#every other one seems to be going at least one year back

[raven-of-chaos-and-insanity]

While I am absolutely against using AI to do your homework (and I'm against using generative AI for pretty much anything because it's a language learning model, it can't analyze), and I've never used generative AI, though I have seen how useless the results are when my PI (person in charge of my lab) uses it as a search engine, I do think the reliance on AI is at least in some part a symptom of a larger problem.

The first post the problem is addictive apps like tiktok, but I don't know what to do about that.

The other problem is I think with all the technology available, not including AI, both to students and teachers, the workload expected of students has become practically impossible to do while also living a reasonable life.

I will preface this by saying until my last semester of undergrad I had a 4.0, and in highschool I never had a grade lower than an A-. I am a fantastic student, I basically never have to study, and academic subjects have always come easy to me. So I am not a failing student railing against the institution. I'm a PhD student now, I chose to do more school.

In addition, my undergrad was 2019-2023, my sophomore year was online, the rest were in person. I did not have a job during the semester. I worked in a lab my senior and part of my junior year, but that was instead of classes, I got credit instead of getting paid. I graduated just when AI started producing things people would think about turning in, but only barely.

My freshman year I could just barely get all my work done and get 7 hours of sleep a night, but only because I had no social life. There was so much work to do that was automatically graded by the computer, so no professor or TA's time was taken up by it, so they could give as much as they wanted. I spent at least 12 hours a week, if not more, doing automatically graded busywork for 1 chemistry class. Other classes expected an enormous amount of papers, projects, or presentations, because technology meant that the work could physically be done quickly, typed, and researched with some cited images from google, and no professor had to carry it around, but the work still required as much thinking as it would have if I'd pasted my posters together by hand.

After we were back in person, it got so much worse. It was impossible to get all my work done and sleep even 6 hours a night. I had classes that required a paper every week, which would have been fine if they hadn't required other work as well, and if I didn't have 5 other classes as well. I had classes where I spent hours trying to understand the computer program they wanted us to use for that project, presentation, or even busy work, rather than just doing the work. In addition, I had professors fail to give all the instructions for projects or papers until a week before, or sometimes less, because they knew you could do it all from a computer in your dorm room, so no one could complain they didn't have time to go to the library or the store.

We also no longer had snow days or even real vacations during the semester because everything was turned in online, new instructions could be given to students by email, and class could be held online if the professor couldn't make it to campus. If you had a fever, you couldn't show up to class in person, but if you couldn't prove you were actively in the hospital, you better be on the zoom call the professor set up during the class.

Also, I don't know if it was new or if it's always been this way, but the attitude towards even officially excused absences was unconscionable, especially right after COVID. I had classes, and especially labs tell us that if we had more than 2 absences, even excuse ones, we should just drop the class because we would not be able to pass if we missed more than 2 days. And this was explicitly stated in at least 5 of the labs I took in undergrad.

All in all, the rise in students cheating with AI seems to be at least in part due to universities treating students like machines.

The classes where I got the most out of the work I did were classes where we handed in a draft of a paper, had it corrected by the professor, and then rewrote it and turned it in a second time for a grade. This seems like it would also be harder to cheat on with AI, especially the rewriting it step. These classes also tended to have less work overall because they weren't treating writing an entire paper as busywork.

Generative AI has destroyed academia.

In the next few decades we’re going to have thousands of people who don’t really know anything, and can’t do any critical thinking.

[starfxkrinc]

best friends dad!jj kissing you for the first time

classes were done, meaning it was another summer spent primarily at the maybank house. it's been this way since you were in 1st grade when you and reed maybank became friends. for years you've gone back and forth between her house and yours, experiencing all the growing pains of becoming young women.

the primary pain being unfortunately boys. every weekend it seems like you were forced to hear her recount some sordid affair with a new guy, and here you were, still a virgin, feeling like a desperate loser every time guys came up to talk to her and ignore you. you didn't want to feel resentful but you did. you were just as pretty as her, just as funny, you were just shy is all. but still, you played the dutiful friend giggling and exclaiming accordingly as she bragged about some frat boys reaction to her ass.

the entire time you fought back tears as she asked why you don't go on dates and when you were finally gonna just fuck someone.

apparently "because no one asks" isnt a sufficient enough answer, which led to a 5 minute grill session that left you feeling worse by the end of it.

you were glad when she finally went to sleep, it gave you time to cry a little undisturbed.

by the time you finished it was 2am and you were dehydrated, so you padded your way into the kitchen, the cool floors giving you some relief in the humid air.

it would have been fine, cry a bit, you get some juice then you cry a bit more. but here lies jj maybank, the object of your affection for most of your formative years--and your best friends dad.

you were so focused on your own misery you didn't even notice him shirtless. any other night that would have lifted your spirits. instead you were trying to hide your puffy, wet eyes.

"see you're midnight marauding too huh kiddo." he gives you a tired smile before it quickly morphs into one of slight concern, "you aight? you're normally a stinker but never a crybaby."

there's truth in that, you were sort of the cynic in your friend group, a little more melancholy than the other vibrant girls. growing up jj said he could always depend on you to keep it real amongst the others. maybe that was the problem.

for the first time in forever you feel uncomfortable around him, "mmm...bad night"

jj shifts, "wanna talk?"

"not really."

"well. want a shot?"

you snort, letting out a laugh despite yourself, "sure why not, already got a headache."

with a wink he grabs the whiskey and a glass, pouring you both a full shot before clinking glasses and knocking them back--him with barely a twitch while you gag at the burn.

"jesus christ what is this gasoline?" pushing past him you go for the fridge, reaching for the juice as you take several swigs to get rid of the taste. despite it, you do feel more relaxed.

so relaxed in fact you dont notice him behind you until you see his arm reach around, taking the bottle from you so he can drink himself.

"hope you feel a little better at least?" jj looks smug looking down at you in a way you haven't seen before.

he's looking at you the way guys look at reed.

"not really..."

"why?" fuck you thought he was past all that.

you can feel the heat crawling up your throat, eyes welling with tears as you stumble, "uh-umm. just. i don't think people like me."

the air hangs heavy and you're scared to look at him, to see the pity on his face as he absorbs what you said.

"well i like you kiddo."

"i don't think...guys like me."

there's no pause this time, "i like you. kid"

finally you look, and you see his brows furrowed as he gazes down at you and it's so intense you look away, moving back towards the counter to put some distance between you.

you choose to focus on the snarling dog covering his left hand and wrist, "you know that tattoo used to terrify me as a kid."

he follows your gaze, flexing his hand, "yeah?"

"gave me nightmares. had one about it jumping off and eating me whole."

jj gives you a proper laugh, stretching his hand so it covered your face, "still could if you aint careful." he tweaks your nose, just to make you laugh, but his finger trails, running across your lips before slipping inbetween.

on instinct you suck, eyes fluttering at the salty taste of the pads of his fingers. heart pounding as he lets himself loose and pulls you closer.

your heart feels like its throbbing in your throat, and you barely squeak out a word before his lips are on yours, the acrid taste of booze underlying fruit punch. all it takes in one gasp and his tongue is in your mouth, moving against yours in expert strokes. you clumsily try to keep up, kissing him back with fervor as he pulls you closer.

he's hard against your stomach, twitching slightly when he brings a hand up to thumb your hard nipple through your shirt.

that makes you pull back, the sudden jolt of arousal his touch gives you, and your panting, not wanting to break the string of saliva stil connecting your lips together.

jj does it for you, giving you one more closed mouth kiss against your wet lips before he mumbles, "told you kid, i like you. now go get some sleep."

you expect him to just let you go, but instead he walks you back, watching to make sure you're back in bed before leaving. and you're left there, still brimming with it all while your best friend sleeps beside you.

[witchygagirlwrites]

How Dare You-Part 2

Jay Halstead x Reader (nicknamed Deuce/ Surname Barlowe no first name used)

When you’re tasked with your team working with the army to take on cartels you show up to the base to meet the Squadron you’ll be working with. You don’t expect him to be there.

Warnings: mention of past infidelity, mention of violence, wee bit of just mental issues going on because of being faced with an ex you never wanted to face again

You were sitting in your office, trying to catch up on dozens of emails and a stack of paperwork high enough you could probably hide behind it if you put it down on the floor when Travis knocked. You welcomed the distraction so you pushed back from your desk and turned towards the door “Yeah Trav? What’s up?”

“Nolan is on line two for you” you sighed “Thanks” he nodded and walked out. You rotated your neck in a tight circle then picked up the phone “Agent Y/N Barlowe”  Nolan chuckled lightly “Don’t you mean Supervisory Special Agent Barlowe?” you laughed “Bite me Johnny. What is so important you decided to save me from all the emails and paperwork I’ve yet to catch up on?” he out right laughed then “I need your team’s help in Bolivia” “With what exactly?” “Drug Interdiction. I know you were already hot on numerous cartel targets before, this is your chance to line em up and knock em down”

“Who will we be working with?” you asked and he took a breath “You’ll be assigned an army squadron. They’ll answer to you. Just consider them extra boots on the ground, extra security too so nothing happens like before because there will be at least two explosives experts amongst them” you rolled your bottom lip between your teeth, “Ok, let me update my team. When do we need to meet them?” “The man leading the team will be here in two days” “Ok, I’ll be ready when his boots hit the dirt”

You ran a tight team, it had to be. You shared a place with two of them. The other four lived nearby. You worked together, traveled together. Your very lives depended on each other.  You stood with Travis, Marcel and Samantha just outside the base in Bolivia. Even with your credentials you still had to go through the security scans.

Nolan stood just on the other side of the gate, trying to hide his smirk when he could see how much your irritation was growing with every second. A soldier touched your lower back and you stiffened “If you want to keep your hand I suggest backing up Private” he nodded “Yes ma’am. I apologize”

Once the four of you were cleared they opened the gate and you walked through. Nolan held his hand out “Barlowe, looking pleasant as always” “Fuck off Nolan” you greeted before introducing your team. He nodded and waved for the four of you to follow him. “When can we meet the squad we’ll be working with? I don’t like going in blind John, you know this. I wanted background on all of them this morning” he nodded “I know and I apologize. They’re waiting to be called and I have their backgrounds as well”

Samantha rolled her eyes “Backgrounds at the same time as a face to face?” you cut her eyes at her “Army” Nolan shook his head “Says the woman who’s been tangled in with the army for how many years?” “Shut up Johnny” you laughed.

___________________

You followed him into the building and through the hallways. He stopped at one door and waved the four of you in. You stepped into his office and he handed you a stack of folders “This will be your team” you nodded to his desk “You mind?” he shook his head “Go ahead” 

The four of you went over each member of the team, patching Roxie in so she could verify everyone’s information as you went. They all seemed like solid choices but you realized when you got to the bottom of the stack you hadn’t clocked anyone qualified to lead the squad. “Where’s the background for their lead?” you asked and Nolan sighed “Shit, I’m sorry Deuce, it’s been a long day” that was a nickname he hadn’t used on you in a long while. 

He walked over to his filing cabinet and handed you another folder. The moment you opened it, you felt like you’d been slammed in the chest by a semi. The folder hit the floor and you shook your head “Nope, I’m not doing this” Nolan raised an eyebrow “What’s the issue? Your higher ups have already signed off on this. Barlowe the whitehouse knows about this”

Your team was staring at you like you’d grown a second head. There hadn’t been very many times they’d seen you this shaken. You glared at Nolan “I fucking hate you. You knew from my background with Gerwitz” he shrugged “I needed the best” you picked up the folder and handed it to Travis. He opened it and cursed “Son of a bitch” looking back at the rest of your team was a photo of Jay and his background from his first time in the army and his service record within CPD. Hell you hadn’t even known he’d resigned. 

You were pacing while Nolan went to retrieve Jay and his team. Travis stepped up beside you “You’re holding your stomach again” it was a low whisper, just between the two of you. You looked down and sure enough you had a hand curled around your lower stomach. “Shit, thanks Trav” he nodded “Just, don’t let this knock you down Deuce” 

“I’m not going to, he’s not worth it” you replied with a smile. Once you heard Nolan’s boots followed by what sounded like a herd of elephants in boots following him you nodded to your team and they all stepped up on either side of you. 

____________________

Nolan hadn’t told Jay much, just that the FBI team his squad would be reporting to was on base and wanting to meet. He nodded and fell in step with Nolan, his squad behind him. Nolan pushed open the door to the conference room and you looked up, eyes hardening when they landed on him. He breathed your name and every set of eyes in the room looked between the two of you like they were waiting to see what was about to happen.

“That’s Supervisory Special Agent Barlowe Soldier” you reprimanded and he raised an eyebrow as Nolan bit back a laugh and waved a hand giving you the floor. You stepped a little in front of the two men and one woman that was with you “As I just said I’m Supervisory Special Agent Y/N Barlowe. Barlowe works. You’ll hear my team refer to me as Deuce sometimes do not think that means you can, no offense but don't” 

You motioned to the man closest to you, he was around Jay’s height, same build too. The only difference was he was probably of Latin descent with light brown eyes and black hair “This is Agent Travis Bailey” you motioned to the other man, he was a little shorter than Travis but just as broad, light brown hair and bright green eyes. “Agent Marcel Everson” then motioned to the woman who was around your height and built with a braid that matched the one you normally wore in her shoulder length black hair as her dark brown eyes watched his every move  “Agent Samantha Peterson”

You took a step forward to be standing between your team and the squadron “We have a lot of skin in the game in bringing down these cartels. You’re assigned to us because we have further jurisdiction without risking a war. You’re the boots we need, the muscle and guns to help bring down the worst of the worst. If anyone has any issues with playing by our rules, there’s the door hit it now. If not, lets hit the ground running and get these mother fuckers looking over their shoulders for a change” 

Jay heard murmurs from around the squad. They were all positive. They were all ready to follow your lead. You nodded “Ok then, meet each other, play nice and then we’ll see about getting to work” 

You spoke to Travis and he nodded, eyes flickering to Jay. Didn’t take a genius to know he was the topic of discussion. 

He took a step towards you but like it was planned your entire team stepped between you and him. “Not today Halstead” Travis spoke first and he looked at you but you weren’t looking at him. He nodded “Ok” and backed off. Wasn’t like either of you were getting to go anywhere any time soon.

__________________

The moment Jay walked into the room you felt your fingertips go cold. You’d never wanted to face him again. Now here he stood, dressed in army fatigues and waiting for your damn orders. Travis stepped close to you “What’s the play?” “We do our damn jobs and do them well” he nodded, eyes flickering towards Jay “And what about him?”

“Please keep him away from me by any means necessary, at least for a few days” “I’ve got you. Get your feet under you, he won’t bother you. If he’s got questions he can come to me” “Thanks Travis” you whispered and he nodded “Of course boss” causing a small smile to slip onto your lips. 

Jay took a step towards you and within missing a beat all three members of your team stepped between you and him. “Not today Halstead” Travis told him and you averted your eyes but could feel his eyes on yours as he said “Ok”  This was going to be a long eight months, if it didn’t end up getting extended. 

Part 3

@alterna123

@leavemealoneplsandthx

[kittysdumpblog]

Hcs on how Tom would speak in interviews about his gf!

enamored

TW:non really, all fluff, it’s actually proofread!

wc: 663 words

{~——————————~[•]~——————————~}

Now that you and Tom are public, every interview contains at least 3 questions about you and Tom’s relationship. And Tom doesn’t really care, he loooves yapping about his absolute goddess of a girlfriend he scored(though if the questions creepy then him and the others will stare at the interviewer until they nervously laugh and move on to something else. Tom now hates that interviewer)

But after the first couple of times, people have learned not to ask about your relationship. Why? Because Tom will spend at least 15 minutes yapping about and then go onto the next story about until someone interrupts him, to tell him to stop.

What’s even worse, is that somehow, this man when asked a question can somehow link it back to you, and go onto a whole ass yapping session💀

“So,” The interviewer started as she looked down briefly at her cards, “just last week, you were spotted going to a amusement park and later on a new episode got released on Tokio Hotel tv. Now, there seems to be a scene where Tom, manages to ‘bumb’ into Georg while going against him in a shooting game.” A devious smile came upon Tom’s face as he heard the interviewer talk. His head turned to Georg as Georg started talking about how unfair it was and how Tom played the ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about’ card after. “Well, what really happened was that I just tripped.” Tom spoke, fully knowing he was lying. “And, I mean, it’s not my fault that I’m just the better shot at default. I mean, there was that one time where me and mein Leben were at the amusement park one day, and she saw this big teddy that she really wanted. And it just so happened to be a shooting game. And of course I agreed. So, I went up, started playing, and the game was definitely rigged, but eventually I got the teddy after setting anew high score. Oh, and then we went on this one ride that shot us into the air and flipped us around. mein Leben was shaking after but wanted to go again, so we did, and then- “mouse.” Bill spoke, interrupting Tom’s rant about your time at the amusement park. “Huh?” Tom looked at Bill, confused about why he stopped him. “You’ve been taking about you and her for 10 minutes.” Why wouldn’t he? “So?” “The interviewer asked about when you pushed Georg out of the way to win at the shooting game.” Bill looked at Tom with a face that was unimpressed. “Oh!” Tom sat up straighter as he realized that he’d been going on a rant about you. Again.

It’s clear that the rest of the band is used to this and have no hesitation to shut Tom up. No better how lethal the side eye Tom gives them. They give no fucks.

It’s gotten to the point where whenever Tom’s coming back from meeting up with or visiting you, they either have to literally lock themselves away, or tape Tom’s mouth shut because he’ll be yapping about your time together to an extent that’s actually insane and will keep on repeating how much he loves you and how beautiful you are. And there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s just they can only handle so much without combusting.

But when Tom’s asked about you while being on tour, and have been for quite a while, he’ll turn into this old sappy, pining man who acts like he’s been separated from his wife for 30+ years. When in reality it’s only been about 2-3ish months and you Skype every day.

It’s actually wild. Like, this man is so in love, that when asked a question that is related to you or not, somehow, one way or another, he’ll find a way to connect it to you sometimes and then either turn into a yapping simp, or a yapping, pining old man who’s sappy.

[allhalemischief]

When Derek finally puts it together - due to an offhand comment by the Sheriff at a crime scene (he’s known they were meant to be in each other’s lives when he found them cuddled up together asleep on a bench at the station after Derek wouldn’t let anyone else anywhere near him since they found him) - he can’t do anything about it because Stiles is a minor.

And because he is the emotionally constipated Derek we all know and love, he doesn’t even consider telling Stiles - this is his problem, not Stiles’ - and resigns himself to a life without his mate even after Stiles is of age.

Shenanigans ensue, obviously, and Stiles finds out. And because he is the feral, sarcastic Stiles we all know and love, he does not let Derek off the hook at all.

The rant that follows lasts at least an hour, despite happening post-battle while they’re both still covered in blood and dirt, and at some point in it, Stiles refers to Derek as the emotionally constipated sourwolf he had to go and fall in love with and Derek freezes. Completely stops listening, he hears nothing else of his lecture at that point, just stuck in the fact that Stiles is in love with him.

The relief is overwhelming and the tension that leaves Derek’s shoulders in visible as a tentative smile takes over his face. Stiles notices when he finally stops to take a breath and huffs, frowning. He is decidedly not happy that Derek is smiling when he should be feeling properly chagrined at the least.

Derek’s soft “you love me?” is disbelieving but a little hopeful. The corners of his smile twitching.

Stiles responds with a huff, arms crossing over his chest and his eyes lowering to somewhere near the ground but his “Well, yeah” sounds a bit more like a Well, duh.

When Stiles finally lifts his gaze back to Derek, a grin has encompassed his face and his perpetually pinched brows have relaxed. Stiles has never thought Derek was more breathtaking than in that moment.

Derek softly steps into Stiles, getting so close he’s forced to drop his arms from their defensive position, gently cups his jaw with both hands and whispers an “I love you, too” before kissing him.

It’s soft at first, hesitant, but it quickly becomes a conveyance for everything they’ve felt for each other over the last few years. The fondness, the frustration, every worry and ounce of love.

One of Stiles’ hands is gripping Derek’s henley by his shoulder, the other at the back of his waist, pulling Derek as far into his space as he can get him.

Derek’s hands have migrated as well. His right at the nape of Stiles’ neck, angling him just so, and his left is at the small of his back pressing Stiles against him.

When they finally separate for oxygen, Derek tips his forehead to Stiles’. They breathe each other in through their gasping inhales, but when Derek goes to press their lips back together. Stiles stops him.

Jaw set and finger pointing in Derek’s face, a weak imitation at being stern considering his flushed skin and kiss swollen lips, but his tone brooks no argument. “The next time you have some big revelation about us, you tell me immediately. Understood, Sourwolf?”

Derek lifts his heads to nod earnestly, smiling down at him. Now that he’s started he can’t seem to stop.

“And you’re taking me on a date. Tonight. I’ll see you at six.”

Stiles pushes Derek away and the full-blown grin that took over Derek’s expression when Stiles said “date” wars with a frown at Stiles leaving. Stiles just laughs when Derek tries to pull him back in.

“Yeah, yeah, I love you too. But we both have to shower and sleep and then you have to call Boyd to help you plan our date. I will see you tomorrow, Sourwolf.” Stiles gives him one last peck before grabbing his red hoodie off the back of the couch and heading out of the loft.

Derek is putting when a text alert comes through on his phone. Stop pouting. Shower and sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.

And the smile is back on Derek’s face. He types back a quick I love you too before dialing Boyd on his way to his room.

The next day, Derek arrives early at Stiles’ house. Nervous but excited, he fidgets in his car waiting for the clock on the dash to read 6:00.

He knocks on the door instead of taking his normal route through Stiles’ bedroom window. When Stiles opens the door, the smile is back and Derek’s cheeks are starting to ache from using unfamiliar muscles.

A soft “hi” comes from them both at the same time and Stiles blushes while the tops of Derek’s ears turn red. Neither of them seem to notice their company at Stiles’ back as they stand there staring at each other with wide smiles stretching their faces.

Noah had planned to give Derek the I have a gun and access to wolfsbane bullets speech but he obviously isn’t going to get the chance and honestly, he’s not all that worried.

Finally, Noah gets fed up watching them just stand there saying nothing and pushes Stiles out the door and into Derek’s arms with an exasperated, “Oh god, just go!”

Derek drives them to a locally owned bookstore to pick out books for each other, Boyd’s idea, and then to Stiles’ favorite diner for cheeseburgers and curly fries, his own.

The pack is placed under strict orders not to call them unless it is an emergency.

Lydia and Boyd are appointed as the only ones allowed to decide what constitutes an emergency.

my favorite headcanon is i believe that stiles and derek already met each other when they were young. on the day of the fire, little stiles who is waiting for his dad at the station was the only one who sat beside derek for hours when he’s crying alone. but derek was on the verge of going feral so he barely remembers anything, just a faint memory of a kid with a cinnamon scent who made him feel safe. years later when they met again in the woods derek just couldn’t pinpoint why stiles’ scent is so familiar to him, but he’s always instinctively drawn to stiles in the way he can’t even explain. and it isn’t long before he realises he had already made stiles his anchor years ago and that this is his mate.

[rebeccathenaturalist]

Well, looks like it’s time for another round of spambot Whack-a-mole. Every so often I’ll get absolutely inundated with spambot follows, and this week seems to be serving up a fresh batch. Today it was only about 75 (I get 2-3 of the above emails every day when it's really bad). The past few days it's been over 100 every 24 hours.

And yes, I go through the effort to report and block every single one. First of all, the last time I messaged Tumblr about this they said that this was the best way to help them, since it lets them know what profiles to check out. Moreover, I want to have an accurate idea of how many followers I have, and this is the only social media profile I have that gets such onslaughts of fake profiles. So I painstakingly go through and delete them every day—even on a quiet week there are usually at least a few. (I really wish Tumblr staff could figure out a UI that allows bulk blocking, instead of having to click on each one individually.)

A few observations under the cut:

--I’ve gotten to the point where if the username is a string of nonsense words, there’s no profile pic, and the tagline is “untitled” in one language or another, it gets instantly blocked. I am trying to be really careful to not just go on autopilot and block every single new follow without paying attention, because I am getting actual people following me in the midst of this spambot storm. I’ve probably blocked a few actual profiles from newbies or people who just never got around to customizing their profile, but I’m not going to click through to every one of several hundred profiles over a matter of days.

--Even if there’s a PFP, if the tagline is still untitled or if they have one recently posted/reblogged post that doesn’t say anything about them, and if they’re missing a bio, that’s a block. (If they have only one post but it’s from five years ago, I let it slide, because I doubt any bot is going to commit to the bit that long and it’s more likely someone who remembered that they actually have a Tumblr.)

--If someone went through the trouble to put together a custom blog theme, they’re probably not a bot.

--Profiles that are obviously pr0nbots/spammers/AI? Also blocked. (This week’s themes seem to be real estate scammers and automated reposters of spammy medical/science YouTube videos. One time a while back it was cannabis and psilocybin dealers, probably because a post I made about culinary mushroom foraging went mildly viral.) Sometimes a profile will have the PFP and banner and a bunch of posts, but they’re all advertising something, with no self posts, random reblogs, or other posts to suggest an actual human being with varied interests.

--I hate that I’ve had to block so many pr0nbots that my first inclination on seeing a PFP that is a conventionally attractive young female-presenting person in a cute outfit is to just block them because most of the time I’m going to click through to their blog and it’s going to be photos and/or videos of their naked, variably bouncy fleshy bits everywhere, but I have to remember that there are also still people who are conventionally attractive who just want to share cute photos of their outfits with no intent of also taking pictures without said outfits. (And sometimes blogs full of nekkid people are just curated by actual humans who enjoy pictures of nekkid people.)

--While some of the usernames are random strings of words and sometimes numbers, other times I think Tumblr may be recycling the usernames of deleted accounts, because they seem like the kind of thing a Tumblr user would come up with circa 2014.

--I have to wonder how many people who claim to have however many thousand or million followers on whatever social media platform have their numbers inflated with terrifying numbers of bots, and it’s now made me kinda skeptical of high follower counts, not just here but on other platforms. Like are all 807,168 of your followers actual people? Your social media follower count has become increasingly important in getting things like book contracts, music deals, etc., but no one ever asks whether you cull the obvious fake profiles.

--Oddly enough, the spambots who leave spammy comments in replies to my posts rarely ever follow me. They still get blocked.

--Sometimes there are so many spambots that I end up having to use the actual real people profiles mixed in as milestones along my path of mass-annihilation-via-report-and-block. Like “Oh, wait, I remember that name, they followed me in between yesterday’s Spambot #89 and Spambot #90. I must be at the end of the most recent bot-salvo.”

--I probably missed a few bots who managed to slip through the above filters and convinced me they were real people. But hey, I'll take a few over thousands cumulatively over my tenure on Tumblr.

[seaofreverie]

So I wanted to apply to the second level of studies at the university where I did my bachelors degree after a year long break and it was lowkey my only plan for the forseeable future (2 more years of studying until I have to start thinking again about what in the actual fuck I want to be doing with my life). And today I learn that despite me passing the final exam one year ago with 100% points and them saying on their website that results from last year will be taken into account during this year's recruitation for the second level... it turns out that no, you have to pass the exam THIS year, and those start in about two weeks from now. I emailed them about this because they were giving me some contradicting information to put it mildly and they tell me that ooops, sorry about that, that thing on our website was outdated. So, you're saying that you have chosen war.

[lesbiansanemi]

Currently trying not to vomit over the fact that I essentially just lost almost a thousand dollars brb

[deus-ex-mona]

ok yk what. now that i’ve had some time to process nghy canon, considering the current pacing of gen retcon, i think their next step is as ✨clear as day✨

i really like seeing them happy together, but i truly do think that they should divorce and either live the rest of their lives as single besties; partners in hero/heroine-isms, but better off as just friends, or go their separate ways for a bit and get back together when they’re a little older and wiser, staying together for good this time around, as each other’s first and last boyfriend/girlfriend

[themyscirah]

Okay so basically the United States MINT of all people is going to be working with DC to make a line of coins! These coins sadly won't be in circulation (the things I would do to live in a world where I could get Batman coins from the supermarket) as they're collectors coins, but will be releasing over the course of the next 3 years, 2025-2027.

Designs haven't been released yet (the same is true for all 2025 designs) but we know there will be 9 coins in total (3 each year) with the first year featuring (of course!!!) Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman.

Although we know the first three heroes to be featured, the remaining six have yet to be decided, and it turns out the Mint is putting out a survey on their site to gauge which of a group of culturally significant heroes people want to see most! (link to the form is mentioned in the article above)

The considered group includes: Supergirl, the Flash, Green Arrow, Black Canary, Captain Marvel, John Stewart GL, Aquaman, Hawkman, Jamie Reyes BB, Robin (Damian?), Cyborg, and Batgirl, of which 6 will be selected.

As someone who does a bit of coin collecting myself (mainly circulation coins like the quarters sets, but I also have a couple proof and collectors coins) I think this is a really cool and interesting idea that showcases the history of the comics medium and these characters and their influence on American culture. Really excited to wait and see what the designs look like for the coins already announced!

[unlost]

Will smiled. He couldn't help it. She had seemed unsure before, thinking Lunar Cove might possibly be a mistake; now she was saying she wasn't going anywhere. He couldn't pretend to know what it must feel like to raise a child--the overwhelming stress that must come with every decision she made--but he was glad that, at least for now, she felt she'd made the right one in staying put. His contented smile stayed in place--especially when she wove her fingers through his. He would never have expected a siren of all people to be impressed by his magic, and maybe she was just humoring him, but in that moment, he didn't really care. The sound of her giggle, the feeling of her body pressing against his side, and her hand in his, were all suitably distracting enough to keep him from overthinking.

He turned just enough that he could look at her, brushing back a strand of blonde hair and letting his knuckles gently fall across the pink splotches on her cheek. How could she look even more beautiful when she was blushing? "Then it's a date," he agreed. "I'll--" But before he could say anymore, she was leaning in, and Will suddenly didn't care much about speaking. He kissed back, taking her face in his hand, the other coming to rest upon her hip, just above the space where her skin turned to tail. He did not want to pull away, would have been quite content to kiss her for hours, days, years, if it meant never quelling this feeling. He understood now how sailors could be lured from their boats and dragged to the bottom of the ocean. It was willingly.

When they pulled away, he stayed close, their foreheads pressed together. "You know," he mumbled quietly, the realization hitting him, "I still don't know your name, Daisy." He touched her bottom lip with his thumb then tilted her head upward, pressing one more, soft kiss to her lips, quick this time. Behind them, the sun had finally finished its decent beyond the horizon and the moon was rising upward.

"Well, I s'pose I gotta, seein' as I ain't plannin' on goin' anywhere any time soon," She hummed under her breath, sneaking a peak his way as she scooted a little closer toward him.

"No, but who needs a tail, when you can control the water and talk to fish?" She countered. Her eyes sparkled as he summoned the ocean again, creating a heart in the palm of his hands. Her amused giggles only grew as she wove her fingers through his hand where the heart had just been hovering a few breaths before. And at the mention of a date, a smile bloomed across her face, the kind that crept in slow and sweet, with the warmth of a blush she couldn't quite hide. Sav had been wondering when he'd ask, and now that he had, her voice was honeyed in amusement.

“Well,” she said, tilting her head just enough to meet his gaze, “if you’re bringin’ the horses, I s’pose I’d be a downright fool to say no." She fluttered her lashes up at him. Her fingers traced their way up his arms, and her teeth grazed briefly across the bottom of her lip as if she was thinking it over. She played it coy for just a second longer, before her voice dipped, "Okay, cowboy. Eight o'clock it is. But before our date and before I start singin' up a storm…" She trailed off. Her gaze dipped down to his lips again as she leaned in.

The kiss was slow and drawn out as if the way he tasted was being engrained into her memory and, when they finally broke apart, she rested her forehead lightly against his. "Sorry," Sav murmured. Her voice still soft and a little breathless as she found herself admitting, "I just didn't think I could wait one more minute without kissin' you is all."

[icewindandboringhorror]

Apparently I can meet my goal of roughly 400,000 words in 6 months if I just somehow write at least 2,200 words a day ghbjh... Almost 2,500 today... huzzah...

[purple-butterly]

And the worst part of this is that she has never been able to really feel that herself, at least for now.

Even before she was born, her own father tried to get rid of her and denyed she was even his daughter.

After that, even if Irene loved her more than anything, enough to protect her during the first 3 years of the pregnancy were Erza's biological dad was torturing her and to the point that she was the only thing that kept her mother going and wanting to survive, she wasnt allowed to know about it. Because after 400 years of wanting to be human again, Irene knew she had to get away from Erza or she would be tempted to enchant herself on her. And that's something she didn't want to happen.

After that, she grew up being an orphan, and not even knowing what her last name was. And when, after being kidnapped and after she was turned into a slave, she finally had someone. She had Sho, Simon, Milliana, Wally, but most importantly, Jellal and Rob.

And every single one of them was taken away from her. First of all, she was brutally tortured to the point she lost one eye and suffered terrible injuries. Then, Sho, Milliana and Wally believed Jellal when he was being controlled and then they chose to travel, because they wanted freedom and Erza respected it because she just wanted them to be happy. Rob, the first parental figure she had in her life, the first person she could have called a parent (or rather grand-parent), was killed brutally just before her eyes. Jellal, the person who gave her a surname and the person that started a rebellion in the tower everything to make sure she was safe, was turned into the exact opposite of what he standed for because of the hatred caused by the tower. And she was forced to asume that was the reality.

Then, for 8 years, even though she loved everyone in the guild and trusted them, she wore an armor that separated herself with anyone or anything else.

And then, when she finally started to asume that all the problems that started with the tower has finally ended, Jellal appeared again. First as a ghost, in Mystogan face, in the mouths of everyone who criticise what Siegrain did. Then, he was brought back in Nirvana. And he seemed just like he was before everything, kind, someone who wanted to protect everyone around him. He was again, the boy she fell in love with. Then that was just ripped away from her. Again. Finally when she could be there for him, they took him away for crimes he didn't even remember commiting and that he never really wanted to do.

Even at Tenrou Island, when she is reminded of the love and friendships present in her life, when Jellal and her somehow talk, she tells herself that she shouldn't be stupid. That he is not there. That she can't hold on to the memories.

And yet, there was more. As if destiny wasn't cruel enough, 7 years appeared between them. 7 years were Erza couldn't be with him. 7 years were Jellal had to live, doubting constantly if what he was doing had any meaning or if he should simply die. And Erza couldn't be there for him. And when they tried to be together again, both of them had to accept that it wasn't possible at that moment. That Jellal couldn't taint her with his darkness. And Erza had to hold on to the hope that someday, it would be possible, because right now it wasn't.

Then, years passed again. At least they could talk to each other now. But half the time, Erza didn't even know where he was. And everytime they were together he had to walk away again before he caused trouble with his presence.

Then Erza was tortured again and Jellal couldn't even be there, next to her, all he could do is tell her she would be ok, because she always managed to overcome everything (or at least, that's what it looked on the exterior). And not only that, because just after all this, the guild disbanded and she couldn't be with her familly for a whole year.

The Alvarez battle was brutal, because she had to watch her own father die, she had to watch Natsu and Gray fighting to death, she found out the truth about her past and everything about her biological parents while she was fighting her own mother (who almost killed her and Wendy) and then had to watch her kill herself because she actually loved her too much to kill her. Ane if this wasn't enough, she had to watch Jellal fight Acnologia and almost die and the same thing with Ichiya and Anna.

I don't remember every scene where Erza hugs someone, but I when Jellal hugs her in the bridge in the 100 years quest, if that isn't the first time someone actually hugged her first and it wasn't in a deadly/traumatic moment, it's definitely one of the few times that happens.

(This was longer than I expected and I don't know if I explained myself correctly because once again, I don't even find the correct words in my own language so in english the message might be interpreted wrong, but I just wanted to rant)

I always find it strange when people describe erza as someone who expresses love with words over actions. Like she is CAPABLE of doing both for sure and she has definitely improved with words over the years, but generally speaking Erza has consistently been shown to prefer actions over words to express emotions throughout the series.

For example in the beginning her words make her come off as cold and distant, it's her actions that prove to us that despite how unfeeling she comes off, she's one of the most loyal members the guild has.

She doesn't say anything to gray on galuna after he stands up to her and she decides to let him stay, she doesn't have to, he gets the message.

All she really says to Wendy after she lost her guild is that she understands and then asks her to join fairy tail, it's her hand on Wendy's shoulder that makes it impactful, it tells us and Wendy that she means it.

She doesn't say anything when jellal lies about the fiance, she accepts it and gives him space if that's what he needs. She doesn't need to say she loves him, we see it in her actions and he does too.

Early on, it was to the point it was an actual problem because she would work herself to her absolute limits because it was the only way she knew how to show love.

Even now, her go to way of showing affection is through physical touch. Even if it is sometimes played for a joke like when she forgets she's wearing armor and smashes Somones face into it, that's still an act of affection.

Overall erza has been consistently characterized as someone who struggles with emotions and uses actions to express herself rather than words. She has moments where she comforts friends and stuff but in those moments the words themselves are usually less impactful than the actions that come with them. Anyway case and point, erza is like a prime example of someone who shows love with actions, she just does it so effectively that you as an audience understand her love enough for you to forget she didn't actually say anything. Thanks for coming to my ted talk

[poisonouspastels]

@beegswaz genuinely i think my favorite tags on any of my work ever. i fucking love when people talk abt my characters like this

[naydralikessoup]

thinking about the end of kh1 again................

[keypostos]

caleb is 10 when he realizes that he's a physical touch fiend. the rush he gets when his hand lingers on top of your skin after playing with you is like no other. when he presses into your side while you're reading, his thoughts always circle around one topic: you, you, you. when you would run into his room after a nightmare, caleb was ready to swoop you in his arms and hold you until you fell asleep. every response towards you was involuntary.

caleb is 15 when he realizes that teasing 13-year-old you becomes irresistible. when he holds up your book, pencil, or some other item in the air, he watches as you jump up and down to try and grab it back. he's grown a lot in three years; if he had to estimate, he's a whole head taller than you now—20cm at least.

when you throw yourself onto him in an attempt to get your stuff back, he falters. you're laying against him on the couch, shuffling and moving up and down over his body, and caleb's breath hitches. you're so close and right there.

he's going insane. you can't even stand up for five seconds before caleb pulls you down against him once more, saying something about retaliation or revenge while tickling you to death.

caleb is 20 when he's about to leave for the DAA. there's an air of silence around the house. you've trapped yourself in your room more often, stressing over your senior finals. at least, that's what you've been telling him.

"i'm sorry caleb, i really need to study for this test."

"oh! i totally forgot about that project i had due tonight. shit, i'm sorry caleb. we'll have another movie night soon, okay?"

he doesn't know if you're actually this busy or if you're actually ignoring him. all he does know is that he misses you. he wonders about how he could miss someone who was in the room across from him. you were so close, but so far.

when you found out he was leaving—though you had a grin on your face while congratulating him—caleb knew you were devastated. he wondered if you were secretly mad at him for leaving.

two weeks before his departure, he practically forces you to be around him. he laid down next to you like before. he stroked your hair while you napped on the couch. he teased you and picked you up so you could hit him and grab him like you used to. he always chose to put his arm around you during a movie. he dragged you by the hand all around the neighborhood. he needed to all of that again, a thousand times more.

but at 24, it seems like there may have been a wedge between the two of you. calls are more and more infrequent.

"sorry, space signal sucks," he'd type.

"sorry, i was busy with training!" you'd reply, 2 days later.

he thinks that he would do anything to go back to before. he hasn't felt you in months. he sees you only twice a year.

it's hard. it was excruciating during the first few weeks. not only was he dealing with bootcamp, but he always found himself looking to his side, thinking you'd be there with him. at night, you were there, right next to him in bed.

he imagined that you would whisper words of reassurance in his ear. you'd hold onto him like you used to, when you had nightmares, and wrap your legs between his. there were days where we stroked his necklace, wishing that it was your hand instead. what he would give to have you next to him.

all he wants is to be able to feel you again. he chastises his 10-year-old self for taking you for granted back then. he wants to feel the apples of your cheeks when he caresses your face. once,—when he was 13 (you, 11)—he did that, and he thought you had a fever the way you warmed up. if he could, caleb would build a time machine to go back to that.

caleb is 25 when he is out of your life.

he thinks about you every day. it reminds him of when he was in bootcamp five years ago. it takes him back to when he was fifteen; you were on top of him, and his brain was fried to a crisp. caleb wonders if he's always been this way, because he can recall that at ten, you were still the only thing consuming his mind.

even during his arm repairs, you're there throughout all the pain.

when you discover his metal arm, all of caleb's instincts point to the door. he's spent so long trying to hide it from you: it's the constant long-sleeves (even though they made him incredibly uncomfortable), or making sure to only touch you with his left-hand (even though he wanted to pull you in with both hands).

but he stays. because it's you.

you freeze momentarily, listening to his writhes and moans of pain. caleb only notices you're there when he feels your hands brush his shoulder. he jolts back in surprise, and he sees you looming over him.

he stammers something, not even sure of what he said because you're here. you see him. you see it.

caleb's wanted this for so long. he wanted to see you again, in a state where you were both vulnerable, like old times. however, that moment probably wouldn't have come if he doesn't confess about this, so he relays the details.

you listen attentively, eyes wide with shock as caleb goes on. your hands wrap around his metal one, and he feels nothing. it's agonizing. he sees you examine him so gently. your fingers trace over bolts and plates of metal, lightly stroking up and down his arm. and caleb feels nothing.

how often has he dreamed of this? for you to be touching him again, so intimately and softly? he's stayed up countless nights wishing for you to be here, just so he can put his arms around you in a crushing embrace, only to be incapable of feeling you on one side of his body.

you pull away from his arm, asking if the fleet was accountable. when he doesn't say anything, he feels your weight lift off the bed and go towards the door.

whatever happens next is involuntary. he uses his flesh arm to pull you back, caging you between his forearm and his chest. there's no thought to it, no rationalization. it's just you and him. and he's been deprived of this for so long.

he breathes into the crevice of your neck, and he has half a mind to place his entire face there. he wants to breathe you in after being away from you for so long. no conversations, no contact, no touching. the last time he was this close to you was years ago. he needs this, caleb thinks.

the feel of you against his bare chest is something he cannot seem to describe. it's like he's his teenage (or even kid) self again, where he seems to short-circuit whenever he comes in contact with you. you're still small compared to him, but you fit perfectly like you did a decade ago.

he lets you go after he feels you trembling. you don't hesitate to place your hands on his waist and tackle him onto the bed. you catch him off-guard as you pin him beneath you, looking straight into his eyes.

"hold me," you plead, "with your right hand."

caleb lets out a shaky breath. there are voltages of electricity flowing through him—literally and figuratively. his skin sparks alive when he feels you. will it be the same with the metal arm?

slowly, caleb raises his mechanical arm. he wraps it around you, and feels the movement of your back shift downwards. you released a breath you didn't know you were holding. caleb held his.

you wait patiently before caleb starts running his metal hand up and down your back. you watch him exhale as he continues. you press your forehead on his, and you breathe in tandem with him.

caleb is 25 when he discovers that he loves physical touch.

wow like i didn't expect this to get so long... but like here we are???

i think we need to start embracing touch-starved caleb in all of our fics. this man hasn't seen the love of his life in YEARS (infrequently, anyway) so i think once she touches him (like INTIMATELY) for the first time in years he goes a little cray.

also sorry the ending was rushed i wanted to get this over with bc i intented this to be like 500 words but obviously it got way longer than that. what can i say... this freak has dug into my brain.