#i use my drawing breaks to keep drawing that can't be healthy

[mercuriobebop]

I want so much to make delysium fanart… but I also have a lot of work to do and at the end of the day I'm exhausted… but the ideas keep coming and now there's a growing queue of comic pages and illustration prompts... GRAAAAAHHHH

[selvepnea]

Actually using my computer for hobbies

[coffee-and-guitar-strings]

Studying with ADHD

Dear God. My activity on here is sporadic, as is fitting with my diagnosis, but I thought maybe this post could help anyone that's been struggling alongside me.

Warning: Long Post

Feel Free to browse the bullet points and stop if something catches your eye!

If you don't like any of these, don't use them! They're based solely off my experience, and everyone experiences ADHD differently <3

Content:

Setting up The Space

Study Snacks!! - No hunger in The Space

Compete with yourself

Ignore Pomodoro

Reverse the feeling of 'not being smart enough'

Active Recall

Unriddle.ai (not sponsored,,,)

Final Tip

Final Note

Here ya go:

1. Setting up The Space

Some sites say to create a 'distraction free zone' to study in. Screw that, it never worked for me.

My brain is the distraction. I'll stare off into space if there's no other option.

INSTEAD:

We set up a study space that both fulfils random urges mid-work session, and limits distractions away from the desk.

I.e. we don't get up until we need the bathroom.

You limit the amount you get up from The Space, you limit the number of things your attention span will switch to.

Snacks, fidgets, drawing, separate screen for watching stuff? Whatever works, stick it on the desk.

Food wise, I try to make a healthy lunch and then eat it at my desk while reviewing stuff, but sometimes I need a longer break.

If I am taking a break, I do it away from The Space. The Space is dead to me now.

Try to compartmentalise your area, work only in these spots, relax only in these, sleep only there.

We're trying to train our brains here, people, simple and clear relations of space to activity typically get embedded easier.

Also: work whenever.

Burst of energy at 9pm? Go for it, we sleep badly anyways.

Middle of lunch? Have a flashcard/ notes app on your phone, do it while you eat.

With friends? See method 5 <3

I'll link a separate post I'll be making on exactly how my space is set up, though most of the key points are in this one :)

2. Study Snacks!! - No hunger in The Space

One. Handed. Food. Only.

Also, food that doesn't get stuff on your fingers.

You can't work if you're constantly wiping your hands to keep going, and you need something you can absentmindedly grab while you keep your eyes trained on the work.

I recommend getting artificial sugar in your system, sweets, chocolate, give yourself a mild sugar rush to keep a bit of a buzz going while you work.

(try to be healthy about it, this won't be sustainable long-term, but I find a shot of sugar to the system can help prevent burnout)

Also caffeine! Please be aware of how much caffeine you're having for health reasons - I need to watch how much I have, since my medication is already bad for my heart, but even just having a coffee and some sugar at the start of the session, I get enough energy to start working

As long as I don't stop until I'm Done, I will be good.

3. Compete with yourself

I don't recommend competing with others, it toes the line of 'feeling like a failure' too much for my liking, but if it works for you, go for it.

Instead, I compete with myself. Mostly quizlet flashcards, but also 'how much of this have I remembered from yesterday?', and 'How much more can I remember today?'

Whether it's personality or hyperactivity, this gives a dopamine hit. Finding ways to make studying something you can score against is one of my favourite methods.

Video games are an ADHD staple for a reason, easily trackable progress and dopamine from rewards/hyperfixations/etc. make them addictive.

Turn the work into a video game (I think at this point I may sound insane to you guys but please trust me)

4. Ignore Pomodoro

ADHD students, we have to think like sharks: we stop, we die.

Once you have found yourself studying with (relative) ease, Do. Not. Stop. You keep that going as long as possible.

ADHD doesn't mean you can't focus, you can, you just have no choice in where that attention gets allocated. So, when a tomato-based timer tell you to turn off your focus and relax, after it took you half the damn time to start the stupid work, it can be a little counter-productive

(I may have some repressed rage for pomodoro, try to forgive me)

Please, ignore the pomodoro stuff. I know it's healthy to regulate the volume of work you do, but I find that once I start working, I can't stop until I run out of energy.

I time or video myself instead, I can track how long I've been working, feel proud of it, and I also can't use my phone during that session.

When my brain stops taking stuff in, I have an hour to 2 hour break, relax (away from The Space) try to reset my brain so it's back to baseline. Then I start again.

5. Reverse the feeling of 'not being smart enough'

I know I am smart, and it's on others if they don't see that, but having undiagnosed ADHD for 17 years did a number on my self image and confidence.

If you struggle with this, it's so, so helpful to try this method, and can start to reverse the negative internal image we've managed to cultivate <3

So, after you've covered a topic: tell someone about it (please make sure they're ready to listen to you rant for half an hour).

Not only are you reinforcing what you've just learnt, but you also get to feel competent, and teaching someone else about your topic helps to raise perceptions (internal or from others) of what you know/what you're capable of.

6. Active Recall

This one goes great with the whole, 'competing with yourself' method (no. 4);

Active Recall is just making sure you're going over old information and recalling correctly, once it's past short term memory. Trying to remember information without it present forces your brain to pull it from Long-term memory and reinforces the information in your brain.

I know it's been said a million times, but this + competing with yourself does wonders for me.

My favourite method is blurting ( read/write notes of one topic, wait ten minutes, do something else productive, and then try to copy that topic from memory. repeat until all key info is correctly recalled)

7. Unriddle.ai (not sponsored,,,)

Okay, this site changed it for me. 5 free uploads, 15 free inputs per month.

Download a copy of the fancy scientific paper/article/book you need to read through. Upload.

Ask unriddle to summarise key points, to re-write it as if you were 7, etc.

This genuinely saved my essays. Suddenly the procrastination of reading my source material was gone. It makes it so much easier to get through dense/boring text and then I wrote everything myself.

Please do not plagiarise, I am only recommending this site to make things easier to read, copying down what it produces is considered plagiarism by my uni, and likely most others.

8. Final Tip

Be kind to yourself.

When I got medicated, my friends were genuinely stressed by how much work I was suddenly doing.

One of them asked me about it, and I realised it didn't feel like I was doing any more than normal. I had always been working this hard, it was just that half the energy going in wasn't being wasted on trying to get myself to focus.

What you put in may not receive the same results as for others, but the reality is that you're likely working harder than they are. The irritating truth is simply that we have to compensate for the different cognitive functioning that neurotypicals get to take for granted

(no hate to the NTs, I'm glad ya'll don't have to think about it, but for someone with ADHD, it can be really tough to realise)

A Final Note:

You are smart. You can do this. We just need to modify the system a little to make it work for us. There is no shame in that, anyone telling you otherwise needs a reality check.

Genuinely though, I've noticed that people telling me I use my ADHD accommodations (required by law) as a 'crutch'.

1. If the world were set up by me, that same person would struggle just as much, if not more.

2. If Rishi Sunak's government is willing to GIVE ME FREE MONEY to access these accommodations, that implies that this genuinely is needed. Not because I think Sunak is intelligent or kind (my own political opinions, please just hear me out), but because there is no way, with the underfunding of the NHS, Public services, etc. that they'd be willing to give me money I don't need to repay if it wasn't a scientific fact that I needed it, and it helped.

Use the inadequacies of the government to your advantage in arguments, make the idiots see how integral our accommodations are. I'd have dropped out of uni by now without them.

For anyone in need of help trying to convince family/friends/teachers/etc. of the struggle with ADHD (or anything else, though I won't have as much experience with it), telling them what you need help with, or any other arguments, send me an ask. I do psychology for my degree, I am used to searching for research papers, and I will help you with the necessary scientific backing for your case.

You are not in this alone <3

Lots of Love!

Coffee + Guitar Strings

@chocolatelandgarden @chaoticstudyprincess

[bigstupid69]

I do tend to draw the choir similar to some of the actors, but I honestly just wanted to make my own designs and make them more greasy teenagers since I love them.

They all have braces (plus Constance) because why not!

Additional hadcanons below!!

Penny

𓃬 I wanna preface before I say anything, I absolutely LOVE CDplayer! And me making them exes is in no way hating on the ship! I just like angst and I basically made them both have a falling out from the JK-47 incident. I don't think Tammy would break up, I think Penny just genuinely avoided everyone and everything after that happened with barely any additional communication. Dick move to practically ghost her I know, but my Penny Lamb is not the most mentally healthy since-, I don't think she would be given all the shit she's been through...

𓃬 Sad note I forgot to add to the backpack is that she keeps a cross necklace in the pocket of her school uniform that Tammy gave to her, ouch!

𓃬 She keeps a mask in her bag since she tends to wear a face mask to try and blend into the background and escape the relentless bullying she faces at St Cassian, it works most of the time.

𓃬 Her blonde streaks in her hair is not dye. When she came back life part of Jane still remained in her, that being the porcelain doll's blonde hair. She can't remove it whether by cutting it off or dying, she's just like that permanently. I touched on my personal headcanons with Penny's sense of identity when it came to Jane in a very old fanfiction, that I discontinued. It's definitely gonna come back in the ghost AU I'm currently working on.

𓃬 She constantly looks like she's been pushed down the stairs. Usually not the case she's just very clumsy, definitely concerns the choir that she just shows up covered in bandages and bruises and acts like nothing happened.

Ocean

✪ Non ginger Ocean is still too cursed to me so I'm just gonna go with her dying it since no one probably wants to be ginger. (no offense)

✪ She keeps any random item Penny gives her. Even if it's like a paperclip she found on the ground, she treasures it. (Reason why half of the crap is just rocks, Penny is like a bird that picks up shiny things and gives them to people.)

✪ She's only an inch shorter than Mischa, (yeah I made him tiny). They have a worse sibling rivalry than Noel at points since the height difference isn't intimidating.

✪ She constantly keeps trying to fix Penny's loose tie in the hallway or whenever she notices it not as perfect as she wants it to be. (because she is insane)

Noel

☠ Again no hate to frenchrap?? I think that's the ship name? (Noel and Corey) I think it's cute! Also means my man has the worst taste in men imaginable since he's fallen for SoundCloud rappers twice now.

☠ We need more hairy Noel designs so I shall provide. Sue me I like facial hair! you're probably gonna have to get used to it in most of the male designs.

☠ I accidentally gave him a mullet (technically was intentional). I thought him growing his hair out would be neat, unfortunately left him with a mullet, but oh well.

☠ I am very defensive about what I think the rtc cast would listen to when it comes to relevant time dates. Imo he listens to the cure, the smiths, scissor sisters, the cardigans, carpenters, strawberry switchblade, and Depeche mode. He also is a fan of most upbeat pop music from any era but he wouldn't tell anyone he actually likes that genre.

[aurorasmagic]

Baldr - info, opinions and worship (long post)

I am making this post as a devotion to Baldr<3

Family Parents: Odin and Frigg Wife: Nanna Kid: Forseti Baldr has numerous half siblings, but full brother to Hodr, the blind god He is one of the Aesir

Names and epithets Ways to spell his name: Baldr, Balder, Baldur Epithets: The white, the good, the bright, father of justice

Treasures Home: Breidablik Ship: Hringhorni Horse: Gulltopp (translates to Goldtop)

Baldr is the god of beauty, light, innocence and forgiveness. He is also seen as a god of purity, joy and peace. Some also call him a god of naivity because he always see the good in everyone, even people no one else is able to see good things.

We have little knowledge about Baldr in general. The most known story about him is his death. Some who is devoted to, worship or work with Baldr might not want to work with Loki at all due to this story. Baldr had dreams about his death which gave him long awake nights. His mother, Frigg, tried to help him by making everyone and everything promise not to hurt Baldr, all materials, weapons, sickness etc. All except for the misteltoe, which she thought was too small, young and harmless to make a promise. Now that Baldr seemed absolutely immortal the other gods tried their weapons on him, as nothing would hurt him. His blind brother Hodr wanted to join in, but couldn't because he did not want to hurt anyone. Loki had found a way to know the misteltoe didn't promise to not hurt him, and made an arrow from it which he guided Hodr to shoot at his brother. Baldr died from the arrow and Loki ran away. Later in the story we get to know Baldr would be allowed to leave Helheim and go back to Asgard if the whole world would show their grief after his death, and everyone did except an old lady. It is believed this old lady is Loki to make sure Baldr couldn't return to his family.

Controversy There is controversy whether or not you can work with Baldr due to him being in Helheim. Their argument is true, those who goes to Helheim can't leave it before all gates open and chains break under Ragnarok. But again, Loki is chained and can't leave his place before Ragnarok when all chains breaks and gates open under Ragnarok. If working with Loki is valid, then working with Baldr is as well! And please do not fear having your own beliefs on this. You are free to reach out to him whatever your reason would be.

Lessons What I have gotten from working with Baldr is to forgive. Forgive but not forget, and forgiving doesn't mean to let others walk all over you, and it's also important that you learn to forgive yourself. You also learn to appreciate and find joy in the smallest things, which I personally think has bettered my life quality so much. He wants you to know your worth but still show kindness to the world, and to help others who need.

Offerings and acts of devotion Meditation around a source of light (in the sunlight, by a candle, LED candles, fireplace etc) Help others who need (he used to guide and help his blind brother) Heal and care for your inner child Create something for him Pray to him Appreciate others Enjoy calm music Enjoy your fav herbal tea, raise a glass to him Keep candles that reminds you of him (I personally love the scented ones) Practice forgiveness and compassion, especially towards yourself Devote a plushie that reminds u of him or summer Symbols of light, sunrise, summer, and things you find beautiful, keep around, decorate or keep on jewelry Decorate with fairy lights and lanterns Take notice in your progress and look at how far you got Sketch, draw, write and other creative expressions Sunbathe (Remember sunscreen) Express or decompress Take a walk on a sunny day Practice regulating emotions, and feel your emotions Find healthy emotional outlets Spend time with the ones you love Do something that makes you happy Play with your pets Donate to organizations that helps homeless, sick, disabled etc Take care of yourself Make a comfortable and safe space for yourself Celebrate achievements, even small ones Clean trash around your neighborhood or in nature (also great offering to Jord, Gaia, or other personification of Earth) Practice open-mindedness, agree to disagree Honor your ancestors, learn about your family history (family were huge in the norse society, and Balder loves his family) Flowers, especially those strongly connected to the sun(Mayweed and Sea Mayweed is both known under the name Balder's brow in Sweden and Norway, they would make a great offering as well) He is associated to the colors gold, white, yellow and sky-blue carnelian, red jasper, citrine, goldstone, sunstone -Some say misteltoe would be a nice offering, but some believes you shouldn't, would recommend asking him before you offer it

Signs -I haven't found much of set signs that Baldr is reaching out to you, which might be because of the lack of information. However I have seen these; You randomly think about him over an extented period of time The rune Dagaz/Dagr Dreams become very symbolic Dreaming about him You can always reach out to him if that feels right for you! I personally see him in the sun and 7 of swords. He could also be big in meditation and dream interpretations because of his dremas before the story of his death.

[lunar-years]

Re: the fic tropes from the s2 hiatus, I have a related thought or question.

I would welcome your thoughts or recs (including recs of your own fic) because I admittedly found the OT3 WAY more easy to believe in fic in the s2 hiatus, in terms of Jamie joining an established RoyKeeley, even if the signs for the RK break up were there in retrospect. I now find it hard to believe in, post finale (well, post fight - up until half way through the finale we were looking good.) I still read lots of OT3 things that diverge at different points in the show, up to and including mid finale, and them simply not taking their bullshit argument to Keeley’s door, but I CANNOT see a path back from that after they do it, only to RJ, in a strictly canon compliant post finale fic. Of course Keeley becomes friends with them again but the events of canon made me feel like she fully closed the door on either of them in that scene for good, and I can't see it working out the way I once could. That's a let down, and makes me sad especially after 3.11! I used to not even like RJ without K, I much preferred OT3.

So what are your fave fics that deal with them getting together post finale - as in, one that doesn't diverge and that deal with what actually happened? I want a fic to really to sell me on it, if that makes sense, because the show really didn't in the end, it felt like it killed it. (Even with the barbecue scene - it felt like potential for RJ + Friend Keeley to me.)

Can you help me believe in the possibility again?

Hello!! First off, let me apologize in advance for what I'm fearing might end up a lengthly response to what was a very simple question, and frankly more than you probably wanted to know lol. That said, I feel like I need to preface my suggestions a bit first to help explain my breakdown of the recs so here's just a few things to keep in mind:

So, I don't see Keeley kicking them out after their bullshit argument to be a permanent door closure on the possibility for a relationship, which obviously influences my enjoyment of post finale ot3 fics greatly. Instead, I sort of just view it as Keeley drawing a hard boundary on what she's willing to put up with, and categorically deciding that she not going to engage with either of them when they're being that idiotic (enormously valid of her). HOWEVER, I honestly believe all it would take is a genuine apology from them to allow them both back into her good graces (look at how easily she forgave Roy after he gave her that sort of half-arsed [imo] apology letter! Now, obviously that didn't fix anything between them, and Keeley was in a particularly vulnerable place when it happened, and possibly their subsequent decision to sleep together then made things worse for their future romantically, but they are also undeniably back to genuine friendship + complicated feelings about ~more~ in the very next episode! I think this situation would go very much the same way.)

NOW, I'm not saying that's like... an entirely healthy and well-adjusted basis for a romantic relationship right off the go, just that I do think that Keeley would accept their apology and return to being friends with both of them really speedily. And that I don't think the lingering romantic feelings between them all (that imo, we do see hints of all season) would disappear. The big problem with roykeeley that led to the breakup was their inability to communicate their needs and feelings and what they wanted out of their relationship, alongside an inability to be truly vulnerable about their emotions. But i think s3 made it very clear to me how much the love is still there between them, and I'm of the belief that all it would take to fix them would be an honest conversation where they acknowledge they've hurt one another, admit they still love each other, and come up with a plan to move forward. I think the solution would be similar for budding ot3--they just need that heart to heart moment to hash it all out, because the love is there!

As such, the most "realistic" path forward for ot3 post-finale the way I see it is for all three of them to agree to be ~just friends~ for the foreseeable, giving Keeley time to focus on herself & her career and explore the self-discovery that comes with being single for once, as well as giving Roy time to develop a routine with therapy and work esp. on the issues that promoted him to initiate the bullshit finale fight with Jamie in the first place. I do not necessarily think anyone but Jamie is necessarily ready for any relationship where we leave them in s3, so I feel very similar about routes forward for RJ, JK or RK and I do for RJK. Eventually though (because let's face it, I do think they're all deeply horny for one another as well as share deeper feelings) the simmering, underlying sexual tension would boil over and the friendship would develop into more.

But all that said...I also am very easy to please and can be made to believe in pretty much any route to ot3, so I enjoy most interpretations of how they get together post finale/*that* fight. I love that it was left so open-ended, it makes it so easy for me to enjoy most fics about how they might get together

I say all this not to argue over your different interpretation (which is a totally valid one!) or to try to suggest everyone needs to see it how I see it, but rather to sort of warn you I guess that some of the fics I'm recommending might not be as successful for you as you were for me, because I see the situation so differently.

I think a lot of canon-compliant post finale fics (mine included tbh) tend to sweep the fight moment under the rug (as in, it gets mentioned that the boys apologized or what have you, but there's also been at least a few weeks time jump since the finale and the three of them have kind of moved on from that evening) because myself and other authors maybe see it as less of a major dealbreaker that needs to very addressed before the three can more forward. I have tried to curate the fics out accordingly into categories that will hopefully steer you in the right direction, but it's also been a while since I've read a lot of these:

Category A: Very convincing (imo) canon-compliant getting-together post finale fics that don't necessarily address the final fight head on:

The Third Wheel by scintilla10; a very cute one-shot based around the idea that Jamie and Keeley have a heart to heart in Brazil and then bring that energy back home to Roy.

Upside Down by @morethanslightly; post finale, they're all friends! then Jamie and Keeley go to Brazil and more occurs :)

take away the glass by @izzyspussy; OK...so to be fair... This one explicitly states in the leading author's note that it ignores everything that happens in the finale, lol. However, it's so good and otherwise (imo) very in line with canon that I'm recommending it to you anyway, even though it doesn't match the brief. JamieKeeley get back together first, which is a unique take I haven't seen in any other fic that nonetheless feels SO fitting for the dynamic in s3. I just really think this is the post-series fic that could convince you on the three of them again :)

Oh, Lord, You've Never Been So In Love by asexual-fandom-queen; post finale friends to lovers, the fight is mentioned in what i think is a very effective way, but not really focused on.

Triangles by @catalogercas- I love fics where Phoebe is the one to knock some sense into them :)

Category B: Post-finale ot3 fics that DO address the finale/fight of it all head on:

How to Build A Triangle (or accidentally fall headlong into one, or whatever the fuck) by SquaresAreNotCircles; very fun but also They Talk About It! Pretty in line with how I see how things actually playing out in canon, tbh.

boyfriend lessons by @mixtapestar; so this is in alignment with "they apologize, Keeley forgives them and they all move on" which I realize might be enough accountability for the way you view the fight, but there's fun twists and I love anything that involves shenanigans and also their Brazil trip.

it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning - butterflybook; a quick one-shot about the boys apologizing & Keeley forgiving them (author notes this happens quickly, but they share my sentiment that that is pretty in character for Keeley)

Category C: Maybe less convincing, given canon, in terms of like, long-term stability for the relationship without further conversation and hard work, but definitely convincing for in-the-moment rampant horniness:

three turns by scintilla10; this is about Keeley inviting them back in immediately after kicking them out for horny purposes, so I'm not sure you'd be convinced by this lmao. But it's also so fun, so I thought I'd throw it on the list anyway for others people who might be interested and/or if you read some category A stuff that gets you back in the ship and then want to try something different

Triple blend by Dancey96; this definitely takes some liberties with what Keeley may have said before kicking them out. so it's "canon-compliant" in a very loose way I don't think aligns with what was actually intended in canon, lol. BUT! It works for them and it's fun and it's hot and it's a fun way to play with what happened so maybe it would make you feel better about the scene! idk

Heart Trouble by @morethanslightly this is another play on the scene that maybe doesn't address their problems as much as you would need, but gosh it is sexy and fun!

Category D: My own fics that may or not be your speed but I'm throwing in to self promo anyway:

Confetti ; This follows the concept that they're all friends post finale and then slowly the dynamic starts to change; fluffy getting together fic ft. Roy's family

last to leave the party ; another iteration of the above but this time it's years of friendship between the three of them post the finale before the something happens that causes things to shift back around to romance

Actually, the one I'm writing now (RJK friends with benefits) is I think going to be the one that addresses what you are looking for most head on (in terms of dealing with the direct aftermath of the finale and staying completely canon compliant). So stay tuned!

If anyone else has any suggestions or would like to self-rec one of your own fics for anon, please add them/share them with me!

[troloyunu]

Sorry if you've answered this somewhere before, but do you have any advice for improving/practicing art?

I am not sure if I am the best person to be giving advice on this matter as there are a lot of aspects of my art that are lacking, but here are some tips that have worked for me personally that I think worth are trying!

This got kinda long so. Under the cut!

First, this is always important, and I know people are sick of hearing this but it's true: practice, practice, practice! Observing things is very important for art but you actually have to try your hand again and again in order to have a result that is to your liking when it comes to art. Please just try to draw as much as you can. You have a pen in your hand? Scribble something. This will also improve your linework.

Do NOT be afraid to use references. It is highly unlikely that you will just happen to be able to draw something you have never drawn before without a reference. If you can't find any refs, take your own pictures. (I do this a lot when it comes to drawing hands)

Most of the time we have these conceptions of how things look especially when it comes to anatomy but humans are all sooo vastly different so I believe it is important to broaden your vision by using diverse references

Don't be afraid to draw bad. Seriously. If a piece you just made sucks, don't beat yourself up about it. It is geniunely not that serious. Take a break and come back to it, if it is still not to your liking and you cannot improve it; it is okay to delete that drawing and try something else. You'll get it, I promise. Just keep practicing.

Most of the time I find that it helps A LOT to draw something I am obsessed with. When I am learning anatomy, I don't just always draw some random people's pics I found on the internet, I will sometimes make that drawing into a character/ship I love

Do redraws from your old art! It is so motivating and fun to see how you have improved and changed as an artist :3

I know it is not healthy to rely solely on validation, but it does help a lot! If you are part of a community, esp one with a lot of artists, don't hesitate to show them your work! You can also draw your friends' ocs and such if you want to, it really is a win win situation because you will be drawing something you want to draw and your friend will be so happy that you took the time to draw their character. I loved gifting people little doodles when I was part of an oc centred fandom :D

Also, since we are talking about validation, validate YOURSELF please. Imagine yourself 2 years, 5 years, 10 years whatever ago. How would you have felt if you saw your drawings today? You would have been so impressed! So take the time to appreciate your own work.

If there are any artists you adore, don't hesitate to try to redraw their drawings, or maybe just some aspects of their style that you love. If you do a redraw, it is advised that you do not post it as your own idea, but if the artist is ok with you posting it with credit, then you can do that too! :D

That being said, keep in mind that you don't have to post EVERYTHING you draw! I used to do that which put a lot of pressure onto me since I would get so upset whenever a drawing turned out bad, but when you realize that you can just not post it, that lifts a lot of tension.

Take care of yourselfff!!! Take care of your arm, your wrist, your back. I think there is this program that makes you take breaks every x minute which is called EyeLeo, you can install that or something similar. But please do take care of your health.

Sometimes breaks are needed. If nothing you draw looks right and you don't feel any joy in drawing, do take up another hobby for some time. Let yourself miss drawing.

Play around with styles and colors and lineweights, see what you like the best. I used to always get so upset that I didnt have a set style, my drawings vary a lot throughout each piece. But now I just keep it cool and don't think about it too much. Don't force yourself!

Also for me a part of drawing I ALWAYS look forward to when drawing canon characters is giving them alternate outfits I save on pinterest. I enjoy so much searching which outfits a character might wear. Maybe you can try this? I know drawing the same outfit over and over again for a character gets old.

Honestly being obsessed with something helps a lot with improving. Like a character or a pairing or whatever. Because you will just REALLY want to draw something for this thing you love, and you will just keep on doing and doing it. Really helpful

But 99.9% of the time, the thing you imagine will not translate completely identical to the canvas/paper. And that's OKAY! That means that you have a great imagination and you will try to get a satisfactory result. It just means more practicing. When you get an idea that you want to draw but don't feel like your skills are enough for, draw them anyway! That way you can see a lot more clearly what you need to work on. And do work on those things.

I think for reference images just find nude reference pictures of real life people. The drawing pose references we see on here or on pinterest with simple shapes ARE very convenient when you just wanna quickly draw something, but if your goal is to learn anatomy, then using a pic of an actual human is ideal.

Remember that art is supposed to be FUN. So do have fun. Experiment!!!

Also I would say like, when I was more of a beginner and tried to do fullbody drawings and such, it never looked good and I was quite discouraged but things started improving when I started to individually focus on things like eyes, noses, lips etc and then trying a more general approach with fullbodies. Might not be the same for everyone though!

I think that's all I can think about for now. Sorry if this is not that useful, but yeah! I would say the most important thing is to just practice honestly :D Go ahead, have fun, draw something! I wish you the best <3

[sebadztian]

Hi Seb, I was spending some time thinking about something in the kuroshitsuji community and I'd like to see if more people realize the same thing as me. As you are a very active and communicative person, I thought it would be a good idea to try it for you first. So, I'll get straight to the point and then introduce my point of view, so things move faster.

For some time now I have noticed a huge amount of hypocrisy in the kuroshitsuji fandom, especially in ANTIS, like I see people who are anti Sebaciel, or anti proshipper, but who ship Ciel x Lizzy, which is incest and is included in this proshipper category, every time I question them about this I either get blocked or have my comments deleted, most of the time they use the excuse that incest between cousins ​​can or that at the time it could and that's why it's okay, but that's not really an argument that Do they hate it so much when it comes from a Sebaciel shipper?

Giving some context about myself here so as not to bring up any misunderstanding, I have nothing against anyone who likes these ships. I'm not a Sebaciel or Ciellizzy shipper, at most I like some Sebaciel AUs in which Ciel is an adult man, this comes because I have triggers and psychological traumas involving pedo and incest, on this account I have been introducing myself more into the community of kuroshitsuji and I've seen how difficult it is to build a healthy community here, it seems like everyone hates each other like... there are people I've never talked to or seen in my life who blocked me and I don't even know why, I would think that maybe this person was a anti and thought I was part of the Sebaciel community due to drawings that I repost, but in my bio and in my profile pin it is very clear that I just don't care about this ship thing.

And again this hypocrisy breaks me, I saw anti Sebaciel shipping Joanne and Sebastian while Joanne is also a minor, it seems that they are only defenders of young people when it suits them, it is really confusing trying to understand this fandom and at all times It's like I'm walking on eggshells talking here.

I hope the Google Translate translation wasn't confusing and strange, I don't speak English fluently and because of this it can often lead to misinterpretations. Making it very clear that I don't want war with anyone, I really wanted to build a community on my profile where everyone is welcome, and I was focusing on the people from kuroshitsuji because so many were super sweet and welcoming to me, but at the same time it has me created a headache.

I'm just an artist wanting to sell my daily bread, I don't need to be radical and be on side X or Y, as a professional I believe that my opinions should not influence my audience or separate them, I've always seen people from DNI is extremely privileged to be able to choose the audience they want to follow them. I just hope I can find more calm people here

Thank you for your attention and sorry for any inconvenience, kisses from Brazil

Hi, Deusa (hope it's alright to call you that)!

Since the answer is going to be quite long, I put them under the cut...

I'm going to share my own opinion with you in response to your view. Hope that's ok.

Yes, I agree that there are a lot of hypocrisy in the Kuro fandom, most especially among antis. They can't seem to decide what is it that they actually want. I've seen those who support CielLizzy, and those who are against this particular ship because of the incest thing.

To be fair, marriage between cousins (even first cousins) was very common back then in the Victorian era. Queen Victoria & Prince Albert were first cousins too and they got married. The reason why they did this is to keep the 'high blood' in the family and to strengthen their familial bond.

If Ciel & Lizzy get married, then the bond between the Phantomhives & the Midfords will only get stronger and they can keep everything (wealth, nobility, status, power) 'in the family', so to speak.

Even until today, marrying one's cousin is still allowed & legal in some places. Thus, this type of marriage might not be seen as strictly 'incestuous'.

Another reason why those antis are still somewhat okay with this pairing might be because of their age. Ciel & Lizzy are of the same age (Liz is a year older, but that's still considered as 'normal age gap'). And of course, Ciel & Lizzy are 'normal' couple (a man and a woman).

These factors might help them to justify this ship, even if they're techincally incest.

Things are very different when it comes to Sebaciel.

First, they're both males.

Second, there's the whole age gap & pedophilia thing (antis' most favourite argument). Seb is, well, we don't know how old he is, but we can safely assume that he's much, much older than Ciel and it doesn't help that he looks like an adult man. This age gap (in real life) is definitely seen as pedophilia (which I completely agree with).

And then, there's the whole Sebas is a demon who wants to eat Ciel's soul thingy - which is true, but they see Sebas as evil and they're all about 'protecting baby Ciel' because he's been abused. I'm not going to go into why this behaviour is not going to help Ciel because this answer is not about that.

About Harcourt and Sebastian shippers... Well, I can't say anything about this because this too baffles me. Harcourt is only 1 year older than Ciel (he's in second form) and I don't know why they're ok with Seb/Harcourt, but they'd burn Sebaciel at the stakes. I don't ship them, so I cannot find anything to justify/explain this. Whatever thing that Seb did to Ciel, he did it worse to Harcourt, imo, but at least, Ciel knows what kind of bastard Seb is. Seb even laced Harcourt's pie with laxatives, like... why would anyone ship them? Is it because Harcourt is seen as more... feminine & soft compared to Ciel? Shouldn't they worry about traumatizing this boy??

But I digress...

I'm sorry that you've been through such ridiculous thing and I agree that it's very difficult to find others who are neutral when it comes to shipping. In opposite of the antis, we also have the extreme shippers (Sebaciel or otherwise) and they too, are not too friendly towards non-shippers or other shippers.

I generally don't interact with antis because I've got my blog banned twice and I don't want to get a third ban, so I tend to play it safe and stick with the people that I know (either other Sebaciel shippers or the neutral/proship-safe space). Unfortunately, things are very divided in this fandom and you really have to be careful about whom you talk to/interact with.

I have my own 'limits' in the fandoms that I follow (not just Kuro). There are some pairings that I will never ship or headcanons that I will never entertain, but I try to be open until I decide that no, this is not for me.

For what it's worth, I think everyone is waaaaay too young for Sebas, even Tanaka. Some antis ship Sebagni. Agni is 31, so he's about 18 years older than Ciel. But compared to Sebas, he's still much, much too young. Yet, they don't seem to have any problem with shipping them. Maybe because they're both tall, adult men? I don't know... To be very clear, I'm not against Sebagni. It's not my cup of tea (because I think Agni's true soulmate is Soma), but if you ship them, that's cool wih me!

My point is, if you're talking about age gap, the only ones Sebas should be with are either Claude (whose existence I try to ignore/forget) or maybe one of the Reapers.

Sorry that I ended up rambling, but in summary, I agree with you.

Thanks for the ask!

[spotaus]

please know whenever you give any ichor lore in either tags or a post, i am going

i love love love lore drops.

Wooo!!!! It is so freeing to hear that, thank you haha!!! Everytime you rb or ask or smth I always kinda just go

AND. Y'know- ya know what this gives me the chance to do??? LORE DUMP (putting it under the cut because it might get long lmao-)

I went back on my old phone (basically my art storage system) to find some old art of Ichor!! Like, the four pieces above are not completely Canon anymore, (I couldn't draw Paps to save my life 😭) but this was from before I had decided how Ichor and Reward were created!

The first one labeled 'Judgement' is actually a pretty accurate portrayal of New God aged Ichor! This was when I had it planned that Ichir was the God of judgement abd he made some poor choices so Balance chipped a piece of his power into Reward and Ichor had to raise him. That's no longer the case, but the design transfers over! In the second one 'Punishment and Reward' you can see that Balance's Halo was going to be on Ichor too! This is technically something he *could* manifest still but he deeply chooses not to. The design from 'Eclipse Era' for Ichor is 100% accurate. This was the Era when Ichor ran away from the god's to go stop a prophecy + ended up falling in love and having a full mortal family. (They- they're dead as hell but uhhh-) Then the training fits were scrapped, but the concept continues. Ichor has to train to keep himself healthy since his godly magic is weakened, abd Reward drags him out to do little exercises once they're trapped in the Catacombs!

Another thing is this one specific tree? (Looks goofy af, ignore that- it's meant to be a weeping willow but fluffier lmao-) It's on a ridge a few mountains away from Mt. Ebbot, overlooking a mountain village that Ichor always went back to. It's their sacred tree, but Ichor was the one who made it so different. Smth smth his blood got to the roots once. But basically if he's mourning, if he's celebrating, if he has any big occassion he goes to this tree. It would break his heart if this Tree was ever cut down or severely damaged by anything that wasn't Weather related.

And (old art again, rip my skills-) once upon a time, Ichor could manifest Dragon Features from his magic! Now this translates into a Canon ability to turn into a dragon-ish beast form, but that's more his bones reshaping and less Gold Magic Manifestations lol. He's always had a connection to dragon-vibes, and because he doesn't use gaster-blasters, he *is* the blaster. Only when he needs it though. (And with the chains he can't change shape at all, so that's only a post-story kinda thing or pre-chains thing lol-)

I also have another scheme cooking (two, actually?) One with his Sons (the immortal ones that exist in Catacombtale and escape into the Omega Timeline if that happens-) and the other is Regarding the first drawing I ever made of him and doing a comparison lol- Hoping this was fun lore in the meantime!!

[minileena]

Part four babeyyyyyy

Layna

We're far enough away from the action that I can comfortably sit on Evelyn's shoulder without drawing eyes. It's not abnormal for two differently statured friends to be walking about together, right? Just two gals walking around downtown.

On the inside, though... I'm struggling to keep from trembling.

I'm missing something. I'm sure of it. Just because I can't see the angle Evelyn's playing at doesn't mean she doesn't have one. Maybe she's waiting for me to take her to my fence where she'll double cross me and leave me a smear on the sidewalk before pawning the diamond off. Maybe she needs me to be next to her when we enter the hotel so no one thinks twice about a single girl renting a motel, for one night, for no reason, within walking distance to the scene of a recent theft. Maybe it's something else I just can't think of. But she must be onto something.

Suffice to say, this walk is tense for me.

For Evelyn, though...

"So," she begins, cutting through the silence. "What would you do if you were a millionaire?"

The question is clearly phrased as a hypothetical because we're in public and we don't want any eyewitnesses to two weirdly dressed women discussing an incoming large influx of cash so close to a crime scene. As for why shass asking it... I don't know. Trying to look normal? Still keeping up cover? I can keep up cover a while longer. What's something that normal people say to a question like this?

"I dunno. Something fun, obviously. I've always wondered what yacht life would be like." I say this with a casual cloak over my tone.

Evelyn juts her jaw out to the side, effectively nudging my shoulder in a playful way.

"That's a lie," she says without hesitation. Her voice lowers a bit, just quiet enough for me to hear without the passersby being privy to our conversation. "I don't want a cover story. What are you really gonna do?"

Another gambit? Maybe I'm being recorded? She wants to frame me, maybe? get me in jail so she can take the diamond for herself? That would just draw attention to her, though.

What the hell is her angle???

I lean forward a touch, trying to gauge her expression for hints.

I just see a smile. A genuine, encouraging smile.

"Housing," I find myself answering honestly. "Proper apartments for parvi that actually meet government code are really hard to manufacture, and full-on houses even more so. I think plumbing specifically is such a nightmare that typical pricing is insane, so most of us just... find workarounds. A shoebox in a human friend's apartment, stuff like that. I've never lived in a place where I didn't have to DIY hackney some kind of basic necessity."

Evelyn's smile doesn't waver, but does manage to take on a more sympathetic quality. "I... I'm sorry about that. I hadn't really ever thought about issues like that. I guess I'm not super well-informed."

"Most humans aren't," I say in reassurance. "Why... why are you asking?"

She cocks an eyebrow.

"Do I need a reason? Is curiosity not enough?"

My fingers tap irritatedly against my thigh. I can't see through this. I'm usually really good at reading through acts like this, but Evelyn... she has me stumped. I'm still at a complete loss.

"I've always wanted a pet octopus," Evelyn says suddenly.

I fail to stifle a snort in time.

"Wh... What?" I ask, visibly incredulous.

"They're probably the third most intelligent species on the planet, next to the two of ours," she continues with a wide grin. "I've always thought they were neat. But I've also always thought it's cruel to keep one as a pet. They're too smart to be kept in tiny tanks. So, as a millionaire, I could buy a tank that spans through a whole house. Maybe hire some people to help me keep it fed and healthy."

"You can't actually be serious, though," I cut in.

Her gaze breaks away from mine and she goes back to staring at the road ahead of her. "Semi-serious. It would be cool, but I think that's billionaire rich, not... forty million dollars in the bank rich. Someday, maybe.”

At this point I've nearly forgotten the situation we're in together. I'm completely immersed in the conversation.

"Uh, left here," I stammer out.

Evelyn reaches up to pat my head with a finger. "Thanks, Siri."

I scoff. "As if I haven't heard that joke a million times before."

A few minutes later we're still talking, discussing dream houses and swiping through amazon for fun things to impulse-buy. Not planning or making cover. Just... talking.

It almost manages to make me feel at ease.

Eventually we turn into the motel, a decent quality establishment; they actually have some parvus necessities, though they are, of course, a tad overpriced because of it. Not that we're gonna care once we cash in the diamond.

"Room for two?" The clerk asks as we walk in and ring the service bell.

Evelyn turns to glance down at me for my approval.

"Room for two," I confirm. Neither of us is going to separate from the diamond, so we're kind of forced to sleep together tonight.

As the clerk starts typing away at his computer, he tries to make casual conversation.

"So," he says, "you two finishing up a date?"

I nearly choke on my own saliva.

"No, just friends passing by and in need of a bed for the night," Evelyn replies smoothly as I try to recover from the comment.

"Gotcha," the clerk replies with what I can only assume to be his best customer service smile. We all have our masks, I suppose.

We get checked in and head to our room for the night. I freshen up in a parvus half-bathroom, a little annoyed at the lack of a shower. We find a cot my size in one of the drawers, though, and we promptly set it up on the nightstand.

"Are you tired?" Evelyn asks as we finish settling the mattress onto the frame. "Like, at all?"

"No," I say honestly. "Too much adrenaline. I can calm down, though."

"Wanna throw on the TV before the endorphins inevitably pass through and leave us to crash?" She says with a giggle.

I smile, knowing the exact feeling she's describing.

"I, uh... sure.”

The TV isn't signed into any streaming services, and neither of us want our login information on a random motel near the sight of a robbery, so we settle for cable, which is, of course, horrible. We find something somewhat inoffensive and throw it on in the background while we settle down from the chase.

Through the dull jokes and canned laughter playing through the TV speakers, I take a moment to fully process my situation.

"You really don't have an angle, do you?" I ask after a while of silence.

Evelyn shakes her head. "Even split. Cross my heart."

I clench my jaw and tap my fingers nervously against the mattress. "Why?"

She sighs and leans her head against the wall, staring up at the popcorn ceiling for a few moments before answering.

"Jade was my tech girl for this job," she says. "We needed to work together in order to pull this off. No one can do this kind of job lone-wolf. Hell, even a team of two is stretching it, but... I didn't bother finding anyone else. Because it's so fucking hard to get someone you know won't screw you over."

The human's gaze moves back down to me, expression forlorn as she continues. "Jade and I were going to sleep in her van tonight. But if either of us fell asleep, the other could steal the diamond before morning. So the solution was to put the diamond in a briefcase and handcuff ourselves to it before passing out. The handcuff key was in a timer vault. All because we couldn't trust each other.”

She rolls over onto her side, resting her chin on her palm. "It's so... god, it's fucking annoying, isn't it? Setting up safeguards so we don't screw each other over a few hundred thousand dollars on the millions we'd both make if we could just chill the fuck out? It makes the job more complicated, it makes all of our dealings tense and tedious... If we could all just agree to fucking get over ourselves and trust each other, these types of jobs could be cakewalks. But we always need to make sure no one has even the slightest incentive to screw each other over, otherwise... we will. Because we're assholes."

Evelyn turns back over to lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling again. "I promised you we'd split. Why is it so absurd that I refuse to go back on that after you lost your leverage over me? Everything would be so much easier if we could just... trust each other, y'know?"

The room is quiet for a few moments, save for the sound of the boring sitcom droning in the background. I'm eventually the one to break the silence, though probably not with the reaction Evelyn was expecting.

"Fuck you," I utter, voice trembling with anger.

Evelyn turns to look at me with wide eyes and furrowed brows. Tears are welling in my eyes.

"Wh... what?" She asks in genuine shock.

"Fuck you!" I say again, gripping my bedsheets so hard I edge on tearing a few seams. "Don't you fucking talk about trust like you can hand it out like candy on Halloween. Like... like we're all selfish, greedy assholes looking to milk a few extra bucks out of a job no matter who it fucks over. Like we're beneath you for not letting our lives hinge on the whims of some rando you do a job with.

"Do you think I like this? This fucking game of leverage and incentive? Do you think anyone actually wants to be playing? You think I don't hate every fucking second I have to blackmail and steal and cheat people over a pittance?

"Maybe it's easy for you to just... decide to trust someone. Worst they can do is pull a gun on you, and even then you actually have a nonzero chance of fucking defending yourself. Maybe that's how it works for you. Maybe that's your reality. But don't you dare try to use that experience to tell me to 'get over myself.' I have to be like this. I don't have the luxury of a choice. I live in a world where it's so easy to take advantage of me that you can do it with a flick of your fucking wrist. That's my reality. And the only way to make it in my world is to lie and cheat and blackmail. Because if I don't then I have nothing. The moment there's a chink in my armour, the moment I miss a detail or don't see an angle..."

I swallow down a sob, trying to look this human in the eye with my chin raised in defiance.

"I have nothing else. All I have is my fortress of exploitation. There's nothing else behind these walls. If they're breached I'm dead.

"So don't you fucking dare talk about how easy it would be to trust each other if we just 'got over ourselves,' because there is nothing, absolutely fucking nothing that I want more than the luxury of getting to trust someone."

My breaths are heavy from my rant. My jaw is clenched.

Evelyn simply gazes on in shock.

"I..." She tries to begin, but no follow up comes.

A tear streams down my cheek.

"I'm sorry," she finally manages to say. "I didn't--"

I turn over in my bed before she can finish her sentence, pulling a blanket over myself and turning my back to her. I don't have the luxury of getting to be able to storm out of the room in anger, so this is what I have to settle for.

Evelyn doesn't speak another word, and eventually turns the TV off, leaving us in silence as we both fall asleep.

Layna's rants are so funnnn i really really liked her speech to Evelyn in zookeeper where she psychoanalyzed her aloud and then also the speech with jasper in chapter 14 I think those were so fun to write anyways one more part left in this little au one shot

[oobbbear]

PLLZZZ I LOVE YOUR ARTSTYLE AND EVERY LIL' SUN & MOON GREMLIN I CAN'T- I'm still not used to tumblr so I'm just gonna do this as an ask- TwT you literally made me get out of depressing situations and I can't get enough of it ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I wanna gib you some small drawings I did of your 2 pies and a bat sun, I love these scrunklies and every and each one that you've drawn.

Accept my love and adoration plz, I just couldn't keep quiet and I just had to shower you with it. YOU'RE DOING AMAZING AND I LOVE EVERY LITTLE DOODLE AND LINE YOU HAVE PUBLISHED. STAY HEALTHY AND TAKE BREAKS.

IDGFIEHEUEGFISHWUWHBEE THABK YOU THIS IS TOO SWEET ;-;?!!?!?!?!?!!! And your arts are so cute ?!?!?!!?!?!?!Come here lemme bite you/affectionate

YOU TOO STAY HEALTHY AND HAVE A NICE DAY

[spaceratprodigy]

The Siren Song of Devil's Peak

yes I am using this drawing as a cover image again lmao it cracks me up and I didn't feel like making something else. I think it's still rather fitting ✏

"Welcome back, Captain" Ada greeted as Faith stepped through the door of the Unreliable, her companions not far behind her.

Faith had been more quiet than usual.

She didn't want to be here, didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. The stillness of her room had been suffocating. She had been spending more and more days away, wandering anywhere she could on Monarch.

Her friends, however, were tired.

They needed a break, food, for Ellie to make sure they weren't falling apart. Faith needed it, too, but her body wouldn't let her stop. She was ready to head back out.

"Hey Boss," Felix chimed "are you feeling-"

"I'm fine" Faith cut him off sharply, immediately looking down in shame. "I'm sorry."

"Cap, we're worried about you. You need to rest" Parvati said, her tone more concerned than usual.

"I'll be fine, I need to go back out there."

"For what? Boss, you need to stop. We have to talk about this" Felix interjected.

"We don't have to talk about anything. You two get some rest, I'll see if Nyoka and Ellie-"

"No!" Felix's worry was turning into frustration "look, I'm sorry but.. I don't want you to get hurt. You can't keep running away."

"Cap.." Parvati was softer now "you're not in a good way and this isn't healthy."

Faith knew they were right. She was avoiding the fact she had to confront the problem in front of her sooner or later. That's why she won't sit still, why she keeps running headfirst into the Monarch wilds against everyone's warning.

Can't feel how much pain she's in if she's too distracted defending herself from things trying to kill her from all angles.

"Cap, you need to sort this mess out. I know he hurt you, but.. you and Max need to talk about this."

"Hah!" Felix was annoyed "you mean Max needs to come down here and apologize for being an ass. Boss, why are we even keeping him around after the way he lied to you?"

"Felix, I don't wanna.." Faith began but trailed off.

Because I don't want him to leave.

"At least talk to us about it. We're your best friends and we want what's best for you." She knew Felix was being sincere.

"Yeah, Cap. We're family, we don't want you goin' through this alone."

Faith didn't know what to say. She appreciated how much her crew, her friends, were trying to help her. Her heart was just in so much pain. She was confused, scared, she didn't really know what she wanted.

I want Max.

"I.. I.." she was trying. "Thank you.."

"Captain," Ada's voice rang through "you have a call coming in from Devil's Peak Station."

Parvati and Felix glanced at each other nervously.

"Hey Boss.. maybe you shouldn't take that call.." Felix began to say, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why? Hiram's my friend" Faith was surprised at her companions reactions.

"Well, yeah.. but.." Parvati was trying to think of what to say "last time you were hidin' out there, you and Mister Blythe were gettin' real close.."

Faith was waiting to see where this conversation was leading.

"We just think that maybe.. havin' him in the picture is makin' things.."

"Worse" Felix butted in.

"Well, No! I mean.. not worse.. just.. complicated?" Parvati's voice cracked.

Faith stood there in silence, crossing her arms. Her friends were babbling, unsure of how to get their point across gently.

"Boss, please just listen to us on this one" Felix finally said.

"There's a lot of hurt and raw emotions in the air right now. We just think the closer you get to that Broker fella.."

"Everything is going to be fine" Faith finally spoke "Hiram and I are.. just friends."

Why did I hesitate?

Felix and Parvati noticed, giving each other another worried glance.

What are they so worked up about? Faith thought, walking away to answer the call.

They're acting like I'm gonna fall for the guy or something.

We're just friends.. Right?

Her heart was beating hard now.

Oh stars..

She answered the call and Hiram's face popped up on the screen.

Dammit.

"Ah, Captain! There you are. Thought for a moment you may have forgotten about me."

The snark in his voice would have been of annoyance to others, but she had come to learn this was him being rather playful. In his own way, of course.

"I could never, Hiram."

"Are you still on Monarch by any chance?"

"Suppose I am, what would The Great Broker ever want with me? Need someone to get their hands dirty for you again?"

She knew how to play right back.

Hiram flashed her a small smile, immediately finding his serious face again.

"Come to my station, will you? I want to speak to you directly."

"Oh! How unusual of you to want to do business in person" Faith teased, unsure why she was trying to sound her flavor of freelance professional, Felix and Parvati's little talk was making her nervous.

"Let me get my crew and-"

"No" Hiram said sternly "I wish to speak to you." He swallowed, trying to keep his cool.

"Alone."

"Sounds a little dangerous doesn't it?" Faith rarely went anywhere without backup.

"You've done it before. Just to seek me out. All by your lonesome, might I add" he gave her a subtle grin "be a doll and do this for me, yes? I'll be expecting you."

Hiram hung up before Faith could get another word in.

Sly bastard.

Faith turned back towards the door, already knowing Parvati and Felix were still standing there. Waiting with concern. Knowing better than to leave their captain alone again in fear of what trouble she might get herself into next.

Fuck.

[thegoodthegrandandtheugly]

(Prev, not a confession) I’ll be waiting for this to be published btw. Do your job. Stop this karna favoritism (i would know when my submissions are ignored). you know he’s nowhere near a saint like yall worship. Read the Mahabharata with your brain!

Here is the submission this anon wanted posted so badly, for the record.

I am a very patient person but I am reaching the end of my rope when it comes to the back-and-forth with Arjuna and Karna fans. Your original submission would have been posted without any issue, but being needlessly aggressive to the mods is a good way to get chewed out and not have either of us make your submission into a post. My time actually is valuable, and I am not going to dedicate any more of it to you after this.

There is no "favoritism". We just haven't gotten much, if any, Karna hate, and if you've sent any in off-anon, then we've probably blocked you, most likely for breaking our rules elsewhere. If you're so desperate to know my own personal feelings about Karna, then here: I think he's okay. There are other characters that I think are more interesting. I also think Arjuna is okay.

While many posts ago I did say that I would make up every submission into a post, that has since changed given the step back Mod M and I had to take to reflect on how we want to run this blog long-term. There was a line we needed to draw, and we have drawn it. You just can't see it.

I don't owe you anything and being this overly hostile is a good way to get blocked and have your ask tossed in the trash. Considering we're being accused of Karna "favoritism", I can only imagine you're an Arjuna fan upset about the amount of negativity we've gotten about him, and to this I say: block our blog, and log off.

Your blorbo is not real. He is part of a giant collaborative artistic process featuring multiple artists and multiple writers and within the thousands of fans that FGO has, there are going to be people who interpret him differently than you and dislike him as a character and dislike how other people interpret him. If that offends you so much, that is your problem, and I refuse to let you make it mine. Go outside, and grow up.

This applies to everyone. Your favorite character is not real and being obsessed with them to the point that any negativity directed toward them or their fans causes you a visceral negative reaction in return is not healthy. Fictional characters are part of art, and art is intrinsically up for interpretation, and your interpretation is going to be challenged. Learn to regulate your negative emotions surrounding criticism of your blorbo, and discover actual coping mechanisms. Google is free.

Here, I'll even do some of the work for you. These are the first few links I found. Here's another one.

And if you have trouble regulating your negative emotions due to mental illness, I understand. But that does not give you any right to force it to be my problem. We are strangers to you.

You don't know me. You don't know Mod M. We would like to keep it that way. Neither of us have even expressed our opinions on who our favorite characters are because of how dedicated we are to staying as neutral as possible, or at least attempting something close to it. We don't want our opinions to potentially dissuade people from sending in criticism.

The point of this blog was to create an anonymous confession zone for the FGO and wider Fate fandom that allowed criticism to allow people a space to vent their frustrations about the fandom anonymously, because just as "people should be allowed to like things", people should be allowed to dislike things, and dislike things without fear of retaliation. They should also be able to like things you dislike without fear of being retaliated against, too.

We're not under any illusions we're doing something radical or supremely important. We just thought a space like this should exist within the fandom. That's it.

And if you don't like us, fgocriticisms exists too, and they're a lovely person. I'm sure they wouldn't mind getting your submissions.

This anon is going to be blocked, and I suggest people keep an eye out in the coming days for unnecessary retaliation against some random person within the fandom who likes Karna who might be scapegoated for the crime of not liking something this anon likes, or interpreting something a different way than this anon does. God forbid they harass them for thinking they run this blog.

This is the most pathetic ask we've gotten. For your sake, and ours, I hope you go outside and take a nice walk if you can. Vitamin D deficiency can cause irritability, after all.

-Mod D

Also, we have had a negative submission regarding Karna sent in and posted before, they just don't get traction because they don't mention Arjuna. If you're going to be a hater, at least be dedicated instead of bitching when it's convenient.

-Mod M

[imaginefan]

Royalty *Part 4*

McCall Pack X Fem!Reader

Word Count: 884

Requested: Anon, @tribirdskinner

Request: Can you do a part four of mcall pack x fem reader after her father the werewolf king meets his granddaughter Andrea The vampire prince ended up kidnapping her and forcing her to marry him and become his queen and have his child and then the mcall pack teams up with her father the werewolf king , hayley and her pack and the mikealsons to fight the vampire prince and his family along side to save there love and his daughter from his AND Umm hello where is my royalty part four of the mcall pack x fem reader AND Hey there I haven not gotten my royalty part four yet

*Part 3*

Warning: Kidnapping

Scott went to Hayley first, she was the one who offered to help if anything happened and now you had been kidnapped, after your father had left a week ago things seemed to be getting better, you were happier and your baby was healthy but then your ex the vampire prince you had been promised to years ago and long since unpromised had decided that he wanted you back and when you wouldn’t go on your own he took you by force.

Scott had stood explaining this to Hayley who had immediately decided to help, she picked up Hope who had been with her at the time and took her back to the compound “Klaus!” She called as she walked in. “Is she okay!?” He asked immediately, looking at his little girl, Hayley nodded. “She’s fine, I need to bring her back here until I finish helping Scott.” Hayley explained. “Helping with what?” Elijah asked. “Someone who claims to be a vampire prince has kidnapped (Y/N) and Andrea, Scott needs help to get them back unharmed.” Hayley explained. “Prince of Vampires?” Klaus asked. “Now we can’t have that. Rebekah, will you look after your niece? I have someone to know off their throne.” “Of course brother.” Rebekah smiled as she took her niece from her mother and headed back into the compound, while Kol and Elijah flanked either side of Klaus. “You’ll help?” Scott asked. “Only if you agree to let me do whatever I want to this so-called prince.” Klaus said. “What do you plan to do with him?” Scott asked, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to know but he had to ask. “I don’t intend for him to continue to draw breath.” Klaus answered “you keep your status and I get my kill.” “Fine.” Scott answered, after all he could assure you and Andrea that you were safe if the person who took you was no longer breathing. “There’s one more place that we need to go.” “Where?” Hayley asked. “(Y/N) had started talking to her Dad again, I’m sure as a werewolf king he’d have some fighter that we could use.” Scott explained and Klaus nodded. “Good plan.” Klaus smirked.

It didn’t take much convincing to get your father on his side, he even decided that he would come along, the plan consisted of your father taking a frontal assault drawing mre of the forces to the front of the castle while Scott looks for you and Andrea and Klaus makes his way to the prince he so desperately wanted dead. “Where are you..?” Scott whispered to himself as he searched through room after room, it took longer than he wanted but he came to a door lined with mountain ash. “(Y/N)!” “Scott!?” You asked. “Hey, I’m going to find a way to get you out of there, I just have to break this mountain ash line okay!?” He called through. “Yeah!” You nodded. “Are you guys okay!? Is Andrea with you!?” As if to answer there was a squeal from the little girl and chest seemed to loosen a little more as you started to talk. “We’re fine, he didn’t want to hurt us, he wanted me to marry him, he was happy as long as I agreed to everything , I knew you’d get here before anything happened!” “What’s wrong?” Elijah was the one to ask as he appeared next to Scott. “Mountain ash stops supernatural creatures from crossing it. I can't break it.” Scott explained, Elijah crouched and reached out, breaking the line easily. “That only works on living creatures.” Elijah explained “Klaus has found the prince, he intends to kill him if either of you have an objection then speak now.” “I made a deal.” Scott said “he can do what he wants.” He answered as he took you face in his hands and looked you over, you weren’t hurt from what he could see, he could hear that the fighting was dying down, he assumed because the prince had been caught. “I’m taking her home, you do what you want with him and this place.” Scott wrapped an arm around you and walked towards an exit to the castle.

The evening was filled with you answering the same questions and reassuring the pack that you were okay, Andrea didn’t seem to be affected by what had happened and you hoped that it would stay that way, however you were up late that night just watching the front garden. “He’s not coming back.” Scott promised as he wrapped an arm around your waist. “I know… It’s just…” You never finished the sentence not really knowing how to say what you were feeling. “It will pass with time, I promise.” Scott muttered as he pressed a kiss to your cheek. “Are you sure?” You asked. “I don’t want to be watching my back forever.” “You don’t have to , I promise I’ll be there every step of the way.” Scott promised. “Let’s go lay down, even if you don’t sleep, just lay with me for a little while yeah?” “Okay.” You agreed as he led you to the bed where he had moved Andrea’s cot closer to you so you could see her while laying there and talking about anything until you did finally fall asleep.

Requests and general question!

[balkanradfem]

It's time to up-pot, move and save some little seedlings!

Most of my plants haven't grown big enough to out-grow their pots, but I've been noticing some problems caused by me, and caused by weather, so I figured I should fix it. I prepared a big bucket of soil, lots of cups and little pots, and it's a nice day out, so I get to do the messy work on my balcony.

This plant you see on the picture, is a dwarf tomato. They're a balcony variety, she won't ever be planted outside, and, she's just about to outgrow her pot. I don't want her roots to start circling this cup, so I'm moving her before she gets too big. I grew these for several years and the bigger container they have, the more tomatoes they produce. They give produce as early as late May, which I love about them. So! I'm up-potting her to this big plastic bucket:

This plastic cup is very pliable, so I'm taking the plant out by pushing with my finger on the bottom, and flipping it upside down, so the gravity helps me get the plant out. This plant is so small and vulnerable, it would be easy to cause damage if I were to pull on it, this way she is safe. As soon as she's out, I flip her around and place her in the bucket, already half-filled with soil. Then I just bury her roots in more soil, water her, and she's done!

So now I've taken this tomato out, I have a little cup, free for another plant! Next thing to tackle is this problem:

See this little plant container with 12 spaces? That thing is horrible, it was my first time using it, and I'm never gonna do it again. it's atrocious. Since the spaces with the soil are so small, it dries up insanely fast, and it's impossible to keep it watered. I found it completely dry several times, and some of the plants just died in it. The soil inside also gets super packed and plants have trouble pushing their roots in, look at this:

Even though it's such small amount of soil, the plant managed to overtake only half of it. SAD! But, it's going to be all good now, because I'm taking all of these plants out, and putting them in proper cups, where they'll be happy and healthy. You can see on the picture I'm putting these plants on the balcony floor, and the little tomato is now being bottom-watered. Bottom watering means you have a container with holes on the bottom, and you put it in a bigger container, full of water. That plastic food container is filled with water, and the soil and the roots are able to draw this water in, making the plant watered just the correct amount. I'll keep adding plants in there.

The next project is this kale that needs to be saved. What happened to it is this: I planted it early January, and then it was just, very cloudy, rainy and dark outside, for the entire week. This means the poor fella didn't manage to get enough sunlight to grow a good stem, and instead it grew leggy. Leggy plants are those end up arching too much and growing too long in order to get some sunlight, and as the result, the stem is weak, flimsy, breaks easily, and cannot hold the plant. That's exactly what this kale is doing:

See the first picture? Cannot hold the leaves up. I've seen several people save seedlings like that by planting them a little deeper, and having soil hold up the stem. I'm not sure if it will work with kale – it might, it might not, because stem isn't exactly supposed to be underground, it can grow sick. But it's worth trying out, I believe in you kale.

And now, for my own mistake – this container of tomatoes has been planted too shallow! I love shallow planting because it means the plants push their way out of the soil fast, but it can also mean that they can't gather enough purchase with their roots underground, and they end up falling over. This entire container fell over. Luckily, you can transplant a tomato as deep as you want. Tomatoes are special in this way; their stems will grow roots if in the contact with the soil. So If I plant them deeper, I will push them to create a better root system. This isn't applicable to other plants! Only tomato family does this. They're going to have a better time growing with only their leaves over the ground, like in the picture:

If you look at the second picture, you can see that I'm just compiling these plants on the floor, and I kept putting down new ones until I had about 20, at which point I have had to make another bucket of soil to keep going. I also ended up not having enough space in the kitchen for all of them, but I found a solution to it.

I have more light on the balcony currently, and some of these plants can withstand a freeze – kale, broccoli, cabbage. They'll be alright even if I leave them outside overnight. So I did a little moving around, and this is my current kitchen plant situation:

This picture is taken the next day, and all of the up-potted plants here have recovered from the ordeal, and are doing great :).

[viaetor]

exhaustion

im sorry for throwing this here in the first place. I generally don't post vents on tumblr dot com, but I've been under so much stress lately and I just. don't have anywhere I can dump things yknow?? i don't wanna feel like a burden to my friends or as if its their responsibility.

but I've been so, so exhausted lately. but it's so hard to just *stop* or *take a break*.

currently, im working 3 part-time jobs, participating in 4 uni projects, writing my thesis, finishing up my government-funded research, completing translations, on top of having my regular classes. not to mention more work and projects ive been "invited" to accept that are still starting up and my upcoming mandatory internship. my parents have been entrusting me with more and more responsibilities regarding their physical health as seniors. but i also need to keep an eye out so that my drug addict sister doesn't do anything stupid and gets thrown out of the house again. I'm also worried about another sister of mine.

Lately i tried to distract myself by involving myself more with my friends. I've helped a few friends out with their own stuff (moving, writing, job interviews, emotional support) and ive been reconnecting with long past friendships, which is pretty neat. and it was working for a while, but im starting to get drained from even the simplest interactions.

now every time I look at my phone or get out of my room, people are calling me to ask to do stuff for them. I'm so numb to it all, I just do it automatically even when my body is sore and my brain is dead.

the worst part is that I can't quit anything. there are no vacations waiting for me, and no way I can lessen my workload more than I already have. I'm numb to it all, it's exhausting, but I feel so ashamed for even feeling tired. I feel like I have no right to feel that. I'm so used to being "reliable" and "efficient" to others that I'm not sure if I know how to Not be what people expect of me.

Ive been trying not to smoke or stress-eat and instead just hit the gym to get rid of the stress and anxiety, but even that hasn't been enough.

I want to write. I want to draw. I wanna learn languages. I wanna study. I wanna chat. But I just don't have the energy to do the things that make me feel happy and healthy. even if I'm ironically already doing some of them. I feel like an ungrateful brat. especially since I'm surrounded by so many awesome people.

I'm really lucky to have you all. I love getting your messages, seeing your posts, writing with you. I'm so happy with how I've been developing bonds with people here. thank you so much for investing in me! i really do cherish and appreciate it. I just want to apologise for seeming so distant and emotionally unavailable, not to mention how long i take to reply sometimes. to those that have been nothing but kind and patient to me, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope I can make it up to you!

I'm just really, really tired at the moment, and I'm not sure how to juggle through everything in my life right now. so I'm really sorry.

I wish I had dottore's skills so I could make clones of myself ngl. that'd be pretty neat