#i already spammed my best friend with this knowledge

[creative-author]

Height Comparison Tag

I've been tagged by @theverumproject and thank you!

I tag: @novel-nook-blog, @e-klair + open tag (no pressure, you don't need to)

I use the main characters of my story just write

I try to incorporate the height in my story just write because it helps me making the characters more original. That's why I present you * drum roll * a rough picture of the main characters heights!

( I used a website for it but I don't know which one. It's been a couple months since I did this. But I actually started my comparison by making a collage in canva (below the cut))

From left to right:

Evette is roughly 1.60 meters

Juniper and James are about 1.73 meters (June likes boots so she would appear a bit taller than James)

Dean is something about 1.78 meters

Calvin is almost 2 meters tall, maybe a few centimeters smaller.

I have someone else (Elian) in the main cast but they don't have an exact height. Elian is a bit taller than Juniper but definitely smaller than Calvin. Eves best friend was almost as tall as Calvin in my first draft, but I made him smaller, being around Dean's height now.

My old references (with pictures from Pinterest). The pics I used are no face claims. At that time, I tried to find poses that would match their personalitys, because I wanted to draw them standing together (spoiler: I still haven't done that)

[ask-the-pioneer]

Hello and welcome to @ask-the-pioneer! This is a scripted ask blog dedicated to a slugcat OC of mine called Marbles (she/her), titled the Pioneer. She is a re-interpretation of Artificer’s blue slugpup, set in a AU where the pup survives, grows up, and receives a name. The main story begins some short time after the end of Artificer’s campaign. At that point in time Marbles is already a young adult (early 20s in human years). She parts ways with Hunter - her mentor - and ventures out to seek the knowledge contained within the pearls that she was always captivated by.

This blog is run by @kalivasquez (@kalivasquezart). Keep in mind I’m not a native English speaker. There may be spelling errors or weirdly constructed sentences at times. This is my first ask-blog ever so idk what I’m doing but I’m trying my best 👍

CONTENT WARNING: This blog has content rating of +18 due to potential sensitive themes: mental trauma, depictions of violence, suicidal ideation, blood and gore, or other graphic imagery that may be uncomfortable, scarring or otherwise triggering to witness. Viewer discretion is advised. Posts containing mild themes will be tagged appropriately, while posts showing heavy themes will have "mature" filter applied to them. Please be aware that all the content shared on this blog is intended for an adult audience!

More info below the cut!

Blog Rules 📜

Last update: 10th of October, 2024

By default you address the main character - Marbles, aka the Pioneer - in your asks. If you wish to inquire me directly (as an author of this blog), please include “[OOC]” at the beginning, or otherwise indicate that the message is directed at me and not the character.

Asks are answered in-character. Sometimes the character may react to your ask in a seemingly negative way. Please keep in mind that it is done from their point of view, and it does not imply that I (the author) personally reacted badly to your message.

I appreciate all the asks that I receive. However, I reserve the right to not answer some of them, at my discretion. It is not guaranteed that you receive a response. Still, I’ll try my best to answer as many messages as I can.

Be aware that some asks I receive may be skipped over, especially ones that are short and vague, in favour of more complex asks that help me push the plot of this AU forward. This is also relevant for asks that refer to the same subject (duplicates).

Please be tactful! Asks that are inappropriate or confusing in their intent (like spam, baits, asks containing slurs) will be deleted. Sorry!

Do not send me asks via direct messages (DMs)! I keep my DMs open in case someone needs to contact me for other reasons, like incorrect tagging or important offsite matters. If you send me a DM meant to be answered like an ask, your message will be ignored and deleted.

More rules may be added later. Please check this section again periodically.

General Character Info ℹ️

As of now, this ask-blog has only one acting character - Marbles the slugcat, aka the Pioneer.

Name (given): Mirmyntasseth, Eight Marbles Cast in Stone

Title (given): the Pioneer

Nickname: Blue (for family), Marbles (for friends, after being named by an iterator)

Pronouns: she/her

Age: young adult (very early 20’s in human years)

Personality: energetic, curious, savvy, humorous, short-tempered, resilient, drive, a little naive and too trusting, exhibits mild case of abandoned child syndrome

Specific traits:

good at finding pearls (she loves them, goes about as crazy for them as scavs) and other trinkets,

knows martial arts, can incapacitate enemies by hitting their pressure points,

can craft explosive spears and grenades - they do less damage, but stun for longer; crafted explosives have deep orange color,

already has a mark of communication, granted by NSH,

Tools:

Marbles is often seen wearing a light colored “sling bag” on her back, where she keeps her pearls and other items,

at a muuuuuuch later point in time, she receives a gift from a kind interator - her very own citizen ID drone; the drone can read from pearls and translate slugcat speech into other languages.

Current reference sheet:

For more in-dept info and drawings/references of the character, please visit Marbles' ToyHouse page.

AU Timeline ⏱️

the story of Pioneer takes place some years after the end of Artificer's campaign, and begins at the same time as Hunter's campaign in-game

this AU assumes the following timeline for slugcat campaigns: Spearmaster -> Artificer -> Hunter -> Gourmand -> Survivor -> Monk -> Rivulet -> Saint,

Artificer/Hunter/Gourmand campaigns happen close together, with Hunter/Gourmand overlapping slightly; all three scugs are roughly the same age, with Arti being the oldest (early 40s), and Hunter the youngest (39),

Saint and Monk are still slugpups by the time the story of Pioneer beings,

Spearmaster is unlikely to be present in this AU as it is assumed that over 432 cycles have passed, meaning they are no longer alive,

Rivulet is unlikely to be present in this AU as here their campaign is assumed to have taken place *much *later in the future,

Saint is thought to be stuck in a time loop, and *may *appear in this AU.

AU Setting 📝

Pioneer’s Backstory (before the events described in this ask blog):

Marbles/Blue (the Pioneer) was born in the Garbage Wastes area, raised by a single mother (Artificer); the other parent remains unknown,

she had a sibling (who was also the runt of the litter) - a brother named Bryn, the green slugpup; the two were fraternal twins,

she got separated from the rest of her family in a scav toll incident,

was not killed, but abducted instead by the scavenger toll tribe, brought into their local shelter just before the rain started,

initially assumed to have been taken in as a fodder in case of predator attack,

in the end she has earned her keep when she learned how to make grenades and explosive spears, turning herself into a valuable asset for the tribe,

was treated fairly well, but never truly incorporated into the local scavenger community,

had stayed with the tribe for many cycles, learning how to fight and survive, but also how to look for valuables (mainly pearls) and haggle with other tribes,

could probably have run away, but she held on to hope that mom would come back for her,

whenever she got “lost”, the tribe would look for her to bring her back,

after one of her short solo expeditions, she came back to the camp only to find out the entire scav tribe has been wiped out,

ran away and been wandering aimlessly for a while, eventualy stumbling upon Hunter who adopted her, took back to NSH's superstructure, and underwent training alongside him (under NSH’s supervision),

promised to accompany Hunter during his important mission, but had to suddenly part ways due to unfortunate circumstances (just before the beginning of Hunter’s campaign).

Post Tagging 🏷️

I use the following tags:

#rain world, #rain world oc, #rain world au - default tags added to all answered asks (unless OOC),

#rain world spoilers - is included in posts that may spoil RW lore, for example: when answers hint to the conclusion of Artificer’s campaign,

#rw - rain world-specific characters that are present in a post, such as: “#rw hunter” or “rw five pebbles”; i will try to use the full name(s) intead of abbreviations,

#au lore - posts that contain important worldbuilding information for my AU,

#ooc- out of character posts, or anything else that doesn’t fall under “rain world” umbrella,

(more tags will be added to this section once I actually start posting stuff)

I also tag sensitive content with appropriate tags like #tw [trigger], if shown.

Text Key 💬

Most dialogue takes form of narrated drawings, where Marbles speaks in her own voice. The speeches are a part of the drawings themselves.

However, if a post contains additional text, the following key is used:

[Narration]

[The road was long and arduous, and she was glad to have finally found a shelter]

(Thoughts)

(This place is full of scavengers, I should be able to trade those pearls for some food)

“Speaking”

“How come you have not seen a vulture before? Climb up to Sky Islands, they are everywhere!”

//OOC

// more art coming soon woohoo!

Credits 📑

image in the blog's header belongs to Pawel Czerwinski on Unsplash

Yoŋasabi script (slugcat language, original conlang) in the top banner by @opashoo

all the other drawings posted on this blog were made by me, unless stated otherwise

[bakudekuficlibrary]

BakuDeku: Wrong Number

1 Series. 7 Works.

Anonymous asked: Do you guys have any Wrong Number fics? Just finished reading Bluebird and wanted more of that trope!

Bluebird by EtherealBeing ( E | 53,108 | 7/7 )

Dialing a wrong number was no unusual occurrence. Everyone did it once in a while, and Katsuki was well aware of that fact.

However, possessing this knowledge made it no less aggravating for him to discover — a full two minutes into his rant about his day — that he’d been venting his frustrations to a complete stranger. As if that wasn’t enough, said stranger was also inexplicably determined to hear his story to its end.

The Great Katsuki Bakugou Textmergency by brichibi ( T | 6,559 | 1/1 )

All right. Fine. Katsuki Bakugou loves Izuku Midoriya. The first step is texting that information to best bud Eijirou Kirishima. The second step is to accidentally send the love confession to that Stupid Deku. The third step is to PANIC and dial “squad” for immediate backup.

[Series] Wrong Numbers and Complicated Feelings by LoveGeek15 ( T | 32,325 | 2 Works | Complete )

It’s perfectly dark in Izuku’s room; not a single ray of sunlight could penetrate through these seals. The only light that shone in his abyss, despite it being three in the afternoon, was his computer —

'make sure you eat lunch idiot'

— and the above message that was displayed from the newest and strangest number in his phone.

(Izuku answers a spam call that ends up being more than just a number on his phone.)

Not Her Number by vintige ( Not Rated | 3,708 | 1/1 )

a wrong number. weird conversations. and katsudon withdrawal. and Christmas lights. what could go wrong?

or Midoriya Izuku misdials Ochako's number and ends up making a new friend (or something more!) just in time for Christmas

[Abandoned] Payphone by flowercafe ( M | 5,433+ | 3/? )

Izuku’s in trouble — like, SOS trouble. Lucky for him, he’s one phone call away from salvation. Hopefully his trembling fingers dial the right number, because it would really suck if he accidentally called a stranger right now.

or

The “I was walking home alone in the middle of the night and someone started following me so I ran into this phone booth with a lock on the door to call for help, but my hands were shaking so badly I accidentally dialed the wrong number and I don’t even know who you are but please help me" au — ft. a Quirkless Izuku whose misdial connects him to the personal cell line of pro hero Ground Zero.

[Abandoned] Who are you texting? by chetrambles ( T | 5,024+ | 2/5 )

Midoriya accidentally texts the wrong number, but instead of not texting it again, he kinda- does. His faceless friend slots into his life like he was always meant to be in it, though his friends are more than wary about the situation.

Bakugou had not expected anything more than annoyance from the idiot who couldn't remember his friends number, so he was as surprised as all of his friends when the nerd starts growing on him.

What happens when the lines of friendship become blurred?

[Abandoned] Kiss Me Through the Phone by dynyamight ( T | 7,759+ | 3/15 )

“You got all that, right?” Shinsou asks, readjusting his backpack on his shoulders. Midoriya hums absentmindedly. He’s still quickly jotting down the last few digits onto his planner. “And, you said tomorrow, around 7:00? At the library?” “Yeah,” Shinsou shrugs, “Or anytime really. The deadline isn’t until next month, you know.” “I kinda just want to get it done, as soon as possible.” Shinsou breathes out a snort. “Figured you’d say that much. Just make sure you got my number. Repeat it, if you need to.”

Midoriya should have done exactly that. Unbeknownst to him, Bakugou's phone number was just one digit off Shinsou's.

hang each night in rapture by Radiant_Allomancer ( E | 1,698+ | 1/? )

ooo somebody’s getting *defensive* I’m getting such an interesting picture of you already -angry hedgehog -foot fetish -daddy kink -will send threatening messages to friends and strangers out-of-the-blue -has the vocabulary of a middle schooler

shut the fuck up oh my god do you ever stop talking

do you know any other curse words besides fuck??

a bkdk wrong number AU

To see the original 2019 post, click here.

[masterqwertster]

Hmm since you've been reblogging it, I might take another bite of the October one-word prompt list! I made myself Real Sad thinking about #21 for FCG, so might I request some further feels?

No worries, people are always welcome to send more than one ask for a prompt list. Considering most of my ask box traffic these days is spam (or people who don't know how to not look/act like spam), I've got the room for it. October Word Prompt 21 Homeward

Fresh Cut Grass was kind of expecting to fall into that sea of souls and peace Deanna told them death is after blowing themself up to save the rest of Bells Hells from Otohan Thull. Instead, he finds himself standing in a black space, maybe a void, filled with golden threads floating and tangled through the air.

It's not until FCG has done a full spin around, looking for anything besides the threads, that he sees her. A towering woman in black robes and raven feathers with a white porcelain mask for a face.

"Well, smiley day there," they great with as much cheer as they can through the confusion. "I don't suppose you know where we are? I know I died 'n' all, but this doesn't seem like much of an afterlife."

"You are at a crossroads, and must make a choice," she answers.

"I'm afraid I don't understand. How is there a choice in death?" FCG nervously questions, rocking back and forth on their wheel. "And who are you?"

"I am the Matron of Ravens, and it is my duty to see you pass to the afterlife you've earned. But unlike most, you have two possibilities before you. And I cannot choose for you," she sternly adds that last bit.

"Okay? I guess I need to know my options then."

The porcelain mask dips in an approving nod.

"In your last months, you gave faith and fealty to the Changebringer, and so in her realm your soul may take its eternal and peaceful rest, as many do.

"But you spent months more cultivating care and affection with one containing powers that pre-date the gods' collection of souls, and this grants your soul the opportunity to escape such containment. Through them, your soul could be born to a new mortal body.

"However the cycle of reincarnation is not without risk. Should that be the path you choose, I cannot guarantee that you may change your mind later and take your eternal rest. Nor can I assure you that the memories of the life you've lived will return to you, as they do to others who have reentered the cycle through more refined means."

Fresh Cut Grass isn't sure what he expected his afterlife choices to be, but it (mostly) isn't this. Going to rest in the Changebringer's care he understands easily enough. The gods look after their followers. FCG had thought his second option would be something to do with Aeor and being an aeormaton, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. A cycle of reincarnation? It's a surprise to be sure. Even more so that it comes from Ashton, if he's understanding the Matron correctly. Only Ashton, Fearne, and Imogen have connections to powers as old as or older than the gods, to FCG's knowledge, between titans and dunamancy and Predathos. But Ashton is the only one he's known months, plural, longer than he's been working on his faith to the Changebringer.

And if Ashton is why Fresh Cut Grass has this choice at all, that begs another question.

"Is Ashton stuck in this reincarnation cycle already?"

"I do not know. Your friend is a unique being in all of Exandria's history and has not lingered long enough in my realm for me to see where they might reside in death."

FCG nods and looks down, considering.

They really don't want Ashton to be alone for eternity, always involuntarily abandoned when the people they care for die while they keep coming back, again and again. That would hurt them so much, probably break them in ways Fresh Cut Grass can scarcely imagine, and really deepen their lack of self-worth. Ashton, their best friend, deserves so much more than that, can be so much more with the right support and care.

And, well, FCG wants to see FRIDA again too. To not leave them alone with a body that refuses to fail to time, unlike a flesh and blood body invariable does. After all, any active aeormaton has lasted a thousand years without fully dying, so they could conceivably continue on indefinitely with proper maintenance.

He wants to see all of Bells Hells once more. Let them know that he knows he's alive, always has been. To know them when preventing the end of the world isn't a burden trying to crush them. To help them heal from the hurts of that battle.

"I want to live again," Fresh Cut Grass declares, looking up into the mask of the Matron of Ravens.

"Are you sure?" she gently asks.

They nod. "Maybe it's 'cause of the way I was made, but I like helpin' people. Dead folks at peace don't really need help, but livin' folks can always use some help. So I wanna be alive again."

"So be it."

And a storm of black feathers rushes over him.

___

"Holy shit!"

It's not what Orym expected to wake to after the exhaustion of finally stopping Ludinus's insanity (truthfully, he was hoping for a lazy morning in the arms of the second love of his life, surrounded by his closest friends). Instead he's got Fearne bolting upright from the her spooned position around Asthon, jostling Orym and Dorian from where they are sort of cuddled up to her back.

"Wha-at?" Dorian grumpily groans as the others grumble at their wakefulness.

"I just remembered a spell that could bring FCG back."

"What?!"

Yeah, Orym definitely isn't getting his lazy morning.

___

The space the Matron of Ravens sent Fresh Cut Grass to reminds them a lot of what they saw in Ashton's head during that one tumultuous dive.

It's a maze of crystalline facets. Some crystal faces look out onto starry, swirling galaxies. Others act more like mirrors. Funhouse mirrors, that is. Except that instead of a distorted vision of FCG's own mechanical form, they show all sorts of different forms. Different races and different skin tones and different body shapes and all sorts of hair styles. But they all have sky blue eyes and tend to wear shades of dark blue and sunshine yellow.

And Fresh Cut Grass knows that these are all the different forms he could be reborn into.

...They really hope it's not going to be one of the eisfuura ones.

___

As annoying as it is to not be able to work on his own projects thanks to the bouncing leg of Bells Hells' baby earth titan rattling the floorboards (shaking everything fucks with detail work something fierce), Chetney does have to admit that it's probably better than letting Ashton rampage through town demanding the components Fearne needs to bring FCG back.

Old Chetney's got all the confidence in the world that the girls and the bards can swindle charm that shit out of whoever's got it, no problem.

If not, well, they can always stop sitting on Ashton.

Which, the sitting is going easier than expected, given Ash's unrelenting drive to bring Fresh Cut Grass back. Probably because Orym, the sly little fucker, came up with the task of polishing up the pieces of FCG that they're going to use to call his soul into the new body Fearne's magic will make for him.

Chetney sure hopes it'll work. He's pretty damn sure it's going to be bad if it doesn't.

___

Fresh Cut Grass can hear them calling, his friends, his family.

Gentle reminders that there is a life waiting for him if he chooses to come back. Tempting with the guarantee of a body with all the fleshy feelings and functions he's missed out on so far.

And a quiet plea from the one who saved them first to not abandon him layered with a promise to never abandon them no matter what.

If FCG hadn't already decided they would be reborn, this would certainly draw them back anyways.

The magic reaching for Fresh Cut Grass's soul latches on and whisks them away, homeward.

___

The cocoon of vines that has grown off of the pieces of FCG over the past hour burst into flames.

For one, two, three, heart-stopping moments, Bells Hells wonder if the Reincarnation ritual has failed.

But this is Fearne's magic, druidic and fiery. So the flames are simply opening the cocoon by reducing it to ash, revealing the small body within.

Their chest rises and falls with each new breath. Blue eyes slowly open. A grin pulls up new lips.

"Well smiley day there, y'all."

They're home.

So FCG never met the Matron of Ravens in the campaign. Orym, Chetney, and Fearne visited her temple in Jrusar and got a vision. Then Orym, Chetney, and Ashton got a vision at her temple in Whitestone. Given FCG doesn't know much about gods, I'm not sure he'd be able to ID the Matron on sight. And yeah, it is canonically possible that after the final battles Bells Hells can Reincarnate FCG. I mean, the day count is: 1) Return from moon and go to sleep shortly after (Zathuda attacks) 2) Shuffled to Essek's care and prep for Aeor, sleep in Zadash (Swordgate) 3) Aeor day, sleep in Cottage Shadowgast (this day may run a bit long with the half-rest to recharge Essek's spells and Downfall, but Day 1 ran short after FCG's death, so I think it balances) 4) Vasselheim arrival, sleep in the Birthheart 5) War plans, sleep at C-Popper Wayland's 6) Interrupt Unseelie meeting, sleep at Nana's 7) Preparations for the final battle, M9 slumber party 8) Final battles, ?return from moon and sleep/recover If the final battles go well and there isn't released Predathos chaos to deal with, Bells Hells still has days 9 and 10 to cast Reincarnate using the scraps of him that they collected. And that's assuming someone like Caduceus, Jester, or Pike or even Braius isn't convinced to cast Gentle Repose on one of FCG's pieces, giving them a 10 day extension to collect "rare oils and unguents worth at least 1,000 gp." Which, as I've said when talking about Reincarnating FCG before, the Exandrian Accord easily owes Bells Hells that much (and really way more for offing Ludinus). Before episode 111, I would have found it very unlikely that the cast would choose to do this in the epilogue/wrap-up portion of play, just because resurrection was never really floated (because Sam wasn't available to play and they may or may not have known he was going for a new character). But with the mention of the Tealeaf situation and Caduceus trying assess something about FCG's remains, I now have a faint spark of hope that they might Reincarnate FCG in the immediate wrap-up of the campaign. (I suppose True Resurrection is a possibility too, but considering it's kind of taboo by the Matron and Reincarnate's clock isn't run out yet, also the fun of giving him a flesh and blood body, my vote is Reincarnate to bring FCG back)

[welcometololaland]

Fic Origin Story aka. Hyperfixations: the Original

A bunch of you tagged me back in this which is...fair because I should probably do my own if I'm going to expect people to tell me their life fic story. I'm SORRY I'm so obsessed with knowing about people it's a problem.

I'm living for all your responses please keep going I beg!

1. What was your first fandom (reading and/or writing)?

I don't think it's a secret that I once upon a time wrote for the fandom that shall not be named, but my first fandom was actually Veronica Mars. I read fic on some website that no longer exists but was devoted entirely to LoVe (Logan/Veronica).

I never wrote and never left comments like a complete dick, but I was also 14 and it's like common knowledge I was a complete asshole as a child.

2. What was the first story you ever wrote (even if it was never posted) and what made you decide to write it?

For fic, it was a ridiculously terrible self-insert Veronica Mars story (except I inserted myself as a best friend not a love interest...interesting choice). I remember my character surfed and made people eat Vegemite. Which...I can't surf and I'm not even going to address the Vegemite thing.

I think I was 14. It never saw the light of day thank GOD.

3. What's a piece of advice you would give to your younger fic-writing self?

Wait, and find something you're really passionate about. I'd get stuck on a bunch of chaptered fics that seemed like good ideas but I had no real fire for. Then Speak for Yourself happened and I was like damn, this is what writing is supposed to feel like.

Also, don't write in the second person. Who does that? (me, I did that)

4. What's an early fandom interaction that stuck with you (be it a nice comment, a friend you made, a fic that got a lot of feedback etc.)?

A. The day @everwitch-magiks left me a comment and changed my life by ushering me into a group of fandom friends and lighting the RWRB fire.

B. The day @rmd-writes dropped into my inbox with a gentle 'hey, do you want to let me in your doc for beta purposes?' and then took up residence and never left my G drive / heart.

5. Post a sentence or two from one of your older fics, and a sentence or two from a newer one (if you want).

I have regret for accepting this suggestion. The below fic is a Hunger Games fic I wrote originally in 2013? but i reposted it to Ao3 in 2020 (shame - why did I do that). Also, note use of second person - a bold fucking choice that did not pay off 😂:

Time is something that you seem to forever wish for, and never seem to get. It feels like your whole life has been spent trying to grasp time with a firm hand and will it to stand still. It seems like you race against a clock ticking more rapidly with every day that passes. As all humans, your days are finite. But as the particular person that you are, chosen to lead a sick, twisted life of triumph and tragedy, the days slip by you so fast it feels like it is over before it has really had the chance to begin.

This is from my newest fic (which is somehow approaching 40k and only 3.5/10 chapters) 😬😬😬

TK rolls his eyes. “You’re pretty unobservant for a private investigator,” he murmurs. “If one more person offers to buy you a drink, I’m going to buy you a wedding ring and force you to wear it.”

“You’re— What?”

“I’m jealous,” TK says drily, arching an eyebrow in Carlos’ direction. “Didn’t realise I needed to spell it out for you.”

Carlos frowns. “Of annoying hedge fund managers trying to buy me overpriced drinks and talk me into heli-skiing?”

“Hedge fund managers in Austin?” TK smirks. “Oh baby, you found a good one.”

Not tagging anyone because I already spammed a bunch of people but tagging @reyesstrand @carlos-in-glasses @rmd-writes because you tagged me back and @clottedcreamfudge because you taught me how to be ridiculous and now you must deal with the consequences of your actions.

[winderlylandchime]

Hello! I am coming to you with Christmas/reveal update: So first of, Merry Christmas, i hope you had a lovely day. And second: yesterday my day started with my brother waking up probably the whole neighborhood by blasting Christmas music and then he immediately forced me to open presents. His “bad present” to me btw was my own candle that was already half used. So that made me fell a bit better about his present. Let’s get to the thing we all care about, btw i was so fucking nervous, it’s actually ridiculous even though I knew he wouldn’t freak out. Anyway: he opened his present and saw the shirt and he started laughing so much and was like ‘oh fuck i can’t wait to wear this to my check up on Wednesday’ and then he found the note… and he stared at it and then looked at me, looked at the note, looked back at me and went ‘isnt that the site that banned porn?’ Out of all things i thought he’d say, that one wasn’t even near the list. And i was like ‘yeah, im sorry. Originally i just wanted to tell the person how you started watching it and how she kinda had something to do with it and then it just kind of…blew up and other people wanted to hear your thoughts’ and he looked at me surprised and went ‘people…as in plural..*looks at me almost a bit scared* so like…do they hate my thoughts and me oooorrr would we be friends if we met?’ And then i told him that to my knowledge, he was liked and the look on his face was priceless ngl. And then he went ‘show me the blog’ and i had your blog already pulled up all the way down to the first ever message (which holy shit..i almost feel bad for all the spam, bless your heart for putting up with me) and he spent hours going through them. I’m talking every answer/comment/post.. and when he finished he went ‘damn…i was going through it. I’m so glad I matured since then. But im happy they didn’t witness my season 1 reactions’ (he has not matured. He is still the same minus all the meds. During s1 he threw a bag of candy at the tv when Craig showed up..) after that he told on me to our parents and he started that conversation by saying ‘merry Christmas, hey guess what? I’m famous!’ I got in trouble a LITTLE bit BUT he did defend it with ‘no no guys, you dont get it. I’m famous! To like 5 people but that’s still a lot of people!’ He also called our uncle and was like ‘you made bets on me being gay cause of Brian? That’s messed up bro.’ He spent the entire day going through the messages multiple times and told his friends about it.

And then today he wanted me to send you guys a message in his name and i wanted to die inside. His only order was to type everything he says. So my apologies in advance, he proof read this entire message and still wanted to send it as it was. So without further ado, here’s a message from the man himself:

Should I start with hello or sup? Hi everyone, how are you guys? Hope Christmas didn’t suck for you. Yesterday i found out about this blog and my partial participation in it. So hello, first of all I gotta say: Jinx is fucking cool so I already like the person who runs the blog. Make sure you let them know that. And ask what their favorite drag race moment with Jinx was? Okay, second of all: that photo meme someone made with Kevin Hart being Bri Bri was the best fucking thing I’ve seen in a while, it made me laugh so much. I sent it to all my friends to show them, hope that’s okay. Anyway now to the important shit: I am very happy that I was able to entertain you people throughout the last few months even if it was without my knowledge. I am also 100% very fucking confused about it. I actually thought my reactions were pretty fucking normal and that mom and dad were being dramatic but now being able to go back and see them…i would lie and say it was the meds but my sister clearly provided some other stories so I can’t even lie that I’m usually normal. Whatever. But i am happy to learn that I am not the only one when it comes to being in love with Blondie and Brian. Or the real life versions of them. Although there’s not a lot of them in any behind the scenes stuff or even interviews or photos and my sister told me that that hasn’t changed even now, so what the fuck is up with that? I was ready to reactivate my instagram to keep up with them, only to learn that I got better chance seeing Jesus come back to life than to see them post a fucking photo especially Gale. Kinda fucked up and rude but whatever, I’ll live. I think. Probably not.

Anyway, glad to know we had similar feelings about some stuff and that I’m not alone in thinking Mike and Ben are fucking boring. Felt good to be understood. And I’m happy to know that without my knowledge I was accepted into your little club. I read every answer to my sisters messages and even some, is it comments? Well I read those little notes too and some of them made me laugh and you guys all sound pretty fucking dope. I mean someone all the way from fucking Europe kept up with me? I am so sorry to that person but also that’s so cool.

And I want to say thanks for the well wishes! I saw that at the beginning there were some replies wishing me fast recovery and all that shit, so thanks for that! That’s very sweet of them especially since they don’t know me. Let them know i find out on Wednesday if I can go home next week and that i might get my cast removed. Okay, now i leave them with my farewell message: You guys are cool, thanks for making me a member of the club. I appreciate that a lot. Fandoms are fucking dope cause it’s just bunch of people loving the same thing and isn’t that fucking cool to think about? Just bunch of people coming together because of their love for something. So it’s nice to be in another fandom. I met my best friend cause we both love Iron Man. Hug your homies or whoever you want and pet an animal if you can! And while you’re at it, tell a republican to go fuck themselves. Especially right now. Bye. Let them know I threw a peace sign up at the end.

FRIENDS IF YOU ARE READING THIS GO TO MY BLOG AND READ FROM THE START OF THE MOST RECENT UPDATES BECAUSE THIS IS THE SWEET SWEET FINALE TO THIS CRAZY LITTLE TRIP.

Hello brother anon! (Dear sweet anon, please show him this message). I’m so glad you’ve taken this all with a big heart and a sense of humor. But give what your sister has shared with us and the way you’ve joined your local drag community, I didn’t think you would be super pissed. But you never know. As this is a show that has been off the air for nearly 20 years, the fandom is small and we very rarely get new content (the newest content was 2020) so having your updates via your sister was an incredible breath of fresh air. Thank you from the entire tumblr fandom!

This? This is what it’s about:

Fandoms are fucking dope cause it’s just bunch of people loving the same thing and isn’t that fucking cool to think about? Just bunch of people coming together because of their love for something. So it’s nice to be in another fandom. I met my best friend cause we both love Iron Man. Hug your homies or whoever you want and pet an animal if you can! And while you’re at it, tell a republican to go fuck themselves. Especially right now. Bye. Let them know I threw a peace sign up at the end.

This is what it is all about. Fandom is about the people just as much as the canon on which it is based. We are small but mighty and we are happy and delighted to welcome you with open arms.

My favorite Jinkx moments? Oh god, to have to choose? Ofc her iconic snatch game performances - all stars 7 of course of course but her snatch game as Little Edie on S5… whenever I wash my hair and put it up in a turban I like to go find my spouse (not hard, we live in a 2 bedroom apartment) and quote her line “I can never tell if it’s caviar or giblets for the cats” and I get bonus points if I actually grab a can of cat food for my performance. I’ve gotten to see her live twice - her and Dela’s holiday show in 2019 (I think - or it was 2018) and her most recent one-person show. I am SO EXCITED TO SEE HER IN DOCTOR WHO.

Much love to both of you - Siblings Anon. (makes fist) Ally.

[anton-exe]

ok so i just saw a bit of pointless fearmongering get spread on discord i just wanna write up

a quick guide to avoid being a spreader of fearmongering

first of all if it is already too late and you spread some fearmongering do not feel too bad for yourself. in my opinion, spreaders are the biggest victims here since they can get a lot of unjustified hate. we all make mistakes, it's okay

what do i mean by "pointless fearmongering"?

i mean some sort of "warning" that is encouraged to be spread to as many people as possible. here is an example of the one i mentioned at the beginning

There is a chance there could be a cyber attack happening on Discord today, where people will send you disturbing images or IP grabbers. I HIGHLY recommend not accepting friend requests from anyone you do not know. If you are offline it’s less likely to happen to you. Please take this seriously, don’t take any chances

let's analyze the problems here

most definitely the biggest of all, we are not given a source. this is a huge giveaway in many other contexts too. do not feel afraid to ask for a source or proof because you'll seem like a nerd

the author has somehow gained knowledge of the attack. if we think about this for a moment, how could they have feasibly predicted it could happen? it doesn't take too much to set up a few spam bots, so if anyone was planning an attack, we'd have no way to know in advance

the terminology used is extremely vague or inaccurate. let's look at some of the words used here. "cyber attack" seems like a very strange word choice for what seems to just be a spam bot wave. and why on earth would the same attack randomly use both ip grabbers and the shock value of "disturbing images" (which in itself is a bit vague)?

removal of personal blame by adding ambiguity.by saying "there is a chance" the author has removed all blame from themself when they're called out, since they never said it will definitely happen

poor fake authenticity

sometimes the author may forsake point 4 by creating a follow up to try make it seme stuff is actually happening, which in this case was:

The cyber attack did happen, so please do not accept any friend requests from anyone you do not know, and do not join any server sent to you through DMs. Stay safe!

we are still not given any proof anything actually happened here, which keeps this follow up as shady as the original

why though?

my best guess is ego. some server owner probably just felt like proving to themself they have some power and watched as people said they shared the announcement

if there's anything you take away from this, it should be that you should be skeptical, and ask for a source

[irishhorse-blog]

I don’t understand why people think that because members aren’t spamming each other on SM, it means that they aren’t close or aren’t supporting one another some other way. We don’t know how much they’re in contact off line. Remember when Jin said that their posting or lack thereof has no bearing on how much they care about each other? People need to try to remember that.

As an example, I rarely read my partner’s SM posts, and I don’t comment on their pages/posts most of the time. That’s because I’ve already said anything I needed or wanted to say to them in person. I don’t need to “perform” on line to prove how much I love them. I don’t owe anything to any stranger who feels the need to judge our relationship from a very long distance and with very little informaiton.

The same is true about fans with BTS. How do you know Tae didn’t support Jimin? How do you know that JK didn’t? How do you know that they haven’t been right beside him, texting him, calling him, encouraging him outside of the public eye? Remember when Hobi said that Tae had been super encouraging before Lolla, always texting him? We didn’t see any of those texts, but that surely doesn’t mean they didn’t happen. 

We are NOT privy to every communication between these men, nor should we be. They are family. They are the best of friends. They are colleagues. They are veterans of the same bloody battles in the past. If you believe and support the idea, some of them are lovers. Nothing in any of those relationships requires any sort of public display for the benefit of nervous ARMY, immature fans, antis or solo stans. 

If you want to be upset about perceived silence on the part of one or more of the members in relation to another, well, go ahead, I guess. You’re just hurting yourself for no good reason. You have zero actual knowledge about what they’re doing or saying to or for each other. Torture yourself with negative feelings if you must, but you’re doing it all in vain. 

The boys are fine. And they’re not on stage in their private lives. They don’t have to perform for you.

Here are some pics to reward you for hanging through this post.

[thesilversoutheastern]

Welcome to the Silver Southeastern Railway!

Ran by @caramellvibecheck, this little fleet of characters was made cause...why not? I don't know, the idea had me hostage for 3-4 months.

I'm not use to making introductions, but I do want to put some starter info here just in case:

I am a young adult who simply likes the RWS, Thomas and Friends, and anything related to TTTE. Anything else will be on my main blog.

I like shitposts and memes

I work with mature themes, so don't be surprised if you see some mature stuff and swear words here.

I have a hard time getting things done, so writing chapters can take a long time for me. Doesn't help that I'm in college atm- I'll try to be active, but it can be hard for me to handle my outside-of-internet life.

I block spammers. Please for the love of God don't spam asks. If I have already replied to the ask, I will link to it.

My stories uses premises seen in @asktrio516's human-engines, such as their strength, the option to eat, and leg wheels when in human form. This does not mean in any way I'm ripping off or such, I just enjoy and agree with those aspects that I incorporate them into my stories. Plus, I feel it gives a way of thanking her for being one of my main sources of inspiration when making this.

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Now some basic questions in case I have to repeat myself:

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Who's your favorite engine(s)?

Edward, Diesel, Murdoch, and Duncan.

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2. What made you create this blog and get into TTTE?

Mostly because I stumbled onto @asktrio516's blog one day and then watched a lot of Unlucky Tug afterwards. I remember seeing the show as a kid, and I did remember liking it. I was mostly curious if the fandom was still kicking, and it was, as it kicked me into the rabbit-hole you are now reading.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Do you do art?

Not really, mostly I use Hero's Forge for visual references and write about additional factoids. I'll more likely commission someone than anything.

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4. Is there a focused time where the SSER takes place?/Do you focus on the books, model era, or cgi era?

I'm not sure? BWBA and AEG does not exist in this, cause fuck Mattel, but otherwise not really? I will make a solid timeline though, as I do enjoy a timeline that doesn't mess stuff up. Character development will also be important for me, so it could depend on how I want to write out the arcs. WW2 stuff will be mentioned, alongside certain years, but it defiantly won't be modern times where cellphones and Tumblr exists. Best point I can place, if it was in a time where the SSER really kick in, it is in the surrounding years of dieselization.

If I had to pick an era for my blog...I'll be pulling from all the sources I can get, so I can fully understand the character and work from there. I will do my best to stay faithful to the source, but this is my story to tell. My biggest difference would defiantly be from TATMR, but I will still incorporate aspects from it.

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5. Is there magic in this AU?

YES! Cry as I might, I still have a soft spot for TATMR.

Their main ability is to shift from engine to human forms thanks to Lady and her Golden Dust. All engines do have to be taught on how to use their abilities, but do know basic aspects of themselves (their build, basic functions, emotions, etc.). Certain aspects of their work before interacting with the Dust however, such as war, can also cause a variety of additional knowledge, such as having the ability to talk in multiple languages with little or no difficulty. Think of it as like reading to a baby before they are born. If asked what they did before the Dust was introduced, they can only remember events as a hazy dream or have no memory of it at all.

An example of this would be Oswald. He was built in America and was sent to Europe to aid in the war efforts, mostly staying in France with both English-speaking and French-speaking men working on him. Because of this, he is able to understand and speak both French and English when awoken by the Dust. He also knows he helped the Allies by pulling trains in France, but doesn't know what exactly was on his train or what occurred during.

I'm working on a story or Lady & D10, but it is going to take time so bare with me on it. Also there is such a thing as ghosts in my stories, so other mystical creatures could be seen as well.

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6. What happens to and engine when they get hurt?

I go with @asktrio516's take on this, in that they can bleed a dark blood that never runs out. The blood, depending on the engine though, is different when compared: Steam engine blood is thinner or more watery to a diesel engine, which has more of an oily sheen when spilt. This also goes for other liquids too. It doesn't mean that either blood type has a negative affect on them, but it's treated similar to how humans learned not to mix blood types together.

Injuries also apply similarly, except for three key factors:

If an injury is grave enough, the ability to shift between forms is stopped until repairs or natural healing has occurred. A paper cut for example won't stop shifting, but the aftermath from a high-speed derailment or a broken limb can.

Golden Dust helps speed up the healing process, but it can still take weeks before shifting is allowed again.

Because of this, engines are required to have at least one human with them, nicknamed 'Drivermen' by the engines. They see them as a 2-in-1 of the driver and fireman roles. The engines themselves can still fuel themselves and work on their own fine, but if a injury occurs or if they need someone to go get help, the driverman would be there to fill in that need.

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7. Do the engines have rights?

Well...engines aren't innately seen as people in my story. Mostly it depends on the Controller involved. Some can be father-like, like the Fat Controller or the Old Silver Controller, and others will scrap an engine without a second thought. Many do support the engines, but by a full-blown political/legal stance, they got nothing aiding them. They are seen as a sort of like pet. Very expensive pets that can talk.

All engines do want to work though, as it gives them value, but they see no use in things such as money (unless they like collecting it or something). They might be rewarded for good work with better coal or something the engine may want, but again, that is dependent on the controller the engine is working with.

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Links (Will add more as time goes on):

The Silver Fleet

The Story of Lady

[phoenixcoin]

❂⭃ Laws ⥷❂

❧ OC and Crossover Friendly. I will gladly write with any character be it OC or canon. If I don’t know your fandom or character, I will do research but I might not be the best at it so feel free to come infodump on me about the show or your muse at any time. About pages are appreciated.

❧ Shipping I am happy to ship with my muses for any muses that are of age. I ship based on chemistry, but feel free to come to me ahead of time and express interest so we can plot. I multiship and each relationship is handled as being in its own universe outside of others. Mun is sex-repulsed however, so smut will will be extremely rare on this blog. I will not ship with underage muses at all. Platonic shipping and friend groups are encouraged.

❧ About Connections I do not do exclusives at all, but I do take mains for my muses’ universe. You can find my current list of mains in the Bonds Page. Due to some anxiety issues I also do not do mains calls at all. If you wish to main with my muses, please come to me and ask directly. OCs can also act as mains for this blog.

❧ About Personals and Interactions Mutuals are free to send asks, make random starters, etc. etc. If you’re a personal blog, however, I ask that you not reblog my rp replies, as that will make things very confusing for me. If I follow you, I definitely want interaction, so please don’t hesitate. If we’re not mutuals and you want to interact, just follow me and I’ll check out your rules. I’ll only follow those that have their age clearly marked unless you already regularly interact with a mutual I trust. I require rp partners to be 18+, please. ❧ Please Follow RP Etiquette No godmodding (both in sense of conflict and character knowledge), no killing off my muses, have patience with response time and give me a chance to react to actions. Conflicts and battles must be plotted, and the winner must be decided by what benefits the narrative. If you want to talk about what your muse should know that can be plotted through as well. I don’t mind being reminded of threads, even if you spam, just please don’t get angry with me about it. ^^;;; If you can, also let me know when you’re well and truly finished with rping with me or want to let me go as a rp partner. You don’t have to give me an explanation or anything, it’s just so I can safely stop waiting on responses for threads, since I don’t consider them closed out unless we’ve reached a suitable place for that.

❧ Drama I will not participate in drama of any kind. Feel free to let me know if you truly believe that I am interacting with someone I should not be, but I will usually make that decision on my own. A lot of my mutuals don’t get along with each other for one reason or another and I tend to simply stay out of it. I won’t post drama but I don’t require you not to post it to interact. I simply won’t participate. And also, any and all hate sent into my askbox, anon or otherwise, will be deleted and ignored. I don’t respond to those either, if I feel it really is meant to just be hate.

❂⭃ Mun Info ⥷❂

Hello hello~ You can call me Kohi and I’ve been rping for while, but on Tumblr only about a year or so. I’m still learning how to work with this platform. I tend to post a lot of ooc, so if you’re not comfortable with that, please block my ooc tag. I am also very very afraid of people, even in online spaces, so I will have a really hard time reaching out to people. Please have some patience with me. I want to be everyone’s friend but I’m just really scared.

I would also like to mention here that I have a Sibling irl who I live with and is married! I will often refer to Sibling and their Spouse in my ooc posts!

Some additional info: ❧ Pronouns: She/her ❧ Age: 28 ❧ Timezone: gmt-6 ❧ DNI: Smut-heavy blogs, 18- roleplay partners

Blogroll: ❧ mystical-strawberry-sheep (multifandom OC) ❧ meadowthorns (fandomless OC multimuse sideblog) ❧ strawberry-barista (Sanae Hanekoma of TWEWY) ❧ networkscrambled (TWEWY multimuse sideblog) ❧ falseapostle (TWEWY OC w Pokemon verse) ❧ enchantedbrew (Cafe Enchante dual muse [Souan Awaki & Kaoru Rindo]) ❧ sweetlesson (Mr. Saguaro of Pokemon Scarlet & Violet)

[antimatterz]

Enyo! Thank you for the kind good luck you sent in your reply. My Dan Heng is getting stronger. I just maxed some of his relics and he started dealing 2000 damage. I don't know what to say but I am happy. I want to pat him in the head and praise him and the others for doing their best today. And welcome to the team Sushang! I finally decided to level her up after I lost Tingyun to her in Jing Yuan's banner.

Also, the fic made me melt especially Blade's. He sounds so cute in it. It makes me want to tease him. Not only him but also Dan Heng. Sampo is all over you and embarrassing you one way or another with his loud dramatic comments to even tease him. I don't think I can tease Jing Yuan, I'll be too busy blushing at him just existing. Him smiling as soon as he sees you online again, that soft and gentle look in his eyes and you're at loss of words.

I’m delighted that you got inspired with that random musing. I just can't help think of them being “alive” and hearing you through the screen. Me who thinks that my stuffs toys are alive, I might as well delude myself that they have “life”. And the delusion worsens when something out of the ordinary happens with your favorite character and you think they are responding to you in some way.

Maybe it's just a stroke of luck for my Dan Heng but he needs to take responsibility for dragging me to Honkai Star Rail. This man did not only made me dream of him but also made me fall for his looks, his voice, voice overs, and something about him being knowledgeable and his reserved personality. I guess, I found my ideal type already. I can't help but stress that he came home thrice as I prayed he'll come home — imagine pulling on a 5 star banner for a 4 star character. That's me too on Silver Wolf's banner when I saw Dan Heng in it. So, I don't know how to feel if he leaves the astral express when he becomes Imbibitor Lunae. I might still be able to play him, yes, but I feel sad thinking about it. Wahhh...

ooh yes i remember being so proud when dan heng hit his first 1k ! i yelled about it to my friends who don't even play hsr? they were like enyo chill out who even is dan heng 😭 ( which resulted in me spamming them with pictures ofc ) and aaa i feel you !! sometimes i randomly praise them when they do good damage, let me be delusional and pretend they can hear me ok ? and ooh is sushang a good ? i got her e6 as i was pulling for tingyun and i'm like, should i use her ? the fact that she summons a whole angry chicken is so funny shdhjs

i'm glad you liked it ! it was kinda written for you since you inspired me to write it hehe. i had so much fun imagining this scenario with them ( and i already got a follow-up request on this so i'm not done with this self aware au ^^ )

okay but i do that too ? the entire life stories my plushies have to hear on a daily basis is insane but i can't help it they're such good listeners lol. we can be delusional together nonnie, it's okay !

i'm the same,, i've been playing genshin since release and my brother one day went like "yo the developers of genshin brought out a new game, did you already download it ?" and i was like nahh but i got curious, did some research, saw dan heng and was like DUDE i'm gonna play this game,, and then i found out he was one of the free characters and i think i ascended from happiness sjdjfh he's just so perfect and i fully relate to you. his looks, his personality, his voice, he's just so hhh i'm down bad for him nonnie ;_; WAIT HE'S GONNA GO ? okay i was already afraid of that happening but i'm not ready for it to ACTUALLY happen help ??

[theothin]

I think it is much more productive to have a conversation about what is and is not an appropriate way to use AI than to treat such different uses as equivalent.

Using AI to imitate a performer's voice in ways the performer does not want their voice to be used is indeed very rude - much like doing so by manually stitching together clips of their voice. But the field is so much broader than this.

I have a friend who enthusiastically supported having her drawings serve as the training data for another friend's generative art model, to create AI art in her style. The friend making the model did so on his own computer, using no more power than typical use of internet or video games. The first friend remarked on how fascinating the results were, both how they accurately captured aspects of her style and how they did new things she now felt inspired to try.

Any way you look at it, this was not an action that made the world worse, but one that made the world better. Both for the insights it offered the first friend, and for the joy it brought the two of them and others they shared it with.

When people cannot imagine how someone might find value in a thing, they often jump to assuming there is no value to be found in it, and deriding the people who do like it as defective. This has happened in so many different contexts, both to dismiss any new form of art like in the backlash against modern art, and in other aspects of culture and life. It really isn't a good instinct to listen to.

Speaking personally, I would physically not be able to draw well without injuring myself, but I have all sorts of images in my mind that I'd like to bring to life. I commission art of some of them, and I use character creators like Picrew for others. For others, I use AI. Each of these approaches results in the creation of things that would not otherwise exist, and I think they all have their own value. And with each of these approaches, while I'm not personally drawing anything, I do have to apply an artistic perspective to assess how well the results are communicating what I want them to, and if not, to figure out how to change course to get there.

Like other art, AI art is as good as its creators make it. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing will probably do everything wrong and fail to recognize how it shows in the results. On the other hand, I've seen some incredible results from people who've mastered the tricks for finely controlling their model, often using models trained on no copyrighted material in the first place, and frequently modifying the generated image with other tools to progress further. I'd describe myself as a beginner who has some knowledge, while also having a long way to improve.

There are companies drowning the internet in SEO garbage. We need to find ways of cutting through their spam, and to hold them responsible for things like creating apps that claim to have information on which mushrooms are safe to eat and then tell people to eat poisonous ones. From the looks of things, most corporate investments in AI are a bubble that's likely to pop soon.

But if that's what you're seeing of AI, you're going to underestimate what dedicated users will accomplish by truly understanding it as a tool. Companies can drop support for AI services they provide through their own servers, but countless people are already using local AI programs that don't need any external support. Even if corporate AI crashes, local users will be able to keep sharing and improving the tools they have. Those tools are here to stay, and we'll all have to adjust to whatever impacts they have.

There will be negative impacts from this, and positive ones. People will create things that would not otherwise exist, and people will not create things they otherwise would have. We can find ways to make the best of whatever situation happens. But, please, in the process of doing that, don't dismiss the things people can accomplish with these tools, and don't blame them for the ways others might misuse them.

hey jonny, i just thought you'd want to know that character.ai has an ai-generated imitation of your voice and i'm not sure what other websites might have it or where it originated :(

Yeah, it's a fucking garbage state of affairs but, as a somewhat well-known performer with a pretty distinctive voice it doesn't exactly shock me. Needless to say I think anyone who used this is a mediocre waste of skin and if they ever tell me in person they've used it then 50/50 I punch them in the teeth.

I can't wait for a couple of years when it all collapses just like every other niche-but-interesting-technology-with-limited-use-cases-sold-as-a-universal-panacea-to-gormless-CEOs grift (blockchain being the best example). Because the thing is, none of these things actually make any money and cost a vast amount, so as soon as all the dumb venture capital funding dries up and AI is required to actually start paying for itself, the bubble bursts and the whole industry is fucked.

That said, it's gonna be rough when it happens - a lot of companies have invested very heavily in AI and they're going to be hurting badly. I know of more than one media company whose idiot executives invested ridiculous amounts into NFTs and ended up laying off massive swathes of workers when that obvious fucking scam collapsed. I suspect the AI crash is gonna be even worse than that. And by then it will have drowned the Internet in slop. We'll see, I guess.

Anyway, anyone who uses AI is a soulless fucking husk of a person who cannot tell half-digested vomit from culture, and I would pity them if they weren't making the world such a measurably worse place to exist.

[hebrewbyinbal]

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[sigridhawke]

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

[Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask]

Deep diving I see! I will try my best to answer 💪💪

Thank you for the ask!

[me coming back after typing it all out lmao] This got so much longer than anticipated so putting it under the cut ✨✨

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc.

⁃ Fantasy is probably an obvious one, I'm a big fan of fantasy settings especially if it involves dragons. In similar lines when it comes to fantasy, I love looking at I guess common interpretations of mythos/fantasy and seeing what kind of personal spin I can put on it and explore. I think something that is going to explore that most or most blatantly is my original story Crimson (placeholder name) aka unnamed dragon princess and wyvern story to which I'm now bringing a lot of old characters of mine back into as well to really flesh out and explore a self indulgent world. I hope to share more progress on it and the world building in the near future as I flesh out the world before diving back into writing.

⁃ Personal experiences is another, most times I find some event of character interaction that allows me to draw on my personal knowledge and experience for better or for worse. While majority of the time I am writing for myself I still want it to evoke some kind of feeling. Spoilers for Leather and Linen but Atem's death scene, in particular his final moments was drawn from losing my grandfather to cancer. While I wasn't there in his final moments I was informed of certain things and it has always stuck with me. Sometimes these stories are a way for me to make a scene feel more real, or at least try to, I guess other times it's a way for me to immortalize a moment or work through feelings.

⁃ In addition to that most of what I write tackles mental health in some kind of way and also queer experiences and/or romance. Mostly the romance. As a demiromantic I love the progression of relationship and connection and support and falling in love, I find it such a magical thing and enjoy writing about it thoroughly, especially I guess the complexities I myself have gone through as an ace individual although it wasn't really until Leather and Linen too funnily enough I let myself lean hard into the ace experience with Definition of Love which was a little jarring but something I wanna write more of too. Also polyamory whenever I can with my faves lmao looking at Shuraig/Albaz/Ecclesia fic I’m writing atm ahhhhh.

⁃ On less deep notes lol, I think small gestures, particularly hand holding is something that pops up a lot in my stories too. Gentle touches, reassuring touches, if there's and kind of friendship/relationship there's probably touching.

⁃ And many friends would probably hound me if I didn't say I'm a sucker for angst with happy ending. The amount of times I spam the 'I can endure any pain as long as it has meaning' meme is beyond compare haha. I do love me some good angst, but I also don't like being sad at the end of a story so it's gotta be happy (it can be bittersweet) but it has to be happy in some way or I will lose my mind.

⁃ Oh and self sacrifice. I've you've ever seen pullea magi madoka magica, the whole situation of homura going back in time over and over to save madoka. I have a massive bias for this apparently. Intentionally or unintentionally this happens a lot in my writing too.

⁃ Less of a theme and more of a habit, 9 times outta 10 I HAVE to have a floor plan for an area, especially if stuff takes place in a house. It does my head in if I don't know what can be seen from point A in a household if things are happening. I have a whole floorplan for Atem's tomb in Leather and Linen and a floorplan for the Kame Game house for Divine Dragon AU dkfbsjsdg.

There's probably more things but this is already getting super long so we'll leave it here for now :'DD

[Fanfic Writer Emoji Ask]

[missingmark]

― who you gonna call? pt.1

the boys know they'll always have someone to call when they need them. that someone in question being you, luckily that feeling is more than mutual.

‧₊˚ matt x gn!reader

‧₊˚ warnings: light swearing, otherwise very very wholesome :)

‧₊˚ word count: 840

‧₊˚ pt.2 ( nick ) | pt.3 ( chris ) | masterlist

( 𝖒. ) ; you call him when it all feels like way too much

You had almost fallen asleep in Matt's car if it weren't for the enthusiastic rambling of your best friend next to you. One of his hands would sometimes leave the steering wheel to comb through his hair or emphasize his words with some sort of gesture. Your eyes, even half lidded, would follow his movement, your head against the window in the passenger seat

He had offered to pick you up from college after hearing how awful your day was.

"-and, I don't know what happened but Nick suddenly developed a weird obsession with Po from Kung Fu Panda, it's like all he talks about. Can you believe it? Chris has to leave the room any time it starts."

If you weren't so tired you would have giggled at his story, but any movement seemed to drain your energy even more and you were saving it up for having to peel yourself from the seat and walking into their home.

Matt insisted on assisting you, carrying you on his back into the house as he continued to talk.

"Yesterday I walked in on him reading an article called "25 inspirational Kung Fu Panda Quotes that will change your life forever" and when I tried to address it he just hissed at me. He hissed."

Chris looked up from his place on the couch, a smile forming on his face at the sight of the two of you. He, too, was forced to listen to your whining in the group chat about your hard day.

"Move," Matt muttered once he stood in front of his brother, turning around and letting you plop onto the couch with a small thud, your head landing in Chris' lap.

"Ouch! Dude, your head is heavy as fuck."

You opened one eye to glare up at him.

"Cuz it's full of knowledge, stupid."

"I highly doubt that, considering you literally sat through the wrong class today and didn't notice for the whole 50 minutes."

"How do you know that?!" You yelled, covering your face in embarrassment.

"Cuz you literally spammed us all about it in the group chat today, you goof."

"Oh god." You mumbled into your hands, not noticing the third brother also entering the room, leaning over the couch to offer you some of his sympathy.

"Why did I even want to become a film major, who put this insane stupid dummy-dumb idea into my head?!" You groaned, kicking your legs in frustration.

"Because you made a compilation of Nick falling down when we were in middle school and you called it your magnum opus," Chris recalled, stroking your head in sympathy.

"That was a pretty funny video," Matt mumbled under his breath.

"I should quit," You murmured only to be met with disagreement from your friends.

"Sure you're having a bit of a tough day, but you'll get through it," Nick tried to cheer you up, "You'll be done with college soon anyway."

"But if you want to take a bit of a break, we'll understand, maybe skip some classes tomorrow to get a good rest and-"

"That's a terrible idea, Chris! They already missed one of their classes today. If you skip you'll just be farther behind with the material."

Nick walked over to you, taking your hands in his as he looked deep into your eyes.

"A real warrior never quits," he smiled.

You almost smiled back.

"Po said that in the first Kung Fu Panda, but to be honest the second one is like-"

"Ok. I have to leave," Chris mumbled, lifting your head as gentle as he could despite the sudden spike in rage that was building up in him at his brothers words.

He walked towards the kitchen only for Nick to follow after him.

"What?! What's your problem with the panda? You hater!" Their voices grew faint. Only you and Matt being left at this point.

He walked over towards you, lying down on the couch too and pulling you into his chest.

"I believe in you. Never ever tell him I said this but Nick is right; don't quit, okay? Rest a bit now and I'll help you with your assignments once you wake up."

You grinned into his sweatshirt and let the tiredness finally take over your body.

i wrote this while watching schaffrillas production review kung fu panda 2.

i hope you enjoyed, luv u <3

[vergeofpanic]

Ok, but since I keep remembering tumblr exists every few weeks/months, it's time for me to spam posts to make up for the time that goes by where I forget that this cursed platform is somehow the best place for me to rant about fandoms nobody asks about since I personally know absolutely 0 people on this app so I don't have to worry about things like I do absolutely everywhere else

Anyway, time for me to talk about the relationship between Diluc and Kaeya and how the fandom misreprests them a lot.

Firstly, before I start, I dont care about ships in the fandom and only go by what I know is true, such as the mistranslation in the English version where they are called adopted brothers, instead of sworn brothers. (Sworn brothers are a popular romance troupe in China as well as a lot of eastern countries. I'm not overly knowledgeable in what countries and regions have sworn brothers, but if you want an example of sworn brothers in other fandoms, the only example I can give you off the top of my head is Cale and Alberu from Trash Of The Count's Family)

Anyway, just wanted to first clear that up. I understand if the ship makes you uncomfortable because of the English version of the game/translation, but don't attack KaeLuc shippers for it.

Anyway, onto the actual reason for this post. In the Genshin fandom, it's extremely common for people to make angst about Diluc and Kaeya's relationship, mostly showing it from the POV of an Adult Kaeya reminiscing about his time with the Ragnvindr's. My issue with the fandoms portrayal of their relationship, however, is the way they make Diluc act towards Kaeya, as well as Kaeya's reaction to it all.

Just a little heads up as well, this post gets derailed very quickly from how the fandom misinterprets Diluc and Kaeya's relationships with each other into an analysis on the characters instead. By the time this post is fully written, it will hopefully come back around to the original point of the post, but who knows. A lot of stuff I analyse in this post can also just seem like a huge stretch and something that doesn't matter at all, bit my brain has already decided I need to write about it, so that's what I'm going to do.

I will be discussing the backstory of both these characters, so if you don't want spoilers, please don't continue to read this post. I am also not fully sure of some events in the backstory, so please let me know if I made any mistakes with some parts of this.

As most of the lore-followers of Genshin know, Kaeya was welcomed into the Ragnivindr's family by Diluc's father, Master Crepus, after his father left him there and declared him as Khaenri'ah's last hope.

From what we learn in Kaeya's character story, he and Diluc were seen together constantly back when they still got along. Diluc, at the time was also described as a warm individual (and many people believe he used to be a lot more similar to Bennett and the other extremely bright and cheery pyro users), and Kaeya was described as his eccentric friend and supporter, making sure they got through each challenge they faced smoothly.

We find out in Diluc's character story that he was the youngest ever Calvalry Captain of KOF, who worked hard to achieve the dreams his father had for him.

After Master Crepus was killed by the backlash from using a Delusion, described as an "unknown evil power" and dying in Diluc's arms, he left the Knights after having been given an unspeakable order from Inspector Eroch to "conceal the truth" from the citizens of Mondstadt of what had happened to his father.

From what we can tell from Kaeya's character stories, which give the most information on the relatio ship between the two of them, Diluc became angered by Kaeya after he stood behind him as Master Crepus died, instead of being by their sides in the man's final moments. I believe it is also said that Kaeya could've saved Master Crepus but had hesitated for moments to long and by the time he took action it was already to late (i'm not completely sure on this one but I've seen a lot of people talk about this being the main reason Diluc was angry at Kaeya so yeah).

After Master Crepus' death, Diluc left Mondstadt to fight the Fatui, leaving his vision behind and instead using his father's Delusion, before returning back to Mondstadt years later (also i believe he got blacklisted from Snezhnaya which i find hilarious and I hope that when the game finally adds Snezhnaya that we can see some of the townspeople speaking about it)

Anyway, now that I've discussed their backstory, I'm going to discuss how we see them interact with each other in dialogue and scenes throughout the game. I'm mostly going off what I can remember and find online, but if you have any more examples let me know and I'll be sure to add them.

Let's start with the first ever scene we see with the two of them. Just after Kaeya and the Traveller defeat the Hilichurls at one of the 4 winds domain. We see Kaeya interact with the Abyss mage that had organised the ambush. After learning that The Abyss are the citizens of the fallen nation Khaenri'ah, the homeland of Kaeya himself, we can see that he seems to be one of the only characters in game who interacts with the Abyss as more then monsters. While this is going on and the Abyss mage starts to cast a spell, Diluc comes storming in, fist and sword blazing. We don't really get much from this cutscene, however, we do see that the two characters know each other, in a less then friendly relationship.

Throughout what I believe is the only other cutscene from the actual archon quests in the game, we finally get to witness the hostility between the two characters. While Diluc is the one who seems the most hostile out of the two of them, it's clear to see that Kaeya is at the very least, intentionally annoying Diluc. He uses the nickname the Diluc himself expresses his dislike for (in what I believe was part of the scene just before Kaeya joins in on their conversation), as well as talking in a way that mislead both the Traveller and Diluc multiple times by leaving out certain information that made him seem as though he was going to report it to the Knights. In the end of course, Kaeya does agree that he won't tell anyone about Diluc's nights as batman, however, you can clearly see how he messes with Diluc through the conversation.

Next up is the Golden Apple Archipelago 1.6 event. Firstly, we find out that Kaeya ice-bridging is canon, and secondly, we get a lot more insight into the relationship between the two, getting what is our first moment of understanding and agreement between the two in the form of one of the Echoing Conch Shells found on the beach.

Looking up the event on YouTube (because it's been 6 months since the event and I'm gonna be honest, there is no way that hell i can remember any of their dialogue off the top of my head) I have been able to find multiple compilations of the two of them interacting (a favourite of mine being "Kaeya mocks Diluc for 2 minutes straight") we can see just how bad the animosity between the two of them can be. Just looking at the fact they both scoffed at the idea of having to travel to the Archipelago can be a big enough clue that the two can't stand to be around each other for long.

Kaeya also makes the observation that Cryo and Pyro are incompatible, both a reference to Diluc melting Kaeya's ice-bridge, as well as a dig at the fact that the two of them can't get along because of their clashing personalities; where as how used to get along because both of them were much friendlier and warmer towards themselves and others, were as now both of the are cold towards everyone, with Kaeya enjoying watching others struggle and Diluc not letting himself get close to others in fear of losing them or being betrayed by them. (And yes, it is extremely hard not to smile when Diluc says Dodo-King)

When we find an Echoing Conch Shell on the shore of one of the archipelago's shores, we get to finally learn about how Kaeya and Diluc used to be. It's not a long scene, but it's something that highlights a part of the divide between the two of them. When Kaeya makes a comment about them collecting shells, or sea-bird hunting like they used to, Diluc seems to almost be in disbelief at the idea that Kaeya still remembers how they used to be when they were younger, which seems like it may be part of the reason the two don't get along now. We can interpret this as the reason that Diluc has been so cold and easily angered by Kaeya is because he felt betrayed by the idea the Kaeya didn't care about the memories they shared from when they were kids. This can also lead into why they had the fight that unlocked Kaeya's vision.

Like I had mentioned, Kaeya had stood behind Diluc and his father during his death, so he never said his final goodbyes to Master Crepus. From the way I had read the character story, this was the main reason why Diluc was furious at Kaeya. This may mean that Diluc felt that Kaeya didn't care about the relationships and memories he made with Ragnvindr family because he didn't come to say goodbye to the man who treated him like his own son, and that may be where the resentment and animosity that Diluc held for Kaeya has stemmed from all this time. Diluc could have just been holding onto this version of Kaeya that only used the Ragnvinder family for food and shelter, instead of seeing them like a family as Diluc had.

Finally, the last scene I can currently remember that exists in the game. Venti's story quest. Venti's storyquest is rather innocent at the beginning, with (I believe it's Venti himself but I think he might of also tagged along for shits and giggles) asking for help with something. He asks the Traveller to go around Mondstadt with him to witness and record the imaginary friends of Mondstadt's children. After we see just how messed up Timmy has gotten after being abandoned by his father, along with having all his pigeons being slaughtered in front of him daily, Venti asks us to see if Mondstadt's adults also have imaginary friends. We end up spying on Diluc and Kaeya + some NPC's in midst of one of their conversations. This is probably the best scene to showcase that Diluc isn't the only extremely hostile one in the relationship, along with us witnessing who normally escalates the arguments between the two.

"Oh? And if I did have one too many, what then? You'd throw me out along with the trash, is that it?"

"'Throw you out'?"

"You know... the same way you threw out father's legacy? You sold off his mansion - or maybe you've forgotten?"

This scene right here, in what will forever be one of my favourite story quests in the game, is what got me to start think about the fandoms portrayal of these two.

If you remember the way I described the fandoms most common/popular interpreting and content surrounding the two (which you probably don't), I explained that their relationship is nearly always made into angst.

However, in angst, no matter the fandom your in, there is nearly always an antagonistic of some kind, though lots of the time that antagonist is something like depression, mental issues, self esteem issues, etc that often end in hurt & comfort scenes. But when it's angst about two people with a bitter history together we often see one of the two characters involved being portrayed as the villain in the relationship, and in Genshin's case, it is nearly always Diluc who is given this role.

People chose the character they make into the villain in a few ways. Some people do it based solely off of which character they prefer over the two. A case of this in another fandom would be c!Tubbo from the DSMP roleplay, who is often turned into a villain like character for the sake of making c!Tommy or c!Ranboo look like they are completely in the right for all their actions.

Another common reason for making a character the antagonist in the relationship is by how they react to certain scenarios. It's best to describe Diluc as a character with a short temper when it comes to dealing with Kaeya, especially when a lot of people don't pick up on the more subtle reactions and antagonising that characters do, which is something that people don't notice Kaeya do often unless they are someone who is just extremely good at picking up on those kinds of hints.

The final reason I can think of that applies to this is the fact that most people believe that Diluc is the one solely at fault for how the two of them are no longer on good terms with each other, and yes, this is true to some extent, however, it's also obvious to tell that Kaeya is making it difficult for Diluc to even think about rekindling their relationship with each other, especially when anything Diluc says anything that Kaeya takes in slight offence, he seems to bring up Master Crepus as a way to make Diluc seem like a horrible person for selling the mansion they all used to live in together. If anything, the reason why Diluc did that is because his coping mechanism for grief is to get rid of anything that may end up reminding him of that person.

I remember seeing someone comment something on a Diluc and Kaeya angst tiktok that has stick with me ever since I saw it.

"It's not that neither of them care, it's the fact they have different coping mechanisms"

As some context to this comment, the tiktok was just a little animatic where Diluc and Kaeya seem to be getting along, until Kaeya makes a joke about Diluc trying to kill him in the past, and it ended causing Diluc to shut down and put all his mental walls up again. I believe the idea itself was inspired by the echoing shell from the Golden Apple Archipelago, and this video and comment was what inspired me to finally make a post/rant about this solely so I can finally stop having this whole thing loop in my head constantly.

Anyway, this comment is what led me into a huge deep dive into the relationship between these two.

The reason that they seem to be unable to get over their grief when it comes to eachother is because of the way each of them cope. I mentioned this a little earlier, but Diluc's coping mechanism is to avoid memories of the person he's lost. It's a common coping mechanism and you'll often see people move away and sell the house they lived in with their loved one because they can't think of living in a house without that person anymore. Maybe if I'll and Kaeya had started to get along more before Diluc left to hunt down the Fatui then maybe he might of kept the mansion, or maybe he wouldn't of left, but again, this is just how Diluc handles loss.

Kaeya on the other hand is someone who seems to make jokes and uses humor to cope with these kinds of things, which is another common coping mechanism that is often looked down on. People who cope like this are viewed as insensitive and even are accused of not caring for the person who passed away. He is also very open when talking about Master Crepus and even utilises his death as a weapon against Diluc, but Kaeya is also someone who never got to talk about the deaths of his lived one's from Khaenri'ah, so it's not a huge stretch to assume that he is open about Crepus because he never got to open up about his own family dying and leaving him alone. He may be constantly using Master Crepus' death against Diluc as a way to say:

"Hey, you may have lost father, but I lost him aswell, along with my motherland"

Its because of how much these two coping mechanisms clash that their is so much animosity between the two. Kaeya thinks that Diluc is being selfish for leaving Mondstadt so soon after Master Crepus' death, when he himself also lost someone who was a second father to him, and is probably angry that Diluc sold the Ragnvindr Mansion without consulting him first, but at the same time Diluc is angry at Kaeya for treating Crepus' death as a joke, constantly being so open to others about it and using it against him and acting as though he deserves to be upset over it when he didn't didn't care enough to say his final goodbyes to Crepus before he passed.

Its clear that even with the hostility between the two they still care for each other; at least a bit. Even though they constantly fight, Kaeya chooses to go to the Angel's Share for his drinks, even though he could go to Cat's Tail to get the perfect drink without the added hostility, and Diluc doesn't kick Kaeya out of the tavern unless he's drinking far too much and needs to be escorted outside for safety purposes. It may just be the Angel's Share is a place they have a truce at as it was their father's tavern, but it's still nice to think that they are willing to put their differences aside in order to honour Master Crepus' legacy.

This went on way longer than expected and I don't think anyone is going to bother reading it because of how many spelling mistakes and errors their are bound to be in this post, but I spent 2 hours on this and put way to much work into it for me to just delete it. I applaud anyone who actually read though this whole thing because it was a pain in the ass to write, and its all been typed out on my phone because tumblr on my computer is way to confusing. If you want me to make more super long winded rants about more topics, from Genshin or other fandoms you'd like to see my perspective on, let me know and I'll look into it at some point.

- Amir