#something nobody asked for

[bigjaws]

Tattoo tour Pt 1

1: Rotting oranges with thorns, ladybug, bee and ants

2: Bat with Spanish limes and guavas

3: Teeth

4: Heart spiderweb and my birth year

5: Scythe with blood and moon

6: Coffin nails

[xputting-my-pieces-togetherx]

My main inspiration for Ren is Wonho from Monsta x cuz I have a crush on him

[astralpenguin]

self care is writing a fic that you’re literally the sole target audience for

[crunchchute]

Noir

[claraoswalds]

#mrs flood who are you: time lord edition

[miwtual]

im so fucking tired of the disrespect gifmakers get on the gifmaker website

[lucabyte]

Hmmm just gonna spit this headcanon out in text post form since A. I don't think I could exposit it well enough in image form and B. It's not actually textually/thematically substantiated and I don't like actually staking my stuff on just vibes alone*

But anyway. I'd say it's pretty evident that all the islanders forgot their names, right? King obviously. Because why the hell else would he do that, but also Siffrin No Middle Names No Last Name.

They're 'pretty sure' they've 'always' been 'Just Siffrin' 'as long as they can remember'. It's a pretty cruel twist of the knife to say that they don't even get to keep their birth name as a memento, which is why I'm saying as such.

My utterly unsubstantiated claim is I think it'd be cute to say that Sisyphus *is* the name Siffrin initially picked, assuming the myth of King Sisyphus is recontextualised as idk, just a play or something in the setting. But I like the idea of Siffrin going 'oh shit 🫵 he's just like me fr' at a tortured fictional character long before the irony kicks in.

As for how Sisyphus -> Siffrin. I think that chronic mumbler and emotional doormat Sif just did not correct people who misheard the name during their time travelling, and went through enough places with incompatible phonologies (pronounceable sounds in the language) without ever really writing it down that it just got kinda. Changed until it was unrecognisable, and Siffrin just went with it until the earlier pronunciations slipped out of their swiss-cheese brain. And they just kinda don't remember any of that.

Also, something something the horrid realisation that Siffrin also named themselves after a King. Just not as blatantly.

*(though I think there's something here about Siffrin, a guy from a belief system that seems to thoroughly disincentivise autonomy and self-motivated choice continuously having their hand forced to make changes/choices they don't want but have no choice but to... It's not solid enough to really back this up tbh, but it informs it.)

Anyway.

[daily-sifloop]

Kisses!!! Please!!!!!! They deserve it

day 11: behind the scenes

[bixels]

While I do think anon was rude, I do think it's pretty shitty to set up all this stuff you were going to add the au and then just drop it. It's disappointing. Definitely unfollowing.

Bye.

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

Thank you for all the Pigsy art you have ever drawn I love Pigsy and he's one of the reasons I stay in the fandom but I don't see that much art of him where he's not just there as a background character. There is some but he just isn't as popular as some of the other characters (Same with Sandy, and also Tang even I think-) Also the way you draw him makes me grin 👍

every time someone enjoys pigsy i draw 52599 pieces of art

[notahorseindisguise]

I'm so sorry you're hurting yourself like this. You're clearly an autistic young woman. I hope you get the help you need ❤️

thank you so much!! i really needed this encouragement. it means so much to hear you call me a woman, especially since im a cisgender male.

i will get the help i need! ill look into hormone replacement therapy and become the beautiful autistic young woman you see inside me!!

[meltylandart]

get scruffed idiot

[cemeterything]

Wait a sec not being allowed to close your bedroom door unless you’re asleep isn’t normal?

it's not necessarily like. abusive on its own but it shows a lack of respect for your privacy at the very least.

[libraryofgage]

The Prince and the Metalhead (2)

Part of: Steve Deserves Good Parents, Actually

Debbie and Fester Addams One | Two | Three | Four Rick and Evelyn O'Connell One | Two | Three Harley Quinn One 10th Doctor and Rose One | Two (on the way!) Scooby Gang (there are plans for this one lmao, so plz be patient with me orz) Jedidiah and Octavius (from Night at the Museum) One Queen Clarisse Renaldi One | Two (you're here!)

I know I just posted part one but I've got Thoughts for this AU that include: Steve's first birthday in Genovia and then his 16th, his conversation with his grandmother about attending public school in America for his senior year, and then we get into him attending Hawkins High and meeting Eddie!

So, yeah, plans lmao

Anyway, if you see any typos, no you didn't ;)

------

"You'll have a rotating course schedule. Mondays and Wednesdays will focus on math and social studies. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be science and literature. Friday will be Royalty lessons and the history of Genovia. We can also include an elective, if you'd like."

Steve blinks, staring at Sue for a moment before glancing at Jonathan and Robin. Jonathan is looking through a book of photography and Robin is idly scratching behind Dart’s ears. "Will we all have the same elective?" Steve asks.

"Not unless Jonathan and Robin want to join you," Sue says, looking at Steve expectantly. She's got a pen at the ready to write down what he says, and it suddenly feels like a lot of pressure.

Is there a wrong answer here? Is there an answer that gets him sent back to his parents? He looks down, biting the inside of his cheek so hard he tastes blood. Before he can lose himself in his thoughts, a cold and wet nose presses against his hand. Steve blinks, smiling at Dart and picking her up to hold close. "What kind of electives are there?" he asks.

Sue hums softly, flipping to another page on her clipboard. "Possible electives include art, music, theatrical performance, physical education, equestrian studies, botany, and foreign languages, to name a few."

"I'll be taking photography lessons," Jonathan says, looking up at Steve and gesturing to his book.

Robin nods and leans back on her palms. "I'll be doing the physical stuff. Like learning how to fight and practicing ballet to improve my balance," she says, leveling a look at Steve that dares him to say anything about the ballet.

Steve wouldn't, though. He doesn't want to make Robin angry enough to ditch him. He looks down at Dart, thinking for a moment before asking, "Can I take more than one?"

"Of course, but you're limited to three for now," Sue says.

What would be the most helpful? Foreign languages, probably, since he'll definitely have to speak with ambassadors from other countries at some point. He should also learn something that can be shown off, a skill that he could pull out at functions to make his grandmother proud or distract guests.

"What language should I learn?" he asks.

Sue thinks for a moment, tapping her pen against her chin. "Mandarin. It's a business language, and we have close relations with a few representatives from China and Hong Kong. If you'd like to learn a Romantic language first, though, Spanish is good."

"I'll learn Mandarin," Steve decides, nodding once to himself. "And music. I want to learn to play...hmm...the piano."

With a nod, Sue writes his electives down. "Let me know if you'd like to add an elective later, Your Highness. In my opinion, though, your current courses will keep you properly challenged for now."

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

Sue wasn't kidding about his academics being challenging. Steve struggles in math, muddles his way through science, drags himself through literature, and is ready to drop when he hits social studies. He'd ask the tutors to spend more time on topics, but Robin and Jonathan seem to have no problem keeping up, and Steve can't bring himself to disrupt their pace.

His Mandarin lessons are going just slightly better if only because the tutor seems to recognize that slower is better for him. After almost a month, he's starting to understand intonation and vocal variation better, and he can recognize a few characters on sight.

Piano lessons are also going well. His tutor there doesn't burden him with theory; she introduces the keys, shows him how to read sheet music, and then lets him choose songs to learn. Steve feels the most at ease when he's squinting at sheet music and slowly pressing piano keys into something recognizable.

The lessons he really looks forward to, however, are the ones for his Royalty Education. He gets to see his grandmother then, and she spends the whole day with him. Even better, something about this stuff just clicks. He's good at fixing his posture and memorizing silverware placement. He bows just right on his first try and his grandmother compliments his wave.

By the end of the lesson, she'll be smiling, her pride obvious, and take him for a walk in the gardens or to eat cookies in the kitchen.

"Royalty requires maintenance," Clarisse says, standing in front of Steve with relaxed shoulders. "You maintain your demeanor, your image, your knowledge of foreign dignitaries, your understanding of the people’s needs, and your humility. But you must also maintain your pride and your boundaries."

"That sounds like a lot," Steve says, idly tugging at the hem of his shirt.

"It can be overwhelming, but it becomes second nature in time," Clarisse explains, smiling reassuringly. "When you're royalty, you are constantly watched. Many eyes are kind or curious, but others are malicious, and you want to do everything you can to disappoint the malicious ones."

"How?"

"By acting like the Crown Prince you are."

"What kind of prince am I?" Steve asks, finally voicing the question that's been lingering since these lessons started. What kind of prince does his grandmother want? What kind of prince would best serve the people? What kind of prince will be so loved by all that nobody could even think of thinking about getting rid of him?

Clarisse hums, thinking for a moment. "I suppose a good one," she says, her slight smile telling Steve that she's only lightly teasing. "My hope is that you'll be kind and competent. You will make Genovia prosperous without compromising tradition. You won't allow politics to stand in the way of doing what's right by the people of Genovia. But this is a tiring job, so I hope you'll learn how to balance your duties with relaxation."

It's a lot, but Steve can do it. He can be that kind of prince, especially for the country and grandmother that's offered everything he's ever wanted and more. He nods once. "Okay," he says, "What do I need to learn, then?"

Clarisse smiles fondly at him. "Let's start by reviewing Genovian history. Only by knowing the past can you face the future."

With that, she places a book on Steve's desk and doesn't wait for him to open it before telling him about Genovia's founding.

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

Steve has weekends off from classes, which leaves him with more free time than he knows what to do with when he doesn't have to clean a house or make his own meals. So, he's bored, and telling Robin that he was bored was a huge mistake after she suggested riding bikes around the garden only to learn Steve didn't know how.

She'd insisted that he should learn, insisted that Clarisse be the one who teaches him, and insisted on hearing no objections.

And now he's here, standing in front of Clarisse's desk and staring down at his feet as she finishes writing something on the paper in front of her. Joe is standing just to her right, hands behind his back.

"Okay," Clarisse says, gently placing her pen on the desk before looking at Steve with an encouraging smile. "What did you want to ask me, Steve?"

Steve bites the inside of his cheek, takes a deep breath, and looks up. "Well, um, Robin wants to ride bikes, but I don't know how," he says.

"Well, that's easily fixed," Clarisse says, reaching for a phone at the corner of her desk. "I'm sure a member of staff is free to teach you."

Before she can pick up the phone, Steve finds himself blurting out, "Well, I...I was hoping...you could teach me."

Clarisse freezes, blinking twice with confusion before looking at Steve. "You want me to teach you?" she asks. When Steve nods once, she sighs softly. "A queen does not ride bikes. Besides, I have too much work to complete. Perhaps I could accompany you for a walk this evening to make up for it."

Despite himself, despite bracing for rejection, it still hurts. In the three months he's been in Genovia, Clarisse has agreed to just about every request he's made. Every held breath as he waits for cruel words has been released with unprecedented relief when none came. Even when he broke something---a priceless vase, according to Jonathan---his grandmother had simply surveyed the damage, thanked him for being honest, and asked him to avoid kicking soccer balls in the presence of priceless vases in the future.

Perhaps Steve has gotten too comfortable. He shouldn't be pushing like this. If he wants his grandmother's affection, he should know when to hold himself back.

So, despite the unfamiliar urge to ask again in case Clarisse might change her mind, Steve nods once. "I look forward to walking with you, Grandmother," he says, his voice quiet. He glances up, waiting long enough to see Clarisse's smile before turning on his heel and leaving the office as quickly as he can.

Clarisse watches him go, her head slightly tilted as the door closes silently behind Steve. She nods once, glad that Steve is sensible enough to understand things like work and propriety, and picks up her pen once more.

"If I may speak freely, Your Majesty?" Joe asks.

"At this point, Joe, you may as well assume the answer is yes."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, and please pardon my French, my experience has been that assuming makes an ass out of you and me."

It takes a moment for Clarisse to understand the joke. When she does, she can't help her amused smile. "Fair enough," she says, "Go ahead, Joe."

"Do you remember what I said about being Steve's grandmother?"

"Yes, of course."

"Perhaps now is one of those moments where being a grandmother is more important than being a queen. His Highness does not ask for much, and he is not the kind to ask more than once, even if he really wants something. I imagine it took a significant amount of courage to ask you to teach him in the first place."

"Are you suggesting that I...I risk making a fool of myself for all to see?" Clarisse asks.

"I am suggesting you spend time with your grandson, who asks very little of you because he does not believe he can ask for anything."

Clarisse is silent a moment, letting Joe's words process and settle in her brain. Finally, she sighs and gestures to the papers on her desk. "I have work to complete," she says.

"Your Majesty, editing these proposals was on your schedule two weeks from now. You are ahead of your work. A break would not be unreasonable or unwarranted."

Well, when he puts it like that.

Clarisse sighs, leans back in her chair, and looks up at Joe. He's still staring at the door, giving no indication that he feels her eyes on him, but she knows he does. "Have a groundskeeper retrieve bikes and safety gear and meet us in the garden," she says, standing from her chair and bracing herself to look like an utter fool.

Her apprehension fades away fifteen minutes later. It can't hold last when she sees Steve's surprised and delighted expression at her presence. As she helps him put on knee and elbow pads, shows him how to pull the helmet's strap tight, and holds the bike steady as he sits on it, Clarisse decides a little foolishness is perfectly fine (necessary, even) if it will keep the smile on Steve's face.

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

Tag List (let me know if you'd like to be added to future parts!)

@y4r3luv, @potato-of-the-lord,

[flaybynight]

A completely self-indulgent post about farm generators in the context of TCM

Why are these used?

Generators are usually used in rural areas to provide power and light to farms. The generator is made to be portable and small, which is good for many applications on a farm or homestead, as opposed to a household generator that only powers a home.

The Sawyers seem to use a Winco Generator Powered by Wisconsin a S12-D. Here's a video of one running.

How do they work?

A carburetor mixes air with fuel inside of a combustion engine in the right ratio. The engine burns that fuel to create heat, and the heat creates steam which builds pressure. The pressure causes a rotor to spin around, and as the rotor spins it turns magnets around. The spinning of the magnets inside the coil creates a magnetic field, which then produces an electrical current inside the wire coil. The engine spins at a certain RPM to create electricity, and a belt transfers the electrical current produced by the engine to other parts of the machine. That's the basic mechanism of a generator.

Any engine that burns fuel to create power is a combustion engine. The type the family used was specifically a piston engine. These are smaller and more lightweight, designed to be efficient with less fuel and less parts. 

Generators use a ‘light’ engine oil. It's better at lubricating the moving parts inside and less viscous than regular automobile motor oil, which would wear on the engine and cause overheating.

Generators in the 70s used more fuel than modern models, therefore were more expensive to run. They were less efficient, less reliable, bigger and noisier, and wore down quicker. There were less safety features involved. A lot of old generators wouldn't shut off when they overheated or if they got too low on oil. They didn't have things like overload protection or circuit breakers, so if the generator got overloaded or overheated it would blow a fuse. 

The fuses served as a failsafe for when the generator overheated or got overloaded. These engines would shut down when the fuse blew, protecting from any major damage. You would have to replace the broken fuse before you could get it working again. That meant people had to keep buying fuses every time something went wrong. 

Would kicking the generator turn it off?

These generators have a thick and heavy metal casing to protect the important internal components, and to keep the electric current inside. Older generators were much easier to damage. Kicking them could dent the surface of the casing and cause damage to its internal components, causing the engine to fail. Restarting the generator could fix it temporarily, but the problem would likely come up again if the internal components were actually damaged.

Connect the current to an electrified cattle grid

You can do this through direct wiring, where the current is carried directly to the grid, and through clamps, which is one way people often connect electric fences to generators. Either way you'd have to run a wire all the way from the generator to the grid. The wires would be insulated with a tough rubber casing to protect from the elements and prevent them from being a hazard if stepped on.

You would use a transformer to step down the voltage from the generator that is producing the power. The generator provides high voltage current, and the transformer turns it into a lower voltage. This is how an electric fence's shock can be used to deter animals without causing serious damage.

Your average generator outputs a voltage high enough to kill you. Without the transformer to convert the high voltage coming from the generator into a lower voltage, a shock from the grid would be lethal. If you stayed in contact with the grid you would most likely die. Do the family use a transformer? Nah. Don't think so.

Voltage/milliamps

Milliamps are the amount of electrical energy (current) travelling through a given circuit or point in that circuit per second. From a direct, continuous flow of electricity, 100 milliamps (0.1 volts) would be lethal. For example, sticking your finger into an electrical socket.

A current travelling through an electrified grid would have a hard time doing that kind of damage because it's only touching you for the split second you step on it. It doesn't have time to travel through your entire body and cause enough harm to kill you. That's why the victims get launched backwards and are injured but can survive, although it's possible they'll have permanent heart injuries.

How bad are we talking?

The victim's skin would suffer burns as the heat generated by the electrical current passes through it, increasing its temperature and causing a breakdown of the outer layer. This would worsen significantly as the applied voltage increased/prolonged contact.

The involuntary contractions and extensions of the muscles caused by the current can lead to muscle injury and are extremely painful.

If the current runs through their bodies for too long it would disrupt the normal electrical signals in their organs. A healthy heart beats anywhere between 60-100 times per minute at rest. While being shocked it's forced to beat at 50-60 times per minute, disrupting the heart's natural rythym.

This desynchronisation of the heart's muscles and the ventricles twitching rapidly supplies little to no blood to the body: ventricular fibrillation. Blood pressure drops as organs don’t receive enough oxygen, leading to fainting and rapid death.

Things to consider are how long the victim steps on the grid, with how much of their body, the victim’s body size and weight and the kind of shoes they’re wearing. The more insulated the shoe, the less milliamps pass through their body.

[puppyeared]

its so hard to watch time pass when things like careers and assignments exist. what do you mean im supposed to take that seriously