#form an orderly line ( queue. )

[invarietas]

in comparison to the pristine prince of corporate greed, the mysterious stranger is simultaneously greater (in stature), and lesser (in dress). surely it would be a source of comedy if any other mortal were around. indeed-- there SHOULD be a certain turk ever-present. yet...

nothing.

ardyn looks down to this frosted blonde wrapped elegantly in layers of white with an expression better befitting that of an amused fox; the other's bright garb opposing his own rather haphazard disaster of colours and uneven layers.

"ooh, a rarity to hear one in power admit to a lack of it~." the immortal smiles, the expression taking a temporary note of chagrin as he corrects himself- "at least in certain aspects~. though- do forgive my rudeness; i never got your name~."

he crosses his arms over his chest, briefly looking the other up and down. he can't help but offer a shrug at the statement, like it was a dumb thing to hear. "sure. we all have our weaknesses." despite how much reginald shinra had tried, rufus was still prone to moments of weakness. or maybe he was just more human.

[gabessquishytum]

Hob letting a whole bachelor party use his hole one after the other until the cum was dripping down his legs, you say? I could absolutely see that as Desire’s bachelor party.

Because they’re trying to be good for their fiancée, maybe they checked with Unity beforehand for permission to join in, or they’re content to simply sit back and enjoy the show, but either way they do insist that all the attendees have a turn. This includes their stick-up-his-ass brother Dream, who in their humble opinion desperately needs to cut loose and get his dick wet.

And while Hob could just be a sex worker Desire hired for the night, what I think would be even funnier is if Hob was one of Desire’s slutty friends, who eagerly said yes barely before Desire had finished sharing their idea.

And better yet, what if this was also Desire’s crazy idea to introduce Hob and Dream, in the hope that they’d hit it off? It’s a win-win scenario; either they’d have a wild sexy bachelor party, or they’d have a wild sexy bachelor party and give their brother a peace offering in the form of a sexy boyfriend and an amazing meet-cute story (I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to say “I met my boyfriend when I and several other people used him as a cumdump at my sibling’s bachelor party”?) 😁

-🪽anon

SCREAMING about this. I really like the idea of Hob just being insane and horny. Maybe it's even his idea to be a cumdump in honour of Desire's upcoming union. Desire is just like "oh absolutely you know me SO well. also i want you to meet someone 👀" they don't tell Hob anything more than that. It's going to be the best party EVER.

Of course once the party starts (they're in a hotel suite, Desire and their friends, Unity is there too, and a few of the Endless siblings - Destiny opted out and Delirium is busy on the balcony yelling at people down in the street) there are shots, and probably an assortment of party drugs, and everyone is in the mood. So Hob gets on the bed on all fours, and Desire tells everybody to form an orderly queue. They want everyone to participate - consider it a wedding gift! Especially you Dream.

And because they're Desire's friends, nearly everyone pushes and shoves go get a turn with Hob. Dream ends up quite far down the line, and he's not really feeling it... who wants to have an orgy with various siblings in the same room? But then he gets a proper look at Hob and suddenly he wants. Desperately.

Hob is already dripping. He grins at Dream hazily, slurs something that might be "You're pretty". He looks absolutely blissful like there's nowhere he'd rather be than here, on Dream’s cock, overflowing with so much cum he can't move without leaking. For Dream, it's like love at first sight. This is the man he wants to spend his life with. He thinks he might actually be going insane.

It's a night that no one will forget. With the cumdump complete, pictures taken and Hob duly praised for being such a good slut, Dream takes him to clean up. And they fuck again in the shower, where Hob loops his arms around Dream’s neck and refuses to let go. Desire is feeling very smug indeed with their matchmaking, even though Unity scolds them for setting Dream up with a deranged slut.

When Dream and that deranged slut get married 3 years later, Unity has to admit - she was wrong. Those weirdos are totally meant to be together!

[dailymanners]

A queue is nothing more than a waiting line. Key word: waiting. Then why is it so hard for some people to wait their turn?

The word queue is French in origin, and it is also one of the most commonly misspelled words in English, right up there with etiquette and dessert (or is it desert?). It's a word more used by the Brits than by Americans, who say "in line" (or "on line," for New Yorkers). Some cultures are much more amenable to forming orderly lines than others (the ones who don't will not be mentioned here). But cutting into the queue or the line is frowned on everywhere.

So why is it that some people can't resist cutting in line? Is it possible that they have more of a sense of entitlement than others, and that what they have to do is more important than those who are waiting their turn. People who are waiting in line correctly almost always notice when anyone cuts in line (especially in this country, where it is truly frowned on), though they may be too polite to say anything. They may not be too polite to take a photo or a video of the miscreants, though, so if you are one of them, be aware that you might end up on YouTube or Facebook as a scofflaw.

Here are some tips that make standing in line easier for everyone:

• Queue early. If you hate standing in line, practice being early to events, especially those that you know will be crowded, such as Disneyland, a museum exhibition, or a movie premiere. And get to the airport a little before your airline advises.

• Wait your turn. Don't even think about cutting in line. You will leave a group of disgruntled, not to say angry, people behind you, and bad karma ahead of you. An exception here is if you know you will miss something very important, such as a airline connection, by waiting in line. In case of this kind of emergency, explain to people ahead of you in line what your problem is, and ask them if you can go ahead of them. Even better, contact an airline assistant and ask them to take you to the head of the line. They will do so if you will miss your connection otherwise.

• Offer your place in line to someone who needs it more. If you're standing in a grocery line with a full basket of purchases and the person behind you has just a few, offer to trade places! This is a simple act of kindness that costs nothing but a few minutes of your time. And whenever possible, offer to let older people, pregnant women, disabled people, and parents/caregivers with babies or young children go ahead of you.

• Children. If you suspect you will have to wait in line with your children, tell them ahead of time that will probably have to do so and that they will need to practice patience. It's never too early to teach children how to behave in public. But also bring something to keep them occupied, such as a book.

[footprintsinthesxnd]

The Good Die Young

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Warnings: mentions of graphic themes, war, injury, weapons, sexual images, language, 18+. Pairings: Jake Seresin x f!reader Disclaimer: This is a series reflecting on the true events of the US Marines in WW2. All of the characters are fictional and not based off are original characters (except for Jake Seresin) and they are not representations of the real, brave men who fought in WW2. I have tried to make all the events in this series as accurate as possible but please bare in mind this is fanfiction and i have added/ changed certain things to fit with this. Special thanks to the lovely Fern @desert-fern for proofreading this chapter for me.

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Melbourne, January 1943

Jovial music filled the air, dancing over the way of American soldiers as the ship docked in Melbourne. The local band was playing music standing, their big bass drum booming loudly over the noise of the crowd. Women, children and boys too young to fight and men too old to fight lined the streets, cheering, flags waving frantically as the soldiers disembarked. Jake had never seen such a welcome. It was a welcome sight after the horrors of Guadalcanal.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Johnny barked, letting out a loud shout as he joined in, waving to a group of young boys on their bikes following behind the trucks.

The trucks lurched and groaned under the weight of the troops as the convoy pulled to a stop outside the large red cricket stadium. The men were ordered to disembark, collecting the few possessions they had and their kit bags before forming orderly queues and following the Commanding Officer up the steps towards the light. The men bumped and shoved each other, each one vying for first in a race unknown to them all. Jake was slammed into one of the metal railings, hissing as his ribs made contact with the cold, rigid bar, sending sparks through his chest

Jake shielded his eyes from the bright sunshine as he entered the vomitorium, his eyes landing on his fellow Marines, all taking their seats on small beds on the bleachers.

“Welcome to Camp Murphy,” the CO began, talking through the megaphone that he’d somehow acquired. “Stay with your Company, pick a bed and drop your belongings. Chow is in an hour. You are not permitted to leave the stadium without a pass or unless you are instructed to do so by a senior officer.”

Jake found an empty bed and threw down his kit bag, sighing loudly and stretching his aching back. George sat down on the bed next to him while Frank, Johnny and Edward all followed suit. Johnny fell face-first onto his cot with a loud groan, pulling the pillow over his head to block out the wall of noise that surrounded them all. “I could sleep for a year.”

Frank let out a muffled laugh, pulling the cigarette from the corner of his mouth. “So you’re telling me that later when we all disperse into town in the cover of darkness, you won’t come with us.”

Johnny peeked out from behind his pillow. “Will there be alcohol?” He asked, his voice small and filled with a childlike wonder.

“Obviously,” Frank retorted, causing the others to laugh as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Then count me in.” Johnny sat up, rubbing his eyes as if he’d woken from a long sleep.

Once the MPs had cleared out of the main cricket ground, the Marines flooded the streets of Melbourne, most headed to the local bars, some went into shops and a few even went down to the movie theatre. The boys of How Company found the nearest pub and vowed to drink to their heart's content. Jake joined in watching as Johnny and Frank poured every possible alcohol into a glass and downed it in one, their faces contorting comically at the bitter taste. George sat in the corner nursing his beer while Edward was talking to the pretty young barmaid. Jake finished his beer and stood slowly, “I’m going to have a wander around, see what’s about?” The comrades barely acknowledged him, too consumed in their next round of alcohol.

“I’d go with you but I think someone needs to make sure that none of them die.” George joked, motioning to Johnny and Frank as they continued sampling the spirits.

“That’s probably for the best,” Jake agreed, nodding at his friend before turning to make his way outside.

Jake took a deep breath as he stepped out of the stuffy, smokey bar, the clean air filling his lungs and the warm afternoon sun on his face caused a smile to grace his lips. It had been warm in Guadalcanal, hot even with a humid sticky feeling that caused you to sweat buckets, even at night and the incessant buzzing of the mosquitoes ever-present, but here the warmth was different. Somehow it reminded him of home, the sunshine filling his body with vigour and warmth that it hadn’t had since the day he shipped out to the Pacific. He began walking aimlessly down Main Street, his feet carrying him along the line of shops, passing fruit stalls, clothing shops, and the hardware store. Jake almost felt like he was at home, he’d often give his mother a lift to town, helping her carry the groceries back to the car. As Jake rounded the corner, he came face to face with a young woman on a bike, the brakes screeched to a halt and the young woman fell forward off her bike. Jake lunged forward, catching her before she collided with the pavement.

“East there ma’am, you should watch where you're going.” Jake smiled down at her as she glared up at him. Easing herself quickly from his arms, she huffed and straightened her dress. “Get your hands off me, Yank!” She exclaimed, her accent British and her mannerisms causing Jake to laugh at the light blush that formed on her already rosy cheeks.

“You’re very welcome, ma’am, anytime.” Jake gave her a mock salute and his sarcastic tone infuriated her more when she groaned. Jake hadn’t noticed the papers that litter the street until she bent down, scooping them up quickly as the wind began to flutter them away.

“Here let me help you,” Jake bent down helping gather up the loose papers. Looking down at the paper he noticed the familiar layout and fonts.

“You work for a newspaper?” He asked a crooked smile forming on his lips as he handed the papers back to her.

“And what is it to you?” She glared at him again. Jake couldn’t help but notice that despite her aggravation towards him that she was very striking.

“Well I used to work for a newspaper back home before I joined the Marine Corps,” Jake explained, noticing a small flicker of a smile gracing her lips before it disappeared again.

“Well good for you but you’ve made me late. Good day, Soldier.”

“It’s Corporal ma’am, I recently got promoted actually.” She squinted at him, her forehead wrinkling in confusion as if the information was meant to mean something to her. Jake watched helplessly as she climbed back onto her bicycle, securing the papers in the basket before peddling away without a second glance.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bar was crowded, smoke filling the air as the ambient glow cast shadows over the men in uniform who filled tables and chairs throughout the vicinity. A bartender with rolled-up sleeves moved from one end of the counter to the other, sliding drinks along the wooden top. Some of the men occupied the wooden stools along the counter, while others crowded around the darts board. A cacophony of laughter filled the dark corners of the room. Jake smiled jovially, balancing the beers on the wooden tray as he approached the group.

Several of the men were singing loudly and out of tune to ‘An Angel in Disguise’ while one of them played the piano. Each man had his arm around a pretty girl, all smiling enthusiastically up at the soldiers.

“This rounds on me,” he called out, earning a cheer from his fellow Marines.

“I knew I like this guy,” Johnny spoke up, taking a sip of the golden liquid and wiping the foam moustache away with the back of his hand.

“Alright Short Ass, stop being such an ass kisser,” Johnny called out, puffing up his chest in a desperate attempt to make himself taller. Frank just shook his head, a crooked smile gracing his lips.

“Hey Cowboy, did you see those girls at the bar, they keep looking our way?” George mused, coming to stand beside his friend. Jake turned casually, his eyes raking over the many figures until he made eye contact with her.

“Shit!” Jake hissed under his breath, averting his gaze in a desperate attempt to avoid further conflict.

“What?” George asked, standing on his tiptoes to try and see what Jake had.

“It’s the girl from earlier, the one I bumped into and know she wants to murder me.”

George threw his head back in a fit of laughter. “You’re fuckin’ with me right? You’re scared of her! Jake, you’re a fucking Marine and she’s just a woman.”

“Exactly!” Jake exclaimed, “They are very dangerous if you get on the wrong side of them.”

“Alright, that’s it. I’m not having you being terrified of a girl.” George stood up, abandoning the beautiful woman beside him who looked rather put out and strolled towards the woman at the bar. Jake couldn’t bear to watch, turning away from his friend to try and preserve what little dignity he had left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Y/n) grinned through red lips at her friends, Fern and Johanna, who were desperately trying to recount the US Marines arrival from that morning. Fern’s lips moved a million miles an hour while (Y/n) humoured her, sipping her whiskey neat as she kept up with the story. Fern, Johanna, and (Y/n) had been friends since she first moved to Melbourne and couldn’t find her way to the local newspaper. They had been willing to volunteer and the rest was history.

“Have you noticed that group of Marines over there, they keep looking at us,” Fern whispered, trying to point towards the group of soldiers without making it too obvious. “That blond one certainly has eyes for you.”

“I like the dark-haired tall one,” Johanna mused, biting her lip seductively.

(Y/n) turned round to look and let out a small groan, burying her face in her palm as she spotted the blond Marine. “Not him, anyone but him.”

“Come on, stop being so picky. There is a bar full of extremely attractive Marines and you're still being picky.” Fern protested, placing her glass on the bar to grip her friend's shoulders. “Just give them a chance. Please.”

“Fine,” (Y/n) signed, throwing her head back and downing the rest of her drink.

“Good because one of them is coming our way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It turned out that George was quite charming and although he informed them he was off the market, he did encourage the three girls to join their group for the evening. Everything was going smoothly so Jake took it upon himself to try and talk to the mystery girl that had been occupying his thoughts.

“So… how are you feeling, Sweetheart?” Now even Jake would admit that he was probably coming on a little strong but with the amount of alcohol he’d consumed he honestly wasn’t surprised.

“I was doing just fine until you appeared,” she retorted, glaring at him. Jake nodded slowly letting out an amused chuckle as he watched her friend elbow her and hiss something in her ear.

“I'm doing just fine, thank you,” she corrected herself and sent Jake a pleasant smile.

Jake nodded, “I'm pleased to hear that.”

As the evening progressed, the longing looks and fleeting touches between the pair grew to an unbearable tension. Jake could feel the sweat trickling down his back and began to pull at the collar of his uniform, desperate for the feeling of the soft evening breeze hitting his sweat-drenched flesh. He let out a soft huff as he felt a hand tapping his shoulder, he was pleasantly surprised when he came face to face with his mystery lady.

“Do you play?” She cocked her head to the side, letting her hair fall gracefully from her shoulder as she thrust several darts towards him, cocking her eyebrow as she waited for a response.

“Sure,” Jake replied, puffing up his chest. “As long as you don't mind losing.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“If I win, the next round for the entire bar is on you.”

Jake’s eyebrows furrowed slightly but his poker face remained stoic.

“Alright, but if I win I get to take you on a date,” a mischievous smirk sprung across his lips as he looked down at her. She blushed, averting her gaze to her shoes.

“You want to take me on a date? Why?” (Y/n) couldn’t understand why he of all people wanted her, why did he find her so interesting.

“Well, aren’t you just the most beautiful woman in all of Melbourne.”

She blushed furiously, “Well I don’t know about that,” her voice shook and she struggled to meet his eyes.

“To me you are.”

He was shamelessly flirting with you, all the Marines flirted with the women, you also knew that a lot of them just wanted sex and nothing more but Jake seemed different. Yes, he was charismatic, handsome and charming but he had a sort of edge to him that others didn’t. He was different and there was something behind those blue eyes that she couldn’t quite pinpoint.

She nodded her head slowly, “Okay, you’ve got yourself a deal, Corporal.” He took her hand in his, running his thumb over her knuckles.

“Well then little lady, you got yourself a deal,” Jake stood slightly taller now, eyes shining brightly as he grinned at you as if he’d already won the bet.

Luckily for you, Jake did win. The more you thought about his offer of a date throughout the evening the more you realised you were rooting for him to win, throwing the darts with little force, using your left hand instead of your right, you’d never been one to let others win but Jake had awoken something in you, even when you felt like he was the worst man on earth.

To say Jake was feeling smug that he won would be the understatement of the century, his face erupted into a wide grin, eyes shining brightly. He slung his arm around her shoulder, “Well Little Lady, looks like you owe me a date.”

“It looks like I do,” (Y/n) stood up swiftly, “but I must be going now, I have an early start tomorrow.” (Y/n) found herself hurrying quickly to the door, desperate to get away from Jake before she did something she might regret. She felt him running after her, hearing the odd complaint as he pushed past other Marines to get through the crowd to her. (Y/n) reached the door, hurrying out into the cool, evening air, she let out a breath she didn’t even know she had been holding, feeling her hands begin to shake a little at the restraint she had shown. (Y/n) didn’t know what to do, she had never felt this way about anyone before.

“HEY! HEY!” The all too familiar voice called from behind her, loud footsteps echoing on the quiet street. “Hey wait up.”

(Y/n) stopped abruptly, turning herself round and hurrying towards Jake. She grabbed hold of his shirt, yanking him harshly towards her and cashing their lips together. Jake let out a surprised squeak that caused her to smile into the kiss before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her impossibly close. (Y/n) had always thought it was ridiculous to think people saw fireworks when they kissed but the fireworks that erupted inside her stomach provided the theory right. Her hand wove its way into Jake’s short hair, tugging it gently.

When they eventually pulled apart Jake’s lips were swollen and smudged with red lipstick, his chest heaving from his effort.

“Goodnight, Corporal,” (Y/n) whispered, her lips brushing against his once more before she pulled away, her legs carrying her quickly down the now-silent Main Street.

“Hey, when can I see you again?” Jake hollered after her, his voice echoing down the dimly lit street. “You promised to go on a date with me.”

She turned sharply on her heels, her red lips creeping into a wicked smirk. “I said I’d go on a date with you, I never said when though.” She laughed as she turned back around, continuing the short walk to her house. Jake groaned in frustration. How could one woman have such an effect on him?

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[isogenderskitty]

i’m in the queue for iski!!!!! aaaaa!!!!!!! cursing my british instincts to form orderly queues tho bc like why am i doing this why am i standing in a single file line silently i wanted to talk to people i think there was more of a crowd at the front but like i don’t?????? know if then i’d have to like find the back of the queue again when the doors open??????? help me

[im-a-goat-in-disguise]

Brits are so naturally inclined to queuing that I just experienced ~50ish cars trying to leave a car park at once form a rather orderly queue going completely around the arbitrary (and completely unused) parking spaces instead of making the (somewhat more logical) decision to drive straight over them and reach the exit faster at the cost of the momentary judgement of a few drivers you'll never see again. Literally forming an arbitrary queue simply so that a queue can be formed. No incentive, no organisation beyond "I need to get out, I'll wait for the other car tho". Amazing. Faith in humanity restored to 100%. There were even two guards on duty who were just sitting there in disbelief looking at the wild variety of cars all following the same unspoken moral code of Not Cutting In Line

[jrbenvs3000f24]

Week 9: Truly Amazing Natural Phenomena

One of the most incredible natural phenomena I’m aware of I learned about in a viral post. Truthfully I don’t remember where I first heard it or what the source was, only that I was immediately skeptical. With many incredible tales about nature we hear about online, their sources and authenticity can be murky at best. It’s an issue I’ve found myself thinking about a lot this week in considering the ways nature can amaze and astound us, and the role technology plays in nature interpretation.

As we read this week, technology has some enormous benefits to offer us in nature interpretation: accessibility of information, connection to remote places and people, access to experts and resources (Beck et al., 2018). It also presents us with challenges, and while our textbook does a good job of describing many of these (effects on memory, interpersonal connection for example), I think it fails to adequately describe the dangers of misinformation in nature interpretation.

When Covid lockdowns were first put in place, I can remember my news feed being flooded with images of “nature healing itself”. Deer wandering through the streets, goats lounging in city parks. The assertion was that with less cars on the road, and everybody staying home, animals were free to roam once more. It was a nice thought, and to some extent - animal behaviour did change (Tandon, 2020), but a lot of these photos were fake, or entirely misattributed for a nice, heart-warming story. 

Which is why when I first read about the hermit crab house exchange, I assumed it was another instance of this. But nature really is more amazing than we can easily believe. Hermit crabs live in discarded shells of other crustaceans. They evolved without shells, nature’s squatters. As they grow, they often outgrow their found shells. Groups of hermit crabs will gather and form an actual organized line by size. They each leave their shells in an orderly queue, in order to trade-up. They take their new shells in order of largest to smallest, each waiting their turn to acquire their fancy new house (Osorno et al., 1998).

It really is one of the most incredible facts about animal behaviour I had heard, and it has the same ring of an uplifting, feel-good story. Luckily, this one is absolutely true and has been both studied and recorded. Humans love stories, and we especially love stories with an uplifting moral message. In this case: the crabs appear to be cooperating, though in reality this is an in-grained evolutionary behaviour with a perfectly reasonable explanation.

It may be tempting to see the fake images around covid lockdowns as innocent and harmless fiction. But in nature interpretation, the job of the interpreter is not only to provide a unique and meaningful experience, but to interpret nature as it is, not as we’d like to see it. Misinformation, even when it doesn’t lead directly to harmful beliefs, can erode trust and cause misconceptions about nature. And when the natural world is full of amazing phenomena, there’s no reason to exaggerate for effect: nature gives us plenty of wonderful material. 

Beck, L., Cable, T.T., Knudson, D.M. (2018). Interpreting Cultural and Natural Heritage: For a Better World. Sagamore Venture. 

Osorno, J., Fernández-Casillas, L., Rodrı́guez-Juárez, C. (1998). Are hermit crabs looking for light and large shells?: evidence from natural and field induced shell exchanges. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 222(1-2), 163-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-0981(97)00155-X

Tandon, A. (2020). Why do we keep falling for fake news about animals and what can go wrong? Mongabay. https://india.mongabay.com/2020/04/why-do-we-keep-falling-for-fake-news-about-animals-and-what-can-go-wrong/

[plantfeed]

location: bathroom of fanny's. status: closed for bri @eclvpses

it’s weird how the doors on the bathrooms in bars always seem to be looser. or maybe, when people are drunk or high, they’re more prone to forgetting the lock. either way, there’s a body on the other side when rory shuts the door behind them, a shedload of apologies forming an orderly queue at the back of their throat before they realise it’s teddy bent over the sink. “it was teddy, with the cocaine in the bathroom.” rory says, by way of announcement, silently scalding himself moments later. “sorry, i’m like, on my agatha christie whodunnit bullshit at the moment. gagging for a game of cluedo,” rory adds, an inkling of hope in their tone. take the bait, teddy. take the bait. “no one will humour me.” he’s assuming the substance lined up on the veneer is coke, but when he steps closer and dips his finger down into the plastic film for a taste, rory can’t quite put his finger on it. “is that ketamine?” rory asks, finger pressed to their lips as they try to identify the taste, a sommelier sampling fine wines. “i’m getting notes of horse tranquiliser.” they won’t berate teddy by telling him that he should have found a biodegradable way of transporting his drugs by now, although rory’s still toying with the idea of starting a beeswax wraps baggie business — maybe even go into a partnership with that colby girl from the colby honey co down at abernathy creek where they make their own shampoo out of spit or whatever. “i can’t even tell what that is. kinda fallen off the horse, so to speak, with that whole scene.” ‘that whole scene’ being the practice of popping pills every weekend and nightly ambien to sleep, though rory was never in the red as much as teddy, always more of a casual partaker. popping the lid of the toilet down, rory takes a seat on the lid, knees pulled tight to their chest as they glance up at teddy. “we have to stop meeting like this,” rory notes, gesturing between the two of them, once again meeting in a bathroom. “people are going to start assuming we’re fucking.”

[depthbuffer]

On the one hand, I am once again wide awake at 1am because my belly hurts, the latest in a long line of unrelated ailments that seemingly insist on forming an orderly queue and playing out one after the other over years, instead of being mostly well with the occasional bout of sickness here and there like a normal person.

On the other hand, I just scored a barely used second-hand Keystep Pro, and a massively discounted B-stock DSM-03, a module I didn't even know existed until I stumbled across the listing. (In fact, I never even knew Dave Smith Instruments made modules, however briefly.)

The basic concept is Karplus-Strong in a box, but because it's Eurorack, all the building blocks have their own inputs and outputs. Karplus-Strong is a "plucked string" synthesis technique that works by feeding a short noise pulse into a feedback loop consisting of a low-pass filter and precisely timed delay, so you end up with a repeating wave with frequency based on the delay time, and decay as each repeat goes through the filter. Breaking that into its component parts, this module lets you feed in any audio, not just its internal noise pulse; the attack & decay of the noise pulse can be tweaked; and the filter cutoff & resonance, feedback loop gain, and delay length are CV-controlled. I particularly like how, with a smeared long attack noise pulse, it starts to sound panpipe-y.

The Erica Synths Pico Voice has a Karplus-Strong mode, which I used for the "guitar" on this track - along with overdrive for grit, a dash of volt/octave tuned squeal from a self-oscillating filter, a touch of reverb, then feeding the whole post-oscillator signal chain back on itself and blending back in with the dry stopping *just* before the point where notes would devolve into feedback whine rather than fade away, because why use real hardware if you aren't going to abuse feedback loops in ways DAWs can't do?

But I kind of like having the "real thing" in a module. Plus the thrill of having scored something slightly rare for a bargain price. The Pico Voice, being a fully digital, 3HP module, is awesome at doing exactly what it is advertised as doing, but has no patching potential beyond being an oscillator.

(video not mine)

However, it's 10HP I hadn't planned to fill this way; I had a plan for the remaining space in my case and this wasn't part of it. Oh well. A problem for future self. 🙃

The Keystep Pro I had planned to get for a while, because up until now I've only had a cheap keyboard with USB MIDI out, and only a single channel 16 step hardware sequencer, so I've had to have my PC on & DAW running, relying on MIDI-to-CV to actually pay my modular rig. Which kind of sucks for experimenting/meditating, and rules out live jamming, when you only have two CV outs and no expression or pitch bend. So I might start streaming at some point, just casually on twitch maybe.

[toficoncebu]

Reminder for All About Exhibit Viewing Etiquette:

To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, please adhere to the following guidelines:

-No Touching: Only exhibitors or authorized staff with badges may handle exhibits.

-Stay Behind Barriers: Do not cross or lean over warning tape or barriers.

-No Overreaching: Keep hands, cameras, and smartphones away from exhibit items.

-No Food or Drinks: Keep these at least 4 feet away from exhibits.

-Restricted Items: Avoid bringing sticks, umbrellas, large props, or similar objects.

-Supervise Children: Ensure children remain under adult supervision at all times.

-Form Orderly Queues: Maintain orderly lines to ensure a smooth experience.

-CCTV in Use: Activities are monitored and recorded for safety and security.

Thank you for observing these rules and helping us maintain a respectful and secure environment for all!

[poemsofadifferentvein]

Everything, all the time

I'm here writing a million lines

Of a script that will not end

It's playing constantly in my head

And I watch it change day by day

But yesterday was the same as today

And tomorrow is yet to come

But I have a suspicion that I've seen this one

The show always has things to see

It likes to take swipes at my sanity

But it ebbs and flows in its own rythm

Remember that the jailor is also in prison

I'm not here anymore, just a shade

A concept of a man who's head has laid

Down on a bed one too many times

A man who has witnessed his fair share of crimes

Against what he thought the world should be

Against the joys that he thought he would see

And they float around just out of reach

A message in a bottle that doesn't wash up on the beach

I'm alone and I'm surrounded

I'm wise and I'm confounded

Im the same man as 10 years ago

All time highs after all time lows

Everything all the time.

Why don't you form an orderly line?

The doctors in but he's in the queue

I'm good thanks, how are you?

[grad603-breilamia]

Introduction to kinetic typography - m&m 8.1 notes -

Kinetic typography is an animation that utilises moving (kinetic) type to capture attention and set the tone.

Task: 

1 Size – Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) Frame rate – 25 frames per second. Published using Adobe Media Encoder – in the mpeg-4 format. Upload the final animation to the Assessments area on Canvas

URL for blog/research. (example: GRAD603.tumblr.com). This should include AT LEAST some research on speech and speaker, concept development, ideas, progress screenshots, storyboards, experimentation, and some reflection on design decisions.

‘Your animation should include a title at the beginning, and correct credits at the end - your name, year, and any audio credits.

Final published mp4 file must be between 40 – 75 seconds in length, allowing room for a title at the beginning and credits at the end.’

Class and project-related notes

After Effects is a valued skill in this industry, which we will now be learning about. 

After Effects has many layers, which may slow the computer down.

Must have credits roll at the end of your animation 

Design based on the context of the speech 

Don’t ignore ums and ahs, utilise the type to your advantage when designing animation.  

Cannot chop up audio at all 

Can use illustration, but the focus is on text as an image. Styling text. 

We are adding context, enhancing and providing a visual aid/creating a tone for the speech. 

Stylised illustration with text content 

Essentially utilising motion in text, using context to enhance and create. 

Picture the environment and paint a picture through type and minimal illustrations, maybe even adding a sound effect.

Thinking about type choices and why, what it is communicating visually in line with the content of the words being spoken, colour physiology and relation, form, and motion that embodies speech and atmosphere. 

E.g

Type 

San serif feels direct, neutral, stable, modern, clean 

Serif feels formal, timeless and traditional, respectable 

Slab serifs feel assertive, impactful, bold, and important

Mono-spaced means the same spacing between words, which gives the impression of being orderly 

Script is, unique, casual, sociable, welcoming 

Display is expressive, friendly, quirky

Etc. 

Workshop notes - after effects introduction

Hour minute seconds for frame rate - for this set to 5 seconds a frame

Right mouse click, import 

Highlight spiky ball 

Fit too 100

Can put on half-resolution when you don’t need super high quality. 

Tweening - frames in between, computer interpretation from your commands 

process ( presets first image)-

Transformation tools: 

Unlinking on the scale allows you to alter proportions 

Hover over to drag easily side to side

Shortcuts: 

Click j on the keyboard takes the frame signifier to the front (home), and k sends it to the back (end.)

A for anchor point

R for rotation

S for scale etc. 

T for opacity 

Shift p to hold the one selected on there and add another when you’re busy with lots of layers and cannot have everything open. 

keyframes:

Hitting the stopwatch creates a keyframe 

Little blue rock selection mirrors keyframes/creates more

Only have one keyframe selected when doing a new move, one on one end

Adds key Frame when you are in the frame and move the object 

Have to be careful not to make a million keyframes 

Adjust the speed of rotation etc by moving the end keyframe inwards

When adding another e.g rotation keyframe, you have to put in a number like for the others for rotation percentage

Motion blur:

3-ball grey tool, put in the bottom panel, blurs sharpness 

WHEN CREATING A NEW KEY FRAME, FOR IT TO WORK, CLICK OFF OTHERS IN THE SAME CATEGORY. 

Rendering:

Composition, add to render queue, click not yet selected near output, name save press render. 

Important - after rendering, go into applications, and open adobe media encoder, it compresses your video file. Look for the plus icon in the right block, find file, open, can change the formats - H264 for this - ‘match source brate- make sure it doesn’t have the same name as the original-click green play button, renders it for you 

grids & guides -

reflection:

last year I found animation incredibly hard to get my head around, but after this lesson I am feeling comfortable and excited to get on with this project, knowing key frames and all the transformational tools. This was a really good refresher and I feel I have a good grasp on the brief. I now want to make sure I time manage well, and am slightly concerned about my laptop slowing down because I won't always be in uni and have access to the computers.

[whitesuited-arch]

MA’AM.

[moltementi]

‘ also fuck your i.o.u. ‘ (Ed)

things i’ve said to friends online | hoo@onlycertainty​ | 

     So he fucked up. Again. Life was all about that learning, innit? “You’d get me literally t’do anything with, Kidd. I NEED your help on this- I don’t give a cold rat’s arse what I have t’do to make it up- just…” 

         Ow… the fucker broke his nose… “Jaysus… did I really earn that?!”

[finelinevogue]

Imagine if you’d been dating Harry for ages and all the fans love you and him together cause you’re always super nice and love talking to the fans too (maybe you’re slightly famous like an actor or work in fashion or something?) and you’re kinda in the background when Harry is meeting fans before the show, offering to take photos and chatting with them all🥺

okay so let’s pretend hslot has a meet and greet before hand… that’s the dream right? ;

“Love, y’sure you’ll be alright?” Harry asked as you stood off to the side of the room, nearer the drinks and snacks bar stand.

“Yes, H. I’ll be fine!” You replied.

Harry was worried about leaving you alone, although still in the same room as him, when his fans came in for their meet and greet. There wasn’t masses of them, but still enough for if they wanted to gang up and shout at you, which you’ve insisted many times to Harry is a silly notion, that they could successfully do so. You were in the media industry, a photographer no less and you’d met Harry on the shoot for Another Man - having been his designated photographer for the day. He swore he loved you at first sight. Since that shoot you were constantly with each other and the fans fell in love with you more and more each day, however there were still the ones who despised you - that’s what, or rather whom, Harry was worried about tonight.

He looked so good tonight, you could barely focus on anything else. Harry was in his outfit for stage and he was wearing pink trousers, cream-white boots and a gilet style jacket made out of glittery tassels. He was so beautiful and his skin was glowing so gorgeously, from spending the last week or so in LA. You were coordinating with him and were wearing a pink blazer with matching pink pants and then a cream-white bralette underneath the jacket with the same cream-white boots as him. You both couldn’t look more like a couple if you tried. Lambert had taken so many photos of you both, happy that you’d managed to unexpectedly coordinate so well with each other.

It was a soulmate thing, you told him.

It was around 40 minutes until showtime now and the fans should be arriving any moment now, for their opportunity to get photos with their idol.

“Just don’t like leaving y’alone.” He sighed, wrapping his arms around your neck so he could hold you closer. Your arms rested on his inner arms, feeling the warmth of his skin so smoothly as he swayed you from side to side.

“Well i’ll be by the snacks if y’need to find me.” You laughed and so did he, making you feel better that he was feeling a bit better too.

“M’kay.” He said softly and leant down to give you a soft kiss to the lips, cupping you chin lightly so he could pull your further into him. He tasted so good and fresh and he felt so hot against you. He pulled away with much reluctance and smiled when he saw your strawberry-tasting lipstick now slightly smudged. “Did I mention how hot you look tonight?”

“Only a few times.” You smiled and bit your lip as his eyes gazed over you, soaking up every detail of you, your body and outfit. You knew you looked pretty damn good, because you felt so good too.

“Only a few? Well that’s not good enough, is it?” He asked rhetorically, straightening your blazer slightly so the collar wasn’t crooked.

“You can make up for it later.”

“Oh, i’ll make sure of it lovie.” Harry raised his eyebrows and kissed your cheek, before Jeff told him to go stand over by the wall where photos would be taken. He left you be, with a childish pout to his face, and did what he was told.

It was another minute before the fans piled into the room, being told to form an orderly queue within the lines they’d marked out. You took a water bottle and drank from it as the first girl walked up to Harry, the poor thing shaking like a leaf. You watched as Harry comforted her, hugging her only slightly. Everyone here was obligated to wear a mask and also be vaccinated with a negative test result. If you weren’t vaccinated you couldn’t meet Harry, regardless of whether your test was negative. There were very strict rules, but it was for the safety of everyone - including touring staff who were more vulnerable.

A few of the other girls did their solo photos, before asking for a group one too. They were all coordinating in their outfits, but just different colours so they made a rainbow. Harry thought it was genius and made positive comments on all their outfits. You could tell it had made their year, let alone their day.

Once the first group was done they were told they could refresh themselves with some snack, before they would be escorted to their seats because they were in their own pit area. You smiled with your eyes at the group of rainbow girls approaching the table, moving out of the way so that they could grab what they wanted.

“Y/N?” One of the girls asked, the one wearing lilac actually.

“Hi, hello!” You waved awkwardly, not sure whether this was going to be the confrontation Harry had warned you about.

“Can we get a photo?” They asked politely, which made your eyes widen. You’d never been asked for a fan photo before, even when out in public with Harry. You’d always preferred to stick to the shadows unless instructed otherwise, just because you hadn’t always appreciated how good you looked, but now you were feeling great so you didn’t have a problem with it.

“Sure, yeah.” You nodded as the girl brought her camera up to snap a few selfies with you. You smiled through your mask and stuck up a peace sign - just like Harry had taught you to do.

“Thank you so much. You look amazing, by the way.” They complimented your outfit.

“Thank you! So you do lot! You’re giving me heavy TPWK vibes.” You pointed to them and they laughed, agreeing that that is in fact what they were going for.

“Can I get a photo too, sorry?” The green girl asked and you had to admit that they probably looked the best, but maybe you were just biased because that wad your favourite colour because they reminded you of your boyfriend’s eyes.

“Don’t be sorry, ‘course y’can.” You smiled and they came to stand closer to you. You took a few selfies with them and then the blue one asked too. It wasn’t long before you’d taken selfies with the full rainbow. “Shall we have a group photo?”

“Oh my god yes please!” They all cheered at the same time and you called over one of Harry’s security guards to come take a picture for you.

You all huddled together, you in the middle of them. You were stood in between green and yellow, so your pink outfit sort of ruined the flow of colours but they didn’t seem to mind. They especially didn’t seem to mind when Harry sneaked up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and resting his chin on your head. He squeezed you tight and everyone’s faces were super happy when the next few photos were taken.

“What’re you playing at?” You asked him, taking your arms off the shoulders of the girls and turning your head around to face him since he wasn’t letting go of your waist.

“Was told to come tell you to stop being a bother so these lot can go and find their seats.” Harry smiled his cheeky grin, knowing that he phrased that in a less than pleasant way.

“A both—”

“Y/N was no bother at all.” Green girl came to your assistance, protecting you against Harry’s playful accusation.

“Yeah we asked to take the photos.” Red girl stepped in next, blushing when they realised that Harry was actually staring at them with a smile on his face.

“Alright. Just this one can be trouble sometimes.” Harry tickled your waist, which made you squirm and laugh.

“Oi i’m not trouble, y’prick.” You whacked him in offence, just joking and the fans could tell because they were all laughing at you two. You noticed that one or two of them were filming you both, or taking photos, and so you tilted your head back onto Harry’s shoulder as he held you tight - feeding the fans the content that they so desperately wanted.

“Thank you so much Y/N. I love you Harry. Thank you Harry.” They all spoke bc over each other as they were escorted out of the room and off to their seats, Harry being told he had ten minutes until stage.

Harry just held you tight, kissing you at every opportune moment until the sounds of Golden called him away.

[natromanxoff]

Roger Taylor live at the The Leadmill in Sheffield, UK - March 21, 1999

Fan Stories

“Arrived at the Leadmill at 12.30pm, only one other person there. Started queuing. Weather cold and showery, but it didn't dampen our spirits. Two more people came to join the person who was standing with us, and old acquaintances from October 1998's Shepherds Bush Gig were renewed. The band came early, or so it seemed, and then went again. Treana arrived, smiled sweetly and greeted us, and then disappeared inside. Roger came for the soundcheck at about 4.30pm, but the sneaky devil went in a small door around the back. A handful of fans were there to see him. Me? Well, if I'd been literally 5 seconds quicker running round that corner, I'd have managed to meet him. Better luck at Wolverhampton! A few hours, a few sing-songs and a few rain showers later, and the queue was very slowly getting a little longer. Come 7.00pm, it was of a moderate size and we all stood and formed an 'orderly' queue, ready to make our way in. In we run, straight to the front, and root ourselves to the spot at centre stage. Treana was truly amazing. Her voice seems to have really improved since Shepherd's Bush, she is far more confident and relaxed, and I think she was genuinely warmed by our reaction to her. Then she was gone, the lights went down, and an air of anticipation was abound in the theatre. The pounding drum intro to Rock You signified the start of a spectacular hour and half's entertainment. Roger looked stunning, as usual, in black, as usual! A word-perfect set, all apart from the "And I wish I wasn't here" line from Strange Frontier. We helped him with that one, at which point he smiled his appreciation. The band themselves were on top form, as was Mr Taylor, wowing us with his mere presence. For me, the highlight was Under Pressure, with Treana hitting those high notes superbly. What a force to be reckoned with in the future! Two encores, ending with a house-rocking Radio Ga Ga, and then all was over. I was lucky enough to grab one of the set lists off the stage, and clutched it close to me as I made my way out and back to my car. What passers-by thought of me I've no idea, as I was walking through the dark streets of Sheffield, arms full of t-shirts and programmes, with a silly grin on my face! Thanks to Roger and everyone involved, for a night to remember. It brought memories of Shepherds Bush rushing back (not that they've gone away too far, yet!), and has really set me up for Wolverhampton next week. See you there!” - Cathy aka Highfire

(x)