#as for the alt text I'm going to continue doing it this way for now

[vorestarr]

i love when Astarion is mean, and i mean like genuinely mean, saying shitty things and lashing out specifically to hurt someone or push them away. i think it really says so much about him and about the specific situations when he feels the need to lash out. i love seeing it with Durge/Tav, but i'm playing a Karlach origin to romance him right now and he's so mean during his first romance scene when he can't even kiss Karlach.

after playing it, i went to look at the parsed dialogue for that scene because i wanted to see if there were any dev notes, and oh boy are there dev notes. walk with me here while i go through them all. (i didn't add alt text to the images below, but i did transcribe the lines i'm referencing in the images below, so all the important information is in the text of the post itself.)

it's the typical Astarion scene, but after his "i've been waiting to taste you" line, he diverges with: "Although your condition means tasting you could be a risky proposition. You're quite the forbidden fruit, aren't you?"

the player (as Karlach) has a few choices in reply at that point, but as long as they pick one that progresses the scene (i.e., not the one where you reject him last minute), he goes down the same dialogue tree. this tree starts with:

Astarion: All denied to us because of what Zariel did to you. [devnote: subtext, thinking about Cazador]

so right off the bat he's upset because Karlach's situation is reminding him of his own with Cazador.

but then his next line is:

Astarion: I - you know, I have no idea what to do with you now. [devnote: Astarion's mask as the flippant libertine is cracking a bit here. He's frustrated but vulnerable here. Because he can't physically seduce or touch Karlach, his usual means of interacting with a person is punctured. He's faced with the reality that he might not know how to handle a situation where he can't bite or seduce his way to the finish line.]

wow. that's a lot in that dev note.

at this point, the player has the option of a few responses, but two options to continue the encounter. the choices to continue it are: "You don't have to 'do' anything. We can just be." or "After the life you've led, I'm not surprised."

if you choose the first option, Astarion is frustrated but less mean. he says:

Astarion: 'Just be' what, exactly? Frustrated? Bored? What do we do, if not... that?

if you choose the second option, he's a little meaner. understandably so, since the player just poked at his painful past:

Astarion: You think you know the life I've led? The experiences I've had? You've no idea the stories I could tell, sweet Karlach. But you - you're just -

then, both the paths converge to the same final statement, which is mean no matter what Karlach has said to this point:

Astarion: Urgh! Why is this so difficult? I'd have already bedded you twice if you were normal.

importantly, there are dev notes for all of his lines here, but the notes are all the same:

devnote: Masking defensiveness with offensiveness. In truth he really does want what Karlach is offering (to just hang out without having sex) but now that it's within grasp he's floundering.

again, at this point the player has two choices to continue the encounter, and one to end it. i'll go down each continue path separately, since they can diverge quite a bit.

path 1

the first choice is to say: "Twice in this short space of time? Doesn't sound very satisfying."

he gets mad. and mean.

Astarion: Karlach! You know what I mean. [devnote: Frustrated] Astarion: Or maybe you don't. Astarion: There may be an inferno in you, Karlach, but at the end of the day you've been frigid for a decade, isn't that right? [devnote: Being mean-spirited in an attempt to drive Karlach away, even though he doesn't actually want to do that.]

the player again has two response options to continue the encounter, and one to end it.

the first choice to continue the encounter is: "You want to try that again? Without being a jackass, maybe?"

in response he says:

Astarion: This is impossible - you're impossible! [devnote: Masking defensiveness with offensiveness. In truth he really does want what Karlach is offering (to just hang out without having sex) but now that it's within grasp he's floundering.]

(at this point, the path diverts to merge with the dialogue tree from the previous branch where Astarion complains about Karlach not being normal. so we'll pause here, and continue down that dialogue tree with the path 2 header below.)

the second choice to continue the encounter after Astarion says that Karlach has been frigid for a decade is to say: "What's really going on here, Astarion? Suddenly you're so vicious."

he replies:

Astarion: Suddenly? Darling, you haven't been paying attention. [devnote: Seething and mean.] Astarion: Listen, it's just - ... I'm sorry, all right? Is that what you want?

again, at this point, he diverts to the same shared dialogue tree as the other response option. that merges with path 2, so we'll continue there:

path 2

to go BACK to the previous branch we went down, where Astarion said he would have bedded Karlach twice already if she was just normal, the other response option for the player is: "I am normal. 'Fucked up' is the height of normalcy."

instead of being mean, Astarion immediately apologizes:

Astarion: Oh no - don't you tar me with your 'normal' brush. My demons keep me extraordinary. [devnote: Karlach has punctured Astarion's bad mood with a joke.]

and then he apologizes, like he does in the other paths, saying he doesn't know what to do without being able to touch her.

Astarion: I - ...I'm sorry, Karlach. It's just, not being able to touch you - having to slow down, it's... I'm just not used to it. [devnote: subtext here is on the slowing down. That IS what he wants. But it's hard for him to see that clearly.]

Astarion: So, can you -... I don't know. Help? Show me what to do? [devnote: First breakthrough. He's asking for help knowing what to do when you can't jump into bed with someone.]

again, at this point, the player has two options to continue the encounter or one to end it.

for the first response to continue, the player can say: "We can just talk. As long as we want. Then we can sleep. Near, but not too near."

Astarion responds to this one pretty positively. he's still a little mean, but it's in his fond teasing way, and not his biting, cruel way:

Astarion: Karlach, champion of the Hells, wants to talk and then fall asleep? [devnote: Incredulous] My dear, you're much more boring than I gave you credit for. [devnote: Teasing] All right, Karlach. Let's try it your way. [devnote: Gently. He's feeling vulnerable, but sees that this might be a chance to feel safe.]

the second response option from the player is: "I don't know either. This is all just as new for me as it is for you."

he doesn't respond quite as well to this one, and goes back to being mean:

Astarion: Well. To quote you: 'Fuck.' Astarion: Why don't we put ourselves out of this misery and just sleep? If I can at least look at you, I won't have wasted my whole evening. [devnote: Peak of Astarion sexy toxicity.]

then, the scene fades to black and it transitions to the morning-after scene with Astarion, where the player first sees his scars.

i also think as a whole, this scene is just so representative of Astarion's early-game state of mind. he's following a comfortable script with all his interactions, but when he's confronted with something new, he flounders.

especially when it comes to sex, which is a touchy subject for him, his first reaction to any vulnerability is to lash out and hurt people. in this scene:

if Karlach brings up his past experiences, he lashes out. ("You think you know the life I've led?")

he blames Karlach for the situation because that's easier than addressing that he doesn't know what to do without his script. ("if you were normal")

if Karlach jokes about him ("Doesn't sound very satisfying") he lashes out even further, calling her frigid and impossible and then even doubling down if she calls him out ("you haven't been paying attention").

but if Karlach jokes about HERSELF ("'Fucked up' is the height of normalcy"), it snaps him out of his toxic bullshit and he's able to take a step back and apologize to her.

then regardless, he's also able to recognize that this is an opportunity to get what he wants without having sex, and recognize that he wants that too.

and then to me, Astarion being mean in that last response choice ("I don't know either") makes perfect sense, given the context of his other lashing out earlier in the conversation. even if the player didn't make those previous choices where he lashed out at them, he can still get mean and toxic on this choice.

crucially, with this choice, he's taken that step of hopeful vulnerability where he recognizes that maybe he does want to just spend time with Karlach without having sex, but he doesn't know how to do it. he asks for help.

if the player says they don't know how to do that either, he immediately puts those defensive walls back up. he doesn't want to flounder around, he wants an answer. he wants to know that it's actually possible to have a positive experience with someone without the script he's always used. the player saying they don't have that answer just pisses him off.

wow okay this post got really long, but i really vibed with the dev notes for this scene, and i think you can see exactly these toxic behaviors from Astarion in other scenes and in romances with other characters as well, but it's just so so clear with the Karlach scene and the dev notes just really highlight that.

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

OKAY it has been a day of being sad and panicky. Time to move.

Yesterday, I made a post detailing the cdc announcement that there will no longer be an isolation requirement for covid. If you are one of the thousands of people rightfully raging in my notes, here's some steps to focus on.

We're not gonna give up. I've seen quite a few comments with things like 'what's the point', 'why should I even try anymore' etc etc and what we're not gonna do is give them what they want! It helps the eugenics cause to be apathetic and listless. We've made it this far, we will continue to make it. I know it's hard, but I am at least right here with you. Give yourself whatever time you need to grieve, and then I need you to get up.

If you have stopped masking for any reason, or you haven't upgraded to a respirator style mask, now is the time to change or start. From now on, we will be living in a country where you could assume there are multiple covid positive people in the room with you at all times. Surgical masks will not handle that load, and cloth masks will be even less effective at that point. Obviously, this is an unprecedented situation we're putting these masks in, and I'm not gonna sit here and pretend to be an expert that can tell you with certainty that even respirators will hold up with this amount of viral load for a long period of time, but it's the best and strongest tool we have. I'm considering using my p100 more, so that's always something to consider as well (and they make you look like a cool raver when you wear them!!!). You can buy all sorts of masks here, there's more links in the comments of my original post, and most states have their own mask blocs. To find them, go to Instagram and type "[your state] mask bloc". Here is a google doc of verified advocacy groups and mask blocs all across the country here is a diy fit test kit you can buy for $30 (unfortunately they are sold out right now. shocker.) PLEASE remember to take a layered response in these times. Masks are not the only tool in our arsenal. PLEASE for the love of God keep up with your vaccinations. Make a corsi-rosenthal box or buy a high quality air purifier if you can afford it--at the very least our homes can be safe havens (you can even put a hepa filter on your furnace!!!! And in your car too!!!!!). Use CPC Mouthwash, nasal irrigation, and nasal sprays like this one. Make it a routine: you come home, you shower, you brush your teeth, you rinse your nose, you change your clothes. And, like I said in another one of my posts, DO NOT TAKE OFF THE MASK.

3. If you would like an outlet for your rage and you're into calling your reps, feel free to calmly but firmly let the cdc have it at these numbers!!!!!

[alt text: a tweet by user silly_paulie that reads:

"Disdain for the CDC unites us all. Call today and demand isolation policies be returned to 10 days, and reducing it further to 1 day would be criminally dangerous. Call both:

404-639-7000 (press 8)

800-232-4636"

end text.]

4. If you need more outlets for your rage, I STRONGLY encourage you to get involved with your local union. Moreso than calling the CDC, tbh. I've seen multiple comments telling people just to lie about your symptoms to get more sick time off, but since there's no legal precedent to allow employees sick time for covid, all that's gonna do is get people fired. I truly believe in my lefty heart that the ONLY way we're getting anything close to mitigation is through labor rights. Even the standard for the fucking flu is 3 days, and that's nowhere near as contagious or disabling as covid. I say this as a high risk person with a neuromuscular disability: covid is an intersectional issue, but where we have the most leverage to get what we need is through labor rights.

It is NOT safe for workers to be working while ill with a Level 3 Biohazard (same as TB and the FUCKING PLAGUE. Seriously we have more regulations around fucking lice)

It is NOT safe to willfully EXPOSE your employees to a Level 3 Biohazard

It is NECESSARY for all employees to be allowed up to 10 days to recover fully from Covid-19, in order to avoid possible further injury from or hospitalization

You will NOT die or be disabled for the sake of the wealthy!!!!!

(and while you're at it, ask for better air filtration too!!!! At least 5 air changes an hour, MERV-13 air filters!! Then we won't have to constantly worry about virus bs and policy changes in the first place!!!!)

5. Closing statements. Nothing has changed with covid, this is just policy. Covid still isn't magic, she still has to get in you before she can do damage--mask up, arm your home with clean air, and don't let her. It's always worse toward the end. This is not the time to give up, it's time to dig in your heels and get to work. There are so many good things happening with covid. They are finding encouraging treatments for long covid. Finally, after years of nothing, a new prophylactic for the high risk was submitted for emergency use to the FDA, and it looks like this time it's built to last against new mutations. Covid is here to stay for the rest of our lives, but the real science hasn't given up on taking the worst of its teeth out. We WILL get to the point where the extreme fear of catching covid is nothing but a bad memory for EVERYONE. All I need you to do is commit to the belief that you're gonna survive long enough to be in that moment with the rest of us.

Now stay safe, and give em hell!!!!!

[lilyveselka]

On Jack Bright (An Exhaustive Perspective) [Edited 2/19/2024 w/ additional evidence!]

A couple disclaimers before I start: First, this isn't an "official stance." It's an explanation of my personal views; I speak for myself alone. Second, I'm not setting out to change people's minds or moralize to them; I just want to explain & respond to some common arguments in the fan space.

Third & finally, massive content warning for explicit discussions of grooming & sexual abuse. This includes screenshots. (I assume everyone is aware of this going in, but better safe than sorry!!)

Q: Why do you care so much, anyway?

A: Not your business, but I was groomed as a teenager in a very similar manner to the whole AB situation. Ok, on to the actual questions.

Q: First things first: Was AB/Duckman a groomer?

A: Yes, pretty definitively. First of all, DMs from one of their victims (who was underage while they were in contact; AB was aware of this fact).

[ID in alt text]

Maybe anonymous allegations aren't solid proof -- of course, there are public victims, but there are also screenshots of AB themself "joking" about being a sexual predator.

Straight up saying they want nudes from 14 year olds.

With the context of the first message -- the punchline is molesting/"corrupting" people who are underage (which they've publicly stated is a fetish of theirs)

This one just kind of... speaks for itself, I think?

[And again, ID in alt text for all these.]

These aren't the only examples, by the way -- just the most blatant. AB also explicitly wrote their interest in underage girls into tales on the actual wiki. Examples include the famed list, which implied Bright shouldn't be around people underage because he would come onto them (and that's without mentioning the blatant racism on there), as well as a now-deleted tale called 'Money, Money, Money' that involved in-depth description of a 13-year-old's breasts.

[Correction: my mistake, the tale was called 'Doctor, Doctor, Doctor.' You can find it here without the overtly sexual description of a child's body — it took 8 years (!!) for AB to remove these passages. Here's the original:

Highlighted in blue is the original edit history showing the article's content. Additionally, here's AB defending this on the talk page:

In addition to this, there's also AB requesting an artist draw incestuous rape porn — personally I find this far less heinous than a lot of the other stuff they've done, but I figure it deserves a place here too.

(iamnotadamnedmonkey is AB's old Tumblr handle, sorry for the poor quality screenshot!)

All new images also have alt text.]

Q: But AB is just the author. Why is the character bad?

A: A couple reasons. First of all, the character reflects a lot of AB's sexual proclivities, including towards underage characters, as I already mentioned in the previous point.

Second, Bright's popularity gave AB their social standing within the community. There are a few chat logs where they brag about people wanting to have sexual relations with them because of their work on the SCP wiki; also, it's pretty clear that creating something popular gives you access to a lot more people who are interested in talking to you.

When you manipulate fans wanting to talk to you into sexual relationships, it's pretty clear that you have the ability to access victims because your name is out there.

Thirdly, AB used Bright's amulet as a possession kink thing and would ask for nudes that had it visible. (And, you know, they solicited a lot of regular nudes too. What a great guy, who would totally never use their platform for their own sexual pleasure...)

Q: Right, but AB's not on the wiki anymore...

A: AB's publicly-spoken victims have politely requested that the character not be used anymore. Bright was used as a tool to access, manipulate, and engage in sexual contact with fans who were young and in some cases under the age of majority. Therefore, continuing to use Bright is disrespectful to their victims. Personally speaking, I also consider it to be disrespectful towards victims of grooming and/or sexual abuse as a whole.

Q: So you think people who still use Bright are bad people?

A: No, I don't.

Like I said, I think they're being pretty blatantly disrespectful. But I'm not the arbiter of morality or the censorship bureau. People can do what they want as long as it is appropriately tagged for.

However, the fact is this: if someone is publicly continuing to use Jack Bright, then they are doing something that goes against my values -- because my values involve supporting and respecting victims of sexual abuse.

I, personally, will not be comfortable speaking to them or seeing them in my internet space, and I'll probably lose a lot of respect for them if I had any in the first place. And since I consider my community to be a group of people who reflect my personal values and beliefs, I also do not and will never consider people who use Bright to be "part of my community."

You don't have to be a bad person to be doing something wrong, and I'll level with you: yes, I think promoting a known sexual offender & ignoring the requests of their victims is, in fact, doing something wrong. That's fine! You're allowed to do stuff that's 'wrong,' I'm not your mommy and I'm not going to call the thought police on you. But you should be comfortable with the fact that you're doing something that is going to upset other people. Using Bright will and does hurt other people, and that is not something that you can ignore.

I don't think anyone should be harassed. Obviously. I've received plenty of harassment for heading the rewrite project, and it sucks no matter who you are.

But I think people should get a little more comfortable with owning their decisions, instead of trying to argue that those decisions don't actually have any weight or consequences.

Q: But I can't control using Bright! [I have an introject of Bright/I have a DA to Bright] and it's not fair to act like I'm doing something wrong!

A: Sorry. Mental illness doesn't make you exempt from your actions having an impact on the people around you. I'll probably be more understanding if it's related to a mental health issue, but, y'know.

You don't have to do it in public. If you genuinely don't want to be hurting or upsetting other people, then you should keep your discussion of the Jack Bright character to private spaces, because otherwise you're still doing the thing you were respectfully asked not to do.

(I'm a system, just for reference. I understand. It doesn't absolve you of consequences.)

Q: I don't actually care about [your feelings/the victims' feelings], so this doesn't apply to me.

A: Cool. You can very easily block me, AB's victims, and anyone else who is vocally against using Bright. That's, uh, the point of the block button.

Q: I have something else to say that you didn't put in this post.

A: If you feel like being respectful or you have a genuine question, please direct yourself to the replies/reblogs/my inbox. If you don't, then please refer to my previous response. If you're blocked so you can't contact me, then, uh... don't contact me?

Ok, that's all my points made. Have the day you deserve, and hopefully it's a good one ❤️

[humming-fly]

hey, not sure if you know this, but alt text is an accessibility feature and it's used for image descriptions, not for writing your thoughts in ^.^ hope this doesn't seem rude sorry

ah yeah i've wondered if this was going to come up - the way I use alt text is actually just a continuation of the way I've always used image captions - in the old tumblr setup image captions were short and just would show up under the image when you clicked on them so I got in the habit of putting little bonus jokes/easter eggs in there for my own amusement and for the amusement of folks that happen to click the images, but then when tumblr redid the post editor they got rid of that option and replaced it wholecloth with the alt text, but I still like making the little jokes so for now that's where I've stuck 'em

I do totally get that it's meant as an accessibility feature and that some folks don't jive with how I'm using it, which is totally fine! That said I do plan to keep making my little jokes in the alt text since I really am just making these dumb little shitposts for myself, so if the alt text issue is something you're worried about please do just block me! It's never an insult, catering your dash is 100% personal and I take no offense whatsoever, just the same way that the way i format my shitposts is 100% personal to my own tastes

thanks for reaching out!

[foggyfanfic]

I liked this idea so much I had to draw it. Partially because I think it would be very in character for Mirabel to end up with somebody that most people overlook. Mostly because its funny. Ramblings under the cut, image description in the alt text.

I got a rough draft of how Mirabel ends up with Juan, but it doesn't currently have any plot and is just a series of scenes to help me get an idea of who Juan would be. I have determined that he is really into math, otherwise kinda oblivious, and learned the hard way that people won't be impressed if you brag about how smart you are. Easiest way to describe him is that his best friend is the village's quiet, autistic girl, but he is not her best friend. If it continues to interest me I'm going to make it about early twenties Mirabel grappling with the pedestal her family is on, now that she is also on that pedestal. If I do, I'll have to remember to come back here and link it.

About the picture itself, the red character in the bottom panel is Mariano (without facial hair because I forgor), I figure by this time he would be married to Dolores, and thus included in the Madrigal section. Orange is Camilo with a little mustache, because he's in his mid-twenties and will probs end up growing a goatee like all the other men in his family but right now he's got this one (1) bald patch that's holding him back. Finally, I googled 60's fashion for Isabela's outfit, I think she would be the most eager to throw off tradition and Mirabel would be all for Isabel showing up to the wedding in a more modern outfit. Originally, her and Luisa were going to be brides maids, but I googled traditional Colombian weddings, and that's not something Mirabel would be guaranteed to have. I also looked at vintage wedding photos from Colombia to try and figure out what Mirabel would look like. The same. She would look the same. Boring.

[hildred-rex]

LXGF Reread 2023-11-20

To make an analysis post I am currently rereading what is shaping up to be the entirety of LXGF.

This has gotten incredibly long, so I'm burying it under a readmore.

I love the bit of dramatic irony here. I think it's technically spoilers which bit is the dramatic irony, but just trust me, it's great.

The wham shot of Mina's teeth is so good. And coupled with "We have some experience with such matters."...

From this page: The supportive hand on Irene's shoulder. The supportive hand on Irene's shoulder. And Irene really looks haunted in the "An explanation would be welcome" panel. Everything from the angle she's looking to the shadows under her eyes to her interlaced hands. I just want to give her a hug.

Bam. The king. (Isn't looking quite himself, is he?) I remember I shuddered when I first read this page and came to this panel.

The king continues to look very bad on the last panel of this page. (TW scopophobia and disturbing imagery.) And the color. It's so subtle you almost don't notice it the first time, just that something about the page seems slightly off. It's very effective, even at that level. And then when you do notice it... Nothing in this comic is in color. Everything is sepia-toned. That's the way things should be. But the dead King Wilhelm von Ormstein has yellow eyes.

VAN HELSING! And it nails how he talks in the book! (Having tried to write him, it's harder than it looks.) Not to mention the joy in my heart upon continuing my left-to-right scan of the panel and seeing QUINCEY MORRIS!

I've skipped a bunch here because I'm supposed to be focusing on Griffin and haven't even gotten to him yet but Art—

JONNO EYES (not sepia. I repeat: not sepia.)

I forgot how much I loved our introduction to Dorian.

And then we actually meet him (and see Paul Lessingham, the Politician, the Statesman—thank you, alt text!). He's angelic when you focus only on him, but when you look at him in context (in the panel with Basil) he's... less so. Very well done!

Foreshadowing. (When something becomes not technically probably spoilers I have a very laudatory post about all this.) Also floppy Dorian lol

I love this page. Not only do we see Dorian purposely provoke Art (and then see Art react, showing off both of their characterss) we see—and I missed this the first time—some of the dynamic between Dorian and Basil. He jumps in to distract Art, despite being scared himself (and Dorian having earned it).

Awwh Basil looks so excited that someone's treating him kindly...

Dorian's stories from this page are all allusions to other things which have gone onto the "read soon" list.

The last panel of this page is so effective. (Its image description too!)

"boring filler headline" lol (and I enjoy the tags)

DETERMINED MINA PANEL 2! BLUSHING MINA PANEL 6! Also just Mina's outfit in general. (Also just the LXGF outfits in general. I love the little garlic flowers.)

Paranoid Kemp is done so well.

LXGF is very good at having very effective final panels. This one with the glass... It's very well composed (I think that's the word) and does a good job of displaying Irene's discomfort with the glass. (Here.)

It was introduced on the previous page, but here's the first time we get a good look at Jonnovision. My favorite cryptid solicitor.

On the next page there's more cryptidness (the speed), which I didn't notice my first time through. And his eyes are glowing in the first panel... And then the first expletive of the comic! Such a great way to properly introduce Griffin!

I love (in a sad way) how Griffin just caves in when he thinks about the murder. (Here.)

Griffin's whole first scene is incredible. I can't comment on all of it or this post would be several more miles long. Just go read it and imagine me vibrating with excitement and pointing at random bits and screaming.

Character growth for Jack! ...I'm now very sad.

The panel with Jonathan and the angelic smile and the giant knife is great.

I've been annotating over here less because we've gotten to the bit that I'm talking about in my actual post, but rest assured that I love it. Also, the yellow is brighter here. And the eye... I'll count myself lucky if that thing doesn't show up in my dreams tonight.

And the shot of the photo at the end here! The corruption happening to the king slowly coming to affect depictions of him... I love this for spoiler-related reasons.

Griffin's realization is both very well done and unaccountably hilarious to me.

Hel-lo Mr. Holmes!

He respects her change of surname! Better than a lot of adaptations... and the table lmao

He. He what. Also floomp.

Holmes's immediate concern for Mrs. Hudson warms my heart.

HOLMES AROACE COMING OUT SCENE!

Accurate VH voice is back—what the deuce are you two talking about?

his blood is yellow his blood is yellow (well really more like golden)

Also Jack looking panicked in the second panel is so well done.

Almost namedrop! And Griffin being a delight as always.

Hello Jekyll! Great to see you! I enjoy your almost alchemical-looking setup there.

The king is progressing...

Same page; I enjoy Jekyll and Hyde's designs. They have the same hairstyle, very similar noses, and the same style of eye; but they still look different enough that you probably wouldn't believe them if they said they were cousins.

"He is a horror of the un-dead." Line of dialogue, presented without comment.

The drawingsss...

The first panel of this page is absolutely stunning. So is everything else. So much that I wrote an analysis rant of it.

[thesweetnessofsalt]

Process Blog #4: How I Make TSOS!

Just in time for Webcomic Day, it's a real actual process blog! We're going to get into the nitty-gritty of how I make pages of The Sweetness of Salt.

Let's go! :D

This blog was originally written for 1$+ TSOS Supporters and can also be read here on Ko-fi - free to everyone!

Chapter 3 Pages 29 - 32 (ALT text for pages here)

Leah's conversation on the balcony with Arlo is a pretty self contained scene in four pages, and will make a good case study for this blog. There is a full video timelapse at the very end, but I will be laying out my process for The Sweetness of Salt in detail here first!

Working From A Script

Since I'm the only person who works on TSOS, I keep my script pretty loose. I have a good idea now of how much of my writing translates into how many pages, and will sometimes mark significant page turns in the script or describe panel layouts if they occur to me while scripting. However, I generally don't know how I'll lay out the panels until I actually sit down with some paper.

My script mostly serves as an outline; dialogue, blocking, or entire segments can change when I put the characters through it on the page. Still, it's important to follow the script in order keep track of pace and continuity.

Here is the original script for this scene:

Script Excerpt - Chapter 3 (ALT text for script image here)

Compare the script to the text on the actual pages, and there are some big differences! That's pretty typical of my workflow for TSOS. There's an ever growing gap between the day I worked on the script and the day I actually make the pages. By the time I sit down and draw, the characters and story have developed even more in my mind, and there's lots of time for me to experiment and be inspired. (This is definitely a luxury particular to a long running webcomic, though.)

In this particular case, I felt like the conversation in the script wasn't familiar enough for their relationship, and I also wanted to start establishing context for Sha's conundrum a bit sooner than originally planned. 

You could apply these to just about all the script changes I make: they're almost always done to re-emphasize character and story beats. And sometimes the changes are so I could add a joke. Or both!

Thumbnailing

You've heard me complaining about it; you've probably heard me express euphoric bliss about it, too. Thumbnailing is when words become comics, and it's hard!! But it's also the most rewarding part for me, and it's when TSOS actually becomes real. 

There are times when I can thumbnail right from my brain, and  times when every single comic I own is out on the floor for inspiration. I need to be in the right headspace to thumbnail - focused enough to take everything I need to into consideration, but loose enough to visualize the story.

Here's a method that's worked for me lately: by setting aside certain number of pages and just writing out what happens per page, I get a good sense of pacing without having to draw anything yet. It's a good way to get the juices flowing!

It's often, though not always, easier to thumbnail on paper, especially for the early stages. I'm much less precious about my drawings on paper, and feel more comfortable trying several iterations of a page than I am with digital drawing. The undo button and zoom button are enemies of thumbnails!

My thumbnails do ultimately get finalized in Clip Studio Paint, though - I have a template for this tailored to my workflow. The page layouts are in the middle, and are paired the same way they are on Webtoon (where pages post in pairs and need to be harmonious). There's also room on each side for the text/notes, though as you can see I don't always write something if I plan to follow the script.

Thumbnails for Pages 28 - 33 (I'm sorry but I'm not ALT texting this chicken scratch)

When I know I need to work on my thumbnails, I try to fill that week with lots of sketching and a healthy reading diet - including my own script and comic! You want a warm hand and a brain full of comics for thumbnailing, but also lots of energy for your own story.

Scott McCloud's books are, as always, indispensable (Understanding Comics for general theory, Making Comics for more specific techniques), but these guides from Hannah Vardit have also been really helpful in getting my brain around thumbnailing.

Page 31 will be our example page moving forward, so here is that thumbnail in full:

Page 31 Thumbnail

LOL - thumbnail Arlo is my favorite Arlo. 

Though not included here on Page 31, I do generally jot down balloons in my thumbnails, too, which you can see in the other thumbnails. It's good to account for your text early!

I keep these drawings super simple - they're just an indication of blocking and expression. I work more on character acting in the pencil stage.

Tools of the Trade

Alright, now we're getting into the nitty gritty!

One note before we proceed: TSOS is NOT print ready, and nothing about my process should be considered print ready or as advice for print readiness. This is just what's worked well for my webcomic, for the sake of consistency and mobile/web versatility. 

Program: Clip Studio Paint EX

Working Canvas Properties: 2407 x 3675px 350 dpi (Sized down to 940px wide for web, Margins approximately 100 px)

Dialogue Font: Soapy Hands by Sara Linsley (15 pt with few exceptions)

Favorite Pencil: Gritty's Pencil from Frenden's mega pack

Favorite Inker: Real G-Pen (CSP Default)

Character Modeler: MagicPoser for iPad

Cottage Model: floorplancreator.net (Browser app - even works on iPad! Free + simple to use)

I also use Windows Sticky Notes keep track of things like line weights, layer properties, or methods for things that get rendered frequently, such as Sha's sweater. 

"Chapter 3 Style Guide" (ALT text here)

Roughing + Penciling

Before I start drawing, I make the panel borders and place all of the text.

I tend to fuss with my text for a long time, getting the line breaks exactly where I want them, and reading it out loud to make sure the page flow works. Balloons usually come later, once the art is done or mostly done and I can place the tails correctly. For now, the text is enough of a placeholder!

Everyone has their own rules when it comes to lettering, but I look to The Essential Guide to Comic Book Lettering as much as possible for general lettering conventions. It's the best resource out there for a reason, and I'm glad I have a physical copy to reference while I work.

Page 31 Rough Blocking + Lettering

If I need to, I will take references from my model of the cottage or MagicPoser. For this scene, the balcony was simple enough to draw from imagination. Still, I studied its one and only appearance here in Chapter 2 Page 29 -

- as well as my model. I use floorplancreator.net - here is the floor plan for the second floor of the cottage:

And here is a 3D view. Neat, right? It took some time to set up, but it was time well spent. Even if I don't screenshot a reference, I'm using it to help visualize backgrounds and blocking.

I also use my own character assets - essentially just a file with various lineart of character faces saved from previous pages.  I like to pencil from scratch if I have the time, but sometimes I just need to get a page out quickly. I'll drop these in and use them as an undersketch to speed things along.

My collection of 3/4 Facial Assets for Leah and Sha

For Arlo, I almost always sketch on top of a reference, and will reuse his lineart, too. I love him, but I'm not an expert frog illustrator.

With my references assembled, I can start sketching and get everything locked in. This was a page I needed to complete quickly, so I structured shots that could use the same background angle and made sure Leah + Arlo's positioning was consistent and easy to follow. 

Big differences between my thumbnails and final layout are often due to continuity adjustments like that. Important stuff!

Page 31 Pencils

I'm afraid I don't have much else to say about this part - if the thumbnails are where the story becomes a comic, this is where the comic becomes art. I get to be my most expressive and make these characters and places come alive. It's the drawing part, you know? Well, except for that other drawing part.

Inking

I tend to be a rough penciller, letting my inks do the heavy lifting drawing-wise. I suppose 'linearting' might be a better descriptor, because I don't ink with a great deal of toning, black shadows, or even line weights. TSOS is fully colored and rendered, so I tend to keep the inks simple. That's kind of just the style I've built for this comic. 

Background inks always come first, though. It's far easier to resize a character to the background than vice versa. This also encourages me to draw the entire background behind the character, so that art can be reused later. (You should also be finishing the art behind your balloons, by the way!)

Page 31 Lineart

Color + Rendering

Backgrounds come first again! I really do try to keep these as simple as possible, so they're easily replicated and don't suck up all my time. UNLESS: the backgrounds are especially important to the page, like an establishing shot. The overhead balcony shot on Page 30 took a lot longer than these, but with the new location established, I could let these pages be more about Leah's conversation and gestures.

This balancing act dictates my entire comic page process. Whichever element is most important to this page - the character acting, the environment, the action, etc - is the element that gets the most of my time, and I'll actively reduce effort in less important areas. It's good for time management, yes, but it also keeps the story focused!

Page 31 Flat Character Color > Rendered Character > Full Color Page

Each character gets filled in with white so their colors can be clipped to the layers above. Again, colors are pretty simple - it's more about the mood lighting here. MagicPoser lets you manipulate lighting, so sometimes I like to go a little ham with the rendering. It's one of my favorite ways to give a scene some 'oomf'.

Typical Layer Hierarchy for Characters (These are normally never labeled. I did that because I love you)

The MVP in all of this is the Erase Along Edge tool. It makes coloring so fast, and when I first adopted it, it cut my process time in half. 

The link will take you to its listing on the CSP asset store, which has detailed instructions for how to use it. Once you figure it out, you can set other brushes to erase along the edge, or even to color within an edge! Neat stuff. I especially like it when I need to color many small background elements.

Finishing and Lettering

A long time ago, TSOS's balloons were very fussy, tedious, hand-drawn squovals. When I made revisions to Chapter 1+2, the bulk of it was just re-lettering it all to something simple and consistent.

I've only just recently started experimenting with the joined balloons you see on this page, so I've got a lot to learn and a lot to try out. There are a couple of things I keep in mind for legibility, like giving the letters lots of room inside the balloon's edge. Clarity is way more important than being fancy.

Curve Balloon tool > place four points only

Manipulate points for symmetry, fit

Add tail

Done!

Since I placed my text early and kept adjusting it along the way, I don't have to worry about my balloons having enough room or looking nice with the art. I can just click my lil points and be on my way!

Page 31 Finished Page

Still a few finishing touches left: the whooshes, the eye shines, and of course, the sparkles. What's left to say? This is objectively the best part.

Wrapping It Up

Whoo, another comic page down! Excluding the time spent thumbnailing, pages take me about 8-10 hours to make. Ideally, I do this across two days, with inking one and coloring the next. 

Here is the full video timelapse of the page! Click through the video to check out the description, where I've timestamped the whole process.

The timestamps on this one definitely made me laugh - I jump around a lot more than the ideal, linear process described in this blog. You can tell I struggled with the lineart on this one, because I keep having to come back to it. But there's always something else to work on - I try not to let myself get stuck in one spot for too long.

There you have it! Those are all my trade secrets. Just over 2k words, and I don't think I can add anything more. But if you want to know anything else or have any questions, you can leave them here and I'll add them to the next blog!

Thanks for reading!

This blog was originally written for 1$+ TSOS Supporters and can also be read here on Ko-fi - free to everyone. Become a 1$+ supporter and you get early access to all of my comic pages and process blogs!

[writing-abt-headspaces]

Mishap At The Moth’s Studio (Part 2)

Alt Title: Three Vees, and a Little Angel

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

After hanging up on Valentino, Vox searched through his contacts and called another number, then transferred the call to one of his big screens as it rang.

Velvette shows up on screen. “Ugh. I’m kinda busy here, Vox. What the fuck do you need?”

Before replying the TV demon took a glance at the woman’s clothes and her video call background. “Um… In you bedroom? Wearing pajamas?” He asked.

“Ever heard of ‘work from home’? We live in the tower and I don’t need to leave my room to design my outfits. Now, answer the fucking question.” Velvette said, her patience already growing thin.

Vox started typing on his phone, while explaining to her. “I need you to go buy some ‘supplies’, and take them to Val. It’s really important, trust me. I’ll send you a list, of what you need to get.” He said as he finished typing and fired off the text to Velvette.

Just as he expected, Velvette’s face scrunched up as she read through the list of adult-sized baby supplies.

"Should I be concerned….?" she quipped in response.

Vox chuckled before replying, “Don't worry, it's not for Val. But, he does need them for a certain someone. And no, it's not for kinky purposes. Just get the stuff. Also, stay and help Val. I can’t trust him to fuck up, in a way that won’t ruin all three of us. I'll be there as soon as I'm done with shit.” Vox replied then returned his focus to his work, hanging up before Velvette could ask anymore questions.

Then, he picked his phone up again, just to send her his screen recording, of the current situation.

.•.•.

At first, Velvette was going to ignore the instructions Vox gave her, and continue with her work.

But, then she watched the video that was sent to her, followed by a short ‘Do not fucking post this anywhere. This needs to stay hidden from public.’ —message, and decided to call one of her employees to buy what was on the list, while also giving her instructions to not let anyone know of the spendings.

So now, here she was, standing in front of the doors to the Vees lounge room, holding a bag of baby supplies.

She knocked, “Tino, open the damn door. One of your bitches told me you brought Angel in there.”

Quickly the door opened, and she was pulled in without a second thought, as the door slammed shut again.

“Hey! Be gentle next time!” Velvette yelled at the moth, and patted her sleeved arm where he had grabbed. “This jacket is brand new!”

“Thank FUCK you’re here!” Ignoring her words, Valentino sunk to floor, his back against the door, as his head lulled to the side in exhaustion. “I can’t handle him… Angel… he’s too much!”

Unable to resist cracking a joke, Velvette smirked. “Ha! Really? That’s new. Usually, if anyone is too much, it’d be y—“

She was cut off by a loud wailing.

She turned her head to where the sound came from, “The fuck was that?”

Valentino whimpered, and straightened his head back up, “That would be Angel...”

The crying didn’t stop, so Velvette decided to walk towards the noise. She lead herself to the bathroom where, through the open door, she could see Angel Dust, crying into his knees, fully clothed in the bathtub.

She walked in, to get a closer look in the tub, to see he had wet himself in there, and was sitting in a puddle of his own piss. He must’ve moved around in there too, since yellow stained the lower half of his shirt.

She turned to face the moth, who had just made it to the doorframe. “Really, Tino…?”

Valentino threw his arms up in exasperation, “He couldn’t take a piss standing up, so the toilet wasn’t an option!”

Velvette gestured to the still crying spider, “So, you decided to leave him fully clothed in the bathtub to wet his pants and roll around his own piss.”

“THE FUCK WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO!?”

“Ch…Change…! Need diapy… Change pease…” Angel suddenly spoke up, rubbing his eyes with his hands.

Both were silent after hearing that.

Valentino looked at the woman, “Vel—“

“FUCKING NO!”

“Well, I’m not doing it!”

“Neither am I!”

“Someone has to do it!”

“Why don’t you!? You’ve seen Angel naked before! And you’ve helped him change his clothes before!” Velvette argued.

“Those times are completely different from right now!” Valentino argued back.

Velvette scowled at the moth. Then she turned around to face the spider, “Hey, Itsy bitsy!”

Angel fliched at the volume of her voice.

“Choose. Who do you want to change you?” Velvette asked, making sure she gave him a ‘Pick me. I fucking dare you!’ face.

Angel looked at Valentino and saw he was also make the same face. He was too scared to even point, at either of them. So, the little spider could only do one thing.

He wailed at the top of his lungs.

Both Vees stepped back at the sudden reaction.

“S-S… Scawy! I wanna go ‘ome!” Angel cried uncontrollably.

“Ah shit…” Velvette, trying to hide her panic, inched closer to the bawling spider. “Shh shh! Okay okay! Calm down! We’re not scary. We’re…. friendly…” She said in an attempt to calm him down, cringing as the last word came out.

Angel’s sobs didn’t stop, but they did quiet down a little, as he looked up at Velvette and made grabby hands at her, leaning forward.

“Oh! Nononono!” Velvette immediately stepped back, grabbing a bath brush, using it to distance herself from the clingy little. “D-Don’t touch me! Your clothes are soiled.”

Angel gave the woman a look of a kicked puppy, his lips quivering, daring to let out another wail.

“No! No!” Velvette dropped the brush, her hands hovering over him. “Don’t start that again!”

She quickly pulled out her phone and starts searching through her contacts. “Okay Itsy bitsy, calm down. I’ll call a… ‘friend’ of mine to come change you. So, you can go back to playing and NOT crying like a police siren, okay?”

The lip quivering stopped, and Angel slowly nodded his head. With all the soaked discomfort he was feeling, he’d have anyone change him right now. “O’tay…”

Valentino looked over Velvette’s shoulder, “Are you sure it’s safe to have someone else know about this, Velvy…? Everyone in my studio today, were already a witness to…. Well, I’m sure Voxxy sent you the video before telling you to come here…”

Velvette snickered at the mention of the video, before replying, “Oh please! These people work for us. They know not to fuck with us, let alone spill anything that we clearly don’t want to leave the V Tower.”

Once she found the person she was looking for, she held the phone up to her ear. “MELISSA!”

.•.•.

After a while in the bathroom, Melissa came out holding a laundry basket full of soiled clothes. Followed by a fresh smelling Angel, crawling behind her; diapered and put into a loose giant sweater, barely covering his padded bottom (since there weren’t any nearby stores with adult-sized baby clothes. Shocking) and thigh high soft striped socks, since he didn’t want his feet out.

“He’s all clean. And, he didn’t want to wear pants, so I didn’t push it.” Melissa said, to both Vees who were sitting on the couch, texting on their phones (probably spamming Vox messages, about when he’s showing up).

Velvette stood up, to check the woman’s work with the little, then nodded her head. “Right. Good. Now shoo! Go wash those clothes. And remember! Not. A. Word. to anyone about this!”

Melissa shakily nodded her head in response, and hurriedly made her way out of the room.

“Cawwy! Cawwy!” Angel babbled out, climbing up Velvette’s leg.

“Wh-Hey! Wait!” Velvette stuttered out, as she tried to maintain her balance, as she was forced to carry the spider in an awkward position. “Itsy bitsy’s just a nickname! You’re like four feet taller than me!”

She wobbled her way to Valentino and plopped the spider on his lap. “Here you go, Tino!”

“Wh-I don’t want this beast!” Valentino exclaimed in fright, spreading all four of his arms out, as if touching the spider would burn him. While Angel stared right into his soul with innocent, curious eyes, sitting on his lap.

“Butte’fwy!”

“I’M—!”

Velvette covered the moth’s mouth and yelled, “Quit yelling at him! He might cry again!”

Valentino groaned, and Velvette removed her hand.

Angel looked up at the moth’s antenna and reached out for it, letting out bubbly giggles as he gave it a tug.

“Ow! Angel, pequeño! Not the antenna!” Valentino pulled the grabby little hands away as careful as he could, as to not cause another emotional outburst.

He then took off his hat, and shoved it onto Angel’s head, covering all eight of his eyes and trapping them in the headwear. Then pushed him off his lap, to the other side of the couch.

“s’ Dawrk…” Angel said softly. Thankfully, he didn’t sound scared, he just sounded confused. He turned his head back and forth, to see if if would change his line of sight.

“You just uh…. have fun in there…” Valentino said dumbfoundedly, as he watched the spider turn his head left and right, not even bothering to reach up to take the hat off.

Velvette sighed, before speaking up again. “We need to bring him somewhere else. I hate to say this, but let’s take him to my room.”

Valentino raised a brow at her, “Hm? Why…? What’s wrong with keeping him here?”

“Tino, most of the lounge room’s walls are windows. People outside might see him in this state, if he goes near it —LIKE RIGHT NOW! He’s crawling towards the fucking window! Get him!”

Valentino quickly turned around to see, the little spider crawling towards the windows, rudely abandoning the moth’s top hat on the floor.

He first picked up his hat and put it back on, then ran towards Angel, stopping right in front of him, when he was inches away from the window.

“Huh?” Angel looked up, and tilted his head at the moth with curiosity.

“Haha… pequeño!” Valentino nervously laughed. “Please don’t go near the windows.”

“Why?” Angel asked.

“Um because… There are… evil monsters outside, that like to eat little spiders!” The moth replied with a low growl, in hopes that it would sound convincing to the spider’s small mind.

Angel whimpered, and quickly jumped into the moth’s arms.

Valentino quickly carried him away from the windows, and back to Velvette. “Okay. You were saying…?”

“First off, that was corny.” Velvette said, referring to the ‘spider eating monsters’ threat. “Second, you see now why we need move him to a room, with less windows?”

“Yes yes! I see now.” Valentino bluntly replied, tilting his head, to avoid getting his antennas manhandled by Angel again. “But, why your room?”

“Vox wouldn’t allow THAT in his room.” She said pointing at Angel, “It’s always flooding with paperwork, that Angel might ruin, and Vox’ll take it out on us!”

“Why not my room, then?” The moth suggested thoughtlessly.

“…….”

“Tino—?”

“No. No…. I finally heard myself.” He cut her off. “Let’s bring Angel to your room now.”

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~••~•~•~

Whoop… I said, Vox would show up… But, I guess it’ll have to be next chapter instead. Hopefully, it’ll be the next chapter.

[thepatronsaintoffilth]

I'm a real stick in the mud at the very beginning here, I promise it gets good after the readmore, but this needs to be said first, in all caps because I'm tired of repeating myself:

I WRITE 21+ HARD KINK CONTENT HERE. PUT YOUR AGE, AGE RANGE, or BIRTH YEAR IN YOUR BIO OR PINNED IF YOU'RE GOING TO FOLLOW ME OR MESSAGE ME IN ANY WAY; OTHERWISE I WILL BLOCK YOU. I'M AN ADULT. MINORS DNI.

NO EXCEPTIONS

ARTISTS, WRITERS AND CONTENT CREATORS OF ALL KINDS GET STARVED OFF THIS PLATFORM BECAUSE NO ONE SHARES THEIR WORK. IF YOUR BLOG IS "LIKES ONLY"/HAS ZERO REBLOGS, I DO NOT WANT YOU HERE EITHER. YOU WILL BE SOFTBLOCKED FROM FOLLOWING ME.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

🛑✋🏾🛑✋🏾 ADULTS ONLY ✋🏾🛑✋🏾🛑

You can call me Saint.

Bi, AFAB, black. She/They. Switch, prey & pet, vers/power bottom. Part-time service top & mommy domme.

I’m a writer, and I love what I do. I'm in it for the love of the game until I can do this full-time for a living. No pressure to tip (I have a day job ... one you will hear me complain about ... a lot 😑), but if you're so moved, go ahead and leave me a few coins.

More importantly: Please feel free to reblog my work (and don't be afraid to go off in the tags, I LOVE reading them). Or if you don't reblog, leave me a reply.

My smut tag is all original fiction or fanfiction by yours truly.

Check out the My Works link at the top of my page for all the stuff I’ve posted. Also linked below:

🪶original shorts, text posts, etc - #smut  🪶YSLT (A Heisenberg Smut Fic) - Tumblr  🪶YSLT (A Heisenberg Smut Fic) - AO3 

To My New Followers (Who Made it this Far):

I LOVE to hear from y’all. Shoot me a chat or, if you’re the shy type, hit my inbox. My anons are always on. Never be afraid to reblog or comment on my posts or my work.

I use gender neutral/flexible/ambiguous pronouns and second person POVs when I write unless otherwise specified. My writing might not be "for" everyone (in terms of the subject matter, tone, etc.) but I do still want it to be "for" everyone that happens to like what I like.

If you are a TERF (or radfem or gender critical or whatever the fuck stupid shit you dumb motherfucking assholes are calling yourselves nowadays to continue aligning further with the alt-right scum) and/or SWERF and you try to follow/message/reblog me, you will be reported, flagged AND blocked.

If I’m following you and you reblog a TERF’s stuff, I’ll assume you don’t have shinigamieyes and either unfollow you or message you about it in good faith. I try not to lose too much sleep over this, there’s plenty of blogs that don’t put that crap on my dashboard.

Now the part we've all been waiting for (congrats for making it his far down): DNIs and kinks

💕What Winds My Watch? (links to my tags)💕

CNC, or Consensual Non-Consent

Role Playing (mean bestie domme, sugar mama domme, mommy domme, slasherfucking, among others)

Free Use/Objectification

Bondage (rope, handcuffs, chains, leashes)

Resistance Play (struggle and takedown, chase/pursuit)

Abduction Play

Dumbification/Mind Break/Brain Drain

Somno

Hypno

Primal Play

Pet Play

Intox

Orientation Play

Blasphemy Kink

Size Kink

Voice Kink

Monsterfucking

🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿DNIs:🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿🧿

- “Raceplay” or racial fetishism of ANY kind - Scat or vomit - feeder/fat fetishism - TERFs - SWERFs

💞 Saint

[mtkyllene]

Hello! And welcome to the chaos!

DNI

Terfs/radfems

Bigotry of any kind, including but not limited to: ableism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and transphobia.

Pro-ed blogs

SH/traumacore/vent blogs

Right-wing/alt-right/maga/anti-blm

Pro-lifers that push their ideals and opinions on others

Lgbtq+ exclusionists, including panphobes, aro/acephobes, biphobes, anti xenogenders, anti neo/xenopronouns.

Anti sfw agere/petre

Additionally, nsfw agere

MAPs, Pedos, and whatever other acronyms y’all are using to ID yourselves. We don’t support pedos here.

Western Medicine/Medication deniers (if it’s not for you, that’s fine, but if you think no one should be on medications, esp for mental illnesses or disorders, get out)

White supremacy/n*zis/n*zi sympathizers

Sandy Hook deniers

Religious/conspiracy extremists of any kind.

Fascist rhetorics, ideologies, and organizations

Now that all that’s out of the way let’s

MEET THE MODS!!!!!

Mod Reg

Hello I’m Regulus or Reg. I use they/them and hy/hym pronouns.

I’ve been a practicing pagan since 2018ish. I began working with Hermes in late 2021 when I was traveling both by myself for the first time, and for the first time since COVID lockdown. I was insanely nervous and began to pray to Hermes before, during, and after my trip. As I began to do more research about Hermes I began to slowly realize that he has been present in my life for most of it, and I started to officially work with Hermes in early 2022. As of right now (June 2023) he is currently my primary deity and the only one I’m working with, however in the past I have worked with other deities including Loki, Apollo, and Aphrodite, and I will probably work with other deities in the future as I continue to grow and explore my path.

Fun facts about me: Audhd babie! My current hyperfixations/special interests include Critical Role Campaign 2, autism (lol), Hozier, and Languages/linguistics. I also have POTS and a handful of mental illnesses/disorders that I’m untangling. I write my own music and Poetry (which you may or may not see on here if I write anything related to Hermes/witchcraft). :D

Mod Fern

hello! i'm fern and i mainly go by he/him pronouns :>

i've been worshipping hermes since january 2022, which kickstarted my ACTIVE hellenic polytheist practice, although arguably i've been practicing since 2016. like reg, i started praying to him when my family was stuck at a hotel and unable to get home for the foreseeable future, and when i finally got home and set up what was supposed to be a temporary altar, he didn't want me to take it down! i have since realised he's my patron (with a mix of the neopagan and ancient greek definition of that word) as i'm a cross-culture kid in ib, a writer, a huge language fan, currently working to become a guardian of the dead, and much more.

i also have been practicing witchcraft since early 2020 and am an omnist with agnostic tendencies (but "hellenic polytheist" works just fine too) as well as an animist with a very eclectic folk-based practice

if you'd like to speak to me outside of this, you can find me as @rainbluealoekitten on tumblr, and i'm occasionally but rarely also active on @hellenic-worship, and i'm @/ferns_n_ravens on insta!!

Mod Lav

Hi!! I'm Lav and my pronouns are she/they.

I'm 19, and I got into witchcraft when I was 12. I'm what my friends call a "creature of chaos". Hermes is my patron god and has worked with me for more years than I can recall. He was the first deity to ever reach out to me (it took years to recognise it was him, though). I'm hypersocial and love talking, so please feel free to strike up a conversation!! Feel free to DM my main @vushadoration

Join us on discord! https://discord.gg/ZhtmfqakUq

tags we use:

WITCHCRAFT: 🕯🔮🌒

#witchcraft, #witchy tips, #spells, #divination, #elements, #cleansing, #neurodivergent witchcraft

HERMES AND HELLENIC POLYTHEISM: 🏛⚱︎☤

#hermes, #general helpol, #hermes epithets, #hermes devotion

OTHER:

#art, #goose moment (<— to clarify this is for non-serious/funny posts), #resources, #spoonie, #poetry, #greek

[isatumbles]

Insanity in my mnind

When the neck is a tie idfk never wore one

Goofy fic by mæ

‼️Art at the end‼️

Hey uh this also contains undressing at the start but it is not for NSFW/Suggestive purposes, please understand this bc I dont want weirdos coming up to me about this 🥲 /vsrs

‼️Alt text available‼️

Mayor Shelbourne had a long, busy, full moon night. He stretched and yawned, wanting to sleep, but unable to. He still wanted to be ready for the morning though, so he began to undress. He untied his orange and purple striped tie. He had a habit of holding stuff in his mouth, so he did that with the tie. He then fiddled to unbutton his suit, his black claws often got in the way. He removed his blue suit and threw it on the bed. His revealed undershirt barely fit his larger size. It was fairly tight and his stomach was exposed. One thing he is glad he learnt from his son was to control the transformation somewhat. Now he was able to transform at a pace that didn't tear his clothing apart. Then, he unbuckled his belt and removed his pants and underwear. His bottom half was already covered in blond fur. He got his clothes and made his way to his large closet.

He was staring right at his open closet. Striped tie in mouth and clothes in hand. The only thing he kept on was his undershirt that he was going to remove.. if it werent for his closet looking so empty. "Hmh.." Shelbourne placed his hands on his hips as he looked at his empty closet. Usually, he handed his outfit to Gil to put in the laundry, but his clothes havent turned up in weeks. He decided to investigate, so he dropped the clothes onto his bed and went to his son's room. Before he opened the door, his ear flicked at the sound of his son growling and playing with something. "Right.." Shelbourne said with the tie still in his mouth. He remembered that his son is also a werewolf now. Of course his son would cause havoc in that form. He opened the door and expected the worst.

And expect the worst he did. He found his son tugging and playing with his outfits. All the ones meant to be washed. Gil, not wearing a shirt, looked at his dad with thin eyes. The two stared in shock for a bit. Suddenly, Gil lounged at his dad. He took interest in the striped tie that his dad held in his mouth. "HEY!!" Shelbourne briefly yelled before getting tugged by his son. He fell to the ground and was on his fours. The tie slightly slipped from his mouth, but he clenched his teeth harder and pulled back with his force. "STOP!!" Shelbourne yelled through his clenched teeth. Gil slightly cackled whilst holding the tie and lowered his body in response. His ginger tail wagged furiously in enjoyment. "Let. GO!" Shelbourne warned again. The tie stretched and pulled. The center of the tie began to rip. Gil lifted his head and swung around in a way that finally tore the tie into two pieces.

The two were thrown back when the tie snapped. Shelbourne kept his balance whilst Gil fell on his back. He munched away at the tie. Shelbourne walked to him on his fours and growled in frustration. Gil looked up and whined. Shelbourne stood up spat his half of the tie onto his hand. "So this is why I havent seen you do laundry all night.." Shelbourne sternly stated while lowering up the torn tie to his son's face. Gil knew what he did was wrong, but he couldnt help it. Shelbourne sighed and climbed onto Gil's bed. He looked at his damaged tie, holding it up with his index and thumb. Gil joined and continued to munch on his half of the tie. Shelbourne spotted his bitten and torn suits and pants on the floor of his son's room. He slightly growled and spoke, "I'm definitely spending your money for a new three-piece.."

Gil quickly snapped his head to his dad with a perturbed look. Finally, he spoke from his wolfishness. "What?!" Gil growled in shock. "You heard me!" Shelbourne growled back. "First thing in the morning, you're cleaning up this mess!" He faught for his other half of the tie via another tug-of-war, only this time Shelbourne used his hands to pry it off his mouth. "Fine.." Gil snarled. He ran up to one of his Poppa Piglet plushies and munched on it. Shelbourne rolled his eyes at his son's behavior, and went back to his room, fully aware he had nothing to do but be awake against his will.

[asterlizard]

2023

I have kinda mixed feelings about this year. There were some low points, but then there were some high points too.

I was mostly busy with almost nonstop dogsitting sessions and zine work, but they really ate away at my personal time, especially during the middle of the year. On top of that, I kept job hunting for the first half of the year but it was going nowhere. It really broke my spirit, to the point where just thinking about job hunting made me feel depressed, and I needed to step away from it. All of this combined, I dealt with burnout, discouragement, feeling lost, and stressed to the point of developing a excessive hand-washing compulsion during the summer, which I'm still trying to shake off. I wonder if I also lost a bit of myself along the way, often not feeling absorbed in the moment.

And yeah, this low period also showed in my art summary for the year. I only published a few sketches if they weren't zine works.

That being said!

It wasn't until December that things felt like they were starting to get back on track. I finally got a chance to draw for myself again, and I think the interest I had in this showed in these last few pieces. I felt a lot more comfortable drawing these pieces. I was also finishing tasks in December when I wanted to finish them, and I'm now feeling more accomplished and less ashamed of myself.

On another note, we had great weather this year! There were no wildfires to watch out for (at least, that I was aware of), no nearby smoke or really bad air quality, and not much hot weather! Also lots of rain and cool weather in the first half of the year, it was really pleasant! It really helped with our drought crisis!

As for other accomplishments:

I went travelling for the first time since lockdown! (though even with official safety precautions being relaxed, I still continued to be careful)

I finished pieces for 5 zines: -DanganParty: A Birthday Party zine -Fly!!: A Haikyuu zine -Tsukuyomi: A Tokoyami zine -Celestial Night: A Sailor Moon zine -Wintertide: A BNHA zine

Started some serious cleanup, both at home and on the computer

Going to the cinema again for the first time since lockdown!

I turned 30, which does feel kinda weird because I certainly don't feel like I'm that age. I spent some time while I was 29 kinda fretting about it, but if it makes me feel a bit better, 30 is technically the last year of the 20s. I felt like more could have been done in my 20s that I would look more fondly on like I would for my first two decades, but then again I was dealing with hardship and then healing during my 20s (though it wasn't all bad) I can only hope that I can make my 30s more what I want.

Now then, onto the resolutions:

Image descriptions: Because my mind was preoccupied due to working on other things, I never got around to making any image descriptions this year. On top of that, I ran into a dilemma on where to put these descriptions (do I use alt text? or do I keep writing it in the text box because I hear the alt text can be buggy?) Hopefully I can find a solution and make good progress this year.

Language learning: I think I progressed well in my Japanese learning this year (I watched a video of a N5 test review, and I only got a couple of mistakes, so I think I qualify? Not a huge accomplishment, but it still feels good to pass some kind of level) I'd like to add another resource that involves writing or speaking, if not communicating with someone (that'd be a difficult goal, since I'd need to figure out where to find a conversation partner)

Storywriting: I'm in the middle of writing my next chapter for KalChi, though burnout created a roadblock for me. The chapter after that should be a bit easier though, so I'd like to get more than one chapter published this year. Also… I have another story I'd like to get started on soon (hopefully I'll have news about this in the 4th quarter of the year) I'd also like to try and find a proper website to put my stories on, such as Wordpress. I'm open to suggestions!

Other fun things: Find more things to do outside of what I normally do. It got a bit monotonous for me this year, and I was really itching to see some local stuff again.

Relax: This is the most important! I made this my resolution last year, but I didn't follow it at all, and I think I did worse this year in regards to self care. I really want to plan out my personal time better so I'm not either rushing to get a lot done at once or feeling bored out of my mind.

I also want to continue to keep up with friends! I think I did a little better this year, but our main issue was schedule coordination. But I feel like my ability to communicate has suffered a bit, so I need to keep that up too.

I want to remind myself that making an effort can make a positive difference and not to give up, so I'm once again adding a link to some good things that happened in the world this year: [link]

I have a feeling 2024 is going to be a big year, at least in the world. Maybe the same will be true for me as well, at least in a positive way (though I won't push myself too hard) So I also hope that you stay safe and take care of yourself too. I wish the best for you 💕

[vincent-sinclair-deserved-better]

All things Cylas

writing, moodboards, random facts, asks, etc.

and yes, I do think I'm funny

Writing:

The Ambrose Saga (even though there isn't much Ambrose in it)

Darrell and Cylas: The First Contact(s) (1 2)

as in, half ask, half rp with Blue about text/insta messages exchanged between Cylas and Darrell

Oh, Honey, Do You Want Me Now?

Cylas meets a not-so-nice guy, happens the night after her first message to Darrell, kind of simultaneously to Blue's Hogs of Hell

Call Me Maybe (ft. Darrell)

Cylas and Darrell meet at a diner

Road Trip (Gone Wrong)

Cylas and Ambrose I, in which a car breaks down (duh)

Lose Control

Cylas and Ambrose II, first impressions are important, Cylas' probably wasn't that great

Loose Ends (mention of Darrell)

Cylas and Ambrose III, Cylas wins over the twins (kinda) by being her nice and charming self - and Darrell coming by just as the right time

The Road So Far (ft. Lee)

On their way back home, they encounter a stranger

I See The Danger In Being Unprepared (ft. Lee)

Lee and Cylas get to the gas station and meet a group of guys, what could go wrong?

I've Got A Secret, I'm Telling Everyone (ft. Lee)

Are they being followed? And, if so, by whom? Will the situation escalate?

Stand-Alone/One-Shots

Lost Within Musings about the past

Delirium Takes Over Me, You're Just Another Casualty Their coping mechanisms aren't always the best, but at least no innocents get hurt

Kissing blurb (ft. Darrell) to be continued...? writing murder and torture is easier

When I'm Gone After waking up feeling weird Cylas goes out to clear their head

Cylas and Clay, or: How I Met My Murder Bestie

Take A Chance On Me Clay and Cylas first meeting when they just so happen to go after the same victim (technically, Cylas had him first)

Little Talks Opening up about the past can be difficult, and sometimes you grow unaware of how horrible an experience really was until you get an outsider's perspective

Some Days I Don't Know If I Am Wrong Or Right

I Can't Decide Whether You Should Live Or Die Clay gets to finally meet Cylas' former tormentor - after learning a little more about the past

Oh I Could Bury You Alive Sharing the workload of the disposal of a body

Alt Timeline, or: Somehow I Made Her Worse...?

ramblings/introduction/first thoughts

Nothing Compares To The Promise I Have In You When I say that this version of Cylas has a kind of unhealthy relationship with Father Darrell Todd and idolises him, I am not lying.

Art and Moodboards:

Cylas and Odile: Aren't you tired of being nice? by solmints-messyocdiary

Cylas and Odile by solmints-messyocdiary

Alt Cylas and Father Darrell

Moodboards:

Cylas, murder bean edition

Aesthetic/Fashion moodboard made by myers-meadow

Subject#279-LS19981010WHV-20210609AR1623

Diner meeting

Death is Mercy by rottent33th

The Last Time Always Hurts The Most

A World Of Peace And Harmony

Miscellaneous:

Introduction

Some General Info

Incorrect Quotes (1 2)

Music edit by angxlslasher

Iceberg meme

Valentine's Day card from Cylas to Darrel

Meanwhile In Ambrose... A very serious sketch

Shirts my OCs would wear

Blorbo Bingo

OC Questions (1 2 3 4 5)

Cylas and The Patron by solmints-messyocdiary He said no pickles

Looks:

(Rough) Scar Placement Ref

Cylas made in Hero Forge

random scribbles

Say "Hi" to the camera Blue's response to an ask I sent that includes art of Cylas

Cylas by solmints-messyocdiary

random pencil sketch I suppose

Picrew I

Picrew II (includes alt timeline Cylas and Ghost)

Picrew III

[unknownuncut]

Masterpost for Sicktember 2023 (UnknownUncut)

Main Series: Sicktember 2023

Day One: Hopefully Bad At Self-Care

Title: It Takes A Village Summary: Link now lives in Tarrey Town after the events of TOTK and has been quite happy for the last few years and doing quite well for himself until he realizes there's one thing he's quite bad at. Series: The Rito Family Adventures

Day Two: Quest For A Cure

Title: Tulin's Side Quest Summary: Instead of waiting for his brother and dad, Tulin decided to go on his own quest for Link's cure. Series: The Rito Family Adventures

Day Three: "What happened to your phenomenal immune system, huh?"

Title: "Might be Dying but can still paint." Summary: Nancy got sick and accidentally texted the Hardy Boys, who were bored sitting around the house anyway and decided to come visit. Series: Cousins AU

Day Four: Hiding an illness

Title: "Hey, sorry for bothering you..." Summary: While on a case, Joe manages to get sick after exploring caves by himself while Nancy and Frank research at the library, instead of telling them, he thought it would be a great idea to hide it from them. Series: Cousins AU

Day Five: (Alt) Fuzzy Socks

Title: Fuzzy Socks for Cold Nights Summary: A little reminder of home. Series: Jack Marston

Day Six: Sick and injured

Title: I'll Wait Until You're Ready, Whenever That Shall Be. Summary: Jack slowly wraps the bandage around Linde’s hand, making sure that the burns aren’t too bad. The stove had been turned off and the iron pan had been placed into the sink. The only thing that didn’t go back to its rightful place was the phone that sat on the counter. Jack had been in the process of talking to Joseph about herding the cows back later when all this had happened. Series: Jack Marston

Day Seven: "You're a jerk when you're sick."

Title: I'd Just Want Your Heart Summary: Strangely, Jack can vaguely remember something about this back in the day. Most of that time felt like he was watching from above – all floating and in a strange sense of peace – until he came crashing back down and his father – tired, out of breath, and looking like a man who just fought hell – came bursting into the room; clinging so tightly to both Jack and his Ma. He never understood what happened that day until this very moment. Series: Jack Marston

Day Eight: Persistent fever

Title: Nothing Ever Last Forever Summary: Sean had gotten a fever at some point but things continued to get worse as time went on... Series: This Action Will Have Consequences...

Day Nine: (Alt) "I'm so sorry."

Title: Don't fret, you'll be safe here. Summary: Megatron goes on a hunt for Bumblebee for Optimus and gets more than he bargained for. Series: Grandpa Megatron/Honeybee, Wasp, Hornet

Day Ten: "The only place we're going is to the pharmacy."

Title: Laura's Crush Summary: Ernest had decided to finish school in America and ended up meeting Larua. (This is just a small snippet of their overall relationship). Series: Frankenstein (Sims Edition)

Day Eleven: Beginner's Guide to Faking Sick

Title: Nothing can get past Frank Hardy Summary: There are a few steps in faking that you’re sick. or Joe decided faking sick is the best way to deal with things. Series: Frankenstein (Sims Edition)

Day Twelve: Home Remedy/Old Wives Tales

Title: Home Remedy Summary: There's an old family recipe for sickness that got passed down through the Beaufort family. Victor had to go hunting for said remedy when Ernest got sick. Series: Frankenstein (Sims Edition)

Day Thirteen: Anxious Stomach

Title: Like Rider, Like Horse Summary: Rodeo stands before the starting line of the cross-country course and knows that something is wrong. Series: N/A

Day Fourteen: "I shouldn't be worried about you, but for some reason I am."

Title: A Normal Villain and Hero Story Summary: “I shouldn’t be worried about you,” Chaos shouts as he holds tightly to Berserk’s hand while the hero holds tightly to a sleeping toddler in the other. “But for some reason I am!” Series: The Media (Family of Troublemakers)

Day Fifteen: Sick in an inconvenient place

Title: Dial Druck Summary: Over the winter holiday, Logan hadn't any plans in place and almost everyone in the manor had left; even though that doesn't have a place to go had left for parties and whatnot. That was until Logan got a distress single from an unknown X-men and discovered that it was Scott, who was drowning himself at the bar until he made himself sick. Series: N/A

Day Sixteen: Consulting the Internet/Web Med

Title: Don't Trust Everything You Hear From The Internet Summary: All day Lady Wifi kept getting different council members to look up different things, and these last two finally broke her. Series: The Akumas of Anti-Paris

Day Seventeen: Magical Remedy/healing potion

Title: And I left you alone in a house, not a home. Summary: “With a dash of peppermint and a hint of nutmeg, we have ourselves a beautiful, and tasteful, healing potion.” Lilian smiles sweetly at the crown prince lying in bed as she swirls the bottle in hand; it’s a dazzling pink colour that changes to match her. Most potions and remedies tend to match her Ranger colours. “Take this and you’ll come all better, Your Highness.” Series: Original Power Rangers

Day Eighteen: "Wear your coat, you'll catch a cold."

Title: Together In Morning Air Summary: Four different times people told Jack to wear a coat and every time he didn't. Series: Jack Marston

Day Nineteen: Curled up with a pet.

Title: A Boy and His Dog Summary: The best sleep is when your pet is lying with you. Series: Jack Marston

Day Twenty: "I could really use a hug right about now."

Title: The Wilderness and A Blizzard Summary: Getting overwhelmed at a horse show is just part of the norm but it's nice to have friends to help you out. Series: N/A

Day Twenty-One: "But if you stay, you'll get sick too."

Title: Our Time Is Running Out Summary: John's trip to the Macfarlane Ranch went a little differently this time around. Series: A Reason To Live

Day Twenty-Two: Terms of Endearment/Nicknames

Title: You've Given Me A Reason For Livin' Summary: Trying to parent in an Undead Uprising isn't the easiest thing, and John learns it the hard way. Series: A Reason To Live

Day Twenty-Three: Coughing Fit

Title: A Part of the Family Summary: The past has always been spotty and hazy as if Link is trying to grab hold of sand and watching it slip through his fingers. Even though there are a few more stable memories to draw on, there are only so many that Link could help but feel awful for not remembering more. Even now as he lay sick in bed, staring up at the ceiling of his home in Tarrey Town while listening to Saki and Teba move about in the kitchen, Link can’t help but feel like a bad person. Series: The Rito Family Adventures

Day Twenty-Four: "Did You Just Sneeze?"

Title: Little Brothers Know Everything Summary: Turns out that neither Hardy Boys is good at explaining when they are sick now it's Frank's turn. Series: Cousins AU

Day Twenty-Five: Confused/Disoriented

Title: Waking Up In A Unfamiliar World Summary: Sadie Alder has seen many things over the years; you don’t get to her age without seeing some things. The rise and fall of an era, watching a strong man crumble, losing another friend, a husband, a family, and so much more. She had made the best of her life and continued to march forward until she reached death’s door. This is why seeing Jack lying on the white bed in a far too quiet room is far too much. Series: Jack Marston

Day Twenty-Six: (Alt) Forehead Kisses

Title: I Don't Know How To Feel... Summary: After Ben left for college off-world, his mom got sick and Big Chill went to go check on her. Relation: Keep the Charm But Don't Break My Heart

Day Twenty-Seven: Uncooperative Patient

Title: It's Okay To Ask For Help Or Continuing to Be Stubborn Is Fine Too Summary: Jack doesn't return before sundown and Linde goes to find him. Series: Jack Marston

Day Twenty-Eight: "I should have stayed home."

Title: A Quick Trip To Town Summary: Saki and Link go to town. Series: The Rito Family Adventures

Day Twenty-Nine: Side Effects/Adverse Reaction

Title: Medicine Box Summary: When bored, don’t read the warning label. Series: N/A

Day Thirty: Patient 0

Title: The First Of Many To Come Summary: What had happened when John left to get a doctor from Blackwater. Series: A Reason To Live

Thank you for reading and have a wonderful day/night!

[lighthouseborna]

@reddhaed did not actually (send plots please if you'd like to request plot/connection ideas) but I liked a plotting call and then forgot to answer the message meant to kickstart it for a few days and now the thought of sending this entire wall of text as a dm felt. mildly to moderately unhinged so I'm putting it here as a post instead ok ty

hi hello i have some thoughts here are some thoughts

in terms of timeline this is really quite impossible I think but wow Henry could so easily fall into the category of sailor boy from the port who gets flirted with and actually a plot of him sticking his stupid impulsive self into the middle of an unhappy marriage has been a little bit on my wishlist for a bit now simply because I realized he's perfectly that brand of unwise but again with th. the timelines ;dlkfjg;ldkjfg I don't know how far either of us is willing to bend on the front of being attached to Lottie's Jack at various points in his life but gosh if that were not the case here I would be flinging this full force instead of this sideways pitch

timelines and continuous universe held in mind, then, I wonder how far into her life you've planned? Henry's definitely frequenter of many a pirate port and he's served on more than one ship in his life -and in the alt main, continues to do so- so flinging the two of them onto a crew could work? The main throughline of the alt main verse is that Henry is chasing other myths, legends, etc. around, so there's a lot of potentional to send them after the same treasure or trove or etc. where he'd be acting as the sort of ...consult (and ship hand, but y'know) but then also sticking them in close quarters for an extended time right, with the added bonus of them being two people who know veeeeeeeerrrrryyyyy different sides of Jack. That might be interesting

alternatively and in the name of shaking the timeline grief: we could throw them both Modern and have them meet strangers-cross-paths-while-both-traveling style. Henry would be out and about for the sake of adventure and his little travel journal publication, and maybe Sera is off in some remote corner of the world trying to buy time before reemerging in the public eye to do damage control on her reputation? This is definitely more plot than dynamic I have no idea where it would go but it might be fun to toss them into some nonsense- they get stuck in said small out of the way place because of natural disaster? Keep running into each other at random and figure, fuck it, what if we sit down and talk since we've been traveling parallel for three cities, now? He knows all the cool wild places where weird and magical(-feeling) things happen, and maybe he wanted to do something new with his writing project thing so he said "give me your perspective" and at first she's suspicious because she's famous and shit but he genuinely has not one clue about that and just plucked her from a crowd of tourists at random. This low key sounds like a pitch for a romcom, I'm realizing, but that was not the intention I just think Henry+befriending people via being weird and wild and upfront is fun

maybe this is cheating I don't know but I have a mermaid OC on my multi (@talesgolden) who is ...not completely adverse to mankind but isn't blindly trusting either and right this very second I have no idea what could have brought them together, exactly, but I do know Lír is hiding from some things going on in the sea and could have taken to land, that's a distinct possibility. And then there, even on land, she'd have a connection to the tides in both a literal body-of-water fashion as well as a "tides of fate" fashion and I think she would make for a very cool ally, a sort of soothsayer type of person Sera calls on, maybe? To plan her mischief so it falls favorably in with the machinations of the world already going on and are promised more success. Also someone with uncanny charm (that is actually siren song) on your team seems like it'd be favorable.

also on the multi I have an oc named Violet who doesn't technically have an 18th century/potc verse right now but very easily could and she'd be a younger there than she is in her main verse and I think they could maybe have something of a teacher/protegee relationship, if that would be something you're interested in? actually I would even go so far with this one to loop Lottie in and have Vi be a girl from Giselle's bawdy house who happened to show a lot of promise.... oh I want this so bad actually wait @immobiliter c'mere i want ur thoughts on this one too

[thatguydelton]

How to make that one type of image/meme where it's like a text based RPG and has green text- Or, How to make a Zorkpost

This is gonna be a long (but still pretty basic guide) on how to make a zorkpost, with an example below. I'm approaching this as a beginner introduction to using phtoediting programs, in this case a photoshop rip-off, https://www.photopea.com/ Before we start, this is the type of image/meme I'm talking about.

1.Hit "new project", here you'll define the size of the image. I'd recommend either a 1080x1080 square, or a slightly taller, 1080x1400, but the specific length and width is up to what you want to make. Also set the default background color to black, this'll just make it easier than adding a black background manually. Once you've done this, hit create. 2. It's a good idea to start with the image you'll be using as the focalpoint of the zork, paste the image into the project, and resize it as you see fit. You want enough space for some flavor text and ample space for the "actions" segment of the image. You may also want to paste a reference zork into a corner that you can use for reference. 3. Cropping, this one is important. The image you chose to be the focus of the zork will likely need to be cropped, either to get rid of the background, or to remove other unwanted parts of the original image. HOLD ALT TO ZOOM IN AND OUT/HOLD CONTROL TO MOVE LEFT AND RIGHT USING SCROLLWHEEL 3.1 If the desired part of the image is distinct from the unwanted sections, use the object select tool. You can find this by right clicking on the magic wand icon (see image A). Once you have the object select too activated, drag over what you want to be selected, the cross should be right over the desired selection. You may need to do this multiple times to select all of the segments you want, hold shift in order to add to the selection, otherwise it will discard the prvious selection and only have the new one. Make sure you have the desired segments of the image selected, you can see what is selected by seeing what is in the dotted shape. 3.2 The other method for cropping is the manual lasso select tool. This can be found by simply clicking on the symbol or by hitting "L". This is useful if the desired selection is not distinct from the background, or if you want to get a very prescice selection...... 3.2 Continued...Again, hold shift to add selections together. You can use object select to get the majority of the image selection, and then use lasso select to get the finer parts which the object select tool struggles to get. HOLD SHIFT TO ADD TO YOUR CURRENT SELECTION/HOLD ALT TO SUBTRACT FROM YOUR CURRENT SELECTION 3.3 Once you have a selection you're comfortable with, hit the "add raster mask button" (see image B), this will hide all parts of the image not selected. If the edges seem to jagged you can try to instead use the "refine edge" button (see image C). This will open a menu. The important parts to look at are where it says border, and new layer on the top segment of the menu. The number box next to "border" is the amount of pixels it will include to make the edge less jagged, for most you want either 1 to 3 no higher. Click where it says "new layer", change it to raster mask. This will allow you to adjust the cropping later on if you wish to. Finally, hit OK once you have the desired settings.

4. Now, we'll start creating the color filters. The characteristic green overlay can be done in a few ways, I'll go over what I think is the simplest method. Hit new layer, found on the bottom right side of the program (see image D). The new layer should be above the main image you cropped. Once you have it created and selected, use the eyedropper tool to grab the green from your reference image, or choose your own green. To do this click the color picker tool at the bottom of the tools list (see image E). Once you have the color, use the brush tool (shortcut is "B") to make and paint over the image, it does not have to be even remotely precise, as long as it's covering all parts of the image. Next, you will need to change the blending technique of the layer. This dictate how the color is applied from the current layer, to the layers below it. Click where it says "normal" on the top of the stack of layers (see image F). Now you can choose from several blending methods. The blending techniques of "Overlay" and "Color" generally are what are best suited for the zork image style, although "Soft light" works too. If the color is too intense, you can adjust the opacity of the color layer next to where you changed the blending method. 5. Often zork images will use a slight pixelation on the central image, I'll explain how to apply this to your own image of choice. Select the layer of the image (not the color) and click filter, on the top list of tools on the top of the program (see image G). Once you have this menu open, hover over the section labelled "Pixelate". Next click the tool called "Mosaic". This will open the window you will use to pixelate the layer. This menu is pretty simple, cell size is how large each segment is, larger cell size means less detail and a more chunky end result. Depending on your vision and the image you are using, you can adjust to your liking. I'd recommend a cell size of 4 to 14. When you have a cell size you like, hit OK to apply it.

6. Now for the text of your zork. Click the text box tool found on on the left side of the program screen (see image H). While there are many fonts that are preloaded into photopea, there are only a handful of pixel based fonts. To filter by pixel fonts, click where it says "DejaVu Sans" at the top left of the program screen, then click on the button with three lines on it on the right side of the menu. (see image I) Click the checkmarked box for "All" in the submenu, then scroll down and click the box for the "Pixel section". I'd recommend the font "VT323". Since the background is black you won't be able to see the text you are typing, to change the color highlight the text in the box. Then, on the top of your screen, click the color select menu (see image J), once you have this open you can choose any color you prefer, or you can use the eyedropper tool to select a color from your reference zork. (edited) 6.1 You may want to import fonts into the program to use. To do this, download the desired font, then open the font select menu and hit the button labelled "load font". Simply find the file and hit open. If it loaded successfully it should say the font name loaded in the program. To finally apply the font to your text, open the font menu once again and type the font name in the search menu. CHECK THE BOXES FOR AUTO-SELECT AND TRANSFORM CONTROLS AT THE TOP OF THE PROGRAM SCREEN (you should make sure these are checked every time from the start of the project) ((see image K)) 6.2 To resize the text or any image layer, simple drag on one of the corners of the layer if you don't see the box outlining the layer, make sure you have the layer selected, and have transform controls on). By default it will maintain the image size ratio, if for some reason you don't want this, hold shift while you drag. This should be the extent that you need to know about text in photopea, but there are many more options should you not be satisfied, ask if you'd like an overview. 7. We are nearing the end. Here I'll explain how to do the little lines both for outlining the border of the image, as well as for the "actions" menu you will likely include. 7.1 First, the border outline. To do this, doubly click the background layer to open the "layering style" menu (see image L). If you only opened the option to rename the layer, double click a little further to the right of the layer name. With this menu, click "stroke". Where it says "position" change it from outside, to inside. Then, choose the desired border color at the bottom of the stroke menu options. You can adjust the thickness of the outline with the size option at the top of this menu. Once you have something you like, hit OK. 7.2 I will explain the basics of the pen tool for any lines you may want to include. First select the pen tool on the left side of the program screen (below the text box tool). Then, at the top of your program screen, change the fill type from a solid color, to the icon with the white box with an "x" over it (see image M). Next to where it says fill, change the stroke color to a color you'd want for the line (generally the same color as the text), once again you can use the eyedropper tool once you have the color picker menu open. I recommend increasing the thickness of the line before you start, as the default 1 pixel thickness makes it hard to see the lines you are creating, around 10 pixels should be fine for now.

7.3 Make sure you are creating a new layer for this, on top of the background, otherwise it will be hidden by the background. Now, click where you want the line/shape to start. You have just created an anchor point, anchoring this line in the fabric of reality which is the editing program. From here, I recommend you work downward. Hold shift to make straight lines and perfect angles. The pen tool is very versatile, but I'd strongly recommend sticking to only using shift to make lines as making curved lines takes some amount of practice. Once you have one side of the line done, switch to the default move and select tool (shortcut "V"). You can right click on the layer in the layer list to duplicate it. In addition, if you have the layer selected, you can left click, then right click on the sizing border of the layer to rotate in any way you like. (see image N). You may need to zoom in on the line to be able to move it by dragging your mouse. You can adjust the thickness of the line after you have finished the shape by selecting the tool under the pen tool and right clicking, the tool is called "Direct select". With this you can move the anchor points, and adjust the thickness. This covers all the tools needed to create your zork image. Finally, I'll be going over exporting your project. 8. Once you are satisfied with your project, hit file, on the top left of the program. Next, hover over "export as" and select the preferred file format. I'd recommend jpeg to achieve the crunchy look and feel that is characteristic of the zork image. Click on the desired file format to open the export menu. Here you can change the name of the project, and and the file format. You can also see a preview of what your project will look like once exported. Use scrollwheel to zoom in and out. To get the image to look "crunchy" decrease the quality of the image. If there is not much in the project, decreasing the quality will not have much effect. Keep in mind that decreasing the quality under the PNG format will not achieve the crunchy feel. Lastly, hit save once you are satisfied, and you have now downloaded your project. If you wish to save your progress without merging all the files together, click file, and hit save as PSD. Load this PSD file into the program next time you want to work on it, it will preserve each layer individually. Now for the image directory:

A:

B:

C:

D:

E:

F:

G:

H:

I:

J:

K:

L:

M:

N:

Congratulations if you made it through this long guide. Now, you should have all the tools to create your very own zorkpost.