#Code July 2024

[ani-action]

Code July day 3: Swap

Odd and William meeting in my Key Switch AU

[shsl-box-worshipper]

Since today is Day 10 of Code July and because I could not make anything in time, I thought it would be nice to give a snippet of something from the next chapter in The Amazing Lyoko Warriors that I'm cooking rn, cuz it mentions Sissi and Ulrich's childhood friendship

'Out of Long’s nasty place in the shadows came the peppy smile of Elizabeth Delmas, known as Sissi to everyone who knew her except her father. She wore what she called bleeding edge fashion, with pink shirt with a yellow heart, a yellow headband, dark magenta bell-bottoms, dark pink platforms, and a general air of snootiness and superiority.

Ulrich was friends with Sissi once, when the two of them were much smaller and much more innocent. Sissi’s headband was once a pink bow tying her hair up in a ponytail. Her bleeding edge fashion was more a small pink skirt and dress. Ulrich’s cargo pants were once typical boy shorts. His jacket and shirt was once just a single t-shirt displaying whatever anime characters he was into that year.

In some ways, they were more pure than their current selves ever could be, Sissi the bubbly optimist that always made people smile and Ulrich the competitive and jovial soccer player.

However, the accident, Ulrich’s trauma and subsequent self-imposed isolation, and the simple struggles of puberty had driven them apart. 

Ulrich faded out of the limelight, only feeling recognition and warmth during his soccer games, while Sissi grew into it, to the point of spoiling her core.'

[benoits-neckerchieves]

thinking abt julie graham flirting w daniel craig on the set of some voices like yes girl same

[damiannasworld]

Bojan named "Torna a casa" as his favourite Måneskin song and even sang a little bit of it?! 😳 Going to cry myself to sleep, good night. 😭

[creatively-defective]

Art Fight time!! Trying to actually do things before the last minute this year to maybe have everything done… 😅 I’m super excited for it this year!!

[laz-kay]

The Book of Bill is officially in my brain and I shall now be rewatching my favourite TV for the 1500th time after acquiring new information for the first time in 8 years🫡

[zaneybat]

CODE ORANGE AT MICHAEL'S JUNE 30, 2024 ARIZONA

[ani-action]

Code July day 2: Favourite ship

Some Willodd because I could :D

[getyourblisson]

A Look At July 2024

July is a month where success is naturally flowing, if we will simply stay focused on our own work.  We may have to deal with some people who are jealous of the successes that we are making; but mostly those people just don’t like others having success or getting any attention.  They do minimal work, and rely on their connections to place them into positions of authority.  They never truly earn what they get and never truly have the support of others.

They tend to be very good at playing the victim and distorting truth.  It is hard for them to acknowledge that they don’t really know what they are doing.  As a result, they simply try to dominate over others, pit people against each other, and work in passive-aggressive ways in order to try to control people.  Their intention is to be seen as being dominant and powerful; when in reality, they are pretty much clueless to what they are doing.

Abundance energy is flowing.  This will favor those that are putting forth the effort to create their successes.  It is a time where our efforts can visibly payoff for us.  We are able to have the satisfaction of seeing things come together; and to understand more about what we are doing, as a result of being committed to see things through from start to finish.  Most people will feel secure and believe they have enough; even if they don’t have a lot.  Pressures and worries ease up during this time.  It is important that if we are abundant, that we share a little of what we have with those that are truly in need.  This helps to plant the seeds for future prosperity for ourselves and others.  The key always being to know who is truly in need, and who is only pretending to be in need to get a free ride in life.

I welcome you to stay focused on your own work.  What if doing this brings support from others?

I welcome you to realize that those who cannot think for themselves and don’t have true skills, will always play the victim and then try to dominate others.  What if using excessive control over others, is really about keeping people from seeing what they have been hiding and what they are really doing?

I welcome you to share a little of what you are abundant in, with those that are truly in need.  What if this is a way to plant the seeds of prosperity for yourself and others?

From July 1st through July 22nd, we are really going to want to keep our guard up around others, especially if we don’t know them very well.  People tend to have a very competitive energy about them, and that is coupled with a lack of integrity.  This means that the lies and manipulation will be stronger than normal; and people will want to prove themselves in some way.  There is a concept that they are above the law if they are sided with corruption; and their lies will be bigger and worse, in order to beat others out or remove their competition.  We will also find people being more vindictive, and will be sabotaging those that want to stand in truth and integrity.

It is important that we stay focused on what is ours to deal with; and don’t let others drag us down the paths that they are going which are unfavorable.  Even if we are standing alone at times; we will still be in a better position if we are standing in truth, integrity, and simply focusing on being strong in our own gifts and skills.  Our choices and how we use our power makes a big difference; and those that are misusing their power at this time, are in for some hard falls and awakenings.  However, if we are using our power wisely, then we are likely to find that we experience blessings and windfalls.  Our choices and actions have a strong impact over what we experience at this time.

This is a time that favors us staying true to doing quality work with integrity.  It is a time that favors us being creative and thinking outside of the box, in order to create stronger results.  The more that we get to know what we are doing and truly understand it, the more that we are able to expand our possibilities and move beyond rigid structures to find stronger solutions.  This is a time where those that are working in integrity, are likely to be acknowledged for the work that they are doing.  It is the foundation for success and happiness to come through.

We also need to be careful to not allow others to trigger us.  Many that are standing up for what is right, will be triggered by the constant lies of corruption and attempts to make those who are “good” look “bad”.  We want to stand in taking action through lawful and appropriate channels using facts.  Going into reactions, will only give the corrupt more ammunition to use against us.  This is a great time to speak up on things, because people are willing to listen and want to learn from what others are sharing.

I welcome you to keep your guard up around others.  What if people will do anything to “win”?

I welcome you to stay focused on what is yours to deal with, and don’t let others pull you down their paths.  What if you simply need to stand strong in your own gifts and skills?

I welcome you to keep providing quality work with integrity.  What if this is what people want to acknowledge?

I welcome you to stand up for what is right through lawful and appropriate channels using facts.  What if reacting to those working in corruption, will only give them more ammunition to use against you?

From July 23rd through the end of the month, we find that we are learning a lot from the experiences that we are having.  Even when those experiences are challenging and uncomfortable, we find there is much that they offer up to us.  Even when I am writing, I have times where I am in a bind and struggling to get through things for a variety of reasons.  However, I still learn what adjustments that I need to make for the following year to handle that; so that I don’t keep creating issues for myself.  As I do this, I pave the way for a more solid and stable future; where I can take better care of myself in the midst of what I need to do.  You see, the key is to always learn from your experiences, use that wisdom to make wiser choices, and move in the direction that allows you to unfold something stable and favorable.

This is a time where we can make major progression.  We will see some strong advancements made in the world; for those that are working to bring forth Divine Presence and strengthen God’s energy.  This also brings attacks and assassination energy forward as corruption retaliates for the power that it is losing in the world.  During this time, we may see military action more evident.  This can be for bringing people under control and for supporting the people where they continue to stand up to those who are corrupt leaders and installed in their positions.  While these periods can challenge us, the advancements are well worth it; because they ultimately, are making life better for most people.

Freedom and adventure are running high during this time.  It is a time where we could see more peaceful protesting happening in the world.  People want to be more active; and are willing to have a little less or to simplify their life, in order to maintain command over their life.  We will see more people shifting away from corporate structures and jobs that have a lot of restrictions in them.  There is a strong return to morals and values; and focusing on having quality experiences in life.  It is a time of re-evaluating priorities and what is truly important.  It is a time for exploring different possibilities and options that are available to us.

Some may find that things become stagnant for them.  Mostly those that are blocked, are working for corruption and from a space of lies, deception, and manipulation.  This shows that even where corruption tries to fight back, it will not be successful and will have their actions backfire on them.  Nothing can succeed that is not in Divine Alignment.  Those that try to cheat and swindle others or take advantage of them during hardships, will lose 3-10x what they take from others.  This is a time where crime definitely is not going to pay.  It is a time where karmic backlash will be almost instantaneous.

I welcome you to learn as much as you can from the experiences that you are having.  What if making adjustments based on what you learn, helps you to create a favorable and stable future?

I welcome you to keep moving forward and making advancements; even when those who are corrupt try to distract you and interfere with you.  What if they are simply unhappy about losing power in the world?

I welcome you to embrace what provides you with greater freedom in your life.  What if this allows you to have quality experiences in life, in order to focus on what is truly important?

I welcome you to build Celestial Insurance by helping others, instead of developing karmic repercussions from taking advantage of them.  What if you have to endure 3-10x the suffering that you inflict upon others?

In Summary, stay focused on your own work.  Realize that those who seek control over others, have no real power.  Share what you are abundant in with others.  Use extra caution with those standing in corruption.  How we use our power can bring good fortune or hard falls.  Let integrity and quality of work, be what people acknowledge you for.  Realize that reactions give others more to use against you.  Learn from your experiences.  Keep advancing Divine Presence, even when the corrupt lashes out.  Focus on having quality experiences.  What you give or take from others will be greatly magnified in your own life.

What To Focus Our Actions On

From July 1st through July 20th, is a time where we are likely to see many advancements happening that will benefit people in our world.  There are likely to be many groups that are working to support and nourish God and Divine Presence in the world.  In essence, the Warriors of the Light are active; and the corruption in our world is crumbling and tumbling rapidly.  However, caution is needed; because as corruption falls, it also seeks revenge and suffering on those that are bringing it down.  It is a time where assassination attempts or actual assassinations will happen.  Mostly this is corruption trying to cover its tracks.  We have a stronger presence of military during this time.  If the military will not remove corrupt leaders, then we may find individuals taking matters into their own hands.  People are not going to accept allowing corrupt leaders to continue.

Observation will be a key tool for us during this time.  Battles are strong; but it is important that we do not get involved in other people’s battles or take sides.  It is important to remain as objective as possible; and share observations but not opinions on things.  Others must learn to reconcile their own differences.  It is also important that we don’t betray others by sharing the secrets which they may have mistakenly shared with us.  Doing so is only likely to put us in danger.

This can be a great time to work as part of a team.  It is a time where people want to see true successes; and realize that to have that, they will need to work together.  We are favored for being in leadership positions; and this is a time where people may look to us to help bring people together.  The key is to focus on finding ways for everyone to be valued and appreciated for their skills; while still providing opportunities to learn new skills if they want.  Stronger successes come where people are willing to learn more about the many different parts involved in something, rather than just focusing on their own.  In essence, everyone is a master in some ways and everyone is learning in some ways.

I welcome you to embrace the advancements that are happening.  What if they are offering you and others, wonderful opportunities for to have a better life?

I welcome you to take the time to just be in observation.  What if this allows you to grasp the full picture of what is happening, while others work on resolving their differences?

I welcome you to work with others to create successes.  What if we are all a master and student, that helps the team to become stronger; no matter which role we are in at a given time?

From July 21st through the end of the month, is a time where caution must be used with others.  What has been hidden is rising to the surface, and those that have been operating in corruption are getting exposed for their hypocrisy and lies.  Things are not as they seem, and we need to be willing to sort through things and get to the truth.  The more that we stand in truth and integrity, the more that we will be able to see those that are not in that space.  We may see attempts to sabotage those that are not interested in being part of the crowd and are strong on their own.

Relationships, partnerships, and friendships are very important.  New ones can be formed during this time between those that are choosing to stand in integrity.  These are the ones that have the ability to help us find success.  When our connections are real and genuine, we do not have to worry about them betraying us or leading us down unfavorable paths.  We know they are real, when they stand by us during challenges and when we are standing alone because we don’t want to enable others in unfavorable paths.  We want to take time to appreciate the real ones that are in our life; for these are the people that cannot be bought and won’t sell us out.

I welcome you to consider how standing in truth and integrity makes it easier to see those that are not standing in that.  What if lies can only exist when the truth isn’t present?

I welcome you to appreciate the real relationships that you have.  What if these are the people that cannot be bought and won’t sell you out?

What to Focus Our Thoughts On

From July 1st through July 2nd, our mind may be picking up on paranormal activity, or can be going into some dark spirals.  It is important that we use extra caution during this time; because this can lead us to become more accident prone.  We need to be extra careful with things, and avoid construction areas, power tools, and heavy equipment if possible.  It is worth taking extra time at the stoplight, just for those odd chances that something or someone is out of control.  The key is to remain focused on transformation and don’t allow things to stop us from moving forward.

Aspects of our past may resurface.  We may connect with old friends as the result of people passing away.  We may also find ourselves thinking about experiences that we have had with people that have already passed on.  These connections and thoughts are coming up for a reason.  In some way, they have something that we need to consider, as we make choices on current things in our life.  These memories may be helping us to know more about what needs to be considered and accounted for.  They are giving us the chance to work with foresight.

This is a powerful time for learning and sharing experiences.  As we do this, we come to realize the things that need to be considered to move our own plans and ideas forward in the world.  Everything that we learn at this time, is showing us what will and will not work.  It is an opportunity to learn through others, so that we don’t have to repeat the choices that they made; and to show us the things that may be beneficial for us to keep in mind.

I welcome you to remain focused on transformation.  What if accidents are trying to break you down and stop you from going through powerful transformations?

I welcome you to embrace what connections and thoughts are coming up.  What if they have something that you need to consider in your current choices?

I welcome you to learn as much as you can from the experiences that others have been through.  What if this helps you to move your own plans and ideas forward in the world?

From July 3rd through July 25th, our mind may fill with more worries and anxieties than normal.  Most of this is our mind getting lost in lies and self-deception.  As a result, things can look worse than they are.  It is easy for it to run off on tangents, just because it hasn’t already found a solution to something.  What is really happening is that we are dealing with temptations that are trying to pull us out of Divine Alignment and away from God.  The stress and anxiety can easily lead us to make unhealthy choices; and when that happens, we become separated from exactly what we need to align with, which is the Soul’s Path.  Instead, we need to strengthen our connection with God and Divine Presence; for that will provide us with greater clarity in our mind, and open us to find the balance between faith and action that needs to happen.

This is a time where we need to align our thoughts with what upholds truth and integrity.  It can be easy to fall into the fear of what others will do, if we don’t agree with them or support them in lies and deception.  This too, is a bit of a test.  Ultimately it is calling us to ask where our true commitment is.  Is it with material things and popularity, or is with the Soul’s Path and being a catalyst of light in the world?  When we choose material things, our happiness will be fleeting and short lived.  However, when we choose the Soul’s Path, we then give ourselves the opportunity for true happiness and success in the world; which cannot be taken from us.

This is much like the difference between having a candy bar or eating something that strengthens your body and gives it energy for many hours.  The candy bar tastes good initially; but the energy is short-lived and causes problems in the body.  Healthy food doesn’t always immediately taste enjoyable; but it heals and nurtures the body to restore it in a way where it can withstand whatever we need it to do, and in the end, we are far more satiated and feel much better than if we had indulged in the candy bar.

I welcome you to bring worries and anxieties into a reality check.  What if things look worse than they are, because you are giving into the fears and anxieties; instead of holding Divine Alignment?

I welcome you to align your thoughts with what upholds truth and integrity.  What if this is part of being committed to the Soul’s Path?

I welcome you to choose things that provide you with true sustenance, over what sounds good in the moment.  What if this is a call to enjoy lasting happiness, over a momentary pleasure?

From July 26th through the end of the month, we may find that it is very hard to focus or concentrate on things.  There may be lots of interruptions to our thinking; and upheavals and chaos become disorienting and confusing to handle.  Our mind just wants to go into pleasant daydreams, but that only keeps us from facing the reality of what is in front of us.  The drama and chaos will not just go away because we don’t want to deal with it.  The key is for us to become calm and centered.  From there we are able to settle into what is needed.  Drama and chaos may give us the opportunity to clear something from our past, that we didn’t handle well previously.  We may not have been able to care for a loved one at one point; but now have the chance to care for someone else.  If we take advantage of these opportunities, then we open ourselves to be on a path that removes worries and anxieties over our future.

Many people may be feeling a bit rebellious; especially if they feel restricted or confined in some way.  People are not willing to be held back from experiencing life and living freely.  This leads many to rethink what their true priorities are as they go forward in life.  This brings people to appreciate the simple, authentic, and natural things over having many possessions.  It is a time where people are learning about what holds true value; and why previous generations stood up for their rights and time with family.

Those that put out lies against us and support corruption, are trying to get people to give up their values and priorities.  What they push destroys our families and society.  They use lies to manipulate people to rise up against each other.  It is important to stand up for what is right; and so, we must work with the actual facts.  It is the facts that will set us free from those that are trying to control things.  It is the facts that will help us to harmonize and come together to stop corruption.  Those that seek to trigger people and ask them to fight each other, are never working for the benefit of people; but work from inverted priorities rooted in controlling people.

I welcome you to allow your mind to enjoy pleasant daydreams; but don’t ignore the less pleasant things, just because you don’t want to deal with it.  What if coming into a calm and centered space, helps to clear your mind so that you can look at things from a realistic perspective?

I welcome you to consider what your true priorities are, instead of just going into rebellion.  What if knowing what holds true value, helps you to approach things in a way that helps instead of hinders you?

I welcome you to use facts to help harmonize people, and to stop the corruption that others are pushing.  What if people can never be controlled when we show the facts and have strong priorities?

Connecting To Our Soul Self

From July 1st through July 11th, we may find ourselves challenged by those that are living in heavy materialism.  Family can also be more challenging at this time, especially if there are any strong differences between members; such as some being all about status and money, and others being about the Soul’s Path.  We need to make certain that we are not enabling others to be abusive towards us.  We should give if it feels right to do so; but not because someone is trying to guilt us into it.  Those who are greedy want to break the Spirit of those that are barely surviving.  It is important that we stand strong in Spirit, and do not support those that seek our suffering and want to break our Spirit.

Abundance energy is flowing; and this helps us to have more confidence that if we are willing to put the effort into things, that they will pay off.  We are favored for those things that will help support and nourish humanity, animals, and the planet.  This is not about buying into all of the lies put forth about the environment, or the narratives that try to shape the perception of who is and is not “good” in the world.  This is about simply caring, helping those out that are truly in need, and finding ways to live more harmoniously and naturally.  True abundance is a state of living through Spirit, and not buying into the need to live in deprived ways.  It is about focusing on what provides true nourishment; and sharing what we are abundant in.

This is a time where our Soul Self is nourished when we meet our responsibilities and obligations.  It is likely that even big and challenging projects will have a smoother flow to them.  The more that we take care of what needs to be done, the more that we are able to have time for enjoying the things that are coming through.  Our Soul Self is naturally wanting to have a sense of accomplishment.  If we simply get started on things, they will flow well.  However, if we procrastinate on things, they will be even harder to do when we get around to doing them.

I welcome you to make certain that you are not enabling others to be abusive towards you.  What if you focus on what strengthens your Spirit; instead of supporting those that are trying to break your Spirit?

I welcome you to have confidence that your efforts are paying off.  What if the payoffs will be even greater when you are doing things that help to support and nourish humanity, animals, and the planet?

I welcome you to consider how meeting responsibilities and obligations nourishes your Soul Self.  What if the Soul Self naturally wants to have a sense of accomplishment?

From July 12th through the end of the month, we are soulfully nourished by considering different philosophies and esoteric wisdom.  This is really a call to be more introspective and to observe things through objective eyes.  It can be both fun and a challenge to see how much we can let go of the information that has been programmed into us; and to just connect with what is happening.  This is where real learning happens.  When we can people watch, or just see what people do and choose without having any judgments or having to evaluate it; we then begin to connect with true facts and knowledge.  This was the basis for true esoteric thinking; so simply observe for ourselves what shows up and passes through.

This is a great time to reconcile differences and come together with others to work as a team.  We may find that it is essential to work with others, if we are to create the successes that we are striving for.  When we realize the value and skills that others have, we will also find that they appreciate the skills that we have.  It is through this appreciation of each other, that we then become able to focus on what needs to be done.  It is such an important thing for us to work in harmony instead of against each other; and to realize each person has valuable skills, and is no better or worse than another.

Some may be feeling a bit lonely or outcast during this time.  They may find themselves thrust out of situations that no longer serve them.  This can make life feel hard, draining, and tough.  Still, it is carrying us through to another chapter which is in greater alignment with the Soul’s Path.  It is important that we honor time to process the things that are happening in our life.  We want to allow ourselves time to rest a little more, and to work on restoring body, mind, and Spirit; while we are waiting to enter new things.  It is wise for us to put an extra emphasis on nutrition and health, since our body tends to be more vulnerable to catching things during this time.  The right nutrients can be a world of difference for not only our body, but also for keeping the Soul’s Energy strong.

I welcome you to look at things from an objective space and without the programmed information that you have been taught.  What if this is where real learning happens?

I welcome you to reconcile differences with others and find ways to work with them.  What if this starts with being able to appreciate the skills and wisdom that they have? I welcome you to embrace any transitions that are bringing you to be in greater alignment with the Soul’s Path.  What if part of coming into alignment includes allowing the body some time to restore, while waiting on new things to open up?

The Code Journey ~ 2024 Edition

[thingsidrawgohere]

Alright. I'm calling it done before it kills me. This is Second Head. It's an Art Book containing instances of the phrase "second head" in fanfics found on AO3. I'll explain much, MUCH more in the cut.

So when I say 'art book', I mean this is an intrinsic piece. I have no motivations aside from personal amusement and interest in outcome. A lot of money was lost/transmuted into free frustration in this project and I have no claims, obviously. I will prolly be the only person alive to read this.

THAT SAID. I have noticed in my years reading fanfic, there's a few linguistic shibboleths that arise in authors who also have experience in the mines. I think there's not a soul alive who hadn't wandered across a 'ministrations' when reading Narutos oral sexing. There's- Hold on. Here's some pix.

There's an impulse, I think, to in-group even when performing a creative act. A feeling that there are certain ways one Should go about the act, by virtue of seeing it performed that way. Especially so when 'training' at the act is often just Doing. Double Dog Especially when the act is exclusively for oneself with very little oversight. Which is to say, we make what we see and we make what we think we should make. At least, at first.

Now, I've been noticing 'grew a second head' (to insinuate surprise) in fanfic for some time. I've never seen it used Outside of fanfic. (Edit to add: I am not making the argument the phrase is from fanfic. Nor do I Believe it is from fanfic. Jesus Hopping Christ, people. That's not what this project is about.) That may speak to my own bad habits but it got me curious. So a friend and myself downloaded a mirror of AO3 from July of 2024. He did some code- Stuff to scan the mirror for "second head" and of the ~13 million works, ~70k (English) results were returned. That's a rounding error, honestly, but Far FAR more than I expected.

This book is 401 such examples that I personally selected for a variety of reasons. The number itself was arbitrarily chosen. Each page is separate fic, the roughly 300 words around our key phrase.

I don't think repetition or mirroring is a negative thing. I think it's quite charming. Nor do I think it's a sign of a 'bad' artist or 'bad' art. I think it's a signifier of personhood, of belonging, of enthusiasm. Of culture shared and wishing to share. I think it's real sweet. I always smile when I catch a 'grown a second head' in a work.

And it's really fucking funny when it's John Sherlock getting a sloppy toppy. Bless.

Edit: Fixed a very VERY funny error.

Edit: I am not making the argument that the phrase is exclusive to fanfic or, fucking forbid, FROM fanfic. I'm stating this Again because we skim here. Also- If you would like slamdunk my ass by stating the phrase predates the Internet or your GenX parents use it, please use 'sailboat' in your comment so I know you're specifically trying to kill me.

Edit Edit: You know what? Fine. I DO think this phrase came from fandom. I think ENGLISH came from fandom. I think YOU came from fandom. I think EVERYTHING came from fandom. The Sun, the Moon, the Seas- Fandom. Specifically Sonic Mpreg. The second head was Shadow the Hedgehog crowning. Congrats!

[kyri45]

A final letter

Hello Everyone!

The queue is paused and everything is scheduled, which means we are ready for the finale!

I know that, in the end, this was just a silly side project for me, with everything else going on in my life. But for this occasion, I wanted to drop some words here and hope they make sense.

I started watching LMK only because a friend told me there was a "Sonadow-coded" ship. I ended up consuming the entire thing in one sitting on July 10th, 2024. At the time, I was still recovering from a bike accident that had left me with a broken right forearm—unable to draw for a little over a month. (I did try drawing with my left finger, but it wasn't exactly fun.)

Not only that, but it was summer, and I couldn’t enjoy the season or practice my main sport, windsurfing. To say I was feeling the blues is an understatement. I remember being in physical pain just from not being able to draw my sillies. But then, watching LMK did something to my brain chemistry that my little undiagnosed autistic self had never experienced before. It hit so hard that I’ve been physically unable to rewatch the show SINCE that very first day. (And y’all still call me the CEO of this fandom. Bro, I just work here.)

A lot of you have asked what inspired me to start this comic or to draw LMK fan art in the first place. While my usual answer is, "I saw Shadowpeach and thought MK could be their lovechild, given his appearance," the moment that actually started it all was THIS ONE—

(I HAD TO REWATCH THIS SCENE TO MAKE THE GIF AND IT HURT ME ON A MOLECOLAR LEVEL)

I have… a thing for characters who discover their entire identity was something else all along. It consumes my thoughts, my dreams, my every waking moment. I live for identity crises, for characters who thought they knew who they were, only to be forced to rediscover themselves, their existence, and their place in the world. If you give me a story where a character has to go through that, I will like it—regardless of how bad the rest of the story is.

Pair that with loads of trauma, daddy issues, the pressure of a legacy, and world-ending stakes, and congrats! Now I’m obsessed, and I will not stop thinking about it for the rest of my days!

At first, my brain just wanted to release some of that energy with a small, four-panel post about the monkeys discovering that MK was technically their kid.

That was supposed to be it.

But since I never seem to learn my lesson, it didn’t stay like that. Because once I started drawing, I just... continued.

And

I

never

stopped.

A lot of you have also asked how I found the motivation to draw so much, to never take a break. Well, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it one last time: I am my number one fan. No matter how much you laughed, cried, screamed, or went feral over this story, I did all of that and more. Because I got to think about the chapters months before they released. I got to daydream about them. I got to watch them come to life—first through sketches, then line art, then dialogue. And finally, I got to witness your reactions and see the incredible creations you made, inspired by my story.

So yeah, in a way, it was almost an addiction. A good addiction. Because, for the first time in my life, I actually understood what loving art means.

I’ve been drawing for ten years, working professionally for five, but I never loved art before. I just liked it because I happened to be good at it. But creating this comic made me understand why artists say, "Oh, I’ve loved drawing since I was a child!" This was the first time I allowed myself to create purely for my own enjoyment. Something I hadn’t had the privilege to do for a long time.

Other than making me feel even more single than I already was, this story somehow also helped me a little with my own family relationships. So yeah. Crazy how the gay monkeys changed my life.

Of course, I never could have predicted how much traction my AU would gain. Man, y’all were really starving to latch onto something this silly. /j

But yeah—thank you. Thank you for sticking around until the end, for having the patience and trust to follow the story even when I made you rage with angst and cliffhangers. (The statement in my bio still stands: I am not responsible for any physical or emotional damage my art has caused.)

I’m absolutely shit at thanking people, or at writing, or at talking in general, honestly. I’m the furthest thing from being good with words, so I hope the final chapter will be enough to show you my gratitude.

Through this story, I met so many wonderful, talented people. I watched as fans across different platforms found each other through memes and fanart of the AU. I saw artists start their own AUs inspired by mine, growing their own communities. I witnessed an explosion of creativity and collaboration through our takeovers. And I laughed along with you all.

And yeah—at its core, this story has always been about love. Whether it’s platonic, sibling, parental, romantic, or whatever the hell Mac and Wukong had going on for millennia.

At its heart, it’s a story about family.

And maybe, in the end… the real family wasn’t just the one in the comic, but the one we’ve found together along the way. 💛

See you all at the finale.

Love you all, freaks /affectionate

Jade

[rebirthgarments]

Baby Hind was born on May 9, 2024, her parents @sanad.qa7waji and Malak were married last July and have been in displacement. They need money for formula, diapers and survival. In this last month they have only reached $3,356 out of their initial goal of $10k on GFM. Can we get $1k more today?! Let’s do it!

bit.ly/hindsbabyshower “ DM me if you want to get involved with promoting this GFM! Image Description: a photo of Sanad, a young man with wavy brown hair wearing a striped shirt and gazing with love at a tiny baby wrapped up in white lace blankets. Text reads “Buy Baby Hind Formula bit.ly/hindsbabyshower “on the bottom right is a white and pink QR code leading to Sanad and Malak’s Goh Fuhnd Me.

[genius11rare]

What

What about a phonecall?

Backup

Sorry if this is overwhelming to you as you said you were still in shambles, but I just gotta ask: What’d you think of all the new Ford and Stan content? Parts like Bills possessed phone call to Stan, the code in Stan’s letter saying “Love ya bro”, I loved those parts so much!

The freaking phone call man.... Thank god for it not going through.

The fact that Ford did see Stan's commercials too...

And they're little bro code they made when they were little !!!! I appreciate any and all things smol Stans. The "Love ya bro" got me crying.

Also!!! The drawing of little them sharing a sweater??? My heart...

And of course, the one line that made me cry for a good while from Ford: "I found happiness, and it looks like this." THEN TO SHOW THE PHOTO OF THEM ALL

[4chan]

Still standing

On the afternoon of April 14th, a hacker using a UK IP address exploited an out-of-date software package on one of 4chan's servers, via a bogus PDF upload. With this entry point, they were eventually able to gain access to one of 4chan's servers, including database access and access to our own administrative dashboard. The hacker spent several hours exfiltrating database tables and much of 4chan's source code. When they had finished downloading what they wanted, they began to vandalize 4chan at which point moderators became aware and 4chan's servers were halted, preventing further access.

Over the following days, 4chan's development team surveyed the damage, which to be frank, was catastrophic. While not all of our servers were breached, the most important one was, and it was due to simply not updating old operating systems and code in a timely fashion. Ultimately this problem was caused by having insufficient skilled man-hours available to update our code and infrastructure, and being starved of money for years by advertisers, payment providers, and service providers who had succumbed to external pressure campaigns.

We had begun a process of speccing new servers in late 2023. As many have suspected, until that time 4chan had been running on a set of servers purchased second-hand by moot a few weeks before his final Q&A, as prior to then we simply were not in a financial position to consider such a large purchase. Advertisers and payment providers willing to work with 4chan are rare, and are quickly pressured by activists into cancelling their services. Putting together the money for new equipment took nearly a decade.

In April of 2024 we had agreed on specs and began looking for possible suppliers. Money is always tight for us, and few companies were willing to sell us servers, so actually buying the hardware wasn’t a trivial problem. We managed to finalize a purchase in June, and had the new servers racked and online in July. Over the next few months we slowly moved functionality onto the new servers, but we had still been relying on the old servers for key functions. Everything about this process took much longer than intended, which is a recurring theme in this debacle. The free time that 4chan's development team had available to dedicate to 4chan was insufficient to update our software and infrastructure fast enough, and our luck ran out.

However, we have not been idle during our nearly two weeks of downtime. The server that was breached has been replaced, with the operating system and code updated to the latest versions. PDF uploads have been temporarily disabled on those boards that supported them, but they will be back in the near future. One slow but much beloved board, /f/ - Flash, will not be returning however, as there is no realistic way to prevent similar exploits using .swf files. We are bringing on additional volunteer developers to help keep up with the workload, and our team of volunteer janitors & moderators remains united despite the grievous violations some have suffered to their personal privacy.

4chan is back. No other website can replace it, or this community. No matter how hard it is, we are not giving up.

[talkethtothehandeth]

If you have celiac and buy the brand Van’s for their waffles, please know that 9 days ago there was a recall because some of the packages of the gluten free waffles may contain “undeclared” wheat. And if you have celiac, you know “may” might as well mean “does”.

This recall only applies to boxes with the matching lot codes and numbers, and do not pertain to other products that Van’s has to offer. These boxes were distributed in AZ, CA, FL, GA, IL, NC, & WA. Please check your boxes immediately to ensure your own safety and save yourself the painful reactions to gluten. It’s advised the purchased packages be either thrown out (or given to someone who can eat wheat so as not to waste it) or return the product to where you’ve purchased it from.

“The U.S. Food & Drug Administration website published the recall July 3. It applies to certain packs of Van's Gluten Free Original Waffles with lot code UW40193L, expiration date Jan. 19, 2024, and UPC 0 89947 30206 4. According to the Van's recall, some of the packs of waffles may contain undeclared wheat.”

[jamingbenn]

year in review - hockey rpf on ao3

hello!! the annual ao3 year in review had some friends and i thinking - wouldn't it be cool if we had a hockey rpf specific version of that. so i went ahead and collated the data below!!

i start with a broad overview, then dive deeper into the 3 most popular ships this year (with one bonus!)

if any images appear blurry, click on them to expand and they should become clear!

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before we jump in, some key things to highlight: - CREDIT TO: the webscraping part of my code heavily utilized the ao3 wrapped google colab code, as lovingly created by @kyucultures on twitter, as the main skeleton. i tweaked a couple of things but having it as a reference saved me a LOT of time and effort as a first time web scraper!!! thank you stranger <3 - please do NOT, under ANY circumstances, share any part of this collation on any other website. please do not screenshot or repost to twitter, tiktok, or any other public social platform. thank u!!! T_T - but do feel free to send requests to my inbox! if you want more info on a specific ship, tag, or you have a cool idea or wanna see a correlation between two variables, reach out and i should be able to take a look. if you want to take a deeper dive into a specific trope not mentioned here/chapter count/word counts/fic tags/ship tags/ratings/etc, shoot me an ask!

˚　　. 　 ˚　.　　　　　 . ✦　　　 　˚　　　　 . ★⋆. ࿐࿔

with that all said and done... let's dive into hockey_rpf_2024_wrapped_insanity.ipynb

BIG PICTURE OVERVIEW

i scraped a total of 4266 fanfics that dated themselves as published or finished in the year 2024. of these 4000 odd fanfics, the most popular ships were:

Note: "Minor or Background Relationship(s)" clocked in at #9 with 91 fics, but I removed it as it was always a secondary tag and added no information to the chart. I did not discern between primary ship and secondary ship(s) either!

breaking down the 5 most popular ships over the course of the year, we see:

super interesting to see that HUGE jump for mattdrai in june/july for the stanley cup final. the general lull in the offseason is cool to see as well.

as for the most popular tags in all 2024 hockey rpf fic...

weee like our fluff. and our established relationships. and a little H/C never hurt no one.

i got curious here about which AUs were the most popular, so i filtered down for that. note that i only regex'd for tags that specifically start with "Alternate Universe - ", so A/B/O and some other stuff won't appear here!

idk it was cool to me.

also, here's a quick breakdown of the ratings % for works this year:

and as for the word counts, i pulled up a box plot of the top 20 most popular ships to see how the fic length distribution differed amongst ships:

mattdrai-ers you have some DEDICATION omg. respect

now for the ship by ship break down!!

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#1 MATTDRAI

most popular ship this year. peaked in june/july with the scf. so what do u people like to write about?

fun fun fun. i love that the scf is tagged there like yes actually she is also a main character

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#2 SIDGENO

(my babies) top tags for this ship are:

folks, we are a/b/o fiends and we cannot lie. thank you to all the selfless authors for feeding us good a/b/o fic this year. i hope to join your ranks soon.

(also: MPREG. omega sidney crosby. alpha geno. listen, the people have spoken, and like, i am listening.)

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#3 NICOJACK

top tags!!

it seems nice and cozy over there... room for one more?

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BONUS: JDTZ.

i wasnt gonna plot this but @marcandreyuri asked me if i could take a look and the results are so compelling i must include it. are yall ok. do u need a hug

top tags being h/c, angst, angst, TRADES, pining, open endings... T_T katie said its a "torture vortex" and i must concurr

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BONUS BONUS: ALPHA/BETA/OMEGA

as an a/b/o enthusiast myself i got curious as to what the most popular ships were within that tag. if you want me to take a look about this for any other tag lmk, but for a/b/o, as expected, SID GENO ON TOP BABY!:

thats all for now!!! if you have anything else you are interested in seeing the data for, send me an ask and i'll see if i can get it to ya!