#slightly off topic but sometimes I create posts like this and think

[lonelymikoto]

I had some headcanons for Kakashi Hatake a while ago. Was scared of the amount I had to translate from russian to english to post here, but thank goodness I tried an AI yesterday and it helped me a lot. Thanks, DeepSeek 🫶🐋

Well then, let's go. I think I'll start now and really get into it... Apologies in advance...

Attention! These headcanons are created for contemplation and entertainment purposes and do not claim to represent the true state of affairs in the canonical work.

(Also, there's a lot of text, be prepared)

1. I think my very first headcanon about him is that when Kakashi eats, he doesn't have enough time to chew while keeping his mask on. He needs to seize any moment when no one's looking to stuff his cheeks and sit there chewing like a hamster, so seeing him with full cheeks is quite a common sight.

2. Since he had to live without parents from a young age while already being a genin, if not a chunin, he learned many survival and household skills. For example: fishing, hunting, cooking, repairs, and cleaning. Though in adulthood he might not do these things himself anymore, it's better to save money and do it yourself if you know how.

3. When it comes to alcohol, he prefers sake. For some reason I associate him with sake.

4. Doesn't have a habit of drinking alone. Usually drinks with someone familiar, but even then doesn't cross the line in terms of quantity.

5. Finds every female body attractive in its own way, whether it's a slim model-type, a modest plump girl, or a muscular strong woman. Any type could turn him on.

6. Reads Jiraiya's books as a defense mechanism against depression. He realizes these kinds of books can stimulate dopamine production for obvious reasons and uses this to avoid completely giving up on life like his father did.

7. Initially felt angry at his father after his death and didn't understand why he did it, but with time came to realize many things and forgave him, understanding how he must have felt.

8. If he ever shows his face to someone and they tell him he's actually handsome, he'd blush so hard he'd put the mask back on. It's too sensitive a topic for him since almost no one has seen his face.

9. Sometimes when embarrassed he might cover his face with his hands, despite only one eye (or two in the postwar period) being visible.

10. Prefers salty over sweet or spicy flavors.

11. While cooking alone at home, sometimes dances to music in his head.

12. Occasionally too lazy to shower after training and goes straight to bed, only to realize he now needs to wash the sheets too.

13. His scent: a mix of metallic smell, rain, and green tea.

14. Actually very observant of people and knows when to joke and when to offer support, making him always pleasant to be friends with.

15. In dangerous situations, always thinks first about how to protect his comrades, which can also become his weakness in battle if he's not careful enough.

16. Sometimes summons Pakkun just to cuddle.

17. Though he appears closed off, he actually really wants to find someone he could hug and lie in the grass with whenever convenient.

18. Has a fast metabolism because he eats too quickly. This allows him to eat much more than necessary when he wants to, but he rarely abuses this as he's not particularly attached to food.

19. Weak spots - his calves. That's why he wraps them. His calves are slightly more sensitive, so a hit to the shin might temporarily stun him, but when wrapped it's much more bearable.

20. Meanwhile, his erogenous zones: his ears and sides.

[not-xpr-art]

the painstaking process of pointillism lol

been a lil while since I shared some progress shots of an artwork so have this of a recent pointillism piece I did of reece shearsmith!

read below for some thoughts and advice for anyone who's interested in doing pointillism! (from someone who has done less than 10 pointillist pieces in their life pfft...)

pointillism is a style I always appreciate looking at, but often put off doing much of myself just because of how long it takes lol... and I'm afraid their is no way of fixing that, it's just quite a time consuming technique lol! BUT my first piece of advice would be don't let that stop you from trying it since I think a lot of the results from pointillism can be really rewarding!

one thing I really enjoy about pointillism is that I have a tendency to do quite harsh shading sometimes, so it allows me to create more a more softer feel than usual!

I gotta say that I do still struggle a lottt with doing hair in pointillism lol it's so hard to create the appearance of individual strands with just little dots which is kinda why I chose to only do half his hair in this piece pfft I've yet to try and draw curls in this style so am intrigued whether that would be easier than straight hair... will have to get back to you on this lol!

a big piece of advice I'd give is that more than any other style, think of pointillism in terms of layers! start with the shadowy parts, which I used a slightly bigger 'pen' size for in this piece (pen is in quotation marks because I drew this on my phone lol..), and then went in with a smaller dot to blend into the light parts with little to no dots!

one thing about pointillism is that is kinda forces you to draw everything on one level, rather than zooming in to and hyper-focusing on details! in some pointillism works I've done I've actually chosen to use just one size of dot throughout the entire thing, which creates a really interesting sense of uniformity!

final thoughts about this is knowing when to stop, which is true of any art technique lol I think I could definitely have gone even further with this piece adding more and more dots until everything sorta just blends together, but a part of the appeal of pointillism is that you can see those individual dots and how they make up the larger piece, so my advice is to maybe go with less than what you think to keep all the fun texture still in place!

so there's some advice and some thoughts about this technique lol! I'm gonna be trying to experiment with this more casual style of art advice post since I've been really struggling thinking of interesting and specific topics to go into, so hopefully some of you found this informative lol!

so feel free to let me know if there's any particular style of technique I've done that you'd like me to talk about or potentially offer advice and I'll see what I can do!

as always thanks to everyone who actually reads my rambling posts <3

[fullmoonlovestuff]

Piggybacking off another anon’s comment, I’ve been a fan for a few years and things are so much worse in the fandom than they were then. I think one reason is that there wasn’t so much exposure of Pedro, and he wasn’t quite as famous. Media talked about him but not like they do now. It felt slightly more like a niche thing.

On the sexuality aspect, people definitely speculated and some people posted about it everywhere, but it wasn’t quite so rampant, where it feels like that’s the main takeaway whenever he does or says anything. And it wasn’t so shaming of women who dare to like him. The most recent post on the confessional blog is celebrating that there’s “nothing” for women, which just sort of shows the sentiment toward women in the fandom. Which is weird because most of the fandom IS women. I think that sentiment, that women should be ashamed if he is gay because he’s not “for us” or whatever, is probably why lots of fans try to prove he’s bi. And the back and forth is exhausting and nonstop.

The level of hate toward fan fic writers in particular has increased, and so many have left, which is really sad. And we’ve also seen people subject to racism, homophobia, and transphobia. It’s become much more hateful and negative all around. It makes no sense for a fandom that is centered on such an open, non-racist man.

This one is probably not as welcome to say, but Pedro’s vibes themselves feel different in interviews and press events than they did then. while back then he’d be cheeky but still thoughtful and chill, now it feels like joking all the time. And I miss how he looked a couple of years ago when he was scruffier.

It’s definitely lame because it feels like this fandom really isn’t for me anymore. And that’s not to say anything bad of Pedro. Sometimes things run their course. Thanks for listening and the thoughtful place you have on your blog.

Thank you so much for sharing all of this.

Pedro really became widely known after Game of Thrones and his role as Oberyn was iconic...and yes, canonically bisexual. But I wonder, was that already a big topic within the fandom back then? I honestly don’t remember when all these discussions around his sexuality truly started, but I think it began once his popularity grew.

Unlike many other celebrities, there were never the typical “girlfriend” or “boyfriend” stories, no scandals, no drama. Just silence. And I think that made people curious. But instead of thinking further and considering that someone can be genuinely happy without all that celebrity noise, without being in a public relationship and still have a heart and emotional depth, many people started spinning their own stories. They don’t take the time to imagine someone being whole and grounded without fitting into expected boxes. And maybe that unsettles them more than they admit. They needed a story, a relationship, a secret...

I really appreciate what you wrote, especially about how women’s presence in fandoms is often dismissed or criticized. It’s painful to watch something that once felt joyful and welcoming turn into something so tense. You put it into words with so much honesty. But why? We’re not dangerous. We admire from afar. Sure, we’re divas and bitches, and we want him desperately ...but we won’t harm him or his personal life. (Unless we’re talking about all those stalker ladies and boys… then yeah, that’s another story.) Let us thirst, and admire...let us love and respect him...

Well, the hate toward fanfic writers. so why it that? Is it because they follow their imagination and put it into words? Is it childish or naïve to create stories with fictional characters? I don’t think so. In fact, I believe it’s completely okay ...and honestly, far healthier than spinning stories about real people.

You said his vibe has shifted... maybe it’s because he’s becoming more famous. He’s no longer the unknown Pedro Balmaceda ... his name means something now, and that probably comes with a lot of pressure. Pressure that his anxious heart might sometimes cope with through humor and jokes.Just because his fame is growing doesn’t mean his anxiety is fading. Personally, I think that could be a big part of it... but of course, I don’t know for sure.

thank you anon <3

[waxingrunes]

Heyy i saw your tiktok video on The Prank™ and I'm dying to know what your interpretation is on how it happened and how they made up, how it impacted them, you get the gist I just can't believe I haven't thought to ask before.

My HC/take/interpretation of The Prank, isn’t anything so special but I do think if I were to ever fully expand on it I’d make sure Sirius wasn’t so dogged down as he was over it. I think The Prank, despite it being canon, is sometimes very overdone and milked for its worth just for the sake of dredging up angst over and over again.

Now, do I think it’s important if you’re creating something within that verse, yeah. I think it’s a pivotal moment that shows some serious oversight on Sirius’ part. Sirius is notoriously tactile and quick witted, but I believe in his younger years he was quick to get a tad bit overexcited or enthused when it came to revenge and this was a prime example of that. He didn’t think about the consequence of his actions and had tunnel vision with the end goal of a, ‘aha!’ moment with Snape. Pure vengeance (good little Scorpio).

How I like to see it, is Remus, James and Pete were all shocked by this obviously but they didn’t spend weeks on weeks treating him like a piece of shit for it. I think the bounce back rate was quick, but the thick of the aftermath was hard. So Remus got angry fast but it was resolved quicker than most of the times I’ve seen it dragged out for. James wouldn’t ignore Sirius, it would just be strained for a few days while they worked through their own tension over Sirius’ blatant stupidity and selfish motives. Pete much the same, though I suspect he would be armed with a few nasty quips here and there which James would chastise him for, even if he was slightly agreeable to them. Pete would try to keep away from Sirius and encourage Remus to do the same so they could both “cool off”, whereas James is a man of action and want things resolving instantly. Though he wouldn’t lack the sensitivity of being naive enough to know the mending wouldn’t happen like that, it wouldn’t be overnight, he’s emotionally intelligent and a people person and would know when the line is about to be crossed.

Remus, I believe would be in disbelief for the first few minutes of hearing it, type of white noise blocking out everything that isn’t the information he’s trying to compute. I think he would turn physical quick, or at least want to, but not towards Sirius. His violent streak is often downplayed, something that is canon (though I have no interest in keeping things parallel to that or drawing similarities, but this one is important for the topic) and bred through Remus feeling somewhat constantly restrained and bottled up. He has a lot to say, but sometimes doesn’t feel he’s in the right space to say it, a confidence which he found in the comfort of his friendships with the Marauders and Lily. Despite his presence being a quiet, calm and reserved (albeit sarcastic) one, post Prank Remus was a ticking time bomb. Cutting corners, Sirius was fast becoming his world and the betrayal was like a jab to his gut, throat and balls all at once so that pressure valve was ready to burst.

The fallout would’ve lasted in total, a couple of weeks, three at the absolute most. Remus would begin in denial and then lash out physically, the product of which wouldn’t have bothered him due to his existing scars. The headcanon behind Sirius sleeping in Remus’ shirt is something I imagine as a segue in their relationship, the link between Moony = safe, Moony’s smell = safe, Moony’s clothes = smell, safe, secure. Home. Team that with Sirius’ family issues, it ties in well that whilst they were still denying their feelings for each other outwardly, the ball was rolling in the symbolic trade of Sirius wanting to be dowsed in Remus’ scent, only really ever feeling truly safe when he felt encompassed by him. So, cut to Sirius pulling the Prank and unwittingly simultaneously putting Remus’ life in potential danger and landing him in Azkaban for murder, it was Remus who didn’t feel safe anymore. And Remus, when feeling unsafe, will lash out and retreat. He was so angry that he wanted to level out the playing field and strip Sirius of the safety he found in that shirt, something that was an unspoken token between the two of them and therefore, even more sacred. It wasn’t just a fickle give me my shirt back, it was acute enough that Sirius would feel it and understand the icy intention crystal clear.

That night Sirius walked down into the common room wearing it for the first time (the next day) after the Prank, it would be the first time any of them had heard Remus’ full baritone yell. Soon as that man clocked Sirius, it was like pedal to the ground rage, instinct, you don’t belong in that anymore.

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Every week I will post various reviews I've written so far in 2024. You can check out my Goodreads for more up-to-date reviews HERE. You can friend me on Goodreads here.

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

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329. Straight by Chuck Tingle--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was SUCH a fun read!

STRAIGHT is my favourite Tingle book so far. I loved the characters, the horror, the wit, and the unique take on the zombie genre.

STRAIGHT had some great commentary on topics like allyship and how the LGBTQ+ community can come together when there is danger. But I also appreciated the exploration of the anger aimed at the community and felt IN the community. One of the things I love about horror sometimes is how certain situations are used as allegories for certain issues in our contemporary society and Tingle's book doesn't shy away from that. I loved how straight-forward the conversation was.

Overall, I laughed sometimes, cringed from the gore, and loved that I read this in October. I think that if you love horror and zombies and queer stories that are just pure fun with some great social commentary, then you might want to add this one to your TBR!

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330. 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I am slowly making my way through King's work and while some are...something else, others like SALEM'S LOT are truly a great example of why he's been writing for so long.

SALEM'S LOT does one of the things I love so much about King's writing: it creates that eerie atmosphere full of trepidation. It felt like I was reading IT if it had been slightly faster paced. The way the story is full of foreshadowing, almost immediately uncomfortably creepy scenes, and a heavy note of wrongness, made this incredibly compelling. I wanted to keep reading and find out what would happen next and who would fall next to the pandemic plaguing the small town of Jerusalem's Lot.

I listened to the audiobook for this and I enjoyed hearing King's introductory chapter, mainly because he acknowledged how dated the story would be in parts, which it was. King's writing is full of problematic words and statements because of the time and what would make the reader uncomfortable. I am familiar with his writing so it doesn't put me off his writing anymore, even if it is still jarring as all hell to read.

That being said, SALEM'S LOT was 100% a classic horror story with that King flourish. It's obvious in how he knows how to bring characters to life with the smallest of details, or how he can demonize a whole town by blanketing it with the perfect word choices and masterful atmospheric writing. It was surprisingly to the point and really well-paced.

The characters were intriguing and kept the story moving relatively well. There were some disturbing moments and characters, and some really sad ones. But their actions and/or ends made this story all the more captivating and haunting.

I'd recommend this one if you like vampires and want a story about a town that is completely helpless against its inevitable demise.

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331. King of Pride by Ana Huang--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While I enjoyed the first book in this series more, KING OF PRIDE was a surprise. I was a big fan of the slow burn and the bursts of spice that freckled the story here and there (since I think that sometimes too much spice can be a bit overwhelming).

I loved the differences between the MCs and how they brought them together. I think one of the reasons why I'm such a fan of romances where the two MCs have a big wage difference between them is because they both help each other grow in ways they otherwise would not have experienced. One teaches the other to be more confident and the other teaches them to be more humble. I like the dynamic too because I love a MMC that treats the FMC like the queen that she is.

These two specific MCs had such a sweet love full of some spicy moments that jumped off the page. I could feel the attraction they felt because Huang let the relationship grow organically, rather than let it be one of those insta-romance novels. I loved how they teased each other and how she helped him get out of his shell more.

I also liked how much integrity the MMC had when it came to business, but also that he took action when he really needed to. I felt for the FMC and her fight against writer's block (because truly, same, bestie), mainly because it was a big part of her storyline and one of the things that kept her confidence low.

The climax pissed me off. Not because of the main couple, but the family meddling. I wanted to slap a few of the characters for their callousness and bullying.

But other than that frustrating moment in the book, I really enjoyed this one. It was sexy, romantic, and full of tension. Plus, that dedication was killer and so was the dirty talk. Phew.

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332. Want by Gillian Anderson--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WANT was definitely something a bit outside of the norm for me. Mainly because I don't tend to read a lot of Well-being titles (which I'm classifying this as because it's a sexuality book). But I'm glad I gave it a shot because I found it very enjoyable and eye-opening.

Told through stories sent in anonymously, WANT was the kind of collection that a lot of people will benefit from reading because of how solitary sex and any sexual-related thoughts can be. I know there are places in the world where sex is still seen as something taboo and not meant to be discussed freely. I liked that this book gave women a chance to voice their sexual thoughts--even if some fell into the odd category.

I know I connected to some of the stories and they left me wide-eyed and seen. Other stories I didn't connect to, but it was still fascinating to see how other peoples' minds worked. To be honest, some stories were so over the top that I couldn't help but laugh a few times. Not to yuck anyone's yum, but some of these essays were...a choice.

That being said, I did appreciate how diverse the essays were and how they were categorized. I was a little wary at first that I would grow tired of the essay after essay approach, but the occasional re-introduction of Anderson in between chapters helped break up the monotony.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for essay collections of the sexual variety with some great diversity. There were many queer women and it was great getting to hear their voices!

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333. The Second Chance of Darius Logan by David F. Walker--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If there is one thing I will say before I write the review--do yourself a favour and don't listen to the audiobook LOL.

^^I stick by this because the voice actor was a man and he sounded absolutely hilarious when he was voicing the female characters. To the point where it sometimes took me completely out of the story.

Anyway, I loved the concept of THE SECOND CHANCE OF DARIUS LOGAN. It was fun and the writing reminded me a lot of the MICHAEL VEY series, which I loved. I love origin stories set in a world completely new to me. I also just liked seeing the MC (who was usually a good teen) get what he had earned during the story.

Walker's social justice commentary was also eye-opening because when we usually read superhero stories, the worlds are completely fictional and often lack the very real issues plaguing our too-real world. Seeing these police officers treating the Black MC in such a racist way made me so angry, both because of the injustice of it all and because not even in fiction do Black teen boys get a break from the racism they face daily. In this way, this aspect of Walker's book made this book all the more powerful--especially because it bursts that idealistic bubble of "it doesn't happen here" when it comes to superheroes in fiction.

Another great part about this book was the exploration of grief and its effect on younger teens who grow without much support after their losses. That simmering anger CAN be a coping mechanism, even if it gets to the point where it can be detrimental. But I liked how he processed his loss and emotions in his own way as the book progressed, especially when he was given a second chance at life.

I'm excited for the sequel because of that somewhat cliffhanger-ish ending. While I wasn't a super huge fan of the narrative style of including too many moments of foreshadowing (I prefer this in horror), I still thought the story had some great pacing going for it and it was highly addictive because I wanted to know what would come next!

I'd recommend this to those who love superhero stories that have a bit more nuance to them than just stereotypical crime fighting.

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334. Our Favorite Songs by Anita Kelly--⭐️⭐️⭐️

One of the best things about these books is that they're bite-sized. Some would definitely benefit from being longer, but I'm glad this one was the length that it was.

I liked the idea that this novella was about two characters who come together after so many years, and have that history of one of the characters hating the other. One of the tropes I actually love is the "I hated you as a teen because I had a big crush on you that felt pointless," and this book had that and it was glorious. I DO think that the one character was a bit over-the-top with his meanness, especially with his biphobic comments.

The spice was good, if a little on the quick side (which I'm not surprised because this is a novella). But it was still some fun sprinkling of spice in a story that had started with such animosity between these two guys.

Overall, OUR FAVORITE SONGS was fun, but it followed a similar pattern as the first novella in the series (with problematic moments that took away from the overall cuteness of the story). It's definitely a good holiday read to enjoy with some tea, while sitting by a window when it's snowing. But keep in mind that there will be some moments in this book that will make you want to side-eye the characters.

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335. The Great Cookie War by Caroline Stellings---⭐️

I received a copy from the publisher a LONG time ago.

First of all, I know this book wasn't for me. This is 100% a middle grade novel that isn't exactly accessible to adults (in my opinion) because of how much I had to suspend my disbelief with certain situations.

That being said, this story was a bit choppy. I admit that I went into this without having read the synopsis, but I typically do this with all of the books I read. But I expected...something else? What I got was a preachy book full of choppy writing and questionable characters--like that grandmother. God, she was awful. There's a scene where she is incredibly horrible to the MC and the "apology" is brushed over by telling us it happened rather than showing us. Which honestly sat wrong with me. We get the entire "I'm disappointed, you're horrible" speech, but not the apology that would make the grandmother take ownership of her abuse on the page for a young reader to see (and acknowledge that adults also need to apologize when they're wrong).

The story just didn't feel like something I wanted to invest my time with and to be honest, I don't know if I'd recommend it to the younger readers who come into the store. Simply because of how the MC is treated, or how choppy that writing was.

I can appreciate what this book is supposed to do and represent, but it was truly not something I enjoyed. I've read various MGLit titles before and this is one of the first times where I finished a middle grade book and felt so much ick.

I'm sure this will be great and relatable for a reader out there--definitely younger readers, and I hope they're able to appreciate it in a much better way than me!

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336. Weird Rules to Follow by Kim Spencer--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it followed the MC over the span of a few years as her life changed and revealed some of the cruel truths of her life in a society that looks down on and excludes Indigenous people. It was an incredibly powerful portrayal of a young girl that was paralleled by the experiences of her non-Indigenous friend(s).

I will say, before I continue, that it was jarring to hear an older woman narrating the audiobook for this one--especially when a child gives the description of the cover of the book. I get that this is probably to emphasize that some of these experiences mirror that of the author, but it took me out of the book a few times.

WEIRD RULES TO FOLLOW was definitely a difficult read, especially as an adult seeing a child being excluded and discriminated against, but also seeing the home life she has and how it was affecting her during some of the more important development years of her life. I am not Indigenous, so I don't have any right to say whether this was done correctly or not, but I do want to say that I appreciated this story and the voice that the author gave to this young character.

I think young readers should read books like this one because even though it is set in the 80s, I'm sure there are still things they can relate to--especially in how their own families or friends or people around them interact with/talk about the Indigenous community. And there is, of course, mention of "those schools" (as said in the book), which shows the dark and complicated relationship there with residential schools and the trauma and hell they brought with them.

I highly recommend this book. It's short and powerful and poignant. And even though it's technically historical fiction, it is incredibly timely.

___

Happy reading!

[sucretto]

have you considered applying for the siivagunner art team?

Hello Anon :^] Thank you for the message, hope you're having a good day! Strangely enough, not the first time I got asked this! And I can't with honesty say that I haven't thought of it, because I have. My feelings on the matter are a bit complicated, so I'm posting the TLDR first in case my rambling turns out a bit foolish: - I'll definitely try to apply to it after I get a few more siivagunner drawings under my belt. I have nothing but respect for the work the art team puts on, and it would be an honor to imagine a world where I can contribute even the smallest bit upon it. Even if by just keeping on doing fanart!! That's my small answer :^). Yes, I probably will apply. Maybe not right NOW, but soon! Soon-ish. Everything else is random rambling semi-related to the topic, so feel free to skip it! Thank you for the question.

I can't properly explain without sounding too cheesy how- Inspiring? It is to see a community project like this channel? It does sound a bit lame to go "wahh, I have so much respect!! Omagah!". But I know how much work it goes into these things! I've been (on my main account, I preface) part of zines, and minibangs, and I've been on an art team before, making drawings for events that last weeks! Scrap.tf, the website that you are. It's so hard!!! It takes so much planning and effort! And yet people are still out here working their asses off for people to see! How can you not love that. But for that matter, it always feels a little silly thinking of applying when I was virtually non existent in the fandom until this year. It's like... I was here. I saw KFAD happen, I saw some of the album releases, I saw the april fools and halloweens, I saw some takeovers. But it was always in the lenses that I never reacted to any of it. I just consumed it. So was i really here. I didn't get to see CCC11 get released, nor the ARG until it was practically done- frankly missed most of JE's season, sorry girl, and the knowledge that I had missed out on something like this made me realize that I actually. Want to engage. I want to say that I was here and that I saw it and that I liked it. That all that work people are putting out was for something. That someone out here saw it and loved it. So now I feel like I have something to prove here. Like I have a quota of things to say and drawings to make to prove that I care about this. To justify my place here. That, only after I do all that, I can apply to the art team per example. Only after doing that, I can say what my favorite songs are, and I will be taken seriously, because I have proven that I existed, and that I care. Like, I'm making a Woodman animatic, 3 minutes of that guy in the trenches in a post-susie talk what-if, and it's slightly out of character and silly, and I'm doing it because I just. Like the guy y'know! But I look at what I'm doing there, I look at the portrayal I'm trying to achieve of this guy that is simply so burdened by his lack of action, his avoidance and I'm like- Woah, I get you. I understand it. The pressure of it all. Mmm. Complicated feelings sometimes!! A lot to consider on my mind that goes beyond applying for things wahahahah. I rant all this talk but 99% of what drives me forward to create for this is not out of obligation at all, just genuine enjoyment! I have been having such a good time in the siivacord and everyone is extremely lovely. It's just that 1% that nags my brain sometimes on the "worthy" scales. And thus that extends to "ahh, do I apply, or do I keep on being on my lane" . :^) Don't know if most of this makes sense. Probably not to most people!! Which fair!! Just wanted to put my cents out there in the world. Sorry to anyone that ended up reading all this, been mulling in my mind for a bit. Here's a rip I've been listening to every so often ^_^ And here's an exclusive Robbie page while I was trying to figure out his face shape. The one I did for the Stingy fanart bothers me so much LMAO looks so uncanny! Okay bye bye ^_^

[jungkoode]

Hi hello it's me 👋 that anon who mentioned 25th hour changing the direction of my own writing.

I actually only write for me and a few friends 😭 but if I get the courage to post anything I'll totally share it with you!!! It's not a fandom based thing, something I made for some OC's of mine but could easily be turned into a bts fic.

Anyways yes 25th hour has altered my brain chemistry permanently. It's actually the first thing I discovered of yours and I found it on ao3. I read it when you put up the first chapter and remember obsessively checking my phone when I was on break at work to see if you posted more. Then I bumped into your tumblr and that was a wrap lol, I'm here forever now.

One thing that I LOVE about it is how the world feels so full without like- les miserables-ing it. Truly feel like it's a master class in environmental storytelling. Especially when you add on the characters interactions with Noma as well? Ugh. Just ugh. I'm obsessed actually. I also love to theorize and you gave me so much for my brain to gnaw on in that story. I am absolutely convinced her and yoongi can't touch because his power is restore. I have no idea what that means for her yet!!!! But!!! As I said I'm chewing on it!!!!

I was unable to successfully write anything sci fi until I read this for some reason. I think you just inspired me to go absolutely insane, in the best way possible of course.

Hello again baby! I can’t believe you’re here again 🥹 welcome back again!

I totally feel you — 25H is truly my weird Matrix / Umbrella Academy Hybrid kid that looks slightly unhinged on Christmas Eve but I cherish deeply.

Honestly I know it’s probably my hardest work to read — the techno babble and brain wrecking there is just… insane. But I’m a Trekkie, so are we surprised?

I think that’s why it’s also the hardest one for me to write! I’m a huge sci-fi nerd, but there’s so many things we don’t know that I have to research and make up, that sometimes I get exhausted. That and the fact that Noma here is a walking computer whilst I, the author, barely can tie shoelaces together without creating some sort of calamity.

But I am SOOO happy to hear your thoughts on the world building and the environment? The whole AU is honestly crazy and I HAD to come up with so many theories and hypothesis to make it work (and some I made up on the spot so if you’re a scientist… try to suspend your disbelief for the reading. I tried my best. 😭) BUT YES. Word building is just something I adore!

And sometimes it’s so hard! Because you have to take into account who’s narrating the story, and what they know. Like, totally off topic now but, I did read Fourth Wing and a lot of critiques I saw complained about the protagonist explaining things to the reader in ways that did not feel natural. Because who has an inner monologue explaining how the world works? I definitely don’t comb my hair and think in my head ‘okay so every country has a government, and each government has these money institutions called central banks, which work together in this thing called European Union…’ and the works.

NOBODY DOES THAT. And I think reading reviews and critiques has also helped me a lot as an author. But back to the topic (sorry, rambling is my thing), yeah! Environmental storytelling is hard, especially trying to make it natural and not awkward as fuck.

And if you ever do write anything feel free to absolutely hit me up on my DMs! I would love to read whatever you come up with — knowing it’s been somehow inspired by my own work is honestly an honor. 🥹🫶🏻

Thank you! Have a blessed day. ❤️

[someone-you-do-not-know]

Let's Get Real Fic Writer Asks: 💫, 💞, 💋, ☯️, 🧿?

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback? The crazy long ones, that go into detail about what they liked and thought of the story. I use them as fuel!

💞what's the most important part of a story for you? the plot, the characters, the world building, the technical stuff (grammar etc), the figurative language? That's a hard one... Because I don't actually care for world building that much apart from how it affects the plot, but I also want the world building to make sense, which leads to researching like crazy for what is world building, but only matters to me in the way that the world building affects plot. So world building ends up taking up the most time, but I care more about the plot – and also grammar.

💋when you leave comments on a fic, do you want to hear back from the writer? I love when the author answers! It gives that extra little acknowledgement that they saw that you liked it, and liked that you liked it, and it's just good vibes all around. I'm sometimes bad at doing it myself though...

☯️how do you think engaging with each other through tumblr, twitter, comments, kudos, creates healthy fandom experiences? How do you deal with that if you're not a social person/experience social anxiety? I have some amount of social anxiety, sooooo I have thoughts on this. Because on one hand, I love comments and I know how important they are, but they are hard for me personally to leave, unless I know the person who wrote the fanfic. So to some degree, I think tumblr and such actually can help with overcoming some challenges for people like me, at the same time, it also poses a whole different set of problems. I think some people maybe found my fanfics through me posting about updates here, so that also helps with fic authors being seen more easily. I don't know how everyone else finds fanfics, but I usually go through the newest of whichever ship (or occasionally character) I want to read about, unless I am in the mood for something specific. I don't filter anything else in or out, and I've heard that's not really the normal way to use AO3 – other ways can make it hard for fanfics to be found, I think. So I think social media like tumblr (or xitter, I guess) can help create healthy fandom experiences by bringing the story to the eyes of people. I know I went a bit off topic, but those are my thoughts.

🧿what steps do you take to not take things personally if a fic doesn't do well, or if your writing/posting/sharing experience isn't going how you'd like it to? This is gonna sound so self deprecating. Jantelov, what have you done to me? I don't expect any of my stories to do well. I'm still surprised that some of my mutuals and friends like them so much. The way I title my stories, the summaries, the tags, the stories themselves, almost none of it is intended to make people click it. I don't cater to anyone? Except myself? On a different note, I actually do try to make some of my lesser known works more seen by mentioning them on here if people ask about stories I think deserve more love. While they're still the stories with the lowest hits, kudos, etc., they have slightly more than before I mentioned them. So something about that works, it seems.

[euphoricfilter]

hi hi :) quick question but what’s ur thoughts on those ai photos of bts that are trending on tt rn?

i have sort of mixed feelings?? though probably lean towards the dislike of it all more than being for it. first off, i don’t think realistically most of the ones that have come on my tiktok are harmful, though a few of them have come close to being scarily real and that is slightly worrying

i don’t know if they’re meant to be like photos or drawings or what?? a few i’ve seen i think are meant to be like photo shoots, which are the ones that always have me 🤨 because i think i’ve missed something. but a lot of the sci-fi ~ fantasy ones look more like digital art than photos

i don’t entirely agree with ai ‘art’ or media, be it writing, music, digital art, deep fakes, photos, whatever form of media we consume as people. simply for the fact that i believe humans will always do it better. plus, having that sort of unfiltered freedom is all fun for some people but can be dangerous if given to groups that have malicious intentions. which is scary part.

sure, a computer can write fancy words, probably come up with a full plot and have it written in minutes but it lacks the human empathy, and emotion, and experience. same with ai art, or photos. behind every art piece, either with traditional media or digital, there’s intention behind every choice made, what textures to use, placement, hidden mistakes that have been covered up but still a secret behind what lays on top. and no matter how good ai becomes at replicating stuff like that, i don’t think it’ll ever truly compare to human talent. that doesn’t mean i don’t think it can’t be a useful tool if you ever find yourself in a rut and want some form of guidance, or a new perspective on a question or topic to help you achieve your art in a way you’re happy with

as for the photos that have been on tiktok, i think maybe it’s important to label that it is ai generated if you desperately want to create and post photos like that. some of the ones i’ve seen are obviously fake, a lot of fantasy mixed with bts which when you first look at it you can tell isn’t real. however there have been a few that have looked a little too real with no disclaimer that they aren’t real photos. i say i have mixed feelings because i know the people that are posting that kind of stuff are just playing around, however, ai as whole, in terms of this topic i’m very iffy towards, and i’m sure it’s a topic that a lot of people will start to talk more about now that ai is very prevalent within both online and offline spaces in school or work, probably anywhere at this point 😭

i have similar thoughts of ai voice generation too, it’s kinda weird and kinda dangerous. because again, it’s fun for people to make their favorite singers do covers of other artist’s songs. but that doesn’t mean groups of people who have less than innocent intentions can’t also have access to these tools to spread a narrative that is entirely false

ai art ≠ art. they’re not the same thing!!! and will never ever be equals in my eyes

however i also don’t think there is a need to feed a computer the faces of bts and made it shit out a ton of funky, sometimes weird art? photos? whatever it’s meant to be. because somewhere down the line that’s gonna lead to some mean people doing some mean things

[lise-thethinker]

This is going to sound slightly disconnected from what OP is saying, but since Star Wars and Dune were brought up as one being the rip off of another, I'm guessing there's still some people who don't know why that is the case. Going to write a bit of my thoughts on this, since I've spent the better part of the last couple of days looking into this topic, by which I mean "The Hero's Journey".

So, most people probably already know this, but the reason why Star Wars and Dune have similar story structures is that both George Lucas and Frank Herbert drew a lot of inspiration for their stories from Joseph Campbell's work. There was this great post that came across my dash a few days ago, linking to some resources that explain who Joseph Campbell was and how his work has affected the entertainment industry, with some very heavy and well-deserved criticism. Here it is, I highly recommend checking out the videos:

After reading the article linked by the op of the above post, I went to look for other places that criticized Campbell's idea of the monomyth. I found another excellent write up on it, and ended up liking it even better than the first article:

I think what I like the most about this is that the author included his sources at the end, which are very easily searchable.

Another useful link I found is an article written by an actual folklorist (who cites even more sources!) about a discussion that happened on Facebook about Joseph Campbell's failings:

This last one lays out the main reasons why Campbell's idea of a single myth should be rejected in a really easy to understand way. Please take your time to read through at least this link, I promise it's worth your time.

Anyway, here's my summary of all this: Campbell's monomyth is based on myths and stories he analysed, removing them from the context they were produced in, in favour of his own white, cishetero-normative, ethnocentric interpretation of them. Sometimes, he ignored key details of them to be able to fit them into the model he created, or ignored other stories that did not fit into the pattern.

The reason this is bad is because by removing cultural practices, in this case the stories and myths, from their context, also strips them of meaning. The act, the intention, and the message of a story or myth all have meaning behind them. The meaning is deeply rooted in the culture in which that story exists, and it only has meaning because there is a system of codes by which a meaning can be attributed. By taking away the meaning, Campbell inevitably creates a representation of those stories in order to fit his model, which doesn't correspond to the reality of the stories and their respective cultures.

Culture is praxis. Reducing all myths and stories to a single line of events that happen to a character, regardless of culture, creates an idea of universality that doesn't exist in practice, because each culture is a different system of codes that give meaning to their practices. By creating the notion that there is a single story structure that synthesizes all others, Campbell eliminates the diversity present in each culture and erases the narratives that they create for themselves… and puts in place the narrative he created for them. To tie into what I just said, the last link I will put in this post is to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's TED Talk, "The Danger of a Single Story":

I hope I've been able to make my point on why we should definitely move away from The Hero's Journey. But, going back to the entertainment industry:

Campbell's monomyth did not influence any of the myths that he analysed, obviously, but a lot of cultural products have been influenced by it. Star Wars is what actually popularized his work for the first time. The reason for this, I believe, is because things that are easily reproducible and fit into a mold are seen as an easy way to make money, following a sort of industrial logic. You know the deal, formulaic Marvel movies, big box office numbers, blah blah blah. Just because a lot of movies follow the structure of The Hero's Journey it doesn't mean that they are all ripping each other off. Personally, I think that is a ridiculous notion. They all have their own individual worth because they are fundamentally different stories, about different characters, and the messages they send are also different. Star Wars sends a completely different message from Dune, and it's not Campbell's seriously outdated one-story-structure-fits-all theory that will detract from their value.

There's a tweet that's gone viral where a person laments realizing that Star Wars "ripped off" Dune, and how learning all the elements Star Wars took from its inspiration tainted it. And I think it shows how poisonous the emphasis on originality in art can be. Because yes, it's wonderful when art makes something new, but it's also wonderful seeing how art plays on what came before, and the conversations it has with its predecessors.

There's going to be a lot of people talking about how much of an impact Goku from Dragon Ball Z has made on fiction in the wake of Akira Toriyama's recent passing, and all the characters who were inspired by him and his story. But Goku himself is derivative - he's inspired by the Monkey King from Journey to the West, one of the first novels ever written. He's far from the first character inspired by the Monkey King, either, and also far from the last.

None of this makes Goku's impact any less than it is. None of this decreases how Goku's story has inspired countless imitators. Just as Toriyama created a new icon from imitating what he loved about Journey to the West, so did Toriyama inspire countless artists to make their own iconic works with his take on the Monkey King's archetype. Goku is, in many ways, the heir to a legacy that spans back to the 16th century, and likely beyond - because I doubt the original Monkey King was formed in a vacuum.

We're taught to think that originality and imitation are opposites that cannot coexist, but they're not mutually exclusive. One can follow in another's footsteps and still take a new journey with its own unique twists and turns. The great works of art are not spawned in the absence of inspiration - they are in conversation with what came before and what will come after.

[pha55ed]

PR Nightmare || F1

type :: crack tw/cw :: fem-anatomy!reader (carlos), fart eating??? (lando), dicks haha penis haha (oscar), gaslighting (oscar) contains :: carlos, charles, lando, oscar summary :: driver!reader is the driver's teammate which is awesome! only issue is that they're a pr nightmare and it's their job to cover for you - reader's dialogue is blue! - honestly not proud of this but meh f1 masterlist || f2 masterlist || more here!

Carlos Sainz | 55

Doing interviews was normally boring for Carlos since they tend to ask the same thing over and over again

But somehow, you always made it more fun

Mostly because you couldn't keep your big fat mouth shut and usually went so off-topic they'd need to cut you off

So they asked for the thousandth time, "what do you like about your teammate?"

Usually, Carlos would just repeat that he likes your humor, your positive energy, and great racing skills

But you decided to cut him off and lie for fun

"I like that we can share bras and shit 😄" You say with a bright smile

Carlos' eyes widened as he let out a laugh from shock

"That's not true, we have never shared bras"

"Yeah we have, don't be shy 😆"

Despite how many times Carlos denied it, it was already imprinted in the fandom

Now Carlos is constantly edited with bras on

He's haunted by this every where he goes

Now he can't go to the media pen without being asked "what brand of bras do you recommend?"

Charles Leclerc | 16

Interviews have gotten easier for Charles since his English has improved so much

But you loved to gaslight him and get him to questionable stuff

Some random Sports channel called you and Charles in to film a video

The prompt was that you would be able to edit Charle's bio on Instagram and Twitter and vice-versa

Charles went first, making your bio slightly funny and goofy

He was pretty proud of himself for his creation - despite it not being super funny

But you wanted to go all out - changing his entire bio to be brand new

You handed his phone back to him and showed him the new bio you created for him

"Determined to Breed 😈 🔥 🙏 #16 on Grid + 16 Inches 💪 💯 🏎️ Ferrari Forever ♾️ 🗣️ 🙋‍♂️ Bye bye Carlos 💋 😢 💍"

Charles understood most of it but didn't really care to think too hard about any of it

He assumed all of it was supposed to be some hype gym-bro stuff so he kept it for a WEEK.

The video was still being edited and wouldn't be posted until about 2 weeks

So everyone was going crazy on Twitter and Instagram thinking he got hacked

Charles only changed it after an Italian fan translated it and he went 😨

But it was too late,,, he is now forever known as "Determined to Breed" by everyone

Lando Norris | 04

Interviews were already pretty fun for Lando since he's pretty young and has good energy

But you were a different level of energy, making you blurt out random stuff for fun

Normally it was just fun facts or little stories - but sometimes you would leak secrets about Lando

"What's the biggest flaw in your teammate?"

Lando hated questions like these, but he knew to make it humorous so there'd be no drama

While he was struggling to think of something about you, you instantly blurted out

"His farts smell like absolute ass." You say with a strong emphasis on how bad it smelt

Lando hides his face from embarrassment and tries his best to deny this

"What are you talking about!" He tries to gaslight you, "I've never even farted around you!!!"

"Yes you have!" You argue back "And I can tell everytime you're gonna fart!! Cause you lift one ass cheek up!!!"

Lando loses the argument completely, hiding his face in his legs as the entire camera crew began to laugh at him

Twitter went crazy, saying they got the ick from imagining Lando lifting his cheek to fart

Even the grid found out and started to mock him too

You made him a victim fr 😢

Oscar Piastri | 81

One of your favorite things ever is to LIE :D 🎉

You loved lying, especially about Oscar, it was so fun because he almost never defended himself

He was raised with the mindset of "people will find the truth on their own"

Which was perfect for you cause you could say the most out of pocket shit and he would never ever bother to correct you

You were doing an interview with Oscar, as usual, and they asked the basic standard things that people wanted to know

But you loved to pretend that you and him were much closer than you actually were

Similar to Tyler the Creator and ASAP Rocky - you being Tyler, of course...

"What's your favorite memory with each other?"

Oscar needed a minute to think, because you guys did hang out quite a lot

But you instantly went: "When I went with Oscar to get him circumcised! 😆"

Everyone in the room gasped - not believing it for a second

But thanks to Oscar's deadpan face and sarcastic tone, he was helping them believe you despite it not being true AT ALL.

"Oh yeah, that's my favorite too." he says sarcastically with a small smirk

"I held his hand and helped him breathe and stuff - like he was giving birth"

"Yeah, thanks for that"

"No problem! 😄"

Although everyone could tell it was a lie, the fans loved the fake story and went along with it

So many edits were created that it was impossible for you to like every single one

more here!

[pinkandgoldensoul]

Hi, Italian native speaker here! I don't know how in depth you wanted it to be, but I just love this topic too much not to vent about it. So... Let's start first with Charles!

I'd say he is quite good! If I had to grade him, it’d be B2 level. He can manage conversations just fine; he sometimes struggles with the meanings of words (both when he’s the one listening and when he’s the one speaking) and has a tendency, especially in the last couple of years, to mash up Italian and English words (he either takes the root of the word and make it italianish or translates literally the word, though in Italian it carries a different meaning. Italian is full of “false friends”, real traps for learners). 

When it comes to accent, you can tell he’s not a native (that’s fairly normal) due to the French inflection, vowels’ placement (French-like) and difficulty in pronouncing double consonants (very common). Though, it fluctuates a lot! I remember watching some interviews back in 2019 or 2022 and being absolutely mesmerized by how good his pronunciation was, to the point my best friend - who didn’t know him - asked me if he was Italian lol. Yet, in some interviews he pulls off a heavier French accent or more English vocab mashups. I believe he gets better if he has spent some time around Italian natives (i.e. the team or friends) and he makes a few tiny steps back after spending time with French speakers (family and friends). Absorbing accents from people we listen to is very natural, we all do! And the fact he seems to get onto it so quickly, moving back and forth, hints at how good his ear is. Not surprised he loves music!

Also, something he struggles with sometimes (but I don't blame him, it's confusing as hell per se) is words' stress, especially in verbs. Not all of them, but a few. It's painful to hear, makes me smile, and it's due to a lack of habit (he’s probably less exposed to Italian than what we might think). 

Here some brief examples, especially for people who know a bit of Italian or for those who are simply curious (I could write a 300 pages essay, but can’t afford it now and nobody would read it anyway):

Bahrain 2022, Post Race team radio: SO GOOD. Adrenaline high, yet good accent and double consonants better than usual. (this is the snippet my best friend heard and she was confused… “Why is he called Charles? Isn't he Italian?”)

Los Angeles Vlog at 8:06, talking to Andrea: not so bad when it comes to accent, but two English-like mistakes. Biggest one is creating a new verb from “regret”, i.e. “rigrettare”. (Funny note: Andrea uses the neologism right after, in response)

Charity Football Match 2022: solid interview. I chose this one because I think it represents his average speech (actually average-best).

Abu Dhabi 2024, Post Quali interview: a bit messy, but still manages to get the message across (the whole point of speaking a language). I chose it because this is a moment when he’s stressed out, tired and a bit frustrated (track limits, out of Q1).  (hopefully you can see the ones from the Sky Sport F1 Italy channel even in other countries)

Now, very very briefly on the others because I have no time, but let me know if you need more specific info!

Carlos: thick Spanish accent, but that’s not too penalizing. In this case, as opposed to Charles’, Spanish vowel placements are helpful (pretty similar to Italian, whereas French is a mess); here the problem comes with consonants (especially -g- and -z-). 

Esteban: I can’t find the interview, but I remember listening to him the first time and just jaw-dropping. Gagged. Speechless. It was top notch. Only interviews I managed to find now have him good, but still slightly Frenchy sounding and using English in case of need.

Pierre: pretty Frenchy, but he’s got sooooo much better! He relies sometimes on English too. 

Fernando: Good. A bit Spanishy, but less than Carlos.

Lance (I didn’t knoowwwww, had to search it up): Englishy, a bit of struggling. But I’ve only managed to find one interview, I don’t want to be unfair to him

Ollie: slightly Englishy, but quite good! I think he can master it. 

Nico: controversial. He’s really good, especially with semantics, but at times there are some small slip ups in inflection. I know he can be perfect, and this is why I want him to be perfect all the time. 

Again, let me know if you need insights. Hope this helps!

Quick question: How good is Charles Leclerc’s Italian? Is he fluent? How about his accent? And if you had to rank the best drivers who speak Italian on the grid (Carlos, Esteban, Fernando, Lance, Nico, Ollie, Pierre), how would you rank them? I’ve heard Nico Roseberg considers Italian his first language. This is for very research purposes, so I’d love to know Charles’s specific level!

[helenofblackthorns]

I know everyone wants an updated family tree, and I do too. however I can't help but pity whoever will end up designing that thing because there is no way to make that monstrosity look good. like that job from hell is awaiting someone & I feel bad them already

[sparklecats2009]

Why is your name sparklecats2009?

Today I'm writing a post addressing my name. I am constantly being asked questions about my username, to the point where I am slightly tired of explaining it. So this post is dedicated to this topic.

So, firstly, there is a one big problem that many people don't know, so I am careful to say it:

I grew up in a small area where everyone knows each other, and I wanted to try to create an identity for my art that would allow me to hide from my transphobic family. I wanted a name that would be able to be on my applications, curations, social media, websites, gallery shows, etc, but would not mention my real name upfront.

.. so far, this hasn't worked 100%. It is pretty hard to convince people that sparklecats2009 is my artist alias, and not just a regular username.

On that note: I decided based on my sparklecat thesis that my alias should be a nod to usernames. The internet culture now is very welcoming to using your real name. In fact, it is more professional if you do. However, you used to be hard pressed to find someone on the internet spouting their real name. The early 2000s had many programs and curriculums dedicated to "being safe on the internet", and many encouraged you to make it as unidentifiable as possible. Numbers are a key factor - many people ended up doing their birth year as their username. Sometimes the number was just random.

OK, most people say, I understand you draw sparklecats, but why are you 2009?

Simply put, I didn't think very hard about the number. I just decided that 2009 was the birth year of the sparklecat. This is only anecdotal - many people were drawing sparklecats before 2009, but I personally thought 2009 was the year the phenomenon was fully realized. the user "memoriesofgreen" has done research to indicate that the term "sparkledog" was likely coined around 2007. So I wasn't very far off. While I didn't feel like the specific number was particularly important, I knew the number was important for expressing the username concept.

I don't think we should have to use our legal names for everything. It's stupid. You don't ever get to change your legal name unless you have money and other resources, and you only get one.

NO, when I sign a painting as 2009, that is because it is MY NAME.

NO, I was not born in 2009.

YES, if you refer to me, please use sparklecats2009 in context to my art. It is an important part of my project.

It is similar to when a musician has different aliases for different music projects. I am sparklecats2009 and I make cat fine artwork.

One day I hope people will understand me better.

[reidsnose]

doodles

overview: reader doodles on her hands a lot and spencer has to give into the temptation of coloring it in

genre: flufffffff

a/n: sorry ive havent posted a fic in like a week, ive been in quite a slump but i had this idea well after midnight but i just had to write it so lmk what u guys think of this one :)

masterlist

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-

doodling on your hands: a once nervous habit that had seeped into your everyday life and now is just a regular habit. nearly everyday you would come to work with clean hands and get home with a mini art gallery on your non dominant one.

Spencer admired this from the moment he noticed it. at first he thought you had a tattoo but when you came back the next day with it completely gone, he was a tad confused, only to catch you doodling on that very same hand a couple hours later on the jet. he thought maybe it was an occasional thing, a habit you'd quit once you got better situated into the team, but after nearly a year you still left work almost everyday with some cutesy sketches drawn on your hand.

Spencer found himself looking forward to your doodles, imagining in his head what you might draw each day, and thinking of all the colors you would add if you had the time. being the great profiler that he is, he noticed a pattern: you subconsciously correlated your doodles with your mood.

after especially hard cases or just bad days you always drew roses.

when you were very happy you drew all sorts of fruits.

anxiousness bore little swampy creatures and lily pads.

tired days filled your hands with random, intricate designs that you didn't even have to try hard to make.

and content was anything else.

he was so impressed and absolutely adored your little coping mechanism. watching you concentrate on making those teeny pieces of art simply for your own pleasure was definitely a sight to see. the way your eyebrows furrowed and tongue poked out a bit was absolutely positively adorable. and soon he had noticed that he was looking forward less to the doodles and more to watching you draw them. and after that he began looking forward to just you.

you were sat on the jet with your back to the corner of the last seat on the plane, creating a pattern of roses on the back of your hand. Spencer plopped down in the seat next to you, growing tired of watching from so far away.

"that bad, huh?" he asked, noticing the type of flower you were gracing your hand with.

"hm?" you looked up, confused.

"you only doodle roses on bad days." he explained, pointing to your hand.

"what? no i don't!" you defended, " i just think roses are neat."

to be fair, you were having a bad day but he could've profiled that without the doodle. he cant be right, can he? there was no way you had a mood system for your doodles! unless there was.

"repetitive strokes are therapeutic, so roses being rough days make sense. the spiral in the middle followed by however many layered petals you want is a perfectly repetitive while still interesting enough to doodle."

"if i didn't know any better i'd say you've been spying on me, Dr. Reid," you teased, enjoying the slight rouge that appeared on his cheeks.

"what! no! i'm- i'm a profiler i notice patterns! i just- spying sounds creepy." he stammered.

"ok. how about admiring." you jabbed, turning a little red yourself.

"fine. but you know coloring helps too." he flipped back to the old topic of conversation.

"unfortunately i only have the standard blue, black and red ink."

"roses are red." he chuckled.

"interesting point," you bent down and reached into your bag, pulling out a red pen and handing it to him, "knock yourself out."

"what?" he looked at you slightly bewildered.

"coloring is therapeutic, you said it yourself. and you and i both know that you need something to relax you after a case like that. we all do." you explained, trying to be as nonchalant as you could knowing his skin would touch yours.

he grabbed the pen and clicked it open, coloring smoothly and slowly inside the lines you had already made in black, careful not to go over them and smudge the ink. you and him both tried your best to ignore the warmth shooting through your bodies from every place your hands touched. his fingertips lightly grazing your knuckles as he worked.you worked your way up your arm, giving you both space to work and by the time you landed, you had a half sleeve garden of surprisingly well colored (and somehow shaded) red roses.

you went home that night and bought a pack of colorful (washable) pens, hoping this little rose garden with him wasn't a one time thing. and even if it was, you would want to add your own pop of color to your doodles.

thankfully it wasn't.

you and Spencer found yourselves drawing and coloring on your hand a lot. he would catch you doing it and pop in over your shoulder just to add a touch of color where he thought it fit. and you began to feel sad washing off what the two of you had created that day, feeling nostalgic for time that has hardly passed.

and sometimes on the jet you would get tired of your own skin, so you would draw little doodles on his hand, often times leaving a little heart at the base of his thumb. these little hearts he avoided washing off for as long as he possibly could because they felt like a part of you was always with him. he started doing the same thing to your hand, a sort of signature the two of you shared.

most days, the doodles on your hands were pretty much fully colored in.

but now Spencer began to worry. what if you get ink poisoning because of his coloring? sure, the risk was statistically low, improbable even; but never zero. so one night after work he went out and bought a little sketchbook and on the front he scrawled,

"y/n's super duper special sketchbook"

upon receiving it, after giving him a hug he never wanted to let go of, you took a sharpie and started editing the title he had given it. so it now read:

"y/n and Spencer's super duper special sketchbook"

the two of you used up a whole page that day, front and back filled with all types of fruits. Spencer smiled to himself, knowing this had made you very happy. you took a second to take a step back and admire him doing the very thing he admired you for. and you understood why; he just looked so precious and you suddenly realized you craved the feeling of his hand touching yours. so you leaned over and drew a little black heart at the base of his thumb. he looked up at you, smiling widely before returning a red heart to the base of your thumb.

and you guys tore through that book, using a page a day and filling it cover to cover in no time. your own personal handmade coloring book. it turned out to be both of your most prized possessions, a pang of sadness filling your chests as you finished the last page.

you felt bad taking it home with you that night, wondering if maybe Spencer wanted to keep it. maybe you should keep it at work so you can both have it. thats the fair thing to do. you looked down, smiling sadly at the little red heart on your hand.

he did want to keep it. but he had a better idea in mind. he looked down, smiling excitedly at the little black heart on his hand.

the next day when you arrived to work all your worries were solved. on your desk laid a new sketch book entitled:

"y/n and Spencer's super duper special sketchbook: volume ii"

you laughed as you read a small lilac post it note that said, "i want to keep this one please" signed with a little red heart in the corner.

-

-

ultra mega super cool taglist:

@mac99martin @imhreid @spencersmagic @hollydaisy23 @raelady1184 @a-broken-pact @padfootswife @hey-there-angels @star-stuff-in-the-cosmos @sonnydoesrandomshit @coffeereid-deactivated20210303 @averyhotchner @laurakirsten0502 @reidyoulikeabook @rem-ariiana @spencerreid9 @vampire-overlord @takeyourleap-of-faith @s1utformgg @violetspoetic

[finnlongman]

Couple of thoughts on the changing social media landscape etc...

This blog is, and always has been, a public/mostly professional space. The nature of Tumblr means I can have sideblogs for personal venting and off-topic posts, as many of them as I want, and this blog is fairly carefully curated to be a public-facing page. My mum looks at it sometimes, after all, so anything I post has to be something I'm willing for her to see.

(Note: I think sideblogs and stuff are very important. Everybody needs a space on the internet where they're not being observed by colleagues, supervisors, managers, readers, anyone to whom they owe professional responsibility. A place to be Weird and know that it's not going to impact on their job the next day. If you don't yet have those spaces and you're someone who uses the internet in a professional capacity, I recommend creating them; it's freeing. If you think you've found somebody else's sideblog and they haven't indicated that they want to share it with you, it's polite to pretend you don't know and let them have their Weird Place Space in peace.)

This is a LESS professional space than, say, my website, and I have different rules for myself than I did on other social media. My Twitter policy has long been not to swear on there, and to keep my account reasonably suitable to be read by teenage readers, current/future employers, and other authors alike. Here, I tend to keep my own swearing to a minimum but I'm more relaxed about sharing others' sweary content, and I'll reblog slightly more risqué things (usually relating to the vampire novel).

I've been happy with that balance. It's a place people can follow me as an author, as an academic, and as a person, and get a reasonable mix of my research, my thoughts, and updates on my books, without being unduly formal and without me ever feeling like I couldn't be myself here. And it's a place where I both create my own material and share that of others, tending towards sharing things that are educational or that relate to my own work, but also just vibing.

I've always known, though, that this was not a space for publicity per se. While I do share links to my books here and I know that a few people have bought TBA, I've never been under any illusions about the possibility of Tumblr as a place to advertise myself. Nor do I WANT to do that. Honestly, I've come to resent the pressure to use Twitter as a "brand", as a "promotion" opportunity, when for years it was just a place I hung out as a person. But I'd rather do that there than here, partly because it actually worked there.

If this truly is the decline of Twitter, I don't mind my online socialising becoming more Tumblr-focused. I'm sad about the loss, because I think I'll lose a lot of academic community and opportunities to learn that I previously found on Tumblr, and it's going to be a lot harder to connect with other authors, but it won't be impossible; I have both academic and author friends here. But what I DON'T want is for Tumblr to have to become my Professional Space to the detriment of the fun, low-key vibe I've had going here for the last 11 years.

I'm worried that, if all of my professional contacts migrate here, I will have to start putting a mask on here as well, and I'll feel more pressure to self promote. It'll start to feel like the chore that other social media has become ever since I got published and have had to start using the internet As An Author and not just as a person who also writes books. I am very happy for more people to join this site, but I don't want the side effect of that to be that suddenly all my colleagues are here and I'm in Work Mode all the time.

One of the things I've found hardest about the internet in recent years is the switch from what it was in my teens (place to be weird and unique and unselfconscious) to what it is now (place where I'm expected to be professional and might be observed by my boss, academic colleagues, publisher, readers etc at any time). And Tumblr was for a long time the last bastion against that, even if my mum looks at it. I'll be sad if that goes, because all the sideblogs in the world won't help if actually being here starts to feel like something I do for work.

Crucially, I think the problem is that for career reasons, I need something that does for me what Twitter was doing, but also I was not enjoying that aspect of Twitter and it was not feeling like a fun place to do that, so what I REALLY need is for my career not to rely on me managing to virtually hand-sell my book to people on the internet while I'm just trying to live my life...

Anyway. Just something I'm thinking about as I face down the possibility of this being the main place where I as an author can communicate with potential readers. I don't really want it to be... that, but it might have to be that, and I'm going to be thinking hard about how I navigate that.