#maybe 4 posts at most and I'll space them out

[roadsaltedpretzels]

Hello world I’m still alive I think I’m gonna start posting here again

I’ll explain where I’ve been in a readmore if anyone is curious for some reason but anyway hi folks I can finally draw again and I think I might finally be back

So to keep the very long, tedious story short, about 2 years ago I started having constant pain in my arms and hands that eventually became intolerable and I completely lost the ability to draw (or do Most Things) for months. Turns out I have a herniated disc in my cervical spine, probably from a really bad car accident I was in. The pain has since gotten much better (tho still more or less constant) but the depression it contributed to didn’t really get better with it, especially with a bunch of other stressful things that have been happening. I was also feeling really uninspired in general and kind of hated my art at the time, so all that compounded resulted in a total loss of art drive. I legit have barely drawn anything in 2 years. Which worsened the depression, since drawing was the most important thing in the world to me. It’s been a bad spiral.

Well, last month, one of the worst things that could happen to me happened and now I’m out of a job and somehow, some way, I’m actually starting to bounce back up now. I’ve been playing a lot of pokemon in my ample free time and it’s actually been giving me the inspiration and drive I’ve been missing for so long. I’ve drawn more in the last 2 weeks than I have in the entire 2 years since I stopped posting here.

So yeah, I think I’m gonna start sharing some art again. I don’t have a ton of it but out of what I have, a lot of it’s going to be pokemon. I also have some dnd character art I managed a while ago. I was always too shy to share ocs since I figure no one would care about them, but that’s about all I have now, so it’s going to have to do.

I’ll also be opening commissions here pretty soonish, so keep an eye out for details if you’re interested! I don’t have any other source of income right now so it would be a big help!!

Thanks for sticking around if you did! No idea how active I’ll be from here on out or what I’ll be sharing primarily but I want to get back to creating. I’ve missed it very badly. 

[maplesyrupsainz]

˖⁺｡˚⋆˙biscuits | CS55˖⁺｡˚⋆˙

pairing: carlos sainz x baker!reader y/n (she/her)

genre: social media au, new relationship

warnings: nothing rly, jus lots of fun interactions with drivers & some fluff w carlos tehe

summary: in which your baked goods are a hit with the grid (and so is your blossoming relationship)

a/n: hiii i loveee making fics where y/n is bffs with the whole grid lolz & by whole grid it's like 4 other drivers coz i dnt have the time & space to be writing in a thousand diff relationship dynamics nd these ppl r the ones i feel most comfy writing !

request!!!: For your inspiration maybe smau with Carlos and baker reader who gets along with everyone and bakes for everyone . And maybe make it funny like the "meme" you made with Lando *(HERE for reference)*

fc: various brunette girls from pinterest

my masterlist

instagram ->

yourusername

liked by carlossainz55, landonorris, and 411,593 others

yourusername happy new year 🎇🫶

tagged: carlossainz55

view all 4,096 comments

user1 happy new year y/n!!!

user2 omgg her first new year with carlos?? 🤭

user3 hiii y/n :)

yourusername hi❤️

user3 OMG

carlossainz55 pretty girl

yourusername 🫶

user4 MY BABIES

user5 i love them

charles_leclerc it's 10pm on january 2nd

landonorris leave her alone charles she was hungover

charles_leclerc for 2 days?

yourusername dont shame me. we all saw you on carlos' birthday

charles_leclerc 🤐

carlossainz55

liked by charles_leclerc, lewishamilton, and 623,196 others

carlossainz55 a winter break update

tagged: yourusername

view all 10,821 comments

user6 THE SELFIE

user7 i luv her

landonorris ?? those biscuits better be for me

carlossainz55 no go away

yourusername not these ones landie lou :p

landonorris boooooo

user8 not landie lou

user9 y/n is so pretty

yourusername why post that pic of us, u made me look crazy

carlossainz55 you did that all on your own my love

charles_leclerc lol 😂

yourusername you want biscuits or not charles leloser

charles_leclerc im sorry y/n

user10 the nicknames😭

user11 lol the grid is so whipped for y/n

twitter ->

instagram ->

carlossainz55 posted a story

liked by yourusername, danielricciardo, and 23,555 others

landonorris MY BISCUITS??

charles_leclerc FOR ME!??

danielricciardo aw we miss y/n

carlossainz55 she said she's rustling up something delicious for you & heidi 💘

danielricciardo omg feel so blessed rn

user13 😮 the poison biscuits?!?!??

user14 the heartssss she's too cute

liked by carlossainz55

danielricciardo posted a story

liked by carlossainz55, yourusername, and 55,827 others

sry i made a typo it's meant to say FROM our angel lolz

yourusername ANYTHING FOR MY FAV AUSSIEEE

danielricciardo we luv u

landonorris daniel she hates me

danielricciardo no ur just a beg

landonorris SHUT UP

user15 this is soooo cute

user16 BEST WAG FAV WAG

user17 in love w her

yourusername

liked by charles_leclerc, carlossainz55, and 567,892 others

yourusername my vacay got gatecrashed by ferrari's worst driver 😢

view all 12,011 comments

charles_leclerc why are you always so mean to me y/n

yourusername im so sowwy charlie. will u ever forgive me??!!

charles_leclerc maybe. for some biscuits

yourusername ok deal i'll make u some biscuits

landonorris this is NOT fair

charles_leclerc suck it up little lando

user18 y/n in her biscuit era

user19 fr & the flowers are soo cute

carlossainz55 you literally love when he hangs out with us

yourusername 🤫 .

charles_leclerc ???

user20 LOL

oscarpiastri hi y/n

yourusername not you too

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, oscarpiastri, and 887,133 others

charles_leclerc winter break + biscuits 🍒

view all 9,819 comments

carlossainz55 lando is going to be so triggered

yourusername i told him to keep it HUSH.

landonorris WHAT IS THIS

landonorris ARE THOSE Y/N BISCUITS

charles_leclerc nooo hahahhh

landonorris im done with you charles lestinks

yourusername oh it's serious

landonorris YES IT'S SERIOUS

user21 someone make that boy some biscuits

user22 we all gonna ignore charles hands in that pic 👀

user23 oh no dw. we're looking

oscarpiastri justice for lando norris

liked by charles_leclerc, landonorris, danielricciardo, carlossainz55

carlossainz55

liked by yourusername, estebanocon, and 822,643 others

carlossainz55 time flies

view all 16,193 comments

yourusername i love u so much cant wait to watch u this race season 🌶️

carlossainz55 my biggest supporter ❤️ i love you

user24 favs omg

landonorris aww is that you guys baking biscuits for me together?? 😊

carlossainz55 sure lando!

yourusername 🤨🤨

charles_leclerc ❤️❤️

scuderiaferrari can't wait to have our favourite girl back in the paddock!

carlossainz55 you & me both

yourusername ❤️

user25 ferrari admin is just like us

user26 the pic of them baking together is too cute

user27 AND y/n in the ferrari jacket😭😭

twitter ->

instagram ->

yourusername

liked by carlossainz55, georgerussell63, and 421,056 others

yourusername & we're back 🐎

view all 6,338 comments

user29 the nailssss

user30 she's so hot

alexandrasaintmleux so happy to be back to seeing u almost every weekend🙏

yourusername ME TOOO squealing & running round

charles_leclerc y/n you cant keep her for too long

yourusername i do what i want. sorry

alexandrasaintmleux 🤭🤭🤭

carlossainz55 my lucky charm 🍀

yourusername blushing omg. i love u

carlossainz55 and i love you

scuderiaferrari lucky us!! everyone wants what we have

yourusername oh stop it you

user31 now kiss

user32 no wag will ever top y/n

user33 most supportive wag

yourusername posted a story

liked by charles_leclerc, francisca.cgomes, and 83,415 others

charles_leclerc 😍

user34 omg sooo cute

user35 she's gorgeous

francisca.cgomes omggg love

yourusername where are u kika we want u with us

francisca.gomes omg tehe love you i'll come see you asap

user36 FERRARI WAGS BFFS

landonorris posted a story

liked by carlossainz55, oscarpiastri, and 201,738 others

carlossainz55 safe flight ✈️

charles_leclerc are you kidnapping her

landonorris no we're not all as crazy as you!

charles_leclerc behave 👎

user37 awwwww taking flights together they're besties

user38 she's just a girl fr

user39 stealing our girl away to smelly england?

yourusername posted a story

liked by alexandrasaintmleux, francisca.cgomes, and 67,082 others

landonorris you should be making biscuits for me

yourusername i might if you stop being so desperate

landonorris 🤨

carlossainz55 cant wait to reunite with you this evening 💘

yourusername me too i miss you tons!

user40 we love u y/n

user41 well deserved :))

pierregasly kika said where's her invite

yourusername we're not even in the same country unfortunately 😢 she knows i wish she was here to hang out

twitter ->

instagram ->

yourusername

liked by lewishamilton, carlossainz55, and 817,019 others

yourusername short stint in london 🇬🇧

view all 7,952 comments

lewishamilton the most beautiful couple

liked by yourusername, carlossainz55

oscarpiastri i love my parents

yourusername strange boy

carlossainz55 dont talk to our son like that y/n

oscarpiastri dad 🥹

yourusername ...my bad

user43 LOLLLL not y/n having no choice but to parent the rookies 🥹

user44 logan too i bet

charles_leclerc monaco next?

carlossainz55 we are literally always there??

charles_leclerc yeah well i miss you guys ok..

yourusername AWWW CHARLIEEE

user45 THE PAPER RINGS WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREAMED

landonorris aww look at you two

yourusername 😘 got some biscuits in the oven for you

landonorris NO WAY

landonorris posted a story

liked by yourusername, carlossainz55, and 401,723 others

carlossainz55 my girl is beautiful AND generous

THE END ❤️

[dnfao3tags]

Finding Deleted Fics: A Multi-Method Guide

i feel like we are the fandom who needs this post the most any fandom has needed it ever.

all of these methods require you to know the title, author and/or link of the fic.

[disclaimer: the fic i am using as an example is not deleted, i just can't think of any other fics to use as an example right now.]

Method #1: Wayback Machine

this is my go to method that i always try first.

steps:

every fic on ao3 has a url of archiveofourown.org/[specific-numbers]. you're gonna need that url, doesn't matter if it doesn't work anymore.

eg.

2. now you're gonna go to archive.org and enter your url in the search bar.

3. something like this will come up. it probably won't be saved as many times though, just once or twice.

just click any of the links now, either the dates marked blue on the calendar or the earliest/latest date. that's it.

drawbacks:

often, a problem arises when searching for fics rated mature or explicit.

the site will have archived this page but not the actual fic. though, maybe lady luck is on your side and clicking proceed will lead you to a saved version of the actual fic. but usually not. and not all fics are saved here. in those cases, i have some more methods.

Method #2: Search Engine Cache

search engines like google and yandex often save a cached version of sites, though yandex is much more reliable than google. i'll give you a tutorial for both.

steps (yandex):

the link isn't completely necessary, just the title and author of the fic will suffice.

go to yandex.com and search for your fic by either entering the url or entering the title and author as such.

3. this will probably immediately come up.

just enter the captcha and it should let you in on the first go but there's a glitch i've encountered where you could be entering the captcha completely correct but for some reason the site still won't let you in. for that, you just have to keep trying again and again until eventually the site lets you in. might take more than 10 tries.

4. once you're in, search results will pop up. directly clicking them will only lead you to the not found page. what you're gonna do is hover over the box of the search result and you'll see 3 dots pop up on the right.

click those and a dropdown menu will appear. click the first option 'saved copy'.

and thats it! this is a much more efficient method especially for explicit or mature fics.

drawbacks:

for some reason, when i open yandex in google chrome, i can't see the 3 dots. i can in firefox though. don't really know what thats all about.

i'll show you how to do it with google too just in case yandex doesn't work.

steps (google):

in the url bar, type cache:[link of fic]. that's pretty much it. google doesn't have a lot of fics saved though so you'll probably get a 404 page.

Method #3: Reddit

there's a subreddit called r/DeletedFanfiction that can probably help you out. either search for the fic as it may have already been posted or req it and someone will probably get you a google drive link soon enough. u/throwthisaway11112 is my lord and savior.

afaik it's still up and running fine despite the reddit protest thing (which i recommend taking a minute to look into).

Method #4: Archive.org Database

okay, now you're gonna need a lot of memory on computer for this one. i'm not gonna even bother and try to explain it, i'll just link you to the original post. thank you once again to the anon who sent me this method!

Method #5: Fandom

if absolutely none of those methods work, you can still just send me an ask and maybe my followers or i will have a saved copy. same for any other fandom, i recommend asking around in popular fandom spaces, someone is bound to have it.

[uva124]

So yeah, I finished the drawing of Asha's redesign from Wish :D, maybe I'll make some changes in the future, but I'm happy to have finished it, it should be noted that I haven't seen the movie. , so I can't give my opinion on it yet, but I found it very interesting that their fandom is mainly made up of people who rewrote or made their own version of the movie, they are all very creative and it got me out of an artistic block. that I had a few months ago, but above all I found the rewriting of @annymation which is the one I have been most hooked on, so I wanted to do some redesigns of the characters coming out of its rewriting, that's why everything that has to do with the story of this version of Asha, as well as her personality and her world on which I base my drawing are the ideas and work of this account: @annymation

I'm just making a drawing of her character and how I would design her as well as sharing part of the process I had to do to draw her because, why not?

BOARD:

The first thing I had to do was put together a table full of references that reminded me of the character and things that I would like to add to her design, so I used milanote to do it:

-Looked for some Asha's concept art and save the ones I liked the most, and add the main colors that I used in the design. -I also created notes to write down the personality of the character and some of his data to have a better guide, I did a little research and found publications that talked a lot about Asha's discarded designs and how Disney workers had put that she had tribe ancestry Amazigh on his mother's side and since his father was from the Iberian Peninsula, that's why the next thing I wanted to do is research more about their culture. -I am not an expert on this topic, nor do I belong to the cultures from which Asha has ancestry, so you can comment on any correction regarding this topic, I wanted to implement details of this culture to her design and I would really like to give a correct representation :)

HAIRSTYLE

Continuing with the theme, I saw that the hairstyles in the Amazigh culture mostly had this type of colorful decorations on their braids and dreadlocks, that's why I also posted these reference photos for Asha's hairstyle.

-Finally I decided that Asha would not have all her hair full of braids or dreadlocks, but only a few accompanied by these decorations with a great variation of colors, although it was fun to sketch the many hairstyle options that I had in mind based on these concept art and other photos that I had saved

TATTOOS:

-Another detail that I liked was giving Asha some tattoos with designs from the Amazigh culture, because I saw that it was quite common for women to get them, the tattoo on her forehead is a symbol of protection against bad influences, that's why the The middle symbol is responsible for deflecting it in the 4 directions, I also added a similar one in Asha's right hand.

ASTROLOGY AND THE SPACE:

-An important part of Asha's rewrite is her knowledge of astronomy inherited from her father, especially with the stars for obvious reasons xd, so in addition to adding constellations to her dresses, research the meaning (or something like that) of the planets. Only 3 really reminded me of the character, which were: -Mars: Symbolization of the internal conquering function of moving forward, independent, self-determined, enduring failures with new energy, courage and energy to fight for your desires. -Saturn: Maturity, effort to solidly build realistic criteria, frustrations are transformed into objectives to continue growing, critical and realistic, far from getting frustrated when an objective does not work, you strive to move forward and obtain even more resistant and solid achievements, perseverance , and tenacity (I feel like yhis it the most similar to Asha :D) -Moon: protective role, feeling very vulnerable outside your known areas, feeling of security with your ties, importance of family ties. The one that reminded me the most of Asha was Saturn, that's why I drew those Saturn-shaped earrings :).

SUITS:

I looked for references and placed some on milanote, I noticed that the concept art was mainly divided into whether the dresses have lilac colors or warm colors, I decided to draw 2 models based on the discarded designs, although at first I thought of using only one color palette lilac and bluish, I realized that the reddish colors of her dress reminded me of Mars which has certain meanings that in my opinion coincide with Asha's personality. In the end I didn't decide what wardrobe she would primarily have 😅, but I like to think that in this version of Wish, Asha would have wardrobe and hairstyle changes like in some older Disney movies.

-These are some of the concepts that I mainly used for my version of the dresses

FINAL COMMENTS:

I am satisfied with the result, it was fun to make all this, although what I researched mostly seems little, it actually cost me several hours and I did it at night, so as a funny fact the next day I was explaining all this information to my mother and I felt like I looked like that:

(Make this drawing was so funny LMAO)

(Apologies if there are errors in my writing, English is not my first language and my writing is very basic)

[kimbureh]

idk man, online fandom is just not the place for me.

"reblog my art/writing!!!11" "I'll block people who only like my stuff but don't reblog"

this is so intense. I have zero interest in talking to people who are trying to bully me into promoting them. It's as if people are saying:

"If you don't comment on people's fanwork, fandom will die because of you, specifically"

I get it, attention is nice. I'm a creator too. And it's true that current social media isn't conducive of creating and maintaining communities. But you don't build a community with aggression against your own audience.

I don't wanna hang out with people who yell at me about how they don't get enough attention. You're blaming the audience when the real problem goes way, way deeper, and this behavior of prioritizing content promotion over actual human connection is actually part of the issue. Urging people to reblog your stuff may grant you exposure, but it sure doesn't make you any friendships, at least not mine.

-

A few years back, I wanted to refine my comedic writing and started a whacky Fallout 4 blog long after the fandom had seen its peak. I knew there wouldn't be a large audience, but I wanted to see what would happen. Long story short, I regularly invited my followers to send asks I would answer in-character, and honestly had so much fun. I never bullied my audience for only liking and not reblogging. To the contrary; I respect my audience and their prerogative to decide for themselves what they do want to share on their blogs and what they don't. It's *their* blogs. I cannot grasp the audacity of some creators to demand space on people's personal blogs. I really can't.

I only had the Fallout blog for like 8 months and got more audience attention than I could deal with at times. I had such a blast, getting asks, replying to them, building in-jokes with my followers. I ended the blog with a small event and was met with a flood of lovely comments and good-byes. Today, four years later, I post on that blog maybe one or two times a year. And even though most of my followers unfollowed me when I ended the blog, I still get the occasional lovely comment. After four years, people still remember the great time we had.

Good thing I didn't block all those wonderful people who mainly liked but didn't reblog. Word got around nonetheless. I found the audience I was looking for. Dunno if I would have had the same relaxed experience with a crowd who was bullied into the interaction.

-

idk, man. What is online fandom?

I don't like how we treat each other. Fandom is not a marketplace. I am not selling myself or my creations, I want to treat you better than a simple customer. At its heart, fandom is a gift economy. You don't owe me a thing. If you don't want to give freely, I won't take it with force. I respect you and myself too much for that.

I think we can still find our people in fandom, without exploiting our audience as market-criers.

[cq-studios]

Do you have any screenshots of your favorite details from KHUX?

HAHAHAHAHA, yeah I do

Gonna just drop a read more here 'cause if y'all know me at all you know this post is probably gonna be 10KM long lol

So, I'm gonna try to hold myself back a little because I literally have like 10 pages of notes about specifically stuff in the backgrounds and I doubt the internet will find my bench and lamppost count interesting. (Also image limit lol)

I'll list just 4 things for now (in no particular order) and talk about them a bit underneath.

NUMBER 1 || STREET SIGNS

So there are four street signs that we’ve seen in Daybreak Town. Two are in the Fountain Square (A and B), one is in the Marketplace (C), and one is in the Clocktower Outskirts map (D).

For B and D it’s pretty easy to figure out what the represent. B is a clock, probably representing the Clock Tower… or maybe the best place to see the Clocktower because it’s in Fountain Square. The overall shape of it is different from the rest of the signs so I imagine that means something. D is a gondola or canoe of some sort, which makes sense because it’s next to stairs that seemingly lead to the canal that runs through town. Maybe there’s a ferry system of some sort?

A and C I’m less sure about. The designs don’t really bring anything obvious to mind. Maybe C is Munny because it leads to the Marketplace? I’m not sure.

NUMBER 3 || DOOR UNDER FOUNTAIN SQUARE

See what makes this interesting to me isn’t just the fact that apparently Fountain Square is hollow underneath (maybe for pipe repairs or something, I don’t know) but just the general fact that a lot of structures in this town, that maybe shouldn’t be, are hollow.

If you look even some archways have windows, so there has to be an open space inside, right? Most of them seem at least connected to houses so I assume they’re basements or something. (The one by murder house gets me tho, like that’s right under the bridge. Who’s living right under the bridge)

And I also feel like this leads into the fact that, similarly but not as extreme as in Scala, Daybreak Town is kinda built on top of itself. Maybe that’s a symptom of being around so many (and possibly on) mountains but I still feel like it should be talked about more.

NUMBER 4 || LIGHTHOUSE INTERIOR MAP

There is so much to unpack here but I’ll try to keep it brief.

So I’m pretty sure this is one of, if not the oldest building in Daybreak Town. Two reasons.

1. Instead of having little wall lamps, like the rest of the town and buildings, all the light seems to come from mounted candles.

2. There are swords (A) on the walls and not Keyblades. Why would the Keyblade town not have Keyblades on its little shield emblem? Is it possibly because it was there before Keyblades?

This staircase here (B) is also the only known (not sewer drain) way into the waterways. It leads into the sewers then out to the little dock below the Lighthouse with the boat, hence the sign.

There’s these maps here (C) that I don’t really know what to say about, but is definitely worth pointing out. They’re all the same and I assume show the layout of the area surrounding the town (the darker parts being water). It could be a world map though (darker part being continents)… I don’t think we’ll ever really learn lol

And also I don’t know what this is (D) but I think it’s interesting that it has writing on it. It kinda gives me the vibe of those flat on the ground gravestones…

NUMBER 5 || BANNER

Daybreak Town actually has a flag it’s all over the place and you’ll start to see it everywhere if you look for it. They also kind of look like the banners in Radiant Garden. The colours and shape/mounting are the same but the designs on the flag itself (and mounting) is different.

I have no clue what that implies, if anything, but I figure it’s worth pointing out ‘cause it’s interesting.

[sapphosewrites]

top 10 ds9 fan fics you've written, ranked?

Oooh, tough question, friend! I don't even know what the criteria for this would be, because the most AO3 popular ones are not always my favorites... Okay, you know what, here we go. I'm just going to go for it and make some decisions. I'm giving myself a rule, though, that I can only chose one from a series, so I'm not just listing everything in the Terok Nor AU. I'll also try to hit different kinds of fics I've written.

10.) After the End of the World: A Survey of Seminal Works of Cardassian Post-Apocalyptic Literature from cross-posted to tumblr. 533 words, "An examination of the Cardassian post-apocalyptic literary genre before and after the Dominion War." This isn't my most popular or my best written but it's one of my favorites; I like in-world diegetic texts and worldbuilding and I'm obsessed with the idea of post-canon Cardassia as post-apocalypse.

9.) Never Have I Ever from The Game Is Afoot, 1,294 words, T, "Julian introduces Garak to the human game never have I ever." This was fun to write and is fun to reread every time! I often spend a lot of fic space on angst and identity and all the reasons why it's a bad idea for Julian and Garak to get together, but in this one we just get to spend time seeing them be clever and enjoy each other's company.

8.) Tribbles, Togetherness, and the Great River, 1,742 words, G, "In their shared quarters, Nog and Jake discuss tribbles, pets, and telling their families about their relationship." This is my only full standalone Jake/Nog fic, and it's another that was a pleasure to write and still makes me smile. It's fun to spend a sweet moment with two young people figuring out how they fit together.

7.) Del Floria's Tailor Shop, 336 words, also known as the space tumblr one. I think this is possibly the funniest thing I've ever written.

6.) Push Me Til I Break, 4,653 words, M, also known as the one where Garak interrogates Julian, and the role play goes wrong. Maybe the most tense thing I've ever written, and really leans into the ways in which two deeply hurting people can choose to hurt or hold.

5.) Growth, 45,843 words, T, "Julian and Garak grapple with their pasts and their feelings for each other at the end of the series." My super long post-canon Cardassia fic, back when I had no idea how to string a multi-chapter idea together. There's a lot I would change if I wrote this now (I've grown as a writer in many ways, including my ability to have scene transitions), but some of the conversations and moments in here are still absolute favorites of mine, particularly around ideas of self-forgiveness, the clash between values and actions, and the importance of choice.

4.) Predetermination, 22,200 words, T, Mirror Bashir arrives at the station and suddenly the nature/nurture debate has never had higher stakes. This is one of the places I think I've been most successful in using sci fi to ask big questions that hopefully resonate in the modern day, about who we are and how we become. Also, the ending takes inspiration from one of my favorite TNG episodes, and that was cool too.

3.) Especially the Lies, 13,019 words, T, "Something is going on with Garak, and no one knows what, except for possibly Julian Bashir." This is my only archive-warning-applied fic and it was really important to me to tell a story about care, for a character who I think doesn't believe he's allowed to have any, in a real world circumstance that too often people have to go through alone.

2.) Necessary Storms, 15,149 words, T, Julian and Starfleet Spouse Garak get entangled in Trill politics. I feel like this is one of the things I've written that most feels like it could be an episode of Star Trek, and is also a fairly unsubtle (though initially unintentional) way to explore populism, demagoguery, resource distribution, and revolt at a very particular moment in national politics with the aesthetic distance that sci fi offers.

1.) Old Friends: An Enigma Tale from Terok Nor AU. I'm exceedingly proud of this whole series, which started as just "what can I do with the idea of dabo boy Julian" and has turned into a sweeping journey covering how Terok Nor becomes Deep Space 9. This most recent installment is perhaps not indicative of the series as a whole, but it was a lot of fun to write and is also a dip into my other favorite genre aside from sci fi (murder mystery).

[starkjoy]

i may write a longer post with more thoughts on season 4's tomgreg vs. tomshiv dynamic, but for now i'll get the below off my chest:

i'm disappointed by shiv's pregnancy storyline. i'm surprised jesse went there, and i wonder if sarah's own pregnancy impacted his decision knowing he often incorporates real-life dynamics into the show. i find pregnancy arcs uninspired in most cases, but it's particularly eye-roll-worthy for shiv. i hope he doesn't retcon seasons of tomshiv failmarriage abuse by having them reconnect over their baby or something just as predictably trite. it's succession, so i have faith jesse and the writers will veer down a more original path, but they're also responsible for comfrey and "straight" greg, so. yeah. we shall see.

as much as i've been loving tomgreg's chemistry so far, i find it odd they've regressed to mostly comic relief after season 3 shifted their relationship into a deeper space. tom's plane phonecall showed us a hint of the bond we've grown accustomed to, and here's to hoping there's more to come on that front. as much as i've been pleasantly surprised by greg's newfound comfortability around tom (and the intense homoeroticism of whatever the fuck was going on in ep 1), i've found the lack of energy from tom's side curious...and a tad disappointing. understandably he has a lot on his mind given the divorce and now logan, but i'm surprised he hasn't tried to seek out greg more often as his emotional crutch. i would have loved one earnest conversation with him about the divorce. maybe it's coming, but tom's focus on shiv over greg has felt a bit like narrative whiplash following last season's outcome.

i feel like the writers are trying to get me to root for tomshiv, but i can't. i haven't forgotten what they've done to each other. nothing can fix what's broken, not even a baby. please not the baby, god.

[sonkitty]

Crowley S2 Hair Post #68

(For reference: The Sideburns Scheme)

Crowley, Good Omens 2, Episode 5, The Ball, expert

...

Sideburns Check

The sideburns are short. The magic shop is a human space, and Crowley is taking no particular actions to lengthen them. They will stay short until he confronts Gabriel later.

...

Brighter Red Streak Check

The red streak can most easily be found when Crowley walks over to place his right arm on a panel while looking at Mutt.

...

Hairstyle Changes

Since the last scene gave such a limited view of Crowley's hair, this comparison goes to the scene before that when Crowley and Aziraphale crossed the street toward Maggie's record shop.

In this scene, the front top hair goes up and curves toward Crowley's right. There are also three notable tendrils that curl behind this front top hair and end up curling toward Crowley's left. The left-most tendril of his group is also where to find the more saturated red streak of hair.

...

Earthly Objects

(For reference: Earthly Objects | The Ball Invitations Checklist)

Now we have reached the second ball invitation to be done on camera.

This invitation is for a human named Mutt. He's the shopkeeper for Will Goldstone's magic shop. It's the same magic shop from episode 4's minisode. Much like the music shop, there are no other customers around when Aziraphale and Crowley visit.

Let's check in with the checklist.

Aziraphale does all of the talking, of him and Crowley.

Aziraphale does not talk to Crowley.

Aziraphale most obviously looks at Crowley when they are about to leave and he sees Crowley wearing the fez while playing with the crystal ball. He conceivably looks at Crowley when Crowley looks at him, before Aziraphale starts on his temptation with the book. There's another potential look when he's saying the book is not for sale.

So far as looking for Aziraphale with a possible illusionary touch over Crowley, his coat is obviously over Crowley when Crowley walks behind him. But maybe the game wants something more than that. There is a blurry part of him briefly over Crowley's left jacket sleeve when Aziraphale's suggesting Mutt bring his spouse along. Crowley's blurry right hand does visually pass over Aziraphale's left hand, so that would be an illusionary touch under, instead of over, Crowley.

When Aziraphale spoke, he did not greet Mutt with a hello, question, or number.

For names, he did not say the name of anyone who will be at the ball.

...

Crowley does not talk to anyone.

Crowley looks at Aziraphale just after they enter and before passing behind Aziraphale. He looks again after Mutt says he's taking his spouse out to dinner and again when Aziraphale looks at him while Crowley is wearing the fez near the crystal ball, just before they leave.

Earthly objects Crowley touches include a panel with his right arm, the rug with his shoes, some beads with his left shoulder, a fez, and playing with the crystal ball the way he does probably counts as a "touch" too. Figuring out which touch goes where is beyond my ability, but I'll still note some guesses.

For instance, the earthly object touch that would be for the sake of having an earthly object touch, my guess would be Crowley visibly walking on the rug.

The self-skin-contact touch is, I think, when Crowley visibly has his hands clasped together behind his back. One can hear the beads by his shoulder and see his reflection to confirm that touch.

The self-clothing touch is either through the panel with his right arm, confirmed as he moves away from it or his hand brushing up behind his jacket before removing the fez. I lean more toward the panel in my guess.

For the self-mouth touch, Crowley is making audible noises when playing with the crystal ball, even if he's not actually speaking. He opens and closes his mouth in the process of standing before taking off the fez. As one last extra something, he places the fez on a snake statue within the shop while also ensuring a tassel on the fez touches that snake's body.

Crowley makes pockets with his arms when he places his right arms on a panel. He makes a pocket with his right arm and head when putting on the fez. He makes another pocket when adjusting the fez as he lowers himself toward the crystal ball. He makes a pocket with his right hand and jacket when playing with the crystal ball. There is a self-made pocket of hair as Crowley removes the fez. That's a funny one.

The cross is probably the upper thighs as Crowley walks away from the panel and on the rug.

There are reflections of Crowley everywhere. His short sideburns are reflected in the mirror of the door. He right middle finger touches its reflection on the mirror on the door as he enters. He's reflected in the window panes of something near Aziraphale near a hat rack. His reflection can be found in the mirror behind the skeleton when he's near the beads. His reflection, or shadow—it's hard to tell, can be found in the window panes of something near that skeleton. His reflection can be found in the crystal ball.

Crowley's shadow can most easily be found near his shoes as he walks along the rug.

The best time to look for light in Crowley's sunglasses is immediately after Mutt says he's taking his spout to dinner tonight and again after Aziraphale says, "Card Table."

...

Aziraphale and Crowley do not talk to each other.

They look at each other mainly when they are getting ready to leave.

They have a "correct" sides view as they enter with Crowley even ensuring his Tied Hands and Belt Head are visible. Then he passes by behind Aziraphale to place himself on the "wrong" side. Again, his Tied Hands and Belt Head are visible. The watch becomes visible briefly as Crowley passes behind Aziraphale.

...

Story Commentary

I have so many questions.

Why the middle finger on the mirror and only that one?

Why does Crowley brush his left hand against the back of his jacket before removing the fez? What does the tassel of the fez touching the snake statue accomplish? Tassels are thumbs on the Tied Hands, and sometimes one touches his Belt Head. Is it a way to share or transfer the touch?

Why does Crowley get so many reflections here? Does that have to do with his Tied Hands?

Was he actually doing anything with that crystal ball? He's a demon, you know. He's not shifting his supernatural zone in place yet, but that will happen later.

I've said this before, but it's been edited away or I forgot which post I put it in, but Crowley's antics with the fez and snake statue are cute here, but I've seen too much of his play in these games to think he's just being cute.

...

There's some interesting sound effects just before Aziraphale makes his temptation. Crowley looks at him like, "You have the floor," and wants to see Aziraphale pass this challenge.

Satisfied with Mutt's reaction, Crowley moves on with his own moves, which include him visibly walking across the rug on the floor.

...

As already noted, these two are making sure the humans invited on camera show up to the ball, even if it's their wedding anniversary.

...

Aziraphale's being careful to not give another book away and put Crowley on alert again.

...

That's it for this post. Sometimes I edit my posts, FYI.

...

Main post:

The Sideburns Scheme

[raina-at]

Year in fic review 2023

Total number of completed stories: 4, I finished Spare Parts in 2022, just finished posting in 2023.

Total word count: About 50 k (published, god knows how many words of unfinished WIPS and abandoned one-shots)

Fandoms written in: BBC Sherlock, I'm a one-trick pony these days ;-)

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected?

Hm, I suppose less? And not the things I expected. I started writing a lot of long, plotty fics but apparently, it wasn't the year for long and plotty fics. I suppose I didn't have the brain space for long and plotty.

What’s your own favorite story of the year?

Probably Nothing Gold Can Stay, because I had this idea months and months ago, of John having a bit of a crisis before his wedding. I had this one piece of a core of a fic, the whole nucleus where John tells Sherlock nobody ever sticks with him, ever. And then I had three different fragments of fics trying to make it work, and every one had something amazing in it, but I just couldn't make it gel. And then I thought of the famous The thing you wanted to say, say it now, and the scene on the bench in TSOT, and bam, I had a fic. It came out in stops and starts of 200-word chunks, while John laboured with whether and how and when to trust enough, to have faith enough to actually say how he feels. I'm really proud of how it came out in the end, and I'm very happy you guys responded to it the way you did.

Did you take any writing risks this year?

I don't know about risks, but I wrote 31 ficlets in pretty much a month, which came out to 26000 words, and that was no mean feat. And I actually still like most of them. Gave me a bit of writers' burn-out, I won't lie, but what a ride!

Do you have any fanfic goals for the new year?

I want to finish my Christmas fic. I would like to re-visit the Nothing Gold boys because I think there's meat on these bones and I always wanted to do a series of shorter fics that hang together. So maybe I can do something with that. But last year was so stressful at work and I don't see this year going any better (we have three big conferences this summer, so it's probably going to be So Much Worse). So, I'll be grateful for what I can accomplish, and accept that it might not be everything I want.

Most popular story of the year?

Nothing Gold Can Stay for sure.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion:

Hm, I got a lot of lovely feedback this year, so I generally feel loved and appreciated by fandom. My May ficlets especially got a lot of responses here on tumblr, and I loved that dynamic interchange between writing and reading and commeting, especially with the others who did the challenge.

If I had to pick one underappreciated story, my Spare Parts 'verse January 29th fic The Stars Walk Backward didn't get a lot of eyeballs, but it's understandable given that it's a one-shot in a 'verse that not that many people are famliar with in the first place. It's a bit of a stepchild of a 'verse, but I love it, and I love this story for its unabashed sentimentality. It's very sweet and very calm and has a lot of 'we're back together and I don't want to fuck this up again' energy. I love re-visiting this fic if I need a quick pick-me-up, so. You know.

Most fun story to write:

Most of the ficlets were fun to write, and Tipping Point was somehow the opposite of Nothing Gold Can Stay in that it came out in a big rush over four days, like a writing tsunami. But my Christmas fic is also super fun to write, I just hope I can sustain the fun and actually finish it.

Most unintentionally telling story:

Probably Nothing Gold Can Stay, I suppose. Grief is really complicated, and it's difficult to come to terms with the fact that you can sort of stumble into pockets of it, and that you sometimes grieve things that are technically still there but have changed a lot. Essentially, the story is about a John who has to stop running away from his grief and turn around and face it, and a Sherlock who sees that if he wants to truly get John back, he has to face it with him.

Biggest disappointment:

With myself for being unable to finish the many, many, many fics I've stared but didn't remotely finish. But also gracious to myself for letting life happen.

Biggest surprise:

Not surprise but gratitude for the love and support of this fandom. You guys are awesome. I'm so grateful whenever someone tells me that something I wrote made them Feel Something(TM). It's the greatest compliment a writer can receive, and I feel truly blessed that I heard this a fair bit this year. I write because it makes me happy, and if people reading my fics experience something similar, then that makes me even happier. So thank you, fandom.

[luvghostie]

idk if requests are open or if you did this already but main 4, craig, tweek, and butters with their s/o listening to their heartbeat? Like they instinctively put their head on their chest whenever they cuddle? ig with butters and tweek they just ask tho. if its too many ppl tho just the main 4s good. have a good day!

Of course, it’s so adorable!! This is the main four, I'll do the other three in a separate post. Sorry it took so long, I hope you like it<3

╰┈➤𝐒𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐒

𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐒/𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒

𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓.ೃ࿐

{𝘎𝘕 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 + 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘨𝘦}

Cartman: ...um what the hell are you doing?

When you guys first started cuddling he was confused by the gesture as no one had done that before. However, over time he got used to it and would ask what his heart sounded like.

Out in public, he doesn't like very touchy/cuddly PDA. It's nothing that has to do with you but more the fact of him being anxious.

The moment you guys get alone or around people he trusts, he'll apologize for seeming cold and will cuddle for hours.

Sometimes when listening, you can hear his heartbeat speed up. Whenever you ask about it you always get the same response.

“It's uh- high cholesterol?”

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Kyle: does my heart sound normal?

Kyle is perfectly okay with you listening to his heartbeat. He even is attentive to your heartbeat occasionally.

When cuddling he tends to talk about unexpected things. The conversation can be anything from his family to what's your favorite socks. He's open about everything and will tell you how he's feeling. In return, he hopes you do the same and won't hide your real feelings.

Out in public, Kyle is all about PDA. Hand holding, snuggles, he doesn't hide it. That is unless you're at his house and his parents are around.

If they're away or he's not having to take care of Ike, he'll ask to cuddle. It's like a need of his and Kyle is very glad you're open to it anytime.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Kenny: *muffled* you're so cute!!!

Kenny is attention and touch-starved therefore, out of all the boys he'll be wanting to cuddle 24/7. Oh, you're sick? He'll cuddle you back to health. Your upset? He'll be there with open arms to give you love.

I have a feeling Kenny wouldn't know boundaries or personal space. So if you didn't want to be cuddled you'd have to explain to him. He might think he did something wrong for a while and will do anything to make it up. Literally, ANYTHING.

PDA is a must for him even if you're just holding his sleeve. He wants everyone to know that you two are together.

When you listen to his heartbeat it probably won't be normal. He dies and comes back every other day, so an unusual heart isn't anything that bothers you.

-ˋˏ ༻❁༺ ˎˊ-

Stan: w-what are you doing y/n?

Stan is very shy and so when you cuddle he'll be very silent. You have to start most conversations or ask about his day to get him talking. Yes, it can be annoying but the first time he talked first it startled you.

Stan will watch you listen to his heartbeat trying not to turn red or throw up everywhere. He's an anxious boy around you and even all his friends know that. He goes to them for advice on what to do, maybe, how he should cuddle properly? Stan just feels like he doesn't make you happy as he does and he'll try harder to improve.

If you want to do PDA you'll have to approach him first or it won't happen. He desperately wants to but it's kinda complicated in his head.

“I- would love to hold hands y/n.”

[y-rhywbeth2]

Assorted thoughts about Astarion's epilogue that I have only seen in video because patch 4 broke my save files and I have to replay the whole thing to get there.

From what I've seen everyone's good endings seem a little... overly good and free of consequence? But at the same time I haven't seen everything with my own eyes and everyone deserves to be happy, so whatever. If I want angst, there's fic.

Sooo... is it that unromanced Astarion disappeared after the scene at the docks and nobody could find him, or did you assholes just not try? I will be generous and assume the former.

Stop stabbing the table you little gremlin. ...although I'd probably enjoy doing that, if I could get away with it.

I still hate that outfit with the ruff.

Not surprised Larian is doubling down on the "no cure" angle. I don't really care if Astarion remains a vampire or if he goes the cure route, so long as he's happy - although I do think in his shoes I'd look for some way to day-walk anyway, on practical grounds alone.

Hiding a knife behind his back while asking an unromanced Durge if they're showing any signs of being under Bhaal's control... I adore a pragmatic bastard.

---"I could've told you that [you can kill people in a socially acceptable manner]" ---"You realise I don't actually pay attention when you talk, right?" ^This is why I both love him with all my soul and also want to push him off a roof.^

Delighted and validated by Astarion feeding by taking jobs as a bounty hunter or something like that. That was 100% what Vel was suggesting to him post game. Like "Hey, have you considered bounty hunting? if my memories of killing people for fun and profit, and the last month or two of everyone suddenly celebrating instead of getting mad when I murder has taught me anything; if you eat the people the majority want dead, you can have all the blood and money you can get your teeth into and nobody will have a problem with it."

And then there's Ascended Astarion... who I will put under a read more to save space and for those who'd like to avoid the uglier side of endings.

So I don't think Larian read the supplement Van RIchten's Guide to Vampires (it's from 1992, but as far as I know it's also still the most comprehensive write up of D&D vampire lore, and some of it still looks to apply here (or at least, it can).)

But the first thing I thought of, watching him constantly turn into a bat, is that it reminded me of the vampire psychological development stages. Stage one is where a vampire is drunk on their shiny new powers and just will not stop showing them off. (Stage two is the "find out" stage of the fuck around process, where the vampire discovers they're not as invincible as they believed and descends into full blown, paranoid monstrosity.)

Then "I will be watching." "I/We need to eavesdrop on everybody."... Oh, the paranoia. How's that thing where the curse of vampirism is twisting the trauma and fear going for you, my dude?

"I'll never forget the time we spent together, though. And I know you'll never forget about me. Until next time, darling." ...might be his expression or the datamined epilogues where he still wants his ex, but that feels like a threat to me? Might just be a jab after being dumped...

And, oh yeah, we're definitely looking at vampire bride/groom tier stuff here: Just sit on the decorative pedestal I built for you and look pretty until I'm in the mood to take you down and play with you. Stop complaining about how you're bored and want freedom!

The PC isn't weak by any measure, they could become a rival.. AA isn't my ending of choice, but I am morbidly fascinated with the concept of Tav and Astarion as toxic vampire divorcees: Two angry, powerful "lovers to enemies" vampire lords "sharing" territory; passing the centuries obsessing over each other; fighting each other; sometimes maybe hate-fucking, and generally making their bad relationship everyone's problem.

[bluebudgie]

Oh hi. I heard it's gifs tips'n'tricks time.

View this as a little addition to this post I made a while back.

This time I thought I'd take you through my gif making process. It'll be very specific to Photoshop CS6 but maybe some of you will find parts of it helpful regardless.

And since our biggest nemesis appears to be ~The Tumblr 10MB File Size Limit~ I decided to go for the absolute worst premise for a gif: Lots of stupid wobbly particles and gw2 bloom and transparency effects. Because huge gifs love these.

Aah, a horrifying amount of those in this single scene. Perfect!

Let's start with a little timelapse video, and I'll get into the details with screenshots below then.

So this actually went smoother than expected? Not super much fiddling needed in the end, but here's how it went in detail:

Load the raw footage into photoshop.

You can do this in two different ways: What I do is simply drag & drop the video file into the program and it'll open with a video timeline and some rudimentary video editing options.

What you can also do is File -> Import -> Videoframes to Layers and select your source video, which will give you a timeline of separate still image frames instead.

It comes down to preference, I used both methods in the past but nowadays I find the video timeline more intuitive.

Cut the footage to roughly the right length.

From experience I know that most of my gifs are around 3-4 seconds long. This can of course vary depending on different factors. Don't get too attached to the exact seconds you selected, you might have to shave off a bit depending on how evil the file size decides to act.

Optional: Change footage speed

Depending on the gif and its purpose, I slow the footage down. I usually do this for the visual effect (especially nice for showing off animation details) but it also has the practical side effect that it can help with file size. Say you want a gif that loops after 4 seconds. At 100% speed your gif will move at your original framerate (in my case 60 fps); if you slow it down but keep the same length in seconds it'll logically use less frames. That's less data to blow up the size! Yey.

Crop the image.

Now this is probably one of the most crucial parts when it comes to your final file size, and your gif looking nice on tumblr. Since the tumblr dashboard displays images at a width of 540px, you want this to be your absolute minimum image width to ensure a crisp image. If I can, I'll make the gifs larger (I like starting at a minimum of 600px and then reduce the image dimensions if needed).

With that in mind.... choose your image crop wisely.

A "widescreen" image like this will be the most merciful in terms of file size, but might not always be what you want in terms of composition.

Given tumblr's very vertical nature, this kind of approach will look great in posts (if it fits your image composition of course), but at 540px minimum width tends to be a file size monster.

For the gif I'm attempting to make here I opted for a more square approach. The subjects of the scene fill out the image's space nicely, and it's still a nice size for tumblr posts overall. Let's see what the file size will say about this.

Replay your footage after cropping to make sure you didn't accidentally cut off any motion you didn't mean to cut.

Next up: optional colour corrections

I tend to crank up the saturation for gifs way, way more than I ever would for regular screenshots since I find that often the limited web palette can make them look fairly dull. But like everything else so far, this greatly varies depending on the scene you're showing.

Note that colour correction can increase or decrease file size depending on what exactly you're doing. The more different colours you have, the larger your file size will be.

Reduce image dimensions

Since my original video footage was fairly zoomed out, the cropped area only left me 575px of width to begin with. In an earlier attempt (that I absolutely did not fail to capture and therefore had to record the whole thing a second time) I tried to leave it at these dimensions, but the 10MB size limit did not like that so now I knew better and immediately reduced the width to 560px.

Note: After you've changed the video's dimensions it won't let you edit the speed anymore (for some reason), so make sure you've got that settled.

After all the adjustments are done it's time for the moment of truth...

File > Save for Web...

This beautiful window will open and...

Aww almost.

But honestly? That's not bad at all. I've had completely different disasters to deal with in the past (starting somewhere in the mid 20MB, good luck trying to make use of every size-reducing trick you've got up your sleeve).

Before I do any adjustments to shave off the last few KB though, I preview the gif to make sure it loops correctly. I want the Chak to sway seemlessly. Turns out it didn't, so I back out of the window to remove a few frames from the footage. And when I open the "Save for Web" window again....

Well that's anticlimatic. Apparently those few frames were enough to get the file size where I need it. (Note: Sometimes Tumblr likes to be a little b* and pretends your file is too big when you're this close to the 10MB limit. It be like that.)

While my gif journey theoretically ends here, I want to at least show you a few more things that could have helped if I had needed to get the file even smaller.

So this dithering thing I keep making a big deal of...

It can make or break a gif. In my experience this is so, so crucial to the final file size and quality of the gif.

In my own very amateurish words, dithering is a way to emulate colours that aren't actually part of the images colour palette. This is especially needed for in-game transparency effects like fog, glowy stuff, or smooth gradients. And that is part of why I chose this hell scene of all the ley line glow and the typical gw2 bloom that's particularly bad in this area.

PS CS6 offers you three different kinds of dithering techniques: Diffusion, pattern and noise.

My go-to is diffusion dithering, which has adjustable quality levels.

In my opinion it's generally the type of dithering that's often the least noticeable and creates the smoothest looking images. Unfortunately, it's also the one that creates by far the largest file sizes. Another downside is that it doesn't work super well with heavy DoF/fog etc. effects and is prone to really ugly banding, especially visible the more you decrease the quality. It looks awful for this particular scene. (Look at the glow around my asura's headpiece if you don't know what I'm talking about. Or... just the entire background.)

Both noise and pattern dithering will get you smaller file sizes, luckily.

I've never used noise so far (it tends to look messy in my opinion), but pattern gets the job done! Especially for gradient heavy gifs it's a lifesaver. It's definitely more noticeable than the diffusion dithering on static parts of the gif, but it absolutely makes up for it by not having any ugly banding effects. This is also what gave me the neat little 9.99MB file size in comparison to the diffusion dithering's 15.31MB.

Last but not least, if fiddling with the dithering or image dimensions doesn't help you get below that magic 10MB mark...

Limit the colour palette

You can either manually colour edit your image to use less colours for a more artistic approach, or you can let Photoshop limit the palette to its best abilities.

Additionally you can double click each individual colour to replace it how you see fit. (I've done that in the past when Petthri's yellow eye colour got erased and I had to bring it back manually.)

In this gif's example, reducing the palette from 256 to 128 colours has brought the file size down from 9.9 MB to about 8 MB. It can have a big effect, but doesn't always in my experience.

SHOW US THE GODDAMN GIF ALREADY!!!

Not the best quality gif we've ever seen on tumblr, but given the extremely unfavourable source material I think it turned out alright. I have to admit I'm actually surprised it worked at all.

Oh well! This got long (once again). I hope this was at least a little bit helpful to someone out there. Happy gif making!

[not-poignant]

Hi Pia

Your previous post regarding burnout really resonates with me as I'm currently struggling through a mountain's worth of uni assignments.

I hopeyou're being compassionate to yourself where you can. I know you rely on your writing for income but ould cutting down to working on only 2 or 3 fics instead be a viable solution?

Because longterm I don't think that even your insanely impressive skills can hold up to that kind of pressure.

Maybe if you cut back a little you'll be able to enjoy your hobbies again and rest a little more.

I know that I'm not the only reader that wants you to take care of yourself x

Hi anon,

Firstly, good luck with all those assignments! I do not miss the grind of uni when all the assignments suddenly seem due at the same time and it's like 'oh fuck' and it just...is truly exhausting. Remember to take a break after if you can!

I am trying to be compassionate where I can. Working on expanding my capacity / juice left in the tank is actually a big priority with both therapists this year, and it's something I'm actively chipping away at.

Unfortunately cutting down fics is not really something I can do because it would personally stress me out more to put a lot of things on hiatus like that. Underline the Red is already on hiatus, and The Nascent Diplomat on my end is finished, and I'll take a few months off after that before starting the next installment.

Ideally I will be finishing out some fics that will clear my calendar a bit more over time. For example, A Stain that Won't Dissolve won't last forever, and isn't going to be replaced by anything new (Palmarosa will likely slot into that space and I'll be able to work on it more). Underline the Black will be replaced by Underline the Red, and Blue and Gold will be replaced by Underline the Silver.

Eventually, ideally, I'll be working on a smaller and smaller load until I'm at about 2-4 projects (which is how I used to work). Also quite a few of my projects only update once a month or every few months, and that helps a lot. It's just that I have too many fics where I'm on a more regular schedule (Stain, Palm, Black) and normally I only have one or two fics that are on a more regular schedule, so yeah, I am looking forward to that slowing down!

But putting something on hiatus just makes me feel more burdened and overwhelmed than knowing I'm getting closer and closer to wrapping something up. It's just how my brain works! I am a finisher, and while that's really good for not abandoning projects (which is extremely rare for me and tends to only be very short projects or PWPs which I will turn away from), it's less good when I have too many projects lmao. I've gotten better at holding back (there's three fics I'm dying to write right now, which is an Efnisien/Kadek fic that I've already started but not posted anything of, Silver, and Red).

So yeah, I will be cutting back. I've already started. The Nascent Diplomat is no longer on my schedule, which means for the next 3 months while it's still posting, I don't have to write anything for it. That's lovely because I can still share in that world with no extra labour (it's edited and everything). Likewise, Stain and Black are both in their last act/s now. That's still a lot of chapters for both, but it feels good for me to know that both will likely be finished out this year.

But we are getting there! So yeah the view is to cut down on projects, but organically (by finishing out stories and not replacing every single one with new titles, only some of them) rather than forcefully via hiatuses. I mean obviously if I get too sick I will have to go on hiatus and I've done that before, but so far it's looking like I've written enough chapters ahead (most of May is written) that I can take about 2 weeks off from writing in April, and that will help a great deal as well. :)

Anyway, take care with your assignments too! I do not miss that part of uni at all

[sapphim]

Hiya, what is the broken earth trilogy about? I love book recs and I love dragon age but maybe you could give like a brief summary or something? I hope this doesn't come across as rude, English is not my first language

sure yeah I'm sure that once I give a synopsis it'll be really clear why I'm recommending it to Dragon Age fans lmao. it's very much playing in a similar fantasy space but like, the worldbuilding is phenomenal and the characters, idk, *clenches fist* they compel me

so the Broken Earth trilogy is set in a post-apocalyptic world known as the Stillness that is routinely visited every few centuries by world-shattering apocalypse events that kill off major swaths of the population. they can only be braced for and waited out, not averted. due to constant earthquake activity, humanity has been reduced to living in small, isolated, self-sustaining communities, with the exception of the luxurious city of Yumenes, which houses the continent's orogene population

orogenes are mages, able to harness and control the energy welling up from within the earth. they are taken from all over the Stillness to live and be trained in the Fulcrum, under the watchful eyes of the Guardians. if they aren't trained, they'd be nothing but a danger to themselves and to others, you see, and their communities might kill them first out of self defense. but without orogenes, society in the Stillness might collapse entirely

the series follows the lives of a number of orogenes as they are pushed to their breaking point and have to fight for survival in a hostile world. it's very concerned with how one creates and exploits a class of non-people, intergenerational trauma passed down from parent to child, and what might drive one to want to destroy the world and everyone living on it

there's also—because I know my audience—bisexual polyamory

I'll put content warnings for child abuse and sexual coercion and assault (this includes csa and child death) under the cut

content warnings apply mainly to the first book in the series. the following books don't touch on these things as heavily.

so the Fulcrum orogenes are enslaved persons, and are coerced by the Fulcrum into having sex with specific other orogenes for the purposes of breeding more orogenes. refusal to go along with this mandate can essentially blackball them from advancement within the Fulcrum and see them moved to undesirable postings, at best. one main character, Alabaster, has fathered multiple children against his will, and he and one of the viewpoint characters, Syenite, have some terrible unwanted (on-screen, but brief) sex that both were coerced into.

the main chapter which deals with this is The Fifth Season - chapter 4 - Syenite, cut and polished

now, warnings for child abuse, csa, and child death:

the series deals with very heavy themes, and neglect, violence, and death is simply a reality of life for children who are discovered to be orogenes, particularly at the hands of their family and other guardians. I'll list the most notable occurrences below

child abuse -

one of the more graphic moments of on-screen violence against a child occurs when Damaya has her hand broken, by a character who has positioned himself as her guardian, as a lesson in self-control. this level of violence is standard against orogene children taken to the Fulcrum.

the chapter in question in The Fifth Season - chapter 6 - Damaya, grinding to a halt

child abuse, sexual assault, and death -

it's revealed that a number of young orogene children are lobotomized, kept alive by doctors, and treated not as people but as earthquake-dampening machines operating on instinct. it's also mentioned that it's not uncommon for these children to be sexually abused. you see the aftermath of one of these abused children lashing out in self-defense, killing themself and those nearby.

the main chapter in question is The Fifth Season - chapter 8 - Syenite on the highroad

child death -

there are two major deaths of child characters, one of which occurred immediately before the start of the story as the story's catalyst, and one of which occurs toward the end of the first book.

the first instance is of Uche, who is a toddler. he is the son of the series' main character, Essun, and is beaten to death by his father in a fit of rage when he is discovered to be an orogene.

again, this occurs before the start of the series, although it is often referenced throughout.

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the second instance is of an infant who is killed

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MORE DETAIL AFTER A SPOILER BREAK

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he dies at the hands of his mother, Syenite, who despairingly attempts to kill him, herself, and everyone in the area to prevent him from being taken to the Fulcrum.

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this happens in The Fifth Season - chapter 22 - Syenite, fractured

[ediblesunflowerlover]

You can't just give up

a/n: heyyy this is my first time doing this so I hope that it isn’t too bad, I got the idea of how y/n and Miguel met from @angel-eyes05“to leave the warmest bed I’ve ever know”, it’s an amazing story and I absolutely loved it and inspired me to write this 

Pairing: Miguel O'hara x spider!fem

Summary: You lose your brother after fighting yet another villain, you lay on the floor accepting death but Miguel saves you and you get a feel for him once you wake up

Notes: I do appreciate criticism, but please don't be a jerk for no reason. A few mentions of suicide and just a P.S this is most likely gonna get a little spicy if I continue to write this, of course a little fluff to balance it all out :)

Word count: 1,111 (Such a fun number lol)

Okay, I'm done talking, Enjoy :D 

I can’t believe he’s dead, my only and last family member. My head reels as I enter the apartment me and my older brother shared, he had finally achieved his dream of becoming a captain. I stumble through the apartment holding my bloody side, while using my other hand to use a wall or table nearby to support myself. I carefully walk into my room, feeling worse by the second. Noah…he worked so hard for that position, only to DIE TWO FUCKING DAYS LATER. I flew into a rage and knocked everything off my dresser and in the process fell to the ground, sobbing. The night he became official captain I cheered him on, his smile, and his eyes were brighter than I had ever seen them before. I didn’t even bother getting up, I just laid there accepting my fate, curling up into a ball. I can’t live on, I don’t want to be by myself. If I die…so be it. I took a deep exhale letting all my burdens go, I closed my eyes and a tear ran along down my face onto the floor. I thought about my brother who took care of me for as long as I can remember, he was always there for me and took on a parental role that he never asked for but he did it well. I can feel my body going numb and my breathing slowing. I felt the air almost lift up around me, my eyes were too heavy to lift up. Is this how it feels to die? I couldn't feel anything, it was silent.

I woke up in an unknown room. I tried to sit up to take a better look at my surroundings except I couldn’t, it hurt too much. I put my arm over my eyes and sigh. “Oh, so you are alive?” I heard a deep voice, there was a tall, muscular man entering the room and making his way over to me. I try to get up once again wincing in pain “Here let me help you”, he says grabbing my arm to help me sit up. “Thanks”, I say snatching my arm away apprehensively. I guess he noticed my hesitancy towards him, “I’ll save you the whole “spiderman backstory”” he said sitting down, “and just tell you I’m Miguel O’hara”. I looked at him for a second, “I’m not sure which is a more important question, where am I or how did I get here?” “Well you are in a medical room at Spider Society HQ” I take a deep breath, this is so confusing, I mean how did I get here in the first place. I look at Miguel again “And as to how I got here?” He remained silent and looked to the side. I’m not sure if I should trust him but I guess I'll give him a chance before I change my mind. There was silence for about a minute or two while I studied him, he had a strong jaw and very defined features. “You know, you shouldn’t just give up when life gets hard” he scolded me with his head still turned to the side. I scoff and roll my eyes, “Well maybe I had a goo-”, he snapped his head toward me “There is no such thing as a good reason to let yourself die” his eyes softened “…even if you lose everything.” He grabbed my hand and squeezed it, “I know what it’s like to lose someone you love, it’s heart wrenching and traumatizing” a tear drops down from my face and I quickly wipe it away “Is that really what he would’ve wanted?” At first I was angry that he would talk about Noah like he knows him, but then I thought about it and it’s not what he would’ve wanted. Noah would’ve given me his classic pep talks he always gave me, if it was right before a big exam, a performance, or a speech debate. “Never give up, and if you won’t do it for yourself” he looks me in my eyes practically staring into my soul, it is now that I notice his brown eyes have hints of red “do it for your brother and the people that need you, whether it’s now or in the future.” I look into his brown-reddish eyes, I’ve only known this guy for 30 minutes so why do I feel so connected to him right now. Like we share the same pain, I could feel us getting closer and closer, he radiates warmth. 

*Knock Knock Knock*

We turned to the door, “Miguel, you in there?” He let go of my hand and cleared his voice while standing up “Come in Peter”, a guy with a 12 o’clock shadow and a pretty big gut enters the room. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you-” he leans over to see around Miguel’s body to look at me, he waves and moves back to his original poster. I can hear him whisper “who’s that?” Miguel looks behind him at me, I give him a half smile. He leads Peter outside and closes the door behind him.

“Sooo who is she?”

“It’s a long story but I think she’d some good with us, and I don’t think it’d be a safe bet to leave her alone”

“Is she joining the society?”

“Are you against it?” It sounded like he was getting defensive 

“I mean not exactly, the more the merrier”

“Okay then, I’ll bring it up to the others and I’ll see if she’ll accept the offer”

“She seems like the head strong type, you really think she’s gonna go for it?”

“...let’s hope so”

Hmm a Secret Society, how interesting. Miguel enters the room and sits back down next to me. 

“Sorry about him he-”

“Is he in this secret society of yours?”

“Huh?” he seemed taken aback “How?”

“Every spiderman has their strengths, I just happen to have heightened senses, specifically hearing and sight. Although you also have to pay with something” I chuckle

“And what’s that?”

“I have no sense of smell, I will never get to experience what it’s like to smell a freshly baked apple pie” I sigh pretending to be sad

“You don’t seem too sad about it”

“Well that’s the thing, you can’t truly miss something you’ve never had, I mean for all I know I could hate the smell of apples” I smile at him

He just looked at me, not in disgust but in almost awe 

“Now tell me more about this secret society of yours” 

“It’s a lot”

“It’ll distract me from the pain” I say fanning myself “Woe is me”