#I've gained nothing by generating these portraits.

[heavy-is-the-crown-if]

I was interested in the IF at first but then noticed you used AI to create "art" and was immediately disappointed. I know people will see this and disagree or act like I'm overreacting or whatever but as an illustrator it just really sucks seeing that. I'm not telling you what to do or what decisions to make but seriously reconsider using AI. Maybe research and see what artists, including authors and other creators of IFs, are saying about AI and how it negatively affects artists.

I understand that you may not approve of the fact that I used AI to generate the portraits of some of my characters once, but is this a reason to condemn me and my work immediately?

I'll say it again, I used it once, just once, out of curiosity, because I can't draw and I don't have enough income to live on and commission someone to create something for my If. I had no intention of reusing artificial intelligence, because yes I did my research.

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings but I believe that everyone makes mistakes and those mistakes shouldn't condemn people especially since I've gained nothing over it.

[noodleowl]

Oooooooh my god so obsessed with the way you draw Rick! Obsessed with your drawing style in general. Your anatomy is literally so good. Do you have any tips on anatomy? My figures are always rigid and I’ve been thinking about using a posing software or something. I’m sure the secret is just a shit ton of practice but I’m scared. Lmao. I specialize in portraits but like chest up. 😭

First: Thank you so much for the kind words! :D

I am afraid you are right, "a shit ton of practice" is unfortunately the correct answer. I also still have a ton of weaknesses. Especially, when I switched to stylized work. That shit does not forgive flaw in anatomy at all.

I don't know about posing software… The ones I know don't teach you about body structure at all. But then again, I never tried one. I am too lazy, lol. I have a Book for artists which goes almost medical school like into the depths of bone and muscle. So I don't only "copy" what I see on pictures or see in the mirror, I try to understand and memorize how it works and why it's there. Getting to know the fundamentals is key, even if that's a lot of work. I'm surely preaching to the Choir.

What I do personally, I use my hyperfixations to hone my art skills. For example now, when I want to study backs, I draw Rick topless from behind. Simple as that. Like this, it goes hand in hand and I can practice for hours on end. I am also interested in NSFW which obviously is a lot of practice too since it goes into the nitty-gritty with more complicated posing (I don't post it on tumblr. so they don't blast me into obscurity). Though, this is definitely not everybody's coup of tea. Every artist grinds differently, after all.

The hard part is not to be discouraged. Lord knows, I've been there. I had to get out of my very own "Portrait-phase". But let me tell you this: The fact, that you yourself see the flaw in your own art, is a good thing! It means, your eyes and brain have already learned, something is wrong. It is your hand, who needs to be trained. Keep that in mind as a positive!

Last but not least: Don't be scared to get out of your comfort zone!! There is nothing to lose, only to gain! Find what works best for you. Go wild and in work and time, you'll get there!

[casspurrjoybell-22]

Dream Eater - Chapter 2 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

"Come in and tell me all about it."

Dante lets me go and leads the way inside.

His apartment is long and narrow and runs half the length of the warehouse.

One wall is all window and most of the space is taken up with art supplies.

Finished works line the other walls.

Like everything about them, Dante's paintings are elegant, refined and classically inspired.

Most feature nudes but none are obscene... which is surprising, coming from a sex-demon.

I've modeled for them in the past and my own face stares back at me from more than one place on the wall.

I look up at the largest example.

The guy in the painting has pale skin smooth as cream, eyes like liquid emeralds, silky brown curls and a mouth like ripe fruit.

Dante says they only paint the truth but the guy in the painting is not who I see in the mirror.

I glance over at the full-length one Dante uses for self-portraits.

The guy in the mirror looks like... well, he looks like he could use a shower and a warm meal... which, honestly, is why I'm here.

Dante's 'living room' is a collection of mismatched furniture arranged in a semi-circle against one corner.

I drop into a chair and they recline elegantly on a low sofa.

By the time I finish my story, they're sitting up, leaning forward with interest.

Even without recounting too many details, recalling the dream has me shaking again at the memory of so much fear and pain.

"And this guy has these dreams 'every time he sleeps'?" Dante asks, incredulous.

I nod.

"There's no way he's human. I mean, I'm a fucking 'dream-eater' and one time, was too much."

"You really think he might be Fallen?" Dante's deep purple eyes are bright with fascination.

Human religions are a mix of vague truths and fairy-tales.

Angels and Devils, Asuras and Devas, Aesir and Vanir, Gods and Titans... all are names for the same thing.

Basically, a long time ago there was this fight between two kinds of powerful beings and one side lost.

They are the Fallen.

They're dangerous and they're not supposed to be on this earthly plane.

"But I don't know how he could be," I say. "I mean, he didn't know I was a demon and he seems to genuinely thinks he's just an architect but that dream..." I shudder.

I can always tell when a dream is a memory or at least based on one.

Things are clearer.

Sometimes I can pick up smells and tastes, remembered sensations but nothing as strong as what I experienced with Damien Knight.

That shit was real.

"It sounds like one of the Hell realms, alright," Dante muses. "But if he somehow managed to escape from that, he's either very clever or one badass motherfucker or both. Whatever he is, he's trouble. I'd stay away if I were you."

"Don't worry," I laugh and rub my hands over my face. "If I never see him again it'll be too soon."

********

Dante agrees to let me stay with them until I can figure out my next move.

In exchange, they ask that I sit for them, as often and for as long as they ask.

This means hours of posing naked and motionless while Dante paints.

It's not my favorite thing but it beats the alternative.

By the end of the week, the thousand dollars is almost gone and I haven't had much luck with new clients.

I got two but they were both pretty weak.

One guy dreamed his checkbook wouldn't balance and he had to go through about ten thousand receipts to make sure they all added up.

The boredom wasn't worth the small amount of energy he gave me.

The other was a woman whose worst nightmare was that she came second in a marathon.

I mean, if I could finish a marathon at all, I'd be happy.

There was a lot of running and I woke up feeling like I'd lost energy rather than gained any.

Dante is generous but I can't stay with them forever.

I give myself two days to come up with new clients or a new plan.

After that... I don't want to prove Max right but I've done worse to survive.

I'm in the middle of redesigning my profile page on the job site, when a message from another social media platform pops up.

It's from Damien Knight.

Fuck.

Of course I used my real name on the job app and he must've traced it. I open the message.

Alex,

Since you haven't responded through the other site, I'm reaching out here. I'd like to schedule another session with you for my dreams. When can we meet?

Damien

I hesitate but then reply.

I'm booked. Not taking any clients.

There. Short and sweet.

He replies immediately.

I'll pay double your rate. $2,000 for two hours.

Ha ha... that's not double.

That's ten times my rate but he doesn't know that.

Proud of my resolve, I type...

'Sorry. No can do.'

I hit send.

Minutes tick by, and I start to feel hopeful that he got the message and gave up.

I go back to editing my profile, when another message pops up.

'I'll pay anything. Name your price.'

Jeez. Will this guy not take a hint?

On a whim, I answer.

$25,000.

His reply is immediate.

Done. When?

Shit. I stare at my screen.

You how people say stuff like, 'I wouldn't do that for any money?'

Well, most of the time they don't mean it and most of the time neither would I.

Not this time.

I'm sorry, I type.

I can't help you. Please stop contacting me.

I let out a long breath and fall back on the couch where I've slept for the past week.

My energy's low, and I need to find a nightmare soon... paying client or not.

There're always the hobos by the docks, if I get really desperate.

I'm frowning at that unpleasant thought, when another message pings.

Reluctantly, I reach for my cell-phone.

Once again, it's from Damien Knight.

I just turned down twenty-five grand but somehow I find these words harder to refuse.

I'm begging you. Please help me.

I stare at the message for ten minutes.

Finally, I type my reply.

Tomorrow 6pm

My finger hovers over the button.

I close my eyes and hit send. 

[summerkng]

【anonymous sent a raven】: how religious is renly ? does he give meaning to vivid dreams ? if not, would he pretend he had meaningful dreams to prove a point or bolster following, or is that going too far ?

had steffon or cassana showed up in his dreams, would he have thought of then as true conversations with his parents ? would it have been different if robert had shown up like he did for ned ?

also, even though he obviously was going to usurp stannis anyway, does he feel some type of way about his sudden conversion ? would he have felt differently if stannis had just converted to rhllorism without claiming to be azor ahai ? would he have given stannis a funeral according to the seven or would he have let mel burn him or whatever it is they do ?

i'm glad you're active again ! your renly is fascinating.

okay, first of all THANK YOU for all these amazing questions i've been dying to reply since the moment i received this because there is nothing i adore more than character development asks. i will share my opinions one by one.

renly has faith, but he is nowhere as pious as he presents himself as. his frequent visits to the sept & the whole 'rainbow guard' idea are mere attempts at showing his devotion to the one true religion, as opposed to his heretical brother. something to appease the realm & further justify his usurpation with. in short, although accepting the gods' existence & superiority, renly is way too pragmatic to believe that they care enough about men to right their wrongs, and so he takes it upon himself to do it for them.

he doesn't pay mind to his dreams or others', again ; he isn't one to be fascinated with myths and prophecies and the supernatural in general which makes it all the more ironic how he gets killed via black magic. claiming to have had prophetic dreams is also something he would not do, for he does not even NEED to resort to such things in order to gain supporters — unlike his older brother whose claims he finds more amusing than impressive ..

his parents did show up in his dreams a few times, whose faces he knows only from that one portrait of them hung in the walls storm's end. though the experience affects him little, since he has no true love for the people he does not remember sharing time with. as for robert ; check this post for renly's feelings about him.

about stannis' conversion .. well. i imagine renly is quite surprised at first, because he knew stannis had never been a man of religion so he finds this newfound faith in a foreign deity rather concerning, which only serves his cause in the end to further prove how UNFIT stannis is to rule .. or so he firmly believes. stannis claiming to be azor ahai is a cherry on top ! now he can make everyone frown upon stannis' DELUSIONAL GOD-COMPLEX as well as liken him to the mad king with his own passion for fire.

had he won & lived to see stannis die, he would have given him a proper funeral according to the faith of the seven as the final nail in the coffin — simply his way of righting his heretic brother's wrongs like the good, faithful believer ( ! ) he is by sending him off to the true gods to hopefully find some absolution despite his many sins ..

[jjheejz]

About Internet Water Army in the case

This is an ongoing update about the case from start to development. List of all related posts can be found on this blog's pinned post (link provided at bottom of each post as well).

19 August 2021 update: Added the scale of his success for reference, before bonus below

18 August 2021 update: Added timeline of events, orange title in post, found out the official English term for Immoral Media = Internet Water Army)

Major updates since first draft: Added bonus, added disclaimer, certain info details

Originally posted on 16 August 2021

[The purpose of this post is to provide a perspective as to why the Media is raised/blamed regarding the issue. Especially for international fans, as all the encounters happened on Weibo. Also, those who were on weibo, do read through if you will. So although it's lengthy, do try to read all, at least if not the last two parts].

The Media referred by most, is not the common perception of the Entertainment Industry (celebrities, directors, shows, channels, staff etc), but the dark side of the Entertainment industry: Antis, toxic fans, toxic marketing accounts. They are called Internet Water Army💧.

Toxic Marketing Accounts is one of the things they do, these accounts on Weibo has millions of followers, each of their post likes are in the hundred thousands (buyable) to give credibility to passer-bys. Some use similar names to Official accounts, some use similar logos. Their posts are usually subjective or aims to steer view points of a certain celebrity/movie/show. Before the latest update of this post (18.08.21), I just group them all together and term them as Immoral Media*.

*Below is my original post using my original term because at point of first draft, I did not know the official term (so have changed/added the term from Immoral Media to Internet Water Army in content below but retain the content based off first draft).

If you have chased before celebrities, or just simply passed by an article about certain celebrities, recall how some title that caught your attentions were like. Clickbaits is one of the many things they do. If GZ is your first and you do not have Weibo, then this read(link) is good enough.

Just as the term Immoral Media (Internet Water Army), it’s immoral and unethical, but they exists because they are paid to do so. Who pays them? Entertainment Companies, and maybe other Organisations

Normal Media/Marketing vs Immoral Media/Toxic Marketing/Internet Water Army

When a show or movie comes out, the normal Marketing department will generate outreach and buzz so that people know a show is airing soon/know the show exists etc. Official announcements are not enough, because there isn’t much context (limited content to put up as well) so having some other Marketing accounts do the buzz in a planned period to gain awareness through posts, some articles about the casts, the plot summary, the production details etc is normal. This is Marketing, bigger companies will probably have stronger Marketing departments (aka influence) and can hire more Marketing accounts to generate buzz. Celebrities (aka casts) themselves, are also Marketing point.

Then we have the Internet Water Army/Immoral Media, these are what they mainly do:

Create Fanfiction-rumors: Creating rumors about celebrities to shift audience perception of them. [eg. XX was seen with XX leaving a hotel, XX was drunk on Event Y and did ZZZ to AA, XX is dating BB and has been in a relationship for N years etc]

Honing their brain degrading skills: Come up with titled clickbait headings/ trending topics with negative written contents. For articles, exceptionally out of heading content related to the celebrity. [Refer to Baidu, it’s a winner of these, feel free to Google Translate]

Regressing their common sense and understanding skills: Take everything a celebrity does completely out of context in a negative way and create a topic out of it [eg. XX said AA is a ---, “XX raised his finger, a sign of ---?”, XX pushed BB aggressively on Variety Show Y - A competition variety show, XX is in beef with CC because XX was caught giving CC the eye]

Using their fingers to stir shit and bathe each other in it: Escalate all smallest form of possible tension created by fans/themselves into a huge thing by acting as the fandom's fans/lurk in fandom chat groups, and voicing their disguised opinion to spread tension/exaggerate severity of the issue [eg. XX fans mocked AA - in groupchats: tbh I've never liked AA before, AA just gives off a vibe that I dont like and now this? It just disgusts me even more > Yea, i feel this way too. AA has problems / XX Lurkers expressing views on XX about NN, slowly to NNMHFXW - XX did NNMHGT - I cannot accept NNmHfHw, I'm leaving = multiply by 1000++]

Epitome of a self-deteriorate: Creating something out of nothing and react to that something negatively to gain massive attention/reaction [eg. “XX raised his hand on show Y” - dk what XX fans are thinking, are they literally blind? XX fans are tasteless just like XX hahaha / “XX did community service” - they are acting / “XX breathed” - From the start, i thought XX was NN, but I am so ZZZ that XX breathed. Goodbye fandom, i’m leaving. Those who still want to stay I urge you to rethink your life choices] - if I may add, Xiao Zhan’s fanfiction case as well. 

Metaphor - Ability to use bare hands to collect paychecks from the urinal/toilet bowl where their boss/client peed in: Doing all of the above.

Apologies for any term offense, but not apologetic of the term context. This is what they do for a living. Any normal human being who do not like anything, will generally not be interested at anything about it in the first place, so to have some antis/toxic fans knowing certain things and inside jokes/references in their posts questions their goal.

On involved in Internet Water Army/Immoral Media 💧

Fans on weibo during these few months witnessed many of the above on GZ. From rumored girlfriend (spammed with articles) to mean and nasty comments on trending topics, to bouts of insults and fake emotional cryouts by certain fan accounts that GZ's office has to release a number of Lawyer’s letter to them. 

Aside from WOH there were also a few other BL adaptation films that were actually released this year but they did not reach exponential success like WOH. BL adaptations are so highly followed by because this is the key to wealth. Literally. Successful BLs like The Untamed and  Dao Mu Bi Ji saw the amount of wealth fans are willing to spend on the celebrity as compared to say BG or idols (younger fan groups). This is why when WOH shot up exponentially, Immoral Media start to sweat.

Major anticipated adaptations were supposed to air this year eg. Hao Yi Xing(HYX), Sha Po Lang(SPL) etc but was severely held back due to the stricter change in BL adaptations submitting their scripts for approval regulations (WOH manage to submit earlier before the change). Because of this, most final films were rejected and they have to keep re-editing, by then WOH was already months into reaping tonnes of major brand endorsements, shows/movie casting, variety show appearances etc, something that is seen as too successful in the Immoral Media’s eyes, because they have to create buzz for other celebrities, some are specific celebrity oriented and thus circulate rumors about having endorsement opportunities shifted from celebrity X to GZ (think fanfiction-rumors and shit stirrer) causes tension in celebrity fandoms. - A real event just in July:

The Untamed’s cp fandom is called BJYX which had always been in the Top 1 of Cps for 2 years dropped for awhile to Top 2, over taken by LLD. Both of them had a war and hated each fandom, one fandom is somehow not allowed to like the other fandom even casually after everything broke out because it started out with some BJYX toxics photoshopped GZ on of portraits .

Also another case of which he wore the same costume as WYB did in a previous photoshoot and it became a useless comparison of who wore better, who looks better, degrading the other. (Finger stirring shit).

Now apply all of the above things the Internet Water Army do and we have them earning money, while both fandom reacts and hate each other.

In LLD, our own fans started suspecting each other on who is a spy from BJYX and what not.

The first few months of Internet Water Army saw LLDs mostly mocking them because the average age is 30-40s, they know and see through all of their intentions so nothing was big. They were trumpeting and LLDs didn’t even care, what with all the doing tedious stats was not even important to them.

Over time, as the issues they create became more and more serious LLDs did start to care, reporting Toxic Marketing accounts/toxic fans became a daily task, go vote for GZ at certain polls etc, solo fans, and LLD fans also split apart. Solo fans think cp fans use GZ to furnish their fantasies, and cp fans thinks they are the ones furnishing their dreaming-girls fantasy with (aka my boyfriend).

There was also a period where LLD had a habit of continuously mentioning “we are in the 30-40s so we can see through everything about the media, we are all fans for the first time, we are good at spending money (because of purchase power compared to other fandoms)” it was prevalent for so long it felt odd, ‘chasing celebrities the first time’ in particular sounds more vulnerable as a weakness than a strength / sth to be proud of.

Gradually, more secretive/insider confirmed ‘sweets’ were flying around. Fans advised each other to not circulate, and the mindset of “if you know, you know, dont tell.” (This is a problematic mentality, of which fans will still be curious to know and search for it themselves, but this secretive hook is unhealthy. Over the long term, it becomes hard for existing fans to know a lot of things properly to judge for themselves, especially those who knew and publicly reacted, but blasting those who ask and telling those who know to keep quiet, this did not help some to understand why on certain things, even so for international fans, dont know and dont understand, causing misunderstandings. Yes, certain information should not be shared, so why should you react about it publicly in the first place? - Internet Water Army effect)

The last few months (for example the July fan war) created a tonne of seriousness and anger. A period even broke out with a tonne of ‘insider confirmed sweets’ (which is LLD’s daily dose of happiness), it was hard to tell what was real and what was fake. Trending topics became negative and everyone warned each other not to enter because it will give the trends ‘views’ and trend statistics, in reality entering there is to enter an exhibition by the self-deteriorates, collecting the fandom's traffic data (it's a sure lose for fans each time they enter the topic). Everyone even starts thinking that the trend’s popularity was caused by each other (it's true but it can be bought daily and not caused by fans). There was a raise in the number of fans who were getting emotional because they want to protect but Internet Water Army kept coming and got worse, because fans, tbh, not just GZ fans, every other celebrity’s fans are always fighting with an Army, getting played and plotted in that Army's calendar.

Even so, despite all of these, LLD is actually a fandom Internet Water Army may find the hardest to break because they understand GZ so much, they could tell what are fake news regarding GZ, because among everything above, there are still plenty of logical fans to stop many fans from drifting too far and debunking them. Why? 30-40s are grown up adults.

Why 13.8.21 and the Japan issue is plotted?

First of all, in the political climate of China, there are many political dates in a month that is NO-Entertainment news. Because it’s the honoring of certain important political events. It’s like Remembrance Day, thus the sensitivity is higher. On these days, there are usually no news and even the Internet Water Army zip their pants. This year also marks the 100th year of the Chinese Communist Party(link)

Secondly, he had no work schedule on 13 August 2021. A great full day to focus on any other news (because if he had schedules, everyone will turn their attention to his events, what trumpeting outside is just bird chirps). 

Thirdly, when the news broke out, especially about the shrine, the reception was actually quite serious within the fandom so the scale of this might be big but to what extent in reality?

Lastly, 15.8.21 marks the 76th anniversary of the announcement of surrender of Japanese in World War 2(link). Also a day of NO-Entertainment news. 

Timeline of events:

13.8.21 - [His rest day, Eve of Chinese Valentine's Day, Japan News broke out] His rest day, no schedules = increased attention about him online. Lowered guard among fans because they are getting ready for tomorrow's Chinese Valentine's sweets = Caught off guard = Huge break out of fans' reactions

14.8.21 - [Chinese Valentine's Day, Eve of the 75th Anniversary of the announcement of Japanese surrender] Keep a wishful and happy demenaor to not destroy the mood, suppressed thoughts about ZZH's Japan news

15.8.21 - [75th Anniversary of the announcement of Japanese surrender, Official announcement of ZZH's boycott and all China social media account ban] NO-Entertainment news day, Solemn day, not allowed to voice anything so the fandom can only wait for tomorrow to start voicing out/debunking but before they can wait out, the boycott and social media ban happened, every official accounts about him was gone overnight, fans had no time to react

17.8.21 - [All official fandom accounts related to ZZH and JunZhe were locked/removed]

Forced to be silent since the day his matter broke out, over the course of official news release with everything taken down in a day because of the Japan correspondence, his accounts banned overnight across the Chinese media and the overnight cancellation, fans could not speak anything about it. Overnight cancellation like this scale happened for the first time in China, leaving no time to react by the fandom, by the time they can, they are silenced.

When the period of events occured within a set of special dates, it’s not coincidence.

Conclusion

Because he was too successful and had many actually honorable past things, and a hard to influence fandom, Internet Water Army view him as a huge threat enough to want to destroy him, because it’s hard to defeat. With a chance they have, they will hold it till the end, bringing up this issue to the Government during this period also shows a sign of how scared they were of him and perhaps his fandom to plot something like this.

Updated on 19 August: Here's a screenshot of assumed calculation on the scale of GZ success for reference while chatting with a fellow fan, assuming GJ also has 27 brands, and there are 1000 brands. Rationale of numbers used: Only big brands can hire big celebrities.

Bonus

Mentioned in the first post, will mention again in case. After the news broke out within 2 days, there was a drop on his weibo followers from 18.9mil to 18.7mil. 200k+ drops, if the politics was such a big national issue, there should at least be a huge drop, even at least a million right? Because weibo is a China-Chinese majority right? Nope, we get a puny 200k drop.

What's funny? The self-deteroriates:

Translation: "Are his fans bought? Why didnt he drop fans? Those people got brainwashed to this point?" / "I've never entered his weibo and today i feel like having a look yet it showed I've followed him. All his fans were bought right? It disgusts me, i immediately unfollowed. This kind of process is worse than WYF..." / "i dropped fans because of him...no...I just reposted 2 posts and I've dropped 4 fans?"

Isn't the tone and regressing brain cells, all too familiar and same?

//

Added above, will remind again to read this link. It has an even more in-depth knowledge on who are paying them.

So what should we do? Link here

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