#'i want this person to like me so i'm gonna be nice to them' <- this is not manipulation. this is just interacting with people.

[vibrantdream]

Is it worth it?

That was the question I found myself wrestling with. After all, I had things pretty good as they were. I had a stable income working in my parents' armory shop. I was also not particularly short on offers. Nobility, I am not, but I was still a decent prospect for marriage. My life was both stable and comfortable which made the fact that I was even considering chasing after this lead absolute madness.

Common sense said to settle. Find a suitable partner in town, have children, teach them armorsmithing when they were old enough. Magic could be finnicky anyway, and I'm no mage. I barely have the ability to cast the cheapest and simplest of spells, like a dating spell. I could have cast it wrong. Or perhaps the spell itself was flawed. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time a dating spell proved unfruitful.

A near-certain suicide mission wasn't worth a maybe.

And yet my mind burned. Not only with that name, that honey-sweet name that rolled off my tongue like water over rocks, but with a bright curiosity. I had cast the dating spell almost four months prior. Doubtless, my match had been adventuring then, far too busy to worry about love. So why now? Why cast the spell while trapped in the deepest, deadliest dungeon in history? Who would embark on such a hopeless rescue mission, if that had, in fact, been my match's intent? What good could knowing my name and location possibly do in such bleak circumstances?

I wanted to know. I wanted to know that answer more than almost anything.

I found myself pulling my personal armor out of storage: I had only worn it twice and it was slightly misshapen, having been the first full set I ever made, but that was nothing I couldn't fix now. I fired up the forge, hammering away until it matched the quality of my current work. I spent the next few days inscribing protective spells and sigils on the bracers, and inside the breastplate, referencing our books on magical armor. My father shook his head fondly whenever he found me toiling over it, offering advice here and there, but never berating me. I hadn't told him, but he suspected something.

Neither of my parents were surprised when I told them I was leaving, sword at my waist, armor shining and polished. My mother hugged me and kissed my cheek, handing me a bag full of supplies and provisions.

"Come home safe." She said. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I might not come home at all.

"I will let you go," My father said, "on one condition. You leave that sword here."

"Father, I'm going to need a weapon. I'm going somewhere dangerous," I said.

"I rather suspected you would," He said, "Which is why I think this will serve you better." He turned to a chest and brought out a long bundle wrapped in cloth, which he offered to me.

My heart stuttered. "My great-grandmother's sword?"

My father nodded. "It saw her through entire wars. I think it shall meet your needs nicely."

I slowly reached out and grabbed the hilt as my father unwrapped the cloth. The blade shone brighter than my armor due to the diligent care my father put into maintaining it. My hands weren't shaking, but only because I was terrified of dropping it.

My father removed my sword belt and strapped on a new belt with my great-grandmother's scabbard before he stood back and looked at me. "That's more like it. You be careful out there, now. And you should know you're gonna need a little help along the way: you're not used to adventuring. There's a list in the bag of people and organizations who might be of help. People will recognize that sword and scabbard before you speak a word so take very good care of them."

"I will." I said hastily. "I promise I will. Just like you taught me."

My father nodded and gave me one last hug before I sheathed my new sword and set off to find--and potentially save--my one true love.

It was madness, but I'd do it or die trying.

A new dating spell is trending in the magic world—cast it, and if your perfect match also does, you’ll instantly know who and where they are. Simple. Yours just activated. Their name burns in your mind… and their location? Deep beneath the earth, at the bottom of a dungeon no one returns from.

[screamlet]

”Buck is not a friend you can bust balls with” !!! This just unlocked something inside me, wow, yes. That’s the mismatch that’s happening here because Chimney is a ball buster, too! Hen and Athena bust each other’s balls! Ohhh, I feel like I’m seeing this “found family” with new eyes.

yes ok i'm not alone!! the ball busting comment is about this gifset about eddie accusing buck of making things "about him" and specifically the bachelor party set in the middle. the bachelor party set isn't as bad as the other ones, but it's still a personality mismatch! because some people? you just can't bust their balls. (bust balls = fuck around with someone, like jodere in spanish)

a good example is THIS VERY SCENE where tommy arrives at the bachelor party in 7x06 - it's not that deep, but it still shows the difference (and why i wanted eddietommy friendship so fucking bad):

EDDIE, SASSILY: Didn't know you could bring a date to a bachelor party. TOMMY, EASILY: Hey, I knew Chimney before he was Chimney.

BUCK, EARNESTLY: Yeah, also, he's not officially my date until the wedding tomorrow. Tonight is about Chimney. EDDIE, SASSILY: But his wedding is about you?

and buck's reaction:

buck's not like. MORTALLY WOUNDED. he's not SCARRED FOR LIFE. but that lighthearted little jab kinda hurt! if not hurt, at least made him think: "oh wow, why DID i invite this guy i like romantically to my future brother-in-law's bachelor party, i mean yeah they're old friends, yeah he and eddie and everyone else coming get along great, but am i the jerk because i wanted him here?? what's gonna happen when everyone realizes he's also here because he's MY DATE tomorrow??? are people gonna say stuff because he's MY DATE and he's A GUY and A GUY THEY KNOW??? it's gonna take away from chimney isn't it!!!! shit, i did make it all about me!!! just because i liked a guy and couldn't control myself!!! shit. shit."

and that's not what eddie meant!!! it's not that deep!!! i don't think people tell jokes expecting them to land with a thud like that, buuuuuut. buck is not a ball busting friend. it's not infantilizing to point that out and respect that boundary when it comes to the earnest people in our lives. some people don't like to be teased! he is a big earnest guy who wants to be handled sweetly, and Once Upon a Time his best friend and his boyfriend could have been each other's bitchy teasing besties and they all could have been happy together, but fuck this show we can't have nice things, apparently. god forbid anyone HAVE A FRIEND on the DISASTERS, EMERGENCIES, AND FRIENDSHIPS SHOW.

[max--phillips]

Hey, kid. Yeah. You. You want free movies and TV shows?

Well, first of all, Internet Archive. Yes, the Wayback Machine people. They have a lot of movies and shows 'n shit you're gonna have a hard time finding elsewhere. (Also, the Alien movies?????) So if you're looking for something weird or niche or old, you might wanna start your search there.

Second of all: In order to get free goodies ✨elsewhere✨, you need three (3) things.

A VPN (virtual private network)

qBittorrent (or some other torrent client, but this is really the go-to these days.)

Places to go, y'know, get stuff.

First: the VPN

This unfortunately is probably going to cost you money. Free VPNs typically collect data, are extremely slow, and/or don't even allow peer to peer downloading in the first place. Beyond that, they're more likely to turn tail and rat you out to your internet service provider (ISP) and get you in trouble. You then get a nice little DMCA letter in the mail threatening you. Get enough of those, and your ISP will kick you out of your plan with them. That's why you need the VPN in the first place--to avoid that.

Be careful to choose a VPN that won't sell your data, allows peer to peer downloading, and won't rat you out to your ISP. There are plenty of discussions about that, and recommendations you can find. Just don't blindly go for the ones you see advertised everywhere (NordVPN, for instance) as those are more likely to sell your data, which is like... antithetical to why you would be using a VPN anyway. Just read the ToS. Personally, I use Mozilla VPN, and I'm very happy with it.

Mozilla VPN, if you buy a full year, is $4.99/mo, billed annually for $59.88. As far as I can tell, this is pretty average as far as cost goes for VPNs. As opposed to spending two or three times that a month for one (1) streaming service... you're gonna save some money.

(Also, as a bonus, if you live in a state where porn websites have started requiring age verification or have completely stopped functioning, you can use this to get around that by making the website think you're in another state! Region locked youtube video? Not anymore! Nervous about being on a public network at the airport or in a coffee shop? Worry not my friend! There are many benefits to having a VPN. Just be aware that some websites and applications do not like VPNs and will flag as suspicious activity (i.e. your bank, paypal, Netflix...) and you're going to be filling out a LOT of captchas and Cloudflare might not like you. But it is what it is.)

You can also host your own VPN, but that's pretty technical, even for me, so... idk, do what you will with that information.

Second: qBittorrent

Idk man, it's qBittorrent. Just download it.

(for real tho, it's free, it's open source software (yay!) and it's not stealing your data or shoving ads down your throat. It's THE torrent client at this point.)

Third: Places to, y'know, get stuff

I gift unto you the r/Piracy megathread. Enjoy.

Frankly, most information you need, recommendations, etc. is gonna be on r/Piracy. They're a godsend. I also recommend this website for a more detailed guide on all the stuff I just put forward. I would tag the user here I got it from but it looks like they deactivated.

Also for the love of god just switch to Firefox and install ublock origin already. Trust me. Just do it. You'll be so much happier. I promise.

Okay thanks bye! Enjoy your free stuff!

[lgbtlunaverse]

While I think the moment in cql where Meng Yao– still bleeding from a stab wound in his chest btw– realizes Lan Xichen is in danger and decides to save the man who was so kind to him in cloud recesses is cute and all, nothing will ever beat the book for me. Little bookkeeper civilian Meng Yao, who has not had a serious chance to make his dreams of being a cultivator come true in fucking years, out of nowhere gets the fucking sect leader of Gusu Lan dropped right in his lap?

It's such a great example of Meng Yao's multilayered motivations to me. Because is civilian Meng Yao thinking of all the ways he can use this? Of the fact that having a great sect leader in his debt is the best thing that could happen to him? Duh. Obviously.

Is he very purposeful about appearing to Lan Xichen as a kind young man full of untapped potential, brave and willing to put his life on the line even though he really doesn't know so much about about cultivators, no sir, except a little he picked up here and there, because you see his father– 👉👈 Of course he is!

But the way through which he does that is... by actually saving Lan Xichen's life, at no doubt significant personal risk. The way he makes Lan Xichen believe he's kind and selfless is by... being kind and selfless. Just because he's doing it on purpose doesn't mean he's not doing it.

Is it lying if you want people to think you're nice and so you're nice to them? Isn't that just called being nice? Yes, he is very purposeful about how he appears to people, and very carefully crafts an image based on what he wants them to think of him, but most of the time he does that simply by... actually being the kind of person he wants to appear as. He still did the kind things he did, regardless of his motivations for doing them.

[tumblweeds-omegaverse]

random omegaverse thought:

There must be people who experience specific instinct things with indifference or boredom.

Procreative cycle coming up? "Crap, I've got plans this weekend...stupid skip weeks."

Caught an intriguing scent while walking? "But I need to get to work! Shut up brain."

Had a snap response to a distressed sound? "Who was it?! ...right, it's my day off, I can go back to sleep."

Somebody growled at them? "Kid, I'm not a rival, that's my sibling."

Super cozy cuddle session happening nearby? "I'm gonna pass tonight guys, no social battery left, maybe next time."

Group of friends heading out to flirt and check out other singles? "I'm coming with you but only to make sure you all get home safe."

Setting where fated mates or soul bonds or permanent marks are a thing? "Meh. I don't really want one or care if I ever get one."

People in the actual omegaverse would get as bored of their stuff, as we do of ours, you know? It could be interesting to see that kind of vibe in fics. Biological demands faced with all the excitement of paying bills or doing laundry or tying your shoes.

Even if that kind of energy might not drive a plot, it could be interesting to have as a contrast to the people who do have big feelings about them - good or bad.

There's the friends who can't wait til they have a pack of their own, and the one friend who isn't against it but couldn't care less. There's the group in the office who are all about scent compatibility tests and figuring out one's best match and what sprays most highlight it, and the coworker who has no intentions on putting that much effort in. There are parents who hover and protect their offspring by scenting them multiple times a day, and others who don't see what the fuss is as long as it's done in the morning.

...also: packs with introverts who show care by giving each other space. So often, closeness is depicted through physical touch and tactile affection, but comfortable silence is meaningful too. Knowing people are near, but not having to interact until you're ready. Sitting in the same room doing different things, knowing that all it takes is a "hey, look at this" to share what you're up to. People understanding and accepting each other's differing or fluctuating needs for how and when to recharge. Seeing somebody reaching out or sharing space, beyond what's their norm, as a signal of the fact that they care.

[hadrianblackwaters]

!! DRUMINDOR SPOILERS IN TEXT AND TAGS !!

Listening to Drumnidor as a Hadrian girlie is not easy. My god they're assassinating his entire character and taking away his life purpose right in front of us! They're reducing him to a stupid comic relief character with no depth and no real influence on the people around him (to a greater degree than they ever did before) and they're taking away all his greatest achievements and attributing them to someone else to fit the plot! His main character status has been revoked and he's now apparently merely a supporting character in someone else's story. Please, everyone, a moment of silence for my blorbo 😔🙏 Rest in peace mr. Blackwater. At least they let you pull some impressive-arse sword moves, you looked really cool... but I am so sorry they did not let you be a practising hoe in this one 🥀

[atom-bomb-baby]

.

[scentofpines]

i walked past my fav prof again this morning and this time i didnt just get a "hello :)" NO i got a "hello miss [my last name] :)" 😭

[running-in-the-dark]

today my friend sent me pictures of some dolls that she saw on sale in a store and asked if I need any of them - it was such a small thing but it made me so happy!! just. that she was thinking of me and cared enough to ask.

[tardis--dreams]

I actually realized i hate work. Won't be putting any effort into this anymore ♡

[moonlit-orchid]

good evening to everyone except a certain few fucking anons

[illdothehotvoice]

One day I will be brave enough to order a mystery item from Fangamer because of how cheap they are but that day is not today

[sensitivegoblin]

Bonus pts if you can figure out who this is from but AGH I’ve always wanted to be at the opposite end of your ler mood. Just a pretty thing riding your fingers n dripping so sweetly into your palm while I giggle ~ <3

I'm so bad at guessing agdsff but I have two people in mind based off the typing afggdsdff

You sound SO LOVELY and cute and fun and an adorable lee

I would absolutely love to feel you drip and write and squirm around my hand as my free hand and mouth could tickle and tease you in each of your favorite ways~✨🔥💕

[gender-euphowrya]

i'm getting a good grade in transgender