#and making it easier to do the important things relative to the ease of doing the less important things

[antoniosvivaldi]

Rotoscoping Tutorial by @antoniosvivaldi​​

Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce my long-delayed Rotoscoping Tutorial - requested by a number of people over the past calendar year. 

In this tutorial, I will show you how to create the cutout gifs like this (and seen in most of my gifsets under this tag) with Rotoscoping on After Effects. I’ll also provide additional examples and a number of things that I do to optimise my giffing / Rotoscoping workflow (e.g. useful shortcuts & other things to be aware of).

This is the structure of the tutorial:

Why Rotoscoping? Photoshop video timeline’s limitations

Photoshop workflow pt 1: Preparing your gif

After Effects workflow: Interface, shortcuts, and Rotoscoping tools

Photoshop workflow pt 2: Assembling your gif; with multiple examples

Bonus content: Rotoscoping tips* & workarounds to common issues

For quick reference, here are example gifsets (and where Rotoscoping is used in the posts) that I will mention in the tutorial:

Example 1: Cutout gif effect | panels 2 + 4

Example 2: Changing a gif’s background colour | all panels

Example 3: Cutout gif effect in a shape | all panels

Example 4: Putting it all together | panels 1, 3, & 5

What you need & need to know:

Software: Photoshop & After Effects (After Effects 2021 or later for Rotobrush 2.0)*

Hardware: 16GB RAM required to run later versions of AE*

Difficulty: Advanced; Knowledge in making gifs, applying layer masks, and using video timeline interface assumed

Key concepts: Rotoscoping (AE) / Video Timeline (AE+ PS) / Layer Masks & Groups (PS)

Supplementary files: tutorial resources

*I’m currently running the latest version of PS & AE on an M2 Mac, but I’ve also used older versions (CC 2015 & 2020) on Intel-based Macs. I’ll outline some known compatibility & performance issues, and workarounds later in this tutorial that could help streamline your giffing workflow.

Tutorial under the cut. Like / Reblog this post if you find this tutorial helpful. Linking this post / the example gifsets in your post caption, will be greatly appreciated if you read this to create effects seen in Examples 3 + 4.

1) Why Rotoscoping?

My Rotoscoping journey is motivated by the shortcomings on Photoshop - namely the limited options to manipulate the Layer Mask keyframes in the video timeline interface, as well my need to gif more efficiently.

Suppose I want to cutout this subject or recolour the background of a gif on Photoshop: I personally classify the gifs that I prepare on PS into 3 types based on the motion of the subject

These are the common Photoshop-only approaches when attempting to mask the subject in the gif.

Case 1: minimal motion in the subject → a simple layer mask will do the trick

Case 2: some linear panning of the subject in the gif → using the Layer Mask Position keyframes in the video timeline interface will do the trick

Case 3: subject moves around a lot (e.g. zoom motion) → Unfortunately this is where a Photoshop-only workflow will require frame by frame masking. Layer Mask Position keyframes only apply positional translation (but not transformation / rotation) on the layer mask

Enter Rotoscoping on After Effects: Instead of resigning to frame by frame procedure on Photoshop, I opted to make my life easier by learning to Rotoscope on After Effects. This essentially provides me an opportunity to cutout / recolour a wider range of gifs with relative ease.

2) Photoshop pt. 1: Preparing your gif

Prepare your gif the usual way - whether you screencap or import frames from video.

Then your Photoshop should look like this:

Now, I shall walkthrough & explain my personal giffing workflow (as of 2023) after loading the gif frames. To speed up the process, import my gif prep action file to Photoshop.

Going to Window > Action, you’ll see a set of actions under the “gif prep” folder. 

"set frame delay for timeline” (highlighted in yellow) will set all of your entire gif’s frame delay to 0.03s

“convert to timeline“ (highlighted in red) will take you to the Video Timeline interface

To play an action, press on the Play button (highlighted in green)

i. Set the frame delay of the entire gif to 0.03s. (play “set frame delay for timeline” from my gif prep action pack)

I work with everything in 0.03s frame delay (or equivalently 30fps) at first. It’s always possible to change the frame delay of the final gif to 0.05s before uploading onto Tumblr.   

ii) Convert this gif to a Smart Video Layer (play “convert to timeline” from my action pack)

Note: I personally don’t resize the gif just yet. That’s because Rotoscoping in full video resolution will render higher quality details around the edges as well as more flexibilities later on in the editing process.

Performance optimisation: If your computer has 8GB of RAM or less, you might find it helpful to crop / resize your gif to Tumblr dimensions now for a less sluggish performance in After Effects later on. 

(I have giffed on a desktop with 8GB of RAM and it’s quite slow at rendering individual frames of a 1080p short clip on AE)

iii) Add colouring adjustments on the gif. This will save you A LOT of time when you Rotoscope gifs that are originally very dark / poorly lit (e.g. the uncoloured Taylor Swift gif shown just above). 

If you usually colour your gifs at the very end of your giffing process (i.e. after sharpening), this will be a bit of a change.Nevertheless I still highly recommend adding some base colourings now to at least increase the contrast between the subject and the background.

iv) To minimise lagging on After Effects, simplify this gif file as follows: 

Flatten / Unsmart this gif file back to frame animation mode: play “flatten” (highlighted in red) from my gif prep action pack

Set the frame delay to 0.03s: play “set frame delay for timeline” (highlighted in green)

Convert the simplified gif file back to the video timeline interface: play “convert to timeline” (highlighted in yellow)

After “unsmarting” and converting back to the video timeline, your interface should look like this

And voila! This gif PSD is now ready to be imported to After Effects for Rotoscoping work!

3) After Effects: Interface and useful shortcuts

Open After Effects and Import (Cmmd / Ctrl + I) your gif PSD that you’ve just prepared.

After importing your gif PSD to After Effects, the interface should look like this. 

In the screenshot below, there are two compositions: the imported gif (highlighted in green) & another composition file made from selecting the imported gif (highlighted in red)

For the rest of the workflow, we will edit from the clone composition (the one highlighted in red), so select this one.

Before we take our plunge into the Rotoscoping, here are a few useful shortcuts to remember. I’ll explain the Roto Brush tool in the next section.

Preview the previous: fn + up arrow

Preview the next frame: fn + down arrow

Add to Roto Brush selection: holding Shift while you’re using the Roto Brush Tool

Subtract from Roto Brush selection: holding Alt while you’re using the Roto Brush Tool

Change Roto Brush size: while holding Cmmd / Ctrl, click + drag your mouse left / right

4) After Effects: The Rotoscoping Process

To access the Rotoscoping tools, click on the Roto Brush icon (highlighted in red in the screenshot below)

Then you’ll get the following dropdown options with two Rotoscoping Tools

Roto Brush Tool: This is where you add / subtract your Rotoscoping selection in your composition

Refine Edge Tool: Paint around the edge of your selection for more refined edges. Very helpful for Rotoscoping fuzzy edges / hairs

To make some Rotoscoping selection, first grab the Roto Brush Tool and click on the subject you want to cut out from your composition. 

When you’re Rotoscoping you’ll see this in the Effect Controls panel. 

There are two versions of Roto Brush:

Version 2.0: The Rotoscoping selection is powered by AI for higher accuracy when you propagate the frames. 

Version 1.0 (Classic): This is the legacy Roto Brush Tool that uses a lesser algorithm. Recommended only if Roto Brush 2.0 is unstable on your machine due to RAM issues.

And two quality settings for Roto Brush 2.0:

Standard

Best

Note: I am currently unable to use Roto Brush 2.0 with Best quality model on my machine to compare the differences myself, so I’ll link this page that explains the two quality settings.

Note: if you’re using an older version of After Effects you’ll see this instead. This corresponds to Roto Brush 1.0 / Classic in the newer versions of AE.

When you’ve made a selection using the Roto Brush Tool, you’ll see the pink lines around the subject. This is the region that you’ve selected to Rotoscope!

To bring out some details around the edges, grab the Refine Edge Tool and paint around the edges

Then the interface will look like this

To view the Rotoscoping selection that you’ve made more intuitively, you could click on the following buttons.

Personally I like the viewing my selection using Toggle Alpha (the second box from the left) & Toggle Alpha Boundary (the 3rd box from the left)

Toggle Alpha

Toggle Alpha Boundary

Note: If you aren’t happy with the initial Roto Brush selection, you can always add (press Shift while using the Roto Brush Tool) / subtract (press Alt / Option using the Roto Brush Tool) your selection.

After you’re happy with your Rotoscoping selection in the first frame of your composition, press fn + down to view the next frame.

Repeat pressing fn + down and fix the selection along the way (e.g. I subtracted a small area from my Rotoscoping selection with the Roto Brush tool to make the edge look cleaner).

After fixing the selection along the way, go back to the composition file (select the clone composition again) and you will see that a cutout gif is made!

To export this, go to File > Export > Add to Render Queue. You’ll be redirected to the Render Queue panel at the bottom of After Effects. 

Highlighted in red: click to change export setings

Highlighted in green: click to change save destination

Highlighted in yellow: click to render video

To preserve the transparency of your cutout gif, you need to change your export settings in the Output Module. 

Under the Video Output section, change your Channels to RGB + Alpha. Press OK. Then Render the video.

5) Photoshop pt. 2: Assembling your final gif

The essence is to drag the cutout gif (aka the video file that you’ve just rendered on AE) into a new PSD composition file. This will be where you’ll do the rest of your giffing. Your workflow will contain the follow steps:

Make a new blank PSD composition file in Tumblr dimensions

Enable the Video Timeline

Follow the instructions detailed in the individual examples i.e. drag the cutout gif into the PSD & adjust the timeline start / end points

Exporting the final gif. If you’ve worked in 0.03s frame delay all the way up to here, just play the action that I’ve provided in the tutorial in the following order to set the frame delay to 0.05s.

EXAMPLE 1: finalising your cutout gif | sample gifset

After enabling the Video Timeline in your PSD composition file you’ll see something like this

Go to your folder, drag the cutout gif you’ve made on After Effects, resize / reposition, then press Enter. 

And also make sure to adjust the Video Timeline’s start / end values.

Add some finishing touches. Because I did the Rotoscoping at full HD resolution, I’ll also need to sharpen my gif in this step.

After you’re happy, you can export this into a gif file and do what you usually do to change the frame delay to 0.05s. 

Notes on my “Unsmarting” approach:

To prevent accidentally writing over a PSD composition file that I’ve spent time editing, I personally render this into a short video (File > Export > Render Video) and use the following export settings (to prevent quality loss)

Then I open the rendered clip and play the actions in my gif prep action pack as follows:

flatten: this “Unsmarts” the clip / video

set frame rate: this sets all frames to have 0.05s frame delay

This is the final interface that I get before I pull up the Save For Web window.

EXAMPLE 2: changing your gif’s background colour (for Case 3 gifs) | sample gifset

From your folder, drag BOTH the cutout gif (rendered on AE) and the original gif to your blank composition. 

Important: you need to make sure that both layers are properly lined up in the composition file (i.e. selecting both layers when repositioning / resizing)

 On Photoshop, press Enter twice and place the cutout gif on top of the original gif from the Layers panel. Then you should get something like this

Select both layers and resize / reposition them in your PSD composition until you’re satisfied with the placements.

The basic idea here is to add some adjustment layers / other things in between the cutout gif and the original gif. To do this, select the original gif layer in the Layers panel.

Then you can start adding.a bunch layers e.g. textures, onto the composition.

And then here’s the exported gif!

6) Fancier Rotoscoping examples

Note: knowledge in using layer masks / groups and making shape / text layers assumed

In the next two examples, I’ll show you how to combine the two previous examples with shape / text layers.

EXAMPLE 3: Placing your cutout gif into a shape / text layer | sample gifset

Add a text / shape layer to your blank PSD composition

We want to prepare a masked group so in the Layers panel:

Make selection from layer: Cmmd / Ctrl + Click (highlighted in red)

Make a new group: click on the folder icon (in yellow)

Create layer mask: click on the icon (in green)

After duplicating the masked group you’ll get something like this in the Layers panel

Drag your cutout gif into the PSD composition

Place the cutout gif into the masked group on top

Select the mask of the top group and paint (in white) over the region you want to reveal for the cutout gif

Add some finishing touches & export the gif!

EXAMPLE 4: Putting it all together | sample gifset

You follow the same approach as in Example 3 to prepare the masked groups, but you need to drag two gif layers in (and resize them using the approach outlined in Example 2)

Place the gif layers as follows

While selecting the mask of the group on top, paint (in white) over the region that you want to reveal in the cutout gif

Now select the original gif (placed within the other group) and add some adjustment layers

After adding some finishing touches & exporting the gif, I get this!

Note: you can do even more overlay effects in the background portion of example 4. There will just be more masked groups + adjustment layers

7) Bonus: Some useful Rotoscoping / giffing lifehacks

GIFFING LIFEHACKS:

— Use best quality footage that you could find & Rotoscope in full video resolution, for better details around the edges

— Poorly lit scenes & low contrast edges are harder to Rotoscope (e.g. Toy Story set / TS evermore set).

If you’re new to AE, I would recommend choosing videos with well-lit gifs with simpler backgrounds and high contrast edges (e.g. Maisie Peters Cate’s Brother set)

— Use Rotobrush 2.0 if you’re using After Effects 2021 or later. It’s more difficult to Rotoscope / change background colour for gifs with a lot of movements with the classic Rotobrush tool. If the scene is tricky, you might want to switch to the “Best” quality model.

HARDWARE-RELATED PERFORMANCE OPTIMISATION:

— The recent versions of Photoshop require at least 8GB of RAM. If you have less RAM, it will still work provided you have enough scratch disk space. For better performance, it’s best to close other applications when you’re using Photoshop.

— The recent versions of After Effects require at least 16GB of RAM. If your machine has less RAM than this, there are some workarounds to prevent your machine from hanging: 

Essential: close other applications that you’re running on your computer

Resize your gif down to Tumblr dimensions & sharpen it before importing to After Effects.

Install an older version of AE 

8) Bonus: Some known software + hardware issues, and workarounds

KNOWN ISSUES ON PHOTOSHOP:

I currently have minimal issues in my giffing workflow, but I’ll nevertheless outline a few common known Photoshop issues for anyone who needs some workarounds.

— Video Timeline interface missing: this affects Apple Silicon Macs (i.e. M1 / M1 Pro / M1 Max / M1 Ultra / M2 / M2 Pro / M2 Max)

Update to newer version of Photoshop (updated 2022 or 2023)

Open Photoshop with Rosetta

— Scratch disk full error: This is a common issue with machines that lack RAM & have nearly used up internal storage. Editing video layers in the timeline interface uses a lot of memory hence will require a lot of scratch disk space. 

Make sure that you have enough free storage space while using Photoshop. Alternatively you can use an external hard drive as a scratch disk.

KNOWN ISSUES ON AFTER EFFECTS:

These are a few issues that I have personally ran into over the course of giffing on multiple devices & multiple versions of After Effects.

Note: Inputs from M1 / M2 Mac users with regards to experiences on using the After Effects Rotoscoping tools are welcome!

— Rotobrush 2.0 set to “Best” quality model causes AE to crash: this affects anyone who’s using MacOS Ventura

I’m currently experiencing this issue on my M2 Mac. The workaround right now is to change the Roto Brush 2.0 quality setting to Standard. 

This is due to some software compatibility issues on Adobe’s side specifically with MacOS Ventura. Fingers crossed that they will properly fix this bug in the future updates!

— Cannot re-open project files with Rotoscoping: this affects anyone using the initial release of After Effects 2020 (I had installed this on an Intel-based machine and it sucked)

The only option here is to update to a later version of After Effects.

8) More useful Rotoscoping resources

Rotoscoping + Keyframes Tutorial by @jenna--ortega​

Rotoscoping + Masking Tutorial by @usergif​

Rotoscoping For Beginners in After Effects | Motion Graphics Tutorial

I hope you enjoy reading this! If you have any questions / need any help related to this tutorial, feel free to send me an ask!

[lets-try-some-writing]

How good would the bots handwriting be?

In English? In Cybertronian? Why not both?

━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙ ━━━━━━━━━━━━ ⊙ ❖ ⊙

On Cybertron, writing anything by hand was not exactly common. Technology trimmed the process down a great deal and writing by hand was seen as something reserved for the higher castes. A written series of glyphs was a material promise, something important and made only to be used in serious events. Otherwise most everything was done digitally to save time and improve efficiency. Autocorrect most certainly helped many a struggling writer back on Cybertron.

With this in mind, as resources cut short and Earth lacked the needed materials to make a surplus of datapads, handwriting skills became very clear. More so than ever once the children decided to try and teach the bots to write for possible cover reasons. One could never be sure when one would need a bot to sign them out of school early.

Arcee has the worst handwriting by far, a surprising twist considering her dainty digits and relatively small size. One would think writing would come easy to her, but she hates doing anything like that by hand. She can type quickly, but writing out anything on a datapad, much less paper of all things? No she would much prefer being on Shockwave's operating table over having to possibly write her report manually. The glyphs of the various dialects on Cybertron are too much for her and the hatred of writing transferred over to English even though it is FAR easier to write in. The team won't say it to her face, but her writing looks like chicken scratch in both languages. The children don't know she is garbage at writing in Cybertronian too, and the team are content to leave them with the thought that she is just bad at learning English.

Bulkhead and Wheeljack share one braincell on a good day, and their writing shows this. They write exclusively in the wartime Wrecker dialect that formed over the millions of years of conflict. No one but Autobots can even begin to read their writing as its all a strange deviation from Autobot encryption. Sure they can write in mainstream Cybertronian dialects, but it looks awful and honestly the team prefer having to put on reading glasses and stare at their encrypted writing over having to get out a dictionary to even begin to parse out their other writings. In light of this, they do not write in English when asked to use an Earth language. Instead, they like Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other such languages due to the ease of which they find encrypting the writing to be. They are hated by Bot and human alike for their habit of making things more complicated than it needs to be.

Ultra Magnus writes in the most computer generated manner known to any of the bots. How he does it is a mystery. Yet somehow he got so used to manually writing out his signature that now his every written glyph comes out as if it were typed. He doesn't seem to notice or care for the team's gawking, and he absolutely refuses to write in English simply because he had no interest in relearning writing. The team don't know, but the real reason he doesn't want to write in any other dialect is because he purposefully trained his motor functions to only write in his very specific manner. To try and learn a brand new written language would mess that up and ruin his clean and crisp glyphs.

Ratchet is an odd ball in his writing. When in a hurry, his writing in both Cybertronian and English looks like the Doctor's scrawl that those outside of the medical field have no hope of figuring out. However when he's not in a rush, he has a very distinct method of writing his glyphs and letters. In Cybertronian dialects of any kind, he adds extra emphasis in places where there has been no need for further glyph usage since the age of Wrath. In English, he adds interesting swirls and excess E's absolutely everywhere as if it is an additional glyph meant to add meaning to the word. Rafael tried to correct him once. That didn't end well.

Smokescreen has never written anything in his life. He can type like lightening, but he was never schooled in traditional manual writing simply due to how time consuming it was and how unneeded the ability happened to be at his post. He can't do any writing to save his life, but he has managed to convincingly fake the ability to write when in a tight spot. He can scribble and make it look like REALLY bad Tarnian dialect. And since that particular script hasn't been used since the city was destroyed, most don't judge him for it. But Optimus knows, and when he has time, he does what he can to school the rookie. Rafael has also taken it upon himself to try and teach Smokescreen some English with limited success.

Bumblebee grew up under Optimus, and Optimus in turn grew up under Alpha Trion. The two have startlingly similar handwriting more often than not. They both know many languages and dialects and are fluent in them, they both share glyph usage preferences, and both are known for their regular language swaps in writing. The only way to really tell them apart is to look REALLY closely at either the curvature of a specific glyph in Ancient Cybertronian or to stare really hard at the way their write their O's and B's. Both write like they walked straight out of ancient eras of old on a good day and write like living dictionaries for pretty much any other dialect. The team and the children gave up trying to figure out who wrote what a long time ago. If they can't pick it up from the context of the writing, they can just assume its important regardless.

[randomsmilingpotatoes]

i think season 2 did such a great job at showing an alternative life for all the characters. and i want to talk about what that means for wilhelm and simon.

Simon, of course, is most obvious. The thing with Marcus is, I believe he was written to have manipulative traits so that we would continue to root for Wilhelm. It meant that we didn't care when Simon cheated, because we knew he was better anyway. It also explained why Simon even stayed with him in the first place, since he realised quite early on that he wasn't ready for anything serious and that he was still harbouring feelings for Wille.

But I want to put Marcus' toxicity aside for a moment. He otherwise represents a perfect man for Simon, technically. He's a local, he didn't grow up on money, his dates are chilling eating pizza with the speakers blaring, singing karaoke, and hanging out in his place. He made it clear he was interested in Simon from the start, and didn't have a problem being out, because being out wasn't something that affected his life. Both Simon's friends and his mum support the relationship, and you can tell this is because he fits their ideal of who Simon should be with and who fits better into their lives.

Simon sees this life, he sees the ease of living he could have. But he still knows deep down that his heart lies with Wille, and this is what leads him to pursue Wille back after he begins to lose him. He chose a life with Wilhelm.

Wilhelm actually got a glimpse of multiple alternative lifestyles. Now I don't believe that Wille made a move on Felice because he viewed her as an easier life, however, she has always represented this. Ever since the beginning of the show, Felice existed as a potential love interest, in the eyes of everyone else. But in season one, we relatively ignore this, because we know Wille's feelings lie elsewhere.

But in season 2, the prospect of Wilhelm and Felice being a couple appears more tangible. While we, the viewers, are focused on Wille's relationship with Simon, the other students have all but forgotten about it. While Wilhelm himself is focused on Simon as well, this leads to him spending a lot of alone time with Felice that the other students begin to question.

I'm not sure at what point during that scene in his room that Wilhelm decided to try to replicate his time with Simon, or if it was a conscious decision at the time or if it just happened. But it's interesting that he does do this. Now, this ultimately leads to him realising that he cannot replicate the feelings or connection he has with Simon, and Felice admitting that she partially only liked him because he was a prince. So between the two of them, they know where they stand.

But the Forest Ridge boys' reaction is something else. The way they chanted and celebrated for Wille and Felice was something he never received with Simon. Of course, his relationship was private, but we know that it would not have had the same reaction anyway. Especially since they pushed this whole show about the hookup with Felice, with Simon sitting right there.

Wille is unlabelled, and remains that way. We don't know, if he didn't know Simon, whether he has the potential to have feelings for girls or not. So in a realistic sense, this storyline is irrelevant. But it represents a life that he could choose to lead, if he wanted. And he would have the public support of everyone around him.

Nils played such an important role this season in showing a life Wille could also lead. He shows Wille that there are many queer people in their societal class, who are simply keeping it quiet. He shows that Wille can choose to date guys, that there are other queer guys out there who would be willing to stay publicly closeted with him. Guys that would understand why he denied the video, because they themselves would do the exact same thing. Nils even makes this life attainable, by inviting Wille to come on holiday with him and meet people there. And I think, if Simon had not accepted Wille back, this is probably the way he would have gone. But it's not what he wanted.

Wille never wanted to deny the video. He wanted to not say anything, but then when he did have to speak publicly about it, he wanted to say it was him, because he wanted to be with Simon. But he was manipulated, and also not quite ready to come out.

The Queen also presented a different option for Wilhelm. He could come out, he could even be with Simon, if he wanted. But he had to wait til he was eighteen to be public. This is fairly realistic, and probably could have even been a viable option in Wilhelm's and even Simon's eyes, if the video never happened. If he had gotten to control his story all the way through, instead of being outed and having to deny his sexuality in the process. But he shouldn't have to wait to control his own narrative, when someone else already took that away from him.

The speech at the end of season one is Wille's opportunity for a redo. He can reclaim his own power, and tell the world it was him. He is in love with a boy. And in doing that, he chose a life with Simon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wilhelm and Simon both had the opportunity to lead an easier life. They could still be in queer relationships, but with people that fit into their supposed societal class, people that their friends and family approved of. Throughout this time apart, they were both shown that they could both attain this life.

But they chose not to.

They chose each other. Because they realised that no matter what hurdles they have to go through, that they are worth it for each other. They are a couple worth fighting for.

[thevoidscreams]

Hello👋 I hope spring has started well for you✨🌹 Mating Press March is simply unrealistically delicious😍🤩 Can I ask Sanguinius? Let's say there are wedding traditions on Baal. After the groom drinks his bride's blood and she tastes his, the groom tracks her down within the walls of their new home. And when he finds her, he takes her to their bedroom and lays claim to her body🤭🤭 Something like that)

Day 14

Hella, let's do this. Also, this one isn't verysut focused. I'm sorry. I had to rewrite the whole thing, but I like this version better.

Pairing: Sanguinius x reader

Warnings: consumption of blood, predator/Prey dynamics, and getting railed without much prep.

I hissed as the needle pulled away from my arm, and a bandage was pressed into place.

Sanguinius was unflinching as they drew his blood for the ceremony, looking as pleased as anything. I understood his excitement. Once this final part of the tradition was complete, we'd be bonded in matrimony not only legally but spiritually as well

I watched with a soft smile as they emptied the syringes into shotglass sized cups.

Each was passed to each respective partner. Mine to him and his to me. The officiant spoke words over us both, just as he had earlier, but this felt different, more intimate.

Sanguinius met my gaze, and I felt my stomach do a little flip. I was shaking with excitement. Not so much for the blood, but from what I knew came after.

Sanguinius had told me in advance what all would be included in this.

I looked down at his blood. It was so dark, and the coppery scent that wafted up from the warm glass was rich. I wasn't so thrilled to be drinking the blood. But being paired with my beloved was more than enough to make up for that. He'd wanted to partake in all the traditions of Baal. So it was also important to him and I could do that for my beloved.

When the officiant was done, I took a sip. It was like being dunked in molten copper. The flavor was so strong.

I watched as he savored my blood, almost like it was a fine wine. His wings trembled as he finished his glass. And he pinned me with his gaze. The officiant and witnesses left the room quickly.

I set the glass of blood, unfinished, on the small table.

I had the distinct feeling something bad would happen if I drank anymore.

Sanguinius didn't seem to notice, or just wasn't bothered.

"I'll give you half an hour to run and find a place to hide. After that, I'll begin the hunt, and once I find you-"

"You'll make me yours truly and completely." You finished and he nodded with a look of anticipation.

"Your time has begun little dove." He grinned and make a shooing motion with his hand. "Go. Fly."

I did. My feet carrying me swiftly and surely. My heart raced, but I didn't feel winded. I felt like I could run every hall in this massive building and not tire.

I'd never felt like that before. It was exhilarating, but it also frightened me. I stopped after ten minutes, looking around and stepping into a room before the turn at the end of the hall.

The room was dark, and obviously not used often.

There were tables and chairs, set and ready to be used if necessary. But a thin layer of dust coated every surface.

At the far end, there was a buffet table with a thick cloth draped over it.

I went to it, my heart still racing and sliding under. There was less dust, and breathing was easier, but the air in the room smelled stale.

I pressed my head to the wall and was shocked to hear voices. Serfs no doubt, gossiping and joking.

I listened before realizing they weren't on the other side, they were a whole room over. In one of the kitchens.

Just what the hell had happened to me after I drank that blood? Was I becoming more like him? I pondered on it as I sat in the dark. I shouldn't have been able to see all that well, but I found that I could. Yet another oddity.

Sanguinius knew what direction you'd gone, and he could tell with relative ease the directions after that for a short time. Now, it could be a matter of using his imhumanly accute senses to track you.

He watched the hands on the wall clock tick by ever so slowly and was on his feet as soon as thirty minutes was up. The game was officially on.

I sat listening to the serfs talk about whatever drama was going on.

The sound of heavy feet didn't register at first.

There had been astartes walking up and down the hall every few minutes.

I almost gasped when the door suddenly swung open. The air was thick with tension and my body went still as the grave.

Under the heavy cloth, it would have been hard to hear if not for the weird effects of the blood, but there was a soft, snorting sort of sound.

He was sniffing me out. Like some kind of hunting hound. It felt more like the sort of thing his brother would have done.

I knew Sanguinius wouldn't hurt me. But the need to bolt for the door was bone deep. The need to flee from my pursuer.

His steps grew closer still. The fabric of concealing me rustled as his wing brushed it.

I could hear him turning over the cloth covering the table across from the one I was under.

"Dove." He cooed sweetly, I know you're in here. "Why don't you come out so we can continue the ceremony together?"

I felt a surge of adrenaline. With his feather poking under the cloth and the rustling of another clothe, I could gauge where he was facing.

The risk had proven worth it. As I crawled from under the table and under another, he'd already checked just in time.

Sanguinius's hearts were pounding. He could smell her, but he was having a hard time hearing over the racing beats in his chest. Your blood had been exquisite, and he was drooling at the thought of tasting other parts of you.

The underside of the buffet table smelled strongly of you. Which meant you had to be close by.

He turned this way and that eyes looking for any minute disturbance.

The rustling of fabric is what drew his attention. His head snapping in the direction of the door.

The corner of your dress vanished behind the door, and his hearts leapt in his chest. He knocked tables out of his way as he began the pursuit.

I bolted, the first crash sending me down the hall as fast as my feet could carry me.

I heard him calling for me, the unmistakable excitement in his voice she he thundered after me.

I ducked into a serf hall. It was thin, and the ceiling was low. I didn't stop, shouting for people to move as I tried to lose him, the game wasn't over till I said it was dammit.

Sanguinius was a man of many talents, but he didn't have his brother Magnus's skill of shape-shifting. The angel growled as his fingers just barely missed your dress fabric.

He rushed down the hall, taking turns on instinct. He knew where it let out, and he knew he could head you off.

He came to a stop at the door to the serfs quarters, opening it and grabbing the first serf he saw by one shoulder.

"Is she here?" He asked.

Of course he didn't have to tell the poor startled woman who.

"Your bride, my lord? No, but I did see her."

"Where?"

"Down the shute, my lord."

"What?"

"Was the strangest thing. She went down the shute we use for the dirty laundry."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Thank you." He took off for the stairwell leading down to the laundry facilities.

I pulled up the comfort pair of shorts and tossed the dress by the corner of one massive industrial washer. That ought to throw him off a bit. The thing probably smelled like me, given that I'd been in it all day, and I was sure that he'd figured out my where abouts by now. Or was about to.

Landing in the laundry hadn't been as fun as I assumed it would be. But there'd been a fresh change of clothes and I wasn't giving up yet.

I was headed for a service door but heard the telltale approach of my husband. The door was across the huge room, and there just wasn't time.

Instead, I made due with the cover of a rolling basket. I made it by the skin of my teeth as he practically flew down the steps.

"Dove? Come out for me, please? I just want to give you the love you deserve." His pleading sounded so sincere I almost did. But I steeled myself, he'd told me how important this tradition was and how he wanted me to take it seriously...and I was having a blast.

I'd never felt so alive before, the chasing the escaping.

Maybe he'd consider this as some foreplay in the future. I watch him from the corner of the basket.

Watching him sniff around until he spotted the dress's fabric. He stalked it more like a cat then a bird.

I crouched and snuck around the basket. Listening as he cooed sweet nothings. The decoy was working. I made it to the bottom of the steps. The old laundry door was heavy, and I knew that it would squeal badly.

Each step up had me holding my breath as I carefully placed each foot. I was only a few steps from the tip when he sprang, tugging the empty dress from behind the washer.

"Dove?" He called concerned. I couldn't help it, I giggled as I shot up the last few steps.

Oh, so that's how it was. Sanguinius laughed and dropped the dress, running up the steps 5aking them multiples at a time.

"Dove!" He shouted after you. Knowing he had to have you now.

The hall was too wide for me to find shelter anywhere, and the hall was long as well. I may not have been all that tired, but I knew I wouldn't make it. Sanguinius's shadow fell over me. His hands reaching and I got a first-hand understanding of what the prey of hawks felt like.

He forced me to the floor, his body coveringine as I writhed and struggled to get away. The game had been fun while it lasted.

"You gave me a good run, my dove.. but I have you now."

I laughed and was lifted from the floor.

Sanguinius carried me close to him as he made his way towards our room.

"That was fun." I kissed his cheek.

He smiled and chirped. "There is still fun to be had."

He pushed his way into our chamber and locked the doors.

"I'm glad you took your dress off, it makes this easier to do." My husband purred.

"Makes what easier?" I chuckled.

He ripped the clothes from my body and dropped me on the bed.

I squealed as I fell, and Sanguinius did much the same to his own clothes in his eagerness to get down to it.

"I've been craving you all day. Since dawn this morning, I've been dreaming of having you."

He grabbed my hips and tugged me closer to him, his face between my legs as he finally got a taste of what I had to offer.

It was like molten lava in my stomach. He lapped at my pussy, rubbing my clit with the tip if his tongue before he plunged the slick muscle into my tight walls.

"Sanguinius!" I gasped, grabbing a handful of his hair and squishing his face between my thighs.

"Dove." He moaned back fucking me with his tongue, lapping up everything I had to offer him.

The excitement of the day and the hunting already had me soaked, and now the love of my life was getting to enjoy me. What could be better?

He pulled his face away, and I looked down at him, face warm with what I was sure was a blush.

Sanguinius's cock was rock hard, he'd never been more excited to do this.

You looked perfect under him, ready and willing to take his cock. He pushed the tip into you. Rubbing his thighs lovingly as you gasped and grabbed his arms.

"I will be gentle."

I nodded, breathing through the pain. It felt like I was being split in two as he pushed in inch by inch.

Once he couldn't push in anymore, he stopped, and I laid under him panting.

The seconds felt like hours. But before long enough, the pain had dulled.

"Please, go slow." I panted.

"I will Dove, I will." He leaned down and kissed the top of my head.

He began slow, pulling out an inch or two, then slowly sinking back in.

It burned, but I breathed through it again. And as before, the burning ebbed and pleasure began to bloom under it. Slowly usurping it.

At some point, the pleasure became all consuming, and I moaned under him. Fuck it was even better than I thought it would be.

"I love you, Sanguinius." I mumbled into his chest.

"I love you too, my dove." He hugged me close, and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he drove us both towards the edge.

I wouldn't last much longer, but I was okay with that. Tonight had been the most memorable one of my life.

Sanguinius was panting, rutting into me faster now as he got closer as well. We came together, both crying out for the world to hear. We held each other, husband and wife, joined fully in union now.

"That was amazing. Can we do that again?"

"Are you good for another round right now?" Sanguinius asked, smiling warmly.

"Yeah, but also the chasing thing. Can we do that again sometime too?"

Sanguinius laughed. "If course my love."

He kissed you again and again as he slid back in, ready to consummate your marriage many more times.

[dumplingsfordays]

in the willow wood, pt. 1

pairing - prince!gepard x elf!gn!reader (they/them)

genre - fluff

summary - pt. 1 - gepard, the son of a wealthy and powerful duke, meets an elf one day while hunting as a boy and his fellow hunters "arrest" (kidnap basically) them because they insulted the son of a high-ranking noble.

cw! : swearing, killing of forest animals (rabbits, deer, etc), mentions of blood, gepard's dad doesn't rlly care about him, serval hates her dad, belobog (with the exception of gepard and maybe serval) hates elves, reader is wearing a dress, reader is going to be wed in an arranged marriage to a random man, strangers to friends, reader runs away from their parents,

note : still held captive by writer's block :( school also started for me so I won't be posting as much. got the idea when listening to the Regal Ancestor Spirit ost from Elden Ring it's soso good omfg- anyways apologies for any mistakes I make in this fic, but always feel free to correct!!

artwork credit

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

"Ha!" cries Dunn, who has finally shot his first rabbit.

His victory was accompanied by clapping from the other hunters, who came forward to encircle him in praise and laughter. Gepard also came forward, beaming at his friend's acheivement, and the two preformed their not-really-so-secret handshake with enthusiasm in front of the group.

"Can't believe you actually did it," the golden-haired boy said to Dunn after the initial excitement of the situation dimmed. "It took you a month. A whole month!"

"Not a whole month," Dunn retorted, cheeks blazing red in embarrassment.

"And for a rabbit!"

"Rabbits are hard to shoot, though! They're tricky little devils. They run and dip and swerve and it's confusing to even watch."

"Sure, sure," Gepard giggled, "you'd be confused if you found out that candles aren't little pieces of sunlight that we steal from the sun and keep for ourselves."

"Wait, they aren't?"

Oh, how he loved these moments with his best friend. These moments of bursting joy, of pure happiness, of melodic laughter - they brought a smile to his face every time that he reminisced with Dunn. Interestingly, most of these tended to happen while the pair went hunting in the lovely, serene woods outside of their kingdom. Hunting was one of those activities that never ceased to be fun, unlike horseback riding or sparring, and it was also a relieving little escape from the grey, cobblestone streets of Belobog. Ruled in part by his father, it towered in the distance as a constant reminder of what Gepard was always, and always will be, part of.

But he decided not to focus on that. Right now, the most important thing to him was to finally prove to the senior hunters that he was capable of hunting alongside them despite his young age of 16.

Previously, they told him that he was to hunt and kill a deer. Gepard was, at first, underwhelmed.

"Hunters do that all the time, and with relative ease," he had said to them before they entered the forest. "Why should this mean anything to you?"

"Because it isn't as easy as it seems," said a grey-haired one, towering over Gepard. "You'll know what I mean when you're about to kill one."

The boy took this reply with a grain of salt. Surely it was easier than that, right? The other hunters do it all the time and they always hit their mark. Their hands don't tremble, their bows remain steady - what is so hard about killing an animal? It's like a rabbit, just bigger, and it doesn't move nearly as fast. It usually stands there, and really, the only thing you have to do is to hit it in the leg or neck or something to make sure it can't run away.

But Gepard was now starting to doubt his previous feelings about the hunter's reply as he started nearing the spot where the group usually kills deer. He felt a sort of uneasiness - not the horrible one that he would get when entering abandoned ballrooms with their dark lighting and thick shrouds of cobwebs, but a gentle, quiet one. What if I wound the deer so it survives and runs away? Will it bleed out in agony, still living, or will it submit its life to him reluctantly, like a fallen champion, bested by the new?

He decided not to dwell on these thoughts. After all, this trial was going to determine Father's opinion of him, and maybe, just maybe, he was going to finally say "I'm proud of you, son." Gepard would fight for that chance.

"And here we are," said a hunter from the front of the group, donned in brownish-grey attire.

A mere 20 feet away stood an elegant, gorgeous deer. It was grazing, pulling the grass from the ground, and the clearing which it was standing in was framed by willow trees swaying gently in the breeze. When Dunn's foot beside Gepard's stepped on a dry leaf, the deer raised its slender head suddenly. It peered over to where the company was crouching behind some bushes, its wide brown eyes alert, and with a flutter of its eyelashes, it resumed grazing.

"Get ready," whispered a hunter beside the golden-haired boy. He nodded, taking out his bow and an arrow from his quiver, and, stepping behind a tree for cover, lifted his bow. Hooking the arrow on the string as gently as possible, Gepard raised the bow and aimed.

But before he could shoot, the deer lifted its head and looked over behind it, to the shadowy glen. From behind a willow in that direction emerged a hand, still gripping the bark, and then a bare foot, and then the whole, radiant figure. Its hair glimmered in the few specks of light that poured through the canopy, and the long, white dress that trailed after them hazily shone like thousands of pearls.

As the figure strode up to the deer in the middle of the clearing, they stretched their hands forward, and the slender animal slowly turned around and walked over to them. The person caressed its head and sighed.

"Oh, Isabella," they cooed, lowering themselves to the ground, the deer following suit. "How I missed you."

This felt like a scene from a storybook as the deer laid its head in the figure's lap, encouraging the person to keep stroking its head. They sighed once more.

"Mother is nagging me again about that man. I don't even remember his name! We met only once, and that was back when we were mere children - why should we be expected to love one another if we don't have understanding of each other? Why should we be forced to go along with this?" The person's voice rose in pitch and volume little by little as they kept talking to their friend. "And why do we have to be so young? You know that elves get married when they come of age, which is still four years from now for me and him. Even Mother was married at twenty, so why shouldn't I be? Why should I marry at sixteen, and her at twenty?"

Gepard had never heard a deer whinny before, but now he knew that apparently it could happen.

"I'm sorry, Isabella," the person sighed. "You don't want to hear about any of this. I know I've been talking about it for several weeks now, but no matter how much I do, my situation isn't getting any better. I really wish that there was some sort of escape."

The deer in her lap whinnied again and sighed.

"No, I can't do that. They'd find me immediately. The guards are a nasty sort, they sneak and snoop around like bloodhounds. And even if I do manage to run away, where would I go? You know how the humans are, and the dwarves are even more suspicious of us. Living on my own isn't an option, either - I'd probably die within a week." They ended their monologue with a dry chuckle.

Gepard couldn't believe that this was happening. Was this an elf? Throughout his entire childhood he'd be told stories of the elves and how selfish and prideful they all were, and how they were deserving of death - but did this elf really have to die? What atrocities could they have possibly committed? What selfishness, or excessive pride, was housed in this individual's soul? Was it really necessary to kill this deer, which was obviously their close companion, and cause them more grief than they are already experiencing? He just couldn't do it. No, he'd find another, different deer, and spare these friends the sadness of losing one another.

A scrape of wood on wood sounded through the forest's relative silence like the crack of a whip. The elf and the deer turned their heads to Gepard's tree, behind which the blonde boy was trying to hide his now-lowered bow and hold his breath.

"Who's there?" cried the elf, standing up. The deer's ears were erect and alert as it listened for further noise.

Gepard looked to the hunters in the bushes a few feet away from him - they were exchanging panicked expressions and sending a few angry ones his way.

"Come out!" the elf called once more. They began to approach the tree with cautious steps, wading through pools of sunlight, bare feet anchoring them to the grass so they could spring back at any sign of danger. "I won't hurt you. I'm not armed, either, so please come out so that we can resolve this peacefully."

The last word that they uttered struck something in Gepard. Yes, peacefully - violence or staying put won't solve anything. If he were to keep hiding, the elf would discover him anyway, and no trust would be established to justify Gepard having a bow in his hands. If he were to come out, to present himself truthfully, then maybe the elf would pardon him and let him go. After all, they seemed kind, understanding.

To the absolute horror of his companions, Gepard stepped out from behind the tree, bow in hand. Their eyes met as the boy neared the elf, stepping into the light.

"I'm Gepard Landau, of Belobog," he trembled. "I was- I was hunting in this forest, and I saw your deer and I wanted to shoot it and then I changed my mind, and-"

"You what?"

"I changed my mind! I promise! I don't want to kill you or your deer, I swear! Please forgive me."

The elf's eyes narrowed in suspicion. A human, a creature which their mother and father had warned them about ever since they was born, was standing right in front of them, begging to let him go. They'd developed a special kind of hate for humans and their stink, their brutality, and their heartless, seemingly everlasting hunt. But their mother and father surely weren't right about everything - after all, they were set to marry not according to custom, which was something that their parents definitely wouldn't do under regular circumstances. Maybe they were wrong about humans, too, but they wouldn't take that chance just yet. But then again-

"I've been told that your kind is despicable and utterly disgusting all my life, and you come into our domain to kill our companions? It seems like my suspicions about you are correct."

Gepard was full-on shaking now. He dropped his bow and raised his hands up into the air. "I promise that I come in peace. I don't wish to harm you or your people."

"What about Isabella?" the elf questioned further. "You would've killed her if I hadn't come. Is that correct?"

"Yes," the golden-haired boy breathed. "Yes, I would've."

His honesty is... admirable.

"But if I let you go, you promise not to harm me or her or any of my kind?"

"Yes."

"Hmm." The elf tilted tilted their head up to look at the dark green canopy of the forest, closing their eyes. "I'd like to add another condition, however - let me live in your home."

Every single person's (and Isabella's) eyes widened in shock. The hunters' mouths were agape in pure, unadulterated surprise, and even Gepard couldn't help but stare at the elf dumbfoundedly.

"I- well, um-"

"I mean, it's fine if you don't," they replied hastily. "But I-"

And then chaos erupted.

The hunters sprung from the bushes, bows ready to fire at the elf and their companion. Their eyes were hard and steely and they were ready to pounce.

"Damn pointies!" one yelled. "Always shovin' their nose where it ain't supposed to be. You'll get a home alright - a home in the castle dungeons."

It was the elf's turn to be surprised. The deer stood protectively in front of them, blocking them from potential arrow fire, but the hunters weren't exactly merciful people. They ran to the figure, wrestling the elf away from the clearing as the deer tried to fight back against the attackers. The elf screamed, a desperate, saddening cry, before being shut up by the hunters, and at this point, Gepard felt he had to do something.

He tried to reason with the hunters, but to no avail - the elf had apparently insulted them, and they were set on punishment. The deer kept kicking, so the blonde-haired boy attempted to soothe it, saying that its friend will come back as soon as they could, and that he would help them reunite. The deer, after some minutes, seemingly understood Gepard, and with a quiet, lonely sigh, walked off to the tree where the figure first came from.

The elf was now being carried by the hunters in a stretcher-like fashion through the dense thicket of the woods, the familiar sounds of crackling leaves and the occasional rustle ambient. Gepard leaned to his side to whisper to his best friend, Dunn.

"Do you think they'll be alright?"

[majokothesmol]

I've noticed a slight pattern with how Geeta deals with people doing things they shouldn't do, reguardless of they're good or bad.

First and most obvious: Penny. Girl creates a gang, becomes said gang's leader, hacks into the League Point system on multiple occasions, AND into Area Zero itself with relative ease. What does Geeta do? Ask Penny to work for her and fix the system.

Second and least obvious: Poppy. Tiny girl has a knack for steel types, probably demolished a couple of kids on the playground, and was a general menace (in the sense nobody knew how to handle her.) What does Geeta do? Makes her an Elite Four member.

Third: You, the player. You went down to Area Zero without permission, saved Paldea, and probably kept going there even though you're not supposed to. What does Geeta do? Has you go down there again with an Important Item to see what it does.

The pattern/Geeta's way of discipline seems to be "If you like doing this so much, it's going to be your job now/under my watch." She knows she can't stop Penny from hacking, or Poppy from being a powerhouse, or You from going into Area Zero. But she can put those skills to good use, and possibly help those trainers get better at what they do.

Plus, I like to think she does this from prior experience trying to control someone's strength: Katy. Trainers seemed disheartened by Katy's strength in the gym challenges, so Geeta told her to go easier. By doing this, she probably saw how Katy began feeling stifled. Her plan worked out, but at the cost of Katy's growth.

TLDR; Geeta likes helping people grow. If you like it so much, do it more.

[9thbutterfly]

Look. I understand that we have a worker shortage. I understand that that it might be slightly eased by people working more hours.

But it pisses me the fuck off how part time workers are currently being vilified by our politicians. And I wonder how many of those people who are complaining about us lazy lazy part timers

- do their own childcare (or elders, disabled relatives etc)

- do their own cooking

- do their own cleaning

- commute and/or use public transport

(you know that "we all (don't) have the same 24 hours" post, right?)

And fuck it. Even if I didn't have a child and a household and a garden and a cat to take care of, I wouldn't want to work full time any more, and won't, as long as it's financially feasible. Because I also have a husband and friends and family I want to spend time with, and hobbies I want to do, and places I want to go to, and all of that matters too. Possibly more so than generating profit for someone. Like, yeah, there are jobs that are genuinely necessary, like healthcare, but seriously, there's so much that is just... not that important. Not to mention things the world would be better off without.

I mean, I have been the boss, and I have groaned internally when my employees wanted to reduce their hours, because it meant having to find more staff, and more training, and more complicated schedules, and more work for me.

But at the same time, I was so jealous, because I wanted to be able to do that too. And my biggest ambition was getting my team to a point where they could just do things without me for a while. And it does still make me angry that it all was taken away from me when we were finally getting closer to that.

But it is also freeing. I can just go home when my hours are up, and if the work isn't all the way done, it is not my problem any more. (And with that distance, it is also easier to see that it doesn't even *matter* that much, in the grand scheme of things. Most of what we sell are just things that are pretty, but not necessary.)

[tutuandscoot]

I have a query about lifts that would benefit from your experience as a dancer. I’m interested in the mechanics - Scott doesn’t seem very big to me and yet lifts Tessa with ease and grace. So if sheer muscle power is not the secret to lifting another human while travelling at speed on a thin blade on ice, what is?! I’m interested in things like the role of the partner for eg, Queen T is so strong she holds up much of her own weight, plus also how their bodies work together to make it happen?. And which body parts do all the work? S has a solid neck and shoulders, a core to die for and a (well loved) sturdy behind, all of which would help, but his arms aren’t that big. Same with many other male skaters. When I think of big arms in an athlete I guess I picture AFL/ NRL blokes whose arms are massive. Next to them, S would look like a ballerina (which, sigh. He is). So how do these relatively small skaters do it?

⭐️LONG POST AHEAD⭐️

Ohh what an interesting question!

I won’t go too much in-depth on this ask bc I have a post I’ve been working on forever about lifts that I’m finally ready to release soon.

So I’ll cover a few things.

The no. one thing with lifts is form. Correct technique. My very first pas de deux (duet) class, our teacher (who was not a small man) lay on the floor and had about 10 of us- boys and girls, try to lift him. The first time he made himself really heavy, no control in his limbs, relaxed core- he didn’t hold himself. The second time, he held himself, core, limbs, made himself lighter just through form. The first time it was impossible to lift him, the next time probably 3 of us could of. So the first thing we learned is as the girl you have to hold yourself- make yourself light, and that makes it much easier for the man to lift you.

So form is the first thing. That goes for both of them. Scott is always so well balanced on his skates- whether that’s a parallel base or turned out base. He lifts from his legs:

-not by bending at his back. That makes it easier on his upper body, using the power muscles like his quads and beautiful tushie glutes for that explosive action is guiding her upwards, along with T clearly being very aerodynamic, he is not holding the weight of her purely with his arms. I haven’t really heard him talk about it but I know he had some back issues kinda around 2014. (For a couple or years before/after this time). Since I don’t know anything else I don’t want assume false facts, it may be from lift form or something else (lord knows I could give you a thousand stories about back issues), but it does go to show how much goes into correct technique and proper strength training (I believe this all came from their trainer in the comeback). Tessa meanwhile has to make herself light, and that comes through strength- especially core strength, all that Pilaties training to keep her core so strong while having exquisite lines though her limbs. It also helps if she is good at launching herself off the ground- aka jumping, which I assume she is. I don’t mean figure skating jumping, but just jumping off the ground. This helps Scott massively when he goes to lift her is that she is able to launch herself off the ice. She suspends herself in the air so he can then easily manipulate her. This is the case for some lifts but not all depending on the mechanics of it.

I don’t want this to be confused with simply T jumping into a lift and Scott catching. That would not result in the flow they have. This is where another really important factor comes in which is coordination. In their book they talk about creating more difficult lifts and getting them to ‘pop’. What this refers to is them having the right momentum, coordination, skating action- all those physics actions coming together to make the lift happen- this is what makes all their lifts so smooth and effortless. It’s not quite the same action but think a plane lifting off. It requires the right speed, angle of attack, weight balance, connection to gravity otherwise it over speeds or stalls.

Not all lifts require the same dynamics which makes their repertoire of lifts so versatile and memorable.

Let’s look at some examples

Latch straight:

They get into that tight position, she has her right leg bent up, he holds it as well as around her waist, then T jumps/pushes off the ice in coordination with Scott rolling her over, she shoots her left leg into the air (which also makes that beautiful circular motion as they ends in the arabesque). This kind of reminds me of learning back flips (back handsprings) you dive backwards over a big round (cylindrical) squishy mat so you can get used to the motion before having no support. This is almost like that but sideways and instead of the mat, she is rolling over him. But you can also see how they use their momentum, the backwards stroking, spinning around each other, setting the rhythm so when they go into the lift the motion is there in their bodies to carry forward. But they also cleverly disguised it so you don’t see the lift or what kind of lift coming. I was coaching this girl on a ballet solo the other day and there’s this movement that repeats I think 7 times where you jump off two feet, landing on one then rising (relevé) into a held pose.. on pointe. I was explaining to her if she pauses at the end of the jump for too long, she loses the momentum to rise up. If she’s uses the rebound from the landing of the jump to rise up, it will be easier, rather than fighting the energy your body has out of the jump- same with not holding yourself in a way where momentum will work in your favour for lifts. (The same way runners use the transfer of energy out of the ground to propel each proceeding stride- the energy expenditure/return ratio).

Latch rotational:

As he grabs her leg she jumps (pushes off) into that twist, he doesn’t have to bend low down or use his back because she is getting herself almost up to his shoulder height before he manipulates her around his neck.

A different example would be the prince/MR curve lift.

This doesn’t require so much of a jumping or popping action because there isn’t really any upward lifting motion. Tessa has to be so strong to step up onto his leg (so lots of box jumps and weighted step ups in gym training) she has to be so stable and so well balanced- assisted by him holding her so steady as she kicks her left leg over his head. This all coordinated together, in place and balanced as he begins to lean back to the outside edge to create the curve. And of course they lean soo far back, T is bending nearly 90*, she would be able to see the back side of the rink, and he as well gets such a steep lean in his beautiful grandé plié position... the damn trust to do that! Also on the matter of leg strength, I don’t think people realise how hard it is to hold a flat turned out grandé plié in second on your own for a solid 8 seconds let alone HAVING A FULL ADULT HUMAN STANDING ON YOUR THIGHS IN KNIFE SHOES LEANING BACK AND YOUr WHOLE STRENGTH RESPONSIBLE FOR IF SHE FALLS BACK AND CRACKS HER HEAD OPEN….. at the end of 3:1/2 minutes of skating also..

Something I love that about them as well that they never just had go to lifts in their competitive programs. They always had such good variety and lifts you’ll remember like ‘oh that’s the latch lift or that’s from Carmen.. not just a similar version of each type of lift for every program.

Another thing is the also the way they start and end lifts. You never see them prepare for a lift or having to re organise themselves after a lift. You see a lot of other teams that brief pause before lifts, and more noticeable the exit, a lot of teams slow down to exit their lifts and have to regain speed, breaking the flow of the program. That’s shows the strength of TS transitions and dance and skating skill.

These two things- form and coordination then allow them to dance their lifts. I’ve always felt like their lifts have stood out.. for many reasons: creativity, difficulty appropriate for the dance style and character, not being hijinksy for the sake of it. But also how they just become part of the dance. Even now when I know their routines so well and can easily recognise the skating elements, I never feel ‘oh there’s a lift’, they come out of nowhere. They’ll just be dancing along and suddenly bam! She’s in the air.

On the body/physicality bit.. yes they are both very small and close in height (they aren’t ‘short’, they are just small/ petite. There’s an interview with the actor John Hamm after he met them on Ellen and he exclaimed ‘they are so much smaller irl, I guess you have to be to do what they do’- he saw them live in YVR and had remained a big fan of them through pyc). It’s so cute watching them as juniors when they were basically the exact same height, lifts especially just staring out learning and performing them. I think their closeness in height lead to a very unique lift technique, type of lifts, and in fact I think became a massive advantage to them in how their lifts are so seamless. In most situations S would need a smaller partner because he isn’t that tall himself, but they made it work it and didn’t it work out brilliantly?!! Taking nothing away from Scott but this is how I think we got such spectacular on the part of Tessa lifts bc she so freaking strong and fearless. ie the Carmen/MR rotational lift, also the goose since it doesn’t require any lifting motion, just skill and balance and T being a rockstar. Her strength also made it so they didn’t have to resort to a lot of lifts where it’s just the boy swinging the girl (I hate those lifts) the more contorted lifts (the one above) T’s so equally strong and flexible she’s not like a rag doll being thrown around.

When I say lift technique I don’t know what technique specifically- like there’s no offical name for it- it’s just what worked for them. The ‘pop’ they describe is a good way to explain it because a lot of the time with their lifts you don’t necessarily see a definitive upwards lifting motion, as I said it just becomes a highlight moment in the dance, not ‘there’s a lift’, they used their respective similar physicalities, physics, chemistry between them- trust, to lift, not just muscle strength. Lifts would definitely be tiring for Scott especially training them repetitively, but I don’t get the sense he would be getting over exhausted/fatigued/injured through drilling or performing lots of lifts because they play such equal roles, and have excellent technique. People don’t realise lifts are incredibly hard on the girls as well. Your ribs get very bruised and sore, you can get winded, sometimes you end up in or for the mechanics of the lift you’re in uncomfortable positions, you don’t have a lot of extra padding- both clothing and costumes but also.. you know.. fat to protect you, so that’s why strength and form is so important to keep yourself safe and in one piece.

Basically everything I’ve mentioned above can be trained and worked on and talented enough dancers will make it look great, but TS advantage is they had been doing it for sooo long they only know how to partner each other, so the unique technique they developed for their physicality as dancers extends deeper to them personally. (Their excellent form and understanding of their respective roles in lifts allows them to occasionally partner others to a high standard as well- but you can see the imbalance when you split ts up and put them with other people..)

Another thing that kind of has nothing to do with it but also everything to do with it, is in slowing down lifts and watching transitions you can see the trust and care they have in each other. They never hesitate. He puts her down soooo gently, like a pin drop would be louder than T’s blade hitting the ice- she’s in skates so where as dance on the floor you would using the strength of your foot to roll through the metatarsals to make your landing soft and quiet. I’m constantly amazed at the way he manhandles her in both beautiful and deliberately ugly/confronting positions, but it’s also so gentle-or appears gentle, like he stops his grip just before it would hurt her. I love seeing her back after a program when you can see the marks, sometimes scars/scratches left because their dancing is so beautifully physical and they love to feel that physical connection with each other through movement but it also makes you realise what they do is really fucking hard and as gentle as it is they sometimes do go home feeling a little beaten up- but in the best way possible because it’s their best friend beating them up and they know the end product is worth it. Sometimes I think about that and how they hug before every skate even it seems practices on/off ice at competitions and they are making each other feel so safe and comfortable being held before they have to do it choreographically. Like they are just re-reminding each other what their touch feels like so they can re-connect with that familiar sensation every time (brb, Sobbing break 😭😭).

I would also like to speculate that their breathing aids in their lifts, just as physically they coordinate, their breath coordinates as well, so in preparing for a lift that requires that ‘pop’ action (most of them in some respect) they would breathe in together on the preparation, then out releasing that energy as they go into the lift.. idk if this is the case but I like to believe it is.

Lastly on the matter of trust, and this is clearly the case with everything they do, T just has full faith in him. I love this little clip here of them practicing the stat. lift from latch at SCI:

They get a little bit stuck, just a brief loss of momentum. While initially, only for a split second T seems to motion to help her situation- not bc she’s afraid of falling but just to help the lift get moving again, but she quickly stops and just lets him sort it out. She holds her position so strongly, so he can clearly feel where each of her limbs are and body weight is and makes the the most economical choices to continue the lift and she is fine with whatever he chooses to do to get it back on track. Look how calm they both remain. And as he puts her down they are still so in it with their expressions and focus on each other. It’s also incredibly sweet that as he’s put her down, he puts his hand on the small of her back- this happens in the program as well but it’s easier to see here bc she’s in tights, the way he has to put her down means his hand kinda gets wrapped high between her legs. There is nothing ‘suggestive/sleezy/slutty/secret coded msg through movement’ about it, it’s just the mechanics of the lift, but nevertheless its not like he needs to put his hand on her back afterwards, it just seems like a gentle little moment to centre themselves after the element, like ‘here I am, I’ve got you’ as they continue on (totally made that up I have know fkn clue if there’s any thing to that but I like the thought of it). So this all going back to everything I’ve said of their form and coordination, ease of movement they developed only for each other, their beautiful individual movement as dancers, and the trust and gentle care they have for each other in every moment of life.

So I don’t really know if all/any of that answers the question about how he’s so small but is so strong.. muscle doesn’t necessary equate to strength I guess I would say.. it’s skill, form, coordination. T plays a huggeeee role in their lifts and I think Scott would back me up on that. I love when he says things like (on the MR rotational lift) ‘that’s so cool right, she just goes for it.. she’s fearless’. He is so stable (never looks like he has a problem) he hardly ever missteps, so for T knowing she’s on such a secure base she has no reason to hesitate. Obviously the lifts aren’t perfect straight away, they would have to work for them. Practice off ice for ages then slowly move to the ice. I don’t know how they do any of this in fucking skates on ice that’s insane I don’t understand it they’re crazy daredevils and I love them for that!

TS are obviously an extremely positive example of partners supporting one another- him never giving her any reason to think to starve or diet unhealthily to become lighter for him to lift. (T had said in an interview I think this one that he only wanted the best for her and make her feel +look amazing, never giving her the crap that others did, and T herself being so strong willed and determined for both herself to be healthy and knowing she was setting an example for young girls/athletes in general QUEEN T HAS MY HEART). A not so positive example I’ve experienced is the staff in the company I use to dance in, one of them publicly saying how they tell their woman dancers they are fat and over weight (which none of them are) because they have to ‘protect their boys’.. the staff had an unhealthy obsession with their male dancers and one girl in particular who they set as the gold standard for being about as thin as my pinky finger. Weight and body fat distribution has nothing to do with how easy it is for a boy to lift you, everyone’s body is different, we are all fit because we are high level athletes, your weight can fluctuate several hundred grams whether you are on your period or you’ve taken a shit that day.. form and communication with partners is far more important. If you are both applying the correct technique and working together to make the lift/partnering happen it shouldn’t matter the physicality of the partners (when it comes to specific chore it may be necessary for there to be more significant height differences). So there you have a prime example of what not to do- damaging artists based on BS ‘science’, controlling and sick obsessions with both men and women, and in contrast TS, a team who physically shouldn’t work for the type of movement they do, yet creating stunning, ground breaking skating because they did everything right and proved these bullshit mind games are just that, bs. Compared to other ID teams where the girl is relatively smaller/thinner/ lighter, their lifts appear to be much more in-equal in the roles each parter plays- it appears much harder on the guy because she thinks because she is light it will be easy to lift her.. no. When she is light but not strong/not holding herself correctly the lift is sloppy, they don’t make nice positions, and then I do start fearing for one of/both their safety.

I know I said I would just say a few things… that IS me saying a few things…

Hope this did answer but if there’s something I didn’t cover you want me to, anyone let me know..

Also ‘sturdy behind’ had me giggling for about 5 mins..

Also like the AFL guys would probs be ok with lifting a girl kinda gracefully but those NRL boys oh man.. 😬🫣

I love Scott’s physicality so so much and it changed a fair bit in the comeback but I loved how he learned to work with it. I can’t imagine having to totally retrain your body back to not only competitive but OLY gold medal shape at an “””older””” age, but didn’t he do a stunning job at it!! I can’t believe how beautifully he was moving by the last few competitions. Grace and ease but incredible strength as you put it is exactly right!

Lastly apologies this probs doesn’t flow very well and the paragraph topics are a bit miss matched.. hopefully the info makes sense even if it’s not the easiest read..

[bonesandthebees]

hi sorry just speaking up on account of fun personal knowledge regarding the ask sayinng ypu should get a typewriter and your tags on said post . my personal favorite beginner level typewriters are smith-coronas, theyre user-friendly and relatively easy to maintain in my eyes. id honestly recommend looking for an electric rather than a manual for your first typewriter - its very different from writing on a modern day computer keyboard, and electrics do a relatively good job of easing you in . the keyboards are more similar to your blocky, 90s-tech keyboards you see out in the wild . my first electric was a smith-corona coronet super12 and honestly its one of the best typewriters i own; the quality is stellar, shes comfortable with me, she actually Likes Being Typed on .

manual typewriters are beasts. theyre often angry if you are not the owner theyve always known (speaking of this - a good place to look for typewriters are estate sales . usually you're lookjng at 20-50usd for a functional typewriter at an estate sale, compared to 100+ at an antique shop or online). but yes manual typewriters are angry creatures . they fight you on everything. my first manual was a hermes3000 in a light powder blue and honestly this typewriter does not like me i think. most typewriters you find out in the wild are going to need a little work - new ribbon, a nice deep clean - but will be relatively functional (esp, again, at estate sales. ppl dont usually keep broken shit). manuals are fussy and will probably want a little more out of you . my hermes needs a full realignment and more than a few of the keys stick . not optimal for your first typewriter .

most importantly - and something they dont tell you when you first start using typewriters, cough - manuals take A LOT OF FORCE TO PRESS THE KEYS. more than you are expecting. it is not like your hp or your mac or dell or alienware or whatever - you have to WORK to type on a manual. i was typing with just my index fingers for the first few months i owned my hermes because i physically couldn't 1) get a feel for the keyboard and 2) press down on the keys comfortably with my other fingers. it hurt after a little while .

that being said, owning a manual is an extremely fun little knickknack to show off. double points if its functional and you actually put it to some use . typewriters are one of those things that get better the more you use them ; you kind of have to break them in, and more use means theyre easier to work with. electrics are similar but are often more forgiving . all this to say that a manual is worth it if youre willing to make the commitment. theyre fun to use . make you feel like a 1940s office worker .

as far as actually writing goes, all manuals and early electrics are not going to have any sort of backspace functionality. honestly i think its rlly helped with being deliberate about what words im using. you can get correction tape (obviously) but it feels a little bit different . i think it helps with just getting ideas onto paper concisely .

no matter what kind of typewriter you get (if any at all) the most important thing is going to be the user manual, whether you actually have the original paper copy or a scanned version youve found online. understanding your typewriter is like reading a recipe. its important to know what each button does and how to use it . if you grew up learning typing on a computer you do not know how to use a typewriter ; youll be able to type but probably not much more . instructions are your best friend . your typewriter is an animal .

typewriters need a little more love in the world . i highly recommend looking around at garage sales, estate sales, thrift stores if youre interested in owning or using one, theyre honestly such an efficient and modernly-under-appreciated piece of technology that really revolutionized the world . thanks for allowing me to ramble i hope this isnt too unwanted

oh this is so informational thank you!! I know next to nothing about typewriters except what they look like and that they make the nice clicky noises. I don't know if I'll ever get one, but if I do it's not gonna be for a few years just because money + I'd wanna set that up and have a nice space for it once I'm living in my own place, and atm I'm still in the 'post college graduate living with parents' phase of my life.

that's really good to know about electric vs manual typewriters though!! I'd probably get an electric for my first one because I rely so heavily on my typing speed. typing stuff on my laptop is muscle memory at this point so I'd be very annoyed if my typing was super heavily impaired on a typewriter. I do know the manual ones take a lot more effort to push down. I've encountered them at antique stores before and have tried to type a tiny bit and it's definitely a challenge

this wasn't unwanted at all it was super helpful!! I love the way you talk about typewriters too. I can definitely imagine that manual ones are like beasts you have to figure out how to work with lol. I'm gonna be saving this as a reference note for if I eventually start looking into getting one for myself

[aceontheline]

Love is in Bloom (Mass x Florida: Pt 9)

C//W: Self Harm (Cutting), Suicidal Thoughts + Ideation

Hey. Listen up. From personal experience, self harm is never the answer to any problems that may be going on in your life. Do not be afraid to contact any and all available resources in your area.

Use this handy link here to find one available: https://blog.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines/

From here on in, I will put a link to either the next chapter, or back to my Masterpost, if you feel like you can't//don't want to read this installment.

Masterpost ( Here )

Darren may have been put behind bars, but Mass had reason to believe that his connections ran a lot deeper. He became rather paranoid, as he would receive messages on his phone almost every day after the trial from random numbers, saying that they would harm him. Mass became irritable and constantly on edge, constantly looking behind him and even distrusting the other states and their kindness & patience with him. There were a few that no matter what, seemed to stick by him. Florida, Gov, New York, and Maine were all sticking around Mass and making sure he was okay. But one night, they managed to slip up.

The others had to go attend an important meeting and Mass really had no reason to be there, so he stayed home and tried to distract himself. However, the overwhelming thoughts got the better of him. Thoughts such as: "I'm burdening the others cuz they constantly have to look after me" or "They'd be better off without me anyway. Why am I waiting so long?" Mass went to his drawer and found the switchblade that New York had given to him.

Mass used to do this a long time ago. He was all too familiar with the sensation of a blade running against his arms, legs, or anywhere else. He knew that the others would see marks on his arms, so he opted to use his thighs as a canvas. Mass slid the blade across his thigh with ease, looking at the blood that was coming out of him. He felt nothing at this point, so he went ahead and made several more cuts into himself. He wasn't sure if he actually found a sick thrill in this, or if it was just him finding familiarity in the experience. The cuts that Mass left on his thighs were relatively deep, but they didn't cause any major side effects, other than him feeling lightheaded for a brief moment, before drinking water. He patched his scars up as quickly as he could, before throwing a pair of dark grey sweatpants on to cover them.

The others came home and as Mass suspected, they didn't notice or question a thing. Mass had a hard time covering stuff up like this sometimes, so the fact that he was able to "get away with it" like he did made things a little easier on him mentally. He didn't want to talk to anyone about this issue anyway. Him and Florida decided to turn in early for the evening, so they watched some movies and cuddled together. Mass enjoyed this, only to a certain level.

The next few days were rather uneventful. At one point though, the states actually had to turn down someone at the door who knew Darren and was looking for Mass to bring him over. The states ultimately refused, with Texas even jumping in to help. Mass just scurried off to the bathroom again with the blade in hand. He opted for his arms this time, looking at himself in the mirror and repeating similar, negative mantras. The blade went across his arm a couple times, then New York and Florida were knocking on the door. Shit... Shit. Mass hid all the evidence and cleaned himself up with rapid speed... But not quick enough.

New York kicked down the door and saw Mass's bloodied arm. Florida gasped in horror and rushed to hug Mass close to him. New York calmly walked up to Mass and stared him down, asking what he thought that he was going to accomplish doing that to himself. Florida also asked "Why".

"Look. Clearly I'm a huge burden to yous. You gotta look after me all the time, check up on me and just... It's too much. It's wearing down on y'all. Why do you even care so much?" Mass pondered, clearly sounding worn down & defeated.

"Mass, my little Mays... We care so much about you. We want to help you and make sure you're safe. I love you deeply and I want you to be safe here in your own house damn it. You know what... New York? Can you-"

"Already on it, Flo. Darren's dumbass friends will be out of here sooner rather than later" New York responded flatly.

He told Florida to leave the room for a moment. Florida did so, and New York... Hugged Mass close. He, then, showed scars of his own. Clearly they had been deep, but they were also fading. "I've been where you are. It ain't gonna help, only worry those around ya" New York said, patting Mass on the back. Mass looked at his scars, then showed New York the rest of them. York nodded, saying that he had to tell Florida and Gov about this, seeing how a proper safety plan was clearly necessary for Mass. He teared up at hearing that and immediately hugged York again.

"Thanks. I didn't think you of anyone else would've cared so much" Mass said jokingly.

"I'm serious, Mass. As much as we have our... History. I'd hate to see you going through something like this" New York replied firmly.

New York called Florida and Gov into the room and asked Mass to explain what happened. Mass recounted everything to the concerned two that walked in and showed the scars. Gov immediately texted the other Northeastern states asking them to hide any and all sharp objects from Mass. They all agreed to help with this part, while Gov insisted that from this point, himself and Florida would conduct check ins every day for Mass until he felt better. York said that he would occasionally help out with distracting Mass by doing things with him and California. He smiled softly upon hearing that so many people actually cared about him enough to the point where they'd help this much.

The next few weeks were actually rather uneventful, as New York predicted. Darren's friends were ran out of town due to a pretty bad "smear campaign". Mass seemed to slowly be getting better overtime with the urges mostly dying down. Florida was definitely good at laying down the affection and making Mass feel loved & valued. New York could give plenty of sympathy, as he knew what it was like to experience such darker feelings. All of the Northeastern states were willing to hang out with Mass as well to help him feel better and safer.

Eventually, Mass was back to feeling relatively normal again and everyone slowly started reintegrating the knives and other sharp objects back into their kitchen or other places. Mass didn't feel much temptation, if any at all, to enact any urges that were inherently harmful. Florida felt so proud of him, so the two of them went out for whatever Mass wanted to do that evening. They went to a somewhat fancy restaurant, to see a movie, then to go to Boston Commons and watch the stars at night.

"I'm so proud of you, Mays. You've come so far" Florida stated happily.

"Thanks, Orange Blossom. Thanks to you and everyone else, I'm feeling much better. Hangin' with you and York has been fun. I think I'm good to return to my somewhat normal life. I hope that life still has you in it" Mass replied, sounding hopeful.

"Of course it will, Mass. I don't want to leave you hanging... Really, ever. Especially if you were already feeling like this the whole time. I could never. You're too important to me" Florida mentioned.

Mass smiled upon hearing this, kissing Florida under the soft moonlight. The two kissed and cuddled for a while under the light. "I love you" Mass said dreamily. Florida returned the sentiment, kissing Mass's lips softly. Florida saw Mass's scars and traced along them with his fingers, kissing the tips of them before doing so. Mass chuckled at that, jokingly asking Florida if he was "kissing them better" or something. This also made Florida chuckle. The two remained quiet for a while as they just embraced each other under the starlight.

After a while, they returned back home and saw New York talking on the phone with someone. He hung up after a few moments and greeted the two lovebirds. York asked how Mass was feeling today. "Fine, actually. Thanks to the lot of yous" he responded with a smile. York sighed and smiled in return, pulling out some seats at the kitchen table for Mass and Florida, saying that he made a dessert that he wants the two to try. York pulled it out of the fridge... And Mass immediately smiled upon seeing it. It was a Boston Cream Pie, and it looked perfect.

"Cali and I made it together for us to enjoy. He's on his way now! All four of us can share it" New York uttered, slicing into it.

"Looks great! Florida, you want some?" Mass asked.

"Sure! I'll try anything at least once, you know that" Florida teased, kissing Mass's cheek.

The two giggled, as California arrived. He sat next to New York and across from Mass. The four of them shared slices of the cream pie, which turned out to be very delicious. They shared the Boston Cream Pie and had a few good, enriching discussions... And for the first time in a while, Mass started to cry. It wasn't out of sadness at all, but happiness. California asked if Mass was okay, and he nodded, explaining that this was a "happy cry".

Florida smiled and hugged Mass close to him, petting through his hair. New York got up and pat Mass on the back, hugging the two of them. California joined in on this small group hug. Mass was happy, surrounded by those he considered close friends. Eventually, Mass wiped his tears away and continued eating his last slice. He and Florida eventually turned in for the evening, thanking New York and California for the time they spent together. Mass even commented about how the pie tasted similarly to how his mother made it.

"I'm just glad you're doing better! I care about you way too much to let anything like that happen to you again, Sweetheart" Florida said, holding Mass's hand tightly, kissing his lips softly.

"Thank you, Doll. I'm glad you and the others care for me so much. Kinda glad that not everyone sees me as some 'angry Masshole' so much anymore" Mass responded.

"You're still MY 'Masshole', Sweetie" Florida teased.

Mass laughed, lightly hitting Florida on his back. The two settled in for the evening, getting ready for bed and then cuddling in said bed. They slept in Florida's room this time, as it was warm but still relatively cool with the window open. This experience here... Pure bliss.

Previous ( Here ) ; Next ( Here )

Masterpost ( Here )

[lifeafterthelayoff]

Part II, Day 68

What Ira Glass and a French composer taught me about creativity. 

Last night, my wife and I went to a concert where we heard a piece by the French composer Ernest Chausson, titled the Concert for Piano, Violin, and String Quartet. LOVELY. But it got me thinking, as I learned more about his life and approach to creating art.

Chausson was active during La Belle Époque in France, born to a wealthy family. This allowed him to lead a different life than some of his contemporaries.

I happened to buy an LP just a week ago containing this piece. (Only $2!) The notes on the back of the sleeve provide some insight into Chausson’s work:

“Chausson's wealth, while not great, obviated the need to play in an orchestra pit or copy other composer's orchestral parts. Free from the need to make a living by his own music, he found himself looked upon as an amateur; consequently, he developed a feeling of inadequacy. That lack of faith in himself and the leisure to write only what he wanted, when he wanted, conspired against the ease and versatility he might have developed as a professional had he been forced to work under pressure. Instead, he worried every note into existence, becoming a perfectionist who, according to his close friend Debussy, preoccupied himself with inner parts.”

Even Chausson was feeling the imposter syndrome set in. Along with some other complex emotions, by the looks of it. Exposed to the pressures and rote work of teaching or playing, he would’ve developed a different set of skills and strengths. Not better, necessarily. Different, though. Easier? That’s probably relative.

Ira Glass talks about this phenomenon, calling it “the gap.” (Not the clothing store.) He says that when we start doing something creative, we are disappointed in our early work; there’s a gap between what we’re capable of at the start and the things that inspired us to start. We all have to get past the gap and there’s only one way to do that:

“We all go through this. And if you’re just getting started or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal, and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline, so that every week, you will finish one project. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap and your work will be as good as your ambitions.”

The key there being the volume of work. Doing the thing, over and over again. Chausson had the luxury of going down a different path. Most of us don’t, at least not for long.

I feel like I have the opportunity to do both RIGHT NOW. I’ve developed my skills over the years, and I have some time to practice them without sharing my brain with a full-time job quite yet. It’s a rare moment. I’m going to treasure this time even more, now. Thanks Ernest and Ira!

[petrichoraline]

🦊 because you're witty and brutally honest and i'm intimidated by witty and sincere people

I GOT A FOX! I got a foxxx 😭💞

putting this here in case someone else wants to surprise me

listen, this message took me on a bit of a ride cause I was excited to see my theory proven right (that some of the asks I receive on anon are by people who find me intimidating) so thank you for the confirmation!

but now: "witty and brutally honest"

is that about me?? I'm flattered and perplexed at the same time hahah because "witty" is one of my favourite qualities a person could have.. i won't deny i could be perceived as such, I trust you, it is really nice and surprising to see it directed at me like this, thank you 💓

as for "brutally honest".. one thing that i decided on when i started communicating with people on here more was that i would try to be as nice and sincere as possible. some of the people I like chatting with and i see as intimidating have a relatively blunt way of speaking. i find them very cool because they seem like the type to not care much about how they're perceived whereas i come off as a bit of a try hard. some people have a naturally warm way of expressing themselves, i work on it - I think which emojis would be suitable, stop using caps if it starts feeling like the text is becoming too invasive (???), overall i pay attention to how my words come across and i sometimes worry i come off as insincere because of it. so it really is a surprise being perceived like this :) is it in relation to the way I talk about media? i do yap a lot and i get quite direct in tags 😂 so maybe. or maybe how I answer more personal asks? in those cases i put effort into getting my points across without sounding harsh. all that's besides the point I want to make which is

please feel more comfortable with me pleaseeee

i like being seen as intimidating maybe because the people i admire are intimidating. but that is in direct juxtaposition with my goal and the efforts i've been putting towards it - i want to be approachable, for people to feel at ease talking to me and asking me questions and for us to discuss things openly because THEMES! TROPES! BAD WARDROBE DECISIONS!!!

shows are so exciting to talk about, i learn so much from these conversations and sometimes theyre just plain silly fun! and even aside from fandom stuff, i'd like to be someone people find comforting. which is why it's important i also remain sincere - someone who only ever says what the other wants to hear will soon lose all credibility, why ask someone their opinion if you know they're just gonna repeat your own back at you regardless? and also it's my blog. so. i deserve to be a bit of a bitch from time to time😄

i understand where you're coming from, I feel this way about a lot of bloggers on here and i am sure they are a lot less scary than i perceive them as haha so I can't make you suddenly find me not intimidating but i do hope you know that logically speaking (because i am being a tad bit hypocritical, my nervous overthinking self knows things and then feels feelings despite that) there's nothing to be intimidated by - this whole thing is all about having fun and learning alongside other people. whether you perceive them as smarter, more insightful or competent in their field of interest, they are all here for the same thing! and would love sharing their interest and passion with you. yes, some ppl are less sociable than others but usually you could tell if that's the case. as for me, i am directly telling you i am already going "awww" at you and your message. it takes some courage to admit that and if you're like me, you were nervous sending it but i appreciate that you did very much <3 and i can only hope you come to see me as someone warmer and easier to talk to in the future 💕💗💓💞💝

[diliwriter]

Land for Recreational Use: Finding Your Perfect Getaway Spot

Are you exploring more unconventional real estate investment options? Look for land for sale, Sri Lanka notifications that are great for recreational uses!

You may be looking for the land to create your idyll. Or you could develop the property into a park adventure land or similar. Whatever the case, recreational land is a fantastic investment and offers several benefits. 

What is recreational land?

As the name suggests, it’s a piece of land used for recreational purposes. 

Reasons to buy land for recreational use

Recreational properties offer a fantastic long-term return on your investment. The benefits are multifaceted, from increased property value to tax reductions to personal enjoyment. It also presents minimal risks to your investments, unlike options like stocks or bonds, which depend on many variables. 

And unless you decide to develop the property into a theme park or similar, recreational lands are mostly hands-off investments. Beyond the basic upkeep like occasional weeding, the land can be left to itself so you can enjoy nature with a myriad of recreational activities. 

However, if you do develop the property, it can lead to rental opportunities - for example, as a campground.

Things to consider when buying recreational land

There are many factors to consider before you buy the perfect plot of land for recreational use. Here are several factors to get you started. 

Your needs - Before deciding on a land, evaluate if it fits the type of activities you have in mind. For instance, if you plan to camp, it is better if the land has access to nature parks or hiking trails so that you can enjoy a number of outdoor activities.

Location - Recreational lands are typically remote properties, away from towns and cities. However, the locals know the area better. So look into the properties that border the prospective land, how they use them and whether that would impact your plans.

Access -  Simply because recreational lands are typically remote, it shouldn’t be a long commute from your home. Consider the ease of access, the commute, etc. You do want a change of scenery in terms of location, however, the farther it is, the bigger and more time-consuming the commitment will be as well.

Long-term plans - Consider what you plan to do with the land in the future as well. This is especially important if you wish to eventually develop the land, as it will need to be relatively closer to a populated area. This will make it easier to construct any buildings and get electricity, water and other utilities. 

If you don’t have the time to find the best recreational land yourself, visit Home Lands to get our support and insight. With plenty of experience and valuable market insight, we can present you with a selection of prospective properties, help you to narrow it down to one, and then negotiate on your behalf and handle legal matters until the property belongs to you.

[theoldhempfarmer]

The Cannabis Voyage continues...

Dateline 11-15-23

The delightful Fall weather rages on here in Middle Tennessee and threatens to continue until Thanksgiving. Which the paranoid side of me is thoroughly convinced we are indeed going a truly vicious WInter. The period between Halloween and our Black Friday sale, things have slowed enough at Tennessee homegrown that Lee and Stacey Crabtree actually got to take off the weekend and have a much needed retreat. Yesterday I got all our orders mailed and I got all of Nashville orders delivered and so far today, there only one store to be serviced, so yours truly can ease into his second cup of coffee and nibble on a little Cacao fortified with Tennessee homegrown Cannabis extract. This international combo of psychoactive compounds has jump started me just enough to start writing this morning’s remembrance.

You see 10 years ago The Old Hemp Farmer began his start into legal Cannabis by answering a want ad from a Start-up Recreational Cannabis company in Washington State. Since I was in Tennessee and Columbia River Cannabis was in Washington State, it was curious why they were interested in my skills. It seems at that time most of the experienced Cannabis farmers were making a lot of money in Gray Market Medical Marijuana and had no desire to have “Look over my shoulders” so they began seeking out of state people that had any experience or said they did. Within a few weeks, my very adventurous wife and I were in Bridgeport, Washington, where very quickly we discovered that the fantasy of working in Cannabis was a Hell of lot better than the reality of working Legal Cannabis. The several months I worked with Columbia River Cannabis was boot camp and it dispelled any romantic notions about working in Commercial Cannabis, The Old Hemp Farmer quickly learned that there is a huge difference between growing a 100 plants in 100 square feet of a basement and farming 2,000 plants Outdoors on a half acre of land that was formerly an orchard. It also made me realize how important was having an understanding and brave wife with a day job. Because Cannabis start-ups usually don’t pay at first and CRC was no exception. Because during the initial period of CRC there was disagreement about the direction of the company and one investor yanked his funds, which meant everything was put on hold for a couple months until more founds were found. This was another lesson learned that an ego based disagreement between business partners can scuttle a Cannabis Company quicker than about anything else. But this pause also gave us time to go through all of the permitting, EPA, State and County officials all had to sign off on the permits to farm and build a Cannabis facility. Learning how to navigate the various state departments was huge because something was beginning to brew in Tennessee.

You see during this same time CRC was on hold, Tennessee had sort of legalized Hemp Agriculture and that the folks at the Tennessee Department of Agriculture were going to oversee a Hemp Pilot Program. The main thing I learned in the Washington Sate Cannabis program that your inspector and case worker can make things easier or make your journey painfully slow. So before any decision were made I sat down with those wonderful folks at the TDA asked a simple question, “can I grow Hemp for CBD?” and the man across the table uttered a phrase that changed L’Tanya and The Old Hemp Farmer’s direction in life, “Son, I don’t care what you do as long you don’t go over .3% Delta 9.” After seeing the cost and hurdles of Recreational Cannabis such as 280e, compliance and management squabbles, we made the decision to change directions and develop a Hemp Derived Cannabinoid company in Tennessee. When I resigned my position at CRC those folks thought we’d lost our minds “Why would you want to grow Hemp?” so did most our of friends and relatives. But that decision enabled us to meet Lee and Stacey Crabtree and start Tennessee homegrown, a Cannabis company that has been way more successful than L’Tanya and I could have ever imagined, when were sitting in cold trailer in Bridgeport, Washington. A decade later L’Tanya and I have no idea where our Cannabis voyage will lead to but so far the scenery has been interesting to say the least. Anyway as always, Hemp Dawgs and Hemp Puppies keep one eye on the weather and the other eye on the market.

Visit our Tennessee homegrown web site to try our great products: https://www.tnhomegrown.com

The Wife's web site: https://www.theoldhempfarmerswife.com

Our Podcast - Full Contact Cannabis: https://fullcontactcannabis.podbean.com

[independentlifestyleservices]

In Home Care Elderly - What You Need to Know

For elderly people who want to remain at home for as long as possible, In Home Care Elderly can be a valuable resource. These services can help older adults with basic household chores, medical needs and more. However, finding the right provider can be a challenge. The best way to start the search is by obtaining referrals from family, friends and other trusted sources. In addition, many home health agencies offer free information and resources to assist families in navigating the system.

When considering home care, it is important to first assess your loved one’s needs. For example, does your family member frequently forget things or have trouble with memory loss? Is it becoming more difficult to prepare meals or take medication? Is money management an issue? If so, it may be time to seek outside assistance.

If your aging parent is hesitant to consider help at home, you can try to ease their fears by talking with them about their concerns. Remind them that it is a normal part of the aging process to lose some of your independence and that there are options available to make life easier. For instance, you could suggest that they use a financial counselor to manage their bills or an online banking service to manage their finances. You can also encourage them to talk with a doctor or geriatric care manager for feedback on the types of services that are available.

Once you have identified your loved one’s home care needs, it is important to consider the cost of services. Depending on the region and availability of professionals, the cost can vary. However, home care agencies can often offer a discount if you purchase multiple services. They can also work with private insurance companies to pay for services or work with government-funded programs like Medicaid and Medicare.

Whether you are using an agency or hiring independent caretakers, be sure to check the credentials of all staff members. It is also a good idea to ensure that all employees are insured and bonded. In addition, you should periodically drop by unannounced during a caregiver’s shift to see how your aging loved one is doing.

While some seniors may resist the idea of home care at first, they will likely be able to come around after a few trials. In addition to providing a sense of security, in-home care can be helpful in reducing hospital readmissions and keeping seniors healthy. In addition, it can provide a sense of community among seniors by allowing them to socialize and participate in activities. If you are considering in-home care for your elderly relative, the most important thing is to start the search early. By putting in the effort now, you can find an excellent home care provider to meet your loved one’s needs.

At Independent Life Style Services, our key priority is to deliver top-of-the-line disability services that focus on home care for disabled people, young and old. Our operations and perspectives are guided by a mission, a vision, beliefs and core values that focus on supporting people with disabilities enjoy a fulfilling life.

[jessicafayre6]

Do You Have Any Thoughts on Long Range IR Camera?

What is the best way to capture fascinating, unique, surprising moments without much effort? The answer is simple: the long-range IR camera. If you have looked on the internet, you have noticed many cameras with different functions and options. Compact yet durable, these cameras are a true treasure. However, many people have questions like: "What is the best camera?", "Are there cheap cameras?", "What specifications should you look for when buying an action camera?". The good news is that you will discover the answer to all these questions in this article.

IR cameras are specially created to be resistant to any environmental conditions and easy to transport. You can add a relatively wide range of accessories to these cameras, which allow them to be attached to various sports equipment. Many people choose such a camera precisely because of its small size and ease of handling. What is their role? These cameras let you capture epic videos and incredible photos, even when you're on the move. So you can show your friends, family or acquaintances what adventures you had in the heart of the mountains or what kind of fish live in the deep sea.

Even mundane bike rides or jogging through the park take on a different color when the images are captured with the help of a long-range IR camera. You can create your adventure movie, picture by picture, video by video. Such a device is suitable for those people who like outdoor activities. When it comes to action and adventure, a regular camera or smartphone can't keep up, either because of fragility or handling. From the price point of view, you don't have to worry because there are cheap cameras too.

Key Specifications of a Good Camera

When you decide to purchase a long-range IR camera, there are a few key things to remember so you save your money. This camera can be a perfect choice for people on the move who can't constantly keep their eyes on the device. Cameras come in different sizes, shapes, and weights. Depending on what you intend to do with it, various manufacturers offer several options. Thanks to the many accessories that have appeared on the market lately, cameras can be easily mounted where you want them.

The camera needs to be small, light, and compact. In terms of weight, it should be at most 200 grams. The camera's weight should not bother you because its primary purpose is to capture sensational images you could not have captured otherwise. Thanks to the advanced technology adopted by the manufacturers, the weight, size, or shape of an action camera does not noticeably influence its performance. The long-range IR camera is becoming increasingly popular thanks to the advanced technology that is compressed into a portable device.

Such a camera is light, small, and has many surprising features to make your life easier. More important than the brand are the characteristics of an action camera, which is why you need to do your research before making the purchase. So, what are the most important attributes an action camera must have? A good action camera that offers quality footage must have a 4K video resolution, which means a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. Simply put, the more pixels there are, the sharper the image will be. It is also known as Ultra HD.

If you want a higher quality video, ensure that the long-range IR camera you wish to purchase has this feature. In the chapter 4k video camera prices, you must consider that they are slightly higher. However, not all people want a 4K resolution. For them, 1080p and 720p resolution cameras are suitable and offer quality videos at a more affordable price. A video is created from hundreds of still images taken consecutively to give the appearance of motion. Frames per second will determine how close to reality a video is, so the more frames, the sharper the video.

What About the Price?

Frames per second influence the price of the video camera category, the quality of footage being one of the most important aspects of a professional camera. The quality of sound played by an action camera must be good. It is recommended that the device can reduce ambient noise, but not all cameras have this function. Background noise reduction is achieved with a high-quality microphone. The sound should be captured as naturally as possible without being influenced by wind or other weather conditions, primarily if you shoot at high speeds. No one wants to hear annoying noise in the background of a video.

The technology is called "image stabilization to reduce video blur resulting from camera movement." There are two types of image stabilization – optical and digital. Visual image stabilization can be of the IBIS type, the correction made by moving the image sensor, or LIS, caused by moving the mobile optical part in the lens. Digital stabilization uses software technology to reduce the impact of motion on video. That is done by the long-range IR camera calculating the movement of the body and using this result to adjust the pixels in the image sensor.

Other Unique Features

In addition to those already mentioned, a high-performance action camera must have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a compatible application that allows you to make specific edits. In addition, some cameras have a fisheye lens. It's not a must-have feature, but if you want to shoot a video with a wide panoramic image, such a lens is beneficial. Depending on the activity you wish to participate in, there are rooms with specific functions to suit the environment. If you want to film yourself while practicing a particular sport, remember that you will need appropriate equipment and a camera resistant to environmental factors.

A long-range IR camera can be attached in various places. The devices can be mounted to almost any object. Because of this, these cameras are difficult to control. Moreover, the camera buttons could be more intuitive and placed in places that can be difficult to reach, creating discomfort. The good news is that you don't have to put the camera in an accessible place to get the buttons more easily because manufacturers have incorporated valuable features.