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chaos0pikachu · 5 months

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Cinematography?? In MY BL??? Not as likely as you think.

TLDR: it's a joke!!! but also legit sometimes I see "cinematography in bl" and it's just some basic pictures with mid-tone lighting and blue t-shirts. Let's talk film terms like: aperture, panning, tilting, and movement in film so we can see what goes into cinematography (with sources!). Also if I name a show you like as "boring cinematography" don't send me hate mail I'll laugh

(examples used: Our Skyy2 vs kinnporsche, 2gether vs semantic error, 1000 Stars vs The Sign)

If I name a show you like in this post as "bad cinematography" be chill about it, like, I ain't saying you can't like it, I'm just talking about techniques here not personal likability or overall show quality. I like badly filmed shit too say hello to my collection of Friday the 13th Blue Rays we're just here to talk techniques and like, educational stuff okay?

So the straight (heh) textbook definition of "cinematography" is: the art of making motion pictures. Which, frankly, tells you nothing. Like it's not wrong~~ but it's not informative either. Cinematography covers a lot of what we, the audience, visually see on screen:

"Cinematography is the art of photography and visual storytelling in a motion picture or television show. Cinematography comprises all on-screen visual elements, including lighting, framing, composition, camera motion, camera angles, film selection, lens choices, depth of field, zoom, focus, color, exposure, and filtration." (source)

So let's talk movement in film.

So when I talk about movement, what do I mean? I mean the way the camera, the characters, and the environment moves within a frame.

This video on Akira Kurosawa's usage of movement in a scene is brilliant:

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Something as simple as having rain or fire in the background of a shot can enhance the emotions of a scene vastly. it gives the scene depth - literal depth, not narrative depth - that would otherwise be missing.

The way the camera moves and transitions leading the viewers eye back and forth makes what you're watching more engaging. You aren't consuming these scenes, you are engaging with them. They are apart of the story itself, giving the environment life and texture so the characters within them matter more.

And, look, I get busting out Thee Akira Kurosawa might be unfair, but if we're gonna talk cinematography we can't not talk the importance of movement on film.

To understand good cinematography you have to understand what makes it good and as such what makes bad or mediocre cinematography.

In connection with movement we gotta talk about camera techniques like panning and tilting:

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"Camera movements are a fundamental part of video production. They can be a powerful storytelling device, heightening tension, evoking emotions, and bringing the viewer into the action. Without saying a word, camera movements can transform a scene’s entire narrative, and direct audiences’ attention where you want it." (source)

So we have movement of environment, of characters, and we also have movement of the camera itself.

Ok so like, where does the BL come in Pikachu??

I'm getting to that, I'm going to start with a more general example: Our Skyy 2 (Bad Buddy meets 1000 Stars edition) vs Kinnporsche.

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Starting at 5:17 we have Pran stranded or whatever, and this shot is like, it's fine. It's boring as hell, but fine. Why is it boring as hell? Well it's flat, it lacks movement, it lacks depth.

When the driver drove off the camera could have panned to follow his movement and then panned back to Pran at a different angle to showcase his isolation. Honestly since the scene starts with a mid close up of Pran, I would have had the camera behind Pran as the driver drove away, and had the camera pan around Pran 360 so we get shots of his environment, and him, while also emphasizing holy shit he's like, fucking stuck in the wilderness.

In general, there's a big lack of movement in the scene. The camera remains almost entirely static, there's no attempt at zooming in or out, following Pran's movement, or showcasing his environment in any meaningful way. Even when Pran begins walking towards the camera the angle of the framing is still centered, rather than tilted downward or upwards to give us more dimension (non-BL comparison, the Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington does the "walking towards the camera" shots really well).

We get a cut of a medium close up of Pran, with a deeper focus so his environment is blurred out.

I understand the thought process of this shot, we want the audience to focus on Pran, but if the point of the scene is to emphasize he's alone, confused, maybe even a bit anxious at his new circumstances it could've been done better. Take a wider shot from this angle, open up the lens to allow for that background environment to come through and show him isolated. Maybe do a pan above him or tilt the camera up going from his feet up as he nervously ruffles his hair. There's options here.

This just adds more walking to the scene, which we already had. It doesn't enhance or emphasize anything about Pran's emotions as a character.

Anyway the camera continues to follow him and then we get another cut. And it's from the same angle as before, only this time we see a truck coming. The camera remains static, it completely stops moving, and we just wait for the truck to drive into the frame.

This whole sequence of events ends at 5:57 and while not a long sequence I find it frustrating because it's boring. The only way the audience knows that Pran is anxious is via Nanon’s acting, there’s nothing in the filmmaking that enhances or contributes to that feeling.

He’s alone, until he’s not, and that’s all the scene tells us. It leaves the scene lacking any tension as well, because we’re not getting a sense of isolation - how large is this space? How alone is Pran right now? What is the entirety of the environment?

Contrast this with a similar scene in kinnporsche ep06 where Kinn and Porsche are alone in the mountains. I don't have a video of this specific scene so I have to link the trailer, starting at 1:48 to 1:52, but see how we start mid-close up of Kinn and Porsche, then pan out from above them? This is a better showcasing of just how vast the environment around Kinn and Porsche are.

They're still center frame throughout all of this, the depth of the scene is in mid-focus so nothing is blurred out and you can see the sharpness of the environment.

It also places the audience in the same space as Kinn, who is looking up at the sky while the audience looks down at him. It makes the audience a more active participant in the shot, emphasizes the state of the characters, gives the audience a sense of space & environment, and relies a sense of emotion.

The additional fast zoom out also adds to the scene by adding movement and making it more dynamic.

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(my man pran looking like this 🧍)

Both these scenes are pretty short, but they're relaying similar information and one is way more dynamic and effective than the other. Both Pran and Kinn/Porsche are alone in the wildness, but in the latter there's a lack of space, a lack of movement, and a lack dimension. This is mainly a framing issue, so let's talk more about camera movement (panning, & tilting).

Here's a scene from 2gether vs a scene from Semantic Error.

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(saw someone say 2gether had a high production value and chepie where??)

This entire scene with Sarawat and Tine is flatly shot. There is nothing in their background so no outward movement is happening, the lighting is even as are the colors, everything is at the same depth, and there's little to no motion in the camera.

The scene with Sarawat pushing Tine into frame. Why doesn't the camera follow Tine's motion of movement so the scene has more momentum? It just stops and the char falls out of frame before walking back into it. Then we get a series of cuts back and forth of close ups on Sarawat and Tine's faces. Back and forth, back and forth.

The editing leaves a ton to be deserved because if the back and forth did a quick pan back and forth with each beat we could build up tension, give the scene some texture, heighten the intensity of the argument. If we're going for something softer we could place them in on better set, or make the characters move themselves - have Sarawat walk away from the argument up those stairs, have the camera follow his movement as Tine chases him continuing the argument - or play with the lighting a bit, pan the camera down or tilt it something!

When Tine kisses Sarawat why doesn't the camera move with him in a more notable way? Why did we have a cut to a close up? And then we're back in a mid close up and more cuts and this editor is killing me!

This scene is 4mins long and the only engaging bit of filmmaking here is when the camera follows Tine when he steps closer to Sarawat putting the latter in the frame at 3:15, the entire scene is 4 minutes long.

I want to compare this scene to this scene in Semantic Error which is also all dialogue and also obviously filmed on a shoestring budget.

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So right away the camera work here is smart, it starts off in an establishing shot, evenly lit, of Sang Woo and Jae Young both in the frame. Then we get a mid close up of JY looking down, then a tight close up of JY looking up.

The change in camera angle emphasizes his surprise at seeing SW here as he looks up at SW. The lighting has also changed, it's much brighter now. The camera also begins to move, where it was static before it begins to tilt and shift.

We get a cut to SW, the first one of this scene. JY is seeing SW in a new light for the first time, and as such so is the audience. By starting the scene off in an outward shot with both chars in the frame, they are placed on the same level and the audience doesn't see their expressions up close. So when we're hit with JY's close up of surprise and then SW's close up of his wet hair it holds way more impact. It enhances the feelings of JY's character for the audience.

The lighting behind SW has also changed, it's much brighter, and warmer compared to the cooler tones of light behind JY. The camera also slows, and continues to to tilt and shift. JY's world has literally been shifted on his axis.

We get another cut, this time medium on SW and notice, the camera stops moving for that moment and the light around him dims. It's not as saturated. We're moved out of JY's pov here and back into "regular" framing.

SW tries to make JY leave, we get a close up cut of the cut on JY's arm - hey editing used to display important and new information! - then the camera cuts to SW getting medicine and here's a small but important thing, when he tosses at JY the camera follows his movement. And instead of cutting away, when JY gets up thinking SW is hurt, the camera follows JY's movement back towards SW.

It would have been easy to make a cut there back and forth - like in the 2gether scene did over and over - but following the movement of the characters makes the scene way more interesting visually to watch.

Changing the angles of the camera from a lower angle (where JY is looking up) to a downward angle (where SW is looking down) makes the scene more interesting visually as well and enhances the storybeat of JY looking up at SW in a new light memorized. This contributes to the story as well, as it's JY who catches feelings for SW first so their are literally, on uneven ground until they're not later in the story. The camera is panning, tilting, moving with the characters even given the limited space. The lighting adds to the effectiveness, as do the minimal cuts.

On a technical level, the scene in Semantic Error is just better filmed. In my own opinion, the scene is far more engaging b/c the filmmaking is better, where in 2gether the reliance is almost completely on the actors to sell the scene with little help. And I'm not saying nothing about Bright and Win cause their stans wildin'.

Next, I wanna talk about aperture.

I saw a post that used this word and I didn't understand the context in which they were using it because aperture isn't a style of filmmaking its a camera setting or lens adjustment - it's the rate at which the camera opens and closes letting in light and focus.

"Aperture is the opening of the lens through which light passes. When you hit the shutter release button to take the picture, the camera aperture opens to the predetermined width, letting a specific amount of light through. A large aperture lets more light in, and vice versa. Aperture is calibrated in f/stops, written in numbers like 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11 and 16. The larger the number, the narrower the aperture." (source) <- really recommend this article if you want to learn about aperture in film.

A great non-BL example of aperture used for style is One Piece Live Action where cinematographers Nicole Hirsch Whitaker, and Michael Wood love using deep focus aperture in a lot of scenes.

But let's compare The Sign vs 1000 Stars.

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So when the scene starts, we're in mid-focus/aperture, everything is of similar sharpness and depth. Nothing is especially blurred out we're getting the full spectrum of Phaya and Tharn's environment.

When the camera switches to close ups of Phaya and Tharn however, we get a deep focus aperture. That's why everything behind them is so blurred out. In a close up of Phaya, even Tharn's face is blurred. The director wants the audience to focus specifically on these characters individually, so we can understand the weight of their dialogue. But when the camera wants us to see the characters as a unit, it cuts, pulls back out of that deep focus and everything is back in mid-focus again.

Here's another thing, it's subtle but it's important.

This scene also combines what we already discussed about movement. At :08 of the scene, in that first mid-shot the camera is actually zooming in closer on Phaya and Tharn. Not dramatically, subtly, but it is there. This is important, because at 3:23 we get another mid-shot of them, pulled out of that deep focus, and the camera begins to zoom out.

The camera also follows the movement of Phaya grabbing Tharn's hands, then pans back up to Phaya's face once again before panning higher into the frame and panning back to their faces and zooming in.

When we move back out of that deep focus, into a mid-shot the camera continues to zoom out on the two characters as they kiss.

I saw someone say that this scene wasn't "filmed like BL kisses" and, eh? Like it isn't filmed in that static style of filmmaking which has dominated BL filmmaking probably due to budgetary reasons. But

The Sign follows a similar filmmaking style as Kinnporsche and Domundi shows do. But also just like, basic filmmaking techniques you'd see in shows of the non-CW/soap variety.

The thing fans are seeing here is film technique (probably partially due to a larger budget). Movement, lens adjustment, panning and titling, lighting and color are all playing a role in this specific scene.

Cinematography baby.

(sidenote the VFX of The Sign is dope as fuck too)

Okay so let's talk Our Skyy 1000 Stars

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So this opening scene follows a similar structure to the scene in The Sign: mid focus shot of the two chars, into separate deep focus close ups. It's also a dialogue heavy scene like the one with Phaya and Tharn.

So why does their scene work better on a technical level than this one in Our Skyy 2?

The scene in The Sign combines techniques of aperture, movement, lighting, color and framing to give everything more impact.

In this scene with Phupha and Tian we get a similar editing style as the scene in 2gether: lots of back and forth cuts, very tight close ups, static camera movement. Where as the camera zooms in and out during mid-shots, the camera doesn't move in Our Skyy 2. It remains motionless even though a zoom in as the two characters lay in bed would add a lot to the scene itself.

In the close ups the camera continues to remain static, only changing angles when there's a cut. At 1:22 Phupha moves his arm to wrap around Tian, the camera could have taken a closer shot at his arm, and then followed his movement as he wraps it around Tian. Like how the camera followed Phaya's movement when he holds Tharn's hand.

Instead it's just a flat shot, we see his arm wrap around in a mid-focus above shot. The camera does move to follow Tian a couple times - at 1:50 for example. But overall, the scene is stiff - who sleeps like this frfr - in framing, in movement, in depth.

I want to say that I don't think this scene is bad - like I do the 2gether scene or the earlier scene with Pran - I think it's just, okay~~

And no, for none of these examples did I pick "the worst" shots or whatever. I'm not out to get any specific show, but tried to find comparable scenes and compare and contrast the filmmaking techniques used in both and how effectively they were used.

I want to leave off with this.

There's a lot that goes into cinematography, yes this singular shot of Furiosa is amazing, but what makes the scene amazing?

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Pay attention to how the camera moves (panning and tilting), when the camera moves (zooms in and out), the movement of the scene (the hair and sand moving), the lighting (Furiosa from behind is in darkness, her side profile more lit), the depth of the scene itself changing (as she walks away from the group the focus/aperture gets deeper on her, then when she walks out of the frame it grows larger to focus on the characters left behind).

All these little things make up what is "cinematography". The more you learn about the techniques used the more you can notice about film and what makes a scene powerful.

As BL gets more budget we're seeing shows expand their filmmaking catalogue more and more. Which is exciting! If fandom is gonna talk cinematography I think it's helpful to have the vocab to do so, and it's cool to watch a scene and be like "oh I see what they're doing here and why and how".

I mentioned other things that go into cinematography like framing, lighting, color, and there's also editing (which is separate). Idk if I'll make a post about those things cause I'm lazy and this shit takes forever to research and write but who knows~~

Check out other posts in the series:

Film Making? In My BL? - The Sign ep01 Edition | Aspect Ratio in Love for Love's Sake | Cinematography in My BL - Our Skyy2 vs kinnporsche, 2gether vs semantic error, 1000 Stars vs The Sign | How The Sign Uses CGI | Is BL Being Overly Influenced by Modern Western Romance Tropes?

[like these posts? drop me a couple pennies on ko-fi]

#the sign #the sign the series #kinnporsche #gmmtv series #gmmtv #chaos pikachu speaks #chaos pikachu metas #fuckign a i should open a ko-fi this shit takes forever to write #pikachu's bl film series

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homunculus-argument · 10 months

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Random worldbuilding from The Unfinished Book:

While there is no unified, clearly defined LGBT community, the people who would by our definition fall under that umbrella are heavily associated with religion. While the general cultural assumption is that everyone is at least a little bit bisexual - the idea that almost everyone hypothetically could encounter a woman so handsome or a man so beautiful that they'd go gay for them is aknowledged well enough to be a common theme in poetry and literature - being queer is more or less considered a way in which various gods "earmark" their own.

This is considered a matter beyond obvious - there are whole creation myths of how the gods who created the world grew annoyed about how all the humans they made were too busy having and raising their own children to properly focus on worshipping their gods or caring for society at large, so the gods saw fit to create people who would rather love their own sex, or not desire marriage or children at all, to ensure there are some whose hands and minds are free to focus more on the gods.

The Empire tolerates any and every religious practice that doesn't threaten the state, break other laws or cause public disturbance, so while there are some major gods whose temples are in almost every city, the pantheon of gods whose existence is aknowledged is essentially infinite. The churches, temple organisations and schools of various major gods, goddesses and ambiguous divine entities and their devoted priests and servants aren't simply there, but play a part in society and politics, as bankers, historians, librarians, curators, doctors and educators. Some run orphanages.

One big, major player in the field is the order of the Moon Goddess. They don't literally worship the moon, the moon is simply the symbol of the Goddess, whose realm is the perfect logic and structure of the universe, which cannot be touched or even properly comprehended by the fallible and imperfect human mind. Their philosophy is that there is no such thing as a question without an answer or a thing without purpose, and anything that appears so is simply beyond human grasp. While there are Moon Priestesses who aren't trans women, they are few and far between, and still less rare than trans women who aren't priestesses.

This is considered an example of how clear and logical the Moon Goddess is - the dysphoria of AMAB people is culturally regarded as them feeling a calling, a call that cannot be mistaken for anything else, a puzzle with one logical answer that they must personally find and embrace, which cannot be disputed by any mortal force, and can only be denied and repressed for so long by the Chosen Subject before they accept it. Becoming a Moon Priestess isn't an "I don't know what to do with my life so I might as well do this" choice in life, it was a choice that was made for you before you were born.

In the book, the protagonist encounters a trans man on his journey and they travel together for a while. After discovering the nature of how Terrel is, the protagonist isn't baffled by the idea that trans men exist at all - mainly he is unfathomably relieved that this small and boyish youth who drinks, gambles, fights, fucks and commits murder like a grown man is actually older than himself and not, like, thirteen - but astonished that Terrel isn't religious, and doesn't consider himself "chosen" by any god. He just is, and as far as he's concerned, the gods have nothing to do with it.

Also it suddenly makes a lot more sense that his name translates to "son of a hyena bitch", something that no woman would name her own child. He named himself, and his mother is a huge bitch.

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becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys · 1 year

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hi! i have a question i’m directing at you bc i’ve seen the idea going around tumblr but most recently on your post — if a student is caught using ai to cheat do you think that’s worth expulsion? should that be the best case scenario punishment? while i understand the importance of making it known to students the severity of using chatgp, at the same time i feel like that’s a very harsh punishment for being caught cheating. but then also at the same time! i’m not a teacher and i don’t know if it’s possible to teach a student to value their education and the opportunity they have for high learning if they don’t already personally believe that the opportunity is a gift. idk! this isn’t really a structured question but i guess i’m curious about how you (or in general, how professors) feel about expulsion for chatgp (i know you’re just one person and don’t speak on behalf of all educators lol but it’s just something i’ve been curious about)

Expulsion as in, ejected wholesale from the entire university, Do Not Darken Our Door Again? No, I don't.

I think what outsiders tend to miss is that students who do this, 99% of the time, are desperate. Something has gone terribly wrong, they're desperate to meet those deadlines and get that work done, and in my experience it's almost always wrapped up in neurodivergence (usually undiagnosed) and frequently a home situation that's made their lives a shit show and pushed academia to a back burner.

But, it's a more serious issue than high school cheating on a multiple choice quiz. Degrees are crafted to have quality assurance built in, and with good reason. The whole point of a degree is that it's proof of higher learning, and specialist knowledge - you get a higher salary (in theory lol) because your employer is paying for the very expensive training you've undergone. This is particularly important in something like medicine or construction, because if you haven't actually completed all parts of that degree you could kill someone; but even in my own field, if you fundamentally don't understand the physical processes of a sand dune as well as its ecology, and someone hires you to manage that sand dune... well, it's going to be an over-stabilised mess in about five years' time and you've killed the rare sand lizards and mining bees that were living there. And if your degree is a course in an institution who is famous for producing top quality environmental workers who know this stuff... well, you've just made your uni course look very, very bad in industry.

So unis are protective of their quality assurance, and that means they do not like cheaters. And I do agree with that, that's fair enough.

For me, though, I think the answer is not full expulsion. I would run it like this:

Confirm beyond a shadow of a doubt that the student has indeed cheated. This must be confirmed.

IF NOT CONFIRMED: Mark the work strictly. Pair this with a viva - the student must be able to answer questions about the work from two lecturers with subject expertise, plus someone from the Academic Office (although that latter person can just observe only). This will determine how deep their knowledge is vs what they submitted, and should be factored into the overall mark.

IF CONFIRMED: Module fail, all marks for those credits set to zero, and the information included on transcripts (not why they failed, just that they attempted the module and got zero.) HOWEVER, the student is allowed one resit attempt; this might mean having to redo the year as a part-time student just to get that module, depending on how it's taught and how important it is.

All of the above with the understanding that their work is going to now be checked very closely going forward for repeat issues. In confirmed cases, a viva is now a required part of future work.

To be fair, mind, proving cheating is genuinely very hard, so depending on how strict the uni is, that's roughly the system that gets used anyway. Your work is very strictly marked, you get viva'd, and you usually fail on quality anyway (especially if your flavour of cheating was ChatGPT, because what it produces is shit.) After you've failed, gone through a resit period, and been capped at a pass mark for the fail, you realise pretty quickly that it would have been less stress and effort for a higher mark to just do the work yourself. And that's a learning curve everyone should be allowed, I think.

#asks #the professional world of careers and tasks

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heilos · 4 months

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Hello! My name is Moriah and I am a junior in high school. I was wondering if I might be able to get your insight on a few questions I have?

I am in my final years of high school and am starting to think about college but I have no idea what I want to pursue. I know I love art, so for a long time I have been thinking about getting an art major or going to an art school.

I’m reaching out because I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOUR ART and I think you are a very talented artist! I have been in love with your art for so long and I am curious and wondering how you are able to fit drawing into your life?

1.) If you went to college for art, what was it like? Do you think going to school for art or having an art major is worth it?

2.) how can I fit art into my everyday life? I’m sure you have work and other things to do in your life so how do you balance it out? (I just want to know how you can draw as much as you do!)

3.) do you do art as a full-time career or part-time career? is it an alright source of income? If it is a part-time career, how do you balance work, personal life, and art?

Thank you so much! And sorry if these questions might seem personal. I just want to know how other artist manage to draw and create their work and still have an adult life. Thanks again, and thank you for being a huge inspiration in my life to create the art I love! Your art means so much to me!❤️❤️ ❤️

Hi Moriah! Thank you so much for your patience since it took me a bit to answer this. I'll do my best to be as honest as possible. 1) I think going to college can be beneficial even if I wish i'd done things differently. In hindsight I would have definitely taken more time to really look through all available options instead of gunning straight for the most "prestigious" looking colleges since the idea of having a big name school on your resume was pretty prevalent when I was growing up. I went to Savannah College of Art and Design or SCAD for short and while I don't regret the friends I made there, I do regret not understanding just how much an institution like that ended up costing in loans compared to what I got out of it education wise. It always hurts my heart to see other kids get chained to huge amounts of student loan debt that could have been avoided. And even then you don't necessarily need a college degree for every type of art job. Your portfolio is what really matters more to prospective work places if you're looking at a career related to art. I would also keep in mind that the field is very competitive depending on what your goals are. Do you want to get into animation? game design? illustration? comics? prop design, character design or environment design? ect ect. Always try and give yourself the best advantage you can with researched knowledge of what you might be getting yourself into. Also there is no rush to go immediately into college even if you're dead set on wanting to attend one. Please give yourself as much time as you need to really make that decision and, if you have the option, don't feel pressured into thinking you HAVE to make that choice immediately out of high school. 2) I do get quite a bit of production art done on my days off mostly since I'm very experienced in working on group projects like Mystery Skulls Animated. When you're doing art and production work with other people, there's a different mindset in that others are relying on you to keep decently productive so that you're not holding up the pipeline if you're dedicated to seeing a project through to completion. Now when it comes to purely fun art on the side, I've actually only recently started balancing my time out better with work to sketch since the draw back of working on a group project like this for so long is a certain level of burn out. I had about a 2-3 year period where I couldn't get myself to draw much of anything even if I was excited about something like a new game or animated series and it's taken awhile to come to terms with the time lost since my body and head needed that time to recover and that's something i'm much more ok with now. I'm not the absolute best on advice for time management unfortunately, but seeking out projects that might interest you and lets you collaborate with other artists is definitely one way to keep yourself excited and engaged when wanting to make art. Just know and/or learn your limits and you'll be better about not getting too burned out when trying to find that decent balance of art time and other life activities. 3) I actually don't do art full time even if that was originally the plan back in college. I personally found out that I didn't want to turn it into a job the closer graduation came, but that varies completely from person to person and plenty of up and coming artists have found fulfillment in having art be their job too. I used to make prints for conventions so that was a partial income source for a little bit, but again for me it got tiring and I ended up getting a different more physical job to supplement my income while still being able to have enough time to stick around with my friend group on our music video projects. And again there's no shame in taking some time in trying to figure out if you want to make art your job and coming to a different conclusion. Sometimes the things we plan when we're younger take a wildly different turn out of left field and education or job aspirations are very much included in that.

#personal #personal ramblings #long post #college #art college #I hope some of these answers helped with your questions!

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leoslosttoolbelt · 1 year

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What I think the demigods would major as and why

these are personal head canons dont take them too seriously :)

Percy: Education. I know that we usually hc as a Marin biology kinda guy but I genuinely think that he wouldn't be too fond of the workload but instead want to work towards being a teacher and being the kind of teacher he needed as a kid, y'know? Alternatively, I can see him being into something like baking and pastry art to take over Sally's shop.

Annabeth: Architecture. I really don't think I need to explain this one to y'all but yeah she's an architecture girly. But if we want to branch out I can also see her studying law and working in the area of Child Protection.

Leo: Astrophysics. I have this head canon of him panicking because of the sheer amount of choices that he's presented with and choosing the first one of the alphabetical list. Lucky for him, he's insanely good at it AND it'll pay well in the future. He minors in mechanical engineering and realises that although he has all the practical knowledge because of his father, his theoretical knowledge isn't as strong lol.

Piper: Food Science. I'm trying to be unique here because yeah, she could do environmental studies but I also think it would be super cool to see her learning about food and developing new vegetarian versions of food because it's something she's visibly passionate about in the books.

Nico: I can see him getting a history / philosophy related degree for his bachelors just for him to get a doctor of philosophy (Ph. D.) in mythology or folklore. His hyperfixation runs deep and he sure as hell is going to fuel it as much as he can.

Jason: Doesn't go to college!! Is severely burnt out <3. No but like idk man I think he'd legitimately want to take it chill if that makes sense? Maybe he'd do a business major just so that he can get a job somewhere but I can't think of somewhere he'd fit in nicely. Jason does have a lot of part time jobs though!!

Frank: Nurse! Nursing school! Despite being the son of Mars I can see him being in the medical field because he wants to help people in need. It's a long journey with lots of ups and downs but finally getting his degree makes it all worth it.

Hazel: Geology because rocks. And also women in STEM!! This one directly correlates to her powers in the books as well as both of her parents! On the other hand, I can see definitely see Hazel studying in the field of archeology with the goal of being an archeologist and then eventually a museum curator :)

Reyna: Psychology!! Listen, I know this seems out of the blue but Reyna gives me the right vibes. Everyone is skeptical at first because they don't think she'd fit the mold of a clinical psychologist but that's okay because Reyna wants to further herself in research! She studies Neuropsychology and becomes a prominent researcher in her field! Please tell me you see the vision.

Will: From what I can see in the books, Emergency Medical Services degree seems like the right field for him. He's already basically a paramedic at Camp Half Blood so he knows it's naturally the right step for him. On the other hand, for something a little different - he seems like the kind of guy who might be interested in studying cinematography or art history maybe.

Travis: He studies Economics because he's so fucking convinced that he can become the next Elon Musk if he studies this. Alternatively, he studies music because he wants to travel the world and like sing with the wind and all that shit.

Connor: he's a communications major because he's a really popular youtube and technically doesn't really need to go to college but oh well he can study communications.

Drew: She goes to cosmetology school as the first step to start her own makeup and skincare empire. She's super nice to all of her clients and helps out all of the other students when they're having trouble with something! I will not tolerate any Drew slander let my girl breathe.

Pollux: Chemical Engineering. He got influenced by watching breaking bad and somehow landed himself a degree in chemical engineering. He doesn't know how he survived that degree but it doesn't matter because he decides to not give a fuck and open a coffee shop that becomes really popular because all the drinks are to die for.

Thalia: I don't really know the right terminology but she has an art related degree / tattoo apprentice so that she can work as a tattoo artist!! It fits with the thalis vision and also she is the eldest daughter who loses it lowkey so she doesn't follow your usual education route. Tattoo artist Thalia for the win!!

#pjo hoo toa #percy jackson #annabeth chase #leo valdez #piper mclean #nico di angelo #jason grace #hazel levesque #frank zhang #reyna ramirez arellano #will solace #travis stoll #connor stoll #drew tanaka #pollux #thalia grace #pjo headcanon

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contentloadingandstuff · 1 year

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More parent headcanons with Dehya and Beidou?

Parent Headcanons - Dehya & Beidou

Genre: Fluff

Characters: Dehya & Beidou Xi

A/N: Since Dehya has not been released officially yet, I'll use the Sumeru namecard for her. For the same reason, she might be ooc.

Enjoy!

Dehya

The thought of being a parent caught her by complete surprise.

One evening, you were resting after a difficult job. After you patched up all the wounds, you quickly fell asleep and Dehya was left tracing circles on your stomach, staring up at the starry night sky.

Her mind wandered from one memory to another. Images of her childhood and her mother got her thinking. What would it be like to be a mother?

She found the idea laughable at first. A mercenary mother?

Dehya often looked at her hands and wondered - could these hands, the same ones that rip open throats on a daily basis, hold something so defenseless and precious?

The lion mane didn't think she was right for the job. The only thing she had been doing for years was kill. Hurt, cut and maim for the glittering Mora. Is she still even capable of love?

Dehya will reject the idea for weeks, months. But her mind won't let it go. She'll subconsciously pay more attention to any children she'll see, imagining herself as their caretaker.

After much consideration, she'll work up the courage to ask you.

"Do you think I would be... a good mother?"

After hearing your reassurance that she indeed would be, Dehya will reveal her recent worries to you in full.

She will sit down with you and discuss everything relating to your child. When you come to an agreement and make preparations, Dehya will arrange an entire free day for the making-of process. Just to make sure that you go through without any unnecessary hold-ups.

Dehya always imagined herself as the mother to a single child, a son to be precise. Having a male heir would ease a lot of her worries about their safety. In the desert, a lone woman, of any age really, is in more danger than any man. Also, her son would naturally be stronger, and have an easier time defending himself.

For the time of the pregnancy, Dehya will move with you to Aaru village. It's safe, but still close to her work. She won't go out for field work, obviously, but will gladly do other things to still earn money. It will be far easier if you keep doing jobs - you'll remain in the job market, and there can never be enough Mora.

Candace will gladly host her friend, and help her along the way. As the village caretaker, the woman has had lots of experience with children. She will makes sure that Dehya eats healthy foods, doesn't push herself and stay away from alcohol and other drugs. Candace will keep her company when you're away as well.

Childbirth and the early days of care will be small beans for Candace, who will teach Dehya how it should be done.

The lion mane will get softer after becoming a parent. If you get yourself injured more severely, you'll get a scolding you wouldn't expect from a fellow mercenary.

Dehya will assume a more off-field role within the Eremites - thanks to her fame, getting good contracts and long-term deals will be much easier. It also means she's in no direct danger of getting killed.

She'll bother you to do so as well, but if you don't... Well, it's your choice. She'll just ask you to stay safe, as her kid needs a father as well.

Dehya will make sure to arrange lots of quality time, all three of you involved. She really wants to make sure that her son will get all the love he deserves, from both sides, and grow out of a healthy, loving home.

She will make sure her child gets an education, and will pay for any dictionaries he might need. If her son wants to pursue a degree in the Akademiya, she'll help out financially as well. Mercenary work doesn't exactly pay little.

Despite having piles of money, Dehya won't spoil her child. Sure, she will give them plenty of gifts and toys she couldn't have in his age, but not that often.

Dehya is the perfect mix between strict and lenient. If not for Candace, she would be pretty demanding.

Yes, Candace plays an important role here. She will do her best to keep Dehya and her child safe. And also, she would never miss an opportunity to care for a child, especially of someone this close to her. She really wants her own heirs, but Candace hasn't found the right man yet.

Dehya won't give up fighting. Not at all, in fact - she'll help Candace clear out any monsters, Fatui or bandits that may come close to Aaru.

Her child will get plenty of fighting exercise as well, but with no actual killing involved - whether it be scorpions or Hilichurls.

Dehya is well aware that her way of life isn't exactly a good example for her son. She will make sure he doesn't pursue the same path of bloodshed - that would put him not only at a huge risk of death, but could lead to them being on the opposite sides.

Dehya cares a lot, and doesn't hesitate to show it. She will fight and die for her child if she needs to. With you by her side and Candace as back-up, your son will have a good entry to life. 9/10.

Beidou Xi

Beidou lives for adventure, be it exploring open seas, fighting legendary monsters or hanging out with you.

And parenthood is an adventure and a half for sure.

Beidou always wanted to leave something behind her, and someone to continue her legacy.

When Beidou wants something, she'll get it.

Don't mind her - she'll borrow you and a small barrel of wine for her quarters. Expect a long night ahead.

Beidou is not one to engage in combat very often (despite her nature), but being pregnant will make her life harder.

Mainly because she can't drink. She could, but it would harm her children, which is not what she wants.

Once she stops breastfeeding, though, she's going all in on any important occasion.

Seeing her sober on birthdays or festivals after her kids go to bed is quite rare. Beidou will do her best (and would like you to help) to get her senses back before they wake up again, or at least stay out of sight.

She has the responsibility to avoid appearing drunk in front of her children. Until they're of age, at least.

Getting completely wasted at her heir's eighteenth birthday part with you is something that's been in her head since forever.

The ship is not the best place for keeping infants around, so for the early days she will remain in Liyue Harbor or close to shore.

She's really struggling to sit in one place for longer periods of time, on the account of her traveling and adventurous lifestyle.

Beidou is really glad that both the stationary living and abstinence will last only about a year.

Especially that Beidou is lacking in the whole 'parental patience' department. Sure, she loves active, quality time with her little one, but the gaps in between? Well...

She might have defeated Haishan, but a bratty, or just toddler-y toddler is too much.

That will lead to her whining about it whenever you're around, not-so-subtly wanting you to take over.

And what else would a loving husband do in the face of such a request?

Yep, you'll end up being the real caretaker here, while the captain enjoys all of the fun parts, like going out to play. Or sparring.

She will teach her little one to fight, and with real opponents - slimes - once they're ready. Not only is that a practical way of bonding, but also a great way to exercise.

As much as she would like to have a merry band of youngsters running around the ship, Beidou isn't that keen on the whole waiting part. So one kid it is.

And a male, if you'd ask her. Beidou thinks that it will be just easier for him to adapt to the ship and find his place among its crew.

Don't worry though - the little one will have lots of company.

Kazuha will hang out with the kid most often, singing songs and lifting the youngling into the air with his Anemo Vision.

Who knows - if no fitting owner will be found for his Vision shell, the kid will get it - unless they'll get their own.

With a woman as great as his mother to look up to? He'll most likely gain an ambition to follow in her footsteps, and your wife will gladly push him in that direction. If he'll have any other plans, she's fine with it.

Xiangling and Guoba will be the best babysitters to leave Beidou's child with. But not too often - Xiangling will make sure she gives him back with a full stomach. And Guoba? He's essentially a living teddy bear, so there's nothing to add.

Ningguang will be honestly surprised by Beidou's decision. She will surely gain another level of respect for her associate.

Venti will keep a close eye on the kid especially if he has any dead friends.

Beidou, while not having everything it takes to be a parent, will put her strength and effort into raising a worthy successor to her. Or just a strong and independent individual. 7/10.

Thanks for reading!

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chimaeraonwards · 9 months

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freedom, choice, and dreams - a perspective of a newbie one piece fan from opla

I am scared of saying what my dreams are. It feels stupid hanging on to something I don't know if I'll ever see come true. These dreams are the ones I hold to my chest, afraid that someone would find it.

Would they treat me with pity? Would they laugh? Would they tell me to give up?

It gets harder to believe in dreams as you grow older. My escape that was books and fandom became reminders that I simply wasn't the chosen one who gets to do something and be someone. I'm the side character that gets killed off in episode 2 in a flashback in someone else's story.

I wasn't destined to be the one who can make change on the world since before I was born like Harry Potter. I'm not the one who gets chosen by a master in the field I love to be his successor like Midoriya Izuku. My parents are not secretly some kind of god like Percy Jackson. There is no wardrobe, no lion, no witch to take me away where I can finally be somebody.

I'm just me, a nobody, stuck in a house haunted by my ghosts, with my dreams out of reach. The stories that used to be my escapism start to feel like painful reminders.

And then I watched the One Piece Live Action. For the first time in a long time, I saw adults who were not the chosen ones, on the wrong side of power, stuck in everyday monotony.

They were surviving, but they weren't alive.

If you look in the mirror, would it sound more familiar?

The One Piece Live Action showed me characters who have beautiful dreams and yet, don't believe that they could ever reach them? By all means, how would they? Nami was stuck in a situation she had limited control over her freedom, Usopp was literally all alone and no one believed him, Sanji was held back by obligation and realism, and Zoro was lost wasn't strong enough. Heck even Koby was stuck on a ship being mistreated with literally no way to escape.

And then Luffy came around.

Luffy, the goofy embodiment of freedom, joy, silliness, and has the emotional intelligence the size of the entire ocean.

He showed them that there was a choice. You had the choice to believe that you can reach your dreams. He showed them that no dream was too crazy, too big, too small, too unimportant. You deserve to make it a reality.

Immediately I was hooked. Diving into the manga, I think that what Luffy does is gives the space to people to let their heart want their dream.

And then he fights for them.

Think about what's stopping you from reaching your dream. Is it money? Support? Access to power? Strength? Knowledge?

Fighting for your dream isn't as pretty as faith, trust, and pixie dust. It's brutal. It's heartache. It's sacrifice. But most of all, it's never giving up, even when you're broken.

The Straw Hats show that having the freedom to chase your dreams isn't a lonely journey. You need to lend a hand to people on the way there, and they will do the same for you.

On the other side of this idealist dream chasing optimism, One Piece beautifully shows the harsh reality, that some dreams won't be reached in your lifetime. But like Gol D. Roger, Red Leg Zeff, Otohime, maybe, just maybe, you can help someone else reach that same goal you had. We will all die someday, but our dreams can live forever. And isn't that a beautiful thing?

The Straw Hat Pirates unapologetically declare their dreams out loud, not afraid of what anyone else has to say about them.

Maybe I should take some advice from them.

👟 I'm going to find a way and be able to continue my education.

#ramblings at 3am #i made myself cry while writing this #one piece #straw hat pirates #one piece netflix #one piece live action #opla #nami #sanji #roronoa zoro #usopp #monkey d. luffy #luffy #i might delete this later...#personal #update: decided not to delete this because oversharing on the internet makes my brain go brrr

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sluttylittlewaste · 5 months

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Since the Hbomberguy video has dragged everyone back into talking about academia, I have a rant:

The take, "Academic papers and academia in general tend toward a writing style that is intentionally inaccessible to maintain standards of ableism and academic elitism" (woke) is not the same statement as, "Because I do not understand this thing about this topic I have never researched at this level before, the work is inaccessible and therefore in Bad Faith™️" (not only broke but fucking wild).

Working as an academic advisor in my senior year, my specialty was helping people with writing. That included reviewing essays and helping with research mostly, as both of my degrees are research and writing intensive. Even with the MANDATORY Introduction to College Writing class freshman were forced into - unless, of course, you either tested well in AP English Language or passed the writing assessment that allowed you to skip the course (which most people didn't) - I often found myself explaining that academic papers are written with the understanding that the reader already possesses some meaningful amount of context. Students would come to me with full confidence just to show a paper reliant on paraphrasing and regurgitating the source text, ended with whatever hand-wavey, unresearched thoughts they had while reading and call it /Analysis/. Thus would begin the long, arduous process of teaching them how to actually research and structure an academic essay from scratch, down to identifying reputable sources and deciding how many is too many quotes.

As such, while it saddens me to see people put off of academic writing (and research as a whole) for the reason of inaccessibility, I get it. Disregarding the prevalence of paywalls blocking credible published works from the public, I'd argue that most papers assigned to studentsr weren't actually written for students. The 25 page article in the well established medical journal is going to be laden with esoterica and intracultural references; it was written for peer review by other professionals in their field with a baseline of pre-requisite knowledge. Similarly, if you're doing independent research and just roll into a random a decades old article you found on Google Scholar, it's likely to be confusing if you have no backgound in the topic. The expectation that anyone can just dive into a research paper written by an expert and immediately grasp the information provided completely misses the fact that learning is an active practice requiring critical thinking and access to reliable resources.

Why does that matter? Because the core facet of research is taking that confusing, inaccessible academic journal or data and /making it make sense/. Taking the time to learn terms you don't recognize, to read ALL OF the provided context, to reword and recontextualize the information to be digestible to an audience without expertise on the topic, that's THE POINT. When an assigment asks for ten sources, it's not for the sake of making you work harder. The entire exercise is to have you compare and contrast things like word choice, historical context, and author bias so you can synthesize your own understanding of the topic. Entire categories of the research and essay writing community exist simply for this goal: to make complex academic literature accessible to general audiences. It's what Internet Historian and Illuminaughti (fuck if I spelled that right) were pretending to do!

There are a lot of valid points to be made in the discussion of academia being inherently inaccessible. Unfortunately the Internet, specifically social media, has a way of boiling actual conversations down to the bare bones of "Is hard and I don't like it, therefore is bad."

(Note: This does not apply to professors/educators assigning a bunch of text without doing any actual teaching. Expecting everyone to be able to read something and just get it isn't a "challenge in critical thinking", it's bad teaching and makes things harder for people who may already find a learning challenging or inaccessible. Do better. )

Is academia filled with conventions that make it widely inaccessible to people from all education levels? Yes.

Do some people write with as many big words or as much autofellating fluff as possible purely for the purpose of sounding smart? YES.

But, as an academic writer and reader myself, and as a person with a bevvy of peers I respect deeply in the field of research, a significant amount of these articles are written in good faith by people who are using the vocabulary they have. The use of "big" words, esoteric references, and hyper-specific language isn't based in the desire for exclusion, but rather clarity for a peer group who are comfortable with the language being used is it's intended context.

Sorry about all this. I just actually enjoy academia when it's about the love of learning rather than being a pissing contest/bitchfest. Ignore me 😭

#academia #critical thinking #research #hbomberguy #academic writing #textual analysis #accessibility #accessibility in academia #rant #essays #education #college writing #what if we focused on ensuring students had the necessary skills to consume complex theory???#what if we as a society prioritized critical thinking and media literacy????#what if instead of bullying people who don't even want to pursue higher education to go get degrees we present academia as a fun CHOICE???#also #professors and educators #you know DAMN WELL that college freshman won't get SHIT from a 50 page reading from a 50 year old academic journal #students need support and resources #most of these papers aren't even awful!#just stop throwing people into the deep end and expecting them to just “figure it out”#that's not teaching babes #that's laziness #and it's why so many people fucking hate school #and for my fellow writers #the difference is knowing your audience #and tailoring your work to their knowledge level

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trashratsaws · 1 month

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Something I've been finding quite irritating about the lack of media and culture literacy we're seeing - because of course the least educated people speak the loudest I fear - is that it's almost forced me to become an advocate for art I don't particularly enjoy. I don't enjoy modern or contemporary art. I don't like it, I think it's overblown, and I think a lot of modern/contemporary movements are juvenile, underdeveloped, and crude. I will also defend modern and contemporary art until I die from white tiktok women who claim that they could make better art from the comfort of their upper middle class couches because apparently despite pretending to be cultured by going to the museums where modern art is housed and proclaiming to their thousands of followers that they have done so - which was a choice, by the way, they could have really gone to any museum that served their one-note tastes all the better - they simply cannot be bothered to do any sort of research or reading on what the modern/contemporary art actually means, how it was created, the backgrounds of the artists who create it, etc., or even to read the plaque next to the piece while they stand next to it making their videos about how lifeless and uninteresting they find it.

There is a huge difference between disliking something because you understand it vs. because you don't. Please for the love of god, if you're going to loudly dislike something, please be the person who dislikes it because you understand it, and spare me the trouble of trying to shout just as loudly that, well, yes, Jackson Pollock was the worst, but please leave his genre alone because you sound like quite the toad when you speak.

Anyway I lied before, so here are some avant-garde movements/artists/pieces I really like/find very interesting to do some more research on for yourself.

the Die Brücke (The Bridge, German expressionist group)

Mexican Muralism (Mexican artistic movement post-revolution of 1910)

Brasilia (failed Brazilian capital city with some crazy architecture. Also utopianism in general)

Neo-Dadaism/Post-modernism (generally cheekier movement than the abstract expressionists who took their work and mission far too seriously)

Marjorie Strider (woman pop artist who critiqued a lot of sexism in the art world with her work. See also The Girlies Exhibition)

Liberation of Aunt Jemima and Betye Saar

One and Three Chairs and Conceptual Art (this is the one people like to complain the most about)

Yayoi Kusama (particularly Narcissus Garden. Very good stuff)

Felix Gonzales-Torres (if you don't already know him. Tell me you can look at Perfect Lovers without crying)

Rhythm 0 (imo the single most impactful, raw, gut-wrenching work Marina Abramovic ever produced. Performance art. Devastating)

Shigeko Kubota (Vagina Painting. almost a direct fuck-you to Pollock's macho vibe)

Earth Art (exactly what it sounds like - work that relies on nature. The Lightning Field is on my bucket list)

#my credentials are fuck you mind your buisness #jk i'm a senior at art school and art history is my special interest #i also wrote a research paper about queer cuban modern art so if that's interesting to u go check it #also if you go out there and learn PLEASE SEND ME ASKS WITH YOUR THOUGHTS #I WANT TO TALK TO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T GENUINELY WRETCHED ABOUT ART HISTORY #art history #rat rambles

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godlizzza · 7 months

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Hello! I just finished your fic The Couple Down the Street and absolutely adored it! I read though all of your ficlets here on Tumblr with that tag, and I saw you have some about kid Piper and one about teen Piper. I was wondering if you’d be open to writing something about adult twenty-something Piper and Herbert/Dan when she’s in med school or university or whatever she ends up doing! :)

"Come on," Piper murmured, pacing the tiny floor space of her dorm room. "Pick up, pick up..."

After five rings she assumed her call would, yet again, go to voicemail, but a voice miraculously crackled to life on the other side.

"Hello?" Herbert replied, sounding grouchy as ever. "What is it?"

Piper sighed with relief and sat down at her desk. "Dr. West, hi. How are you?"

"Busy," Herbert grunted. She could make out the muffled sounds of groaning on his end, followed by Dr. Cain's miffed voice asking Herbert to pass him more restraints. "Is this important? What do you want?"

"Um, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were still picking me up from the airport tomorrow? You didn't respond to any of my texts."

There was a momentary pause before Herbert replied, "Dan said he'd do it."

Piper thought she heard Dan's voice in the background, piping up, "Did I?"

Piper bit her lip to keep it steady and tucked some of her long, blonde hair behind her ear. She'd been thinking about cutting it for a while, maybe giving herself an Anne Hathaway style pixie cut by watching a tutorial on Youtube, but she knew her mom would throw a fit if she came home for Christmas practically bald. She'd probably lament that her blonde genes were wasted on Piper and what a shame they hadn't been passed onto Candace instead. Just the thought of her sister's smug face had Piper rolling her eyes.

"Can you please just get me?" she asked, rubbing at her eyes with the hand not cradling her cell phone to her ear. "I don't fly in 'til six."

Herbert clicked his tongue and she could perfectly imagine his irritated expression. Or maybe she couldn't. With her away at college, studying pre-med, she'd only been able to see him a handful of times each year. Every time she saw him in person, she was surprised at how old he looked. He was only sixty-one, hardly the decrepit old man Dan joked he was, but every new liver spot, every deepened wrinkle, every white hair made her chest tighten with anxiety. They were physical signs of all the time she was missing out on. Time away from him.

Her first choice of college had been Miskatonic University, so she could follow in Herbert's footsteps, but Dan had been adamantly opposed. Herbert had suggested he could set her up with some of the contacts he stilled maintained in Zurich, where she could get a world-class education, but the thought of being out of the country, so far from everything had made Piper cold with dread. So, they had compromised on a newly furnished university in Washington, where Piper was only a few hours by plane away.

A plane she would be catching shortly, unbeknownst to her mother. Piper hadn't told her mom she'd be coming home for the long weekend, wanting to spend every moment she could with her mentor, catching up on lost time both in and out of the lab. She'd scraped together the money to buy the plane ticket by writing out essays for her classmates on the side. She knew Herbert would have a field day if he knew she was putting her academic integrity at risk, but when needs must and all that.

"I don't see why you can't just get a taxi," Herbert said. "It'd be more convenient-"

"You promised!" Piper snapped, irritation finally getting the better of her. She squeezed her phone tight in her clammy grip. "Just like you promised you'd come visit me over spring break, which you never did. So, could you please just do this one thing for me and pick me up tomorrow?"

"Fine, fine," Herbert sighed, sounding exasperated. "But if your flight gets delayed, I'm not hanging around."

Piper's foul mood immediately evaporated. "Okay!" she replied cheerily. "See you then."

Herbert hung up without saying goodbye, as was customary for him, and Piper set her phone down with a smile. She glanced up at the photos pinned to the corkboard above her desk, some of the only things she'd brought with her to college from home.

One was a recent shot of her and her dad the last time she'd gone to visit him in the nursing home. Another was her excitedly holding up her pet gecko, Hela, on her sixteenth birthday. Dan was in the shot beside her, shying away from the reptile Herbert had gifted her. Hela sat in her tank now, on the edge of Piper's desk, basking under her heat lamp.

The last photo was taken during her high school graduation ceremony. Piper was in her hat and gown, squeezing her diploma in both hands and grinning at the camera. On one side of her stood Herbert, his hand resting on her shoulder. He wasn't smiling but pride shone clearly in his eyes. On her other side stood her mother, Mandy, who was glaring at Herbert over Piper's head. It had been a miracle to even get them standing that close to each other without the both of them engaging in passive aggressive psychological warfare.

It was Piper's favourite photo.

"That your sugar daddy?"

Piper jumped in her seat and spun around to see her roommate, Claire, slipping her shoes off in the doorway. Piper hadn't even heard her come in.

Squeezing her phone in her fist, Piper gagged. "Shut up. Oh, my god. How many times to I have to tell you? He's my mentor."

"Mmhmm," Claire hummed, bouncing her eyebrows suggestively and making Piper want to hurl her phone straight at her head.

Instead, she huffed and spun back around in her chair, pulling her laptop open. She'd have to get busy and finish all her studying before flying out tomorrow. Just the thought that she'd be back in Ohio the next day, Dr. West waiting for her at the airport, was enough to warm her up and make her smile.

#thanks so much for the prompt! im glad you liked the fic :)#i think piper's relationship with herbert definitely starts to change as she gets older #she still idolises him but is mature enough to not let him push her around so much #ive often thought about what a coming of age story would look like for piper #probably something wild lmao #re-animator #my fics #the couple down the street #asks #writing prompt #herbert west #piper skrelpton

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zorasthoughts · 1 month

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some new thoughts for the holly jackson fandom

back in january, i made a post about when i thought the agggtm tv show was going to be coming out, and other holly jackson-related content. my calculations about the show (promo in february and march, with a release at the end of april to tie in with the andie & sal case), were off :( this does make sense though, because holly's new book came out, and she was on tour in america, and also has upcoming events in the uk. anyway, i thought wanted to make a new post about some of the things that i've observed. this is going to mention some spoilers for the first book, so read with caution!!

first of all, the book's tie-in cover has been released. i don't know why i didn't notice/consider this sooner, but pip is clearly at school here, and not wearing a school uniform, and neither are the people you can see in the background. i think they decided to follow the example of the show sex education, where even though the kids are clearly in britain, they don't wear uniform, so it has a kind of american feel to it.

another minor thing about the cover is you can see notes in the door of pip's locker, one of which says "josh's party" - there's been no mention of a casting for pip's brother, but i'm hoping this means that he is going to be in the show. sibling relationships are really important in this trilogy (but that's a whole other post), but also in general, pip and josh have a really sweet relationship.

agggtm is going to be on netflix!! hopefully releasing on netflix at the same time that the show comes out in the uk. very happy for all the non-uk fans that there is an option for them to be able to watch it.

a few new stills!! fun. i think the one of pip and ravi standing in that field/grass area with the trees in the background is when they do their "did sal have the time to murder andie?" scene

and pip and her friends!! looking at the way they are dressed makes me think that the show is going to be set in the 2020s, rather than 2017, which would make sense, because although this series deals with specific dates, and obviously there's the five year gap between the case and the official investigation, it would be much easier for the wardrobe and hair and make-up people to create looks for the characters using current trends rather than having to go back to 2017 and 2012. it also means that the show can include more up-to-date pop culture references, etc.

okay, onto that short clip of pip and ravi (spoilers for the book here!!)

i think this scene takes place around the time that pip's dog barney was taken, as a way to blackmail pip into destroying her research and dropping the project.

so my guess is that in this scene, pip's family is out looking for the dog, but she's staying at home because she's going to sneak out later to destroy her research like the blackmailer told her to. anyway, ravi comes over, and they hang out for a bit. as he's leaving, he tells her "call me if you need me" because it's not a case thing, it's just ravi being a supportive friend. and he gives her a hug to cheer her up.

pip, meanwhile, looks on the verge of tears, and doesn't immediately hug him back, probably because she's feeling guilty about what dropping the project will mean to ravi.

curious to know if people have other ideas about this scene, and about the other stuff that i've discussed, my predictions aren't always right. my only other thought about that scene is that zain looks like a great casting choice for ravi :)

#a good girls guide to murder #agggtm #a good girls guide to murder tv show #agggtm tv show #agggtm spoilers #pippa fitz amobi #ravi singh #holly jackson

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slocumjoe · 1 year

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what companions would be furries (+ what kind of animal they'd be)

Cait; Incredible trauma. Substance abuse. Questionable employment. This woman already is a furry in canon, Todd just didn't think it relevant to bring up. Not quite hardcore, but not a casual either. She has art and goes to conventions, but she's not getting a suit. There are a lot of good choices for a fursona, but I'm leaning towards a wolverine. They're small and they're fucking terrifying. Those bitches kill bears. They weigh about 30 lbs, give or take. Y'know what else is 30 lbs, give or take? A COCKER SPANIEL. Huge Cait energy.

Codsworth; Would not be a furry, but would find it endearing. Y'know, the same reaction an adult has as a child talks about their wolf roleplay during recess? "I am very confused but at least you have friends and fun, tell me more!" Robot Codsworth's fursona is an octopus, and a synth/human Codsy is a bird. Like...maybe an owl, or something similarly rounded/soft in shape. Think Owl from Winnie the Pooh.

Curie; She's a furry, not a Furry. She's not going to any conventions, and probably isn't drawing her fursona or commissioning art. Its likely she uses it to, like, educate children, like as a mascot for her clinic or something. Same situation as Codsy, two fursonas for her two different bodies. The synth body, that there is a mouse. Cute and very important to scientific discoveries, despite being often disregarded and more often, abused in the field. The Ms. Nanny bot fursona is a blue-ringed octopus, specifically.

Danse; Not a furry. Would find it very strange if it was explained to him, and would assume it was something kids do. Would be visibly disturbed if explained that, no, this is actually more of a teen-to-adult space. If he looks it up later and finds Certain Things, you will be receiving the bill for his next anti-depressants. However, entirely possible he is a closeted furry and has yet to realize this about himself. I'm leaning toward a bull? Bull-headed, obviously, but also, down to earth, reliable, et cetera...it fits his character.

Deacon; KING OF THE FURRIES. Has multiple fursuits, all homemade. Commissions every artist he can find, every Twitter furry artist has him on their waitlist. Does not half-ass his furriness. This man is the furry you only hear about, the one with all the art and custom costumes and all the money to throw at his hobby. His fursonas are plentiful and ever changing, but his favorite one? A chameleon, with holographic, reflective, ever-changing scales.

Gage; would not be a furry. Well aware of what it is due to exposure to Mason. Wouldn't have been into it even if his introduction wasn't him and his crew. He gets the idea, it's just that the idea is weird as fuck. He's a grown man and he has people to scam and/or murder. Obviously, Gage would be an iguana. They have a ridge and a naturally gruff, bored expression. And the skin texture is about the same, too.

Hancock; another casual furry. Its likely he was introduced to it and brought in by someone else, and just kinda stuck around. There are two options as to what he'd be. 1; a sphinx cat. He's lanky, the skin matches, he has some kitty-like traits. The big eyes are a huge part here. 2; sloth. He's a very chill dude, he's always high (sloths getting high is currently contested but the demeanor fits) and despite being very small and not outwardly threatening, is very capable of fucking you up (sloths will use their MASSIVE FUCKING CLAWS for defense).

MacCready; Is a furry. His fursona is a weasel. This is so obvious i don't feel the need to defend or explain this. Look at him. He's a furry. The only interesting thing to say here is that Duncan would also grow up to be a furry. But Mac? He would be a hardcore furry if he had the money. Funds keep him a casual fan. If he did...would be worse than Deacon.

Nick; A first-gen furry. An elder furry. The very old man at the con who sees that you're lost and confused but trying very hard, with your furry 2008 emo paw gloves and your cat ear headband and painted on whiskers, and shows you around. Takes you under his wing (literally, as his fursona is a raven, obvi) and introduces you to various artists, suitmakers, other furries your age he'd think you'd get along with...this community would be in shambles without people like him. He's been here since the beginning and has seen it all, truly.

Piper; dabbled, couldn't get into it. She'd be a passersby, a visitor of a con but not a participator. Interested in the art of furrydom, the actual art and the suits, but as an outside observer. If Piper were an animal...a ferret, a squirrel, a possum, some kind of street-smart rodent. Something clever and tricky, that's always where its not supposed to be. For a wildcard, I could also see her as a bat of some kind.

Preston; not a furry and completely neutral to it. It doesn't interest him, but he doesn't find it weird, either. It's people LARPing as animals, people have been doing that ever since they evolved from animals. He gets it, he really does. Preston would like nothing more than to be a cat that does nothing but sleep and yell for attention. The cat life is peak existence for him. It's just that Preston is very literal, and the furry thing is more exaggerated. He doesn't want cat ears. He wants to not be a human anymore, please for the love of god—

X6-88; furry. A secret, dignified furry. A pretensious one. A gatekeepy one. This furry judges you if you don't have a suit. He has one. He doesn't wear it, it cost more than some houses, it stays in a glass case like a taxidermied trophy hunt. X6-88 is a furry. His fursona? A Doberman, because they were bred to protect asshole tax collectors, which fits with X6 being a courser. Tall, all sharp edges, an arresting glare, and very loyal and hardworking.

#fallout 4 #fo4 #paladin danse #preston garvey #nick valentine #piper wright #x6-88 #robert joseph maccready #companions react #porter gage #Codsworth #ada is a magpie and Longfellow is an angler fish #instead of a bulb angler!Longfellow has like. a beer bottle dangling

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halfagone · 2 years

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What would Danny do for work?

I have a quick question to my fellow Danny Phantom fans... When you imagine Danny picking a career/job, what do you headcanon for him? And this is if he can't- for whatever reason- be an astronaut. This is a hypothetical question, it's not- like, going to affect any of my stories in the future or anything *chuckles nervously*

For me, it's always depended on the headcanon I choose for any particular story/AU. But that gets complicated when I have multiple headcanons that could offer opportunities for him.

For example:

Astrophysicist/Aerospace Engineer - He can't be an astronaut, but that doesn't mean he can't still do some kind of work that involves his love for space.

Engineer - In a similar vein, he could be a regular engineer. Especially if he takes after his dad, Jack, more and maybe even creates his own prototypes and inventions.

In a subset to engineer, in my story weekend wonders, Danny is majoring in biomedical engineering. This is because in this AU, the accident gave him chronic pain, and that's how he gained an interest in this field. This could also work great if he gets attention from the Justice League in a DP x DC crossover, or the Avengers in a DP x Marvel crossover; Danny could just as easily work with heroes who have disabilities or chronic pain from many decades of work as heroes. It helps that he personal experience with the same struggles, after all.

Translator - If you headcanon that Danny can understand a lot of languages (or maybe even them all) due to ghost speak, then Danny could totally use this to his advantage with work. Plus!! This offers many different avenues that could be used to your advantage. Want Danny to be connected to the UN in some way before debuting as Ghost King? Have him be a translator that works there. Want Danny to be busy often with his royal responsibilities/ghost fighting? Have him be a translator; he can work remotely or stay self-employed/on contracts.

Teacher - Danny doesn't have great experience with educational staff, so I could imagine him going into this field of work due to nothing but spite. And! He could teach ectobiology, or just ghosts in general. He could do so many topics: Biology, government, history, hell he could do a whole semester on how physics work in the Ghost Zone.

Blacksmith/Ironsmith - Okay, this one is more self-indulgent, but imagine if Pandora teaches him how to fight with a sword and then he gets obsessed with the sword itself that he wants to make one that's perfectly suited for him and this just dominos into going full-blown into this field. (Trade skills are still important, and sadly, don't get as much attention even when they can usually offer fairly decent pay without the thousands of dollars worth in student debt.)

Writer/Author - If you wanted him to be more artistic, he could be a freelance author/novelist or something similar. I feel like being an author would be one of the better choices for him because, again, if you were writing a story where Danny would be busy with a lot of other responsibilities, then he could largely work on his own schedule. Plus! I can totally imagine him hanging out in Long Now with Clockwork when his head is just full of ideas for a story but he wouldn't have the time to write it otherwise. So he kind of uses Long Now to get that time, but he can promise it's for a good cause, stop laughing, Clockwork!

Actor - I really love the concept of Danny being an actor, just for the laughs if nothing else. While this could be a pain if Danny does actually get famous, since that's a lot of media he would probably prefer not to deal with, the concept alone offers a great deal of shenanigans. And... if he does get a good movie deal, he could very well be set for life afterwards. He could be one of those one-hit wonders in television or something.

If anyone has other possibilities, feel free to add! My head is constantly spinning with even more ideas, I might just add some myself.

#danny phantom #danny phantom headcanons #danny fenton #this is a boy of many possibilities #i cannot choose one for the life of me #works for crossovers too!!

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thequeeramericandream · 7 months

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Beyond the Closet: Navigating the Coming Out Journey

At a pivotal point in the lives of many queer individuals, the decision to reveal their sexual orientation or identity to those they hold dear emerges. The hope and wish are for a warm embrace and profound understanding from our closest circles. Unfortunately, for myself and numerous others I've encountered, this aspiration doesn't always align with reality. Sometimes, the disclosure leads to heated arguments, denial, or the heartbreaking prospect of being disowned. It's undeniably distressing and overwhelming when those we care about don't readily accept us. You might feel adrift or forsaken, but amidst this challenge, there are coping mechanisms to explore and a supportive community eager to embrace and understand you. In today's post, I'll delve into these topics and highlight resources that can serve as a beacon of guidance and solace.

Tip 1:

If you find yourself in a living situation where your family doesn't embrace your identity or orientation, they might express condescending and shaming remarks. One common phrase I often encounter is, "I didn't raise you this way." When it's safe to do so, I advocate for explaining that identifying a certain way or having a queer-aligned romantic or sexual preference doesn't alter the essence of who you are. You're still the same person they have loved and cared for at your core. Emphasize that your choices, such as a name change or going on a date with someone they might not approve of, doesn't erase the fact that you remain their child, whom they cherished before this realization. Your sexual orientation or gender identity doesn't encapsulate every detail about you; just as a heterosexual person isn't solely defined by being straight, your identity is just one aspect of your multifaceted self.

Tip 2:

Choosing to limit or sever ties with family members or longtime friends can be an excruciating and challenging decision, yet at times, it becomes essential for your mental and physical well-being. When you're in the presence of someone who exhibits hate, bigotry, or outright abuse toward you following the revelation of your identity or orientation, it's entirely within your rights to distance yourself from that person, either temporarily—allowing space for them to self-educate—or permanently. It's an agonizing realization, acknowledging the loss of someone significant, but remember, there will be others in your life who will unconditionally love and embrace you, regardless of your LGBTQIA+ identity. Surrounding yourself with a community that supports and uplifts you for who you are is crucial for your well-being and happiness.

Tip 3:

It's not uncommon for heterosexual individuals to ask questions about your identity in an attempt to understand and support you better. Respectfully addressing queries helps foster mutual understanding. However, there's a clear line where the inquiry becomes invasive. Nobody should feel obligated to divulge details about their sex life to friends, colleagues, or family, and it's equally unsettling to field inappropriate questions about your body or transitioning if that's part of your journey. In such instances, it's essential not to tolerate invasive questions. A firm but polite response like "I don't feel comfortable discussing that" or "That's an inappropriate question, and I prefer not to talk about it" can assert your boundaries.

For those who wish to address such questions with a touch of assertiveness, a response like, "Would you ask that of anyone else?" or "It's not my responsibility to educate you on this" can be effective. It's vital to remember that regardless of how many questions you answer, some individuals may remain entrenched in their beliefs. It's not your obligation to single-handedly change their perspective, as they have the opportunity to research independently. Remind them kindly that resources like Google exist, and it doesn't have feelings. Setting boundaries is crucial for your comfort and well-being, and it's perfectly acceptable to maintain your privacy when confronted with invasive inquiries.

Resource 1:

For individuals navigating a difficult headspace after facing ridicule or rejection from their families, or for those seeking an outlet to vent or in need of emotional support, I highly recommend reaching out to the Trevor Project Text Line. This invaluable resource offers round-the-clock support for people experiencing emotional stress or crises. What's remarkable about the Trevor Project Text Line is its unwavering commitment to providing a safe, welcoming space, specifically designed for those within the LGBTQ+ community. They approach every issue with utmost respect and understanding, ensuring a compassionate and queer-friendly environment for anyone seeking help. The Trevor Project Text Line stands as a beacon of support, ready to assist those in need at any hour.

Resource 2:

It's not uncommon for our loved ones to grapple with understanding our LGBTQIA+ status, yet some genuinely wish to learn and gain a broader perspective. For those family members or friends eager to become more educated about the queer community, I highly recommend introducing them to the Strong Family Alliance. This website is a treasure trove of invaluable resources, offering free parent guides, insightful testimonials from real individuals, and a wealth of other supportive materials. Strong Family Alliance is a comprehensive platform that fosters understanding and support for families and friends looking to enhance their knowledge and support for their LGBTQIA+ loved ones. It's a fantastic starting point for anyone seeking education and insight into the queer community. To sum up, the journey of coming out can indeed be challenging, but I assure you, it holds immeasurable worth in the long run. Embracing and living your genuine, authentic life, according to your terms, yields one of the most liberating and fulfilling sensations you'll experience in this lifetime. Therefore, I encourage coming out when you feel comfortable to do so. Your authenticity is a beacon of empowerment that will illuminate your path toward a life lived genuinely and unapologetically. Until next time, keep living your truth and shining brightly in the spectrum of life. Take care, stay fabulous, and keep spreading love in every hue of the rainbow.

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