quicker and sometimes you feel dizzy so he’s always next to you to hold you and teasy you how he’s so handsome he makes you lose contact with reality and makes you dizzy. He won’t let you fall but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to annoy you, as always. 

You also start to feel the very first movements of the baby and Jax gets pissed off that you get to feel them but the baby NEVER moves when he’s touching your belly. 

“Hey, pipsqueaks? Daddy’s here, come on”. He’ll gently poke your belly but nah. Not working. But it’s still amusing to see him get jealous of something like that. 

By month 6, sometimes you have cramps which is your body preparing everything for the baby’s arrival. These are completely normal. But here is the thing. None of you have a medic to tell you this. And Caine has no information about pregnancies so both of you are on your own

And Jax is scared

Whenever he sees you complaining about the cramps he is internally panicking about you having the baby so soon or something going wrong. 

This fear continues for quite some time until the conversation appears with Ragatha. While she isn't a mother, she did know a bit about pregnancy and childbirth because she liked knowing that information in case she became a mother one day. She’s the one who tells you this is completely normal and unless something else comes with those cramps and they are painless, you’re both fine.

That doesn’t really calm Jax completely. He spends some nights looking at the ceiling in complete horror scared that something might happen to you and the baby. He often spends nights without sleeping worried about bringing a life to that world. But when he sees you next to him, those fears fade away. As long as you both are together, he is sure everything will be ok

As the third trimester arrives, things get more serious.Your belly is growing a lot and you both need to prepare for what’s coming. Jax seems to be a lot more nervous. He hides it pretty well for everyone else but you can notice he’s in constant panic worried something might happen and always checking on you by being by your side or around. Not that he’s controlling you, he’s checking that everything is going ok without actually saying it out loud. 

At this point, you have catched Jax several times during the night caressing your belly or softly murmuring to the baby. You know he can be an asshole when you point something out to him so you let him do it faking you’re asleep. This is probably the cutest thing you have ever seen Jax doing. You can feel in his voice how happy he is to be able to have a baby with you despite the initial panic. 

Caine helped you both to set a room for the baby, but Jax insisted for the baby to sleep in the same room as you both for at least the first days. He doesn’t like the idea of letting the baby alone even if your rooms are connected by one door. He barely sleeps so he likes the idea of being able to see the baby while being in bed and resting. 

The room is decorated in a kind of neutral theme because, being honest, neither of you know the sex of the baby and neither of you actually cares too much. As long as they are healthy it’ll be fine. You don’t even know if you’re having a baby, a bunny or whatever can come out in this digital world. 

Fun fact. You once had a bad cramp during dinner. Jax panicked and threw everything to the ground to prepare the table for you to have the fcking baby there. Everyone was in tears laughing but after Jax basically tied Gangle to a ball and threw her around the circus, no one really dared to make fun of him anymore  about that situation but you. Still, everyone considers it peak comedy to see Jax in panic throwing everything to the ground while Caine screamt about Bubble’s food being thrown. 

The last months Jax spends a lot of time cuddling with you with his head glued to your tummy. He smiles like an idiot whenever he feels the baby moving and talks to them even more often. 

“Hey Peepsqueak, time is running out, is time to get out of the bed”, “Tiny pea, excited to see your amazing daddy?”

You thought the pet names he used to use on you were silly and sometimes stupid, but damn, now hearing the ones he was using for the baby you consider yourself lucky to be honest. It was still adorable though! And funny. 

As the time for the birth was arriving, Jax became even more annoying to the rest. He was stressed and anxious and everyone could realize that. But he was also more demanding to Caine. Caine kept doing whatever Jax asked because it kept him distracted without annoying the rest of the circus and what he was asking for were not bad things.

He asked to decorate with you the baby’s room so he asked for a lot of plushies and stuff bunny related. I mean, you had no problem with it and it was suitable for a kid, all super adorable. So why not. And Caine thought the same and seeing you smile for the baby’s clothes was enough for him to be convinced so he spent a lot of days with you two creating clothes for the new member about to join the circus. Caine of course was so excited for something like that happening in his circus!

As your first cramps for childbirth started, you saw Jax look at you with eyes wide open.

This became too long and I’m kinda exhausted to do the childbirth here sorry !

Lil fic:

You laid down in the bed, tirelessly while softly yawning under Jax’s eyes. He was next to you with his head resting in his hand while looking at you. He knew you had one of those awful nights again. 

After 8 months of pregnancy, reaching the due date, your belly was already big enough to cause you problems sleeping. Your little one was also moving a lot of times so that didn’t help either. But it was fun for Jax to see the little kicks every now and then. His laugh didn’t make it worth it but it helped (a bit). He always had a dork smile, looking all silly and dreamy whenever you two were alone in the room hanging out till the time came. 

You already had everything prepared for the moment to come so you both just had to… Wait

Another sleepless night? - Jax questioned with his eyes locked on you. You knew he was worried, but his cheeky grin would fake anyone but you.

I’m afraid so. Our little one ain’t that small anymore. And he’s becoming really active lately

Yeah, no doubt he just wants to see his daddy already - he softly chuckled while putting his hand on your tummy. - Peepsqueak, when you coming out? 

You smiled as Jax talked to the belly, but his smile grew wider as he could feel the baby moving. 

I think they already have a favorite parent! - He looked at you with a mischievous smile, you knew he was teasing, but it worked every single time

Hey, no. Shut up. I’m the one carrying them. They just move because they want to kick you - you smiled proudly while he chuckled

He leaned closer to you and put the side of his head against your tummy. He closed his eyes peacefully in the embrace as you hugged him. He just wanted to cuddle with you.

So, are we going to name them Jack? 

Your expression was the only answer he needed while he chuckled.

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

Hii! I loved your reading about ateez and their toughts on being an idol!

For Hongjoong, yes he participate on ateez songs as a producer and songwriter. He also did/do some covers where he mixes the beat and add things on his own and, recently, he posted a full original song writted and produced by himself. He also expresses himself a lot with his style and fashion sense, and shows a lot of support to other people. I think maybe the part where it says that he's able to express himself comes from that stuff. And yes, Hongjoong is one of the members that shows a lot of affection thowards the fans, especially on his lives and when he has the opportunity to meet them in person. He seems very confortable and grateful.

For Seonghwa, idk if it's really about this, but he said that, back then, he had really low self-steem and wanted to hide himself. Maybe he had lost opportunities during that moment and now he regrets it.

I don't have much to say about Yunho's reading, just that he seems to be very professional, but also very passionate and sweet.

The regret part of Yeosang is maybe because he really haven't been able to show too much. He usually doesn't sing much in their songs, even fans complain about that. Maybe he wants to get more recognition about his skils and opportunities to show them off.

For San's "broken" part about fans, (again, this is just my interpretation), I think is more on the emotional side. Like maybe he thinks fans are broken people that rely too much on them sometimes. San is very sweet, but I think he's one of the idols that try to not create a delulu scenario for fans. He always say things encouragin fans to have themselfs as their number one priority and not him or ateez in general. I mean, of course, sometimes he answers compliments in a smooth way, cause at the end of the day he's still an idol. But yeah... I think he wants that fans find they own confidence apart of him/ateez.

For Mingi, he also participate in writing on ateez songs and he produces his own music too. So maybe because of that, he feels like he can explore new things. Also is very visible how much confidence he gained, (especially on the last two tours). Fans compliment his stage presence and overall appearance a lot and is very visible the ego boost he had in the last one year.

Like Hongjoong, Wooyoung shows a lot of affection thowards the fans. He express a lot his gratitude and love, especially with messages and pictures. So yes, is very accurate that this two are the most vocal about how much the fans means to them.

For Jongho, I think it kinda makes sense. I think from all the members Jongho is the most professional one, so it doesn't suprised me that, despite being sweet, his vision on the fans is more "pratical" then for the other members.

Overall, I think ateez is one of the few groups that have more "freedom" on showing themselfs then other idols. Of course, they have to hold back sometings and we will never know 100% of whats going on behind the scenes, but yeah. They are very vocal about how much they love to perform, how much they're able to participate on the production of songs, albums and tours. They seem to really participate in the whole creative process and are also able to communicate with fans in a more sincere way (again, it just what it seems). Maybe they gained more freedom because they basically saved and are carrying their company on their shoulders.

Wow, thanks for these clarifications. I really like San's energy towards fans. I think it is important for people to love themselves first too, rather than put it all on the idols.

[grapecaseschoices]

what color character are you?

These are SO long. So I aint tagging no one, but if you do this please let me know!! Quiz is here: QUIZ!!

Tristan [maybe-ish; some of this perfect but some of it is completely off]

light blue character

Light Blue characters are laidback and creative, often with a good sense of humor that ranges from sarcastic to straight up puns. They are good at community building because of their chill and funny nature, and they are expert planners. They normally aren’t very uptight, but can become so when they feel there is something that needs to be done, or feels that their authority is being undermined. They have a very strong sense of responsibility, mainly for people in their care, often an older sibling figure to many of those close to them. They can get paranoid and overbearing when they are worried about those that they are caring for. They can also act childish and have fun but they like having people around who can see their maturity and treat them accordingly. They use a lot of humor to get around dealing with their internal problems, and tend to complain about surface level issues in order to ignore their more vulnerable feelings. Because of their tendency to make jokes and try to get people to laugh, they aren’t often recognized for their intelligence. Sometimes they lack common sense and it plays out in humorous ways, but when it really counts they are quite perceptive and intelligent, brilliant inventors and strategists. Their decisions may seem impulsive, but are usually quite thought out and purposeful. They aren’t the type of person who really wants to be the sole lead, but they want to have a say in the decision making, and they need their input to be taken seriously. They often feel inferior to others and can become defensive when their ideas or sense is questioned because of it. They don’t generally get things handed to them, but have to work for what they want. This can make them feel out of place in a space with others who people praise as “exceptional”, and being the “ordinary” one is a bit of a sore spot. They can tend to act cocky and confident to disguise their insecurities, again often using humor to help them along. Light blue characters need people who ask for their opinion often, give them proper recognition for their positive traits, and don’t leave them out of important decisions, but also don’t let them take on too much. They need people who will see past their witty barrier and allow them to try and figure out and come to terms with their feelings.

------

Richard [ehhhhhhhhhh - I think what I saw of yellow might fit better, but I keep getting pink, SO!]

pink character

Pink characters are generally sweet and nice people who care about their friends deeply. They don’t often chose to be a part of the action, but instead get swept up in it almost against their will. They often aren’t fully equipped for the situations that are thrown at them, and can have a lot of feelings of inadequacy as a result. They don’t tend to be fighters, often preferring learning and discovery to anything else. They will go along with risky plans in order to help their group of friends or organization that they’re close to, but they’re generally terrified of whatever they’re doing. They are lighthearted and have a good sense of humor, fun to banter with but finding it hard to be genuinely mean to others. They are pretty emotional and sensitive, which turns out to be one of their greatest strengths. They have a lot of emotional maturity and are good at recognizing others’ needs. They are one of the voices of reason amongst a group of often impulsive people, which manifests itself in ways that others might dismiss as paranoia. (It is in some ways, but their fear of what might go wrong is also a crucial step to making the planning process so sound.) Even around people who care about them, they can tend to be the butt of the joke, and don’t have healthy boundaries to stop it. As they grow, they don’t necessarily become less fearful, but they do have a stronger sense of courage to get through their fears. They are compassionate friends and often do small things to show that they are thinking of the people are around them. They are dependable and trustworthy and a good ally to have. Pink characters need people around them who won’t mock them for being sensitive or having fears, but will validate their feelings and encourage them to overcome their doubts about themselves. They need their boundaries to be encouraged and respected, and for others not to pressure them into doing something they’ve said no to. [Not that he doesn't need people like that, but he isn't bad at doing it himself]

-----

Aleena:

orange character [maaaybe]

Orange characters are charismatic and talented. They push themselves to be the best at everything they put their mind to, and get upset when they can’t meet their own standards. They tend to be prodigies, seeming almost superhuman in their genius or abilities, but they often base their self-worth off of how well they can perform, making them feel isolated from the others around them. While most people see orange characters as cocky and self-absorbed, they are actually quite insecure in themselves. They want attention and validation from others, but because of their faux confidence and the constant (and often somewhat empty) praise from the people around them, the people that are truly closest to them often withhold it from them. This often leads them to push themselves beyond their limits to succeed and/or act out in unhealthy and self-destructive ways, in an effort to get some kind of recognition. These characters seek to impress, and have a hard time telling praise from love. They have a constant need to be the hero, in whatever context that means for them. These characters usually have a sense of humor and wit that can tend to flatter themselves (although much of what they say is rooted in truth), but it’s contrasting to some of their more self-deprecating natures. They can be serious loners, since they isolate themselves from others in an attempt to protect themselves. Although they would never admit it, they crave acceptance and belonging. Others generally don’t see this, because orange characters are loathe to admit weakness and build up defenses by making it clear that they don’t care what others think, although they do. In childhood, it is likely that their parental figures were either absent or abusive, often holding them up to high standards while not providing enough positive reinforcement. Other characters need to treat orange characters not as an annoyance, or give up on them quickly, but to make it clear that they are willing to love and support them regardless of how useful they can be, and to voice compliments where they are due.

[dojae-huh]

Just saw the JH "mistreatment" post and it's kinda funny? OP uses "other member" a lot of times but who is the member that has solo debut around the same time with him and has the exact solo date? Why do fans need BTS of photoshoot that much when it has nearly zero promotional value? Not all idol's photoshot has that content too. All the other things can be used universally for all members. The real question here: Who is NOT mistreated by SM if fans consider these thingd mistreatment? I'm okay with fans complaining but at least make it make sense.

Ngl I find it's super funny whenever I see a TYf complaining about "mistreatment" and I'm sure all normal Kpop fans feel the same. Another thing is that Idk why fans like the idea of idols leaving their company that much. How can they be sure the new one will be better? And can they be sure that their idols will receive the same level of treatment?

I had many a post on these two topics.

Complaining, venting is natural. Many people don't really mean what they say. For some, saying stuff out loud (in this case: writing down) helps to get rid of emotions or process them and move on. The problem on X is that one's account is not a small hole with a limited number of readers who know you how it used to be with LiveJournal, Facebook, even Tumblr to a degree. Every cough can be noticed by everwatchful eyes and given big importance.

Secondly, people copy others. Unconciously fans follow "the culture". And even those who normally wouldn't blame or complain, start to be sensitive as well. They are explained in detail how and in what way they should be offended for their bias, heh. Danger! Danger! Have you heard? Have you heard? Your bias is under attack! Hurry! Make haste! Be alarmed and panic! - Oh My God! What happened? Tell me what happened? - Awful things happened! SM didn't post about a future movie release half a year ago! Your bias suffers so much!

Fans project a lot and don't think things through, don't think about the bigger picture. It's very one layer for many. Sometimes it is nesessary to show people working behind the scenes for fans to realise that "huh, there other people than my bias who do work?".

SM is very messy internally, it's poorly organised, the work is not structured well, a lot of miscommunications among departments and responsible people. As I came to understand it is not SM's trait per ser. It is Korean reality. Moving buildings won't change the country. Going to a new company can be a better option for some artists but not for every case.

Fans like to pretend that their idols make themselves. In part it is true. Only those who want things and ask for them, get them in SM. However, it is SM that paid for their education (gave full scholarship with tuition and dormitory covered), debut and promotion (loaned them money for their start up, media coverage, and tolerated losses for several years), in many cases found them brand deals (side gigs in laboratories and institutes) and additional jobs like MC/model (gave them internships in other companies through connections).

Those who enter workforce know that most companies want either graduates from most prestigious unis (fancy diplomas) or 3-5 years of experience. Noone wants to teach a newbie from scratch, cover losses (from lower initial productivity, mistakes, broken things), invest in him both out of greed and in fear of losing the investment (when the employee leaves for another company).

Recently news broke about Hybe approaching and trying to pouch every SM employee from the creative department. Why look for new talents, wait till they mature, gain experience, when you just can buy them by offering higher salaries? Hybe does the same with staffing their groups. They don't raise trainees, don't pay for 4-5 years of vocal and dance lessons, they lure in already talented in something idol wannabees from other companies or areas. Or simply buy new groups (like 17).

Taeyong. Heh. A rose in a glasshouse. He is a rose, he is the one who has talents, but a rose that won't grow outside among weeds and pests.

[fishboneart]

Fishbone #005

They weren't kidding, that history can rhyme

Only 9 layers and 5 source images this time. Things don't always have to be a federal fucking issue.

With how much ai art wank discourse is rooted in purity politics, especially but not exclusively on tumblr, I was amused by the mental image of slipping into a hazmat suit before venturing into the dangerous and repulsive wasteland of ai art to retrieve alien salvage like the stalkers in Roadside Picnic. It doesn't feel like that, it feels like being a grabby little corvid in the shiny trinket factory, but I still enjoyed the concept.

The rest of the image is about art as alchemical process and I'm not going to explain it.

I've been observing for some time that the objections to ai art are indistinguishable from the objections to photoshop ~20-25 years ago (including the one about "it's different this time bro trust me") so I want to look at some of them a bit closer.

It's not real art

Stop getting your talking points from fascists.

But-

I don't care how you justify it, it's a fascist talking point. Stop.

It's stealing

At risk of resurrecting stupid bullshit I was already bored with 20 years ago, I honestly think there's a better case for this regarding PS than machine learning. PS artists actually do use elements from existing images, lots of them (ideally with permission/license). However, consensus opinion has long since concurred that PS artists substantially transform and recontextualise those elements and the result is an original creation, same as physical collage.

As I've come to understand it, ML doesn't use elements from existing images, just mathematical descriptions of image attributes. It doesn't incorporate images on any level, or even pieces of images, so I'm left wondering what's being stolen here? I'm not being shitty I genuinely can't see anymore what is stolen when ML simply does not use any part of any existing image to generate an image.

There's no skill/creativity involved

The first time I ever used adobe photoshop (I've long since switched to GIMP, change the name, FOSS 5evar, etc.) I spent about fifteen minutes excitedly stacking filters on a picture of a butterfly, before the person showing me how it worked dismissively explained that filters don't make art.

Elements and principles of design are learned skills. They're taught at art school because they're not innate and they're important as hell. I often feel like people are tacitly arguing all that stuff's just padding--and if you're staunchly anti-ai-art I promise that's not an argument you want to make, it will backfire spectacularly on you.

And yeah, I think everyone still agrees that just piling filters on a photo isn't very creative and takes no particular skill. I doubt anyone thinks instagram filters take a good photo for you. I think (or hope) that we all understand now that complex image editing and manipulation does in fact take skill and creativity.

I can't help but wonder how much of the vapid trash we're seeing in the explosion of ai art is the equivalent of the 2000s explosion of shitty filtered photos.

The computer does it for you

There's so much more to PS art than filters, and the computer emphatically does not do any of that stuff for you. It doesn't do composition or colour theory or concepts or art history for you. It just does what you tell it to, you still have to make the art good. Fishbone #001 involved manually isolating dozens of fucked up hands from ML images, and I complained about it the entire time and the computer didn't even get me a cup of tea.

A lot of people used to actually genuinely believe that photoshop was a magical plagiarism machine that you stuck stolen art in and it automatically made perfect composites for you. Probably some people still do, it's a big world. But it never was true, no matter how hard they believed it.

Is there more to ML image generation? Idk I'd have to try it to find out for sure and I'm very tired. But the more I learn about it the more I think there could be. The frequency with which I see very elaborate and specific prompts with garbled and all-but-irrelevant images does at least suggest that the magical ease of making ai art has been somewhat oversold.

Using it in any way is cheating/cheapens your art

I think the cheating idea mostly came from the photography community, who thought PS was a shortcut to better photos for undisciplined talentless hacks who couldn't be bothered to learn to take a good photo. The irony. But for me, since I wasn't using it to improve photos, this was such a weird take. Cheating at what? At photoshop art? I'm cheating at photoshop by... using photoshop?

And the idea that using PS at any stage in your process irredeemably sullies your art is just stupid on its face. It's not radioactive. It's not a PFAS. Sin isn't real. Santa isn't putting you on the naughty list for photoshopping. The Galactic Council of Artistic Integrity aren't checking for pixels.

Needless to say, since 100% of the source images I use in this project are ML generated, I also think it's a bit of a silly objection to ML image generation.

It has no soul

I am not and have never been christian. I do not and will never care what your imaginary friend thinks about art.

Also, this is a repackaged fascist talking point. I told you to stop that.

It sucks

Most of everything sucks, what's your point?

People are going to lose their jobs

Unfortunately this one had some connection to reality. By about 2010 there were almost no painted book covers, and painters who'd made their living from them were forced to adopt PS or find a different job. It wasn't just book covers of course, commercial artists across the board felt the pinch of automation. That's not exactly PS's fault, the parasitic owning class will simply take any opportunity to fuck over a worker for half a buck, and PS art is generally cheaper because it's generally faster to make.

I actually have some questions about how this will play out with ML though. Currently, yes, it's looking very much like in ten years there won't be any PS book covers any more, but I think the parasitic owning class are going to quickly remember they don't actually want art that they can't hold copyright over, and human artists will remain necessary. No one wants a logo they can't trademark. No one wants commercial art if they can't control the licensing. I don't even think it'll take a wholeass test case, just a few things like selfpub novels using the same cover image as a major release or folks using pure ML images from the big stock sellers without paying, and as soon as they realise they can't sue anyone about it they'll come crawling back, cap in hand, to hire you back as a contractor at an insultingly low rate.

People will lose their jobs or find their billable hours severely cut, but, unfortunately, as the brave Luddites showed us, you can't stop automation by fighting the machine, no matter how noble your motives. You need to actually change society somewhat.

But I think this should be enough of a concern without having to also make shit up. You can just object to ML on the basis of tangible harms it will be used to inflict on individuals and society. That's plenty to be mad about, you don't need to put lipstick on it.

It's different this time bro trust me bro

Plenty of people sincerely believed that rise of PS was fully automated skill-free art theft and the sky was falling, and pointing out that all the same things were said about the invention of everything from the photocopier to home video to the printing press to the camera didn't even slow them down because this time it's different, this time it really is that bad. It wasn't.

And I honestly don't know anymore if it is.

[in-death-we-fall]

I have to sew One More dress mockup and possibly an extra collar or two for it. g o d. I get how this shit works in theory but I don't have the experience to look at a skirt that is on someone and know how much it's flared by, for example. (If only all the ebay sellers had both a model/mannequin and nice flat photos, my problems would truly be solved (yes constant shopping for 20 year old clothes from hot topic brands is a good use of my time, I need to study things with the same vibe))

[agent-cupcake]

Hey, another fanfic writer here—I saw ur recent post regarding lack of interest, and I have a few things I’d like to share that would hopefully help you since I’ve felt, and to an extent STILL feel the way you do about the topic of only really getting attention for fics of other more popular fandoms while the ones your proud of are just… 20 likes, as you said.

Apologies for the unasked advice, I come from a place of complete empathy since I’ve been there again and again to where I’d write a shit one off for a fic and it would get more traction then the stuff I actually put work into—like “wow you guys prefer some garbage written fluff of x character but this fic, which i have poured a LOT into, isn’t really acknowledged?” and unfortunately, there’s really no way of getting past that feeling beyond just completely removing yourself from the concept of being praised/putting importance in other people’s thoughts.

Genuinely I have not felt better than now when I post fics because I completely disregard people’s opinions—both good and bad, whether it be praise or mild hate—whatever is said, I feel nothing. This has fostered to the extent where I get annoyed when I get excessive likes for a fic because I find the notifs annoying. It’s a sad reality, but as writers (or creatives in general) it’s a detriment to consider others, especially when YOU, a painfully, undoubtedly SKILLED writer whose unpaid.

Seriously, not to give you the sloppy or whatever, but you’re fucking GOOD. And not to be the “hehe im a hardass and hard to impress!” but genuinely, reading your fics just makes me “😨” BECAUSE THEYRE SO GOOD?? HOW ARE THEY NOT PUBLISHED WORKS?? HOW ARE YOU ONLY GETTING 200 NOTES?? And it pains me to read that you’re deeply effected by the lack of traction you get, because I understand, but you must understand your worth isn’t defined by degens online who want a good smut or just a person who wants to read any content made of a niche character :(

Yadiyadia, long story short: You’re good (REALLY good) and I STRONGLY advise you learn to completely detach yourself from the want for praise and learn to create merely because you enjoy it, because in the end, all that matters is that YOURE happy and you, as the unpaid and sinfully underrated fanfic writer, enjoy the process.

I was being whiny and pathetic last night I don't like the way I came off so first off, I thank you for sending this, and thank all of the people who responded to my complaining with such kindness and understanding. There are so many wonderful people who have followed and interacted with me throughout the years. It's really unfair when I get depressive to be whiny about interaction when I have proof that so many people are willing to read 20k+ word fics. That's, what, over an hour out of their lives? Regardless if they comment or interact beyond that, it's something I'm way too willing to take for granted. I do apologize for speaking in a way that devalues what a blessing all of you are. When I'm upset I have a tendency to speak in a way that plays on guilt or sympathy way too much and, combined with my poor communication skills, I really do not like the way I came off especially since the people who reached out are the same ones who have been supporting me to begin with. It's poor behavior and I should be more mindful. Really, truly, thank you so much for offering your kindness and support, it really does mean a lot to me.

This is good advice and you're right that it's something I should keep in mind. Perspective is the name of the game unless you want to suffer. For the most part, I really do try to think this way. You know, create for the sake it of, enjoy what you do, all of that. To clarify, a little bit, the feelings behind my rambling last night, I view creation as an inherently interactive process. I have an idea and try to figure out how best to express that idea so I can share it with the reader who can then interpret and respond to that idea. The reader can tell me if I properly expressed that idea, or if I failed. That's why even something as small as "this was hot lol" is meaningful is because it's somebody telling me that I was successful with expressing my idea . But if this is how I feel about content creation, the only conclusion I'm able to draw from saying I don't care about feedback is to never post anything at all. I can't be "good" in a bubble. There's nothing to be learned, or understood, or measured if I am the only audience for myself. I write and share stories to express ideas to others because I genuinely think I have something to offer other people. Sure, it's often an appeal to sexuality or ridiculous levels of heightened emotion for the sake of titillation, but there's a lot of evidence of just how valuable people deem content like that. If somebody is willing to read a 20k+ word fic, I would like to know why. What I was whining about more than anything was a lack of interaction rather than traction. I don't expect to be wildly popular with reader insert, but it irks me that people would be more willing to demand I post more content (such as with the HxH stuff) than they would to show their appreciation for content I've already put up and they've consumed. Now that I'm not in that state of mind, I can acknowledge that this was a childish view to take that could very well not even be true on top of weird framing of holding my fics hostage for the sake of attention.

Anyway, I'm sorry that was an objectively bad take and I'll blame being sad and tired. I truly thank everybody who has responded kindly and with a reminder to focus on what actually matters (degeneracy and thirsting). I apologize again for putting people in that position it was pretty lame of me.

[vulpine111]

1. What kind of limiting beliefs do I have about love?

KING OF WANDS

I need to be more bold about my desires and let my other passions lead the way. I need to take more risks too. I complain about not having yet found the dedication I deserve, but part of me is still honestly afraid of commitment.

As long as I show up for myself and am open about what's important to me, all should go well.

2. What do I need to release so I can invite someone into my life?

NINE OF COINS

I need to rely on myself more for now.

I need to not be as clingy next time I get involved with someone.

This also has something to do with finances, but I'm not sure what yet.

3. What's the best way for me to manifest love?

PAGE OF SWORDS

Work more with Archangel Michael and follow his guidance. Don't be afraid to invoke and show appreciation towards him more often.

Embrace this period of renewal. The possibilities are actually endless right now.

Reconnect with my creative youthful vitality.

Have faith in my healing process.

4. How can I open my heart up?

NINE OF CUPS

This card is an indicator of wishes granted. Have confidence in the joy you bring into others' lives!

5. How am I blocking out love right now?

PAGE OF COINS

Not being careful enough with money.

6. How can I increase my magnetism?

QUEEN OF CUPS

Be a better listener.

7. What direction should I go in to move towards love?

EIGHT OF WANDS

Go with the "flow" of life. Have faith more good news is coming. The best direction to move is forward. Stop ruminating on the past.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Okay I. I'm just now realizing.

Several months ago, while vacationing with my friends, the topic of AI came up in discussion between me and one of my friends. We both knew each other's stance on AI going into it (me being adamantly against generative AI and him wholeheartedly supporting it and enjoying the use of it) and had discussed it before, so it was more a conversation of attempting to understand each other's viewpoint rather than change it.

At some point, the conversation turned to something that he, someone who rarely dabbles in the creative arts, had yet to realize, that art is about the process. Of course, for someone who loves coding and finding ways to cheat the system, the idea that the process of a work is the important part of the work was a foreign concept.

That discussion ties in a lot to this post. Most of my writer friends understand the concept of "plot bunnies," of writing one story concept only to come up with seven more, and while we complain and meme and joke about it, this is where a lot of our favorite story ideas come from— we couldn't write nearly as many stories if we weren't actively involved in the process of writing them in the first place.

What does generative AI do to this process? If we're not immersing ourselves in the stories we write— because we're not even writing them— will we still have as many ideas? If we're crowdsourcing to plagarism software for the processing of our ideas into stories, where on the assembly line do we fit in? Does each word resonate with our touch? Does our wrestle with writer's block create a deeper and richer story? Does our time spent marinating in these characters, themes, and ideas— time spent struggling alongside them, laughing and crying and rejoicing alongside them, growing alongside them as they do— does this break the dam of a wellspring of new ideas for the taking, for us to create, for us to continue this millennia old process of storytelling, handed down from one generation to the next?

No. We have removed ourselves from the process entirely.

You will not use AI to get ideas for your story. You will lie on the floor and have wretched visions like god intended

[andrew4457]

How Can I Teach My Child to Love Brushing?

Teaching children to enjoy brushing their teeth can be a challenge, but it is essential for their oral health. By making brushing fun and engaging, you can help your child develop a positive habit that will benefit them for life. Here are some tips to make the process easier and enjoyable.

Start Early and Make It Routine

The earlier you introduce your child to brushing, the more natural it will feel for them. Begin cleaning your baby’s gums with a soft cloth before their teeth come in. Once the first teeth appear, switch to a small, soft-bristled toothbrush. Brushing should become a part of their daily routine, just like eating or sleeping. Consistency helps establish the habit. Regular visits to a child dentist in Udaipur can also help ensure their teeth are developing correctly.

Turn Brushing Into a Fun Activity

Children are more likely to enjoy brushing if it feels like play rather than a chore. Use toothbrushes with fun designs or bright colors that appeal to your child. You can also play their favorite music while brushing to make the experience lively. Creating a story or pretending they are brushing away “sugar monsters” can make the process more engaging. Additionally, involving a dentist in Udaipur can reassure your child that brushing is an essential part of staying healthy.

Lead by Example

Children often imitate their parents, so brushing your teeth together can be a great way to teach them. Let them watch you brush and show them how to do it correctly. When they see you enjoying it, they are more likely to follow suit. Encouraging regular dental checkups with a child dentist in Udaipur reinforces the importance of oral hygiene and sets a good example.

Reward Their Efforts

Positive reinforcement can work wonders in motivating children. Use a reward system, such as stickers or a small treat, for brushing twice a day. Celebrating their efforts helps them feel proud and encourages them to keep up the habit. Over time, the act of brushing itself will become a rewarding experience.

Use Educational Tools

There are many educational tools available to help children learn about the importance of brushing. Books, videos, and interactive apps can teach your child about oral hygiene in a fun and relatable way. These tools often feature characters or stories that make learning enjoyable. Along with this, regular visits to a dentist in Udaipur can help explain the importance of brushing in a child-friendly manner.

Address Their Concerns

Some children may resist brushing because of discomfort or fear. If your child complains about their toothbrush or toothpaste, try different options to find what works best for them. If they seem scared, take time to understand their concerns. A visit to a child dentist in Udaipur can help identify any underlying issues and provide reassurance.

Make It a Family Activity

Involving the whole family can make brushing more enjoyable for your child. Set a specific time for brushing when everyone brushes together. This not only strengthens family bonds but also reinforces the importance of oral hygiene.

Conclusion

Helping your child love brushing is a process that requires patience and creativity. By starting early, making it fun, and involving the family, you can turn brushing into a positive experience. Regular dental visits to a dentist in Udaipur can ensure your child’s teeth stay healthy and their brushing habits remain on track. With time and effort, your child will develop a lifelong love for maintaining their smile.