#i mean the best thing a cover can do is to improved/change stuff of the original
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toxictac · 1 month ago
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I feel my taste in music tends to be pretty accepting of stuff (for the most part), like im more likely to say "its alright" over hating a song be that a cover, a remix or an original song
But i do feel like things like songs like "welcome to the internet" or "the ruler of everything" are kinda like an exepction
Like not to downplay the parodies but i feel those are the kinda songs i havent heared a good remix or cover that makes me go "yeah this on par with the original
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gudgurkan · 7 months ago
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Got any tips in shading stuff in black and white digitally?
Hi Anon!
You're in luck! I'm currently wrapping up a book which is shaded digitally, so I've been thinking a lot about this recently.
How I do this is by no means the only way, so take from these tips as much or little as you want! When I add grays and shadows to a line art drawing, I try to think about these things:
Preparing the image
I like to work with a file that has a white background and a layer with only line art on top of it. Between these two layers I add new layers where I use the pen tool and bucket to fill areas with black, then I lower the opacity for that layer to get a value that I want.
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This method works well for me, and for simpler pieces I don't need more than 3 layers with different values - light, medium and dark grays.
I work in Clip Studio. Here's a picture of the layers of a recent drawing. Each layer is actually completely black but you can see the opacity percentages by each layer. Lower percentage -> brighter value. This makes it super duper easy to change the value of a layer, no need to repaint it, just change the opacity!
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Value composition
For the best result, do a couple of value sketches with a limited set of values and find something that works well for the image. Getting the values right is what will improve the image the most! Here's a quick tutorial on muddycolors. Muddy Colors is a very nice art blog to check out. Looking at grayscale storyboard drawings or value sketches are great ways to pick up on this too.
I try to group values when working with grays. Take this image for example:
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The character in the foreground has mainly dark grays, which separates her from the background, which has mostly light grays. Then the windows are white and the roof black.
Value composition is a huge and complex area and I recommend anyone wanting to learn to be more conscious about their values and to do value sketches. Analysing art you think has good values is great too.
Shadows
Not every piece needs shadows, but they can add a lot to an image! I use three kinds of shadows when I work in grayscale.
Inked shadows - these shadows are added during the inking stage and usually show areas where light would have almost no way of getting there, such as under this tent.
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Gradient shadows - these shadows usually represent something getting further and further away from a light source or an area that would bounce light. This tree receives a tiny bit of light from a campfire on the ground and moonlight that bounces on the ground and up, fading as we get higher up in the tree. But mainly I add these gradients in ways that look cool and will help the overall composition.
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Hard shadows - these shadows appear when a strong light casts shadows and can be used on a shape or to cover something. Here's a werewolf with shadows on its back, which gives it a better sense of mass and is interesting visually!
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You can also cover an area in shadow like this, where the tree casts a shadow down on the archer and the cliff.
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Texture
I like to add a layer of noise as a finishing touch. In Clip Studio you can create a noise layer with Filter->Render->Perlin noise... Find a balance of scale and amplitude that works for the image, then change the layer mode to "Vivid Light" and lower the opacity of the layer to around 30%. I like how this looks, it's not super visible usually but helps make the drawing feel less artificial and digital.
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I hope that helps! Here are some nice links too:
Muddy Colors
Android Arts
Gurney Journey - Read his books!
Happy drawing!
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deathofacupid · 8 months ago
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helloo this is my first time in a while requesting so if this doesn't make much sense then that's whyy
could I please request peter parker with an s/o who does competitive cheer as a sport, and gets hurt a lot because they have a lot of main parts in routines (like tumbling nd holding girls up nd stuff), peter is always concerned for them cuz they r always hurting something but he also loves seeing them perform at comps and stuff
if you want a better understanding of the sport u could research! but thanks in advance <3
pom-poms and bruises | peter parker
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a/n: your request was great, no worries! i did do my fair share of research, but lemme tell you, my knowledge on cheer (or, like, any sport) is mad limited. if i got some information incorrect, i apologize in advance! i took... creative liberties (?) and changed some minor details - instead of competitive cheer, it's high school cheer. enjoy the fic, and i hope i did this request it's justice. sorry this took so long!!
summary: peter can't help but worry seeing you all bruised up, but no matter what, he's your biggest fan.
warnings: the ouchies, innuendos to sex
pairing: fem!cheerleader!reader x peter parker
word count: 1.8k+ words
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"oh jeez," peter sighs, rubbing his thumb over the bruise on your cheek. it was a blue-purple, indicating that it was fresh. "what happened?"
you wave him off, grinning, "you know how it goes, battle scars and all."
"scar?" he cocks a brow.
sighing, "battle bruise isn't half as badass."
"right, i forgot the most important thing is proclaiming our dominance in the social hiearchy of the big ol' globe. and obviously not our physical health."
"you wouldn't understand, baby. it's a full time job."
gently, peter pushes you up against your locker. leaning in to whisper, he says, "i wouldn't, angel? best believe i've got battle scars of my own."
"ugh. so not the same. not everyone has the luck of getting to be a human-spider."
"yeah, okay, luck."
"you seriously cannot complain," you deadpan. "that bite did you favors! like, down there, you grew at least- mmph-!"
peter covers your mouth with his hand, "we are not having this conversation."
"it was a compliment! i mean, it's not like you sucked before or anything. i'm just saying it... improved... you."
"somehow, this isn't going the direction you think it is."
"oops. i didn't mean to hurt your over-inflating ego."
"first off, if anyone has an ego that needs to be kept in check, it's you."
"don't blame me," you tell him, "blame the girls," you're referring to your cheer team, pinching his cheeks. "but... maybe i can compensate with a kiss?"
he feigns annoyance, "i suppose." in response, you lean in for a kiss, melting at his touch.
peter kisses your bruise as well, letting it linger for a moment longer. "does it hurt?" he asks.
"barely," you shrug, leaning in for more, but he isn't quite focused on that at the moment. giving you a look, he softly pokes your cheek, to which you wince.
"right. barely."
"don't be a worry-wart, worry-wart."
"i'm not! 'm just concerned!"
"puh-lease," you scoff. "you come back worse! remember that time you broke and entered into my bedroom, then proceed to bleed out onto that cute new rug?"
he looks down, epitome of cute puppy. "yes," peter says, guilty, "i do."
you pat his stomach, nuzzling your nose against his. "see? so you have nothing to worry about. me, on the other hand," you trail off.
"nah. you don't have anything to worry about either, angel."
"watch me worry anyways," you snort.
he pinches your cheeks, and you swat his hands away. "watch it!"
"you're my intellectual property."
"oh, so you're objectifying me now?"
"wait- no! no, of course not!"
"lemme me just say right now, may would not be happy."
peter groans, shoving you away.
"no!" you giggle, "i'm sorry! i won't snitch!"
he peeks an eye open, turning his head just barely to look at you. "fine, i guess," peter pulls you back.
"hey, petey?"
"hm?" he asks, nuzzled in your neck. there's just a few minutes before class starts, and he wants to make the most of it.
"are you coming to the game? it's my first year of being captain, and, well, it'd be cool if you came." suddenly you're more bashful than giggly, and he's quick to assure you.
"are you kidding me? of course i'm coming. i'm not missing the chance to see my girl shine.
"you sure? because i know you don't care for foot-"
"shhh," he presses his palm to your mouth. "yeah, i hate football, but i just to happen to love y- god!" he exclaims as you lick his hand, but in your defense, what did peter expect?"
"you put in on my mouth!"
peter narrows his eyes at you, "vermin."
"see you tonight?"
"see you tonight," peter replies as the bell rings. with one last kiss, you part ways.
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your hair was done, two yellow and blue bows to tie the look together. midtown theme eyeshadow was painted on your eyelids, with stars dotted on your cheekbones. you have your cheer uniform on, and you're basically jumping with how giddy you are.
part of you is nervous, because you don't want to mess this up. every year, a senior is picked to be captain, with a junior as a mentee. not only do you have to set a good example for the junior this year, but you have to wow everyone.
checking your makeup one more time, you grab your purse, heading out to the car.
by the time you get there, your teammates are already stretching. on the other side of the field, football players are warming up. last year, liz was captain, well, before she moved. then she got replaced by gwen.
you knew liz and peter... okay, so you weren't completely sure, but they had something. some part of you wanted to be better than liz, entirely for peter. you know it was silly, but you felt like you had something to prove. some families are already in, which is funny, because there's an hour to the game.
it's normally parents and friends of the cheerleaders/players that get here before most people, but there are some occasions.
peter's here, you know that. you haven't looked for him yet, but as you get up, you scan the bleacher. finally, you spot a curly, brown-haired boy (it helps that he's waving like crazy) and his aunt. you blow a kiss to them, grin present of your face.
tasha, one your girls, taps your shoulder, "we're gonna run our routine a couple times, okay? just before the game starts." you pull your eyes away from may and peter, nodding at her.
the familiar music of your routine starts playing. the first part's easy, synchronized movements, shoulder-to-shoulder.
as the routine progresses, you feel the familiar rush of adrenaline. you spot the base of the pyramid, their arms outstretched, and with a deep breath, you allow yourself to be pulled upwards.
their grip is firm and reassuring as you climb, hand over hand, until you reach the apex. a split second later, you're soaring through the air, launching into a full backflip.
as you launch yourself into the backflip, you feel your body twist off-axis. the ground rushes up to meet you, and with a sickening thud, you land flat on your face. a gasp escapes your lips, the sting of impact radiating through your jaw.
the cheers falter for a moment, but your teammates are quick to react. they rush to your side, concern etched on their faces. you sit up, momentarily stunned, but the pain quickly makes itself known.
just as soon as it's there, it's gone, leaving you slightly sore. "i'm okay!" you call out, lopsided smile on your face. the first person you look for is peter, who's already heading towards you.
gently, he moves everyone away. "jesus, are you okay? what'd you fall onto? your head? wait, are you dizzy? lightheaded? nauseated?" peter grabs your by the chin, hurry to inspect everything on your face.
"baby, baby," you say, cradling his hand. "i'm okay, i swear. i might've bruised something... like my ego," you joke, smile on your face, but he is not amused.
"no? okay. well, honestly my jaw is too, or will be," you point to the left side. "'s red?"
"yeah," he winces, "it's gonna leave a nasty bruise." you're sure it's not as bad with makeup on, but you can't be sure.
"does anyone have concealer?" you call out.
jenny, a girl that's your shade nods, "yeah! i'll grab it!" she tosses it to you, and you catch it perfectly.
peter presses his lips together, "so no concussion?"
"because i caught it? to be fair, that was mostly luck."
his eyes widen. "but no! i don't have any concussions!"
peter tilts his head, "icepack?"
"nah. i'm good, really."
he hesitates, "okay. be careful though, seriously." you don't feel like hearing a lecture right now, so you nod quickly.
"i will, i will!"
"because i swear-"
"you won't have to! i'm all good. now leave," you joke, "you're embarrassing me. if i wanted to be smothered, i would've asked for my mom."
he blows a raspberry at you, and gives you a quick kiss. "be careful," he repeats, "and good luck!" he jogs back over to may, and you watch him leave.
jenny giggles as you brush yourself off, "you guys are so cute."
blushing, you murmur a thanks. quickly, you grab your phone to cover up the forming bruise. and there's not really time for another run-through.
all you can do is hope it won't happen again.
there's a small dance at the start of the game and some other here and there, but it's not anything crazy. what is crazy is halftime.
as you get into your position, you fidget. "you'll be great," one of the girls tell you.
"thank you," you smile.
"yeah, no, you will," says another.
you don't feel super ready, not after that fall, but there's not much you can do about it.
the song, louder than before, echoes through your eardrums, a roll of excitement passes through you. no matter how anxious you are, you'll always love cheer.
it's your safe place.
the music swells, and you launch into a series of cheers with your teammates, your voice ringing out in perfect unison. as the routine progresses, you feel the familiar rush of adrenaline. you spot the base of the pyramid, their arms outstretched, and with a deep breath, you allow yourself to be pulled upwards.
their grip is firm and reassuring as you climb, hand over hand, until you reach the apex. a split second later, you're soaring through the air, launching into a full backflip.
you twist perfectly, landing with a confident thud back in the waiting arms of your base. the crowd erupts in cheers, and you beam, the thrill of the successful stunt coursing through you.
you did it, and everyone's squealing. peter's not that far from where you are, and you can hear him shrieking; "that's my girlfriend!"
you grin at him, and he whoops again.
the rest of the game flies by, and you finish the last routine. midtown ends up winning 20-17.
peter scooping you up in his arms, spinning you around. "that was awesome! seriously, like, mind-blown! and you didn't fall this time!"
may comes up beside him, hugging you, "you did fantastic, sweetheart. freaked me out with that fall, though," she chuckles, and you kiss her cheek. "my bad," you tell her, rubbing the back of your neck.
"hey, pete, hun, i'm gonna head out, okay? hospital shift was crazy."
you frown, "was it late?"
may sighs, "two a.m. to five p.m."
"oh, may, you should've gone home to get rest!"
"and miss my lovely girl's big night? you're crazy."
"aww," you coo, hugging her again. "sleep well, okay?"
"oh, please, i'll be knocked out like a baby." you laugh as she leaves.
"we should totally get ice cream," peter says.
"ooh, yes!"
"wait, don't you have an after party?"
"i'd rather spend it with you," peter pecks your lips. "and, we can have extra dessert," he winks.
you frown in confusion, "like cupcakes too? can we get cho- oh. oh! i really, really like that idea."
"good. i'm gonna let you know how badass of a girlfriend you are."
"why don't we skip straight to the second dessert? switch things up?"
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taglist: @whatsupstark @ell0ra-br3kk3r @idli-dosa @susvale @kdbsr-h @littlemsbumblebee @sflame15-blog @twinsunkithies @chocolateshepherddreamclod @one-piece-frvr7 @477strberry
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thesweetroro · 3 months ago
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Hiya! I just discovered your account and I'm so happy someone is making new content of this series (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥) So I don't know if you have been reading the manga but if you did could you write some headcanons of how would it be cuddling with Mei,Ido,Kojiro and Orochi? (If you don't know any of them do it with Samon,Honey,Tsukumo and Kenshiro)
Unfortunately i didn’t read the manga but i’ve seen those characters! and as soon as i could be able to read the manga i promise to tell you guys all 💗, but in the mean time i only can be able to do anime characters 🙂‍↕️.
And thanks for making a request + putting afford to care if i read the manga , i was gonna be so disappointed to turn you down.
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𐙚 ˚🍥(cuddle buddy,pt.2!)。˚ ᡣ𐭩
꩜ Requests 🩰 .ᐟ
── .✦ 🎠 Building (4+5+13+3)
── .✦🏷️ the inmates + guard
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ꪆৎ
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⋆。🐩𖦹°🍥⭒˚。⋆(kenshiro)
The puppy that he is , craving cuddles but as his ago denies!
He would be whimpering when he finally gets to have you in his office after being pent up all day and stressed out , just laying in his couch telling him how much you like his fancy old man smell.
Love and love to cup you and cover your up by his (Coat, cloak?) i don’t know you name it but you will get that peace of fabric around you.
His favourite thing to do when you slowly start to kiss him from one finger and end up kissing him underneath his eye gang.
I would say that man is ASMR lover so please go clean his ears and scratch his hanging hair.
More willing to cuddle when it’s the weekend it’s really REALLY hard to get that man out of bed or him letting go of you.
𐙚‧₊˚🐉✩ ₊˚🏯⊹♡(samon)
Good luck with trying to have him in one place,he loves you and your smell and your warmth but also,he can’t give up his work!! especially when no one can get the job done for him as he wishes for.
When you guy first started dating you would never leave each other arms and always cuddle and sleep together at one time both of you went out to some mall and he got you a big stuffed hello kitty .
Now when he became really busy he comes home or his office and sees you sleep or cuddle her,he regrets every walking muscle he used that day to get you her.
When he finally gets free and come cuddle you, he can see how upset you are when you look away and ignore him , but of course he knows how to make it up for you( whatever you like).
But after all you guys are cuddling back together and yapping about everything and tell you he misses you and how shity work as always and that he is SORRY.
His favourite thing in cuddle is to eat ice cream with you and get to be babied by you and lay on you and talk about how he would kick that stuffed kitty.
ꪆৎ
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༘⋆📼˚ ༘ ೀ🎎⋆。˚(tsukumo)
Sucker for cuddles or any affection from you , and since he needs alot of comfort that could help improve your relationship better! like when he feels comfortable he gets to open up and brake the personality.
Likes it even more when you’re on top of him with the prettiest thing to wear taking a little picture with his camera he got for you as a girl to get your memories together! looking so beautiful gorgeously delicious .
Would adore any and every thing you do and say to make him feel better in your arms and when someone else says something else he pull “but my wife said yes”.
Drive him crazy is the best part about it for him ,like slowly and gently take off his mask off of him and doing his skin care for him or try a trick or makeup.
And when you guys are almost asleep he talks about his behind the scenes stuff then both of.
. ݁₊ ⊹ 🍯. ݁˖ . 🎯݁༉‧₊˚.(Honey)
He doesn’t even try do denie it he loves being thrown in your arms in any change “ so i cut my finger accidentally while playing cards” “how did you?.-” “so you’re not gonna hug me and kiss me and tell me im gonna b alright?”.
A simple guy used to start his day by skincare routine and then just continue his day,but that was along time ago now he won’t even leave the bed just to hold you even more “no babe it’s cold,it’s winter, we will get sick”.
Everything you do is this guy’s favourite thing no matter what is it,but what about what he does? he likes having you oh him as he kisses you on your forehead and your neck then starts tweaking on your smell.
And plump on your back until you sleep.
ꪆৎ
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hope you liked it 💋!.
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liquidstar · 10 months ago
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SEASON 3 TRAILER DROPPED HERES MY THOUGHTS (LN spoilers)
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BROTHER AND SISTER OF ALL TIME THEYRE SO CUTE <3 love seeing how their relationship has progressed from beako literally throwing him out a window for stuff like this to her happily playing along its so so so so so cute. genuinely just one of the cutest and sweetest dynamics in the series
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hi ram roswaal and fred :) this is probably all we're going to really see of you guys this arc lol
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JOSHUA REAL!!!!! but not for long (also otto in the bg foreshadowing all the drinking hes about to do this arc. hes so stressed. poor emilia is trying her best)
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julius looks so babyfaced here? they really emphasized his long eyelashes just like subaru has been on about every time he mentions him. they better include the scene where he checks him out, like, if they dont animate subaru looking dead at this mans ass im going to riot
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i LOVE this shot of ana. you can really tell shes up to some corrupt capitalist bullshit as we speak. love her for that. wish i had this pic when i made that one money game anastasia video
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the red dress actually does look really good on crusch like it compliments the green hair really well but also the crusch we know would not walk around in such a thing so its like. damn looks like the "memories are an important part of identity" story thinks memories are an important part of identity. who knew.
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ALSO LOVE FELTS NEW LOOK SO MUCH! the only complaint is i felt (felt lol) like the red brought out her eyes more but the blue also looks cool. three primary colors all being used looks nice too
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whatever who cares about all that THE CUNT!!!!!!! THE CUNT IS HERE!!! I CANNOT WAIT FOR ALL THE DRAMA SHE CAUSES TO BE ANIMATED FOR REAL
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no fucking way... did they actually...
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THEY DID! THEY CENSORED THAT HORRIBLE FUCKING DESIGN OH MY GOD. SHES WEARING SHORTS AND JUST A CROPPED SHIRT. AND CHAPS I GUESS? BUT ALSO A LITTLE SKIRT CAPE SO NO ASS SHOTS... THIS WILL MAKE WATCHING THE SEASON SO MUCH MORE TOLERABLE. i mean not perfect but STILL.
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photos taken seconds before disaster lmfao. i still love how chin thinks subaru is a freak and weirdo for being so buddy buddy with him after he and his buddies mugged him. twice. (even more times from subarus perspective. hell he stabbed subaru once) genuinely cant wait to see more of this dynamic its so stupid.
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THE FUCKING CUNT!!!!!! also the apples lol
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oh you poor thing. you have no idea what next level family drama bullshit awaits. good luck. get ready to kill grandma AGIAN lol
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:'( emilia still misses her terrible cat dad and its kinda sad when you know were not getting a resolution on that here either. they both look so sad :(
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i cannot wait for garf mommy issues round fucking 2.
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THIS CRAZY BITCH!!! I CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THIS CRAZY BITCH ANIMATED. I CANT WAIT TO SEE HOW THEYRE PORTRAY HER MANNERISMS. ESP W HOW WILD PETELGEUSE WAS ANIMATED IN S1. REAL LOONY TOONS BULLSHIT. AND HER POWERS ARE ALSO SOOOOOO MUCH COOLER I CANT WAIT
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NO MORE DRESSES FOR CRUSCH YAY
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he fucking bit it. yeah i guess thats what dogs do tho.
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YOU. DIVORCE MAN. KILL YOURSELF. SLASH SERIOUS.
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the empathy powers will have a glowing eye effect. very cool but i hope they dont show it too much in the first scene bc like in the LN i think its cooler if you dont know why everything is so... Wrong.
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i dont rly have anything to say i just think ferris looks cool covered in blood. imagine being healed here like doctor catgirl will see you now
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emilia be nice. that crazy bitch might be your mom. just like how the previous crazy bitch was in fact your dad.
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THEY CHANGED UP CAPELLA'S DESIGN TOO honestly tho her being sexualized makes sense w a lot of the themes (the way its intentionally meant to be perverse and gross in a way explicitly stated) so i didnt mind as much and she still IS here but. this is still an improvement imo just a better outfit looks cooler. bug.
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NAUR I DONT WANNA WAIT... OCTOBER.... AUGH
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roxnpens · 1 year ago
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Firefly
Chapter Four: Happy now!?
TW: [Gore], [violence]
Chapter summery
You go with Silco on a mission for the Rebels and things… don’t turn as you want them to…
Taglist:
Taglist: @juniper-sunny @deny-the-issue @fantadym @mmartos @astudyincontrasts @averagecrastinator @ace-of-zaun @artwithvivien @zaunitekiwi @x-amount-verbs @chaoticlicense @silcosentropy @silcoitus @sirenofzaun @spoczkot @writingmysanity
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______________________________________________________________
We wear red so they don't see us bleed
Hundred dollar bills under our sleeve
We intend not to sleep 'til we're dead
Drink our problems right out of our heads
Singing oh, oh-oh-oh, oh
Trouble
(Trouble)
Singing oh, oh-oh-oh, oh
Here comes trouble
(Trouble)
Valerie Broussard - Trouble
——————————————————————————————————
It’s been a few weeks since your “lovely” encounter with Silco. Meanwhile you took it upon yourself to reorganize the bar. Meaning: getting it clean, organizing the cupboards for the different glasses, getting a decent tub system for a small coin, making an ACTUAL card for the drinks and beverages the Drop has to offer.
It was nothing short of a miracle that you managed to get the Drop into a decent shape, since the “tools” you were given were either broken or not present. Of course every now and then you had to weld things - which you did… every time the people were gone or not paying attention to where you went. Then you sneaked out and used your fire powers to do the welding.
But you also made some new friends. A young man named Benzo - who’s very resourceful when it comes to mechanics. He helped you get the tub system up and running. Then there was Zachariah, Alfie, Nokkad, Zer and Ive. Just a handful of the men that stare you down at the first encounter at the Drop. Some of them still believe Vander is turning the rebellion into an orphanage for all the cast outs of the Undercity. But you managed to prove a lot of them wrong by improving the Drop with the knowledge of bartending and bar-management.
Silco still manages to stay out of your way. Not like you really need him anywhere near you, while working the bar. But every now and then he comes to the side of the bar and asks:
“Can you still get a normal drink around here? Or are these cupboards just filled with fancy Topside stuff?”
He won't go out of his way anytime soon, and you don't expect him to. So you silently give him a beer - the best Undercity drink you currently have. He takes it and gets into his personal corner in the drop, where he relaxes alone or with one talkbuddy.
One morning Vander called all of the “rebels” together. You were about fifteen rounded around a table with a map in its midst.
“Alright…”, Vander starts. “…we need to start to get into the Enforcers' thinking, their routes, their mechanics. And for that: I'll pair you up to cover a larger area at once and not draw much attention to yourself.”
Everybody gets paired up… except Silco and you. Silco gives off a growl of displeasure and starts arguing with him.
“Vander… you can't be serious. You pair me with the new girl? The little girl? Pair me up with Benzo - it’ll work better than me working with… with this.. TODDLER.."
Vander sighs and turns his attention to Silco: “She’s not a toddler - she is pretty good and has a good eye. You’re both smart and have very good awareness of your surroundings. THAT’S why I paired you two and now go out there and find something out. Take the River-Side-Area… heard the Enforcers are gathering there more often these days - might be worth a visit.”
Then Vander turns around and walks off to tend the bar.
Silco sighs big time and turns to you. “Let's go - I want this to be over soon…”
“For a change: I couldn't but agree…”, you admit.
Together with Silco you walk towards the “River-Side” area. It’s a less populated area, based next to a river whose waters were polluted by the chemicals they pumped into it from the weapon factory that was just a stones throw away from the river. It smells bad. Really bad. Like you stick your head into the chemicals themselves. But it's not as bad as it once was.
Silco walks two steps in front of you, scanning his surroundings with an eagle eye, with these beautiful cerulean gems.
You shake your head.
No, no, no, no - not the time, not the place for thoughts like that!
Suddenly he holds you by your arms and pulls you behind a corner. “SHHH!” Together you watch a couple Enforcers rounding the block. Over Silcos shoulder you watch them walking around cautiously, always trying to keep an eye on the people around them and passing them. It was more than suspicious.
“They’re way too cautious for a normal patrol…”, you mindlessly say aloud.
Silco rolls his eyes. “Did you just deduce that yourself, Professor? What would I ever do without your great mind…”
“Fuck you Silco…”, you storm off in the direction of the Enforcers.
His eyes grow big in confusion and glance with a touch of anger. “What in the world is your problem woman?? Don’t go right at them or you'll get yourself killed!”
“Yeah… like you?”, annoyance drips from your voice. You are far too pissed off by him to calm your voice down.
“Listen girly, if you wanna help - help. If not: STAND. OUT. OF. MY. WAY. GIRLY”, Silcos eyes narrows you down and the both of you stand face to face again.
You make an angry - mouth closed outcry and step around him - just away from him… but definitely in the wrong direction. You walk head first into a brought shouldered enforcer. You slowly look up to the man but the only thing you can see is his eyes.
“Hey rat - Watch where you’re going.”, the enforcer sounds pissed and pushes you back so you fall against Silco.
"HEY!! Get away.” Silco pushes you away from him.
“Stop it!”, you retort and the both of you almost start a fistfight, when suddenly the enforcers surround you. Silco and you now stand back to back, facing the enforcers.
“Ey boys… time the rats learn how to be quiet and how to have respect.” the enforcer you bumped into said and even though you can’t see his face - you know he’s smiling in anticipation.
„Happy now!?“ you ask Silco. Your anger and annoyance about the situation is audible. With that your little fight begins. You take on the enforcer right in front of you by blocking his incoming fist and catching his other as he tries again. With his one fist in your grasp, you first punch him to the gut and then his face. The force of your punch knocks him off his feet and on the ground. You dodge a punch from an enforcer to your side and get a glimpse of Silco fighting back the enforcers on his side. His stance is like that of an amateur boxer - not the best technique but definitely not the worst either. He manages to get the enforcers of his neck, even though he cashes some punches.
Suddenly a strong punch hits your shoulder blade - it’s a sharp pain that goes right through every nerve of your chest and into your arms. The pain triggers your arcane magic right underneath your skin - the magic begins bubbling up from your bones and searching its way up through the fibers of your body.
No, no, no, no, no - not now!!
You panic in your head. It’s not the right time to set this place ablaze anytime soon!!
With great mental pain and effort you manage to keep your magic in check. But now you're angry - you’ve been through pain again… the thing you never wanted anymore. You turned your face - looking the enforcer that hurt you dead in the eye. The enforcer stumbled backwards - rigid with fear. Your pupil changed color to a blazing orange - the color of your fire. Unfortunately when your magic activates, your eyes change color. You attacked the enforcer right away - planting a heel roundhouse kick in his face which instantly knocked him out. Lucky for you, your eye color changes back to normal and you attack the next enforcer.
Once you knocked the third one out, you looked around for Silco. You see him struggling with two enforcers. He managed to knock two of them out, but the last two really gave him a hard time. You rushed to him and guarded his right side. He gave you a short look of appreciation and focused on the enforcers ahead. Now both of them were no problem anymore and you quickly knocked them out.
“Not bad…” Silco smiled slightly and it was a beautiful smile.
“Thanks.. not bad yours…”
“I wasn’t finished!”, Silco said in a sharp tone. “Not bad… for a little girl.”
You roll your eyes and now Silco laughs aloud.
From the cornor of your eye you noticed a movement - one of the enforcers Silco knocked out wasn’t as knocked out as he pretended to be. Be rose, this breathing mask was torn off and his nose bled. The enforcer pulled a knife from his boot - a 7cm blade, nothing bad, standard enforcer equipment. But he charged from his spot, aiming at Silco!
“Move!!” you yell. You shove him aside and place yourself in his stead. The knife hit your left shoulder from the front, piercing your flash and got stuck at with its hilt.
Silcos eyes widen in surprise and when the blade hits in… how could you name it? Fear? Surprise? As if you just did the most selfless thing pushing him to the side.
He regained his composure when the hilt of the knife got to your shoulder. Silco tackles the enforcer to the next wall and punches him twice in the face. The enforcer faints and slides down the wall - now really knocked out.
Silco sprints to you, “Girl!! Are you crazy for taking such a blow?? You could have been killed!! Janna…”
“Relax… it’s a flesh wound… nothing that won’t heal… in time.” you groan and little by little your adrenaline wears off. You begin to feel the pain and it costs you a lot of strength to keep your eyes from changing. It costs you so much that moving proves difficult for you. You begin to shiver like you’re freezing and Silco unfortunately picks up on it.
“Girl… let’s get you home or at least to the drop then I can get you fixed.”
He grabs you by the waist and lays your healthy arms around his shoulder.
“First of all: my name is not ‘Girl’ and second…” to your own surprise you mildly smile at him “…thanks Silco.”
He smiles back and the both of you leave the River-Side-Area.
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unpaintedhuffines · 6 months ago
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Some Sounds Some Burdens Can Release
Thoughts on cover songs, the loss of meaning, and whether you can lose the point if you never even knew what it was…
While I have played some form of musical instrument for most of my life, I can only very loosely be considered a musician. The most formal training I’ve had was during 5-9th grade when I played trumpet in school band. I’ve played guitar since I was about 10, with a sizable 15-year gap of not playing anything. Like most people that look like me who play guitar, I was largely self-taught: first with Hal Leonard chord books, then guitar tablature that I first sought from guitar magazines that they’d sell at the local Walmart before transitioning to a purely online collection of tabs of dubious quality and accuracy. It was an odd, brackish time - the transition between hard publication and online curation.
I had a couple of opportunities to play with bands. But my innate insecurities and the terminal inertia that beset the self-taught “experts” left me questioning what the point of playing music with no end goal even is. I still have those questions, but I now play with far more frequency than I ever have in my life. I’m even writing some music that mostly lands as naive jams landing somewhere in the pocket of The Replacements and Wilco.
And yet, I still question the point of it all. The only thing I don’t question is how easily and deeply music can make you feel.
My Intentions are Good and Earnest and True
I am someone who was diagnosed as a ASD Level 1 well into adulthood. This diagnosis did not shock me as much as I thought it would. I always had social difficulties. Fitting in was a problem. I was an easy target for ridicule. I was overly sensitive and didn’t know how to relate to my peers. When responsibility wasn’t tied to any sort of task, I had issues with organizational skills and planning. When I did have to be responsible, I relied on my secret ADHD superpowers to help me get stuff done.
Still, the one struggle that I’ve never been able to shake is to be seen/heard/understood. That said, I just mask this shit well.
Naturally, in a need to be better understood, I turned to music - listening, not playing. My parents had a big record collection that mostly stayed with my dad after their divorce. For the first couple of years after the split, I would often be left home alone while my dad worked overnight shifts. As such, I’d hang out with my dog and deep dive into the records. I made mix tapes and mix CDs for friends. Unlike the stereotypical mix makers, I never did so with any romantic undertones. I just wanted to share good music that I felt expressed facets of personality to which I would often align. I most often would make cassettes for people. I’d pull from my CD collection and pepper in selections from the crates and crates of vinyl in my house. Each tape would have 30 minutes a side. Compiling a track list to fit on Side A and Side B with as little dead space at the end became a fun puzzle that would take up an entire evening.
In all that time, I never thought to try to train my ear with my guitar. I never thought of this as a means to improve my own fledgling skill set. I never thought about how this was how musicians who taught themselves got better. Moreover, I never realized that people could find inspiration in a song and cover it in their own way. When I did learn other people’s songs on guitar, I understood that it was helping me to add to my skill set. I never thought of it as a way to use someone else’s songs to take any relationship I had to the sentiments contained therein as a means to express myself.
Cover Me Up, or: I Heard There Was a Secret Chord David Played and It Pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya…
There are great cover songs out there. I think I may prefer Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends” to the original by the Beatles. The best covers songs take the original and change it in a way that uncovers new, possibly even deeper meaning. Compare and contrast “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails and the subsequent cover of the song by Johnny Cash. The original is cold, sterile, bleak. It sounds like someone in a deep depression or lost to dependency. There is an almost adolescent anger to it. Johnny Cash approaches the song as a reticent look back, because there is no point in looking forward. Guitar and piano, plaintive in their interplay and my God, that voice. It is very much sung from the perspective of someone recognizing that their grip on life is loosening. It is a song about mortality. It is a song about the last dying embers before our ashes return to ashes and our dust returns to dust.
This says nothing about the fact that Bob Dylan wrote “All Along the Watchtower” and, upon hearing the Jimi Hendrix Experience’s cover, declared that the song was now Jimi’s. It was no longer his.
Some songs work their way into the zeitgeist that were perhaps too cleverly and subtly written and are thus clumsily interpreted as something that they are not. This is particularly the case with Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Cohen had written up to 180 different verses of the song and referred to it as a joyous affirmation of life using religious allusions and references to capture vignettes of emotionality and enthusiasm.
It also was undeniably horny, with the shapes and sentiments of BDSM hiding in the shadows. And yet…
It has been co-opted as an almost funeral dirge. Kate McKinnon, as Hillary Clinton, famously performed it as the SNL opener the Saturday after Trump was elected in 2016. One of Biden’s first official acts as President was to preside over a televised memorial to the Americans lost during the Covid pandemic. “Hallelujah” was the song of choice.
None of these versions had a hint of the irony that Cohen peppered throughout the song, much less horniness.
Sometimes, the songs are so personal to the original writer that even famous people covering them becomes problematic. This is reflected in the recent blow up about Morgan Wallen arranging a version of Jason Isbell’s “Cover Me Up.” Isbell’s song is a love song first and foremost about his (now ex) wife, Amanda Shires. However, the story of the song is Isbell’s detox and recovery from deep substance abuse and alcoholism. When he sings in the chorus “It’s cold in this house and I ain’t going out to chop wood / So cover me up and know you’re enough to use me for good,” he is at his most his most vulnerable, literally having the shakes. The only person he trusts to see him in this state and to see him through this is his wife. There’s nothing inherently sexy about it.
And yet, people like Wallen cover this song as a love song with an almost horny delivery of the chorus. Girl, leave your boots by the bed; hang your dress up to dry. We ain’t leaving this room. To his credit, Isbell doesn’t pass judgement on covers of this incredibly personal-to-him song, saying that he’s grateful for the life it has given his song and that “"It was my real life s*** and now I’m once again reminded that I was not alone in that particular storm."
God, It’s Brutal Out Here
Still, there is an inherent problem with performing a song that is so singularly personal for the composer and their story. It’s especially problematic when such songs are used to woo an audience and perhaps get into someone’s pants. Is there a solution to this? I don’t know. Maybe not.
But maybe we should use the parts of these songs that inspire us, that touch us, that move us to tears (and yes, even horniness) to figure out our own songs to sing. Maybe we do what Elvis Costello suggests when, in defense of Olivia Rodrigo, he said, “It's how rock & roll works. You take the broken pieces of another thrill and make a brand new toy. That's what I did."
I would like to give credit to the songs from which I pilfered lyrics for this post’s title and headings: “Sleep On the Left Side” by Cornershop, “Satan Is My Motor” by Cake, “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell, “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen, and “Brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo. I’m just as guilty as anyone in using covers to attract attention. But maybe in using them as a framework to guide my writing, I’m making a brand new toy. Thanks for reading.
#music #coversongs
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aeoki · 1 year ago
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Seven Bridges - Hate Control: Chapter 10
Location: Yumenosaki Student Council Room Characters: Mao & Hitsugi
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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ< A week later. Yumenosaki, student council room. >
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Mao: Alright! Anzu, you’ve made a full comeback, huh!
Hitsugi: Ehehe ♪ Aww, I didn’t do anything special though!
Mao: Yeah, no one’s talking about you right now. But still, it looks like you’re listed as “assistance”, so I guess you’re the one who helped Anzu?
If that’s true, then I gotta thank you. Well, it feels a bit strange for me to say that.
I went over the revised proposal for “Tanabata Fest” that was submitted yesterday very thoroughly to make sure there definitely wouldn’t be any issues cropping up.
But it was great! Now, that’s our Anzu! I was pretty worried seeing how all of the people involved were THIS close to seeing hell, though…♪
But despite “Tanabata Fest’s” usual bright and beautiful appearance on the outside…
You can get up on stage as many times as you like – as long as you’ve got the motivation for it. It’s a pretty physically taxing event, non the contrary.
It finally feels like the “Tanabata Fest” that we know. Maybe I should say it finally feels more like an Anzu-style event.
Hitsugi: Huh? So the “Tanabata Fest” proposal has been revised, huh? What’s it like now? I’m curious!
Mao: Wait, why does it sound like you don’t know anything about it?
Hitsugi: Ehe ☆
…Hmm~ By the looks of it, did my sister have something to do with this? She’s been moving about on her own a lot recently.
It’s fine though! Since I love my big sister!
Mao: ? Anyway, the proposal has been revised to a good standard, so to be frank, the first version of the proposal was so disappointing, it lowered everyone’s motivation levels. None of the preparations have even started at this point.
That’s also why it was possible to do a drastic move and reset the entire “Tanabata Fest”.
Honestly, there isn’t a lot of time before D-Day. I’ll mobilise the Student Council and ask some of my acquaintances for help as best I can.
But I don’t know if we can finish everything on time. So let’s not waste any more time and get to work.
The proposal looks good to me so I’ll accept it once more. Of course, I’ll be increasing the budget as per the contents of the proposal.
Naturally, it’ll be impossible to drop a lot of funding out of thin air like the previous Student Council, but it should cover most things.
Hitsugi: Yaaay! Money! Having no money is the same as being headless! Thanks a bunch!
Thank goodness~ For a second, I thought I had to ask “Uncle” for a favour there.
Mao: ? Do you have an acquaintance that’s rich or something?
Well, I don’t mean to criticise you but it’s sheer stupidity to pay for the event out of your own pocket.
I think a “producer” should allocate an appropriate budget using the proper methods before using it effectively. Wait, I feel like I’ve been kinda preachy lately. That’s arrogant of me.
Hitsugi: No, it’s alright~ Anzu-senpai knows her stuff but I still don’t know anything, so feel free to point out all the parts I need to improve on.
Mao: Right. That’s my job. Well, it looks like Anzu’s back to her usual self so I don’t think there’ll be any time for me to jump in and do that, though.
Anyway, Anzu, you sure had a change of heart out of the blue like that. It felt like you hit rock bottom the other day, but even your facial expressions have more life in them now.
Did something good happen?
Oh? There’s an idol you want to produce? Who is it? I think I might be a little jealous~♪
It’s alright though. You’re not our only “producer” anymore so it makes sense, but it does make me a bit sad.
Oh, I said we don’t have much time, but look at me chattering away like this. I’ll start contacting the right people on “Hallhands” at once.
I’ve also got to let ES know… Who would be the best person to call that can sort it out easily? Guess it would be Tenshouin-senpai, huh. Or maybe Sakuma-senpai?
…Oh, I remembered since I mentioned Sakuma but Kurone, don’t do suspicious things around the school.
Hitsugi: What? Me? What do you mean?
Mao: Ritsu told me to ask you when I had the chance, but I heard you did something to the coffin Sakuma-senpai buried on school grounds?
Well, under normal circumstances, I should be scolding Sakuma-senpai for burying weird things, but he’s helped me a lot in the past, so I feel like I can’t do that.
Hitsugi: Coffin… Ohh~ that one.
I couldn’t get close to it because the security for the secret underground archive is really tight, so I was looking for the coffin that was rumoured to have a similar sealed record.
It did occur to me that it might have just been a rumour, though.
And on top of that, it was buried really deeply in the ground. It was enough to be buried alive by the debris if I wasn’t careful, but it seemed nothing important was in there.
Well, it wasn’t a very fruitful endeavour and wasn’t worth all that work. There’s nothing else I could say.
Mao: I don’t really get it but Yumenosaki has some pretty questionable parts about it, so I don’t think you should get too deeply involved. Don’t blame me if you get burned.
…Just kidding. Guess it’s time for me to act like Hasumi-senpai, huh.
Hitsugi: Oh, please don’t misunderstand! I’m not investigating it just because just for kicks~!
It’s something super, super important! I’m doing it so that I can live as myself! It’s something I must do!
Mao: ………?
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deusexmachinawitch · 1 year ago
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This is the post post for days 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20. I was going to do 21 days of subliminals but because I’ve been sick and people have been asking me to extend this to a month or even 3 months, I might give a try on at least covering a whole month then I’ll see if I’ll extend it even more.
I’ve been mostly sick since there was a heatwave in my city and next week there’s going to be a severe weather change of cold and strong rain and storms. I’m chronically ill and while my health isn’t usually an issue, severe weather changes affect it. My defenses are really low and when someone arounds me carries something even as dumb as a cold, I get sick immediately. I feel much better but it has been hard juggling illness and work deadlines.
That being said, things haven’t been that bad. People close to me has brought me food and even my cousin came to take care of me and even did housework for me so I could rest. While this may sound like the most normal thing to anyone, in my case, this wouldn’t have been the case for me a year ago and even months ago. In my wildest dreams, I would have never imagined myself being this cared and treasured by so many people except for my SP. And when SP wasn’t around, I would be alone and miserable at bed whenever I was sick and that was very frequent.
With the discovery of the law, improving my self concept and the helpful subliminals… I don’t get as sick as often and when I do, I’m pretty much cared by others.
During this time, also people whom I thought cared about me showed their true colors and I decided to just think about myself. I was hurt on purpose and then gaslit, so I just wasn’t going to put up with that anymore. Especially because the same people have been gaslighting me for several months and disregarding my feelings towards matters that were really important to me. I decided to openly open up about this to a close circle of friends of mine and while people got really protective towards me, I told them that I could stand up for myself but I was really grateful that people finally understood my feelings and point of view when it came to things important to me such as my career path and my feelings towards SP.
While this isn’t a “cool manifestation” such as my phone and computer to possibly many people, this is a very valuable thing to me since my feelings tended to be dismissed a lot and there were a lot of people accepting me wanting SP for example but were really against him. But they finally understood that I’m aware of SP’s actions, I am not justifying the bad behavior and I can still love him while acknowledging that. Fear is one of the most scary feelings someone can have and it makes you do things that hurt you and others, he is now facing his demons and I know he’ll be back. But waiting doesn’t mean my life stops and that I’ll put up with hurtful behavior from him again if he cannot control his negative feelings. I’m in love but not pathetic.
Plus, what people doesn’t know is that I’m manifesting the best version of him. People currently think I’m lucky or that I do witchcraft and it works, it’s difficult for everyone to understand the law because of the fear of cults, the toxic positivity and wellness industry and that a lot of people are quite young in the community so they think it might be a fad. It doesn’t help that subliminals hav become famous due to the wrong reasons.
Still, it was shocking for people to hear my have an outburst and being strongly serious because I’m either too carefree or too controlled when it came to my feelings. But now, I know who’s a true friend and who’s not besides seeing who came to visit me when sick and whatnot. I don’t count the people who’re too busy with their own stuff though, I’m not that selfish.
As for my career path, somehow as soon as I voiced what I wanted to do, I am coming across tools and things that make my desires for my career path be either more easy or possible. So that’s another point for LoAss there lol.
About material things, I got many things for my new computer for free and it feels amazing. I have a new keyboard, small things to raise my screens, etc…
Still, one of the best things I’ve done with LoAss was to ask this to the law:
-I know what I feel about my SP, I’m totally sure about him. Still, I know that maybe I haven’t been as specific when it came to many things about what I want in this relationship to visualize this better. Because of my old story with parental abuse and even abuse by partners, it’s difficult to define what I would like because in the past I felt I wasn’t even given options. So, law, as a God… Show me what lies in my heart and how good in can get, turn SP into what I really want and need once you help me see better.
As soon as I did this, I came across romantic material and such that resonated with me. Also LoAss content that actually resonated with me and now I feel much calm and better. I really can feel I really shouldn’t worry. He really is with me because I’m the best.
I see the signs more intense than ever too… So I’m ready.
Still LOL how the hell am I going to explain many of the things in my life to him when we are together? I guess I’ll shroud myself in mystery, poor him.
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dementedmk · 2 years ago
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This seems to suggest an interest in sending users to something other than what they’ve clicked on a link to. If someone clicks a link to see a specific post, they probably want to see that specific post and not random other content. SEO probably isn’t a bad idea, as long as it’s still possible for people to use the site for what it is. 
The user already doesn’t know how to navigate the application, because the buttons move around with every update for (as far as I can tell) no particular reason. I suspect any format would be fine if it were consistent, but it seems to me that every time I open the app or the site some button (shop, my page, the post button, etc) has moved. It’s unclear to me how much can change with the “first 25 posts” issue. To my knowledge, new users already have the “best stuff first” toggle on, while many established users have turned it off. As someone who has been using this site for the past 7 years, I think I speak for many users when I say that the feed still being chronological is one of the best features Tumblr has. All I ask is that the toggle still exists, and users are still able to choose a chronological format to their dashboard. I fully agree that the search feature needs some major improvements, and has for a long time. This is the first thing in the post I’m genuinely excited for, since Tumblr’s search function has been lacking for a long time, and for reasons unclear to me. Thank you for looking into it.
I like the idea of removing duplicate reblogs, I think there’s a lot of potential to that. It’s unclear to me what it would mean to “collapse reblog threads”, but as long as it doesn’t limit users’ ability to see what people are saying I don’t think it’s inherently a bad thing. The rest of this point doesn’t make a lot of sense to me, but I do want to mention that the unique conversational way reblogs work is one of Tumblr’s defining features, and one that many users would be sad to see go. We’re happy to use Tumblr, we don’t really want Twitter 2.
The “outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs” on the following page? That’s the purpose of the following page. Again, this seems like a change designed to create Twitter 2, which is a good way to lose Tumblr users uninterested in that style of social media platform. I agree that we need to prioritize supporting new creators, but I don’t think spamming people with content they don’t want is a good way to accomplish that. If users are spammed with content they didn’t ask to see, some users are going to respond with anger, negativity, and hateful messages, much the way that everything on Twitter gets covered with anger and negativity because people are seeing content they didn’t ask to see. This might make new creators more visible, but it would also make them more vulnerable, and worsen the user experience for everyone else. I wholeheartedly agree on the need to limit notification spam, and this is a great direction to move in. Embedded links are another positive change. 
Most of this seems fine to me, I don’t have strong opinions on it. I will say, though, that if users have push notifications off that may be because they don’t want notifications, and email spam isn’t necessarily going to be helpful with that. For example, I don’t get tumblr notifications on my phone, and if I started getting emails for every like and reblog, I would block Tumblr’s email address, because I use my email for communication that’s more time-sensitive. 
Wholeheartedly agree on this point, unless I’m missing something important. Tumblr, in the minds of a lot of people, is synonymous with weird bugs and a broken website, but it doesn’t have to be. I think heavy focus on this is probably the best place to be putting attention at the moment. 
Tumblr is a site with a unique style in the modern age, and that’s a part of what makes it work. When Tumblr tries to copy other social media’s features (livestreaming, non-linear post feeds, etc.), it risks alienating the longtime users and creators who keep the website interesting. 
I like this site, and I'd like to keep using Tumblr, not Twitter 2. Thank you.
Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy
Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on reorganizing how we work in a bid to gain more users. A larger user base means a more sustainable company, and means we get to stick around and do this thing with you all a bit longer. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. The @labs group has published a bit already, but this is bigger. We’re publishing it publicly for the first time, in an effort to work more transparently with all of you in the Tumblr community. This strategy provides guidance amid limited resources, allowing our teams to focus on specific key areas to ensure Tumblr’s future.
The Diagnosis
In order for Tumblr to grow, we need to fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users. The underlying problem is that Tumblr is not easy to use. Historically, we have expected users to curate their feeds and lean into curating their experience. But this expectation introduces friction to the user experience and only serves a small portion of our audience. 
Tumblr’s competitive advantage lies in its unique content and vibrant communities. As the forerunner of internet culture, Tumblr encompasses a wide range of interests, such as entertainment, art, gaming, fandom, fashion, and music. People come to Tumblr to immerse themselves in this culture, making it essential for us to ensure a seamless connection between people and content. 
To guarantee Tumblr’s continued success, we’ve got to prioritize fostering that seamless connection between people and content. This involves attracting and retaining new users and creators, nurturing their growth, and encouraging frequent engagement with the platform.
Our Guiding Principles
To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.
Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.
Provide high-quality content with every app launch.
Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.
Retain and grow our creator base.
Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.
Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.
Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.
Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.
Tumblr has a “top of the funnel” issue in converting non-users into engaged logged-in users. We also have not invested in industry standard SEO practices to ensure a robust top of the funnel. The referral traffic that we do get from external sources is dispersed across different pages with inconsistent user experiences, which results in a missed opportunity to convert these users into regular Tumblr users. For example, users from search engines often land on pages within the blog network and blog view—where there isn’t much of a reason to sign up. 
We need to experiment with logged-out tumblr.com to ensure we are capturing the highest potential conversion rate for visitors into sign-ups and log-ins. We might want to explore showing the potential future user the full breadth of content that Tumblr has to offer on our logged-out pages. We want people to be able to easily understand the potential behind Tumblr without having to navigate multiple tabs and pages to figure it out. Our current logged-out explore page does very little to help users understand “what is Tumblr.” which is a missed opportunity to get people excited about joining the site.
Actions & Next Steps
Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.
Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.
Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.
We need to ensure the highest quality user experience by presenting fresh and relevant content tailored to the user’s diverse interests during each session. If the user has a bad content experience, the fault lies with the product.
The default position should always be that the user does not know how to navigate the application. Additionally, we need to ensure that when people search for content related to their interests, it is easily accessible without any confusing limitations or unexpected roadblocks in their journey.
Being a 15-year-old brand is tough because the brand carries the baggage of a person’s preconceived impressions of Tumblr. On average, a user only sees 25 posts per session, so the first 25 posts have to convey the value of Tumblr: it is a vibrant community with lots of untapped potential. We never want to leave the user believing that Tumblr is a place that is stale and not relevant. 
Actions & Next Steps
Deliver great content each time the app is opened.
Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are. 
Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds. 
Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.
Part of Tumblr’s charm lies in its capacity to showcase the evolution of conversations and the clever remarks found within reblog chains and replies. Engaging in these discussions should be enjoyable and effortless.
Unfortunately, the current way that conversations work on Tumblr across replies and reblogs is confusing for new users. The limitations around engaging with individual reblogs, replies only applying to the original post, and the inability to easily follow threaded conversations make it difficult for users to join the conversation.
Actions & Next Steps
Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.
Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs. 
Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.
Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread. 
Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads. 
Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed. 
Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.
Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.  
Being a new creator on Tumblr can be intimidating, with a high likelihood of leaving or disappointment upon sharing creations without receiving engagement or feedback. We need to ensure that we have the expected creator tools and foster the rewarding feedback loops that keep creators around and enable them to thrive.
The lack of feedback stems from the outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs on the main dashboard feed (“Following”), perpetuating a cycle where popular blogs continue to gain more visibility at the expense of helping new creators. To address this, we need to prioritize supporting and nurturing the growth of new creators on the platform.
It is also imperative that creators, like everyone on Tumblr, feel safe and in control of their experience. Whether it be an ask from the community or engagement on a post, being successful on Tumblr should never feel like a punishing experience.
Actions & Next Steps
Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it. 
Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.
Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.
Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.
Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.
Push notifications and emails are essential tools to increase user engagement, improve user retention, and facilitate content discovery. Our strategy of reaching out to you, the user, should be well-coordinated across product, commercial, and marketing teams.
Our messaging strategy needs to be personalized and adapt to a user’s shifting interests. Our messages should keep users in the know on the latest activity in their community, as well as keeping Tumblr top of mind as the place to go for witty takes and remixes of the latest shows and real-life events.  
Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.  
Actions & Next Steps
Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.
Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.  
Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages. 
Test what the right daily push notification limit is. 
Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.
Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.
The stability and performance of our mobile apps have declined. There is a large backlog of production issues, with more bugs created than resolved over the last 300 days. If this continues, roughly one new unresolved production issue will be created every two days. Apps and backend systems that work well and don't crash are the foundation of a great Tumblr experience. Improving performance, stability, and quality will help us achieve sustainable operations for Tumblr.
Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.
Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users. 
Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.
Conclusion
Our mission has always been to empower the world’s creators. We are wholly committed to ensuring Tumblr evolves in a way that supports our current users while improving areas that attract new creators, artists, and users. You deserve a digital home that works for you. You deserve the best tools and features to connect with your communities on a platform that prioritizes the easy discoverability of high-quality content. This is an invigorating time for Tumblr, and we couldn’t be more excited about our current strategy.
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Fresh Ice by Marina Vivancos book review
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Cause we're grown, baby, you know it / Want it but you just won't show it / Eyes glued to me like you're slow motion / Got you hooked on my potion, baby (Act A Fool – Kehlani).
In the wake of devastatingly bleak world events, sometimes the best form of respite is finding a book that you can’t help but get lost in. Um…. this is not that book. The thing is, I don’t really get the whole “omegaverse” thing. I just don’t get it, maaan. I mean, I guess the Alonso’s whole “I’m sad because I’m an omega in a world of alpha males” thing is supposed to evoke the same imagery of a closeted man whose strained relationship with his father forces him to internalizes his queerness and present to the world as a “manly man.” It's a tale as old as time, and to have a story about the main character shedding this poisonous mindset and learning how to love and be loved in return? I can’t lie, it’s a good foundation! But you know what else could work with this narrative structure? Literally just writing about a queer person being in the closet! I’m generally of the mind that no Alpha & Omega book has ever been improved by simply being an Alpha & Omega book. Like, if you removed all the talks of “alphas” and “omegas” from this book entirely, I truly believe nothing about this its story would have changed at all. Sorry to those who like these kinds of books, but I guess it’s (still) not my thing. It just sucks because every time I see one of these cool looking books I get really excited! But then the trouble starts whenever they start talking about “scents” and “alpha energy” or whatever, and I just kind of check out, you know? Maybe it’s because a lot of these phrases have been tainted by those weird dudes in real life who are always talking about being an “alpha male” or a “sigma male,” and whenever I see that shit in the wild it activates my fight-or-flight response. Seriously, Alonso kept talking about being an omega “in a room with alphas,” and all I could do was roll my eyes so far back it I might as well have been chanting “Azarath Metrion Zinthos.” So, why even bother with this book if I don’t like the Alpha & Omega stuff? Well, all I’m going to say is that I’ll stop reading these kinds of books when they stop putting hot dudes on the cover.
Nonetheless, if I hang-up my hang-ups for a second over there on that coat rack, I’d honestly say that Fresh Ice is not bad at all. There’s a cute sports romance hidden somewhere between the lines and I can safely say that this was enough of a light and easy read that it honestly helped ease me back into reading, because I’ve otherwise only really been able to stomach reading comics for the last couple days. Besides, there were definitely a lot of cute (and hot) moments, so I hope this helped put a stop to my rapidly growing reputation of being the “guy who hates everything.” Besides, anyone who knows me knows that not only am I a huge fan, but that I’m also a big understander…er of sports too! Like, I get it, maaan. Sometimes a ball goes in a hole, sometimes it goes in a net, and if we’re getting really crazy, we get to see a ball going into a hoop. Wild stuff, really! And in the case of Fresh Ice, sometimes Levy goes balls deep in Alonso. Bazonga! Or whatever the fuck that guy says. Just kidding, I know it's "bazinga," I'm just being silly. So quirky! Anyway, low-hanging fruit aside, I really don’t mean to be facetious about sports, a thing that a lot of people love, I just can’t help it sometimes. It’s mostly that I’m always marveling at a sports guy’s ability to feel such communal joy at their favorite sport, whether or not their team ends up winning or losing, and I’m probably just jealous because I don’t get it. I guess that’s a little similar to Alonso’s character arc throughout this book in a way, because he’s spent his whole life stuck under his father’s gaze, being forced to see hockey as this stressful competition where everyone else is out to get him. And through his relationship with Levy, not only is he able to find unconditional love and a family that accepts and cherishes him, but he’s also able to see the sport that’s been nothing but a source of pain and anxiety in a new light. He’s able to see it as what it really is; a game. And with this new perspective, he comes to see that there are more important things than being the best of the best. I just think that's a nice sentiment to leave off on.
“They lay together in the aftermath, two cooling bodies wrapped up in each other, their whole future a bright path in front of them.”
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thepolyamorouspolymath · 5 months ago
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On a mission to improve myself. It's been 5 days and I'm already bored of it lol. But let's run it down bc I have a planner -- several bc B got sick of me going "I made planning errors, I need a new one" (they are being repurchased for other things one can use a dated calendar for -- one is acting as a diary of sorts, when I note something I've done improving, I write it on that day. The other will get turned into a meal/exercise planner. If there's a third, I'll turn it into a household chore book. Slap some different paper glued to the covers to tell them apart and bam.)
Ok, so I like magic. No I'm not looking for opinions on magic -- some people find mass soothing, I'm more of a loner, it suits. So I'm structured around that.
There is a master list of things to change, which require inspired action as well as saying the words. It is LONG, so I'm only going to get into now.
Working on healing my relationship with sex, and going boy sober for a bit until I do.
Getting back in shape. Now I know the mere topic brings out all the people who think they get to tell me how to feel about my body (y'all fatphobia and shaming people for wanting to lose weight are the exact same thing.) Because of this I'll explain, though I do not owe one -- my body has been the same shape and size virtually my whole life since puberty and this does not feel like it belongs to me. And it's no one's business but mine. I'm doing a few minutes of exercise every hour or two and trying to eat natural foods. Also mean to take a walk every night and work on adopting what I'm told is a European approach to portion -- the first tastes are the best, then you're not savoring, just finishing. Those two aren't there yet. Also will join a gym at some point but way not there yet.
Shadow work twice a week. Right now I'm just using my triggers and trying to integrate them. Can't tell if I'm making progress.
Trauma work twice a week. The first session went very well, the combination approach I designed working exactly as expect, though I want to add in vagus nerve work to help regulate the body as I'm releasing trauma.
Confidence. I'm starting with general confidence. Hypnosis and NLP techniques, though also incorporating some do it scared techniques once a week where I basically set myself up for a low stake rejection or loss to basically adapt to it as not a big deal.
Forgiveness, for myself first. I write letters to myself at least every week showing compassion and understanding.
Stirring reality. Admittedly action on this is rather impossible. Basically it's just making everything more changeable and it's my job to grab those chances. There's a job I might get which would hopefully count.
Now, I'm planning for the future tasks, such as stockpiling books on interpersonal communication, resiliency, education (parts of mine are lacking), planning weekly outing to do SOMETHING outside my comfort zone. Also looking for other activities, like sticking to a schedule, meditation of counting to 100 until I can do the whole way mind blank, forcing myself to just sit and watch a movie without a secondary thing, picking up new skills (languages, though I need to settle on one and want a digital piano really bad to try, also more dance, pottery, that kind of thing).
It is thoroughly exhausting. However, I have faith that at the end of 12 months -- my next birthday -- I will be a significantly improved human.
I'm also working on business stuff -- at how to start a coaching business the way I want rather than conventional wisdom. Yet more modalities I can draw on over time, like archetypes and superconscious shifts.
And I'd love a day off, but most work is weekly, so can't miss lol.
So yeah... not super exciting, unless you all want to hear the neat psychological machinery I'm building for various issues (and it is neat.)
If you do, drop me a message! We'll chat about it. Also if you happen to be a branding or marketing expert or great at social media and want to work for shares in a start up lol.
Sorry to disappoint but there's probably not going to be exciting content for awhile, just my political opinions. (Though I am get boudoir shots by the absolute best on 9/8... God knows what I'll wear or what vibe but hey it's a good chance to take a leap!)
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blsm-m · 5 months ago
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My family moved closer to the ocean a few years ago and since then we've been at the beach a lot. I'm all for healthy sun exposure, but sunburn is something I want to avoid. Now I rarely get sunburned, but when I do, I try to soothe the area with natural remedies. These sunburn ice cubes contain skin-soothing ingredients that help speed up sunburn healing and provide instant pain relief. Being Irish, when I was younger I used to slather on sunscreen (and get nasty sunburns) but since changing my diet and using certain supplements I've noticed my tolerance to the sun has improved a lot - but that doesn't mean I'm still tanning for hours! If I reach my limit, I cover up or seek shade. I rarely use homemade sunscreen. Moderate, healthy exposure to sunlight is important to ensure I get enough Vitamin D (which has many benefits in itself). I'm not afraid of the sun, but I do try to be careful not to get a sunburn. But despite my best efforts, sometimes I get a sunburn. Ice cubes to soothe sunburn Over the years, I've come up with a variety of cooling sprays and natural remedies to soothe sunburns, but they go bad quickly in the fridge, and even though they're quick to make, they need to be mixed every time you need them. One of my favorite sunburn remedies is fresh aloe vera, which is quick and easy to make. However, if you don't have your own aloe vera plants growing, these calming cubes are the next best thing. Before I go into the details of how each ingredient works, I want to be clear about why I chose herbal ice cubes. Obviously, ice feels good on warm sunburned skin, but many health experts don't recommend it. They do, however, recommend cold showers and compresses. Ice is thought to act as a vasoconstrictor, reducing blood flow to the area and slowing healing time. Adding herbs that speed healing and dilate blood vessels (increase blood flow) can help with this problem, plus they provide a cooling effect. Aloe Vera Gel The main ingredient in these herbal ice cubes is aloe vera gel, which is a staple in many sunburn remedies and can be found at any drug store or big box store—but we're not talking about the bright green stuff that's loaded with harsh preservatives. My favorite way to harvest aloe vera is directly from the plant. You can learn more about harvesting your own aloe vera here. If you don't have an aloe plant, you can also buy one. Aloe Vera Gel Uses natural preservatives. Aloe vera contains pain-relieving salicylic acid and magnesium, as well as aloin, which has mild UV-protecting properties. Aloe has a cooling effect on the skin, soothes inflammation, leaves a smooth, silky feeling and moisturizes damaged skin. Comfrey This wonder plant has been nicknamed bone knit for its amazing ability to quickly heal broken bones. It also helps with sore joints and damaged skin. Comfrey stimulates tissue repair and aids in the formation of healthy skin cells. This herb also reduces inflammation and helps soothe and heal damaged skin. Like marshmallow root, it is a demulcent that provides a protective barrier for tissues. Calendula I use calendula in everything from baby care products to stretch mark salves to teas. Calendula is a gentle herb that can be used on any skin concern. It soothes inflammation and is great for cuts, burns, rashes, sunburns, and cuts. Calendula also cleanses and moves lymphatic fluid, improving blood circulation. lavender Like calendula, lavender is a gentle herb that's great for soothing the skin and is great for all occasions. You'll find lavender in this oatmeal exfoliating skin scrub and in this refreshing lavender peach iced tea. I use a lot of essential oils, but lavender herb is also a staple in my medicine cabinet. Lavender disinfects wounds and cuts, acts as a painkiller to relieve pain, is often used to speed up the healing of burns and relieve itching, and increases blood flow to the skin, speeding up healing and improving blood flow.
marshmallow Slippery marshmallow is another skin-soothing herb in this recipe, providing a moisturizing covering and cooling to irritated skin. The root, leaves, and flowers of marshmallow are all used to soothe inflammation. If you have marshmallow growing in your garden, you can use the leaves and flowers in this recipe; if not, the root is also a great option. peppermint The final ingredient in sunburn-relieving ice cubes is peppermint, which is also a key ingredient in my homemade cooling spray. Peppermint is rich in menthol, which gives it a unique effect of making you feel both warm and cold at the same time. Mint has vasodilatory properties, which stimulates blood circulation and gives you the feeling of warmth. However, when you use mint with cold or cooling ingredients, it can also feel cool on your skin. I love using mint to soothe the heat of a painful sunburn! You don't need to use all the herbs in this recipe, but we recommend using at least aloe vera, mint, or other soothing herbs, but make sure you add up to ¼ cup of herbs total, as they all work together to help soothe and calm sun damage. Ice cubes to soothe sunburn These refreshing ice cubes contain skin-soothing and healing ingredients that help cool down sunburn. Preparation time3 Minutes MinutesActive Time15 Minutes MinutesCooling Time3 time time 30 Minutes Minutestotal time3 time time 48 Minutes Minutes yield: 12 Ice cubes author: Katie Wells Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil.Add the herbs, cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 15 minutes.Strain the herbs and reserve the water. Some of the water may have evaporated, but you should have at least 1 3/4 cups of tea. Place the herbal tea in the refrigerator to chill.Once the tea is no longer hot, stir in the aloe vera gel.Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.Apply to sunburned skin as needed to help cool and soothe the skin. Sunburn-relieving ice cubes can be stored in a reusable silicone bag in the freezer until you're ready to use them. These will keep in the freezer for at least a year. What are your go-to treatments for sunburn? Leave a comment and let me know!
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thatu · 1 year ago
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I wanna add to this because I know very little about the actual mechanics (just the basics of database and resourcing) but I just wanna add that the thing about AI is not that it is inherently an evil machine of evil but that it has yet to be regulated and controlled under laws for stances such as art and copyright and share uses . The reason I say this is because, as an artist, my personal initial relationship with AI was the same kneejerk reaction we all seem to get as the MISUSE of AI covers its actual benefits and I’m not even talking from the position of “wow imagine the potentials”, AI has been used for ages. It’s extremely helpful and used right could spread the right information, could help disabled people and countless possibilities - like I said, I can’t go deep into all of the dynamics and there’s a huge tangent to be made here about how in a capitalist society that already doesn’t respect artists and is controlled by very rich powerful people that the misuse could never be regulated or used fairly but this is not what I’m talking about now. I wanna illustrate this with actual examples.
Most AI is copyrighted to certain companies and used in different fields. There are constant studies and development to create smarter, harder programs to HELP professionals due their jobs more functionally and in consequence move advances in that field faster!
I think the example that illustrates this the best (or at least the one I can speak with more knowledge on) are translating programs. They work under specific AI mechanics but many many MANY studies showed that translating is a job that has to be done by both MAN and MACHINE or else it won’t be effective (translating idiomatic expressions and cultural references beyond semantics and lexical) and as fast (the AI helps translators and editors save months and years of work making it a better working situation while also allowing than to focus on reviewing and improving that translation). Most translator tool (CAT Tools: computer assisted translation tools) “learn” and copy expressions, vocabs and get better at each translation.
Imagine something like the seven Harry Potter books which have countless specific terms and were translated to a bajilion languages that had to take into account the social meaning, puns and even possible anagrams super fast all while / at the time/ from book five and on people everywhere expected these translations to be available in their own language AND the books were written in complete secrecy so no team of translator had any right to previous info, right? These tools read a word like “muggle” there is repeated countless times each book and that has to have a different translation in each language and it learns it, making the translation faster, the reviewing process (and reminder that every single translated book is translated and reviewed A LOT especially with massive successes like this before publishing).
It’s AI. I talk about CAT tools here because it’s my field in particular and I could make it much longer by going into the human aspects of translating and different styles and adapting an author’s style in recognizable ways keeping it in sync for multiple books and having to change stuff on the grounds of twists or whatever - but I use HP as an example because they were a massive task and a product of the very first children of copyrighted softwares sold to be used whilst having in mind that AI helps translators do their work but do not steal or take from their immense importance. It works because it’s legislated. Much like everything else regarding AI should be. It’s evident in Art but AI runs with medicine, fashion and even the food market so, yeah, sorry to go on about it. It’s just that I’ve recently started using and reading on the development of CAT Tools and it was honestly my first direct experience with AI (that I was aware and willing to) where I came out on the side thinking “this-shit-is-NEAT”.
Some of y'all will see the word "AI" and freak out without actually processing anything that's being said like a conservative reading the word "pronouns"
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llycaons · 1 year ago
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ep47 (2/2): god damn, but jgy's really creepy
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very silly looking moment I shan't lie
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it's times like these that I feel so torn about having read the book. in this scene in mdzs, wwx covers lwj's ears to protect him from the terrible noises. I guess they couldn't do that in the show. I'm glad I know about how the scene originally went because it was a cute moment for the couple newly together, but in comparison it leaves the drama feeling flat and the characters feeling distant from each other. the crazy insane amounts of fanfic I've read in the past few years that only accentuates the differences. but ah, there can exist a version in my head that takes the best of each version. I do prefer the cql version for so many reasons including the underlying premise of the romance, but it's during little moments like this that I'd like to sprinkle in book stuff. censorship is a bitch
...though, on second thought, it would be a bit odd to do something like that before they actually get together, isn't it. they've been intimate and flirty, but very restrained with touches. we can only imagine how this changes post-ep50
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jgy (master manipulator), spotting jc (uniquely vulnerable to manipulation and personal attack): 🤑
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lxc going NOOOOO CLAN LEADER JIANG YOU'RE A PRIME TARGET
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:( poor lxc. man
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THERE HE GOES. and actually for once it wasn't a tantrum so much as a desperate panic-fueled mania. he has a history of tantrums and WAS throwing a one immediately before wen ning jumped in but freaking out about the gc thing is in fact completely understandable behavior even for an adult. like, that thing is INSIDE him and this new info recontextualizes so much and he's feeling angry, and guilty, and guilty about being angry, and angry about being guilty, and still trying not to miss or care about wwx in any way because even tho he clearly does still care, what a betrayal that would be! but now, maybe not? yeah I lied when I said he should have died he is a number one character
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oh and wwx panics! because he never wanted jc to know! even if it meant being hated and rejected and abandoned, even if it meant having all his mistakes thrown in his face. he still never wanted to hurt jc like that. and something about...maintaining his integrity and carrying out the repayment of his debt cleanly and with no mistakes or loose ends. and probably because it's painful for him to think about, too. oh they have so many issues they need to work through both separately and together. wwx has lwj and wen ning to talk to, and all jc has is a 16 year old boy. maybe his disciples if they like him
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damn, jgy is smart as fuck. he's close
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AND HERE'S JC SAVING LWJ FROM GETTING STABBED!!!!! I love this scene. it really points to character growth on jc's part and an honest, selfless effort to spare wwx pain. he really does improve impressively post-reveal
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BABY 🥺 oh he's having the WORST week that's his doggie he got got when he had no friends!!!
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jesus christ dude can you not be so fucking creepy all over the place
personal highlights: ngl this one is a bit slim
wwx was so handsome in this one 🥰
learning the meaning of 'little ancestor' made me laugh out loud
wwx ear moles!
jgy was so fucking ominous and creepy in this one. a real triumph of writing and acting
wwx so close to crying when lwj wouldn't leave and reassuring him he never blamed him🥺
jl and wwx's bickering. A+ family dynamic
JC'S DRAMATIC ENTRANCE WHOOO. all rain scenes in this show are great but that one just has a little extra pizzaz
jc saving lwj!!!! I'm so glad they put that in there. or included it. I don't remember
THREE EPISODES LEFT
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sociallyawkward--fics · 1 year ago
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hi xy time for what is becoming my annual checkin! how are u! i feel like since its been abt a year i have to infodump abt all my character development hold on i'll speedrun it. my pronouns r it/its zhey/zhem or (less preferred) they/them. and i have settled on those. it/its is the only one thats ever given me gender euphoria, took 4 years but i got there. ummm realized i have autism (undiagnosed). love the stimming and the being insane abt fictional characters the rest isnt that great. got anxiety meds!!!!! oh my god xy!!!! life is so good now antidepressants r a girls best friend. also. hold on ur never gonna believe this. i have adhd meds now. the crowd goes wild. was like yea doc idk i just think the anxiety meds r not improving my ability to focus what was that u said abt adhd^__^ n she was like hmmmm ok i cant diagnose u but i can give u this adderall u dont need a diagnosis for n if its like glory hallelujah we'll just assume u have it and GLORY HALLELUJAH. ive cleaned my room like more times in the past few months than i have my entire life im WINNING. i cant rly feel if its working but i'll sit down to write or smth n i wont get distracted every 5 seconds n the mental block that keeps me from doing things is gone!!!!! life changing stuff just wish i had it before my grades fuckin woooo splat. um my gpa is 2.2 weighted im like. ok well now that i have adhd meds im working on it -H (i feel like. ok i think tumblr made it so ur asks can be longer but fuck all those liberals n their woke agenda (joke) i am all abt tradition babey i'll be back for a pt 2 rq)
ummm rly into books love books. "thats old news h everyone knows that" but like im being wonderfully unnormal abt them<3 there was this one series the ascendance trilogy n i was fucking OBSESSED w it when i was younger n i learned there was a 4th n 5th book recently so like. the trilogy thing was a fuckin lie. but i obviously had to reread the series so i could read the new books n im still so obsessed w the series its so banger for a middlegrade series. got so unnormal abt it i made a 7hr playlist for the main character bc everyone elses sucked so much ass i just had to. still in the process of rereading but yeah. also theres this OTHER series the raven cycle i read recently n im also obsessed w that these series r all like my ideal books they hit all my favorite tropes. yeah just being rly unnormal abt books thats my current obsession. also. drawing. im so good at it u wouldnt believe. next fuckin van gogh right here. n honestly i dont even care abt going off anon it just bothers me bc my ROUTINE. the TRADITION. its just not the same. but i'll go off it just for u to show u some of my banger art. at a stage where im pretty frustrated at my limitations but that doesnt mean i cant recognize that im fucking awesome ok hold on again -H but yea ok to finish up what have u been up to! tempted to just ask what shows/game/etc uve been into but also i am exerting a little of my brain power to realize some ppls lives dont revolve around those. so just liek what have u been spending a lot of time doing. how is writing going! wait what r ur drawing skills just out of curiosity draw smth for me (if ur comfy ofc n dw i completely understand if it fuckin sucks taht was me just over a year ago) -H (when i was younger i used to think that ppl couldnt be good at writing n drawing they had to choose one. exerted my baby brain power to be like. it takes too long to get good at them u can only do one. then saw a book w the cover art credited to the author n i was like woahhh this is fuckin crazy living my younger selfs pipe dream)
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The way I have had a reminder on my phone to answer these asks for MONTHS but my executive function has been GARBAGE i am so sorry my friend it was not intentional to leave this sitting for so long i am so sorry!!! (also between the two of us this got Long so i am putting a read more so i don't take up a big block of people's dash in my return from the dead lol)
thank you for pronouns update! congrats on meds!! i gotta get me some of those so i can Detroit: Become Functional lol. I am rooting for you with your GPA!!! Also lol, love that we are following tradition of multiple asks still even with the tumblr updates letting asks be way longer now lol, it is just Familiar To Us
I will have to look into the ascendance trilogy!! My sibling is also obsessed with the raven cycle, but i have not read it yet (still debating if i want to or not, have been for YEARS lol, because i keep hearing "author problematic" and then never remember Why because i have Goldfish Memory). I will not post your off-anon ask with the artwork unless you want me to (want you to feel comfy on the blog and sending asks and I know you prefer anon!), but i will say that your art is AWESOME, my friend!! you are SO good and you're only going to keep getting better! I am glad you enjoy it!
Also bestie. This is a neurodivergent space lol, my life also revolves around shows/games/books/etc. they are the only thing that make the monotony of life and job-having under a neurotypical capitalistic society bearable lol. I actually have been getting back into reading ACTUAL BOOKS lately which feels GREAT (because reading Actual Books when i am so tired and Non-Functioning all the time is Hard lol), i am finally going through my seemingly-endless TBR and also have reread some old faves this year. Games-wise, the only thing i ever think about is still the Dragon Age games, Alistair is the love and light of my life lol. Show-wise.... i am in Limbo because of the Exhaustion, tragically, and also just waiting on new seasons (OFMD). Witcher has a new season out, but i have not watched it yet because Energy and also i have no motivation to because the last season they put out was so bad (even if i hear this one is good, i have lost trust lol)
Writing is. Not quite going lol. I have not finished a fanfic in ages, and also have made little to no progress on any of my original work attempts either, tragically. Hopefully things look up for me soon cuz I wanna get stuff DONE again lol, this blog has become so quiet and near obsolete because i cannot FINISH anything and it is TRAGIC.
Also, I have little-to-no drawing skills, but I also unfortunately do not have much energy to apply to drawing you a picture atm :(( maybe someday. Sometimes I can draw something that makes me go "omg i am not Awful, maybe I could actually put thoughts and energy into learning this as a skill" and other times it is like "i will never put pencil to paper (or stylus to screen) ever again" lol. Maybe someday when i am doing Better again i will hopefully have the energy to draw you something!!
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