#the like to reblog ratio has been getting more and more lately and its just infuriating | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mangostarjam · 2 days

Note

fuji!! how are you doing on this fine day lovely lady? i'm responding to our thread here bc idk what the etiquette is on reblogging long ass conversations on the same thread lmao so to be safe i'll just send u a new ask.

soupmates is so cute and i love when typos become canon jargon in friendships hehe. you've made me crave croissants again and i am wistfully thinking of how we have a rule that while we're in france, if one of us asks "what time is it?" the other is legally obligated to respond "croissant o'clock" and then we go find a boulangerie. this is how we end up eating 8 croissants/day whenever we're there.

wttcsms is on my deep dive list too!! every time i see them on my dash i'm like how does it feel to never be wrong? ack i've just been so busy that the only time i have to trawl tumblr is during my unhinged insomnia hours when i'm only half aware of what i'm keyboard vomiting lmao NO FILTER only screeching.

okay not mushrooms but this weekend i was busy running around the kitchen experimenting with my lil hoard of fig leaves! i made fig leaf syrup, fig leaf oil, and experimented with dehydrating and freezing the leaves for preservation. i also tested different ratios of toasted fig leaves and pandan in creme brulee and panna cotta so i could see how the flavors bloom in dairy in preparation for the idea i had for my cake. then i gave all the excess treats to baristas at our fave local coffee joints bc i'm not a huge sweet tooth and this was tew much dessert! after i found a ratio i thought worked, i made the cake except i'm afraid it's going to turn out hideous (it's still in its cake ring rn) but it's basically a first draft cake and i can refine it next time! you should see the notes i took on it. i always try to start with a neat plan and end up scribbling all over it with ideas and corrections.

tonight we've invited a couple of our friends over so i can do a fig leaf-inspired dinner with hamachi crudo with fig leaf oil, tomato bisque with fig leaf oil drizzle and crouton, slow roasted salmon in fig leaves (finished with a sear from our bernzomatic + searzall bc crispy salmon skin is life), and the fig leaf and strawberry cake. my friend also got cheesybf a new cocktail set for his bday so we can use the fig leaf syrup to make some nice gin cocktails or a fig leaf strawberry mocktail!

right now i'm munching on leftover crying tiger steak and nam jim jaew for lunch with jasmine rice that i steamed with some of the leftover pandan leaves for extra ~aroma. i still have a ton of leaves so i think i'm gonna make a pandan simple for my favorite matcha pandan lattes.

re: urls haha YES chopsticks are the best way to eat flaming hot cheetos and no one can change my mind. i always think of puffins when i think of my own username. those cute lil round birds. with like a lil cheese hat. i also associate you with apples now as we move into fall. but mentally my picture of you is a swirl of the colors in a kent mango, scented by mango skin by vilhelm and just a hint of kilian's apple brandy on the rocks. maybe a waft of mfk 724 and something like clean cotton or a soft white floral.

HAHAHA totally fair i just realized it was getting long maybe i should put my responses under a read more LOL

i'm responding a day (??) late (time is fake) bc i had to recover from how gorgeous your cake looked and sounded tbh. but i'm good!! my new assistant at work is picking things up quickly and has common sense which is sadly in short supply around here lmaooo

there's a vietnamese bakery in my hometown that makes the BEST croissants i've ever had in my life (though tbf i have not been to paris yet!) and they supply all the local taquerias with bolillo so they are Churning Out Breads but i cannot emphasize enough that it's like. a warehouse space. with a door on a side street and the price list handwritten and they only recently started accepting anything but cash. i love them. the croissants are huge and lightly buttery and delicious. i will now be declaring it's croissant o'clock any time we happen to drive nearby haha

wttcsms and dee my beloveds!!! on behalf of all writers though i will say no filter unhinged screaming comments/tags are GREAT to read. i hope your busyness is the good kind!! it's always lovely seeing you pop up on the dash or inbox or wherever but i hope you're having a good time here >ᴗ<

oh my goddddd your fig leaf experiments... divine. glorious. something about the description of "seeing how the flavors bloom in dairy" is just. dreamy?? you sound like a wizard creating your own magical spell book tome with your scribbles and notes and ideas (saying this in SUCH a complimentary way). crispy salmon skin IS life i just had some last night hehe i had to look up crying tiger steak and nam jim jaew but YOOO this reminds me of duk prahok... yum. and oh my god crying tiger steak is like. a summer staple for us. i never knew it had a NAME. not to over share but my family is from cambodia and i have so many recipes in my brain that i just figured were things my dad created LOL

AND I LOVE PUFFINS!!! in like second grade i did a report/presentation on puffins unprompted unsolicited to my class. i read a book about them and was obsessed i wanted everyone to learn about them (yes i am/was a nerd) (bless my teacher for letting me present lmao). and i do love apple scented things mmm. one of my favorite candles ever is autumn air from elder&co (notes of wild apple and pear and fallen oak leaves). i'm so glad it's getting cloudy and cozy season is coming bc i can light my candles without feeling too silly. do you have any favorite candles?? oh these other scents are SO GOOD. i love that!! brb going to find a way to smell these immediately

#fujimail #🥐🧀#HI CHEESYPUFFKINS ILY

2 notes · View notes

tibli · 2 years

Text

There's something I want to talk about that's been on my mind lately, but first I'd like to preface this by saying that I appreciate any interaction with the things I make. But recently I've noticed a MASSIVE rift in the reblog-to-like ratio that seems kind of concerning to me.

Years ago, when I saw a popular post, there were usually 2 or 3 times as many likes as reblogs. that was standard, imo. Not necessarily great but it was still very sustainable.

Now, the gap is WAY more apparent, and this is definitely something I've seen other artists talk about (though it's usually written in an extremely entitled/guilt-trippy way that pisses me off so I dont interact with the post lmao). Anyway, one of my most popular art posts has approximately 10k notes. Which is awesome!! I've never had anywhere NEAR that many notes on my art so I'm incredibly grateful for that alone!!

But of those 10k notes, only about a thousand are reblogs- and dont get me wrong- I COMPLETELY understand that people have their reasons for why they may like something but not reblog it. I myself have had reasons like that before- mainly bc of like. deep-seated feelings of embarrassment and shame that I've struggles with my entire life. So trust me when I say I get it. I've been there.

But tumblr isn't like a lot of other websites. While it does have a "based on your likes" function, most posts are discovered via reblogs and it's a pretty important facet of the site's culture as a whole (and yes, I am willing to say that tumblr has its own culture. I will say it with my whole chest). It's one of the reasons tumblr users are so fond of this place, despite its shortcomings; it's like an oasis in the desert of hypercorporatization when it comes to social media sites. And that is in part due to the way posts are able to circulate on here for years and years.

Anyway, I'm starting to lose the point a bit, but want I want to say is this: if you enjoy a post, consider reblogging it! That's the easiest way to share it with others, and it helps keep the culture of the site alive, while also, of course, giving some exposure to the person you reblogged the post from.

This isn't a demand, and as I said before, I understand why people might refrain from reblogging. This is just me giving a little PSA to those who may have migrated from elsewhere, and just don't really know how the site works, yet.

#tibtalks #as an artist im happy even if my art only gets a few likes #but i thought this was a topic worth bringing up regardless

9 notes · View notes

kvtnisseverdeen · 2 years

Note

i saw your post about wanting to bring back the old editing still. I was just talking to a friend about how i missed tumblr and making beautiful creative graphics

hi!

so lately this has been on my mind a lot because I've been going through the archives of editors that would post picspams/graphics/gifsets etc. that I'd be fond of and its soooo sad to see that creativity and talent like that doesn't exist anymore (please note: im not saying that edits these days are bad, they're just different from what i used to see on 2010-2014 tumblr days)

and i know no one asked but here are my top 4 theories as to why we no longer see those types of edits anymore:

a lot of those editors that were the OG creators of picspams/graphics/rainbow giftsets etc. left tumblr! i used to know a lot of those editors and recall them being in their late 20s/30s so perhaps they just grew out of it and have other things to tend to in their personal lives :)

the introduction of other social media apps and incentivites - now that there's instagram and tiktok...social media became more so about posting selfies and videos and getting compliments blah blah you know the whole ordeal BUT ALSO getting paid to create! people who make edits on tiktok literally get paid and same for instagrammers which is great but i found it so amazing that people would put so much effort into creating on tumblr circa 2010-2014 with no incentive other than showing their love for their fandom in a creative way

the. stupid. ass. like. button. UGH! the like button is seriously the downfall of tumblr like the current like to blog ratio is INSANE how is this allowed???? tumblr is not like other social media platforms...pls im begging y'all to reblog. there's nothing quite like a reblog with someone adding hashtags like I LOVE seeing the unhinged stuff ppl tag when they reblog ok that's the beauty of the reblog button

the new tumblr size limit...so yeah i remember being frustrated with the gif size limit but now that there's an increased limit people keep making big gifs and calling it a day WHICH there is nothing wrong with that but that meant people no longer made colorful sets like this or this which i absolutely adored! and genuinely i think those big gifs are more suited for tumblr mobile than tumblr desktop tbh

anyway here is the rant that nobody asked for lol but yeah hoping to see a comeback of picspams, graphics, colorful gifs and OH....follow forevers!! they were so cute :')

#ok im done rambling #anon i know u did not expect this #sorry for the jumpscare lolz #anonymous #answered

1 note · View note

liltaz-asatreat · 2 years

Note

5, 6, and 29 for the ao3 asks :O?? thank u -ise

ao3 wrapped questions here!! <- send some in? :D

(tagging you so you'll get the notification lol @barry-j-blupjeans )

5. What work of yours got more feedback than you expected?

Honestly, both Broken Trust and The Screams Came Back

Broken Trust I literally wrote in the span of like, 2 or 3 hours after taking a really late night shower where the idea grabbed me by the throat, and I had to bang it out even though I could barely keep my eyes open lol And then when I finally remembered it existed and to go over it again to clean it up a bit and post it, it didn't take very long, and I was honestly kind of worried it would be a little out of character because the whole idea of fixing yourself for something that isn't necessarily your fault and blaming yourself for other people's decisions is a very me thing to do, and I didn't know whether or not I was over projecting in a moment of needing to vent in the moment for some reason? or if it was something Taako really would think and feel, and we'd share that in common. Also, most of the last few fics I had published before then I spent more time on, some of them a lot more time on, and wrote more carefully, and most of them got a fair amount of feed back, but it wasn't really as much as I was expecting for how much I worked on them. So I kind of thought it was going to be one of those that wasn't necessarily going to bomb because again, it's not like I spent a whole lot of time actively working on it so it can't really bomb lol but like, it wasn't going to reach a lot of people, and I was okay with that

And then it became one of my most popular fics on tumblr with the ratio of people reblogging it leaving comments being one of the highest its ever been, and it's done decently on ao3 too in regards to my average amount of kudos, and a lot more people left comments on there too than people usually do on any one of my fics lol Pretty much all of them expressing pain in some way, and I still cackle like an evil scientist every time I read them or get a new comment lol

And as for The Screams Came Back... well. That was the most vent fic to ever vent fic that I've written, and I posted it on tumblr at midnight and didn't bother to reblog it to promote it or really say anything about it because it's kind of a fucked up fic and I was feeling really fucked up but like, needed to have someone read it and know that everything I was experiencing, even though I wrote it in the context of taz and applied a thin layer of fiction to obfuscate reality, was not just trapped in my head like it has been for years and year and years.

Of course, only one person saw it on tumblr, and they checked in on me because... yeah.

But I also posted it on ao3, and granted, I only got one comment on it that honestly, I didn't understand what they meant? But I thanked them for reading anyway because that's what I always do, and by the time that happened and I had the mortifying realization that I had posted something really vulnerable, multiple people had left kudos on it? And like, I also did feel a huge sense of relief that it wasn't just me anymore? I tagged it with everything that could possibly be triggering and put a warning at the top saying it was going to be fucked up, so like, the people who read it and left kudos knew what they were getting into and liked it enough to click the button, so it kind of felt weird to take it down?

It's honestly one of the fics with the least amount of feedback, but I was also expecting no feedback, so yeah lol

6. Favorite title you used

It's gotta be A Witness of Corruption lol It just sounds really cool and was really easy to come up with and works on like, multiple levels lol Magnus witnessing the effects of the Hunger while inside it? Corruption. The seven them having a really hard time getting along because of the struggles they're going through and snapping at each other a lot more than usual? Bonds getting corrupted and strained. Magnus hacking up black ooze while Merle tries to heal him and bring him back from the brink of permanent death after the Hunger got him and tried to overtake him directly? That's corruption baby lol

I'm sorry I said baby, that's not me, Griffin McElroy (I think? I honestly don't remember where I got that from) took me over and I couldn't fight it and don't feel like changing it lol

29. Favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Oooohhhh that's a tough one. Um... I gotta skim what I wrote this year because there's a lot of good ones lol

Ugh, okay, I couldn't narrow it down, so it's all going under a cut lol

There's this bit from A Witness of Corruption (Though I really like how that whole conversation went down, and I think that's the best I've ever done balancing a conversation between more than two people, especially as many as seven people.):

Davenport puts both of his hands on the table and leans forward angrily, raising his voice slightly as he does so. “Magnus, as your friend and as your captain I cannot allow you to risk your neck to do this insane thing! I'm not going to let you get eaten by the Hunger, you can't!”

Magnus abruptly stands up from the table, knocking his chair backward as he slams a fist on the table. “And as someone who is sick and tired of fucking running, I'm not asking for your permission! Davenport.”

John experiencing eternity in The Man Who Became the Hunger:

“Show me,” John demands, getting angry now. “I need you to show me what you mean.”

As you insist.

His vision goes black for moment before it comes alive again as images fill his head.

First he sees an empty white space, but he has the feeling that he's not alone. There's people somewhere with him, but they seem to be in a direction he hasn't heard of yet. He doesn't have the time to think on that too long, however, because a white light, brighter than the surrounding blankness, flashes intensely in front of him, and he gets sucked into it.

Now he's floating in a vast sea of black filled with circles of different colors zipping around him and expanding outward very quickly. Eventually the circles begin to group themselves together, and as they do, white threads of light sprout from them and connect them with each other rapidly until there are so many threads between them, it makes it hard to see anything else. The circles in these groups begin to orbit each other faster and faster, and the groups become encased in balls of translucent silvery light. Then even more white threads sprout from these spheres and connect with other spheres all across the sea of black.

He zooms in again into one of these spheres and then into the middle circle that the other eleven circles are orbiting and then into a large cluster of galaxies, then into a smaller cluster of galaxies, then a single galaxy, part of the galaxy, then into a single nebula. He watches baby stars form and grow and die over and over again before he's whisked away to a baby solar system where rocks and gas collide as they orbit a baby star. Eventually everything settles to a few planets and asteroid belts, and he's brought onto the surface of one planet where he watches life begin to form and evolve and die over and over and over again until the star expands and consumes the planet entirely.

He's brought back out again to watch the star die before he's brought to another solar system where the cycle repeats itself. And then another and another and another. At one point, he flies out of the Material Plane and that reality entirely before he dives back into another reality to experience the same things over and over again. Then he's brought back out to witness the ever expanding existence as realities drift even further to fill up more space, and they seem to multiply as they do.

And the vision repeats with no end in sight. This is eternity. And as a part of it, John will have to exist, alive or dead, through the fullness of time, and it never stops. It never ends. And even if when he dies, his soul ceases to be, that would mean the end of him completely for forever and ever and ever, and he can't take that.

“Stop! Please, that's enough!”

The vision slows to a stop before slowly fading away, and John is back in his office again, his whole body shaking with fear and anger as he fights off tears. He breathes heavily and wipes at his eyes before he looks back over at the Light.

“Why would someone do this? Why would someone make this miracle without there being an end point? Why would they drag other people into it who don't want to get caught up in the entanglement of infinity?” he asks it with a trembling voice.

Because it is a miracle worth inventing. The Light says. Someone made my creator's existence, and they loved life and existence so much that they wanted to extend that joy of creation to others.

“They had no right,” John says, voice low and deadly. He grabs onto the armrests of his chair and grips them so tightly his knuckles turn white. “I want to meet them. I want to destroy them. Once everyone knows what they have done to us, they will all want that too.” He takes a breath to try and steady his voice. “How do we leave existence to confront this creator?”

The Light of Creation remains silent for a moment. I am built to be used for whatever my master's will is, so if you want to take me home to meet my creator and the creator of your existence, all you need is to say the word. We'll get the word out to everyone in this plane, and with my help, you will be able to lead a revolution that will lead to the destruction of existence itself.

“That is my plan,” John says, eyes narrowed and his heart pounding in his chest. “And I will destroy anything that gets in my way.”

John's final speech before turning into the Hunger:

“Thank you all for coming to meet me on this very important day,” John begins. “Last fall and throughout all of winter, I told you about the cruelty of the creators of existence and the laws and limitations they forced upon us without us knowing it. I told you about the weight and burden of eternity that we all must bear without having chosen to take on the burden ourselves. And I told you about my plan to find something bigger than those limitations and eternity can box us into. To break free from these bonds and chains that hold us down and force us to be compliant to these creators' will and not the wills of our own. To find these creators and overtake them and show them what it means to be oppressed by the laws and decisions that they had no say in creating. I come to you now on this day to tell you that today is that day. Today, we will begin our revolution and take our power back!”

The crowd erupts into uproarious applause, shouting, and cheering. A chant starts up from somewhere deep within the sea of people and spreads until everyone is shouting it together as loud as they can.

“TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK! TAKE IT BACK!”

John puts up a hand to quiet them again, and eventually the noise dies down.

“Today, the Light of Creation has told me that the bonds that make up this reality have weakened severely. This gives us an opportunity in which, with its help, the Light will transform our plane of existence into something new. Something with enough power to escape this reality and consume enough worlds to one day escape this existence and destroy the masters pulling the strings behind our suffering.”

As he talks, the sky begins to darken, and the grass and trees begin to wilt and turn gray. The colors in everyone's clothes and faces begin to drain away, and little strands of light of different colors appear in the spaces between people, showing their connections and bonds before they get pulled up and ripped away as they are sucked toward the platform.

John's heart hammers in his chest and his blood rushes in his ears as he holds up the Light above him for all to see. The Light grows brighter as the bonds get sucked into it, and it begins to emit ribbons of bright red, blue, green, and golden light that travel through the air, weaving around each other and spreading outward to reach through the entire plane.

“On this day, February 26th, 3074 AW, we begin our march across existence.”

The world rapidly begins to turn inky black as more bonds are sucked into the Light, and the people, including John, turn as dark as the darkest shadows too.

“On this day, we begin the end of existence itself!”

And for wip quotes:

The last exchange between Kravitz and one of his bounties:

“Alright,” she says, rolling her eyes as he laughs. She laughs too, and it takes them a few moments to calm down. When they do though, the smile slips off her face, and she looks at him seriously. “Kravitz, before I die– or, leave this vessel I guess, I need you to do me a favor.”

He raises an eyebrow. “I mean, I probably already broke like a hundred different rules by gambling with my job and getting this information, but sure, I guess.”

She smiles a little. “It's nothing too big.” She pauses for a second, and her gaze gets kind of far away. “When you hunt your other bounties in the future, please show them the same kindness you gave me. I would have been a lot more at peace with my death, I think, had I had someone to play one last game of baccarat with me or just showed me I didn't have to do this alone. That I wasn't just another soul to be herded like cattle into the sea of sheep.”

Kravitz's expression goes soft, and her eyes focus back in on him as she smiles a little sadly again. “I promise I will, Annamarie.”

She nods and stands up from the couch. “I guess it's time for me to go to bed one last time. Will you be there with me while I go?”

Kravitz nods. “Of course.”

She leads him into Luna's bedroom and lays down in her bed. Kravitz helps pull the blankets over her and tucks her in, and Annamarie smiles up at him one last time before she closes her eyes.

A small white light floats out of Luna's chest, and she gasps before her breathing settles down back to a steady, slow rhythm. Kravitz catches Annamarie's light and gently places her in his soul bag. Then, as Luna starts to wake up again, he brings out his scythe, tears open a new rift, and steps through it back to the Astral Plane.

The end of the conversation between Kravitz and the Raven Queen before he leaves to hunt down his lich mother alone:

“Using multiple spheres is a waste of resources, but I'll keep the idea of extending the time the field would be up in mind,” the Raven Queen says. “However, that does not change the fact that I will not allow you to go after her.”

“What if I offered you a deal?” Kravitz tries desperately. “I'll stake my job on this. If I bring her in, I bring her in, but if not, you can fire me or put me back in the Stockade. That's how sure I am that I can do this. Please, I'd do anything.”

The Raven Queen stands up to her full height, and she adopts a much sterner voice. “Kravitz, I'm not going to say this again. I don't need you to stake your job on anything, and I'm not going to throw you in the Stockade. I also, will not, let you go after her, and my decision is final.”

Kravitz blinks back angry tears and clenches his fists at his sides. Fine.

“Now, tell me where I can find Jaclyn, and I'll send a team of Reapers there immediately.”

He hesitates. “She's in a small town by the Sword Mountains. The new mining village that popped up called Phandalin.”

The Raven Queen stares him down, and he stares at her right back. Then she sighs and sits back down in her chair. “Thank you for your honesty.”

That one simple sentence jams a knife of guilt in his constructed heart that he largely tries to ignore. “Can I have the rest of the day off? I... don't think I'll be able to concentrate on any new missions while I'm still upset.”

She looks at him for a long time. “I suppose you can.”

He does a short bow. “Thank you, my queen.”

He makes it halfway across the room before she stops him one more time. “Kravitz?”

He turns to look at her questioningly.

“If you find yourself in need of... company, I'll make sure Thune and Nokal are free for the rest of the night.”

Kravitz swallows the sudden lump in his throat. “Thank you.”

The Raven Queen nods.

And Kravitz briskly makes his way to the supply room.

And this scene from Double Troubles alskghsldgkhsdgldkhs:

The four of them make it into the train station and walk up to the ticket counter where a human man is sitting reading a newspaper. He lowers the paper as they approach, and Meadow does a double take when he sees who it is.

“Hello! Are you here to pick up tickets or to buy–”

“Tom Bodett?” Meadow asks incredulously.

“Yeah,” Tom says slowly as he sits up a little straighter. “How did you know my name?”

“We were just with you at your house doing a sprinkler party!” Merle says. “How the hell did you make it here before we did?”

“At my– Oh! I see what's going on here. You must have met Tom Bodett the Narratively Convenient.” Tom says with a smile. “He really likes materializing in the vicinity of people who need him. I'm not him though. My full name and title is Tom Bodett the Booking Clerk! Despite my title, I also give people their reserved tickets too if they bought train tickets in advance.”

The four of them stare at him for a second before Taako covers his mouth with his hand as he snorts, Merle does a mixture of a snort and clearing his throat, and Magnus and Meadow look at each other before they quickly look away as they cough.

“So you two have titles huh?” Taako asks with a strained voice. “Couldn't separate the two of you without having that kind of distinction?”

“Well, yeah!” Tom the Booking Clerk says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. “This whole town is full of clones of Tom Bodett the Original, so we all needed titles to be able to tell each other apart.”

Meadow coughs again and bites down on their lip hard. They cannot laugh. That would be extremely rude.

“Anyway, are you four here to buy tickets, or do you already have some reserved?” Tom asks.

“Uh, yes! I'm here to pick up my ticket!” Merle says. “It should be under Leeman Kessler.”

“Oh, yes, Leeman Kessler! I believe we're also holding some cargo for you, give me just a second.”

Tom ducks his head under his desk and pulls out a shimmering, platinum-esque ticket. He slides it under the teller window for Merle to grab. “Here you are, Leeman, and are these three going with you?” he asks as he gestures to Meadow, Magnus, and Taako.

“Uh, yes! These are my retainers, Bo,” Merle points at Taako, “Diddly,” he points at Magnus, “and–”

Taako steps on Merle's foot. “I'm Leon Kessler!”

Merle winces and glares up at him as Tom blinks at him slowly. “You're Leon Kessler?”

“Yes! He's– he spells his name with two– with an O! 'Cause he's Leon, and he's my twin brother–” Merle babbles, but Tom interrupts him.

“You're twins? But... you're a dwarf, and he's... an elf.”

“Twin brother-in-law,” Meadow quickly corrects. “Leeman married Leon's twin, so they're in laws.”

Tom looks at him in confusion. “So... are you his twin?”

Meadow lets out a disbelieving nervous laugh. “What? No! I mean, I know I look more like an elf than other half-elves do, but I'm not an– yeah, I'm not related to any of–”

“He's adopted!” Merle says quickly.

“Yes, I'm adopted,” Meadow agrees.

“By... Leeman and his... spouse?” Tom asks, looking between all of them.

Is Merle old enough to be Meadow's dad? Meadow is 34, but he doesn't know how old Merle is.

“Cousins,” Meadow says in a panicked, strained voice.

“Yes, they were adopted into the family as a cousin!” Magnus says. “And so was I! I'm Diddly Kessler!”

“Okay,” Tom says slowly. “So, you're cousins with– wait, what's your name?” he asks Meadow.

Meadow freezes. “Uhhh...”

“Tom, I'm so sorry, but I lied,” Taako says as he attempts to hide a snicker.

“You lied about being his brother-in-law? Or–”

“Oh no! I'm his brother-in-law for sure, but I lied about my name! My real name is Flan Bodett!”

“Alright,” Tom says as he folds his arms across his chest. “I really hope this isn't a ruse you're all trying to pull on me–”

“No...” Magnus cuts in, but Tom continues over him.

“Because that would be extremely bad, and you're all not even doing a very good job at it, so we're going to try this again.”

He points at Merle. “You're obviously Leeman Kessler.”

Merle nods. “Yes, that's me!”

Tom points to Magnus. “You... You're name is...”

“Yes?” Magnus asks with a smirk.

Merle elbows him slightly. “Come on, Leroy! Tell–”

“No no no! I'm Diddly Kessler!” Magnus says, trying not to laugh. “I was brought into the family with Leeman's wife whose name is...”

“Chalupaa!” Taako says. “My sister's name is Chalupaa Kessler!”

“Right.” It's barely 10am and Tom already looks exhausted. “And your name is...?”

Taako puts his hands on his hips and gives him a shit eating grin. “Justin.”

Tom puts his face in his hands as Meadow brightens up and stands a little straighter.

“And my name is Phoenix!” Meadow says triumphantly.

Nailed it.

Tom looks up at them between his fingers before he sighs and brings his hands down. “I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you all to wait right here–”

As he reaches to the side for a Stone of Farspeech, Taako whips out his umbrastaff and waves it back and forth a little in a zigzag motion as he says an incantation, and then the tip of his staff glows pink at the same time as Tom's eyes glow pink for a second before it fades, leaving him looking dazed.

“So Tom, about those tickets?” Taako asks with a small smirk.

“Oh yeah! Of course! Anything for you, Justin; I'm just... so charmed by you.” he says dreamily.

“Oh, Justin! We have tickets though!” Magnus says as he slaps his hand against his forehead. He takes the tickets out of his bag and shows them to Tom who nods with a smile.

“Alright, well, Leeman and friends, since you have a high security item stowed away in the safe on the train, it's my job to walk you through our security protocols before you board, so please give me a moment to get out of here...”

Tom stands up from his chair and walks out of the booth door before he gestures for them to follow him. “Please step this way, but first–” He looks thoughtful for a moment before he looks back at Taako. “Do you want a kiss?”

#in the last one; Chalupaa is also the name of Taako and Lup's aunt (which I stole from you lol) so that's why he remembered it #and Lup is rolling in her grave (see umbrastaff) at the idea of being married to Merle aslkghslgkshdglskh #thank you for sending this in!! :D #ask game #Double Troubles

1 note · View note

sixthwater · 3 years

Text

Our Curious Little Beautiful Communities

Intro:

As someone who has been on tumblr since about the early 2010s, I've seen quite a few cycles and 'episodes' within our...community, if I can call it that at this point. I, myself, am usually an observer and end up being a mediator. So you will end up seeing me looking at things from both sides because this world is grey. There is no right or wrong, and each side has a point unless they're just uuuhhh ignorant. Objectively. I'm going to be discussing some issues that have been bubbling up a lot more consistently than they used to within the astrology and tarot community as of late. Warning: I talk a lot, but I'm organized. If you don't have the time or patience to read it, then dont, no big deal, or skip to what you want. For those that like to look at people through their charts: Cancer mercury, Virgo Mars, 6th House Stellium. If you like degrees, I have heavy air degrees, some of them being Libra. Like I said, I end up being a mediator a lot. Anyway, let's get into it.

»»—————————-　✼　—————————-««

Astrology

I'm going to split each section into people who consume content, and those that make it!

Consumers

Appreciation / Spreading Content

So, as you know, every website works differently in how they spread content around. Twitter & TikTok work by likes, Youtube by bias also by likes I'm sure? Insta too. Tumblr doesn't work that way. The only way you're most likely going to see something is if you head into the tag yourself, or people put something onto your feed. Which is why the reblog button is important. I'm now going to go through some popular creators and show the like to reblog ratio!

See the pattern here. Hilariously enough, despite the notes on these posts, if I don't make the usual trip into the tag, I would've never seen these posts myself. Now, on one hand if you only kinda like a post, then by all means just like it. However, what this feedback is sending us is that either this post is not good enough, or this isn't the content you guys want, etcetc. This isn't a call to 'reblog every single post you see to make us feel better!', but the responses to our posts will sort of drive our motivation in either direction. Do we want to make a long in depth post for it to barely go anywhere or just do a quick one because it's going to match the reception. Unless we really like the content we're making, the output is going to match the feedback about 6/10 of the time.

Formalities

So you found a creator that is really accurate with descriptions of placements or aspects or is willing to put in a lot of time and detail to answering asks and what-not. So you head into their inbox and hit them with a 'Moon in 5th' request. However that's the entire ask it's just the placement, a statement that's posed as a request. Please understand that on the outside/surface this may seem very easy and it's just 'you are happy when you play video game', there's more stuff that goes into than that. The creator themselves have a life outside of this website (god knows what responsibilities they have; a job, school, family, just not being tied to this place as if its a career). They will Probably want to actually give you a good response, which is more than just two sentences so not treating them as if they're a machine shooting out information would be a good start to the interaction. There's some things that could contribute to this like language barriers, but just saying 'please', or 'could you do this'--anything that. Humanizes. the person on the receiving end would be super duper great. Also, as mentioned before, spreading their work or showing appreciation afterwards Really helps the creator as well and shows that you are at least thankful or appreciative of what they did and not that you just want your goodies and you're leaving now.

Creators

Rejecting Foundation

This one is a bit. Tricky. The one thing I love about the newer generation is that they are very explorative and they dig and dig and dig until they uncover something and they do extensive research on it. They're open to new ideas and possibilities and looking at things from different angles. However, at the same time, they will completely snuff out the foundations said research is based on which is--on one hand it needs to be done because considering the way this research has been passed down and who has touched it, it's been passed through some pretty cis-heteronormative white old male hands. However at the same time, it's been documented for a reason and just needs to be viewed in a different light, and isn't that what this generation is good at doing. Let's take Venus & Mars, and LGBT+ astrology for example. We Should dismantle the very close-minded idea that Venus is how a Woman loves or pursues someone, and Mars is how a Man loves or pursues someone. I should not have to explain why this is an old-aged idea and we're already halfway through dismantling it anyway. As for LGBT+ astrology, a lot of people are hesitant when it comes to it, in terms of 'these placements could show that you are lgbt' or whatever. Besides there being some personal proof of people resonating with this theory (including me myself, but of course at the same time, not everyone will resonate either so--), you can Also just morph it and look at it from another point of view. If we are so stuck on the idea that Capricorn's influence will mean that someone is traditional, why not Aquarius' influence will make people try anything at least once. They don't necessarily have to be LGBT, but having open relationships, being polyamorous, not marrying but having a committed relationship, being married but living separately, etc. Old research is always founded in Something, but considering it's old, the viewpoint is probably just Fucked up sometimes.

Theft/Sourcing This one I am Neutral one, because it's more of something to just be aware of. Obviously, straight up theft is shitty. If a person doesn't want their content taken, don't take it. If they request credit, credit them. Very basic, simple rules to follow. At the same time though, I have noticed some people, of various status, post content along the lines of:

'I'm not sure where I got this from but-' So it gets a little blurry.

While this isn't like a detrimental issue, it's sort of like glossing over one issue and calling out another while they're both in the same pool. However, at the same time, we live in the age of the internet. Information is being shared at the speed of light and sometimes gets deleted Just as fast, so in the same sense it's understandable if that source is hard to find for you to credit them for it. The best bet for this is to just bookmark whatever you find interesting and hope for the best, or just note that if anyone remembers or knows the source of this reference, to comment on the post then? Like I said, this point is a liiitttllee blurry because it's not necessarily theft but then again it's sort of like.....awkward considering. But eh.

Now to piggyback off of the previous point, I've also noticed some people making really good observations or points, and then sliding in a '___ are manipulative, never trust them' basically. Giving off really strong uuhh:

We should be over this whole generalization thing, and letting a few bad interactions with a person blind the astrologer in you. There's a difference between making roasts about signs and just. Disrespecting people or blowing negative traits of a sign into a billboard. Remember that at the end of all this, we are all just people? So get to know someone as such before even bothering to know their chart. It helps you get better at astrology anyway. If you're surprised about how they're a certain sign or have a certain placement, look closer at their chart and see how it's playing out and figure out why. Astrology is just glamourized math.

»»—————————-　✼　—————————-««

Tarot

I'm going to split each section into people who consume content, and those that make it!

Consumers

Entitlement

Besides the many other issues that have been running rampant (don't worry, I'll talk about 'em!), I've noticed that a looot of people have been feeling mighty cocky lately, but not cocky enough to put a name to their statements. Now I'm going to be, a little bit more harsh than the other sections in this post but: if you want this service then learn the craft and do it yourself. Just like Astrology, this service takes a lot hard work and energy, and considering what type of work it is, it's exhausting. Depending on the question, the type of reading they have to do, or how deep it ends up being--the reader you're asking might need a good hour or more to get to your request. If it's free, you definitely should be thankful for their service as well. Now there's a limit, which I will get to for the creator portion, but by no means should you stomp into their ask box, make sure they know you're ashamed of them, and then leave. Either just leave or put a name to it so you guys can talk it out. You have no idea what's happening on the other side of the screen after you send in your request. You may have asked a simple question, but like I said, depending on how convoluted your mind or emotions are, the reader is picking up on that or might have to pull more cards to figure out what's going on--your energy and the situation affects them at the end of the day so be understanding, not entitled.

Dependence

Not as bad as a problem, just the normal general concern or warning. Tarot it meant to be guidance to help you Live in your current world. It's not a substitute for Anything. Your guides will absolutely stop telling you information or they will just tell you that you're obsessing over the subject if you keep looking for information (and no, this is not just about future spouses because this applies to Everything, even healing, because to do so you actually have to take steps to, you know, heal). I've mentioned this before in a response to someone, but you should try and think outside of the box when getting guidance sometimes, because guides aren't always the most direct for a reason. If you just continuously ask readers about a topic of concern or pull cards, you're still going to be stuck and you're not making any movements towards your goal so those answers, in retrospect, aren't really helping. They might help you with a different perspective the first few times, but after a while it's either going to get aggressive or you're not going to get anything. You have to live your life because as much as your guides love you, they cannot live your life for you and I Promise you, they want nothing but the best for you and they want to see you thoroughly enjoying your life. So do not use tarot as a crutch please (a video from a reader I admire on her old channel). That's why I always explicitly state that yes I am delivering the message but You Know Yourself Best.

Creators

Free Games

Yes, I want you all to take care of yourself and put yourselves first. However, that does not mean 'finish it whenever I want because it's free and you should be happy that I'm even doing this :\', that's not how that works. There will be things that get in the way obviously, and just give a heads up that you're busy, it's whatever things happen. It's Not reasonable though to just tell someone that since it's a free game, that yeah you'll get to it within a month and just relax whatever you'll be okay. Think of it like this: you're in a store like Costco or Sam's Club. A store where they give out free samples. You come up and ask if you can get one and the clerk goes sure. Then they just get on their phone while prepping the food. It's taking a bit so you walk around in the area for a moment and you come back, and they're still just. Working on it. So you're waiting a bit more and it's still not done. So you ask them what's up and they tell you that hey, it'll be done when it's done. It's a Sample Size though, right? Yeah. Now yeah, the tone of the inquiry can affect your response, and depending on the game can affect it too. There's a lot of things that can go into it, but straight up, if you don't think you can do a game or you know yourself and you're going to get bored, just don't do the game. The querents shouldn't be giving you hard trouble over it, but at the same time...? It's a lose-lose here. I'm not saying don't take time to yourself or stay offline while the game is going on, but be mindful of stuff like this and where the querent is coming from (if they aren't an ass <3).

General

Celebrity Readings (Which let's be honest I'm talking about K-pop because which massive group is out here trying to read for Ricky Martin)

Let's get CoNtRoVeRsIaL even though it's really not. This is very simple I don't understand why it's an issue. So the thing about Celebrity Readings is, the first layer is that you have your own stance and opinion on it, that's that. There was a statement by a reader (who I will list later) that said something along the lines of 'readings on celebrities can be seen as tests or training because they are public icons. They are already out there, there's not much privacy to them' something like that, which is...yeah pretty true. A general energy check or reading on them isn't necessarily harmful because it's General, and if their guides don't want you to know certain things, trust me, they won't let you know lmao. Guides are powerful, they're protective, and I'm starting to believe that some people really underestimate them. If you know your guides have your back, what makes you think that those for celebrities won't Check You. If not just straight up lie to get you off their back, because you cannot begin to imagine the amount of people trying to get ahold of their energy, manifest them, curse them, etc. Yes they're going to be insanely protective or tell you to fuck off. Especially those doing anything beyond a general check (which, most definitely isn't reliable by the way because now you're being invasive or way too specific). Speaking of which, wouldn't trust long term readings on them either. You have to remember that Celebrities have more money, connections, and resources than us. Besides their guides muddling information, they can change that reading at the drop of a hat, easier than we can. These readings are for entertainment just like the celebrities themselves, and should be left at that. Readers who deliver their readings as fact or scolding tea, know what they're doing. Consumers should Also be wary of what readers they are following. Are they saying this person is a piece of shit? Bad reader. They're saying they're perfect? Bad reader. Celebrities are just people who have a talent they can profit off of lmao. If a reader can't put some logic behind their reading, especially those associated with corporations who love to abuse parasocial relationships which are the real enemy here, then they're a bad reader. Of course I'm not perfect--I get bored and put some on in the background when I need noise, but I can pick up on who's embellishing or just wants views. There are two readers I came across that I don't always agree with, but they're the most tolerable and usually accurately predict things and those are the ever so popular Antphrodite & Trinity Oracles (it's ok to disagree with the people you like or admire always remember that!). I could go on for hours about this but honestly the bottom line is just...use your brain lmao. Also, as a note, it's more reliable to go off of their birth charts anyway, especially for long term things. However, I Don't Blame these people for being hesitant or Never dropping their birth times because think about how easily you can read someone off of a birth chart. Especially a Good reader. Would you want to drop yours in a climate like this.

'Future Spouse' Readings

So. Hm. So the thing is I can understand the frustration with the overwhelming amount of spouse readings considering I'm grey-spec, because I also used to feel that way, but here's the thing: constantly doing shadow work is fucking tiring lmao. For people who are able to read, I know part of it is this weird idea that people after 21 just die on social media and we don't exist but fun fact hi we do! Not everyone asking or reading about these are 17, as your go-to complaint is. You can also just make other readings if you have the time, which is what I did because I want other readings LMAO. but like i was saying ABOUT that though: if you are someone who is constantly going through transformations, looking at your flaws and seeing how you can overcome them, going within and all of that--doing it for other people, 4-5 piles at a time is fucking tiring. Sitting there, deciphering the issue, walking through it, and then becoming a therapist multiple times through the year for free, sometimes I want to have my head empty and just talk about an imaginary little person and about their energy and write a little wattpad fiction for someone and have good energy for a moment because at the end of the day we are all dust...having light-hearted energy after all of that...murkiness, is Very nice its Very good. Now, also at the same time, there's an inherent issue with the heteronormativity of spouse readings where sometimes the reader assumes its a female reading and the spouse is always male, or the central idea of 'spouse' may turn away people who aren't that attached to marriage but still want to read about their forever lover, etcetcetc. Now besides the whole obsession thing, my only legitimate worry is that people should remember that Divorce exists, and what we are reading is an Energy, and multiple people are picking the same pile as you. There are no exact copies of pile #3s just running around waiting for you. Also, in another sense, shouldn't you also be worried about next partner readings too. If we have to do the work to reach our spouse, that work would also include lessons in love so technically really we shouldn't be doing Any prediction readings (like in general) because that takes a lot of the learning away from us and I had a Very long conversation with an ex-cw of mine about this so, again, I could go on for hours but Anyway--Once again, just...think rationally lmao. There are readings that I wouldn't put Too much emphasis on (like 'how would my fs react to me sneezing' or something), but also like, you want to read something cute you want to read something cute. For readers, you can only warn people so much. If the cards stop you from reading or you Clearly get the message that someone is obsessed, relay it. However if it doesn't come up sometimes people just want to know because there's Nothing Else they're worried about or need a reading on lmao, it's not that deep. If you give the warning and they ignore it, then well. I guess their guides will teach them well enough. Can't really hold everyone by the hand can we.

»»—————————-　✼　—————————-««

Overall

That's about all on my mind, it wouldn't leave my head for 6-7 days and that's usually when I figure I need to say Something because my attention span is Shit. I did want to bring up the uh.

Mass Ignorance

That has been popping up lately, but it feels out of place in a pretty light-hearted post like this so if something pops up again I'll maybe make a separate post like that but my efficient way to deal with that is to look at how people respond to it, and just block them lmao I do not like being stressed out or bothered on my phone So. Love you, feel free to discuss talk complain yell at me whatever, just felt the need to Discuss what's been up lately. I don't have a clean way to end this because I just talk a lot without grammar or anything formal this is literally what it looks like when I'm not trying to be formal my thoughts are just rapid fire like this i have a third house moon the inside of my head is Hell have fun trying to figure out what tone this is in love u

#astrology #astrology community #tarot #tarot community #astroblr #tarotblr #if you don't go here im not kidding i talk.#i talk a lot #also there's probably a typo in here and it's probably gonna piss me tf off #I semi-edited this and my trigger finger is firing bc I watched a video that was annoying <3 #im getting back IN BED

36 notes · View notes

songbirdsingingthings · 2 years

Text

Update 8/18/22

❀ Back to Navigation ❀

Hello everyone!

I wanted to give this little update because keeping you all in the loop is important to me. I have loved writing and updating this blog for the past few years and getting support and interacting with so many of you have brought me such joy :,).

However lately, I’ve been feeling super unmotivated and discouraged when it comes to creating an idea, spending time developing it, and eventually, posting whatever works its way onto the page. I am so thankful to those of you who have supported me in likes, reblogs and in the comments. Recently, though, the ratio of likes to any source of feedback or reaction has been staggeringly large. Again, I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who has taken the time to read and like any of my works, but what I really cherish is interaction.

It is always nice to hear and see that my work is appreciated. However, what motivates me and pushes me to create more is hearing your thoughts, opinions, and suggestions. I have tried to really push through what I regard as writer’s block or I guess me just being uncreative, but when it comes down to it, I think I’m just exhausted of trying to find things to write about.

This is not to say that I’m completely abandoning this blog or am stopping writing. I am still incredibly passionate about seeing or hearing something that inspires to me create. But, with the start of college and my limited time, any posts will most likely be varied and far apart -- especially if I am trying to come up with individual posts.

That being said, requests are open!!! I am always so thrilled to see requests in my inbox and, referencing bak to this post, I LOVE the interaction!! If you are making a request, I simply ask that you refer to the guidelines -- they are located on the pinned post (my nav) on my page!

Again, I am so incredibly thankful to each and every one of you. I look forward to posting when I can.

All my love!! <3 Songbird

Taglist:

Florists:

@luluwiie ~ All-Flora Florist

@maiacroson ~ All-Flora Florist

@nerdypuppytimemachine ~ All-Flora Florist

@voilawind ~ All-Flora Florist

@catguin-the-kitty-cat ~ All-Flora Florist

@lovers-liability ~ Snowbell Florist

@vdoesthings ~ All-Flora Florist

@the-emo-asgardian ~ Snowbell Florist

Analysts:

@shaded-recs (Hawthorn specialist)

Professors:

@shaded-recs (All-species Professor)

@melaniin-monroe (Wisteria Professor)

9 notes · View notes

moonstruckbucky · 5 years

Text

Come Over (2/7)

Summary: You’re new to New York City. Fresh out of post-grad and wanting a change of pace, and this change comes in more ways than one.

Pairing: Neighbor!Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Chapter Warnings: None

Notes: Thank you everybody for the amazing feedback on the first chapter! I don’t think I’ve ever had that much response from the get go on a new series. Anyways, this part’s a bit longer. Feedback/comments/reblogs are always appreciated! ♥ P.S. - Not sure how many of you saw my recent post regarding tag lists but I figure I’d mention it here: I am not longer doing tag lists. Honestly the work to payoff ratio is so off there’s no point in my doing them anymore, coupled with the fact that Google docs is unreliable. More than half the people on these lists don’t interact with the stories they’re tagged for anyways, so I’m just not doing tag lists anymore. Please don’t ask me for tags.

Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist

Your first day at Stark Industries goes perfectly. Tony is a little ...out there for lack of better terminology, but overall he is the perfect boss—not too needy except in his caffeine addiction. He doesn’t go easy on you, firing off press conferences and meetings and so many other events at you in some funny attempt to get you to slip up. You surprise him by repeating each event, date and time included, in perfect chronological order. Behind his sunglasses, his dark eyebrows raise.

Your lunch is taken at your desk as you fill in your new planner with all the events Tony had given you. Your entire month of September seems to be filled to the brim with meetings you’re required to sit on, presentations of new tech, and luncheons with other big conglomerates in the industry. It’s overwhelming, but you didn’t plunge yourself into massive student debt for easy.

You even get a chance to meet a few of your coworkers when you step out for coffee for both you and Tony. Unsurprisingly, he takes it black with two sugars. A brunette woman and a tall man with glasses stand in front of you in the coffee shop on the bottom floor of the building, and when she notices you, she smiles and turns around to fully face you.

“You must be Tony’s new assistant,” she says. Returning her smile, you nod and throw out a hand.

“Y/N.”

“Wanda. And this is Vis, he works in Finance for Stark Industries.” The tall man smiles too and instead of shaking your hand, he kisses the back of it. Wanda giggles at the surprised look on your face and lightly slaps Vis in the chest.

“Vis, don’t scare the poor girl on her first day.”

The two of them step up to the counter and order, and Wanda waits while you do the same. She pulls you into a light conversation, asking how your first day is going, what it’s like so far working for Tony, where you moved from, and you answer them all easily. Wanda seems to be an easygoing person, one you look forward to getting to know better. Vis is quiet, but he interjects here and there for clarification on some things or to ask you questions of his own.

Wanda works in Marketing for the company, a huge duty in your opinion, but she seems to like the responsibility. She’s funny and sweet, and the three of you get into the elevator together once you all have your coffees. After exchanging numbers and a promise for a night out together soon, you part ways. Tony’s on the phone when you step into his office after knocking lightly with your knuckles, and he waves you in while telling the person on the other line just where he can shove “such a bullshit offer”.

Your face must show your slight shock at Tony’s mannerism because he smirks and accepts the coffee you hold out to him, downing half of it in a single gulp. He jiggles the cup idly.

“Sometimes you gotta play a little hardball. I’m expecting his call back in about, oh, twenty minutes,” he boasts, spinning on his heel to saunter over to the workstation set up in his office. “So, new blood, why me?”

You’re momentarily surprised by the question; most of your day had been spent following Tony around and scribbling down notes, and now you find yourself put on the spot by his suddenly asking about you. Mentally you fumble for an answer, your confidence a little wobbly after the surprise wears off.

“Where else am I going to be part of the greatest technology to ever exist?” is the response you settle on, if only to stroke Tony’s wild ego a bit. He grins cheekily and sips at his coffee.

“I like you,” he mutters, as if to himself.

He asks you a few more personal questions about yourself, questions that weren’t answered in the interview he regrettably, so he says, could not be present for. It feels rather odd having this kind of rapport with your boss, but it definitely doesn’t feel like a bad thing. Your previous employers only cared about your being on time and getting your work done, but Tony seems to take an honest interest in your schooling, your experiences, and where you see yourself headed in the future.

“Yikes,” he yelps when he checks the Stark Watch on his wrist. “I didn’t mean to keep you so long. I’m sure you have some work to finish up before you go home.”

He says it with an apologetic smile behind his sunglasses, and the responding smirk you send him feels natural.

“Of course, Mr. Stark—”

“Ah, ah, Tony, please. Mr. Stark makes me sound old and cynical.”

You snort. “Very well, Tony. If I don’t see you before I leave I’ll see you in the morning for our seven AM meeting with AIMTech.”

Winking quickly, you spin around and head back to your office, humming lowly but happily. Your first day at Stark Industries has gotten much better than expected and it puts a small spring in your step as you head back to your office. Office. You can’t even believe that as a personal assistant you’re entitled to an actual office as opposed to just a desk out in the open. But, from what you could gather from talking to Wanda, working for Stark Industries won’t feel like work at all.

You finish keying in changes and adjustments to Tony’s schedule that you’ve received via email. Fortunately, your meeting the next morning remains unchanged, but you feel secure in staying on top of everything. There’s a comfort and a calmness that comes with strict, almost obsessive organization for you. Things feel complete, in their proper places, and so you spend the last fifteen minutes of your work day organizing and reorganizing your desk in a fashion that seems most efficient and less hectic. Your planner is within easy reach, and your computer calendar is pinned to your taskbar. You feel good, at home here, where you can keep someone else’s life perfectly organized.

You take the subway home, earbuds shoved in your ears and streaming the latest episode to the My Favorite Murder podcast. Your feet are a little sore from your shoes, only slight relief when you shift your weight and readjust your feet inside them. The couch, a blanket, and some tea are desperately calling your name as you step off the subway and walking stiffly back to your apartment building. Your first real day in the city had been spent familiarizing and memorizing the routes to and from work so as not to be late for your first day. Now you know it perfectly and you greet the doorman to your building with a tired smile.

Your day was invigorating, but man, are you exhausted. Now that the pressure to be professional and keep focus is off, you allow your shoulders to drop with a sigh. The rickety elevator doors open with a squeak and you step inside and lean against the cool metal of the back wall.

Bucky is in the hallway when the doors open on your floor, looking like he’d just gotten home from work himself and on the phone. Your steps falter a little at the look on his face; it’s pinched, brows furrowed low over his eyes and jaw muscles jumping. You can’t hear him from the elevator where you wait, his voice is low and hurried and sharp. He’s arguing with someone, that much is obvious.

Carefully you step forward, acting as if you weren’t assessing him and his body language, and busy yourself with unlocking your door.

“Oh, hey.”

You look up and over at Bucky, who has ended his phone call apparently but still holds the device in his hand. His smile is faint, and you give him a small, tired one of your own.

“Hi Bucky. Long day?” He catches the quick glance you give his phone and huffs, shoves it roughly into his pocket as if he wants to forget to conversation that’s just taken place.

“Somethin’ like that. How about you? You look tired, doll.” You swallow at the pet name, the way it rolls off his tongue lighting something warm in your belly. It’s forgotten though when Bucky’s face brightens with realization. “Oh! Today was your first day with Stark wasn’t it? How’d it go?”

“It went very well actually. Tony Stark is...not who I imagined he’d be when I first applied to work for him. He’s better, but he’s definitely way more out there than I’d expected.”

The two of you shoot the shit back and forth for a few minutes longer, Bucky’s previous phone call nearly forgotten until it rings again and his face falls when he checks the caller ID. He wags his phone in the air as it continues to shriek.

“I should take this. Hey, um, maybe this weekend you can tell me all about your first week?” He looks shy when he asks, and it only serves to make your face flush crimson. “O-Only if you want to, that is. I’m sure you’re still trying to get settled in.”

“I’d love to,” you interject before he can go off on a nervous tangent. “Maybe you can come over for coffee and help me assemble some furniture?”

“Sure,” he replies softly and with a grin. He seems to have forgotten about his phone until its ringing shatters the small silence again, and he frowns. “I’ll see you, Y/N.”

“Bye Bucky.” You just get the words out before his door closes and the lock flips.

Sighing, you enter your own apartment and kick the heels off your feet, wiggle your toes to get some feeling back into them. Through the walls of your apartment, you can hear Bucky’s raised voice, though it’s still muffled enough that you can’t make out the words.

Truth is, you’ve heard Bucky arguing a lot the past few days. Despite only been here a week, you’ve come to enjoy having Bucky as a neighbor. He’s a tattoo artist, you’ve learned, which explains sometimes why he’s home or away at weird hours, and you’re not surprised to learn he designed his own tattoos. And aside from the recent conflict that seeps through your conjoined walls, he’s quiet and doesn’t do anything untoward that would have you calling the landlord. He says hi to you when he sees you in the hallway or at the mailbox, asks about your day, and goes on his merry way.

And because of all that you may have developed just a teensy crush on the guy, for which you’ve scolded yourself because how could you possibly like a guy you’ve known, barely, a week?

With a small grunt, you head to the kitchen for a hefty glass of much deserved wine.

Chapter Three

#bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x you #bucky x reader #bucky barnes neighbor au #neighbor au #neighbor!bucky

806 notes · View notes

amimons · 5 years

Note

Hey there :) I saw a post earlier, and... could you tell me, is tumblr dying? I'm actually new here, and although I know its somewhat old, it doesn't seem dying, but as said before... I'm new and don't know how it was in the past. I get scared to think all the wonderful ML things related that I found here are going to disappear 😫

Depends. The Miraculous Fandom in tumblr I would stay if very much alive but the hiatus has slowed things down a bit.

But tumblr goes through many phases and everyone always saids its dying like every year lol. The truth is that in the past five years there has been fewer interactions. And I don’t mean like nobody talks to each other or nobody is investing time into fandoms. What I mean is that nobody spreads stuff around anymore and the like to reblog ratio is greatly misbalance.

Reblogging is important because it helps spread the material to a new audience but now people only like stuff. So people who have been creating content whether it is fanfics, art, memes, literally anything is getting affected by this and as a result, they just give up on tumblr as a platform and move on to a new one. Because even though most creators produce content for themselves, the reason they post on platforms is for others to enjoy it and pass it along. When they feel that is gone they start to feel discouraged and just stop sharing their content.

I’ve started tumblr late into the game, but it was still at a peak moment of time. It was an astrology blog and the post we would produce would get an insane amount of exposure (lol one was actually in a Charli XCX interview I was deadddd). The likes to reblog were always relatively even sometimes with more reblogs than likes. However, I was a college student with a part-time job so I gave it like a half a year of inactivity of original posts (occasionally making smaller posts) and just coming back from that short time span I noticed a difference. The likes were more than reblogs and the number of notes were less than the usual. Then I started seeing posts discussing this new trend and how differently everyone is consuming their media.

Ultimately not why I stepped further away from the blog, it was just not what I cared to create anymore and it was started to feel like doing the same thing over and over again. Also because of this new trend, the astro community just basically vanished. Of course, it’s still around but nothing remotely close to its peak a few years back. I just wanted to have fun with other people that share the same interests as me and lol no one (mostly) was there anymore. So communities die when there is no interaction.

If you support the people who create content for fandoms then you have a thriving platform…but if you don’t then they have no reason to stay. Not saying you have to be guilted into reblogging everything and stuff but if you enjoy something that someone does give a reblog and not just alike. Likes are wonderful but they don’t spread things around. If there are Miraculous creators you enjoy the best you can do is support them. If you create the content of your own the important thing is to have fun with it and enjoy it. Attention isn’t everything but attention is important to keep the flow of creation moving.

#its also not just on tumblr #people are just consuming media differently #because there is just so much to intake #its oversaturated #so people just like and move on now #but yeah thats why if a read a fanfic or see art that i like i always like and reblog it #asks #Anonymous

5 notes · View notes

eyesfixedonthesun22 · 6 years

Text

She’s So High: Chapter 8

Summary: 90’s karaoke and your snarky wit seem to have revived the charming side of one Bucky Barnes. Everything comes full circle the morning after. Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader Warning(s): Smut 18+. Swearing. Kissing, Fingering (female), Oral Sex (female receiving), Vaginal Sex, Unprotected Sex. Word Count: 1,996 Notes: Idea was inspired by this 90′s playlist. This chapter was beta read by the lovely @viktordrago. You all go thank her cause without her there would have been A TON of really laughable errors. Shout out to @stanclub for giving me some insight re: Steve and hair gel haha. Thank you so much to everyone for their likes and reblogs thus far. First series is done and in the bag! Anyone who left comments has literally melted my heart. I love you all Smut Note: ***DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, INTERACT WITH MY WORK IF YOU’RE NOT 18+*** It goes without saying, unprotected sex….please make sure your partners are clean and you use an agreed upon form of protection (if relevant).

You’re taken aback by the bright wash of sunshine flooding the room as your eyes flutter open. A room that is clearly not your room. Your half-awake brain remembers the events of last night sluggishly. This is Bucky’s bed… which would explain the large arm draped across your middle.

You savor the warmth from the sunlight spilling across the bed coupled with the warmth radiating from his body next to you. The soft sheets caress your naked skin as you stretch your muscles; careful not to wake Bucky.

You study his face. All the tension it normally holds during the waking hours is absent. His hair is strewn across his pillow. His limbs, all but the one anchoring you to him, seem to be splayed in every direction. You crane your neck to see the clock.

“Fuck.” You allow another five minutes to enjoy the proximity with the man besides you before carefully sliding under his arm.

You curse once more for sleeping in this late but allow it remembering fondly why you were so exhausted. Bucky had woken you up throughout the night. The first time he had ground gently against your backside. He nearly came from the wanton whines that permeated your dreams. When you stirred awake, he slid into you from behind; relishing in how soaked you had been for him.

The second time you had protested a bit, citing lack of sleep. Not easily deterred, his mouth worked your breasts with lavish kisses. All complaints died on your tongue when his head disappeared under the covers with his apology of “just once more for me, darlin’?” You could have sworn you heard a series of knocks clearly coming from the room next door. All worry dissipated as Bucky tongue fucked you through not one but two more orgasms.

The third time was entirely your “fault”. You had woken with your throat parched. Returning from the bathroom with a glass of water, you noticed a tempting tent in the sheets. Thinking you’d have the element of surprise, you were certainly shocked (though not complaining), when things ended with you bent over the side of the bed with Bucky’s cock pounding you into the mattress.

You smirk at the memories, attempting to find your clothing from the night before. Quickly giving up, you opt for Bucky’s flannel as a dressing gown. You’d be able to start breakfast in privacy and come back in normal clothes once the team was awake. Which would be soon if you didn’t hurry; you thought stealing a final glance back at Bucky’s sleeping form.

You’d settled on a batch of breakfast quiches for the team. You press play on your favorite playlist letting it provide a pleasant background soundtrack. Once the egg mixture was ready, you could throw it in the oven and probably catch another half hour of lazy morning cuddles with Bucky.

All the vegetables were chopped and ready for the filling. The only problem was you couldn’t remember the ratio of cream to egg. Pulling open the cabinets you see the cookbook you need propped on one of the top shelves. Clearly someone else had used it last. You would never have put it so out of reach. You stand on your tip toes and attempt to swat it down from its elevated prison.

You must have been engrossed in getting the cookbook down because Bucky is able to silently creep into the kitchen. He enjoys watching you struggle; finding your little frustrated cursing adorable.

You see the cookbook teetering, almost within reach, when a pair of hands land on your hips. You freeze but relax once you smell the familiar scent of him behind you. His head drops on your shoulder for a quick kiss behind your ear; hands dipping under the hemline of the flannel.

“You skippin’ out on me, dollface?” He mumbles into your skin.

“I needed to get breakfast in the oven before everyone is up. I was gonna hop back in bed with you while it bakes.” You resume your struggle to get the cookbook down as Bucky chuckles at you. “Would you quit laughing at me?! I need this cookbook. I can’t remember the ratiooooohh-”

Your reply turns to a moan. One of his hands detaches itself from its place on your hip, effortlessly grabs the cookbook, and tosses it on the island behind you; the other is occupied ever so softly stroking small circles into your clit. You collapse back down off your tip toes and let your weight fall back into his chest.

“Doll, you can’t go around stealing my shirts and making them look ten times sexier than I ever could.” His voice seems entirely unaffected but the sudden shift in mood. “I’m incredibly insecure and you’re showing me up.”

You can hear the smile in his words even if you weren’t feeling it in his lips which are now sloppily and lazily kissing up your neck. You sigh deeply enjoying the teasing sensations he’s sending through your body.

“Buck-” you whine gently, remembering where you are. “Someone is gonna hear us.”

He pulls back from you to quickly jab at the volume button; increasing the music so others don’t hear you. “Then you better be quiet, sweetheart.”

Needing to see his eyes, you turn around to face him. His hair is mussed. It looks like he’s thrown on the same black jeans from the night before. They hang obscenely low on his hips unbuttoned. He’s deliciously shirtless. Warmth from the bedroom still clings to his skin.

“I distinctly remember a grumpy old man yelling at me for too loud of music this early in the morning.”

The pressure on your clit relents only to feel a digit slide into your core slowly, his thumb takes up the circles on your clit.

“Come back to bed darlin’. Sleeping in isn’t as fun without you there.”

“I have to make breakfast-” Your reply is choked off by a particularly strong wave of pleasure as his finger pushes pressure onto your g-spot. You open your eyes only to see a perfectly smug and unbothered face. If you didn’t feel his motions deep inside your now pulsing cunt, you would have guessed he was almost bored.

You try again to defend your actions, “Everyone will go hungry if-”

With his eyes locked on yours he adds a second finger into you. “Fuck.” He cocks his head to the side slightly and gives you his best shit eating grin.

“You were saying?”

“I’m out of excuses.” You mold your lips to his, giving into the pleasurable sensations. You attempt to walk him backwards out of the kitchen towards the bedroom.

“Nuh uh,” he says with his mouth now sucking deep hickeys into your collar bone. “Wanna see you cum right here.”

You want to protest but the clench of your walls around his fingers betrays you before you can get a word out. You pant small breathy moans into his shoulder as he brings his lips to your ears.

“That’s it, darlin’. I can tell that turns you on.” You suppress another low moan and it comes out more of a whimper. “Knowin’ anyone could walk in… see you becoming a panting little mess stuffed with my fingers.”

At this point, you’re relying completely on Bucky for support; your legs have gone to Jell-O. “I can tell you’re close, doll. I feel you fluttering around me.”

The stretch and glide of Bucky’s fingers have you forgetting about the residual soreness. You bite your bottom lip; hoping it will keep you quiet enough. You’re ready to let go with your release-

“What the fuck, Barnes!” You whine angrily. His hand had abandoned your cunt right at the crucial moment. He’s pushed far away from you. Before you realize what’s happening, he’s plopped in one of the bar stools at the island casually flipping through the cookbook that had seconds before been abandoned.

You’re ready to beat the shit out of him but Tony and Steve round the corner. They’re deep in conversation and don’t look at either of you. Your eyes meet Bucky’s and they glint playfully. Your gaze moves to his hand holding the cookbook. Two of the fingers are obviously coated in your slick. Noticing your gaze, he moves the finger up to his mouth and licks it clean. You let out an uncontrolled gasp only to draw attention of Steve and Tony.

“You okay there, Y/N/N?” Tony says. You pry your eyes away from Bucky’s face you manage a nod. You refuse to look back at him, knowing full well he’s got the largest shit eating grin plastered on his face.

“What’s for breakfast? You need any help?” Steve asks. He moves to your side of the island; observing the slew of ingredients which sit deserted.

“Hold the phone… Y/N, where are your pants?” Tony interrupts. “I’m not objecting to the view. Just curious as to-”

There’s an uncomfortably long pause as Tony’s face flickers through a vast array of expressions. You and Bucky are frozen simply hoping he’s attempting to formulate some crude joke.

“Ahhhhh. Got it.”

“Got what?” Steve asks. Tony tuts and smiles like fox in the hen house. “GOT WHAT?! Steve yells more insistently looking at the two of you for some help.

“Tin Man and Y/N. That’s why they didn’t come back. It would appear they sang a little duet of their own last night.” He waggles his eyebrows daring you to refute him.

Steve’s face is a mask of confusion as he attempts to decode Tony’s statement. You and Bucky share glances back and forth debating your next point of action. You’re thinking of running for it but at this point the entire team has filed into the dining room and kitchen.

Steve’s face switches to one of epiphany as Bucky points a warning finger at Tony. Stark simply smirks, paying no mind to the threatening finger.

Rolling your eyes and deciding to intervene before you see how expertly Bucky decides to keep Tony silent; you gently grab his arm and kiss the tip of his finger lowering it back to his side.

“It’s fine, Buck. They’ll figure it out eventually”.

“Or literally as it’s happening.” Natasha yells from the kitchen. “I share a wall with you Barnes… just saying!”

“I’m now taking music requests and breakfast orders. Anyone who feels the need to comment on my activities last night won’t be eating!” You quickly decide to put an end to that conversation. A chorus of “okay okay” greet your ears. “That's what I thought.”

Everyone dissolves into their own morning conversations. You turn back to the food in front of you wondering if now it would be best to switch to omelets.

“Y/N/N.” Bucky wraps his arms around your waist, and you’re pulled into his little bubble. You wonder if his effect would ever wear off. You thoroughly hope it doesn’t.

In the background you hear, Steve describing how long it took to get all the gel out of his hair last night. Nat’s livid about getting her curling wand back covered in gel.

“You best hope it’s gel!” Sam shouts further antagonizing her. You chuckle slightly at your misfit family before giving Bucky your full attention once more.

“Doll, I wasn’t trying to keep us secret for any malicious reason. I hope you know that.” His expression is soft and hesitant. “I just wanted you to have your privacy. We hadn’t really discussed telling the team, yet.”

You kiss him once on the lips and again on his nose. “I know, Buck. Now, go grab the cookbook and help me feed the ungrateful goons.” You can’t help but adore how much Bucky’s beaming.

“You’re on bacon duty.”

“Babe! I’m shirtless. Gonna get little bacon burns everywhere.”

“Well if someone wasn’t so picky about his bacon crispiness…” you say with a wink.

#Bucky x reader #bucky x female reader #bucky x you #Bucky Barnes x reader #Bucky Barnes x female reader #Bucky Barnes x you #bucky #bucky barnes #bucky fanfic #bucky smut #marvel #mcu #avengers #avengers fanfiction #my writing #my fics #She's So High

91 notes · View notes

sebastiianstan · 6 years

Text

Tumblr content school: why you don’t always get notes and how to (potentially) get a bit more

So in recent weeks, I’ve seen quite a few posts floating around that centre around the same subject: content creators, mainly gifmakers, not gaining followers as quickly as they would like to and/or not getting as many notes on their original content as they would like to. Most recently I’ve seen people share their like-to-reblog ratio, with a call to users to also reblog content instead of just liking it, which would result in more exposure and recognition for the creator.

Now, while all of those feelings are perfectly valid and you’re obviously allowed to post whatever you like on your blog, the conversation around this is quite unnuanced and, at times, a bit uninformed. I’m not claiming to be some kind of expert, but having been a content creator (gifmaker) on this platform for quite a few years, with my own small share of popular gifsets floating around and having built both my own blog an two fansites/group blogs to at least moderate success, I do think I have a certain degree of insight re: getting notes, so I thought I’d put in my two cents. Please note that I’m not making this post to be condescending in any way, or even to tell you what to do/how to create content, but I thought I’d help as much as I can, based on my own experience.

Below the cut are 1. reasons why I think gifsets don’t always get the number of notes you wanted/expected them to, and 2. tips on creating and posting content in a way that will potentially get you more notes.

Why you might not be getting (a lot) of notes

So let’s start with some general trends re: gifsets not getting as many notes as you’d like/expect, and not as many as they would have maybe a few years ago.

1. Tumblr is past its peak

Based on experience, I’d say fandom Tumblr reached its peak in 2015-2016, and was riding that out in 2017. I’ve mainly been a Marvel blog in recent years, so I can’t speak for other fandoms, but Tumblr was... wild in the lead-up to and aftermath of Captain America: Civil War (2016). Wonder Woman (2017) was a similar situation on the DC side of things.

New Marvel releases (like Ant-Man & The Wasp, Avengers: Infinity War and probably most notably, Black Panther) still get a lot of traction and fandom definitely isn’t dead on Tumblr, but I feel like 2015-2016 were definitely peak years. I only recently returned from a year-long hiatus; I stopped being active in late 2017 and even then my dashboard wasn’t quite as active as it was a year before that. Upon returning here about a month ago, most of my mutuals from back in the day had also become inactive and a lot of gifmakers I used to follow were not creating content anymore.

So it boils down to this: I think it’s very likely that the amount of active users within your fandom has diminished significantly as compared to two years ago. A set that may have gotten 10k notes within a few days in 2016 might now only get half of that.

2. The URL thing

This is a sad truth, but it does seem that having a semi-canon or canon url does at least help with getting a larger amount of notes on your content. I have no tips on getting a canon url (I got very, very lucky with this one), but this is a simple observation I have from over the years. Url trading/selling has basically become a genuine business due to this - canon urls are in high demand.

More importantly, what I can say is that it’s smart not to change your url too often. Becoming a popular content creator on this platform is basically the same as building a brand - and a brand has an easily recognized name. Once you have a url you are happy with, try to stick to it for a while. When you change your url, links break on reblogs of your old gifsets, by the way.

3. The like-to-reblog ratio has always been unbalanced

For as long as I can remember, posts have gotten more likes than reblogs. If your ratio is 2-to-1 or 3-to-1, trust me, you are doing perfectly well for yourself! Again, as with my first point, this might have gotten a bit more extreme since 2016, but it’s not a new thing.

4. Popular users support each other

Obviously there’s nothing wrong with this (in fact, I love that we all support each other), but yes, in general big/popular blogs are friends with each other and tend to reblog each other’s content, which can be discouraging for smaller or aspiring content creators on the platform.

However, please be aware that these big blogs built up the following they have by posting content for years and it just takes time. Also, know that most users on here actually really enjoy being tagged in your posts - so if you gif a movie or tv show you know a popular user (that you follow) likes, tag them in it and if it’s high quality content (I’ll touch on this later), they’ll probably reblog it.

Tips on getting more notes

Alright, on to part two: my personal tips on getting more notes. These are strictly based on my own experience, and as a repeat of my disclaimer earlier: I am genuinely trying to share my knowledge; none of this is with the intent of being a condescending know-it-all.

1. Don’t look like you’re complaining

No matter what the intent behind your post about your lack of notes and/or followers is, it’s very likely you’re going to come off entitled or ungrateful. I’ve personally unfollowed multiple users who post consistently about reaching their next thousand, who make angry/frustrated posts when their followers don’t increase as quickly as they’d like to, when they lose followers, etc. I understand that the hustle is frustrating, but posts like these are really quite annoying for your followers; you’re complaining about followers you don’t have to followers you do have, who are then more likely to unfollow you because it looks like you’re complaining. Your mutuals might understand why you’re posting this, but others probably don’t.

When it comes to posts about like-to-reblog ratios, which I’ve seen a fair few of recently, please consider a couple of things.

When you ask people to reblog your post instead of liking it, you are essentially telling them what to put on their own blogs.

A lot of users on here have carefully curated content; while some users simply blog about everything they like, others stick to a certain set of subjects/movies/tv shows. If they see a post they like that doesn’t fall into those categories, they’ll give it a like to keep track of it and show their appreciation, but won’t put it on their blogs. You can’t tell people to reblog something they don’t want to.

You’re essentially asking people that you do not really personally care about to do something for you. Most of the likes you get on your post are likely from people that you do not follow yourself. I’m not saying that you hate your followers or don’t care for them, but you can’t really ask anything of a user that you don’t even follow yourself.

Look at it this way: Tumblr is basically a mini society, with its own market in the form of content creation. The ones who have a few thousand followers, and who get a few hundred or a few thousand notes on their posts are already the lucky ones. If you’re a user who gets hundreds/thousands of notes on their posts (even if it’s not as many as you like or deserve), you should keep in mind that the vast majority of users on here are small blogs that don’t have the traction that you have. If you post a screenshot of the like-to-reblog ratio on a post that has 2k notes, they’re going to think, “what on earth are you complaining about?”

Posts like these can really only backfire. I don’t think it’s likely that a lot of users will suddenly start reblogging instead of liking because of them. I know those posts are getting traction, because your mutuals and fellow content creators understand your frustration (believe me, I do too!), so they reblog/like/comment on it, but you’re essentially in an echo chamber of content creators. Anyone outside of that circle will not understand it and might unfollow you because of it.

2. Quality

Another disclaimer: I’m not implying that the people who have made posts about notes/followers don’t make HQ gifs. This is simply the “tips on getting notes” section of this particular post, so that’s what I’m doing. Veteran gifmakers can skip this section because I won’t be presenting anything new here.

Here’s the thing: high quality gifsets get notes. I know that what constitutes a HQ gif is subjective, but there is a consensus on this amongst big blogs, so I will summarize it below.

Make gifs from high-quality video sources. If 1080p is available, use that. Don’t gif from videos below 720p. Also, the larger the t*rr*nt file, the higher the quality. If a 1080p t*rr*nt from a movie is under 2GB in size, it’s probably not decent enough to gif from.

Use the new dimensions. Tumblr changed from 500px to 540px over 3 years ago now I believe, and all the big blogs use these dimensions. I rarely see sets like this anymore, but some users do still hold on to the old dimensions. Obviously, you should do what you like, but know that you’ll get more notes if you make the switch.

Do not skip frames. If you use screencaps, extract 25 frames per second. If you are an ‘Import video frames to layers’ kinda gal, like me, import all frames.

Sharpen your gifs! It makes an insane difference. My faq section links to a sharpening action.

Your frame delay should be 0.05. If you have a low amount of frames, you can get away with 0.06, but do not make your gif any slower than that. It will look unsmooth.

Go for natural coloring, where you simply brighten up the gif and enhance the colors (beware of whitewashing tho). I know that using PSD’s from resource blogs is tempting, but it’s very likely they will not work for the particular scene you’re giffing. It’s best if you learn to color yourself and adapt your coloring for every set. Also, it’s up to you what you think is pretty, but extremely vibrant and extremely pale coloring isn’t very popular anymore. Natural is the way to go. (This is with the exception of those gorgeous color edits people have been making recently. Y’all are queens & that shit is hard to make yo!)

If your gif is larger than the 3mb limit, NEVER sacrifice colors in the ‘Save for web’ window. Always delete frames to lower the size of your gif.

Just saying, but Photoshop CS5 has been known to make the best gifs.

For beginners out there, please don’t be discouraged. I’ve been making gifs for years, and they were absolute shit in the beginning. It just takes time to learn, but if you stick to it, you’ll get there.

3. Concept over quantity

Allow me to draw a comparison with YouTubers here - I think we all prefer YouTubers who post one well fleshed out video a week (for example, Safiya Nygaard) over YouTubers who post an okay video every day.

I think a lot of users think the way to get notes and followers is to post a gifset every day. This probably does work to an extent, but I personally think it’s better to come up with original concepts that you post every few days.

When you watch a movie, you can make five gifsets out of scenes from that movie, or you can come up with a concept. For example, parallels between scenes, parallels with other movies, the best lines of a certain character, etc. This takes more work, but sets like these are highly appreciated because they’re original, and they tend to get more notes.

This doesn’t apply to new releases, as you are probably among the first to gif a particular scene, but if you’re giffing a scene from a movie that’s been out for a while, you’re very likely not the first to do it. People will see it, realize they’ve already reblogged something very similar, and keep scrolling. But if you come up with a new idea, that’s what’ll get you more traction.

To give you a personal example; I recently rewatched all of the cap films. Now, I could have giffed popular scenes like “I could do this all day” or “I’m with you ‘til the end of the line”, but that’s been done before... a lot. Instead, I came up with this, and got 6.5k notes. I haven’t posted that many new sets on my blog recently, but posting content like that has gained me some followers and new mutuals.

4. Timing

All this requires is keeping an eye on your dashboard and taking note of when most of the people you follow are online. I sometimes see European content creators posting their sets smack dab in the middle of the day. Lemme tell y’all something: the Americans are sleeping.

I’m in timezone GMT+1. My dash wakes up around 5pm. I never post before 6pm - I’ll post anywhere between then and midnight, so feel free to convert that to your own timezone. The scheduling feature on posts comes in handy if you’ll be asleep or at school/work around that time.

If you post when Tumblr isn’t active, your set will drown in all of the other content, so be smart about timing.

5. Strategic tagging

It seems that a lot of users still don’t know this: only the first five tags on your post show up in tags on Tumblr. Anything past the first five will only be useful for your own tagging/archiving system, but will not show up in any tracked tags.

So first point: always use the most prominent edit tag for the fandom you’re posting in. Examples are #marveledit, #hpedit, #filmedit. These are frequently used, and often tracked by big blogs.

Second point: figure out who the big fansites/group blogs are, and if they track a tag, tag them. Make sure you follow them, obviously. If your post is funny, you might wanna tag bob-belcher (#bbelcher) as well - this blog is popular across fandoms and posts content from all over!

Third: tag users who you think will like your post. Don’t be thirsty with this. Again, only do this if you follow them. Tagging 2-3 users is ok, but don’t be out there tagging 8 to 10 blogs on your post. Not only is that a little pointless (because only the first five tags will show up), it also makes you look thirsty. Users might not appreciate this, and ultimately might not reblog your post because of that. Also, try not to tag the same users on every single one of your posts.

6. Popular content

If your fandom is niche, so is your content. That’s perfectly fine; don’t feel pressured to post about anything that isn’t your passion.

But if your goal really is to get more notes and followers, create content from fandoms that are big on the platform. Examples are Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, film blogs, etc.

7. Join a fansite/group blog

Every big fandom on Tumblr has one or multiple fansites/group blogs. I recommend you figure out who they are for your fandom, and apply to one that’s accepting new members. You’ll likely get in if your gifs are HQ.

I know this sounds a bit counterintuitive, as you’ll be posting content on another blog that will be getting the notes and followers from it, but it actually is a good way to gain more exposure. These blogs have large amounts of followers, and they usually allow you to reblog your own content to them, as long as you’re active. I think it’s a great way to get your content out there.

Alright, time to wrap up this post. I’m not personally calling out anyone who has made posts about followers, notes, like-to-reblog ratios, etc. I’ve seen at least 15 of those posts in recent weeks so I’m just reacting to a trend I’m seeing, by presenting a potential solution to a problem people seem to be having.

My last tip is this: if notes and followers on Tumblr are making you feel down or frustrated, maybe it’s time for a little hiatus or a step back. In the end, you are not getting paid for this and your popularity on the platform has no bearing on your real life. This is supposed to be a fun outlet for your passions and interests, not a source of frustration and anger. Don’t take it too seriously! You’re doing amazing sweetie.

#resources #i guess?#idk what to tag this as #usermichelle

129 notes · View notes

themagiciansreccenter · 6 years

Text

Author Spotlight: highestkingbambi

Every week we are going to be interviewing a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

Hi! I’m Rae aka @highestkingbambi or sullyandlulu. I’m in my late twenties and a small business owner. I live on the underside of the world—for now—with my husband and dog.

How long have you been writing for?

I’ve been writing on and off for about 15 years now, though I only started writing for fandom in about 2010.

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

I started developing some plot points after watching Life in a Day, but it was the Quentin vs the depression key and the aftermath of that which had me pull out my notebook and start writing fiction for the first time in a number of years.

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

Margo is by far my favourite character to write, though the POV for my fics tends to be pretty evenly mixed between her and Quentin. What I love about writing Margo is just how multifaceted she is, and yet there is so little we know about her. She rarely lets her true feelings show, but when she does, you never forget them and I love delving into that part of her.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

I tend to write canon divergent fics based around the first few months at Brakebills, however I also love filling in missing scenes, particularly from season three. Honestly, I just write whatever my muse leads me to.

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

My big project at the moment is a Hardboiled/Noir Alternate Universe story that I am writing from Margo’s POV set in Los Angeles, 1948. There is a teaser you can find here.

How long is your “to do list”?

My official “to do list” has approximately 18 ideas listed, however the list in my head is significantly longer. I’m never going to get through them, so if anyone wants one, hmu.

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

Hands down this is still ‘Talk Therapy’. It’s a little rough, but I loved delving into Margo’s thoughts and feelings pre ‘The Fillorian Candidate’. I am also incredibly passionate about showing the relationship between Margo and Quentin and it was a real treat to be inspired to write such an intimate, platonic moment between them.

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

My paintball fic, ‘Cacophony of Color’ I totally get why it doesn’t get a lot of traction as its a gen fic with minimal shipping, but I just had so much fun writing it. It’s rare for me to write something so silly (smut and angst are my defaults) and the pure joy I felt while putting it together has me wish that more people read it.

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

My writing process is disastrous. I get an idea, start writing and see how far I get. When I inevitably hit a brick wall, that’s when I’ll put together an outline and see how I can steer it to a preferred end goal. I don’t really have any traditions or superstitions, though I do find it easier to be creative when I am sitting in a strange position. E.g. Lying on the floor with my feet on the couch and my dog on my feet.

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

I only started writing during season three and it’s been interesting to compare the stories I was inspired to write while the season was airing and what I have been writing during the hiatus. There was an urgency in my mind to write as quickly as possible to get a fic up before canon proved any of my theories or ideas wrong, whereas now I am more focused on getting the details right.

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

All of the unfinished fics in my google drive? :) As for published fics, the hardest was probably ‘The People We Were’. I wrote that one pretty quickly and when I look back the tense is all over the place. I had to break that one up into chunks and write it out of order (not my usual style) because I just kept getting choked up about how devastating the characters losing their memories is.

Are there any themes or tropes that you like particularly like to explore in your writing?

I dunno. For someone known for writing ‘that orgy fic’ I am a big fan of writing platonic and semi-platonic relationships.

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

It probably doesn’t show, but I’ve always been inspired by the writing styles of Jeanette Winterson, Kurt Vonnegut and Jack Kerouac (I was that hipster asshole who backpacked from San Francisco to New York City via New Orleans with a worn out copy of ‘On the Road’. Please don’t judge me. I was young.) As for fanfiction writers, there are so many writers in this fandom that inspire me, I couldn’t narrow it down.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I am currently drowning in crime fiction novels from Dashiel Hammett to P.D James as research for my WIP. Fanfiction wise I am overly invested in OneEyedDestroyer’s ‘Head to Head’, BrightWhiteLights’ ‘Modified Aspect Ratio, Gwendolynflight’s ‘Divine Rituals’ and Coldfiredragon’s ‘Shoulder to Shoulder With You’.

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

“Just fucking do it, who gives a shit if the markers get freaked out about a little sinew?” - My 12th grade writing teacher. This was in relation to a mobster fiction short story I wrote for my high school major work.

Cringe time:

Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?

I use so many double negatives when I write that half the time I cannot believe that anyone can even understand what I’m trying to say. I probably over use ‘definitely’ and ‘actually’ in my writing as well but that’s less obvious to me.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

I do have access to it. It’s a short drabble that I wrote to supplement my original character’s backstory in an old x-men tumblr rp. No, I will not share it.

Rapid Fire Round:

Self-edit or Beta? Beta

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes? Comments are always appreciated.

Smut, Fluff or Angst? All of the above.

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn? Quick and Dirty

Favourite season? Season Three

Favourite episode? The Fillorian Candidate

Favourite book(The Magicians books)? Don’t hate me, I haven’t read them.

Three favourite words? Novelty, moron, shit-tonne.

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

#author spotlight: highestkingbambi #author spotlight

15 notes · View notes