#can’t personally vouch for the quality of all of these as I haven’t read them all
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I need more bi physical books, and I haven’t read most of these, but happy Bi Visibility Day! 💖💜💙
#books#love & other disasters#off the record#sorry bro#queens of geek#forever is now#bi books#bisexual books#bi literature#bisexual representation#can’t personally vouch for the quality of all of these as I haven’t read them all
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Hi I hope it's okay if I ask, how do you make your standees? ;w; I just want to make one standee for myself of my OCs, but I get totally lost when it comes to sending/laying out the actual files to the manufacturer. Do I put the base design + upright designs all on one single file? Or do I make one file for the base, one for the upright, etc. and label them as such and then submit one at a time? Do you recommend any specific manufacturers? Thank you for reading!
Hi!
It’s totally fine to ask! I’m happy to share. :)
The manufacturer I used for my standees was Zap Creatives. They’re great with communication, and I’ve been very satisfied with their product’s print quality. They have options as well for small orders of 1 unit and 10 units.
Vograce is an alternative, but I haven’t tried them and so can’t personally vouch for their print quality. Depending on how many units you order and where you live re: shipping fees (Zap is in the UK, though offers free shipping for orders large enough. Vograce is in China), you may want to weigh options.
So! Here's how I make standees with Zap:
1. Go to the website , pick a standee size, find the "Artwork Setup" tab, and download the templates they have in your preferred format. There should be one template document for the uprights and one for the base. The size I chose for mine was 90mm x 125mm:
2. Paint your uprights. With the template’s dimensions, plan what goes where. In a separate document (preferably) larger than the template and no less than 300dpi, make the artwork. Keep the edges of your shapes as clean as possible, so they will cut crisply and not show the white layer beneath when they’re printed.
3. When the uprights are done, place them in the template doc. Place the tabs on each one. All of the uprights go in the same doc, on separate artwork layers.
4. Once you’ve decided where the uprights will go, make the shape of the base in the base document and place the tab holes for your uprights accordingly. Paint the base art with the uprights’ placements in mind.
5. Prepare both your template documents. Use the instructions they have in the Artwork Setup page on the website. Make your shapes for the white backing and acrylic cut lines on each piece. Don’t forget to flip all your shapes in the documents or they will be printed backward.
6. Send in the docs with your order.
I hope that's helpful!👌
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Hi Jaymes, I saw you reblogged the post about whitewashing clones and I was wondering if you have any artists (other than your fabulous self!) who are particularly accurate with their colouring. I'd like to support people who are putting in the hard yards.
Some artists I like and respect are @cacodaemonia, @rrrainbo, @keldabekush, and @nibeul! All produce beautiful work and I think are very worthy of a follow. Cacodaemonia’s work has the most gripping knowledge of rendering on display I’ve seen in a long time, Rrrainbo’s has this beauty and velvety softness I would kill to be able to replicate, Keldabekush’s work just feels alive and enchantingly expressive, and Nibeul’s work has an angular stylization to it that, so far as I (a white dude, please keep in mind!) can tell, absolutely refuses to sacrifice the features of poc in service to its overall aesthetic, and is expressive to boot. These are all artists whose work has qualities I deeply admire and I cannot recommend following them enough :)
Some other artists I’ve seen doing lovely work in service to a less whitewashed fandom (who i didn’t include previously) are @transfetts, who has helped make example art for an anti whitewashing post that I have reblogged [here] and highly recommend as a read. I don’t personally follow them, so I can’t vouch for their blog, but check them out! There’s also @rishi-eel whose work i absolutely adore and am overjoyed by but felt a bit weird including above because they ARE a best friend of mine and it felt a little close to nepotism haha, and then also @koyacyi-vode has art that I find beautiful, but I believe they haven’t been active in quite some time. I’m not going to forget @forcesensitivebantha, who I also know, but who doesn’t post very much art if I’m not mistaken :)
Keep your eyes peeled for artists who might cross your path, and if you like what they’ve drawn always give their blog a glance over! There’s a lot of beautiful work to be found on tumblr.
EDIT: I KNEW I WAS FORGETTING SOMEONE!!! SHIT. FUCK. GO FOLLOW @lilhawkeye3, THEY’RE A WONDERFUL ARTIST OF COLOR WHO I LOVE WITH ALL OF MY HEART
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Do you guys read Natsume fan fictions? I’m new to the fandom and was wondering if you guys have any good recommendations ☺️ and thank you for everything you guys are doing! I’m so happy I can read such high-quality chapters all the time for my favorite manga! 🙏
I only read fanfic for one fandom and that fandom is not Natsume Yuujinchou. But I went around asking different people for recommendations because you asked. I haven’t read any of these fic aside for that one Souko/Reiko fic so I can’t personally vouch for the vast majority of these, but this list is long as hell so there’s bound to at least one fic you’ll enjoy.
Everything will be under the cut.
Edit: feel free to reply with your own fanfic recommendations and add onto this ask.
General:
jars and jars of jam by adventureboots
“natori no u just gotta learn to accept that touko san will give u homemade jam now and that u and natsume are friends: the fic”
Rating: G
Word Count: 4,929
The First Law by DarthNickels
“The world of humans is vastly different from the world of the spirits, and sometimes serious miscommunications occur. Naturally, Natsume finds himself directly in the middle of an enormous one.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 8,375
Bodyguard (carry me, carry you) by Shycraft
“Madara watches.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,932
Grass Whistle by FoxWitch
“’I'll lend you these. It won't be a huge difference, but it couldn't hurt.’ Tanuma accepted the object, finding it to be a pair a glasses.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 4,333
A Song on the Autumn Breeze by spoilers
“When she was young, Taki and her grandfather ventured out onto the mountain to search for a visiting spirit. After finding his map in her grandfather's papers, Taki, Natsume, and Tanuma make the trip themselves.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 718
Three for Family by NightsMistress
“The more Touko hears about Natsume Takashi, the more confused she becomes. The stories she hears are of a selfish child acting out for attention, or worse, but all she can see is a sad, lost child in need of a place to put down roots so that he can settle his mind.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 3,564
a time to come by ezri
It’s about “mortality.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 828
The Human Mask by harunekonya
“From the time I was a small, I've been able to see strange things. Since nobody else can see them, they are probably what you would call spirits. And now I am one of them.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 182,225
Note: apparently this fic is being reposted onto ao3 with the author’s permission, so if you’re like me and find ff.net super cursed, here’s the link.
night blindness by persepoline
A youkai AU.
Rating: G
Word Count: 15,641
Calling You Home by paperwar
“Five moments Natsume shared with Shigeru.“
Rating: G
Word Count: 2,026
Paper Magic by WerewolvesAreReal
“A youkai being trailed by an exorcist puts the Fujiwaras in comas. Afraid of being forced to leave his home and being passed again between listless relatives, another option presents itself. Natori offers to become Natsume's nominal guardian.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 15,348
Dangerous Game by FoxInBox_aka_FIB
“Natsume is clutched in the jaws of the true form of the creature he has trusted for so long, and Natori feels fury curl in his chest, along with a deep and aching sorrow. This will destroy Natsume, to have his beast and all the beings he had probably counted as friends turn on him like this.”
Rating: Not Rated
Word Count: 1,599
the subtle grace of gravity by egelantier
“Five times the Fujiwaras surprise Natsume (including that one time when Natsume absolutely fails to surprise them in turn).”
Rating: G
Word Count: 8,000
Finding Home by darkcyan
“On a school trip...Tanuma's teacher and about half of his classmates disappear. Everyone must figure out how to deal with this changed world, and the new dangers it has brought with it.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 23,763
in this house by ezri
It’s about Natsume and Birthdays.
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,289
The color-changing kimono by bereshit001
“There is a strange kimono on the top of a tree that exorcists use to measure their strength. Inspired by the volume 17. special chapters.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 813
A Simple Detour by Hazelnuthelper
AU where Madara is unsealed much earlier and meets Natsume as a child.
Rating: Not Rated
Word Count: 10,567
The ones that come after by taizi
“a collection of oneshots about all the good people who come into natsume's life after all the bad”
Rating: T
Word Count: 72,751
like dawn breaking over the horizon by aloneintherain
“sickfic! natsume, touko san, and others being cute”
Rating: Not Rated
Word Count: 3,970
like religion by WerewolvesAreReal
“Natsume would like to make it clear that this is all the dog's fault.
(OR: how to become a god, by accident).”
Rating: G
Word Count: 6,894
MatoNato:
belomancy by erzi
“In which Matoba is going to f*cking die.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 22,758
left you with the ghosts by erzi
“A bit of a Matoba character study.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 11,980
in the nook of a cousin universe by akitania
“Natori captures a youkai, learns a thing or two about divination, and considers a future that might have been.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 2,256
passing the dark by persepoline
“Sleuthy MatoNatos.”
Rating: M
Word Count: 4,755
i am (am not) actually a cat by meowtoba
"Matoba Seiji is transformed into a cat by sheer bad luck and a youkai's curse.”
Rating: G
Word Count: 9,098
crossroads by darkcyan, meguri_aite
“Shuuichi wasn’t sure which question felt odder on the tongue; Matoba and rent-splitting were strange bedpersons in one sentence.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 6,874
The Summoning by meguri_aite
“Matoba Seiji is on the floor of his living room. And he is bleeding.”
Rating: T
Word Count: 6,796
TanuNatsu:
now we’re here, now is fine by crazybeagle, twelvenervouscats (crazybeagle)
"’Honestly. You’re both being morons and martyrs for no reason at all.’”
Rating: Not Rated
Word Count: 29,198
The Green Plastic Table by Spades 44
AU where Tanuma has healing magic + Natsume and him suck at communicating.
Rating: T
Word Count: 63,190
Note: this fic is hosted on ff.net.
ephemeral by ghostcribs
"I wish we could stay here forever."
Word Count: 1,171
Rating: G
Cold Hands by ghostcribs
Natsume’s reluctance in letting Tanuma in comes with some consequences.
Rating: G
Word Count: 6,906
Aftermath by Mayorofcattown
“The short cut home that took Tanuma much longer than he expected.“
Rating: G
Word Count: 4,264
Misc Ships:
flickering blue by kornevable
An alternate ending to the “Tell Me Your Name” two-parter.
Ship: Reiko/Souko
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,731
#ask dcs#natsume yuujinchou#natsume's book of friends#Anonymous#fic recs#i'm surprised i only got one specific fic rec for taizi#the ppl who did rec their work always said roughly the same thing#which was anything/everything from them#also sorry this took months for me to complete#i really did try to read these at some point but that turned out to be unrealistic for me#and i really wanted to get a good variety of fic for u to read#u probs already read a bunch of these by now tho#i'm so sorry anon#i tried my best#this has a lot of links so it's probs not gonna show up in the tags *sob*#tumblr is gonna think it's spam :/#and happy holidays my guys#edit: omfg it's a seasonal miracle#it's in the tags!
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About all the stuff you were talking about, do you know any fics that handle those things well? It is exhausting trying to go through the Dick Grayson tag to try and find ones that handle even one of those remotely well so any you can tell me would be wonderful.
I use my Bookmarks page as a go-to for people looking for that sorta thing. I haven’t added to it in awhlie which is like, a useful reminder for myself to rectify that.
I’m not sure off the top of my head what fics on there address these particular areas of canon or fanon issues, but they’re in there, and I don’t bookmark anything I wouldn’t reread since that’s....the only reason I bookmark stuff lol. Aka nothing that contains elements or fanon tropes/issues that would’ve pulled me out of the read on the first go-through.
Specific authors who I consistently like for their takes on all of that, hmmm....off the top of my head, @dustorange only deals in Quality Stuff and her Hierarchy of Needs for Dick’s characterization has similar enough rankings to my own personal one, that I’m always like, yes, this hit all the beats I was hoping for from this summary, I am full, I could not eat another bite. But maybe a dessert course later. I guess. If you insist.
In terms of specific takes and tropes I’ve been talking about tonight, @themessofthecentury has a fic that delves into all the Spyral aftermath in a really satisfying way. Y’ever been like, ugh can someone please write a lengthy beast of a multi-chapter that takes all of that and says ‘Lo, there is Gold in these hills” and has a range of POVs but that all consistently prioritize and center Dick in the areas and matters he should be the one prioritized? That’s the one, that’s Fault Lines, its a WIP but its alive and kicking and very much what you’re looking for to read something actually catharctic after the way all of that was handled in canon and most related fics.
Umm, lessee.... @hood-ex is all about Top Notch Tropes, especially for great scenes where Dick’s with a wide range of characters, and its like, casual slice-of-life stuff, but delivered in a way that Just Says No to fanon and even when writing Dick as light-hearted and having a good day, its like...actually in character for him and he’s not Dick Grayson, The Balloon Animal That Walks Like A Man (but is actually 70% sugary cereal). You gotta follow her on tumblr though to get all the fics, cuz she’s like me in that she writes a lot of done-in-one scenes that never get moved over to Ao3 because eh, we’ll do it tomorrow but also we’ll forget about it by tonight so no actually we won’t. And thus there’s a lot of hidden gems to be found there.
@ckbookish writes a lot of stuff set in the early Nightwing days when Jason was Robin, and from what I’ve read there’s a lot of focus on Dick and Jason bonding and also exploration of Dick’s thoughts and reactions to Bruce’s “Bruce NO” behavior of that era that’s very much in character and IMO hits all the right notes in the complicated arrangement of allowing Dick his Feels there and placing the appropriate blame where appropriate but without demonizing Bruce and over-embellishing the more than enough to work with fuck-ups canon helpfully provided for that era.
In fact, in general I’m inclined to say the author sticks as closely to canon as possible while just....making it better by just adding the little ingredient that is ‘Actual Exploration of Dick’s Feelings and Choices As Viewed Through Empathy-Colored Glasses By Someone Who I Feel Actually HAS Met or Been A Teenager At Some Point in Their Life and Thus Is Aware They’re Not Actually Unreasonable Wild Animals Whose Behavior Even When Rational Is Actually Irrational Cuz Hormones Yeah I Know I Was Surprised Too’. So I’d say their work consistenly delivers the story and emotional beats I look for from Bruce, Dick and Jason in that era, actually humanizing all three of them without going overboard with adding flaws all willy-nilly just cuz.
The only reason its not on my bookmarks page is cuz unfortunately, the sticking close to canon means Dick joining the Bludhaven police force to try and clean it up from the inside, and like.....not a criticism or condemnation of the execution of that premise at all, like, Dick’s clear in his reasons and from what I read goes about it in a way that actually fits if Dick had criticisms of the institution as a whole and an earnest belief he can effect change to it from the inside, its just like, purely as a personal subjectivity thing, Dick Grayson and Being a Cop is like my ultimate NOTP, I see it and I reflexively hiss like a vampire who forgot the sun was a thing. Its just not for me in any execution, but if that’s not true for you then its got everything else I’d look for in fic and thus while I can’t vouch for his characterization or the dynamics in later stories, like, I’m pretty sure you’d still be in Primo Characterization territory.
There’s stuff on my bookmarks page from an author named discowing(amelia from a fairytale) - something like that. I can’t recall their tumblr off the top of my head but I know she says it somewhere in some of her author’s notes. Anyway, her stuff runs the gamut but consistently delivers on moments I really wish we could see in canon, so def worth a read. And I know her views on the Spyral aftermath and what’s needed for actual catharsis there are right in my wheelhouse, just in general, so if that’s the barometer you’re going by, then like.....idk whatever a barometer says or does when it gets the readings its supposed to, look its late, that’s the metaphor I’m going with, just pretend it was solid.
Those are just some of the authors where I’m familiar with more than one of their works off the top of my head and tend to like their focus and narrative/character choices across the board. I don’t know the full extent of work of every author linked on my Bookmarks page, like a lot of people write a lot of fic in a lot of fandom and I see a long list of fandoms and fics all organized by date posted so its more like one DC fic per page, and my ADHD self is like hahaha what if it was naptime tho zzzz.
But yeah, that’s not nearly enough to sate my greed and want for Good Dick Grayson Takes but it should get you started. There’s some good stuff out there, that’s never been in question, its just that like you said, it can be exhausting trying to wade through fics that you can’t tell at a glance if they’d be to your liking or not because the tags are all complimentary of Dick but two chapters in you’re like wait is this the other kids’ brother or is this their nanny, I feel like I’m reading about what if Fran Drescher wore tights and fought crime with flippity-flips. Which I mean, that’s a Premise right there, alright, its just not remotely the premise I look for out of fic where I have the weird expectation that Dick should be treated and regarded more like equal family to his siblings than like, okay what if he was actually just an au pair that was mostly hired to be eye candy.
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Happy Pride Month!
Here is a selection of posts I’ve made on topics pertaining to LGBT+ history. Bear in mind that some of these were written quite some time ago, when I was less well informed than I am now, and I might word them differently in hindsight. I hope they’re still interesting enough and show that LGBT+ people existed in the ancient world too.
On Gilgamesh and Enkidu’s relationship
Homosexuality in the Ancient Near East (including a link to a conference)
Lesbian and bisexual Ancient Greek poetry
An Ancient Greek transgender person (cw: potential misgendering due to contradictions in how the person refers to themself)
Inanna’s genderqueer priesthood
How to write your name in cuneiform as a nonbinary person
Artemis as an aromantic asexual in ancient texts
For the Ancient Near East specifically, I highly recommend @mostlydeadlanguages who has a queer history tag full of interesting content.
Also, here are a few novels set in the Late Bronze Age, and one in the Iron Age, which feature same-sex attracted characters. Sadly, I’m not aware of any with characters of other LGBT+ identities (let me know if you have some recommendations!). Note that I haven’t read all of them, so I can’t vouch for their quality.
The Troy series by David Gemmell (two women, one man)
The Boudica series by Manda Scott (apparently multiple men)
The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (two men)
Circe by Madeline Miller (multiple men)
I The Sun by Janet Morris (two men; cw for sexual abuse of women)
The Amazon Chronicles by Jane E. M. Robinson (apparently at least one woman)
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Hi i wanted to ask you if there are more hyde and jackie being each other soulmates stories thank you and bye
One I recently read and enjoyed is Blush by @springsteenicious
[FFnet / AO3]
Summary: On a person’s eighteenth birthday, they swap bodies with their soulmate. Hyde doesn’t have high hopes for his soulmate, but when he wakes up in a very pink room with posters and painted nails, his life is changed for the better.
Rated: T
All of the stories from the 2018 Zenmasters Anthology are J/H soulmate fics (soulmate was that year’s theme). :D
The following are described or listed as J/H soulmate fics. I haven’t read them, so I can’t vouch for their quality.
1. When Hyde met Jackie by sshownut
Summary: The enemies that became lovers, the lovers who became strangers, the strangers who became friends, and the friends who realized they were soulmates!
Rated: K
2. Voodooized by mc_1
Summary: Eric’s been noticing something weird going on between Jackie and Hyde. At a party one night, all of Eric’s suspicions are confirmed when the two become love-marked -- an event that occurs when soulmates are ready to be together, resulting in a mark on the skin that bonds them together for life. The unlikely couple puzzle over how they could possibly be paired together as they struggle to understand each other.
Rated: None listed. On AO3.
3. all i need by orphan_account
Summary: "When he is six years old, the words 'Pudding Pop' appear on his wrist in the curliest, loopiest handwriting he's ever seen. There's even a little heart dotting the 'i'."
Rated: None listed. On AO3.
#That 70s Show#That '70s Show#Jackie x Hyde#Jackie Burkhart#Steven Hyde#Fanfic Rec#Soulmate Fics#Ask#that70sshowhydeandjackie99
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ao3 homestuck literature roundup
ok so honestly some of the most impactful pieces of literature I’ve ever consumed... have been fanworks for the web comic Homestuck. while fanfiction in general has the potential for greatness, and there are definitely some non-homestuck works out there i that i’ve enjoyed, Homestuck has a unique potential for spawning creative, original and daring stuff! and there are so many new fans who didn’t even experience the first wave of ao3 webcontent. sadly the site has not proved archival quality when it comes to preserving content, and many fics I’m linking feature broken links/images or have been orphaned by their authors. I’m posting only what I consider to be Good Literature. these are pieces of writing that have struck me, haunted me, and made me cry. Thank you to the writers, and please enjoy! the full rec list is under the cut >:)
old but gold
The Serendipity Gospels by urbanAnchorite (tzm) M
What is there to be said about The Serendipity Gospels? this illustrated fanfiction epic is a true classic. The use of Homestuck language and troll terminology on this fic is exploited to its utmost poetic potential, and every sentence is lyrical. While the story itself is original (and extremely well plotted!), events from the plot of Homestuck are echoed throughout, and it makes for a really satisfying read. This fic was published before Gamrezi was something that happened in the webcomic and gamzee had his downfall, if you’re hesitant to read it on account of the Gamzee<3<Terezi tag. Both of them are extremely well characterized. man... serendipity gospels gamzee is the best gamzee you can find on the market. definitely better than canon gamzee. And the pairing really works. The sad part is that this thing was supposed to be in three acts, and only two have been published. Since 2013... this shit sucks. i want act 3 so bad i’d commit heinous acts to receive it >:0
Cities in Dust (shit let's be hardboiled) by Cephied_Variable T
I’m not finished reading this yet but by now the ao3 handle Cephied_Variable has become a household name. This fic is... heterosexual. and where there were once illustrations, now there are empty white boxes. But the noir setting is played juuuust right, the soundtrack goes hard and it’s really fun to play the music in the next tab while you read, the writing is amazing (obviously) and... not to spoil anything, but it isn’t as much of an AU as it seems. really wish i could see the illustrations, bc the story is told through chatlogs like the source material.
Rule #2 by universe_c E (you can skip the sex scenes tho)
A super imaginative take on what Earth C might have been like. this fic was published while the comic was still updating, so earth c was a very distant possibility in the minds of fans, and in this work, all the players (every single troll, dancestor, human and cherub) are dropped on an uninhabited planet as an entirely new species with varying levels of godpowers, and they have to build civilization from scratch. It’s such an ambitious idea, and it was pulled of brilliantly! the author has more fanfiction online in that takes place in this universe, as well as selections featuring pairings such as Caliborn/Kurloz, an unexpected delight, and GamTav, a charming holdover from simpler times. This story in particular however focuses on Caliborn right after he passes through the gate. He doesn’t have a very easy time adjusting, poor guy. The narrative follows him as he rage-flees from his emotions to nonlinear points on the timeline of Universe C. Along the way he meets the family who he will someday love, learns about the civilization that will develop on their planet, gets laid, and matures a whole lot as a person. This fic is just.. really amazing. Read it!!!
Lost Teeth Like White Jewels by roachpatrol, urbanAnchorite (tzm)
Ok, so roachpatrol used to be a really big name in Homestuck fanfiction, but her stuff has... not aged well, and generally she is regarded (or at least she is regarded by me) as a pedophilic porn peddler, and she’s written a lot of nasty, scandalous smut. but you don’t have to read that stuff! This fic and this fic ONLY (don’t even read the other ones in the series, bro) is just a really nice soap opera. Bodices are ripped, eyes are gazed into in close proximity to an ocean. And the hemospectrum has been inverted. All in all, if you want something dramatic and romantic to read on a rainy day, this fic is where it’s at.
signalbeam is an author that wrote a lot of lesbian fanfiction in 2012. I haven’t personally read all their stuff but it’s all f/f and it’s fun to browse :~)
****DIRKJAKE CORNER******
a thousand years by venusianEye (orphan_account) T
Everything’s set for the surviving players to pass through the gate and claim their Reward... the only problem is, dirk has lost the will to live and is in some kind of mystical coma. Jake is the only person who can save him, by venturing into his mind-palace and solving puzzles that serve as metaphors for everything Dirk can’t express. It’s kind of like inception wrt to the dream mechanics, but the author uses folk tales as settings, and it’s all very poetic, and very well done. this author deleted her account. i watched all the drama. however all her work is still online on the orphan_account. she wrote this series (people who like dirkjake and artistic pornography, give it a read!) and also a medievalstuck au i remember reading and loving, but cannot for the life of me seem to find :( it was about eridan and kanaya and it was good. rest in peace, venusianEye!
A Spark, A Flame, A Fire by callmearcturus E (one skippable sex scene)
The best kingdomstuck ever!!! \(^o^)/ ugh this fic is everything... the author has another kingdomstuck dirkjake multichapter novella online that is also very good, but this one’s my absolute fave :,] the strilonde fam is so cute, and dirk&jake’s blossoming romance (oh, yeah, you BET it’s an arranged marriage AU!) is so romantic it literally makes me clutch my chest and sigh. also the writing and worldbuilding are just IMPECCABLE. another lovely romance for a cozy night.
***JOHNKAT CORNER****
remember johnkat? well,. it’s good.
General Vantas Gets Hitched, or, The Limits Of Bilateral Diplomacy: A Black Powder Romance by JumpingJackFlash M
another arranged marriage fic! seriously, when it’s done right, there can be nothing better. John is the king of Skaia and Karkat is a political insult disguised as a peace offering. No better way to ruin your chances at diplomacy than offer an arranged political marriage between the literal king and a mutant military grunt who isn’t even the right gender. But... what if the king accepts??? omg guys they fall in love... and everyone’s a badass. another notable johnkat offering from his author would b Hurricane , wherein everyone’s punks and dave and tavros are gay rappers. there’s also Space Bro and California Dreaming , which feature karkat/sollux and eridan/equius respectively, and are humanstuck au with vague game memories and are both very sweet and romantic <3
The Only Recipe For Lasagna You'll Ever Need by urbanAnchorite (t_ZM) G
Oh man.. this one’s just really cute.
No Quiet Sleeper by cest_what T
The premise of this fic is a stable little timeloop, so homestuck i could cry, and what occurs therein is extremely adorable :3c
modern fanfiction (post epilogues)
Pilot Light, Pale Rapture by purplebard G
Excellent post-epilogues Jade fic! The writing is beautiful, it’s a really genuine and melancholy work. A masterpiece in JadeDavepeta. I also give a blanket recommendation for all of this author’s fanfic -- it’s deeply original and flawlessly written, every piece!
House of Dirk by IMAC T
If you haven’t read House of Dirk... seriously, read House of Dirk. It’s a modern classic. A dadaist, genre-reconstructive, trope-subverting and absolutely hilarious MASTERPIECE!!! and the characterizations are pitch-perfect. this fanfiction can be cited as the spark which ignited the roaring inferno of Dirk/Caliborn shippers who can now be found online ^__^
mare in ossibus nostris dormit (in our bones sleeps the sea) by liobi
Just some really awesome scourge sisters :,) i love a nice romp through troll mother planet, and this is a flawlessly executed no-game AU.
JADE ROUTE by spicyyeti/muthahomestuckah T
Not technically a fanfiction, because this is 100% a comic, but if you want to read about Homestuck characters in a way that is engaging, innovative, touching and hilarious, you gotta read Jade Route! It’s the best thing that happened to jade since squiddles! the art is REALLY GOOD the characterization is REALLY GOOD god.. i love jade route.
BONES OF BLACK MARROW by oxfordRoulette E
an innovation in dirkjake pornography. this fic will make your head split open, and most of it is pornography of an exceptionally raunchy color. Basically, Dirk summons a demon (Jake) for stupid reasons and it fucks both of their lives up. Incredible work with formatting by the author, seriously who can even code like that, and i love the magical mechanics :) it’s very well researched and it really tears both Dirk and Jake to pieces psychologically. through porn.
Timaeus, Testified by sendificating NR
another fic that uses experimental formatting. It’s all about Dirk and it’s REALLY SO AMAZING.... a detailed and inventive psychological opus.
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Also.... i write fanfiction. sometimes. can’t vouch for the quality but i would be remiss as an author if i didn’t plug . well, that’s all for tonight, folks! hope u find something to read!
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Hi! Can I get some queer (particularly f/f) sci-fi recs? I've really liked Karen Memory, A Memory Called Empire, and Ascension, if that helps!!! (Priory of the orange tree is next on my list btw :D)
So science fiction isn’t as much my thing as fantasy, but I have some things I can suggest. Because i don’t have a ton of suggestions, I’m gonna name some things that I haven’t read that I’m pretty sure is queer based on what I’ve seen.
I’m gonna start with what I haven’t read:
Ninefox Gambit (Machineries of Empire series) by Yoon Ha Lee
Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
Again, I haven’t read these and I can’t personally vouch for the quality or the queerness of them, but I’m like 97% these are all gay somehow and I’ve heard good things about them.
Here’s what I have read:
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: This is a novella that’s written as letters between two agents on opposite side of a time war who slowly begin to fall for each other. Both agents use she/her pronouns but other than that, their gender or sexuality is never discussed. The book is very poetic and not at all plot heavy, but its really beautiful and I loved it.
An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon: Now this is a very heavy book. It’s a pretty clear allegory for American slavery and deals with that pretty honestly, so things are rough. It’s not a fluffy nice queer story, but its definitely a queer story, and it is good.
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant: So this is technically horror, I think, so just be aware of that. But its a mermaid horror story, and there’s a f/f romance in it (not involving the mermaids though). I wasn’t in love with this book (not for reasons that had to do with the queer representation), but if that sounds intriguing to you, you might like it.
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I'm considering trying coke on new years and I dont know anything about it. What should I do? (Not asking how to do it but moreso where I should go to get information on dosages, prices, and safety tips) Also, I dont plan on doing it regularly, just on special occasions like new year's eve or my birthday or something. Side note, I feel like college truly is the time to try everything. Since I started, I've started having sex smoked weed, now I'm trying coke and I'm going to try shrooms soon too.
I don’t talk much about my drug use here because I really don’t wanna risk normalizing and romanticizing it, but I have always been a bigger fan of harm reduction than preaching abstinence, so if you’re gonna try coke anyways, I’d honestly rather tell you what I know than preach to you… So while I didn’t think this day would ever come - welcome to Cocaine 101, everyone! First of all, keep in mind that I haven’t actually read a lot about cocaine, so I can’t refer you to any resources. Everything I know is learned from hands on experience. That being said, here’s what I know:
Make sure you buy from a dealer known to be reliable. Don’t just buy from anyone willing to sell to you. That can get real dangerous real fast. Find someone in your social circle who does coke somewhat regularly and ask them to refer you to their go to dealer. I really cannot stress this part enough. Do not just buy from random people. Make sure the person you buy from is known to deliver a quality product consistently and that someone you know at least a little bit can vouch for them and the quality of their product.
Make sure you’re in a somewhat safe and private environment the first time. Many people do coke at night clubs, but I really can’t recommend doing that the first time. A private party/smaller get together makes it a lot easier and a lot safer, so I definitely recommend that you don’t start out by snorting off the toilet seat - or off someone’s phone screen or key - in a clubs bathroom. Make sure to do it somewhere where you don’t have to hide and rush it. That’s a lot safer for everyone involved.
The first time(s), let someone who’s experienced prepare and dose. Basically, find someone who already knows exactly how to do it and let them handle it - and make sure to tell them it’s your first time so that they keep that in mind when dosing. Dosing coke requires some skill and knowledge and if you’ve never touched it before, I honestly recommend that you ally yourself with an experienced user the first couple times even if it seems easy and you think you technically know what to do.
Don’t overdo it. The first time I’d recommend you take 0.5g or less altogether. That’s plenty for one evening/night for a first time user. Start out with small lines and see how you feel. Don’t try to keep up with the people who have done it every other weekend for years. Coke is a drug you develop a tolerance for along the way, meaning that the more you take it and the more often you take it, the more you’ll need for the same effect. So if it’s your first time you can and should take it easy, even if others don’t. Be prepared that each dose will, depending on size and tolerance, work for anything between 20 minutes to an hour.
Make sure you have at least a makeshift coke kit. You can snort with basically anything, but in my experience the easiest, cheapest and most reliable method is using 1/3rd to ¼th of a plastic straw. For dosing and preparing the coke, outdated cards of various kinds which aren’t so important or private that losing them would matter are my go to tool. You will also need a somewhat flat plate or a small tray and preferably a table with decent lighting.
Be prepared that coke is really expensive. How expensive varies a bit from place to place, but you should be prepared to pay approximately 100 dollars per gram. In some places it’s a bit cheaper, but no matter what, it won’t be cheap - and for many people it’s simply too expensive to be worth it, even if they enjoy the drug. Coke is among the most expensive drugs and it’s not necessarily always worth the money.
Make sure that someone knows what you’re doing and is keeping an eye on you. Preferably someone who isn’t gonna get blackout drunk or really high themselves. Make sure someone else at the party (or several people) know you’re trying coke for the first time and are keeping an eye on you in case something goes wrong. If you’re buying from a reliable dealer you should be fine, but it’s always good to have a safety net just in case.
Eat a proper meal before you start. Coke reduces your appetite, so you likely won’t feel like eating anything while you’re high - and thus it’s important that you make sure to eat before you get started so that you have some food in your system. Your body might technically be able to run on coke alone, but you’ll feel better if you’ve eaten beforehand.
Make sure to have something sugary and non-alcoholic to drink. When you’re on coke, your body is running real fast on mostly artificial energy - often without much food or rest in the system as coke is both energizing and appetite reducing - and your body will thank you for some liquid calories and some proper hydration.
Keep your alcohol intake limited. Coke usually overpowers alcohol, meaning that if you’re on coke, you can drink and drink without actually feeling the effects of the alcohol - but while you may not be feeling the effects of doing that in the moment, the consequences of lots of alcohol in your system WILL hit you later. So while you can easily have a drink or two, don’t go overboard or you will regret it the following day.
Bring chewing gum! Coke often gives people tics, especially jaw/mouth tics, so if you find that happening to you, chew some gum to avoid having to deal with jaw pain in the following days.
Mentally prepare yourself for ending it before you actually run out. Coke is a very addictive drug and there’s a good chance that you will not want to stop when you run out, especially if running out surprises you. So keep track of how much is left and maybe ask the person dosing to let you know when you need to prepare yourself for the comedown. In my experience it’s a lot easier to accept and manage the come down if you have time to mentally prepare yourself beforehand.
When you’re close to running out, more coke might seem like a very good idea. It’s not. Your brain will want more of all these happy chemicals and may try to convince you that you need to do more coke. Don’t listen. The comedown will only be harder the longer you’re high, and if you’ve already pulled an all-nighter, nothing good will come from keeping the artificial energy boost going any longer. While you’re high you will not notice how exhausted you are, but it will hit you when the drug leaves your system - and the longer you postpone the inevitable, the harder it’ll hit. So be prepared that you may want more coke, and be prepared to shut that thought down repeatedly until you fall asleep. If you like weed, smoking a little during the comedown may make it a lot easier to manage. Some people also use benzos to make the comedown easier, so if that’s something you have available and you haven’t been drinking lots of alcohol, maybe take one of those to relax on.
Make sure you don’t have plans in the following days. A coke hangover hits hard and you will likely need to sleep and then rest for AT LEAST 24 hours after doing coke. You will likely feel very tired and maybe even somewhat depressed. This is a pretty logical consequence of coke overpowering your need to sleep and eat for a whole active night and of your brain using up several days worth of happy chemicals in one night. To be straight forward, you’ll likely feel like shit when you eventually wake up the following day, and you won’t want to do much but slump and rest. Allow yourself some time to recover and know that it’ll pass.
Make sure you have some easy food options ready when you wake up the following day. You won’t want to cook or go grocery shopping, but it’s very important for your recovery that you eat something. So either allow yourself to order takeaway and make sure you have the money for it or make sure to have some leftovers or frozen meals ready to heat.
Be prepared that you might get a cold. Coke, while meant to be snorted, might still irritate your nose somewhat - so make sure you stock up on some kleenex or other soft paper for the recovery period.
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The Charming Empire - Otome Review (Soshi Amazaki Route)
I was going to hold off on doing this because 1. I wanted to play more routes to have a more comprehensive look at the game and 2. I don’t really have free time yet. Promptly ignored the above logic mostly to get this out of my system.
Before we begin, a disclaimer - While I do have pretty extensive knowledge about the otome genre in both longer “proper” VNs as well as the shorter, bite sized mobile VNs, I’m able to derive enjoyment from most anything (I feel the need to point this out because I see a lot of reviews that get hung up on stuff I can easily brush off even if I do understand where they’re coming from).
This is going to be a spoiler-free review based on Soshi Amazaki’s route alone.
Firstly, I must note that this is a mobile otome game. If you’re looking for something as long and substantial as, say, Hakuouki, Alice in the Country of Hearts, Dandelion, etc. this is probably not the game for you.
Now that that’s out of the way, I’ll be rating it based on usual points with a more... comprehensive and personal look at the end (feel free to skip to that if you know our tastes align and/or just want to see me losing my mind).
Prologue - 1/10
Normally I wouldn’t separate prologue from story. However, as this game started as a mobile game, there is no general route in which one gains points toward a love interest as is standard in full-length otome games. However, even by mobile game standards this game’s prologue fails in that it you meet exactly 0 love interests. Indeed, the prologue is the bare-bones introduction of the setting. This flaw is further complicated by the fact that, because it started as a mobile game, routes are bought individually. This means that there is no way to gauge the love interests except by the game’s straightforward summary on the buy screen. Luckily for me, I was sold at “Kenjiro Tsuda voices a love interest who is both a big brother and a lord” so this wasn’t as knee-capping as it could’ve been, but normally you’d have to simply take a leap of faith because if a love interest doesn’t actually end up being your type, you’re out of luck since you’ve already paid for the route.
This is an aside, but translation for the prologue is... questionable. It isn’t unreadable, like some translations I’ve had the misfortune of reading, but it does create some confusion regarding the MC’s family situation which I can’t help but clear up here. MC is the daughter of the previous lord whose mother moved with her out to the countryside. Her mother is died of illness, and MC now lives with an elderly couple. It’s simply when I say it here, but in game the family situation isn’t actually explained until well into the route and the narration refers to the couple as the “old man” and “old woman,” while the MC calls them “Grandpa” and “Grandma” (ojii-san, obaa-san in Japanese, which is a literal translation of what someone would call any older folk with the degree of familiarity MC has with them) while they call her “princess” (literally, hime-sama). The closeness of referring to them as grandparents vs the distance of the narrative’s “old man/woman” + calling the MC princess in a literal sense (vs. a nickname) is jarring especially because, again, they do not clearly explain the MC’s family situation.
Story - 7/10
Soshi holds the most powerful seat in all the empire.
Only trusting himself, he rejects the opinions of others as he continues his dictatorship agenda -- breeding animosity amongst the people.
He’s a cold man who sees even his own sister as a political tool.
This is the official description for Soshi’s route. Unfortunately(?) for some this... doesn’t really hold true for most of the route and I find it an odd way to bill it.
The initial conflict/relationship growth in the game stems from the MC wanting to be closer to Soshi - not necessarily in a romantic sense - and his distance due to his position. If you’re expecting a more haughty/sneering/pragmatic Kenjiro Tsuda more along the lines of his role as Kazama Chikage and/or a villain archetype who treats MC as a tool (no judgment, we all got our otome types) he’s by and large not that. Things get more complicated around the 10th chapter, but that’s 2/3 of the game in.
The writing is competent. Again, if you’re looking for complex worldbuilding and something deep, you will not find it here. But, while it isn’t poetry in motion, there was at least no point where I actively cringed or asked myself why I was playing it (this is compared to my experience with Voltage Games and Playchoices).
The MC is tolerable. There’s nothing special about her, but she avoids being a literal faceless protagonist with zero presence while also not having such a strong personality as to be polarizing. She shows more competence and restraint than I expected of her (the bar was nearly floor level, but still).
The pacing is... odd. I get the distinct feeling that it’s a longer otome shoved inside a mobile otome, if that makes sense. I’ve seen other reviews call it rushed, but that isn’t necessarily the feeling I get. For a game to feel “rushed” to me, it has to show a lack of care and attention to detail; scenes are had just to have them and either don’t contribute to the overall plot/theme/feeling of the game. I feel like this game does take care, especially in it’s early bits, but some developments happen later on which don’t get the development time they necessarily need. Which leads me to-
The plot kind of goes off the rails around chapter 10 or 11. It returns to form in chapter 14ish. This... plot twist, shall we say, is predicated on hiding obfuscating knowledge from the reader that should be apparent due to being from the MC’s PoV. Whether or not this is a dealbreaker will depend largely on the person. Personally, I was loopy off resisting sleep medication while reading this part so I just sort of accepted it and the return to form/explanation in later chapters made it worth it, but your mileage will definitely vary. I have Thoughts on this, but this is all I can really say while still maintaining a spoiler free review.
Playtime if ardently listening to the voices is ~3 hours. Playtime can be cut down significantly if you’re a fast reader and don’t overly care about the voice acting.
I haven’t tried all alternate options, but there doesn’t seem like huge variations regarding the choices. The 16th chapter, however, will change based on whether you get the Normal or Happy End.
Art - 7/10
The art isn’t anything special nor is it terrible. It’s much less stiff and has more style to it that most mobile otome’s I’ve played, but is lacking when compared to, again, full length otome games.
The MC has a face, which gets points from me (I dislike faceless MCs a lot especially when included in CGs). The fact no one but love interests even get sprites is somewhat jarring.
As far as CGs go, they’re standard fare and about the number you’d expect for the length of a route. The game isn’t raunchy like... at all so don’t expect anything too scandalous.
Voice Acting - 10/10
What can I say? It’s Kenjiro Tsuda.
To elaborate, however-
Kenjiro Tsuda does an excellent job. I’m not sure if I’d call it his best work, but even if it is voiced, I think there’s some expectation for a mobile otome’s voicework to be phoned in. This is not the case and Tsuda’s acting gives a lot of life to the character and scenarios. I’ll, uh, save my gushing for my line-by-line dissertation, and leave it at that.
What was unexpected was, despite not having sprites, minor characters do get voices! They also have some rather nice performances, and there was no VA I disliked listening to or whose performance was noticeably lacking compared to the others (the actual sound quality was consistent overall as well).
Overall - 8/10
Aside from the prologue, this is a solid performance from a mobile otome game. Compared to full-length otome games it’s lacking, but it’s still one of the better mobile otomes I’ve played. For the $6 you can get individual routes for on the mobile app, it’s a fun, quick romp that was perhaps not necessarily what was advertised (regarding the actual summary), but instead met the expectations I dared to dream of. While I can’t vouch for the game in its entirety, I can, at the very least, vouch for this route.
Comprehensive Overlook + Personal Rating - 10/10
Okay, I’ve been objective as possible despite this being a very subjective topic and now it’s time for me to shill my little heart out.
Writing a standard fare review for this game was really really hard for me because against all odds, logic, and my own taste preferring shit like Hakuouki, I’m in love with this game. Obsessed with it. Half the reason why I’m doing this is because it is a totally unremarkable (though, again, fun) otome game so of course it doesn’t have, like, a community, but I need to fucking gush about it somewhere.
Why?
Because Soshi Amazaki literally hits every single husband trait I so dearly love. This route is the equivalent of if someone took my taste buds and analyzed each and every one of them, then cooked a meal precisely on my most loved things. It isn’t necessarily fine dining, but it feels like it was scientifically engineered to appeal directly to me. It’s like I was possessed and ghostwrote it. It’s like someone peered into my heart and teased out the essence of everything I’ve ever wanted, then told me to eat shit because the shell it’s rammed into is that of a bite sized otome game. I have never had such a feast before me. I’ve never been served such an exquisite palette of flavors. I have never been so thoroughly outraged that this is the form my heart takes.
And yet, I’m... pretty much satisfied, despite its flaws and shortness, with my only real outrage stemming from the fact there is literally nobody I can talk about this with (the morning after I binged the entire route I made my boyfriend play it just so I could rave like a lunatic to someone about it) as well as my shame for being so enamored with what is essentially a mediocre otome game.
I talked about how the story kind of went off the rails 2/3rds of the way through, but honestly? I didn’t care because the payoff was incredible. Was I scared the game wasn’t going to end up where I wanted it to while it was happening? Was I prepared to be immensely disappointed because I felt, briefly, like I was baited and that of course nothing would never let me have my cake and eat it too? Yep. But you know what? I don’t know or care if it’s because I set the bar so low or what, but my expectations were thoroughly blown out of the water.
I’m still committed to making even this part of the review spoiler free, so I won’t be going into depth about what I loved (I’ll save that for another post because this is long enough as it is), but I’ll add this apart from just character archetype and themes being what I loved.
That is, shockingly enough and even considering the pacing and, ahem, weirdness - this is a route where everything seems to serve a function. Again, the story isn’t necessarily deep, and while perhaps I would’ve gone about certain things a different way (and had there been space allotted for greater development), there are many, many, many things that are called back to or that seem insignificant, but serve as thematic backbone and create delicious implications.
As a big brother connoisseur, I give this route 3 Michelin Stars.
If you followed me for/like Fire Emblem’s Marx/Xander, I highly recommend this route.
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How can I make more money like you?
An important question!!
So to start with, I am not a person who has Figured Things Out. I got lucky last year - my friend recommended me for a job in a very high-wage area (specifically, San Francisco’s tech industry) that I happened to be a really good fit for, and that happened to be willing to hire people on a trial basis if they were promising, even if they didn’t have college degrees (’cause I still don’t have one). And that was really good for a while, until some stuff happened and I kinda got eaten. Now I’m unemployed and looking for another job; I think I’ll find something comparatively good again, but I dunno how long it’ll be, and right now I’m looking at both moderately high-paying content-writing jobs and jobs that pay around minimum wage (which is a lot here; nothing pays less than $15 because the bay is lowkey insane), in case getting another really good job takes longer than I’d like it to.
But anyway! Obviously there isn’t a super easy way to make lots of money that’s going to apply to every anon who could possibly have shown up in my inbox, but here are some general pointers:
1) Even if things are going really well for you, you’re gonna tend to make less than most people while you’re early in your career. This is difficult but how it is. It doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong, and you might be on track for a great career in a few more years, once you gain more experience. If this is where you’re at, I think the best way to make more money is to work on leveling up at your current job, or looking for a different job of the same kind that either pays better now or will probably allow you to level up faster. It’s good to take on extra responsibilities when you have the time and energy to do so, especially if they use a lot of skills you do have, but also a few skills that you’ll need to figure out as you go along.
Note that I do think that this advice is less actionable outside of the bay (which is full of startups that are growing rapidly and trying new things). I do think there’s still something to it. If you gain skills and responsibilities as well as you can, I think that even if your current job doesn’t recognize that and reward it, you’ll be building up skills that’ll make you more desirable the next time you change jobs.
2) Say you think you’re in a really good industry, and you know that other people in your industry make decent money, but for some reason, you’re not. Or, alternatively, say that you have a lot of skills and some work experience in a decent industry, but you can’t get anyone to call you back, and you’re beginning to wonder if maybe you’re secretly terrible and have zero Good Employee Qualities.
Getting a new job is hard, and leaving an old job is scary. I know; I just left my old job, and I spend lots of time being scared that nobody’s gonna hire me and I’m gonna have to go back to working at Kroger again, where I only made it through cashiering shifts by imagining that my characters were being tortured and that I could only save them by making it to the end of the next hour.
But it really does pay to look at what else is out there. You can get some ideas by very casually looking at job sites like Glassdoor or Indeed; there might be nothing, or a bunch of job postings that you don’t understand, but I’ve found that it’s often good to get the lay of the land and figure out what recruiters are looking for in your industry. If you want better odds, and you have some successful friends, it can pay to ask them whether their companies are hiring for a position you can fill, and whether any of them might like to recommend you for it.
If you don’t have an easy way to get your foot in the door, you’re gonna be filling out a lot of applications. This sucks, but it doesn’t mean that you suck. If you really feel like you’re qualified for the sort of job you want, get someone to help you put together a good resume that shows off your skills, put together a portfolio or similar if you’re in the relevant industries, and resign yourself to applying to dozens or maybe hundreds of things. Recruiters are super arbitrary and will totally disqualify you based on things that have nothing to do with your ability to do the job. (This isn’t even because they’re bad people, it’s because they have a stack of resumes on their desk and have only the faintest idea how to tell which of the associated candidates are gonna be good at things.) It’s a numbers game. If you’re not doing something really ridiculous, like applying to every job with a resume that only lists completely unrelated kinds of work experience, then someone’ll probably talk to you eventually. It’ll just probably take way more applications than you’d think.
(Oh, also, all of the requirements in job postings tend to be pretty silly; as long as you think you’re genuinely capable of doing the work, I think you should apply to jobs where you meet maybe 75% of the stated requirements if the job sounds OK, and maybe 50% if it’s something you’d be really excited to get to do.)
3) If you’re not in a career sort of job at all - if you’re stuck behind the counter at Wendy’s right now, in which case my heart goes out to you, anon friend - or you’ve found yourself in a career that pays very badly or makes you unhappy, and you don’t think your skills will translate to anything you like doing, then you might want to look at changing careers entirely. Most people will tell you to go to college, if you haven’t already. I’m gonna tell you that college is a great thing for lots of people, but not always a good idea financially, and not always the best way forward, especially if you’re not very academically inclined.
Think about what you’re good at, and think about what your dealbreakers are. You’re approaching this from thinking about money, not about passion, but you still don’t want to end up in a job that you’re a terrible fit for; you’ll get fired or be miserable all the time, and that’s no good for anyone.
As a first line, if you feel that you’re reasonably flexible and talented, here are some very different jobs that make good money; you might want to consider whether you’re a good fit for any of these, and do more research as appropriate. (This is largely an exercise to get you thinking, not to say that these specific jobs are the ones you should definitely be looking at.)- Nursing. There’s a perpetual shortage of nurses, they have to exist everywhere in the country, and they make at least decent pay no matter where they live. For an RN, you’re looking at an average of about $55k per year in the cheapest states, and about $90k per year in the most expensive ones (although remember that this isn’t what you’ll make at the beginning of your career). I don’t recommend it if you really dislike people, long hours, college classes, heavy lifting, or bodily fluids, but I do think it’s a career that a lot more people should be willing to consider. If you think you can hack the education part, but not so much the heavy lifting, the bodily fluids, or the being around people who might be dying, dental hygienists make about the same amount, and their patients hardly ever need to be carried anywhere while possibly dying. I think.
- Software engineering. The pay rate here is kind of insane; if you have the interest and aptitude, then doing a coding bootcamp and getting a programming job in either NYC or San Francisco is a relatively attainable way of making a genuinely six-figure salary within a few years of starting, even if you don’t have a college degree. It’s not for everyone - I’ve tried to learn, a little, but I’ve bounced off pretty hard so far - but it’s a great opportunity for people who can hack it, so to speak. Like nursing, there’s a shortage here, mostly because software is a rapidly expanding industry that has only existed for, like, forty years tops.
- The skilled trades. We’re talking about electricians, mechanics, plumbers, carpenters, and other people in this space. It’s hard in different ways than an office job, but there are a lot of people who these are a good fit for. While they’re not as highly paid as nurses or engineers, people in the skilled trades do OK; reaching $50k per year is totally feasible, and people who are both skilled and lucky can break $80k. These jobs tend to go by apprenticeship systems, so if you don’t have a family member or friend to vouch for you, it’s a good idea to look at trade schools in your area to get you started, and then expect to spend several years in a junior position until you know what’s what.
- Flight Attendants. Not all flight attendants are particularly well-paid, but many are, and things like waitressing can be counted as relevant experience. The first flight attendant job I found on Indeed just now is $18 an hour and doesn’t require any experience or a degree, though the requirements do have a lot to say about your appearance, height (gotta be able to get luggage out of the overhead compartments, after all), and willingness to work really weird hours. The BLS reports that the median flight attendant ultimately makes about $56k per year.
- Police officers. Obviously there are a ton of very legit reasons not to want to be a police officer, but I am of the opinion that someone’s gotta do it, and it’s better if the people involved wanna do it right, right? (I guess I don’t know if you want to do it right. Please don’t become a police officer purely for the money and then shoot someone, anon.) The median police officer makes about $60k, and it doesn’t require a college education, which is honestly a pretty good deal even if you’re not as passionate as Judy Hopps. I don’t recommend it as a job unless you’re not scared of people, even the creepy ones, ‘cause scared people make mistakes, and when police officers make mistakes, sometimes people end up dead.
If you read that list and were like, “Bard, there’s a reason I’m at Wendy’s, can you lower your expectations here a little,” you might want to look into stuff like warehousing, groundskeeping, janitorial work, sales, garbage collection, or construction work. Job sites are your friends; it’s useful to browse them and see what sorts of jobs pay the kinds of salaries you’re looking for. I also think you might be well-served by considering whether you can move in with friends or family in a part of the country where wages are higher. The big cost of living difference in other places is rent, so if you have a housing situation figured out or can split that cost with a friend, you can make a lot more money just by doing the same thing somewhere else. For example, before I got super lucky and became a Real Content Writer, my plan was to hang out on my friend’s couch for six months rent-free, work at some supermarket in SF, and then take my wages back home to Indiana to pay for the rest of my degree. And honestly, if I hadn’t fallen in love with this ridiculous place and hadn’t immediately gotten a much better job, I think it very well might have worked.
There’s a lot more that I could say here, but this is already pretty long. The main things are to think about where you’re headed, to look around at all of the different possible lucrative directions to head in if you don’t like where you are, and to figure out what steps you’d have to take to get there. You’re welcome to come to my inbox with more questions about this - my last job was all about helping people find jobs themselves, so I guess I should know something about it by now - but you might need to be a little more specific if I didn’t hit on the thing you’re stuck on in this post.
#bard says things#asks#anon#in which someone snipes me and makes me do un-80k stuff even though i am not prepared to do it Officially#it's ok anon ilu#good luck with stuff
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What are some of your favorite sources of information about Hellenic Polytheism? Also, what are some of your favorite books about it? 💜
Oooohhh let’s see!
Well let’s start on tumblr! This blog here has a lot of good information on it, though I don’t think it’s active any longer! https://dodekatheismresources.tumblr.com/ I would very much recommend going through their FAQ and resource pages, there’s a lot of good information to glean there, and start putting together your own ideas!
This blog also has some good information: http://baringtheaegis.tumblr.com/ Though it also doesn’t appear to be active any longer. I believe this person has a blog off this site by the same name as well (http://baringtheaegis.blogspot.com/)! I’m not certain it’s the same person, however. I haven’t gone through either blog in its entirety so I can’t vouch for the quality of all the information there, but it gave me a good jump start and I’ve heard good things!
Other internet resources? https://www.theoi.com/ is a good place to get information on the gods! This site is also a pretty good resource that I’ve looked through before: http://www.hellenion.org/
As for books? The one I’ve read thus far is Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship, which you all know because I’ve been talking about it for a week now lol.
Books I plan on reading?
A Beginner’s Guide to Hellenismos
Hellenismos: Practicing Greek Polytheism Today
Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored
I can’t vouch for any of them, but once I read them I’ll let you know if they’re any good or if they should be avoided at all costs, lol. I hope this helps some,
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hm. here's some kl
hey folks now that we’ve all said fuck canon and fuck s8 i decided to compile a couple of my fav klance fics for some better vibes! i’m including some classics so that i can Stress how Good they will make you feel, and some which are ones i don’t think i’ve seen recced too often but they’re def good quality! without further ado here we go :) putting most of them under the cut for the sake of length
✫ just come to me once by laallomri
Lance’s smile widens. He leans forward, and the prickling in Keith’s chest gives way to butterflies, fluttering wildly in his stomach, and oh wow has Lance always had this many freckles, has he always had eyelashes that long, has he—
Lance pokes his cheek, right over the Galra mark. Keith blinks.
“I can’t believe you and your mom have matching face tattoos now,” he says, and it’s so fucking dumb, but it’s exactly the kind of dumb thing Keith has longed to hear, and before he knows what he’s doing he’s surging forward, almost knocking Lance back against Red’s paw, and throwing his arms around him.
In which Keith lives on a space whale, goes on a road trip, and (eventually) gets a boyfriend.
[i have no doubt that this is already a classic or at least will be considered one soon enough, but it was finished recently and i can personally vouch for the softness, sweetness, and quality of this fic and the WRITER!! it’s just such a great feel-good piece and wonderfully written. 10/10 made me cry out of pure joy]
✫ speak for the stars by speaks
All Lance has ever wanted is to prove his worth. So, maybe it’s fitting that the Black Lion picked him right when Lotor betrayed them and Shiro’s clone went rogue. Right when the team was at its lowest and closest to failing.
The desire for glory that Lance grew up with—that drove him to join the Garrison and pursue fighter class, that drove him into his one-sided rivalry with Keith, that drove him after Keith in the Sonoran Desert and into Blue’s cockpit and into space and into the war in the first place—it’s a relic of the past for him now. All he wants these days is to keep his friends alive and the Coalition afloat, and he tries his best, despite the pervasive fear that he isn’t the right person for this monumental task. Despite the growing certainty that Black picked the wrong guy.
This fear will be put to the ultimate test when the mess that ensnares the team after the clone disaster turns out to be a labyrinth more winding than any of them were prepared for. Because Lance might just be the only person equipped to lead them through this maze and into the light.
[this fic. THIS FIC. if you were rightfully disappointed by the way characters were treated, especially in the later seasons, then PLEASE read this. everyone is done so much justice and the writing is top notch. had scenes and lines that just... took my breath away. also the writer has some excellent other fics too, which if you haven’t already read then you def should!]
✫ hey, mom, i met a boy by mothpoem
“Sweetheart,” says Lance, his hair longer, his shoulders broader, the slope of his nose uneven now where it didn’t used to be, “you don’t know the half of it.”
[i wish i was kidding but just reading the description alone invokes so much emotion in me?? my throat closed up just typing this ohhh my god every time i reread this— probably three times already bc i don’t want to wear it out— i absolutely lose my shit. teary smiles, the works. i will never shut up about this fic or this author. please read it]
✫ colours and planes, laser guns and champagne by skelebro
Shiro invites Hunk and Lance to his roleplaying campaign, and it's all fun and games except for how Lance is constantly on the verge of fighting the team warrior in real life.
[okay this one is 2016 era and it’s also a lot shorter but i read it and was like woah! you know. felt good. felt organic :) simple and fun and sweet]
✫ eternity (was in our lips and eyes) by thespacenico
Lance feels like he’s on the cusp of a life-changing revelation.
“I told him not to tell you.”
And this time, Keith doesn’t seem to have trouble asking the unavoidable question: “Why?”
Lance looks at Keith, and everything falls into place.
A life-changing, mind-blowing, head-splitting, earth-shattering revelation.
[okay this fic did me in it’s just really God Damn Good. also while i’m on the topic the author is writing an INSANELY cute klancemas series featuring the whole squad and if you want those soft holiday feels i’d highly recommend that too]
✫ you are the moon that breaks the night by talking_bird
"He looks up then and stares the beast right in the eyes—right in Lance’s eyes. Because in all the terror and fleeing, Keith forgot that part, that somewhere, underneath all that fur and teeth is Lance. Lance."
The simple truth is that Keith Kogane is in love with his childhood best friend, Lance McClain. It's a simple truth he plans to keep locked away until the day he dies, but that was before Lance survived a grisly animal attack. Now, a month later, Keith is resolved to confess.
But the full moon has other plans for them...
[admittedly i haven’t read this one yet but i’ve already heard good things and the tags themselves are just... Hell Yeah... i’ll probs update this w/ my personal thoughts but i’m super excited!! EDIT: IT WAS V GOOD!!!]
✫ it’s you that’s haunting me by perfchan
Keith is a loner; his interactions with others tend toward clumsy or strained, but he has a persistent enthusiasm for the paranormal. Lance is a recent college grad; caught up in his day-to-day, he wouldn’t call himself unhappy, but suddenly feels that his life lacks direction. When Lance is introduced to Keith’s ghost hunting videos, his interest is piqued and he can’t help but want to tag along. Initially opposed, Keith soon finds himself warming to the company of the living.
A little tongue-in-cheek, a little cliché, and a little bit of a slow burn. A not-too-serious ghost hunting AU.
[okay i’m so bad w/ anything paranormal but this was SO good and cute pls read]
✫ the expiation expedition by intelligentairhead, obstinaterixatrix
Lance is well aware that miscommunications can result in horrific, preferably avoidable mishaps, which is why he tries to circumvent them whenever possible.
It just figures that the state of an entire planet's fragile political climate rests on him running straight into one.
[okokokok i don’t see this one on many lists but it SHOULD be it’s got fake dating! lesbian aliens! politics! it’s really good i have to reread it soon ALSO check out both the writers!!]
#klance#klance fics#fic recs#voltron#vld#i have more classics/other lmk if you want recs!#also was gonna add a cute adashi one but decided 2 keep it kl focused#if u want that one tho i'll link it its p good :')#fics
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Hello there! I read all of your how to zine thing and I've been thinking how to organize a portfolio online... Do you have any suggestions or tutorials on how to do one? I use Google drive but I don't like it anymore (it seems unprofessional) so I was wondering if you have any tips óvò thank you in advance and sorry for my English!!
aaaa it’s ok I’m no native English speaker either, so don’t worry!!
For your question, I personally have started using the Adobe Portfolio (it seems to be free?) as I have the Adobe CC for uni purposes and thus already an Adobe account. I innicially wanted to have it for design stuff only but then discovered I could make a second portfolio so I made one for my internet illustration/art stuff as well and used it as portfolio for zines (idk if it interests you but in case you want some inspiration, here’s the link.) I’m still kinda unsatisfied as it doesn’t really have a gallery option where you can click through the images individually, it really is catered to mobile users and the images look uncomfortably large on the desktop for me, but in general building them is kind of intuitive even if the layout options are rather limited.
I personally don’t have much experience with other portfolio websites (I only tried deviantart’s portfolio before and wasn’t really satisfied with it either, but that’s been years ago.) I would recommend doing some research (maybe some of my followers also has suggestions?) and maybe also consider using a general website from a website builder like weebly or wix (I think there are also free options?) as they are a bit more flexible in their layout.
EDIT: I added a list with some website builders and portfolio websites on the How to Apply post, if any of you have more suggestions, I’ll add them to the list as well. Just a note that I don’t have experience with every website on the list.
Some of my study friends also from other universities used a PDF file with their best works and sent that to agencies, so that might be an option, too, especially if you’re only allowed to a very limited number of pieces. With programs like InDesign it’s fairly easy to make a cohesive and nicely designed PDF (I recently got some suggestions for similar programs as a lot of people suffer from Adobe raising their CC prices but I haven’t tried any of them so I can’t vouch for them.)
For me, it largely depends on what specifically the portfolio is for.If I were to apply for an agency job, I’d try to fit in as much of my range as possible while still trying to focus on what the specific job is for. I think that tactic works for zines as well, even though it’s more illustration-heavy than necessarily corporate or editiorial design. I started to categorise my works more by projects/purpose so that the individual concepts are gathered together instead of having “sketches” “illustrations” “typography” etc. as throughout time, you’ll get more and more interdisciplinatory projects so you can’t sort them that easily. Of course you can sort them also on the main focus for the individual projects (a magazine might be sorted into editorial or typography for example.)
I made an extra category for my comic project to have everything together, currently most of them are just some illustrations but I’ll add more concept art and stuff like that later on.I also like displaying commission or zine works in a seperate category so it’s easier to see what people can expect from hireing me, plus it also shows that I actually already have experience with zines and commissioned work. Of course you don’t need to put all your commissions/zine works into it, especially if you don’t like them/don’t find the result very pleasing anymore. A portfolio is always courating your own works by what you consider your personal qualities.
As I already have mentioned in the portfolio post, I also try to kick out works that are older than 3 years from the portfolio staples that I use when zines only ask for a few of my best pieces (like 3-5) but I keep them in my online portfolio site if I still like them on a general basis, especially if the style is something I still can pull off. I also never use pieces I never published anywhere online so I usually just link to the tumblr post if there’s only a limited number of pieces allowed. I just try to keep my tumblr organised and aesthetically pleasing and check if all the links still work.
For the layout, I recommend using something simple and neutral as the work itself should be the focus, not the very fancy design around it. This especially should be the case if you want to display several styles and/or moods/colour schemes. If your style is very pastell-y and cute, of course a more cute and pastel design compliments it well. But if you also have very dark colours and for example gory designs, it most likely will clash with the works and thus isn’t a very wise descision. Safe colours are always white and any completely desaturated greys that are somewhere in the lighter and mid-range shades. Black can look good, too, but imo should be handled with a bit more care. I probably would recommend a darker grey instead as it doesn’t swallow too much light. You want your work to pop but having too much contrast between your work and the background can also get uncomfortable for the eye.
I also would recommend not using too fancy and playful fonts as they easily distract you from the actual work. I also wouldn’t use Times New Roman and Arial as they aren’t very comfortable to read (and don’t have a very good design.) Calibri is always a very safe and well-designed font that most likely is an option everywhere, but of course just look through the font options and test what suits your works the best.When picking a font colour, please always check the contrast to the background, especially when you use more saturated colours. I also wouldn’t recommend using 100% saturated colours as they are also very uncomfortable for the eye.My prime example of very little readability is bright red on pitch black background. It’s one of the most uncomfortable combinations to read as red is very aggressive to the eye and through the very high saturation also is difficult to distinguish in front of the very dominant black. Having a red-ish grey would work much better, especially if it’s a lighter shade, and not using black but a darker grey would take away the tension as well. Just play around a bit until you get to a visually satisfying result.
Always be aware that starker contrasts also always draw the eye, so you want the most contrast in your works and not in what surrounds them. If you have especially light works with maybe a very delicate lineart and little contrast, you might want to use a white, pastel colour or light grey with a fairly light font (that still has enough contrast to the background to be readible)
The most general advice I can give is focussing on displaying your works and not distracting from them. I would try to have a very simple and cohesive site that puts everything together in a harmonizing way and also doesn’t have too many subcategories so that navigation is easy and smooth.
I hope that helped in some way? ^^;
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I note that I've read a lot of comics from the '60s, a lot of which have completely unironic and unquestioned turn-criminality-to-good rays. I'm wondering if this was responding directly to something in the culture at the time, which would've been more explicit to audiences at the time.
Yeah, could well be. I know there’s also a Doctor Who episode from 1971 that has a similar ‘remove all negative impulses’ device used on prisoners, although that one was also a plot by the villain all along. But I don’t know enough about the time period to be sure exactly what this was a response to. @aerialsquid mentioned it being a commentary on lobotomies, which unfortunately were still going on in the US at that time, though they’d started to pick up a negative reputation. Not something that occurred to me, I must admit, but it makes sense.
I try to keep in mind the setting these episodes were airing in but, well, I was born thirty years later and frequently have trouble keeping up with what is happening around me now, so I know at the end of the day there’s going to be some cultural things going on that I’ll be missing. This is probably one of them.
But, I felt like it was worth talking about in this case because even if we don’t have the exact same context going on as this episode had when it aired, we still have a lot of problems in how we think about criminals and the prison system. I’m sure modern audiences would find the specific idea of the Spinny Light of Brain-Melting to be rather hokey now, but the idea that you can draw a sharp line between Criminals and Normal People? That a person convicted of a crime has some inherent quality making them Bad, a quality they will always have no matter how the rest of their life goes? Systemically mistreating people in the prison system because they’re criminals so they deserve it anyway? That’s an attitude that’s still very much extant. I’m not at all convinced we wouldn’t immediately start using the neural neutralizer if someone invented it tomorrow.
(Well, it’s a problem in my country. I can’t vouch for anywhere else. But it’s the same country Star Trek originated from so I feel like that’s relevant.)
So I felt like in this case, whatever the cultural context for the episode at the time that it aired, the themes in it aren’t something I felt comfortable passing off as just “well that’s how it was in the 60s, but things have changed now.” Because some things haven’t changed, so much. Dagger of the Mind is one of those weird cases of something that was relevant when it first came out and is still relevant, but for different reasons. Or partially different reasons. Maybe some of the same reasons.
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