#they are literally just people who have a different life style (i'd recommend looking them up if you're interested)

[princekirijo]

Europeans when someone was born 3 kilometers away from them

I NEARLY SPAT OUT MY DRINK ITS REALLY LIKE THIS 😭

[imbecominggayer]

How To Write Cuddling

This my third part to my series where I get specific requests from people about what advice they want. Here we have @12-cluh to explain what about cuddling is getting them confused:

"Idk how to really describe what I'm going after. I'd say I'm more confused on how to describe the way the bodies are laying together? That sounds weird but you get it-"

Perfect, so our key problem is how to establish a character's positioning in the cuddling!

First: How Are These People Cuddling?

Here is some great writing advice for all manners of situations: try to physically establish where the characters are

Heck, you could draw a nice stickman cuddling session in order to get everything down.

This is mostly to prevent a type of "I gently wrapped my arms around her in an unending hug as I let my free hand grasp onto her colder fingers." situation. If you didn't notice, human character grew a third hand and certainly didn't tell me.

And obviously, reread your material out loud so your pesky brain wont perform it's own autocorrect

Next, there are tons of different cuddling positions that evoke different types of atmospheres from the sultry to the affectionate to the hilarious.

Based on what I googled, there are many different names and Shingles is the weirdest thing to name a cuddling style.

Since this cuddling is taking place between "a couple who finally get a day off. (featuring her tracing his scars! :3" I'm guess that @12-cluh is probably going for affectionate.

I probably would recommend "Sweetheart's Cradle" or "The Honeymoon Hug" if you are going for an ultra-affectionate cuddle.

If you are looking for something more casual yet still affectionate then "The Spoon" and, uhh, "Shingles" . The "Sweetheart's Cradle" could still work here but that's up to your interpretation of what Romance On The Go is talking about.

2. Actual Description

Quote: "...how to describe the way the bodies are laying together?

Obviously, it's hard for me to give specific details on how to describe the scene since it's feelings which change the world and influence how it arrives to the audience.

If this is a somber affair, based on the scar tracing, then that's obviously going to influence the atmosphere. If it's a highly affectionate get-together then that's the diction.

However, in general, you don't need proper "he laid down on her" type of weirdly phrased descriptions.

You just need to get the emotion across.

For example, "He lowers them onto the bed once again, the back of his hand brushing against her cheek. She latches onto him and refuses to let go for the rest of the night. She refuses to let go for forever, actually. She prayes that she wasn't alone. That this isn't just another dream or mistake. When the sunlight glimmers through the curtain, she will thank the gods for this blessed union."

I hoped I communicated the deep love and desperation between these characters :3 God, I am such a bad writer.

Anyway, as you can see there wasn't a lot of detail focused on where my female character was latching onto. All the detail you need is for the movements that display emotion such as the caressing

Here is a more comedic example for more proof: "What nobody told him about cuddling is how f*cking uncomfortable it was. What should've been a delicate and affectionate affair was instead a mess of limbs and sweat as his boyfriend's ability to light up his life was far more literal then he wanted. But even if his hand may never function again as this brick shithouse of a man has lovingly passed out on it, the feeling of just being together in this shitty cot makes his soul tremble in the sweetest, strangest way. "

I regret writing examples of this. I am going to get destroyed in the comments for my shitty writing ability :`(

Anyway, there is little set-up for what limbs are where and what everyone is specifically doing.

There are other things you can do to show the audience where your characters are. "Our breath mixed together". Or "I could hear his heartbeat".

And now I need to ask you "doth that satisfy thou my liege?" I tried to do this advice right since it's you and for some reason I care about you more then I should, darling.

So please give me my validation and feel free to ask me for more writing advice. I am forever at your beck and call.

[bluetomorrows]

Clone High: It's About the Contrast

Something I've seen a lot of is Clone High S2 redesigns. People taking the new characters of S2 of Clone High and changing the designs, usually cause they don't like what we did get. Some of these are neat. I saw one that tries to combine their new designs with their S1 designs from when these characters were incidentals. A lot of them seem to take the personality out of the design. Most of them look hard to animate, but that isn't the point I'm trying to make.

People seem to really dislike these new designs. There are valid design reasons (some are a bit overdesigned, and they definitely clash with the S1 designs) but it just seems people are mad at them in concept. Especially Harriet Tubman. How could they turn Harriet Tubman into... this?

It's outrageous! And yeah, it is. It's supposed to be. That's the joke. In the 20 years since Season 1, the Clone High Fandom has grown and shipped and gossiped and a lot of people have forgotten that the incongruity of the characters is part of the joke. Joan of Arc was not in fact a goth girl who constantly thirsts over tall men. The same goes for several other characters.

Harriet Tubman isn't Harriet Tubman. She shares her DNA but she is decidedly a different person. That's the point of Clone High, the show is less about historical figures interacting in a high school setting and more about how these people might be if they were raised under different circumstances. Ideologically, Clone High is an argument against great man theory.

Gandhi changed the world. But when he isn't born and raised in British controlled India under very specific circumstances, he's just some guy. The same goes for Cleopatra, JFK, Joan of Arc,, Jesus Christ, and yes, even Confucius, Frida Kahlo, and Harriet Tubman. It's circumstances that create people, not people making the circumstances.

Imagine if you had the chance to have a conversation with the real Harriet Tubman. What do you think she would say? How would she act? I'm sure she'd probably be an interesting and nice person, but she wouldn't be a character fit for a wacky animated sitcom. You don't really expect former slaves to be bubbly like that.

It both literally and metaphorically takes the basic DNA of these figures and subverts and modifies their existence through modern society, or rather the tropes of teen dramas. Not just asking what would happen if these people were in high school but if they were ordinary people. Instead of being a hero whose life is in danger, Harriet Tubman is a girl who gossips and whose biggest worry is becoming a basic bitch.

Look at the S2 finale. The board of shadowy figures have assembled their great men and put them in competition. They'll weed out the best of the best to become the great men of the future. And out of about 100 clones, only one actually makes it to the end. Everyone else fails. The one clone who does make it, Joan, is born again into extreme circumstances. Being left for dead by her friends and suffering a psychic break. There is no such thing as great men, just extraordinary situations.

I think this theme of subverting these legendary figures is something that should be kept in mind when talking about the show. It isn't really a show about historical figures, just historically-themed characters. And that's okay. It's very funny when done well! It's a cartoon and it really acts like it. It was never asking to be taken as a serious drama and definitely wasn't asking to be a commentary on historical figures. It simply parodied its contemporary teen dramas a little too well and we got invested in joke characters and everything changed. The S2 writers were in a very unenviable place, and I applaud them for taking things in bold new directions. If you haven't watched S2 or even just watched a few episodes, I'd recommend giving it another chance. It's not perfect but it gets better as it continues. It has its own distinct feel and style while still understanding what "the point" of the original was.

Also Kahlopatra for life ❤️ 🧡 💛 💚 💙 💜

[dwcmarshalarts]

I adore your style and content - I’m considering doing masters studies of some of your pieces just to try it out, but I’m still fairly new to art. I was curious if there’s any part of your process or any particular advice you’d have?

Gave this answer before to someone who asked me the same question, and I think it still counts! 1) Build stamina. You can do this by drawing often- and with intention. Start your drawing with a warm up- something light, not overly serious. Focus more on the literal mechanical feeling of your hand moving to draw. Then focus on the heavier stuff after you’ve both literally and mentally warmed up, setting the stage for more involved drawing. Make this a routine and drawing overall will be less tiring over time.

2) Focus on replicability, not detail. This goes hand in hand with the previous point. A lot of people develop a kind of perfectionism early on, where they get overly attached to a specific sketch and don’t wanna budge from it, and put details until it “looks good,” even when the subject as a whole is wonky. I like to equate this to “too much icing, not enough cake,” or “building on sand foundations.” I’ve been there before, and it can hold you back. Instead of focusing on a specific piece and how you rendered it that one time, focus on how you render it such that you could do something similar, easily replicate the concept. Once you’ve built more stamina, you can open up the gates to tackling the same subject matter in different ways.

3) Mind your mark making. Some folks agonize over the tiniest detail, sometimes for hours. At the end of the day, that itself doesn’t necessarily bring improvement- that’s more of a test of patience. Unless someone specifically asks, you don’t- for example- need to draw every single ridge of every knob on a switchboard in great detail. These things can be implied through mark making. Remember, a lot of drawing isn’t about literally making something for people to see- it’s tricking the eye into believing what’s drawn is actually there. You’ll be amazed at what detail can be like even when you don’t define every part.

4) Drawing is more seeing than “making it up.” * Don’t be afraid to use references and such. It’ll help you render form than imagining it- sometimes the imagination can conjure things incorrectly. *Even seasoned artists who don’t typically use too much references need to do studies from life or books every now and then to reinforce skills.

One point I didn't add before for style things specifically is: 5) Look where the artist got their inspirations from if you want to learn from them. No art exists within a vaccuum, everyone has their influences. Trying to do a study from someone's art will only take you so far- because then it'll feel more like mimicry than actual, learned study. Research or try to see parallels with artists that you might think had a hand in influencing a given artist's style. Notice the patterns there- certain textures are invoked here, this form was defined like this, etc. A lot of folks confuse wanting "more of a thing" as opposed to "what makes that thing desirable/unique." If you'd like to know where some of my influences come from, I'd say look at the works of Squiddy, covers for Hellboy comics, and the Snowpiercer graphic novel.

Addendum: If you're looking to draw anatomy specifically- study from real anatomy, and learn how to do those before you begin to "break the rules" (exaggerate, anthropomorphize, etc). For resources on that, I'd recommend the Morpho books (all of them haha) and Dynamic Human Anatomy by Roberto Osti.

Hope this helps somewhat, feel free to ask if I missed anything.

[princemick-archive]

i hope it's okay if i send you this but i'm pretty new to the f1 side of tumblr and don't really know the ins and outs yet and you're literally the first blog i came across and you seem really popular and talented so i thought i'd ask you for some blog recommendations? and maybe you'd know if there's any like fandom etiquette one should follow on f1 tumblr that's different from general tumblr etiquette because i know some fandoms have some extra unspoken rules and all that

Hi nonnie ofc it's okay!! so here's:

kyle, princemick's beginners guide to f1blr!

basic rules to f1blr:

please always tag any kind of crash, they happen, theyre scary please remember to tag them with 'crash tw'

don't cross tag keep the right drivers in the right tags, we dont wanna see max in the ferrari tag or charles in the merc tag etc

tag your hate with 'anti *insert driver*' (use first name not both first and last so it doesnt show up in the main tags) and don't go looking in those tags for ur fav just to defend them that's annoying ass hell

basic things to remember:

rpf is very likely to happen, if you dont enjoy it no worries to blacklist or not follow people who are active in it BUT rpf does happen a lot casually as jokes etc so dont take it to seriously

everyone has their favs and critize everyone, the block and unfollow button is right there, its still sport. curate your own experience.

NOW kyle's blog rec list below the cut!

go and support and show some love, they're all incredible creators and organized by fav driver/genre of content so please take some time to check them out!! (tried to explain what they mostly do but some just rb and post so ajksdb theyre still all amazing though)

a lot of these are also mixed in who they support, I put them in the catagory of people I identify them w most.

also tumblr is a dick so has a tag limit which means half of these are links so there are a bunch of people in here who didnt get a notif that they're in this post, so rip.

FIRST OFF follow my most beloveds @milflewis and @yeericcihaw theyre two of the most important people in my life who are on their own incredible creators, niamh is an incredible writer and fran a wonderful gif maker. both of them make tumblr so so much better for me and I love them dearly

general f1 blogs/people i think everyone should follow:

@race-week should be in everyone's following if they call themselves an f1 fan // @maranello THE ferrari blog (and incredible editor) // @brawn-gp incredible editor, ferrari main // @formulaoneisajoke lando main // @h-f-k amazing graphic designer // @alpinegasly insane f1 poster designer // @f1-stuff mosttly ferrari gifs that are incredibly and high quality // @yukierree irl friend and wonderful graphic designer // @husbono amazing writer and graphic designer // @hakkinens one of the source for classic f1 stuff also lew/seb/charles main // @greenliketheskyf1pics the classic f1 blog // @edoardo-mortara one of the non f1 motorsport blog // @josefnewgayden also one of the non f1 motorsport blogs // @oscar-piastri one of the best gifmakers/editors on this website

artists:

@souriadraws incredible artist // @alboncat amazingly stylistic and cute artist // @stoffelwdc incredible artist // @russilton incredible artist with a really distinct style // @absurdt funny and cute artist // @livetogether--diealone amazing charles main artist // @ruszhou incredible artist and george/yuki/guanyu main // @sebsxmp amazing linework // @mangocito incredibly cute artist // @cedobols the seb artist // @hyonibee one of the cutests styles

writers:

@stuckonspidey one of the mick writers in the fandom imo // @effervescentdragon insane (affectionate) and incredible writer // @schulott amazing schullot writer // @redpaint charles fan and writer

mick:

@acrosstobear 1/3 of the pilars of mickblr // @boomacher 2/3 of the pilars of mickblr // @mickstart the schumacher blog on this side of tumblr // @userhamilton funny, creative and gifmaker // @grussell63 funny and insane (affectionate) also big merc fan // @guanyu-ilott mick/callum main

charles:

@leqclerc incredible editor // @16whispers writer // @lukamodric wonerful editor // @mssr-monagato dramatic and a tifosi // @dobbiamo-capire tifosi and local italian translator // @monacoprince amazing editor // @ferrariprince16 major tifosi // @lileclair charles main // @lolaleclerc charles main // @finalgirlcharlesleclerc charles main // @c2stan one of the charles blogs // @balaclavacharles another one of the charles blogs

seb:

@lisandro-vettel very funny seb main // @teamgreenheart seb/lew main // @4xmulti21champion the ted kravits source // @005seb seb/alex main // @multi-2-1 seb main // @unhinged-vettel incredible designer // @youjustwaitsunshine funny ass seb main

lew:

@teamroscoes the lew blog // @lewki lew/yuki main // @xiaozhous guanyu/lew main // @danielssmile danny/lew/george main // @alexanderalbons seb/lew/alex main // @andreagrimes val/seb main also nando but won't admit it also incredible artist

other:

@spygate nando main, very funny // @beparwah96 yuki main, v creative // @formulaonedirection lando main, very funny // @pierrelli pierre main, cool ass editor // @its-always-silly-season funny ass hell // @dilfgrassi danny and lew main also fe fan // @tsuchansworld one of the yuki blog on this site // @gcsly the pierre giffer // @lesellieknope danny main // @estebanbicon este main // @raceweek the alex blog // @robinfrinjs one of the FE blogs // @estiebestieban este main

I think that's it!! go and support all these amazing blogs, this is bascially just my following list so it's how I've curated my tl and it's a wonderful place so highly reccomend.

[creativesplat]

for the character ask, how about Alcryst and Alfred?

right so this has been in my drafts for MONTHS so I decided I'd post it (I may not have done Alcryst, really sorry 😅)

sorry for taking so long to get back to you doodles!

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

oooh... I think Alfred would be amazing in an 1800s gothic horror book, maybe as the romantic interest. He and his wife Alear go to the Inn of the Blaiddyd family. He's on his deathbed with (insert romantic poet style wasting disease here (eg. consumption)), and as a last desperate attempt to heal him, Alear's sister Veyle has recommended to see a doctor who is treating the heir to the Inn, Dimitri. The doctor has no heart - literally - it was taken out by the one of the fell ones (eldtirch horrors) Bylee and Byleth, both identical twins, have lost their hearts, taken by the Immaculate One (eldritch Rhea, but she doesn't go by that name).

Anyway main points:

Dimitri's haunted (being treated for hallucinations and sickness of the mind, but he is actually for real haunted as well as mentally unwell)

This is because of the Blaiddyd curse, but let's not get into that.

Byleth and his sister, Bylee, came to treat Dimitri. Both came under the curse as a result, and attracted the Immaculate One.

So this would be book three of the series. (book one is Veyle and Alear escape the Fell Serpent (eldritch horror sombron)), book two is Dimitri and Bylee, they fall in love(?) they aren't sure and its never confirmed in book two, and she tells her brother Byleth about the haunted vibes she gets from the inn. Its about the two discovering the origin of the Blaiddyd curse and the Fell Star (eldritch horror that dwells in Bylee, it gets into a creepy what makes us human style thing) After a two year time skip in which we discover the handsome love interest that introduced Alear to the outside world in book one is deadly ill, and Veyle gets information on the Blaiddyd inn. A place which can heal loved ones, at a price...

duh duh duhhhh!!

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

life's been boring by RYMAN LEON

6. What's something you have in common with this character?

ADHD coded!

also we're both people of faith (he's one of the most religious characters in the game, and I'm a Christian.)

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

I have a lot... lets see...

Makes flower crowns for any and all reasons, one of them is to keep hands busy when hyperactive (eg fidget toy but flower crown version)

picky eater

insecure about his body (he talks to Marth about it in the bonds)

thick as mince. Like man is not a smart boi

hyperfixates on certain diets and exercise fads on loop. One month it was keto, the next it was about bodily flexibility (like the stay flexi guy), then he went vegan for health reasons, after that it was about meat (as raw as it could get, he got rather sick) all while going to the gym religiously.

he is an AWFUL cook

ADHD brain means he is NOT a very tidy guy

probably autistic, I mean look at his B support with Alear and tell me that man isn't

weighs less than Celiné. He isn't happy about it and tells her its because of his 'sleeper build' but he's actually just slim

Suffers with Chrones, chronic pain, as well as a slew of other genetic ailments. He did not win the genetic lottery

13. What's an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

💪🥰🥺🤣🏋️🌸🌻👟 Idk he probably uses those

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

F!Alear, because it's very sweet, and the character models are really fun to pair together because they look so different!

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn't matter? ALCRYST ALL THE WAY like Alfred would be the best big brother to Alcryst it's not even funny how good that would be I just love it! MAKE THEM INTERACT! ITs so good!

23. Favorite picture of this character?

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

Sokka, in some ways, because he's funny and silly and a little insecure, but honestly Sokka is WAY smarter than Alfred.

[thisselflovecamebacktome]

Yeah if we compare them, they deliver the message they want but one is more blunt, for sure! Like "For the love of a daughter' 'Father' are very Demi songs!

I don't really see many artists writing like Demi tbh even if she, at this point, has worked ALL MY NERVES!

What matters to me is that i grew up with too young songwriters, that feel EVERYTHING and have very relatable issues and were never scared to write the fuck of a song!

For exemple, i'm closer to Lorde's age than Taylor and Demi's (i stared following them cause of Disney) and in my time in High School Pure Heroine was a recent album and i love me some Lorde but i never found her relatable, i bop to her music and get it but like never connected!

Exactly, and like I think even comparing their songs about death (I made a post a few months ago about how Dead Friends was hitting hard because sometimes what you're feeling is as blunt as "I miss my dead friends"), Ronan is sad but almost plays into whimsical nostalgia and feels very artistic whereas Dead Friends almost feels like you're literally reminiscing/talking with Demi and being like "damn, I really took for granted how short life is and now I miss not only the times we had but the times we won't". And I'm sure there's a ton of reason for the differences including ages of the dead ones, writing styles and whatever, but it's just so interesting to me that the same concept can be written about in such different ways and still be as good as one another.

As a side note, not to be on brand(tm) for me, but if you're looking for someone who does a mix of this, I'd recommend Kate Miller-Heidke who has songs like Words and What Was I To You (which are like the blunt versions of Dear Reader and All Too Well [especially the 10 minute version] respectively) but also the whimsical and more metaphorical songs like The Last Day On Earth and Space They Cannot Touch.

And I agree with the relatability stuff (though I do relate to Lorde's last two albums, but just Pure Heroine as much). Like obviously a song can be good without relatability, but I think for me to willingly listen to a song over and over, I need to have some connection to it. Circling back to SZA, that's why Seek & Destroy is my favourite from SOS, because while I don't relate to it now, it took me back to 2018 when a non romantic relationship of mine fell apart and for a long time that's how I felt. And while I understand that people go to music for different reasons, that's the beauty of music for me.

[mcrmadness]

I have been listening to podcasts for so many podcasts now after finding out they're great for when washing dishes or cleaning or cooking, so much so that now I have run out of podcasts to listen to. I've been listening to Finnish podcasts only, and haven't really looked into the selection of English podcasts, but I literally can't find stuff to listen to anymore. Not that I would have listened to everything already - I haven't, but it's more that I just don't find majority of them interesting.

I'd like science podcasts, but so many of these Finnish ones are only about relationships. I've found a few ADHD podcasts, but at least one of them gets on my nerves because the people running it are getting on my nerves by being so overly-positive in ways that I don't know if they're being normal or acting more positive than they are feeling.

Lately I've been into these history and science podcasts with different kinds of takes on life. One of them is about events that fucked up the society. I find the concept quite fun and fascinating. Other has everything from science to history and it's more of that weird history and different kind of science type of podcast. The stuff that if we ever had that or similar learning style at school (stories told in a very interesting manner), I'd have been so good at history at school.

I just can't find similar history/science podcasts in Finnish from anywhere. Only these two, or other similar ones that discuss singular topics. Like one of these recommended a short podcast about people in history who never married. I thought it would have been, like, about people who maybe were aromantic before any of us knew the term. But so far it has been about people who didn't MARRY but had relationships redargless (which often was illegal back in the day). It would have been more interesting to hear about people who chose to stay single cos they wanted, and not because it had something to do with religion or beliefs or people being young students with active hormones in a world where everyone's relationships were doomed illegal unless they were married to each other. It did have some interesting points, too, but a big part of it was just. Talking about relationships as a concept and the history of that. Interesting in its own way, but not exactly what I excpected the podcast to be about, but I guess I might as well try to listen to that cos there's only 3 episodes and I already listened to one of them. Maybe the other parts have other views over the topic. Apparently the second episode is about 1800s Finland. (All of these are mostly about Finland and Sweden etc., so that's also interesting as it's not really something we were taught about at school. I find it more interesting to know how normal people lived back in the day and what a normal day looked liked, rather than listing dates for "important" historical events that mean nothing to me cos mostly they are about WW1 or WW2.)

This post is brought to you by me cos I want to draw, and listen to something at the same time, but I'm not feeling like listening to music, but I also can't decide what should I listen to instead.

[whenisitenoughtrees]

Do you have any fic recommendations? I really like how you write in this fandom so if you have any of your own favourite fics or authors I'd like to see them!

sorry this too me so long lol, i was hardcore procrastinating, and then i realized that i tend to forget to save a lot of the fics i like so i had to track some stuff down. i tried to narrow down the list, but it still ended up being pretty long, so i put favorite fics under the cut

all links go to ao3!

Favorite Authors:

teacupfulofbrains is definitely among my favorites, bc both her writing style and the way she writes the characters are just so, so good. personal faves include living in the real world (ain’t it fun), lovely, dark, and deep, and her avatar au, the crossroads of our destinies

patentpending is one of those writers who you would not be surprised to hear has something published because she is just that good. i think a lot of people in the fandom know Powerless, but my favorite of hers is her recent mociet divorce-and-remarry fic Bother Me a Little Bit Longer

RandomSlasher has got some really good stuff and their fluff and h/c is always completely on point; they’re probably one of my favorite authors for virgil overall. i particularly like Starved and Snow Day, and they’ve also got a bunch of really great oneshots

peachsneakers has written literally so much fic, mostly short and sweet ficlets, but they’re all so well-written and there really is something for everyone. i’m particularly fond of their series preservation of the self for that good good dark sides angst

delimeful writes a lots of aus, mostly fantasy and/or supernatural, and there’s a lot of cute g/t stuff if you enjoy that. his fic how easy you are to need was one of the first fics i bookmarked for this fandom, and i also especially like his alien au series sit back and watch the world go by

greenninjagal is fantastic, i don’t think there’s a single fic of hers that i’ve read and not enjoyed, and i am in love with the way she writes all the sides (particularly the dark sides, but i’m a bit biased). i particularly love Deja Vu and her recent space au Space and Everything In It

Favorite Fics:

A Game of Vice, in which remus locks roman up in a tower like a stereotypical damsel in distress and everyone else goes to rescue him. i love this fic because a) everyone gets a chance to shine and b) remus is very much the antagonist but he’s still sympathetic? which i love

Self Love is just, nine chapters of emotional catharsis and thomas getting to know his sides better, and i love everything about it. i think character!thomas is criminally underused in a lot of fics, and this fic in particular has one of the best characterizations of character!thomas that i’ve ever read

The Gold of Your Heart is a roceit classic, i think, but if you like roceit and haven’t read this one yet, i would absolutely recommend it because it’s so well written and it’s also really long, which i’ve found is kind of rare in this fandom. my only reservation is that there are parts that you could interpret as being u!patton and u!virgil, but everyone has a reason for acting like they do and everything gets resolved by the end, so i was still able to enjoy it a lot even though u!sides are typically a major turn off for me

chivalry is dead has some of the best roman angst i’ve ever read-- he literally splits into his own sides, and everyone else is trying to get him back together again, and it’s just literally so fantastic. also, the endgame pairing is dlamp, which i am always weak for

That’s Just How Siblings Are is literally 10k of roman and remus-centric whump and h/c, and i am weak for creativitwins anyway but this fic really hits all the right buttons. it also features an interesting take on light vs. dark sides relations, which i really liked

Remy Sanders and a Bunch of Idiots is one that i just read recently, and i’m putting it on here for the fact that it made me care about remy? which is not to say that i don’t like remy, because i do, but when i see him in fics i’m rarely all that invested in him as a character. but this fic, hoooo boy. it’s exactly what the title says, with the added angst of remy trying to take care of all the others while being completely convinced that they hate him, and it’s just so frickin good

Falling Together is everything that i look for in a lamp fic-- it takes that trope of patton and roman and logan being together and they all want virgil to join them and virgil also wants to join them but communication issues and virgil’s low self-worth get in the way, you know, that trope? and it plays it out to absolute perfection

Tyndall Effect is one of the cutest dukeceit fics i have read in my life, just, pure fluff. it’s an urban fantasy au, deceit is cursed, and remus falls in love instantly. i literally couldn’t stop grinning the entire time i was reading

the feelings in my headspace rearranged is a wip, if that’s a deal-breaker, but it is absolutely worth the wait for new chapters. it’s centered on the idea that virgil doesn’t intrinsically have a name, and as such, canon goes differently, starting with accepting anxiety. it’s so emotional and well-written, and i love it so much

like copper and gold is loginceit, or logiroceit, or whatever the ship name is for logan x roman x janus, and it is a 30k word rollercoaster. it’s also the only explicit fic i’m including, and it definitely earns that rating, so if you don’t want smut, skip this one. but i’m putting this one on here because usually, smut holds no appeal for me, and i tend to skip smutty content in fics i otherwise enjoy, but this fic is so well written that i read every word and enjoyed it. even though the smut is such a big part of the premise of the fic, it really feels like the smut isn’t the point so much as the emotions behind it, and overall i really can’t recommend this one enough

aaaaand that’s what i’ve got! i hope something in here appeals!!

[chaoticsue]

Regarding your back: as someone who's had neck/back problems their whole life (I'm 22), I feel like I'm at least somewhat qualified to say sth. Chiro is indeed not longterm, but if you have someone who does it well, chances are that you might only need to see them about every 4-6 months. However, chiro relies on a huge amount of trust depending on what area you need help with bc it can be quite harsh and feel like they're breaking you in half (I've had mine literally snap my neck and it's scary :D). What I'd recommend is physiotherapy in regular intervals (about every 4 weeks is typical, at first you may need to go more often, in the long run you can maybe stretch it to 6-8 weeks or even go irregularly when needed). It's important to try different people if you feel like it's not helping, bc not everyone's style works for you and you should absolutely notice results after a bit of time (I've tried at least 5-7 different ones). A massage can also help, but always see a medical professional and don't go to a regular beauty salon or sth if you have genuine issues. What also helped me was 10-20 minutes of just the most basic yoga/movement shit you can think of every day. Just do what you think feels good. Wave your arms around, stretch your legs, anything goes, no equipment needed. Start light and work your way up. If you feel like you don't need it, it's helping and you absolutely should continue. I know it's annoying sometimes but even if you really don't want to do anything, just 3 minutes of trying to touch your toes is better than nothing (you can also do it randomly during the day if you don't want to/can't do 20 minutes at once). You could also look into memory foam pillows or other things if you feel like your sleeping position is the problem (you either hate them or love them but if you love them, those pillows WILL change your life (getting a good quality one is key and it's also best to try different styles)). A little tool to roll out your fascias may also help, there's one especially for spine-related issues that looks like two tennis balls on a stick. It's best to ask a physiotherapist how to use any tools if you're unsure or if they know any exercises you should/shouldn't do so you don't harm yourself. Depending on if your issue is related to muscles, a cream that warms (eg. sth that contains rampion or a similar ingredient) can help, or a cream/roll-on that contains arnica. Also, don't pull a Harry Styles and sleep on your tummy (I did it for years and it fucked my neck up even more).

I hope some of my tips can help you, but please still see a professional and don't just trust a random stranger in your askbox with your health :D Have a good day! :)

this is literally so amazing thank you sm for taking the time to send me all of this i really appreciate it!!! 🥺🤍

[sohaveyoubeento-blog]

V is for Vietnamese & Vintage

Us three ladies had always played it pretty safe by way of our lunch dates. Not to say the local deli isn't absolutely kick ass - it's very tasty and very enjoyable every time we go, but in much the same way as I struggle to go to the same country more than once on my holidays (excluding India, you can never have enough India) I couldn't help but think that life's a bit too short to sit in the same eatery every time we meet for lunch, given that the whole day is ours, and within reason, travel is no issue.

The three of us decided that we would try different cuisines every week, and with the girls (Laura and Dani) living in the quieter, leafier suburbs of Otley and Burley in Wharfedale, with me (Alex) living in what I frequently describe as the bronx, 5 minutes from central Leeds but gloriously populated by some of the best food joints in the country (confirmed) they usually end up meeting at mine and then we go into town to try somewhere a bit off the beaten track. Invariably, being three mums of young children, we eat at the speed of rabid dogs and end up having a bit of time to go explore some local weird shop or two, never anything mainstream like a department store. Oh no. We like vintage shops. You know the type, they smell like damp and the inside of your nan's wardrobe, and we prance around pretending to overlook the fact that we are just in a well laid out, slightly more selective charity shop without the undertone of giving. Usually there's some blue haired student with a headscarf and a faint stench of Bobby Orange pawing through piles of shirts and jumpers that are deemed as retro, when they've actually some of them originated in C&A - we remember that place the first time round,depressingly. The whole vintage scene is a bit ironic and try hard and a bit sad at times, but the one thing that it does offer is the piece you are often looking at, generally is one of one only in the store. The same goes for charity shops, generally. We like stuff that can't be bought in bulk.

Dani owns Deluxe Blooms, and is a luxury faux florist, and very good at it too. Laura is a nail technician and spray tanning afficionado, and the owner of Maibella Nails and Tanning. I own a salon called Lexa Hair, and the three of us work together frequently. The ridiculous thing is though, that work is going really well for us, and while in the past we may have dug around in charity shops for a bargain simply to be economical, now it has begun more of a habit. And you know what they say, old habits die hard. We don't have to eat streetfood on picnic tables anymore, and we can shop anywhere we want, but at least just for me, I don't like extravagance and I'm not impressed by labels or price tags. I like pieces that are unique,with a story behind them. My two accomplices sort of get dragged in to it I think, but they seem on board with most of it. I hope.

And street food is the best food on earth, everyone knows that.

We kicked things off with a visit to a fairly new (maybe a year old I think) Vietnamese place on North Lane in Headingley named VietBaker. Inside it's very wooden looking, quite industrial and urban, stained wood everywhere and dark red leather chairs. It smells like the rice cooker that's chugging away in the corner, mixed with plenty of garlic and of course, the fresh baguettes that are stacked up in a glass cabinet above the front desk.

We opted for a sharing platter for £9, and from the menu us Yorkshire ruffians requested spring rolls (the deep fried ones, not the fresh, healthy ones obviously), prawn toast, and 'rustic chips'.

This was skin on chips with salt and pepper (well cooked and so tasty) and the prawn toast was understandably made of baguette slices. It made for a much heavier slab of prawn toast and therefore an even more unhealthy treat but man alive, was it good. The spring rolls were pork, prawn and the usual crispy vegetables inside. Not floppy or soggy, totally crispy and served with a really light and watery sweet chilli dip that's more sweet than chilli. It was all very lovely.

I've personally eaten from here a number of times and I think the Vietnamese have got it absolutely nailed when they make sandwich. Or a Ban Mih. Laura and I opted for one each, chicken for her and pork for me. Dani went for something off the new part of the menu, the fusion section, which even featured a take on beef bourgignon, Vietnamese style. She tried the Shanghai pork belly, served with rice. Her whole bowl was piled high, and we're not talking a polite, peanuts size bowl. More like a ‘free ceramic crunchy nut cereal box’ bowl, with the with tokens on the back of the pack, that you’d send off as a kid. It was huge. The second bowl was just plain rice, which worked really well as the pork alone was…. alot. It was sticky and tangy and rich and all those other wanky words that just mean amazing. I'm trying so hard to limit the wankiness. I like writing and eating, combining the two is hard work though. Bear with me. The slow cooked pork made me feel a bit gutted I went for a sandwich until I got stuck in.

Vietnam was a former French colony, and much like their neighbour Cambodia, found their local best offerings being bastardised to accomodate the 'local palate'. The nice version is that the baguette was the French's gift to the Vietnamese, although I imagine it was more a case of 'put your lovely meal in my baguette for me or you're in deep shit.'

I've never been to Vietnam but having visited Cambodge a few summers back, I remember being astounded at the gorgeous, light, dairy free Asian cuisine that had been shoved in a crusty, warm baguette. Whoever's story was true, it's the absolute bollocks.

They cut this freshly baked baguette open and spread it with patè on one side and on the other mayonnaise (already weird but hang in there) - add a ton of crispy green leaves, cucumber, pickles, coriander and fresh chilies, and add some meat into what little room is left. Enough meat to give you meat sweats. It. Is. Superb.

The pork was very finely sliced, dark and sticky again (here she goes) and you can bang on a fried egg, too, if you're an absolute wrong un. No thanks.

Laura had the chicken which was a milder flavour but none the less tasty and flavoursome. I noticed Laura pulling bits off her sandwich and delicately chewing away at them, while I picked it up and ate it like I'd been sleeping in the dark arches for the last month. I even had to be asked to wipe my face. Sorry, not sorry. No messing with a Ban Mih. Especially not this one.

The bill was a very respectable £11 a head, and they threw in a free set of spring rolls for us, which was a nice unexpected surprise. The place had a steady flow of traffic, and although wasn't packed, I've been on an evening and I think it's safe to assume that's the bulk of their trade. It was fantastic food, very reasonable and highly recommended. Great staff and great location. We'll be back!

Afterwards we drove for about 3 days to find a parking spot anywhere near Hyde Park, so we could check out the newly (ish) renovated (OK sign replaced and possibly ownership changed) Vintage something or other in Hyde Park.

I forget the name, and if I'm brutally honest I can see why. It's alright, but it used to be alot better. The last time I went in there was alot of very old apothecary style wooden drawer units, some weird taxidermy, and unusual pictures in frames that would look incredible in the lounge. This time there was quite a bit of formica, and some hideously orange stained TV units that I guess in some context would be deemed as cool again.

The music collection seemed to be where the most effort had been made. The clothing was actually quite 'quirky' in the sense that you wouldn't actually wear alot of it, there was a whole department that seemed to have been handed over by the owner of the late knob head Jimmy Saville, shell suit after shell suit in every colour of the rainbow, in that non breathable fabric you'd get a two man tent in. Hideous. Still, there are some absolute finds in there. I would encourage people to bear in mind that these shops have a high stock turnaround and in their uniqueness, and ability to replace items based on sales, any vintage shop can be a complete bag of shite one week and a total gold mine the next. Its the luck of the drawer, I love that about them. That and the fact that we call them vintage shops. The three of us refer to them as shit shops, but potato patato.

I find it depressing that as I mentioned before, alot of the 'retro' stuff is just normal stuff we, in our 30s, encountered in our youth. There was a 'vintage phone' that was £15 and I'm pretty sure my gran has it now. It's literally a BT £10 phone still in argos, but clearly it had lived with a heavy smoker, adding to the aged facade.

Some of it was very authentic, some of it was broken crap, but the general feel of the place is a good one. There is more 70s stuff than anything else which is quite cool, but like I say, stock changes very frequently. Dani bought an oversized T shirt with a University football team logo emblazoned across it, and to be honest I would have too. There was a vast array of university related large varsity based sweaters, some unnecessarily cut in half width ways (why?!!!! Serves no purpose now, you fools) and that's the kind of thing I would have liked to look at. But as I was in charge of a one year old who was bombing around the floor, doubling as a human sweeping brush and coming back with more dust on him than the inside of the V6 after the attic stairs have been tackled, I gave it up as a bad job and put my bank card back away. No spending for mum today. Gutted.

The shop is pretty fabulous, on the whole. They do know how to charge when it comes to furniture, but the clothing is far more reasonable. It's not all one off pieces, a couple of items make an appearance a few times and that kind of ruins it for me, I start picturing some huge factory in China making hideously outdated clothing and leaving them in a damp garage for a few years, chucking a bit of tea down them and wearing the cuffs and collars down, before exporting the newly knackered pieces to us dumbasses in our 'quirky vintage shops'. Who knows. It's well laid out, and pretty cool, and although not my favourite, I imagine the next time I go it'll be a whole different experience. Swings and roundabouts with these places. It was an interesting look, and if Parker hadn't been doing his best ferret impression I would have definitely bought a jumper. Well worth a look.

Until next week!

Laura, Dani and Alex X

VietBaker, Headingley

https://www.thevietbaker.co.uk

Vintage Boutique, Hyde Park

https://vintageboutique.com

[sexstories-101]

How to Blow Like a Professional

After writing Giving My First Blowjob with a big cock, I realized how frequently fellatio comes up in my life (which is SHOCKING considering how many times I've done it on camera). So I'm back to chat about BLOWEYS some more! I hate to brag, but I've never had a complaint and am confident in my D S'N abilities.

I was recently asked, "How do you do something wrong?" How can guys and girls offer BAD HEAD? What are they doing, reading too many awful COSMO tips?!" So I decided to poll a number of my male friends (straight, bi, homosexual, and a couple of porn performers) and ask them, "What are some of your least favorite things that girls/guys do when giving you a blow job?" "What are some of your favorite moves?"

My findings were intriguing but not particularly shocking. I keep in mind that not every woman will have the same style, and not every guy will have the same tastes. There's nothing wrong with that; each to their own! This list of the ten worst things you can do during a blow job is based on the most common comments from men, followed by my thoughts, personal experience, and general advice. I also ran it by Lexi Belle, who won Best Oral Sex Scene at the 2013 AVN Awards for her scene in Massive Facials 4. (Elegant Angel Productions). So there's that. This list has been approved by an award-winning fellatio artist.

NOT ENOUGH SPIT

Hello, ladies. Do you know how friction may be painful if you're not wet enough? The same can be said for a penis. I'm a huge spit fetish, so spit strings, repetitive spitting, and drool literally pouring down from my mouth down my tits to my pussy are some things I'm into, but some people think that's excessive and gross, but oh well, it's what I like.

Whatever you want to do, just make sure there's some oral lubrication going on. If you can deep swallow, try inhaling through your nose and swallowing repeatedly (like drinking a thick milkshake or whatever reminds you to swallow and open your throat - you're going for that GUH GUH GUH sound), and if you choke or gag on it a little, you should be able to get a LOT of spit going. Keeping hydrated and having water at the bedside is obviously important, but that should go without saying.

Side note: If you know you can't deep throat without gagging uncontrollably, and you've recently eaten or drunk beer or an energy drink, I wouldn't recommend choking on that penis unless you and your partner have a vomit fetish. I considered making "DO NOT VOMIT" its own point, but I think that's a given. That's not the end of the world if it happens, but it'll be embarrassing. Any guy should be flattered you puked from trying to fit in as much as possible. That is dedication. And, indeed, I have. Twice. It's not the most exciting, but you'll be OK.

Side note #2: Don't be concerned about the strange noises that kissing, gagging, and sucking creates. Those sounds just serve to stimulate the male's mental state and boner. Slurp all you want.

NO VISUAL CONTACT

During oral, the eyes are quite crucial. Smile confidently at them. I'm not suggesting you have to stare deep into his soul the entire time, but if you don't look up at him even once, he might believe you're embarrassed or bored. Allow the joy of servicing his magnificent tool to shine through your eyes! This leads me to my next point...

NO SENSE OF PLEASURE OR PRIDE

Now, come on. I know some of you aren't big fans of giving head (I don't understand your point of view, but I guess I can respect that everyone has different preferences), but at the absolute least try to appear to be having fun and not doing it out of necessity. I hope you're having fun because I'd hate to hear someone do something they don't want to do merely to impress a guy. In fact, never feel obligated to provide a blow job; if you don't want to and the guy complains, perhaps you shouldn't be blowing that whiney child in the first place.

It's not exactly a major turn-on to suck a dick when it's the last thing you want to do at the time. I get a lot of pleasure from pleasing my partner, therefore GIVING is almost as much joy for me as receiving! I enjoy doing everything in my power to ensure that he has a good time while I'm on my knees. I see myself telling that penis a very fucking wonderful secret. Try not to think about anything other than the cock in your mouth and how it makes you and your partner feel, what drives you on and enjoy being perverts together at that moment. Don't be scared to express your pleasure verbally, but your mouth should be more busy sucking than speaking!

 EXCESSIVE TEETH

I've seen males that don't mind and are even into Small teeth grazing on the shaft or even light bites on the balls... But, once again, THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Most guys I've talked to about this have reported a general aversion to tooth-to-dick contact. Open that jaw with caution! I believe this problem occurs most frequently when the giver is in a hurry or cannot find a decent rhythm. If necessary, take a little break, a breather, or a glass of water, but avoid treating the dick like a toothbrush. However, you can and should treat it like lipstick; sometimes it's pleasant to smear it all over the outside of your mouth before swallowing it like a creamsicle. I like to push it into the inside of my cheek (like putting your finger in your mouth sideways... not rocket science) and against the cheek wall (NOT BACK TEETH) before popping it out of my mouth before adding more spit, giving just enough time with my mouth off of the cock to add to the anticipation of its return.

INSUFFICIENT HANDS/IMPROPER HAND USE

I rarely deliver a handy that does not result in a blowie. I frequently combine hand job actions with mouth moves, using the hands as an extension of the mouth. Don't be scared to hold the base firmly and apply some pressure. Don't overlook the SPIT factor. Rotating the hand and varying the pressure, pace, and length of the stroke are also beneficial. Mix it up and see what happens! If you can wrap two hands around the penis and keep your mouth on the head, move up and down rhythmically while twisting the hands in opposing directions, clockwise and counterclockwise. Don't hold it as if you're terrified to touch it, and don't suck it as if your mouth is trying to escape. Maintain a firm grasp but don't rip it off, and spit whether your mouth is on the head or not! Check out Bonnie Rotten's smart ideas during her POV blow job in Facial Overload #3 for a good example of hand utilization and pretty much every subject discussed here (Evil Angel Productions). She definitely has good eye contact.

  If you are looking for motivation to enhance your sexual drive.

Kindly visit https://porno19.com/ a Vietnam porn website about big cock sex movies

[shadowtearling]

Hi! I read in your post that you listen to a lot of audiobooks and I would like to know where do you download them from because I'd like to get started with listening to audiobooks too. And can you also suggest which books should I start listening from?

Hi, love! 

So I borrow all of my audiobooks cause yo girl can’t afford them full price ($40????? yikes). The best apps I can suggest to you are:

Overdrive

BorrowBox

Both of these are through your library. So you just put in your library card info and you have access to whatever your library has to offer. Fortunately for me, my selection is a bit larger because I do have two different library cards and I have access to two different databases. However, if that’s not the case for you (who has two library cards at once? lmao) I would suggest looking at what services your library has to offer. For example, one of my libraries has two different ways to access them (hoopla & overdrive/media on demand) that offer different books unavailable in the other. 

As for actual recommendations, I have a few:

The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater - The narrator, we only have one for the entire series, does such a good job at conveying the atmosphere and his voice is literally perfect for the story.

The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - Rebecca Soler narrates this and she’s fantastic! She does accents really well and I love her voice. Anything she narrates, I would recommend to be honest. I hear she also narrated Heartless, so you could also try that. 

Tall Story by Candy Gourlay - OKAY I know I said Rebecca Soler does a good job at accents, but I love this audiobook because it’s a story about a family that was separated for a long time. One of our narrators, Andi, lived in London her whole life, while the other, Bernardo, lived in the Philippines. So our two narrators have accents corresponding to where the characters are from, and it’s so fun! This is a middle grade book. 

The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff - These are your best bet at having fun while listening to audiobooks. They have a full cast of characters as well as sound effects. It’s like you’re listening to a movie. I’d recommend listening and following along with the text because both components are super important to the story and the Experience™.

Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz - That is literally the longest thing I’ve typed. Anyway, this one is narrated by Lin-Manuel Miranda. If you like his voice, try this one!

I think Literary Fiction lends itself well to audiobooks, though I’ve listened to very few to actually give you proper recommendations. 

In the same vein, contemporary YA is also a good choice. They’re super quick, usually fun, and really easy to get through.

Memoirs are also really good to kind of ease you into listening to books especially because the authors themselves narrate it. I know, for example, a popular favorite is Amy Poehler’s Yes Please & Tina Fey’s Bossypants (or even Tyler Oakley’s Binge - he adds anecdotes in the audiobooks that aren’t actually in print). We also got Mindy Kaling, Aziz Ansari, or any youtuber if you’re interested.

Speaking of authors narrating their own books, Neil Gaiman is your man when it comes to that! I personally really enjoyed The Ocean at the End of the Lane, but I don’t think you could go wrong with any of his works.

I listen to a lot of classics on audio because it’s easier to get through that way. My two favorites: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte & The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. 

You can also try nonfiction! I haven’t tried any myself but it’s interesting to listen since it takes less from you and reading non-fiction can be tough.

The Martian by Andy Weir - This one is a solid. Sounds like you’re actually listening to Mark Watney complain and make jokes. 

My best advice to you since you’re just starting out is to not get discouraged if you don’t like one book. There are so many good ones out there, you just have to find what works. If I see multiple versions of audiobooks narrated by different people, I sample them both and see which one I like better. If you don’t like their style, it can definitely affect your enjoyment of the book. For example, I had to switch back & forth between two different narrators for Wuthering Heights since I hated one of the narration styles. 

Happy Listening!!