#basically had to record a tutorial for something and talk through it

[hunysckle]

i had to do something new for work and it was very nerve-wracking

[bobacupcake]

ask from over on cohost that i wanted to crosspost over here!!

hi!!! i'm assuuuuming you're talking about the effect in this one?

i'm using something called parallax mapping!! i know most people know what parallax is and how it works in the realworld but im just gonna demonstrate it real quick just so i dont have to keep going "ok now imagine how parallax works"

so imagine you have two windows. in the middle of the window on the left, there is an Orb. it is directly in the middle of the window. the window on the right also has an Orb, but this one is pushed backwards outside the window quite a bit. now if you look at the two windows, and turn them, you get this:

for the first window, the Orb stays basically in the center of the window. but in the second window, if you turn the window right, the Orb "looks like" it's moving left

parallax mapping is essentially taking this assumption, that if you change the angle you are looking at an object, the further away an object is, the more it will move in the opposite direction. i will spare you on the matrix math involved but you can get the exact relation you need by getting the Tangent Space View Direction. you dont need to understand the math behind this to use it

so, lets go back to the window example, how would you make the same effect, but with just this 2d texture of the Orb?

what if, whenever the object it was attached to turned right, you just moved the texture to the left, by X amount, where X is how far into the window the orb is. you would essentially be cheating god and "faking" the parallax. it would look like it's moving like it's far out of the window, but really, it's still a 2d texture. it would look like this:

i was too lazy to make the shader and record another gif but i dont need to because functionally it would look almost identical because when you turn it right the Orb moves left

again, you can just Know the right direction to push the texture in based on the current angle by getting the Tangent Space View Direction. ok another example. what if you had a black and white noise texture, like this

now what would happen if, instead of moving the whole texture X amount. you moved each pixel a proportional amount based on how bright it is. a 100% black pixel would not get moved at all, and a 100% white pixel would get moved the furthest along the Tangent Space View Direction. a pixel thats right down the middle would move half that distance etc etc. well it would look something like this!!!

thaaat's the basics behind it!!! it's also used for effects like faking room interiors through windows with just a 2d texture in biig cityskapes and the like

you can see how the cube example looks kind of like an ice cube with the distortion, that's Not intentional and how parallax mapping artifacts. i do not care about it, because i make crystals. but some people do care about it, so you can use parallax occlusion mapping, which is like parallax mapping but a step up

here's some more reads on it if you are interested!!! https://simonschreibt.de/gat/windows-ac-row-ininite/ https://www.patreon.com/posts/playing-with-29753575 https://catlikecoding.com/unity/tutorials/rendering/part-20/ https://halisavakis.com/my-take-on-shaders-parallax-effect-part-i/

[krystalsturns]

even line my lips just to match my nipples - c.s.

fem!reader x friend!chris

smut

-

“even line my lips just to match my nipples, leave me alone bitch i wanna have fun,” the sound spills from your phone as you replay the tiktok you just posted for the third time, maybe fourth. you’re lounging in front of your vanity, lips parted slightly as you admire the way you moved. slow, confident, a little teasing, while tracing that deep mauve liner around your mouth. the color did match your nipples, and the smug little smirk you flashed at the end of the video made it very clear you knew exactly what you were doing.

your phone keeps buzzing. likes, comments, reposts. the video’s blowing up faster than you expected. a few girls are asking for the lip liner shade. a few guys are clearly not watching for the makeup tutorial.

you toss your phone onto the vanity with a grin, leaning in to blend out your highlighter, still glowing from the reaction. but then, a new buzz. different vibration. not tiktok. you glance over.

chris sent you a message.

you open it, curious.

he sent you your own video.

and under it:

chris

i would do insane things to find out if it actually matched.

you snort, covering your mouth with your hand. there’s no way. no way that message was meant for you. it’s bold. too bold. your fingers type quickly, giggling.

y/n

wrong person? 😭

he replies almost instantly.

chris

oh my god.

you laugh even harder, heat blooming on your cheeks. poor chris. he must be mortified. and yet… you feel that familiar little thrill in your chest. you’ve always had a tiny, inconvenient crush on him. never acted on it. but now? now he’s basically handed you the perfect opening.

you bite your lip, rereading his message, then type out a response before you can talk yourself out of it.

y/n

it does match btw.

find out for yourself ;)

a pause. then:

chris

you’re fucking with me.

y/n

nopee 🙃

chris

i’m coming over rn.

your heart stutters. you drop your phone, suddenly very aware of how little time you have. you finish your makeup in record speed, lashes curled, glossed lips perfect. then you scramble to your closet, tugging on a soft little outfit. something cute, easy to take off. you smooth it down with a shaky breath just as there’s a knock at the door. three, firm and fast.

you open it.

chris is standing there, hair a mess like he ran a hand through it a thousand times on the way over. eyes locked on yours, burning with curiosity and something heavier.

you lean against the doorframe, cocking your head. “sooo… who was that text really for?” you ask, voice lilting, playful.

he rolls his eyes and steps inside like he owns the place. “matt,” he mutters.

you blink. “matt?!”

he shrugs, looking suddenly sheepish. “yeah. but… now i really wanna know.”

his gaze drops, lingering at your lips. and lower.

you smile slow, “guess you’ll have to work for it.”

he takes one slow, deliberate step toward you, eyes locked on yours like you’re the only thing in the room worth seeing. his hands find your waist, fingers pressing in as he pulls you flush against him, bodies fitting together like they were meant to. his voice drops, thick with something between awe and lust.

“i would’ve never fucking guessed i ever had any chance with you.”

he looks at you like you’re some kind of forbidden treasure he’s finally allowed to touch. it sends a little spark down your spine. you tilt your head, lips quirking in a teasing smile, eyes glittering.

“so���” you purr softly, dragging a finger along his chest, “you gonna show me those insane things you’d do to find out?”

his pupils blow wide, that look in his eyes turning dark and dangerous in the best way. before you can blink, he’s leaning in fast, crashing his mouth against yours. the kiss is hot, unfiltered, a little messy. all teeth and tongue and want. like he’s been starving for you and finally got a taste.

you let out a quiet, breathy moan as he walks you backward without breaking the kiss, every step sending you deeper into the moment. then your back hits the wall. hard enough to feel it, not enough to hurt. your gasp escapes into his mouth, and he smiles into the kiss like he loves it, like he needs to hear that again.

one of his hands slides up, rough and sure, until he’s gripping your jaw, fingers holding you in place as he tilts your head back. and then he’s moving. his lips trailing along your jaw, then down your neck, kissing and sucking, his breath hot against your skin. he’s careful, but just barely. no marks, but you feel every second of it.

you arch into him, hips twitching forward like your body’s got its own agenda. your hands find the hem of his shirt, tugging with a silent question he answers instantly. he pulls back just long enough to yank it over his head and toss it aside.

your fingers barely get a second to explore the warm skin of his chest before he’s reaching for you too. eyes asking permission, but his hands already at the edge of your top. you nod, heart pounding, and then it’s gone too.

you stand there for a second, chest rising and falling fast, both of you half-dressed and completely breathless.

his gaze drops, shameless and slow, drinking in the sight of your bare chest. his eyes linger on your nipples. hard, needy from the cool air and the heat rolling off him. he bites down on his bottom lip, teeth sinking in as his hand grazes lightly down your side, stopping just short of touching.

then his eyes flick back up to your face, full of something warm and wicked. they pause at your lips. still perfectly lined, just a little smudged from kissing. he smirks.

“you didn’t lie,” he murmurs, voice low and teasing, like a secret meant just for you. his smile is lazy, pleased, a little smug.

you giggle, soft and breathless, heat crawling up your neck. “told you it matched,” you whisper, biting your own lip now, playful.

he leans in, lips hovering close, nose brushing yours, fingers finally brushing over your nipple like he’s testing the truth for himself. “yeah,” he murmurs, barely audible, “i can see that.”

you shiver at his touch, and the way he looks at you makes it feel like your whole body’s under a spotlight. admired, wanted, devoured slowly with his eyes.

he crashes into your lips again, hungrier this time, like kissing you is the only thing that matters. his hands roam, greedy and firm, like he’s still trying to convince himself this is real. he shifts, sliding one leg between yours, pressing his thigh right against your heat. firm, deliberate. the friction sends a soft gasp tumbling from your mouth, and he swallows it eagerly, deepening the kiss.

“fuck, y/n,” he mutters against your lips, voice thick and strained like he’s holding back. like he’s on the edge and you’re the one keeping him there.

your hands are already working at the button of his jeans, fumbling just a little from how badly you want this. want him. you push his jeans and boxers down in one motion, and when his length springs free, your breath catches in your throat. he’s bigger than you expected. thick, hard, flushed at the tip. you don’t even try to hide the way you stare.

his lips pull into a smug, crooked grin. “like what you see?”

you hum, eyes flicking up to meet his, playful. “guess i underestimated you.”

he lets out a low, dark chuckle as his hands move to your waistband, yanking your pants and underwear down in one quick tug. then he grabs the back of your thighs, hoisting you up effortlessly. “jump,” he says, voice dripping confidence.

you do, wrapping your legs around his waist as he presses you against the wall. the cold of it makes you shiver, but he’s so warm, so solid, you barely notice. your arms loop around his shoulders, fingers tangling in his hair.

you reach between your bodies, guiding his length to your folds. your touch is slow, teasing, slick with anticipation. he watches you, wide-eyed and dazed, like he’s never seen anything more beautiful. he groans low as the head of his cock slides against you, then gently pushes inside, inch by inch.

he never looks away.

his eyes stay locked on yours, watching every flicker of your expression, every soft gasp that falls from your lips as he fills you up completely. the stretch is deep, intense, toeing the line between pleasure and overwhelming. but you take it. you want it.

once he’s all the way in, buried to the hilt, he stills for a beat. just enough for the two of you to breathe, to feel. then he starts to move, slow at first, but with purpose. each thrust sending your body gently into the wall, each roll of his hips pulling a quiet moan from your throat.

“you feel so fucking good,” he groans, pressing his forehead to yours, sweat already starting to gather at his temple.

your nails dig into his back just a little, dragging downward as he picks up the pace. steady, deep, relentless. your whole body is wrapped around him, clinging to him like he’s the only thing holding you together.

because right now, he kind of is.

it doesn’t take long before that familiar heat coils low in your belly, winding tighter with every deep thrust. your breath starts to hitch, soft little moans spilling from your lips as your body begins to tremble.

“chris.. fuck, i… i’m so close,” you gasp, voice barely a whisper against his skin. “faster.”

he doesn’t even pause. his grip on your thighs tightens, and he starts to fuck into you harder, faster. each thrust hitting deeper, rougher, the sound of skin on skin echoing through the room. your head falls forward onto his shoulder, forehead pressed into the crook of his neck, lips parted, eyes rolling back.

you can’t even think straight, words spilling out of you in broken, breathy sounds, none of them making any sense. it hits you hard, sharp and sweet all at once. your body spasming around him as you reach your peak, legs shaking, nails digging into his back.

“oh my god,” you whimper, voice barely audible, completely wrecked.

he groans low in your ear, breath hot and ragged. “fuck, y/n… i’m gonna cum,” he chokes out. and then it happens, just as the words leave his mouth. his hips jerk forward with one last thrust, deep and desperate, and he moans loudly into your neck, fingers digging into your thighs like he needs to anchor himself to reality.

he stays inside you for a moment, still moving just a little slower now, more tender. riding out the last few pulses of pleasure. then finally, with a shaky breath, he pulls out, chest rising and falling fast.

his forehead rests against your shoulder, his whole weight leaning into you, pressing your back deeper into the wall. he lets out a breathy little laugh, still catching his breath.

“that was…” you start, voice dazed and warm, “fucking amazing.”

he lifts his head, lips brushing your cheek as he grins. “to say the least,” he murmurs, laughing softly, still breathless. his hands slide gently down your sides, no rush, like he’s not quite ready to let go.

neither are you.

-

inspired by: @delilahsturniolo

(this is all my original work. all characters and actions are fictional. don’t steal, copy, or repost this work without my knowledge and consent. reblogs and love is appreciated.)

[shroudandsands]

Prompt #27: Memory

Sometimes, inwardly, he wondered if it would be worse knowing. Was everyone right? Was the Queen right? Why did he doubt them- This is how they had all lived for so long, after all. He couldn’t recall his parents. He couldn’t recall his grandparents. Surely there were friends that he could no longer recall. People he’d met in passing. Moments that no longer existed. And yet it had never brought him a moment’s hesitation. He wished he drank, sometimes.

It was funny, at least, how some of what he could remember was solely secondhand. The shape of an absence that didn’t quite make sense and hurt his head as he attempted to give form to it. Attempted to define the shape by what was around it, by what it could’ve possibly been. An extra pair of boots. An old set of climbing gear. Routines that didn’t make sense for him alone. Callouts in moments where there was nobody else- The flicker of his wife’s terminal. A half-garbled photo. He hoped she didn’t know he’d seen it. He rolled away from his editing deck, the heels of his hands digging into his tired eyes. This wasn’t something to think about when he’d just gotten back. His gear was still piled in a corner, his boots were still on, he hadn’t even thought of taking time to shower. If he were being honest with himself he’d want nothing but to fall over onto his bed and let sleep take him for an indeterminate amount of time. Days, probably, with how he felt at that moment. But he wasn’t being honest with himself. He groaned as he stood and began the slow process of getting everything put away while his terminal slowly chugged through transferring his footage. Boots kicked off. His gear pieced out and hung up. His bag upturned and dumped directly onto the floor so he could get all of his water bottles in one go. Cold packs chucked over into their charging hub. Various pieces of small scrap chucked into his “get to it later” bin. Laundry thrown onto the Laundry Chair. He’d have to get to that. Eventually.

He was back in his chair. Nothing to do but watch a progress bar tick away. A drink on his desk and a bar of… something in his hand. Sure he might be eating it, actively, but he couldn’t exactly say much about what it tasted like. He stared at it for a moment after another bite. No, he shook his head, don’t think too much about the metaphor there. Don’t do it. Seriously don’t go thinking about it you’re not gonna do anything helpful for yourself-

Galena rested his face in his hand, the other resting on the desk in a final pose of giving up. Why was he doing this? He could almost speak aloud that the only reason he’d begun recording his work was because he’d already gotten into the habit of talking while he was climbing, inspecting, and planning. He couldn’t bear to think of why he’d started. So there had to be something else. So he made it into this. His work turned into a 24/7- going from a piece of his life to the entirety of it. Where he once shared most of these moments with Pyrite and the shape of an absence, he now recorded them for innumerable strangers who found themselves in want of it. He could remember quite a few profile pictures and their varying flavors of responses to it. That didn’t feel like it should help. There should have to be something more substantial, right? That’s why Pyrite was always gone to- He ran a hand through his hair, sitting back up. Flying a little too close to the sun there, Gal. At least the momentary spiral cut out right as everything finished transferring over. Nothing left but to get to the relatively light editing process. He was never really about big budget or flash- He’d looked at tutorials for even the basics and decided he liked being low effort ‘cause fuck that- and had mostly just needed to cut footage so that it wasn’t 90% him wandering around for the runtime. He found out some people wanted that, weirdly, so he did have a full-length channel but…

He scrubbed through the runtime. A delve into an old arena that hosted pit fights. Or, at least, that’s what he could surmise from the fact he had to drop through a dilapidated first floor then crawl through a collapsed basement to get to it. Nothing really worth remarking in most of it. He could cut more than half the footage and he’d still have more than plenty. Ramblings about period parts of the building, the weapons left scattered about, the light pipes which he found utterly fascinating, a few rusted lockboxes that contained old currency and older electrope. It was good. One hundred and fifty three instances of Queen Sphene standing in the background. In the distance. In a reflection. He rubbed at his eyes with forefinger and thumb.

He put the edited and cut version up that night. It took him two more days to post the full version. To convincingly hide the shape of where she had been.

[everygame]

The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild (Nintendo Switch)

Developed/Published by: Nintendo EPD / Nintendo Released: 3/3/2017 Completed: 09/06/2023 Completion: Beat Ganondorf with all memories. Trophies / Achievements: n/a

I’m not going to talk about Breath Of The Wild at length because I’m sure that–as the kind of person who is reading this–you’ve already read hundreds if not thousands of words about what is now generally considered the greatest game of all time (unless it’s been supplanted by Tears Of The Kingdom for sure by now?) 

In that, of course, it supplanted Ocarina of Time, and after playing through Breath Of The Wild and, wildly, having my breath taken by it [“Ah, that’s what you come here for”--Ed.] I’m really struck by what a basic bitch I can be. Even as time passed and people tended to sneer at the idea of Ocarina of Time’s position as the greatest of all time (or perhaps I’m just too Insert Credit-pilled?) while I’d admit the game would probably not be in my top ten now and I have little-to-no urge to replay it, I’d still probably go to bat for it, simply because it’s a game I remember so fondly.

I just remember playing through basically all of it from a bean bag and it maybe being one of the first games where I tried to get as much done as possible before a point-of-no-return, and then trying to basically 100% it before beating the last boss (which I eventually gave up on because I was feeling left behind by the other people I new who had beaten it.) Something I remember playing because I just liked playing it, not because I was trying to finish it or anything.

And bloody hell if that wasn’t Breath Of The Wild–and I’m truly surprised by that. As is my usual behavior, I finally played this because everyone was having fun with Tears Of The Kingdom, but I’d have played it a lot quicker if I hadn’t (weirdly) been waiting to see if Nintendo would ever announce an upgraded Switch or anything after a friend had offhandedly said “oh, I can’t imagine playing that on a Switch Lite.”

Well, I did anyway and it was fine.

The weird thing about Breath Of The Wild–and the thing you’ve probably heard endlessly about it (I haven’t read much on the game, to be honest)--is just how it trusts the player implicitly in a bafflingly un-Nintendo way. I cannot believe that the game literally starts, gives you like three small tutorial dungeons, and then goes “kill Ganondorf. Er, probably do these other things first, but if you want to try and kill him immediately we won’t stop you.”

It’s wild! And what really blows me away is how for the most part all the game really is is a open-world checklist, and one where the things you are doing are honestly very basic tiny dungeons that usually have nearly no reward at all, and yet… I felt constantly rewarded by it. Is it simply that Nintendo polish? That effort on feel, on visual? When I think about playing something like, say, Days Gone, which actually has perfectly fine moment-to-moment gameplay.. why do I feel like I’m chewing through something endless and repetitive there, but here I climb a tower to unlock the map–the exact kind of thing I’d roll my eyes at in an Ubisoft game–and I’m like “yeahhh dudeeee!!!”

I mean, I guess I’ve got complaints, but I also sort of understand for the most part why those things are the way they are. I wish cooking was easier (holding stuff in your hands and dropping them into a pan sounds cool, but you’re still mostly navigating a menu, and the lack of it recording a cookbook is a bummer). The economy is totally broken (everyone I’ve talked to about this game eventually relied on an exploit like snowman bowling to get enough cash). The “major” dungeons are kinda nothingy. Quests are as unrewarding as the ones in Nier and they’re not even trying to take the piss out of you.

But this the kind of thing that we want to call the greatest game of all time because it just works. You can quibble this, you can quibble that, but it’s a game I played because I liked playing it, and when I was done with it–I’d got a nice horse, I had a nice house, all the armor and weapons I wanted and that–I just… finished it and felt good about it.

Will I ever play it again? I probably could have played it more! But that’s for Tears Of The Kingdom.

Final Thought: I also rather appreciated the game’s attempt at telling a fairly minimal narrative in a non-linear fashion that (at least for me) paid off. I don’t think it was that successful at recontextualising the whole “save the princess” trope or anything, but it was trying something a little thoughtful, so even that got points.

Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi! You can pick up a digital copy of exp. 2600, a zine featuring all-exclusive writing at my shop, or join as a supporter at just $1 a month and get articles like this a week early.

[admitonegame]

Admit One Dev Blog: Update 1

Did some work todaaay on Laaabour Dayyy Today I did some work on learning how use animation notifications and animation blending to allow the Player to draw an equipped weapon in Unreal Engine. One of the learning resources I've been using is this Udemy course here (if you're interest in grabbing it, it might worth while to wait until it's on sale, since Udemy sales occur pretty frequently). While it's likely I'll rip out and replace much of what I'm doing with this tutorial series (or have to reconnect a lot of things once I have custom art and animations) I still feel like running through this series has been helpful since I'm pretty new to Unreal (much more experienced in Unity and another now defunct game engine) and have been learning a lot.

This leads me to: ================================================ THE UNREAL LEARNING CORNER: Part 1 Whenever this segment shows up here I'll likely talk about some problem I've ran into and explain how I fixed it. None of these will be "be all end all" solutions but hopefully the record of these mishaps will be useful for someone, it will also be a good place to show off any funny bugs I may run into. The things I have today are pretty dry though. LET THE PARENT SKELETAL MESH CONTAIN THE MESH

So a Actor or Character Blueprint (a kind of prefab in UE that can also contain Visual Scripting Code) can contain a Skeletal Mesh component. In early effort to organize how the Player Character and Customization would be set up (would like there to be Character Customization, no grantee of that in a year though) I wanted to place all Meshs (art/models) underneath one parent in a attempt to segment up where all the clothing and other assets would be placed. I've basically achieved a similar goal by using a "Child Actor" (R and LFoot above). While it remains to be seen if that will completely work, I'm at least confident letting the Parent Mesh actually contain the Player's model prevents these two issues below.

Unreal when trying to reference the Mesh of a Blueprint will grab the uppermost Mesh in it's personal hierarchy by default, so without that Get Child Component node, there's no way it could actually effect my character in the way I wanted it to, in this case attaching a sword to their side. While kind of annoying to add another node, this wouldn't be so bad, however:

I couldn't find a way to access the child model and tell it to perform an animation. There may be a way to do this but ultimately just making the parent Skeletal Mesh actually contain the Skeletal Mesh seems to be the way to go so to avoid having to filter through what's supposed to be being affected. TRIGGERED VS STARTED Also you can see above that I'm activating the Anim Montage with the Triggered type of input detection(?), I haven't had the best luck with that just yet, I think it's for actions you're meant to hold down but Ongoing could also be used for that? Unsure. Regardless I recommend using Started for something you just want to hit once like a button press. Using Triggered here was actually causing a variable to change itself four times per button press which resulted in some inconsistent behavior and confusion.

================================================ So a bit simple today but I'm hoping these will steadily get more exciting as we go along. Thanks for reading!

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

what are fun beatles facts you’ve put in your fics

Hi anon!! Sorry for forgetting you!!! TBH maybe they're not as fun or not as much facts as I may have made them seem but here are a few from ILTY:

I point out in chapter 2 that George and John bought matching Gibson guitars (in 1962, following them earning the contract with EMI iirc; I didn't specify the date in the fic though)

Paul talks about when he uses the Höfner vs when he uses the Rickenbacker bass, saying the Höfner is good for live sounds because it's lighter. He says something like that in Get Back, I believe!

In chapter 3 when Cyn and John are looking through a scrapbook there aren't any wedding photos because there really weren't any! No photographer was present :(

I also reference this real letter John wrote to Cyn in chapter 3

also point out in that chapter that while John basically immediately married Cyn upon learning he had gotten her pregnant, Paul stalled with Dot up until her miscarriage and then broke off their engagement.

in chapter 4 I describe this weird trailer thing, which John really had in his garden though I've now learned he actually only acquired it a year later in 1967 so

This isn't historical but the bit in chapter 4 where I describe how John plays I Feel Fine is how you actually play the song lol. I didn't detail it much cause it's not very interesting, but I watched a tutorial for it and everything. I also did some rudimentary sitar + Indian classical music research for the relevant part in chapter 10. It's not directly mentioned in the text but I did my best to make sure I wasn't saying something outright wrong about the instruments basic function.

In chapter 5 I point out that John has a Stu painting in his house, which he really did IIRC

The idea that John may have recorded himself reading from Timothy Leary's book Book of the Dead and played it back while dropping acid it isn't one I made up but I believe it's from Goldman so. Grain of salt fun fact. (mentioned in chapters 4, 6 and 8)

From chapter 7: "They bloody invented automatic double-trackin’ just so Johnny could be here less." ATD was indeed developed by engineers at EMI studios because John found double tracking his vocals extremely annoying lmao.

there's some description in chapter 7 of stuff the Beach Boys and Beatles stole from each other that's to my knowledge accurate. also the song playing on the radio was in the charts the week the chapter takes place during, which I pointed out in the author's notes (I generally have kept track of the dates in my story)

Paul beginning to write Here, There and Everywhere, specifically the intro, right after listening to Pet Sounds is based on him saying the intro is inspired by God Only Knows (he starts writing the intro just after playing GOK in the story). He recalls writing the song at John's house, an he completes it in chapter 8, also at Kenwood, while waiting for John (this time simply to come down stairs rather than wake up) — this is less a fun fact but more my fun adaptation of true events.

I double checked this like three times when I wrote the chapter, but IIRC it's totally accurate that the band recorded brass for the first time one day after the Pet Sounds listening party (chapter 8)

I reference the horrible experience the band really had in February 64 at the English embassy in Washington DC in chapter 8, though the specific anecdote Paul recalls from that evening is entirely made up by me.

this is pretty well-known, but Isn't It A Pity was likely a Revolver-reject, which is why it's briefly considered for the album in chapter 8, given the circumstances

This is my own conjecture but I 100% believe that Day Tripper is about Paul and I made that canon at the end of chapter 8 lol.

This isn't exactly a fact but the questions asked in the Munich press conference in chapter 9 are for the most part similar to real questions they were asked. Including the weird one about participating in the Munich Olympics lmaooooo

Again more of an adaptation than a straight-up fact but John and Paul did visit the Grosse Freiheit when they were in Hamburg for that tour!

Also the geography described in Hamburg should be right, I used a map lol.

Paul DID change the I'll Follow The Sun lyrics!!!! Go listen to the quarrymen bootleg it's one of my favourite things I've used, that it used to be "Don't leave me alone"

Also they did get to play around with some Japanese instruments while in Tokyo and they're some of the softest pics of the band :) I did simplify the events a bit though

George was very worried about being arrested for drug possession when the band got separated from their luggage in Manila.

George did ask Ravi Shankar to take him on as his student in summer 66 but I don't know when exactly.

I think that's a fair amount lol hope these lived up to your expectations :(

[agermanadventurer]

A start

Let’s start somewhere shall we?

The German language is generally considered quite hard because of it’s grammar - which is understandable. If you are a monoligual English speaker you have never encountered the different complexities that are going to show up. But have no fear-! All of these things have been learned before and can be learned by you if you aspire to. I am not going to make this blog a step-by-step blog to learn German - I simply don’t have neither the time nor the patience to do that. But I will guide you to some free sources to get started to be able to follow along with other things I’ll be talking about in the future, and these are both things I’ve come across in my studying and also things I wish I had found earlier.

BOOKS (pdfs)

german language course - Simply named German Language Course is a pdf book that is written by several collaborating authors in an effort to create a beginner’s guide to the German language. It’s constantly being improved but the newer version here is lacking a bit and the original release from 2006 linked above is a bit more put together but choose from your own accord.

basic german - Basic German, a text/work book for grammar! Really- there’s a lot of grammar in there but it’s quite easy to navigate and can be useful for anyone learning the language or the grammar. 

mein-deutschbuch.de - Mein Deutschbuch is technically a website but nevermind that. It offers lists of different grammar rules and gives you excercises to practice your grammar. The only downside is that everything is in german. It’s great for more advanced learners though.

pdfdrive.com/german-language-books - And here’s a link to many other free books that can be downloaded.  

YOUTUBE CHANNELS (for language learning)

Get Germanized - A youtube channel dedicated to teaching it’s viewers German and also about the German culture. There are full course German videos only focusing on exposing and teaching as well as shorter videos with cultural comparisons and entertainment. 

Easy German - Easy German publish videos for both advanced learners and beginners. They focus much on teaching spoken German but also talks about grammar,  and they offer new vocabulary. 

Learn German - A channel that uses a simple artstyle to explain different parts of the German language. The channel also sorts their videos after language level so even for someone in level C1 might find something useful in there.   

Learn German with Herr Antrim - Herr Antrim wants to teach you German for free. His videos brings up grammar, pronounciation, and tak about the German culture.

Besides these channels you also have plenty of videos repeating german phrases and vocabulary for when you sleep (can’t really recommend to sleep while you listen to them) and you can sit down and take a few notes from those too if you want to become familiar with the sounds and some of the phrases.

YOUTUBE CHANNELS (for entertainment and exposure)

Hi From Hamburg - Lila is an american who moved to Hamburg and is making videos talking about her experience with it and she makes a lot of videos for simple entertainment. Her channel is one of the few English ones I’m going to include in this list. 

Dinge Erklärt - Kurzgesagt -  Kurzgesagt is a channel with pretty animation explaining different concepts, ideas, and myths in our modern society today. They talk about philosophy, science, religious ideas, psychology, and more.

maiLab - MaiLab is a scientific channel in German. In their videos they talk about various topics within biology, chemistry, psychology, or of different concepts and myths in society today.

Related to maiLab are also channels like Quarks and MrWissen2go.

100SekundenPhysik - For those who are into physics, this one can be intresting for you. 100SekundenPhysik brings up and explains physics, but in German and in short comprehensible videos. 

Dagi Bee - For those not as interested in science, here’s an entertainment channel (and a few more after this). Dagi Bee is a channel created for entertainment, she features music videos, make up and hair turtorials, reaction videos, vlogs and more.

Marvyn Macnificent - Marvyn makes entertainment and vlog videos; challenges, make up tutorials and reviews, collaborations (and videos with friends), and also different types of discussions of other social media figures.

Alycia Marie - This channel is for any make up and cosplay fan. Alycia’s channel is made up of make up tutorials, make up reviews and comparisons, as well as cosplay displays. She also have a second channel for her music.

Other channels like Dagi Bee and Alycia Marie is for example Luisa Crashion and Jasmin Azizam

DoctorBenx - A look into the gaming part of youtube and we have DoctorBenx as a prominent figure on the list. His videos consist of him playin games such as Minecraft and Roblox but also GTA5 and simulator/indie games. He works closely with the youtuber AwesomeElina.

Vlesk - If anyone’s still into Among Us you’ll want to check out Vlesk who almost exclusively makes videos of said game at the moment. His channel is rather young still but the older videos are him playing TTT in Garry’s Mod. 

Zombey - For those more intrested in playthroughs, Zombey is more appropriate. His channel features many different games such as Demon’s Soul and Fall Guys. 

APPS

Duolingo - Duolingo is always mentioned when it comes to these things, but it’s a good app. It provides a simple, almost game-like, format that helps you practice different concepts in your target language.

Memrise - Can’t forget Memrise on this list. Memrise uses video clips of real life people using the language to get you to associate the phrases with the situation and to get you to immerse yourself with the language. 

Drops - Drops focuses on visual learning, getting your brain to associate the vocabulary you’re exposed to with the pictures and symbols on the screen. The app is great for learning new vocabulary and you can choose yourself which topic to start with.

Wordbit German - WordBit German is useful for vocabulary exposure. You download it and every time you open your phone a German word is shown on the screen and you can mark different word by familiarity.

HelloTalk - This app helps you to reach out to native speakers of your target language and you can also help others seeking to learn your language. You can send voice messages, make corrections and translate the messages directly. The app can be used for free, but there are many functions that are limited without paying. Other similar apps are also available (often with lower quality but they are free). 

PODCASTS (language learning)

Slow German - The journalist Annik Rubens talks about everyday topics and phenomenons in the german culture and society in short recordings. Perfect to practice your listening comprehension as a beginner and get used to the new parts of the phonology - and it’s available on Spotify. 

Easy German - They also have a podcast! They also talk about the german culture but also topics relevant to the rest of the world, though in a bit more natural speed and with a bit more relaxed manner. (Available on Spotify)

Radio D - Unfortunately not available on Spotify but it is easily found with just a google search (and by the attached link). The podcast is made for complete beginners, guiding you throughout different scenarios and settings and building up your understanding and basic knowledge of the language. Transscripts are also available for download.

Coffee Break German - A series of lessons where the listener, together with the English speaking host Mark, gets to learn German phrases and vocabulary from scratch with the help of Thomas. Each episode is between 20 to 30 minutes so get your pen and paper out to take effective notes. (Available on Spotify)

 You will come across many other podcasts, these are just a good place to start.

PODCASTS (for entertainment)

Eine Stunde History - With new episodes every Friday this podcast takes events throughout history and compare their relevance to today and the future. Perfect for those who have an interest in history. (Available on Spotify)

ZEIT WISSEN - Woher weißt Du dass? - The central theme being science, this podcast gives you a scientific perspective on a new question that is being explored every week. You want to know if humans can hybernate or what the consequenses of having sex with the neanderthals were? Not necessarily! But now you can! (Available on Spotify)

Verbrechen - This podcast features true crime, being led by Andreas Sentker and Sabine Rückert. Sabine is the one talking about the cases she’s been met with throughout her career in law enforcement. (Available on Spotify)

Biologie Passion Podcast - If you have a biology test coming up, if you want to repeat some long lost knowledge from school, or maybe you just have a passion for biology - then this is a good podcast for you. Christian Schweda is happy to teach (or reteach) you some biology. (Available on Spotify)

Eli’s Abitur Crashkurs - For those of you who are study freaks in general, you can visit Eli on Spotify! She has made a podcast on everything she has to study for during her Abitur. And the best thing is - they only come in 10-20 min episodes. But be aware for speedy speech. (Available on Spotify)

Die Copycats - Both on Youtube and on Spotify these guys talk about all sorts of nerdy things from video games to bad music and give their opinions on many other things. They’re quite small so go and give them a bit of love. (Available on Spotify)

#QueerAsBerlin - Not available on Spotify unfortunately. But as the title suggests is this podcast a commentary, interviews and a view on different aspects of social problems through the lens of the LGBTQ+ community in Berlin.  

Bin ich Süßsauer? - For my fellow asian LGBTQ+ people out there; this underrated podcast features an asian host in Germany, talking about different parts of LGBTQ (from what I understand the host themselves are trans and therefore the general theme) with different guests. Of course this can be enjoyed by anyone, just a small shout out for diversity. (Available on Spotify)

Schnapsidee - der Podcast über Liebe, Love & sexy sein - From the name alone you are most likely able to deduse the theme of this podcast. Anna and Paula talks about their love life, relationships, and sex! Their content is lighthearted and enjoyable to listen to. (Available on Spotify)

Dick und Doof - Without any real theme to their podcast, the two friends Sandra and Luca is having a great time, and we get to listen to their conversations about anything and everything. The both of them focus mostly on humour, sprinkled with an insight in their private lives. (Available on Spotify)

Alliteration am Arsch - Or AAA in foreshortening, features Bastian Bielendorfer and Reinhard Remfort who found themselves as friends after realizing the things they had in common and now we get to listen as the both of them discuss anything and everything through the lens of comedy. (Available on Spotify)

[rp-repliforce]

If my muses had their own Youtube channels

Colonel

His channel would be mostly centered around weapons. He would have tutorials on proper maintenence of sabers, as well as a few swordfighting lessons. (Though he would mention that his videos are no replacement for in-person training.)

The majority of his videos would be reviews of beam-sabers, but he would occasionally cover other weapons too (like guns). He would be sure to film himself testing out his weapons as well. Sometimes he’d use solid objects to show how much damage the weapon is capable of, but he would also use the training simulation since it more accurately shows how a weapon can be used in actual combat.

Colonel would also occasionally do reaction videos of military/repliforce related-clips that would be sent to him.

His channel would start growing fairly quickly because a lot of people would be intrigued by the fact it’s run by THE Colonel of Repliforce.

Even though Colonel would engage in discourse on other platforms, he wouldn’t do so on youtube. At least... not for a long while. If it got bad enough though, he would make a video where he’d reply to his mean comments. The only ones he’d answer though would be ones criticizing Repliforce. He doesn’t care that much when people insult him, but when they insult his leader and his ideals? He’s not letting that slide.

General

His channel would basically be made up of livestreams, and all of them would be him just chatting with his viewers. He’d discuss a variety of topics, but he would often be talking about philosophy or answering people’s questions. He would also give advice in a rather fatherly manner. He would only stream every 2 or more weeks though.

He would be sitting in a big, comfy chair, which would be next to a large, synthetic fireplace. He would also start every stream with a (General-sized) full kettle of Earl Grey, and would usually end it sometime after he’d run out of tea.

His channel would be sort of small, which is mostly intentional. He wouldn’t mention his channel’s existence anywhere else on the internet, and he wouldn’t use many tags on his videos. His channel would more likely be spread through word-of-mouth. He would know every commenter by name (because of his enhanced memory), and he would always look for his more dedicated followers whenever he’d start streaming.

He wouldn’t be bothered by mean comments, and he’d have an AI moderator that would automatically delete them from the chat. He’d have a rule in plain view that would state: “You may ask difficult or provocative questions on the condition that they are presented in a respectful manner.“

Iris

Her channel would only be for personal videos. It would mostly just be short videos of Iris and her friends, which she had recorded with her phone. Her most popular clip would be of her reacting excitedly to finding an iridescent green beetle on the pavement, titled: “What bug is this???“

Bonus:

Slash Beast

His channel would be a mixed bag, but most of his videos would be of him goofing around and occasionally getting into mischief. Each one would have basic editing at most. Some examples include:

Trying out running around on all fours through tall grass with a gopro attached to his chest like an absolute creature.

Trying to learn how to play his expensive new electric guitar, and somehow breaking one of the strings despite wearing protective claw covers.

Several videos of him showing off his combat skills, blowing something up in an open field (like a Sigma effigy), or watching the test firing of the base’s defenses.

Him showing a magic trick to one of his Knot Beret to see its reaction.

An hour-long video of him riding on the outside of a Repliforce battle-train, complete with the wind overwhelming the camera’s cheap microphone the entire time. He would comment on a few things during the trip, but it would be impossible to understand what he’s saying.

Him walking around outside with the camera awkwardly pointed up at his face and grumbling about a superior officer recently telling him that he was filming too much. At one point he would say: “-and what’re the mavericks gonna do, map the stars? I don’t think so. Not a chance... This thing’s a hunk a’ junk anyways. Good luck picking out the big dipstick constellation from the JPEG mush.“

Storm Owl

His channel would be made up entirely of book reviews. Even though he often comes off as grumpy in his daily life, he would be a lot more relaxed when talking about his favorite stories.

That is... Until someone intentionally sends him a terrible book. “LOOK AT THIS!! ALL OF THE PERIODS ARE COMMAS! WHOO PUBLISHED THIS MESS?!“

He would always be filming from his favorite reading chair, which is very cushy but also kinda oversized. (Do not @ him for being small).

Jet Stingray

His channel would just have random videos he’s recorded of interesting things he’s found while at sea. There would be no commentary at all, and for some reason all the footage would be potato quality.

One notable video would be titled: “Weird Ocean Noise.“ The screen would be completely dark, and the only sound would be of Jet Stingray’s turbines whirring. An inexplicable sound would then resonate through the water, which would cause Jet Stingray to freeze for several seconds. He would then accelerate (presumably in the opposite direction), and the video would abruptly end.

All of his videos would only have 1-10 views on them.

[curodole]

Making the lock work (spoilers for AA 3-2)

So. I’ve encountered several debates regarding Atmey’s psyche lock. In short, this seems to be the only lock in the series that “reveals” a completely false information (namely, that Atmey encountered Mask*deMasque and lost consciousness because of it). I’ve been mad about it for several days. The fact magatama fails to work “properly” (what exactly it does is up to its own debate which I won’t touch here, the basics are still there) pisses me off as a massive plot hole that breaks the rules of a proper detective story.

But then I remembered just how we get this lock: through Phoenix and Maya asking Luke whether he has seen Mask*deMasque. 

Now. How do we actually solve the 3-2 case once and for all? That’s right. By proving he had, in fact, seen Mask*deMasque.

Which made me think of another idea of how this lock could be handled.

------------------------------------------------------

First of all, move the tutorial lock somewhere else. Slap it on Gumshoe or something, it’s irrelevant.

Second. We get to the lock on Atmey. However! Phoenix never gets into “suppose you haven’t seen the thief” route of questioning. You are asked for proof Atmey did see someone. You don’t have it. The lock - and that’s important! - remains unbroken.  We move to the trial, and it’s still not broken. Now, at this point most people would either forget about it or be confused but think we’ll talk to him on the next day of investigation or something, and that’s when it becomes relevant. But that never happens. 

Then, the second day is close to an end. Luke slips up about Mask*deMasque costume, Phoenix calls him out on that, everything is as usual. 

That’s when, right before the final breakdown scene where everything shakes, whiteout turns into blackout.

And in this blackout, we hear...

The lock breaking and chains unraveling.

And then the breakdown happens.

---------------------------------------------------

Now, I’m not saying this solution is that much better lore-wise. After all, the magatama’s not even out at this moment, so there shouldn’t be a lock visible or something. Besides, not many people would actually remember that there was a lock, like, 2 trials and multiple investigations ago. However, some people would, and it would be really epic to have a lock that requires an entire trial to break. 

And I also remind you that such intrusions require some other parts of the story to change. Breaking this lock leads to two main consequences: 1) you acquire the photograph of Mask*deMasque exiting the warehouse; 2) you hear Luke was hit in the back with a shichishito, which ends up as a contradiction later.

To deal with 1), you can just get the photo on the computer instead of/in addition to a list of entries (which is mainly used for dealing with that lock, anyway). As for 2), maybe devs could just come up with another contradiction and shove it somewhere else in Luke’s dialogue. Or if we want to keep the impression this sword is actually a murder weapon, you can bring it up during a cross examine where Atmey first confesses that he was hit on the back of his head, his testimony is added to court records, and then during his further testimony we get the usual “fighting stance” part and then use previous testimony data for objection. 

[kekoma]

— semi as your boyfriend.

can’t imagine not crushing on this man. hope you enjoy.

many many thoughts with this man.

so many that it hurts in good way.

first of all, semi MOST LIKELY named one of his guitars after you.

and i’m not talking about some ordinary guitar that he may occasionally play or anything— nah, i’m talking about the most expensive one that’s gorgeous.

takes the utter most care of that guitar since he plays it often and no one is allowed to touch it.

def learns the songs you like and covers them because this man has bomb ass vocals. i said what i said and won’t take it back.

or he just plays the melody, asking that you sing instead (if you’re up to it)

when semi isn’t covering/playing songs for you then he’s writing them about you.

you’re his sole inspiration for most of the songs he ends up creating and you’re also the first one to hear it before anyone else too.

also something to point out— he creates most of those songs during the night when you’re around.

semi knows most late nights can pull out the strangest topics but it can also open you and him up at the same time when it comes to emotions.

so he’ll be staring at you from his computer chair with his guitar resting on his lap, listening precisely to every word that slip pass your lips as you laid on his bed; rambling about your emotions and how you’re thankful that the universe has put you two in the same timeline.

suddenly he starts strumming a soft tune that makes you feel like you’re floating and turning those words you said not too long ago into something lyrical, something that you two will understand but those that hear it would need to decipher (because there’s no way he’s making it easy for outsiders to understand)

AND if you know a few things about music, can sing well from taking lessons/taking a chorus class in school and/or play an instrument then semi is going AWOOGA 😍 

def can see him wanting to collab with you or asking if you could be his hidden vocals/use your voice in general (meaning he would ask you to record a fake voicemail or say his name a certain way so he can put it in the song)

although if you aren’t comfortable with that concept then he understands and won’t push you to do anything.

whew let me move on because i could literally go on and on about this man being musically talented.

anyways, semi def creates a bunch of playlist for you. 

each one having a description for why it was made and the feeling he wants to give off with it.

something i feel like he may also do is send over songs he currently listens to and says you should listen to it too so you both feel more connected.

BUT really stepping aside from music.

he’s extremely caring and respectful towards you.

truly studies you, making mental notes about everything and makes sure he avoids cause any discomfort.

when it comes to caring— semi semi here might go out his way to show you through his actions if he feels his words and physical touches may not be enough.

i’ll say he’s a bit clingy— dude loves being around you no matter what.

for sure invites you to his volleyball practices and games.

you’re his lucky charm and he enjoys the thought of knowing you’re supportive of him when it comes to volleyball.

also he’s supportive of anything you do as well, even shows up to your events too (but if it clashes with a volleyball then he won’t be able to go obviously but he makes it up by ordering food in and asking you to tell him all the details about what happened)

now i briefly brought pda earlier and its about that time to talk about it... does eita like it?

yeah he does but it’s not very common in public.

the best you’ll get from him is holding hands, small pecks on the lips/cheeks and ONCE in a blue moon will he wrap his arms around you from behind.

there’s no real reason for why he’s like that but hopefully you’re understanding.

now in private; he does a bit more pda. kisses become a bit more frequent, won’t pass up the chance to hold you in his arms through cuddling or whatever.

side fact: semi definitely likes when you’re in between his legs, your back pressed against his chest and the guitar would be settled on your legs— basically teaching you how to play (if you ever asked him to)

“where do i place my fingers next?”

“right here... you’ll bring your pinky up a bit but keep these two fingers on the the second fret.” he’ll carefully move one of your fingers just to put them in the correct place.

“then you’ll strum. i’ll let you try it without my help this time.”

literally would smile when you do it, finding himself falling deeper in love with you than before.

semi adores that you’re willing to learn something he’s very passionate about it and appreciates you for even taking the time for it when you could do other things.

vvv soft and we stan that here.

moving on— lets talk about nicknames really quick.

drumroll please 🥁🥁🥁 

top nicknames: my melody/melody, love, angel and occasionally he’ll toss in lotus along with bambi. 

had to keep it cute and interesting <3 semi isn’t going for the basics.

something to mention, we’ve all seen the way he dresses in casual clothes... now you can either a) hype him up about his clothes to the point he’s no longer concerned about how tendou says he looks uncool or b) help the boy out with his style just a bit. all up to you cutie.

heh now let me discuss dates right because whew~ dates with this cutie? hits deliciously.

of course most of the dates are music related so tickets to a concert is on there, going to certain places (such as a park with others and a little picnic set up) to see free performances from new/upcoming artists and etc.

“that last set was actually good, don’t you think so melody?”

“yeah~ i liked the emotions the singer had in her voice. it really connected with me but what do you think?”

“same thing as you. however, did you notice how they had a shift in the cords that created the perfect harmonic? and it wasn’t completely soft too.”

“now that i think about it, my ears didn’t catch on the first time but yeah. oh look! the next act is going up~!”

but when he isn’t dragging you out for that then he mainly takes you out for a drive/walk around the city, cafes, those karaoke places that also serves food, shopping and stay-at-home dates which he tries his best to make them fun (there’s probably more but im just naming a few here)

dates are normally chilled with him and always fun so we loving it.

bonus: semi FOR SURE has you as his lockscreen. no doubt about it.

he loves waking up to your picture in the morning or even checking the time because he gets to see how adorable his love is.

also on his sns (instagram mainly)— he has a highlight called ‘me and my melody 🎶🤍’ which is filled with a bunch of pictures of you two together.

the pictures are so cute that they end up on Pinterest and everyone starts  spamming your dms with “so 👀 does your boyfriend have any siblings?”, “can you drop a tutorial on how to get a fine boyfriend like yours?”, “ayo 😳 think i can have him on the weekends and you get him for the weekdays?” and much more crazier things we won’t mention here.

another bonus: probably sings you to sleep if you’re having trouble sleeping. don’t try fighting me on this because i won’t allow it.

ANYWAYS, to conclude this before i have complete semi brainrot— dating this man is a 10/10 and it’s worth it.

we love semi eita over here <333

© all content belongs to kekoma 2020. do not repost, modify or translate.

[mintchocohip]

sub!bts as househusbands

╺ requested | the ot7 as househusbands!

╺ note | sub!bts x domme!reader. see each member for any notes!

TAEHYUNG ➜

note | roleplay

Visiting friends, putting on his errand boy hat, or wandering town with a camera, an empty stomach, and a pocketful of cash occupy chunks of Taehyung’s weekdays. He isn’t allowed to open his sub journal until three hours past noon—that’s the hour when he misses you the most. At the sanctioned time Taehyung opens the journal to today’s date and picks out a handwritten note delicately tucked into the pages. Today, he’s Maestra’s best student—recording himself practicing the new song you chose on his violin. “'I’ll do anything for Maestra. I would be her Cinderella,’” you’re finally home, and you’re sitting next to Taehyung on the couch reading aloud the journal entry he scribbled after sending you the recording, “'cleaning on hands and knees.’” Taehyung’s sheepishness at hearing you voice his fantasies is cured by a fluff of his hair and a fond kiss on his rosy ear. As you wash dishes with Taehyung later this evening you’ll contemplate tomorrow. Choosing these secret tasks is your prerogative. Still. Your husband always has amazing ideas. 

YOONGI ➜

notes | naked apron kink, mentions of pegging

Yoongi is the ideal house husband. He’s vigilant, hardworking, and resourceful. A need for time and space alone is never questioned. When your sleepy-eyed husband emerges from the solitude of his home studio, though, Yoongi needs tangible proof he’s making you happy. “An apron?” Yoongi glances down at the white sheath. He wandered into the kitchen to find you home from work with a shopping bag on your elbow. You’re holding the apron’s straps against his shoulders to judge the fit. “Cooking naked. Flying oil. Makes me nervous... I thought my little chef could use an apron.” Yoongi blinks. He knows he’s blushing. Usually, he doesn’t pull on clothes before waking up early to cook you breakfast and pack your lunch for work. Cooking for you is basic, respectful routine. It would be easier to toss on a baggy shirt than tie an apron. This gift mostly appears to benefit the person who strolls into the kitchen most mornings acting like you’re already hopped up on two espressos and daydreaming about giving him the strap tonight while you wake yourself up knowing full well the effect your naughty backhugs and whispered “good morning, baby”s have on his attempts to focus on stirring veggies in the frying pan, of course; but, Yoongi has a feeling he might enjoy it more than you do.

JUNGKOOK ➜

notes | mdlb, little!jk

Jungkook waited for the right moment expectantly. He sensed it in your aura. He felt it in the way you looked at him, listened to him, and held him in the weeks before. Something changed. It was a comfortable, gentle change. Jungkook cried when he proposed. He cried at the wedding. He cried when you said it would be better to stop renting dungeon space and instead find an apartment with a suitable extra room. Marriage was about romance, symbolism, and becoming yours. Jungkook knew his lifestyle of playing games and going to the gym all day wouldn’t change. You’re two self-sufficient people who fix up chores as they appear. Most days, Jungkook feels that vocally supporting your ambitions and treating the apartment like a laundrette are the most important things he can do. When you text him to say you’re coming home early and wondering if he could take out all of his littlespace things and set up the playroom before you’re through the door—shocks run up Jungkook’s spine. He gloats like your friend when he steals your snacks, and he thinks like a roommate when he asks if he can dedicate more closet space to his growing shoe collection. Right now, you need your partner. That special knowledge relaxes Jungkook with peaceful—dry-eyed—certainty.  

HOSEOK ➜

note | mommy kink

You didn’t know housework channels existed until Hoseok started one. The ‘mommy’ in his social media handle is cutesy but sincere. In the past Hoseok has always felt tingly and whole when you gave him a sarcastic “sorry, mom” after he scolded you for putting drain cleaner in the wrong cupboard or failing to tap down a coaster for a glass of water. Now, it’s what a legion of fans call the faceless, apron-clad man posting soothing clips of himself cleaning through every room of this gorgeous sunny apartment and, occasionally, grooming the puppies. You’ve never really looked at any of it. Hoseok appreciates that you have him so wholly you don’t need to. “Soft,” you mutter while laying in bed with him at night. You’re playing with his hair to make him smile. Hoseok knows a certain bedside drawer is off-limits from his urge to tidy and rearrange. When you roll over to open it he curls up inside. At some point this house gained two mommies. Only one Mommy is dignified with a capital M in texts through fluxes of dirty talk and reminders to buy new air filters. Only one of them decides when and how Hoseok gets off. Your husband enjoys organizing his days. For your sake, he’s even happier to surrender his nights. 

JIMIN ➜

note | lifestyle d/s

Watered plants, vacuumed cat hair, spotless surfaces, empty recycling, lines in praise of Mistress. Jimin sends you photos of today’s completed chores at the scheduled times and gets cute emojis in return. If he lived alone Jimin might spend all day playing with the foster cats and downing wine at brunch. As it is, he carefully considers a new color scheme for the bathroom. He needs this space to be pretty for you. Shopping with a wide open budget usually distracts Jimin into sending you pictures of a giant teddy bear and asking if you would be angry to find it in the living room when you come home. Although he flutters from amusement to amusement, Jimin is always home, relaxed, and wearing the clothes you like when he needs to be. Hanging up your backpack and taking off your shoes, following you into the bedroom, and kneeling at the edge of the bed to massage your legs and eat your cunt is ritualistic. Jimin makes amazing coffee. You lounge in bed, sip the mug he brings, and tell him what to order for dinner. Discipline earns its rewards. The reason you bicker with smiles on your faces about Jimin’s definition of “spotless surfaces” is absolute comfort. You know what you want from each other, and you want the same things.  

NAMJOON ➜

Lounging in the garden is a fine way to spend a weekend afternoon. Cool shade inside the wisteria tunnel is dappling Namjoon with light and shadow. You lean over the picnic tatami and clink lemonade cans with the man who created this masterpiece. He smiles shyly when he realizes you’re staring. You’re giving him that look. Once upon a time, discovering that you don’t care too much about your surroundings excited Namjoon. It’s a form of power he never thought he would have in a marriage. Perusing local furniture galleries and commissioning artists to furnish a home that suits his aesthetic sparked Namjoon’s creativity. Tempering compost, monitoring seedlings in the garden, and flecking walkways with wildflowers and willows brims him with encompassing adoration for life. Beauty is created in the wake of his passionate work. “Unbutton your shirt halfway.” You're taking a sip of lemonade, leaning back, and watching Namjoon follow your instruction. Buttons open somewhat shakily. He rests his hands and waits to hear your next idle thought on what he should do for you. The outlines of these moments cross your mind slowly and meander to your imagination. You don’t have the patience for gardening. You do have the patience to capture some of Namjoon’s beauty for yourself.  

SEOKJIN ➜

note | blindfolds

Your coworkers have met him at parties. Seokjin is a friendly, handsome man with savoir faire. A creative list of salacious reasons a man like that would drop his career forms behind your back. Seokjin scoffs when you relay gossip to him. He’s especially fond of the idea he’s a criminal witness skirting discovery. Trying the hobbies he never had time for, taking his little cousins to the aquarium, fishing weekends, signing up for classes at the local university, streaming liveplays out of his gaming room or cooking tutorials out of the fancy kitchen you funded—Seokjin savors it all with fresh-faced enthusiasm. Some days he just takes out the trash, folds laundry, edges himself, gets bored, catnaps, and checks his phone to see if you can call because he’s lonely today and nothing he could do compares to hearing his wife tell him what’s on her mind. There is an unwieldy desire inside Seokjin, despite it all. He needs to demonstrate the ways he cherishes, protects, and provides for you. Sometimes, it’s being the person you need to tell about your day. It’s being the person who cooks your comfort foods, provides warm hugs, queues your shows, and takes you on dates. Most often, it’s your kiss on his forehead as you adjust the blindfold and praise him sweetly. “You’re the reason,” you remind him with another kiss, “that I’m always smiling when I think about home.”

[hyliandude]

Learning Music Log - Day 1:

I am someone that has never played an instrument, never been part of band, never even known how to start. For the past year I’ve been fascinated with Lo-Fi music, so I figured I’d try making some myself. Again, with no experience in anything myself, I figured I’d need some tools to make electronic music. An old friend of mine from high school had some songs signed and sold through Beatport, and I remember him using FL Studio at home. Just messing around with the tools was interesting to watch, but the interface and process always intimidated me.

Another artist I follow on my art blog, Artem Solop, is also big into making his own electronic music and beats. Although I do not know him personally, I have always liked his style. The unique thing about his method, is that he utilizes his Nintendo DS and Switch as instruments. Synths, Compressors, and Drum Machines have always intrigued me, but I could never tell one thing from the other, and here was this guy using them from his Nintendo consoles to make something sounds good. Cables routed from one system to another – how does he do it?

I figured I’d plunge in headfirst – well, as “headfirst” as I could while still adhering to baby steps…I know the hobby can be expensive if left unchecked.

I bought KORG Gadget for Nintendo Switch about 2 weeks ago to start this journey – an inexpensive grab through Amazon for just 30$. I have no idea what it is, but it’s what Artem seems to use in his videos. The tool is described as such:

-Robust music composition/production tools in a compact cartridge

-Simple to use and easy to understand; anyone can create music anywhere and everywhere

-16 different synthesizer and drum machine gadgets with additional DLC gadgets available

-Gadgets have retro-inspired tactile control knobs that you can turn by rotating the Joy-Con controllers

And to be honest, it did not disappoint. It was a great way to wrap my mind around the synths, tracks, and “scenes” as they are laid out in the simple to use interface. I was determined to begin this journey in a self-taught, but organized manner. I had googled a few things before starting anything:

1. Simple music theory – I had no idea that notes/scales determine how well something sounds. A lot of you may think that that’s obvious, but again, my music knowledge started in 4th grade with a mandatory recorder recital and ended with the 5 colors on the guitar hero guitar. At the most basic level, I learned that scales could be set (C Major, A minor, etc.) and most tools used to create music (a digital audio workstation, or DAW for short) had a setting to allow “helpers” that would highlight keys in any given scale. From there on, I figured out that experimenting and playing randomly sounded better if I followed the scale guidelines.

2. How different chords on a piano/keyboard evoke different emotions depending on what scale you’re in. Major chord happy. Minor chord sad.

3. After talking to my fiancé (a former band geek that played flute!) I also learned that the concept of “chords” did not apply to the flute, so I also realized how different instruments were from one another…

Aside from those few things, I didn’t really look into anything else before attempting to ‘craft’ a song on the Switch.

Immediately, I could tell that the different synth gadgets varied and specialized in different things. The Marseille gadget had some great piano, electric piano, and orchestral instrument presets; the Helsinki gadget was great at ambient/relaxing sounds; the London drum gadget was great at…well…drum sounds and beats! Each of the city inspired gadgets brought something unique to the table. The Switch’s controls were intuitive. Copying and pasting, moving notes, playing tracks vs. just playing scenes was something that I was able to pick up in around 30 minutes without even ‘sniffing’ the user guide. By messing around I actually learned more about notes, half beats, and chord progressions all on my own.

Before I knew it, I had crafted a song that was about 3 minutes long. Deep, ambient intro, catchy simple melody, and the typical ‘lo-fi’ drums set to 79 BPM. I was impressed at how good it sounded. I knew there were things I was messing up, or could probably do better, but I was still proud of it.

Hopping on to YouTube I found a TON of tutorials covering music theory, lo-fi beat making lessons, “dos and don’ts”, best plugins for DAWs and more. Before long, I invested in an AKAI Professional MPK Mini Play USB MIDI Keyboard controller (hastily, as it seems like the Arturia Minilab might have been a better grab? Lmk), got set up with a subscription to Melodics HQ to learn the basics of playing a keyboard, and installed FL Studio on my computer. After a week of using the Korg Gadget on Switch, I found that FL Studio had a bunch of the same principals in its interface, and I found myself digging in with minimal research into how to use the tool.

By purchasing the Korg Gadgets online, I was able to continue using the same tools I was already familiar with on the Switch inside of FL Studio’s more robust interface.

I was able to recreate the song I made on the Switch in FL Studio. This was a great way to familiarize myself with the tool in an almost step-by-step tutorial I had already made for myself.

After I had gotten a grip with using FL Studio at a basic level, I decided to try mirroring some Lo-fi beat YouTube tutorial videos. To my surprise, I found myself not really liking the final product, even after following the instructor’s guidelines. I don’t think I am a fan of “oh you NEED to do this and this for it to be a good song”. I do think that a basic understanding of music theory is key before even starting, but I don’t know how I feel about new and upcoming musicians following strict rules about how something should sound when it’s literally an art form used for expression and fun.

I was happier with the first song I made just messing around on my Switch than the song I made trying to emulate a Lo-fi beat guided by a professional producer on YouTube… and it got me thinking…I think Giorgio Moroder was right in that one Daft Punk song:

“Once you free your mind about a concept of

Harmony and of music being correct

You can do whatever you want

So nobody told me what to do

And there was no preconception of what to do”

I’m looking forward to learning more – after all, it’s only been a few days!

-Franco

[hoidn]

when i started making gifs what was subjectively twenty years ago but in reality only two, my overarching question was: how? how do i even begin? i searched through what felt like hundreds of tutorials that only explained bits and pieces of the process and eventually, between a combination of tumblr posts and youtube videos, i cobbled together a working method of How To Do It. that was Very Exciting, but it wasn’t particularly satisfying because i didn’t know why i was doing the things in the instructions i was following. a lot of it didn’t really make sense to me in the wider scheme and, most importantly, i didn’t know how to improve. it took me quite a long time and a lot of experimentation before i got to the point where i felt like i had a solid understanding of all the pieces. during that time i found what i think are easier and/or better ways of achieving particular results than i’d learned in the tutorials, which makes me wonder why anyone would want to teach people the most convoluted/difficult way of doing something in the first place, when simpler/easier methods are available.

that led me to thinking about making my own tutorial(s) - basically creating the guide i wanted but couldn’t find when i started, something that goes through the whole process and explains not just what to do but why you’re doing it (where applicable; some things are pretty self-evident). like any skill, it’s not hard to make gifs once you know how, but for me, at least, there was a very steep initial learning curve in a conceptual sense. i don’t think i can be unique in that respect and if there’s somebody who’s as adrift as i was out there, i’d like to help them to make the things they want to see in the world.

also, the truth is that most people who make/write tutorials are bad at it. this isn’t a judgement on graphics makers. people at every level of every area of knowledge i’ve ever come across are bad at documenting procedures. they assume knowledge that the audience may not have, they skip entire steps because they’re so used to doing something that they don’t really think about it anymore, and their instructions are often unclear or needlessly complex (sometimes because they don’t entirely understand why they’re doing what they’re doing, either). so apart from being quite unhelpful to someone who’s trying to learn, poorly written tutorials are very dissatisfying to me, a person who enjoys explaining things to other people and has been paid to do so in a variety of professional environments and is quite good at it. i want to make these things better and it pains me when i cannot do that.

so, would anyone actually be interested in any sort of tutorial i could make? 

bear in mind my technical specs are mac OSX-specific and photoshop, so not all of my learnings may be applicable. to the best of my knowledge, photoshop works the same way across any operating system; however, i don’t know how far its specific commands can be extrapolated for other graphics editing software. i’d certainly be willing to give it a try if you are, though.

there are a lot of people who can show you how to do very cool, very beautiful things to your gifs. alas, i’m not one of those people (i am envious of those people!), but i can certainly help you make your images look more aesthetically pleasing than they’d be if left to their own devices. i can take you through the whole process from video file to uploading your finished gif to tumblr, or i can talk about one particular aspect, e.g. basic techniques to make your gifs brighter. (i can also teach you tricks like how to combine multiple gifs into one image to fool tumblr into displaying more than 10.) (i think my record is 18 gifs in one set?)

really, i just know how overwhelmed and completely stupid i felt when i first started out. (heck, i still feel that way sometimes when i can’t figure out how to do what i want to do.) and maybe it actually isn’t that hard for anyone else; maybe it really is just me. but if it’s not, then i’d like to help make it less hard for someone else, if i can. because, like i said, i’m a weirdo who enjoys explaining things. so. yeah.

okay, i’m shutting up now.

[uncharacter-istically]

So last night I had this dream

I start up a new Breath of the Wild save file and it’s all normal until the part where Link runs out of the cave and looks out at the landscape of Hyrule.  As I’m looking around, in the distance I see Ledo just pop up out of the water and zoom across the map to where I am, he talks to me for a bit and then immediately takes me to fight Vah Ruta.

Then, once I’ve defeated Waterblight Ganon and I’m back on solid ground again, DARUK HIMSELF pops up out of a pile of rocks and starts taking me to fight Vah Rudania and we just kinda fly over to the Eldin region.  And mind you, I still don’t have a lot of good weapons so I’m picking up all these iron sledgehammers along the way to Death Mountain.

And this whole time I’m capturing video recordings to post online later, and I’m thinking it must be some sort of glitch, but when I try to look it up I don’t find any results about it.  (I do find some sort of service where you can get paired up with another streamer to race against them in speedrunning the game which is not what I need because I am neither a streamer nor a speedrunner.)

So then I start a new save file

I am now playing as a character who seems to be a very young and frightened-looking Midna, and the game opens with her being menaced by the “Ganon” of this version of the game, which is a character named White Link.

White Link is a scaled-up (maybe 130% size?), very evil-looking version of Twilight Princess Link who’s wearing dyed white BOTW clothing (looks kinda like the Snowquill set?) and has this white smoke particle effect around him.

In this version of the game I cannot take video captures, and when I try, the game gives me this message that’s something like, “This child does not have access to Link’s eyes,” so then I try and rush through the first portion of the game and skip all the dialogue in the hopes that I’ll get access to screen recording within 30 seconds so I can save that opening scene.

Regular BOTW Zelda is also there and she’s my mentor in the combat tutorial, and it seems to be some sort of assist mode where combat is basically “mash buttons to win.”  So I fight off White Link for the time being.  And then all the monsters in this game are evil plush toys from outer space.  And then I keep thinking, "When am I gonna fight North," but then I remember Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game for the Nintendo Wii is an entirely separate game and franchise.

EVENTUALLY I do find some sort of explanation online, and it turns out that these are bonus difficulty levels you can activate somehow when you start the game.  (Fight Every Blight Immediately is a hard mode and Frightened Midna’s Button Mashing is an easy mode that also has an entirely different story for some reason.)  They’re just really little-known somehow.

So then I wake up and I still think it was real for a minute until I realize, no, it wasn’t, and if it was, then dataminers would have definitely found out about it sooner and it would be more well-known.

[astaerion]

#showyourprocess

From planning to posting, share your process for making creative content!

To continue supporting content makers, this tag game is meant to show the entire process of making creative content: this can be for any creation.

RULES — When your work is tagged, show the process of its creation from planning to posting, then tag 5 people with a specific link to one of their creative works you'd like to see the process of. Use the tag #showyourprocess so we can find yours!

thank you szabina @patel-dev for tagging me!!

This is the set I'll be looking at, more specifically these two gifs:

1. planning

I made this set for the free choice day of wandavision appreciation week, so once i had the idea to use tvtropes, i headed to the website and read through all the tropes listed for wandavision. i took note of all the ones that could work with a simple scene in my notes app. when i got to the end of the list i went through the tropes i'd chosen and narrowed them down. then i set out to collect all the clips i wanted to use. since i knew i wanted to use some that had prominent yellow tones i decided to contrast them with black and white gifs that have a yellow accent in the form of the typography. this all sounds very methodical, but when i'm not making something for a specific challenge i don't plan things out at all, i just wing it.

2. creating

bear with me, because my photoshop is in hungarian. i'll do my best to use the proper terms, but no promises. i use cs6. so after i have the clip i want, i record it using kmplayer and import it into photoshop. i save all my psds often while i'm working because i have been burned by photoshop just crashing on me randomly. for the yellow gifs i chose scenes that already had yellow tones so i only had to enhance the colors and add some basic coloring to make it pop. that one looked like this:

1. without coloring

2. with coloring

3. with coloring and typography

this is the coloring i used for the yellow gifs with some adjustments as needed:

for the black and white gifs i didn't need to find scenes that had any kind of dominant color so i was free to choose whatever. this is how the second gif looked:

1. without coloring

2. with coloring

3. with coloring and typography

for the b&w gifs i used very little coloring:

that's all for coloring. as for typography, i used Abril Fatface 40 pt, one of my go-to fonts. for the yellow gifs i just had white text and adjusted it to be in the middle of the gif. for the b&w gifs i had the same font, but put the blending mode of the text to difference and added a yellow color overlay, changing the blending mode of the overlay to linear burn. ava (@anya-chalotra) has a ton of amazing photoshop tutorials, she talks about this here in more detail, i highly recommend you check it out if you're interested. as for the horizontal lines, i just used the pencil tool to draw a white line that's as long as the text, positioned it then made a copy and moved it into position at the bottom of the text. then i linked the two layers so that i could move them together and not mess up the spacing.

i think this is everything in the way of creating. lmk if something's not clear! i'm by no means great at photoshop but i'll answer any q's to the best of my ability.

3. posting

i either post my gifs immediately after finishing them or i sit on them for an eternity, there is no inbetween. for this particular set, since i made it for an appreciation week, i had a day when i had to post it. i actually only finished it the evening it had to be posted because i debated what to do for free choice for way too long. some other sets i made for the same event i had already done like a week before the event started bc there i had clearer ideas.

i hope this was at least a bit interesting to read, and not painfully long

tagging: (if you want, no pressure)

@inejz-ghafa with this set

@smallest-stories with this set

@wandasmaximoff with this set

@niinazenik with this set

@amandaseyfried with this set