#don’t take out the watermark if you use it

[cgarttrailsandtails]

Ay credit for the art goes to CULTLEADER101 on YouTube

But I made a meme template out of it!

I even have a lil watermark so people won’t try and say the art is done by them.

But anyways, here’s how I used it! (Also sorry to the og artist because I didn’t ask for permission (idk how to contact them) and if they don’t like it I can try to take it down)

Sorry again to the og artist, I didn’t know how to contact you!

[calciferstims]

tiktokers be like “I am going to create the most beautiful, relaxing, aesthetically pleasing video ever, with gorgeous lighting, and deeply satisfying content”. …….. “and then I’m going to cut the video fifty thousand times in thirty seconds-”

[azuremist]

Google is going to start scraping all of their platforms to use for AI training. So, here are some alternatives for common Google tools!

Google Chrome -> Firefox

If you’re on tumblr, you’ve probably already been told this a thousand times. But FireFox is an open-source browser which is safe, fast and secure. Basically all other browsers are Chrome reskins. Try Firefox Profilemaker, Arkenfox and Librewolf! Alternatively, vanilla Firefox is alright, but get Ublock Origin, turn off pocket, and get Tabliss.

Google Search -> DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo very rarely tracks or stores your browsing data (though they have only been known to sell this info to Microsoft). Don’t use their browser; only their search engine. Domain visits in their browser get shared. Alternatively, you can also use Ecosia, which is a safe search engine that uses its income to plant trees! 🌲

Google Reverse Image Search -> Tineye

Tineye uses image identification tech rather than keywords, metadata or watermarks to find you the source of your image!

Gmail -> ProtonMail

All data stored on ProtonMail is encrypted, and it boasts self-destructing emails, text search, and a commitment to user privacy. Tutanota is also a good alternative!

Google Docs -> LibreOffice

LibreOffice is free and open-source software, which includes functions like writing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, formula editing and more.

Google Translate -> DeepL

DeepL is notable for its accuracy of translation, and is much better that Google Translate in this regard. It does cost money for unlimited usage, but it will let you translate 500,000 characters per month for free. If this is a dealbreaker, consider checking out the iTranslate app.

Google Forms -> ClickUp

ClickUp comes with a built-in form view, and also has a documents feature, which could make it a good option to take out two birds with one stone.

Google Drive -> Mega

Mega offers a better encryption method than Google Drive, which means it’s more secure.

YouTube -> PeerTube

YouTube is the most difficult to account for, because it has a functional monopoly on long-form video-sharing. That being said, PeerTube is open-source and decentralized. The Internet Archive also has a video section!

However, if you still want access to YouTube’s library, check out NewPipe and LibreTube! NewPipe scrapes YouTube’s API so you can watch YouTube videos without Google collecting your info. LibreTube does the same thing, but instead of using YouTube servers, it uses piped servers, so Google doesn’t even get your IP address. Both of these are free, don’t require sign-ins, and are open source!

Please feel free to drop your favorite alternatives to Google-owned products, too! And, if this topic interests you, consider checking out Glaze as well! It alters your artwork and photos so that it’s more difficult to use to train AI with! ⭐️

[jun3ee]

Smile for the camera

A/N: If you see the watermark and say smt- I’m hiding under your bed..ANYWAYS this was very rushed and last second, this request was from like a month ago so I’m so damn sorry, I’ll try to make a better vers but this is all I got, it’s just a short lil drabble 💕😪

MDNI ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻ੈ✩‧₊˚ੈ✩‧₊˚ੈ✩‧₊˚

I stare at the request in disbelief, everyone knew who Tom was at this point, he was such a major part in the industry.. Obviously not only known for his looks, but the serious length he had that got everyone infatuated. The way he fucked on camera was enough to get any living and breathing woman wet.. Maybe it was just dramaticized? He couldn't really be that good, right?  Oh god was I wrong…

“Say it again”

“I-I can’t!” 

I choke out, not even able to think from the way he’s ramming every single inch of his thick, veiny cock into my sopping cunt, his large hands dug deeply into my waist in a firm, bruising hold, not letting go for the life of himself as the rhythm of his thrusts only get faster and faster, fucking me so well as whiny moans leave my parted lips, I was never this sloppy and pathetic, shying away from the camera as he pulls my hair back,

“Tell them how good I’m fucking this little pussy, hm?”

“M-Mgh..” I choke out, gripping onto anything I can as his heavy balls slam against my sensitive clit with every thrust as I let out a yelp. Tom glances at the camera and looks at my fucked-out face, makeup smudged, beads of sweat as he smirks, watching my tight pussy stretch out on his thick cock, leaving a rough slap on my ass causing me to let out a whimper, slaps of skin and unholy moans filling the room as his pace mercilessly increases,

“Look at yourself, s’ch a fuckin’ slut, hm?”

He murmurs, his hand gripping my waist tightly as his other hand reaches out, pulling my head back and grasping my chin with his calloused hand, forcing me to look up and into his darkened eyes as he keeps thrusting harshly, watching my face hopelessly contort with pleasure as he smirks, his thick cock re-arranging my insides with a slight sting as my sopping-wet core adjusts. Every inch of his cock stuffed into my little cunt followed by him tracing hickeys on the crook of my neck and down my back.

“Fortfahren” (“Go ahead”)

He purrs out, abruptly stopping and sitting back… I should’ve remembered that damn script.. It was too late now.. How could I even remember when he was fucking me this good?

“H-Huh?” I choke out, glancing back at him as I whine from the sudden stop

“Fuck yourself with my cock, doll”

With no hesitation he pulls me on him, his length deeply buried in my core as I weakly bounce up and down, my legs already giving up as his girthy tip hits my cervix, his hand finding itself to my waist and guiding me, meanwhile his other hand snakes down my body, rubbing my neglected clit slowly and roughly as I let out a soft whimper. Looking directly into my eyes with his intimidating, darkened brown orbs, making me even more weaker than I already was.

“Atta’ girl” He says with a mouthy smirk, flicking his lip piercing, watching me as I whine pathetically moan on his cock.. At this point, neither of us cared about the script.. “Keep going slow f’me darling.. Don’t want you breaking down on me, do I?” 

“M-Mhmm..” I drag out… How pathetic I was to think he would take it slow? He abruptly starts thrusting up, holding my hips in place as he lets out a chuckle, his v-line flexing, the veins in his forearms popping, his cock coated with my slick as he keeps thrusting up into my tight little pussy, lewd sloshing sounds coming from the both of us as he holds me still,

“Mm- Tell them who’s fucking ya’ doll” Tom grunts out, his thrusting only getting rougher and rougher as he feels my walls tighten around his thick cock,

“I-I can’t” I choke out “P-Please”

“Such a fucking slut f’my cock this whole time and you cant even say my name? Yes you can” 

He groans out, still thrusting mercilessly as he looks directly into my eyes, his cock glistening with a coat of my slick.

“T-Tom K-Kaulitz..” I cry out, throwing my arms over his shoulder for stability, helplessly..

“C-Couldn’t hear ya’” He murmurs with a smirk, his thrusting getting more erratic as he reaches his climax, his face scrunching up slightly as he rides out his waves of pleasure, his cock throbbing inside of me as he shoots his thick white ropes of cum deep into my tight pussy with a groan, watching it drip down the sides of his shaft as it overfills me, fucking his seed into my cunt as his hips roll up slowly…

“T-Tom...K-Kaulitz..!”

[neuvistar]

HI MARYSE thinkin' about tattoo!artist blade who thinks of ur whole body as a brand new delicate canvas for him, pretty tattoos going from ur breasts to your womb, and of course it's never without his " watermark " ( it's his name in mandarin ) on ur thigh<3 thinking about the way he's so proud of his works that he can't keep his hands to himself when he's (finger)fucking you

❝ HIS PRIZED POSSESSION. ❞ signed. blade . wc. 809 .

— featuring ┊tattoo artist!blade x fem!reader

— warnings / content warnings ┊all consensual! not proofread. TATTOO ARTIST BLADIE TATTOO ARTIST BLADIE!!!!, established relationships, v4ginal fingering, cunilingus, use of nicknames, feminine terms used, jus a TAAAAD bit of pussydrunk!bladie ♡ | 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT. 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐒? @yngxing

— a/n ┊ANON U ARE SOOOOAURRE SMART. i loved this ask a little TEWWWW much that i decided 2 make a small fic out of it >:) THANK U 4 SENDING ME THIS… YUMMERS. (also… it’s been so long so i’m sorry 4 the VERY late response this is insane)

it’s no doubt that you were blade’s favourite customer, of course! you were his girlfriend! but yet, it shows in his works and the way he treats you. he can’t help it, really.. who wouldn’t be fond of someone as pretty as you? your body was delicate—it was worth worshipping in his eyes, it’s safe to say that it’s hard for him not to lose control. your perfect body was a sight to behold, blessing his eyes with newfound lust and pride. as he leaned in, his hands released your thighs as he dropped to his knees before you, his dark gaze burning with desire as he yanked your sundress up, baring you completely. blade admired his past work, absorbing the beauty of the tattoo on your breast, his initials over your womb, and his name over your thigh. “hmph. take those panties off and lift your skirt up more. i can't be doing this with your clothes on.” blade instructed, his brows furrowed as he pulled you towards his face. “don’t be shy now. it’ll be better to mark you as mine this way.” he bowed his head forward, his tongue flicking against your clit, the sensation sending shockwaves through your body.

"bladie!” you cried out in pleasure, hands fisting in his long dark hair. your boyfriend lapped at your drenched cunt, sparing no mercy as he drove you to the edge.. your back arching off the chair. the scent of his dominance and need fills the air, the heat between you both was thick and palpable. blade’s hand drifts to the side of your thigh, his thumb brushing over your skin through your dress. he growled against your pussy, the sound low and demanding. your face scrunched at the sounds of slurping and sucking from below; your hips arching to meet his tongue. “good.. so good.” blade suckled on your swollen folds like a starved man, feeling it pulse beneath his lips. he could sense the heat radiating from your core, making his own desire grow even stronger. his wet muscle flicked and circled, your moans growing louder and more desperate with each stroke.. it would be unfortunate if another customer walked in on this.

“pretty." he whispered, a wicked expression spreading across his face. and with that, he dove back in, his tongue plunging deep within you. his thumb toyed with your bud, the sensitive nub pulsing in response to his touch. letting out a rough guttural moan, his hands released your thigh to caress the tattoo on your womb, admiring his work once more as the ache in his groin grew more intense with each passing second. “mine.. mine.” sweat glistened on your bodies as you moved together, the room filled with the sounds of your sounds of pleasure. blade was determined to make you feel every ounce of ecstasy and pride he had in his body. he wanted this, he wanted to claim you.. show just how—proud he is of his work.

“.. can you take my fingers?” he asked you suddenly, his voice muffled against your cunt. “these fingers that have worked tirelessly to show everyone you belong to me.” his words are a mix of semi-praise and tease, his fingers spreading your lips open, watching as the slickness coats his digits. he’s enjoying this, the control he has over your body, the way you respond to his touch. “these tattoos.. are staying here forever.” his finger slid inside, stretching you completely wide. he loved this part, making you helplessly needy for his touch. blade knew he could take your body to the edge and back, control you completely.. a slow, sensual invasion meant to calm your nerves and ground you in the here and now. his eyes locked on your face, gauging your reactions and facial expressions. fuck, he knew you hated this combination. you hated that stupid combination of his fingers and his tongue, knowing it’ll make you cum quicker than usual.

blade couldn't get enough of you. no matter how many times he’d touch you, draw tattoos on you, kissed you, it was never enough for him. he wanted more, and he demanded for more. he could cover your entire body up with tattoos for all he cares! his talented tongue delved deeper, flicking and teasing your heat mercilessly. blade absolutely delighted in making you squirm, taking pleasure in your moans and whimpers… you were overwhelmed with everything, especially when blade’s fingers slipped in and out so easily like this. it was almost impressive. he hummed appreciatively at your wetness, a testament to how much you craved his touch.

“so wet.” blade muttered against your pussy, his voice thick with lust. "every touch, every kiss, every orgasm, it all belongs to me. no one else gets to enjoy your sweet body like this.”

…

“especially with my name signed on your womb.”

[kyra45]

Donation scams

(Donation scams)

Donation scams are one of the most common scams you’ll find on tumblr, most often distinguished as being from relatively new blogs whose URL’s are autogenerated though this isn’t quite a reliable method of spotting a scam account. Legitimate accounts will often have these autogenerated URL’s but there is other ways to spot scam accounts. This post combines both donation scams and pet donation scams since both are extremely common scam types.

Both scam account types are usually a few days old, has only a few trending posts, no other original posts beyond pinned, and will usually have a PayPal link (though legitimate accounts will have this too, suspicion should be taken if the country doesn’t match a veterinary bill. Example: The bill says it’s in the states but the PayPal says Philippines.)

—

Pet donation scams are fundraising accounts who take the photographs of their pets from Facebook/instagram/etc and repost them here claiming to need veterinary care for the cat/dog/horse/etc and being unable to afford it therefore needing mutual aid from others. Unfortunately the poster may not actually own the animal and has simply stolen their post offsite with edits made to a pre-existing story.

More often then not, these scams will say they were denied ‘care credit’ and will supply a screenshot that’s often stolen from the original post. Otherwise they’ll show images they don’t own, and won’t be able to show you any other images because they don’t own the pet. The vet bill may be edited to cross out a name since scammers tend to use a different one or on rare occasions will completely copy it for themself.

If you ask them questions about the animal, they won’t be able to answer you honestly and may eventually cease contact. Real pet owners would have extra information on hand if you needed it.

—

Donation scams themselves are just as common, generally taking someone else’s post and passing it off as their own. These range from medical emergencies, health related issues that need immediate attention such as being diabetic and needing insulin, or needing help getting an RV for other reasons. There are other scam types, but this post is for a general idea of what these scams are.

Medical scams are often seen as posts of accounts saying they need Humalog (insulin), or saying they need $350 for it which is “nt much” and occasionally even scams that say their nose freezes. Those who actually have a disability would usually easily be able to catch out these scammers because they’d know how Diabetes and such works. This is not to say everyone who posts these is faking it. Scammers tend to have private PayPal accounts with peculiar names though these names often take from real people.

Donation scams also take images from other websites (even Reddit!) to pass off as their own content. Sometimes these images will have watermarks on them proving they came from someone else.

General scams are usually someone saying they need groceries showing images that are USD prices but then lead to a Philippines PayPal address which wouldn’t make sense if the poster is someone in the states.

—

Also not every gfm post you may see is a scammer; It’s very important to search around and locate further details disregarding posts that tell you it’s a scam but doesn’t provide any reasonable evidence and is just calling it a scam on the spot. With gfm fundraisers often getting closed due to false reports, alternative methods may be used so try and see if someone mentions it anywhere.

—

This post is just a basic explanation of common donation scams. Feel free to share it around, but please don’t use it to say everyone needing mutual aid is a scam. If you know what scams are, then that’s good but others may not.

[arctophyllax]

I may hate Christmas but some people evidently don’t, so I bring to you:

Gifts the Tiefling Bachelors would give and like to receive on Christmas (+ Love Languages)

Zevlor

Love Language(s): Acts of Service, Quality Time, Words of Affirmation

Giving:

• definitely something practical

• warm clothing, protective armor

• maybe some nice books

• alcohol, if he knows that you like alcohol

• his gifts would be sweet and heartfelt

• he would invite you to join him for the evening, take you out for dinner or let you stay over and cook for you

• he would call you to the warm fireplace after eating and give you a messily wrapped gift and perhaps a kiss on the forehead

• he’s sweet, he’s soft, he tries to always give you nice things, like you deserve

• he knows that there was a time where he couldn’t afford giving you these nice things, but that only makes it all the more important to him to do it now

• he wouldn’t expect anything in return, but if you do give him something he will accept it with the most gentle smile and another sweet kiss

Receiving:

• I feel like he would enjoy getting something that reminds him of you

• you could give him the least expensive, silliest thing and he would still thank you for it, especially when it has something to do with who you are

• a piece of your clothing that has your perfume on it (he is a cuddler who will miss you when you’re gone and you can’t convince me otherwise)

• self-made necklaces and bracelets

• gift him a nice weapon, something he can use to protect you, to protect everyone he loved

• quality time.

• simply spend time with him, he will be so happy

———————

Dammon

Love Language(s): Gift Giving, Physical Touch, Acts of Service

Giving:

• you know what I’m about do say, do I even have to say it?

• he would gift you something he made, something you can use to protect yourself

• a weapon, armor, enchanted jewellery

• yes, rings

• he’s so sly, he will make you a nice weapon or a ring and carve in a little watermark

• is it to mark his work? Is it to mark you? You might never know

• books, he knows his way around books… he would pick up on your reading habits and gift you just the right thing

• might gift you something… suggestive. If you’re up for that

• again, quality time

• he’s the type to work even on christmas, but you’re the one person who can pull him away from his l work with one mere word

• would be content to spend the entire evening with you in his arms

• would assure you over and over again how much you mean to him

Receiving:

• if you’re an artist, gift him something you drew or painted

• if you’re a writer, you write him a story or a poem

• if you do any other crafts that require a certain degree of creativity, give him something you made

• inviting him for dinner is also on the table

• be extra affectionate and give him a ton of random kisses

• hang up mistletoes

• you won’t regret that one

• as with Zevlor, he would enjoy something that reminds him of you: clothing with your scent (this has innuendos), random things you found on your travels, trinkets and (non-enchanted) jewellery (of personal value, he likes knowing that you trust him with things that are of personal value to you)

• the obvious: materials (especially infernal ones)

———————

Rolan

Love Language(s): Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gift Giving

Giving:

• his presence

• magic shows, little lessons of him also teaching you some tricks

• magic, magic, magic, so much magic

• the type for handwritten letters

• careful, those handwritten letters are one of the only times in the year that he lets his sassy act down and is entirely honest — he probably wrote it drunk

• he would praise you in the letter, tell you how beautiful and strong you are, how much he liked you ever since you dared to tell him to stay at the grove

• alcohol, definitely the type to gift you the best alcohol he can find

• a dance (he’s classy like that)

• after act 3, invites you to Ramazith tower and shows you all the secrets and surprises he found (he’s very excited)

• also shows you his favourite books in the tower

Receiving:

• anything enchanted (this includes you)

• a letter in return to his

• food. Feed that man, he deserves it.

• sweet things, pretty Christmas cookies, build a gingerbread house with him (it’ll be chaotic)

• depending on how good you can cook, you can cook him a hearty stew, something with dark broth, soft meat and a little red wine in it to spice up the taste

• hug him

• he acts like he doesn’t enjoy being hugged but he absolutely does.

• and he NEEDS to be hugged

• tell him he’s precious

• take him to the Christmas market & hold his hand the whole time

[revasserium]

reqs are open :)

the butterfly effect

tsukishima; 1,285 words; fluffy as all living fuck

he has always noticed the little things - the deep, rumbling hunger of the earth, the repeating shuffle of the summer wind, the soft tectonic movements of falling leaves, the velocities of birdsong. and even though he’d never admit it out loud (alright, maybe once or twice to yamaguchi, but does that even count?), he thinks that these are the important things. things that normal people wouldn’t notice, things that normal people take for granted.

“well, it’s just a high school club.”

is it?

“ah, i’m the normal guy, nice to meet you.”

are you?

after the match, you find him hunched over the basin in the boy’s bathroom, panting, his bandaged fingers clutching at the time-stained ceramic, his shoulders shaking as he tries to relearn the meaning of breath, of air, of only and just.

“you’re a liar,” you say, leaning against the bathroom door, keeping it propped open with your shoulder.

“and you’re not suppose to be in here,” he deadpans, glancing at you in the watermarked mirror. he sighs, splashing his face with his good hand before twisting off the faucet. slowly, he unbends himself, straightening up to his full height, dragging the back of his injured hand over his lips as he turns towards you.

“c’mon, they’ll be wondering where we are, and i don’t need anymore rumors of us dating going around school.”

his voice is calm, his expression neutral as he brushes passed you, but he doesn’t miss the way your eyes follow him like motion-based trackers; he can almost feel the crosshairs on his too-flushed cheeks, on his water-logged lashes. he turns back to raise an eyebrow. his heart is the flatline of an earthquake city, his stomach a tangle of twisted phone lines, all static and electricity and unsaid words.

“ah… so you have heard of them,” you muse even as you fall into step next to him.

he scoffs, running a hand through his sweat-slicked hair.

“people at school aren’t known for their tact, especially not about things like this.”

you grin, linking your hands behind your back as you dance three steps in front of him, reveling in the way he narrows his eyes, in the way his steps stutter. he isn’t the only one who’s learned to listen to the language of silence, to the spaces between the words that give them meaning, that make them whole.

“and by people you really mean the second years, right?”

tsukishima sighs, tugging off his sports glasses to polish the lenses with the edge of his sweat-soaked shirt. you watch as he diligently wipes down one lens, and then the other, before stretching it back over his head, adjusting the straps.

“well, tanaka and noya, first and foremost.”

your laughter shakes through him like silver bells. he thinks he’d never get tired of the sound, and suddenly, it is winter and the sky is dark and the first snow of the season is falling around you and you’re laughing, spinning in circles beneath the snow-drift sky, your face turned up to the heavens, arms stretched out as if you’re three seconds from taking flight —

“tsukki! look! look! snow!”

he resists the urge to smile so he rolls his eyes instead; his breath comes out in a puff of white and somewhere out there, he knows that a hundred thousand other kids just like them are lifting their faces, marveling at the falling snow. he knows that somewhere along a stretch of land only 73 miles wide in mexico, a hundred million monarch butterflies are settling in to roost for the winter, and that each flap of those hundred million wings might shake a summer storm into existence, somewhere down the line.

“yeah. i see it.”

but right here, right now, in this rapidly emptying gymnasium hall, filled with the effervescent echoes of teenage dreams, he wonders if you are the hurricane. if you are the summer storm, and he is just the seismograph doomed to record your wreckage.

“so, what are you gonna do about it?” you ask, as the both of you resume your walk down the hall, towards where you both know the team is waiting, the third years still crying, hinata still hollering, kageyama too bloated with happiness to tell him to shut the hell up, yamaguchi probably preening beneath the praise of all his teammates.

“about the rumors, or about us not actually dating?”

you purse your lips, you shrug, but you blush as well. he doesn’t miss the way your shoulders lift up towards your ears, sweet and shy as sunflowers reaching for the last drop of sunlight.

“either. both,” you turn with a devious grin and flash him a wink, and not for the first time, tsukishima thinks he feels that deep, rumbling hunger; he knows the repeating shuffle of his thoughts about you, the soft tectonic movements of your body and his.

he knows the velocity of your voice, the resonance of your smiles, the way it shakes loose the sky within him till he almost tastes that sweet first snow, all that wake and wonder.

“hm… i dunno. you did call me a liar earlier.”

his grin is savage, satisfied. he almost laughs as your entire body inflates with indignation. he wonders how long he can tease you for before you float right off the ground — someday, he wants to try.

“well you are.”

“what, by saying i was normal?”

“yes, and that this was just a club.”

he blinks, he didn’t know you’d remembered. but then again, he should’ve known.

“well. it is, and… i am.”

you frown, taking three steps closer, caging him in even though he knows that he’s got at least a foot over you — a whole head and a half taller, and still —

“liar,” you say.

“hm… and what are you gonna do about it?”

he knows it’s coming three seconds before it does, but it doesn’t feel any less shocking. the warmth of your lips on his, the half-stolen breath still poised in his chest, the widening of his eyes before they flutter closed. there are no fireworks, no explosions, no earthquakes or natural disasters. there’s just this moment, just him and you and your lips on his and —

you take half a step back.

he allows himself a smile.

because he’d never wanted them to just be rumors and he knew that he’d never, ever be considered normal. not by you, or him, or anyone else.

“ahhh… now you’ve done it,” he says, with a soul-rumbling sigh, reaching out to jab his finger into your cheek. he marvels at the way your eyes still widen, as if you never saw that coming.

“done what?” you ask, even as he reaches out to tug on the ends of your ponytail, making you laugh.

“tch. you know what,” he scoffs, tucking his hands into his pockets as he slinks passed you, his eyes cast up, his cheeks tingling with a blush he can’t quite tamp down. and when you hurry to catch up with him, bumping your arm into his, he doesn’t make to move away. instead, he bumps you back and basks in the way your footsteps sound, ringing out against the empty gymnasium halls.

because, sure, this might just be a high school relationship — or it just might be falling in love.

and as he reaches down, hesitates, and finally, finally grabs your hand, somewhere out there, he feels a butterfly flap its wings.

[crimsonizedangel]

An Escape at Starfall

Pairings: Cassian x oc

Rating: nsfw

Warnings: oral, piv, slight voyeurism/ exhibition

(Not my art (I kept the watermark in it so credits to the artwork go to foxy art) Is my fanfic based on Acotar by SJMaas. If you want me to do a part two or if you have any requests please feel free to message me. I will rearrange my master list tomorrow sometime)

I stood looking at myself in the mirror. Morrigan was going to be stopping by soon to take me with her up to the House of Wind for Starfall. She lent me an emerald green dress that had a slit on each leg. I didn’t mind them as they accentuated my long legs. I paired it with some silver heels and jewelry. I managed to fix my golden curls into a partial updo that went with the dress and was finishing sticking some pearl pins into some of the curls when Mor arrived.

“Elodie that dress fits you better than it did me.” She greeted me as she came over and helped me with the finishing touches on my hair. “I can think of a certain Illyrian warrior that will probably think the same thing.”

My eyes met hers in the mirror with a scowl on my face. “I never should have told you that I had a crush on Cassian.”

Mor just shrugged “it’s not your fault you let it slip after a night out at Rita’s with me.”

I remembered that night well. Mor had convinced me after we spent the day training with Nesta and Feyre that we all needed to go out. The other two women met us there and we spent well into the night drinking and dancing at the bar. Well sometime when I was walking back with Mor I let slip in my drunken state that I had a thing for the Illyrian and she hasn’t let me forget it.

“Come on let’s go.” I told her. I easily could have winnowed up there myself but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t the first to arrive. Mor ended up winnowing us up and I braced myself for the fall onto the veranda with her only to see a glimmer of blue and red as Cassian and Azriel stepped onto the veranda just in time and I thanked the cauldron when I felt the strong male hands catch me instead of risking landing on the heels that I wore.

“We got a heads up from some of Az’s friends that you two were on your way.” Cass informed us and I just sent a look to Az.

“Thank you for the catch I’m not sure how well my landing would have been.” I told Cassian with a smile “Az do you have spies at my apartment?” I asked the shadow singer.

Az just smiled and shrugged as he walked away opening the doors to the dining room for us.

“Don’t worry Az has shadows everywhere but he usually doesn’t share with others what they tell him unless it’s important.” Cass informed me.

“In this case I’m happy he decides to share the information.” I smiled coolly at him “what else has he shared with you?” I asked him after seeing we were now the only ones out there.

Cass gave me a wicked grin before leaning into my ear and purring “I’ll tell you later. Right now let’s go inside and get some drinks. But Mor was right I do love that dress on you.”

“You.” I started saying but my thought was interrupted by a low chuckle from Cass as he led me inside and out of the way as Rhys flew in holding onto Feyre and Elain.

Azriel, Mor, and Nesta were inside already with drinks of their own as we entered and I walked over to the bar cart and poured myself a glass of wine.

“None for me?” Cassian jested. I only elbowed him lightly as I walked over to where Mor was talking with Az and Amren.

I greeted them before taking a sip of my wine. I didn’t really pay attention to what they were talking about my mind was on what Cass said earlier about agreeing with Mor and loving my dress. Information that must’ve been shared to him by Az and his shadows and made me think about what else he might have been informed of that involved me.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when Rhys made an announcement that we should all go outside if we wanted to see the stars soon. I was about to walk out onto the veranda when I felt a strong hand wrap around my arm stopping me. I turned to see Cassian who didn’t say anything but made a motion with his head to follow him up to the sparring ring on the roof and then noticed him grab a couple bottles of wine as we passed the bar cart on our way to the stairs.

“So are you going to tell me why you brought me up here?” I asked once we were almost up to the roof.

“This is why.” Cassian replied as we stepped out and I saw the most beautiful view of the shooting stars. It wasn’t my first starfall by any means but this was the best view of it that I had scene in all my years as a fae.

“Wow.” Was the only thing I was able to get out as I had the biggest grin on my face as I watched the stars. “It’s beautiful.”

“Yeah it is.” Cass muttered out. I turned to look at him still smiling only to see him staring at me instead of the night sky.

My smile faulted as I realized he wasn’t talking about the stars but me. “Cass thank you for bringing me up here.” I grabbed one of the bottles of wine from him and poured some in both of our glasses. “So are you going to tell me what else Azriel has told you?”

Cassian smirked at me as he took a sip of his wine. “Elodie don’t be mad at Azriel or Mor.” He started saying and I raised an eyebrow about to ask him why when he took a deep breath and continued talking “I like you. I’ve had feelings for you for awhile now and when you confessed to Mor she told me along with Azriel since his shadows told him.” I could only stare at him in shock as my brain worked to understand what he just confessed to me.

I saw him about to say something and I smiled again at him “you like me.” It wasn’t really a question so much as a statement of understanding. I saw Cass shake his head and mutter how stupid he was for telling me. He wasn’t paying attention to me anymore and so I grabbed his black dress shirt, that I was pretty sure he borrowed from Rhys, and pulled him closer to me as my lips met his. It only took him a moment before realizing that I was kissing him before he started kissing me back. I broke the kiss when I felt something hit my face and when I saw the glow on Cassians face I let out a laugh. “We got hit by a star.” I told him when I saw his confused look and then he started laughing himself as another one hit us. I finished the wine that was in my glass before setting in down and turning back to Cassian. He had finished his own glass and had set his glass down by my own along with the bottles.

“I wasn’t joking when I said you look beautiful and now with the glow of the stars you look even better. “ he purred into my ear as he pulled me into him. “Also this dress hugs your ass nicely.”

“Hmm is that so?” I asked him. “You don’t look too bad yourself.” I muttered against his lips before kissing him again. My hands sliding into his hair thankful for the heels I was wearing to help with the height difference that we typically had between us. I felt one of his hands grab my ass as the other went to the back of my neck.

He squeezed my ass causing me to open my mouth just enough for him to slip his tongue in and for me to taste the alcohol on him.

“Cass.” I breathed out as he kissed down my neck leaving little marks as he went. “Cass” I breathed out again this time as a half moan. “Do you want to do this up here or in your room?” I finally got out.

“Elodie that’s up to you. Up here no one is going to come bother us but if we go down we might run into someone along the way.” He told me before going back to kissing my neck and shoulder. I thought about it as best I could as I was getting lost in his touch.

“Yeah let’s stay up here.” I agreed and I felt him smile against my skin. My hands started undoing the buttons on his shirt and I ran my fingers over his chiseled chest. His hand found one of the slits of my dress and rubbed my thigh before moving higher and cupping my ass where he discovered the scandalous secret I was hiding.

“No underwear huh?” He chuckled and had a wicked grin on his face. “You’re lucky that when you landed there wasn’t a gust of wind otherwise both Az and I might’ve gotten a little peak.”

“You’re wicked you know that.” I laughed “besides I don’t think either of you would have minded.” That comment earned me a growl from him as he was back on me and this time tearing the straps of my dress resulting in the entire thing pooling at my feet around my strappy heels and revealing that I indeed wore nothing underneath. He took off the rest of his shirt and when my eyes met his all I could see was lust in his eyes.

“Elodie by the cauldron you’re gorgeous.” He muttered as he cupped my face with his hands and started kissing me again. He let his hands wander down my body pinching my nipples, cupping my ass, and eventually his mouth followed down as he nipped and sucked my breasts causing me to let out a breathy moan.

It wasn’t long until he moved further down and he was moving one of my thighs over his shoulder. I felt him kissing up my thigh, blow air onto my clit, and kiss down the other thigh.

“Cass you’re such a tease.” I gasped out.

“What do you want baby?” He asked me with a devilish grin.

“Cassian just fucking touch me, taste me, fuck me, just do something.” I sounded ridiculous with how I was begging him. That was all he needed to hear though as he dove in. He was licking me, sucking my clit, and plunging his tongue in like his life depended on it. I wasn’t sure how I was still standing and was certain that Cassian was doing most of the work keeping me upright with one hand on my lower back and the other on the back of my thigh. My hands were tangled in his hair to help keep my balance and to keep him where I wanted him. I was trying my best to keep my moans quiet as I remembered where we were and that not far below us were all of our friends. It had been so long since I had even been with anyone else and Cassian definitely knew what he was doing with his tongue that it wasn’t long before I came undone and my juices were flowing over his face.

Once I had caught my breath I opened my eyes and looked down at him. He held me steady as he lowered my leg and I wobbled on my shaky legs. He grinned at me as he stood up.

“So Elodie how do you want it?” He whispered in my ear. My legs just about gave out as I thought about the endless possibilities and his arms wrapped tighter around me as his eyes glistened with amusement. I was certain he knew what I was thinking.

“I don’t care. Against the wall, by the railing, on the floor. I don’t care where we do it.” I answered honestly “wherever we do it though just know you might have to keep me upright cause I can guarantee you that my legs will be shaking and give out.”

I saw the lust return to his eyes as he lowered me to the floor and I watched as he removed his pants. His erection sprang free hitting his abdomen and I sucked in air at the size. All I could think about was wing size did matter.

Cassian kneeled in front of me and I watched as he gently rubbed his tip against my slit before leaning over me and capturing my lips in a kiss as a gently and slowly inserted himself a little at a time until he was all the way in. We were moaning into each other’s mouths as we both adjusted and he started moving himself in and out of me. My eyes rolled back and I closed them. Both of us fought internal battles to keep the noise down so as to not disturb the party downstairs. He broke the kiss and grabbed ahold of my thighs, placing my feet on his shoulders as he started pounding into me. My nails raked down his arms and a few times bumped against his wings making him shudder.

The sensation of being with Cassian, being on the roof where anyone could hear or see us, and the falling stars around us was all wonderful and I felt myself start to clench around him right before I had to pull his face down to mine to muffle to scream I let out as I came around his cock. I must have squeezed him as I came because he filled me shortly after with his own moans into my mouth as he did so. He dropped his head to my shoulder as we both came down from our highs and caught our breath.

We stayed like that for a moment before he pulled out and rolled off of me.

“That was…” I started saying but couldn’t get the words out.

“Yeah.” Cassian agreed with me. The only movement we made was to sit against the wall to watch the rest of starfall together. Cassian had put his pants back on and gave me his shirt after we saw the damage that was done to the dress. Neither of us bothered with the glasses and instead just passed the bottles back and forth until they were both empty.

“Come on you can stay with me here if you want.” Cassian offered and helped me up before picking up my dress. I just nodded an agreement too tired to even want to try to get back to my apartment. Even though his shirt covered everything on me he still walked in front of me to block the view of anyone we might pass on our way down to his room.

I forgot how much I hated the steps in the house of wind until I was walking down them drunk and in heels. I was so happy when we finally got to the level of Cassians room where we saw Azriel smirking at us as he entered his own room. Cassian held the door open to his room for me and the first thing I did was take my heels off before heading to the bathroom to take off my makeup and undo my hair before crawling into the giant bed with Cass.

“Goodnight Cass.” I muttered. I felt him move closer to me and an arm and wing drape over me.

“Goodnight Elodie. You look even hotter wearing my shirt.” He breathed into my hair and I smiled to myself and snuggled into him before drifting off to sleep.

[shadowfoxsilver]

How many scams are on tumblr? A lot, actually! Much like other social media platforms, tumblr is also home to accounts who only joined to get money off people via stealing content from other websites. This can range from various sources sometimes even private ones that are not as easy to locate! Even when trying to locate the real fundraising post that they took from, you don’t often easily find it if it wasn’t publicly posted. These accounts usually try their best to look like a regular tumblr user but there are a few easy ways to tell somthing isn’t right. I’ll explain them below under the readmore.

For short version, a brand new blog asking you for money should be treated with caution since it’s highly unlikely they are a real person needing mutual aid. If they sent you ask after you shared a certain post, it’s probably just a scam. If you are needing mutual aid, please don’t spam asks to users all at once.

If you like this post and found it useful, feel free to use it when you get an ask and also share it to your friends!

For example, these scam accounts often share a few popular trending posts or a few popular tagged posts they find when browsing the ‘For You’ page. These are often accounts who regularly post content that gets several thousand notes in a short span. Usually these posts are constantly then shared by scammers who use them to populate their account with posts of a certain theme or topic that is relevant to what may be going on at a certain time. Occasionally the posts may just be random posts to mix it up a little.

Additionally, the accounts who scam people will have a relatively new account with their first few posts only being a few hours old at best or even a week old otherwise. Keep in mind some accounts may backdate their posts to look older then they really are. For example, a reblog may be dated April 24,2021 but when you use timestamps and check the notes it’s actually dated April 20, 2024. This is a way for scammers to make their posts seem much older than they should be. While this may have a legitimate purpose for writers, it doesn’t really have much of a use outside of that even if someone does it to be funny. If someone catches you backdating posts, it’s better to come clean instead of ignoring the evidence.

At times, these scam accounts also take images off legitimate fundraisers and use them as their own even if a watermark on the image shows it’s been stolen from somewhere else. Scammers will edit these images to make sure locating the original is difficult and then get evasive if you show them the source they got it from. They may even claim that the source stole it from them and that your being mean to them when all you did was provide proof that they don’t own the image their posting and claiming is theirs. These images may range from a veterinarian bill to a hospital bill or images took from news sources about assorted issues going on at that point in time.

Usually, these scam accounts also claim the links they’re using is something it’s not. Or say the link is to a fundraiser, but it’s to something entirely different. Occasionally the link may be made using multiple colors for no real reason so don’t do that of you had the idea to. This isn’t a common thing among scam accounts! But it’s been seen across a few here and there.

Lastly, these scams accounts may pretend to be part of a minority in order to get more sympathy from those who see their accounts. They will also pretend to have some kind of health issue such as claiming they need medicine to stop their lungs from collapsing or medicine to stop their nose from freezing. Usually not much of a common scam attempt, but you’ll usually spot the issue with their claims. Most commonly these scams relate to saying they can’t afford insulin and ask for prices that ,while plausible, can be made cheaper with available resources.

As a bonus point, scammers may yell at you if you call them out so please make sure to take proper care to ensure they can’t do that.

[wonsdoll]

i just saw your recent post and YES PLEASE!! i would LOVE a tutorial on how you make graphics! 🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

ofc !! u ask & u shall receive

GRAPHICS TUT 🪷

WANT THiS ?

apps needed: canva

canva is very easy to manage, you just honestly need an idea of what you what ! ex: a magazine cover

one. import your image being used. crop to your liking

two. go to “elements” and search for anything you may use for your graphic. i used “star” and “oval”. you can also use “shapes” to get those stars above.

(keep in mind: when you do search “star” and “oval” make sure you look under “frames”. frames are like all different shapes and you can add pictures which’ll turn into the shape)

three. play around with the frames and elements until you find something you like.

four. add texts, make the texts eye catching. something that’ll really grasps someone’s attention when they look at your graphic

five. watermark your graphic !! don’t let anyone take ur hard work !

tips. play around with canva. try out different things until you find something that suits your liking. it does take some time but it’s fun ^_^

💌 : & woowoo you’re done ! if you’d like a separate tutorial for the new jean coloring i’d be more than happy to drop that as well. if you have any troubles or concerns you can message me >_< !!

[iridiss]

Hihi! I was wondering if I could use this template for my OC’s/ my clan from clangen? As ongoing as I don’t take out your watermark ofc

Your post that has the funky/pos template: https://www.tumblr.com/iridiss/742100118792241152

Absolutely!! And yeah just don’t remove the watermark lol, but otherwise go right ahead, it’s open for anybody to use! Thank you! ^^

Here’s the empty template:

[tgmsunmontue]

You need to learn how to fall 4/10

Hangster (and IceMav) - Bradley is too tall to be a naval aviator and instead becomes a sky diver, specialising in spin recovery. He is a civilian contractor to the Air Force and Navy to teach pilots how to survive parachute spins from ejections. A more in-depth version of this post.

PROLOGUE 2003-2006 2007-2010

2011-2015 – The later years

                He’s approached about doing his doctorate and he does a double-take, reading through the email again. They’ll pay him a stipend, as well as his study costs, and his travel to a variety of free fall simulators around the world in order to carry out research. It seems too good to be true, so he reads through it carefully. And then again. It’s specifically for military freefall (MFF), which includes both high altitude low opening (HALO) and high altitude high opening (HAHO) operations. They’re versatile techniques used by Special Forces and Bradley is already familiar with the Free Fall Analysis and Simulation Tool (FAST). He’d be building on the work already undertaken, further developing understanding of dynamics of MFF and spin recovery.

                Holy shit.

                Holy.

                Fucking.

                Shit.

                He prints it off the email and contract that came as an attachment and takes it to show Ice and Mav, wants them to look it over incase he’s missed something. Is quiet while they read through it, Ice reading over Mav’s shoulder.

                “Do you want to go back and study?”

                “I hadn’t thought about it to be honest. But this would be so cool…”

                “It’s not here, but sounds like they’re flexible around location. And would pay for your travel and accommodation. This is a very generous offer…” Ice says, and his eyes are narrowed and he looks suspicious; Bradley knows then that he’s going to find a catch. He knew it was going to be too good to be true.

                “Your name needs to stay on the research. Any papers they publish in the future, they need to reference you by your name, not the funder of the study. Add a clause that states until you have, say, twenty publications, you remain a key contributor.”

                Bradley hadn’t thought that was a big deal, but he shrugs, guesses Ice knows better than him.

                “That’s assuming you want to go into research and doing this for something other than just… for the fun of it?” Ice says, his tone shifting and Bradley realizes that he was maybe reading it as if he himself was going to do it and why would Ice want to be involved… It’s then that he realizes that he could potentially save lives with research. Knowing how to fall out of plane, work a chute, get out of a spin fast, land. Those are all skills that you can learn, that’s he’s learnt, is busy perfecting and practicing as much as he can.

                “Yeah. This would be great to do too.”

…             …             …

                Tom stares at the press release, the word CONFIDENTIAL stamped through as a watermark. His hands shake a little before he catches it and stills them. He can marry Maverick. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is being repealed. After tomorrow his proposal of a year and a half ago could actually mean a wedding. He doesn’t want a wedding, not really. What he wants is to be married to Pete, and not have his career suffer for it. Although he’s definitely decided to fuck off and leave the Navy if they have a problem with him and his life with Pete. There are some things more important than the Navy, and while it may have taken him a few years to realize it, his cancer had been a good reminder. He pushes back from his desk and goes to find the man in question, of course in the garage tinkering on the one bike Tom lets him keep at the house. If he didn’t place limits their place would resemble a junkyard.

                “I love you…” he says, and it’s quiet words and Pete immediately looks to him, grinning and abandoning whatever it is he’s working on, wiping his hands on a rag and stepping in close.

                “I love you too… what brought this on? Empty house?” He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, like Bradley being away somehow offers more freedom when he has a completely separate

                “Hmm,” he hums, noncommittal. “If we could get married tomorrow what would you want?”

                “Uh… what do you mean?”

                “Lots of people? Us in our dress whites? Flowers? Big sit-down meal?” Tom asks, thinking about the weddings he’s been to.

                “Uh… what? What’s wrong? Why are you asking me this? Ice? Tom…?”

                He realizes then that Pete thinks that maybe the cancer is back and he shakes his head.

                “I’m perfectly healthy, and I’ll prove it to you later. Just let me dream…”

                “What would you want?”

                “Just us and Bradley, maybe Slider and his family. Quiet and not a big fuss.”

                “Yeah, that sounds perfect.”

…             …             …

                His first time in a free fall simulator is fun for the novelty aspect. It’s nothing like actual skydiving but the amount of data they can collect is immense, and he gets to try out some risky moves he wouldn’t actually ever attempt in the air. It’s exhilarating when some of them pay off and sobering when they don’t. Working with people who find skydiving as exhilarating and as interesting as he does is a separate thrill and results in his first long-term serious relationship. She’s whip-crack smart, challenges his ideas and best of all she gets on with both Mav and Ice. When they end things after nearly three years they remain friends.

…             …             …

                Pete watches Bradley walk across the stage to accept his doctorate and claps until his hands are red and painful. Grins at Ice, brushes his fingers over the platinum band on Ice’s ring finger in his silent way of saying I love you.

                “Our son is a doctor of skydiving…”

                “No. He has a doctorate in physics. There is a difference.”

                “Doctor of skydiving sounds cooler…”

PROLOGUE TAKE 2 - 2016 onwards (NEXT PART)

[cosmohotmic]

The Stars We Share

teen!Clark Kent x gn!Reader

Summary: Your family summer vacation takes an unexpected turn when you form a connection with the friendly farm boy from next door!

(A/N: First time posting any of my work on tumblr! Please don’t crucify me. Clark isn’t even in this one but TRUST there are more chapters coming.)

———————————————————————

When you heard from your parents that you would be going on your first family vacation out of the city in years, you were ecstatic. How could you not be? They seemed so excited to tell you! When, with pure energy coursing through you, you asked where you would be going, your parents shared a look. When they uttered the words “Smallville, Kansas”, you tried to hide your disappointment, you really did. Still, you couldn't help how your face fell slightly, breathing out all the excitement in your body with a small ‘oh.’

You did your best to stay interested as they went through the details of how they found the perfect place to stay, how this would be a great chance to go somewhere quiet, how it was right within our budget! You smiled and nodded.

Of course you didn't mean to be ungrateful. It's not like you expected to go somewhere lavish, just somewhere…fun. Somewhere with things to do. Honestly, with the option between going out or staying in the city, you’d much rather just use that vacation money to do something fun where you are. At least you had your friends here.

You packed nearly everything you owned, all the clothes you wouldn't die of heatstroke wearing packed as dense as lead in your suitcase. A couple pairs of shoes, toiletries, this, that, and anything else you could find space for. Whatever you packed, you had to make it last two months.

Your eyes turned to the pile of books you had yet to read. You had every intention of getting to them, but life gets in the way. You stepped away from the bags you packed your life in, reaching to cradle the cover of a novel your friend lent to you a while back. You promised them you'd read it- they spoke so highly of it after all. You could still hear their rambling voice going on and on about the characters and storyline and world-building.

“You’ll love it!” they told you, “It's about a group of scientists trying to find a new planet for humans to live on after Earth was hit with a meteor while also trying to find the cure for an alien virus!”

‘The Last Hope’, the title read, the background a deep blue, some mix of colors reminiscent of the northern lights. Your finger ran over where the pages flipped up, the slight wear on the spine, and creases where its paper cover had been so lovingly pried open. The unread pile enticed you. With nothing to look forward to in Smallville, maybe this was your chance to work through it.

You emptied your school bag to fit as many books as you could into it, strategically stacking them to make the most of your limited space.

Stumbling back from the weight on your shoulders, you tugged your bags down to the car like an ox tilling field. Your bag of books, which you were sure was heavy enough to count as a second person, sat snug with you in the backseat. The car roared to life, passing familiar roads until you were lost in the blur of it.

You were going to make the most of this. You were going to try.

The house you were renting was nice, perfectly fit for three people with enough land around it to build a stadium parking lot. There was a small porch out front, a single deck chair sat out by the door, and a small table with white rings staining the wood. You traced the watermark with your finger, standing idly as your dad opened the door in front of you, no key required. A trusting neighborhood then, you guessed. Though, you suppose even if they weren't, it'd be too much work to come all the way out here. Not to mention the house hardly looked like it held anything valuable. It was nice, not luxurious.

Getting settled in your room wasn't hard. It looked like a room display you'd see in a furniture store left to sit untouched for years. The bed was made neatly with its navy blue sheets framed by the quilt folded at its foot, the wood of the headboard lightly scuffed and dusted. The walls were strikingly bare. You could imagine they once had something decorating them. The closet was much the same, an empty cavern, seeming completely untouched. Yet, you could so easily imagine it full of mismatched hangers and shoes piled up on the floor.

The more you unpacked the more empty the room felt.

The house had a looming feeling over it. So much empty space…

There were pictures on the wall, a family of three. The house's owner had a son, you discovered. He had graduated high school just last year, the shiny satin glinted just the same in the picture, proud smiles on both their faces. There was no mother present. You could only imagine what happened to her. Maybe she left or tragically passed on, maybe she was just behind the camera. Your thoughts moved to a more optimistic place despite the glaring opposite staring you in the face. You just didn't want to feel sad right now.

You picked up the remote from the top of the boxy TV, switching it on to flip through the channels. News, static, news, bible study, static…You let out some dreary mix of a sigh and a groan, falling to drape yourself across the old couch like someone's discarded coat when they return home. Your parents came down the stairs, your father patting his pockets.

“Hey, honey, your mother and I are going out for a walk.”

“Mhm…” You groaned in response, hand tossed over your eyes.

Again the sound of that screen door, shutting you into that quiet house.

You tossed around, laying your weight on your splayed limbs at awkward angles, as if that would somehow give you the entertainment you so desperately craved.

It was becoming increasingly hard to remain optimistic about this trip.

In an empty house, surrounded by nothing but fields, it felt like a kind of purgatory. An unsteady stillness made you want to switch on one of those channels again, just to kill the silence that pierced your ears.

The pull of gravity dragging your awkwardly distributed weight off the couch worked in tandem with the heavy sigh that labored out of your lungs. You pulled yourself up, feeling the wear of the carpet like a well traveled path, hearing the hollow thump that came with each step you marched up the stairs. You stood in the doorway to your room, the only thing marking it as yours being the empty suitcase laying like a hollow shell on the floor.

You flopped into bed, rolled around, sat up. Your eyes fell on your overstuffed backpack, heavy with books and pages you had only skimmed through. It was a defeated effort, dropping to your knees and hearing the distinctive hum of the zipper being pulled open. You had really hoped you would have more to do, that reading would be more of a hobby to fill the time rather than the only thing you could do other than sit around.

Staring into the face of the cover, that deep blue and hazed with iridescent greens and pinks. Looking through your window, the sun still so far from setting, you sighed.

Cozying yourself in your bed, you flipped to the first page.

[accio-victuuri]

there is an article about xz’s appearance in MBS, and of course they took a picture of the fans waiting. look who made an appearance 👀👀👀 we know who you are! it’s so funny how bxgs are okay with not having their face in frame but the doll babies have to! they are so cute!!!!

yesterday, i was kinda pissed at how endless summer’s photos were used by almost everyone on weibo and beyond without proper credit. maybe i can understand not having the link or whatever, but cutting the watermark? i mean. 🙄 xia jie have been photographing the boys for years, to the point they can recognize her. it’s tough work. she had to fly to these places they go and take the photos, edit asap and post. and it’s all for free. the least people can do is leave the watermark on. imagine going through the trouble of removing it, instead of just saving the photo as is and reposting. i don’t see any good intention in doing that tbh. it’s not her fault she’s a “cpf” who takes amazing photos. maybe one day she can change the placement of her watermark and put it somewhere people can’t cut.

in the meantime, xia jie took it all in stride and humor. i could never. but this is why she’s a well loved cpf fansite. 🙏🏼

( p2 is her usual disclaimer to people who steal her photos and remove logos ever since she started with bjyx, “Photographed by Endless Summer·Bojun Yixiao. The ladies who stole pictures and cut out logos default to bjyxszd ha” )

[caswarrenart]

I know a lot of artists are antsy about art theft right now (myself included, I literally just had a terrible nightmare about fighting the physical manifestation of AI, The Mitchells vs The Machines style…). I can’t claim that any of these things can prevent it. But here’s a few things I’ve found useful:

Opening a free account on Pixsy.com. This website does a decent job at letting me know when my images have been reposted. 99% of the time, the results are just Tumblr-copying zombie websites that just repost everything that is already here. But, it’s sensitive enough that it alerted me when my old college posted my work. They were harmlessly using my stuff as an example of alumni work- but I was glad to be in the know, AND they had mistakenly credited my deadname, so I was able to reach out and correct that. I would have never have seen it otherwise. The website has subscription options, but you can ignore them and still use the monitoring services it provides.

Reverse image searching my most widely shared pieces on haveibeentrained.com. This website checks to see if your work has been fed to AI.

Looking up legal takedown letters and referencing them to draft a generic letter for my own use. This takes a bit of the stress off what is already a stressful and often time-consuming ordeal. Taking time to craft a Very Scary, Legally Threatening, Yet Coldly Professional Memo has been worth it.

Remaining careful about what and how I post online. My living depends on sharing my work, so I have to post it. I’ve learned through trial and error how to post lower resolution images that still look good, but aren’t easily used for anything beyond the intended post, and of course, strategic watermarking. Never, ever post full res, print quality stuff for the general public. Half the time it ends up looking unflattering on social media anyways, cause the files get crunched for being large. I try to downsize my images, while set to bicubic smoothening, to head that off. Look up the optimal image resolutions and proportions for individual sites before posting your web versions. For some work, cropping the piece, or posting chunks of detail shots instead of a full view, is a more protective measure.

Look out for other artists! Reach out when in doubt. Don’t steal from others. Learn the difference between theft, and a study/master copy/fanart/inspiration. Don’t assume that all posted art has the same intended purpose as a “how to” instructional like 5 Minute Crafts. Ask permission. Artists are often helpful and supportive towards people who want to study their work! And, the best tip-offs I’ve received have all been from other people who were watching my back. Thank you to everybody who keeps an eye out for my work, and who have been thoughtful enough to reach out to me when they see theft happening 💖 y’all are the real MVPs. All we have is each other.