#nez graphics

[luv-lee]

#kennington ltd #vintage tag #vintage label #vintage design #figural label #pince nez #vintage California #1960s #1970s #vintage graphic design

[nonobadcat]

A real world AU Gothic Romance - Final Chapter

Artwork by the amazing @obsidianne-art

Pairing: Ghost Shigaraki X Fem!Reader

Rating: Readers 18+ only

Content Warnings: PnV relations with a literal ghost, toys, mirror

Chapter Three Word Count: 3.9k, Ao3 Mirror

Part I ---❤--- Part 2

Sunday October 23rd, 2022

At six in the morning, you awoke to the screech of a train horn, and a full bladder. Wiping your half-matted hair out of your face, you creaked to your feet and wrapped yourself in the comforter. Dragging your warmth with you into the bathroom, you climbed onto the toilet with one eye open…

…and proceeded to pee fire.

By nine in the morning, two inquisitive text messages and one graphic description of chafed skin summoned your best friend to the landline like a fox to an injured bunny. 

“Well, of course you’re gonna give yourself a rug burn using something rough like that!” Serenity spat into the phone. “What were you thinking?!”

Um… how horny you were for some dead man’s dick?

Gripping the cold pack between your thighs, you winced. “Since when is thinking involved in that kind of thing?”

An annoyed snarl echoed from the other end. “Look, if you can’t use your fingers, you need to use a toy or something!”

You scrolled through the adult toy listings, eyeing up the options. Fake glass cock. Fake silicone cock. Fake plastic cock. Fake hot pink plastic cock with a little vibrating branch that looked like Vienna sausage. Hitachi wand. Egg thingy. Silver bullet? That sounded more like a solution to a werewolf infestation than something you wanted to put between your legs.

 “Give me a break Ren-Ren! There’s too many different options,” you protested,  scratching the back of your neck. “How am I supposed to know what to buy?”

You could practically hear your best friend’s headache as she loosed an indignant sigh. “All right. I got you. Do you want inside or outside stim?”

“Um…” you scrolled past a fake tentacle with weighted Kegel eggs. “Both?”

“Then order a rabbit.”

“What’s a rabbit?”

“Heaven have mercy,” she muttered. “Sit yourself down because this is going to be a long talk.”

Monday, October 31st, 2022 4:013 pm

Eight days after your sexual re-education lecture, a text message notification dinged your phone as you passed through the center of Smalltown, USA. Pulling into the old brownstone library, you parked your car and took advantage of the only five bar signal in Podunk County outside of the Walmart plaza. Not even the smell of garlic and deep fried something pouring out the vent from Wang’s Chinese Buffet could distract you from your excitement. The message was from USPS.

Your package has been delivered.

Oh good, Mrs. Murray’s pack of angry, push-face Pekingese hadn’t eaten the mail lady. You weren’t so sure when you saw her tearing down the sidewalk last week, being chased by bubble-fluff Cujos who probably asphyxiated for their efforts.

As you looked up from your phone’s screen, blustering winds painted the smooth cement walkway to the library doors with curled, brown leaves. A plastic sign reading “Trunk-or-Treat - 5pm - Halloween” flapped in the wind. You eyed the library's posted hours before cutting the engine. Perfect. For once, you were done with house calls early enough to go inside. Snagging your purse, you schlepped up the walkway to the glass doors and pushed your way in.

Paper cut-out ghosts and fresh pumpkins from “Miller’s Prize Winning Patch” coated the warm lobby with seasonal excitement. Tiny rubber bats flapped from the door frame, leading visitors up a trail of plastic “Big Foot” tracks to the circulation desk. Pinned into a vintage, slate colored silk dress with billowing mutton sleeves, the head librarian paused her frenzied typing just long enough to adjust her golden Prince-Nez spectacles. She tugged at the frilly trim of her high collar, fussing with the long lace. The upturned brim of her wide, feathered hat reminded you of a bowl. It didn’t budge as she lifted her head to face you. Considering the number of long, pearl tipped pins she’d inserted through the felt, it probably would have shrugged off an EF5 tornado by having a glass of sherry.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Curtwright." You folded your hands neatly on the desk. "I'm sorry it took me so long to make it in. Work has been savage."

The librarian smiled and turned to the squat metal, bookcase marked “holds”. She pulled down a heavy grey text labeled “Miller’s Antiques Encyclopedia”. “It’s just so good to see that old house cared for by someone who really appreciates its history,” she replied, passing you the massive reference book. 

“Speaking of which, do you know what happened to the Shimura’s son after the fire?”

She hummed, tapping her chin. “Not off hand.”

You sighed. “Oh well.”

“Did you find another picture in the old furniture?”

“Uh…” Your cheeks burned as images of the naughty dream drifted across your mind. “Something like that. There was a young man in his twenties with wavy white hair. He looked a little different but I could swear it was the same person.”

“If you know the date, we can check some of the old town records.”

“There wasn’t a date on this one.”

She tugged at her sleeve. “Do you remember what his clothing looked like?”

You crossed your arms. “A red velvet jacket with these fasteners that looked like a marching band uniform.” Closing your eyes, you tried to picture the outfit you were wearing. “There was a woman in something that looked like your dress. It was really tight fitted with these slightly poofy sleeves—”

“Poofy at the shoulder or the wrist?”

“The wrist? Sort of anyway. The end of the coat was wide like a funnel.” You scrunched your face. “It was short and the shoulders were smooth, like a normal suit coat.”

“Bell sleeved jacket with Bishop sleeve shirtwaist. Probably Edwardian then. Did the dress have an S-shape that made the chest and butt stick out?”

You nodded.

“Pouter pigeon. Classic Gibson Girl look,” she murmured, leaning into the conversation. “Must have been the early years. Was there a hat?”

“Yes. It was kind of puffy and made of felt.”

“Did it have a brim?”

You pinched the air. “Maybe a small one?”

“A beaver felt Toque. I’d guess 1901 to 1904. By 1905 they were back to the Leg-of-Mutton style shirts.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Let’s go check the old town records.”

Leading you across the open floor, she motioned to some leather bound volumes on the far wall behind the “Historical” desk. Labeled by decades, each volume was four inches thick. She tugged down the 1880-1910 binder and gingerly flipped through the yellowed pages. You leaned on the beige, laminate countertop, peeking over her shoulder. All at once, a single certificate caught your eye.

“There! Shigaraki! That was the name I saw.” You pointed to the small slip of paper. “What is that?”

“Huh…” She turned the book so you could read it. “Adoption paperwork. It looks like little Shimura was adopted by someone named… well… the first name is smeared but the last name is clearly Shigaraki.” Mrs. Curtwright wrinkled her long, roman nose. “I wonder if he was related to the old Dr. Garaki that used to practice in town.”

You cocked your head. “Why are you making that face?”

She lowered her voice to a whisper and cupped her cheek. “He was a notorious grave robber. They tried to run him out of town but he had some rich friend from New York that prevented it. Supposedly, the buddy had underworld connections.” 

“Oh…”

The librarian winked at you. “I’m not sure how much I believe that. Why would a crime syndicate come all the way to this little town?”

As you thought back to the scars on your dream lover’s face and how powerful his grip had been, the idea of him being more dangerous than you first realized didn’t seem that out of place.

Mrs. Curtwright flipped the page. “Oh, it looks like they changed his whole name after the adoption. No wonder Tenko Shimura disappeared from the records at the end of the Victorian era.”

Printed on the fragile paper in ink the color of night was the name you’d been searching for: Tomura Shigaraki.

After a quick stop off for $7.99 per pound Chinese buffet take-out, you rolled down the solitary drive to your Second Empire home. Pointed wrought iron trim along the edge of the tall, Mansard roofline looked like rusty knives against the thick, overcast sky. A cold, late autumn breeze slapped your cheeks. Pulling the hood of your Carhartts up, you crunched up the gravel drive to the front door. You snatched the “discreet” cardboard package off the front porch and fumbled for your keys. The old oak rattled in the breeze, its leafless twigs snapping against each other like dried chicken bones being crushed under foot. With a shudder, you headed inside and locked the door behind you.

Wang’s fried food and wonton soup proved every bit as delicious as the smell promised. However, sitting alone at a table built for many left a cold disappointment balled in your chest. You picked at the scrumptious meal, surveying the empty walls and vacant shelves. Maybe some photos would help? Did you have any printed pictures aside from the Shimura kids? Pressing your forehead against the smooth wood, you groaned. 

“I need to get out more.”

After dinner, you settled in the front parlor to await any visitors. Nursing a cup of warm apple cider, you sat in the bay window, clutching a wide plastic bowl full of Kit Kats, Reese’s Pieces, Snickers, Fun Dip and SweeTarts. Dusk descended on the world outside. Trick-or-Treat hours came or went, but no costume coated child made the long trek up the barren gravel drive. 

“Guess this isn’t suburbia,” you muttered, eating your tenth candy of the night. “The kids probably go to Trunk-or-Treat because the houses are too far apart.”

Disappointed and lonely, you flipped off the porch light and retreated upstairs with your package. 

Flopping onto the bed sheets, you rattled the white and red box. The flesh colored, rubber-free cock flopped in its clear plastic packaging. Heat filled your cheeks as you tugged open the safety seal. As you flexed the internal rod, the moveable skin wrinkled in your fingers. You snorted with laughter, positioning it into a raunchy curve. Taking your new toy into the bathroom, you cleaned it gently with unscented soap before sticking it to the side of the porcelain basin. Giggling to yourself at your suddenly well endowed sink, you flipped on the shower and started in on your nightly routine.

Twenty minutes later, with the bedroom door locked, you peeled the plastic organ off the side of your sink and wet the base. Bathed in the flickering light of a single wick oud and musk scented candle, you snatched up your bottle of “personal jelly” from the nightstand. Then, you headed for the bare, wooden floor just beside the heavy, mahogany bed. Tossing the comforter pillows down, you fluffed them into a makeshift nest. The fake cock came down on the wooden bedframe with a lewd smack. It wiggled for a moment before standing tall directly in front of the antique oval mirror. Heat glowed in your cheeks as you adjusted the bendable shape into a less intense curl.

On the other side of the room, Tomura leaned against the other side of the ornate frame, strong fingers crawling at the glass. Blazing red eyes watched tentative hands smearing the textured organ with gelatinous lube. Then slippery digits found their way between your legs. Closing your eyes, you leaned back against the pillows. Tomura licked his rough lips as soft thighs spread for his viewing pleasure.

Smooth but firm, you teased apart your folds, working your way towards your sensitive nub. The pad of your finger lifted hooded flesh, tickling the nerves with deep, slow swipes. Musky moisture pooled in your core as a low moan slipped from your swollen lips.

One finger dipped inside, tracing over stippled flesh as it followed the curve of your body. Your wrist ached, pressing your palm tight over your clit as needy hips rolled of their own accord. Your eyes squeezed shut. Tossing your head back against the side of the old bed, you pinched one pert nipple between your fingers.

“Tomura…”

At the sound of his name, Shigaraki’s hard teeth bit his thin lips to blood.

Groaning as your hand pulled away, you climbed to shaky legs before kneeling in the nest of bedding. Lowering yourself to your forearms, you shuffled back and reached behind your hips. False flesh slid between your thighs as one hand pressed it hard to your core. The dildo’s artificial skin puckered. Thighs clenched tight, you rode its length, letting all the world fade into the feel of its sultry friction between your legs. Your body quivered as gaze drifted into a glazed stare.

Tomura groaned, savoring the erotic sight. Positioned directly in front of his mirror, you glided across the toy. The teasing sway of your tits combined with occasional peaks at pebbled nipples was exquisite torture. A bead of thick pre-cum rolled down his fingers. His eyes never left your blissed out face.

Spreading your hips and squeezing your lips, you pressed the rounded head in between your folds. Tickling yourself with the tip left your body shaking with need. You sunk back, letting your new purchase worm its way past your entrance. Quivering hands fisted the blanket. When it dipped inside, your eyes went wide.

“T-Tomura!” you stuttered. 

The toy’s delicious curve was well worth the trouble. It fit like a hand in a glove, following your body’s arch to that tender spot along the front of your pussy. Drool pooled at the corner of your lips as you leaned into the sensation, letting the veiny craftsmanship set your nerves ablaze. Slick fingers gilded across your clit as you rocked yourself back and forth between twin pleasures. 

Shigaraki’s eyes bulged, following every nudge of your hip as you rode his pathetic replacement. Irritation bristled across his skin. He clenched his jaw, watching the toy with burning envy as it slipped in and out of your body. A steady stream of breathy curses poured from his mouth as he waited for the right words to come from yours.

“Tomura… ohmigosh Tomura!” you moaned. “Need your cock.”

Not yet. Not until you said it.

“Please! Please! Tomura! Ngnnn—w-want you so bad.”

So close! Too close!

As you bottomed out against the base, you let your tongue hang like a dog in heat. Saliva pooled at the tip before dripping onto the blanket below. Tomura’s nails raked the glass. The candle light flickered. You looked dead in the mirror and fixed him with a lust drunk smile. 

“Take me, Tomura Shigaraki.”

All at once, a hard hand pinched your jaw. You glanced up, only to see a feral snarl. Massive, tombstone wide teeth flashed in the thin light. Pale waves of ghost white hair framed his heart shaped face. Blood dripped from his broken lip as he sneered down at your intoxicated smile.

“T-thought you’d never come…” you mumbled.

Red eyes glowed in the din. “Thought you’d never ask,” he snarked back.

In one smooth motion, Tomura dragged you to your wobbly feet. You stumbled into his chest. Wrapping his arm around your shoulders, he kicked the comforter aside. The mattress squeaked. One massive hand pressed your cheek first into the springs as the other hoisted your hips against his. “You know you really ticked me off, putting on a show like that.” 

“S-sorry,” you muttered, scooting back against him. “Didn’t know what else to do…”

He rolled his eyes, slotting himself between your thighs. You gasped as cool, firm flesh clipped your raw clit. His hoarse voice growled in your ear. “No more games and no more toys. From here on in, the only one you wag your tail for”—a thick, cold weight pressed against your hot entrance—“is me.”

You nodded.

He chuckled, patting your cheek. “Good girl.”

Tomura canted his pelvis to meet you. One stroke at a time, he worked his way inside, spreading goosebumps along your skin. Icy fingers spread your lower lips, soothing your friction sore nub. Warm breath steamed from your every pant as your ghostly lover molded your pliant body to his cock. When he finally seated himself deep inside, an experimental roll of his hips left you writhing in the sheets.

“Oh no, no, no .” He taunted. “You’re not getting off that easy.”

Grasping the meat of your thighs, Tomura set a steady, bouncing pace. Every thrust pressed you deeper into slippery sheets. Your clit tingled. Crawling pleasure prickled up your nerves. His girth filled you to the brim, baring you to him in ways that set your skin ablaze. Soon, the rhythmic creak of the mattress was drowned out by mewling cries of unbridled ecstasy. 

“Like that, do you?” he demanded, pressing into your farthest walls. 

“Mmmm To-Tomura,” you moaned, arching your back. Another grind of his thick cock left you slurring your words “A-ah! L-love it!”

He leaned his weight forward, licking the shell of your ear. “Slut,” he rasped. 

“D-on’t mind”— You buried your warm face in the bedding and grinned—“being your slut.”

With a curse, Tomura ripped himself out of your body. You flopped to the mattress with a confused whine before turning to face him. Before you could speak, he grabbed your shoulder and flipped you on your back. Cracked lips smashed against yours in a frenzied kiss. Cold hands dragged you over the side of the bed, as he hoisted your legs over his hips. When he broke the kiss, a skeleton wide grin split his face from ear to ear.

“Oh?” A creepy chuckle shook his chest. “Is that so?”

With a snap of his hips, Tomura buried himself deep in your cunt.

You yelped, clawing at his shoulders. Long hair tickled your cheek as he pressed his nose into your neck. Hard teeth nipped at the delicate skin. He reached between you, boney fingers toying with your clit. With a gasp, you writhed on his cock. His free hand cupped the back of your head, tilting your face.

“Take a look at how naughty you are,” he whispered.

When you saw yourself in the mirror, your breath caught in your chest. Though you could see him plain as day, there was no one reflected in the glass. Instead, your body hovered in midair, back curved and nipples tight. Between your thighs, glistening in the candlelight, your naked core clenched around nothing. Heat flooded your brain, torching all rational thought. You gulped.

Tomura turned your gaze back to him. Half-lidded eyes paired with his smug grin sent a shock of lust though your insides. He chuckled at your expression before rolling his hips again. When you gasped, he smothered it with another hungry kiss.

“Mine,” he growled.

Locking your hands beside your head, Tomura trailed his scratchy lips down the column of your neck. You whimpered, turning your cheek into the sheets. Squirming legs clamped to his sides. An eerie chuckle rumbled from his chest and he buried his nose in your hair. The wet smacks from each firm thrust filled the air like a lewd base beat. When he settled upon one particular motion, you choked on your own voice. 

“Oh?” He sneered. “Here?”

Tomura leaned into you, rolling his head across your walls. 

“T-Tomura!” you whined, arching your back.

A shiver wracked his body. “Again,” he commanded, pressing into the spot that left your vision swirling grey. 

Your toes curled. “Tomur-ah!” 

He sped the pace, pounding you against the sheets. The springs squeaked their protests but you couldn’t hear them over the sound of his feral panting. “Again!” he hissed.

Closing your eyes, you wrapped your legs around his back. “Tomura…” you moaned, pulling him tight against you.

Shigaraki swore again, wrapping his arms under your shoulders. Burying his face in your neck, his movements stuttered. Tingling waves of pleasure rippled down your thighs. You tensed, clamping your body down until the electric vibrations rattled your brain. He surged forward, pounding relentlessly into you. 

“Gonna take my cum aren’t you? Take it like the good little slut you are."

As coarse white hair clipped across your swollen clit, your world swam behind blurry tears. Half formed thoughts slurred from puffy lips.“Want it. Want your cum so bad!”

Tinged with the taste of copper, his feverish kiss threatened to suffocate you. You tongue met his in an intoxicating dance. Saliva dribbled down your chin as your body coiled tighter and tighter. Just when you were about to snap, he whispered one final order:

“Say my name.”

“TOMURA!” you yelped as your world exploded into white hot bliss. 

With a strangled grunt, Tomura emptied himself inside you. Out of breath and shaking, he collapsed on top of you, grinding his hips against you over sensitive skin. As his seed leaked around the sides of him, you pressed your forehead against his. Clammy skin met flushed flesh as you tried to still the spinning room around you.

Climbing to his elbows, Tomura swept the stray hairs away from your sweaty brow. A cruel cackle filled the room. Scarlet eyes gleamed with villainous mirth as he lifted your chin. 

“Boo," he whispered.

 ❤ ~Fin~ ❤ 

Need more dark, gothic romance with hot villains? Check out my original reader insert novel:

Maid For Your Master by Afipia Felis

Available world wide in paperback and ebook.

CW available here

Reviews from readers like you:

"...The fantasy world is lush and the descriptions feel very historically real... This is a story written [with] the kind of dark heroes who feel real, and who don't immediately reform when the heroine batts her eyes at them..." - (Amazon)

"...It also has a lovely dark plot that really gives off the best historical tropes in a really well thought out world :)..." - (Amazon Kindle)

"Delightfully Devious! One thing I also particularly enjoyed about this book was the POV. Its very seldom that you find well written novels written this way. This was a very thrilling book and I can't wait to read more!" - (Goodreads.com)

Read the first three chapters for free on Amazon and Google Play.

Artwork:

Character design by Obsidianne-art

Chapter seven Excerpt By NoNoBadCat

Taglist:

@THE-LADY-WRITES-WHAT @wonwoosbestbuddy @OCEON6  @dabisqueen @shig-a-shig-ah-ah @feral-creep @bat-eclecticwolfbouquet-loveuet-love @smilinghowever @imaginedheroine @CLOUDS-NO1-FAN @MOONTHECREATOR @HARLEYWRITESFANTASY @MANJIROSGIRL @vamperilous @MADDY-HAT @cakernofakers @builtd-different25 @kurtasim @shiggyniggy @koreluvsspring @smilee-spooks @beware-thecrow

@m0nim0ni @minnieplier-blog @blehitsriot @moonwad @saikis-seceretcoffeejelly @nainainairi @bakuhoe37 @un-deadinsomniac @nonominchan @utena-akashiya @molita111 @nekolover93 @pimp-in @slaughterbat777 @chxrryvibes @blackchemicals @coldsaladpainter @flamme-meuf2-shiggy @aphorditeslust @just-yer-average-key @rekoii @justnothingguys @weo0o

@rekoii @down-with-the-shigness @softkao @night-shadowblood-writes2

#shigaraki x reader #shigaraki tomura x reader #shigaraki tomura x you #tomura shigaraki x reader #shimura tenko x reader #ghost shigaraki x reader #tenko shimura x reader #tomura x reader #bnha x reader #bnha x y/n #mha x reader #reader insert #x reader #fem!reader #ghost x reader #bnha x female reader #mha x you #mha x y/n #bnha x you

[mattievictoria]

I’m happy to announce my first public post about a personal project I started last April in 2022: an illustrated horror novelette (a novelette at this point in time, at least!) about turn-of-the-(previous)-century lumberjacks!

Yes, you read that right, lumberjacks. I may have to sell that to some of you, so I’ll keep it brief: isolated wilderness, incredibly dangerous work, superstitions and folklore… Hopefully, some of you have stopped chuckling at how silly the words “lumberjack horror” sounds (hopefully). Why an illustrated novelette and not say, a graphic novel? I just hate drawing comics. I love *reading* comics, manga and graphic novels, but honestly I just hate drawing them, plain and simple.

I am serious about this though, and I’ve spent the last 16 months reading 100+ year old books on Archive.org, knee-deep in Lumberjack facts (shorthand: Lumberfacts). I even took a 2,444 mile round trip-road trip from Los Angeles to the Pacific Northwest, where my story is set. (I mean, I also went with my partner to visit his family that lives up there, fortunately they tolerated me asking about old-timey lumberjacks… and Bigfoot.) Some of the most helpful books I’ve read are Pinery Boys: Song and Songcatching in the Lumberjack era (which is a 1926 book by Franz Rickaby that fortunately had a 2017 re-issue) Holy Old Mackinaw by Stewart Holbrook and The Parish Of The Pines: The Story Of Frank Higgins, The Lumberjacks' Sky Pilot by Thomas Davis Wittles. I’ve also spent a lot of time researching the history of the area, including Chief Jospeh of the Nez Perce and the union history and influence that the IWW had on that region. And back to the subject of Lumberjacks (though we left the subject for like, a sentence), I researched the logging town of Maxville, Oregon. Maxville was a community of Black loggers and their families at a time when Oregon was still a Whites-Only state, and is today historically preserved by the daughter of a Maxwell logger, Gwendolyn Trice. I suppose you can say I spent SO MUCH TIME researching because I just love history, and everything I uncovered were subjects I either knew little about, or nothing at all.

So what is my story about? What’s the deal with the three-eyed black dog and the half-tree lady? In all honestly, a lot of it I’m still figuring out. That’s been the hard part of this project— I started with a setting, not a character or a plot outline. I’ve felt like I’ve been moving backwards, and a lot of the plots I’ve developed during the past 16 months I’ve abandoned. However, I finally feel like I’ve grasped something tangible that I can work with. I don’t want to reveal too much yet, but here are some concepts I’m working with: Isolation, the supernatural, folk songs and folklore, man vs. nature, forgotten history, and of course, the deep, dark woods. Two existing works that have inspired me so far are The Man Whom the Trees Loved and The Willows, both written by classic Weird author Algernon Blackwood. As for the art side, I’ve been exploring various styles and looks, but I haven’t really attached myself to any one style in particular. I’m excited to share more with you all as I work more on this project!

Thank you for your continued support of my work,

Mattie

#dark art #folk horror #lumberjacks #pacific northwest #dark fantasy

[shamandrummer]

Native Actor Lily Gladstone Makes History

Today, I share with you some great news! On January 7, in case you missed it, Blackfeet and Nez Perce actor Lily Gladstone made history as the Golden Globes' first Indigenous winner in the category of Best Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. Gladstone, who goes by both she/they pronouns, brought an understated power to their portrayal of Mollie Burkhardt, an Osage woman struggling amid the murders of her family and community by greedy settlers, in Martin Scorcese's "Killers of the Flower Moon."

After beginning their acceptance speech with a traditional Blackfeet introduction and a round of thank-yous, Gladstone said something important and inspiring: "This is a historic win, but it doesn't belong to just me. I'm holding it with all of my beautiful sisters. And this is for every rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories, told by ourselves in our own words, with tremendous allies and tremendous trust from with and from each other."

That last statement is filled with both truth and nuance. It's a beautiful sentiment, but Gladstone may also be acknowledging that Hollywood remains a place with rich and powerful gatekeepers. Even in 2024, non-Native filmmakers (allies or not) like James Cameron (the "Avatar" franchise) and Scorcese are most often still the ones helming stories featuring Indigenous People and perspectives.`

This needs to change. Allies are important, and representation is wonderful. Still, even the most positive representation on-screen is not the same thing as agency -- the ability to tell their own stories, centering their own narratives. And agency, particularly for the Native women without whom this story does not exist and the movie could not function, is largely missing for much of "Killers of the Flower Moon." When Native actors occupy the screen, the movie seems to vibrate at a different frequency. I'm left wondering what could have been had their characters' arcs been less peripheral.

Much has been written about the movie by Indigenous People across the nation. From a glowing review by Vincent Schilling, founder and editor of NativeViewpoint.com, to a scathing indictment from "Reservation Dogs" star Devery Jacobs, opinions on the movie vary widely -- and understandably so. The three-hour-plus epic, based on true events, is ambitious, messy, and devastating. Critics praise the movie's effort to highlight Osage history with Indigenous actors in prominent roles but express reservations about its graphic violence and lack of historical context, foregrounding of white characters and lack of an Indigenous screenwriter or director. One thing everyone seems to agree upon, though, is the powerful performances given by Gladstone and other Native People in supporting roles. I, for one, look forward to seeing more from all of them, especially in movies and shows written and directed by Indigenous storytellers.

#lily gladstone #native americans #golden globes #best actress #killers of the flower moon #native women

[raleksd]

Native American Wisdom: 

10 Inspiring Quotes to Live By

Native Americans are the original inhabitants of the land that now constitutes the United States. They have a rich and diverse history, culture, and spirituality that have survived centuries of oppression and genocide. Their wisdom, which is often expressed in the form of proverbs, sayings, and quotes, reflects their deep connection to nature, their respect for life, and their values of harmony, balance, and generosity.

In this article, we will explore 10 of the best wisdom quotes from various Native American tribes and leaders, and how they can inspire us to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

1. "What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, men would die from great loneliness of spirit, for whatever happens to the beasts also happens to man." - Chief Si'ahl (Seattle), Suqwamish and Duwamish

This quote reminds us of the interdependence of all living beings on Earth, and the importance of protecting and respecting the natural environment. We are not separate from nature, but part of it. We share the same spirit with the animals, plants, and elements. If we harm them, we harm ourselves.

2. "You must speak straight so that your words may go as sunlight into our hearts." - Cochise, Chiricahua

This quote teaches us the value of honesty, clarity, and kindness in communication. We should speak with integrity and sincerity, without hiding or twisting our intentions. We should also speak with compassion and empathy, without hurting or offending others. Our words have the power to heal or harm, to enlighten or darken, to unite or divide. We should use them wisely.

3. "Where I am, I build my house; and where I build my house, all things come to it." - Osage proverb

This quote encourages us to be content and grateful for what we have, and to make the best of our situation. We should not be restless or dissatisfied with our circumstances, but rather embrace them as opportunities for growth and learning. We should also be open and welcoming to whatever life brings us, trusting that everything has a purpose and a place.

4. "So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart." - Tecumseh, Shawnee

This quote inspires us to live courageously and authentically, without letting fear hold us back from pursuing our dreams and passions. We should not be afraid of death, but rather see it as a natural and inevitable part of life. We should focus on living fully and joyfully in the present moment, making each day count.

5. "The Earth and myself are of one mind." - Chief Joseph (Hin-mah-too-yah-lat-kekt), Nez Perce

This quote expresses the deep spiritual bond between humans and the Earth, and the recognition of a higher intelligence that guides and governs all creation. We should not see ourselves as separate from or superior to the Earth, but rather as its children and caretakers. We should listen to its voice and follow its wisdom.

6. "Each one must learn for himself the highest wisdom. It cannot be taught in words." - Smowhala, Wanapum

This quote emphasizes the importance of personal experience and intuition in acquiring knowledge and understanding. We should not rely solely on external sources of information or authority, but rather seek our own truth within ourselves. We should also be humble and curious, knowing that there is always more to learn.

7. "Each man is good in His sight. It is not necessary for eagles to be crows." - Hunkesni (Sitting Bull), Hunkpapa Sioux

This quote celebrates the diversity and uniqueness of each individual, and the respect for different cultures and beliefs. We should not judge or compare ourselves or others based on superficial criteria, but rather appreciate the inherent worth and beauty of each person. We should also be proud of our own identity and heritage, without trying to conform or imitate others.

8. "Hold fast to the words of your ancestors." - Hopi proverb

This quote urges us to honor and preserve our ancestral traditions and wisdom, which are often passed down orally from generation to generation. We should not forget or neglect our roots, but rather cherish them as a source of guidance and inspiration. We should also learn from the mistakes and achievements of our forefathers, and strive to improve ourselves and our society.

9. "We will be known forever by the tracks we leave." - Dakota quote

This quote warns us of the consequences of our actions and choices, both for ourselves and for future generations. We should be mindful of how we live our lives, and what kind of legacy we want to leave behind. We should also be responsible and accountable for our impact on the world, and try to make it a better place.

10. "Those who have one foot in the canoe and one foot in the boat are going to fall in the river." - Tuscarora proverb

This quote advises us to be decisive and committed in our endeavors, and not to be distracted or divided by conflicting interests or influences. We should not try to please everyone or do everything, but rather focus on what matters most to us and what aligns with our values and goals. We should also be consistent and loyal in our relationships, and not betray or abandon those who trust and support us.

---

These are just some of the many wisdom quotes from Native American cultures that can enrich our lives and perspectives. By learning from their insights and experiences, we can gain a deeper appreciation of ourselves, others, and the world around us. We can also honor their legacy and contribution to humanity, and help preserve their culture and spirit.

#raleksd #artvsartist #findyourthing #native #native american #indigenous #first nations #native women #native plants #nativeamericans #navajo

[neznco]

ഇനി നമ്മളെ മലപ്പുറത്തും

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New Batch Starting Next Week Onwards

NEZ&Co Digital Marketing Academy Malappuram Chat with us https://shorturl.at/isAF3 🌐www.neznco.com 📞9207778588

4 Month Agency Based Digital Marketing Training program with Internship and 100% Placements

Students can opportunity to experience the real client work ——————————

✅Interview Training ✅Skill Training ✅Communicative English Training ✅Basic Graphic Designing ✅Practical Classes ✅Live projects. ✅Internship Program ✅Online & Offline classes

#Digital Marketing Course #Malappuram #NEZNCO Digital Marketing Institute #SEO #Social Media Marketing #Email Marketing #Content Marketing #Google Analytics #PPC Advertising #Online Branding #Digital Marketing Strategy #Web Analytics #Mobile Marketing #E-commerce Marketing #SEM #Certification #Job Placement #Practical Training #Industry Experts #Malappuram Digital Marketing Career

[ao3feed-mystrade]

Quelqu'un de bien

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/53132140 by TailorFox Las d'être mené par le bout du nez par Mycroft, Lestrade tient à prouver à lui et à son entourage que Mycroft ne le considère pas comme le baby-sitter corvéable à merci de Sherlock Holmes. Les deux hommes apprennent à se connaître dans un quotidien rythmé par les évènements des saisons deux à quatre, et au-delà. Rien n'est facile ou prévisible, mais en côtoyant un Holmes, c'est une chose à laquelle vous devez vous attendre. Words: 5360, Chapters: 2/8, Language: Français Fandoms: Sherlock (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Categories: F/M, M/M Characters: Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Molly Hooper, Sally Donovan, Mrs. Hudson (Sherlock Holmes), Mary Morstan, Philip Anderson (Sherlock) Relationships: Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, No Beta we die like goldfishes, Angst and Romance, Suit la trame de la série read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/53132140

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #mystrade #mycroftxlestrange

[bookclub4m]

Episode 181 - Summer 2023 Media Update

This episode it’s time for our Summer 2023 Media Update! We talk about chairs, orangutans, weird music, and 17 novellas! Plus, lots more!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | Jam Edwards

Media & Things we Talked About 

Meghan

Graphic Novels

L'Esprit du camp by Cab, Michel Falardo

Friday by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martín, coloured by Muntsa Vicente

Birds of Maine by Michael DeForge

Looking at Stuff

Saving Time: Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock by Jenny Odell

A Sand County Almanac and Sketches Here and There by Aldo Leopold, Charles W. Schwartz (illustrator)

Outside Lies Magic: Regaining History and Awareness in Everyday Places by John R. Stilgoe

Novellas

Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire

The Singing Hills Cycle by Nghi Vo

Voidwitch Saga by Corey J. White

Matthew

Ducks by Kate Beaton

Weird Music

Venjent - Flowin' with the Vibe

Venjent - Tapping Away

Venjent - Create Machines

Jacek Dzwonowsk - Triple concerto for faucet, water pipes and fiddle

Boys Noize & Pussy Riot - "Chastity" feat. Alice Glass

“Put it in a dick cage”

Yakuza 0 (Wikipedia)

Jam

Captain Disillusion

Orangutan Card Trick DEBUNK

Corridor Crew

VFX Artists React to Bad & Great CGi 57 (Ft. Captain Disillusion)

VFX Artists React to Amazing Movie Props With Adam Savage!

The Girl I Am, Was, and Will Never Be: A Speculative Memoir of Transracial Adoption by Shannon Gibney

Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Wikipedia)

‘Breath of the Wild’ is the Zelda Adventure I've Always Wanted by Austin Walker

Anna

Classy with Jonathan Menjivar

LoadingReadyRun - Swap & Shop - Selling Edition

Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art

Photos of chairs (on Matthew’s Instagram account)

Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

18 Non-Fiction Military Books by BIPOC Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

Transformed: A Navy SEAL’s Unlikely Journey from the Throne of Africa, to the Streets of the Bronx, to Defying All Odds by Remi Adeleke

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah

Unbecoming: A Memoir of Disobedience by Anuradha Bhagwati

Infinite Hope: A Black Artist's Journey from World War II to Peace by Ashley Bryan

Gabriel Dumont Speaks by Gabriel Dumont, translated by Michael Barnholden

Body Counts: The Vietnam War and Militarized Refugees by Yen Le Espiritu

They Called Us "Lucky": The Life and Afterlife of the Iraq War's Hardest Hit Unit by Ruben Gallego

Knocking Down Barriers: My Fight for Black America by Truman K. Gibson Jr.

Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins

Ira Hayes: The Akimel O'odham Warrior, World War II, and the Price of Heroism by Tom Holm

Strong Hearts, Wounded Souls: Native American Veterans of the Vietnam War by Tom Holm

Sounding Thunder: The Stories of Francis Pegahmagabow by Brian D. McInnes

The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez

Duty, Honour and Izzat: From Golden Fields to Crimson - Punjab's Brothers in Arms in Flanders by Steven Purewal

Call Me Chef, Dammit!: A Veteran’s Journey from the Rural South to the White House by Andre Rush

The Art of War by Sun Tzu

From the Tundra to the Trenches by Eddy Weetaltuk

Now Let Me Fly: A Portrait of Eugene Bullard by Ronald Wimberly

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, September 5th when we’ll be discussing the format of Lyric Poetry!

Then on Tuesday, September 19th it’s time for our One Book One Podcast as we discuss the novel Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey!

#episodes

[ao3feed-zentan]

Life is Unfair, Kill Yourself or Get Over It

Life is Unfair, Kill Yourself or Get Over It

by BigPapi123

He supposed the punishment for arriving at the slaughter of his family so late was not being blessed with the ability to burn, the oldest Kamado immune to the heat of the sun until the end of time.

Tanjiro would stare at the blackened flesh under his nails, constantly aware of the constant throb his back cried out about due to the raised bone just barely about to snap skin.

Tanjiro watched the flame markings on his skin move like water color, the scar on his forehead curling around his eyes. (The same eyes his mother used to swear up and down that would attract a spouse for him one day, and they would see his kind soul from them "The eyes are the window to the soul after all" )

OR--

Tanjiro becomes a demon, Nez dies, he lives on a mountain alone and two other demons from the opposite side of the war stumble across him. He likes them. Alot.

Tanjiro is also the holder of upper moon zero! Definitely not important.

Not at all.

*Coughs*

Words: 4454, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Anime), 鬼滅の刃 | Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba (Manga)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con

Categories: M/M, Multi, Other

Characters: Kamado Tanjirou, Agatsuma Zenitsu, Hashibira Inosuke, Kibutsuji Muzan, Tamayo (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Kokushibou | Tsugikuni Michikatsu, Douma (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Akaza | Hakuji (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Rui (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Daki | Ume (Kimetsu no Yaiba), Gyutaro (Kimetsu no Yaiba)

Relationships: Agatsuma Zenitsu/Hashibira Inosuke/Kamado Tanjirou, Agatsuma Zenitsu/Kamado Tanjirou, Agatsuma Zenitsu/Hashibira Inosuke, Hashibira Inosuke/Kamado Tanjirou, Agatsuma Zenitsu & Hashibira Inosuke & Kamado Tanjirou, Kamado Tanjirou & Kibutsuji Muzan

Additional Tags: Fluff and Angst, Domestic Fluff, It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Heavy Angst, Grief/Mourning, Demon Kamado Tanjirou, Demon Hashibira Inosuke, Demon Agatsuma Zenitsu, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe, Marking, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Unhealthy Relationships, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, Not Beta Read, Blood and Violence, Graphic Description, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, BAMF Tamayo, why is that not a tag, prolly cause she already is one, Good Demons, Cannibalism, Pining, Mutual Pining, Is it really pining if Tanjiro dosen't know he is?, Maybe - Freeform, Attempt at Humor, Dead Kamado Nezuko, Polyamory

From https://ift.tt/M28WwPg https://archiveofourown.org/works/48741247

#ao3feed zentan #ao3feed #fanfiction #zentan #zenitsu x tanjirou #agatsuma zenitsu x kamado tanjirou

[thehorrorreturns]

ESP Skate Society: Super Rad Design

This episode Nez is joined by freelance Illustrator/Graphic Designer Carlos Vigil of Super Rad Design.

Follow Carlos Vigil:

Instagram - @superraddesign

https://carlosvigil.bigcartel.com

Etsy Shop:

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SuperRadDesign?ref=shop_sugg_market

Hit up E Society on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/ESocietyPodcast/

Check out our ESP Anchor feed:

https://anchor.fm/mac-nez

E Society YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCliC6x_a7p3kTV_0LC4S10A

E Society and Mac-Nez t-shirts Tee Public:

http://tee.pub/lic/9ko9r4p5uvE

Twitter:

@esocietypod

@macnezpod

@TheoZissou

Instagram:

@esocietypodcast

@thezissou

@macnezpod

Nez and Taylor Blu-ray IG pages:

@bluraynez

@blurayterror

TikTok:

@esocietypod

#SK8ERNezPodcastNetwork #SkateSociety #ESociety #ESP #Skateboarding #Movies #TVShows #Comics #Toys #Collectibles #Music #Entertainment #PopCulture #Podcast #Podcasting #PodLife #PodernFamily #PodcastHQ #PodNation #CarlosVigil #SuperRadDesign

[nezkovsou]

Ajin week 2020 Day 2: Horror and favourite quote/scene

This fucked me up.

#ajinweek2020 #ajin #ajin: demi-human #nagai kei #kaito #kaikei #graphics #nez graphics

[fatehbaz]

Uranium mining, environmental racism, and resource extraction on Native land during pandemic: The Navajo people were promised and also legally entitled to receive $600 million to help protect themselves against covid, but it took 6 whole weeks for the US government to issue the aid, which only happened after the Navajo sued the government. During those 6 weeks waiting for help, Navajo Nation became the site of the highest per capita infection rates outside of the NYC-Philadelphia urban corridor. In another major Native and relatively rural region held hostage by resource extraction companies, right in the midst of pandemic and quarantines, Lakota living in the Pine Ridge region (site of what might be the “poorest” counties in the US), are grappling not just with the beginning of the construction of the major Keystone XL pipeline, but also with renewed US federal government support of a Canadian mining company’s project meant to open a uranium mine in the Black Hills.

And right before local quarantines and lockdowns began across the US, Dine land and the Navajo were in headlines because of a recent increase in attention given to the lasting legacy of poisoning and environmental racism from the infamous uranium mining on Dine land and the Colorado Plateau in the mid-20th century. (Much of the uranium mining was taking place at the same time that Dine matriarchs led the fights against coal mines at Black Mesa and other sites.) Here’s a statement from The Guardian, from 8 May 2020: ‘The Native American tribe [Navajo] now has the highest per-capita Covid-19 infection rate after only New York and New Jersey, and the spread is not slowing. “We are doing our very best to flatten the curve with the very limited resources we have on the Navajo nation,” president Jonathan Nez told the Guardian. “The first citizens of this country were once again pushed aside by the most powerful government in the world … but now that we’re in the headlines, US citizens are finally realising the deplorable conditions our people live in. We’re fed up. This has got to end.”:

-

-

-

-

A statement from AP/CBS, from 8 October 2019: ‘Dr. Loretta Christensen - the chief medical officer on the Navajo Nation for Indian Health Service, a partner in the research - said 781 women were screened during an initial phase of the study that ended last year.Among them, 26% had concentrations of uranium that exceeded levels found in the highest 5% of the U.S. population, and newborns with equally high concentrations continued to be exposed to uranium during their first year, she said. [...] From the end of World War II to the mid-1980s, millions of tons of uranium ore were extracted from the Navajo Nation, leaving gray streaks across the desert landscape as well as a legacy of disease and death.’

Some recent headlines about uranium and the Navajo.

Then, this happened.

This graphic was published 14 April 2020.

That corner of northwestern New Mexico:

-

Lakota resistance against uranium and Keystone XL, early 2019. [From: Delilah Friedler, Grist, 10 May 2020.]

 ‘[A]10,600-acre uranium mine proposed to be built in the Black Hills. The Dewey-Burdock mine would suck up as much as 8,500 gallons of groundwater per minute from the Inyan Kara aquifer to extract as much as 10 million pounds of ore in total. [...] For years, it seemed like the Lakota could drag out the case long  enough to make Powertech’s prospects no longer worth the fight. The price of domestic uranium was on a steady decline: The federal government already had vast stockpiles, and nuclear energy producers could import it more cheaply from places like Australia and Canada. By the end of 2018, all but five U.S. uranium mines had been shut down or suspended. Yet today, Powertech is just one of several companies applying to open new mines [...]. In July 2019, after lobbying from uranium producers, [...]  Tr*mp convened a Nuclear Fuel Working Group to devise policies that could throw a lifeline to the struggling industry. Released in April, the group’s report won applause from Powertech’s parent company by recommending renewed federal investment in uranium. Though many experts say the U.S. already has more of the mineral than it can use, Trump’s proposed 2021 budget would allocate $150 million to stock a new reserve with domestically mined uranium. The share prices of U.S. mining companies jumped after the report’s release, while factors related to COVID-19 caused the global price of uranium to surge throughout March and April.’

Here’s just a taste of the effects of uranium in the Four Corners region. [From: Harvey Wasserman. Killing Our Own: The Disaster of America's Experience with Atomic Radiation.]

‘Church Rock, New Mexico, would seem an improbable spot for a nuclear disaster.  A dusty cluster of industrial machinery set in the arid mesas of the great Southwest, its most distinguishing feature might be considered a large pond of murky liquid, unusual in such dry terrain. Church Rock also hosts a series of underground uranium mine shafts [...]. A Wall of Radioactive Water: In the early morning hours of July 16, 1979–fourteen weeks after the accident at Three Mile Island–all of that changed.  The dam at Church Rock burst sending eleven hundred tons of radioactive mill wastes and ninety million gallons of contaminated liquid pouring toward Arizona. [...] No one was killed in the actual flood.  But along the way it left residues of radioactive uranium, thorium, radium, and polonium, as well as traces of metals such as cadmium, aluminum, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, selenium, sodium, vanadium, zinc, iron, lead and high concentrations of sulfates. [...]

Except for the bomb tests, Church Rock was probably the biggest single release of radioactive poisons on American soil.  Ironically it occurred thirty-four years to the day after the first atomic test explosion at Trinity, New Mexico, not far away. The source of the catastrophe was uranium mill wastes.’

-

Voyles calls the socioecological project of converting lively and productive Indigenous lands into undesirable and dead places “wastelanding.” [From: Nathaniel Otjen. “Indigenous radical resurgence and multispecies landscapes: Leslie Marmon Silko’s The Turqoise Ledge.”]

There’s a reason why book titles like this exist:

[arttroitskiy]

Человек в пенсне. Man in pince-nez. серия "наши" 2.09.21. 167/365 . . . #набросок #ссср #рисуюдлядуши #наблюдаюжизнь #линия #графика #карандаш #карандашныйрисунок #скетч #скетчинг #sketch #sketching #draw #drawing #graphics #line #pencil #graphite #graphitedrawing #TROITSKIY_art #art #artists #people #instaartist #instagram #instaartwork #pencildrawing #instagood #ussr https://www.instagram.com/p/CTVP04WM8vE/?utm_medium=tumblr

#набросок #ссср #рисуюдлядуши #наблюдаюжизнь #линия #графика #карандаш #карандашныйрисунок #скетч #скетчинг #sketch #sketching #draw #drawing #graphics #line #pencil #graphite #graphitedrawing #troitskiy_art #art #artists #people #instaartist #instagram #instaartwork #pencildrawing #instagood #ussr

[silenttowergames]

Tribulations of Engine Development: Part 1

It’s been a little while since there’s been a blog post here. A year and a half, actually. But given the title of this particular post... I’m sure you understand why.

A few releases have happened since the last blog post: 8-bit survival horror Retro Slasher, the subject of all of my previous posts; tile-based puzzle game Graveyard Ghoul!, in which you navigate a maze-like graveyard; and holiday slasher Krampusnacht, in which you fight off the titular goat devil who seeks to punish you for your misdeeds. (All of these are currently free if you claim them before August!) There’s also been a couple of free browser games, and some game jam projects.

However, most of my time spent on gamedev since then has been wrestling with the angels (demons?) of engine development. By now, my metaphorical hip has been broken. But daylight is breaking.

See, each release, whether a browser game or a Windows application, has been made with the intention of relying on outside software as little as possible. The browser games, like arcade shooter / meme cash-in Hog Assault, or satirical working class visual novel Job Application Simulator, have made minimal use of outside libraries, mostly just for basic web design stuff or playing sounds, while the game loop was completely custom. Other games have used Monogame for playing sounds & drawing graphics. One jam game used the Monogame-based Nez engine.

I finally intend, in this blog post, to acknowledge the elephant in the room here:

Why?!

Why make a custom game engine?

It is a completely unanswerable question.

And the answer is: control.

First, controlling the features & workflow. Many of the features I need (probably all) exist in most mainstream engines. However, engines all have unique strengths & weaknesses, as well as unique priorities.

For one thing, the most high-level programming language I’d like to use is C#, and I could see myself going as low-level as C. This narrows it down a lot already. Many engines, particularly ones that prioritize 2D, tend to use high-level scripting languages. This is a great thing, and the only reason you wouldn’t want this is if you’re developing a very complex game, or just don’t prefer scripting languages. But, I fall into that second category.

Also, with a custom engine, as I come up with new ways to improve my workflow, it can be made a reality as easily as taking a couple hours & making the functionality myself. Over the last year, I went from hand-typing animation data & tilemaps into my code, to using Tiled & ASEprite to export complete level maps & animated sprite sheets. If I wanted to keep this same freedom, I would need an engine that offered everything I currently need out of the box, or one that's easy to write plugins for (or ideally, both).

Secondly, financial control. This is probably a lot more important.

I can think of some engines that meet the above criteria very well, but either cost a lot of money out of pocket, or eventually cost royalties. If you’re a big & successful studio, these costs probably make sense. But when your budget is nearly $0, it simply can’t be done.

But you might be thinking, that doesn’t rule out every engine! Some are completely free and open-source, while others have ridiculously high thresholds before royalties start to kick in. So, I must finally concede the real reason, if there is one at all:

I enjoy engine development! It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of gamedev. I think it’s incredible that every game I make is created almost entirely out of words that I typed. Monogame itself is an open-source library, so if I wanted to change anything about it, or contribute to its development, I could. Even the tools I use, like Tiled and ASEprite, export XML or JSON code files that could’ve been hand-typed with enough patience.

Games are made of code. For many people, code isn’t so much the main event (and many of them are much better game developers than I will ever be, to be certain). But that’s just the way I’ve grown to look at it.

So, have I gotten anywhere with my engine?

Yes!

I have a finished, perfectly usable game engine right now. And I’ve successfully avoided many of the pitfalls I fell into last time.

But this post is way longer than I intended it to be, so I’ll write more about that in Part 2.

- Swan

@SilentTowerGame on Twitter

Silent Tower Games on itch.io

Silent Tower Games website

#gamedev #indie games #game engine

[tasksweekly]

[TASK 169: COMANCHE]

In celebration of November being Native American Heritage Month, here’s a masterlist below compiled of over 90+ Comanche faceclaims categorised by gender with their occupation and ethnicity denoted if there was a reliable source. The Comanche are a Native American and Native Mexican tribe who historically have lived in a region they call “Comancheria”, which encompasses the US states of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The majority of Comanche now live in Oklahoma or Texas. If you want an extra challenge use random.org to pick a random number! Of course everything listed below are just suggestions and you can pick whichever faceclaim or whichever project you desire.

Any questions can be sent here and all tutorials have been linked below the cut for ease of access! REMEMBER to tag your resources with #TASKSWEEKLY and we will reblog them onto the main! This task can be tagged with whatever you want but if you want us to see it please be sure that our tag is the first five tags, @ mention us or send us a messaging linking us to your post!

THE TASK - scroll down for FC’s!

STEP 1: Decide on a FC you wish to create resources for! You can always do more than one but who are you starting with? There are links to masterlists you can use in order to find them and if you want help, just send us a message and we can pick one for you at random!

STEP 2: Pick what you want to create! You can obviously do more than one thing, but what do you want to start off with? Screencaps, RP icons, GIF packs, masterlists, PNG’s, fancasts, alternative FC’s - LITERALLY anything you desire!

STEP 3: Look back on tasks that we have created previously for tutorials on the thing you are creating unless you have whatever it is you are doing mastered - then of course feel free to just get on and do it. :)

STEP 4: Upload and tag with #TASKSWEEKLY! If you didn’t use your own screencaps/images make sure to credit where you got them from as we will not reblog packs which do not credit caps or original gifs from the original maker.

THINGS YOU CAN MAKE FOR THIS TASK -  examples are linked!

Stumped for ideas? Maybe make a masterlist or graphic of your favourite faceclaims. A masterlist of names. Plot ideas or screencaps from a music video preformed by an artist. Masterlist of quotes and lyrics that can be used for starters, thread titles or tags. Guides on culture and customs.

Screencaps

RP icons [of all sizes]

Gif Pack [maybe gif icons if you wish]

PNG packs

Manips

Dash Icons

Character Aesthetics

PSD’s

XCF’s

Graphic Templates - can be chara header, promo, border or background PSD’s!

FC Masterlists - underused, with resources, without resources!

FC Help - could be related, family templates, alternatives.

Written Guides.

and whatever else you can think of / make!

MASTERLIST!

F:

Raven De La Croix (1947) Comanche / French - actress.

Karita Coffey (1947) Comanche - ceramist.

Yolanda Martinez (1950) Comanche, Apache, Spanish - singer, drummer, composer, and artist.

Gigi Bannister (1960) Comanche / Osage - actress and makeup artist.

Teri Greeves (1970) Comanche, Kiowa / Italian - beadwork artist.

Keri Ataumbi (1971) Comanche, Kiowa / Italian - painter, sculptor, and jewelry maker.

Shiah Luna (1984) Comanche / Mexican - actress.

Amber Stevens / Amber Stevens West (1986) Comanche, African-American / Irish, Norwegian, German, English, Dutch, Scottish, Welsh - actress and model.

Billie D. Merritt (1990) Comanche, Choctaw / African-American - actress.

Janee’ Kassanavoid (1995) Comanche - hammer thrower.

Marla Nauni (?) Comanche, Potawatomi / Seneca - actress, singer, and model.

Bernadette Perez (?) Comanche / Mexican [Purepecha, Spanish, Possibly Other] - actress, director, producer, and storyteller.

Chyna Rose Stevens (?) Comanche, African-American / Irish, Norwegian, German, English, Dutch, Scottish, Welsh - makeup artist.

Nina Hargis (?) Comanche - actress.

Andria Benet (?) Comanche / Coahuiltecan - musician, filmmaker, writer, poet, photographer, and curator.

Veronica Wood (?) Comanche, Kiowa / Irish, German - actress.

Apryl Allen (?) Comanche, Unspecified White - singer-songwriter, composer, playwright, and author.

Cece Meadows (?) Comanche / Yaqui - plus-sized model and makeup artist.

Liv The Artist / Olivia Simone Komahcheet (?) Comanche, Navajo - actress, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and graphic artist.

Juanita Pahdopony (?) Comanche - actress, poet, writer, and artist.

Dana Goodin (?) Comanche - podcast host, fashion designer, and writer.

Jhane Myers (?) Comanche, Blackfoot - actress, producer, dancer, and artist.

Bethany Dupoint (?) Comanche, Kiowa - model.

Ava Battese (?) Comanche, Potawatomi, Pawnee, Seminole - basketball player.

Julianna Brannum (?) Comanche - filmmaker.

Shauna Osborn (?) Comanche, Spanish, German - poet, artist, and wordsmith.

Kimi Greene (?) Comanche, Unspecified White - singer and blogger.

Terry Gomez (?) Comanche - actress, director, and playwright.

Wakeah Jhane (?) Comanche, Blackfoot / Kiowa - artist.

Laurena Killsnight (?) Comanche, Nez Perce - actress, artist, and writer.

Ginny Underwood (?) Comanche, Kiowa - producer and writer.

Jessica Quoetone (?) Comanche, Kiowa - basketball player.

Cynthia Canada (?) Comanche, Kiowa - painter.

Toyacoyah Brown (?) Comanche - writer.

Cynthia Masterson (?) Comanche - artist.

Nahmi Koassechony-Burgess (?) Comanche, Chiricahua Apache - softball player.

J. Nicole Hatfield (?) Comanche, Kiowa - painter.

Blaize Burgess (?) Comanche, Shawnee / African-American - basketball player.

Carmen Selam (?) Comanche, Yakama - artist.

Cynthia Clay (?) Comanche / Unknown - artist.

M:

Rance Hood (1941) Comanche - artist. 

Gil Birmingham (1953) Comanche - actor.

Micki Free (1955) Comanche, Cherokee, Irish - singer-songwriter, guitarist, flutist, and harmonicist.

Raoul Trujillo (1955) Comanche, Tlaxcalan, Metis, Ute, Apache, Pueblo, Andalusian Moor, Sephardi Jewish, French - actor, director, dancer, and choreographer.

Benjamin Dane (1962) Comanche / Blackfoot - actor.

Jonathan Joss (1965) Comanche, Western Apache, Spanish - actor.

Rodrick Pocowatchit (1966) Comanche, Pawnee, Shawnee - actor and filmmaker.

Quanah Parker Burgess (1975) Comanche - artist.

Comanche Boy / George Tahdooahnippah (1978) Comanche, Choctaw - boxer.

Rudy Youngblood (1982) Comanche, Yaqui, Cree - actor, musician, dancer, and artist.

Thundercat / Stephen Lee Bruner (1984) 1/8 Comanche, 7/8 African-American - rapper-songwriter, singer, guitarist, keyboardist, drummer, and producer.

DJ ELITE (1990) Comanche, French / Irish - DJ, producer, and audio engineer.

Chance Comanche (1996) Comanche, Choctaw, African-American, Irish, Scottish - basketball player.

Phillip Bread (1998) Comanche, Blackfoot / Kiowa - actor and model.

Marco Fuller (?) Comanche, Choctaw, German / Colombian - actor.

Darryl Tonemah (?) Comanche, Kiowa, Tuscarora - actor and singer-songwriter.

Hud Oberly (?) Comanche, Osage, Caddo - actor and filmmaker.

Jason Asenap (?) Comanche / Muskogee - actor, director, and writer.

Duane Loken (?) Comanche - actor and singer.

Cornel Pewewardy (?) Comanche, Kiowa - singer-songwriter and flutist.

Sy Hoahwah (?) Comanche / Southern Arapaho - author and poet.

Randy Granger (?) Comanche, Apache, Mayan, Tequesta, Tłı̨chǫ, Alaskan Athabaskan, Unspecified Non-Native - singer-songwriter and flutist.

Jason Lawton (?) Comanche - actor and producer.

Timothy Tate Nevaquaya (?) Comanche, Yuchi / Chickasaw, Choctaw - flutist and visual artist.

Glass Eden (?) Comanche, Mescalero Apache - singer.

Alan Odinson (?) Comanche - archer.

David Lopezz the Double Letta / David Lopezz (?) Comanche / Raramuri - rapper.

Chief Sonne Reyna (?) Mexican [Comanche, Yaqui, Apache, Comecrudo, Coahuiltecan] - singer and drummer.

King Keeno (?) Comanche - rapper.

Joe Galarza (?) Mexican [Comanche, Possibly Other] - musician, instrument maker, painter, muralist, and sculptor.

Aaron Adson (?) Comanche / Pawnee - singer.

Sunrise Tippeconnie (?) Comanche, Navajo - filmmaker.

Lans Saupitty (?) Comanche - singer.

Tyler Martinez (?) Comanche, Navajo, Chiricahua Apache - actor, stuntman, equestrian, and artist.

Kenneth Cozad (?) Comanche, Kiowa - musician.

Benny Tahmahkera Jr. (?) Comanche - actor.

John Robert Jr. (?) Comanche, Unspecified White - actor.

Robbie Mitchell (?) Comanche, Unspecified Other - model (instagram: nativepapi_47).

GP Handman / Rahim Asad Shakur (?) Comanche, Afro-Jamaican - rapper (instagram: famerica_handman).

Paul Chaat Smith (?) Comanche / Choctaw - author and curator.

Steven A. Flores (?) Comanche / Mexican - actor and artist.

Raymond Love (?) Comanche, Irish - filmmaker.

Arch W. Gibson (?) Comanche - writer. 

Eric Tippeconnic (?) Comanche - painter.

Shinali Robbie R. Daniels (?) Comanche - singer.

Nocona Burgess (?) Comanche - painter.

Phillip Roybal (?) Comanche, Kiowa, Caddo - mixed martial artist.

Larry Hood (?) Comanche - artist. 

Barthell Little Chief (?) Comanche - artist. 

Tim Saupitty (?) Comanche - artist.

NB:

Peshawn Bread (1996) Comanche, Blackfoot / Kiowa - Two-Spirit (They/Them/She) - actor, model, filmmaker, and poet.

Raven Two Feathers (?) Comanche, Cayuga, Cherokee, Seneca - Two-Spirit (They/Them/Their’s) - filmmaker.

Problematic:

Hozhoni Whitecloud (2001) Comanche, Omaha, Otoe, Ho-Chunk, Plains Cree, Lakota Sioux, Menominee, Muskogee, Arikara - model. - Cultural appropriation.

#comanche fc #native fc #poc fc #fc list #rph #task: 169 #task: comanche

[shamandrummer]

Five Native American Artists You Should Know

Just as music plays a vital role in Native American culture, art has a very special place as well. Native American art has developed over centuries, tracing back to cave paintings, stonework and earthenware. Art has been used as a form of expression in the Native American way of life for thousands of years. Most art was created as a symbol, such as a bird, animal or people. Many art objects are basically intended to perform a service -- for example, to act as a container or to provide a means of worship. The materials to make this artwork varied from clay, stone, feathers and fabric. Typically linked to a deep connection with spirituality and Mother Earth, Native American art comes in many different styles and forms to reflect the unique cultures of diverse tribes -- including beadwork, jewelry, weaving, basketry, pottery, carvings, drums, flutes, pipes, dolls and more. Here are five contemporary Native American artists you should know:

1. Wendy Red Star: Of Apsáalooke (Crow) affiliation, Portland-based artist Red Star (born 1981) works in a variety of media. Her art often includes clichéd representations of Native Americans, colonialism, the environment, and her own family. Her humorous approach and use of Native American images from traditional media draw the viewer into her work, while also confronting romanticized representations. She juxtaposes popular depictions of Native Americans with authentic cultural and gender identities. Her work has been described as "funny, brash, and surreal." Red Star produced artwork for the 2019 Art+Feminism Call to Action Art Commission (shown above). "Ashkaamne (matrilineal inheritance)" depicts in black and white the artist and her daughter, Beatrice Red Star Fletcher, reclining in matching striped shirts and blankets, with the words, "Apsáalooke feminist," repeated in the background. Apsáalooke inheritance is based on matrilineal descent, tracing affiliation along the mother-to-daughter line. This image represents a lineage, female empowerment, and the next generation.

2. Frank Buffalo Hyde: Born in Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1974, Hyde was raised on his mother's Onondaga reservation and studied at the Santa Fe Art Institute and Institute of American Indian Arts. He belongs to the Onondaga Nation, Beaver Clan, and Nez Perce tribe. Before becoming a visual artist, he played in a rock band and dabbled in writing. Hyde juxtaposes 21st century pop culture images with symbols and themes from his Native American heritage. His vibrant, satirical, graphic paintings seek to dismantle stereotypes of Native American culture and replicate what he refers to as "the collective unconsciousness of the 21st century."

3. Makita Wilbur: Wilbur (born 1984), a visual storyteller from the Swinomish and Tulalip peoples of coastal Washington, for the past five years has been traveling and photographing Indian Country in pursuit of one goal: To Change the Way We See Native America. Wilbur began her career in fashion and commercial work in Los Angeles after completing the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography. Though in high demand professionally, Wilbur realized that she wanted a different path as a photographer: to create portrait art that deeply communicated people's lives and experiences.

4. Teri Greeves: Greeves (born 1970), who grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, is known primarily for her use of traditional Kiowa beading, which she learned from her Kiowa grandmother. Greeves merges her cultural history with both traditional and contemporary clothing items as a commentary on being a Native woman in the modern world. She blends traditional geometric traditional Kiowa styles with figurative elements of the Shoshone, while also commenting on the derivation of American modernist abstraction from traditional Native American designs.

5. Harvey Pratt: Considered one of the leading forensic artists in the United States, Pratt (born 1941) has spent over 50 years in law enforcement, completing thousands of witness description drawings and hundreds of soft tissue reconstructions. Pratt is a Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal member and is recognized as an accomplished master Native American Indian artist. He is a self taught, multi-talented artist involved in many media; oil, acrylic, watercolor, metal, clay and wood. He has won numerous awards and was named the Red Earth 2005 Honored One. Just recently, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian announced that Pratt's Warriors' Circle of Honor was the winning design for the National Native American Veterans Memorial.

#native american artists #native american art #native americans #Native American culture #contemporary artists