#this makes me think of language in general

[fic-girlie]

Can you write a fic where reader and Joel and reader are walked in on while having sex? Thought about them being in an established relationship and she goes to visit him when he is working at the office at Tommy and Maria's. It's innocent enough at first, just wanting to hand him some coffee and make sure he's not overworking himself. A few kisses turn into a make out session and soon enough Joel's fucking her on his work desk lol. Stuff is pretty heated when Tommy walks in on them. His reaction is up to you, really, but I think he'd be mad at first, saying how he could be walking in with Benji and see that. But I think afterwards he would never let Joel live that down lol always teasing him and making dirty comments every time he cans

Caught in the act

Pairing: jackson!Joel Miller x f!reader Summary: A surprise visit to Joel’s office turns hot fast—until Tommy walks in. Warnings: established relationship, explicit smut (+18), language, semi-public sex, softdom!Joel, unprotected sex, p in v sex, dirty talk, desperate Joel, breeding kink? (kinda), interruption, teasing, Joel being embarrassed, Tommy being a menace

The air outside is brisk enough to nip at your skin, but inside the small office, it’s warmer—familiar. A little too quiet, the kind of stillness that only comes when someone’s been stuck in their head too long. You don’t knock. Joel told you not to, more than once, said you never needed to announce yourself. And besides, you can already see him through the glass.

He’s seated at the desk, half-shadowed by the slats of late sunlight cutting through the blinds. Shoulders hunched, brow furrowed. A pencil rests in his hand, scribbling something over a worn notebook, while another stack of paperwork looms to the side. You can just make out the twitch of his jaw as he concentrates, the slow tension in his arm.

You hate seeing him like this. Stuck behind numbers, repairs, shifts, rotations—every little thing Jackson leans on him for. You know he’s proud to be useful here, to have a place. But when his name’s not on the rotation list, Joel finds a way to overfill the empty hours.

Your boots are soft against the floorboards as you walk in. He doesn’t notice at first, too absorbed in whatever notes he’s making. You step closer, then lean down and set the still-steaming cup of coffee near his elbow.

"Figured you could use this."

Joel’s head lifts slowly, pencil pausing mid-sentence. That line between his brows softens the second he sees you, like the weight of his thoughts sloughs off in a single glance.

"Well, look at you," he murmurs, lips tugging into a grin that’s lopsided and warm. "Ain’t you the prettiest damn thing I’ve seen all day."

You laugh quietly, nudging his arm. “You say that even when I bring you bad coffee.”

"This ain’t bad." He lifts the mug and takes a long sip, then hums low. “It’s you bringin’ it that makes it good.”

The compliment lands heavier than you expect, settling warm in your chest. His voice is scratchy—he’s been talking too little today, you can tell—and his eyes linger on you longer than they should for someone still technically on the clock.

“You been here long?” you ask, brushing a few stray papers aside to sit on the edge of his desk.

He leans back in the chair, nodding. “Since early. Got caught up in some generator schedules, then Tommy asked me to double-check the patrol rotation list again. Just wanted a quiet space to think.”

You raise a brow. “So naturally you buried yourself in half the town’s logistics.”

His grin returns, smaller this time. “Keeps me outta trouble.”

You hum, letting your fingers trail over the edge of the desk. “Well. I came to make sure you were still breathing. Coffee’s step one.”

His gaze drops, flicks from your lips to your thighs, then slowly back up again.

"And what’s step two, sweetheart?"

Your breath catches slightly. There’s heat behind those words, slow and steady, the kind that creeps up on you until you’re already burning.

“I guess that depends on what you need,” you say softly, reaching out to smooth a hand over his shoulder. “You’ve been in here so long, figured you might be getting a little…tense.”

His smile fades into something darker, quieter. His hand comes up, fingers brushing the outside of your knee, dragging slowly upward until he reaches the bare skin where your skirt hitches slightly.

“I’m always tense, darlin’. And you know exactly how to make it worse.”

Your breath hitches again.

Joel pushes back the chair just enough to part your knees, sliding himself between them until your thighs bracket his hips. His hands are warm and rough on your legs, thumbs stroking absently against the soft skin there. The room suddenly feels smaller, the afternoon light slanting over the desk and catching in the flecks of grey in his hair, the sharp line of his jaw, the way his eyes don’t leave yours.

“You wear this skirt for me?” he murmurs.

Your lips part, heartbeat fluttering.

He smirks faintly. “Yeah. I know you did.”

His fingers dig in slightly, tugging your hips forward so you have no choice but to lean into him, your chest brushing his. He tilts his head, nose brushing yours, lips barely grazing yours as he speaks.

“You walk in here all sweet, bringin’ me coffee, sittin’ on my desk like a little temptation…and now you expect me to keep workin’?”

You feel his breath on your mouth, the way his voice rumbles low in his chest.

“Joel…”

“Mm?” His hand glides higher, underneath the hem of your skirt, fingers teasing over the soft lace of your panties.

"You gonna tell me you didn’t come here hopin’ for this?"

You can’t answer. Not when his thumb strokes slowly between your thighs, not when his other hand cradles the back of your neck and pulls your mouth to his. The kiss starts slow, but it doesn’t stay that way. It turns hungry. Desperate. His mouth opens against yours, tongue sliding deep as you clutch the fabric of his flannel shirt in both hands.

He groans into the kiss. “You got no idea what you do to me.”

You gasp as he pulls back just enough to flip you around and push you gently down against the desk, your palms bracing against the wood.

“Joel—” you start, breath catching.

“I got you, baby,” he murmurs. “Gonna make you feel good. Right here. Just like this.”

He pushes your skirt up over your hips, and you hear the soft metallic sound of his belt unbuckling, the low rasp of a zipper. Then his hand smooths over your ass and squeezes, rough and firm.

“Goddamn,” he mutters, voice almost reverent while pulling the lace aside. “Look at this fuckin’ view. Bent over my desk. You know how crazy you make me?”

Your lips part, the heat between your thighs pulsing with anticipation.

He leans over your back, mouth brushing your ear. “You stay quiet now. Wouldn’t wanna get caught…”

His hips press forward in one long, hungry stroke, and your body opens for him like it was made to. You feel the slow drag of him, thick and perfect, and your hands brace against the desk as you exhale a moan that’s half relief, half disbelief at just how good he feels.

Joel groans low behind you, voice all gravel and heat. “Jesus Christ, baby…”

He sinks deeper, hips flush with your ass, one large hand steady on your lower back. The other slides up your spine, palm spreading wide between your shoulder blades, grounding you there. Holding you still. His.

“Been thinkin’ about this all fuckin’ day,” he murmurs, mouth brushing the shell of your ear. “You—bent over my desk, beggin’ for it.”

“I wasn’t begging,” you whisper, breathless.

“Not yet,” he mutters, pulling out slowly—too slowly—then slamming back in, hard enough to jolt your hips against the edge of the desk.

You gasp, nails scraping the wood.

“There it is,” he growls, hips snapping forward again. “That little sound you make when I get you deep.”

Your skirt’s bunched around your waist, his flannel shirt brushing your back with every thrust, the thick heat of his body pressing over you. Every movement drives his cock deeper, fills you more completely than should be possible.

And the sounds—God, the sounds—wet and rhythmic, the slap of skin on skin, the rough breaths against your ear, the low groan he lets out every time you clench around him.

“You feel that?” he pants. “Feel how soaked you are for me? Feel how deep I go?”

You nod against the desk, mouth parted, eyes rolling.

“Fuck, sweetheart, you’re squeezin’ me like you don’t want me to leave.” He fucks you harder, deeper. “You want me to stay right there, huh? Stuff you full?”

“Joel,” you gasp, voice half-broken.

He slows just enough to grind in deep, hips circling with filthy precision. You sob out a moan, knees trembling.

“That’s it,” he whispers, lips against your neck. “Take it. Just like that. Take every goddamn inch.”

Your hands scramble for something to hold onto, anything, but he’s relentless. His hands slide under your blouse, cupping your breasts through the fabric. He pinches your nipples just hard enough to make you whimper.

“Thought I was gonna behave,” he mutters. “Thought I could keep my hands off you for five fuckin’ minutes.”

“You didn’t even last one.”

“’Cause you walked in here like a fuckin’ dream,” he snarls. “You know what you do to me, baby? You know how hard it is to stay good when you look at me with those fuckin’ eyes?”

His teeth graze your shoulder, and his pace quickens, hips pistoning into you with purpose. Each thrust is brutal, delicious, deep enough to knock every coherent thought from your head.

“I’m gonna ruin you,” he growls. “Right here. Right on this desk.”

“Joel,” you cry out again, eyes squeezed shut.

“Yeah, that’s right. Say my name, baby. Let the whole damn building know who’s fuckin’ you this good.”

You’re close. So close it hurts. Your thighs are shaking, body coiled tight, nerve endings screaming.

And Joel knows it.

“You’re gettin’ close, ain’t you?” he pants. “I can feel it. You gonna come for me?”

“Yes,” you gasp.

“You gonna come all over my cock while I fuck you in my office like some dirty little secret?”

Your head nods frantically. “Please—please—Joel—”

He growls again, slamming into you, every inch of him thick and hot and perfect. His hand leaves your breast to slide down between your thighs, fingers finding your clit and rubbing in tight, filthy circles.

“Let go for me,” he whispers. “Come for me, baby. Show me how good I fuck you.”

That’s all it takes.

You shatter around him, crying out into the crook of your elbow, body clenching so hard it pulls a strangled groan from his chest. He doesn’t stop—keeps fucking you through it, chasing his own high while your body trembles beneath him.

“Fuck, baby—fuck, I’m gonna—” His voice breaks. “Where do you want it? Tell me.”

You manage a breathless, “Inside.”

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ—”

Joel drives into you with a deep, guttural sound and spills into you, cock twitching as he presses in to the hilt. His hands grip your hips hard enough to bruise, forehead pressed to your back, his body shaking with the force of it.

For a moment, the only sound is the both of you breathing—heavy, ragged, stunned.

You don’t move. You can’t.

Joel’s hands slide down your sides, gentler now. His lips press a kiss between your shoulder blades. “You okay, darlin’?”

You nod against the desk, body still quaking. “Holy shit, Joel.”

He laughs, low and wrecked, still buried deep inside you.

“Yeah,” he says. “Holy shit is right.”

You shift slightly, and he hisses as you tighten around him.

“Don’t move yet,” he murmurs. “Just—stay there a minute. Let me enjoy this.”

You smile, eyes closed. “This was not what I had in mind when I brought you coffee.”

He kisses your shoulder again. “Best coffee break of my life.”

——

Joel’s still inside you, breathing heavy against your back, hands soft now, skimming your waist with that same reverence he always shows when it’s just the two of you. He presses a slow kiss to your spine, murmuring something warm and low that you’re too blissed-out to register.

And then, the office door swings open with a clang.

You freeze.

Joel goes rigid behind you.

And Tommy’s voice—sharp, casual, too damn close—cuts into the air like a gunshot.

“Hey, Joel, you seen the new—”

He stops.

The silence is deafening.

Your face flames hotter than the summer sun outside Jackson. You’re still bent over Joel’s desk, skirt hitched up around your hips, his body pressed flush behind you, still inside you.

Joel’s hand flies to your waist, yanking you up as fast as he can manage without slipping out. You let out a startled gasp as he drags you back against his chest, his other arm grabbing for a half-folded blanket on the back of his chair and yanking it around you both.

Tommy, eyes wide and mouth already twisting, takes a full two seconds before he spins away, palm up like he can block out the memory.

“Jesus fuckin’ Christ, Joel!”

You bury your face in your hands, body still shaking—but not from the orgasm anymore.

Joel lets out a grunt that sounds somewhere between panic and misery. He’s still hard inside you, still holding you as if that will somehow hide what Tommy has very, very clearly seen.

You can hear the shuffle of Tommy’s boots as he turns again—just slightly, like he’s tempted to shout more but not quite brave enough to face what he just walked in on.

“Are you serious right now? In the damn office? You couldn’t wait till you got home like a normal person?”

Joel grits his teeth, voice tight with humiliation. “Tommy. Get the fuck out.”

“I am out!” he snaps, though he’s still somewhere in the doorway. “But Jesus, I coulda walked in with Benji. You think I wanna explain to my six-year-old why his uncle’s pants are around his fuckin’ ankles?!”

You peek over Joel’s shoulder, heart pounding in your chest. Tommy’s got his hand shielding his eyes, but his ears are beet red.

Joel lets out a breath like it’s the only thing keeping him from exploding. His voice is a warning growl now. “Close the door.”

Tommy huffs—muttering a string of curses as he finally slams the door shut.

The silence returns. This time, thick with mortification.

Joel lets his head fall against your shoulder, arms still tight around you.

“Goddamn,” he breathes.

You let out a slow, shaky breath. “That… wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“Darlin’, I swear—” Joel leans in, pressing his forehead to the side of your face. “I would’ve rather walked through a horde of clickers buck-naked than have my brother see my bare ass in the office.”

You can’t help it—you laugh. It bubbles out of you suddenly, helpless and wild, like the only possible reaction to something this deeply, painfully awkward.

Joel groans. “Don’t. Don’t you dare laugh.”

“You said clickers,” you giggle, gasping for air. “Oh my God. I’m never showing my face in that house again.”

He groans again, gently pulling out of you at last, guiding you toward the edge of the desk with careful hands. You fumble with your skirt while he tucks himself away with a speed born of pure panic.

“Think he saw—?” you start.

“He saw everything, sweetheart.”

You groan. “I want to die.”

Joel grabs a ragged tissue from his drawer and mutters, “Don’t worry. I’ll die first. He’s never gonna let this go.”

You’re both still fixing yourselves when Joel suddenly straightens, tense again. “Shit. Shit. I think he’s still out there.”

“Joel,” you whisper, wide-eyed. “Don’t open the—”

Too late. Joel pulls open the door.

And Tommy’s right there, arms crossed, a look on his face that says he’s ready.

“Enjoy your ‘paperwork’?” he says with a slow grin.

Joel slams the door again with a grunt, but Tommy’s voice keeps going, loud and unforgiving through the wood.

“I mean, I knew you were settlin’ into your role here, but damn, Joel. Didn’t know Jackson’s new project was breakin’ in the office furniture.”

Joel runs a hand over his face and groans. “I hate him.”

You snort again, biting your lip as you try to smooth your hair down.

“You know I have to tell Maria,” Tommy calls, practically laughing now. “She’ll want to steam clean the desk, probably with holy water.”

Joel groans so loud it echoes.

“Do not tell her,” he shouts back.

“Oh, don’t worry, I won’t tell her. I’ll just hint. ‘Course, she’s smart enough to put it together once she hears who was moanin’ loud enough to echo off the water tower.”

You slap a hand over your mouth to keep from howling.

“Go away, Tommy!” Joel yells, glaring at the door like he could will his brother out of existence.

“Can’t! Got work to do,” Tommy says, chipper now. “Just gimme five minutes to wipe your handprints off the edge of the desk—oh wait, I can’t, because you were balls deep in—”

Joel lunges for the door.

You catch his arm, laughing so hard you’re doubled over, tears in your eyes. “Joel. Joel. It’s not worth the jail time.”

He glares at the door. “He’s dead to me.”

Tommy’s already walking off down the hall, calling out one final jab as his voice fades: “You better Lysol everything!”

The silence settles once more.

You glance at Joel. His face is red, his jaw tight.

But his eyes flick to yours—and slowly, his expression shifts. A reluctant smile curves his mouth.

“You think this is funny?” he asks, stepping closer.

You shrug, still breathless. “A little.”

He grabs your waist, pulling you against him. “You know I’m never gonna live this down, right? Every damn council meeting, he’s gonna bring this up. Every cookout. Every time I sit at my own damn desk.”

“Guess we’ll have to find a new one to christen,” you whisper.

Joel groans again—but this time, there’s heat behind it. He kisses you once, slow and deep.

Then he smirks.

“Next time, door stays locked.”

[monstermonger]

bit of a silly question here but have you ever gotten afraid to draw in a journal like the one you recently shared? like the idea of using the pages "incorrectly" or "wasting" them (or running out right before you get inspiration that might have been "better" than what you'd jotted down)? your art is INCREDIBLE and I know the best way to improve is to do it, all the time, but I struggle getting started for those sorts of fears, and I want to know if you have tips for overcoming that ^^

I don't think it's a silly question, in fact I think it's one of the Ultimate Art Questions haha

Yes I 100% struggled with that in the past; i'm happy to try my best, sharing some personal tips in journaling, specifically! :D

TECHNICAL SIDE:

>> Small simple sketchbook = less intimidating to fill the pages. (Also, easy to carry around)

5x7in Moleskin, and a pilot pen

>> My journal ISN'T a place to prove that I can make pretty pictures. I have separate sketchbooks for that. I use journals to jot down ideas and notes of things I like. (yes i shared a few pages that happened to look nice, but there were 100+ other pages after all d: )

Spontaneous observation is messy and imprecise. But not in a bad way.

Rather than seeing the messiness as "bad/unworthy imperfection," try to see it as a miraculous insight to how you, a unique human being with your unique thoughts and art experience, sees the things you like

My journal process (in general): doodle a pretty cake I ate, a funny bird I saw, some weird dialogue I overheard, stickers, stamps, a character in a book that I want to draw as a dragon,......... scatter them all over the page, then look at the random blocks of empty paper remaining. Fill those up next with another lil quote, or words about the week, or some pretty vines/flowers :) etc. It's like making a collage.

Draw what you actually LIKE + what actually sounds FUN to draw. u can always take photos/save pics of other stuff if it's overwhelming.

>> Find your comfort tools. I love ink. how it looks, feels, etc; I hardly ever use pencil. A sketch that I need to ink over is usually too much work for my journal. I'm just trying to get down ideas before I get bored or get inspired by another thing LOL

[But yeah: pencils can be the perfect tool for someone else. Regular pencils, colored pencils, watercolor pencils... play around with a bunch of basic tools to find your fav.]

EMOTIONAL SIDE:

I highly recommend Lynda Barry's book "Making Comics." She has some lovely, and deeply empathetic things to say about overcoming fear of making "bad" art.

My journal scribblings/therapeutic studies --- someone with 10x the skill could do it better, sure, but they probs wouldn't focus on the same details, or be interested in the same monsters, or be thinking the same thoughts as me.

They won't have the same things to say about their day, won't see the same spindly tree growing from a crumbling brick wall on their walk. etc!

Also! imo this POV isn't an excuse to feel like I don't need to improve my technical skill, but it keeps me happy, fulfilled, and motivated as I'm on that road of improvement. AND it makes me appreciate others' incredible art as their own reflection of the things they love/their own experiences, rather than view it competitively/jealously.

"Drawing is so much more than Good or Bad. It is a language from another part of you." - Lynda Barry

[besotted-with-austen]

Jane Austen: Darcy, you see an older jolly-looking fellow coming in your direction-

Fitzwilliam Darcy: another one? Miss Bingley, please dance with me-again.

Caroline Bingley: *fake-swooning* oooh, Mr Darcy~again? what would the people say?

Charles Bingley: *heh* probably that he is kind of a prick? Or that you guys are an item.

Fitzwilliam Darcy: I have danced with Mrs Hurst too-I am still not romancing anyone.

Caroline Bingley: *sing-song voice* we will see about that!

Jane Austen: the poor guy remains in the middle of the room awkwardly, and then walks away; the older ladies that have introduced themselves as Mrs Bennet and Lady Lucas look at the scene and start whispering furiously-

Fitzwilliam Darcy: *rolling his eyes* I can only imagine what they are saying.

Charles Bingley: hey, can I guess what is the general opinion of us at this ball?

Jane Austen: sure, roll a Perception Check.

Charles Bingley: hah, I rolled a twelve!

Jane Austen: you are the man of the hour, and the ladies are very jealous that Miss Bennet has captivated your attention for so much time-

Charles Bingley: what can I say, she is a delight! Who could resist?

Jane Austen: you also feel that Caroline is very much admired for her elegance and style, as is Mrs Louisa Hurst-

Caroline Bingley: *fake hair toss* is anyone surprised?

Jane Austen: you see people looking in the direction of Mr Hurst at the buffet with a general air of ‘eh, he looks like a rich gentleman, I guess he is all right”.

Mr Hurst: hey, I am a gentleman and I am married-I won at this game already, let me eat the imaginary Regency fancy food.

Jane Austen: as for Darcy-you are the rudest, most entitled gentleman they have ever met. You barely spoke and only danced only with the ladies in your party-

Fitzwilliam Darcy: so they hate me because I did not care for making introductions? I do not want to dance with someone else.

Caroline Bingley: *waggling her eyebrows* do you?

Fitzwilliam Darcy: *exaggerated disgust* someone else I don’t know.

Caroline Bingley: la-aame. Okay, we are stopping dancing.

Charles Bingley: I mean, you could dance with someone else, it would not kill you-I come near them and say to Darcy, but in, you know, flowery language pertinent to the time period.

Fitzwilliam Darcy: *smiling* you sure do. But, I say, “I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.”

Charles Bingley: *stage whisper* show-off.

Charles Bingley: DM, is there any cute lady I could introduce to Darcy?

Jane Austen: near you there are several young ladies seated, just waiting for a partner-you recognise one of them, a cheerful-looking girl that has been introduced to you as one of the beauties of Longbourn.

Charles Bingley: oh, Jane’s sister, Elizabeth! Darcy! My buddy, my man, look at her! What of it?

Fitzwilliam Darcy: *pfeh* what of it indeed-

Fitzwilliam Darcy: I look at her, I make eye contact just enough to make her realise I have noticed her, and I say to Bingley, “She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me”. Then, I walk away.

Caroline Bingley: *silently mouths “tolerable”*

Charles Bingley: *sighs* Heavens.

Mr Hurst: I was standing over my dessert and did not hear that, but I let go an “ooof” anyway. I felt it.

Caroline Bingley: how is Eliza doing?

Charles Bingley: Elizabeth-

Caroline Bingley: I like Eliza better.

Jane Austen: Elizabeth looks a little longer in your direction, then she stands up and goes to her friends on the other side of the room-she is smiling, but the smile is not reaching her eyes.

Caroline Bingley: *eagerly* tell me this action will have consequences, please tell me it will-

Jane Austen: what do you think?

[butterflyyoucomefromme]

hii hello so theres this Guy i follow on youtube that i rlly enjoy watching, i type him as esfp (although sometimes im not sure if he has the eye bags or if hes just Rlly expressive) 3w4 317/6? sx/so, and he gives every indication of being sx/so Except for the part where he kinda obsesses abt his health, like he straight up pauses his reactions to drink full cups of water, or rub disinfectant on his hands for No Reason, has paranoia abt his hair falling off, is constantly criticizing ppl who are dirty and dont look after themselves(being particularly harsh where he is usually quite empathetic), brags abt his house being clean etc.

so. my question is. did i type him wrong. bc he definitely looks sx dom and there's No Way hes soc-blind, his whole channel is abt rando gossiping and he does a Bad job at hiding that other ppl's opinions have an impact on him. Or is this what sp-overfocus looks like.

he is also diagnosed w generalized anxiety disorder, which is probably important lmao. and 23 yo. his name is ismael.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cHEkEpRqkGs <- heres a vid of him if u want a visual reference, before he got fox-eye lift. he does have some work done on his face but just botox i think, no actual surgery.

girl, that's an so/sp INFJ 💀

just from vibes alone the Fe is obvious, but aside from VT it also shows in his mannerisms: his overly expressive face, being critical of people's lifestyles and wanting them to conform to his standards (Je), and just the mere fact that he has a reaction/gossip youtube channel lmao

none of the behaviours you described are related to sp (overfocus), they all just make me think 6. and if you think that might be a bit too stereotypical (typing the paranoid and anxious person 6), watch one of his videos without audio. notice how aggressive his body language is. at times it feels like he's gonna jump out of the screen. and since i don't speak portuguese, i pick up more on his tone than the words being spoken, and he often sounds agitated

my guess would be 6w7 with a strong 3-fix (which you picked up on). he's too goofy for a 1-fix (yes, even if it's the last fix), i actually think it's 9. that makes him a 639. unholy tritype direction where each fix disintegrates into the other, rip

[meshaamem-li]

I wanna add that this is exactly why schools teach you how to do stuff both with and without a calculator, because it's still a very important cognitive skill to know how to do simple math in your head, even when you have a calculator i your pocket at all times. it should be faster to calculate in your head 21-16 than it is to take out your phone and open the app and input the numbers in.

calculators are also tools that allow the average person easy access to much more advanced math, and to easily calculate things that are either less intuitive (inches to cm), or depend on changing values (currencies). it makes math easier to access. calculators are - in essence - a complicated system of counting beads. you know if you take 3 beads and add 5 beads to them you'll always end up with 8 beads, this is literally what a calculator does behind the scenes, plays with "beads" until it has the correct answer.

books too, give easier access to information, instead of transferring information word to mouth, and relying on memory, you have a written recording of the information that can be mass produced and either purchased or lent from a library. their only purpose is to have a physical(/digital) copy of the original information.

chatGPT is not any of that. it's not an archive of information, it's not a math equation that's based in truth, it's a language model that is designed to generate strings of characters that imitate the patters of characters humans type on their computer. aka, imitate human writing. it is a pretty impressive feat of technology, but it is not a source of information, it is not designed to know information, nor is it capable of understanding the basic concept of topics of conversation. its only function is to generate a sequence of ascii characters.

in its essence, it's a sort of pattern recognition software, the reason it can imitate humans is because it learned whats the most likely character to come after the other based on millions of sentences and books and articles that it was trained on. the reason it can give truthful answers is because it seen enough sentences that repeat the same types of wording as an answer to your question that it assumes that's what you want to see. but the second it gets an unusual prompt that it wasn't trained on enough, it gives the pattern that it will match your prompt the best. which means it responds with a very confident and wrong answer that sounds right.

for example, I asked it once about genshin impact (please bare with me this is the only example i could think of), something like "what do you know about x character from genshin impact", lets say Albedo. in the data it was trained on, it associates the words genshin impact with words like the names of the elements (pyro, cryo, electro, etc), skill, burst, normal attack, energy recharge, etc, but it doesn't have enough reference material to know what pattern of letters comes after the name of the specific character, so it gave an answer similar to this: "Albedo is a strong pyro character in genshin impact that uses a polearm and relies on his elemental burst for damage. his best teammates are Diona, Mona, and Bennett."

for none genshin players, albedo is a geo sword user that is pretty bad and is not typically used with these characters. so why would it give an answer like this? because in its data there were a lot of pyro characters, a lot of discussions of pyro polearms due to xiangling and hu tao, a lot of discussion about the importance of elemental bursts, and diona mona and bennett used to be listed a lot as potential teammates for characters in the early days of genshin. none of the information is correct, but every piece of information is a pattern of letters that was very prevalent in its sources that related to the game.

books don't replace thinking, they're tools that help make information accessible and easy to preserve. calculators semi-replace thinking, but schools try to teach us to not overly rely on them, and they also allow more difficult calculations to be done more easily and automatically, while being as reliable as the basic tools they evolved from. chatGPT generates strings of characters based on patterns of speech it encountered in the past and doesn't have the concept of "information", it is not a tool, it's a glorified monkey on a typewriter that knows it gets extra bananas if it replicates shakesphere.

generative AI literally makes me feel like a boomer. people start talking about how it can be good to help you brainstorm ideas and i’m like oh you’re letting a computer do the hard work and thinking for you???

[0viraptoraskblog]

(⁠.⁠ ⁠❛⁠ ⁠ᴗ⁠ ⁠❛⁠.⁠) Hello I really love your headcanons since they always feel ok character and help me immerse myself more in the lore of the games.

If you want could you please tell me your ideas about how Fox would act with a captive that spoke other languages?

I'm thinking that show 3 would've been different if someone couldn't understand him while been drugged or if someone were to say random things in another language, maybe insulting him and someone on chat would catching on or alternatively maybe not talking in english after the "he kept you" ending just to spite him

Also I see Derek been terrible about it specially if they have an accent or aren't t been fluent but that's just normal Derek behavior sadly

This is a bit self-indulgent so I'm sorry if it's too much ༎ຶ⁠‿⁠༎ຶ

That would definitely change things up. One part of the show is Fox’s ability to converse with the captive as well as the audience— even if it’s only teasing. But he does give them some direction from time to time.

Generally, he’s pretty welcoming to those who speak other languages. (side note: Gato said that Ren spoke Japanese while he lived with his colony, obviously, but once he left he switched over to English entirely. He was fairly young when that change was made, so he doesn’t have any accent. He also forgot most of his original language until he got into anime which refreshed it for him. I believe that now, as Fox, he knows quite a bit of Japanese and is close to fluent.)

Anyway, he’d do his best to understand what they’re saying. He may know a few words if it’s a common language, but he probably won’t know much. He has nothing against you for this, but it may start to annoy him. It’s not really lack of control, just lack of understanding. It kind of disrupts his ‘flow’ when he streams.

If you insulted him, for example, he might brush it off; what ticks him off more is if chat understands it, but he doesn’t. Then it’s like you both know something that he’s not in on; That’s when he feels like he’s not in charge. (In a minor way)

Speaking in your own language after he kept you out of spite will also make him upset. If you know English, and he knows you can speak it, but are only doing this to annoy him? You’ll probably be punished if you push him too far. Luckily, he is a bit cooler headed as Fox, so he won’t let it get that much under his skin.

And yes, Derek would be awful about it— just like he is with most things. He can’t not insult people. If he’s good at one thing, it’s seizing an opportunity when he sees one.

[xx-dinah-writing-xx]

Hey! I love your writings and I'd be happy if you write something with Matt Smith and reader who plays Daenerys Targaryen. Thanks 😊💗

Chemistry, cut

Matt Smith x reader

suggestive content, smutty (but not really a smut) warnings: explicit sexual content, workplace sexual activity, deception (hiding relationship), alcohol use (cast party), power imbalance (celebrity dynamics, consensual), strong language, objectification (in context), fingering in public/semi-public spaces, rough handling

A/N: Can y’all tell I’m like super horny for Matthew?? The way I need that man is actually unholy. If anyone ever leaked the notes on my laptop, I’d need a full-blown exorcism and possibly a legal team. This one’s chill though. Yeah, it’s explicit, but not like, combusting-level filth. Just a little feral. A reasonable amount of slutty..

————

The interviewer leans forward, a half-smile curling at the corner of her glossed lips, fingertips grazing the cue cards. You already know what’s coming before she says it.

“So,” she begins, eyes flicking between you and Matt, “have you watched House of the Dragon yet? Considering… you know. Daenerys and Daemon.”

Your stomach tightens. You knew someone would bring it up.

Matt’s already glancing sideways at you, cheekbones tight with a teasing grin. He doesn’t speak, doesn’t interrupt, just waits.

You give a small laugh, then shift in your seat. “Actually… no,” you say honestly, brushing some invisible lint off your pants. “I haven’t watched it yet. I’ve seen clips, obviously. Matt in that platinum wig? Hard to miss. But…” You pause. “I’m not quite ready to revisit Westeros. Dany was… a lot. She meant a lot to me. And saying goodbye to her wasn’t easy.”

There’s a flicker of something quiet in Matt’s eyes. Respect, maybe. Understanding. You’d never told him that part before, even though he’d mentioned once or twice that she was all over his feed when HotD premiered.

The interviewer nods gently, and the topic shifts, smoothly, mercifully, back to the romcom you're promoting.

“It’s such a fun dynamic between your characters,” she says, now in full PR mode. “Total opposites, trapped together, falling in love… Tell me, how was the chemistry on set?”

Matt speaks before you can. “Electric,” he deadpans, tongue-in-cheek. “Couldn’t keep our hands off each other.”

You roll your eyes, laughing, nudging him with your elbow. “Professionally, of course.”

————

Your back slammed against the trailer wall, your fingers digging into the back of his neck. Matt’s hands slide under your blouse, rough and greedy, shoving it up your ribs like he’s unwrapping a present he’s waited too long to open.

“You’re going to ruin my makeup,” you gasp, but you don’t mean it, not with the way your legs lock around his hips.

“Good thing I like you ruined,” he growls against your neck.

————

“…we just clicked,” you say brightly, blinking as the memory fades. “It’s one of those rare things. You meet someone and, boom, it just works.”

“Purely professional,” Matt adds, giving the camera a crooked little smile that does nothing to hide the wolfish gleam in his eye.

You cross your legs, pressing your thighs together.

“Did you two know each other before filming?”

“A little,” you answer. “He was always the Targaryen I never got to meet.”

“Irony, right?” Matt adds. “We miss each other by a few generations on screen and end up making out in an elevator in this movie.”

————

You’re in the elevator set. Doors just closed. No cameras rolling.

He has you pinned against the mirrored wall, your reflection giving you both front-row seats to the filthiest performance of your lives. His hand disappears beneath your skirt, and you bite down on your fist to keep from making a sound.

“You like when they watch,” he breathes, watching your flushed face in the glass. “Too bad they’ve got no idea.”

————

“What do you think makes this movie special?” the interviewer asks.

“The writing,” you say.

“The cast,” Matt says at the same time, smirking at you. “Well. One cast member in particular.”

You shake your head. “Don’t listen to him.”

“Why not? I’m always right.”

“Oh, really?”

————

You’re riding him in the backseat of a car, one hand braced on the fogged-up window, the other clutching the lapel of his jacket. You're still in costume, trench coat flared open, blouse half-buttoned, but your panties are somewhere on the floor.

“Say it,” he pants, fingers digging into your hips. “Say I’m right.”

You moan instead, and he slaps your ass in warning. “Say it, love.”

“You’re right,” you gasp. “You’re always right.”

————

“People have speculated about your off-screen chemistry,” the interviewer says delicately. “Care to address those rumors?”

You and Matt glance at each other, a shared smirk twitching both your mouths.

“We’re just good scene partners,” you say, too quickly.

“Very professional,” Matt says, too dryly.

————

It’s the cast party. You’re tipsy in your little black dress, heels long forgotten somewhere. Matt’s dragged you into a coat closet, lips feverish on your neck, fingers slipping between your thighs as you squirm in his hold.

“Keep quiet,” he warns, voice thick with desire. “Think you can do that for me, sweetheart?”

You nod. Then immediately moan when he sinks two fingers deep.

————

“So no romance in real life?”

Matt raises an eyebrow. “I think we’re both too chaotic for that.”

You laugh. “Honestly? Probably.”

“But,” he adds, giving the camera a wink, “never say never.”

————

The hotel bed.

You’re naked, stretched across the sheets, and Matt’s between your thighs with a hunger that borders on feral. He makes you come once, twice, before finally fucking you like he’s trying to erase every other man you’ve ever known.

“You’re mine,” he groans, thrusts snapping hard and deep. “Mine off camera, too.”

You claw at his back, too wrecked to lie. “Yours.”

————

“Any future projects together?”

You lean into Matt, flashing a conspiratorial smile. “Hopefully.”

He laces your fingers with his beneath the table, just out of frame.

And when the interview ends and the cameras stop rolling, he leans over to whisper in your ear.

“My trailer. Five minutes.”

You nod, heat already curling low in your belly.

Professional chemistry, you think. Sure.

But no one said you couldn’t enjoy a few... extracurriculars.

[tanadrin]

also, spending a lot of time on Claude makes me think 1) this software is so good at what it does because it is like a fish that swims in the ecosystem of human language; like a fish, it need not be a clever generalist so long as it is highly adapted to its environment, (though the fact that we are predisposed to understand language as a product of human minds means it's very easy to accidentally anthropomorphize LLMs) 2) therefore it makes sense that it struggles a bit on tasks a little bit outside this ecosystem (like asking it to come up with a software widget to manipulate images in a certain way, because its experience of images is inherently more limited than its experience of language); but 3) because LLMs are good at programming, which is after all only a highly specialized kind of language-and-symbol manipulation, fundamentally programming (and perhaps computer science in general) must be considered one of the humanities.

[raevenlywrites]

I am eagerly awaiting for a general use sir/maam replacement for all these poor southern kids i work with who dont know how not to end a sentence with an honorific. "Yes maam, no maam, thank you maam, have a nice day maam" its all white noise, as linguistically relevant as a period or a comma. But so many kids have approached me with earnest anxiety, wanting to say the right thing and having no idea what it might be.

i am not a representative for the entirety of nonbinary folks throughout space time. I cant speak for us all. but what i can do, and what i do do, is encourage them to simply ask.

"Some of us are cool with gendered language. Some of us are not. I myself have never met a pronoun I didnt like, but maam makes me feel old. Feel free to try on new language with me, to practice and get used to neopronouns and thing. But remember that im only one person. what im okay with will not automatically be okay for everyone. Just ask."

This goes over surprisingly well. I get a lot of giggly "s'am" and "mir", as well as outlandish "your honor" or "your excellencey". I gently correct when they veer into kink terms (bc this is work and a lot of them are minors and its just plain not cool to call someone "Mistress!" without asking), but otherwise its a nice ice breaker and everyone is more comfortable than when we started. Most still defualt back to maam bc as i said, its habitual. they dont think about, its just how southerns end a sentence. but its a start, and one im happy to be a part of

When somebody asks “How do I refer to a non binary person formally instead of sir or ma’am” and you answer “do not refer to me” that doesn’t answer their question actually

[wardingshout]

Hi Livi!

I finally gathered the courage to send something to your ask box. There’s so much I want to say, but I'm not very good at expressing myself, so if my words seem a bit jumbled, I hope you don't mind.

I started using Tumblr a little over a year ago, and I remember stumbling upon one of your artworks after searching the “alttp” tag. I was so incredibly happy and excited — I loved it immediately, especially because it’s so rare to see ALTTP-related art where I’m from.

Back then, I didn’t pay much attention to who the artist was and just kept browsing. But over time, I realized that so many of the amazing pieces I loved were actually created by you! Honestly, your art is breathtaking. The way you portray Link and Zelda outside of the game’s narrative makes them feel so real. Your inspiration and creativity seem endless.

Your use of bright, intricate, and emotionally resonant colors fills every piece with a sense of story — sometimes with a gentle sadness, sometimes with tiny, charming interactions that make me smile.

I remember seeing that you draw on a particular site, and I tried using it too. It was really hard 😣 and made me admire your work even more — I’m amazed at how you manage to create such rich, detailed pieces on such a tiny canvas and with such limited tools.

Your compositions and the way you frame your scenes are incredible too — the perspectives you use, whether it's looking up, down, or close-up, show such skill and depth. I’ve been obsessed with your artwork for a long time 🥺🥺

And the outfits you design for Link and Zelda — they’re absolutely beautiful. They’re so different from the classic green tunic, yet they feel *exactly* like something the characters would wear. I don’t think any language could fully express how much I love your costume designs. Please allow me to scream for a moment here.

There’s still so much I want to say, but now that I’m writing, I find myself at a loss for words. So I’ll just say this: you are truly an amazing artist. Your work is astonishing and deeply captivating.

Also, I drew some of your versions of Link and Zelda — I hope you’ll like them! (Screaming again, their designs are just too beautiful 😭😭)

VIOLET HI!!! 💕💕💕

I'm sorry I have no idea where to start here, I'm feeling so overwhelmed in the best way ever! I just barely managed to load this ask before leaving the locker room at work yesterday and ended up hiding there until everyone else left bc I didn't want them to see my cry haha💕,,

I don't think there's any beginning or end to how emotional this got me and to how honoured I feel to have my art described in such a way;; this is!! absolutely everything I've ever dreamed of reaching with my art, so having someone else putting it into words just from looking at is so incredible !!!! ;v; even if it's hard to feel happy about my own stuff it seems like I can still portray the things I want to, this makes me so happy 🥹💕💕

and especially because a lot of this is stuff I absolutely love about your art too!!!! you have such an incredible way of creating soft, yet somber atmospheres and your compositions always come off so intentional and interesting !!! the way you blend so many different colours into everything looks both natural and interesting and it's one of my absolute favourite things from art !! ✨✨✨

Seeing you back on tegaki was such a joy too !!! ;v; even if it ended up feeling difficult, I was so excited to see you there and getting to check your posts for new comments brought me so much joy !!!! I always wanted to send you more comments but got so caught up in the excitement of you posting smth yourself I got distracted from it too often...

in general I'm always so excited to see you post new art !!! and super grateful we get to see a lot of your sketches lately too !!!! you art has such a consistent and pretty style and always comes off so smooth and effortless and interesting and it has inspired me so much !!! 💖💖💖🥹💕

I'm feeling a bit lost for words since there's So much I want to say it's difficult to phrase it properly. but you bringing up fun tegaki memories reminded me of the most fun way to thank people! (I tried bringing out the classic palette too!)

and since I also really love the way you draw them too and I was sad I missed maid day (yet again) them !!

I've been absolutely losing my mind over the way you drew my little guys!!!!!!!;; I've been looking at them so much already they almost feel ingrained into my brain, to the point I almost forgot they were real !!! there's no way I could properly thank you for all of this; the amazing art, the incredibly nice words and all the art inspiration you bring me by sharing your work!!! I'm feeling so so lucky and again so so honoured ;v; 💖💖💖💕💖💕

[epiphanyepica]

Thoughts on Prince's Gambit, Chapter 15

HOLY COW, THIS CHAPTER, MAN.

...

Damen lying awake before dawn, thinking deep thoughts and he doesn't have to say it for me to know that they're all about Laurent 🤭.

Damen basically stayed up all night thinking about what Laurent said, didn't he? Omg, he's in DEEP.

Laurent's Veretian armor is as familiar to him as his own 😭😭😭 oh my god. They're married, your honor.

Damen worrying that Laurent's work with the prisoners won't be enough to stop the brewing war, like, come on, babygirl, believe in your boo 😘. He's gotten you this far, hasn't he? Just help him when he needs it and he'll get you the rest of the way ❤️.

Oh my god, Damen is imagining what it would have been like to face Laurent as a man with no animosity between their countries. Oh, he LOVES him. He wants him.

Damen admitting to himself that if Laurent properly used his charm on him that he'd lose to it so fast, omg.

Also, Damen chose to imagine this because he sees it as an impossible thing that's not worth considering as a reality because it's impossible. I can't wait for him and Laurent to actually act on their feelings and make Damen realize that not everything in his daydream is impossible.

Damen stumbling upon the Vaskian women’s camp and then remembering that the men aren't ALLOWED there because someone points a spear at him.

Ah, yes, the big “barbaric” Akielon man being allowed into the camp. It's most definitely because it's well-known that he's Laurent's.

Sugar Daddy Laurent coming in clutch for real.

What doesn't Damen have time for?

Wait, does Laurent think Damen came there to have sex with one of the women 😭? LOL.

Laurent is so fast to assume Damen came there for sex, and it's likely because Lazar did first, but I also like to think it’s also because he's thinking more and more about Damen’s sex life 🤭.

“A batch of blond Vaskians would get me disinherited,” LMFAOOOO. That's so funny, but also so cute to imagine. Laurent with little blond babies.

Dang, Damen prefers women. Well, guess Laurent will be the exception to the general rule???

Auguste said Laurent would grow into his attraction to women 😭. Honey, if he hasn’t grown into it by now (months away from being twenty-one years old), then it's never happening.

I do not think he likes women very much. Sexually at least.

Damen knowing almost immediately that Laurent is talking and talking and talking because he's worrying about how to face Lord Touars. Oh, he knows him so well so far 🥺.

WHEN ”THIS” BEGAN BETWEEN LAURENT AND HIS UNCLE, HE WAS “YOUNGER”??? HOW MUCH YOUNGER?

I'M GOING TO REACH THROUGH MY SCREEN AND FLAY THAT MOTHERFUCKING PEDOPHILE.

Damen doing the math on how much younger Laurent must have been when things started going rotten between him and the Regent 😭.

Oh, he's getting close to something, and I don't like it.

DAMEN, it is not impossible to imagine Laurent adoring anyone. He's starting to ADORE you. Just look at his actions! That's his love language, man 😭.

Even Damen thought Auguste was honorable. Wow. He must have been freaking Prince Charming 🥺😭 and Damen KILLED him. Oof.

Oh, oh, Auguste held the field during the attack on the Akielon army. He wasn't a coward like the other Veretians 🥺. I'm lowkey wishing he lived now.

I feel like Damen is slowly starting to feel bad for killing Auguste.

I can't with the whole line, “studying by lamplight across from a bent golden head” Like Damen mentions Laurent's blond hair in every other sentence, LOL. I'm starting to think he might like the color 🤭.

It also just sounds so romantic.

Screw going out for dinner, do you want to stay in and study maps by lamplight on the road to plot the downfall of our enemies?

Oh god, the Regent’s men are there. What the fuck do they want??? Can they go away, please? They were not invited to Laurent and Damen’s date/slumber party.

Oh my god, these men are from Ravenel? Lord Touars’ bitch ass is about to start a war, isn't he?

Oh no, what are the red men doing? I fucking hate the Regent and Touars. They can both burn in hell, man.

Like, sure, Touars is his own problem, but he's siding with a pedophile and he's also just really fucking annoying me, so I want them both dead now.

Touars has a war ready army with him and is using it to stand in front of Laurent??? The audacity. Like, DUDE. He pissing me off.

I would say Damen jinxed them against returning to Ravenel with a warm welcome because he said that probably wouldn't happen, but I also know that he just foresaw part of what's actually happening.

Ah, fuckass Guion again. Of course, it is.

WHAT DID THE REGENT FUCKING DO?

Oh my FUCKING GOD. TOUARS, YOU ARE SUCH A DUMB BITCH. THE Regent has him swindled so hard right now.

TREASON???? GO TREASON YOURSELF.

I would not make a good queen. I'd be a tyrant, I think 😬. A really sensitive one.

OH MY GODDDDD. I HATE THE REGENT’S BITCH ASS. “Is It TrUe YoU haVe ThE bAd GuYs AnD InTeNd To UsE tHeM aGaInSt YoUr UnClE,” you want to know what's TRUE, TOUARS? YOU'RE LITERALLY HELPING A PEDOPHILE. You do NOT have the high horse you think you do.

AIMERIC??? YOU TRAITOROUS BITCH FACE. WHERE'S THE LOYALTY???????????????

You know what, dumbass Aimeric, I LIKED YOU. I was mad when I saw a spoiler that said you DIED. I'm not that MAD ANYMORE.

JAIMERIC IS FUCKING OUT. Poor Jord 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭.

You know what? Aimeric still basically whored himself out, so who's really the dumb bitch here? The one who had a few good weeks or the one who ruined it to be the Regent's little shit.

JAIMERIC 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭. THEY WERE SO CUTE.

I'M SO MAD.

Jord is still a good captain 😭😭😭 he deserves so much better, omg.

Laurent is alone with only his “slave” beside him, as if that isn't all he really needs. He and Damen can take on the world with their combined strength. They'll get out of this. For sure. For sure.

YEAH, TELL HIM OFF, LAURENT. TELL HIM HOW HE'S YOUR ENEMY NOW AND HOW HE'S FUCKED. And NOT by Jord. He can say goodbye to those privileges.

Wow, Aimeric really hates Laurent, man.

“You had unnatural feelings for your brother,” he says.

“I was thirteen, you dumb bitch. I didn't have feelings for anyone then,” Laurent retorts.

LMAO.

Laurent is capable of feelings for someone. He's just really good at hiding it. And probably denying it, too.

#Damen4Life.

Laurent insulting Aimeric, LOL. DO MORE. I WANT HIM TO SUFFER FOR THE BETRAYAL.

FUCKING AIMERIC.

I'm so mad. I'm so mad. I'm so mad. I'm so mad. I'm so mad. I'm so mad. I'm so mad.

I'm so mad that I typed all of those ‘I’m so mad’s by hand without using copy and paste.

Breathe in. Breathe out. I'm going to fucking murder Aimeric’s stupid bitch ass. Breathe in. Breathe out.

THAT BASTARD.

I lost my JORTS and my JAIMERIC. When will the suffering end??? 😭😭😭😭😭😭.

I hope someone among the Regent’s faction turns out to be on Laurent’s side and fights for him in the trial–if there IS one.

Laurent's men would die for him if he asked them to 😭😭😭.

You see AIMERIC, THERE'S THIS THING CALLED LOYALTY. I SWEAR WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU–

“The slave will be executed, of course,” Bitchface #1 says.

“Of course,” Laurent replies.

Oh god, if he doesn't see a way out of this, I wonder if he feels absolutely horrible about the fact that he's coming so close to getting Damen killed.

I'm sorry, “betray” his uncle’s “trust” after the “kindness” he has “lavished” on him???? Guion. I'm going to go get a guillotine if you don't shut the fuck up right now 🙂.

“Speaking of negligence” Oh, WHAT? WHAT DO YOU HAVE UP YOUR SLEEVE, LAURENT. LAURENT. LAURENT???

Oh, Touars–I HOPE those two women make a HUGE difference and your ass is handed to you.

OH? OH? OH? WHAT'S THE SADDLE LUMPED WITH? WHAT WAS GUION CARELESS ABOUT???

Also, did Laurent just refer to Aimeric as detritus? I mean… I do not disagree, but damn, that's cold.

“He wasn't a clansman.” WHAT?

Oh my god. Did Laurent have the Vaskian women take four extra men that weren't a part of the original raids to use as a foil for this possibility? That's SO duplicitous.

Or did he do it to mess with Guion and gain leverage?

Laurent just casually correcting their “that's one of our scouts” with his little, “actually 🤗 it's four of your scouts.” LOL.

Oh, the reports are delayed? What does this mean? That the Regent sent word–doubtful–or that someone else did?

Wait, what would Laurent have to gain from delaying reports?

Oh, wait no, the reports are the scouts reporting back to their captain. I'm an idiot, LOL.

I'M SORRY. A FORCE? LAURENT? I am NOT an idiot. He did plan something. Something big.

I am still kind of an idiot, but only because I got the situation a little turned around, LOL.

Yeah, that's right, Aimeric. What force, indeed.

OH. MY. GOD. LAURENT ALLIED WITH PATRAS????????? FUCK THE REGENT, LOL.

Damen slowly coming to realize just how fucking INSANELY SMART Laurent is. Oh, he's going to fall in love so hard if he hasn't already.

LAURENT HAS AN ARMY AT HIS BACK. OH, YOU BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BEAUTIFUL BLOND BOY.

How does Damen know that Laurent isn't looking at the hilltop, but at Touars if he was also looking at the hilltop and not at Laurent? Hmm, I think he's been staring at Laurent this whole time and everything else is happening out of the corners of his eyes.

Oh, Aimeric trying to weasel his way out by getting them to attack Laurent before the Patrans get there. Nuh-uh, you little fucking shit. Karma is COMING FOR YOU.

Oh, DAMN. Laurent pulling the, “my uncle's power comes from me and me alone. Do with that what you will.” OOOOOOOOH.

Yeah, that's right. LEAVE. Go to your little advisors. The pomp and arrogance of those men–I say, knowing that Laurent is also a little pompous and arrogant. He certainly loves a show.

OH MY GOD. LAURENT WANTS DAMEN TO CAPTAIN THE MEN?

“It should have been you from the start,” he says. OH. OH.

I feel bad for Jord, but Damen wouldn't have let Aimeric get one over on him if he was focused on more diligently protecting Laurent's men and Laurent with the full knowledge that a captain would have.

Uhm, but, uh 👉👈 isn't Damen, an Akielon, being the captain of Laurent's men almost an omission that he is soft on the Akielons and that he may be working with them???

Ah, lovely, Guion’s need for self-preservation is going to force Touars to fight. Fantastic.

OOOH, Laurent just openly admitting that Damen's a better battle strategist and that he needs his help 🤭.

It's SO hot that Damen, truly Prince Damianos of Akielos, is advising Prince Laurent of Vere on how to handle a battle to protect his ascension.

“For a moment, between two armies, he and Laurent were alone.” ROYAL POWER COUPLE. THEIR UNION WOULD BRING SO MUCH POWER.

Oh, Damen wants Touars away from his fort? Oh?

Wait, is Damen suggesting Laurent go back on his word to give Touars an hour to go to his advisors and to attack them now? That's so very Veretian of you, Damen.

Wait, no. That's not what he's saying? Laurent is giving him an hour, too, so that means he expects to attack Touars when Touars returns to parlay with Laurent?

Damen wanted some warning and all Laurent could say was, “I didn't know who it was.” 🥺 Poor baby is being betrayed left and right.

ORLANT. NOOOOOOOO. HE WASN'T A TRAITOR, WAS HE? I SAID SO MANY MEAN THINGS. NOOOOOOOOOOO. I'M SO SORRY, ORRIE.

MY JORTSSSSSSSSSS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭.

I'm legit tearing up for Orlant 🥺😭. Poor man did NOT deserve what he got. From Aimeric or from me.

Don't speak ill of the dead, I guess.

[sorry-not-feeling-it-right-now]

Thinking about Narry rn

So like. Considering that he was 99% some sort of artist/wordsmith/poet in life(due to him repeatedly showing a clear love for words and flowery language opposed to Shifty who has trouble with words) kinda makes me wonder what kind of change he viewed as good enough to be placed within Quiet.

Looking from his perspective as a fellow artist. I think he would view self-growth as a change that is desirable(so that you can improve your craft). As well as the change to heal and improve. Usually artists, at least from my own experiences, would want to express themselves and would love the beauty life has to offer, and in turn wanting to record everything life has to offer(whether it would be through words, music, paintings, or photography. etc etc etc). The day and night cycle might still exist, since that is something an artist would consider to be beautiful. Well, generally every human being loves a nice sunset after a long day. The ability to create. To innovate.

What kind of stagnation would a guy like him want? To be in a happy moment forever. To be with your loved ones forever. The ability to forget what you had just experienced just so you can do it again to feel that same joy. A world where war isn’t necessary, where it doesn’t exist even. Where death and pain and tradegy and starvation are all just concepts of the past. You won’t get tired anymore, and so as an artist you can work however long you want. You are able to work on your passions for as long as you are able to.

Narry is smart enough to know that if he had left the two gods as they were it would be disastrous. As I’ve said in my Shifty post I’ve done a few days ago he had probably took the parts of Quiet that he deems as “undesirable” and placed them into Shifty.

If what I had speculated were true, then what Shifty had contained in her multitudes would be:

The Change of Rotting. Death. Conflict.

The Change of Unpredictability.

The Stagnation of pain and death and grief and trauma. Aka not being able to move on from it.

I think a good point of reference would be Nightmare/MOC. In the sequence leading from Nightmare to MOC, it shows a cycle of getting something just to have it immediately ripped away from you, and the cycle just repeats itself again almost immediately. Good things would never last, as Shifty lacks that stagnation to let it last. Death would never last as well, as you would just be back to life again, as Shifty, again, is lacking the stagnation to let that death last. You would experience the agony of living—pain, starvation, thirst, etc etc. And when you think it’s all over and you can finally escape through death, you just get back up again good as new, letting the cycle repeat itself again. And all of your memories of the torture and suffering will stick by you. Forever. (It kinda sounds like the workings of the construct now that I’ve said this out loud huh)

(Also this is huge, cause if we think that Quiet works the opposite way of Shifty, then that means that people can choose when to die whenever they’re ready. And that removes the unpredictability of it all. It gives some sort of control over their own lives.)

What is “change”? What is “stagnation”? We often say change is good, but like. What kind of change? We need to dig into the specifics of change to really like. Get it I think. I honestly had never really thought about change that much before the game. To me change is just something that happens. In a world where suffering and torture as concepts doesn’t exist is a world I can’t really imagine living in, solely because it’s something my brain cannot comprehend. Because I’ve never really experienced a world where the “bad” and undesirable parts of change doesn’t exist. The same goes the other way around(I feel like life would be miserable in that world though).

(Sorry if this is more ramble-ly and messier than my usual posts. I am figuring things out as much as you guys are. ^^”)

[jadeharleyinc]

okay if you insist on having a serious conversation about this: your preferences are entirely fair. i and OP (my friend ciro) both hate AI companies and wish they would explode, we want to be able to control the features on our devices just like you.

but there's "tech companies are being horrible ghouls" and "this technology is innately ghoulish".

your feelings about how this app feature in itself, absent questions about the evil of tech companies, interacts with art, humor, friendship, sadness, isolation, loneliness, love, "the beauty of oral tradition" and "the entire point of being alive" - these feelings are understandable, but not universal.

like, i don't agree with any of this stuff because i'm a programmer. i love little heartless machines. i love using them to tell stories. i have been using randomizer apps, procedural generation, markov chains and old-fashioned neural networks to tell and re-tell stories before AI dropped, so it doesn't bother me when large-language transformer-architecture neural networks ("generative AI" "chatbot assistants") touch my conversations, as long as i instructed them to and they aren't invading my privacy.

i am neutral or sometimes positive towards computer-generated summaries because i think computers are cool and summaries are cool. the fact you see other people as loveless and the people in their lives as pitiable, just because they have a different relationship to technology and text messages, is not appropriate to share with strangers.

if you keep judging me and my friends like this, i will keep making joke replies, or most likely i'll just say nothing because again, this is an inappropriate thing to tell a stranger based on just a fraction of a glimpse of their lives they've shared on popular blogging web site tumblr dot com.

me: oh the newest version of ios has ai integration that will like summarize long text chains and stuff

ciro: cool let me try

[sonicexelle-junkary]

As someone asked why your au is so pessimistic and you killing all characters, I wanted to ask ... Do you like killing characters too or characters for you is more like instruments to make atmosphere darker? Like: "I will kill him cuz it'll be fun" or "i will kill him cuz it'll be sad for others (viewers or characters)" smth like this? srr for bad english

It mostly depends on the type of story I’m writing. Unless the story is meant to be for more general audiences, or unless I specifically want certain things to happen, or certain characetrs to have plot armour, I generally don’t do that.

I think it’s more interesting knowing that basically anything can happen to a character, whether it be them dying, experiencing the horrors, or going insane. It gives me more room for what I can do with the story, and a lot more room to make all of you feel worse! Muahaha!!!

Also I like my little guys and I wanna put them through super hell! It’s my (fictional) love language! Tee hee! :P

[literaticat]

Is it ethical to use Chat GPT or Grammarly for line editing purposes? I have a finished book, 100% written by me and line edited by me already--and I do hope to get it traditionally published. But I think it could benefit from a line edit from someone who isn't me, obviously, before querying. But line editing services run $3-4k for a 75k book, which is beyond my budget.

I was chatting with someone recently who self-publishes. They said they use Chat GPT Plus to actually train a model for their projects to line edit using instructions like (do not rewrite or rephrase for content /edit only for rhythm, clarity, tone, and pacing /preserve my voice, sentence structure, and story intent with precision). Those are a few inputs she used and she said it actually worked really well.

So in that case, is AI viewed in the same way you'd collaborate with a human editor? Or does that cross ethical boundaries in traditional publishing? Like say for instance AI rewords your sentence and maybe switches out for a stronger verb or adjective or a stronger metaphor--is using that crossing a line? And if I were to use it for that purpose, would I need to disclose that? I know AI is practically a swear word among authors and publishers right now, so I think even having to say "I used AI tools" might raise eyebrows and make an agent hesitant during the querying process. But obviously, I wouldn't lie if it needs to be disclosed... just not sure I even want to go there and risk having to worry about that. Thoughts? Am I fine? Overthinking it?

Thanks!

I gotta be honest, this question made me flinch so hard I'm surprised my face didn't turn inside out.

Feeding your original work into ChatGPT or a similar generative AI large language model -- which are WELL KNOWN FOR STEALING EVERYTHING THAT GETS PUT INTO THEM AND SPITTING OUT STOLEN MATERIAL-- feels like, idk, just a terrible idea. Letting that AI have ANY kind of control over your words and steal them feels like a terrible idea. Using any words that a literal plagiarism-bot might come up with for you feels like a terrible idea.

And ethical questions aside: AI is simply not good at writing fiction. It doesn't KNOW anything. You want to take its "advice" on your book? Come on. Get it together.

Better idea: Get a good critique group that can tell you if there are major plot holes, characters whose motivations are unclear, anything like that -- those are things that AI can't help you with, anyway. Then read Self-Editing for Fiction Writers -- that info combined with a bit of patience should stand you in good stead.

Finally, I do think that using spell-check/grammarly, either as you work or to check your work, is fine. It's not rewriting your work for you, it's just pointing out typos/mistakes/potential issues, and YOU, PERSONALLY, are going through each and every one to make the decision of how to fix any actual errors that might have snuck in there, and you, personally, are making the decision about when to use a "stronger" word or phrase or recast a sentence that it thinks might be unclear or when to stet for voice, etc. Yes, get rid of typos and real mistakes, by all means!

(And no, I don't think use of that kind of "spell-check/grammar-check" tool is a problem or anything that you need to "disclose" or feel weird about -- spell-check is like, integrated into most word processing software as a rule, it's ubiquitous and helpful, and it's different from feeding your work into some third-party AI thing!)

[13ag21k]

I'm just really curious to know who created the ship names we all use for each Otp.