#we are using this as a medium to also better our writing

[washedoutwings]

yeah so uhhhh we’re always permanently low on motivation so umm yeah sorry but we are doing one of those note things

20 notes: we will try to take our meds more consistently

50 notes: draw at least something once a week

70 notes: eat something for breakfast every day (at least an apple or protein drink)

100 notes: start keeping better track of our delusions/hallucinations

150 notes: tell our therapist about 2 of our headmates

200 notes: start a system journal

300 notes: tell our therapist about 5 of our headmates

500 notes: tell our therapist about all of our headmates

700 notes: tell our doctor about about our chronic pain

1000 notes: eat something medium for breakfast at least three days a week (like a bowl of cereal)

1500 notes: ask our closer friends to use she/her less (they know that we’re trans)

from here on it’s more about just good habits that we don’t have much motivation for instead of self care type stuff, so less important

2000: draw every day (when possible)

2500: finish writing one of our wip stories/fics

3500: start working on an art commissions portfolio

4500: start working on a writing commissions portfolio

6000: set up art commissions

8000: set up writing commissions

sorry, we feel really guilty about this but we really need some motivation for this stuff. honestly we don’t expect this to even get to 20, but that’s fine! no deadline, ummm if you really want to spam idc, feel free to tag people. i’m not gonna tag anyone, i don’t want anyone to feel pressured

edit: WHAT THE FUCK where did yall come from???????

edit 2: damn i was offline for like 2 days and it was barely at 300 and we log back on to 500+ uhhhh thanks ig lol

edit 3: well we’re almost at 700 so..i guess i’m gonna add a couple more?

edit 4: the gimmicks got to us…also added some more

[letsatomicbanana]

Ink!Sans Cultural Inspiration

(revised version)

art by @/sakuramochi64 on twitter

Disclaimer!

This post aims to explore and analyze both the prominent and subtle East Asian cultural influences—primarily Japanese—that have shaped the character of Ink!Sans. By examining these influences, we can better understand how traditional East Asian aesthetics and artistic practices are woven into Ink’s design and powers. If any information in this essay is inaccurate or unintentionally offensive, please don’t hesitate to reach out! This essay serves as a revised and updated version of the analysis conducted last year, incorporating new insights and refined perspectives to enhance our understanding of Ink!Sans’s character and his cultural influences.

Ink!Sans by @comyet/@myebi

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''It was a night where it felt like i was a miserable artist and i was very frustrated at my work and it felt like i wasn’t worth alot (we all have these), then I came across a picture of a japanese ink brush, and it was all I needed to start doodling a concept.

That’s how Ink is born.''

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According to Ink’s creator, Comyet, the idea for Ink!Sans was sparked by an image of a brush specifically crafted for sumi and Chinese ink art. In China, the tradition of using specialized ink brushes, known as Chinese writing brushes, has been a foundational element in the art of calligraphy and traditional painting for centuries. These brushes are highly valued for their precision and versatility, allowing artists to produce a range of strokes, from fine lines to bold, expressive swashes. The brush itself is composed of a bamboo handle and a carefully tapered head made from animal hair, designed to hold and release ink in controlled flows.

This tool became central not only in Chinese culture but also influenced Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese art, where calligraphy holds a similar cultural significance and is closely tied to writing systems derived from Chinese characters. These brushes symbolize the control, fluidity, and intentionality required in both written language and visual art across East Asia. This deep-rooted cultural importance of the ink brush inspired Ink!Sans's character design and powers, allowing him to wield 'ink-based' abilities, symbolizing both creativity and adaptability. His main weapon—a brush—reflects this heritage and further emphasizes the connection between art and battle, as he channels the brush’s traditional associations with fluidity and strength into his fighting style, merging the arts of calligraphy and combat.

(visual example of an ink calligraphy brush)

At glance, the ink material is an enduring medium that still surrounds society till this day and it's used in multiple cultures across the world.

Writing with ink calligraphy brushes is also common in Europe and the Middle East, where artisans developed ink using a unique combination of iron salts and oak galls. This type of ink, known as iron gall ink, initially appeared in rich, dark tones, making it highly desirable for manuscripts and official documents due to its bold, readable quality. However, over time, the iron in the ink oxidized, resulting in a distinct color shift to warm, rust-like brown tones. This characteristic fading can still be observed today in ancient manuscripts, such as early European literary works, where the reddish-brown hues give a sense of history to these documents. The durability and aesthetic appeal of iron gall ink contributed significantly to its prevalence in both regions, influencing the artistry of calligraphy and manuscript illumination for centuries.

Like previously mentioned, Ink!Sans was inspired by traditional ink materials developed in East Asia, where artisans mastered the creation of carbon-based black ink, often using soot or charcoal mixed with binding agents like animal glue. This type of ink, known for its rich, deep color and lasting durability, was a staple in East Asian calligraphy and artwork. Unlike iron gall ink, this carbon-based ink maintained its dark, almost jet-black color for centuries, even in varying environmental conditions. The resilience of this ink allowed ancient texts, paintings, and scrolls to retain their striking contrast and clarity, making it a celebrated medium in East Asian art and culture. Ink!Sans draws inspiration from this enduring quality, symbolizing strength, creativity, and the timelessness of artistic expression

(visual example of an ancient art piece that used carbon-based black ink)

To note, unlike iron gall ink, carbon based inks are still very common to this day.

Although the primary Chinese calligraphic scripts were well established by the fourth century, calligraphy as an art form has continually evolved over the centuries, adapting to new cultural and aesthetic influences. Skilled calligraphers, who spent years mastering brush techniques and perfecting their own unique hand, were celebrated for their distinctive styles, and their works became templates for both art and personal expression. Over time, subsequent generations of artists studied these revered styles, incorporating and reinterpreting them to reflect their individual voices and the changing social landscapes. This ongoing transformation has kept Chinese calligraphy dynamic and relevant, and it remains a respected art form today, blending tradition with contemporary aesthetics.

In Japan, calligraphy also held deep cultural significance, symbolizing both personal refinement and intellectual achievement. Calligraphy was regarded as a mark of scholarly sophistication and artistic taste, with a variety of tools developed to enhance the writing experience. One notable example is the suzuribako ("ink stone box"), a portable lacquered wood box designed to store an inkstone, water dropper, brushes, and solid ink sticks. These boxes were crafted with precision and adorned with intricate lacquer designs, reflecting their owner’s status and appreciation for art. Suzuribako were lightweight and convenient, enabling calligraphers to take their tools outdoors or to scenic locations to write letters, diary entries, or poetry. This practice not only facilitated creativity but also connected the act of writing with nature, creating an immersive experience where one could find inspiration in the surrounding beauty while crafting words in elegant brushstrokes. The combination of these refined tools and settings underscored calligraphy’s role as a deeply personal and aesthetic pursuit in Japanese culture.

From this perspective, it is essential to highlight that Ink's character draws inspiration from traditional ink calligraphy, a detail reflected in his distinctive speech font, 'Note This'.

(Example of Ink's canon speaking font and ancient calligraphy)

Also clarified in an ask on her side blog, Comyet explained that traditional samurai clothing served as a key inspiration for Ink's outfit redesign in 2020. Ink's creator thoughtfully incorporated these characteristics to enhance Ink’s visual appeal and connection to his main source of inspiraton. This influence is particularly noticeable in the first and second analyses of Ink's character, where we see clear visual cues from iconic Japanese garments like the hakama.

(Ink!sans reference sheet for the 2020 design, credit goes to @/comyet)

Ink's pants were inspired by hakama, a traditional Japanese garment known for its distinctive design as skirt-like trousers, typically worn over a kimono. Hakama are historically associated with a range of activities, from ceremonial occasions to martial arts, and are often considered a symbol of status and refinement. Specifically, Ink's pants appear to be inspired by the umanori style of hakama, which is characterized by a split or division in the middle, allowing for greater freedom of movement. This style was traditionally worn by samurai and other individuals involved in horseback riding, as the design allowed for ease of movement and flexibility when mounting or riding a horse.

The umanori hakama were not only practical for riding but also served as a functional yet elegant garment, embodying the balance of form and function typical in Japanese clothing. By incorporating this style into Ink's character design, Comyet likely intended to evoke themes of mobility, agility, and strength, while subtly referencing Japanese martial traditions and the samurai ethos. This choice enhances Ink's overall aesthetic, highlighting his dynamic, action-oriented nature, suggesting that his character is both rooted in tradition and capable of fluid, graceful movement.

The hakama was not merely a functional garment but also a powerful symbol of social status, loyalty, and the samurai's role in Edo society. While the hakama was predominantly worn by samurai, it also found its place in the wardrobe of scholars, priests, and members of the aristocracy, who wore it as part of their ceremonial dress.

Furthermore, Comyet has explained that Ink's outfit and appearance were partially inspired by the clothing worn by samurai, as depicted in ukiyo-e prints from the Edo Period of Japan. Ukiyo-e, which translates to 'pictures of the floating world,' was a popular genre of woodblock prints and paintings that flourished from the 17th to the 19th centuries, showcasing scenes of everyday life, landscapes, kabuki actors, and beautiful women. However, samurai were also common subjects of these prints, often portrayed in full regalia, highlighting their status and discipline.

(this line of text was found within old versions of Ink's FAQ post, mainly from 2020-2021)

In these ukiyo-e representations, samurai are frequently depicted wearing a distinctive combination of garments, including elaborate kamishimo (formal attire worn by samurai), hakama (wide trousers), and haori (a kimono-style jacket worn over the kimono), along with ornate accessories such as sashes and swords. These samurai were often shown in dynamic poses, suggesting a sense of power, grace, and readiness for battle, which reflected their societal role as both warriors and landowners.

Ukiyo-e representations of samurai often carried deeper meanings beyond their visual impact. Samurai in these prints were more than just warriors; they were cultural icons, symbols of virtue, duty, and sacrifice. Some prints portrayed samurai in the context of popular stories or historical events, such as famous battles or legendary acts of heroism. For example, the prints often depicted samurai as loyal retainers or leaders fighting for justice, reflecting the ideal of bushidō, the samurai code of ethics, which emphasized virtues like loyalty, courage, and respect.

(Ukiyo-e art made by Katsukama Shun'ei, Edo Period)

During the Edo period, the hakama was an important garment worn by the nobility as part of their formal attire, complementing other traditional outfits of the time, such as the noshi and kariginu, a sleeveless jacket with distinctive, sharply defined shoulders. These garments were designed to symbolize the status and refined taste of their wearers. The hakama, with its wide, flowing silhouette, was highly functional and practical, allowing for ease of movement while maintaining an air of elegance.

On another note, Ink's design is not the only aspect influenced by Japanese culture; the musical themes associated with him also draw significant inspiration from traditional Japanese music, as described by Comyet. The incorporation of these musical elements into Ink's character enhances the depth and cultural resonance of his persona, creating a multi-layered experience that ties his abilities, appearance, and thematic representation to a broader cultural context.

A predominant theme associated with Ink that highlights his deep inspiration from traditional Asian styles is one called 'BrushWork.' This musical theme, featured in the popular series Underverse, plays a crucial role in reflecting Ink’s connection to East Asian culture, particularly through its use of the shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, and a flute. The choice of the shamisen in this composition is significant, as it evokes the soundscape of Japan, with its distinct, plucked tones often associated with traditional music, storytelling, and performance arts.

The shamisen is a core instrument in genres such as kabuki (a traditional form of Japanese drama) and bunraku (puppet theater), where it is used to underscore the emotional intensity and narrative depth of the performances. In BrushWork, the shamisen helps set the tone for Ink’s character, enhancing the theme of 'brushwork' through its fluid, emotive sound.

Honorable mention: The instrumental video for ''Soulless Heart'', features an artwork that is inspired by traditional sumi-e (ink wash painting), a Japanese art form renowned for its elegant brushwork and minimalistic yet profound depictions of nature. This particular artwork, which accompanies the music, was created by the talented artist @/sakuramochi64, whose style reflects the delicate balance and graceful simplicity typical of sumi-e paintings.

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Sources

1.National Museum of asian art (materials & techniques. Ink section)

2. Asian Brushpaper (an-overview-of-chinese-ink-history)

3. Wikipedia (wiki Hakama-pants+Shamisen)

4. Aikido Journal (Hakama-101)

[dduane]

I just read the part where Kirk experiences the Enterprise's point of view in The Wounded Sky to someone else, where she sees the crew as children she is training up to the Great Desire of exploration for exploration's sake, especially Jim. His reaction, essentially: "That was really pretty. ....And then he blows her up."

I hadn't thought about that before! I checked the copyright date, and it looks like The Wounded Sky came out a year before The Search for Spock, so you were writing without knowing that sacrifice would eventually happen.

How did you feel about that? Do you wish that writing decision had been made differently? (If, as a Trek writer, you're allowed to comment on other Trek writers' choices!)

You know, I tend not to think a whole lot about such issues. First of all, because (in the long run) it gets you nowhere in particular that's useful. And secondly, because it's not a thing that, as a Trek writer in any medium except film, you have the slightest power to change.

Now, at this end of time I think we can safely say that no one's going to hire me on to write a Trek film. And also that no one at that end of the creative spectrum is going to pay the slightest attention to anything I say, either. Both of those situations are just What's So, and neither of them bothers me. (Since I have universes of my own to manage at the moment, and that's where my attention properly lies.) So as regards my opinions about other writers' work, I'm pretty much off the hook.

If I had been on screenwriting duty for that film, would there be things I'd have wanted to do differently? Hell yeah. From the premise up. But the important thing here is: would those things necessarily have worked better on the screen / with the audience? Impossible to tell. And speaking as someone repeatedly given permission to work in someone's universe, the main thing to be aware of is the expectation that your chief responsibility is to do what best serves the characters and the IP of which they're part. (There's a post over at Out of Ambit with a lot more of my thoughts on the subject:)

The other thing to remember is that, though I've worn the Canonical Hat in my time, novel work is by definition non-canonical. Doing it, you are at all times working with the understanding that the licensor rarely views your work as anything better than a corporate side hustle—a way for the IP to make some cash on the side—and will ignore you and the stuff you've created unless given pressing reasons to do otherwise. (Such as when they might make some unexpected money off it... at which point you remind yourself as forcibly as necessary that what you did is Work For Hire; they own it, lock, stock and barrel, and you should not realistically expect to be given any credit.)

And, if you understand the rules and enjoy the work enough, all of this is okay. The reward is not in making a lot of money doing it, or even in having aspects of your work openly assumed into canon. The reward lies in being allowed to contribute to a given universe in public (and, yeah, getting paid for it by the licensor). It's not payback: it's payforward. And you're left an astonishing amount of freedom to bring your vision to that universe. (Sometimes... as one colleague has McCoy say... you have to be "very, very careful" to get away with it. But it can be done.)

The truth is that even in the 1980s, I was sharing this level of playing-in-a-universe with a goodish cohort of editors and writers: a big roomful at least. Now I'm sharing it (retroactively speaking) with hundreds of them. With the best will in the world, even in the 80's the licensors (as regarded film) couldn't have realistically polled/listened to all of us regarding our creative opinions about the screenplay end of things. As for what that'd look like nowadays... I'll leave you to your own deductions. 😏

Anyway, thanks for the question. It's always nice to know that there are people who want to know what you think. 😊

[jocelynscrazyideas]

Kiss it better | Jack Hughes x Reader

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

Warning: smut, language, surgery?

Summary: Jack demands you cook him a lunch after his surgery, but he’s supposed to be healed. As the “best” girlfriend in the world you fix up a salad and share with Jack. Jack decides he wants more to eat, but not food.

A:N- AGH first time writing for a summer blurb!! Also it’s really short bc I had lots of hw recently!! (Sorry!)

.　 . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆

It’s off season. Jack and I are in Michigan, Jack has been watching Quinn play, and I’ve been tanning. I called Luke to check in and he said that it’s been stressful, playing with older guys, specially ones who’ve played in worlds before.

“Baby?” Jack hollers for me.

“Coming!” I reply, I throw my Jean shorts from American Eagle in the clean pile of clothes I’ve gathered, and run upstairs. Jack and I live in the basement, and Jack likes to spend his time upstairs on the main floor watching the TV.

Normally the guys spend time downstairs playing pool, and I watch Dance Moms on the TV next to the pool table. Jack is doing well with his recovery after his surgery.

“I’m hungry, I know. It’s a lot to ask for but could you make me some avocado toast with chicken parm salad?” Jack seems like he’s on his monthly period cravings. I mean it sounds good.

“Of course, only if you help me.” I say, and Jack throws his gaming controller to his blanket on the side. He gets up, rolls his shoulders out and cracks his neck. He stands behind me when I been down to grab the chicken.

I stand up and see him towering over me. I lean in for a kiss after setting down the ingredients. I pull back to grab a bowl from a cabinet, I pull out a fork to distract myself from the man that stares at me like I’m the only girl in the world.

“You’re so cute.” Jack says, disrupting the noise of tension between us. “I know.” I say giving him a stare. Right now we’re home alone, but I’m sure Ellen and Jim are heading back from Target.

“Mom will be home soon.” Jack says. I’m sure he’s inferring that we need to hurry up if we’re gonna do stuff.

I make it known I feel the same, but before I can say anything to stop me from going in for more kisses, Ellen walks in from the garage door.

“Hey mama bear!” I rant out, I push Jack away. I pour the lettuce into the bowl and stir in a salad dressing I made last night. I cut in boiled eggs from last night and stuff them in the salad, I microwave the chicken, just because I didn’t feel like cooking. I chop the warmed meat and lose the chicken into the bowl. Done!

“Here, your salad.” I saw shoving the bowl into Jacks reach. I toasted up some toast and slice the avocados. I grab some seasoning and seasoned the toast, I spread some avocados and took a bite of my work, delicious. I hand the rest to Jack and I walk back downstairs to to finish my laundry.

“I’m coming baby.” Jack informs me as he runs down the stairs.

“Yeah you will.” I say as I throw all of my folded clothes off into a hamper, ruining all of my work. Jacks eyes glow when he talks to me, his beard needs to be shaved.

“You look so edible.” Jack says as he pulls me into his arms. Hands in my hips, he slides his head into my neck. My perfume wraps him into my chest, he’s stuck in this love bliss.

“I cant get enough of you. You look so yummy.” Jack whispers into my ear. He licks under my ear, and I feel his hot breath on my cheeks.

gross.

“That’s icky.” I say. I love to make him mad.

“Shut the fuck up.” Jack says as he lets go of me. He sits on our bed and watches me fold the laundry that I threw.

“I cant believe you did that. Y/n I need you, I haven’t felt actually love in forever.” Jack implying on my “turn off” of words.

“Sorry.” I holler back, knowing I don’t fully mean it. His medium toned hair sits right under his ears, he plays with his wristbands as I walk over to him.

“Can you sit back please?” I request. He does as I say, not making me having to push him back, which would have been easier.

I hop onto jacks legs as I straddle him. “You feel so warm. I’m freezing.” I wiggle out of my mouth as I start to rock my hips. I grab into jacks shoulder and start to whisper in his ears.

“Take everything off.” I imply.

“We could take it to the hot tub.” I suggested. “No, wr can start here and end on the boat.” Jack responded within seconds.

“Sure.”

I feed into jacks neck and leave a mark. He’s bruised from my bites. Jack groans intensely as I start to make my way to his cargo shorts. I unzip everything and pull it off.

“You’re already so big.” I let out a sigh and take his boxers off. “Only for you.” Jack caressed my check and pulled my hair behind my ears.

I start jerking him and his head leans all the way back. Jack lifts his hips up when he feels he’s going to cum.

“Are you ready?” He asked me. His eyes glimmering up ast me. I pull down my leggings. I keep my shirt on and I lay on our bed. Jack spreads my legs as he goes down.

“You look wet already.” Jack insisting to start our activity. He pushes two fingers into my hole and he starts to pump. I feel erratic, my moaning screams out.

“Quiet down.” Jack deadly stared at me, and he pushed his tounge down my throat, I moan as he massaged my tounge into his. I feel our saliva mixing. I pushed his fingers farther in and I feel I’m going to cum. He lets go of my mouth.

He takes his fingers out as i jerk up from my release. Jack shoved one finger into his mouth licked it clean, and the other into mine. I suck kn it until he leans into me, I feel his hard cock pressed up against me.

He gets up as we try to finish what we started until we heard, “Jack! Help me clean up the yard! Your shoulder should be fine now!”

Jim and Ellen are having people over and apparently Jack needs to help him fix up the yard.

“We’ll finish later. I promise.” Jack smiled at me as he zips his cargo shorts on and pulled on his shirt. He leaves the room, and up the stairs as I hear him wash his hands upstairs.

I’m left alone in our room and I’m forced to do my laundry.

[mysticstronomy]

WHAT IS 'NEGATIVE TIME'??

Blog#443

Wednesday, October 9th, 2024.

Welcome back,

Negative time may sound like the last committee meeting you attended that should have been an email, but researchers from the University of Toronto and Griffith University have reported that photons — particles of light — can spend a “negative” amount of time exciting atoms as they pass through a medium. Published in the pre-print server arXiv, the researchers report this strange phenomenon, confirmed by experiments and theory, challenges traditional views of light-matter interaction and sheds new light on the concept of negative time in quantum systems.

The study, which investigates the group delay experienced by photons, also suggests that this negative time has more physical meaning than previously thought and could have implications for quantum technology, such as quantum computing.

At the heart of the research is the concept of group delay. When light passes through a material, its speed is affected, causing a delay in how long it takes to travel from one point to another. Normally, this delay is positive, meaning that the light slows down as it interacts with the atoms in the material. However, in certain cases, especially when the light is tuned to specific frequencies near the material’s atomic resonance, something strange happens: the group delay becomes negative.

This means the light appears to exit the material before it should, creating a paradox that has puzzled physicists. Essentially, it’s as if the photon caused an effect, like making the atom excited, before it even arrived — something that can happen in the quantum world but doesn’t make sense in our everyday experience of time. (Welcome to the weird, wonderful world of quantum mechanics.)

To better understand this phenomenon, the research team set out to answer a fundamental question: Does this negative group delay correspond to the time photons spend as atomic excitations? The answer, as it turns out, is yes. By using a method called the cross-Kerr effect, the researchers were able to probe the degree of atomic excitation caused by transmitted photons, even when the group delay was negative.

The results showed that the time spent by the photons as atomic excitations was directly related to the group delay, suggesting that the negative time observed in the group delay has real physical significance.

Another fundamental question the researchers sought to answer was: how much time do atoms spend in an excited state when a photon is transmitted through a medium?

“We define the average time that the atoms spend in the excited state (τ0), or average atomic excitation time, as the time integral of the expectation value of the number of atoms in the excited state,” the researchers write.

They further explored the quantum nature of this interaction, asking how this time changes when photons are transmitted rather than scattered.

The idea that photons can cause atomic excitations for a negative amount of time may seem counterintuitive, but it fits within the framework of quantum mechanics. In classical physics, time is always positive—a particle moves forward in time as it travels. However, in the quantum world, time can behave differently. When the researchers tuned their light pulses to specific frequencies close to the atomic resonance of rubidium-85 atoms, they observed that the group delay of the transmitted photons became negative. This implies that the peak of the light pulse exited the medium before it logically should have, based on when it entered.

To explain this, the team used quantum theory and the concept of “weak values,” a formalism that allows certain measurements in quantum mechanics to take on values outside the normal expected range. In this case, the weak value of the atomic excitation time was found to be negative, corresponding to the negative group delay observed. Essentially, the photons were interacting with the atoms in such a way that the atoms were excited before the light even arrived—at least, from the perspective of the group delay measurement.

This strange behavior was measured using the cross-Kerr effect, which allowed the team to detect tiny phase shifts in a secondary beam of light (the probe) caused by the atomic excitations from the transmitted photons. By carefully synchronizing their measurements and using post-selection techniques to focus only on the transmitted photons, the researchers were able to directly measure the atomic excitation time and compare it to the group delay.

Originally published on https://thequantuminsider.com

COMING UP!!

(Saturday, October 12th, 2024)

"DO MICRO BLACK HOLES EXIST??"

[himegureisu]

Hiii! Just got home from a horrifying midterm exam. It went horrible, none of the questions were even in the lesson plan. Although it did give me an idea for this request :')

It's practically universal knowledge that Snape is a 'terror prof' (iykyk) at Hogwarts — his standards are high, he's very particular with essays and it's practically expected that every major exam, tears will be shed in and out the classroom with the amount of curveballs he throws at you.

(I'd feel like he'd be the type to have a True or False exam with choices like: True, Partially True, Partially False, False, and if none is applicable write the correct answer and all of it is situational)

He's married to the reader and they're both teachers, so they help each other on their loads. Much more efficient that way. One night after a particularly hard-hitting major exam in the semester, reader encounters tear stains and snot and a few drops of blood from a nosebleed on one of the exams (witnesses this once lol) and decided to confront him husband about it. Thank you! I hope this isn't too specific ;w;

Questions and Answers

Pairing: Severus Snape x Reader

A/N: I'm sorry you had a horrible exam day and thank you for preventing me from pulling my hair out of frustration because my Notion page was not cooperating when this request came through. I hope you enjoy this! 💖

——————————— 🪄———————————

“Severus, darling, why do your exam papers have at least two different types of fluids on them?” your fingers flip through the unfinished stack, your eyes scanning them.

This was the thirty-fifth test paper from his pile that you graded. His second-year tests were stained by a range of substances you curiously identified through a spell.

Did he truly not notice them?

“There’s a combination of either snot, sweat, tears, or,” you paused, taking one of the papers you already graded, to present to him. His dark eyes highlighted by the round reading glasses made for a rather attractive sight but focus, “On the rare occasion, blood,”

“Oh,” he simply said, looking up at you, “And?”

“Is that all you can say?” you frustratedly run a hand through your forehead as you sit on the edge of his desk causing him to stop, “What are these questions even? It’s a major exam for second years, not OWLs or NEWTs, Severus. My head hurts not only from the answers but also the questions,”

“If they can’t answer then they’re not competent enough to proceed to the…” his sentence undone by the beginning of your ramble, an attempt to explain why his methods were not feasible.

“Can you imagine the physical, mental, and emotional drain that major exams cause to students? You can reminisce on your time as one if it helps but it’s not good and then to be brought to this level of inquiry as if they were taking a mastery,” you explained, “There isn’t even a 50-50 chance to get the answer right only 25 because you decided that it would be better if there would be four very similar but distinct answers to the multiple choice questions and not a chance of redemption for those who don’t know the question if the said answer is one they needed to correct. I can better understand your students’ frustrations from this version of your exams,”

“To adjust the exam would mean that there would be a lower level of understanding…”

“That’s the point though since they’re just building the foundation of what they know for potions!” you exclaimed, “If it were a muggle game, Severus, it should be easy, medium, and then hard but your exams are hard, hard, and then hard on every level. Do you understand?”

“Yes, but…”

“Sev, imagine this,” you sit on his lap, cupping his cheeks for him to focus on you as you say, “Imagine a child, our child, a little boy or girl coming home to us in tears because of a similar test that they’d taken on that day,”

“It would be different. They would be ours,” he grumbled, pulling you in closer to bask in your warmth, “We wouldn’t teach them to be like that,”

“Sev, just imagine!” you sighed exasperatedly, his face buried beneath your chin, “Your little girl coming home in tears crying for us wanting a hug because of an awful exam day,”

His breathing was in sync with yours, trying to understand your reasoning. His imagination slowly conjures a little girl in your image. Her face was stained with big fat crocodile tears, a snot-filled nose, and books slung defeatedly on her arm. His heart tightened at the image of it, protectiveness surging from within.

No one was allowed to make either of you cry.

“Can you imagine?” you softly asked, running a hand through his hair, as he mumbled, “Yes,”

“Can you change the way your tests are written?” you silently prayed that he would, he breathed in and faced you to answer, “Fine, and you’ll help me,”

“I expect as much,” you smiled.

As you were about to get off his lap, his arms quickly pulled you back and in doing so, caused the chair to stumble a bit from the force. His nose on your hair, breaths warm, and hug unwilling to let go.

“Sev?” you glance back to see his darkened gaze, “What is it?

“Do you want children?” he asked, it wasn’t something both of you discussed in depth before, “I realized that after four years of marriage, we didn’t elaborate on our expectations on that particular topic,”

“If we’re blessed with children, then I’m happy,” you informed, tracing the contours of his face. No matter how many times you’ve seen him it’s like there’s another new thing to catalog in your mind, “If not, then I’ll be happy having you all to myself,”

“I don’t know if I want children,” he admitted, and you kissed his cheek, “We’ll get there when we get there, Sev, for now, don’t think about it,”

[yellow-yarrow]

(copied from the Summer Eternal website for better readability:)

Summer Eternal Manifesto

On this day the 11th of October 2024, we announce SUMMER ETERNAL. We recognize we are writing the opening words of our story at a time of apocalyptic material conditions for game creators across the world.

Our art has been dressed down into an industry, and this industry has been pilfered by corrupt executives, by the vulgar profiteering of corporate bodies moving like leviathans in the dark, burning human fuel in their insatiable lust for money.

It is not pencil-pushers and moneylenders who make games. It is the relentless passion of the workers that creates an art form capable of saying something true.

As creators and game makers, we have too long been led away from the truth, away from the right to define ourselves as artists in service of the definitive art form of the future, one that has made us dream since we were children.

Instead, the disposability culture operating at the ruthless core of this industry wants us to think of ourselves as cogs in the machine: rudimentary craftsmen, disposable career workers, inert producers of made-to-order marketing-driven "content" — empty calories leaving the soul hungry.

The Profiteer knows that by keeping your dignity low, he will keep you crawling on the treadmill of passion until he lays you off for the sake of the red number in his book.

We make games because we have to. It is our calling. Because we have no choice but to see the transformative potential of this youngest medium of human interaction. You can't turn away once you've seen the light, Or it will always feel like everyone else in the world is doing something without you, there in the light you try to abandon but can't, because — oh, the horror — it comes from inside you.

All art is communication — dialogue across time, space and thought. In its rawest, it is one mind’s ability to provoke emotion in another. Large language models — simulacra, cold comfort, real-doll pocket-pussy, cyberspace freezer of an abandoned IM-chat — which are today passed off for “artificial intelligence”, will never be able to offer a dialogue with the vision of another human being.

Machine-generated works will never satisfy or substitute the human desire for art, as our desire for art is in its core a desire for communication with another, with a talent who speaks to us across worlds and ages to remind us of our all-encompassing human universality. There is no one to connect to in a large language model. The phone line is open but there’s no one on the other side.

The peddlers who aim to get rich quick from this scheme will always PLAY THE FOOL to any ethical or artistic argument. This is why we must push back against Big Tech's encroachment on the territory of our art, against increasing corporatization and alienation of game creators from their work, against the robbery of rights from workers, performers, artists and all contributors to this complicated and MULTI-FACETED medium.

Our mission is to unite world-class artists and creatives in a truly independent game studio which will always prioritize artistic integrity over personal comfort, profit margin, short term interests and Big Tech profit-bubbles.

There we will be able to embark on that treacherous road of building a cultural megaproject, a Role Playing Game with complexity and ambition worthy to rival our wretched and wonderful world.

In this we are committed to pursue the highest caliber of literary quality.

Here we stand, bound by our love for games and devotion to our craft, ready to bleed and weep and ride the cavalry into machine gun fire one more time.

For this we will need all the support and help from you, our readers, colleagues and future visionaries. Come walk the desert with us.

We will not take any of your support for granted. We have seen the suffering wrought by the hunger for power, the terror of greed and envy, the complicity of the averted eye. We have also seen the triumph of the human spirit, of solidarity in the striving, of making something never before seen and seeing its miracle unfold in the world. We have seen poverty, and we have seen plenty. We will make mistakes, we will win and we will fail, but we will never forget what we are doing this for. Yours in every season,

SUMMER ETERNAL

[literaila]

could you write something super domestic, like peter and reader baking together or something similar

i lauv ur writing btw

drive through

a/n: not what you were looking for i’m sure but it’s the only thing that struck a cord blah

*

“a number three” you whisper, leaning across the console to squint at the menu. “with… a coke.”

peter repeats your order, much louder than you might’ve thought possible, then opens his mouth, but not before—

“oh and one of those ice cream things”

he raises his eyebrow and turns to you. “a shake?”

“no, peter. that thingy you got last time with, like, the syrup and the—“

“you want a sundae?”

“i know what a sundae is.” you roll your eyes, but nod anyway.

peter quickly apologizes to the person unfortunate enough to be taking your order. “what size, bub?”

“how big are they?”

he holds two hands a couple of inches apart while shaking his head. “you want the same as what i got? it was medium.”

“okay.”

“and a medium sundae,” peter repeats. he waits a beat, and you watch him scratch his jaw while his eyes dart across the illuminated menu. “and then can i also get a number 6 combo, with extra sauce and a rootbeer?”

he looks over to you, then back to the speaker. “and can i add a large fry to that?”

a muffled voice answers pleasantly, naming the total and asking for his name, and then he’s driving you away from the speaker and you punch him in the shoulder.

“you’re not going to eat all that!”

peter frowns, his eyes darting towards you. “uh, yes i am.”

“no you’re not. we just ate, like, two hours ago.”

“i’ll share.”

you laugh. “with me?”

peter scoffs, and he’s finally stopped, so he looks at you with big brown eyes and glowing cheeks. “no. with larry a few doors down.”

“oh, i see how it is. you think larry’s going to let you be the little spoon?”

“for at least three minutes. before he puts on his c-pap machine and starts snoring.”

“that’s better than giving me some of your fries?”

peter pokes you in the shoulder. “better than being used as a space heater all night.”

“i don’t use you!”

“then how come i’m constantly pushing your cold feet off of my thighs?”

you cross your eyes. “maybe because someone likes to give death hugs in his sleep.”

peter’s mouth opens then closes. “i. do. not.”

you laugh at him. “yes you do—you hold on to me and when i tell you to let me go you just say ‘i won’t let you fall, i’m not’—“

“um. 17.46?”

both you and peter turn to look at the girl staring at the two of you with wide eyes.

peter coughs. “yeah, of course, let me just—“ me scrambled through the center console, dropping multiple things in your lap before grabbing his wallet. “just get my card, here.”

he hands it to the girl giving her a wide smile like he’s been waiting all day for this opportunity.

and when she’s gone, he turns to you with accusing eyes.

“what? i didn’t do anything.”

he leans closer to you. “they’re going to spit in our food.”

“the outside antibodies will probably be good for larry.”

and then peter laughs and pulls forward. but not before you give him a kiss on the cheek.

*

[thebibliosphere]

wrt the AI thing, the doom is in what is just good enough to no longer pay people for it. Machine translation isn't good! The sentences are nice and often grammatically correct, but the information hasn't been accurately transferred a lot of the time (genre doesn't matter, but DeepL is pretty good for news articles, less good for other stuff). AI text is sentences that are made of words likely to go together it doesn't understand any of it. Especially if you want to write something a bit experimental, if you want to use specific words to evoke specific things etc etc... true art will not die, no matter how much some people try.

I mean, yeah, but that’s also just a progression of what’s already been happening for years. Publishing houses and companies have been outsourcing to the cheapest bidder for decades now due to lack of labor regulation and the death of unions. That’s what the major Harper Collins strike was about. Even while publishing houses are making record profits, they’re not paying their editors a living wage.

When I worked for a medium sized mainstream publisher back in the late 2000’s to 2010s, they used to remind us daily that if we didn’t hit our editing quota there were people on Freelancer and Fiver who would do it for a lot cheaper— and I was already earning below minimum hourly wage, that you could “make up” by taking on extra work.

(The salaried editors were the only ones with guaranteed income, the rest of us were told we were just lucky to be there.)

And multiple times a month they’d eliminate someone to ‘cut costs’ and the work would land on your desk and you’d be told to get it done because they knew we had no other options. It was this or unemployment at the start of what would be the second global recession of my life.

Eventually we did all get laid off and they opted for the cheaper, subpar labor. And while it sucked to be unemployed at that time, the relief I felt was real. I was no longer self-medicating with caffeine and alcohol to cope with the work environment. I was no longer churning out 100-200k a week in edits and rewrites to keep a job that treated me like shit. I missed it, because I loved working with my authors and editing and writing was something I loved. But I did not miss the rat race they had us locked into for the sake of profit over quality.

The fact that Harper Collins staff, one of the biggest publishers in the world who contribute to the monopoly that creates that environment, were also not making enough to live, tells me things have only gotten worse inside the industry. Unless, of course, you’re near the top of the corporate ladder. In which case you probably can’t understand why all the peasants are so unhappy.

The machines will not fully replace us—at least probably not in my lifetime. But that doesn’t mean what’s already happening isn’t bad.

AI is just the next wrung on this sordid descent into exploitation and elimination. We need better labor laws. We need better protections. We need fucking respect.

[germhammy]

“Dinner”

Hostess: hello. Do you have a reservation?

Wednesday: Wednesday Addams party of two

Hostess: Wednesday? What an unusual name? I take it your mother named you after the day you were born?

Wednesday: I was born on Friday the 13th. Please cut the chit chat and show us to our table

Seated Enid and Wednesday looked over the menu.

Enid: you must hate that. When people ask about your name.

Wednesday: it is quite annoying.

Enid: I like your name, Wednesday. It’s unique. My full name is Enid Murray Sinclair. -she snickered- My mom gave all of us E first names and M middle names. My father wanted at least one son to be named Murray but my mom did not name one Murray. My middle name is supposed to be Mary. My dad “misspelled” it. He told me this when I was five. I laughed at him.

Wednesday: Wednesday comes from a line in my mother’s favorite nursery rhyme ‘Monday’s Child’ Wednesday’s child is full of woe. And I was actually named after the day I was born. My middle name is Friday

Enid: really?

Wednesday: better than Pugsley Pubert

Looking over the menu Enid gasped

Enid: um Wednesday? Are you sure you can afford this? The size steak I want costs more than the entire meal Xavier couldn’t pay for.

Wednesday: yes, Enid. Do not worry. I also made sure I have the funds in my account to cover. If not I have a back up

Enid ordered a 12oz ribeye steak medium rare, Wednesday a 10oz ribeye steak medium rare. Enid a Caesar salad, Wednesday an Arugula salad. Potato au gratin for the both of them and Wednesday ordered French onion soup.

Their soup and salad arrived when they heard a dreaded name as the hostess headed in their direction

Enid: yuck! French onion soup! You and onions!

Hostess: This way, Mr Thorpe.

They were sat a table away.

Vincent: ah! Miss Addams fancy seeing you here! Did you get my check?

Wednesday: yes I did. Thank you. My father should have deposited it today.

Xavier: wait? You wrote her a check? She should be the one writing me a check!

Vincent: you young man have no idea who you are dealing with! The Frump family is not to be trifled with! The very fact that Hester’s daughter Morticia snagged herself an Addams?

Xavier: Frump? Hester?

Vincent: Your Godmother Billie’s friend. Wednesday, please apologize to your grandmother for me. We are cleaning up the house Billie lived in to sell. There are more than likely some possessions of hers your grandmother might want? Is there a way to send photos to her?

Wednesday: I will let Granny know. Pugsley can set her up with an email or my mother will be in touch on her behalf. I will text you later

Vincent: of course Enjoy your meal

Xavier: wait what? Are just going to allow Wednesday’s grandmother to have my godmother’s things? Do you have any idea how much some of those things are worth?

Vincent: My dear boy. Hester probably helped Billie procure many of those treasures. It only seems fitting that Hester get to pick through them and find some memories of her friend. I’m honestly surprised they were not all willed to Hester.

Wednesday: Thank you, Mr Thorpe. I will tell Granny as soon as Enid and I return home if she is still awake or in the morning

Xavier: I can’t believe you’re just giving away a fortune like that!

Vincent: and I can’t believe you’re wasting your money in this useless pursuit for Wednesday’s affection. Now let’s leave her with her friend to enjoy their meal

[cherries-in-wine]

I love ur posts on lolita the book- what are ur thoughts on the movies?

aw tysm anon mwah <3

(Made a few edits because my perspective changed a little)

I don't really like the movies- in fact comparing them to the masterpiece that Vladimir Nabokov wrote feels like an insult. Sometimes art can only exist in a certain medium and when you take it out of that medium it loses its integrity. Lolita is art that can only exist as literature. This is what I used to believe but to be honest even as literature it's being misunderstood a lot so it feels as if no matter what medium lolita exists in, it'll always be interpreted wrong.

It took Vladimir Nabokov 5 years to write lolita because writing from the perspective of a pedophile is tough- it's using the abuser to tell the victim's story but in this case the abuser is our unreliable narrator, he had to make Humbert Humbert charming or at least intriguing in a fucked up way enough that the reader would be compelled to read further (lolita will disturb you but you won't able to put it down) but any competent reader would will be able to figure out that Humbert Humbert is just spewing his delusional bullshit.

It feels as if Vladimir Nabokov predicted the romanticization of Lolita as soon as we started putting girls on the book covers- he intended on lolita being faceless

So much of what makes the book incredible lies in reading in between the lines to figure out what's actual going on. Think of it as Humbert Humbert is forcing his heart shaped rose coloured glasses onto you like "see it's a beautiful tragic love story" and it's your responsibility to take them off to see things as they are, a 12 year old child being abused constantly.

Unreliable narrators in general are hard to portray on screen (it's not impossible ofcourse, gone girl, 500 days of summer and black swan do it really well) but extra difficult in this case because lolita and Dolores are 2 different people entirely. Lolita is the persona, Dolores is the person. Lolita is the nymphet, the seductress that only exists in Humbert's twisted mind, Dolores is the 12 year old child. Humbert sees lolita, he wants you to see lolita, but you need to focus on Dolores.

Lolita 1962 was laughably inaccurate, they made Dolores look like an elegant woman when even Humbert Humbert describes her as a messy tomboy. Lolita 1997 is better I guess, it follows the book a little more accurately. The movie is definitely pretty to look at and I don't have a problem with Dolores being an icon or people taking fashion inspiration from her. In my opinion she is an icon, it isn't fair to reduce a victim's identity to their trauma and abuser. Also she's so funny and is constantly insulting Humbert so mwah love her so much plus I relate to her a lot as I went through similar things. I think some scenes of Humbert Humbert being an unreliable narrator were translated really well, for example this argument-

Humbert gave a short description while the movie is more of lo's point of view, it's all screaming and shouting and absolutely devastating, Dominique Swain did an amazing job.

Both of the actresses were 14 during filming and that's just so unsettling to me. Sure you're using a body double for explicit scenes but isn't that just content for actual pedophiles, the closest thing to CP that's legal?. There are many older actresses that look younger but honestly that scares me more, because now there are no restrictions to the scenes they can film, which usually ends up underage characters in extremely exploitative scenes (think euphoria).

My feelings are sort of all over the place on this, I simply can't reach a satisfying conclusion- I don't think it's impossible to adapt lolita into a good film, black swan is one of my favourite movies ever and nina sayers is as unrealiable as a narrator gets, so it's not impossible to portray Humbert Humbert on screen but it will be difficult. On the other hand I just know that people will find some way to romanticize the movie- no matter how well it's written like in the novel it's so obvious Humbert is a pedophile that he might as well get it tattoed on his head but people still think of it as "aw tragic beautiful love story". But part of me thinks that if they write it kind of like gone girl, you believe nick is the murderer in the first half then amy's scheming is revealed in the second, just like that if lolita is shown in the first half but after dolores runs away her perspective is shown to audience, how she's so miserable and gives an accurate depiction of Humbert Humbert's abuse, maybe showing that horrifying reality of the story will end it's romanticization once and for all.

[subfootboii]

Hey everyone!

I wanted to make a post to introduce myself and hopefully get to know you all better, too! I'm curious about the kind of content you enjoy.

I'm a 21-year-old gay foot lover, currently in graduate school. I've liked male feet as long as I can remember, which also played a role -besides Chris Hemsworth- in discovering that I liked more than just male feet.

I'm introverted, shy, and quite short (161 cm - 5'3"), which I love since basically everyone is taller than me. I'm a submissive bottom into big feet (not so wide though) with long symmetric toes, I'm also into socks and shoes, feet tops are sometimes a turn off for me (I rarely find them attractive), anklets also make me horny. Feet aside I don't have a specific fetish to other body parts, but I'll enjoy every part of an alpha man.

I don't have a specific taste in men, it's more like I either find him attractive over all or not. I do prefer taller men with average or slightly above average body weight (muscles or a little belly works). I'm into dominant men (in and outside bed). My dream is to be my alpha's perfect faggotwife and worship him as we explore our kinks.

Other than that I'm into trying things out such as role play, BDSM, and Dom/sub or Master/slave relationships. I'm into most things I write about maybe not so much into financial domination and being cucked, although I'm into being 'cucked' by another couple or guys hooking up.

This blog is mainly for feet stuff, from short captions to medium sized eroticas. That's my first time trying this after years of reading and enjoying this content. Maybe soon I'll get into other stuff and create other blogs or use other platforms, but for now I'll explore here and try to find my way around. As I said I'm new to this, also English isn't my first language, and writing isn't my strong suit.

Feel free to chat and share with me your suggestions, photos, ideas, fantasies, real life experiences, and what content you enjoy. You can also send your feet pics for me to enjoy.

You can also support me through PayPal through the link below. Any amount is appreciated 🫶.

[genericpuff]

I don't know the term for creators who became popular outside the traditional steps to "make it" in their profession; then when people started taking their work seriously and giving them criticism, these creators saw it as an attack because they are not used to mentors and studies.

Smythe's professional training is vague at best, being a folklorist. Then there's the creator of the popular hell cartoon that became her own executive producer and director in her 20s (I'm not going to say her name since it tends to attract her rabid fans) and becomes reactive to any kind of criticism on Twitter. Then there's that TikToker Devon Rodriguez, who became popular for sketching people on subways, and when an art critic gave a mild review to his art gallery, Devon unleashed his fans on him.

Like am I seeing a pattern here for artists? And I guess, what do you think we can learn from it.

Ah, so this is a very interesting (and broad) topic that we've touched on in discussions in ULO and other webtoon-related communities. So buckle up, it's time for an ✨essay✨

I think the best way I can sum up my thoughts on this issue is: the vast majority of people who become paid content creators don't seek out a job as content creators, a job in content creation is just something that happens to them.

I say "content creation" because this is something that applies to a lot of other platforms and online mediums as well, such as the examples you included (TikTok, Youtube, Twitch, etc.). And don't get me wrong, it's not like every successful content creator out there didn't work their asses off to get to where they are, but for many... it still involves an element of luck. People don't go to school for it, people don't "apply" to become influencers, and much of it relies entirely on just making stuff until it gets seen and propelled into success.

I think a lot of these issues arise with the creators themselves and how they view their own work. The reality is that many of us artists have been treated as the "rejects" of society, we constantly feel like we're misunderstood and have some deep inner pain that we express through our art, and instead of going to therapy, we come up with OC's. It's a lot more fun and it's a lot cheaper LOL Webcomics naturally wind up being the perfect lightning rod for people who feel that way, where we can pour ourselves into the characters, the world, the narrative, in a way that perfectly mixes our talents for art and our need to express our innermost thoughts and feelings about ourselves and the world around us. So when our art gets criticized or rejected ... it can be hard for a lot of artists to not feel like it's a criticism of the self, a rejection of our identities, an attack on our feelings and experiences, because we've tied so much of ourselves to our work. And this can make that transition very difficult for people who are trying to go pro, because being professional demands separating yourself from your work, at least enough that you can view it objectively, recognize its flaws, seek out pathways to improvement, and not take every bump in the road personally.

A lot of successful creators are people who just never made that transition. It's led to an abundance of professional creators who know how to film themselves or react to content or, in the case of webcomic artists, write stories about their OC's, but don't know how to actually navigate the industry at a professional level. They don't know how to read and negotiate contracts, they don't know what deals are actually good for them and which ones are better left on the table, they don't know how to manage teams of people, they don't know how to react to the attention, praise, and criticism of their audience - they're just doing what they've always done, but now they're making money doing it.

None of this is to speak ill in any way of the creators who've found success and are still just doing what they've always done for money. None of this is meant to be a slight on the creators who are using webcomics and art as an expression of their deeper selves (I do it myself, it's very cathartic!) because ultimately that's what makes your work your work, the fact that you made it, with all your good parts and bad. Many of these creators are capable of running their platform without any issues because they've learned how to play the game, or because their platform is made up of people just like them so their audience is more like just a social circle.

But many of them still also can't operate on a professional level and those are the ones we often see getting called out and held accountable when they do shit like, I dunno, scamming their audiences for money or making alt accounts to manipulate user reviews or plagiarizing from other people's work or just being really REALLY shitty to their own audience.

Often times these are people who are just doing what they'd normally do as a hobby, became well known for it, and managed to turn it into a living. But they never actually learned how to turn their hobby into a job, and themselves into professionals.

And artists especially are prone to this because, let's face it, a lot of us are just weebs having fun drawing our blorbos, so of course if we get a chance to monetize that, we're gonna! We should! We should want to be paid for our work and time and efforts!

But we also have to remember that it's a different ballgame, especially if you're turning your audience into customers. "I'm just a baby creator doing this for fun" doesn't and shouldn't apply anymore once you start signing contracts, selling your art as products, taking people's money to fund your projects, etc. because now it's not just your art, it's what you're expecting people to pay for so you can eat and pay your bills and live.

As much as our art is often personal and should be cherished as such, you can't expect people to want to pay for it if you're not setting a bar and meeting it, or if you're not treating your audience with any amount of dignity or respect.

I'm not saying you're not entitled to having feelings or still wanting to treat your art as art, but the line between art and products is there for a reason, it's to set people's expectations and ensure that both sides are having those expectations met. Webtoon creators suffer from the same thing that a lot of Youtube creators and other types of content creators suffer from in this transition, and I feel like HBomberGuy summed it up best:

"In current discourse, Youtubers simultaneously present as the forefront of a new medium, creative voices that need to be taken seriously as part of the 'next generation of media' - and also uwu smol beans little babies who shouldn't be taken seriously when they rip someone off and make tens of thousands of dollars doing it."

It's not gatekeeping a medium, it's not telling people they aren't allowed to have feelings or to want to still have that personal connection to their work in spite of the professional level it's achieved, it's simply just expecting people to actually live up to the label of 'professional' that they're using to make money.

And this especially goes for someone like Rachel, who claims to be a 'folklorist' despite all the contrary evidence that says otherwise. This is the same person who copy pasted the first result on Google as her source on a simple word definition:

There's a second part to that HBomberGuy quote that also actually applies to Rachel really well in this discussion, concerning how she labels herself a "folklorist" and how that's affected and influenced the greater discussion surrounding Greek myth:

"But on the opposite end, Youtubers who act like serious documentarians gain a shroud of professionalism which then masks the deeply unprofessional things they do. We just saw that with James. I think [James] partially got away with what he's doing for so long because he acts so professional about it, so people assume, 'there's no way he could just be stealing shit!' so they don't check. And on top of that, a lot of James' videos contain obvious mistakes and made-up facts... but because they're often presented next to well-researched stuff he stole, no one questions it. I've seen James repeat a lie in his videos, and then other people claim it's true, and link his video as the proof. He has helped to solidify misinformation by seeming like he's doing his diligence."

There's always going to be discourse over what's legitimate and what isn't when it comes to Greek myth, there are loads of things we still don't know simply due to the knowledge being lost to time. But there's something to be said about a white New Zealand woman using her self-insert romance comic and platform to build a veneer of professionalism and legitimacy around herself, as if she's the authority on the subject, while simultaneously relying on first result Google searches and citing works that have no real foothold in the way of scholarly or "folklorist" discussion.

All that's to say, you're right, her professional training is vague at best. She's never completed a longform comic prior to LO, she's not doing her due diligence in actually engaging with the media she's trying to "retell" and exposing herself to the voices of those from the culture that's tied to it, and she's not holding herself to any sort of standards when it comes not only to being a professional, but a professional who's been held on a pedestal for all these years. She's still operating the same way she was 5 years ago - drawing and writing whatever pops into her head and sending it to her editor for uploading, with next to no intervention or guidance. Except now it doesn't have the benefit of being new and having "potential", it's getting noticed and called out more now than ever because it's been 5 years of this shit and it's been getting worse on account of her clearly being burnt out (or just giving up/not caring) and the readers can't be sold on "potential" anymore.

And that's all I have to say on that.

[elbiotipo]

Question: he would the hair in cat ears work for catgirls? do they get the same hair covering the ears as the rest of the head or would it be shorter for the ears only? if a catgirl has long curly hair, is the hair covering the ears also long and curly?

I would have to research that, but given I have a research subject next to me (my cat) cats do seem to have shorter hair in their ears by default, which makes sense because ears are well, ears, and they need to be mobile and clear of obstructions.

You can see here that this cat (not mine, he went away as I was writing this) has medium-length fur but the hairs covering the ears are rather short. It makes sense it would be the same for catgirls.

Now, does this mean that cat-people hair would be the same as their fur? Do notice that cat fur has a very different length and texture from human hair in that human hair doesn't have that layered thing that makes most mammal fur, individual hairs are also much longer. Furthermore, humans are WEIRD, just plain WEIRD in our hair distribution. No other mammals are like us, there are certainly hairless mammals, for sure, but the human distribution of hair is very much unlike other primates, with our hairy heads, stomach/pubic areas, beard and armpits, while those are usually bald in other primates. There is still considerable debate on the evolution of hairlesness in humans, from endothermic regulation (better sweating) to sexual selection (which might explain the persistance of, well, hair and body hair instead of complete hairlessness). What's interesting is that genes for a full fur (hair, I guess) coat in humans are still there, just disabled into vellus hairs which are a lot less prominent. If you want more on the subject, I warn you, it's a deep dive, but you can start in Wikipedia.

BACK TO CATS THOUGH, something that people often forget is that whiskers are indeed another kind of fur, but not only that, they are active sensory organs that take a big part of brains in many mammals. One we also lack. Humans are strange. But while cats can live without whiskers, it's still something very important to them. So I think that is something we forget about felines and feline characters.

It would also be a real interesting thing if cat-people had different hair, as in the thing in top of our heads (which seems to have evolved to protect our stupid big brains from the sun) similar to cat fur. Perhaps a catgirl would look pretty much human, but from touching the hair, seeing her eyes, perhaps even whiskers, you would see different stuff (assuming a fantasy or such setting). Given our genetics, it's not exactly implausible to have people whose fur just sticks to their hair and tail. It's just, well, I really need to make a post on this sort of stuff one day.

For a VERY fun deep dive into cat coat and eye genetics, I found this site full of deep explanations and charts about cat genetics. Including HYPOTHETICAL cat coats:

Honestly, don't miss it if you're doing cat-like characters. This is way more fun that just sticking ears and a tail and be done with it. Put the cat in catgirls again, that's what I say.

[gghostwriter]

Yours Truly, Romeo

Chapter 2 __ No Evidence, No Leads

Spencer Reid x FOC

Summary: Washington, DC - A string of grizzly murders and obsessive love letters causes Olivia and Spencer’s paths to intertwine. With a serial killer proclaiming his undying devotion to her and the thick tension surrounding her and her agent turned bodyguard, Olivia’s life is writing out like a contemporary love story that she, as a successful writer, could see herself publishing.

Previous chapter || series masterlist || next chapter

"Go wisely and slowly. Those who rush stumble and fall." - Act 2, Scene 3. Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare

The tranquility and vast land spaces in Maryland was the first thing Spencer noted. It was a sharp contrast to the populated DC metropolitan.

“Hi, I’m Jennifer Jareau from the BAU,” the blonde hair woman introduced herself to the slightly portly man welcoming them at the station. “This is SSA Aaron Hotchner, SSA David Rossi, and Dr Spencer Reid. We spoke over the phone regarding the killings?” 

He pushed open the police station door. “I’m Chief Charlie Donn, hope we’d be meeting in better circumstances but with the killer dumping the bodies in our backyard, we’d rather not take any chances.” 

“What can you tell us about how the bodies were found?” Hotch asked, going straight to the point. 

“The first body was found Sunday, three weeks ago, by a couple walking along the river,” he started as he led the team to the meeting room with tacked case images and files. “The second body was found, Tuesday, two weeks ago, by a woman walking her dog and the last body was found two days ago by a patrolling officer.” 

“Why weren’t we invited earlier on when the second body was discovered?”

The sheriff sighed and placed his hands on his waist, seemingly taking in a defiant position. “We’re currently stretched thin due to lack of man power and my detectives and I assumed that these bodies were just floating down the river. When they started popping up again and again, we took notice.” 

“I’ll talk to the media to try and keep this as quiet as possible,” JJ suggested. “We wouldn’t want to scare our unsub away due to FBI presence. Chief Donn, please come with me.” 

As JJ and the Chief left the room, the phone clipped on Spencer’s pocket rang.

“Garcia,” he greeted. “Have you found anything that connects the victims?” 

“Hey Boy Wonder, I wish I was the bearer of good news,” she sighed. “All the connection I could find with the three victims were that they all recently moved from different parts of the country to Washington, DC. No social connection or school connection found.” 

“Washington, DC?” Rossi repeated. “So Maryland has a connection with the unsub and not the victims.” 

“What about their jobs, Garcia, any connection?” Hotch asked.

“None at all. Our first victim accepted a job as a sous chef for a French fusion restaurant in DC and when he didn’t show up for the first day of work, the management didn’t report him missing, just thought of him as a no show. The second victim got a job offer for a medium sized IT company, management also thought he was just a no show. And the third victim got a job as an illustrator for a publishing company. He actually went to work for his first week but was noted a no show afterwards.” 

“Run any surveillance cameras around their workplace and neighborhood for a timeline when they were last spotted,” Hotch ordered in his no nonsense voice. “Keep us posted, Garcia.” 

“Got it! You my fine furry friends, are welcome,” Garcia rambled out before ending the call.

———

Olivia didn’t sleep a wink during the night when she received the mail. She had tried to do every calming routine she could—yoga, meditation, warm tea before bed—and honestly, every paranoid act she could—double, triple checked all her doors, shut her windows and drawn the curtains—but sleep had evaded her weary body. There she stood in front of her bathroom mirror, surveying the damage the sleepless night had done to her reflection. The bags under her eyes looked darker than usual, her hair was in a sorry state of disarray, and there was a slight manic look brimming underneath her appearance.

She sighed as she stepped towards the shower. The water was icy cold to the touch which is not ideal for her at the slightest but she needed all the external help she could get to stay alert and awake for the day. The images flashing behind her closed set of amber eyes making her heart thud louder in her chest. There was nothing outwardly gory with the pictures, no blood at all, but it all had her hackles rise and her instincts scream for an unknown storm that was about to swipe in. 

There was a loud knock on her bedroom door as she was lost in her thoughts, causing her to jump. 

“Hey Olivia,” Hollie said behind the locked and blocked entryway. “Are you up?” 

She rushed to get dressed in her casual clothes and removed the chair she jammed under the doorknob last night due to her paranoia. “Hi Hollie, thank you again for staying with me last night—” 

Hollie shrugged and squeezed her shoulders to ease tension. “No worries at all. What do you say we go and report it to the police?”

“—It might have been nothing. Maybe it was just my active imagination, you know as a writer and all, and besides we both know how the authorities get with things like this.” She shook her head and rambled on as they both rushed down the stairs to her kitchen. 

Hollie said nothing to counter her argument, clearly remembering the same instance Olivia was alluding to. During their time in the university, they had experienced a break in their three shared dorm room. None of their possessions were touched but a pair of their third roommate’s intimates were stolen and in return, the thief left a a red rose on her bed. Frightened, the three of them reported it to the college campus authorities who did little to no help at all. The locks were changed, yes, but no additional investigation was done to figure out the culprit. At one point, the security had even believed that it was all just an elaborate prank by the girls. Hinting that maybe the other had stolen the pair of underwear as some form of sick joke.

Buzz. Buzz. Buzz

It was the ring of the doorbell. Both women approached the front door with wary. Hollie glanced through the peephole, making sure that there was no one there before slowly opening the door slightly.

Olivia inhaled sharply, noting another unmarked parcel on her doorstep. Hastily grabbing it and bolting the door shut, they both all but ran into the safe confines of her office before promptly dropping the letter at her table like it was radioactive. 

“Maybe—maybe we shouldn’t open it and just bring it straight to the police,” Hollie suggested.

Olivia shook her head, steeling herself for the worst. “We have to know what’s inside before alerting anyone.” 

Her hands shaking, she slowly opened the white envelope and deeply regretted her decision. She wished she could scrub her mind clean to rid itself of subjects that the Polaroid films captured. The images were now beyond the spectrum of creepy and entering the genre of pure horror. Each contained close ups—an upper body shot from the elbow to the neck with black stitching on the armpit to connect the obviously mismatched skin and half a face with a high bridge nose sewn in place and an empty cut space for the eyes and lips. 

Olivia all but ran to the adjoining powder room to vomit the half toast she had eaten earlier and in the background, she could hear Hollie frantically looking for her cellphone.

“Hello 911,” Hollie sobbed out. “Please, please we need help.” 

———

Spencer had been up the whole night trying to piece together a profile with little to no success. His coffee-addled brain was telling him that there was a similarity with this case and the horrendous murders of Ed Gein but with no proof as to what, he hadn’t been able to share his inkling to the team up until Garcia’s early morning phone call. 

“Good morning to you all my loves,” she greeted, her bubbly personality leaking out from Morgan’s speaker. “I may have something that could be connected to our case.”

“Hope it’s something good, baby girl, ‘cause boy genius here is at his wits end,” Morgan teased.

“Well we wouldn’t want that, won’t we my chocolate thunder?” She quipped back. “A 911 call was made from Washington DC a few hours ago about a series of letters and pictures sent to a woman named Olivia Hill and oh boy, did she not have a great morning—”

“Wait, Washington DC? Where all the victims came from?” Rossi asked, cutting her off.

“Right, you are and well, those images contain possibly the missing skin from our victims,” she rambled on. “All sewn up together like some Frankenstein.” 

Silence. 

“I’m sorry, did you say sewn together?” JJ clarified. “That seems new for an unsub.”

“Right you are my love, this takes the cake for horrific creativity from our usual killers, if you ask me. Anyways, I’ve sent the letters and images to your emails, keep safe my babies!” The phone line goes dead.

Spencer rapidly reviewed the contents sent and he felt the puzzles finally now clicking into place. Why his brain couldn’t let go of the nagging thought that this had resemblance to the Butcher of Plainfield.

“That’s why I couldn’t stop thinking about Gein—why the there was no connection with the victims no matter how much we dug and thought about it,” he started to babble rapidly, gaining the attention of the rest of the team. “They weren’t the real victims, more like chess pieces to this twisted fantasy that the unsub has to the true victim which is her, Olivia Hill.” 

“Slow down, kid. What’s this about Gein?” Morgan asked, clearly trying to catch his train of thought.

“Do you mean about him wearing the skins of his victims?” Prentiss catching on. 

Spencer nodded. “He’s making a face and body suit, quite literally, to wear from the missing parts and if I’m right, once the suit is complete, he’ll have to go after her next.” 

“Rossi, JJ, Prentiss, stay here and keep us updated should another body appear,” Hotch delegated. “Morgan, Reid, and I will fly to DC for coordinating. Wheels up in thirty.”

“You got it,”  Prentiss replied. 

a/n: please do not repost anywhere else. I only post here on Tumblr and on ao3. I'm using this whole week to write all the future chapters I can so expect one more update this week for Yours Truly, Romeo. Would also like to hear any comments or feedback from you my pookies xx

[olderthannetfic]

I just reread the whole Alice Oseman ask-answer and holy shit. It's like a playbook. The posturing, the condescension, the weird other-ing of queer relationships vs. straight ones. It's almost good enough to be satire.

I get that there is fear in writing kids having sex. Lots of authors these days are dealing with all sort of crazy accusations when it comes to their YA books including any sort of sexual material. Fine, you don't even have to say that but do not moralize to queer people about it and then tell us it's for our own good. Yes, this also goes for fellow queer people.

Her post said it's not ok to write sex scenes for teens over the age of 18. So when the characters turn 20 it's fine? How many sequels is she writing and when they do hit that age will she be writing sex scenes?

--

I do have a particle of sympathy for Oseman because I think it's extremely likely that fans have pestered and pestered and pestered her for more sexy stuff with those characters. This is something we see even with medium-popular fic writers, never mind anyone achieving mainstream popularity with their art. (Same with any other annoyingly persistent request like a different ship or a different genre, honestly.) And it can be really draining to have to keep saying no to requests you shouldn't be having to field in the first place...

But...

A more self-confident and self-aware author would be able to set that boundary by saying "I'm not comfortable doing that in my own art" or "I choose not to". As it is, the whole thing has the taint of purity garbage. Gay teens already get enough messaging that gay sex is disgusting and that they're only valid if they don't go farther than holding hands. All teens already get enough messaging that the perfectly common feelings many of us get with puberty are dirty and anomalous.

Oseman is replicating the godawful strain of culture that gives us teens asking in all apparent earnestness if they're a ~pedo~ for finding people their own age hot. I don't demand that creators be saints, but I think Oseman can do a little better than this, for fuck sake!

Nobody, including me, asks to be a role model, but at the point you're famous for your YA fiction, you could at least try not to give your audience a god damn complex.