questioning sexuality is so exhausting

hi, i saw your post about Dan Heng with a Female! Idol! Reader and i really loved it! <3

if you could, can you do a second part to that Dan Heng post? he’s one of my favourite characters and it would make me really happy! only again, because i loved it!!!

what i would like to request is…

Dan Heng gets nagged by March 7th to get her one of these sweets in Penacony because they’re ‘limited’ so he goes for her, with the location of the place in his phone. he pays attention to his phone to not realize in time that somebody crashed into him, he looks to see his favourite idol and he gets flustered. not only expecting him to see her, but to gain slight physical touch out of her and he finds out she’s been chased by a bunch of fans. he acts unconsciously and takes her to a nearby alleyway, hiding her close to hide her with a bunch of fans running around, looking for her and once its clear. in exchange, she takes him around Penacony to the nicest places since she is a VIP basically everywhere due to her fame and Dan Heng may have accidentally forgotten to get March 7th her ‘limited’ sweets, in which she blows up his phone but he doesn’t bother to respond.

please and thank you! <3

-> of course! The first part was so fun to write and I’m glad you enjoyed it so much!! I’d be happy to write Dan Heng as long as somebody requests it! This is the link to part one if anybody wants to read it! - Part 1!

March 7th. The girl he was cursing now, but the one who he would soon learn was a blessing. She had a tendency to be scrolling on any sort of social media when they were just relaxing on the expressing but never did he think he would all of a sudden be pulled out of his research and be dragged out into Penacony trying to find some limited edition sweet that she "needed". It was even worse since they had no idea where they were going since she had only seen a promo online about it, but it didn't have an address or anything on the page. Luckily with the little knowledge they had, they soon had an idea where they were supposed to be going and thank god for Google maps (or any sort of name you wanna use lol). Too bad he was so busy looking down at the directions not only did he lose March who ran off somewhere, but he had bumped into somebody. Great, now he actually had to speak to somebody. Just as he looked up to apologize to the person, he stopped. There she was. That Idol he's been researching and almost fainted when he realized that Caelus had gotten tickets to her concert, The (Name). He's never apologized faster in his life, of course a blush growing on his face, I mean he just made physical contact with the girl of his dreams!! She seemed a little fractic, looking around as she told him all was fine and that she was in a rush, and that's when he noticed all the people who were also looking around frantically. That's when he put it together, they were looking for (Name). Ignoring the buzzing of his phone he quickly pocketed it and took her hand, trying to blush any harder, and pulled her into a small little alley. He tried to explain that, no, he wasn't trying to do anything bad but make sure those people didn't see her, with a quick laugh from her end she thanked him before waiting out a while, both ignoring the obnoxious buzzing from his pocket. It was about 15-20 minutes before Dan Heng poked his head out and looked around before he gave a thumbs up, and just as he was about to pull out his phone and text March and ask where she was you spoke up. "Hey.. um, so I wanted to thank you, and I know you haven't explored all of penacony with all the issues and stuff happening so how about I take you on a little tour? I can get you into all the VIP areas too!" You asked with a smile, which in response he also slightly smiled back before leaving his phone in his pocket and following behind you as you walk out of the alley and start pointing things out. It definitely didn't feel like only a couple hours before you two were done and just strolling around the city as the sunset was slowly turning into the dark blue of the night. Eventually the two of you made it back to the alley where you started and since it was already night you both decided that it would be a good idea to go your separate ways, and with a quick kiss to his cheek and another thank you, you hurried off back towards your house. He was lost in his train of thought for a couple seconds with a blush that made him look like a tomato before he was broken out of it with a loud voice calling his name. Right. March.

📩 simblr question of the day: any other simblrs that you love

i did something similar to this a while ago but i just wanna spread some love because there are so many amazing and talented people and i just hope you all know i appreciate all of you! (also this post is super long so i apologise i advance)

@squea honestly you are such a sweet person and you’re so so talented! you inspire me so much and you already know i appreciate you but i really do and i’m so thankful to call you my friend💛

@circusjuney june, you are so cool. not only are your edits amazing, you can make poses as well??? you’re so talented and also i love talking to you you’re honestly so lovely and so sweet <3

@youredreamingofroo you have such cool and chill vibes, and your renders are amazing!! i also love reading about your ocs and stuff or seeing the stuff you reblog that reminds you of them, i told you this already but i legit stalked roo and leo’s tag the other day because i wanted to find out more about them!

@druidberries you already know ily, but honestly i am so invested in the tjol gang i love seeing them pop up on my dash and hello the latest update??? i am so excited for baby 3!! also ofc butterberries is the best duo and no i will not accept criticism thank you💛

@sunyos jaci, every interaction i have with you is so chaotic but you never fail to make me laugh so hard! you are honestly so chill and i love seeing your sims so much and i just love talking to you!!

@fizzytoo i love your sims and your gameplay screenshots so so much! honestly your postcard legacy was one of the reasons i wanted to get the horse ranch pack bc you just made it seem so fun! you also just have such good vibes! (also i saw your posts about playing sdv, i’m expecting updates from your farmer butter!!)

@stellarfalls literally where do i even begin. i mean if you haven’t seen bree’s edits already i’m going to assume you’ve been living under a rock? just so talented and honestly you inspire me so much (although i don’t think my edits will ever be on your level)

@stinkrascal honestly again just such a sweet and lovely person!! also i just love your vlad so much and i love reading your story like i love learning more about your characters and their backstories!

@alelelesimz honestly where would we be without your cc free townies, thank you for your service🫡. but not only that the way you style your sims in general is amazing like their outfits are always so so good

@solargrove you are so so sweet! despite the fact we don’t interact much you sent me such a lovely ask after i was upset by that anon and it just really cheered me up! not only that but your builds and your gameplay screenshots always have such a nice warm and cozy vibe to them like they literally can i live in your game pls?

@folkbreeze your edits your gameplay are so so good every time! your screenshots are always so full of life and literally look like they belong in a photo album i love it so much and i just love the way that you edit them as well

@eljeebee such an amazing story teller! if you guys aren’t following lana you should be!!! you put so much love into your stories and it really shows they’re so good! also you are so lovely and have always been so nice and supportive and i appreciate it so much💛

@citrlet honestly i’ve said this so many times at this point but you are so lovely! also your screenshots are so pretty and soft and i love them so much! i also love seeing your stardew valley screenshots like i really love the fairycore/cottagecore vibe <3

@crazy-lazy-elder-sims i’m so sorry i sound like a broken record but you are so lovely!!! every time i’ve interacted with you you’ve just been super sweet or supportive and i really appreciate it! also in general just the fact you reblog so many posts and support so many people is really nice to see honestly i always love seeing stuff that you reblog whether that be sims or not!

@windslar honestly your gameplay screenshots and your edits are so good!! and literally where would simblr be without your psds we would literally be so lost like they’re so good and so useful

@orbitsuns your gameplay posts are so pretty. they have such a sweet and wholesome vibe to them if that makes sense? esp your secret garden screenshots they just feel very cozy and wholesome. also you have the sweetest vibes <3

@wildmelon you have always been one of my biggest inspo esp when it comes to fantasy! also even though you don’t just post sims i love your blog so much. it has such a whimsical vibe and i just always associate you with fantasy <33 (also your sims are STUNNING)

this is already super long so quick fire of some of the other people on here that i love and that you should go show some love to as well @glittermutt @simelune @cottageivy @thefunniestjester @flovoid @finnsim @kopimoss @futurelabs @velvet-disc @aliengirl @zleepyhollow and so so many others that i’m probably missing honestly anyone that i follow has inspired me in some way or another and i appreciate each and everyone of you 💛💛 also just anyone who has liked commented on or reblogged any of my posts i appreciate it so so much thank you all for being here 🫶

I've been thinking a lot about gender identity and stuff lately, but to my shame I’m not the most educated person when it comes to lgbt related stuff. Every time I try to search it to learn more I end up freaking out and clearing my browsing history because of the feeling of being watched. I know I’m being unreasonable, but it’s stronger than me. I don’t have anyone to ask about this kind of stuff. Everyone around me is negative about lgbt, I grew up among this negativity. I’m afraid to ask my online friends because I don’t want to seem ignorant or stupid. What have I decided to do? Send an anonymous ask to a stranger about my concerns (sorry about that), whose blog helped me to accept the fact that I might not be who I though I was at the first place. It feels more safe. Back to the point.

As a teen I used she/they pronouns and a different gender-neutral name online for years. I still do it as an adult and now I realise that “she” was more like a compromise for me because it was what I used to be referred as for my whole life, but didn’t feel quite comfortable with. So it’s they/them for me, I guess. Okay. I’ve always preferred to not be related to any gender, but now I see that there’s more to it. I might be a nonbinary, but what if I’m actually an agender? I also consider the possibility of being a genderfluid because one moment I wear a dress and think that it looks good, and the other moment I cry in front of a mirror because of the idea of wearing it. So yeah, it depends on my mood. I don’t know how it works. I’m just so confused. The only thing I know that I’m not comfortable with being referred to as a female anymore. I’ve never really been.

Admittedly, as someone who is binary trans, I do not have a lot of knowledge in this area. I do know what it’s like to not know what you’re “supposed to be” though. And I know it can be frustrating and scary to be lost in trying to figure out your own identity. 

I asked some of my friends, who are nonbinary and genderfluid themselves, and the first thing we all have to say is you should allow yourself more kindness. I am sorry that you grew up around so much negativity. But I want you to know that it’s both okay to feel afraid but also okay to not know everything. If a friend is going to treat you badly for asking questions, they’re not a very good friend. 

One of my friends says the part you said about “making compromises” resonated a lot with them a lot, so you aren’t alone there. As for how you feel in a dress, clothes do not equal gender. You can like how you look in a dress without any of it having to do with girl-ishness. I suggest you try to think about why you like it when you do, and why you don’t when you don’t. My friends also suggested trying other clothes you can express yourself with. Think about why you like them, or why you don’t like them. (Of course, sometimes the answer has nothing to do with gender. I like athletic clothing because they make me look sporty, which is a neutral thing. But it’s good to know what parts aren’t related to gender at all too.) That extends beyond clothes too, any part of your presentation that you think you can play with without getting yourself into danger, you should. 

It’s tempting to feel like you have to scramble to figure out a label. Especially when advice and other people you can talk to can feel sort of “grouped” under them. And there’s a lot of knowledge to be gained that way for sure. But there’s a lot of knowledge to be gained just in figuring out what you do and don’t like. What makes you feel bad, what makes you feel at ease, what makes you super excited. You‘ve got it nailed down that you don’t like being called a female, that’s not a bad start! 

If your friends are people you think are good and kind, I would suggest reaching out to them so that you can explore things a little more with them, considering they know you better than I would. I know it's scary, but there's nothing wrong with not knowing things, and I hope they'd be aware of that too. And even if you call yourself something now and explore more into it, there's no harm if in the future it doesn't fit so good. There's no wrong way to be a gender, and more importantly there's no wrong way to be you.

also a good-faith question: what do i tell some of my friends who are terrified of the collapse of the current system for like, survival reasons? like in ways that mutual aid and community support can't really help.

i was trying to explain all this stuff to my friend the other day who is on government support and needs a lot of intensive, expensive medical intervention to live, and she accused me of being willing to sacrifice disabled people for the sake of ideological purity but like, i wasn't saying she doesn't deserve to live, but that she doesn't deserve to live more than palestinians do? and that she also doesn't deserve to specifically live on stolen land. and like, there are palestinians who also could really use those medical treatments that she has the privilege of accessing, why does she deserve them more?

she said she can't afford to not care about the election results because if anything happens to the aca or medicaid, or if anything happens to the medical supply chains, then she's fucked. like, yeah, but same goes for all these people our country is oppressing??

i feel like i just didn't explain this well and i want to give her some other stuff to read.

Great question! I think when people believe that all social care systems will collapse without the government, they are buying into a very colonialist idea that human beings are at their most basic level selfish and irresponsible and won't care for their communities. This is not the case! Thousands of years of human history prove this not to be the case, and so do the behaviors of humans right now during moments of crisis.

Look to the people of Gaza -- they are not leaving their disabled behind. People are sacrificing all that they have to care for their elderly relatives, neighbors, and friends. The only reason that disabled people in Gaza are dying is because the region is being deliberately deprived of resources by Israel. If aid were let in and the Palestinian people were free, they would feed their hungry, treat their sick, supply insulin, teach children, and perform everything that we currently in the US rely upon the government to supply.

Another example of this can be found in how humans respond to natural disasters. Rebecca Solnit's book A Paradise Built in Hell is a beautiful read on this, following numerous real-life disasters across the globe. In every case, people did not riot and pillage or dissolve into violence--- they formed stable encampments, doctors and pharmacists worked their jobs without pay, cooks made food without expecting a wage, everyone pooled their resources and looked after one another.

We also see examples of this when other governments have fallen -- and all governments eventually do! When a nation-state ends, life doesn't end. People keep going to work to make the medicine and put on the leg casts and wash physically disabled people's bodies and make the food. People WANT to feel useful, helpful, included, and looked after, and they will do these things without being forced to by an authoritarian power structure. We see this in the campus encampments and the incredible outpouring of generosity they are experiencing too.

It is quite common for a person to mistakenly believe that the government is all that is keeping our social order working, and that we are all just one moment away from violent chaos and deprivation without it. But that really isn't true. Even without the government, we will still have the *people* who understand how food production and logistics work, the *people* who research and test the drugs, the *people* who watch the children and nurse the elders and fix the roads and butcher chickens.

Without the alienating, exploitative economic structure we currently have, it would actually be EASIER and more efficient for us to take care of one another with these skills, because our time wouldnt be wasted on bullshit jobs that don't contribute to society.

There are lots of great readings about all of this on the Anarchist Library, but I recommend starting with David Graeber's books! Bullshit Jobs, then Debt the first 5000 Years, then Utopia of Rules, then Dawn of Everything. Bullshit Jobs is the easiest read.

Between the Sea and the Sky!

Hi everybody! Meet the TWO new guys I made between last night and today! Their names are Tarmac (an Aeromorph dog) and Soda (a pooltoy fox), and they've filled a desire for these two specific kinds of OCs I've had in mind for MONTHS lol. They were super fun to design and draw and I'm super excited to do more with them soon!! This piece is relatively simple but more so serves as their introduction hehe

See more about them, including refs and some additional pieces/information below the cut :] (it kind of turns into a huge braindump lmao)

Tarmac is an aeromorph, although a bit more towards the furry side of things rather than the plane side lol. His design is influenced primarily by the Concorde and the Space Shuttle! I couldn't decide for the life of me which of those two things I wanted to use so I thought "why not use both?" and here we are lol. I'm super happy with his design, with the black/dark gray markings mean to emulate the look of the Space Shuttle's thermal insulation tiles and then I really like how the red and blue stand out against the gray. I really like his icon too! I wanted to make it look like a stylized depiction of a plane (mainly a Concorde hehe) breaking through the sound barrier with a sonic boon! In terms of personality, I don't have a whole lot in mind yet. Mostly that he'd be the brave, adventurous type and since he can fly both in the air and through space, he's gonna be friends with Astro too :3

Soda is a pooltoy fox! I have wanted to make a pooltoy OC FOREVER (blame my mutuals for always posting/reblogging so many cool pooltoy OCs hehe). I finally got brave enough to actually give it a shot, and I love how he came out! I was mainly just thinking about summery themes and as I was just trying out different colors and stuff, I thought about orange soda, and that's the direction I ended up going! He's got a big stupid tail [affectionate] and can have either rounded bappy hands or have actual fingers, you're free to stylize that either way! I've only ever drawn a pooltoy character once ever before, so this was something way out of my realm of familiarity, but I'm so happy with how he came out! He's so shaped I love him so much already <33

So those are my two new guys! Making two new OCs at the same time is already a rarity for me lol. The only time it's happened before was when I made Rye and Pumpernickel back in August of 2021. And then making these guys when I had only gotten Astro about two and a half weeks ago means this is an exceedingly rare event for me lmao. My friends know how infrequently I make/get new OCs, so this just goes to show how much these guys have been bouncing around in my brain lately lol.

They are definitely gonna have some sort of connection to each other, but I'm not sure how I wanna go about that yet. Since I made them back to back, they are already connected in my brain, but I'm not sure how I wanna express that in a meaningful way. I don't wanna make them siblings bc, well, they're obv very different from each other lol, but they're kinda parallels (with one being in the sky and the other being in the water yknow), so as of right now they're definitely good friends with each other. I might upgrade that to bfs at some point in the future, but we'll see how things go hehe.

Anyways huge braindump of a post lmao, thank u for reading if u did! I'd love to hear your thoughts on these guys since they're so different from all my other characters! Also if anyone may wanna do an art trade of either of these guys (or Astro as well! I'd like to get more art of him too!) let me know hehe

So I was going through your blog (again) and found some of your stuff mentions fsau Raz having ADHD, as somebody with adhd I’m intrigued, may I have some of those headcanons (canons??) related to that? Also, I would give “a penny for your thoughts” but I’m out of pennies, so here’s various images of a drawing of ur blorbo I put next to my animals, note that a rock had to be added in one picture to keep him from flying away (BONUS: his now permanent place with the wifi guardian frog)

NOTHING brings me more joy than seeing physical drawings of these guys, like, out and about. in situations. thank you for this gift, and ALSO for the great ask because it's a perfect chance to ramble

so first of all, canon Raz having ADHD is very real to me. he's constantly fidgeting and moving around, getting distracted by sidequests and scavenger hunt objectives, always talking to himself out loud, gotta write everything down so he remembers it because there's so much to DO!, running away from home because his dad yelled at him one time and now Raz assumes he must hate him forever... i could go on, but i think there's a lot of room for interpretation there!

in my headcanon, he never got diagnosed as a kid. maybe there were some notes about it in his reports each year, sure - but a little hyperactivity and distractability never seemed to slow him down. he excelled in lessons and on missions, and when he was with his family their performances gave him something to focus that energy into. it was only really when he turned 18 and graduated to a full agent that the cracks started to show.

because there's a big difference between the responsibilities you have as a minor, and the responsibilities you have as an 18-year-old living away from home! one who's expected to cook and clean for themselves, and take care of adult life stuff, and also work the 9-to-5 office job he's just graduated into that involves sitting in front of a computer and write reports all day.

short-term, he found he could get himself to power through a deadline with energy drinks and psi-pops (a lot of psi-pops...)

long-term, something had to give. he was working himself to exhaustion, constantly stressed, swinging between days spent staring at his computer screen doing nothing and all-nighters desperately trying to finish his paperwork before the deadline. it just didn't make any sense to him. he'd finally started his job as a Psychonaut, he was living independently like he'd always dreamed, he'd gotten top surgery after planning it for so long. he should have everything he ever wanted. why wasn't he happy?

following a deep post-surgical depression, about a month before his 19th birthday Raz was living out of his car, couch-surfing or sleeping in his office. he got kicked out of his apartment after falling behind on bills and rent. it wasn't that he didn't have the money, it was all just too much for him to stay on top of.

he'd probably have stayed in that misery hole for a lot longer if Frazie hadn't marched into his life and demanded he let her help him move into a new place, or she was telling mom that he was homeless. together, they sorted through all of his possessions from the last place - everything that had been hastily shoved in his car, or tossed in a box in his office, piled in a heap that was giving him anxiety even looking at it.

things do get better for him from there.

when he eventually explains things to Hollis, she gently suggests that he should get a roommate. he ends up moving in with Phoebe, and they become pretty good friends after a couple months! something about having another person around to help do the chores and wash the dishes and share the space helps, even if it takes him a while to admit it.

he gets his ADHD diagnosis, and finding the exact right medication and dose is a journey he's still on years later - but they're a huge help in getting him to actually knuckle down and finish his work on time. and the whole thing ends up being a chance for him to take a step back and really think about what he wants to do with his life. he'd always assumed that being a Psychonaut was his dream, but he'd never really reckoned with what that dream would look like before.

in the end, he sticks with it, but also decides to follow Lili's example in branching out. he applies to study a part-time Bachelor's in Psychology on a remote course, and gets accepted. juggling missions and paperwork and study and relationships (because the whole thing made him realise he also wasn't setting aside any time for himself, and wow, dating is a thing) is a lot - but he manages to figure it out, day by day.

(Lili comes back to the Psychonauts after graduating. she and Raz have both changed a lot over those four years, but on their first mission together they hit it off like a house on fire - and the rest is history!)

☕️ on good and bad jobs for Dick Grayson

ooooh fun. i'll say something controversial on bats and jobs in general & that's that i think that the focus on what jobs would be good for them have a tendency to focus on like. full-time Good Respectable careers as potential jobs for them (& i think it stems mainly from bruce being a CEO & people thinking that the batkids should follow suit to maintain a civilian persona or w/e). and the truth is that they're all rich af and nobody is checking for whether the 'wayne kids' are gainfully employed, so there's no need for them to ever pursue. careers. on account of it would probably get in the way of their more important job. (also, there's something about the careers usually chosen for them that implies. well, nobody is ever choosing retail worker for them for some reason despite the fact they have the means to pursue literally anything & not struggle for it).

i'll start with good:

so all & all i think a good job for dick is one where he can connect with the public & forge community bonds. that being said, i am drawn to part-time work such as bartending or being a gymmastics coach (which i believe he's canonically done both of those) as the ultimate best jobs for him as they're generally low commitment, low stakes ways for him to get that involvement with his local community.

we could also lean into his love for math & make him an accountant, but like one who does a ton of pro-bono work and focuses in on helping his local community with retirement planning & taxes (little bit too high stress & busy, especially around tax season, for my taste but dick does like to make his life hard so.). or like. economist or health economist? maybe someone who is contracted to help cities with budget stuff.

if he does work a municipal job of some sort--any sort of seasonal recreational job would be best for him over anything else imo. let him be a lifeguard or something. again, none of them can commit to the hours needed to work full time for the city, but taking a job that would promote good in the city (being able to keep pools open for kids) would be a good, relaxing thing for him. i'm sure he'd appreciate being able to save kids from drowning, too. or a city planner. that sounds fun for him for some reason.

bad jobs:

listen, as much as i actually do like the cop job for dick, not in a he's there to reform the police department like dixon tried way, but in a 'i like when dick makes decisions that are fundamentally a bad idea for him that will eventually blow up in his face' way. cop is a terrible choice for dick lbr.

any flavor of paramedic/emt/firefighter. god, i think i've told you this before, but i genuinely think this is the worst possible job for any of them. ever. especially dick. don't be fooled by media that shows only the heroics. this is a job where, while you do save people & that's very important, it's more about having to be okay with all of the people you can't save. of which there are a lot. this is a job that requires so much ability to dissociate from being called too late/failing/etc in order to go about your daily life, that none of them would be able to do it without constantly ruminating on the person who they tried & it was impossible to save them from the start. these are fantastic jobs to make dick hate himself, i'll give it that.

on a related note, physical therapist/any healthcare job in particular. trust me on the physical therapist. (seriously, though, it's another job where it's like. u have to be okay wuth the fact that you'll never be able to help everyone.) but really any healthcare job in general....like dick would do much better in a job where he can make tangible change in healthcare and how it works to make people's lives overall better over healthcare itself. u think dick is going to do well in a job where he has to cut off someone's rotator cuff repair treatment because insurance decided the person was done 3 months in. no. any healthcare job would demoralize him too much.

any sort of influencer/model/social media personality. it doesn't make sense.

aerialist trainer. listen this seems like it'd be good for him, but bad things tend to happen when he goes back to circus stuff. let him not be traumatized for once. (slightly joking)

spy. sorry. but spy.

10-6-20: Teams, agents and players: How the first-overall pick changes everything

In the spring of 2019, U.S. netminder Cory Schneider and teenaged star Jack Hughes were at the world championships in Slovakia when a big plan began as a joke.

Schneider, who was 33 at the time, teased that Hughes had better prepare for life in the Schneider basement in Short Hills, New Jersey. Schneider’s wife, Jill, joined in the fun, suggesting that Hughes start calling her “mom.”

A few weeks later, the New Jersey Devils selected Hughes with the first-overall pick in the 2019 draft — setting the stage for a text message from Schneider to GM Ray Shero at training camp in September.

“Pretty sure this kid’s making the team. We’re ready if you want.”

And so Hughes, closer in age to Schneider’s 4-year-old son Wyatt than to the veteran NHL netminder, found his way to the Schneider basement where he and Wyatt would sometimes engage in some spirited knee hockey.

Hughes soaked up knowledge from living with an experienced NHLer. But it was also an educational experience for Schneider, who learned about a thing called TikTok and another thing called Instagram. Hughes, it turns out, is a star on both.

[...]

The Devils communication staff, for instance, was in contact with Hughes’ representatives about outside demands on the young player’s time. There are staff whose responsibility is to maintain communication with players’ families to help with things like tickets, travel and merchandise requests.

Immediately after the 2017 draft, the Devils’ No. 1 pick, Nico Hischier, and his family came to New Jersey and were shown the lay of the land.

Schneider and his wife had actually discussed at the time whether Hischier should live with them, but Jill was eight-months pregnant with the couple’s second child, so it wasn’t the best solution.

“I don’t think one size fits all,” Shero noted.

Defenseman Mirco Mueller had been acquired by the Devils that summer and was living, along with a number of other younger Devils, in a complex near Jersey City.

Hischier and his family, with input from the Devils, decided that he would live on his own near those players.

“That first year having Mirco around was huge for me,” Hischier said. “He’d been around. He knew what was going on.”

The fact the two were countrymen and had a familial connection involving Hischier’s older brother was also a natural gateway to feeling comfortable.

Quickly, Hischier found a rhythm with the help of Mueller, Jesper Bratt and Blake Coleman, among others, sharing rides to and from the rink and learning what an E-ZPass was.

“I wasn’t worried about anything,” Hischier said. “I felt really comfortable with New Jersey. I felt really welcome there. They took really good care of me and really good care of my whole family.”

Hischier said his mother was especially impressed with how the Devils handled things and helped get Hischier settled in. On the other side of the equation, the fact the Hischier family often made visits to New Jersey with generous supplies of Swiss chocolates for the staff was a welcome bonus to the relationship between player and team.

Hischier also had help with other things that can affect any young person living on their own for the first time: doubt, worries about bills, shopping and cooking.

Hischier settled into the NHL life almost seamlessly, scoring 20 times as a rookie.

“There was a 100 percent focus on hockey,” he said.

“The whole organization stood behind me and helped me in any aspect off the ice — and obviously on the ice, too — but off the ice more importantly. So I have less stuff to worry about.”

It is a sign of how young the NHL has become that, in an almost impossibly short period, Hischier has gone from the rookie to a veteran voice that was able to help guide Hughes through a similar landscape.

“I obviously could feel exactly what he is feeling,” Hischier said. “It’s not easy to come to the big show at that age, handle all that stuff, what’s going on outside.”

Support is key. Even after Hughes moved into his own place near Jersey City, part of the plan mapped out before the season, Jill Schneider would sometimes order a cleaning service for Hughes or drop by and fill his fridge with food.

It was all the more important in a year of tumult in New Jersey

By the end of Hughes’ first NHL season, he had seen former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall dealt to Arizona and his first NHL coach, John Hynes, fired. Then the man who selected him with the first pick, Shero, was also fired. Even his landlord, Schneider, was at one point sent to the American Hockey League.

“You couldn’t have scripted it any more chaotically for an 18-year-old kid in his first year in the league,” Schneider said. “It was one thing after another.”

Hughes struggled to find a groove, scoring just seven times and finishing with 21 points.

There were times when it was clear that losing and his lack of production were weighing on him.

“Look, he’s used to being the best player on the ice and scoring three points a night,” Schneider said. “He’s done it his whole career.”

“I would be like, ‘hey man, it’s your twelfth game in the league. It’s going to come.’ I think he understands that.”

The point? A career is not a straight line, no matter how talented you are.

Great advice for any No. 1 pick.

"The Puppy Problem"

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

There comes a time in your life when baby fever hits you a little too hard. Leaving you fully convinced that the only thing you need right now is to have a child. To the point, that you get a little too obsessed and the only possible cure is to actually get the deed done. This is exactly what happened to my girlfriend who has continually tempted me this entire week. Despite us both working, I have explained that raising a child takes more than just two paychecks. It includes saving and planning and a whole lot of other adult stuff. In her defense, she responded that it would be more than enough and threw in some "girl math" to sweeten the deal. If you had only seen the horrendous look on my face as she explained her reasoning.

"I-... No... What? No... We are not having a baby... Now can you please get off me? I know what you're trying to do and I am not going to breed you in the heat of the moment... Especially, if you just want to have a baby... Why not? It's because we're still young... You can barely get out of bed... How do you expect us to function? Okay okay... I know our kids are going to look cute... but that's not a reason to have a kid right now... No... And that's final... Ughhh c'mon don't look at me like that... Seriously... No... It's too soon... You're not going to let this go, are you? Okay... I am going to regret this but... This is how it's going to go... We'll adopt a puppy and if we raise him right... and you can prove that you'll be a good mother then I will think about having a baby... Emphasis on thinking about it... Deal? Alright alright... get off me now... Hey! Hey! Stop grinding... Fucking sneaky..."

After working out the details of the arrangement, I dropped by our local animal shelter to adopt a puppy. During the adoption, they had mentioned him being 4 weeks old and a golden retriever mix. Not that I had much intention of choosing a specific breed, but more so choosing him because he looked like the sun. Golden fur and a jovial personality. If we wanted a kid so badly, I thought the pup should also be similar to the mother. In all honesty, I've always seen my girlfriend as a sort of pup herself seeing as how she circles around me every time I am home. Maybe having a pup will bring out a motherly side of her. Who knows? She might turn out to be a wonderful mother. On our way home, I bought a few things: puppy bowls, puppy food, collars, a puppy bed, and even puppy toys. You can tell that I went a little overboard with all of this. After carrying all the things in, my girlfriend comes rushing to the door all excited. She played with Sol for hours and even took naps together. Completely tuckered out. We named him "Sol" by the way. After tucking them both in, I snapped a few pictures before hitting the hay myself. A few weeks passed by, and we soon learned that raising a puppy wasn't all fun and games. It also meant bringing him to the vet, cleaning up his mess, and working around our schedules to give him the attention he needed. It left us little to no time to do the things we wanted.

"Hey hun... I'm going to take Sol for a walk... No, it's okay you should rest... I think you need it... You look really tired... Get some more sleep and I'll handle Sol... I know I know... I want to cuddle too but Sol needs his walk right now or he's going to get antsy... You know how he gets... Now get some rest, I'm going for a jog and will be back in two hours, alright? Love you too..."

As Sol got bigger, he became a little too much for her. The little guy grew up to be very active and would often tire her out when it came to playtime. Luckily enough, I was able to keep up with Sol and used our time together to get the extra cardio in. Eventually, as the weeks passed, it would mostly be me and Sol spending time together leaving her to be home alone most of the time. It sort of led me to neglect her. Not that I knew, it was more of her not wanting to complain. Her mood quickly soured whenever I played or praised Sol. I would often find her tugging at my shirt but never really saying what she wanted. I would have sat down and checked on her, but Sol was already pulling on his leash for his walk. After our regular two-hour session, Sol walked off to his bowl to gulp down some water before knocking out in his doggy bed. After reaching the living room, I soon found my girlfriend completely hammered after nearly completing an entire bottle of liquor.

"Woah woah... What's the occasion? I didn't know we were celebrating... Jeez, you nearly finished the whole thing... I can't believe you're drinking alcohol... To be honest, I'm surprised you're still standing after all that... Hun? You... seem... mad... Why are you mad? What? Wait a minute... Hold on... There's no need to shout... and this was your idea, wasn't it? You're the one that wanted a kid so badly... I was only giving us a test run... H-hun? Awww hun... There's no need to cry... I'm sorry... Okay okay... I'm starting to get it... You must've been... really... lonely, huh? Drinking your sorrows away... What? Did Sol make you jealous? Yeah? See? And parenting is a whole other ball game... The baby would keep us busy 24/7... We wouldn't even have time to cuddle... What am I going to do with you? Mmm... I have an idea... Follow me... C'mon right this way... Ah, don't worry about him... Sol is going to be out for a couple of hours... More than enough to make up for lost time... Hahahaha... It's fine... It's fine... Let me take care of you, okay?"

Fuck. In the end, I was so focused on raising Sol that I ended up neglecting her own feelings. Even if I did have good intentions, I guess a part of me really wanted it to work out knowing how badly she wanted a kid. But seeing her this sad broke my heart. I wanted to make it up to her. Who knows how long she must've been feeling this way? After entering our room, I quickly pushed her against the door. Locking lips; intertwining ourselves. Pining for one another as if we haven't seen each other in ages. As cheesy as it may sound, I needed her like I needed air. It had been quite a while since I last tasted her sending shivers down my spine. The urge to take a bite out of her. To hear her scream my name in pain and pleasure. And though I hesitated, I would soon feel her hands pulling me in. Tempting me to do whatever I please on a condition. It being that all the attention in the world must be placed on her. No phone call or emergency could distract me from her gaze. And so I bite. Not a second wasted before pressing my lips against hers; muffling her moans. I acted on my excitement. Leaving her literally breathless. Abruptly, I retreat giving her some way to catch her breath. Only to see the desperate look in her eyes as I pull away. Longing for me to fill the void that I had placed.

"You know... You're really cute when you look up at me like that... Hun? Hahahah... There's not a single thought behind those pretty puppy eyes of yours, huh? Alright... C'mon, stand up... We can't have you melting in my arms just yet... Follow me... Mhm... Sit right here... Let's just take these off, yeah? What pretty little panties you have on... Hm? What're we doing in front of the mirror? Well... You're just going to sit down and see for yourself... Fuck... me... This wet already? Just from a little kissing? That's so embarrassing... Put it in? Hahahah... Sweetie... There's no need to rush... Of course, I can slide my fingers in... It's just a matter of if I want to... God... You're just soaking right through them... Look at the mirror... See? Aren't you fucking pretty... Now now... If you even think about looking away, I'll stop completely... Yeah? Good... girl... That's it... Mmm... Look at how leaky you've become... So naughty... It's okay... It's understandable... I haven't had much time to touch myself either, you know? So I know what you're going through... That being said, I'll stop teasing... Thank you for waiting so patiently... Good things come to good girls that wait, no? And you're a good girl, are you not? Exactly... I'm glad you think that because I have a little something something for you... Mhm... A collar... Pretty, right? There's no need to be shy... As soon as you put it on I'll give you what you want, deal? Hahahah... See? Nothing to be ashamed about... Now... Why don't we fill you with fingers you love so so so much... Ohhh fuck... Too much? You say that but you're not telling me to stop, are you? Let's go a little deeper... Fill those pretty little holes... Mmph... Hahaha... Yeah? That's my girl... Shhhhh shhhhh it's okay... It's feels good, doesn't it? Look at you... gripping around my fingers... I know you missed me... but I'm right here hun... I can barely pull my fingers back... Don't wanna let go, huh...? Such a needy little girl... "

After seeing how sensitive she was from just the rubbing, I opted to taking a much slower approach. It would have been boring to have her concede so soon. Knowing that, I guided my middle finger down; easing her in until she was ready for another. Her eyes rolled back in ecstasy as the second pressed up into her walls. Her once empty cunt now filled to the brim causing her to throw her head back. Shallow breathes to shakey motions. My other hand pulling her back into the gaze of the mirror. Forcing her to watch as I toy with her for my enjoyment. Stuttering moans and heavy breaths escape her lips. Failing to communicate between my pulsing fingers. My arms and legs coiled around her preventing any chance of escape.

"Hahahahaha... Uhm... What was that? Hun... You're gonna have to pull yourself together if you want the slightest chance of me understanding you... And what do you think you're doing? Stopping me all of a sudden... Ohhhh? A break? But we just started... I mean... This is what you wanted, no? And now you're telling me to stop? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't finger fuck you senseless right now... Huh? You're going to... what? Pee...? Hahahah... And, so what? I'm not scared of little waterworks... Awwww is the filthy little pup gonna piss herself... You poor thing... Must've been all that alcohol... What a way to bite yourself in the ass... Please? And if I say no? What if I wanna see you make mess out of yourself...? Hm? Anything? Really? Fine fine fine... You have yourself deal... Let's go to the bathroom, shall we? Oop- Before I forget... Where do I put that leash of mine? There we go... Just gonna put this on... and mhm... ready to go... Huh? Well... I'm bringing you to the bathroom, of course, silly... Joking? Me? Hahhaha... No no I'm dead serious... And all you have to do is keep your end of the deal... C'mon quickly... We wouldn't want to ruin the sheets more than we already have... The sooner we get this over with the better... So get on all fours... After all, you're just dumb little pup that doesn't know any better... How can I trust you to piss properly when I can't even leave you alone for a second? Now... be a good girl and crawl for me..."

With some reluctance, she made her way off the bed and to the floor. Her back perfectly arched leaving room for temptation to fuck her right then and there. She attempted to quickly scurry off to the bathroom to avoid any further embarrassment. But was brought to a complete halt as I tugged on her leash. In her confusion, I once again pulled to signal her back to me. Her gaze avoiding eye contact at all costs whilst questioning my motives.

"Well, aren't you excited? Hahahah... There's no need to rush... You should really know better, hun... We can't have you running off, can we? Let's take it slow... Mhm... You're doing such a good job... Almost there... Fuck... It's cute... The way your ass shakes with each step... I'm starting to think we should collar you more often... Would you like that? Hahaha I'm just kidding... Kinda... Here we are... Woah... Not yet sweetheart... You need to ask for permission... and then I'll let you piss... Good things come to good girls that wait, remember? Need to make sure that you're trained... Shake. You heard me... Shake. Good girl... Such a quick learner... Alright... Sit. Oh? Alright alright... Bark. What's the hold-up? C'mon, hun... Bark for me... Hahahah... Fuck... No no, you did good... You're allowed to piss now... but you have to piss like a mutt... Yes... Still on all fours... Raise your leg and piss... Embarrassing? Well... I could always stick my fingers in and mess with your insides until you piss yourself... No? Alright... so do your best..."

Relieving herself quickly took a turn for the worst as the golden liquid dribbled down her thigh. A rollercoaster of emotions were displayed before rivers of tears ran down her face. I found myself conflicted between guilt and the sick kick of her own embarrassment. Nonetheless, I was proud of her and praised her for her efforts. After wiping the tears, I hurridely ran a bath for the both us to better unwind from this interesting little experience. Unfortunately, my member was still fully erect. A particular part of me that couldn't really be ignored as it throbbed against her ass. I sat there in silence trying to repent for my crimes. But even then, she was gentle with me; easing me from my suffering. My cock that felt the cool sensation of the bath soon enveloped by her pulsing, hot cunt. Speaking too soon, I experienced a more insufferable punishment. We laid there motionless. God. I wanted to fuck her. But to risk ruining her mood even further would be a fate worse than hell itself. I was unsure of my disposition. Was she mad? Was that too much? I pulled gently on her collae to reveal the nape of her neck. Placing kisses awaiting some sort of response.

"I-... Uhm... S-sorry I really don't know what came over me... and if you're upset I completely understan- Huh? What... am I waiting for? What do you mean?"

My mind went blank over the course of this conversation. I was completely perplexed. Even after pissing herself, she had the audacity to question my determination. She sat there. Unsure of whether I was going to keep my word and take care of her or have her do all the work herself. In that instance, it would be said that I had completely lost, but I had my own pride for these sorta things. I honestly didn't give her enough credit. She wasn't just some puppy girl or frail princess. She was a lady. A lady with needs. It's not something complicated like a dog eat dog world. It's simpler than that. It is to use or be used. And how am I a man, if I were not to satisfy and fulfill those very needs. Fingers slipped through narrow openings and hooked their way around her collar pulling her down even deeper into my hips. The once, cold tension had subsided. Water violently splashed; spilling out from the sides due to shaking hips. The shrill shriek of her voice slightly choking. Truly a mix of pain and pleasure.

"Mmmph... Fuck... You don't understand how much I've missed this, baby... Aaa... God... I-I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I had spend another... FUCKING... week of not being able to touch you... Hahahah and from the looks of it... You feel the same way, huh? The way your pussy tightens every time I pull harder on your collar... Awww... Speak up, princess... Tell me how much you love it... Right here... Right now... I'll even reward you... Give you as many puppies as you want... Breed you over... and over... Fill your pretty little holes to the brim... No? Hahahaha a little too late for a no... A bit heartless even... Stopping me this late into the game... Do you not want puppies anymore? Not right now? Here I thought our kids were going to look cute... Well, you better do something quick... cause the closer I get I'm starting to think I really do want kids..."

Her splendid body towered over me as I lay watching in the tub. She straddled me but leaned in for a kiss before guiding my cock back into her. And here I thought, I had scared her with the whole bit but maybe she did want kids after all. At this point, I didn't really care. Nor was I in any position to stop her. Something was a bit off. A bit tighter than usual? I wanted to move but she had my arms in lockdown, asking for another minute to adjust. Even just kicking my leg up a bit would cause her to bite down into my shoulder. Maybe she came? After a while, I decided to do the moving on my own. Slow, shallow strokes. Fucking into her as if we had all the time in the world. Her bites slowly transitioned into moans muffled into my shoulder. She sunk deeper into my arms; placing kisses on her forehead. Reassuring her to leave everything to me. Nearing my limit, I grasped her waist with both hands before cumming into her. A euphonic blend of moans bounced off the bathroom walls which soon after was filled with laughter.

"Hahahah... I felt like I came buckets... That's kinda gross actually... I'll shut up... Hahahah... Youuuuu okay? We really have to find time for ourselves... I could always have the neighbor kids to walk Sol around... To be honest, why haven't we done that sooner? Right? Hahahah... Uhm I'm sorry for neglecting you... I should've checked on you sooner... Silly... I love you... I know how important having a kid was to you... so I wanted it to work... You know? I'm glad we got this sorted out... Now let's get you cleaned up! I don't want you catching a cold... And maybe... grab you a plan B... What do you mean no? You want to have a kid? But I came in you... I came in your... Oh... OHHHH! No wonder you were all flinch-y... That's kinda hot..."

After cleaning ourselves up, we took our time in bed to cuddle and talk about everything that happened. Luckily, Sol was still sleeping soundly in his bed by the time we were finished. It gave me more than enough time for us to reconnect and flirt. A kiss here and there. A little, spicy makeout session that almost turned into another round of explicit scenes. But I digress. I would even go on to tease her by calling her a "good girl". In my excitement, I guess I was a bit loud. That was when we heard scratching at the door. It was Sol pawing and whining wondering where we were. After opening the door, he would rush onto the bed and snuggle up to the mom. I quickly followed and joined the party. The three of us were happy and tuckered out after a long day. Who knows? Maybe one day soon, I wouldn't mind having a kid. Or two. Or... three.

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

With love and lust,

Honey

Hi!

So i'm aroace - I've known this for years and I've known this since the end of yr 6/beginning of highscool/yr 7 and am quite open about it and most of my close friends know about how i am aroace.

Along with this I have never rlly been interested in romantic relationships - they never seemed all that interesting and even as a kid I could never be bothered to force myself into having crushes (smth ik that some other aro ppl tend to do) or ever thought of the idea of not having romance as being unappealing/sad. I've also never really had strong desires for sexual relationships - to me sex was smth that was overdramatised (like in p0rn, books or fanfiction), something that i was mildly curious about but would most likely never have due to not wanting to have to look for a sexual partner and sometimes feeling borderline freaked out at the thought of being with another person like that.

However I have been curious about QPRs before - until recentrly I didn't know too much about them though after I learnt more I thought that I would want to have one - though I've never really known who I would get into one with/how to ask someone to be in one with me.

Recently there is this girl who I am friends with who I think I would like to be in a QPR with - we've been friends since around 2022 and she's awesome! I rlly love spending time with her and all of that + I think that being in a QPR wouldn't change too much other then maybe one or two ways that we interact + having a label on it.

However she is allo and though ik that allo ppl can be in QPRs and also she isn't a huge romantic and has only had like, 1 crush a year ago, I also know that she probably doesn't know what a QPR means and I wouldn't want her to think that it would get in a huge way of if she even did want to have a romance ig?(I don't see this as likely bc to my knowledge she's had 1 crush throughout her entire life + moved on fast afterwards and hasn't rlly had another one but I don't rlly understand romance and ik that ppl can get crushes whenever and stuff).

I also happen to be a very nervous person - meaning that if I had to ask + tell her what a QPR is I would most likely chicken out or feel extremely anxious and not even finish or give her information that wasn't 100% correct.

Also she's smart enough to do her own research and stuff (which considering how bad i am at explaining things would be for the best) but she wouldn't do research if she didn't think it was all that relavant to her. By that I mean like - she knows what being aroace is, but she doesn't know a lot of in-depth stuff bc she just asked me some questions and to her knowing her friends feelings was enough. And I have very little idea of how to casually drop the words Queer Platonic Relationship so that she will just go and do some research for it.

Plus I wouldn't want to make her uncomfortable bc she could liken me asking to a confession even tho it's not rlly one + if we were to be in one we happen to go to a school that has both a younger and older sibling which could end up meaning that even if she understood they could end up thinking she's queer and idk how her family would take that/I wouldn't want her to get in trouble or anything.

i’m not sure if you want advice or just to vent, since you didn’t specify, so i’ll just say that if you wanted you can try mentioning qprs in a context not related to you and see what she says, and go from there. good luck!

hey.

would you like to hear an xtale siblings thought?

rhetorical question.

(abuse mention bc its the fucking xtale siblings)

so. according to jakei (via cornmayors twitter), xpapyrus is "the kind of person who would harvest his own food", which is pretty cute i think. ik corn has a comic abt xasriel being into gardening, and i think theres some canon stuff that might support that, too? so yeah neat, papyrus and asriel/flowey friendship prevails!! they have a common interest/hobby, thats pretty cute, yknow?

but like. i was thinking, right? what would make xpap want to garden? not that he necessarily needs a reason, but..

and i mean the (possible) explanation is pretty damn clear. its been shown before that xgaster doesnt care abt his kids and doesnt seem to provide for them most of the time. im guessing they went hungry a lot as kids.

and like xpap has been shown to be more outspoken, defying orders and/or talking back on multiple occasions (sometimes making cross step in to "correct" him to avoid or at least soften xgasters wrath), so i think if he was hungry hed just say it, and depending on his mood xgaster would either tell him thats not his problem or begrudgingly give them something (or make xalphys go buy food or cook or whatever)

but cross? cross wouldnt say a fucking word. he could be dying of starvation and hed say hes just fine to avoid the potential punishment of "inconveniencing" xgaster

so like. im thinking. what if xpap started growing his own food because he didnt want to be so dependent on someone who couldnt be assed to provide for them? because he was tired of going hungry and being punished for trying to get the only person who could do something abt that to actually... do something? because he was tired of seeing his brother suffer in silence because he was too scared to say anything?

i can see him finding some like.. tomato seeds or something. maybe just planting a slice from food xgaster finally brought them in the hope that it grows into a plant eventually. cross would definitely help him care for the plants. maybe xalphys would occasionally bring him books about gardening or new seeds or just tell him general knowledge so he could more successfully grow things.

idk like. we see a lot of cross caring for xpap (bc of course he would, hes his older brother), but xpap explicitly caring for and providing for cross in return makes me bash my head into the wall /pos like ik thats normal. to yknow. care for and provide for your family. but god damn.

they make me violently ill.

(this was very xpap centric bc im very normal abt him (lie) hope youre ok w that)

vomits glitter everywhere youre soright..!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! also dont worry ily xpapyrus ilysm..... xpapyrus u deserved better... i love any characters from any au theyre all so cool....

UGHHHHHHHHHH i love it when younger siblings take care of the older ones,,, ugh.. .., i mean xalphys is the youngest of the three, meaning papyrus would technically be the middle sibling but yk what. that makes it better actully imo. middle sibling takes ccare of the other two.

ANYWAY yes. xpap is the most outspoken, as you said, out of them all about xgaster's mistreatment. while cross is silent and alphys is indifferent (outwardly) towards xgaster, xpapyrus is the one with the strongest sense of justice. cross is anxious, xalphys pretty much had her will to fight stripped away from her, but xpapyrus still has that spark in him, and that spark remains despite everything. he'd tell xgaster that he's hungry, because he's hungry, dammit, and if xgaster doesn't feed him, he'll take matters into his own hands. i can imagine xgaster picking a burger up for him after hours of nagging, and xpapyrus plants the whole tomato slice in a bunch of dirt in a tupperware bowl for later.

xpapyrus would defend those plants with his life if he had to because to him, as a child, i think they'd be synonymous with 'he doesn't have complete power over us. look, this is something i did on my own, something he doesn't control'. it would be the first bit of independence he's ever really had. xasriel probably helped as well because he thought it was just a fun hobby of xpapyrus' and not a means to not starve. this also probably helped cement xpapyrus and cross' loyalty to the dreemurr family,,

im ill about them too UGH.... the xtale siblings (+ chara/frisk) are my favorites ever and i just...man!!! the way xgaster abused them all in so many different ways is SO overlooked in this fandom and its my number one duty to make sure eveyrone knows how terrible xgaster is,,.!!! hes a child beater!!!!!!! cross, xpapyrus, xchara, xfrisk, and probably xalphys were beaten children!!!!!!

How did you learn anatomy for human/humanoid characters?

Sorry, I accidentally sent the same message to your reblog blog. I just really need help and you’re a big inspiration for me.

You’re an amazing artist and I really am thankful for you being here. Hope you have a good weekend!

Appreciated!!

Lots of reference photos, trace over them to get a better feel for how to draw them too

(Old art ew but I remember having a lot of trouble replicating poses at the time so I would trace each limb and break them down into simpler shapes, and it did help lessen the struggle a bit)

Draw models, whether from photos or in person. I like using websites that generate random photos of models for my warm-ups sometimes. Also in a life drawing class with a bunch of live models, so that also helps a lot

Do whatever anatomy studies studies you think would help, hand studies, facial studies, im personally overdue for some side profile studies. Studying skeletal and muscle structure also helped a lot

Watching anatomy tip related videos on youtube is also basically what raised me. Nothing really long, just whatever short videos could go over stuff like tips for drawing foreshortening, how to draw different body types, how to draw expressions, etc etc. If theres any aspect of anatomy that stumps you on how to draw it, there is most likely some videos floating around thats probably made for that

I can’t emphasize this enough, theres gonna be a lot of drawings you make that you don’t like from practicing and thats ok! Improvement is a really gradual process most of the time, its like watching a plant grow from a seed to a flower. You don’t actually see the plant growing in real time, but its growing trust. I don’t really notice my art making any dramatic changes most of the time, the difference only become super clear if I compare my stuff from now to 1-2 years ago.

But on that note, try your best not to be too self deprecating about your art. Find things to be proud of if possible! You might be your own worst critic a lot and thats fine and kinda unavoidable but don’t be shy to remind yourself of any improvements you’ve been able to notice, even if its really small or from a while ago

Poking at the dinosaur project thingy, this time with some production technicalities point of view.

Here be musings.

I originally thought of the project as a calendar, then a series of calendars that could be collected into an art book once enough art had been made for it, and at some point I thought of just skipping the calendar part and going straight for art books.

I've been going back and forth between those options multiple times over the years, and it's still kinda open. Like on one hand a simple calendar with just thirteen illustrations (twelve months plus cover) is the easiest and cheapest option, though pretty limited (what to do once the year presented in the calendar ends, and you still got unsold leftover stock?), and the other hand art books are big projects requiring lots of work, even more money, but be a lasting and very satisfying thing to have.

Maybe I should take a middle road and make a zine instead?

Maybe.

Though, this is where the shape of the actual project comes in.

I've always planned the project as having a slice of life style format, with little story and more focus in exploring the setting. Kinda just looking in and enjoying the view while you go. But I've noticed that keeping the "narration" as illustrations kinda keeps the immersion at arm's length too. While that is fine and dandy for a calendar where the space for any narrative would be very limited anyway, if I was going to do more with the setting, I kinda need something deeper. Even if the audience is fine just looking at pretty pictures, with ADHD it would be better to have something deeper to help keep me personally invested enough to actually plan, plot and produce the materials needed.

Should I make an actual story, with plot and stuff? Feels kinda unnecessary for a thing focusing on just illustrations, and I don't know if I really "click" with a text heavy picture book format. I kinda feel it would make comic as the best option, though that has its own downsides. I've always wanted to do full colour paintings of the dinosaurs, yet going comic it would have to simplify a lot and make it grayscale just to keep me sane. And, as someone who has done well over 250 pages of a long form comic, that's still a HUGE commitment I don't think I have the resources - mental, physical nor financial - to pull off.

I also kinda feel having a plot story would sort of detract from the "exploring the world" aspect and put more heavy focus on characters, which. Well, it's not *bad* exactly, just not quite what I want.

(Also I am aware the dinosaur clan I have has a kid character, and I don't want to make her the point of view character for the story. I have no interest doing a childrens' book. I mean, I am perfectly fine if kids do eventually end up liking my stuff, but I don't consider them my target audience. My target audience is me, an adult person in their later 30s, and a handful of nerds I consider friends and/or mutuals.)

Another option I've been toying with is kind of a double edged sword.

Those who got the Almost Real speculative evolution zine volume 5 got a bit of a taste of this, as I kinda tried it out there.

So... I've gone to pretty great lengths as a layperson to work in the setting of the project thingy. It's always bothered me when dinosaurs get just dumped into a story with no regards to when and where they actually lived, making for an anachronistic hodgepodge of what's popular forming into a mismatched fantasy setting, usually with throwing humans into the mix. I don't like that. I'm more interested in seeing the actual animals as they were, when they were and where they were, where the focus is in the dinosaurs themselves. Thus the limit to Two Medicine formation (with some of the surrounding areas included too, though still keeping to the same time period).

I do not want humans in my dinosaur stories. Period.

But what if...

So, imagine a research journal. There's a scientist visiting the clan of Singing People the project focuses on, with the mission of studying them, their life and their world. The book or zine or whatever could be a story of the dinosaur clan introducing themselves and their life to this person. An outsider point of view to excuse learning about them by them teaching this POV person how their world works. There could be some interaction and maybe interviews, and of course illustrations because you need to document your subjects after all.

Like, I'm kinda excited about the idea. It would let me get into the details I want to picture without getting too into the heads of the characters to limit the chances of artistic exploration. You gotta document the surroundings your study subjects live in after all! But you'd still get to know the characters because it's the job of the POV person to learn about them. Win win!

It's just that I don't want to put too much attention on this hypothetical scientist. Like I said before I don't want to mix my settings. The dinosaur project thingy's world IS Laramidia in the Campanian period of late Cretaceous, it's not meant to be a scifi setting, nor do I want to have any focus on any time travel.

Wonder if it would be possible to leave the scientist character vague enough to never actually get explained? They're just nameless outsider from undetermined time and place who's interviewing some dinosaurs. Maybe with some peronal opinions or musings but no anecdotes about their own life or themself. And whenever there's interactions between the scientist and any of the Singing People it just gets handwaved away. (Of course the Singing People are curious about them too, but that's not the point of the study so it just doesn't get documented or something?)

I don't know. Could that work?

What are five unpopular opinions you have about Charmed?

This is the first ask I've ever gotten! I'm very excited but a little nervous that my UOs will annoy the few mutuals I'm lucky enough to have :) Here we go...

While I love aspects of every season (yes, even S8!), season one is my favorite of the series. It suffers from some inevitable rookie season clunkiness, but I love the overall tone and feel of it. Getting to watch the sisters first discovering their powers and reconnecting with one another is such a joy. As a mystery junkie, I also really like how Andy's presence as Prue's significant other and a detective gave the season a few minor crime/mystery elements. S1 is second only to S2 as the season when I love Phoebe most, and S1 Piper is my very favorite Piper of the series. Oh, and S1 Leo is utterly adorable :)

I don't really like P3, the so-called 'hottest club in town' lol. I could never envision Piper as someone who'd even enjoy going to loud and crowded nightclubs, let alone owning one and having to spend nearly every single evening there. I know the show wanted an excuse to showcase music, but most of it happens to be music I don't particularly like. And it's not like Piper seemed to really enjoy owning and running P3 - her passion was always cooking, and more often than not the club just became another item on the long list of stuff she was perpetually stressed about. I don't know, for some weird reason I just preferred seeing the sisters hanging out at home or at a place like Quake.

I completely understand why Phoebe/Cole is an OTP for so many, but they just never really resonated with me, and I personally dislike the impact that Cole's presence had on Phoebe's character arc and the show's overall tone. But obviously shipping is very subjective. I hope my Phole-loving mutuals aren't rushing to hit the unfollow button!

I know we talk a lot about how Piper changed throughout the series, but my UO is that Phoebe changed far more drastically. The Phoebe we got for the first 2.5ish seasons is literally among my very favorite television characters ever, but in mid to late seasons she was almost unrecognizable to me. It's not as if I ever dislike her, but so much of what made Phoebe's personality and outlook on being a witch unique to me was either stripped away or given to Paige (because the show apparently believes that sibling age order determines 95% of someone's personality- even when some of those siblings first meet as fully developed adults lol). I could never dislike Phoebe and she's still very important to me, but her core personality traits, values and even day-to-day mannerisms just seemed entirely different to me in mid to late seasons as compared to her early season self.

I love Paige's S7/S8 brown hair much more than I liked her blonde or red hair. This is a highly controversial opinion among my few real life friends who also watched the show :)

My main problem with that episode was just that I feel like they hyped up the beatles aspect of it so much (you can even find doctor who magazines in shops in England that have posters inside them that parody "with the beatles" album cover with the Beatle actors and the doctor and ruby) and they did so little with it. The actors didn't really feel like John and Paul in most scenes, we saw and heard basically nothing of George and Ringo, and we didn't see them play off each other.

They put the beatles in an episode and neglected to have them interact with each other, the thing that's arguably the thing most distinct about them.

Like I know it's only a 40 minute episode but come on. It could've been done better. AND the secret chord could've been the Damn A Hard Day's Night Chord, or the final chord of A Day In The Life. To make the Beatles aspect of it more significant.

Also the way the only thing that was different in a London without music was smog? Really? Nothing more???

Jinx Monsoon was incredible tho what a stellar performance. (Sorry for the long rant I just had t h o u g h t s )

THE WAY I HAD THE SAME THOUGHT ABOUT THE CHORD???? I was yelling for the AHDN chord. Why was it just the most normal major chord ever? For an episode that started off saying interesting, accurate stuff about music theory, I just felt really let down as a music lover (as opposed to a Beatles fan particularly). Like I was like "genius????? that's not a genius chord what the FUCK" It could have not been the AHDN one too (though that was perfect and right there – also would be something where no copyright strike could possibly be justified, while being PERFECTLY iconic) just something that actually felt like interesting music.

Look, I understand Doctor Who is here to be Doctor Who, not biblically-accurate Beatles RPF. That being said, it didn't even try to create interesting – if perhaps inaccurate – characters for John and Paul that you could learn to root for as the episode progressed. The two DW episodes I'm thinking of the most here are the Shakespeare and Van Gogh one, which similarly centered the historical person's artistry as the thing that ultimately saves the day. The premise of this episode made that task harder, granted, but it's so easy to include the Doctor going on an extended rant about what makes them great or whatever. He did that a little, but he basically just named two songs and left it at that lol. And it was about the fucking piano not them as musicians/writers.

TO BE CLEAR: I'm not saying this because I think the show needs to pay them tribute or whatever, I'm saying that if the narrative treats them as geniuses that are the only ones capable of sending Maestro back, I think the episode should maybe in some sense try to demonstrate this genius (slowly build it up over time!!! what!!! a fucking character arc perhaps???). And you're right, they clearly made a lot of hype around this being a Beatles episode and then didn't really want to actually protray them. They were off-screen for most of the episode and completely unaware of the plot! Why? Like genuinely, why am I meant to care about this piano chord scene when the characters in it have been absent from the plot for the past twenty minutes of runtime and their only purpose before was essentially to provide exposition on the conflict of the episode? I DON'T GET IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did think Jinkx did a good job, but I also found Maestro was so… one-note (lol). It didn't to me feel justified to spend so much time with just the villain, when Maestro is just… kind of one-dimensionally evil. Like, it's entertaining, yes, but when you combine it with my above issue it just feels hollow, if that makes sense. Having Maestro actually interact with the musicians they're sort of running dry would have been fun, I think? Honestly would have been way better than zeroing in on Ruby, and given Jinkx her flowers without sidelining the Beatles aspect.

Side-note, but weirdest thing I'm noticing about this season is that RTD is doing the companion-mystery thing so many people hated about Moffat but like. he is NOT as good at it lmao.