#with varying levels of effort ofc

[literarylarkspur]

i just realized almost every secret shanghai character has faked their own death at some point

[thelemonsnek]

hellll of a year this year!! got a new hyperfixation for the first time since 2020 :0 this really made me realize how many different styles i use >:))

[image id: one of those art summary templates, where it has a spot for art from every month. January's drawing is very sketchy and has thick, bold lineart. February's is very wild, with pixelated lines, harsh shading, and crazy patterns. March's is more grounded in realism, while still keeping some level of stylism. April's is cartoony but fairly detailed, and has thick lineart. May's is very simplistic and stylized. June is a return to the realistic but stylized art style, and is the first drawing to include an actual background. July's is very painterly and also has a background. August's has the realistic stylized art style again, and September's, October's and November's are all a mix between the realistic and painterly art style, though only September's has a background. Decembers is an extremely simplistic uncolored drawing. End id]

[howlsofbloodhounds]

what do you think killers hygiene habits would be? like, given that he lives with mare constantly in survival mode, not even being able to sleep sometimes, and considering that he tends to, well, ignore some basic needs like food etc. i remember when you said he wouldmake sure all his stuff is organized or something like that, but its more about order than hygiene right? idk if skeletons need to do that at all, it would be more relevant in human ver. so if he was a human/ or he would need to maintain his hygiene as a skeleton, how would he do that (if he actually would)? maybe it would vary depending on his stage? im really interested in your opinion on that, but ofc answer only if u want to :3

I do think a lot of this will depend on the exact conditions Nightmare keeps him in, what exactly is allowed and available to Killer, and what exactly is expected of him. This will vary depending on the Nightmare interpretation, and i have no clue about if this type of thing is touched on in Dreamtale canon.

It’s not really touched on in Killer’s canon either—on the exact environment and conditions Nightmare has him in, other then that it’s a castle, Killer reports to him after every mission, and Killer rarely ever actually is shown in the castle.

Does the castle have things like food, working water, a place to sleep, a shower? Is Killer allowed access to any of these things? Is it a limited thing—does he ever have to do or say something to earn access to basic needs? Is he only allowed to shower at certain times, or does he have to do something that pleased Nightmare to earn it?

Or alternatively, does Nightmare want his subordinates to present themselves a certain way? Does he expect a certain degree of good hygiene?

Primarily, Killer’s hygiene habits will center around what keeps Nightmare happy—which means less inconvenience for him. However, Killer’s past with Chara isn’t easily shaken: especially if you go with the royal etiquette idea.

He’d want to present some form of being put together around Nightmare, both because he has to and out of instinct left over from with Chara. And you’d definitely see him trying to put more effort in if something reminds him of Chara or triggers his conditioning.

It’d be minimal and inconsistent, mostly because Killer himself likely doesn’t feel much drive to do or care for these types of things when in Stage 2, due to his apathy.

If you go with the idea that his goop seeps from cracks or joints and causes stiffness when it dries, he’d habitually make sure to clean the bones of the body to remain functional and not useless and inconvenient.

He’d probably go long periods of time without changing his clothes or shoes (considering his shoes seem to even have holes in them in his canon and are often untied), but he does seem to take care to clean everything whenever he ends up covered in dirt and blood.

I doubt he’d really feel very motivated to earn access to things like a shower or food—but more than that, he’d feel extremely uncomfortable with the idea of admitting in any way that he needs or wants something.

So even if he wants to take a shower or brush his teeth, he won’t do or say anything that makes it obvious that he needs or wants that—he’d either sit in his discomfort until Nightmare allows it, or find a way to make it seem like Nightmare’s idea to allow him access to those things.

He doesn’t feel the urge to take care of this body he’s in, viewing it as not really his, and because he doesn’t feel the urge, he doesn’t do it. Not unless some external factor calls for it, or he notices that having a certain level of a maintained appearance would help him control others’ perceptions of him.

He’d probably do things like adjust his clothing frequently, brush off dirt, wash his hands and face when he takes care of and cleans his weapons—especially if he feels Chara’s disapproval bearing down on him, their eyes as if judging him—but it’d mostly be less a conscious choice and more a drilled in habit.

I doubt hygiene would truly be a priority for Killer unless it’s a priority for Nightmare. And even then he does it out of obligation, because he has to, because it’s expected of him. Not because he cares about himself or his body, and if anything, he probably views the body’s needs as largely inconvenient and a waste of his energy. Like a prison holding him back from his purpose.

As a human, you’d probably see an almost sickly complexion, heavy eye bags. He probably often seems on the edge of just falling asleep, although you’re unlikely to tell if he’s actually fallen asleep or not, due to the whole sleeping with one eye open thing. Which would likely lead to dry, itchy, red rimmed eyes.

His hair is probably often messy in that it gets tangled due to overwork, so he probably keeps it in a bun if it’s long enough until he can attend to it (or is told to), or if the long hair becomes a hindrance, he’d probably chop it shorter with whatever sharp object can do the job. It probably looks lifeless, limp, and thin if he’s not been able to keep a steady upkeep.

He’d probably look like he has a lifeless worn out appearance, his eyes likely look hazy and possibly his pupils dilated. He’s probably missing a few teeth actually, or has some cracked and chipped teeth; not only due to lack of access to care, but due to the constant everyday violence of his work. His nails are probably chipped, and if he hasn’t been able to clean up, there may be grime like dirt, blood, and dust underneath them.

Due to his goop, his clothing is likely to always have a degree of being stained, which is why probably why he’d be more inclined to wearing black shirts and turtlenecks and long sleeves; hides the goop and hides parts of his body, which he doesn’t think is worthy of care or upkeep. His hands and palms are likely to have some scarring as well.

And yeah, this does likely mean a sense of body odor—and torn, wrinkled, or ill fitting clothing, if he’s even able change his clothes at all.

A lot of this may be easily missed, simply because of the way Killer either subconsciously carries himself or because he overcompensates whenever he’s able (like, in the scrubbing skin red and bones raw type of way, either out of a desire for pain or control or just needing to be clean in Stage 2, or a sense of disgust and shame in Stage 1), though.

I do feel that in a more canon adjacent story—where it’s just nightmare and killer, no other bad sanses, no one else to have to maintain and control a certain image for—unless this is something Nightmare specifically harps on, Killer wouldn’t really care about his appearance or his hygiene or his odor beyond what’s expected, allows functionality or serves a purpose, and what Chara used to want from him. Is often too worn out and tired to do much besides sleep—often having to choose between sleep or hygiene before the next mission. Sleep is always more ideal.

In this type of story, i think he’d start caring a lot more about his appearance whenever he starts valuing Color. Because he wants validation, and he wants Color to notice him.

So things like Color expressing concern about his hygiene and health or being happy that Killer’s taking better care of himself, even if not excessively, would read more like Color likes when Killer presents himself a certain way to him, and that’s a way to gain his approval, attention, and validation and leads to a fragile sense of self worth temporarily. I don’t know I just like the idea that killer wants to feel pretty, or that he wants someone like color to see him as pretty.

[jichanxo]

and now i can ask about the difference between animation and writing for you :D aside the obvious things, and since it's a sequence of events/actions/a story and going back to senseific: are there any parts there that you feel you'd have an easier time drawing/animating vs expressing it with words? and is there anything particular you were/are tempted to visualise in an artform (but haven't)?

more long answers below!

animation is certainly a special medium because you not only have way more control over how your audience experiences it (audio, pacing, etc) but you have to pay the cost of it being way more time and effort. so the most distinctive part of making my last project was that i had to stretch my resources as hard as i could. in other words, you can do a lot more! (/pos) but oh god, you HAVE TO DO A LOT MORE (/neg).

you kind of have to compromise somewhere -- your time, the quality of your work, your vision, your motivation. i know i'm inexperienced and that my motivation would give out, so my plan had to be practical. 30 seconds is a long span of time to fill.

i used colour to set the mood -- quick and low effort i used only lines, didn't colour anything in -- saving me time the movement is minimal -- i knew i couldn't do a lot at once, so i had to focus my efforts --

the shot of the eyes moving and of the kiss have the most movement, but are also the most sparse shots, allowing me to focus on getting the movement of this one thing right, without distraction

i create interest in other sections through contrasting shots, rather than using movement -- kuwana and yagami in bed together, then him alone -- the meaning is conveyed through the sequence, rather than any movement, and the music helps make the progression feel natural. following the beat, yknow

i also had to accept that the quality of my work was going to vary, and some of the illustrations would look good and others would just have to be serviceable, or it would never get done

and of course, my own experience -- i know the basics of csp's animation tools, but i don't know enough to make my life easy, you know? i was fighting the program, doing things inefficiently.

i had to think about how i was organising my layers/folders, i had to grab the audio and trim it and make sure it sounded right and... blah blah blah. you see what i mean, right? the format itself has so much potential, being able to create meaning through movement and contrasting shots and audio is great, but it's so strenuous (and i am not used to it) (not to gloat about how wow i did this and it was soooooo hard, nah, but this is what it was like for me at the novice level so like. for more involved work, just imagine... just imagine...) (or better yet, imagine with an example. you'd probably get more interesting answers about animation from @/phantasy14 than me)

by contrast, one of the best things about writing is that, at its core, you can just... open a document and type. not to downplay the effort that writers take, and yeah part of it is that my fanfic writing is Not That Complicated, but in the end... words are free, you know? i don't have to worry about straining my wrist, or if this would look better with an extra frame here or over here, what function i should be using in my program... i can kind of just get to the heart of the matter. i guess i kind of said something similar in the last post as well -- that writing makes it easier to dig into details and context, and the same applies here. since Words Are Free, you can really dig into the meat as much as you'd like. in a process like animation, any decision could add hours or days to your workload, so you have to be absolutely certain that the decision is worth it. this conflict between the artist's idea and the effort is a very defining difference in the mediums, i think.

so, aside from Fighting The Art Process, i suppose i should talk about why this idea ended up being an animatic instead of say, writing. first of all, the song, ofc -- it was the whole inspo, and it's nice to work with it directly. secondly, i think, is because i was trying to convey an emotion more than anything. this is where that ambiguity/detail difference between mediums comes in. i'm portraying yagami missing kuwana, and just that alone. i'm not trying to explain what he's thinking specifically, or why, or even the exact nature of their relationship before all this. what i'm conveying is i miss you. and the most direct, most blunt way to express this is to contrast being together with being apart. to fixate on the features of the other person so to depict a yearning for them. the ending contrasts a remembered(/imagined? you decide) smiling kuwana against kuwana walking away, of him leaving.

you were here (smiling, with me) + you left = i miss you

it just makes sense. writing this would have necessitated detail, would have necessitated more context, and muddied the feeling which is conveyed so concisely through the video instead. look at how i've written yagami missing kuwana so many goddamn times. it takes so many more words, it forces you to hold onto something more concrete like thoughts and events in order to convey the emotion, instead of depicting it on its own. so yeah, the ambiguity of illustration combined with the contrast achieved via sequence, these were necessary to convey this feeling as directly as possible. i also just think it feels more elegant. there's room for the audience to breathe and really feel the difference between kuwana being there and kuwana being gone. the imagery is blunt but the feeling itself surprisingly isn't... at least imo. it just wouldn't feel the same written, would it? i hope that answers your question.

anyway onto the next part... senseific <3

it's good that you named that as a specific example because i never thought about it, but now that you mention it there are absolutely some parts i would probably have an easier time drawing than writing

your honour..... (with a massive sigh) THE FIRST KISS SCENE. HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME. FOR MONTHSSSSSS. it's. sigh. well where do i start with this one... the thing that makes this difficult for me is that it's very much a "wow this is a bad idea but we're doing it anyway" kind of kiss, right? and like. because they shouldn't be doing it, it's been troubling me all this time if their trains of thoughts even make sense. i don't want to force it, but it's difficult to direct things into that direction when i know that they know they probably shouldn't be doing it... i have revised it and i think it reads kind of alright now? but i'm still worried about it...

and this. would be great. for illustration. i wouldn't have to explain shit, i just have to make sure i convey an atmosphere that lends itself for them to make this dumb decision. that's not to say that i wouldn't care if it didn't make sense, of course not, but if it was a visual format, i could just let the atmosphere speak for itself, you know... they're alone together, they'd both been drinking a few hours ago, kitakata comes close, and though yagami sees it coming he doesn't seem to stop him... and it just. there it is. it's happened. no need to say anything, just let the atmosphere and the audience's imagination do the work. the lack of detail in the medium would work in my favour. no issue.

the other one that comes to mind is a scene where kitakata and yagami smoke on the roof together. it's a similar situation where ambiguity would play better for the scene. there comes a point where the conversation stops between them and it just kind of sits. it feels really clumsy having to explain in words that this is one of the first few peaceful moments between them, that yagami doesn't mind being around him for once. this would be better expressed with just visual space. letting the audience feel that peace, that quiet moment between them. i'd draw them apart, so you can see the visual distance between them, and yet they're together, and they're quiet and maybe just maybe they could become closer, could choose to spend time around each other without getting on each other's nerves... or at least that would be the implication. it's much cleaner than having to spell it out in writing.

oh! and i remember i was tempted to draw kitakata's messy desk at some point. that one's easier depicted with words but i just think it could be fun.

AND IF I MAY BE SELF INDULGENT AND BRING UP "are you seeing anyone?" AGAIN..... that gag. just that gag and nothing else around it. i mean. now that i think about it, it's kind of joke-comic-y.... but the joke itself relies on a bunch of stuff beforehand... perhaps not...

a group photo would be nice too... a club photo perhaps... get everyone in there. just some mundane snapshots of everyone in their daily lives... hell, i could even throw sawa in there! i definitely should do that!

and something sexy... i should draw something sexy with kitakata and yagami...

i ought to add some of these to my mental list of things to draw...

[saygracejude]

what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart? / are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel? / how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim? / favourite sweet treat? / are they quick to violence? / do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep? / how bad is their temper? is it a slow boil, or a instant explosion?

for dima pls

here ya go, kiddo 😘

what could their partner do that would absolutely break their heart?

tell him he isn’t needed anymore. dima has spent so much of his life being needed that it’s part of what defines him. he likes to be needed, it’s fulfilling and makes him happy. and seeing as his partners are all blood related to him, being unneeded by any of them would devastate him, especially his youngest.

are they someone who wants to kiss at the top of the ferris wheel?

dima absolutely would, yes. especially cos he knows his boy toby would love it 🥰

how loud are they? what do they speak like? got a voice claim?

he can be very loud if he wants to be and sometimes when he doesn’t want to be. but he’s aware that he’s a big dude with a slightly deeper voice and a russian accent & that can be alarming if he starts to yell outta nowhere, so he tries not to. tho occasionally he’ll lose his cool and shout, especially at his younger brother, toli & and occasionally at his twins if they’re getting on his last nerve. usually he speaks gently & has a very kind voice that makes his kids feel safe 🤗

are they quick to violence?

the speed at which dima resorts to violence varies depending on the situation and/or person. some people make him resort to violence quicker than others, like his youngest siblings toli and kadi are the ones that cause him to resort to violence the quickest because they are annoying af but also, violence is often the thing they’ll respond to so dima uses it or the threat of it to keep them in line/outta trouble. whereas his youngest boy, toby, he has a much higher level of tolerance/patience for him and it will take a lot more for him to resort to violence with him.

do they fall asleep easily? what helps them sleep?

growing up with four younger siblings, dima got used to falling asleep easily pretty early - it was either that or no sleep. he finds it easier to drift off if there’s low level noise in a room nearby his cos he’s used to that. if he can’t sleep, dima usually finds that orgasms help but he also loves to cuddle and will fall asleep easily if he’s laying down holding someone (which is usually toby ofc)

how bad is their temper? is it a slow boil, or a instant explosion?

dima likes to think his temper isn’t bad! he makes conscious efforts to keep calm and not explode in anger and he’s a lot better at that when he’s older than in his early 20s & teens. becoming a father helped him learn how to stay calm under pressure but even still, intense stress can cause his temper to flare and he’ll be a lot quicker to snap then.

[pikhachu]

probably gonna be posting a lottt of futaba for a while 😭 idk how long im gonna be doing this challenge but i assume that most of the time ill just be drawing her for the day and thats it w varying levels of effort and quality depending on how much time i have and how im feeling lmao

hopefullyyy i can go for at least. two months? thats my goal its kinda a lot but so far im doing well 🫡 hopefully yall like futaba ! you will be spammed ! not gonna post every single drawing here ofc but the ones i like yeah....

[lunartearrose]

Double egg headcannons if that's ok?

Sure! Not every day i get a sudden ask for some core of ika hcs! Here are some for ur efforts:

-Double is a natural at all the wahoo world games especially if you challenge him. Competitive af about it!

-used to harbor the kind of internalized homophobia thats like "we cant let men marry or else every guy will date other guys" until some very key points of his life of guys going "ummm thats a you thought"

-now he's a tough guy but he'll absolutely be soft to people who need it

-and thus he is glasses gang body guard

-(occasionally just specs' bodyguard if he feels everyone's being too rough with him)

-he's got some nudibranch dna so not only do his tentas have a few rare complications but he also has a pair of real horn-like antennae! Though i guess its more like being a catboy/dogboy or whatev

-on the tenta complications: back when the topknot was regulation his would be constantly unstable/drippy and it was horribly uncomfortable to have to pin his horns down so he was the one to bring his current style into the trend! It makes his look much more stable and it feels nice when ppl pet it

-put him under a blacklight and you will see some funky nudibranch patterns on this lad

-his mum is a nudibranch that should have a support (much like annie and flow do w the clownfish and craymond) buuut that was double's dad who is no longer in the picture (dead dead) leaving double to exhibit much fatherless behaviors (swearing and also providing for the mum he cares so much for who should also be left to do bingo at the elderlys table at arowana mall) (has also taken up shouting)

-tbh double himself probably needs a support creature for his stress but like hell he'll let you know that

-(fast forward to the future where he follows vintage to see where he goes, turns out its a final sweep of the underground metro and gets immediately attatched to either cq or one of the possibly less sentient sea slugs like him chillin in one of the levels. Support obtained!)

-(but tbh i think he'd do rlly well with CQ's calm atmosphere/wishes of good luck before matches and its not like cq has much to do with his boss all dead)

-so yeah double with a CQ attatched to his shoulder. Goggles tries to touch it and gets his hand smacked away before CQ tells him to calm down a lil

-please also picture CQ in big leggy mode providing a tray of vitamins and a morning omelet for a sick double. Must have host in good condition before they commit some neutral crimes

-in this vein of thought i cant seem to leave imagine double just working a metro attendee job in off turf hours. Free tickets for xbloods and glasses gang to the splatlands. The unexpected job throws off everyone

-his hobbies off turf war are winning the big plushes at wahoo and making his room full of jumbo plushes the most calm inducing place possible. When he moves into his own place the big plushes will infect everyone's space. The roomies are not safe unless CQ suggests double tone it down a tiny bit

-ofc theres times where he has dates ofc cq refuses to attend those times. Cq is not inerested in double crushes and in fact does not understand why double does not simply rope his love interest into a contract to be dating

-anyways. Double egg dualie supremacy competition. He challenges all other dualie users to a tournament style 1v1 to prove hes the best at dualies (results vary)

-his most relaxing ppl to be near: specs, vintage post character arc, aviators (light sensitivity/bad eyesight duo), rider, and orange team if only a little bit

-red sole would be on that list if she didnt enable chaos

-on his eyesight, double thx to the bit of nudibranch in his genes has very poor eyesight and can only see things clear when it's closer by, hence why his dualies aid him well in closing gaps. Unlike aviators though, strong sunlight is just in general not fun for double at all bc it hurts his eyes and causes migraines. If he gwts a bad headache he will be more agitatable than usual

-Specs seems to understand his struggles the most and double highly appreciates him for all the understanding and mutual defense

-double miiight also be afraid of death of his friends/his friends leaving him if he falls in love in love (convinced of family curses) and it takes either some prying or simply asking CQ abt their therapy sessions to know this deep fear

Anyways, that's what ive got on double hcs! I hope you enjoyed!

[rogueonestan]

when our paths cross : prologue

pairing: the mandalorian x f!reader/ofc

warning: none

when our paths cross masterlist | next part

“Stay here.”

“What?” You were gathering your things as the Razor Crest landed on another planet for your next bounty when your Mandalorian partner broke the silence in the hull.

“It’s a quick job- you don’t need to come along.” 

“I’m capable enough to do it, you know.” 

“I never said you weren’t-“

“Then why can’t I come along?”

“Just stay back and guard the ship?”

“‘Guard the ship’?” With that, Mando presses the button on the console that lowers the hatch. Harsh winds immediately make their way inside the ship and your arms instantly make their way around your frame in a vain attempt to keep yourself warm. 

“See, you’re already cold. Stay here, I’ll be back soon.” Before you’re able to interject again, your partner leaves you alone on the ship. 

The wind nips harshly on your skin as intense breezes fill the hull. 

All of the warmth from your body is immediately snatched from you. Your cheeks and the tip of your nose are already beginning to go numb. 

Frost is already to begin attaching itself to the metal armor that’s currently wrapped around your forearms. 

When you close the hatch door, the bitter winds no longer torment you as you make your way towards your sleeping quarters so you can warm yourself back up with one of the blankets that you own.

“‘Guard the ship.’” You jeer, “what a load of bantha fodder. We’ve been partners for months and he still doesn’t trust me?” 

As you wrap the blanket tightly around your shoulders, you begin to make your way to the cockpit, where hopefully it isn’t as freezing as it is in the lower level. 

After being a part of Mando’s crew for a few months now, times like these make you question whether or not he trusts you anymore the day you took him up on his offer to be partners. By his reputation, you assumed that he would be uptight at first, but you’ve never seen him relax in the months you’ve known him. His demeanor around you has never changed: always on edge and ready for a fight. You thought that he would be a little more comfortable around you by this point, but nothing has changed. By the way you see it, it’s as if he still isn’t sure if he can trust you even when you’ve proven your worth time and time again. 

You’ve tried to make him more comfortable around you by telling him stories of your past but you still don’t know anything more about him since that day you met him in the cantina on Nevarro. 

Had you done something that offended him? 

There’s nothing that you could think of pops out at you that could suggest this.

Maybe that’s just the way he is? That may be the case but you’ve seen how he loosens up a bit with Greef Karga on Nevarro whenever the pair of you return to get your next set of bounties. 

You can’t think of any reason why your partner wouldn’t trust you at this point. You’re not quick to trust others either, but you’ve at least tried to make an effort. You’ve tried time and time again to try to loosen him up, try to get a laugh or two out of him, but to no avail. 

You first joined Mando’s crew after working together on a few bounties that Greef Karga suggested that you two should work together on. By being the Guild’s two best hunters, it’s a wonder how your paths didn’t merge earlier. After seeing you in action, Mando offered you a spot on his crew, at first you declined. After working for so long on your own, you just got used to doing everything yourself and not having to depend on anyone, but you eventually gave in 

when he offered a second time because you realized the benefits outnumbered the consequences. Not long after becoming partners did the pair of you become known as an unstoppable force.

Your bounties were caught far quicker than if you did them on your own. 

When you would struggle with something, your partner would always have a suggestion and vice versa. Both of your skills and struggles complimented the other. There have been a few particularly hard bounties that would stump your partner and you would always have an idea as to how to catch them. Without each other, some of the bounties may have been near impossible if you two hadn’t worked together as a team.

Over the past few months, the bounties varied from very easy to near impossible. A few bounties, like your current one, were almost ridiculously simple where only one of you needs to go capture the bounty. Even though it’s not necessary to go hunting every single time, you’ve been beginning to enjoy the company of your partner and you just hope he feels the same.

Your thoughts of doubt continue to gnaw at you as you sit down in your usual spot in the cockpit. The blanket around your shoulders is still wrapped tightly around you. The more your thoughts continue to swarm your brain, the tighter you would grasp the piece of cloth. Tucking your legs underneath you, you close your eyes and begin to take a few calming deep breaths, attempting to clear out your worries.

Little did you know, this was only the beginning of your journey with the Mandalorian that would change your lives forever.

tags (let me know if you want to be added): @unstoppableforcce

[eventidespirits]

☥ European Vampire Masterpost ☥

Origins...

While no one can know the origins of vampires for sure, it’s believed that the curse of vampirism started, originally, as a blessing from the Goddess of Night – enhanced strength, stamina, speed and an endless lifespan were given to her chosen but in return, they would have to forsake daylight. When this blessing became a curse, no one knows but eventually, it did and the Chosen of Night began to turn into monsters, dedicated more to themselves than to their human brethren...

☥ Basic European Vampire Information  ☥

While the European Vampire is split into (at least) seven distinct “bloodlines” or “sub-types” certain traits are common among all variants these include:

Enhanced strength, speed and stamina – though certain bloodlines (Revenant, Lamia, Feral, Stryzga) possess  far greater strength than others, it can be expected that every vampire will be a good deal stronger, faster and more resilient than they were as humans.

Increased Emotional Volatility – Thanks to the vampiric curse, the emotions of vampires are highly volatile. Everything a vampire feels will be magnified – but negative emotions will be felt especially strongly

An Addictive Personality – All vampires have a high likelihood of becoming addicted to something, whether that be gambling, drugs, dangerous behavior or simply blood (the most common of all) nearly all vampires will have something that they cannot say no to.

Highly Attuned Senses – All vampires have enhanced senses as compared to a human. In addition to this, they have excellent night vision thanks to a highly reflective layer at the back of their eyes (similar to a cat’s)

Sensitivity to Sunlight – While this will vary from bloodline to bloodline, there is no vampiric bloodline that is immune to the damaging effects of the sun’s rays.

Low Level Mental Manipulation – While some bloodlines take this innate, instinctual ability to new and terrifying heights (Nightingales, Stryzga) all vampires are able to influence the mental and emotional states of those around them.

Low Level  Telepathy – like the mental manipulation, all bloodlines are able to pick up on the general emotional/mental state of those around them and can often pick up on things such as fear, dishonesty or lust before the mortal feeling them is even aware.

Highly Addictive Blood – Vampire Blood has a number of properties, ranging from inducing a euphoric state to promoting healing to making a mortal more susceptible to a vampire’s mental/emotional powers and manipulations to causing a mortal to feel an emotional bond/connection to the vampire in question when no such emotional bond existed before.

A NOTE ON “THE VEIL”

“The Veil” is not unique to vampires but rather, something which effects the entirety of the Supernatural. As human belief in their existence waned, the Supernatural began to fade from the sight of Mundane humans, not because it ceased to exist but because humans simply stopped being able to see if for what it was.

A vampire, to the average mortal, will show a few signs of what they are (such as an incredibly languid pulse, lack of respiration, unnaturally cool skin, a sickly/pale complexion) but most signs of their true nature will be invisible to the human until they’ve “Crossed Over” (i.e., been inducted into the supernatural world, thus opening their eyes to its existence).

Most children are naturally able to see through The Veil (due to the imaginative nature of children) but often lose this ability by the time they reach puberty. Some humans maintain this ability (called The Sight) into adulthood and some will only develop this ability at puberty.

The Bloodlines: -The Nightingale -The Revenant -The Siren -The Stryzga -The First -The Lamia -The Feral Other Information: -The Curse -Sire/Fledgeling Relationships -The Change

A Quick And Dirty Vampire F.A.Q.

Can they consume non-blood food/drink: Some of them can and some of them can't -- whether or not a vampire can eat solid food is determined by two factors: whether or not they're willing to put in the effort to learn how to force it down and how connected they are to their humanity. The more a vampire hangs onto their humanity, the easier it is for them to consume human food. However, it doesn't provide any nourishment. Being a hedonistic species, some vampires absolutely eat human food just because they enjoy the taste. All vampires are capable of drinking non-blood liquids but it provides no nourishment (see below) The Monkey D. Luffy Conundrum (aka, do they poop/pee?): No. Vampires can’t process solid food. When eating solids it will, eventually, need to come back up the way it went in. The same goes for non-blood liquids. Do Vampires Fuck: abso-goddamn-lutely. Since vampires are inherently hedonistic, they actually tend to rather enjoy fucking, even if *mostly* as a prelude to feeding/part of feeding. (This ofc varies as ace vamps exist) Do Vampires Cry Blood?: yep. All bodily fluids in a vampire are converted to blood. Including those ones. Do Vampires have Heartbeats? yes, they’re just incredibly slow (35bpm or so). During stress or strenuous activity the heartrate increases to a more human bpm (60-80bpm). Their respiration usually matches this rate. The older a vampire gets/the more they distance themselves from their humanity, the slower their heartbeat becomes and vampires who are detached enough have no heartbeat at all (they're also colder to the touch) Do vampires have problems with silver: some of them. Its sort of a random genetic lottery. Can Vampires Have Kids?: Nope. That equipment doesn’t work that way anymore. They might be able to with some serious magical alteration but in general they can’t reproduce outside of the Ritual of Transformation. Are Vampires effected by holy objects: Yes – though the efficacy of it varies greatly depending both on the faith of the vampire and the faith of the person with the holy object. As long as the wielder has sufficient faith (both in the symbol AND that it will harm the vampire), the vampire will be harmed by the holy object… However, someone who doesn’t believe at all may still harm a vampire with a holy object if the vampire believed/believes strongly in that faith and believes it will harm them.  Will Cutting the Head off Kill the Vampire?: There are a lot of creatures that can survive having their head cut off – chickens are one of them, vampires are not. What about piercing the heart? Since the heart is the core of a vampire’s being, the place where the blood is processed and the place where the magic is centered, piercing the heart can do massive damage to a vampire and if the heart is destroyed, they cannot recover from this. Fire? Fire bad. Vampires don’t fucking like fire because they go up like kindling when exposed to it. While it takes damn near 2800 degrees to burn a normal human corpse to ashes (and even then, the bones have to be pulverized) a large enough bonfire will easily do the trick for a vampire. Can Vampirism be reversed? It takes some pretty serious magical ability to do this sort of thing, but it can be done – provided at least one of two conditions are met: 1) The vampire has never taken the life of a human by draining their blood 2) The vampire has never created another of their kind and spread The Curse. Are half-vampires (dhampir) a thing? Yes. I’m not entirely 100% on how they happen within my lore, but they’re 100% a thing that can happen because a) they occur pretty frequently in folklore and b) I think they’re cool. Can vampires turn into bats/wolves/etc.,?Yes -- though it's usually very old and powerful vampires. Younger vampires within the Stryzga line are capable of turning into various kinds of animals but it still takes at least a century to learn this. Noctem Felidae (an extinct vampire bloodline) were capable of turning into cats and the Lamia bloodline was once capable of changing into

snakes/naga-esque creatures but since the waning of magic after the late Middle Ages, they've lost their ability to do so. Do vampirekin/ “human” vampires exist? Yes! The phenomenon of human psychic vampires/vampirekin/human sanguinarian vampires occurs in my universe – usually, this is because the human in question is a vampire who, at some point, was killed and their soul was able to re-enter the cycle of life/death/rebirth… However, because The Curse has an immense effect on the soul, it carries some of the effects with it into the next life and all lives thereafter. 

(note: most vampiric souls, being lost to the natural order, do not reincarnate ever again… However, if they vampire  manages to avoid either killing a human via draining or making another vampire, their soul is still somewhat tethered and can re-enter the life/death/rebirth cycle, like it’s supposed to! this is where we get “human” vampires. As for what happens to vampires who have done both of those things… No one is sure what happens to the energy that made up their soul. There’s some talk of it becoming part of the entity responsible for the curse)

[thewritingdungeon]

Discordancy #0

SUMMARY: Hawkeye has a long and varied past. He’s been a carnie, a spy, a superhero, even a brainwashed soldier. He also was, no matter how much he hates to admit it, an ex-criminal. It’s a part of his past he moved on from long ago and hoped he could just forget ever happened. But when an old associate contacts him for help, Clint is reminded that not everything he had so desperately tried to leave behind was something bad.

CHARACTERS/PAIRING: Clint Barton/OFC

WORD COUNT: 670

WARNINGS: vague, canon-typical violence

A/N: Hoo-boy. Oh, buddy. Aight giving credit where credit is due, this scene is a rewritten adaptation of a diamond choice scene from the Choices game The Heist: Monaco. I made up an OC for Hawkeye named Eris who liked bombs and then a few days later found out that this VN had an extremely similar character concept, so I played around with what that scene would be like if it was with Clint and _my _Eris instead. Clint’s backstory is a mixture of his comics and MCU versions that I decided to play around with when I wondered what the MCU would be like if it had a neutral-grounds establishment similar to Hotel Artemis and The Continental because I’m a sucker for those kinds of additions to criminal undergrounds. All of that combines into this being a semi-prologue to a fic idea I’ve been toying with for a Clint/OFC story. Idk if I’ll post more from it, but I’m hoping this will encourage me to do so. 

Okay... This looks bad.

The harsh buzz of static washes out the shriek of tires in his hearing aids as the van tips precariously onto two wheels. Clint spins the steering wheel hard to the left, taking another hairpin turn in an effort to not careen off a 50-foot drop while going 90 miles per hour. The acrid smell of burning rubber hits his nose at the same time the vehicle jolts and shakes, all four wheels back safe on the asphalt.

Well, mostly safe.

"Whooooo!" Clint hears from the back of the van as it careens dangerously around yet another turn, back doors fluttering open on their hinges. The raucous shouts of his partner remind him to flick the switch on his devices while she gets down to business and hopefully doesn't fly out the open hole in their getaway vehicle made by the distinct lack of closed doors. He's not even going to bother yelling at her to close them; from what he heard of that last round of gunshots, he's surprised they're still attached to the van as it is.

There's a strange buzz he feels in the air and then the violent vibrations of a bang! He flicks back on his hearing aids just as the woman behind him whoops again. "And... gottem!" she announces.

"Great, now can you please help me get these guys off my ass? They're a little too close for comfort."

"Aww, is wittle Ronin afraid of things going up his ass?" There's no malice to her mocking, but he knows it's a challenge anyway.

"Please," he scoffs, "bears just aren't my type."

Eris cackles, wild and delighted at his response, and if it weren't for the fact that he was currently more often driving on two wheels rather than four, Clint would look back to commit the image of her laughing like that to memory.

"Well, they want their safe back so badly... I should be a good Samaritan and give it back to them, shouldn't I?"

A wicked grin spreads across his face at her suggestion. "Y'know, sweetheart, I think they just might appreciate that."

He doesn't bother to wonder how a petite girl such as Eris plans on pushing out what must be a 200-pound safe. He's been on exactly one heist with her—this one—and he can already tell that she is someone who defies both physics and death with her levels of insanity.

Sure enough, a few scrapes and several grunts later, and the van doors crash open to let the newly emptied safe launch right into the path of their pursuers. A deafening crunch and the sound of screeching brakes is all he hears for several seconds before triumphant cheers fill the vehicle once more.

"I can't believe that worked, you beautiful bastard!" Eris cries out, draping herself in the passenger seat. "That was such a rush, I could kiss you right now!"

Clint gives an easy smile in response, leaning back now that he has the luxury of driving slower. "By all means, don't fight it if you—"

The rest of his words are lost as his face is abruptly turned and his mouth covered by soft lips pressing eagerly against his. His lips part in silent surprise, and Eris takes the opportunity to dart her tongue in to swipe against his, bringing with it a taste of smoke and cinnamon he somehow finds intoxicating. But before he can register her actions enough to kiss back, Eris is pulling away, a grin on her lips and fire in her eyes.

He should have known right then and there that she'd be trouble for him.

[stagekiller]

ship meme - jerome and oswald >B)c

Meme

{ accepting pls :”D }

more like fuck me up also HERE is their icon :D

001. .   .   .   kills the spider ;  Jerome because Pengi is a peep & can’t reach, also Jerome gets a kick out of stomping insects. bye bye spidey :(

002. .   .   .   proposed; ok if this ever happens it’s either  Oswald trying to unnerve the fuck out of Jerome ( who probably says yes just to spite him & then there’s this push pull of who will back off first ) OR it was Jerome who wanted to freak Os out, so he set up this really elaborate dinner date & he acted all genuine about it. Ofc poor Os had to talk his way out of it because he didn’t want to give Jerome the opportunity to claim he ‘got his heart broken’ from the rejection & shot him or smt

003.  .   .   .   kissed the other first; Jerome :”D and it happened in this drabble, back in Arkham :”DD

004.   .   .    .    initiates things;  9/10 times it’s Jerome & the context can vary here. Jerome goes to his place and pesters him about helping out w plans, Jerome provokes him & Jerome leaves ‘gifts’ that probably result in Oswald calling to scream at him when Olga finds them

005. .   .   .   would leave the other;  OKAY HEAR ME OUT: i feel like i should say Jerome, because that’s the OBVIOUS answer like, you know he said goodbye to an ability for emotional attachment as a kid, you know he’s just hanging around for entertainment and might get bored eventually BUT - considering what Os has been doing ( which you and I know about, but Jerome doesn’t ) to his head so far … I feel like he would stick around much longer than initially intended. HOWEVER I’m not sure what state Oswald is in emotion-wise, because Jerome is putting some significant effort in becoming part of his life & Oswald can grow ‘attached’ ( in his own twisted way ofc ) to people easier than Jerome can. SO! Final answer: I’m gonna say it’s Jerome for now, but that’s susceptible to change.

006.  .   .  .  is more jealous; MMM I feel like it’s in Oswald’s nature to be jealous of things, so the second this .. “thing” they’re doing is threatened by someone else’s presence I feel like he may ?? act up ?? Like, I wouldn’t put it past Oswald to be petty af if s/b was getting comfy w Jerome in front of him. I don’t think Jerome would be jealous if Oswald was doing things w other people romance wise or something ( I’m not even SURE if the right way to phrase this is ‘romance’ wise because?? I don’t know what their dynamic is called?? ) , but he definitely gets jealous about other things such as Oswald favoring someone else in a deal, Oswald not being able to hang out  w him because he’s busy, Oswald PUTTING HIM ON HOLD IN A CALL ( BAD ) and just generally not getting the attention he has entitled himself to.

007.  .   .   . is lazier;  i wouldn’t call either of them lazy tbh, but I feel like Jerome is MUCH more energetic than Oswald. so Oswald might sometimes have days where his chronic pain acts up or he just feels drained & wants to chill, but that’s not a thing in Jerome’s book. with that in mind, I’m gonna say Os :D

008. .  .   . sends weird texts at 3am; obviously os- JK OFC IT’S JEROME

009.  .  .  .is more experienced; I’m gonna go with Oswald because he’s older, he’s been around much longer, he’s more street-wise, he deals with things in a more mature but also calculating way and can be less impulsive than Jerome. In terms of romance/sexual stuff though I’d say it’s Jerome because he was quite the casanova before he dropped out of high school ( + probably could still be if he wanted to ) BUT when it comes to affection/bonding w people/acting out scenarios that require displays of emotion I’d put them at an equal level, because acting is second nature for Jerome and he’s just as observant.

010.  …said i love you first; I feel like Jerome said it once in an ironic manner or to unnerve Pengi but then Oswald gave him puppy eyes and went all “ you do ?” (partly to freak him out I bet) so Jerome just backed off and went all outtie 9000

[fe-pride-edits]

Mail Time!

In an effort of saving time and space, we’ll just compile the couple of questions we got into one post. If you also would like to ask us a question, feel free to submit it here.

Do not submit edit requests as we will ignore and delete them. This form is for questions and blog suggestions only. Edit requests will be deleted.

Anyway, questions!

How long does 1 edit generally take you guys to do?

That kind of varies between editor. But on average, I’d say a regular Fates or Awakening sprite takes about less than a day, a “simple” Heroes sprite can take about 1-2 days, and a “complex” Heroes sprite can take up to 3. And this is assuming we are also in good moods and energy levels.

How do y'all make your edits? Curious because I’d like to make some edits for this blog, but don’t know where to start.

Mod Charlotte made a tutorial long ago about how she does it in Photoshop, which is fairly close to how the rest of us do it! And while the tutorial is in Photoshop and we know not everyone can access or wants to use PS (a couple of the mods here don’t use PS either!), the tutorial is applicable to other programs just through some messing around. You may want to check google as well, since there may be an edit-specific tutorial that goes based off your preferred program!

do you perhaps do skin color edits ? i know ofc this is a pride edits blog but (for example, this is not a request) if i wanted a gay henry or lesbian tharja with darker skin would that be possible?

Unfortunately we have to say no to this. Since skin editing has little partnership with our main flag pallets we view it as belonging with general sprite editing, which we don’t do. It’s still a color change, but doesn’t involve our set theme the way something like “no hair change/specific (flag) color hair” does. I hope this makes sense, and we’re sorry again! Edit: you can submit submissions though that have a character with edited darker skin! We've had some sent in before, and while we ourselves won't do it, but you all are of course free to add that in to your own edits and submit them!

[ughrafe]

observations on that prison scene

aka i was rewatching uc4 cutscenes and noticed a ton of little details in the prison scene that i just . needed to point out ??? so these are my observations, sam & rafe & nate centric, under a cut because it got really long & full of pictures–i’ll say over and over again that i’m in awe of how much effort naughty dog put into this game.

nate’s line “hey give me a call when you’re tall enough to ride the rides!” to gustavo as vargas leads him away from the fight. i wonder if at any point he’s thought it @ rafe lmao

after lying to vargas, nate goes to find sam. sam looks like he’s having fun beating the other inmates at the game they’re playing and smiling smugly til he looks up and sees nate. his smile goes awaaaay

probably at that black eye, you know

the way sam delivers the line “jeee-sus they worked you over good” is golden, it reminds me of faraday’s line “jesus wept” from the magnificent 7

sam & nate’s conversation before rafe comes in. i feel like “now this rich asshole comes in on the tail end” is the first time nate has properly brought it up – i’ve no canon evidence to support that, but i feel like it can be inferred from conversation cues? nate sounds earnest, whereas if he’s brought up this specific issue before, he might have said something like “i still don’t understand why ____”.

which is interesting because if that is the case, the way sam responds suggests that nate’s argued against rafe’s involvement before–it’s kind of a simple, tired, “don’t- don’t start, please?” he’s definitely had to defend rafe’s involvement before. which makes me wonder, if nate has voiced distrust of rafe but hasn’t brought up what really bothers him about rafe until now, how did their previous discussions about rafe go? i imagine nate might have said vague/passive aggressive things like “i don’t trust him,” and clearly sam had defended rafe & his decision to trust rafe well enough before in order for them to still be working with him. i’d like to know what sam might have said in rafe’s defense when they first teamed up, if there was anything beyond “we need him to get into the prison”.

just. there’s a tone when sam first goes “don’t start” that implies they’ve discussed this before, but the rest of the conversation lacks that tone imo and. basically i wish we had more background on how they came to work together and more on nate & rafe’s dynamic (nate clearly doesn’t like that rafe’s just “coming in on the tail end.” on the other hand, this scene is before nate goes off to find 3 ancient cities and become “““a legend”““ so there’s not as much basis for rafe to dislike him this early on. i headcanon that rafe admired the drakes and wanted to impress them to some extent, but again, it’d be nice if we actually knew more of their dynamics!!

rafe finally comes in, seemingly from out of nowhere. i honestly wonder what he was doing before he saw them & came over??? probably standing idly and being uncomfortable

“i’ll work it out with vargas, don’t sweat it.” rafe puts a hand on sam’s upper arm. sam doesn’t flinch away. note that rafe doesn’t look at sam even though sam’s the one who voices concern about what would happen if other people find out about the cross, even though rafe’s words are directly in response to that concern–instead rafe looks at nathan, and his expression is pretty relaxed and confident. personally i see this as support towards “rafe was trying to impress them"

rafe glances at both brothers throughout their conversation but it’s interesting to note when he does. “for now let’s get on to more important matters” he looks at nate, makes sense because nate was in charge of/presumably has the cross, then he looks at sam. nate suggests they go somewhere else more private, rafe looks at him, again makes sense. he takes a step back and begins angling his body away, but then there’s like a split second’s pause when his gaze switches to sam and he nods (even though it doesn’t look like sam’s looking back at him?) and then begins walking away.

the differences in the unholy trinity’s prison garb!! i really don’t know much about what inmates are given to wear/how that differs across different prisons, but i guess here they were given the same overshirt and two kinds of undershirts? there’s seems to be a sleeveless undershirt (the one gustavo was wearing) and a longer-sleeved undershirt (the one that nate is wearing). if you look around in the scene at the other inmates you can see what they’re wearing varies – some have the overshirt buttoned up completely, some have it unbuttoned with an undershirt, some unbuttoned with no undershirt, some topless entirely, etc etc

the neckline is the telltale difference – the sleeveless shirt dips lower, below the collarbone, while the longer-sleeved one cuts right along the collarbone. references:

nate & rafe have the same necklines, so it seems like they’re both wearing the long-sleeved undershirt. (sorry the picture here doesn’t have the best lighting).

meanwhile sam appears to be wearing the sleeveless shirt underneath.

so now we have that established, there are the overshirts. it’s hot in panama ofc. much of the prison yard is exposed to sunlight. we see inmates that are openly shirtless and many have their overshirts unbuttoned/completely off. sam’s got the sleeveless shirt and he wears his overshirt unbuttoned, with sleeves rolled up past his elbows. nate’s wearing the longer sleeved undershirt and he’s also got the overshirt unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows. but rafe? rafe’s wearing the longer sleeved undershirt and has the overshirt buttoned up. @rafe maybe this is why u can’t chill…….

in all seriousness though, i feel like these details reflect them really nicely. sam’s sleeves are bunched up with wrinkles suggesting that they’ve just been rolled up carelessly, while nate’s have been folded up with a little more care. nate’s also covered in dirt – which ofc is from the fight, but if you think about how much of the active work he does across this series, it’s apt that he’s covered in the most grime. sam’s looks well-worn too, but rafe’s looks the cleanest, unsurprisingly. rafe also has his sleeves pulled mostly down to the wrist, just slightly rolled up. he looks like he’s trying to cover himself up as much as possible, and while i did see other inmates wearing garb the same way he does, it’s very fitting considering his background and how different the world he comes from is

so they get inside and nate pulls out the cross. rafe reaches for it, and nate goes “hey” and holds it away from rafe a  ibit. “may i?” i’m surprised rafe doesn’t sound more sarcastic/impatient here. my guess is nate’s been open about his distrust and rafe knows the younger drake isn’t completely sold on him and for once chooses to placate.

i like how nate looks to sam before moving. sam nods and nate hands over the cross. i wish i could tell more clearly who rafe is looking at here

like even though their judgments of this guy differ, nate still trusts his brother

won’t stop nate from eyeing rafe skeptically though lmao

oh naughty dog why didn’t u give us more of these 3 interacting

“why would avery’s men go through the trouble of hiding a cheap crucifix?” rafe looks at nate first, then sam, then nate again. interesting thing considering rafe himself later on calls sam the “authority on avery”. though this could also be just because nate was the one who brought them the cross and rafe assumes he’s already got an explanation for it

nate explains it’s not a crucifix. sam begins to look away, distracted by something?? maybe bored by the conversation? i can’t quite tell, and i like how nate has to nudge him a few times to get him to pay attention

“if it’s not jesus then–?” rafe shoots quick glances at sam then nate, and nate’s like “read the inscription.” i love how most of this scene feels like nate patiently guiding a student

THEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS. at the prompting, rafe hesitates with “uh…” YOU CAN HEAR NATE SCOFF SLIGHTLY ND LOOK AROUND LIKE “IS THIS FOR REAL I DON’T HAVE TIME FOR THIS” JUST BEFORE RAFE STARTS READING . i wish we got more of these two being petty at each other. i mean i guess that’s the whole game on rafe’s end but i still want more.

 sam puts rafe out of his misery & translates. i’m still not over rafe’s little “…look at you” like it’s so funny that he seems genuinely awed. again, he definitely looked up to the drakes one some level bye

i love nate’s face here. it sums him up for this entire chapter

rafe’s so smiley as he listens to the drakes come upon the scotland revelation. as sam begins to say “there is a cathedral of saint dismas…” rafe is looking intently at him and his brow furrows slightly, IN AWE. i feel ya rafe

rafe takes point as they leave. when the inmates show up he sinks back behind nathan, oh rafe

ofc can’t forget his face when the inmates begin closing in, like this is the reason i went back to rewatch in the first place

the ensuing fight: “jesus did you have to pick a fight with the most popular guy in this joint” “well i didn’t hear you volunteer” (volunteer to be the one to pick a fight, or volunteer to be the one nathan gets to pick a fight with?) “GUYS SAVE IT FOR LATER” oh sam i feel ya too. imagine forcing those to sit down to a civil dinner with each other jfc

okay i’m gonna stop here because i have to get off, but there’s so so so much more i WANT TO BURST. like tldr naughty dog really outdid themselves !!!!!

[zackaran]

Thank you so much for pointing out such a good example of what this kind of thing can look like this is genuinely so helpful.

I do want to give folks some resources for alternatives-

Specialty and native plant nurseries absolutely exist and they are some of the neatest places ever, seek them out. Some do mail order and shipping but this varies.

Native plant societies, rock garden societies and other garden groups often have seed exchanges and plant sales. There are even really specific ones- the Pacific bulb society, International Carnivorous Plant Socciety (and many many at local levels), Penstemon society, etc. come to mind.

Botanical gardens often propagate and sell frequently poached plants in an effort to stop folks from turning to these people.

And finally, a lot of the time you can collect wild seed and grow things yourself! Check local regulations for sure but by and large this is not usually an issue at all unless it's a specific protected area/species and/or a state or national park. Even then sometimes you can get a permit or permission so it doesn't hurt to ask.

Nurseries (just off the top of my head ofc there are tons more)

Hidden Agave - started by a guy from the San Diego botanical garden. afaik they propagate everything themselves sustainably. A lot of rare and difficult to find species

California Carnivores The oldest and biggest carnivorous plant nursery in the US. Dedicated to conservation through cultivation. They are currently closed to the public but they still do mail order and ship throughout the US. I have Peter's book

Poot's Cactus Nursery Small family owned. A mix of plants they propagated themselves and wholesale purchased. They are transparent about which is which(labels have a 'P' or 'W') but it all looks good to me

Prairie Moon Nursery Advocates of prairie restoration. Supplies over 700 species of native north American plants. Sells seed as well. Ships plants. Emphasizes importance of restoring native plants to the landscape as an essential part of being a good steward

Here's a great example of a seller that is setting off red flags for poached plants. Here's why:

1. Species is uncommon in cultivation, and highly desirable for collectors. Cultivation is tricky due to its slow growth and absolute intolerance for excess water, and it is not appealing to large scale commercial growing for that reason. It's also a North American native that grows in California and adjacent states, where this seller is based.

2. Seller has multiple mature or near mature size plants, but does not have any seedlings or intermediate size juveniles.

3. Plants lack the uniformity of appearance that you see when a group of seedlings is grown under the same conditions. Cultivated agaves often have a more open rosette, rather than the tight habit we see here.

4. While cultivated plants certainly lose leaves, most growers will trim them off before posting them for sale. Additionally, the bottommost leaves are the first to go when an agave is stressed, and they all show dry bottom leaves.

5. They are bare root and have small, dry root balls. Growers that ship bareroot will generally not uproot plants until they are being shipped, both for appearances and to minimize stress. What soil is in the pots here is clearly very dry and has not settled, indicating it was very recently added.

6. The prices don't make sense:

In cultivation, a multi-headed specimen like this would take years to grow. You'd most likely be buying it off a collector or a grower downsizing stock plants, and the price would definitely reflect that. Yet this cluster is only priced slightly higher than the single specimens.

For comparison, seed-grown plants like one below from a reputable grower were priced at $20:

It will be years before this plant resembles the other plants posted here.

7. Seller's description provides no info about the origin of the plants, which is suspect in combination with the above.

Am I 100% certain these plants are poached? No, but it seems very likely. If they are, does the seller know they're selling poached plants? Not necessarily, assuming they purchased them from someone else. But I certainly would not be giving them any money based on all of the above.

[brickerbeetle]

If you're still doing the fanfic meme then how about: I, P and V?

;3; ~

 I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

Anything involving The Guys (+Gou ofc) kickin’ butt. I liVE for AUs of the action variety. There’s this one fic called Bloom and Scatter,  a zombie AU with veryyy lowkey makorin and no other pairing, but I ate it up in a matter of hours for the plot alone. A fic about makorin bein badass buddies? Sign me the fuck up, no more explanation needed. Bonus points to any action fic that doesn’t make Makoto out to be someone in need of protecting. Double bonus points for having Gou kick butt with the rest of them.

P: Are you what George R. R. Martin would call an “architect” or a “gardener”? (How much do you plan in advance, versus letting the story unfold as you go?)

Definitely gardener. I try to be an architect sometimes, but my efforts never lead to success, and I end up just winging it. :’) Whenever I write, I am often absently singing, “what the fuck am i doing” with varying levels of enthusiasm.

V: A secondary (or underrated) character you want to see more of in fic?

Good afternoon do you have time to talk about our lord and savior Gou Matsuoka

[draculeo]

i was just....wondering....do u think this is ok abt gender as well? like i...feel fucking guilty for not letting a few friends of mine know abt being nb and this leads to some uh...dysphoria inducing comments on their end *its not their fault!!! ofc. they don't know* but.....i- idk man. i'm pretty conflicted. any advice?

disclaimer: i’m not an expert or a scholar i am just a 20 year old with a lot of opinions 😭

for your specific situation i think this also applies. from what you describe it sounds like the guilt stems from feeling obligated to come out. two options: come out or do the internal work u need to come to terms with the fact that no one is owed your identity (and that’s not a big deal either! they’re also not owed information on your bowel movements but you don’t feel guilty about that bc it’s fine and they don’t need to know!). for the comments, if theyre general comments u can still correct and educate even if they don’t necessarily know youre non-binary. as simple as “oh actually guys i heard you shouldn’t say that bc xyz” or “wait that reminds me of something i read the other day! did you know that’s actually offensive/incorrect/a myth?“ etc. if the dysphoria stems from their actions towards you specifically you can set boundaries without a full blown explanation. for example, i have a friend who tends to be rowdy when she laughs. when i told her i wasn’t comfortable w being hit playfully, she made an effort to remember that and apply it to her actions, no questions asked. in terms of sharing ur gender identity i started rambling so i’m putting it under the cut and i’m sorry if it’s scatter brained i’m rly just thinking out loud and still in the process of crystallizing my own opinion

tl;dr of the cut: keep in mind you can be as vague and broad as u want and there are very few people you owe full blown explanations to.

ok to preface another issue i have w coming out is ppl feel pressured to do it ASAP and trap themselves in a label and are less willing to fully explore and understand their identities bc they’ve already gone around and told everyone and no one wants to come out a second time, especially w less supportive ppl making comments like “i knew you’d change your mind/it’s a phase/etc”

someone who has come to full terms with their gender identity and in a position to “come out” should they want to. in my opinion, if they dont care to announce it and officially come out to friends and family w a full explanation, they can at that point figure out the absolute minimum information they’d need to share and go from there. for example, if i am non-binary, fine with going by she/her pronouns, and fine going by my given name, I don’t have to share anything at all. if i’m not comfortable with my name, i ask to be called by another. if i want to go by other pronouns, i can ask to be referred to by those pronouns and provide as much or little explanation as i want and think is appropriate in the situation (ex: if i ask a coworker to refer to me with they/them, that’s literally all i’m asking. they don’t need to know my business.) and so on depending on your comfort level

for those who choose to change their appearance and present themselves differently, it all depends on their environment. for most people you can literally just not tell them and if they ask you can say “personal reasons” and leave it at that unless you want to say more. same thing here with defining the bare minimum of information you want to share and tailoring it to fit your comfort level and your relationship to the person you’re talking to (like if u get top surgery and grow a beard and have a relationship w ur mom. the bare minimum thing doesn’t really apply and ur probably gonna have to sit down w her for a talk and a decent explanation)

so even if you show up to school one day in makeup and heels after 16 years of being perceived as a boy and tell people to call you samantha and refer to u with she/her pronouns they STILL aren’t owed a private explanation and you’re allowed to not answer their questions bc regardless of whether or not you share your full life story they’re still obligated to treat you with respect and respect your privacy (socially but also in most cases. legally.) for the ppl who choose not to respect you, i doubt overstepping your comfort levels to share the nitty gritty details of your story would’ve changed anything other than leaving you feeling exposed.

i forgot where i was going with this but. yeah. i’m thinking about it since it can vary so widely on such an individual basis so im trying to make my answer something malleable and theory based that you can use to form your own answer for your specific situation rather than me telling u what i think you should do