#plus some other great artists I’d totally recommend

[colourmeblood]

rules: shuffle your repeat playlist and post the first ten tracks, then tag ten ppl

I was tagged by @deep-space-siren - thank you!

Sooo here are the songs! (Wow, much shock about the first one, such surprise haha)

1) Lord of the Lost ft. Swiss & Die Andern - Schwarz Tot Gold

2) In This Moment - Godmode

3) Solar Fake - Es Geht Dich Nichts An

4) Konvent - Fatamorgana

5) Oomph! - Wem Die Stunde Schlägt

6) Perturbator - Lustful Sacraments

7) Zeal&Ardor - Death to the Holy

8) Oomph! - In Namen des Vaters

9) Lord of the Lost - Voodoo Doll

10) Eisbrecher - This is Deutsch

There’s nooo way I can tag ten accounts, plus I know that not everyone has the time/feels like sharing this - damn, I’m guilty of sharing this late too

Tagging @blackccelebration (pretty sure I haven’t tagged you so I needed to change that! 🖤✨) and also @syvellsworld and @spooky-cowfish if anyone feels like sharing this :)

[anon-bunny]

I love your work! Do you happen to have any tips for artists looking to get into digital art using procreate?

Sure! I absolutely love using procreate. For whatever reason it’s considered a lowbrow art tool by major studios and companies??? But I can do pretty much anything I’d want to do in Photoshop in Procreate at a fraction of the cost. Plus working on an iPad means portability— If I want to draw in the car, on a plane, in a cafe, etc. I totally can. Glad to see more people are getting into using it! 💖 Alright, onto some tips.

The best way I can think to give tips is leading by example and offering points of reference through my own work and process. If you have follow up questions or are looking for something specific definitely send them my way. ✨😊✨

1. Know Yourself; Know Your Art Style

Whether you’re a long time digital artist or a traditional artist porting over to the digital medium it’s very important to know your work, your strengths, and your personal style. For example, I was very much a traditional artist who delved into digital artwork to keep up with career demands. For a LONG time there was stylistic dissonance between how I drew on paper and how I drew on SAI (the desktop paint tool where I got my start) because what I was subconsciously doing was keeping my style to myself traditionally and just mimicking the artwork I saw online when trying to make digital art.

Here are two pieces I made back in 2018, one traditional and one digital. They're both nice pieces, but if someone was asked which one was definitively one of my pieces they're much more likely to say the traditional piece because it's consistent with my style: limited colors, lineart heavy, etc. I kept trying to divorce from my traditional style when what I should have been doing was taking the extra time to learn how to do what I could already do traditionally in a digital program.

It's especially important to know your style and practice maintaining it regardless of media because the next tip is

2. Invest Time In Watching Others

In nearly every hobby, profession, skill, or interest one of the best ways to hone your craft is to see how other people do it. Hozier said in a recent interview when he's not writing or performing his music he's listening to someone else's music. It's very important to our ability to learn to see how a task can be done to help influence how we ultimately do it. I of course do not mean try to copy someone else's work, which was something I had to learn the hard way when I was starting out in digital art. One of the things I frequently did early on was tried to copy someone's painting technique as closely as I could which resulted in some less-than-inspiring artwork that didn't look much like my usual body of work.

Which is again, something that is easily prevented by just knowing your style.

Some places I go when looking to see how other people draw are YouTube, Tiktok, Artbooks, and Pinterest. Youtube and Tiktok are fabulous sharing platforms usually dealing in quick media where a single search for "procreate" or "speedpaint" yields THOUSANDS of results. Artbooks require a little more financial dedication, but they're great visual references that frequently come with some kind of tutorial in them. Some in my personal collection are Gothic Lolita Punk, Japanese Comickers, and The Complete Masters of The Poster. And Pinterest is frequently painted as a digital piracy war zone, but searching "art tutorial" or "digital art techniques" yields lots and lots of valuable information.

I've been professionally illustrating since 2017 and I STILL go back to these points of reference to see how other people are drawing, painting, etc. Who knows? I may learn something new that takes my art one step further.

3. Explore Brushes!

There are literally Tens of Thousands of brushes that are available all across the internet and I highly recommend taking the time to search google for packs of them. For the first year or so of working with procreate I ONLY used the default brushes that came with the program and while the art was decent I definitely could have used more experimentation to make more cohesive pieces.

As of right now I use a Frankenstein pack of lining and painting brushes that are a mess of brushes I made myself, brushes I got in art packs I found on itch.io or etsy, and some default brushes I've heavily modified to match my style.

I highly recommend playing with brush settings, searching for new brushes, and trying literally every brush you come across to see if you can find a use for it.

I've mentioned it several times throughout but it deserves its own bullet point, so my final tip is

4. Don't Ever Be Afraid To Google It

No artist knows everything. No one who claims to be an expert on Procreate knows absolutely every function, every application, and every trick all on their own--- but between all of us you can find practically anything just by googling it.

I have found super specific pattern brushes, youtube tutorials for pattern creation, configurations for pressure sensitivity, ideas for color palette building, templates for sticker making-- whenever I personally can't figure out someone else likely knows what to do. That's what community is all about!

You are not beholden only to your personal knowledge, so remember google is your friend!

I hope this helped! I tried to pair down the tips as much as I could but I just love getting asked about how I draw. 💖 If you or anyone else reading this has any specific questions you're more than welcome to DM me or send another ask. 😊 Have fun! Good luck drawing!!!

[a-little-slice-of-fandom]

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the Irish-ness of Dracula, if you wanna ramble about it!

(Okay I just want to apologise for how long this took to answer because I know it’s been sitting in my inbox for over a month but..depression and work happened and I just didn’t have the time or energy to complete it. I seriously do apologise for this but I hope you enjoy the post anyway!)

So the first thing I need to clear up is this: the concept of a monster or a demon that feeds upon the life force of humans is not limited to one singular culture or folklore. In fact, this core concept is a wider cultural phenomenon and variations of it exist across both countries and continents. And no one country can take sole credit for the this core concept of vampires. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise either doesn’t know much about vampires or is intentionally being disingenuous. There can be cultural variations that are specific to certain folklores (and to just blatantly steal these would be cultural appropriation), but the main idea of vampires exists across a wide range of folklores and no singular person, group of people or culture can take credit for the creation of vampires.

However, arguably it was the work of Bram Stoker that aided in the solidification of the concept of Vampires that we know today. While there were other authors from a wide range of nationalities who wrote about Vampires before Stoker (including John William Polidori who wrote the Vampyre in 1819)...Dracula is the best known. (Now I personally believe that’s because Dracula is an absolutely banging novel, although I do concede that the prevalence of adaptations of Dracula from the 1920’s to today helps keep Dracula in the forefront of audiences minds.) In addition, it’s important to remember that Stoker was inspired by another Irish author Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, who wrote the novel Carmilla. As far as I know, Le Fanu and Stoker actually worked together on a magazine!

Another thing I think that needs clarification is the common belief that Stoker heavily/religiously based Dracula on the historical figure Vlad the Impailer. This is heavily debated by scholars. While there’s an obvious, undeniable similarity between the names of these two...the similarities start to wain after this, with only small similarities between the two and there’s even literal contradictions between the history of Vlad the Impailer and Dracula’s history in the novel. In fact, there’s not much indication that Stoker based the character Dracula off Vlad the Impailer, or even that he had a working knowledge of Vlad the Impailer beyond the name. In all 124 pages of his notes, there’s nothing to indicate that Stoker’s inspiration for Dracula came from Vlad the Impailer.

(Plus Dracula in the novel wasn’t even originally called Dracula...he was called Count Wampyr in the original drafts of the novel and this was only changed, from what I can gather, in the last couple of drafts.)

In fact, I’d personally argue that that connection between Vlad the Impailer and Dracula is actually something that’s been retroactively added by other artists, for example the 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” heavily leaned into this idea that Dracula and Vald the Impailer were one in the same, and as time has progressed people assume that these elements were in the original novel when that’s simply untrue! Stoker didn’t write that! It’s a retroactive addition by other artists that’s just assumed by the masses to be canon. This phenomenon is actually super interesting and it’s absolutely not limited to Stoker’s novel Dracula/the modern day perception of Dracula (another example would be Mary Shelley’s version of Frankenstein versus the modern day perception Frankenstein). I’m not sure if there’s a word for what this is, but I like the term “cultural canon”, where something that’s been added in by other artists has become as good as canon within the minds of the masses and as such is ingrained within the cultural perception of something, despite it having no basis within the original piece or even directly contradicting what is in canon.

(Now I’ll absolutely concede that Stoker taking the name of a historical figure and possibly their likeness from another country and making them into a literal monster is something that should be discussed. I don’t know how Vlad the Impailer is viewed within Romania - whether he’s viewed positively or negatively or a mixture - but regardless he was a historical figure and Stoker did eventually use that name for his own creative purposes. Again, Stoker didn’t say that Dracula and Vlad the Impailer were the same person, that’s other artists doing, but there’s still issues with Stoker that needs to be discussed)

Now, I’ve seen people talk about how Stoker took a lot of inspiration from the Baltic folklore surrounding vampires for his novel, but I don’t really know this folklore very well and therefore I don’t feel like I’m qualified to discuss it. If anyone is more well versed in this topic wants to add to this post then they’re more than welcome to! I don’t deny that Stoker too inspiration from places other than Ireland (like the novel is set in Whitby) but I just feel like people over hype the relation between stokers Dracula and Vlad the Impailer.

Now, onto the Irish mythology side!

So the most obvious inspiration for Dracula comes from the story of Abhartach. here is a link to an actual, respectable retelling of the story of Abhartach which I’d highly recommend people read (it’s really not that long) but the key points go as follows:

There was this Irish chieftain called Abhartach, who was really cruel and the townsfolk didn’t really like him. So, the townsfolk and another cheiftain (known as Cathain) banded together to kill Abhartach. They did succeed in killing him (yay), however, Abhartach just sort of...rose from the dead and began another reign of terror (not yay). However, Abhartach needed to be sustained by blood and required a bowlful every day to sustain his energy. Cathain comes back and kills Abhartach once again, but Abhartach rises from the dead once more and now needs more blood. Abhartach is only banished when Cathain uses a word made from yew wood and wounds Abhartach with it. Abhartach is buried upside down with a grant stone over the grave to stop Abhartach rising once again.

Sound familiar? The similarities between Abhartach and Dracula are undeniable! Yes, there’s some differences between the two but the core story here is almost identical. I could totally reword that paragraph, omitting the names, and it would be indistinguishable from a short summary of Dracula! Even the way that the main characters find out about the wooden weapon that can kill the monster is similar, as both Jonathan and Cathain go to wiser and older members of their community to learn more.

(Also please mythology blogs don’t come for me I know my retelling was an incredible oversimplification but I’m writing on my iPad and my thumbs are starting to hurt. People have wrote full papers on the similarities between Dracula and Abhartach and there’s so many more people more qualified than me, I’m just an 18 year old trying to make a fun and interesting tumblr post. Again, if anyone wants add anything like extra sources or more information or even to point out my mistakes then I more than welcome the additions)

Another piece of folklore that’s also said to have inspired Dracula is the Dearg Due. Now there’s multiple different versions of the tale, but the version I have heard goes like this:

There’s a noble woman who wants to marry a penniless peasant boy, but her dad disapproves and wants her to marry another man who is much richer. The rich man and the noble woman were eventually married but the woman didn’t love the rich man. In retaliation, the rich man locked the woman in a windowless castle where she starved to death. The woman was buried by the locals who took pity on her, but because she was buried hungry she came back to life and drank the blood of her father and her husband as revenge. The version I heard says that the dearg due now basically wanders ireland drinking the blood of men who have hurt or wronged women (as one should) but there’s other endings to the story.

(Again is anyone has a reliable source they want to share then please feel free to add!)

So this is another Irish piece of folklore that clearly includes some elements that we now associate with vampires. Now people (including Wikipedia) claim that this story was specifically what Stoker based Dracula on, and while I definitely think that Stoker was aware of this story and took inspiration from it, I personally think that the Dearg Due inspired the concept of Dracula’s wives more than Dracula himself.

However the key point still stands: Stoker was likely aware of these legends and even the most staunchly anti-Irish person would have to concede that there’s similarities between all three stories. And very rarely are these similarities discussed in classes about Dracula...which I feel is a real disservice. I don’t think students should have to have an intense knowledge of Irish mythology (my knowledge is spotty at best) nor do I think it should be an exam question...but even a brief acknowledgment of “hey, Stoker was inspired by these stories and you can clearly see similarities between them” would be nice. Moreover, it further solidifies my original argument that Stoker was, at least to some extent, Irish and that his Irishness inherently influenced his work.

Also...the social context of what was going on in Ireland in this period can’t be ignored! Again, while Stoker did spend time in both England and Romania, he spent a lot of his life in Ireland and therefore would have known what was going on in his own country.

Dracula was published in 1897, which is exactly 50 years after the worst year of the Irish Famine/ The Great Hunger/An Gorta Mór. Now I don’t have time to do a whole history of the Great Hunger but the effects of the famine were greatly exacerbated by the horrific mismanagement of Ireland by the British government and the British system of ruling in Ireland. How many people died during the famine isn’t clear, but we do know that the population of Ireland at the time was 8 million and the population today is 6 million...200 years later and we still haven’t recovered. So while we all like to joke about the fact that Stoker wrote about an unfeeling member of the aristocracy literally feeding off others with no remorse and basically ruining their lives...are we really going to pretend that there isn’t social commentary there? Scholars specifically think that Stoker was commenting on the absentee landlords (basically British aristocrats who owned land in Ireland but didn’t live there and as such didn’t care about the well being of their tenants) who would often have tenants forced off the land when they couldn’t pay rent...despite the fact that their tenenants were already starving and had no money because their only source of food and income failed.

(I’m not being shady by the way, I also love to joke about the social implications of Dracula, but I feel like people forget that the jokes have actual points behind them)

There was also a cholera epidemic in Ireland in 1832 which is generally accepted to be one of Stoker’s biggest inspirations. You can read more about the epidemic here if you wish, but I’ll summarise what I feel are the key points. Not only was Stoker’s mother from county Sligo and lived through this cholera epidemic, but Stoker also asked her to write down her memories of the epidemic and used her accounts to aid in his research of the cholera epidemic. Now the fact that he was actively researching this should indicate that it would influence his work, especially considering the situation in county Sligo was incredibly morbid. There’s accounts of the 20 carpenters in Sligo town being unable to make enough coffins to keep up with the amount of people dying, resulting in hundreds of dead bodies just lying on the street. However, the most horrific account from this epidemic was the stories of terrified nurses placing cholera patients into mass graves while they were still alive. Stoker himself literally stated that Dracula was “inspired by the idea of someone being buried before they were fully dead”. So while at first there seems to be very little relation between the novel and a medical epidemic, it quickly becomes clear that Stoker’s fascination with this historical event influenced his writing.

My overall point is that Stoker’s irishness inherently influenced his writing. Writers don’t write in their own little bubble, divorced from the world around them, their views and work are shaped by their position in society and their upbringing (it’s why I dislike death of the author as a literary theory). So when people try to claim that Dracula is a piece of British literature...it indicates either a lack of understanding of the context in which Stoker was writing in or a wilful ignorance founded on colonialist ideas. His influences are so obvious to me as an Irish woman but they rarely get discussed, and even if they are it’s seen as overreaching! To call Dracula British literature and to ignore the inherent Irishness of the novel does a great disservice to Stoker!

Anyways I really hope you enjoyed this discussion my love! Once again I apologise for how long this took to write. Also I’m sorry if this comes off as argumentative or anything, that absolutely wasn’t my intention, I just have a particular style of writing long posts haha.

[twopoppies]

Hi! I was wondering if maybe you have some fic recommendations for something more plot-heavy, like The King Of Spades or Tied Down by HamPalpert. It doesn't necessarily have to be about crime, just something longer with a more grown-up vibe and a meatier plot, not just relationship stuff, and maybe good, complex characterisations. Sorry if this is very incoherent, quarantine is frying my brains! Hope you're healthy and well!

Yes, yes. I think I know what you mean. More focus on a plot beyond the romance. I have no idea how to title this, so bear with me and let me see what I can suggest…

Danger I Can’t Hide by CelticSky (E, 227K) This one’s got all the tension and drama you’d expect of a World War II story—life and death high stakes, friends and lovers unexpectedly torn apart, battles and heroism, plus the added stakes of classism and homophobia—then add a slow burn, high risk, scorching love affair spanning years. If you want a story that’s complex and fantastically researched, plus lovers to root for, read it. It’s long. But I couldn’t put it down.

of the divine by @thedevilinmybrain (Mixed ratings, 2-part series, 104K) Oh my god. This series. I cried buckets. It’s so beautifully written. The sex scenes are so tender and sexy, but in such a pure way. Their relationship is so good… you can totally feel how much they love each other, the climactic scene OH MY GOD so intense. It’s also got great zouis friendship and a very sweet narry friendship. Tender punk Louis and guardian angel Harry. Read it.

and i'm weeping warm honey and milk (that you stay surrounding me)  by FangirlFlailings (M, 78K) This fic digs deep into therapy and recovery from PTSD and anxiety. It included everything from great Ot5 friendship, great side Ziam, coming out, commitment phobic Harry, and of course, vulnerable Louis. I really enjoyed this one.

Landslide by aimmyarrowhigh, spibsy (lucy_and_ramona) (143K, E) I’m adding this even though it’s set in America and even though I don’t personally love it (because 70s hippies and communes are my childhood and it was too hard for me to compartmentalize) but these authors write really well and it’s a complex and challenging story that fits a lot of what you’re looking for. Characters are really well developed, but may be quite OOC for some people. Read the tags.

No One Like You by myownspark / @myownsparknow (M, 20K) This author writes so beautifully, I would probably read anything they write. This one is so unique and pulled me in, immediately. Harry and Louis are both artists who find themselves on opposite sides of shifting artistic opinions in this moving historical fic.

a prayer for which no words exist by Eliane (M, 34K) Gorgeous, deep, layered writing that really makes you slow down and think. At times this fic felt like a metaphor for the war these boys had been through IRL. Normally a dystopian fic with no smut would not be something I’d even bother reading, but I’m really glad I did. Link is to a download.

adjudication by @bottomlinsons​ (M, 75K) This author has steadily become a favorite of mine. Everything they write is different, but it’s always so good. I couldn’t put this one down –– it has a totally unique story, excellent world building, and a plot filled with political intrigue. I’d say this is more of a “pre-relationship” fic, as the romance is the catalyst, but not the emphasis (I hope that makes sense). Anyway, I’m hoping the author continues this ‘verse. I’d love to read more of these characters. Link is to a download.

Etched in Salt (is a cathedral of the world) by @helloamhere (E, 24K) Absolutely gorgeous writing. Made me teary. Such a clever story. You all know I love this author’s writing –– this time they give us a dark, American, thriller with a bit of psychic goodness. Bonus points for Harry taking care of Louis in a very deep way.

And down the long and silent street by Whimsicule (M, 86K) Just brilliant writing and an incredible and original story. Tender, heartbreaking, and terrific world building – effortlessly transporting you into 19th century London.

Take My Breath Away by @realitybetterthanfiction (E, 154K) You will be so wrung out after reading this fic – this author puts you through it, but it’s SO worth it. Great banter, great side characters, action, smut…it has it all.

The Dead of July by whimsicule  (M, 117K) Even if you know nothing about MCU, this fic is a must read. Lots of angst, great writing, and what feels like very well-handled depiction of PTSD and everything else that comes along with kidnapping, torture, and amnesia. Good times. But there’s a happy ending and a 110K second part (with more angst and mental health struggles) that I haven’t read yet, but I’ve heard good reviews of!

Run Like the Devil by Benzos (E, 138K) If you like supernatural elements and demons and dark themes, this fic has it in spades. In a way it’s almost more of a character study, and it’s unsurprisingly pretty OOC, but it’s very well done. Read the tags. 

Yellow by 13ways (E, 85K) Read the tags on this one because there’s a lot that goes on, but honestly this fic is so so good. The characters are super complex, the smut is beyond, the story is totally original, and even if you don’t know anything about Batman, it’s a great read. Link is to a download.

Who Painted The Moon Black by throughthedark (E, 96K) This is the Hunger Games AU. It’s super intense, there’s a lot of dark themes (the E is not for smut, let’s put it that way), but there’s a happy ending. SO well written. 

everything that shine ain’t always gonna be gold by sarcasticfluentry (E, 49K) This is an Inception AU, but you don’t need to know anything about the movie that inspired it. It’s got great OT5, it’s super sexy, it’s got a terrific story line, and the pacing is just right for a nail biter. 

for neither never nor ever by fairytalelights / @lookslikefairytale (E, 29K) This is based on a TV show I’ve never seen, but it is such a unique and layered time travel story. I was captivated by the twists and turns. Yes, it’s ultimately a love story, but it’s so much more as well. 

Say Hallelujah, Say Goodnight by @alivingfire (E, 110K) Louis is an angel, Harry is a demon. Rachel writes beautifully and the world building in this is wonderful. I love her summary for this fic: Louis is an angel who is just a little too bad to be good, Harry is a demon who is just a little too good to be bad, and they’re both a little too in love to be impartial when angels and demons go to war.

Black With Autumn Rain by Whimsicule (T, 93K) This writer is a favorite. If you like intense, creative stories, with complex characters and tight dialogue, you should read all of their fics. This one has the flavor of a Daphne du Maurier novel – dark, creepy, and moodily romantic. Plus a supernatural edge. It’s so good.

we’ve got the world in our hands by sarcasticfluentry (E, 55K) A Mutants AU. I read this one ages ago with very little interest in superhero movies and I literally couldn’t put this down. It’s just really well paced and has great dialogue and characterizations and I could easily read this fic if it’d had been twice as long.

You Are The Blood by sarcasticfluentry (E, 176K) If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ve probably read this one. But if you haven’t, what are you waiting for? I don’t even like HP and I LOVED this fic. It’s a thrilling story and it’s full of ridiculously hot smut.

Victorian Boy by audreyheart (E, 101K) For anyone that hasn’t read this yet, it’s delightfully unique and layered with a little of everything – hate to love, romance, intrigue, action, betrayal, sex, and more. It’s well written, keeps you guessing, and it’s sexy – in a wonderfully Victorian way.

Wear It Like A Crown by zarah5 (E, 141K) One of my favorites from this author. Really unique storyline, complex characters, great smut, great pacing. Link is to a download.

Close to Nowhere by @angelichl​ (E, 35K) I really enjoyed the unique story and the way Harry and Louis relate to each other in this one. It’s fun and quirky and sexy and keeps you on the edge until the end. Definitely worth checking out. Both Harry and Louis are psychics.

The Second Hand Unwinds by kingsofeverything (FullOnLarrie) / @kingsofeverything (E, 52K) Also known as “the NASA fic”. This one has such a unique and well thought-out storyline. Add in time travel, exes to lovers, ot5, and excellent pacing….you’ve got yourself a great fic!

Through Eerie Chaos by MediaWhore / @mediawhorefics (GA, 102K) Not exactly a time travel fic, but I think it fits. And it’s one of my favorite fics over all. The story is so unique and so beautifully plotted and I cried ugly tears reading it. It’s just a must read.

Loyal Knight And True by rainbowninja167 / (E, 52K) Really original story, mystery and magic, great characterizations. All around a very good read!

And the two you mention:

Tied Down by HamPalpert / @ham-palpert (E, 49K - detectives) I really liked how original and layered this one was. If the tags concern you, contact the author (or me) –– the fic is a wild ride, but so worth the read!

The King of Spades by hazmesentir (E, 109K) *I haven’t read this one

Undercover Metropolitan Police officer DC Louis Tomlinson has worked his way up the ranks of a prominent London crime family without raising suspicion, but when he finds himself pitted against a rising crime boss with a police background and a favoured employee by the name of Harry Styles, everything starts to unravel. Finding himself in the middle of an escalating war between two bosses whose bad blood runs deep into a violent past, Louis has to be even more careful where he steps in case his big secret catches up to him – and if it does, he knows he won’t survive it.

Not to mention he’s falling for someone he can’t have – whose earnestness and honesty is a bright spot in a dark world – he can’t sleep because his nightmares haunt him and he’s in way over his head, but it’s just a game, always just a game, and if Louis plays his cards right he might just make it out alive.

[kdramaxoxo]

I know you like nice male leads in kdramas so could you please recommend me some? The only thing i'd specify is that right now i'm not in the mood for a too childish ml. For example, i like Shopping king a lot but i would like too see ml who is more of a gentleman (in a good sense lmao) and not a puppy-type, if that makes any sence xD

That makes perfect sense! Soft gentlemen in love, in less silly dramas. Got it!

Beta Males/Soft Men in Romance K-Dramas (no silly fluff per anon’s request)

One Spring Night: A sweet single dad who just really falls fast. He’s a single dad though so he is fighting against what society thinks and feels like he’s not valid. The couple is lovely and it’s very slow burn with realistic family tension.

Encounter: Most noona romances have the guy being super into the girl and the girl resists their charms because of age and status, and this is totally like that. But he’s also a really sweet and sensitive person. Actually they are both soft and adorable.

A Piece of Your Mind: This is one of those quiet and lovely dramas that has two soft leads who help one another heal. The soundtrack is so pretty and the domestic bliss of the couple is just *chefs kiss*

When the Weather Is Fine: A quiet and artistic melodrama taking place in a small town. A soft boy owns a bookstore and his first love moves back to town. It’s slice of life with a bit of kdrama melodrama mixed in. The couple is extremely soft even if part of the plot was a bit frustrating. Also there is a soft side romance!

My Strange Hero/ Bok Soo’s Back: Bok Soo’s Back is a charming and lovely romance with a lot of goofiness and humor, but has some very emotional moments as well. It takes place in a school and features student issues AND adult issues, so it’s not a high school romance in the traditional sense. It’s an underdog story where people are allowed to make large mistakes and be forgiven. Plus it’s got some of the best romance I’ve ever seen.

Healer: Swoon-worthy Park Bong Soo is not only a super capable action superhero behind the scenes, but has total puppy eyes for Chae Young Shin. This couple makes the show one of my favorites even if the plot isn’t 100%.

Come and Hug Me: This couple makes my heart feel things! Nah Moo is desperately in love and cares deeply for Mok Wan but due to trauma and a horrible tragedy, won’t allow himself any happiness. He loves her from afar and will do anything to protect her.

XX: A web drama featuring a bartender who ends up working for her ex-best friend. The romantic interest is a soft boy (bae in hyuk) who does bartending with her. He’s so so cute.

When The Camellia Blooms: A really well done slice of life drama about a single mom who opens a bar. Lots of great small town characters and her son is like, the smartest kid in the world? The romance is very fluffy too. This does also have a murder/mystery plot as well. 

Secret Love Affair: There really is no other k-drama like this one: A dark and serious love story between an older women working in a music university, and a gifted pianist. The chemistry between Yoo ah In and Kim Hae ae is really intense and passionate. This is the moment that I fell for Yoo Ah In as an actor (I’d seen him in other things but this one was the clincher). It’s a very stressful drama with a slow pace and and a very distinctive soundtrack. 

Possibly too silly but my heart really loves these boys:

Are you Human Too? Nam Shin III!! Literal ray of sunshine, bestest AI boy ever. No one is more pure than him.

Extraordinary You: If you haven’t watched this, soft boy or not you should! I mean first off: Dan Oh is amazing. Secondly, sweet sweet HARU soft beta boy. Thirdly…just all of it.

Fight my way: It has an amazing strong female lead (like, really strong but also realistic) and uses the friends to lovers trope really well. It also has a solid group of friends who are regular people struggling to make a living - what can I say, I love it! Dong Man isn’t a truly beta male because he doesn’t become super soft until he realizes he is falling for his best friend. However once that happens, he’s all about Choi Ae Ra and in total support of everything she does (and he should be because she’s amazing). 

[tigerkirby215]

5e Qiyana, Empress of the Elements build (League of Legends)

(Artwork by Aley Ghallan. Made for Riot Games.)

So it turns out I was wrong about Evelynn: there is another champion who doesn’t have “the” in the title! Leave it to Qiyana to be special. Anyways: after making this post my brain decided to hype fixate on a potential Qiyana build and then... oops. It suddenly got made. Truth be told I still haven’t got a goddamn clue how Qiyana works in-game.

GOALS

Not my fault; they should have bowed - Qiyana’s an assassin which of course means we need assassin damage.

Let us throw rocks at them and laugh - The Empress of the Elements needs elements to control! Earth, Wind, Fire, and Air!

Why are you in my space? - Riot sort of just... decided Qiyana should have two dashes in her kit? I guess?

RACE

Qiyana is clearly human but the Ixtali have some innate magic to them, so for control over the primal magic of (area with trees) go for a Half-Elf for Fey Ancestry to resist charms and sleeping.

But we won’t just be going for any Half-Elf. You know me I use Dragonmarks way too much, but it works since the Dragonmarked houses are above the rest. We’ll be going for a Mark of Storm to control both the oceans and the river! As a Mark of Storm Half-Elf your Charisma increases by 2 (as per usual) and your Dexterity increases by 1. You have Windwright’s Intuition to add a d4 to any Acrobatics checks you may make (as well as Navigator’s Tools which is slightly less important), and the Storm’s Boon to resist Lightning damage. "I see you have mastered the element of wind."

Of course what we’re mainly here for is Headwinds for a bit of elemental manipulation! You can cast Gust at will, and at third level you can cast Gust of Wind once per Long Rest as a very shitty version of your ultimate! You can also learn a language of your choice and Primordial would let you speak to the earth; it’s up to you to make sure it listens!

IF DRAGONMARKS AREN’T AN OPTION: Both Drow Half-Elf and Wood Half-Elf work very well for Qiyana. Drow gives you more spells while Wood makes it easier for you to hide. You’d also get more ASIs by going for a regular Half Elf (as opposed to a Dragonmarked race) so put the +1 you’d get into Strength.

ABILITY SCORES

15; DEXTERITY - Qiyana is a master of acrobatics, doing flips and kicks as she so desires.

14; CHARISMA - A ruler is meant to be attractive... and imposing.

13; STRENGTH - That ring you carry is heavy. Also it’s a multiclassing requirement.

12; CONSTITUTION - Qiyana is squishy in League but that doesn’t mean she has to be squishy for this build.

10; INTELLIGENCE - You must know your legacy in order to rule, and while your magic is a natural gift it’s good to know your way around Arcana.

8; WISDOM - So what if you have a hot head? You can shape the river to cool yourself off!

BACKGROUND

And here you were thinking I’d use Noble... Not many know of the Ixtali people, so you’re more of a Far Traveler than anything else. You get proficiency with skills but they don’t really fit you to be honest, so take Arcana and Nature proficiency to know your natural magic. You also gain proficiency with a musical instrument or gaming set of your choice (pick your fancy) and a language of your choice (also pick your fancy!)

But most importantly you know that you have All Eyes on You. Everyone knows you’re from the great land of Ixtal, and some will offer you service to know of the history of your great land. Won’t they be excited to know they’ll be joining your kingdom too?

(Artwork by Jennifer Wuestling. Made for Riot Games.)

THE BUILD

LEVEL 1 - ROGUE 1

You are an assassin, and an empress needs as many skills as she can get. Take proficiency in Acrobatics (obviously) and the three big Charisma skills: Deception, Persuasion, and Intimidation. You could get Performance instead for some TRUE DAMAGE, but trust me when I say Performance barely ever comes up in standard D&D. You also get Expertise in two skills: Nature and Arcana are kinda your thing, so...

As an empress you know just the right way to word your phrases to sound like Thieves’ Cant, and can understand any roguish discussion of those trying to overtake your throne. But of course as an assassin you’re expected to build lethality and Sneak Attack, doing an extra d6 to any enemy who mispositioned. 

LEVEL 2 - ROGUE 2

Second level Rogues get their Cunning Action, allowing you to have the Audacity to Dash, Disengage, or Hide as a Bonus Action. It’s really nice when I can recreate League of Legends dashes as just... the Dash action.

LEVEL 3 - ROGUE 3

Third level Rogues get to choose their Roguish Archetype and Swashbucklers can move from enemy to enemy with ease and taunt them all the while. As a Swashbuckler you get two features but it’s more like three features: Fancy Footwork lets you dash away from a foe you’ve just hit without taking opportunity attacks.

Rakish Audacity meanwhile lets you Sneak Attack anyone who doesn’t have bodyguards, and has the added benefit of letting you add your Charisma to initiative rolls! "Some wait their turn, and some take what they deserve." Speaking of Sneak Attack: your Sneak Attack also increases to 2d6, and you also get Gust of Wind from your race now!

LEVEL 4 - ROGUE 4

4th level Rogues get an Ability Score Improvement: Dexterity kind of controls... everything that you do at the moment? So a +2 increase to DEX will go a long way.

(Artwork by eollynart on DeviantArt.)

LEVEL 5 - PALADIN 1

Did you swear an oath to Ixtal? Well it doesn’t matter. As a Paladin you have a Divine Sense to know the lay of the land: if there are any Celestials, Fiends, Fey, or Undead walking through your river or if the land is Consecrated or Desecrated. The ability does have a limited number of uses and a limited range however, so be mindful.

You can also heal yourself (or others, I guess) with a Corrupting Potion thanks to Lay on Hands. You can even cure Poisons or Diseases with 5 health points, because no one is assassinating this empress!

LEVEL 6 - PALADIN 2

Second level Paladins get to choose their Fighting Style: while it may not be the most effective you need to control the elements, and Blessed Warrior will give you some more minor control over the world around you. Thaumaturgy is the main one we’re here for because we can’t get Prestidigitation, and while it’s perhaps not the most in-character Guidance is still always useful to have, if only to use it on yourself.

Now would also be a good chance to talk about your Ring Blade ohmlatl: I actually think opting for Two Weapon Fighting with Qiyana works quite well to recreate her weapon! I’d opt for two Scimitars but Shortswords obviously work well too. Alternatively a Rapier and Shield would still let you Sneak Attack while also letting you block attacks.

Of course you don’t just get cantrips: you get actual Spellcasting! You can prepare a number of spells equal to your Charisma modifier plus half your Paladin level (rounded down.) Divine Favor will let you use your passive to get more damage and Thunderous Smite will let you knock a foe down as if stunning them with an icy blade.

Other than that? Command suits you well but there are few other spells we really need. I’d recommend you ignore all of that and concentrate on Divine Smite, turning magic into raw damage with your blade! "I command you to die!"

LEVEL 7 - PALADIN 3

The magic of Ixtal is ancient and to bend it to your will look no further than the Oath of the Ancients. You learn both Ensnaring Strike and Speak with Animals as Oath Spells (one of which is far more in-character than the other, but hey the birds can bow to you too), and you get two Channel Divinity options:

Nature’s Wrath will let you ensnare a creature within 10 feet of you. (It’s supposed to be flavored as vines but I’d reflavor it as ice from the river.) They can make a Strength or Dexterity saving throw or get free, but if they fail they will be restrained until they break out. Yeah there’s no max duration on this! Yes they can repeat the save each turn but the point still stands!

Turn the Faithless meanwhile is your standard turning effect, only this affects Feys and Fiends. The jungle natives know to bow to you, and usurpers shall be made to bow!

LEVEL 8 - PALADIN 4

4th level means another Ability Score Improvement but I don’t think we’ve hidden in the grass enough. The Shadow Touched feat will let you increase your Charisma by 1 and will also give you the Invisibility spell for when you need it. You can also learn a first level Illusion or Necromancy spell like Disguise Self to change up your wardrobe as necessary. You can cast both these spells once per Long Rest without using a spell slot, but can then use your spell slots to cast them some more.

Speaking of spells you can prepare more of them. But again: not much I really want. I’d recommend waiting for...

LEVEL 9 - PALADIN 5

5th level Paladins get an Extra Attack, allowing you to attack twice in one turn for more chances to Sneak Attack, Smite, or both!

Additionally you get a lot of good stuff at this level! You can learn Misty Step and Moonbeam as Oath Spells to recreate Flash and what we’ll call your ultimate for the sake of this build. You can also prepare Branding Smite for more Elemental Wrath and uhhhh... oops that’s kinda all I want. I mean Lesser Restoration is nice in a pinch. Truthfully it’s 3rd level where the true Qiyana spells come in.

(Artist unknown. Artwork made for Riot Games.)

LEVEL 10 - PALADIN 6

6th level Paladins can evade any danger with their natural beauty. Aura of Protection grants a saving throw boost equal to your Charisma modifier to yourself and anyone within 10 feet of you, so their empress can lead and put those who oppose her in the dirt.

LEVEL 11 - PALADIN 7

Oh did you think a bonus to saving throws wasn’t enough? Well as an Ancients Paladin you get Aura of Warding as well, giving yourself (and your allies) resistance to magic! This means that if you succeed on a saving throw against a spell you’ll take a quarter damage total (half of a half), and even if you (somehow) fail you’ll still only take half damage! "You are right to fear my greatness."

LEVEL 12 - PALADIN 8

8th level means another Ability Score Improvement: cap off that uneven Charisma score as well as your uneven Strength, because a +2 modifier is nice even if you aren’t really using it.

LEVEL 13 - PALADIN 9

9th level Paladins can cast third level spells which means oh boy: I get to tell you all the spells you should prepare to be in-character for Qiyana that you’re never going to be able to cast with your limited spell slots! Regardless Ancients Paladins get Plant Growth and Protection from Energy added to their spell list, to manipulate the elements to their liking. But with four other spells to prepare what should we take?

Elemental Weapon is the “yeah duh” spell, letting you invoke Elemental Wrath and really get value out of your passive. (It also makes your weapon a +1 which is helpful.)

Spirit Shroud is like Elemental Weapon but objectively better except for the fact that it doesn’t deal elemental damage. (Well it can deal Cold damage.) But instead of a d4 extra damage you’ll do a d8, and you can also slow those near you!

And again: I don’t really want any other spells. Almost like Qiyana is an AD champ masquerading as a spellcaster. You are allowed to take Cure Wounds you know? Just saying.

(Artwork by Mavoly on DeviantArt.)

LEVEL 14 - ROGUE 5

Hey aren’t you an assassin? Shouldn’t we be concentrating on like, assassin stuff? 5th level Rogues get Uncanny Dodge, letting you spend your reaction to halve the damage of an attack against you. This would affect attack rolls from spells like Shocking Grasp, meaning it would stack with Aura of Warding, but you can’t Uncanny Dodge a spell to only take an eighth of the damage.

Oh and your Sneak Attack (finally!) increases to 3d6.

LEVEL 15 - ROGUE 6

6th level Rogues get Expertise in two more skills. By this point you should probably be at peak performance with Acrobatics. After that pick your poison for one of your Charisma skills if you want to deal in public relations, subterfuge, or pop music.

LEVEL 16 - ROGUE 7

Are saving throws still (somehow) getting you down? Well Evasion just makes it so you take 0 damage if you succeed on a Dexterity saving throw, and only half damage on a failure! It’s probably worth mentioning that you currently have a +13 DEX save. To put this into perspective Tiamat’s breath weapon is a DC 27 DEX save; meaning that you have a 30% chance to take zero damage from an attack from Tiamat.

Oh and your Sneak Attack increases to 4d6, so you can then destroy Tiamat with a Supreme Display of Talent.

LEVEL 17 - ROGUE 8

8th level Rogues get another Ability Score Improvement: Dexterity still controls our AC and attack rolls (along with many other things) and it still isn’t maxed, so capping it off at 20 would be a good idea. "Jaw-dropping, I know."

(Artwork by LittleKumaArt on DeviantArt.)

LEVEL 18 - PALADIN 10

Rounding this build off with a final few levels in Paladin: level 10 Paladins get Aura of Courage, because if you’ve lasted long enough to hit level 18 why would you be afraid of anything? "So basic."

LEVEL 19 - PALADIN 11

11th level Paladins get Improved Divine Smite, letting them add a d8 Radiant damage to any hit with your weapon (not just hits with Divine Smite, despite the name.)

But I’m going to be honest: what I really wanted was the extra third level spell slot. Not that an extra d8 every attack isn’t good though! Show off that Royal Privilege!

LEVEL 20 - PALADIN 12

12th level Paladins get our final Ability Score Improvement: cap off your Charisma for a +5 Aura of Protection, and also more spells to prepare. "If talent were an element, perhaps I could throw some at them."

FINAL BUILD

PROS

Smash these idiots, won't you? - It may be a surprise to you but Rogues and Paladins are both very good at doing damage. 4d6 of Sneak Attack damage is never a bad thing, and that d8 from Improved Divine Smite helps too. And if they’re still standing then a regular Divine Smite will quickly force them to bow. What’s really nice is that unlike other Rogues you are practically guaranteed the Royal Privilege of Sneak Attacking your foes!

I would say “watch and learn,” but unfortunately you cannot learn this - Having a few spells in your back pocket never hurt anyone, and even your weakest spells pack quite a punch. Divine Favor stacks up over a long combat, and Ensnaring Strike can set an enemy up for failure.

Some people are just born better - I swear this happens whenever I make either a Rogue or a Paladin but it turns out that Rogue and Paladin are both extremely good at resisting damage. Evasion combined with Aura of Protection is huge but the biggest factor that makes this build so crazy is Aura of Warding. Ancients Paladin is one of the best Paladins in the game specifically because you take half damage from magic. Add this all onto a Rogue who can dash as a Bonus Action every turn, essentially got the Mobile feat for free, and has 135 health? You can be everywhere at once and you foes can’t do anything about it.

CONS

It is exhausting to crush you so much - While all your spells are amazing they’re also very limited. 3 spell slots for your best tricks means that you won’t pull them off too often. It also means that your Smiting abilities are a little limited overall.

That was no crushing; that was merely a squeeze - Multiclassing does give you a taste of everything but it also means that you miss out on the best of both worlds. Your sneak attack could be higher, and you didn’t get any of the particularly powerful Paladin features. 

I'm extremely good... at everything - Well except for one thing: Wisdom. While Aura of Protection helps you somewhat with Wisdom saves +4 means nothing against higher tier spells. And of course a -1 to Perception and Insight never helped anyone.

But your greatness far overshadows your flaws. Show them that greatness and let the nature around you help magnify your magnificence. It is your right to conquer above all, and subject those beneath you for the glory of Ixaocan. Don’t let silly things like “sisters” or “birthright” or “hard CC” stop you. Go fight that 1v5 and prove how great you are!

(Artwork by Jessica “OwleyCat” Oyhenart. Made for Riot Games.)

[shanethvarosa]

Music Review: 2020

My blog has been a lot of things over the years, but it did originate as something I used to publicly review music; especially in the Visual Kei scene. Since I began the blog so many years ago, I had actually been hired to review Visual Kei and J-Rock music for an actual website: VKH-Press.com, work I am very, very proud of to this day. However, with not much news to comment on or work to critique, I haven’t been as active. Plus, personal issues always seem to stand in my way. However, I always take the time to discuss my passions at the end of the year. There were so many incredible releases, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and so I wanted to take the time time to discuss my favorite releases and, maybe, the not-so-favorites as well. Quick shout out to Bastille’s Goosebumps EP and Megan Thee Stallion’s Good News LP as I did not get to listen to them before I wrote up my lists, but were still excellent releases. See my thoughts below! 

Overall, there were about 75 albums or groupings of albums I listened to this year and split them between various tiers. Starting with the bad tier, there were actually only ten albums listed here and mostly just because they were seemingly unnecessary collection albums. For example, another Satsuki collection? Rides in ReVellion releasing two greatest hits LPs after only five years of work? Beyonce releasing The Lion King: The Gift again? None of those felt like necessary releases. There weren’t many albums that really screamed bad to me this year, but I really could not stand Vanessa Carlton’s “Love is an Art” or Justin Bieber’s “Changes.” The only other albums on this tier were just underwhelming compared to what I know the artist is capable of, but the “best bad tier album,” in my view, was The 1975′s “Notes on a Conditional Form.” 

The mid-tier albums had all sorts of reasons for being only mid-tier. They weren’t quite bad or outright unnecessary, but are mostly by artists who put out work that was nowhere near the caliber of their usual work or were re-releases or other collection albums. For example, Tove Lo’s “Sunshine Kitty: Pawprint Edition” or Man With A Mission’s remixes/b-sides/covers albums. Nice to have with good quality music, but I wish we’d just have had brand new EPs or LPs. 

The good-tier albums were all really excellent releases, but didn’t hit home the way anything on the “God-Tier” list did. Here, I’d like to share a quick top ten: 

10. Taeyeon’s “Purpose: Repackage” & Japanese EP, “#GirlsSpkOut” 9. Charli XCX’s “How I’m Feeling Now” 8. Miyavi’s “Holy Nights” & “Holy Nights: 2020 Lockdown” 7. TK’s “Sainou” 6. PVRIS’s “Use Me” 5. Buck-Tick’s “Abracadabra” 4. Katy Perry’s “Smile” 3. Alicia Keys’ “Alicia” 2. Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” & “Club Future Nostalgia” 1. Ava Max’s “Heaven & Hell

Without furhter ado, though, the God Tier Top 25: 

25. Acme’s We Are Visual Kei: Essentially a collection album of several songs that were b-sides that never made a full-blown album. This LP was loaded with some of Acme’s best work and shows that they are going to be here for a long time, despite Div not quite working out. Recommended tracks: Mononoke Requiem, Gekiyama Celluloid, Houkago no Shiiku 

24. Alanis Morisette’s Such Pretty Forks in the Road: Admittedly, a huge fan in the 90′s and loved her cover of Seal’s Crazy. However, before this album I didn’t really listen to much of her body of work and I can see why today’s youth might not listen to this album. It is very “adult” insofar as it deals with her struggles in marriage, parenting, religion, etc. Her vocal performance is exceptional and her song writing remains some of the best in the business. Recommended tracks: Smiling, Nemesis, Reasons I Drink. 

23. Niall Horan’s Heartbreak Weather: Not my usual cup of tea, but for some reason Niall’s music makes me feel softer than normal. He’s very cute and charming and his words are always so romantic. It feels more genuine than the music made by other members of One Direction and kind-of reminds me of earlier Taylor Swift writing, but from a male perspective. Recommended Tracks: Put A Little Love On Me, Arms of a Stranger, Still. 

22. K/DA’s All Out: I don’t even really understand what this is, but I love it. There’s something to do with League of Legends? Cartoons? International pop stars? Whatever it is, I’m totally obsessed. These songs just completely slap. Recommended Tracks: The Baddest, More, Drum Go Dum. 

21. Darrell’s Brilliant Death: This might even “officially” be a single, but there’s enough content to market it as an album. Darrell is a band formed from the ashes of Deathgaze and Ai’s solo project. Who knows why Ai didn’t just continue after his solo album, Confusion, but he decided to go back to the band-format with confusingly-named Darrell. This album is then, incidentally, mostly Deathgaze covers. It brings the production into the new era and gives you a lot of nostalgic love for old hits. Recommended Tracks: Brilliant Death, Evoke the World, Abyss. 

20. Alice Nine’s Fuyajou Eden & Kuro to Wonderland: Neither album was particularly long, in fact these were glorified EPs that could’ve been merged to one two-sided LP, but in either case... Both albums had something really special to offer and felt like a true comeback after years of name changes and finally going back to their original, kanji-styled name. Recommended Tracks: Kakumei Kaika -Revolutionary Blooming-, Testament, Replica, Glow. 

19. Mucc’s Aku: This album felt very long in the making after a series of weird singles that didn’t feel like they were going anywhere. Ultimately, a lot of those singles did not make the album including my favorite one: Taboo. The resulting album, though, did feel very cohesive and thematic and even featured one of this year’s heavy hitters: Hazuki. Recommended Tracks: Aku -Justice-, Memai, Ameria. 

18. Miley Cyrus’s Plastic Hearts: This person is absolutely one of my favorite people in music. I’m pretty sure they have comeout as genderfluid/non-binary, so I want to stick with safe pronouns, just in case. However, they’ve always been a favorite and as they’ve come out as such a champion for the LGBT, I love them even more. The album though gave me a lot of hype for something very 80′s rock, but didn’t quite give me what I expected. All in all, the music was fantastic, just a little off-beat from expectations. Recommended Tracks: Gimme What I Want, Angels Like You, WTF Do I Know. 

17. Rina Sawayama’s Sawayama: I didn’t expect to fall in love with this girl the way I did. My boyfriend recommended “STFU” to me as kind of a joke because the song discusses a lot of Asian racism that I’m always criticizing people in my life for falling into, but then the song was so bad ass I checked out the album. There were so many different types of music on it and she really did a good job with all of them. Then, with the deluxe edition coming out and the hardcore club banger “Lucid” being involved... Just really brought it all home. Recommended Tracks: Tokyo Love Hotel, Lucid, Fuck This World. 

16. Amber Liu’s X: This was just an EP, but every song on it was great. Amber Liu was from f(x), a K-Pop Icon Group, but she always seemed like the odd one out. She was such a tomboy, so silly and funny all the time, and didn’t really behave like other Korean idols. I mean, really, she isn’t actually even Korean. I believe she’s Chinese American. In either case, the EP really noted some of her own personal strugles in the business and also remaining pretty fun at parts too. I saw her live in Philly before COVID-19 and she was truly excellent. Recommended Tracks: Numb, Stay Calm, Other People. 

15. Blackpink’s The Album: Not much of an album at only 8 tracks, but that’s K-Pop for you. I bet next year I’ll be putting “Blackpink’s The Album: Repackage” on my top 25 list. The quality of the music was pretty dope though, all things considered. It was a very solid debut effort with all of their previous songs being somewhere in the same lane as this one. I still kind of believe they are a reminder of what 2NE1 could have been, but they’re doing well enough on their own. Recommended Tracks: Ice Cream, Lovesick Girls, Pretty Savage. 

14. Hazuki’s Year Over All: Kind of a weird way to word it, but Hazuki basically released two albums this year in different formats. His work with his band, Lynch., was pretty magnificent. I’m not one to usually dwell on a Lynch. album. Their singles or featured tracks are what I usually get into, but the actual album (Ultima) really did a good job of showing how versatile Hazuki can be. His solo album, Souen -Funeral-, was an entirely stripped down, gothic orchestral album of Lynch. covers and other J-Hard Rock artists. Hearing it done like this was almost transcendental. Recommended Tracks: Xero, Idol, Ray, D.A.R.K. 

13. Sam Smith’s Love Goes: They had me scared that their album wasn’t coming this year once they pushed it back, back in May. Then again, at the time, an album called “To Die For” was probably super tone deaf. In any case, literally every single released for this album had me in love. So, when they all got included in the final version, I was thrilled. Sam gave us a bonus song after the album as well, but I can see why that one didn’t get on. In any case, this is a huge step up from “The Thrill of it All,” which I didn’t really care for. Recommended Tracks: Another One, Dance (’Til You Love Someone Else), Forgive Myself. 

12. Troye Sivan’s In A Dream: I love this kid. He’s so gay and so not shy about it and it really makes me smile. The EP comes after his last LP, Bloom, where the title track basically talks about bottoming for the first time and this new EP deals with a few other queer issues over weirdly produced beats that just... make sense. Recommended tracks: Stud, In A Dream, Easy. 

11. Matenrou Opera’s Chronos: Unfortunately, this band just lost their guitarist again. Their original, Anzi, was basically the most consummate guitarist in the visual kei scene that wasn’t Hizaki and he left them. Their sound wasn’t quite right since and they seemed to just get it back with Chronos when Jay left them. I guess we’ll see what they do next, but I think Chronos could be their last great release. Recommended Tracks: Chronos, Silence, Reminiscence. 

10. BoA’s Better: A very recent release that hasn’t had much time for me to digest. This is strange for me to put it so high on my list for that reason, but BoA is one of my all time favorites. She never disappoints me. This album was no different. It wasn’t exactly up to par with “Woman” or “Watashi Kono Mama de Ii no Kana,” but it definitely gave us some new and very iconic Queen BoA bangers. Recommended Tracks: Cut Me Off, Start Over, Temptations. 

9. Kesha’s High Road: A semi-step down from Rainbow, only because a lot of the same melodic elements and, sometimes, even beats were used on this album too. However, her vocal performance was outstanding and she even gave us a new dirty-pop song with some interesting indie-pop tracks to go with it. Plus, who doesn’t love a Big Freedia feature? Recommended Tracks: Resentment, Raising Hell, Tonight. 

8. Lady Gaga’s Chromatica: Anyone who knows me knows I don’t really love Gaga anymore. After all the drama with Madonna and her experimentation with “Joanne” I didn’t think I’d ever like her music again. However, she definitely won back big points for me on Chromatica. It was finally fun, weird, dancey, and then simultaneously emotional and I was really able to get back into it. She’s always had the voice, but on this one it also showed us that she still has what made us love her. Recommended Tracks: Rain On Me, Plastic Doll, Enigma. 

7. Koda Kumi’s My Name Is... Angel + Monster: She is, very likely, my Japanese Pop Queen. She always makes these absolutely outlandish bangers of dance tracks that have such a great attitude and beat and when she released re(CORD)... last year? 2018? Who can remember... I thought she could never outdo herself. Then she released “Lucky Star” and I was floored. I was a bit disappointed when they were only to promote a “My Name Is...” collection album, but then, to my surprise, a full set of new tracks came out just after that just blew me entirely away. Guess the last 6 albums must be pretty great, huh? Recommended tracks: Killer Monster, Work It!, Alarm. 

6. Grimes’ Miss Anthropocene: I’ve never been a big fan of Grimes, but when Violence came out I was really looking forward to whatever album this was going to end up promoting. The song is actual fire, but then the LP ended up being some kind of experimental Gothic Pop with Asian Pop influences I never expected. I doubt I’ll ever find something she does this good ever again, but it was really a musical light in the darkness of this year. Recommended tracks: Darkseid, Delete Forever, Violence. 

5. Kylie Minogue’s Disco: Admittedly, my draw to Kylie has always been that she is like some kind of Australian Madonna. Madonna being one of my all time favorite artists... In fact, number 2 for all women I listen to, Kylie has some big shoes to fill with her sometimes generic pop that she puts out. However, I haven’t really truly loved a Kylie song since “Get Outta My Way” and then this album comes out filled with tracks to love for the rest of time. Recommended Tracks: Miss A Thing, Till You Love Somebody, Magic. 

4. Chanmina’s Notebook/Angel: I don’t have really any way of knowing how popular Chanmina is in Japan or if she is as popular in the Japanese Queer Scene as she should be, but god damn does she know what she’s doing. Her music is raunchy, bitchy, and condescending at it’s highest and deeply personal at it’s most mellow. There is no “lowest.” “Notebook” was a two-sided album and “Angel” a strong follow up EP, but all the recommended tracks are from “Notebook.” If you have not listened to “Picky”.... go do it now, I’ll wait. Recommended tracks: Picky, Baby, Lucy. 

3. The Weeknd’s After Hours: Incidentally, I got into The Weeknd after someone said something shitty about him here on Tumblr! I took their likely-valid criticism and went to check him out for myself and I gotta say, I love his work. The beats are literally always on point and his voice is like silk. This album provided more than a few iconic songs and I always can’t wait to see what he does next. Recommended Tracks: Alone Again, Heartless, Blinding Lights. 

2. Halsey’s Manic: The singles and features she did between Hopeless Fountain Kingdom and Manic gave me such insanely high hopes and I was not disappointed. HFK was a strong album of course, but this was near perfection for me. I think the production of this alt-pop album was the star of the show because it wasn’t all one way, there were heavy-bass songs, interesting piano riffs, striaght up punk rock, all of it. She really made an album quite like it’s namesake. Recommended Tracks: Ashley, Killing Boys, Still Learning. 

1. Dexcore’s Metempsychosis: A newcomer to the visual kei and death metal scene, they’ve been putting out single after single for years in preparation for their extemeley long and multidaceted debut album. With a total of about 33 songs, the entire second disc was rerecorded singles from their early days and some even got new lyrical treatment. The main series of songs were, of course, also totally flooring and all of the recommended tracks are the new ones. If you haven’t checked them out by now, you have to! Recommended tracks: Cibus, Scribble, Period.

[victoriousscarf]

Can I ask about the path you took toward working in public history? I'm in grad school at the moment. (I also have a complicated family situation and the world is kind of a mess so I'm not necessarily expecting an answer that gives some kind of set path I can follow, I'm just curious.)

Ok... So ...

Like I think it's always hard to be in the public history field and be like yeah! You're totally gonna get something! Because of my like cohort when I started grad school I think... 3...no 4 of us have stable employment in the field. One I know of is field adjacent. One left to become an artist, one has never held a job in the field at all, and a lot have either struggled with work or been underemployed. So it's rough and I think the pandemic has made library/museum/archives jobs way harder.

But.

I went to school specifically in a program for archives and records management. That program no longer exists, and most archives jobs want an MLIS anyway. (I've gotten some shady looks from hiring managers not in the field because they're like... It's not an MLIS and I'm like no? Because it was way more specialized?? Like I am super qualified okay I promise). This was... Not a great idea. The more specialized you are, the harder to switch tracks it is. I've been considering going back for a museum degree just for more flexibility because that's honestly the only way to survive in this field. Right now I'm seeing more museum jobs than archives, but my curator friend was insisting it was the other way when she was applying so it's also just luck of the draw.

So I have super specialized education. Pros and cons.

I then took an internship as an interpretive ranger at a national park site. And that was the best thing I ever did for myself. There are several programs that do internships with the NPS, but a lot of them are age specific. The one I did was for 26 and below, so it wouldn't be useful for older folks going back to school but! There's also federal jobs that are either for people still in school (I think it was called pathways back then?) Or some jobs are only open for recent grads. It was paid and they provided housing. A lot of internships don't do that and it's awful and there's been a slow but steady reckoning in the field that unpaid internships are bad and exclusionary to people who don't have any support sytem backing them.

Working for the NPS opened up a lot of doors for me. The federal government is very difficult to break into. It doesn't really matter what the job posting says, if you don't have experience, you probably aren't getting through the questionnaire. (And yes. There are questionnaires. So. Many. Questionnaires). But if you luck into an internship, you learn about the system and you get experience and no matter where you go after that, it's good to have in your pocket in case you need it again.

After that I also lucked out with a partnership program through my old grad program. It is definitely worth checking to see what sort of connections the program might have. Because I got something like 9 months of work that was paid for by my grad program to work in an entirely different state to finish a project for them. Look around, connections really matter in the public history field. If you have the chance to go to a conference, yeet yourself toward it. It's hard to like meet people, but the nice thing is most folks in the field are fucking nerds who are probably socially awkward too. Archives potlucks are hailrious because 89% of the folks have got social anxiety. They all wanna bring a book and sit and read quietly. But the more people you meet, the more connections you make, the better (also Archivists looooove twitter. Ugh. And there's a lot of really good archives/library/museum groups on facebook. I'd recommend them).

The more weird shit you can put on your resume, the better. Saying which parks I worked at (sometimes very famous ones) made me stand out. I also ran a day long academic conference in grad school and was president of a student chapter of a professional organization. It almost killed me, but it stood out in people's minds. One of my co workers did field work in Eygpt, and our supervisor mentions seeing that on her resume all the time. Like that was part of what drew him to it. Again, money is an issue for most people and this is hard to pull off, but weird shit helps you stand out. Emphasis anything cool you've ever done in your whole life. I also did national history day in high school. That meant I was our education specialists favorite person when it came time to help high schoolers on their project. Even if it's too late for you to do that in high school, see if you have a regional competition nearby. Or state even. Volunteer. That's also something that stands out (plus helping wee history nerds can be a treat... When you're not being reminded why high school was so terrible lol).

I also moved to 6 states in... 5 years. And I don't mean neighboring states either I mean I started on the west coast and flung myself all the way to the western side of the Mississippi River. And then North. And then South. And then West again. This is not possible for a lot of people because a) money and b) family. Even with all that moving I was unemployed for 6 or so months in the middle of it. It is hard to be looking for work so constantly and then packing up your life and yeeting yourself to another state /again./

I also have a chronic condition with regularly scheduled flare ups. Moving away from my family for work has sucked, being in pain and having to explain to a new boss I'll have to take some time off every year to like, lay on the floor in pain, sucks. So like. It can be done even WITH stuff like that too.

But I have been incredibly lucky. Because I got a few breaks when I needed one. Because I was in a position to go for what I could take. I also missed certain chances I should have been able to take. That's never a good feeling but it doesn't mean one missed chance or fuck up is the end of the road.

So yeah, as you said, every circumstance is different, every road is different, but I do think hearing a) it can be done and b) different approaches to how it can be done, can really help. Like even if you can't do the same stuff, maybe there's something in there that can help out. Some spark of an idea of something to try.

(I'm also making this public in case it helps anyone else ... I hope that's okay).

(this got long lol. But I was trying to think of like any advice that could help. There's a lot of pathways to get into the field, but volunteering, weird shit on that resume, being willing to go the extra bit, those are probably the most basic take aways anyone could try).

[the-bisexual-bean]

Rating lgbt+ movies and shows that I have recently watched, mind you this is just my personal opinion and the types of movies/shows that I like may be differ from many others.

1. Love, Victor (Hulu)- I absolutely loved this show, It’s a great show about discovering yourself and your sexuality and shows teens behaving like teens (for the most part) 9/10

2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Hulu)- While this movie was suggested by many and many loved it, it wasn’t really my type of movie. While it’s beautify shot and put together, I’m not the biggest fan of artistic movies like this. I’d probably give it a 6/10, it’s pretty good but it’s not the type of movie for me

3. I Am Jonas (Netflix)- Similarly while this movie is artistically made and put together it’s not the type of movie I really enjoyed. It’s good but I personally don’t really get the whole point of it so I’d give it a 5/10

4. Holding the Man (Netflix)- On the other hand I absolutely loved this movie, while it’s a bit long I think it’s totally worth it. It’s based on the memoir written by Timothy Conigrave about his love story with John Caleo. Its amazing and it almost made me cry, so get ready. This deserves an 100/10

5. The 10 Year Plan (Hulu)- While this type of movie may not be for everyone I loved it, and thought it was funny and enjoyable. It’s something lighter and fun to watch and I give it a solid 7.5/10 or 8/10

6. Princess Cyd (Hulu)- This is another movie where I didn’t really get it, while it was a nice watch I don’t really understand the point behind it? It’s good though so I’ll give it a 6.5/10

7. 3 Generations (Netflix)- I watched this movie a while ago but I remember loving it, it’s really good and gave me perspective into a life I know nothing about. I give it a solid 9/10

8. Alex Strangelove (Netlfix)- I feel like this is a good coming of age story, and is a decent watch. It’s pretty funny in the way that most coming of age stories are and it shows a variety of characters 8/10

9. Handsome Devil (Netlfix)- I enjoyed this movie, it’s another good coming of age/into sexuality movie. While it doesn’t show a ton of gay romance I still think it’s a good lgbt+ movie. 9/10

10. The half of it (Netflix)- I got to be honest, not my favorite movie out there. It wasn’t really that good to me and it just reminded me of a book you’d read in English class. I’d give it a 5/10

11. Lez Bomb (Netlfix)- It’s funny but I felt like it kind of dragged on and after a certain point wasn’t all that great. It’s another 5/10

12. Sense 8 (Netlfix)- While this show isn’t focused on lgbt+ related topics it still shows a wide variety of relationship types and different forms of love, plus I thought it was great in general. Loved the show I’d give it a 9.5/10

13. Hollywood (Netflix)- Another show that mains focus isn’t lgbt+ it still is a good show to watch and it has lots of lgbt+ content in it. Overall it’s a fun watch and I got sucked right in, another 9.5/10

14. Sex Education (Netflix)- Another show thats mains focus isn’t on lgbt+ characters but it does show them and represent many different sexualities in it, I think it’s a great show and while it may have some issues it’s still a good watch. 9/10

15. Tell it to the Bees (Dont remember)- Just remembered about seeing this movie, it’s been a hot minute but I remember thinking it was great. While it is an artsy movie I still enjoyed it and thought it was really good. 8/10

16. The Society (Netflix)- This is definitely one of my favorite TV shows, it may not be everyone’s type of show but I loved it. There isn’t a whole long of lgbt+ representation in here but there is a relationship, between a deaf character and a closeted character, that takes place so I’m including it. 7/10 (the show is amazing but not a ton of representation)

17. Beach Rats (Hulu)- Not really a fan, I found it a bit boring tbh. I’ve had it be recommend by a couple of people but it’s not my type of film. 5/10

18. Call Me by Your Name (illegally)- It would be okay except there is a big age difference and one of them is 17, which just make it seem very pedo-like. I know a lot of people loved it but I couldn’t get over that fact, it really ruined it for me. 4/10

19. D.E.B.S. (Illegally)- It was super stupid and funny, just complete satire but I enjoyed it, if you want something chill to just vibe this is a good movie to watch (they do use the r-slur once though so points off) 7/10

20. Happiest Season (Hulu)- This movies pretty good but it is your average “ahh I’m not out to my family yet and I’m bringing my SO over” kinda movie. I’ve seen a couple and they all go almost the same way, which is fine cause they’re good but for once I wish it was a movie that wasn’t about coming out. Overall I’ll give it a 6/10 in the spirit of Christmas.

21. Milk (Amazon)- This movie is based on Harvey Milk’s life and while there are some things they didn’t get completely accurate throughout the film I think it is still a wonderful and moving movie. It follows his life from 40 to his death and his many political campaigns as one of the first openly gay public officials. I give it a 8/10 because it was a great watch but I know it isn’t completely accurate. I will be reading a historically accurate book about his life soon (both the movie and book are for a paper for my History class) so if you want me to tell y’all about it let me know!

22. She-Ra (Netflix)- normally I’m not really able to get into cartoons but I loved this one so much! It’s just a fantastic show with so many twists and turns that just blew my mind, and there is a bit of representation for mostly everyone in it even though some the characters aren’t even human-like.  it isn’t a show that focuses on being gay which I kind of enjoyed, I liked how they just threw it in for a little bit spice and just showed the relationships as normal and typical and not making a big deal of out of. I highly recommend it and give it a 9.5/10, it’s only not a perfect time to 10 because I feel like the ending could’ve been better and expand more. 

23. Heartstopper (Netflix)- I never read the series but I watched all of it over 2 days so hopefully that says something about how good it is. From what I’ve seen it’s pretty true to the material source which is always great, and the story is just amazing. There’s tons of representation and shows teens being teens and figuring themselves out. I really liked it and can’t wait for more! 9/10

24. Our Flag Means Death (HBO)- This is a fantastic show that I absolutely loved. Definitely need another season cause that ending, ahhhh (if you know, you know) but yea 10/10 definitely recommend

25. Interview with the Vampire (2022 version, illegally)- loved the movie so I thought I’d give this a try. It was good if I ignored what it was supposed to be based on since there are just so many inconsistencies. It is gay but also so toxic and abusive so that’s not good. Overall 7/10 for the show 0/10 for the relationship, it’s not healthy man.

26. Dragon Prince (Netflix)- This is a great magical show and it has lots of just casual representation. There’s no big fan faire about it and no one makes a big deal, that’s just how life is and there’s more pressing matters. It’s also just a great show, even though I feel I’m not the target demographic. Overall 9/10, currently having finished the newest season so we’ll see how it goes.

While this may not be that long of a list there are still a ton of lgbt+ movies and shows that I haven’t had the chance to watch or finish, there are many more on my list to watch through. Once I’ve seen a some more I’ll make another list of ratings. Do y’all have any suggestions based on what I like? If so just drop a note (? I’m not really see how tumblr works ngl)

[albatris]

Hey hello I sent in an anon about starting tarot a while ago (I do not know when I know it was post quarantine starting but...time is wild) and i was wondering if you answered it? This isn't at all me trying to pressure you please please don't read it that way, i totally get it if you didn't! I just know that tumblr's search function is very broke and I'm scared I missed your answer, which would be sad. (I hope this doesn't sound like a bother it's genuinely all good if not I'm just checking!)

YES oh my gosh holy shit hello hi yes hi anon my dear I did in fact completely fucking forget to actually answer your original ask I am so sorry lmao

thank you for reminding me ajhdfgjhsdfg and again I’m so sorry it took me forever anyway I’m gonna just uhhhh look up your original ask real quick

OKAY so resources and starting decks! there are lots and lots of people who know more than me so I feel a little unqualified to answer this but I can tell you my thoughts?? but I definitely recommend looking into what other folks have to say on starting out, I’m sure there are lots of different opinions and ideas! :D

also sorry, it’s me you’re asking, so you’re not gonna get nice neat dot points and I’m not great at being concise, I’m just going to ramble if that’s ok, very sorry, very sorry

under the cut rambles

so........................

for learning meanings........ it’s a lot of work, there’s a lot of detail and a lot of different things to think about during readings, I’ve been learning tarot for around seven years on and off and I still don’t remember everything! 

so IMO it’s best not to come at tarot with the intent to Learn Everything before you start! it’s the perfect thing to learn as you go! my advice would be to just kinda throw yourself in. when you first get a deck, go through the cards and vibe with them some and look at their meanings, but mostly just kinda contemplate them, don’t try to memorise everything at once. start doing readings, look stuff up as you go............. I would recommend keeping a journal where you document your readings............ which will help you with memory and picking up on patterns and connections....... uhhhh

I really like using apps as a companion as well!  they can be a super good resource even if you don’t want to use them FOR readings necessarily

I use Galaxy Tarot as a convenient way to look up meanings and summaries of the cards when I just need to kinda jog my memory (though the descriptions aren’t super detailed), and it has a function where you can either do a reading with the app or you can do a reading yourself and then plug the cards you’ve drawn into the app, and it can help you with pointing out recurring themes and symbols and connections between the cards, which can be handy when you’re first starting out and maybe feel a little overwhelmed by the Amount Of Information you’re trying to take in

uhhhh another one I’ve used in the past is Labyrinthos Tarot, which is an app to help you learn and memorise the cards and their meanings., from what I can remember there are sorta, games and exercises to help with it, I forget exactly how it works since it’s been a while since I used it! but maybe that’s a good one to check out too?

I feel like apps is something i should’ve mentioned at the end but anyway moving on to the rest of it

most decks will come with a guidebook of some sort! so you’ve got the traditional rider waite tarot deck (which is probably the default deck most people think of when they think of tarot), and there are plenty of resources online such as Biddy Tarot which can give you a fairly detailed rundown of the card meanings! these meanings can be applied to variations of the rider waite cards, but lots of decks are a little wild and a little funky and are off doing their own thing while still following the basic rider waite structure, and if you receive a guidebook with a deck, that’s definitely an invaluable resource!! ‘cause it’ll give you the artist’s kinda interpretation and their meanings, their own personal touch, even if you then look up the card in more detail online

ALSO tarot is just a whole fuckin tonne about intuition as well though! so as much as it can feel like something where you need to focus on all the details and try and keep them all rigid and by-the-book, you might do a reading and feel yourself drawn in a certain different direction or just get a “feeling”, so you should definitely be open and flexible and listen to what your gut tells you as far as meanings go! plus, you will develop your own relationship to the cards and maybe draw your own personal meanings and associations! that’s definitely not something to fight against and don’t worry about whether that means you’re doing it “wrong” - you should listen to those feelings, those r important!! :D

lastly I will say, it can be helpful to have someone who is more experienced with tarot around who you feel you can ask for advice from or get second opinions from if there’s something you’re confused about! or who can give you tips and tricks from firsthand experience. like, it doesn’t have to be something you learn alone, and having a teacher or companion can be really helpful in terms of bouncing ideas and getting new perspectives! I throw this out there because I always forget to say things like this, ‘cause I forget that other people Are Not Me and other people like being around people lmao rip

and as far as starting decks go........... it really depends so much on what you want and what’s important to you! some people will say start with the traditional rider waite tarot, and if you decide to do that, you will certainly have a lot of resources at your disposal! it’s a valid place to start for sure

but there’s also SO many different decks out there with all sorts of themes and art and personality, and IMO......... I’d kinda urge you in the direction of choosing something you’re personally interested in and engaged with! it can make connecting with a deck easier and can help you stay interested and engaged during learning! but that’s just me

when I got my first deck the lady in the store kinda just took me to the collection of decks and just asked me which ones I vibed with and which one kinda called out to me or one I was drawn to, then she let me take a look at some of them and she showed me how to handle them and use them!! this was my first experience, n I was told just to go with what Feels Good And Right

n there’s so much cool art out there! and many interesting themes! you might not know which one you’ll latch onto until you see it, so take some time to look around and see what speaks to you c:

for instance, certain themes like cats or flowers, certain art styles, maybe certain series you’re into (I have two welcome to night vale decks n the raven’s prophecy by maggie stiefvater), or queer friendly decks! I have the Numinous Tarot which I ADORE, which is a deck with gorgeous artwork and extremely queer, all gender neutral language and lots of diverse designs, etc

so it depends what you’re into! take some time to feel it out, my friend

I would also like to throw out a mention to oracle decks as well! I actually started with oracle decks long before I used any tarot decks c: 

I am................... very tired. and blanking on the best way to explain the difference between oracle and tarot decks, but you can look into this if you’re interested! lots of people use both or use them in conjunction with each other and there’s benefits to both n so on and so forth........

but in terms of Starting Out, and getting comfy with doing readings? they can also be really helpful in this regard! I found since oracle decks can have any number of cards and are less “structured” than tarot decks in a way, it can be really helpful as a way to get comfortable with things if you find, just, the Amount Of Detail that is involved in tarot decks overwhelming!!

it was something that helped me get the ~feel~ of doing readings and sensing with the cards and vibin and such, n get some practice drawing connections between cards and deriving meanings from the stories the cards present! but in a way that’s not quite as...... overwhelming?? as traditional tarot decks?? I was SUPER intimidated by just how extensive tarot decks were when I first started and I thought I’d never figure out what I was doing HAHAHA

but again, it’s just practice, I think!

where tarot will follow the same 78 cards and structure and is very traditional and I guess “rigid” is not exactly the right word?? but yeah?? oracle decks are a lot more flexible in what they represent and a lot more loose in the structures they can take

I do love oracle decks because of how varied they are!! each one is its own little system and its own unique universe and it’s really quite lovely, even if you aren’t into Actually Doing Readings with them, y’know?

but then, I find tarot decks the same way, what will all the different art styles and different people’s interpretations and renditions of the same story, like, it’s really fascinating!! 

this has just turned into me rambling about how cool they are now

point is, do a little research into what sorts of decks and themes you might like to buy, when you get a chance I thoroughly recommend visiting a store so you can speak to someone who has some experience with tarot decks, they can help guide you when it comes to picking one and giving you some tips!! remember that it’s about intuition and following your gut as much as it is about memory and precision, so you should pick a deck that Feels Right

and uhhhhhhhhhhh

just kinda throw yourself in!! that’s literally my best advice!! you’re never gonna memorise everything beforehand (I’ve been learning on and off for seven years and I still often have to consult guidebooks and webpages) but you WILL absolutely learn as you go

it might feel very clumsy starting out, but as with any craft, you will improve with practice and begin to feel more comfy and confident with it as you go!

I hope this helped out some!! maybe!! possibly!!!!! ok goodnight!!!

[pynkhues]

Hi Sophie! What kind of music do you like? I’ve been curious

I can tell you straight off the top of my head that I love Beyonce, Alabama Shakes, Dolly Parton, Fall Out Boy, Laura Marling, Cardi B, Kesha, and so many others! 

But! As my Spotify will tell you, haha, I actually mostly listen to Australian music, because Australia has a bonkers-good music scene, and I hope you don’t mind me taking the opportunity to spruik it. 

(Putting it behind a cut because I’m popping in YouTube videos where I can / where tumblr will let me.)

Thelma Plum

I love, love, love Thelma Plum! She’s a First Nations singer-songwriter who has so many incredible songs on her (currently small!) backlog, but Better in Blak is just such an awesome song, and I can never recommend it highly enough.

(And double recommendation because she’s been hospitalised with coronavirus after touring and just got out the other day, so fingers crossed she stays well!)

Jack River

Great, fun, indie rock! She’s a gem!

Baker Boy

I’ve always enjoyed Baker Boy’s music, but I actually worked with him at one of my freelance writing gigs last year, and he was just a GEM in so many ways, plus a dream to work with on a difficult job, and it’s meant I’ll spruik him forever, haha. He’s an incredible dude, and an awesome artist. He often raps, as he does in the above video, half in English, and half in Yolngu Matha. 

Plus he puts out some straight bangers, like this one! 

Josh Pyke

Josh Pyke is musically so folksy, and - - I don;t know. I’ve always loved his stuff, and I’ve seen him a few times live and this song will forever be one of my favourites. I just love the idea of locking away from the world with someone you love, and this song encompasses that ten-fold.

The Waifs

This is a bit of a relatively old-school Australian folk group, but my mum and my aunt used to play them a lot for me growing up, and I just really love them. In particular, Lighthouse was always a song that meant a lot to me, I think in no small part because of this lyric: 

Lighthouse man can't help us allSome he'll save and some will fallHe'll show you where the danger liesBut he can't help it if you capsizeSteer your own ship back to shoreHe'll light your way but that is all 

Sampa the Great

Amazingly, one of her songs actually was on Good Girls this season! I died a little in the best way! Sampa the Great is an awesome artist, and one you should totally jump on. 

Missy Higgins

And sure, she’s not for everyone, but her cover of NYE is probably one of my favourite songs of all time, and has meant so much to me over the years. I’d listen to it, if you can. 

What songs do you guys love?

[ufuckingpastry]

Bad Bull Boys

Chapter 6: How Far We’ve Come

AO3 Link

First Chapter

Sollux stared one last time at the email before he dropped his head in his hands with a loud groan of dismay. This was bad. This was so bad. He had his fair share of bad days in his career as the self-proclaimed tech lord of the Bad Bull Boys (if he ever had the authority to change the name, he would, god), but this was definitely the worst of the bad. It might have been just an overreaction as his emotional state was heightened by the rapidly approaching deadline, but he was sure this was the worst. Sollux pushed away from his computer, rubbing the bridge of his nose, and stalked away towards the kitchen. He needed art for the new album in less than two months, but the artist they commissioned bailed out. He could hardly blame them. They had suddenly gotten a lot of work and had politely told him they had no time to work on the album art. He appreciated it, and he'd send a reply back when he had calmed down, but he was still left with a problem: he had nothing to present for the album cover.

Sollux grabbed a bag of chips he had nearly finished the night before. He popped them into his mouth as he paced. Salt dusted fingers raked through his hair, growing more and more agitated the longer he paced. He had nearly exhausted his options by this point. The artists they worked with before were either busy with commissions or busy with life. Sollux had very little time to go hunting for another artist this late, but he was going to have to, wasn't he?

Sollux stopped midstep, a thought coming to him. He turned on his heel and hurried back to his computer. He flipped to the group chat with his girlfriend and her girlfriend, typing so quickly autocorrect could hardly keep up with him.

TA: Fef, Neperta, do you know any artists that could do art for the albim cocovrr? Puffie bailed

Sollux waited, then waited, then considered the ramifications of tossing his computer out the window again in an attempt to release some tension, when finally Nepeta replied.

AC: Neperta??? Sollux, are you okay?

TA: Yes, I'm

TA: I'm fine. I'm stressed out.

AC: Obviously! I talked over it with Feferi

AC: You know, after she came up for a breath!

AC: We might know someone! We'll ask them tomorrow!

Sollux sighed with relief, slumping down in his chair. Good. At least he had a maybe. He would have liked more than that, but at least he had that.

-

Gamzee shyly handed off his latest piece of art to Tavros, who took it carefully in his hands. Gamzee loved showing Tavros his art, even if it had taken him some time to even work up the nerve to show them to Tavros. Gamzee watched Tavros' reactions like a hawk. He wanted to know everything Tavros thought of his work, yet feared that Tavros would think it bad or stupid and think that all his effort a waste.

Gamzee had to shake those thoughts from his brain, much like clearing an Etch-a-Sketch. Tavros never thought that. Even when he criticized some of his paintings, there was always a touch of praise, of wonder. Even now, he had lit up like a goddamn Christmas tree and talking about color theory and shapes and affection surged through Gamzee. Once Gamzee expressed his desire to start painting again, Tavros dove into researching art so he could support his boyfriend.

His boyfriend. Gamzee had to take a moment to think on that, Tavros' praise filtering through his ears like music. Approximately three weeks ago, Tavros had dragged Gamzee in behind a wall before a photoshoot and asked in a stuttering, shy way if they could make their relationship official. Gamzee, of course, totally didn't nearly collapse in shock and start crying with delight. No, of course not. That wasn't how it happened at all! Though, he was glad Tavros caught him and kissed him more stupid than he already was. 

Gamzee's attention flicked back on to Tavros, who was now asking questions, when his phone beeped. Gamzee blinked, then fished it out to check the message.

AC: Hey Gamzee! Sollux had a favor to ask! Are you okay if I shoot him your number?

TC: Yeah, sis. What's the favor?

AC: Oh you'll see!

"Everything okay?" Tavros leaned over, wrapping an arm over Gamzee's shoulder.

"Yeah, I think? Nepeta said that Sollux wants to ask me a favor?"

"Huh." Tavros frowned for a moment, then focused on Gamzee's painting. "I mean, the colors in this? Amazing! You are, really getting the hang of it, huh? And the lighting! This corner doesn't match right, but everything else looks so good! Gamzee," Tavros paused, focusing on Gamzee with one of the biggest smiles he'd ever seen. "I'm so proud of you."

Gamzee dropped his head in his hands, whining as heat crawled down his neck. He felt Tavros get near, his chair scraping across the floor as he scooted close. Warmth blossomed where Tavros' lips pressed to his skin.

"Let me see you?" He asked softly, waiting patiently. Gamzee turned his head towards his boyfriend, sheepish and embarrassed and quietly proud. "There you are," Tavros said, cupping Gamzee's face. He kissed Gamzee again. When they parted, he whispered, "I love you."

Gamzee's face broke out into a grin so wide his face ached. "I love you too, Tav." He kissed him back, slow and sweet. His hands hesitated, never sure what to do during times like these. Was he supposed to hold Tav? Touch his sides? Hold his hands? Hold his face? Tavros seemed to sense his hesitation and took his hands in his own. His fingers stroked Gamzee's skin, rough and soft all at once and Gamzee parted in a fit of giggles. "Sorry, sorry bro," he said when Tavros looked at him in worry. "Just never thought I'd end up with you. Or end up so happy and sweet and-"

Gamzee startled when his phone went off, vibrating loud on the table next to them. He lunged for it, squinting at the strange number. "Uh, hello?" He said, confused.

"Good afternoon. This is Sollux Captor. Is… Gamzee Makara there?"

Gsmzee blinked for a second, the name not processing. Finally his brain picked up and he nodded. Then remembered he couldn't be seen. "Uh yes." There was a moment of silence before he winced, then added, "Speaking?" Was that you replied to these sorts of things? He couldn't figure out why he was being so formal! But… he never spoke much to Sollux. He was always a little intimidating, sharp in the way he spoke and moved. Then he realized Sollux was speaking and had asked him a question. "Uh. Sorry, bro, can you repeat that?" A loud sigh came from the other side of the receiver.

"The artist we had for the next album cover bailed and I need something to show in two months to the record company so we can release this thing. You were highly recommended. Can you help me or not?"

There was a long silence from Gamzee, stretching out to the point where Sollux asked, his irritation obviously rising, "Do I need to repeat that again?"

Tavros nudged Gamzee, knowing a fanboy freakout when he saw one. "You good?" He asked, rubbing Gamzee's shoulders. 

"Yes, yes! Yes, I'd love to help! Uh, but, I paint traditionally. Don't you need to…" he trailed off, worried. He didn't want to ruin this opportunity. Plus, Sollux sounded so annoyed…

"I can teach you how to use the paint programs we use, or we can scan it. Doesn't matter to me."

"Uh, okay. But I don't even know any of the songs! How can-"

"We'll send you the tracks you can listen to."

"Oh! Do you want-"

"We'll pay you for your time, of course. How much do you charge?"

"I don't… this is the first time I'm getting paid for this sh-stuff. Stuff. I don't even know…" a beep made Gamzee glance down at his phone. Sollux had sent a picture of a check? An invoice? He realized Sollux was speaking again.

"... was the total amount of money we sent for the last cover, not including any royalties for using the art for advertising and promotions. We can use that as a baseline. I can also help you set up a pricing guide for commissions because, consistently, we have helped the artists of our cover albums receive more commission requests."

Gamzee blinked, then blinked some more, then listened to Sollux ask if he had more questions. "That all, sounds good. Overwhelming, crazy, and- but good. Yeah. I'd love to!"

"Great," came the sigh of relief from the other end. "I'll write up a contract for legality reasons and send it to you, along with any explanation of terms since, no offense, you don't sound like you have a lot of experience in this department. And I don't want you to get in trouble."

Gamzee felt a moment of sudden fondness for Sollux, that he cared enough to go through all this extra trouble. He thanked him for the opportunity- that's what people did, right??? And wished him a good day. After Sollux hung up, Gamzee collapsed back on the couch, his phone dropping on the cushions. Tavros scooted over, eyeing Gamzee’s dazed and bewildered expression.

“So… What was that?” He asked, giving Gamzee a nudge. Gamzee shot up, completely forgetting Tavros was even here. His hands fumbled with nothing and he shot a look at his phone, then back to Tavros.

“Uh, Sollux.”

“Sollux has your number?”

“I think Nepeta gave it to him.”

“Okay… What for? It sounded really official.”

Gamzee licked his lips, unsure why he was suddenly so nervous about this. Except, well. He had just been asked to do the cover for his boyfriend’s next album. Instead of probably thousands of options, it was him. Him! Of course he was nervous. Who could possibly blame him!

“Gamzee, hello? You’re spacing out again.” Tavros waved his hand in front of Gamzee’s face, trying to get his attention.

“Oh, right! Yes, of course! Uh, he. He asked me-” No wait, they’d be paying him to do art for that. That was a commission, wasn’t it?

“He asked you…?” Tavros encouraged.

“He commissioned me to do the band’s next album cover?” Gamzee replied, stuttering over his words. Tavros stared at him, beautiful brown eyes widening in shock. Then a brilliant smile broke across his face.

“Gamzee! That’s amazing! I’m so proud of you!”

Gamzee’s skin went dark under the praise and he gave a small smile too.

“I’m sure you’re gonna, do amazing! I can’t wait to see what you come up with too. And don’t worry about anything Sollux says. He can sometimes come across as harsh, but he means well. Usually.” Tavros’ phone beeped and paled when he read the text in all caps. “Shit. I’m late for practice. I’ve gotta go, babe. Karkat’s gonna have my whole ass if I’m any, later. I’ll text you when I’m done?”

Gamzee nodded and kissed his boyfriend goodbye. He was going to have to take a moment to process all this too. Every time he let his thoughts settle on the fact that he was going to be doing the art! For his favorite band! And he had been recommended specifically!!!

[lust-kth]

BTS Reaction: When He Confesses His Feelings

Pairing: BTS x Reader

Warnings: None

Genre: 100% PURE FLUFF

A/N: This is my first reaction and I am trying to write as often as I can. So I do hope y’all enjoy and stay tuned for my next post! 

Kim Seokjin

He’s usually a confident man whenever he does anything. But when it comes to you, he’s a whole mess. His long-time crush on you has gotten to the point where he can’t be without you anymore. One night when he walks you home after a night out with your friends, you can’t help but notice he’s quieter than usual and it makes you worried.

“Jin? Are you okay? You haven’t said much all evening and I’m worried something is up.”

“Ah I’m okay y/n, it’s nothing really. No need to worry about me.”

He gave you a quick smile before looking back down on the ground but you grabbed his wrist and he was taken aback by your sudden action.

“I’ve known you since we were teenagers so I know when you’re lying. Please tell me the truth Kim Seokjin.”

The use of his full name made him sigh and he looked deep into your eyes then cupped your cheek, making you blush unintentionally.

“You really want to know y/n? I’m in love with you. I know I shouldn’t because our friendship could be ruined and I don’t want that. But I thought it was time you knew.”

He dropped his hand from your face when you bit your lip, feeling stupid you didn’t see it from the beginning but then you laughed, confusing him.

“Damn it Jin, that’s all it was? Well then, I think I should tell my truth as well…I’m also in love with you.”

His eyes widened and he grabbed your hands, the biggest smile etched across his face. He couldn’t believe it, he finally got the girl he’s loved for so long.

Min Yoongi

Meeting Yoongi was a total coincidence. You met while you were looking for equipment to work on your music and he happened to be at the same store you were, both of you looking for the same launchpad since you were both rising producers, which became a great conversation starter. Flash-forward to 2 years later and you’ve been close friends since, working hard on music and you’ve been so high in demand, you two decided to work together to create your own label. In those 2 years, you developed a crush on Yoongi but never acted on your feelings because he was your friend but also your business partner and you didn’t want to ruin things. One afternoon you were finishing a sample for an artist when Yoongi knocked on the studio, letting him in and saw he brought food. 

“I bought tteokbokki for you cause I know you haven’t eaten since yesterday.”

“Wow Min Yoongi, you really are very considerate of my health. My heart is melting.”

“Yeah yeah, come on eat up.

”You took the bag of food and started eating while Yoongi sat at your computer and listened to what you were working on. He nodded in approval.

“That’s coming up really nice y/n. They’re gonna love it.”

“Thanks Yoongs. And thanks for the food too, I was starving.”

“Yeah no problem…look y/n, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you and usually I don’t speak up about my feelings but I really need to get this off my chest and it may ruin our friendship but at least I know that I said it…I like you. I really like you a lot and every time you come into my studio, my whole day gets better and there’s no one else I’d be doing any this with but you.”

You stared at him, unable to believe you heard the words you’ve been wanting to hear for so long, then you scooted closer to him and laid your head on his shoulder. 

“I like you too Yoongi.”

In that moment his heart fluttered in excitement and held your hand in his. He finally had the courage to confess the love he had for you since the moment he met you.

Jung Hoseok

You and Hoseok became fast friends when you met at a dance competition. Your dance team was up against his, yet despite losing to him, you found him interesting and wanted to work with him. Your dance teams got together every week after that and the two of you choreographed all the dances, being impressed by both your skills. At this point you integrated both your teams to be one and y’all were training hard for an upcoming competition. You and Hoseok were practicing your parts while the others were resting and he watched closely to the movements you were making with your body, suddenly getting flustered. He knew he found you attractive but never acted on his feelings since you two had a good thing going on. No this time he saw how focused you were and how much effort you put into your dancing. You noticed he wasn’t going the same rhythm as you so you stopped.

“Hoseok? Everything okay?” “Oh uh yeah sorry. I just spaced out for a moment.” “Alright. Well let’s take a 10 minute break and we’ll come back to it. Mind coming with me to get more water?”

He nodded and followed you out into the hall outside where you refilled your water bottle and looked over at him, noticing he was staring at you.

“What?”

“Y/n…I think I should say this before we go back. The reason why I haven’t been able to focus is because you’re distracting me. In a good way though. I really like you and I want to take you out for dinner.”

“Really? Umm yes of course! Wow I didn’t expect this. Here I thought I was gonna be the one to ask you out.” “Wait, you were gonna ask me out? So you like me too?”

“Yup. Did I do a good job hiding it?”

“Yes you did. Alright then, I’ll pick you up at 7 tonight.”

After the two of you walked in hand in hand, your friends taking notice and gasped. 

“It’s about time you two got together!” 

Kim Namjoon

He was your college algebra tutor since you had a lot of trouble with the subject and couldn’t study by yourself. Your upperclassmen recommended him to you so you reached out to him and y’all would meet up every Tuesday and Thursday in the library. You were so intrigued by him and felt yourself falling for him every time you saw him. It was soon finals time and you were on your last study session with him before your algebra final, reviewing everything you had learned. 

“So then what would x equal in this equation?”

You worked though the problem, biting your lip and showed him your work.

“x would equal 4?”

“Umm not quite. Here let’t try again y/n.”

“I’m never gonna get this Joon. I’m gonna fail this fucking final. I know it!”

“Well if that’s what you think, then I guess I’m a bad tutor.”

“No it’s not that, it’s me. My brain sucks. Like I do get some concepts but this is really kicking my ass.”

He shook his head and rubbed your back to comfort you. The sudden contact made you blush when he smiled, showing those dimples that made your heart dance. 

“No don’t sell yourself short. You can do this, I believe in you. This is probably inappropriate right now but maybe after your math final, you’d like to join me for ice cream to celebrate you finishing up your first year of college. Maybe like a date, because I really like you y/n. From the moment you walked through those doors.”

You sat there with your mouth open a little, was this really attractive, nerdy guy really asking you out. How could you say no to him? Plus you knew you liked him too.

“Alright then, it’s a date Joon.”He mentally high-fived himself, happy he scored a date with the girl of his dreams. 

Park Jimin

You’ve been friends with Jimin since you were kids and you grew up together doing the same things. You cared about each other very much so when one day, your boyfriend of 1 and a half years decided to call it quits, calling you a cheater because you spent so much time with Jimin and you did your best to explain to him that he was just you best friend and nothing more. Unfortunately your ex didn’t see it that way and broke off you relationship with no regrets, leaving you devastated because you loved him, or so you thought. That night you cried your heart out and called Jimin over to your house since you didn’t want to be alone and he arrived within 5 minutes of calling him. 

“Oh y/n. He’s a piece of shit. He must have been really jealous and insecure to assume you were cheating on him. Forget that jerk.”

“But I loved him Jimin! I really thought he was the one.”

His heart broke for you, but it also broke for himself because he knew you would never love him the way he does. He wrapped you in his arms tightly, his face nuzzled in your hair as the familiar scent of your strawberry shampoo hit his nose and at that moment he couldn’t keep his feelings bottled anymore. 

“Y/n…I know this isn’t the right time to say this but…I like you. I like you more than a friend and when you were with this jerk, I wished it was me you stayed up late talking with, I wished it was me giving you flowers and gifts, and I wished it was me you would say I love you to.  I would treat you better than he ever did, and who else knows you more than I? So, if you want, I’ll leave.”

He released you from his arms and stood up to walk away but felt your hand wrap around his wrist. He was surprised and looked at you as you wiped your tears away. 

“Please don’t go Jiminie…look just give me some time and we’ll talk about this okay? I’m not rejecting you at all, in fact I’m glad you told me.” 

“I would never break your heart y/n. I promise you that now.”

He kisses your hand with his soft lips and lays you down so you can get some sleep, never leaving your side the rest of the day.

Kim Taehyung

Taehyung was one of your work best friends. He made your day in the office much more tolerable with his jokes and that boxy smile you loved so much. One day you sat in your cubicle, bored out of your mind with all the amount of work you had to finish before you left for the day. Your head was hurting and all you wanted to do was shove the papers in your boss’ face and walk out the door, but of course you couldn’t do that since you needed the job to eat and have a roof over your head so you put up with it. Moments later, Taehyung’s head appeared overhead and you looked up at him. 

“What can I do for you sir?”

“Eh nothing, just wanted to check in with you slick. You nearly done? It’s almost 5.”

“Pshh I wish I could say I was, I think I might have to stay over time.”

“Well I can keep you company if you want.” “Oh no Taehyung, you go enjoy your Friday night. I’ll be fine.”

He pouted, knowing you’d give into his offer with that look on his face. You sighed and gave him a warm smile in response, not having to say another word as he disappeared back into his cubicle for the remaining half hour. 5 o’clock arrived and everyone except the two of you left, your work nearly done but you still had to input the information onto your computer. Taehyung was on his phone, glancing up at you every few minutes and took in the sight of you. To him you were one of the most hard-working women he’s ever met and he felt upset you weren’t appreciated as well as you deserved. Finally after an hour and half you were finished and you looked over at Taehyung who was asleep and you felt bad he stayed more time than he needed to, but mostly thankful for him keeping you company. You looked at him a little bit longer, appreciating his facial features, especially that cute little mole on his nose and shook him gently. 

“Taehyung, time to wake up.”

“No 5 more minutes mom, I was just about to tell y/n I liked her.”

Your eyes widened in shock. Did he just say what you thought he said? Taehyung liked you? Not that there was a problem with that, you liked him just as much.

“Umm Tae? It’s me y/n.”

He jumped up instantly, realizing he said that and felt his cheeks flush red with embarrassment. He did not just confess to his crush while half asleep.

“Shit, you didn’t hear that right?”

“That you liked me? Yeah I did.”

“Fuck, I wanted to do it properly.”

“Tae, no worries. I like you too.”

“Really? So then would you like to go out with me tonight?”

“Absolutely.”

Jeon Jungkook

Jungkook was one of your online friends you met through gaming. He was the one you would play with almost every day and you grew closer as friends. You really hoped to meet him one day but you lived in different countries and you had no way to get to him. Except one day when y’all were talking on Discord, he surprised you saying he got money for his birthday and wanted to spend it on a plane ticket to go see you. You definitely wanted that more than anything so you two were quick to make plans and he arrived in your home country a month later. You picked him up at the airport and showed him around your hometown, doing everything you enjoyed. At the end of the day, the two of you went over to your place and started playing Overwatch. You couldn’t believe he was actually here playing video games next to you. When your team won a few matches, you took a break and sat on the couch with him.

“Damn if only you could stay forever. This is so much more fun.”

“I agree. Thanks for showing me around y/n. I just really wish I had more than a week with you.”

“Me too. I’m gonna be so sad when you leave.”

“Then we should really make the most of it then.” 

The rest of the week you and Jungkook were together, you mostly played video games but you also went out and enjoyed the nightlife. It was soon the day before Jungkook had to leave so that afternoon, you helped him pack as you felt tears starting to come on. 

“I don’t want you to go. I want you to stay here playing video games with me all day."

“There’s nothing more than that. You’re the only one who really understands me…I won’t find anyone else like you back home…”

“Jungkook…” 

“Y/n, I need to be honest. I’m in love with you. I have been for quite some time now and I should have said it earlier but I was afraid. Now I don’t want to leave you.”

You started crying, your feelings for him starting to come up to and you hugged him tightly. There was no way you were going to let him leave after that confession but you knew he had to go home. 

“I’m in love with you too…god this is so fucking hard.”

“I know…but I’m willing to do a long-distance relationship if you are. We’ll video chat every day and I’ll text you whenever. I don’t give a shit about the time difference. Whenever you need me, I’ll be there for you.” 

He kissed your head softly and you held each other for as long as you could.  

[rachelthompsonauthor]

The past two quarantine months have been like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my lifetime, and I turned 56 in January. So rather than regurgitate what you’ve likely read in the news or on social media, I’ve decided to share how I’ve spent my time these past two months along with random thoughts. I hope you’ll continue along with me as I share what I’m doing each week.

Books

Oh, how I’ve missed reading! With my business so insanely busy (for which I’m truly grateful) these past few years, I’ve barely had time to read little more than Slack, emails, texts, and social media updates. Not exactly satisfying for this lifelong, avid reader. This quarantine has allowed me a little bit of extra time, which I’ve put to good use.

In no particular order, here’s what I’ve read: 

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow is fantastic. Read it in one sitting because I didn’t want any of the details of this lacy, incredibly intricate work to fade. I highly recommend it. A mix of fantasy, drama, and a love story (because in the end, aren’t all stories love stories?), anyone with a working brain will love this novel.

  Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng is also superb. I’d heard about this book for a while, yet only got around to it because it’s also now a mini-series on Hulu (which I watched afterward – also very good, though the character arcs and the plot changed in crucial, at times startling, ways).

Curious if you’ve read the book and watched the series, what your thoughts are? I could write an entire post about it, yet I’ll only share this…

As a child, my parents hire a housekeeper. My folks both work full-time and we are not in any way rich or well-off. Neither of my folks has college degrees – Dad is an assistant manager at a chain drugstore and Mom has just completed x-ray tech school and works nights at San Bernardino County Hospital. We live in a small house on a long street in the smoggy Inland Empire of California.

There are two of us, my older sister and me. Then my mom gets pregnant when I’m nine and has my baby sister when I’m ten. My folks advertise for a housekeeper and Miss Louise answers. She’s African American and willing to work for the little they can pay her. She smokes a lot (outside only, so as “not to hurt the babies”), insists on wearing a uniform though my mom tells her it isn’t necessary and comes looking for us in her big old white Caddy if we aren’t home from school exactly 20 minutes after it lets out.

(Miss Louise’s husband’s name is George. If you are alive in the 70s and watch The Jeffersons, you understand why this is an endless source of amusement to my sister Caren and me.)

Being that young, neither Caren nor I understand what privilege means. We didn’t get whatever we wanted because my parents are always strapped, yet there is food on the table, and the lights are always on. Except for the occasional venture to Disneyland or Knott’s Berry Farm that one time (mom hated it), our vacations consist of driving to visit our Zayde (great-grandfather) in a nursing home in Santa Cruz, or some other relatives we don’t know somewhere in L.A. (I remember one great-aunt who drank. A lot.) We’d always stop at Cantor’s for a soup and sandwich (the highlight for us), and be back on the road. We don’t mind because it is anywhere but home.

Anyway – my entire point is that in Little Fires Everywhere – the show – Kerry Washington’s Mia is an artist who takes a maid job with Reese Witherspoon’s Elena Richardson’s family to keep an eye on her daughter Pearl, who is quite taken with the teenage Richardson clan. The racial and financial dichotomy is blatantly obvious: a rich family who’s seemingly got it all vs. a seemingly poor black single mother, which adds to the ‘fires’ mentioned in the title.

The book really made me think about my own privilege and despite how well my folks treated Louise, and how much we loved her, and she us, there would always be that wall. Granted, it was a business arrangement and my folks paid her for her services, and in truth, anyone could’ve answered the housekeeping ad. The fact that she was African American and we were white created a racial divide that’s undeniable.

The third book I read is Certain Cure by Jennifer Valoppi, also excellent. It’s the first in a series (parts two and three aren’t out yet, darn it). The novel chronicles the life of three generations of the Cummings family; Claire, a woman in her 70s who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, Helene, her television journalist daughter and Justin, the teenage grandson whose adoration of his “Grams” leads him to discover the dark secret behind the miracle technology that is not only curing Claire of her cancer but tempting his mother with eternal youth, as traditional medical industries wage war against the mysterious doctor from China who threatens them all.

I had no idea what to expect with this one, and I’m glad I read it. Valoppi is a former TV journalist from NYC so she knows her stuff. I’m not particularly religious (or scientific), yet I didn’t find either the science or religious stuff bogged me down.  Fascinating read. I highly recommend it.

Movies and Shows

Gosh, so many. With four of us in the house (and two teens), it’s worth it to me to pay for Hulu and Netflix, Amazon Prime Video comes with my Amazon Prime membership already, plus my internet plan comes with AT&T Direct, Showtime, HBO, and other premium channels. For the amount of entertainment, it’s worth the money.

I watch movies and shows on my iPad at night, once I’m finally off my computer. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like a super loud TV with stereo surround-sound barking at me after a long day of noise and stress. So I go upstairs to my cozy bed, surround myself with blankets and pillows and cats, and snuggle in for a few hours to watch a movie or a few episodes of something I enjoy.

Another note: not a big ‘reality TV’ watcher, mostly because, as a writer, I prefer well-written shows. I also don’t like the negativity and yelling normally associated with those shows. That said, I do watch Vanderpump Rules (on Bravo) with my daughter (age 20). We bond.

Shows

Here’s what I’ve binged these past few quarantine months, show-wise (no links because you can Google):

Ray Donovan – ggggggreat! Heard it was wonderful, yet truly had no idea how awesome. Liev Schrieber is captivating as Ray. Flawed, human, sad, and, in case you don’t know, a childhood sexual abuse survivor (church abuse). I had no idea going in this would be a theme of the show, yet it was handled with care and truth. The entire supporting cast is also amazing. Every season is great. Watch it all. I hated to see it end.

Homeland – the first four or so seasons were mesmerizing. Then, I got bored. This last season had me falling asleep and then WHAM! that ending. Worth it.

Hunters – Good, not fantastically great. The twist in the last episode will get you, though.

Upload – Loved it! Thought it would be silliness (and in some places, it was, but that’s okay – we need a little silliness right now). Had a ton of heart which I love.

Bosch – come on, it’s Titus Welliver. He’s fantastic. This last season didn’t draw me in as much as the entire rest of the series, though. You?

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – terrific, all of it. Every season, every episode, every character.

Tales From The Loop – amazing. Anything having to do with time-travel or the bending of time, I’m a total sucker for. This hurt my brain in a good way.

The Feed – weird but good and thought-provoking.

Dark – by far, my favorite show year. A German show dubbed in English (you get used to it – don’t let that scare you off), this time-bending, decade-moving hit show spans two seasons and every episode is worth watching. And the music – my god. Amazing. Here’s a Spotify playlist link.

Movies

Parasite – thought-provoking. Took a while to get into it and then boom! It just goes full-on insanity. Well-written, well-acted, and the message of the movie is just, wow. No spoilers in case you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it.

Hustlers – loved it. Whatever issues people have with strip clubs and ‘dancers,’ get over it. These girls are amazingly talented, are in amazing shape, and work hard to make money for their families. What I loved the most about the movie is that it’s all about the women; the men are only there as a plot device. It’s a movie entirely shot through the ‘female gaze’ (though of course, men will enjoy the dance scenes which are sexy, yet not unclothed). How many movies can say that?

Memento – I think I’m probably one of the few people who had never seen this neo-noir psychological thriller starring Guy Pearce looking like Brad Pitt (who was originally considered for the role). It was great, I think? LOL. My brain still hurts.

Call Me By Your Name – Lovely, sad, gorgeous. (And I will not make a juvenile peach joke.) And the music! Oh, my.

Zombieland – I hate zombies, I hate horror movies. I hate gore and squishy sounds. This movie was cute. (Not ready for the sequel, yet.)

Music

As mentioned above, the music in Dark sent me off on a ‘who are these talented musicians?’ lark. I’ve discovered so many. Here is who I’m listening to right now (all free on Spotify) and links provided here:

Apparat (you’ll recognize the opening theme of Dark and stay for the rest).

Agnes Obel – wondrous. I’ve played her entire catalog repeatedly since discovering her music on Dark. She’s become a commercial favorite as well now. Familiar is the song used in the show that’s received the most play.

Alev Lanz – otherworldly. I’ve not heard anyone like her. Her songs on the Dark soundtrack and Black Mirror are what she’s most noted for (May The Angels, and Fall Into Me, respectively), however, I love all of her work. Her harmonies are like nothing else. One song is layered with her voice and African throat singers – it’s gorgeous (May The Angels). She’s active on Twitter and we’ve interacted a few times. She’s beautifully transparent about her love of music and it shows in all her work.

Patrick Watson – I heard this song, Good Morning Mr. Wolf, on the Ray Donovan soundtrack and immediately clicked my SoundHound app. Who is this talented being? This song, in particular, sounds so large and cinematic – I wondered – is he is a film composer? (yes). A band? (yes). And so much more. I cannot get enough of all of his music, and still, I play this one song on repeat – repeatedly.

London Grammar – I discovered this band a few years ago and still adore them. Strong is still my favorite song, though Rooting For You is a close second. Hannah Reid’s vocals are big and beautiful.

Hilary Woods – ethereal and lovely. Especially the song Kith.

Sufjan Stevens – many of us just discovered him from the movie Call Me By Your Name soundscore, however, he’s been a working musician since the early 2000s. Talented beyond.

I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. I made a Female Rockers list on Spotify which you’re welcome to.

Thoughts on Quarantine

My Business

Living in California, I’ve barely left the house in two months, with the exception of going to the pharmacy for meds or for the occasional physician appointment for me or the kids, because of the quarantine restrictions in place. And I’m okay with that.

I’m fortunate that my business is primarily online-only: I work with authors and small businesses on their branding, marketing, and promotion, so given that all real-life events are off the table, I’ve been quite busy working with my clients to ensure their products and services are still viable.

This doesn’t mean I don’t need help as a small business. I applied for an SBA loan and couldn’t even get onto the website the first time – it was pretty ridiculous – like the end scene in Beetlejuice. You all know who those first small business loans went to, right? Not small-potatoes people like me. So the second time around, it went much smoother, and I’m grateful to have received a small loan which will definitely help me keep going with rent, insurance, and other expenses.

I still did my annual non-profit initiative for writers, NaNoProMo (National Novel Promotion Month) this year over on my business site, BadRedhead Media, yet only for two weeks instead of the entire month. Daily blog posts from experts on everything publishing-related plus amazing giveaways. It’s always exhausting, yet I find enormous gratification in helping writers.

This year, however, getting writers to comment to win amazing, FREE giveaways was like pushing a house up a hill. I get it – people are focused on putting food on the table instead of commenting on blog posts, even if the giveaways were worth $500. That’s why I wanted to do this initiative this year – to help writers who are in a jam – yet only a smattering of writers participated.

I’m seriously rethinking if I want to do it next year given the financial cost as well as the personal toll. My first therapist, who I started seeing after I gave birth to my daughter Anya (I was terrified to leave her to go back to work, given my history with childhood sexual abuse), gave me this tip whenever I had trouble deciding whether to do something:

“If you ever aren’t sure if you should do something, ask yourself this question: Is this good for Rachel? If the answer is yes, do it. If the answer is no, don’t. It really is that simple.”

Self-care, y’all.

Social Media

I’ve stopped interacting with the crazies on social media (and who knows, maybe you’re one of them so truly, no offense), but I’d rather stay safe and keep my family safe by working exclusively at home – which I mostly do anyway – than venture back into face-to-face meetings with clients. I support four people with my business and if something happens to me, four people are doomed.

So the answer is simple to me: stay home, work from home, and don’t risk dying from this virus.

I don’t buy into any of this ridiculous conspiracy crap. Sorry, not sorry. You can if you want to. Spending time arguing with people online about it takes away time from my business, my kids, my guy, and my own sanity. Speaking of which…

Mental Health

There were a few mix-ups with my meds when this all started, and I couldn’t get my prescriptions filled and delivered before I ran out, so I ended up having about a week of insomnia which I’ve never had to deal with. I was a zombie (the non-squishy kind) and it sucked.

If you have insomnia, I’m sorry. I feel for you.

It’s all straightened out now, thank goodness. My son Lukas and I donned our masks and drove to the local CVS the other day because I couldn’t wait two days for my meds to be delivered. It felt like walking into a dystopian future walking in there: everyone in masks, tape six feet apart for the waiting line, plexiglass between us and the cashiers.

I’m thankful for these measures, of course, and wonder how long we’ll need them, or if this is our new normal?

My Writing

I finished the final edits on Broken People and sent it back to my editor. She’s had some health issues, so the delay is understandable. To be honest, I’m not in a huge hurry to launch a new book right now. Here are the questions that run through my mind:

Do people have money to purchase a new book?

If they do, will they want to read my new book?

If they do want to read my new book, will they take the money they do have to read mine, and then review it?

Does it even matter in the grand scheme of life? 

I’m an author just like any author – I want to get my work out there so people can read it, engage with it, connect with me. I hope they’ll like it, feel something, reflect on their own lives, learn something new, particularly about being a childhood sexual abuse survivor. It’s a weird limbo to be in right now.

Our New Normal

This phrase is bandied about quite a lot yet let’s face it: it’s life as we know it, now. The anxiety is real, too. I haven’t hugged or kissed my elderly parents who live two miles away in two months. I bring them toilet paper and cookies from our favorite bakery (drive up and trunk drop off, pay online only) and drop it on their porch.

All these scenarios run through my mind: If I go to do this, what happens if? I know I’m not the only one. And yet, we can’t predict anything. So I sit here, writing this post, safe inside my little house bubble, grateful I can pay my rent, put food on the table (delivered by Instacart, thankfully), and everyone around me is healthy.

What’s your new normal? What have you been reading, watching, and listening to? If you’ve stuck it out this far, I thank you. Would love to hear your comments! Safe hugs, y’all. 

***

Read more about Rachel’s experiences in the award-winning book, Broken Pieces.

She goes into more detail about living with PTSD and realizing the effects of how being a survivor affected her life in

Broken Places, available in print everywhere!

                The post This is How To Spend Quarantine With Me appeared first on Rachel Thompson.

via Rachel Thompson

[yuseirra]

Hi, you draw really, really well the comics. And i wonder if you could give me advice about how to correctly distribute the drawings in the comics?

Hello!// thanks a bunch for reading my comics, I KNOW you do, and I really appreciate it..!!// I’m glad to hear you’ve been finding them good and enjoyable!

I find this as a very good question!! However I’m not sure if I can give a good answer for this because to be really blunt about it, I don’t have a clear idea on how to do it either.. it’s quite hard to describe. I’ve been doing this for years and at this point, I forgot about all the small processes in between?;I don’t even know if I’m making comics the right way ;v;!!;; It probably isn’t??? and I’m just doing it the way I feel fit and comfy- I never learned stuff like this from anywhere- so I’m not even sure if I can recommend? or tell someone about my ways of doing it..

On the other hand, I figure seeing an example of some sort still be helpful either way! ;v;// if it’s good, you can pick it up, and if there’s something undesirable, you can avoid it. I haven’t thought about this in detail, I’ll organize things as I go, so please understand if I sound a bit all over the place!!

I posted about how I draw comics pretty recently, so you can check that out for the basic processes I go through. So, as you can see from there, the basic steps of making a comic for me would be 1.brainstorming-> 2.draw roughs(write out all the dialogues/decide on how the cuts will be organized)->3.fill/adjust/clean up sketch. I don’t think that’ll be too different compared to most artists.. and the part you’re curious about would be part 2.

last time when I drew a comic I saved the roughs for it and now seems like a great timing to bring that up as an example.

Digital or not, a drawing is drawn on canvas. You have to decide how many cuts will fit into a single page and start working from there. The sketchbook I’m using is a bit smaller than your A4 size paper and I usually go with 3~4 (horizontal)x2~3(vertical) with this one. that makes about 12 cuts on average. When you draw the cuts, make sure they are in a size that fits accordingly to the way you visualize the amount of cuts that’d fit, with some important cuts being big, and some minor cuts being smaller..this isn't required but I tend to make most of my cuts not so different in size- especially vertical-wise because you read things in rows. Things need to be in good flow- if you make one big cut that is bigger vertically, you may need to make two to three cuts that align with it to match the flow of the row. An example of this could be how I arranged the cuts in this drawing↓

the canvas is smaller too (with horizontal/vertical scales being more similar) so about 2-3 cuts can fit horizontally and about 2 vertically! and since I wanted to give more weight to leslie looking at isabella, I gave that cut a bigger room. My cuts aren’t that dynamic though, and compared to actual mangas that use a good use of the shapes and sizes, I still have a long ways to go ‘v’;)//

Another thing you have to think about when you draw a comic is deciding how it’ll start out, cut off, and end. If you draw on a piece of paper like me, cutting things off in the middle is inevitable if you want to make something longer. It shouldn’t feel so abrupt though, and every page should have a sense of being “complete” in a way.

I usually tend to arrange things in a way that’d fit in a single page (I feel you’ve been seeing me drawing 1 page comics) but if that isn’t possible, I think about where exactly I want the page to be wrapped up. A good way to do that, in my opinion, is to place something important in the last panel. Like the most important dialogue in that page or a character’s reaction towards an event. The first cut is very important too, since it’ll give the readers an idea of what’s about to happen and how the rest of the story is going to be like. If you can, it’d be a good idea to make the cut something that’d draw the reader’s eyes. For example, the rough above (which ended up as this comic below ↓) the first cut is pretty self-explanatory! Norman and Emma in a forest, with a baby, a (picnic) basket, holding hands. You’d probably know what to expect from there.

It’s the same thing as writing a story. After getting an idea (e.g: norman and emma going on a picnic together and emma climbing trees) you decide on the beginning (they’re in a forest) and confirm how it’s going to end (they are satisfied) and think of the main events in between (emma climbs a tree and norman watches her happily). Cut that up and distribute how things will play out, in the provided space! When you get the hang of it, you’ll find your own pace with making stories and how things feel natural for you. 

So this must have been what’s been going on in my head as I draw comics too. I just don’t “think” about doing it this particular way as I do it, but this must be how..! I actually try a lot right// I love writing dialogues, and I fix things and consider about the pace but it’s just so hard to describe what exactly goes on my head as I’m doing it..It’s just so nice/// to hear you think I’ve been doing a nice job!//

If you desire making polished works, I very recommend looking at published comics too!! ;v;// webcomics/webtoons have been the trend lately and those work with a totally different flow, but I’m more used to making page-based comics and I get a lot of insps from ones that are. Plus they’re professionals so they do a skilled and wonderful job at it, and you can really learn on how dynamic some cuts are. I’m more focused on making my drawings “fitting the canvas and filling up the whole paper without cutting things out” whereas commercial works seem less restricted with such and use bigger and detailed cuts, and the way they do it is very interesting. Right now I’m taking the more safer methods and making most of my cuts similar in size but a lot of comics I see take bigger steps and challenges! I’d love to do that too in the future ‘v’)9 

I hope this was good advice!// good luck drawing! Again, thanks for reading my comics, as much as I love drawing stuff out of my ideas, it’s much more enjoyable when you have someone you can share it with and I’ve been having a lot of fun thanks to you and everyone!

[em-be-lievable]

Hello!! Whereith thou get thee cool punked clothing? Ith would like to dress as cool as thou

Y’all gotta stop enabling me with my special interests- I WILL write you novels.

This is gonna be a whole thing, so sit your butt down and prepare to listen to me yell for ten years. 

This question is literally different depending on what I’m wearing- but my clothes fall into three schools of fashion which I’ll refer to ‘Statement makers’ ‘Essentials’ and ‘Accents.’ 

THE STATEMENT MAKERS: 

These are the pieces that make strangers want to start arguments that they can’t win on the streets with me XD I have 4 in total: Though each one is a work in process. “Where does get one of these fine pieces?” You may be asking yourself? “Surely there is a hot topic-esque store that must provide such items!” The long and short is no, there isn’t. You gotta make these yourself.

So how you do that?

Step one: Start with a base.I like to keep these relatively cheap bc A: I’m broke, and B: This way I can put a little more money into ‘accents’ (which I’ll explain more about later) First you need that base- a good garment that will hold up to your daily life and tolerate the abuse you’re about to put it through. What I do is go to my local thrift store, or good will (not salvation army. F*ck the salvation army) and get one second hand. The vest and the leather jacket above ran me a total of 20$ instead of the 100$ you’d waste if you bought it from Big Business (and also f*ck them too for killing the environment and the economy) Be heckin’ thrifty and crafty with it- you’re essentially purchasing your canvas so don’t be afraid to scrounge. 

Step two: Gather your men.And by men, I mean the sh!t you’re gonna adhere to this beast. A good place for pins/patches? Etsy. Theres literally millions of options you can get from small businesses and independent artists all over the world and they’re usually pretty cheap: Ranging anywhere from 1$ (plus shipping) to 15$ for big back pieces. Literally every single patch that wasn’t gifted or I didn’t make was purchased via etsy. Which brings me to my second option for pins and patches: Make them. You can get a button maker if you’re feeling frisky- or just go to a f*ck ton of rallies and accommodate them from there. Patches can easily be made with a scrap of black fabric and some white fabric paint. At my local WalMart a yard of plain black cotton fabric will run you about 3$ and will get you 10-20 patches depending on the size. The paint will run you about 1.50$ and an afternoon of your time just grinding away at it. 

And if you’re Extra Edgy™ like me- you’re gonna need some heckin SPIKES. Spikes are surprisingly easy to come by and add to your pieces- I get the little screw on ones: on Etsy it’ll run you about 10$ for 100 of them- or if you’re okay with it, use amazon and get 500 for 8$ (As much as I’m not a fan of big business, I can understand the need to go with the cheapest option.) 

Step three: Just literally throw that sh!t together.This is the fun part: Making it your own. This way no one has the same sh!t as you and you can wear your pride on your sleeve, back, chest ect-Small words of wisdom: -Iron on patches are weak. They’re not going to stay on for long. Just surrender to the fact you’re going to have to sew that sh!t on now and save yourself the heartache. -If you get/make flimsy fabric patches, you’re gonna need interfacing. You can also buy this at walmart for around 4$ a yard and it’ll save you so much goddamn trouble. -There is no way in the freshest of hells you’re going to be able to sew on a patch to a leather jacket. Just scrap that notion now- it’s not going to happen. So what can you do? Aleene’s super fabric glue. Literally the jaws of life aren’t gonna be enough to rip that patch off your jacket if you use it. Idk who Aleene sold her soul to to get such sticky sh!t but I stan her for it forever. -Don’t be afraid to paint directly onto your items. It’s so much f*cking fun. Just do it.-If you’re gonna make this a whole hobby/lifestyle you might want to consider investing in a sewing machine. You’ll never know true agony until you spend days hand sewing on a back piece stitch-by-stitch only to realize it’s crooked when it’s done. At least if you use a machine it’ll be 5-10 minutes of work lost as apposed to literal hours. 

THE ACCENTS: 

This is where you’re gonna throw the money you saved by thrifting your statements. These are the splurges, that one shirt with the funny logo you have saved in your bookmark bars, that impulse buy at the mall. The pricier things that you’re just not gonna be able to make yourself and would rather ask for for your birthday/christmas/whenever you’d be receiving presents.

So, as for MY guilty pleasure spots: 

WildBlackSheep on Etsy. What can I say? I love an independent bish. And their shirts are just so witty and funny, I love them to death and back. Not to mention the customer service is UNREAL. 10/10 would recommend to a friend.

WickedClothes.com. I’m just a dead ringer for combining that 80′s cartoon style with my morbid sense of humor. The ‘Let’s Have A Seance’ ringer tee is one of my favorite shirts. 

JohnnyCupcakes. Literally theres like one design, but it’s a design I love. If the cupcake with crossbones doesn’t convey who I am as a person, idk what does.

BlackCraftCult.com. Now, I’m not a satanist- but I’m extremely supportive of the ideals that neosatanism has. (Which is essentially just believing in yourself and not being an assh*le) Plus, satanist or not, the designs are dope. 

angryyoungandpoor.com. So, you want a particular piece of ‘punk’ fashion that can only be bought, but you don’t want to pay full price for it. This is your stop. It’s discount classic punk fair to find all your favorite brands at not full prices, plus more. The website can be like a goddamn maze but I’m sure every punk will find something they like there.

And theres so much more, but I’ll be here all day just getting down EVERYWHERE I buy clothes XD These are just my favorite brands, and the ones I frequent most to treat myself. 

THE ESSENTIALS: 

Now for last, but not least- literally the staples. The basics. The things every person who ever wears clothes ever needs. The foundation to lay all your accessories and statements upon to get a good cohesive look on you and have you feeling completely punkified. Find these literally anywhere that works best for you: Goodwill, Target, Walmart, whatever. It doesn’t matter as long as you have these staples to build upon your punky exterior. 

The shopping list:

-Black pants. Everyone and their mother needs just one good pair of plain black pants. They just go well with literally anything and are a dope addition to an edgy exterior. If you’ve got the funds and the time, I’d highly recommend finding one pair that fits you well and buying two of them- Keep one as normal but then take a couple of serrated knives and sandpaper to the other and give yourself some distressed pants. (Afterall, why on Gaia’s green earth would I buy PRE RIPPED JEANS when I’m the proud purveyor of my own destruction?)

Jeans.Same as the first for better or worse: You need a nice pair of jeans. I’d recommend doing the same shtick with the black pants and getting one pair to keep and one pair to rip up.

Plain black t-shirt.Literally get your butt to a dollar tree and get yourself a plain black t-shirt or two. You have no idea how useful it is to pair with your clothes. Just do it.

Plain white t-shirt.See above.

Boots.Combat boots just make the outfit. You may want to invest in a nice long-wear pair since shoes can be kinda expensive and you want a lot of milage for your buck. I’m a big fan of classic Docs bc they last FOREVER and are just good shoes. And if you’re not big on animal made items good news: They come in Vegan now. 

Converse.They’re just good shoes what can I say? It’s classic, it’s comfortable, it’s always been around and it’ll always be around. You can get them in all kinds of styles and colors- like why do I even need to explain to you why converse are a good idea? I bet 5$ you already own a pair! They’re also great running shoes in case you need to flee from cops if need be, in my experience.

And from there you can mix and match with jewelry (in the face or otherwise) and hair to get a whole look! Hope this helps my darling!! Best of luck with punking it up!!!