#so often nice people are not good people.

[helenoftroydidnothingwrong]

Ok I'm gonna go through this because, while i think it comes from a good place, some of this is misleading (my qualifications is that I have a bachelors in classics and am currently getting my masters, focusing on making classics more accessible to the general public). I want to be so so clear, I am NOT coming for OP, their heart is in the right place obviously, this subject just happens to be what I have devoted my entire life to. If I say something here that is incredibly wrong and you have evidence, PLEASE tell me. Just be nice. Disagreements and wanting to prove someone wrong is the backbone of scholarship. If anyone wants specific sources for what I'm saying, just hit me up.

- this is true, though that doesn't mean that the actual myths will be non-recognizable or anything. The themes you enjoyed from that media will likely still be present. Just remember that Greek mythology was (and still is in some cases) a religion, not a story, and that it was first attested during the bronze age (3300 BCE)

- No myth you know is 100% accurate to Greek mythology, because there is no canon. There is no "original" myth that is the correct one. Ovid did do what he wanted (during the roman republic) with the stories he wrote, but that does not mean none of those elements were present in certain aspects of ancient Greek culture. I could say the same thing about the idea that Perseus killed Medusa.

- It is not a "tumblr invention." This idea is much older than tumblr and also grafts a modern view of morality onto ancient religious figures. Absolutely read the homeric hymn to demeter, as the modern perception of Demeter within the Hades and Persephone story is absolutely sexist. But also consider that there are theories that Persephone (or Kore, to be more specific) went to the underworld and became the queen of the underworld before Hades as a god existed (this is not confirmed; it's a theory, like much of our understanding of Greek mythology). The story has much more depth than "sheltered girl escapes overbearing mother to be with cool bad boy death god" OR "Evil patriarchal god of death kidnaps young girl to be his bride in hell"

- this one's completely right. there's some idea that it is a cognate with a sanskrit word, but there's no definitive evidence

- yeah that's true, but remember that it is often unhelpful to view ancient cultures and stories through a modern moral lens. Not always, but often

- this one too.

- yep. They did often have things that were their "main thing" (Hera and marriage) but also had many aspects that they were worshipped under (Hera Alexandros: Hera protector of heroes). Again, they aren't characters, they are figures in a religion that was practiced for thousands of years.

- Saying Apollo and Artemis' main thing was music and the hunt is misleading. It's true their sun and moon god stuff came in pretty late, but Apollo's connection to prophecy was as strong if not stronger than music, same for Artemis with her patron of young women thing.

- There is some level of difference, but in general yeah. The nuances are pretty small in the grand scheme of things, but also know that Titans didn't just disappear from myths and worship with the olympians showing up. Again, it's a religion, not a novel.

- I mean, yeah? Do people make Hector out to be a villain? Even in Song of Achilles, he wasn't particularly villainous. I might just not have the context for this one

- Wild way to put this, sorry. I once again will hammer home, THERE IS NO GREEK MYTHOLOGY CANON. I don't care what Hesiod says, he is not the be all end all of Ancient Greek religion. There is no Greek Mythology bible. Also the Wikipedia article linked is not entirely accurate when it comes to divorce. It says that divorce was not looked down upon in ancient Greece, which 1. not how ancient Greece worked, it wasn't a single country, it was a bunch of city states linked by common language and culture, with different laws and values. In Medea, she talks about how it was shameful to be divorced because men didn't want a divorced woman. Maybe it was different for men, but yeah. Also, I could find no evidence for a divorce between Hephaestus and Aphrodite. He is said in the Iliad and in the Theogany to be married to Algaia, but the Odyssey says Aphrodite. (this isn't the most reliable source, but it does give line numbers). This could mean about a million things, tbh. It could mean that Aphrodite was syncretized with Algaia, it could mean that an earlier tradition had Algaia as Hephaestus' wife, and Aphrodite was a later one (based on the estimated dates of the Iliad vs Odyssey). It could also mean that there were two different traditions at once. It is near impossible to make a timeline of greek myth that makes sense, but saying that Algaia was Hephaestus' wife after he divorced Aphrodite is misleading at best. Also I know that the google ai thing says that but it is wrong all the time. If you have ancient sources that actually mention a divorce between Hephaestus and Aphrodite, PLEASE send it to me that sounds really interesting.

- sure, that's true. But also do whatever you want. It's more accurate to say asexual, but remember that THEY AREN'T REAL PEOPLE THEY'RE RELIGIOUS FIGURES. Different stories have Artemis falling in love with men and women sometimes. It always ends tragically but it does exist. These aspects were not worshipped everywhere. Do what you want with a modern interpretation, just remember that modern labels for sexuality/gender/etc (and race but we don't have time for that) didn't exist, but can be helpful when looking at ancient figures.

- Ok, yeah, this is what I've been saying. But also "greek and roman versions" imply that they are completely distinct. The end of the Ancient Greece as we think of it overlapped heavily with the beginning of the Roman Republic (and i mean hundreds of years overlap). We can TRY to distinguish older and newer versions but it's not typically helpful. the timeline is long, and the changes are blurred at best, if not completely obscured. If you're interested in seeing how some gods evolved, check out some of Overly Sarcastic Productions vids on youtube. I like the Aphrodite one.

- Sure I guess? So is what you know about Athens, Crete, Corinth, etc. Idk why Sparta is called out here. I guess yeah, don't use 300 as your basis for understanding historical spartan culture?

- I mean yeah, definitely. But also there's a million translations, and everyone is fighting over them all the time. Don't feel bad about choosing an "accessible" or "easy to read" translation. I like the Emily Wilson ones, they sound good and are less sexist in their translation. But also if you're looking at Greek plays (I'm partial to Euripides) watching a production can go a long way to understanding them.

We all go into things with preconceived notions, it's inevitable, but don't let them stop you. Greek mythology and its study are incredibly complex; there are a ton of contradictions, and the experts rarely completely agree with one another. Be open to being wrong, be open to changing your mind, and be open to new evidence being found and wrecking your whole idea of something.

a quick psa to anyone recently getting into greek mythology and is a victim of tumblr and/or tiktok misconceptions:

-there is no shame in being introduced to mytholgy from something like percy jackson, epic the musical or anything like that, but keep in mind that actual myths are going to be VERY different from modern retellings

-the myth of medusa you probably know (her being a victim of poseidon and being cursed by athena) isn't 100% accurate to GREEK mythology (look up ovid)

-there is no version of persephone's abduction in which persephone willingly stays with hades, that's a tumblr invention (look up homeric hymn to demeter)

-as much as i would like it, no, cerberus' name does not mean "spot" (probably a misunderstanding from this wikipedia article)

-zeus isn't the only god who does terrible things to women, your fav male god probably has done the same

-on that note, your fav greek hero has probably done some heinous shit as well

-gods are more complicated than simply being "god of [insert thing]", many titles overlap between gods and some may even change depending on where they were worshipped

-also, apollo and artemis being the gods of the sun and the moon isn't 100% accurate, their main aspects as deities originally were music and the hunt

-titans and gods aren't two wholly different concepts, titan is just the word used to decribe the generation of gods before the olympians

-hector isn't the villain some people make him out to be

-hephaestus WAS married to aphrodite. they divorced. yes, divorce was a thing in ancient greece. hephaestus' wife is aglaia

-ancient greek society didn't have the same concepts of sexuality that we have now, it's incorrect to describe virgin goddesses like artemis and athena as lesbians, BUT it's also not wholly accurate to describe them as aromantic/asexual, it's more complex than that

-you can never fully understand certain myths if you don't understand the societal context in which they were told

-myths have lots and lots of retellings, there isn't one singular "canon", but we can try to distinguish between older and newer versions and bewteen greek and roman versions

-most of what you know about sparta is probably incorrect

-reading/waching retellings is not a substitute to reading the original myths, read the iliad! read the odyssey! i know they may seem intimidating, but they're much more entertaining than you may think

greek mythology is so complex and interesting, don't go into it with preconcieved notions! try to be open to learn!

[peepshow321]

TaskRaccoon Premium: Chapter 1

Josh was at a dead end. For years he had put his entire focus and energy on his education and studies, above his social life, his health, and his finances. He came top of his class in History and Classics and so in his head all that hard l work had paid off, but now that he had graduated... what was next? His classmates had swanned off into internships and graduate programmes, but Josh found himself in the summer after graduating with no job, no prospects and, most importantly, no money.

Josh's parents had supported him throughout his further education, but now that he was back home they decided to treat Josh like an adult. And that meant rent. Josh balked at the suggestion, but his parents were adamant and so Josh found himself on the job hunt.

This proved trickier than Josh anticipated. Turns out the local libraries and bookshops didn't care about his top degree; they wanted experience. And as Josh lowered his sights to restaurants, cafes, even the bowling alley, he found himself receiving the same feedback.

Needing to save making cash quick, a sympathetic interviewer told Josh to pick up the odd job on TaskRaccoon - an app where Josh could choose to help people with tasks like moving furniture, watering plants, doing shopping in exchange for a small fee. It wasn't perfect, especially as Josh didn't really have the build or inclination for manual jobs, and Josh often found himself doing jobs he never expected while at school. But over time Josh felt an unexpected satisfaction with earning a buck and paying his parents. So much so that Josh had bigger aspirations - moving out of his parents place.

That, of course, required money. And while Josh worked hard with the TaskRaccoon jobs he was given, he needed something more.

On a random Tuesday afternoon, a solution seemed to land out of nowhere on Josh's TaskRaccoon app: TaskRaccoon Premium. Out of nowhere, Josh's app pop-up with a link to a Premium version of the app. It was an additional service where workers such as Josh would get a boosted fee for the same types of tasks plus, according to the app, receive "all the skills and know-how to complete the task to perfection." Josh figured that last bit was maybe the app providing how-to guides on how to complete the more common tasks, which he took as a nice freebie.

To lure users in, there was even an offer - sign-up to TaskRaccoon Premium, perform a randomly assigned task, and receive double the boosted fee. Josh had done his fair share of the most common tasks on the app already (walk my dog, assemble my shelves, do my groceries) so figured it was well worth his while to take the gamble. And so Josh bit the bullet, sign up for a Premium account, and waited to be given his first random task.

Without any pause and without any fanfare, Josh's first random task appeared: "I need someone to clean my pool". Josh groaned; it wasn't the first time he had seen a pool cleaning request but it was one he always chose to ignore because he felt he didn't have any of the right equipment and would have no idea where to start. And while this new Premium version had offered access to "skills and know-how", there only thing on the app was an address. Josh couldn't even see an option to cancel.

Josh wavered, but as he saw the blue sky outside and remembered the promise of a doubled fee, he decided to go for it. He could rake some leaves out of a pool easily enough. The address was only a 15 minute drive away, so Josh grabbed the keys to his mum's sedan and got going.

It felt good to be outside and Josh enjoyed the sunny drive. So much so that he didn't notice his mum's humble car begin to change. The front section became blockier and more basic, her touchscreen sat nav becoming an older model. The seats and interior decor became faded, and Josh had to readjust his seating position as the car seemed to somehow lift off the ground. The steering wheel grew in size and, to match it, bizarrely, so did Josh's hands. Without warning, Josh's pale hands began to darken in complexion and as they grasped the now-rough wheel Josh didn't notice the veins that ran down with now lean and well-rounded hands.

Josh pulled up to a red light, momentarily confused about how he seemed to sit above the surrounding cars. He also felt cramped in the car and realised that his seat was pushed up way too far. He, a bit embarrassingly, was the same height as his mum so he never normally had to adjust the seat, but as he pushed the seat back he realised just how much he needed to stretch out his legs. As the light turned to green, he was oblivious to his jeans riding up and becoming a loose pair of swimming shorts, revealing his now lengthy and toned legs, feathered with dark hair.

Josh pulled up at the designated address shortly after, a sizeable house in a nice neighbourhood. As he got of the car, he was for a moment confused by his need to climb out of the car and then felt off balance when he landed on the tarmac. Before he could interrogate any further though, he looked in surprise at the pick-up truck boot filled with pool cleaning gear. A voice in the back of Josh's mind told him to panic - why the hell did he suddenly have all this gear - but remembering that he had a job to do Josh collected the gear and approached the house. Josh stopped en route to take his jumper off to enjoy the warm sun, not noticing the way his new well-fitted tank top which hung closely to his chest and showed off his slightly more toned arms or the darker shade of his skin...

Josh carried the gear with surprising ease to the front door, and was warmly welcomed by a middle-aged women who introduced herself as Beth. Beth showed Josh to her garden where a medium-sized pool sat, clearly long overdue a clean. Josh thanked Beth, pausing a little at the vague lilt coming out of his month. Was it just him, or just his voice sound deeper...

Josh got to work. The pool needed much more than just some leaves removed but with every task, Josh found himself instinctively knowing what to do. Which pump to use, when to apply chemicals, how to get the pH levels perfect, it all just flooded into Josh's mind. And he was surprised at how flexible he was at reaching all the right places - Josh didn't love manual jobs but he almost felt like his reach had gotten better. It was hot work though and Josh removed his baseball hat and towelled his brow and face, briefly feeling unfamiliar stubble on his face and thick short locks of hair on his scalp.

It wasn't long before Josh has completed his job, a sense of pride sweeping over him as he stared into the now pristine waters. That pride however quickly morphed into confusion as he gazed at the reflection in the shimmering water. Maybe it was distorted, but there was no way that that tall, dark reflection could be him. He was shirt, slender, pale, wasn't he?

He dropped his net and stared at his hands. His suddenly thick, dark hands. Josh began to breath sharply as he noticed just how high up he was, that he was in an outfit that he had never bought, and that his short, pale self had seemingly been replaced with a tanned, lean body.

As Josh was clutching at his newly stubbled face and grasping at the space where his small paunch should be, Beth came out with a pitcher of cool lemonade. Josh spun around in panic, and before Beth could say anything he muttered "lo siento" and ran back to his car.

Josh stopped sharply outside as he stared at the beaten up pick up truck outside Beth's drive, a truck that sat where he thought his mum's sedan should be. A truck that keys in his pocket unlocked. Breathing deeply, and trying his best not to panic, he clampered into the car and pulled down the mirror, staring at the unfamiliar dark eyes that stared back at him. Dark eyes amongst a handsome face, with a strong chin covered in thick but trimmed stubble and framed by dark, tightly curled locks. "What the fuck" Josh uttered, eyes widening at the accented deep voice that emerged.

Josh explored his tightly muscled body now covered in a light sweat when his phone pinged. He unlocked it - the phone recognised his face even if Josh didn't - and the TaskRaccoon app popped up, showing a task completed and $500 dollars deposited in his account.

But what kept Josh's eye though were the other task options appearing. There were more pool cleaning jobs, but also other tasks ranging from moving furniture, plumbing, and even covering people's work shifts. Josh noted that there was an option to cancel his "Premium" membership, but some of the fees weren't to be sniffed at. His breathing calmed down and Josh sat into his car seat, and pondered his options.

To be continued...

****

Hi all!

Some of you may have seen this story on other sites, but I'm bringing it to Tumblr for the first time and with pics! There will also be some small tweaks as I post over the next few weeks.

As always, welcome any feedback or chats!

[hxney-lemcn]

these games keep giving me world building ideas so here's a little blurb of a recent thought (Fierce Deity x reader)

You were chosen at a young age to become the caretaker of the shrine that resided near your small village. You had been taught to revere the being of a higher power, told how it protected your village from monsters and brought forth bountiful crops. It was a simple life. The shrine was less of a building and more of a tray resting under a giant tree that people would offer parts of their harvest, and it was your job to keep the area as pristine as one could. You didn't think much of it, in fact you kind of enjoyed your tasks...at least when the weather was nice.

It wasn't till the village had been attacked that everything changed. You lived near the shrine, so you weren't aware of the danger until screams and the smell of smoke permeated the air. Fearful, you hid near the shrine, afraid of what was befalling the people you saw every so often. Tears streamed down your cheeks as you sat in a ball at the base of the giant tree that was the centerpiece of the holy land. When you became old enough, the elder had retired which left you alone, alone, alone...

A new routine had come to be after the village was pillaged and burnt down by raiders. For some reason they hadn't approached your home or the shrine you resided in, perhaps the deity had protected you. And so you carried out your duties, this time finding items to use as offerings as no one else could anymore. It was lonely, but sometimes you swore you caught a glimpse of something in the distance, a person? A beast? You were unsure, but it didn't bring you much fear. Perhaps you were foolish, it was most likely a coincidence that the raiders had missed you...but from a young age it had been drilled in you that every good thing was a blessing or miracle from the one you worshiped.

One day, when you were walking towards the tray to place another offering you had managed to forge, you were surprised to find a man clad in armor standing in front of the giant tree, back facing you. You paused in your step, unease settling in your gut. When was the last time you had spoken to someone? When he turned his head to face you you turned slack jawed. Eyes a milky white were complimented with red and blue war paint.

Who knew you would finally meet the deity you had served all your life?

[pigswithwings]

make the trans people in your life feel special. even if you cant buy roses or whatnot give us the love that the world so nicely denies us. return belongings with a flourish and a "your highness", make trans people feel like royalty. use their pronouns and neopronouns as often as you can. affirm them always. treat them with what you can, when you can. compliment their hair and mean it, compliment them when you can tell they're dressing different for a reason. make them smile. make trans people feel good. make them feel loved. we deserve it

[some-stars]

a whole lot of people in the comments seem to think that there's an impermeable forcefield around their home, and will be very upset to learn just how much fecal bacteria there is on every surface in their living space at all times no matter what they do. sorry to be the one to break this to y'all but the barrier between "inside" and "outside" is more psychological than material!

obviously it's good to wash your hands more often than the average person probably does. i wash mine more frequently since 2020 than i did before--previously it was before cooking/eating and post-bathroom plus anytime something got on them; now it's also when coming home from anywhere medical or crowded high-touch settings like public transit or concerts or handling cash (interestingly this has had zero impact on how often i get sick, which was and remains "virtually never"). however, it is literally impossible to shame people into adopting a new behavior, because that's not how the human/ape brain works. you can shame someone out of doing something bad, but not into doing something good. sorry! you just can't! i know it feels so nice to yell and throw things but it accomplishes the opposite of what you want!

also, here is a sampling of tags on this post that are not thought patterns anyone should be encouraging, and if you find yourself thinking/feeling this way (when you aren't actually medically immunocompromised or living with someone who is, in which case these thoughts still aren't great for you emotionally but at least serve a real function) then you should be concerned:

#i feel so unclean if i don't do it immediately

#does no one else feel like u physically have germs on u when u touch stuff out in public#i come home from shopping and im like ewww eww eww my hands

#any time i leave the house it feels like theres an invisible layer of filth that covers me and gets worse the longer im out

#everything is dirty

#it's like I can feel how my hands are unclean when coming back from outside

#sanitize my hands everytime i'm outside because the world is FILTHY goddamn it

#like you really don’t feel nasty covered in all those outside germs??

further points:

"you all deserve to get covid and die/this is why covid is so bad” COVID is, quite famously, airborne! this reaction tells me that y'all are not logically assessing risks but instead are reacting to the vague horrifying concept of "the Bad Outside World is unbearably filthy and i must preserve my safe clean sanctum", which is not a great starting point for making public policy.

if someone washes their hands before eating, after using the bathroom, when showering, and any time they actually feel or look dirty, we're already at 8-10+ times a day. reacting with violent performative disgust to "i don't wash my hands whenever i return home from outside" as though it was "i never wash my hands ever" is another sign of where these reactions are coming from (not the thinking brain), because that is not what anyone actually voted for!

baffling to me how many people are assuming that everyone is taught as a child to wash their hands every time they come in from outside, because i wasn't and most people i know don't do that (or didn't pre-pandemic). as usual, Your Experiences Are Not Universal.

COVID trauma is very real and understandable, but this level of utter vitriol and loathing for people who don't feel viscerally contaminated when they step outside is just not reflective of reality, and it's certainly not useful for you or anyone else.

We ask your questions anonymously so you don’t have to! Submissions are open on the 1st and 15th of the month.

[lu-is-not-ok]

I think the general "a lot of PM fans refuse to read below the surface or even believe that there *is* something under the surface" I think is a lot of the reason why canto 2 is considered "the worst".

It's probably one of if not *the* canto with the most subtext and subtle foreshadowing, and what it did for Rodion's character was incredible, but because it isn't explicit like with the others most people just brush it off as "Rodion didn't get any development". And the final boss is *so good* narratively and symbolically, but because we don't beat up a giant creature an upsetting amount of people just call it "underwhelming" and "anticlimactic" - just absolutely refusing to engage with the themes and emotions, and refusing to understand *why* the fight was designed around running away instead of facing the representation of Rodion's trauma.

Like you've kinda said before, pretty much the entire plot seems to be hidden in off-handed lines and indirect analogues in the early chapters, but especially canto 2 with just how often those seemingly inconsequential lines keep coming back (and eg, the heartbreaking realisation that Don's outburst at the start of canto 3 (breaking a taboo to prevent a child from being forcibly removed from their father) is almost 1-to-1 foreshadowing of her most painful moment).

tl;dr thank you for being literate, its very nice to see analyses from someone who actually knows how to read the subtext, or in fact the *text*.

Thank you.

Canto 2 genuinely continues to be one of my favorite Cantos purely because of exactly what you say. It is so intricately crafted, every single line has a reason to be there and even now I still find new bits of foreshadowing whenever I come back to it.

Like, I will say the Canto 2 boss fight is a bit. Tedious. In a way that doesn't serve the narrative. Like there didn't need to be so many waves of enemies to make the point it was making. But I also understand why it took the form that it took! There is a reason why it's structured as running away in a chase, if anything I wished they leaned into it more.

But yeah, you're exactly right. It's prevalent in many, Many parts of this community.

[kingofthecotas]

inlooking | ao3

outsider pov aka pecco learns to call ahead | 1.6k

——

“Vale?” Pecco calls as he opens the front door and steps into the house.

It’s more a courtesy than anything; Valentino had said they were always welcome, whether that was the ranch, his motorhome, or his private residence in Tavullia. They have the code for the gate and keys to the front door, but they don’t often abuse the privilege. Even now, all Pecco wants is the hoodie he thinks he left here last time Valentino invited them for drinks.

Hearing movement in the kitchen, he steps down the hallway. “Vale, I just—”

Horrified eyes meet his. Pecco freezes.

“Oh,” Marc Márquez says, then, “Hi,” like he isn’t the last person Pecco expected to see here, like he isn’t holding Valentino’s mug, like he isn’t wearing a VR46 shirt over the kind of tracksuit bottoms you would only pull on if you planned on staying in the house all day.

“Hi,” Pecco manages, punched out of him. His teammate—Marc—in Valentino’s kitchen, drinking his coffee—

“Ah, Pecco.” He almost jumps when Valentino squeezes his shoulders on his way past. “A nice surprise.”

Across the kitchen island, Marc’s dumbstruck gaze hardens into such cold fury that Pecco flinches, turns to Valentino for help.

“I left a jumper here,” he manages, hoping Valentino can sense what the fuck and get me the fuck out of here. “The—the last time.”

“Ah, yes, there are a few—”

Marc places his mug down; careful, but the china rings loud against the marble. His hands are shaking, Pecco notes, and he wonders briefly, wildly, if he’s stumbled into a hostage situation. But this is—Marc, angry, withdraws so that people don’t see, don’t pull it out of him like entrails; Pecco has been with him in enough meetings, enough stewards’ rooms, to recognise that.

“Marc—” Valentino says, honing in on him, all of a sudden the only one in the room, and Marc is slipping around the side of the kitchen, out of the door down the hall. “Marc, wait.” He shoots Pecco an apologetic glance and follows.

“Did you—?” Marc fires, hot and furious, then something else Pecco can’t make out.

A hiss, sucked through teeth. “You always think there is something—”

“Can you fucking blame me?” And the front door slams. An engine starts.

When Valentino comes back into the kitchen, he looks harried. He looks sad.

“I…” Pecco starts, suddenly drowning in the sense that he’s transgressed, somehow. Crossed an invisible line. “I’m really sorry.”

Valentino waves a hand. “No. No, not your fault. Just—we spoke about something, last night, and—bad timing.” He sighs. “Coffee?”

“Yes. Please.”

Valentino carefully pushes Marc’s abandoned mug to the side, saying, “Sometimes he comes back for it, drinks it cold.” Pecco can only stare, horrified. Fascinated. Habits built over more than one morning spent together. He opens his mouth to ask, but Valentino starts grinding the beans, so he just slides onto one of the stools and waits instead. Holds himself still. Tries not to intrude any further.

It’s been a long time since Pecco has been able to see Valentino as anything other than human—larger than life, yes, commanding, always with a smile or a knowing word, but worldly, corporeal. Valentino had seemed to him, when he was a teenager, before he was a mentor and a manager and a friend, to be an unattainable god. This Vale, methodically battling a coffee machine that wouldn’t look out of place inside NASA, seems for the first time like he isn’t only indulging the whims of gravity, but truly feeling the weight of it.

Pecco can’t decide if that’s good. It might be.

He accepts his usual mug, wraps his fingers around it, lets the heat sink into his palms until it’s almost unbearable. This is not quick conversations as their paths cross in the garage, not something polite and cordial in front of television cameras: it’s infinitely better and earth-shatteringly worse.

“So,” he begins, and Christ, the look Valentino shoots him is genuinely apprehensive. “Did—has he gone?”

“Ah…” Valentino shrugs, one-shouldered. “Usually he goes to ride.”

“Usually,” Pecco repeats. Present tense. Ongoing.

“We are trying—it is not good, if we talk while we are angry. So we try to calm down first.”

“Right.” Pecco doesn’t know, can’t comprehend how much hurting and trying it took them to get here. The fact they’re trying at all is fucking seismic. “And he is angry because I am here?”

A sigh. “I—last night I said it would be good—the next time we are all at the ranch, it would be nice for him to be there. So you are used to having him around. And he said he is not ready yet, but then you have arrived today. You can see…”

“Yeah. Shit. Sorry.”

“Not your fault.” Another sigh, diaphragm-deep, and Valentino looks—old. Tired. Eyes tight, mouth pulled taut. “It is actually—very easy to say I love you. The trust—that is the most difficult. I cannot blame him.”

Pecco glances down, taking a sip of his coffee so he doesn’t have to answer that. He doesn’t want to know this, doesn’t feel like he should.

“Sorry,” Valentino adds. “You probably have plans today, yes?”

“Ah, no. Free day.” A day of errands, really, and his hoodie was just one in a long list, but he doesn’t want to leave Valentino teetering by himself, doesn’t want to leave if Marc is tearing around the track alone—if he hasn’t just left. “The trust—it will come. You are both trying.”

“You do not have to stay.”

“I am not finished my coffee,” Pecco says, only half a joke.

“Okay, okay, I am not saying you have to go.” That, at least, makes Valentino crack a smile. “I have—some things. I can be busy. The team have given me homework before Fuji, can you believe this?”

“Homework?”

“So many onboard laps to watch. Just—do not feel you have to keep me company. He will come back.” It’s said with such certainty. Faith.

“I will finish my coffee,” Pecco repeats, “and I still have to find my hoodie.” And then, maybe, Marc will be back.

Valentino certainly seems to think so.

——

Pecco spends the morning in the corner of Valentino’s right-angled sofa, half-watching the GT onboards on the television.

“This is last year?” he asks, when he catches Valentino staring at the wall rather than the screen.

“Ah, yes, yes. This is—not me. I have to watch my stints, and compare.” Valentino raises his eyebrows with a grin. “Homework.”

Pecco snorts. The Ferrari hypercar darts into view on screen. “These things are fast, no? How was it when you tested the BMW?”

“You cannot imagine. It is like a spaceship, Pecco.” Another smile. “Nothing like a bike.”

Down the hall, the lock turns in the front door. Valentino hears it, because he stops for half a beat, freezes, as if for all his confidence, he had thought what if?

Footsteps, then Marc appears in the door, crosses the room in two steps, leans down to Valentino’s level, presses his hand against Valentino’s cheek. “Sorry,” he murmurs, “sorry.”

Even across the room, Pecco can see the way Valentino sags, weary, relieved, and twists his head to kiss the inside of Marc’s wrist. “Your hands are cold. Go and have a shower. I’ll heat up some food.”

The tense line of Marc’s shoulders releases, just a little.

“Your coffee is beside the sink,” Valentino says, soft. “No rush, yes?”

“Okay,” Marc says, and he doesn’t move, still folded over Valentino in the chair.

Marc apologises often, even when he’s in the wrong. It’s an easy word, an easy offering. Whatever this is—it’s effort. It’s trying.

“Pecco, you are staying for lunch?” Vale asks, easy as anything. “I know all you boys want from me is food—”

Pecco begins to protest, and that cracks the ice up Marc’s spine, lets him unfurl and pull away. Absolution sought and found, he disappears again, but this time his steps tread Valentino’s familiar stairs, up two flights to the main bedroom, dancing over the creaky floorboard outside the guest bathroom.

“We have some prepared meals in the fridge, if that is okay,” Valentino says, and Pecco jolts back to himself.

“Ah—yes. Fine. I mean, I can—”

“He will be upset if he thinks he scared you off.” A smirk, and it’s like Vale is back, like he came through the front door with Marc. “You will make Tardozzi so happy, Pecco.”

With a groan, Pecco accepts defeat, because he’s hungry, because it would make Davide smile, because he doesn’t want Marc to think he chased him off. Because Valentino cares that Marc might be upset. “Fine. Thank you.”

He stays on the sofa—Vale flaps his hands when Pecco offers to help—and scrolls absently through his phone, messages his sister to say he will be on time for dinner, just with Valentino for lunch. He doesn’t mention Marc.

“Here.” Marc has appeared again, wet hair flat against his head, one unruly curl threatening to break free. He’s holding Pecco’s hoodie. “This one is yours, no?”

“Yes,” Pecco says, then, “Thanks.” He almost adds a sorry, but decides against it when Marc throws the hoodie at his head. “Fuck you.”

All that gets him is a cackling laugh, and when he emerges from his own jumper, Marc has gone again. Pecco takes a long breath through his nose.

He is going to get off the sofa, and he is going to go into the kitchen, and Marc will be there, and so will Valentino, and—

They will be trying. And that’s good, Pecco thinks. It will be a good thing.

Marc laughs from the kitchen. Pecco puts his phone in his pocket and gets to his feet.

[bogleech]

She deactivated this account after I sent back a pretty long-winded thing, I don't know if she read it or not. She's obviously someone extremely troubled and maybe really young but that isn't an excuse for trying this hard to terrorize people. To ME it's kind of laughable trolling, but that's because I've been on the internet since the 90's, I'm a grown man, and tumblr already knows I'm not any of the things this person might make up about me. Other people who've gotten her gore, porn, threats and accusations in their inboxes have been small blogs with only a few followers, new users, users as young as 13, users with mental illness or traumatic experiences severely exacerbated by the things she was sending.

Imagine being some kid with an already rough life who's trying to form friendships on the limited outlet of social media when all the sudden this totally unknown stranger bombards your inbox with photographs of mutilated bodies and then messages every user in your notes to tell them you're a rapist or something, of course that's fucking scary for a lot of people. Shit, imagine someone who already had to remake their entire online presence to get away from some hardcore weirdo and now they get this shit. They'd have to fear it was all happening again or even that it's their past attacker who managed to hunt them down. It'd be nice if everyone she did this to could find this or other threads about and see that it was all just pointless, meaningless, impersonal spam but I've already heard that some users quit the site altogether because of this individual. I'm sure if she's still around she'll keep looking at this thread so I just have to say: if you're realizing or ever will realize that you went way, way, way too far here, it isn't too late to be better. Nobody knows your real actual identity as far as I know, so as much as you probably don't deserve to be, you are technically safer and more anonymous than a lot of people you went after.

You could just quit doing this stuff any moment, get some kind of help, and build a safer healthier life for yourself that doesn't revolve around rage towards internet strangers. I don't care what you say anybody did; even if they did those things, they don't warrant your shockingly, preposterously escalated reaction and they aren't worth the amount of time, energy and emotional labor it must take to do what you've been doing. A couple of your (former?) "friends" have weighed in distancing themselves from you, but they still also throw in how much they hate your original main target, and I can see that their blogs are devoted entirely to high school drama level gossip. These are not good people. These were likely never real friends. How often did they talk to you about things that make you happy, or things you find interesting? Did they mostly share thoughts with you about books or music or cool hobbies or even just casual trivia? Do you have favorite bands or favorite animals or favorite video games, and do those people bother to know or care what any of them are? Or was your average exchange more like "SHE said THIS about HER and should KILL HERSELF, the WHORE BITCH?" Because it really really looks like that's the most common kind of conversation you all have amongst one another, or at best, it's a kind of conversation you're just as likely to have as the last movie you watched. We all know that type. Speaking of movies, we even see it in a lot of media, and for very good reason, it's always a villain. If that's the dominant kind of socialism you've had, especially since your teens (or you're even still in them) then it must feel like that's just what "friends," do, that they get together and they vent and they gossip and they trash-talk, but that's genuinely not what friendship actually looks like at all and isn't what people can actually bond over in any mutually beneficial way. You should be sharing feelings about things because you find them cool and fun, shit that's special to you, not shit about people you despise or how to get some kind of revenge against them. Get a hobby, literally. Go get yourself into stamp collecting or gardening or comic books or fossils, find stuff that makes you feel good to talk about and people who like talking about those things with you. You've wasted enormous amounts of time now that you could have spent smiling about something cute and nice instead of searching google for crime scene photos or dogfucking as tumblr hatemail ammunition. I feel kind of cringe writing all this myself, like my cynical internet instincts are telling me this is an embarrassing degree of emotional investment to display in a situation that has so little to do with me - I literally only got two messages from this individual, two days ago - but my one little post about it opened up a rabbit hole I still can't wrap my head around. There are legendary Encyclopedia Dramatica horror tales that still aren't exactly as dumbfounding as this is. I've rarely seen anyone in the last 25 years do so much to try and negatively affect so many people for just so little of a reason. You really do not want that to be what you're primarily remembered for. And yes, the extremes it has evidently gone to, especially the type of pornographic material sent to some accounts and the relative ages of some targets, does in fact appear to have crossed the very few lines that can get the police or even FBI involved in an internet harassment case. Assuming you're as young as you seem, you not only don't want to be remembered for this kind of shit, but you don't want to lose possibly years of your one and only youth to criminal charges.

Heads up, a bunch of people today are getting spammed with the same copy/pasted message demanding that you participate in someone else's personal drama.

And the thing is whether you decline to join the crusade against a stranger based entirely on another stranger's word or you just quietly ignore this user, they will later send you photos of dead cats with their guts everywhere????

It'd take a lot more than splatterated animals to rattle me but heads up to those who need a heads up??? If it would severely affect you for this zany brain to send you photos like this you can DM me for the username to block.

[alovelyfrenchworld]

Your Neighborly Orc Part 4

Tomorrow arrived too soon.

You had spent the entire day stressing and preparing for your dinner with Gûruk.

It's not romantic, you kept telling yourself, but did you really believe that?

In the morning when you awoke, you did everything you could to prep yourself. Ever since settling your quaint homestead, you haven't had guests. You had more or less moved far away to be isolated from the cacophany which came with mass amounts of people. However, this wasn't a mass amount of people coming over. This was one person, Gûruk.

For some reason that made it feel all the more different.

You chopped various vegetables you had - some carrots, onions, and potatoes - to add to your, hopefully filling, stew for an orc. If you had the time, you would have gone into town and seen if the little library by the town square had any information on orcs. What does Gûruk eat normally? You've seen him hunting, so you know he must eat meat. Sadly, you didn't have that much, but you added what rabbit meat you could spare, hoping the taste of the tender meat would come through to his inhuman tastebuds.

Four hours you had let the stew simmer. Every so often, you'd taste it nervously. Were the vegetables soft enough? Was the meat cooked all the way through? Was there enough bone broth? Was there too much seasoning? Not enough?

Amidst your cuisine worries, you also had to figure out what to wear. Clothing was not in abundance but did the blue dress look odd? Was the green too on the nose? You eventually settled for a deep teal colored dress with a simple brown leather belt about your waste. You wore simple wooden beaded earrings with your hair pulled hack with a hair pick. It wasn't perfect or graceful, but you felt nice enough. With a berry paste, you gave yourself a little rouge and lip tint to accentuate your features (not that those would matter…right?).

Before you knew it, the sun was beginning to set. The golden light of the approaching night was almost like an alarm as almost immediately, there was a rapping at your door.

Shaken from your worried state, you rushed to the door. On the other side was the big, burly Gûruk. Wearing a fur wrap around his shoulders, polished silver septum ring, and fresh clothing. Too fresh. As if they'd hardly been worn. He was a pleasant sight.

"Hi," you said nervously. "You're here."

"Good evening, Y/N," he responded, gruffly. "I said I would be. Why wouldn't I show?"

At first you thought he was picking, but his expression showed he watch genuinely asking.

"Oh!," you blushed, feeling a little odd for possibly implying he wouldn't come. "No, no, it's not that I didn't think you'd arrive. Only...I am happy you are here."

He returned your smile. It looked odd in contrast to his rough features. A scarred, green face, with a dashing smile. How contradictory.

You invited him in, but he would only enter your home after you.

"It is your space, only when you inhabit it will I feel comfortable being in it." he had said.

Apparently, it is an orcish tradition. Whenever one is invited to a space, you give the host room to move about show them that you are not a threat, but are there for company. You leave your weaponry at the door and then enter behind the host.

Gûruk did not have much on him, except for his recognizable bow and an insanely massize axe that was almost the heighth of your front door.

"I would not have thought orcs had so many traditions when it comes to house visits," you said in a surprised tone. Gûruk was very diligent with place everything by the front door inside.

"Not many people would," he straightened up to his full heighth. Your cottage was quaint at best and having an orc of around 7 feet standing in your living quarters made you hyper aware of how small the space was. "So, what's for supper?"

You led him to the small dining table, now wondering if your chair was too small for him to sit in, and then passed him a bowl of your stew.

Gûruk's large frame looked a bit silly as the chair was so small, but he made no comment. He simply accepted the bowl of stew. Once you had sit down across from him and got ready to eat is when he took his first bite of your home cooking. He let out a low grunt, almost in contemplation.

Shit, is it not good? I think it tastes okay...is my tongue wrong? Am I ill? Did I posion myself and now cannot taste properly? You asked yourself.

"Y/N," Gûruk said. Shit, shit, shit. "You may have to come to the orc encampment and cook now. I cannot taste something this good and go back to my people's cooking."

Flattered, you giggled. A hot blush quickly covered your cheeks. No doubt, did Gûruk notice. At least, if he had, he made no mention.

"Truly?" You asked.

"Honest. I would never lie about food. This is wonderful."

"Thank you, Gûruk. If I am being honest, I spent the whole day stressing about it. I was worried it would not be up to your standards."

Gûruk was visibly taken aback by this.

"When your people live as mine do, there is more focus on survival and less on culinary mastery. Some of my men would love to try this."

Your eyes widened at the mention of it. It sounded so taboo, although feeding local armies are not uncommon...at least, for humans anyway. Orcs are another matter entirely. Sensing your momentary discomfort, Gûruk immediately apologized.

"I did not mean to frighten you! Only that I would feel to selfish to keep this kind of delicacy to myself. I think hearty food is meant to be shared." His own nerves got the better of him, then. Gûruk had cleared the bowl you had offered and in his own nervousness, he twirled the spoon between his fingers. He focused on that repetitive motion for a few silent breaths.

Finally, you were brave enough to speak up.

"I made plenty. Truthfully, I don't know how much orcs eat and I was worried you would be hungry." You got up and showed him the giant pot of stew, not even half empty from what you had served.

Gûruk put his hands on yours, making you lower the pot slightly.

"It is a great kindness, Y/N, but I would not take so much food from you. You need to eat as well." His eyes softened at his last words.

"I eat," you said matter-of-factly. "This is just too much for me to eat before it is spoiled. You set the pot down and showed him your array of jarred foods and edible plants you gathered and shared plans for a bread starter in the upcoming days.

"It still isn't enough." Gûruk chuckled.

"How is it not?" You said, gesturing to everything you just presented.

"You need meat, warm foods, what about those?" He teased. "Or have you been resting because of that nasty fall?"

You playfully smacked his large, rather muscular, arm.

"Not funny! That really hurt..." you teased back, feigning sadness.

His demeanor changed in a flash, concern washing over him.

"Are you bruised at all?"

"Only a little, a hot bath eases the pain some."

"That's good," he smiled. "It would probably be best for you to rest indoors for a few days more."

Hands on your hips, you questioned him.

"Are you telling me what to do?" An eyebrow raised at himw as enough to make him squirm for a second. He stood up to his fool height in order to defend himself.

"No, I only mean to advise," he smirked. "Hunting in these conditions can be treacherous."

"Oh, I understand," you giggled. "Treacherous? How ever will a maiden like me survive the harsh winter?" You pretended to faint, nearly tripping over your cat who was sneaking to the table to steal some food.

The sound of his 'meow' was enough to make you jump, falling into Gûruk at the shock. He caught by the waist, almost instinctually. The sudden closeness made your heart race. Looking up at him meant leaning your head back as far as it went. You apologized profusely to which he said there was no need.

"See? You've proven my point." He laughed.

"You're rigjt," you laughed in return. "Maybe inside is my safest option. However, I still need to hunt. My meat supply is running very low and I need to savour those last bits for my little baby over there."

You pointed to your mischevious cat that was now staring back at the two of you as if he didn't just cause an almost-accident. No thoughts in his mind, just staring into the abyss.

Gûruk realized he had not yet released you and slowly let you go as he spoke.

"If I may return tomorrow morning, I can bring you some more meat. There is an overabundance at camp. It would be a waste for it to rot."

Not stepping back from where he had let you go, you stood in place, firmly.

"I wouldn't want to put more work on you." You replied, apologetically.

"Nonsense," he brushed off the thought. "I do not like food waste. Besides, we cannot let your poor kitty starve."

"Not at all." You grinned.

***

You and Gûruk spent the next couple of hours talking about the weather and asking about each other. He stoked the fire as it was dwindling because, as he put it, "the cat will freeze in these conditions".

You told him about moving out here and how you had found your cat abandoned and starving. He told you about how the orcs have had to relocate and are trying to keep the peace with the humans. He explained how he is hoping that their settlement will be far more permanent than it has been in past years. You agreed, saying you'd hope permanence meant seeing him more.

"I would like that very much." Gûruk's face was very close to yours. You two ended up on your setee across from your armchair, sitting closely to one another by the fire. Your cat took advantage of the empty chair, purring in his sleep as the fire crackled like a lullaby. The closeness to Gûruk allowed you to see his features more carefully in comparison to yours. Everything about him was larger than the average man. His tusks were intimidating in daylight, but by this firelight, they were adorned with a yellow glow that almost made them feel magical.

Unintentionally on both your parts, your conversation slowly faded out as you both leaned into one another. Far more carefully than you would have imagined was possible for such a burly orc, one of Gûruk's hands held your chin up towards him as gave you lightest kiss you'd ever received. Gûruk pulled back and hovered his hand by your face, the loss of contact saddening you.

"I hope that was alright." he muttered, soundign frightened by what your response could be.

"It was more than alright," This time, you initiated a kiss, but with a little more pressure. Nothing agrressive, just more contact. Five more seconds of bliss. "I hope that was alright."

Gûruk blushed, visibly. The pink spreading across his green skin made his cheeks look ignited by an internal fire. "More than so."

"It is getting late." You stated with disappointment. Outside your window, you could see nothing in the pitch black, but could hear the faint sounds of the nocturnal fauna awakening.

"I have to get back. I am sure I have worried my people being gone so long." Gûruk got up in a hurry, grabbing his dear by the door.

You followed suit, anxiety washing over you.

"I am sorry if I have caused trouble, I did not mean to keep you." Your eyes slowly began to well with unwanted tears. You blinked them away quickly, trying not to let Gûruk know of your feelings in the moment.

He took your hand firmly and assured you.

"You have not kept me, I was here of my own free-will. I just have others in my care that need me."

You led him out the door. Once you both were on the porch, he turned to you, making intense eye contact that worried you.

"Would another kiss before I go be overstepping?" He asked.

Rather than replying, you placed a hand on his chest and stood on your tip toes. He understood your meaning and leaned down to meet your lips. A quick peck was all he needed for a smile to return to his face. Lifting a hand of yours to kiss it, he bade you farewell.

"Tomorrow, Y/N, do not forget." he said.

"I won't" you promised.

"Goodnight." He said as he backed away and turned towards his home.

"Goodnight." You replied, the cold winter wind carrying your words to his attentive ears, unbeknownst to you.

TAGLIST:

@silverclawz @beaniebaneenie @jar0fhoney @yourlittlehoe @lem-hhn @apuddleonthelivingroomfloor @graveblanketgreen @blushycadaver @adriennepoison @sunndust

[kryllia]

Before You Knew Him: A Boy Who Watched

(art from @samira_risunki )

This is prequel to my OC Aiden

Aiden learned early that love was something you had to earn.

He was six when he realized that his mother’s love was delicate, breakable—something that could slip through his fingers if he wasn’t careful.

She wasn’t cruel, not exactly. She was beautiful and distant, with a soft voice that could turn sharp in an instant. She was the kind of woman people admired but never truly knew. When she was in a good mood, she would hum while making tea, brush Aiden’s hair gently, and call him her little angel. But on bad days, she would go quiet. She would sigh when he spoke, flinch when he touched her.

And Aiden understood.

He was smart for his age. He knew that if he was too loud, too needy, too much, she would pull away. But if he was perfect—if he was quiet, obedient, and helpful—she would smile at him again. She would stay.

So he learned to be perfect.

He memorized the way she took her coffee, how she liked the curtains drawn just enough to let in light but not too much to cause a glare. He noticed the way she rubbed her temples when she was tired, the way she tapped her nails against the counter when she was stressed.

Aiden became good at watching.

And more than anything, he became good at waiting.

Waiting for a smile, waiting for a touch, waiting for proof that she still loved him.

But love was fragile.

And if you didn’t hold on tight enough, it disappeared.

Aiden was eight when his mother started bringing home men.

They never stayed long, but for the time they were there, they consumed her completely. She would forget little things—his bedtime stories, his favorite meals, the way he hated thunderstorms and needed her to stroke his hair until he fell asleep.

She never noticed that he stood in the hallway at night, listening to her laugh, listening to the way she spoke to them in soft, sugary tones she never used with him.

One day, he came home from school to find one of them sitting at their kitchen table.

"Aiden, sweetheart," his mother said, placing a hand on the man's arm, "this is Mark. Be nice, okay?"

Be nice.

Aiden was always nice.

He watched Mark carefully, analyzing every movement, every word. Mark was loud. He took up too much space. And worst of all, his mother looked at him like he was important.

Aiden didn’t like that.

For weeks, Mark lingered in their lives, leaving his scent on their furniture, his clothes in their laundry. Aiden hated it.

Then one night, he heard them arguing.

Mark was angry, his voice sharp. His mother was crying. Aiden stood outside her bedroom door, his small hands curling into fists. He didn't know what they were fighting about, but he knew what happened when people fought.

Someone left.

And Aiden had already decided it wouldn’t be his mother.

So he did something about it.

He never spoke about what he did. He never had to.

By morning, Mark was gone.

Aiden listened as his mother sighed over her coffee, rubbing her temples. "Some people aren’t meant to stay," she murmured.

And Aiden smiled.

Because he had been right.

Love was fragile. Love needed protecting. And if someone threatened to take it away, you had to make them disappear.

By the time Aiden was ten, he had learned that people were unpredictable. That one wrong move could make them leave.

So he started keeping track of things.

His mother’s routines. The way she spoke when she was happy versus when she was distant. He learned how to anticipate her moods before they shifted, how to make himself useful before she even asked.

He became obsessed with knowing. Because if he knew enough, he could control things. And if he could control things, no one would ever leave again.

At school, he tested it out on teachers, classmates, anyone who mattered. He memorized small details—what made them smile, what made them uncomfortable. And he used it.

A girl in his class, Sophie, lost her homework often. Aiden started reminding her, slipping notes onto her desk before she even realized she had forgotten.

A boy, James, always got nervous before presentations. Aiden would whisper the right answers to him in passing, just loud enough for him to hear.

It made them trust him. Rely on him.

And Aiden loved it.

Because the more they needed him, the more secure he felt.

And the more secure he felt, the less likely they were to leave.

Aiden was twelve when his mother started seeing another man.

This one was different. He stayed longer. He acted like he belonged.

Aiden tried to be patient. He watched, waited, adjusted. But it didn’t work. The man was always there, always touching her, always taking up her time.

And then one night, Aiden heard something he would never forget.

"You need to stop babying him," the man said. "He’s too attached to you. It’s not healthy."

Aiden’s blood ran cold.

Too attached.

Not healthy.

His mother didn’t respond right away. And when she finally did, it was soft, hesitant.

"...Maybe you’re right."

Aiden barely made it to the bathroom before throwing up.

He couldn’t let this happen.

He wouldn’t let this happen.

So he did what he always did.

He watched. He waited. He found the right moment.

And by the time the sun rose, the man was gone.

His mother never spoke about it, just sighed and went back to making tea.

And Aiden knew, deep in his bones, that he had done the right thing.

By the time Aiden was sixteen, he had perfected the art of keeping people close.

He learned that the best way to hold onto someone was to give them exactly what they needed before they even asked.

And when he met you, everything clicked into place.

You were different. Soft. Kind in a way that made his chest ache. You weren’t like his mother, who gave love conditionally. You weren’t like the others, who only stayed until something better came along.

You were special.

And Aiden knew, without a doubt, that he wouldn’t let you slip away.

Not like the others.

Never again.

@magicaldestinyharmony

@unknownmesses

[sseras]

complete beginner's guide to [kpop] giffing, as explained by me!

keep in mind everyone has a different style and process, so there are some things in mine that may not feel intuitive or helpful - if so, don't include it! if you can make the gif, and have fun doing it, that's good enough. this post also assumes interest in specifically kpop giffing, but can for the most part apply to other content as well. i would just recommend different sharpening and coloring for those.

separated by headings (not images, since i need those... for examples) - if you are skipping to a specific section, look for the orange text of what you are looking for!

table of contents: - picking your programs - additional tools and programs (optional) - finding files - importing to photoshop (vapoursynth, screencaps, etc) - photoshop shortcuts and actions - sharpening - coloring - export settings - posting on tumblr

programs:

if you already have photoshop / your giffing program installed and set up, go ahead. if you don't, i would recommend looking here to get photoshop. please make sure you follow instructions carefully and safely! i do know photopea is an alternative people use, and i'm sure there are others. i unfortunately don't know any tutorials to link and probably won't be much help in regards to those programs, but i'm sure there are some floating around on tumblr!

my gif process uses photoshop, so this tutorial assumes that as well. if you use a different one, you might be able to transfer this to what you use, i'm not really sure :(

additional tools and programs: - handbrake: upscaler, found here. i make my own settings and generally only use this on lower quality sources to give vapoursynth a better chance with encoding in higher quality. - davinci resolve: a program i use to make clips appear 60fps when they are choppy or too few frames for the gif to look nice, and occasionally to do pre-photoshop coloring! i use the free version. i do not use this all the time and it is a big program, so definitely don't get it if you think you'd forget to / not want to use it. - yt-dlp: open source, downloads pretty much any file i could want quite well. i use this for most of my downloads and for subtitles as well. does require some knowledge of code, or, at the very least, willingness to troubleshoot set-up. find it here! i can share the command lines i run for: video, audio, vid + sub. - 4k+ downloader: what most people use for youtube-source sets, i believe. you have a limited number of downloads per day on the free version, thus the other downloading programs. - jdownloader2: no limit but sometimes a little slow or will refuse to download because of not being logged into an account, etc. a good download alternative if you plan on downloading a lot and yt-dlp is too much. - vlc: free program, standard on some devices, good for viewing files. - mpv: excellent file viewing, can also deinterlace and screencap (if you do not have / use vapoursynth) - vapoursynth: mac users beware, it's not optimized or set up and is a huge headache. windows users, once you get it set up, it's golden.

finding files, what to look for, and how to use them: how to use is explained here, with a focus on smooth and nice speeds! but finding the file is the first step, so let's head there.

stages: k24hrs (invite only, feel free to private dm or send an ask off anon for a file - i will do my best to get it to you); kpopbuzzhub; sharing korea torrent (requires a torrent app); twitter (shrghkqud (only has recent files) and a few other uploaders, requires much more active searching). there are a few other places you can look, but it is often more trouble than it is worth (or costs $). i am also always willing to help people find materials, so you can ask me to help you look for something or to link a source i used for whatever set.

music videos: also sometimes on k24hrs. i use vimeo a lot (color graders, directors, etc., will upload clearer versions). sharemania.us has some kpop mvs, typically bigger groups (i.e. blackpink). this is a place i check for ggs. and if none of these places or searching for torrents on btdigg, or on google in korean works, i just download the highest quality setting from youtube.

other types: like vlogs and fancams, normally directly downloaded from youtube, instagram, or twitter using yt-dlp or sites specifically for the app (i.e. twittervideodownloader).

what do i look for? 1080i for stages (or 1080p) are often super nice as they're a .ts. 2160p/4k is often ideal, but it also depends on your computer and what you are comfortable working with! generally - not always due to ai upscale - a bigger file size (in the gbs, high mbs like 800) is better and has more detail that will look clear when you work on it. older stages (2nd gen and before, some 3rd gen) and music videos often always are lower quality due to camera quality, and much harder to find. if you have to use the youtube upload for a stage, it is definitely doable, but it may be slightly disappointing in the quality you want to achieve. it depends on what you're comfortable posting and making!

how do i use them? if you use vapoursynth, scenedetect (encode/process whole video) or timestamp (just a small clip) your file - if upscaling, using davinci resolve, or any other pre-processing, do that first. it will pull up a resizer and a program and once you encode, it will give you an output file using the size and settings you put. this will import to photoshop. if using mpv or another screencapping method, take your screencaps (again, all pre-processing first) and prepare to import. there are two ways to do that for screencaps. you can also just watch whatever you downloaded, i'm guilty of downloading concert files just for fun 😅

in the next sections, i will be using four different files of varying quality and sources to explain my steps. hopefully that is helpful!

example file 1 (4k and 60fps, obtained using yt-dlp) example file 2 (1080i, obtained from k24hrs) example file 3 (1080p HD, obtained using yt-dlp) example file 4 (pulled from the gg archive i use, master)

importing to photoshop (vapoursynth and mpv explained): using example file 1, i am processing in vapoursynth - i always do one extra second before and after the clip i actually want so it doesn't cut off any frames i'd like. i adjust my sizes based on what works best for tumblr (540px for wide, 268px for 2 column, and 178 for 3 column). i always use finesharp 1.5 (this setting is up to you! i used to use .7, so totally ok if it changes over time, too!) when you export in vapoursynth, you need the y4m header. i use export to mov preset.

when importing to photoshop using a video (so vapoursynth, video files, not screencaps):

i recommend making your selected range a little bigger than the frames you want so they don't accidentally not get included. delete any extra frames while in the frame animation and then turn it into video timeline. i turn all my layers into a smart object (select them all by clicking the bottom layer and then shift-clicking the top one, or use (on windows) ctrl + alt + a to have it select faster). set timeline framerate (if you want to, i always use 60).

now your smart object is ready to sharpen and color!

using example file 2, i am processing mpv - i hit 'd' until deinterlace is on 'auto'. find the clip you'd like and hit your screencap shortcut (alt+s) for me - your screencaps should be super clear, it depends on how you set up your software (if mpv, what compression you told it). screencaps can take up a ton of storage so i recommend only screencapping what you need and deleting them after. when you hit your shortcut, play the file to the end of the clip you went and hit the screencap shortcut again to stop. your frames should be in the folder you designated as pngs now. delete extra frames now!

you now have two options: import as is, which can be a little slow, or turn them into dicom files. importing as is is done through stack. it will prompt you to select what is being loaded - change Use: to folder, and let it process. it will be slow. hit ok when the file list updates.

when it is done loading: create frame animation -> make frames from layers -> reverse frames. i would crop now using the crop tool for processing speed, and then proceed to do video timeline, smart object, and frame rate. when cropping: on the top, above your document names, the second image should show up on the crop tool - this can set your dimensions. i zoom and crop screencaps using this.

the other option is DICOM files, and what i use. when you have your pngs, do alt + d in the folder (windows) and run this command: ren *.* *.dcm. press enter. it will update the files. on macOs, just rename the file type to .dcm.

then, import as so (it will prompt you to select the folder your .dcm are in, and will not work if the files are not actually DICOM). i find it much faster than the stack import. crop when it is done importing for processing time, like the other screencap import style.

create frame animation -> make frames from layers -> video timeline -> smart object from layers -> 60 fps.

photoshop shortcuts and actions: (windows) - ctrl + alt + a: select all layers - ctrl + shift + alt + w: export as image - ctrl + alt + shift + s: save for web (legacy) - this is the gif one!

actions are imported or created, i've shared my sharpening ones before. there are plenty you can find (or make) for a variety of things, such as aligning objects to a fixed position on all docs, doing the screencap reverse and import for you, etc. they are imported using load actions - select the [downloaded] .atn file and it'll pop up.

sharpening: explained here, and has my actions (feel free to use). very important to the quality and clarity of the gif. the better the file, the clearer a gif looks, sharpening can only do so much. play around during this step!

coloring: very much the most personal taste stage of giffing. i explain my process here. in kpop giffing, we tend to focus on unwhitewashing. other giffing tends to be more aesthetic tastes and fun since the source has better colors to work with.

export settings: these are what i use! you need the 256 colors. i do not recommend lossy or interlaced. i think bicubic sharper is the clearest i have tried.

posting on tumblr: use these dimensions FOR GIFS. edits can be different. height is up to you - i would not go over 800, but i think my quality looks weird past 600 range anyways.

example gifs: yeji, from example file #1, imported using vs. uses no. 1 sharpening (altered) from my pack. colored. zhanghao, from example file #2, imported using mpv and the load via stack. uses no. 4 sharpening (altered) from my pack. colored. taeyeon, from example file #3, imported using mpv and the load via dicom. uses no. 1 sharpening from my pack. colored. eunbi, from example file #4, imported using vs. uses no. 2 sharpening from my pack. colored.

if your gifs don't look how you want right away, that's okay! it takes time. my first ones were not great either. i am always improving on and working on my gifs. good luck and have fun hehe ♡

[officeobject]

(Not sure if I've already reblogged this but oh well).

Also, I saw this before having watched the episode, saw the episode, and they don't even mention him being 19 - it's from a source outside the show (so, a lot of people wouldn't know), she REFERS to him as a teen instead of just saying that young adults (since she and her twin are like, NOT young adults) - are easy to manipulate, so that means she SEES him as a teen, not even as a young adult, and the fact that she even says that, AND the fact that she even mentions his age in any way at all, is sure something - oh, and since we don't get to know his age within the episode, and he LOOKS like a teen/looks like he could be a teen, and it's at some place full of minors, and minors were a big plot-point (and a minor was the REASON Moxxie and Millie even went OUT there), and that she CALLS him a teenager, then for all the viewer's know, he could've been some 16 year old!

Also, now, I hate most teenagers more than the next guy, but I HATE the portrayal of him in the episode - like, why are we supposed to laugh at him getting groomed?! YES he is easy to manipulate, there's a power-dynamic, and he's full of hormones and a brain that hasn't developed yet - AND GUESS WHAT, IT DOESN'T MAKE HER A BETTER PERSON, FOR MANIPULATING HIM ANYWAY! Dude has a reason for dealing with drugs, and the shame and illegality of that, and presumably self-esteem issues, and has some pretty girl he's attracted to, who acts sexual for him, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO LAUGH AT THAT?!

And like, this isn't a teenager suffering their consequences from bad choices, or some jerk getting karma, or anything, this is some 19 year old getting therapy bills pilled up, and it's NOT funny, it's NOT satisfying, and the whole "teenagers easy to manipulate - lmao, so desperate" thing comes off as ageist.

They could've achieved something like that, in other ways - oh and by the way, no kidding there's an easy-to-manipulate teen dealing with drugs - THAT'S KINDA BECAUSE HE'S IN THE AGE MEANT FOR TESTING BOUNDARIES AND GETTING MORE FREEDOM AND FORMING IDENTITY AND DEVELOPING YOUR BRAIN ALL WHILE HORMONES RUSH AROUND - anyways, they could've achieved that, by making teens start drugs or whatever, just because they WANT to, or have some insisting on finding "the one" even though it's some guy who JUUUUUST touches the bar of being a nice person (by teenage standards which is even lower than the normal standards), or randomly jumping into a wall for a dare - in fact, I OFTEN write "youngsters be like" type of humor.

If wanting to write "man, that's a weird thing to say to a teen" type of humor, or something like that, then take inspiration from ME - like, make a character be like "awwww! Are you a good little teenie?!", or take inspiration from weird stuff you'd say when YOU were a teen, or make a character critique teens near a teen on accident, or make someone have a fear of teens to the point of comedy, etc.

And that's not even me MENTIONING, the OTHER weird stuff, from this episode!

"The lengths people go to justify Barbie grooming a teenage boy is so wild. It doesn't matter if he's 19 it's still weird as all hell."

Submitted by anonymous

[alpaca-clouds]

Wait! So, nobody knows there are Pirates of the Caribbean books?

So, a week ago I learned that... really nobody bloody knows about those books? Really?

I knew that Disney really had not done their part in advertising those books, only to then be very surprised to learn that the books did not sell. Like, duh, Disney, in a pre-tiktok world, you cannot just assume that people will find out about those books you publish, if you do not tell anyone about it. Unbelievable, isn't it?

But yeah, indeed. There are a couple of pirates of the Caribbean books. Now mind you, most of those books - or rather: all but one - are "young reader" books, so they are not particularly challenging in terms of language, or story. They have been released under Disney Press and mostly have been marketed through Scholastic back in the day. (As such, it will not surprise you to learn: None of these books ever was translated into any non-English language.)

Only one book I would actually call GOOD. The one that was not targeted at kids. However, I will say: I had fun with all of the books back in the day. They were fun books, that often did immitate the voice of the characters rather well, and gave some nice interesting background to the universe as a whole. So... Let me talk about the books a bit.

The Jack Sparrow Series

The Jack Sparrow series is the longest series among the Pirates of the Caribbean books, that basically go into Jack's life as a teenager. Long story short: Growing up as Teague's son, he kinda rebels against his father a lot. Thus, he runs away as a young teen and finds his own pirate crew. Most notably among them of course a certain Bootstraps Bill.

There are a couple of other characters in this. We see for example the young Annamaria, and some other background characters from the movie as crewmates. We also see his first meeting with both Norrington and Gibbs in those books.

Additionally these books (again, this is a fairly long series) go a lot furhter into the Nahua gods and how they cursed Cortez, as Cortez's ghost is a recurring villain in those books. And yes, this quite clearly says: Jack knew the gold was cursed. He knew from the beginning, but it is one of those common themes: Nobody ever listens to good old Jack.

It should be noted: These are books for fairly young readers. Meaning: The prose is fairly simple as it is aimed at a very young reading level. Meaning, too, that the books are fairly short. For the books of this series I usually needed about two to three hours per book to read it from beginning to end. I would guess most of these books are about 30-40k in length.

Now, compared to the other books, these apparently did not sell that bad. I would argue that this mainly is because even if the kids who found those books at Scholastic did not need to be very invested in the franchise to read those books. They were fairly nice child friendly Pirate adventures.

The books are named:

The Coming Storm

The Siren Song

The Pirates Chase

The Sword of Cortez

The Age of Bronze

Silver

City of Gold

The Timekeeper

Dance of the Hours

Sins of the Father

Poseidon's Peak

Bold New Horizons

The Tale of Billy Turner and other Stories (anthology of the side characters of the series and what they do after the end of the series.)

Now, the books are technically out of print by now. Though I think these are fairly available in libraries still - and go for fair prizes on used book portals. So these are probably the easiest books from this list to get.

The Price of Freedom

Now, chronologically the next books that came out for Pirates of the Caribbean, is also the one actual adult novel. The Price of Freedom. If you wonder where you know the name of the author from: A.C. Crispin is fairly known for her writing of extended universe material. Most notably she has written the Spock series for Star Trek and the Han Solo trilogy for the Star Wars books, though I guess those are among the "Legends" now.

This is actually written as a proper novel - and a long novel at this. The book has more than 600 pages.

This story starts out with Jack Sparrow having joined the EITC. Having worked for them for a couple of years now, he is by now the First Mate on the ship The Wicked Wench. When the ship gets attacked by pirates, the current Captain suffers a heart attack and dies, making Jack finish the trading route on his own. Eventually he makes port in Africa, where the current overseer of the EITC hears of this: Cuttler Beckett. He invites Jack to his mansion, realizing the two of them have much in common. Most notably, they both believe in the magical things out at sea - and that there is indeed a magical island somewhere out there.

Now, Cuttler Beckett has two slaves working on his estate, that he suspects of stemming from that island, and he has a plan: If Jack saved those slaves, they might be willing to tell Jack about that magical place - and if Beckett then is able to find the island, he could not only proof his family, that he is not insane, but also gain the Lord title, he has been trying to get for so many years.

As I said: This book is actually really good. Like, sure, some things in it have not aged perfectly, I generally have to say it still aged fairly well. Most notably for a book that came out in 2011 is that the main relationship in this book is a polyamorous relationship between Jack and two non-white women.

(It should be noted: It is fairly clear in the books that Jack is mixed race and at the very least quarter-Black. Think of that what you will. This is not really white-washing of a character, given that indeed the authors of the screenplay wrote him as white - but books then gave his mother African ancestry.)

Sadly, nobody fucking knows that this book exists, because Disney has not marketed this back when it came out AT ALL. This book's release was so underadvertized (even though it released basically at the same time as the 4th movie), that several book logistics companies had not stocked this at all. So, obviously this book did not sell at all, and never got a second print, making it expensive as fuck. However, you can borrow it in several libraries still.

Due to the bad sales and the fact that Crispin was diagnosed with cancer not long after the book came out and died of it, we sadly never got a sequel to this book, which means that we also do not know how the story of certain characters end.

The Legends of the Breathren Court

Rob Kidd, who wrote the young Jack Sparrow books, was also hired to write another series of books that were once more aimed at young readers.

The plot is basically like this: Jack had gotten himself a curse - which is bad. But there are even worse news: He needs the help of the other pirate lords to safe himself. The only good news: He has the Pearl now, the fastest ship in the Caribbean, thanks due some minor magical upgrades. But it is not going to be easy to convince the other pirate lords to help him.

Now, I should say: This series sold by far the worst. I would argue the main issue is, that these are kids books, but take place when Jack is in his 30s. While the Jack Sparrow books could be easily understood by kids, who had nearly no idea about the plot of the movies, you do need to understand the movies for this series rather well. So yeah. The book series was cancelled halfway through, though Robb Kidd did those fans of the series a solid, by convincing Disney to allow him to at least provide the last few books as epubs on his website. :)

Still, the series was cut down due to the cancellation. So the ending is a bit... chaotic.

The series is made up of the following books:

The Caribbean

Rising in the East

The Turning Tide

Wild Waters

Day of the Shadow

These books are usually available easily online. Not to buy, but, you know... Through other means.

Some thoughts in the end

I am honestly kinda sad, that the entire thing with those books never went anywhere. Disney did want at some point to get an extended Universe going for Pirates of the Caribbean, with more lore and everything. Back in the day there was also a game in development, that was supposed to be a AAA single player experience - but basically they cancelled it pretty much last minute. :/ And it is kinda sad.

I do think that this franchise could have been very interesting - if Disney did not rely too much on Jack Sparrow as a character. Now outside of Depp being a misogynist pig who needs, but refuses therapy, I do think that generally speaking the franchise would have been stronger, if they did not construct everything around this one character. Because fun fact: We do not have a whole lot of seafaring fantasy stuff out there and the worldbuilding in those books is really super interesting.

Some part of me wants to write a sequel to Price of Freedom - but I doubt that anyone is ever gonna read that, based that nobody knows the book xD

[shatcey]

Vivi's answers (translation + my comments)

I'm not familiar with JP, and the way I've translated all of this MAY not be entirely accurate. And I'm definitely not aware of some of the specific terms and jokes that could be used here. For this reason, I am adding screenshots from X/Twitter with the original text, and below I give my translation. And I used a gender-neutral (green) color for the questions. It's NOT because I don't like pink, I just chose a gender-neutral color!!!

Vivi is… so… different… I'm delighted!

Victor began with a very enthusiastic greeting.

Come, come here! I've been waiting for you! How are you feeling today? Let me hear your cute voice!

And a few minutes later he answered one of the reply to his previous post.

Yes, yes, you are the most lovely when you are full of energy! Let's have a good time today!

We start the tea party, so Vivi asks what we would like to eat (am I the only one who, after hearing "tea party", thinks about tea and lots of sweets?)

I've prepared a lot of things today, I hope you enjoy it… scones with extra butter, chocolate, fish and chips… Which ones do you like?

He answered a few questions. Mostly people wanted his signature scones. But one of them asked about the chocolate

I love chocolate♡

Thank you for the chocolate you gave me the other day. It probably won't compare to the one you gave me, but I'm sure this one is delicious as well.

and one about fish and chips

Fish and chips (≧∇≦)

I just fried them up to deliver them hot and fresh. Enjoy my homemade fish and chips!

After that he remind us that it is a White Day

Today is White Day, so I want to express my gratitude to you with lots of thanks. Of course, I always appreciate you, but today is even more special, isn't?

And now… He will read our questions (yeah, let's pretend that we believe him)

Right, let's check the report you prepared! You have something you want to ask me? Let's see...

About loneliness (not as subtle as you think, Vivi).

Victor, thank you for your hard work as always! I'm so happy to have tea with Victor 💠 so happy~ Without further ado, I have a question! I have to live alone in a quite distant area soon. Could you give me some advice on how to feel less lonely?

Good job! I'm happy to have fun with you as well. Leaving familiar places can be a bit lonely, right? But I think it will be nice to explore new places too! It's important to find a place where you don't feel lonely, isn't it? For example, right next to me.

Cooking advice (I'm not sure if I got it right… I literally turned the translated sentence upside down)

The other day I tried the sweets Victor recommended! I remember you often make scones, but I wonder if Victor likes to make any other sweets. Also I'm not a very good cook… Victor knows how to cook more than just sweets. Could you please give some tips on how to cook when you are busy!

Thank you, I'm glad you like them because they are all my favorite sweets. I make it while imagining the faces of everyone at the Crown enjoying it. When you make something thinking about the person who will eat it, you naturally feel happy. Alright, how about we practice cooking together? Let's start with scones, what do you say?

Deserted island (he's so cute…)

When you woke up in the morning, you was a deserted island. 🏝️ What would Victor do first…? 🤔

I'll check if you're safe next to me. When I'm on the deserted island, I'm sure you'll be with me as well. Until the others from the Crown come to pick us up, how about we develop the deserted island together and make it like a tourist spot? As long as you're with me, I'll be happy no matter where I am.

If you're in love? (I'm… not suprised)

How would you act towards a person you like?

It may not be obvious from my behavior… but deep down I hope you fall madly in love with me.

Post of adoration

Since meeting Victor, every day has been truly enjoyable.🫶 Thank you for meeting me.🥹💖 I hope you will continue to be with me ❣️ I love you ❣️

Thank you, I'm glad I met you too. I've enjoyed every day since I met you. You're a jewel that sparkles and lights up my days. Keep shining by my side in the future.

How do you relax? (it's not creepy at all)

Victor, I am very grateful to you for hosting the tea party, despite the fact that I are so busy. However, I would like to ask you something. I was planning to relax on my day off, but I ended up thinking about work. How can I make sure to spend my free time relaxing?

No matter how busy I am, I'll make time for you! It's common to think about work on weekends, right? But at this time, I'm always thinking about you. I wonder if you've woken up yet, what you've eaten today, and if I should come over to your place… I think about you even on weekends.

How to stay positive?

Lately, I've noticed that my mood has been declining and I've been feeling negative🌀 How can I lift my spirits and get through the day?😭

You don't have to force yourself to cheer up. But if you want to feel happy, I'll do it for you. Just call me anytime, lady.

Pamper me, Victor! (I'm blushing. Victor knows how to hint. I am very, very happy!)

Sometimes the work is tough, but when I see Victor working hard as the Queen's aide and with Crown, it makes me want to do my best as well. But... I also want to receive a reward. So, today… I would like to add extra butter… I want to pamper Victor and I want Victor to pamper me as well…

Asking for a reward is always welcome. I'm always up for a treat, I'm always up for spoiling you. Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll make it happen. Even things like this as well... Oops, maybe that's a bit too stimulating.

Where is Victor's room? (creepy yandere… of course, I'm just imagining. I can't believe he said "fu-fu"… This is Gilbert and Ellis' favorite word!!!)

How are the rooms arranged at Crown Castle? I don't know where Victor's room is, so I want to ask before I get lost.

Fufu, I'm sorry, I imagined you getting lost looking for my room, and it was so cute that I couldn't hide my feelings. Someday you'll see my room. You don't have to know where the rooms of the other Crown members, do you? You don't have to go… into some other guy's room besides me, right? Just kidding.

Stuffed toys (so Vivi made the Ellis' toy which was in the "Sick Jude" card??? WHAT????)

Could you help me make a stuffed toy of a ruthless intelligent gangster? 🥹 I also want all the Crown members' stuffed toys to be filled with Vic's love. 💜

Do you like making stuffed toys too? I'm glad that you and I have a common hobby! Okay, this is Jude's stuffed toy, right? I made Ellis's toys the other day, so I'll help you put them next to each other as fast as I can! If I get caught and he gets angry, we'll share the blame.

What do you find sexy? (blushing furiously. Who is this man?)

I think Victor's lip mole is sexy💕,but could you tell me what you consider sexy about yourself?✨

Thank you, I don't really know myself, but I'm happy to hear you say I'm sexy. I wonder where else I'm sexy... Could you tell me? Go ahead, feel free to touch...

Except for sweets

Sorry to interrupt your sweet tea time 🙇‍♀️ Is Victor good with spicy or sour foods?

I can eat anything delicious! In fact, I don't have anything that I don't like. What about you? I would like to know your food preferences so that I can invite you to dinner.

A bad boss (you can't concentrate… and how will you do your job if she's going to be always by your side on your route, I wonder…)

I always go to work before 7am, before anyone else, and I work hard, but my boss is always complaining and scolding me. Honestly, I'm really exhausted… I wish I had a boss like Victor ……

Yeah, if I were your boss, I'd just keep praising and pampering you… Not good, you might be too cute for me to focus on work. Thank you for your hard work every day. I'm very proud of all the effort you put in.

A small problem

I was faithful to my evil nature and fed my body with sweets, and now I stuck in the swimming ring and cannot take it off! What should I do?! 😭

Sorry, you really are in trouble, but… …you're just too cute!!!! Do I really have to take it? If you insist, I guess I have no choice. When you put in the effort, I have to put in the effort as well.

Pep-talk! (This is deep. It took me a while to figure out what he meant)

I've been thinking about Victor too much and I can't focus on finding a job. 😭 I would be happy if you would scold me a little 🙇

Scolding… Can't a kiss serve the same purpose? I'm sure you'll be fine, you'll make the choice yourself. Believe in yourself more than anyone else, and if you can't, I want you to believe in yourself as much as I believe in you.

The shrinked Crown member (I'm not sure about Vivi's reply… he suddenly switched from "you" to "me".. so it's weird)

What would you do if a Crown member suddenly shrank due to some drug or something, Victor…!? Will you take good care of them...? 💭

Come to think of it, there was an incident like that the other day… I'm going to ask you to write a report next time. Of course, I'll take good care of them! And if I suddenly get small, I'd like you to look after me.

What do you do on your day off? (He's so sweet!!!)

Having tea party with Victor feels like a dream come true☕️🫖 Today, I brought you these 【💀scones】 that I made with you in mind🫡✨ Let's all eat together🍽️ What does Victor do on his days off from work?? 🤔🖤

Thank you! Wow… I'm so happy! But I can't share it with everyone. This is just for me. I rarely get a full day off, but I often go to buy gifts for Crown. But if I can spend time with you, I'll make as much time off as you need.

Hairstyles (The first and most important! Kate has a hairstyle, and it's cute!!! And again… Who is this man? I'm blushing furiously)

Victor is the only character with long hair, but does he do any hair styling? Please make Komadori's hair cute too❣️

I don't do hair arranging, but you can have as much as you want! Touching your hair makes me want to touch more parts of you, and I'm happy to reach out if that's what you want.

About drinks (will it be in his "Chronicles" or on his route???)

Victor is very good at handling alcohol, but what kind of alcohol does he drink most often? 🍷 By the way, is William still the member of the Crown you drink with most often?

Wine, I think… The first time William and I drank wine together, that day he was …… Fufu, I should stop. Someday, I'll tell you about our meeting and the beginning of the Crown.

Then was a poll, I mentioned earlier.

Then he said he wouldn't let us go (not creepy at all)

You're such a troublesome child, but it's cute as well. Is it okay if I'm going to take you seriously? I'll make sure that you can't escape from me. Just kidding, did that surprise you?

And after that, they provided us with information about the release date.

I am very glad that they added a real-time interactive part. This kind of adds realism to this tea party. And I like that Vivi (although I still think it wasn't him) was quite recognizable. Cute and funny. On his English release, I need to prepare a more serious question. I want to hear a serious answer from him. I like that side of him too.

In the end… he did not answer about how long ago and why he started growing his hair (there was such a question, maybe even more than one), how he takes care of them. He shrugged off the question about his favorite food. I'm sure he's not being completely honest. I don't know why I'm so sure of that. Maybe I just don't wanna think about how much he and Ally have in common. It gives me the creeps.

Obviously, he wasn't answering questions about his secrets…

And… I'm a little worried about his sudden shift from subtle (or not so) hints to outright flirting… It's so unexpected, and I'm completely unprepared for it.

And I really hope to hear about Crown from the Chronicles. It should be in the Chronicles. His route should be more dedicated to him than to the boys… Am I expecting too much?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

🔝 𝕊𝕋𝔸ℝ𝕋 ℙ𝔸𝔾𝔼 🔝

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[gaycodedvillainy]

This is true! And also probably a lot less of a learning curve before seeing nice looking result than you might be expecting, and also some of the projects you see might take shorter than you expect

I started crochet from the “ok so how does a basic stitch work?” about a month ago, and I’m already making clothes I’m comfortable wearing to work — my hat today was made by me, for me, and looks like something you could buy, and took me maybe 3 hours to make collectively, including finding materials and a pattern to work from

(For the record I make a lot of my own clothes, via sewing (I started sewing like 2 years ago) and now crochet, and the following is all coming from that experience)

A few things I think people could do to avoid that “DIY look”:

1. Finding Good Patterns. With the rise of fast fashion, a lot of cheaper patterns have been less targeted towards, essentially, people who want to learn sewing as an arts and crafts hobby, and less targeted towards people who want to wear the clothes. They often lag stylistically, they don’t readily account for how pattern alterations are no longer a household skill, these are the ones that will “look DIY”, or sometimes a bit too much like that one Christian homeschool family tm. when you get outside of that bracket, to patterns which look good or are more easily adjustable, they tend to more often assume you already know how to do things (leading to very chaotic or incomplete instructions).

YouTube and other clickbait crafting sources can also set you up on the pattern or instruction front — if you are a beginner who is feeling discouraged by your sewing projects looking kinda bad in comparison to an EQ store bought garment, I would recommend against going to something marketed too much as a beginner project (many of these are not actually for people who want to wear the clothes and are more for the “here is something to teach the child how to sew” market — they will look like it), and go to like a medium level project, and plan to fuck it up a few times before you make a nice one. Additionally, Look at the photo shown with the garment and consider whether it will look as good in the fabric you plan to use, how much of any photography is working there lighting, and be ok with dropping a few which are just being packaged prettily.

Alternatively, take a piece of clothing you know fits you well and trace out a pattern from it — my first shirts done 2 years ago were done this way, and held together with staples. I wouldn’t recommend actually wearing the stapled version much, but otherwise? It worked fine

2. Plan to have a fuck up round when you start a new pattern. Tbh this is true in almost any art, but with sewing in particular (because once it’s cut it’s cut) just have some of the cheapest fabric that won’t affect the way it sits too much, and make a first pass to see: a. what the process is like, get the ducking up out of your system. b. How does the pattern actually fit on you? Make your adjustments on the cheap one and transfer that to the end garment—you can then use that pattern for as many clothes as you get the fabric for. Also a good idea to do test swatches.

3. Material selection, know when it matters and how. The hat I’m wearing now partially looks this good because I went ahead and bought the 7$ ball of yarn rather than the $3 red heart value saver. There’s a time and place for the $3 red heart value saver yarn, but if you want to look like something from a store, they aren’t using value saver yarn for most things. This is not to say that you need to spend a fortune on materials, unless you’re wanting to work with fur or to be on a level with formal wear or higher fashion, but if the store made it out of denim and you make it out of felt, it will not look or feel the same. You can still do it! And look amazing! But like, do so consciously rather than by accident.

Overstock suppliers are a good source for more traditional apparel fabrics, and you can look up guides on a lot of patterns to see what fabrics are recommended.

Go ahead and just use thread marked for machine quilting, upholstery, or other heavier use options. That stuff they sell in the emergency stitch kits in the grocery stores or wherever is awful to work with and breaks.

4. Machine crafting will look different. If you’re hand sewing, unless you have ungodly tiny and even stitches, the seams will look different—some machines are needed for some types of stitches, but are expensive (look at the hem of a t shirt at the sort of loopy seam along the hem as an example — that’s from a flatlock sewing machine, which tend to use 8 spools of thread at a time, and which is decidedly outside of my budget — I use a zigzag stitch instead and while it is functional, it looks different) There are certain kinds of fasteners which are affixed via heavy machinery or fastener specific machines you are unlikely to have.

Ultimately, all of this still ends up looking good with the DIY or affordable option

5. Even if you don’t wanna make your own things wholecloth, there are a lot of little useful skills which can save you trouble in the long run, and honestly take almost no time to learn. Sewing buttons on is a wonderfully simple but useful skill — zippers are also a deceptively simple replaceable feature which can rescue a jacket you’d otherwise have to toss. Magnetic snap clasps (like purses use) tend to be sold solo, as are purse handles and their hook ups, and are one of the most often broken parts of a purse. Clothing snaps are stupid easy to apply, and only require you to already have a hammer (no needle, no thread, they come with the guide)

Let go of the idea that diy will inherently look shit. All your clothes are handmade you just don't see the people doing it.

[anxiousthoughts365]

Acorn

All ages, everybody lives.

'Bilbo?'

'Mmm?' Bilbo hummed, not looking away from his page. He was entrenched in some old ledgers that Ori had salvaged from the wreckage of the library, and Bilbo had instantly been fascinated by the detailed records that Thorin's forebears had kept about their trading agreements and proposals. It was giving him lots of good ideas.

'Amrâlimê.' Thorin's voice was more insistent this time, coupled with a somewhat impatient squeeze to the Hobbit's hand, which Bilbo had quite forgotten that the King was holding. It made Bilbo drag his eyes away from the meticulous columns of numbers, and he tilted his head to the side when he found his Dwarf looking at him nervously.

'Sorry, my love. What is it?'

'I wonder, do you still have that acorn that Beorn gifted you?'

The question instantly set Bilbo on edge. Of course he still had the acorn - it was tucked away safely in the drawer of his bedside table. When he'd been given it, he had made it quite clear that he intended to plant that acorn back home, in Bag End. But since then, he'd fallen in love with a Dwarrow King, and had made quite a nice, cosy home for himself within a mountain. Thorin's question felt oddly loaded, and Bilbo did not enjoy uncertainty.

'Yes,' he said slowly, cautiously. 'Why?'

'How would you feel ...' Thorin paused, and looked down at Bilbo's hand, which he was now toying with between both of his huge, rough hands. Hands that were often surprising with how gently they could touch. The King swallowed, then asked without looking up, 'How would you feel about planting it here? In Erebor?'

'You know that it would need soil and sunlight, and that it will grow into a very large tree, yes?' Bilbo murmured, not unkindly. His heart leapt at the thought of an oak tree near the mountain - he'd toyed with the idea himself for some time. But Thorin was making it sound as though he planned to plant it ... Inside the mountain?

'I am aware,' Thorin rumbled, finally meeting Bilbo's gaze to flash him a wry smirk. The expression faltered slightly as he pressed on, 'I know that you had planned to plant it in the Shire. And if you still wish to do so, then I would be more than happy to escort you there. But if you are amenable, I wondered if we might dig a space for it here, perhaps in the centre of the mountain? We could transport in the soil, and reflect in the sunlight with the mirrors. And -'

'Alright, I hear that you've clearly thought this through,' Bilbo soothed, laying his hand over Thorin's to still them from their near frantic movements. He smiled a little when the King's shoulders released some tension at his touch before he asked, 'I hear your plan to make this happen, but I have not yet heard why you would want to do it.'

'I feel that it would hold great significance,' Thorin murmured, his eyes finding Bilbo's again. 'For many reasons. I was named for bearing an oaken branch for a shield into battle. And we know that from tiny acorns grow big trees over time, which is how it feels to be growing the popluation of my people here. And then, of course, there's you.'

'Me?'

'You.' Thorin leaned forward, over the small gap between their armchairs positioned side by side in front of the fire, and tucked a curl behind Bilbo's pointed ear. 'You, who carried and cared for such a small thing over such a long, harrowing journey, until it would find its final resting place. You, who helped us to reclaim our mountain, despite being the smallest and most unsuspecting of us. You, Bilbo Baggins, who are, at least in my eyes, the very heart of this mountain.'

Bilbo had to swallow hard against the lump that had risen in his throat before he was able to choke out, 'Let's plant a tree under a mountain, Thorin Oakenshield.'