#not a vent necessarily but i’ll tag it in case.

[jackpotsadmon]

writing this here bc i don’t feel good sending it to friends or keeping it to myself

my friend’s funeral was today and i couldn’t go because i’m at school and it’s finals. i’m also starting a mental health program that i cant really miss. trying not to think abt it

my mom texted me after she went, and told me she saw the adjustment counselor from my high school there, along with the therapy dog she has. being reminded of her and thinking about death reminded me of when she literally saved my life by sending me to the ER. it kind of hurts my heart

overall i’m really glad that my mom was able to go in my place and comfort my best friend and her family, but i wish i could’ve been there too. i feel like a shitty friend even though i know i might not be that but grgghhgg my mental health yknow .

this also for better or worse reminded me why i’m still going (my little brothers. nathan if you see this i love you)

sorry about this rant, just feel kind of crazy and didn’t want to burden any friends or family with it

[zprite-x]

Thinking about how I managed to not get too snippy at people today while stressed because I kept thinking “oh shit what if there’s a ghost, it would eat my anger up” and suddenly got calmer like

Okay don’t feed the ghosts not any other useful coping mechanism I learned

[chosen-confessions]

Hey there. Never made one of these "Rotomblrs" so bear with me.

You can call me S. He/him but I don’t really care. Made this blog because I recently found out there are others like me and my friends out there across the multiverse and, not really surprisingly if I'm being honest, shit sucks for them too.

Since it doesn't look like there's any therapist out there centered around working with (mostly) children who have saved the world and deal with divine responsibilities, I thought at least maybe making a blog like this would help. Feel free to come here to vent about any of your chosen-related frustrations. You’re not alone.

More info under cut.

QnA:

“What’s a chosen?”:

To sum it up, someone who has some sort of special connection with a Legendary Pokémon. The… details of what this entails varies from universe to universe.

“How do you know if you’re a chosen?”:

Like I said, varies heavily from universe to universe. Owning a Legendary doesn’t automatically make you one necessarily, but like, it could depending on how things work where you’re from. I wouldn’t know. In most circumstances I see, telltale signs of being a chosen are usually: Telepathic communication with your patron deity, the appearance of powers, fleshing out, having SOME kind of duty that involves working with your patron in one way or another, etc. Again, these might not be the case at all in some universes, or maybe some are and some aren’t. I really have no way of knowing. Either way, if you think you might fall under this umbrella in any sorta way, you’re welcome here.

“What’s fleshing out?”:

(Warning, this one is gross. Discussions of blood and vomiting ahead.)

Basically the process of… becoming a demigod, for lack of better word. ‘Least that’s what we consider it in my world. Not every universe has it I’m pretty sure, but who knows. The most common symptom of this is… ichor or “god’s blood” appearing in your veins. Which means evicting whatever’s in there right now. Through your mouth, typically. THAT part usually lasts about a night. (I think I’ve seen universes where it also involves growing new body parts similar to your patron’s, but we don’t have anything like that in mine.)

If you have any other questions, let me know. My knowledge is, once again, mostly restricted to my universe, but I’ll try and help the best I can.

About me:

I won’t try and go too much into my personal life, but I’m an adult. Chosen of Lugia, I helped save the world with it when I was a kid. It’s still with me, but still goes off to tend to its own deity business now and then. I’m a Elite Four member, and I have a husband who I love very much. He’s a chosen of Celebi and a Pokéathlete. You might see him on here from time to time, call him E.

I also like Weavile a lot, which explains the profile picture. Might change it to something more fitting later.

Anyways, some general rules: While I might have some decent life advice here and there, I’m not qualified to give out professional therapy advice. Please keep that in mind. I won’t be adding my two cents on most submissions anyways, unless I really think it might be needed. This is mainly a vent zone.

Confession posts will be tagged with #confessions.

OOC:

hi! @scrappyscales here again. thought this type of blog would be fun and relatively easy to run, especially since I have a lot of characters who are heavily involved with the chosen side of rotomblr.

also: I’d like to credit my friend Deerly so the “fleshing out” concept! it something me and a lotta other folks on the chosen discord accepted into our canons, but you don’t have to if you don’t want

same universe as @pinkpoweredpunk !

Pelipper Mail/Variants: ON

Mystery Gift: ON

Magic Anons: OFF

Union Circle: ON (ask me first)

[scuttle-buttle]

Chapter 5

WC: 1526

Rated: M

Chapter Tags: angst, mentions of physical congenital defects, name calling, Freud, mention of psychological disorders, mention of disabilities

🧠

Maybe it was naïve of you to hope for an apology from him after the incident in the classroom. He was a dick, after all.

Six weeks into the term and things had not gotten better, but in fact much worse. Every little thing he did drove you up a wall. He would talk to himself out loud about who knows what. He would ask you your thoughts and opinions on the theories he studied, and then try to challenge everything you said. He would make you feel small as he spoke down to you or he would laugh at your ideas. He would ask for help with the dumbest things too, like picking up pens and typing up all his notes. And worst of all, he would just watch you. It probably wasn’t really all that creepy, he didn’t actually give you those vibes, but you felt like a bug under a microscope.

The only time you could tolerate the doctor was when he was giving his lectures. It was like he was a totally different person. Gone was the calculating and stubborn doctor, and in his place stood a thoughtful, passionate, intellectual that tried to see the world from as many facets as possible. He was so incredibly open minded. You'd even seen him crack a smile or two.

You wondered what he might be like if that was his personality all the time. Would the two of you get along better and argue less? Would he think more highly of you, and not just as some dumb assisstant? You doubt it.

“-And then he handed me a stack of notebooks and asked me to type everything up. All his handwritten notes. Like oh my god, get with the times and just type them the first go yourself.” You were set upside down on Bitsy’s bed. This week Kreizler had amped up your workload, so of course you had to vent to your friends.

Feeling the blood pool in your head you roll over and sit up with a huff. “He’s just so strange… and he’s left handed but to the extreme. I don’t think I’ve seen him use his right hand once the entire time we’ve worked together. Like how odd is that?”

“Maybe he’s got OCD or something?” Margo, your mutual friend suggests.

You contemplate what she said. Perhaps he did have something else going on? The more you think about it the more you realize he really didn’t ever use his right hand; when he asked for your assistance it was always for a two-handed job. Perhaps… You are broken out of your trance when Bitsy interjects.

“You need to either find a new hobby to distract yourself or you need to hate-fuck the guy already.” She doesn’t look up from her phone.

Her comment catches you so off guard you choke on your own spit. Margo pats your back as you overcome the coughing fit. “Bitsy what the actual fuck?” She just gives you a ‘what?’ look. Clearly she’s grown two heads to even consider suggesting that to you.

“It’s not so crazy. You like older guys, you said it yourself that he’s smart and he’s cute. Maybe this is what you both need. Get out some frustration.” She tosses her phone to the bed. “And to be honest I’d like to be able to talk to you about literally anything other than how much you can’t stand the ‘good doctor dickwad’.”

Your mouth is gaping at her in your shock. Her words settle in you like a bag of rocks. “Oh my god I really do talk about him that much don't I?” Shame and embarrassment wash over you as you realize that yes, the majority of your day is spent complaining about Kreizler. “I’m sorry guys, I’ll make an effort to tone it down.”

“It’ll probably help with the stress too if you stop,” Margo adds.

“That and getting dicked down - how long has it been for you?”

“Yeah no,” you get off the bed and walk out of the room, “I’m not answering that.”

“Too long then!” Bitsy calls after you with a laugh.

_

He really thought he had been doing better with you. He couldn’t say you were his favorite person by any means, but you were proficient at your job and the tasks he gave you. A hard worker. He tried to engage in friendly conversation or to talk about the lessons he was planning with you. As little as you had actually studied psychology he found your insights to be most interesting and enlightening. He actually enjoyed it.

You, on the other hand, apparently did not.

Today was going the usual route - he attempted to engage you in discourse; you were determined to defend and fight your way out of it. Oddly enough, for as much as you loathed talking with him you were always giving him your opinion on things.

“How could you be so base to believe that? We are all individuals with our own wants, needs, and desires, sure, but to only be subject to that? To have no freedom or choice in anything we do or say? It’s ridiculous.” You sat with your arms across your chest, a sneer on your face as you argued with him.

His face remains calm through your tirade. He himself took Freud’s work with a grain of salt, but he was interested in your reaction to his questioning. So he pushed you. “And yet you sit here now with the most basic principle being exhibited - the presence of Freud’s Id hard at work - as you become frustrated and angered by my words. Is that in itself not the desire to let anger take control? Acting without fear of consequence? To be exactly what you now claim is ridiculous?”

You scoff. “No, Doctor, because I’ve chosen to not put up with the bullshit. I choose of my own free will.”

“But what is free will, if not chained to our deepest desires and fears? Us acting on the primal needs within us so out of our control? You have no choice in the matter, only impulse. Nothing you choose matters, you are inconsequential.” Laszlo found that he liked to rile you up. You were more forthcoming in your ideas and defenses; a worthy partner to discuss psychological theory with. But today he had pushed you too far.

By this point you had had enough. His constant instagation had driven you to the end of your rope. In reality it probably wasn’t that bad, and you really weren’t that confrontational of a person. But god, with him you just couldn’t seem to hold yourself back. He drove you up the wall.

“Is that what you want? To study me like your little project, seeing how you can get me to crack? Your own personal basket case to psychoanalyze? What - does that get you off at night or something?” You don’t even care that he’s your boss anymore or how inappropriate your suggestion is. If he can push and push and push without regard to what is considered socially allowed then you’d be damned if you didn’t too.

His face is merely curious, a hint of a smirk on it, as you all but yell at him from your desk. He sits back, a pen in his left hand, his right resting atop the desk. You notice his right thumb twitch.

“What’s wrong with your arm?” blurts from your scowled mouth. You don’t know why you ask. Maybe his idea about being chained to our deepest curiosities, no matter how questionable, had some weight behind it.

"I beg your pardon?" His eyes change the second the question slips from your lips. No longer is he eying you with amusement, but he looks as if he might snap at any second. His face is hard, you can see his jaw clenched under the full beard he sports.

At his reaction you know that you screwed up. You never should have said anything at all. Sure he could be as rude as the day is long, but he wasn’t necessarily a cruel man. He had little moments where he was genuinely kind to you. He even made you tea once.

“I’m sorry- I…. I don’t know where that came from. It was inappropriate of me and I apologize, Dr. Kreizler.”

The silence that overcomes the room is deafening, so unlike the boisterous discourse that was taking place a moment ago. You turn away hoping to resume your work. You even take a moment to pray to whoever is listening that you didn’t just get yourself fired.

“It was a congenital defect.” You turn back towards him, but he does not meet your eyes. He speaks low again. “My arm never developed correctly so it is weaker and has less function. That is all.” You nod at him, swallowing. The look in his eyes does not match what he tells you. He has the look of someone haunted by their past. It is a look you are all too familiar with yourself. You both finish your work in silence.

Tag list

@hardlyinteresting @lorna-d-m @livvyshmiv @somethingthatsaysbubbles @greeneyedblondie44 @unbeatablecurlgirl @apparrio @marchingicenotes7 @anteroom-of-death @bruhidaniel @lemairepstuff @thehuiabird @zemosimp05 @alindeluce @iamnotthecatladynextdoor

[spencerreidreads]

Just Friends (Spencer Reid x reader) -part 1

It was a slow day in the BAU, but your mind was racing. You were scribbling away at the paperwork in front of you diligently trying to distract you from what was going on in your mind, but it was hard when the cause of your racing thoughts sat directly in front of you.

Spencer Reid, the man who you couldn’t necessarily say that you were seeing, but you had many intimate nights with sat across from you and seemed oblivious to your distressed state of mind.

It was a well kept secret between the two of you what happened behind closed doors once you were alone. At first, you had to admit it was really fun. There was the risk of getting caught, sneaking around, then seeing each other the next day at work and sneaking glances at each other.

But, as everyone has always advised in friends with benefits situations, someone always catches feelings and in this case it was you.

So here you were, a typical Tuesday morning, struggling to focus on your paperwork while Spencer was rambling to JJ about god knows what, and all you could think about was how fast his tongue really works.

You were intently staring at Spencer, and just as JJ looked in your direction you hopped up out of your chair, and headed to Penelope’s office.

“You two would be cute together, have you ever considered asking her out?” JJ asked Spencer once you were out of earshot.

Spencer shrugged, “I mean, we’re such close friends I think things are good the way they are.”

“I think she’s interested, did you see the way she was staring at you?” JJ insisted.

“JJ we’re just friends,” Spencer rolled his eyes and walked away.

You sighed as you sat down in a chair next to Penelope in her office.

“What’s wrong honey buns?” Garcia swiveled in her chair to face you.

“I need to vent, but if I tell you I can’t tell you all the details okay?” You asked her.

Penelope looked confused, “You’re not in trouble right?”

“Of course not.”

“Okay, vent away.”

“So, I’m catching feelings for my friends with benefits and I know he doesn’t have feelings for me. And I’m really struggling with it, maybe I need to stop seeing him. But I don’t want to. Maybe I should start seeing someone else? I don’t know!” you rambled.

“Oh my! Who are you having sex with?! Is it someone I know? Is it someone in the office? Is it Derek? It’s Derek isn’t it?” Penelope started trying to think of who it could be.

“Penelope! It’s not Derek! And I’m not telling you who it is that’s part of me not telling you all the details...”

“Right...Have you ever thought about telling him that you have feelings?” Penelope suggested.

“I’ve seen him have feelings for women in the past, I know he doesn’t have feelings for me, it would be pointless,” you looked down at your feet, disappointed.

“Okay then, it’s settled. Girls night. We’re going to find you a man who likes you in and out of the bedroom!” Penelope yelled in excitement.

You started laughing and headed for the door, “Thanks Penelope, I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The second you walked out of Penelope’s office, Spencer was walking towards you and smirked. You raised an eyebrow at him and he nodded his head as if to follow him.

And of course you did. He took you down the hallway, out a back door, up a staircase, and into a room that held a bunch of old files from past cases.

He was fast acting, pulling you close to his body. His kiss was tender and forceful, his hands were tangled in your hair.

You could feel that he was already ready to take you right there in that room.

“Spencer, they’re going to notice that we’re gone...” you struggled to get out, as he kissed down your neck.

“We’ll be fast I promise,” he whispered as he hiked up your skirt.

And he was right. You both finished in almost record time, fixed yourself up and purposely walked in the building from different directions.

“Where have you been?” JJ asked as you sat down at your desk.

“I went for a walk after talking to Penelope, ya know had to clear my head. We’re going to have a girls night want to come?” You tried to distract her

JJ eyed you, suspiciously, “Yeah she was telling me about it when I couldn’t find you or Spencer.”

You gulped, looked up at Spencer at his desk and back at JJ. She had to know about you and Spencer she just wasn’t saying anything.

“Yeah so you in?” You asked.

JJ started to walk away well aware of what she was doing, “Yeah I’ll help you look for a man.”

Spencer’s head popped up from his work and his eyes met yours. At that moment you wished that you could read minds. Was he upset? Or was he just shocked? He gave you a weak smile which you returned and you both got back to work.

��tags—

@inviisibleee @apipecleanerwitheyes @acloserlook2012 @fearlessprncss @blameitonthenight21 @venomrevenge @views-mp3 @practical-brujeria

[olietus]

Humans are space orcs - Devin

This story is semi-related to 'Resentment' that I wrote earlier, but I'm not yet sure to what capacity. I feel quite excited to write and experiment a little with these characters and concepts, and I'd be delighted if anyone has any feedback, advice or even writing prompts. I hope you enjoy. (:

Edit: I've noticed that none of my work shows up in the 'space orcs' tag anymore, so please go and take a look at my blog if you find this interesting. It'd help me out tremendously.

------

Zolt'chk, or Zolt for short, was bored out of his mind. Or at least as bored as an Arachi could be. He'd been left with the more janitorial duties on board the small space station, and it was as far from exciting as it could get. They were a tiny outpost in the middle of nowhere, along one of the longer routes through dark space. They were, essentially, an interstellar gas stop... And it sucked. Nothing interesting ever happened here, and if it did he was bound to miss it while he was forced to vacuum debris from the many hangars, corridors and living areas.

Or, that was what he'd assumed would be the case, anyway. But this day turned out to be quite extraordinarily horrifying. Somewhere around noon absolute hell seemed to break loose, as the alarm suddenly sounded, drowning out almost all other sounds on the station, and then an alert message was broadcasted through the transmission system.

"ATTENTION PLEASE. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY. A HOSTILE A-1 CLASS PREDATOR, A HUMAN, HAS ESCAPED CONFINEMENT AND IS LOOSE ON THE STATION. CIVILIANS AND WORK PERSONNEL ARE ADVISED TO STAY WHERE THEY ARE. SECURITY PERSONNEL PLEASE REPORT TO CONTROL. I REPEAT, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY."

His chitinous body suddenly felt incredibly cold and stiff, more so than normal. He'd never seen a human, but he'd heard the stories. They were a fearsome predator species, massive and strong, faster than most other races, and nearly unkillable. A race of monsters. His four spindly legs quivered and he sank down to the floor, his bulbous abdomen pressed against the wall. He felt horribly exposed like this. Anyone who entered the hangar would be able to see him right away, and if the human saw him... He'd undoubtedly become its dinner. He let out a low whine of despair and desperately started too look around for a hiding spot, but he was much too big to fit into the nearest storage crates, and the ships in the hangar were locked down and secured, aside from a maintenence shuttle or two on the far end... He motioned to get back up on his feet to look more closely at those small ships, when he suddenly heard extremely loud noises coming from the other side of the hangar doors, followed by shots that echoed through the air, bouncing off the metal walls to create an unbearably loud and terrifying cacaphony that left his head spinning and aching. He clicked with his mandibles in fear, and felt the panic engulf him. The shots and screams were getting closer, they'd be through the door at any moment...

That's when he spotted the air vent. Its protective grid was slightly ajar after a screw had loosened, and the metal glimmered in the sharp, white light. He was frozen for a fraction of a second, and then something crashed against the closed door with a loud thud. He was up and gone into the vent before the creature came barging through the door, narrowly missing Zolt's escape.

The insectoid didn't have much issue with crawling through the vent, as they were fairly generous in size due to the need for easy access for maintenence. Still, it felt like the walls of the air duct were closing in on him, suffocating him. Yet he crawled further, feverishly trying to escape from the loud noises and deadly bullets. It was so dark in here, his eyes were more or less useless, and the trembling of the many mechanical systems that kept the station in working condition caused a constant low vibration that interfered with his other senses. His world in here was a dark and foggy mess, filled with static. Even so, it was safer than out there, with that thing...

------

He wasn't sure when he'd fallen asleep, or if he'd perhaps fainted. The air duct was cool and quiet, the ever present low hum of the station embracing him like a calming blanket. No screams, no shots... Just him, alone in the dark. He dared to let out a relieved chirp, feeling like he could finally relax and make his way back to where he came from. He turned around and started to scuttle his way down the air duct, passing a few cross sections before he took a sharp right and froze in place.

Before him was a creature he'd never seen before with his own six eyes. Illuminated by the light of the room below, filtered through the grid underneath its front appendages he saw two big, bright eyes stare back at him. Its face was pale, its skin splotched with red and orange dots, as if sprinkled with a paintbrush. Messy tufts of red hair fell around the oval face, a small protruding snout in the middle, and below it a surprisingly small mouth, open in shock. He could see its predatory teeth glistening in the light.

They were both stunned silent for one breathless second... and then the human screamed. He had never heard such a sound in his life, and he reeled back in agony as the screech sent violent vibrations throughout his body. He screamed in pain and tried to drag himself away. "P-please don't kill me, please!", he wailed, feeling how his body started to freeze up in panic. He could see the light from the hangar, the grid still gone, but he couldn't move. He couldn't even call for help. All he could do was to whimper helplessly, feeling how his booklungs were slowly cut off from the air as he rested his heavy body against the cool metal of the air duct. He felt like he was about to pass out again, but then he heard it. The unmistakeable sound and vibration of something creeping up behind him, closer and closer... He keened  feebly, his whole body shaking. This was it, this was the end. He was going to die, he...

"Are you okay?"

The voice was thin and shaky, dripping in fear. Still, the tone of concern was undeniable. Zolt didn't answer. His head was still reeling.

"I won't hurt you.", the human insisted, and he felt an unfamiliar warmth on his abdomen. He managed to slowly lift his head, staring back at the creature. She had placed her hand on him, and if he hadn't been terrified he might've found it strangely comforting. He clicked with his mandibles, his legs twitching as he slowly began to regain control of his body. "W-what do you want?", he asked, surprised at the tone of defiance in his voice. The human quickly retracted her hand. She was quiet for a moment, her head dropping slightly. He now noticed that she was shivering. She sniffled.

"I just want to go home. They took me from my family... I don't know where I am... I... I don't know what to do...", her voice trailed off and she made a series of sharp inhalations, followed by a low keening sound in despair.

Zolt'chk was stunned. Was this truly a human? Now when he had started to calm down he felt less and less intimidated by her. In fact, he pitied her. If she were human, she was clearly a weak one, probably feeling helpless on her own. She wasn't necessarily harmless, but...

The human suddenly looked up at him again, her eyes wide and pleading. He'd never seen such an expression before.

"Will you help me? I have to go home... Please... They'll kill me. Th-they want t-to harvest my... They want to...", she put both her hands over her mouth, suffocating a low wail. Zolt wasn't stupid. He knew what she meant. They'd had customers come through here who spoke of or even used human hormones to get the craziest of highs. He'd heard that it had to be... harvested, as it were, from live humans but... He hadn't known it'd kill them. Weren't humans nearly unkillable?

He wasn't entirely sure what possessed him to do so, but no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't let someone kill this poor creature. He thought for a moment, searching his memory for a solution. He then looked back at her and gave a weak affirmative chirp. "I'll help you.", he said, and the surprise in the human's eyes was palpable. He pushed forward, not allowing himself to pause and think, knowing that his resolve would shrivel away. He motioned for her to follow him as they both quietly scooted along the vent until they could peek out into the hangar, which was thankfully empty. After waiting a minute to make sure the coast was clear, they both climbed out and landed with low thuds on the hard floor below.

As they stood there, Zolt was startled to find just how small the human was. He was easily at least three heads taller than her, and when it came to their respective bulk he was surely three times her size. If she curled up a bit she'd probably fit rather snugly in his abdomen. Not that he'd ever eat her. His race wasn't carnivorous, at least not in the same sense as humans. The young woman seemed equally surprised at their compared sizes, but got over it much quicker than her alien accomplice. "Now what?", she asked as she looked around, her face more neutral and curious than before. The big insectoid turned around and swiftly moved accross the hangar, the human following him close behind. He stopped in front of one of the small vessels which were used for outer hull maintenance or short distance transports of small crew teams. It was quite fortunate that he'd thought of them earlier. The massive forcefield that separated the ship bay from the cold space buzzed assuringly. Ships could easily slip in and out of it, but debris would promptly be destroyed upon impact. He put his claws againt the red metal of the vessel. "Take this. It's small, but newly refueled and should be able to--", he said but was abruptly cut off as the entire security force on the station came barging through the door, weapons raised and trained towards them.

Zolt defensively raised his front legs, about to explain the situation, when he saw movement to his side and then felt his neck twist and his exoskeleton strain under an unbearable pressure. He was pushed in front of the human, who had locked him in an iron grip with her elbow, using him as a shield between the soldiers and herself. His hearts staggered in terror. He had completely underestimated her. The girl raised her voice, steely and confident; the quivering vulnerability from before completely erased. "Lower your weapons, or the shrimp dies."

The air was tense with fear and apprehension, and Zolt cursed himself. He'd been so stupid. He should have known not to trust her. The guards slowly lowered their weapons, but only half way, hoping for an opening. He then felt her breath close to his head, and he stiffened. "You have long legs. Open the ship for me, will you?", she said, but it wasn't really a question, but a demand. They stood just next to the airlock of the small ship, and he could easily maneuver the door open despite the position he was in. As soon as it opened, the human pushed them both through and closed it quickly as the shots started to hail towards them. He was pushed down into a corner where he remained, stunned and terrified, as the girl ran up into the cockpit and started the engines with surprising proficiency. The small ship raised off its supports, hovering in the air for a few seconds as the bullets outside klinked feebly against the sturdy hull, and then suddenly...

Blast off. He was pushed back hard against the wall, and the engines screamed like banshees as they shot the little ship violently forward, bursting through the forcefield barrier and into space at breakneck speed. Within a minute they were enough of a distance away from the station and the redhaired human engaged the FTL drive. Never in his life had he ever seen such reckless driving.

The disoriented Arachi sat numb for he didn't know how long, until the human suddenly plopped down in front of him and he flinched violently. "That was quite awesome. You did great." He looked up at her in stunned silence. The girl stood tall over him, her lips parted baring her white teeth. "W-what...?", he whimpered. She gave him a sturdy pat on the arm. "I made it out thanks to you.", she said and crouched down in front of him, once again appearing small. "Sorry for scaring you, but I did what I had to do. I'm free now, I have a ship, and once the worst of the buzz dies down, I'll drop you off at a planet, station or ship of your choosing." He motioned to speak, but was cut off. "Unless it's a police or military ship... Or station, or... Well, yeah. I just don't feel like going back to jail, you know?", she chuckled. He didn't know what to say. She grinned widely at him.

"What's your name, by the way?"

"Uh... Zolt'chk."

"Nice to meet you, Zolt'chk. I'm Devin."

[timelordthirteen]

Killing Time 3/?

Detective Weaver/Belle French, Mature

Summary: A Woven Beauty Law & Order-ish AU. Written for Writer’s Month 2019.

Chapter Summary: Belle and Weaver go back to his place, but the immediate aftermath of her attack, and being in the home they shared, is a little more than either of them is prepared for.

Notes: For prompt #5 of Writer's Month: sound. Oh man. Y'all, I have such plans for this and I feel like I'll fail miserably at doing all of it. A couple new tags added: PTSD and Nightmares.

Warnings: Blood, non-graphic violence, injuries, PTSD, nightmares, and a host of other things. Please see AO3 for complete tags and warnings.

[AO3]  Previous: [1] [2]

The ride to their former shared residence was quiet, save for the patter of rain that had started to fall. Belle was uncharacteristically still. Usually she would fidget in the car, adjusting the air vents every few minutes, running her fingernail around the button for the window, or looking at her phone. Weaver stole a glance at her when they stopped at a light, his lips pressed in a tight, thin line. She was looking out the window, her face illuminated by a strange mix of red, green, and yellow lights from outside.

He wanted to say something, but he didn't know what was appropriate for the situation. Usually he was watching others deal with the aftermath of a violent crime, family members, victims, witnesses, all processing events differently and trying to make sense of what their lives were now. He preferred being part of catching the perpetrator, helping bring some measure of closure to a chapter most people wanted to forget. It was outside of the sticky, emotional mess, almost passive in a way compared to the turmoil that went on inside the people he watched. This was wholly different. This was Belle, and whether she wanted him to be or not, he felt he should be a far more active participant. They both knew from the outside the things that would and could happen, but it didn't necessarily prepare you for the experience.

He pulled the car over in the first available space on the block, and looked over at Belle.

“You're sure you want to stay here?” he asked, resting his hand on the gear shift. “I could take you to a hotel, or one of the department’s safe houses?”

Belle gave him a wry smile. “A Motel 6 by the airport? No thanks.”

He nodded in acquiescence and opened the car door. “Whatever the lady wants.”

Her smile was just a little bit sly, but it faded quickly as she stepped inside the old building. It was the first time she'd been back since Sabine helped her move out her, since she'd made their separation as final as it could be. It was strange how she still sometimes thought of the top floor loft as home, how her apartment seemed like only a place to sleep and not a sanctuary from the harsh reality of the city the way the place they shared had been. There was something about the brick and stone, the old beams and exposed ducting, that for all it's cool industrial vibe, made her feel warm and safe.

The old elevator had been refurbished recently, with a new set of proper sliding doors instead of the ancient iron gate that had to be manually opened and closed. She commented on it and Weaver shrugged, mumbling something about bloody building codes. They shared a brief, amused look that shifted as they came to a stop at the top floor.

Belle waited while he unlocked the door and the deadbolt, and punched in the PIN code to turn off the alarm. It was still her birthday month and day, judging by the familiar tones of the buttons, and it made her second guess whether any of this was a good idea.

She followed him inside, glancing around the space as he relocked the door, noting the little things that had changed. The pictures on the mantle were gone, which wasn't that surprising given that most of them were of the two of them, and he'd replaced the floor lamp by the recliner. The one that had been there before had a little adjustable reading light on the side she liked to use in the evenings when he was working late. It made sense why he wouldn't want it around anymore, too many memories of coming home to find her curled up in a blanket, an open book or her Kindle on her lap, asleep in its glow.

He'd carry her to bed so gently she almost never woke up.

Weaver took off his jacket and draped it over the back of one of the barstools that sat at the kitchen island. Most of the place was the same as when she left. He kept the same furniture, the same arrangement of everything. He didn’t need to wonder if she had noticed. Her eyes were moving around the room, taking it all in again, and he bit back a sigh.

"Hasn't changed much,” she said finally. It was as if he'd just removed the last bits of her from his life and carried on. Something about that made her chest tight, but she turned to see him watching and forced a smile.

He shrugged. "Are you hungry? Did you eat anything before...?"

He gestured towards her, and she shook her head. “No, that's actually what I was doing when he...” She she looked down briefly at her bloodied clothes and then shifted her eyes over his shoulder and into the kitchen. Her voice seemed far away when she spoke. “I was staring into the fridge trying to decide what sounded edible.”

“Leftover lo mein from Chang's or cold Hawaiian pizza from Mario's?”

He smirked when she looked at him, and she halfheartedly glared back. “It was lasagna from Mario’s if you must know.”

He raised his hands, lips still curved in a bemused smile. At least they could tease each other and avoid some of the awkward tension. “I stand corrected. So, no, you haven't eaten then. Do you want... some eggs?”

A soft sigh slipped out and she nodded. It was her old standby when nothing sounded good, or she didn't have the energy for anything else. Whenever she came home late, lost a case, or had a bad day, he would make her a big, fluffy plate of scrambled eggs. It was simple and somehow always one of the best things she'd ever tasted. That was probably because he made them just for her.

Somehow they were never quite the same when she had to make them herself.

Weaver moved around the island and took out a pan before moving to the refrigerator and pulling it open.

She could have sat down at the breakfast bar and watched him cook, just like old times, but she was covered almost head to toe in dried, crusted blood, some of it hers, some of it not. The thought made her cringe. “I'm gonna shower if that's okay?”

“Of course.” He swallowed and turned away from the fridge with a carton of eggs in his hand. “Two or three?”

Her teeth pulled at her lip for a moment before she answered, “Just two, please.”

She heard the rattle of the pan against the stovetop as she turned and walked to the bathroom.

The shower did Belle a world of good, even if halfway through she was nearly scared out of her skin by Weaver slipping in to leave her a shirt and a pair of shorts to wear.

She had completely forgotten about not having any clothes or toiletries in the chaos of the incident, the police, and the hospital. Fortunately, Weaver had kept some of the things she’d left behind like partial bottles of her shampoo, conditioner, and body wash, tucked away on the bottom shelf of the cabinet. She didn’t want to think about why.

He showered while she was eating, and for a little while, it felt like she’d gone back in time, as if the last two years were all a bad dream. Part of her wished that were true. It would be so easy to slip back into old habits, but she wasn’t sure if they could reclaim the comfort and ease with which they’d integrated into each others lives.

They were different people now, weren’t they?

Weaver came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, bare but for a towel around his waist, right as she was putting her plate in the sink. It nearly slipped from her hand, and the sharp clatter of the fork hitting the stainless steel, startled him and made him stop.

“All right?” he asked, gripping the top of the towel with one hand.

Belle nodded and looked down at her hands, feeling a warmth creep up the back of her neck. “Fine.”

He gave her a strange look before he went into the bedroom, and she blew out a breath. This was ridiculous. They’d seen each other naked more times than she could count, even fairly recently, and there was no reason either of them should feel ashamed or awkward. She knew she’d feel safer and probably sleep better knowing Ian was nearby, but the tension created by everything that had happened in the last few weeks was getting worse. Something needed to give, but for now there was nowhere else for her to go.

She ran a hand through her hair, hissing when she bumped her stitches, and busied herself with cleaning the dishes until Weaver was done getting dressed. He came out of the bedroom in gym shorts and a t-shirt, and carrying a blanket and a pillow. He droppe them on the sofa as he crossed the room.

“I’ll take the couch,” he said, coming around the end of the island. “And the dishes.” He bumped her shoulder with his until she stepped aside and picked up the sponge she’d been using. “Go rest.”

She put her hands on her hips and frowned. “Ian...”

Pausing, he looked up from the dish in his hand with raised eyebrows. “This is not a discussion, Belle. You’ve been through a lot tonight, and you’re going to go through a lot more in the next few days. You need sleep.”

Her shoulders sagged, knowing he was right, but still too stubborn to admit complete defeat. “Fine, but I’m taking the couch.”

He set the plate in the drying rack and threw the sponge into the sink, splattering water and suds. “The hell you are.”

“I’m not kicking you out of your bed,” she insisted, folding her arms.

He wanted to scream at her that it was her bed too, or at least it had been once upon a time, but that seemed like it would only provoke another fight. It was strange enough to have her here again, he didn’t want to make it worse by dredging up a past she was already well aware of. Sighing, he picked up the sponge and wrung it out as he spoke.

“You don’t feel it now because of the pain meds,” he said, “but tomorrow you’ll think you were hit by a truck. It’ll be ten times worse if you spend the night on a sofa.”

Belle’s eyes narrowed and they stared at each other for a few seconds over the span of the counter, until she sighed and shook her head. “Fine. But if your back is trashed in the morning, I don’t want to hear any whining.”

Weaver gave her a crooked smile. “I’ve slept on that couch plenty of times, I’ll be fine.” Then he dried off his hands and came over to her, holding her gently by the arms. “Please. Get some rest.”

She hated how soft his voice was in these moments, and stepped back, shrugging off his touch. “Yeah, okay.”

Then she crossed the room to the bedroom door, stopping with her hand on the knob. She looked back at him, giving him a wan smile. “Thanks.”

He shrugged, his eyes wide and soft. “You’re always welcome, Belle.”

A short nod was her only reply before she slipped into the bedroom and shut the door.

It took Weaver ages to get settled on the sofa.

His body was exhausted, but his mind wouldn’t shut off. He finished cleaning up the kitchen and then called Rogers to find out the status of the manhunt, which was that there was no status at all. The rain had turned to an outright storm, and that combined with the fact that it was nearly midnight was making a proper search slow going. All the area hospitals were on alert, as were the ones in Seattle, and for the time being the news media were on a forty-eight hour blackout where ADA French was concerned. Seattle PD had sent as many spare men as they could, but the Chief of Hyperion Heights Police, Albert Spencer, was ready to call in the FBI and hand it all off to them. Of course that had set off Captain Humbert, and Spencer had ordered him to go home. To top it all off, Belle and he were both officially removed from the case and two squad cars were now parked outside his building as a precaution.

Everything was turning into a total shit show.

He sighed again and shifted, turning onto his back and readjusting the blanket. Outside, the thunder rumbled along, and the wind slapped the rain harder against the windows. Any other time it would be a calming, welcoming white noise, but all it was doing tonight was making him ansty. He hoped Belle was having better luck getting to sleep.

A few minutes later, just as he’d given up on falling asleep anytime soon, and started playing a new game of Angry Birds on his phone, there was a crashing sound from the bedroom. He sat up quickly, dropping his phone on the floor, and tossed the blanket aside. That was immediately followed by a noise he couldn’t make out, and a scream that terrified him to his core.

The bedroom door flung open, banging against the metal stop as Weaver charged into the room.

Belle thrashed in the sheets, kicking at them haphazardly and pushing them towards the foot of the bed. “Get off me!”

Weaver hesitated for a moment, knowing she was in the throws of what appeared to be a violent nightmare, but unsure of how to approach her. The clock on the nightstand was on the floor, unplugged, which explained the crash he'd heard, and the lamp would be next if he didn't calm her down.

“Belle!” he called out, coming to stand at the end of the bed.

She cried out again and rolled over, slamming her fist down on the pillow. “No no no!”

He hurried to her side, and grabbed at her wrists when she whipped her body around again. “Belle, stop! You need to wake up!” She pushed at him roughly, and he let go, nearly taking a right hook to his jaw as he tried to back away. “Belle!”

As quickly as it had started, it stopped, and she blinked up at him, her eyes wide and wet. She looked like a frightened child, and something constricted in his chest. This was part of what he'd been afraid of, what he'd seen others go through too many times.

Belle stared up at Weaver, trying to make sense of what was happening. There’d been someone else there just a second ago, but now Weaver was here instead? She'd been in her apartment, in the kitchen, except this was not her apartment or her bed. Her eyes drifted down, expecting to see blood, but her skin was clean. A dream? Slowly her mind filled in the blanks as she pushed herself up to sit, and groaned.

“Shit, sorry,” she said, her hands covering her face as she sucked in a breath through her nose. Her heart was thumping as loud in her ears as the thunder outside. “Fuck.”

“It’s okay.” He sat down on the edge of the bed leaving a careful distance between them. “Are you all right?”

She dropped her hands and pressed her lips together. “I'm fine, yeah. Did I hit you?”

One shoulder shrugged. “Nah, too slow.”

Her mouth curved as did his, and she punched lightly at his shoulder. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay, really,” he insisted, shifting closer. “But you didn’t answer my question. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Belle nodded and pushed her hair back. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t even know what -” She stopped and looked around the room, dimly lit by the light coming from the living room. “It’s all fuzzy now.”

“Probably best that way.”

She sniffled again and looked down at her hands laying in her lap. There was still some dried blood stuck under her right thumbnail and she picked at it with the thumb on the other hand. “Yeah.”

He ducked his head, trying to get a look at her face. “Do you want some water?” Her hair sway as she shook her head. “Should I leave the door open, or turn on a light, or -?”

“No,” she said lifting her head. “No, I’m -”

She licked her lips and took a breath as she reached for the hand he had braced on the bed between them. He let her take it, and wrapped his warm palm over her lightly chilled fingers, holding them carefully. She shivered, her eyes falling closed for a moment.

“Would you, um - would you do me a favor?”

Weaver gave her hand a gentle squeeze, much the same as she’d done for him in the hospital. “Anything.”

That single word from him made her wonder whether she had any fucking clue what she was really asking.

“Would you...stay with me?”

[stuckwith-harry]

@ronaldswheezy just reblogged something tangentially related so i’m gonna ramble a second about something that’s been on my mind if that’s ok.

i’ve never been particularly ... political on this blog, not in the sense that i shy away from making my stance known (i’m perfectly happy to do that and generally will only refrain from it when i feel like i’m not educated on the topic. which is the case a lot obviously. i’m nineteen years old and mostly an idiot, mind.) but in the sense that i don’t necessarily post/reblog a tremendous amount of posts about current events all the time. i do when i feel like i’ve got anything at all to add or when i want to vent or when it hits close to home but if you pay attention, you’ll probably notice that not all the Things On The News make their way onto this blog all the time. heck, the last post i tagged #politics is a year old.

i have been second guessing these feelings a LOT lately - i’m very selective with reblogging political stuff / news / “discourse” on this blog because ... i like that it’s a bit escapist and i generally also feel that it’s a bit silly to expect a harry potter blog to fill you in on your politics?

that being said, i do have a large-ish following (no idea how it compares to other blogs but it is, at the end of the day, a huge amount of humans) and that makes me wonder if i have a responsibility to post more about world events for the sake of “raising awareness” or whatever - i'll obviously reblog links to donation sites and petitions when i come across them on my dash and occasionally yell at my followers to vote in whatever election is coming up, but other than that i’ve never made a conscious effort to ... use this space for politics. don’t quite now how i feel about it myself.

thoughts?

[lacrimosathedark]

I have a “call out post” for hellosandersfanders, since they’ve been so goddamn “kind” going around and “correcting” people~  I actually have them blocked so honestly it’s more of a vent and an informational post for people who are yet to block them. I’m also not tagging anyone so as to not bother them, but I use their full usernames you’ll still know what I’m talking about.

If you want a TL;DR, I essentially repeat this multiple times: PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO ENJOY THINGS. LET OTHERS ENJOY THINGS. YOU DON’T HAVE TO LIKE IT BUT DON’T BE A DICK ABOUT IT.

I’ll start off with the preface that most of their “call-outs” aren’t tagged appropriately. Specifically, they tag thomas sanders as well as the original basic ships. So these could just pop up when you’re looking for some Patton and Logan snuggles or some Roman and Virgil banter or anything else. Which is really fucking shitty, especially when they gripe about people tagging incorrectly. You’ll see.

In their bio and later in a post they talk about how they are saying what everyone else is too scared to say and denying that they’re a hate blog. Actually, this is their bio: “THIS IS NOT A HATE BLOG. This is a blog that calls out blogs and people that need to be called out. I'm taking it upon myself to make sure that everyone's blog experience is trouble free by setting bloggers straight.” But when you go after people, not even critiquing but full on criticizing and attacking them, that’s not a call-out, that’s hate. And here’s another thing. You can be the smartest dick in the room, but if you’re still a dick no one wants to listen to you. 

Their first post is “Call out posts to fanders who draw fusions that include Deceit: that counts as a Deceit ship and it won’t hurt you to tag it as such. Stop being disrespectful and tag your stuff appropriately.”  Saying a fusion counts as a ship isn’t necessarily the case, for one. And then says it’s disrespectful to not tag them as a Deceit ship. I know a lot of the time reblogs don’t get appropriately tagged, but if you go back to the original work, all of them are tagged for Deceit in some way, and often have said fusion in the tags (Loceit, Moceit, Princeit, Anxceit). I have never seen a fusion where the original artist didn’t tag the fusion components. And it’s well known that some people don’t like Deceit or are triggered by him in some way, so most fanders make an active effort to tag him. So that’s bullshit point one.

The next rude post they criticized cattonsanders for not tagging food and eating warnings for their compilation of the Sanders Sides characters not eating properly. But here’s the thing, while it wasn’t tagged, they said right in the post what it was, and the first frames are literally a title card saying “nobody in sanders sides knows how to eat”. And they didn’t say “hey, can you try to tag food and eating in the future?”, they said “ this is cute but you should’ve put a tag warning for food and/or eating. next time be mindful of other people.” like they have the right to scold and demand. 

Next was them commenting on people commenting on a gif: “is it really necessary to add your comments on gifsets? why couldn’t you add it on the tags?” Why shouldn’t people talk in reblogs? You aren’t obligated to be part of the conversation or say anything, you can even go back to the original post without commentary and people enjoying themselves and reblog the original post. What is so goddamn tedious about seeing people talking and having fun over content they mutually enjoy? Fuck off with your fun-sucking bullshit.

They have made a handful of comments on randomslasher/LJ’s posts as well as a call-out so I’ll summarize: They think “LJ is everywhere” is and overdone joke and finds it “grating” that people still enjoy it, they think LJ is a hypocrite for understanding people don’t like Deceit while also sharing Deceit content, they say LJ doesn’t stand for anything and is a people-pleaser, and they said people shouldn’t “worship” them because they don’t stand for anything. So, to hit all of those points, as follows; You aren’t required to like a joke but as long as it doesn’t harm anyone just let people enjoy things. You don’t have to like something for it to be good. Next, people are allowed to like Deceit. The same way people can like Moriarty or the Joker or Deadpool or any character of poor or ambiguous morality. You can like a character that’s not a great person. Being aware that he upsets people just means you tag the content appropriately, not that you have to stop liking or sharing it because it makes other people uncomfortable. LJ isn’t a hypocrite for still sharing Deceit content if they like Deceit so long as they tag appropriately, jegus fuck. And I don’t know much about LJ, but do they really have to “stand for something”? It’s their blog, not yours, and it’s for fun, it doesn’t have to have a deeper purpose. And people don’t worship LJ, but they are admired for their content and personality. But they, and many other bigger blogs in this fandom, are constantly reminding their followers that they too are just people and just Fanders. It’s not fair to dislike them just for being well-liked. That’s just petty. They then whined when LJ blocked them, essentially calling them a coward. But I’ve seen LJ discuss things with people of less than like minds, and they aren’t perfect but they’re pretty respectful. They blocked you because you’re a whiny bitch, not because you disagree with them.

Next they went after princelogical. They said Marin is just imitating Logan in how he “speaks” and it’s “annoying and fake”. That rubs me the wrong way because I have been told I type like Logan talks at times, but y’know what? I’ve been told before ever hearing the name Thomas Sanders that my writing seems cold and distant and intelligent and precise. That is how I learned to write and express myself. It’s possible, even likely, that Marin is similar, that he is similar to Logan in that way and were prior to Logan existing. And people who mimic or pretend to be the characters that they criticize, so fucking what? People aren’t allowed to explore the characters or themselves, or practice writing or getting into character like that? They also say: “He’s also very in your face about being christian, which is very offensive to people of other religion like myself.” News flash, buddy, they say right in their bio that they’re Christian. Don’t like it, don’t follow him. And here’s a thing, I hate organized religion with a burning passion. But his religiousness never does more than poke at a nerve. And he uses it as a way to spread positivity instead of hate like a lot of Christians do nowadays. And hey, that someone is personally another religion and shares it on their personal blog is not an offense to someone of a different religion, be fucking mature.

They next attacked organizeddiscord, and I don’t really know Sam so I’m gonna argue more with their points, if I make a wrong assumption about her I apologise. For context, I don’t know if she does this so imma put the first part of their comment for you to judge rather than piece it apart: “Does nothing but complain about her content not being reblogged then constantly makes posts that guilt trip people into reblogging her content, starts unnecessary drama,  and  acts mean and horrible towards Deceit fans. I don’t like Deceit too but I never act the way she does.” After that they go on to say how she is “forcing” the Virgil/Thomas ship on the fandom and how it’s disrespectful to Thomas. Look, I hate that ship too, it weirds me out, but no one is forced to read any of what she posts about it (blocked tags and tumblr savior exist for a reason) and anyone is allowed to create anything they want, that’s not forcing it on anyone. And I don’t see how it’s disrespectful to Thomas. Sanders Sides Thomas is a characters, Shorts Thomas is a character, they aren’t real. Thomas knows abut ships, he has said he thinks they’re cute. He makes jokes about the concept of sleep essentially being his wild boyfriend, and there was a joke about him sharing his bed with his anxiety, which is essentially Shorts verse version of Virgil. And guess what? You don’t have to like it for her to be able to enjoy it. She’s allowed to enjoy it. They later said she was plagiarizing when she took a text post that has been circling around, and also sourced it, and made it a Sanders Sides essentially fake quote. And they demanded she take it down. Buddy...that’s not how things work. It’s not plagiarism if you say it’s not yours. And she did the right thing in sourcing it too. But this happens all the time, are you going to attack every “fake quotes” thing ever, even just in this fandom? Because honey even you don’t have the time for that.

They then go after theonlyjelly-iwillput-inmybelly and boy did I feel like a cat with their hairs on end when I saw them be a dick to Cole. They don’t like Cole’s shitposty humor. It’s not for everyone but a lot of people think he’s funny. And some of his crazy shenanigans come from medications or even from just being bilingual and keeping words right. The “childish talk” I find funny, and it’s not like it’s baby talk, and it can also be rather insightful. Plus even if you think he sounds stupid, here’s the thing: most people sound smarter in their native language. Cole isn’t from an English-speaking country. He is allowed to not use every word like it came out of your goddamn English textbook or some stupid novel or whatever. And the bear thing is because his username and icon are a reference to Crofter’s whose mascot is a bear. If you aren’t gonna bitch at Thomas for making so many Crofter’s jokes, then leave Cole the fuck alone for it.

They then made a call-out for what-even-is-thiss and...sadly I agree with them on this one, though I hate how rudely they worded it, so I’m just gonna copy what they said. ““Roman” if that’s even his real name, has no regards to other people’s feelings and just says whatever the hell enters that brain of his. He is so bad that other blogs have called him out. And yet he acts as if nothing has happened. No remorse or anything.” I will say one thing though; Roman, to my recollection, is a trans guy and chose his name. He’s allowed to choose any name he fucking wants. And even if that’s not his real name? It’s the fucking internet didn’t you guardian teach you not to give out personal information on the internet?

They then called out anxietys-room for not being helpful and for passing it off to followers to give advice. Here’s the thing; they aren’t professionals. They are normal people who want to help people struggling and can only do so much. And I’ve seen a number of times them pushing help lines for people who desperately need that. How shitty do you have to be to attack something so well-intentioned?

They then yelled at insanelycoolish for not putting their story under a “Keep Reading”, which they used later for their taglist. It’s a fair thing to say, long posts you don’t care to read are obnoxious. However, they didn’t ask if Finn could fix it or do something else next time. They said this: “would it kill you both to add all of these under a read more?” “you both” presumably is referring to the-pastel-peach, whom Finn was conversing with because she enjoyed his fic. But she can’t do anything, it’s not her post. Ugh I’m so sick of this dude...

This is all that’s on their account for now, but let’s circle back to their bio. No one needs to be called out for having a different sense of humor than you or liking things you don’t like. You aren’t making the fandom trouble-free, you’re causing trouble and pain and anger by attacking our friends. Maybe that’s your real intent. But either way, you have made yourself our enemy.

You have no right to consider yourself a Fander, so I hope you don’t. Thomas preaches caring and acceptance, and asking nicely for things you need. He would be ashamed of you.

[lovenotesuggestions]

Due to the influx of asks getting to the point where I’m struggling to keep up, and ongoing issues with my mental health, for the time being I will not be answering any new requests for advice. Any requests for advice that have been sent since the cut-off point a few days ago have been deleted.

Exceptions to this: If anyone has anything urgent they desperately need to talk to someone about, I’ll still take these asks (please specify in the ask if this is the case). I will also still answer anything that comes in via direct message, though it may not necessarily be as prompt as usual. And if you’ve talked to me about an issue in the past, I’ll answer any follow-up questions about the same issue. But aside from that, I’m just not in a place right now where I can answer all the questions that are coming in in enough detail, and I need to give myself a bit of a break for the sake of my mental health. I explained this in further detail in this post.

I will still be answering: People talking about their crush/significant other, people wanting to vent or rant about something without necessarily wanting any input, requests for promos, submissions, people offering advice to others, etc. I just don’t have the mental energy or the time to answer new requests for advice, because the amount of them I was receiving was too overwhelming, and I wasn’t able to keep up with it on top of my mental illness which has been putting a massive damper on my motivation. I hope one day to re-open my asks to them, but I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do so, it depends on how my mental health changes once deadline season finishes. 

Until then, my FAQ addresses most of the issues I get asked about a lot, and you can also go through my #answered tag to see if I’ve already answered someone with an issue like yours. It would also be really helpful if you’d like to submit any suggestion ideas!

Thank you for your support and cooperation, and thank you especially to everyone who’s expressed their support  💕

[asktheskelelodge]

Guidelines and FAQ

*What’s the purpose of this blog?

To have fun and ask the monsters questions directly--or tell them something that’s been on your mind!  You may vent, and you may also ask for advice.

You can also ask them SSLL-related questions if you want insight/possible spoilers. ��I know you guys enjoy the POV chapters, so you can ask the skeleguys here if you’re curious about something that’s happened.

You can also ask the BPT skeles if you’re curious about them.

Orrrrr, it can just be general and unrelated to my fanfiction at all.  

*What’s the difference between this blog and the tortoise partyblog? 

This blog is always open, and instead of it being a party setting with people sending in casual rp starters, it’s mainly question-based or just general talking to the monsters.  This doesn’t mean there won’t be some casual rp going on, but I’ll be a little more selective with it for the simple reason that I can’t maintain 70 separate rps.  

That said-- this blog will also be different from the partyblog in that I won’t answer every ask, and I won’t necessarily go in order. 

This blog is also slower-paced, so don’t expect 100 posts in a day like the partyblog.

Just like the party blog, however, you can send in asks as yourself, an OC, or even another Undertale character.

*Will there still be parties on the other blog?

Maybe?

*What monsters can we send in asks to on this blog?

Check out the list of available monsters here!  

*What can I submit to the lodge?

 By submissions, I’m talking about pictures and fanart.  No nudes, please; if you send a selfie, don’t let it be too revealing.  I also ask that you don’t send fanart unless it directly relates to something that happened on the blog--or it’s fanart of Buc or Cap’n since those are directly my characters.  I’m a little selective with what I post submission-wise because I want to be mindful of my followers’ dashboards.

*Additional Info:

This blog accepts SFW and NSFW asks! Unlike my main blog, I won’t hide the NSFW things beneath a cut or post mobile links, so please keep this in mind.  This blog is sinner-friendly, so if that’s not your cup of tea, I suggest blacklisting the nsfw tag.  Heck, I’ll even try to throw a “skele sin” tag on those, too, to make it easier to blacklist.

Anything that’s actually canon to SSLL will be tagged “ssll canon”, just in case you guys are curious.  

And any and all pixel icons I may use in answers were made by the lovely Night. 

[knightofbalance-13]

Your Handy Guide to Debunking RWDE Bullshit

http://dudeblade.tumblr.com/post/163107301598/your-handy-dandy-guide-to-the-rwde-tag

Ladies and Gentlemen, are people who call themselves critics acting more like abusive lovers? Is someone completely lying about a character and acting like that is how they are in canon? Is someone just outright attacking the creators?

Well, this guide will show you how to counter these arguments with ease.

Hello, my name is Dudeblade. I’ve been around this tag for a while, and I do feel that there are some things that need to be said for any person to be able to get into the tag overall. Consider this a guide of sorts, to help you navigate the (in)famous rwde tag, as I show you the wonders that aggressive criticism can bring.

we need to get this out of the way as soon as possible: “Aggressive criticism” and “being a general asshole are  not the same.” Aggressive criticism is when you give criticism in a harsh tone (I.E. “Why is Nora’s frame moving separate from her body? This is easy mistake to fix!”) and being a general asshole is just benig insulting (I.E. “Why si Nora’s frame moving separate from her body, you incompetent fuck? This is why people hate you and why in the hell this shit is popular is beyond me. And don’t try defending it whiteknights.”)

Notice how one is just exasperated and the other is being malicious and insulting? that’s the difference between Aggressive criticism and hate. And RWDE is mostly the second masquerading as the first. Still, you have to give people the benefit of the doubt (I have been bitten by this personally) and either wait to see what they say or look into their blog.

Just a quick reminder that these rules not only apply to rwde, but to every day interactions overall: [1] [2].

... Listen, the things you learn in here CAN be used in day to day interactions...if you are the debating type or the critical type. And even then, RWDE postsers are not normal people: they are mostly comprised of selfish, social justice warrior, psychoctic and narassistic people and I urge you not even treat all critics a half of the way you do RWDE: They deserve better.

Now before you jump into the rwde tag, it’s important to know a few things about the tag to begin with, like how this one post sums up pretty much 98% of the tag.

Incorrect: the link provided implies most RWDE posts are about being criticial and helping the show. That is the excuse. What is actually going on is that hate what RWBY is and want things done their way, shown in that they are incapable of putting aside their personal biases against certain people (Miles, jaune or in Dudeblade’s case, Taiyang) ad a c t like personal opinion and criticism are one and in the same with them.  This si mostly used to brush off criticism of how they express hate more than love for the show.

The tag isn’t a place for hatred, no matter what people might say, or how they act (HA! Take that, me!). The rwde tag is here so that people who don’t want to see criticism/complaints about the show can avoid it. However, since you’re here, it probably means that you are either A: Trying to understand the tag better. 2: Trying to figure out whether or not you should post something in the rwde tag. or third: You’re a person who is looking to start something and/or trying to cherry-pick things so that you can demonize the entire tag. if you are part of the third group, then eff off.

And yet certain people in the rwde tag (like Cpt-10) insist that RWDE started as a hate and venting tag for the show and to this day contains direct attacks against the show and the writers to the point of harassment. This is a core problem with RWDE posters as well: They believe everything negative about the show is “criticism” and everything positive is “ass-kissing”. They will completely ignore and even attack people who tell them to tone it down (and no, I don’t count: I just tell them to shut up in general.)

The three categories actually come closer to the following: New to the Tag, trying to see what the tag actually is and critics of the tag. And I do mean criticis, as nice and passive as you can be towards to people in the rwde tag, they will ignore it and continue doing what they were doing even if most of the fandom and indeed most people with the average decent morality will tell them what they are doing wrong. And the Fuck Off part is pretty accurate as to why they react to criticism.

The entire point of the tag is to be able to post complaints and harsh criticisms of the show in such a way that others don’t have to see it. They can blacklist it if they so choose

And yet there are posts calling the CRWBY homophobes and sexists which don’t even make sense considering half of them are females and they have prominent and vocal LGBT people in their team. This or they will simply call everything they do bad and never endingingly insult and attack the show, calling it shit. (Look at SOkumotonaka’s posts about RWBY being in the Blazblue crossover: instead of being happy for the fandom or bring up the actual criticism as to why Guilty Gear was not featured but RWBY was: he isnteads promotes hate against RWBY.)

My advice for countering this is sarcasm: lots of it. not only will your posts be more interesting to read but you can also bring more subtly to your arguments as well make sure your jabs are not completely malicious.

Secondly, it’s a good idea to figure out exactly what it is about the show that you want to criticize. There’s plenty of things to criticize the show about, so I’ll cover the most popular subjects.

Yes but I want you to take a look at the subjects: LGBT representation, Racism and character representation. Out of these three starting points, only one is actual problem in the production of the show at face value. the other two are, you guessed it, social justice topics. This is because RWDE posters are mostly Social Justice Radicals (I refuse to use the term SJW: There is nothing warrior like these people) who specialize in attacking people over RWBY.  RWBY began with four female characters and Monty said that there will be an LGBT character: this drew in the radicals of the group. And now, a major part of RWDE is attempting to bully people into agreeing with them and getting what they want. And I will guide you in how to counter them all.

1. LGBT Representation. It’s no secret that the LGBT+ Fanbase is getting tired of waiting for the reveal of the queer character that was promised so long ago. The only assurances are that they want it to “Be natural” and that “They don’t want it to feel forced.” However, at some point, “Wanting it to feel natural” starts to sound like “We don’t consider it to be natural, so we have to have all this buildup to it.” And “Don’t want it to feel forced” falls apart when one remembers that Pyrrha wanted to jump on jaune’s dick within moments of meeting him, Renora not feeling forced at all, and people claiming that Blake and Sun are practically a couple. But those apparently weren’t forced at all. And the fact that it was MONTY OUM (god rest his soul) who said that there would be LGBT+ representation, it doesn’t give people hope that the LGBT+ Representation is coming anytime soon. For the record, this isn’t even counting all the discourse that arose from BMBLB being released. That’s a different can-o-worms right there.

Counter: Bring up LGBT people in the fandom who are calling aginst this or have no opinion on the matter. Since this argument is based on the fallacy that the RWDE posters speak for everyone in the LGBT group: Bring up people of the same community who have a different opinion. @weissrose @rwby-analysis and @hawkeyedflame are all examples of people who do not agree with RWDE postser’s stances on this (DOn’t actually try bring them into the discussion directly: They won’t like it. Instead, ask @mageknight14 @tumblezwei or @ula-star for their statements on the subject if you have no other options. I would think you should ask your friends and use them as examples with their permission. This doesn’t there aren’t people who have this opinion, just that they don’t speak for everyone.

Another counter would be to bring the people in the tag’s history in being called “homophobes” despite the people being LGBT themselves. This will show that they only care about people who stand by them and don’t actually care about the subject.

2. Character representation. Due to the… unsettling amount of lines that some characters have had over others, people are starting to think that a certain character is hogging the attention to themselves. In addition, there are sometimes characters that are given a sympathetic light when they have yet to earn any sympathy, characters that were put in just to give the audience a new person to hate, and characters that acted SO abrupt, that they felt like they were OOC despite it being their first time onscreen.

Counter: to the line argument, state “what is the content of the lines?” See, while a character may speak, they don’t necessarily benefit from talking nr are they the focus of what is being said. For example in Volume 4 Episode 10, Jaune had a long speech that consists of most of his lines in the Volume. However, he doesn’t benefit at all from the talk. In fact, he actively devalues himself to the real topic: Ruby. Ruby is the one who benefits and develops from the lines, not Jaune. For further examples: Taiyang, Ghira, Kali and Klien’s are pretty much all made to develop their children. Because a character speaks doesn’t mean they benefit from it.

A second counter would be to take into account character’s personalities: Ruby herself doesn’t talk all that much and her time is spent mostly reacting to the world or in combat thus she wouldn’t have as many lines as more vocal characters. But she still has the lions share of screentime in her plotline. These at logical fallacies to make their side look better but they are easy to deconstruct.

The counter to the characters being OOC is to point out bias on their part through either previous posts or their language, as well as liking to certain moments that contradict them through atmosphere, actions or tone. Again, RWDE will claim things that are simply not true and teh best way to deal with them is links,

3. Racism problems. Let’s be honest here, outside of select few, very few faunus have positive depictions. Neon is basically Nyan Cat (One of the oldest, and most annoying memes since Rick-Rolling), Any White Fang member is an automatic villain, Tyrian is a psycho, and to a degree, Sun counts too (He’s a stowaway, and steals ‘cause it’s fun). Not to mention the fact that it makes no sense. In the real world, people would be more likely to date a faunus rather than try to kill them. Now, if it had been jealousy over their enhanced senses, that would have made sense. But the WoR stated that when man first encountered the Faunus, they were afraid.

To counter this: point out how the majority of the Fanaus in the show seen are in fact members or the White Fang which is a terrorist organization and thus because one of the major struggles in the show is trying to get the White Fang back to peaceful protest and not Fanaus as a whole, there would be more negative representation.

Then point out Fanaus characters OUTSIDE of the White Fang and share their reactions: Especially Sun as is both a vocal character and one that has no relation to the White Fang so he would act as the voice of Fanaus outside of the White Fang: Point out his very vocal disdain for the group and show that most would not think of the WHite Fang as their representatives.

As for the accusations for the characters: Point out how Yang isn’t going around stealing pourage or Pyrrha wasn’t pouty and selfish. This shows that the characters are not the same as their inspirations and thus the argument against Neon is invalid. Point out Sun’s heroic acts such as helping Blake defend against the White Fang, attacking the Paladin despite the risk to his life, helping defeat the machines attacking Beacon, saving Blake from death against the Grimm Sea Dragon, how he risked his life to stop Illia. This shows that Sun is not that simple. For Tyrian, point out his loyalty and devoution to Salem as opposed to Cinder, Watts and Hazel, thus making him the best person out of the four. In essence: Show the that just because they have flaws and are Fanaus, they are not automatically bad. And if necessary, point out how Blake is unambiguously good alongside her father and mother.

You can even use teh arguments used for the LGBT community argument for anything concerning race too here. However, don’t use tehse arguments in reverse: The LGBT arguments doesn’t have these problems.

“MKG” Stands for Miles, Kerry, Grey - The writers of the show. The ones that everyone believes is tearing the fndm down right now. Given that they’ve made the cliche, “We’re not homophobic, but…” excuses so many times, and literally have a “fag” joke in Camp Camp, it shows just how ‘great’ their representation and respect is. “M&K” Is also a used term for them, but it excludes Grey

*Sigh* To counter ths is easy: Point out how they’ve never actually said anything to this extent and then bring up original definition of Faggot which is a bundle of sticks and point out how the show was doing a play on words. Then ring up South Park’s “The F-Word” as the final nail as these kinds of people are mocked in that episode.

“bmblbgate” is a term that is used to label the whole “bmblb controversy.” - it’s best not to go into “full-rant” mode for this, as others have already done it before.

Counter: Bring up the fallacy of the “-gate” title meant to portray a horrible event and subconsciously make the reader turn against RT when in all actuality, the only controversy was the RWDE tag attacking Arryn and any LGBT members that defended them. And no, you cannot callit “Bmblbgate” either. Or you can bring up “Assistgate” where someone falsely accused RT or stealing assests from other games before they were promptly shut down or “Lettergate” pertaining to Shane’s Letter which RWDE argued was truth despite self admitted mental illness, unhealthy hero worship of monty and attempting to blame RT for his failed marriage because he spent more time with Monty and Sheena then his own wife.

“Disgusting Males” is a term by another “rwde-er.” It’s used to describe a male character that is generally hated by the fans. This doesn’t actually exist, it’s really just Jaune. - Speaking of…

Counter: bring up the hate that Qrow, Taiyang, Sun, Neptune and even Ren gets and show that the RWDE Poster’s bias against male characters, especially if said character does something that a female character has gotten away with.

More terminology includes “Queerbaiting” in which you counter by pointing out since the show is not over, the LGBT character can still happen and RT never said when the character shows up. Also: Point out that teasing a ship between two same sex characters is not queerbaiting: it’s ship tease and to call it bad for just being gay is not equality. “R/WBY” which is the RWDE poster’s way of avoiding the main tag. And I can’t remember much more so I’ll move on.

1. No ship hate. You can bemoan how some people are unfairly treating certain ships, are basically hating on it, or are trying to start a shipping war -but NO ship bashing. It takes $0.00 to just scroll past your NOTP. So spend it wisely.

Counter: point out how the RWDE tag is about compliants about the show and complaining about ships is still compliants regarding the show. Also, point out this rule if “queerbaiting” comes up.

2. 99% of all opinions are valid in the rwde tag. This is a tag about complaints and criticisms. This isn’t a place to bash on characters, with the exception of Jaune “Creator’s Pet” Arc. Give Jaune mass praise at your own peril when posting in the rwde tag. That 1%? - That any opinion that praises jaune in any way, and it won’t be met with defense.

Counter: point out how Jaune is actually disregarded in the show, like getting hit in the balls in his first fights scene or how he had to be assisted in pinning the Nucklevee’s arm in Volume 4 as proof. Also point out the logical fallacy of defending a certain character is not okay but anyone else is contradictory and how that argument can be applied to any character.

4. Respect others’ opinions. You don’t have to agree with it, and you can even block the person if they bug you so you so much… Okay, scratch that rule, the new rule is “At least try to respect others’ opinions.” This is the internet. People can be a jerkass to people and not have to face major consequences. You can basically be anybody on the internet. In a memic term:

Counetr: point out that when someone in the rwde tag professes the opinion that "queerbaiting” hasn't happened yet, they are called homophobes. Point out how anyone who calls the White fang terrorists is racist. Point out how anyone who defends the show in the tag is called a whiteknight. Aks them about those opinions and expose the hypocrisy.

Okay, the next is a faq about the tag which mostly consists of slander against...well, guess who? As I have refuted these points so many times, let me inform you about the people in the RWDE tag:

Sokumonotaka: Fanboy of Fatmanfalling (the orginal RWDE member) and probably the oldest member of the tag. Somewhat dangerous since he is somewhat smart but eh relies almost solely attempting to aggravate his opponents and logical fallacies. Stay calm and read up on logical fallacies and you’ll be fine. Although chances are Soku will block you in order to make fun of you without yu being able to defend yourself.

RWBYcriticism: Not very active but sadly one of teh few people in the tag I’d call close to a decent human being. I’d just ignore them.

SSSN-Neptune-vallias: Racist and sexist person who has a tendency to passive aggressively post about the tag. Bring up his post about how he said it was okay to harass creators for not brining in representation (http://sssn-neptune-vasilias.tumblr.com/post/160493347203/if-youre-making-a-show-at-all-in-the-modern-age)

Invested-In-Your-Future: Sexist who thinks all guys in RWBY are bad. Just bring up Jaune or Sun and she’ll defeat herself.

rwbycrit: Not worth your time.

Dudeblade: Sexist who is incapable of seeing himself as wrong. Just argue and eventually his emotions will take over and he’ll prove your point for you.

That’s basically it.

Now, you can basically defeat anyone in the rwde tag in a debate by simply being smart, using the internet to your advantage to use sources and links to contradict and shut the down. All you need to do is be versed in logical fallacies and RWBY and you’ll do just fine. Hope this helps you fight back against them. Good luck!

[zacfaq]

PLEASE DON’T SEND ME “PASS IT ON” MESSAGES !! as sweet as some of they are they can be really annoying. i don’t check my PMs here! if you need to get ahold of me either send me an ask, or email me.

apparently necessary reminder: google exists! i’m not a know-it-all source, honestly i shouldn’t even be your second plan after google unless it’s a question specifically based on me or something relating to me

i try to avoid fandom drama as much as possible and keep a generally positive space, so please don’t come and ask me about stuff like that. thanks. 

if you want to commission me please send an email to zacharyjackbaron@gmail.com. do not email me through this address if your intentions are purely social and not work related

-what do you use to record and edit your speedpaints?

i use OBS to record, and edit in sony vegas

-what do you use to draw?

huion gt-191 and clip studio paint

-what are your pen settings?

just the default settings. all my custom stuff/things i’ve downloaded from CSP assets are just things i think look neat but probably never end up using. 

-a blog called papersans is claiming to be you! are they a thief?

that’s literally me, i use it to archive my art so i can find stuff easier without having to hunt through my tag. also available for people who just want to see my art n not my other posts

-when is your birthday?

february 6th!

-what is your sexuality?

gay. i like men.

-how long does it take you to draw?

idk like. awhile? sometimes 45 minutes sometimes four hours sometimes a week. 

-can i draw you/your ocs?

of course! pls show me after it would make me very happy !!!!! 

-favourite band/singer/musician?

i don’t know a damn thing about myself here’s a spotify playlist

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Zk5o5g7nMnGt0vrJVEcDq?si=7cd248a0b64046ee

-will you do art for cheap/free?

nah. art is currently the only job/income i have, if ur interested in commissioning me you can either find my prices on like, any of my pages, but if not ur more than welcome to email me @ zacharyjackbaron@gmail.com and i can give you prices there !! -(venting or something involving abuse, suicidal thoughts, self harm, bullying, eating disorders, or other similar things in real life situations. even in fiction i’m iffy.)

i hate to sound rude or not be of help, but please don’t send these messages to me. they send me into horrible anxiety  for several personal reasons. if you’re having such negative thoughts i implore you to speak to someone you trust without an anonymous mask, or do your best to seek help from a professional. i have my own things to worry about and as much as i’d like to help, i simply can’t.

-(asking for advice that isn’t related to art)

i would love to help but i’m not an ~all knowing source~. i can’t give you tips for school. i can’t give you tips for life. not only will i probably not know a solution for you but there’s likely a chance i’m in just as bad a situation as you/going through the same problem, as silent as i am about my personal life. also don’t use ‘asking for advice’ as an excuse to vent about things or to send me a paragraph describing in depth something listed above/that’s potentially triggering. thank you.

even if you’re looking fr art tips i’m not a great source i’m still learning, ur best bet is looking for already existing sources and reading through those bc i don’t preach the word of Art God. i’m also awful at explaining things

-why didn’t you answer my ask?

Main reason is i’m just really really bad at socializing, so it’s not anything on u. i’m almost always low on energy and when i do talk to people it wears me out really quick. i’m also just. not gr8 at talking in general so if i can’t think of a reply i tend to just leave things n then end up forgetting about them

-how do you draw [blank]?

honestly my art style is such a fucked up thing that’s so personalized to my own use i can’t do or make tutorials. the best i can do is direct you to my youtube.

-can we do an art trade?

sorry, i’ll have to say no. i’m not necessarily busy but i get stressed very easily, so i try to keep my art to either personal stuff or work ! if you would like art from me, please considering commissioning me! mutuals and friends may be the exceptions here if they catch me at a good time or we make plans well ahead to do smth when we’re both free to work on stuff

-can we be friends?

please don’t ask this. i’m awful enough at socialization as is and i just don’t fit well with most personality types. not to mention this is just overall a bad question. it backs the person being asked into a corner where they either have to say “yes” and end up in a friendship that actually isn’t working out and is maybe only good for one side bc they’re getting any and all of the benefits, and if they say “no” they look like a total dick bag and come across as an ass. don’t ask this question. it’s not how socializing works. it’s not how friendships work. thanks. -can you tag [blank]? unfortunately i’ve been a real bad place in terms of memory so i can’t tag tons and tons of things. i try and tag more general/basic things but i’m sorry i’ll have to pass on specifics. if i post or reblog things that trigger u or harm you it might be best to unfollow for ur own safety!! very sorry

if it’s specific words you’d like tagged please consider blacklisting the word itself. 

-how tall are you?

i’m 5'11".

-can you promo me?

i’d rather not, doesn’t sit well with me. if you have a commission post you want me to reblog i’m happy to! but i won’t just do text based handouts, y’know? not a fan of being used for visibility for no reason, and chances are if i do it for one person it’ll happen with hundreds of others and i don’t want my blog to turn into a free advertisement zone that just floods peoples’ feeds with promotions.

-you reblogged something from someone extremely problematic/unsafe

thank you for letting me know! tell me what it is they did, even better offer proof on it. i’ll likely delete the post and blacklist their url to hopefully prevent their name popping up on my blog in the future. i won’t publish these asks mostly to avoid discourse or in the event false information is provided. sorta just safety precaution i guess

-you’ve done something bad

again, thank you for letting me know! if i post or say something questionable please feel free to message me and i’ll try my best to address the issue and adjust accordingly. i’m aiming to grow as a person so critique is welcome, both on me and my artwork. don’t just come up and call me an asshole or a prick or something, actually point out the errors and explain why they’re wrong so i can better understand and it doesn’t just turn into a defensive round of who’s worse, because i tend to be a very defensive person.

-i think someone is stealing/reposting your art!

thank you very much for telling me! don’t message them right off the bat, come to me first and i will deal with it. i’ve dealt with this shit tons of times and it’s tiring as fuck but i’d rather repeat the same stupid civil message over and over again than start a giant calamity over something and end up with someone getting hurt. if you do get involved please stay polite about it don’t throw insults just a simple “hey this art was done by princeofmints/tv-headache/zachary jack/dirtypip/(etc my other account names) and he doesn’t want his art reposted, please take this down or add proper credit.”

-can i use your art as an icon?

sure man. only on places like instagram, tumblr, or twitter though, and proper credit in an easy to see place must be given. if a piece of art is of my ocs or especially vent art though never use it for icons. thank you.

-can i repost your art?

the answer is “no” but i know you’re going to do it anyways. easy to see credit is mandatory. if you see somebody reposting my art please let me know and i’ll talk to them. if you want to use my art in things like image edits, i don’t allow that. want to use my art in a video? if it’s something like an AMV sure fine just credit me and inform me beforehand, if it’s something like a cringe/comparison video. no. i don’t want any association with work like that whatsoever. you may not use my artwork for fanfic covers.

-can i colour/finish one of your sketches?

no. even if you don’t intend on posting it. 

-what is [insert some form of media/fandom]

https://www.google.ca/

-why do you have an entirely separate blog for your FAQ? you know you can make blog pages, right?

i’m well aware of that and originally my faq WAS set up on a blog page, but unfortunately many folks proved to be either lazy or just couldn’t figure out how to get to a blog page on mobile so i had to set it up this way for accessibility purposes.

-tons of your videos are gone, what happened to them? will they come back? can you repost them?

i set old videos on private for my own sake, i don’t like having my old content available bc it just looks old and stale and i don’t like it. there’s nothing deep about it, i just don’t want people interacting with my old stuff. as deep is it gets is i just deleted videos related to fandoms i’m sick of bc the association is fuckin annoying. these videos will not come back into public. i do keep them posted for my own reflection sake, but that’s it. don’t ask me to bring them back. don’t whine about me not putting shit back out just bc ur a little sad n gonna cry. guilting people is gross, reevaluate yourself.

if you want a song from an old video, just ask me! I’ll happily let you know what the music is in case u liked ‘em and can’t remember the titles or artists. i’ve also got a playlist full of the music i listen to so u can comb through there n see if the songs u want are there

[drxiocht]

A note on short-term studying, aka how to cram the fuck out of your arts exam

I am a massive procrastinator. It’s probably my worst trait, and although I know that I need to not only pass my exams, but do well in them, I still just don’t have it in me to start studying in advance. So I have a strategy that seems to work well for me. It’s geared towards arts subjects; I study classics and music technology (which includes musicology, a pain in my ass). In no particular order, here’s how I get through my exams from literal scratch (embarrassing as it is to admit, there are some classes that I have no idea about - I’ve had a terrible semester and I haven’t attended some classes at all. I know, I know, I’m shit)

Take stock of how much time you have. Currently, I have tonight, and then my exam is in the morning. I started revising yesterday though, so I’m a bit ahead. I have another exam the day after tomorrow though, and I haven’t even thought about that yet, so yeah. Fuck.

My exam topic is the Aeneid, so I’ll use that as an example. I started by going on tumblr (no lies, it’s a good resource) and searching through appropriate tags: aeneid, tagamemnon, aeneas, dido, etc etc

Through searching on tumblr, I usually find some good opinion pieces and even memes. These are useful, even though they don’t sound like it. 

Trust me, lads. I’m a pro at this last minute shit. Even without ever having read the Aeneid (sidenote: WHY did I not read it before?! Fuck you, depression, I could have been happy this semester with this absolute treasure of an epic poem), I managed to get the gist of the story and I even picked up some ideas about how to go about criticising it academically. Reading other peoples’ opinions and criticisms is the best way to inform yourself about a topic, especially if your exam is essay-based. This makes life much easier for yourself when you go to step 2, which is in this case to read a basic outline of the story. In your case it might be to recap on a novel or a movie, or whatever you’re studying - the point is to get to grips with the basic facts. 

This mixes with the opinions and the deep reading you did while scrolling through tumblr, and it links the plot and the basic facts with your extra information. 

The next step is to read into the characters. I go with tumblr or shmoop/sparknotes, but any website offering a good* character analysis will do. 

*a good character analysis will include some quotes, and will chart the character’s journey through the book while offering some extras like opinions, popular beliefs about the character, themes associated with the character etc. 

Once this is done, it makes it easy to go back and scroll through your tags on tumblr again. If you’re pressed for time, skip this and go straight to the last step: exam papers.

Exam papers are your best friend. Read through the questions from the past papers, answering them in your head or on paper. If you feel confident about going into your exam and being able to answer the questions with a bit of depth, congratulations: go back to tumblr and delve deeper into the tag. The more random and diverse opinions you can offer an examiner when you’re doing your exam, the deeper they think your knowledge lies. 

Checklist for exam success:

Be able to bring up popular opinions about characters/themes relating to your topic, and make sure that you can add a new perspective to that popular opinion, e.g. Aeneas is the hero that was needed, and not necessarily wanted in the Aeneid (in comparison to the popular opinion that Aeneas was a bit wimpy and was too emotional to be a hero)

Know the basic facts, so that no question can surprise you. Be able to build on the facts based on the things you have read and the deep digging you’ve done.

Have at least three or four quotes memorised; even short quotes can be effective. Try to have one per main character, and one that can be applied as a generalisation, like this one that is a good umbrella quote: “The minds of men are ignorant of fate.” - this is Vergil speaking about Turnus’ dishonourable behaviour, when he removes Pallas’ belt after he kills him, but it can be used throughout an exam relating to (well, actually, anything tbh) the Aeneid. 

Remember that you definitely have another attempt at this exam if you fail, and even if this is your last attempt - it’s not the end of your life! It is not the be-all and end-all, it’s an exam and literally all you can do is your best. If you’re super stressed, talk to your professor or a counsellor, even talk to me! I might not be able to help but I certainly appreciate a good venting so lay it on me, bro 

A good extra site: quora is really good. Search your topic and there should be some Q&As about it, often with answers by industry professionals and lecturers etc, so don’t feel lost!

Go, my children, succeed and be happy in ur college endeavours <3

[robertkstone]

2020 Toyota Supra Prototype Review: The Legendary Nameplate Returns

At the press briefing for the 2020 Toyota Supra preproduction drive, one of the car’s assistant chief engineers, Masayuki Kai, wondered aloud if any of the gathered journalists had driven its blood-brother 2019 BMW Z4. I raised my hand and looked around the room to find mine was the only one in the air. Suddenly, the Q&A and all eyes shifted. “What is it like?” Kai-san asked. “Different,” I replied. “Different, how?” he and his assembled team wanted to know. I was equally shocked that nobody on the Supra squad had driven the Z4, nor had any of BMW’s team driven the future Toyota. Despite the international nature of the joint project, it turns out strict German anti-trust laws forbid it—especially in light of the recent, highly publicized “Dieselgate” case. The forthcoming coupe-only two-seat Supra and the convertible-only two-seat Z4 production cars share the same hard points, wheelbase, track width, engine, transmission, differential, tires, etc. As we learned, however, the cars were developed separately and have completely different software, systems calibrations, and tuning. Now it makes perfect sense that the two would drive so differently. They really are automotive twins separated at birth. Before we get to that, though, let’s take a quick detour on the poetically circular synchronicity of Kai-san.

See the Toyota Supra NASCAR racer here.

Ohayo Gozai-tag

German diplomat and philologist Wilhelm von Humboldt once wrote, “How a person masters his fate is more important than what his fate is.” What does a 19th century German philosopher have to do with a 21st century Japanese automotive engineer, you ask? Kai-san’s parents were concert musicians who lived and performed in Germany, where Kai was born. He lived there for 10 years and so speaks German natively. His family moved back to Japan, where Kai would enter university and later earn his master’s degree in mechanical engineering. While working at Toyota, he would be given the opportunity to work for Toyota Gazoo Racing, where one of his projects was to find a solution to cool the battery pack of the Toyota hybrid World Endurance Championship (WEC) race car—yes, that eventual 2018 Le Mans–winning race car. Soon thereafter, Kai joined the Supra team and moved his family to Munich, where they have lived for the past five years. So you see, Masayuki Kai is singularly equipped to accomplish the requisite synergy and translation between BMW and Toyota. The serendipity of Kai’s fate is fascinating, to say the least. Oh, and his benchmark, standout car in terms of dynamics is the first-gen 986 Boxster. He loves how stable and adjustable it is in corners. This all bodes well for the Supra.

A90 + B58 = ???

The internal name for the 2020 Supra is A90, succeeding the previous A80 Supra that ended production in 2002, but which we last enjoyed stateside in 1998 with its twin-turbo I-6 making 320 horsepower. As all Supras have had (A40 to A80, and even the 2000 GT spiritual predecessor), the newest version is powered by an inline-six. In fact, the engine is BMW’s B58 3.0-liter twin-scroll single turbo that powers a handful of cars and SUVs. As generous as our Toyota hosts were, they would not share with us any specifications—at all. Not engine output, fuel consumption, dimensions, or pricing. Nada. As it happens, we do know much about the new BMW convertible, and the B58 engine in the Z4 M40i is rated at 382 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque in U.S. spec. Rumor has it that Toyota wasn’t given the “up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A” code to access full power. It won’t say what the final output will be other than “at least 300 horsepower.” We’ll know in December when the non-camo-clad Supra drive happens. But sadly, the Supras we drove in the hills outside Madrid and on the Jarama racing circuit didn’t feel as aggressively quick as the Z4 did. As with the BMW in Euro-spec, the B58 in the German-market Supra we drove is downrated due to an exhaust particulate filter. In the Z4, the filter chokes a significant 47 hp to result in a mere 335 hp. Perhaps that’s the difference I felt.

As with the Z4, there will not be a manual transmission with this engine (wait, what?), but the ubiquitous ZF eight-speed automatic leads to an electronically controlled clutch-pack differential. Both tuned/mapped by Toyota. The differential is two-way, meaning it’s adjustable on both the traction and drag sides and is steplessly variable from 0 to 100 percent. There’s a launch-control system, and Toyota says that Supra will run 0–60 mph in “less than 5 seconds.” We say that’s conservative and will go out on a limb and predict 4.5 seconds.

Chassis

According to Toyota, the three keys to making a pure sports car are the right combination of wheelbase, track width, and center of gravity. Although we’ve never heard it applied to cars, Toyota is very proud that the Supra’s wheelbase-to-track-width relationship comes tantalizingly close to the golden ratio (1.62). In the Supra it computes to a 1.54 ratio. Our last two Best Driver’s Car winners (Lamborghini Huracan Performante and Ferrari 488 GTB) were closer still, with a 1.59 relationship. There might be something to this. When it comes to the Supra’s center of gravity, Toyota is equally proud to point out that it’s lower than that of the Toyota GT86. That’s impressive since that car has a low-pro flat-four Subaru engine, not a tall I-6. The front strut, rear multilink suspension’s spring rates, adjustable multimode adaptive shocks, anti-roll bars, bump stops, and single-ratio electric-assist power steering were all tailored by Toyota for the Supra. We’re told these elements are still open for final calibration—and the stories they will read from the international press corps will help steer them. There are Normal, Sport, Sport Plus, and full-off modes that affect stability control, throttle tip-in, exhaust tone, gear changes, suspension damping, and steering weight. Finally, we were told the car would be “under 1,500 kilograms” (3,307 pounds) and Toyota is aiming for 50/50 weight distribution.

Track Time

As luck would have it, I was in group one at the press drive, which meant my first taste of the new Supra would be on the undulating 2.4-mile, 13-turn Jarama circuit. With a half-mile front straight and corners with names like Nuvolari, Fangio, and Ascari, it’s a tricky track. The last Formula 1 race was held there in 1981 because the runoff is negligible. OK, let’s do this. We had brave pro drivers riding shotgun to help point us to the racing line and the correct side of the track over the blind brow. The first impression was how smoothly and quietly the Supra accelerated and shifted, even in Sport mode. We’re told the U.S.-spec car will sound a bit more gnarly. Acceleration is linear without an iota of turbo lag, and this is accentuated by the buttery up- and downshifts. In Sport mode, the Z4 M40i is quicker, sharper and sportier in these respects, but that’s by design. Both cars are tuned for an effect, and the Supra simply feels more fluid, and in a good way. The first laps, I was feeling my way around and listening to the instructions. On the first flier down the straight (second lap) I pressed the brake pedal, then pressed it further, and further, and my instructor started to say, “More brakes, more brakes” with a hairpin approaching. “Wow, that’s a long pedal and not much feel or bite,” I announce. “Is this a brake-by-wire system?” I ask. He didn’t know, but the four-pot Brembo calipers with large-diameter vented steel discs aren’t the problem. Later in the pits, I learned these are pure hydraulic brakes with stock pads and DOT 4 fluid. Hmm. In the next session, I tried a different car with the same results. I’ll venture it’s the booster tuning. I’d prefer less travel and more bite sooner in the pedal stroke—like the Z4 has.

As confidence and speed increased, I probed the grip in the corners. There’s plenty available from the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires (255/35R19 front, 275/35R19 100Y rear, same as the Z4). The turn-in characteristics are excellent, obedient, and confident. About midway ’round a slow corner, however, I find I’m dialing in more and more steering without the front tires making a noise. I didn’t overcook it, and it’s understeer, for sure—but it’s mild, not terminal. If the steering ratio were variable, not by vehicle speed, but by steering input (quicker ratio as you turn the wheel), it could address or mask the problem. That’s likely off the table since the rack must be a done deal. Perhaps looking into the front anti-roll bar diameter or spring rates, or using the differential to drag the inside wheel are still possible before final sign-off. The way the Supra exits corners is perfect. The e-diff puts power down without a fuss, and as the steering unwinds there’s an adjustable amount of slide if you want it. All things considered, there are still ways to make the Supra a better track car, but that’s not necessarily what it was engineered for.

Into the Hills

Fully 90 percent of the Supra’s development was done on public roads—hence the plethora of spy photos. It’s also the reason the car really shined on the hills outside of Madrid. Since we were again required to have a handler in the car with us, a second chase car, a GT86, was piloted solo by the second journalist until our scheduled driver swaps. After the mixed results on the track, I wasn’t ready for how well the very same cars felt on the road. That long brake pedal I experienced on the track wasn’t as big a concern in the real world. There was still mild understeer and a need to dial in a bunch of steering for tighter corners, but even at double the posted speed limits, the corners were confidently within the Supra’s ability. What’s more is that as good as the GT86 inherently is, it didn’t have a chance against the Supra. At one point, I was sandwiched between two 86s: a skilled driver ahead and a less skilled driver in tow. I could see the driver in front driving the tires off of his car, and I was just waiting, looking for a place to pass. It wasn’t just a horsepower advantage, either. The Supra had what felt like double the grip and half the body roll. I didn’t pass because if I had, I’d lose my swap partner following us.

The next revelation was how utterly quiet the Supra was on the highway. With nearly zero wind noise and barely registered tire noise, the only surfaces that upset it were exceptionally open or coarse pavement. Also, the dampers in Normal mode wiped away almost every surface irregularity. The difference between Normal and Sport modes is palpable, as it should be. This is an excellent road car.

Shrouded From View

I wish I could tell you how the interior looks, but it remained covered the entire day in black felt with flaps for critical switches. Toyota popped the rear hatch only briefly, but I saw that the largely flat cargo area connects to the rest of the cabin by an open pass-through a la Corvette, which makes the quiet ride even more remarkable. The seats were leather and well bolstered. The Supra has the same steering wheel as the Z4, and the buttons and switches I did see were the exact same as those in the Z4—all of them. What is different is the instrument panel, which isn’t standard-issue analog BMW. It’s more of a digital affair. We’re told that despite using the same iDrive-based infotainment system and display as the Z4, the graphics will be unique to the Supra. Along with the EPS fine tuning, we were told this HMI is one of the last things Toyota is still sorting out.

Final Thoughts

Even at this late stage in the car’s development, there’s still time to tune out the mid-corner understeer and brake pedal malady before the Supra goes on sale in mid-2019. Once Toyota address these slight conditions, the Supra will be ready to shame a Nissan 370Z and go toe to toe with a Porsche 718 Cayman, or heck, even the BMW Z4. Wouldn’t that be a great Head2Head for Jethro and Jonny? Whether or not the lack of power I felt, compared to the Z4, is negotiable with BMW remains a buzz-worthy rumor in the industry. Time will tell. With a ballpark price of about $60,000, the Supra will be an aspirational sports car, and as such, it had better defend that territory with legitimate performance. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention that Toyota fully tested the Supra’s ability to do donuts and drifts during its development from PerformanceJunk WP Feed 3 https://ift.tt/2I8SJd1 via IFTTT

[danceswithdinosaurs]

Get to know me~

Thank you @nyxswaifu​ for tagging me!

Tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know: Anyone and everyone that is reading this and who wants to do it! I wanna see what you all have to say so just @ me! Doesn’t matter if we never really interacted before either, just @ me

Nicknames: Nu, Nunu, Nuru, Big Papa

Zodiac sign: Gemini and Dog

Height: 5′6 I’m small ;;

Last thing you googled:  Celiac Disease. I was looking up what all is with that because one of my close friends has that and I didn’t know really anything about the condition before

Favorite music artist: Look I can’t just pick one because I adore so many, but I’ll list the ones I had since childhood- Billy Idol, David Bowie, Prince, Queen

Song stuck in your head: Something Good Can Work (RAC Mix)- Two Door Cinema Club

Last movie you watched: Friday the 13th

What are you wearing right now: A beige sweater and some black pants, one red sock and the another sock is gray.

Why did you choose your URL: Because not only did it have a cute ring to it, but Diego Brando was also a #1 wife for the longest of time, and he ended up being a dino boy- so dances with dinosaurs also = dancing with the deeg there. might night have the same diego reason for keeping it nowdays and I have thought about changing it, but it still is a cute url with a nice ring to it

Do you have any other blogs: Yep. I have a regular writing sideblog I haven’t touched much, the other sideblog that does have a lot more writing to it is an FFXV HC/Imagines blog, a vent sideblog, a K sideblog, and a porn sideblog. In otherword I have waaay too many sideblogs?

What did your last relationship teach you: That I can do a lot better with distance than I thought, but also I highly struggle with a lack of physical intimacy being present. That’s probably the most boring lesson I have ever gotten from literally any relationship I have had, but in this case boring is very good knowing my own past, terrible, histories. (Like the lesson of not dating older men when you’re a teen)

Religious or Spiritual: I don’t have any religion, and faith belief is questionable at best. I don’t believe in a single thing but I do believe there could potentially be higher powers out there (not higher powers as in necessarily deities either). I guess that means I’m probably agnostic?

Favorite color: Copper, orange.

Average hours of sleep: uhhhh my sleep habits are so busted that I don’t think there is an average?

Lucky number: Idk because I can’t remember ;;

Favorite characters: My friends’s OCs, Almost everyone from FFXV, my baes Balthier, Fran, Al-Cid and Vayne from FF12, Lighting and Hope from FF13 (hope is still my son and I will fight anyone who talks shit about him) and again most anyone from FFX. Look I’m FF trash and I always have been. I also really loved Milla from Psychonauts!

How many blankets do you sleep with: just one 1;;

Dream job: ummmm... I’m not really sure? I guess maybe writer? Like actual published writer for my own original works? It’d be the only thing that could potentially be in my capability?