#but I'm well aware that I'm out of practice and my stuff doesn't look great right now

[rindemption]

I have a question

Posting my drawing practice and doodles and wips has, in the past, been a pretty effective way to get me to keep drawing. Accountability and all that.

Would there be any interest in seeing those posts here on my main blog, or would people rather I kept it to a side blog?

[captainlexapro]

hang on. I just need to talk about quinn's autograph for a minute because i have so much appreciation for the effort and intention he puts into it. (also i love linguistics/language/writing and how people sign their name is actually very interesting to me)

Been thinking about this (x) article from 2021 (and also very much demko saying "thoughtful" for his one word to describe huggy at the nhl awards this year. demmer u don't understand the implications of what you just said).

teammates chirping quinn for being a slow at signing because it's not a scribble or an unintelligible flourish...but he straight up doesn't give a fuck what they think because HE wants HIS signature to be easily distinguishable for FANS. like the awareness of how special that stuff can be for people. 💙 antoine agreeing that "you should always be able to tell the name without the number." YES!!! YOU GET IT!! (don't get me wrong, there can be iconic autographs that aren't legible whatsoever but idk. to me it's something about how it's a name and i'd like to be able to read it. it's so personal and a scribble doesn't feel personal).

i wanted to see how his signature has changed/progressed over the years, so i dug around a bit to see where he's landed at this point. let's back up to the beginning!

2018 (screenshot from this vid) -

huggy's first official nhl signature!!

his draft day signature shows he's still fully spelling out his first name. it also looks just very. teenage boy who can't do cursive.

BUT the elements are already there - heavy on the Qu, the Hu, (new nickname Q-hoo? like yoohoo? no? fine.) and the s. starting to stylize the gh.

*side notes: Qu is such a rough first letters pairing rip... it's a distinct shape. printing Q doesn't flow easily into the u while cursive Q is ugly (in my opinion) and idk if a lot of people actually know what a true cursive Q looks like (hint: it looks like a 2). also, "quinn" is hard just because it's SEVEN vertical elements back to back. i honestly think doing it in cursive requires more focus than printing. hughes is fun because it has the high and low elements right next to each other, which he emphasizes.*

2019 (nhl debut) -

oh boy. sill very choppy. still have those main elements of emphasis happening.

i feel like he probably hadn't started worrying about his signature yet (this was his first game, to be fair).

not a lot of connectivity (especially in Hughes)

the n has hints of what it will become later, though, which is cool to see!

2021 (from article)-

only writing Quinn now (only one dot for an i). maybe to speed it up, maybe just bc that's the nickname he goes by, maybe both.

seeing the connecting line/stroke between the g and h more prominently

s is looking more stylized as well

i think he's picking up the pen a fair amount still (maybe up to 8 or 9 strokes in this one?). so yeah, i'm sure it took a while compared to others...

2022 (from this silly vid)-

this is kind of not a 'true' signature to me bc 1) given the nature of the video i kind of doubt he would have put 100% effort into it (complete lack of stylized s) and 2) you can tell the surface/pen combo isn't great - see the jaggedness on the gh?

this is the most ~scribbly~ version i saw. like i said, idk if i really count this one but i don't want to dig around forever to find a confirmed 2022 signature

regardless, he seems to have sped it up and is better at the cursiveness aspect. Most of it is connected - i'd guess 5 total strokes for that version.

2023 (from wallpapers on the canucks' insta)-

definitely more committed to a "look"

Qu is kind of aggressive lol and the gh stroke isn't super smooth either. HOWEVER it is 100% a stylistic element he focuses on. also it's fast to connect them, so it probably feels pretty natural. just needed more practice on keeping that stroke aligned.

officially no dotting of the i anymore - just swooping up high (again, probably helps with speed)

we have the fully stylized s! i'm actually very fond of that part because lots of people will let the last letters fall to the wayside and basically just draw a line. he's kinda doing that a smidge with the n. but there's intention on the s and it looks very nice!

2023/2024 (from canucks' wallpapers & inhousemade insta)-

here we have our latest iteration

I reallyyy like the finishing on the n - it matches well with how he does the s, which is so pretty. such a fun letter to write lol

i think the gh line has been fully mastered at this point. and it's a good way to keep his signature legible but still give it a unique flair. not everyone's signature/name has that type of line so ppl can pick his name out rather easy i would guess.

i think huggy's probably settled on autograph style/look at this point. but i will still keep an eye out to see if he decides to try a new element!

thanks for reading and hopefully you found this mildly interesting ☺️

[chiharuhashibira]

hi! I hope your day is going well, do you do requests with all the hashira? If so, i would like to request the hashira reacting to tomioka with a gn reader being his tsugoku, they werent even aware of the tsugoku but they find out theyre complete opposites! The reader is nice, talkative, sometimes loud and overall a really bright person to be with, while tomioka is tomioka, they have a good bond tho

Its okay if its not possible or you dislike the idea! No one can force you to do stuff, thanks and take care!

YES!

Let me explore this one but it'll be in an HC form~

Like how they will react after knowing that Giyu has a jolly tsugoku! No hard romance here (but romance-suggestive) and completely SFW~

𝓜𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽

𝑻𝒐𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝑶𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒔

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐬 + 𝐆𝐍 𝐓𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐨𝐤𝐮!𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Content Warnings: None-Completely SFW 🌸

(Image is not mine. Credits to the rightful owner)

🌸𝐆𝐲𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐢 𝐇𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐣𝐢𝐦𝐚🌸

❥ Gyomei isn't the type of man who judges. But he can't hide how astounded he was when he knew that you were Giyu's tsugoku. He even thought you were Tengen's tsugoku at first because of how talkative and confident you are.

❥ Gyomei is very understanding. Nothing has changed since Gyomei knew you were the Water Hashira's tsugoku. He is still nice to you. Even advises you to try to help Giyu come out of his shell.

"You seem to have a good bond with Tomioka-san, even if you're total opposites. I think you should help him cheer up some time."

🌸𝐌𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐭𝐨🌸

❥ The boy doesn't care at all. He instantly forgot what you said a while ago.

❥ Whenever you try to talk to him, Muichiro will continue to ignore you. It seems like the boy is very distant. But one time that you managed to hold a conversation with him, apparently he remembered you being Giyu's tsugoku, so he brought it up.

"Uh, you seem to act different compared to the Water Pillar. It's surprising knowing you are his tsugoku. But okay. Why are you here again?"

🌸𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐢 𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐢🌸

❥ Mitsuri is very astounded that she went to the point of pinching your cheeks. She looked at you, then at Giyu. She can't believe that you can put up with the Water Hashira's attitude.

❥ But yes, she's very sweet, and nothing changed after she knew your connection to Giyu. Mitsuri still acted friendly to you, even asking you at lunch sometimes to get to know you. Apparently, she's interested in knowing more about water breathing, as she is curious if that is the reason why Giyu acts like that.

"You know, tell me more about yourself and your Water Breathing! I'm so glad you aren't shooing me away. But yes, eat! Try this sakura mochi! I don't usually share, but you're cute, so eat!"

🌸𝐊𝐲𝐨𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐨𝐤𝐮🌸

❥ As he was curious about Giyu, Kyojuro remained friendly with you after knowing you were a tsugoku. Like Mitsuri, he can't believe how you can put up with the silence that Giyu has. And yes, the revelation of Giyu being a bit talkative to you surprised the man as well. You were total opposites!

❥ Kyojuro is just happy to know that you aren't giving up on Giyu. Yes, this man is so pure-hearted. He would often cheer you up whenever he saw you around, while also acknowledging the presence of Tomioka.

"Hi Y/N-san! Hi Tomioka-san! I hope your day is great! If you are free some time, you can drop by the Rengoku estate and train with me! We can have a delicious lunch afterwards too! My treat!"

🌸𝐆𝐢𝐲𝐮 𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐨𝐤𝐚🌸

❥ Giyu is unconcerned by the sudden attention you received after the Hashiras learned that you were his tsugoku.

❥ Oh well, the Water Hashira remained calm after all that fuzz. But yes, he still avoided everyone (except you) like the plague. You are close, but that doesn't mean that he will be close with the others too.

❥ Despite the attention that others seek from you because of your jolliness, you still made sure to spend time with Giyu. Practices? That's just one of the many things you try together! Apparently, Giyu is adventurous around you! But yeah, he's still insecure.

"I don't know how you can put up with me. But thank you. I appreciate this."

🌸𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐮 𝐊𝐨𝐜𝐡𝐨🌸

❥ Shinobu was horrified when she knew you were Giyu's tsugoku! She just can't believe a person so bright and jolly like you would be around someone like him. She would often try to convince you to train with her instead or explore other Hashiras Breathing styles, as you and Giyu seem to be incompatible. The girl is just so concerned.

❥ But yes, she's obsessed with you. Her behavior toward Giyu occasionally creeps you out, but maybe that's because she also seems to secretly like him. When you're with Shinobu, she always asks about the Water Hashira, aside from convincing you to be a part of the Butterfly Mansion.

"No one likes Tomioka-san. I don't know how you can do this with him! But if ever you change your mind, I will welcome you. But, hmm, what are Giyu's dirty secrets? Does he snore? I want to tease him!"

🌸𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐔𝐳𝐮𝐢🌸

❥ Tengen finds it unflashy that you were Giyu's tsugoku. He doesn't have anything bad against Water Breathing but he just finds the Water Hashira so gloomy, which is definitely not you!

❥ Like Shinobu, Tengen is obsessed with you. The man finds you flamboyant, and he wants to take you in as his tsugoku instead. He even says his wife would love to have her! (Not as a wife, but as a part of their estate—as their baby XD)

"My wives would love you! Why don't you just join me? Be my tsugoku! Tomioka-san is just too gloomy!"

🌸𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚🌸

❥ Sanemi was also horrified. More horrified than Shinobu. He wasn't expecting you to be Giyu's tsugoku at all. For him, you were just like the sunlight, and Giyu was just like trash. (Apparently the lad adores you secretly)

❥ Sanemi would act less harsh with you, but he will still curse you whenever you act "like an idiot," especially when you're with Mitsuri. But yeah, the Wind Hashira also asked you to be his tsugoku, which you always politely declined.

"Your loss, though. That fucker doesn't deserve a talented tsugoku like you. But if you ever change your mind, don't go to Tengen or Shinobu... Those two are dimwits. Be my tsugoku instead."

🌸𝐎𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐢 𝐈𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐨🌸

❥ Mitsuri likes you as her friend, so Obanai isn't rude to you, even if he knew that you are Giyu's tsugoku. He is horrified, yes. But he isn't the type of guy who would hate you for that.

❥ But sometimes he mocks you for choosing Giyu over Sanemi, especially whenever he sees the Wind Hashira dismayed by your continuous rejections. Of course, Sanemi's his friend, so he'll side with him. But yeah. You don't talk with each other that much unless Mitsuri makes him talk to you. And yes, Obanai would just talk about Kaburamaru.

"You know, you're wasting your life as Tomioka's tsugoku. Just go with Sanemi. He can help you better."

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉!

So sorry if this request took me too long to write hahahahahaha!

But anon, if you are still here, thank you for the request~

Feel free to request, reblog, or comment!

Ja ne~

~𝓒𝓱𝓲𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓾-𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓷🌸

[maypop-the-dragon]

PSA: Free Software

Reading this may really save your time, privacy, and money! Reblog or share to spread awareness!

Folks often use software that’s expensive and sometimes even inferior because they don’t know there are alternatives. So to those unfamiliar: basically, free and open-source (FOSS) or "libre" software is free to use and anyone can access the original code to make their own version or work on fixing problems.

That does not mean anyone can randomly add a virus and give it to everyone—any respectable libre project has checks in place to make sure changes to the official version are good! Libre software is typically developed by communities who really care about the quality of the software as a goal in itself.

There are libre alternatives to many well-known programs that do everything an average user needs (find out more under the cut!) for free with no DRM, license keys, or subscriptions.

Using libre software when possible is an easy way to fight against and free yourself from corporate greed while actually being more convenient in many cases! If you need an app to do something, perhaps try searching online for things like:

foss [whatever it is]

libre [whatever it is]

open source [whatever it is]

Feel free to recommend more libre software in the tags, replies, comments, or whatever you freaks like to do!

Some Libre Software I Personally Enjoy…

LibreOffice

LibreOffice is an office suite, much like Microsoft Office. It includes equivalents for apps like Word, Excel, and Powerpoint, which can view and edit files created for those apps.

I can't say I've used it much myself yet. I do not personally like using office software except when I have to for school.

OpenShot

OpenShot Video Editor is, as the name suggests, a video editing program. It has industry-standard features like splicing, layering, transitions, and greenscreen.

I've only made one video with it so far, but I'm already very happy with it. I had already paid for a video editor (Cyberlink PowerDirector Pro), but I needed to reinstall it and I didn't remember how. Out of desperation, I searched up "FOSS video editor" and I'm so glad I did. There's no launcher, there's no promotion of other apps and asset packs—it's just a video editor with a normal installer.

GIMP

GNU Image Manipulation Program is an image editor, much like Photoshop. Originally created for Linux but also available for Windows and MacOS, it provides plenty of functionality for editing images. It is a bit unintuitive to learn at first, though.

I've used it to create and modify images for years, including logos, really bad traceover art, and Minecraft textures. It doesn't have certain advanced tech like AI paint-in, but it has served my purposes well and it might just work for yours!

(Be sure to go to Windows > Dockable Dialogs > Colors. I have no idea why that's not enabled by default.)

Audacity

Audacity is an audio editing program. It can record, load, splice, and layer audio files and apply effects to them.

Audacity is another program I've used for a long time. It is not designed to compose music, but it is great for podcasts, simple edits, and loading legacy MS Paint to hear cool noises.

7-Zip

7-Zip is a file manager and archive tool. It supports many archive types including ZIP, RAR, TAR, and its own format, 7Z. It can view and modify the contents of archives, encrypt and decrypt archives, and all that good stuff.

Personally, I use 7-Zip to look inside JAR files for Minecraft reasons. I must admit that its UI is ugly.

Firefox

Firefox is an internet browser, much like Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Safari. While browsers are free, many of them include tracking or other anti-consumer practices. For example, Google plans to release an update to Chromium (the base that most browsers are built from these days) that makes ad blockers less effective by removing the APIs they currently rely on.

Aside from fighting monopolies, benefits include: support for animated themes (the one in the picture is Purple Night Theme), good ad blockers forever, an (albeit hidden) compact UI option (available on about:config), and a cute fox icon.

uBlock Origin

As far as I know, uBlock Origin is one of the best ad blockers there is.

I was on a sketchy website with my brother, and he was using Opera GX's ad blocker. Much of the time when he clicked on anything, it would take us to a random sponsored page. I suggested that he try uBlock Origin, and with uBlock Origin, that didn't happen anymore.

Linux

Linux is a kernel, but the term is often used to refer to operating systems (much like Windows or MacOS) built on it. There are many different Linux-based operating systems (or "distros") to choose from, but apps made for Linux usually work on most popular distros. You can also use many normally Windows-only apps on Linux through compatibility layers like WINE.

I don't have all four of these, so the images are from Wikipedia. I tried to show a variety of Linux distros made for different kinds of users.

If you want to replace your operating system, I recommend being very careful because you can end up breaking things. Many computer manufacturers don't care about supporting Linux, meaning that things may not work (Nvidia graphic cards notoriously have issues on Linux, for example).

Personally, I tried installing Pop!_OS on a laptop, and the sound output mysteriously doesn't work. I may try switching to Arch Linux, since it is extremely customizable and I might be able to experiment until I find a configuration where the audio works.

Many Linux distros offer "Live USB" functionality, which works as both a demo and an installer. You should thoroughly test your distro on a Live USB session before you actually install it to be absolutely sure that everything works. Even if it seems fine, you should probably look into dual-booting with your existing operating system, just in case you need it for some reason.

Happy computering!

[kiefbowl]

Can I ask for advice on how to... Act more assertive? I've been so quiet and shy my entire life but I've been trying to stand up for myself more if that makes sense. It's still really hard though and I haven't... Broken out of my shell? Ever since I've been walking by myself more I've been harassed a few times and I want to learn how to not look so weak or whatever. I just want to have a more open personality in general without being scared to share my feelings and thoughts, and you seem like a good person to ask

Sure, great question. I was once a shy shy shy child, I had to build my confidence up a lot with this regard. My first piece of advice is to stop being so hard on yourself. Stop calling yourself weak etc. The only way to start become more assertive is to respect your emotional responses. Don't think for a second that strong, witty, take nothing women don't have their moments of fear and hesitation. The way your body responds to threats and danger is natural, and it has some form of trying to protect you.

To piggyback on that, don't assume that being assertive protects you from harassment necessarily, or that you will look any different if you gain the confidence to talk back. You're not responsible for how men talk to you, ever.

But any way let's get to the cool advice:

Practice in small, safe groups first. Don't go picking fights with random men when you're walking home at night. Instead, give yourself a little goal of speaking up more the next time you're with your friends, etc. Like all things, practice builds the ability. Practice builds the confidence. Practice builds the instinct. So, start small. If you want some ideas, you can try: being really insistent about where to go to eat ("I really like Blah Blah, and I'd like to go there."), asking for a specific conversation topic when there's a lull ("Hey, I've had something on my mind lately, I want everyone's opinions"), things of this nature. As you can see, they aren't mean. You can be assertive and nice. Practice the less scary stuff first.

In that vein, don't be afraid to be awkward or do it "wrong" (you can't do it wrong, but for the sake of this point). If you sit there quietly wishing you'd go "man shut the fuck up" you'll never learn how to say "man shut the FUCK up." Instead - do the first step of what you think you can do. "uhm excuse me, I didn't like that" even if you're stuttering and sweating bullets is the first building block. Plus, honestly? If you're clearly nervous, that shows some gusto and bravery, sometimes you get more respect by acting like that.

You can tell your friends/family that this is something you're trying. I know, you might think "that's awkward" well cut that out that's not the kind of attitude you're practicing! Say to your mom privately "Mom, I'm trying to be more assertive. I want to speak my mind more, can you help when dad interrupts me." Say to your best friend privately "Friend, I'm trying to speak my mind more. I want to be more assertive. Can you encourage me if I start to struggle in conversation?" I mean, why not? This is a great chance to practice asserting yourself while getting help to continue.

If this is all great but still scary and you still don't know how to start, and you want like a magic bullet task list to just start somewhere, you can start by editing your language. Stop saying "maybe" when you mean "no". Stop saying "I guess" when you mean "no". Or, when you mean "yes!" You have to stop equivocating. Try being as direct as possible when speaking up. Again, this does not have to be mean. It doesn't have to be smart. It doesn't have to be witty. It's taking the time to consciously be aware of when you say things like "I think it would be nice to go together to the party if you want to" and try to say instead "I would like to go to the party with you, what do you want?" ADDITIONALLY: You can correct yourself mid sentence. Forget if it's awkward, you don't care if it's awkward anymore, you only care about practicing what you want. "I think maybe - I mean...I want that, yes."

The next two are really really important that they're going to be their own list, because if you've gotten this far I bet you're thinking "Yes, but how??" and these are the two that tell you how:

5. You have to sit with yourself, undistracted, and think yourself into confidence. And you have to do that for the rest of your life. And that's what every confident person is doing all the time, and they have weak moments where they fail even if you don't see it. You have to be the source of your own internal logic that makes it happen. And you might think "well if it was that easy, I would just do that." No, it isn't easy. And yes, you haven't tried hard enough. You haven't found the logic that works in your mind that you can't refute. YOU have to give yourself time every day to reflect on your life, who you are, what you want...and you have to sit there and backwards engineer the argument that leads to the answer you want. You have to make yourself get that epiphany. You don't wallow on what's wrong with you, you think "I want x-specific-thing, and I know I want that because...and to make me believe that deeply I need to think...what? What do I need to think?" You have to sit with yourself until you think it, because then you can't say you don't know. Personally, I'm deeply motivated by the weight of knowledge that we have finite time to live. I'm deeply motivated by my knowledge of my own female subordination and what I lose if I hold back. I'm deeply motivated by the fact that I can't guarantee the motivation of others. Maybe these will be your same thoughts, maybe they won't. No one can answer this for you.

6. you have to look out for other people. when other people are walked over, you have to advocate for them. when someone interrupts someone else, you have to say "wait, I wanted to hear what so-and-so had to say." If your friend is wilting in the group, you have to get everyone to bring them back in. If you are constantly internalizing you will never gain confidence. You have to be connected to the world around you, and not obsessed with what's going on in your own head. The longer you project your being out, the longer you realize what's going on in your head all the time isn't all that important. And in a strange catch-22, that's when you get the confidence to defend it like it is all that important :)

Good luck!

[thelooniemoonie]

Look at how far we've come (Happy 25th birthday to me!)

I'm gonna put some of my thoughts under the cut here, so if you wanna hear me reflect or get personal for a second feel free to scroll past. (CW: mentions of suicide, and other dark topics)

I'm writing this the day or so before queuing this so by the time you read it it will be my birthday but I'm writing this on like. Wednesday

And...well? I guess I'm turning 25? I know it's technically a big milestone because it's like 25% through your life or whatever, but it feels....kinda weird? Like, "oh, I guess I'm turning 25."

I don't quite know how to explain how I'm feeling. It's not necessarily bad? I know we live in a world that puts a lot of unnecessary pressure on age and getting older, but i don't really care about that kinda stuff like getting grey hairs or wrinkles. But this is a new feeling.

It's more like....the feeling of realization once you reflect a bit. A lot of stuff has happened over the past few years, but once you actually turn and look back all of the events you lived through, you kinda realize how much you've grown. Going step by step, day by day, and only realizing once you turn around that you've climbed an entire mountain.

Back when I was 12 years old, I attempted to kill myself.

At the time, the future felt like a dark fog with nothing ahead in sight. I was living in dangerous abusive conditions with my father, severely depressed, and actively spiralling with my own identity, let alone my place in the world. The future was nonexistent.

Now...when I reflect back on that period of my life, it feels like worlds away now.

(Also don't worry if you're reading this and feel concern for me, I haven't felt any suicidal feelings in practically a decade now. I'm sure as hard things may seem sometimes, I genuinely am miles away from that headspace and do not intend to hurt myself in any way.)

It's kinda weird knowing back when I was younger (which isn't that long ago, to be fair) that I already felt like my life was over. Like I just wasn't gonna get into university, I was gonna drop out, I'm gonna have to navigate the entire trajectory of my life in that deep fog.....

.....and now realizing where I am? It's weird. Like I didn't plan for any of this. I should be dead. I'm just winging this entire thing.

But.... it's also realizing that I'm gonna be fine.

To be perfectly honest, this year has been kinda rough for me. While I don't talk about my personal life too much on here I was pretty miserable the first 4 months due to getting screwed over during the start of my Masters, plus not seeing my irl friends for a while hasn't been ideal either. (I also feel kinda shitty complaining about these things in general, as I'm well aware these kinds of opportunities are things not everyone is able to get, and I know there's friends and others that have it worse off than me, so I just kinda keep that shit to myself)

But I've also come a long way haven't I? I've managed to graduate in the middle of a pandemic, managed to land a job helping the covid pandemic in my province, got my drivers licence, made memories with the ones I love and meeting new people, slowly becoming more independent and now doing climate change research for my Masters degree? It's...something.

It's kinda the feeling of your world being very small, like a tiny space where the fog obscures anything outside your view, and slowly it fading away and your world getting bigger. Like sure I can't 100% see the future, but it's important to reflect on knowing what that world was like before.

I wish I had something poetic here or a message or life lesson to articulate my thoughts. But that doesn't really work here. (I'm also being careful to focus on positive aspects of my life here, as it wouldn't really be great to focus on the more negative aspects, like that time I almost died again (this time not on purpose, I promise) in a car crash in 2020 or a really bad breakup I had with a group of friends. But I suppose that's just life, isn't it? You really get a wide variety of experiences, good or bad)

I can't really say my life is 100% improved at this point either, things still aren't perfect as I'm still living with my mom, a closeted queer, and I'm sure there's a lot that I still need to learn and considering, the uh, well (vaguely gestures at all the current events going on right now) stuff....going on........there's still a lot of work to be done.

Dandelions in the spring. A shining moon on a dark night. The first seedling after a forest fire. Fading scars. Light from a birthday candle held in your hands, carrying wishes in the wind long after they burn out.

Hope, I guess.

Anyway if you read this far here's my official adult™ tips from my experience:

If you wear jewellery that tarnishes quickly line a bowl with tinfoil shiny side up, place jewellery in the bowl with equal parts baking soda and salt, and pour boiling water over everything and leave for 5 minutes

Invest in a cushion that supports your tailbone. You have no idea how many office chairs have shit ergonomic design.

[samwisethewitch]

The Great Handfasting Project: Pagan Wedding Planning Books

In February, my partner and I will be celebrating our third anniversary. Like many people who have been dating for a while, we've decided to get married. Because we're both pagan, we've always known that we wanted a pagan wedding. But because neither of us is Wiccan (I'm a Heathen and he's a Roman pagan), we knew that our pagan ceremony probably wasn't going to look like a typical neopagan wedding. And, since we live in an area that doesn't have a lot of pagan resources, we knew we would be planning the ceremony and writing the ritual ourselves.

We are going to be having a true handfasting -- a Celtic-style marriage ritual that includes actually binding the couple's hands together with cord or ribbon. We're both Irish American, and we both incorporate Irish elements into our spiritual practices, even though we both have other stuff going on. We chose Lughnasadh (August 1st) as our wedding date because it's a traditional time for handfastings in Ireland, and we will be incorporating the binding of the hands. However, we're also planning for the ceremony to include lots of Norse and Roman elements. The cool thing about writing your own wedding ritual is you can include whatever religious or cultural elements are meaningful to you. (Provided you're not stealing from closed traditions you aren't a part of.)

Because I feel like struggling to plan a modern pagan wedding ceremony is a pretty common experience, I'm going to be sharing a lot of our research and planning process on this blog so you can learn from our experiences and (I'm sure) our mistakes. I'm calling this "The Great Handfasting Project."

Step one of wedding planning, as with so many things in revivalist spirituality, is research.

(I am aware that Raven Kaldera and Tannin Schwartzstein have a book on handfasting. However, I personally do not feel comfortable reading or reviewing anything with Kaldera's name on it because he has been accused by multiple former followers of some truly horrific abuse and exploitation. Aside from any ideological issues (and I do have several), I don't think someone who openly uses religious rituals to act out rape and torture fantasies is the type of person I want to take wedding planning advice from.)

Modern Handfasting: A Complete Guide to the Magic of Pagan Weddings by Liz Williams

(2021, Llewellyn Publications)

This was the first book I read after my partner and I decided we wanted a handfasting. Overall I felt like it was a great guide to modern handfasting ceremonies, especially the logistical side of planning one. (Can a handfasting be legally binding in my country? How do I handle family members who aren't pagan? What kind of venue should I book for my handfasting? Etc., etc., etc...) At the same time, this book is definitely focused on handfastings and doesn't really talk about other types of pagan wedding ceremonies. The wedding planning advice is still good, but if you're not planning a handfasting for your ceremony, the sample rituals won't be as helpful.

Pros:

Very thorough advice on how to plan a non-traditional wedding. After reading this book, I had a good idea of all the logistical stuff I’d need to do for my own wedding.

Queer and trans inclusive! The author includes extra advice and information specifically for queer couples and couples in which one or more partner(s) is trans.

Polyamory affirming! While this book mainly focuses on ceremonies with two partners, the author does talk a little bit about poly handfastings and about historic precedents for polyamory in paganism.

I liked how the author included mentions of love and marriage deities from other religions, like Hinduism and Vodou, while also talking about the dangers of cultural appropriation and making it clear that readers should seek out a clergy in those religions if they want to form a relationship with those deities.

The book is mostly very well-researched and transparent about sources.

Includes anecdotes from people who have been handfasted and from celebrants who have performed handfastings, including non-pagans.

Includes information on the legal status of pagan marriages in many different countries.

Cons:

While the author frequently mentions other traditions, most of the rituals given in this book are very much Wiccan handfastings. There’s a lot of emphasis on Wiccan ritual elements like calling the quarters and tools like athames and chalices. As someone who is not Wiccan, a lot of this just wasn’t relevant to me.

There’s not much mention of other ritual formats pagan weddings can take — which is fair, since handfasting is in the title, but this book will be less helpful to someone planning a Hellenic or Kemetic wedding, for example.

While the research is mostly pretty good, the author will occasionally come out of left field with something really “out there” and provably false, like saying that Odin’s horse Sleipnir has nine legs. (He has eight.)

The flower, herb, and tree correspondences given in this book mostly feature European species. Less helpful if you’re outside of Europe and want to use native plants in your wedding.

Overall Rating: 4/5

Do I recommend it? Yes

Handfasting: A Pagan Guide to Commitment Rituals by Rev. Dr. Kendra Vaughan Hovey

(2007, Provenance Press; part of the Passages series)

Although the title just says "pagan," it's made explicitly clear in the first few pages that this book is about neopagan handfasting traditions. Except not really -- the author is clearly talking about Wicca exclusively (she talks about the God and Goddess a lot and quotes from the Wiccan Rede), but she keeps insisting that these are things all neopagans believe and do. (They aren't.)

Pros:

There’s some good advice for interfaith couples, like making an effort not to prioritize one religion over the other and talking about how you’d like any kids to be raised before you get there. I especially like that the author talked about the importance of respecting your partner’s beliefs and not pressuring them to participate in your rituals.

I like that the author encourages people to incorporate family traditions, cultural traditions, or even religious traditions from their childhood if they were not raised pagan. There’s a big emphasis on personalizing your ceremony.

I enjoyed the section on themed weddings.

I appreciated that this book had information on choosing an engagement or wedding ring stone based on its magical associations.

Cons:

The author encourages couples to pick the gods they call on in their wedding ceremony based on the outcome they want that god to bring to their union. This is a big no-no because it reduces the gods to just another list of correspondences rather than autonomous beings deserving of respect.

This book contains A LOT of pretty major misinformation, like listing Pachamama as an Aztec deity (she’s worshiped by indigenous peoples in the Andes, which is fully on a different continent than the Aztec empire) and calling the Irish goddess Aine a moon goddess (she’s a solar goddess).

So much cultural appropriation. So. Much.

The author uses a lot of gendered, biological-essentialist language and insists on the importance of invoking one god and one goddess in your handfasting ceremony. There’s also a lot of penis-in-vagina sexual imagery. If you are anything but a cishet person marrying another cishet person, this is going to feel kind of icky.

The author explicitly says that pagans need to be “model citizens” (her words) and have a responsibility to make their religion look good to outsiders. That didn’t sit right with me — I don’t think anyone should live their life based on how other people might perceive them, and I definitely don’t think my wedding needs to be an advertisement for the virtues of paganism.

The author is weirdly, aggressively, anti-divorce? Even in cases of abuse or cheating? This is a direct quote from the book: “If we want our marriage to work out, it can. All we have to do is really want it.” Yikes! This kind of advice coming from a well-known reverend and high priestess is the type of thing that leads people to stay in unhealthy or abusive relationships because they feel guilty for “giving up” on their marriage.

The author is also weirdly fixated on sex and, more specifically, sexual monogamy. Normally this wouldn’t bother me, because I get that most people who want to get married are monogamous. But open marriages do exist, and can be very healthy. Not only does this book ignore that, it gets downright preachy about the importance of sexual exclusivity.

Overall Rating: 1.5/5

Do I recommend it? No. This book is 40% bad advice, 40% misinformation, and 20% information that is delivered better in the Liz Williams book.

Romantic Guide to Handfasting: Rituals, Recipes, and More by Anna Franklin

(2016, Llewellyn Publications)

Again, this book is heavy on the Wiccan influences, but it's not quite as bad as the Kendra Vaughan Hovey book -- at least t his author acknowledges that not all pagans are Wiccans.

Pros:

Gay affirming! There’s even a section specifically about gay deities to invoke in your wedding.

There’s a nice section on the history of handfasting, and on the origins of other traditions that are common in modern pagan weddings, like jumping the broom.

I liked that there was a section on wedding clothing, including tips for choosing what to wear for your ceremony.

The section on magical botanicals included detailed instructions for blending your own incenses and oils, which is helpful for readers who aren’t experienced with making their own blends.

There’s a pretty lengthy section on brewing your own wine, mead, and/or beer for the wedding feast, and it actually inspired me and my partner to do this for our handfasting feast!

I like the chapter on handparting, and I like that it includes a sample handparting ritual.

Cons:

A lot of misinformation in the deities section. For example, I don’t think most Hellenic pagans would consider Aphrodite an “Earth Mother” goddess, and as a Heathen I can definitely say that this author fully made up a new myth about Freyja, then portrayed it as an Old Norse story.

Once again, cultural appropriation rears its ugly head.

Uses the word “transsexual” interchangeably with transgender. This is an outdated term that is considered offensive by some, and by 2016 allies definitely knew not to use it.

The sections on gay weddings are much shorter and less well-researched than the sections for straight weddings. This, combined with the outdated language, makes me wonder if the author originally wasn’t going to include any info for queer couples but was pressured to add it in by her publishers. It feels insincere.

Uses the g-slur to refer to Romani people. And then suggests a [g-slur] theme as a potential wedding theme. In a book written in 2016???

Overall Rating: 2/5

Do I recommend it? No. There's some useful info, but you can definitely find that info in other books that don't contain multiple slurs (!!!) and copious misinformation.

[weepylucifer]

For the dialogue prompt: 24 with Steban and Ulixes? :)

24. “You’re trembling.”

A loud knock at the door pulls Steban quite brusquely out of sleep. The bedside clock shows somewhere around two in the morning, and for a moment he's tempted to pull the blanket up around his ears and wait for the knocking to go away. But, he figures, this late at night it can only be an emergency, so he extracts himself from the blanket, puts some clothes on and goes to open.

Uli is outside, which is odd, because Uli's supposed to be on the other side of town, and a great, nameless turmoil is in his face. He looks so pale and shaken up that it wakes Steban fully, and he doesn't even gripe about the lateness of the hour.

"Uli?" he asks. "What's going on?"

"Oh- Steban, I..." Ulixes says, then looks him up and down and, studying Steban's sleep-mussed form in his underwear, seems to realize that it's the middle of the night and how highly unusual and alarming this all must seem. "I'm sorry, I should have waited until tomorrow, I didn't consider... I didn't mean to wake you up. I only... only needed..."

The words leave him in a confused jumble, and he's practically vibrating with that unnamed emotion. "It's okay," Steban says. "Did something happen? You're trembling..."

"I..." Ulixes takes a deep, shuddering breath. "I finally told my parents. About us."

"Come inside."

Steban sits back down on the bed. Instead of joining him as expected, Uli starts pacing. This moment had to come sooner or later, and they've both been aware of that, but now that it's finally here, Ulixes seems profoundly unsettled.

Steban doesn't quite know what to say. He feels absurdly guilty considering his own, relatively harmonious family life, which has done nothing to prepare him for the present situation. He's gotten the awkward "tengo un novio" confession out of the way months ago, resulting in nothing but some good-natured ribbing from his cousins and a promise to his mother to bring su novio around to dinner. With Ulixes, things... were bound to be more difficult.

"I take it things didn't... go well," he says as delicately as he can manage.

Ulixes huffs. "Well... they didn't immediately take me off the will, which I suppose constitutes a net win."

"Still..."

"Most of the fight was about politics, really."

"Which is... better?" Steban attempts.

"Eh. My father seems to think it's all... a phase he expects me to grow out of. Like obviously once it's time to take over my share of the family business, I'll obligingly turn into a lap dog of capitalism. Because that's just what humans are like, everyone acts in their own self-interest, everyone's weak to the promise of money, and someday I'll see reason and admit that to myself. You know how he is. He has his views on how everything is, and nothing I say will ever get through to him. It's like... it's like, to him, I'm not even there."

Steban hasn't met Ulixes' father and therefore doesn't know how he is, but he feels it's not the time to bring that up. Instead, he asks, "What is the family business?" because, come to think of it, he doesn't think Uli has ever told him. "What does your family do?"

Ulixes waves a dismissive hand. "Nothing. Father owns shares in Saint Baptiste."

Ah. And there's the reason why Uli never told him.

"Wow. Maybe you can score me some antidepressants?" Steban says, trying to lighten the mood, but he's not good at jokes, so it falls utterly flat. A bit sheepishly he adds, "I'm sorry, Uli."

Ulixes ceases his irate pacing and suddenly slumps. When he sits on the bed, he looks defeated. "If only he would yell or throw me out or hit me. Then at least I'd know I made an impact. That I'm not just some nuisance to be easily brushed off. That I matter at all."

Steban reaches over and puts a hand on his shoulder. "Ay, cariño," he says quietly.

"They didn't even really mind the gay stuff as much as I thought they might. 'As long as you keep it to yourself', they said. Same with the communism. But then I... I told them your name and some stuff about you, and then... suddenly, they minded."

Right. They asked him where I'm from and what my family does, and he told them. Steban nods.

"Mother said some things..." Uli pauses, discomfited. "Things I don't care to repeat."

"Well, I don't care to hear them," Steban says bluntly, because he can imagine fairly well what kinds of things Gottwaldian bourgeois might say about him. It doesn't come as any kind of surprise. He knows Uli doesn't think of him that way, and that will have to suffice. "Come here," he suggests and pulls up the blanket, shifting to make room.

Uli complies all too readily. Until now, the force of his righteous anger and indignation have kept him going, but his energy seems to be running out. When he curls up against Steban, he is silent, and he burrows underneath the blanket and smushes his face into Steban's chest like he doesn't want to make eye contact. This is, Steban knows, still the only way Ulixes can sometimes accept comfort. Uli is not well-versed in physical contact. One discovery that came with their relationship becoming physical is that Uli doesn't really... know hugs, or kisses, or pats on the head. Well, Steban knows all these things in abundance, so he wraps his arms around Ulixes and nuzzles into his hair. Uli has not taken his glasses off, so they poke awkwardly into Steban's shoulder, but that's okay.

There's still a tremor running through Uli's body, and Steban recalls that, while he insists he was never physically harmed, Ulixes does fear his father. It makes Steban wonder what it must have been like for him growing up east of the river, surrounded by the bright and impersonal ease of wealth and never acknowledged or touched. He doesn't really know what to do about any of this except call his own mother at the earliest opportunity and thank her for every kiss, every cuddle, every little sacrifice that compounded over the years. For now, he strokes Uli's back and murmurs, "Shh, shh, you'll be alright, I'm here," and hopes it will be enough.

[stellanslashgeode]

11,12,25,and 46 for the writer ask game! 💚💙

11. Link to three of your favorite fics right now

I really enjoyed honey, you're familiar, a great one-room one-shot like a stage play that uses chess as a metaphor for strategically making your way through a tough reunion.

And you know I have to boost your Luminara & Barriss, it's just hits just the right spots to give me those feelings.

And starwatcher (hold your ground) is a very unique canon divergence fic, and we really don't get enough set during Attack of the Clones. I'm way behind on it, @bettyxrosex has an admirable work ethic.

12. How does receiving or not receiving feedback/support impact you?

This is a hard one because on some level I am aware of my audience and do want to please them. And I'm often surprised on what gets hits and what doesn't. I'm working on Way of the Mynock right now because I have a lot of ideas for it, yes. But also because it's gotten a lot of hits and I want to keep the momentum up. Contrasts, by contrast, hasn't gotten much feedback. But that's okay, I'm kind of writing that as therapy. Plus, the next chapter is a long diversion to the High Republic Era (the undervalued Phase II even) which isn't as popular. But I love this group of characters that will be in it. Because it's a "one for me" I can afford to take my time.

Dusk of a Golden Age hasn't gotten as many readers but the comments on it were so sweet and encouraging! I am dedicated to finishing it and polishing well before publishing. Sometimes series with a few, but enthusiastic readers are the best ones.

Sometimes I write things knowing few people will read it, but a select few will be looking for that sort of story and will love it. Microcasting. Theed Lament is like that. It has under 100 hits, but I hope I really scratched an itch for dozens who were looking for that experience.

25. What fic do you wish you got more of a response on?

Oh, that's easy. Jedi: Dropout. It's a fic with all OCs so I knew it would not pop up in searches very often, but it's where I hid a lot of my worldbuilding for Mirial and Mirialan religion and culture. So, if you're a reader and you like the pantheon I created and put into my Barrissoka stuff go read that too. I also hid a lot of my musing on the Jedi and their practices there. And it is a great little slow burn about two girlfailures (and Nerf herding).

46. How do you describe your style.

Character driven. High on interiority. I sometimes have action-focused stuff but it's not very grand and epic. Action and violence are usually small scale and in close quarters, I don't do grand battle scenes. Because the characters get lost in that. I make a point to occasionally injure the characters I love and want to protect so I don't handle them too preciously. Sometimes I try to just write smut but always put a lot of emotional breakthroughs in there too because I just can't help myself. Is there a term for a coming-of-age genre but it's about that 25-30 age range? I find that time of life very compelling, you're past your education and need to figure yourself out again as an adult.

Thanks for the asks, Bailey! I'll also link the original post so we can keep this going.

[agueforts]

Raises paw hii we saw the colors posting and wanted to ask if you have anything to say about the "everyone literally percieves/processes colors differently" thing? It freaked us out in middle school and now im just curious abt it

well, see, the thing is everyone is living a different life from everyone else, because everyone in the world is in fact a different person. i think it's sort of like. fake deep, in the sense that people react to it like it's a big deal and so that makes other people react to it like it's a big deal, but it doesn't really say anything meaningful about the world if you actually dig into it

scientifically, we know concretely that some people intrinsically percieve colors differently — we call that colorblindness. perception of a color also shifts based on its surroundings (as i'm sure most artists are already aware of), and there's a biological mechanism behind that too, in how the optic system signals brightness to the brain

subjectively, some people percieve colors differently for non-intrinsic reasons — for instance, there's a great post somewhere out there on the vast landscape of tumblr that made a point about principles of painting and stuff like hue shifts when shading, which is a difference in perception that's based in knowledge and learned skill

objectively, there's absolutely variation in the experience of other senses that aren't treated nearly as novel — as someone who's extraordinarily sensitive to bitter tastes, this is my experience with an innumerable amount of foods (a notable example is fruit-based pastries, which nearly always taste predominantly tart to me, regardless of how sweet they are to others)

and practically, at the end of the day, what does it really mean if i see red slightly differently than someone else?

we're not telepathic, so there's never going to be an absolute certainty of its truth or lack thereof (though ofc in science nothing is ever set in stone, so that's really more about your own conception of the nature of knowledge than anything else)

it isn't something easily tested on your own — the most accessible medium is digitally, and that's a flawed experiment from the start, between environmental lighting, phone brightness, the differences in device's individual displays (see: the "woah this looks WAY different on my phone/computer" phenomenon), etc. too many other factors, none of them easily accounted for

sure, it sounds interesting philosophically, but there's very few tangible questions to ask about it. could i hold interest in the discussion? sure, absolutely, you've seen how i am about color, but you'd have to ask the right question. and personally, "what if your red isn't the same as my red" is far too undefined and ungrounded to be all that engaging for me (especially since it's the sort of question where people tend to take your disinterest for misunderstanding of the implications and assert their probing further as such)

[dandelionjedi]

I've been meaning to spread some Andor love for a while. Huge thank you to the people at @andorappreciation for giving me a push to put my thoughts out into the world! I've loved seeing everyone's posts, and wanted to throw in my two cents. Warning: Long post incoming, continues after the cut

I think Andor is the best thing Star Wars has put out since the last 4 episodes of The Clone Wars show (which were amazing, and another thing I could go on about, but that’s not today’s theme). I’d say it’s the most consistently good thing Star Wars has put out, ever. Please keep in mind I am not much of a critic, but still. I’ve watched a lot of Star Wars stuff.

Please note the "consistently good". There's so much Star Wars stuff out there, it's hard to say what's the 'best'. And best is very subjective! I think Andor is noteworthy for having 12 episodes that all felt equally great. There were certainly some that stood out above the rest (One Way Out comes to mind), but none of them seemed worse than the others, or out of place.

Most Star Wars media has a "it was really good, but...". The original trilogy was all around pretty good, but I'm more of a prequel era person. That being said, I'll be the first to admit that the prequels had some room for improvement, especially in the dialogue department. The Clone Wars show was very good, but there were a lot of lackluster episodes in between the main plot. Rebels was good, but it was aimed at a younger audience, and doesn't quite stand up to some of the other shows. The Mandalorian was good, but definitely fell apart in later seasons (which I'm aware Andor could still do). I could go on. We'll need to see how they do with future seasons, but I have nothing but good things to say about season 1.

Andor was visually amazing, in a way that The Mandalorian and other recent live action shows haven’t quite gotten. I think some of it can be attributed to them shooting on more practical sets. One of the most breathtaking settings was shot in the Scottish Highlands. There were wide aerial drone shots that they never would have been able to get without being on location.

They also used color really, really well. Whenever the show was in Empire territory, everything was bright lights, hard lines, sharp corners. Black and white and gray, clean outlines without a speck of dust. Outside their control, everything became more natural. It was gritty and dirty, with lots of neutrals. On Ferrix, there were rusty earth tones. On Aldhani, beautiful green rolling hills. On Kenari, earthy greens and jungle vines. When Luthen goes underground on Coruscant, it immediately shifts from bright lights to soft shadows. Away from the Imperial color scheme, back towards the natural colors of the Rebels.

When you go back to Coruscant, in Mon Mothma’s house, you can still see the influence of the Empire. While the colors have shifted from black and white, everything else screams Empire. The same crisp lines and hard shapes. It’s pretty, but empty. Much like the life she lives. You can try to cover it up, but she’s still in the Empire’s home base.

Every location was visually recognizable. As soon as you see the screen you can tell where the characters are. And so much of it was new! No more sandy Tatooine, full of characters that all inexplicably know one another. Every location was new, or made sense to be added, but it still felt connected with the rest of Star Wars.

There were also so many amazing visual moments. The whole scene with the Eye of Aldahni was breathtaking. Tragic, poetic, and visually stunning. I loved watching Mon Mothma play her political game on Coruscant. There were a few shots of her completely alone in the frame that took my breath away. Cassian had a similar shot on Kenari, looking out over the quarry. Luthen in the tunnel. The prisoners on Narkina 5. The final march on Ferrix.

I also loved the costumes. Not even in a "look at the attention to detail" way, just an "I want that outfit. I WANT IT!!!"

All the characters were so well developed, even those that only got a little bit of screen time. Everyone had a personality, their own quirks and motives. Everyone contributed to the story in their own way, no matter how small. On both sides too, Empire and Rebellion. The one thing about characters I do have to say is I have my fingers crossed that Dedra and Syrill don't get together. Just, please no.

And the music. The bells. The native people of Aldahni. The funeral march. It was so, so, so good.

The dialogue was also spectacular, but if I were to talk about that it would pretty much be me quoting various lines and saying “Listen to that! Wasn’t it amazing? IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!" So I’m just going to say it was ridiculously good and leave it at that.

The whole show is dark, gritty, and down to Earth. We know, going into it, how the story ends. We know pretty much everyone is doomed. But they still make us care. The ending was amazing, tying up loose ends, and feeling like a fulfilling ending, while still leaving plenty of story threads to pick up at a later date. The final scene, of the Death Star coming together, means we can't forget for a moment how the story ends, no matter how much we might wish otherwise.

I loved it. (You probably had no idea). I would highly recommend it, regardless of whether or not you’re a Star Wars fan, or have even ever watched a Star Wars movie. If you’re not convinced, just watch the teaser trailer. The teaser trailer specifically, it’s so good, I’ve probably watched it at least a dozen times. Those bells!

Some other random notes:

Brasso seems like a really nice guy. Just, kudos to him for being a really great friend. And him hitting the Imperial guy over the head with the brick was great.

LGBTQ+ in space!!! YES!!!!!!!!!!

I am obligated to point out the sheep. Real, live, sheep. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t those sheep the first normal Earth animals to make it into Star Wars? No fancy prosthetics, just normal sheep (that breed of sheep naturally has 2+ pairs of horns). They’re Hebridean sheep, by the way. In case you were wondering.

Also Bix is pretty and I want her jacket

Small note: I'd love to add some screenshots/gifs to this post, but I'm a little confused about tumblr etiquette for that type of thing. I know GIF making is it's own thing, that takes some effort, so do people not generally post gifs from shows that they didn't make? What about random screenshots from google? Probably overthinking things, but if someone could explain that to me I'd appreciate it.

One other small note: A lot of this is taken from a post I made on my Instagram account. I would be incredibly surprised if anyone sees both posts, but I thought I should mention that. I'm not linking my Instagram because I keep it separate from my fandom life, and I'd like it to stay that way. The Andor post was an exception.

[beelsbignaturals]

Big Brothers ft. MC is Pagan

*hands you some self indulgent bullshit*

Considering OM lore gives us proof of the Abrahamic God, why not others? This is purely because I'm a silly little pagan myself. My idea was that as a general rule, magic is stronger in the Devildom. And if you do deity work, said gods can visit you in a much more tangible way. If anyone is interested in a part 2 lmk! Anyways. Enjoy ♡♡♡♡♡

--------‐--------‐-------------------------------------------------------

Lucifer

• He really doesn't care.

• Listen, it doesn't really affect him in any way. Bro has way too much on his plate to worry about you yelling at the moon.

• Every now and then you find candle wicks trimmed and herbs restocked. How mysterious.

• Despite his habit of brushing your religion off... Lucifer nearly has a heart attack when, late one night, he heads to the kitchen to grab yet another coffee only to find you chatting it up with The Morrìgan.

• Imagine his shock as he watches you sitting there on the counter, feet swinging as you tell the triple goddess about your day.

• Suddenly his respect and fear of you increases tenfold.

Mammon

• His immediate assumption is "Oh shit like the witches he owes money.."

• Once you explain you don't do fantasy magic... just practical stuff he calms down.

• He tries to impress you by talking about how he met such and such deity at a party a few centuries ago.

• Claims to have out drank Dionysis. It's a lie.

• Enchant a good luck charm for him. He will cherish it forever.

• After observing your practice he's started keeping bay leaves in his wallet.

• Remember that comment about Dionysis? Yeah that's about to bite the great Mammon in the ass.

• As usual, our dear Avatar of Greed bursts into your room unannounced.

• Rudely interrupting a godly gossip session. 

• You just roll your eyes. "See what I mean? Zero privacy!"

• The god of madness and wine (amongst other things) hums in agreement before turning to Mammon with a glint in his eye.

• "How about a drinking contest? I've heard some bold claims."

Leviathan

• Once you get past the initial phase of "ew normie go away", he actually thinks it's kinda cool.

• I mean you do need to explain you aren't a magical girl or some shit. But aside from that he shows genuine interest.

• One night a thunderstorm knocks the power out.

• Unable to game, Levi decides to go see what you are up to.

• He's not quite sure what he expected, but it probably wasn't finding you sitting outside, criss cross applesauce in the pouring rain.

• "Hey... MC.... you okay?" Leviathan had planned on poking his head out to see what possessed you to go out on a torrential downpour.  Emphasis on planned.

• Seeing the king of the gods listening to you rant about failing the big Devildom law exam made the third born change his mind real fast.

• His plan was to pretend it never happened because *what the fuck*

• Too bad Zeus asked about the purple haired guy staring at you. Oops.

Satan

• If you do deity work, he loans you books on your patron's mythology

• Satan will sit for hours with you discussing common themes found throughout various religions.

• Thinks Freya's chariot being pulled by cats is the coolest thing ever.

• Very interested in baneful magic. I just know it.

• "I got you some coffin nails while I was out the other day."

• Satan is well aware magic is stronger in the Devildom so he isn't surprised in the slightest when any spellwork you do is a bit more... aggressive? Then what you expect.

• However he certainly wasn't expecting Lady Hecate to visit you every now and again.

• He was dropping off a book on natural poisons when the door opens to reveal a chthonic goddess offering you words of wisdom.

• "Oh I love that book. Leave it on the alter." Neither of you look up, too engrossed in your own conversation.

• Satan, being one of the few demons in this house with at least two braincells to rub together, does as he's told.

[midwinterwings]

Ok. Response to your response. you're not gonna like this one, Oho I can tell ya that. So first off. Admittedly I was having a bit of a moment- I think that's fairly obvious, my tone is wildly different. But uh. Ok this is gonna sound mean. A lot of people on the godkin/deitykin tag don't.. they associate, or they feel like a demigod to themselves, but to everyone else looking at them they're just.. Disappointing. A god doesn't beg for worshipers, they find and reach out. That's kinda what I mean by blind. They can't tell shit, but what they can feel makes them feel big. I was on the tag just looking for stuff to fuel my ire without saying anything (because yk. hatescrolling is what you do while insane.)

That being said. I'm an astral crazed person first. This comes with me trusting the shit out of my intuition, and I saw your stuff and my immediate thought was "..is that a god?? Huh? Hello??" It's one of those things that I've kinda just. Practiced doing, finding people who can see more clearly their situation, and those with an incomplete picture. How I figured myself out is another answer you're gonna hate me for; I'm not an established god. I'm not a forgotten pantheon. I'm a weird little inhuman entity who sat up, and over the course of thousands of years mapped out the very nature of apotheosis until I pushed this life over the cliff and made it through into something I wanted to be. So now I am, and I get to decide what comes with that! I'm the only one with my names, and I've tried to seed it along the internet to like. See if I can get people to look, instead of just reaching out and pretending to be a face I'm not. Or deciding that I'll just Help Anyways faceless. Though I can and am also working to do Helping Anyways from a faceless pov. You're not really screaming into the void though. Just gotta be aware that the viewers that scroll through are. Well. Like me. Sometimes utterly nuts with a personality line between what I deem "Udstcarnaitasin" and just "lil guy strange :3"

OK to your first point - I actually do get where you're coming from, and this isn't excusing their behaviour by the way, but I think one reason we see that is because with deitykin, there's no deitykins who can help out like therians can. For example, after you figure out you're a deitykin, it's kind of "congrats. You're deitykin. What now? No one cares, have a towering heap of controversy surrounded with being deitykin because most otherkin don't like you, and hate because yay free hate, bye lol."

Whereas therians have much more resources and therians who talk about their lives - living actual lives rather than using it to escape from responsibilities and the like. Deitykin don't have that, and because they're frowned upon by otherkin as well as pretty much everyone else, they just kind of wing it and make themselves feel important and big. Like using your feelings that you're a deitykin (I personally constantly feel like there's a warm fire in my chest flickering and buzzing, that gets brighter the more I let myself be without pushing myself down) and blowing it out of proportion, thinking that just because you feel like X deity you're special in some way, leading to feeling like you're better than everyone etc etc. Just my thoughts because I've been unconsciously thinking about what you said, some of the posts do seem to vibrate with arrogance, like "my teacher told me to hand in my homework, do you know who you're even talking to???" I was thinking about this wondering where it came from because I didn't really see this in therian spaces, well that's a lie some people do say "stop making me do homework I'm a fox foxes don't do homework" but it's much less common and there's not as heavy of a focus to your role and status compared to 'normal humans'. I know Deities obviously have a big tie to title and status in regard to humans, as Christianity tells us to worship God and how great he is and all powerful, you know the drill. But animals do too, I don't see therians talking about how they wish they were mistreated by humans and treated like crap if they're a fox kin. In my country foxes are considered pests and disliked because of the damage they cause. I'm not sure if I have something here, it's just a theory. A film theory. I don't sleep well until I've at least got a basic foundational grasp of the things I'm interested in and deitykin and why so many act like that is one of the things, which is very frustrating because...no info man. So I had to DIY my own theory to keep myself sane.

And to your second - I'm curious why you thought I'd hate you for it tbh because I do not at all. And the two personalities is a mood heheh, I'm the same, and sometimes both at the same time...

Anyways, now that stuff is pretty much cleared, I'll be back later to actually ask questions instead of asking about your ask 🫠🫠👌

[softausterity]

Don't Take Art Advice from Strangers on the Internet - Art advice from a stranger on the internet

(i'll be discussing drawing within this post because that's my oeuvre but i would like to think it applies to a lot of things. really it's more 'advice on how to take advice' but i couldn't resist.)

If you are anything like me, you have made a thing or two in your time, and 90% of your knowledge on making those things was gained by looking up "How to (blank)" on the internet. There are many excellent resources available for free online! but who's making these resources? Usually, people -- people who are biased and don't know you personally.

Let's say you find a tutorial online telling you how to improve a part of your art you've been struggling with. The person making this tutorial has great art, and they explain the points in an easy-to-follow manner. before you pull out your sketchbook or tablet, (because you should be immediately practicing advice as soon as you see it otherwise it will slide directly out of your brain) you need to think about if you should actually follow that tutorial.

How can you tell? It's not about how good the person's art is, or even if they're a good teacher. What you need to be thinking about is if the tutorial is right for you, specifically.

Almost all "art tutorials" are tutorials on how to draw more like the person making them. it's something beginner artists admit to pretty often with titles like "how to draw this thing in my style" where instead intermediate artists will throw around "the better way to draw this thing!" or "stop drawing this thing like this!"

I'm not saying that's a bad thing! it's how art is, right? Good artists copy, great artists steal, so it makes sense that an art tutorial would simply be a guide on how to steal from the person making it. but it's something you need to be aware of.

people tend to raise a stink about tutorials using language like "this is the wrong way to draw something - this is the correct one" and in a lot of cases i think it's a valid complaint, but what's happened is that it's just resulted in changing the phrasing to "this is a good way to draw something, but this is a better way." which is just a nicer way of saying exactly the same thing.

since this language is so common, if you're going to find art tutorials online, the onus is on you to figure out which tutorials are good or bad for you and your art.

When you're looking at someone who's a professional artist, they're usually going to be clearer about who their advice is for. Take Ethan Becker, for example. His videos are excellent and i'd recommend him to basically anyone asking for visual art advice. However, as you can pick up on pretty quickly, his advice is for people looking to get into the animation industry!

If you're, say, looking to get into illustration, maybe more painterly stuff, his advice is still helpful, but you need to pick and choose what you need. The point about not wasting time learning muscle groups is great advice if you're only focused on working as a storyboarder or concept artist for an animation studio, but if you're interested in pretty much anything else, learning human anatomy is one of the most helpful things you can do. this doesn't mean he's wrong, of course. he's teaching the thing he knows, which is working in the animation industry.

If someone is saying that their way is "the better way to draw this thing" you need to look at their art, and what they're explaining, and figure out what they actually mean. is it "the better way to draw this thing for webcomic artists" or "the better way to draw this thing if you want to be popular on instagram"? what are your personal goals with your art?

this does not transition into my point about learning the fundamentals as well as i wanted it to and this post is already too long. more posts sometime soon because i love listening to myself talk. watch ethan becker.

[invisiblegarters]

Dangerous Romance Ep 8

Last week, Kang tried to make Sailom's friends forgive him for all that bullying and treating them like shit, mostly successfully as it turns out. But only really because they are great friends and they can see that Sailom likes him. Auto was very relatable and steadily climbed the ranks into becoming my favorite character, and Guy and Nawa were dumb with alcohol.

Also Saifah got Grandma to hire him. I'm sure that'll go well with absolutely nothing being stolen and no one being arrested and no repercussions for Sailom at all.

See? Sailom doesn't trust his big bro either. We all know.

Pffft yes Kang. Sleeping next to Saifah will totally make you smarter. Well, he knows what genre he's in, at any rate.

Just for tonight, Sailom says. That's how it starts, my friend.

Kang reminds me of my cat. I'll be minding my own business and then I'll just feel eyes on me and I'll look and sure enough, there she is staring fixedly at my face like 👀. Little creeper (affectionate).

Sailom is being really loud.

Guy and Nawa are so ridiculous. I can't take anything they do seriously.

Well I have to say Saifah has rich kids pegged. Will Sailom figure that out, though? Doubtful.

Oh wait I'm watching a different show. I forgot that Sailom is nothing like Sand. Literally the only thing those two have in common is that they're poor and in love with richie riches. And the fact that he went off without so much as trying to get an explanation pretty much guarantees that Kang's reason for not making it isn't just that he's a spoiled shit who didn't feel like it. He's not Ray, either. Gotta remember that lol.

Okay but he still could have called? Was his phone magically broken too? It just shows a certain level of thoughtlessness I dislike.

I just want to take a quick moment to say I really appreciate the trend of letting the inevitable female love rival be a real person and not just a plot device, or a villain who keeps trying to break up the main couple.

Oh that's sweet. But Saifah is not going to care Grandma. I just do not trust that face at all.

Now that the BL sheets have been mentioned I can never unsee it again.

Okay I do love Sailom. He really goes all out when he decides to do a thing, doesn't he.

Product placement!

Uh oh. And we have an injury that's gonna mess up try outs and then dad will step in and pay off coach, yes?

I have to say that this does feel a little different. Usually the rich kids have to learn the lessons of working for a thing and they don't already realize just how little it does for them to get it all from money. In these shows I mean in real life I don't think they give two shits ever haha. But Kang already seems to be very aware of this - he's aimless because nothing is expected from him and he resents it. Maybe I'm wrong though.

Huh. So he was asking for expensive stuff, not taking. I assumed he was taking. I still wonder if he stole that watch though.

Uh oh. I don't like the way Grandma asked that. I'm suspicious of everyone!

Is "I'll deal with him alone" code for makeouts? Because I believe that these two want to kill each other like I believe the sky is neon green.

Two point five please be serious.

Pfft I kind of love how chill Max and Auto are. Like I don't even care anymore it's just funny to me now.

Oh here we go with the blushing maiden shit. It's okay if these guys want to do sexy things to each other, show.

"I'm not just a spoiled rich kid anymore, right?" Oh no it's really gonna suck when you find out dad took care of this for you, kddo.

Dad what are you up to? You are so slimy right now that you're practically oozing.

Oooh he's going off. And there it is. I always knew Dad had that in him.

And hey, this is actually a good use of flashback.

Aw okay this is actually really sweet. I don't know if I'm a diehard shipper yet (so far I enjoy Nawa and Guy more overall), but do like this. I always enjoy a good "us against the world" moment.

Bro you are literally dating why are you asking if he likes you.

Lol oh dear that preview.

I'm getting better with this show. We're vibing now. I'm a little sad it took me eight episodes to do that, but at least we're here, right?

[literaticat]

When choosing an agent, is it worth taking into consideration if they will be subbing other books in your genre at the same time? I've heard of authors not being able to go out to editors they wanted because the agent had other clients out to those editors. Is this a sign of a not-great agent, or is it relatively common? I'm surprised I haven't seen this brought up as a factor when choosing between offers before.

I think you're overthinking it.

If you aren't sure what OP is talking about [and btw I'm making this up right now, btw, but FOR EXAMPLE]: Let's say there are 7 editors who have "Horror YA!" as their special interest. I, the agent, just went out with a new Horror YA, and all of those editors are looking at it.

You, my new client, have also written a Horror YA. In my opinion, it would be really ideal if I did NOT submit a new Horror YA to all seven of those editors until they are *done* looking at the one I already sent; I don't want to overwhelm the editors, nor do I want my own clients to compete with one another, it's already hard enough out there with all the OTHER stuff that OTHER agents are sending around, at least I can make sure that I'm giving my OWN clients their best chance!

(In my opinion, this is correct and best practices, and to do otherwise would be not-great. But hey, maybe some great agents LOVE to bombard editors with tons of similar material all at once, I dunno. It couldn't be me!)

The good news, though, is that while this can certainly happen, it doesn't really prove to be an issue often in my experience, and it's never a FOREVER issue. First, because there aren't usually only a tiny number of editors who do any given kind of book, in almost every instance, there are plenty of other editors to potentially go to. And, hopefully, an agent is pretty aware of their own list and is taking care not to have books that are so similar at the same time that they'd compete with one another on submission; if I already know I have a certain kind of YA horror ms with a certain tone about to go on submission -- why would I be offering on another project that is incredibly similar? I just wouldn't. So I would avoid this scenario.

Now, let's say I take you on with your Horror YA, and then out of nowhere one of my existing clients comes up with an extremely similar toned book that would certainly go to many of the same editors. Well, it takes time to get manuscripts ready for submission. Sometimes weeks of back-and-forth, sometimes months -- so presumably one of you is going to be actually ready first. I'd go out with that one, and then continue editing/prepping the other one, and then when that one is about ready, strategize timing on that submission.

Just because it's similar doesn't mean you'd NEVER go on submission -- it just might be better to start with some different editors, or wait an extra month or whatever until the lion's share of folks had gotten back to me, or something like that. (And in fact I have sold things in this scenario to the editors who DIDN'T get a chance to buy the first one -- like, I send Book A out, there's a ton of interest, one person ends up winning the auction -- the other folks who were super interested might be QUITE KEEN to see another similar-toned manuscript now!)

(It ALSO might be a situation where it's not even the same genre -- but, let's say I'm waiting for an answer from Editor A on a certain project or we have some big *thing* brewing -- I might have to wait on sending them something new until I hear a response on the first thing. But that doesn't mean that editor will NEVER see your work - just that I have to strategize timing a bit!)

Anyway, there's no possible way that you could prepare for that. How could that be a criteria for choosing an agent? What would you possibly ask them? "Do you have any clients who MIGHT write a book about XYZ at some future date that MIGHT happen to conflict with mine, or who MIGHT work with an editor who I want to work with and because of the status of their project my submission will have to wait a beat?" -- like... ??? Yeah! Probably! But I imagine that it will all work out just fine.

TL;DR - while this scenario can happen, it's not really a big deal if it does, and there's no way for you to plan for it anyway, so don't borrow trouble.