#which i know its a valid solution if you really like a piece but the colour is wrong but like..to use it JUST to shoehorn a luxury brand...

[therhythmafterthesummer]

Got a case of reaaallly sensitive breasts so !!!

Werewolf chris and nipple play 🐺

funny thing... i already had a drabble with this scenario, so i started tweaking it as soon as i received this ask... now i don't think i can call this a drabble anymore lmao. hope y'all enjoy it.

Pairing: Werewolf!Chan x Human!F.Reader (one of the main pairings of my WereRoomies series. you don’t really need to read any other instalment to understand/enjoy this piece). | Word Count: ~4k | Themes & Warnings: fantasy/supernatural AU · smut | established relationship | reader is chubby based on former instalments, but there’s no focus on it in this piece · pet names · lots and lots of praising · nipple play · cock warming · interruptions (but it’s fine, i promise) · unprotected penetration [piv. no barrier method used, but the reader is presumed to be on birth control] · creampie.

minors do not interact.

When Chris came home earlier this afternoon, all sad and pouty because nothing seemed to have gone how he wanted it to today, you offered the one thing you knew would help him start improving his mood. 

‘Do you want me to help you find solutions, or do you just want to vent?’ You’d asked him while you prepared some relaxing tea.

‘God, I really just want to vent…’ Chris replied simply, which was perfectly valid.

So he did just that, all while you delicately massaged his broad–and admittedly tense–shoulders, taking the occasional sip of your cups of tea. Chris sat on one of the kitchen stools, and you stood behind him, listening intently to him for as long as he needed you to.

“…But it’s all boring, stupid shit. I know, I know. I need to let it go”, Chris finished his rant with a sigh, tilting his head back to lean it against you.

“It’s not stupid, baby. You’ve got very valid reasons to be frustrated about it”, you moved your hands from where they’d been kneading his shoulders to his hair, so you could caress the soft strands.

Chris immediately closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He was quiet for a while, just enjoying the movements of your fingers against his scalp.

“Thank you, love”, he mumbled eventually, finally opening his eyes and turning around to place his hands on your waist.

“Nothing to thank me for, darling”, you mumbled back, just as you looped your arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss.

Chris pulled you closer to him so you could stand between his parted legs, chest against chest. The stools of your kitchen were tall, so it was easy to just melt into the kiss, he might as well have been standing with how minimal the height difference was.

After a while of just kissing, one of his hands found its way under the oversized t-shirt you were wearing to grab a handful of your ass. The sudden action made you squeal in surprise, but the sound quickly evolved into a chuckle.

“Handsy, huh?” You asked between pecks of your lips, carding your fingers through his hair.

“Mhm…” Chris’ lips were on your neck in an instant, slowly, oh, so very slowly leaving open mouthed kisses on your skin. You’d lie if you said it wasn’t heating you up. It was almost like he just knew you’d been dying to be with him all day. “Don’t see you complaining. If anything, your heart’s beating faster, and you know I can just smell how horny you are”.

Caught red-handed, as always.

As your boyfriend nibbled on your pulsepoint, his free hand joined the other on your backside, for him to knead and squeeze your buttocks to his heart’s content. You could stop him whenever. You knew that the second the words came out of your mouth he’d stop completely… But you honestly didn’t want him to.

“You know…” Chris mumbled against the skin of your neck, coaxing goosebumps to raise on your flesh. “I think I’m still a bit stressed”.

He wasn’t stressed anymore. He knew it, you knew it, and he knew that you knew, but you decided to humour him anyway.

“Are you?” You chuckled, grabbing a handful of his hair to pull him away from your neck. Chris just let you move him like that, and the moment his eyes landed on yours, you started to feel tingly all over.

You weren’t sure if it was due to how blown his pupils suddenly were, or if it was that damned animal stare of his that always seemed to affect you in ways it certainly shouldn’t have, but you immediately felt your breath catch in your throat. Especially when his grip on your bum tightened.

“Mm. Very”, Chris grinned at you–a wolfish grin, very fitting for someone like him. “Think my pretty girlfriend would like to help out with that?”

“Mmm…” You acted as if you were thinking about his question, as if it needed an in depth analysis before you could answer it, but, ultimately, you grinned back at him. “You’re saying that your pretty girlfriend listening to your problems for almost twenty minutes isn’t enough?”

Chris’ smug façade immediately crumbled, replaced with the most adorable pout and puppy eyes you’d ever seen. “Baaabe, that’s not what I meeeaan…”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “I know, I know. I’m just teasing you, I’m sorry. Tell me, baby, what do you want from me? Whatever it is, just say it, and it’s yours”.

“…Whatever I want?” Chris asked, as if he didn’t know that he could ask absolutely anything of you, and that you’d give him exactly what he wanted. Just like he would do for you.

“Whatever you want, baby”.

Chris hummed. His eyes jumped all over your face, taking in your features, until they finally started travelling further down to look at your neck, your chest, your legs… Even if your body was covered by his t-shirt, it was like the garment simply didn’t exist.

Finally, when he had seemingly decided just what he wanted, he took a deep breath. One of his hands let go of your bum to start making its way towards your tummy. Chris squeezed the flesh briefly, then he dragged that same hand all the way up your torso, until it reached one of your breasts.

It was such a simple thing, but the way his palm wouldn’t detach from your skin had heat spreading all throughout your body, even more so when he gave your breast a hefty squeeze, only to finally pinch your nipple.

You bit your lip at the sensation, tugging a bit on his hair. For no particular reason other than because you could.

Chris’ eyes were focused on your chest, on the movement of his hand under the fabric. After a deep breath, he finally spoke again.

“I know what I want…”

Soft, wet sounds filled the space of your living room. They mingled with the content sighs leaving your boyfriend’s mouth, and with your occasional quiet moans.

When Chris told you this was what he wanted, it hadn’t been exactly what you had expected, but you certainly weren’t going to complain. Not when his monster cock was buried deep within your walls, not when his lips were attached to your chest…

You were certain you had surpassed the thirty minute mark already. Over thirty minutes spent sitting on this armchair, straddling him, becoming putty in his hands. Thirty minutes of sweet, sweet torture. 

Chris detached his mouth from your chest. Squeezing your breasts gently with both hands, he blew on your nipples, the feeling was enhanced by the remnants of his saliva spread all over. You felt your walls clamp around his length, and a whine escaped your mouth. 

“You’re dripping, pretty baby. I can feel it trickling down”, Chris chuckled, kneading your breasts. He sounded immensely amused, and you attempted to bury your face in the crook of his neck as soon as you felt your cheeks heating up.

“That’s because my boyfriend has been playing with my tits for almost an hour”, you mumbled, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. 

“Should we stop?” His hands immediately stopped their motions on your chest, although he didn’t remove them. The question was genuine, it spread a pleasant warmth within you, and you couldn’t help but appreciate that he checked in on you. He always did, and you always appreciated it.

“No”, you replied almost immediately, trying not to pout at the dwindling of your pleasure when his fingers stopped stimulating your nipples. “I love when you play with them…”

“You do?” Chris smiled at you, dipping his hands from your tits briefly to caress your sides, making goosebumps raise on your skin.

You nodded in response, swallowing the saliva that had pooled in your mouth. His hands continued their path lower, finding your thighs, gripping the flesh tightly while biting his bottom lip. Your mind was already drifting elsewhere, transported by the dark haze in Chris’ eyes, by his hands on your body.

“You like it when I fondle them?” Chris brought his hands back to your breasts, and started kneading them gently. You nodded, absentmindedly licking your lower lip while you stared into his eyes. 

“Yeah? Mmm… You like it when I… ghost my fingers over your nipples like this?” He dragged his thumbs over the stiffened buds, slowly, with barely any pressure, but the movement had you inhaling deeply, and your thighs twitching with need. You nodded again.

“What about… when I roll them between my fingers like this?” As soon as both his thumbs and index fingers pinched each nipple, rolling them softly, you couldn’t contain the moan that came out of your mouth. The contact had sparks of pleasure shooting from your chest to your core, making you clench around his length, making Chris inhale deeply at the tight grip of your walls. 

“I–I do”, you replied simply, closing your eyes and throwing your head back as your boyfriend kept rolling your nipples between his fingers, slowly increasing the pressure. 

“You always make the prettiest noises when I play with your tits, love”, Chris kissed your cheek, making you flush impossibly further. 

He left a trail of kisses from your cheek to your ear, whispering as he went. “My girl’s perfect tits, hm? So full and soft… I love playing with them, too, you know?” 

A shiver ran up and down your spine when he whispered in your ear. You did know, but you loved hearing it anyway. Once again, you nodded, taking in deep breaths, whining a bit the more he played with your chest. 

“What about my mouth, baby?” Chris mumbled, still close to your ear, pressing his cheek against yours. “Do you like my mouth on your tits, too?”

You nodded, eagerly, desperately… Your body started to tremble because of the way he talked to you, because of his hands working your chest, and his cock stretching you open. “Love your mouth on my tits…”

“Mmm… Love having your tits in my mouth, too”, Chris pressed a kiss to your cheek, an oddly tender gesture considering the circumstances. You whimpered as soon as his lips were pressed to your heated skin, digging your nails further into his shoulders. 

Chris finally stopped stimulating your chest, and you exhaled, finding both agony and relief in the lack of contact. Cupping your breasts, squeezing them, he took them in his hands, and he leaned in, slowly, almost tentatively landing a lick on one of your nipples. Before you could even react, his lips closed around the sensitive bud, and it made you moan again, a bit more desperate this time.

His languid licks had you trembling once again, they had you whining like a hungry puppy, and you supposed you were. Right then, you certainly felt like one.

You wanted to roll your hips, to try to find some delicious friction by rubbing your clit against his pubic bone, but you knew he wanted you to be still. So you tried your best to not move, you simply held onto his shoulders as tightly as you could, getting increasingly more worked up the longer he sucked, and licked, and touched your sensitive breasts.

The rumble on the side table next to the armchair pulled you out of the daze Chris’ attention had you in. He detached his mouth from your chest to look at the rumbling device, and you immediately whined at the loss of contact. He read the caller ID out loud. You couldn’t help but sigh, annoyed. It was your boss, of all people… 

“You should take that”, Chris removed his hands from your chest, leaning back on the armchair and placing his hands on your thighs, squeezing them. “Could be important”.

A pout immediately formed on your lips. He just giggled when he saw it, cupping your cheek and tugging your bottom lip with his thumb.

Finally, with another sigh of annoyance, you reached for your phone and answered the call. “Hello?”

The audacity of your boss to call you out of your business hours… And for something so stupid. It was like all those delicious endorphins that had flooded your brain throughout the past hour were forcibly flushed out of your system as soon as you heard her voice.

A frown made its way to your face while you listened to her oh, so urgent query. Momentarily, you forgot about your boyfriend’s thickness deep inside you. At least, until he leaned into you again, wrapping his arms around your waist and attaching his lips to your collarbone.

Saliva pooled in your mouth, so you swallowed, closing your eyes to attempt to focus on what your boss was telling you. Admittedly, it was much harder than you could ever imagine, especially when Chris kissed your skin so lovingly and tenderly, when he whispered words of appreciation between each kiss. ‘Gorgeous… Pretty… Soft… Beautiful… So smart in your work call, huh?’

You just couldn’t take it anymore, you needed this call to end now, or you’d die due to lack of intimacy with your gorgeous boyfriend. So you cleared your throat–both to get the attention of your boss who was still rambling on the other side of the line, and to conceal a whimper that almost came out of your mouth once Chris’ lips attached to your pulse point.

“Listen, the files I sent out today have the answer to all of those questions. My shift ended, like, two hours ago. Just because we’re friends doesn’t mean you can call me out of hours, much less for something like this?” You might’ve spoken a bit harsher than you intended, but you needed to get your point across.

Chris squeezed your ass, tightly, almost making you moan right on the speaker. Thankfully, your boss stuttered a ‘Oh, shit I thought you were still working, I forgot your shift changed this month. I’m so sorry! Let’s talk tomorrow!’

You said your goodbyes and pressed the red button on your screen. After a double take to make sure the call had been hung up, you dropped it back on the side table, sighing. But this time, you didn’t sigh out of annoyance, but due to the fact that Chris had tugged your earlobe with his teeth.

“You’re so fucking hot when you get all bossy, fuck”, he attached his lips to your pulse point once again, sucking on the skin. “Talking about your spreadsheets, and pivots, and numbers, and shit”.

You chuckled, bringing your arms to Chris’ shoulders and pulling him further into you. “That’s the true boring stuff, babe”.

“Mmm… Still…” Chris peppered kisses all over your face–your cheeks, your forehead, your nose, your chin… “Wanna keep going? Or is the mood ruined for you?”

“Does it feel like it’s ruined for me?” You clenched around his length, voluntarily, making him twitch inside you. “You’re still rock hard, baby. So I’ll take a guess and say the mood hasn’t been ruined for you, either”.

“How could I not be rock hard when I have a Goddess on my lap? When you’re so deliciously warm around my cock?” Chris pulled away from your hug, cradling your face in his hands to plant a loud, wet kiss on your lips. “Should I continue where we left off?”

You nodded, and immediately your boyfriend’s mouth was back on your chest, sucking your nipple into his mouth and swirling his tongue around it, all while his other hand squeezed your other breast, stimulating the hardened bud with his fingers. 

In no time, Chris had you a whimpering, moaning mess again. You were seriously dripping, you could feel your own juices leaking out, and if you hadn’t been too engrossed in the tingles of pleasure coursing throughout your body, you would’ve stopped to put a towel under your bodies.

“Baby…” You mumbled, threading your fingers in the hair on the back of Chris’ head, tugging the slightest bit. “Bite?”

He opened his eyes, looking at you with that dark, predatory look that always made you want to submit, to let him make you feel good however he pleased, to let him ruin you. He didn’t say anything, though. Instead, he just did as you asked, nibbling on your sensitive skin as his other hand pinched the other nipple.

He kept the slow rhythm of his tongue, of his teeth, and his lips, every second bringing you closer to a ledge you weren’t even sure you’d be able to fall over like this. Eventually, he switched sides, attaching his mouth to the other nipple to get it just as wet and puffy as the other.

You could feel yourself clench around him, just like you could feel him twitch every time you moaned his name. Something was brewing in the pit of your stomach, something warm and familiar…

“Oh, fuck! Chris!”

All of a sudden, your release hit you like a truck, your entire body shook, your boyfriend groaned against your chest, and tears quickly welled in your eyes. It was so much, an explosion of pleasure that dragged warmth everywhere within your body. Familiar, yet new at the same time.

Your thighs flexed with exertion, you were trembling, and as you started to come down from your high, you just couldn’t stand any more stimulation to your chest.

“Fuck, fuck, babe–stop, please…”

Chris detached his mouth from your abused nipple as soon as the words came out of your mouth. Your body slumped, your world started to spin, you were panting still, and all you could do to keep yourself grounded was pressing your forehead on your boyfriend’s shoulder. He simply hugged you close, caressing your hair, whispering soothing words. You could vaguely register them among the ringing in your ears.

“Baby, talk to me. Are you okay?” Threading his fingers in your hair, Chris massaged your scalp. His tone was gentle, but slightly urgent. It wouldn’t have been the first time you passed out after an orgasm, so you could totally understand why he was trying to get a reply from you.

You nodded, still panting a bit. With a deep breath you removed your head from his shoulder, placing your hands on his chest for stability. “I’m okay. But, holy shit. What was that?” 

“One of the hottest things you’ve ever done, holy fuck”, immediately, Chris attached his lips to your cheeks, kissing away the tears that had inadvertently fallen from your eyes. “I really… I mean, it wasn’t my intention to make you come from that. I didn’t even know you could do that”. 

“I didn’t know I could do that, fuck…" You’d always had sensitive nipples, they’d always been a good trigger for your pleasure, but only when it was coupled with clit stimulation, so this certainly caught you off guard.

Chris looked at you for a moment, all starry eyed, as if he had just been given a Christmas present. In an instant his lips were on yours, kissing you deeply, adoringly, all as he groaned against your mouth and groped your ass. “So fucking perfect, shit…”

When he pulled back from the kiss, he held you close, pressing kisses on your cheek while you tried your best to catch your breath.

He was still hard inside you, you could feel him twitch sporadically as he caressed your body, and even if you had just come a handful of minutes prior, you had been waiting way too long already. 

“Babe…” Bringing your hands to his face, you cradled it, and leaned in to kiss him. You barely detached your lips from his, simply letting them brush against his lips with every word that came out of your mouth. “Please, Chris. Fuck me. Fuck me good, please I need–”

Your sentence got cut short, what should’ve been the rest of it was replaced with a yelp as your boyfriend held you tightly and moved. He moved so fast you registered it only when you were already with your back against the armchair, with your boyfriend hovering over you and with your hips in just the right angle by the edge of the seat. 

“Want me to fuck you good?” Chris mumbled against your mouth, throwing your legs over his shoulders and holding your hips tightly. “I’ll fuck you so fucking good, my prettiest. Just like you deserve”. 

Whatever response you had died on your tongue, replaced by broken moans of his name as your boyfriend started to ram into you, so hard you could practically feel him in your throat.

“So fucking perfect coming because I was playing with your tits, shit…” The sound of sweaty skin hitting sweaty skin filled the room, mingling with the obscene squelching sounds produced by his cock going in and out of your cunt at such an aggressive pace. “How lucky am I, huh? Every day… you just remind me… how lucky I am… because I’m able to call you mine. Fuck!” 

You couldn’t speak. The only noises you could produce were whines, and whimpers, and moans, and your boyfriend’s name as he kept stimulating that sweet spot within your walls, bringing you alarmingly fast towards your second high.

“My perfect girl, and her perfect tits, and her perfect body just for me. Just for me, hm?” 

You just nodded in response to his question. Because you were. you were his girl, and your body was his to enjoy.

“Mine. My pretty baby all for me, fuck…” Removing one of your legs from where it had been resting on his shoulder, Chris’ hand got easy access to your centre, and you immediately held your leg against your chest, letting him work you up just how he wanted, just how you wanted. “C’mon, baby. Give me another”.

In no time, you were trembling with your release, tearing up at the onslaught of sensations coursing through your body. Chris rammed into you once, twice, thrice, and with the fourth thrust he dived in, finding your mouth and kissing you sloppily right before he finally exploded within your warmth. Keeping his hips pressed against you, he shot his load deep into you, all as he groaned, and grunted, and borderline growled within the kiss.

Panting a bit, Chris moved away from your lips, pressing a trail of kisses from your face to your shoulder, eventually resting his head there while he composed himself. You were too fucked out of your mind to do anything other than bring your hand to the back of his head to play with his now sweaty hair. 

After a minute, he detached himself from you, kissing you one more time before he was pulling out. “Stay still”. 

When he came back with a soaked washcloth, he cleaned you up, getting as much of his cum on the rag before he dropped it to the floor and scooped you into his arms. You weakly held onto him, letting him carry you to your bedroom.

“Love you. You know that, right?” Chris pressed a kiss on your forehead, placing you down on your shared bed.

You hummed. “I love you, too”.

Chris smiled brightly at you, kissing you on the cheek one more time before he was pulling himself away from your space.

You grabbed his hand, pouting, and he immediately giggled. “Where are you going? You gonna leave me all alone here? No cuddles?”

“Baby, of course not. If I ever skip our post-sex cuddles, assume I’m gravely ill and take me to the hospital”, Chris leaned down so he could place a kiss on the back of your hand. “I’m going to get you some water. You need to hydrate, pretty. I’m nowhere near done with you yet”.

“O–oh”, you started to feel tingly all over again, just as you felt heat creep on your face.

“Yeah, oh”, Chris chuckled, pressing another kiss on the back of your hand before he mumbled a ‘Be right back’.

You unashamedly stared at his ass until he left the room. You were definitely getting a handful of that later, since it seemed to be like it was going to be one of those long, strenuous, yet immensely satisfying nights. 

As you laid there on your side, hugging a pillow to your chest, you honestly couldn’t wipe the smile off of your face while you waited for your boyfriend to come back.

© therhythmafterthesummer 2023. all rights reserved. do not repost or translate my stories.

special thanks to @notastraykid for giving me her much valued opinion before i posted this.

figured i’d tag anyone that wants to be tagged in my wereroomies instalments. if you don’t want to be tagged in little ask responses like these let me know ! If you want to be added to the tag list, you can fill in this form. be aware that you must have an indication that you’re an adult in your blog if you want me to tag you in my works

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[galadrieljones]

I don't agree with Solas about bringing down the Veil. I wanted to share, because I really enjoyed reading your piece about why you now agree. (I do not think he should be in Super Hell though)

I had a bad Dragon Age Discourse experience way way back in the day, though, and I am nervous when the fandom gets hot like it is now. I think people are feeling pain. Some of them are reading pain in what other people are saying and reacting. I know it hurts to be told I do not care about something I deeply care about, and I am conflict adverse at my core. So I am sorry this is anon. 1: Solas is right that the world needs change. but he is wrong that removing the Veil is the only solution. We see people live peacefully with spirits and the Veil in other parts of the world. He focuses on the Veil's existence because it’s what he knows and what he controls. His connection to the Veil means he can't see anything it resulted in as other than as his mistake, or as, an embodiment of his guilt. But not everything that happened after the Veil came up is "his" now. It is a world of its own, with sentient people who get to have a say in things. The Veil is not a marriage contract that two consenting adults made. The Veil is a birth certificate. You can divorce a spouse, but you cannot divorce a child, because once you have created something, it becomes its own being.

Feynite’s Looking Glass captures this with a ghost of Solas saying, "Sacrifice nothing that you do not own; and always remember that you own no one but yourself."

2:  if Solas truly believed his was the best path for everyone we care about, then he’d try to persuade others. Especially Lavellan. Instead, he pushes her away. He kills Felassan when he suspects Felassan might be too sympathetic. There’s not much detail about what happens if the Veil coming down, but Solas is determined to not have anyone raise questions, which makes me think he is not fully convinced he can answer them. He is Wise, but he is blinding himself on purpose because he is horrified by himself.

These are fair thoughts! Thank you. I am pretty sure I've made myself clear that I am open to many perspectives on this topic. I don't think any of the discourse that came through yesterday was "hot" or hostile or in any way emotional. It was measured, based on arguments and evidence, not "hot" emotions, and that's why it was enjoyable for me. I enjoy this discussion. I am not personally attached to or invested in what happens one way or another.

For the record, my original Solavellan fix-it The Dead Season, features a very similar argument to the one you laid out above. Solas chooses to repair the Veil and to live in the world of his own creation, as a mortal man, because that is what he decides is best for him, Sene, and the world they've grown to love. He casts his power back to the stars, and he becomes an ordinary (albeit still very powerful) mage who will live a normal life and die a normal death. As of recently, however, I am simply entertaining new points of view. This is because, after certain revelations from Veilguard, I now think they're valid, in a canon scenario.

Anyway, maybe it's just me, but I hope that nobody feels "hurt" by simple discourse, unless, of course, it takes the form of bullying or hostility, which is always inexcusable. I don't typically participate in these discussions to stir up emotions, but because I genuinely enjoy having them. I always try to remain measured and fair, and I as long as they're in good faith, I will always entertain notions that challenge my own. So thank you for sharing this with me today. <3

[hinamie]

Hina how do you prevent burnout in general? Do you do anything specific or do you just chill for a while?

If i knew the answer to /preventing/ burnout i would be unstoppable fgsjfgfhj but unfortunately it is simply part of the creative Cycle ,, when it happens it happens all I can do is make the most of the time in between :'> i wouldn't necessarily call it Preventative but personally when im on a creative high I'm lucky in that it becomes its own positive feedback loop of Make something->satisfaction+validation-> make something else so for better or worse i farm that loop until i collapse

the flip side to that is that when burnout Does strike i have been known to completely ghost social media and rot in my own head when it gets really bad ,,. working theory as to Why is likely because I haven't found a way 2 cope with seeing people continue to create content for the things I like when I myself am stuck in a rut (unhealthy mindset !!! i know !!!! i have Problems !!!!!) . its not good and i don't do much else because all my eggs are in one basket i only have 1 hobby :< (i dont count running/exercise/baking which r more Coping mechanisms than hobbies imo)

as fr breaking out of that rut, the only solution ive found so far that works reliably is to just fuckin rip the bandaid off and draw miserable draw frustrated draw hating what u make but just Get It Out just make Something. Anything. u gotta bleed the wound to get the gunk out and then u pick urself up u remember ur hotkeys and u learn how to hold a pencil again :)

also i won't delude myself into thinking this time will be different but I do think that this recent Rush has taught me a lot about how to streamline my process and be Ok with posting pieces that old me wld have thought r not "clean" or "finished" enough to share so maaaybe that'll help my burnouts be less debilitating ??? i fear the crash but time will tell !! for now im chillin

[aversiteespabilas]

Do you know how I can get out of an artistic block? I've been like this for two months

Oh boy, I've been there too, I get you. I don't have a definitive solution for this, but I think the nature of art block can be very different for different people at different times, so a good first step would be to try and do some introspection on what exactly you're feeling whenever you think of doing art. However, here are some things that tend to work for me:

Take this time of inactivity to really look at and enjoy other people's art. Sometimes your artistic journey will just include breaks, and that's okay. It doesn't mean you aren't learning, though. If you really enjoy someone else's work, take this time to study it, make sense of it, try to discover what exactly you enjoy so much about it and why. Maybe think of ways you could emulate that yourself. I often find that the coolest looking art starts with the simplest shapes. Try to imagine which tiny little steps the artist could have taken to achieve that look. This gets my art cogs turning every time.

When I'm feeling frustrated about my own ability, feeling like I'm not good enough, sometimes I'll just make a point of drawing something that's complete garbage. Like the ugliest scribbles ever. Go "I'm gonna draw something SO HIDEOUS". I do that until I start to just have fun with the act of scribbling itself, not the result. If you feel comfortable and happy holding your pen, you're on the right track. You don't need to do anything else. You don't need to show it to anyone, you don't need to post it, you don't even need to keep it. It's just your time of Hold Pen, and you've been doing art. Congratulations!

Sometimes I get this feeling that there's a particular piece I'm scared of doing, normally because I feel it's too difficult or I don't have the "required skill level" to do it, even though the ideas are overflowing and my mind's eye is working full speed and my fingers are itching to create; the worst part of it is when this fear gets me to freeze up, like I just can't do anything. Well, I've recently found the secret for this one, and it's not pretty. You just gotta do it. Seriously, if you think it's fear or insecurity holding yourself back, then you just really need to grab yourself by the collar, slam yourself on the desk and get yourself working. It's gonna feel awful at first, it's gonna feel like a task, maybe even boring, and like what you're doing is pointless, but by then you'll be doing it. That's the truth of self care, most of the time it involves doing things you reeeeaaally don't feel like doing. If the alternative to doing art is just sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, then remember: the time will pass anyways, might as well just do it.

This one may not always work, but if it's a broad motivation/excitement issue, I often find that making art gifts for my friends/loved ones helps a lot. First, it's a gift, it's free and unprompted, so there's no real pressure for it to be a masterpiece or anything. Second, you're setting a clear objective for yourself that you can get excited about, and third, you're sure to get a validation boost from it! In my experience, collaborating with a friend on a larger art project has kept my motivation cycle going strong. Run from the lonely artist archetype, it's your biggest enemy. Art likes friends!

Otherwise, there are various ways you could try and hype yourself up. I am a very calculating person so I get really motivated when things are planned and organized in lists. Since I started noting down my ideas in a To Draw list, I always have something to do, I'm never out of exciting ideas and art block very rarely rears its ugly head. For some people it may be the opposite tho! I know for a fact many people find lists and schedules to be draining for their creativity, so find out what would make you most excited! Maybe trying new brushes or materials is your jam! Maybe your current hyperfixation or fandom can offer motivation. You need your art process to work for you, not against you, but in order to do that, you need to understand what exactly is it that makes your brain most excited. It's self-discovery baybee!

I hope some of these work for you! At the very least, it can't hurt to try. Good luck, soldier!

[delicatecherrys]

is there a protocol on here to talk about “last reblog”?

i don’t wanna clog their post with my opposing view in their tags. i see their point, but i kinda disagree? i think it’s great to interpret media without caring about what the author meant, and we will always continue to do that even if the author comes outright and says they meant it the opposite way. (hell, is that not what we do with “canon divergent” fanfiction that explores characters reacting differently in a situation than they did when the author wrote them?)

but i don’t think it’s fair to dismiss authorial intent like that. art DOES become more (or less) meaningful if it was put together with thought & intent, rather than being the product of accident. i DO care if the author meant to portray love that was meant to read as queer, rather than accidentally (badly!) writing brotherly love. i’ll have my own interpretation, but i want to know what they were trying to say, if i can.

it sucks that we have to speculate. it sucks that heterosexuality is the default and we have to seek validation for our queer interpretations. but that IS reality.

and i do agree it takes away from art being subtle & dynamic, which is not a good thing, but i guess…i dunno. i don’t know what the solution is. but when we get continually harassed for our queer reading of a piece of media…

it’s not my business how other people interpret art, but the heteronormativity of the spaces we exist in means that being confident in my own reading of something is not enough. it means someone is gonna hold it over my head and laugh and be bigoted, because there isn’t “proof”. is it really so unbelievable that queer people are seeking that validation? or at the very least hoping not to see heteronormativity shoved into every work that can read as queer, giving ammo to every asshole out there to act like we’re delusional for reading queer subtext in a story?

idk what i’m saying, this has been bothering me given the increased harassment & homophobia i’ve personally experienced on twitter since 431 came out. i think it’s a bit dismissive to say “just be content with what you got and interpret it your way, why do you need proof/validation”.

(which we never did, at least i didn’t. all i was asking for was there to be a space left to interpret things in a queer way without an emphasis on your typical het ship. if there really was censorship involved & author’s hand was forced, i think 431 is the kindest way it could have happened for us queer folks. but it’s undeniable that it still fucking sucks.)

nobody follows me here so i don’t expect anyone to read/respond to this lol, just needed to rant. if you did read it, sorry, it probably didn’t make much sense.

if op of that post happens to see this (i really hope they don’t), this wasn’t an attack on you or your take, you make solid points, i just happen to disagree.

anyways. good job horikoshi on going from writing a flawed but nonetheless interesting trope subversion of your main female “love interest” type character, to burying your one explicitly queer character and having her love be used as a way to push a het ship & reducing your female lead’s arc to be all about love/all about the boy she loved, ALL in one chapter. himiko’s treatment in this manga is truly a slap on the face, and i’m not even a himiko stan. can’t imagine how her fans feel. and ochako doesn’t even make sense. even if this chapter was a product of censorship and forced by editors/publishers, there were many more tasteful ways to accomplish teasing the het romance than…whatever that was.

also apparently this volume is selling a tonne which could be for any number of reasons (bonus cards, promise of bonus content, final volume, vol 1 parallel nostalgia, etc) but given its success, it really does make me feel small in my discontent. at the end of the day, as loud as our corner of the internet may be, it’s not enough. 🥲

[serkonans]

it's 4 am i'm wide awake and also deliriously tired at once somehow so i'm gonna just ramble out what's on my mind

so there's this project i'm on at work, right, which i've been on in some capacity for a year and a half. when i first started on the project, i attended meetings where i listened to people give presentations on different issues that needed to be solved, and those issues were completely incomprehensible to me. everything was so complex and multilayered and required so much context and logic that it was like my brain couldn't even grapple with the breadth of how much i didn't know and would just go totally blank.

there were two guys who gave a lot of these presentations, who i was really in awe of because i felt like they must be otherworldly smart to understand any of it, let alone break it down for others and present possible solutions. in my mind, they became The Guys to impress. if i could somehow get them to think i knew my shit, that would mean i really knew it.

so i've spent the last year and a half dedicating myself to learning everything i can about this project and the different facets of it. i'm the one giving a lot of presentations that they listen to now. i'm pulled into meetings with a Bunch of people (including them) who are fiercely smart and fantastic problem solvers. and i spend so much of my time thinking no way in hell do i deserve to be in these rooms. my imposter syndrome is so large and looming all the time and i worry incessantly that someone is gonna notice and they're all going to point and laugh and turn to face away from me and i'll never win anyone back over because of my comparative idiocy.

but my kind-of-boss told me that one of them has said multiple times how smart he thinks i am and that he's so impressed by me, and i found out just two days ago that the other was really glad that i was in that room and giving the input i was giving. that one actually said as much to my face. and it was wild bc i literally got the validation i'd been so desperate for and inside i basically was like ......nah thank you but that's nothing.

because of course imposter syndrome is not something that can be cured through external means. so i was realizing that i'm going to have to solve it by finding an internal sense of validation. but while i was thinking about where the hell i was going to find that, i had something occur to me.

of those two guys, both have been at the company for years and years... one has been on this project since its inception 5+ years ago and worked for the company before that as well, and the other has worked for the company since he was in college and is 14 years in at this point and has been working on this project for almost as long as the other. it's not like we all started on the same day and they just intuitively got it and i didn't. they had a shit ton more experience and context for literally every single piece of what they were communicating than i did. they didn't get that overnight.

and i've thought "WHY" so many times about that one thinking i'm so impressive but when i stop to think about it as like. if i'm a guy who's been working on this for over 5 years and i've seen almost everyone involved in this project come and go and i've explained the same concepts a thousand times and basically written the project bible, and then some kid comes out of nowhere and is able to quote that bible back to me and give valuable presentations and feedback (and occasionally say something that stops me in my tracks and forces me to reconsider a plan of action) in a matter of months, i would probably also be like who the hell is this and how do we keep him here.

like. if i step out of my own head where i have been bemoaning not being a 100% flawless expert all the time 1.5 years in, and look at it from an angle of literally anyone else, that shit actually is pretty fucking impressive. like i can actually conceptualize how it would require me to be both intelligent and dedicated in order to get there, and how much respect that would garner for a lot of people. i would want me in the room, and i would certainly want me to be paying attention and speaking up while i was there, and not thinking about whether or not i belonged.

just wild to think about if i'm being real. like goddamn i have been really hard on myself and held myself to really exacting standards that have not been reasonable at all. and also idk. maybe if everyone around me that i'm looking up to is so smart, they'd be able to see through it if i wasn't. and maybe if i stopped thinking so much about whether or not i deserve to be viewed that way, i would be able to spend more time proving exactly why i do.

[perfectlyvalid49]

Hey, I don’t mean to come across as confrontational or rude at all. I am not Jewish or Palestinian, but I would like to know a bit more about what you mean by “I’m a Zionist depending on your definition” thing.

As far as I’m aware, the definition (or at least a piece of it) is someone who thinks Israel is a valid country and that we shouldn’t bring back Palestine as a country. I also am very aware that many Jews who aren’t Zionist have been accused of being so by people who are upset about the Jews defending themselves from antisemitism.

So, I wanted to know what your definition of Zionism is and if you are a Zionist by your own definition. Just because I’d like my context on what you’re trying to say.

Again, not trying to rude and I’m really sorry if I ever came off that way in this ask. I also know that some anon asks are often cowardly, so even tho I didn’t mean anything bad by this ask, I’m also not doing it anonymously.

I hope you have a wonderful day and please, don’t rush to answer this, I understand you probably have a lot on your plate right now between usual responsibilities and the antisemitism that’s been going on

This did not come across as rude or confrontational at all, so no worries there! And I’m always happy to share information with people, so I like answering things like this.

There are a few problems with defining the word Zionism. The first, as you alluded to, is that some people will use the word “Zionist” to mean either, “Jew I don’t like,” “Jew who disagrees with me,” or “Jew who complains about antisemitism.” This is not what the word actually means, and I want to be clear, when it is used in this way it is absolutely a slur.

The other is that Zionism is a political ideology with a lot of sub-branches. Different branches hold different beliefs, so some Zionists are in favor of a two state (Israel AND Palestine) solution and some are not. It’s kinda like leftism that way – you can be an anti-capitalist leftist, a post-colonial leftist, an anarchist leftist, etc. People ascribing to those different types of leftism will disagree on a lot, but they’re all still leftists.

But that doesn’t give an actual definition of Zionism. I would say that to start, we should look at the origins of the political movement. You say that you are not Jewish, so I’m going to get into some history here that you may or may not be familiar with. I apologize if you know this already, but I don’t want to assume. I’ll keep it high level and you can google or ask me if you need more info.

Antisemitism has historically ALWAYS been a problem for the Jewish people. Sometimes it meant that Jews were treated as second class citizens, and sometimes it meant that Jews would be rounded up and killed. Back in the late 1800s things were getting particularly bad across Europe. In particular there were a series of pogroms against Jews in Russia, and there was the Dreyfus affair (basically a Jewish army officer was convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, and when evidence came to light that he was innocent, he was re-tried and *checks notes* found guilty again. Don’t worry, he was declared innocent 12 years after the original trial) in France.

Jewish intellectuals in Europe responded to all this by forming some new political ideologies. One was Bundism, which basically said that if we assimilate hard enough into the culture of the countries we live in, then they will stop bothering us. It was a very popular movement in Russia, Poland and Germany, but lost steam for some reason in the 1930s.

The other major Jewish political ideology formed at that time was Zionism. In its original form, Zionism was simply the belief that Jews should have their own state – a place where Jews could live with a guarantee that there would be no state sanctioned violence against them for being Jewish. And if you look at all the different sects of Zionism, that’s the one idea that they all have in common. Originally the Jewish state being in what is now Israel was not included in the definition of the movement, but it was added not too long after.

As for my definition of Zionism? I would say it goes something like, “The right for Jewish self-determination in their ancestral homeland.” And by that definition, yes, I am a Zionist. Having said that, I also believe that the Palestinian people also should have the right for self-determination in their homeland. The fact that these homelands overlap means that these two peoples will have to find a way to share the space – that’s the only way for a real, meaningful peace to be achieved.

[chuuurls]

I think this is OK advice for certain kinds of creative approaches, but I would like to offer a 2nd opinion. I will start by saying that it's hard to balance this idea I'm going to put forth with also remaining open to constructive critique, which is absolutely necessary to advance your pieces and yourself as a writer.

I'd encourage writers struggling with this to try committing to the unrealistic solution and just seeing whether it really is a problem or not. don't trap yourself in this idea that you have to prove everything -- just focus on what you're personally interested in thinking about and exploring. as a reader, I'm less interested in the logic of your world (except as it pertains to your plot, like especially something like a suspense plot that relies on like, magic/fake tech use as one of its parts) than I am in the themes, ideas, etc you wanted to use your work to talk about.

Taking this example in the OP, it might not be that valid of a critique to ask "why don't your vampires just live underground" unless it appears to be a viable option in your plot that you yourself have posed (in that case, simply remove the reference to it) or the writing raises that question somehow, like the vampires live near a real-life location that has underground passages ... You can absolutely discard anything, including that question, on the basis that it just doesn't serve the story you want to tell.

I think the gator-nun solution (analogously speaking) puts burdens on the writer that are too similar to the ones they're seeking to avoid. if you're a hesitant, discouraged or recursively loretrapped writer, I don't know if this method really addresses the root cause, which might be like a lack of confidence or strong ideas & therefore an inability to make strong decisions. (I'm saying this sympathetically, BTW, not in my hater voice)

I realize I might not represent the majority of readers or editors here, so you can decide for yourself whether what I'm saying would be helpful or not. In my experience, you can do so much narratively with very simple pieces when there's internal logic amongst those pieces, even when you don't define the exact nature of some concrete workings/details. nailing down your major goals & shape of your story can clear up so much and cut away both internal doubt and time-wasting crit from people who don't know how to ask you the right questions. Your major goals don't have to be anything lofty, either! It can just be "I want to write a story where my OCs kiss."

Source: I've have an Emglish Dergree

Hey btw, if you're doing worldbuilding on something, and you're scared of writing ~unrealistic~ things into it out of fear that it'll sound lazy and ripped-out-of-your-ass, but you also don't want to do all the back-breaking research on coming up with depressingly boring, but practical and ~realistic~ solutions, have a rule:

Just give the thing two layers of explanation. One to explain the specific problem, and another one explaining the explanation. Have an example:

Plot hole 1: If the vampires can't stand daylight, why couldn't they just move around underground?

Solution 1: They can't go underground, the sewer system of the city is full of giant alligators who would eat them.

Well, that's a very quick and simple explanation, which sure opens up additional questions.

Plot hole 2: How and why the fuck are there alligators in the sewers? How do they survive, what do they eat down there when there's no vampires?

Solution 2: The nuns of the Underground Monastery feed and take care of them as a part of their sacred duties.

It takes exactly two layers to create an illusion that every question has an answer - that it's just turtles all the way down. And if you're lucky, you might even find that the second question's answer loops right back into the first one, filling up the plot hole entirely:

Plot hole 3: Who the fuck are the sewer nuns and what's their point and purpose?

Solution 3: The sewer nuns live underground in order to feed the alligators, in order to make sure that the vampires don't try to move around via the sewer system.

When you're just making things up, you don't need to have an answer for everything - just two layers is enough to create the illusion of infinite depth. Answer the question that looms behind the answer of the first question, and a normal reader won't bother to dig around for a 3rd question.

[supertrainstationh]

Well, here we go.

Y'all don't need to know when I wake up.

Anyway, its a clock. I have no interest in causing anyone to be excited about this so as to validate my purchase.

It's interesting to experience a physicalized piece of Nintendo interface in operating this clock, branding aside, it certainly feels VERY Nintendo.

My first morning I ironically woke up 10 minutes in advance, so I can't say for sure how the true wakeup experience is yet.

But I expect it will be effective.

Haven't set up all the networked and so on features yet, I'll mess with that tomorrow morning.

If you want an alarm clock, don't get this thing, much more practical and affordable solutions exist.

If you watch the reveal trailers and online impression videos of the product in use, and want a network Nintendo alarm clock with some interesting conceptual/design history more than you want 100 dollars, I don't expect you'll go wrong with this.

My impression of the fact that it exists in the first place…

there IS an actual market for higher end bedside sleep devices that incorporate alarm clock functions, of which Alarmo is one of the relatively cheaper options,

but the context as to why Nintendo would even BOTHER designing this let alone marketing it for this price…

I think Japan has a bit more of a cultural acceptance of stand alone single use devices made to perform a single job with a high level of proficiency, which would explain the continued existence of things like stand-alone digital word processors, when in the US, a laptop like device with no functionality other than word processing is an EXTREME niche interest being mass produced for the western market by only one boutique company at the moment.

I have a bit of an interest in horology and am willing to buy into the "story" of how this device came about, and how they came upon the solutions and compromises that resulted in the finished product, but I really wouldn't even pretend to argue that the average Nintendo fan would or should be interested.

The brightness of the screen does an impressive job of being visible and present in the room in displaying the current time, without being a distraction, whether during activities, or at night during sleep. Though the device design is striking, it doesn't draw a massive amount of attention any more so than any other bedside clock which would display the time at all moments.

My biggest complaint so far is that there dosen't seem to be a setting to have the alarm go off at a different time, or not at all, on the weekends, but the fact that it wants to know the actual calendar day of the year signals that this could come down the line with an update. That being said, I've done very little exploration outside of basic setup, this feature may have simply gone undiscovered by me.

I feel like I got my money's worth because I'm not contextualizing it in the sense of "how much entertainment will I get", as with a similarly priced Nintendo gaming product, but as a device I expect to use indefinitely. If sales numbers Nintendo down and they drop the price, I wouldn't mind more people being able to get this for less money, though I would be concerned that they would be discouraged from supporting it with additional themes, which have a lot of potential to add long term value to the machine.

I am concerned as to how long it will run if the power were to go out, one problem my smartphone doesn't have in terms of being able to wake me up. I haven't tried simulating a power loss yet to test it, though I know from the warnings it contains SOME kind of battery, but this absolutely intended to operate with persistent plug-in power.

My final score is: ITS A NINTENDO DESIGNED ALARM CLOCK out of 10.

[jonathankatwhatever]

The images in my mind are entirely sexual, or rather, they explore the connection between the tangible and the intangible. This new Layer, this new Understanding, is proving to be very interesting. It is illuminating that which is visible within the shared enclosure, the one you are in, whatever scale of consideration, by moving along the attachment into the perspective of the enclosure. That’s literally a gender flip because one penetrates the other so the inversion is a map of the other as that which encloses you as you enclose it, which is possible along entangled Pathways. That is, emitted from the same source, where emitted means from outside of the Dimensional Enclosure into it. Oh wow.

We see a lot of this in tokenization, whether for passwords or to make a ‘coin’ or an NFT or to validate a financial transaction. We establish tokens which entangle processes because that is possible. That it is possible can be summarized as entangled Pathways. That’s how Things fit together, and a Thing contains gs process.

There’s a lot going through my head too fast to write down. I barely got out anything beyond entangled Pathways. That’s a defined term. What that means in Dimensional Reduction is the fit which reduces Conformal to Tractable through the localization of the higher speed in the enclosing Layer presenting to the local area, which is the same as the Identity Space reducing. This all becomes mechanical. Like the LayerView one step further out has to go around, has to rotate, has to alternate, faster just to make it around one time in the correct spot. That’s just like throwing a ball: longer lever, end has to go faster in the same amount of time. In other words, beyond our Informational Limit.

I don’t know if I can figure out how fast off the top of my head. It has to be fast enough to Regularize, which means adding a 1-0Segment, and it has to do that so at our Informational Limit, the translation is seamless, which means ideal, which is like saying we’re taking the prior level apart and adding the tiniest piece to each piece of the layer below, so each piece of the layer below maps into the enclosing layer, together with all the complexity necessary at that layer, which includes what comes from the layer above. Intuition says count by SBE, that Informational Limits make sense when you look at Hexagonal as D6, and thus how it contains D3.

Let’s see. This is absurdly difficult to work through. I have to be very careful.

Say a D3 locates the tangible Object at its bip, at the center of a bT. These blend to make grid squares because no bT exists alone. This literally constructs a unit grid on top of the Irreducible Triangular sheets. This is where I typically get hung up: the grid exists, but it isn’t lined up with the Triangular sheets, which are also Hexagonal. We did the work some years ago, counting the repeat pattern. The idea was that each bT would have an alignment like this. And now I see that’s necessary because if not for the repeat, then stuff could come apart.

Let’s see that idea. I need to take a break, but let’s try.

If the Triangular Irreducibles, which are also the Hexagonal Irreducibles, lined up perfectly with grid squares, then iterations would be more reversible, would be all 1Space or more 1Space. It would mean a perfect translation between higher and lower dimensions. That would be the all 1Step solution, when what we can do is establish that solution with the process that does exist, by learning how to translate, and thus how to lose the traits which have no utility.

The idea just popped in that a really terrific serial killer is an inversion of what we want, that the serial killer of the imagination, the ones largely invented on TV, would be as consumed constructing something that detailed in the positive. We agree: much of what’s lacking is the inability see the positive, to see the larger picture, to see what the work inside you does for you.

Dimensionally, if D3 connected perfectly to D4 to D6 and D6 to D4 to D3, then 0Space would not exist. There would be some adjustment factor hidden from view which performs the actual mechanics so we think we see a perfect connection, which is exactly what we’ve described. That is what we’ve described, from the square root of 2 onwards.

Need a break.

———-

This stuff makes my head ache. Had a good sandwich of lightly fried eggplant, hummus, and tabbouleh.

I’ve been trying to draw out the ways the triangles and hexagons overlap when you put 2 layers together. You can have 2 orthogonal fD, and you can lay either on top. Or a Hex, meaning the center of a hexagon, and an fD, which also comes in two varieties. Or a Hex and a Hex, which also comes in 2 varieties, depending on which layer is on top. That’s 6.

My mind immediately says SBE and SBE2, which expands as you count in perspectives. Is that correct? There’s a lot of counting by halves, meaning a 1Segment between 2fD’s where the coincidence is at the Bip midpoint, or ½. That’s both 1.5 and 2, and it generates 3 with overlapping of the 1Segment as a 1-0Segment counted from each End.

But what is this? We talk a lot about this idea, this layering of Triangular sheets, and this is what we get, and that says there’s a complicated weaving together of sheets because the attachments, meaning the 1-0Segments at the coincident points, have multiple states. I tend to think in terms of a grid square, but maybe this makes sense in terms of a grid square being made of grid squares, meaning all this conversation across layers generates the dimensionality packed into any End.

Need a break. This is difficult.

———-

We seem to have reached a level of simplicity. The picture below shows threads of yellow, which connects the fD coincides, and the orange, which connects fD and Hex coincides, divided or otherwise segmented by the double Hex coincides in red. As you can see, the yellow and orange trace SBE3. This has the effect of interleaving yellow and orange in IC, so it progresses yellow to orange, orange to yellow, etc. There’s something extremely deep in that. It literally counts over an Identity Space in these threads, in these braids, as you model. And these threads attach to each other in two ways. One is orange to orange, so fD + Hex can transfer over through the attachment at that End. And the yellow, meaning the 2fD, attach at the red, at the double hex.

Isn’t that fascinating? The double hex is D12, and over an attachment, so it’s another 13, this time D13. I mean it’s literally 12 sections, which don’t even have to Regularize to see that makes 12 segments. Regularizing makes them 1Segments.

Another way of viewing this is to note that each of the SBE3 color connections identifies the other color as the center, so that center relates to the next of the same color as SBE3, and to the next of the other color as IC. It doesn’t take much to tilt this a bit to see either color as LayerView or L5 orange or yellow. Thus, if you hold one as the origin, you build a LayerView to and from that origin.

Keep going: so the yellow extends horizontally, as does the orange, but only if connect the Bips around the center. Take a closer look at the orange: there are 2 vertically or yK oriented orange paths connecting 2 orange dots, meaning 2 of these 2fD coincidences. The connecting orange loop would be the Bips constructed around the coincidence, which is made of a Hex on top of an fD, so the fD continues to this spot, which is 1.5 away, which reflects to make 3. The connecting yellow between the threads would, similarly, be Bips but this time constructed around a double Hex.

If I count dimensions, we have 2, 7 and 12. These double because we can put either layer on top to 4, 14 and 24. So, this appears to be saying around the double Hex to identify across D4. And we have D2 and D4 around and within, meaning inverting in and out, in relation to D7 and D14.

This is perhaps the wackiest stuff we’ve come up with yet, but it’s all observational: you can look at the drawings, make them for yourself, and see these relationships.

————

There is a lot more. Example: if you connect the yellows into a square, that encloses a red at the center. An orange square encloses an orange. To follow that thought, the yellow connects the ‘pure’ 2fD coincidence points or Bips around the red, around the D12 and D24. This seems to be 16, as in D4 at each 2fD because of the layer choices, which means that adding the layer of a 2nd ‘Thing’, for example, adds the 8 and the 4 of the other ways these layers can be viewed.

The important point seems to be that counting values at these Ends translates into grid squares counts and thus to fCM. I need to take a walk and think that through, because that is powerful. Like beyond awesome because this is literally Triangular and Hexagonal.

————

And I see that higher dimensions enter in each sheet, and the ‘coincident’ spots or Ends process these over the relevant Identity Spaces which you can see drawing out. Need to stop for now. Brain tired.

[sanstropfremir]

Hey! I know that seventeen isn’t really on your radar but have you seen/heard Woozi’s solo Ruby? I really liked the music video especially the scenes with the models like they really leaned into the fact that he’s super short by putting him in a sunken part of the set and having models (I think they’re actually a dance group but they’re supposed to be models so same same) in heels walk around him. I think you’ll really like the outfits he wore in the mv! The zebra striped suit is just *chef’s kiss* and I love the jacket he wears in the yellow set with the flowers.

i have! i do watch svt releases when they come out because i'm casually hoping something will hit as hard as don't wanna cry but alas, perhaps it wasn't meant to be. and when i heard there was gonna be another solo debut from them i was looking forward to it at least for the production design alone, and i wasn't disappointed in that regard! the mv looks really good and i do love the styling! my favourite is the red velvet suit, because i'm a sucker for velvet (it's one of my favourite textiles), but the zebra stripe suit is excellent also! i don't love the branded stuff as much because it's not any of the interesting luxury branding. i didn't like that particular line from balenciaga and i don't like that logo print from gucci either; it's so specific to like....equestrian club aesthetic and old money that seeing it in any context other than that just takes me right out of it.

obviously it's got that hybe money so the production looks really sharp and i like the set design a lot, especially the fact that designer+director actually took his height into account for framing, which is VERY uncommon in kpop because all these boys are so insecure about being average height. i also really liked the shot with the lasers on the bedazzled guitar strap, even though it probably blinded a few people while they shot it. i did also watch the special stage he did on mcountdown and they built such a great replica set for it and then just.....didn't use it. like it really screams that they they didn't have a performance director who understands how proper stage blocking works. choreographing movements for dance on stage and choreographing like, 'normal person movements' on stage are two different skills and they aren't totally interchangeable. there's a lot of weird little things about where you stand and what direction you face and why and how you make movements in order to maximize the gesture, whereas with something like kpop dance it's self-contained unit that can be slapped onto any flat surface. like they had him stand up centre, and then walk down centre, and then walk back up centre only to change to another location where he also stands centre? c'mon. if you want him to look like a rock star get him to move like one. they built runways onto the damn stage, let him use them! i also don't like that they had a location change? like it's neither earned nor used. the whole appeal of a music show is to see the performer like, actually do the thing? in one go? obvs music show stages are edited together from the best takes but they still release fancams where you can see the long division. when you have a location change AND an outfit change it basically tosses that illusion out the window, and they don't even pay off the change for a climatic moment! like he goes from a huge set to a tiny one! why!! so they can show him not playing the guitar solo??? again, if you want to style him as a rock star, just do the rock star set up for one stage; let him bounce around and scream!! where is the character!! and if they want to do a proper stage like they did for the first two thirds then have him do more interesting movements! they had a great setup for having him walk the paths in between the dancers that would have been so fun and playful, but instead they just recreated the mv but with a lower budget and less interestingly. i know that music shows are tv programs but deep down it bothers me greatly that they overuse crazy camerawork to 'make it interesting to watch' when they could instead be showcasing actually good blocking and charismatic performances. it really does disappoint me to no end that sk has such a huge musical theatre industry and there's SO little crossover into how idol performances are constructed and supported. sorry not sorry i'm going off about this but this is the first non-dancing solo debut i've seen in a while and i get to yell about theatre stuff for once instead of dance choreo. also like. they have hybe money now. we saw what hoshi did with it. you don't have to be relegated to having boring movements if you can't dance.

[sarcastic-salem]

So before I say anything else I want to specify that

I am transgender but I have decided to stop taking hormones.

I don’t know right now if this decision is permanent or not. What I do know is that I thought I would be happier being on HRT. And I’m not. I’m not happier and I’m disappointed with the results, which for me have been minuscule.

I feel like I’m constantly walking on eggshells in the transmasculine community. At least with the people I’ve encountered. Because my definition of masculinity has evolved a lot, but it seems like a lot of trans men are very eager to conform to the heteronormative societal norms that define “traditional” masculinity. Whether its toxic or not, and just never speak of it again.

I can’t do that — I can’t make myself be someone I’m not. And, for me, its resulted in a lot of bullying and misogyny. I mean, I know there are other reasons but I feel like me being more feminine than other guys constitutes a lot of it.

Feminine men are treated like scapegoats in the transgender and queer community. “Masculine” men see us as the root of all evil — we’re the cause of all the homophobia and infantilizing. And TERFs see us as easy targets either for bullying or to be converted into their cults.

On top of that, I no longer believe in gender roles and I just can’t do it anymore. It feels like even mens’ clothing is designed to make a statement and to portray machismo.

I do not want to make a statement. I don’t want to be told that I’m brave for wearing floral prints or the color pink. I don’t want to have to justify my every move down to the clothes in my closet.

I am always going to spread awareness about Civil Rights, and I am always going to remind people that Loki is a queer, transgender God.

But I’m tired, I’m stressed out — I’m losing my fucking hair.

I just want to exist.

Right now, I identify as nonbinary specifically agender or pangender. I don’t think I am particularly masculine or feminine. I’m just me.

I am still transgender, but being a transgender bisexual Heathen does not mean that I have answers to every queer Heathens’ problems or that I know the solution to every Civil Rights issue or whatever.

One of the reasons the @lokisbookworm account got shut down is because, aside from getting hate mail and death threats for nearly 4 years, I was starting to feel like an unpaid therapist. I want you guys, my followers, to feel like you can come to me for anything because I love helping people and making people happy. I really do.

But I cannot tell you if you are transgender or not. That is not up to me to decide — that is for you to decide.

And I cannot tell you if the crow in your front yard or the joker card you found in a library book is a sign from Loki or Odin or whoever. I don’t speak for them, okay, and whether or not I think something is a sign is not a valid reason to just skip discernment. And assume the best or the worst.

Never skip discernment.

This account was created by accident. Technically. I had another one and because I have no idea how to navigate this app aside from the simplest shit like reblogging and making a post, that other account got shut down when I was trying to delete a side blog. But the reason this blog exists is because I am trying to be a genuinely better person and I want to try to have a positive impact.

I’m not perfect and I have fucked up a lot. You guys have no idea how much of a piece of shit I feel like every day. For being narrow minded and argumentative and accusatory. Its embarrassing but its also disappointing because like…….I try to explain and people don’t want to hear it. To an extent, I don’t blame them — actions speak louder than words, right?

But this is the fucking internet and I’m not the kind of person who documents every single second of my life with a live post or a selfie. So what do I do? I try not to argue with people. If there’s a post I disagree with, I usually back the fuck off. Unless I’m triggered and being stupid because I don’t think rationally when I’m triggered. And if someone posts things regularly that I disagree with or that upset me, I unfollow them to avoid getting into arguments.

I do fuck up, I know. Part of the reason why that is because I cannot comprehend why people are acting like Tumblr is not a social media platform. When that’s exactly what it is. I cannot understand why people are so offended when you comment or reply to their posts. Especially when they’re able to turn off the replies and the reblogs.

Like the entire concept of Tumblr etiquette is expecting people to censor themselves in a public forum.

Jfc, this post has gone off-topic but um……Yeah, I’m nonbinary and transgender. Still queer. But right now, I am going off of my hormones and I don’t know what comes next.

I am still Milo.

I don’t give a shit about pronouns. People have misgendered me so much irl, I don’t even care anymore.

Happy Yule

&

Blessed Holidays

[faithchel]

old woman yells at clouds moment but i really don’t understand why everyone has become so averse to seeing writing as an art form like any other? like there’s this kind of bizarre mentality that i fully believe is well-intentioned but ultimately plays into the notion that you must view something as a skill at which you either excel or should not do which essentially says “you are automatically an incredible writer and everyone is inherently and immediately a masterful storyteller and no one is any better or worse at it!!!!” when that is just. fundamentally untrue. not everyone is necessarily an incredible writer just like everyone is not necessarily an incredible painter or musician or whatever other creative field you want to mention, and that’s fine. everyone comes into their own voice eventually just as everyone comes into their own style, their own method, what have you, but the notion that “you are as good now as anyone has ever been and you will ever be” is actually kind of the opposite of encouraging, in my opinion. of course you will improve. of course you will. but that’s not even the point. you don’t need to improve to love writing, you don’t need to write with the aim of improvement, because ultimately when it’s something that you’re doing out of love the objective quality is irrelevant. not non-existent, just irrelevant. you don’t have to be a literary genius to love and share your work. you don’t have to be a literary genius for others to love and share your work.

i don’t know, i just don’t think that “everyone is masterful” is the solution to the crippling issue of debating whether or not something is “good enough” because that’s not necessarily something that everyone is going to be capable of believing of themselves, and constantly being inundated with the message “it doesn’t matter because everything written by everyone is groundbreaking and brilliant!!!!” leaves the door open for “but what if mine isn’t?”

the reality is it doesn’t matter if it’s groundbreaking or brilliant. a lot of misery comes from the concept that something must be groundbreaking or brilliant. maybe it isn’t. doesn’t matter. it’s okay to love the process and love where you are and love writing and storytelling and creating without needing to tell yourself that this is a masterpiece — that still ultimately burdens you with the idea that this must be a masterpiece.

tl;dr celebrating unique voices and perspectives and writing journeys does not have to be synonymous with necessitating that everything is a masterpiece. a lot of my favorite pieces are not my best, and that does not make them objectively good, and that’s perfectly fine. i just think we should celebrate creating for the sake of it. leave quality out of it. it doesn’t need to prove its validity.

[harfanfare]

Pomegranate Rule || Idia Shroud x Reader

Obligatory pair work with someone you like very much on a school project and have a chance to fall for each other more? - cliché.

The difference with Idia was that he kidnapped his project partner.

Idia leaned out from behind the column, whispering words of encouragement and summoning up the plan of this meeting he compiled at yesterday’s evening. He practised this conversation all night in front of the mirror, but as soon as he gained confidence, he forgot the text and desperately searched for the next line in the script.

There was a faint blush on his pale cheeks. Not from the sun, not from the fatigue, but nervousness. He hadn't left his room for someone in a long time, and what he was about to do required from him new social skills...

…to ask you to be his project partner, that’s it.

Ortho stood right next to Idia, leaning out from behind his older brother's silhouette and shifting his gaze once at the courtyard, once at him.

Idia cuffed his fingers on the sleeves of the sweatshirt.

Ortho's presence helped him a lot to keep on the promise he made to himself: today he will actually talk to you not on the phone, but face-to-face and suggest that you could do Sir Crewel’s project together.

He knew that you didn’t have a pair, since Grim went off where he could bug Adeuce combo, and even if he didn’t, you two would be counted as one student. But, to at least make some progress, you were picking up leaves you suspected to be just right for the experiment.

With each bush, you were getting closer and closer to the column behind which Idia was hiding, and he knew that if he won’t hurry with his proposal, someone will enter the square, dispatch the last pieces of Idia's courage and disperse you, and take you away.

For example someone like Epel and Jack, who have just entered the courtyard using the entrance on the opposite side.

This coincidence seemed to Idia to be as unfortunate as if all the forces of the world wanted to stop him from what he was planning and yet to validate his theory that it was not worth ever leave his room. On the other hand, since he was already here, and it took him a good few dozen attempts to motivate himself, he could not lose this unstarted game.

Idia, in an act of desperation, rushed towards you, hoping that the first-graders would not notice you.

You both keel over into the bushes as Jack and Epel headed towards you.

"Jack Howl, Epel Felmier!" Ortho greeted them, distracting all possible attention from the bushes that had just been approached by two people, both unaware of what was going on. "How is your project going? What topic did you choose?”

"Ortho-kun! What are you doing here?” Epel replied, coming closer to the young Shroud.

As Ortho distracted them with a conversation, Idia had an intimidating thought: what would happen if they saw your two in the bushes? He was madly blushing at the scenarios that created in his head. He put his hand on your lips—he was afraid that you would say anything that would attract unwanted attention—he slipped with you through the empty corridors to the dorm of Ignihyde.

…He forgot to explain what he was doing, and it likely looked like him committing a crime, but nothing will happen if he explains everything in his room, right...?

You were able to ask Idia what was he doing, once he closed the doors. Till then, on every question you asked he hissed “Sheesh! Do you want us to be found?!” and “P-please! Let us get to headquarters where I will… explain the mission…”.

Soon enough, you found yourself in his room; electronics was the main source of light, and the screens glowed bright blue around them. Although you didn't see any exposed windows or lamps lit to illuminate the room, everything was clearly visible.

There was a mess there, a mixture of the cardboard disorder that prevails after moving a house and the chaos of a man whose constantly working on something, desk always cluttered with papers, pens and documents.

You were sure you would stand on some lost Lego block or pin if you put your foot behind the bed where Idia has set you down.

“So, Idia,” you started. “…What exactly I am doing in your room?”

"Uh, well...” he stuttered, trying to remember the speech from yesterday's practices. “I wish I would know what you're doing here... I mean- I know why I brought you here. I wanted to ask you something. Ask, yes.”

"Ask? About what?” you didn't mention that you can ask outside of your own room, and you wasn’t going to correct that.

Idia tried to explain the whole situation. He skipped the preparation process, his speeches and ideas, he didn’t even mention the project, so all he said was hard-to-understand, abstract justification from the current situation.

He said, at least, that he came up with the idea to take you somewhere further away, where there were no people, as first-grades entered the courtyard.

“So I'm here by accident?" you asked after listening to Idia, slightly cocking your head at the side. “I don't understand…”

“It was an accident. A bit,” he wanted to loudly groan at his helplessness but finally bit his tongue. “I didn't want you here. I mean, I wanted to, but I didn't plan on it. I mean- Aah, it’s so hard to explain!”

You waited in silence, only nodding, letting him take his time.

"Sorry, I just... I feel weird talking to you...” Idia admitted, lowering his head.

The definition of Idia’s "weirdness" was different from yours.

When you heard that he was calling you strange, you felt a pang in your heart. Really? After so many months of acquaintance and quite frequent texting on the phone, when finally there was one of those few moments when you could talk face-to-face, he says it's awkward?

The "weirdness" of that feeling in Idia was something he could not explain easily: the joy of talking to you, anxiety that he would say something wrong, an uncertainty that you would change your mind and stop talking to him, excitement because he knew how interesting person you are and the frustration for every accurate, teasing comment…

"Oh, I see," you tried not to sound depressing. "So let me leave.”

"No, wait, that's not what I meant..!”

Oh, no. Idia’ plan went downhill again.

Idia jumped to a drawer and started looking for something in it, digging through notebooks, cables and lost items.

“...Don't worry, Idia, we can end this conversation on the phone... or something.”

“No, no, no, wait, please!” discreetly took out a round metal box before he dashed to you, blocking the only way out, heavy equipment surrounding you that now seemed to be an impassable wall.

"Uh?"

He took the hard candy from the container he took from the shelf, though he did it so subtly, forcing himself to stare at you and keep your gaze from tearing away from him, so you couldn’t notice candy in his hand.

They were pomegranate drops that had been presented to him as a funny joke from a student who knew that a box, just like its contents, was enchanted by Vil's unique magic: whoever tasted them will not be able to move more than twenty meters from the place the fruit drop was eaten.

Haha, because you know, the members of Ignihyde don't go outside and won't even notice they were cursed.

Idia was sure that even Vil did not know that the candies had fallen into his hands.

"Huh? What are you-“

As soon as you opened your mouth, Idia pressed fruit drop up to your lips and covered them with his hand, in case you tried to spit it out. His movements became very mechanical and heavy, probably most of his muscles were strained. Because of that, you also couldn't push him away.

He only stepped out of your way you once swallowed the candy.

And so you were bound by a spell that you discovered the moment Idia let you towards the door. You stopped more than a meter from them, unable to even grasp the doorknob.

You swung your hand a few times as if not believing that none of your movements was moving you forward.

“Idia. I know we should talk, but by cutting me off from the door?”

Surprise with this solution, Idia's embarrassed smile, dripping sweat from the stress he felt, and a sudden dose of delicious sugar made you burst into laughter.

“This. Is. Great.” You accented each word, becoming more and more amused with each one as if you had just heard the best joke of the era. “Is it the fault of those drops?”

Idia, surprised by your reaction, finally relaxed. Your sudden, inexplicable outburst, hearty laugh calmed him down a lot. He even came to the conclusion that he really likes the way you laugh.

Ortho soon entered the room. You two shortened the story and explained that you probably have to stay here for the night.

"Oh, so nii-san finally asked you to do a project with him?"

“Project...?” you repeated. Then you turned your head to Idia and smirked at him. “So that was what it was for?”

He answered you with a shrug as if last day Idia didn’t have any thoughts screaming “Project!” and that followed by “[Name]!”.

However, Ortho said it for him.

Idia, of course, tried to stop him, but Ortho knew how much time his brother spent just planning to talk to you. A wave of shame flooded Idia as you listened to Ortho's words with interest. And maybe with a pinch of delight spilling over your heart—Idia did so much for you! You could feel the flush on your face and a smile spread across your lips every time you heard about Idia's efforts.

Soon after, after the excitement of this conversation had died down and you thanked Idia for his planning efforts, a package of cookies and biscuits was opened. You couldn't go to the cafeteria to eat anything, and even ordinary snacks from school vending machines taste better in pleasant company, right?

“We haven't had many opportunities to talk like that, have we?"

You took a sip of the warm tea Idia had made—it was incredibly bitter but chilled enough not to burn your tongue—and watched the screen where Idia was working.

He pushed himself away from writing some codes with some slowness, but he didn't look at you.

“You're right...”

After a pause, he started speaking again, this time in a whisper, but you heard him very clearly.

"I've always admired you, [Name]-shi..." he said, pressing his knees against his chest. “Talking to so many different people and solving their problems... I often find it tedious and self-righteous to interfere in the affairs of others, however…. Everything you do always ends well. I-I couldn't do that.”

“I should be saying it!” You said after a moment of silence as if you were processing words you completely didn't suspect him of. “You deal with electronics like a professional. Wait, you are the professional! How many programming languages have you already mastered? How many devices have you already created? You have a wonderful talent and... even your brother little is proof of it.”

You both looked at Ortho connected to specialized equipment. "CHARGING" was displayed on the screen, and by minutes the numbers were close to 100%.

Idia didn't smile at your words—instead he seemed incredibly focused. With each passing second, he had a more and more sincere expression of pleasant frustration, which was also reflected in his long hair behind which he tried to hide his face.

He couldn't even answer and just nodded.

"And... I have to confess to something," you began after another minute of pleasant silence, which you felt sorry to interrupt. "If you previously seemed quite average to me, maybe even a little pale-faced, now I know that you are special."

These words were already his limit. He couldn't take his eyes off you, forgot how to breathe, forgot how to blink, and his lungs refused to cooperate.

His heart crashed for good after your next words.

"So... if you please," you got up and smiled at him. “Idia Shroud, will you do me this honour and become my project partner?”

"The curse already faded.”

You could reach the door and go to the farthest corners of the room. You could leave.

The project has been completed. With the light help of Ortho, who also wanted to contribute to the project, by two in the morning, you finished doing experiments, writing out data, conclusions and completing them with graphic documentation.

And then you played games for the next three hours; each game was digital and very engaging—it wasn't for Ortho, you and Idia wouldn't fall asleep even for a minute. Even when you went to bed—and there was a whole five-minute debate about where you were going to sleep—you talked in whispers about everything and nothing until one of you fell asleep.

Even if the attachment to Vil's magic was gone, you couldn't deny that you became attached to a certain blue-haired boy who followed the last lines of your conclusions with his golden eyes.

It was really fun.

He and Ortho probably would have done this project faster, but the collaboration of the three—you, Ortho and Idia—seemed so pleasant that if he could, he would do it once again. Even if that meant another research about hyper-difficult projects Crewel liked to torture his students with.

"I will come again," you said as suddenly as if you were reading his mind. He flinched at those words, and your tone of voice changed to a more biting tone. “You don't have to kidnap me this time.”

"I d-didn't..." he tried to deny but was stuck on the next words. “...Really? Will you really come here?”

“Your charm bound me more than candy, I can promise you,” you gave him one last smile before you closed the door behind you and rushed through the corridor with a strange, blissful feeling, looking forward to your next project.

So did he.

[mack3030]

Things the Sims 4 Community Can Do About Paywalls...A Post...

[This is going to be a bit long, so you may want to save it and read it when you have time, or just...you know, buckle in.]

I thought I would ring in the new year by talking about something that I feel we as a community need to finally decide on. (It’s been debated since 2017 or so, and it’s now 2021...) I’d like, if possible, to try to suggest some real solutions and choices that we can make that will hopefully create a better and more honest community out of all of us.  Now I would like to start by making some postulates. In geometry, postulates are facts that do not need proven with a mathematical proof. They are assumed to be true. Thomas Jefferson and the founding fathers would call these “Self-Evident Truths”. I would like to use these as a bit of a basis for my arguments. 

Truth: The Sims 4 has been enough of a cash cow for EA.  If you buy the base game ($40) plus all expansion packs (40 each x 10) + all game packs (20 each x 9) + all stuff packs (10 each x 17) you would come to a total of seven hundred and 90 dollars ($790) plus tax. This is of course, without sales, bundling, etc, which many people DO take advantage of, but STILL. That is a TON of money for EA’s pockets.  EA makes a majority of its money on the fact that the Sims 4 is an “incomplete game”. It “completes” the game further and further by adding more “expansions” to the game to the point that it seems almost useless to buy the base game alone without adding to it. 

Even with sales and other things, it’s easy to spend over $500 dollars on the sims 4 game + expansions. Still a lot of cash for a game that is years old. This is just money that is spent on the game that goes to EA. This does not account for:  * Money spent to buy a new computer because your old one wouldn’t run the sims.  * Money spent supporting CC artists who have donations open or early access.  * Money spent on access to sites that have ads/paywalls/exclusive sims 4 CC such as Leosims, etc. (Which are the problem, frankly)

We should be able to respect the fact that a majority of us paid a hefty amount for this game. It is unfair, and frankly greedy to REQUIRE people to pay MORE just to unlock or gain access to specific user created content. 

I am not talking about a VOLUNTARY support or donation because they like what you offer. I am talking about FORCING people to pay if they want to ever be able to use the CC or mod you offer. 

Now, the typical defense for this is “Well, I’m an artist! I spend time/effort/etc working hard on these meshes, the code, etc to make this content!”  Which leads me to point #2. 

Truth: Mods, CC, and other content for the Sims 4 are useless without the game. Once they are created/uploaded to the game, all copyright to those objects IMMEDIATELY transfers to EA. 

I teach art in a Missouri public school. Our state standards dictate that when art students are in middle school grades, they have to learn about copyright, fair use, and creative commons. While I am not a copyright lawyer, I have had to learn enough about this subject to teach it. So allow me to break down a few facts about copyright: 

First, when ya make it, ya own it. There’s not a process to apply for a copyright. The moment you create something that is 100% your own work, you hold the copyright to it. 

Second, when you make something that is created based off of or USING someone else’s intellectual property as a reference or resource it is a fan creation. In art, we call this “fanart”. It is not 100% your own work. Someone else’s intellectual property is involved. 

Fan creations always have tread a very thin and shadowy line when it comes to different companies and the legality of them. You can easily search google for various articles explaining it, but to summarize it in a short method: 

Most companies do not actively go after those who create fan creations unless they are making profits that could instead be going to the creators of the intellectual property. If the fan creation is discovered to be making profits and/or taking the intellectual property in a direction the creator does not approve of, they have legal options to pursue (court, cease and desist letters, etc). 

Third, Copyright can be transferred from person to person. In most cases this is done through a written document that both parties sign, however there IS an exception to this that EA uses to allow itself to transfer your copyrights to your content to them: 

EA’s agreement with you is non-exclusive, meaning that the moment you hit “agree” on the sims 4 terms and conditions, you have handed over your rights to any CC you create for the game. 

If you want to maintain full creative rights over the mesh/mods/etc you make then, you have to not make that content for the sims 4 and make your own platform to host it on. This is way easier said than done. 

Truth: There have been various examples in the past of CC creators who have stolen meshes, bases, bits/pieces of work, or “inspiration” for CC from other sites/companies, who have been called on it publicly. 

The most recent event concerning this was drama concerning itsbrandysims and their use of meshes from imvu/secondlife (you can see my opinion on the subject HERE), but there have been other documented cases. Leosims, for example, has been listed as an example of someone taking meshes from secondlife creators and reuploading them (when it was told to me, I was shown THIS thread as evidence). Another well known creator was accused by a former sims 4 cc creator (who now makes content from second life), and was called out in THIS post in 2019. 

The horrible part of this? Many of these creators are charging people (often at not so great rates as well), for STOLEN content. Content they don’t even own, that they ripped from another place. This should not be accepted by a community that loves a game as much as the Sims 4 community.  Truth: EA has provided a way for people to make money while not hiding content behind paywalls entirely, and the INTENT of this was to OFFSET COSTS.  Almost every post about content locked behind paywalls features this post found on the Sims Forum from 2017. In it, SimGuruDrake, who was the community manager at the time (she has since left the Sims 4 team for another job).  Most of you who have seen this discussion topic before know this post by heart, but I’d like to highlight one important aspect of it: 

One thing that is always important about communication is the intent behind it. The intent for people to be allowed to make patreons and allow early access wasn’t so people could just make money for themselves, the idea was to offset costs to buy programs to make the content. For example, a yearly subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud (which has photoshop, illustrator, etc) costs a couple hundred dollars US a year. If someone was using photoshop to help them create their CC in addition to blender or other free programs, EA/Maxis wanted to allow the creator to not have to pay for making the CC out of pocket.  Can EA/Maxis control what people spend the money they make off of patreon on? No. But it should be noted that the intent of this action was to help people pay for supplies for their hobby more than to make a business out of it. 

Onto the next truth! Truth: There is an image that disputes this post above, however the authenticity of it and timing of it are very disputed. 

This image is often thrown around by people who lock content behind paywalls, but I would like to take a second and try to provide an honest assessment of it.  First of all, I have a bit of a problem with the fact that the original person who “messaged” SimGuruDrake this question has not been identified. This image was not posted on the tumblr of a CC creator who claimed “Hey I reached out to a sims guru and this is the answer I got!” The main pages that have this image are either tweets from CC creators using it to defend their stance on paywalls (ex: here), or tumblrs/tweets “debunking it” (ex: here, here).  I even reverse image searched this image using google, and another platform and could not figure out where this originated from. Of course, I’m not an expert, but...still. 

The fact that the origin of this picture is unknown casts doubt on it. If it were a well known CC maker who is known for being honest, that’s one thing. But the fact that we don’t exactly know where it came from is suspicious. Because frankly, anyone with some decent editing ability could photoshop this. 

Here’s my imperfect edit, but I’m just a self-taught graphics nerd and I am not as dedicated at faking screenshots as some. (And the crap photo quality didn’t help.) Another common issue is that at the supposed “time” that this question was being asked, some state that SimsGuruDrake had already left the Sims 4 team. I will admit, this photo is within the correct timeline, as SimsGuruDrake did not officially depart the sims 4 team until February 2018. (There is a post on the sims forums that has a timestamp that confirms this.) But, if you were in the process of leaving your job within the next month (as a two week/30 day notice is common when leaving a job), would you REALLY be answering questions in DMs on twitter, or be focusing on packing up, and training your successor?  The last thing that really makes me doubt the validity of this picture is the fact that it’s not really easy to message the sims gurus on Twitter. This appears to be twitter from the screenshot (although there are some things that are a little out of place from the current UI): But when I attempt to direct message a sims guru I get this message: 

I even tried seeing if I could reach out via DM to Drake herself, (who now posts under a different twitter) to see if it was possible: 

Could the policies have changed since 2018? Possibly, but I feel that opening up direct messages is just asking for Sims 4 team members to get angry messages, so this could very well be a long running EA policy. I have also reached out to her via a twitter tag (as of 1/2/21), and will update y’all if I get a reply:

Okay, so now that we’ve gone through all of this, let’s talk about the last truth that’s really important:  Truth: Putting content behind paywalls has generally been considered disgusting by many in the sims 4 community, and TAKES AWAY the choice of people to support CC creators they love/appreciate WILLINGLY.  A few notable posts sharing the disgust with this practice can be found: HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE & HERE). And these are just what I can find from a simple precursory search.

Okay, Brainiac. So what can we do to solve this problem? 

Well, there’s a few methods we can employ, and sadly, it’s going to take a bit of a commitment and concentrated effort from the community. 

Step #1: Make the COMMUNITY the VICTIM instead of EA. 

Now when I say this, I don’t mean we’re actually victims, but mean that instead of constantly saying things like “WHEN YOU DO THIS YOU VIOLATE EA’S TOU!”, thus making EA the “victim” of the crime. We change the dialog to saying “When you lock stuff behind paywalls, you cheat the sims 4 community and disrespect their choice to support you or not.”  Because let’s be honest. Maxis/EA really doesn’t give much of a care about if people aren’t following this rule. You can report people to the team, but as far as most people have seen, it doesn’t get anywhere. But if we make it where the community is the party being “wronged” it is much harder for those who have paywalls to not be scared. Because the community, in the end, has to be with them.  DepthofPixels had a really amazing post about this HERE. 

Step 2: Decide to not support anyone who puts their content behind exclusive paywalls and do not hesitate to spread the word about why you choose not to do so. 

By that, I mean

not paying any patreon accounts that don’t offer either their content 100% for free, or offer early access.

And sharing about why you choose to do that on your social media. Something I might suggest would be to make it a bit personal and share something like:

Instead of spending $15 a month to get exclusive content from Leosims (or any other patreon/paywall creator here) I’m spending that $15 supporting creator x, creator y, and creator z, who don’t put their work behind paywalls! 

Link their patrons, share why you like their content, and why you take the stance to make the community better. Make it a positive thing, praising the people who are doing RIGHT by the community. 

Yes, you may not get their content for a while (although there are some different places (

x

,

x

) to find them *cough*. But in the end, is it worth supporting someone’s content when they’re treating the community badly? 

Step 3: Report creators who actively steal content from IMVU/secondlife to those respective companies, and all others to EA. (Even though nothing may happen.)

Here’s the deal. When people steal from either of those sites, they are infringing on someone’s copyright, as well as Imvu/secondlife’s copyright as well. It’s not okay, and they should be held accountable for it. Here’s the LINK for submitting a ticket to Secondlife. I haven’t been able to find one for IMVU, but maybe someone else will find one. Let those companies know and allow them to handle those specific creators.  As to the other creators, EA may not handle them at the moment. But IF (and this is a wishful thinking “if”) there were suddenly a flood of messages about certain creators...? I think they might have to pay attention to some of those messages. There is an official report form, but it might even be worth tweeting to SleddingGuruFrost, who is the current community manager asking about their stance on paywalls.  And last but not least: 

Step 4: Make sure that those who are doing the right thing and not putting their work behind paywalls feel appreciated. Show them some love via a tumblr ask, or by tagging them on twitter, or by going up a tier on their patreon (or pledging for the first time). Celebrate these heroes who are creating content and not forcing it on us. 

Us asking for people to give us a choice to support them isn’t being greedy, or disrespecting their time. We just want transparency, and respect from those who create content for the game we love so much versus them treating us like we’re just a source of income. I know it might seem a bit hard to do this for some of you, and for some it may seem like I’m preaching to the choir, but we have to decide where we stand on this issue and stop letting those who abuse this system keep doing it. We can make a difference if we decide as a COMMUNITY to work together.

With commitment,  ~Sunny

[nicanario]

this post is a product of its time

tw: discussion of racism, homophobia, misogyny and a short mention of sexual abuse.

ok, this is basically gonna be a very long rambling post about my not fully developed thoughts on the justification many people give to bigotry when talking about the past: "it was a product of its time"

it would be fair to say, with me being a raging SJW socialist scumbag, that I don't think this is a very good argument and is most of the time actually an excuse to not think about the problems inherent to our society, historical or not, and, by extension, the problems with ourselves. but I do think that sometimes, just sometimes, this can be a valid point, or at least one that raises some interesting questions.

I'm going to cite examples from several pieces of media, but fear not, I'll try to make this as accesible as I can.

so, let's take Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS) as our first case study. this show has, correctly, been called progressive by everyone except for clueless people who don't know much about Star Trek's history, Star Trek's crew, Star Trek's cast, or, frankly, Star Trek. because if you ignore the clear, sometimes in-your-face political history and present of the franchise, I don't think you know much about it at all. I do think you can call yourself a fan if you like it, you may have watched every single episode for all I know. but lots of mental gymnastics are needed to ignore the political progressiveness Star Trek has had since its very beginning.

episodes like Let That Be Your Last Battlefield are obviously anti-racist, at least in their intention. but the episode in question really is "a product of its time," and at the very end fails to uphold its ideals. the episode ends with the two aliens (who are LITERALLY. BLACK ON ONE SIDE. AND WHITE ON THE OTHER. BUT IN THE OPPOSITE SIDES.) fighting each other on their devastated planet, and the crew is like, "oh yeah if they both would give up on their hatred that they both share both of them equally" when it has been firmly established that one is the oppressor and the other one is the oppressed.

and that's a lot of Star Trek, not just TOS. even Discovery, one of the most recent series, has done Bury Your Gays (and Trans) TWICE (though both times literally rectified it, which is cool). there are episodes of the franchise that are overtly racist, or misogynistic, etc. TOS is lauded, mostly justifiably, as very progressive, especially for the standards of the time. they put a woman of colour as one of the senior staff, for fuck's sake. of course, when you analyse that same character, as with most of their intentions at being progressive, you'll see that she was relegated and sometimes even outright mistreated when she had the potential to be much more. but, at that time, it was a lot.

I had a friend (emphasis on "had") who, after I told him about TOS's both progressiveness and constant misogyny, told me something like "imagine feminists trying to complain about a show from the 60s." so, with unearned spite, he was, in some way, trying to make the argument that it was a product of its time.

you could say Star Trek, all of Star Trek, is "a product of its time" in the sense that it's not always perfect. uh, yes, I would agree. but that doesn't mean people have to accept it. well, I mean, the show is kinda over, you have to accept it's that way. but you don't have to accept that it's not wrong just because it was a product of its time.

H. P. Lovecraft, as another example, was a greatly influential writer whose works still shape a lot of people's ideas to this day. I have only ever read like one of his stories, so don't expect me to have an opinion on his works. but I can have an opinion on what I know about him as a person (he did have a life outside his writing, after all). and, yeah, he was a huge asshole. if you want to know more in depth about the subject, please watch Hbomberguy's video on him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8u8wZ0WvxI

but basically, he was incredibly racist & homophobic. some people might even say, "he was a product of his time." well, there are two possible rebuttals to that. the surface level one, and the one that examines why that argument is wrong to the core.

The Surface Level Response to "it was a product of its time": um, no it wasn't. Lovecraft was more racist than a lot of people even in his time. he wasn't just a guy who carried the racist beliefs of his society like everyone else, he was a reactionary who actively thought and discussed how racist he was, and how right he was for being that way. but that's only applicable to Lovecraft. one can't argue the same for Star Trek: TOS, because TOS did try to be more progressive and more anti-racist than the rest of its society. that leads us to the next response.

The Response that Actually Deals with the Fact that No Matter How Progressive You're Trying to Be, Your Failings Can Still be Criticized: the thing is, trying to excuse Lovecraft's or Star Trek's bigotry because they were "products of their times" misses the fact that racism is still wrong, and some people knew that in those times as well. people from these times weren't all naive or stupid or whatever. they had the capacity for rational thinking. they could stop and think, "hey, maybe what we're doing is wrong." and the fact is, some people did. not perfectly, not to our standars, but they did. everyone could have stopped and think. but most of them didn't, and we can criticize them for it. racism, homophobia, sexism, etc. HURT PEOPLE. horribly. massively.

also, even if you agree with the "it's a product of its time" argument, some people aren't criticising people's or work's bigotry: they're explaining why they don't want to experience it.

The Talons of Weng-Chiang is a 1977 Doctor Who serial, and it's one of the show's more racist stories. almost all the villains are Chinese, every single Chinese person is a villain. there's yellowface, slurs, stereotypes, the Doctor speaking nonsense words instead of actual Chinese, and a general belittling of Chinese culture.

note that I'm neither Chinese nor of Chinese descent. I have been searching for hours for a few posts I've read a while ago (some by people who are of Asian descent) about this episode and I can't find them. sorry.

suffice it to say, even though I love Jago & Litefoot (the audio series and the characters), it's not an acceptable episode at all. but it's also important to remark that, because of it, some people aren't going to want to watch it. sometimes, people aren't saying "the episode shouldn't be this way," which causes others to answer that it was "a product of its time." sometimes, people are just saying, "this is an episode that attacks real people. I don't want to see it. I don't care if it was common in that era to be racist, i don't want to experience it."

however, there is an interesting point to the "it's a product of its time" argument. after all, everything is influenced by its society, for better or worse. and we can't change it anymore. TOS sometimes didn't quite understand the political themes it wanted to explore. Lovecraft was a horrible bigot. Talons was racist towards Chinese folks. and that's that. I don't think we should change the episodes/stories or anything. edit them in any way. that would be, in a sense, changing history. and we wouldn't learn anything from it, about how we can do better.

I think there are two solutions to this:

1. warnings before starting the text: this was done with The Talons of Weng-Chiang. on Britbox, where you can watch Classic Who, this serial has a content warning before the start. that's good.

2. the removal as a whole of the text from some places: I think before applying this one, there should be a lot of thought put into each case. I don't think removing a whole serial of Doctor Who or Lovecraft's stories from anything would be, well, fair. especially on tv episodes a lot more people worked on those, not just the writers and the directors. Lovecraft's writing influenced thousands. we shouldn't erase them or anything. but sometimes, for some cases, we should.

those in the US might seen a Confederate statue being taken down. that is, in a way, a form of removal of a piece of history.

but that is a good removal. statues glorify. one sees a statue and probably thinks "this was a person worthy of admiration." they should be taken down, maybe even with a permanent mark of why this was done (a plaque that reads "a statue of X was here, but he didn't deserve it because of Y" could be put in place of the statues, for example).

another example is the removal from DVDs of the short episode A Fix with Sontarans, a Sixth Doctor minisode that featured Jimmy Savile, a presenter who was later found out to be sexually abusing children.

the removal of that minisode is good, actually. it's not a full episode (it's not even Doctor Who). some might say that's "erasing history" but, like, you can still find it online or information about it if you want. this minisode deserves removal from DVDs and Blu-Rays and whatever more than content warnings. it's not an important part of the show and it prominently features a horrible person who did horrible things during that time.

so, after all that, I have explained why I don't like the "it's a product of its time" argument. it is an interesting point that deserves to be examined, but it's not very good.

I have had this in Drafts for so long I've probably forgot some of the points I was going to make, but eh, what can you do? hope you enjoyed reading this.

bye