#i just need to figure out if i'm doing photosets or not

[sorryiliketoscreenshot]

[kingspuppet]

I'm finally combing through all my tags and putting them in a document to keep them organized so I don't have to fist fight the tagging system for not keeping my tags. (I refuse to give up my capitalization. I won't do it. You can't make me.) But that meant I also had to go back onto the old blog because I wasn't sure if I moved over every single one when I remade. I wasn't too hopeful because towards the last few months of me using the old blog it was not saving my tags at all so I had to keep remaking them. (This was a legacy issue, not beta related at all.) So, like I expected, a lot of the tags were just not going to show themselves to me. Either way, I think I got all the important ones. I hope. It was really weird though going onto the old blog though. I feel sentimental and at the same time glad that I had remade Goro because that blog was a mess. Still, it's kinda nice to just revisit it even for a few minutes. Though it is kind of annoying to see that random blogs reblogged IC and HC posts on there. Not that it matters now I suppose since it won't clog up my current feed. But it's still oddly disheartening in a way (and frustrating that personals will never know to respect the RPC's boundaries by not reblogging their things). Regardless, I think I got all of the tags I need. And if not I'll have to search for them later...But I'm glad to finally have this done because now I won't have to worry about it every time I go to make a post!

[bobbiedebruyn]

How to recognize stolen gifs

Reposting is a constant problem that all gifmakers deal with, both here and on other social media platforms. Whether you're new to Tumblr or just passing by, I'm going to provide an explanation on how to spot a repost and what to do with it. I'll cover both Tumblr and Twitter since, unfortunately, Twitter is the most common place for gifmakers to find their content.

Let me start by saying that most gifmakers have a unique style. We can recognize stolen gifs by their crop/dimension, sharpening, and coloring settings. After a couple of years, you're able to find the set of adjustment settings that you prefer the most. So even the most basic gifs (simple scene gifs) go through a lot before we post them on Tumblr.

If you're new here or don't know much about gifmaking you might be confused about what I meant by crop/dimension, sharpening, and coloring settings, so we're going to go through them one by one.

Crop/Dimension

On Tumblr, for your photosets to be displayed correctly, you need to follow the correct image dimensions. For example, if you post one gif, the width should be 540px (with a maximum height of up to 810px). If you post two gifs in a row, the width of both needs to be 268px (with a maximum height of 600px). And if you post three gifs in a row, two of them need to have a width of 177px, with an exemption for the middle one, which needs to be 178px (with a maximum height of 400px for all three).

Since the maximum height is not specified, all gifmakers have different specific dimensions that they prefer, and therefore they can recognize them easily. For example, if I were to post one gif, I'd make it 540x360 or 540x380, and if I saw it being reposted, I'd recognize it.

Sharpening

Sharpening refers to the Smart Sharpen Filter. This is a filter all of us use to make our gifs look crisp and less blurry. Similarly to dimensions, everyone has unique settings for their Smart Sharpen. Some people use it once, while others use it twice. There are also different values people input into the settings of that filter, therefore they can recognize it. I'm going to provide some visual examples of a gif with and without any sharpening.

As you can see, after applying the filter, the gif became more detailed and less blurry.

Coloring

Now, let's talk about what makes gifs special and unique. Coloring involves a set of adjustments applied to a gif to enhance brightness, and vibrancy, or to remove color tints and alter specific colors within the gif. Even the most basic gifs undergo this process. And as you might expect, everyone has their own coloring settings, ensuring that no two gifs are exactly alike.

One last visual example I'm going to provide is a comparison between a gif without sharpening and coloring and a gif with sharpening and coloring. This way, you can see the difference between what you witnessed on screen while watching a specific TV show and how someone edited that scene in a gif.

Personally, I'm always trying to give a gif more contrast, vibrancy, and brightness. One specific thing I do, which makes it easy for me to recognize my gifs, is changing the leaves in the background from green to yellow. I often aim for this little detail if I know that plot-wise TV show takes place in autumn but the filming took place in summer. Similarly, other gif makers have their own unique additions to their sets that are easily recognizable to them.

Now that we've figured out what makes a gif special and how gif makers recognize them, let's move on to the section about how you can recognize stolen gifs and what you should do about it.

Twitter

This one is extremely easy. Twitter is not exactly known for gifmaking. Sure, some gif-oriented accounts make gifs, but they're not as common as Tumblr gifmakers. However, when it comes to them, there are some ways to tell if a gif was made by them. Watermarks: Twitter accounts often watermark their gifs (Tumblr folks do that too, but it's less common, I'd say). Dimensions: Twitter uses different dimensions for gifs. On Twitter, the width of a gif needs to start from 1080px, in comparison to Tumblr's 540px. When people repost from Tumblr and post on Twitter, the quality of a gif is extremely terrible because of the different dimensions. So, if you don't see a watermark, there is a clear sign of coloring, and the quality is extremely low and pixelated - the gif is most likely from Tumblr.

You can try finding the gif's source by using Google reverse image search. Usually, it'll lead you to the original creator.

Tumblr

Spotting a repost on Tumblr is a bit more complicated but of course, there are ways to do it.

Different dimensions: On Twitter, people usually repost one gif, while on Tumblr, people repost whole sets. It just so happens that sometimes they repost different gifs from different sets. So, if you see a gifset and the dimensions of the gifs in it are not the same, then it's probably stolen from different sets.

Different coloring: Again, if the coloring of the gifs is drastically different, then it means it's probably stolen from different sets.

No creator's tag: Gifmakers often track their own creations using hashtags such as #mine, #mywork, #mine, and #gif. While sometimes gifmakers may forget to include their tag, if you notice a blog posting multiple sets without them and it looks suspicious, it's likely a repost.

No tags: To give gifsets more visibility, gifmakers often use tags such as #onedirectionedit #wtfockedit #filmtvedit or different source blog tags. Reposters don't know about it and don't use it.

Weird captions: Reposters often use gifs as reaction pics. So, instead of captioning a set with something like "Steve Harrington in 3x03", they're more likely to caption it with something like "he looks so hot here!" or "he's so pretty!!" Look out for sets with such captions that look like comments. Keep in mind that they often don't format those captions either.

If you saw the gif before: As mentioned previously, no two gifs are exactly the same. The chances of two gifmakers having the exact same settings down to a pixel are close to zero. So if you think you've seen that exact gif before, it's definitely a repost.

What can you do?

If you've been in the specific fandom for a while, chances are you might have seen that gif before and you might figure out who made it easily. You can also browse through your fandom's overall creations tag to try to find the original post and gifmaker. To do so, search for #yourfandom + #edit. For example, I currently gif the TV show called Wtfock, its creation's tag is #wtfockedit. Got it? Cool! After you figure out who the gifmaker is, you can send them the reposter's post and ask if that's their set.

If you can't find the original gifmaker on your own, you can try messaging other gifmakers from that fandom and asking whether or not they know who made the gifset.

You can also contact the reposter on your own and kindly ask them not to repost the gifs. Explain the Tumblr etiquette to them, there's a chance they're new to the website and simply didn't know about it. There's a chance they might listen to you and take down the post. If they choose not to listen and block you, you can once again message or send asks to different gifmakers from that fandom to inform them of the reposter so that they can block them.

You can also encourage the reposter to make their own gifs, especially if their excuse for reposting is "I don't know how to make my own gifs." While it may seem challenging, it's not impossible. This website is full of tutorials, and many gifmakers are open to helping out and explaining things if you're new to gifmaking. I'll leave a link to a comprehensive guide 101, just in case.

That's it! I hope this post has helped you understand what makes gifs unique, how to distinguish reposts from original posts, and what to do when you encounter a repost. If you have any more questions, feel free to leave messages in my askbox.

[darnestdungeon]

Hey, do you have any sort of reference sheet for the coven? Or really, all the enemies of the weald? I went through your dd1 reference masterpost and didn't see any weald enemies that aren't... Brigands.

Hi, that masterpost originally was meant only as a compilation of all the heroes references I've made a while back. Eventually, I've ended up making some other random sheets that I included in the same folder, but I didn't intend to sound like it was a masterpost of all things DD1, just a masterpost of all the references I had made. I do not currently have any enemies reference sheets other than the ones in the folder.

Sorta unrelated, but I finally have all the game animations I have wanted to export into gifs-- enemies included! I just don't know what to do with them now, the different heights and widths of the gifs make photosets look awful here on Tumblr (example below, some get giant, some tiny, most get oddly cropped). I guess I'll figure something out eventually, give me some time and I'm putting those on the game's wiki too.

In case you're curious, these were the tutorials I followed to get the animations: (x) and (x). After following the steps to open the files, you just need to export the animation as a PNG sequence and then put the sequence together in any gif making software. It's not a difficult process, but doing it over 400 times in a row (not counting the failures) is what was most tiresome.

There were also some files that took some editing, like the crusader's step or the Crimson Court enemies wing animation (before and after editing below, the wings moved so fast they pretty much vanished).

These two girls are an example of gifs I can safely put together in the same gif, because they have the same size and number of frames. It's not as simple with all the other ones. I might need to resize them all so they all look good in a post....... ughhh the work......

Anyways, I might make some more enemies reference sheets once I'm done with the gif making adventure, but I can't make any promises, I'm just one person after all.

[harushinkai-daily]

State of the Blog and Plans Going Forward

Hello friends! I wanted to share my plans for this blog now that we've gone through all the episodes and documented more than four years(!!) of good, good Harus.

The bottom line up front: this blog will still be updating, but there is going to be a drop in frequency, and I will take requests via the askbox if there's something you want to see! The rest is under the cut to spare your dash, but read on if you're curious!

First of all, I want to assure everyone that this blog is NOT going away. I care about it way too much to just abandon it. That said, I really don't have it in me to keep it updating daily at this point. There are nowhere near enough "new" Harus I could post, and while I suppose I could start the anime over again from the beginning, I want to make this transition on a high note, and there's nothing I could do that would be more satisfying than (somewhat-accidentally-but-then-totally-on-purpose once I saw it was possible) lining up the end of the anime to coincide with Haru's birthday. Plus, I always want this blog to be a labor of love and joy, so I really do need to make this adjustment before it starts feeling like a chore or obligation to update ^^;

So what does that mean? It means there will still be some new posts to this blog, but they're going to become much more sporadic in nature. I haven't exactly figured out what this looks like yet. It might be every week, it might just be when I feel like it. I still have some manga panels to go through and some anime-related "bonus materials." Plus, there are some stats and compilation-based photosets I want to make (and my personal top 10 Harus? You betcha!). Not to mention finishing the poor, neglected blog index, if you've ever looked at this page on desktop!

That actually brings up another one of my goals for this project: archival and general Appmon news/promotion. In terms of archival, I want to export the contents this blog (screenshots and captions) somewhere outside of Tumblr; I'm thinking a Neocities page or something. I also might use this space to reblog whatever Appmon-related news we might get in the future (few and far between, obviously, but it could still happen!). There are also some other Appmon-related projects that are rattling around in my head that I would also like to get out there (character comparison by director and/or Caught-Up Old Man supercut, anyone?). So things might look kind of quiet as I do some work on some backend HTML and other behind-the-scenes stuff, but progress will probably be happening on those fronts, slowly but surely!

All that said, if you really can't get enough Haru, there are several ways you can help to keep this blog going!

Send me a date on the calendar, ANY date, and I'll reply with all of the daily Harus that got posted over the years! The only exception to that rule is July 1, since that day's dedicated to reblogging fanworks :)

Send me ideas for photosets! With 4 years of backlog, I'm sure there are some interesting ones that could be made.

Send requests for gifs! I only did this sporadically during the original run, but if there's something you want to see that I didn't make already, I'll do it.

Let me know what YOUR favorite Haru(s) are. It doesn't have to be all about me! :D

Send me Harus or requests for Harus that I'm missing? This blog has always accepted submissions. But please note I will not post more than individual Appmon manga panels, because Naoki Akamine, the mangaka, has requested that any art they've shared and posted on social media not be reposted. If it's not directly from the anime, I also have a strong preference for original, official images WITH SOURCES, because I've noticed there are a few AI-upscaled versions of things like card art floating around out there. I will always do my best to track down the original image, and will not use images that have been enhanced with AI on this blog. A sure way to tell: any text on the image looks fuzzy (and wrong!)

Last but not least (and I know I say this a lot, but bear with me): thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for sticking with this blog, whether you're a longtime follower or a relative newcomer. This whole project started on a whim, as a passion project early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and I could not have guessed that it would have taken me this long to make it through the whole series, one good Haru at a time. I have spent a truly shocking amount of time working on this blog, but an equal amount of love, for one of my absolute favorite Digimon series and gogglehead protagonists.

Love from your HaruShinkai-Daily mod,

@citrus-cactus

[doffy2]

this is so late, but thank you so much for your answer! this is only tangentially related, but i figured i'd send it in the same ask: do you know of any guides for tumblr-specific theme structure/tags? like, what an npf row is, how to style photosets, how block tags work, how to target posts, notes or tags for styling; the elements specific to tumblr, if that makes sense

PHEW sorry for taking so long to reply here omfg!! Alright so a small overview:

I always cross-reference my coding info from here, it has a FULL list of every {block}/post-type! It's supposed to function as an introduction page to custom themes, and it's super helpful. I'd also recommend @ps1 / @sadthemes for some base codes or tips, I've used her audio post styling on my themes before. SUPER helpful.

For targeting styling I'll include a little explanation of how I do it under the cut: (how I do it might not be conventional or right, I'm self-taught LOL)

So here's a quick example: tags styling. The <div class="tags"> is what actually gets STYLED, but the {block:tags} has no attributes.

You just sort of, like, give the {block} a shirt. And you can style the shirt vs. trying to style a barbie doll body. Does that make sense?!

Any {block} within a div should keep the style of that div, so make sure you close your divs and {block}'s properly. You can use a div to style more than one {block}, but if you want specific positioning or sizing doing different divs each is the best way to go.

You can ALSO name your divs anything you want. For example mine here didn't have to be .tags it could've been .wowie (which you'll notice in some of my code. Not everything is labelled properly)

A #tags means you would type out <div id="tags"> and a .tags means you'd type out <div class="tags">

There are certain things that don't need a . or # prefix (for example img and "a" (links)) but the linked custom themes introduction SHOULD cover that?

Soz I'm not as organized as the last ask was lol. Hope this makes sense!!!

[chipped-chimera]

Okay since I'm actually awake now, (proper) HAIR UPDATE! ❤️🖤❤️

I wanted to add this onto my post from last night but tumblr hates reblog photosets. Anyways I was very aware that posting my V in the darkest corner of an apartment with black hair wasn't really ... showing anything - but it was very much her vibe and that's been the point of this entire project, buckling down and learning Blender from nothing, reverse-engineering mods and systems I was only NEW to about a month or so ago so I could figure out how to bring 'back' her hair, but like ... even more how I wished it was.

And it's finally done (well ... structurally).

More development rambles beloooow ~

I'm not releasing this (yet) as I'd now put myself in 'polish' phase, where I'll be tweaking some physics and other stuff like the vertex painting which influences the shine - brighter hair colours look a bit too blown out at the moment, and I'm not sure if this is because it's too shiny or because of my custom normals (may have to tone them down a bit, idk). You can see what I mean below -

Shadows are also behaving oddly at certain angles, and I wasn't sure if it was a harsh lighting situation but upon changing the lighting up ... no. Something weird is going on. So that'll need troubleshooting (for lighter colours at least). Also some textures just are acting weird on certain parts when I don't think they should look that way so yeah ... more ... troubleshooting ahead. :V

I'm also going to look into if there's something I can do for the 'efficiency' of this mesh because I noticed some pretty severe frame slowdowns taking close up shots - though only sometimes?? Not sure what that was about at all. I'm assuming it's my gpu being pushed harder as I get closer to the hair, but upon changing the hair in the character creator to another and then back it just went away again? So no idea what the hell was going on there. It felt a bit almost like a memory leak, but I didn't do a check to see what my system was doing so I'll have another look if it happens again.

Possible (hypothetical) causes:

Could be texture size, these hair cards have 2k textures apart from the alpha (4k) which is double vanilla textures so that is also a possibility as a fix (though I'd be loathe to do it).

Double rigs. I noticed last night when in my rigging phase with UUH4V that reducing it from three meshes and rigs to TWO meshes and two rigs significantly improved framerate lag (I mean it was minor but noticeable enough) in the character creation screen, so it could hypothetically be something to do with calculations of running two rigs at the same time. If that is the case, I could probably just rig this to the Alt hair rig. Currently I'm using Alt's for the back and left side of the hair, whereas the fringe at the front and the curl over the shoulder is rigged to Old Rogue. I'll probably still keep using UUH4V just … one rig only.

Last in the list? Hair cards. There are a lot. Maybe too many. They're also of a higher poly than last time. That said I've looked at other mods with heavier polycounts than mine (what gave me the courage to push further in the first place after my very low poly attempt 1.0) that caused more obvious frame slowdown in just the character creator alone. I feel there is still a minor slowdown currently but it's on the edge of noticeable (like, 30fps vs 60fps). As it goes though, this is still pretty insanely efficient (thank YOU Hair Tools for Blender).

BONUS: Mods. Other mods. The thing I use to hook in a DLL for pose control. Could always be that?

So uh, guess that's what I'll be working on. I don't know how much time I should be spending on getting this 'frame efficient' considering anyone using this would be primarily be for screenshots, and given the specs I'm currently running (AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and an RTX 2060) are being re-classed as the 'bare minimum' with Phantom Liberty coming out, and I am planning on upgrades to my PC anyway.

We'll see? (Though in my heart of hearts, I have have had potato PCs for years and I want to support the lowest specs I possibly can). I dunno let me know what you think about that one as a possible mod user (and someone who actually reads these, wow).

Anyways all that matters is jesus christ I finally did this. I taught myself hair. From scratch.

Promised tutorial ... soon. After I maybe do nothing for a few days lol.

[nyaahilism]

I hate doing this, like I've literally never done this before because I know I'm in no position to ever be able to give anything of worth back and there are already so many people asking....

but my family has fallen under hard times since my Grandpa died and took care of most of my families expenses. My mother has throat cancer, slowly entering into remission, my father is a mess who has a large cyst on his chest that could be cancerous and after my immune system broke down on me I had to quit my job which was an extremely hostile work environment.

I have nothing I could give except for maybe specific photosets of your choosing which I can attempt to take to the best of my ability. I've never done that kind of work before so please go easy on me as I figure out how to best serve customers taking me up on this offer.

I've been told I look a lot like Rin Tohsaka and while I'm still waiting on the cosplay I bought I can wear whatever outfits I have closest to what she would wear. I also own cat ears. In the addition to this post I will provide some pictures as proof and then some of the more risque photos I've taken in the past, to show what I am have done but I am willing to go further. I just really need all the help I can get right now. I just I should add that I am a demibisexual woman as well as chronically ill but I don't have insurance so my monthly fevers are currently debilitating and untreated.

I am so so sorry, I hate asking for help but anything at all will do wonders for me right now. Thank you.

My PayPal is

@dunkindeezdonuts

Venmo is

@blackcatemoji

I can create any others I might need if requested.

Cashapp is

$nyaahilism

[mariska]

heyyy um i got a few new followers from, im assuming, the general population migration from twitter to here in the past few days and i just wanted 2 give the new folks a lil welcome greeting so.....welcome 2 my Home Page if u are one of those people im glad u like whatever i have to offer on here lol ✌️ idk how many people are completely new to tumblr in general or how many are like, tumblr users as well who either used both and decided to stick with this one over the other or are returning because of how batshit horrible it is Over There At The Bird Shit Site rn but just as a general bit of information, this has been my "personal" blog since i was 13 in 2010 so there is definitely not any kind of concrete theme or specific type of stuff i post, i've always used it pretty much as the one online social media site where i feel like i can actually be my authentic self, so sometimes i do unintentionally ramble about random stuff on my mind or a really bad day i've had or frustrations having to do with my disabilities; i did a lot more of that as a teenager and it honestly became Not A Great Coping Method for me at the time so i try not to info dump about negative stuff in my personal life on here like i did years ago, but unfortunately because i do have a lot of overlapping issues with both physical, neurological and mental health sometimes i'm just having a real bad day and this blog ends up being the only place i feel comfortable enough in the moment to rant. i just figured it's worth mentioning in case anyone is bothered or if that is a potential trigger for other peoples' own individual struggles, these days if i just really need to get something off my chest and feel like this is the only place where i can do that it's usually regarding medical health problems/symptoms that i'm not coping well with.

i think a few people may have followed me/found this blog from my 'as seen on my disney princess tv' posts that i like to do on here, so if you are one of those new followers, hello and thank you so much for encouraging that fun hobby of mine!! i mention it every once in a while but if you're new here you wouldn't know obviously; i am always super happy to take suggestions or requests for specific movies/shows/media that people would like to see me play on the pink princess tv and make a fancy photoset of, so i will always be open to requests for that whether its by sending a message in my inbox, leaving a reply on a post or even just like, tagging my username on a post for a specific piece of media and being like 'you should make a tv post for this', feel free to do any of those if u would like to!!

one last thing for this post i promise, this one is more of a request of my own and it's largely out of my control but i wanted to quickly say it at some point; i've never used twitter for any amount of time more than like 5 minutes 10 years ago (and a throwaway account i have for the purpose of making lobby note sketches in Splatoon games since u have to post them to twitter to put them in the game which is very silly to me), so i'm very unfamiliar with the general 'thread' type post format that seems to be the norm on there, but in this past week my blog here keeps getting "mentioned" in posts that have nothing to do with me by people i do not know because its a one word pretty widespread first name, and im not mad or anything about it, but it is really annoying honestly and i know nobody is doing it intentionally so i just wanted to let folks know: if you use the @ symbol in pretty much any text on this site except like, the tags of a post, and someone's blog url/username exists on here, it will tag that user in your post (including instances like replying in the comment reply part of a post that you didn't originally post yourself) even if there's more to the username before or after the part with an active url in it (for example, one instance from this week i got unintentionally tagged in started with 'mariska' and then had an underscore with some other words past that, so my account was automatically tagged and i got a notification that i was mentioned in a post even though it was just that first 'mariska' section of the username). i just wanted to ask everyone who may not be used to the different format style of posts on here vs shorter twitter threads to be aware of that Being A Thing, because it's already happened quite a few times and i do get notified of it every time i would very much appreciate not being brought into random posts via unintentional url mentions and i will most likely just block people if it continues to happen because i'm legitimately concerned that at some point it could end up being a case of my url being mentioned in a post or reply that is actively triggering to my mental health or includes disturbing content or something like that, thankfully that hasn't been the case so far, but just please double check that you aren't tagging a tumblr user in something before you post or reply; a good way to know if you unintentionally have done that is if the word typed after the @ is like, a lighter gray than the regular black default text, and also if you go to post something and you're not sure if someone's blog got tagged in it, an easy way to check is to first save that post as a draft (there should be a click/tap drop menu next to the 'post' button on both mobile and desktop versions of this site, if you bring up that menu it'll show a few different options like 'save as draft', 'add to queue', etc) and then go into your account's drafts and see if the post has that light gray url mention link in it, it should un-link the tagged person if you do something like adding a space between the @ and the username or using a backslash before the username like @/examplename.

sorry for the super long random post about all that LOL, i think i'll probably type up a much shorter and easier to read introduction post to pin at the top of my blog in the very near future, but in the meantime thanks for checking out my lil 2020s geocities homepage lmao 😌✌️

[soundsfaebutokay]

For The Love Run 🎶 song 🎶 ask game: 6 and 8 (kinda linked) about Pray

6. What stories or characters (or even real people) are connected to this song in your mind?

I mean, obviously there's Eowyn. "I am no man." I think noted fantasy nerds Joey and Madeleine knew what they were doing with that phrase, and were evoking the spirit of the princess who refused to quietly subside into the role she was given.

But aside from that, Pray really exists as its own story for me. It's just that whenever real or fictional women are "behaving badly" (that is, refusing to act according to society's expectations), it seems like my mind offers this up as a soundtrack. Also in real life, whenever people gossip about others in the guise of prayer requests ("Such-and-such family needs prayers because their daughter is living in sin."), I'm less annoyed now because I just hear Madeleine singing, "Pray for me cause I won't pray for you." You tell them, Madeleine.

8. Do you visualize any colors, images, or scenes when listening to this song?

So many, but it's not so much a movie playing out as a jumble of images. Kintsugi, red, wildflowers growing from seeds watered by a leaking clay pot. Ominous dark-robed religious authority figures. That photoset of female conductors who look like witches waving wands. A wild-haired Madeleine. She's running towards a fiery desert sunset until she disappears over the horizon.

(The Love Run SONG ask game can be found here.)

[nyalternatehellkitten]

((Typed up a quick short for Modern Nyalter. Basically, this is what she did with her work friends for Christmas! Uh... that's it.))

Nyalter stepped outside, took a deep breath, and exhaled, glancing up at the sky.

December 23rd. It was not quite yet dusk, but the night was cold. No dark clouds hung overhead, but it had snowed earlier, and even though the snow had mostly cleared away, the cold hung in the air. It was sharp, crisp, and just enough to make Nyalter pull her coat a little tighter, especially as she was still flush with energy and excitement. Typically for her, she'd dressed fairly skimpily for the little Christmas party... but then again, so had everyone else.

The automatic main doors were still broken down, so they'd been ushered out through a side door, which led into a somewhat secluded back-alleyway. But then again, woe betide this particular group of girls ever being able to afford an actually well-rated karaoke place...

"Well, that was a good night, ladies," Banny winked, her face rosy-red, mostly thanks to the amount of wine she'd consumed. "I presume we're not doing an afterparty this year?"

"I've got to get home to the kids," Seiko said, consulting their phone. "It's 9 already... Thanks for all the toys and books, girls. Tomoko, I hope that LEGO set wasn't too expensive?"

"I know the store owner," Tomoko shrugged. "Or at least... I know what he likes," she added quite impassively, as if this sort of behaviour was so mundane and everyday that it barely even warranted a comment. She smiled, a barely-perceptible little smirk. "Anyways, how long have we known each other? When I saw that box on the shelf, I figured it'd be a good thing for your kids to occupy themselves with while you're busy."

"Well, thank you all the same," Seiko smiled back. "Now... good evening and Merry Christmas, everyone!"

The rest of them waved back, but Nyalter's mind was hardly even on the conversation. There were still... a few things she needed to do. For one thing, she wondered if it was now too late to deliver that present...

At this point, Lorna had obviously had enough, because with a brisk goodbye, she split from the ground. Banny began to say something rude about her, but Tomoko cut her off.

"Genny, do you still need me to drop you off at your place?" The former prostitute gazed up at the sky, her eyes narrowing rather pointedly as she scanned for any sign of a weather change. "Doesn't look like it will snow again..."

"Mmmm... I think it wouldn't hurt, I don't want to take the bus dressed like this." Genny, predictably, had literally shown up in her work uniform. "I'm going to get arrested. Again."

She sighed and muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "It's not that indecent... They just all lack culture..." but donned her coat and cap anyways, whisking off her bunny-ear headband and slipping it carefully into her handbag.

"Alright, I guess that's us for the evening too," she shrugged, turning back to the group. "Banny, thanks for the photos, I'll put them to good use later. And Nyalter... same to you. You are hereby pardoned of your crime of failing to appreciate bunnygirls for another year."

"If I'd known that Nyalter was going to give you a photoset too I'd have just crashed her shoot," Banny snickered. "Then we could have given you something real... spicy..."

"I've seen what you do in the changing rooms and I'm not impressed," Genny deadpanned.

"Well, if you want another set of pictures, you'll just have to be nicer to me next year~" Nyalter winked, blowing a kiss. She regretted it immediately because it made her coat loosen up, but that was the cost of being sexy, apparently. "Who knows, if you're really nice to me... I might even do a private shoot in that outfit just~ for~ you~"

Genny paused for a moment, as if genuinely weighing this up. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she was cycling through images of Nyalter in a salacious bunnygirl outfit.

"I'll think about it," she said at last. "Merry Christmas, you three. Tomoko, let's go."

"Merry Christmas," Tomoko echoed, blowing a kiss with a sultry and undeniably adult wink.

Nyalter felt her heartbeat hammer faster for just a moment, as she imagined what it would feel like to hold her coworker close and kiss those lips... Damn that woman, she really did know what she was doing. It made sharing a changing room with her thrilling in a lot of ways, some of them surprisingly unexpected.

"That leaves the three of us," Banny chuckled, watching as the other two left the alleyway. "What say you, Iri? ready to spend the rest of the evening chilling out with your senpais?"

Iri yelped and jumped a little at the sound of her name, which was hardly surprising since she'd spent most of the evening trying to look fairly unassuming. Though she'd obviously been quite thrilled to be invited along to the party, she'd been shy and quiet the whole time, only talking when spoken to. She'd picked a total of three songs, though Banny and Tomoko had successfully managed to drag her into a song that had originally been a duet, but turned into an impromptu group song. Her nerves probably hadn't been helped by the fact that since she'd been a last-minute addition, only Nyalter and Genny had been able to actually prepare a present for her... and in Nyalter's case, it had been a rather childish set of I'll do whatever you want coupons that one might expect a small child to give to their parents. The poor girl had been so nervous the whole time that even Lorna had made an effort not to be bitchy... towards her, at least.

"I'm- um- I'm a bit... bit cold," Iri managed to stammer out. "I didn't realise... it'd be this cold this evening..."

That was unsurprising, given that Iri hadn't even brought a coat. While Nyalter had very much enjoyed the eye-candy, the truth was that though Iri's deep violet dress hugged her curves deliciously and complimented her pale hair nicely, it really didn't suit her nervous disposition or keep the cold out.

"I've got somewhere to be, so I'll have to split," Nyalter said. "Banny, why don't you walk her home?" she added with a wink, fiddling with her coat's buttons.

"Ah, I see." Banny winked back, although Nyalter had no idea if her overly-energetic workmate had actually gotten the idea or had wildly misconstrued it. "Yep, ol' Banny-senpai will look after you, Iri. Wouldn't want our cute lil' kouhai to catch a cold, would we, Nyalter?"

"That would be neglectful on our part," Nyalter smirked back. She swept her coat off, draping it over Iri's shoulders. "Here, take this. I won't have to go far, so I won't get too cold," she lied. "Just over to a friend's place."

Iri almost turned down the coat out of sheer shock... and possibly also because seeing Nyalter's dress again distracted her. But then again, who could blame her? Nyalter had deliberately chosen a racy red dress that reached her ankles but had a large slit on the side to show off some thigh, and a rather low-cut cleavage as well. She liked to show off in front of her workmates, and Iri had gone red every time she'd turned in Nyalter's direction. Or Tomoko's direction, but that was probably because the ex-prostitute had been very obviously not wearing a bra under her shirt.

"Go on, take it," she smirked. Iri's reaction was cute... but now wasn't the time. "You can give it back to me at work next week, I probably won't be going out much so I won't be needing it."

"Th-thank you-" Iri mumbled, fidgeting. "I- Thanks for inviting me to the party too, and-"

"I'm sure you'll make it up to me sometime," Nyalter winked. "Remember to use those coupons~ Now... Merry Christmas, and goodnight, ladies~!"

Iri and Banny waved back as Nyalter slipped out of the alleyway, turning a fair share of heads with her choice of dress. She needed to stop by home anyways... she was heading over to a friend's place, but she could hardly do it like this, or without picking up the present she was supposed to be delivering...

Nyalter paused just a moment to watch as she exhaled, marveling at the fluffy plume of misty white that puffed out from her mouth. She'd always liked watching her own breathing on a cold day... even if some people thought it was childish. It was just... a nice and pretty sight, pure and pristine... like she had been, a long time ago.

"Merry Christmas..." she muttered again. Except this time, she was saying it to herself.

[daisylincs]

Today is, officially, the last day of 2020 - so it's literally just in time that I'm getting to @aosrecweek's amazing challenge. But that does go to show the nature of this crazy year a little bit, right? Time has just been INSANE, and I honestly cannot believe it's so close to over.

That said, I want to put it out there that everyone - absolutely everyone - who created something in this mad year, is a SUPERHERO. Like. We could have hidden away in dark corners, curled into little balls, and lost touch with our creativity entirely - but instead, we made some of the most fantastic content I have ever seen. And, excuse the language, but that is fucking amazing, of each and every single one of us. We're bloody INCREDIBLE, you guys. We really are.

Now, the rules of this challenge dictate that I've got to start with some of my own things, then repeat with the same number of creations by other people. So I'm going to do that, and I apologise for the sheer length (and self-plug-iness) of what is about to follow - but, bloody incredible, remember? I really mean that. 💜💜💜

My Own:

you could call me babe for the weekend - 19k of Spideychelle being oblivious, mutually pining IDIOTS while being snowed in. And, you know, fake dating. (This thing was SO MUCH FUN to write and though, yeah, it got completely out of control, as evidenced by the 19k, I still really love it.)

'tis the damn season - my first attempt at writing a multi-chap, and, yeah, it only has one chapter as of now, but I really love said chapter. Basically, it's Daisy and Mackelena being friends, and honestly just the BEST friends - I adore the style I managed to achieve in this thing. Plus, the Skimmons I have planned up next is going to be da bomb.

the closest thing - Philindaisy plus fake family. Also; amusement parks. And for a fangirl like me - well, it was pretty much a dream come true to write!

oh valley of plenty - in this fic, I basically told myself, so AoS won't give us Huntingbird in the finale? Fine. I'll just do it myself then - in the fluffiest way possible. And that's exactly what I did - making them, and their kids, be best friends in Perthshire.

maybe life should be about more - a very angsty Skimmons and Daisy-centric AU, focusing on the internalised homophobia Daisy has experienced through her life, and shaking it off (and eventually, y'know, getting together with Jemma.)

and it's dark in a cold december (but i've got you to keep me warm) - Fitzsimmons just make such a supreme pairing for hurt/comfort, what with how insanely well they understand each other and care about each other, so I'm really glad for the Fitzsimmons Secret Santa giving me the chance to write this! Basically, this follows our science duo through a stressful mission on Christmas Eve (so yes, it's a mission fic!!) and realising that the two of them can do anything together.

july second - ahhh, one of my personal favourites to write! Daisy birthday surprise fluff will always be top-notch for me, especially for all the team-as-family fluff you can add in, especially especially that this is set in Staticquake times! Also, it's from Hunter's point of view, which will forever be the most insanely fun thing to write, I do think.

i just wanna be with you - man, I'm such a big royal fan, so getting the chance to write a modern royalty AU for my OTP was nothing short of amazing!! This is Princess Daisy and her fiancée Lincoln Campbell at their official engagement interview

see the line where the skye meets the sea - shameless season 1 bby Bus Kids fluff, featuring movie nights, singalongs and... so much fluff your teeth will rot. Also I'm really freaking proud of the pun in the title okay

'cause all that you are is all that i'll ever need - Huntingbird waking up together fluff (because, fight me, Huntingbird in their sweet moments is one of the sweetest things you will ever get to read or write.) This is also my, fluffy, take on the origin of the Franny's Saloon keychain.

we love you, we love you (and we hope you love we too) - aha, my first polyship fic! Also my first try at some actually fancy HTML formatting (forever thanks to Kat for explaining.) Both of these things combined to form a fic that even I think is ridiculously fluffy and funny, and kinda amazing, at that.

and man I don't know where the time goes (but it sure goes fast like that) - Another Bus Kids movie night fic, but this one set post-season 7, and reflecting on how far they've come. A little bit more hurt/comfort-y than it's pure fluff prequel, but still super fluffy and soft. And, of course, with a happy ending.

she shares my dreams, i hope that someday, i'll share her home - snowy Fitzsimmons fluff, complete with them falling in love at the Winter Olympics, as you do.

then you walked in and my heart went boom - 16k of Dekesy for the wife, and remarkable for that, because literally a month ago from this, I hated Dekesy with my entire soul. Then I started reading Kat's fics, and, well, fell in love with them... so much so that I wrote sixteen thousand words of enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, bed sharing holiday fluff for them.

a love like that - a Fitzsimmons Cinderella AU, featuring my two favourite science babies, in true science bby style, falling in love over science and how stupid the whole courting thing is. Also, Daisy makes a brief appearance, and she's the freaking best.

ever after - ah, probably the one single fic I'm proudest of. A post-season 7 Daisy character study focusing on her emotional rollercoaster re: losing her family/things never being the same again, which just achieves... an emotional level that I have never managed to replicate again. I was full-on sobbing while writing it, and, guys, it also part-holds the Closest To Making Kat Cry prize.

blue - Daisy character study spanning snapshots of seven seasons, and before - but tied together by something blue in every moment. Researching for this, and finding all the blue moments, was very interesting, and immensely satisfying, especially since all the moments where a little bit of blue was present actually combine to chronicle Daisy's journey on the show remarkably well.

who is that girl I see - the one time I decided to write straight angst, and straight angst with no happy ending. Melinda May post-Bahrain, folks.

take my hand, take my whole life too - aww, the first thing I wrote that I really and truly loved. A Staticquake and Fitzsimmons Actors AU, featuring a proposal on set and INCREDIBLE amounts of fluff and softness.

hold out your hand, 'cause friends will be friends - the wife's favourite, and, as second fics go, pretty damn good, if I do say so myself. It's a Soulmates AU for Staticquake and Mackelena, with the focus being on DaisyMack friendship, and lots of denial, angst, and guilt about finding their soulmates. (They figure it out eventually, don't worry - it's me, of course I made them happy.)

Fitzsimmons + Fake Dating moodboard - Fake dating will always be FAB, and picturing it out in a moodboard - especially for my clueless bby best friends in love - was the best, and super satisfying.

Staticquake + Orange moodboard - One of the cooler ideas I had for Trick or Treat (which I still have not finished, heaven help me) was to make a series of moodboards for my OTP plus different colours. This orange one is just so light, and cheerful, and happy, and honestly I kinda adore it.

This Philindaisy + Family Moodboard - making moodboards can be insanely frustrating when you just can't find the photo that fits exactly right. With this one, however, I found all the pics I needed pretty insanely fast, and, better, the whole thing just worked, and really nicely so, too.

This Bus Kids + Baking Cookies moodboard - there's absolutely NO faults to be found with tiny, adorable Skye, Fitz and Jemma concocting choc chip cookies - but I'm actually doing a tiny cheat here, because, cute as my moodboard here is, the accompanying fic by my love @eowima is the SWEETEST and best thing you could ever wish for!!!

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - Day 3 of Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week focused on an emotion, and I picked confidence and power, because honestly, it's nothing short of amazing how confident and powerful our gorgeous girl has become.

This Daisy Johnson Appreciation Week Photoset - One of the times I wish I could gif, because this quote about struggling though never giving up just suits Daisy perfectly. The photos I found are cool, though, and I mean, it's Daisy, so that's already absolutely fabulous.

Other People's:

I managed to find twenty-six of my own things that I liked enough to put up there (because, yes, I'm that big a dork, 26 things for me being 26 is the way to go :D) Anyway, now that gives me the amazing chance to spotlight twenty-six of my favourite creations by my FANTASTIC mutuals! 😍

To start, my wife - Kat said I couldn't put everything she's ever written on here, so, ugh, I guess I'll just do my top five then. *grumbling* Everything by Kat is on here in spirit, though!!

Chasing Cars (even after the story ends) by @aleksandrachaev - the epic Dekesy roadtrip AU and incredible Daisy character study itself, which, I do believe, finishes today!! Words aren't enough to describe how freaking AMAZING this thing is, or how spectacularly well characterised. Just: if you haven't read this yet, you are missing out. You will laugh, you will groan, you will want to wrap Daisy in a very tight hug, and you will probably cry, too. This fic just has it all, really!

there goes the maddest man this town has ever seen by @aleksandrachaev - the post-season 7 Deke-crashes-the-Framework-Zoom-call fic I didn't know I needed (but spent the next two weeks rereading every single night.) It is absolutely INCREDIBLE, with all the Deke & Team feels we missed in the final outro scene, and honestly just the most fantastic writing. I cannot recommend it enough!

To Box It Up And Start Again (everything must go) by @aleksandrachaev - bloody hell, this BROKE me. Deke never really got to say goodbye in canon, but Kat gave him the chance to do it here. And, my freaking GOODNESS, she made it so incredibly bittersweet and heart-shattering. 10/10

i am a leaf on the wind by @aleksandrachaev - a little bit of a stretched-out, reflective moment in the season 7 finale. As Daisy lingers on the edge of death, she reflects on all the lives she could have had - and, man, what a study in bittersweetness!! This entire fic is utterly incredible, and something I think all Daisy fans should read.

Falling Into Place by @aleksandrachaev - here's a tiny cheat from me (sorry, babes, lmao) because technically this isn't one fic, but a series of three. Way too amazing to miss out on, though!! Set mid-season 7, this has the Chronicoms go after a young Mary Sue Poots to kill Quake before she can become a problem for them. They stop the Chronicoms, yes, but not without a TREMENDOUS dose of feels and hurt/comfort. There's also a wonderful little dose of Dekesy friendship, and then an adult adoption (!!) that honestly made my entire day to read. Actually, that's true for the entire series - I really canNOT yell about it enough!!

destroyer of worlds by @bobbimorseisbisexual - a study in incredible parallels between Jiaying's daughters. Utterly breathtakingly done, this will give you ALL the feels for this small and complex Inhuman family.

Muscle Memory by @robotgort and @bobbimorseisbisexual - a Huntingbird!! Bones!! AU!! And also a collaboration between two of the most fabulous Huntingbird authors in the fandom - honestly, what more can you ask for?! This will make you laugh, and gasp, and wince, and keep you guessing at each new plot twist (and also screaming at your screen for Hunter and Bobbi to get their acts together and TALK ABOUT IT.) In short: it's completely and utterly amazing, and I cannot, cannot recommend it enough!!

You Belong Among the Wildflowers by @libbyweasley - a freaking incredible Scis & Spies Regency AU! I only just started reading, but I was hooked all the way through, especially on the way Libby writes all four characters' complex relationships (and their attraction, and their history!) Everything about it is just completely stunning, and I for one cannot WAIT for these beautiful idiots to figure out they all belong together.

Family Snapshot by @tomatobookworm - if it's family fluff you're after, especially Staticquake family fluff, look no further! This tremendously soft and utterly amazing fic follows a day in the lives of a pregnant Daisy and her husband Lincoln, and their not-so-little family of Inhumans, both adopted and biological. There's also shopping with Grandma May, lots of feels, lots of shippiness, and just AMAZINGNESS all the way through!!

Best Day Ever by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - Jemma and Daisy want to adopt a pet, and make a very special trip to Wisconsin to do it. Also, whether he knows who he is or not, Jemma has an important question to ask Cal - and just, AHHHH, everything about this is utterly stunning! For starters, Aubrey's writing is FANTASTIC, and the scene she sets is absolutely beautiful, and so very bittersweet. I was actually misting up a little with happy tears towards the end of this - really, I cannot recommend this enough, to any Skimmons fan.

so why don't we go somewhere only we know by @loved-the-stars-too-fondly - more Skimmons (platonic this time, though), more hurt/comfort, and, yes, again, more absolutely INCREDIBLE writing. This one is canon compliant, following a shaken Jemma struggling to sleep after Maveth, and how Daisy finds a way to help her out. Incredibly sweet, tender and BEAUTIFULLY written, this one was an instant favourite the moment I read it!

Unspoken by @anxiouslynumbme - a birthday fic for yours truly, and, honestly, one of the most STUNNING Staticquake introspectives I've read. It follows Daisy and Lincoln in a beautifully tender missing moment in season 3, with them both realising their feelings, and just... AHHHHHHHH, everything about it is utterly incredible!! I cannot, cannot recommend this gem of a fic enough

the thing about water droplets and ruffled hair by @que-mint-tea - here's another fic that proves, once and for all, how good Kat's Dekesy is, because it managed to convert T to write some Dekesy smut. And, oh my GOSH, what Dekesy smut - so goshdarn angsty, but so FANTASTICALLY characterised and written that it leaves you more than a little breathless, and gaping at your screen. The first chapter initially left us on the most HORRIFIC cliffhanger, but then T fixed it, and it's just... this thing is really a whole new level of emotional writing, raw and gripping and intensely perfect for both of these characters. My haw still drops whenever I think of this thing, and how utterly AMAZING it was, so yeah. Fic rec!!!

beautiful stranger, there you are by @justanalto - I do believe I still owe Serena a long and very gushy comment on this thing, because, MAN, does it ever deserve that!! Pipsy and fake dating, with the most HILARIOUSLY incredible writing, plot and characterisation, and honestly just a giddy "askhdfkhsfh" whenever I think back to how much I enjoyed it. Yup, it was that good.

Jumping to conclusions by @eowima - a very special one, because it marks my love Océane's first venture into writing AoS fic! It's an AU of 1x06 (the Fitzsimmons episode of s1) where Fitz does actually jump out of the plane to save Jemma. Realisations of feelings, and some of the most genuinely FANTASTIC Fitz characterisation I've read in a while, follow - and, yup, I was shouting at my screen for them just to get together already. Amazing stuff, really!!

Look into your eyes and the sky's the limit by @eowima - okay, this. This. Another gift for me, and one that I will probably treasure forEVER, because it is just?? so?? utterly?? perfect?? Just for starters, the title is a Hamilton reference - and then the theme of Hamilton references continues into the fic itself, I'm delighted to say. There's also the most BEAUTIFUL, playful Skimmons friendship, and teasing, and then of course the bet about who can make out with their crush first... Staticquake & Fitzsimmons perfection. And all rendered in Océane's delightful, best-thing-ever-to-read writing!! I'm going into a giddy keyboard smash just THINKING about this, so yeah, cannot recommend it enough.

lullabies and clear blue skies by @springmagpies and @bobbimorseisbisexual - okay, I never thought I'd catch myself shipping FitzBobbi, let alone shipping it this hard, but... wow. Maggie and Al teamed up to completely blow me away, and MELT MY WHOLE ENTIRE HEART with the sheer cuteness of this!! It features Fitz, Bobbi and adopting two daughters, and it's just the most tender, beautiful development through that little family - I love it so, so much.

We made all the wrong choices by @browneyedgenius - the winner of the AoS Angst War 2020, how could I not include this one? It is such a well-deserved win, though, whoa - I was sobbing, full-on sobbing, at least twice while reading. It follows the season 5 team through the events of the time-loop, after they failed to save the world - and, oh my gosh, it ripped my heart right out of my chest, but beautifully so. Everything about this fic just hits so hard, and it's written so well - yeah, really a most AMAZINGLY deserved win, for an utterly SHATTERINGLY incredible fic.

I threw stones at the stars (but the whole sky fell) by @nazezdha321 - this is Z showing us all how to write a backstory for a minor character, and write it so well that everyone's hearts break all over again when she dies. This one is about Victoria Hand, and it builds a stirring and profound childhood for her, also making her rise through the ranks of SHIELD and just her entire character mean so much more. Really, fic-wise, this is goals, and I take my hat off to you, Z, 1000%, for writing it.

in which the universe is put together by @besidemethewholedamntime - Rebecca's emotional writing, particularly Fitzsimmons' emotions, is incomparable, and she proves it all over again in this fic. If follows Fitz and Jemma before, after and during the bloodwork, and I just... wow, honestly. The emotion!! And the characterisation!! Absolutely stunning, and honestly all I could wish for in a we-had-time fic.

Agents of SHIELD Season 8 by @egumal - THIS. This, this, this, oh my gosh - as fix-it fics go, this has to be the most spectacular one I have ever read. What it does is find a way - a potentially canon compliant way, too - to bring back Lincoln Campbell, and reunite Staticquake. Basically: just about as season 7 finishes, the Astro Ambassadors get an unexpected visitor from another timeline, who asks them to come help out against Hive. Case in point, Daisy meets her lost love again (... but he has no idea who she is) and also has to relive the Fallen Agent drama. It all gets even more complicated when Kora restores Lincoln's memories, and Daisy meets the full team Deke has assembled around him in the 33 years (for him) that they've been apart... in short, this is one of the most thorough, well-written and downright SHOCKING plot-twist-wise fics that you will ever read, and honestly, saying "I can't recommend it enough" is an understatement. This thing is thd BEST, plain and simple!

Black Roses aren't real (but you and I are) by @ohwriteiforgot - ahhhh, a fic that will always have an incredibly special place in my heart, because it introduced me to one of my best fandom friends. The main focus is on Clintasha, it's true, but it's also a crossover with AoS in the sense that Clint was adopted by Coulson and May. Also, Daisy is his little sister, and their bond is gold. Also - there's Staticquake!! And flower shops!! And rivals to friends to lovers!! All I'm going to say is, what more can you ask for?!

A book to shield my story by @maybebrilliant - Staticquake High School AU, ahhhhhhhh!! There are only two chapters out so far, but the way this is shaping up is making my DAY - with Daisy as the new girl who meets Lincoln and his group of friends, and, though her foster parents are absolutely shit, starts to find actual happiness in a school for the first time in her life. Also - THE REFERENCES. Guys. I'm crazy for those, and in this book, so are my favourite dorks, Daisy and Lincoln - and let me tell you, it's nothing short of the best thing ever.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @heysteverogers - AoS really has been the most INCREDIBLE journey through the years, but what's really made it special is the company - and that's summed up perfectly in this gorgeous gifset. Also, the graphics on this are just, ahhhh, stunning - I'm in awe, and I've spent very long periods of time just looking at this thing in a state of heart-eyes.

This AoS Finale Gif Edit by @jemannesimms - combining Auld Lang Syne and the final scenes of my favourite show was a raw emotional - but utterly brilliant experience - for me. It's just so absolutely beautiful, and perfectly suited to the team, and their goodbyes!! Breathtaking editing work here, too.

This Daisy as Peter Parker and May as Tony Stark moodboard by @agentsofcomedyandchaos - ahhhh, a crossover of two of my favourite fandoms!! And what a lovely one, too - the colour scheme, quotes, and just the whole FEEL of this is absolutely genius, and I am guilty of being inspired by way too many fic ideas by it. Stunning stuff!!

And... whoa, that was long, but I really do feel that we deserve a bit of a proper pat on the back after creating such magical content in such a messed up year. So that's the note I'm going to leave you with for 2020, my friends: hell-year or no, look at the absolute beauty we were still able to create!! We really are freaking amazing, guys.

[godshideouscreation]

Hey, I wanted to talk to you about how you got into cam modeling, mostly because I’m wondering what starting up is like and how to do it. What advise do you have, especially on how to gain followers and how to market oneself?

Well let me clear it up, I don't cam because of my limited movement, I just have videos and photosets, and sexy items I sell. But both manyvids and only fans offer the ability to go live. A lot of sites take a lot of money from you. I know some cam sites take 50 or 60%, leaving you with a measly 40% of the money you earned.

I'm not going to lie to you the market is extremely saturated right now. since I started it's become more and more saturated and there's always competition, there will always be someone who will do more than you will for a lot less. So you have to accept that and price yourself accordingly. As far as standing out, just be yourself, be unique, make content that you actually would want to see. Don't just try to cater to trends. My other main bit is sticking to only a couple of sites, If you try to branch out when you're too early you'll become overwhelmed. Tumblr is a good place to advertise SFW and so is Instagram. Twitter is a good place to advertise NSFW. The best thing you can do is share others content, follow sex workers, and build relationships.

If you have not signed up to any sites yet, let me know and I can send you the links to the ones that I recommend that pay out the most and have the most traffic.

You need to think of your aesthetic and the look that you want to have in your photos and start working on that. You can have as many different looks as you want but just planning out what you're going to be doing always helps for me.

Safety wise you need to think of a name to use, and decide whether or not you want to show your face, I obviously can't go back and everybody knows what I look like but I know models who have been in the game longer than me who have never shown their face. A lot of people think that they're going to get started and be doing porn for a long time But it is a really competitive industry and even if you work a lot there's not necessarily always a promise of making money. But if you are creative, and hardworking, good at learning, you will have success.

Sites I'm on and recommend:

Onlyfans, It's really easy to use and everyone is on there

Manyvids, pretty easy to use, has its own traffic internally

All sites have their pros and cons, and I suggest you figure out what kind of content you're going to be making before you sign up to certain sites because some content is not allowed on there.

And if you have any more specific questions just let me know.

[lettalady]

I'm going to cheat and ask a bout three 1. Unsettled [Tom] - chapter 17, 2. Zodiac Mist (Tom AU, and 3. Close Quarters possible quarantine thing [Tom]

WIP Folder Tag Game

More’s the pleasure to talk about them - mostly cause it distracts from the guilt over not getting anything updated in what feels like forever. We’ll just sidestep the issue of adding to the WIP list when I should be trying to finish things... Yea...

❈

Unsettled:  This blurb may get reworked cause I’m still not entirely happy with the direction of the chapter. Part of me wants to pick things up right where we left them and carry on, but then part of me wants to forge ahead to other events that are already mapped out. Neither part, however, seems to be able to do anything about the fact that I keep stalling out. 

For one heart stopping moment you’d stood there in your kitchen, reeling. All those years hating him, all those times you had aimed low with a remark, banned another form of interaction, and he’d held together… You’d taken chunks from him during fights and he had always rallied or had taken chunks from you in return. Somehow, you never really thought you’d see the day he simply set his jaw, agreed with you, and walked away – stormed away. You’d never seen him so angry, yet so wounded, and there was a long long list of choice moments to examine.

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Zodiac Mist:  This AU stirred into being from a title prompt sent by @ourladybinxthings and a direction I started spinning care of the photoset I was trying to create for the story. It started in my head as a fortune being told and spiraled from there. Right now it’s plotted loosely around the blurb I wrote in response to the fic title prompt. Zodiac (Zachariah) feeling something that he can’t ignore and having to make a choice: face the death omens he sees  (possibly try to interfere and save whomever has been marked) - or pick up and run from it. 

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Close Quarters: possible quarantine thing - ok so this one I’m really on the fence about. It’s another one that is loosely plotted that I keep coming back to and going: hmmmm. We know how well they reacted (or not) to being stuck together in the elevator for 12 hours... and while it’s tempting to see how well they’d react to being quarantined together, I’m also not so sure I want to focus on the new normal in that way? I’ve got a few oddball headcanons waiting (begging) to work their way into a sequel - I guess I just need to figure out the situation I want to plop Sunshine and his neighbor into.  😘

[kuweiyulbo]

hi! i was wondering if you could make a tutorial on how to do character posters? mine come out really simple because i'm just not sure what to put on it besides quotes?

hi there!! i’m rly flattered you came to me for advice, tysm!!

idk much abt how to make a tutorial, but i can at least explain some of the things i do when i make posters:

firstly, i try to make sure that the photos i choose fit well together in terms of colours and “business” (as in: make sure that either all or half the photos have the similar levels of minimalism or business - example)

if you find a perfect photo that doesn’t quite fit the others in terms of colours and/or brightness, don’t worry! you can play around with the different settings in ps until it fits the others (my go-to are usually brightness/contrast and selective colour, but there are a bunch of rly useful settings to play around with!)

then i crop and resize my photos so they’re all the same

after that i play around with different colouring psds to figure out which ones make my photos look good! i pretty much always use at least three different ones, and sometimes i play with some of the settings within the psds to make everything look just right

after i get the colouring down i add my text. i usually always put the character’s name, but i switch around what else i put on: book/series, author, any titles the character might have, quotes, it’s pretty much just what strikes my fancy that particular day!

sometimes i stop at this point, but if i feel like the photoset needs a little something, i add a “border” (example), which usually does the trick! (if you need help with how to make a border like that, i’m sure a tutorial can be found on various resource blogs. or feel free to ask! i’d be happy to explain how i do it!)

i hope you found this helpful!

[spectralarchers]

How do you find all the content for your gifs? Do you like, know all the movies and scenes the actors are in? Or is it also part luck or vaguely remembering what happened? I'm always really impressed by all the things you find! And I love your gifs

Hi, love

I know most of Renner’s movies pretty well by now - if I need some specific scenes, I know exactly which one to go to. The only things that he’s done that still takes me more than ten minutes to figure out is The Unusuals, though, I always end up mixing the episodes together.

As for the other actors, I know a lot of Scarjo’s filmography, and I have tried, through the years I’ve made gifs, to watch one or two movies other than MCU-things for most of the headlining actors - Jon Bernthal was in Snitch, for example, which I like using a lot (although I’ve got my pick now with 2 seasons of Punisher out), Linda Cardellini is in the TV-show Bloodline, which gives a lot of good material, Hailee Steinfeld is amazing in On the Edge of Seventeen and I can’t wait for Bumblebee to come out so I can use that too.

There are some actors where I have to search a little bit deeper - Claudia Kim (who plays Helen Cho) for example, is one of them - so I usually just go to YouTube and hope any of the movie clip channels on there has some that I can use. I type something like “claudia kim scene” or sometimes go to their IMDb to find a show that would fit and type in scenes from there.

If I want to make a gifset with a character whose actor I’m not familiar with, I’ll usually start with them - depending on the scene I find, I’ll know if it’s outside, night, day, if they’re happy or sad, and then if I’m making a gifset where Clint is in it, I’ll go find a Renner clip that matches the mood of the previous one, if that makes sense?

So it’s part luck and part remembering, to be honest. Some years ago, whenever I watched a new Marvel movie (Homecoming, for example), I’d get flashes of other scenes that would do well in a gifset (the one where Frank Castle saved Peter Parker from being killed, I got an idea for while in the cinema watching Homecoming for the very first time)

Then, if I have to do scenes from three or four different movies/shows (like this one with Kate Bishop, which has a scene from The Edge of Seventeen for Hailee, a deleted Winter Soldier scene for Maria Hill, and a scene from Arrival for Clint), it gets a bit more difficult to get everything to fit, but with a bit of Photoshop changes, it will usually flow nicely together in the end.

Then, once I’ve found the footage, I try to color key the clips so they match and color correct, contrast, light and more, so it looks like their skintones sort of match and that the light kind of matches as well, to give them a bit more continuity. After that’s done - I usually make 13-15 individual gifs, I move them around to get the best ‘visual’ fit in them, and bring them down to 10 so they can fit within Tumblr’s photoset limits, and from there, I write the dialogue.

It’s a bit of a process, but it’s definitely fun! 

I hope this helped, darling! I’m so glad that you enjoy them, and I hope to be able to make more very soon

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