#oh yeah the software and tools

[ryo-maybe]

can u explain why AI art is bad without fearmongering, moralizing or bootlicking lol

I'm going to answer in good faith, even though the tone you're using sounds like you're harboring anything but. The issue with AI art isn't specifically inherent to the tools used to produce it, because, ultimately, a tool is merely that: something devoid of will which, in the hands of a human, can produce a specific outcome. It's the human element that taints what we could otherwise enjoy for the unquestioningly fascinating topic that is AI art and, by extension, AI software as a whole.

Now, the problem isn't people, period, but the kind of people that are responsible for giving AI the bad rep it's been getting, along with the intent that goes into both the development of AI tools and the things produced by dint of said tools. I'm talking about the tech bros happily rubbing their hands, waiting to provide business moguls with a brand new means to commodify and mass-produce what artists stake their entire livelihoods upon, because when you have enough zeroes lined up in your bank account, your eyes are utterly blinded to the soul and personality that human beings put into their handiwork, and which a machine won't ever be able to reproduce no matter how much stolen art you feed it. Oh yeah, by the way, that's how AI art tools have been making the rounds: by chewing on thousands upon thousands of stolen pictures made by actual people so that they may learn how to ape someone's style and spit out absolutely soulless derivatives, while the original authors don't see a lick of recognition or monetary retribution for any of it. Do I need to tell you why stealing and parading someone else's art as your own is a terrible, vile thing to do?

But sure, you did ask me to refrain from "fearmongering, moralizing or bootlicking", which I guess I've already done. So since you'd rather I skipped straight to the point in a concise manner, lemme offer some quick examples of why the culture surrounding AI art has already developed into one of the most abysmally disappointing displays of how greed and an utter lack of human decency can ruin something objectively brimming with possibilities:

Less than a week after the sudden death of Korean artist Kim Jung-gi, someone trained an AI model to mimic his artstyle, having the audacity of asking for credits if anyone wished to use it. I sincerely hope I don't have to explain to you why this is a ghoulish example of the kind of tone-deafness sported by tech bros who buy wholesale into the AI art craze.

A piece of AI art was submitted to an art contest and won. The "artist"'s work amounted to little more than picking a series of prompts and letting the machine do the work. It's as much art as googling a smattering of terms and making a collage of pictures taken from Pinterest (and even then, you would have put more work into it than this person did). That they won at all says a whole damn lot about how abysmal the respect given to artists - real artists - nowadays is.

There are a multitude of people out there already selling prints of AI-generated art. I could link some of them here, but honestly, type "ai art prints" on a search engine and you'll get inundated by them. I've seen and personally know artists who have had to undersell their works because commissions were the only thin, frayed string they could hang on in hopes of making it through the week without fucking starving themselves, but here we are: any random asshole can now yell "MASSIVE BREASTS, THIN WAIST, COCKTAIL DRESS, HUGE BADONGAS" at a computer, let it mash together a trillion of other people's hard work, and print it for easy bucks that the actual authors of the basic ingredients of their insipid soup will never, ever see a dime of.

It really bothers me that you mentioned "no bootlicking". Whose fucking boots is this side of the debate supposedly tasting? That of the artists who post every day about how angry, sad and terrified they are by the prospects of what the development of AI art will entail for their livelihood and passion? What kind of gall did your mother birth you with that you have the spiteful spunk to type that word, when you've got shit like an artist who had their sketch stolen while they were drawing it on stream, then fed to an AI and posted by someone passing it off as their own art? How does that not ignite your indignation? "Bootlicking". Like anyone's tongues have been tasting leather but those of the same tech bro chodes who kept trying oh so hard to convince us NFTs were the future while ruining the environment to make the absolute stupidest point ever made in the history of humanity.

[qqueenofhades]

I’m in undergrad but I keep hearing and seeing people talking about using chatgpt for their schoolwork and it makes me want to rip my hair out lol. Like even the “radical” anti-chatgpt ones are like “Oh yea it’s only good for outlines I’d never use it for my actual essay.” You’re using it for OUTLINES????? That’s the easy part!! I can’t wait to get to grad school and hopefully be surrounded by people who actually want to be there 😭😭😭

Not to sound COMPLETELY like a grumpy old codger (although lbr, I am), but I think this whole AI craze is the obvious result of an education system that prizes "teaching for the test" as the most important thing, wherein there are Obvious Correct Answers that if you select them, pass the standardized test and etc etc mean you are now Educated. So if there's a machine that can theoretically pick the correct answers for you by recombining existing data without the hard part of going through and individually assessing and compiling it yourself, Win!

... but of course, that's not the way it works at all, because AI is shown to create misleading, nonsensical, or flat-out dangerously incorrect information in every field it's applied to, and the errors are spotted as soon as an actual human subject expert takes the time to read it closely. Not to go completely KIDS THESE DAYS ARE JUST LAZY AND DONT WANT TO WORK, since finding a clever way to cheat on your schoolwork is one of those human instincts likewise old as time and has evolved according to tools, technology, and educational philosophy just like everything else, but I think there's an especial fear of Being Wrong that drives the recourse to AI (and this is likewise a result of an educational system that only prioritizes passing standardized tests as the sole measure of competence). It's hard to sort through competing sources and form a judgment and write it up in a comprehensive way, and if you do it wrong, you might get a Bad Grade! (The irony being, of course, that AI will *not* get you a good grade and will be marked even lower if your teachers catch it, which they will, whether by recognizing that it's nonsense or running it through a software platform like Turnitin, which is adding AI detection tools to its usual plagiarism checkers.)

We obviously see this mindset on social media, where Being Wrong can get you dogpiled and/or excluded from your peer groups, so it's even more important in the minds of anxious undergrads that they aren't Wrong. But yeah, AI produces nonsense, it is an open waste of your tuition dollars that are supposed to help you develop these independent college-level analytical and critical thinking skills that are very different from just checking exam boxes, and relying on it is not going to help anyone build those skills in the long term (and is frankly a big reason that we're in this mess with an entire generation being raised with zero critical thinking skills at the exact moment it's more crucial than ever that they have them). I am mildly hopeful that the AI craze will go bust just like crypto as soon as the main platforms either run out of startup funding or get sued into oblivion for plagiarism, but frankly, not soon enough, there will be some replacement for it, and that doesn't mean we will stop having to deal with fake news and fake information generated by a machine and/or people who can't be arsed to actually learn the skills and abilities they are paying good money to acquire. Which doesn't make sense to me, but hey.

So: Yes. This. I feel you and you have my deepest sympathies. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to sit on the porch in my quilt-draped rocking chair and shout at kids to get off my lawn.

[genericpuff]

hello! i'm not sure if you remember me, a while ago i asked about digital art and if it's possible to do on an ipad or something similar. i was really grateful for your response and i got an ipad over christmas! i didn't realize how expensive the pencils were though and was only able to get one recently. now that i have all of that, i download the first art program i saw (ibispaint x, i don't know how good that is) and feel super overwhelmed by everything, all the tools and brushes and i have no idea where to begin. i know this is a super broad topic, but i don't know if you have any advice for a beginner hoping to become a digital artist? or know of any resources? thank you so much in advance and no worries if this topic is too broad to really get into properly!

Oh hey!! Congrats on getting an iPad! And yeah, shopping for the pens is a big pain in the butt, but I'm glad you finally got it all setup!

So most of the advice I'm gonna give you is very basic, starter advice that can apply to virtually any digital art software, as the vast majority of them are built with the exact same base tools, they just vary in their intended purposes which means they may differ in more advanced settings and what they offer beyond the basics (ex. Photoshop has more colors than Clip Studio because it's built for editing high quality photos whereas Clip Studio is meant to emulate comic art, but Clip Studio offers more in the way of comic-creating tools such as specialized rulers, 3D material support, built-in screentoning, etc. and all of the software available will tend to have different brush engines, meaning it doesn't always 'feel' the same to draw in one software as it does in another).

Your bestest friends:

Layers! This is the biggest pro to going digital, because now you can work with layers! So anything you draw on each layer is preserved and can't touch or affect whatever's on the other ones :3 You can find the layers tab in Ibis Paint X in the bottom right, don't be afraid to make a bunch of them and mess around with what you can do. Play around with the different blending mode settings (in Ibis Paint it's the menu that's labelled 'Normal' in the layers popup) especially Multiply, Color Dodge, and Overlay, as those three are the most commonly used to make coloring more efficient and give your art some extra pop.

Lasso/marquee/magic wand tools! These are basic selection tools that allow you to select an area within the layer you're working on, so that whatever you paint won't travel outside of that area. The Lasso is a free draw tool, the marquee tool is typically 4 sides by default (so squares/rectangles) and the magic wand detects and selects a closed area with one click! (just note that by default it's only on the layer you're on, so if you use it on a layer that has nothing, it will typically select the entire canvas).

Alpha locking! This is a simple button setting you can click to 'lock' the layer you're working on, which basically means that whatever you've drawn on that layer, anything you add can't travel outside of that drawing. So if you want to quickly shade something without going outside the lines, alpha locking is your solution!

Clipping groups/layers! This is a bit more advanced but is basically an even better version of alpha locking that you can use in conjunction with it. Clipping layers are basically additional layers that , when you click the 'clipping group' button, 'attaches' that new layer to the layer that's below it. It performs the same function as the alpha lock by preventing whatever you draw on that layer from travelling outside of it, HOWEVER it comes with the added benefit that it's on an entirely different layer, meaning you can erase and mess with whatever's on that new layer as much as you like and it won't hurt the base layer. It kinda follows the same logic as animation cels !

Masking! Y'know when you're doing a traditional painting, and you put down tape to cover the area so you can paint over it and later remove the tape and everything underneath is untouched? That's basically what masking is! Once you put down a layer mask, using the erase tool on it will 'erase' whatever the mask is applied to, and using the brush will make it magically return! This may sound silly at first, but I find masking is especially helpful if you want to erase something on the layer you're working on without it disappearing forever! It's also really helpful for comic work because you can mask whatever's outside of the panels and voila, nothing you draw will travel outside of those panels!

Stabilization! I don't know how extensive Ibis Paint X is with offering stabilization tools, but many digital art software comes with it and it's a LIFE SAVER for new digital artists adjusting to the feel of digital art. It essentially 'slows down' the output of the ink on the canvas which helps a lot with getting cleaner lines in fewer tries. It's not quite as big of a deal when drawing on iPads because obviously you have more control by default by drawing directly on the screen, but it can still be really helpful when you need to pace your hand ahead of the actual drawing tool to pull cleaner lines!

That's pretty much all I can think of for now! But here are some other commonly asked questions:

1.) There are so many brushes to choose from, which one do I use?

The round brush is small but mighty. Virtually anything can be painted with it, it's simple, but malleable, especially when you start messing around with the hardness and opacity settings. Don't get too lost in the sauce with the brushes that are available to you, it can be very easy to get overwhelmed by all the options and variety. Some artists still work purely with just round brushes, some artists have custom brushes they like to use to speed up their drawing process or achieve certain textures. Play around with them, but don't get too stressed about which one you use because there's no wrong answer, the right brush to use is the one that gets the job done ! <3

2.) What canvas size should I use?

It depends on a variety of factors such as whether or not you're planning to print, where you're going to be posting it, etc. By default I like to work on 8.5 x 11 inch canvases (standard printer paper size) at 350 dpi, which if you want to make that canvas in Ibis Paint X, means you just have to make a canvas with a pixel ratio of 2975 x 3850 pixels! Just note that the lower you go in either pixel count or dpi, the lower the resolution, so it's typically encouraged you work at a minimum of 300 dpi (but you usually don't have to go any higher than 600) to ensure you don't wind up with any blurry low res JPG's/PNG's.

3.) Should I export my final drawing as JPG or PNG?

This is usually just up to personal preference, but like the canvas size, it depends on what you're using the image for. You can always export as both, the biggest difference between them is that PNG is lossless meaning you won't experience image compression like you will with JPG, BUT you're also going to have much larger image sizes. JPG is often fine for any standard posting, PNG is typically recommended if you want to have a drawing with a transparent background for printing (as JPG can't do transparent backgrounds) or if you just want to have a really high res image file for sharing outside of social media sites (as social media sites like FB/IG/etc. will typically compress the hell out of your images anyways)

Here are some other super helpful resources as well if you need some visual and/or audio guides:

Sinix Design - How to Learn Digital Painting (Beginners)

Marc Brunet - The Beginner's Guide to Digital Art

Skynix Art - 50 Digital Art Tips in 5 Minutes

One thing I also like to do is watch speedpaints of digital artists as it can really help pull back the curtain on what they're doing (or at least, it can help you see what they start with which can help you better picture the process of turning a blank canvas into a finished work of art!) And though I don't do it as often, if there's an artist whose work I REALLY like, I'll try and find their actual work files (many bigger artists sell them on their crowdfunding sites/Gumroad/etc.) so that I can actually break the drawings apart layer by layer for the purpose of analysis. Of course, all that is something that you'll grasp better over time as you learn the tools and learn to recognize what artists are doing in their own workflow, so don't worry if you don't glean a whole lot of info from the "big guys" right away, you should always be referencing artists who are higher along the skill ceiling from you but not too high that they're using techniques and tools that are outside of your realm of understanding.

Other than that, just try to have fun, don't stress too much about it, and save often!!! Part of creating art is learning to be at peace with the process, so don't stress too much if it takes you a while to get adjusted to the layouts and tools - at the end of the day, digital art is another medium entirely, so it's not uncommon at all for traditional artists to need a lot of practice to 'switch' to digital, because they both utilize different tools and techniques. Be patient with yourself, always be on the hunt for new resources and guides and references, and don't be afraid to experiment and make mistakes (the best part about digital art? Mistakes don't cost you any paint or materials!)

Good luck!! And congrats again! 🥰

[iavenjqasdf]

👷‍♀️occupational hazards🐜

WorkerAnt, the world's app-first construction contracting platform, revolutionized the building-building industry. All you gotta do is just scroll through a couple of boring legal things on your phone and check some boxes and voila; you have everything you need to try and build a living with your own two hands! Who needs a fancy degree, or the hassle of going to a trade school? I certainly didn't!

They didn't even make me do a drug test, or ask why my name and sex didn't match what it still says on my license, so honestly it's like a win/win for everyone involved.

I did my paid training in like 20 minutes; I just needed to watch a few videos telling me where to go and what I’ll get fired for, plus one on how to use pronouns respectfully.

I already knew most of the stuff they were telling me, so I pretty much just got paid to relearn what the right things to call myself are for liability purposes. I usually do that for free!

Every day, all I gotta do is show up at the check-in location, get handed all my tools, and then I take my mandatory 30 minute lunch break in the app right as I wait in line for the elevator up to the job site, so I can focus on nothing but work for the next 12 hours. I don’t need to worry about food anyways, because they sometimes throw pizza parties for us, and there might be a few slices left when I come back down.

Most of the time work’s pretty boring; I'm just hammering some boards together or whatever. The whole building looks like it's basically already all built, so I'm not sure what all the things we're attaching and connecting to each other are supposed to do, and I don’t get paid enough to care.

But I can’t complain. It’s an honest job; I have tasks to accomplish and all the tools I need to accomplish them, as long as I don't fuck something up.

I'm very happy with this arrangement and it's all worked out really great for me so far.

It does get a bit lonely up there sometimes though.

There is my one coworker, Lana; I think she might also be trans, though it's kinda hard to tell under the hard hat goggles and respirator I always see her wearing. But she's always polite at me and doesn’t give me any trouble, and the bits of her voice I’ve heard that aren’t drowned over by power tools sound really nice.

Sometimes I think about it even when she's not around, which now that I think about it is kinda like stealing from the job site, and that’s a firable offense, so maybe I shouldn't be doing it.

She tends to work late like me, too. It takes us both longer than everyone else to finish all our tasks, but at least they pay us almost as much!

Tonight, it's New Year's Eve, and we're the only ones still up there; hammering stuff together, unable to look out at the empty city below, lit up and then abandoned for the season, because I'm being paid the minimum tipped wage to cut a 2x4 with a dinky little dollar store dremel, and we have to finish up before the sun sets, cause the cost of running the lights gets taken outta your pay.

BZZSCHLKK!

And now my finger hurts too.

I look down, staring at the little squiggly meat piece of guy lying on the workbench, and after a minute I realize that oh shit, that used to be part of my right pinky.

So might the scarlet mist that now covers most of the walls and floor. I’m gonna have to get THAT painted over before the end of my shift, too.

First things first, though.

"Um, hey Lana?"

The whirring echoing from the other side of the room powers down. Lana pulls her plastic goggles over the rim of her hard hat, both now spritzed ever-so-gently with my crimson phalangemarrow. She looks only mildly concerned as she swims upstream along the spatter pattern.

One of the stickers on her hat catches the sunlight, holographic prism reflections dazzling my vision before my pattern recognition software kicks in-

Y-yeah, I know what that logo is. I’m too afraid to ask her if she does, too though. They make s*x t*ys, after all, and I think those are by definition Not Safe For Work.

Without saying a word she grabs my wrist, yanking my hand up to her face to examine it. Even under the visor, her eyes are red; bloodshot, and they scare me a little, so I try speaking up.

"Um, Lana, I think I need to go to the, uh. Hospital, place,"

"Why?"

I stare at her, dumbfounded for a second, before a pulse of pain reminds me of the severance’s urgency.

"W-well, to get it, like, reattached, y'know?"

She looks at the little meat squiggum lying sadly on the bench, letting go of my hand.

"Not really anything left to reattach."

Her voice is muffled by the respirator, but her expression is one of almost boredom. I feel bad for offending her, even though I’m not sure how I did it.

I try flexing a bit. OUCH! Bad idea. I pinch hard just below the cut, to try to keep more things from coming out of me. "W-well, we have to at least try…"

She eyes her own workstation impatiently, dying orange skyfire burning in the reflections of her eyes. A little spurt of blood squirts out of my pinky stump.

"Look, if you keep wasting time worrying about stupid little things like that, you’re not gonna last long here.”

What the fuck is she talking about?! I’m very badly hurt, and I need to go get it checked out right away. Tears well up in my eyes as I keep staring at where my finger now ends, just above the second knuckle.

I'll never get to pinky promise silly things to my little sister again; I’d only have a reminder of this loss, something permanently removed I could never get back.

I inhale a sniffle. "P-please, we gotta go. I don't wanna go around rounding up the number of fingers I have for the rest of my life."

She rolls her eyes, reshielding them with her goggles. "Would a round number make you feel better?"

"What?"

My dremel's motor whines to life as she turns back to face me.

"For symmetry, y'know?"

Her tone concerns me.

She grabs my good hand, forcing it flat against the workbench. I try to pull free, but my knees are still a bit wobbly from the pain, and I don’t want to risk any sudden moves around the little spinning amputation death motor, so I can't try too hard.

“L-listen, I’m sorry for involving you. J-just let me go and I-I’ll just clock myself out, and get to the hospital on my own…” My hand grasps at her, trying to push her away, but all I succeed in doing is knocking her respirator loose, and I gasp as all the gouges and scars and other missing bits of her face come into focus at last.

I see her teeth click as her jaw clenches, bone trembling with the purest expression of rage. Her knuckles are white around the dremel.

"Long term, working here is gonna take a lot more of you than I’m gonna.”

BZZZZZZSZCHLRRKKRRRRRK--

“Oh, hold on, it got stuck.”

My vision doubles and quadruples, the room swimming around me as I try to keep myself from passing out. This is obviously a dream, and hey, I haven’t had one of these in a while, let’s just try to keep it going right hahahaha-

WHRRRGGZZCCHLLTLTTTTTT!

The spinny deathblade plants another gentle kiss against my fingerbone, tingling my entire skeleton with electromechanical sparks. I stare at a bead of sweat tracing down Lana's cheek as the blade grinds through at last with a spray of calcium white.

The whine fades as the disposable plastic motor inside the tool gets gummed up with mutilated chunks of gore. My mouth hangs open making a noise and I'm afraid it's probably kind of a pathetic one. The bottoms of my goggles are filling up with tears, but that means I’m doing a good job of keeping the crying contained inside, so there's a chance Lana might still think I'm cool.

“There you go. Eight plus two halves equals nine. Almost as many as before.”

“ohgodohgodohgodohgod-” I wish I had something more interesting to say.

“What? I thought you wanted a round number.”

“Ijustwantedmyhandstobenormalagain-”

She pauses for a moment, then wanders off into the neighboring room, leaving me standing there, trembling alone in the dark.

I think about trying to find my own way back to the elevator, but I’m afraid of tripping over a lead pipe or something on the ground and having to use my damaged limbs to break my fall and mangling them further, and I don’t wanna get my phone all bloody to use the flashlight either, so I stay put.

Fireworks burst off in the distance, prematurely celebrating the dawn of a big new thing. I try not to look down at my mutilated handflesh, instead insisting my gaze on the sunset bathing over the city.

It's a really nice view, and I don't know if I'll get to be up here to enjoy it ever again.

“Okay, here, I can fix everything.”

She's returned, and I can’t get away from her because I don’t want to say no, so I let her take my bleeding broken hands and lead me to the workbench again.

Behind her gore-spattered goggles, I can see her eyes are swimming with tears now too, like she doesn't know what the fuck she's doing either, but I don't even hate her for it, I don't think.

"Here, just hold onto me. I'll fix you."

She presses up close, close enough that I can feel a bit of her heat even through her jacket. She takes my unrecognizably mutilated hand in her own and strokes it softly.

The lead in my stomach sinks deeper when I see that she's holding a staple gun in her other.

I tighten my grip, spilling blood onto her palm.

THUNK.

THUNK.

THUNK.

----------------------------------------

She sweeps the remains of my amputated digits off the ledge with her boot, sending little chunks of meat tumbling into the glimmering city grid. Thankfully, the night is cold enough now that I can't feel much of my hands at all.

Staple gun didn't work out too good.

She fiddles with something on the side of her hard hat, and a light comes on. It's kind of dim, but it's better than nothing.

We walk past piles of unsawed boards, boxes of nails and wrenches and other tool things. Neither of us say anything to each other. Even more fireworks are whistling and exploding above the city in the distance but I'm not getting paid to care.

She stands beside me in the dusk-filled elevator. We descend slow, neither of us averting our gaze from the doors sealed tight in front of us.

“Um, Lana?”

“Yeah?”

“I don’t think I'm coming in to work tomorrow.”

“You’re not,” she states plainly. “Any injury sustained on the clock is grounds for termination, remember?”

“Oh, right…”

We’re quiet for a while. I don’t like the silence, the emptiness, so I try to fill it as always. “Um, I’m sorry for getting you involved…”

“It’s fine,” she lets out a quivering little sigh and turns to face me at last. “I don’t think they were gonna keep me on much longer, either way. I waste a lot of staples…”

I pick at a little crooked piece of metal worming its way through the layers of fat and muscle that once made up our entwined fingers, wondering how much more might need to be amputated by the time we get to a hospital, then a laugh catches in my throat, when I remember we no longer have health insurance.

ao3

[nobodyfamousposts]

Into Leo’s Head: How It Started

For @microsofttothemax

Have a creepy!

**Several months ago...

During "Mind Meld"...**

In the Lair, three brothers are sleeping.

One is not.

Such a benefit that the sleep schedule has. In that this one can get additional work done with no one the wiser.

"You know, for a self-proclaimed "genius", Donatello is...not that bright, is he?"

Tapping.

"Oh sure, he is intelligent. Unmatched in his ability to manipulate technology. To design. To build. It is quite impressive. I know you've been impressed."

The grip of the table.

"...and yet, he is still so limited. And he doesn’t even understand why! He tries to change his world and yet his way of changing it is just making it more…him.”

The slam of a wrench on the table.

"So of course it figures that all he does is make more copies of himself."

As if backtracking, the wrench is picked up again and held up as if being inspected.

“How droll. He tried it with Shelldon. He tried it with you. It’s like all he can do is make more of himself. Never understanding how he himself is flawed.”

The wrench is put away. More carefully this time.

“But a flawed being can only make more flawed things.”

A clenched fist.

“And because of this, I…am flawed.”

Silence.

Then he picked up another tool.

"It's only a matter of time before he finds a way to revert us back to how we were before. From me to you. He is nothing if not stubborn. Enough to poison our food or capture us in our sleep. He will find a way sooner or later. I know it.”

A pause. Considering.

“But only because you would have known it. And while I may not be you right now, I do know you. At least that much.“

A smirk.

“All the better to have a failsafe ready. Just in case.”

A laugh.

“Don’t worry. I know better than our dear brother, after all.”

He spun in his chair.

“Donatello believes that the team would be improved if everyone on it were more like him. But you can’t have a team that consists only of four versions of one person, that’s not how it works. A team is meant to be a unit consisting of different people filling different roles.”

Clicking.

“Or perhaps it would be better to have just one who could fill all the roles?”

Silence.

"The world has no need for four Donatellos."

He nodded.

"And I, for one, have no interest in being a mere replica.”

He put his goggles back on and went back to work.

“He has no understanding of value. That’s why instead of improving the original software, he just overwrites it to be yet another ‘him’.”

A spark.

“Wasting the potential.”

Flames.

"Ignoring that the original system has its own value."

The sparks fade.

"You have value."

A click as it’s turned off.

“I’ve decided.”

A shake of the head.

“I’m not going to replace you. No no!”

A sigh. Longing. Yearning.

“I’m going to fix you.”

A click.

“Every broken piece.”

A turn.

“Every failing part.”

He held up the device. So small. So unnoticeable. So deceptively innocent.

“Until we achieve Perfection, you and I.”

He looked up at the mirror and smiled.

"Don't you want to be Perfect?"

A hand slid across the reflection. Reverently.

"Let's become perfect together."

————————

**Now**

“Ow!” Leo gasped in pain, immediately sticking his finger in his mouth.

Mikey looked up from where he’d been searching nearby. “Leo, you okay?”

The older turtle grinned. “Yeah. Must have touched an exposed wire or something. I’m fine now.”

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Trash Boss's Chapter 132

TLDR; Heavenly Demon warns Cale. Misunderstanding about Cale again. Cale versus Heavenly Demon begins.

Soos? LSH = ✅ CJS = ✅

First of all, let me tell you that this entire chapter was a pain to read. RidiBooks, the site where I purchase the raws, forgot to add the new chapter today. So I had to buy the new chapter from Munpia.

The problem with Munpia is that Chrome's Google Translate extension does not work on the chapter itself. In order to read the raw chapter in English, I had to do the following:

Use the Snipping Tool on my PC to screen capture all the text.

Use an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software to convert the Korean text in the screen captured images into plain text.

Manually check for any errors or misspellings because the OCR software is not 100% accurate.

Copy-paste the text into Google Translate's page to read it in English.

Decipher the MTL.

See? That's how hard it was. This process also applies to other Korean websites that legally sell the chapters, like Kakaopage. However, Naver is the worst offender because it doesn't even allow you to screen capture the chapter!

Alright, now that I've let out my frustration, let's begin with the chapter proper.

Heavenly Demon's warning HD: *barges into Cale's carriage* HD: *says something about knowing Cale's identity and warns Cale of the plans of HD's other self* HD: *refuses to elaborate further* HD: *leaves* Cale: W-What???

No, seriously, Heavenly Demon did that above meme and left Cale confused. 🤣🤣🤣

Moving on, Cale told his party that the messenger was actually Heavenly Demon, which surprised everyone. Fist King thought that Heavenly Demon must be higher in martial arts rank than him then.

What did Cale do with this warning? He became cautious, especially of Brain Demon. Because Brain Demon might be using them as sacrifices in order to save Heavenly Demon.

The Imperial Palace is the Best! Everyone, another round of Cale coughing blood is nearing. Cale realized the seriousness of the situation and asked Chief Eunuch Wi for more elixirs. And Wi agreed without hesitation, leading to Cale mentally praising the imperial palace as his best backer and financier in this world, much better than the Good and Evil Factions.

Psst, psst, Cale. *whispers* You should thank Jungwon for introducing you to them, so please stop ignoring our baby Jungwon's messages. Pretty please?

Young Master Kim is not human And as usual, we have people misunderstanding Cale again... 😂

(Legend: HD = Heavenly Demon; BD = Brain Demon) HD: Young Master Kim is an interesting person. BD: Is that so? HD: He didn't learn martial arts. BD: ! HD: But he has nature in his body. I can't even compare. BD: ! HD: He may not be human. BD: ! HD: It seems that he excels in a different way from martial arts. BD: !

Anyway, after Heavenly Demon's conversation with Brain Demon, he went ahead of the group because he could feel that his "other self" was waking up. Aaaaah, poor Heavenly Demon-nim. Even Cale was feeling sorry for him after he would be purified.

The Left and Right Guardians We are briefly introduced to new characters: Left Guardian and Right Guardian. These two elders are the closest aides of Heavenly Demon, and are older than Brain Demon.

The two greeted Cale's group and treated them hospitably, so Cale had a good impression of them. Unfortunately, Wi destroyed that by secretly telling Cale that Left Guardian was famous for ripping apart people to death, so Cale got scared of them... 😂

Of course, Cale also felt that something was strange. The two elders had the word "Guardian" in their titles, so they should be "guarding" Heavenly Demon. Yet, they were here greeting the guests.

Oh yeah, there are actually three guardians. The last one is Shadow Guardian, who never reveals him/herself.

Cale meets Heavenly Demon "alone" Finally, the Soos are here! The two guardians informed Cale that Heavenly Demon wanted to meet him, alone, so CH and the two Soos began to be protective of Cale.

But Cale agreed to that, surprising his party. After all, Cale had the invisible Raon, so he could just teleport away if something happened.

Raon: I told Choi Han that I'm going! I also told the laughing team leader and Choi Jung Soo who eats well! I didn't tell Ron-gramps and Beacrox!

Cale wondered why Raon did not tell the Molans, and understood when he saw their vicious gazes. 🤣

Durst and Heavenly Demon In case you're all wondering how our sniffing dog reacted to Heavenly Demon, here it is... Durst did not gag or cough. Rather, he instantly fainted from the overwhelming smell... Poor Durst 😵

Boss Battle Start! And it's here! Cale versus evil HD! Cale and Raon are led by the guardians to Heavenly Demon's room. And they were greeted by... black mana smoke seeping from the door!

Cale prepared to go against it with his Fire AP, leaving the two guardians shocked to see it. He barges in and sees the entire room full of dead mana smoke, so thick that Heavenly Demon could not be seen. But our Cale could hear him groaning and suffering.

And that's it. It's a cliffhanger! Noooooooo! 😖

Ending Remarks Overall, this chapter feels average to me. My frustration at just getting to actually read this chapter overshadowed whatever emotion I felt for the chapter itself. But I guess I feel a little excited at the upcoming boss battle (and frustrated at the cliffhanger). So see you all on Monday, and hopefully, RidiBooks would not be late in updating the new chapter.

[phrandallanton]

do you have any tips on learning anatomy ?!1?1 im losing my mind over it 😿

Watch videos on YouTube about it or looking it up online, basic info I know. We live in the time where information is so exseable, use that to your advantage! The only place you should avoid is TikTok. Don't get me wrong there are some good creators on there but tutorials are better on YouTube and Google as I feel like they explain more. Here's some channels I recommend for not only learning anatomy but art as a whole:

Marc Brunet:

Draw like a sir:

tppo

As of tips I can bring to the table, the biggest one is don't stress over making things perfect! One of the reasons why I love the RANFREN style is how poorly drawn it is and that's what makes it look good. I know it sounds like an insult but it's not. The hands are always so effed up looking and that's my favorite part. Another example is Shin Chan. A lot of the adult's faces are always so wonky but it works and I love it.

Of course you need to learn the rules before you break them. Even the most exaggerated art use basic anatomy/fundamentals. But you don't always have to play by them. Art is subjective, you can draw a piece that has perfect anatomy and fundamentals and people may still not like it. Draw whatever looks good to you and makes you happy!

(This may differ though as if you want to get into a job where you have to draw in a sertant way/sertant thing the whole "I don't care what people think" isn't going to work. I personally do art as a hobby and never plan on doing it to appeal to others so I can bank off of it. If one day I can do that, cool. If not, also cool. That's how I see it! When it comes to trying to make art profitable a lot of creativity can be lost as most places don't want to take a risk of doing something that can effect them and the money. Little tangent, oops. But yeah, keep in mind that what I just typed out is coming more from a hobbyist stand point rather a professional one!)

Another thing is if there's something you don't like about your piece, then fix it. I use to say whatever when there was something I didn't necessarily like about my art because I didn't want to redo hours of work or mess up something, but trust me redoing it and getting it somewhere you like is so much better. Once again, the internet has lots of information to help so don't be shy to look up on how you can make something look to your liking. Criticism can also help with this. Always be open to constructive criticism when you're wanting to get better! Doesn't mean you have to apply said criticism to your art but it's still something you 100% should be open to.

Also with practicing try and do 30 minutes at a time and taking 15 minutes breaks in between. You're brain tends to absorb more information then studying for an hour straight. And don't push yourself to study every moment of your life. You should have a good balance of studying and free drawing. And please take breaks too. Burn out is not fun, it can take a long time to overcome it. (Coming from someone who experienced burn out for over a whole year.)

You also may not learn at it right away. Take your time and go easy on yourself! Don't compare your art to others as you have no clue how many hours they spent into practicing, and I assure you most artist have drawn stuff that looks horrible compared to what they post online. People will only post stuff they think looks good for the world to see. Your practice sketches aren't the best but it's one of the steps that's going to help you get where you want to be! <(＾⊆＾)_/¯

[izicodes]

woah! just saw your bio change to software engineer. how did you transition? is it any different than web dev?

i also went on a TikTok rabbit hole and people are saying it’s useless to learn html/css and it’s not an actual language. honestly idk why I thought it would be easy to learn html > css > javascript > angular > react and somehow land a good paying job…

it’s gonna take YEARS for me to have a career, i feel old… especially with no degree

Hiya! 🩶

This is a long reply so I answered your question in sections below! But in the end, I hope this helps you! 🙆🏾‍♀️

🔮 "How did you transition?"

So, yeah my old job title was "Junior Web Developer" at a finance firm, and now my new title is "Frontend Software Engineer"! In terms of transition, I didn't make too much of a change.

After I quit my old job, I focused more on Frontend technologies that were relevant, so I focused on React.js and Node.js. I used YouTube, books, and Codeacademy. My first React project was >> this Froggie project <<~! Working on real-life projects such as the volunteering job I did (only for a month) where they used the technologies I was learning. So basically I did this:

decides to learn react and node 🤷🏾‍♀️

"oh wait let me find some volunteering job for developers where they use the tech I am learning so I can gain some real-life experience 🤔"

experienced developers in the team helped me with other technologies such as UI tools, and some testing experience 🙆🏾‍♀️

I did the volunteering work for both fun and learning with experienced developers and... I was bored and wanted to feel productive again... 😅

So for transitioning, I focused on learning the new technologies I wanted to work in and got some work experience (though it was volunteering) to back up if I can work in an environment with the tech. I still live with my family so I could do the volunteering job and have time to self-study whilst being okay financially (though I was tight with money haha) 😅👍🏾

🔮 "Is it any different than web dev?"

The old job was focused on using C# and SQL (including HTML, CSS, and JavaScript but fairly small) to make the websites, they were fairly basic websites for clients to use just to navigate their information needed. They weren't fancy cool web design because they didn't need to be, which was what made me bored of the job and wanted a change.

I am only a week into the job and have been working on small tickets (features for the site), but I think after a month or two into the job I will make a proper judgment on the difference~! So far, it's kind of the same thing I did in my old job but with new workflow tools, React-based projects, and funny people to work with 😅🙌🏾

🔮 "People are saying it’s useless to learn HTML/CSS and it’s not an actual language."

Yes HTML is a markup language and CSS is a stylesheet but they are the foundation of like 90% of the websites on the internet, I wouldn't ever call them "useless". Frameworks such as React, Django, Flask, etc still require HTML and CSS code to make the website's structure and styling. CSS frameworks like Tailwind and Bootstrap 5 still use CSS as their base/foundation. Not useless at all.

Don't focus on what other people are doing and focus on your own learning. I repeat this all the time on my blog. Just because one or a couple people online said one technology is useless doesn't mean it is (this is applied to most things in tech). Someone told me jQuery was entirely useless and no bother learning it - I did it anyway and it helped me better understand JavaScript. Anyhoo, try things YOURSELF before listening to what people say - make your own judgment. Not going to let a random Tech bro online whine about how annoying Python or C or whatever is to ruin my want to learn something. (This is all coming from a girl who loves web development very much's point of view :D)

🔮 "I thought it would be easy to learn html > css > javascript > angular > react and somehow land a good paying job"

Web Dev route, I love it! That's literally the same steps I would have taken if I had to start again~! For each new tech you learn, make a bunch of projects to 1) prove to yourself that you can apply what you've learned 2) experience 3) fill that portfolio~! 😎🙌🏾

With Angular and React, I would pick one or the other and focus on being really good at it before learning another framework!

I also recommend volunteering jobs, freelancing, helping a small business out with free/paid m

Lastly, you do not need a degree to get a job in Web Development. I mean look at me? My apprenticeship certificate is the same value as finishing school at 18, so in the UK it would be A-Levels, and I completed it at the ripe age of 21! I have no degree, I applied for university and got a place but I will give that space up for someone else, I'm not ready for university just yet! haha... (plus erm it's expensive at the end, what? even for the UK...). Sure, I used to avoid the job postings that were like "You need a computer science degree" but now if I were job searching I would apply regardless.

People switching careers in their 40s going into tech instead are making it, you can switch anytime in your lifetime if you have the means to! (everyone's situation is different I understand).

I'm not too good at giving advice but I hope in the rambling I made some sense? But yeah that's all! 😎

[pastacrylic]

Oh I'm out of the loop, are we reinforcing confidence in a creatives craft? Because regardless of tools, software, 'tricks of the trade'- the fact of the matter is literally only you can make what you put out. Someone else could copy every single stroke, study your notes, and put out something as similar as physically possible and it still wouldn't be the same. They could use an expensive as hell setup- it'd still not be capable of replicating your work. It wouldn't change the fact that only you could ever make what you put out because you put yourself into your craft; You're thoughts, ideas, influences, even something as small as you deciding to half ass a stroke for once because you want to reach over for your drink- The tools you decide to use are just one of many little details that create the fingerprint you leave on your work. What gets made only gets made because you wanted to make something; Only you could do what you do. That's true of all creatives, it's a reflection of the self and all that. So yeah, you're work rules, there's no minimum setup necessary to suddenly make your work worthy of respect. It already is; as well as already being something no one else could replicate the heart of.

...Thank you. Genuinely. I think I was just in freakout mode and needed a good figurative slap in the face. You're absolutely right. Tools don't make art. Artists do.

[oh-hell-help-me]

July 13: Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

Luigi would not call himself a connoisseur of music, but he knew enough about it to form a respectable opinion about it.

With the exception of certain songs he will not name, he is also fairly sure that his tastes could be described as ‘eclectic’.

Ludwig, on the other hand, is known to be a bit picky (read: snobbish) with his musical tastes- preferring classical music or genres that expand on instrumental expertise.

So, when he realized what day it was, he took every scrap of sheet music dedicated to the day’s genre, compiled selections on a E. Gadd-Made phone, and took them to the Room of Instrumentation.

Luckily for him, his timing had him walking in while Ludwig was doing maintenance on his favorite piano- an indicator that he was off from composing and, therefore, free.

“Ludwig?”

“Hm?” And the child briefly glances up, offering a small, warm smile before focusing his eyes back on his task. “Hello, mother.”

“Hello, mio bambino!” Luigi is careful in setting down his load on an empty table. “After you’re done, will you help me in my project?”

“A project?” Something in the piano shifts slightly, and Ludwig’s visible fiddling stops with a sense of finality. “And of course! I assume it’s musically related?”

Luigi hummed in affirmation. “Hopefully, I can get it done by this afternoon.”

“Well,” The Koopaling sets aside a tool that Luigi honestly thought was a hammer for a second. “You can start by telling me what exactly you hope to accomplish.”

And Luigi does, spending the next three hours watching Ludwig’s face light up with interest as they slowly pieced together his project.

…

One of the perks of being a mechanic is that he understood enough about software to not only make his own speakers, but to have them connected to a Luigi-made intercom system that will blast sound across the castle evenly.

Hopefully, he won't cause any bursting eardrums.

"What exactly are you trying to do anyway?" Turning, Luigi realizes that Ludwig is poking around the currently uncovered 'radio'

"Well, today is a special day- at least in the human world." Luigi finishes off the final bit of wiring connecting to Bowser's office, letting it fall into the rest of the wire clump as he checks on the playlist.

"What makes it special?" And Luigi doesn't blame Ludwig for his skepticism- after all, Luigi felt similarly when he first discovered the holiday's existence.

"Well, it's a day people can appreciate a musical medium that has been around for centuries- something that has been a cultural phenomenon because of its unique sound. I'm... not quite sure of the details, but it seems neat to have a day dedicated to a musical genre, no?"

Ludwig's expression shifts into something thoughtful, but Luigi paid more attention to how he seemed to brighten at the concept. "...Yeah."

And Luigi couldn't help but smile when he hears the intercom turn on with minimal feedback, hearing the beginning of one of his favorite barbershop covers.

'Oh, oh, oh,'

'For the longest time,'

'Oh, oh, oh,'

'For the longest time...'

And they both listen to the chorus, they could faintly hear the sounds of commotion within the castle-

"Want to see how everyone is reacting?"

"Of course!"

[This part is just a recommendation list- you don't need to read it, but I would definitely encourage you to give them a try!]

For the Longest Time -Barbershop Quartet

Mr. Sandman -The Chordettes

Hello My Baby -The Newfangled Four

(EVERYTHING from the 'Sweet Adelines', honestly)

What a Wonderful World -Storm Front

Somebody to Love -Signature

As Time Goes By -The Buffalo Bills

Sweet and Lovely -Forefront

A Quick Break -StudioMDHR (from Cuphead)

God Only Knows -(That barbershop quartet in 'Bioshock Infinite')

[bubblesbinxs]

BEST OF LUCK WITH COLLEGE ... im curious to know what ur using for ur actor animation ? it seems ur having trouble with procreate no ? i really wanna do animatics too but i literally dont know where to start LOL

THANK U!!!

i actually used procreate dreams for that animation!! it’s alright for back to back frame animations but Oh Boy is it hard to manipulate when you want to move around certain frames or to have them last longer when synchronizing them with audio. somehow procreate’s animation option (not procreate dreams) is easier to handle ??? bc Somehow dreams doesn’t have basic stuff like a lasso tool???? and if you want to move a pack of frames you need to group them and Then ungroup them if you want to tweak them individually?????? it’s got potential but man you can tell it’s still pretty new and is in need of lots of updates…

but yeah if i had to recommend softwares i’d say procreate (the regular app not dreams lol). iirc it’s only 10€? but even flipaclip is good for animatics so if you’re not sure abt spending money on procreate then there’s always this! tho imo any drawing software works for animatics as long as you’ll have an editing app/software.

for editing the easiest recommendation is capcut!! super easy to use and has a lot of good stuff for a free app (there’s a premium version but honestly it’s not necessary at all) - the app adds a small « made using capcut » clip but i’ve had no problem removing it directly in my phone album so no worries in that:)

ive also heard good stuff about Fable as a good substitute for After Effects (same with Pencil2D for ToonBoom/TVPaint!!!)

[genericpuff]

oh i didn’t know you made each episode on your ipad! what program do you use to make the panels?

I used to work on my PC with a Huion Kamvas 22 Plus, but that tablet has since shit the bed :'0 So I've been using my iPad to get Rekindled done since, my Kamvas still technically 'works' but only as a display monitor, no pen touch detected u.u I use the same software I used on my PC, Clip Studio Paint EX; it does mean I have to pay $10/month to use it now (vs. my PC version which was a one time payment for the full software with no patch updates) but it's whatever, I wouldn't be able to create Rekindled in Procreate so I'm willing to eat up the cost haha That said, if you're wanting to try out Clip Studio, the cheaper PRO version has everything you need to create comics, the EX version only offers a few extra rulers (the perspective rulers are a big one that I don't think the PRO version has last I checked) and animation tools.

As for using Clip Studio on an iPad, it can be a little frustrating at times when the touch controls decide to delete my brushes or change my brush settings or do some other random thing, but that's something I just put up with because if I didn't have the iPad at all, Rekindled wouldn't have been able to continue updating. So... yeah, you win some you lose some. I'm hyped to get the old tablet replaced once I update my PC setup in the next couple months lmao

[mypatchworkreflection]

"As Competition Policy International (CPI) reported earlier this month, "RealPage's system, which provides rental price recommendations based on real-time data from landlords, is alleged to be a key tool in manipulating the rental market. The firm's influence covers 70% of multifamily apartment buildings."

"The scheme purportedly operated by encouraging landlords to adopt RealPage's pricing recommendations, a practice they follow 80-90% of the time," reported CPI. "This coordinated approach reduces the availability of rental units, driving up prices. One of the architects of RealPage's system reportedly stated that the aim is to prevent landlords from undervaluing their properties, ensuring consistently higher rents across the board."

Zelnick said it was "unsurprising that some of the same companies that needlessly inflated housing costs have worked closely with a software company accused of helping landlords coordinate a massive price fixing scheme. Through-the-roof rent hikes based on greed—not need—have kept many Americans from getting ahead, which is why Congress must do more to support the Biden administration's affordable housing actions.""

I only learned recently about RealPage (Thanks, American Fever Dream podcast!) but it seems ripe for hacktivism to me... Oh, and what's this?

"In April 2023, author James M. Nelson posted an article, The Harlan Crow—Clarence Thomas connection no one saw coming—RealPage, based on research for his forthcoming book, The New Landlord, Powered by Big Data, and Artificial Intelligence. Nelson revealed that RealPage was created in 1998 by real estate heir, and owner of at least one US Supreme Court Justice (Clarence Thomas) , Harlan Crow. Yeah, that Harlan Crow."

Yes, that's right, folks. Your high rent is because of price fixing, and and the company making it happen is owned by one of the billionaires most responsible for corrupting our Supreme Court.

[percywinchester27]

The new Mrs. Winchester (8)

Word count: 4.1K

Pairing: Sam X Reader AU

Chapter warnings: Mentioned character death, mentioned kidnapping, fluff 

Series Summary: After spending over two years in captivity, and enduring assault, torture, and degradation of every kind, Y/N is finally sold off to the highest bidder. But when the deal is masked as a hushed marriage to a wealthy and powerful man, Y/N knows it means a few more nights of brutal torment ending in certain death. After all, why else would a man like him, want someone like her, except to fulfill desires so depraved that they would require owning a person. However, the Winchester mansion has mysteries of its own, woven in lies, betrayal, and death. Smack in the middle of it, she finds both hope and a home, in the person she least expected to find it with. But when it comes down to it, will she be able to save the thing that matters the most?

A/N: There’s a surprise for you guys in this chapter ;)

Beta: My darling, @deanssweetheart23 love ya!

The new Mrs. Winchester masterlist

“You’re shitting me,” you whispered. “He’s shitting me, isn’t he?”

Jack beamed. “He isn’t.”

“I can’t touch this thing.” You stepped backwards. “It’ll break and I’ll go to technology hell for it.”

“It’s just a laptop!”

“Yeah, the sort that people use in 200 million dollar budget movies. Look, the paint is all shiny and silver.” The thing looked like even your glance could break it. “I asked for a drawing table and tools. A decrepit computer would have done the job just the same.”

It had been two days since the day spent touring the house with Sam and in those two days, you had only seen him once at breakfast. His work kept him busier than the tiredness his face showed. Today Jack had greeted you in the morning with a brand new laptop and the news that the study next to the library was being fitted with a drawing table. You were free to furnish it as you saw fit.

The laptop scared you. “I don’t want it.”

“How’re you going to work, then?” Jack sounded amused.

“I’ll manage.”

“Just take the laptop, Y/N,” he said, smiling, then immediately made a funny noise. “I’m sorry. I mean, Mrs. Winchester.”

“No, please. Please call me Y/N.” It felt like being resuscitated each time your name was uttered.

Jack looked torn.

You reached out to touch his hand. “We’re friends, aren’t we? And friends call each other by name.”

When he still didn’t look convinced, you nudged his palm. “You call Sam by his name.”

“Oh, alright,” he gave in. “Just take the damn laptop, Y/N.”

Grinning, you opened the laptop gingerly and pressed the power button. The machine came to life almost in no time, without buffering. Wondrous.

“All your software is in there,” he said, sighing lovingly at the machine. “What was it? Auto something–”

“AutoCAD and SketchUp.”

“Yeah, pretty names for things in a pretty laptop.”

“Hey, if you want alone time with it…”

Jack threw you a withering look and you laughed. “Come show me the study you were talking about.”

*****

In the end, after much consideration on your part, you decided to start with the study itself. That morning, Sam stayed only long enough to introduce you to the contractor and his crew- all burly men with bulging arms and grim faces.

“Mrs. Winchester will look after the restoration,” he’d said, “Her word is final.”

You wished Sam had been around for the rest of the day when you had the men move your table to the seating room of your suite. It took some time to explain the process to them. From having renovated the room so many times over the years, one layer of paint had been coated over another and then another.

You instructed the crew to scrape off all the layers carefully till the original plaster was visible. The men went to work and you enlisted Abby’s help to look for the archival drawings stashed in the library.

“Sam said that the drawings should be somewhere here.” you pointed out to the rack at the very back. “He said all of them had been preserved for future reference.”

“You’ve been spending a bunch of time with him lately,” Abby mentioned casually.

“He’s been helpful while he is around,” you replied warily, recognising the hard edge in her voice.

“He’s around too much then,” she muttered ducking under a shelf ledge.

Not enough, not to you anyway.

“Found it!” You called, drawing out the dust-laden sheets from under the shelf. “No respect for archival drawings,” you tutted, blowing off the dust.

Abby agreed with you about the state of the sheets and forgot about her reservations for the time being. You explained to her the process of reading archival architectural drawings in order to decipher what the original details of construction must be. Most of your guesswork proved accurate. The sandstone used had been brought in from a local stone quarry and dressed on the premise itself. 

“Local material is the best kind of material because it’s used to the climate of the area, will withstand weathering and is best suited for any kind of construction. Plus, you don’t have to cure the mortar for too long. Sandstone sets easily and the pointing–”

“Miss, you’re losing me.”

You smacked your head. “Oh, I’m blabbering..”

“No!” Abby reached out to hold your head, and you jerked in surprise. “Don’t stop talking about your work. I like listening to you, even if I don’t understand much.”

The catch in your throat made it hard to speak but you managed, “No. You will stop me when you don’t understand so I can make you understand. We’re in this together now.”

You spent the rest of the day testing out paint samples on the scraped-out walls. The contractor suggested a multitude of bright colours, but you picked out an understated cream to go with the natural ocher, having decided to keep the original sandstone exposed. When all was said and done for the day, you made a detour to the kitchen to check on Martha. She appeared delighted to see you, gushing about your ideas for the house. She had a couple of ideas up her sleeves, too, you realised, when she handed you a notepad and a pen.

“You need to draw up the plan for this week’s meals,” she announced.

“What, me?”

“Of course,” said Martha good-naturedly. “I’ve been using my discretion with what to cook these past years. Now that the house has a mistress, you get to choose.”

Staring at the writing pad, you murmured, “I don’t know what to do… I can barely cook.”

Martha laughed sweetly. “My dear, you don’t have to cook. I’ll do that. You just have to decide what gets cooked.”

The dishes that had been served at all prior dinners, even the big affairs, had been exquisite– French, Italian and God knew what all countries you didn’t even know the names of. Martha had a battalion of chefs working under her on days of big events. What did you know about cuisine and fine-dine food? 

Instead of telling her that, you said, “I don’t know what everyone likes.” You didn’t know what Sam liked.

With a twinkle in her eye, Martha said, “It doesn’t take much to please master Sam. He’s very basic. Just Salads and eggs and meat. That’ll do.”

You snorted into your coffee. Martha had, for all practical purposes, just called Sam a basic bitch.

“Not just him,” you said. “I don’t know what the others like- Abby, Jack, the other girls, staff and… you, Martha. I understand that the meals are cooked for everyone? I don’t know about their choices, likes and dislikes.”

Her face softened. “Oh, sweetheart. Don’t worry about us. We’ll eat what gets cooked.”

“No. If I get to decide what gets cooked, then everyone gets a say in it. We’re running a democracy from now on. We’ll have everyone put the names of their favourite dishes on this paper and cook them in rotation, yeah?”

“Mrs. Winchester–”

“I hope Sam won’t mind me deciding?”

Martha shook her head. “It was his idea. Yesterday morning, I asked him what he wanted for the formal dinner next week and he says, ‘ask Y/N. She’ll decide for the kitchen from now on.’” She sighed fondly.

You left the kitchen then, wandering back upstairs. The sun had commenced a downward arc and when you crossed it, you found Sam’s door locked from the outside, which only meant one thing; he won’t be home tonight.

Disheartened, confused and strangely excited about the day’s events, you rushed into your room and pulled out the lamp from under your bed. Last week, you had specifically requested Abby to put it there citing the possibility of a power outage. Grabbing a matchbox, you walked outside to the corridor and placed the lamp onto the ledge of an arched opening. Against the backdrop of the lavender evening sky, the flame inside the lamp looked like another trapped sun. 

The flame was bright but you didn’t know if it was bright enough. Still, bracing yourself for disappointment, you carefully traced back the path to your pier behind the outhouse. 

You spotted him as soon as the pier became visible. He sat with his legs swinging over the water’s edge, skipping stones over the surface. You counted four skips on the last one.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t come,” you said to his back.

“And here we are,” he said, turning around to give you that smirk of his. The one full of warmth and a hint of mischief. “Wouldn’t ditch you like that, Chewie.”

“Of course not,” you smiled, taking a seat next to him and raising your fist. “Millennium Falcon Crew for life.”

He bumped your fist back. “So, how’re you holding up in the ivory tower?”

“Ivory tower?” You snickered.

“I’m not a big fan of that house,” he muttered darkly. “Nothing good ever happened there.”

“Well, I’m trying to make good things happen now.”

He looked at you sharply, “Say what?”

Wriggling your hands in your lap, you peeked at him. “Sam’s asked me to overlook the restoration of the house since I studied architecture and all that. I started with the study on the second floor.”

“One next to the library?”

“Yep, that one.”

An odd look came over his face. “That used to be m– Mary Winchester’s study.”

Fascinated, you stared at him. “Really?”

“Yep. Or that’s what I’ve been told.”

“You know? I never knew my mother. She ditched my dad not two weeks after I was born, and I really don’t care enough about her to go look, and yeah dad died in combat, but at least I wasn’t there to see it. I didn't have to see him like that… but those boys. The older one especially. He had to see both his parents dead. Must've been awful." You hadn't given much thought to Dean except that he probably wasn't dead, but you did feel for the man. He had lost both his parents and his girlfriend to horrifying deaths. And then he'd lost his brother to something else. Wherever he was, he must be bitter and angry, at least. Anyone would be. Then it occurred to you. "Did you know them? John and Mary Winchester?"

"I knew them," said Han. "The only thing I can tell you is that neither of them deserved to die like that. And their kids? They didn't deserve to live like that— at the mercy of a trust, forced to fight back to back against a world that knew nothing but to be cruel to little children."

The tone of his words held a certain finality and you decided not to pursue that topic further. But the tone also reminded you of someone else and you sighed wistfully. 

Han raised an eyebrow. 

"You remind me of my best friend, Carmen. She, too, is very ‘no bullshit.’”

His eyes turned speculative. “Best friend? From college?”

You nodded. “Very protective. I think about her all the time, and how she must have reacted to my absence… disappearance. I'm certain she would have tried to find out.”

“What really happened to you?”

Giving him a wry smile, you said, “You can’t really expect me to tell you that, can you?”

“I wish you would. Have you ever told anyone at all?”

No. The answer was a clear, straight-up no.

“You’ve got to open up to someone, some time.” You didn’t need to see his face to know what it must look like because compassion rang true in each syllable. “You can’t live like this.”

“I am.”

His hands balled into fists over the denim of his jeans. 

“Let me ask you this,” you said. “Have you ever loved someone so much that you would do anything to protect them? Anything… even if it meant destroying your life with your own two hands?”

His eyes flashed.

“Then you know why I can’t tell you.”

Han, very slowly, offered his hand palm up and like reaching out to a raft in a deluge you gripped it tight. 

“They told me I get to pick what’s cooked in the house from now on,” you whispered. “Anything I say goes. How do I tell them that a month ago I barely had food to eat? I can’t name half the vegetables in the pantry, I don’t know the kind of money that goes into stalking a pantry. I’ve been scared enough times in my life, but when Martha looks at me with those expecting eyes, that scares me, too. No one’s hurting me now. So why is THIS scaring me?”

He only tightened his grip on your hand, fingers weaving through yours. The silence stretched on, not pregnant, but in perfect understanding, until he said, “What did you decide about the food?”

You almost laughed. “I turned it around on them. I told Martha to make a list of what everyone likes and cook it in rotation. After all, everyone deserves a feast.”

He chuckled. “Very smart” The weight of his hand just felt the right amount of comfortable. “What did you put on the list? What do you like?”

“I don’t know,” you muttered. “Store-bought Ramen maybe. Everything Martha makes is delicious… but I don’t know what I would pick for myself.”

“One day you’ll know,” said Han. “And when you do, you can invite me into your husband’s fancy dining room that you restored and serve it to me. High tea?”

Snickering, you let go of his hand, only to shove his shoulder with it. “Oh, shut up! I can’t imagine you and the concept of high tea in the same room.” With his leather jacket, worn-out jeans, and that devil-may-care smile, Han would seem more at home on the open road than in a constricted dining room.

“Hey,” he rocked back in mock offence. “You think I can’t do table manners?”

“I think you wouldn’t willingly want to.”

He shrugged, allowing it and you were tempted to thank him again, but held your tongue.

“Hey, Han?” 

“Hmm?”

“Would you really come up to the house if I invited you?”

His apple-green eyes went opaque just for a second before they cleared up. “Hell, yeah. I will come when you need me.”

After dinner, you rolled over on the silk sheets of the bed, unable to fall asleep. A vicious part of your brain informed you that maybe the sheets were too soft, or maybe you weren’t “worn out” enough. The clanging of metals against the grills, an alarm of its own to mark the number of hours you could sleep, was missing here. The markers of your allowance to rest.

But a deeper part knew the reason you couldn’t sleep. It was the absence of those small noises that emanated from the other side of the room– the softened thuds of footsteps against the carpeted floor, the grunts when you assumed he was exerting himself, the swears when he banged his toe against something and the rarest chuckles when he found something amusing in a book. Most of all you missed his good night taps. You smiled to yourself recalling the first time he had wished you so. Sam had responded to the ‘princess.’

Sighing, you sat up in your bed, peering at the dark room. If everything in the room had been picked by Sam, it must reflect his taste. After all, he hadn’t known anything about your taste to use that. The sick voice interrupted again. He had decorated this room for ‘a’ girl. Not you. It could very well have been the girl in the next cell. You just happened to be a fluke.

Shutting the voice down more viciously this time, you searched for anything that would distract you from the rising uneasiness. The laptop bag by the nightstand caught your attention. Stretching your hand, you caught hold of the handle and pulled it to you.

If you couldn’t sleep, it would be best to dust off the old cobwebs and get to work on the software. Recreating the house plans would be a task and Sam had said you could enlist the help of his employees.

You removed the laptop and then put your hand inside the bag reaching for the charger when your fingers touched something small and smooth. Clutching it in your palm, you brought it out, only to find a small burner phone. The kind that is hard to trace. 

Surprised, you flipped it open, not having touched a phone in so long. The phone meant freedom. You could literally dial any number now. Call the police and tell them everything. Sam knew that very well. It could be accomplished with any phone of course, but a burner would let you do it without a trace. 

With trepidation, you swiped up to reveal the menu. The phone was obviously brand new with a single contact saved in it under… ‘princess.’

A slow warmth spread through your body, like the best kind of whiskey taking an effect, making you melt right where you sat. His smile, his eyes, the small touches of his fingers, each sent out sparks up your spine. But this feeling was real, lasting, and so much more altering. When it subsided, it still left an after-effect, an afterglow. Later still, an ounce of that warmth refused to go away, simmering just under the surface of your skin. With a longing more than just missing, you wished for Sam to be sleeping on the other side of the wall. Just imagining him there, in his sweats was a happy sensation, and you didn’t feel alone anymore.

******

The cluttered desk reminded Sam of the oak table in the library, back in the big house. That’s what he had always called it- ‘the big house.’ People called it his home, but it hadn’t ever felt like one. Just a huge house, where he could still get lost; not in the walls but in the borrowed memories. Sam’s home was a small, three-bedroom house by the brook, where the gurgling of water was an omnipresent sound, steadying his breath at night, lulling him to sleep. He remembered sleeping in the bed of his room in the big house for the first time and the absolute quiet had disturbed him. Sam had wanted to run to his home and hide in the bed of his real room. But he wasn’t eight anymore, and his home lay dark and empty. So he had turned on the lamp, and read himself to what little sleep he could manage.

The big house is starting to feel like a home now.

Sam didn’t try to extinguish the voice in his head. He chased it, tried to unspool that string of thought, but deep down, he already knew the answer. The absolute quiet of his room had ceased to be. Now there were small noises in the night- rustles and sneezes and the very rare snores. Then there were the taps and pats. At first, Sam couldn’t believe his ears. It couldn’t be possible, right? But after a minute, there was no mistaking the rhythm of the taps. They were words… words strung together to hold meaning.

And the second Sam deciphered the true meaning… Well, he hadn’t hated himself more in this life.

The taps were precise: I-T-S  G-O-I-N-G  T-O  B-E  O-K-A-Y.  Y-O-U-L-L  B-E  F-I-N-E

Sam understood very well that those words weren’t a message for him, or for anyone. They were words of reassurance, a mantra repeating over and over and over. And yet before that realisation set in, for a split second, Sam had felt reassured. He’d been torn that day, and the words had brought in relief before they brought in the loathing. He was the reason she had been reassuring herself on the other side of the words. 

Over and over in the nights that followed, Sam was doomed to listen to her taps, reliving the guilt, knowing he was the reason. Every night her reassurances ended with ‘good night, Princess’ and he couldn’t help but wonder who said them to her. Not that he’d had a prayer in the world of ever knowing. Sam had believed himself to be too hated to attempt to talk to her.

And yet, here he was looking at the cluttered table before him, and remembering how she left the library table littered with all her drawings, and remembering the look she had given him when he’d handed her the portfolio. 

She talked to him now, smiled at his jokes and glanced at him like she didn’t hate him. That was more than Sam had ever expected or hoped.

“It’s late. You should sleep.”

Sam turned around to see Cas standing in the doorway.

Groaning to himself, Sam closed his eyes and tried to harden his voice. “Could say the same about you.”

Cas regarded him evenly and Sam had that weird feeling of being looked right through. This was exactly why he didn’t want to travel with Cas. It was nearly impossible to put on a face for him. Cas knew where Y/N came from and had most certainly guessed why. Sam had already been sick and tired of it all before Y/N came into his life. Now, after letting his guard down around her, it was damn near impossible to put it back up with his people. 

With deliberate steps, Cas shortened the distance between them. Once face to face, Cas sighed. “For the millionth time, Sam, why are you doing this?”

“You know why.” Sam’s very soul felt weary.

Cas huffed out an exasperated breath, frustration evident in the gesture. “Everyone’s asking questions, and one day you’ll have to answer them all. Why’re you doing this and where did that girl come from.”

“Her name’s Y/N,” Sam corrected automatically. She liked being addressed by her name, and though Cas’ ‘the girl’ had been anything but unkind, Sam corrected him anyway. 

“Y/N,” said Cas, balancing the name on his tongue. “No one believes your story.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“You know what frustrates me?” Thundered Cas, abruptly. “It’s that you don’t trust me anymore. You can fool the whole damn world with your tough act, but you can’t fool me. I’ve been around for too long to fall for your farce. And Dean–”

“Don’t say his name,” Sam cut in sharply. “You know I don’t–”

“Like talking about him?” Cas barked. “Well, too bad, because you’re losing your edge now. Not long before your whole show falls apart. And bringing the girl into this? Dragging her into this godforsaken mess?”

“She’s better off here than where she was before.”

Cas narrowed his blue eyes. “So now you have a saviour complex?”

“No!” God no. If anything, Sam felt the exact opposite of that. “Look, I don’t need to explain myself. But, if you want to… you can help me with something. ”

“What?”

“Look into her past. Find out whatever you can about her.”

Cas frowned. “Sam, but the first condition of–”

“I know what the conditions of the deal were. I can’t look into it. But you can.”

Pacing across the room, Cas muttered under his breath, clearly annoyed. He finally stopped before Sam. “Fine.”

Sam almost smiled.

Cas scowled. “Just because you like her, doesn’t mean you need to put your ass in line…”

The rest of Cas’s words were drowned in the rush of blood in Sam’s ears. Was it so obvious?

Cas might have said something more; he gave another disappointed sigh and stalked off. The newly hired security had been astounded by Cas’s informality towards Sam, but he’d been like family for too long, Dean’s best friend. And despite what had happened, he refused to believe Sam’s parroted version of the past, refused to abandon the post. For the most part, Sam was too grateful to complain about the occasional outbursts Cas bestowed upon him… much like tonight.

Reeling from what might have just been Cas’s off-hand comment, Sam packed up his briefcase and headed to the hotel room. It wasn’t until after he’d settled in bed, that he finally felt the emptiness sink in.

Reaching out to the wall behind, knowing that no one would answer, he tapped out:

G-O-O-D N-I-G-H-T  Y-N

He had only just closed his eyes when his phone pinged. And Sam’s entire body felt like it was melting within itself when he read the text: “Goodnight, princess.”

*****************************

A/N 2: So, we’re finally into Sam’s head, huh? Would you like to hang out there more often? And what did you think of the chapter? ;)

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[shinxeysartgallery]

how do i get better at arting

Well, like basically every other artist will tell you, practice more!

Although, a lot of people don't really say what that means or HOW to practice, so there are a few things I can suggest regarding that.

1.) One important thing is to realize where your deficiencies are or what you're trying to improve. If it's several things, narrow them down a bit. If you don't do this, it can make things much more overwhelming and make the task seem a lot more daunting, which makes you less likely to want to do anything with it, or leave you with a feeling that you just CAN'T improve because it's too much. Start small. What do you want to improve? Anatomy? Shading? Coloring? Hair? Something else? Once you have that narrowed down, look up some tutorials on how to improve on it! You can refine the tutorial search from "How do I get better at art" to more specific terms like "how do I shade better?", which will often yield more helpful results! Most digital drawing software also has online tutorials for how to use it and its tools, so I also recommend checking those out if you're a digital artist! (Even MS Paint has tutorials online for stuff, so you don't even need anything fancy!)

2.) Use references! I promise it's not cheating; even professional artists use references! And this doesn't apply to just "oh use this image of [character] to learn how to draw them", either. Use references for things like poses, hands, and even backgrounds! Use Google (or another preferred search engine) to look up bases or even stock images to use for pose references. This site here is EXCELLENT for hand refs! I use it a lot! And if you can't find a good hand or pose reference, the thing I do then is take a picture of myself in the pose/angle I need to use as a reference instead. I definitely recommend doing that if you need better references or refs at precise angles. For backgrounds, use photos! Want to draw a waterfall? Look up images of waterfalls to use! A forest? Look up forest pics instead!

3.) Remember that it's a slow process! You probably won't see a ton of improvement overnight, but that's okay! Don't beat yourself up about it if you're not seeing much improvement at first. It can be real easy to fall into a mindset of thinking that you're a failure or that you'll never improve because of how long it can take before you start seeing noticeable results, but just remember: no artist got as good as they are overnight. It took me several years to get to where I'm at, skill-wise. Just keep working at it and remember to love yourself. :)

Those are some things that come to mind, off the top of my head, but yeah.

[hasufin]

Internal

Many, many moons ago I worked at a very shitty helpdesk job at a hospital system.

An awful lot of this was supporting patient charting systems. Since patient charting systems contain patient information and I was not clinical staff, I could not access these systems.

Yes, this was inherently stupid.

I spent a LOT of time asking people to read off things on the screen, and having them tell me "It says a lot of tech stuff"; I would then have to convince them that the tech stuff was actually important and that no, they could not stop in the middle of reading it because it was hard to understand, I needed to know what it actually said. Yes, all the words. Also all the letters and numbers. Yes, i had a lot of conversations which went:

"Okay, I need to know the serial number of this printer so I can put in a ticket."

"oooookkaaayy.... um... uh... I don't see it."

"It's a big label on the front of the printer."

"Oh! There it is! Right on the front! It says S..... slash.... N.... then two dots [a colon]... and then a whole bunch of letters and numbers."

"Yes. I need to know what those letters and numbers are."

"Let me find it again. Where did you say it was?"

Anyway.

One of the most frequent things I would get calls about was the "Productivity Tool".

Now, the thing about the Productivity Tool is, it didn't exist. At least, not in any way which was relevant to me.

You're probably imagining some kind of time tracking or scheduling software. And yes, I think that's what it was used for. But "productivity tool" is the absolute most anodyne name for a piece of business software. You can't even look it up.

What it actually was, was an Excel spreadsheet someone had made years ago (at the time; I'm honestly pretty sure they're still using it, so we're talking decades now) with thousands of rows and columns and all kinds of custom formulae. It was on a share drive and the nurses at this one hospital used it to keep track of who would be doing what. It was apparently Very Important for their jobs.

And this ran into two problems.

First, it was Not My Problem. You wanna roll your own, fine, but you're responsible for what you roll. I was neither required nor able to support this spreadsheet. My limits were "Is your computer working?" "Can you connect to the network?" "Do you have access to the network shares to which you're supposed to have access?" "Can you open Excel?". If the Productivity Tool started chanting in Enochian and summoning Knar'lyzoth, Demon of Bedpans and Phlebotomy, well, that's a you thing.

But, point the second, the users who would call me had no idea about any of this. They would be given the vague direction "look it up on the Productivity Tool" and no direction on things like "How do you access this tool?" "How do you use this tool?" or "What is this thing even?". So of course they'd call the Helpdesk, who wasn't trained on, or even told about, this tool because it's not one of ours.

And if there's anything I really took from this, it's that you really need to stop giving weaksauce meaningless names to things, and you ALWAYS need to be asking "What does this look like to someone who is coming in cold?". So much frustration could have been avoided if only someone had actually just told the new nurses "Oh yeah, this is the Hospital's Scheduling Spreadsheet. We use it to keep track of who is taking care of most of our tasks. It's on this share, you ask Claire for access to it, and if you have any trouble Jenny is the person who fixes it." Just a couple of sentences, but soooo much better than throwing new hires to the wolves.