#and there's a lot more blue than green in their base values here

[getvalentined]

Ever Crisis: The First SOLDIER [September 7, 2023]

[sanctus-ingenium]

hi im so sorry if youve already answered this but how do u go about selecting the colors you use for your works!

hi! i've had this question a few times and every time i've only been able to answer with a vague sort of 'ehhh i just pick them'. but i think i'll actually talk some more about it now since a lot of my art actually takes a lot of beating before i decide on a final palette. but with a lot of them admittedly i already know what palette i'm using, and i organise the whole composition around those colours.

i use like two main palette methods and here they are (once you see it in my art, you won't unsee it). It mainly involves picking one main hue, and then a contrasting secondary colour.

So the most basic is to have a drawing be mostly a small range of hues, in this case the reds and oranges, and adding a single contrasting shade. Here it is the bounce light on the metallic metal parts, and doesn't appear anywhere else. It looks blue but it isn't - if I used actual blue, it would be too jarring and the colours would not appear unified. This is a warm and nice scene. So instead I pick that strong blue and blend it into a small swatch of the base colour. Then I pick from the blended portion, and what I get will be more blue than the base, but not actually blue. In fact it is yellow-orange :) The entire drawing looks warm as a result.

When working with marginally stronger contrast, here I have a cream unicorn on a green background. The main shadows on the unicorn will be the colour of that ambient room temperature bg - green. So I use the same test swatch method to pick a shadow colour which LOOKS green without being too disruptive of the cream unicorn. I increase the saturation and darken the value (moving the colour dot diagonally to the lower right hand corner of the box) and also spin the whole wheel towards green just a bit. Then I blend into the cream and colour pick a shade in the middle. But for the bounce light, I chose to use a common contrast of green - pink. It looks like pink in the drawing but in fact it is a low saturation orange! Using that real pink would be disharmonious. I do the exact same thing - I blend the pink into the bg colour and come up with that orange shade. It looks harmonious.

Now (top example) I am using two contrasting hues side by side. I decide the shadows will be warm, and the highlights in that contrasting zone. That means that for every colour i pick - Islin's skin, hair, his glasses, his shirt collar, his coat - every colour gets slid around the colour wheel until it falls inside that narrow band. And when I am highlighting his skin, I turn the wheel towards green. When I am shading his skin, I turn the wheel more red. I do this for every single element in the drawing.

It's the same for the Rua cover but this time I am not using such a wide band of available hues on the colour wheel, it's much tighter. I did this to replicate the look of a faded print, intentionally lowering the available contrast I had to work with by removing black as tool. It's all in that small cream to red window but it LOOKS purple - it looks like Pascal wears a purple shirt and that the smoke in the bg is lilac. Well, it isn't. That's all red and orange. I pick those colours by, again, choosing my goal "look" - a low-saturation purple, and then turning the wheel into the red range.

Okay so! for this it's just... the exact same thing again. Literally it always is. But since this one is recent I still have the process fresh in my mind. I envisioned it in the car, and I wanted this empty sort of desolate blue bg and a cold, distant overall tone. I ended up making the white on the chessboard & white pieces warmer, cream instead of white-grey, which worked out great. I wanted the blue, I wanted the pale cream/white, and the black of the chessboard. I didn't envision a colour for Pascal's shirt. but when the time came it was an obvious choice. It has to contrast with the bg both in value and hue, without falling outside the cream range already established by the chess pieces. So it's shiny salmon pink :) or orange, whatever you think it is. The only disharmonious part of this palette is the red velvet under the black knight piece - it works, but if I'd taken more care I might have spun the wheel more into orange and it would stand out less. But I don't mind.

[salted15]

hi i just discovered your blog and i LOVE your art. can you do a tutorial on how you do your pop rocks colors? im OBSESSED with it.

(totally cool if not, no pressure! :] )

this is generally what i do , and it's rough since i rushed it , but this is generally how it goes

this is a normal sketch

messy lineart done with a deep blue hue

colors !!! with basic shadows included . shadows aren't done with multiply or any of that , i just make the color a lil more saturated and move the hue

on an (unclipped) layer on top of the lineart layer , i just color my lineart . very loosely . this whole style is loose most of the time . i also add highlights by lightening the base color and moving the hue in the direction that feels lighter . additionally , i outline my shadows with a slightly darker hue bc it looks cool

(on the same layer as step 4) this is where i go Nuts . the lightest colors of the highlights are always pure yellow and teal , as they're naturally lighter than the other colors , and the secondary highlights are usually a bit more saturated and are blue green and yellow green . for other colors that aren't highlights , i tend to mostly go over the shadows (and the shadow outlines we added in step 4) by picking a color i'm gonna be going over and shifting the hue until it's a similar value/until it doesn't seem lighter or darker to the color i picked . i usually stick to purples , pinks , and blues for this

other things to note:

i tend to stay away from pure red and pure green

i use firealpaca's marker brush , which is like your standard pen brush but it's shaped like a rectangle

i don't think too hard about where i'm placing colors . if i pick a new color in step 5 i'll just put it wherever looks good . don't think about it too hard

unless i'm trying to be cleaner with this , my stabilizer is usually pretty low . i have it set to 10 on firealpaca- for reference , my sketching stabilizer is around 5 (side note: i should also mention that comparing to a lot of my artist friends , i just have my stabilizer really low all the time . my lineart setting is usually like 15 and firealpaca can go up to 40)

^^ i should also mention that stabilizer levels are different between programs just go with what feels right for you

my colors here are always very saturated . they're always either tints or shades , but never tones . mostly tints

^^ i do make exceptions to this if i'm going for a less saturated look (like my gumigoo drawing)

[loreholdlesbian]

Murders at Karlov Manor Booster Challenge

With every* set since zendikar rising, I've done a booster of custom cards meant to be a part of the set. This is based on a challenge from GDS3, so my goals are to not just to make cards that feel like a part of the set but also ones that Innovate which is a rather difficult balance to strike. I try to cover a wide variety of themes, colors, and mechanics. This is the first set using the new play boosters which I thought would make things more different than it did; it's basically just one fewer card and one slot that's flexible in rarity- I decided to make it uncommon, and I grouped it in with the other uncommons because it really doesn't matter which takes the flex slot.

Rare

Worldsoul's Justice 3WW Sorcery Choose one or more- * Destroy all colorless creatures. * Destroy all monocolored creatures. * Destroy all multicolored creatures. “You all profited while Ravnica screamed! You are all guilty!” -Oba

Art link

This is a flexible board wipe that takes advantage of the variety of colors you might have on board in this set between the light multicolor theme and the disguise mechanic to let you sculpt it to your needs.

Uncommons

Increased Surveillance 1U Instant Surveil 1, then surveil 2, then surveil 3. (To surveil, look at that many cards from the top of your library. Put any number into your graveyard and the rest back on top in any order.) Rumors of the Dimirs’ fall only aid their all-seeing eyes.

Art link

We've seen something kinda like this before in Cryptic Annelid, but i think scry vs surveil makes a big difference here. This is a great card for filling up your yard to collect evidence, while sculpting your future draws.

Midnight Investigator 1BB Creature- Vampire Detective When Midnight Investigator enters the battlefield, each player may collect evidence 5. If a player doesn’t, they lose life equal to the total mana value of cards in their graveyard. (To collect evidence 5, exile cards with total mana value 5 or greater from your graveyard.) 3/2

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One thing that's cool about collect evidence that only one card played with is that it's something anyone *can* do. I made this symmetrical rather than just opponents to reward building around the mechanic, but i like the way that the life loss effect essentially has a cap.

Chaos Seal 3B Enchantment Sacrifice Chaos Seal: Exile the top three cards of your library. You may play those cards this turn. Disguise 1R (You may cast this card face down for 3 as a 2/2 creature with ward 2. Turn it face up any time for its disguise cost.) The Rakdos excel at finding novel uses for Azorius containment spells.

Art link

In theory this card could be part of a cycle but I wasn't finding a lot of other effects that fit the bill. I needed something that wasn't problematic as an on board trick but also that you don't always want to use immediately after playing, and that benefited from being able to come out "cheaply" with a disguise cost. Impulse draw was a good fit because the amount of mana you have available really matters.

In Hiding G Enchantment Ward costs of permanents you control cost an additional 1 to pay. When In Hiding enters the battlefield, you may cloak a card from your hand. (To cloak a card, put it onto the battlefield face down as a 2/2 creature with ward 2. Turn it face up any time for its mana cost if it’s a creature card.)

Art link

I went back and forth between white and green for this card. White is a little better at this kind of weenie and I feel like the re-ward fits it a little more, but neither is a bad fit for green and green is more of the disguise color so in this particular set it might make sense there. In the end I went green to differentiate this card a little more from the white common that is a noncreature permanent that has a minor effect and makes a 2/2 on ETB.

Commons

Compiled Case Notes 1W Artifact When Compiled Case Notes enters the battlefield, create a 2/2 white and blue Detective creature token. 1, T: Surveil 1. Activate only if a Detective entered the battlefield under your control this turn or was turned face up under your control this turn.

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I like the detective typal stuff and wanted to make a card for it; here's one that works fine in a vacuum as essentially a bear with kicker 1: Surveil 1, but gets a lot more interesting if you have other detectives which is a place I like my common typal rewards.

Detain the Suspect 1U Sorcery Tap target creature then choose two. You may choose the same mode more than once. * Put a stun counter on that creature. (If a creature with a stun counter on it would become untapped, instead remove a stun counter from it.) * Investigate.

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One cool thing you can do with stun counters that you couldn't with old "doesn't untap" effects is make a variable amount of turns. Investigate is clearly the better option synergy wise in this set, but being sorcery means tapping doesn't stop an attacker, and stopping an attacker for a turn or two can be *very* valuable. I think this card's in a good spot of how often you choose each of the three modes (two stun counters, two clues, counter and clue)

Kidnap 4U Instant This spell costs 1 less to cast for each card you drew this turn. Target creature’s owner puts it on top or bottom of their library. In a city as big as Ravnica, it’s all to easy to fall through thr cracks.

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The set already has some of this with the split cards and morphs, but I just wanted to add another spell that's expensive but can be cast cheaply to fill up your yard with expensive stuff for the sake of evidence collection. This was the cost reduction effect I found I liked best for this set.

Golgari Scapegoat 3B Creature- Elf Assassin 3B: Suspect Golgari Scapegoat. (A suspected creature has menace and can’t block.) Whenever Golgari Scapegoat deals combat damage to a player, if it’s suspected, surveil 2. 3/4 After the Invasion, the other Guilds are quick to blame the Swarm.

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This is a kind of design I always love doing with a set mechanic- give it a way to turn itself on so it works fine on its own, but cost it such that you'd much rather find another way to turn that effect on if you can.

Mysterious Bloodstain B Artifact- Clue When Mysterious Bloodstain enters or leaves the battlefield, suspect up to one target creature. (It has menace and can’t block.) 2, Sacrifice Mysterious Bloodstain: Draw a card.

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This is a cycle of clues that all do an effect when they enter or leave the battlefield. This is the one I like best because I think a card like this would do a lot of work in getting the BR suspect deck online; more than any of the others this one feels the most like a card you can only make here.

Covert Operations Head 1R Creature- Goblin Soldier Face-down creatures you control have haste. 2/1 Though once goblins filled only the lowest Boros ranks, after the Invasion devastated Boros numbers those who survived quickly rose.

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Fairly straightforward disguise reward here. I wanted to cost it to be 2 mana, since coming down before turn 3 is hugely important for this particular card, so it basically built itself from the initial idea.

Anzrag's Escape 2G Sorcery Choose one- * Return target card in your graveyard to your hand * Return target card you own in exile that you collected as evidence this turn to your hand.

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Simple enough idea here, it's a regrowth that doesn't compete with the set's graveyard mechanic. I don't think this breaks the spirit of the rule that cards shouldn't be able to get cards back from exile because of how specific it is; it doesn't at all prevent using exile as a safety.

Elephant in the Room 4G Creature- Elephant Detective Disguise 4G. This cost is reduced by 2 if Elephant in the Room is attacking and isn’t blocked. (You may cast this card face down for 3 as a 2/2 creature with ward 2. Turn it face up any time for its disguise cost.) 5/5

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I wanted a card that lets you use disguise to sneak a big creature out early without breaking the rule of five, and I came up with a design I quite like to get around it.

[minty-mumbles]

Hey! I know your not continuing to write the Mermaid AU, but I was wondering if you had any additional headcanons that you would be willing to share.

Sure! Here's some character fun facts!

Wind:

The youngest of them all at 9/10 years old

He's an orangey-brown color right now, but when he's a juvenile, he'll turn a brighter orange. As an adult, he'll get light blue stripes, similar to a lionfish.

His original pod lost him when he was about 5/6. They were attacked by a larger pod that wanted their territory. They lost, and in the panic to flee, Wind got left behind. The invading pod wasn't going to kill him, because he was just a pup, so they dumped him at the edge of the territory.

Wild:

Based off deep sea creatures. He's a dark blue, with teal accents starting to coming in. He has large but delicate fins, sharp teeth, and bioluminescence

Despite his delicate fins, he's still the best fighter out of himself, Hyrule, and Wind, so he ended up in more than his fair share of fights in the past. A lot of his fins are shredded.

His species are typically solitary. Hyrule's is too. At first, the two of them were just friends that happened to live near each other. Then they found little Wind wandering around and they were like okay, we need to form a pod for the sake of this pup. The three of them wander, trying to stay out of other pods territory and find somewhere to settle.

Hyrule:

He's an octopus mer. He's a muted dark green color. As he's at the age where Mers become juveniles, his colors are starting to change. The green is starting to brighten, and the beginning of gold freckles are starting to cover him.

He has healing magic, which is rare and very valued by Mers. He has to be carefully to not any one know, or else he might end up forcibly adopted into someone's pod. This is what he thinks is happening when Legend finds him and invited him back to camp.

Because he and Wild are solitary species, they don't integrate into the larger pod well at first. They're stand offish, and disappear often. But they stay for WInd's sake

Time:

He's huge, as Mers don't stop growing as they age, and he's pretty old. He's mainly white, but he has a few blue and red stripes. He's covered in scars because of his age.

He has a mate, Malon. She is an actual deep sea Mer. She can't visit the surface for more than. few days, and he can't visit her for more than a few days, but they make it work.

Twilight:

He's a dark green with subtle black and brown markings.

He can survive in fresh water for a few days, so sometimes he swims into the nearby rivers and hunts there.

He wears a seal pelt around his shoulders, and had an orca tooth necklace.

The necklace is actually magic. He can use it to transform into an orca

Legend:

He and Ravio are based off the rabbit sea slugs. Legend is a baby pink color, while Ravio is a deeper purple. Yeah, the both of them have the little antenna things

He can't swim very fast, because, you know. Sea slug. So he has an enchanted tail ring that allows him to move faster if he has too. (Like his pegasus boots)

Warriors:

He's a royal blue color, with orange markings along the edge of his fins.

Second in command of the pod. When Time is off visiting his mate, Warriors in in charge

Four:

He's based off a beta fish. He's a Chimera. He absorbed his twin in the egg, so he's split down the middle. On one side he's green that fades to red on his fins, and on the other side he's blue which fades to purple.

He's the smallest in the pod by a wide margin. He's even smaller than Wind.

He bites

He's the most territorial Mer in the pod.

Sky:

He's based off those flying fish that can launch themselves out of the water. He's red with silver wings.

He's courting a Mer from the neighboring pod (Sun)

There's this huge grouper- like truly large, the size of Sky himself- that hangs out around their camp. Sky has practically adopted it, and has named it Crimson.

[high-fantasy-sw]

On the subject of Lightsabers:

I have lightsaber references! All on heroforge obviously, because I cannot draw blades, and with notes that mark their most distinguishing trait. SOme of these are colors, others are blade type, it really just depends on the most interesting thing about the blade. I'll put notes on how they differ from how they look in the AU in the notes, because obviously Heroforge only has so many blade options and they don't all look exactly like I see them in my mind. Enjoy!

The Disaster Trio

Obi has a sword and shield because Soresu is a defensive form. His shield and the crossbar of his sword are both based on the crest of the Jedi Order. In AU Canon, this is more obvious.

Ahsoka has twin daggers because her fighting style is highly acrobatic, and full length swords would make that... rather dangerous; to save space I only put one of the pair. In season 7, Anakin replaces the Kyber Crystals in her original daggers, so they are technically the same daggers but now they burn the same blue as his saber.

Anakin's sword is a dual-handed greatsword, because his form is very aggressive and relies a lot on hacking away at your opponent and physically overpowering them. Also something something dual-edged sword, something something foreshadowing.

Male Jedi

Kit's flame is less a flame and more of watery magic. This is because he is of an aquatic race, and I thought it was cool :D

Yoda has a rapier because his form is very acrobatic and rapiers lend well to that.

Not going to lie, I struggled with Ki-Adi's saber, so I made his really unique in that his blade is darker than the flame that burns by a drastic amount.

MACE okay so. My guy has an executioner sword, because he is the Arbiter Of Justice (tm). Also, these kinds of swords have blunted ends and aren't meant to be used in combat, meaning that for Mace to actually use it as a weapon he needs incredible skill. Which he has. I love Mace Windu :D

Lady Jedi

Shaak's blade is supposed to be wavy like Ahsoka's daggers; wavy blades are a symbol of the Togruta in this AU. However, Heroforge didn't have any good options for this >:(

Barriss's and Luminara's swords have hilts made of Mirialan metalwork- Mirialan metal is fired with special potions that turn it special shades of red and green and gold. It is almost as valued as Mandalorian stained glass in the Galactic Archipelago. If you look closely, the little you can see of Luminara's bracers is also made of Mirialan metalwork.

Grievous's CoLlEcTiOn *cough hack whEEZE*

My favorite is the midnight blue one >:)

I have nothing else to add, I literally just designed sabers I thought looked freaking cool. If you want to make up lore for them, PLEASE do, I'd love to see it :D

Sith

THE DARKSABER okay so it has lightning instead of a flame because I wanted to replicate those crackles that it has. Anyway I think it looks really cool :D Also the serrated edge? *chef's kiss*

Dooku's saber is a rapier because it's the Gentleman's Fire Sword. However it does not look exactly like this in AU canon; I have a Dooku drawing ref in the works and when I post that I can explain it better. Also it is modeled on Yoda's because I really want to play up that Fallen Jedi Angst >:)

Ventress's sickles (much like Ahsoka, I only put one here to save space) is highly based on her Nightsister heritage. Even when she was a Padawan, I think she had that inspiration in her Jedi blade. Their blades are shaped like moons, and even her force signature is tinged with Nightsister Green (because her dark side powers also incorporate Nightsister Magick; if they didn't, they'd be pure blood-red, because it's important to me for Lore Reasons (tm) that while Jedi can have this whole array of colors, Sith all have the same shade of red).

Original Trilogy Bois

Luke's green force signature is tinged with blue because I will always associate Luke Skywalker with blue. Don't ask me why. But Luke is BLUE and I will DIE ON THIS HILL. FIGHT ME.

Vader's saber is based on his greatsword from when he was Anakin, because I think he got attatched to the design. Also because I want that visual motif of "Anakin is still buried in there" because I am a sucker for symbolism and metaphors. But you know that already ;)

I don't have Anakin's original (and by original i mean like his umpteenth) saber, AKA Luke's first saber, because it's basically the same as we saw earlier, and these swords were TIME CONSUMING to render. However, I will note that the very tips of the flames on that saber begin to be tinged with sith red because of the atrocities Anakin committed with it. Someday I'll have a picture of it for you and you'll see what I mean

I don't have Old Obi's either, because again, TIME. CONSUMING. TO. RENDER. But it's basically the same as it was in the Clone Wars, just more corroded because my man was living in the desert.

If I cared enough to make Palpatation's saber (see i call him that because he gives me heart palpitations of rage) it would be here. But I do not. So it is not

(Okay. Yes he has a Saber in this AU I just haven't made it yet because I am Mad At Him)

Tagging: @whyoneartheven @majorproblems77 @anime-obsessed @lilliesandlight

[thrawns-backrest]

Welcome to the "having a bad day/week" club! As the president I'd like to welcome you personally.

As for asks I want every little thought headcannon and random facts about the chiss :D

howdy! my first question as member of the club is can we burn it down lmao. but fr tho, here's to hoping we all get a break soon

I'm dying to talk about chiss fashion but I've vowed to illustrate those headcanons first so let's talk biology. I've got quite a few about our alien blorbos, starting with the headcanon that they're generally taller than humans. their body temperature also varies more on average with the added bonus that they can tweak it at will

and let's see, skin color usually falls into three categories, indigo darker tones (for me that's Ar'alani and Thurfian), cerulean sky blues (Ba'kif, Samakro) and the more turquoise tones (Thrawn, Zistalmu, Lamiov). there are also chiss that fall somewhere in between of course. you can guess a chiss' likelihood of going gray based on their skin tone with the indigo group being most immune to it and the turqoise gang being most likely to turn grey early. not Thrawn though, he's an exception to that rule in my mind, as he is for so many things lol

the way they perceive colors differs from humans. they specialize at distinguishing shades of blue and its adjacent colors on the spectrum (purple and green). this is due to the predominant coloration of their natural habitat: even before Csilla’s shift to a cooler climate, the flora and fauna of their world had mostly blue pigmentation, the same reason their own skin is blue

they're also good at seeing shades of red because it's close to the infrared spectrum we know they can see (even though their brain filters out some of the excess red bioluminiscent glow of their eyes), leaving the orange and yellow part of the spectrum as the shades they can least differentiate between

speaking of colors, I headcanon that their culture ascribes a lot of meaning to them and they influence the way people dress and pick their outfits in their society, especially among the Aristocra. they have traditional meanings assigned to the primary colors that politicians often use to signal the values they want to project. and there's also popular meanings assigned to other shades that vary depending on fashion trends. but more on that when I pull myself together and finish my fashion illustrations!

as for politics, I think this is implied by Zahn but I believe the Stybla are much more influential than it seems at first glance. imo they never really 'stepped down' as a ruling family as much as they retreated into the shadows to puppeteer things from there. which is probably why I'm so fascinated with characters like Ba'kif and Lamiov

anyway I think that's enough for one post! as always, if anyone wants to discuss more of this I'm always open to it

[samueldays]

The widespread human barrenness of otherwise-prosperous countries is one of the weirdest things about this age to me.

Via Gapminder - the color coding is Europe yellow, Asia+Oceania pink, Africa blue, Americas green. Caveats about data sources, blah blah, I note that the correlation holds even if you take out the African data points.

Between 32k and 64k there's two pink dots which superficially look like cause for optimism, and I want to note what outlier countries they both are:

The sheer amount of non-policy circumstances surrounding both these countries makes it unlikely that one can draw policy lessons from either one.

Part of what makes this whole phenomenon so weird to me is the degree to which it resists explanation by common approaches.

Hypothetical Leftist: "GDP per capita is a shit measure, the rich are hoarding all the money and everyone else is too poor to afford raising children, we should redistribute more and have more parental leave!"

But this is wrong, because the poorest half of Americans are having more babies than the richest half, while Norway has four times the parental leave of America but a lower TFR.

Hypothetical Rightist: "The West is undergoing moral decay, women are slutting it up on OnlyFans and men are watching porn instead of getting married, muh based [insert reactionary country here]!"

But that is also wrong, because based reactionary country such as Russia has a TFR of only 1.51, and that wealthy pink dot with the lowest fertility in the whole chart is not exactly West, it's South Korea at TFR 0.87 -- and falling. With caveats about different ways of estimating TFR, other reports have SK dropping another 0.06 from 2022 to 2023 AD.

It isn't physiological, the rich countries have great medical treatments for that. It isn't personal, there have always been lots of individuals who didn't reproduce. It isn't economic, child subsidies and tax breaks and various monetary incentives have been tried with minimal effect.

This feels to me like a poorly-explained and under-appreciated mystery. It's apparently something social and/or structural. Nobody seems to have a good idea of how to stop it or why it happens.

The fact that it happens is undisputed, The Demographic Transition is well known, but that's just a label and the attempts at explaining its causes seem oddly lacking. I can look up a specialist paper studying the Causes and Consequences of the demographic transition and it's one line of causes ("decreasing mortality") and four pages of consequences, I look up a common public explanation and Wikipedia suggests everything but the kitchen sink:

 birth rates fall due to various fertility factors such as access to contraception, increases in wages, urbanization, a reduction in subsistence agriculture, an increase in the status and education of women, a reduction in the value of children's work, an increase in parental investment in the education of children and other social changes.

This does not sound like an explanation of causes to me, it sounds like speculatively listing stuff that happened at the time.

And as with the hypothetical partisans above, there's a mostly-counterexample: Japan.

I'd ignore the pre-1860 data because it looks to be two estimates and a connective line. Still, Japan had "various fertility factors such as access to contraception, increases in wages, urbanization", etc. in 1900, and fertility stayed high, until after losing WW2 when TFR collapsed in short order.

Short, not immediate, because 1947 has higher TFR than 1946. One might suspect that the new American-written Constitution of Japan coming into effect in 1947 had something to do with it.

Perhaps I should spell out the assumption that the fertility crisis is a problem.

It is a threat of cultures and nations ceasing to exist if they can't reproduce, it is a threat of economies collapsing for lack of specialist labor and specialist products, it is a threat of pensions being unfunded and old people starving and freezing to death because their retirement plan was based on certain assumptions about the population pyramid. "I can move to another country" isn't reliable in the long term if the other country either has the same problem and will cease to exist as such or if the other country isn't accepting of you and your mindset, "We'll import immigrants" is both politically contentious and of dubious effectiveness because if the migrants do assimilate then they'll also have low fertility and if they don't assimilate then you lose your culture anyway, the place you live is now a colony.

For South Korea in particular, the bleeding edge of the fertility crisis, at this rate the Korean peninsula will be reunited by means of "North Korea walks over unmanned border" - if South Korea manages to level off TFR at 0.87 and not fall any further (already falling, see above), its population will drop by 80% by the end of the century.

If you're reading this on Tumblr, imagine 80% of the media you like not existing, because the people who would have made it were never born. You get two of your top 10 shows (not the best two), and then delete 80% of the good fanfiction about those as well. The rest is slush pile and reruns.

With tongue firmly in cheek: Maybe our future is bimbos - people who really love sex (specifically PIV sex) and are too dumb to use contraception and have too little self-control to keep their legs closed, because that's what evolution will select for.

The problem will, in a sense, eventually resolve itself. The future belongs to those who show up, bimbos or someone else, whoever manages to keep a high birthrate and a high food supply. But it's hard to say who that will be, or what complications there will be on the way towards a blind evolutionary resolution.

Technophiles like to imagine exowombs or cloning will soon be good enough for mass production and replace "birthrate" with humans-production-rate, but I don't see that happening any time soon because progress is slow (Dolly was 30 years ago and still hasn't gotten widespread adoption even for sheep), and I don't see that happening any time later either because the technophiles are most subject to South Koreafication and there will be none of them left to run the cloning tanks.

Across from them we have various Africanists who like to point to countries like Nigeria with its TFR of 5, but that's going to run into food supply problems because Nigeria already imports a hundred million dollars' worth of food from the US every year, and another hundred million dollars' worth of food from Germany, and over a billion dollars in all. In addition to growing the food there's the difficulty of running international logistics from Germany (TFR 1.58) which in the long run might not have the people to operate all that. High-tech mechanized agriculture concentrates the stress on the smartest and best-educated section of the population to make and fix the machines, and that's the section with the lowest fertility!

Things are weird and they're going to get weirder.

[axieta]

Hungry eyes

|Henry Winter x reader|

Chapter 3

When her eyes become brighter

I think it’s about time I told you why I call her the agent of chaos. It is not by all means provoked by her frivolous disposition, although I have to admit that she had a knack for and was particularly prone to concocting practical jokes; some harmless like switching the refills of bullet pens blue to black, black to red, red to green, or nose flicks or lies so ridiculous and obvious they turned comic. And others rather not so much - I’m speaking here about switching the sugar in our class’ cabinet for salt (till this day, when I think about Aristotle, I can feel the salt at the edge of my tongue).

And yes all of that was chaotic in its almost innocuous manner, but that’s not the kind of bedlam I have in mind whilst thinking of her.

You see, she was, above all and first and foremost a free woman. Spirit made of wind, urged never to give way to others, never to stutter or waver in her actions.

As much as the idea of using technology repelled her, any attempt at forcing her to submit or respect any sort of authority, put her in the most vicious mood.

It is not to say than anyone had ever officially tried to put reins on her; but the longer I observed her I begun to notice how detested she seemed in public spaces, in libraries, bars, school- especially Julian’s classroom. For some unknown reason, while everyone was chatting and just soaking in the many ideas, themes, ideologies Julian threw our way, she always seemed to recoil into herself as if the sheer sound of the man’s voice made her cringe.

I think it was a problem of authority, or even just common, social rules, she had to obey in those spaces. And you know, there is nothing worse for a free spirit than limitation.

After lessons like this- conversatoriums- she almost always provoked Bunny in one way or another. Either by voicing a snarky comment, or just by physically tormenting him, tripping, pinching, punching. It was all fair game as no one really cared if anything happened to Bunny, or rather, no one believed she would really harm him. In all truth it was pretty funny to watch Edmund struggle against her, a girl almost half his size, jumping around him and shouting profanities in Greek and Latin.

I think it was her way of venting her frustrations that must’ve accumulated during conversatoriums.

She also argued with Bunny a lot. Conflict of interests I guess, her the ever unrelenting libertarian, and him, a stone cold I-don’t-even-know-but-sure-ass-hell-not-libertarian.

Bunny indulged her one more than one occasion, I don’t even know why. In their oral spars, she was always the one to come out victorious.

For every vicious word Bunny spoke, she had a tirade ready to push him back into the offense, or if we were lucky, to shut him up.

She was like that, unapologetically and almost aggressively liberal. An equalist who valued nothing higher than human life and freedom. It was only natural that she and Bunny would butt heads.

Back then I didn’t think much of her convictions, but now, looking back I think what happened to her, to all of us, was heartbreakingly tragic in the light of what she had tried to teach us.

The day after our delicious and balanced, coffee and cigarette based breakfast was Sunday. The day I dreaded most as it usually meant that we would all be leaving the summer house and moving back to Hampden for the most foreseeable future. Also, that particular weekend I travelled there with Henry and Bunny and I didn’t know if I felt completely comfortable driving with them, knowing what I knew, and witnessing what I had witnessed.

Thankfully, she came to the rescue.

‘Walk with me Richard Papen.’

She said, as we were closing the blinds, making sure that nobody would break in during our absence. We had to be very thorough with that, as the behemoth of a house surely was a tempting booty for burglars and thieves of all sorts.

‘Pardon? Where?’

I’m ashamed to admit that, but in our conversations I mostly asked incredulous, stupid questions like that.

‘To Hampden of course.’

And she said that as if it was the most obvious of truths in the universe.

My mouth fell agape. And then I laughed. I don’t think I laughed well enough during that year. But with her it was easy. Serious or not, all that she said was so abstract, so far away from me that I couldn’t help but to.

‘Surely you’re joking. It must be at least a three-hour walk.’

She looked at me, all serious with that sharp spark in her eyes.

‘Well for me it’s two, but with you it would be four. You’re not very athletic are you?’

Not even the jab she threw at me could wash away the dumb smirk from my face.

‘Sure. A four hour walk to Hampden. Why not?’

I don’t know why it was so easy for her to pull me into that arduous project. It just felt right. It had always been like that with her. After that weekend, no matter what she did, if she wanted me to do it as well, I would.

So yes, it felt right.

Autumn in full swing, hills and valleys of Hampden, sweat, strain and her. It all just fit together.

‘You’re going to Hampden with her?’

Camilla came into the room, Charles right behind her, heavy bag under his arm, its weight, curtesy of, as I could only assume, many a stolen books from the house’s library.

Camilla smiled gracefully, like no one could and I felt my knees buckling under the weight of her beauty. I think her hair was particularly shiny that morning.

‘Ya. Have you ever walked to school from here?’

‘Me? Please!’

Camilla scrunched her nose when she laughed, and once again, I think that no one in the whole wide world could invoke such a charming sound.

‘I wouldn’t be able to keep up with her, believe me I tried. But Francis did.’

‘I hear my name and hereby I come!’

Francis jumped through the door in an aggressive splash of pale blue, fiery red and frills.

‘What were you rascals on about? Were you talking behind my back?’

‘Oh, no Fran darling, we could never!’

Charles and Camilla laughed in unison at my accomplice’s dramatic tone.

‘Then tell me mon coeur what is the pressing matter of this gathering?’

He circled the room with his hand as he showcased what gathering he had in mind.

They both were so animatedly dramatic in their exchange - even more so when Francis jumped close to her and clasping her hands into his, pulled her close to his chest - that it was very hard to keep a straight face.

‘Nothing much, I’m just taking Richard for a walk.’

Francis’ owlish laugh filled the room as he rubbed his hands together in the most villainous gesture. Mischief bloomed on his face, twin to the half mad glee that shined on her’s.

‘Oh-hoho, my brother! You are in for a ride! Or rather, a walk I should say!’

‘I hear you’ve already tried your strength in this department?’

‘Sure did… Sure did. And then I couldn’t lift a finger for three days!’

We all joined in laughter at the pained expression he made, and the three fingers he had ironically raised, high into the ceiling, as if awaiting a roll of judgment or a reparation for his suffering from any higher power residing in the upstairs bedroom, right above us.

‘I’m telling you! This woman is a Dea-mon!’

‘Dulcis flava, you hurt me!’

She grabbed her chest, seemingly in great, overwhelming pain and collapsed with a yelp, free falling back right into my arms. I caught her with a little umph, although not soon enough and her butt hit the floor with an emphatic smack.

‘Cruci!’

Camilla covered her mouth with both her hands and although her eyes expressed nothing but pure horror, I could see her mouth curling upwards slightly.

I bet we would erupt into another fit of laughter if it wasn’t for the dark figure appearing in the doorway.

A grim reaper, Henry, stepped in, with his usual grimace, and it was as if air has gone out of the room.

‘What’s all this commotion?’

His raspy voice sounded unnatural, almost not present and for it all the more intimidating.

‘Weren’t you supposed to be cleaning up the house?’

Then his gaze fell on me, still hunched over and red with residues of laughter with her in my arms. I could only imagine how this- her splayed across me, and me seemingly blushing with affection, leaning over her, embracing her fainted figure- must’ve looked like for him. I saw it in his eyes, in the metallic glint of them and the horrible shadow that for a brief moment that seemed to be shorter than a second, completely twisted his face into a grotesque mask of pure hatred. It hadn’t last long, at least not long enough to register and mull it over properly, but I remember it. And every time it pops back up in my mind now, I feel shivers running up and down my spine for it was the single most petrifying experience in my whole life. If Henry had a gun, I’m sure. I would be dead on the floor in the same instance his eyes had laid on me.

‘Richard what are you doing?’

He walked towards us slowly, circling around the group like a caged animal, a feral tiger ready to sink his teeth into whoever dared to speak first. Cunning and lithe. Quiet and deadly.

Hunched over he looked as if he really was readying himself for pouncing on the most misfortunate one of us.

‘I’m taking Richard for a walk.’

She pushed herself up, away from my grasp, her touch suddenly hotter than a white metal rod, sharper than a diamond. I squirmed away. His eyes followed me around the room and I felt them all over my body, climbing up and down me like an importunate swarm of ants.

‘Is that so?’

‘Yes. We’re going to Hampden.’

‘To Hampden you say?’

‘Yes. Hampden.’

‘In that case I ought to walk with you.’

‘You can’t.’

Strained tension filled the room as she said those words. Everyone’s head turned to her in a silent expression of dread. No one told Henry what to do. Ever. Not in that tone, not in those words. And yet she did. With straight back, head held high and the kind of conviction painted on her face and etched into her words that would make any man crumble.

‘I can’t?’

He didn’t crumble.

‘You got here by car. It would be most inconvenient to leave it here.’

‘Bunny will be more than happy to take it for a spin.’

‘It’s a long walk.’

Her squinted eyes fell to his legs as she tasked his hunched figure with a vile smirk on her mouth.

‘I wouldn’t like you getting any more hurt, than you already are.’

The comment, however veiled with false, concerned tone, visibly stung Henry. He threw his head back, opened his mouth, like he wanted to bite back, but nothing came from him, and he was left there, silent, looking like a suffocating fish. It was a brilliant fléche, one he could in no way dodge or par.

Everyone in the room knew of his stiff walk and the reason for it. Nobody knew though she would dare to use it against him.

She snickered with cold satisfaction.

Camilla was the first to break the uncomfortable silence that fell between us. Something like disquietude painted across her soft features.

‘Henry, it is a long walk. It would be better if you took your car.’

His head snapped at her gustily and with a loud crack, as if he was just taken out of a trance. There was nothing soft in the look he threw her. Wild, dark eyes tasked her with pure venom and for a second I thought she would be the unfortunate one to take his wrath upon herself.

But to my relief, he pressed his mouth into a thin, displeased line, and just like the night before, silently went out of the room.

The moment his dark coat vanished behind the curve of the corridor, a unanimous, relieved sigh escaped the lungs of everyone at present.

‘Guess that’s taken care of.’

Her words, despite her victory over Henry, sounded bitter. Almost as if she wanted him to stay and argue with her some more, convince her to let him go with us.

Everyone slowly started to sneak out from the room. Their postures slightly hunched over, faces pulled with painful expressions, shoulders heavy with the weight of the exchange they just witnessed.

She stayed though. Still with unchanging straight back she stared her vicious eyes into the door frame as if beckoning with her sheer willpower for Henry to come back. To continue their debate.

But he didn’t come. And sure enough, after not so long time had passed we heard Bunny’s whiny voice outside and a roar of an engine.

Henry left. And she was left waiting.

It was a beautiful day. The kind of a day you see only if you’re very lucky and only at the beginning of Autumn. When sun shines high in the sky and it is warm when its rays fall onto your face, but also if you would dare to submerge yourself into shadows you’d feel an overwhelming chill.

The air was crispy, sky intensely blue, so sharp it stung my eyes when I tried to look directly up into it, and the trees were just at the start of their journey to baldness, barely kissed gold by Carpo, leaves not yet fallen.

Birds chirped over our heads in their triangular formations. Crows or ravens. I’m no ornithologist, so I wasn’t sure.

I breathed in the subtle smell of fall. Still young, unstained with decomposure.

‘It’s nice isn’t it?’

She spoke to me, throwing her arms out, as if to hug the picturesque landscape before us.

Her eyes were somehow lighter with the sun shining idly above them. They seemed bigger, more merciful when not entrapped inside the four walls I would usually see her in. It was like in that moment, in that particular spot, she was finally able to breath.

Cooled ground cracked underneath our feet.

‘The open space.’

I nodded me head.

‘It’s quite… grand.’

She hummed, clearly pleased with my response. Shuffling closer to me, she flung her arm over my neck and whispered into my ear, her words coming in quick feverish sentences.

‘Look there, see?’ Her free hand stretched to the spot where the green hills touched the sky, far away from us. ‘The horizon.’

A gust of bone-chilling wind came our way. In the distance, where she was pointing out to me, the grass ruffled and shook like hair on a woman’s head.

Her scent surrounded me as the wind embraced our hugged forms. She smelled like dreams.

‘If you close your eyes, come on Richard, close your eyes!’ I closed my eyes. ‘If you close your eyes and think of it hard enough, are you thinking? If you do, you can imagine it stretching endlessly into nothingness. Wild and quiet and full of things neither you nor I could ever comprehend. And it goes on and on, develops and unfolds into something unfathomable and uncharted. You can imagine nothing and anything, but you will never truly know what the horizon hides. You will never reach it.’

With my eyes closed and her words flowing directly into my ear I discovered, to my greatest astonishment, that I could indeed feel the ground stretching and forming under my feet.

‘Do you hear it? That’s life. The circle of time, always going forward but repeating itself on end. That’s death.’ I could hear the grass growing and slowly fading in the distance, the leaves in the treetops turning red. Creeks drying out, animals running in the distance. It was pure horror, the decay coming my way. Unrelenting, timeless, incorruptible. I knew that once it was done with shredding through the horizon, it was going to come directly for me. My eyes snapped open to the image of her delighted face right before me. There was something truly animalistic in the tilt of her head.

‘Bravo. You’ve got some imagination.’ In all honesty, I think it was more her words than anything that put me in that agog state. ‘Look at you. You’re all sweaty.’

Her hand swiped something off my forehead and then fell down my arm (I think she wiped it on my coat) and reached for my hand.

With an reassuring squeeze she tugged me forward.

‘Come on. Let’s touch the horizon.’

And she lunged forward.

I hand no choice but follow but I felt somehow inept running behind her, like a newly born calf trying to keep up with its mother.

She was fast. With long, beautiful limbs that stretched in her every step. Her hair tangled in the wind, glowed in the sun like millions of diamonds strung together in an intricate multi-strand collar. Head thrown back and reddened cheeks made her look otherworldly.

‘Wait! What are you- You can’t touch the horizon!’

Her laugh resounded all around me. It bounced off the tree trunks, swam in the sea of grass underneath my feet, flew with the birds over my head.

Despite many rocks and an uneaven terrain, she never faltered or lost her balance. Not even once had she to stop in her tracks. Contrary to me, who almost lost his life due to slippery pebbles running from beneath my feet more times than I could count on fingers of the both of my hands. It was as if she wasn’t even touching the ground, but barely grazing it, dancing on the air above.

By the time we reached the peak of the hill, she’s been dragging me behind her, no more air in my lungs to be spared, blood thumping painfully underneath my face. She on the other hand looked refreshed, as if running up the hill wasn’t at all tiring for her.

‘Did we- ahh, did we touch the damn horizon already?’

I had to support my hands on my knees and hang my head between them, otherwise I was sure I’d puke.

‘What? Of course not dummy. You cannot reach the horizon.’

My head snapped up at her with the intent of throwing her a murderous glance but I suddenly felt sick, so it fell once again between my legs.

‘Then why did we, in the name of all that is holly, run up that hill?!’

My voice was strained with the lack of air and the bile that started to come up my throat.

‘Because I felt like it.’

The straightforwardness of her words struck me as something characteristically her, yet incredibly cruel.

‘Why did you feel like it? I didn’t.’

I pointed at my red, clearly unwell face and she snorted a short laugh. She cross-sat right before me which made me a little bit uncomfortable because now I not only had to worry about puking from exhaustion but also puking at her.

Her big eyes looked up at me.

‘Richard, do you know who the happiest man in the history of the world was?’

‘What? What does it have to do-‘

‘Do you?’

‘Dunno’ I chugged. ‘Alexander?’

She laughed once again and somehow in that moment even I couldn’t deny her beauty.

‘As much as I wish it was true, I’m afraid you’re wrong. Good guess though. A close one. I will remember that.’

‘Then who?’

She looked over her shoulder, into the distance, mulling something over.

‘Diogenes.’

I raised my brows at that. She never seemed to be a philosophical type of a girl. More of a historian than a deep thinker.

‘Didn’t he…?’

‘Live in a barrel? Yes.’

‘And that’s why he is the happiest man in the history? Because he slept in a barrel?’

Another snort from her compelled me to kneel down and take in her face. There was nothing malicious about it in that moment.

‘Sometimes you’re such a simple man, Richard Papen. It intrigues me.’

‘I will take it as a compliment.’

‘As you should.’

I laid back in the grass. The ground underneath me was a bit frozen and uncomfortable, but I felt my breaths coming in easier, less hurriedly and that was enough.

‘Thanks. So tell me, how does living in a barrel make you happy?’

I closed my eyes and felt the grass give away somewhere to my right. Guess she lied down as well.

‘It is not just living in a barrel, Richard. If it was that simple, there would be no infrastructure, no homes, no estates.’

‘Then what is it?’

‘You see Diogenes thought up an idea, a way of life, so ridiculous, so outside everything that the men of Ancient Greece knew, that no one could even tell him to abandon it. He ate when where and what he wanted, did what he desired to do and slept when and where he chose. By it he became so independent, so free, that his own existence, and it alone was a statement.’

I looked at her while she was talking. The way her eyes jumped from point to point on the horizon, her mouth shaped every word and her hands drafted unidentifiable shapes in the air. It all made her look a tad bit crazed, manic even. The speed at which she spoke cemented that impression, but I couldn’t help but listen to her. And nod along with her every word. She was like a vortex, enchanting, hypnotizing, beaconing.

‘Even my Alexander saw him for who he was. If I wasn’t Alexander I would like to be Diogenes.’

I laughed at that. It was very on par for her to steer right into the territory of the great Macedonian.

‘So freedom. That’s what made him the happiest man in the world?’

‘Precisely. I do what I want, when I want. Just like he did. And it makes me happy.’

A long silence fell between us. As I collected myself I watched as she picked at and tore out small patches of grass. She had very slander, nymph hands. If I didn’t know any better, and if they weren’t perpetually stained with green ink, I would take her for one.

‘Do you feel any better?’

She asked me quietly, almost gently.

‘I think I need to lie a bit longer.’

‘It’s alright. Take your time. We’re in no rush.’

It was nice. To lay down with her like that. Feel her presence. Listen to her mumble about Alexander some more.

‘Do you think everyone should be free? Like Diogenes? Does everyone deserve it?’

‘I think that everyone deserves to be happy. So, if for me, freedom is synonymous with happiness, then I guess, yes. I think everyone should be free.’

‘Let me guess, in your ideal world, we’re all sleeping in barrels, aren’t we?’

I snorted at my own joke, but her face stayed serious. I’ve never seen her so focused as in that moment.

‘No, oh god no! If we all did the same thing, it would not make us anymore free than we already are. It would only give us a new set of rules and therefore rob us out of our freedom. No. Freedom is personal. You have to find it by yourself. Plus, do you even imagine, let’s say, Camilla sleeping in a barrel?’

I, in fact, couldn’t. Somehow in my mind, a marble princess like her didn’t even fit in a landscape of people sleeping like that. For me there was only one place she would fit in- The Parthenon.

‘And what if I don’t want to be free? What if I like to be told what to do by others?’

‘Then that is your choice. No one can take it from you, because the sheer act of making that decision proves your free will. These are your shackles, but they are yours and because of that no one can touch them.’

‘There is no escaping your freedom, huh?’

‘In my perfect world there isn’t. You choose your own confinement the same way you choose your escape. For me it’s running up the hills, chasing the horizon. Do you know what it is for you?’

Listening to her had a therapeutic, almost medicinal affect on me. Usually I could listen to her melodic, deep voice for hours on end. And that day was no exception. She pulled words from my mouth and I didn’t even realize I was speaking. With her I was somehow more daring, more straightforward. It was as if she sprayed some sort of encouraging chemical in the air, and I couldn’t, for the love of my live, I couldn’t shut up.

‘Why are you asking me this? Do you think me not a free person?’

Her smart eyes pierced me. They appeared to be looking through me, right into my soul.

‘I think you a sad one, Richard Papen.’

‘And you want me to be happy?’

She nodded. Her shiny hair cascaded over her shoulder, ink-stained hands run through the mane of grass that surrounded them. Some of the un-wilted flowers got in between her fingers.

I eyed her somnolent figure.

With her hair splayed around her head and fistfuls of flowers and grass I couldn’t help but think that Ophelia herself had laid right next to me.

‘Why?’

It was a very normal question for me to ask. After all, I don’t think anyone ever wished another person to be happy. Usually we revel in other’s misery. In the fact that we are better or have better lives than them, than the dreaded third body. I myself caught myself wishing the most disgusting, gruesome futures on others on multiple occasions, many of them my friends. So the idea of someone genuinely wishing me to be happy, free, content with my life was so abstract, so grotesque I couldn’t fathom it.

And yet there wasn’t a note of false in her voice. Not a trace of a lie in her eyes. So I had to ask.

‘Le seul moyen d'affronter un monde sans liberté est de devenir si absolument libre qu'on fasse de sa propre existence un acte de revolté.’

She spoke French beautifully. The s’, r’s and f’s slithered their way out of her mouth like poetry incarnate. Every syllable chanted like a part of a prayer with a distinct rhythmic flow. It was the most beauty speech I’ve ever heard. So much so, I almost missed the core meaning of it. I felt hypnotized by her mouth.

‘Who said that Richard?’

She stood up. Tall and etheric, in all her glory, unapologetically her.

‘Who said it? I don’t know.’

‘It was Camus.’

‘Camus?’

‘Yes Richard, Camus!’

She stretched the last syllable of the philosopher’s name and howled into the sky like a wolf. I laughed, god how I laughed at her, and then, without a second thought I joined her yelp.

That was freedom, the bark of a feral animal that’s been crumpled up inside of me for too long. Completely opposite of the dread I felt while imagining the stretching horizon. To scream like that, and scream with her, knowing there was someone beside me felt good. We yelled until there was nothing of the surname. No familiar syllable, no known consonant and the renowned name Camus rang across the hills with no coherence or meaning.

I though I started to feel happiness bloom inside of my chest.

And then we howled some more, until my throat started to hurt.

We climbed down the mountain right when the sun started to come down from it’s zenith.

She gave me her scarf, so the fumes of dreams wreathed me with a light shoal of calmness. For the first time in a while I didn’t mind the silence that fell between the two of us.

————————————————————————

‘You like freedom.’

She jumped through a fence and gave me her hand so I could do the same. It was getting dark, very fast, so I appreciated the help. I was glad I could already see the lights of Hampden looming in the distance.

‘I do.’

I liked how the orange and bright yellow bulbs danced in the distance, seemingly suspended in the air. Their light came to my eyes distorted with a quiet shine to them. They weren’t flickering like the feeble candlelight at Francis’, but I still felt compelled to place them in the same mystic, ethereal category.

‘Hmm.’

‘Hmm?’

‘You like Henry.’

‘Hmm…’

‘But you don’t like Julian.’

‘What makes you say that?’

I shrugged, not knowing how to describe it to her. The way that I saw her behave around the teacher might’ve not been all to conscious. And I didn’t really feel confortable explaining it all to her.

‘Well, you know. You just don’t look like you love him. And everybody loves him, so I just wanted to ask.’

She laughed, but it was nothing like the snorts I heard all day. It was dry, almost ironic and cruel. I saw the dangerous glint in her eye. I recognized it from the night before.

‘You mean all the seven people he teaches? The only students he happens to have?’

I felt shivers running down my spine and it wasn’t for the quickly dropping temperature.

‘What are you getting at?’

‘How many people are you close with in Hampden? How many teachers talk to you, know your name? With how many of them do you dine?’

‘I guess it would only be with you guys.’

‘Hmmm. Us and Julian. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice him yesterday at the table.’

Now we entered the small city that laid half an hour away from Hampden and with the appearance of the pedestrians, the lamps and buildings I could see how her features set and froze over. Her eyes shrunk over again and she grew more agitated with every person that passed by.

‘Don’t be like that. I saw Julian. I wasn’t that drunk. But he accepts like, every third invitation.’

‘He’s our teacher. He shouldn’t accept any.’

Her words came out dry, matter-of-factly.

‘Wow’ I shook my head so harshly I lost balance and almost bumped into some guy. She grabbed me by my forearm and pulled closer to her. Out of habit, I hooked my arm with hers. ‘You really must hate him.’

‘No. It’s not that I hate him…’

‘I really think you do.’

I pointed my finger right at the middle of her chest in the most accusatory gesture I could muster. She let out a strained laugh and slapped it away.

‘No I don’t! I don’t care about him. He’s just another old man. I just think that as a teacher he is… kind of, well, you know… dangerous.’

I must’ve looked really dumbfounded by this revelation because she rolled her eyes and continued with a deep dolorous sigh.

‘Don’t you see how much authority he has over us? No matter what Henry does, he goes to Julian for his advice. Henry never needs anyone’s reassurance, except for the times he does and by some fucking miracle it’s always Julian he’s seeking.’

She was now hissing from behind her clenched teeth, her every word drawled so low I could barely hear her. And there was something else hidden behind her words. Something like frustration or… jealousy.

‘And the dinners. Oh, the dinners. Francis and Camilla almost loose their minds every time he says he’s coming. Richard, they prepare two meals in case he doesn’t like the first one.’ She grew more and more furious, with every word she would shake her head and her hair swirled around her like little snakes. In that moment, when I looked at her she was pure venom, with bonfires lit ablaze in her eyes and teeth bared as if she was talking about a man who murdered her family and not a profesor with whom she had most of her classes. ‘Wake up and smell the fucking coffee. He has so much influence over them it’s ridiculous. I don’t think they can even do as much as think before checking if it’s okay with his philosophies. It’s like they are addicted to him. He has them wrapped around his finger, and they can’t even see that he is not opening their eyes with his backwards gibberish mumbling, but isolating them from the world.’

I felt her arm squeeze me with a force I could only expect from her. I whined and she looked at me with shock.

‘Oh, I’m sorry, Richard. I guess I got carried away a bit.’

I offered her a strained smile.

‘It’s alright I don’t mind.’

‘I’m sorry.’

She smoothed the sleeve of my coat with her hand.

After that we didn’t talk much. She looked quite debilitated with her rant and I couldn’t get my thoughts together after what I had heard from her.

I walked her home, she rented a small flat not so far away from my dorm, so I didn’t have to walk too long to get to where I needed to be.

My bed. God how tired I was.

I didn’t even take my clothes off, despite all the mud and dirt and grass stuck to it I couldn’t muster the energy to do so. Guess the exhaustion from the walk that turned out to be much longer than four hours was getting to me.

I lied in my unmade bed, aghast with all that I had heard that day. From Henry’s surrender, the idea of freedom and to the unpleasant opinion she had about Julian. It all swarmed in my head, murmurous with the buzz of a thousand thoughts per hour.

That night I didn’t get much sleep, because every time I closed my eyes I saw her enchanting face, set aflame with vexation, eyes digging into my soul.

She was etched into my mind, just like she was a few hours before, illuminated with city lights, neck bare, long, swan-like and her legs, deft, stepping on air, she was the spitting image of Themis.

I couldn’t sleep, so I got out of my bed and wrote all in green ink:

Today I saw a lighthouse in the middle of an enraged sea. She was a woman with eyes so bright, she guided ships to their harbors. She was free and she was alone. But that was fine with her, for that freedom is synonymous with happiness. What a woman, I think I’ve never seen someone so terrifyingly absorbing.

As I scribbled that, a thought came into my mind.

I wanted to be free. More than anything in this life, I wanted to be free, in my own, enslaved manner.

[rampldgifs]

hi! first of all, i want to say that i love your gifs so much, you always make such beautiful things. i recently started giffing, and i was wondering if you have any tips about settings or process you usually use in your coloring psds? i'm struggling on what steps i should follow :(

hello ! thank you for taking the time to say this !

i usually never know what to say off the top of my head because i am generally chaotic & do things by whim and instinct rather than any real process, but !!! luckily, i was just talking to a friend about it recently so here's what i got.

photoshop settings- i've mentioned this in my main blog before, if you're not already doing this, load all your giffing steps into an action. if you don’t know how to make an action this handy tutorial tells you how. - change your most used commands into easily reachable keyboard shortcuts on the keyboard. for example, assuming you're right handed, your right hand will be cropping and colouring so you could switch command + (w) to open file>export>save for web to see your saving settings / command + ( ` ) to select the next tab. (i'm on a mac so imagine i used windows alternatives ) by using your left hand.

gif saving settings you might have your favourite go-to settings i.e. selective/pattern & bicubic etc. but just like not all sharpenings are created equal, different gif save settings work better for different sharpening styles. try different combis, the results may surprise you. for example, i used to swear by selective pattern+bicubic sharper when saving gifs, but i switched my sharpening style, and started going for a smoother, cleaner, glowier look, and realised after a lot of trial and error that adaptive/diffusion + bicubic smoother works best for the high value sharpening+gaussian blur settings i'm using to create what i want. the big lesson here is don't be afraid to strip everything down and go back to basics sometimes, it's tedious, but it usually pays off. i tried to find the post that taught me this for you and i can't but this one is an alternative !

colouring - the main things you'll be doing to colour a gif are (i don't always follow these in order but usually i do): a) brighten ( i.e. curves, levels, brightness, i used to add a white balance filter but stopped doing that years ago ) b) deepen ( these would be your contrast/gamma correction & offset on exposure adjustment layer/left arrow thingy of the levels adjustment layer ) c) colour correct, the hardest part ! it's like doing makeup. you'll end up using probably everything, colour balance, curves in the rgb setting (i need to learn to get comfy with this bc i'm not yet, but! soon.), selective colour my bff, hue/saturation & vibrance. there are great tutorials out there, but my most recent game-changer is i've finally figured out how to use the channel mixer adjustment. it helps to focus on a neutral colour in the background of your gif when it has an awful orange/green/whatever filter when using channel mixer (like a white wall or blue sky that has turned gross looking bc of the film's base filter), then adjust and play around until it turns into the colour it's supposed to be. then it will be easier to pile on layers over to colour your fc. i am ofc still learning, i have no idea how colour lookup works (i've read tutorials and still don't understand jvhakjx). d) final adjustments. this is when after the above, you decide whether you want to stylise your colouring, make it more vibrant, less vibrant, give it a tint, brighten again or enhance certain colours before saving! - a great way i got the hang of colourings is to open up colouring psds other people have made and toggle each adjustment layer on and off to see what difference they make to the base, you'll start to understand what the purpose of each thing is and why the layers are in that specific order.

last but not least, it took me 10 years to make gifs the way i do now ! my early gifs were all experimental, i went through so many phases (some i'm quite ashamed of, like the low vibrance/high saturation + high brightness trick i used to abuse. why did i do that.), and i did in fact master each adjustment layer (by this i mean learn to use them to their best potential) one by one. don't get discouraged, be patient with yourself and don't be afraid to try things !

[morganoperandi]

So, I had never seen or used ChatGPT before, but I figured I ought to familiarize myself with it, considering all the kerfuffle surrounding AI and the fact that I work in Education. Here's what I've found:

ChatGPT is a potentially fun and useful tool, but it's also dumb as a brick.

Like, I would never want to use this to write a whole story or a script. But, as a writing prompt exercise? I can see it's value.

I tossed it a few challenges. It turns out that you can have multiple "chats" going and what happens in one does not carry over to another. I gave it multiple scenarios of "What if the Power Rings from the DC Universe ended up in the Marvel Universe?" In one version, it made Spider-man a Green Lantern, Thor a Yellow Lantern (named "The Fearful Thor"), and Black Widow a Star Sapphire (named "Red Widow"). In another chat, it suggested the following list:

Me What color lantern rings would different Marvel characters get?

ChatGPT Interesting question! Let's see...

Iron Man: Yellow (Fear) - Tony Stark has often struggled with fear and insecurity, especially regarding the safety of the world.

Captain America: Blue (Hope) - Cap embodies hope and inspires others with his unwavering optimism and sense of duty.

Thor: Green (Willpower) - The God of Thunder has incredible willpower, as seen in his determination to protect Asgard and Midgard.

Hulk: Red (Rage) - The Hulk's power is fueled by rage, making him a perfect candidate for the Red Lantern ring.

Black Widow: Indigo (Compassion) - Natasha Romanoff has a complex past, but her experiences have cultivated a deep sense of compassion for others.

Doctor Strange: Violet (Love) - Strange's journey often revolves around love, be it his relationships or his commitment to protecting the universe.

Black Panther: Green (Willpower) - T'Challa's strong will and determination to protect Wakanda make him a fitting Green Lantern.

Spider-Man: Blue (Hope) - Spider-Man is the embodiment of hope, even in the face of personal struggles and challenges.

Scarlet Witch: Indigo (Compassion) - Wanda Maximoff's story is one of tragedy and empathy, making her a good candidate for the Indigo Tribe.

Deadpool: Orange (Avarice/Greed) - Deadpool's love for money, chimichangas, and his materialistic tendencies align well with the Orange Lantern Corps.

This version, I actually like a little better, but it differs quite a bit from the other version and I've noticed that ChatGPT is far more likely to reference characters that have movies about them than any of the even slightly more obscure characters.

In yet another, I asked "Would any Marvel heroes use the Yellow Lantern Ring?" and it responded "Heroes using a power based on fear is a bit of a paradox, but in the world of comics, anything is possible!" And ultimately suggested Dr. Strange. It also suggested either Norman Osborn or Loki for the Orange Ring, this time.

So, the way you phrase the question can definitely change the answer it gives.

Also, when you ask it to write a scene, you get quite a lot of "They would not say that!" moments. The scene it wrote of Batman adopting Spider-man was fairly strange and stilted and the scene it wrote of Captain America going on a date with Wonder Woman had them just leaving in the middle of an epic battle to go have dinner!

The dialogue it wrote between Dean Winchester and Buffy Summers was a little better, but it's scene of Tom Paris meeting Nick Locarno was simply not good.

Now, areas where it excelled were in simpler tasks. I asked it to write an e-mail regarding a graduation issue and, aside from some missing specifics, it actually wrote a better version than I had come up with.

Similarly, when I spelled out the ideas I had for a TTRPG, it was able to fill in some of the blanks in a way that I quite enjoyed and hadn't come up with and fit the theme I was going for.

All in all? I'm going to keep using it, but I would warn against relying on it heavily. Most of what it writes, especially if asked to do something creative, barely meets what I would consider a first draft, but it can be a fun jumping off point.

[angiesdoodle]

Yes, Whisper, he knows perfectly well what he's doing.

He knows that he is shaking hands with a crazy old man who has gone crazy for the destruction of witches, and for this purpose he has worked for several hundred years to now stand in front of Darius in the form of a sixteen-year-old boy, which is for Darius the only really dear child he would like to adopt and live peacefully with him in his house on the outskirts of BoneBurg. His eyes are burning blue, such an unnatural color for him.  His hands are huge, bigger than Ida's hands in harpy mode. His hair is the same as before, with a strand that comes forward, although Darius remembers that upon arrival at the base, he immediately cut it off. Deer antlers of a strange color came out of his head, which looks more like a mixture of palismen blood and dirt. Darius is crazy! Yes, Rain. He knows it's crazy. He knows that you can come up with a thousand and one ways to safely take the monster out of a teenager, and then kill him yourself. He knows, but there's no time for that. A disgusting green hand squeezes the necks of other children, injures their palismen and does not allow adults to help them. Darius can't think of a better plan than to make concessions to the monster. To make this damn deal and become an ally of the one he wanted to kill for a dozen years after the death of his mentor. The monster will pass to him. On his body, weakened by a spell long ago, which will most likely just die when he is defeated. And if he had immediately noticed the factors that show that he can still control a teenager, then he could have come up with a plan. If Flapjack's disappearance had been immediately explained, then Darius could have come up with something. If someone had immediately seen his own palisman being devoured and left in the forest for his remains, Darius could have done something. If the attempted murder of the bee girl Park wasn't suspicious enough for Darius, he would have taken action. If the sharp attacks of nausea of the Hunter, his guilty look at Darius and too much detachment would have been important to him, then Belos would not be here now. But no. Darius didn't see it all. Darius didn't suspect anyone. Darius didn't know a lot of things. Darius didn't want to put pressure on Philip's traumatized children. But he could have asked someone else to talk to him. He could have tried to get this information in another way. But he didn't. That's why he screwed up. So he didn't do anything. Therefore, now he is facing his defeat. So now he is reaching out to a gripped teenager whom he thought he loved, although everything that led to this point told Darius that he was just a liar who lied to everyone and everything, who lied to a teenager about how much he valued him, who lied to himself, knowing full well that that's not true. He just wanted to keep him safe. He wanted this guy to be happy. But this careless attitude has had consequences. No matter how much Darius convinces himself that he values this teenager, in fact, he knows perfectly well that he didn't care. He knows that this guy has already been with a liar who didn't care about him. And now, Darius sees that he behaved exactly the same way. He just became the second Belos for the Hunter. I agree to the deal. But I want to change my conditions. Don't worry, your part will be done. The monster shakes the man's hand, putting the magic oath into action. There was a scratch on the back of the palm that Darius held out, which will remain as a scar when healing. And a nasty swamp finger touches this wound. And she will talk with pain. And Darius sees how this something passes from the teenager to him. It hurts. It hurts terribly. His new wound, his scars, they're all burning. And Darius is in pain. He is ready to pull his hand out of his grip so that this pain will go away. But he will only grit his teeth and look at the teenager carefully, frowning. He feels his organs filling up with fluid. But he endures. And only squeezes the teenager's hand harder. His hearing is getting worse. He can no longer hear the voices of others clearly. The teenager stands in front of him, in tears begging to let go of his hand, saying that they can find another way to defeat Belos. He tries to pull his hand away, but Darius squeezes it harder. He hears Rain shouting at him to let go of his hand, as the Hunter, hunched over, asks Darius to move away, but these sounds go into the distance as quickly as possible, leaving only the suspiciously soft voice of Belos. His eyes began to see worse. Now, in front of him only muddy forces that shout something to him. The corners of his eyes turned dark. Darius's face hurts terribly and he feels the green line of the monster stretching across his face. He feels that his hands also hurt. And he sees perfectly well how the new, hand-sewn gloves unfasten and fly to the ground in scraps. He sees the muddy outline of his hand, which becomes swamp-green and increases in size. His head is splitting and he swears that the pain at his temples means the appearance of those terrible horns.                                                     *** The monster has completely switched to Darius. The teenager does not feel the pain that was at the first time. He feels terrified. Darius's eyes are shining blue, although you can see the outline of green. A line appeared on his face that stretches all the way to his right cheek and ends at the bridge of his nose. Darius(?) abruptly releases his hand, clinging to the coven mark. The scars from the veins burning on Unity Day still remained and, apparently, they hurt terribly. He stands in front of a hunched Darius (?) and does nothing. He just stares, not even moving his fingertips. Rain shouts his name and asks him to leave, but the teenager does nothing. I'm sure Eber and Eda will take care of you. Sorry, Hunter. I'm not even sure if we'll see each other at all. The teenager opened his eyes more, hearing a voice that was damn dear to him. Captured by the monster, Darius covers himself with abomination and teleports to an unknown place. The hands holding the other children and their palismen disappeared. Each of them excitedly caught his assistant and looked at the Hunter. - Hunter - Rain took a step forward - You- - He took it - The Hunter speaks quietly, not noticing that in fact he was just voicing his thoughts. - He took someone dear to me again. Again. Rain took another step forward. How stupid. The teenager jerked from this, tears appeared on his face and he just ran away from the dilapidated room. the adults cast worried glances. Rain ran off to look for him while others were helping their children. The hunter can't run too far. And Rain knows it. That's why they find him in Darius' room. They see his silhouette in a dark room and catch the quiet crying that the teenager makes, sitting on the floor and putting his head on the bed.  They want to approach and take the first step. But the teenager screams, threatens and asks to leave him alone as soon as possible. That's what the Rain do.                                                     *** The hunter has been sitting in Darius' room for weeks. You often have to pass near it, since it is located in the corridor that leads to the entrance, kitchen and bathroom. And you can often hear a teenager crying. He does it as quietly as possible, apparently burying his face in the bed or in the floor. He doesn't leave the room at all. He's always there. He just sits, either looks at the ceiling or cries, or dryly sobs, since the tears, apparently, have long since ended. He doesn't go out to eat, and he only goes to wash when the whole house falls asleep. Therefore, Eda brings plates of food into the room, which is either half empty or not touched at all. And only not long ago, Luz said that it was better to give him human food, not demonic, or something that a person can generally digest sensibly. Therefore, Ida makes two portions of griffin eggs every morning, always leaving one of them on a beautiful white bedside table with purple handles. Other children tried to talk to the Hunter. They came to him, talked to him and even tried to take him out. But Luz, like the others, said that he did not pay attention to it, or quietly asked to leave the room. And Rain, not so long ago, was seen as a teenager finally leaving this room. His appearance can only be wished for the best. The bags under his eyes became several times darker and larger, his eyes were no longer bright crimson, but dark brown, in which there was pain and fatigue. He was quite emaciated, although Eda brought him food exactly three times a day. And big times it was eaten completely. He just said hello, drank a glass of water, asked where Eda, Luz and Amity were, and then went back into the room. Rain didn't hear any sobs or tantrums as he passed her. I couldn't hear anything at all. Although he knows that the teenager is sitting there around the clock. And Rain sees these changes. And they swear they'll figure out a way to get Darius back, figure out a way to destroy Belos once and for all. Rain swears that the teenager will see his parental figure again, that the teenager will again walk with other children through the peaceful demonic world and talk to the newly carved palisman.

[soldiersorrowful]

gameplan

so i've shown off progress, that's cool! what's not cool, however, is that i haven't explained *how* the game even works! it would be beneficial for you, the reader; and me, the developer; to both understand the gameplay in order to explain future progress more easily. matter of fact, i was typing up a post to showcase a new mechanic only to realize it made no sense to anyone except me! so fair warning; this will be a bit of a crude and shallow explanation. if something doesn't make sense, reach out! enough of the formalities though, let's dig in!

we'll start off by explaining exactly what you're seeing right now -there are two sets of six units, one for the player (blue) and one for the opponent (red). each unit has a health and stamina value, as well as a spread of statistics and movesets (the last two are beyond the scope of this introduction; just know they exist!). -these units are currently resting on their respective benches. the bench is where units that are currently not on the field stay. benched units regain small amounts of health and stamina per turn, as well as some other bonuses depending on the unit's build (once again, out of scope) -the green square is the map, which contains four bases. if a unit tags a base (that is not of their respective color), they will obtain a base ball (no, not a baseball; there's a clear distinction!)

your objective is to have a unit tag all three bases successfully and return to your home base to win. from the diagram above, a unit is sent from the bench to the purple base, netting them a purple base ball. this continues until all three base balls are obtained, and the unit tags home to secure the victory. (of note, bases can be tagged in any order, not just the standard baseball order) base balls themselves can also be used to power up actions or can be thrown to other units, creating strategic opportunities.

with this explained, let's walk through two turns of simplified gameplay. i'm going first, with my opponent going second. i have no units on the field, so i send one out from the bench. i then boldly move this unit to the yellow base in order to secure the yellow base ball. an aura of smugness radiating from me, i end my turn.

it's now my opponent's turn. likewise, they send out a unit from the bench, but go directly to the middle of the map. are they planning to strike?

oh no, i was right! my opponent's unit directly attacks my unit, and- bigger oh no!- it was a critical hit, depleting my unit's health to zero and forcing it to retreat! units that are retreating return to the bench and drop any base balls they are currently holding. dammit! i'll have to rethink my gameplan!

...scenery chewing aside, i hope this serves as a basic introduction to the tactics side of things! to shed some light on the conceptual phase of development, this project started out as a joke about how the battle them in persona 4 golden sounded like it would fit in some hype scene in a baseball anime. i didn't let the joke go, and ideas started formulating in my head, and, well, here we are! obviously, the setting came first, so i had no clue how to adapt a baseball style gameplay in a way that seemed fun and interesting. after much trial and error, i came up with a tactics baseball fusion after getting a bit too into dnd haha. we're still taking baby steps though; things are subject to change! hopefully, i can get good feedback from players when i have a suitable demo ready? well, this post was longer than usual, ha... if you made it this far, thanks for reading! it means a lot! until next time!

[pooma-education]

Examination,❓

Group discussion

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Eagerly waiting for the first exciting interaction for children's preparation for examinations since public examination dates getting announced. Motivation, self-confidence, focus, undistracted study, good health habits for stress-free learning, parent and teacher's affectionate enthusiastic counseling and guidance, optimistic guidance, etc.

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Examination phobia should be eliminated. Concentration on learning and studies with clarity and shortcuts familiarization. Parents may plan about the future, but students at this stage shouldn't be pressurized towards what is next after plus two. These five months for curriculum-based syllabus-oriented, page-by-page textbook learning and thorough book back exercises, revision of higher-order thinking skills, practicing numerical, etc. Good sleep and two-time bath regularly, doing pranayama, and other simple exercises like cycling, skipping, etc. In this pandemonic situation, avoiding external food and social visits. In simple words, a period of ACADEMIC TAPAS. BEST WISHES.

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: We request Mr Azeez sir to give point by point in his style for children preparing for the examination dos and don'ts.

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: This may be portrayed in many schools in the libraries.

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Some proactive one-liners to be displayed at vital spaces for the visibility of both children and parents in schools. Our learned members may contribute.

AZ: Education is evaluated through examinations around the world. Why are examinations conducted in handwritten form?

Due to pandemic reasons, examinations are conducted online. Still, we are not satisfied with, the reason might be:

Pen is mightier than Keyboard

Let's see some advantages of handwritten type of examinations.

AZ : Parents, students, and teachers are satisfied when the examination is written by hand, evaluated with red ink, scrutinized with green, tabulated with pencil, and summarized in Mary blue ink.

When we see signatures in various colors and debate on the scores, reevaluation, retotaling, apart from this warning or show cause notice, for wrong evaluators, all those things confirm that psychologically undergone the steps to attain the merits.

Might be an examination system is a kind of psychological treatment to know its importance and improvement. How depth is true of this examination and evaluation system? How could be done examination and evaluation in education during or after pandemic seasons without losing its value?

Why do writing skills get more importance in learning and evaluation?

Here are some points:

In education or official matters, words in written form are powerful than spoken words. The reason is:

Writing is a complex activity. It requires a lot of higher-order thinking skills as well as technical proficiency. We could see capable writers tend to fly in school while struggling writers are often labeled as "lower ability" learners.

Writing is a means of inquiry.

Writing is an expression for learning. Yes, in theory, children can express their learning in many other ways. In practice, having poor writing skills often means failing.

Writing is a tool for communication.

Writing helps to develop debate and discussion skills. It boosts confidence as they gradually become better at expressing thoughts and feelings. First, on paper. Then, verbally.

Writing is excellent for reviewing what's been learned and revision. Therefore, learning could have been reinforced and stored in long-term memory..

Writing is a great tool for monitoring students' progress for a teacher.

Writing encourages creativity and discovery. Writing promotes self-awareness and self-understanding.

Writing helps youngsters to work on their self-regulation skills. They have to practice patience and perseverance when being asked to re-write, proofread, and edit their letters.

Writing improves kids' overall attainment which helps to overcome social barriers and exclusive

AZ : To conclude, here's an interesting thought for reflection: Who is good? An author or a writer? A writer or a speaker? A writer or a poet? Reading is the source of writing and writing is the result of reading. Now let's come to our topic. Which mode of conducting examinations do you prefer now?

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: Writing inculcates creativity. Provides scope for self-evaluation and self-correction. It paves the way for revision. As rightly said, it explores the poet in a person. It is the means for appreciating the language. It is the proud gift and wonder we can leave for the next generation.

Dr Sekar Seenivasan: 40 percentage objective, 40 percentage subjective, and 20 percentage internals through continuous assessment. Cumulative grade point average throughout the year by the teaching staff of the schools should have the final say. Credibility vested with the teacher, principal, and school. Boards can only be certifying bodies. Proper introspecting tools could be designed for accountability. Even after time-consuming, money-consuming, HR-oriented prevailing exam system, students have to prove their mettle and merit through competitive examinations. At least what I suggest will surely improve the responsibility, integrity, and pride of the teachers and schools.

AZ: : When we think of conducting examinations, let's prefer to refer Mar 20, 2020, how fruitfully Kerala government conducted their SSLC examinations without a student affected or infected with their strong guidelines. The only government which could conduct their board exams successfully, that's too during peak days of spread, then why don't we follow the same guidelines to succeed in conducting examinations.

AZ: When everyone wanted to have fair examinations, then why don't we follow safe ways to get succeed in our mission.

Sangeetha Thyagarajan: Most of the prestigious institutions around the world use online evaluation. Some use only MCQs, some short and detailed, some a combination of both. But, the fact remains that the mindset of parents and teachers in our country believes only in handwritten examinations for boards. It's only a matter of time before reliable software for examination purposes will be put into use by all schools and colleges. Most colleges around India conducted exams, including final year exams online.

Sangeetha Thyagarajan: The change in Educational methodology like NEP may even encourage online evaluation of foolproof and easier examination preparations.

AZ: Our serious question here is not the best mode of education and evaluation. Online or handwritten? Both of them have their own merits and demerits. We have ample time to teach, examine and evaluate on our own traditional way. But the phase is different within which how to win the confidence of all towards education? Already these pupils are labeled as the Corona batch. They may face certain consequences in their later stages.

Once again, introducing a new mode of online education and evaluation system may cause more complications in the future for teachers, schools, and the teaching profession in special...

Dr Parvathi:: Yes absolutely, as this mode needs more knowledge of online applications, and also many children are slowly losing seriousness and taking everything for granted.

Dr Parvathi: Handwritten is the best way of evaluation as writing promotes creativity, effectiveness, seriousness, and depth in studies.

Buvana: Lots of difference in their learning process also... especially their handwriting and expression, etc.

Dr Parvathi: It makes it easier for the teacher also to know how much the improvement is there and also helps in remedial teaching. Of course, it helps the teacher to know where the improvement needs to be done.

Dr Parvathi: Children also get an idea where they are lacking and what improvement they have to do? What the teacher or evaluator is expecting from them? How they have to cut short or evaluate anything.

Dr Parvathi: Handwritten examination also helps in promoting critical thinking in students.

Jemi Sudhakar: Yes. Rightly said. Formative assessment has certainly changed this school year, as teachers are required to adapt to this new normal. Before you panic, this does not mean that teachers need to reinvent the wheel and start from scratch! Many tools that were already being used in brick-and-mortar classrooms can be modified to work in an online environment.

[vancouverkitchenrenovation]

Ideas on Bathroom Renovations

Whether you’re renovating a bathroom for a new house or you’re updating your current bathroom, there are a lot of different things to think about. Here are a few tips to get you started on your project.

Wood floors

Traditionally, homeowners have been advised to steer clear of wood floors in the bathroom. This is due to the fact that they can become warped and buckled due to moisture. However, with the right care and maintenance, wood floors in the bathroom can last for decades.

Fortunately, there are several types of wood flooring available. They include engineered wood, vinyl planks, and laminate. Each is suited for different conditions, so it’s important to choose the right type of flooring for your bathroom.

Engineered wood is a better option for bathrooms than solid hardwood. It has multiple layers of real wood that mimic the look of solid wood. It’s also more flexible than other types of alternatives. This means that you can install it over your existing flooring or over top of another type of flooring.

Vinyl wallpaper

Choosing the right vinyl wallpaper for a bathroom renovation is not always easy. There are several factors to take into consideration, such as moisture, durability, and pattern. You should also consider whether or not the vinyl wallpaper is washable.

Vinyl wallpaper for bathrooms was developed in the 1970s as a waterproof alternative to paper-based wallpaper. Its PVC coating helps to resist moisture and water vapor. It can be used on walls that have direct or indirect ambient moisture.

Vinyl wallpapers are available in both peel-and-stick and permanent varieties. For a more permanent installation, it is best to use a professional. However, if you want to save money, you can peel and stick vinyl wallpaper yourself. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is more resistant to tearing and removal than permanent wallpaper.

Stone

Using stone for your bathroom renovation is a great way to bring a luxury look to your space. Granite and marble are the most common types of stone used for countertops and floors. They are durable, fireproof and resistant to rot. You can also find natural stone sinks and faucets to suit your tastes and budget.

The best part is that there are a wide range of sizes and colors available. Marble is the most popular type of stone, but it can be expensive. You can find granite, limestone, travertine, onyx and other types of stone for your bathroom.

The cheapest form of real stone is limestone. Limestone can be found in a variety of colors, including white, cream, gray, blue and green. The matte finish of limestone is attractive, but it can contain mineral inclusions that require regular cleaning.

Showerbaths

During bathroom renovations, many homeowners are replacing their bathtubs with showerbaths. This is a great way to save money and create a more efficient bathroom.

In addition to saving space, showerbaths also make showering easier. They prevent clumsy moments, which can cause injuries.

You can also use textured tiles in your bathroom to prevent dangerous falls. You can also choose accent tiles for a splash of color. Having a shower bath in your home will make it more comfortable for your family.

When choosing a showerbath, you have to think about your needs. If you have small children, you might want to consider a larger tub. Also, you might need a walk-in tub if you’re an elderly person.

If you have a small bathroom, you might want to consider replacing your tub with a shower. This can help you save space and also provide you with additional storage space.

Glass walls and sliding glass doors

Using glass walls and sliding glass doors in a bathroom renovation can make a small space feel larger. These can also be used to enhance the overall design of a bathroom. They can create a sense of openness in a small space without sacrificing privacy.

Using a glass wall in a bathroom can be an economical way to allow light into the space. This can increase the overall value of a home by adding an element of luxury. It also makes a space feel more open and inviting.

These glass walls can be made from any material, and they can be adapted to fit a variety of needs. For example, a glass wall made of wood or metal can add an aesthetic touch to a high-end hotel room.

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Whether planning a bathroom renovation or simply looking to update your existing space, Vancouver Kitchen Renovation is the place to turn. We’re Vancouver’s premier bathroom design and renovation specialists, and we pride ourselves on being able to create spaces that fit perfectly within your budget. Whether you’re renovating a small guest room or transforming a whole house, we’ll guide you through each step so you can enjoy your finished product for years to come. As a locally owned and operated business, we know what it takes to build lasting relationships with our clients. We’re committed to providing quality products and services and strive to exceed expectations every time.

We understand that to be successful is to stay ahead of the curve. That means staying current with the latest technology and design trends. We always want to improve our products or services without breaking the bank. That’s why we stay connected to the latest technologies of NKBA, National Kitchen and Bath Association. In addition, at Vancouver Kitchen renovation, our primary focus is providing sustainable bathroom design and renovation packages, and we believe in sustainable living. Sustainable living is a way of life in harmony with nature. It is a lifestyle which focuses on the preservation of our environment. Sustainable living is a philosophy emphasizing respect for the environment and concern for its well-being. This means we should take care of the planet and treat it as if it were our home. We should try to preserve what we have and protect it from destruction. If we do this, we will enjoy the benefits of the earth’s resources for many generations. Whether you’re planning a major remodel or adding finishing touches to your current bathroom, we’d love to discuss your project. Book your showroom consultation online.

Main Areas of Service in British Columbia:

Vancouver

North Vancouver

West Vancouver

Burnaby

Coquitlam

Squamish

Whistler

Frequently Asked Questions

How can my bathroom feel more modern?

Modernize your bathroom in many different ways. A great way to create a modern bathroom design is to use simple, sleek lines. You can also use black, grey and white. Modern fixtures such as LED lighting or rain showers will give your space a contemporary look. Decluttering your bathroom will make it look cleaner and more minimalistic.

What is the ROI for a bathroom remodeling project in Metro Vancouver

Bathroom renovations are expensive. If done properly, it can yield big returns. HomeAdvisor says that mid-range bathroom redesigns can yield an average of 70% return on investment. However, upscale bathroom renovations typically have an ROI of 60%. This means that if you spend $20,000 on a mid-range bathroom renovation in Metro Vancouver, you can expect to see a return of $14,000. If you spend $40,000 to remodel your bathroom, you can expect a return of $24,000.

The actual ROI you get will depend on many factors including the quality and market conditions of your home, as well as the location. A bathroom remodel is a good idea if you are looking to sell your home in the near future. This will not only make your house more appealing to potential buyers but could also result in a higher sale price.

If you’re not planning on selling your home anytime soon, a bathroom remodel can still be a wise investment. A bathroom remodel that is well designed and executed can improve the value of your home as well as increase its enjoyment. A bathroom remodeling project is worth your consideration, whether you want to increase the value of your house or create a more relaxing and stylish space.

How much is it to replace a bathtub?

A complete bathroom re/re can be expensive in Vancouver, British Columbia. This is for a complete project which would include:

Shower base (including drain)

Floor and wall tiles

Glass shower door or shower curtain

Fixtures (shower head, taps, soap dish, etc.)

Plumbing work

Waterproofing, tiling, and other work

Ventilation

Permits

How do you do a facelift in a bathroom?

It’s not enough to replace fixtures and fittings when renovating a bathroom. It’s also about creating an atmosphere that makes people feel at home. Your bathroom should be inviting and relaxing for you and your guests.

Here are some examples:

Plants are a great addition. They can help purify your air and enhance natural beauty. There are many indoor plants to choose from: succulents and mosses; cacti, ferns and succulents.

Lighting is important. Lighting is an important part of creating an inviting space. You can use indirect light sources rather than direct. These will give soft, diffused illumination.

You should create a comfortable area for sitting. A bench or small table could be used as a seating area. To display photographs or art on the wall, shelves could be installed. To brighten your room, you can add a mirror to reflect the light.

To hang your bathrobe or coat, you might consider adding a hook to your bathrobe.

Our website has lots of information regarding bathroom designs, remodelling, and accessories. Our experts are happy to help you plan your next renovation. Give us an immediate call!

What is trending for bathrooms in 2023?

The bathroom industry is evolving rapidly because consumers are demanding better quality products at lower prices.

The next generation of bathroom design is going to be focused on safe and sustainable materials.

This includes low-flow toilets, waterless urinals, dual flush technology and smart home systems.

This trend will also place emphasis on hygiene and health by providing shower heads and other devices to promote better hygiene.

How can I make my bathrooms feel more Zen?

A great bathroom can be a place for reflection and relaxation. It’s where we go to unwind after an intense day of activity. So why would anyone choose a space where they feel stressed out?

Bathrooms are places we can relax. Showering is a way to wash away stress. We wash our hands and brush our teeth.

There are many ways to make a bathroom quiet and peaceful while still providing all the amenities.

A white wall can make a space appear larger and cleaner. White helps reflect light which makes rooms seem larger.

A large mirror allows you to see your reflection without moving.

Candles in the bathroom can create a calm environment. Candles can provide warmth and safety. In addition, scented candles can encourage feelings of calmness.

A bathroom with plants can promote tranquility and peace. Plants are known to reduce stress levels and increase focus.

Lighting is another way of setting the mood. You can create a warm environment by using lighting. Warm lights such as those from candlelight can create a peaceful environment.

Take some time to rest your body next time you use the bathroom. This is where we can be totally free of all outside influences.

Statistics

2023 bathroom design trends: Chromotherapy, which uses coloured lights to stimulate relaxation, was chosen by 25%. Preset lighting schemes for different times during the day were favoured by 29%. (https://nkba.org)

2023 bathroom design trends: Large format tiles were favoured by 59% of those surveyed.mSlab surfaces were favoured by 40% of those surveyed. (https://nkba.org)

NKBA estimates that broken down, most of this cost comes from fixtures and plumbing (about 29 percent), followed by counters and surfaces (21 percent), labour (20 percent), and cabinetry and hardware (16 percent). (remodelista.com)

2023 bathroom design trends: Bathroom faucet designs reflected wellness concerns, with 61% choosing accessible lever handles, 48% choosing motion and 36% going for the touch or tap options. (https://nkba.org)

2023 bathroom design trends: Windows above tubs were favoured by 51% of those surveyed. Skylights were selected by 37% of those surveyed. (https://nkba.org)

2023 bathroom design trends: Floating vanities were favoured by 71% of those surveyed. (https://nkba.org)

According to a 2019 remodelling report from the National Association of Realtors, 70 percent of consumers “have a greater desire to be home” after a bathroom renovation, so read on and soak up the secrets. (housebeautiful.com)

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had someone call and say they have an existing old tub (which, 99% of the time, is 60” wide once they’re pulled out) and want to convert the bathtub to a shower. (blog.innovatebuildingsolutions.com)

The average midrange bathroom remodels costs $27,164, according to the latest Remodeling Cost versus Value report, and it’s projected that you will recoup 58.9% of that cost when reselling your home. (architecturaldigest.com)

Outdoor showers can dramatically increase the value of your home—according to a 2018 report from Realtor.com, homes with outdoor showers tend to list for nearly double the asking price of other homes! (housebeautiful.com)

2023 bathroom design trends: Large format tile (59%) was the most popular material for tub and shower surrounds. Slab surfaces (40%) were the next most popular (https://nkba.org)

This article will reveal more about AntiBac surfaces and how Villeroy and Boch products have 99.9% fewer bacteria. (superbath.co.uk)

External Links

homeadvisor.com

Find out how much it costs for a bathroom remodel

Where does your money go for a bathroom remodel? | HomeAdvisor

nkba.org

Home – NKBA

Real-World Budgeting for Bathroom Remodeling

How To

How to Design a Beautiful Bathroom by You

Choose a color combination that complements your home Before you choose a colour scheme, consider how it will blend with the rest. Consider the age of your house and avoid bright colors such as yellow, orange, or green. Opt for more subtle shades, such as blue, gray or white, instead.

Living in a newer home gives you more leeway when choosing bathroom colours. If you wish, you can choose brighter colours but only use them sparingly. Perhaps an accent wall or brightly-coloured towel holder is all you need to inject some personality into your space.

You should ensure that there is plenty of storage space

Make sure that there is plenty of storage space in your bathroom. You should have enough space for hand soap, towels, makeup brushes, and any other items you keep in your bathroom.

If you’re short on space, consider adding a medicine cabinet or floating shelves. These shelves will provide extra storage space, but not take up too much space.

Consider Adding Mirrors

Mirrors are a great addition to any bathroom. They let you see your reflections in the powder room. Mirrors come with a variety of sizes and shapes. Some mirrors have a rectangular design, while others are more round. Mirrors can be shaped like animals and flowers.

Get the best lighting

Lighting is vital and should be treated with care. There are many factors you should consider when lighting your bathroom.

First, you should think about what type of light bulbs are you going to use. There are a variety of options including LED, Halogen and Fluorescent.

Next, choose where you want your light fixtures to be placed. The ceiling, walls or ceilings are all options. But it’s best to also consider natural lighting. Your bathroom must have sufficient windows to let in natural lighting. If not, you may want to consider adding a skylight.

It is up to you what type of lighting style you prefer. But, make sure you choose light fixtures that are approved for use in bathrooms. This will ensure that they can withstand the humidity and moisture in this room.

Choose the right flooring

It is important to choose slip-resistant flooring and make it easy to clean. There are many options for bathroom flooring: luxury vinyl, porcelain tiles and natural stone.

Avoid dark-colored flooring if you have a small bathroom. This will make the space look smaller and more cramped. Opt instead for lighter colours like white, cream or beige

Be Careful in Your Layout

It is just as important to plan the layout of your bathroom as the colors and fixtures that you choose. Think about how you will use your bathroom space when planning the layout.

You might avoid putting a tub in a small bathroom. This will make it easier to move around.

You may want to add a double sink in a larger bathroom. This will give you more counter space and make it easier for two people to get ready simultaneously.

Once you have an idea of the layout you want, you can start planning. Use a tape measure to determine the dimensions of your room. Sketch out several layout options using graph paper.

After you have tried a few layouts out, choose the one that best suits your space.

Remember Ventilation

Bathrooms need proper ventilation to prevent mould and mildew from growing. This is particularly important if you live near a humid climate.

Before you install the fan, be sure to carefully read the instructions provided by your manufacturer. Make sure that the fan vents to the outside of the home.

Use quality materials

You should choose high quality materials for your bathroom remodel. The durability and resistance to damage of high-quality materials is better. These materials may be more expensive upfront, but they will ultimately save you money.

Professional Help

Remodeling your bathroom does not have to be difficult. Hire professionals to do the job right. Professional contractors are trained to handle different aspects of building projects. They are qualified to install heating and cooling systems as well as plumbing wiring. You will save time and avoid headaches by hiring professionals. Professional contractors know how to properly complete each step of every project.

Enjoy Your New bathroom

After all the hard work and planning, it’s now time to get into your new bathroom. The final touches include scented candles, fluffy towels, or a plant. These details will make your bathroom feel more homey.

Now you’re ready to begin remodeling your bathroom. Use these tips to create the bathroom of your dreams.

The post Ideas on Bathroom Renovations first appeared on Vancouver Kitchen Renovation.

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